That’s right. Much to my and Bethany’s disappointment, we didn’t see one cowboy the whole time we were in Texas. Then again, we didn’t see much of Texas, because we were busy catching up with family (including two new babies!) and eating. Here are the highlights of my trip:

• Flew out of LAX Tuesday morning after getting bumped. (Yay $250 Continental voucher!)
• Had a Tex-Mex dinner with my aunt Nan and uncle Bruce at Cafe Adobe. Nan introduced us to sangria margaritas (margaritas with sangria in them, what could be better?). Not much, really.
• Drove to my cousin Rachel and her husband Steve’s house (where their daughter Sabrina and my aunt Harriet and uncle Richard and cousin Freya were–my cousin Ben is studying in Israel so he couldn’t come) in Austin the day before Thanksgiving which also happened to be Bethany’s birthday) and got stuck in a ton of traffic. I slept much of the ride. Hah.
• Rachel and everyone planned a big birthday party complete with pin the tail on the donkey and a donkey pinata. Bethany wore a sombrero while the rest of us wore party hats, and we finished the night with a game of Cranium, which was incredibly fun, even though my mom and aunt cheated. I want to buy it now.
• Bethany got a horrible sinus infection.
• On Thanksgiving day, went back to Rachel’s house and baked an apple pie and a double layer pumpkin cheesecake. I like neither pumpkin nor cheesecake, but I was told it came out really well. The graham cracker crust sure was delicious.
• Had a delicious Thanksgiving dinner (amazing turkey props go to Steve).
• Drove back to Houston on Friday and finally got to see my cousin Jason and my cousin Brett, his wife Paula, and their son Bayard. The Austin peeps joined us at Bruce and Nan’s house in Houston too.
• Spent as much time as possible holding the cutest babies in the world–Sabrina and Bayard.
• Sabrina and I shared many games of peek-a-boo and Bayard and I played quite a few games of lets pull out Hilary’s hair. I enjoyed every minute with both of them and wish they lived closer.
• Baked another apple pie, this time with a vegan butter substitute (called Buttery Sticks) and a double batch of vegan pumpkin muffins with Paula which were a huge hit not only with the vegans, but everyone else as well, including the under 1-year-old crowd. So much in fact, we made another double batch a couple days later.
• Had a super fun brunch with Jenifer and met her boyfriend B. They are both really cool and I hope Jenifer makes it out to LA sometime soon so I can show her around my town! And, Jenifer was so sweet and gave me impeccably wrapped Hanukkah gifts that I cannot wait to use!
• I think the same day I had brunch with Jenifer, I also managed to experience Texas BBQ and still had room for Vietnamese food for dinner, while snacking the rest of the day. Our family definitely knows how to eat.
• Called to check my voicemail and received a call for a really cool job opportunity. Think good thoughts please!
• Experienced real weather (rain! cold!) for a change, although I could have done without the sore throat that comes from sleeping with the heat on.
• Got lost driving a mile from the hotel to the houses about a dozen times.
• Learned y’all can be used to refer to one person or more than one person.
• Woke up super early and got into LA with the rest of the afternoon to do laundry and stuff.

As always, it was a blast catching up with everyone, and I especially love that my cousins immediately become my allies anytime my parents even begin to mention wanting a grandchild. Also, I really enjoyed the time I spent with Paula while we made the muffins–she’s pretty cool!

Now I’m going to try to catch up on some TV and eat dinner before I fall asleep.

Pictures here, but as usual, the ones of people are only viewable to my Flickr Friends and Family. On a related note, can anyone recommend a site that will allow me to upload video yet be able to control who can see it? I’m looking for something similar to Flickr, but for videos.

I’m back! Here are the details of my weekend up north.

Friday
Sara picked me up at the San Jose airport in the afternoon then we headed to lunch at her office (she works for Google). I am so jealous and want to work for a progressive company like that. They have an enormous cafeteria that reminded me a lot of a mall food court, laundry facilities, massages, a gym, toilet seats with warmers, foosball, and anything else you can possibly imagine. And it’s all free.

After checking out the office, we went back to the house in Palo Alto (Sara’s living there while she’s helping take care of her grandma) and changed clothes and met met up with Joe and Brad, two other Googlers (yes, that’s what they call them) and went into the city. We grabbed a quick bite then saw a BATS Improv show. It was fun, but not nearly as good as the improv down here. It should also be noted that I think Sara and I annoyed Joe and Brad to no end, because we had a lot of catching up to do and suddenly reverted back to being silly girlfriends. It was fun.

Saturday
Sara and I slept in then drove past my aunt and uncle’s old house in Palo Alto. So many memories came flooding back, and I could very clearly picture certain rooms in the house. When I was a kid, I would fly out there to spend weekends with my aunt and uncle, and my aunt and I would go into the city and shop and eat and paint each others nails. Ahh, good times.

Sara and I then went back into San Francisco, this time to be tourists. We had lunch at Fisherman’s Wharf (shrimp and chips for me, clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl for her), and basked in the sun. The weather was absolutely perfect–around 75 and sunny, not a cloud in the sky! After stuffing ourselves with lunch, we walked over to where else–Ghirardelli–for some chocolate. And since there happened to be a cupcake bakery right next door, we grabbed a cupcake too. Of course, our bellies were too full, so I ended up walking around with the cupcake for a while. Or at least until…

We were tired and hot and wanted to relax, so we took an hour long cruise around the bay. (Yes, we are suckers.) It was really pretty, we had great views of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate bridge, and we had a chance to re-energize, and of course, eat the cupcake (which by the way, was just eh.)

On our way out of the city, we got a little lost (I think we passed the same dog park about five times) and ended up passing Lombard Street so I convinced Sara to drive down it. It was quite amusing watching her drive, and we laughed all the way down. Once we got home, we relaxed for a bit and freshened up then went out for sushi. By the end of dinner, we were both exhausted so we went home and and sat up watching TV and chatting until our eyes began closing.

Sunday
We met up with Joe for breakfast, then she and I went into Palo Alto do some shopping. I bought a super cute INC coat (that is not 100% wool so it won’t itch!) and Sara bought a dress for a work party. We then went to a different area and did some window shopping and had a late lunch. Ready to collapse, we went back home, packed up my stuff, and then were off to the airport.

The best part of the weekend was catching up and reconnecting with Sara. We’ve known each other since we were 16, and even though we haven’t seen each other in almost a year, it felt as if we talk every day. There’s something to be said for high school friendships. I hope that the next time I go up there Julie will come too, because I would love for the three of us to hang out together again.

More pictures here, but as usual, pictures of people are viewable only by Flickr Friends & Family. Let me know if you want to be added.

This trip was a million times better than my last visit to Seattle. There were no car accidents, chain restaurants, or trips to the emergency room. Here are the details:

• Waited in line an hour and fifteen minutes to check in my bag at the Burbank Airport. No one knew why there was such a wait.
• Arrived on time, was met by my cousin Jason, and went back to his house to unpack and hang out with him and his fiancee, JD, for a bit.
• Went to dinner then drinks with Cyndi, a friend of mine from my previous job who moved up there a couple years ago.
• Spent most of three days at Bumbershoot where we saw: Crowded House (awesome, awesome set; unfortunately, the teenager in front of us had never heard of the band, while another one called them “Open House.” No, I didn’t feel old at all) and they even brought Eddie Vedder up for a few songs (random, I know); The Shins (they sucked live, big time sucked); Menomena, (very strange band with backup choir/monk looking singers–don’t ask); The Gourds (very fun, and I will be getting their CD shortly); Devotchka (another CD I’ll be purchasing. And my cousin played a song with them which was cool to watch!); lots of fun jazz but I unfortunately don’t remember names; and Barrington Levy (reggae that had the crowd dancing/gyrating all over the place).
• We also checked out some art installations, including the Portable Confessional Unit. And we were fascinated by the Vau de Vire Society which I can only describe as a really amped up, punked out, and less clothed Cirque du Soleil.
• My aunt and uncle came into town from Houston as well, so I spent lots of time being spoiled by them and hearing lots of good family stories.
• My other aunt and uncle also visited for a short time, so I was able to catch up with them too.
• I ate tons of junk food at the festival, and a delicious Italian dinner and yummy breakfast with the family. I’m scared to go to WW this weekend.
• I think it’s safe to say I used my backpack more this past weekend than ever before. Definitely a good purchase.
• I saw about five million fauxhawks, skinny pants on emo boys, and brown shoes while at the festival.
• It should also be noted that festival goers in Seattle don’t show nearly as much boob as grocery shoppers in Los Angeles. They should teach Angelenos a thing or two.
• Aside from the slight drizzle at the airport, it didn’t rain at all the entire weekend!
• On my flight back to Burbank, I was seated next to a girl named Hilary who is my age and lives just over the hill. Turns out she works where my sister works, and her friend works in my office building. We spent the entire flight chatting about bad dates and bonded over people we don’t know well calling us Hil, and are planning to have dinner soon. I’m so excited to have not only met a cool new friend, but a friend with a cool name!
• When I stepped off the airplane (outside!) at 9:30 p.m. in Burbank, it was about 85 degrees out. Gross

It was an awesome trip, and I am so glad I was able to spend time with my cousin and aunt and uncle. Thanks so much for having me over Jason!

More pictures here.

Today was back to work and I am beyond exhausted. And it didn’t help that my strand of pearls came unstrung in the car on the way to work, then when I got to the office the AC was overloaded and we sweated for a good three hours until it cooled down. Around that time, the power surged and I lost the project I was working on. Good times.

In other news, before I left for Seattle, FG and I made plans for Saturday night. Unfortunately, they’ve been changed to Sunday night instead. I have a feeling this will be our last date, but who knows.

And now I have important stuff to catch up on. Like The Hills.

Seattle was a blast! Details and lots more pictures in the next few days.

This is how my trip to New York began, as described in sentence fragments:

Flight delayed an hour. Seated next to a very large man with whom I shared my seat and no armrest because he couldn’t fit with it down. Start to land. Go into holding pattern. Told only one runway is open. Start to land. Back into holding pattern. Start to land again. Back into holding pattern. Land. Told it is icy and need to wait for someone to “guide” the plane to the gate. Finally get guided. Sit at gate for 15 minutes while an agent is located to get us off the damn plane. Go to baggage claim to retrieve luggage. Told to go to carousel one. Told to go to carousel three. No luggage. Told to go to carousel two. No luggage. One hour passes. No one from my plane can find their luggage. Told to go to carousel one. Wait. Repeat. Wait with the rest of the plane for luggage. Walk in circles. Listen to American Airlines employee announce over loud speaker if anyone “says a bad word” to her she will call 911. (Yes, seriously.) Another hour passes. Repeat for a total of three hours. Hear clapping! Our plane’s luggage is here! It was sitting in a bin next to the plane at the gate for three hours. Huh?

Needless to say, that night was a bust. However, the rest of the trip was a lot of fun filled with tons of family time and lots of eating. Highlights:

• It was cold. Eighteen degrees. Crazy.
• I am so glad I bought boots; they were a lifesaver–the streets were slushy.
• Had lunch at Serafina. The gnocchi was sooo good.
• My cousins and aunt and uncle were sans luggage for three days.
• Had dinner at Cinema (similar to Cinespace) with Ari and Deb. It was a lot of fun!
• My dad didn’t bring a hat, so he wore my Guster ski cap the whole time. It was awesome.
• Attended the rehearsal dinner (and havdalah) at Blossom, a vegan restaurant. The flavors were really good, but I’m just not a fan of the texture of seitan.
• Walked to Buttercup Bake Shop for cupcakes. They were eh.
• The wedding was beautiful. My cousin and his bride both looked amazing and everyone had a blast. It was at The Foundry which is a really cool venue.
• My cousin didn’t want a wedding band so he asked his favorite band, Kid Congo and The Pink Monkey Birds, to play at the wedding (the pianist was really cute by the way). They obliged, and even did the hora with the groom’s brother playing trumpet. Best. Hora. Ever.
• The wedding cake was being delivered in a van that got hit by a cab. It was smashed.
• Went to MoMA and especially enjoyed the photography exhibits. Also ate at the cafeteria there.
• Had a delicious dinner at Ferro’s with lots of family.
• Noticed that when ordering a dirty martini in New York, “straight up or on the rocks” is always asked. Do people really drink dirty martinis on the rocks?
• Also noticed that when ordering a “regular coffee,” you get coffee with cream and sugar.
• Did I mention it was cold?

It was a wonderful trip, and so great to spend time with cousins and aunts and uncles. We really don’t see each other enough. I see more visits in the near future!

Lots of pictures here, but you have to be a Flickr friend or family to view the ones with people. Email me if you want access.

My trip was disappointing to say the least. The car accident we got into within two hours of my arrival proved to be an accurate foreshadowing of what was yet to come. With that said, here are the details I know you’re all waiting for:

• I arrived Saturday afternoon, half an hour early, to find my friend cellphone-less and not feeling well while stuck in traffic to pick me up. We had lunch, went to the store to pick up food and drink for NYE, and got hit by an idiotic insurance-less driver in front of us driving in reverse and totally unaware of anyone else in the parking lot.
• I heard my cousin’s radio show (he’s a DJ on a Seattle station) which was really cool as I had only previously heard him streamed on the Internet.
• When my friend said she lived “outside of Seattle,” she neglected to mention she lived in suburban hell, surrounded by mini malls and chain restaurants. We ate at a Cheesecake Factory, Red Robin, and Zoopa in only three days. G-d help me.
• Hard liquor is sold only in state regulated liquor stores, and is not sold on Sundays. The stores are scary and have security guards. Enough said.
• New Year’s Eve was fun and spent eating, drinking, and watching fireworks with friends. Until … the part in the emergency room where we sat surrounded by at least two gunshot victims, one screaming baby, and one man with his ear in a Ziploc bag. It was loads of fun, let me tell you. (My friend had a Crohn’s flare-up and was in so much pain she needed a morphine drip.)

• We went to Pike Place Market on New Year’s day but unfortunately about 75% of the market was closed. I didn’t get to see any fish being thrown.
• In keeping with the not doing theme, I saw the Space Needle but didn’t go in it, as my friend was a) still not feeling well and b) afraid of heights.
• Seattle, although rainy at times and completely sunless, had better weather than LA. Go figure.
• My new Merrell’s apparently fit in quite well up north.
• My cousin and his girlfriend live in the middle of the city and are way more fun than my friend. [ed. note: Jason, I am sooo staying with you guys next time I am up there. I don't know what I was thinking.]
• We checked out Cupcake Royale, this cupcake place I had read about on the Internet. They were good, not great.
• My friend took the cupcakes home and I met up with my cousin for a non-chain restaurant dinner in Ballard. The area was great and reminds me a lot of my neighborhood–little restaurants, coffee shops, bars, etc. And, my cousin totally saved me by taking me to one of his favorite Thai places, Thaiku, then to Hattie’s Hat, a great bar playing awesome music with $4 drinks. $4 drinks!?!? And on a side note, Ballard was really cool, and I could totally see myself living in a place like that.
• Because my trip was already not-fun, United Airlines decided to add to the un-joy when their entire computer system zonked out, forcing them to check in people by hand (read: using pen and paper). I got to the Seattle airport an hour and forty-five minutes early, e-ticket in hand, waited in the check-in line for two hours, waited in the security line for a bit longer, ran to my flight as it said “boarding closed,” then proceeded to sit on the plane for an additional 45 minutes. Then when I got into LAX, they had us going on a treasure hunt to find our luggage. Good times. And not a single apology from United. Guess who’s getting a letter from me.

Needless to say, I’m glad to be home.

As the title says, seven of the following statements are true and one is a lie:

1. We were each kissed by married men.
2. To get rid of sketchy guys who hit on us, we told them we were girlfriends. After all, we were sharing a hotel room.
3. We each won $150 on Wheel of Fortune dollar slots.
4. One of us bought the other a lap dance.
5. One of us sang and danced with the pianist at a dueling piano bar.
6. One of us started out lucky (empty middle seat on the plane) and ended up unlucky (the shuttle to the hotel hit a car en route.)
7. We drank $45 worth of alcohol in less than 30 minutes.
8. We were told by someone referenced in one of the above that what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

Can you guess which one is the lie? Possiblity of more details to follow, once I do this foreign thing known as sleep.

I’m back!

As you know, I left for Michigan last week for a vacation. The plan was to spend the first couple of days with one friend and the next couple of days with another friend and visit some family while there. I still got to see everyone (and dozens more), but under slightly less cheerful conditions.

While visiting with my second friend, my uncle (actually he’s my great uncle, but he and my aunt were like grandparents to me as I lost all of my grandparents by the time I was a teenager) died–he’d been sick for the past year so it wasn’t a surprise, but it was still kinda surreal. The funeral was on Tuesday, so I extended my trip a couple of days so I could be there for the funeral and part of shiva*. During shiva, I got to see family and cousins I hadn’t seen in years, and it was great catching up with them, I just wish it had been under different circumstances.

I didn’t take many pictures, mainly because I was crazy busy with family.

And now, the details. During my trip I:

• Played in a pile of leaves with a one-year-old.
• Learned a new version of the “Wheels on the bus” song. It goes “The babies on the bus go waaah waaah waaah…” instead of “The wheels on the bus go round and round…” And, I spent part of Sunday night singing it while sitting in a circle with three other adults and a two-and-a-half-year-old. I laughed so hard, it was a lot of fun.
• Drove past the house I lived in in Bloomfield Hills.
• Realized that I am a total weather wuss–I was wearing three layers of shirts and a jacket and was still freezing while people around me were wearing only a long sleeve shirt. I guess I’m officially a Californian.
• Froze my ass off in the 50 mph winds.
• Couldn’t get over how the traffic signals hang from wires.
• Went to the Franklin Cider Mill again.
• Bought more Mackinac Island Fudge again.
• Was a pallbearer in my uncle’s funeral.
• Put stones on my grandma and papa’s graves.
• Noticed that if you didn’t know we had just come from a funeral, you would think sitting shiva is a joyous occasion.
• Found myself saying, “Oh my god, the last time I saw you, you were a little kid” to many of my 20-something second cousins. Then I realized how much I hated people saying that to me when I was their age.
• Was greeted with, “You’re Hilary? You’re so grown up. And tall!” by about 10 different people in less than an hour.
• Heard amazing and romantic stories of my aunt and uncle’s 61-year marriage.
• Received a voicemail from the guy I met at the Sukkot dinner who asked Annabel Lee for my number. I just called him back and we made plans for Saturday night.

It was a bittersweet trip, but I am so glad I was in Michigan when my uncle died. I can’t imagine not being there to hug my aunt.

*Following a funeral, the family “sits shiva” for seven days. Basically, you stay at home, have services each day where you say Kaddish (mourner’s prayer) and being Jewish, you eat the rest of the time. Family and friends bring food, you sit around and talk, and you remember the person.

First, I want to say thank you to everyone for your super kind comments, they are much appreciated and will be taken to heart. You guys are incredible.

And now…my roadtrip–The Return to Hearst Castle. (You may remember we went last year for the first tour.)

Our drive up to Central California was pretty uneventful (thankfully). We got to the hotel around 3:00 and checked in, changed clothes, and headed out to walk around and have dinner in Cambria. I bought a couple of fun things–something for my sister and something for my parents and had the best caramel and chocolate covered homemade marshmallow. Ever.

Once again, we asked the locals for dinner suggestions and yet again, they didn’t disappoint. We had dinner and wine at a restaurant called The Hamlet. The food was delicious (shrimp scampi for me, pasta for my friend), and the ocean view was amazing (see the pic to the left). For dessert, we stuck with what we knew–Linn’s–and this time tried the apple pie. It was delish.

Sunday morning we went for a quick breakfast across the street from our hotel then headed over to Hearst Castle for tour number two. The fog lifted, and the weather was absolutely gorgeous.

The second tour was great and consisted of the outdoor and indoor pools, some of the (24!) bedrooms, bathrooms, and the kitchen. The place is absolutely beautiful and the pictures don’t do it justice. (You aren’t allowed to use flash and can only step in certain parts of the rooms.)

As expected, the trip was wonderful and it was great to get away from LA, even if only for a weekend. Cambria and Hearst Castle are both beautiful, and I hope to return for tour number three next summer with a boyfriend, rather than a friend. Hey, that gives me one year to find one.

I’ll post more pictures on Flickr later.

Yep, that pretty much sums up my four days in New York. If you want more specific details, continue on…

After arriving in New York (an hour and a half late) Tuesday night, I met up with my family and we promptly headed over to Little Italy where we had the most delicious dinner at Positano. After stuffing ourselves silly, we walked around a bit then headed over to Magnolia Bakery for their famous cupcakes. Yum, yum, yum is all I have to say. And rumor has it that Toast has one of Magnolia’s former chefs making similar cupcakes. I’ll investigate.

Wednesday, we went for lunch then my parents saw Golda’s Balcony while my sister and I saw Avenue Q. The show was hysterical and a definite must see for anyone still looking for their “purpose” in life. [Ed. Note: Avenue Q is opening a permanent run in Vegas next year.] After the show, we ate at Carmine’s (they have the most delicious manicotti) then headed to the Upper West Side where we met up with the lovely Esther who took us to do a quintessential New York thing–we watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons being blown up. After the balloons, all five of us went to a cute little cafe and had dessert and coffee.

Thanksgiving Day I finally had a slice of New York pizza, then we took the subway up to Zabar’s and (big surprise here) bought more stuff to eat. Their black and white cookies are delish. So, after snacking much of the day, we went to Annie’s for our Thanksgiving dinner. Apres dinner, we walked around a bit more then headed back to the hotel. (If I’m leaving anything out, let me know.)

Our last full day in New York was Friday, so once again, we had to eat. Before the show, I finally had one of those soft pretzels they sell on the street and everyone else had hotdogs. We saw Bombay Dreams, it was cute, and yes, it does star one of the girls from American Idol. After the show, we braved the crazy-people-shopping-the-day-after-Thanksgiving crowds and walked around a bit, eventually finding ourselves at, you guessed it, another restaurant–Raku. After sushi, we fought our way through Rockefeller Center and planted ourselves at Dean and Deluca where we shared some sweet desserts and bought chocolate bars and the such to bring back to LA and San Diego to share with friends and coworkers.

Saturday found us waking up to a 4 a.m. wakeup call then we were off to the airport before the sun even started to rise.

It was a great trip, but as wonderful and fun as New York is, I kinda enjoy having near-70-degree weather year round, no mice rats in the streets, and toilet seat covers in public restrooms. Call me spoiled.

*In case you thought we neglected some stuff–we’ve all been to New York before and have done the typical tourist things. And in case you were wondering, some deli food was eaten–by my family before I arrived and while I was sleeping. I just didn’t partake in the consumption.

I’m leaving for chilly New York tomorrow morning and couldn’t be happier–I need a vacation sooo badly. I’m excited to see my parents and sister, meet Esther, see two shows (Avenue Q and Bombay Dreams), and eat my way through the city. I’ll finally get to try the much talked about Magnolia Bakery cupcakes my sister says are to die for. And the Zabar’s black and white cookie. Any other suggestions?

—In other news, Margarita Guy and I exchanged emails after the I Don’t See Anything Longterm But Let’s Be Friends And Go To The Movie dialogue. He claims he is “offended” that I told him I don’t need any more friends. Huh? I’m guessing that’s his ego talking. Whatever. Not to worry, that was our final correspondence. I don’t have time for stuff like that.—In related news, I’m sad. Not because of Margarita Guy–I knew pretty much from the beginning that he wasn’t for me (he doesn’t like 80s music for G-d’s sake) but so many people convinced me to give him a shot, because, well, you never know. I guess I’m sad because I’m just so frustrated with dating in general. It’s not fun anymore.—In blog related news, it’s time again for Ask Hil’s Mom. Have a question for my mom? Send it to me or post it in the comments!—And finally, I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

My trip was great! Not only was it a ton of fun seeing my friends, the weather was gorgeous and the leaves were beautiful rust colors. I really miss having a real autumn. Anyway, for those of you that know me (or those of you that don’t but are nosy), here’s how my days went down.

Got into Michigan at the wee hours of the morning on Thursday and went straight to friend #1’s house. Relaxed for a bit then saw the beautiful five week old baby, caught up with my friend, then went for lunch and shopping in Birmingham. We met up with her husband later in the evening and had dinner then just hung out some more.

Friday we took a drive past the house I grew up in in Bloomfield Hills then went to the Franklin Cider Mill.

As a kid, my dad used to take me to the Cider Mill every year on the day it opened. We’d always be the first people there and I remember watching this giant wheel crush the apples. Well, much to my disappointment, the wheel has been replaced by modern machinery. Talk about ruining a childhood memory. Anyway, we treated ourselves to fresh apple cider, warm donuts, and took home these delicious caramel apples. To top it off, I was pleasantly surprised to learn the Cider Mill sold Mackinac Island fudge. And yes, it’s as good as I remembered it to be. Yum.

The next day I moved over to friend #2’s house. We went shopping at an awesome mall called Somerset where her husband and baby met up with us. I made a great purchase (a really cute corduroy jacket) and did a lot of window shopping. Later that night we all had dinner together while my friend and I thoroughly annoyed her husband as we reminisced about old times.

Sunday I had lunch at Coney Island with my great aunt. My grandmother died before I was born so her sister has been like a grandmother to me. It was great spending time with her–she told me all about how she and my uncle met as well as how my own grandparents met. I was informed about what it meant to “go steady” and get “pinned” then she told me these insanely romantic stories of when my uncle and grandfather went off to war. I’m so glad I had a chance to talk to her, otherwise I never would have heard these amazing tales! Later that night my friend’s husband had to go out of town for work so my friend and I got to spend the night chatting and spoiling the baby.

My last day there I had lunch with my friend’s parents at a deli where we bumped into another family friend and her daughter. After lunch, my friend and I checked out a little local market that, much to my dad’s delight, sells Tunnel Bar-B-Q sauce. [ed note: mom, let me know if I should mail it to you guys.] While there, I found some Sanders Hot Fudge and should be enjoying an ice cream sundae any day now.

So, with a suitcase packed with Michigan goodies, I headed home. I wish I could have stayed longer, but as always, it’s nice to be home.

Michigan was beautiful. Autumn really does exist. Trip details to follow.

Tomorrow night I’m taking the red-eye to Detroit* for a five day vacation.** I’m going to visit a childhood friend, her husband, and their one-and-a-half-year-old son as well as a former coworker, her husband, and their five-week-old daughter. I know, lots of crying and dirty diapers, but it will be really cool to see everyone again and to be reminded that there are seasons other than spring and summer.

So, while I’m drinking Faygo Red Pop and stocking up on Sander’s Hot Fudge, why don’t you take some time out to visit some of the links on my sidebar. Pictures of autumn leaves to follow shortly!

*Okay, the suburbs of Detroit; namely, Farmington Hills.
**Yes, Detroit and vacation may be used in the same sentence if, and only if, the person going on said vacation is in fact, from Detroit originally.

Go into Houston Friday afternoon. Checked into the Warwick Hotel, relaxed, then headed over to the Mucky Duck for my aunt’s surprise 65th birthday party thrown by my uncle. (Side note about the Mucky Duck–there was a sign outside that said something about no guns allowed indoors. That’s when you know you’re in Texas.) My uncle had rented out the pub, so it was filled with family and friends from all over the country. My aunt walked in, saw familiar faces, then everyone started clapping. It was really cool. Spent the night eating, drinking, listening to live music, and catching up with family and friends.

Day two was more of the same–this time we had lunch at my aunt and uncle’s, relaxed back at the hotel, then headed over to Mykonos Island Restaurant for dinner. We had tons of great food and wine and were even entertained by a belly dancer and live band.

Day three we once again ate (what do you expect when you get a bunch of Jewish people together for a weekend?) then said our goodbyes. My sister and I took a shuttle to the airport and we’re damn lucky we made it there alive. I don’t know how this guy got his driver’s license.

The one thing I don’t understand about Houston is this: What’s up with the subzero temperatures inside every restaurant and store? It’s like the Amazon outside and the Arctic inside. Why?

I’m leaving tomorrow morning for a long weekend in Houston. The forecast? Eighty-seven degrees and thunderstorms. Yuck. I see many a ponytail in my future.

On a semi-related note, anyone have a suggestion for a cheap but good parking lot near LAX? Right now, my sister and I were planning on parking at The Parking Spot.

I’m back from a fun-filled weekend in Central California! Here’s the scoop:

We drove up to San Simeon Saturday afternoon. What a beautiful drive along the coast–the weather was perfect, the sun shining, and not a cloud in the sky!

We checked into our hotel and headed over to Cambria (a cute little town a few miles from San Simeon) and had dinner and drinks right on the water. The restaurant, Moonstone Beach Bar & Grill, was great and they even provide blankets for customers on the patio in case you’re chilly. After dinner we took the locals’ advice and headed over to Linn’s for dessert. Yum! By that time, we were pretty stuffed and just went back to our hotel.

Day two started early, as we had tickets for our Hearst Castle tour. So, we drove into Cambria and got coffee at a cute little coffeehouse/candy store. On our way out of town, I noticed the funniest sign:

Well, at least I found it funny. We then headed back to San Simeon for breakfast (nothing terribly special) then on to Hearst Castle for our tour.

The Castle was beautiful

and the view absolutely magnificent:

We only took the first tour. I hope I can make it back to the Castle sometime soon to go on the next tour (there are a total of four I believe).

On our way back to LA, we stopped in Solvang, a cute little Dutch town, for lunch more sweets. The pastries and fudge that we bought were so good. Leaving Solvang, we noticed yet another strange sign:

Which of course meant we had to stop and check it out. Yep, ostriches.

Lots of them. We were a little surprised that Ostrich Land allows you to stand right next to them, but whatever, I’m not paying their insurance.

Sadly, the excitement ended with Ostrich Land, and we began our drive back to the real world filled with traffic, smog, and all that stuff. If you want to see more pictures, check out my buzznet page, link on the right sidebar. (Apparently there is a daily limit to the number of uploads on Buzznet, so I will upload more pictures tomorrow.)

I’m going to Vegas in a few months for my (gasp) 30th birthday. We booked our flight today on Ted. (They’re actually part of United and not some sketchy new airline. Get it? United.) When did flights to Vegas get so expensive? We used to be able to fly there for something like $39 each way. Anyway, wasn’t sure what I wanted to do for the big birthday, but a huge party was definitely out of the question. So, figured Vegas is always fun. I can’t wait!

I’m going snowboarding next month! Talk about excited. I can’t wait!