Start of Something Good

Though 2011 had a rather low key start, my 26th year began with a blast. I had the weekend off while rotating on hand surgery in orthopedics, so I took advantage of the free time to pamper myself.The day started off with free Chick-Fil-A spicy chicken biscuits for breakfast with Brandi and Peter (how did we not take any pictures??). I spent the day indulging in a mini facial, a pedicure, and a coupon-inspired shopping spree all before the sun set. In the evening I headed to Thai Spice for dinner with my lovely friends.The tasty Thai dinner was capped with TWO birthday cakes- yummy red velvet and exotic taro varieties. After such a nice rendezvous with my closest Houston friends, the hardcore contingent of our group headed to Montrose for an ultimate dance party.Javier was a gracious chauffeur, and Amy made sure I celebrated to the max. Of course, a night at South Beach wouldn't be complete without a photo op with a couple drag queens. After the music died down, we filled our belly with grease and sugar at House of Pies in the wee hours of the morning. When my head finally hit the pillow, I slept soundly, warmed by the nice memories, thoughtful presents, and friendly phone calls that punctuated my day of birthday bliss.

A Break from Regularly Scheduled Programming...

This just in: Leonardo DiCaprio (aka Leonard DiCarpio to Mom) was just spotted in a Rice cap!! While watching a Spurs vs. Lakers game in LA, DiCaprio showed his love for my alma mater. Sweet!

Forever Friends

While I was home I had the good fortune of being able to meet up with several of my very best friends from home. I suppose Kate and Jeannette would be best classified as "debate friends," but our bond has grown beyond the bounds of cross examination. After studying in Sweden and receiving her Masters in Strategic Leadership Towards Sustainability, Kate now lives in Anchorage, Alaska. Jeannette did Teach for America in Los Angeles and stayed on there as a full-time high school teacher. Missing from the group was Jil, who lives in Boston after receiving her Masters in International Relations from BU.The highest-yield rendezvous came at Bakery by the Lake downtown. What initially began as a chat with Chelsey grew into a full-fledged reunion with Shalem, Jenny, and Molly. Chelsey works as a dietitian in Utah and has a lovely home with her husband Joel and various furry creatures. Shalem lives in Chicago but is home for an extended visit following the death of her wonderful father Joe. Jenny has been working in a doctor's office in Coeur d'Alene and is married to high school sweetheart Mick. Molly also lives in Utah and enjoys her outdoorsy job working for the BLM.My friendship with Kami became especially tight during our run on the Lake City High School stage in Steel Magnolias (I was Ouiser, she was Annelle). Kami now lives in the Seattle area with her handsome husband Dan, darling son Eli, and baby boy on the way. Dan juggles working at Boeing with night school in preparation for dental school applications this fall. Kami is the Renaissance woman of the home: master chef, dutiful wife, caring mother, expert crafter, and fellow blogger. Over the years, I have enjoyed stealing her recipes and reading updates on her blog, which motivates me to stay committed to my own cyber-updates. In a recent post, she captured our breakfast outing at the Owl Cafe and the importance of having timeless friendships.

Ho Ho Home!

Christmas Day on Hayden Lake was gorgeous. We woke up and enjoyed some delicious bubble loaf, which is just the way to start off a holiday celebration. Santa came and went in the night, leaving our stockings full of treasures like iTunes giftcards and ornaments from the North Pole (Alaska). I especially enjoyed my scratch-off lottery tickets, which brought in a solid $3 in winnings.The six of us then walked the trail to the little lake place where the real loot was waiting for us underneath the Christmas tree. After the flurry of ribbons and wrapping paper settled, we watched Arney jump in the icy cold water with impressive height and temperature tolerance.The next evening we got fancy in preparation for the seafood buffet. Before making an appearance at the Hayden Lake Country Club, we visited the Stanleys at their lovely home. We had tasty wine while touring their awesome lakeside chateau. We took a peek in their amazing wine cellar and would not have left if it weren't for our impending dinner reservation.We enjoyed a nice dinner and stuffed ourselves silly. The night came to a bittersweet close as Sarah, Paul, and Sam packed and departed for an overnight at Sam's house in Spokane. Sarah and Paul headed home to Florida in the morning while Sam returned to the daily grind. I knew my own days of R&R were numbered...

The Night Before Christmas

On Christmas Eve our family of six ventured into downtown Coeur d'Alene for some group photos by the new Chamber of Commerce. Then we headed to Trinity Lutheran Church for the Christmas Eve service, a comforting tradition that really made me feel festive. Afterward, we drove back out to the lake place to prepare for the Robnetts' arrival!Janet, Rusty, and Jessica arrived for our annual Christmas Eve dinner bearing gifts (as three wise ones are known to do, of course). We snacked on appetizers and caught up on events that had unfolded over the past year. We sat down to a Christmas-color-coordinated salad with yummy prosciutto and pomegranates.We communed with a savory dinner of crown pork roast, handpicked cranberries (which, my urology attending informs me, are proven to help prevent UTIs... but only if they're the North American variety), stuffing, and some sort of mushroom + wild rice deliciousness. Then we blew some gigantic bubbles on the deck as an interlude before our trek over to the little lake place for desserts and opening presents around the tree.