7/9/2003 06:17:37 AM|||Ellen|||I'm catching up. These are my Friday thru Sunday thoughts, posted on Wed ....

Fourth of July Five
1. Still getting teary over "Proud to be an American" or any of those kitschy but true all American singy songs
2. Being batted on the head by the flag proudly waving over the Armijo, Sr. casa
3. Realizing we are ever so lucky to still have legal fireworks in Union City. Makes the illegal ones so much easier to set off ...
4. Frozen Middle America (Arkansas? Indiana??) Tourists swaddled in boo-boo San Francisco fleece jackets at the Pier to watch fireworks
5. Being happy to be born here, doing what I'm doing, with whom I'm doing it with ...

BBQ Highlights
1. Ava jumping with one foot on the Armijo trampoline, Gabe and Ava ever trying to climb the stairs, and Gabe in his tiny Roots hoodie
2. Not trying to clean our house to make it "guest-worthy", kicking it mad style on the various Armijo, Sr. couches
3. Maria, the neighbor informing us that not only was she having dinner with City Counci members while Boom Man Ramirez (Greg) was setting off illegal firecrackers in the backyard, but that the chief of police was on his way to their house to do a neighborhood walk thru....
4. Chris coming in with Mrs. Dash and being good about what he ate.
5. The boys being boys. Seeing Bob, Chris, Aaron, Greg and Dennis all together. Football, fireworks, and friends. What more can you ask for?

Friend Fiesta
1. Getting a call from Renee. About anything and everything.
2. Knowing that Lu will show up on my doorstep, with witty reality TV show asides ready, and a story to share
3. Having a brother and a sister who are friends in addition to family. And a cousin (PC)and sister in law (well, Beth, of course) who have the best stories ever, good, sad or crazy ....
4. Reading Mel's blog post about her friend's kid and the county-fair goat, and calling it kilawin..... LOL, talaga!
5. Knowing that I owe you a call or an email and you like me anyway

Reasons I Love Bob
1. Cuz he rocks. And teaches me, when I have the attention span, about all the new bands he's rocking out to.
2. He's a good friend, a great son and an awesome husband. And already a fabulous, talk-to-the-tummy, daddy
3. He finished my entire "so you're off for a whole week" honey do list, without me nagging. Prolly got it finished Faster since I didn't nag
4. Knows me, and not just the nice public face me, and loves me anyway
5. Cuz he buys brown sneakers after I bought him all blue shirts (and not from Ebay!), and because he teaches me that it's ok

Coolest Weekend Visit ever
1. My "work-girlfriends" coming to visit bearing many treats from International Market. Yep, they braved that bastion of Asian spices and various beef organs to bring me much needed fruit, Lactaid, and amazingly enough - the only cartons of yogurt in the entire place with english written on the packaging.
2. For them to feel comfortable enough to cook up a coupla pizzas, pop open a Sierra Nevada or two and for me not to cringe as they stepped on various crumbs in the kitchen or shuffled my dirty dishes - TRUE SIGN OF FRIENDSHIP!
3. Will Ferrell's Butt. 'Nuff said.
4. Knowing that your friends don't forget you when you're not in your cubie.....
5. Laughing about the last time the deed was done. Susan, Julie and Veronica - you totally rock!



Gollie Gee, wish I wasn't so sitting on my butt, as I have coolio pics to put up, but ahhhhh well..... After all that deep thinking last week, well you know jelly brain (and butt) is all tired out...|||105775665783749616|||The Friday Fivers that aren't on Friday