Well, He's Off....

Well, I dropped Robert off at the airport this morning. He's on his way to Iowa to do some FEMA work for the next few months. We certainly will miss him. He reports tomorrow for work and will be working close to 70 hours a week. I will probably be hanging close to Montgomery while finishing up the last of the thesis work.....hopefully that won't be too much longer and I'll be back in Birmingham with a job. Robert will still have his same email address and phone number if anyone needs to get in touch with him or just wants to chat.

New Furniture

Robert and I have been holding off on buying new furniture for a while, but this weekend, friends of ours (Thanks Tamara and Dallas!!) were selling their furniture for a great price. They had to get rid of it, so we thought we'd take it off their hands :).

So...on Saturday, Robert and I made a day trip to go pick up the furniture and spend a quick afternoon and lunch with Tamara and Dallas and their family. Unfortunately, it rained for most of the day between Birmingham and Auburn, but we managed to pile the furniture up in the back of Robert's truck and get it covered up pretty well with a couple of tarps....we probably looked like the Beverly Hillbillies going down the road :).

We've only had a small amount of furniture in our living room for the past year and it seemed to fit pretty well...except we had a major lack of seating and no one likes sitting in the Papasan chair (kinda feels like the chair will tip you out). We now have a couch, loveseat and chaise lounge chair in our living room. It took us all day yesterday contemplating how we were going to get it to fit. Well here is the arrangement we came up with....I'm not sure if we love the way it is yet, but we'll leave it like this for a while to see if it grows on us.

rrring, rrring, rrring

Yea, I got the call.

Remember how we were thinking about going out on some field work for an extended amount of time, but weren't sure about anything? Well, the call came in for me to pack my bags. We're still unsure of the exact location and the exact date, but we know I'm going and we know it's soon.

We'll post more when we know it.

How hard is it to pump gas?

As I climbed into the truck this morning, I looked down and noticed I needed some gas to finish out the week. No big deal, right? Yea, wrong.

I pulled up to station #1, just as normal, when I noticed the pump was flashing "Card Error. Please Come In". As I thought nothing about it, I proceeded into the station to find nearly a dozen others in line waiting for the attendant to activate the pumps. I was already late, so I wasn't staying around.

I went next door to station #2. Something should have tipped me off as to why nobody was there at the pumps. As I pulled up to those, yea, they were out of gas. Every one of the handles had a bag over them, except the premium. Sorry, but I wan't paying that, $3.92 is bad enough!

So, on to station #3. I think everyone and their grandmother wanted gas, but luckily I didn't have to wait long. I went to activate the pump by swiping my card. I got a "card error. try again". So, trial #2, same thing. Trial #3, same thing. Now getting frustrated, I try once more and miraculously it worked finally....

So, after going to three different stations, spending 15mins putting around for gas, I was finally allowed to give up my check for 1/2 tank of gas. Not only is it getting expensive, but now they're just trying to see how bad we NEED it!

kayaking the coosa

We were a little spontaneous, and it seems it paid off pretty well. Friday afternoon, and finishing some yardwork, we decided we'd go on a whim and go kayaking down the Coosa river in Wetumpka, Al. Nothing too fancy, nothing too hard, and nothing that would take all day.


We called up a rental company, called a few friends and made our drive south to the rental check-in. After the basic safety talk, signing the waiver, and getting everyone together, we were in a bus and headed to Jordan Dam.

All in all, it took us close to 3 hours, we paddled almost 7mi, and had quite the fun. There were tons of boaters out and about floating, swimming, kayaking, and just sunbathing.

Definitely something that we'll try again!

Another Hike

This is a little old (6/28/08), but bear with me...

I met the scouts for one of their dayhikes around Lake Martin, while they were working on their backpacking merit badge. This trip was to knock out the 10mi requirement for the trip. We were to do 7mi at one set of trails, then move to another trailhead and wrap up the last three. This is how it went.

It was 76 degrees when we started at 8am. It stayed this way most of the hike.

We saw this little fuzzy guy just about as soon as we started. Unfortunately, he was right above a very large spider web.

Our hike bordered the shoreline of Lake Martin. We got to see several little rock formations and outcroppings like this throughout the hike. Pretty neat actually.

This was one outcropping, we could actually climb under...so we took a group photo!

We covered our first 7mi, then stopped for lunch at the trailhead before moving on to the second trail. During lunch, the rain began to fall, the thunderstorms showed up, and we had to bail out on the last 3mi. The bright side, the kids got the 5mi requirement.

Around the House

So, we are a little behind on updating things that have been going on around here, but we've been a little busy. Anyway, in between Charleston and New York, we figured we'd get a little bit done around the yard. The grass was getting a little high and the bushes were out of control. Also, my big pot was full of dead stuff. I figured it was time to dig up the dead stuff and add something new. Here is my creation....I even picked out the flowers myself since my mom was in New York and unable to help.

During our yard jobs, we went back and forth through the back gate, but on one trip through someone didn't latch it completely. We looked over and saw a couple of faces poking out to see how things were going.

After Robert trimmed up the bushes, I realized just how much I really don't like them, but I have no idea what we should put in their place. Any ideas?

The Charleston Wedding Part III

Ok, so after the usual sightseeing stuff, we had to return to the hotels and clean up for the rehearsal and the dinner. We gave ourselves plenty of time to get back, dressed, and ready to go. However, with about 10mins to go, Bethany makes the realization that the security tag was still attached to her dress and she didn't have an alternative...It took a few minutes of fighting, but the dress was spared and the tag was destroyed.

Well we got on our way, went to the church and did the typical routine of where we're standing and what we're doing.

A few more instructions, a few more practices, a whole lot of laughs, and we were done!
Then it was off to the rehearsal dinner at this cute litte bed and breakfast called The Posthouse.

We had a little time before dinner to sit and chat with the other groomsmen and have a good time.

It was at the rehearsal dinner that Emily gave Bubba his wedding gift. He owns a set of science fiction books that are near and dear to his heart.....if anyone touched them, they might not have a hand left :). Anyway, Emily was able to get in touch with the author's wife (the author had passed away), and she came to see Bubba that evening. He was sooo surprised. After dinner, we all went our separate ways until the next night.

decision's made

Ok, thanks for those who were concerned, praying, and doing what you did. The decision has been made and all is well...for now.

I received a possible assignment to move to Iowa for 3-4months w/ the possibility of an extension to 6mo. to do some field work through a joint venture with my company and FEMA. The pay is good. The experience is downright great. The thought of being gone and only coming home once a month is bad. The possibility of being accepted is real tough. (Rookies don't get to go very often, so when the situation comes up, it's one of those things you can't pass up.) The timing is usually about 2 weeks notice so plans have to be shifted/cancelled if selected.

Basically I've been in talks with the director over most of the week and we found out that they want roughly 300 people there and quickly; as in by July 7th. The problem arose when I told her I was willing to go, but was being held back by a trip from July 5th through July 9th. Those two days were going to interfere with my chances of going. This meant that I had to decide whether or not I'd give up a trip w/ Bethany and her family or go away for several months. The decision was made on my part to put my personal plans on hold and change them, if it would help with my selection.

Come to find out, the directors were looking for someone who had civil experience in another discipline than I have, which meant I was placed on standby instead of being sent. Kind of a bummer, but then I still get to go on my trip.

I'm still in the bucket to go. We just don't know when, where, or if it'll materialize any more, or anything. Now, I just carry on as usual, go about my daily routine, and wait...

decisions, decisions

Ok, so I haven't updated the Charleston Blog like I should have. Sorry. I will...soon.

In the meantime, we have been faced with some pretty big decisions. Or at least big on my part. I don't want to elaborate just yet, not until it's finalized, but still, it's a pretty big decision. Just cross your fingers and pray that everything works out like it should.

I'll be in touch.

The Charleston Wedding Part II

I guess it's time to continue the Charleston trip for everyone...

Day 2. Saturday

Remember that 2.5mi bridge over the Cooper River that I thought was awesome? Well I ran from one end to the other and back. That's my first long run since I had the stress fracture and I felt great! Meanwhile, Bethany was just waking up. I returned around 9 and the three of us were thinking breakfast...Waffle House! Yep. Waffle House.

After breakfast, we returned to the hotel to get our tour guide and begin our sightseeing trip through downtown Charleston. We drove down to the "battery" which is the peninsula in which cannons were setup to protect the city during the Civil War.

I thought it would be fun to ride the cannon.

Michael thought it would be fun to ride the bigger cannon.

We followed the boardwalk along the river/bay area and caught a nice glimpse of the colored houses that line the battery. This is also the section that several of the carriages go down to show off the houses. There were blocks of these houses out there, but unfortunatly, it was trash day and the cans are in my picture!

We continued up the battery, in the heat, just to see what Charleston had to offer. Then, we came upon a refreshing sight there in downtown Charleston....their equivalent of the local swimming pool! There were two fountains along the boardwalk, both housed parents, kids, and infants swimming around enjoying the cool water. If they can do it, so can we!


This is about the spot that Michael found his date for the weekend. She wouldn't give up her phone number though. Better luck next time...

After coming to the northern most point of the battery, we came across "the swings". Nothing fancy, just some swings overlooking the river/bay area. For those wondering, this happens to be where the groom proposed to the bride...


After our time on the swings, we finally got a hold of Bubba (the groom, if I haven't already mentioned it) and figured we'd meet him for a little while before the nights festivities. After moving the car, we realized that parking is horrible, and it's best to just pay the guy $8 at the lot than it is to drive around hoping for a spot.

Bubba needed money from the ATM. He doubted the fact that it gave him all that he withdrew. This is him counting money along the streets of Charleston. I was his bodyguard.


Ok, ok, you all want to see wedding photos, rehearsal photos and hear about the wedding itself, but you know what? It's late and I'm ready for bed...You'll just have to stay tuned for the next update (talk about a cliffhanger).

I made it!!

Well, I checked my mileage on my yearly totals and realized that I reached my destination, the USS Alabama Museum!

After Friday's miles, I totaled 279miles, putting the battleship eight miles behind me. Onward to Pensacola, Fl.

We'll see just how far I can make it.

The Charleston Wedding part I

OK. Some of you have gotten a little disappointed that we haven't posted our photos from the wedding and the Charleston trip. Without further ado, here is a little rundown of our trip. This should be fun.

Day 1. Friday.

During the 450mi from Birmingham to Charleston, nothing too exciting really happened. We drove, stopped for snacks, stopped for gas, and finally reached Charleston. Advice for the trip - if the gps says to follow the interstate, it's probably best to avoid the little backroads b/c they do not save time. Since nothing exciting happened, we'll start in Charleston.

First off is the new bridge...it's really cool. It was built (finished) in 2005 and is still considered the "new" bridge. I belive during our trip there, we crossed this thing nearly a dozen times. And I promise it had nothing to do w/ my interest in bridges :)

Caution: Civil information to follow - the bridge has 8 travel lanes, divided median, and has a 10' pedestrian lane specifically for bikers and walkers. Total length is 2.5 miles and is listed as the longest cable stayed bridge in North America. Basically, it serves as a pretty cool landmark. Cooper River Bridges

Ok, so after crossing the bridge a hundred times, we went downtown when to meet up w/ the bride, groom, and his family for dinner and a little touring of the area. Being the indecisive group that we are, we merely strolled up and down the streets, browsed a few shops, and spent a little bit of money on deserts. Very well worth it...

Our guides, bride and groom, leading us on our little tour of downtown Charleston.

This is Michael, just outside the little chocolate shop, where he found his dessert.
Yep. This is me. I like ice cream. It's really my nemesis. Peanut butter chocolate in a large waffle cone. That was good! The brownie in my hand was for Bethany. She rigged the photo to make it look like it was mine too...

We wondered some more around the town, until we finally decided it was time to head back to the hotel. We set plans for Saturday and we called it a night.

Too be continued...

About that leg

Some of you have asked, so I thought I'd fill you in on the latest with the stress fracture and my running.

I have gone to the physical therapist 8 times now doing different exercises and balance drills to help with my individual leg muscles. Apparently, there are little muscles there that I didn't know I had and they weren't getting trained like they should...and we've been working on that.

The PT doctor has told me that she would like for me to run 30-35mins (stop when pain begins) twice a week and attempt to build that leg back up slowly. Since she's told me to run, I have completed 7 runs. Sadly, they aren't getting easier.

Total - 17miles. It looks and feels like it's holding up, but I think I'll limit my runs to 3-4 per week, even after she's cleared me.

Thanks for those that are concerned.

Great Customer Service

...but bad postal service. I arrived home today to find this box sitting on my doorstep. I was excited to see my package, but the fact that the postal person (lets be politically correct) failed to put the package close to the house and it rained. The box is drenched. Luckily the contents weren't..

Onto the raving customer service. I own a Camelbak RimRunner, which is basically a small daypack with the ability to carry up to 3 liters of water. Great bag. I bought it just before our wedding so it's still under two years old, barely. Well, the outside zipper is guarded by a thin piece of fabric to help repel water. That thin piece of fabric has decided to tear and seperate, exposing my belongings to water. This same fabric is jamming the zipper and causing me to get frustrated when going into my bag.


So, I called Camelbak customer service on Thursday (6/5) and requested warranty work on the bag since it's still inside the two year window. They agreed, took some details, and without me having to mail my package first, they sent a BRAND NEW BAG to my doorstep which arrived today.



Now, all I have to do, is pack up the old one and mail it back in the box they provided.

The greatest thing is that the bag they replaced it with is a bag from their 2008 line and holds yet another two year warranty!! Man, I'm thrilled about great customer service.