I'm not sure how long this fascination with fall has been going on, but I LOVE fall. It is my absolute favorite season of the year. You can open all the windows and let in the fresh air. Everyone decorates in burnt oranges, sage, deep red, and golden yellow. Leaves come down. School starts again. Football plays every Saturday.
It is like shedding an old skin every year - you get to let go of the summer and cuddle up for the winter. It is a truly amazing deal.
This fall has brought me a number of wonderful things already. However, I fear I must restrict myself (at least momentarily) to this weekend. You'll see why when you realize the length of this post.
Not an awesome week at work, I was happy to duck out at exactly 5:30p.m. on Friday. One of my interns was celebrating her birthday, so she came by the house and I cut her some fresh sunflowers for her apartment as a gift. Then I went inside to make supper.
My new fellow from work and Paula came over for dinner (they're roommates). We had meatloaf, zucchini-mozzarella melt, corn and some seriously great wine. They helped me do my eyes really charcoal-shadowy (which I've never done on myself before and frankly, I can only do costume and completely neutral make-up well) and then headed out. I got into my cocktail dress for a party at Rachel's friends house.
I helped Rachel with her hair - which looked totally fabulous of its own accord - and then we walked up to the guys' house. It was the type of party that is fun enough to stay at (especially since it was a fancy dress up theme) and enjoy my Kir Royale (potentially the best appertif of all time), but not so exciting that I was exhausted from over-socialization.
Up early Saturday a.m. I vegged out and watched 13 Going on 30 - totally girly indulgence - until the cable guy came to finally give us our cable cards (which for some of my newer readers, I've been waiting for since March). Rachel and I harvested some sunflower seeds and then went out in search of the rest of the gardening materials we need for this fall.
A couple hours later, covered in dirt, our tomatoes, artichokes, and lone surviving green bean plant were in the garden boxes I started constructing ages ago. I'd managed to listen to Florida kicking Tennessee's butt through the open windows and disappoint some door-to-door Obama supporters with an "I'm still undecided" response during the gardening process (hello productivity, shall we be friends?).
I got a shower and adapted the eye look for football fun at CCSP. (I usually don't wear make-up, but I wanted to practice and the day after I wear mascara or eyeliner it just looks smudgy if I don't reapply a little. But note the adaptation - football and girliness don't usually mix for me.)
I got there during the second quarter and Carolina was barely leading Wofford. Seriously Steve, or spurious friend of mine, is that the best you can do? I started chatting with the guy who helped me find a seat (henceforth to be known as Cag - Carolina Alumni Guy). Dinner was good and the game was lame. Cag and I went in to watch the rest of the FSU game with some of his friends (I had my eye on the LSU-Auburn game). The games ended before 10 and neither of us wanted to go home yet.
I'm not sure if it was the eyeshadow or the way I mercilessly scream at the television during football games (especially of the Gamecock variety), but Cag asked if I wanted to do something. So we went for a walk. Unfortunately, Crystal City isn't that scenic. So after a short jaunt, we went to Old Town to walk King Street and get some ice cream.
We took the ice cream to the waterfront and went out on to a pier to eat and get a good view of Maryland and DC across the Potomac. A bit later a patrolling dock employee sent us on our merry way.
When I woke up in the morning, I was so relaxed that it seemed like I was coming off a three-day weekend, instead of a single Saturday.
Sunday a.m. brought the first week back to full choir rehearsal - love the bonus singing time. I got to talk to Marco during lunch and the drive out to Springfield where I tried out for a competitive volleyball team. The girls were really nice and the level was perfect. I played the best I've played in ages - all my serves in, all my hits in, relatively decent passing, moderate to good setting and excellent team dynamic. It was the best time I've had playing ball in recent memory.
Rachel and I went out to dinner (after I iced my shoulders and neck - really dudes, it was some intense volleyball) at King Street Blues. My Triple Play was delicious - salad, chili, and BBQ pulled pork half-sammie. We came back to the house and I fell asleep about five minutes into National Treasure. I woke up an hour or so later and had to put a heat wrap on so I could, you know, move. A full night's rest and it was up and at 'em for work this morning.
Now, if you made it this far, then thank you for putting up with what has to be one of the greatest weekends and longest posts in awhile.
Gosh do I love fall.
Love always, ~Heather
It is like shedding an old skin every year - you get to let go of the summer and cuddle up for the winter. It is a truly amazing deal.
This fall has brought me a number of wonderful things already. However, I fear I must restrict myself (at least momentarily) to this weekend. You'll see why when you realize the length of this post.
Not an awesome week at work, I was happy to duck out at exactly 5:30p.m. on Friday. One of my interns was celebrating her birthday, so she came by the house and I cut her some fresh sunflowers for her apartment as a gift. Then I went inside to make supper.
My new fellow from work and Paula came over for dinner (they're roommates). We had meatloaf, zucchini-mozzarella melt, corn and some seriously great wine. They helped me do my eyes really charcoal-shadowy (which I've never done on myself before and frankly, I can only do costume and completely neutral make-up well) and then headed out. I got into my cocktail dress for a party at Rachel's friends house.
I helped Rachel with her hair - which looked totally fabulous of its own accord - and then we walked up to the guys' house. It was the type of party that is fun enough to stay at (especially since it was a fancy dress up theme) and enjoy my Kir Royale (potentially the best appertif of all time), but not so exciting that I was exhausted from over-socialization.
Up early Saturday a.m. I vegged out and watched 13 Going on 30 - totally girly indulgence - until the cable guy came to finally give us our cable cards (which for some of my newer readers, I've been waiting for since March). Rachel and I harvested some sunflower seeds and then went out in search of the rest of the gardening materials we need for this fall.
A couple hours later, covered in dirt, our tomatoes, artichokes, and lone surviving green bean plant were in the garden boxes I started constructing ages ago. I'd managed to listen to Florida kicking Tennessee's butt through the open windows and disappoint some door-to-door Obama supporters with an "I'm still undecided" response during the gardening process (hello productivity, shall we be friends?).
I got a shower and adapted the eye look for football fun at CCSP. (I usually don't wear make-up, but I wanted to practice and the day after I wear mascara or eyeliner it just looks smudgy if I don't reapply a little. But note the adaptation - football and girliness don't usually mix for me.)
I got there during the second quarter and Carolina was barely leading Wofford. Seriously Steve, or spurious friend of mine, is that the best you can do? I started chatting with the guy who helped me find a seat (henceforth to be known as Cag - Carolina Alumni Guy). Dinner was good and the game was lame. Cag and I went in to watch the rest of the FSU game with some of his friends (I had my eye on the LSU-Auburn game). The games ended before 10 and neither of us wanted to go home yet.
I'm not sure if it was the eyeshadow or the way I mercilessly scream at the television during football games (especially of the Gamecock variety), but Cag asked if I wanted to do something. So we went for a walk. Unfortunately, Crystal City isn't that scenic. So after a short jaunt, we went to Old Town to walk King Street and get some ice cream.
We took the ice cream to the waterfront and went out on to a pier to eat and get a good view of Maryland and DC across the Potomac. A bit later a patrolling dock employee sent us on our merry way.
When I woke up in the morning, I was so relaxed that it seemed like I was coming off a three-day weekend, instead of a single Saturday.
Sunday a.m. brought the first week back to full choir rehearsal - love the bonus singing time. I got to talk to Marco during lunch and the drive out to Springfield where I tried out for a competitive volleyball team. The girls were really nice and the level was perfect. I played the best I've played in ages - all my serves in, all my hits in, relatively decent passing, moderate to good setting and excellent team dynamic. It was the best time I've had playing ball in recent memory.
Rachel and I went out to dinner (after I iced my shoulders and neck - really dudes, it was some intense volleyball) at King Street Blues. My Triple Play was delicious - salad, chili, and BBQ pulled pork half-sammie. We came back to the house and I fell asleep about five minutes into National Treasure. I woke up an hour or so later and had to put a heat wrap on so I could, you know, move. A full night's rest and it was up and at 'em for work this morning.
Now, if you made it this far, then thank you for putting up with what has to be one of the greatest weekends and longest posts in awhile.
Gosh do I love fall.
Love always, ~Heather
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