Chapter 12

Summer 2005

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June

In which our author hath a visitation...

So my parents came to visit.

And I drove them around.

To D.C....

...which they enjoyed...

...because it was so hot...

...and the Blue Ridge...

...and the Shirley Plantation, where Robert E. Lee spent his summers when he was a boy...

...it's on the James river... my river...

...and also to Williamsburg.

You know, you really can't beat good weather and time travel...

...and intelligent conversation.

July

In which our author learneth how to ride...

So my friend Dara invited me to his house in Cannes.

Don't you just love friends with houses in Cannes?

This is what a summer should be... coming back from clubs at 5:00 a.m. for coffee and coulommiers.

But we had a mission. Finally, I was to learn how to ride a motorcycle.

And I did.

Vroom vroom.

Awh yeah... do the snake.

Finally, a biker.

Success ! All thanks to Dara.

Although I still like cars (see me, left of the Ferrari).

I like Monaco too.

 (Casino Monte-Carlo, left; Hotel de Paris, in front; Cafe Hotel de Paris, you're sitting in it, along with some random tourists)

And of course, football.

And I did drive the route of the Monaco Grand Prix in this car.

And came back to enjoy the dawn.

July

In which our author poseth with some others...

So I went back to Galway, Ireland to see my family... yup, they're still pretending to be taller than me

(missing: my brother-in-law, Mark, who is taking this photo; present, on the far right, Dan).

Ladies Day at the Galway Races (Mum and my two sisters)... awwwwh, ain't they cute...

August

In which our author traveleth...

To celebrate my birthday, I went to Louisville...

Where I saw some craaaaazy cars...

I also had friends stay with me.

And caught a VMI game.

September

Boone there, done that...

In the first month of term I managed to visit my friend Paul at Appalachian State University, in Boone, N.C.

Chapter 13: November in New York