Snow. Down here in the south we don't get much of this. Sure sometimes we get flurries that causes the entire city to shut down with breaking news announcements interrupting perfectly lovely daytime television, but in my years here its been rare to see the nice snow, the fluffy white snow that falls down in clumps on your nose and lashes. The kind you can have a real snowball fight with and create towering snowmen of. A few weeks ago we had this kind of snow and it was just plain old fun. I'm a native Floridian and this is exactly the type of snow I can enjoy: once in a blue moon, build a snowman, and then poof, gone the next day before it can get grimy and gray and require loads of shoveling. [Our mini-snowman on the left- is he thug or what?]Spring Cleaning. I think its Spring? Though the fact that I need three layers to leave the house imply otherwise. In any case we had a beautiful 'spring-like' weekend recently in the 60's. The kind where birds chirp and kids scooter around and for a brief moment you don't care that temps will drop 30 degrees in just a few days. We took advantage and finally got down to the nitty gritty business of deciding which of my teaching things to donate. I had so much stuff it lined the entire side of my garage. This. was. hard. I look at a box of games and remember the children who laughed as they played, I see the books I used to read and keep thinking maybe someday they will come in handy. But- the truth is for the past few years they've been gathering dust and going untouched and its time they go to someone who could use them. I saved a few things that my future child can insh'Allah someday use, but I'm happy to say I now have an empty garage. I appreciate K for helping me let go. Now that I have, I feel a little lighter inside.
Casual Dining. I have come to accept that as much as fancy restaurants can be good to mark a special occasion I don't like being waited on. I don't like a check brought to my table indicating I must leave and especially I don't like eating while others are clutching black pagers eyeing my table and waiting for us to vacate. One thing I loved about Brazil was that it was considered rude to give a check to the customer without them requesting it. Dining out was an experience, not a cattle call feed lot situation. You were expected to relax and talk and take your time. This is just not possible at most restaurants. For this reason I find myself preferring a simpler affair like Boneheads, Zaxby's or Chipotle where you order your meal, get all the refills you want without having to flag anyone down and can stay for pretty much as long as you like.
