How Much Cheese Is Too Much Cheese!?

September 6, 2015

It was a dark and stormy night

All creatures big and bright

soared through the trembling fright

Sinking teeth for painful bites

Until one day with all their might

The Browns faced the morning light

This is the type of crap I write when tired and ready for sleeping. But first, I will tell you the tale of "The Brown's second day in Savannah!!!" Cue creepy organ music.... dun dun dun!!!

Our story begins as all scary stories do, with a young couple waking up in a Marriott hotel in Savannah, Georgia. Jason and I woke up early and were feeling very well-rested. We were also just in time for our free continental breakfast. We showered, dressed, and made our way to the lobby. Jason filled his plate with eggs, yogurt, and an apple; I had the same, minus the yogurt. We ate and watched other hotel guests interact with one another. Before leaving we grabbed a box of cereal in case of sugar crashes later in the day. We also noticed a water cooler--apparently even the hotel doesn't like the hotel's water. We filled up out glasses and headed back to the room to finish getting ready for the day. It wasn't long before we were in the car and ready to leave for our first big adventure in Savannah: visiting Wormsloe Park.

The moment we arrived at Wormsloe Park, we got out and took pictures of the entrance. It's beautiful. Here are pictures:

Wormsloe park houses the Tabby Ruins, the oldest standing structure in Savannah.  Wormsloe was originally owned by a man named Jones. He was a carpenter who came to Georgia in 1733 with James Oglethorpe and the very first group of settlers from England. Apparently he was able to sustain Wormsloe and his descendants kept it up for quite some time. Above and below are pictures of us at the entrance. This road, with all the oak trees lining the drive, is where Jenny in Forrest Gump says "run forrest, run!" Pretty amazing! 

After taking pictures we purchased two tickets at a nearby house from a man wearing an olde settler's hat. We then drove down to the visitor's center and went through the museum. After seeing old artifacts, we headed out to the walking trails. The map made it look like we wouldn't be able to see the whole park in one day, but it didn't take long at all. We went down Pine trail and came across the replica of an early colony. They're were people demonstrating what it took to build the colony. We visited this guy first: 

This is the blacksmith. This guy was actually doing some blacksmith demonstrations and you could purchase the items when he finished. It was pretty impressive. He said he does this on the weekends for a fun hobby. I expected him to have a colonial accent or at least southern, but really he just sounded like he should be a New York business man. He seemed really good at his hobby though. 

Here are pictures of the rest of the colony: 

Behind the house, a woman was cooking a meal over a campfire. She told us how the settlers would obtain sugar, salt, and pepper for cooking. Apparently there are some kind of plants in the marshland area to the right of that house that produce salt and pepper. They said they would use a knife and slice off the white part from the leaf which gives them salt. Pretty interesting. Jason and continued walking and began discussing how hard it would be to live during that time period--you would have to work together with every single person in the community or you wouldn't survive. 

We then went down another trail to head toward the ruins. Here are pictures of us on the way: 

It's so pretty here, right! Love this place. Finally we make it to the ruins:

On our way to the grave site we came across a zillion crabs! Here are pictures of a big one we found:

 You can't really see, but the crab is in that tree hole. Below are pictures of the beautiful trees on the trails.

The grave site... I forget of who. Someone named George... 

More crabs!! As we were leaving, we came across this sign:

Originally Jason got very excited and screamed "Colonel Cricket!" He, of course, was thinking of "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" when that guy Cricket become a Colonel in the episode "The Gang Cracks the Liberty Bell." Love that show! Sadly Jason just misread this sign... nothing to do with Cricket the character. Just some kind of early sportsball.

 Also, there was this... replica of an early colony living environment:

After leaving, Jason and I headed down the road just slightly for lunch. We ate at a seafood restaurant... something cafe... can't remember the name. Anyway, it was great. We were super hungry because it was around 1:30 by this point. Here are pictures:

 Our crab dip appetizer. So good!

 My cowboy soup (basically chili with veggies).

Jason's chicken biscuit and potatoes.

Everything was so good! We ate and watched the family across from us play with their kid and new Polaroid camera. Haha... who knew those could be new! Pretty fun. Shortly before leaving, we noticed the sky darken. By the time we were walking to our car, it was a light rain. We hoped as we headed toward Tybee Island that the rain would cease. We planed to drive to Tybee in order to see the Lighthouse. I've always wanted to go to the top of a lighthouse; it's on my life to-do list.

As we drove to Tybee the rain worsened. At some points it appeared very hurricane-like. We also ran into a bit of traffic, as expected, since Tybee is very popular. Luckily, it became a light drizzle once at the lighthouse. We walked up to the ticket counter and immediately overheard that it was closed due to potential lightening. Apparently the entire lighthouse is a lightening rod. The ticket counter man (That's his exact title) was informing a couple in front of us that they have to wait 30 minutes after hearing thunder to reopen. They were unsure if it would reopen today. They left and Jason and I walked forward. We asked him to repeat the beginning of what he told the others, because we caught the tail end of the conversation. As luck would have it, a man emerge from the lighthouse and yelled "We're good!" The guy turns to us and says, "Okay, nevermind. Guess we're open." We laughed and paid for two tickets.

We ran toward the lighthouse for fear thunder would occur again. Only one couple was in front of us. We met a woman inside the lighthouse who handed us a guide which gave an overview of what could be seen once at the top of the lighthouse. She also said if we heard a horn or thunder to come straight down, as we could be struck by lightening. We climbed and climbed and climbed and climbed. Numerous groups stopped at different levels, most in need of breath. One woman actually had cancer or at least appeared to be recovering from chemo; she stopped to regain some strength. The others were just out of shape.

Jason and I were very proud to have made it to the top without stopping or losing breath. We are in much better health than just a year ago. Once at the top, we checked our fitbit and discovered that the lighthouse is 12 stories high. Here are pictures:

 Jason at the top, after regaining balance. Got a little dizzy at the top from all the swirly steps.

 View from the top!

 That would be me... bit windy.

Jason at the top with a bit of wind on him. That stylish arm band was our ticket to the lighthouse. 

 Us at the top in front of the window. Bit windy and bright here... either that or Jason's about to sneeze.

Jason in front of the lighthouse door.

There was not much room at the top, despite what our pictures present. Numerous times we had to press ourselves to the side for others to pass. We noticed not many people stayed very long at the top. I assumed it was for fear of heights, but turns out a line was forming at the bottom for people to come up. Jason and I having been the first couple or two to enter were not aware a line even existed.. so we enjoyed the scenery.

Here are more pictures:

 Me at the very top.

 This is the very very top, where the light is. No one is allowed all the way up there sadly.

 The door to the top.

 The winding stairs.

 Again, me at the top

 The windows at each floor. I love the brick on this thing!

The outside of the lighthouse. Jason took these while I went to the creepiest restroom ever:

Lighthouse :^)

 Jason, the lighthouse captain :^)

 Me

Me with lighthouse.

Near the lighthouse was the old home of the lighthouse keeper. Here is the inside of the home:

 Old stove.

 Random tunnel to nowhere... still not sure what the hell this is.

 Old phone, just like the one my grandmother had.

 Old hutch.

Jason inside a fancy closet, which we deemed the "Deluxe Harry Potter Suite." Not quite sure why there is a window in the closet under the stairs, but there is.

 Old sewing machine.

 Creepy doll closet that was upstairs.

Pretty stairs.

After walking on every brick pathway near the lighthouse, we decided to head to Riverstreet for dinner. We found parking much easier this time, although much more expensive. We had an interesting encounter with a mad woman in the parking garage. We were in line waiting to obtain our ticket for parking, when we saw the second car in front of us struggle to pull up to the ticket window. She was young and trying to wedge the car between the wall and the large cement pillar.  Suddenly, a wild-eyed old woman appeared (we assume from the young girl's car). She began yelling at the girl. We assume she was trying to direct her toward the ticket window without hitting anything; however, her tone and violent hand gestures indicated the conversation was more about warfare than parking. The car directly behind them (the one in front of us) was patiently waiting for the issue to be resolved. Without warning, the crazy woman began yelling at the car in front of us, as though they were rudely eavesdropping on their conversation. She yelled for them to go to a different ticket counter. We promptly followed the car in front of us. She was precisely what you call a bitch. I believe that term is fairly warranted.

After clearing the war zone, we found parking and made our way to the Savannah streets once more. Although the clouds were still dreary and the streets slick with water, there was no rainfall. There was also a lack of people on this day. I guess the party people had their fill yesterday and did not wish to get out in the rain. It was actually very cool and windy at this point. Jason and I took a stroll down Riverstreet and enjoyed listening to the water. We also saw a cute and massive dog. Very pleasant evening.

After some time, we decided to go for dinner. Jason found a bar named Churchill's Pub. Upon entering we were asked if we preferred seating close to the bar or in a quieter setting. We opted for the quiet. We were seating in a lovely wooden booth in a small room. Jason and I met our waiter and ordered these lovely dishes, which we split:

 The Georgia Cheese board (filled with dried apricots and dates, grapes, an assortment of nuts, Savannah honeycomb, crackers, toast points, Tomme, Asher Blue, Green Hill, and Feta) How much cheese is too much cheese?!

 Behind the cheese board is a plate with baked Brie, Craisins, and french toast points with apple and pear slices.

 Me with a large quantity of cheese!

We devoured the cheese and fruit in no time. Jason also ordered a beer called Old Speckled Hen. Very good beer! After eating, Jason left for the restroom. It was during this time that the waiter came with the check. I opened it and had a slight heart attack. The check was for what a small country might pay, not two people. After closer inspection, it appeared the check was not ours. Thank God! Before I could inform the waiter of the mistake, Jason returned from the restroom. I made my usual "uh oh" face when he arrived. He said "What?" nervously. I handed him the check which he promptly opened. He, too, gave the appearance of having a small heart attack. I laughed and quickly told him it was not our check. He said I was mean. I thought it was funny.

The waiter soon walked by and I informed him of the mistake. He apologized and left. Upon his return he noticed that Jason and I were still laughing at the incident. He, too, began laughing and informed us that he had added another table to our check by mistake. We continued laughing for quite some time.

After dinner, Jason and I headed to Riverstreet Sweets for dessert. We ordered some pralines, two bear claws, and a caramel apple. I'm not sure why but every year around this time I begin craving caramel apples. Here is a picture of the apple:

We then went back to the hotel. Unfortunately, Jason and I were very full from all the cheese and were unable to eat this candy apple until the next day. All in all though, pretty wonderful day. Couldn't have had more fun with anyone other than Jason :^) End of day two.

Cloudy With a Chance of Beignets

September 5, 2015

We awoke at an ungodly hour. 5:20 a.m. No one starting a vacation wishes to wake up any time before sunrise. Alas, the first part of the day was not vacation. I was scheduled to go to work this Saturday morning for two hours. Luckily, Jason was given permission to come to work with me so we could leave immediately after closing. Him being there made it much more fun. I vote every workday be "bring your spouse to work" day.

After work was over, Jason and I headed off to Quick Trip for brunch. That's right--brunch bitches! Jason "ordered" an egg roll and a corn dog; perfectly acceptable items for a Quick Trip brunch at 9:30 in the morning. I "ordered" a cup of grapes (I had eaten breakfast earlier that morning and was not very hungry). We also purchased two ham and swiss lunchables, from their finest selection (year 2015), which we planned to eat at lunch.... hence lunchable. To drink, we had the extra large fountain drinks (unsweet tea and diet Dr. Pepper).

Jason and I ate our brunch in the car before leaving. Shortly after we were headed toward Savannah, Ga. It is Labor Day weekend and most of Georgia is currently headed in the opposite direction to attend DragonCon. Yay for almost no traffic! While Jason drove, I read Jane Eyre aloud. We began reading this book last year on our anniversary trip--sadly, we never finished it. We eventually took a break from reading and listened to "Of Monsters and Men" while singing with them.

After stopping at a gas station to pay the debt of our extra large drinks, we were soon only an hour away from the hotel. Unfortunately, it was at this point that we realized we booked the wrong hotel. We thought we reserved a room at the hotel we stayed at last year, but it turned out to be a different one. It's a little farther than we preferred but it will do. At first we were nervous because the area appeared very.... Alabama-like. Broken down trailers, trash-lined homes, and "adult" entertainment, uh, centers.... not the best scenery for vacation. As luck would have it, we turned onto a different road about one minute before reaching our hotel destination.... amazing what one road can do for scenery.

We checked in, met a lovely woman with a Frozen-like hairdo who gave us our room keys, and unloaded our belongings in our room. We changed into more fitting clothes, as it was 95 degrees with a heat index of 100 degrees outside. Before leaving, I noticed two beautifully wrapped Andes' Mints--originally I spelled this "Andy's Mints" and now Jason is making fun of me--sitting on the bedside table. I immediately ate mine because I have no willpower and Jason, being of complete absurdity and ignorance, left his. We might disagree on the extent to which Andes Mints are refreshing, granted he did spell it properly and I did not. But if a guy named Andy did make these mints, thank you and you are my lifelong friend. Jason is no friend of yours. Fyi. Where was I? Right...

We left the hotel and made our way to the Streets of Savannah where I promptly lost my mind. Jason concurs. If memory serves me correctly, I immediately forgot how to drive and fully remembered how to swear. We were trying to find parking places to no avail, making me a woman on the verge of being arrested for parking on the grass instead of a paved spot. Jason, being of sound mind, googled parking garages in Savannah and was able to direct me to the nearest one. Just for the record, we made it safely and I was never arrested.

Once parked, we walked down ten flights of stairs and out onto the Savannah streets. We headed, of course, to Riverstreet where I again promptly lost my mind. Turns out everyone goes to Savannah for Labor Day weekend, even the Hulk...

Jason and I tried to walk down Riverstreet but quickly became frazzled by the mass amount of people, particularly drunk people. We ended up going toward the very end of the street where less crowds had formed. We sat quietly on a bench and regrouped. Jason sweetly put his arm around me and we watched boats go by. After checking my fitbit to see my heart rate jump from a resting 69 to a startling 134, I realized I do not play well with others--at least not in large groups. After relaxing, we braved the streets once more. Underneath the large oak trees adorned with spanish moss, Jason and I walked.

We walked and gave our backs the chance to stretch after the long car ride. As we neared the end of the street, Jason noticed my energy waning. I didn't want to spend any money on food since our funds were low from the recent house/car repairs that occurred over the past two weeks. Jason steered me toward a nearby Peanut shop. Immediately I began to feel better because the peanut shop was filled with cool air. Jason also pointed out nearby peanut samples. He tried some and then I did. Then I realized there were peanut samples all over the store! Free samples! We essentially ate every single sample we could find and got ourselves a free protein snack! We are frugal bitches! Fyi, chocolate peanut butter coated peanuts are the best peanut in peanut land! Immediate energy restored!

After leaving the shop, Jason and I went in and out of stores for cool air. We then sat down in front of the riverside. We looked up and noticed the darkening sky and felt two raindrops. Since we forgot our umbrella in the car, we decided to go for an early dinner at Huey's on the River. We were very glad we did. We were seated immediately near a window facing the street. Almost instantly rain fell at great speed. Here is a picture:

As you can see, large groups of people ran for shelter. We watched as a nearby fountain became more like a fire hose from the rushing wind. A man soon greeted us and took our drink orders. Jason and I looked over the menu and settled on these meals:

 Jason's Roast Beef Po'boy with Parmesan grits.

 My Chicken Gumbo with andouille sausage over rice.

 Hot corn bread.

 And for dessert, beignets!

Also, here are pictures of us:

Not long after eating our beignets the rain stopped. We decided to go antique shopping. We began in a small shop above riverstreet only to realize they were closing. We quickly left and made our way to the shop below that was still open. They had a great deal of kitchen plates and cups, but the back room had old books. It also had this:

 We were particularly taken with the blue cat painting. If anyone is wondering, the cat's name is Pete.

 Throughout the shop were giant giraffes with many different names. These two were my favorite. To the right is Humphrey G Raff-el and to the left Kami G Raff-el. Very cute store! Once leaving the shop, we went for a stroll through Savannah and enjoyed the scenery (it had stopped raining at this point). While walking we passed a woman who let out a rather large belch. She turned to the man holding her hand and said "That was from all that drinking." We laughed to ourselves and continued to watch other funny drunk people.

A while later, Jason and I headed back toward the parking garage for the car. We walked up 12 flights of stairs (earning me my first high climber badge for my fitbit charge hr). We drove back to the hotel and turned in for the night.

Before going to sleep, we did blog this. While blogging Jason got us two cups of water from the hotel sink. He handed me my cup, made a face, and said "Why does this water smell like butthole?" I smelled it and immediately placed it back down. It did smell like a butt. We both couldn't stop laughing. Jason said it explains why this place is called Hinesville. Hahaha! Turns out all water in Savannah smells like this--it's the beach water. We smelled it every time we drove over rivers or creeks. Very funny smell. We opted to avoid drinking any water from the hotel, unless in a bottle.

Also while blogging I told Jason I needed the tweezers. I continued typing anyway because I didn't want to get up. At some point I took a break from blogging to regain my thoughts. Jason happened to at the computer when I began this break and wasn't typing. So, while staring into Jason's eyes the entire time, I typed this:

I need tweezers bad. (Jason got up to go get the tweezers at this point.) Don't do it. I got it. You don't have to but thanks anyway. I love you so much, you mother futcher futchface. Kisses!!!!! Please and Tanks. You okay? I heard you make a weird noise like you got hurt? Now you're taking a while... you pulling your hair while in the bathroom? That why it's taking a second? Maybe that's why you made that weird noise, except you did that before you took a while. Maybe you are silently signing in front of the mirror and pretending you're a rock star. Except you never will be one. So stop. You're back. Thanks. You look great.

When he returned he read what I wrote and laughed very loudly. I should probably explain the word "futcher" and "futchface." There is a golf cart repair shop in Hinesville with a sign that reads "If no one is here call Futch." For some reason Jason and I had a lot of fun with that and have replaced one of our favorite words with Futch in it's place. Ah, good times. End of day one.

In Like a Creeper

August 29, 2015

There are some moments where you have to go on a random trip. This weekend was definitely one of them. Finally Jason and I were off of work and in a well-working air conditioned home. At the early morning hour of midnight on Jason's birthday, our air conditioner had a dangerous rendezvous with a bolt of lightening. After a week and a half of waiting for the insurance company to decide they were not going to cover the damage, Jason and I were at last able to have it repaired. Our air conditioner is grounded for all eternity with no time off for good behavior.

Finally Saturday arrived. Jason and I planned to escape stress by revisiting Stone Mountain. It has been roughly two years since we last walked to the top. At the time Jason and I had been extremely out of shape, having fully adjusted to our 8 hour desk jobs. This time, however, we are in much better health. We have lost weight, have gained muscle, and do fitness challenges on a regular basis (when our air conditioner allows it). This trip should be much easier.

Once dressed and ready for the journey, we decided to stop by Kroger for two deli sandwiches. Nothing better than a picnic atop Stone Mountain on a fall-ish day. Slightly worried by the overcast sky, Jason and I began to wonder if it would be raining before reaching the park. Small droplets of water began to splash on the windshield as we drove north. We began to brainstorm a plan B.  Jason brought up driving to Chattanooga, TN to visit Ruby Falls. I immediately became excited because I've always wanted to see Ruby Falls but have never been able to. Either because he was certain it was going to rain or because he knew how excited I was, Jason said we should scrap Stone Mountain and just keep driving to TN. So we did! We picnicked in the car as we drove over the Tennessee border.

The sky became blue with beautiful fluffy, white clouds as we entered Chattanooga. We traveled up the winding road to settle at Look Out Mountain. We purchased two tickets and immediately waited in line for the next tour. In no time we were ushered into an elevator which took us toward the center of the mountain. We watched through the clear glass door as massive layers of rock zoomed past. The doors opened to a dimly lit cave where we met our tour guide--oddly enough she was from Georgia. She gave us the spiel about following closely and watching your head. The cute couple in front of us began to laugh, as he was very tall and already crouching. Throughout the tour numerous people commented on the poor guy's height. He handled it well and surprisingly never hit his head.

The tour guide walked us through the cavern, pointing out small rock formations as we passed. We saw some that appeared like steak and potatoes, a slice of bacon, a donkey's ass, a dragon's foot, and a potato chip--apparently they were hungry when naming the rock formations. The farther down we went, the cooler the air became, and the more cramped the walkway seemed. Numerous times during our tour we were asked to squeeze to the left side of the wall to allow for another tour to pass. Once when asked to step aside for another group, a woman behind me said "That's not going to happen!" At first you might think she was simply being stubborn, but should you turn around like I did you would have noticed the lack of space between her and the wall. Somehow, everyone was able to pass. Once Jason found a small hole in the wall and was able to get into a squatting position to clear up some room. Jason laughed and said "This is why all those squats were important."

Finally we reached Ruby Falls. It's a 145 foot waterfall in the cave. To this day they are still uncertain where the waterfall is coming from. It's beautiful. It was also very cold. Jason and I tried to get pictures of us in front of the waterfall but it was a little too dark--after all, we were 1,120 feet below the mountain's surface. These are the pictures we were able to get.

Jason and our tour guide behind him:

Ruby Falls!

After leaving the waterfall we made our way back to the elevator. I really enjoyed the trip back because we had some super cute encounters with some kids. We soon came upon another group, who had very kindly squeezed to one side of the cave for us to pass. In the middle of this group were two small girls who were holding their arms out as we passed. Jason saw them first and said "Oh!" once he had figured out what they were trying to do. Lucky for me I heard him and was able to realize it before going to far. I high-fived them as did the girl behind me. It was super sweet! Immediately after passing this group we came across another one, also wedged into the side of the cave for us to pass. I looked to my left just in time to see a very small kid, probably 4 or 5, who had climbed in-between two rocks. He was in the spider-man pose as he crouched down to fit himself in the small space. As I passed I heard him say "Mom, look! I'm in here like a creeper!" He smiled and tried to push himself father into the rock. "Like a creepy-crawler..." corrected his mom. "Yeah, like a creeper!" he said. I laughed pretty hard.

Finally we reached the elevator and made our way back up the mountain. We were shown some stairs where we could get on top of the mountain and look out over Chattanooga. Of course, we did. Here are pictures:

We enjoyed the pretty scenery for a moment and then made our way through the gift shop. We were shown a copy of a photo they took of us when we first entered the cavern and quickly declined. We found our car and decided to head back home. As we drove home I was reminded of our trip to Tennessee in 2009, we had gone there for a milkshake at cheeburger-cheeburger right after graduation, so good, totally worth the trip! In no time we were stuck in Atlanta traffic--home sweet home. We decided to have dinner at Nick's. We used to eat here a lot in college, they have the best gyros, tzatziki sauce, and fried potatoes you'll ever have! Here are pictures:

After dinner we made our way home. We decided it was time for a good, scary movie. Jason and I have found a middle ground with scary movies. Jason likes the really really scary movies and mostly B horror, and I . . . hate those. I like happy movies about puppies and love. So, our middle ground is old black and white scary movies that have no gore and are just intense. For example, we watched the Haunting from 1963 the night before... creepy!!! This time we picked a good Hitchcock movie called "Spellbound." We ended up getting pretty tired and just went to bed halfway through. No worries though... we finished it this morning (Sunday the 30th) while eating Jason's amazing homemade Carbonara. So good. We also made pear tarts with homemade whipped cream. Here are pictures:

Then tonight we go see my side of the family and celebrate my dad's birthday. He asked to celebrate at "Jason's birthday dinner spot." haha! Earlier this month was Jason's birthday and he picked a Mexican restaurant where they brought him a sombrero and sang to him. They also gave him sopapillas . . . which they promptly smeared all over his face. I wasn't smart and began laughing at him... he then smashed his face into the side of mine so he could laugh at me. Hahaha! Love that man! Here are pictures:

Also, for Jason's birthday we also went with his side of the family to the number 1 Irish Pub in the world (oddly enough in Atlanta)! It was amazing! It was called Olde Blind Dog. Here are pictures of that, too:

Although I don't have pictures of this, Jason and I also bought Ohio Hog Company BBQ one night for his birthday. He was on call that week, so we just brought it home and watched the tv show Bloodline. I also gave him my birthday present. He, of course, had already figured out what I got him cause he's him. I got him a fitbit charge hr. He said he thought he knew what it was so I started guessing what I thought he was thinking... I then yelled "This is not how birthdays go! You are supposed to guess what I got YOU! Not me guessing what I think you think I got you!!" We laughed and then I told him next year I'm getting him something he could never guess--like a box of snakes! Somehow by the end of that whole conversation, I started telling him I love him more than a box of snakes :^) He's fun. Anyways...

Happy birthday Jason and Dad!!! I love you both :^)

Fare Thee Well, Great Staunton!

March 30, 2015

Monday Morning. Our last morning in Staunton. Immediately after lunch we will leave for Atlanta. We woke up early, dressed, packed, and made our way to the lobby for check out. A man took our keys and gave us our receipt upon checking out. He then told us what to do about parking. We were curious how that was supposed to work. When we originally arrived at the hotel we were told to take a ticket and would pay when we left. However, when we checked into the hotel they told us to ignore the ticket and use our key card to enter and exit the parking garage. . . we would be charged for parking upon check out. But what happens when we check out and no longer have that key card to leave the garage? Apparently we just show our receipt to a lady at the gate. We said thanks and asked if we could leave our car there and grab something to eat before we left. He said that was fine and that the garage lady (for lack of a better term) would be there until 5:00 p.m.

Once we left for lunch, Jason said he never remembered seeing a lady at the parking gate before. Come to think of it, I hadn't either. Not once. Wonder what we were supposed to do if she wasn't there. Maybe she is supposed to be there but has been skipping out of work all weekend. Oh well, we'd figure it out. First food.

We decided to eat at our beloved Baja Bean before leaving. We walked out the front of the hotel and took a left down the brick sidewalk. A large gust of wind wrapped itself around the building's corner and washed over us. All weekend this strong wind has done this. Each and every morning it would cause us to shiver and pull our tickets closer inward. Every. Single. Morning. Today, however, something was different. The same wind visited us once more, but seemed to without it's frosty friend. The sun was shining just as brightly but the warmth was felt even when the wind came. Jason and I both stood there for a second, looked at each other, and said "Really?!" We would be here for maybe two hours to enjoy this beautiful day... why hadn't the frosty friend left days earlier? Oh well, it was still a very lovely trip and we could still enjoy the last two hours in Staunton.

We found Baja Bean but soon realized we must be a little early. The doors were locked. Opening times here are merely a suggestion here. Either that or someone has gone to every shop in Staunton and changed the times to slightly before they truly open. We decided to waste some time in an antique shop we love just down the street. We walked in and a woman greeted us. She told us to come on in and that she had just opened and it may take her about 10 minutes to get her register going, but we were more than welcome to look around. We thanked her and began to browse the isles. We love this place. Tons of old things. A massive grandfather clock. Old razors. Antique china. Creepy dolls missing a few eyes from the early 1900s. We were sometimes afraid to breathe for fear of knocking something over (each inch of the store was packed with items). Jason purchased an old 1930s razor (he collects old razors) and I two beautiful hair pins. We also found a small white dish with lions on the side. We checked out and then made our way to Baja Bean again. Horray!! They were open.

A woman we had never seen before came to our table and took our order. Soon we had a basket of chips and salsa. Our food arrived shortly after. Below are pictures:

Above is one normal taco and a side of veggies (mine) and above that are two fish tacos with a side of veggies (Jason's). Delicious! We then ordered Sopapillas! I had never had this before and Jason said they were amazing. As usual, he was right. Below is a picture:

Once full, we walked back to the hotel parking garage and got in my cute, orange fit for the drive home. Jason put in a new audio book from the same author as Stiff and Spook. We love her. This one was called Gulp. It was about digestion. I know, I know, it sounds boring but it really wasn't. She's so good. We put the book on hold, however, until making our way out of the parking garage. Turns out the garage lady did in fact exist! She was there today... out of nowhere!

Jason said he'd drive back home, but asked if I would drive to get us to a gas station first. I did. Luckily we had just filled up the tank when we went to Monticello. I drove not far before we decided we wanted something to drink. We pulled over at a nearby gas station and headed inside for a soda. We glanced in the windows only to find a store filled with electronic equipment... no snacks or food. Really strange gas station. We decided to get back in the car and head toward the nearest quick trip. Four hours later, a quick trip showed up. Jason grabbed two corn dogs and a tea. I grabbed a bag of popcorn and CheerWine. Delicious. We ate in the parking lot and then made our way to the interstate.

Jason and I listened more to Gulp on the way home. Sadly, each time we turned the car off the audio book would go back a chapter... we had to relisten to quite a bit of the book. We kept ourselves entertained and then picked up where we left off. Finally, Atlanta hit. Below is the best picture I could get of Atlanta . . . for some reason it was really hard to get a good picture.

We decided to stop by World of Beverage on the way back for some beer. I had never had a full beer and Jason and I thought it was time to fix that. We grabbed some genuineness along with a Smirnoff Green Apple and made our way home. Our cats lovingly called to us from inside as we grabbed our luggage out of the car. We missed them. We put everything down and played with the cats for a while. We then unpacked, grabbed a beer, and watched some tv. All in all a pretty great day :^) Side note: yes, we did finish our fitbit steps that day. We rock at that lately.

Although this did not happen on this date but on March 31st, I will say... we also had a great time celebrating my mom's birthday as well. When we returned Jason and I made a homemake Barbie Cake like the ones my mom made us when we were little. We found buttercream frosting for the top, too. Here is a picture:

  We then met my mom and the rest of my side of the family for dinner. We had mom celebrate her birthday at home so we could surprise her with a special gift. We got a ton of home videos from when we were little and transferred them to DVD for her. We then spent the whole night watching home movies and eating cake. It was great! Not a bad way to come back from vacation :^)