Stacey? Stephanie? Sheesh, we've always looked like each other, but going through these photos yesterday it did hit me that there's no doubt we're related. Ha. And that's an honor for me, let me tell you. I don't have Stacey's cheekbones, unfortunately, or cool arched eyebrows. Or slim hips. Those she got from our mom. It would be fun if Cooper and Nathan end up looking like each other too!

Speaking of Nathan (sort of), tomorrow is his birthday, the big 1-0. How can it be that he's a decade old? It seems like just yesterday he was in diapers, like Cooper. I have to say, I love age almost-10, I love our conversations and his outlook on the world. I love the ability to communicate on such a meaningful level. I treasure it. In truth, all the ages are amazing. (I know, I know, my friends with teenagers are thinking, check back in four years, you naive, foolish idiot, ha.) Ah, I wipe a little tear from my cheek. Sniffle. My child grows toward adulthood, I approach 40, and life goes on...

So! Whew! What for dinner?! Even if we're all growing old(er), we must eat. We must soldier on, with small pleasures in our days, if we're lucky. A laugh here, a sniff of something wonderful there, the feel of the sun, and a glass of wine. Or beer, tonight it's beer. (And the feel of rain, not sun; it's rained all damn day.) And, I think, something Mexican, again. I've lit that particular fire and it still burns. John and A will eat out tonight, as is their Friday-night special, so I will dine alone. On...quesadillas, I think. It's tough, without an avocado, it is. But again, even without avocado, we must soldier on. With sour cream, and hot chiles, and Monterey Jack cheese...

OK, I didn't have a quesadilla, I went even easier, and had chilaquiles. Basically, crunchy tortilla chips layered with a bit of cheese, perhaps chicken, smothered in sauce and a hint of cream and heated until the chips are softened. It is, in a word, kill. Mexican comfort food. And in my version, which is like the fast-food version of relatively fast food, it takes about, oh, 3 minutes to make yourself a hot, spicy - kill! - dinner. Relatively moderate too, as far as Mexican can go. Would have taken a pic, but I ate it too damn fast... (Recipe posted in comments, below.)