CRANFEST
Paul, Rick, Brian and I went up north this past weekend and met up with Paul's two sisters, Anna and Mary, at Cranfest, the world's largest cranberry festival. The event is held every September in Warrens, Wisconsin. I can't even begin to tell you how HUGE the festival was. There were hundreds of booths lined up and down Warrens' streets, alleys, sidewalks, and yards selling antiques, crafts, flea market stuff and all kinds of food. It took us a good two days to walk through the entire festival! Hanging out with our new BFF's, Anna and Mary, was quite a hoot. I can see where Paul gets his sense of humor now. Stay tuned for details on our own private Cranberry marsh tour!

Meet OliverI had the pleasure of meeting Roy's newly adopted dog Oliver this past weekend. Oliver was found roaming the streets and alleys of Humboldt Park, pick pocketing other dogs in order to make a descent living. Thus the name Oliver from the famous Charles Dickens novel, Oliver Twist. Thank God for people like Roy. Who knows where Oliver would be today if it wasn't for Roy's kind heart.

UFO?
NASA postponed the return of the shuttle today due to some mysterious object flying below the space shuttle. They say it's probably debris from Atlantis but I personally believe that this indeed is an authentic UFO that has finally come to pick up baby Suri from Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. Back me up here Mary. I know you are a believer just like me. [Article]

Game Night
Last Saturday we invited Chris, Craig, Paul, Rick, Tammy and Shaler over for dinner and games. We made fajitas and had delicious pitchers of sangria all night long. Chris and Rick were champions that night as they beat everyone in a very intense game of Trivia Pursuit-Children's Edition. Craig and I came in last place. :-( I'm going to suggest we play something easier next time like Candyland. Maybe then we can redeem ourselves.

Meet Rusty
Meet Rusty, the newest member to Rick and Paul's househould. They adopted him today from The SAFE Project, a rescue shelter out of Oak Forest, IL. Rusty's a 4 year old Dachshund who was given up by his former owner. Rusty is one sweet adorable dog. Congratulations Rick and Paul!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAMMY!

Theresa & Chaka: Friends or Lovers? Theresa and Chaka were spotted, hand in hand, leaving the Posh Night Club in Akron, Ohio, late Friday evening. Although the two insist they are just friends, sources close to Lui5.com tell a different story. The two were spotted vacationing together in Put-In-Bay, Ohio, and were seen feeding each other at a restaurant. Mamma from Bear Claws Art was quoted as saying, "I think Katraz was in love with Cha-KaKa! Come on admit it, you had a crush on the hairy creature." Has their love for each other in the past rekindled once again? We must ask the question, are they just friends or lovers? You be the judge.

Slo-Mo Home Depot
This is some funny shizz! Ha ha!!! The first video shows a group of actors that played a prank on a Home Depot store. The second video interviews Home Depot associates about what they just saw. Take a look! It's hilarious!

Pluto Gets Demoted Ruh roh is right! Pluto was demoted today, and I'm not talking about the dog, umkay! It got stripped of it's planetary status today in a vote by the International Astronomical Union. [Article]

Cirque Du SoleilSo last Saturday we went to dinner at La Luce and then went to see a Cirque du Soleil-Corteo show at the United Center with some of our peeps. Once again, the Cirque show was fabulous! The show follows the journey of a clown that has passed away in a mysterious place between heaven and earth. There were lots of cool acts and the music of course, was awesome! Lui5.com highly recommends watching this show and gives it a High 5!

9 Planets Become 12? If the International Astronomical Union (IAU) has their way, we could have 3 new planets added to our solar system on August 24th. I don't know about you but I think it would be kinda cool except for having to learn the order of the planets all over again. [Article]

The Field Museum
Brian and I finally made it downtown to see the King Tut exhibit at The Field Museum. We had been waiting for months to see it and let me tell you, it was worth the wait! There are over 100 Egyptian treasures on display that were in King Tut and his royal relative's tomb. We also had a chance to go see another exhibit called Evolving Planet which was amazing as well! That exhibit takes you on a journey through 4 billion years of life on earth. Both exhibits were very cool and Lui5 gives them botha a big High 5!

Paris Hilton: I'm going celibate

My thoughts exactly! Whatevaaaa! [Article]

Wisconsin Dells
This past weekend Paul, Brian and I went up to the Dells to celebrate Brian's birthday. Brian decided to tackle Rabbit Rock. Expert rock climbers Rachel and Junior were there to assist Brian on his asscent up to the top. One little mistake by Brian could have cost him, as well as others below him, their life! I opted not to climb and instead stay behind to tend to Paul's hand injury. Brian went on and prevailed and he can now proudly proclaim that he conquered the all mighty Rabbit Rock. The rest of the weekend was spent in downtown Wisconsin Dells where we shopped, ate, drank, and rode the famous Wisconsin Ducks. A big thanks goes to Paul for setting up the Duck Ride! This was one very cool weekend to remember.

Feliz Cumpleanos!

Brian donned his Mexican sombrero today to celebrate his birthday at La Hacienda de Fernandez. Paul, Mary from "Everything You Wanted To Know About Nuttin'", Gloria, and Mark were there to wish him the best. Happy Birthday Bree! Hope all your wishes come true!

Wisconsin State Fair
My friend Carli was in town from D.C. and we made our way north to the Wisconsin State Fair, just like we did back in the day. Brian and Carli's friend Reggie came along for the trip. The whole day was pure gluttony! We drank frozen margaritas and ate baked potatos, brownies, corn on the cob, cheese curds, foot long corn dogs, swiss rye bread and the famous state fair creme puffs! Thank God for pepto-bismol! It was a good time. Perfect weather, good music, and lots of good food!

This Goes Out To All The Baby Mamas
Paul Sings: "It's about time we had our own song, don't know what took so long, cuz now a days it's like a badge of honor, to be a baby mama. I see ya payin' ya bills, I see ya workin' ya job, I see ya goin' to school, and gurl I know it's hard, and even though ya fed up, with makin' beds up, gurrrrl, keep ya head up all my B-A-B-Y M-A-M-A, this goes out to all my baby mamas, I got love for all my baby mamas."

Only In Germany
This was a funny clip I came across a few months ago when I was looking for things to share with my German class. It's hilarious! It's a German show that played a prank on customers at a department store. Enjoy!

The Wedding Shower
Last Sunday was my best friend Amy's wedding shower. She and her fiance Tom flew in from San Diego to Chicago to have their party here. I was very surprised to see my friend Candy (aka Dulce) show up. I haven't seen that girl in like 10 years! And of course, the party wouldn't be complete without Beth Barker! She's a hoot! Congratulations Amy and Tom! I'm looking forward to the wedding in January!

Around Town With Lui5: The Farmer's Market
In this episode of Around Town with Lui5, my friend Mary took us to a huge open air French market in downtown Wheaton, Illinois. This is one of the biggest in the western burbs of Chicago and they sell everything from freshly baked breads, pastries, fresh fruit and vegtables, plants, and crafts. I highly recommend the fruit tort made by real French nuns! Delicious! The market is open on Saturdays from 8:00am to 2:00pm from April to October. I give the market a High 5!