Happy Birthday Mark July 1, 2008

On Monday, June 30, we left the Walkers' home around 11am. It was 63 degrees at that time! We felt cold but we didn't think anything of it. We drove south on I-75 and stopped at the Kentucky Artisan Center in Berea. I bought a jar of bourbon garlic jelly and a packet of spoonbread mix for my sister and family as souvenirs. Then on to Atlanta to stay two nights in Douglasville with the Harrar family. Sofia, the youngest daughter, is now 14 months old. That evening, Mark and dad Jamie celebrated Mark's birthday by drinking some absinthe. That seems to be the tradition everytime we visit the Harrars.
The next day, we hung out with Jamie and Sofia in the morning. Then we went to Spruill Art Gallery to pick up Mark's work. The gallery is getting ready for major construction (expanding the gallery and building a tall condo complex behind it). We met up with Robert at Jason's Deli for lunch and then return back to the Harrars' home for a delicious dinner of shrimp scampi on linguini. Even after a long day of work and being stuck in accident traffic jam for 3 hours, mom Debbie whipped up a chocolate cake to celebrate Mark's birthday.
By now, unfortunately, I had developed a sniffling cold. I think it was due to the sudden change in weather temperature and the stress of traveling. Nonetheless, we enjoyed our road trip immensely and I am always grateful for being a teacher and having these vacations!
The next day, on July 2, we left Atlanta to return to Tallahassee. On our way south, we stopped at Tanger Outlet Mall (our usual stop to do our annual shopping) in Locust Grove to buy some clothing at Eddie Bauer and a new pair of New Balance sneakers for Mark. Now we are glad to be home until our next trip later this month to visit my family in South Florida.