Handstands Across America » South Carolina

Table Rock Summit – Pickens, South Carolina

Sam E. — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:40:14 +0000

New Handstands from Table Rock State Park in South Carolina!

Paris Mountain South Park – Sulphur Springs Trail

Sam E. — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:20:03 +0000

The Sulphur Springs trail at Paris Mountain State Park in South Carolina was a fun, short trail taking us about an hour and fifteen minutes to complete the 3 mile loop. This handstand is at the trailhead. I would have preferred to get one up at “Mountain Lake”, but will have to get that next time we are there.

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Someone Throws a Full But Open Beer Can at You, What do you Do?

Sam E. — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 04:37:16 +0000

I finally got to go on a picnic date with Kristen like she had been wanting to do and it abruptly ended by some punk ass kids throwing a beer can at us and ALMOST hitting her. Luckily it just got her wet, and didn’t hit one of us in the head.

We realized they were up on the top of the parking deck and … check out Kristen’s blog for the full scoop.

I live in such a logical world that I find it hard to believe that people that are as STUPID as these kids actually exist. I guess I’m living in a bubble, but seriously, who does that?

July 2009 – 12 of 12

Sam E. — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:11:21 +0000

The majority of the time…

I’m driving, According to my 2009 12 of 12 stats (3 of 5 including this one). Approximately 1150 miles of documented driving on the 12th’s of the month in 2009!

Driving

THIS MONTH’s ~ 500 Miles from Arlington, VA to Greenville, SC
June 12 of 12 ~400 Miles from Greenville, SC to Ashland, VA
March 12 of 12 ~250 Miles from Blacksburg, VA to Greenville, SC

Chillin’

April 12 of 12 – in VA
February 12 of 12 – in SC

July’s 12 of 12

1 of 12: 10am – Coffee to get me started. [Flickr]

2 of 12: About to get on I-395 South in Shirlington [Flickr]

3 of 12: Passing Potomac Mills [Flickr]

4 of 12: This pretty much sums up Richmond, VA. A SunTrust and a 7-11. [Flickr]

5 of 12: Diet Coke in Richmond [Flickr]

6 of 12: Quiznos Sub for Lunch right before the North Carolina Border. Diet Mountain Dew not shown. [Flickr]

7 of 12: Still trucking it on I-85. [Flickr]

8 of 12: Mebane, NC – Sheetz Iced Coffee, Caramel. Delicious. [Flickr]

9 of 12: Intersection in Charlotte, NC. I always saw signs on the interstate for “Cook Out” but here is one! [Flickr]

10 of 12: Diet Dr. Pepper for the last leg! [Flickr]

11 of 12: South Carolina! [Flickr]

12 of 12: 7:30pm – Back in Greenville, SC! Had to take Kristen to pick up her car, and we recycled on the way, how green we are! [Flickr]

What the heck was this 12 of 12?

It’s something that I saw Brian doing, and I started doing too. The idea came from Chad. Check out his site for more info.

A Newcomers Guide to a Southern Classic – The “Low Country Boil”

Sam E. — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 05:01:55 +0000

This past Saturday I had the honor of being invited (through my girlfriend, Kristen) to an official “Low Country Boil”. I had no idea what to expect when preparing for this event, and I wanted to help you be prepared for your first “Low Country Boil” experience. I am a Northerner (born and raised in Arlington, Virginia/Washington D.C.), and this wasn’t something I had ever heard of. Kristen, having lived in South Carolina for less than a year didn’t know much about it either, including what to wear. I figured this is The South right? We’ll wear whatever we want.

We Show Up And…

This was not what I expected for a “Low Country Boil”. Her friends hosting the event are both Pharmacists and obviously bring in a decent amount of money because their house has a completely sodded yard, wall mounted flat screen TV, you name it. People were dressed like they were in an Ambercrombie catalog and were setting up “We" style=""text-decoration:" title="Wikipedia - Cornhole" href="This past Saturday I had the honor of being invited (through my girlfriend, Kristen) to an cornhole” as we arrived. There was a Blue Moon pony keg, and beer of all sorts from guest donations. (A Random Observation: It seems as though Coors Light’s new marketing campaign is working well for them. The “Cold Activated Can” because it was definitely the most abundant beer there. Or maybe it was on sale?)

Low Country Boil Ingredients

4 pounds small red potatoes
5 quarts water
1 (3-ounce) bag of crab boil seasoning
4 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
2 pounds kielbasa or hot smoked link sausage, cut into 1½-inch pieces
6 ears of corn, halved
4 pounds large fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined optional
Cocktail sauce

(Recipe From: CoastalLiving.com. If you like Paula Dean, you can use her recipe instead.)

Cook it up

Paula Dean says the total cooking time is 43 Minutes. Has she ever lied? I don’t know, but I know a lot of you Food Network people swear by her. Coastal Living breaks it down a little more:
“Add potatoes to large pot, then add 5 quarts water and seasonings. Cover pot and heat to a rolling boil; cook 5 minutes. Add sausage and corn, and return to a boil. Cook 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add shrimp to stockpot; cook 3 to 4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Drain. Serve with cocktail sauce. Serves 12.”

Dump It All On The Table

WHAT?!? You’re just going to dump that delicous food on the table? Yes. That is “what you do”. You are supposed to eat with your bare hands too. And oh man, was it ever good. This is one of the best meals I have eaten in a while. I even had seconds.

Final Thoughts

A “Low Country Boil” is a great event. I had a blast. Good food, beer, and new friends. Strangely enough though, this did not live up to my initial expectations. Yes, it did exceed them in some ways, but it lacked that southern “character” I thought it would have. That character I expected is best captured by Larry the Cable Guy or Jeff Foxworthy, but I suppose we were amongst the southern elite, and this was an exception. Do you think it was?

Since moving down to South Carolina, I have seen a big gap in the socio-economic ladder, and I see big differences between Rich and Poor. I suppose there is just a big of a gap in Washington, D.C., but there seems to be no help here… or is that just my uninformed view? Let me know what you think about the “Low Country Boil”, how your experience was different, and watch out for an upcoming post on my take on the gap between the Rich and the Poor of South Carolina.

Update: In case you didn’t hear, South Carolina Governor, Mark Sandford, Father of 4, just got back from Buenos Aires, Argentina where he’s been having an affair with his Argentinian lover..

June 2009 – 12 of 12

Sam E. — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 15:26:00 +0000

8:20 am – Reminder Text [Flickr]
Google Calendar helped remind me about 12 of 12 by sending me a text message.

10:00 am – Morning Coffee [Flickr]
Orioles over the Nats any day.

1:00pm – Office Space [Flickr]

3:00pm – Laundry Complete! [Flickr]
Laundry seems to take forever.

5:37 pm – My Packing Skillz [Flickr]
I have to get real luggage. Using a crate is kinda "ghetto".

6:30 pm – Kristen at the Helm [Flickr]
I-85 northbound to Ashland, VA.

8:30 pm – Wendys [Flickr]
Road trips do not equate to healthy eating.

9:35 pm – View of Harpers Gentlemens Club and Exotic Carwash [Flickr]
You read that right… Exotic Carwash. We dropped off Kristens roommate to go hang out in Greensboro with her brother, and this is their drop off spot. The brother called. "I’ve been here forever, where are you!" "We’re 2 exits away" "Well hurry up, I feel like I’m going to get mugged."

9:42 pm – Exactly 124,000 miles [Flickr]
Kristen’s Car is perfectly at 124,000 miles at the gas station. Lucky number of the day.

12:46 am – Sheetz for a pit stop [Flickr]
Bathroom – Check, Slushie – Check, Doughnut – Check, and we wonder why America is fat… Cause we’re pigs!

1:29 am – That took way too long [Flickr]
This trip took 7.5 hours, oh man what a lonng drive.

1:30 am – “Home” for the weekend! [Flickr]
Made it to Ashland, VA. Time for this overtime 12 of 12 to be over!

Welcome to My South Carolina Home

Sam E. — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 01:09:00 +0000

My South Carolina Apartment[View Slideshow]

Welcome to my Living Room [Flickr]

Maybe you like this corner of the ceiling better? [Flickr]

Why are You Sitting on the Floor? [Flickr]

Deck with Bike [Flickr]

Open Kitchen and Living Room [Flickr]

Kristen has discovered that she really likes thai food, so I made some tonight.

Thai Red Curry Chicken with Cilantro over Brown Rice [Flickr]

Outside My Window

Sam E. — Thu, 07 May 2009 00:03:00 +0000

2009-05 Outside My Window[View Slideshow]

I am up on the top floor of my new apartment and I have the birds, the bees and the rain visiting.

These HUGE Bumble Bee like things are EVERYWHERE [Flickr]

A peaceful nature backdrop [Flickr]

A branch in sunlight [Flickr]

Cleared for Landing [Flickr]

Virginia Cardinal in South Carolina [Flickr]

Cardinal Photo Op [Flickr]

Can we be friends? [Flickr]

May downpour off the roof [Flickr]

Drip [Flickr]

Afternoon Dove [Flickr]

Greenville SC Nightlife…

Sam E. — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 04:03:00 +0000

Wild Wings. More to follow…

5 Reasons why SC might not be too bad

Sam E. — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:26:00 +0000

Reasons why SC isn’t too bad:

Today
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday

Can you beat that forecast?

I got my keys last night.. but they didn’t open my apartment. Better success today is hoped for today My mom and bro will be in Atlanta this weekend, and it looks like Kristen and I might get to meet up with them on Saturday at “Six Flags Over Georgia“. Sweeeeet.

Sales tax in South Carolina

Sam E. — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:42:00 +0000

So, it bummed me out that I got charged sales tax on my 1 year supply of contacts I just bought from 1800contacts.com. It is the first thing that will be shipped to my new apartment, and they said because you’re in SC, we’ll charge you tax. Whaaat? Boo! I looked it up…. and found http://www.sctax.org/News+Releases/Archived+News+Releases/2000+News+Releases/04140001.htm. I did all of my Christmas shopping online last year and I very much hate the whole shopping experience. Hopefully SC did not just Tax my American Freedoms. I mean, I thought this was the most Red state that you could get, doesn’t that mean less tax? I guess I’ll figure it out. But this is your word of warning. Think twice before moving somewhere… make sure you don’t get taxed on your internet purchases!

Packing for the Move to Greenville, SC…

Sam E. — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 04:38:00 +0000

Almost done packing! Will finish in the morning, and Monday morning it is bon voyage! Blacksburg, VA -> Greenville, South Carolina! It’s crazy, but I’m pumped

March 2009 – 12 of 12 – Blacksburg, VA to Greenville, SC

Sam E. — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 02:51:00 +0000

Well, I woke up on an air matress, in a house where the owner’s girlfriend ran the car through the garage the night before… Didn’t get a picture til I got to work though, cause I forgot it was the 12th! I didn’t keep track of exact times the pictures were taken… Not really important I suppose, because I’m making this a “12 on 12″.

Zach and I worked together ALL morning on Project Schedules

Went for a Business lunch in his pimped out KIA

Panera was Delicious. Got the Smokehouse Turkey Panini and a Asian Sesame Chicken Salad

Jared went running in the office in the afternoon

Monkeys and monsters were held captive at my desk for the day, thanks to the previous tenant

Chick-fil-a for dinner on the way out of Christiansburg

Driving my boat full of my bed and many other things (cause I’m moving soon!)

I-74 and I-77 Junction (I chose I-77)

Mountain Dew to the rescue for the 270 mile drive

Driving on I-485 (which apparently not a road, even on google maps right now)

Welcome to South Carolina, wee!

I have made it, time to move in with my dresser and backpack!

Successful day. “12 on 12″. Done.

Don’t forget to check out Brian’s and Mike’s… They probably did theirs too! (or will post tomorrow)

February 2009 – 12 of 12 (but took my time getting it posted)

Sam E. — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:28:00 +0000

So “12 of 12″ is a creepy thing where someone takes 12 pictures throughout the day, on the 12th day of the month, in order to share what happens from their point of view. It’s kind of like real world, on the local cable access station… Anyways, I know I find it amusing to check out others, so hopefully you’ll be amused as well. Here are 2 people I know that did one as well…

Uri’s 12 of 12
Mike’s 12 of 12

And here is mine:

(1)6:30am, Wake up, put on your red socks because they are comfortable and you work from home.

(2)7:15am, Avoid the “traffic jams” in the bathroom.

(3)10:00am, Working is hard when you have 68 degree weather in February just outside that window.

(4)12:15pm Get out for lunch, go to Wal-Mart, buy some Eggplant, Onions, Potatoes, Tomatoes… Going to make curried eggplant for the first time

(5)3pm, Keep on workin.

(6)5pm, Chop them up!

(7) 6pm, “Pilates” with Kristen. It definitely works your abs… don’t laugh until you’ve tried.

(8) 6:30pm, Finally cooking up some Potatoes and Onion.

(9)6:45pm, Really, I am cooking!

(10)7:20pm, enjoying a Sierra Nevada with dinner.

(11)Dessert thanks to Kristen.

(12)9pm-11pm, Do not disturb them when Grey’s anatomy is on, if you want to walk out alive!

Final Thoughts:
Man, that cookie was good!

Blast From the Past – East Coast Beach Trip 2007

Sam E. — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 20:38:00 +0000

I’m deleting my wordpress blog that had 2 posts. Here is one of them from August 22nd, 2007.

Stop 1, Badin Lake Campground in the great state of North Carolina.
It was sooo hot here at night. They had nice facilities and a cool lake to swim in, but we didn’t manage to get any lake pictures.

Stop 2, Surfside Beach, SC.

We stayed the Holiday Inn here which I personally thought was great because it was away from the crowds we saw as we drove through myrtle, and hey, we weren’t camping

Stop 4, Buck Hall Recreation Area in South Carolina.

We drove very quickly out of our campsite and straight to Charleston for the night .

Stop 5, Charleston, South Carolina

Stop 6, Hilton Head Island

The Holiday Inn (Oceanfront) is where we stated on Hilton Head Island, SC for two days. The first night there, we got suckered into a timeshare pitch which allowed us to eat dinner at The Crazy Crab.

Stop 7, Savannah, Georgia

Stop 8, Jacksonville, Flordia

Got to hang out w/my best friend from High School, Fred down in the JAX. Nightclubs on JAX Beach, Downtown, and a little Dave and Busters never hurt anyone. It was a blast!