Ramada Conference Center Charlotte

The journey home began at 6AM Venice time and even with only a one hour layover in Munich we arrived in Charlotte at 6PM est time (midnight Venice time!) a very long day. We had a trendous trip and Aunt Sue and Guido were the perfect hosts and tour guides. I almost feel like going right back but that will have to wait for now probably June 2011. The weather was cold and at times rainy so some of the things you would routinely do were just not possible.

Excited and ready to leave. The forecast does not seem very promising but it will be great to see Sue &amp; Guido again. We leave Charlotte at 5:30 PM and should be in Venice at Noon (Italian time) Wednesday. I will try to send photo's as we take them as well as update this blog. I loved this when Chris and Liana used it . <br>

... does not make for a pretty show. But, the cast was great, made due, and put on a good show despite our wonky lights and effects. They really are a great group. Plus, some of our student helper crew members were adorable ("Sasha Fierce" and "Smeyes" as we lovingly dubbed them). <br><br>Aside from that mini-drama, everything's going well. The group is great, we're all still laughing and getting along which is good. :)<br><br>More from the NC coming up soon!<br>

I thought that I would post this picture of me and La Poderosa just before I left for the west coast a couple month's ago. She had to be sold in LA:( What an amazing bike for 700 bucks. She got me through one of the most amazing adventures that I've had to date. As soon as I can get my computer that has all the pics on it online I will have a boat load of stuff to post from this trip.<br><br>

So I just set up this blog thingy. Computers and stuff like this are not my forte. I will try to update with some images of my travels as I get a chance. I am leaving for Istanbul, Turkey in a couple days. So i am practice packing to get things down to as little as possible. I am hoping to hitchhike ...

Sarah and Ken were waiting for us, as we deplaned in Charlotte North Carolina.They had caught a flight from Detroit to Charlotte, the meeting place for our international flight. <br><br> It seems so exciting... and odd, too. Seeing familiar faces outside the ...

... kind of cool to see so many bikes on the road. Mostly Harley Davidson but some metrics and a few touring bikes like mine. There were too many choppers to count, very cool machines. I got lots of pics of them lined up on Duvall St. in Key West It was a huuuge party scene down there.<br><br>The Keys were just as expected, scenic, surreal, calm (for the most part), relaxing. It did turn out to be a 5.5 hour ride from Miami, i was beat when i got there. Later that night I ...

WW and I drove across western NC. Got to a town called Statesville and went into J&amp;R Cigars, billed as the World's largest cigar store. They ain't lying. BIg ol' CHurchills for $3 (or less).<br><br>We camped at Lake Norman, land donated to the State of NC by the Duke Power company as long as the state let them leave their nuke there. No pics. Suprisingly nice campground.

Heading down to Charleston for the Cooper River Bridge Run,  with Scott, I was training last month yet due to me tweaking my knee, pain was getting worse, I finally went to Ortho and had to take time off to rest it etc, so now getting lazy and fat which I feel even fatter after last weekend in Philly. We head out in the morning, should be a good time, weather is supposed to be great, I hope I can control myself i love Isle of Palms and the windjammer...

... off! We hit up Mert's, a country southern joint, where I have a greasy brunch of mac 'n cheese, green beans, fried chicken, corn bread and some sweet tea to wash it all down... "yall come back now, ya hear" is like music to my ears! I pick up my rental car and head out of town thinking fondly of the time that I spent living in this wonderful town...