Here are some scenes from a trip out to Fred and Kathy Eggers’ place in Sperryville, VA over Memorial Day weekend. They’re such gracious hosts and I’ve really enjoyed spending time out there every opportunity I’ve had to visit. Mark and Amy took their Airstream out there for its maiden cruise and in part to celebrate Mark’s birthday. The first thing I asked Mark when I got out there was how it was to tow it and happily he reported it was a breeze, especially with Big Red. The interior had just received some fresh leopard print and vinyl reupholstering and throughout the weekend Mark and Amy were giving it some finishing touches in what will probably be a labor of love for some time to come. I spent my first night out there in the Airstream and it was spacious and comfortable. With the exception of a short hike up along Skyline Drive most of the weekend was spent lazing around the pool and welcoming the unofficial onset of summer.
I fought back at a deadening sense of stagnation today by trying a new look. I walked into an old school barbershop (complete with barber pole outside) and asked the man for a buzzcut. My brother and I have one more thing in common now. I’ve always thought he looked good with a buzzcut so I thought I’d follow his lead and give it a try. I like it so far and I imagine it’s going to be nice and maintenance free. My timing for this haircut with the approaching wintery weather probably couldn’t have been worse though.
I’m not quite sure what I did to deserve being fêted as I was but Amy and Mark threw the best birthday party that I’ve ever had to date last Saturday. Amy and Mark had talked about throwing an end of the summer luau and we decided that my birthday would as good enough of an excuse as any to finally do it. As preparation for the event progressed two very interesting developments came along that would help make this luau one for the record books.
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Amy, Anna, David, and Mark at the bar.
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The first was when Amy arranged for a hula dancing troupe to provide some genuine Hawaiian flair to the evening’s entertainment. The real coup de grâce came when Amy made some phone calls and announced that David and Anna Chan of Honolulu fame would be guest bartending that night. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor when I heard they’d be there. For those of you who don’t know the Chans, they were the owners of the former Honolulu Restaurant in Alexandria and they are legends among local tikiphiles. We had facetiously bandied about the idea of inviting them to the event but never seriously thought they’d be willing to tend bar at a private party. So my hat’s off to Amy for pulling the right strings to make it happen.
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