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Entries categorized as ‘Holidays’

A Little Christmastime Update

December 15, 2006 · Leave a Comment

Dear Friends,

Well Ho Ho Ho it’s time for the yearly update from our family to yours…

The year started off super when Audrey was released early from her latest stay at Betty Ford. The reunion was joyous to say the least even though Michael was still off at Holy Innocence School for Troubled Youth and David was about to be released from The Valdosta Prison Farm For Boys…Mom and Dad are hopeful at least one of them will make it home for the holidays but you know how boys are.

Since coming home Audrey has been helping out at a center devoted to the literacy of new citizens. The class she teaches meets at the oddest times, usually late at night. As much time as she spends volunteering her star pupil (Armando I think it is) must be getting more and more acclimated to the culture…what a gal!

Meanwhile Rick’s thriving career has made it possible for us to take more and more exciting trips every year!

On that subject, Rick was finally cleared of those pesky charges stemming from that unfortunate misunderstanding with the Bolivian nuns during family vacation this summer…and luckily the scars from the beating as well as the limp he received from the sisters’, are barely noticeable…as he said to the judge, ” las cabras nacen a mentirosos!” (“Your honor, goats are born liars!”)…but who didn’t know that?

This fall we bought a beautiful new Italian leather combo for the TV room. Craziest thing. Armando just showed up at our door one day and said his cousin had received a shipment in from Equador and that today only the whole ensamble was only $99. He sure sped off in a hurry but wow what a sofa!


Friends when you come to our Christmas party you’ll notice that The Halls have decided to live a more simple life. That the lawn hasn’t been mowed in a few months or that the power is off is completely intentional.

We just feel like it’s time to simplify our lives…you know, get back to basics.

So please feel free to bring an appetizer to share, a case or two of beer…or a turkey would be really nice. We won’t be offended if you bring a case of wine or a nice bottle of single malt either…let the holiday spirit move you!

Remember to wear an extra sweater (or two) and if you are in the market for a new car for one of the kids, make us an offer…we’re dealing!

P.S. Recently read somewhere that firewood always makes a nice hostess gift

Take some time to count your blessings this season…cook something nice for someone, give a gift to a person who would never expect it…and rest assured the Hall’s are decked indeed!

Happy Holidays,

Categories: Christmas Letters · Holidays

One More Eugene if You Please

October 28, 2006 · Leave a Comment

Here’s how I judge golf clubs:
1. As a guest, do the members and/or staff give you the”who the F-R-U” look?
2. Do they have something on the menu that could be called “signature”?
3. The Locker Room Guy(s)

Condition of the greens comes in at #4 while condition of the course doesn’t really rank at all.

On to my story…I stole an afternoon Thursday at Cassique GC down on Kiawah Island. Just a two-ball with a caddie that was a better kid than caddie, which works just fine for me…two and a half hours of a nice walk on a really good golf course.

They do well on all of the above…the greens are the best in Charleston at least that I’ve played, and they have a great Locker Room man in Eugene White.

Eugene lives on Wadmalaw Island not far from Kiawah and lives on the land his ancestors didn’t own at the time and who didn’t have a lot of employment options…get my drift?

Fascinating man…we got talking about a few things including family, property taxes, and of course food.

When I told Eugene I was taking my son camping the next night on Wadmalaw Island at the Boy Scout Camp he for some reason felt the need to spend the next twenty minutes or so scaring the hell out of me with ghost stories.

There was one about his daughter, then 4, who woke him up in the middle of the night scared that their was a “policeman” in her room. Turns out the policeman was a Union soldier complete with blue uniform and rifle over his shoulder. No biggie.

Or the one about the man who mowed Eugene’s lawn every Saturday. The poor guy was killed on a Thursday riding his bicycle down the road…when Saturday came though, he was there to complete his usual job.

The riding lawnmower he used, and that belonged to Eugene, started up by itself and began to mow the lawn! No problem, he called his mother-in-law, who he describes as “spiritual”. She told him to chase the mower down and put his Bible on it…sure enough that worked, but only after the 3rd time it happened. HMMM

And the Boy Scout camp? Eugene said to check out the Red Rock cemetery on the property…”ain’t no tellin‘ what you might see down there at night” says Eugene.

“Oh yes there is,” says me…”nothing ’cause I ain’t goin“

Now that’s a great locker room guy…Eugene White is +2 at pouring a Guiness just right and scaring it out of you …all in the time it takes to play a short par 5.

Categories: Holidays · Locker Rooms