I met up with Mini for zumba tonight and let me tell you – I.love.this.class!! The instructor kicks some major booty. She is a great dancer and teacher. I give big kudos for great music, as well (Daddy, Marc Anthony, Drake and even some bhangra!).
I am able to accept the facts – I am a dancer, not a river kayaker.
I hit up the Snoop Dogg & Ice Cube concert last night with my friend Geri. It really brought back some fond memories of 1992 – being 18, rebelling against my parents and chasing after a boy who ended up being totally wrong for me. Back in 1992, I had purchased tickets (Xmas present) for then-boyfriend to go see Ice Cube with his brother. Unfortunately, said brother was not able to make the show so it turned into a date night. I remember standing in line outside of the Paramount Theatre marveling at the string of four or five cars that were continually circling the building. I wondered who they were looking for and hoped that the person was not standing next to me because I didn’t want to get shot. A group of scruffy looking dudes who were chewing on collard greens, beans and rice in styrofoam take-out containers passed up the line. Several people in line threw out vulgarities not knowing that those dudes were members of the Pharcyde and would be opening for Cube that night. After a long wait, we made it inside and got settled in to our seats. The crowd boo’ed the first act off of the stage and I felt sad for them. The Pharcyde rocked. And then the real fun began. I don’t even remember Ice Cube performing at this concert. We were seated in the middle of the main floor. At various times throughout the night, people from the right or the left of us would run screaming towards the middle as the security tried to wrestle a gun away from someone in the crowd. No joke! Cube had some thugs up on the stage and I was just waiting for those jokers to start shooting in to the crowd. It wasn’t very fun and I didn’t really connect to the music at all that night.
My girlfriend Claudia was in town this weekend and crashed at my place last night. She loves cofecito con leche and I didn’t have any milk or cream in my fridge, so I suggested that we check out Cafe Cuzco in Ballard.
I imagine that, over time, I will expose some of my weird and wild obsessions on this blog. One of my healthiest obsessions is my fascination with Chile. I fell for Chile after reading a number of Isabel Allende books. I love the way that she describes the geography and makes the backdrop as important as the characters in the story. It seems like a magical place to me – majestic mountains, beautiful beaches and arid desert all ripe for exploring. Chile tops my list of places to visit before I die and I am planning a three-week adventure for 2011.
When I think of Chile it inspires feelings of loving someone from afar. My heart beats a little bit faster when I come across a travel article on the internet or catch a Chilean fruit advertisement on TV. Somehow, I stumbled upon the Amazing Race a couple of weeks ago and my eyes were glued to the screen because the competition commenced on the coast in Valparaiso and moved on to Puerto Varas, a charming little German-town in the Lake District. I wake up in the morning feeling refreshed, motivated and inspired because I know that my first date with Chile is not too far off.
All that being said, you could imagine my heartache when I came across a random post on Facebook on Saturday morning about prayers for Chile. I immediately googled and found that there was a massive earthquake and tsunami – 8.8 on the richter is no joke! I saw some tragic pictures and cannot even imagine what it is like to lose loved ones, shelter or the ability to meet basic needs due to natural disaster.
I pray that mis hermanos Chilenos can find some peace as they establish the rituals of their new normal and begin to recover from this catastrophe. Tonight, I am looking for ways to send help (I’m not totally convinced that I should donate to Red Cross, although historically that is where I give). In 2011, I will do my part by spending a little dinero.
Querido Chile, mi corazon esta contigo…
I hit the town with the ladies last night. It was an honest-to-god date night with Brenda and Alice that included both dinner and a show.
We met up at the Icon Grill in downtown Seattle. I don’t hang out downtown very much, so it was a nice treat. Brenda and Alice are always great company. We determined that married and single ladies who mingle have a lot of fun (no, we are not depressed all of the time :P). We kicked off the meal with a little chicken-fried calamari which was delish. I ordered the fried chicken salad, which was also good, but I think it was a little bit too much fried food for me.
I had a couple of glasses of the Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells cabernet sauvignon. As the server was taking orders for our second round, Alice turned to me…
Alice: How is that cab? Is it dry??
Me: uh, duh, duh, duh…
I have two basic categories for wine which are good and bad (I guess I could also use drinkable and vinegar). This wine was good. I might even go as far as saying it was delightful, but I just can’t really distinguish the body/style of a glass of wine. Does that make me a lush?
After dinner, we strolled over to Jazz Alley to see the Pete Escovedo Orchestra. Now, if you’ve never heard of Pete Escovedo, I can assure you that you are not alone. I had no idea who he was prior to making my reservation for this show. Regardless, the show was packed. Why? Pete Escovedo tours with his daughter Sheila E, who used to play with the artist-formerly-known-as-Prince back in the 80s.
My reflections about this show:
* We sat close to the stage, but on stage left so we really had the best view of Sheila E, the bass player and the wind instrument guy. Sheila E totally rocked! As in, she hit those drums like she was backing up Metallica. The woman is strong! I loved that she had a wide grin on her face as she played and ‘dialoged’ with the energy of the crowd. She also looks damn fine for a 52-year-old woman.
* After the show, we were chatting about Juan Escovedo, another Pete Escovedo progeny who plays congas. What is it like to live in your sister’s shadow? The crowd would clap after his solos but it would completely erupt when Sheila E was in the mix. We all felt a little bit sorry for him.
Overall, it was a really fun show. I love to kick it with my girls. I love to wear dresses. Just another Saturday night in the life of Girl*wander.
Ms. WanderGirl 
