Last Saturday late morning/early afternoon I drove to Dekalb for the Inipi (sweat lodge). (I can't believe I haven't written about this experience yet. I should have written when it was fresh, but it was hard to do much that night. I got home, received a massage from my Mom and crashed.) First and foremost, it was not as bad as I thought it would be. Don't get me wrong: It got REALLY hot in there. I was dripping sweat, but I never felt like I couldn't endure the heat. After I entered the inipi, the first seven rocks were blessed and placed in the center. As soon as the "door" closed, I was reminded of how much I struggle with not knowing what is going to happen next. I was freaking out a bit as the veterans sang some tribal songs. Before I knew it, the door was opened again, and I felt so grateful for the cool breeze and the sunshine. (I take those for granted a lot.) I can't tell you how grateful I was for the ladle of water I received a few times. There were moments when my lungs were burning, and it was hard to breath, but it was nothing that I could not bare. I made the choice to participate in this ceremony. Some don't have the option of being in such a small space. There was a point when the leader made a comment that we should "let any pains, burdens, fear, etc. go to our ancestors (represented by the rocks). This reminded me that it's important to ask for help. I know that I'm forgetting a lot more. :( Overall I must say that I was really proud of myself for going, and I would do it again. I almost decided not to go, but I did. I was the only one of my classmates there. The other three were/are in their final year.
On Sunday I visited with my Grandma & Papa and then went over to my Grandma Elaine's for a double birthday celebration. I felt like my family was really negative that day, and it was a little hard to be there. Totally switching gears... My teacher hypnotized me in Tai Ji class on Tuesday. Someone attempted to hypnotize me before, but I wasn't into it. I was a little nervous that it was not going to work again. I thought I was going to have to play along with what Tony said, but as soon as he told me that my arm was steel, I realized that I was relaxed enough to be hypnotized- so crazy. I also did the form in front of my classmates better than I'd ever done it before. My arms felt so light. I learned that the certification only takes about a week, and Tony uses it to help relax/calm patients who are worried about their treatment. Hmm... sounds interesting to me!
My Mom and Monica came into town late Thursday afternoon for the Billy Joel/Elton John concert. We went to Twist for some tapas before the show. (I forgot how much I love tapas style meals.) We shared quite a few: Jalapeno Gnocchi w red pepper sauce, Black Bean Cakes w avocado & spicy chipotle mayo, Grilled Vegetable and Goat Cheese on toasted bread, Bacon Wrapped Dates served in a roasted red pepper sauce and Stuffed Mushrooms with sauteed spinach, Monterey Jack cheese and tomato sauce. Towards the end of the meal, we thought we really had to get going, but the concert didn't end up starting until 7:30. The concert was nothing short of legendary. It lasted more than 3 hours, and for the most part, they played the Big songs. I was glad that Elton John started, and the concert finished with Billy Joel- grand finale, Piano Man. I don't think I could ever be as on top of the lyrics as my Mom. (It's pretty impressive.) Sadly, the group of people around us were kind of lame, but our seats were awesome! We were the first row, behind the brick of the 3rd base bullpen. All concert long, people in the field seating were pretending to throw pitches. Monica and I got so much entertainment out of that.
On Friday all 3 of us got acupuncture treatments and then went to the infamous Chicago Diner. Mom, Monica and I all wanted to order the same things, so we shared: HOT “WINGS”:
Seitan "wings" with our vegan ranch & celery sticks. BBQ or Buffalo Style, AVOCADO TOSTADA: High protein quinoa with grilled vegetables, avocado slices & chimichurri , a cilantro based Argentinean salsa and THE RADICAL REUBEN Sliced seitan, onions, peppers, sauerkraut, vegan Thousand Island Dressing & cheeze, on marbled rye. The bad thing for me when it comes to Mom and Monica, is they know my weaknesses, especially when it comes to sweets. Mom wanted to try once cake, and Monica and I wanted to try another, so we decided to try both: a special chocolate cake infused with some kind of pepper and a cinnamon frosting (It was pretty delicious.) Monica and I decided on a chocolate raspberry cake. Mom was anxious about traffic, so she headed out shortly after that. Monica and I hung low, went to see The Hangover and then rented He's Just Not that Into You. Gosh. I am such a hopeless romantic ;).
Blogging break. I'll finish the weekend later.
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