Save a horse, Ride a COWBOY!!

Right now I am on my way to CHICAGO!!! One of my uncles on my Dad's side of the family is getting married this weekend so I am on my way there. My brother, cousins, and I are planning on going out tonight around the town and then the wedding will be on Saturday.

My past week has pretty much been me getting ready for this trip!

On Monday I hung out with my friend Sean and his family. His parents went to his and his sister, Lisa's house and cooked dinner which, as always, was very good!!

On Tuesday Sean let me do laundry at his house so I could have some clean clothes for the trip! I have a hookup for a washer and dryer in my apartment but I haven't bought them yet. Lisa and their mom visited their grandfather (or father, respectively) in the hospital and then Lisa, Sean and I watched hours of Will & Grace!! We LOVE that show!! It is so funny!!

Wednesday was packing night and I got most of everything packed up and got it all to fit in 1 suitcase!! I was so proud of myself!! I did bring two suitcases figuring I will probably be bringing home more than I am taking with me. That some how always seems to happen!

Yesterday I visited with my friend Victor. He cooked dinner (I love having friends who know how to cook!!) and we watched the very last episode of Six Feet Under!! How I have got so hooked on that show after only watching a few episodes but it was so good!! I am now going to start from the beginning and watch all the episodes!! He will be going to Miami with a whole bunch of friends the day after I get back from my vacation and has invited me to meet him down there and hang out at the beach... I just have to see if I can get Friday off from work and see if I can still afford it after this weekend. It would be so much fun as long as I can get it to work!!!





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I am now on the flight back from Flint to Atlanta... vacations are never long enough!!

Here is the recap of the extended weekend:

I arrived without a problem in Chicago's Midway Airport. My mom came in to get me while my Dad and Dan drove around the airport and waited for us. It only took a few minutes for the bags to arrive and mine was one of the first out!!

We went to Uncle Kevin and Donna's new place. I met Donna's children, Kelly and Kevin (aka Buddy). On the way to their house we passed a Harley shop so you know when we left their house we went right there. My mom found some new pants and my Dad and Dan found some Harley shirts.

On Friday night the 'kids' went to downtown Chicago. Dan, my cousin's Adam and Marie, their friends Josh and Melissa, and I all rode in Uncle Rogor and Aunt Sherry's van and it took a little over an hour to drive down there and find some parking. Marie and Melissa had been told about a club downtown that was good so we got directions from the bartender at the bar in our hotel. We didn't find it while driving but knew we were close so we decided to walk around to find it, that way we could ask for directions.

While walking one of the bouncers at another club said we all could get in without paying cover so we decided to go for it. There were quite a few people already there, I was surprised since we got there around 10:30 pm but there were not many people on the dance floor, so of course we took it over!! The 6 of us had a great time dancing to the music and within a few songs the dance floor was packed!! After about an hour or so the music selection that the DJ was playing started to go downhill so we decided to go on a hunt for the club we had originally came for.

After asking around we found out we were only about 2 blocks from the club, called Bar Chicago. When we got there the music was going and there were a lot of people on the dance floor. We got a couple of drinks and then decided to start dancing. We saw there were a few people dancing on the elevated DJ booth and Marie and I wanted to join. So after a few songs we asked the DJ if we could dance there too and he was more than happy to let us dance up there!! It was a ton of fun since we were now dancing well above everyone else!!

After a few songs Marie and I decided to go back to dancing with the rest of our party. But the DJ stated that they needed to have girls dancing on the bar... Marie and I were more than happy to oblige. We spent quite a while dancing on the bar… and when we looked down we had a circle of guys around us watching. Quickly Dan, Adam, and Josh stepped into action and became our body guards and stood between us and the rest of the boys but there were a ton of pictures being taken!! We felt like celebrities!!

Saturday was the wedding party!! I have a ton of pictures from the reception on my camera that will soon be added. After the beautiful wedding was the dinner and reception. We heard a lot about how wild Donna's family is and how we had competition but by the end of the night we were being called CRAZY by her family!! You will see why from some of the pictures! After the usual rituals and the 'salutes' the hunting boys did their normal hunting ritual... bringing out the Butter Shots. We then danced and danced and danced some more.

After the reception we went back to the hotel. In our hotel was a bar that a few people had talked about going to so we took the party back to the hotel bar. We didn't have high expectations to begin with but the bar was 2 stories and had a pretty good dance floor and had an elevated stage that Marie and I quickly found and decided we would soon take it over. But there was 1 problem... there was no one dancing!! This problem was quickly and easily rectified by the same 6 as the last night and my parents. We started dancing away and quickly Marie and I were on the stage and getting free drinks from the DJ. We spent the rest of the night rocking away.

The next day my family and I drove to Grand Rapids and saw my Grandpa in the Vets facility. Aunt Linda was there and took our picture with Grandpa... if I get the picture I will add it to the blog. Uncle Rogor drove his new motorcycle over so we could see it as well. Grandpa was doing pretty good but he was very sleepy since he had not had his nap yet that day. Grandma was also there giving him a recap from the wedding.

That night I went out with my friend Angie and her husband Kevin (whose wedding I just went to in Jamaica). Angie showed me around her new house and then we went out to Buffalo Wild Wings (aka BW's) and had a few drinks. Kevin is a manager there so we met him there after his shift. The place brand new and really nice. There are like 40 or 50 TVs all over the restaurant and bar... there is even TVs in the restrooms! We played some games and caught up a little bit.

Angie then drove me home and we got pulled over by the police!! We had no clue why either since she was driving the speed limit and we had been chatting. After he asked for her license, proof of insurance and registration he had to take a few minutes to get all the information right because her name and address had just changed and the names and addresses on all of her documentation were different on each piece of identification. He then stated that the reason he had pulled her over is that she had her brights on and when he flashed his lights at her she didn't turn hers off. On her dashboard she had a wedding picture in front of her symbol showing that her brights were on so she didn't even know they were on. He didn't give her a ticket but told her not to drive in the city with her brights on anymore.

Later that night my friend Sean called from Atlanta to inform me that he wasn't able to pick up my car on Friday night and when he went on Sunday to pick it up it was no longer there!! Luckily later I found out it had been towed and not stolen but it make for a fun few days as my Mom had been quite curious to find out what had actually happened to my car. He and I will be picking up my car this afternoon when I get back in to Atlanta. Also speaking of Atlanta I picked the perfect time to be gone with Hurricane Katrina plowing thru... I have been very lucky that with every big hurricane I have been up in Michigan and have not had to be around for the high winds and lots of rain!!

On Monday Dad, Dan and I went up to Sebewaing and had Rosties at Sportys Bar. It was the first time I was allowed to go with the guys and get a Rostie... I was a little nervous at first because I was told it was a combination of a hot dog and a bratwurst (and I like neither) but they are really good!! After my Rostie we all went and checked out the hunting blinds that Dan and Dad have set up. I went up into a blind too!! We then visited Grandma at their house and picked up Aunt Dawn and Uncle Scott's camper for my parent to take up to Mackinaw this weekend.

At night Grandma, Grandpa, and Dawn came over to my parents house and we had Butt-Pan Chicken for dinner... YUMMMM!!! My dad takes full chickens and seasons them and then uses a can of beer and cooks them on the grill. We all chatted and caught up on all the current events. It was a lot of fun to have a night to be with my family.

On Tuesday my Mom, Dad, and I went shopping around Bay City and at at Jimmy John's... I so wish there was one in Atlanta!! We went to Mill Ends, which is having a going out of business sale at the Bay City location and I got 2 belts... at a penny each!! Can't get any cheaper without them being free!! We also went around the Bay City Mall and MEIJERS!! If I could bring any shopping center back with me to Altanta it would be Meijers... there is nothing like it any where around me. I got a black set of salt and pepper shakers while we were there.

At night we picked up Angie and had dinner at Tommy V's... the best pizza in the world!! After dinner we went to Double J's... Angie's parents bar and had a few drinks. There was a Texas Hold'em Tournament going on so her mother did not have much time to sit but we had a lot of fun seeing her keep busy!!

Today my parents and I went shopping at Birch Run... there is a Pottery Barn outlet there and I found the exact couch that I want in the price range that I was looking!! Unfortunately I have no way of getting it back to my house so I will have to keep my eyes open down by my house to see if I can find a Pottery Barn outlet close and see if they have the couch there as well. I did however find a ton of cute cloths at the Banana Republic store!!

After I got off the plane Sean picked me up and took me to get my car from the towing company. I had to get my registration out of the car and when I took the registration in the lady behind the counter says to me 'I need your CURRENT registration.' I couldn't believe it... to add insult to injury my registration expired on August 9. So, now I have been dropped off at home and I am getting the information together to get my registration renewed tomorrow and Sean will take me back to get my car tomorrow. Wish me luck!!