Weekend Review {4/18}

FRIDAY

Despite my heavy workload, I still left early on Friday because hours.  Teh German had reserved a trailer for us since we had decided on Wednesday to make a trip up to NC to ride.  Since I got off early, I headed to pick it up, stopping at Metto on the way because I was nearby-ish.  Ok, fine, I went that way on purpose, but it was only 5 minutes out of the way.  Don't judge me. 

Ya'll, I bought skinny jeggings.
Hell hath frozen over.

The pick-up only took a few minutes, which was a stark contrast to to the last time when I drove all over Charleston trying to fetch a stupid trailer.  I headed back home and managed to back the trailer into the driveway with minimal issues.  I started packing and then got distracted and ended up putting my palmetto tree sticker on my car and went on a treasure hunt to find the dog stickers I purchased at GIG last year.  I realized I was wasting get ready time and finally gave up.. I also realized the stickers were probably buried under a bunch of crap in a closet and I wasn't prepared for that kind of digging.

When Teh German came home, we loaded up Mike and Suzi on the trailer and while he finished tying them down, I did the dishes for him.  We packed and headed out by 6.  We made it to the mountains around 11:30, which isn't too bad considering we stopped at Bojangles for dinner.

SATURDAY

We got up at 8ish so we could get breakfast and get down the mountain for haircuts.  We stopped at a little shop called The River Dog and Teh German kept saying we needed to add an 's' to all the titles of the shop so it would be like The Charleston River Dogs (the local AA baseball team).  After breakfast, we took the Parkway (that'd be the Blue Ridge Parkway for the non-locals) to get to 321 so we could get down the mountain.  We didn't have all the switch back curves like Teh German is so fond of, but we did see some awesome views.  I told Teh German that we'd have to ride back up the Parkway on Sunday so I could stop and get some photos.  He agreed after I told him that we'd go back 221, which is the super curvy road he likes.

We made it right on time for haircuts with Paula.  Teh German got to go first since he had a Skype date scheduled with his friends in Germany.  After getting our hairs did, we stopped by Fort Defiance to say hi and get some photos.

We headed back to Teh WJL's house via 181, which is probably Teh German's 2nd favorite curvy road.  We coordinated with Teh Dad and Teh Stepmom to all go to dinner together at Woodlands BBQ in Boone.  When Teh German and I arrived, we decided to take a short nap.  I didn't mean to sleep as long as I did, but it was for the best.  Eventually we headed to Boone to meet Teh Dad and Teh Stepmom.

There was some drama at dinner, to include some Megan tears, but I tried to move on after apologies were given.  The food was meh and Teh German reminded me that we can't compare food not in Charleston to food in Charleston.  Oops.  After dinner, we headed to Kilwin's for dessert because we make good life choices.  We ate our ice creams/desserts while watching Megan (that was the girl's name) make fudge.  It was a pretty intense process.  She was laughing at our comments, which I can only hope was making her fudge making easier.  Around 9ish, we were all tired and we decided to head home.

SUNDAY

Since it was dollar days at Grandfather Mountain, Teh German agreed to go visit and Teh WJL went with us.  $3 entry vs $20 is way worth it.  We planned on going on a ride after we got back from Grandfather, but I no longer needed to hit the Parkway for photos after getting photos at Grandfather.  We ended up nixing the ride and decided instead to have a slow morning. 

CRITTER IN THE ROAD!!
It was just a groundhog.

Selfies!

mile-high swinging bridge

As if we need practice for silly selfies.

You 'member when Forest Gump is running down that really curvy road?
Well, that road happens to be Grandfather Mountain's driveway.

After Grandfather, we headed back to Teh WJL's house for breakfast.  We loaded up the bikes then went inside.  I helped with breakfast, teaching Teh WJL about baking bacon, while Teh German helped Teh Kenyan with some video game translations that were in German.  Breakfast was had, then we packed up Yurtle and headed out to accomplish the 5 hour drive back to Charleston.  Teh German had been texting with someone selling a trailer and we agreed to meet him around 7, so we had a reason to get home rather early. 

Teh German and I finally finished All the Bright Places, which was super depressing, and I started reading another book (I can't remember the actual title) outloud to him.  PS. reading outloud is exhausting.  I also did puzzles for a while as we finished the audiobook/radio surfed.  Eventually we made it back home, right as Teh SC Greyhound Neighbor was leaving our house (she had watched Meri and Phil for us).  We unloaded Mike and Suzy and unpacked Yurtle.  I took a quick shower, then we were off again to return the trailer and meet the trailer seller-dude. 

I had a meltdown trying to back in the trailer when Teh German started laughing at me and we both blamed hangar, but I also said that if he situation was reversed, he'd be just as pissed at me.  He ended up backing the trailer into a parking spot.  Trailer-less, we headed to the mall to meet the stranger with the trailer.  There were some issues (a light cover was busted, the wiring was wonky, no title), so we offered $400 for it, and he accepted when he saw a wad of cash in Teh German's hand.  Who says money doesn't talk? 

Creepy seagull at the Citadel Mall photobombed me.

Since we were already there, we had Sesame for dinner, since there was chicken in the fridge for lunch.  We both mixed it up and got something different than we normally do.  I got wings and Teh German got the pork cuban, choices we did not regret one bit. 

I sat and observed the bartender (who happened to be our server) do things that were completely normal, but totally gross.  Like throw away empty cans, remove dirty dishes/glasses from the bar, handle someone's credit card, handle several of the plastic check trays, open a bottle of beer with her bottle opener that was in her back pocket, then shove a lime into someone's Corona.  Really, I just didn't want her anywhere near my food.  Finally, we paid and left and when we got home, apparently everyone on our street had somewhere to go... while I was trying to back the trailer into the driveway.  Oh yeah, and the hoodlums next door insisted on riding their bikes past my car as I was attempting to do this.  After the 3rd car, I put Yurtle in park, and flipped out saying that Teh German could back it in since apparently everyone needs to leave now and I was frustrated and there were even people in the street!  He tried to reassure me that I could do it, but I was done.  I am aware I can do it, I back a trailer in on Friday afternoon, but that was also not having to reset myself more than 5 times or with an audience who I could injure.

Of course, Teh German backed that stupid thing in on the first try.  Le sigh.  Once we got the trailer in, we headed inside to get ready for bed where I discovered there was no more leftovers in the house and instead of dealing with it, we just went to bed.  We were asleep by 9pm.  #oldpeople

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Teh German had suggested going to NC to ride as a way for me to relax on Wednesday.  I admitted to him on Saturday night that riding wasn't super relaxing for me.  My inner legs start to hurt, it makes my hands go numb and my elbows ache, and I'm still unbearably paranoid that I'm going to go down in a curve because I'm never going to be super confident on a bike.  I think that's the price of going down during your first week of riding.  Really, relaxing for me would have been not going out at all, but I know that if we'd have stayed in Charleston, that wouldn't have happened.  Also, going to NC meant getting to hang out with Teh WJL, which is relaxing for me.  I had fun, but honestly, it wasn't a super relaxing trip for me.  There probably isn't going to be much relaxing between now and June 20th to be completely honest. 

We keep a pretty full socializing/event schedule, which is mostly my fault.  I do enjoy hanging out with our group of friends, but at the same time, I also need some me time to unwind and sit on my couch without pants on and to pet and snuggle and nap with my dogs.  That was actually my plan for this past weekend, but how do I say no to a trip to the mountains where I get to visit my Bestie?  I just need to close on House, get moved, finish my DuoLingo German lessons, get to DC and to Germany, and maybe not have a mental breakdown all the while. 

I got this.