Bob Speight BLOG

Mom, Cathy, Dale and I flew on January 8th, 2009 to visit Al on his 55th birthday.  Al called mom and I the previous Sunday and emphasized that he was looking for family to be with him on this day.  Erin Jo was already in Portland when we arrived on Thursday night (after supper at the Riverwalk in San Antonio and riding by the Alamo).  Katie and Eric flew in from Utah on Saturday, and Jeremy drove from Corpus Christi to be here for Al's big day.  Mom cooked green pea (and chicken) stew for the occasion.  We returned on Tuesday after taking some more photos with Al. 

What a weekend!  It started at 9 A.M. on Saturday morning with the renting of a Ford cargo van from Enterprise in Greenville.  Ellen and I then drove to Wilson to pick up Cathy's old loveseat with the help of Dale, KK, and mom.  We then arrived by noon in Raleigh where Mary, Ellen, Will Phillips, and I stuffed a bedroom set, dining table with two chairs, and other items into the van.  We arrived at Mary's apartment in the Beverley Crest area of South Charlotte where Cornelius Logan and Megan Anderson assisted in carting the load to the third floor.  Afterwards, supper at Showmars and sweet sleep at Betty Tillett's place in Burlington. 

 

The next afternoon, Ellen fixed the cake, potato salad, baked beans, and corn to go with the hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill.  Dale, KK, Trisha, Jackson, Cathy, Sarah, Joseph, and Mary Catherine joined us to celebrate Jennifer's 25th birthday. 

Monte Cagle (who roomed next to me in Aycock dorm my junior year), his wife Pam, and two sons Chris and Michael stopped in Greenville on the way to a week at the beach in Duck, NC.  We ate at Fuddruckers before taking a walking tour of the ECU campus.  On Saturday morning, Ellen cooked pancakes before the Cagles headed to a week at the beach.  Monte called me at work to confirm that he was able to make it to the top of Jockey's Ridge.  It was great to see Monte, Pam, and the boys

Ken and Cathy Stephen asked us to join them during their week at Nags Head in June 2008, so I slipped away from work for a couple of days for the sun and the fun and the fellowship.  Their son Kevin had just graduated from law school.  Their other son Kurt had just started a new job and was unable to make this trip.  We sampled the food Magnolia Grill at Manteo and Sugar Creek Seafood Restaurant at Whalebone Junction in Nags Head.  Thanks for the invite, Ken and Cathy.

Mary traveled with us to the old site of the Emerald Isle Pier for a day at the beach.  From Wilson, Mom, Cathy, and Sarah traveled to join us.  It was a lovely day.