Memorial Day Weekend
Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2011 11:40 pm
I figured I would pass along the details of what turned out to be quite an amazing 4 day weekend for myself and a friend of mine over Memorial Day Weekend. It originally started with a planned trip to a friend's house (I wanted to surprise her, which it kind of did, but I had to spoil the surprise, sadly). I had a little money saved up, so we rented a truck (was supposed to be a car, we ended up driving a Dodge Dakota instead...what a nice vehicle it was!) and on Friday morning, we took off for Maryland. Well, back track, we did a little storm chasing Thursday evening after work, which started off the weekend technically (we actually got off early for once! It was a miracle!)...okay, back to the weekend 
We got down to Maryland and I met my friend at her place of work (she was working closing), so my "driver" (same guy as the chase) and myself grabbed a bite to eat, then left to go check out Baltimore. He's from the city, I'm not...so seeing him drive while I'm going "THERE'S A ONE WAY STREET THERE! AND THERE AND THERE" etc, yet he is perfectly fine with it was humorous...likewise, I'm from the country, and he was cursing those hilly, narrow roads we call highways.
When we went to Baltimore though, we actually got chased by storms (had no clue they were in the area until we saw the lightning). It was an interesting evening, to say the least. Then we woke up around Noon or so on Saturday and decided to set out to visit my Grandma and some family in Central Virginia (as well as a home cooked meal). This day was spent mostly on the road, with the rest introducing him to my family. Learned that one of my cousins I used to babysit when I was younger didn't even remember me! He is taller than me now, and one of my other cousins is my height (he'll most likely surpass my height before the end of this year). If there is one thing I learned between Friday evening and Saturday evening, it is that I am STILL short. (My friend in Maryland, we found out, when we visited her workplace Friday night, that she is taller than me...only by a little, but she still rubbed it in! "Oh, and I thought you'd be taller than me, but it looks like I'm taller than you! YAY! I feel tall now." Gee, thanks -.- lmao).
Sunday was the party day...one of her friends was getting ready to move, so her and a bunch of her friends from work threw a moving away party (the joke was "Yes! You're moving away! Let's party!" ). Problem: I only knew one person there...another Problem: I am shy, so I tend to stand/sit in the corner, and watch everyone...talk about the beginning of the day being veryyyyy awkward! In the end, though, both myself and my "driver" had a blast and met a bunch of pretty cool people. Apparently, if a bunch of my friends go and jump off a bridge, I would too...cause I did (there's a bridge over a deep spot in the creek near their house). It was fun, but I learned a lesson...wear shoes when you do it! Those rocks on the bottom are not very forgiving on bare feet. We also played a backwards version of hide and go seek. I had never played it before...but it went like this: Everyone pairs up with one other person...2 people go and "hide" somewhere while the main group counts to whatever number...then everyone goes off with their partners to find the hidden pair...once you find them though, you are supposed to "hide" with them until there is only the last pair left. What was supposed to be a 15 minute game, turned into an epic 3 hour long saga...that involved our truck (we drove down to the swimming hole, because they had mentioned water, and we didn't feel like walking way back down the creek again). How many games of hide and go seek have you ever played that involved driving somewhere to look for those that are hidden?!
After that, we had a campfire and then most everyone left. I stayed until about 1130, and my friend and I got into a couple arguments (we call each other brother and sister, and yes, we even "fight" like 'em, too! must of entertained her parents though!). One of them was over who had the better camera. Apparently, because her camera is a Cannon, it automatically makes it better than anything I could possibly pull out...including my new Sony HD Camcorder. At least mine was not the one that got dunked in the water! Someone decided to get in a wrestling match with her, and she forgot about the camera...it got dunked...along with her! (Wait...was I supposed to go defend her? Guess I'm a horrible brother! ) Monday was spent driving back to Drum, we went from 95 degree weather in Maryland to 60 degree weather in Watertown...needless to say, as we got closer, the "depression" rose. To cap it all off, about an hour outside of Drum, a couple teens pulled up beside us in their car, toasted beers together, then took off down the road. I always get messed with because I don't drink (and not because I'm underage, I have a general dislike of alcohol regardless). I think I showed my buddy that you can have fun without alcohol being involved...you just got to know the right people.
I only have a few pictures as of right now, most of the pics with my fam were taken on other cameras than my own.
Since Memorial Day Weekend is about honoring our troops, I'll start with this picture:
My grandpa was in the U.S. Army during the Korea War...when I enlisted, I got that hat. On July 4, 2008 (I shipped out for Basic at the end of that month), I put the hat on his gravestone. I went back on Saturday to see his grave, and figured either someone had taken the hat or tossed it, afterall, it had been almost 3 years. When I got to his gravestone, to my surprise, it was actually wrapped around some of those artificial flowers (they used the velcro on the back to help hold the stems together). Yes, I put the hat back exactly where I found it, but I had to take a picture of it, because I couldn't believe it was still there!
Myself and my "driver". My friend said she likes this one because not only did she get to blind me with the flash (>>), my friend made a rather weird face in the background.
My friend...she wasn't too pleased I kept taking close up photos of her (and I made SURE the flash was on! Revenge is sweet). I'm surprised she didn't hit me before the night was through
My friend and myself...yes, I look taller, but I was wearing shoes and she wasn't. She really is taller -.- until I cut her off at her knees! (A joke, my dad is shorter than me and always "threatens" to cut me off at my knees if I don't stand shorter than him )
When we got back Monday night, I opened my door and noticed something on the floor. Someone had slid this poster under my door. I think I'm gonna give it to her when I get the chance.
If I ever get a hand on those photos of myself and my fam, I'll post them!
We got down to Maryland and I met my friend at her place of work (she was working closing), so my "driver" (same guy as the chase) and myself grabbed a bite to eat, then left to go check out Baltimore. He's from the city, I'm not...so seeing him drive while I'm going "THERE'S A ONE WAY STREET THERE! AND THERE AND THERE" etc, yet he is perfectly fine with it was humorous...likewise, I'm from the country, and he was cursing those hilly, narrow roads we call highways.When we went to Baltimore though, we actually got chased by storms (had no clue they were in the area until we saw the lightning). It was an interesting evening, to say the least. Then we woke up around Noon or so on Saturday and decided to set out to visit my Grandma and some family in Central Virginia (as well as a home cooked meal). This day was spent mostly on the road, with the rest introducing him to my family. Learned that one of my cousins I used to babysit when I was younger didn't even remember me!
He is taller than me now, and one of my other cousins is my height (he'll most likely surpass my height before the end of this year). If there is one thing I learned between Friday evening and Saturday evening, it is that I am STILL short. (My friend in Maryland, we found out, when we visited her workplace Friday night, that she is taller than me...only by a little, but she still rubbed it in! "Oh, and I thought you'd be taller than me, but it looks like I'm taller than you! YAY! I feel tall now." Gee, thanks -.- lmao).Sunday was the party day...one of her friends was getting ready to move, so her and a bunch of her friends from work threw a moving away party (the joke was "Yes! You're moving away! Let's party!"
). Problem: I only knew one person there...another Problem: I am shy, so I tend to stand/sit in the corner, and watch everyone...talk about the beginning of the day being veryyyyy awkward! In the end, though, both myself and my "driver" had a blast and met a bunch of pretty cool people. Apparently, if a bunch of my friends go and jump off a bridge, I would too...cause I did (there's a bridge over a deep spot in the creek near their house). It was fun, but I learned a lesson...wear shoes when you do it! Those rocks on the bottom are not very forgiving on bare feet. We also played a backwards version of hide and go seek. I had never played it before...but it went like this: Everyone pairs up with one other person...2 people go and "hide" somewhere while the main group counts to whatever number...then everyone goes off with their partners to find the hidden pair...once you find them though, you are supposed to "hide" with them until there is only the last pair left. What was supposed to be a 15 minute game, turned into an epic 3 hour long saga...that involved our truck (we drove down to the swimming hole, because they had mentioned water, and we didn't feel like walking way back down the creek again). How many games of hide and go seek have you ever played that involved driving somewhere to look for those that are hidden?!After that, we had a campfire and then most everyone left. I stayed until about 1130, and my friend and I got into a couple arguments (we call each other brother and sister, and yes, we even "fight" like 'em, too! must of entertained her parents though!). One of them was over who had the better camera. Apparently, because her camera is a Cannon, it automatically makes it better than anything I could possibly pull out...including my new Sony HD Camcorder. At least mine was not the one that got dunked in the water! Someone decided to get in a wrestling match with her, and she forgot about the camera...it got dunked...along with her! (Wait...was I supposed to go defend her? Guess I'm a horrible brother!
) Monday was spent driving back to Drum, we went from 95 degree weather in Maryland to 60 degree weather in Watertown...needless to say, as we got closer, the "depression" rose. To cap it all off, about an hour outside of Drum, a couple teens pulled up beside us in their car, toasted beers together, then took off down the road. I always get messed with because I don't drink (and not because I'm underage, I have a general dislike of alcohol regardless). I think I showed my buddy that you can have fun without alcohol being involved...you just got to know the right people.I only have a few pictures as of right now, most of the pics with my fam were taken on other cameras than my own.
Since Memorial Day Weekend is about honoring our troops, I'll start with this picture:
My grandpa was in the U.S. Army during the Korea War...when I enlisted, I got that hat. On July 4, 2008 (I shipped out for Basic at the end of that month), I put the hat on his gravestone. I went back on Saturday to see his grave, and figured either someone had taken the hat or tossed it, afterall, it had been almost 3 years. When I got to his gravestone, to my surprise, it was actually wrapped around some of those artificial flowers (they used the velcro on the back to help hold the stems together). Yes, I put the hat back exactly where I found it, but I had to take a picture of it, because I couldn't believe it was still there!
Myself and my "driver". My friend said she likes this one because not only did she get to blind me with the flash (>>), my friend made a rather weird face in the background.
My friend...she wasn't too pleased I kept taking close up photos of her (and I made SURE the flash was on! Revenge is sweet). I'm surprised she didn't hit me before the night was through
My friend and myself...yes, I look taller, but I was wearing shoes and she wasn't. She really is taller -.- until I cut her off at her knees! (A joke, my dad is shorter than me and always "threatens" to cut me off at my knees if I don't stand shorter than him
)When we got back Monday night, I opened my door and noticed something on the floor. Someone had slid this poster under my door. I think I'm gonna give it to her when I get the chance.
If I ever get a hand on those photos of myself and my fam, I'll post them!