Author: smwance

Geeky suburban professional, movie buff, sometime traveler, attempted artist, amateur foodie and wine enthusiast who enjoys sharing stories about the little and not-so-little jaunts he takes when not buried in work or broke. He's often guilty of thinking he's cooler than he actually is, and most agree that his death will be from making a sarcastic remark at a painfully inopportune moment.

San Francisco – Day 1 (Thursday, October 31, 2013)

I’ll Be Gentle, Virgin America, It’s My First Time… Michael and I flew out to San Francisco early Thursday evening. I heard good things about Virgin America for a while now, and their competitive air fares were more than a little tempting, so I was looking forward to flying on their friendly skies. The timing … Continue reading San Francisco – Day 1 (Thursday, October 31, 2013) →

San Francisco – Day 2 (Friday, November 1, 2013)

In keeping with my usual traveling habits, I didn’t sleep well, and woke up in a sweat on top of that. Beyond the first night acclimation to a new bed/sleeping environment, the unusually warm weather and room’s lack of airflow made my room stuffier than nature ever intended (it took me the following evening to … Continue reading San Francisco – Day 2 (Friday, November 1, 2013) →

San Francisco – Day 3 (Saturday, November 2, 2013)

The Big Chill A cold front pushed through the bay area overnight, and I woke up around 3:00 AM to the soft and mellow droning of multiple fog horns into a mist that covered the city. My parents live close to the coast in Virginia Beach, so I’m accustomed to hearing a fog horn from … Continue reading San Francisco – Day 3 (Saturday, November 2, 2013) →

San Francisco – Day 4 (Sunday, November 3, 2013)

Pirates and Scotsmen and Drag Queens…Oh, My!(1) In addition to adjusting to a three-hour time difference all weekend, Daylight Savings Time began Saturday night/Sunday morning, and the extra hour of sleep was a welcome treat for recovering from the previous two days. Steve and Joël’s wedding was scheduled for mid-morning, and Alex and Michael showed … Continue reading San Francisco – Day 4 (Sunday, November 3, 2013) →

San Francisco – Day 5 (Monday, November 4, 2013)

All Good Things… Waking while still a little full from last night’s feast, I hopped out of bed and packed. My flight was in the mid-afternoon and hotel checkout wasn’t until noon, so I had some time to kill. Steve texted me about hanging out as his apartment, so after stuffing my bag for the … Continue reading San Francisco – Day 5 (Monday, November 4, 2013) →

West Virginia White Water Rafting – Introduction (September 2013)

Traditionally, early August to late September is what many in my profession refer to as the “feeding frenzy.” It’s a magical time of the year when the zeal of Summer is winding down and the promise of Fall’s cooler weather is just around the corner; parents are giddy with excitement over little Mackenzie-Britney-Hunter-Logan-Tyson-Madison heading back … Continue reading West Virginia White Water Rafting – Introduction (September 2013) →

West Virginia White Water Rafting – Day 1 (September 27, 2013)

I opted to take the entire day off since 1) things were settling down at work, and 2) the drive from the Washington, DC metropolitan area to Oak Hill, WV is a very long, five-hour drive (little known fact, Oak Hill’s singular bit of notoriety is Hank Williams’ dead body was found there back in … Continue reading West Virginia White Water Rafting – Day 1 (September 27, 2013) →

West Virginia White Water Rafting – Day 2 (September 28, 2013)

“Breakfast of Champions” and a Wetsuit’s Lesson in Humility Dawn arrived after a night of light sleeping interrupted by tossing and turning due to unfamiliar surroundings and the self-awareness of sharing a room with people I don’t know.(1) Despite early Autumn’s teasing of cooler weather, we were in that wonderful prime time of warm days … Continue reading West Virginia White Water Rafting – Day 2 (September 28, 2013) →

West Virginia White Water Rafting – Day 3 (September 29, 2013)

Packing Up Given the “comfort” of my bed, I was surprised to wake up somewhat refreshed and before 8:00 AM. Like the previous morning, people were waking up and wandering around at their own pace. Caroline was up shortly after I was and we spent some time on the front porch chatting it up about … Continue reading West Virginia White Water Rafting – Day 3 (September 29, 2013) →