gate, gate, paragate

I dropped Sam off at the Greyhound bus terminal in DC this morning after a haphazard breakfast of eggs, cheese, bacon, and English muffins. Traffic going toward DC wasn't that great, despite it no longer being rush hour. The rain and the gloom may have contributed to some accidents along the way, and a few drivers were goofier than usual.

It was great to have Sam over, however briefly. He spent a lot of time talking with Dad and me, reminiscing about years past, and talking about movies, literature, politics, martial arts (he's a Taijutsu practitioner), family, mountain biking, bartending, and whatever else came to mind. For my part, I introduced Sam to a politically incorrect online cartoon site called Retarded Animal Babies (click at your own risk), which pretty much reflects my sense of humor and the level of my intellect, both of which I try desperately to mask on this blog.

Sam will crash in New York for a couple days, then head off to Chile. He'll spend some time in Santiago, then will embark on a hike of several days along the so-called "W" trail of Torres del Paine National Park. Sounds like a hoot. It's spring down below the equator, and Sam says that this time of year is good because the tourist mobs haven't arrived yet.

The drive home from the bus station was a bit hairy; along with all the accidents, there's plenty of construction going on, and some stretches of road both in DC and in Old Town Alexandria lack even the basics, like obvious lane markings.

I'm probably going to nap for a bit, then start prepping Sean's dinner for tomorrow. Today is Sean's thirtieth birthday. A thirty old man, indeed.


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