Exeter to Wales

Here’s the map showing where Dan is now. He took the train from Paddington Station Wed evening and has been in Topsham since then. I think he went wakeboarding today. They leave tomorrow to get the campsite. Where ever they’re going they’ll be at a campsite right next to the ocean. It looked really beautiful. And apparently they can walk everywhere so they don’t have to worry about driving. I just hope they have good weather because it looks like it may rain Saturday.

the longest walk

Dan called when he got home this evening. It was great to hear from him! He saw so much today. I can’t even believe how far he walked. He went everywhere. I can’t see how he could have walked all of this, but he did. He said everything aches. He really only had today to see London, so he said he didn’t go into anything. Save a bit of money that way too. he did go in St. Paul’s, but didn’t stay for the ticket. The map shows where he walked from about 10 am til 5 or so.  This has to be twenty miles maybe? He got a bite to eat a a friggin McD’s of all places, but he didn’t have time to really stop. At the end of the day he did get a few pints at the Anchor Pub along the Queenswalk on the, I guess it would be the south-shore? of the Thames? And he’s taking loads of pictures. So many so that I had to tell him how to delete shots. I probably won’t talk to him again until Sunday. Maybe get a few text msgs from him from Wales. Oh – and he did actually walk right under that streaming camera. How cool would that have been if we had coordinated it? I miss him. lots and lots. I can’t wait till we actually get to go there together.

the Danno has landed

Dan arrived safe and sound at Heathrow yesterday. He’s walking around London as I type this. The only way i could possibly be more excited for him would be if I was there with him. This is his first vacation/adventure that was just for him in a long time. He was really looking forward to it.

He’s staying with our friends in Chislehurst. They’re actually the reason he’s even able to go. The idea for the trip was our friend Nic’s stag party in Wales. He and his wife to be are getting married in the States, but live in Exeter. Everyone was going to this party except Dan, and only because we really can’t afford this right now. All the fertility expenses. So Greg just bought him the ticket and said ‘right, you’re coming’. It’s still going to be expensive, the amount of alcohol to be consumed alone will be a chunck of change. And his rail costs, food, etc. But this one time its worth it to just charge it and enjoy it. When would he have this chance again? He’s got the one day today in London, then they’re taking the train to Exeter. Spending a night there, then leaving for Swansea, Wales for a long weekend.  He’s going to have a blast. I get to talk to him this evening to see how today went. Can’t wait to hear where he went and what he saw. I keep checking out this streaming webcam from the London Eye to keep the feel of the day going.

I do have a list of things I want when he gets back:
Marmite, Cadbury Flake, a t-shirt from a bar in Wales, and a couple copies of cheesy, fluff “Hello” magazine (guilty pleasure) and lots of photos from his trip.

UnderDog vs. Super Ned

A friend sent me a comment (which I can’t find now) saying how the new trailers for the “Underdog” movie remind her of Ned. SO many people have said that. I love the trailers, they make me laugh. So I thought I’d show you what Ned’s SuperHero alter-ego looks like below.

Here’s the thing – our boy is super strong and super fast. He never tires, that boy can run forever. He has super-scent abilities, super-beagle hearing, super silent-but-deadlies. But our boy is also, shall we say ‘pretty’? We try not to let him hear us say it, but he’s not as smart as April. He’s afraid of anything new. I mean anything. A baseball hat was laying in the yard that hadn’t been there a few hours earlier. He howled at it forever. The same thing happened when our neighbors put a fire-extinguisher in their driveway. He ran up on it, realized he didn’t know what it was, then stood there howling at the top of his lungs at it. All puffed up like a cat.

Problem is he gets too close. Then he gets scared. Then he realizes he can’t run away, because he can’t turn his back on it. So he stands there and HOWLS at it. We finally hear him and have to go get him or who knows how long he’d stand there. He is the world’s cutest beagle though. We lucked out when we got him.

Oh, so Underdog vs. SuperNed

Underdog can fly, but SuperNed is way cuter and can take you out with the lick of death. He will lick you until you melt away.

Super Ned

Super Power: disarming people with my intense cuteness

4th Annual DannOpen Crew

4th Annual DannOpen

has come and gone. We had 15 participants this year. So it didn’t grow any bigger, but we kept the same number. We only have three guys I think that have made it for every year. D, Saf, and Hink. They only had to wear the red tournament t’s for the group photo. Most took them off for the day. The golfed in social pairs, but were in teams. D’s team won, but someone brought a ringer who shot a freakin 74 or something to win it.

They had great weather for it this year and had a good time. Pizza and bear back at our place later. Most people hung out at our place instead of hitting the Alpha. I only had one person to worry about drinking and driving. Same person as the last three years. Only this time we actually didn’t get the keys away from him and he drove himself home. Long story. I could care less if he drives off a curve going down the farm hill, but one of these days he’s going to hurt someone else. He’s great at mocking the the other belligerent drunk in the social group, but somehow doesn’t think he fits that description when he’s a drunken idiot. The other drunken belligerent isn’t a menace to anyone on the road as he doesn’t have a license any more. Sorry, that became a bit of rant.  Didn’t meant to.

Anyways, the purpose of the golf outing is to celebrate D’s birthday and I think I accomplished that again. He had a great time.