January

Aside from the general consensus that January is a month-long Monday, it hasn't actually been half bad. I can't feel my fingers or toes anymore due to the cold, but that is another story. Come to think of it, my feet lost feeling several winters ago when I refused to exchange flip flops for boots. They have never been the same since.

To briefly top things off: Steph has been living upstairs and working in Clemson, Tim is taking a full course-load and spending the rest of his time in the lab, Isaac learned to say "no" (I'm trying to teach him to simultaneously stomp his foot on the ground), and I finally finished writing my second book. It has no title as of yet.

My new favorite haunt is downtown Asheville, NC. During our last visit, we collected maps, brochures, and business cards which are now displayed on my fridge like a portfolio page. Despite Tim taking serious offense while perusing Malaprops due to their liberal bias, I adore the atmosphere of the city. It is a perfect mixture of hippies, new-agers, artists, and musicians. I love it how I can walk down practically any street and find a musician performing on the sidewalk; just the artist, the instrument, and an upturned hat for tips. Being surrounded by so much diverse creativity is like a natural high for me. It's a sure-fire way to find new inspiration.

Ames and I drove to Atlanta last Saturday night to hear A.j. in concert at North River Tavern. It's a small venue, which was actually a relief as the type of concerts I generally frequent take place in coffee houses. It's ironic how you can own a cd and know all the songs by heart, and yet when you hear them in concert they come alive in a whole new way. A.j.'s band, Deception, is incredible. I have a feeling fame will be snatching them up at some point in the near future and it will be next-to-impossible to obtain affordable tickets.

We didn't actually arrive home until about 4 in the morning, but it was well worth the loss of sleep. We even found the mini-skirts we're going to use for our matching school girl outfits (no reason, really). We're still looking for white button-down shirts, oxford shoes, and matching plaid clip-on ties and knee-socks. I'll try to post a photo.

Sarah E. is arriving this afternoon for a week-long visit during which we intend to drink enormous amounts of coffee, finish up some old projects, visit Highlands and Greenville, and host the somewhat-regular movie night that we inadvertently started up with Ames, Jordan, Steph, and Brandon. I like the idea of people coming to my house on a regular basis without having to call first - sort of like in Friends where they repeatedly show up at either Monica's apartment or the coffee house, as if by accident.

And finally, January will finish off at Court's house in Atlanta, where she is throwing a super bowl party despite the fact that neither of us have any intention of actually watching the super bowl. What can I say.