Susie 5nov2016

After leaving Savannah I headed west (nooo) to Atlanta. Hiram GA, specifically, to see my oldest friend, Susie. We’ve known each other since grade school! We lost touch but thanks to Facebook we found each other and it’s like no time passed. You know you have a true friend when that happens. 

Susie is a hospital administrator. Before that she was an ER nurse for years. She is a literal badass. On top of saving the lives’ of strangers, she is also raising her niece and grandniece. Iris is 19 and Adeline is one. Plus she has two dogs and a cat, Betty, Archie and Agnes. She’s one busy lady!

I rolled in and she stopped everything and catered to me like I was a queen. I even got her bed! And it was one comfy bed! The first night we drank two bottles of sparkling wine from Brotherhood winery. I think we got a little drunk. It’s so funny how we both watch the exact same thing. Nightly news with Lester Holt, the Today Show and Dateline. Iris was dying!

Thursday we went to Kennesaw mountain national battlefield park to walk the dogs. It’s unbelievable how vast the civil war was. The eastern US is covered with battlefields. It’s sickening how many of each other we killed. Following a “fun” hike, we ate the biggest BBQ sandwich – too much bread. I thought I’d die I was so full. Then we went to see Inferno. It was ok – they changed the ending to make it more exciting….but failed. 

Friday Susie took me to Stone Mountain. It’s funny – I had intended to visit Stone Mountain because it was carved in part by Gutzon Borglum. He also carved Mt Rushmore. However, I had forgotten all about it. Leave it to a friend to remind me to check that off my list! It was beautiful although deceptively deep and difficult to photograph. We rode a tram to the top and had a look at a very expansive view of the entire Atlanta area. 

I felt bad – Susie is very healthy, in extremely good shape and does a ton of hiking. Not only do I not fit that profile in any way, my foot was still black and blue from my Savannah spill. She had to slow it way down for me!

After our trip to Stone Mountain we went to Ponce City Market. That place is pretty amazing. You can go to a tap room, pick from a mast selection of beer and then carry it around the market. There are stores ranging from Anthropology to Jersey & Bourbon. We were hungry but it was too late for lunch and we had dinner planned. 

So, we went to this little bar called El Super Pan and had a snack. I think some of the best food I’ve had on this trip. The pork belly slider was on a steamed Asian style bun and had a spicy sauce. Oh man it was tasty! The thing that put the food over the top was their infused vinegar – one had tamarind. Mmmmmmm. I asked what was in it and our server told us that the chef makes it behind closed doors. Nobody is allowed to know the recipe so if they run out – that’s it. I drank it. Yes I did. 

Susie made us filet mignon and kale salad for dinner. I ate kale salad. Let that sink in. 

I love Susie like she my insides. I now believe that my prize for selling Jam was not getting Bird and taking this trip — but having the time to reconnect with Susie. Seriously. 

My favorite part of this visit was meeting Iris and Addie. Iris was pregnant and in a bad place. Susie went to California, brought her home and has given her an opportunity that so many young ladies never get. And the thing is…..I think she gets it. I hope. She is extraordinarily smart and beautiful. Her baby is perfection. A smiley happy baby. Iris has just begun college. She is facing the difficulty of group work in a junior college (hell – but part of a solid scholastic future), a part time job, responsibility. At 19 that’s a tough reality. HOWEVER, her Aunt Susie has her back. With that force of a woman behind her, she simply can’t fail! 

I got up Saturday morning and headed for Memphis. 

Onward ♋+♊