Images

Helen, Georgia

For part of the long weekend, Chuck and I celebrated Oktoberfest in Helen, Georgia – a Bavarian-style “alpine” village nestled in the Appalachians. It was not quite what I expected and was a total tourist trap, but we still had a great time. I went all out and drank more beer than I’ve ever drunk in my life. I rarely get tipsy anymore, so it was fun 🙂 It was nice to do something a little different.

Now I’m hoping for a productive week before skipping town again for the next two weekends: Charleston to Brooklyn to Tallahassee. Two weeks from today, I am going to be pooped… but full of great memories!

“The art of dining well is no slight art, the pleasure not a slight pleasure.” (Michel de Montaigne.)

Belated anniversary #dinner collage #latergram #epicrestaurant

Chuck and I have created a new theory about Annie’s mysterious, pre-adoption past. Any time she’s outside, she looks very nervously at the sky, and lays low to the ground. We have determined that she must have been kidnapped (catnapped?) by an eagle or a falcon but somehow escaped its hungry talons, far from home. She was subsequently picked up by the animal shelter, where I was lucky enough to find her.

Clearly there’s just no other feasible explanation.

I think the military has made Chuck a better person. He is so strong, and confident, and successful. On the other hand, I think the military experience has made me a worse person, for myself and for him.

“Worse” isn’t quite the right word, but maybe you know what I mean? Less comfortable with myself. Less whole. More frustrated and lost, clingy and dependent. Something like that.

This has nothing to do with Chuck himself, of course – it’s just the reality of military life. That’s my negative moment for the (hopefully) forseeable future! It will pass… They always do.

There’s only one thing to be done with white hair: dress up as Daenerys Targaryen for #Halloween! Annie will be my baby dragon! Now all I need are actual plans for Halloween…

… minor detail.