Weekend Update with JJ

Had a great weekend this week. I had my fraternity reunion - otherwise known as Banquet. I have to admit I haven't been in YEARS, so I was a little nervous about who/what I could remember. The fact that the house wasn't even the same one was a bit weird (and sad) too. I surprised my big brother. :D It was sooooo great to see him again and we got to talk quite a lot and catch up. When they assigned him to me, they didn't realize that he grew up in the same small town that I did, and he actually graduated in the same class as my next door neighbor, so we always got along really well. Another odd thing, one of the other brothers that lived in the dorm across from me ended up teaching at my old HS after he graduated. Hubby and I (actually I !!!) drove down on Friday night after hubby got off work. We got there a bit after 10:30 pm. The husbands and Miko stayed at Beth's (my BFF from college and shes a TD little sis) since they were tired and we headed out to the new (to me) house. I must admit, it's so nice to finally be able to drink the water at the house straight from the tap. Let's just say that the road the old house was on is Yellow Sulpher and it fits. Beth and I got home at 2:30 am and were up around 5:30 or 6.

Once the guys were up we headed to Little Anthony's for breakfast. Hubby was in heaven. :) I had a bit of a dilemma, I really wanted to get the oatmeal with some sauteed apples and some bacon but they were all sides and would have costed more than my other choice - one of the breakfast specials of half plate sausage and gravy biscuit with bacon (1 biscuit instead of 2). I chose the special because it really was WAY different in price. *SIGH* I was good though. After that John, Beth, Miko and I were off to the TD softball game. This was the first time I was able to make it to the game. While in school I was a night monitor - the dorms with girls (either single sex or co-ed) had their doors locked (you could always get out but not in) at 11 pm and we were stationed there over night until 6 or 7 am the next morning (I can't remember when). We had to check ID's to make sure that that people lived there, and do rounds to make sure that no one had propped open doors (that happened quite often). Anyway, I worked Friday nights, so I was usually sleeping Saturday mornings. It was nice and Miko loved the attention. We got burned, I didn't even think about taking sunburn lotion (I don't tan, no use taking sunTAN lotion with me). After that we headed back to see if Beth's husband was back from picking up a Hokie bobble head from the lacrosse game - he had been back but was gone again. Miko was dropped off and we headed to Mike's Grill for lunch without him. Mike's Grill was my fave place while at Tech. We didn't go often (poor students and all), and since the burgers are huge (1/2 pound) we didn't eat lunch and went for an early dinner and still didn't finish them. I don't know why I love it so much, but maybe it's just because it's "our" place. Beth, Jen and I would go there, plan it out and just have fun. Course we always had fun. :) Beth got the french fries and I got the onion rings and we shared, the onion rings are great!

After lunch we headed off to find Mosaic. After the shooting at Tech a few years ago, I wanted to do something and the yarn store there offered to sew together squares that were knitted into blankets to give to the victims and their families. So I knitted an orange and maroon VT square and sent it off to them. I wanted to see the store since it wasn't there when I was on campus. John was even nice enough to let me buy some Claudia's Handpainted fingering weight wool yarn (for socks) in the colorway Hokies (maroon and orange). They have a very nice selection of yarns and I had a great time touching, and it was hard not to want to buy more.

We headed back to Beth's and her husband was there. He told us that Miko scared him. We're sleeping on the sofa bed, and she had apparently been sleeping under it while we were gone (we brought one of her beds with us but she didn't sleep in it). He didn't know that and he heard a scrambling under the bed and all the sudden she appeared. We all pretty much fell asleep not soon afterward, guess I'm old. Once we all woke up after our naps, we headed out so I could see how Tech itself has changed. We walked around downtown B'burg for a bit, and that has changed too! Beth and I still weren't very hungry after our lunch, but walking around was a good choice, because we were more hungry afterward. We decided to eat at Ceritano's Ristorante (http://www.ceritanos.com/pizza.html ) which is actually right up from Mike's. We decided to order two pizzas and share. They use fresh mozzarella on their pizzas, btw, and they are cooked in a wood-fired oven. We chose a pepperoni (Fra Diavolo: marina sauce, pepperoni, fresh mozzarella) I, of course, decided to be different and asked if it was ok to get the Bella Vista
(thinly sliced potatoes topped with extra virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, fresh rosemary, coarse black pepper) surprisingly everyone said yes. When it came out it smelled heavenly with the rosemary (my fave herb). I have made something like it when I was trying to eat vegan, so John and I knew it would be good, and it was. It was actually finished before the other one. Tom had just read that they got a gelato machine, so that was next. I got pineapple, John got strawberry, Beth got Oreo, Tom got hazelnut and something else I can't remember. It was GREAT! It was as good as what we got in Little Italy in NYC. If you're in B'Burg, you should definitely stop for their gelato since it will be warming up soon.

I must admit we returned home and pretty much all died and went to sleep. I'm definitely not able to handle what I used to. Woke up with Miko and walked her. The house across from Beth has horses, and I got to pet one of them. :D It likes to nuzzle and once more was interested in Miko but she wanted nothing to do with it. I called my cousin Matt and got directions to his apartment so we could pick him up for breakfast. Found him (I tell you, things have really changed, the names may be the same, but I don't recognize much) and we drove to the TD brunch at Cracker Barrel in Christiansburg. We had 22 people, and things were hoppin'! Eric had mostly lost his voice and to me I think I'll start calling him "squeaky". John and I headed home after that, stopping to say hi to mom, Keith, Kelly, BJ, and the kids (and use the bathroom at mom's). Mrs Mary was also there and I was able to say hello to her too. Found out we've got a b-day party to go to on the 9th. I can't believe that Kenny is going to be 40!