Geocache

Today we took time to go for a hike and find the geocache closest to our house - only one mile away as the crow flies. But more like a 3 mile round trip hike for me. 9000 steps today on the pedometer! The park near our house, on Lawson's Creek, is a treasure for in-town living. The trails are a bit short for biking (less than 4 miles total) but made for a great hike today. Beautiful weather, leaves falling gently, creek flowing by. It was only our second cache of the year. The other was January 8th. Guess that says something about what kind of year we've had. Now I'm tired and achy and want to get a bath before our house gets any colder (currently 62 degrees). Pray that we get heat tomorrow.

38 - the new 28. Oh I wish!

Well, the birthday day has come and gone. I am hopeful that 38 is going to be better than 37 was. So far October has been great, with just a few bumps in the road. Saddest has been the loss of Alan's grandfather last Thursday. Most irritating to deal with has been the lack of heat in our little rental house. Most enjoyable has been football season. Most encouraging is the walking program we are doing at work.

Alan's granddaddy was awesome. Back in 1971 he married my brother and sister-in-law. At age 2 my memorable contribution to the ceremony was SCREAMING to be up there with my daddy. Granddaddy should have marked me off the list of potential in-laws then. But thankfully in 1992 he told Alan I was a keeper, and Alan has been keeping me ever since. I also scanned ahead when considering the proposal and examined Alan's potential to turn into his father and later his grandfather, and I decided that genetic path was good with me, so I accepted. I can only hope Alan will be as devoted to me as Byron was to Ruth. And as devoted as Verner is to Joyce.

Alan's mom has had a rough road this year with her health, but it appears today's successful outpatient kidney stone procedure is the last of it. Hopefully she is on the road to full recovery now.

Please pray that the local natural gas people will get the new heat system that's been installed in our house hooked up before I freeze to death. As much as I hate to be cold, this is a real challenge for me. I'm huddled around the space heater and carry it from room to room with me. Oh and I'm dressed in 3 layers plus a hat - in my own house!

The Clemson game Saturday night was awesome. Homecoming at its best. Terrific atmosphere. I'm just really disappointed that GameDay chose to move on down the road for its second visit to Columbia this season. If the Vols can't put it on the chickens this weekend, I will turn on Philip Fulmer for sure. Oh, and I dressed for the cold last Saturday night and survived pretty well.

Week 2 of the walking program at work seems to be going well, despite the downturn in temps. Folks are participating, wearing pedometers and recording those steps daily. Small groups are walking around lunch time. We are having a pretty good week at work, I think.

Still, work is madness. Time changes this weekend and it will be dark before I get out of the office. Urgh.

I titled this post "the new 28" because Alan bought a purple Clemson pullover Saturday and said purple was "the new orange." He's probably right; something new to sell us. Just feeding the greed. Still, I can hardly believe how far back 28 is. I can remember those days, and there have been a lot since, but a whole decade? How can that be? Time flies, whether you are having fun or not. Whatever I'm going to do before 40, I'd better get started on.

Starbucks

Our pastor frequently comments, from the stage and on his blog, about the need for a Starbucks in Anderson. Recently the first Starbucks opened in Spartanburg, and I have been taking advantage. Last weekend Alan and I stopped in to enjoy some drinks (mine was pumpkin spice latte) while we talked of the progress he's made in his pursuit of passion. Then Thursday night on our way out of town we drove thru and purchased a venti Maple Macchiato from Megan, the mother of macchiato (or so she said). Both drinks were delicious and neither had the effect on me that three glasses of Wade's tea did. Wednesday night I stayed up late (for me) to re-watch the fourth quarter of the Wake game. Clemson won again, but I dreamed Thursday morning Clemson had lost that game 31-27. Thursday we enjoyed a Clemson victory during our visit to Erik, Carrie, Cara and Libby's house. All is well. Friday Alan rode bikes at Dupont and my office formed a team for the next Step Up Spartanburg walking program. Starts Monday. So exercise is up. Enjoyed dinner with John Eichelberger at the new Las Cascadas in Ninety Six, clearly the nicest Mexican restaurant in Greenwood County, before taking in the NSvSaluda football game. Cold, but NS won!! Hello Russ! Good to see you there. Great night for football, although I could barely stay awake once my belly was full. I slept all the way home, went straight to bed and woke up at 9am today. Must have been tired. We took off this morning for Greenville. Enjoyed seeing Zac Lake and Bradley Cox racing with the juniors at 11:00. Hello to Jim Cox, John and Debbie Lake! Took in Fall for Greenville before a late lunch at the Pita House. Home to wash and clean the Hondas, inside and out. Made GAK with the neighbor boys. That was fun. Beautiful day to be outside. Happy Fall to all. 'Tis the season for thankfulness. As Andy Owings would say, "Send some love out into the world."

Here she is!

Wow! What a beautiful baby. Alan agrees that Libby is purely adorable.

I enjoyed the Clemson game with Erik on Saturday. What a game! Alan and his dad came home with a win from Winston-Salem, but our Tigers apparently only planned to play one quarter. Thankfully, it was the 4th.


Today is Cara's 2nd birthday. My sister had great hair today. (:

October already

Welcome baby Libby! She arrived this morning about 8:15ish in Anderson. I'll post a picture as soon as I can.

I truly love the weather this time of year. From now until my birthday is the BEST!

We are happy to have Andy, Tammy and Drew Smiley join us as residents of Spartanburg County.

Last Friday night we took in the Byrnes/SpbgHS football game at Wofford. Saw the amazing Will Korn and the #2 high school team in the whole country. They were impressive.

We went with Susan and Tripp Adams. Alan worked with Susan at Benteler and knew they were big fans. We had such fun that we met them for dinner last night at Wade's, the best "meat and 3" I've ever been to. I had three cups of tea during the meal. Delicious but BIG mistake. Our pastor is always proclaiming sweet tea to be the "nectar of the angels." Well, this was, but I was up until 1:15 from all the sugar and caffeine. Urgh.

Alan rode in the Tobacco Free for Life Challenge at Dupont Saturday. BEAUTIFUL day in the mtns. I shopped at the Belk in Pisgah Forest, my favorite Belk, and then ate lunch alone at a great Japanese place. Finally got some food I'd been dreaming of for days - green tea, seaweed salad, green salad with ginger dressing, a bento box lunch with a sprout salad, delicious vegetable tempura, a california roll, pork dumplings, and rice, and a bowl of miso soup. YUM

Speaking of dreaming, I didn't sleep very well the whole month of September. Sleeping is one of my best skills, so this trend disturbed me a lot. Hopefully I'm getting back on track now. Two nights in a row now without Ambien or Tylenol pm.

We are enjoying the HDTV. Quite an enhancement to football season. Go Tigers!

The other day I had occasion to dig in our wedding stuff (Alan needed our marriage license) and I came across our wedding video. Old technology. We don't even own a VCR anymore, so we can't watch it.

Alan has been riding a lot lately - Tuesday night in Greenwood, at Southside this afternoon with Andy, this coming Sunday back in Greenwood with SORBA. He is fishing again tomorrow, on Hartwell Lake this time, and going to Winston-Salem with his dad Saturday for the Clemson game at Wake Forest. Free time for me!!! Yeah!!