Got a nice note this…

Got a nice note this morning -- a childhood friend and emerging poet, Gowri Koneswaran, said that she'd been asked to perform something at an anti-war event, and that she'd like to perform one of my poems, about the war in Sri Lanka. Reading it over, I'm a little embarrassed by it -- fourteen years later, there's a lot I'd like to edit. It's a bit over the top in places. But still, I'm flattered that she wants to read it.

I've gotten a late start this morning, because we were all out late (and up late) last night. We took Jarmila and Michael and Jarmila's mother our last night, a farewell dinner to formally mark the end of Jarmila's time taking care of Kavi and Anand. It was fun, and a little sad. As it should be. We walked down to New Rebozo, a family-friendly Mexican restaurant we'd heard good things about, which turns out to be a block and a half from our house. (The house we own, not the one we rent right now. It's four blocks from that one.) I think we'll be going there a lot -- not for casual dinners, because it's a bit too pricey for that, but when friends or family are visiting.

It's gourmet Mexican -- for example, one of our appetizers was a goat cheese and mango tamalito (mini-tamale) special, and I was a little dubious about that combo, but it turned out to be amazingly good. (Also big enough to be an entree for me all by itself. Good thing we were all sharing it.) The empanada special was also good, though less exciting, and the quesadillas were fine. We shared all of those. Then I had camarones mixteca, which I think my parents would like -- monster-huge shrimp in a pumpkin-seed mole, very rich and delicious. Perfect with the warm corn tortillas. Next time, I'm going to get the house special, a chocolate mole over chicken. The owner (a cheerful character who visits all the tables and lives on our block) says that it takes four days to make that mole. Tastes like it. Jarmila ordered the enchiladas with six different moles, so I got to try some of the chocolate, and oh my god, yum. I hear the tortillas soup is also delicious, so that's another one we should try. Very excited that this place is going to be right around the corner from our house.

Today I'm really not sure what I'm going to be doing. Will try to write now, but am feeling very distracted. If I can't write, may run errands instead -- I need to get Kavi's flower girl dress hemmed, and return some sheets to BB&B (found much nicer ones much cheaper on Overstock, simple, but with a sort of medieval pattern). And if I have energy, I'd like to do some tile shopping -- I have a long list of places still to check out: Tile Shop, Home Depot in Lincoln Park on Halsted, Century Tile on Diversey, Tile Outlet on Fullerton, Daltile website. Not sure I'll actually manage to look at them all, but they all have one reason or another to recommend them. So we'll see.

Oops -- just checked my calendar and was reminded that I have a phone interview at 10, with a Northwestern student studying ethnic media, wanting to talk about DesiLit. Which I guess qualifies as ethnic media -- we do have a blog (infrequently updated at the moment). I think I gave him my home number, so I'd best finish my Blue Max tea and head home.