handsful

So, all eight of us (plus Daniel made 9) piled into our van and drove East.

First stop was lunch with old friends from back in our Grace Church, Cary days.  Amanda and her daughter Gabe were in town from Utah…so, we had to take the opportunity to see them (and a whole bunch of other Grace friends who joined in) and catch up.  We basically took over the back room of the restaurant.  We smiled and apologized on our way out.  It was so much fun seeing everyone!

Then, seeing as how we’d driven 2+ hours for LUNCH, we decided to stay in town and do something we’ve wanted to do for years.  You know how those things go.

You never actually do them.

Until now.

We headed toward Raleigh, and found ourselves driving by the apartment complex Randy lived in with his brother during college.  Which also happens to be the site of our first date.  The pool, that is.  Weirdly enough, Randy and his friend Robert were going swimming, and he asked me to come along.  Does that count as a first date?  Anyway, we decided to stop and take a picture by the pool for “old time sake”.

Funny thing?  The pool was gone.  Filled in with dirt, like you would have never known it was there.  A few bushes and a hideous “art” structure thing.

We traded the pool for the art and took pics anyway.

Next up, NC State University campus.  We parked and walked around like we belonged there.  Got ice cream at the student union, walked through the “tunnel of free expression”, and took pics with a wolf.  It didn’t hurt that it was a gorgeous day.

Marley brought her penny board along with her :)

Where to next?  UNC-Chapel Hill, of course.

I was excited to go back to my college…I hadn’t walked around that campus since graduating 27 years ago.  Ouch.

But, given that Randy has basically indoctrinated all of us (even me) into raging NCSU fans, I was prepared for some wise cracks.

Down on Franklin St.

Shenanigans.  I’m not sure it’s legal to do this in Chapel Hill.  (R is making the Wolfpack sign)

Only a few of us dared to drink…I think they were worried it would turn them into Tarheel fans.

Still penny-boarding.  And, did I mention that Lainey spent her day flipping on both campuses?

While we were there, we had to have dinner at my favorite local restaurant.  Randy and I used to go here all the time…

It was SUCH a fun day.  No big agenda, no where to be at any certain time, just hanging out together.

We should do this more often.  Day trips rock.