We spent New Year's Eve day down at Tybee Island, Georgia at the beach house. I tested out my new camera since the weather was so nice. I'll post that night's pictures at a later date (if I remember).
"Devil Dog"
"Big Brother"
Saturday, January 10, 2009
New Job (for now...)
Amanda started a new job at the United States Armor Association here at Ft. Knox. She is only working there for the remainder of our time here in Kentucky, but it will definitely help to keep her busy (and out of the local retail stores)!
Home for the Holidays!!!
This holiday season was unique compared to the past years for several different reasons:
1.) We didn't have to buy plane tickets...we drove from Kentucky to Dawsonville and then to Savannah.
2.) I could wrap my gifts at home rather than wrapping them days before Christmas.
3.) Got to see both families in their respective homes.
4.) We were able to stay in Georgia longer since we didn't have to fly across country.
5.) Our holidays were relaxing rather than hectic!!!!
We had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's! The entire trip was probably one of the most restful trips we've had in a LONG time...we didn't stress about seeing everyone,
we just enjoyed our time at home and loved being with the people we love. We know our next trip to GA will give us another chance to see the great friends we didn't see this trip.
1.) We didn't have to buy plane tickets...we drove from Kentucky to Dawsonville and then to Savannah.
2.) I could wrap my gifts at home rather than wrapping them days before Christmas.
3.) Got to see both families in their respective homes.
4.) We were able to stay in Georgia longer since we didn't have to fly across country.
5.) Our holidays were relaxing rather than hectic!!!!
We had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's! The entire trip was probably one of the most restful trips we've had in a LONG time...we didn't stress about seeing everyone,
we just enjoyed our time at home and loved being with the people we love. We know our next trip to GA will give us another chance to see the great friends we didn't see this trip.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Too much like Nat'l Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
If you've never seen National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, then you know all about the flying squirrel that launches itself out of the Griswald family tree in the living room. Our Byerly version of this same story started the morning after our Christmas party...
We awoke to our normal routine of getting up to feed the dog, Guinness, and letting him outside before returning to bed. As I entered the kitchen, I saw the cat intensely staring behind the oven, moving back and forth to each side. Tai's odd behavior had me intrigued as to what she was looking at. As I approached the oven, a small black shadow skurried by my feet into the dining room with Tai in pursuit after it. Being 5 a.m., I thought my eyes might be playing tricks on me, so I continued with my original plan of feeding the dog. After completing my task, I began to exit the kitchen to let Guinness out. At that very moment, the black shadow ran back into the kitchen with the cat still on it's tail. This time I was able to get a good look at it...it was a small squirrel or chipmunk. Frozen, I didn't know whether I should scream for Joe, who was upstairs soundly asleep, or quietly awake him in order to not frighten the invited guest anymore than it already was. I chose to go upstairs and wake Joe up; we returned to the kitchen to the same scenerio I described earlier...the cat stalking the mysterious creature behind the oven. We closed off all exits, leaving the back door as the only option before moving the oven so that the squirrel could make it's escape. Unfortunately, the little guy missed our intended mark and scampered into the hole above the air vent that goes under our cabinets. SHEESH, we failed. We thought maybe luck would be on our side and the hole would lead outside. We found out the next day, that was NOT the case.
The next morning was filled with screaming as I caught the critter on the top of our refrigerator, munching on my Rice Krispie treats. As I was not quite sure what kind of creature I was dealing with due to my brief encounter the previous day, I stood as still as a statue. The squirrel/chipmunk mimicked my stance and did not move an inch. Once I began to slowly move towards the kitchen entrance in order to get Joe out of bed, again, the critter flung himself off the top of the fridge to the cat who was waiting below. Hoping the cat would capture the little guy just long enough for me to grab something to put him in, the critter darted downstairs into the basement. Another capture averted...DAMN! This time it was all out war. Joe set up a homemade-trap with a clean, old kitty litter box, a pencil, string, and a piece of Rice Krispie. We thought surely the creature would fall for something sweet and we'd be able to return him to his natural habitat.
Day 3 started as any other, with me entering the kitchen, yet there was no sign of the critter. My hopes were high as I went downstairs to check our trap, but was let down when I saw that the trap stood the same way as we had placed it the day prior. "Okay" I thought "no more playing Mrs. Nice Gal". We HAD to get this thing out and NOW. We called the Ft. Knox maintanence guy who was going to call the Orkin man in addition to coming out to scope the situation. After searching the basement for openings, the Orkin man set a live trap using kitty food and would be back the next day to see if anything had been caught. We had to keep our two animals out of the basement so that they would not accidently set off the trap. I was keeping my fingers crossed for a resolution to this problem. I'm in NO WAY an animal harmer, but I am not willing to share my home with undomesticated animals. The maintanence guy came by later to check on the progress, but there wasn't any to report. The rest of the day was quiet, so we looked forward to what Wednesday held.
I awoke to nothing in my kitchen and nothing the basement trap. CRAP! As I climbed into my car, heading to my substitute teaching position, our neighbor, Grant, brought a large pickle jar to our backstep. Inside was what looked like a sugar-glider, munching on some bread. After talking to Joe two days prior, Grant, had been on the lookout for our uninvited guest as we share pipes between our two duplexes. He had heard a rustling in his kitchen the next prior and flicked on the lights to see the squirrel eating some candy on top of his fridge. He took the shirt off his back and grabbed an empty pickle jar and shuffled the squirrel into the glass container, locking the lid. Once confined, he poked some holes in the top lid and threw some bread inside. The little guy was finally captured, so that he could be returned to the wild. You would think the story ends here, but wait there's more...
The maintanence guy and Orkin man were informed of the capture and came over to properly return the squirrel to it's natural habitat. The maintanence man informed Joe and Grant that it would not be in our best interest to release the FLYING SQUIRREL - yes, it ended up being a flying squirrel - anywhere in the immediate vicinty as squirrels have the inate abililty to return to their previous location within a 1 mile radius. All four men agreed that the squirrel should be taken off base to ensure that it would not return...to be on the safe side. Now the logistics came down to the maintanence man and the Orkin man. In order for the Orkin man to get paid, he had to have the squirrel in his trap before releasing it in the local nature preserve. As Joe looked on, the maintanence man handed the glass jar over to the Orkin man who then transferred the squirrel into his cage. Moments after the maintanence man had voiced a concern that a flying squirrel could not be securely trapped in a wire cage, the little critter took a flying leap out of the cage, up the tree IN OUR FRONT YARD! Laughing hysterically, Joe realized that this story may never end! We're hoping that the squirrel doesn't seek revenge against us and return to our basement.
We awoke to our normal routine of getting up to feed the dog, Guinness, and letting him outside before returning to bed. As I entered the kitchen, I saw the cat intensely staring behind the oven, moving back and forth to each side. Tai's odd behavior had me intrigued as to what she was looking at. As I approached the oven, a small black shadow skurried by my feet into the dining room with Tai in pursuit after it. Being 5 a.m., I thought my eyes might be playing tricks on me, so I continued with my original plan of feeding the dog. After completing my task, I began to exit the kitchen to let Guinness out. At that very moment, the black shadow ran back into the kitchen with the cat still on it's tail. This time I was able to get a good look at it...it was a small squirrel or chipmunk. Frozen, I didn't know whether I should scream for Joe, who was upstairs soundly asleep, or quietly awake him in order to not frighten the invited guest anymore than it already was. I chose to go upstairs and wake Joe up; we returned to the kitchen to the same scenerio I described earlier...the cat stalking the mysterious creature behind the oven. We closed off all exits, leaving the back door as the only option before moving the oven so that the squirrel could make it's escape. Unfortunately, the little guy missed our intended mark and scampered into the hole above the air vent that goes under our cabinets. SHEESH, we failed. We thought maybe luck would be on our side and the hole would lead outside. We found out the next day, that was NOT the case.
The next morning was filled with screaming as I caught the critter on the top of our refrigerator, munching on my Rice Krispie treats. As I was not quite sure what kind of creature I was dealing with due to my brief encounter the previous day, I stood as still as a statue. The squirrel/chipmunk mimicked my stance and did not move an inch. Once I began to slowly move towards the kitchen entrance in order to get Joe out of bed, again, the critter flung himself off the top of the fridge to the cat who was waiting below. Hoping the cat would capture the little guy just long enough for me to grab something to put him in, the critter darted downstairs into the basement. Another capture averted...DAMN! This time it was all out war. Joe set up a homemade-trap with a clean, old kitty litter box, a pencil, string, and a piece of Rice Krispie. We thought surely the creature would fall for something sweet and we'd be able to return him to his natural habitat.Day 3 started as any other, with me entering the kitchen, yet there was no sign of the critter. My hopes were high as I went downstairs to check our trap, but was let down when I saw that the trap stood the same way as we had placed it the day prior. "Okay" I thought "no more playing Mrs. Nice Gal". We HAD to get this thing out and NOW. We called the Ft. Knox maintanence guy who was going to call the Orkin man in addition to coming out to scope the situation. After searching the basement for openings, the Orkin man set a live trap using kitty food and would be back the next day to see if anything had been caught. We had to keep our two animals out of the basement so that they would not accidently set off the trap. I was keeping my fingers crossed for a resolution to this problem. I'm in NO WAY an animal harmer, but I am not willing to share my home with undomesticated animals. The maintanence guy came by later to check on the progress, but there wasn't any to report. The rest of the day was quiet, so we looked forward to what Wednesday held.
I awoke to nothing in my kitchen and nothing the basement trap. CRAP! As I climbed into my car, heading to my substitute teaching position, our neighbor, Grant, brought a large pickle jar to our backstep. Inside was what looked like a sugar-glider, munching on some bread. After talking to Joe two days prior, Grant, had been on the lookout for our uninvited guest as we share pipes between our two duplexes. He had heard a rustling in his kitchen the next prior and flicked on the lights to see the squirrel eating some candy on top of his fridge. He took the shirt off his back and grabbed an empty pickle jar and shuffled the squirrel into the glass container, locking the lid. Once confined, he poked some holes in the top lid and threw some bread inside. The little guy was finally captured, so that he could be returned to the wild. You would think the story ends here, but wait there's more...
The maintanence guy and Orkin man were informed of the capture and came over to properly return the squirrel to it's natural habitat. The maintanence man informed Joe and Grant that it would not be in our best interest to release the FLYING SQUIRREL - yes, it ended up being a flying squirrel - anywhere in the immediate vicinty as squirrels have the inate abililty to return to their previous location within a 1 mile radius. All four men agreed that the squirrel should be taken off base to ensure that it would not return...to be on the safe side. Now the logistics came down to the maintanence man and the Orkin man. In order for the Orkin man to get paid, he had to have the squirrel in his trap before releasing it in the local nature preserve. As Joe looked on, the maintanence man handed the glass jar over to the Orkin man who then transferred the squirrel into his cage. Moments after the maintanence man had voiced a concern that a flying squirrel could not be securely trapped in a wire cage, the little critter took a flying leap out of the cage, up the tree IN OUR FRONT YARD! Laughing hysterically, Joe realized that this story may never end! We're hoping that the squirrel doesn't seek revenge against us and return to our basement.
The Gift of Giving Holiday Party....we just gave and gave!
In honor of the holiday season, Joe and I hosted a Christmas party for our Ft. Knox friends. We invited neighbors, close friends, and Joe's classmates; approximately 40 people attended, so our home was pretty packed....the more the merrier! The night began with food and beverage as people met for the first time while others reconnected. As noted on our invitation, we asked guests to bring a gift for child of any age; we were pleasantly surprised by the OVERWHELMING response of our guests!!! We were able to donate approximately 50 gifts to the Ft. Knox chapter of the Red Cross. All of the toys were directly distributed to Ft. Knox families, so our cause was close to home.
As the night progressed, the crowd got a little louder and the fun increased...we moved the basement and played darts, Rock Band, and bags. I'm pretty sure our neighbors' kids woke up from the sound of peoples' voices. Towards midnight the group dwindled down to 3 of Joe's classmates, Joe, and myself. We introduced the foreign officer to keg stands...it looked more like a water fountain than anything else. Never doubt that Joe and the other two American officers were MORE than willing to show our foreign friend how to PROPERLY do one. The night only got worse and I finally had to call it a night, leaving the boys to do man stuff....I do have to state that I woke up to a clean house...thanks guys!
In all, we think this party idea will be something we continue to do each Christmas season. As we celebrate the gifts we were given, we should remember it is just as important to give to others. After all, it is the reason for the season.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Summing up Thanksgiving
Just because we did SO much over the Thanksgiving holiday, we're going to give the brief version of what happened during our trip to Dawsonville!
Drove from Kentucky to Georgia on Wednesday. Arrived at Glenn and Suzi's around 7ish and spend the evening chatting and spending quality time together before zonking out.
Thursday was spent watching Suzi prepare her delicious Thanksgiving meal and foaming at the mouth. Amanda's grandparents, Granny Raine and Papa George, joined us for lunch and even brought Guinness a stuffed turkey. We watched the Macy's parade and the dog show, which is a Thanksgiving Day must. Joe had his nose in the newspaper ads, looking for great deals at Best Buy, while Amanda ragged her dad about getting new eye-glasses.
We headed over to Nancy and Bob's after eating and joined them and Amanda's other grandparents, Gunga & Mimi, for dessert. After catching up on recent events, neighbors came over to visit as did Amanda's friend, Brandy. Entertainment was provided by watching others play Wii!
Friday morning was spent in-bed, far away from the Black Friday craziness. We went to see 4 Christmases in the early afternoon with Nancy and Bob before heading to the eye doctor with Glenn who was getting new eye-wear. We stopped by the N. GA outlet mall to pick up a shirt for Joe and visit Suzi before getting new glasses for the 21st century man. We ate dinner afterwards and then spent quality time back at the house. Friday night was back at Nancy and Bob's, relaxing and watching Fred Claus.
Saturday was the Edwards' family Thanksgiving; everyone on Nancy's side of the family gathered at the Klein ranch for lunch and family pictures. We took several huge group shots in addition to individual family pictures. Wii was brought out again after the house cleared of family. We ate at Amanda's favorite Mexican restaurant, El Rio!
Sunday was spent on the road again. We hugged and kissed both sets of parents before getting going...we made it home in 7 1/2 hours! Thanksgiving traffic sucked.
Drove from Kentucky to Georgia on Wednesday. Arrived at Glenn and Suzi's around 7ish and spend the evening chatting and spending quality time together before zonking out.
Thursday was spent watching Suzi prepare her delicious Thanksgiving meal and foaming at the mouth. Amanda's grandparents, Granny Raine and Papa George, joined us for lunch and even brought Guinness a stuffed turkey. We watched the Macy's parade and the dog show, which is a Thanksgiving Day must. Joe had his nose in the newspaper ads, looking for great deals at Best Buy, while Amanda ragged her dad about getting new eye-glasses.
We headed over to Nancy and Bob's after eating and joined them and Amanda's other grandparents, Gunga & Mimi, for dessert. After catching up on recent events, neighbors came over to visit as did Amanda's friend, Brandy. Entertainment was provided by watching others play Wii!
Friday morning was spent in-bed, far away from the Black Friday craziness. We went to see 4 Christmases in the early afternoon with Nancy and Bob before heading to the eye doctor with Glenn who was getting new eye-wear. We stopped by the N. GA outlet mall to pick up a shirt for Joe and visit Suzi before getting new glasses for the 21st century man. We ate dinner afterwards and then spent quality time back at the house. Friday night was back at Nancy and Bob's, relaxing and watching Fred Claus.
Saturday was the Edwards' family Thanksgiving; everyone on Nancy's side of the family gathered at the Klein ranch for lunch and family pictures. We took several huge group shots in addition to individual family pictures. Wii was brought out again after the house cleared of family. We ate at Amanda's favorite Mexican restaurant, El Rio!
Sunday was spent on the road again. We hugged and kissed both sets of parents before getting going...we made it home in 7 1/2 hours! Thanksgiving traffic sucked.
They've gone country!
We headed to Nashville, the weekend before Thanksgiving, as part of our Christmas gift to each other and a get-away. We LOVED every bit of the weekend trip; it was jammed packed with sight-seeing and spending quality time together discovering the CAPITAL of COUNTRY. We stayed at the Opryland Resort, which is amazing in and of itself. We actually got upgraded because we arrived later in the day on Friday and our standard room was unavailable, so we got the suite...SWEET! After dropping off our bags, we headed to dinner in the resort and walked around the planatation...the place is HUGE.
Saturday was fast-paced. We started the day with breakfast at the Pancake Pantry. It came highly recommended by tourist sites and it was definitely worth the wait in line to get in. Unlike many meals, Amanda actually ate everything she ordered.
Afterwards, we headed the original Grand Ole' Opry,
the Ryman Auditorium. We toured the venue and
paid a little extra to take part in the back-stage tour where we were able to see dressing rooms and all the things that happen behind the curtains. It was awe-inspiring to know that we were standing on the same stage as greats like Reba, Johnny Cash, and even Elvis. While the venue has definitely undergone renovations through the years, the stage is still the same.
We also visited many of the honky-tonks along Broadway, where music can be heard flowing out of the doors as early as 10am. I guess when trying to break into the music industry, you'll play just about whenever you get the chance. Which doesn't seem like a bad idea since those little bars share an alley with the Ryman and it's said that many big names pop into the honky-tonks when playing at the Ryman. You just never know who you're going to see....we didn't see anyone.
The weather wasn't the greatest while we were in Nashville,
so we tried to do as much as we could within reason.
Our next stop was the Country Music Hall of Fame and
then off to Jack's BBQ, another must stop on trip. To get a good understanding of where country music came from, the CMHF is a great place to visit. You not only get a historical account of pivotal people in the industry, but you can also get interactive with certain sections of the museum. The food at Jack's is TOO DIE FOR. Joe has decided that he is giving up on trying to perfect his BBQ ribs since they will never fall off the bone like they did at Jack's. It was excellent to say the very least.
We headed back to the hotel in order to get ready for our main event for the weekend. We got tickets to Radio City's Christmas Spectacular starring the Rockettes at the Grand Ole' Opry. Amanda was like a little kid at the show, watching the 20+ ladies do high-kicks and pin-wheels, while Joe sipped on mixed drinks in order to stay awake. Even though
the enthusiasm level wasn't shared by both, they each enjoyed going to the show. After the show, we returned the hotel and stopped by Findley's, the Irish pub. Now, if you know us, you know that Joe MUST grace any Irish pub with his presence and Amanda is along for the ride. It was a very nice establishment and the drinks were great! Not quite Kevin Barry's, but still a good place to visit.
We loved our time in Nashville and are already planning another trip after the holidays. Hopefully, the weather will be warmer and we'll have more time to see all that Nashville has to offer!
Saturday was fast-paced. We started the day with breakfast at the Pancake Pantry. It came highly recommended by tourist sites and it was definitely worth the wait in line to get in. Unlike many meals, Amanda actually ate everything she ordered.
Afterwards, we headed the original Grand Ole' Opry,
the Ryman Auditorium. We toured the venue and
paid a little extra to take part in the back-stage tour where we were able to see dressing rooms and all the things that happen behind the curtains. It was awe-inspiring to know that we were standing on the same stage as greats like Reba, Johnny Cash, and even Elvis. While the venue has definitely undergone renovations through the years, the stage is still the same.
We also visited many of the honky-tonks along Broadway, where music can be heard flowing out of the doors as early as 10am. I guess when trying to break into the music industry, you'll play just about whenever you get the chance. Which doesn't seem like a bad idea since those little bars share an alley with the Ryman and it's said that many big names pop into the honky-tonks when playing at the Ryman. You just never know who you're going to see....we didn't see anyone.
The weather wasn't the greatest while we were in Nashville,
so we tried to do as much as we could within reason.
Our next stop was the Country Music Hall of Fame and
then off to Jack's BBQ, another must stop on trip. To get a good understanding of where country music came from, the CMHF is a great place to visit. You not only get a historical account of pivotal people in the industry, but you can also get interactive with certain sections of the museum. The food at Jack's is TOO DIE FOR. Joe has decided that he is giving up on trying to perfect his BBQ ribs since they will never fall off the bone like they did at Jack's. It was excellent to say the very least.
We headed back to the hotel in order to get ready for our main event for the weekend. We got tickets to Radio City's Christmas Spectacular starring the Rockettes at the Grand Ole' Opry. Amanda was like a little kid at the show, watching the 20+ ladies do high-kicks and pin-wheels, while Joe sipped on mixed drinks in order to stay awake. Even though
the enthusiasm level wasn't shared by both, they each enjoyed going to the show. After the show, we returned the hotel and stopped by Findley's, the Irish pub. Now, if you know us, you know that Joe MUST grace any Irish pub with his presence and Amanda is along for the ride. It was a very nice establishment and the drinks were great! Not quite Kevin Barry's, but still a good place to visit.We loved our time in Nashville and are already planning another trip after the holidays. Hopefully, the weather will be warmer and we'll have more time to see all that Nashville has to offer!
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