Barcelona and Montserrat

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Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

DAY 4

After only a couple hours of sleep and a good cry from El all night we got up to board the bus and check out the Gaudi Cathedral, the Sagrada Familia. Antonio Gaudi was one of the Spanish artists I got a minor in art history studying at SCAD so I was kind off stoked to check out his work, but that damn ring was on my mindd. During breakfast I got word that Pepe was already downstairs (7am!) and I left my food untouched to search on the bus once more. He had been unsuccessful in looking that morning and I was pretty much resigned that it was gone.

The trip led to a minor argument with El (somehow I was responsible for it happening) that kind took the wind out of our sails. I guess it showed on our faces. We got off once at our destination, but I was too upset to pay attention. After a brief restroom break Marte got the call from Pepe "He found it!" wedged between seats on a metal railing underneath. Yay! I RAN all the way back to the bus to retrieve it and give Pepe his reward of 100 Euros, which he refused. Everyone on the bus was also relieved to hear the good news .

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Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

After dinner we loaded up back onto the bus to see the Dancing Fountains which we missed cos SHE DROPPED HER ENGAGEMENT RING on the dark floor of the bus which was about to get trampled by 50 other people. There was a great sense of panic when we didn't find it, but a few people volunteered to help find it. Tomorrow with light Pepe, our driver, assured us would be better. Here comes a sleepless night...

Tinglado Moncho's
Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

During dinner I gave El her anniversary gift which she kind off spoiled the day before while rifling thru my backpack. I had been wanting to get her a new wedding band since the original one wasn't the same style or metal. After a few years and plenty of research I found a beautiful 1920's platinum filigree band with diamonds in it. She seemed pretty happy with it.

Tinglado Moncho musical guest appearance
Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

The weather was exceptionally cool with live accordion music compliments of the owner (I didn't know the Chicken Dance on the accordion could set the mood so well).

1992 Olympic Stadium
Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

1992 Olympic Stadium
Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

Once we got to Barcelona we took a quick cruise around town through the downtown marina area and saw the '92 Olympics Stadium. In the evening we had enjoyed a fantastic dinner at Tinglado Moncho's, a waterfront restaurant on the marina.

Cafes in Zaragoza
Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

Square in Zaragoza
Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

Not even an hour away from Madrid we are already the countryside. The drive has been a refreshing change from the the city and its endless stream of cars and grafitti. Olive trees, windmills, sunflowers and sheep dot the hilly sountryside. Our guide Maria Teresa, or Marte, has been awesome. I mistaked her laugh as "splenda", but now her infectious laugh kills me everytime.

On the way to Barcelona we stopped at the city of Zaragoza. Next to a river we explored another cathedral, the Basilica Nuestra Senora del Pilar. The cathedral was definitely the standout feature so I was glad we didn't waste too much time hanging out here. Nice nice...let's bounce.

Zaragoza and Barcelona Bound!

the Basilica Nuestra Senora del Pilar in Zaragoza
Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

DAY 3

We left Madrid early for a long drive up north to Barcelona. We stopped every couple of hours so we could stretch our legs, use the restrooms or have lunch. They have something similar to AutoGrill in Italy called ARS (Another Rest Stop? A Roadside Service?) Surprisingly the food and wine have been just ok. It's not bad - there have been some standouts - it just hasn't been great. I guess Italy is the benchmark for me.

Dinner at Plaza Mayor
Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

It was too late to go shopping (most stores close at 8pm), although the weather has been cool during the evenings. We ate at one of the bistros. The food was ok, although the prices were outrageous. Tapas for for including a beer and Sangria costed us 92 Euros (or about 100 US). The food included a green salad, seafood salad, calamari (kinda crappy), clams in a broth and chorizo with bread. It was here that I ended up wanting to kick our waiters ass.

What the hell is with the Spanish wanting to take advantage of visitors??? He tried adding items to our bill and then acting like he didn't understand what I was saying. I made him go back and fix it, although I doubt he actually did and stiffed his ass in return. Afterwards we made our way over to another cerveceria for some ice cream and coffees. At least here the staff and prices were much better and we could do some people watching. I gotta admit that the Spanish women are hot. I've always been a sucker for chicks with olive skin and long dark hair,

Time for bed...

An evening at Plaza Mayor
Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

The Spaniards apparently don't eat dinner til very late at night (usually starting at 10pm) hopping from one cerveceria or tapas bar with friends. This goes on all night until early morning (3or 4am), even on worknights. Every morning I was awoken around 4ish by some group of locals too wasted to realize the tourists are sleeping.

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Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

In the day both were filled with tourists, but at night the locals come out and play.

Puerto del Sol at night
Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

Puerto del Sol is alive with people of all ages hanging out, having a coffee or people watching. I found out that in the cervecerias or ristorantes that you can sit outside, but at a premium price. We watched some street vendors trying to peddle their goods and would wrap up their blanket their items at first sign of a policeman and run into a crowd. I guess you have to be licensed?

Tito Pepe
Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

Musician Plaza Mayor
Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

Puerto del Sol apparently competes for business with Plaza Mayor. Puerto del Sol has many "cerveceria", or bars, ristorantes and small boutique shops while Plaza Mayor has nicer bistro settings in a picturesque plaza reminiscent of Venice right down to the pigeons, street performers and airiness.

Ryan at Home in Toledo
Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

What the ...

Gate to Toledo
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When we finally left Toledo we decided to get cleaned up and have a nice dinner at Plaza Mayor.

Front of Toledo Cathedral
Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

The final stop was the massive Toledo Cathedral and it's alabaster altars. I've seen plenty of cathedrals in my lifetime, but I'm amazed at the size and details of these things. You end up shooting tons of these and in the end can't remember which cathedral is what. I gotta be more careful. Still it amazes me. The most memorable part of the cathedral was the site on a wall where the Virgin Mary's face appeared and was leafed in gold. Visitors kneel and kiss the face in hopes of a prayer answered.

Toledo Cathedral
Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

Gold enameling in Toledo
Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

The finished gold enameled product
Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

Another interesting spot that illustrated the dynamics of three different religions living together was the Sinagoga de Santa Maria la Blanca. Built in the 14th century this former synagogue blended Gothic, Hebrew and Islamic motifs together.

We also explored a gold inlay shop for the metalwork that Toledo is known for. I'm not much of gold kinda guy but the technique was pretty intricate and cool in itself. We got to shop around a bit and I got to score a bullfighting print and Jen scored some handmade plates for her parents.

Streets of Toledo
Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

It was here we visited one of three masterpieces of Europe, El Greco's painting, The Burial of the Count of Orgaz, at Iglesia at Santo Tome. A very popular attraction people come to where El Greco made his home and view his painting(s).

Toledo and the Tagus River
Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

High on a hill and surrounded by the River Tagus, Toledo is a beautiful city of only 15,000 inhabitants. Originally a Roman fortress it was it was later inhabited by the Visigoths where they built and left several churches. By the Middle Ages it became a melting pot of Muslims, Jews and Christians and became the home of the original school of translation because of its cultural roots.

Toledo Bound

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Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

DAY 2

Hotel Orense has been a nice stay. Very similar in Italian style - modern and sleek - there are some odd things that they do to keep electricity costs down. Your room key actually activates the power in your room by sliding it into a slot in the wall. Clever but after a hot day of touring the city you have to walk into a HOT room and activate your AC when you insert your key.

The staff are somewhat friendly, but I wouldn't expect any of the staff to go out of their way to help you really. I read in a travel guide that the locals in general aren't all that ambitious when it comes to work. They do what they have to and then get out. If they don't want to help they simply shrug their shoulders and act like they don't understand you. Nice. "No comprendo"

By morning we were ready to head out to Toledo which is one of the oldest cities in Spain. We had a quick breakfast and continued to Puerto del Sol (where El and I explored previously), Plaza de Mayor which was weirdly reminiscent of San Marco Square in Venezia, Palacio Real Madrid and then off to Toledo.

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We plan on coming back out here tomorrow night after our excursions to Prado Museum, Toledo and such to soak up more local nightlife before we leave Sunday morning on our next leg of the journey.

I'm kinda tired so I'm signing off. Have to be up early (7am) to meet our tour group. Hasta manana!

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A butcher shop is PACKED even at 10pm.

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Downtown Puerto Del Sol is the heart of Madrid and people were out in droves.

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After the meal we drove out boozed up to see some parts of late night Madrid. Apparently Spaniards enjoy heading out after work well into the wee hours even on a workday.

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Anyways, we hopped on our bus for our first official excursion to see Madrid at night and dine at La Opera. La Opera was a very cozy spot hidden away in the alleys of Plaza de Mayor. What's on the menu? For starters, duck liver pate on toast , coquille st. jacgues and salad. The entrees were either the grilled veal with a tasty red pepper sauce, roasted duck, baby lamb loin or rock fish with cream sauce. For dessert we had our choice of chocolate mousse, strawberry cheesecake, or petit fours with coffee. Impeccable service, great food, nice wine and good company made this a fun night loaded with jokes. There was some entertainment of (surprise!) a female opera singer (See below photo).

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Afterwards, we decided to head back to Hotel Orense to shower up for our welcome drink and dinner at La Opera. There's always the initial awkwardness when we go on these trips and meeting tons of people at once. We made the best of it and circulated around the room and exchanged pleasantries. A few sangrias later we were laughing and slapping each other on the back. Here's the weird thing. I've noticed on trips that it always seems easier to meet and speak to older fellow tourists than the younger set. The younger crowd always seem less approachable and standoffish - not always, but generally.

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Also at the Palacio Real Madrid. Beautiful architecture at the palace museum.

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We did a little shopping in the Puerto Del Sol and did some sightseeing at the Palacio Real Madrid.

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El and I gave up on the other two and decided to do our own exploring of Madrid. As with any of our trips abroad there's always the challenge of getting over the language barrier and breaking the code for the city's transportation. Etiquette and customs are always interesting when you're trying to find something or get somewhere and the indigenous people look at you like you're crazy. We haven't cracked this nut yet, but it's early in the game. I did try my lame ass espanol at Cafe Europa at lunch and got the encouraging "Perfecto!" from our waiter who I guess took pity on my feeble linguistics abilities. It's not as hard as when we were in Japan, so we should get better at this.

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But surprise, surprise it was quite a nice way to start our trip. A cat nap and two showers later we were dressed and ready to have lunch and see the Royal Palace a few blocks down, but JEN AND RYAN WANTED TO SLEEP. One more hour and we'll wake them again to head out and make the most of our first day in Espana.

It's pretty nice outside. The air is definitely cooler with a slight breeze, not humid like Orlando. I'm up for a walk around the city before we meet up with our travel group for a welcome dinner at the hotel restaurant and drinks. Later on Maria Teresa, our guide, will take us on a "Illuminated Walking Tour" of Madrid at night. I can't wait...

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Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

We met up with our Trafalgar tour guide who gave us a ride to our crib, The Hotel Orense. Pretty nice little hotel - very modern and nicely done inside. On the outside it didn't look like much and El and I were expecting another "Hotel Ergife" where we stayed our first night in Rome a few years ago - what a dump.

Anniversary Trip To Espana!

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Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

DAY 1

We were up fairly early in Orlando so we could finish up any loose ends. By 12:30pm Thursday we were on our way to OIA where we boarded our first flight to ATL to meet up with Jen and Ryan. By 5ish we were at our next gate and ready to jump onto the flight to Madrid. I was pretty wired the whole way and couldn't go to sleep til about 10pm our time (5am their time I think). Some a$$hole two rows back kept yapping out loud all night while everyone tried to sleep. By 730am I couldn't take it anymore and decided to wake up and to read some magazines and get refreshed before the mad rush to use the bathrooms. By 930am we landed in Madrid finally. The whole trip was pretty on time and relaxed - what I needed. Oh and that's not me and El, by the way, but Jen and Ryan!

Please Pass Me The Catchup...

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Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

Wow. I haven't updated this in awhile. Can you believe that internet access in Spain was $20/day?!? That shit's insane. I decided to hold off on the postings while there until I got back stateside. I'm still trying to get organized as far as photos and putting my blogger in order from the trip. Lots of entries just haven't had time to post them yet. My apologies. Got some great pics and for those of you who were able to get the quicktime movie - hope you enjoyed it. I'll get it all posted this week...I promise. For now I offer...

The Top 10 Things About Spain...

Diez> Some of the red wines (Vino tinto, por favor!)
Nueve> Being able to somewhat speak and understand the language
Ocho> The great weather we had (high 50's at night / high 80's in the day with no humidity)
Siete> Cheap taxis
Seis> Awesome architecture (esp. those with Moorish influences)
Cinco> Pepe finding El's lost engagement ring after she dropped it on the bus the night before while trying to put on her new anniversary band I just gave her
Quatro> Peniscola, Barcelona and Madrid
Tres> Hot looking Spanish women (I've always been a sucker for dark hair and olive skin)
Dos> Awesome photography (the countryside is great)
Uno> Kick ass modern hotels

and, of course, for every action there is a reaction...

The Top 10 Worst Things About Spain...

Diez> The white wines - ick.
Nueve> Slow service
Ocho> Baroque anything
Siete> Everyone opens late, takes a siesta and closes early
Seis> SMALL twin size beds in the hotels (what is it with these Europeans anyways?)
Cinco> El losing her engagement ring on the bus right after I gave her her anniversary gift - a matching platinum antique band
Quatro> The weak ass dollar comapred to the Euro
Tres> Getting hit with a 24 hour bug that resulted in projectile vomitting
Dos> Everyone smokes everywhere, including dinner
Uno> Occassionally getting the universal Spanish response when they don't want to do something for you (Shoulder shrug with hands in the air and saying, "No hablo ingles)

So there you go! A brief recap of our anniversary trip. My freelance work is stacked up right now as I try to catch up. I guess when it rains, it pours.

Chris in SC - I've got the logo comps started and am currently refining them
Paula/Randal - The DVD art just has to be printed and collected
Teresa - Lots to do and will wait until you get me all the copy and details from your Food and Beverage Manager
Tiffani - Get back to me with the rest of the copy as well and what else you need for the wedding

Anyways, that's it for now until I get totally squared away with the journal. Soon. I promise.

BODIES: THE EXHIBITION

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Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

This past Saturday El, Dan and I decided to head over to Tampa to check out a new exhibition featuring Chinese cadavers on display as science/art at the MOSI Museum. Incredible, yet disturbing.

I gotta tell you - that was freaky. It was kind of like a horror movie. You don't wanna look, but a the same time you can't look away. This was probably one of the more amazing things I have seen. The exhibition featured unclaimed or unidentified bodies from china who are soaked in a silicone type of liquid that preserves them. They are then modeled in athletic poses or "cross sectioned" for closer investigation. Every part of the body is explored - the musculature, skeleton and even the circulatory (how they extracted all those eveins and arteries and then reformed the shape of the body without the bones or muscles and float them in liquid is beyond me). There was even a section for fetuses - which kinda bugged me out. Remember...everything here is REAL.

It took about 1 1/2 hours to see everything and unfortunately, photographs weren't allowed. What I did take on my camera phone looked pretty crappy. I would highly recommend everyone check out this exhibit. It's on display in Tampa until February 2006.

Afterwards, we went back to Orlando for some lunch at the Celebration Diner. I ate meatloaf. Yummy. Happy Birthday Dan!

Barkada Update!

Dave & Cheryl's Bun in the Oven
Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

Wow! Everyone is moving along and getting older! New things on the horizon. Here's the skinny...

Dave and Cheryl (Daveryl) are expecting a package from the stork. Heeey! Congrats you two. You'll make great parents!

Carl and Kristy (Soon to be Caristy) got engaged August 19th! Congrats to you guys as well! We'll be there! Just say the when and where.

Cher and Kevin (Kevilyn) are ALSO expecting. Just had their latest ultrasound. It's due in January/February right? AND congrats to Cher on getting her state real estate license and the new gig. Good luck!

El and I are celebrating our SEVENTH anniversary in Espana with Jen and her bro, Ryan, on September 3rd (or is it 4th???). Woo hoo!

Steve and his wife, Carla, moved BACK to SC in Summerville from San Diego.

Goose is still in Virginia with his little girl, Gayla Rose, doing his thing. Hope all is well.

Marc and Crystal are still getting used to playing mom and dad with their little one. Drop Steve a line - you're neighbors now!

Rick and Kristen are moving to Charlotte, NC. Congrats on buying/selling your house and the new gigs. Good luck!

Flo and Jenivy now have TWO kids. Last I talked to Jun everything sounded well. He's become a real estate mogul out in Cali.

Anything else I miss? Hope not.

Hail Social at The Social!

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Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

Wednesday, August 24th, I rounded up some friends to see my cousin Richie's band, Hail Social play here in Orlando at The Social. It's been maybe three years since I last saw him at my sister's wedding.

During the wedding he passed me off some demos of their music. They sounded pretty decent so I shared them with other friends. They've been getting great exposure the past few years touring with Interpol and releasing a CD this year. Reviews have been great and they've even been played in Urban Outfitters. Pretty awesome.

Preshow was spent having a few drinks with Paul, Scott, Erin,THOMAS "PIMPIN" GRIMES and Ollie. Later on my sister Rachel showed up as well as Ed and his new squeeze, Erin. Nice little group. Richie was able to hang out before his set and chat it up. That dude is funny as hell.

Talking with him was an eye opener on what being in a band is like. It's not all that it's cracked up to be. Scraping by just trying to get to each new city to play. Pay isn't great, the hours are rough, and driving all night can be tedious.

The show itself was a great set, although a little offputting that the lead singer ran off the stage afterwards. With the other band, Rainer Maria, they at least said little things in between songs to "interact" with the crowd. Still the music was well crafted and the lead's vocal were on point.

My sister Cherilyn was able to catch up with Richie in Columbis, SC while my bro, Ricky, caught the show at the Drunken Unicorn in ATL. He had to bail out unfortunately before they could finish their set and he could chat with Richie - old man!

It was cool to see Richie perform. Even better to catch up with him. Hey man next time you've got some time to kill come on back and hang out longer!

Take Two Catheters And Call Me In The Morning

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Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

Poor, poor Ellen. A few years ago she had an event at work which required her to go the emergency room. Little did I know that this was a continuing problem that had worsened as she got older. On the rare occasion her heart would rapidly beat like she was running a marathon, evethough she would just be standing around filling out a chart. The ER guys took pity on her, stopped her heart litrerally so it would "reset" itself and gave her some meds to prevent this from happening again.

Fast forward to a few months ago where it happened again at work. She took the meds to stop it, but is now faced with a dilemma. Since we want to have children there is the distinct possibilty of complications with a pregnancy if she has the condition still. AND she can't be on the meds to control it if she is pregnant. Add to that that we are on our way to Spain in a couple of weeks, and go forbid, something should happen to her overseas...

This past week El elected for a procedure to burn away the guilty tissue growth on her heart. The dangers? If they burn too much of the node she would have to have a pacemaker for the rest of her life. If it's too close to a certain part of the heart she would also have to repeat the procedure to "cryo", or freeze, off the tissue. Both not so good. Three hours after her procedure she's in the recovery room. Dr. Guggachev is happy with the work done, eventhough there were some complications (the offending tissue WAS too close for comfort), but he managed to work it out.

El spent the rest of the weekend under observation and then released for care from Nurse Erick. Poor Ellen. I felt pretty awful while she was still out after the procedure watching her sleep. I was happy I was there when she finally awoke.

Hopefully that'll be it for quite awhile. Now we can concentrate on our anniversary trip to Espana in a couple of weeks. Once we get there I'll try to repeat my daily blogger like I did in Japan with pics posted. Til then...

Congrats To Hail Social

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Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

Well it's official. My cousin , Ritchie, and his bandmates from Hail Social released their first CD nationwide on Polyvinyl Records. So far so good. They've gotten pretty good reviews for their first time out. The four guys from Philly got together as Whole Foods employees and kept at it. Recently they toured with Interpol and Secret Machines. I'm glad they finally made it down south to promote their new album. They'll be playing here on the 24th at, aptly enough, The Social. We'll swing by to show some support. Check out some fo the reviews from Channel 3000, Neufutur and The Space Lab. Take a listen on iTunes or your local BestBuy to sample it. Nice job guys!

Goose's Crack Reunion

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Originally uploaded by erickpineda527.

This past weekend we decided to head back to Charleston for a a short visit. It was my mother's birthday earlier in the week and my father's in the upcoming week. Plus, David and Cheryl were coming down from Maryland for
a visit. Since we haven't seen them in maybe three years it was a good time to catch up with everyone.

We left Friday after work and arrived at Cher and Kevin's crib around 2:30am thru hard rain and heavy rush hour traffic in Orlando. We wanted to make the most of our stay so we decided to leave Monday morning to maximize hang time.

Saturday we had lunch at my folk's place and took them out shopping near Mt. Pleasant for their birthday gifts. Afterwards, we had dessert at the local Marble Slab Creamery - mmmmm...Then it was off again to race out to Summerville and hook up with the old crew at Marc and Crystal's new casa for a cookout. Food was good, beer was cold and I learned how to play Texas Hold 'Em Poker.

Now I've never played in my life, but everyone was a good sport about it since I wasn't the only one foreign to the game. Apparently, Dave and Cheryl are well experienced in taking money so they took the time to teach us lesser informed. Plus, to boot, I ran into Jose from Vegas after a 6(or is it 7?) year hiatus and Phillip (sporting his World Poker Championship tee shirt). Marc, Marvin, Jeff and Jason rounded out the rest of the players. Like I said - I don't know sh*t about playing poker - and I got my ass handed to me fairly quickly in our practice round. Once the money came into play I struggled a bit and held my own as I continued to learn the nuances of the game. After 5 1/2 hours of play (2:30am AGAIN) I took home the money. HA! Not to shabby for a first timer. Must've been beginner's luck.

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The next morning we teed off at Legend Oaks Golf Club in Summerville. It was raining pretty good, but we were determined to play. I had been gearing up all month in preparation of this by going to the range and even squeezing in a few rounds of golf at home. The weather cleared up and we were up and running. David, Danny and Jeff played a group and Marc, Sean and I made the second group. After all my hustling all month I am proud to say...I need to practice more (playing with Dan and some of his friends at Champions Gate here in Orlando this weekend - that'll be interesting). I flat out suck. No really. To add a little salt to the wound, Sean was AWESOME and for not having played in five years Marc did fairly well. I must be a glutton for punishment.

Later that evening, El and I met up with Dave and Cheryl, Carl and Kristy and Kristy's roommate for dinner. Friday was to be Dave and Cheryl's anniversary so it was perfect timing. We checked out a new spot for us called Queen Anne's Revenge - a kind of old British Colony themed seafood restaurant. Tasty. Afterwards it was off for coffee, dessert and more goofing around at Kaminsky's, one of our old fave coffee spots.

We got back to Cher's at midnight where we hung out some more and hit the sack. The next mornig we went back to my folks for lunch and hit the road to Orlando. I could've easily stayed longer but, alas, it was not meant to be. Either way it was good to see some old faces and catch up.

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All night long El kept wanting to see my cards. Of course, if it was something good Dave would know cos El would give it away - or if it was bad. After I restricted her from peeking, Dave couldn't get a read from me and eventually I took the pot home.

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Old Skool Crew Left to Right:
Phil Evangelista, Marvin "Doppleganger" Martinez, El, Me, Jose Galvez (Foreground), Jeff Mailum, Cheryl & "Big Dave" Ani, and our gracious host, Marc "Lawn Mower Man" Martinez.

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Dave tries to teach us the intricacies of the game

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Carl Ragos laughing knowing I'm gonna get spanked in Poker