Gobble Gobble

Left: Aunt Michelle and Caden;   

Below:  Maddie holding Caden, Liz holding Elle, and Ryan on the end!

Thanksgiving.  It was a looong drive and a fantastic trip overall.  Good thing I'm not much of a planner, because my original "plan" which I am almost guaranteed to deviate from at any given moment, didn't pan out as expected.  I was supposed to stay with Shellee in Knoxville at the half-way mark, but she had to drive back home to Kentucky last-minute, so instead of stopping Tuesday night for some rest and quality time with Shell, I powered up with some coffee and kept on goin'!  The drive was surprisingly great, especially through the middle of the night because there was little traffic to speak of.  (You can see below that Wendy and Carly travel well, alternating between the seat and the floorboard.)  I was definitely functioning on coffee (and a Red Bull late in the game), but also I think on adrenaline and the excitement of getting home.  I rolled into Mom's driveway right at 4am and stumbled up to bed.  My mind and body had every reason to be tired, but because of the excess caffeine consumption I stared at the ceiling of my childhood bedroom for another hour before falling asleep.  I woke up early, too - go figure - and spent a loungy, lazy morning with mom, before taking a noon-ish nap.  Later, Mark, Marie, and Caden came over for Thanksgiving on Wednesday night.  The food was terrific (Thanks, Mom!), and it was great to catch up with Mark, Marie, and of course the little guy.  What a good baby!!!

After dinner and some down-time, Mark, Marie and the baby went home and I drove to Sidney to meet Christy at...the Moose?!??  Thank the Lord for GPS because I had no idea where I was going.  At any rate, exhausted, sleep-deprived, and running on coffee, I made it there and visited with my former partner in crime for a while.  I successfully managed to discreetly pour my second Maker's and Coke in HER cup without her noticing (we were drinking the same thing), but she caught me on my 3rd drink which I had resisted in the first place.  I was driving, AND sleepy!  Regardless, the time visiting with Christy was great and grand as always, but always too short.  We've already powered up for Christmas, when there's more time to make the "rounds."

You can see a few pictures taken at Mom's, including one of the flat, vacant Ohio farmland, and the wide open yard, field, and woods behind the house.  It's so peaceful out there.  Actually, when I pulled up to the house on my 4am arrival, I sat for a minute and looked at the sky/stars - breathtaking!  I love that about growing up/living in the country.

Caden was such a good baby - almost 4 months old - being passed around to each family member.  Amanda was holding the little guy at the kitchen countertop, and at this point in the night he hadn't had much of a nap all day, and was still in good spirits.  So glad I got some quality time with the nieces and nephew!  You can see Maddie and Izzy on Thanksgiving day in their Holiday dresses, and baby Elle on the couch with her Mom and Dad (Ryan and Liz) in another picture.  After Thanksgiving "Lunch" on the extended Francis family size, Maddie and Izzy were extremely curious about my camera, so they did a little photography of their own!  (See below.)  The Francis Family Thanksgiving was HUGE, as always, and I caught up with lots of the aunts, uncles, and cousins, though there is never really enough time to talk to everyone.  I felt like I told the same blazing-fast story only to start all over again to the next family member that walked up.  Makes for lots of talking post-dinner!    Chatting, Spicy Bloody Mary's, and kids running wild, it was just another typical Francis get-together!  The exciting part was there were 4 pregnant family members there, and 4 babies under the age of 4 months.  Rapidly growing family!

More to come later, and my apologies for the disorganized photos.  My computer is...acting up?  I don't know.  Something needs fixed on the ole laptop, but I'm not about to tend to it until after finals.  Check back for more photos later, and enjoy!

Aunt Amanda and the little guy
Caden gets a little cat-nap in the car.

 

PHOTOS:

-- Maddie experimenting with photography

-- Christy and me at "The Moose"

-- Maddie, Izzy, and Aunt Michelle at the Francis Thanksgiving

-- Mom holding Caden

-- More Caden photo-op's!

-- Home sweet home.

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...