We drove to South Carolina to celebrate the birthday of John’s sister Chris.  This was a zero birthday for her, but don’t try to set her age by a photograph.  She looks 20 years younger than she is.

The extreme part of the celebration was not her milestone.  It was the division of the day into thirds.  We drove five hours to get there, visited for five, and took five to drive home.  John loves these driving exploits and walked briskly into our house at the end of the day.  If there had been a video, you would think his walk was normal, and mine was in slow motion.  Neither brains nor feet were anywhere near the vicinity of swift.

We had a wonderful time with them and their daughter Barbara.  John and Steve conspired to make our visit a surprise, and Barbara joined them in the deception.  The SC contingent had a birthday outing that morning to go to a lighthouse.  It was canceled because of 8-foot swells, so the conspirators found excuses to stop at various places on the way home.  I think they were at the house only half an hour before we arrived.  We ate lunch at a lovely Japanese restaurant, enjoyed a chocolate birthday cake at the house, and then we left.

There were lots of laughs at old and new family tales.  The most dramatic story was Barbara’s concerning her dog.  The dog and two others they were keeping for a short while went out in the dark before going to bed.  The animals were uneasy, so Barbara used a powerful flashlight to search the yard.  Under a tree beside the swimming pool was a bobcat.  He leaped over the fence like a superhero and disappeared into the darkness.

Would I do this whirlwind trip again?  For them yes, but not more than once per person.

Have you ever been involved in an extreme celebration?