moving on to better things in 2013-2014

1) It is my off-button. Aaron manipulates this with shameless abandon. He thinks it’s particularly funny if I’m all het up about something and mid-rant, and then completely shut down. I try to glare. I fail. He cackles.

when someone plays with my hair

He will also strongly consider killing anyone else who ever tries it.

2) Yesterday was pretty damn cool (literally: about 15 degrees below normal; I was chilled). The rain finally stopped, so I went for a walk downtown to find the Dunkin Donuts and get my 99-cent pumpkin muffin. And I had adventures! I came back to the office, fed with pumpkin and just… happy. This is refreshing, revitalizing, rebirthing. I have needed this. After tiny, stagnant Athens, I needed this so badly. I feel free.

Spontaneous free tour of the eighteenth century Methodist church! Including the tiny, tiny chapel they built for the sole purpose of installing a stained glass window. Part of me was all dude are you sure you want to go wandering an empty building with tiny rooms with this old man but the rest of me was too busy geeking out to care. He was a sweet man, and we chatted about God, and we both oozed southern hospitality out of our pores, and he slipped up and asked what my husband did. He corrected to future husband, but my brain was too busy being delighted at the sound of that to care.

Draft horses pulling carriage tours! Everywhere! (They are reasonably shiny-coated, alert, and in good observable health.) Two of them met at an intersection. The one who had to stop was not happy about it. The one that got to go was quite smug. Their hooves are the size of my face.

Horse poop in the cross walks by the carriage HQ!

The coolest freaking church + graveyard I have ever freaking seen! Seriously, Google image search “Circular Church.” The gates were open as I walked by, and if I hadn’t needed to get back to the office, I would have stopped. I think I went there on the high school trip in 2003, but I really can’t remember. They do hold weddings, for a measly (relatively) $2500. Aaron shot that one down in a heartbeat, but the part of me that’s still wishing for high ceilings with fairy lights and an expensive dress refuses to stop daydreaming. Reality is the worst buzzkill. (I’m totally going to explore that church later.)

Almost photo-bombing a photo op in front of the Confederate museum!

Glancing down a side road and GIANT FUCKING CARNIVAL CRUISE SHIP BECAUSE WHY NOT. I know I’m only about 3 blocks from the harbor, but STILL. And I knew the ship was in, but I did not expect to see the big whale tail and radars peeking above the buildings from three sea-level blocks inland!

My muffin was 99 cents and my usual 32-oz Mountain Dew from the gas station is 87 cents! Single doughnuts, without a coupon, are also .99! I CAN GET A DOUGHNUT AND DEW FOR UNDER $2 IN AN EASY WALK. THIS IS SO FREAKING DANGEROUS.

And as always, tourists, TOURISTS EVERYWHERE, and so easily identifiable. There are the college students, in whatever they rolled out of bed and found. There are the people who work there, in some degree of business casual/professional. And then there’s everyone else, in windbreakers and rain jackets and shorts and maps in hand, looking around in confusion and taking a thousand pictures. I have to thread through a gaggle every time I get back to the office–the restaurant next door was on the Food Network. As it happens.

3) There’s a tropical storm Rachel! This only happens every 7 years, IF the year is hyperactive, and 2014 in the east Pacific is that year. YAY! I changed my FB profile pic to a satellite image. /nerd

4) I successfully pulled off catering a lunch for a big inter-office meeting with the city water people. There are leftovers. There were compliments. Hooray! If I can’t get my dream career (YET; I have not given up hope, just have more urgent priorities right now. Like getting married), at least I can be a fairly pretty secretary. Life skills, yo.