"hErE's A tOaSt aLL tHoSe WhO hEaR mE aLL tO WeLL"
this is october and november. i've been busy.
we were all almost home.
friday: the girls were all ready to go out for tainted cookie monsters and all-star platters. the boys were back in town again. i jumped into the car. and kelsey jumped out of the back seat. she screamed. i think i screamed. i stared in shock. i couldn't even put it together that she was home. and i couldn't be any happier than that moment. “that should be a face book album. kelsey's return." we went to a-bees instead b/c its kels' favorite. she surprised concetta from under the booth. con's face was priceless. then the u of i, iowa, & a-town boys were hanging out at johns so we decided to surprise them too. i'll never forget john's reaction to kels hiding in the trunk. he was in shock too. we all just hung out in johns kitchen like we always used to.
it was perfect. i remember looking at nina and saying, "nothing has changed." and it hadnt. there was a lot of picture taking. and catching up. and counting. how many times ("sweet sixteen" was the best, but i think the final count was over 20) and how many people (slutty enough, i won that contest). after some planning and plotting, we ended up where we always do. with the bart-ender. i missed the iowa boys so much. and jack just missed kelsey.
saturday: some things never change. ever. we went to ninas for one of our sleepovers. watched mean girls. listened to steph moan in her sleep. had breakfast with the dufours and surprised them too. i went home for about an hour and then spent the afternoon with ninababe. planning our disney trip. saw marie antoinette. dinner with the dufour at giardanos. hocus pocus. and some time with john and kels before "the basement boys" showed up. they took over the tv. and played guitar hero for the next few hours while plotting how to steal halloween candy. "more than a feeling" is imbedded into my brain. and for some reason, concetta played foosball; by herself. and we had to go to 7-11 of course. i'm only allowed to go when john is home. otherwise, its just not right.
sunday: the next morning, i woke up too early and went to the goodbye breakfast with kels, john, mike, and steph and visited the mccuddens. i have learned to hate sundays. because sunday means goodbye again.
halloween weekend
friday: costume shopping with nina, tim, and concetta. it took forever for nina to make a decision, but we finally decided to all go as flappers together. tim was still undecided. sold blazerwear with nina. watched the most depressing game of football i've ever seen. then watched monster house at the dufours. sadly, it wasnt hocus pocus again.
saturday: corn maze with stephie, tim, and nina. me and steph just followed tim and nina. we really didn't care where we were going. and it was much more fun that way. so we sang "my heart will go on" and what we could remember of "black parade." which was basically just "carry on...we'll carry on."
then went to ninas to get ready. curled everyone's hair. concetta did all of our makeup. i'm not gonna lie...we looked pretty hot. went to harper with tim for a halloween party. nina was responsible. and me and concetta started calling people and choreographing dances to smack that. it was a good night. nina slept over later. because it was saturday. so why not?
house of hunan and a weekend at home
janel's 19th birthday! ran out of work for cake with the santillis and nonie. and the hookah bar with the girls. so funny. we're going for na's birthday too. she's already planning a three day event. but janel's birthday was so much fun. taking random pictures with the girls at the house of hunan. because me and janel are dumb and thought that was the hookah bar. it was a chinese buffet. so we stopped and took a photo.
lazy weekend with the a-town crew. borat with concetta, andy, and concetta. beat mike at scene it. three times is it now? slept over at ninas saturday night. watched the notebook. she fell asleep while i cried at the end. and then she started ranting about hating old people. and singing in her sleep. "like a rhinestone cowboy."
minnesota roadtrip #2: it tasted like pumpkin
thursday: so me and stephie have a new code word. "walmart." met the og crew. and karlo. my favorite croatian. i mean who could not love him. "you never told me your friend was hot." and i love him even more because he knows how to take care of us. nina asked if the mission was accomplished. my reply: "hardcore. times 3. in the trunk of my car."
friday: woke up too early. packed. nina picked me up. we picked up steph. and started the ULTIMATE roadtrip back to minnesota. it started out okay. then it started raining. like a tsunami. we made it to the dells. some guy in a van was practically stalking us there. then it started snowing. it was practically a blizzard. we could barely see the car in front of us. a sheet of ice covered the windshield. several times. and nina almost drove us off a bridge. "those bridges are a bitch." the snow slowed down. steph realized she didn't bring a coat to minnesota. and we named the ghetto girl inside her: shanaynay. now she can hang out with claire, the fat girl inside me. then we hit the 10 mile back up. turned the car of for an hour. then crawled through those 10 miles over the next hour. steph slept for the first half hour and then woke up. "we havent moved yet. what the fuck nina." a friendly truck driver told us some trucks slid down a hill. and our parents wouldnt stop calling and didnt understand that we were stuck in the middle of nowhere. we finally made it to minneapolis after nine hours and in the traffic, rain, sleet, and snow.
final count on the side of the road: three semis, seven cars, a dead dear and a live dog.
finally found kelsey. and met her cousin annie. we managed to fit all of our stuff in the dorm and went to dinner. we were so incredibly shocked that annie hadnt had dq we made the decision to go the next day. went back to the dorm. met katie corbin: my favorite minnesota friend. she told us the rules: "where do you put your cup? do we have a life board? can we be playing life?" funniest night ever. kelsey was a champ. and then she tasted pumpkin. but she was still a champ. told annie and katie stories from a-town. i think they were a little scared. running through the hallways with annie and nina. annie gave me a necklace. i adopted her as my cousin. someone stole kels' whiteboard. took way too many photos. and made way too many phone calls. i think we called everyone we know. each of us was talking to one of the boys at home all at the same time basically. it was a little ridiculous. we deserved oscars for our "acting skills."
saturday: woke up too early again because steph was struggling to breath through her nose. next time, we're taking a video to prove it. got ready...with a pillow around my neck. because i felt like death. met cousin timmy for lunch at sallys. went shopping in gold country. then went back to the dorm and fell asleep watching closer. me and kels are obsessed with that movie and we will make others love it too. went to dq. even thought it was freezing out. came back and got all dressed up for the evening. drove over to timmy's friends house. annie and kels were not fond of the puppy. kelsey wanted to test the limits. and i would say she did an amazing job at it. hung out with timmy and hiro. he's funny and too excited about coming to chicago for thanksgiving. then kelsey's confessions. "we're getting cheesesticks from papa johns." "i want that hoodie. in a small." "we're best friends. BFF." and steph's photo skills. "i just went outside and took so many myspace pictures. i did a hissing one too age!" we left early. but it was necessary. and felt so much later. made it through the maze to the dorm somehow. met kelseys neighbors. she is by far, the best host. ever. set up the room with steph for a sleepover. ordered pizza. and CHEESESTICKS! katie corbin visited. "there's a condom in front of my door!" finally fell asleep...holding her tiny little hand.
sunday: woke up. advil. power packing. brueggers bagels. photo op. we're addicted. goodbyes. but not for long. nine days.
roadtrip home. in about half the time. disney and country marathon. and our illinois friend in the red explorer. we saw them in minneapolis. stopped for dr. p and munchies and saw them again an hour later. we were totally racing them and it was too funny. "dew me." "come on lucy!" "they're gaining on us." we so won. we thought we lost them at the toll. they waved goodbye. but we caught up after construction. then they left at rockford. and the fun was over.
finally home. and hating it. i hate the "let down sundays." they're utterly depressing.
"no one compares to my friends from home. best friends. forever."
"four stages. sober. buzzed. drunk. anhillated."
In a day and a day love
I'm going to be gone for good again...
want to stay, not to go, I want to ditch the logical...
All my time is froze in motion
can't I stay an hour or two or more
don't let me let you go...
Here's a toast to all those who hear me all to well.
Here's to the night we felt alive.
Here's to the tears you knew you'd cry.
Here's to goodbye tomorrow's going to come to soon.