It's probably no surprise that I am one of those people who, if offered something to enjoy, will enjoy it as much as possible. My grandma Winnie referred to this as "getting the goody out". She was basically referring to using a tea bag* at least twice (...or emptying any container completely, or using even the last little scraps of soap... Winnie Atsie Herring Bond was Green before Green was cool!) The reason I bring this up is because I am getting the goody out of my lovely mini vacation, even as we speak. I am sitting in the internet nook near the lobby of the lovely Courtyard Marriott in Greenville, SC - and it really is lovely. Clean and beautiful, new, interesting decor (olive green and burnt orange - i love it!), nice art, pretty flowers, good staff, free breakfast (with soy milk and lots of gluten free options!!!), heated pool and whirlpool, exercise room, and even a pretty little gazebo in the back garden where we could sit and enjoy our good bottle of champagne last night!
We got to town around noon yesterday, and tried to visit the museum first. We found out that they charge for parking and since we had no cash, we turned around to find an ATM. As we were driving just a block or two away from the museum, the car suddenly started blowing MAJOR steam, so we parked her at the Mickey D's and discovered that our radiator hose had blown apart. Chris used his new leatherman mini (xmas prezzie from me :) to get the old hose off, and we just HAPPENED to be within a block of a place called "Cline Hoses" ("Need a Hose in a Hurry? is painted on the side!) - alas, the ONLY hose they didn't carry was radiator, so poor Chris had to walk a whole 'nother block to... yes, a BMW parts specialty store! I could see both of them from the parking lot where I was waiting. Yay, us! We had Brunhilda fixed and happy in a jiffy, and then went and enjoyed a particularly beautiful show at the museum. We shopped a little in the gift shop, then headed downtown (and even found free parking) for some Marble Slab, and to scope out restaurants for the evening, then off to the hotel.
We had a nice relaxing swim and hot-tub soak, showered dressed up fancy and then went downtown. The weather was beautiful yesterday, sunny and breezy, threatening spring rain. Nice walking weather. Again,we found free parking right on main - three doors down from the restaurant and 3 blocks from the Peace Center, where Spamalot is playing (THANK YOU, SPIFFY**!). The restaurant was "Lemongrass", a tastefully trendy upscale Thai place. We got a great table on the balcony, and enjoyed a spicy, delicious meal - again, plenty of gluten-free options, yay! (The fried bananas were an especial treat!)
After coffee we followed the stream of foot traffic down Greenville's pretty Main St. There was a street festival happening at the other end (I still can't believe we found free parking in the midst of all that!), so downtown was alive with happy humans. The Peace Center was packed with people too, all ready for a guaranteed good evening.
The show was indescribable. All that the most devoted Monty Python fan could ask for - and more. My favorite part of the show (apart from all the great puns and confetti cannons) was the beautiful, talented diva - I'll check my program when we unpack and tell you her name - that girl was stunning and funny and had pipes to die for. Wow! I think my other favorite thing was the audience sing along (follow the bouncing foot!) after the 2nd standing O! What a night! What a show! We all poured back out into the crowd, faces hurting from smiling, bodies relaxed from laughing, and the stage lightning had turned to real and there was a small squall raging around the Peace Center. We debated buying a Spamalot umbrella, but then decided to just have buttons that said "I'm Not Dead Yet!" and "Ni! Ni! Ni!" and walk in the spring rain. Lucky me, I wasn't the only one and the lady who decided to brave it before us was wearing a filmy spring dress, wedge heels and shiny glamorous hair - and looked as at home in the (by then fairly mild) storm as the Lady of the Lake looked on her stage.
It was a pleasant walk, we didn't get too wet, and we stopped at the Cafe Underground for espresso and mexican hot chocolate before driving back to the hotel. Once there, we took our chilled bottle of Champagne down to the gazebo and enjoyed it in the cool evening air.
Then up early(ish) this morning for one last swim and soak, a quick shower, a huge (FREE!)breakfast - and a tiny bit of Marriott-sponsored internet time to let you all know that WE GOT THE GOODY OUT! :)
Now both of us are off to pick up Stewart, check on George, head off for an afternoon/evening of work. Maybe, if we're very very good, we'll earn another vacation like this soon!
Treat yourselves to some good time, and whatever else you do - remember to get the goody out!
Much love,
-s
*<3 for all my KOL friends out there! Keep adding to the collection! <3
**Spiffy - the God of Parking
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Today has been another exciting day in the bizarre culture human. I had court this morning. Nothing TOO naughty, I promise - but I was dealing with my old foes, the Landrum po-po's.
The crime was committed at the very same spot where I earned my very first* set of City Issue matching tungsten bracelets. I ran a stop sign this time. I was an innocent lamb the first go 'round, when I was carted away for stealing my own vehicle** (I think that was six years ago), but this time I was guilty as charged. However, I opted to go to court and ask for some leniency, due to a couple of extenuating circumstances, and they gave it to me. No points from my license (they threatened FOUR!) - at least in SC, and a 102$ reduction in the fine. The clerk of court also said that if I had lost any points in NC, to please contact her, and she would write a letter on my behalf, requesting leniency on their part as well.
Afterwards, I needed some pretty serious therapy, so while Chris was putting gas in Brunhilda
(this isn't her, but it's very like her...) I spotted a BUNCH of ripe dandelions in a small grassy area at the front of the HotSpot, near the highway and treated myself to a DLF dandelion-head kick-fest. That's what inspired me to share the above bumper sticker I made years ago to go in my show portfolio. The original is hand-drawn and hand-lettered, but it looks very like this. I get a lot of chuckles, snorts and giggles when folks see this. I really need to add that logo to my "Antisocial Butterfly", "Just !@#$ Ducky", "It's All About the Bananas" & "Mm, Pie" shirt/undies collection. I think I still have a Cafe Press store... :)
It felt good to spread the dande-love. I know things are bad and that I'm really hopelessly depressed when I see blown dandelion heads and don't feel like running through them and kicking those beautiful silky seeds into the wind (and all over the nice neat lawns of America! WOO-HOO!) It does make you feel better. If you don't believe me, go try it. It's a very small rebellion (though some people/businesses do get pretty p.o.'d about "weeds" in their pretty lawns, muwahaha...) and it helps to spread those gorgeous blooms and healthy greens out into the waiting world.
We're both exhausted still. The play went (literally) phenomenally well. When we went to drop off the theater key during the board meeting a few nights ago, the whole board applauded us when we walked in the door. Then they handed us a copy of the financial report - we had completely made back the budget (including the directors' paychecks!) PLUS another almost 4,000$ for TLT!!! WOOT! 5 of the 8 nights were not only sold out, but oversold. They had to come get the chairs that the cast and crew were using backstage to have seats for all the people who came at the last minute. The few nights that didn't sell out, we only had a few chairs empty. I overheard someone say that we'd broken records.
As wonderful as that feels, to have had such a financial success, the real joy was that we had such a good time doing this show. We felt as if we were making magic every night, and by the last weekend of the show, we were on FIRE. Our audiences were SO good and SO into it, and we all had so much fun giving it to them... what a treat. No wonder we were all so sad when it was over. Let me tell you - that is RARE. Usually, you are ready for it to be over, even if it has been a good show, because it is so exhausting, but I really believe we'd have all tried to do another week if we could have. The cast party was a delight. There was good food and good Hamilton homebrew. Ike had written a funny little sketch and we all stood around telling stories about things that had happened during the run, and saying how proud we were of each other. There were gifts for all the cast and crew (Chris and I made them funny, unique t-shirts with lines from the show, and gave Fresh Market gift certificates to some of the crew that REALLY busted heinie), and their directors' gift to Chris was STELLAR - a big, fancy dinner for 2 with wine, tax, tip and all included, at The Orchard Inn, one of our favorite places - if we could ever afford to go there***.
We're both booked to the gills still. Chris is catching up on his editing in Sparkleburg today and I am trying to catch up on the house and yard-work. I'm writing this onmy cool-off break - it's actually quite warm today. We both have long work days on Saturday and will be right back to our regularly scheduled programming on Monday, but we are taking a well-earned mini vacation tomorrow, which I am extra grateful for, 'cause it would have been Luna Belle's 10th birthday tomorrow (that link is to my myspace. I put up a little photo gallery for her birfday). Chris' grandma got us tickets to see Spamalot (!!!) and we splurged and got a room at a nice hotel with a heated pool for the day/night. YAY!
I'm not sure what else is on the agenda, but a warm swim, a long nap and a nice dinner are DEFINITELY penciled in. If I am a very good girl and plan and pack well, I may even get a stroll through Greenville's lovely little art museum, which is a treat every time. Either way, I'm grateful for this little break. Who knows, maybe I'll even find another dandelion field before the weekend is over.
I hope you are all busy, blessed, thankful, and finding the love you need.
-s
*and damned well BETTER be very LAST...
**Steve Henson, there will ALWAYS be a chicken foot with your name on it, and yes, that person who flips you off every time they drive by your place of "business" is ME.
***we get to visit once a year when Chris' dad - in tres spiffy period top hat and tails - narrates their annual Dickens dinner. He gets a night to invite the fam as part of his pay.
The crime was committed at the very same spot where I earned my very first* set of City Issue matching tungsten bracelets. I ran a stop sign this time. I was an innocent lamb the first go 'round, when I was carted away for stealing my own vehicle** (I think that was six years ago), but this time I was guilty as charged. However, I opted to go to court and ask for some leniency, due to a couple of extenuating circumstances, and they gave it to me. No points from my license (they threatened FOUR!) - at least in SC, and a 102$ reduction in the fine. The clerk of court also said that if I had lost any points in NC, to please contact her, and she would write a letter on my behalf, requesting leniency on their part as well.
Afterwards, I needed some pretty serious therapy, so while Chris was putting gas in Brunhilda
(this isn't her, but it's very like her...) I spotted a BUNCH of ripe dandelions in a small grassy area at the front of the HotSpot, near the highway and treated myself to a DLF dandelion-head kick-fest. That's what inspired me to share the above bumper sticker I made years ago to go in my show portfolio. The original is hand-drawn and hand-lettered, but it looks very like this. I get a lot of chuckles, snorts and giggles when folks see this. I really need to add that logo to my "Antisocial Butterfly", "Just !@#$ Ducky", "It's All About the Bananas" & "Mm, Pie" shirt/undies collection. I think I still have a Cafe Press store... :)
It felt good to spread the dande-love. I know things are bad and that I'm really hopelessly depressed when I see blown dandelion heads and don't feel like running through them and kicking those beautiful silky seeds into the wind (and all over the nice neat lawns of America! WOO-HOO!) It does make you feel better. If you don't believe me, go try it. It's a very small rebellion (though some people/businesses do get pretty p.o.'d about "weeds" in their pretty lawns, muwahaha...) and it helps to spread those gorgeous blooms and healthy greens out into the waiting world.
We're both exhausted still. The play went (literally) phenomenally well. When we went to drop off the theater key during the board meeting a few nights ago, the whole board applauded us when we walked in the door. Then they handed us a copy of the financial report - we had completely made back the budget (including the directors' paychecks!) PLUS another almost 4,000$ for TLT!!! WOOT! 5 of the 8 nights were not only sold out, but oversold. They had to come get the chairs that the cast and crew were using backstage to have seats for all the people who came at the last minute. The few nights that didn't sell out, we only had a few chairs empty. I overheard someone say that we'd broken records.
As wonderful as that feels, to have had such a financial success, the real joy was that we had such a good time doing this show. We felt as if we were making magic every night, and by the last weekend of the show, we were on FIRE. Our audiences were SO good and SO into it, and we all had so much fun giving it to them... what a treat. No wonder we were all so sad when it was over. Let me tell you - that is RARE. Usually, you are ready for it to be over, even if it has been a good show, because it is so exhausting, but I really believe we'd have all tried to do another week if we could have. The cast party was a delight. There was good food and good Hamilton homebrew. Ike had written a funny little sketch and we all stood around telling stories about things that had happened during the run, and saying how proud we were of each other. There were gifts for all the cast and crew (Chris and I made them funny, unique t-shirts with lines from the show, and gave Fresh Market gift certificates to some of the crew that REALLY busted heinie), and their directors' gift to Chris was STELLAR - a big, fancy dinner for 2 with wine, tax, tip and all included, at The Orchard Inn, one of our favorite places - if we could ever afford to go there***.
We're both booked to the gills still. Chris is catching up on his editing in Sparkleburg today and I am trying to catch up on the house and yard-work. I'm writing this onmy cool-off break - it's actually quite warm today. We both have long work days on Saturday and will be right back to our regularly scheduled programming on Monday, but we are taking a well-earned mini vacation tomorrow, which I am extra grateful for, 'cause it would have been Luna Belle's 10th birthday tomorrow (that link is to my myspace. I put up a little photo gallery for her birfday). Chris' grandma got us tickets to see Spamalot (!!!) and we splurged and got a room at a nice hotel with a heated pool for the day/night. YAY!
I'm not sure what else is on the agenda, but a warm swim, a long nap and a nice dinner are DEFINITELY penciled in. If I am a very good girl and plan and pack well, I may even get a stroll through Greenville's lovely little art museum, which is a treat every time. Either way, I'm grateful for this little break. Who knows, maybe I'll even find another dandelion field before the weekend is over.
I hope you are all busy, blessed, thankful, and finding the love you need.
-s
*and damned well BETTER be very LAST...
**Steve Henson, there will ALWAYS be a chicken foot with your name on it, and yes, that person who flips you off every time they drive by your place of "business" is ME.
***we get to visit once a year when Chris' dad - in tres spiffy period top hat and tails - narrates their annual Dickens dinner. He gets a night to invite the fam as part of his pay.
