Category: Fun & Games

Social Saturday

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Saturday was quite the busy day for us. After getting some groceries we stopped at 7-Eleven to take advantage of free small slurpee Saturday. I got the black cherry Pepsi and Joe got grape. He wanted the Skittles sour apple but it was liquefied in the machine. Ew! I’m glad they were free (much to the irritation of the clerk working there it seemed) because neither were all that great. We then went to the library and grabbed a handful of movies. Our library is strange in that they don’t care about people bringing in food and drinks. In fact they have vending machines that sell both!

After a lunch of chicken salad sandwiches we took Wookie to Petsmart for her second puppy training class. Two of the five dogs didn’t show up – Rizzo and Pumpkin. I didn’t care for how the trainer was telling us the details of her conversation with Pumpkin’s owner because it’s none of our business. In any case, we learned that the trainer will be on vacation next Saturday so there is no class. It was encouraging to see Wookie trying to greet Thor (the white German Shepard) instead of hanging out by us all scared. I don’t think she was shaking at all! As far as the training goes, we went over not jumping on people and how to walk on a leash without pulling. Wookie has problems with that which is why I’m ordering her a new harness that has a clasp at the front since I read that can help. Her issue at Petsmart was that she wanted to stop and smell EVERYTHING so she wasn’t paying attention to me or treats (a first) at all. It was a bit frustrating but I tried to remain patient. Patience and repetition are the two biggest things needed when training a dog.

After feeding Wookie at home we left and headed down to Oak Lawn where we had a late pizza lunch at Palermo’s with Joe’s kids and ES (K’s boyfriend). At first I was worried a large pizza wouldn’t feed all five of us but there was a little left over, thank goodness. I didn’t say anything at lunch, but I don’t think I care for Palermo’s anymore. I don’t know if we just found better pizza elsewhere or theirs has gone downhill, but I won’t be in a hurry to have it again. It was interesting to see their dining room, however, since we’ve always gotten takeout. I always enjoy conversations with everyone, particularly ES because he and I have the same taste in comedies. Plus he’s a good conversationalist and actually listens instead of just waiting for his turn to talk. I’ve probably mentioned that before but it’s something I really appreciate since most people just like to talk.

After we ate E took off to rest at home before his evening plans and K invited us over to see their two guinea pigs which they just got a week before. They are so cute! Just little babies right now and very soft too. I was never too interested in owning guinea pigs but after seeing those two I would consider it. I particularly like the one who looks like he has permanent bedhead. Plus he has one front paw that is completely black (nails included) whereas the other one is pink with white nails. It looks like he’s wearing a glove, LOL!

Our next stop was Dunkin Donuts before going to my parents’ house to celebrate Brother B’s birthday which was earlier this month. My mom said to be there between 5 and 6 but since whenever we get there at the earlier time no one is ready, we ended up getting there a couple of minutes after 6. And arrived to a dark house. We were both annoyed and confused. I was happy I remembered to bring my keys so I could open the door. And that’s when B jumped out and scared me, that SOB! LOL. They decided to scare us (although they didn’t get Joe since he had already headed back to the car to get more stuff) for being late. Can’t win with those people! Everyone had already eaten too which is funny because whenever it’s the other way around they wait til B gets there (since we’re usually there first).

I set up my mom’s new computer and showed her how to use it (since it has Windows 10 which is all new to her). I’m making her use Chrome now since it’s faster than Firefox. After the computer stuff I finally got around to eating a bit before B opened his presents. I got him a $25 gift card to Groupon since he loves that site and a $15 Dunkin Donuts card. We played a new game he brought over called Joking Hazard which is made by the guys who do the Cyanide and Happiness comics. It was fun, but just like Cards Against Humanity, it gets stale pretty fast. I took my winning cards and made one big epic comic with them:

Joking Hazard Comic

We didn’t get home until after midnight and I felt guilty about Wookie being cooped up while we were gone so I played with her for about an hour before going upstairs. Despite taking a Midnite, I didn’t fall asleep until sometime between 2:30 and 3 am.

Sunday Funday

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Sunday we met up with B and his g/f to go miniature golfing at Wilderness Falls since he had a Groupon that was expiring in a couple of days. It was fun even though it was a little overcast and windy. Afterward he generously treated us to lunch at Bulldog Alehouse where we all had boneless wings. Maybe it was just my imagination but the wings at the Bolingbrook location are larger and more tender than the wings at the one we usually go to in Carol Stream. Plus it seemed like they used more sauce. We had debated whether they were going to come back to our place after lunch but it was already almost 5 pm by the time we were done bullshitting so they decided to head home to carve pumpkins.

I wanted to get to bed early to try and reset my schedule after going to bed at 1:30 am Saturday night / Sunday morning so I made sure to be in bed by 10 pm. And then I proceeded to lie there awake until almost midnight when I finally caved and took a MidNite pill. That helped me fall asleep, but I still kept waking up all night so that sucked. I hope I don’t get a repeat of that tonight!

Halloween Activities

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Saturday B came over to hang out. When he first arrived he was hungry so we ran out for some food. After eating we made a trip to the library to grab a movie (we chose Shaun of the Dead) we could play while carving pumpkins. B wanted to get some exercise so we also took a walk around the park before heading home.

We made caramel apples first since they need to cool in the fridge for an hour before you can eat them.

Caramel Apple

We didn’t have a lot of nuts so mine isn’t as nutty as I would prefer but overall it still came out delicious because we sprung for Honeycrisp apples which weren’t too bad since Caputos had them for 99 cents per pound for a one day sale on Friday. I love them because they are so big a juicy and we cheat by using the unwrapped caramels.

I had forgotten how tiring pumpkin carving can be and I have a lot of respect for people who chose elaborate designs. I chose a simple jack-o-lantern and was still whining about my arm hurting after carving the eyes.

Pumpkin

Joe cut it open and helped me scrape the inside and he also did the mouth for me because I’m a big baby. I did pick out all the seeds from the three pumpkins so could roast them, however. Joe found directions that used butter in addition to salt so they came out a little different but still good. We send B home with half of them since we made a lot. I didn’t get a photo but B carved a skull and Joe went with two bats. You probably can’t tell from the photo but my pumpkin has some nasty spots on the right side but it’s holding up ok outside which might be thanks to the vasoline I rubbed all over the cut spots. Watch it get all nasty on Halloween since it’s supposed to be 75 degrees!

The evening ended with a trip to a couple of houses in a neighboring town that are known for having really cool decorations.

Mom’s Birthday Party

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Yesterday was the first day in a long time where I didn’t feel on edge with anxiety. It felt really good. I was so relaxed that on the drive home from my parents I was able to play my Tsum Tsum game on my phone without looking up (Joe was driving, obviously). Usually when we’re on the road late at night I’m constantly surveying the landscape trying to keep my eyes out for bad drivers who might cause an accident.

I have no idea why my anxiety temporarily took a vacation, but it was quite a strange feeling. I almost forgot what it feels like not to feel anxious. Isn’t that terrible? I had a lot going on that day too so it’s surprising I wasn’t more on edge. I prepared spaghetti and meatballs for dinner that evening as well as baked a batch of cupcakes, cleaned the rats’ cages, and made a salted caramel pecan cheesecake dip. I wanted to work out as well but after doing more dishes than I have in months my back was killing me. I took an ibuprofen before we left the house at 5:30 pm which really helped – I was pain free all night.

Both my cousins were able to make it to celebrate my mom’s birthday. J had ordered Domino’s pizza and my mom had other food which was a little surprising since I was under the impression we were in charge of all the food. As a result I made way more spaghetti than was needed so I left a bunch with my mom to freeze for J since he’s the one who requested it in the first place. We brought it in the crockpot so we could easily heat it and up and keep it warm, but I think that caused it to dry out a little so I might have to add more sauce to the leftovers we’ll be having for dinner tonight.

B had purchased a game called Pin the C*ck on the Jock complete with different sized penises. It was very funny especially some of the photos we got which I won’t be sharing here! B wanted me to text him one of the photos I took of him so I used that opportunity to point out I didn’t think his phone was working since he never replies to my texts. He claimed to not have received them and said AT&T’s coverage sucks. I never really had that experience with AT&T so I’m not entirely sure I believe him. I think he’s just too self-involved. I just wonder if I will ever just accept that we are never going to have the kind of relationship I want, you know, where he actually cares about what I’m up to and all that. I didn’t really even talk to him most of the evening although I couldn’t help asking him about his upcoming trip to Florida since it will be his first time visiting Disney World since he was very little. I just wish we could have had a real conversation about it but he gets so weird like he thinks you’re interrogating him when you’re just showing interest. Unless it’s a topic he wants to discuss and then he will talk your face off. Ugh, it’s so one-sided and yet I continue to hope it’s going to change. Why is it so hard for me to accept people for who they are and not what I wish they were?

Anyway, after my cousins left I brought out the Jellybelly Beanboozled (4th edition) game I had purchased awhile back at Target for $5.

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At first it was B, J, and me, although Joe joined in when I needed a break from the disgusting flavors. Dead fish was the worst, although I think they should call it rotten fish since all fish you eat is dead and it’s not that bad. J would eat the entire bean but as soon as I bit into it if it was a terrible flavor I spit it out. I ended up giving the leftover jellybeans to B so he could play it with his g/f or prank someone with them. Ew, never again! It was pretty funny, though, so there’s the entertainment factor, but once is enough.

We also played Left Center Right and a few games of Uno before it was almost midnight and we needed to leave. We listened to Electric Playground on Q101 on the ride home and I fell asleep to it as well. I actually turned it on during our Uno games and both my brothers teased me for being into EDM and cracking druggie jokes. This coming from one guy who likes Skrillex and the other who likes Insane Clown Posse, so pffft.

Flu Shot & Festivals

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Saturday morning we stopped at Chick-fil-A for breakfast (we each got a sandwich for free via their app) and then headed to the doctor so I could get my annual flu shot. With the new insurance I had to be careful not to discuss any health concerns with her otherwise I’d have to pay for an office visit whereas the shot is completely free. It was the quickest (5 minutes) doctor visit ever!

Afterward we had some time to kill so we headed over to Willowbrook Wildlife Center to look at the animals. I swear every time we go there they have a new pair of rats. What I’d love to know is what happens to the previous ones. Are they adopted out? Do they die? I’m half tempted to call them and ask. In any case, this girl (well, she wasn’t super young but not old either so I’d say somewhere between 28 and 38) was telling me about her pet rats. I mentioned I had some too but instead of engaging in actual dialog she just kept talking at me so I quickly made an exit. It’s astounding how self-involved people can be. Here I thought I was about to meet someone cool and like-minded but just like pretty much everyone else they were more concerned with talking than having an actual conversation. That was a bummer. What wasn’t was that we saw both flying squirrels which is unusual since they are nocturnal and hide in their nesting box during the day. I could have stood there for an hour just watching them jump around and eat but we had an event to check out.

The College of DuPage is across the street from the nature center and Joe had learned they were hosting a food truck festival. They even had discount vouchers ($15 for $10) but I waited too long to go online and try to purchase one so they were sold out. Despite that snafu, I was impressed with the number of trucks there.

What I wasn’t impressed with was the lack of signage directing people to the festival. It was back in a hidden area of the campus and the only thing that even remotely caught one’s eye was an arch of balloons over the pathway leading to the event. There weren’t any signs about the festival until you were well on the path towards it. WTF? Why wouldn’t they put that in the parking lot or one of the main streets that go past the campus? Did they not want too large of a crowd? It just boggles my mind.

Regardless, we found it, and our first stop was Happy Lobster where we each got a junior happy lobster roll ($20 total). It was pretty decent, although I think the roll itself was what saved it from being flavorless. The lobster roll we enjoyed in Boston in 2012 still reigns supreme. After that we shared a beef empanada ($2.50) from Grumpy Gaucho’s food truck which was just meh. By that point we wanted something sweet but much to my disappointment the Beavers Coffee & Donuts truck wasn’t open yet even though it was already 12:30 and the festival started at noon. You’d think they’d be a little more punctual for an event particularly if they want to sell coffee. Luckily our patience paid off and I was the first one in line when they did open. I got a small box of 9 mini donuts ($4) and asked them to put their free sugar toppings on them so that we had three powdered, three cinnamon, and three chocolate. They have all sorts of crazy toppings you can purchase for $1 each but I must say the free ones were plenty good on their own and the donuts just melted in your mouth since they were still warm. Definitely the highlight of the event.

Sunday after a large breakfast we headed to the CS Barks Festival in Carol Stream where we watched the frisbee and agility dogs. Lots of people brought their own dogs so that was fun. I didn’t bring my camera because I wasn’t in the mood to try and get photos and I’m glad I didn’t since the frisbee dogs weren’t so hot this year.

Sunday evening we enjoyed a second viewing of Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping. That movie is hilarious! We rented it from Redbox on Tuesday evening when it was released but wanted to see it again. This time we got it from the library and were able to access all the bonus content too including deleted and bonus scenes, a gag reel, and some of The Lonely Island’s music videos. I’m pretty sure I’ll be buying a copy of the movie at some point because it’s just that funny. I love Andy Samberg! I wish he’d do more movies.