Charleston maps, in 3D!

While I was in Charleston, Calli pointed out a series of cool maps to me. A park on the east side of the peninsula has a set of four sculptures representing the city of Charleston as it was in the 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.

In the 17th century, the city takes up just the southernmost tip of the peninsula. Of course, it only had 20 out of those 100 years to grow.

The 18th century saw some growth north on the peninsula. I like the emerging pier on the Cooper River.

Charleston exploded in the 19th century, reaching the base of the peninsula. The docks on the Cooper River expanded as well.

Charleston in the 20th century saw two significant changes reflected in the map - the giant bridge over the Cooper River, and the elimination of several piers for the construction of Riverside Park.

I can't decide if the bridge is more impressive while you're driving over it after an overnight drive from Wisconsin, or looking at it cast in bronze or whatever.

Cupcaniac

cup·ca·ni·ac /ˈkʌpˌkeɪˌniˌæk/
- noun
1. a person who displays overly fervent desire or enthusiasm for cupcakes


I first found out that Calli is a cupcaniac while we were in Charleston, although I didn't create the word until we were in Savannah. Charleston has a tremendous cupcake shop on King Street that we visited one day after lunch. I had a chocolate chip cheesecake cupcake:

...while Calli devoured a chocolate cupcake with cream cheese frosting:

( I was a tad more patient at this particular restaurant).

Such is her love for cupcakes that she then debated getting another.

Ultimately, we left Charleston without a second helping of cupcakes (or manna, depending on your point of view/propensity to exaggerate). However, the vacation was not done yet. While we were on a ghost tour in Savannah, we happened across a cupcake emporium. This, of course, was the highlight of the day for one of us.

In the spirit of Easter, we had chocolate and vanilla cupcakes with buttercream frosting and a chocolate bunny garnish.


Calli Matzke: cupcaniac.

Thanks - you too!

You know when you're at a checkout line, or at the bank, or in any situation where somebody might say to you, "Have a nice day"? The reply "you too" is so automatic that it really doesn't require effort. Every so often, some renegade barista or coworker will say something like "Have a good vacation" or "Hope you feel better" and you reply, "you too!"...and immediately realize that your reply doesn't make sense. Whoops. You've just admitted to having at least a portion of your brain not actually devoted to the conversation.

Well, I hope the taco stand guy today has a great trip to South Carolina and Georgia, because I'm certainly going to!

Happy Spring Break, everybody.

Road trip audio books

In two and a half weeks, I'll be going on a spring break trip to Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA. My plan on the drive is to either be passed out in the passenger seat or listening to audio books, but I'm having trouble thinking of books to check out for that purpose. The problem is this - I don't want to listen to books I've read before, ruling out the by-all-accounts-terrific Harry Potter audiobooks. However, I keep going down my list of books to read and think that if I want to read them, I want to actually read them and not listen to them.

Whatever am I to do?

In like a lamb, Out like a lamb

It looks like the beginning of March is going to be quite pleasant, as far as weather goes. According to everything I ever learned in elementary school, that means the end of March should be absolutely terrible, right?

Wrong. I'll be enjoying temperatures even more like a baby sheep, since I'm taking a trip to Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA at the end of the month. I've outsmarted the Farmer's Almanac!