It was a great trip, a wonderful white Christmas, and a good trip back.
Here are a few pictures from both Christmas and from Frankenmuth, MI (http://www.frankenmuth.org/)where we ate lunch on our way out the last day. We both had schnitzel and we ordered a gift set hot apple cider thing too.
You can click on any of the thumbnail pictures to see a larger version. Just email me if there's any shot you want to see a really large version of instead, I didn't put the original sized images on Pbase.
Here are a few pictures from our trip to Michigan so far... I'll put more on Pbase when all the pictures are taken and we're back home.
Christina's a little cold at a rest area in North Carolina...
Snow on the street and pine trees across from my brother's house...
My hand as a reference for just the new snow we got last night...
We got an inch or two the day before and I brushed off Christina's car, so that's all new snow we got overnight. About 3-5 inches depending on where you measure and we're supposed to get another 2-5 through today. What a wonderful white Christmas!
Well, we finished wrapping all the presents finally. Here's what the final results look like:
Vacation time is getting closer and closer. I can't wait until they pay me to take a couple weeks off work. We're going to be busy too. We've got the trip to Michigan for Christmas and it looks like we're going to get to hang out with Ben and Michelle for New Years. Not sure what we'll be doing while in Atlanta, but it'll be great to see you guys again!
Nicki, what's your New Years plans looking like? When do you get back from Tampa? Since it looks like we'll be in the area, let us know.
Anyway, it's just about lunch time and I'm starving!
This was in this morning's Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper:
City Braces for Peach Bowl By CHIP TOWERS
Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff Writer
Mayor Shirley Franklin and the Atlanta City Police commented late Sunday
night on Clemson University and the University of Tennessee being paired
in the annual Chik-fil-a Peach Bowl. This year the Peach Bowl will be played
on January 2nd.
Speaking at youth rally Mayor Franklin expressed concern over the schools
that were chosen to be in the Peach Bowl, "since I have been in office we
have worked very closely with the City Police to handle volatile
situations such as FreakNic, flag protests, and numerous civil rights marches, but
that may pale in comparison to what will happen at New Years this year."
Traditionally Clemson University and the University of Tennessee are well
represented at bowl games in which they play. Terry Don Phillips, the
Director of Athletics for Clemson, says they expect more than 30,000 fans
to go to Atlanta for the game. Mike Hamilton, the Director of Athletics for
Tennessee, says he guesses that about 30,000 UT fans will make the trip
also.
What concerns Mayor Franklin and Chief of Police Richard Pennington is
60,000+ fans that are generally perceived as "Red Necks" in one place.
Chief Pennington says that they have already heard that Skoal Smokeless Tobacco,
Old Crow Whiskey, Marlboro, Swisher Sweet Cigars, Dodge Ram Pickups,
Pedigree Dog Food, Wrangler Blue Jeans, Utz Pork Rinds, Clear Blue Easy
Home Pregnancy, and many are sending marketing representatives for the Bowl
Game.
Charles Goodwin President of the Atlanta Area Hotel Association says that
his association is concerned by the picks also. "Every Motel 6, Red Roof
Inn, and Howard Johnson has been booked within 50 miles of the city,
However the Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, and every Hilton and Marriot have less
than 20% occupancy for the same time".
Thomas Gunding of KOA Camping in Georgia says that they are excited about
the Clemson - UT match up. "Everyone in the campground industry knows that
Clemson and UT fans love to sleep outdoors so we are really excited about
this game". When asked if rates would increase with demand Gunding replied
"we find that the normal Clemson and UT fan will not pay more than $8 a
night for a site so we will try to keep it in that range, oh and pets including
sheep are allowed".
When asked what specific precautions Atlanta would take for the swarming
orange clad fans from both schools, Chief Pennington replied "On I75 and
I85 we will be setting up gun rack removal road blocks and marriage license
inspection points leading into the city", when asked about the marriage
license inspection Pennington said "Atlanta City Statute 413-A states that
no one is permitted into the City who is unlawfully married to their
Sister, Brother, Mother, Father, Grandmother, Grandfather, Aunt, Uncle, first
cousin of either sex by birth. Pennington also stated that no farm animals will
be allowed to stay overnight in Atlanta City Hotels. Overnight sleeping in
pickup truck beds will not be permitted anywhere within the city limits.
When told of these restriction Clemson's Terry Don Phillips and UT's Mike
Hamilton said that the number of fans may be cut in half. Terry Don
Phillips said that he was in negotiations with numerous farms in the Gwinnett
County area to try to accommodate those Clemson fans traveling with animals. UT's
Hamilton said that he will be in touch with Mayor Franklin to try and
relax the marriage inspections.
We set up the lights Saturday. It ended up actually being somewhere inbetween the two mock-ups. We did a little bit more here and there and I decided I wasn't climbing up on the roof and breaking my neck, so the icicle lights aren't on all the eves. Maybe I'll get a decent sized extension ladder for next year.
Anyway, here are the pictures:
Before nightfall...
And after nightfall...
We still don't have anything that lights up for each of the windows. I'd like something like a wreath or candle in each window, but we'll see if we get around to doing that or not.
Also, here is one photo from our trip to Nicki and Miguel's for Thanksgiving right before dinner:
Holiday lights were rained out yesterday... As much as I wanted to get started setting them up... water + electricity = bad idea. Plus, I still have to get some extension cords I think. We have one outlet up front by the door with two sockets, that's it. The light in corner above the garage can be replaced by one of those light bulb socket to plug converters giving us power on the other side.
Christina's parents did the right thing with the new house they just built. They have electrical outlets every 6 or 10 feet underneath the eves of the house. Perfect for putting up Christmas lights!
The rain's let up for today, but it's supposed to start up again tonight... hopefully late. I'd like to get a tree tonight and start in on the lights.
Here are really small, really poorly done mock-ups of a picture of our house with A) the current amount of lights we have, and B) what would could do with more lights. Decisions, decisions...
Current lights
Possible lights
Regardless of what we end up doing, I'll post a few pictures up once the lights are done.
Man, what a dreary day. 38 degrees outside and rain. Possible sleet at times today. And horrible traffic this morning. At least the day's going by quickly so far.
We started decorating a little last night. Garland on the mantle and a wreath outside. I may start in with the lights tonight, or we may get a tree sometime tonight instead. I'm sure pictures will follow when everything's done and I'll put a couple up here.
We finally decided on where we're heading for Christmas. We going up to Michigan to see my family for a few days. Not sure on the specific dates yet or for how long, but that'll all get worked out eventually. With the cats here, we can't be gone for too long, but I imagine it'll be for a few days at least. We're planning on splitting up the drive up there and stopping half way which always makes the trip better.
First days back to work are always draining after a longer vacation.
Thanksgiving was great with Nicki and Miguel. Had a great Thanksgiving dinner, got up at 4:30am to go out shopping Friday morning, and got to hang out with Maria again Friday night. Lots of fun this weekend.
But, it's never long enough... sitting here at work on a gorgeous day in Columbia. Temps in the 60's today and full sun. What a way to kick off December, eh?
We didn't start with the Christmas decorations yesterday like I had planned, but I think a few nights this week will be spent with lights and getting a tree and all. A few houses in our neighborhood have already started putting up lights and you can see trees in a few windows now.
