Oh, in five years time I might not know you...

I spent last weekend in Tuscaloosa, and oh, what a weekend it was! I got there Friday evening and met Lindsey and some of her friends, then Graham and I went to shoot pool. We came back and sat around the hookah and played mafia and went to bed, snug as a bug, with Lindsey, Maks, and Botswana.

Saturday morning we waded through the homecoming crowds, visiting different booths of which Lindsey was a part before retiring to her home. Alex and I walked to Publix and he got me lunch at Quik Grill. It was a beautiful day, a walking day. That night Lindsey dressed like Pocahontas and I was Julian of Norwich/ Renaissance Lady. We got to see Graham's frat house (by the way, Graham is a pledge... not to worry, though. It's an academic fraternity, with female members and actual personalities) and meet some of his brothers/sisters. After that we met Boyd and his friend at one of the local pubs, and from there we headed to a crazy party by the railroad tracks. They charged five dollars a cup for cheap beer but had a cooler full of free shrimp and sausage and potatoes and corn. Weird. We retired again to the house for hookah and Pete and Pete. Whoa. Sunday I got to hang out with Ryan; we gathered picnic supplies and then spread our wares on the quad with Maks and Nicole and various other passers-by. Wow, but that was fun. Lindsey came by and I jogged by her bike back to the church to meet the youth group she and Graham lead together. I had dinner with Graham and Austin and various other characters, then did some geography and dilly-dallied a bit more before finally heading home.

On the back I almost hit a deer! I had just been talking to Jessica about that very worry, when I came upon one ambling across the highway. Luckily it had just crossed out of my lane (and hadn't leapt crazy-like). A car appeared immediately in the opposite direction, though. I flashed my lights a bunch; I hope they didn't hit her, either. I listened to the first cd of Stephen Colbert's I Am America (And So Can You) on the way home; on the way down I listened to the first of On the Road by Jack Kerouac and some of Radio Lab, a new show on NPR.

Monday after class and work, Jeff and I went to Birmingham, where we celebrated Darren's birthday! I left the party after a bit to meet Austin and Chris at Oasis where we got to see Michael Goldsmith (yes, THE Michael Goldsmith) play! It was so nice to see all of them. Early the next morning (6:30 early), Jeff and I headed to my voting station, where we waited an hour and some change for me to vote before going home once again-- stopping first at Jeff's station so he could cast his ballot. We made it back in time for class, but I decided to sleep instead. I'd been fighting a cold for the better part of a week, missing things here and there and remaing tired, so I took a day to sleep and drink orange juice and feel better; I still went to Women and Politics that night.

That night I romped around with Jonathan and Megan for a bit, watching the news and the end of some speeches. I will have more to say on the election later, I think. When I was ready to leave, I couldn't find my keys (I was pretty sure they were under Megan, who was asleep on the couch... and they were :-p) so I crashed on the other couch, enjoyed coffee with Megan in the morning, and went to Atkinson's class, where we ate muffins and cupcakes and chatted it up big time.

Today we watched Sling Blade in my Southern Lit. class. I've never seen it before, but I really like it so far. I've got a geography test to work on and I might make some ravioli tonight. Jessica will be in town Saturday, and we are tottttallllly camping out. It's supposed to be insanely cold... I think 33 is the low. The low has been in the forties until Saturday; this seems to be the trend with these Logouts. Jeeeez, that sucks, but mostly, I am so very excited about this weekend!