Nial' s Weekend in DC
My cousin Nial is studying at the University of Tennessee this year, and so a visit to Washington to see his 'big cuzz' was definitely in order. Nial flew into Dulles airport on Thursday afternoon, and caught the bus/metro to Pentagon City Mall, where he indulged in some retail therapy before making his way to meet Shana in Bethesda for a bite to eat. I met up with them both after work that evening, and spent the night catching up over a cup of tea at my place!
On Friday Nial and I made our way into DC on the metro. He got off at the Gallery Place stop, near the National Mall, and I continued on to Alexandria. Nial spent the day as a tourist; visiting the White House, Reflecting Pool, Lincoln Memorial, Capitol Building, and even waited in line to climb to the top of the Washington Monument.
Saturday morning came early as Shana and I had to pick up some new furniture for my apartment from a friend at work. Fortunately for us Nial was more than willing to lend a hand moving the furniture into the U-Haul truck we'd rented, and then into my apartment and then Shana's! I don't think any of us quite knew what we'd gotten ourselves into, but we managed to get everything in its right place in time for a much deserved lunch.
Later that evening we went to the cinema, followed by a late dinner at Uno's Pizzeria. On Sunday we took Nial to the White Flint Mall for a look around the shops, and then made our way back to Bethesda to watch some of the American football games on TV.
It was great to hang out with Nial for the weekend and catch up on how he's been getting on at school. I'm glad he got to see around DC, and if all goes to plan he'll be back up this way to spend Thanksgiving with me, Shana, and the Gabler family.
To see more pictures from Nial's visit to DC click here.
Written by Warren on Wednesday, October 31st, 2007. Comment on this journal entry
Three Brothers in Charleston
I was very excited to find out that Chris had managed to get some much needed time off work, and that he intended to spend his holiday in Charleston with Gareth and I. He ended up staying just over a week at Gareth's house, and I was able to fly down to South Carolina for a long weekend, to hang out with my two brothers. It was the first time in two years that all three of us had been together in the same place!
Dates were marked on the calendar, flights were booked; and so began the inevitable barrage of 'smack talk' emails that centred on the important topic of who had won the last 'Blayney Invitational' golf tournament. Memories were jogged; particularly Gareth's, who had some trouble coming to terms with the fact that Chris, held the coveted champion's title. Excuses for past poor performances came thick and fast, and the chance to redeem one's self played heavy on each of our minds. This was no place for the meek, and certainly not the time to choke on the big stage.
I arrived in Charleston on the Friday night after I finished work. Gareth and Chris picked me up from the airport, and we spent that night chatting and catching up. On Saturday morning we got up early and made our way to Patriot's Point golf course for our ten o'clock tee-time. We got there early enough to spend some time at the driving range and putting green. Chris and I used the opportunity to brush off some of the cobwebs from our swings, as neither of us had hit a ball in anger in quite some time. Gareth on the other hand was a seasoned veteran on this, his local course, and seemed to exude a certain confidence. A confidence that would later turn to frustration, and then outright panic!
When all was said and done it was Gareth who came through victorious over the 18 holes. He now holds the title, along with the bragging rights...until next time that is!
The rest of the weekend was spent relaxing, eating, shopping, walking around downtown Charleston, playing catch, playing Madden, and generally enjoying the short time we had in each others company.
Thankfully we won't have to wait as long to see each other again, as Gareth and Chris will be in Harrisburg next June for my wedding day!
To see more pictures from our weekend in Charleston click here.
Written by Warren on Wednesday, October 31st, 2007. Comment on this journal entry
