Pictures to show you how crazy the year was.*

*The links have more juicy details.

New Year's Eve 2008.


The room situation in 2008.


Boogying.


Valentines 2008 at the Slackers concert.


Spring Break Two Thousand Great: London.


At Archangel in London. Yes. My tights tore while I was out.


With Chrissy Poo, our host, at Imperial.


...and then we had a pillow fight.


On the London Eye. I told her to stay away from the window.


Spring Break London.


Some crazy fool in London.


Birthday dance with Zachary.


Birthday dinner. Happy 21st to me!


On a roof for Marathon Monday.


Semi-Annual End Of Semester binge.


Last day at COM Student Services.


Stanley Cup.


Ann Arbor. New friends, new experiences.


The Infamous Wednesday.


Nichole was such a slave driver. Look how she's forcing me to hold the monkey.

Emily's birthday. This was before she started rapping.


Going Away Luau.


The Semi-Annual Back To School Binge.


Many action shots were taken this year.


Parents Weekend and a visit from the family.


The hottest costume this Halloween.


Sometimes these things happen.


Being attacked.


Attacking Brian with my weapon. (I was the girl from Kill Bill, obviously.)


Christina H at An Tua Nua!


The typical scene at An Tua Nua.


Senior Hard Hat Party.


Dancing and singing at Com Prom.


Noelle's famous Pirate Eye.


Our first Thanksgiving feast.


Chi Phi formal: Reunion with Meaghan, our old roommate.


Thanksgiving with the cousins.


Chrissy Poo and the end of 20 Wads.


Secret Santa and holiday dinner.


Ice skating with cousin Anna.


Dancing our way into 2009.


New Year's Eve 2009: Ann Arbor.


It's going to be a good one. I can feel it.

Grandma wants the juicy details.

F Family tradition dictates that on Christmas Even the kids get to open one gift. Steve got The Octagon, a photography book featuring UFC fighters all beat up and nasty.

He flipped through the book with Gram. She was very concerned and appalled.

Gram: Do you wear something to protect your personal parts?

Reaction:

Grandma's Question from Maria F on Vimeo.

Weirdos in Logan, and Other Tales From the Road. Chapter Ten.

Forward
Chapter One: The Shadowboxing Magician
Chapter Two: Bug Eyes
Chapter Three: Lasso of Death
Chapter Four: Future Pilot
Chapter Five: Soldiers Making Out
Chapter Six: Steve Almost Pees Himself. Literally.
Chapter Seven: Schwayze's playing tonight but Uncle Bob is trying to hang squirrels.
Chapter Eight: On the Ice: Big Mike Scores Big and Anna Skates Away
Chapter Nine: Buca di Beppo: Crop Dusting and Gorging
Chapter Ten: Peppermint Bark


I am so glad I held on to the Peppermint Bark recipe.

Anna and I blast Fiona Apple on our way to the grocery store. Tonight is her last night; we will attempt Peppermint Bark.

We collect all our ingredients and start cooking.


It is 11:30 pm. While the chocolate melts, we try to figure out how to crush 6 oz of candy canes without waking anyone.


We put the candy canes in a freezer bag, each grab a weapon and run outside to beat the canes on the driveway.

BRRRRRR.

Our Peppermint Bark turned out heavenly. It was devoured in less than 24 hours.

Great success.

Weirdos in Logan, and Other Tales From the Road. Chapter Nine.

Forward
Chapter One: The Shadowboxing Magician
Chapter Two: Bug Eyes
Chapter Three: Lasso of Death
Chapter Four: Future Pilot
Chapter Five: Soldiers Making Out
Chapter Six: Steve Almost Pees Himself. Literally.
Chapter Seven: Schwayze's playing tonight but Uncle Bob is trying to hang a squirrel.
Chapter Eight: On the Ice. Big Mike Scores Big and Anna Speeds Around.
Chapter Nine: Buca di Beppo: Crop Dusting and Gorging

Buca di Beppo is a small Italian restaurant in downtown Birmingham. It's dad's favorite. The decor is random and awesome with strange pictures covering the walls and tacky little do-dads hidden everywhere. The tables are in the basement; it looks like what I'd imagine a Speak Easy to have been but with more booths and brighter lighting.

Ten of us shuffle into a booth by a 3 foot picture of a girl with her chest popping out of a leotard being fed spaghetti by some unidentified man. The servings are family style so we order many large dishes to share.

We stuff ourselves to capacity. The food is delicious. Dessert comes and Aunty Ann starts drooling.



Steve calls dad and Uncle Bob secret fat kids because they are arguing over which of them will get how much of which dessert. We all battle the food coma at the end of the meal.


As we stood to put on our coats, one person in the party who's identity will be protected, announced that everyone should stay away because they were crop dusting.

This is one of many new words Anna learned while staying with her cousins.

Crop dusting
	v. farting while walking or running n. crop duster

Joe's expert predictions hold that this will be a good year for crops.

Weirdos in Logan, and Other Tales From the Road. Chapter Eight.

Forward
Chapter One: The Shadowboxing Magician
Chapter Two: Bug Eyes
Chapter Three: Lasso of Death
Chapter Four: Future Pilot
Chapter Five: Soldiers Making Out
Chapter Six: Steve Almost Pees Himself. Literally.
Chapter Seven: Schwayze's playing tonight but Uncle Bob is trying to hang a squirrel.
Chapter Eight: On the Ice. Big Mike Scores Big and Anna Speeds Around.

We are finally home! Our luggage is not. But it's good to see family and be out of the airport.

Uncle Bob did,, in fact set up a wire noose to trap squirrels in the back yard. I don't know what he plans to do with them. Or what on earth he's thinking.

We haven't seen our cousins in three years. We catch up in the kitchen and over dinner then head to dad's hockey game.

Dad plays hockey at least once a week. I'm so glad we get to watch! In the bleachers, Steve and Joe scream "Let's go Big Mike!" every time dad hits the ice. I commentate for Anna, explaining some of the rules and the calls. She asks if I'm a Tom Boy.

The opposing team is changing lines. We spot an older man with a white beard, green shorts and bright red socks. He looks creepily like Santa. Another player on the opposite team is bleeding form the face. Did dad do that to him? Santa gets a penalty and is guided to the box.

Dad's the man. He scores two goals, one on an awesome breakaway. He's rising in the ranks of goal scorers for the league. He averages about one goal per game. Tonight he's on fire and leads the team to victory. That's my dad!


The next day dad brings us all ice skating. Anna hasn't been in a while. The last time she went she was injured badly.

What a trooper. She laces up and joins us on the ice. At first she won't leave the side but she eventually picks up the pace and moves toward the center. Dad teaches Dominic to skate backwards.


The four boys play tag on the ice, zipping around little kids and novices. Steve looks like a ninja and Joe is checking out some high school girls in spandex.

Good to be home!

(me and the cousins)