Eagle-eyed readers will recognize that I haven’t posted in months, since our year-end review. Spring is my busiest time of year, and this year we’ve been unusually busy, though we probably feel that way every year. In any case I was inspired to write after seeing several news articles noting that AI slop now comprises more than 50% of the articles on the internet. Clearly we need to balance that out with some 100% organic human-generated slop, so here we go….
Winter Sports
We once again started off our year with a First Day Hike at Salem Lake, and the weather cooperated by being chilly but clear.
While winter may be a somewhat slower time for sports, there is never such a thing as “no sports” in our household. The first weekend in January saw us tuning in to the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, where our favorite college football team prevailed in a high-scoring contest. We could have attended in person since it took place in Charlotte, just over an hour away by car, but we didn’t relish (tee hee) the idea of sitting outside in freezing temperatures for several hours. I almost regretted that choice after seeing all the mayonnaise-based antics on TV. Where else can one do mayo shots (squirted directly into your mouth by passing “mayo maniacs”), eat fries topped by mayo, and get free bottles of mayonnaise before watching the winning coach be showered with 4.5 gallons of mayonnaise?
We also took advantage of the absence of students during winter break to get fantastic (practically court-side) seats for a WF women’s basketball game against formidable ACC opponent Syracuse. We had a rousing time cheering on our promising young team despite their loss.
Florida in Early January
We hit the road in early January for a short trip to South Florida to visit my mom, and we broke up our drive south with a brief overnight stop in Savannah. One afternoon of wandering through the charming historic district convinced us that we could easily make this small city a regular stopping point on road trips. The most informative part of our self-guided tour took place by chance. A fresh-faced college student persuaded us to enter the welcome center for the Savannah College of Art and Design, where we watched the introductory show. During what is without a doubt the best college informational presentation in the nation — SCADStory is an “immersive 4D cinematic experience” — we learned how the private art college was instrumental in preserving many of the buildings in the historic center. We enjoyed a leisurely afternoon appreciating lovely architecture, fountains, and squares, and when I realized there was an Airstream-themed eatery located within a block of our hotel our dinner choice was made.
Our long-overdue trip was a success. It was wonderful to spend time with mom, and we also relieved her of the last of our artwork, kitchenware, and other items that we put in “storage” with her when we hit the road in 2018. She was obviously more than patient in keeping these items for us for so many years. Thanks, mom!
Georgia in Late January
A week after our return from Florida, we were faced with apocalyptic weather forecasts of a massive ice storm headed our way. Rain falling into freezing temperatures sheathes everything in ice, the extra weight brings down trees and above-ground power lines, and power outages are typically widespread. Making matters worse, icy driveways and roads trap people in place and make repairs and emergency assistance very challenging. In the days leading up to the storm, people here stripped the grocery shelves absolutely bare in preparation, though we were a bit puzzled about how people planned to cook all those potatoes without power. Fortunately the forecast ice storm didn’t materialize for us (while Alabama and Tennessee were hit very hard) because we were due to leave town in a few days for a road trip to Atlanta.
We received mostly sleet (meaning the rain froze before hitting the ground) and from the perch of our balcony the blanket of sleet looked much like snow. The main roads were all clear in plenty of time for us to zip down I-85 to Atlanta for a series of events featuring the new dean of the university library. Our home base during our stay was near the Ponce City Market and the Eastside Beltline rail-trail, and we were impressed by the popularity of the Beltline for both recreation and commuting. We spent an enjoyable afternoon exploring the area on foot; little did we know that we were about to have the Quintessential Atlanta Experience. Was it the fact that driving fewer than 3 miles to our first evening event took 40 minutes because of rush hour traffic? No. It was the fact that we acquired the ingredients of a flat tire on the way back from the event, as the hotel valet informed us by telephone call early the next morning.
Flat tire? No problem. We have AAA, we have a donut spare tire in the car, and there was a Goodyear tire shop a mile from the hotel. AAA was on the scene in under 15 minutes, ready to jack up the car and put on the spare tire. Except for one minor issue: we apparently have special theft deterrent lug nuts on the wheels requiring a special “key” to remove them. Which was, of course, nowhere to be found in the car despite us tearing it completely apart. The AAA technician suggested we give Goodyear a try, since they often collect these sorts of tools in the course of their work, and aired up our tire to send us on our way. Did the Goodyear tire shop have the necessary key among the large number they had collected? They did not. And that is how we found ourselves on a white-knuckle ride on a 6-lane highway with a deflating tire to the closest VW dealership, located in the suburb of Chamblee. Let’s just say that the experience solidified our view that the risk of having one’s wheels stolen is a lot less concerning to us than the risk of being stranded along the side of a highway with a flat tire.
Despite all the drama, we survived and emerged with a new tire, a photo of the offending screw from the incredibly helpful dealership, and stories to tell at our subsequent local events — where we met one Atlanta resident who has experienced three flat tires in the past year. If we lived in the Atlanta area, we would absolutely invest in run-flat tires. Although we had to cancel some of our planned meetups with friends because of the tire trouble, we were able to have breakfast with Ken’s aunt and uncle the day we headed home, which was a welcome reunion. We then made it home the day before yet another winter storm struck, this time bringing 10+ inches of snow to the area. We made exactly one foray out to take photos, then spent a week inside waiting for temperatures warm up enough to melt the snow.
Once the roads were passable again, we got right to work scheduling service on our car to replace the anti-theft (and anti-AAA roadside assistance) lug nuts on all the wheels. We now have regular lug nuts that can be taken off using a regular wrench. Please don’t tell the local wheel-thief gangs.
Florida (Again) in February
I made a solo return to Florida in late February, this time to our former Panhandle community. The occasion was the annual fundraiser for the children’s literacy nonprofit where I still serve on the board. Instead of tackling the 11+ hour drive, I took the easy way out with a sub-2-hour direct flight from Charlotte to Panama City Beach. In a stark reminder of the remoteness of our former home, the drive from the airport to Apalachicola was longer than my flight. As usual, our winter benefit organizing committee put together an unforgettable evening of “Boots, Books, and Bourbon.” I was so carried away by the outstanding music, food, and decor that I came dangerously close to purchasing a painting in the silent auction with absolutely no way to bring it back on the plane. But as the organization’s treasurer, I was extremely pleased with the amount I deposited in the bank before heading to the airport for my flight home.
So what were the “perils” I referenced in the post title? I mean, other than ice, snow, a flat tire, and narrowly avoiding an impulse art purchase? At some point Ken opined that once we reunited all our belongings in one place, the universe would decree that it would be time for us to move again. And the day after we hung our last piece of art in our condo, we put in an offer on a townhouse two blocks away.
*insert cliffhanger sound effect*
Next up: Spring and its many changes
Sounds like one of those trips where every stop came with its own story. The mayo bowl scene made me laugh, but the anti-theft lug nut situation sounded maddening — especially after already getting help from AAA and still ending up nursing the car to the VW dealership. I also liked the contrast between all the mechanical frustration and the quieter moments woven through the post: time with family, walking the Beltline, the fundraiser, and even debating over that painting. And crossing state lines during snow and sleet definitely gave the title some credibility. Thanks for sharing. Jim
It was a very eventful winter, which is my excuse for not blogging for so long. It seemed like we were constantly on the go, and that’s before we decided to pack up all our belongings just to move two blocks. Luckily we have maintained our minimalist ways since living in the Airstream and we didn’t have too much “stuff” to move. The main difference is that we now have furniture, and we were definitely happy to secure the services of some strapping young movers to take care of that.
The lug nut situation was so frustrating because we bought our car used (though from a dealer) and we never would have even thought to look for this mysterious lug nut key when checking it out for purchase. Luckily we survived the ordeal but it was a little hairy.
Snow and ice storms and flat tires? Oh my! Good thing you have plenty of indoor and family activities to keep you entertained. And moving again? This should be good!
Stay tuned because you get to hear about not one but two moves (sort of a two-fer)… But we did learn our lesson from going through a house build, and made sure that required improvements on the new place were absolutely minimal. Plus, I’m not sure I could have handled a major reno project with everything else going on. The best part about the snow and ice storms, of course, was that we had more than enough potato (and other supplies) to keep us very happy, plus we never lost power and live on a frequently-plowed road.
Welllll, that’s exciting! Congratulations! I’ll be interested to hear the whys of your move… Living in an apartment building now, I can absolutely see the appeal of a townhouse or a free standing house, but there are also good things about being in a building… it’s always a trade-off. Can’t wait to hear more!
I hear you on the AI stuff. Sometimes I read a post on Facebook and it sounds like something I would write – but it’s clearly AI. It all just feels like cheating. They vacuumed up all the content people actually took time and effort to write and now spew it all back to the population for cheap engagement. I read something recently that people are getting so turned off by the algorithm fed content on their social media accounts that they’re turning back to longer form content like blogs. Maybe, eventually, everything will come full circle.
Anyway, love the winter pics and hard agree on Savannah – always worth a visit! Glad you made it safely to the shop to get your tire fixed. A flat bed tow would have been no fun at all.
I will definitely talk more about the move in my next post, but since we found a place that was nearly perfect for us I won’t have construction photos to share. (That’s a feature, not a bug.) Here’s hoping I don’t leave you hanging for 5 months for the next post. 🙂
I have many strong opinions about AI, and most of them are not suitable for a family blog. The technology is undoubtedly impressive, but it’s so corrosive to so many aspects of human learning, exploration, writing, etc. I am somewhat heartened by the students I interact with at Wake — they are overwhelmingly skeptical of AI and people who over-rely on it, while also learning how to use it to actually enhance their productivity. The problem is that most people are not careful users (and half the users are bots anyway). Ugh.
Our small dramas as described in this post are all in the category of “all’s well that ends well,” fortunately. I probably wouldn’t be able to write a lighthearted post about a genuine crisis at this point in time.
The day before your blog arrived I said to myself that you had stopped writing. It feels as though you like NC, 4 seasons and Winston Salem which meets you needs so much better than St. George. A town house means stairs to me so hope it include an elevator for later.
The Bridge Club was glad to see the Snow Bird back from Florida since we loose half of the players after the leaf season. Looking forward to the next blog.
It seems that every year I struggle more to write the first post of the year, especially now that so much of the internet has been overtaken by bot-generated garbage. But this year we really have been so busy that it was hard to find breathing room to stop and write. We do love Winston and have found plenty of ways to get engaged, which keep us busy. The seasons are fine; I could do without the extremely cold days but fortunately since we don’t have to go anywhere snow and ice don’t really affect us other than keeping us indoors. I do understand why people head to Florida for the winter, though with the warming climate there the part of the year with pleasant weather is getting very short.
I’m so happy to read a post from you and to catch up a bit on what you guys have been up to. I must admit there are times that I miss our frequent happy hours on our porch (or yours) or around the fire pit on the Forgotten Coast…but I quickly snap back to reality when I remember the remoteness of where we were (or the Piggly Wiggly, lol). I can’t wait to hear all about your new home! I’m just bummed that we weren’t traveling at the time you were moving so that we could stop by for a week just as you were trying to get settled, hahaha.
That is a CRAZY story about your tire!!! So glad you made it home safely. As far as AI, anything written by AI immediately annoys me and I just click away. But I was a bit peeved when a friend thought I used AI in an email because of my love of em dashes. I have ALWAYS used em dashes in my writing, but apparently that is a “tell” of AI writing. 😠
We totally understand the rose-tinged nostalgia! We are headed to the beach next week (OBX) and were reminiscing about the convenience of being able to walk from our house to the beach. Then we remembered: 1) SANDSPURS and 2) sand everywhere (in the car, in the house, in our shoes, etc.). And don’t get me started on the Pig, 5-day Amazon Prime delivery, and the hardest municipal water on the planet. We’re fine just visiting the beach for a week, thanks.
While you missed your chance to participate in our latest move, we’d love to entice you to Winston for another visit. I’ll let you know when we have maximally-packed schedules so you can plan accordingly. 🙂
I, too, am a great lover of em dashes, but I think my over-use of parenthesis is the quality that sets my writing apart from AI slop. It’s good to know that a weird writing crutch is helping confirm that I am human (and I need help because of course I rarely pass the Captcha screens on the first try).