Happy 2010!!!!

We’ve been absent from our postings for a while because we went on a big trip half way across the world for Christmas & New Years.  It was a trip a bit outside of our comfort zone, but turned out to exceed our expectations.  We joined an organized tour of Thailand offered by Overseas Adventure Travel.   We had concerns right up until we were greated by our tour guide Angela.  Then the two weeks became a blur of Learning & Discoveries, each one more amazing than the previous.  It’s taken us a few weeks to sort thru, widdle down the 3,000+ photos  and post the photos that best sum up this amazing trip. 

Summing up this adventure was not easy…

• lions, tigers, and elephants
• temples & historic WWII sites
• food, food, & more food

Oh, and the modes of transportation:

1. jet airplanes
2. mini van
3. tour bus
4. river boat
5. tuk tuk
6. sam pan
7. songthaew pick-up truck taxi
8. longtail boat
9. train
10. rice barge
11. tram
12. rick shaw
13. e-taan truck
14. ferry-boat
15. elephant
16. bamboo raft
17. funicular
18. skytrain
19. glass bottom boat

The photo’s are now up on-line and ready for viewing.  Just click here to view our on-line photo albums.

History lesson.

Today we attended the open house at The Historic Tate House. It is now a private mansion used mostly for weddings.  Once a year, the owners host an open house.  And until this year, we’ve always missed it.  We almost missed it this year too, but while eating lunch on Saturday a couple told us about it.  The house was decorated beautifully for the Christmas Holiday.  We took lots of pictures, just click on the photo album link on the right.

Snow!

OK, which one of our Northern relatives sent this stuff down here? Really we don’t want a white Christmas, honest! Take it back up North.

Playing hookie

Is it really playing hookie when you ask your boss for a vacation day? And it really wasn’t a play day either.

First Pete got his allergy shots, then Mary got a hepatitis shot (preparations for our Thailand trip), and finally Mary just returned from the vet with Bolo.

Bolo had a follow-up exam for the leg injury he suffered in September. It went really well and the vet gave the go ahead to slowly build up his condition and get him back to work. and that’s great news for both Bolo (who is bored out of his skull) and Mary (who is more than ready for the leash walking restriction to be lifted).

Great Turkey Day weekend

We had a wonderful overnight trip to Pete’s Dads for a turkey feast. Faye made a wonderful feast with turkey, stuffing and all the fixings… very yummy.

And the dogs really enjoyed the overnight in the Red Roof Inn. Bolo especially enjoyed the outing, since he is now going on month two of his crate restriction with limited walking, following his leg injury. He is getting better and at the end of the week he is going to another vet for a follow-up/second opinion.

Fall folliage

The leaves are peaking right now.  So, we took off for a wonderful lunch at the Cajun Depot Grill in Ellijay.  Then we followed the very curvy highway 60.  It was a very scenic ride.  Photos are up online.

VW cruise

We got together with about 7 other VW enthusiast and drove about an hour for a cheeseburger at Cheeseburger In Paradise.  We had a lot of fun.  Instead of getting a table we found that the bar provided the perfect seating area for our little group.  Our bartender and server, Hunter, did a great job keeping us entertained with his bottle juggling and great personality.  Photos are up online.

“Beer is proof…”

“…that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”  Ben Franklin’s supposed famous quote.   It is Oktoberfest!  That along with Mary’s upcoming birthday sent us out Thursday night with free birthday dinner coupon in hand to Summits Wayside Tavern for some good pub grub and the featured pint of the night;  Maredsous Double.  Dinner was adequately greasy & yummy.  And the beer was as the review states: “A really enjoyable beer.”

On the way home, we stopped by Bolo’s breeders house to pick up some paperwork that for some odd reason was sent to him instead of Mary.   It was the long awaited Koer Klasse report from Bolo’s breed survey that was done back in May.  It takes a while to get everything sent to Germany then back to the USA office.  So Mary was eager to pick this up…  but it’s in German.  The USA office will send an english translated copy of the report “in a timely manner”.  In the mean time for everyone who reads German, click here to read it.  The most important part is the paragraph under “Gesamturteil” which describes Bolo.  Mary just so happen to have a co-worker who is German, so she had him translate it for her so that it can compare it to the USA english version when it is received.

On Friday Pete did a little welding job for a friend whose mower deck had cracked.  Pete has been having a lot of fun since he got that welder earlier this year.

And that brings us to today.  Saturday has turned into a day of choirs.  A lot of computer stuff for Mary too.  Pete has a busy week coming up at work and sadly it starts tomorrow… that’s right, he has to work on a Sunday. So, he has been very busy today preparing for the coming week.  It is Lockheed’s yearly Hercules conference. 

Well it’s about time to get some dinner started… so time to get off this computer.

Weekend recap

Thursday we did go out and celebrate Mary holding down a steady job for eight years.  We went to the Cumming Fair.  It was opening night and admission was free!  Parking, rides, and games were not free… however we did restrain and only rode one ride.  There was a lot going on at the fair this year.  Lots of “carnie” shows.  Two in particular interested Mary; an elephant act and a tiger act.  Both were put on by the same outfit.  It was the first time during an animal act that we’ve seen the cats let into their arena to stretch and play before and after their performance.  These folks not only stated that they really care about their animals, but it showed in their actions.  The elephant was not chained in between performances but actually had a pen that she was free to roam around in.  Pictures are posted.

Friday came and went without much fan fare, but on Saturday Mary’s company Royston held their annual picnic.  Usually they set up tents at the plant, have a BBQ lunch catered, and set up a mini “fair-like” atmosphere (games, blow up slides, ball houses, etc.), but this year the company rented an arcade facility from 10 am to 2 pm.  The facility cooked hotdogs, hamburgers, grilled chicken and all the usually picnic sides (cole slaw, potato salad, baked beans, etc.).  Originally we didn’t plan to stay the whole time, but we really were having fun watching air hockey and playing some pool… listening to the karaoke and watching the rock climbing… so we stayed there until 2-ish.  Pictures are up online.

And that brings us to today… a rather boring day of chores, but hey they have to be done.

Eight Years!

Mary has held down a job with the same company, Royston LLC, for eight straight years.  And yes that is a record for Mary.  So, time to go out and celebrate.