North Carolina

I went back to NC this past weekend. I have been really homesick lately. I think I've been working too much... playing too little... so it hasn't even been "Fun Prison"... more like "Work Prison". It's easy to think that I've made the right decision when I'm riding on one of the best trails in the United States... but when I'm really working my ass off... NO RIDING/FISHING/HIKING... I have to ask myself "What in the hell am I doing?" I have been feeling so overwhelmed. I really needed to make the trip to NC to get filled back up.

I loved getting to see people that I love. It's fun to be surrounded by people that I truly do care about and miss tremendously. You take things like "friends that feel like family" for granted when they are there for you on a daily basis... but when you are by yourself week after week... you really appreciate things like hugs & kisses.

Stephanie and I had dinner with Joey & Jeremy (and Westin) on Thursday night. Syl & Karen joined us for drinks (thanks Syl for the martini). Saturday morning Stephanie surprised me with a one-hour massage in Cary. We had lunch with Dina and Diane (thanks Diane for lunch). Then off to Marion for dinner with the folks and onto somewhere close to Hendersonville, NC for a ceremony for the Brandies. We crammed it in! We had so much fun :)

I am so happy that I got to spend some time with Joyful :) We had a lot of fun traveling together and hanging out with old friends (and some new friends) and wearing wigs... and sleeping in a cabin/screened in porch... almost freezing to death... while waiting for a bear to burst into a front door that wouldn't close. Good times :) Wish we were there again tonight.

Instead... I'm sitting in Phoenix, Arizona... trying to get to Denver, Colorado (and of course, Phoenix isn't even between NC and CO).

By the Pond

Joyful

Me

Zach & Breann (New Friends for me)

Brande Lamb

Everybody