Miss Peach

Firstly, an update on the living situation. We worked it out. Scary Carmen called and we had a very civil conversation in which I told her 9% wasn't okay, we couldn't afford it, and would be willing to meet them at a 5% hike. She said "she'd see what she could do" and we hung up, and I swear to god she sat in her office, examined her manicure, maybe moved a few papers around, and then called me back and said it was just fine like 2 minutes later. I'm grateful they worked with us, but come on--that's just so ridiculous. Couldn't we have just done this, like, a WEEK ago and not cut a few years off of my life due to stress?

Whatever, they say all's well that ends well, right?

So! Back to Friday Five, since I took a little hiatus there.

Five Reasons Why I Love Fall:

1) The weather. It's cool but not freezing. It can be warm, but never too hot. I love walking around with a shirt, light jacket, and scarf on. And I like how you can really feel the season in the air, even now, when it's cool at night you can sense the season to come.

2) It's SO pretty. All those leaves! In such an array of colors! Growing up in California, I experienced fall through scenes on the calendar, and the only tree in my neighborhood that turned colors did so around Christmas and signaled Santa Claus to me. Every year that I experience fall I feel like I'm getting a taste of America or something. In college, I loved to drive up to northern Michigan for peak color, and last year Genoa and I went to Connecticut for a day, which was really fun. Also, a sidenote: fall leaves can be very useful for Halloween. I once had to dress up as a biblical character for a costume contest at my youth group (I think I was maybe 8?) and my mom and I had nothing except branches of fall leaves that she had bought to decorate the house with (yep, bought. Again, we lived in California.) So we taped them to my clothes and I went at the burning bush. Brilliant! AND I won the costume contest. Excellent. Not that it was about winning, it was about praising God.

3) Cider mills. Are any of you familiar with the cider mill phenomenon? I think it might be a southern Michigan thing. Anyway, they open up all over and they sell apples, cider, and donuts. My roommates and I would all pile into cars on a Saturday (before the football game, sometimes) and head to the nearest cider mill. Fun!

4) College football. It's about the only sport I can get really into, having gone to UofM, and sometimes I wind up following the season pretty closely. It's just fun to watch the games and know all the songs and remember college and indulge in a little school spirit. Also, I have a running bet with my family in Ohio on the UM-OSU game every year, which adds to it all, even though I keep losing which means I am forced to wear a hideous Buckeye thing of some sort. Last year it was a Buckeye coon hat. God help me.

5) The holidays are just around the corner. There's so much anticipation in fall--Halloween! I'm not a huge fan of that particular one anymore, but it's fun. Then Thanksgiving! One of my favorite holidays--maybe my absolute favorite. Everyone gathers in Ohio and catches up and it's just a good time. I love it. And then, when it's over, just when you think you might be sad because it's getting even colder and all, comes Christmas and New Years! And then, by the time it's all over, you're happy for a few months free from gluttonous holiday celebration.

Happy September 1st everyone--enjoy the last weekend of summer!