So, my work week was pretty busy and I didn’t have a lot of time to post. I’ll start with Thursday. My friend Amanda and I went to the mall to shop for gifts for Jodie’s bachelorette party. I couldn’t go, but I wanted to send along some fun XXX-rated goodies. Jodie couldn’t make it to my bachelorette party, but she sent along some of the best stuff among all my presents, so I had to repay her.

I came home with Amanda and wrapped them, with no help from the cats. There were some feathers… ahem…. on some of the gifts, and Ferris tried to run off with some lingerie. I managed to get everything wrapped and inside the bag, and the cats STILL couldn’t leave them alone.

I sent along the fun stuff with Amanda to take along with her to Maine, saddened I couldn’t make it.

I took some cute pics of the cats at the end of the week.

I had to type up a story for the newspaper, and Ferris laid smack up against me with his head resting on the backspace button. I had trouble reaching it, so I’m hoping my email to my editors didn’t have TOO many typos. He cracks me up.

Simone acted cute while lying in our laundry basket, forcing me to take pictures of our incredibly embarrassingly messy hallway.

First of all, these are clean clothes. At least, they are clean except for cat hair. Neal and I have major issues with our clothes. On any given day, you can come over to our house and find clothes everywhere. It’s pretty bad. We never put them away in our closet/drawers. It’s embarrassing, but whatever, HAHA. It’s because we are lazy and also because we don’t have enough room. I manage to clean up when we have guests over, so make sure you don’t come over unannounced, HAHA. Just kidding!

Friday, I was super hungry for baked chicken. I picked up some fresh corn-on-the-cob at Central Market and made crash potatoes.

Yeah, I know that baking sheet is ghetto. I separate the bakeware I use for cooking from the bakeware I use for baking. This is “cooking” bake sheet.

After dinner, I set out to make these blueberry crumb bars that I saw on one of my favorite cooking sites, smitten kitchen. I took the bars to my annual family reunion in Caledonia.

Neal and I watched TV for a little, and then it was time for bed. We always get up to go to Caledonia, which is about an hour away before the sun gets up. We had to meet my family at a gas station across town at 5:15 a.m.

Just like last year, we were the first ones there. No surprise. I grabbed my much-needed cup of coffee and was good to go.

We got to Caledonia about 6:30 a.m. The first step is always set up and cooking the pounds and pounds of bacon.

That’s my dad working his bacon grill on the left, and my brother, Tad, on the right.

More people started arriving and we began firing up the breakfast potatoes and chipped beef gravy (my favorite).

Neal took over “the grease pit,” as my brother calls it, or the bacon station while my brother ate.

Everyone feasted on their choice of bacon, eggs, pancakes, potatoes and chipped beef gravy.

That’s my ol’ grandma on the right. I don’t get to see her as much as I should, but she always enjoys Caledonia and hanging with the family.

After breakfast, we took a walk. I’m a dummy and forgot to take my camera. Part of our walk was on the Appalachian Trail, which was pretty cool. We saw some Appalachian Trail hikers later in the day.

Our little campsite is right along some stream. As a kid, I used to think the water was really deep, HAHA, but I would still get in it with my cousins and brother and try to catch minnows and crayfish.

That’s me peeking at the hamburgers cooking in our “secret sauce.” Yum! That’s pretty much all we do at our reunion, eat breakfast, eat lunch, HAHA

One of my Dad’s cousins was sitting with his granddaughter. She asked what a “reunion” was and he said “It’s when you get together with family to remember old times.” Isn’t that sweet?

We didn’t stay real long, since we get there so early. But I had a really nice time. Bummed I had to miss out on Jodie’s bachelorette party, but I know it means a lot to my dad to go to the reunion, and I really do enjoy it.

I have more pics from this weekend that I’ll post later, including some yummy homemade rolls I made on Sunday.