You know you want to read the longest post ever...

Ok, sorry about the LOONNNGGG absence. I think I will ease back into things by talking about this weekend first, and then later try to remember stuff from the last two weekends. One thing that made this past weekend interesting was that I didn't have my "posse" with me. You know, the other people who make up my identity as a former TC girl. I'm unique! Or so Barney tells me...

Friday at work was very slow. I was trying hard to find productive things to do, but it was difficult. I was literally just waiting for someone to approve a job or ask for changes or email me or SOMETHING. No such luck. It made the day go by slower. I don't like to be swamped, but a good flow of work is always nice. Makes me feel productive.

I basically had to run to catch the train. Well, I took a bus, but once I got off the bus, I had to book it to the train. The woman who sold me my ticket told me I needed to hurry, so here I was, running through Millennium station, my change in my hands, dragging a rolling suitcase, and losing my flip flop on the platform. I am happy to report that I did indeed make the train, and I also got to read a good deal of my book.

When I got to the South Bend Airport, I met Rory who had flown in from a job interview in Wisconsin a bit before. We drove to Wendy's and partook of the so-called super value menu. I was disappointed to find that the junior cheeseburger deluxe is no longer on it, and that many of the items were more than 99 cents. I'm not sure if anything was! We had a nice little chat and then I was dropped off at library circle.

I went to Mary's room where we hung out for a little bit. I looked through some of her new design books, we chatted, etc. We were going to go to a party at TC that one of her friends from Chile was hosting. Upon arrival, we were given jello shots, which made our fingers jello-y. Ew. We talked to some people for awhile, and I got some interesting reactions when people found out I had graduated (why is that so strange?) We played a game of beer pong against these guys who both happened to be wearing black polo shirts. We pretty much got destroyed. Mary totally carried the team. I guess I lost my touch.

Shortly thereafter, Wazi called, and he came over to TC. We were going to go over to Rory's where I was told that there would be wine and/or cheese, but we soon found out that Rory was not home and there was neither wine nor cheese. So we decided to instead go over to Mader/Jim/Bryce/John's apartment where people were watching TV and sitting around. We had a drink or two, hung out, etc. Then Milf came over and me, Milf and Wazi decided to go to a party that Wazi's sister was attending. We called the Jesus cab, who picked us up...and then no less than 10 other people. Oh boy, how I love cramming a bunch of people in a van and riding through South Bend. Especially when half those people were drunk girls who kept talking about how they were going to get even more drunk so they could make out with each other and laugh about it the next day.

When we got to this alleged party, we walked in to see a couple in the throes of young love, and pretty much nothing else. We wandered into the abandoned basement, and eventually, after a few long minutes of searching, we found the host and eventually the rest of the party in the backyard. We played several games of flip cup on the worst picnic table ever. I also talked to the very drunk college sophomore when he took a break from being passed out on a wooden swing. At one point, Milf and I were standing in the backyard until we noticed that the old other people there were a couple making out. So we went inside, and left shortly thereafter.

The next day, I met up with Nick Schott and we went to Vinny's tailgate because he had once told Nick that he was always welcome. We mostly just talked to Karsten. There was a bit more computer science talk than I would have liked, but I suppose I bring it upon myself for having so many nerdy friends. We met my dad and my cousin Jeff, and decided to try to find Wazi's tailgate. After some wandering, we decided that it must not exist, which was further verified when we discovered later that Wazi hadn't even been able to find his tailgate.

After a short walk through the tailgates on the south side of the stadium (where we ran into Rory at Cassidy's family's tailgate, and then later saw Will, Katie, Laura and Ron), we went on campus to watch the concert on the steps, trumpets in the dome, and marchout. It was band-i-licious. I met up with Mary shortly thereafter, and I tried to buy a ticket. I ended up getting a good seat for fairly cheap (it could have been cheaper, but I felt bad after accidentally giving them the wrong amount of money, so I ended up paying more). The guys I sat next to were attending their first game and were pretty nice...they even bought me bottled water! Unfortunately, we had four Purdue fans in front of us (one of which sang his own version of our fight song), two younger guys on the left (who smelled of alcohol), and a few Purdue couples behind us (with some obnoxious women. Women should not be allowed to scream like that, it hurt my ears).

Luckily, we actually played well, which pretty much shut the Purdue fans up. I think the women left, the older guys in front of us started to only make neutral comments (that was a good play, if he'd made that interception he would have scored, etc), and the ones next to us left sometime in the 4th quarter. It was great! Especially after how mean the Purdue fans were to us last year.

After the game, I joined Nick and Jared on the long walk to Andy's parents' house, where they host regular post-game feasts. I say feasts because the house was filled and so were our stomachs by the end. There were appetizers, steak, side dishes, desserts, flat screen TVs, football, band kids, you name it. It was nice to relax at a house after a long day, and they were great hosts!

Nick and I called a cab and shared it with another guy. We went to the house where Nick was staying to pick up his car and then drove to campus so I could change at Mary's (and Nick changed in the library, go figure). Ok, this was potentially the funniest part of the weekend: Nick and I returned to the house to drop off his car and walk to the Backer. He wanted to say hi, so we walked in the door. There were at least 20 people crammed in the living room at this point. We said hi, and the room got COMPLETELY SILENT. At this point, I audibly mumbled "Well, this is awkward" and walked right out the door, with Nick following behind. BEST EXIT EVER. I guess you'd have to be there. It was great though.

So on to the Backer. Pete drove past us and told us to come to his party (which we had received conflicting reports about), but as it turned out, we just closed out the Backer. But I've gotten ahead of myself. Me, Nick, and Phil stood in line for awhile. After we got inside, I mean, outside, I saw my friend Katy from Rome who told us that the line had an insanely long wait, right before making us cut with her. They were thinking of leaving, but the wait didn't end up being as long as they thought from that point, so they went. I think I insulted her friend...woops. But I maintain that my statement was accurate, at least I think many people would agree. We saw the guys who did the fly-over get into the Backer with their posses without waiting. In my opinion, guys can go out in uniform and look hot, but it doesn't seem that the female military uniform is something that one would wear to a bar or something. It doesn't have the same effect as a man in uniform. Not that they are unattractive uniforms, but that usually you don't see women wearing starched clothing out on Friday night. I'm just sayin'.

The Backer was actually quite fun. The whole crew wasn't there, but it was a more intimate setting. Or something like that. We were working hard to get our Phil...everybody wants a thrill, you know? Ryan K came, too. He even stood in line all by himself to see us! There was dancing, purple rains, all that jazz. I think this one guy was a little freaked out when we started jumping like crazy when Miley came on...but he was a good sport. After closing out the Backer, Milf walked me back to Farley, where Mary insisted that I sleep in her bed, which is why she is a super awesome hostess.

The next day, Mary was doing homework, so I went to LaFun to get subway. Afterwards, I walked around campus until I came upon west quad which NO LONGER HAS A ROAD! What the heck? That was just crazy. Now there is a sort of grassy knoll there, or like a field with a little drop-off. Since I was in the area, I decided to be a creep and walk over to see Duncan Hall. I waited until someone opened the door and slipped inside. That dorm is SWEET. The rooms that had their doors open were HUGE. The chapel was very very nice. The hallways seemed more home-y than the other west quad dorms, and every lounge area (there were two on each floor) had nice couches and a flat screen TV. I wandered into one such lounge and met a nice freshman from Florida who I chatted with for almost a half hour. He told me all about their colors, mascot, what the dorm was like, and we talked about college in general. I for once felt like one of those old alumni who wanders into their old dorm on football weekend. Too bad I wasn't wearing plaid pants.

As I was walking out of the dorm I saw someone I recognized. I pointed at him and said "You're my facebook friend!" and we each repeated each others' names. Now, I have no idea how I know this kid...at all. I think I met him once. But we knew each others' names, and that was just weird. Then he said, "Hey, I think I saw Dolu downstairs talking to the rector." I got excited and went downstairs. Before I continue, can I point out that this kid knew that I knew Dolu? Oh, the wonders of facebook...although we very well could have met through Dolu. Notre Dame's weird like that (like the girl I always see at the Backer in South Bend or the Hangge Uppe in Chicago. It's just weird.)

I went downstairs as Dolu was leaving the rector's room, and he saw me and we had a grand reunion. What are the chances that we each come in from the Chicago area, and then run into each other in a dorm that neither of us had ever been in before? Crazy. We walked and chatted, and soon after, Wazi called and said he was coming to pick me up.

After picking up Milf, Wazi, one of his sister's friends, and I went to Chipotle. Chipotle seems to be a South Bend tradition. Or maybe just a weekend tradition. Finally, we had to make a pit stop at Wazi's parents' house in Granger, which ended the random weekend. You know the weekend has been pretty random when you end it in someone's parents' driveway as they clean the bird poop off the car before you leave.

That evening, Milf and I watched Independence Day, talked about the unlikely elements of the film, and watched the aliens get destroyed. Oh Bill Pullman, how you move me with your seemingly emotionless visage and inspirational speeches. We also watched my favorite part of Spiderman 3...the part where he becomes emo. Yeah!

Ok, I think this should win some sort of prize for being the most unnecessarily long account of a weekend. Maybe I will go back and write about my previous 3 weekends as well, but I promise they won't be nearly as long. Mostly because I can't remember that far back.

I feel like I should end with a clip or something.