it's been a long weekend
This weekend was a welcomed change of pace as Jill and I have for the first time actually have had guests stay with us since we've moved in to our apartment back in June. We're not losers anymore!
Friday was Silver Bells, where 100,000 people who otherwise never step foot into downtown Lansing the other 364 days of the year, pack themselves into one intersection to watch the lighting of the state christmas tree. After an almost 2 hours parade, the evening conclude with an anti-climatic tree lightning and a 5 minute firework display. It was alright but it made me miss coming to this event when I was with a kid.
After that we met up with some friends of Jill and went to a few bars and ending up running into some old friends of my own. This town is a lot smaller than I've come to realize.
Saturday I went to my parents house to have Thanksgiving dinner because my sister and I have other plans for Thursday. Among the highlights of this years dinner was finding my fathers hidden whiskey bottle under the couch and hearing his words of wisdom on why he doesn't want Hillary Clinton to be president "she'll start ragging and push the button". My sister was also being a total bitch to my mother throughout the dinner and I was given a guilt trip for not wanting to bring leftovers home. I felt sick after the food though, the only vegetable on the table was the green bean casserole.
Jill's first set of friends left in the afternoon and another set arrived at our apartment around 3:30 this morning. I went to bed long before this and was kind of annoyed the still chose to come out so late but they're not my friends so I guess I can't complain. We went out to dinner this afternoon and since then I've just lounged around the house. They've left and we finally get the first peace and quiet of the weekend.
Although with the typical weekends we have it was still a welcome change of pace.
high school reunions
A few weeks ago I was sent a message on facebook reminding me about my upcoming 10 year high school reunion next year. I didn't need to be reminded to be honest, I've known for awhile but it still felt awkward to have people who I haven't thought of, much less spoken to in almost a decade to ask if I was going to attend. I don't really know how to respond. I don't want to be that weirdo that still has resentful feelings towards things from so long ago but I don't know if going to my reunion is really going to change anything.
I think I'll probably pass but I have until Labor Day next year if my mind changes.
thoughts on being lazy
Quite often when I'm overstressed with work, school, relationships or so forth I always imagine just letting everything go and not doing a single thing for days at a time. I like to think about how relaxing that would be to not have a single care in the world. This weekend Jill was out of town for 3 days and I took Friday off so thats exactly what I did. I didn't even bother to leave the house for most of the weekend except Saturday. I also had Monday off (on account of veterans day, I love that we get every federal holiday off even though I don't work for the government) so its been 4 long days of nothing and it was WONDERFUL! I only wish I could keep it going. I think I'm getting my usual 2 week Christmas vacation from work as well (we shut down for half the month...WITH PAY!) so I'll be able to do it all over again.
walking in a winter wonderhell
Jill and I decided to get out of town and go to Frankenmuth for no real reason. I thought maybe the crowds wouldn't be so crazy because of the MSU/UM game but boy how I was wrong!
We started out going to bronners christmas wonderhell where the crying babies, wideass people and cranky grandparents were out in full force, buying cheaply made overpriced ornaments and generally taking up more space than was necessary. The crowds became too overwhelming to really look at much of anything plus the fact that Jill and I are generally pretty anti-consumerist (I'm not even sure thats really a word), we left after an hour with nothing in our hands and a increased dislike for families and old people.
Next we went to the downtown area and walked around River Place, which is just a poor man's Mackinaw Crossings, minus the fudge shops. We were starving so we stopped into this cafeteria/arcade/gift shop area and ordered veggie wraps (since it was the only thing on the menu without meat). While we waited for our order these two elderly women decided that waiting 30 minutes (which was probably more like 10 minutes in their 80 year old mindset) was long enough for their hamburgers and decided to yell at the staff and pound their fists on the table until they got served. I guess grandma forgot to take her fiber tablets and was feeling irregular. Our wraps were nothing to write home about either with its lifeless iceberg lettuce, mushrooms and raspberry vinaigrette. Good thing neither of us were expecting much.
We left the nightmare of Frankenmuth to head over to the nightmare of Birch Run. Like Frankenmuth, the same people were abundant and there was no where to park. We decided to use my mothers handicap sign to finally park and get out. It was wrong I know, but thats the only time I've ever used it (though I've been tempted numerous times before)After Birch Run we left town.
Overall it was still a pretty enjoyable day and a stark reminder why I need to do my holiday shopping online this winter. If the crowds are this bad on November 2nd. I can't begin to imagine how much worse its going to get.
Ride the Sky
Not for awhile have I been so glad that the weekend is finally upon us. Actually its been a few weeks like this. I don't know what it is but work seems to take everything out of me these days. I come home from work completely exhausted and ready to go to bed for the night at 7pm. I think it might be the weather. I don't enjoy the looming winter like I used to. I think everyone gets that way or so I would like to think I'm not the only one.
Tomorrow if things go according to plan Jill and I may be going to Frankenmuth for no other reason than any excuse to get out of the city for a couple of hours. I think it'll lift my spirits about the holidays coming up. Between things at work (which I wish I could elaborate on but of course I can't...ugh) and worrying if I have enough money for gifts I need to kept busy so I don't go crazy.
Looks like Jill is back from getting change to do the laundry, time to end this shit.
