Happy Birthday Roo!

To my wonderful and beautiful wife - every day with you is deserving of cake and ice cream. All the candles for all the birthday cakes in the world wouldn't create a flicker compared to the light that you shine in my life. Happy Birthday Roo!

The One that Got Away

On our annual Edisto trip, as Roo has already documented aspects of, I was reunited not only with my summer playmates Dusty and Morgan, but also with a long lost love for fishing. So reminded by the simple joy that comes with fishing that I hung a stuffed fish in our garage. I’ve always enjoyed fishing which is odd given my competitive nature, impatient tendencies and complete uncertainty of success that comes with fishing. Fishing is one of those things that make you feel closer to nature and more manly you feel when you reel in the big catch. And there’s always hope that the big one is still out there. No matter the size you nab (or don’t), you have no idea how much bigger the next one could be. Whether it was brother Mike and I riding our bikes down to Lufkin Pond to snare Blue Gills or Henry, PJ and I seeking 12 pound Pikes on the cold waters of Kenora, Canada, fishing has always been a hunt in the unknown. I’ve been hunting maybe twice in my life and didn’t enjoy it. You can’t shoot something you can’t see. But with fishing, what you can’t see may be the next big one. At the Edisto Marina, we got a great idea of what that big one might be at the weigh-in for the 1st Annual Edisto Fishing Club Shark Tournament. We don't quite have expectations this big...but whose to say aspirations aren't.

Riley’s dad and I have been determined to catch the next big one ever since I started attending the annual summer retreat with Roo’s family seven years ago. For the past two years, Ronnie and I have tried harder than we did in 2002. We’ve scoped out various docks, landings and creeks and chartered captains and boats. We’ve waded chest deep into the ocean while in over our heads with enthusiasm. What I like about our recent adventures only lures me back for more. But I am getting ahead of myself. On the last day of our vacation, we set out early on a chartered voyage. We put our squid and shrimp baited shortcomings of the previous trips of the week behind us and set out for some big game. We knew right away that we were on the right boat as our guide took us to shallow waters where St. Helena Sound meets Big Bay creek, where bonnethead sharks were nearly beaching themselves to get a morning snack. Into the water we tossed blue crab-baited hooks and out came a 17-pound relative to the hammerhead. Ronnie reeled it in. Later that night, while grilling our fresh catch along with some small Whiting fillets, Riley’s dad shared some rare quality time and conversation. It was mostly and pleasantly one-sided. Ronnie told me stories from his newlywed days, where he and Riley’s mom would take fishing trips on her grandfather’s pontoon on the Santee (River). He told other stories of Riley’s early adventures on the boat as well. For someone who doesn’t seem to talk very much, Riley’s dad is a great story teller. I look forward to telling our kids tales of these trips now. That said, Ronnie and I are going to have to really start reeling in some big fish. Or not. Like I said, with fishing, you don’t need something on the end of the line to necessarily have a good story. But Ronnie and I both agree having our own boat might help.

So for a week, I am the one that got away, away from it all: my inbox, cell phone reception, traffic; and got back to a childhood joy that I hope to grow in the coming year, connecting with my father-in-law, creating stories that we can pass down in vacations to come.

Exploring Botany Bay - A little piece of heaven on Edisto

We have several great highlights to share from our recent annual vacation on Edisto Island so we're going to split them into a few short posts rather than one long one.

Exploring Botany Bay

Botany Bay is a public wildlife reserve that was opened to the public last year. 4,630 coastal acres with moss-draped live oaks, sunflower-filled farm fields, a lake, the ruins of an 1800s plantation house and slave quarters, a couple of intact 1840s outbuildings and two miles of beach. We set out early one morning to take in this little piece of heaven on earth. Visitors to Botany Bay are asked not remove any shells, artifacts, or fossils from the beach unless you're 17 & under....we were able to convince Morgan (cousin) & Ian (Morgan's friend) both 17, to join us on our adventure since we knew we could possibly hit the shark tooth jackpot. Momma wasn't able to join us -- the walk out to the beach was nearly half a mile and she was feeling a little tired that morning.

I thought I'd spend the morning adding to our ever growing sharks' teeth collection but I was wrong. It wasn't because there weren't teeth to be found. I think it was because I was so amazed by the beauty that surrounded me and I wanted to leave it like I found it -- untouched. We all went our separate ways to explore the beach. I walked the water line and found myself talking to God --- thanking him for all the blessings he's given me and asking him to give us strength as we continue our battle against MM. I felt guilty asking Morgan to pick up a shark's tooth I spotted -- it was probably the biggest one I've ever found. I'm sure we'll explore Botany Bay next year -- we won't have anyone younger than 17 in our group to collect sharks' teeth for us -- that's okay though -- I'll enjoy the amazing untouched beach and another quite beach walk conversation with God.

The pictures don't do this place justice...

Happiness is where you find it and we always find it in Edisto...

Cancer can't keep the great sharks' tooth hunter away from the beach.

Greetings from Edisto Island! We're looking forward to a week of sun, sand, family, Whaleys, Scrabble, cornhole, fishing trips, Chairmen of the Board, and all things EDISTO!!

Thriller

When did we lose focus of what matters? Not to say anyone in particular has but as a collective whole, it seems "we" have become so obsessed with all things celebrity. I am not sure it started with John and Kate and it certainly won't end with the drama surrounding Steve McNair, but I guess over the past few weeks I seem to have noticed more and more the passion that pours in from the public over popular figures and their on-goings. Be it the public display of a governor's marital troubles or the worldwide weeping over the passing of a music icon, I just wish people exercised the same emotion towards matters in life that affected them more on an everyday basis.

Wouldn't we all just be thrilled to live in a world where strangers flocked to the funeral of a fallen soldier? Wouldn't we all just be thrilled to pass a school where a flash mob has formed to celebrate a career and recognize a retiring teacher? Wouldn't we all be just thrilled to live in a world where people prayed as much as they texted and tweeted? What if US Weekly's cover previewed the heroic story of a firefighter or brave tale of a police officer instead of always telling us who got arrested or fired?

I am not saying things we enjoy or follow or watch aren't important. If and when the Cubs make it to the World Series, you can all point to this post and ask me exactly where my priorities lie as I attempt to be part of something bigger than myself. Perhaps I am just worn down by the constant media coverage, the over-saturation of news feeds that are no doubt coming from significant events...it is just that I question how substantial they really are in relation to everything else going on around us.

I guess I'd just be thrilled if the news could start off with a good story every once and awhile. A good story about real people doing real and good things.

If you like Coke...or bottle rockets

It's the calm before the boom...red, white and boom that is. Roo and I are gearing up for our second annual Happy Birthday America party. I have spent the past week working on my new cornhole boards and seasoning the grill grates. Riley has been organizing the menu and guests and pretty much every other aspect of the event. We went shopping today, Roo always the bargain hunter and finder, I was blown away by our savings. If you happen to be in the market for Coca-Cola products and you are within 36 miles of a Harris Teeter, it is worth the trip. (I calculated the mileage and lowballed the fuel economy at 18 miles per gallon. Disclaimer: If you live more than 36 miles away, its not mathematically or financially worth the trip). With your "Very Important Customer" card at HT, when you buy 2 12-packs of coke products, you get 3 free. We paid for 4 and got 10, more soda in one trip than I think we purchased for all of 2008. Add that to the deeply discounted Boston butts (that Roo wrestled away from an old lady...ok, that's not quite how it went down, but I got a good laugh) and the other deals, we saved over $100 in groceries today. We are all set for this weekend's USA birthday bash and have made a sizable dent in the edible needs for our annual Edisto beach trip, only 10 days away. Expecting a considerable amount of guests on Saturday, I have yet to give the yard a work over and have yet to visit any of the hundreds of firework stands to add to our neighborhood arsonal. Fireworks are legal in South Carolina and given our proximity to the NC border, around this time of year, the roadside fireworks stands pop-up as quickly as dandelions and clover appear in your yard after spring's first good rainfall. Our cul-de-sac is renowned (at the homeowners association meeting) for putting on a big show. I plan to contribute which ultimately means one thing. Kennedy will end up in the bath tub.