The Cup

We can add to our list of things we have now done (and will do again!)....The Carolina Cup! We got up early this morning and finished packing the car with tables, tents, chairs, coolers, etc. and headed down to Camden for the annual steeplechase event.

When we first got there it was warm and windy, but Ron and I headed straight to College Park and the Vineyard Vines tent. I was hoping for a tee-shirt, which I didn't get, but we did get a whale hat and key chains. Next year, I know to get over there earlier. And, we stopped by the Lilly Pulitzer table where they were giving away cute little photo albums. We got back to our spot, set up shop and then walked over to Elizabeth's where she, Brett, Brian, and Heather were based. We were waiting on Paula, Peggy, Leslie and Meredith --- who got there as the races were starting due to traffic. Over the next few hours though we saw a LOT of people, and a few horses!

The weather deteriorated as the day went on into windy and COLD. I was freezing in my sundress. After a couple of races I decided to walk back over to College Park where some of the Phi Mu's were tailgating. I went in between races while the gates were open and no sooner than I got there did the bottom fall out of the sky. It poured! I happened to find one of the girls and I stayed under the tent she was at for a while, before trying to head back --- only to find the gates were closed as a race was about to start. A very nice guy shared his umbrella while we waited and by the time I got back to our car it had all but stopped raining. Just my luck, I guess! Of course, almost everyone had packed up and traffic was a nightmare, so Ron, Paula, Leslie and I sat in the car with the heat on while it cleared out.

We saw some funny, absurd and interesting sites at the Cup. It was a people watcher's dream!

Despite the weather, it was a really fun time with friends and I think we are all looking forward to next year....with warmer weather.

me and Rhe

my Vineyard Vines whale hat!

Ron FINALLY let me get him a birthday/Christmas/Valentine's gift --- a tent!

after the rain...Paula, me and Leslie

Indian Culture

Last night Ron and I joined some friends from Jaycees for "A Night in India". We ate some yummy Indian food (which neither of us had ever tried before) and then viewed a slide show about India and learned all about the country from Singe (I think that is spelled correctly)and her family, a friend of Sheila's who moved to the US a few years ago. At most points we had no idea what exactly we were eating, but the "chicken 65" was really good and the dessert -- a flowery flavored sorbet -- was great!

It was definitely something different and we learned a lot, too. Singe is from the southern part of India and she was able to share many of the customs, historical facts and ways of life. I was most interested to learn that she and her family are all Christians and not Hindu or Buddhist....that really surprised us all. She and her husband, Jobe, were married in an arranged marriage (she met him only a month or so before the wedding), yet she told of how her sister wanted to marry a man who was not "chosen" for her. The father sent the man off to complete "tasks" before he would allow the marriage. One of those was that he must convert from Hinduism to Christianity. The man met all of their father's requirements over time and is now married to her sister. It was all very interesting and the family was very sweet. I would love to visit India someday and see, in person, the sights we viewed on the screen.

St. Pat's and Tornados!

What a weekend! Ron's mother came down Friday evening to pick up Ben for the weekend. He hadn't been able to celebrate his brithday with her and Grandpa yet. And, Clay was off to Barstow for an OA weekend. While she was here, we went out to Sandhill for some shopping and then I went downtown after they left to take Ron dinner. Remember the big project that ate up all those weekends? Well, after at trip to Nashville to visit the vendor last week they were sure it would happne on Friday night. Ron got home at 6 AM! He was exhausted and we had planned to meet up with friends for the St. Patrick's Day celebration. We chose to sleep in and go down a little later. In the process I kept complaining that I had a scratchy throat.

We met up with Aimee and Marley and headed to Delaneys for lunch and ended up spending the rest of the day there because of the weather. I had planned to go meet my friend Stephanie to see Edwin McCain and she texted that it was cancelled due to tornado warnings! It was crazy! Apparently it never got bad downtown, but out where we are several friends have told us it was really nasty. Quite the experience for our first St. Patrick's Day in Columbia!

We thought we had gone all out buying beads and buttons and green jewelry, but some of the people were a HOOT!! Like the guy above who was completely decked out in his leprechaun suit. Some people had their hair dyed green, and it was GREEN, GREEN everywhere you looked!

Remember the scratchy throat? Well, I've spent the whole day laying around due to a sore throat and fever. YUCK! Ron has been taking great care of me bringing medicine and picking up so that I can rest. If I don't feel better tomorrow, I'll go to the dr.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

What a Sunday!

We were up early again this morning. Okay, not as early as yesterday, but early for us. My friend, Elizabeth, invited us to visit her church and we got up for breakfast and to pick up some things at Walgreens before meeting her. We LOVED the church and can't wait to visit again.

After service we hurried to drop off the boys and get dowtown to the Heart Center to join the Jaycees to work on the B106.7 Radiothon for Children's Hospital (I'll be back on Tuesday night and if we don't get any calls, I may be calling YOU!) We were able to stay there for about two hours before leaving to meet the JWC girls (and a couple of other hubbies) and the kids from the shelter for a "behind the scenes" tour of the State House. One of our provisionals, Michele, has a husband who works at the state house and he arranged for us to not only see the "usual" tour, but also to visit the basement (which is almost entirely granite and yes there are some tunnels, but not the rumored "escape" tunnels) and the dome(s). I chickened out of going all the way to the top of the dome as the heights got to me about halfway. Ron and whole bunch of others, though, went ALL the way. He was so excited as we were pulling off of Main St. to point to the tip-top of the State House and say, "I was up there!". It was an AWESOME experience to see parts of the building that most people don't get to, hear the history and workings of the facility.

The best joke was that in one room there was a hatch to an underground area and you have to be put in and lifted out by harness because of potential dangerous gas that Jack Bauer wouldn't need a harness and he would make through the gas to the bad guys hiding underneath to save the building. After that we started making JB jokes as the facility guy pointed out safety features.

Another really cool thing was the "moat" that surrounds the building and the earthquake prevention features that have been put in. Completely fascinating!

I will add more pictures later....my friend Paula took some GREAT ones and when I get those, I'll share them, too (especially the one of us in the "dome").

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Early Satuday Morning

I did something for the first time today. I watched the sun come up over the city from the zoo. Ron and I got up at 5:30 (AM..in case you were wondering)to get ready and be at the zoo by 6:40 to volunteer with the Jaycees at the March for Meals 5k. It was great to see everyone and very interesting to watch the race dynamics -- the serious runners to the strollers, those with wheels and those with feet.

I was at the beginning and the end of the race in the parking lot, while Ron was inside the zoo. We were there just to make sure folks stayed on the running path. Afterwards we met up with some of our old and new Jaycees friends to chat for a while before heading over to Main St. for breakfast at Chic-fil-A and a quick walk through the "Excavating Eygpt" exhibit at the Art Museum. It was a great exhibit and I can't wait to take the boys back to see it. Ron and I then came home and took a LONG nap!

(in the photo from L to R: Elizabeth (with Ron hiding behind her), Me, Sheila, Randy, Ben, Hailey, John and Ryan)

Out With Friends

Tonight Ron and I met downtown and joined some friends at M Cafe for a wonderful dinner and then Town Theatre to see the play "Dearly Departed". I had sushi and Ron had Mongolian Beef, both of which were excellent! Of everyone at dinner, Ron had only met Dennis and Leslie. I knew Christy (from the other couple that was there) but had never met her husband. As we were waiting on dinner to arrive Ron and Michael, Christy's husband, are talking and come to realize that they had a phone conversation two weeks ago.....Michael is sales rep for a copier company and with Ron being in IT puchasing, they had a business call. Too small of world! :)

After dinner we headed to the theatre where we met up with Stephanie and Rick, Elizabeth and Neil and Christina for a wonderfully funny play. The premise is that "Bud" has a stroke at the kitchen table and his family is left to conduct a wake and funeral for him in spite of their own personal problems and issues. It was hilarious! Ron summed it up best, "I'm glad I'll be dead at my funeral."

It was a great, fun night and we look forward to doing this again soon!

Two Places at One Time = Double Good Times!

Last night was the GNO (Girl's Night Out) Christmas party. After a cookie disaster, getting dressed and having to stop at Kroger for a pre-made appetizer to replace the cookie disaster, I finally got on the road to downtown. I might have been driving for five minutes when the phone rang....Ron. He was meeting a vendor for dinner and the vendor was expecting me to show up, too. They were sitting at Ruth's Chris and wanting me to get there. I explained that I had this party, Ron explained that he would very much like for me to come join them and we reached a compromise. I would come have dinner (skipping the social hour of GNO) and get to the party in time for the gift exchange. Other than being thirty minutes later than I had planned, it actually worked! I got a GREAT meal and still was able to hang out with my friends!

I stopped by the party to drop off my gift and appetizers and explain the situation before going on to Ruth's Chris (ironically, some of us from GNO are going to Ruth's Chris next month for dinner!). Ron and the vendor were already seated when I arrived. We dined on salad/soup, filet (for me; other steaks for them), mashed potatoes, asparagus, lobster tails and since I had to leave before dessert, Lee insisted on sending home goodies for me including a slice of "chocolate sin cake"! If you've never been to Ruth's Chris it is a high-end steakhouse where all sides are a la carte and fairly formal (I think that must be an unwritten rule or something about kids...the youngest person I saw there was the girl at the booth across from us celebrating her 16th birthday). And, it is SO GOOD!!! I've eaten at Morton's in Chicago and thought nothing could compare to it, but Ruth's Chris definitely gives it a run for the money!

As soon as I finished eating (it was almost 8 and I promised Steph I would arrive NO LATER than 7:30) I left to collect my car and luckily the party was on Laurel, less than ten minutes away. I arrived right as the gift exchange was beginning and thanks to Stephanie I had a number (I'm so glad to have friends who look out for me!) It was a load of fun doing the Chinese auction thing and seeing my friends from JWC and meeting some new women from GNO. I brought home a very nice decanter and glasses set to boot.

Me and Stephanie, one of my absolute favorite people! :)

the cheesy, sorority-girl picture: Sara, Me, Stephanie and Christine, more of my favorite people! :)

Me, Sara and Stephanie

my favorite picture of the night --- Christine, me, Sara, Stephanie and Williesha, we're all JWC provisionals and Sara is our "mom"

Company Christmas Party

Last night Ron's company had their Christmas party. The food was yummy and it was nice to meet the folks he works with and their spouses. Not to mention, I love a good opportunity to buy a new outfit and get all dressed up! :) (I couldn't decide on just one picture, by the way!)

In this one, you can see me carrying the lion purse from an earlier post!

Too sweet!

Actually at the party, too bad Ron's eyes were tired and hurting by this time, he couldn't keep them open.

Hallowwen Party Time

Tonight Ron and I attended our apartment community's Halloween party. We had a fun time meeting a few neighbors, eating some snacks, but best of all, I won 2nd place in the costume contest! WhooHooo!!

I went as a hippie (don't you love the braid? Ron did it!) and Ron went as a fraternity boy, in other words, he waited to the last minute to throw a costume together :)

Maggie put on her bee suit to have a picture with Mommy...though she didn't like the wig at all.

The costume contest contestants.....the witch won 1st and I won 2nd!