Good weekend.
Watched Benchwarmers Friday night, not very good, just fluff, some cuteness.
Brad's boss dropped off Pete "Whoo-woo" The Dog for us to dog-sit this weekend.

Woke up early Saturday, sat in the backyard with Whoo-woo while I ate some breakfast, did the crossword and read up Big Brother feed updates. Then took Whoo-woo to the driveway for a bath. He had some matted fur I cut off too. He seemed to like being scrubbed and smelling pretty. Brad came out and helped. We even used some conditioner of him to make him extra soft.
Toweled dried him off and the went to the pet store to buy a brush. Brushed off tons of fur into our backyard, made his coat all glossy and shiny. Such a pretty boy!

Then started mowing lawns. I mowed our front lawn, and then mowed our neighbor front lawn cause I think she is out of town and it was just so freaking hot, I though well...I'm already out here doing this, so why make them suffer and do it too. So then I did our other neighbors from yard too, just to be fair since I did my other neighbors, then started out back to finish our backyard. Ran out of gas, then noticed the time, I only had 20 min to shower clean up and go pick up Brent at the train station. So Brad finished the backyard for me then rested up with Pete.

Picked Brent up, it was his first time to my suburban area. We went to the local downtown area. Ate some cookie dough and walked along the river.







Went to Emily's yoga shop, her husband sent us around the corner to a new antique shop her mom just opened to see her. Then went to the mall. Brent wanted the full suburban experience, so we went into Spencers, Hot Topic and stores like that. Had a late lunch at Long John Silvers (He loves that place....) plus they had root beer floats there.

Brought him back to our place and watched Paper Moon It had been awhile since I had seen it, and it's just a great movie.

Took him back to the train station for the 8:30. Had a good time with Brent, he is fun to get silly with, and talk about anything and everything.

Sunday got up early again. Packed our beach bag went to the local beach/quarry for adult float. Adult float os from 9 to 11. No kids, and the only time you can have rafts/floating devices in the water. It's wonderful, pick out your chair and space, no crowds and just a super quiet and relaxing way to wake up floating around. Brad loved it too.
A group of people brought in this large floating mat, and they took turns walking off the pier onto it to see if they could make it all the way across, like walking on water. It was fun watching them. We floated for our 2 hours, then got out and dried off in the chairs. ate the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I packed. He read the newspaper and I read my People magazine "Lance Bass: I'M GAY!" He had the stupidest expression on the cover, like HEY, Who knew!? Guess I'm Gay....how bout that!

Stopped in at Trader Joes on the way home. I was stupid tired by the time we got home. But managed to shower so then we could take an afternoon nap for 2 hours. Had some dinner at Chipotle, then back home to watch Dandelion. I liked it, Brad didn't. I also like the soundtrack. Doves, Sparklehorse, Creeper Lagoon, The Cherry Valence and Cat Power.

Cat Power video on You Tube, not the one from Dandelion, but I like this one too.

Back to work, another week....then Comicon/Wizards World on Saturday.

I wore ridiculous shoes today to work. I think they are like 4 inches. I wanted fun kooky shoes to start my week just right.

Pee & Poo: Plush toys and kids clothing

I can't belive Tom Green is a Miss Universe judge
Watching those girls in bikinis just makes me want to get plastic surgery in a bad way

I am such a cheap date.
One glass of shiraz and I'm loopy and watching Miss Universe

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm shiraaaaaz

Had crazy energy yesterday. Can't seem to sleep in.
I bugged Brad to get moving cause I wanted to go to the river again yesterday.
The outdoors just about gets me buzzed.
Saw one of the old crew at Starbucks on our way to the river. Talked, caught up a bit, his son was there with him. Brad was worried about the mold getting to my if we sat in the same spot we did the weekend before. It's still a great area, just a bit on the musty side. So we sat in a spot a bit further down, under a covered area, with a bunch of benches. Read the paper, watched the ducks eating breakfast.





Brad made an excellent suggestion of getting on the paddle boats. I had so much energy I told him not to paddle, I wanted to do it. So we went around the lake for 40 minutes, looking at the blue gill along the edge of the banks, and trying to paddle over ducks.





• After that went for a short visit with Emily at her yoga shop.
• Penzies for some ground red pepper
• Meijer for groceries (got pork for kabobs, and stuff for me to make asian cabbage salad)
• Went home mowed the lawn while Brad did the weed whacker.
• Sprayed weeds
• Watered flowers
• Rollerskated for just about a mile around the block (still can't stop to save my life...but makes for more fun!)
• Watched a movie I liked more than Brad did, Game 6 with Michael Keaton.
• Drank some shiraz


Walked late night to 7-11 for some powdered donettes.
Saw a skunk on the way in someones front yard, never seen a live one before, just as road kill. Brad tried talking to him and he started coming our way so we ran across the street.

Woke up early again this morning, and just went and ran a bunch of errands. Ran and emptied dishwasher, did laundry, snacked on samples at Whole Foods, and Brad's mom picked us up a new hammock at the Sears his dad was working at and just us a super deal since today was the last day of that store being open. My fat ass busted our old one from me leaving it out all the time and the rope just started snapping until I fell through yesterday. So until we pick that up from his mom I still have my hammock chair swing thing that I have been better about bringing back in the house at the end of the day.

Watched the Anthony Hopkins movie The Worlds Fastest Indian. We both liked it.

Tomorrow back to work.

Next weekend Brent is coming to the burbs for a visit, and then Sunday I am thinking about either going back down to the local beach/quarry for the day or going on a 7 mile canoe trip from South Elgin to St. Charles

...and then 2006 Wizard World/Comicon is coming up, another big photo opportunity for me!

Oh yeah, and we watched Dark Water Friday night before I had to log into work for some scheduled maintenance. He best described the movie as a movie about a plumbing problem.

Sites:

My cubicle (song...and anthem)
Kevin Smith Q&A about Superman Reborn
Vader sessions
How to survive a mugging

Dress up at goodwill

Lazy Sunday

This guy looked pretty good except his shoes really bothered me.
I don't like them and I dislike them even more on men.

Kelly - Shoes

I love this video, watch it several times a day....

Lacy Fire Hooping

I want to do this....

Headbut

Materazzi called Zidane "the son of a terrorist whore" before adding "so just fuck off" for good measure

Materazzi denies terrorist insult

Animated parody

Real deal video

Mac vs PC parody ads

Had a great weekend and Fourth of July.

On Saturday we went to the local Ribfest. We have said we were gonna go for years and always talk ourselves out of it, "it's too hot", is what it is usually. It was super hot, we had to pay $16 to get in to eat 2 $6 pork sandwiches. They were good. I'm glad we went, but now we will never have to go again.

We normally don't do anything for the 4th. Most we do is watch several local townships fireworks from our car. But Brad got an invite from a vendor from work to his downtown office off of Wabash and Monroe. Peter Francis Geraci has an office on the same floor, but I didn't see him. The guy Brad knows has his desk right by the window on the 34th floor over looking Millennium Park (the spitters and the bean) So we had a great view. It was catered, good food and I even had a glass of wine. They whole thing couldn't have been any easier, getting there from the Metra, got on a train right away afterward for home, it was an express. Easy easy easy.

The next day we went out running errands and enjoying the weather.
Had a BBQ lunch at Famous Dave's.
Went to the local Riverwalk. Spent lots of time just sitting and watching the geese and ducks, some baby ducks too! Some people in a raft went down the river. Don't usually see that.

Drove to an ethnic grocery store that had fresh lychees that I wanted to show Brad. Then stopped in the O'Hare oasis for a snack and read the paper there before heading to the grocery store on the way home.

This weekend we went to the local beach/quarry that I took pictures of. Another thing we have always talked about doing just never gotten around to.

Normally its $6 per resident but there was some special thing going on and it was free, having something to do with how many years they been open now. We even saw a chair available and took it. I let Brad have the chair and sat on a towel doing the daily crossword. A family next to us left about an hour later and the guy offered me his chair and even helped me carry it over. We really lucked out! After awhile the place really started filling up. Lots of people watching. I liked that there were so many different types and sizes of people all around. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and having a good time. The water was super cold. I spent most of the time in the water piggy back riding around on Brad. The second time we got in the water I couldnt stop shivering and Brad kept laughing at me. Everytime he kept dipping me in the water I would shiver and then couldn't stop laughing myself. Shiver giggles.

Last night watched Spartan (terrible) and tonight gonna watch The Score.


Pictures from last weekend and the 4th:


Chicago fireworks






Fouth of July BBQ lunch at Famous Dave's


Geese & ducks at the riverwalk












Riverwalk