Nats vs. Mets, and How I Met LeBron James

On Saturday night about 10 of us attended the Nationals vs. Mets game, including my two roommates Tanner and Edward. (12 innings, 6-2 Mets.) Edward somehow got it in his head to buy a foam rubber finger, which he used more to poke his friends in the face than to cheer on his team. Eventually we revoked his rubber finger privileges and gave it to a little boy on the metro after the game, pictured above with his sister and Jay. I took this photo with my cell phone while talking to the little boy's parents. It was after midnight, and these kids were better behaved than my friends.

Unfortunately, the battery on my phone died yesterday, because otherwise I would be posting a photo of myself with LeBron James. I played 9 holes of golf in the early afternoon, and then I met up with a bunch of people at the waterfront in Georgetown. So there I am, sitting on the deck of Tony & Joe's, watching the sun set over the Potomac and enjoying a Corona, when the second most famous athlete in the world (after Tiger Woods, according to Jay) and his whole crew sit down at the table right next to ours. I wouldn't have gotten a chance to talk to him, except that one of his bodyguards asked me for a lighter. So I told the bodyguard he could keep the lighter if he introduced us to LeBron. Long story short, my friends and I all got to shake hands with LeBron and talk basketball with his crew for a while. I don't know too much about basketball, but LeBron and his friends could not have been cooler about hanging out with a bunch of tongue-wagging strangers. He was a total gentleman. Big fan of Lebron, sunsets, and Coronas.

Temperature Finally Breaks 80 in DC

No big news to report from last weekend. No jumping out of planes, bullriding, or hang gliding. Just some good old golf with the boys. We played Stonewall in Virginia, and Tanner and I won the back 9 scramble by 4 strokes. I needed to relax a little and hang loose after last week. Things are hectic at work. Good, but hectic. Enough said.

Here's a pic from the driving range at Hains Point, where we prepare for all our rounds. That white bump in the center background is the Jefferson Memorial, and the blossoms surrounding it are Japanese cherry trees. We are hitting in the direction of the Potomac River. This photo was taken during one of the prettiest sunsets I've seen from dry land. That's Jay in the gray shirt in the front, Harlow in the white stripes setting up for a shank, and that's me in the light green shirt. (What color is that shirt, anyway? Teal? Aquamarine?)

I really do love spending time with the guys, playing golf, shooting the shit... I've missed this.

In other news, Lacey just lined up her first post-college job in NYC. Attagirl, sis!

Virginia Tech Memorial Day

Today was when everyone in the country who was not directly involved in the tragedy had the opportunity to observe a moment of silence and pay respects to the victims and their families.

Sister Can Officially Outdrink, Outparty Big Bro

I am now recovering from the maelstrom that was Lacey's visit. It was a long, drunken, rainy weekend almost devoid of any golf, save the Sunday trip to the driving range with my new roommate Tanner. (We hit in the rain like crazy people. It's good to have found a kindred spirit.)

Lacey is now officially cooler than me. The realization set in slowly: right around the 5th or 6th shot on Friday night, the one where I had to lay off because my 210 pound ass couldn't handle any more liquor. Perhaps there is relief to be found in passing the torch to someone more deserving of the title "coolest person in the family." I am like the old gunslinger who, tired of a life constantly on the line, walks away from his final showdown appearing the coward, but finds solace among the living, able to finally observe his last days in peace.

So here's to you, Lacey. Cheers!

The Summer of Liam Still Pending

The Summer of Liam is off to a rocky start. My first attempt at flying a glider was foiled by heavy winds last Saturday. My friend Sobek, who is a licensed glider pilot, and I showed up at the airfield and put our names on the list to rent one of their two-seater gliders. We were number 10 to get in the air, and after number 9 they had to cancel flights due to 25+ mph gusts.

I did get the chance to talk to some of the pilots, and I'm absolutely fascinated by the dynamics of glider flight. The glider itself only weighs around 300-500 lbs. I could almost lift one by myself. The pilots were explaining thermals, ridge lift, and waves, and how a pilot can use those to stay in the air for hours at a time and travel in excess of a thousand miles without an engine. It's actually pretty similar to surfing, except you can't see the waves. You have to be able to read the clouds and feel the air for potential lift-spots.

So this setback has only strengthened my resolve to try gliding, and I intend to make another trip to the airfield once the weather is more conducive.

The Summer of Liam Begins

Men's NCAA Basketball Champions... One more for the good guys!

With the first hint of warmer weather, The Summer of Liam begins. I intend to live life on the edge and experiment with some new hobbies and interests. The next few months will present me with peril, victory, perhaps defeat, and life's lessons learned. So read on, dear reader. I'm hoping to sell the rights to a screenplay.