whirlwind

wow, i've done a bit of driving this week. i think i would like to share with you a couple of the things that stand out most. let's call it, the week in review.

let's start with monday. i had dinner with my parents in dillard, ga at a place called the cupboard cafe. i can highly recommend it if you are passing through the area and get a bit peckish. while dining, i made the comment to my parents that i could make the drive to blacksburg, va with my eyes closed. famous last words. while singing along to the boss, i completely spaced out and went the wrong way. needless to say, i won't be making that comment again.

tuesday was halloween and keeping with tradition at the office some people dressed up. i was not one of those people. i usually dress up but for some reason it just slipped my mind. however, it didn't slip vicky's. i was sitting in the cubby hole and she pops in wearing a shirt that is a optical illusion, shorts and sandals. at this point, i wasn't really sure what she was other than comfortable. then she showed me her toenails which she had painted blue and gold, the same color i painted my toenails for the virginia tech/georgia tech game last year. she came as me! i was so jealous. i could have worn shorts to work as well! but that costume runs a distant second to my all time favorite of hers; the whack-a-mole machine.

wednesday we went to troy's for lunch. enough said.

thursday was the beginning of our user conference. this is the second year that we have done one of the these. last year it was well received and it was no different this year. we took a tour of the metalsa-roanoke plant where they manufacture rails for big rigs. we walked through the plant and there were probably no more than 10 people watching the line. it is completely automated and one of the coolest plants i have ever seen.

friday after the user conference we went to the homeplace. it is a family style restaurant and one of the best places at making you miserable for eating too much. z.j. and christy were a bit later getting there and told the guy that seats people they were with the big group. so he took them to a table with about 20 folks eating. uh, wrong group. they did eventually make it to our table.

later that night i went to the cellar in blacksburg with some friends. while i'm sitting at a table i look up to the bar and this guy is waving at me. as i'm trying to place him (i have difficulty recognizing people out of context) another head turns around and its none other than tracy moran and immediately i place curtis. turns out, curtis works at metalsa-roanoke and was sitting in an office when our group walked by and he thought that he saw me. he asked who that was that walked by and his suspicions were confirmed when the fella answered "CCS".

and that brings us to saturday. i drove to gainesville to see my grandparents and nephews. always good to see the family. on my way around atlanta, i was searching through the radio stations trying to find the nc state/georgia tech game on the radio when i came across a station playing christmas carols! it's november 4th and they are playing carols already! well, i managed to get over that and made it home safely to find bethany and arty laying on the couch waiting for me.

it was a good trip but it is nice to be home.