Homeward Bound

I know why people say, “Home is where the heart is.” Hearts are like horcruxes. Every time you move, your heart splits into another piece and leaves it behind, and it’s impossible for all pieces to be in the same place at the same time.

I squooshed my four days to work last week Monday to Thursday so I could take Friday off and have a long weekend. Though it pained me to leave Davy at one of my homes considering I hadn’t seen him much last week, I was on a mission. Even though I had Friday off, I woke up uncharacteristically early which gave me time to do some chores around the house and snuggle with the kitties.

 

They never ever both cuddle with me at the same time (unless I’m asleep), so I had to snap a picture. Maybe because it was Friday the 13th!

Around 11:00, I drove straight to Manitowoc to spend the day working with my mom at the new shop she’s managing.

She was busy with customers, so she put me to work tagging tea, popcorn, and working on a few displays. They weren’t even technically open yet, so it was amazing how busy it was.

I also got to put a fairy garden together!

 

The time flew by and soon it was time to meet my friend Amanda’s parents for dinner.

We walked over the river to one of my mom’s favorite Manitowoc restaurants: 8th and York.

Mom and I got there a little early, so we ordered a bottle of wine to split.

The atmosphere of the restaurant was very unique, as it was inside of an old national bank.

Someone please explain why there is a couch in the bathroom. Is it for gal pals who go in groups?

Mom ordered us spring rolls to start; she said they were amazing here, and she was right!

The cilantro dipping sauce really made the spring roll.

As for the menu, they had an interesting combination of food, an upscale American-Asian-Mexican fusion. I ordered the fish tacos, which were described as “two flour tortillas filled with sweet flaky whitefish, and topped with pico de gallo spicy remoulade, shredded lettuce and sour cream.” I chose a salad as my side with balsamic vinaigrette.

It was a nice mixture of lettuces instead of all-iceberg, which was refreshing.

My fish tacos were delicious. The whitefish was perfectly cooked, but I especially loved the spicy remoulade. It had a nice kick that paired nicely with the sour cream.

Dave and I don’t go out to eat very often, so it was fun to have a night out on the town again. The honey moon acted as a flashlight for me on my drive home….the home my parents live in, that is.

 

The next morning I was up bright and early to have coffee with my parents. They have a very different routine when it comes to coffee. It is consumed on lawn chairs as the sun comes up, and you only drink a half cup at a time, refilling it for an hour or two until it’s time to start the day. After coffee, I took a little road trip with Dad to the landfill and then came back and got ready for the day…..then took a bunch of pictures of my mom’s pretty garden.

 

I was really excited to see a bumble bee–it’s been ages.

I had plans to meet my friend Nicole for coffee at noon, so I decided to go visit my friend Shelby for a little bit first. As it was still early and she was not yet showered, I didn’t take any pictures, even though she looked as beautiful as always. 🙂

I went to my grandma’s house to visit for a little bit, but was surprised to find that everyone was still asleep at 11:00. Instead of hanging around there, I made a quick pit stop at Gordman’s and snagged a $10 swimsuit-cover-up to wear as a dress to the play. I had mine all layed out with a sweater and belt and left it hanging on the door at home. (!!!!)

I decided to park at my grandma’s house and walk to meet Nicole to get a little sun and exercise.

 

The Locktender’s house just opened on the river as a little cafe, and I was itching to try it. My dad’s friend owns it, and it is being run by my favorite coffee shop in Green Bay: Kavarna.

The server was working on the menu, so I wasn’t able to see what they had. I ordered an iced coffee and veggies with hummus once he assured me those were available, and Nicole and I headed out to the river to chat and take in the beautiful day.

It was so good to see Nicole again! She and I used to be as close as peas and carrots, but life happened. We had a lovely time catching up, and we stayed outside so long that I completely forgot that I was getting roasted by the sun.

It was beautiful, but I had to go back to get my birthday present of dinner and a show; Mom and Emily bought me a ticket to see The Phantom of the Opera!

Mom and I picked up her friend Debbie and headed to Appleton to enjoy dinner at Good Company before the show.

There was a 45 minute wait, so we sat at the bar and enjoyed a cocktail.

Look at my lovely sunburn. That will teach me to go out without sunscreen.

Eventually, it started getting so late that we were worried about getting to the show in time. We asked if we could just eat at the bar, and the bartender said, “Or you could sit at the open table behind you. Those reserved seats are just for people drinking at the bar.” (Um…..why didn’t you say that an hour ago?)

I was famished having only eaten veggies and hummus all day, so I dug into the bread as soon as they brought it out.

Mom, Debbie, and I were having so much fun talking–those girls are a hoot!

I ordered the Veggie Ruben with french fries, and ate it in approximately 3 minutes, both due to hunger and anticipation of getting to the play on time.

It was good, but it would have been better if I didn’t have to hoover it.

We made it to the play with plenty of time to spare.

I’m not sure why they use this full mask on their programs, since The Phantom only ever seems to have a half mask on. Curious.

The show itself was just……incredible. Just like every time I see a musical, I remember that I want to learn to sing and dance and become a stage actress.

Even working backstage would be wonderful. It is amazing what they can do now with scenery. This was my first time seeing the play, and all I could think about on the way home was how much I want to see the movie now. It was a wonderful birthday present, and I’m so glad I got to go.

Mom and I got home late, and I was up early again the next day for Father’s Day. After our coffee routine, I picked up my sister Emily and my niece Aurelia, and we headed to my grandparent’s house so my dad could wish his dad a ‘Happy Father’s Day.’

I haven’t been to my grandparent’s house in awhile, so we had fun playing with all the toys in their garage.

This is my grandma’s new dog Toby, who I met for the first time: he’s part Pomeranian and part Terrier.

We stayed at Grandma and Grandpa’s for an hour or so and then headed to the park with some groceries to cook out.

We were at the park for less than an hour when a strong gale wind came whipping through, and rain threatened overhead. The rain definitely thwarted our cookout plan, so we drove over to my brother’s apartment instead. Luckily, the sun came out, and the wind died down.

Linner was a veggie dog, broccoli salad, potato salad, pita chips with hummus and some chips, after which I convinced my family to take a group picture for Father’s Day.

We definitely need some work.

That’s a little better.

The day flew by, and soon I was in the car again, homeward bound to Davy.