Ice, Ice, Baby….

Posted on February 12, 2014 by sghamer

Reader’s!

There be ice out there! I just came in from opening The Majestic to let the girls out. When I looked outside I thought it had been snowing. Once Timber and I made it outside I realized that it wasn’t snow, it was hail that has accumulated on the ground! Right now it is very crunchy to walk on and I was able to make it up to the coop with no problem. Timber was so excited! You can see the ice already accumulating on the trees and the branches are starting to hang low. The lock on The Majestic was iced over but I was able to crack it and get inside. The girls came out and didn’t know what to think! I am sure the hail bouncing off the tin roof of the coop was freaking them out. Sounds a little different from rain.

Timber and I headed out a few hours later to take some pictures. It is defiantly icy out there! I don’t know if I will be heading out there again for a while. The temperature is dropping and actual snow should start falling around 6pm.

Icy

Happy Boy!

The girls were very chatty when I went back to check on them. The run is staying pretty dry so I think they will be ok today. Panny is enjoying looking out the window and wishing she could check the ice/snow out.

Timber Print

School has been cancelled for tomorrow. We are bunkered in and won’t be heading out today. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. Don’t tell Panny or Simon but we are running out of cat food!!

Universal Studios theme parks

Posted on February 10, 2014 by sghamer

Hey Reader’s

It’s been a while. I hope y’all have had a good week. Team Hamer sure did! We checked The Boy out from school on Tuesday around noon (so he would me marked down for a full day) we headed down to Orlando, FL. It took us almost 7 hours to get there. I started out driving first and drove about halfway down. It was kinda raining and very foggy out while in GA. There were also a lot of cops on the road. I however, drove safe and was left alone. Once we hit FL, the sun came out and the temperature started to rise.

On our way!

We decided to stay in the park at the Lowes Royal Pacific Hotel. It had a cool Hawaii theme to it and the grounds were just lovely.

Me and some elephants at Lowes Royal Pacific Resort.

We went to City Walk to check it out and look for something to eat. We chose a Mexican restaurant that was having its grand opening the next day, so the wait staff where eager please and practice on us. I was able to stick to my low carb diet. It was an authentic Mexican menu, so while there was chips and salsa (I ignored) there was also a lot of fresh sea food and steak. I had steak!

The Boy-ready to eat!

We walked around the shops afterwards and then had a glass of wine back at the hotel, where we mapped out plan for the next day at the two Universal parks. We then headed back to the room since we knew we would be getting up early to hit the parks.

Hogwarts!

Empty! An hour later…not so much!

One of the cool things about staying at the park is that get free Express passes and that the Harry Potter section opens up an hour before the park opens up to the public. We got to zoom to each ride and had no wait. My Man road one of the rollercoasters all alone!

Butter Beer @ 8:30am

Watch out!

The World of Harry Potter was so cool. Defiantly my favorite of both parks. I think The Boy would agree too. My Man thought it was pretty cool tool, especially when it was practically empty! His favorite rollercoaster was The Hulk.

Not happy!

Me and My Man after the Rip Saw Falls.

The Hulk rollacoster in the back ground.

The Hulk rollercoaster in the back ground.

His wand!

Cooling off

Duff beer and My Man. A Simpsons dream comes true!

We had a wonderful time at Universal. I highly suggest you go and stay at one of the four (soon to be five) hotels and get that free Express pass. Totally worth it. We ended up eating some yummy sushi at the hotel and turned in early. We knew we would be getting up early for the second part of our vaycay.

More to come!

Barnsley Gardens Part 2

Posted on December 16, 2013 by sghamer

Barnsley Gardens Part 2

Very Chilly Saturday Morning!

Saturday morning start off cold!! It was cold when Timber and I went out for our morning walk. Timber was so excited to be out and about. He stopped and smelled and marked as many trees, bushes and posts he could. We then went to a large open field looking over the golf course to play ball. He was in heaven.

Ready for the day!

After breakfast Aidan and went and rented some bikes. There are lots of trails and pathways around the property you can walk, hike and bike. I ended up getting a leisure bike. Ok, there is a big difference between my hybrid bike at home and the leisure bike I ended up with. Did not really like it. But off we went. We had a wonderful time until during one of our brakes The Boy some how tripod over himself and his bike fell on his shin. The Boy is skin and bones and the bike banged him up pretty band. He did not cry though! So strong.

Birds nest we found on our bike ride.

We made it back to the property and dropped of our bikes. We then went to the lobby and got him some ice for his leg. One of the staff gave Aidan a bag of chocolates. I think he felt better after one or two of those. My Man and Timber went on one run and a hike while we were there. Timber had a blast and even got a bit muddy!

Poor Guy!

Inside the lobby.

We went and hung out at the Beer Garden for a while before dinner. The Boy loved the fire and had the space to run around. Timber liked meeting new people and being told how handsome he is.

Fire at the Beer Garden

Hi!

So happy to be hanging out!

Team Hamer

After dinner we hit went to the lobby and stocked up on ‘smore supplies. There are fire pits all over the property and we were lucky to have one right in front of our cottage. One of the staff members lit the fire for us and The Boy got to cooking. I can not tell you how many The Boy had but when he later said his tummy hurt, I wasn’t all that surprised.

We had a wonderful time at Barnsley Gardens and are planning on going back next year. I would suggest you all come and check it out!

Tired Puppy

Barnsley Gardens

Posted on December 15, 2013 by sghamer

Barnsley Gardens Part 1

1775-Our Cottage

Over the past six months, My Man and I have had to cancel two vacations due to f-ing cancer. One was our one week summer trip to Northern Michigan and the other was our 13 year anniversary cruise. After all the treatments and doctor appointments we were ready to get away. We wanted to take a trip that The Boy could go on and where they would have activities for him to do. We talked about going to a few places but in the end decided on Barnsley Gardens in Northern Ga. Reasons why we picked it:

1. No plane fare

2. Easy Drive

3. Things for The Boy to do

4. Good Food and Wine for me and My Man to eat/drink

5. Timber Friendly!!

PET FRIENDLY

Beyond being merely pet-friendly, our luxury Georgia resort offers guests an ideal getaway for dog lovers with more than 3,300 acres of natural beauty. Hike the historic grounds highlighted by architectural ruins and landscaped gardens, or snuggle fireside during the colder months in a cozy cottage living room. It’s enough to make pet lovers want to stay awhile.

Pampered Pooch
Bring your furry friend for a getaway on any standard two-night package in a Suite or Arbor Cottage and we’ll waive the pet fee of $75 per stay during your visit. Please mention Pampered Pooch at the time of booking.

Pet-Friendly Resort
There is no better place in Georgia to travel with furry family members. With more than 10 miles of hiking trails and beautiful gardens to explore, outdoor sitting areas with fire pits, lawn games and outdoor dining venues such as the Beer Garden and Rice House Herb Garden, your four-legged friend is certain to feel like a pampered pooch.

There are no pet weight limits at Barnsley Gardens Resort. While we do not require pets to be crated, we do require that all dogs stay on leashes while in the village. All of our public facilities are open to pets, with the exception of the spa, fitness center, pool area and indoor restaurants (due to local health codes).

Pet friendly accommodations include our Garden or Meadow Suites and Arbor Cottages. Standard amenities for pets include pet beds, bowls, bottled water and treats. Pet sitting may be arranged with advance notice.

Barnsley Gardens Resort partners with PAWS Atlanta, a non-profit, no kill shelter dedicated to finding forever homes for dogs and cats.

How COOL is that!? Super cool!

We booked our trip for December 12th thru 15th. We asked for the Arbor Cottage thinking it would be perfect for the three of us and Timber. And it was! We arrived a little after 3pm and was able to check right in. Timber was so excited to see where he would be hanging out for the next three days.

Goodies too!

A Bed For Timber

They had a cushion for him to sleep on, snacks, a food and water dish and even a cool key-chain poop bag dispenser thingy! So nice! For us the had a box of goodies and two bottles of wine! They gave us a new box of filled with the goodies and two bottles of wine each day. We ended up taking home the six bottles of wine and will save them for the Christmas when we have family in town.

Welcome Balloons!

Goody Box!

After we got settled in, we all took a walk around the property.

Main Street

My Boys!

The Boy found ice!

We had 5:30 dinner reservation at Woodlands Grill. We of course ordered way to much food and had to rolled out of there!

Dinner

We walked back to the cottage and grabbed Timber. We heard the ruins would be all lit up and wanted to check it out. It was very cold out but the ruins looked beautiful!

After our walk, we went back to the cottage and lit a fire in the fire-place. It was a wonderful night! More to come!

Happy Weekend!

Posted on December 7, 2013 by sghamer

The Boy and The Man in Red

On Thursday we braved the rainy weather and went to get our Christmas Tree. We have been going to Home Depot for years to get our tree. They have a large amount to choose from and the prices are great. They were having an event when we got there. The Boy got to visit with Santa, pick a prize out, won a Home Depot football, an Atlanta Aquarium key chain, had a bag of popcorn and some hot coco. The best part was that since we bought a tree and no one was there (crappy weather), we got four free tickets to the Aquarium! That is almost a $200 value! Far more than the tree ended up costing. Sweet.

Saint Nick was here!

On Friday the machine that administrates my radiation was having issues. I ended up waiting 45 minutes before I got finally got zapped. The wait wasn’t so bad. They had a volunteer with a cart of snacks and water for us. The day before I walked in and saw two dogs in the waiting room. My first thought was “We can bring our dogs? Sweet!” Yeah, no. These we’re working dogs. I got to meet Bijou who is a Bichon Frise. He was very cute and sat next to me while I petted him. His owner said they go all over Atlanta visiting people and come to Emory once a month.

Iron Horse!

This week we have gotten lots of yummy wine! Six bottles from Big Table Farm and three from Iron Horse!

Yummy!

On Friday night, The Boy went to a Gingerbread House party. The party was at his friend’s house. His mom told me they had three grades represented: 3rd, 5th and 6th. She has 3 boys (bless her heart!) and this was the third year of having the party. When I picked him up, the boys were watching Duck Dynasty and my boy was eating a tube of icing. Nice.

Saturday

I slept in till about 8:45am on Saturday and it was wonderful. I am already feeling the effects of the radiation. I have been so tired and feeling just plain out of it. Sleeping in and having a day off from the radiation has made all the difference. I even went to workout with SK today! My left knee was killing me and I am weak on my right side but I think I did ok. I have a lot of work ahead of me to get back to where I was in June. But I am ready! I am going to head back to the gym tomorrow to do some cardio.

The Boy hard at work.

All done!

When I got home it was time to decorate the tree and watch some football. My team lost last week in an epic game against Auburn. If you saw the game you know what I mean. That being said, I really wanted Auburn to when the SEC Championship and they did. Now, my second favorite team, Michigan State, is playing and I want them to win for two reasons. I want them to beat Ohio State and if they do then Auburn goes to the BCS Championship game. I would LOVE FSU to lose cause if that happen, then Alabama would also go! But that isn’t going to happen. However Auburn must go and win the whole damn thing. See, the state of Alabama doesn’t have that much going for it. If it weren’t for Mississippi and Louisiana it would be ranked last in almost everything. But if Auburn could go and win the championship, then a team from Alabama would have won the last 5 National Championships! Auburn, Alabama, Alabama, Alabama, Auburn. Now you understand Reader’s! Cross them fingers! GO MSU!!! Sparty is the MAN!

I survived!

Posted on December 4, 2013 by sghamer

I survived Reader’s!

Yesterday was my first radiation treatment and I am happy to say all went well. Well, for me that is. Turns out I had company with me yesterday. I got a call from the school around 8:30am from the school nurse saying The Boy had a headache. As many of you are aware, the school nurse can’t give a child any kind of medication. So I threw some clothes on, put on a hat, grabbed some Tylenol and Timber and headed to the school. By the time I got there, he was already back in his classroom. The nurse called him down and I gave him the medication. He said his head hurt really bad and that he wanted to come home. I told him I had to go the hospital and that he would have to come and that there would be no TV or iTouch. He said he didn’t care. I wasn’t in the mood to argue and to be honest he did look pitiful.

Doc Chey’s!

To make a long story short, after a couple of hours of sleep, The Boy seemed fine. We went and grabbed lunch at Doc. Chey’s which is by the hospital. He was perfect in the waiting room asking me all kinds of questions about the treatments. All the RN’s fell in love with him and he read his book without being told too. He wasn’t allowed in the room during the actual treatment but sat right out side of the room.

I was felt up by 3 women! Woot! One thing you will have to get use to while going under treatment for cancer, is that strangers are going to see most of if not all of you, butt ass naked. Yep. Naked. Wonderful. Just when you feel at your best! NOT. Anyway, my ladies were really cool and even asked me what kind of music I wanted to listen to while they zapped me. The Black Keys were Tuesdays featured artist. The whole thing took about 20min. I think today’s will only take about 10min and I am going to ask for The Avett Brothers.

After we left and got home, the boy did his homework and went to play on his iTouch (I caved). We were planning on meeting his dad at Home Depot to get our Christmas Tree but when I went up to get him, I found him passed out. I took his temp and it was 101! What? What? The Boy was sick! He had a temp all night and complained about his head and tummy. When I took his temp this morning it was 99.5. I told him to go back to sleep. My Man will be staying home with him today while I head to treatment.

I am told it will take a week or two to notice some of the side effects of the radiation. The two I have been told about is fatigue and burning of the skin where they zap me. The burn should fade a few weeks after treatment is over.

It has been rainy here in the ATL for the past few days. The Girls are not liking it at all. I hope that the sun comes out soon! How about where you are? Sun? Snow? Rain?

Pictures and Update

Posted on December 3, 2013 by sghamer

I am BACK Reader’s! How are you? How was your Thanksgiving? Did you eat too much? Did you drink too much? I did! There was so much food and yummy wine around all week it was hard to say no. The golf cart was a blast to drive and Timber loved to ride in it with us.

Here are a few updates that have happen while I was on vacay.

I am able to wear my bra for more than an hour before the pain kicks in! Woot!
Yesterday I SHAVED my legs. It took me awhile to find my razor and I had no shaving cream but I that didn’t stop me. Needless to say, I picked some up at Target.
My left eyebrow has fully grown back. My right one is close but is growing in a crazy way. It is going to feel strange but I am going to have to go get them waxed soon.
There is some serious fuzz growing on my head. It is very soft and I like to rub my hand across it every so often. So does The Boy.
It was COLD at the beach last week. What’s up with that?

Timber is a wonderful traveler. He did great in the car and loved being at the beach with the family.

The plan was that my niece, Hailiegh, and I were going to go see new Hunger Games movie while I was down there. Turns out my dad and mom wanted to see it too. And not to be left out, so did My Man. So on Tuesday we all headed out in the pouring down rain to the movie theater and saw the movie. I loved it! My niece loved it! My dad loved it! My Mom liked it. My Man thought it was ok. We have plans to see the next one next Thanksgiving. Can’t wait!