ON HOME:

I've spent the weekend in my hometown, and I noticed several things:

1) Everything has changed. I moved away about four and a half years ago, and each time I've come back, there's been new restaurants, new hotels, and new retail outlets. Places that were fields or farmland are now subdivisions and stores. Heck, "Kiddieland" has been replaced by a "Culver's" and a "Holiday Inn Express." It makes me a little sad to see all of this happen while I was gone, like the planners for Northwest Indiana don't care about my memories

1a) I threw up at Kiddieland. I was there for a friend's birthday party, rode
"The Octopus," then "The Galaxy" roller coaster three times in a row. My
lunch of grilled hot dogs got left on the asphalt outside the bathroom.
1b) The corner where my car would stall every morning now has a stop sign. Had this existed fourteen years ago, High School Me would have been less
embarrassed every morning.

2) I miss my "home friends." We got together for a wedding reception on Saturday night and it was good. We got together to hang out and do nothing on Sunday evening and it was better. Although I've met some outstanding people and made some lasting friendships in other places, there's something to be said for home friends.

2a) I won the dice game "10,000" the first time I played. In your face, friends.
2b) I still miss my "away friends," so this is a bit of a wash.

3) I didn't think I missed my family this much. Even my brother, who has the social skills of a tired housecat - that is, indifference most of the time, but occasionally - watch out. But hanging out with him and his family, hanging out with my dad (my mom is in California with my sister), and even seeing my grandma...it's hard to be a thousand miles away, but I'm probably a better person for it.

3a) I showed my dad "Google Maps," and he was so happy that you could see how green his lawn was from a satellite.
3b) My brother tried to charge me for staying the night at his new house. I
charged him right back for having to drop off his tux this afternoon.