Vacation starts now, kinda.

The weekend in the Catskills could not have come at a better time! Hanging out with nine other lovely, great friends was definitely needed while Jesse was in a time zone difference of 14 hours. Here are some things that happened:

• "Why is everybody going to the Catskills this weekend?" - traffic talk in the girls car made up of Kells, Jen, and myself.
• I didn't know that going to the Catskills entailed going through New Jersey. Guess where we hit traffic?
• Sometimes when you start out tagging things on Instagram and Twitter with #vacationstartsnow it kind of just sticks for the entire weekend.
• Oh, this is where we hung out all weekend, it was PRETTY OKAY:

[Photo by Lyndsay]

• Driving up the winding mountain roads and taking in the beautiful but sometimes horror-movie-esque surroundings, it was no surprise when the nearest location tag at the cabin was "Abduction Barn." Makes sense.
• Our party consisted of four couples and Gaby and me. Gaby and I bunked in the 'kids room,' it was cool.
• Also, two dogs. Pegs and Riggins, both adorable with various sweaters worn throughout the weekend:

[Photo by Kells]

• Everyone was delegated a meal to prepare. Since I don't prepare many meals and certainly not for ten people and was one of the non-couples, I pitched in with what I knew: chips, salsa, dip, meats and cheeses, and six bottles of champagne with which to make mimosas in the morning. Plus, I'm really good at doing the dishes.
• Most everyone went skiing on Saturday. I lack any talent in skiing or general coordination so I cozied up with the other three left behind for a day of pure relaxation -- painting nails, 21 Jump Street, general true crime shows on cable, cleaning the kitchen, and sporadic napping.
• GAMES! We all played many, many games as the snow fell near constantly outside. From psychological games like Mafia to old classics like Celebrities (aka Notables aka Characters aka Inside Jokes aka Benjamin Netanyahu Smoke Signals) -- all were fun in this group. If anyone can find a game to play, it's Jon Cheese.

[Lyndsay and Gaby playing Mafia]

• A lot of people know how to cook really well, and it was a delectable weekend when it came to the meals and I'm thinking of trying to kickstart cooking at home... maybe a weekly recipe or something. Props to Dan, Lyndsay's husband, for spending more than an hour cooking the most elaborate and delicious meal (the first photo in the post, Dan is at the far head of the table).
• I found out what an NBA all-star dunk contest entailed.
• Since only one bottle of champagne was used the first morning, I think you can guess as to how we really went for it with the mimosas on the second morning.
• I finally learned what the heck the 'Harlem Shake' phenomena was -- video doesn't work at work, and I'm too impatient after work on my computer...honestly, I started watching two different Harlem Shake videos last week and stopped them five seconds in. Obviously this was the wrong tactic if I really wanted to figure out what they were all about. Good thing Erica filled me (and some others) in.
• The weather was bitter cold on Sunday; too cold for the adventurers to go ski. Thus, after a long and lingering brunch with all those mimosas and bloody marys, we played more games.

[Never NOT a good time.]

• We also watched 21 Jump Street -- again. 
• We may or may not have filmed a Harlem Shake video.
• Writing down stuff legibly in your journal becomes proportionally more difficult the more mimosas you've had.
• I snuck off for a clandestine nap.
• When I woke up I decided to put on The Avengers and explained to everyone who Tom Hiddleston was since nobody knew when we had played Celebrities earlier.
• David had an announcement: it was Joseph Gordon-Levitt's birthday. He was happy to declare this, but I was still miffed that nobody knew to guess Joseph Gordon-Levitt during Celebrities previously. Instead there was a lot of Jordan Levi guesses when I listed off his filmography. Like, on the real?
• Kells had packed s'mores for everyone and this led The Men to make sure the firepit was workable for marshmallow-cooking purposes. Of course, this occurred on the evening of the mimosa day (Sunday) and nobody made a s'more outside, instead utilizing the microwave.
• All the guys went "outside firepit" and all the ladies went "inside dance party" on Sunday night. There was so much fun had and I fear incriminating photos and video of all of us dancing to N'Sync, TLC, R. Kelly, Save Ferris, etc., will surface soon. One of us may have been wearing flared jeans.
• We vacated in style the next morning at 10am -- sunglasses positioned, GPS' pointing back to civilization, and with Jen's delicious migas breakfast in our tummies.
• I rode back with Robb and Jen who needed to catch a flight back to California that day, and New Jersey did not fail us with the inevitable traffic. However, after they dropped me off in Brooklyn, they were to the airport just in time!

Jesse and I e-mailed back and forth the whole weekend, and while I wish he had been there with us, I'm glad I have these friends when he can't be around.