Today is Saturday in Charleston and while it started out with a little sun, the sun has quickly hidden itself away in favor of a weekend nap. Generally I wouldn't look to blame this type of behavior, as I myself fancy naps on a regular basis; however, the sun has been resting for a week now, paying no attention while the clouds and rain overrun the atmosphere with darkness and frequent downpours. I've had enough.
It's a little windy with a slight rain coming down when Jamie gets home from work early this afternoon, and we head for the local shopping center. I plan to explore a little while J gets her hair cut. I'm familiar with this particular shopping mecca because it houses some of our favorite finds in Charleston, such as Francesca's, Teal, and Style Exchange. I will have no trouble busying myself while Jamie is gone. The trouble will likely be me finding too many pretty things, and Jamie is terrible at encouraging purchases and no good at helping me keep to a budget.
I like her a lot anyway.
The rain starts coming down more steadily by the time Jamie's appointment is over, and we return home and find ourselves sleeping part of the afternoon away. We have social plans later in the day, but for now we have parked ourselves on the couch to watch the Kentucky Derby coverage, or at that point, the pre-derby content. Somehow we both drifted off to sleep on the couch with Dodger at our feet. I awoke suddenly and blamed Jamie for not waking me up earlier, then learned she had fallen asleep, too. I think for a few moments we both pondered going back to sleep, and then decided to drag ourselves off the couch.
We scrambled to get ready in the scarce amount of time we had before we were supposed to be out the door to meet friends. The locals had already gathered downtown hours before, festively adorned with all matter of hats in honor of the Kentucky Derby. A few days prior, I told Jamie we should make the drive to Kentucky to go watch it, then reconsidered when I saw the distance. The TV would have to suffice. I would have liked to say we at least had fancy hats, but we did not-which is a major derby failure.
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| With the ladies at Rarebit |
We did not join the downtown scene immediately after we made ourselves presentable, but met up with friends at their home and quickly caught the derby coverage before leaving for a cocktail party at an acquaintance's home downtown. After that we put in a request for a table at Rarebit and retired to the Starz Grille and Bar on the rooftop of one of Charleston's historic buildings. The night was not ideal in terms of weather, but the rain did let up long enough for us to enjoy some time outside before dinner.
We were surrounded by other small groups gathered on the rooftop, as a light breeze fanned the flames of the candles scattered about for ambiance, and the sounds of laughter and conversation drifted around our table.
Charleston seems to always feel comfortable, familiar, and old fashioned. It's like finding the perfect vintage piece that's both comfy and charming, fitting perfectly in all the right places, and also quite stylish. People here are friendly and polite, and you feel as though you could have been here a hundred years and at the same time you yearn to spend a hundred more just enjoying the company and the atmosphere. I return every few months for this feeling and to relive the memories of some college antics with my random draw roomie from freshman year at UND-- and of course to make new memories together as we continue to have new adventures operating under the aliases of "adults".
When our table was ready at Rarebit, we enjoyed another amazing meal--does Charleston offer anything less?--and then were off to the Cocktail Club. The Cocktail Club is structured to resemble a building under construction, with simple wall framing dividing some of the rooms. While there, I learned that a "professional yacht racer" is a real job, or so I'm told by a gentleman who claims to be one. If that can be an actual profession then I need to get more creative in my job outlook.
We didn't stay out too late tonight after Friday night's hiatus and headed home on the early side, much to Dodger's delight. Dodger again slept beside me, though I'm not sure he plans on standing watch for cockroaches.
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