The Best Two Weeks Ever

You guys. I have been dying to tell you about the great happenings in the last few weeks. And now that everything I had been waiting for has happened, I can share. I've had some of the best weekends I've had in quite some time and I couldn't have been happier. Welp, there was one breakdown. But more on that later.

Friday, October 18th, 2013:

Ok, so I know I didn't need to include the year in there. I assume you guys are smart enough to figure it out. But it makes me feel so "MTV's Diary" with it in. So it stays.

Little and I went to Halloween at Heritage Hill and loved it! I had really been looking forward to it, and I found out that she had been too. We both decided to dress up, though my costume didn't have as much to it as I could have done. Little loves everything horses and dressed up as a horse trainer. I wish I could share her picture on here because her costume was so damn awesome. She had this giant stuffed horse that she attached a harness around and carried around the whole time. She was very disappointed to have not won the costume contest, and frankly, I was a little surprised she didn't get mentioned. Everyone we passed commented on what a cute and/or creative idea it was. But then again, almost all the winners were super little nuggets, so gotta give them the spotlight, I suppose. One girl, maybe Little's age or a tad younger, won one of the categories. They announced her as Little Bo Peep, to which she indignantly responded with, "I'm not Little Bo Peep! I'm Scarlett O'Hara!" You go, kid. You frickin go.

Big-Little temporary tattoos

The Park had a lot of great activities we could participate in besides the costume contest. We went through a Haunted hallway to start right away. Even though I know that it's just one hallway at a place aimed for children, that nothing is real, and no one can hurt us, I am such a baby that I was a teensy bit apprehensive. Especially when an actor came up right behind us and followed us through. I knew I couldn't show Little this, though, so I tried to be silly and said "Oooh spooky! Someone's following us!" I think it helped, though she said she almost peed herself inside. Little trick or treated and played a few games. We listened to story telling, which we quickly found out was geared towards very small children. I thought it would be someone telling spooky stories, but it was just someone reading from a Halloween novel. For children who still need to be carried, I'm sure it was great. Little and I were a little bored. We also watched a shadow play and got a tram tour of a Sleepy Hollow re-enactment. That was actually super cool. Hearing the legend told and watching the actors dressed in period clothing was really fun. A friend recently started working at Heritage Hill and was one of the Sleepy Hollow actors.  I was so excited to see her and whisper-shouted and waved to her from the tram. At least I waited until a break in the skit. I was polite enough for that.

It was a rainy night, and luckily it was mostly just misty. However, after about an hour and a half, it started picking up and we were getting really soggy. We trekked inside for some Halloween arts and crafts and got temporary tattoos together. Little seemed to really enjoy herself and told me before we were even back to my car that she wanted to come back next year too. Can't argue with that.

The only thing I wished could have been different was how many things were geared towards really little kids. Little played a few games that worked for older kids and a few that did not. I could tell she realized she was a little too old for some of them after she started playing. Others we just by-passed. So, Friend-Who-Will-Be-In-Charge-Next-Year, if you're reading this, please consider my small suggestion.


Saturday, October 19th, 2013:

Volunteering for Halloween at the Y:

This was my third year volunteering and it's one of my favorite things to participate in with the Y. One of the best parts about the event is that there are so many different kids, and kids of all ages. They are all so excited to be there, whether they are barely walking or entering into their pre-teen years. I love interacting with all of them and watching how excited they are to play games.

I've done all my volunteering through the West Side Y, but with all the plans I had Halloween weekend, I couldn't make it. I thought I would have to miss it, but luckily, the Broadview location in DePere had their event the weekend before. I was nervous to not know anyone there and not be familiar with my surroundings, but I dragged my sister along so she could get high school community service hours and decided to make the most of it. The last two years I was placed in the carnival games section: the most fun and exciting part, in my opinion. I pretty much got to choose whichever game I wanted to be at. Mostly because I've always gotten there early, and because most of the staff knows or recognizes me with all the other volunteering I do. As a new face with this location, I didn't get my first pick. Sister and I were placed at the Rainbow Rompers. It's basically an obstacle course made of mats and slides for toddlers. We were both kind of bummed at first to not be at a cooler station, but at least we were paired together. It ended up being pretty fun and we all know that the tiniest costumes are always the cutest. Toddlers certainly are adorable. Mom, if you're reading this, calm down. I'm sure your "Monica needs to have a baby" sensors are flashing and buzzing but it's not happening.

Halloween selfie before going to the Y

Wednesday, October 23rd, 2013:

I had the nicest surprise from one of my best friends who moved away. Remember my See You Later Letter? Yeah, that one. Anyway, she was in town for a few days, but I thought we would only be able to see each other on Saturday. However, some of her plans got done early and we got to hang out together for a while. We just sat around, eating junk food and chatting. Even before her move, it had been a really long time that just the two of us could sit together and talk. It was so relaxing and relieving to have some much-needed girl talk. When Man Friend came home from work, we all caught up on the season premiere of the Walking Dead. It was almost like old times, minus one person. I didn't realize how much I needed that until it happened.


Friday, October 25th, 2013:

This was the second-best day of them all! I was in such a great mood all day, even while at work, just in anticipation of what the evening would bring. I got the afternoon for e-mail time, which meant throwing my earbuds in, jamming to some music, hammering out consume e-mails and most importantly, not being on phones. One of my managers saw a post I had on the Book of Faces and tried playing a trick on me that I'd have to go on the phones instead of e-mail time, but I dodged that one.

Eight hours flew by and I headed home in record time. Or at least it felt like it. I headed to my Grandma's for a little family get together. My mom was in town for my not-so-baby sister's 16th birthday party and wanted to see the extended family since she won't be home until Christmas. Sometimes, we all get at each other's throats and often times at least someone is upset by the end of the night. But it was really a lot of fun. We all got to catch up and truly enjoy each other's company. We gorged on pizza, snacks and beer (of course). It was such a refreshing time and nice to get together without the hectic busy-ness that holidays can bring. I got to show Mom my pictures with my Little and tell her a lot about our adventures together. We text, call and Facebook each other often enough, but having a full conversation in person is just so much different.

After Grandma's wrapped up, the second half of the night began. Man Friend and I had my whole "high school" crowd over. Out of the five of them, four have moved out of town or state in the last year. It's been so incredibly hard for me having them all so far away after basically growing up together. But being together in an apartment, shouting, drinking and laughing on a Friday night was like not a single thing had changed. When we were all together again, it was as if not one tiny day had passed. It's amazing to have such a close group of friends that we can all fall right back into place after months of being hours and hours apart. I'm almost entirely certain that our neighbors hated us that night, if they already don't. But oh well.


Saturday, October 26th, 2013:

Ok, here it is. The best day of the weekend. It started off mildly stressful trying to find Man Friend a Halloween costume. I ordered ours online this year, which put us in very dangerous territory. I hoped harder than I had ever hoped that they would arrive on time and would fit. I tried mine on right away, and by some miracle, it fit perfectly. Relief! Man Friend, however, did not try his on until two days before we were scheduled for going out. This drove me up a frickin wall. Between my very strong love for Halloween and control-freak tendencies, I need everything to be done and figured out a million years in advance. When they're not, I panic a little. Maybe a lot, but who's counting? Anyway, we ended up finding a different costume and luckily for my sanity and Man Friend's safety, it only took two stores. And he actually liked it more than the first one anyway. I considered it a success.

My mom had rented one of the Packers party houses for the weekend for Sister's birthday party and used it instead of a hotel. The house was just gorgeous and perfectly set up for parties/tailgating. Go figure. I went there in the afternoon to help Sister set up for the party and for her to curl my hair for my costume. Since I got there later than I had anticipated, "set up" meant that I placed plastic pumpkins all over the house as part of the decorations. And then I sat down for an hour for my sister to make me beautiful. Pumpkin-placing was a lot of work. I needed a break, ok? Well, my hair turned out awesomely. I was so in love with the job she did. I also had a hole around me in the ozone layer from all the hairspray I had on my head. Sorry, tree huggers.

The whole friend crowd got together for dinner at St. Brennan's that evening. If you haven't been there yet and you're in the area, I highly recommend it. I've only been twice, but have not been disappointed. Great service, drinks and food. It's a nice change from the kind of restaurant and atmosphere that Man Friend and I usually do for our date nights. I don't think I ever laugh as hard as I do when I'm with them. I'm sure the surrounding tables were rather annoyed with us, but not one of us cared a single bit. After dinner we tried to carry on the tradition of a group picture in the restaurant. We were failing miserably with the set-timer on my camera when a stranger walked by and offered to take some for us. He was very patient with our "just one more!"s and "Ok, now a funny one!"s. Then, much to my surprise, Dad and some of his family walked in the door. They had just gone to see a show and were grabbing post-show drinks.

This. This is why other patrons hate us.

Here's our "just one more."

And the one that came after Just One More

After a mildly stressful temporary parting of ways, we headed back downtown to XS for their Halloween party. Ok, you might be thinking Really? The gay bar? but it's seriously the best place to go. They have cheap drinks, lots of dancing and is the best place in town for people watching. Until men look prettier than you and you get oddly jealous. I don't think we've ever gone there and not had a good time. I had put so much effort in to my costume that I wish we had spent a little longer there. Ok, maybe not. Despite feeling great and having a wonderful time, my feet were fucking killing me. I haven't worn heels in a while and apparently, my feet did not care for this. Even with Dr. Scholls in. By the time we left, I walked away in my tights despite the very cold ground. Sorry, Jenna Marbles. I did not make a mini marriage to my shoes that night.

Grumpy cowboy is grumpy.

I'm not sure if this is much better

Remember how I said earlier that a meltdown happened? Well, guys. This is it. As we were saying goodbye, I was ambushed by my own emotions and lost it. I mean full-blown hot mess lost it. And no, I was not emotional drunk. Just really emotional. My cousin told me I need to stop going to XS because I'm going to start having really bad associations with the place. I had no idea that saying goodbye was going to be so hard. I had already seen them (minus one) one time each this summer and had to say bye then. I would have thought those byes would have been the hardest with them being the first ones since all the moves. Nope. Not even close. Standing in that parking lot, with my longest-run of friendships, it was like they were all moving all over again. Only this time instead of being staggered in February, April and May, it was all of them together. Even just a short weekend together felt like we were back together like it used to be. It's really embarrassing how much I've cried in that parking lot. I fucking bawlled the entire time we said our goodbyes and almost the entire way home.


Sunday, October 27th, 2013:

After a crazy two nights, Sunday was pretty relaxing. Well, what I had of Sunday. I slept half my day away and didn't get up until noon. Man Friend, Former Roomie and another one of my friends who moved went to Hu Hot and stuffed ourselves to the point of being uncomfortable. The restaurant has been such a go-to for us though out the years and is one of the few things everyone who has moved away can agree on that they miss about Green Bay.

I got to have some nice family time with both my mom and dad. Not together. Don't be silly. Man Friend and I stopped over by my dad's to pick up my car from the night before. Dad was making his delicious chili that I wanted to eat every last ounce of. He told me some horror stories about the duplexes he is a landlord to. His tenants were awful people who caused thousands and thousands of dollars of damage. I had known it was really bad, but didn't know the full extent of it until then. People are fucking disgusting and have zero respect for anything.

Since my mom still had the Packers party house, I went there for the game. Mom and I got to chat some more, and we hung out with some of her friends and her man friend's family. It was such a great place to watch a game. The only bad thing was how late of a game it was. I have zero desire for late games. Bring on the Nooners! Really, day drinking for games is so much better.

Yes. I am the shortest.

Thursday, October 31st, 2013:

Even though I had already celebrated Halloween, the greatest holiday of the year, three times already, nothing beats the actual day of. We had trick or treating at the office and for the first time since childhood, I got a stomachache from too many sweets. I didn't even make it to the whole department. When people bring in doughnuts, muffins, cookies and mini cheesecakes in addition to candy, I'm going to eat it all. Sorry, I'm not sorry.

I got to go with a friend and her daughter on a very soggy trick or treating adventure. Although the friend and I have been very close since the 4th grade, we had a little bit of a rough patch for about a year. I'm just grateful that things are slowly but surely turning around. Nearly losing a life-time friendship was tough, but I'm glad things are turning up. Her daughter is one of the cutest damn kids I've ever met in my life and I've been attached to her since the day she was born. I didn't know it was possible to love a child who isn't family so much until she came around. I've gone trick or treating with them three years now, and even though I was soggy and cold by the end of the night, I couldn't have asked for a better night.

The two best witches in town...even though her
tights and hat were ditched the second we got in the house.

I know this was super long. If you're still reading, I thank you. I am just so excited to share my happiness with all of you!

Labor Day Weekend Funsies

This weekend was one of the best weekends I've had in quite some time. I had been looking forward to it for weeks, mostly and simply because of the extra day off from work. Who doesn't love a three day weekend? Luckily, my holiday weekend wasn't a disappointment. I didn't go out, or have a plan-packed few  days like I typically do on Friday through Sunday, but sometimes the quiet ones are the best kind. So, dear readers, I have decided to share my enjoyment with you.

Thursday:

Coworker and I at the game

Ok, so I know that Thursday wasn't technically part of the weekend, but I can't not write about it. My coworker bought tickets from someone else at work for the Packers game and I was lucky enough to be able to go with her. I didn't even care that it was "only preseason," as many loyal fans would say. I was so pumped to go. It ended up being the perfect night to go to a game, and nearly everything ran smoothly. We hardly ran into any backed-up traffic on our way up to Green Bay from work, which was incredibly surprising. Usually the entire drive is a nightmare and the highway typically comes to a dead stop at least 2 or 3 times on my way home. After a fairly easy drive home, we were able to park at Man Friend's work. His office is just a short walk from Lambeau, we didn't have to worry about paying for parking or getting out of a congested parking lot/yard. Score! Anyway, the game was great and so much fun to watch. There's just something about being part of the energy of watching the game live that is so much different from watching on tv at home. We had pretty decent seats in the endzone and had a perfect view. I didn't even have a Sasquatch sitting in front me to block my entire sight. Score again! The only complaint I had about the game was the douchebag sitting next to me, who took up the space of a seat and a half, plus his child. Not only did he take up extra space, he was not polite and told Coworker and I that we needed to move over, despite the fact that the entire row was full. Ill-mannered neighbors aside, I had a blast at the game. It also didn't hurt that we won 24-3.

Friday:

In an effort to save some moo-lah, Man Friend and I decided early last week to have a pizza and movie night Friday. All week I looked forward to having a relaxing night in and have some couple time. Man Friend is really into comic book/super hero movies and has seen them all a zillion times. They typically aren't my style of movies, but I have started watching the "Avengers" series (as I call them) to be able to engage myself in his interests. We watched Thor a few weeks ago, so I decided I wanted to watch Iron Man this weekend to continue through the characters and their stories. I never thought I'd hear myself say I was excited for this kind of movie, but I was. Man Friend picked me up in the evening, we grabbed a Take n Bake pizza, and grabbed some movies. In addition to getting Iron Man, we also got 21 Jump Street. IM was really good; I enjoyed it far more than I had expected. I couldn't follow everything and did have to ask a few questions, but I am definitely looking forward to the sequel. 21 Jump Street was absolutely hilarious. I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard during a movie. I love Jonah Hill, and he and Channing Tatum actually made a pretty good pair. Not to mention, what woman doesn't like looking at Channing Tatum? Date Night In was a nice change of pace, and it was great to be able to actually enjoy each other's company by ourselves for once.

Saturday:

To continue with our date night, Man Friend and I spent the afternoon at the N.E.W. Zoo. I love going to the zoo, and Man Friend hadn't been since he was a little nugget. Maybe it's the excitement of watching the animals, or the feeling of being a kid again, but I always have so much fun at the zoo. We were able to feed the giraffes and the billy goats, in addition to checking out all the exhibits. It was a beautiful day for the trip, too, warm and sunny. The only thing I hadn't taken into consideration was that it was a Saturday on a holiday weekend, right before school started for many kids. The zoo was pretty busy, and thus, we didn't get to stay at each exhibit as long as I would have liked. There were lines behind us, as well as kids (not to mention parents!) weaseling their way in front of us and through the lines. Aggravated, we ended up just letting others get through and quickly moved from each animal.
                                                                        

                                                          
At night, I had two of my friends over to catch up. I hadn't seen them since November, and was really excited to be able to hang out. Ok, let's back track. The two friends are actually my ex's brother and his girlfriend. When I was with T-Douche, the four of us hung out all the time. Pretty much every time I was home for college, we spent time together. When we broke up, the hardest part of the break up was not being able to see those two as much. Luckily, though, the three of us have actually stayed friends and in contact. Although, we don't hang out every weekend anymore, we still try to get together every few months. Also, luckily, Man Friend gets along with them really well and there isn't any awkwardness of hanging out with my ex's family. Man Friend, Friends and I chatted and laughed for five hours, and it hardly felt like any time had passed at all.

Sunday:

During the day, I didn't do much. At all. By the time 4 p.m. had rolled around, I hadn't even showered yet, and the only things I could account for all day were a walk, finding recipes to make, and coming up with a grocery list. Because I had high hopes of a really productive afternoon, I was frustrated with and disappointed in myself for wasting an entire day. But then I realized how nice it was not be rushing around on errands or with plans. I wasn't stressed out, and had given myself plenty of time to clear my head off all the thoughts that have been racing through lately. The guilt I had been experiencing quickly drifted after this realization.

At night, Roomie, Man Friend and I got Chinese take-out and watched movies. Ok, ok, Roomie and Man Friend watched a scary movie about some dolls and I read. I tried my best to tune out the movie and focus on my book. I'm such a pansy ass when it comes to scary movies. Hell, just thinking about Are You Afraid of the Dark? still gets me close to peeing my pants. Anyway, even after just catching glimpses and snipits of the movie, I was still afraid to leave the brightly-lit living room. After their movie finished, we all watched Wanda Sykes stand-up. I love her, mostly because she's so vulgar. The vulgar comedians are always my favorites.

After a rejuvenating and stress-free weekend, I'm actually (almost) ready for the week ahead.

Sucky and Super

I dropped the ball on a post last week, so today's Sucky and Super post encompasses the last two weeks. Enjoy, dear readers!

Sucky:

My memorial tattoo

• Tuesday was the eighth anniversary of a very close friend's passing. January 3rd is the hardest day of every year for me, and not once does it get easier. My friend passed away very young, two weeks before his 20th birthday. Not only was the loss of him very difficult, but the cause was even worse. He was killed, and everyone (cops included) knows who did it. Unfortunately, evidence was tampered with at his base and it likely to never be proven. Every year on the anniversary I visit the cemetery with flowers for him. This year I wasn't able to make it before it got dark and it was closed. I felt so guilty, and that made dealing with it even harder on myself. 
• Friday I had the worst day of work I've ever had at this job. Now that the holidays are over, callers are back to being rude, impatient, ungrateful, demanding and argumentative. The day had been dragging, and I was growing more and more frustrated every hour. In the last hour or so of my shift, I had the most unbearable call I could ever imagine: 18 straight minutes of nothing but being shouted at, argued with and my offers ignored. I was actually shaking and nearly in tears when I transferred the call to a supervisor.

Super: 

• New Years Eve started off on a Sucky note, but it actually turned out to be really nice. I'm too broke to be able to go out, so I decided to have some friends over, but plans got switched up a little, so it ended up being just my man friend and me. I made dinner for the two of us, which got destroyed at first but the second try was significantly tastier, and we listened to a local radio station's top songs of 2011. After a rough start, our first New Years together was really nice.
• New Years Day my man friend and I spent the day at my dad's. We watched the Packer game, another win of course. I'm so excited for the play-offs to start! We also stayed for dinner, which was a great end to the day. 
• For Christmas, I got a lot of exercise materials, which I really like. I've been trying so hard the last few weeks to stick with healthy eating and working out and am determined to keep it up for once. This past week I worked out four days using my new fitness hula hoop, my Biggest Loser yoga DVD, and went to my weekly Zumba class. I can already see a difference and it's a great feeling.
• After four years of credit card debt, I have it nearly paid off. As of today, it's down to $30, and with Christmas money I got this weekend, that balance will be paid off tomorrow. There are no words to describe how relieving this is. 
• Last night was my final Christmas celebration. We had some great food and got to spend some quality time together. My mom moves down to Tennessee in a week, and it was our last family event with all of us together for a while. 
• I had a phone interview this week. Again, nothing in my field, but a full-time, permanent position in town for a company very well known in this area. There's actually a lot of room for advancement in the company, and I'd be making pretty decent money as well. I have several friends working there, one of whom is how I heard about the position. I feel like the interview went well, but I'll just have to wait and see.

Sucky and Super...just a tad late

Eventually, I'll get a Sucky and Super actually posted on a Sunday. I blame the holidays.

Sucky:

• My bad leg has been absolutely atrocious, to the point of me legit sobbing every time something hits it. The only thing that helps with the itchiness and sensitivity of the veins is an herbal supplement Hawthorn berries. With my financial situation, I can't afford them. So I don't buy them. Christmas day a bag had hit it and I was crying so hard my mom offered to buy me a bottle to help with the pain.
• Friday night my favorite bar closed. It's been kind of a stomping ground for my friends and myself and I'll really miss it. There have been so many memories and great nights, and let's face it, days, spent there in the last year and a half and I'm so bummed to see it shut down.

Super:

• Friday night my dad and stepmom came over to see my house/our Packer themed Christmas decorations. Dad hasn't seen my house yet in the eight months I've lived there (whoops) so I invited them over. I really enjoyed hanging out.
• Christmas Eve/Day/Monday after celebrations were all wonderful. There was no arguing between my sisters, I got some great presents that I'm really excited about (Red Mist by Patricia Cornwell, some work out stuff I wanted, cooking stuff, gift cards and a Diners, Drive-ins and Dives book to name a few) and gorged for three days straight.
• Thursday, I got to spend one last night at previously mentioned bar. Every Thursday there's a drink special/DJ and I used to go every week for many months. I stopped going for a while, but this week was my friend's birthday. Right before his party, we all found out the bar was closing, so it was perfect timing to say goodbye and have one more night of fun. It was hard to go home early, but I just can't be exhausted at work.
• The Packer game on Sunday was just great. They were finally playing like they were actually trying (I guess the loss actually did them some good), it was really fun to watch (scoring helps that), and of course they won. That puts their record at 14-1 and clinched home field advantage. It was a good day for Packer fan.

Sucky and Super Sunday...a day late

Life has been a tad hectic lately, so Sucky and Super Sunday is a day late this week. At least it's only a day late.

Sucky:

• My bad leg has really been flaring up. I have 85 year old woman legs, and have varicose veins coming in. The doctors can't do anything about it, and it hurts wicked bad. The last few days have been terribly painful...and people keep accidentally bumping into it, making it significantly worse.
• I've had a headache every day for at least a week. I've had a problem with headaches since I was in about 4th grade, so I'm pretty used to them. Lately, though, it's been worse. I know they're mostly stress-induced because they're not like my typical aches. Sometimes I worry my body will become immune to Aleve.
• Nothing, really. Aside from feeling like I'm physically falling apart at the seams, it's been a pretty decent week.

Super:

• Tuesday my man friend and I decorated Christmas cookies. We're experiencing a lot of firsts together as the holidays approach, and I couldn't be happier to be spending them with him.
• Saturday was the last day I got to spend with my GNO girls. We went up to a camp about an hour away where they played games, learned how to build a fire and did some team-building exercises. It was actually quite a bit more fun than several of the weekly sessions.

• Saturday was the first of the two ugly Christmas sweater parties I have this year. It was so much fun, and everyone looked so ridiculous! My sister, cousin and I all rocked matching sweater vests, turtlenecks and knee high socks.
• Sunday I got to actually watch the Packer game. I missed the last two because of work, so I was really excited to see it this week. It was a great game to catch: an easy 46-16 win against the Raiders, putting us at a 13-0 record so far.

On a personal note...

Hello dear readers! It's been a while since I've had a "personal" entry not based around work, job searching or GNO (though the week 5 update is next), so I figured I'd give you some interesting tidbits, especially since my past weekend was jam-packed with parties.

Friday was a friend's 21st birthday. Said friend and I aren't very close friends, but I know him through my sister and man-friend. We went out, and as is typical on a 21st birthday, Friend was already smashed by the time I got out to the bars. He doesn't remember anything past getting Subway at 10:30, which always makes for a good time for everyone else out. Around midnight, I just got exhausted and wanted to go home. Somehow, I ended up bringing home a friend of a friend, whom I'd only met once prior. She hadn't asked for a ride, just somehow showed up at my car. Nothing aggravates me more than having to give people rides unexpectedly. If I know about it in advance, and if the ride is asked for, it's usually not a big deal. However, when it's just assumed I'll drive someone home it really grates on my nerves. I hate feeling like everyone's personal (free) taxi. Buuut I feel guilty if they don't have any other way home, and almost obligated to do it, knowing they need a safe ride. Begrudgingly, I brought her home.

Saturday was jam-packed. I hardly had a moment to myself, but it was a great day. In the early afternoon, I had a friend's baby shower. I was a little nervous at first. The only time I had ever been to the church it was held at was for a friend's funeral a few months ago. Pulling into the driveway was a little painful at first, but it was a lot of fun, great food, and a chance to catch up with some ladies who I don't talk to very often. We played Baby BINGO, a version I hadn't heard of. You start with a blank BINGO board and write in your own answers, all gifts you think the mom will get. As she's opening her presents, you mark off the items on your board. It was a great way to get the guests involved, and give everyone something to do while presents are opened, which is great for fidgeters like me.

Right after the shower I headed to my dad's for a family birthday party. My sister (14), stepbrother (12) and cousin (12) all have birthdays within a few days of each other, so the family celebrates them all at once. I'm really close with my family and always enjoy get-togethers. Apparently, my dad's coworker makes cakes on the side and baked each kid a personal cake. It was pretty cool. My sister is saving up for a laptop (seriously, how many 14 year olds do that?!) and just wanted money to go towards her computer. I didn't get her a present for either of her parties (one for mom's family, one for dad's) but told her I'd take her to Best Buy to go shopping. She has a $20 limit to pick out stuff for her computer. She's excited for free stuff and I'm excited to spend time with her. Win-win.

Saturday night I went to a costume party at one of my typical hang-out bars. I was expecting a lot of people to be there, as about 40 RSVPd yes on Facebook, and people had been talking about it for a while. I got there any only a few people actually came, and even fewer showed up in costume. It was a little uncomfortable being super dressed up in a short little pirate costume (pics to come soon!), feeling super sexy, and no one else dressed up. The two bartenders had sexy costumes and one girl who used to work there as well. Some of the guys were dressed up funny costumes, but I was definitely outnumbered. Whatever, I got the $15 all you can drink special for showing up in costume. I was kind of bummed that it had bombed so bad; I was really looking forward to seeing a bunch of people. But there was a band playing (and they're actually pretty good for a high school band. Check them out here) and I hung out with my cousin and man-friend and we had a really good time, considering.

Sunday I had a Packer party at my dad's house for the Packers vs. Vikings game. My dad lives only a few minutes away from the Stadium and has his garage entirely decked out in Packer decorations. He even painted the walls green and yellow and hung a stuffed lion, cabbage patch doll/viking and a bear from "nooses" aka his deer hooks. It's the perfect place to watch games. I've been planning this party for a long time and was really excited for it. I invited people on Facebook, and then texted all the maybes and not yet replied a few days before to see who was all coming. Unfortunately, a lot of people had prior plans. I was bummed, but I totally understand. If you made plans before,  you made plans before. Not a big deal. However, there were several people who said they were coming and didn't. It wasn't until I texted them right before the game that I found out they wouldn't be there. I was really hurt and disappointed after I made food and had been so excited for people to come over and watch the game. Logically I know I shouldn't have, but I took it a little personally. Luckily though, two friends and my cousin showed up. We ended up eating most of the food and the it was a pretty eventful game, so we all enjoyed ourselves. The Packers beat the Vikings 33-27, putting them at 7-0 for the season. Amazing.

Moral of the story: Even though I got a little grouchy a few times, I had a very successful weekend.

Packers, AFSP Walk and a Suprise Visit

In the last four days, I've had three rather significant events take place: The NFL kick-off game, the third annual American Foundation for Suicide Prevention walk in Brown County and a surprise visit from one of my very close college friends.

Thursday was the NFL opening game of the Green Bay Packers vs. the New Orleans Saints. As the Superbowl champions, Green Bay hosted a massive kick-off party with a free concert. Maroon 5, Kid Rock and Lady Antebellum all performed outside the stadium for thousands of people. Blocks of Oneida street by the stadium were blocked off for days, the population of Green Bay was said to have nearly doubled for a day, and the entire city partied all day. Unfortunately, I was stuck taking diaper calls and missed the majority of the event, but caught the tail end of it before the game started. My dad told me the night before, "Just tell all your callers 'I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but I'm in Wisconsin, the home of the Superbowl champions. So as much as I'd love to chat about your kid's ass, I have a Packer party to attend. So call me next week when I'm sober.'" I would have loved nothing more than to have actually said this, but  keeping my job sounded just as appealing. Regardless, even though I didn't catch all of the concert, the atmosphere was amazing. There were so many Packer fans, all amped to start a new football season and all decked out in green and gold. The game between the last two superbowl champions was a great way to start off the season. There was hardly a dull moment in the game, and of course, the Packers won 42-34.

Saturday was the third anual Out of the Darkness walk for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention here in Brown County. The day was a great success, albeit very emotional. The walk has been organized each year by a couple of women who each lost their children around the age of 18. Each year, the event grows larger and larger and more and more families are reaching out to each other. The walk represented 17 different "teams," or people who walkers were representing. As more families come out each walk, new things are introduced to every event. Saturday's event got coffee and tea donations from Starbucks, water donated from Pepsi and plenty of raffle and door prizes. Another part of the event was introducing each team. One representative from each team introduced him/herself, their relation to the deceased, what year they died and how old they were when they passed. It was a terribly emotional few moments, though I'm sure helpful and  therapeutic for the families. This year, 347 walkers raised $8,000. Half of the proceeds will be donated to our community and half will go to a national level. Next year, though, the organization is branching off from the AFSP to be able to donate all proceeds at our community level.

Also on Saturday, my friend Sam from Stritch made an impromptu visit to Green Bay. Being two hours away and everyone having very hectic work and personal life schedules, I don't get to see my college friends very often. The last time I had seen her was in April, so we were definitely due for a visit. We only spent two hours together, but we had such a great talk and it really made my already great day. We caught each other up on our lives, how our jobs were going, and the like. We gossiped and talked about writing, as if there's anything else to talk about. We were both part of the writing program at Stritch and magnetically attracted to each other the first week of school. Actually, I think we became friends right away during orientation week. Both of us expressed our frustration with the inability to get jobs in our fields and how badly we just wanted to write, but not knowing where to begin. What to write about, how to write without our instructor Dave, how to write without having our peers to bounce feedback off of in workshops. I shared with her that I had started this blog and started doing freewriting exercises very similar to what we did in our writing classes, and how badly I just want to proofread anything or everything. Proofreading in really what I have a passion for, even more so than writing or reading. I have a knack for it and the eye for detail. We agreed to send each other any pieces of writing that we're working on to have the other person look over it. Finally, I might be getting somewhere with my degree, even if it isn't a paid position.

A balloon release after the AFSP walk

Freewriting prompt: List 20 things that annoy you. Pick one and write about it.