I'm back in LA after a wonderful 6 day trip back to Plymouth, Wisconsin. To be perfectly honest, the time back home went way too fast and I wish I was still hanging out with my family for a few more days. Normally, I'm pretty excited to get back to LA and back to my friends, work, and acting, but this weekend went by all too quickly and I wish I had just a couple more days with my Mom & Dad to relax since it was such a hectic week!
My flight got into Milwaukee around 6 pm on Wednesday and after my parents picked me up we had to stop by Potawatomie Casino for Mom since we were nearby. Dad and I headed to the bar to grab a drink while Mom played her 'free' cash. I ordered my first Amber beer and it was delicious! Dad and I talked sports, LA, what's been happening in Wisconsin among other things. After about 45 minutes Mom had lost her money and we were getting ready to leave. She told me to play the 'Wizard of Oz' slot machine since the last time we went I actually won a bunch of money on it. I wasn't feeling it but played a couple pulls anyway...nothing. So Mom sits down at the open one next to me, puts some money in, and 2 pulls later wins almost $1100! I don't think any of us could believe it...it was one of those surreal moments that happened in slow motion. The number just kept going up and no one got excited or yelled because I think we were all in shock. Dad pulled that cash voucher out immediately and went to cash it before we left. Mom's never won that much so we were all very excited for her. Good for you Mom! We went to Lisa's Pizza in Milwaukee, where my Mom and Dad had their first date over 30 years ago and is one of our favorite restaurants to go to and usually a staple when we're in Milwaukee. The food was delicious like usual. By the way, a parking ticket in downtown Milwaukee is $19 in case you were wondering (and we didn't get one, just inquired) while one in LA is over $70. I was also able to meet up with a good friend of mine who went to Winona State with me but now lives in Plymouth. Dan was heading to a Baseball Game that weekend so we met up at Antonio's to have a couple drinks, or for me, a Leinenkugel's Berryweiss and chat!
On Thursday Mom and I went to Oneida Casino in Green Bay. Yes, this was something we planned, and while I'm not a big gambler, Mom enjoys it and I knew we would get to spend time together so hopefully I would win like I did the last time we went around Christmas. That was not the case, Mom and I both lost...a lot. I just wasn't feeling any of the machines that day but Mom and I had a lot of fun together, watching all the crazies, including a woman who stayed at the same machine for the whole time we were there (which was about 5 hours), winning and losing. We took a little walk outside and enjoyed the fresh Wisconsin air and also had the Lunch Buffet which was really good...Cheesy Bacon soup...oh yes! We made it home in time to watch a movie with Dad before bedtime for everyone!
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| Happy Birthday Dad! |
Friday was my Dad's Birthday and we were having a Birthday Party at my cousin's house, because of all the family that was in town, and we were also celebrating Olivia's 4th Birthday as well. During the day I went to the library to check my e-mail and get some stuff done. It's amazing that it smelled the exact same way it did when I used to go every week as a little kid and that brought back awesome memories. I was really happy to see that when we got to my cousin's house, Greta and Grayson, her kids, remembered me, and Olivia seemed to recognize me as well. It was my first time meeting Dru and I was excited to see the rest of my family as well and catch up with them since they were visiting from Japan and Texas, as well as the fam that still lives in Wisconsin. I ended up playing with the kids the majority of the time I was there and had a blast. I'll get more into that in my 'Playtime' blog! After the Birthday Party we all headed over to Antonio's to have a couple drinks and I was meeting up with my good friend, Brittany and her boyfriend, Josh. I had never met her boyfriend and hadn't seen her in at least 2 years so I was very excited to catch up! The Lakers were on, I was hanging out with my family, and good friend and saw some other friends from Plymouth High School. Meg, we definitely need to set up a fun photo shoot for December! When we first got there we ordered 2 beers and 3 drinks, which cost $18.50...how I miss Wisconsin prices! It ended up being a really fun night and hopefully it won't be so long before I see my friends again. Friday also ended up being a creative day for me because I was in the mood to write some lyrics. So I pulled out my notebook and wrote down a few lines and feelings. It was slightly difficult to get into a creative mood this past week with all that was going on but I'm glad I was able to keep up with my Castings and e-mails and get some lyrics written while I was home.
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| Britt & I at Antonio's in Plymouth |
On Saturday I started cleaning out our refrigerator when I couldn't find something I was looking for. We threw away a whole bag of expired food...it was like the Black Hole in there. There was even cheese from 2001! Bobby made it home in time for lunch and Dad grilled out. I was excited to be eating a Johnsonville Bratwurst. That night after Church (once again, more on that in my 'Playtime' blog) we went to St. Anne for Dad's Birthday Dinner. We played Spades during our hour long wait and then sat down to have our dinner. It's been a long time since I've had a steak and it's always perfection there! We got a Birthday Cake and sang for Dad before we headed back home. Then Dad and I made our usual stop by Rosie's Bar for a couple drinks before heading over to Lindy's to play cards with the whole family.
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| Potato & Pasta Salad...YUM! |
Sunday was my Aunt Nadene's Celebration of Life. She passed in November from Throat Cancer and we wanted to have a gathering to Celebrate her life. Her iPod played in the background along with a slideshow of pictures she had. Over 40 people came, many of whom I haven't seen in years, and got to catch up with. It was great to see everyone, have a great meal, and enjoy some cake while turning a negative situation into a more positive event! It was an absolutely beautiful day outside so Mom and I went for a walk after the Celebration. Before Bobby left we all ended up outside shooting a couple rounds on the .22. Dad had blown up a frying pan just a day or two before and had now placed golf balls on a string to shoot over 100 yards away from the deck. I didn't hit anything on my first round, but the first bullet out of the .22 on my second round hit that golf ball round and round. I was done after that :) Unfortunately, earlier that day I had found out I had an Audition that afternoon for a movie in LA but couldn't attend. I hate when that happens but there's nothing I can do while I'm in Wisconsin and I'm super aware of what day the audition is to make sure I'm available when I submit so something must have changed to make it on a day while I was out of town. Bummer!
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| The Wegner Clan |
Monday was my last day in Wisconsin so Mom and I went on a long walk that morning before we played cards, just me and her, while snacking on leftover food from Sunday. Dad came home from work early so that we could go to Dinner at Cheesecake Factory in Milwaukee before I got on my flight to LA. When we got to the Airport my flight had been delayed for a half hour but instead of leaving me at the Airport to wait, my parents stayed with me and we played a few games of Spades before I made my way through security and right onto the plane. The whole time back home just went by so quickly and perhaps that's a good thing because now I want to go home much sooner than my planned Christmas trip. So Wisconsin watch out...I may be back sooner than you think!
Oh, and Chewies.
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