I'm home.

I haven't updated since I've been back in Charleston because, as expected, I was very unhappy upon my arrival. I feel aimless enough because I've spent the last month without a "home" and without any real obligations, so the fact that when I returned back to all of that, I was also returning to a place I pretty well despise weighed very heavily on me.

However, I'm slowly starting to settle back in. I haven't had a full day of rest with nothing planned since I've gotten back. I'm still trying to fit that into my schedule. Much of my time has been spent catching up with friends, unpacking, and cleaning up my apartment.

A mere two days after my return, I attend Kulture Klash here in Charleston. It was the first year that I had made it out and I was kind of excited. Some of the art on display was nice and some of the stuff going on throughout the night was pretty interesting. And I got to hold a chainsaw, so my evening was made.

Nearing The End

The end of my All You Can Jet month is drawing very near. Tomorrow will be my last round of flights and then I will drive back to Charleston Thursday morning. I have to say, while it will be nice to sleep in my own bed, I'm not looking forward to being back there. I was unhappy there to begin with, and now it just seems like a chore to have to drag myself back into it all.

I spent a few days last week in Austin, TX. I really liked Austin, but I feel like I could have enjoyed it a lot more than I did. My hosts, while good people, were just not very helpful in giving me ideas of what I should see or do. Add that to the fact that I was getting tired and starting to be a little burnt out on hopping around from place to place, and it just makes for a fairly uneventful trip. I did manage to take a short little hike thing and buy some (read: a lot) of records. So, despite the fact that the trip could've been much better, I'll call it a success.

It was hard to put Austin after Salt Lake City, because SLC just was sort of a crazy experience all around. I liked it there quite a bit, but I don't think I'd want to live there.

I had a flight booked from Austin on Saturday morning that would take me to San Francisco, Long Beach, and finally put me in Seattle at about 8 p.m. However, there was a mechanical failure on the plane that was to be flying in from San Francisco the night before, so that morning flight was delayed by like 4.5 hours. This would've made me miss all of my connecting flights. So I spent the entire day Saturday sitting in the airport until I could catch a 5 p.m. flight to Long Beach. Because JetBlue would not help me in any way to get me to Seattle that night, they put me up in a hotel in Long Beach, which wasn't so bad. But I was still irritated about losing a few hours.

When I finally got to Seattle the next morning, I was exhausted but very happy to be back here. I like it here. A lot, really. I have a feeling similar, but of course a little different, to the one I have when I'm in New York. Something clicks and it just feels safe or like home or something. It's really strange. So I'm glad that I decided to come back here and finish out my trip in a city that makes me comfortable. I was even able to see the people who hosted me when I came to Seattle earlier on this trip and catch up on their lives. They're such nice people and I'm so glad I got the chance to meet them. But, even though being here is a happy thing, I know it will be very heartbreaking to leave. Especially to leave and go back to Charleston.

This trip as a whole has been a major event in my life. I've learned a lot, seen a lot, met a lot of new, great people (and learned to have a bit of faith in humanity), and just had a fantastic time along much of the way. Like anything, the trip has had its ups and downs, but in the end, they were all very worth it and I'm glad I didn't just throw in the towel at the first sign of things not going as planned. Looking back, this all came at a time when I really needed it, and it has slightly changed a lot of things for me. It'll be strange to see what happens when the traveling is completely over.

I've got a lot on my schedule for the remainder of 2010. But the one thing I've learned from all of this is that I definitely need to get my shit together. I need to figure out what I'm doing as far as finishing college or going to culinary school goes. I need to make a conscious effort to get in with a particular company that will allow me a job I can tolerate and that will allow me to pay my bills while also giving me the option of mobility in the future so that I can get out of Charleston and go some place that will make me happier. So, yes, there will be fun things to update on, even when all this exciting jetting is out of the way. But, at the same time...I've gotta put my game face on. I think the end of this trip is really the start of some new chapter or something of my life in a way. It doesn't mean drastic change will occur right away, but I have the opportunity to grab a little bit of control back and try to fight for a better situation for myself away from the Southeast.

Wow.

It's been approximately two months since my last post, so I guess I took that little break I was contemplating. And now, I guess I'm back for awhile! Stuff has obviously occurred since my last post. Some things will get their own individual gabfests, but I figure I can just skim over a few things.

I went to Folly Beach lots and swam near some dolphins.

I went to South of the Border again. Twice.

I saw Modest Mouse here in Charleston.

I saw Rosi Golan and William Fitzsimmons in Savannah, GA.

I went home to PA to visit my family and clean out my old house a bit. More on this later, but found some fun stuff, including things that were mine when I was a kid (PlayStation, Sega Genesis, some interesting clothing, etc.) and some things in my brother's room (old Macintosh computer & printer, older encyclopedias, skis which won't help me because I don't know how to ski, and a Ouija board oooo).

I didn't go to see Interpol in Charleston this week, because a friend couldn't stick to a commitment.

I visited the neurologist, had an MRI, and got absolutely no answers, AGAIN! Just more drugs. Frustrating.

And I think that brings us up to speed! I have some other stuff to share, of course, but that will come later.

Veg*n Dinner at a Steakhouse? Yes!

Monday night, Staci and I got all dressed up and went downtown to Oak Steakhouse on Broad for a special event. Chefs Brett McKee (of Oak) and Ken Immer (of gRAWnola fame) collaborated on a Vegetarian/Vegan dinner that was insanely impressive.

The only disappointment that I had with the event was that not all courses were vegan-friendly. All of them were either vegan or had at least something vegan on the plate other than course five. I will say, I was naughty and did try course five. And I paid for it in the morning with a tremendous headache that I can only assume is some sort of sick retribution.

So, I want to do a quick rundown of the courses and the wine pairings and give my thoughts.

FIRST COURSE: AMUSE

Pickled Daikon Ravioli with Preserved Carrot

Crimini Mushroom filled with Fermented Brazil Nut Cheese

Wine pairing: Champagne - Domain Carneros Brut

I was really struck with amazement from the get-go. I love daikon, A LOT. So I was very pleased with the flavors bouncing around in this. Champagne is really not my thing, but it wasn't a bad one. Way to set someone up for failure for the evening, starting out with the champagne.

SECOND COURSE

Grilled Vegetable Ratatouille over Roasted Red Pepper Coulis

Wine pairing: King Estate Pinot Gris

I had never had ratatouille before, but I like the movie, so I figured what the hell. Yeah, I'm a dork. It was fabulous. Such a sort of simple dish from its composition, but so so tasty. And the red pepper coulis was perfect. It didn't hinder the veg in the dish, but it complemented it all perfectly. The wine for this course was my second favorite out of all those presented. Very well-balanced.

THIRD COURSE

Asian Root Noodles with Marinated Shiitake Mushrooms and Cucumber Emulsion

Wine pairing: Davis Bynom Chardonnay

I wasn't super crazy about this dish. The flavors just didn't really hit me right. I don't think it tasted bad - not by any means. But it just wasn't the strongest dish in my mind. The wine was weird; it had a very strange coconut taste to it, which at first I thought was to complement the "coconut emulsion" but then I remembered it was cucumber not coconut, so that felt really strange to me. Wasn't bad, but just wasn't my favorite.

FOURTH COURSE

Ken's Taco Tango

with Micro Arugula and Mango Chutney, a Soft Corn Taquito, Sprouted Quinoa and Mung Beans, garnished with Guacamole and Live Sour Cream

Wine pairing: Voltre Santi Pinot Noir

The explanation of this course is written very strangely. I didn't eat the taco bit of it. That was the part with the sour cream on it. It smelled okay though, and Staci said it was really good. The little taquito/burrito dealie was AMAZING. Seriously. There are very few things I wouldn't do for a repeat of that experience. The filling of it was the quinoa, mung bean bit which also had pecans and carrots. It was this awesome texture...kind of chewy, but delightful. And the taste was just amazing. Bravo to Ken for that one!

The wine was good. I don't really like reds. It had a very plummy taste, though, which pleased me. Staci likes reds and she was dying over it, so I have to assume it was fantastic.

FIFTH COURSE

Brett's Eggplant Parmigiana

Wine pairing: Francis Coppola Directors Cabernet Sauvignon

Here is where I fell from grace. Yes, fail on my part. But I kind of wished they'd have made it for me without the cheese. The hostess assured me that this was not possible. Who knows. The eggplant was perfectly cooked, but I expected nothing less than that. The sauce was what got me. It was the most amazing red sauce I have ever had. Chef Brett really outdid himself on that beautiful, tasty sauce of goodness. Seriously. I wish I could describe it better. It was spicy but had the perfect balance of tomato acidity. It made my tummy happy.

The wine was nothing special. I say this because I don't remember anything about it.

SIXTH COURSE: SYMPHONY OF RAW DESSERTS

Blueberry-Cardamom Vegan Ice Cream with a Crystallized Ginger Crisp

Chocolate Brownie Torte Garnished with White Chocolate Drizzle

Lime Shortbread with Citrus 'Anglasie'

Wine pairing: Nivoli

The presentation of this dish was really cute. It succeeded in making me ooh and ahh over its prettiness, while also making me want to shove it in my mouth. So, great success! The blueberry-cardamom ice cream had a weird texture on its own - I was not liking it at first - but then Staci told me to sort of use the ginger crisp thing to scoop it up a little. Omg. That was the key. Perfect combination, and it made me happy because, not only did it taste amazing and have a great texture, but the two parts of it relied upon each other to make it great, and I like that. The brownie torte was delish, but that's a given...it was a brownie torte...come on. It was missing its white chocolate drizzle, but I hate white chocolate, so it was no great loss for me. the lime shortbread thing was good. Very simple and light, and I was glad that I ate from right to left across the plate and got to it last. It made me feel like I had completed the meal properly and in the right order. The Nivoli was fantastic - definitely my favorite, but I'm a sucker for sweet dessert wines. I had never even heard of Nivoli before then, so I was pleasantly surprised when I got to it.

Aside from the food, the company was wonderful. We met a few really sweet people and not only was it a networking experience among the health community, it was an opportunity to just chat and be social. I enjoyed it.

All in all, the dinner was perfect. I couldn't have hoped for anything more than I got, especially considering I was eating at a "Steakhouse". I was very lucky and happy to have taken a part in this event, and if they should have a part two (hint hint, guys..get on it!), I will definitely be in attendance.

Inbal Pinto Dance Company's "Oyster" and Why I Like Wandering

Tonight I went to my second Spoleto event. I was excited the moment I'd heard about this one, so the fact that I was able to see it really delighted me. It was Oyster - a dance production put on by the Inbal Pinto and Avshalom Pollak Dance Company. In all of the summaries I'd read, it was to be a theatrical dance production loosely based on Tim Burton's short story, The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy. But apparently Avshalom Pollak says that's not true. I will tell you my thoughts on this in a minute. But first let me tell you what I thought.

I am not super good at interpreting artsy things - I just know what I like and what I don't like. So, that being said, the "storyline" of this was, in some places, very difficult for me to follow. I'm thinking it didn't have a fast and sure storyline, but every now and then I'd pick up on something symbolic or some little part of a story. Even though I'm not a genius and probably missed a bunch of stuff, I LOVED this show. It was really fantastic. The costuming was amazing and in general, the thought put into the visual aspects, though they were mostly minimal, just blew me away. There were two particular parts of the show that gave me goosebumps. My absolute favorite was a dance with the dancers in tuxedos that had their arms sewn in, so as to appear that they were armless. I would love to show you a video of it, but taping was prohibited and there's nothing online that shows the dance with the actual music that runs with it in the production.

The music choices for the show were interesting, but they all did fit perfectly. At times, I felt like I was in a Woody Allen film, but then other times I got the Danny Elfman feeling. The music was all very emotionally charged in the way it matched up with the dance - it was chosen to create a specific feeling and mood, and it worked perfectly.

The dancers impressed me to no end. I always find classic ballet kind of boring. Yes it's beautiful, and yes those dancers have skill. But in ballet, most poses and movements are very fluid - they flow perfectly linear with the body's structure and natural muscle movement. I don't think ballet dancers are talentless - what they do is difficult and takes practice. But I was impressed by the dancers in Oyster because many of the movements they made were not natural to the human body. They were pushing the limits of their bodies and bending to create shapes that do not typically occur while doing it all through atypical movements. Aside from being amazingly fun to watch, it makes me admire them greatly for the control they are able to execute over their own bodies. I can't imagine the practice hours they put in.

Now about the Tim Burton issue. I would have to say that I don't know if I necessarily could separate this from something inspired by Tim Burton's work. It is the automatic parallel I would've drawn even if I had not read that that was the case. The characters possess a strange, dark beauty that is very akin to the characters that Tim Burton dreams up. The costuming was very much in the manner of Tim Burton as well - eccentric and exaggerated. I got a major Burton vibe the entire way through - it was dark and eerie, but in a comforting way - the same comfort I feel when I watch Nightmare Before Christmas, for example. But I also see the circus/carnival inspiration that has been brought up in some places. I can't say what thoughts went into creating this production, but I can say it was very well done, and something everyone should see if they get the chance. It was fairly short - only one hour - and there were only 11 dancers in the production. Worthwhile and very impressive.

You can see some photos and a video here and you can read City Paper's review of the show, which gives some details about the various characters and dances, over here.

I enjoyed the short stroll to my car after the show - when I'm wearing heels, I like to hear the sound echo off the buildings. Walking downtown on summer nights is among my favorite experiences. It's another comfort to me. It's balmy and there's sometimes a light breeze going. I like seeing people walking down King Street and making up little thoughts about where they were and where they're going. I'm in love with the glow of the lights and the passing cars. I used to do this in New York, too. I'd walk St. Marks Place and the blocks around Astor Place station late at night. It made me feel safe. I enjoyed the solitude, but at the same time, I felt very connected to everything going on around me. I've been missing New York a lot lately - my time there was a very happy one - so I think walking in Charleston at night is sort of my trying to get back something I can't have. But so far, it's filling the void, and it's a little pleasure I like to enjoy every now and then.

Not much else has been going on. My medicine has not been effective in preventing my headaches, so this week, my doctor changed my dosage to triple what it was before. I still have headaches and I'm just so tired. The medicine wipes me out and I sleep for an average 15 hours a day, which is ridiculous. I want my energy back! So I hope this all subsides very soon. Today so far I've been awake for 12 straight hours, so I guess that's a good start. If I start feeling better, I might get the chance to make a go of this roller derby thing! So let's hope things clear up.

First Spoleto Experience

So I've lived in Charleston since the end of 2006, but I've never made it to a Spoleto Festival event. I thought why the hell not do it now, before I get out of this place. So I pulled a few strings and got tickets to the two shows I wanted to see, the first of which was last night.

I saw on the calendar, "Die Roten Punkte". I'm a German major (i.e., nerd) so I was kind of curious. The description given on the Spoleto website is as follows:

Die Roten Punkte (the utterly dysfunctional pairing of German siblings Otto and Astrid Rot) became an instant household name in Europe after topping the charts in Germany and Poland with their 2005 hits “I’m in a Band” and “Best Band in the World.” Described as "inspired, brilliantly executed lunacy…a lipstick-smeared, tantrum-loving, sonic collision between Plastic Bertrand, Kraftwerk and early Ramones,” Die Roten Punkte are unforgettably unique. Their songs are ridiculously infectious and their live show is one of the most irreverent and hilarious gigs you are ever likely to see.

Okay, so it sort of insinuated that there would be a comical aspect to the show, but otherwise it describe it as a normal concert. And that's kind of what I was expecting. In great luck I was though, because the folks at City Paper pretty much spoiled the surprise with their review. Thanks, guys. To be fair, I still wasn't entirely sure what to expect.

The show was really great - loved every minute of it (okay, maybe there were 5 or so questionable minutes, but still). Read the City Paper review, because I really can't give a more accurate description than they did. I think it's important that they noted that the two may not actually be German, even though they subtley tiptoed around it. There were a few accent slips that I noticed in the show, and of course some very overdone pronunciation. But if the two aren't German, they at least do a very good job of pretending to be.

Here's a little video interview with them. Gives you a little idea of the kind of humor in the show.

It was one of those things that you could only enjoy if you didn't take yourself too seriously. The show kind of poked fun at all the little weird cultural subsets, and if you're not a person who can laugh at yourself a little, then it's really not for you. But I still recommend it...highly.

Hi again. I'm back in Charleston as of yesterday, so it seems sort of an appropriate time to give a little update.

I left PA feeling just as weird as when I arrived. It was just an unsettling trip - things are a little (ok a lot) hectic at home, and it was just overwhelming. I didn't absolutely hate it or anything, but it left me wishing I was back in Charleston.

I really didn't get a whole lot further with the doctor situation than I was before either. I have to return home for an MRI in July and am on some new meds, but other than that, nothing much has taken place in that field. I know things don't happen overnight, but it's very frustrating to be constantly playing a waiting and guessing game.

My trip back to Charleston was a good one. It was again split between two days, with a stop in Lynchburg, VA for the night. A friend of mine made a map for me, so I followed his directions the entire way home. It was a fun drive with lots of fun surprises popping up along the way. I had my first ferry experience, got to see a few nerdy Civil War things and took in some nice scenery along the way. I just wish I'd had more time to stop and poke around at places, but I'm sure I'll get the chance again in the future.

Ferry! You just can't see it because I suck at taking pictures. But fun, nonetheless.

The first day was definitely my favorite. While the second was nice, it brought me back into South Carolina, which is pretty much a really boring state, and which I'm not fond of in any respect at this point. Although I left PA excited to return to my apartment, as soon as I crossed the state line into SC, that feeling showed up again - the one that tells me I'm in the wrong place and that I'm making a big mistake. I still tried to enjoy the drive, and did have a little fun.

In North Carolina I saw more turtles than I've ever seen in my life before. Turtles walking into and sleeping in the road because it was warm with the sun beating down. The road is actually a really bad place for turtles. So I moved three of them that were at places where I could easily stop. Unfortunately, I am not a turtle superhero or anything, so many little shelly creatures were left basking in the road. It was kind of sad.

My first little turtle buddy. We bonded. Ignore camera strap (again, awesome picture).

My apartment feels really foreign to me since I've gotten here. It feels like a new place - I'm uncomfortable and don't know what to do with myself so I've been milling around and just cleaning up little things to pass the time. I feel awkward sitting in the living room, awkward sleeping in my bedroom, and even more awkward outside among my neighbors.

When I left for PA, I'd hoped that while I was there I could settle some things, that I would come up with some answers and figure out what I should be doing and where my life is going. I'm in some weird state of limbo and I'm not digging it. But unfortunately, nothing really resolved itself. The first thing that has to snap into place is the medical situation - I need to know what's wrong and what I have to do to fix it before I can make any big decisions, and there are a lot of big decisions to be made.

If anything, more things fell onto my pile of "what the hell is going on" type things while I was home. My mother told me maybe a week before I arrived that she was moving. After she and my father split, she and I stayed in the house I grew up in, which is owned by my father's parents. Due to family drama, she has decided she can no longer be there. I understand this, after all I'm trying to get away too. But walking into the house and seeing all the boxes really cemented the idea that she was moving. It's not like the house will be gone; my grandparents still own it and I think my father will be helping to take care of the little problems it has (old house). But I'm the only resident there now. When I go home, I will be there by myself in a house with 4 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, a "playroom", kitchen, laundry room, dining room, and enclosed porch. I guess under different circumstances, I'd be happy to have a big house to myself, but the house itself and its energy (I'm not a new age hippie freak, but things have energies and "feelings", ok) leave me feeling very unsettled. It's too quiet, hidden back in the woods, and I always feel like I'm being watched. I'm just not sure how it'll be when I'm there alone, but at the same time, I don't want to sacrifice the last connection I have to the home I grew up in.

So that's it for personal news. It's a little boring, but really nothing else is going on in my life at the moment. I hope to get out of town a few times in the next couple of weeks and I've got two concerts coming up in July. But until then, nothing to share!

I'll Stop Soon, Promise

I have to - this takes a toll on my body...

Last night, through some old channels, I was able to acquire tickets to see Mat Kearney & Ingrid Michaelson at the Music Farm here in Charleston. It wasn't a planned outing, but rather something that sort of came together at the last minute and worked out well.

Staci and I grabbed early dinner at Taste of India west of the Ashley. I haven't been there in a long time, but it was about as good as I remembered. Our usual Indian restaurant, Nirlep, isn't open on Mondays. Coincidentally, we usually want Indian food on Mondays.

Anyway, after that, we killed some time downtown at Kudu coffee. We kind of disrupted the illegal music sharing session of two people sitting in the same little nook we decided to occupy for a bit. The girl of this pair left and the guy was left to awkwardly listen in on our conversations. Every now and then, I caught him barely smiling out of the corner of my eye. Staci complimented his shoes - Vans slip-ons with dinosaurs on them, actually kind of fun - in an attempt to make conversation and take him out of the awkward listener stage, but he seemed very shy and was not into keeping up long-term conversation with us.

After an hour or so, we headed to the venue. We didn't get there ridiculously early, but somehow still ended up in the front row. Somebody is looking out for my short little self.

The concert was co-billed between Ingrid and Mat, and the opener was Cara Salimando. I've never heard of her before. She has a good voice but came off as being very young to me. Maybe she's not - but her material just seemed very young. It was a bit naive, but I didn't hate it.

Mat Kearney was up after that. He put on a good show, full of energy and interesting sidebars. Staci and I got chastised for making an inside joke while he had the audience clapping along - our joke disrupted the clapping and he stared us down and showed us how to do it right. I felt like I'd been slapped on the knuckles by a nun. He kept making very long eye contact with me and I thought it was kind of awkward, but figured it was just something he does. However, after his set, two girls approached me and started grilling me with questions. It went something like this: "Do you know Mat Kearney? - No. - Well I think you do now! - Why? - He kept staring at you. - Yes, I noticed. - We thought you were friends with him or his sister or something. - No..no. - Well, you are lucky!" I don't know why that makes me lucky. I guess it's the groupie thing - some girls want the attention of stars and want to be adored by them. I don't really care. Yes, it's kind of a fun little anecdote, but I'm not going to be like "OooHHhh he thinks I'm pretty!" or whatever. I figured I'd be bored on stage and find one person to fixate on too. At the end of the day, stars are people, and I still judge them on whether or not they're assholes - just like normal folks.

Ingrid Michaelson wrapped up the night. I knew most of her material going in, but I'm more of a casual listener, so it was interesting to hear her playing songs I wasn't SO overly familiar with. I like her attitude - she says things similar to things I say and seems to have the same sense of humor. That could be a stage thing, but it made me smile. I have a constant paranoia of people not getting me at all, so even if someone fake understands, that's cool. Her show involved lots of fun little bits. At the end of one song, all of the band members switched to a different instrument, and the bassist resumed singing the song. There was also some choreography and the encore boasted a cover of Death Cab for Cutie's "I Will Follow You Into The Dark", beginning with only Mat and Ingrid on stage, but then bringing in all the members from all the bands.

Anyway, it was an interesting show. I didn't intend upon going, but I knew that by the end of the week, I'd be bored and dying to get out of the apartment with nowhere to go. So I figured I should seize the opportunity while I had it.

Weekend Things: Part Three

This is the last part, I swear.  And then I'll go back to not having a life.  :)

Right.  So after all the drama with Oliver on Sunday night, I thought I'd have a peaceful Monday morning.  But that didn't happen, because I had a morning precalculus test.  Hooray!  After all that was done, I met up with the family at my apartment and we planned out our day.  We started off having a walk around the Cistern and Physician's Promenade at my college, and then visited the gardens behind the student center.  The gardens were alive with much noise, which we later discovered was coming from lots and lots of froggies (or toads) sexing it up!  We also saw little itty bitty baby ones hopping around that were less than a centimeter long!

Froggy secks!

My father decided that he really wanted to go see the old Sheldon Church Ruins near Pocotaligo.  We'd both been before on the way back from Beaufort (lamest city ever), and I was actually planning on driving out again sometime, so why not now?  

Anyway, we set off on this drive that should've taken 45 minutes tops, but due to a ridiculous amount of construction (destruction) it took us double the time.  While inching along in traffic we noticed a sad and interesting thing - around the wetlands there were tons of baby alligators smooshed on the road.  *pout*  It's strange because I've driven this road several times to get to Savannah, and never noticed it before.  But they were popping up about once every half mile.  Poor little fellows.

When we arrived at the ruins, it was a little different than I remembered it.  The grass seemed to be shorter (I remembered it as being unmaintained) and there was a gate and historical marker that I just must not have paid attention to last time.  There were also two other families there checking it out.  One was a large family that was just sort of quietly poking around.  The other group was two women (maybe in their 20s) with 4 little kids.  On the ruins, there is actually a large sign that explains that this is a churchyard with gravestones and history that was tragically burnt and you should have a little respect and be reverent.  It doesn't say "no touchy" or anything like that...but basically just shut up and don't be rude.  That being said, these 4 little kids were running around sword fighting with sticks, parents being loud and rude as well.  And as I watched them climbing on the tombs, I noticed that the two women were carrying cameras, and not taking pictures of the ruins, but rather doing a photo shoot with the children.  I understand kind of almost(ish) posing your kids in front of the old church.  It's pretty.  But they were standing the little girl up against gravestones and sitting her on the tombs and taking photos of her.  First off, that's strange.  Second off, really kind of disrespectful I think.  Maybe that's just my feeling.

So anyway.  The ruins themselves obviously haven't changed a whole lot.  Little plants were growing out of the cracks in between the bricks.  The sun was shining and it was just serene (minus the yelling).  I hadn't really looked at the tombs the last time I was there.  Stephen Bull and his wife were buried there in the 1700s.  I think Stephen's said 1770 something.  They're very old.  Two of the tombs are cracked at the top, making little openings for the water and insects to run in.  Overall it was a trip worth making.  You can click here to read a little bit about the church's history.  And here are some photos:

The Ruins from the entrance gate.

Inside where the altar used to be.

The Bull family graves/tombs

From the front of the church

We left Sheldon Church hoping to make it back to Charleston in time to see the Parade of Sail and watch all of the tall ships leave the harbor.  However, the construction slowed us down and I had to stop to medicate Ollie, so we just missed it.  By the time we arrived on the Battery, we could just barely see the last of the ships on the horizon, and we could see the Spirit of South Carolina turning around and heading back to port.  They must have had a teaching session in progress, because they lingered in the harbor for a long time.  There were also a few barges coming and going.  While we were watching the Spirit sail around the harbor, we noticed a bunch of tiny little seagulls flying around.  Their mother was standing by and watching them, and we concluded that she was teaching them how to fish.  There must've been 50 or so little babies flying about and squeaking.  I managed to catch a little video - ignore my father and I chatting in the background.

The Spirit of South Carolina sailing around the harbor

After we finished all of our productive things we headed out for dinner.  My guests were interested in seafood, so we hit Hyman's on Meeting Street and sat at the table where Mikhail Baryshnikov and Anthony Hopkins dined (though most likely not at the same time :)).  And that was the end of our night, and sadly the end of my family's visit.  All in all, it was a very enjoyable weekend and I'll miss the busy schedule and the excitement.

Now I'm back to normal things.  Today was my final exam for my summer course and now I'm free to do whatever I wish again.  I'm not really sure what that is, but I'll find something and hopefully will have some interesting things to share in the upcoming weeks.

Weekend Things: Part Two

Sunday was the busiest day of the weekend for me.  The family and I headed out early in the morning to go check out the ships together.  I was very excited about this experience and may or may not have sung a little song and done a little dance in the car on the way there.  

Let me start by saying that by 9 a.m. in Charleston, the temperature has usually reached 90 degrees.  Sunday was no exception and I was gross and sweaty and apparently whichever volunteer was supposed to be putting out water for people to drink failed at life and allowed us all to become dried out husks of our former selves.  But!  On to the boats...

We started out at the dock at the Maritime Center, where the smaller of the ships were.  Some of these ships were not available for deck tours, but they were fun to look at.  The Etoile (French) was open for tours but had a really high bridge that took you to the upper level and I was wearing a dress.  So I sat out on that one.  Our first stop was the Spirit of Bermuda - a 112' three-masted schooner with a 10' draft and 23' beam.  The craftsmanship of this ship was immaculate.  The joints in the wood on the deck were very unique and just beautiful.  The crew were also very nice and entertained questions gladly.  It was an 8 day journey for them from Bermuda to Charleston and I think they were just enjoying the time off.

Spirit of Bermuda

Next, we boarded the Schooner Virginia.  She is a 126' two-masted schooner with a wooden hull, a 12' draft and a 24' beam.  Can't say I was too impressed.  It's not that the ship was hideous or anything like that.  I just think I wanted to see the bigger ships and this was the last stop before we headed over to the Union Pier Passenger Terminal.  While we were on board, the Spirit of South Carolina also sailed by.  The Spirit is a teaching vessel that sails from Charleston.

The Schooner Virginia

The Spirit of South Carolina

On the way to the Passenger Terminal we happened to catch some of the air show.  Was kind of really fun to watch.  The pilots were really daring, coming within very short distances of each other, and at times dipping down to no higher than 30' above the water.  There was also a parachute team that came in as we were leaving.

The first large ship we boarded was the Eagle.  She hails from New London, CT and is a United States Coast Guard ship.  The Eagle is 295' long, has a 39' beam, a 16' draft and a steel hull.  At the top of the bridge we were met by two women in uniform.  They didn't say anything to welcome people aboard and looked kind of irritated to be there, and actually I assumed they didn't speak English.  This was before I realized we were on an American ship and that they were just being rude.  I was happier anyway to be on a ship that didn't allow me to sense the bobbing around in the water.  Bleh.  Anyway...nice ship.  

The Eagle

The Uruguayan ship was next.  The crew members on the deck were scarce as most of them were probably still recovering from last night's festivities (and they did emerge at about 1:30 p.m. and start the drumming and dancing again).  Those that we did see were all on their laptops.  This ship was cool because we could go into the room with all the controls and navigational stuff in it (insert technical term here).  See pictures from yesterday.

The last ship we boarded was by far the most impressive.  The Kruzenshtern, hailing from Kalingrad, Russia, is a four-masted barque with a length of 376', draft of 16' and beam of 46'.  This is clearly a steel hulled ship.  Before we saw this ship, we knew it was large.  But..."large" is really a huge understatement.  She's an impressive vessel that has been through a lot, supposedly.  The poor fellows on board didn't really speak much English at all, and they were left to fend for themselves with the people asking questions.  But they did have lots of boards with photos and captions to help them out.  Throughout the day we were glancing at this ship, because they were doing a repair to the mast and there were men wayyy high up there just sitting like they were on a chair on the ground.  Crazy.

The Kruzenshtern

Ohai crazy people!

At the end of the dock, there was the Romanian Mircea.  Also a very large ship, but we did not board.  The sun was getting to us and there was a huge line to weight before boarding.  Beyond the Mircea was a freighter that was loading cars and RVs.  

The Mircea

After our long day on the docks, we grabbed some food downtown and then headed to Folly Beach to have a nice relaxing walk and to look at the lighthouse.  The tide was just going out when we got there and the breeze was blowing steadily.  It was a lovely outing.

Unfortunately, the rest of Sunday was not as nice.  Upon returning to my apartment, I fed the animals and we just relaxed for a bit.  Until we noticed that Oliver, the poor little fellow, was rubbing his eye and meowing a lot.  I looked at him and at first thought that he'd actually ripped part of his eye, as all I could see was white.  But it was really his third eyelid that was swollen.  We took him to the emergency veterinarian clinic, and after he assaulted most of the veterinarian staff for trying to touch him, they had to sedate him.  Turns out he somehow got some scratches on the cornea.  We're not sure how, but we do know it wasn't from the dog, as they were separated all day.  So anyway, we left with some antibiotics and a cone on his head.  After a follow-up appointment today, it seems he is doing well and will have a full recovery soon.  But he's not happy about the damn cone.

That's all I've got for today.  Monday's events come tomorrow!

Also, pardon the less-than-fantastic photos.  The only excuse I can make is that I wasn't wearing my glasses...but that's probably not it.

Weekend Things: Part One

So this past weekend (Friday - Tuesday), some of my family members were in town to enjoy Harbor Fest with me.  Despite the ridiculously hot weather, it was mostly pleasant and we did a lot of fun stuff.  So much, in fact, that I can't share it all at once.

On Friday, my family arrived in town just before I had to go do my shift at Harbor Fest.  So I stopped to say hi and then took off.  I was stationed at the merchandise center on the dock across from the Capitan Miranda.  The Capitan is a Uruguayan ship.  She is 205' long with a 12' draft, 27' beam, and a steel hull.  That probably means nothing to most people, so here's a picture:

The Capitan Miranda is the closest ship in this picture (i.e., the one flying the Uruguayan flag).

Kind of a closer picture.  Kind of hard to shove a ship that big into a picture.

So here's a photo courtesy of the interwebs.

Anyway, it was an entertaining night.  The Uruguayans had been partying pretty much nonstop since 2pm on Thursday.  So throw an event with free alcohol into the mix and the results are...interesting.  They had a drum circle type thing going on deck, which was kind of really fun to watch.  I wish I had a video or something, but we were a little busy.

Saturday morning was another shift for me, working at the Maritime Center with a bunch of little kids doing crafty things.  Not much to say except it was hot, we were all sweaty, and very busy.  Little kids love to build stuff apparently.  While I was working, my family were out checking out some of the smaller ships at the Maritime Center, but they were done by the time I finished work.  We met up afterwards and had dinner at this cute little Italian place near my apartment and then spent the rest of the night checking out downtown a little and just catching up in my apartment.

And unfortauntely, that's where I have to stop for right now.  Things have been a little bit crazy, but I'll pick up on that tomorrow...