The Rest of the Story

Wow, I really fell down on the blogging job. I thought it would be so easy to sit and write my thoughts every day or so but it seems like we were busy all the time!

We arrived back in Jacksonville on Thursday and started the "meet and greet" with our old friends. People came from Alaska, Tennessee, Oklahoma, California, Minnesota, Texas, Kentucky, and Washington. We spent the next 3 days, eating, sightseeing, drinking, and catching up.

After the official reunion, some of us stayed to do a bit more in Jacksonville and then Charlie and I headed for Charleston. By then, the weather had really taken a turn and the wind and rain chased us north. It was still hot though. Enjoyed a couple days in Charleston, one in Augusta and then made our way back to Atlanta. Turned in the rental car and did our exploring on the MARTA system.

I was able to get together with my cousin in Atlanta for a long lunch and catch up. We hadn't seen each other in about 10 years. He's my only first cousin and there's sure not many left in our family.

After lunch we took in "Bodies" which was a fascinating exhibition. A margarita followed, since it was Friday, after all. Couldn't hold a candle to the ones Charlie makes.

Today it is sunny and cool. Our plane doesn't leave until this evening so we have plenty of time to try and fit everything back into the suitcases. This shouldn't be so difficult since it appears all my clothing has shrunk in the past two weeks!

The saga continues...

Monday was a travel day. Once we finally got in gear and left Monroe, we decided to head to Savannah. For some reason, it sounded like fun. Maybe it would have been if it hadn't been raining and so very windy. There was also the little issue of me not eating when I should have. Charlie and I both know that I get cranky if I don't eat, even if I'm not hungry. I did my best, but I wasn't the little ray of sunshine I usually am!

Headed to Jacksonville hoping we could check in a couple days early. Wrong. So, we headed down the coast towards St. Augustine. Found a nice hotel right on the marina.  Here's a picture of the view from our balcony: 

Oktoberfest!

After another sleepless night, this time in Atlanta, we enjoyed our motel continental breakfast and met the nicest people from Germany. Andy and Susanne were just finishing their 2 wwek vacation through the SmokY Mountains. Really enjoyed chatting with them.

After waiting in an extremely long and slow line at Hertz, we got into our brand new Toyota Camry for the trip to Monroe.

We stopped at Stone Mountain Village for brunch/lunch  the restaurant was very German and the sausage was great!  They were just starting their Oktoberfest celebration and we were able to listen to some music and watch some dancing.

After that, we were off to Monroe to visit Charlie's sister, Renee, and husband David.  Lots of food and good conversation.  Bed didn't come early enough for me, but even so, sleep eluded me. 

This morning we're off to Germantown (I sense a theme).

Atlanta, here we come.

Got to experience the fancy screener at the airport. Ordered an 8 x 10 glossy for our album!  It wasn't really that big of a deal except for the time it takes. And they don't give you much time to get dressed before the bins start jackknifing on the belt.   In spite of the time it took, we still had a long wait before our flight which gave us the opportunity to continue our research into the best airport Bloody Mary. So far, San Jose CA is at the top of the list. 
Charlie wore his "Chaumont AFB" cap which sometimes creates conversations with people who are familiar with the 1960's era base in France. This morning, we met a veteran who flew F4s out of Bitburg, Germany while Charlie was at Chaumont. 

I was tempted to try the "Gogo" wi-fi on our Alaska Air flight but $12.95 was a little steep for a 4+ hour flight. I thought it might get cheaper the closer wd got to Atlanta, but no luck!
You'd think after all the flying I've done, I would figure out that the reason I eat the snacks and cookies is more boredom than hunger. Maybe paying to use the internet would have been a good trade-off for the calories.  

I apologize for the strange layout of this post.  Tried to cut and paste from another program and apparently didn't get it quite right.  I'll try to do better in the future!

Vacation - Day 1

After a mostly sleepless night (Sleepless in Seattle?) we're now sitting at the airport enjoying a Bloody Mary. Hey, we're on vacation, right? Flight to Atlanta in another hour or so. Anybody have some suggestions for good places to eat in Atlanta, the Jacksonville area?

What's up

Had such great hopes and plans for this blog and then let myself down. It's good to be busy though! Real estate has picked up considerably in the past month or so. Lots going on.

Getting ready to head out for Charlie's Air Force reunion. This year it's in Jacksonville, FL. Last year we were in France and that's a tough act to follow, but we will have a blast, I'm sure!

Any suggestions for great places to eat? Our first stop is Atlanta to visit a cousin, then Monroe GA to visit Charlie's sister. After that, off to Florida, more relatives and then the reunion. As always, food is at the top of our vacation list!