Ahhh, Maryland. Holly and I came back to be a part of Candy Apple Fest, which is what our good friends’ (Chip and Sarah) wedding came to be occasionally called. Everything surrounding this occasion was fantastic. Best man, Matt, did a bang-up job taking care of the groom as well as us groomsmen, down to having us chauffeured for straight-razor shaves at Dino’s Barbershop in Olney. Matt’s dad, Mr. McPheeters, hosted the outdoor event—no small undertaking—on his gorgeous 18-acre farm in Sunshine and parents of the groom, Lew and Joan, seemingly spared no expense in providing anything you could possibly want. The wedding was elegant and beautiful and more fun than you could shake a stick at. It had a Louisiana-French flavor to it with delectable dishes like crawdad and mushroom strudel and shrimp creole. A cool Cajun band, complete with accordion, and washboard served as entertainment. Chip was dazzling and Sarah was beautiful. And when the party was over, they drove off on a big, old farm tractor… sort of.

Our friends there were extremely gracious to us with their generosity. Steve, Lisa and active son Alex had us join them in their house for the week (high-speed internet!) and treated us to more than our fair share of excellent meals. It was like staying at a resort. Lisa is undisputed queen of anything pasta and Holly and I devoured her superb lasagna and yummy Old Bay pasta crab salad. Good friends Dave and Kirsten met us out at for fun times at a great divey pizza pub. We were gonna duckpin bowl too, but it was “league night.” Duckpin is pretty much a Maryland thing, it’s like regular bowling but with smaller pins and balls. Good buddy Rob and I reenacted great times by frequenting our old stomping ground, Champion’s, in Laurel and partook in our usual: wings, beer and trivia. He almost had me talked into a brief gambling trip to Atlantic City, but I stayed strong. And Holly’s good friend Julia set up a great evening with friends at the Iron Bridge Wine Company in Columbia. Mucho thanks to all of our great friends, we’ve missed you a lot.