anniversaries abound.

BoyCat and i saw rick bayless yesterday.

if you're from chicago, or a total food network junkie, you'll know that rick is a pretty well-known chicago chef who specializes in mexican food and runs two good mexican restaurants downtown - frontera grill and topolobampo. he does a show on chicago public tv called "mexico one plate at a time" that is strangely enjoyable. rick himself is odd, slightly annoying but a little more slightly engaging, and between that and all the mexican food i've found myself watching the show more than a few times.

anyway, BoyCat and i went to frontera grill last night to celebrate our three year anniversary. (we were involved in that weird, not-really-dating, sort of passive-aggressive and definitely confusing kind of way for about four months prior to january of 2003, but we don't really count that!) we were happy to be a little low-key about the event, forgoing presents or elaborate anything for a nice mexican meal. we'd never been to frontera before, so we thought it'd be a good choice, and it was - the food was not outrageously priced, offered good basic mexican dishes, and it was really tasty. and then, at the end of the meal, we spotted the rickster himself hanging out over by the kitchen.

i dared BoyCat to go over and say, "oooh, rick, i love your plantanos!," but he wouldn't do it.

but that wasn't the only anniversary that we celebrated this week. today is also our one year anniversary of having CatCat! we didn't take her out to dinner or anything, but we did pick her up and squeeze her and tell her we loved her. earlier tonight i was remembering the first night we had her, when she sat under the dining room table most of the night, and i could only get her to venture out a few inches so i could pet her right before i went to bed. then she went right back under the table and settled back down, so i went to sleep figuring i would try to befriend her more the next day.

then, at around 2:00 am, i heard little paws padding into the bedroom and a tiny little squeak that bordered on a meow. there was CatCat at the foot of the bed, inquiring after some attention. she hopped up and let me pet her for a few minutes, and then curled up at the foot of the bed with us.

we've been friends ever since. awwww, so cute you could puke, right? pukey, but true.

i do love my two pseudonymous Cats.