Friends, Fireworks & Fun

Wow the past 2 weeks have been BUSY with my trip to NC, session 8 of camp and then banquets galore. Since there is oh so much info and I don't want to write a crazy long post I will break it up in NC and camp.

So on July 1 after session 7 of camp and a bunch of meetings I sent Freddie off the the kennel and packed up my car along with my 4 Head Camp Counselors that were flying to Boston the same night. I have to say it was awesome having a full car for the drive. I've done so much solo driving that I forgot how great trips with a car full of people can be. After parking, security etc we had enough time to grab dinner because my flight wasn't until 9:20pm and theirs was at 9:50pm. Well with time changes and waiting to get seated etc...after we placed our orders and they would about to come out someone asked what time it was and it was 8:55!!! I like ran from the table and to the tram to get to my terminal...I made it with time to spare, but it was nerve wracking. The flight from Atlanta to Charlotte was only 42 minutes! I bought the books that True Blood is based on and haven't even got halfway through the first one yet! Anyway Drew and Jesse (2 Quinnipiac Orientation peeps) live super close to the airport so I called them when we landed and they were there in like 10minutes. I wish I lived 10 minutes from an airport (next move I make I swear I better be within 20 minutes...even though chances are I'll be in the Northeast and won't even need to fly often..well I guess down here and to TX to visit).

It was so good to see them...Drew and I have been best friends for a number of years now so it was fantastic to be hanging out with someone you have so much history with. Jesse I've always known, but didn't "know...know." They gave me a tour of their super cool apartment (aka 4 floors of "boxes") with a room deck with a view of the Charlotte skyline. I didn't get in til like 11pm, but the boys were down for some beers at a chill pub within walking distance so I was game. We hung out for a while catching up and shooting the breeze it was glorious.

The next day Drew had to work and Jesse was off, so Jesse and I slept in and had breakfast and coffee (lots of coffee) that morning. I apparently make a better cup of coffee than I thought. We also watched a quality episode of Full House. I actually wanted to be OL partners with Jesse my senior year since out group was going to be Jesse and the Rippers, but it didn't work out. So we got ready and Jesse gave me a mini tour while we drove to Davidson College where Drew works. Davidson was so cute and Drew gave us like a 2 hour tour on a golf cart even though we did a TON of walking as well. Davidson's mascot is the Wildcat and they have a statue that looks EXACTLY like the Quinnipiac Bobcat(which is supposed to be a one of a kind)...hilarious...the only difference was the paw position. It was cool to see a TINY private college and learn about it.

That night we all headed to Uptown Charlotte for Alive After 5 which is like an blockparty in a shopping center with coverbands, lots of beer and lots of 20&30somethings. It was TONS of fun and we met up with some of Jesse and Drew's friends. We ended up going to a wing place for a bit and then ended up at a dueling piano bar. A LOT OF FUN WAS HAD...so much so I don't remember all of it. We took the light rail back - which is a cheap little trap that costs like $1.50 we took it uptown as well. The light rail stop is only a few blocks from their apartment. Drew and I ended up swinging by the pub we had gone to the night before for some darts which was HILARIOUS and I hit a few bullseye (even with my eye closed and throwing all 3 darts at once). At like 3am Drew and I went up to his rooftop deck to talk life and nearly fall alseep...classic.

I hate drunk sleep...I feel like it doesn't count. Friday I did get to drink my Dunkin Donuts iced coffee out of my awesome cup I had bought the day before while getting another iced coffee. Oh Dunkin Donuts Iced Coffee how I miss you. It's ridiculous how empty my life is without it. Jesse had to work Friday so Drew gave me a driving tour of all Charlotte which was fun. Friday afternoon I met up with STAR! Star only lived like 15-20 minutes from Drew which was awesome. It was weird/not weird to see Star because I haven't SEEN her since Sept '06, but we talk often. So basically I plopped down on the couch and we caught eachother up on the details of our lives. I got to meet her fun fiance Travis and see her wedding dress (which is like crumbled in a ball int he box...typical Star). We went to this fun little dive called Penguins for hot dogs, fries and deep fried pickles. Yum Yum. It's crazy that Star is like healthy and normal now, minus her ONE crutch which I think she is using for pity. Then They drove me to see where Star worked and where the wedding and reception are going to be. We also explored this GIANT Cult of a church and it's "campus" in addition to a fancy schmancy neighbor that Travis got us lost in. We went back to Star's place and then talked about Auburn and Camp War Eagle for a solid hour...Travis hid in the bedroom (good call). I'm so glad that Star is loving Charlotte life and is healthy and happy. It was great spending time with her and I'm excited to see her in August when she is down in Auburn for a wedding shower!
Friday night Drew and Jesse took me to NODA (North Davidson) which is a artsy/hippy part of Charlotte which was cool and then ended the night at this chill bar that outback made me feel like I was in a treehouse. Lots of random conversations...especially about dating/relationships/etc.

Saturday I said goodbye to Jesse before he left for work (that boy had the craziest work schedule) and then later Drew and I grabbed a YUMMY brunch before heading to Greensboro to meet Steve (from grad school that works at UNC Chapel Hill). Drew and I basically sang most of the drive...I love when people share the same taste in music with me. We get to enjoy the same tunes as well as recommend music eachother would like. So we met up with Steve and after we all grabbed a coffee (from Starbucks, not Dunkin Donuts sadly) I got to switch "custody" I said I felt like they were divorced parents with shared custody...haha. It was so good to see Steve I hadn't seen him since Alcoholiday in December 2007. Steve and caught up on the drive to UNC and then he game me the grand tour of Chapel Hill. It was a really interesting campus with some cool history and traditions (I'm such a dork). We also got to explore some residence halls which again I'm loser and found exciting. Steve's hall director apartment was sweet and being the stupid boy he is...he couldn't even fill one closet with clothes let alone two! We went to Raleigh aka Raleighwood for dinner and drinks and met up with some of his friends who were awesome. We got back to UNC in time for fireworks that were getting shot off from the football stadium. Steve took me to some highrise apartments on campus with balconys and we had a FANTASTIC view of the fireworks. That night we went to downtown Chapel Hill to the infamous Franklin Street and went to Top of the Hill for drinks. It was a really cool bar/brewery and I had drank tasty blueberry beer all night! The only part of the evening was walking back to Steve's on campus. It had taken us like 15-20 min to walk there, but Steve took a "short cut" and it took us like 45 min. The next morning we went to the Ye Olde Waffle Hut and then explore Durham including trip a trip to Duke (We also drove through NC State's campus the night before). Hung around the apartment for a while, grabbed dinner and before I knew it, it was time to fly home. No flight drama luckily, the only part that was no fun was driving home from the airport in the torrential rain. OF COURSE the ONE EXIT that there was an accident was ON THE EXIT RAMP that the Dunkin Donuts in Georgia is on. I was temped to go to the next exit and turn around, but I got a grip.

More about the Camp Banquets tomorrow.