So here the rundown
The summer has been increasingly kind to yours truly in the form of seeing new places and actually notching 37 states on my travels.
In June, I came back from the U.S. World Team Trials in Las Vegas and in July, made the annual wrestling pilgrimage to the Junior Nationals in Fargo, N.D.
I say this again Fargo is a great town, for at least a week in July. A big wrestling event and a lot of friends that I only see a few times a year - mainly at wrestling events.
Upon coming back, I was back on the road, spending a week in quite possibly the most gorgeous place I've ever been in my life - Lake Tahoe. What a great place for our convention (yes, my job does have a "convention" tied with it). Bluest water I have ever laid eyes on and some of the coldest too.
I put up a few galleries of pictures in my pics section. Truly a great place. Got a lot done at the Convention and then came home to PA and headed right to Brendee's.
As expected, the clientele at Brendee's knew such day was my birthday. August 20 put me at a paltry 28. Yeah, I guess my friends are still calling me old for some effing reason I can't quite put my finger on.
Then, it was home for a weekend (my second trip back to Virginia in the month - the first was for my 10-year high school reunion which wasn't as lame as it was expected to be).
David Carter, the local entertainer (local for Va. Beach) always plans a shindig around my return to Hampton Roads. The first year, it was my going away party (a complete shit-show, I tell you what) and then Twinkfest 2006. This year's "Twinkfest" (a play on my nickname of Twinkie - as if you didn't already know that) was more tame.
Unfortunately, a local mover and shaker in Hampton died the night before, so many of the Marker 20 folks that line the deck on Sundays were in a somber mood. The rain didn't help either. What was a plus was getting to get torn slam up with my little sister for the first time legally.
Last time we had beers, she was 19, unmarried and unpregnant. Since then, she got married and had two beautiful little girls. I got to see little Alana (Na Na) and little Ryan (Ry) again. They were both cranky, so my brother-in-law/body piercer took the girls home and the music began.
Me and my sister had a blast my friends had heard about her and met her one other occasion, but after two kids, she still weighs 95 pounds - instantly the women friends I had at the deck were questioning A) her age and B) she's had two kids?
My sister is a scant 4-10.
I came back and have been trying to catch up on things and get ahead for work before I go overseas for two weeks. Yes, I'm heading to a former Soviet republic/Islamic nation of Azerbaijan for the wrestling world championships.
Yes, I'm a wrestling writer and if Fargo, Akron, Rochester, Minn., and Auburn Hills, Mich., weren't stranger places for me to go this calendar year - let's add BAKU to the list.
It's Labor Day, so I woke up, went to work and then realized as I drove up to the gate - there was no one there. SHIT, Labor Day. It's a holiday. I'd equate that to waking up on a Saturday and walking to the bus stop and realizing there was no school.
Kinda nutty.
The summer has been increasingly kind to yours truly in the form of seeing new places and actually notching 37 states on my travels.
In June, I came back from the U.S. World Team Trials in Las Vegas and in July, made the annual wrestling pilgrimage to the Junior Nationals in Fargo, N.D.
I say this again Fargo is a great town, for at least a week in July. A big wrestling event and a lot of friends that I only see a few times a year - mainly at wrestling events.
Upon coming back, I was back on the road, spending a week in quite possibly the most gorgeous place I've ever been in my life - Lake Tahoe. What a great place for our convention (yes, my job does have a "convention" tied with it). Bluest water I have ever laid eyes on and some of the coldest too.
I put up a few galleries of pictures in my pics section. Truly a great place. Got a lot done at the Convention and then came home to PA and headed right to Brendee's.
As expected, the clientele at Brendee's knew such day was my birthday. August 20 put me at a paltry 28. Yeah, I guess my friends are still calling me old for some effing reason I can't quite put my finger on.
Then, it was home for a weekend (my second trip back to Virginia in the month - the first was for my 10-year high school reunion which wasn't as lame as it was expected to be).
David Carter, the local entertainer (local for Va. Beach) always plans a shindig around my return to Hampton Roads. The first year, it was my going away party (a complete shit-show, I tell you what) and then Twinkfest 2006. This year's "Twinkfest" (a play on my nickname of Twinkie - as if you didn't already know that) was more tame.
Unfortunately, a local mover and shaker in Hampton died the night before, so many of the Marker 20 folks that line the deck on Sundays were in a somber mood. The rain didn't help either. What was a plus was getting to get torn slam up with my little sister for the first time legally.
Last time we had beers, she was 19, unmarried and unpregnant. Since then, she got married and had two beautiful little girls. I got to see little Alana (Na Na) and little Ryan (Ry) again. They were both cranky, so my brother-in-law/body piercer took the girls home and the music began.
Me and my sister had a blast my friends had heard about her and met her one other occasion, but after two kids, she still weighs 95 pounds - instantly the women friends I had at the deck were questioning A) her age and B) she's had two kids?
My sister is a scant 4-10.
I came back and have been trying to catch up on things and get ahead for work before I go overseas for two weeks. Yes, I'm heading to a former Soviet republic/Islamic nation of Azerbaijan for the wrestling world championships.
Yes, I'm a wrestling writer and if Fargo, Akron, Rochester, Minn., and Auburn Hills, Mich., weren't stranger places for me to go this calendar year - let's add BAKU to the list.
It's Labor Day, so I woke up, went to work and then realized as I drove up to the gate - there was no one there. SHIT, Labor Day. It's a holiday. I'd equate that to waking up on a Saturday and walking to the bus stop and realizing there was no school.
Kinda nutty.