So That Happened...

Dear Cancer,

SUCK IT.

This week you took the mother of my dear friend, a woman who dealt with your pancreatic ilk for TWO YEARS.  A woman who will not witness the birth of her first grandchild (a girl due in October).  A woman who was kind, smart, funny, open, and had just about the most amazing relationship with her daughter I have ever seen.  

You are also the most unwelcome tenant of my friend, Frank, a man who has, with his partner, adopted the most beautiful baby boy in all the world.  This is a family that has been a long time in the making, and Frank (along with everyone else) will make damn sure you don't get in their way.

I'm done.  For now.  But just know that you are ON NOTICE.

My Party Photo Post

Teresa had a birthday party last week!

There was birthday cake to be had:

Mmm. This goodness was from Vanilla Bake Shop in Santa Monica.

And good friends to share it with:

Peigi, Johnnie and Kate.

Kate, Teresa and Jen.

Jenny, Heidi, Vanessa and Johnnie.

And one bewigged flapper!

Happy birthday, Teresa!

On Beauty

If you have a daughter, niece, or little sister, I implore you to read Faith's missive.  It's really kind of perfect. 

Super Tuesday

Self-portrait taken the morning of November 2, 2004.

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In other news, this is also a big day for my amazingly talented friend Frank and his partner (they are adopting a baby boy and will be bringing him home - yay!), as well as my brilliant girlfriends Heather and Jessica (their new book comes out today!  You have ordered your copy already, haven't you?!)  I'm so excited for them, I can't stand it.  Congratulations all around, my dears!  I shall buy you celebratory martinis the next time I see you. 

Mr. Manfredi and the Old Grey Lady

I am so very proud of Sara's husband and my friend Richard - he will be featured in New York Times article on sports! This is awesome!

I promise actual posts with more than a paragraph of content soon.

For N

I was out of town yesterday - Santa Barbara, to be exact. My dear friend and her family are moving to points east and they held a huge going-away party. Being that we have been friends since kindergarten, it was only natural that I attend. The party was great, their SB network of friends and co-workers is great - it was all in all a wonderful day.

As I was saying my goodbyes to N and her husband, I started to cry. Those of you who know me know that I am a big old sap and will cry over the smallest thing, so this reaction isn't a surprise, but their pending departure hit me more than I expected. Not that I thought I wouldn't be affected by their moving, mind you; I just didn't realize how much so until the end of the night.

To be honest, N and I didn't get to see each other as often as we had liked. Our get-togethers were few and far between because we both have things called lives, but we always talked about my coming up for a weekend, and that? Never happened. I know now, after mulling over my reaction on the drive home, that although we didn't spend a lot of time together, N and I were and have always been close, and I took great comfort in knowing that if I ever needed her, she was just a drive away. And now she won't be. She will now be more than a few hours, a flight and a few hundred dollars away, and that makes my heart ache.

Don't get me wrong - I'm really excited for N and her family as they start a new chapter in their lives. I am just really going to miss my friend, as well as all the opportunities we had over the years to make time for each other but yet did not take. Sigh.

(This can only mean one thing: I will have to make plans for an East Coast Trip now!)

Happy Birthday!

This post is dedicated to my dear friend and one of my knitting senseis, Sara - Happy Birthday!

Now go visit her blog and ooh and ahh over the cute pictures of Baby Vivian in a pumpkin.

In Which We Stick It To The Man: The Food Edition

Exhibit 1: The wine and cheese Heathyr and I had at The Farm at the Grove two weekends ago.  Okay, this is an appetizer, but it was so filling we couldn't eat anymore. 

• Cheese Plate for Two (including an assortment of cheeses from "around the world" plus roasted tomatoes, caramelized onions, olive tapenade - yum, caramelized pears and berries): $19.50
• Half-Bottle of Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet 2004 (aka My Latest Addiction - seriously, you want to get on my good side?  BUY ME THIS WINE): $17
• Total: $40-ish with tip

Exhibit 2: The wine and cheese Heathyr and I had for dinner last Wednesday.  We took it upon ourselves to recreate our experience at the Farm.

• Cheeses, tomatoes, apples, bread, salami and prosciutto (for me because Heathyr doesn't like super-salty foods), all from Trader Joe's: $14-ish
• The EXACT SAME half-bottle of wine we had at the Farm which I found at a local proprietor: $5.99 (YES.  I bought it for SIX DOLLARS and CHANGE.)
• Total: $20-ish without a tip

Not to say that we don't love you, The Farm, because we do (and it's the kisses-on-both-sides-of-your-face kind of love), but knowing that we can pretty much duplicate the same meal at home with the added benefits of having way more cheese (look at that wedge of Brie!); being able to take off our shoes; sit on a comfy couch; eat in a somewhat messy fashion AND watch Pushing Daisies and South Park at the same time without having to leave a tip?  Really wins.  A LOT.

(That said, we'll be back soon!  We haven't tried your desserts yet!)

Vegas!

H and I are back from our MUCH-needed getaway to Las Vegas, where we: ate; drank; shopped; and sang (okay, I sang) along with our favorite piano-playing duo to "Hungry Like the Wolf" (my request).  Just to be clear, when I say sang along "with," I mean "while sitting in my comfy chair" and not "on the mic" or anything.  Alas, no repeat performance of me dancing the Time Warp this time around.  Maybe next time.

Dave (left) and Billy at Napoleon's in the Paris Hotel.  Go there, sit down, order a few rounds, request a few songs, and prepare to be thoroughly entertained.

H got her first tattoo!  We went to Pair-A-Dice Tattoo and had just about the best experience.  If you want a tattoo and are in Las Vegas, go here and ask for Don - he's awesome.

Wine flights at 55 Degrees in Mandalay Bay are your friends. 

Here's Mr. Bear near the famous Las Vegas sign.  I would have taken a better shot but I was parked in the middle of the turnabout and had about a minute to get this picture before something happened to my car.  I'll get a closer one the next time I'm in town.  (If you want to know where the sign is, head south on Las Vegas Boulevard past Mandalay Bay; it's about a mile or so down from there.  You can't miss it.  Obviously.)

An Evan Update

Great news: Allison reports that Evan has been discharged!  Yay!  They will be based in Scottsdale for the next week as he recuperates.  He is playful and eating well and - best of all - sleeping for more than three hours at a time, which is something he had never done before the surgery.  Imagine! 

I'd like to recommend you visit Allison's blog now so that you can see new photos of him with his new knitted blanket.  It'll be a nice way to start your Monday, I promise.