But also very good to get back home, to the familiar and routine. We took a little road trip to Myrtle Beach, SC for a week. It was a good trip. We had some time to ourselves when we got there on Wednesday (September 26). We checked in to our rental condo- very nice, with a balcony overlooking the beach. We walked the boardwalk for a bit over a mile, watched the waves rolling in, sat at the bar in one of the restaurants and had “beachy” drinks, and just relaxed a bit after two days in the car. That evening, we went to a really nice restaurant for dinner. It was a little old school in some ways, but very upscale and lovely. The food was quite good. We had the Bananas Foster for dessert, which they prepare tableside. That’s part of why I say this place was a bit “old school”, since tableside prep doesn’t seem to be much of a thing in modern places. It was fun, though, and something a bit different.
Starting Thursday, we had the working part of the vacation. We were there for the International Chili Society World Championship Cook Offs. We were helping with the scorekeeping, as this was the second year they have used the BaldMan’s ScoreKeep program to do the scoring for all the events. Thursday was an easy day, with only one event. Friday was a bear- four events, all spaced about an hour and a half apart. It was a hectic day! Saturday saw two events, and Sunday had only Traditional Red Chili finals. That’s the big one, and is usually the only event on Sunday.
Things went pretty well. A few bumps here and there, but nothing the judging and scorekeeping team couldn’t work out. Not always in the way everyone would have preferred, but in ways that kept the integrity of the events and left everyone confident in the results. Can’t ask for more, I think. The team we have working in there is very, very good, everyone knows their job, and does those jobs well. It was a successful event.
Monday, we started home. Drove to Emmetsburg, MD and stopped for the night, then continued to NY on Tuesday. It was good to be home, even though the week away was fun.
The only part that wasn’t so much fun for me was that on Friday, because we were so busy, I didn’t get up and move around enough. Between that and sitting on folding chairs on uneven grass, by the time we finished up, my back was trashed. I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to walk much at all. We did walk to a restaurant for dinner, but it was just at the corner from our condo, and really, that little bit of walking, although not comfortable, was probably what I needed. The problem was, I did not sleep much with the back pain. And I hadn’t been sleeping well before that for some reason, so by the time we were ready to head home, I was more than ready. Not to complain, though. It was a fun time.
And there isn’t much else to say. Since we’ve been home, it’s been catch up. Laundry, emails, house stuff, getting the dogs back to our routine after a week at the boarding kennel- all the things that need attending to after an extended time away. Now, I am hoping for some nice fall days so I can get some garden work done. We move onward.
Drink your water. Eat a vegetable. Get outside and refresh. Be nice to one another.
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“Crossed Wires and Other Very Short Stories”. Twelve scifi and twelve fantasy short stories that can each be read in minutes. Available now Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, and most other e-book retailers. More information here
I have written science fiction, fantasy, and urban fantasy stories. There are novels, novellas, and shorter pieces to fit everyone’s reading time. There are even some free stories, both here on the site and in other places. You can go here to find out more about the books I have published. They are available at Amazon, Smashwords, and most ebook retailers. Thank You
And So On... 