A Brief Trip Before The Work Begins

It is Sunday evening, Mother's Day, and also the eve of my summer work. It is needed to be said that work is not all that bad, I rather enjoy it. However, there is much more time to talk about that. Let us recap the last few wonderful days...

Wednesday: woke up at 6:15 so I could study Greek before the exam at 8. I took the exam at 8 and felt fairly uneasy about it. Rushing to the BBC was the next activity as Jess and myself said our goodbyes to Todd. I was checked out of my room at 9 a.m. and then ran out to the car so Jess and I could get on the road. Having to drop my car off in Brookfield was the final stop before hitting the road for Michigan. Finally! We arrived at Jess' home around 8:00 eastern time. We took a walk later that evening and then called it a night around 12:30 (again, eastern time).

Thursday was filled with fun activities, such as taking pictures of the blossoming flowers. Here take a look...

This is one of my favorite pictures that I took. This would not be all the fun to be had for Thursday, Jess and I then went shopping! I bought some much needed summer clothes and found an amazing pair of pants from Express that I really wanted, but did not get (or did I?). Later that evening Jess, Phil, Hannah and myself went to see Spider Man 3. I left perplexed by the poor reviews I had seen, I thought it was great, not to mention the many Biblical parallels. We all were tired when we got home and the bed was calling to me, thus ended a great day.

Friday was a day of much to do and see. We went into Leeland, the town that Jess works in all summer and where their church is located. Visiting a local art store was first on the list, the owners are members of the same church as Jess' family, this made it a fun visit. Johnston is the business and marketing end of the art store and Brenda is the artist, they also have two amazingly cute girls. After this we went to get coffee and lunch at the bakery/specialty food store just a block away. The coffee was good and the sandwich I had was magnificent! We then left to go back to Traverse City where I bought the aforementioned pants. Returning home, we waited anxiously as we picked out a restaurant to patron later that evening to celebrate Jess' 21st birthday (a few days early).

The place we decided to patron is called North Centennial Inn and they had quite the menu. However, Jess and I went for the fillet. This particular fillet was covered in a caramelized port wine sauce and was the best sauce I ever have had on a steak. I was impressed! We capped off our dining experience with desert and what a desert it was.... Fried bananas wrapped in a puff pastry topped with vanilla bean sorbet and plated with caramel and macadamia nuts. What a desert! I left less than stuffed (I despise felling stuffed to the point of hating food) and well pleased. I even told our kind waitor how impressed I was with the restaurant (not as if I would have an opinion *wink wink*).

Saturday night I took the ferry home, and Todd whatever you heard about the ferry it is most likely true. What a "moving" trip, and by moving I mean my stomach. Sure, we crossed the lake in 2 hours, but at what cost?! Nausea? Upset stomach? A Pepto Bismol commercial? I did survive and arrived home at 1:30 and then attended the late church service with my family. On Mother's day the whole Maassen side met for brunch at North Hills Country Club where we ate many great things and gave my mother her gift. My siblings, dad and myself gave my mom a pink iPod nano for Mother's day and her birthday in about a month. She enjoys using it and I had to help put all the music on. Well that is about it... off to a busy week and unfortunate week with Jess on the other side of the lake. Have a look for yourself, she is there... At least it is only 25 days until I see her.