I hate K-Mart. I had to stop in today to pick up a birthday present for my buddy Dane (who turned one today!) Normally I would have made my way over to the Toys R Us or similar children's store . . . but time was short and work went long so I was left with no other choice.
As soon as I walked in, I was reminded why I haven't yet ventured to this particular K-Mart (that is only 3 miles from my house). There were three people working in the entire store. Products were strewn about on the floor. Entire shelves were empty. The entire place smelled like smoke. Kids were running around willy-nilly with seemingly no adult supervision. As I checked out, I thought perhaps I was being too harsh on the K-Mart. Perhaps I hadn't give it a chance. That was when I saw a woman who was precariously balancing her baby's carseat on top of the trashcan so that she could light her cigarette.
Target, I'm a-comin' home.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
It's a (VERY) small world after all
I COULD NOT make this up if I tried.
This is (for the most part) a word-for-word conversation I had with an English teacher at my school yesterday.
Context: We had recently discovered that we had both lived in the Virginia-Highlands area of Atlanta in the past. Him during a summer in which he worked in Atlanta; me during my junior and senior years in college.
Me: Do you remember what street you lived on?
Him: Lanier
Me: Lanier Place or Lanier Boulevard? We were on Lanier Place.
Him: Lanier Place. What was your address?
Me: 1407
Him: Wait, what did the house look like.
Me: It was a yellow brick house
Him: With a driveway that went up the right side of the house and opened into a small gravel lot.
Me: And a mud room with a washer/dryer
Him: And that skinny little kitchen
Me: With that floor that just couldn't stay clean
Me: 3 bedrooms on the main level
Him: Me: And the 2 bedrooms up those narrow stairs, with the bathroom . . .
Both: and the CLAW FOOT TUB!!
Him: and the basement with a big living area and a small bedroom
Me: we used both of those rooms as bedrooms!
Him: I lived on the main floor, in the back bedroom that was next to the kitchen.
Me: That was MY ROOM.
The conversation went on and on, as we reminisced about our individual experiences in this glorious house and the amazing times we each had there.
Of all the people that I've met in Greenville, and all the conversations that I've had (most of which had nothing to do with prior residences) . . . what are the chances that a random conversation with a random co-worker (with whom I have NO mutual friends or previous connection) would turn up the fact that we had lived in the same house, in the same room, exactly 5 years apart?
The world is an incredibly small place. Good reminder.
This is (for the most part) a word-for-word conversation I had with an English teacher at my school yesterday.
Context: We had recently discovered that we had both lived in the Virginia-Highlands area of Atlanta in the past. Him during a summer in which he worked in Atlanta; me during my junior and senior years in college.
Me: Do you remember what street you lived on?
Him: Lanier
Me: Lanier Place or Lanier Boulevard? We were on Lanier Place.
Him: Lanier Place. What was your address?
Me: 1407
Him: Wait, what did the house look like.
Me: It was a yellow brick house
Him: With a driveway that went up the right side of the house and opened into a small gravel lot.
Me: And a mud room with a washer/dryer
Him: And that skinny little kitchen
Me: With that floor that just couldn't stay clean
Me: 3 bedrooms on the main level
Him: Me: And the 2 bedrooms up those narrow stairs, with the bathroom . . .
Both: and the CLAW FOOT TUB!!
Him: and the basement with a big living area and a small bedroom
Me: we used both of those rooms as bedrooms!
Him: I lived on the main floor, in the back bedroom that was next to the kitchen.
Me: That was MY ROOM.
The conversation went on and on, as we reminisced about our individual experiences in this glorious house and the amazing times we each had there.
Of all the people that I've met in Greenville, and all the conversations that I've had (most of which had nothing to do with prior residences) . . . what are the chances that a random conversation with a random co-worker (with whom I have NO mutual friends or previous connection) would turn up the fact that we had lived in the same house, in the same room, exactly 5 years apart?
The world is an incredibly small place. Good reminder.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Pumpkin Party
Saturday we had a "Pumpkin Party" with the Ortho Residents and Wives, hosted by our good friends Beth and Matt. (You can meet them, and our best buddies Blake and Dane, at http://thehollenbeckfour.blogspot.com/.)
We ate delicious soups, stews, and chilis and carved pumpkins. Ironically, all the families with kiddies had to leave fairly early - and the only ones to participate in the pumpkin-carving-contest were the childless couples.
Our pumpkin came in second place (out of two) and a good time was had by all.
Blue Laws
Blue Laws in South Carolina prohibit you from buying alcohol on Sundays. But on Saturday I purchased a six-pack from a twelve-year-old working in a convenience store. I guess "moral standards" are a loose term around here.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Not Quite After
We have had multiple requests to see the "after" shots of our house. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be posting official "after" shots for several months. But since the floor is essentially finished, and Sweet Amanda specifically requested to see the new rug, I present these for your viewing pleasure.
Yes, he is using a Dewalt reciprocating saw as hedge trimmers.
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