A Few Assorted Thoughts

So over the long weekend I was away at a youth conference for work (note: if you've never been to a four day youth event for adolescents, you've never really lived). Since about a thousand things happened in between then and now, here's an abbreviated list of a few assorted thoughts on some of them:

• On Thursday morning I opened my pantry and realized that I was in the midst of a coffee shortage. I don't know how it happened since I consume more coffee in a day than most people do in a week and consequently keep it readily stocked...and by readily stocked I'm talking fallout shelter proportions. The only coffee left to speak of was the sad remainders of two different bags: pumpkin spice and chocolate truffle. I did what I had to do. I mixed them. And learned that Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Truffle coffee is just as disgusting as it sounds.
  
• When the people at the rental car office know you by first and last name, you know you travel for work too often.
  
• When temperatures in the high 30's/low 40's feel tropical, you know you live in the Northeast.
  
• As per aforementioned rental car office, they may be surprised when they see I put over 800 miles on their brand new car in one weekend.
  
• As per aforementioned weather comment, somehow 23 years of my life have elapsed, most of them in the great arctic state of New York, and I have never owned a down coat, or even once worn one. Thanks to an enormous sale at Gap and a need to escape from frenzied teens, I went on a little shopping trip and found an incredible down coat on sale for $25!!! It is so warm, oh my word it is so warm. My valentine this year: the coat.
• Other shopping escapades included visits to Just Plain Good (home to an excellent slogan, "Do what you love, love what you do") and the fabulous Putnam Market (home to the best turkey sandwich in the history of turkey sandwiches (cranberry mayo rocked my world) and lemon frosted ginger cookies (also world-rocking)).
  
• Strange but true: I really missed typing during four days of limited computer access! Something about the methodical clicking of keys is oddly therapeutic for me, as is the assemblage of words in sentences. I never remember how much I love the combination until I go for a few days without it. As with all good things.
  
• A shout-out from Post Grad: "What you do with your life is just one-half of the equation. More importantly, it's who you're with when you're doing it." Amen. 

P.S. As unyielding as I am to change, it was time to ditch the Christmas background in favor of something more multi-seasonal. Say hello to a new (and likely permanent) look!