5.6.05

Birthday celebration at Mi Tierra and Nacional 27

Out of respect for my life-long interest in latino culture, many of my friends and family met me out for dinner at Mi Tierra and dancing at Nacional 27 on Saturday night. Mi Tierra was great! The highlight was seeing many of us (including my Mother and Grandmother) get up for the Conga line. Mi Tierra is pure Mexican fun, and it did not disappoint on the night of my birthday.

After dinner, Jason, Ceebs, Tara, Alex, Natalie, Marlena, Joan and Maria came over to The Palacio for a drink and some views of summer lightning storms from the balcony. Everyone except Ceebs, Tara and Alex continued on to Nacional 27 for drinks and dancing. Several others were already sipping on mojitos by the time we arrived at the club.

What can I say? Every time I go out dancing, I think to myself that I need to go out dancing more often! I had a blast. Even if I haven't improved as much as I would like with my salsa, merengue and bachata skills, I've learned that to have fun on the dance floor, it's not as important to know the exact steps as it is to smile and try my best. Many thanks to those who were kind enough to follow my lead on Nacional's dance floor!

Sunday
Chris and I went out for breakfast at Lou Mitchell's in the west loop. The place has been open since 1923 and the food was superb. It's only 2 miles away from The Palacio, so we returned on foot and enjoyed a leisurely stroll through the Loop and along Michigan Avenue. This helped to burn off the bacon and pancakes I over-indulged on and make room for lunch!

After breakfast, I headed to my parents' house for a birthday lunch. My brothers, sisters-in-law and sobrinos were all present and accounted for. I saw Kaylin for the first time in about seven weeks. She and Thor are growing so fast. It's a delight to share some moments of their budding development.

I visited with the family until about 5:30 when I headed back to The Palacio. Soon after I got back, Chris and I went for another walk, this time to da 12th Street beach over dare by da' Adler Planetarium. (I'm sorry, I just spent a few hours mimicking a strong Chicago accent and my writing has been overcome by this thought pattern! I'll stop that right now.) Chris and I were joined by our friendly neighbors, Marlena and Natalie, who pretended to be amused by our exaggerated Chicago accents. All told, we each enjoyed some splendid lake, skyline and sunset vistas. And on this hot and humid Chicago day, I was particularly thankful for the cooling effects of Lake Michigan.

It's been a great weekend. Now I've got to get back to the business of being 28!

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