Tag Archives: The Boathouse

My Wedding Week Thursday Rundown

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Three weeks ago I noted that I was writing my last Thursday Rundown as a bachelor. Well today I get to write my first Thursday Rundown as a married man. However, tonight’s rundown is a bit different. This evening I will be touching on five topics/events related to my wedding week that I didn’t write about for feature posts. Here we go…

Golf With Dad and Brother – A big reason why I took up golf so fervently over the past several months was because I wanted to play with my family when they came to Myrtle Beach for the wedding. On the Tuesday before the big day, I took Glen and my dad to Coastal Carolina University. We looked around campus and then I took them to our institution’s golf course, Hackler. We played nine holes on a gorgeous late afternoon. It was so nice hitting the links with them and showing off my game. I had a fabulous time…even if my brother won.

Hanging out on the golf course.

Hanging out on the golf course.

Charleston Trip – On that Wednesday, I got to take my family to an historic Southern city. Early in the morning we departed Myrtle Beach for Charleston so we could pick up my brother’s girlfriend, Ashley, from the airport. Once we arrived and got Ashley in the car, we headed to downtown Charleston. It was a hot day but we got some sightseeing in. We looked through the art in the park, toured a church, and shopped at the market. We couldn’t spend too much time in Charleston so after we ate lunch we headed back to Myrtle Beach. I know my family enjoyed exploring a new city.

Look closely and you can see my dad. It was a hot day in Charleston!

Look closely and you can see my dad. It was a hot day in Charleston!

Bachelor Party! – I wanted a low key, relaxing bachelor party. Thankfully, my father-in-law was more than happy to help out. On Thursday, after all my groomsmen had arrived, we went cruising on the Intracoastal Waterway. Mr. Sid was gracious enough to take us all out on his boat. As the sun beat down on us, he took us up and down the unique body of water as we enjoyed some adult refreshments. We made a stop at the Boathouse for lunch, a popular restaurant right on the water. We ate, drank, and played corn hole. We arrived back on solid ground in plenty of time for that night’s festivities.

I got exactly what I wanted out of my bachelor party.

I got exactly what I wanted out of my bachelor party.

Wedding Weekend Kickoff BBQ – When I said we finished the bachelor party in plenty of time for “that night’s festivities” I was speaking of the BBQ held a few hours later. Sidney’s sisters organized an opportunity for the two families to get together right before the big wedding weekend was set to start. The party was held at the brand new house of Sidney’s sister, Steph. The function started with a professional photographer on hand to take family portraits. After the photo ops, everyone moved to Steph’s living room/kitchen and backyard. It was a fun and chill evening as the two families got to know one another. On the menu was my all-time favorite Southern dish, chicken bog! My west coast family and friends now like it as much as I do. My dad was impressed and humbled that Sidney’s family had stocked one of the coolers with PBR bottles, his favorite.

At the BBQ, us groomsmen put on the shirts that my brother had made.

At the BBQ, us groomsmen put on the shirts that my brother had made.

The Proposal – What an awful person I would be if I didn’t mention the moment that set all the other events above in motion. A year ago on this date, I asked Sidney to marry me on the MarshWalk in Murrells Inlet. She said yes, thus starting a wonderful engagement that has led to our marriage. As Sidney and I lay in bed tonight we will no doubt think back to that special evening 12 months ago.

That magic moment.

That magic moment.

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Hope you didn’t suffer too much over the past couple weeks with no Thursday Rundown. Have a great night and enjoy your Friday. Don’t Blink.

The Latest Happenings

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You all know the drill, it is Thursday! That means I write as quickly as I can about five different topics. Hang on if you don’t want to get left behind, here we go!

BABY – Tomorrow I will become an uncle! My sister will go in for surgery on Friday so doctors can deliver her daughter. Names are narrowed down but it will be a hospital room decision on what the baby is ultimately called. Although I will be very far from my new and first niece, I look forward to Thanksgiving when I get to make the trip back to Spokane and meet her.

My sister will have her baby tomorrow.

My sister will have her baby tomorrow.

 

Bucky Covington – Remember Bucky Covington? He got a lot of play on country radio one summer for the songs “Different World” and “Good to be Us.” Well, he has fallen in popularity a tad since then. Last Friday night I watched him perform from inches away at the Boathouse, a bar and music venue in Myrtle Beach. The haggard looking Bucky got up on a tiny stage in front of about 80 people and did the best he could. He had two band members with him, including his twin brother named Rocky. He sang his two hits and a whole bunch of covers. He even managed to attract a couple of groupies. After his set a guy named Warren Stone, who was supposedly a strong contestant on “The Voice,” also performed.

My up close view of Bucky Covington on Friday night.

My up close view of Bucky Covington on Friday night.

Starbucks on Wheels – Today something arrived on campus that had our whole community rejoicing: A Mobile Starbucks Truck. Coastal Carolina University is just one of three colleges in the nation that gets to take part in this Starbucks pilot experiment. The coffee giant sent us the vehicle which is a fully functioning Starbucks restaurant on wheels! It will move around campus strategically according to different times and when certain events are taking place. When I posted images and video on our social media outlets today our students went bonkers. Now if only I shared their enthusiasm…I hate coffee.

Here are some of the photos I snapped today of the new Mobile Starbucks Truck.

Here are some of the photos I snapped today of the new Mobile Starbucks Truck.

On Assignment – A cool thing about my job at Coastal Carolina University is that I get to work on cool projects that I didn’t have the opportunity to do at my last stop. One of these projects is writing for our alumni magazine. Yesterday I got to visit Sparks Toyota and interview CCU alum Patrick Sparks. I chatted with him for 25 minutes and obtained some great material to write an alumni profile piece. I will submitted my first draft to the magazine editor this evening at the end of work. Pretty soon my writing will be published in a magazine!

Start of the Most Popular League – The NFL season kicks off tonight as my favorite team hosts the Green Bay Packers. I plan to watch the second half of the action as I will be at the Myrtle Beach Pelican playoff game that starts at 7 p.m. I am already bracing myself for the social media onslaught that will occur on my Facebook newsfeed as the Seahawks hit the field. It is great to have the NFL back but I still prefer college football over it any day! By the way, make sure to look for my twin on the field!

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Time to get off to the ballpark for tonight’s game. Hopefully no marriage proposals. Best of luck to my sister tomorrow! You can expect photos and most likely a blog post about my new niece. Have a great evening and weekend. Don’t Blink.

What Five Topics Tonight?!

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Last Thursday worked out so well with me doing my multi-topic blog post that I knew when the next Thursday came along I would have to do the same. So here we are today. Same format, same conditions. Time for me to take a deep breath and throw five totally unrelated topics at you. Legggggoooooo…

The Boathouse: Last Friday my friend Seth invited me out to a place called the Boathouse. He told me Joe Diffie was playing a free concert and that it was the place to be. Once Sidney arrived at my place the two of us met Seth at the Boathouse. To say the least, it was an awesome venue. Inside they have a perfectly sized bar/restaurant with attentive service and a very charming country theme. But outside is where it is truly at. You walk out the back door and a grassy hill greets you. At the bottom of the hill sits a stage nudged right up against the Intracoastal Waterway. People pack the hill and overflow to two covered outdoor bars in the back. The vibe is awesome and the atmosphere unmatched. Best of all the quality acts they bring in are free. Everyone says the real party happens during the venue’s “Sunday Funday” series…don’t know if I will be making any of those.

Before Joe Diffie took the Boathouse stage an opening band covered some current Top 40 country songs..

Before Joe Diffie took the Boathouse stage an opening band covered some current Top 40 country songs..

South Carolina Bans Texting: It felt weird driving in a place where I didn’t have to look in all directions before sneakily grabbing my phone to send out a quick text. Both in Washington State and Missoula (the state of Montana actually does not have a ban on texting but many cities in the state do) you would get pulled over immediately if a cop suspected you of talking or texting on your phone. To not have those restrictions here in South Carolina did bring me a sense of freedom even if it did feel different at first. But that taste of liberation will disappear very quickly. South Carolina has become the 49th state to pass a ban on texting (Montana is now the only state not to have one). Although the ban does have an exception that I love: Drivers can still text at stop lights. Believe me, this is a big relief. Myrtle Beach is home to FOUR MINUTE RED LIGHTS and usually in that time when I am stopped I send out at least three tweets, catch up on texts, and respond to e-mails. To not have the option to be productive while wasting my life away in traffic would have been devastating.

Cold Water Challenge: At Coastal Carolina University today we started our own Cold Water Challenge campaign. Chauncey and myself went out and met a staffer who braved the ice water dumped over her head. I filmed, edited, and posted the video. There should be a lot more of that for me come tomorrow as other staffers respond to her call out. Unfortunately, I know my time will come very soon when I have to take the challenge myself. Keep your eye on this blog for an update.

Coastal Carolina University staff member Diane Fabiano took the Cold Water Challenge with an assist from Chauncey.

Coastal Carolina University staff member Diane Fabiano took the Cold Water Challenge with an assist from Chauncey.

“Maleficent”: On Tuesday night, Sidney and I went to the movies after feasting on macaroni and cheese egg rolls at Kingstreet in Market Common. We saw “Maleficent” starring Angelina Jolie. The movie rocked the box office this past weekend and came out with a lot of fanfare so maybe my expectations were too high going in. Whatever the case was, I didn’t get too excited after watching it. I am not a fantasy movie fanatic to begin with, however sometimes I can be swayed. I actually really enjoyed “Snow White and the Huntsman” and thought “Maleficent” might impress me as well. But I just found the movie too slow and some of the characters annoying, although I don’t speak of Angelina Jolie’s title character in that way. Funny to say, but Jolie reminded me of Katy Perry in the movie.

On Tuesday night, Sidney and I saw "Maleficent" at the Grand 14 Cinema at Market Common in Myrtle Beach.

On Tuesday night, Sidney and I saw “Maleficent” at the Grand 14 Cinema at Market Common in Myrtle Beach.

2014 NBA Finals: I thought about writing a blog post about the Finals but figured it would just be the exact same thing I have written for the past three years…I hope the Heat lose. I am not a Spurs fan by any means but my dislike for Miami makes me hope that San Antonio wipes the floor with them. I would love to see a sweep. I admit Lebron has done some great things since making the move to Miami but I still can’t get over “The Decision.” That was a deal breaker for me and I really don’t want to see King James pick up his third title. I want to see the people of South Beach embarrassed by how bad San Antonio beats their team.

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Another movie is in the cards for me tonight (after the basketball game) and a fun weekend is on the horizon. However, that is for another blog post. Have a great Thursday night everyone and a safe weekend. Go Spurs! Don’t Blink.