Best Weekend Ever!

Okay, last week was hard, I'm not going to pretend. Long hours, last-minute changes, and all the rest of the crap that goes along with not having a proper amount of tech time (as well as a new lighting supervisor and 2 newly promoted Associate Artistic Directors).
But this weekend was awesome! Friday night after the show, Julie and Lynn drove into town and Marianne & I went out for drinks and dessert with them at the Grand Luxe Cafe on Ontario. Saturday I had a really long day, but during my 2-hr dinner break, Julie & Lynn & I went to Giordano's on Jackson for the Famous Stuffed Pizza. After the show, the three of us plus Neil and his date Charlie, went up to the Mag Mile to the Signature Lounge on the 96th floor of the Hancock Building, but the wait was too long and we were all tired, so we looked at the view and then went back to street level and all I spent that night was $10 on the cab home (as opposed to $11 for a cosmo--a good deal, I'd say).
And Sunday was the best day of all! Julie, Lynn & I went to Milk & Honey for brunch at 9:45ish before they hit the road back to Michigan which was so nice! The show went well, and I called Celebration perfectly for my second time calling it! Then came home and cleaned like crazy for the housewarming party while Marianne prepped some food. The party was lots of fun--we had a small group come (which means we've got lots of chili in the freezer!), but it was good because the front room with the TV isn't big enough for much more than that, and some of our guests wanted to watch Game 2 of the World Series which was quite exciting--particularly the Grand Slam. It's pretty exciting that the Sox could sweep this series. Anyway, I didn't get the butternut squash chili made last night (because it took me too long to cut 1/4 of one of the 2 squashes and by then I had company, so I couldn't be stuck in the kitchen), but I'm planning to make it today (after I buy more tupperware). But we did have a classic chili with ground beef and tomato base and kidney beans as well as my chicken and white bean chili which was very popular. Other items on the menu were homemade gingerbread and chocolate chip pumpkin bread (thanks again, Renee!) which everyone loved! And, of course, cheeses and crackers, carrots & celery sticks, etc. We were going for a fall theme so the candles were all fall-scented. And a couple people brought us gifts (which wasn't necessary, but very sweet): Nevette brought soap, Soule and Emily brought a pumpkin, Ikolo brought a potted flowering plant, and Alexis and Jenna brought homemade brownies.

Click here for my collage-y goodness, compliments of photoshop.