homecoming

Adrian came back at some point before Halloween (the days blend together.) Jesse Jesse was the first to arrive on Saturday morning, fresh from a UK shopping spree likely inspired by Aeri. Herbs and dried fruits and a whole new wardrobe. Diedre and Marlene came back in the evening with pictures of Greece, so the girls, Kyle and I went to aperitivo and got back just in time for Sal’s and Gerard’s returns. This was followed by a massive effort to get everyone to go out, even those who had gone to bed. This proved successful, so we went barhopping and stopped by a few clubs. Back at home, we played, up-the-river-down-the-river and kings with Ognissantinis and Frescobaldi wine and 95. Sal, Diedre (who forgot about this), and I had breakfast really really early in the morning. Cheesy scrambled eggs with diced onions, pancetta substituting in as bacon, and hash browns. Sal and I tried to play Rummy, but after one round he just had to crash.

So besides all that late-night adventuring and the day of sleeping and grocery shopping, we had a HUGE “family dinner,” and Tanjila arrived back just in time. We spent the entire afternoon and early evening cooking and snacking on chicken nuggets, fried potato skins, and broiled zucchini slices with balsamic and parm.

• Veal stew with porcini mushrooms and cipollini onions
• Rosemary bread
• Curried chicken
• Curried grown beef
• Vegetable cous cous
• Beef and porcini pasta
• Mashed potatoes
• Lots of sparkling, red, and white wines
• Chocolate pudding upside down cake
• Pear pie
• Banana pudding with sugar cookies

We also went around the table and said what we were grateful for:

• Sal – Stonybrook having a study abroad program
• Gerard – food more delicious and complicated than cereal, yogurt, and buttered pasta
• Jesse – that the best part of break was coming home
• Marlene – that we let her move in
• Kyle – a lack of drama
• Diedre – a clean kitchen
• Tanjila – the laughter we all provide
• Adrian – that someone was odd enough to put two random brothers here
• Myself – us finally having a family-style dinner together

But yeah, after that foodgasm, major food comas began. People sort of drifted off to sleep Thanksgiving style, which was made easier by the candlelight we'd dined by. We stopped combating the cave-like qualities of our living room with lights and decided to embrace its dimly lit atmosphere.
Beginning with our going out at midnight and ending with our relaxed sleepy time at midnight, yesterday was definitely the best 24 hours the apartment has ever seen.