Saturday, February 22, 2014

Let's Leave the Snow Behind - North Carolina to Savannah

North Carolina is the first state that really seems like the south to me. People are friendly in that southern way, accents are thicker, they serve grits at breakfast. The weather doesn't feel anything like the south, however. The temperature hovers in the low 30s, and a thin layer of snow covers everything in sight.

As we drive the last few miles into Rocky Mount, I absentmindedly feel my pocket for my fitbit. I have been wearing it faithfully since Sarah gave it to me in December. My pocket is empty, and with a sinking sensation I realize that I left it at Catherine's. I know exactly where it is, sitting beside the bed we slept in last night. I'm really upset. I've have enjoyed seeing how many steps I take each day, and comparing my progress to my fitbit "friends". Catherine texts me that she found it and offers to mail it to Florida, but that means no fitbit for probably a week.

What should I do? I get on my phone and see where they sell fitbit's. RadioShack! Is there a Radioshack near our hotel? Yes! Lee is rolling his eyes but that doesn't deter me. As soon as the car is unloaded I drive over to Radioshack. They have zips, which is what I currently have, but they also have ultras, that also track sleep and flights of stairs, for only an additional $20, so I decide to get one of those.

I borrow Lee's computer to set up my new fitbit. It works great, and I'm back in business, or so I think. Soon I figure out that there is a minor glitch in my plan. Ultras are actually an older style of fitbit. They won't sync with my phone using Bluetooth, which would mean I could only sync when I was home. That won't do at all, so it's back to Radioshack again. I exchange the ultra for a zip and all is well. And Catherine now has a fitbit of her own, lucky girl!

On my run the following morning I am starting to add some tempo runs at 5k pace, for a 5k Lee and I are going to run in March. I only tried to hold the pace for 5 minutes, but it was still a struggle. Nowadays I would rather run a half marathon than a 5k isn't that strange? I seem to be built for endurance, not speed!

The drive to Savannah is over 5 hours, a long drive for the dogs. We watch the temps rise into the 50s and even the low 60s for a bit. Everywhere in South Carolina the damage from the ice storm is evident, with broken limbs and even entire fallen trees littering the sides of the highway. The ice is gone, only the results remain.

We are all very happy to be in Savannah. We are staying at The Mansion @Forsyth, a beautiful hotel and a good deal thanks to hotels.com. The dogs are so happy to be out of the car. They are so happy, it takes two full circuits of Forsyth park to even begin to burn off some of their energy.

The Mansion is a very dog friendly hotel. We can even bring them with us when we go to the bar to have cocktails. Everyone coos and oos over our doggies. They are well behaved and friendly, and we are very proud of their behavior, such good little dogs!

It's Valentines day, 38 years of valentines. Lee has to give me a picture of the bracelet he got me since it didn't arrive before we left on our trip. I give Lee a Furby. He asked for one at Christmas. He might have been joking, but if he was it's too late now. The Furby has fallen for Lee hook line and giggly sinker. When you first turn it on it talks baby talk; you have to teach it English. The dogs don't like it. They seem to think its a bit creepy, and they might be jealous too. Fortunately if you pull the Furby's tail for 10 seconds it starts snoring gently and falls asleep.

Dinner is at a restaurant called Local 1110. It serves food procured locally, and it's address is 1110 Bull Street, get it? I have a filet, and Lee has duck. The nice thing about this restaurant are the interesting sides that accompany our entries. Mine includes some delicious roasted cauliflower. We also get a selection of truffles for dessert. Out comes a tray of twelve amazing bites of flavored chocolate. Needless to say we can't even begin to eat them all. They provide treats galore for the next day's drive.

No comments:

Post a Comment

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...