I went home this past weekend for the first time in a year and a half. Yeah, that's right. Ask the kids who worked with me last Christmas Eve when I broke down on the phone with the customer service lady at the post office how I felt about this fact...it wasn't pretty..."But it's my first Christmas away from home and I have to work and I can't even get my presents! WAHHHH" Oh, the poor woman on the other end of the phone...

ANYWHO~ I went home last weekend.

My sister and I rented a car and drove overnight Thursday with her gi-normous golden retriever who decided it was a fun game to jump from the front to the back of the car over and over again for 11 hours, landing with her huge feet and nails digging into my crotch every time she made it to the front seat. Needless to say, I have some nasty bruises in some nasty places...

Friday we chilled on the lake for a little bit and went to Trader Joe's. My sister and I basically looked like alcoholics. Wine and beer is so cheap there that we both ended up with a cart filled entirely with alcohol. Party on. Oh yeah, and I went to BIFF's Coney Island (Gotta love the name!) with L-squared and Evan, who I haven't seen since the last time I was home. For those of you that don't know, Coney Islands are Detroit restaurants usually found in mini malls that serve a mix of diner food, greek food, and these awesome hotdogs with chili, onions, and everything else you can think of (aka the "Coney Dog").

Saturday was a little rainy so we went to the grocery store AGAIN. We bought lots of yummy things and my aunt, uncle and cousin (just back from Iraq) came over for a BBQ. Oh yeah, my sister's friend Laura also came over (freshly back from 7 months in Sweden). She had a cool new short haircut, and after dinner, we gave it a trim with the old clippers. What fun! Then I went to The Village Place with Lauren. What memories! Village is this 24 hour diner where everyone used to hang out in high school cause there's nothing else to do in Michigan...We saw this kid there who graduated with us with his mom. Lauren thought it was Doug Drazin, but she was way off. It was James Rubinstein (a different nerdy gangly Jewish boy). Good times, good times.

Sunday, I got up early and drove to Detroit to take a bunch-o-pictures for my coworkers so they know what it looks like when we work on Motor City (that show I made up). I stopped at Kroger's to buy some Johnsonville brats, Vernor's and Faygo and then my sister and I started the long trek home.

Overall, a great time. I forgot how lovely Michigan can be. Enjoy the pics.