First things first. My boy posted up some Mud Run pictures from a while ago. Check 'em out.

Next things next. Diana and I just got back from a long weekend in Maryland, visiting my brother and his wife and their new little boy and my first nephew, Ben. It was a great weekend, all in all, and I was very pleased to meet the little tyke and witness my brother and sister-in-law in full parenting mode. Looking back, we didn't really do that much during the days: lots of playing around, a trip to the park, some work out in the yard, but the time went really fast.

Ben's a great little guy. He's (in my eyes) incredibly well adjusted and easy to get along with. He literally only cried for about 30 cumulative seconds the whole time we were there. His parents were also on him like a hawk, constantly making sure he's dry, fed, napped, and happy. I was really expecting sleepless nights and plenty of walks with Diana to get away from a screaming baby, but it was a joy to see him and hang out. I look forward to seeing him more and watching him (read: his calves) grow up.

On our final day there, we headed into DC and met up with Diana's friend Megan for lunch. We ate at some place right near the capitol building surrounded by peeps in suits. I could just feel the political scene in the air. Lunch was nice, and afterwards we killed some time wandering around the Mall. We checked out the new WWII Memorial, which was nice, and then headed to the National Archives and checked out the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights, among other important documents. Pretty neat to see, but lots of security and long lines was a little frustrating.

That evening, we met back up with Megan and Diana's aunt and uncle for a very delicious dinner. That was a lot of fun. Diana's aunt and uncle remind me of my own aunt and uncle, who are very easy to get along with and love to laugh and have fun. Diana's uncle is a big Civil War buff, and has done some research into Diana's own family history with regard to the Civil War. He sounded pretty willing and able to take us on a tour the next time we're up there, which I think would be a lot of fun.

Plane ride movies were "Scooby Doo II" (we passed), and "Miracle" on the way back, which we watched. It was somewhat cheeseball, but pretty entertaining. I really would like to watch the original game. I only vaguely remember it (or perhaps footage of it), but my dad remembers people going outside and high fiving neighbors, honking horns, etc. Incredible.

That's about the size of it for now. Back to work, hot and ready to pop. Long weekend for the 4th, and some BBQ plans in the works… what could be finer?