Friday and Saturday

It's been a busy weekend so far.

Friday night we went out for dim sum with Chris and Lu Ann, who we haven't gone to dinner with in quite a while. While we caught up on the latest, we ate our weight in potstickers--I did anyway--and finished up with fried sesame balls filled with red bean paste. Yum!

We came home via the grocery store (yes, grocery shopping on Friday night is what all the cool kids are doing these days). We came home and, as we were putting everything away, Kelly called to have us come over and look at her garden full of blooming four o' clocks. They really are amazing flowers and transient, too. The dogs were ecstatic to see us, so they went a little nuts, jumping around like little fools. They're so used to my being the treat fairy, that they always run up and start licking my hands looking for treats. This time they had to wait until our visit was over.

After admiring the flowers, we checked out their new RV which came standard with two TVs--Kelly's favorite part!--but sadly, no dishwasher. We joked about going out into nature just to park and watch TV.  Why do RVs need TVs, I wonder.

We came back home and cut open a watermelon for dessert and then I brushed my teeth and went to bed. A few hours later, around 3:30 a.m., I got up to go to the toilet and saw that Dave, who had made the mistake of having tea late in the day, was still awake.  He did go to bed soon after and slept until 11:30 or so. Maybe later. I don't remember, because I also went back to sleep and got up even later than that!

When I woke up, Dave was in the middle of making red chile to put on huevos rancheros, just a little light afternoon meal to tide us over until dinner.

Dinner was my aunt's birthday dinner. She choose Outback Steakhouse, so we went there and ate way too much. We had to start out with a blooming onion, of course, then Dave had pasta Alfredo (one of the very few vegetarian dishes on the menu), my aunt and mother had ribeye steaks, and I had baby back ribs. We went without dessert because we were planning on going to a street festival afterward, and I heard that they were serving shaved ice.

The festival was held on a mile-long stretch of Route 66 (Central Avenue) and parking was, of course, a nightmare. In fact, we ended up parking my mother and aunt's car at the casita then all driving back in Dave and my car. We dropped my mother and aunt off and then went off to find parking. When we met up again, I was ready for my shaved ice!

I got a medium size, half peach and half watermelon. My mother got a small lemon. And Dave got a medium, half lemon and half watermelon. Then we walked up along Central, looking at some of the arts and crafts booths.

We passed the shop where I had my nose pierced so long ago and then this happened:

My aunt went in and had her nose pierced!

It was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing--I almost succumbed as well--but it was a $40 investment in the new.

It's very tiny--you can't even really see it in that picture--a little stud for now that may or may not get switched out later, I'm sure.

Then we walked out into the street festival. There were so many people there! We got caught up watching a kind of classic car parade down Central then we walked up a little ways more. My mom was getting tired, so Dave offered to go get the car and take her back to her car so she could go home and rest. My aunt and I stayed and walked up Central, all the way to where the stage playing Latin music was set up.

We got there just after dark and just as the last band was finishing up its last song. Grrr! So then we walked back down a little ways and met up with Dave.