Weekend Recovery.

I can't really say it enough about how GREAT my weekend was. Seeing old friends and enjoying great times with them was MUCH needed. The 12-hour road trip (times that by two considering it took us 12 hours in each direction), the massive amount of binge drinking, that nasty hung over feeling, the getting sick part, the crying part, all worth it :) Seeing these amazing friends reminds of how much studying abroad was such a great life choice for mahself.

Not much can really be said except some recaps of the weekend's events. Not counting out Frump's permanent boner he had stepping onto Fightin' Irish soil. He's probably in depression mode since we've come back to New Gross last night. As am I, considering today I was in a shit mood - not only did I oversleep through 545am practice this morning but I also didn't do my Marketing assignments (I clearly just have given up on school in general), my Media Planning & Buying midterm was a sickening joke of a test aaaand it was open book to say the least, calculators also being used. I understood the homework but when it comes to OPEN BOOK TESTS, I'm lost. I had a fajita for lunch, and Chinese food for dinner. Motivation has gone out the window and I'm still trying to find the invisible pen I dropped on the floor months ago because clearly, I'm losing it and I kinda just don't give a flying fuck what I do with my life hear on in. But I did download some new tunes to keep me in some sort of decent people-tolerating spirit.

We arrived in our cramped Audi (compliments of DJ Pauly D) a little after 10am. Kayla and I were both planning on getting in a decent workout before the debauchery of that weekend would occur. I ran 4 miles in Red's apartment building's "gym" - consisting of two treadmills (one being used upon arrival) and two elipticals, and a free weight area. And we mustn't forget the complimentary drinking water dispenser.

Famished and sweaty, we head to a Greek restaurant for some vegetarian fare - it was a Lenten Friday but unbeknownst to me, I found out meat could've been eaten because it was sort of special Friday. Whatever.

Blood Mary = Great nightcap :)

So fresh and so clean, we drink some 40s at 4...failed attempt at Edward 40 Hands, nonetheless I finished mine like a champion :) Head over to Between the Buns for some drinks with friends, find out they have $2.50 pints of Blue Moon - I should move here. A pint of that blissful Belgian style beer, a shot of Patron, & two Blood Mary's later, it was lights out for Julesy before anyone could say, "Hey, you ready to go to Finney's?" Apparently I was in such a deep passed out sesh, people tried to shake me awake but I didn't flinch. Someone even was afraid that I may have died. But that nap was divine. I woke up at 3am to find my friend sleeping next to me and my other friend Nicky saying everyone just got back.

Grotto

Saturday was tour day. The Port Lodgers (Jimbo & the Black Cat with Green Eyes aka Taylor) and Frump were given an EXTENSIVE 4 hour tour of campusssss. Red, Joel Hole, See_Error_Ugh, & Nicky all accompanied us on this lovely sunny afternoon. Frump was astounded by all things, including the friendly squirrels that would come up to you if you had food in your hand. So coot!

Original Grotto Stone

Cancer/Disease Tree

Look up! Inside Main Building Dome

I even saw/did some things that I didn't see before: prayed at the Grotto, touched that special piece of the authentic Grotto from Lourdes, France that was concreted into the Grotto, went inside the Main Building and looked up, walked down the front steps of the Main Building (apparently it's superstitious for ND students to do so before graduation), went inside the Basilica, tied a ribbon on the cancer tree, & threw up outside of my friend's house in the parking lot. Oh, that's for later...

After the tour/laughing/funny picture-taking/just being surrounded by great friends, it was back with the rest of the biddies for Papa Smurfs and dinner at Between the Buns. I wasn't even finished half of it before I was feeling "tired". Afterwards, we were supposed to head to Steve's house for a lovely shin-dig he was hosting for Port Lodgers and friends. But no! I was surprised with birthday cake, balloons, and sake bombs :)

I feel the need to share this story with you all because it was quite entertaining and surprisingly, successfully pulled off as well considering so many slip ups occurred prior to sake bombs but of course, me being the space cadet that I am, nothing was ruined. The surprised stayed intact and had me laughing so hard I could hardly blow out my birthday candles. The idea sprung into the biffle nug's head when she remembered me mentioning how I've never gone sake bombing. The idea always struck me as interesting - the concept of balancing a shot of sake on chopsticks over a bigger shot of Japanese beer and having it dropped in and chugged after banging on a table saying, "Sake, sake, sake, BOMB!" But the sake part was what held me back...mixing rice wine with beer? Woof. Since there were a lot of us at dinner, we had to take multiple cars to "Steve's". I was kinda tipsy and didn't mind sitting down, zoned out playing Brick Breaker on my cell phone while other people got rides. I was in the last group with Red, Taylor, DJ Pauly D & Nicky. "Soo..we're on our way to Steve's?" I asked. "Yup," someone up front said. A topic of sake bombs was brought up once again. "Ew! Sake bombing never appealed to me" I said disgusted. "C'mon, Jules it's like so much fun!" DJ Pauly responded in the driver's seat. "I would never sake bomb! It sounds gross!" I said back. Moments later, I noticed we were driving into a Japanese restaurant. "I thought we were going to Steve's," I said. "Yeah, he lives like right over there," DJ Pauly said. "Oh," I responded confused. As I was headed in the one direction, ready to walk over the metal barricade to go to "Steve's", everyone else was headed in the direction of the restaurant. "Where the fuck are you going?!" I asked so confused and flustered at this point. No one responded to me but quickly began walking faster than me into the restaurant. And Taylor looked like a hideous snarling chipmunk as she was giggling on the way in. I was the last to walk in and apparently, "Steve's house" ended up being a nice Japanese restaurant where everyone was waiting for a candle-lit birthday cake, "Happy Birthday Grandma" balloons, and lovely company singing to me. I was speechless and laughing and happy and confused and just plain bubbling like the Sapporo I'd be chugging. After a few mishaps and spillages, we got in a few rounds of bombing, loud thumps from our fists surprisingly didn't disturb the TWO dates going on in the relaxed restaurant. And apparently the waiters were used to having kids come in to sake bomb...the waitress even taught me how to line up m chopsticks properly. I love April :)

We then headed to Steve's house where we played Boom (I clearly annihilated Red because we played on a recycled door as a table and it had some hot spots where the ball bounced perfectly in - of course from where I was standing, which was next to Red so I "boomed" her many a time, forcing to drink massive amounts of Keystone...sorry Red :) We then headed to Finney's, which is where I was supposed to go with everyone else the night before but passed the fuck out. It was also crucial for us to arrive before midnight considering a pub crawl was headed there for it's final destination. We made it just in time - no line, got to the bar, split some green beer, rum & coke, and Long Island Iced Tea pitchers with friends. I met some friends of friends, almost got kicked out for attempting to pee in the guys bathroom, watched a girl get kicked out for actually using the guys bathroom, danced, sang, laughed, made out, and just spent an enjoyable night with the people I've missed for so long. Of course, I spent a shit ton of grub and drink and paid for all that drinking by getting sick on the way back to Nicky's house and in her parking lot, cried when I couldn't give See_Error_Ugh & Joel Hole a proper goodbye, and whimpered by the toilet seat as I passed in and out of a delirium of drunken "chowing" as Nicky puts it. We had every intention of waking up at 7am to leave but of course we didn't wake up til 1045am. "Good morning!" Red says as she came over to get her car. I woke up confused, hung the fuck over, and still drunk. Let's just say the car ride home wasn't the most enjoyable but it certainly was worth the trip.

I came to South Bend knowing that although I'd be excited to see everyone, it would have been as if nothing changed. As if we'd been together all along and it just so happened that we were in the same place this entire time and spent an amazing time together on this amazing weekend away. I don't know how future visits will be considering we will all have graduated and moved to different places, working in different states and starting new chapters of our lives. But I know I will see them again eventually. Even though spending four months abroad with them seemed like such a short time, it certainly paved the way for lasting friendships and fond memories that I will most certainly never forget. Port Lodge Spring '10, I love you.

Aftermath: the present I left in Nicky's parking lot. My b.