After Sandra dropped us off at the Stuttgart, we were informed that would could not board the plane to Atlanta due to "weight and balance restrictions."
We put our 3 heads and GT degrees together and decided to take a train to to Zürich and attempt to fly out of that airport. So, 6 hours, 5 trains, and 20 Euros later, we arrived at the Zürich airport.
Yeah...welcome to Switzerland.
Base Camp. After being bumped from the Zürich flight to Atlanta due to the notorious "weight and balance issues," we set up shop at the airport's Starbucks. Though in most cases, I am completely opposed to Starbucks for reasons such as burning their coffee to normalize their bad, unfair traded coffee and not giving water to firefighter's amidst the 9/11 attacks, I really appreciated their comfy and 24 hour availability of their couches.
Resting at base camp before venturing up to Mt. Terminal E through the Security Check Point Pass. Those Swiss passes are notorious for being difficult to traverse.
One thing I love about the Swiss the their immaculate over attention to detail. Example: After successfully passing through security and customs, a sweet young Swiss girl greets everyone on the tram via a series of video screens adjacent to the tracks. After, smiling, she gives the window a Swiss kiss. I'll admit, I may have blushed a little.
(flying over the Swiss Alps. And that's not a glacier, those are the clouds...in case you're wondering)Thankfully, Chris and I got on the flight the following morning. Seems that the third time was in fact the charm. Sadly though, Tyler did not make the flight list. With regret, as we pulled away from the gate, we glanced out of our first class window and I swear I could feel the tears building up in Tyler's tear ducks. So, Chris and I toasted to his honor and then selected the filet mignot for lunch.
After arriving in a very foggy Atlanta and getting bumped from the flight home to Roanoke, I elected to stay a few days in Atlanta and visit friends even though my luggage continued on without me to Roanoke. Luckily, the timing worked out well. Leland, best buddy extraordinaire, happened to grace us for the first time since being deployed to Hawaii as a Marine officer.One thing I have learned is that distance and time can have no effect on strong friendships. The adventures and stories we have shared in the past hold us together like a strong cord. Also, pictured are Logan and Emily. They're pretty cool too.
Picture here is my lovely sister, Leah. I rented a car and drove up to Winston-Salem through a snowstorm to spend some time with her. I also learned that Winston-Salem is founding a new minor league baseball team this spring. They will be called the Winston-Salem Dash. Let me know when/if you get that.
As you can see, the pre-Christmas snow left its mark on our driveway. I spent 2 hours clearing it with pictured snow blower. This day was the first time my father or I had ever used one of these things. And like most testosterone-filled males, give us a gas-powered machine and we see a new toy. One would work for a while and the other would come up and say, "Um...I think it's my turn," and take over for a bit.
View from my front yard at sunset
Christmas pictures with the family.
My brother, Jack, loving Christmas.
Tug of war
I have a very affectionate dog.
Frying one of the two turkeys on Christmas Day. In my family, we always eat well.
Speaking of eating well, I was gifted the Pat Conroy Cookbook by my parents. First off, if you are looking for a great novel to read, pick up a copy of Beach Music by Mr. Conroy. A friend put it quite well when he told me, "Chandler, I been reading Beach Music. And when I say 'reading,' I really mean 'loving.'Not only does Pat understand and speak words to what it can be like for a male growing up in the South (wonderful and treacherous), but he views eating in a different way than most American men and doing so change my perspective on food.
All that to say, above is one of the recipes taken from his book that I cooked for Ryan, also best buddy extraordinaire, and myself one evening in Atlanta. It is a grits casserole. Turns out combining Southern staples like grits, eggs, sausage, cream, and Tabasco can age beautifully over the course of 45 minutes in the oven.
New Year's Eve began at Ru San's....
Followed by the Band of Horses concert at the Tabernacle. Simply wonderful...
Well, the countdown ended, midnight struck, one year/decade ended, and another began.
"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."
After the band.....of horses finished their set, they invited the opening performers and both band's assistants, managers, and whoever else they felt like inviting to the stage to join them in a song to start the new year/decade. The song of choice was Michael Jackson's inspirational hit 'We are the World.' What a way to start fresh and anew to sing a song in unison with over a thousand people about unison and choosing to better the world with our decisions. And though it may sound cheesy and may have been a bit, it was a pure and good moment I hope i never forget. Latching arms, smiling, and swaying, every person in that concert hall jump-started the new year and decade focusing on us as a world, loving it, and loving one another.
Yes, those are cop cars, 5 in fact.Upon returning to our car in a park somewhere in Atlanta after doing a little geocaching, we found two police officers next to the car. When seeing 6 figures appear from the woods, one police officer instantly uttered something into is walkie-talkie and suddenly, 4 more cars, blue lights a blazing, came for back up. So, looking at the numbers: 5 Atlanta police cars, 10 Atlanta police officers, and 6 white suburban kids. Overkill?
After explaining geocaching to each officer, two license checks, and multiple conversations, we were free to go.
You know, I feel like I am a respectable, semi-cultured young man. I live in Europe, speak German, have a degree from Georgia Tech, well-mannered in the etiquette fine dining, treat women with the respect they deserve, and know how to "suit up"....but sometimes, I love being a southern redneck. I spent a couple of days in Madison County with my family-in-law. After a hearty breakfast at the Brantley estate, Tyler asked Daniel and I, "So, y'all wanna walk through the woods and shoot at anything that moves?" I believe the response is evident by the picture above.After dawning a .30-30, .308, .22, 16 gauge, 12 gauge, and even a .38 Luger with a Nazi emblem bearing holster, we started walking through the woods. Though it was cold, we traversed over the fallen, frigid leaves one loud step at a time. Though we were "hunting," we really just wanted an excuse to get out of the house, feel manly, and catch up on each others lives. We succeeded in all areas. We ended the day atop a small ridge overlooking a creek watching the sunlight fade from the forest. Three cousins, who have known each other since shortly after their births, sat on a log and talked. We spoke of direction, life, dumb mistakes, great memories, and even girls. In that moment, I thought, "This is why we came out here."
And for good measure, we saw a squirrel on the walk back home and filled its tree-top hole with 4 different types of ammo.
