Jul 132012
 

One of our discoveries in the JungCeylong mall in Patong is The Wine Connection. When we discovered it, we thought it looked like a chain, but thought the menu looked good especially with their deal of being able to pick a bottle of wine from the shelf and drink it with your meal.

When I found a bottle of Cotes-du-Rhone there, we decided to try it out. This happens to be one of my favorite types of wine, but it is quite difficult to find, for some reason. It has a very light flavor, thus making it quite easy to drink. πŸ˜‰ However, R wasn’t as much of a fan…more for me!

Anyway, we also enjoyed some of the food and have been back. In our explorations of the island, we’ve found more branches, which means that it seems to be doing well. πŸ™‚

Here’s our first visit:

I've been wanting to drink this wine since I discovered it in NY many years ago
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I've been wanting to drink this wine since I discovered it in NY many years ago07-Jul-2012 05:43, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.4 sec, ISO 100
It's as I remembered...easy to drink (too easy!)
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It's as I remembered...easy to drink (too easy!)07-Jul-2012 05:43, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.333 sec, ISO 100
Arugula pizza
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Arugula pizza07-Jul-2012 05:44, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.333 sec, ISO 100
 
Salmon-filled ravioli
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Salmon-filled ravioli07-Jul-2012 06:39, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.167 sec, ISO 100
Bottle 2 - new white wine for me (Voignier), which was pretty good
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Bottle 2 - new white wine for me (Voignier), which was pretty good07-Jul-2012 06:40, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.4 sec, ISO 100
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07-Jul-2012 06:40, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.5 sec, ISO 125
 
Someone might be a little bit 'happy'
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Someone might be a little bit 'happy'07-Jul-2012 06:40, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.4 sec, ISO 100
The Wine Collection Deli & Bistro
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The Wine Collection Deli & Bistro07-Jul-2012 07:26, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.4 sec, ISO 100
The Wine Collection
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The Wine Collection07-Jul-2012 07:26, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.2 sec, ISO 100
 
The Wine Collection Deli & Bistro
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The Wine Collection Deli & Bistro07-Jul-2012 07:27, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.333 sec, ISO 100
Dessert - yum!
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Dessert - yum!07-Jul-2012 07:33, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.167 sec, ISO 100
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07-Jul-2012 07:34, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.333 sec, ISO 100
 

And, our second one:

Post tattoo drinks
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Post tattoo drinks10-Jul-2012 16:49, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 1600
and dinner
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and dinner10-Jul-2012 16:52, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.04 sec, ISO 1600
 
Jul 072012
 

I gotta say I’ve had enough of the down pouring rain. This Oregon-girl left it behind because of the rain…. For the first couple of days I was staying positive about the change of pace and climate, but four days straight of this nonsense is starting to give me a little cabin fever and grey skies blues.

It doesn’t seem to look promising in terms of clearing up, though…guess that’s the risk of being in this area during the low season (aka rainy season). πŸ˜‰ At least it has been reasonably quiet in the evenings so that we are still able to go out and enjoy dinner out and riding around.

So, here are some videos and pics of nightlife:

Main street along Patong BeachMain street along Patong Beach
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Main street along Patong Beach03-Jul-2012 06:50, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 800
Main street along Patong BeachMain street along Patong Beach
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Main street along Patong Beach03-Jul-2012 06:50, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 4.6, 6.83mm, 0.1 sec, ISO 800
There are always scooters or cars for rentThere are always scooters or cars for rent
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There are always scooters or cars for rent03-Jul-2012 06:50, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 4.8, 17.22mm, 0.125 sec, ISO 800
 
Our wheelsOur wheels
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Our wheels03-Jul-2012 06:51, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 4.4, 6.07mm, 0.125 sec, ISO 800
Bangla Street - Tiger landBangla Street - Tiger land
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Bangla Street - Tiger land03-Jul-2012 07:15, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 800
Smacking Ass fun in Suzy Wong's (there's even a Suzy Wong's II!)Smacking Ass fun in Suzy Wong's (there's even a Suzy Wong's II!)
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Smacking Ass fun in Suzy Wong's (there's even a Suzy Wong's II!)03-Jul-2012 07:26, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 640
 
Scooters everywhere!Scooters everywhere!
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Scooters everywhere!03-Jul-2012 07:36, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 4.7, 7.28mm, 0.1 sec, ISO 800
Banana - perhaps the only real discotheque in townBanana - perhaps the only real discotheque in town
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Banana - perhaps the only real discotheque in town03-Jul-2012 07:38, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 800
 
Jul 062012
 

R is always on the lookout for good food and good beer. So, we had passed a sign for Weissbier (Wheat beer) a few times on our nightly rides. The other day, R decided to check out the menu and see if it was any good. Well, Weissbier and Wine Restaurant is a cute little place hidden back off the main road. The food is a delicious German/Austrian fare and both the beer and wine is up to our standards. R was quite pleased to be reminded of eating and drinking in Munich and I love a good meal any day!

For the past week, they have been having a 2 for 1 deal and so we’ve been twice. I did put my foot down to going three days in a row, but I know that we shall be back again in no time at all!

First meal at Wiessbier restaurantFirst meal at Wiessbier restaurant
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First meal at Wiessbier restaurant03-Jul-2012 05:46, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.5 sec, ISO 100
Rabbit companion at WeissbierRabbit companion at Weissbier
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Rabbit companion at Weissbier03-Jul-2012 06:05, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 4.4, 15.06mm, 0.5 sec, ISO 200
Second meal at Weissbier (two for one until the 8th and delicious food!)Second meal at Weissbier (two for one until the 8th and delicious food!)
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Second meal at Weissbier (two for one until the 8th and delicious food!)04-Jul-2012 06:15, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.4 sec, ISO 100
 

Next time, I’ll try to get some photos of the place as well.

-T πŸ˜€

Jun 272012
 

I think I’m going to have to stop counting the days that I am here because I can’t really keep track of them anymore. It’s great when the days finally start to blend together as it means that ‘vacation-mode’ is finally setting in. Mostly, I do the days in the title to differentiate the posts and give them some order, but I suppose the date of publication will do that for me…. πŸ™‚

Anyway, my sleeping patterns have changed, thus also changing my exercise pattern. Usually, I prefer to get up and off for a run on the treadmill right away so as to get my day going quickly. I generally don’t enjoy running in the afternoons, but I could…. I am rather keen to try a run on the beach with no shoes, but am a little concerned about the sloped terrain, so maybe I will have to save that for walking. In any case, in a few days we are moving to a different hotel that has a gym and pool, so I should be able to return to a more regular routine then. In the meantime, I’ll do what I can with our swimming.

We’ve been chilling in the mornings and then going to the beach for a swim in the early afternoons. That is usually followed by some food and afternoon relaxing before we go out for dinner and ride around the town.

Although I have been doing well in keeping with my ‘no work for two weeks’ rule, I am exploring other areas of interest such as writing. My post tomorrow will explain that in more detail.

So, most of my days are being filled with playing games, reading, writing, eating and sleeping. Sounds like vacation, right?! It’s still a bit weird for me as I feel as if I should be more productive and exercise more, but I need to learn to give myself a break. It’s only been three days after all! Need more practice. πŸ˜‰

Here are some pics:

Sunset view (June 26th)
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Sunset view (June 26th)26-Jun-2012 15:49, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 4.1, 15.7mm, 0.04 sec, ISO 200
VW Bus bar
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VW Bus bar26-Jun-2012 17:36, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.077 sec, ISO 200
VW Bus bar menu
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VW Bus bar menu26-Jun-2012 17:54, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 100
 
White Russian #1
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White Russian #126-Jun-2012 17:53, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.2 sec, ISO 400
Let's see...
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Let's see...26-Jun-2012 17:54, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.333 sec, ISO 400
Yep! Tasty!!!
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Yep! Tasty!!!26-Jun-2012 17:54, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.333 sec, ISO 400
 
White Russian #...4???
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White Russian #...4???26-Jun-2012 18:33, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 4.1, 15.7mm, 0.2 sec, ISO 400
Didn't get a pic of the food as I was a little bit too buzzed for that, but took a picture of the sign ensuring quality food!
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Didn't get a pic of the food as I was a little bit too buzzed for that, but took a picture of the sign ensuring quality food!26-Jun-2012 18:47, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.4, 7.9mm, 0.125 sec, ISO 200
In memory of...
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In memory of...26-Jun-2012 17:36, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 4.0, 14.1mm, 0.5 sec, ISO 400
 
Jun 252012
 

There’s nothing quite like waking up and realizing that you’re on vacation with absolutely nothing to do. If you’re like me, then on a normal day your mind might start racing with making a mental list of what needs to be done. So, when you remember that, in fact, you have nothing that ‘has’ to be done, a smile is all that is left to be had! πŸ˜€

Still, I haven’t quite fully accepted that I should be in relax mode, so I decided to check out the beach and mark the distance if I were to go for a run. With my running shoes and Nike+ ready to go, I went for a healthy beach walk.

After sorting out that it is about a 5.8km roundtrip route on the sand, I came back to enjoy some coffee on the balcony, which is one of my favorite things to do on holiday. For some reason, coffee on the balcony feels like holiday. πŸ™‚

Although we may end up moving from our ideal location due to noise issues (though most of the area has noise issues), the accommodations here at The Front Apartments is pretty sweet.

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24-Jun-2012 09:00, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 6.6, 6.3mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100
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24-Jun-2012 09:01, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.02 sec, ISO 100
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24-Jun-2012 09:02, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 100
 
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24-Jun-2012 09:02, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 100
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24-Jun-2012 09:03, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 100
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24-Jun-2012 09:03, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.02 sec, ISO 100
 
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24-Jun-2012 09:03, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 125
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24-Jun-2012 09:04, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.077 sec, ISO 200
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24-Jun-2012 09:04, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.125 sec, ISO 250
 

We have a one-bedroom apartment with a fully equipped kitchen, two bathrooms, free wifi and a large living space. The couch isn’t very comfortable, but everything else is quite nice and more than I had expected from a place in Phuket. Not sure what I expected to be honest, but when you have low expectations it’s much easier to be impressed. πŸ˜‰

Our main quest for the day was to find a scooter and explore. R’s favorite thing on holiday is to get a little set of wheels and ride around. His feet don’t go well with a lot of walking, so the scooter is a great option. He drives, I ride and watch the scenery. πŸ™‚ We found one for a pretty good deal for 25 days (25 days!) and were off.

The Patong Beach town is reasonably spread out with lots of typical touristy beach shops, but also has its own character. I didn’t get many pictures on our first day of riding around the town, but they will come.

Of course, a day and a post is not complete without a few pics of the evening gastronomical pleasures! πŸ˜€

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24-Jun-2012 17:22, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 200
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24-Jun-2012 17:32, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.125 sec, ISO 400
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24-Jun-2012 17:32, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.125 sec, ISO 200
 

More to come…

-T

Jun 242012
 

Let me just start with – It’s fantastic to be on vacation at last! πŸ˜€

We embarked in the early morning from Abu Dhabi on Etihad’s partner airline – AirBerlin. First, a few comments about this flight.

This was the first time I’d been on an AirBerlin flight as I’ve hardly been to Europe and not at all to Germany. There are a few important points to make note of. The seats reminded me of the good ol’ days of flying when I was small and more flexible so I never noticed the cramped leg space. Now, I’m less so and took note that when the ever-so-kind Arab passenger in front of me pushed his seat completely back I had almost no space to even hold my book. However, I think that the width of the seats was slightly larger, which would be good news to someone wider than myself. Next, the flight attendants were really lovely. Unfortunately, they had to deal with chauvinistic and peasant Arabs…, but I admired their professionalism and ability to stay polite. Most especially, I appreciated their uniforms,which were nicely fitted shirts and slacks. It is nice to see a more comfortable and realistically attractive uniform that doesn’t require skirts or other ‘sexist’ styles of the female flight attendants. Finally, I must comment on the food. Airline food is rarely expected to be good, but this was…barely acceptable to me. The breakfast was a choice of pancake or omelet. I chose the omelet and am disappointed I didn’t think to take a picture…. It left much to be desired. The only other food offered was a two or four-bite (depending on your bite) sized sandwiches of either turkey or cheese. It was edible, but nothing to write home about. So, while the flight was pretty smooth and luckily it was not a full flight, so R and I had our own space, I’m not yet a fan of AirBerlin.

In any case, Phuket International Airport is nice and small, so we were able to get on our way to the hotel in no time at all. After about a 40-minute taxi ride, we made it to our digs for at least the next week – The Front Apartments. It’s a nice and spacious apartment overlooking the beach. The beach is a mere 10 steps away!

So, R&R begins! πŸ˜€

Apr 072012
 

Since I was a little bit red from all the sun the day before, I was less inclined to spend the day at the beach again. Though, I have been enjoying being back in warmer temps!

Instead, I went down for my cup o’ jo at Starbucks and did some writing. After that, I went back to the hotel to catch up on Internet stuff, such as posting! πŸ˜‰

For lunch, we went to Fuddruckers. Although we have one in Abu Dhabi that R and I frequent, this one was different, but still oh so tasty!

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04-Apr-2012 19:17, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 160
 

In the afternoon, Dad and I walked over to the Broadway at the Beach, initially to see if “Hunger Games” was playing on the IMAX screen. However, the IMAX theatre was closed up for some reason. Although it wasn’t yet high season there, it was crowded enough!

We rested up back at the hotel again until my mom finished with the seminars and then we ate at a lovely Italian restaurant nearby. It was a nice way to end our time at Myrtle Beach.

πŸ˜€ -T

Apr 062012
 

My parents are in Myrtle Beach for a two-day seminar/conference on retirement planning. It’s more for my mom’s company retirement than anything else, but that means that they have sessions during the day.

So, I went out exploring in the morning, but there’s not much to see. Then, I headed to the beach for the day, thus there weren’t many pictures to take…. I did meet M&D for lunch and then they came down to the beach in the afternoon. We had happy hour drinks and then walked down the boardwalk. By the time we got home, I was already wiped out from the day in the sun…

Surprisingly, or perhaps not really, I got pretty sunburned – forgot what it’s like to be in the sun all day since we tend to hide out in our apartment back home….

Here are the three pictures I did take:

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03-Apr-2012 19:11, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100
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03-Apr-2012 19:12, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 100
Ripley's Believe It Or Not shop near the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk
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Ripley's Believe It Or Not shop near the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk04-Apr-2012 01:14, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.025 sec, ISO 100
 
Apr 052012
 

On the 2nd of April, we drove from Charleston to Myrtle Beach.

We stopped on the way for breakfast and had a nice Southern meal:

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02-Apr-2012 17:54, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 160
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02-Apr-2012 18:13, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 6.6, 6.3mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 100
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02-Apr-2012 17:33, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.6, 9.4mm, 0.04 sec, ISO 200
 

Then, after settling in to our hotel in Myrtle Beach, we headed down to see what there was to see –

Spring break crowds on Myrtle Beach
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Spring break crowds on Myrtle Beach02-Apr-2012 21:45, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 7.7, 12.6mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100
Dad braving the 'refreshing' water
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Dad braving the 'refreshing' water02-Apr-2012 21:45, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 8.4, 52.9mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 100
Jellyfish...
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Jellyfish...02-Apr-2012 23:28, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 4.2, 18.9mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 100
 
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02-Apr-2012 23:28, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 4.2, 34.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100
View of the beach from Pier 14
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View of the beach from Pier 1402-Apr-2012 23:31, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 6.6, 6.3mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 100
Souvenir shorts anyone?
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Souvenir shorts anyone?03-Apr-2012 00:02, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.125 sec, ISO 250
 

Apparently, when my parents were young, there were Piggly Wiggly grocery stores in our part of the world, but they hadn’t seen them for years. Down here, they are everywhere!

Mom and Dad in front of Piggly Wiggly
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Mom and Dad in front of Piggly Wiggly03-Apr-2012 00:08, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 6.6, 6.3mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100
 

In the evening, we settled in to our room and watched the NCAA Men’s finals ending March Madness basketball, which I often miss over the years. Nothing like pizza and a tasty beverage!!

Best meal for watching the March Madness final game
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Best meal for watching the March Madness final game02-Apr-2012 21:38, Apple iPhone 4, 2.8, 3.85mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 250
Kentucky vs Kansas
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Kentucky vs Kansas02-Apr-2012 21:39, Apple iPhone 4, 2.8, 3.85mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 500
 

Good first day in the sun!

πŸ˜€

Apr 042012
 

I’m a little behind in updating about my spring break after meeting with my parents, mostly because the free wifi is in the lobby and I’m less apt to spend much time here. However, since I’m free this morning, I’m gonna catch up a little bit.

So, on the 1st, I spent the day in Charleston, SC with my parents. They had both been there before, but were up for seeing the highlights again. Mostly, we did the carriage ride, which took us around the historic part of town to see the cool old houses and get some history in. What was most amazing about this part of town was the prices for some of the houses – between 3 and 8.5 million dollars!

Here are some of the pics from the day:

Healthy granola diet...
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Healthy granola diet...01-Apr-2012 17:08, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 125
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01-Apr-2012 16:45, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 6.6, 6.3mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 100
Carriage rides
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Carriage rides01-Apr-2012 17:56, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 6.6, 6.3mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 100
 
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01-Apr-2012 18:08, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.167 sec, ISO 400
Dad saying 'What's up with all these rules?"
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Dad saying 'What's up with all these rules?"01-Apr-2012 18:08, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.167 sec, ISO 400
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01-Apr-2012 18:34, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 7.2, 9.4mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100
 
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01-Apr-2012 18:37, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100
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01-Apr-2012 18:38, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 100
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01-Apr-2012 18:45, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 6.6, 6.3mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 100
 
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01-Apr-2012 18:45, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 100
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01-Apr-2012 18:47, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 100
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01-Apr-2012 18:49, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100
 
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01-Apr-2012 18:50, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 100
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01-Apr-2012 18:53, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 6.6, 6.3mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100
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01-Apr-2012 18:53, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100
 
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01-Apr-2012 18:54, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 6.6, 6.3mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 100
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01-Apr-2012 18:54, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 3.3, 6.3mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 100
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01-Apr-2012 18:55, NIKON COOLPIX S51, 6.6, 6.3mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 100
 
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