"Homespun" evenings

I delight in Friday evenings and always look for an excuse for some shape or form of a dinner party. Lucky me, I had one this week. My good friend, Ryan Parlin, had his adorable Czech girlfriend fly out here to the States from Prague this week. I was overjoyed that I was going to be among an authentic Czech soul again and so they came over to our apartment for an evening of Pink Martini music, reminiscing magical Prague, Italian cuisine with a dash of German (I can't cook Czech food very well), and good conversation. Someone better stop me, because I just love doting on Barbora and vicariously relive last year as a teacher through her. She made my evening by showing me how to burn the frantisek (Czech incense) that a former student sent me for Christmas this year. Highlight of the evening :) Oh, and in case you were wondering because you are totally a detail person like me...we had stuffed shells with ricotta and spinach, a pear, avocado, spinach and pecan salad lightly tossed with feta and bleu cheese dressing, bread with olive oil and balsamic, Italian white bean dip, German potato salad, lime spritzer and miniature cherry cheesecakes.

Tonight for more European reminiscing, Bekah, Lauralen, and I went out for pretty coffee and dessert at the local patisserie and then to a movie. I insisted that we had to see "Last Holiday" with Queen Latifah because she spas it up at Karlovy Vary, a luxury spa town in the Czech Republic that is run by the Russian mafia, strangely enough. Matt, Lucas, and I made a trip out there during spring break and just had a hay day with numerous spa treatments for a mere $30. We followed up our intense luxuriating with enormous ice cream sundaes and spa wafers. We had no problem donning the rich life for a day.

Tomorrow I get up at the crack of dawn (seriously) to do my first health screening for the CHIP program. I'm quite excited about this first. Kari and I have joked that we would love to shock everyone by showing up and promoting the CHUP (Coronary Health Unimprovement Program) lifestyle instead. This would entail us flaunting our large-order onion rings while reviewing the participants' paperwork with greasy fingers. We've also considered running a CHIP-unapproved concession stand right outside the door and of course offer Big Macs and the like. Health Promotion---here we come!