This is something MJB said in her “making of” video about Stairway to Heaven.
Something that is giving me a moment of straight-across peace this week?
For the past 2 weeks, I’ve been hitting that unsubscribe button like MAD. I get so much junk email, and it causes my inbox to be full and my heart to be overwhelmed. I always worry I am going to miss an important email, and meanwhile I have two emails from LLBean and JCrew.
What has been giving YOU moments of straight-across peace?
Take some milk.
Add some frozen blueberries.
Add some other frozen berries: blackberry, raspberry, and strawberry mix.
Add some TJ’s frozen yogurt.
Blend. (well.)
Add some peanut butter.
(blend.)
Serve. Immediately. To you, and a friend. Enjoy.
This is what Jeff’s brother said when he came to visit us in late June. Here are some photos from the bonfire at Dockweiler we had while he was visiting…it was like a pre-game to July 4th.
This is a line I once uttered to my friend Lauren when our bus driver forgot her bus stop (AGAIN!) and I decided she could make it to gymnastics if she got off at my house and my mom dropped her at her house. This was before cell phones. And, obviously, before we were 16. In fact, I think we were 13.
When I was 14, Brittany and I were both on the soccer teams, and even though she was on varsity and I wasn’t, we would always, always sit on the bus together.
When I was 16, and Kelly was 15, she asked if she could back my car up in my driveway. I said, “Sure!” She ran over a solar light. Whoops.
Every few years, my girlfriends and I try to convene somewhere and hang out. Lately, it’s been in my neck of the woods — whether those woods be Boston or LA! Lauren (see below) is already here, and my other ladies Kelly and Brittany get here tonight. Our other girls, Alex and Erin, will be SORELY missed.
Here are some photographs from our previous escapades — I am so excited and so blessed to be having friends who I’ve known and loved for over a DECADE coming to visit me.
I don’t know what is happening in this photo.
But this is what happened next.
The last time these girls came to see me, I lived in Boston. We went out to dinner, and I forgot my pen in the restaurant. The waiter (who dealt with our loud and ridiculous behavior) ran after us, saying, “Excuse me, ma’am, I think you left your pen.” A minute later, he came out again, with Britty’s purse, and said, “Excuse me, ma’am, I think you left your purse.” We. are. a. mess.
I cannot wait for all three of you to be here, all together, again. I love you oodles. 
Last night I asked Jeff if he thought I should go to yoga this morning. I explained my reasons for and against, and after a pause, he said, “No pain, no gain.” I’d have to agree. So I got up at 5:30 this morning and headed to the gym with a bag full of who knows what (towel remember, extra shoes, even deodorant) and went to yoga.
Here are my problems with Monday morning yoga:
1. My teacher was a talker. He even told us we should drink a bottle of water on an empty stomach once a day.
2. My teacher also left the lights on. What? Do I really need you to SEE me whilst I am doing elbow plank?
3. My teacher liked to do poses for a looonnnng time. (I cannot do side plank for two minutes, as it turns out.)
4. My teacher did not do very many vinyasas between poses, which meant I was left shifting from Warrior 1 and one side and the next without any real flow…not good, as my other teacher’s word of the week is “Flow.”
Overall, I did appreciate the yoga, but I think I might switch to Monday morning swimming, if this same teacher is going to continue. I personally like yoga in the dark, and I love to feel the flow through my body as I go from pose to pose. This class felt more like an introduction to yoga and its poses. We’ll see how the schedule looks next week…
1. I went to 6:00 am yoga on Wednesday morning and my teacher’s name was Skip. I have never taken his class before, and he said at one point, while I was in Warrior 3:
“Welcome to my class. If you thought this was going to be more about meditation, that’s on Monday mornings. We like to sweat in my class.”
He also, I swear to you, was the guy from Can’t Hardly Wait that keeps saying, “Remember that time…”
Turns out he wasn’t that guy, but he reminded me of him SO MUCH.
2. My friend Elliott is moving two miles away from me, which means we’ll be carpooling all fall. Can you believe it? I can’t, either. But, it’s true, and this has greatly improved my mood.
3. Katie has finally come back to the world of blogging. Glad you’re back, K.
4. Girl’s night tonight. Making salads, chattering away, and potentially laughing until we cry.
5. Slow weekend, then my girls are coming to visit. I cannot wait for them.
This week Jeff and I had the pleasure of going to Liz and Woody’s for dinner. This is there house. It is all Mexican Hacienda on the outside. Don’t you want to live here?
First, and undocumented, Liz and I had to wrangle all the black widow spiders that had been creeping on her grill. Don’t worry — we got them all. Then, Liz had to start the coals up.
Cleo had to stay in dog jail, because she kept on running into the front yard. Confined to the porch she was…
And now the hot coals are moved to the grill.
This little guy got away from us in the beginning, during the first spider massacre.
Pre-marinaded meat from TJ’s? Yes, please. Liz’s TJ’s has some, ours doesn’t.
Cleo sits nicely with Jeff.
My beer cozy for the night.
Anaheim peppers, to be stuffed. We used Poblanos as well.
Back outside, to check the fire.
Woody arrives home to see our progress.
The coals are to be moved to the grate below, and Woody and Liz accomplish this, in white shirts, nonetheless!
Jeff and Cleo, fixing the Internet.
For stuffing the peppers: rice, queso fresco, taco seasoning, salt, fresh oregano.
Checking the meat…
Stuffing the peppers!
Delicious.
Onto the grill they go.
Mmmm, meaty.
With roasted tortillas? Perfection. I got a little fancy with mine.
Jeff’s more traditional carne asada. With cilantro. Which I stayed away from.
When I was in Chicago we went on the architectural tour and saw the city from the Chicago River. Beautiful. Here are some choice shots:
Inbound…
Random water tower.
Building with no corner offices, so nobody thinks they’re better than anyone else…
I want to live in that little green house…
One of Chicago’s many bridges
The adornments for this building? The buildings around it, of course.
Sears Tower. Always.
This building is an equilateral triangle.
3 o’clock. hot. hot hot. sunglasses. so hot you can’t stand in the sun. tampon tent, lily pad. friends, family. picking up where you left off. hugs all around. moist towel, rewetting. water, popcorn, pistachios, snacks. laughing so hard i might pee, corey breen where have you been all my life? collectively not drinking. hot. so many woman, and my father. family. 4 o’clock. rushing past everyone to get the shade, because my dad is a stand up guy. someone buying me a hot dog, because again i’m eleven. water, water, water, and water. 5 o’clock. kate nash, you are peculiar. but i love foundations. 6 o’clock, hey sistas, your project is my new favorite thing. i will always remember Coast is about Texas. going to the men’s bathroom, because it’s Lilith. 7 o’clock, and Heart, oh baby, you’ve stole mine. Nikki, we’re definitely behind on this sister-traveling-act thing, but so are Corey and Ky, so I don’t feel left out. Belting it out. sun going down, behind the pillars, because my dad rocks. Jen being part of the family. Not being the adult. The family being together. Having two moms around to watch out for me. (And later, Maribeth asking me, “Does he have health insurance?”) Sun behind the clouds. Sing it to me, Barracuda. 8 o’clock. “It’s a valid life choice.” 9 o’clock, Mary J Blige, Stairway to Heaven, you’re an angel. 10 o’clock. Sarah, I have missed you so. But, I will remember you. And, alternatively, Loving You is Easy. 2011, here we come.
