and then Connecticut

So, after the miraculous mimosas on the final day of my conference, I made my way up to GCC in the rain with my stupid rolly bag and empty metro card, because I'm just really good at life. I eventually arrived, and while texting with MB about ticket purchases and meeting spots and current locations, we realized that we were in the exact same spot so looked up and said hi. Then we went downstairs so I could buy chug sized Stellas and french fries for my very strict diet.

The train ride was weirdly awesome. I mean sure, the fries and Stella helped, and when Ellie showed up with Heineken it was clear that we were destined for greatness. At one point we lamented that we had forgotten to bring cups, but then Hedwig saved the day. Oh my God, that is a whole other post, right? Let's see how talky I get in this one. The Hedwig cups are a beautiful story.

Anyway. The train! The train!

Smiles, everyone.

Mom picked us up at the station, and we headed home with her to settle in for a little while before the Big Night we had ahead. It was so great to see my mom, I miss that woman something fierce. I loved seeing the improvements she's made to the abode (wow!) and the little touches she always has at the ready that make me feel like she was excited for me to come. That's a good feeling, you know? That's a good mom.

A short time later, we made our way up to the clubhouse for the Chinese Auction. When mom had emailed weeks earlier that there was a chinese auction planned for the very night we'd all be in town, she asked if we might want to go. I was all HELL YEAH because I'm a joiner. It took some time to work out who was where and when and why before discovering that the stars would indeed align for our places to be firmly ensconced at Table Numero Uno (or however you say that in Chinese).

We headed up to the place where the cannonballs happen

The pool! I definitely have another whole post with comparative photos from this very angle.

But tonight, the evening belonged to Chia Obama. I mean, c'mon.

Cheer up, El. Also: spoiler alert... see that eyeball thing in Ellie's left hand? Take note.

The Chinese Auction was hilariously entertaining and we at the head table reveled fully in every single moment. Mom's good friend David was the auctioneer, and his husband Elliott tried to win everything, but it turns out we treehugging Coreys are more competitive than you've been led to believe, as evidenced by the above photo.   

David was the quintessential professional, modeling options for what each wrapped treasure could possibly be

Would you look at that crowd? Riveted.

The table decor made for fabulous headgear, I wore this until it was quite literally taken from my head for storage until next year's event.

You think I won't be there? Incorrect.

My lovely, lovely, loves.

But what lurks beneath the adjoining lamp?

Oh dear. Here comes trouble.

This is the part with the montage of awful photos. This is what I said drove me to make Connecticut its own post. And here I am droning on and on about all that OTHER great stuff.

So here's the story. It's our tradition to walk over to the neighborhood bar when visiting mom's. She lives in a great little community with an adorable downtown concentration of establishments roughly surrounding the train station where MB and Mark are often taking their leave, so we usually walk over en masse until departure time, then whomever does not hop on a train walks back. This time we were all sleeping over, so there were no deadlines. It had been such a fun day and night - you guys, this is the SAME DAY that I trudged out in the rain and Ellie went to brunch at Kelly's.  How can it was?

We were in it to win it, man. We decided to take some photos.

Okay, so we started off okay. Happy, love each other, yada.

Then Mark and I decided we should be photographed separately because we were Uconn twins, and.. well. See for yourself:

Oh my God, I die laughing every time. My hair! My face! The photographer's finger! It's just so freaking funny/awful, and guess what? There is video. Not fit for public consumption video, but video nonetheless.

We ended the night on a high note, surreptitiously swiping some St. Paddy's day decor for mom out of the goodness of our Irish hearts.

Which made the perfect backdrop for mom's mimosa the following morning.

Did you take note of the eyeball?

And then, before that eye could even blink, I was on the road to home, and away from home.

Bye, NYC. I heart you.

And that, my friends, concludes part 1 of Jacquie's Excellent March Forth Adventure. 

Next stop: Chicago!