Back Tracking A Bit

Last monday morning daughter had an appointment at the French Consulate in Atlanta to apply for her visa. I had wanted to drive to our little cabin in the upstate of SC, which would have put us about 1 1/2 hours from Atlanta, but daughter was afraid since I think someone has been getting in when we weren't there. So I had talked to my parents and we were going to spend the night with them and then drive to Atlanta in the morning. Well, after figuring that it would probably take 3 hours to get there with Monday morning traffic, husband told me to just get a hotel room in Atlanta for Sunday night. I knew the consulate's office was in Buckhead so I looked online for a hotel room that would be close by. We had stayed at the Ritz Carlton in Buckhead years ago and had an awful experience so I knew that was out. I found a room at  The Intercontinental Hotel and decided to give them a try. Boy, was I ever glad! The hotel was wonderful, the service outstanding and the room was luxurious and comfortable!

I had a few documents that I needed to make copies of, and they so graciously made them at no charge to me. Then, when I asked how long they thought it would take for us to walk to the consulate, they said they would be glad to arrange for a car for us. 

So, we looked like some VIPs hopping into the back of a big, black Escalade and getting dropped off a block or two down the street! 

The appointment went well as far as for daughter having all her paperwork in order. The one thing that caused a snafu, was that none of my identification has the same names on them! My driver's license has my first, maiden, and last (that's the way they do them in SC), my passport has first, middle and last. And then on daughter's birth certificate, that I just happened to have, it has just my maiden name, even though her dad and I were married! Again, that's the way it is done in our state... I don't know, maybe all of them do that! Anyway, the french guy wants to know if I have a copy of my marriage certificate? I say I think I do. And he wants me to mail him a copy of it! Thank god, we don't have to bring it back in person. 

So, we leave, go check out of the hotel and make the 5 hour drive back to our town. I start looking and realize I don't have a copy of the marriage certificate, I mean really, why would I? So the next morning start making calls to obtain one. I find that the quickest way would be for me to drive to Columbia and get it in person. So since I have to work at Middleton Place on Wednesday, that goes on my list of things to do on Thursday! 

I drove up and back and then stopped at UPS and sent it on to Atlanta! 

Thursday was our anniversary. like I said. We ate downtown at The Grocery  and it was so good! We both ordered the Scallops, which were melt in your mouth amazing! For dessert, I ordered the Lemon Semifreddo and husband had some little chocolate cake, both were delicious. At the end of our meal the manager brought over two glasses of champagne for us. I thought that was such a nice gesture! And, it was really good champagne!

I think this week will be a little less chaotic, at least I hope!

I Have Driven 2,000 Miles in the Last 15 Days!

Lord have mercy, I have been burning up the road! It all started with the drive to Pittsburgh on the 11th of July and ended with a drive up and back to Columbia SC today! This is crazy, especially for someone who hates to ride/drive in the car. And on top of that, I just realized that my car has been at the dealership to be worked on since LAST Tuesday! Thank goodness for a loaner (brand new had only 278 miles on it when I drove it off the lot!)

I've got lots to share but today is our 26th wedding anniversary and I have to start getting ready for our dinner out! 

A few photos from waaaaay back:

 

No soup for you

So we found out our appointment at the French consulate in Atlanta is Monday morning at 9:00am! That's really a good time for us, as we can drive to the upstate on Sunday and spend the night at my parent's or at our little cabin up there. I voted to stay at the cabin, but daughter is afraid that someone might be there (as I swear they were between Christmas and June!). So I am thinking it will be at my parent's house. 

I am going crazy trying to make sure I have all of the paperwork for her visa! I have emailed and called our support person numerous times to make sure I have everything in order. I feel like if I have something wrong, it will be like that episode of Seinfeld with the Soup Nazi, and it will be "NO VISA FOR YOU!" Keep your fingers crossed for us! :)

I Really Don't Want to Get in a Car for a LONG Time!

So last Thursday teen daughter and I took off for my sister's house at Lake Norman. I figured that way I would only have about 6 1/2 hours of driving time on Friday to get to the wedding we were going to just outside of Pittsburgh. Sister and her family were going to the wedding too and so we planned to just sort of caravan up there! 

We were able to have a great dinner with her and then relax before bedtime. 

In the morning I decided to get a head start and left about an hour and a half before they did. I had a little trouble with my car a few weeks ago, but it seemed okay, but I figured if I was ahead of them and had trouble I could just call them and they could stop and help. After a quick stop at Starbucks we were on our way!

And it was one of the worst driving experiences I have had in a long time! It poured rain most of the time, and then every big semi-truck was on the road! Plus, I think every bridge in West Virginia is being repaired, so we had lots of construction slow downs! Then, I tend to travel with NO cash! It's a bad habit, but I always figure I have a debit card and credit card, what more could I need? Well my friend, you need cash for the West Virginia Turnpike! I managed to scrape together the $2 they charged when you got on. I had figured it couldn't be more than a dollar and I had that covered! So, then I kind of start to panic, wondering if it will also be $2 to get off? Daughter kept asking me what I was going to do if it was more than I had, and I told her that I would just tell them that was all I had, take it or leave it. And then I would just floor it and speed on through the toll booth! ;)   Well, as it happened it was only 40 cents to get off. Whew, I had that covered! But, in my excitement of realizing that I had a dollar to cover the toll, I drove into the correct change lane that had no one manning the booth, just one of those change thingys that you throw your money in! I yelled at daughter to quickly hand me my wallet and I scrounged up 40 cents without too many people piling up in line behind me! Then I quickly called my mom to make sure there were no other toll roads between me and the hotel.

Then, just as we were almost to the hotel in Canonsburg, where the reception was being held the next day, my GPS told me to get off at an exit before I should have! I guess it thought it was taking me a short cut. Instead it took me through shopping areas and residential streets and made it that much longer! But we finally arrived in time to freshen up a bit and relax before we had to head to the rehearsal dinner.

We had great fun at the dinner. My parents and both of my sisters and families were there. After it was over everyone headed back to the hotel. I think family and friends were in around 50 of the rooms there. Some of the guys headed out to the parking lot for a "parking lot party" and the rest of us headed to the bar in the lobby for more drinks and conversation. I think it was almost 1:30 before we went to bed.

Daughter and I slept in the next day and then we found a nearby Starbucks for our coffee fix!

The wedding was held at the chapel of the University where the bride and groom met in a town about 40 minutes south of the hotel. So we all needed to be ready to leave for the ceremony around 2:30.

It was a great ceremony. Quick and to the point! Thank goodness, because I don't think they turned the air conditioning on in the chapel until right before we got there and it was HOT! When we got back to the hotel afterwards, one of my BILs had to go up and change his shirt because it was so damp from his sweating! 

We had drinks and appetizers for the first hour and then went into one of the ballrooms for dinner and dancing. It was a great reception. I had my camera all ready to go, or so I thought. As soon as I pulled it out to start taking pictures the low battery light came on and I only got two photos! UGH! I am hoping someone will put some on FB and I can get them.

There was a photo booth at the reception that was a lot of fun:

My sisters and I got in and then my daughter and two little nephews got in!

One tradition that I love is the cookie table! Normally family and friends of the bride and maybe even the groom will make all sorts of homemade cookies. This time there were pizzelle, lady locks, thumbprints filled with icing in the colors of the wedding, and lots more that I don't even know the names of! But, they are such a treat.

The bride had little to-go boxes that you could pack up some cookies to take with you! I picked a few of my favorites!

The reception ended at 11:30 and again, everyone either headed to the parking lot or the bar! When I got into the bar there were three other brides in there too! Finally at 1:00 I told daughter that we needed to go up to the room since we had a long drive ahead on Sunday. We said our goodbyes and got up the next morning and were on the road by 9:00. Traffic wasn't bad and the weather was perfect, so we made the whole 10 hour drive in one day! I was exhausted though when we got home! But, it was such a fun weekend and it was so good to see so many of my cousins! Next wedding is in September 2014, same place, but I think we are going to fly to that one!

This week I have a light schedule and I have to finish gathering all the paperwork for daughter's visa, which we will go apply for next week in Atlanta. 

 

 

Well the 4th of July came and went!

Husband's office closes the week of the 4th, so with teen son working and so much else going on, we did what we normally do and stayed home for the week. Well, we did make a trip to the lake house for a few days. But the weather has been so rainy, we mostly stayed close to home.

We did eat at some really good places: Fat Hen, which is on John's Island on Maybank Hwy, it was so good! We tried Butcher and Bee, downtown on King Street for lunch one day, also very good. And then we visited our old favorite, The Mustard Seed, right here in our little town. I had their Pad Thai, which is amazing!

I took husband to the Aquarium, which he had not visited since 2006. It was packed with tourists, but since I used my pass, it was FREE for us! I would never have paid $30 a person to get in. Totally not worth it!

The teens brought friends to the lake with them so we had a house full! I think a good time was had by all, even though we had to dodge rain drops a few of the days.

Teen daughter and I are headed to a wedding in Pittsburgh at the end of the week. My cousin's daughter is getting married and I decided that since it was summer and we didn't have anything else to do, we would go. Weddings in my family are like big family reunions. And since I rarely get up to Pittsburgh to see my mom's side of the family I thought the wedding would be a great excuse to go for a visit. Unfortunately, I am driving! I hate being in the car for long periods of time, but I am going to suck it up and do it! 

Hope you had a great 4th and are enjoying the summer! It seems to really be flying by!