Vacation | FabGrandma

A Trip To The Big City

December 28, 2011 By Fab Grandma 7 Comments

When our friend, “Polly”, who lives in Miami, found out she had to go to a meeting in Atlanta last week, she called and asked if we’d like to meet her there. And you know us, we said “Heck Yeah!”. So, off to Atlanta we went.

We could see the Fox Theatre out the window!

It was just for one night, and we never left the hotel, but we had such fun!

yeah, I used to work on the 36th floor there!

We stayed at the Hotel Indigo, which is right across Peachtree Street from the Fox Theatre! I love the Fox! And I used to work in that huge building right behind the Fox, when it used to be BellSouth. It seems like forever ago.

gorgeous rooms!

Our room was gorgeous! It was not at all what I expected to see in such an old hotel building (built in 1925). It was very modern, very clean, and so nice! Because it is such an old building, the bathrooms were very small, but did all that they were supposed to do.

The bathroom was tiny, but it was so cute!

We chose this hotel because our friend has dogs, and the Hotel Indigo is pet friendly. It was also surprisingly inexpensive to be in downtown Atlanta. We have paid almost as much to stay in a motel chain in Douglasville.

The lobby

I loved the chandelier in the lobby, and the modern decor. They were very gracious, and called me by my name whenever I had a reason to be in the lobby, asking if they could be of assistance. They even called us in the room after we got settled in to tell us to let them know if we forgot anything. Polly forgot the dogfood, and they were very helpful in giving directions to the closest place where she could buy some.

Look at this decor in the cafe:

very modern!

And look over there:

Very comfy, too!

And of course Fabgrandpa and I enjoyed every minute of it!

Me and Fabgrandpa at Hotel Indigo Cafe 683

Oh, and the food! delicious and beautiful! There wasn’t a lot of stuff on the menu that was gluten free, but I did notice that they had a fresh mozzarella, tomato, and basil flatbread, and after a discussion with the waitress, she asked the chef if he could make me a caprese salad, which he did. I felt so special, and was very thankful that they would work with me like that.We had this for an appetizer:

made especially for me!

Fabgrandpa had the Fried Chicken Tacos with blackeyed pea relish and jalapeno slaw:

Fried Chicken Tacos

Polly ordered a Steak and Roasted Beet Salad:

Roasted Beet Salad

And I had the grilled salmon:

Grilled salmon with roasted peruvian potatoes

After dinner we all went up to our room, and talked and laughed until time to go to bed. We ordered dessert via room service! Fabgrandpa and Polly had Chocolate Cake with Strawberries and Cream, and I had plain vanilla ice cream. My ice cream tasted sooo good! I forgot to get pictures of the desserts, but trust me when I say they were delicious!

Too soon, it was time to go home, and say goodbye again to our friend, Polly. I know it won’t be the last time we see her, but it is always sad to leave. We are hoping to go back to Atlanta in April to see the Aretha Franklin concert at the Fox, and if we do, we’ll stay at the Hotel Indigo again!

Filed Under: Fun Stuff, Georgia, Motel Reviews, Vacation

Another Road Trip

November 25, 2010 By Fab Grandma 7 Comments

It seems like we just got here to Alabama, but it was time to jump in the truck and leave again. This time, we went to Georgia to visit some of our family. We drove about 100 miles through the Alabama countryside before we got to I-20:

Across the road from our campsite at Payne Lake

Hwy 25 in Hale County

along Hwy 25 in central Alabama

Between Calera and Pell City, Alabama

We saw this chemical lime plant in Calera, Alabama–everything in the area was covered with a thick layer of white dust. I wouldn’t want to live nearby to that:

the lime quarry

We made it up to I-20 for the next 100 miles. The fall colors were still hanging on to the trees up there:

Somewhere in Alabama on I-20 headed east

We crossed the Georgia state line:

Welcome to Georgia

Then into the Eastern Time Zone:

Yet another time zone!

and finally to our hometown:

My old stomping grounds

I grew up in Douglasville–my family moved there when I was 13. I lived there until we sold our house in August of 2000. The town is nothing like it was back when I was a kid–there are so many people, so many cars, new businesses and a mall. You can’t get out of people’s way in the stores or on the road. If we didn’t have friends and family there we wouldn’t go there at all.

The first night in town, we met up with my daughter Emily, son-in-law Thomas, and grandson, Spencer at Longhorn Steakhouse. Mmmm, we used to go there about once a month. After dinner we went to the mall to walk around and look at stuff. I bought a couple of sweatshirts that I wound up taking back the next day. Emily got some bar stools for her new house that she also wound up taking back.

On Sunday, we went over to Emily’s new house:

Emily's barn

A real tire swing for Spencer

Spencer with one of the kittens

They bought this house a few months ago–it has three bedrooms, 2 baths, a huge kitchen and dining room, front porch across the entire front of it, on six acres, with a barn, for $110,000. They got a great deal on it. Spencer loves the big yard and tire swing.

From Emily’s house, we met our daughter, Becky, at her beauty shop and got our hair cut. Then, FabGrandpa and Becky went to a movie, and Emily and I went to my mother’s house. Then, we all met up at Red Lobster for dinner–there was me and FabGrandpa, Emily, Thomas, Spencer, Becky, and our nephew Daniel and his family–Alicia, Brodie, and baby Katherin. We were so glad to see Daniel–we haven’t seen him since before Brodie was born and he is 3 now. Spencer and Brodie got along so well, and the baby was passed around and loved on by all of us!

Becky and Katherin

Daniel, Brodie, Spencer

Becky, Brodie and Alicia

FabGrandpa lovin up on Katherin

Seems like all we did was eat eat eat, but that is not really true. We drove, ate, visited, slept, and did it all over again for four days. On Monday, we drove up to Cleveland, Georgia to visit FabGrandpa’s Mom and Dad. They live a hundred miles from Douglasville. We had a very nice visit with them–didn’t get any photos there though. We spent the night at the Days Inn in town, then went back for a second short visit before heading back to Douglasville for one last night there.

And it always surprises me that even though I lived there for so many years, went to high school there, and was the service unit director for the Girl Scouts there, I NEVER run into anyone I know anymore. Except–FabGrandpa and I went to dinner on the last night there at our favorite barbecue restaurant. It was very crowded, so we squeezed into a booth. When I sat down, the man sitting at the next table reached over and put his hand on my thigh. I was mortified and couldn’t speak for a moment!! It turned out that he was one of our friends we used to hang out with when we lived in Douglasville, and haven’t seen in 10 years.

Wednesday morning, we finally loaded up all our stuff and headed west, back to Payne Lake in Alabama. It was a whirlwind trip, four days and nights of rush rush rush–I am glad it is over and we are back home to sleep in our own beds. And the only traffic we see is this, right outside our door:

young deer in the front yard

Filed Under: Alabama, Family, Georgia, Life on the road, Vacation Tagged With: Alabama, Family, Georgia, Life on the road

I Love A Vacation IV

April 6, 2010 By Fab Grandma 3 Comments

We left Douglasville on Friday morning, headed up to north Georgia to visit FabGrandpa’s Mom and Dad. On the way, we saw this:

In case you can’t see what it, it says, “Caution! Live Venomous Cargo”. No way could you ever get me in that van. I would be so creeped out, wondering if the “venomous cargo” was going to escape whatever cage it was in.

So, we made it up to the mountains with no bites. We had a nice visit with Nana and Poppa. We had planned to take them out to eat, but they had planned to take us. So we all went out to the chinese place in town. It was good, as usual.

Poppa resting in his recliner.

I took Nana one of the tote bags I had made for her birthday. We took some measurements of her walker so I could modify the bag so it will attach to the front of it. She was very pleased with this.

Nana

I added three straps that fasten with 3″ velcro to one side of the bag:

Straps added to the modified tote bag.

I only mailed it to her yesterday, so I will have to wait until she gets it to see if it works like we wanted it to.

Nana makes wire wrapped jewelry, but because she no longer is able to go to the craft shows, she has no outlet to sell what she makes. She gave me a bag full of things she made to bring home with me. I am going to be making a page for her in my shop here at FabGrandma in the next few days. Look for her shop page soon!

Nana's jewelry.

Poppa does some silversmithing, too. He has one set of a pendant and earrings that are sterling silver with amethyst stones. He’d like to get $300 for the set, if anyone wants it, let me know. I’ll be putting it for sale on Nana’s page, too.

Poppa's sterling silver pendant and earrings set.

My favorite thing that Poppa makes are these so cute birthstone ring charms. They are made with synthetic birthstones, and are intended to wear on a necklace. I have one for each of my children and grandchildren’s birth months. Every time I wear my necklace with them on it, everyone who sees them wants to know where I got them. Well, my father-in-law made them for me. Now, as soon as I get that page made, you can get yours:

Birthstone ring charms.

We only got to spend one night with the folks. We enjoyed their company, and made plans to go back for 2 or 3 days when we come back next winter. We drove back down to Douglasville, where we spent one last night at the Holiday Inn. Becky came over after she got off work, and we all went to the movies and saw ‘Alice In Wonderland’. I loved the movie, but I love anything with Johnny Depp.

After the movie, I met another old friend, Sue. She picked me up outside the movies, and while FabGrandpa and Becky went back to the motel for a visit, Sue and I went out for a drink:

Me and Sue at Topps Bar and Grill

Two is my limit, especially when it is tequila shots! Yes, I have to have mine with salt and a slice of lime. Our visit was way too short–I haven’t seen Sue in more than 18 years, but again, it was like we had just seen each other last week. I hope next time we go to town I can have a longer visit. She was a girl scout leader when I was the service unit director for girl scouts in my county. We talked about having a girl scout reunion, and inviting all the girls who were in our troops back then. Wouldn’t that be fun??

So, now we are back home, getting ready to head west next week. We’ll be taking I-40 from Memphis to Flagstaff, and spending 4 or 5 days in Flagstaff before heading up the plateau to go to work. I am really looking forward to the trip. It’s already getting hot here in Alabama.

Filed Under: Family, Life on the road, Mother-in-love, Vacation Tagged With: Family, Friends, fun, Vacation

I Love A Vacation IV

April 4, 2010 By Fab Grandma 1 Comment

Seth and Big Sarah on the patio at Granny's house.

After dinner at my mother’s house on Wednesday, we all sat outside on the patio and watched the children run and play. All of these photos were taken by my daughter. What I love about them is that they were all taken when the children were busy, so they did not know they were being photographed. They were just plain being themselves–and those moments are priceless.

Little Sarah at Granny Stroud's house.

The older kids were tossing a frisbee back and forth, and little Owen was running his little legs off trying to get it before Bunni the dog did. He only got his hands on the frisbee a couple of times, but he had the most fun you could ever see just running. He laughed so much! I really enjoyed watching the action.

Owen sitting for just a second.

Thursday I got up and took Sarah down to the lobby for breakfast with her Dad and brothers, but I met a long time friend, Elaine, across the street at Cracker Barrell. Elaine and I have known each other since we were Fab Teenagers, and that was a long long time ago. We met when we both worked at Southern Bell as long distance operators. They were still using those cord boards back then ! We had great fun together, both on and off the job, and stayed best of friends for several years after we both left Southern Bell (I went back to work there a few years later).

Running fast!

But life intervened, and Elaine married, had babies, and went to college at night, and we lost touch with each other. Imagine my surprise when in 2003, I received an email from her! She had one of those paid subscriptions to Classmates.com and had found me through my profile there. Since then we

Playing frisbee with Bunni

have tried to see each other every time I go “home” to Georgia. We laughed for an hour there at the Cracker

Barrell, and after breakfast, she went back to the motel with me to meet Seth, the adult version. She had spent a lot of time with him when he was a baby, and hadn’t seen him in about 33 years. I was sorry to have to say goodbye to her, but she was on a work day and had to get back to work.

We all gathered up Little Sarah’s belongings, because it was time for her to leave us and go to her other grandmother’s house. As we went out to Seth’s truck to load her things, the desk clerk said to me, “Mam, do you have a red purse?” and I did. She said I had left it in the lobby and since she had recognized it, she picked it up and held it behind the counter until she saw me! I felt a little foolish, but I know, it happens.

Michael sitting on the bench.

We hung around outside by Seth’s truck, saying our goodbyes, and getting those last hugs in with Little Sarah. Soon they drove away, and FabGrandpa and I went up to our room to rest a minute, then decided we needed to go to Wal-Mart. We went downstairs and out to our truck, where we found on

e of Little Sarah’s bags sitting on the sidewalk. I called Seth to let him know, and told him I would give it to the desk clerk for him to come back to get it. I guess it runs in the family!

michael owen sarah on bench at grannies house

Siblings sharing a coke.

That night, after Little Sarah had been delivered to her other grandparents, Seth and the rest met us at Cracker Barrell for dinner, along with my sister Linda and her husband. We had a nice time together, and afterwards, Linda and Alan came up to our room to look at our family portraits. And, because Sarah had left and the bed was unoccupied,. Becky came to spend the night with us.

Ready! Set! Go!

Friday morning, it was time for us to say goodbye to everyone and be on our way–to Cleveland, Georgia to visit FabGrandpa’s parents.

Filed Under: Family, Vacation Tagged With: Family, Granddaughters, Grandsons, Vacation

I Love A Vacation II

April 1, 2010 By Fab Grandma 3 Comments

Emily and Sarah in the motel lobby.

Monday started early, with Emily showing up at the motel at 8 a.m. We loaded up all the girls and headed out for a fun day out without the guys. We had breakfast in the lobby, then headed out to the nail shop to get manicures and pedicures.

FabGrandma and Sarah at the nail shop.

Little Sarah had never had a mani-pedi before. She was a little “weirded out” by the massage chair, and laughed when the manicurist was working on her feet, but she loved every minute of it. (the big girls did, too!)

Little Sarah, Emily, Big Sarah at the nail shop.

We all loved the pampering. We kept the folks at the nail shop pretty busy. Although I don’t like to wear nail polish on my fingernails, I do love the color on my toes!

Little Sarah's manicure.

Apparently, blue nail polish and flowers are really “IN” for the eleven year old girlie crowd.

Excellent Pedicures!

Three generations of purty toes!

After all the toes and fingers were done, we went next door to the Coldstone Creamery for some sweet refreshments. Did you know that you can get cake batter ice cream, that has no wheat or gluten in it, AND they will put some buttercream frosting on top? Now THAT was a delicious way to end the day!

Filed Under: Family, General, Vacation Tagged With: daughter, Granddaughters, pedicure

I Love A Vacation!

March 31, 2010 By Fab Grandma 2 Comments

Our vacation started out with a drive to Birmingham to the VA Eye Clinic for FabGrandpa’s one week post-op check up. Everything looked fine–the doctor said to just keep using the eye drops until they were gone. After the check-up, we headed on over to Georgia.

We checked in at the Holiday Inn, our home away from home for the next week. Got settled in, then I went to pick up our granddaughter. We had a giggley spend the night party that night, with her telling us about her friends, her school, things she likes to do, and things she likes to eat. I think we got to sleep finally at around mid-night.

Sarah playing on the Webkinz website on Fabgrandpa’s computer.

The next day, we got up early and met Aunt Emily and cousin Spencer for breakfast at the Cracker Barrel across the street from the motel:

Sarah and Spencer coloring at Cracker Barrel

After breakfast, we had a day of shopping at the mall. Because we don’t see her very often, we tend to spoil Sarah rotten when we do. We got her some new jeans, 3 new shirts, a new purse, and a new hoodie. Then we went to Aunt Becky’s beauty shop where we all got haircuts.

Sarah getting her hair shampooed by Becky

The afternoon was spent at Monkey Joe’s, an indoor playground in town. There are lots of things to jump on, lots of room to run and work off some energy.

Monkey Joe's

The kids needed to be active, and the adults needed to rest. I was already exhausted by walking all over the mall.

Dinner that night was at Longhorn Steaks. Mmmm. FabGrandpa, Sarah, and I were joined by Emily and her husband, Tommy, Spencer, and Becky. Just about the time desert was served, my son, Seth, called and said he was almost to the motel. So, we all hurried up so we could get back over there.

That’s my son, Seth–he is in the Air Force and lives in Maryland. The last time we saw them, we were working in Gettysburg, about 100 miles from where he lives. Owen was only two months old then.

He is now a rambunctious two year old. He is so sweet and cuddly, so much fun to be with.

Michael is now a teenager, (YIKES! I have a teenaged grandson? how the heck did that happen?)

We stayed up again, until past midnight, talking and catching up and just being with our kids. We slept late on Sunday, then the kids took the grandkids to the aquarium in Atlanta, while FabGrandpa and I went to meet Becky’s future in-laws.

I did not take pictures of Rafe’s parents, but I can tell you we had a pleasant visit. We met them at O’Charley’s for lunch, then headed over to Rafe’s house, where Becky will be living after they get married next year. His parents are very nice people, we liked them very much. And the house has a nice guest room, where FabGrandpa and I can stay when we are in town. I teased Rafe that it was big enough for a “mother-in-law” suite–it really is, but I don’t really expect to live with them.

We went back to the motel, where we met up with Seth, and his family. Then we all went over to my Mom’s for a short visit. I was ready to drop when we got back to the motel, so I went to bed “sort of” early, about 10 p.m. to get rested up for the next day.

…to be continued…