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I just got home from playing tennis for two hours with one of my favorite partners I’ve met in Chicago. We played two sets in the sticky heat, each winning one, and it was GOOD.

I was trying out some affirmational thinking, and it was totally working! Before every serve, I told myself, “This is going to be a great serve.” I bounced the ball, focused inward, took a deep breath, then fired away. And I got more first serves in than I have in a long time, including a few beautiful aces with a touch of spin, my newest skill.

Then I realized I was mostly losing games she was serving, so I started saying to myself, “You’re going to hit a great return.” And, no surprise, I started hitting much more solid returns. Pretty darned cool! Also pretty cool that when she and I play, lots of people wandering by stop to watch, and even cheer us on sometimes.

Working with my amazing coach last year has really unleashed me in a brand new way. I want to keep working with him. He’s very tough on me, but his approach works, without a doubt. He sees the potential and does not let up on me until I show him what I can do. As a youngster, I never had the training to get great. And now, I’m less dampened by self-doubt than I was then, so I can just go for it.

I was noticing the lovely Midwestern evergreen trees everywhere, and thinking, “Jennifer, you did it. You wanted to move to Chicago and see what life was like here for years, and here you are!” These past four years have not been easy. I’m growing up in some important ways. I’m working so hard at my business. I texted my freelancer the other day and told him I landed the project I’d just discussed with him, and sent a proposal for. And he texted back, “Awesome! Keep on rockin’ in the free world!” That made me grin for hours. Working for yourself is rocking in the free world, and for as hard as it can be sometimes, I love it.

My tennis partner and I are playing again on Friday. I already can’t wait. I took a little longer this summer to get back into it, but I’m so glad it’s on now.

I’m learning to knit! I’d already been crocheting for a while, but visiting my friend on Long Island recently, and getting a mini lesson while we took the train to the city, inspired me. This is my first project, an easy little basketweave washcloth.

I used it in the bath today, and it was lovely. 100% cotton, soft but scrubby, and lathered the soap up very well. Much better than your typical store-bought rag on all counts, particularly for the softness and lushness.

And here was my delicious lunch I threw together in moments before a big bike ride through the forest preserve today. Spinach, Asian peanut dressing, dumplings, and blackberries. Mmm.

I am in a great mood today. It’s March, it’s sunny, and it’s in the 40s, which to anyone who’s just endured a Chicago winter is reason to celebrate. I’m about to jump out of my skin with excitement about the slowly blossoming beautiful weather. I rode my bike to the Latino grocery store in my neighborhood and got the stuff to make chile con queso from scratch (using the recipe that my New Mexican friend Daniel created, with lots of garlic, onions, salsa, fresh roasted green chile, cheese, and milk — the stuff is ridiculously good), and chicken fajitas with all the fixins (roasted onions, red and yellow bell pepper, and garlic; fresh flour and corn tortillas; and fresh guacamole, grated cheese, and Mexican sour cream).

The chile just came out of the oven, and the house smells like heaven. This recipe makes the best queso I have ever eaten — and being from Texas and loving Mexican food, I have tried a few! And this grocery store has some of the most amazing cheeses with various chopped chiles incorporated, such as firecracker jack, a high-quality cheddar-jack blend with both red and green chiles. I am one of the very few non-Latinos I see shopping at this store. It’s one of those relatively undiscovered secrets, and I love it. They are starting to recognize me there, and this sweet (and cute) guy in the deli lights up with this huge grin every time I go there. Possibly he does that with everyone, but I prefer to think I am special. Finally, I will be making margaritas with salt rims. Mmmm!

My friend Valerie’s coming over for dinner and a PJ party, and we are going to kick off reading Your Money or Your Life together, the third book in our reading and discussion series. It’s so much more enjoyable and beneficial to read a book with a smart friend. Our discussions are terrific, and everything sinks in much better. I feel very lucky to have such wonderful friends!

I got to interview two very smart, driven, and NICE people today, one an architect with the firm that developed the master plan for the planet’s first GREEN CITY, the other a female CEO of a very successful and fun company that she founded and which has been in business for more than 40 years. She says she never plans to retire. I learned a lot from both of them, things that I can apply to my own life and work immediately. I feel very inspired. I have gotten to interview a lot of cool people and organizations lately, like NASA (for a story on their green projects)!

And this is good, because this week, I have felt sort of aimless and ambling. I think that’s natural after the last few intense weeks I had. But I don’t want to get lazy. And this day has so far been just the kick in the butt I needed.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! :)