When my alarm went off this morning, it was pouring outside. So, I didn’t get up and run. I only have 5 miles scheduled for today, so hopefully I will be able to sneak them in this evening. It looks like I’m going to have to have to get wet at some point this week, though. I just checked the forecast and apparently it is going to be raining until Thursday.
Yesterday evening shaped up nicely. We did a couple of videos for Reagan, then shot some stills (also for R’s hair blog) on the roof with umbrellas. Just when I had resigned to being a homebody for the day, I received a text from some of our friends to hang out at their place. We had a blast hanging out with them and eating some delicious food together. They live about a mile and a half up Broadway from us. Since we had the dog with us, we had to make the journey on foot. MTA doesn’t allow dogs, unless they are in a carrier. Plus, we learned the hard way that the little guy gets car-sick pretty easily. So, all three of us had a really fun night-walk through the park in the rain, on the way home.
Audrie and Abbie came up to meet Piper Jane on Friday. As usual, Pip was curious with her new little friend and spent the visit trying to poke her in the eye and pull the buttons off of her shirt. I kept pointing out Audrie’s amazing patience with Pippy and how I couldn’t believe it, but then Abbie reminded me that Audrie has an older brother. I was all “ahhhh, that explains it” and Pip and Auds carried on with the poking and pulling for the next few hours. Piper Jane was just being a good hostess, and trying to make audrie feel at home.
Pipsqueak is almost exactly one year older than Audrie. Just when I think Pip is catching up in size, I realize how tiny she still is. They had similar interests in toys though, I mean, mostly Pipster would try and snatch away any toys Audrie had just picked up to play with. Audrie kept lining the princesses up in a row on the seat of the white chair, and Pip would scurry over to sweep them off. Then she’d go back to whatever she had been playing with before. Like a mini-giant causing a ruckus on a village of princesses.
I wanted to get some pictures of Audrie and P-nut sitting in these chairs together, but Audrie kept getting distracted and Piper was just completely mesmorized by her. Audrie thought it was so funny that Abbie and I were trying to get her to hold still for a picture, that she then got even more wiggly and wild. Piper and Audrie both thought it was hilarious. And I guess it sorta was.
here are the two goofs tag teaming the silly-ness…
can you handle the mess of princesses on the floor?
Miss audrie below, belly laughing.
audrie just removing herself from the shot.
Pip and Auds just deciding together to blow this Popsicle stand.
Today Piper Jane met the beautiful Hannah. Hanna came all the way from Queens to meet this Pip, and she was all over her. It was heaven for my chicky-pip. She left my lap over and over for Hannah’s, she showed Hannah her toys and she only took her eyes off of her new friend to look at Snow White for a second. Hannah asked questions and we caught her once studying Pipsey’s vent curiously. I think she might be a doctor in a couple of years.
We pretty much played “Musical laps” the whole time. Musical laps is like musical chairs except for with laps, and without music and Piper Jane is the only one playing. Pippy said you can use our idea at your next birthday party except for that she requires a steep appearance fee if you want pro-lessons on how to play the game.
I kept Piper Jane to myself after our vacation because I missed her so much. I wanted to spend my first visit back only snuggling and playing and getting clawed instead of bothering miss pippy with pictures. Today I didn’t mind sharing her with my friends Minna and Hannah and I’m happy to share her with you too after a long week with no trace of a pip. I like this picture below because Piper had such a good idea that her hair went crazy.
After our friends left, I stayed for a few more hours overdosing on smothers and rocking out. Piper even fell asleep in my lap! She only sleeps in Jake’s lap. I swear, the second I pick her up it is time to party. It’s nice, but there is really nothing sweeter than having a pipster in my arms and listening to her saw toothpics (toothpips) quietly. Tisk…my eyes are compass needles and she’s north.
Vacation is good but Pip’s house is really where it’s at.
~I am mostly glad to have had such a great visit with my button girl because Jake is DYING to see her. I have a feeling he’ll be a big fat Pippy hog all weekend. I might bring a timer with me and set it for 30 minutes each like my mom used to do with tv. If you go over your limit, you’r grounded for a century.
I think Saturday was my favorite day in Charleston. We went to the Boone Plantation and wandered around looking at the beautiful trees. One of the things I was looking forward to most with my return to SC was the spanish moss that grows on the trees. It makes everything look like a fairy tale. I feel like that is a little cliche, but the willowy look that it gives everything is so pretty and mysterious. The first time I went to Charleston, I took a picture of every tree I saw. I’m still obsessed.
this dirt road and fence look like “run Forrest, run”, but it’s not. I guess a lot of people think it was filmed there. Someone lied. The Notebook WAS filmed here though.
Here are some slave homes on the plantation. It makes me sad. These originally had no floors, shutters or even a door. Just holes in the wall for an entryway and windows. 15-20 slaves slept in them every night and they were still considered upper class slave homes.
This is the cotton dock. And a beautiful sky too.
Jake and I saw a pair of dolphins flirting and playing in the water. They were splashing around like a couple of teenagers.
After lunch we went sailing! None of us had ever been before. I didn’t know anything about sailing except that I should probably wear stripes.
Our captain was a friend of Jon’s from dental school. Jon and Kat have only lived in SC for a year and they already have a huge group of friends. I’m not surprised. They’re super likable. Don’t be jeal. (I’m jeal)
Anyway, Jon didn’t even know his friend worked there until the sea excursion had already been booked, but we were lucky enough to get him anyway. Phhhhewwww.
This bridge in that background is only 5 years old. The last time I was there it was brand new and I never even knew! It already looked like a total pro at bridging. Go bridge!
Jake said I look like an “alert puppy” in this picture.
Our captain, ‘scuse me…Our Cap’m let me stear for about an hour. Every once in a while he’d grab it from me when we were about to capsize. But I think for the most part he was proud of me. I think it was the stripes.
Jon suggested we go to this tree in Charleston that is the oldest tree east of the Mississippi. It is so massive, so beautiful, so remarkable and so magical that I talked about it nonstop for the rest of my life. That is why I am posting so many pictures. It is my favorite tree I’ve ever met and the only tree I know that appears to grow side-ways.
If it’s ok with South Carolina, we’re going to build a house on top of it. It is the most perfet tree house tree, and I don’t even think it is trying to. (below is proof that Jake actually came with me to SC)
I have this awesome idea that next time I go to Charleston I’m going to bring some fairy wings and have Jake take a million pictures of me all up on the tree’s grill doing random fairy stuff. Then I’ll take the pictures to show the Pip and I’ll tell her it’s a house plant. And that I got a side job doing some fairy work.
I mean, every angle of this tree is beastly.
Guess what, this is Jon.
After we picked up Kat from work (Hooray!) we went to dinner at Hominy Grill where I had the most amazing tomato pudding (it was actually part of Jon’s dinner, oops) that I am going to spend my lifetime trying to duplicate.
Then we wandered around the beautiful downtown neighborhoods and cooled off in this fountain.
I could live in Charleston. It’s definitely my top 5 favorite US cities.
Get ready for another massive pile of photos, hehe. Early Saturday, Reagan and I visited an old plantation (above). The skies were insanely blue and loaded up with little cloud puffs. We thought that the whole thing was pretty cool. But we especially enjoyed hanging out on the quiet cotton dock, where we saw some dolphins goofing off, in the river. Later that day, we took a little chartered sailing trip (below). The skipper ended up being one of Jon’s friends from school.
Captain Greg was as cool and mellow as they come. The conditions were perfect. After the experience, I would have to say that when it comes to sailing, believe the hype.
Below, are a few shots from our jaunt to the beach. Reagan wins the awkward pose award for the shot on the right.
And finally, here is one from the crab bake. Did I mention that we played horseshoes? Reagan got a ringer her first try ever. I’m not making that up.
Thanks again Jon and Kat, for such a fun and relaxing trip. Can’t wait to do it again. We also did this, while we were there.
We just got back from a little vacation to Charleston, South Carolina. I had been looking forward to the trip all summer, especially when things were so busy that I nearly exploded. The only reason I didn’t explode was thanks to the Charleston thoughts. I’m pretty sure at least.. Anyway, my (really they’re our’s, but I saw ‘em first) friends Jon and Kat live there. We went to see them and a cool city. It was one of those win/wins that you hear about on tv. Cool city=win, cool friends=win. Jon picked us up from the airport and then said that we were going to check on the crab traps. Jake and I were curious and excited to see what that was about. Jon and several of his dental school friends were catching crabs (honk if you laughed at that *i’m honking*) for a crab bake the next day that WE were also invited to.
I claim to be a true southerner born and raised, but I have never been involved with the likes of a crab bake. It was all fascinating and strange. I think I’m about to be fired from the vegetarian’s guild. PS I eat fish sometimes and the occasional sea food. I’ll pack my things and show myself out. (of the vegetarian club)
the crabs were so blue. It is true what they say about crabs in a bucket, when one is about to climb out, the rest of them get jeal and pull him back in. I love this picture that Jake took.
You might feel bad for the crabs, and I wouldn’t blame you for that…but one of the crabs bit Jake’s hand with his own hand and Jake bled. A lot! So this was their punishment. They’re red now instead of blue.
This is how it was served. Just plopped onto a pile of newspapers. It was very messy. I mostly stuck to potatoes and grilled peaches, but I did have some crab too.
I don’t know what to think about this picture. It’s sad, cute, evil, bad and mean with a dash of hungry.
way more charleston on the way you lucky reader you..(unless you think it’s boring)
I recently was lucky enough to be he recipient of a cool little waterproof camera, just in time to take it on vacation with us. I also just recently upgraded my Vimeo account to be able to embed HD. So, to kick things off right, I though that I would post a quick video of me surfing in SC. It was shot by our friend Jon, whose board I am also riding. Thx, Jon. Here is the vid:
We were pretty spoiled, this weekend, with visits from some of our good friends. Friday night, our good friends the Truscotts stopped through on their way moving out west. We are really bummed to see them move so far away from us. They have a new baby, which Piper was extremely curious about (above).
It was really good to see them, and we feel spoiled that they made a stop here on their epic road trip.
Some of Reagan’s close friends from high school, Terrah and Anthony were also in town over the weekend.
Piper didn’t waste any time snuggling up with Terrah. She was pretty interested in her jewelry, as well. It was really fun to have two such great visits with the PJ, this weekend.
Even though Piper was still running a low grade fever on Sunday, we could tell that for the most part she was in a good mood. Hopefully by next weekend, she will be completely over the little bug that has been irritating her.
