Back to Blech

Good morning and happy hump day!  I'm starting to feel like I belong in my New York life again, though just barely.  Let's catch up on the rest of my visit home, shall we?

Sooo Britch's Scottish boyfriend proposed to her on the Wednesday after Xmas, which was thrilling for all of us. Hike's highly-anticipated arrival was on Thursday, then home for fam dinner, then out with the friends, and we all got silly at Mutz (a bar) and he met the whole crew.  I think he did really well for being surrounded by strangers, most of whom were related to Britch.

Friday aka New Year's Eve, we laid around watching TV all day since we were hungover and had stayed up late, then went to a house party with the friends at Britch's house.  We had lots of fun though we were a lot calmer than the night before.

Saturday we drove around town for the afternoon so I could show him little stuff, and we stopped at B&J's house to meet their boxer (and my other boyfriend), Cash, and then at night we double-dated with my parents -- we went out for steak dinner and then to the local Walleye hockey game.  It was nice and very comfortable (though I think we were still low-energy from recovering from Thursday night.  We are so old.)

We all went to church on Sunday morning and then ate dinner in front of the Steeler's game in the den (to humor my dad and brother).

Oh, and Hike met my Grandma before she left on Friday, and she thinks he's a "nice young man."  He really got along with my brother, too, so all in all it went as well as it could have.  My parents are huge fans. The only embarrassment was caused by my friends telling him all my high school stories, of course.  ("Stephanie used to spit out milk at lunch all the time when she laughed, Stephanie has no butt crack," etc.) 

All in all, it was a relaxing and calm vacation, and I'm still adjusting to being back.  I think I'm a bit homesick still -- or maybe just relaxation-sick.  But I hate leaving my family at first, and knowing I won't see them until the summer, especially with my parents getting older, not to mention Grandma.  I mean, it's the only option, but it's hard right now.  Soon I will be fully back into the swing of my life here and feel fine, but I'm in that January funk right now.  Hike says we should plan something else to look forward to, and I agree.  It won't be CHRISTMAS, of course, but something on the horizon would be nice!

So Monday morning I flew in, went to work, then met the Harpies for dinner with our dearly departed member who now lives in Ireland!  She's visiting so it was good to be fully reunited and eat tons of great tapas.  Yesterday I grocery shopped to stock up the fridge and make some healthy stuff again (I think I gained 4 pounds at home, but I can feel that,) and then cooked.  Weight Watchers Cream of Broccoli Soup with garlic chicken sausage (for protein) and then I put together a butternut squash pasta bake for dinner tonight, so tonight I just have to bake it for a bit.  Hike's coming over for dinner, yay!  I'll also saute some spinach with mushrooms and onions for a hearty and healthy winter meal. 

We've made some plans, too, since it seems like the calendars are filling up.  I love having a boyfriend who will make plans!  We're going out Friday night, then he may join me for a friend's bday party on Saturday (tbd), we may go to Long Island to see his mom, and then next Thursday I'm going to meet his college friend and we're going to see a drag showing of Sunset Boulevard in Chelsea.  I am inordinately excited about this.  Apparently his friend was a bit concerned about how draggy it is, like I might be offended or uncomfortable, and Hike told him that I'd "get a kick out of it."  I was like Honey, those are my people.  It's going to be awesome.

I do have to reflect more on the New Year and what I want to do with my brain, so that will be another post, but this was the big catch-all.  Happy 2011, lovers!