If a tree falls on your car and you're not there to see it, do you have to pay the insurance premium?

So, now that I'm not traveling for work anymore, I've manged to get myself on a decent schedule - that means working four days a week and actually taking the weekend off for the first time in who knows how long. Yesterday, I offered to take my mom to Kroger (my dad had to work and she didn't have transportation), then I would come home and RELAX. I had the day so perfectly planned out: I'd take a nap, order some Chinese for dinner and have a movie marathon until I passed out again.

I got to the nap part and at some point while I was asleep I woke up with a start. I heard a loud noise, and I knew I wasn't dreaming because the dogs heard it too, but when I got up and looked out the window, I realized it was raining and really windy, so I just brushed it off as a limb falling... I mean, when you live in a Unabomber Cabin in the woods, a fallen limb is an almost daily occurrence.

A couple of hours later, the storm s had let up a bit, and I decided to go get the aforementioned Chinese food. I made myself presentable and headed the door. The first thing I saw was a rather large limb behind my car. I groaned, thinking it had probably made a dent in my trunk. Honestly, my car has been so dinged up from various incidents over the years (hail, a kid with a baseball, my dog, my neighbor's dog, an idiot employee at the grocery store), that one more little dent wasn't going to hurt anything.

Then I saw a more familiar sight: shattered glass. You see, last January, when it was like two degrees outside, my windshield took it upon itself to shatter for no particular reason. A nice man came out and fixed it for about $200. I groaned at the sight, thinking I was going to have to have the damn thing replaced again.

It wasn't until I got all the way around to the back of the car that I realized the windshield was only one of many worries. The huge limb (I thought it was a tree at first, but it's a limb that's the size of a small tree) had fallen right on top of my car and the back part of the roof is all smashed in among other things. I wanted to sit right down in the middle of the driveway in the rain and cry.

I called my dad and he brought some tarps to cover it with (and for the 1,000th time in the last few years, I think he wished I'd get married). Today, I went out to check out the contents of my backseat (I haven't really cleaned it out since my trips - let's just say everything from my printer to some paperwork is in the back seat) and it smells like someone died in there thanks to being rained on for several hours.

I guess I have a week ahead of the headache that is dealing with an insurance company. Especially if what just happened is any sort of omen.

Just a few minutes ago, I was laying on the sofa, in the dark, trying to watch one of the movies I had planned for yesterday's lazefest. Suddenly, something came flying out of my kitchen and swooped down on my head. I started screaming and batted it away. I looked up just in time to see something large and black flying around the living room. I ran screaming out the sliding glass door, hoped the large frog who has taken up residence on my patio was not in my path, and I watched as the thing flew up and down my hallway and around the living room. Finally, it went flying out the door, and I was able to re-enter my home.

It was a bat. Not the Louisville Slugger kind, but the kind that bites poor people with smashed in cars and gives them rabies.

Sigh. Now Obama is speaking. I guess bad things do come in threes.

Update: Not only do you have to pay the insurance premium, you have to pay $250 for old hail damage on the part that's gonna have to be replaced anyway! Freaking son of a...

Florence King

Quote of the Day: "To the Southerner, a tree cannot simply be an ordinary tree, it must be a dueling oak." - Florence King

I've been reading Southern Ladies and Gentlemen by Florence King while I await a shipment from Amazon. It's a bit dated and sometimes requires a dictionary, but I like it. King is pretty interesting in her own right. I don't necessarily agree with many of her views, but until 2002, she was a columnist at National Review and she has many other books out.

The Internet. Good Grief.

I've always been a big proponent of the internet, and if it weren't for the internet, I wouldn't even have a job at the moment, but I'm really going to start avoiding certain parts of it. I'm staying away from places where people gather to share their opinions. People have become so vile and hateful that I swear it sends me into fits to read a message board or comments on a blog or anything where people can spout off. It's like no one can have a thought, opinion or experience these days without someone chiming in with why they're wrong and/or the scum of the earth.

Sadly, I'm not even talking about politics right now! In the last few weeks, I've seen it on parenting websites, personal blogs, celebrity websites, local news websites, restaurant reviews, sports websites, animal websites and more.

I'm sick of name-calling. I'm sick of trying to have an adult debate with people who resort to childish tactics. I'm sick of hearing ignorant people spout off about things which they know nothing about. My life was a lot less complicated before I was aware of any of this stuff, so now I'm going to take steps to reduce how much exposure I have to it.

This is why I'm not signing up for more social media. I've been working on cutting back on Twitter and Facebook, and I'll continue to do that. I've been trying to actively participate in forums associated with my job(s), but that's going to stop too unless absolutely necessary.

Anyway, I'm not saying the internet is bad. Far from it! But I do know that I, personally, need to set some boundaries for myself. And I'm not gonna disappear or anything. If anything, I've been blogging more and would like that to continue. I've also been trying to spend evenings that I'm home or alone doing more than sitting at my laptop. Reading, writing, watching movies and documentaries, playing with the dogs, swimming, walking, cleaning...I just think I need to take that up a notch.

I'd rather enjoy my life than sit around and watch idiots argue over pointless things is all.

And then there was Pete...

I'm stuck. Last week, I talked about wanting to adopt Pete and/or Chloe. Today, I spent time at the shelter and decided specifically that it would be Pete if I did adopt one or the other. (Pete loves me, what can I say? Ha!)

But I can't decide if I should do it or not.

Before someone says "you can't save them all," a quote I've heard 800 times in the last two weeks, I know. I'm not trying to. But I do want to add another dog to my home. I wanted to get a puppy. I wanted Sadie to have someone to grow up with and play with while she's young (I'm watching her run around the house with a toy right now). I also know my dogs aren't too keen on other adult dogs, but they would get along great with a puppy. But puppies are few and far between at my local shelter and they get adopted so easily.

Today, there was this adorable little brown puppy that was kind of exactly what I wanted. I picked him up and he just climbed all over me and licked my nose, and my heart melted. But in the time I was at the shelter, three other people debated getting him, so I knew he'd have a home by the end of the weekend.

Anyway, back to Pete. Pete's two years old, and if I'm being honest with myself, he's not the dog I want. He's amazingly sweet, but he's just not what I had in mind. If I were going to pick out one of the adult dogs there based on nothing but what I want, there's this big lab...well, you get the point. But that makes me feel like some kind of crazy dog snob.

But my heart keeps wandering back to Pete. I managed to get his little roommate adopted, and I think I just feel bad for him because he's been there longer than almost any other dog (since April). I look at my dogs laying around in the AC, getting treats all the time and sleeping in my bed, and I just keep thinking Pete deserves that. But then again, all of those dogs up there deserve that.

On the other hand, my head says that getting him because I feel bad for him will just lead to nothing but heartache. I've done that before. (Although, that didn't end so badly - that dog went to another home, and I got Gabby.) I talked to a girl who works there today, and she said get him and bring him back if it doesn't work. Seems easy enough, but I can't take a dog back there!

And then I just wonder if my fear of commitment is what's preventing me from bringing him home?

I hate to ramble and "think out loud" so much on this topic but if anyone has any insight (that does not revolve around telling me I can't "save them all"), I'd appreciate it. Or if you're in the market for an amazing Pointer, I know a great guy named Pete!

To make matters worse, on my way home, as I was looking for some kind of sign, my favorite radio station played the latest Mumford and Sons single, "Roll Away Your Stone." Among the lyrics is the line, you told me that I would find a home. Oy.

Wounded Warriors Ride with President Bush

I guess I'm a little behind with this, but while we were pigging out on burgers and hotdogs, some wounded veterans and President Bush were busting their asses on a three-day bike ride. Not gonna lie, I teared up a little watching these guys. And say what you will about the former President's policies, but he loves this country and loves these guys in a way so many people will never understand.

Thoughts on Google + (or is it Google Plus?)

The next person who asks me if I'm on Google + (or Google Plus?) will be shot in the foot.

It started out innocently enough - a few tech-savvy friends mentioned it, and I told them I was not and probably wouldn't be anytime soon.

Within a few days, every other person I came in contact with asked me. I had an inbox full of emails, Facebook messages, Twitter @ replies, DMs and even messages from LinkedIn, a website I haven't visited in who knows how long and don't even remember the password for, all asking the same question: "are you on Google + (or Google Plus?)?"

I would reply, "No. Should I be?"

Most of the responses went something like this: "Well, I don't really know. I don't get it."

Some said, "I don't know, I'm trying to figure out if I should be."

A few people claimed it was the best thing that has ever happened to them in their entire lives and that we should all delete our Facebook accounts and run, RUN, to Google + (or Google Plus?).

Last week, I took the plunge. Upon receiving my tenth invite, I signed up. After all, maybe I was missing out on the greatest thing that would ever happen to me in my entire life. I was inundated with the Google + (or Google Plus) equivalent of friend requests. Within three minutes, I grew bored with trying to figure it out and exited the website. I haven't been back since.

I'm still not even completely sure what Google + (or Google Plus?) is for. The only time I've heard anyone mention is to ask other people if they're on Google + (or Google Plus?).

The truth of the matter is this: if you don't know whether or not you should sign up for it, then you probably shouldn't. If you don't know whether or not you'll like it, you probably won't. If you don't know whether or not you have time for it, you probably don't.

And if you think everyone's gonna drop Facebook for it, then you're probably wrong. Here's why: Facebook has become a large time commitment for many people. Hate it or love it, it's addictive for one reason or another. Maybe you play games, maybe you upload every picture you've ever taken of your child, maybe you use it to promote your business or spout off about your political views, or maybe you use it to keep tabs on people you don't care enough about to call or visit or email. Whatever your poison, you've invested a lot of time in it, and I seriously doubt you're gonna take the time to migrate all of the 8,389 pictures of your kid taking his first bath to Google + (or Google Plus?). When Facebook dies, that form of social media will die with it.

Today, a friend of mine pointed out that something like 20 gazillion people have joined Google + (or Google Plus) in just one month, meaning it has taken off much faster than Twitter or Facebook. I'm willing to be those are people who signed up because ten other people they knew kept harassing the hell out of them.

Even if Google + (or Google Plus?) was the greatest thing that ever happened in my life ever, I'm not sure I'd want to use it. If anything, I need less social media in my life. I joined both Twitter and Facebook for career purposes, and can't seem to go a day without checking either at this point. I've slowly weaned myself down over the last year or so, but I don't see myself hopping on any other bandwagons unless it's for professional reasons.

So, you guys can have your Google + (or Google Plus?), but don't come crying to me in a month or two when you're back on Facebook looking at 807 pictures of the girl you sat next to in high school math's newborn daughter's first diaper changing.

Chloe & Pete

So, I'm still up in the air about the whole dog situation. To recap, one of my pretend journalism duties is to go to the local animal shelter and take pictures of pets to feature. This is both an amazing and heart-wrenching experience, moreso the latter. I've spent countless hours debating adopting another dog, but couldn't decide between a puppy or an adult (and was in the midst of lots of traveling). There was one particular black lab who I really felt strongly about, but THANK GOD, one of my readers adopted her yesterday. He seems like a nice guy and has a few other rescue dogs, so I'm thinking she'll live a nice and happy life, and I was glad that I could help her with that.

On the other hand, I'm left still wanting to add to my brood. There are currently two Pointers at the shelter: Pete and Chloe, both of whom I'd love to adopt. As I've mentioned, ultimately, I'd love to have four dogs, but my landlord and my dog-sitters would probably be against that, so until I move into my own home, that's probably not an option. Here's a run down:

Pete has been at the shelter for several months, but I honestly didn't notice him until a few weeks ago. He stays in his doghouse all of the time. He seemed kind of mean at one point, but I realized he was just sullen. When I got him out last week, he was so sweet and happy. He's two years old and was the aforementioned black lab's cage-mate for all those months, so now he's lonely. I tried to talk to him today, but he was just sulking in his doghouse and wouldn't come out.

Chloe is four years old and has only been there for a week or two. She is scared silly. Chloe was turned in by her owner (who does that? apparently lots of people...). I got her out last week because I was struck with how pretty she is, and she would barely move. She tucked her tail between her legs and kept her head down and just shivered the entire time. Today, I tried to talk to her but she was just trembling and again, wouldn't move (not sure if it was the shelter or the storms that were taking place at that moment).

I'd post pictures, but I'm not sure it's legal for me to use them here. Pete is white with some black on him and Chloe is dark brown and white. I swore I'd never get another white dog, but...

Unless they are adopted or get sick, nothing will happen to them between now and Sunday, so I thought about taking a few days to think about it. Anyway, I have no idea if I'll get one of them, but if anyone's interested in a fantastic dog who deserves a second chance at life, I know two of them and will gladly point you in the right direction!

And I know there will be more dogs I'll get attached to in the future, but the timing seems right.

Ed Helms & Cedar Rapids: A Conclusion

Back in January, I insisted you all go see the film Cedar Rapids. I hadn’t yet seen it, but I had a feeling it would be good. I waited patiently for it come to Atlanta and by the time it did, I was so engrossed in pretending to be a journalist that I really didn’t have time to spend a couple of hours in the ONE THEATER IN BUCKHEAD where it was showing. Seriously, I was shocked at how much advertising I saw vs. how available the film was here, but I digress…

Fast forward to a couple of weekends ago. I was nearing the end of said project and decided to take an evening off to get my bearings. I went to a local restaurant and grabbed some takeout, and I came home to check out the movie-watching options offered by my cable company. Imagine my surprise when I saw Cedar Rapids on the menu. I pressed “select,” agreed to pay the $4.99, and I was on my way to, uh, well, Cedar Rapids.

Looking back at my 10 Reasons to See Cedar Rapids post, I’d say I was spot on about much of what I said. But enough about me...

Everything else aside – and maybe this doesn’t mean much coming from me – Ed Helms was AMAZING. I honestly feel like this is his best role to date.

Let's see if I can put this into words (says the girl who writes for a living).

OK, Helms is freakishly talented when it comes to comedy and when it comes to acting, period. Most people who are aware of him know this. He brings so much to every role he plays, or at least the ones I’ve seen, but this was different. I’ve always thought it’d be neat to see him play a deeper role. And while Tim Lippy isn't exactly Blanche DuBois, he was a different kind of character than what we've seen from Helms before. You didn’t just want to laugh at Lippy, you wanted to give him a big hug and route for him and see that he had a happy ending.

Am I making sense? Probably not.

Let’s see, I’ve spent the last two weeks reading this series of books by a favorite author of mine. The plots weren’t great every single time, but this woman is a master at character development, and I finished that series for that reason alone. I wanted to know what would happen to the characters. I enjoyed reading about their lives. When I finished the last book yesterday, I felt a little empty, like I'd lost two good friends.

I’m not saying I felt that way at the end of Cedar Rapids (it’s a 1.5-hour movie, people), but Helms managed to do with Tim Lippy what this author does with her characters. Whether you're an actor or an author, it's hard to master that. He did an amazing job. And that’s why I would love to see Helms take on more roles and not just The Hangover 14. I really hope the goons in Hollywood start offering them up.

I’m pretty sure this post reads like I’m high on something, but I was really pleasantly surprised when I saw Cedar Rapids (believe me, I was fully prepared to drop the subject all together if it sucked), so if you didn’t get to see it in the ONE THEATER IN BUCKHEAD (or wherever you live), I encourage you to rent it/order it/put it in your queue and watch.

And if I my nonsensical bloviating about character development doesn’t convince you (trust me, I'm not doing it justice), here are 10 other reasons why you should watch it.

2012 *Yawn*

So, I haven't written about politics in a long time. (Granted I haven't blogged much at all in recent months, but that's not the point.) I've started several political posts, and they still sit as drafts, probably never to be published.

Now, with the 2012 election coming up (uh, well, in 16 months), you'd think I'd be all over this stuff. As most of you know, I love me some politics. That hasn't changed. I love heated debates over important issues. I love standing up for what you believe in. I love talking points and fear-mongering and competition and beating the other guy... but what I don't like is hypocrisy. And I see so much of that on both sides these days that it makes me want to ignore them all.

Give or take a few races, I've voted Republican or Libertarian all of my life. Why? I'm a small government kind of girl. I want the government out of my business. I'm fiscally conservative and pro-capitalism. I believe in the Constitution - I believe in gun rights and freedom of speech and states' rights. I believe in the individual and the private sector. The alternatives to these things have never made sense to me.

But I no longer feel like the GOP errs on the side of me. We've got a gazillion candidates for president and they seem more interested in talking about gay marriage and family values than they do the economy or terrorism. Who cares? I'm pretty sure people who are blown up and/or homeless/jobless aren't sitting around, thinking about whether the gay couple up the street can tie the knot. The fact that John Boehner became Speaker of the House in 2010 made me sick. The election made it clear that Americans want real change, not second chances for the same old folks. You've got these Republican talking heads who claim to be anti-nanny laws or pro-Constitution, but they only practice what they preach when it fits their agenda. Too much, "I'm right and you're wrong." I'm not saying anyone should ever concede to something they're against, but don't say you're for, oh, freedom of religion and then pitch a fit about someone building a mosque.

As for the Libertarian Party, well, there's a good reason people don't take them seriously. I've noticed they tend to be very "my way or the highway" about issues. If you agreed with them on nine things but not all ten, they look down their noses at you or so has been my experience. Hell, if you so much as shower regularly they look down their noses at you. (Just kidding, folks...) There's a lot of snobbery in the LP and a lot of unrealistic views of the world.

I'm not writing this to tell you I'm going to vote for Obama in 2012. That's something else I don't understand. As much as the GOP is irritating the hell out of me right now, I'm not gonna run out and support someone who is even further away from what I believe in like so many people did in 2008. *Do not mention Peggy Noonan, do not mention Peggy Noonan*

But I am writing this to say I can't get excited about the 2012 election. The candidates, so far, are a joke. I have friends who say, "don't write them off... someone great will eventually emerge." That's silly. Good candidates don't "eventually emerge." Good candidates come out swinging from day one, and they gain momentum until November '12 or they don't.

First, we have Mitt Romney, or as I like to call him, Massachusetts Mormon Ken. We didn't like him last time; why are we supposed to like him now? What is that? I blame the overzealous media for pushing him down our throats because he was the only person likely to run for a while. Now, I wouldn't mind looking at that gorgeous mug at the occasional press conference or SOTU, and I think he's got some good business chops, but the guy is a politician tried and true. He says what you want to hear. I'm sick of that.

Then there's Tim Pawlenty who a lot of my conservo-friends actually like. If you're not sure who he is, he's the one that makes you hum the theme to Revenge of the Nerds to yourself when he speaks. Or even when he just stands there. If there was even the slightest chance I would have voted for him (and let's face it, there wasn't), I lost all respect when he flat out lied at a recent debate because he was too afraid to stand up to Mitt Romney to his face about the MA health care junk. (Google it.) You just don't forgive things like that. Between that and his thoughts on Cap & Trade, bye-bye, T-Paw. Don't let the door hit you on the way back to whichever one of those non-important middle states you came from. (Jokes, Minnesota. Just jokes...)

Speaking of states I'll probably never visit, Michele Bachmann is doing really well. And as much as I hate to admit it, she's really impressed me a lot more than I thought she would. Unfortunately, the media has deemed her Sarah Palin lite and every little thing she's ever done in her entire life (other than, you know, her career and family accomplishments) will and has been scrutinized to the point of making her look like a joke. Seriously, all I've heard about her this week is that she likes slaves but her husband does not like gay people... or something. I wonder if the media has ever investigated or will investigate her role as a foster mom?

Herman Cain is another one who my GOP-voting friends have tried to shove down my throat. He's developed a cult-like following. He's like the Ron Paul for people who bathe and work for a living. But that's just it. He doesn't stand a chance. He's good at firing people up and saying the right things, and I'll admit, I like that he has no previous political experience. I also like that he owns up to his mistakes and shortcomings and doesn't hold back, but... well, yeah. What more can you say? He's got the fire but there's very little backing that up.

Newt Gingrich is delusional if he thinks we're gonna ignore his John Edwardseque past, ridiculously run campaign and climate change commercials with Ms. Pelosi. Ron Paul is just delusional. Rick Santorum is like Catholic Conservative Gestapo Ken. As for ThaddeusMcGaryJohnHuntsmanRoemer, well, if this primary was a sandwich, those guys would be the condiments and few people buy a sandwich because they really like the condiments.

The bottom line? I'm not pumped up about this election...yet (she says hopefully). My vote shouldn't have to go to the least annoying person. It should go to the best. The best isn't running. At least, not yet. I still hold out hope for a few folks who shall remain nameless. If one of those people jumps in at the last minute, I might start blogging about it. Who knows, I might even get around to finally replacing the McCain bumper sticker on my car. But until then, you'll have to settle on posts about my dogs, whatever book I just read, and Ed Helms.

Only in my world...

... does my computer die when I'm in the middle of one of the biggest work projects I've ever had in my life.

... do I go through five six laptops in one year.

... do I go through three TVs in one year.

... does my AC die on the hottest day of the year thus far.

Don't get me started on cell phones. You get the point. Me + Technology = Disaster. Blogging resumes when my house temperature is not pushing 85 degrees on a Tuesday night.

The Casey Anthony Trial. Sigh.

I'm a little Casey Anthony'd out, but I thought I'd share my thoughts on the case like the rest of the free world has. Admittedly, I didn't start paying attention to it until last week. I'd seen bits and pieces on the news, but for the most part, it just seemed kind of... pedestrian. That said, I caught some live bits of it one day while I was sitting here working and after that I was hooked. It's not that I was caught up in the case or anything, I'm just fascinated by the whole trial procedure. I also though that one detective was kind of hot but whatever. I started watching the live feed every day that I was home, leading up to today's verdict. (In my defense, I was locked in the house all week working my butt off to finish my Charleston project too...)

I did and do think anyone with half a brain knows she had something to do with her daughter's death. I think anyone can see she is a spoiled, conniving, selfish brat of human being who cared more about herself than her daughter's well-being. But the jury did what it had to do, I guess. I'm not going to knock our justice system.

The thing that really bugged me was the woman's reaction to the news. Sure, she's more than likely going to be a free woman very soon - that's enough to make anyone who was facing a life in prison happy, but her little girl is still dead. The news doesn't change that. To celebrate the way she did, to see her demeanor completely change from the sad, sullen, pouty girl we saw for two months back into the happy-go-lucky party girl we met three years ago, well, it was disheartening.

Anyway, everyone is comparing this to the OJ trail. I was in 9th grade when that took place, so I didn't get to watch it, but I did get to see the verdict read. I was in a health class and my teacher, who was the caricature of a high school coach, agreed to let us watch it while we sat and copied questions out of a book. I didn't know much about law and trials then; I just remember about half of my class whooping and hollering and shouting something about "justice for the black man" and the coach laughing at them before telling them to sit down and shut up.

Oh, well. Maybe one day, Casey Anthony will stage a "sting operation" and end up back in jail. Then again, she already staged a kidnapping and look where that got her.

My Life in iPhone Pictures

Around my 30th birthday, I mentioned that I wanted to try to do that "year in pictures" thing, but I had no idea how busy I'd be. From about the end of April until, well, now, I've been back and forth to South Carolina more times than I can count. It had its fun, memorable moments, its miserable moments, and it had some "what the f--k" moments, but overall, it was well worth it. This post will probably be long and boring, but I do want to recap for my own benefit.

As mentioned, in April, someone I'd done some freelance work for last year contacted me and asked if I'd like to do some more in SC. I agreed without hesitation. I knew it'd be a lot of work, but well worth it. Within a week, I had a hotel booked, my bags packed and I was driving down I-20, out of the ATL and into the great city of Columbia.


Now, despite the fact that I live in a neighboring state, I've never spent much time in SC. The summer after I was 18, a friend of mine and I spent a few days in Greenville, watching the Braves AA team play a series. And that's it. I honestly can't remember ever having a reason to go to South Carolina. Upon entering Columbia, I realized why I've never been there outside of that one outing. It's not called "the armpit" for nothing, folks. Now, in SC's defense, I was working in the absolute worst part of their capital city, but still...

After a week of staying in a hellhole of a hotel (I switched rooms 9 times, almost got jumped by a group of undocumented workers one night and rednecks the next, and spent several nights in a room that didn't lock), I came home. I wasn't quite finished with the job, but the threat of tornadoes was on the horizon, and the threat of me killing someone if I had to spend another minute there was also imminent. I didn't take any personal pictures while I was there. Let's face it, there isn't much to take pictures of. I did end up going back for the day to finish up on the following Sunday. And then I came home to make sense of all the info I'd gathered in Columbia, the interviews I did and the (work) pictures I'd taken. That took me a LONG time. I sat at my computer almost non-stop for two weeks. I stopped only for my birthday party.

And to make a Chick Fil A run or 20...

By the time I was finished, my house looked like this:

And this became my dogs' natural state:


But finally I was finished and it was the biggest relief! And then the person I was working for asked if I could go back and work in the neighboring area, which was much nicer, but still overlapped the horrible area. I agreed. The dogs were not amused. (Please excuse the sheet hanging over my sliding glass door - my curtain rod broke and it's a temporary fix.)


I wasn't thrilled about heading back to Columbia but the money would be good and it was something to do. Just two days before I was ready to leave, the GC called and asked if he could come along. He'd just lost his job and offered to be my assistant. What is it they say, misery loves company? Why not let someone else face the hell that is Columbia, SC with me?

And off we went, back down I-20. Here's a picture from the rest stop we always stop at so the GC can smoke. Pretty moss in the trees, a promise that SC will be a beautiful state - we joked that it was the only reason people didn't sit here at the state line and head back.


I'd made the executive decision not to stay in Columbia that week. I chose a cheap hotel that was way out of the way, but hopefully, not in an area where I'd fear for my life on a regular basis. When we drove up and saw this, I just had to shake my head. A sign of times to come?



One night, we stopped by O'Charley's for dinner and were greeted with a double rainbow. This has nothing to do with the story, but it was in my camera roll.


We also saw this at a church we had to visit and thought it was cute. Again, not really part of the story



That week wasn't quite as bad as the previous one I'd endured, but it wasn't exactly fun. Add to it the fact that the non-stop sitting from the last job had killed my back and the fact that I could literally not get out of the car some days AND the fact that I'd left my medication for said problem at home - let's just say I was so glad I had the GC with me.

He and I did the same thing I'd done the week before - went back the next Sunday, just for a day, to finish up - and I settled in once again to work my butt off to get finished. This time, I had an added incentive though; if I got finished in reasonable time, I would be working in Charleston next. I was so excited.

Now, you'd think after last summer's Tale of 5 Laptops, I would have learned my lesson about backing things up. And I did to some extent, but after a little dispute with my mom over a memory card I'd borrowed from her, I deleted all the photos from it (about 1,000) and gave it back to her, thinking it wouldn't matter.

If I could go back to one point in time and do something different, it would probably be that moment.

I woke up the next morning and my computer did this.

And it kept doing that and it kept doing that and it wouldn't do anything else. I did everything I could think of to fix it before heading out into the world, wallet in hand, willing to pay hundreds of dollars to save those pictures. I even forced myself to talk to people I'd gone to high school with. They all had the same answer: your hard drive is fried beyond the point of data recovery. After a few days, it was obvious that the pictures were gone. I bought a new laptop, and the GC reluctantly agreed to accompany me on another trip to Columbia to retake as much of the pictures as we could.

That day, it was 96 degrees. We barely got out of the car all day, got sunburned, I developed a migraine and we both came dangerously close to having heat strokes. But we were getting everything done in a timely manner. That is, until we ran into Officer Barney Fife and his sidekick. Without going into too much detail, the GC got out of the car in a shopping center to take a picture of said shopping center. He got back in and we drove on to the next place. Well, there just happened to be two police officers in said shopping center having lunch and those two police officers decided it'd be fun to pull us over and ask why he'd taken a picture. I explained. He said, and I quote, "Looked like terrorism to me."

Never mind the fact that I didn't even have my seatbelt buckled, two white kids in a Honda in some shitty part of South Carolina have suddenly become terrorists because they took a picture of a freaking Piggly Wiggly.

The nice officer carried on and on about why he stopped us, almost to the point of apologizing once I proved to him we'd done absolutely nothing wrong. We remained stopped for about an hour over this. At one point during this, uh, terrorism check?, the sidekick, who had been silent until this point asked my cousin what "that little brown thing" was on a piece of paper he'd pulled from my glove compartment. When he showed him that it was a small piece of a dead leaf and not some kind of drugs, he went back to their car while Officer Fife continued to explain to me the importance of police officers in BFE being on the watch for the next September 11.

When they finally let us go, we realized how hot and miserable we were (we'd been in the car for 14 hours) and how much time we wasted being suspected terrorists, so we stopped at a gas station and got drinks and let my poor little car have a break. After that, I made the executive decision to go home. We still had 100 - 200 pictures to take, but agreed it'd be worth the time and gas to make another trip in the near future.

After this, I came home and took a cold bath while enjoying some of this:


I also managed to get in my first swim of the year! Woohoo!



And I came home and saw my first on of these of the year:


And at some point right after I came home, my TV died, so I went out and got a nice big new one (not sure if you can tell because it's dark, but I put it on an end table in front of my old TV due to my lack of time).



Anyway, I came home and worked and worked and begged the person whom I'm working for to still let me go to Charleston. I've never been before and at this point, I was going to miss my already planned beach vacation, so I figured it'd be nice to at least get to see the ocean while I was working. She agreed, and I worked my butt off that week.

By Sunday, I was packed and ready to head to back to South Carolina for a week.


I also realized how old I'm getting based on the things I packed:



Long story short, South Carolina quickly redeemed itself. We arrived on Sunday night (the GC came along), grabbed some take-out from the restaurant next to our hotel (and it was a nice hotel - my aunt managed to snag 3 free nights for us) and went to sleep, anxious about our day on the town. We decided to take a day to get to know the area before doing any real work - something that would have served me well in Columbia. We also wanted to do a little site-seeing and hit the beach.

On Monday, we slept late and got up in time to intersect a package from the boss. Then it was on to downtown Charleston. O. M. G. That is the most beautiful place. All the buildings look like this. I was in love. The GC was in love. By that night, he decided he wanted to move there.

After driving around downtown, we decided to visit the beach. We drove through Mount Pleasant to Isle of Palm, which several of my friends had suggested and paid $5 to walk out on the beach. (We made two trips back to the beach and didn't realize until the last one that you could park for free on side of the road... I've never been to the beach without actually staying on the beach, so this whole "paying to park" thing was a concept lost on me anyway.)


Then we drove to the area where we'd be working to check it out and get started.

I won't go into great detail about that week. It was still boring with work, but at least we were bored in Charleston, the greatest city on earth. We met lots of wonderful people, found lots of wonderful local places that we'd continue to shop at if we were go to back, etc. We both just fell in love with that city. It's everything I love about the South mixed with everything I love about the coast. The perfect town. As my cousin said, "Where else will you find magnolia trees next to palm trees?" All of my beach experience has been in Florida or California, and there is nothing like that in either of those places.

There are so many cute little shops owned by nice people. And even the chain stores were nicer. I mean, the Publix was in a beach house:




We did some shopping while we were there. I bought this little tray at a gift shop among other things:


We also discovered these yummy key lime cookies.


Above all, our favorite place was Amelia Claire's, a small bakery that we did have to visit for work purposes. Otherwise, we never would have found it.


Best (OK, the only) key lime cupcakes I've ever had:


We even went back a second time and stocked up on junk. Key lime everything, benewafers, which I didn't get a picture of but they were yummy, and this replica of Prince William's chocolate groom's cake.


I just knew we'd both gain 100 pounds while we were there, but we swam a lot and walked a lot, so I guess that evened things out.

We walked around the battery one night and I took a boatload of pictures. I won't upload them all here, but I have a few.

We saw so many "Don't Tread on Me" flags that we decided the town was full of good, smart people - just one more reason to love it there.

A few more battery pictures:




Overall, it was a good week. We stayed in 3 different hotels - the first was a nicer one near the airport, the second was in Mount Pleasant (I love that area), the third was a last minute decision to spend one extra night there, so we ended up in some awful place in North Charleston. But, we agreed that even the most awful place wasn't as bad as Columbia.

On days we had to switch hotels, we made good use of our time. We saw the Hangover II and we found a Barnes & Noble to hang out in. I got a lot of work done in this Barnes and Noble, and I bought some books.


This picture is from Barnes & Noble, and I post it because it pretty much describes my diet over the last two months. Red Bull and pizza. Not so healthy, but it kept me awake .
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We left unfinished with the work, but since we were going to go back to Columbia anyway, we decided we'd make a weekend of it. I came home and worked for another week and took care of some housekeeping I'd been neglecting since the travel started. I got new teal sheets:


And I got new living room furniture - dark green leather. It wasn't my first choice, but as everyone in the free world knows, I was in desperate need of a new sofa and my cousin was selling this set for super cheap. I figured it'd work until I decide what my dwelling plans are for the future. Also, please note that at the moment, I've got two sets of furniture in my living room, that's why that is so awkwardly placed with the table in the background and the bicycle in front of it.

As you can tell, Sadie has been enjoying the new stuff more than I have.

I also stopped to get caught up on laundry. As you can see, I was quite behind:

But I still had tons of work to do this last week and the dogs finally gave up on ever getting anymore attention.


After a week of sleepless nights, storms that left me without power on numerous occasions and an evening spent chasing this stupid lizard I have finished my Charleston work... a little later than I should have.



I'm about to start trying to finish up the Columbia work too. I gave up any idea of having a fun 4th of July week, but I suppose it'll be worth it in the end. Last night, I took a break to go out to dinner and finally watched Cedar Rapids, which I'll post about later.

I don't know if I'll be traveling for this job anymore, though I'd like to. I don't know if there is anymore opportunity to do so. I don't even know if the woman in charge is ready to ditch me or not because of how long it took after I failed to back up the pictures. I do know that I enjoyed it - it was a fun experience that was very financially rewarding and couldn't have come at a better time for me for so many reasons. I do know that if I do it again, I've learned so much from these few trips that it shouldn't take me nearly as long.

I also know that if I don't travel anymore, I'll be OK with that too. While I'd love to make some more money and see more places I've never been, I'm ready to figure out what's next for my life. Will I go back to school? Will I get my book finished and sold? Will I just continue into the wild world of freelance writing/journalism? I have no idea, but this has definitely been a turning point.

If I don't travel anymore, my plans for the rest of the summer are this: to swim as much as possible, to read as much as possible and to write as much as possible (for me, not other people). I'm already ready for that. Here are all the books I've put in my "to read" stack so far.





And with that... I better get back to work!