Thanksgiving
So I had a really nice trip visiting Michigan with Mark. We got to our hotel late Wednesday night…we had pretty good luck on the drive there and back in that we didn’t really hit much traffic at all the whole way. Which is good cuz that was a looooong drive.
Thursday we headed first over to Mark’s parents house where I got to see where he grew up and got to see some old pictures of him and he was adorable! The way he’s acted about showing me pictures I was expecting awkward pictures full of braces and pimples or something, but even the high school pics he showed me, he was hot! Mark’s parents were super nice and got both of us birthday presents, which was very unexpected and sweet. His mom even gave me $100! I was *very* surprised by that and didn’t quite know what to say. They gave both of us money and told us not to pay bills with it. Hah hah So hopefully Mark and I can use it to take a little weekend getaway somewhere. After the holidays. :P
Then it was over to Mark’s rich aunt and uncle’s house (omg their house was huge!) for Thanksgiving. A ton of people were there, even though I was told I got it “easy” since a bunch more of the family wasn’t there. I got to meet aunts, uncles, cousins, great aunts, his grandma. It was his grandma’s 90th birthday on Sunday. Mark’s mom was so sweet and got his grandma, Mark, and me all separate birthday cakes. :D
And omg the food. I think his family has now raised the bar. I thought I was a foodie, but I may have been one upped. Everything at the dinner was really good…turkey, ham, stuffing, string bean casserole, spinach pie, salad, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, goat cheese with cranberry, spinach and artichoke dip, cranberry sauce…and all of it was homemade and cooked perfectly. Ok, except for the cranberry sauce…it was the kind in a can, which is the best kind!
In the evening Mark and I pretty much passed out into a food coma.
On Friday Mark showed me around downtown Detroit and showed me places he used to live. It was sad seeing so many abandoned buildings downtown. We then stopped at his parents for a bit for lunch and so Mark could look through some of his stuff, and then went to visit a couple of his friends at Detroit Comics, where he used to work. Then a bit later we went out to a Lebanese restaurant with his best friend and a couple other friends for dinner. And then went out to a club called Berkeley Front for a Britpop night to meet a bunch more of his friends. I had so much fun! The music was exactly the kind of Britpop I like, so I got to dance a bunch which I haven’t done in SO long. Plus his friends all seemed like very nice, very cool people, and they seemed to like me, so that was pretty awesome. Overall it was just so nice to see where Mark comes from, meet more of his family, and so many of his friends and see how much people obviously care about him. It made me feel warm and fuzzy. I wish the trip was longer though. A lot of his friends seemed pretty cool and I would have liked the chance to chat with them more. After the club we went out to a diner with his friend Wendy, where Mark got flaming cheese! Friday was the longest day ever, considering how little Mark and I do nightlife wise anymore, but we both had a lot of fun. :D
Saturday we went over to Mark’s parents and to his grandma’s to grab a bit more of his stuff and to hang out with them for a bit, before heading back to Baltimore. His grandma got me a birthday card which was so sweet! We went to lunch at this cute Asian grocery store called Noble Fish, and picked up some super tasty spinach pies, meat pies, and baklava at a Lebanese bakery. I feel like I ate my body weight in food over the past week, and we have so much food now that we brought back with us that we don’t need to go grocery shopping for a while!
The drive home turned out to be more eventful than we would have liked. We didn’t get on the road until almost 5pm on Saturday and wound up not getting back to Baltimore until almost 5am on Sunday. So we drove 12 hours in darkness, on empty roads. Yep, fun times. Anyway, around 7 or 8, Mark noticed his check engine light came on in his car, and we were freaking out worried his car was going to break down and we’d be stranded in some Podunk town in Ohio. We went to an Auto Zone and they determined what was wrong with his car and that we’d be ok to drive back but recommended he get his car checked out once he got back to Baltimore (which he did and everything is now fixed, costing him nothing cuz it was under warranty. Yay!), so that tacked on a couple of hours. I was also anxious to get home because my mom was sick and hadn’t been out to feed Poof on Saturday, so I was worried she was lonely and hungry alone in the apartment. When we got back she was wide eyed but almost immediately started purring and has been clingy and lovey ever since.
Sunday since we didn’t get home til 5am, we were wrecked and spent most of the day and night asleep. Last night we put up the Christmas tree, much to Poof’s delight. Thursday is Mark’s birthday and we’re going down to DC with his friend John to see Killing Joke. Friday night is cleaning and shopping for the party and Saturday is our joint birthday tea party! Lots to look forward to this week. :)
Whew ok enough typing. Now I leave you with pictures!
I had to take a picture. Mark drove me down 8 Mile and let me tell you how unexciting it was. I was very disappointed to not see angsty rappers everywhere.
From Michigan
Mark’s mom was sweet enough to buy Mark’s grandma (whose 90th birthday was Sunday), Mark, and me all separate birthday cakes!
From Michigan
From Michigan
From Michigan
From Michigan
From Michigan
Caaake!
From Michigan
I was intrigued and saddened by the amount of empty buildings in downtown Detroit. Here are some pics I took of random buildings:
From Michigan
From Michigan
From Michigan
The Fist!
From Michigan
It was very very cold in Michigan.
From Michigan
Getting ready to get my Britpop on. I had so much fun!
From Michigan
Flaming cheese! Although, as Mark pointed out, maybe it would have been better to take a picture of it when it was still on fire. D’oh!
From Michigan
Pretty beach near Mark’s grandma’s house:
From Michigan
Some of the houses around there were Lex Luthor sized!
From Michigan
We put up our Christmas tree last night. Poof approved. She immediately went and sat under the tree…although I suppose using the pink crinoline, her favorite thing to sit on in the apartment, as the tree skirt might have had something to do with her immediate interest in the tree.
From Christmastown
From Christmastown
Thursday we headed first over to Mark’s parents house where I got to see where he grew up and got to see some old pictures of him and he was adorable! The way he’s acted about showing me pictures I was expecting awkward pictures full of braces and pimples or something, but even the high school pics he showed me, he was hot! Mark’s parents were super nice and got both of us birthday presents, which was very unexpected and sweet. His mom even gave me $100! I was *very* surprised by that and didn’t quite know what to say. They gave both of us money and told us not to pay bills with it. Hah hah So hopefully Mark and I can use it to take a little weekend getaway somewhere. After the holidays. :P
Then it was over to Mark’s rich aunt and uncle’s house (omg their house was huge!) for Thanksgiving. A ton of people were there, even though I was told I got it “easy” since a bunch more of the family wasn’t there. I got to meet aunts, uncles, cousins, great aunts, his grandma. It was his grandma’s 90th birthday on Sunday. Mark’s mom was so sweet and got his grandma, Mark, and me all separate birthday cakes. :D
And omg the food. I think his family has now raised the bar. I thought I was a foodie, but I may have been one upped. Everything at the dinner was really good…turkey, ham, stuffing, string bean casserole, spinach pie, salad, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, goat cheese with cranberry, spinach and artichoke dip, cranberry sauce…and all of it was homemade and cooked perfectly. Ok, except for the cranberry sauce…it was the kind in a can, which is the best kind!
In the evening Mark and I pretty much passed out into a food coma.
On Friday Mark showed me around downtown Detroit and showed me places he used to live. It was sad seeing so many abandoned buildings downtown. We then stopped at his parents for a bit for lunch and so Mark could look through some of his stuff, and then went to visit a couple of his friends at Detroit Comics, where he used to work. Then a bit later we went out to a Lebanese restaurant with his best friend and a couple other friends for dinner. And then went out to a club called Berkeley Front for a Britpop night to meet a bunch more of his friends. I had so much fun! The music was exactly the kind of Britpop I like, so I got to dance a bunch which I haven’t done in SO long. Plus his friends all seemed like very nice, very cool people, and they seemed to like me, so that was pretty awesome. Overall it was just so nice to see where Mark comes from, meet more of his family, and so many of his friends and see how much people obviously care about him. It made me feel warm and fuzzy. I wish the trip was longer though. A lot of his friends seemed pretty cool and I would have liked the chance to chat with them more. After the club we went out to a diner with his friend Wendy, where Mark got flaming cheese! Friday was the longest day ever, considering how little Mark and I do nightlife wise anymore, but we both had a lot of fun. :D
Saturday we went over to Mark’s parents and to his grandma’s to grab a bit more of his stuff and to hang out with them for a bit, before heading back to Baltimore. His grandma got me a birthday card which was so sweet! We went to lunch at this cute Asian grocery store called Noble Fish, and picked up some super tasty spinach pies, meat pies, and baklava at a Lebanese bakery. I feel like I ate my body weight in food over the past week, and we have so much food now that we brought back with us that we don’t need to go grocery shopping for a while!
The drive home turned out to be more eventful than we would have liked. We didn’t get on the road until almost 5pm on Saturday and wound up not getting back to Baltimore until almost 5am on Sunday. So we drove 12 hours in darkness, on empty roads. Yep, fun times. Anyway, around 7 or 8, Mark noticed his check engine light came on in his car, and we were freaking out worried his car was going to break down and we’d be stranded in some Podunk town in Ohio. We went to an Auto Zone and they determined what was wrong with his car and that we’d be ok to drive back but recommended he get his car checked out once he got back to Baltimore (which he did and everything is now fixed, costing him nothing cuz it was under warranty. Yay!), so that tacked on a couple of hours. I was also anxious to get home because my mom was sick and hadn’t been out to feed Poof on Saturday, so I was worried she was lonely and hungry alone in the apartment. When we got back she was wide eyed but almost immediately started purring and has been clingy and lovey ever since.
Sunday since we didn’t get home til 5am, we were wrecked and spent most of the day and night asleep. Last night we put up the Christmas tree, much to Poof’s delight. Thursday is Mark’s birthday and we’re going down to DC with his friend John to see Killing Joke. Friday night is cleaning and shopping for the party and Saturday is our joint birthday tea party! Lots to look forward to this week. :)
Whew ok enough typing. Now I leave you with pictures!
I had to take a picture. Mark drove me down 8 Mile and let me tell you how unexciting it was. I was very disappointed to not see angsty rappers everywhere.
From Michigan
Mark’s mom was sweet enough to buy Mark’s grandma (whose 90th birthday was Sunday), Mark, and me all separate birthday cakes!
From Michigan
From Michigan
From Michigan
From Michigan
From Michigan
Caaake!
From Michigan
I was intrigued and saddened by the amount of empty buildings in downtown Detroit. Here are some pics I took of random buildings:
From Michigan
From Michigan
From Michigan
The Fist!
From Michigan
It was very very cold in Michigan.
From Michigan
Getting ready to get my Britpop on. I had so much fun!
From Michigan
Flaming cheese! Although, as Mark pointed out, maybe it would have been better to take a picture of it when it was still on fire. D’oh!
From Michigan
Pretty beach near Mark’s grandma’s house:
From Michigan
Some of the houses around there were Lex Luthor sized!
From Michigan
We put up our Christmas tree last night. Poof approved. She immediately went and sat under the tree…although I suppose using the pink crinoline, her favorite thing to sit on in the apartment, as the tree skirt might have had something to do with her immediate interest in the tree.
From Christmastown
From Christmastown