Part of our trip to DC last weekend was spent over at the historical battlefield of Manassas. Which was great for the big boys since they are studying the Civil War in school, great for Timmy to run around, and great for me to take pictures!

We went with our friends Nate & Colleen and their little girls. (I did a quickie little shoot for them at the field too, that’ll be posted later this week or so). Nate’s great, great, great Grandfather fought at Manassas and actually won the Medal of Honor there. His uniform is the grey one on the right. Pretty cool, huh?

John really enjoys Nate’s company. He always has a good story to tell. Several, actually.
This shot of my mom reminds me of Ireland for some reason. Not that I’ve ever actually been to Ireland… Hiding with his rifles, waiting to ambush the enemy.  That’s a whole lot of land.  Boom.

A few pictures from the morning we spent there. It was cold and misting, but great pictures none the less.

So, here’s the rest of the adventure…

Saturday consisted of nothing more than laying in the sun & reading, having lunch, and a walk on the beach. So, so nice. It was a little chilly but still beautiful out.

Saturday night we went down to South Beach for dinner (some italian cafe on Ocean where the people watching is so fun) a stroll along the strip and a stop at the Clevelander which is pretty much exactly the same as when we went when we were in college. Except the music sucked. We also stopped in at the RedBull art show which was pretty cool. I think Robin was inspired and may enter next year!

It’s so funny how much Miami Beach has changed. When we first started at UM the place was just plain dangerous and ugly. It was gang infested and heaven’s waiting room. All the art deco buildings were just barely being refurbished, and it was only a few that were. Now, it’s a whole new world down there, even compared to how it started booming before we left college in 1991. It’s so good to see it so packed.

I only brought the point and shoot on vacation (I think that’s a first) so just some fun snaps. Saw a couple with their photographer on the beach and was totally jealous. I wanted to do that shoot!!! (So if there are any brides or couples out there who want a super cool shoot on Miami beach, email me and we’ll make it happen!)

Called up and Facebooked some friends from UM from different locations in Miami Beach, sending them some fun memories.

Sunday was another day in the sun, and the completion of the second book in 3 days for me. I read A Reliable Wife which was great (so different from the book I thought it was going to be) and Shutter Island which was also excellent. I thought the ending in the book was less ambiguous than the ending of the movie and it really went a little further in explaining things. But really, laying in the sun all day and reading finishing 2 books in 3 days? Heaven!

Got some Padrino’s on the way to the airport, and then back to NY. So sad the weekend was over, but happy to get home cause I was missing all my boys. Can’t wait till next year!

(kinda like bill & ted’s excellent adventure)

For those of you who follow the blog or me on Facebook, you know that this past weekend I went down to Miami with my college suitemate and BFF Robin for a little mini vacation/trip down memory lane.

Let me tell you, it was awesome! All fun & sun, drinking & eating, and reading & relaxing.

We got in late on Thursday night after a two hour delay on our flight. The wine we had with dinner in the airport had well since worn off by then, but I white knuckled my way thru the flight and we got down around 1am. Straight to sleep! Exciting, I know. But it did get better.

They are redoing all the balconies on my parents building. Friday morning the drilling started at 8:30 am and there is definitely no sleeping thru that. Sounds like 100 dentists drilling in your head. So we had a quick breakfast on the beach at the cafe, and off to University of Miami.

Went to Pearson (our dorm) and made it upstairs to our old floor and old rooms. (419 and 421)

Took a walk all around campus, admiring all the familiar locations and all the new super awesome extras they have. Now there is a money machine in each dorm, an amazing convenience store with like everything you could need. A food court with Wendy’s, Sbarros, Sushi, Chinese- like the mall, only on campus. Wow, and we thought we had it good.

The fountain (but now there are like 4 other huge ones too) and lunch at the Rat. They have a great menu now with little couches set up outside. Country club anyone?

Ok, how Thelma & Louise are these pictures??

Also somehow remembered how to get to our old apartment complex- Ludlam Point and saw our apartments (211 for me).

Then, our most favorite all you can eat sushi at Taisho for dinner. Got the worst news there ever– they are going out of business this coming weekend!! Forever. No more seafood handrolls!! But I did ask for the receipe and the owner gave it to me. So now I’ll have to see if we can recreate it cause it’s like the best thing. Ever. Thank god we made it there before they did close. Or else the Thelma & Louise thing may just have happened.

Part 2 coming tomorrow. If I don’t fall asleep in the blackhole again.