Improvements

I loved all of the stories of useless stuff! Unfortunately, thanks to the brownie suggestion, I cannot give the pan away. M is now expecting small triangle brownies. So, for that suggestion, Marissa will receive a prize. The other prize goes to Amanda at Learning to Breathe for her wealth of un-asked for gifts, including a salad bag. Thanks for playing and I will be in touch!

Just for a change of pace, I will talk about how nice the weather was this weekend. It was dry and not horribly hot and we actually spent some time outside.






With the slightly better weather comes a slightly better attitude on my part. Fall, such that it is in Houston, is my favorite time of year. Fall brings a transition into winter, my birthday, and the gateway to the holiday season. I am back in school and trying to finish this damn masters degree. It's a little discouraging when you see signs like this outside of your classroom:



(Actually, these signs are a result of a very unfortunate incident involving a golden retriever and an alligator.)

On Sunday we got up early and went to the Kemah Boardwalk. Kemah is a small community on the water. It has not escaped the rampant commercialization of Houston and has grown over the years to include a sort of fairground. You can eat all of the trans fats your heart desires and then throw it all up on a big, wooden roller coaster.




We don't dare go during the day on a weekend, but in the morning we like to buy our coffee and take a walk. It was the first time in months that I have spent any time outside without sweating profusely.




I wouldn't call myself a "morning person" but I do enjoy the quiet. It's a peaceful place without the chaos of families and noise.






I felt refreshed from our outing and have decided that if I am going to be stuck in a swamp, then I should try to find the beauty in what surrounds me.