September

 September.  The whirlwind that is September.  Wow.  Travel plans three out of the four weekends.  School in full swing - for all three of us.  L has a class of over 100 students, Luke is taking a course load that is challenging and very busy, and I am trying to accommodate students, faculty, and staff each afternoon.   September doesn't mean fall weather but it does mean hurricane season and we did have a bit of that as well.  Welcome to our September.

 

 Luke and I flew to Baltimore for the first Pokemon tournament of the season!  It had been a long time since we had been to Baltimore and the Inner Harbor and we enjoyed our short trip.  Luke did well and got to meet up with his Pokemon pals and I wandered for hours on end around the harbor - stopping to eat and read and write.  A lovely weekend.  

 My sunrise run took me from the hotel to the harbor and for miles and miles along the waterfront.  One of my favorite travel runs in a while.  

Camden Yards.  This place is so cool, such a pretty field and stadium.  I was really hoping to see an Orioles game but they weren't in town this weekend.  But the Ravens were!  I pretended I was going to the game and walked through Camden Yards on the way to the M&T Bank Stadium and some Raven fan tailgating.  I was even offered a beer by a fan.  Ha! 

Our flight home was late in the evening so Luke and I had time to go to the aquarium - love this place! And the last time Luke was here he was in a stroller!  

 

 Luke capturing me and my new best friend.

 

Back home to cheer on our home team!  We try to get to at least one minor league baseball game a year and we made it to the second to last home game!  Yay!  We lost the game but had a great time. 

I am not a fireworks fan but our city does an amazing job with the fireworks show after the game.  Just fantastic and so cool to see the sky lit up over the field.  

This girl was on planes back to back weekends!  Who am I?!  L and I flew to middle America for a weekend away while Ima and Shesh held down the fort and kept our kid and our dog alive and fed and loved.  Thank you!  Our trip to MO, KS, and OK served a few purposes.  We searched for chert deposits for L, we knocked out 3 of the 4 remaining states for me, and we entered and ran a middle of nowhere race in the woods for both of us.  Just such a random and fun and good for the soul weekend!  

Route 66 was our home for 3 days

 

 The story goes that this tiny garage and automotive shop in eastern Kansas along Route 66 had a beat-up old tow truck on its lot and the field director for the movie Cars just happened to be driving through, saw it, and based Mater off of it.  So cool! 

 

 L and I thought this place was just the coolest and PaPaw would have LOVED it!  The coolest cars, a unique history, and full of wonderful people and stories

 

 

 The ceiling inside

The bathroom!  The owner (Aaron) said that people drive many MANY miles just to see and use this working bathroom!  Check out that urinal!!  Hilarious and awesome. 

Galena, Kansas.  We chose this little town to stay in because it has such a fun geology connection (Galena is in every mineralogy kit out there) and we found the cutest little apartment to stay in right on 'Main Street'.  Our plan was to leave after a cup of coffee to begin our wandering but we were in town until well after lunchtime because of the people.  The people.  Mr. Danny (the 74 year old barista at the Streetcar Station coffee shop who took pictures off the wall to tell us about the history of this mining town and the role his grandfather played in it),  Michelle (the sweet lady doing a jigsaw puzzle at a window table at the coffee shop who had endless stories about legends of bank robbers and outlaws that made their way through Galena), Aaron (the vintage garage owner and renovator who had a dream and made it so.  A remarkable story of grit and adventure and fun and a town that supported him along the way), Ms. Rosemary (a Missouri native who plans Route 66 roadside trips and who took no less than 10 photos of L and I next to a replica of Doc Hudson from the Cars movie.  She also offered us bagels and donuts and told us precisely where her group of Route 66 enthusiasts would be eating lunch so that we could join), Henry (Rosemary introduced us.  Henry is a USC alum and met us with a solid "Spurs Up" greeting.  We talked about SC and cars and what its like to travel open roads with new people and to hear their stories.  He gave us tire pressure tools, car air fresheners, and Route 66 post cards).  And David (a TN man making his way from Chicago to Santa Monica on Route 66.  He had an old school mini video camera and was documenting 'Tow Mater' for his grandkids saying that they were probably too old now to think it was cool but he couldn't help embracing the nostalgia.  We understood and took Tow Mater pictures for Luke too).  People.  The stories - both past and present - of people.  I will forever believe that human connection is the lifeblood of us, of humanity.  Make the connections, listen to the stories, your life will be better for it.  So, our planned early morning departure time turned into afternoon and it was time well spent.

The tri-state marker.  A nondescript gravel road - just outside a massive casino entrance - led us to this tiny spot.  We made our way through Oklahoma to get here, this part of OK was full of huge ranches (mostly buffalo ranches) and a Native American reservation.  Just such a wonderful reminder of the diversity of people and places in this country.

Chert glades! 

Chert!  Often used to create arrowheads, a very hard and silica based sedimentary rock. 

Us on a beautiful and 100 degree day!

Springfield, MO for a brew.  We wandered both Joplin, Missouri and Springfield, Missouri and loved them both.  Adorable shops, lovely people, good food, and we found used bookstores in both towns.  You all know how I love a bookstore. 

Nothing like a "Running from Squatch" race in the middle of nowhere to round out our middle America trip.  We enjoyed our time in new places with new people so very much.

 Back home to celebrate L's birthday.  Ima and Luke made L a birthday cake! 

L  hosted some elementary students in his lab for the afternoon.  Lucky kiddos doing some pretty cool science!

 A bittersweet goodbye to our beloved Meredith!  She and Alvin are off on a new adventure. 

 An office baby shower.  Me and two of the gals wore pretty much the same thing (baby blue on top, navy on bottom) to celebrate two baby boys that will soon make their arrival.  The two head bosses in our office are expecting! 

 

 The office crew!  I adore these people!

 Hurricane Helene foiled some camping plans but we made the most of our electricity-less time.  And like Luke said - it was kind of like camping anyway...no power, slightly uncomfortable sleeping conditions, and unpredictable weather.  We played some games, listened to the crazy wind, and were very thankful that we were spared!  Helene was a beast and we were VERY fortunate.  We had a lot of debris to clean up and school was closed for 3 and half days but we were safe.  Many people, even  in our immediate area, were not so lucky and clean up continues - chainsaws have been the background noise in our lives lately.  We think constantly of our Carolina neighbors to the north.  Such a crazy and harsh and humbling storm.

 

After the above picture I asked them to give me a 'good picture'.  This is what these fools did.  Ha!  I love them SO much! 

 

 September has come and gone and as I type this we have windows open and the air is crisp.  Hooray!  I am a fall gal through and through and we are wishing you all a safe and healthy and happy fall!