Fresh Tart

C-H-I
L-L-Y
I ain't got no coat
that's why I'm chilly,
I'm chilly,
BRRRRR!

It's not even cold outside - in fact, we're in the midst of a January thaw - but I had a hankering for hearty (bean-optional!) chili tonight anyhow, and every time I make it I think of the above silly rhyme (a take-off on the "U-G-L-Y, you ain't got no alibi..." chant). My crazy sorority sister Laura Robeson made it up, while on a road-trip visit to the University of Iowa for a Badger-Hawkeye football game. The weekend opened with sunny skies and temps in the mid-80s, then suddenly plunged into the low 50s... In mini-skirts and tank tops, we Gamma Phis were COLD. As we sassed around bar-hopping (of course), chasing boys (of course), and shivering and whining about freezing to death, Laura started chanting the above rhyme. Pretty soon we were all chanting (screaming) it and cracking up and miraculously feeling much warmer. Try it some time when you're freezing, it really works!

Or, just have a bowl of chili. Perhaps not as fun as bar-hopping, chasing boys, chanting, or cracking up...but still, gooood stuff.

A relaxing, mellow Saturday today - hot as hell, but that's OK. It was a good day to not have to do much of anything, given how tired I am from staying up so late last night. Why oh why do I do it? I know that I'm too old for such shenanigans...but there I am anyhow, closing down the house, chatting and noshing and sipping away. It's the party-girl in me, the Badger Gamma Phi, the Kollege Klub Dr. Shots...suburban mommy, yes, but the party girl lingers just below the surface. (And she sure is feeling her age, ouch.)

John and I had such a lovely morning babysitting our nephew, Cooper. He played, and chatted, and played some more before eating lunch and getting very, very tired (as in head resting on the highchair tray tired). Post-lunch, he absolutely crashed in Nathan's cool, dark room for a long afternoon's slumber. I was actually jealous. Of a sleeping one-year old. Yeah.

But instead of napping myself, I headed out to the pool. I know I'm getting more than a little repetitive here. But hey, what can I say? It was 97 degrees out there today, with 40% humidity, and not much of a breeze, so into the pool we went. First just John and me, then Nathan joined us, then our neighbors the Hatzungs joined us too, and away we all cruised (and splashed!) into cocktail hour and then dinner, with a quick (and delicious!) delivered pizza (thank you, Hatzungs!) supplemented with a salad (thank you, La Finca CSA veggie share!). Now, it's bedtime, man, dang I'm tired. This party girl is all partied out. Until tomorrow...