One New Interview

I'd planned to check out the Falling for Fashion event at Sky City on Saturday, but I decided to skip it because, along with fashion, fall also means flu season. From what I’m hearing, this season's flu is no picnic, and I don’t like flu vaccinations, so my anti-flu strategy is mainly to avoid crowds and to avoid touching my face. (Just FYI, it’s wise to avoid touching your face in general, since the eyes, nose, and mouth are primo germ portals.)

Although I spent most of the weekend at home, doing comfy, cozy, homey things, my week was not without new things. On Tuesday, I had an in-person job interview in Charlotte, NC. On my way home from that, I stopped in Rock Hill, SC, and saw the award-winning Glencairn Garden. What a well-designed, well-maintained garden! I also liked their Main Street and downtown area, which is known as Old Town.

Exploring Columbia, SC

This past Sunday, I went to South Carolina's capital city, Columbia.

My self-guided tour began at Finlay Park, where I saw a gorgeous fountain (shown below) with the city skyline as its backdrop (not exactly shown below). Across from the park, I saw the lovely Governor's Mansion and gardens — but through the fence, since the grounds were closed that day.

On my way through the historic district to the Columbia Museum of Art, I saw Blue Sky's Busted Plug Plaza art installation. At forty feet high, it's believed to be the world’s largest fire hydrant (shown at left).

After visiting the museum, I walked around USC’s Horseshoe area, which looked surreal in the late afternoon sun, then enjoyed a snack by the canal at Riverfront Park.

One New Resume

I did see a couple of new exhibits on Sunday at the Morris, but most of my weekend was spent completely redoing my resume. I was in perfectionist mode, laboring over every word, trying to concisely include as much as possible. Not so much that I overwhelm, but enough that I hold interest. I even researched my old performance reviews to get specific achievements and numbers. I'm happy with it now, and relieved to have it polished and posted and, I hope, working for me on various job sites.

First Friday and Fourth Fireworks

Since this was my first Independence Day weekend in Augusta, I got to experience several new things. The fun started with First Friday. Then Saturday brought more fun events, followed by a nighttime fireworks show at the Fifth Street Bridge. My photos of the show were blurry, so that’s why the Cotton Exchange and Imperial Theatre photos are here instead. If you ever catch the show yourself, I think something they include every year is the "waterfall" of white lights cascading into the Savannah River. Definitely look for that — it's spectacular.

Reading by the River

Since I missed First Friday this month, I decided to have my own First Saturday the following afternoon. My celebration was missing a few hundred people, but I did have live music, thanks to an event on the Common that day. (Speaking of outdoor shows, I’m amazed and pleased by how many there are around here.)

I began my First Saturday with a meandering browse of several galleries and shops on Artists’ Row. I saw many treasures during my tour but, being a lover of words, my most delightful discovery was the June issue of Verge, which is a local alt-monthly focused on promoting downtown Augusta. With my new treasure clutched to my chest and my camera, snacks, and water almost as close, I headed over to the Riverwalk to find a comfy, scenic reading spot.

I love to read outside, but it usually happens in my back yard, which is quiet and surrounded by a privacy fence. At Riverwalk, my interest was easily diverted to the band playing, dogs socializing, sun shining, water flowing, people taking touristy photos of the fountain, my wanting to take photos of the fountain... which I of course did.

Back to Aiken County

Remember the driving tour of Aiken I mentioned? Well, I took it this week and, as expected, saw some splendid sights. My favorites were the Aiken Training Track, the Rose Hill Estate, the Willcox, and Hopelands Gardens (shown here). I didn’t see all of Hopelands, but they have free concerts and performances every Monday evening throughout the summer, so I suspect I’ll be returning soon. What a peaceful, pretty place.

My First “First Friday” in Augusta

On the First Friday of every month, hundreds of people gather in downtown Augusta to enjoy live music and to browse the galleries and shops that stay open late for the occasion. Artists, performers, and vendors set up shop too, all along Broad Street, and a themed exhibit is usually displayed on the Common area. (This month’s exhibit, a car show, included the lovely Corvette shown here.)

Looking forward to celebrating May's First Friday, my mom and I arrived fairly early (before 7p), and there were already people feting, neon rope lights flashing, cotton candy scents floating, and music flowing from seemingly every direction. After looking at cars and lingering at the main music stage on the Common, we walked down Broad Street to browse the shops. During that walk, and topping off the night, we discovered an award-winning gospel and bluegrass band, Eryn Eubanks and the Family Fold. What a night!