Sometimes I think that I am having the best years of my life. It's taken a lot to get to this realization, but I have developed the ability to step back from my life and see all that I have, and be grateful for it. :-)

Friday night I got together with my "Gang of Friends" for a birthday dinner. I call it my Gang of Friends because we are really a lot like a larger cast of the tv show Friends. By that I mean, we have a long history together (we have all been friends for about 15 years) and therefore an incredibly wonderful comfort level. The guys in this group are all like my brothers, and the girls my sisters. We talk, we laugh, we recall the old days, and make plans for the future. Just think about how amazing it is that 12 people have all managed to stay friends for that long! (and there's usually more of us, some of us just couldn't make it) It's amazing that we haven't lost touch, and that we can get everyone together in the same place. I am in awe of it everytime, and it's that kind of effort that keeps us together.

On this particular evening one of the guys decided he would have us over to his home and he would make dinner for all of us (yes ladies, the man can cook. and it was deeeelicious!). The food was amazing, and the company was top notch. I just sat there all night with a big, dumb, happy grin on my face. I can't tell you how much I love this group of friends. We have grown up together and seen each other through the tough and awkward times in highschool, through getting married and having children, and in some sad cases, burying a parent. In my life I have a very small family, so friends have always played an extremely vital role in my life, as they become my extended family. That is why I put everything into a friendship, and offer undying loyalty (and expect the same of them). These are my true friends who have never once let me down, nor I them.
Anyway, good times, good friends, good food, and as always, we played some cards. LOL.

Then on Saturday Princess Blondie and I (and a few others) went to the Whole Life Expo in downtown Toronto. It was pretty entertaining and educational fun. Lots of herbal remedies, lotions, potions, and organic food. It always amuses me to see all the different things people are peddling as "cure alls" for whatever ails you. For real kicks Princess Blondie and I saddled up to the Oxygen Bar to get us some oxygen. Let me just tell ya, we looked pretty sexy with the oxygen tubes running up our noses. LOL. It was interesting, but not something I would really opt to do on a regular basis. Kinda made me dizzy at first, and then gave me a sharp headache, and then I was fine. An odd assortment of reactions....

Then I spent a long time with the guys of Barefoot Science as they tried to convince me I wanted these foam inserts in my shoes. After trying them on I told them there was no way I would ever put those things in, and was happy to have my boot back to normal. lol. But still, I must have sat and laughed it up with them for like, 20 minutes. They were really funny and super nice to talk to. That's what I love about this show...talking to different people and hearing different ideas and opinions. It's good for ya! :-) Except for the annoying lady who was trying to tell me that burning candles was all toxic for me unless I burned her beeswax candles. That may well be true, but I hate people who get preachy or launch into lectures and make it seem like they are better than me. tsk. There'll be none of that, thank you very much.

After that the gang went to The Fish House for lunch and it was goooooood! I had grilled catfish with garlic mashed potatoes and veggies. And Crème Brulée for dessert. MMM-mmmm! Food is good.

So there you have it...it's been a busy and happy weekend for me. Today I'm trying to slow things down a bit and spend some time tidying my apartment, and maybe do some homework. This morning I walked across the hall to Princess Blondie's place and sat and had tea with her and her beau and her beau's sister. It was nice, we just sorta hung out and talked about how noisy the drunken neighbours upstairs were last night. Idiots.
Later on we're all going to some dance....thing. Recital? Performance? Show? I dunno, it's something a friend of Blondie's is putting on, so we're gonna go check it out.
And then maybe later tonight I can actually settle down to my cleaning and homework. lol. It's not going well so far.
Hope everyone had a good weekend! :-D