1) Christmas in Spartanburg
After the non-stop fireplace usage Christmas Extravaganza at my place, Hannah and I went down to Spartanburg. Memorable moments included...
- somehow being really good at Cornhole. Hannah and I played against her Dad and her "other brother" Brendan. We did really well. It seems the less you try, the better you do. And as with most things, when Hannah is good, i'm bad, so we balance each other out for good consistent progress.
- trying to figure out how to slice those potatoes for Rosemary Potatoes. The head chef was unfortunately taking a sick day, so the rest of the crew had to try and duplicate her cooking ability. One of the courses involved potatoes that were to be cut in specific way. The directions said to cut the potatoes on a spoon, so that they weren't cut all the way through. It was a cool trick. And it basically worked. And they baked up nicely. and they tasted of rosemary....scrumptious rosemary.
- Party Poppers at Dinner. Everyone had a party popper on their plate. When you pulled and they opened, everyone also got a toy and a crown! ahhhhh...the feeling of royalty. (see pic above)
- stockings! I got toothpaste! and some chocolate! and deodorant! and socks! and misc goodies! joy!
- secret Santa...Clif Bars! For secret Santa, I was had by Andy and Beth. After consultation with Hannah, they got me a box of Clif Bars and an REI gift card (which I will prob buy more bars with!) I have been eating them a lot lately and they are like nature valley bars, but way better. Best secret Santa ever!
2) Charleston for New Years
On our way down to Charleston, we stopped at cookout. Hannah had 3 requirements for while she was home for Xmas. 1) BBQ Pork. 2) seafood 3) cookout milkshake. So, we were on our way to getting her number 2 and we stopped to get number 3. It was very very good. Nice and thick.
Once we were down in Charleston, we met up with my friend Nikki. I hadn't seen her in ages. So, we filled each other in. I met her in AmeriCorps when I worked at Habitat. Her and her boyfriend Dan are in this really cool duplex just north of the peninsula that is downtown Charleston. They have a couple dogs and a cat who were friendly enough to let us sleep in their house. The cat was especially friendly, and it helped me to play the old piano they had in their house.
Nikki and Dan directed us to go see a really cool old park right near their house. It was a huge park and sure enough was mostly hidden. Hannah and I went over there and found a really cool, super old, live oak tree. Much climbing and playing ensued. There was a bit of fear in Hannah, but she got over it. I've got the funniest video ever of her shimmying up this branch 4 feet off the ground. Ask to see if you're ever at my house.
The best part about Charleston in my mind is the ability to wander forever and never see the same street twice. This is what I did when i was in AmeriCorps. And this is what we did when we were there for Christmas. Hannah has as much wanderlust as I do apparently, so, we spend a lot of time exploring, getting lost, and just enjoying the newness of coming to a corner you have never been on. I honestly couldn't tell you where we went. I know we started at my car, and we made it back. We ate seafood in between there. And on New Years we saw some fireworks. And we stood under a tepee of lights.
Our last night there, we went out to Isle of Palms. There is something so serene about being on the beach in the winter. Its possible we were the only people in our hotel. And that's how we like it. So peaceful. So quiet. And we even got up and saw the sunrise. It is becoming a recurring thing, that if you put us near water, whether its east or west, we will find a way to see the sun come up or go down over it. sleep be damned!
Done. Caught up. no detailed omitted.
Dalen
