I tried some Smart Bacon last night. Jeff looked at it curiously. I told him it gave me heartburn and he said, "Just like the real thing." He had eggs, biscuits and bacon. I had fake bacon and biscuits. I decided not to eat eggs. I'm not checking for them as an ingredient in things, but I'm not eating whole eggs, egg salad, or whatever. I'm not sure what I'll do about things like cornbread and cake mixes. I'm still trying to get a handle on my diet overall. I'm eating way too much pasta and processed foods like frozen burritos and meals. I did buy some fake buffalo wings. That should be interesting.

Leigh and I are kicking up our planning of the Charleston trip. I printed out some hotel info on Travelocity yesterday. There are several hotels in our price range ($99 or less a night) near downtown. We could stay cheaper in a motel, but it's not as safe. I'm hoping for a hotel in walking distance to the open-air market and the historical areas - like the Calhoun House, which I toured last time I was there. There was this old Brunswick pool table from the late 1800s there that was so beautiful.

The market is wonderful, too. It's like 3 large covered picnic areas where people sell things. Some of it is flea market stuff, but most is crafts, jewelry, artwork, even Mary Kay products. There were even women on the sidewalk weaving baskets. There was also this fudge shop my Dad took me to that was to die for. They were cutting huge logs of fudge into 1 pound sections. Mmmmmmm. I'm not sure if fudge is vegetarian or vegan. Probably not. Oh, well.

Another cool place was the candle shop where you could watch them dip candles, even the intricate ones that look like ribbons. Of course, there's also the beautiful houses and gardens in the historical district, as well as Rainbow Row. That is a street where the houses are all painted different colors, like pink, yellow, green, blue, etc. Many of the souvenirs from Charleston feature this as a motif. My stepmother has prints and even a hand-painted switch plate cover with the colorful houses on it. Can you tell I love this place?

So, we'll have plenty to do and see. Mostly, I'll just be glad to have a few days away, and to spend them with my very best friend. And, of course, doing only what we want to do. You see, I've never been on a vacation. Well, I went on a few as a kid, but never as an adult. I had no honeymoon. I've taken time off of work, but it's spent at home (or for holidays visiting relatives - not very relaxing). Now, that is a vacation in itself (especially if Jeff is working). However, not what I had in mind.