Gryffindor Family Reunion

 

Gryffindor house was our dubbed title for a small gang we hung out in at college. There were four girls who shared a house not far from school, and everyone pretty much studied, hung out and generally loitered around their house (because they were the cool ones who got to be off campus!).

The gang from the Gryffindor house all came to visit and reunite after many months of facebook planning. Friend’s from North Carolina, Georgia, England, and here. Newly married folks, New babies. Everyone with big-kid jobs. It’s so weird being old. (ps. there’s actually five people missing from the photo below who didn’t make it).

Aside from grilling out and eating a lot of food, the best part of the evening by far was Duncan reading children’s stories to the gang in his oh-so-awesome British accent. Yes, I know, shallow American me…but it was pretty amazing. The kids were enthralled.

    

THINGS TO DO IN COLUMBIA: walk the Gervais Street Bridge

 

Every time I drive on the Gervais bridge, I grate my teeth. It’s super narrow and it feels like there are two centimeters between the lanes. Walking however…there’s a big dandy sidewalk for joggers and strollers galore.( Granted, in rush hour, I’d avoid it with a pole…it just wouldn’t feel safe.) It connects the river-walk, which in my opinion lets you walk the best of both sides of the river.

Walking, really?…for some of you I realize this might be boring….but hush your complaining child!

Enjoy the view.

Watch people.

Even better, make up elaborate stories about strangers and what they’re saying as they run past you in their nasty sweatshirts.  (just kidding joggers, you do your jogging thing. I’m proud you’re exercising in this heat where most people just slug around like a puddle). (I’m definitely a sluggin’ like a puddle type- especially today since I got a wiff of fall crispness and was like YES!!! JEANS WEATHER!!! and decided that jeans and a long sleeve shirt where just the thing. NO PEOPLE. It’s going to be 100 degrees all the way into November. I <3 you SC).

Best yet, talk to strangers. It creeps them out and making people uncomfortable is always a win, but on the occasion you meet a friendly one, totally worth it.

 

Also, I like to park on the senate street parking area. http://www.302artisans.com/ 302 Artisans is worth poking around since it’s 100% local SC made. The stickers you see all around town about Eat Local, grow local…They are on to something! 302 is there to connect you with the South Carolina Specialty Food Association and you should read more HERE

You should also just walk around the pretty buildings that are Senates End. I think they might be one of my favorite event location venues in Columbia.

 

OR you could be smart like these people who figured out that our lovely river remains a chill 52 degrees all year long. Our water stay’s so cold because it’s source is the bottom of Lake Murray and it flows through the bottom of the dam. I personally would not  have gone on the river on a day where the water was so flooded (it was covering the river walk trails today). The river has calm sections, and rapid sections so you have to be smart about your entry and exit points. The section that starts at the zoo where I-26 crosses is actually our “most rapidy” point ( for lack of better way to describe).

THE ONES THAT PLAY IN PLAYED in the RAIN:

    

I can’t wait for these two friends to get married in October!!