Some random things

Here's a few random things for a post today:

1. I'm writing this on Thursday night in the dark. My power is out for about the fourth time this summer. I'm not trying to complain, I'd rather be without power in the summer when I can get out and go places than when there is two feet of snow on the ground. But we've had a lot of bad storms here recently, and I wasn't really expecting that when I moved here. Going to college in the Midwest, I wasn't surprised that during exams in May, I usually ended up studying in a basement because the tornado sirens were going off. And in Georgia the tornado sirens were tested every week, which was a sign that they were probably built for a reason. Two tornadoes actually hit the city I was in during my time there, and there were several others that hit nearby areas. But when I moved here, I thought the fact that I was farther north and surrounded by mountains, I would be more isolated from bad storms. Apparently not. Though we haven't had a tornado, they have called two of the storms "micro-bursts," which have tornado-like winds, but no funnel cloud. Fortunately, my apartment is in the basement and stays cool most of the time!

2. YouTube has become my new how-to guide. Last weekend, I decided to clean the trap on my bathroom sink, but once I got it back together, it was leaking. And some helpful plumbers on YouTube helped me figure out the problem.

Then I had these huge cantaloupes from my last pick-up:

The last time I had a cantaloupe, I swear I threw away half of the melon trying to avoid the seeds and the rind. But this cook showed me exactly how to cut it to use all the fruit. And I'll just say, this is the best cantaloupe I've ever eaten.

3. Last Friday night, I couldn't sleep and was in cleaning/project mode (i.e. taking apart my sink), and I decided to clean my baseboards. It seemed like such a small thing to me, who never dusts and vacuums only when people are coming over, but I swear my apartment looks cleaner than ever, if only to my eyes.

4. I live in a glorified college town. It is not a place that exists solely on the university, but the students are a significant part of the city when school's in session. I moved here last summer before the students arrived, and I didn't know how good I had it. This town is definitely different in the summer, and it's something to enjoy. I'm starting to see signs that the students are starting to return slowly (you should see the stacks of mini-fridges at Target). And soon there will be heavier traffic (when I actually drive), more people going through the self-checkout at the grocery store, and fewer close parking spots at church. So while I am ready for fall weather, I'm a little sad it is August and the calmness of summer will disappear in a few weeks.

5. I've said before my job is based on three-month quarters, and every quarter there is a three or four week stretch when things are really busy. All things considered, this round has been calm and we're near the end right now. But I woke up from a dream about a company's balance sheet and earnings report the other night. Needless to say, I'm glad it's Friday!