HAPPY BELATED VALENTINE'S DAY, EVERYONE!

That's right, it was almost a week ago today that Trevor gave me chocolates in a heart-shaped box, something I wanted for Valentine's day, because what says "I love you, Bean," more than candy? NOTHING!! Although, much has happened since the candy giving, so I'll try to catch you up on all of it!

Trevor found a great neighborhood bar; he fell across it (not literally) while walking Henry one day, and suggested meeting our friends, the Sturdy Voogds and the Segars there for a drink on Wednesday night. It's called the Chip Inn (which reminded me of the Come Back Inn of Madison fame...), and it's the perfect Wednesday night corner bar: pool table in the back and Yatzee on the shelf, Goose Island on tap, and a very friendly bartender slinging suds. Jessica schooled Simana in billiards (or was it the other way around?), the boys talked about computers, art, and politics, and I relaxed and drank it all in. And Dan and Simana, fresh from Hawaii visiting Dan's sister, brought us a pineapple and chocolates! More chocolates! It was heavenly! Other than that, however, the week didn't hold much for us, other than some really crummy weather.

Later, though, Trevor and I had a quiet and cozy weekend. Even though it was freezing cold outside, we braved the weather on Saturday afternoon to meet John Sturdy at Uncle Mike's for lunch. Although Trevor, John, and I all have actual Uncle Mikes in our respective families, the Uncle Mike's we went to is a little restaurant on Grand and Paulina, where I had a B.L.T., Trevor had a tuna salad sandwich, John had a breaded perch sandwich, and we all drank some coffee. It was very pleasant. After lunch, Trevor and I went back home to be warm again, and John had to, unfortunately, ride home on his bike in the -1 degree weather. Back at the homestead, I finished my physics book, Trevor took a nap, I took a nap, then we ate dinner. A huge success, really, and plenty of napping does a good Saturday afternoon make! Although it was too cold to take Henry to the dog park, Trevor took him to the studio late Saturday afternoon so he could run around and chase Trevor and John on scooters. While they were getting their exercise, I was watching a horror movie my friend Jasen lent me called High Tension. Eww, and what a gooey and scary, and GROSS movie it was! It was so much fun, and that makes two really enjoyable horror movies this month (read the Hostel post for the other...), so I feel truly lucky in the genre in 2006. Let's hope we only go up from here.

Sunday, Trevor and I did little more than nothing. Although we had breakfast at the Breakfast Club, then went back home for more napping, then puttered out to the suburbs to see the Bork parents for dinner at La Tasca, everyone's favorite tapas restaurant. It was delicious and we all filled up on olives and scallops and potatoes and sangria and caramel flan. It doesn't get much better. Mom and Dad Bork were both very excited because they're leaving for vacation tomorrow, and are terribly happy about the warm weather they're going to encounter in Arizona. We'll brave the below zero weather here while they're living it up in the sun, hanging out at the Grand Canyon, and doing whatever it is you do when it's warm and you don't have to go to work (i.e. having a wonderful time.)

And, that was our weekend! Try to control yourself from getting TOO excited, I know, it's a lot of stuff to wrap yourself around: napping, eating, napping some more. Where do we get our energy? Why, napping, of course!

I also persuaded a friend of mine to give J.D. Salinger a second try. Ryan, a work pal, had only read The Catcher in the Rye, a favorite among young, rebellious adolescent boys, but it didn't do much for him when he read it as a twenty-something. He kind of thought Holden was a punk. And, let's face it, he is. But I told him to give Franny and Zooey a shot (it's my favorite ever), which he read in record time and thought was fabulous! He's back on the Salinger train and will read his Nine Stories and the R.H.T.R.B.C. and S.A.I., which is terribly exciting, and I can't wait to hear his thoughts on them all! Myself, I just started 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. I was spurred on by Trevor, who's reading the newest book by Jonathan Ames, and the Verne novel is referenced. It's been in my collection for a number of years now (I dug the slightly cracked copy out of the giveaway box at my old job working at after-words) but hadn't yet read it. So, needing something new to read after finishing my book, and being torn among the HUGE stack of Wodehouse that Trevor's grandpa sent me last month, the new Lemony Snicket, and two new short story collections, I had a muse. And his name was Trevor. So far the book is great (big surprise there...), and I'll let you all know how it turns out as Nemo travels to the ocean's depths to find the scariest creature known to man. Seriously.

Until next time, friends, have a fabulous last week of February, and, time-permitting, take lots of naps!