Current mood:
Where to start? I shot down to ATL on the Tuesday before Christmas. My mom was gracious enough to pick me up and put me up for a few days. It's weird staying back my old room at home. I tended to revert to the hod habits of just staying in my room and only coming out for food and drink.
I ventured out Christmas eve to do some last minute shopping. By last minute I mean most of my shopping. I headed out to Lenox Mall and picked up some things I was pleasantly surprised at how unstressful it was there. It was not to last. I also took a trip up to Roswell to pick up a gift for my youngest niece, Emma. I had been informed she enjoys walking in loud shoes on the hardwood floors of her new house. So, I felt she needed tap shoes to fully explore the decibel levels that could be achieved. I ordered a pair online but was worried they wouldn't show in time and that I ordered adult size. The back up was to buy a second pair... and I'm frankly surprised theres not a huge demand for toddler size tap shoes. However, once i returned home, I discovered the ordered shoes had arrived and were the right size. If anyone needs size 6 toddler tap shoes, let me know.
I tried to venture to a Best Buy or Target on Christmas Eve, and lost the desire and patience to do it That was true retail insanity. SO i threw in the towel, called Charles and met for a martini. Definitely needed to calm my nerves.
I spent the rest of the evening relaxed.
I awoke to the smell of Bacon early Christmas morning. I love the smell of bacon in the morning. ANd one of the true jos of Christmas is he pilfering the bacon mom is cooking. One strip at a time, stealthily as i walk through the kitchen. I think I may have ingested about a pound. Yum.
The family arrived, breakfast was served, gifts were exchanged (I got Sham-wow!). Emma danced about in her new loud shoes, the rest of the children got an amazing amount of stuff. For those of you who haven't experienced having nieces or nephews, try to dissuade your siblings from reproducing. Why?? Because it's the end of your really cool Christmas gifts! Once your parents get grandkids, it's over!
That evening I met up with Grace and J, or Grace-athan for a couple fo cocktails. For future reference, certain parts of Georgia feel the need to not sell alcohol on Christmas day... insanity! We being the lushes we are, we managed to locate libations.
Friday, I slept in and relaxed, then took off to New-nan to see Jersey and her family. I spent some time with them while they bowled it up and then we mini golfed our hearts out. Quite a competitive groue the Jersey's. I bid them fare the well and took off to Have a couple cocktails with the old bos, Ed, at Taco Mac. Whats a visit to Georgia without going to Taco Mac?? We talked, he gave me ideas for beach activities (more on that later), and had a few good beers.
AFter that, I met Grace at the TanJoe manor to visit the infirmed Tanya. She's hobbling about on one foot these days and we all wanted to get together before Grace took off to the dark continent. After a harrowing drive home (complete with some idiot walking out in front of me, as if he didn't see the bright headlights), I crashed and look forward to walking in the ocean soon.
Susan and I had decided a mini vacation was in order. Actually I think we decided a long extended vacation was in order but could only manage the mini one. So, Saturday, she bravely drove from Montgomery to Atlanta to fetch me (or play with mom's horses) and then we took off toward the beach. I'm so glad she was able to drive 4 hours out of her way to pick me up, she must love me. Not to mention the ridiculous traffic.
We embarked on the journey to see the ocean. I love the beach, and it's been too long since my toes have been stuck in the water. And we both really were looking forward to getting away for a few days. Susan knew of a neat little place in Mexico Beach, FL, and they were both priced right and vacant. A short walk form our room and we were in the Gulf of Mexico. Although we arrived after the office closed, our room key was left in a drop box out front (seriously) and we settled in. I reated Susan to a gourmet dinner from the Exxon as everything else was closed. Not that the selection was overwhelming, but I kid of like th smaller beach towns. Just down the road is Panama City Beach, and it's overwhelmingness.
A quick digression, it's been roughly 20 years since I took a trip to PCB. And boy has it changed, and I'm not sure for the better. Gone are the small motels and "mom and pop" places that used to sit all along the beach. In there place are large high rises of condos that block the veiw of the ocean and the sunsets. The old Miracle Strip amusement park is mostly gone, and high end retail seems to be the new order of the day. Though the t-shirt and souvie shops are still about, theres the large mall of standard stores. Which makes me wonder, why would you on vacation only to shop at all the stores you can shop at back home? Then again, it is the Redneck Riveria so maybe anything more substantial than Wal-mart may be a big change for some.
Oh well, back to the Driftwood Inn in Mexico beach. Cute rooms with antique furniture and ful kitchenette. Oh, and a beach! We spent the first day lounging about. It was a little grey and misty, but we still managed to stroll a couple miles along the shore. And then just sat out, watched the waves and the sunset, and read. The most unusual aspct of the day was the porpoises. Susan was vainly trying to point out a pod of them right off the beac, and just when I was thinking she was imagining things, one leaped out of the water and did a flip. It's was like being at Seaworld. I thought the dolphns were trained, apparently its a natural skill. So we watched them for a while as they swam about against the background of a sunset. We ventured out to dinner at a local place, and I had some tasty grouper with crab meat. Too bad they were out of oysters (though i think Susan was happy about that).
The next day we got up early (for us... the crack or 11 AM) and took another long walk down the beach, spotting shells and evena starfish. This after Susan was swarmed by a feeding frenzy of Seagulls. Apparently if you throw bread, every gull within 5 miles will know it. That afternoon we ventured into PCB for tourist activites and dinner.
I hated to leave, but we had a reservation at the TanJoe manor to keep. And they are so very gracious in allowing us to crash there I didn't want to keep them waiting. We were happy to be there, and to chauffeur Tanya about while Joe sat around the airport. The ball dropped, the New Year was rang in, and some idiot jumped a motorcycle on to the Arc D'Triumphe at Paris Las vegas. Unfortunately earlier that evening, Argyle Sillystring Argyle decied J was needed in Canadia and removed him from our presence. Damn them!
New Years day, it was time to return to real life. I hated leaving Susan, I hated returning to SDF, and I really just wanted to run away to the beach again. But I made it back. ASA was nice enough to give me (and 4 other coworkers) rides home. Its cold here, and a little lonely. I returned home to discover my cable modem was out. Nothing reset it, the tech support was unable to help... so I was without internet for a few days. And it's cold.
Which really bummed me out because i was planning to spend some money online to make myself feel a little better. Retail therapy if you will. I've been lookng for a while at buying a new TV and doing a lot of research and price shopping and what not. I knew what I wanted, and how much I wanted to pay. We brown types get a employee discounts froma few companies and I thought I had found the best deal for my money. But I'm blocked from ordering it. So I ventured out to HH Gregg to see what they had to offer. I got there right before closing. The salesman asked if he could be of help, I told him exacly what I wanted. he found it. 10 minutes later I departed with a new 42" Plasma, and cheaper than the UPS discounted one online for the same model.
It's like having a huge movie screen in my living room now after the years of the 27" TV. I do think the most amusing part was me getting the TV form the car to the living oom, and up the stairs. I willed it up the stairs, and I'm still sore. AFter I got the TV in the house, I ventured out to Target o return a gift I had bought for Olivia(some one else got her the same thing) and pick up a new TV stand. Thanx mom for the ift card that bought it.
Now, I'm waiting for the HD cable box to show up along with a new DVD theater system on Monday. But I'm happy with my purchase and everyone should make planes to come visit!
Otherwise, my internet service has been restored, I've made it back to work, and I'm settling back into life. There's an upcoming trip to BHM and maybe DXB coming up. We'll see how the second one plays out. There's also talk of schedule changes for the new year at work, and hopefully nothing that will negatively affect my paycheck.
Time to make dinner and get mentally prepapered for work. Hope eveyrone is well and has started of the New Year right!
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