The BIG 3-0 Weekend

Yes, I am officially old. But, I have had a pretty fantastic birthday weekend!

On Friday Jeff, some dear friends, and I started the night off with dinner at Simply Fondue. It was fabulous.

I have really been wanting to go to a fondue restaurant so this was quite a treat. The atmosphere is very inviting and you could tell everyone there was having a great time. I think it is nearly impossible not to enjoy yourself while eating fondue!

After dinner we went to Lola's to see our friend's Pablo and the Hemphill 7.

Jeff surprised me with red roses and diamond earrings for my birthday. He said that 30 is a classic birthday and since roses and diamonds are classic, that is what he wanted to give to me. It was a fantastic surprise that I was not expecting at all.

On Saturday, my actual birthday day, I lounged about the house and then went to the birthday party that my parents had for me. It was really nice. We had a New Mexican theme and everything was decorated so cute! I can't believe I did not take any pictures of it! My mom cooked Pinon Chile Beans and Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas for dinner. Both were recipes from our Culinary tour. It was delish (I am channeling Rachel Ray)! She even made guacamole like they do at Gabriel's! I also just realized that it is only 4 months until our return to Santa Fe! Wah Hoo! I can feel that desert mountain air now!

For dessert we had chocolate fondue which kept with my theme for the weekend. Also, my dear friends gave me an electric fondue pot for my birthday. I think a fondue party is in the works soon!

My mother is very in tune with my new found passion for Pyrex and gave me some of my grandmother's old Pyrex. I absolutely love it and it is very special to me.

On Sunday, I slept in, until about 10:45 which I never ever do because I am an early riser. Jeff made me my very first fried egg for breakfast. This is pretty miraculous because the boy does not cook. I usually like my eggs scrambled but I have to admit, a fried egg is not half bad, especially when you enjoy it with your 4th cup of morning coffee!

I lounged around the house and worked on knitting my socks. I got a load of progress done on these socks during the drive home from Arkansas last Monday. I conquered the heel flap and heel gusset!! I am very proud!

It was such a beautiful day today so I cracked open a few windows. While I was knitting, Ziggy was busy trying to figure out a way to make the great escape. We caught him climbing on the window!

Now, for the socks, I am working on shaping the toe and I will be done with my very first pair of hand knit socks.

Yes, it has been a great Birthday weekend.

You know, I have to admit, I kinda like being 30. :-)

Cheers.

La Vie Boheme

I just had the most wonderful weekend in such a long long time! I was on-call for my work for the past 7 days and as of 8 o'clock Friday morning I was free!!!! It started with hanging out with friends for Happy Hour on Friday. Then on Saturday my boyfriend Jeff and I went to the Flying Saucer to see our friends Pablo and the Hemphill Seven and got our boogie on to a little local Reggae music. On Sunday I decided to top the weekend off with RENT! I have waited for years to see RENT. I feel like I have seen it so many times before because my boyfriend and his cousin would always play the soundtrack when we all worked together at Coffee Haus in Sundance Square, downtown, slingin' cappuccinos and mochas.

I knew all the songs and the storyline without even seeing it. I recently watched the movie too and thought it was wonderful so... it was only fitting that last night on a spur of the moment whim, my friends and I went to see RENT downtown at Bass Hall. It was absolutely magical! The whole evening! I saw people that I have not seen in quite some time. I was thrilled. My friend Robert who I have not seen in what seems like decades was there. He works for the theater and when I went to pick up the tickets at will call he upgraded us! We had nosebleed section seats because on a spur of the moment whim, unfortunately that was all we could afford. Way up high on the upper level was where we were going to sit. The stage and performers would have looked like little tiny ants. But Robert, he put us on row A! Right up next to the stage we were! We cold hardly believe it! I could have reached out and touched the cast. RENT was just magical! It is one of those stories that helps me put things, including my life and what I do for a living, into perspective.

For 4 years I worked for a local AIDS organization. I owe a lot to working there as I learned so much and it helped me grow as a person and a professional. All of the stress and worry that came with the job paid off because I learned something so important. I learned to take life as it is and make something of it because our days are numbered. I learned that life is so precious and we should never take it for granted, no matter what we are faced with. Having worked with people with AIDS and watching them achieve their goals and live their life to the fullest in spite of the disease makes the little challenges and obstacles I experience seem so easy and meaningless. RENT was amazing! It was just absolutely amazing.