Back in Style....

Cheryl insisted that I blog about my trip to the beach this weekend. I havent blogged in quite some time and I felt that this was a good way to make my return!!

Carolina and I joined Will, Cyndal, Nick and Tonya at the beach this weekend. Will had a baseball tournament to play in and invited us down to watch. THANK GOD Carolina had two days off in a row and I was off also!!!

DAY ONE

We packed up and headed down when I got off work (early) on Saturday. We arrived at about 8pm in Garden City and dead ahead was our hotel, the ever famous Kingfisher Inn. In all the years of going to Garden City, I had never stayed there, so I was curious. Will had not finished his ball game from the afternoon so Carolina and I decided to park the car and just walk around a bit. We walked out on the boardwalk running parallel to the road into Garden City and took in the sights of the waterway for a bit. We then decided to head up to the pier and have a drink. We took in the sights, the thick, salty air and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore thinking the whole time "this is why we work, to enjoy moments like this." A band was playing at the bar on the end so we had a drink and listened to them play thier versions of Southern Rock and Country hits. Not too bad. About the time I was having flashbacks of Bobby while watching a teenager catch a shark at the end of the pier, Will called to say the game was over and they were on thier way. So Carolina and I started back down the pier and headed to the hotel. We met up with the Lanes and went in to get settled and eat a nice spaghetti dinner prepared by Cyndal. That night we just hung out in the condo and played cards, drank a little beer, told a few stories and jokes and had a good time. We topped the evening off with a trip to World Famous Sam's Corner.

DAY TWO

Sunday was a TERRIFIC day all the way around. We all got up between 8 (me) and 9 (everyone else) and headed to Garden City Pancake House for breakfast. The food was ok at best (worst Eggs Benedict ive ever had, but Carolinas Pancakes were good and Tonyas Bacon, Egg and cheese Croissant was HUGE and she said was good.) But, all in all, it was good to sit at a table with friends and talk and eat. Will left straight from there for his 1st ball game of the day and the rest of us went back to the condo to get ready to go out on the beach. On the way Carolina and I realized we forgot our chairs and beach towels!!!! No worries, Eagles is directly across from the Inn!! Two chairs with the South Carolina state logo (palmetto and crescent moon) and two cheap-o towels later, we were good to go. We arrived on the beach to the sun coming out (for the remainder of the day) and the temperature rising. The sand felt like pure joy underneath my feet. All thoughts of work and stress left my body as I sat in my chair and soaked in the sun. Carolina and I HAD to go see how the water felt, and decided it just had to be swam in. I then threw football on the beach with Nick and a friend of his that was down there also. Then at about 2 Nick and I headed in and got ready to head to Wills ball game. He was pitching game 2 of the double-header, so it was a must see. He pitched well despite taking the loss. His defense allowed 5 unearned runs, while he only gave up 2 earned through a complete game 7 innings. He struck out 7 and had great control of his curveball at one point throwing it 4 consecutive times to get a K. One of his (earned) runs given up would have been a popout on any other field in the world. The field played on was a replica of The Polo Grounds in NY. The dimensions down the right field line were 256 and wouldnt you know a guy hit one down the right field line, 257! After the game we went back to the condo where the girls had already prepared dinner! Nice to come home to warm food on the table (thanks girls!) After dinner I sat on the balcony and snapped pics of a couple who were surfing together (i dream of learning to surf.) Then Nick and Tonya went out with some friends that were there to Broadway at the Beach, while the "Old Folks" stayed in. Will and I spent all night on the balcony, drinking beers and talking about baseball, work, old stories....etc....The girls sat on the couch and watched Switch with Will Smith. We again ended the night with a trip to Sam's Corner.

DAY THREE

Sadly, it was time to come home. I got up at about 7 and headed out on the balcony to take it in one last time. Will was next to rise and then Carolina. We packed up and headed out, taking will to the ballfield for his last day of games on the way. The others were still asleep when we left.

It was a great trip!!! Rejuvinating the soul and enforcing my belief that while my the rest of my body is inland, my heart is on the shore.

Update

Well, I do not post nearly as often as I used to, so I thought today I would catch you all up on the happenings in my life.

Lets see, first there is the fire dept. I guess..... I took the test on the 7th and I believe I did well. Only time will tell. The test was definately somthing you could not study for as all of the test was geared toward how intellegent you are. Things such as how well you follow oral directions, reading comprehension, basic math, knowledge of simple machines (pulleys, levers, etc.....) They are to notify me the results of the test on no particular date, just whenever they want I suppose. If I did well on the written test, they will notify my of the date of my physical test. I spoke with a fireman and he mentioned that it is usually in June, and you actually get an oppurtunity to do a test run or practice run of the physical exam. So I will know more about what I need to work on come that time. That leads me to my next thing to update you on.

As some of you know, I have been exercising again and dieting. I began it all on Feb. 9th and have been at it hard ever since. So it has been almost a month and a week, today. I have been making sure I eat no/low fat things, keeping my calorie count below or at 1500 to 2000 per day. No snacking, no eating after dinner, tons of water and also have been taking a dietary supplement. At first I tried Hydroxycut, hey, the pictures cant lie right??? ha ha. But I have switched, upon the advice of Brad Lane, to Ripped Fuel. I REALLY think it is helping because mainly, it keeps my appetite down. THAT IS A BIG HELP. But what I really think is doing the trick this time is that I have been running. 2-3 miles a day, whatever I can accomplish in 30 minutes. Lately its been more on the 3 mile side. Everyone remembers how I lost weight back in 2005 I think. Well, this time is very similar to last time, except a little better. Since Feb 9th I have lost 15 pounds!!!! Wish me luck in keeping the trend going!!! I had originaly planned this to be down to 200 by the wedding in October, but at this pace I will be down to 200 by June.

Carolina is in her final stages of R.N. school. She is shadowing a nurse for 3 12 hour shifts per week. She also goes to class on Thursdays. On top of that, she is picking up hours and days here and there at work. SHE IS SUPERWOMAN!!!!! So she will be done with the shadowing, at this pace, in early April, then she graduates in early May. Pray for her!!!

Wedding plans are moving along. Looks like right now, the wedding is on Friday October 2nd, on the beach in Isle of Palms, which is just north of Charleston. No set place or anything just yet, still ironing that out. The Wedding will be intimate and private and will for the most part be family only (just a couple friends.) The reception, which will be open to everyone will be the following day in Charlotte at the Highland Creek Sports Club around 7:30 or so. Carolina constantly reminds me we are doing it this way because so many people that she and I want there will not be able to come to the wedding. We really wanted to get married at the beach in Charleston. So we decided that we would have the wedding there, then a reception here so people would be able to attend the reception at least. It will be a very casual reception. Finger foods and drinks pretty much. Just a laid back atmosphere, more of a party. On Sunday, the 4th we are flying to Tampa early that morning to get on our cruise ship, the Carnival Legend, for our Honeymoon. It will leave Tampa on Sunday, spend a day at sea on Monday, then stop at (in this order consecutively) Grand Cayman - Cozumel, Mexico - Belize City, Belize - Roatan, Honduras, then spend a day at sea on the way back and arrive back at Tampa on the 11th. REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. I will be taking TONS of pictures. Carolina REALLY wanted to do this cruise because A: it stops in Roatan which is in Honduras and she can feel like shes kinda home and B: it stops in 3 spanish speaking places.

Well thats about all I have for now. Looking forward to my vacation which is in about 3 weeks. I start vacation on the 4th at 6pm and will be off while Cheryl, Jon and the kids are here. I go back to work on the 14th. CANT WAIT.

Well I knew my Ohio readears would be amused and interested to hear about the snow and see pictures of it, so here you go. We got real, live, actual snow!!!! Ok, not live, but you get it. Now soooo many times the weather guys say "Snow, snow snooooooow!!!!" and nothing ever happens. Well this time, despite my skepticism, they were right. We got dumped on by mother nature. I am ready for summer, sooooo badly. But I must admit, this is beautiful, now it can go away. It began yesterday evening at around 6 o'clock. It had been raining for two days solid and it just turned into snow. When I went to bed at around 12 last night, it was still snowing HARD. I felt like Ralphie on Christmas day when I woke up. Looking out the window saying "woooooow......oh woooooow." I havent gotten Carolina out in it yet, but I will. Here are the pictures.

I just realized I haven't blogged since my birthday. Wow, time will fly by if youre not careful. Not much to report here and no pictures to post. Just same ol same ol. Carolina is studying her tail off, I am waiting for March 7th to get here for the fire dept. test. I have started working out again and dieting. I need group help with the diet part. I do allow myself weekends off, meaning not go crazy but give in to desires a little. Thanks to Brad for that advice, he says hes always subscribed to that philosophy, and if I can have a body like his, wonderful. So lets see how it goes!! I will do more soon, I promise.

30

Well, as you all know, today is my birthday. It is my 30th birthday to be exact, and I am terrified. Yup, me, Mr. Laidback. It just has me thinking so much about my life, what I have done with it and what I am going to do with it. The song by Tim Mcgraw "My Next 30 Years" is really hitting home. Read this and you will understand :

I think I’ll take a moment, celebrate my age

The ending of an era and the turning of a page

Now it’s time to focus in on where I go from here

Lord have mercy on my next thirty years

Hey my next thirty years I’m gonna have some fun Try to forget about all the crazy things I’ve done Maybe now I’ve conquered all my adolescent fears

And I’ll do it better in my next thirty years

My next thirty years I’m gonna settle all the scores

Cry a little less, laugh a little more

Find a world of happiness without the hate and fear

Figure out just what I’m doing here

In my next thirty years

Oh my next thirty years, I’m gonna watch my weight

Eat a few more salads and not stay up so late

Drink a little lemonade and not so many beers

Maybe I’ll remember my next thirty years

My next thirty years will be the best years of my life

Raise a little family and hang out with my wife

Spend precious moments with the ones that I hold dear

Make up for lost time here ,In my next thirty years

In my next thirty years

But Tim's song isnt complete, it needs more detail. So I decided to blog today, and list all the things I want to do in my next 30 years. Here goes....

In my next 30 years I want to:

Be a better son to God

be a better son, brother and friend

Be a geat husband

be a great father

be more motivated

follow my dreams without fear

become a fireman

see more of the world

do missions work and help the less fortunate

learn to surf
skydive

go to an Ohio State - Michigan game, and a Carolina - Duke game

learn to speak Spanish FLUENTLY

give more hugs

stay in better touch with people

save more money

be more organized

go to the doctor and dentist more

stay alive......

First things first.....

It snowed last night. Now, Im not totally opposed to snow, however, if it is to snow here, I want it to be the kind that you can do somthing with. I want it to be the kind that cripples the city, which would only be like 3 inches. A dusting is just enough to piss you off. Anyway.....

So I have been a busy boy lately. Carolina went ahead and gave me my birthday present early this year, since she had it budgeted into this paycheck. I got a 36 gallon bow-front glass aqueon aquarium kit on Wednesday. It had a good deal of the things I needed. It had the tank, the water filtration system, the lid/light, and the heater. Now, my goal is eventually to get into the saltwater hobby. But to see if I even like the hobby or not, I decided to go freshwater first. Sorry Cheryl.... Well, so far I LOVE IT!!! I spent the first 3 days just setting the aquarium up, getting the water right, reading and studying what I need to do and tips, etc... I even went to an aquarium store in Gastonia (Wet Pets) and spoke with the owner of the store. He asked what all I had, and gave me some pointers. Turns out that since I used aragonite for the "bedding" that is would raise th ph levels to the point that I could only have one type of freshwater fish, African Cichlids. I was a little bummed until he showed me what he had, and they are some pretty fish!!! They are tropical afterall, so they come in many different varieties and colors. Once I got the water right, Sunday afternoon I bought the fish. I bought 6 to start, two yellow ones (Johannis) two blue ones (Socofolis) and two white and black striped with yellow accents (forget the names). Carolina loves them, I love them, and I cant wait to add more. With the size of tank I have I can have around 12 or so in there. African Cichlids love to be with other fish....Im looking forward to it!!!

As for other news today, lets wish Barak Obama the best of luck, send him our prayers, and hope that he can turn this economy around.

Here I am!!

I just liked this picture of her.....this is one of the first pics with the new camera.....

I am here to officially blog!! Yes ladies and gentlemen, I know it has been a while and some of you have been eagerly anticipating the next segment in Steve's Life - The Blog. So, without further delay, this is it. You will be caught up from Christmas to today (which was a huge day.)

So Christmas came, it was awesome, it left and never looked back. Isn't that always the way it is. We love you Christmas, we prepare for you and celebrate you and bake you cookies. All you do is wave as you pass bye and throw us some presents to distract us as you sneak out the back door. Ahh, who am I kidding, I love you. You were especially good to me this year. I had a "Gadget Guy Christmas" that will extend on into my birthday thanks to Mom and James. I will start with what you see, my camera. Carolina got me a new camera!!! I am now snapping pictures left and right with a Canon Powershot SX110 Is. It is an awesome camera. 9 Megapixels with 10x optical zoom (up to 40x, but with lower resolution.) Dad and Anne got me a toy I have yet to stop playing with also, a GPS for my car. Now I have tricked this thing out with all kinds of vehicles thanks to Garmin. I am currently setting sail on the map with the Black Pearl, mate. I even use this thing to get places I already know how to get to, sad. And for a combined Christmas / Birthday present, Mom and James got me a PS3. Obviously, my thumbs have gotten a workout. Now I will say I haven't gotten to play as much as I want, life just kind of gets in the way of my slacking off. Christmas overall was just awesome. I didnt have to work like I thought I would, I got to spend good quality time with my family. Nothing like champagne at breakfast, paw paw! New Years was pretty cool too. Brought in the New Year with Carolina and some of her friends, so you know we brought in the New Year LATIN STYLE!! It was REALLY cool. Hispanic people are just awesome to be around in a FIESTA atmosphere. They are so loving and joyous. Grown men I had never met before were giving me bear hugs saying
"Feliz Ano Nuevo!!" Hope everyone's 2008 was awesome, and youre 2009 is blessed!

Now onto today.......the car situation. Carolina's car had to go BACK to the shop this morning. It seemed to be slipping to the point where Carolina did not think she could get home from work, let alone drive to school, Columbia, clinicals....etc. "Just let her use your car" you say?? Sure lets just see how much hers will cost to get is fixed.....what? 1600? Well if you add that to the 600 we just put in it a month ago, thats 2200 dollars......yeah, we thought so too. So it was off to get a new car. Before we found out the death sentence for Tighty Whitey (Carolina's car's name) Carolina had actually laid the ground work for the new car by doing a little internet research, talking to a couple dealers, etc... We decided to stick with Hyundai because they have been good to us, and they are reasonable cars. If you haven't been in a Hyundai lately, check em out. Like Virginia Slims, theyve come a long way baby. So initially she thought about getting another Accent, since she liked hers so much. But after much thought and prayer, she came to the decision that this time around (her ex husband picked out and bought her last car,) she wanted to get somthing she liked, somthing she wanted, and somthing that would be functional for lifes little changes in the future (meaning children.) I know, came as a shock to me too. She always wanted an SUV, wanted black or red, and wanted to stay around a 300 per month payment. Well, she got all that in a 2008 Hyundai Tucson. Now we have a Tucson and an Elantra. We are a Hyundai family!!


So thats all for now, hope you enjoyed. I will get busy on here. I apologize for my lack of effort lately.

Things are getting back to normal....

I have really neglected this lately. With all of the hustle and bustle of the Holiday season, the news presents to play with, and now getting into a new work schedule, I have a lot of posting to do. So once I get all of the pictures uploaded to the computer I will post Christmas, New Years and so on....