My Life, So Awesome
So things have been going really well for me lately. Yay!

I got a promotion/pay raise at work. I'm still in my same job, but now I'm eligible to apply for higher level jobs. I have no plans to do that for at least another year because my current job is still really interesting and challenging. I am really happy about the raise though.



Two Saturdays ago, I went out to Mt. Vernon for the annual craft fair. I didn't buy anything, but it was fun to see all the stuff. The man that plays George Washington for various reenactments was there, and he was really cool to talk to. He has this great gravitas about him that reminds me of all the stories about how well respected Washington was as a general and as a politician. I also spent a while watching the blacksmith work. It's possible that I creeped him out a little by staring so long, but blacksmithing is pretty fascinating to watch.



Last Saturday, I went to the National Book Festival. While no one there had quite as much of my fannish adoration as Gaiman in 2008 or Pratchett in 2007, I was still really excited to see Lois Lowry and Sue Monk Kidd. Lois Lowry was unexpectedly hilarious in person. Unfortunately I did not get her autograph because she could only stay for one hour of signing, and I was too far back in line. I did get The Secret Life of Bees signed by Sue Monk Kidd though. I highly recommend that book. Before the book festival, I got to do a before-hours behind the scenes tour of the butterfly garden in the Natural History Museum. It was arranged for any zoo volunteers that were interested. We got to go in the lab where they store the chrysalises and cocoons before they hatch producing butterflies and moths for the garden. They also keep tarantulas, walking sticks, scorpions, and other inhabitants of the Insect Zoo that get rotated out of the public viewing area. Being a zoo volunteer has excellent perks.



On Sunday, Brooke and I were both awake at 6.30am, so we got IHOP and went grocery shopping before spending the day at the zoo. We went through almost the entire thing, skipping only a few indoor areas. We got to watch the cuttlefish feeding, the orangutans swinging around, pandas scratching their balls, massive elephant penis descending and retracting, and many other awesome things. I will get pictures up on flickr soon.



Yesterday I got a new, shiny, 16G, purple ipod nano. It is somewhat more advanced than my previous 2G nano which had started to have battery issues. It can film video and pick up FM radio stations. It has a pedometer. I will probably never use 90% of the functions on this thing because I really just use it to listen to music, but it's cool to know the functions are there. The best part about my new nano (which I have determined is named PodPod) is that I used my credit card points to get it. Yay for not spending any money on my shiny new toy! I have already gone somewhat crazy with playlist creation since this is big enough to hold all my songs at once. Crazy!


For future awesome things, I will be home October 16-19 for my cousin's wedding. I'm looking forward to it as I am particularly fond of this cousin, and I know the reception will have good food, good drink, and good music. Any Baton Rouge people want to try and get together Friday night or Sunday, let me know. Saturday's fully booked with wedding and other family stuff, but I'd like to see friends if I can.

Brooke and I are going to NYC for Halloween. We're staying with Natalie and Judith and plan on having an awesome time at the Greenwich Village Halloween parade. I'm pondering costumes and welcome any suggestions on the matter.