TURKEY travels: Road-trip preparation

Ah, it's that time of year again for TURKEY!  I haven't been this excited about Thanksgiving in a very long time.  The main issue now, though, is finding enough time to visit everyone!  I will be splitting time between Mom's, Dad's, the brothers/nieces/nephew, friends from home, friends from Lexington, and my beloved former co-workers!  I am going to do my best though, to not "party" too hard, drink lots of coffee, and pack in the quality time with EVERYONE!  I will begin the 12+ hour journey on the most traveled day of the year here in a few hours, drive to Knoxville, TN and stay with my best friend in the whole wide world, Shellee, hit up some MORE quality time with my girl, and then continue on tomorrow morning.  I wish I could hit the road a little sooner, but there's no way I can not attend my Anatomy/Physiology class and lab this afternoon, so my plan is to have the dogs hang in the car while I'm in class (they love it in there!) and leave straight from class.  I realize I'll be traveling through some pretty serious rush-hour traffic, but I don't want to postpone the trip longer than I already have.  I do need to run to radio-shack and get an FM transmitter for my ipod - can't go without that on a looong road-trip, and my other one went ka-put during my last 12-hour haul to the Low Country.  

Dare I explain the amount of preparation it takes for me, a SWF + 2 dogs, to get ready for this trip?!  My goodness!  Between schoolwork, laptops, techie gadgets I shan't do without, dress clothes for turkey day at grandpa's, it's fair to say my packing preparation was more on the ridiculous side.  I should probably get the pups good 'n' tired before we depart; we'll go a good 4 hours before making any pit-stop.  First stop will probably be right before the mountains.  The dogs will take turns lying in the front seat and floorboard of my car, Wendy likely in a consistent slumber, while Carly will trudge through her ADD moments with chew toys, rawhides, and her head out the window.  Oh joy.  ;)

Anyhow, I'll be sure to post pictures of this glorious weekend.  I've already planned on seeing some of the regular Vtowners at Creekdump (Creekside Bar and Grille), CrustyChristy Albers :) somewhere up north, obviously the fam in Troy and Vtown, Christine-Machine MillerTime in the 'Ville (Louisville), and Myra Allison (Allinator) in either Lex or the 'Ville, hopefully most or all of the Rupp & Associates crew in Lex, and perhaps some of the fellas I used to play basketball with in Lex.  Exciting!!  Busy!!  Can't wait!!

Don't worry, Parents.  I will be placing a little note on my dashboard telling me to SLOW DOWN, since I have a tendency to never really follow the speed limit.  "Safety first."

Alright - those of you who are reading this that I will be seeing very soon:  I am clearly very, very excited to get home and give ya'll a big, long-past-due hug.  I imagine there'll be a considerable amount of "bier trinkend" this weekend too, as they say in Deutsch!

I'll try and do a little photo-op here and there throughout the drive.  More to come later on the three T's:  Thanksgiving weekend, Turkey, and Tryptophan!

Until next time....

Palmetto Society Oyster Roast

Britt and I on our way out of the "Bus Station" where the Palmetto Society Oyster Roast was held.  It was SO CHILLY!

Britt, myself, and her co-workers.  A good mix!  (And look at those crazy RED eyes!  It never fails, and I don't know why...)

Cheese!

Late yesterday afternoon one of the girls I have become good friends with here invited me to an oyster roast downtown.  She described the location, and low and behold it was a block away from my house.  I had heard the band setting up and practicing late in the afternoon, but it didn't dawn on me that the roast was going to be so near where I live!

The roast didn't start until 7, and Britt was running a little late so I had a glass of wine with the "housemates" and reflected on the busy week and the even busier weeks to come.  Down-time spent in the house is so enjoyable!  Once Britt arrived and parked I walked down the street to meet her.  Last night was VERY chilly, and I'm a little embarrassed to admit how much my blood has "thinned."  My Ohio friends and family would likely make fun...

Above are just a few photos of the group that eventually met up at the event, including a few of Britt's co-workers.  There were a few hundred people there as the night went on, but the venue (an old bus station terminal) was not enclosed so the breeze made it even more chilly!  There were some upright heaters throughout, but not enough to feel completely comfortable.  I forgot gloves again, so I was holding a cold beer with nearly-numb fingers!  I ran into my new "co-worker" from DePuy Spine - the nice fella I'm covering spine cases for on occasion.  (Stopped in on a PLIF today at MUSC, actually...)  He's an Oyster Roast veteran, so he showed me the art of prying apart the steaming-hot shells!   I've had oysters before, of course, but not like this.  It was lots of fun and, as expected, I do like oysters!  (No real surprise there!)  Britt and I didn't stay the whole night simply because it was so darn chilly, plus I have plenty to do for school as the semester winds up.  (I cannot believe how quickly this semester, and year, has gone by.  2008 has been a wild year.  I can only wonder what 2009 will bring!)  Anyhow, apparently oyster roasts go on all through the winter until about March, so I'm sure I'll get my fill of oysters this season.  Oysters and beer... You can't go wrong!

Folly Beach

Typically the end of November is an unusual time to post images of the beach, but it's also a unique time on the coastal waters.  Today, pretty much at random, I drove out to Folly Beach with the dogs to let them run around to get some exercise.  Folly is a terrific little beach here, in my opinion.  I think it's more enjoyed by locals, as opposed to Sullivan's Island and Isle of Palms which, to my knowledge, draw more tourists.  Folly is on James Island, which is a fantastic, low-key little area where I could definitely see myself living someday.  I just saw on "concierge.com" that Folly was rated one of the best beach towns in the country, with great little bars and restaurants much enjoyed by locals, tourists, and transplants (that's me!) alike.  I expected there to be only a few people at the beach today, and the peacefulness was certainly welcomed.  There was a dad and 3 kids flying a kite on the beach, and the occasional couple causally strolling by, and two WILD black dogs racing about.  (My wild black dogs...)

The scene was beautiful though, despite the ocean breeze and chilly air.  I wish I'd brought gloves because I was fumbling around with my camera trying to take pictures with frozen fingers!  Above are a few of the girls running about, of the beach and the pier, of yours truly, and of the dogs on the ride back home.  They got a fair amount of exercise in and are tuckered out now, which is perfect because it gives me uninterrupted time to study and watch the Buckeyes destroy Michigan!!!  Go BUCKS!

Enjoy the pictures.  :)

P.S.  I'm going to have to have Marie show me how to artfully post pictures on here.  Mine are clearly in one big clustered collage.  I'll have to toy with the different options...

Wendy and Carly

It's been a while since most of you have seen Wendy and Carly...a few of you have never seen/met them, so I've included a few pictures!  I know they aren't terribly exciting photos, but I hope you enjoy nonetheless.  They often hang out on my bed while I'm gone - I'm not exactly a huge fan of it, but it's kinda hard to monitor when I'm not present!  

Speaking of which...Funny story.  Yesterday I was rushing around getting things ready for my Chemistry lab and threw a set of car keys on the bed.  I didn't think to take them with me since I was walking to class.  Later that evening one of the neighbors in the community knocked on the door and told my "housemates" that my car lights were flashing on and off mysteriously.  Can you guess where this is going???  Laura emailed me this little fact so I could check on it once I was back at the house.  My blackberry receives all my emails, so I got the message just as I was walking home from class.  She had suggested there might be a short circuit in the security system or something going haywire inside, but my FIRST instinct was..."Did I leave my keys on the bed?!"  I had a feeling Carly might have been having some fun.  Sure enough, when I got home and ran upstairs to check on them, the remote for my car was in about 37 plastic pieces.  As she was "chewing" it apart, she was locking and unlocking my car, making the neighbors very nervous!!!  Fortunately, the computer chip is not damaged (Thanks Carly, for sparing that!) so I may be able to get just a regular plastic casing and switch out the chips instead of re-programming a whole new device.  At any rate, this is just one of many little adventures of having a puppy.  For those of you who don't quite know, Wendy will be 5 in a few days, and Carly (The curly one) will be 1 in January.  She's very much a little pup and loves to explore fun stuff that's kept lying around.  The good thing is, it forces me to keep my room picked up!!  ;)  

More Drayton Hall Photos

Here you will see the Ashley River, which was the view from the back of the house. The river is more apparent during high tide, and supposedly dolphins can be found in this brackish water from time to time! Notice the hand-carved walls, fireplace, and plastered ceilings. These details were present throughout the entire house, with the finest imported goods from Europe brought over during the construction process which began in 1742. The bricks alone, stacked horizontally and others then perpendicular, took roughly 2 years to make by hand. The brick walls were nearly 2 feet thick, and the rectangle/square/rectangle/square design was basically a status symbol, requiring almost double the amount of bricks. The brick design merely stated, "Look how much money I have!"

http://www.draytonhall.org/

Shown here is a picture of the "basement." Very typical style of many low-country homes because of the level of the water table.

Notice the very narrow stairwell that slaves used behind closed doors to transport food, laundry, etc. to various parts of the house. Remember, no electricity and a dark, winding stairwell the size of a phonebooth, literally!

If you look closely at the third photo, you will see that the Drayton family measured their children's height in the doorway just as many of us do today! My camera does a great job of zooming in on the computer, but unfortunately the saved file isn't quite as good. However, if you look close enough you might be able to make out names and dates. Note: when you see "4-10-95" or "8-13-79" that does not mean 1979...it means 1879!!! Look at the family history written in a doorway!

Pictures of Drayton Hall - Charleston, SC

Top: The back side of Drayton Hall, taken with my back to the Ashley River. Honored guests would travel by river and walk through elaborate gardens up to the plantation house. The gardens were destroyed during the Civil War, but the grand presence of the house still remains!

Above: The "turn-around" in the front of the estate. The raised terraces of grass used to adorn beautiful landscaping and possibly a fountain, creating a presence of wealth and status for whomever would step foot on the property.

New Blogger

Recently, I decided it wouldn't be a bad idea to start a "blog" of my own. I found it so enjoyable to keep up on the fun events, changes, and happenings with friends and family back home via the "blogging" tool of the 21st century, so here I am. I have no idea how this will turn out, and whether or not I will be able to be a consistent "blogger" with up-to-date posts and pictures. Time will tell!

As most of you may know, I recently moved to beautiful Charleston, South Carolina during the last week of August, and already I feel like it's becoming more and more like home. That's not to say, however, that anything in the world can truly replace Versailles, Ohio, (No sarcasm. I mean that!) but I'm happy to add yet another fantastic city to the list of places I've lived.

I came to Charleston on a rather quick note, embarking on another academic journey of which I'm very excited to explore. So far the experience has been wonderful, and it seems more great things are in store! I'll keep you posted.

Transitioning was an interesting process. I think the first month was simply decompressing from work, relaxing and trying to get into a school groove once more. I worried constantly about work for a while, even from 800+ miles away, and white-knuckle-clasped onto my precious blackberry just in case "work" called. Unhealthy as it may seem, that feeling has now passed. Instead of "worrying" about work anymore, I wonder about my fantastic (former) co-workers and how they are kicking tail and taking names. I miss them, always. But they know that.

My schedule here has been very busy, but I'm now into a pretty darn good groove, so my schedule does not feel as hectic as before. Regardless, 4 classes and 4 corresponding labs certainly keep me busy, on top of a few extracurriculars, a new and very welcomed social life (again, finally!), and, of course, quality time with the "girls," Wendy and Carly. They really are best buddies and keep me constantly entertained. Carly has such a whimsical personality. I've never met such a happy dog that was so pumped about life in general. She loves everything, all the time. Wouldn't it be great to project her enthusiasm for everything onto people?!?

As far as lifestyle goes in Charleston, the town itself is very laid back, the people are wonderfully kind, and the weather, of course, is phenomenal - especially this time of year. Warmer temperatures aside, the size, pace, and people here remind me a good deal of Lexington, which is great news since I love that city too! There are always cultural festivals or 5 or 10k runs on either of the connector bridges (connecting the main island, or peninsula, to the others), good bars, bands, restaurants, etc., not to mention the beach only minutes away... I find it extremely difficult to exhaust fun-and-leisure options...They simply never run out!

For example, today pretty much on a whim I decided to drive out to Magnolia Plantation, which is apparently a breathtakingly beautiful, historic plantation in West Ashley. En route, I came upon Drayton Hall, literally a mile before my GPS was going to place me at Magnolia Plantation. I took interest, and cut a hard right onto the gravel lane, meandered my way down the path through a beautiful wooded lane. I can't even fully describe the sight. Drayton Hall is one of the oldest preserved plantation houses in America - over 350 acres - and one of only a few pre-Revolutionary houses that has been preserved close to its original condition. Only the words of Robert Frost even begin to do justice to the grand landscape, a home to seven generations of Drayton's (over 236 years), surviving not only multiple natural disasters, but also notably both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. I was lucky enough to arrive minutes before a guided tour was about to begin, so I tagged along and learned about the remarkable history of the site. I ended up enjoying my time so much at Drayton Hall that I didn't have enough time to explore Magnolia, which was on my original, very lax, agenda. I suspect I'll go next weekend and perhaps post more pretty pictures.

I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them. They do very little justice to the real thing, but expand your imagination a bit and you'll appreciate the historical value of Drayton Hall as much as I. Oh, and one last remark. While strolling through the gift shop I picked up a book titled, Ghosts of Charleston (I painfully admit how much of a Transplant-Charlestonite Tourist Invasion of Southern Culture I am to this city....). I took the book to the steps of an old well on the plantation grounds and read in the sun for a little while. The very first "haunted" story in this particular book told of a home that is literally a 30-second walk from my front door. Essentially I live next to a real haunted house! If any of you are interested, Google the Aiken-Rhett house in Charleston. The history of it is pretty interesting, and even more-so now that I know it's documented to be one of the dozens of haunted houses in the city!!