Diary Of States Visit September 2023

A wedding was to happen! A wedding of two of my good friends! I had to go back for that! No way I was going to miss it. So I decided to plan an entire trip seeing friends and family in the states.

We have been living in Portugal for about a year so it was about time.

Below are all the things we did during the trip. Thanks to all of the people who made time to see me and thanks to the friends and family I saw along the way!

Pictures:
http://yearscollage.com/user/niles38?set_id=146

Thursday, September 7th, 2023

• Woke up before alarm & started moving
• Walked the kids and ran into Lorna
• Continued to get ready & close up
• Walked to bis station and ran into Brandon
• Bus to Lisbon
• Checked bags in
• Food court
• Waited for gate
• Flight to IAD
• Long customs line but we got through easily
• Met up with Heidi after we got bags
• Parking $12
• Dropped off stuff at Heidi’s & got Benji
• Went for drinks and fries and nachos at CraftHouse $37
• Back to Heidi’s for sleep

Friday, September 8th, 2023

• Bri kept waking me up
• Up at 5AM
• Heidi got up early & went to her appointment
• Made bread & coffee & packed up sheets
• When Heidi got back, Walked Benji around & ran into Heidi’s neighbors
• Tried to find & went to T mobile and got a sim card $31
• Dropped Benji off
• Went to Chipotle
• Went to Makers Union Pub and got a beer
• Back to Heidi’s to pack
• Heidi dropped us off Curtis & Wilma’s
• Hung out with Bri’s parents
• Went over Britney & Jason’s
• Played wildlife game
• Got Chinese & drank
• Drinking game
• Went back to Curtis & Wilma’s

Saturday, September 9th, 2023

• Got up early
• Duolingo
• Went to Target $320
• Went to grocery store
• Went to bank
• Back to Curtis & Wilma’s
• Played a few hands of pinochle
• Drove to Rochy’s
• Hung out there & had seafood & drank a little
• Went to nearest hotel to Aaron & Sabrina’s & dropped Stacy & Charles off
• Went to Aaron & Sabrina’s & drank
• Picked up Stacy & Charles
• Matt arrived at Aaron & Sabrina’s
• Ordered Mama Lucia’s
• Played game & drank & pokemon & hangout
• Dropped Stacy & Charles off at hotel
• Hung out a little bit more & went to bed

Sunday, September 10th, 2023

• Got up early
• Matt on couch so couldn’t do Duolingo
• Bri got up so I did Duolingo
• Waited around
• Aaron & Sabrina got up around 9
• Had coffee & coffee cake & talked
• Picked up Stacy & Charles
• Went back to Curtis & Wilma’s
• Family party! Wine & saw family
• Charles left then eventually Stacy & Matt
• Talked to Shawn after Eagles game
• Bri Bri Went out
• To sleep

Monday, September 11th, 2023

• Got up and got ready, took some sandwiches & drinks
• Got to Uncle Georges around 12:30
• Got in pool & had a few drinks
• James & family came over & hung out
• Steak dinner
• Watched a tiny bit of the game & went to bed

Tuesday, September 12th, 2023

• Got up about 6 & did Duolingo
• Bri slept on couch then after I got up slept in bed a bit
• Had shrimp salad for breakfast & coffee
• Left for beach around 10:30 AM
• Parked in Surf City free area & walked on beach for a bit
• Went to restaurant & got a beer & bang bang shrimp
• Drew on table paper & ate
• Went to get crabs & picked out live crabs
• Stopped at several places to find Coors Light in bottles
• Uncle George steamed crabs when we got back
• Went in pool for a while until crabs ready
• Brendly came over & had crab legs
• Patrick came home
• Everyone ate crabs for a while
• Patrick & Brenly got in pool & we followed
• In pool for a bit & Uncle George got in for a bit
• Kim drinking & dancing
• Went to sleep

Wednesday, September 13th 2023

• Kicked Bri out of bed because he kept moving around
• Got up & did Duolingo
• Uncle George got up
• Brenly left
• Had breakfast (sausage and waffles)
• Left Uncle George’s around 9:30 AM
• Ran into bad traffic
• Went to Target on way back
• Arrived around 4 PM
• Went to Streetcar 82
• Bryan S and Helen E showed up
• Drinks then went back to Bri’s parents

Thursday, September 14th, 2023

• Got up early & did Duolingo & took a bath
• Bri helped parents move safe
• Pinochle with Uncle Neil
• Went to dinner/lunch at Olive Garden
• Went to Silver Branch
• Met up with Alicia, Bryan S
• Arlene came!
• Helen came & we all drank
• Later Marc came & we moved inside
• Arlene & I went to car to retrieve wine and ran into Tony!
• Went back to Silver Branch but last call had happened but Hung out anyway & split last beer
• Said bye to Arlene & Tony
• Went over Marc’s place for a hang out
• Went back to Bri’s parents late

Friday, September 15th, 2023

• Got up early
• Bri’s mom made french toast when Bri got up
• Played pinochle a good part of the day
• Decided to ping Sabrina
• Went over Sabrina & Aaron’s around 3 and hung out for an hour and a half
• Went over to Helen’s place
• Ate pizza & drank a little
• Watched Barbarian
• Went back to Bri’s parents

Saturday, September 16th, 2023

• Got up early
• When Bri’s parents got up they took us to Bob Evans (I drove)
• After Bob Evans, back to Bri’s parents for pinochle for a while
• Started to get ready for the wedding around 2:30
• Left for the wedding & got there around 3:30ish
• Awkward at first, caught up with Paul’s family & some of their friends
• Wedding & ceremony happened where we were called out :)
• When time to go inside, had the honor of sitting at the same table as Paul, Becky, Shawn, & Jen :)
• Chipotle dinner & open bar
• Paul’s dad & his brothers came over to me to ask about Paul & Becky story
• Bri started talking to one of Paul’s uncles
• Caught up with a lot of people like Seth, Paul’s dad, others; hung out with Shawn & Jen
• Jen walked in on first dance
• Danced & talked & drank
• Helped clean up
• Decided to go home since it was so late & we couldn’t go anywhere else

Sunday, September 17th, 2023

• Got up early & started to pack
• Got ready & waited around for a while
• Finally got moving to the brewery around noon
• Lots of traffic!
• Stopped at Brew Belly for some beers but they didn’t have Sweet Baby Jesus or the cider Brian likes
• Finally arrived at Brookeville Beer Farm; the area changed!
• Eric & family & Chris were already there
• Got a bigger table
• Helen, Frank, Aaron & Sabrina, Tricia & Travis & family, Angela with Jasper showed up!
• All talking & having a good time
• Mel & Jim showed up
• Heidi showed up then Dave
• Talked with everyone and had a good time
• People started leaving then we left around 5:30
• Heidi dropped us off at IAD very early (just in case of traffic)
• Got checked in & waited at gate for like two hours
• Got Five Guys
• Boarded plane
• Couldn’t sleep too much; kept waiting for food & uncomfortable

Monday, September 18th, 2023

• Didn’t sleep too much on flight
• Watched the last episode of Shameless
• Finally arrived in Lisbon
• Several minor incidents then got to bus station
• A few minor incidents then finally got on bus to Lagos
• Arrived in Lagos & started to unpack
• One of the beers had exploded in Bri’s suitcase
• Lorna dropped the boys off but Lando isn’t doing well with his nail
• Bri cooked dinner
• Tried to help Lando but he was in too much pain
• Sad night worrying about Lando