The Brits have come and gone. Our launch at work has come and gone. And it’s taking a lot out of me to get back into the mindset of a ‘normal’ day here in Dirty Jersey.

It was fantastic seeing Becks, Ness, and Neil last week. The first night they were here, we did the standard “I’m jet-lagged and not really up for anything” activity of ordering take-out and watching American Idol. The next night was really the polar opposite. We headed down to Harrah’s in Atlantic City - and may I say that I’m really getting spoiled by free hotel rooms - and spent seven hours, from 10PM to 5AM, playing slot machines. I didn’t think that was possible, that the slots would get really boring, but honestly, with hilarious friends, lots of free alcohol, and a new paycheck burning a hole in your pocket, it’s extremely consuming. I was a wee bit concerned at first when I lost a quick two hundred bucks, but by the end of the night I’d come out about $20 ahead, and breaking even is just as good as winning. Good times.

The Brits spent the weekend in the City, but unfortunately due to the launch at work I was actually stuck at the office all day on Saturday, and felt well exhausted for two days afterwards, so that didn’t happen. They came back on Tuesday and we spent the evening watching a horrendously bad horror film called Rest Stop while munching on pizza and buffalo wings from Pizza Hut, because that was the only thing open past 10pm on a weeknight, apparently. We spent all the next day shopping at Jackson Premium Outlets and then eating at a fabulous New Orleans-style restaurant in New Brunswick called The Old Bay, which serves massive, amazing dishes like blue crap and spinach dip, seafood and sausage gumbo, crawfish etouffee, and seafood jambalaya. Highly recommended if you’re ever in the area, hungry, and willing to spend about 30-40 bucks per person with drinks.

All told, it was a great visit, and it makes me wish London were just a wee bit closer than it is.