Catching Up

I know I’ve been quite again for a while; but in my defence, nothing worth blogging about has been going on.  Will was in Africa for three weeks and I was just working and catching up with friends at J Crew.  Actually, I take that back... I did spend a week working at a fabulous hair salon in Atlanta called Douglas and Co. (as a receptionist! Settle down, they wouldn't actually let me cut anyone’s hair!!).  It was a great time and learning experience; with the best part being the before and after transformations of clients: enter dishevelled hag... exit Malibu Barbie (extremity of cases varying of course!) 

I also came away from it with a new, God-sent hair dresser; the kind you can consult with before an appointment and trust that they actually have your best interest in mind.  I’ve always wanted a hair dresser I can blindly trust and now I have one! YAY! Thanks Erica x Needless to say, I will now recommend Douglas and Co. to all friends/ acquaintances/ dishevelled hags I come across in need of a decent salon and boast shamelessly about how fantastic and healthy my hair looks and feels.

Moving on... Will is setting out for another work trip tomorrow (yes, he has only been home for 5 days) and this time he insists on me accompanying him since we’ve hardly seen each other this past month.  This will be a weeklong trip to Indiana, Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin; including 4th July spent at a street festival in Chicago!!  I am therefore trying desperately to get my shifts covered at J Crew so I can go... fingers crossed!

Water for Elephants

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen is the first book I've managed to complete reading since Edward Rutherfurd's New York months ago.  I finished it in half a day - I couldn't put it down! Entertaining and exceptionally easy to read; it's also heart wrenching and plain tormenting at times.  I saw the movie almost a year ago and have found it to be a very accurate portrayal of the book (for a change!).  The actor choices were great, I can't imagine anyone better for the three lead parts and while reading, my mind drew pictures of scenes and actors from the movie.

I would recommend this book and movie combo to everyone (over the age of 16) and will definitely add it to my pile of favourite books that I re-read in rotation every few years or so.  The main character Jacob Jankowski comes to such a heartbreaking and honest end that I hope I never forget the resolutions this book inspired within me to make.  I wonder how many resolutions or emotions it will stir within others?

Savannah trolley tours

This morning I woke early; as the geek within was eagerly anticipating the trolley tour of Savannah's Historic District that Will and I would be spending most of our day aboard.  With so many tours to chose from, we spoke to the concierge from our hotel yesterday and after  getting his (apparently unbiased) advice, we chose the on-off tour that allows people to hop off, or re-board the trolley at 15 designated stops around the city; giving us plenty of time to explore points of interest at our leisure.  Coincidentally, the on-off trolley tour is the only pet friendly one in the city, so we decided that Baxter would come too.   

The photos speak for themselves; Savannah is an incredibly beautiful city, but to learn about its history and get a real appreciation for the place, I definitely recommend the trolley tour conducted by Savannah Tours.

Thursday night in Savannah

After getting changed, feeding and putting baby Baxter to bed; Will and I continued exploring down Savannah's Bay and River Streets well into the night.  Our first stop was the hotel right across the street from ours; the East Bay Inn,  where daily tours are conducted throughout.  We were greeted by the concierge and even though tour had concluded for the day, she showed us some local history in the welcome area, where we took some photos and continued on our way.

East Bay Inn, Bay Street

Next we visited Savannah's Candy Kitchen on River St, which has to be every child and sweet tooth's dream!  We witnessed the mixing and manufacturing of candy, sampled local delights and after almost an hour of me deliberating what sweets to buy and Will growing increasingly impatient; we left with only one caramel coated apple!

Savannah's Candy Kitchen

Afterward, we had dinner at the Oyster Bar and listened to a one-man show at the Cotton Exchange Tavern before wrapping up for the evening.

Weekend getaway to historic Savannah

Will's going to South Africa for two whole weeks; but not wanting to loose the title of best-hubbie-in-the-world, he has organised a weekend trip for the three of us to visit Savannah beforehand!  I'm so excited!  This trip will appease the restlessness within me caused by being in the same place for so long; and it will enable us to spend quality time together... ahh bliss!

We left Atlanta this morning and arrived in Savannah by 3pm: just in time for a horrendous storm that brought hail, a city-wide power outage and lightening that was striking down trees and power lines before our eyes!  Once it was safe to leave the car, Will checked us into an ancient and beautiful building on Bay St, which is now the Staybridge Hotel. 

Ordinarily, we would have been ecstatic to be upgraded to a suite on the top level, but with no electricity, Will lugged our entire car-trunk of luggage up five flights of stairs and this put a slight damp on his enthusiasm! I offered to help or course, but my Prince Charming insisted on doing it himself.  By 4 pm, we were walking down River St! Where the streets are paved with... oyster shells.

We walked all the way from one end of Bay St to the other and then back up Bay St to our hotel to get ready for the evening.

Great mornings at the Green Market

On Saturday mornings between May and October, Will and I like to kick our weekends off with a walk to the Piedmont Park Green Market where we have breakfast.  The market vendors are all local farms or businesses and their stalls have something to interest everyone; like organic fruit and veg, fresh meat, hot or iced tea and coffee, sweet and savoury preserves and jams, hand crafted jewellery, Asian and Mexican cuisine, baked goods and a myriad of sweets for desert!

We pick up our coffees, walk around and choose our breakfasts and sit down to enjoy it all at a table right next to the (always upbeat) band. The market is pet friendly so Baxter comes along and lays in the shade under our table, munching on his organic dog biscuit from the "Big Daddy's Doggy" tent.  


Photo: ieatsales.com

Photo: piedmontpark.org

Photo: discover-atlanta.com

Photo: sohoatlantablog.typepad.com



Box of Memories

Will's aunt is putting her house on the market and has been cleaning it out little by little, getting rid of all the things she won't need, including Will's battle-scarred, childhood chest that he brought home a few days ago.  

I spent some of my day off work today cleaning and polishing it up, preparing it for its new role as storage space for our spare bedding. As I wiped and waxed, I couldn't help picturing my husband as a kid; energetic, loud and rough with the world at his feet and all the potential in the world.  I wonder if he is happy with the way his life turned out... of course if I asked him he would say that he is, but I wonder if he ever thought his life would turn out the way it has? 

Did he ever imagine that he would become a travelling salesman like his father, when he was a boy crying with frustration that his daddy was never home, stuffing this chest with toys?  Or when he got to high school and begun filling it with sports memorabilia, trophies, jerseys and collective cards?  Did he think he would be so settled down when he became even older and his chest became a storage unit for letters, photos and records of his achievements in the Marine Corps? 

I wonder if he thinks that his life has become so predictable and whether he is content with the decisions he has made that have got him to this place in his life... or if he still yearns for more? Like his toy chest that watched him evolve over his lifetime, holding so much within; now standing rather pathetically at the foot of our bed storing pillows, sheets and blankets.

Sweetwater Creek Park

Both Will and I have been working so much that we haven’t had a chance to get anyway anywhere, even for a weekend. Both of us go stir-crazy being cooped up in the city for long, so we take any chance we can to put on our hiking shoes and at least explore places near to us on synchronized days off. Recently we found a place about 20mins away called “Sweetwater Creek Park.”

More than just an awesome State Park with an abundance of wildlife, native plants, awesome walking trails and a river flowing through it, Sweetwater is also home to an incredible historic site: the ruins of a textile mill demolished in the Civil War! Its strong foundation and several skeletal walls still stand on the creek bed, casting a hauntingly beautiful centrepiece amongst the otherwise untouched, wild landscape.