I know I'm a few days late in getting to it, but we made our annual Halloween pilgrimage to Greensboro last weekend.
We began the day by dropping The Kid off at her Grandparent's house (thanks Lili!) and continuing on. If you remember from last year, the drive down was absolutely horrid. What should have taken 6 hours ended up taking well over 10. This year was a complete opposite. Strikingly beautiful weather for the entire trip. We eschewed the interstates as much as possible, sticking to state routes and byways. We traversed a goodly portion of the Old Dominion, which was in its full autumnal glory.
The weather for the weekend was typical late October in the Piedmont. Highs in the 70's and lows in the 40's. I had to pack one of everything.
This event was different from years past, in that our most gracious hosts decided against the big bash and opted for a more intimate affair. Not that the big parties weren't a bucketload of fun, but it made it harder to actually, you know, socialize. The house was bedecked in all of its Halloween finery, and the photos cannot do justice to the decor.
I have to admit that I cannot remember the last time I laughed as hard as I did on Saturday night. Barbs were zinging back and forth in the way that only happens between people who have known each other as long as we all have. An outsider would have seen us laughing for no apparent reason, and to try and explain it would have somehow made it less magical for us. Suffice it to say, I am likely the worst dart player on the east coast, if not the whole of North America.
What else did we do?
Glad you asked...
We relaxed by the lake
We watched demonic Michigan fans learn to drive.
and we
cornholed in the driveway for countless hours. A surprisingly difficult game, if you've never tried it. There's a whole lot more strategery then you might think.
Alas, Sunday came far to soon, and we got back into the car to head home. The Wife and I had forgotten how quickly one can pack without the The Kid and all of her accouterments. We were blessed with the same good weather going home as we had on the way down, and took an even more scenic route back to Richmond. Twisty roads through rolling hills that gradually gave way to the flat and straight topography of civilization. The Kid seemed genuinely happy to see us, and delighted in showing us the toys she has only at her grandmother's place.
Since we only get to see this particular circle of friends a few times a year, the time we get to spend with them is all the more special. Next up on our schedule is the annual March Madness weekend, which is (thankfully) much closer to home. And although college basketball ranks just above cleaning the catbox on my things-I-want-to-do-o-meter, that's OK. I don't go to watch the games.
In a country that seems to be infatuated with litigation and warning labels, it seems that the U.S. Navy is leaving itself wide open to some sort of lawsuit by not placing warning label in this uniform.
