a return appearance...

After a month long hiatus, I decided I should probably post something. So here it is. I had a few end of Summer Academy stories, but now I forget them...really, nothing all that exciting has been happening. Well. Judge for yourselves...here are this past month's highlights...

I went to the White Mountains in NH with some friends! Nothing like a good old fashioned road trip to celebrate summer in all its splendor... We hiked the highest mountain east of the Mississippi (if you know its name, I know you probably won the Geography Bee in elementary school), which was flipping sweet. One of the best parts was (were? my inner grammar girl is having a fit) the signs that warn you to turn back if the weather is bad b/c this mountain has the most extreme weather conditions in the US. The buildings at the top are chained to the ground because the highest wind speed EVER was recorded there. They have wind chills that are off the charts. Seriously. Anyways, awesome time with some awesome friends.

Then to Emerald Isle, NC for a week with the family and some family friends. Awesome house, awesome weather (HOT...heat indexes in the 110 range), awesome food (always important), and, of course, awesome people. We had one heck of a thunderstorm one night which woke all of us up. After talking to my sisters, I was trying to sleep again, on the top bunk, but my bed was moving too much. I told my sister to stop moving...her response...."that's not me...that's the house!" It was a little windy. Great times though...and very relaxing.

I reread Harry Potter 5 and 6, then read book 7 at the beach. I won't say anything else in case you are still reading, except that that series rocks my world. And I can't see how they are ever going to make book 7 into a movie that is less than 5 hours long.

I turned 24! My sisters made me breakfast in bed. I got a new mattress from my parents (an AWESOME one from The Original Mattress Factory, which, I believe, is the only place to buy a real mattress. Their propaganda has sold me. I mean, they cut open mattresses and compare them...theirs are definitely superior. So, if you're in the market for a mattress that will last more than a few years, go there.) My roommates had an awesome party for me, AND got me a little red wagon!!! Now I can take all of my stuff to school and I don't have to drive! My goal as of late has been to drive as little as possible, and I've been pretty good about walking and biking and consolidating errands...

I made use of the red wagon by carting stuff to and from school these past few days, getting ready for the school year. I get lots of looks from people, which I can only interpret as envy, I mean, who DOESN'T wish they were pulling a little red wagon down the street? I like to think that there's an air of mystery about it. Someone in my neighborhood is writing on their blog..."So I saw that girl again today, the one pulling the red wagon. This time it looked like she had a package of styrofoam cups, some books, and a water bottle. Where is she going? What is she doing with all of the stuff in the wagon?"
(or am I the only weirdo who would blog about something like that?)

A couple of noteworthy events that took place today:
- I went running with a friend in the cemetery (which is HUGE and gorgeous), and we saw no fewer than 20 deer! I thought it was a special day when I saw a whole deer family (two fawns, a doe and a button buck), but today I saw them AND all of their friends. Pretty sweet.
- I went to the post office and when I came out, I was waiting to cross the street and the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile drove past!!!! I'm just sad that I didn't have the presence of mind to take out my camera phone...

Whew. Well, that's the overview, if I think of anything else uber exciting, I'll let you know. School officially starts the 10th, but kids come for orientation and a retreat during the week after Labor Day...which means plenty of blog fodder :)

Over and out.