Done Laid Around And Stayed Around This Old Town Too Long

and I feel like I gotta travel on...

Sing it, Bob.

Right! So I spent most of the week before last in the loverly state of Georgia. You see, it was the Bea's 30th birthday (shh - don't tell him I told you) and I figured SOMEone needed to go help him celebrate (AKA laugh and point a little). It was a great trip (as my trips to Georgia are wont to be); some highlights follow:

1. I spent the first night with my good friends Alissa and Demis. I got to see their faaancy new house. I also got to see my little Layla all grown up - she was just a pup the last time I saw her. Now she's a full grown flat coat retriever that knows some pretty impressive obedience moves and tricks. And then I got to meet Dutch, the golden retriever - he's not quite as smart as Layla, but he would fetch that ball all the livelong day if you'd let him. I love dogs. Seeing Alissa and Demis was great, too. :)

2. Bea and I went to an Augusta Greenjackets baseball game with his friends Caleb and Amanda. They were lots of fun to hang out with and the game was lots of fun to watch. Afterwards, they had a big fireworks show that was pretty impressive for being a non-4th-of-July shindig.

3. After the ball game, the four of us and Pat's good college friend Hillary (who, it turns out, I actually met for about a half an hour two years ago) played the card game Nertz (Nurtz?). It's basically a big sort of mad solitaire game with as many decks of cards in play as there are players and everyone plays on everyone else's cards until their pile runs out. It requires a sharp eye, quick reflexes, and the ability to not knock over one's water glass mid-game. I was lacking in all areas that night.

4. Saturday night was Pat's big birthday bash. There were board games (Hillary and I recorded the highest Scrabble scores in the history of the game. We may have cheated some towards the end.), pizza, music, TWO cakes, laughter and Guitar Hero. Bea's friends have some serious Guitar Hero skills. It was impressive...and a little frightening. All you could hear was clickclickclickclickclick.

5. I stayed with the wonderful Elsie and Andrew, who were nice enough to give me a place to sleep AND an awesome belated Valentine that was created and sold by the second year med ill class this past February. It is a sketch of a dissected cadaver hand and the card reads "I skinned the palm of my hand...when I fell for you." Maybe you have to be in my profession to think that's hilarious, but, well, it is.

6. Other highlights include: Borders and all Borders-related products; spending time with Bea's family; having his 5-year-old niece stand next to me, look waaaaay up at me and go "Wow. You're a lot bigger than I am."; seeing some RAIN; Chappelle's Show; granola-y Wilderness Nalgene bottles; music at Fort Gordon; Mellow Mushroom and Nacho Mamas; etc.

So, you know . . . good trip.