A relaxing, fun AND productive vacation...

As you may remember, I mentioned a few posts ago that I was headed to Charleston...again.  This was actually my third trip to this fabulous city.

That is not a complaint, I LOVE Charleston and firmly believe that every time you go, you will discover something new.

A pleasant bonus was that I made it to Charleston without getting lost once; thanks to Google Maps.  Yes, it meant my phone was dead by the time I got there but I didn't get lost.

My friend flew in to Charleston and the plan was for me to pick her up.  Little did I know what a challenge this was going to be.  I'm used to our teeny, tiny airport - where there is metered parking just steps from Baggage Claim.  Turns out Charleston's airport is also fairly small but lacks the metered parking.  Also, interestingly enough, Arrivals and Departures are in the same place.  So basically, unless you were dropping off or the person you are picking up is standing right there you can't stop.  Do you know how hard it is to find one person in a sea of people?  Next to impossible.  But after circling the airport about five times, I finally found her and we headed off to the hotel.

Now, while I didn't encounter any issues on my drive, my friend did have an incident at the airport.  Last time I was in Houston, I bought some spices at a grocery store that we don't have to bring home for The Husband.  Turns out those spices were a great hit and he'd asked her to bring some with her and we'd pay her back.  Bless her, she did.  Little did she know what kind of havoc that would wreak.  Apparently, she'd decided against checking her bag and after she'd gone through security, a TSA agent asked her to come with him; talk about unnerving.  They took her to a tiny room and began going through her bag.  Once they uncovered the spices, they proceeded to test them one by one.  After they had been declared "safe" the TSA agent told her that had she checked her bag it wouldn't have been a problem and that those spices better make some darn good hamburgers (they do, FYI).

Since this was my friend's first trip to Charleston, finding a decent hotel in historic downtown was my charge.  After the last trip, where we ended up nowhere NEAR downtown and public parking is a nightmare, I did my due diligence.  And, if I do say so myself, I am very pleased with where we ended up.  Although, at first I was a tad disappointed, because it wasn't as close to everything as I would have liked BUT it turns out that right across the street was the main stop for every free bus, so it turned out perfect.  The hotel itself was great - they even offer a breakfast every morning that is not the typical hotel breakfast.  Considering what they were able to do in their kitchen, I'm kind of surprised they didn't serve any other meal or even a cocktail hour.  I would keep this gem a secret, but since I'm sure this information will stay just between us - if you find yourself headed to Charleston check out the Hampton Inn Charleston - Historic District, you won't be disappointed.

Now, I will say this, we had SO much fun BUT...Charleston in July is HOT.  And not only is is HOT it is HUMID.  Now, is it more hot or humid than either Houston or Somewhere in NC?  Probably not usually, but generally we aren't walking around in it all day either.  I took this screenshot on Tuesday and I think on that day the humidity was off the charts.

Just LOOK at the RealFeel temp!!

As you can imagine, we were hot and sticky and tired.  But not tired enough to shower and head out to the hotel's courtyard with a glass of wine to chat; something we did every night.  We loved the courtyard; the mosquitoes not so much.

I didn't take as many photos as I have in the past, mainly because I already have a bunch of photos from Charleston - but my friend was constantly snapping away.  So basically, all I've got is what you see above.

Except for this...after eating fabulous seafood a couple of days in a row (my friend, despite living on the Gulf rarely gets seafood as her other half doesn't eat it and I rarely get any good seafood because we are landlocked) we decided to "go local."  We didn't need a full meal but knew we needed some kind of fuel to get us through the afternoon.  So we decided to try this place.

Yes, we found the name to be hilarious - but...seriously the BEST nachos outside of Texas.  Juanita Greenberg definitely knows their way around some nachos.

The trip went by way too fast but we had a great time and, of course, loved spending time together.  Who woulda thunk that we'd get to see each other twice in less than six months?  Usually, it's a few years between visits.  Something we have agreed to rectify; even if it means meeting somewhere in the middle.

Although Google Maps got me to Charleston without issue, we will not discuss how Google Maps lead me astray on my trip home, directing me through the town I ALWAYS get lost in and sending me through a very sketchy neighborhood where the police were stopping all the vehicles...looking for what, I can only imagine.  But eventually, I made it home safe and sound.

The "productive" part of this vacation started after I got home.  I had decided to take Thursday and Friday off as well, since I didn't see any sense to going to work for only two days.  Besides, I wanted to get a few things done around here.  Mainly, in my flower beds.

The one giant bed took me two days and over seven hours.  Unfortunately, it's not completely finished yet, but it is SOOOO close that I figure I'll just need a couple of hours next weekend finishing it off.  I would have gone ahead and finished it, but I knew I had reached my limit.  I weeded and removed the overgrown lamb's ear.  The Husband questioned why I was getting rid of the "good" stuff.  I had my reasons.  Mainly, because it was overgrown, plus it's not a favorite of mine and lastly, because I figured it was a haven for snakes as it was so overgrown.

The back yard is so close to being where I'd envisioned it when we bought this place.  Not enough to take pictures but still, when I look at the back yard I am pleased.  I can see progress.

Funnily enough, as I was pulling weeds a car drove up to the yard and a woman yelled out the window, "We used to live here!  Just reminiscing."  I had to bite my tongue to keep from asking her if she was the one responsible for the damn blackberry bush!

Speaking of which, while weeding, I hunted down every burgeoning sprig and either dug it out or snipped it and spritzed it with a brush killer.  It may take out a few plants as the blackberry bush is a sneaky one and likes to pop up in the middle of plants.  At this point, I don't care.  I will replace a few plants, if necessary.

After spending far too much time in the sun and pushing myself to the very limit, I have determined that I need to spend a little bit of time in the yard every weekend rather than spending that much time every month or so in the yard.

Someone remind me of this next weekend when I will invariably find a reason not to go out in the heat!

The Husband was involved in his own yard project but he was in the shade and worried over me the whole time.  He kept reminding me to take breaks and then chastised me as he knew I was overdoing it.  He was right - but let's not tell him that bit, shall we?

I have to say, the reward of overdoing it in the yard was well worth it.  But, as great as it feels to have accomplished so much, at this point I'm looking forward to work tomorrow, so I can relax!!