well, the good news is that i think this wraps up all my catch-up on personal photos. (actually, that's a lie — i have hundreds of scans now that need to go up; i am now caught up from digital pictures i have.) the whole flickr set is here.
so a couple of weeks ago, r and i went on a second vacation — we were in san diego, came back for a week and then headed back out, this time to virginia and the better part of the week in cape hatteras. the short version of the trip, for me, was that it was awesome. a thoroughly brilliant and perfect time. much of this, no doubt, had to do with not only being near my family, but also not being on painkillers, as i was in san diego.
the first day back was low-key: i sorted photos with my mother, cleaned out a few boxes of my junk and then r and i went to david's to see him and melissa and julia. it was julia's 5th birthday (i think it was her 5th — that seems not right, so maybe 4th. time is moving too quickly.) we got to see mike and david's mom as well — a bunch of people had shown up for cake and icecream. i didnt get to visit with david as much as i would have liked, but it was better than nothing.
on sunday, annalily took the train down from dc and we picked her up. we hung out at the house for a while, rode the atv and then went out to the shooting range for the afternoon. (annalily owes me the pictures from the shooting; as soon as i get them, i'll post some.) it was fun, but with 5 of us shooting and sharing the range, there was more standing around than shooting for any particular person. plus it was hot. we dropped annalily back at the train station and then headed over to matthew's house to see him, heather and winston. we had dinner and nick showed up as we were about to eat. i hadn't seen nick in years and r hadn't seen him since my leaving-richmond party. the bunch of us sat around the table until 10 or 11, at which point sleepiness overtook us all. (nick had to get up early, r and i were jet lagged and the new parents were exhausted.)

this might be the only time i know of where a baby has actually made me look small. for a newborn, i can't believe it. he makes me look tiny. and yeah, the picture of matthew and i below? he is totally licking my face. and i didn't know it at the time. hm.

on labor day, we drove down to hatteras. i hadn't been in years and had been wanting to drag r down there since we started dating. i wish i could go on and on about it, but i have only some bulletpoints and a single story to share. mainly in the effort to keep the post moderately short.
we stayed in townhouses right on the beach. my family has gone to hatteras since i was in diapers. the houses were we used to stay were washed away in isabel in 2003, so we had to stay somewhere new. turned out to be excellent — right on the water.
much wine was had and i spent most nights there scanning old family photos — old pictures of my mother and her sisters and parents, photos i had never even gotten to see. we kayaked and swam in the ocean, sunbathed and shopped. and ate. and ate. and walked the beach. and climbed the lighthouse. and then, on the way home went to the bass pro shop in newport news, which i have kindly dubbed the 'wal-mart of outdoor sports'. it was insane — more cammo and fishing rods and insanity than you can imagine. there was a big sign on the wall reading 'hunting: a virginia tradition'. just super intense.

the best thing we showed rachael all week was the brew thru, perhaps the best invention ever. (and the subject i alluded to last week with the quiz.)

for those of you unfamiliar with this marvel, it is essentially a drive through. that sells beer and wine. you drive through the center of the building and there are coolers on either side, allowing you to grab whatever beer-verage you desire before paying and going on your way. i know the ones we used to use down in hatteras had the cashier actually grab the beer for you so that you don't have to get out. i am not sure if all of them operate this way. how can you not love this?
one night, r and i decided to take a walk on the beach. the beaches there are covered with ghost crabs, esp at night. so armed with a flashlight (actually, a headmounted flashlight, thanks to my father), we set out to walk. crabs covered the beach, but they run when you get close and they also run from the light.
except for the one that ran towards rachael, instead of away from her. she jumped and squealed, trying to both climb me and jump into my arms at the same time. all of this was news to me — i was not ready to make any sort of a catch and she fell, pulling me with her onto the sand.
and from this, she decided that she now has a fear of crabs.
what a great week.
tripp, you are a natural model.
By natural, do you mean ungroomed?
Seriously, Tripper, you're are workin' that puffy vest.
By natural I mean he just can't help himself. He's begun to throw down this very pose in day to day life. Who wouldn't? It acts as a come hither, an "I'm sorry", an "It wasn't me!" a "whoops!" an "are you going to eat that last cookie, or can I?", a "what's that smell?" and, of course, an "I need a slap!". I hear he's trying it at work as well, in lieu of using actual words.
I bet he gets a promotion.
i already have. i am now the official male model of the office.