Day 4: Tuesday, July 30th

My stay in D.C. was short, but I had to roll out.  I got in the car and drove 4 hours to Durham, NC, where my friend and old bandmate lives.  I helped him load up the U-Haul before he left PA earlier this year, and hadn’t seen him since, so I figured I might as well drop in.

Mike and his girlfriend Lena were waiting for me when I arrived around 6 pm.  I was glad to hear that Mike just had an interview in which in his words he “TOTALLY CRUSHED!”.  He added a “WOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$” for extra emphasis, and the point was received. (Best of luck Mike!)

I was also happy to hear that Lena was making some spicy chicken wings!  While Lena was preparing the wings, Mike and I ran to the store to grab some other stuff for sides.  I figured I’d make a summer salad with some peaches, avocado, grape tomatoes and lime juice for a tasty side.

When we got back the wings were almost done.  Mike jumped on his drum kit, one I could never forget, and played me some beats while making funny faces, as seen below.

We caught up over some beers until the wings finished, and then had a delicious dinner.

That night, we chilled out and caught up over a few more beers.  A while later, Mike gave me a brief midnight tour of Durham.  The city is small but the town looked cool.  It was pretty dead, and the only thing that could be seen on the street was a man picking up a hooker, and a cop car two streets away who must have been oblivious to the transaction.  (Unfortunately I left the camera packed away for this 😦

Day 5: Wednesday, July 31st

The next day, Mike and I headed over to a close by shopping mall so I could replace my old worn out flip flops.  For two dudes, the trip turned into a lot of window shopping.  Eventually, we sat down at a Cheesecake Factory and got some drinks, and cheesecake for the road (which turned out to be phenomenal!)  The fountains in the plaza provided a nice backdrop for the break.

As we sat there, two women in bikinis and painted black were walking around doing strange things.  It made for good entertainment.

We headed back to Mike’s, and although I would have enjoyed staying, I hit the road.  It was nice to spend time with Mike an Lena, but the next stop was an opportunity to see family that I didn’t want to miss.

I got in the car and drove 2 hours to Fayetteville, NC, where my cousins live.  I arrived a bit later than I expected, about 9 pm, but everyone was up waiting for me.  I spent some time catching up with my cousin Lauren, her three beautiful sons Kasheim, Remel, and Braylin, and her boyfriend Justin.  I hadn’t seen the boys in about a year, and I was blown away by how much they had grown.  Especially Kasheim, the oldest, who is now in his preteens.  Having lived in my hometown when he was a toddler, I still have that image of him in my mind.

Crazy Family, Left to Right: Kasheim, Me, Remel, Crystie

We hung out that night and I got to show them some pictures before we all turned in.

Day 6: Thursday, August 1st 

The next day, I got to hang out with Kasheim and Remel while the adults went to work and the youngest, Braylin, went to daycare.  I cooked up some eggs and sausage for breakfast while Remel watched spongebob and Kasheim slept.

Fayetteville was a nice chance for me to recharge and catch up with some computer work.  I even got to do my first load of laundry!  Justin took me out Thursday night, and we had some fun.  A little more than I was expecting to have.

Day 7: Friday, August 2nd

The next day I got to spend some more time with the boys again, but after my two days in Fayetteville, I had to hit the road to be in Charleston, SC.

I was absolutely grateful to be able to see my family again, and especially the boys who I don’t get to see nearly as much as I would like.  Lauren made me feel right at home, and I couldn’t thank her enough!

Then the drive continued…