Random Highlights

So here are the things that have been good about this week:

1. My cool sister and sweet niece came back from their vacation, albeit covered in barf. They brought me a Ghirardelli chocolate bar with almonds. It's created by a precise blend of deep-roasted cocoa beans and hand-selected ingredients, and the roasted almonds perfectly complement the smooth finish of the chocolate.
2. I got to visit and be jealous of Cicada's new apartment. Only I'm not jealous of the mosquitoes. Or the heat. Or the neighbors whose idea of watering the lawn consists of throwing down a garden hose in the middle of the yard and letting it run for hours before moving it over to a different spot in the yard. Those people are water wasters, which is right up there in my book with puppy killers. But the rest of the apartment is great, since Cicada has absolute heaps of taste and sass.
3. I braided my hair today, for the first time in 8 years. Haven't received any compliments yet, but I know that's because people are just shy. It's okay to just admire from a dist----wait! Hah! Just now. My coworker friend told me that she likes my hair. There you have it. True, there may have been a slight "as opposed to how it usually looks," tone, but I'm going to just focus on the positive.
4. I signed up for my two (count 'em) optional classes for next year: "The Child and the Book" and "Gender and Information Studies." My little English major heart is thrilled to have something to talk about that isn't to do with databases and computers. The gender class covers cool things like gender and language; gender and communication; men and women's reading habits; women's and men's representation in adverts; women's and men's magazines; women as writers. Who wouldn't get fired up about that stuff? I'm sure the section on men's magazines will be particulary enlightening. "We write some articles, and then put in a topless picture of Kiera Knightley."
5. I'm hosting a clothes swap on Saturday to get rid of my worldly goods. (Well, not all of them. Some things you just don't get rid of, like Williams-Sonoma cheese knives or beautiful ramen bowls from Japantown. But the rest is out.) The plan is to set up all our stuff at my house. I'll supply finger foods, put some Pink Martini in the stereo, and people can go to town. We'll see if it actually happens this way.
6. Oh! I almost forgot! PAB is up to his old tricks. I heard his dad on the phone yesterday making calls on his behalf. I hoped this meant that the young lad would be paying us a visit, but no such luck.