I Only Speak Ingles

What a trip. First and foremost what a great time for Hannah and I to spend together. After four and a half years of being married I think that this trip was long overdue. No emails, no cellphones, no meetings, activities or events. Thank the Lord for 10 days with just the two of us realizing again how much fun we have together and how in love we really are as well.

From the get-go I told Hannah that I wanted to her to handle all the details, planning and agenda for the trip. What I had no idea about going into it is how much work she would do to make sure that I was able to enjoy the trip. Every meal, hotel, bus ride, and location was researched and planned ahead of time . She was able to answer questions, make quick changes, work to find the best and cheapest way to do everything. Simple things like making sure I got a great mozzarella and prosciutto sandwich everyday just made me feel very cared for and loved and relaxed knowing that she was taking care of things and I could just soak it all in.

The meals were great and true to form I ate the same thing for lunch and dinner every single day. In fact I still wish I were eating the sandwiches and pizza here in Charleston. It was wonderful to enjoy a glass of wine together before our walk to dinner and then another bottle with our meal. It was great to see Hannah enjoy her gelato especially on the last night when she bargained for a small cup for 1 euro - still not sure how that worked out. Probably the best lunch was in Cinque Terre when we picniced under a staircase to avoid the rain after a long hike up the coast and the best dinner would be a draw between a naples style pizza restaurant or a typical italian dinner at a great little place recommended by Luigi.

Rome was great though it is definitely busier than my typical pace of life. Even though I probably wouldnt spend a lot of time there on our next trip you just cant miss out on several of the sights and museums. I would have to say one of my favorite moments with Hannah in Rome was at dinner on our first night sitting outside and next to the pantheon. An awesome evening that got us off to a great start on the trip. Prosciutto pizza, pasta carbonara, wine and gelato.

Florence was great and somewhere that felt a lot like home. While still definitely being a city it would be more of a Charleston full of great stores, restaurants, delis and wine bars in addition to plenty more great historical places and museums. Without a doubt my favorite time in Italy was at sunset with Hannah at San Miniato looking out over the city. For me, it was one of those places and times that bring peace and as John Eldredge says you feel like God is romancing you through the beauty of what He has done. In the same frame you could see the city, the countryside, and the mountains in the distance. We enjoyed a nice Moretti beer or should I say that Hannah enjoyed it as I took three sips and she took care of the rest...I am definitely not a beer drinker anymore but who wouldve thought Hannah would be? Truthfully, she isnt either but she is so in love with Italy that pretty much anything with an Italian label is good as gold in her eyes.

Cinque Terre was the final stop and probably a great place to end on. Our trip might have been the equivalent of going from NYC to Charleston to Palmetto Bluff. We definitely ended on a peaceful note. CT is beatiful and provided us with the opportunity to have a great hike up the coast and take in amazing sunsets on stone covered beaches. Here again, I would probably have to say that my favorite time with Hannah was on the evening of the 14th when we shared a bottle of red wine and sat on the stones as the waves came in. In that moment there was just really nothing else other than the two of us and those moments are great for my soul.

The trip really brought me back to life. The difference in my head and heart from the time I left and when I came back is drastic. Italy provided an environment for the Lord to speak to me and more importantly for me to listen. I experienced times of prayer that had a closeness and intimacy I havent felt in a long time and I absolutely loved Hannah and cared for her and felt like I knew her more closely than I have felt in some time as well.

I have been to 12 countries this year, more than half of the states in the country, nearly 100 flights and this was one of the most needed. It definitely wont be the last time we go and Im already looking forward to getting back with Hannah. In the meantime though we will be experiencing Uganda together in three weeks from today which Im sure will provide another opportunity for us to grow together.

Prom

As I was sitting in the surf this past weekend I had a moment where I realized something funny about myself that is actually very telling of my personality. Funny how those moments come at the most random times. But, that is also the nature of surfing in that you get to a place mentally when you're on the water that really allows you to think.

My interesting thought that came to me actually had to do with prom. I absoluted hated prom. Why? Because you dance at prom. I hate dancing. I will probably write a completely different thread about dancing at some point because I could definitely go on and on. My realization in regards to prom though was simply that when I was at prom I actually envied the chaperons. While everyone else had to try to act cool and dance their pants off I just wanted to be the guy who stood in the corner, had a mustache and could just observe - not in a child predator way of course even though I just described a really creepy guy.

Anyway, I think that defines me in a lot of ways. Its probably what has earned me the title of peer father in Charleston. I dont know if its as much the fact that I was never really allowed to just be a silly kid and be crazy and goofy or if its that I just have an "older" mind and outlook on things. The truth is that there is nothing appealing still about big parties and dancing and/or things like charades, karaoke, pranks etc.

I think in a lot of ways I need to have more of the heart of a child but its something that I find difficult. There are days I wish I could just be a little more spontaneous, carefree and wild but that hasnt happened yet. Fortunately, I married a wonderful person who are all of those things so she balances me out!

Good Music NTB

I really love music. From playing to listening I think I can appreciate good music of any kind. After starting off my musical life with very fast and heavy music from punk rock to speed metal I have made a nice recovery. I would say that I spend the majority of my time listening to old country, newgrass, some pop radio and definitely rock of any kind.

My normal pattern is that I buy an album and hate it the first time through. But as time goes by I start to really love the music. This has been the case with countless bands and releases.

It is pretty rare that I hear something that I love right off the bat. This has been the case with the band Need to Breathe. Their new album is really good and I have probably listened to the song "Something Beautiful" about a dozen times in the last 24 hours. The song actually brings on a very strong emotion in me from the first line which says "In your ocean Im ankle deep". Just awesome. I would have to say that it is probably one of my favorite worship songs that I have heard in a long time.

I love that a great band with cool guys can manage a level of diversity in their music in a way that they dont need to be pinned down to anything. Its nice to hear something thats a bit different, fresh and well done. Not only that but it also really puts me in a mindset that probably brings more glory to Christ than listening to Metallica.

The Slam

Chris Burden might have had one of the craziest 72 streaks of luck you can have in the SC outdoors during the fall. In that span he shot a nice 8 point buck that was chasing does - he misfired three times on the same deer at 20 yards and ended up shooting it later at 60. He shot a near Boone and Crockett buck on Savage Island the following day at 35 yards after it jumped up in front of him in a field. And, to top it all off, he came up on my boat, outfished me and got a lowcountry slam. I begged him to buy me a lottery ticket but he didnt do it.

It was great to catch up with him though and hear about all that has been going on in Steamboat this year. I think he assumed he was done for the year after taking a nice 6x6 bull elk with the bow but little did he know there was plenty more to come.

Cant believe he and Emily are expecting their second in March! Looking forward to having them back in this neck of the woods starting next spring.

Italy

Well, I guess that Hannah and I are going to Italy. I booked the tickets last night and I feel like we got pretty good airfare so I am happy. Unfortunately, I cant buy airfare on Craigslist but at least if you do your homework you can get a reduced rate.

I dont really know what to think about going there. I am very used to going on trips around the country and the rest of the world with an objective in mind. Sometimes it's to catch fish, chase game animals, catch waves, mission work or a host of other things. But, its not very often I get to go to an area with no real plan in mind other than to just immerse myself in the culture.

I am the most excited about going because Hannah has been wanting to go ever since we got married and I know it was a real dream of hers to do it before we started having children. I am also excited about the history and definitely the food. Its going to be a great time for Hannah and I to get away as well and just spend some time together.

Im sure the wine wont be too bad either...

The Gym

Since this is early on in my blog days I can assure you that this will be the first of many blog posts. Im pretty sure I could probably write an entire book on gym culture and just how crazy a 30 minute trip to the gym can be.

My gym in particular is Golds Gym on James Island. I would say its more of a college kids and young working adults kind of place. Its not really a meathead hangout or a middle aged parent feel. There is plenty of testosterone coupled with scantily clad women but I guess that a gym has really just become a place for single (or not) people to hook up whether straight, homosexual, young or old. So, this is to be expected.

Then there are the things that are not to be expected. Today, there was a man with very short shorts on. When I say short I mean like not really leaving much to the imagination. Couple that with a wife beater tank top and high tube socks, white leather shoes a mustache and the fact that he kept staring at other men...well it made me uncomfortable.

It just makes me wonder what his life is like outside of the gym. Does he have friends that dress like him too? Does he have a wife that told him to dress like that at the gym? Does he think that looks tough? What is his everyday clothing? Am I looking at it?

Maybe I just wish that I could get away with wearing something like that to the gym. For now, I will stick to a t-shirt and boardshorts. No one wants to see me wearing a pair of short shorts.

10.17 Hunt

Saturday was definitely one of the first cold days of the year. It was the kind of day when I wake up and step outside in shorts and a t-shirt and I realize I am definitely going to have to add an extra layer. After waking up at 5:00 am and not being able to fall back asleep I got some work done for PMI, spent some time with Keith on skype and then knocked out the yard work. Then the thought came up, "If I dont hunt tonight I am really going to feel like an idiot because the time of year and weather just doesnt get any better than this - and if I dont go then all the big bucks in the woods are going to be galivanting around the field while I sit on my couch and channel surf." So I went.

We got there early and I walked to my stand so slowly that I wondered at times if I was even moving. I was convinced that at any second a buck was going to step out but instead it just took a painfully long time to get there.

I now have a habit of getting out of the stand right before dark and walking to check all the fields. It worked one time and I saw 2 bucks so now I am pretty much convinced that it will work every time. Last night however, I got out of the stand and crept to the next field only to turn around and see a buck staring straight at me from the field I had been sitting over all afternoon. SON OF A!!!

Jonathan and I each saw several does but none of them were being chased. Chris Burden shot a MONSTER down on Savage Island after his brother-in-law forgot to tell him that it was a does only hunt. It is a pretty buck and I have to say that I am jealous. Kind of funny considering that I nearly quit deer hunting last season.

10.15 Hunt

Ed and I went up to the farm last night to see if the deer would be moving with the colder weather and the rut being in. I have to say that I was pretty much convinced all day that I was going to have a shot at a buck so I had an anxious feeling most of the day. Me and deer hunting are a very strange combination as countless people could tell you. I really do love it - I love being in the woods, watching deer, being at camp and hanging out with friends. But, for some reason there is also something about it that puts me on edge for sure. Anyway, we got up to the farm and Ed decided to sit on a stand I put up this year overlooking a soy bean field where a nice buck was seen about two weeks ago and I sat my normal stand on a cut corn field where I had seen two bucks chasing does not long ago.

Once in the stand the weather was perfect and the evening had that feeling that suddenly a gnarly old buck was just going to step out and offer me a dream shot. That didnt happen. Instead, I had a young doe rustling the corn stalks for a while and she just wouldnt leave. I wanted to check another field so I got out of the stand and eeked around the corner without being noticed by the other deer. The next field had a group of four does that I watched from behind a pine tree for about 30 minutes hoping that a buck would be shadowing them on the edge of the field. Nada.

Went to pick Ed up and he said the same. More does and no bucks. So strange to have a little cold snap, overcast skies, mid October, plenty of does and not a single buck. Still a fun sit in my favorite month of the year.

Looking forward to getting the European mount done on the buck above.

First Post

I dont really consider myself a blogger and if you know me you probably dont either. But, I think that its probably a good thing to be jotting down my thoughts from time to time. Like many people I have a tendency to live inside my own head at times which is okay for a while but you can begin to run out of room. I really hate drawing attention to myself or talking about myself so hopefully absolutely no one will ever find this blog.

If I had to guess, I would say that this blog will probably contain thoughts ranging from Africa to fishing reports and everything in between. I may very well be the only one who would be interested in the variety of ideas expressed but thats okay.

Hopefully it will take Hannah a little while to find it because I am very bad with commas and she was an English major. I am probably not going to pay much attention to grammar, structure etc because then I wouldnt get much down on paper as I would over-evaluate it. So, I guess we'll just see what comes out.