July 4th: The Recap

Abby and I got back from our trip to C-town this week (she came back Monday, I returned on Wednesday). It turned out to be a fun and eventful trip in which I accomplished no work (a stated goal) and probably ate and drank a little too much (more of a by-product). Here are the highlights:

1. Abby met the parents (which went very well), and we told them that we are moving in together (which went well after some initial surprise). She also met most of the extended family, which must have been somewhat stressful for me, but she persevered. They all seemed to approve as well.

2. Went to a restaurant called “Melt” which sells upscale “grilled cheese” sandwiches and high-end beer. I enjoyed some Spinach Artichoke Dip, the Hot Italian Sandwich (I won’t even insult you by making the obligatory jokes about my man meat…but I’m sure you can imagine a few that are rattling in my head), and a few Bells Oberons to wash it down. Got to see Aaron and his girlfriend, which was a nice added bonus.

3. Introduced Abby to the movie “Goodfellas.” She thought it was a little too violent (which of course it is, that’s half the appeal), but overall thought it was an interesting story.

4. Watched Joey Chestnut win the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest for the 3^rd straight year. Since I am usually sitting around waiting to BBQ, I try to watch this event every year. I love it! I especially like when they list all of the foods each contest is champion of (did you know there are contests for oysters, jalapeno peppers, and just about any pie flavor you can imagine?). Nonetheless, I feel we base a little too much national pride in whether an American can eat more hot dogs than anyone else in the world. It’s just another way to prove that we are bigger fat asses than the rest of the world.

5. Went to Little Italy for lunch. Had amazing cavatelli and probably the best meatballs I have ever eaten. Also introduced my Dad to Chimay beer, which he enjoyed despite him being most a light beer/Blue Moon guy. Before lunch, we stopped into what we would later find out was an upscale establishment for a drink and a quick pee. After we paid $50 for 5 drinks, I wish I had actually peed on something of value, so I would have felt like I got my money’s worth.

6. Greg came over for one of our BBQ’s and brought his Cornhole set. I haven’t played in awhile, and I don’t think my uncle Keith has ever played. Nonetheless, our team went 6-0 thanks to our commitment to consistency and few great bounces.

7. Got to catch up with Joe Gags after what seems like forever. The first few seconds of our excursion to Boston Market were pretty much the most insane thing ever. I can’t explain it, but it involved me trying to mumble an order and us not being able to stop laughing for 5 minutes.

8. Finally, took a trip to Mountaineer casino with my Dad. Sat down at poker for about 4 hours and played some real solid poker. Made a couple of tough calls when people were trying to push me around. Ended up making $220, getting another $40 from Let It Ride (my fav table game despite its horrible odds), before dropping back down to $100 after a tougher night session of poker. Also, ate an incredibly delicious bacon and blue cheese burger. All and all, a fun and profitable evening.

Overall, the trip was a lot of fun, involved a lot of great family & friends, I ate a lot of incredible food (already looking forward to going back to the Corkscrew restaurant we went to the last night), and imbibed in a few libations. Look forward to getting back in the groove, which really won’t happen until after this weekend when the big move is completed.