Random Birthday Thoughts

Red Gryffin, AKA Joy, at 4 Winds Faire

Wednesday was Joy's birthday; Mother Nature gave us a hot present ... so hot, in fact, that we stayed inside as much as possible until the sun went down. Luckily, we had made a book store stop on Monday, so we had mind candy to keep us diverted (more or less) from the heat ... although you wouldn't believe how much body heat felines and a canine can emit when they insist on sitting right next to you. Here Joy stands inside our booth at 4 Winds Faire, our home-away-from-home during the weekends of March & April; we'll be back there for Celtic Music Festival in September ... She wore her pirate garb to BJDC Austin -- since the theme was Carnivale, her garb stood out because it IS clothing to us, not a special occasion outfit ... and ladies asked whether she still had her tail. Of course! everyone needs a bit of tail to follow them about ...

When the sun lowered in the western sky, Joy decided that Outback Steakhouse would be a good choice ... until we learned that they had changed their menu. She liked the kebobs over rice with grilled peppers and pineapple; teriyaki steak medallions were a barely adequate substitute. I had their special -- I preferred their salad with steak strips, but I never found a description in the salad menu ... But the food wasn't bad; it just wasn't exactly what we desired ... and once you're seated in a restaurant, you feel trapped. Unless the service is egregiously awful, it's hard to find a reason to get up and go before you've ordered ... and going out in the heat to find another restaurant near Lancaster required more energy than we cared to expend.

Sorry to whine, but the heat tires everyone out. Yankees wondered why Southerners moved and talked slowly ... if it takes this much effort to operate WITH air conditioning, just imagine living in the Old South, dressed in layers upon layers of petticoats and starched shirts ... I know why the belles undressed and had a lie-down during the afternoon. It's the only way to survive the heat.

Two more days of "summer vacation," followed by the weekend ... then the 2010-11 school year begins. Woo-hoo! Didn't we just finish an academic season?