Drinks & Dancing

Last night, Carrie, Heidi, and I had a fun evening out. We met up for dinner and drinks at The Gage, a new upscale pub/restaurant downtown. Then we walked to the Harris Theater to see Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. This was the opening night of their 30th season. Of the five pieces they performed, I really liked three. The other two were good, but a little more traditional (and had annoyingly distracting costumes!). Still, Hubbard Street continues to be my favorite dance troupe to see in Chicago. They're performing through October 7th.

Spare Change

Tuesday night I went to see Cat perform in "Spare Change" at Stage Left Theater. Her dad was there, so I got to sit and chat with him, which was nice. Of all Cat's shows I've seen in Chicago, I think this one was my favorite. She's such an amazing actress, she's always a pleasure to watch, and the rest of the cast was excellent, too. The play, by local playwright Mia McCullough, was provocative and thought-provoking, touching, and even funny. I HIGHLY recommend this show, which runs through November 3rd.

Take Me Home, Country Roads (or Jumbo Jets, or Whatever)

It's official! Joanna and Alejandro will finally be back in the States on October 2nd! I am so happy and excited for them and for Tom and for the rest of their families and for all of us who have missed them and been sending positive thoughts and prayers their way these last seven months. Seven months!!! I don't think they're going to know what hit them, they're going to get so many hugs. Godspeed, Spagoetzes!

A Wedding in Red Wing

I had a short but wonderful trip up to St. Paul this past weekend. I flew in Friday night (delayed arriving) and back Sunday night (delayed again). On Saturday, Tomkin and I drove down to Red Wing, where he officiated the wedding of his friends Cassidy (a fellow Carl) and Angie. The wedding was outside at a vinyard, and the weather could not have been more perfect. It was a beautiful ceremony, and I enjoyed catching up with Carleton grads Joan and Joanna. We enjoyed some Minnesota wine (who knew there was such a thing?) and a delicious dinner. I'll be heading back up to St. Paul again this weekend and then won't be back again until the move!

Fine Summer Dining

On Thursday for lunch I introduced Carrie and Kara to two of my favorite eating establishments near work (both are in Niles). First we dined on delicious slices of pizza at Gigio's. Then we went to Village Creamery for fabulous homemade ice cream. At both places we sat outside and enjoyed the sunny weather. Can you believe it's almost autumn?

Cheers!

Last night Connie, Joleen, and I had our last Girls' Dinner Out. We sat outside (it was a beautiful night!) at Que Rico, where we enjoyed a pitcher of margaritas and lots of delicious food. Connie and Jo gave me a collage they'd put together with cards and photos from our 3+ years of bi-monthly dinners out. During our time together (originally with Denise), we've eaten at a lot of new, cool places and had really fun and interesting conversations. Thanks, ladies! It's been a great run.

A New Era at Holy Covenant

Sunday morning was the first day Holy Covenant had two services (at 9:00 and 11:00). No one was sure how it was go...but I'd say it was a rousing success! There were 45 people at the first service and about 100 at the second. Carrie and I arrived early for the coffee hour between services. I've been working with the Welcoming Committee, and our main task so far has been the coffee hour, which went really well (thanks to some hard work from committee members!). The fall sermon series, "Stuff You Never Hear in Church," kicked off with "money." We were treated to a great cabaret performance of the song "Money," and Trey's sermon was really thought-provoking. After church a group of us got lunch at nearby Grand Central. It was an unexpected treat to get to spend some time with Mira and Eric! All-in-all, it was a great way to start this exciting new phase at Holy Covenant. It feels like great things are happening!

Gaming Girls

Saturday we had Game Night at Mary Beth's house. We spent some time playing with Nora and Owen, ate dinner, and celebrated Kelly and Mary Beth's birthdays. Kelly's friend Sarah joined us as well. Eventually we even got around to playing some games (Password, Apples to Apples, CatchPhrase, and Mad Libs). We are such softies now!

This should be our last Game Night without Joanna! Great news today--the last step of their very long adoption process is almost complete, and Joanna and Alejandro should be home next week! NEXT WEEK!!! It's still kind of hard to believe. But very very exciting!

Mr. Jackson

This week while Lisa's in Hawaii (me, jealous? no, not at all...), I'm watching her cat, Jackson. He's a real sweetie, and he and Sisu get along well. And he's quite a climber and explorer!

One Night in Puerto Rico

Wednesday night, Kerri and I went over to Kelly's to play Puerto Rico. We ate dinner, spent some time playing with Evie and Sophie (those are some happy girls!), and then we got down to the business of gaming. I didn't exactly "win," but we still had a good time.

Il Fiasco

On Tuesday night, Heidi and I had dinner at Il Fiasco, a new restaurant in Andersonville. It was a really fun evening! We drank wine, ate pizza, and had a great conversation.

Sweet Cat Free to Good Home!

I need to find a new home for my cat, Sisu. He's about 10 years old, healthy, neutered, and front-declawed. I got him a couple years ago from Bill's wife, Laura (not long after Claudius died). Sisu really seems to like having another cat around--that's part of the reason I got Henry. This week I'm cat-sitting for Lisa's cat, Jackson, and he and Sisu are good buddies. Sisu has never gotten totally comfortable around the dogs, but he has gotten better. His ideal home would have one other cat and no dogs. I'm not sure how he is around kids. Anyway, if you or someone you know in the Chicago area is interested in adopting him, please let me know! I'd love to find a home for him within the next 2-3 weeks.

Stuff You Never Hear in Church

Big things are happening at Holy Covenant! In fact, the congregation has grown so much that, starting this Sunday (September 16), we're splitting into two services (9:00am and 11:00am with a coffee hour in-between). And to kick things off, the fall sermon series is about "stuff you never hear in church." In September and October, Pastor Trey will be discussing money, politics, addiction, and sex. Plus, on October 7th, we'll be having another U2 Eucharist, and October 21st is the Blessing of the Animals. Our mission statement is to make room for all God's people, seek justice for all God's people, and find joy with all God's people. And the more we grow, reach out, embrace, learn, experience, and hear, the more we'll live out that statement. If you're in the Chicago area and interested in checking out the church, let me know or just show up! Holy Covenant is located at 925 W. Diversey in Chicago. It is truly (truly!) open to and welcoming of all people.

Partying with the Cheetah Girls

Saturday night I went to a party at Nicole's fancy-schmancy new house. I think I may have actually gasped when I walked inside, the place is so gorgeous. There were some other gals from Cheetah Gym there, too, and we all caught up on the latest gym gossip and drank champagne. We got a tour of the house and had fun playing with Nicole's three dogs (Hank, Marty Feldman, and Mr. Furley). We also got to see her adorable son, Gray, who was a very well-behaved party guest. Even though I was tired, it was a very fun night!

Stuff

Sorry it's been a while since I last posted anything. I spent much of last week preparing for the rummage sale that Mary Beth graciously hosted on Saturday. Man, do I have a lot of stuff! I brought two carloads of items for the rummage sale out to Mary Beth's house, and whatever didn't sell, I donated. Two carloads full! And to look around my apartment, you wouldn't even know. I have six weeks until the move and lots more stuff to get rid of! In reflecting on my stuff, I was reminded of George Carlin's classic stand-up routine about stuff. Funny...and true. Anyway, Kerri, Kelly (and Airan and Evie and Sophie) and I got out to Mary Beth's about 7:00 on Saturday morning. The day was surprisingly slow; we just didn't get a lot of traffic. We did get to talk to Joanna, which was a treat! We're keeping our fingers crossed that she and Alejandro will be home this month. (!!!) We wrapped things up about 1:00 (then ran stuff to a resale shop, ate lunch, and cleaned up). I made $72, though when you factor in two trips to the suburbs (gas, tolls, and time) and the hours I spent preparing for the sale, then being at the sale, it was hardly worth it for the money. But it was great to get rid of some excess stuff, and it was fun hanging out with MB, Kelly, Kerri, and the very cute kiddos.

Holy Covenant Rocks!

I just stole this link off Matt's blog that talks about the U2 Eucharist at Holy Covenant (our next one is on my birthday, October 7th). They even used one of my photos and gave me credit, although my name is spelled wrong. Ah, well. This service has been so amazing, it's great that it's getting some positive coverage.

In Stitches

I extended my long weekend by taking today off of work. One of the things I did was to visit the International Museum of Surgical Science to see an exhibit of embroidered X-rays by an artist named Matthew Cox. This is the third time I've seen his work, and I absolutely love it. It's such a contrast to have the bright, traditional needlework done on top of a cold, hard, grey technical image. It's not only a creative idea; Cox carries it out beautifully. If you've never been to the IMSS, they're having a free open house on Saturday, September 15th. I encourage you to check it out! (And to check out Matthew Cox's work! It's even better in person.)

Long Weekend in St. Paul

I got to have a nice long weekend with Tomkin in St. Paul. I flew up on Thursday night and didn't head back to Chicago until Monday night. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Tomkin either had a rehearsal or a wedding about an hour away, so I drove with him, then sat at a Dunn Bros. coffee shop, where I drank chai tea lattes and finished reading The Mermaid Chair. Saturday night we had dinner with our college friend Kurt--he came by the house, and then we went out for Mexican food. It was fun catching up with him. On Sunday, Dad, Sandy, Phillip, and Alex drove down and met us at the house, then we all walked over to nearby Pizza Luce for lunch. It's great getting to see them more often now! I've gotten Tomkin hooked on "Rescue Me," and he's getting me to eat more healthy foods. As Rocky Balboa says, we fill in each other's gaps. We took a long walk on Monday, wandered around Grand Avenue, and stopped on the way home to have a picnic. Only two more visits up there before the move!

It's Martini Time!

Wednesday night, Lisa, Carrie, and I met for drinks at Marty's, a very cool little bar in Andersonville. We had yummy martinis (both of mine were chocolately and delicious) and had a nice time catching up and winding down before the holiday weekend.