I Digress

Hooray! Yesterday Pat graduated from Flagler College. Really, he did. His name is in the program and everything. I saw his diploma. In fact, I am going to get it framed for him. Three cheers for Pat! Aunts Marie and Gail flew into town for the event. We had a great weekend. Jim and I drove to the airport on Thursday night (in a driving rain) to pick up Aunt Gail. Aunt Marie had made arrangements to spend the night with Sue, her friend from the old days. Sue and her husband Art moved into North Hampton in the fall. I have not seen Art for 30 years or more but he recognized me. He was in the airport waiting for Marie and he asked me if I was a Berger. I told him that I probably look like Marie because I am a Driscoll. I don't think either of us looks like a Berger---not that there's anything wrong with that. It was pretty funny.

The next morning Gail went to look at houses again. This time I hooked her up with a real estate agent. Every time she comes to visit we look at houses. She is trying to talk herself into buying something in Florida. Whether she ever actually will buy is a big question. At any rate, looking at new houses has not been my hobby. It may become a hobby though......more on that later. After about three hours, Teresa, the real estate agent brought Gail back. In those three hours, they had become friends. That is how it is with Gail. She and I drove to Caddyshack to meet Marie and Sue for lunch. Bill Murray was not there but we had a good time anyway.

After lunch we went to the mall so I could start my Christmas shopping. I bought presents for Pierce, May, Aidan and Declan (Marie's grandchildren) and for Brendan (Gail's grandson). I couldn't believe it but Disney was having a 2 for 1 sale. I have never seen them do that. Michael Eisner apparently would never have allowed that. After leading Sue to I95 (she is still a relative newcomer and needs good directions to find her way), we went back to the house to meet Jim and Pat for pizza. I invited Good Neighbor Debbie over to give Gail some advice on house buying in the area. Debbie has bought two houses. She is renting one. She will close on the other in a few weeks. She will have to move into that one and live in it for two years and then she will sell it. The value on the house has gone up considerably already and she hasn't even closed on it. After she sells it, she will move back into the house next door. Jim and I are now strongly considering buying an investment house ourselves....more on that in a later posting.

Saturday was a beautiful day, sunny and warm. The graduation was held in the gymnasium at Flagler College. There were 160+ graduates. Pat was wearing his new suit under his cap and gown. His buddies at FOX bought him the new suit as a graduation present. There is a chance he will become an on-air personality so he will need it. Gail attempted to take some photos during the ceremonies, but mostly she got the back of people's heads and some interesting shots of somebody's legs. Oh well, we got some good shots afterwards. There was a reception in the dining hall. We saw the Penningtons for the first time in a long time. Too bad Pat thinks Ryan Pennington is such an a-word. We do like his parents.

We went to South Hampton for lunch afterwards. Then Marie, Gail and I went and looked at another development (Sevilla) near the World Golf Village. Jim and Pat played golf. Later I took the girls to see my office and then we went to see the new Harry Potter movie. It was good, but dark and though I knew how the story ended, I still felt bummed. Poor Cedric. Saturday night Marie and Gail treated us to dinner at the Stonewood Tavern. Yum. The diet starts AGAIN tomorrow.

I am very proud of Pat. For his graduation present, we are covering his IRS bill (and maybe get him some black shoes to go with his new navy blue pin-striped suit--he was wearing brown shoes). On Monday he will negotiate his full time contract with FOX. Here's hoping all of his demands are met!