Back to it.
Nicole and I both had a rough time coming back to Rhode Island after such a great weekend in CT with my mom and siblings. In a perfect world, we would already live there. Alas, the world is far from perfect, and we are back in the smallest-yet-most-effed-up state in this country. Me and Rhody, it's a love-hate kinda thing.
We drove down Friday after I got out of work; Nicole had the day off so she was ready to go when I got home. I kissed the babies goodbye and we hauled ass. Got there and only my mom was home, so the three of us had a lovely dinner at Caffé NV (the 2 f's are intentional) and then hit the casino!
I must say, I think I could get addicted to slot machines. It's like playing Bejeweled, only you can win money. We got to Mohegan Sun and met up with one of my mom's friends who is a hardcore slot junkie. First, Nic and I played Wheel of Fortune; she was doing really well and we would've walked away with an extra $14...but she didn't cash out when I told her to! I went to another machine and she came over 5 minutes later and said, "Yeah, it's all gone." So I knew it was up to me!
Of course, slot machines are all luck (unless you get a bonus and get some sort of interactive game, which I RULE at), but I always at least break even. In fact, I won $30 and only played 20! However, After taking into account Nicole's loss, I only won us 10 bucks...which I quickly put back in the machine and lost. So we broke even. But hey! That was about 2 hours of free fun and free drinks. I'll take it.
Hung out with my brother Friday night, slept in on Saturday then headed to All Souls to snap some pictures for Axford, whose wedding ceremony plans have suddenly become quite up-in-the-air. Whether she ends up at Unity Hall or not, I just hope she can breathe easy soon. I also hope some last-minute crap like that doesn't spring up on our wedding, though ours is pretty much a giant picnic; not sure what could go amiss. (<-- famous last words.)
Saturday was a lazy day. Nicole and I played on our new Scrabble board (STILL the champ) and then she, Mom and I had dinner. Pretty soon, Sissy was home and it was time to dye easter eggs! Some of them were pretty ugly, and we broke more this year than I think I've ever broken. I already have plans to get high-quality dye for next year, since this year's dyes were pitiful and cheap. I wouldn't mind hosting at least the dyeing party, either.
Sunday was Easter...not that I care or observe, but it always means a nice meal with the fam'. My grandma, aunt and uncle came over as well as one of my brother's friends whose family isn't too big on holidays. Mom and I made everything and it was all pretty delicious and diet-friendly. It was so gorgeous out that we even got in a couple games of bocce on the triangle (a park across from my house). All in all, an awesome day.
My mom kept hinting that Nic and I should start hosting the smaller holidays since we "are really good at it," she said. I honestly wouldn't mind doing all but Thanksgiving and Christmas if I got some nicer (or at least matching) dinnerware. We already do St. Patrick's Day (and a banger at Halloween), so Easter wouldn't be that hard to add, and I wouldn't mind doing all of the cooking for the bigguns, just not at our place. I know she hates doing them now that we're older. We talked a lot about traditions this weekend and I started realizing a) how awesome my parents were at making every single holiday magical and b) how badly I want to have kids and keep the same traditions going. It's funny, because as soon as we were in the car and driving home, Nicole looks at me and says, "I want kids real bad." So at least we're on the same page.
Back to work today, begrudgingly for sure. Had to wake up very early to prep for a meeting, but hopefully I'll get out early. Things are also moving forward with my graduate school admissions process; the program just seems too good to be true. My Advanced Creative Writing and English professors are both going to write me recommendations. I'm going to send them the information and a writing sample this week. Haven't started my writing sample yet, but I know where it's going and will perhaps have some time this week once the house is back in order.
Sidenote: You know how everyone says you become your parents as you get older? I feel more like I'm becoming my grandma. This cooking/entertaining gene seems to have kicked itself into overdrive and all I want in life is a big old Victorian house with old cast iron cookware on the kitchen walls and a clothesline out back.
I'm too old for my own good.
We drove down Friday after I got out of work; Nicole had the day off so she was ready to go when I got home. I kissed the babies goodbye and we hauled ass. Got there and only my mom was home, so the three of us had a lovely dinner at Caffé NV (the 2 f's are intentional) and then hit the casino!
I must say, I think I could get addicted to slot machines. It's like playing Bejeweled, only you can win money. We got to Mohegan Sun and met up with one of my mom's friends who is a hardcore slot junkie. First, Nic and I played Wheel of Fortune; she was doing really well and we would've walked away with an extra $14...but she didn't cash out when I told her to! I went to another machine and she came over 5 minutes later and said, "Yeah, it's all gone." So I knew it was up to me!
Of course, slot machines are all luck (unless you get a bonus and get some sort of interactive game, which I RULE at), but I always at least break even. In fact, I won $30 and only played 20! However, After taking into account Nicole's loss, I only won us 10 bucks...which I quickly put back in the machine and lost. So we broke even. But hey! That was about 2 hours of free fun and free drinks. I'll take it.
Hung out with my brother Friday night, slept in on Saturday then headed to All Souls to snap some pictures for Axford, whose wedding ceremony plans have suddenly become quite up-in-the-air. Whether she ends up at Unity Hall or not, I just hope she can breathe easy soon. I also hope some last-minute crap like that doesn't spring up on our wedding, though ours is pretty much a giant picnic; not sure what could go amiss. (<-- famous last words.)
Saturday was a lazy day. Nicole and I played on our new Scrabble board (STILL the champ) and then she, Mom and I had dinner. Pretty soon, Sissy was home and it was time to dye easter eggs! Some of them were pretty ugly, and we broke more this year than I think I've ever broken. I already have plans to get high-quality dye for next year, since this year's dyes were pitiful and cheap. I wouldn't mind hosting at least the dyeing party, either.
Sunday was Easter...not that I care or observe, but it always means a nice meal with the fam'. My grandma, aunt and uncle came over as well as one of my brother's friends whose family isn't too big on holidays. Mom and I made everything and it was all pretty delicious and diet-friendly. It was so gorgeous out that we even got in a couple games of bocce on the triangle (a park across from my house). All in all, an awesome day.
My mom kept hinting that Nic and I should start hosting the smaller holidays since we "are really good at it," she said. I honestly wouldn't mind doing all but Thanksgiving and Christmas if I got some nicer (or at least matching) dinnerware. We already do St. Patrick's Day (and a banger at Halloween), so Easter wouldn't be that hard to add, and I wouldn't mind doing all of the cooking for the bigguns, just not at our place. I know she hates doing them now that we're older. We talked a lot about traditions this weekend and I started realizing a) how awesome my parents were at making every single holiday magical and b) how badly I want to have kids and keep the same traditions going. It's funny, because as soon as we were in the car and driving home, Nicole looks at me and says, "I want kids real bad." So at least we're on the same page.
Back to work today, begrudgingly for sure. Had to wake up very early to prep for a meeting, but hopefully I'll get out early. Things are also moving forward with my graduate school admissions process; the program just seems too good to be true. My Advanced Creative Writing and English professors are both going to write me recommendations. I'm going to send them the information and a writing sample this week. Haven't started my writing sample yet, but I know where it's going and will perhaps have some time this week once the house is back in order.
Sidenote: You know how everyone says you become your parents as you get older? I feel more like I'm becoming my grandma. This cooking/entertaining gene seems to have kicked itself into overdrive and all I want in life is a big old Victorian house with old cast iron cookware on the kitchen walls and a clothesline out back.
I'm too old for my own good.