Myrtle Beach Weekend Getaway

Willie's first visit to the beach on an overcast Saturday morning.
Getting his feet wet.

On the beach.

Pier at Myrtle Beach.


Saturday night at the House of Blues.

Couldn't resist the photo op.

We took advantage of Doug's weekend off and spent the weekend in Myrtle Beach. I had never been and Doug hadn't been for almost 20 years. We took Willie to avoid the extra expense of paying for a kennel. It worked out great- he loved hotel living and we had a great weekend.

We got in late Friday night and got a quick bite to eat. On Saturday, we introduced Willie to the Ocean and walked on the beach. We then took Willie back to the hotel and took off for the day. We drove the entire strip of Myrtle Beach. Quick recap - lots of neon, lots of stores selling towels & t-shirts. We found a great cafe and had lunch outside by the ocean. We did a little window shopping and walking around downtown. Saturday night, we got dressed up and went out for a great dinner and then had drinks and listened to music at the House of Blues.

We did a bit more walking around on Sunday and then set off on the 3 hour trip back home. Our New Year's Resolution was to take short trips this year - so we are off to a good start.

Happy Birthday, T!

Our niece Taylor turns three today. We wish we could be with her to celebrate. We always have so much fun with both girls when they are around. Here is Uncle Doug with both girls over Thanksgiving.

Willie's First Movie

Willie can be a little bit selfish with his toys.

Dog Down

Willie had a busy weekend, going to the dog park on Saturday and Sunday and playing fetch with our 5 year old neighbor. By Sunday night, he was down for the count - curled up in a ball on the couch. He looks so little in this picture!

Cameron Crazies

Students camping out in Krzyzewskiville
Doug inside Cameron Stadium

On Saturday, Doug & I went to campus to watch a Duke Wrestling match. One of Doug's attendings is a sponsor for the team and Doug used to wrestle, so we decided to check it out. We were impressed with the team, not only in talent - but in dedication. The wrestling team does not offer scholorships. The match was held at Duke's famous Cameron Indoor Stadium - the small stadium where the Blue Devils play basketball.

On our way there, we walked by Krzyzewskiville, the tent city of students camped out for UNC basketball tickets on March 8. Seeing all the tents, I naturally began to wonder about the logistics. Does someone always have to be in the tent? How many tickets can be held per tent? How long had they been camping out? I found all my answers on Wikipedia - of course. It's actually pretty interesting.

Cold Turkey

About five days late, I decided to give up soda for Lent. I began on Monday, quitting cold turkey. Just to clarify, I only drank one or two diet sodas a day. However, I know that it's bad for your bones and your overall health so I decided to give it a rest.

Well, after I began telling people about my new healthy ways, many people told me about this new study linking diet soda to high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease and even diabetes.

Anybody want to join me in quitting?

Happy Valentine's Day!

I received the most beautiful flowers for Valentine's Day. Quite a surprise, since Doug & I don't celebrate the holiday. The card was signed from Willie McGee - but I think Doug taught him how to order them online :)

Thanks to my officemate Jeff for taking the photo!

Kansas City Weekend

New Shoes!

From Nashville, I went on to Kansas City to see my mom. On Saturday, we visited a lot of family - including my aunt and uncle at their travel shop, my grandparents and great aunt. We also went to my favorite shoe store in Kansas City, the legendary Bob Jones. It was a short trip, but always nice to be home.

Nashville

I went to Nashville for a work trip Thursday-Friday. Friday evening, I went out to dinner with colleagues and had the chance to see "The Best View of Nashville". It lived up to it's title - if you want to see some better pics, see Jeff's blog.

Gatorade Dog

Doug and I watched the Superbowl at home this year. Doug is very happy that the Giants won - since according to our bet, I will be doing the dishes for the next two weeks!

While I do love football, one of my favorite things is checking out the commercials. We thought this commercial was so funny - it reminded us of Willie. This dog is a lot bigger than Willie, but the noise and water consumption is about the same.

New Patio

Just in time for nice North Carolina weather, we decided to add a patio onto the back of our house. In addition to the retaining wall that we did last year, our back yard is becoming what we imagined it could be. The patio was poured on Wednesday and Doug put up the new patio furniture and firepit on Saturday.

Our neighbor's daughter was over and helped pose in a few pictures.