Headed Across the Pond

​So yea... last night I kinda booked a trip to London, England, lol. 

 

About a month or so back it was announced by the NFL that the Ravens would play their 1st international game at Wembley Stadium in a regular season (Week 3 or Week 4) road game versus the Jaguars. At that point, I made it my business to somehow fund the trip an entire 8 months in advance of the game & 3 months ahead of the NFL's official schedule release.

 

*1/21/17 edit: the NFL confirmed the game for Week 3 (Sept. 24th) prior to the official schedule release in April - now I won't have to wait until to attach specific dates to various activities & events* 

 

But already, I've taken care of all of the major trip-related expenses to include a travel package that includes airfare, hotel accommodations, a River Thames cruise, London Eye ride & of course... tickets to the big game. 

 

I've been here at my desk since 6:30a researching additional things to do during the trip - I plan to make the most of it! I still have my international hall pass on ice & I'm so very anxious to get my first passport stamp in September. Now I just need to set aside more spending money & make sure I have enough Ravens gear to wear every day of the trip!

Mem'l Day Shenanigans...

On Saturday, I replaced what would have been my 5th annual MCVET 5k race with the Color Run in Baltimore, MD. It was a fun event – race participants ranged from the little ones to senior citizens… some running, some walking & some just flat-out in the way, lol.

The cluttered field indeed turned what should have been a race into more of an obstacle course, but I wasn’t out there to break any personal records, I simply needed to complete my annual Memorial Day weekend race tradition & that, I accomplished!

After running through the many color stations, I definitely finished the race in vibrant style. Even got myself a medal :-) I didn’t stay for any of the post-race activities (& there were plenty of them), but the duration of my holiday weekend was fun as well.

On Sunday, I hit the beach in Ocean City, MD, along with my girlfriend & others. We enjoyed the day on the beach. A tad windy & cool for our collective liking, but the drive to & from the beach was traffic-free, scenic & relaxing. Perhaps next time I’ll stay a night on the beach, versus driving back the same day, as I always do.

Family Ties...

This past weekend, I got to spend some time with the other side of my family in Newport News & Hampton, VA. I had a truly awesome time & was so glad that I was able to make the trip down the interstate for the impromptu (mini) family reunion! Over the years, I've seen much less of my father's side of the family, even though they're actually located 2 hours closer to me than my mother's side of the family in Halifax, VA, so this was a special occasion.

We didn't do anything super extraordinary, just pretty much had a typical southern-style family cookout - fully stocked with near/distant relatives, sinful food & soulful music of course! The older & younger generations both seemed to play well with one another so we agreed to try & make it an annual affair - hopefully we'll indeed make that happen!

Now that it's mid-July & we're finally into the dog days of summer, I've been scrambling trying to come-up with a last minute travel destination for some much need rest & relaxation. It seems that everyone else is posting photos to Instagram or Facebook from some far away beach or exotic destination but at this point, I've still got nothing planned... it's looking more & more like a stay-cation this year.

I did manage to submit my vacation dates, so at the very least I'm guaranteed some time away from the office later this summer. I really wanted to use my passport this year but that'll just have to wait until I have the perfect trip lined-up. I hate the idea of traveling without every aspect of the trip being squared-away & that requires time - something I've simply run-out of (as far as the summer is concerned). I'll circle-back around to international leisure travel at the conclusion of the holiday season, lol.

A Day at the Beach...

A good friend & I took our annual trip to the beach over the weekend & we had a blast! Typically we hit Ocean City in Maryland, but this year we decided to hit Rehoboth Beach in Delaware - what a wonderful decision that was! The drive up was not unlike the drive to Ocean City, we took many of the same roads & the time it takes to get to either beach is about the same.

I'd been to Rehoboth Beach years back when I was a child, but I have very little memory of that ancient trip. I really enjoyed the area (Henlopen, DE) & the scenery we took-in as we made our way to the sand. It's a shame I don't go to the beach more often than I do, especially considering how much I love road trips. I'll have to try & go more often in the future.

I really liked the boardwalk at Rehoboth, there's alot to do on the beach & the bars, restaurants, stores & nightlife are pretty fun as well. Granted, it's not big city living or anything close to the sort, so the options are certainly more limited than what some might be used to, but you'll definitely find something to do as long as you're in good company.

It's always nice to get away from the bright urban lights & experience the small town life, even if only for a day or so. I often wonder what it would be like to live in a small town. I'm definitely not opposed to the idea & if I knew I could secure decent (local) employment, I'd be more than willing to relocate!

Alas, August signifies the beginning of the end, as far as summer goes, & since I don't anticipate any future trips this summer, I'm now shifting my focus towards the fall. I'd really like to go camping this fall, I've never been before. Perhaps I can convince a few good buddies to accompany me on an excursion in the woods somewhere before the weather gets cold...

Takeover 2011

I'm back from my annual trip to Miami (well... sort of anyway) & I'm feeling as refreshed as ever! Got a chance to meet some new people as well as discover some new things about a few old people. Any trip away from home always provides an opportunity for self-reflection, so I managed to get some of that done as well.

The trip was a package deal that a buddy & I have purchased for the past few years. It includes airfare, transportation to/from the airport, hotel stay & free admission to several venues throughout the stay. This year; however, I wasn't overly impressed with our accommodations (Shelborne Beach Resort). While our room featured a decent view & had everything we needed, many others who also traveled with the group did not find their rooms to be satisfactory. The hotel was under renovations so, certain features of the hotel were unavailable to us and there was obvious construction taking place throughout the facility.

But I enjoyed our time in Florida & the many high-jinks I either witnessed or participated in myself. As far as some things I got into this year, I did karaoke, hit a few nightclubs, enjoyed many great meals, did some night swimming on the beach, enjoyed a couple pool parties, went shopping, I even got my miles in along the beach (incidentally, beach running can be kinda hard, considering the angled slope of the shoreline -- being inebriated certainly doesn't help either, lol).

There were plenty of things we weren't able to get to, but that's been the case each time we travel, so I'm satisfied; nonetheless, with what we were able to accomplish during our 4-day stay.

So it's back to the grind (both socially & professionally speaking) with a clear head & renewed purpose. Things were a bit monotonous & routine at the job & I'll admit I was still harboring a few less-than-positive feelings for a couple folk before I left, but at this point, I feel like I can re-focus at work & fully move beyond the past transgressions of others.

Now I'm just looking towards the fall (my favorite time of the year), football is right around the corner, soon the temperature will be cooler & it's a GREAT time of year to hang-out with that special someone ;-) Don't act like y'all don't like the idea of a warm body to curl-up next to, lol...

Finally Got a Hall Pass...

Last week the US passport I applied for arrived & I'm still so very excited about it! I can't help but open it from time to time, just to make sure there's still a photo of me, & not someone else, on the inside of it, lol.

I'd been procrastinating so long on completing the application process, but figured I'd at least get the photo taken. After doing that during lunch at work & then returning to my desk, I decided not to wait another day & complete the entire process immediately.

A little online digging revealed there was a place that processed passport applications across the street from my office. I completed the necessary paperwork, grabbed my birth certificate, hit the corner store for a money order & made it happen!

Now I don't have a place to go, nor anyone to travel with per se (since I'm not so sure my normal traveling buddy is up for getting his passport too), still, having the option to get up & bounce at a moment's notice gives me great pleasure.

Some of the places I've always wanted to travel to include Egypt (Cairo/Giza), England (London), The Netherlands (Amsterdam), Australia (Sydney), any of the Carribbean islands (since we need passports just to take cruises now - thanx Osama) & also India (Mumbai).

I refuse to die a person who never saw any of what the rest of the planet has to offer. Obtaining my passport was step 1 of my 'cultural enlightenment period' & I'm really looking forward to seeing what the rest of the world has in-store for me :-D

Once I return from this year's annual trip to South Beach in Miami this July, I'll begin making plans for my very 1st international trip. Any suggestions based upon places you've been? Let me know, I'm very open to suggestions at this point.

And Life Resumes...

Finally homeward bound after a very good 4-day trip to Vegas. Got to catch up with a few folks from home, run with my partner in crime & as it would turn out - also spend some time with a new special friend of mine. I went to the Kevin Hart comedy show, hit a club, won big over the wknd by betting on some football games and just enjoyed the sights & sounds of the ever-so-busy Las Vegas Strip.

I even bumped into Brian Billick (2000 Super Bowl winning coach of my favorite NFL team, the Baltimore Ravens) while boarding the flight I'm currently on, so that was kinda cool. Now I'm just reflecting on the trip that was and also the months of grindin that I presently have before me. Time to really buckle down (financially speaking) & get things fully back in order for the Thanksgiving & Christmas seasons which are rapidly approaching.

I just might also be nearing a point where I'm ready to start a new relationship in the coming months. I've been dating a someone for the past couple of months & it actually appears that there just might be something to it. So if things continue to progress the way they've been thus far, just might end up with a cuddle buddy after all this winter. I've now come to the conclusion that living out the rest of my days in complete happiness trumps waiting for the perfect situation to come along.

So while this might not be the ideal situation I've always dreamed of in my head, it's definitely a situation that makes me happy. I haven't had the pleasure of uttering such words in terms of women in what has now become years. She's a considerate person who doesn't come-across as a know-it-all (I've had my share of those) & I'm in-turn able to sit back and trust the decisions she makes on a daily basis. She really seems to care & look out for my well-being (a missing aspect in my past one or two relationships), so I'm willing to take my time with her and allow things to develop naturally. She and I are by no means 'official' per se, but one never knows, things change quickly I've found in life, so stay tuned for the conclusion of this saga.

Failure after failure, I'm finally aware of the type of woman it takes to handle a guy such as myself, so hopefully I'm half the wonderful person I believe her to be. In either instance, I've completely moved beyond negative experiences of the past and have my eyes set upon the situations and people who are actively present in my life. I simply have no time for has-beens, coulda-beens & shoulda-beens - sometimes you have to use the 'addition by subtraction 'approach in order to truly enjoy & improve upon the quality of one's life. So how's the quality of yours?

Sometimes ya just gotta get MIA on em...

So I'm finally fully recovered from my recent trip to Miami. I'm really falling more and more in love with South Beach each time I go. You wouldn't believe the amount of fuckery that went down - then again maybe you would, lol.

Being that this particular weekend was the DC Takeover, I got a chance to see many good friends from home as well as meet many new people, so each and every night was it's own experience.

The clubs were great, the liquor was cheap, the weed was abundant, the police were absent & the women were fun - pretty much all the essential elements necessary for a truly memorable experience!

Getting back to the women - gals in Miami (or most southern cities I've found) are SO nice, I really need to find me a southern girl, cuz I don't think many of these women up north are quite bred for a refined cat such as myself, lol. I could definitely see myself living in Miami or someplace nearby. Los Angeles would definitely work for the boy too! Even in such a busy city, people seem to maintain a pretty pleasant disposition there as well.

The weather on South Beach cooperated each and every day of our trip, there's nothing like a good coastal breeze to help relax. I hear they're having one of those tropical storms in the area this wknd, so we definitely had good timing. Still not sure just how I made thru the rest of the week here at home & work considering the brutal heat wave we've been enduring over the past month or so. But this morning (a full 5 days after my return) I finally felt refreshed and ready to take on the world once again - so look out all...