Category: Friends

Yesterday Matt, Dom, and I got together in the afternoon to hang out for a while. We met at his house and then went for a drive. We went into town and stopped by Books-a-Million and the Hobby Chest, but just to browse. On the way back, I stopped by my parents house to pick up MDF, and we took a couple of pictures out by the big oak tree.

Dom and Matt

Matt was especially interested in getting pictures since he was wearing a new shirt and hat combo.

Matt and I

Yesterday evening I went to the Carolina Petro gas station in Burgaw to get gas for the mowers. As I was getting back in the car I heard a car pull up with a heavy metal song playing (turned out to be Pantera). I was thinking the music sounded familiar, but I didn’t pay too much attention. I did look over as I was driving out and suddenly thought I recognzed John Kokinda.

I was right, so I pulled around again and rolled down the window to talk. He’s working in Wilmington, as a mechanic at a RV sales lot near Gordon road. We talked for a while and then I headed back home.

This weekend we went to Cary for Jenny Bonner’s wedding — one of CDF’s childhood friends. It was held at the Matthew’s House in Cary, NC, at 6:00PM. The family had reserved a block of rooms at a hotel nearby, so we decided to stay in Cary rather than drive back that night.

This past weekend we celebrated Matt’s birthday (and Dom’s any my birthdays too I guess) out at CDF’s parents’ place. CDF made us some chocolate cupcakes and Dom brought out some sodas and we had a little party/get-together.

Dom and Matt at the table.

We mostly caught up and what had been going on since it had been a while since we had all gotten together. It wasn’t the first time we’d been together since Matt moved to the trailer on 258, but it was the first Birthday he had celebrated since moving out of Kenwood.

Contemplation

Expounding on a topic

We even had a walk down the road — for old times sake — to see if we could spot any horses for MDF. Then before everyone left, we took a group photo.

Group shot.

CDF and I went to Glenn and Holly’s wedding this weekend. It started 11:00 AM and was held at the new First Free Will Baptist building on Gum Branch Road.

They had a lot of silver and white in the decor. The candle sticks (and there were a lot of candles) were all silver. CDF said that those were the colors — silver, white, and rose accents. The bridesmaids wore rose colored dresses (it might have been another shade of red…) that looked very nice and stood out really well against the silver and white.

We had great seats, two rows from the front on the Grooms side. It wasn’t intentional, but CDF made sure we got their early enough, and we were one of the first few people to be seated. I ended up sitting right beside the center isle, and I had a full view of the procession (and would have had a great shot if I was rude enough to take pictures during the ceremony).

The ceremony was short — CDF said 30 minutes — but it was traditional and touched all the important points. They had two songs, one before the father gave the bride, and one during the lighting of the candles. If I remember correctly we had at least one more song than that (and more talking by the minister).

The reception was held at the country club. It was raining when we got there and we had a little trouble finding a parking spot. But we got one that was within running distance of the door. The ballroom where the reception was held was decorated nicely.

The wedding cake they had was fairly elaborate and, as we found out later, was made up of four different flavor of cake (chocolate, vanilla/strawberry, carrot, and something else). Glenn also had a “Groom’s Cake” to the side that looked a lot like a chocolate snow man. I don’t think they cut into it though.

The wedding cake

They had a meal served, turkey or beef on a roll, fruit, cheese, crackers, enough to make a good lunch. The most interesting was the “star fruit” which looked like a star-shaped apple, and tasted somewhere between an apple and sweet peas.

I really don’t know how they spotted me — unless it was Dom and CDF cutting up as I tried to take the picture.

Last weekend (June 18 to be exact), I stopped by Matt’s new place on Highway 258. It’s a small trailer park situated just off the main road, and beside a dirt road that apparently lead into the woods (more on that in a moment). He’s living with his dad in a trailer now, number 4 I think. It’s next to last on the gravel driveway. The trailer is an average single-wide, but what was interesting is the land it’s on. Well it was interesting to us anyway. One of the objectives that day was to explore down the dirt road that borders the trailer park on one side. Matt had never been down it, though Dom and Pop had driven down it, mistakenly thinking it led to the trailers.

The road to nowhere.

Once you get away from the highway, the road is quiet, and you get a nice “in the woods” feeling. The trees on either side shade the road, which was nice since it was hot enough that day. As you go further down the road is bordered by ditches, one side deeper than the other. Matt tried his hand (foot?) at jumping the shallow one on the way back.

Jumping ditches for old times sake.

A ways down the road opens up again, and there are at least two side roads where they’ve put more trailers (and maybe modular homes), though not quite like a trailer park. One road said “Keep Out,” so we stopped there and turned around. We met a few people driving down the road, but they went slow and were polite enough to wave.

On the expedition.

After being attacked by deer flies we decided not to dawdle and headed back to his trailer for respite.