One down, one to go 😉
This past weekend was busy! Jeff’s birthday, Jason’s graduation from Virginia Tech, and the 28th anniversary for Jan and I. We took Friday off work, and headed to Blacksburg. We were glad we had a place to stay. It’s tough to get a hotel room in Blacksburg or anywhere within 50 miles for graduation weekend; reservations have to be made a year in advance. VT is a big university (4,000 undergrads, and about 1,000 grad students) and not a big town. With all the family who want to see, it’s a challenge to get a spot. We lucked out and through a tip from my friends on the flyfishing listserve, got on the waiting list and then got rooms at the Inn at Riverbend, a B&B about 20 miles west of town in Pearisburg, VA. What a nice place. It’s every bit as nice as it looks on their website. The innkeepers (Lynn & Linda, with help from the manager Eric) are very hospitable, the food was great, and the Inn dogs are friendly! I highly recommend it if you are looking for a place to stay in that area. Here’s a picture I took (with my blackberry, so sorry for the quality) from the deck on the first afternoon when we arrived.
First event was the Computer Science departmental graduation at 4PM on Friday, followed by the University ceremony in Lane Stadium at 7:30PM. Saturday morning was the College of Engineering graduation, where they read all 1,000 names while the graduates traipsed across the stage.
A few hours of relaxation on Saturday afternoon; I went to Little Stony in nearby Pembroke and harassed a few trout. A very nice dinner at The Bank Food and Drink in Pearisburg. Just beat the approaching cold front, and watched the rain sheet off the windows while we ate. Fortunately, it stopped before time to head back to the Inn. Jeff didn’t get much of a birthday party, but all got cards, etc. at dinner. Jan and I then enjoyed some Duval Leroy bubbly and the hot tub back at the room 😉
Sunday was moveout…packed up his apartment, loaded the Uhaul and headed back to Chapel Hill. Whew! I sure could have used a weekend to rest up from the weekend. Jason’s off now in DC for an internship before starting grad school. We’ll all get back in the grind here at home…