playing catch up

Weekends tend to be either super busy for us or really tame. A few weekends ago we had a wedding on Friday and Sunday I went to the Pride parade with my friend.

Pride weekend is one of my favorite weekends of the summer in Chicago, which consists of a street fest, lots of events and a parade on Sunday. We used to live right next to "Boystown" where the street fest and parade are held. It was inevitable that we would hit up the street fest every year, and I always managed to make it to the parade, even if it was by myself for a little bit. But this year I was able to meet up with a friend to check out the spectacle.

Thanks to my friend Katie for letting me use her photos from the parade.

Afterwards we had an adult beverage and a feast of hummus at George Street Pub. They have an awesome patio.

Mmm. Hummus.

 One of my hot-button issues lately has been marriage equality. I am all for it. I am a straight ally, 100% supporter of gay marriage. I firmly believe that marriage equality is a civil rights issue. Our country is discriminating against an entire class of people by denying their right to marry simply because their partner is of the same sex. Talk to me all you want about beliefs and definitions of marriage. I've heard it all and I'm not impressed. This country is discriminating, and we need to stop. Period.

This past week was Independence Day. Typically we end up celebrating most "American" holidays in some fashion or another, but there is always something about them, the 4th, Columbus Day, Thanksgiving, that make me a little sad or mad. What do I as a Native American have to celebrate on these holidays? They are subtle reminders that an entire population was decimated, and Natives continue to suffer the consequence of "independence" or the Americas being "discovered." This year we did not celebrate at all. I wasn't raised to feel negative about these holidays, in fact we celebrated them like most American families, but through my life experiences and education, I have certainly had a change of heart. Sometimes I wonder what I will tell my children about these holidays.

Enough serious talk. I've been practicing yoga everyday now and have never felt better about myself. And I am still on the smoothie kick. This morning I switched it up a bit after I was inspired a recipe I found on Pinterest. I didn't have a whole lot of strawberries left, so I adapted it with what I had on hand.

Sweet and Tart Start to the Morning
-one half ripe peach
-handful of frozen strawberries
-about 3 or 4 ounces of coconut milk
-2 heaping spoonfuls of greek yogurt
-2 counts pour of OJ*

pulse and blend. Enjoy!

*as you know by now, I don't measure. But I used to bartend. When you pour a liquid and count "one-one thousand," you pour an ounce, or so damn close to one you'll be impressed. Go try it!

Have a great weekend! xoxo

I confess

Here's my confession: I DO need money to celebrate my most special love's birthday. Some people are so creative and they can make really cool stuff out of trash and can come up with amazing ideas. I usually take their ideas and do something similar. But here was my dilemma. I had absolutely no money at all. Not even a few dollars to put on my bus card so we could GO somewhere where there was a free event. So I was limited to within walking distance of our house.

Babe, the neighbor! 

 We did our usual Saturday routine but we tried to change it up a bit. We walked our dog AND took along the neighbor dog, Babe. We are looking after our neighbor's dog and cat while they are out of town. Our neighbor is a bit elderly and she doesn't really walk the dog so we thought it couldn't hurt to get the dog out for some exercise. The change in routine was good for both of us and Babe.

 Cheeto wasn't too keen on the idea, but he's spoiled; it was good for him, too.

Cheeto played nice for the most part.

I confess I had a melt down when I checked the mail and found no paycheck. I couldn't even take my baby out for a birthday dinner, or buy any groceries, for that matter. The thing is, this man has been amazing the last seven months. He has been my cornerstone, my source of strength and stability through it all: the shitty job, my sister getting sick, my grandmother passing. All I wanted to do was take him to his favorite taco joint. *Sigh* Now get this, on his birthday, the one day of the year it should be all about him, he calms me down and tells me we should be thankful for what we do have. Clearly, I am lacking in the gratitude and patience departments. We counted our blessings for the roof over our head, the jobs we both have, and for our health. You see, we have many family members who are fighting for their lives. I often take for granted that I am healthy. We live down the street from a church where there is a shelter and every morning I walk past the men who sleep there. They tell me "good morning" on my way to work. How easy it is to forget that I have it WAY better than they do. I could keep going. You get my point.

Later on, I took a look in our fridge and found a frozen pizza for dinner and one beer. I also found an old bottle of a liqueur I bought many months ago and a half carton of fresh raspberries. Hubby had the beer and I mixed up a little daiquiri of sorts for myself. We watched the rerun of SNL and said good night. Oh, and we had birthday sex. What else was I going to give him????

Below is my recipe for the daiquiri. Enjoy!

2 ounces St. Germain liqueur
1 1/2 ounces simple syrup*
4 large ice cubes
a handful of fresh raspberries

I put the ice cubes in the blender by themselves and pulse to start breaking up the ice. Then add the liquids and the raspberries on top. Blend until smooth. Enjoy!




*Simple syrup is easy to make and great to have on hand for all kinds of drinks such as iced coffees, smoothies and last minute daiquiris. Simply bring a cup of water to a boil then add 2 cups of sugar. Stir, remove from heat and continue stirring until all the sugar is melted. After it is cooled store it in a bottle of your choice in the refrigerator.