Gone for the weekend

Hopefully I can leave work early this afternoon, get The Boy out early (unlikely if the fucking stock market drops by 300 points again today...but for now it looks OK) and get Munchkin all packed and ready to go. I would like to get going as early as possible...

I am looking forward to going back to Chicago, although I find myself thinking about this trip a little differently than maybe the past couple of them. This feels more like going away to visit than it does like going home. I guess that makes sense...I haven't lived there full time in six years now, and have lived here and been settled for going on two and a half. This is definitlely home for me and for Munchkin, too.

It will be nice to see family and friends, though...it has been too long. I haven't seen Tinkerbelle and the rest of my father's family since they were out here to visit this summer, and it has been even longer than that for my Mother's family. Munchkin was out there in July after Big Sis' wedding, but I haven't been since last spring.

The Boy and I are staying with the BFF's, and Munchkin is staying with her brother and it will be a pretty action-packed weekend. Hopefully we can get in early enough that we can go out and meet some of my old friends for a bit (Munchkin is getting picked up at the airport, so we don't have to drop her anywhere, which saves time.) She is with her brother all day tomorrow, and has a birthday part for an old friend, too. And I have a date with Tinkerbelle:-) Then a party at my father's sister's house to see the whole fam.

Sunday we should get to hang out with our Mother's family for a bit (except for the ones I have disowned). And if I am lucky, it won't be too late when we get back home on Sunday:-)

One final note: congratulations to Billy on passing the bar...good work! Hope everyone has an excellent weekend!