Well, we got back from our trip to Michigan really late on Thursday.  It was really good.  We stayed at our cabin, which is really rustic, with my grandparents and my uncle, Russ.  We got a plumber to install this new pump that my dad bought so we had hot water (after four days, of course).  But then, I took a shower and I was clean.  [Insert orgasmic noise].  The water smelled sorta iffy, though.  I slept in my own tent for the first night.  These complete idiots a couple of places down the road think it is cool to set off fireworks in the middle of the night, so I didn't sleep very well.  The second night I was in my own tent as well, and this thunderstorm started up.  I am completely afraid of lightning, so when I saw the first flash I was ready to get my ass out of there, and go into my parents' tent, but I didn't wanna risk getting killed in the process of running twenty feet, so I stayed put.  I was crying and trembling and everything, but I eventually fell asleep.  Needless to say, I slept with my parents for the rest of the trip.  I went fishing every day almost, but I didn't catch one single fish, although I did get several bites.  Also, my dad and I went out in this really old rowboat.  We were gonna go in the canoe, but as I cannot swim, we did not think it a very intelligent idea. 

On the 24^th, we went to our family reunion in Hastings.  It took around five hours to get there, and I only knew four people there.  It was at my dad's cousins' house.  I have no clue what her relation to me would be.  She's really nice, though.  Her name's Pam and her husband is Dan.  They live in this super nice wood house, and they have a couple of horses.  I fed one of them a carrot, but I didn't know that you were supposed to break it into pieces, so it, like, sort of choked.  It was okay though.  Pam's parents are Helen and Bob, who I've both met.  Those were the only four people there that I knew.  Helen is super nice and she paints really good.  Bob has prostate cancer, but it's in intermission right now.  I think that's what it's called.  He's 82, but you would never guess it.  He's in super shape and he looks really good.  Bruce is another of Helen and Bob's kids.  He can't hear very well, but I didn't know it at the time, so I thought he was just ignoring me.  He's married to Monet, who is Filipino.  She is really nice.  She teaches 16 special-ed preschoolers.  I think that's pretty great.  Bill is also Helen's son.  He's married to Von.  Their daughter is Ann Marie, who has a almost five-month-old baby girl named Alexis, and a four-year-old, Jakob.  They're both super cute.  Ann Marie and her husband Jason are both really nice and she's really pretty.  Bill and Von also adopted a Korean kid, who's twenty-something now, Ed.  He's engaged to Jamie, who has a daughter, Madison, from another guy.  Pam and Dan have a daughter named Heather, who is married to Rich.  He has a son, Justin, from a previous marriage.  They have a daughter, LilyAnne, who's one.  She's adorable.  Chris and Robin, who are both women, were there.  They are my grandma's deceased sister's kids.  Robin is married to Jim, who is pretty cool, and Chris is single.  I had a good time there, but I didn't really talk much.  The next day, we went to Helen and Bob's house for brunch.  Only Bruce and Monet, and Chris, Robin, and Jim were there, so I got to know them better.

That's pretty much all that happened up there.  We just spent a lot of time on the water and with our relatives. 

When we got back here, the next day we went to the mall.  I had to get some school clothes.  I got a pair of jeans and a gray shirt and a white shirt from Sears.  Then we went to Lane Bryant.  Yes, I know, I'm fat.  I'd never been in there before, but I got a pair of jeans and a nice pair of tan pants there.  Then we went to Target, El Cheapo.  I got three polo shirts.  I'm going for a more preppy look this year.  Later that night, I got my hair cut, like, five inches shorter.  My dad thinks it looks better, and I'm growing on it.  On Saturday, we went to Walmart and I got school supplies (notebooks, folders, etc.).  Yesterday, my dad and I went to Borders and I got three books.  They are Catalyst  by Laurie Halse Anderson, The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, and My Favorite Horror Story by various people.

Gosh, I haven't written in here for a long time, but there honestly really hasn't been anything going on.  I'm packing to go to Michigan for a week or so.  We leave on Saturday, so I'm looking forward to that. 

My brother's court date is on the 27^th now.  I'm hoping that everything goes okay.  At least we'll know what happens to him in a few weeks.  I'm hoping that he'll just get probation or a fine or something.  I dunno....

The only other bit of "news", if you can even call it that, is that we bought a treadmill.  I like it.  It's pretty awesome. 

I had a pretty good weekend.  On Saturday I went to Antietam to see the fireworks with my neighbor.  The only downside was that we got there, like, eight hours early.  It was already crowded, though.  Her aunt and uncle and grandma, I think, were there and they were all nice.  Her uncle used to live in my house and he told me all about a lot of the teachers up at the high school.  He was super funny.  Anyways, we didn't get home until 1:00 or so, so I spent the night there.  We didn't go to bed until 5:00 AM, but I was really tired.  On Sunday we were gonna go to the mall to get me a new pair of shoes, but it was closed so we just went to Target, and I got $50 worth of underwear, lol.  But this one bra I got was super cute.  And then on Monday, we went to my grandparents' house for a "fish fry" as they called it.  Ugh.  I hate fish.  I ate fried potatoes and onion rings instead.  More later.

My head hurts.  Isn't that very saddening?  It is.  My neighbor is getting on my nerves!  Last night, she stayed until, like, 10:30 and my dad was trying to sleep.  He has to get up at 3:00 and she was screaming and stuff.  If I wasn't such a pushover, I would tell her that I hate her.  Oh my God, and she broke this porcelain doll of mine, and it was a gift from one of my best friends at where I used to live.  She "accidentally" dropped it on the floor, and the legs broke off.  Then she actually had the nerve to ask me if I was mad.  I said "no, it's fine", and then she said "good, because I was laughing about it anyways".  God, I freakin' hate her.

Not much has happened since the last time I wrote.  I went to Borders and saw the local sportscaster.  That was the highlight of the past three days, lol.  And I got three books.  They are The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, and Smack by Melvin Burgess.  They all look good, and at least I'll have something to do for a couple of days. 

We're gonna watch fireworks here on the Fourth of July, I guess if it doesn't rain, and then on Monday my dad has off work, so we're gonna go down to Greenbelt and watch the fireworks at the lake by my grandparents' house. 

Last night, Steph supposedly met Sam at the mall.  I guess everything went okay 'cause I didn't get an angry call at 10:00 asking where the hell she was.  I still haven't talked to her about it, though.

I have nothing to do.  I am so bored.  My neighbors came home yesterday because the guy "forgot" to make reservations at Gettysburg, but they're leaving again today.  So, I had to spend pretty much the whole day with Missy.  That totally sucked.  I wanted to freakin' hit her, 'cause she is so annoying.  Me and my dad went on a bike ride and when we were gone, she came over and tried to install a game on our computer, therefore screwing it up in the process.  She just invites herself in, eats all of our food, and then leaves without even saying thank you.  She needs to learn some serious manners.

I am so happy that everything worked out.  Sam had to work, I guess.  He was supposed to call Steph to tell her, but he never did, which I am glad about.  We still went to the mall, anyways, though.  We were supposed to meet at the Bon-Ton at the entrance by JCPenny's, and I thought that was the main entrance, so I stood there for, like, an hour.  Then, my dad came in and said that Steph had called and was waiting inside Bon-Ton.  It was sorta stupid, but I had never been to that mall before, so it's not my fault. 

Anyways, we just walked around for like two hours.  She had her stepsister with her, but she was cool.  I got The Reason by Hoobastank.  Sure, I might only like one song on it, but it was only $14.  Steph got two freakin' pairs of shoes and underwear.  Oh my God, the underwear part of the store was too funny, though. 

But I'm just really glad that Sam didn't come.  That saved her a lot of problems, even if she was disappointed.  He's 20, I mean, that's bad.

Okay, my brother's hearing thing ended up getting postponed 'cause his lawyer had something "more important" to do.  Stupid. 

My brother's on his way to court right now.  I hope it goes well.  Cross your fingers! 

Okay, the biggest news from yesterday is that my friend's online boyfriend isn't who he said he was.  He said he was 17 and his name is Mike, but he's really Sam and 20 years old.  I guess that he said that his friends just told him to do that.  So, my friend had lied about ever meeting "Mike/Sam", but he still wants to get together this weekend.  There are so many things that could go wrong with that, I don't even know where to begin.  Last night, Sam was supposed to get online and send her a picture of his "true" self, not of his friend, like before, but he never showed up.  I really don't want her to go now, 'cause he could just be lying about being 20.  And, anyways a 20-year-old with someone who's 14 is rape.  And this guy is supposedly studying to be a lawyer.  It's like "Oh my God, then you should know better than to talk with people almost half your age online".

In other news, I guess my brother's court thing tomorrow is just showing evidence or something like that.  He won't receive his punishment or anything.