This week has been so stinkin' beautiful. So much so that I found myself taking pictures of the road ahead as I was driving. I couldn't even wait until I pulled up to a stop light to grab a few photos. It had to be done right then and there, so Jesus took the wheel. He also opened my eyes to a couple hidden houses in a wooded area that I ride past all the time. Before then, I had never noticed them. Trees, I tell ya'. They're some shady suckers.

We've been pushing the 80 degree mark around Atlanta this week, and all I've been wanting to do is lay outside and enjoy the warmth. These higher temperatures have my already-oily skin glowing like a light bulb, and I don't even care. On top of that, the pollen count is on a steady rise, threatening seasonal allergy sufferers everywhere. I still don't care. It's about time I soak up some sun after the winter we've had. Granted, the cold wasn't nearly as bad as it gets in other parts of the nation/world, but I didn't move to Atlanta in hopes of experiencing two ice storms, back to back, within a two-week period. At one point they even closed schools because of the cold. The cold. There was neither snow nor ice on the ground at that point, it was just a cold seven or eight degrees one morning, so the city just decided nope, school wasn't gonna happen that day.

Something like that never would've happened in Michigan, no matter how hard I prayed, no matter how many inches of snow were on the ground. I can hardly recall getting a snow day in Michigan. I had heard of them and about how kids got to stay home from school because there was too much snow, but I don't really remember getting to experience one of my own. When the temperatures fell below zero degrees, we just layered up more than usual and walked with haste from the house to the car to the building. And like most private schools, the one I went to operated independently from the county school system, which meant that even when public schools canceled classes, I still had to go.

So, as much as I enjoyed having a snow day [or five] this winter, they weren't expected, and I would've been perfectly fine without them. Thankfully, brighter and hotter days are ahead. I plan to make a conscious effort to take longer and more leisurely lunch breaks, outside in the open air, instead of just sitting in my office with snacks and green tea like I usually do. On Wednesday, I went to Village Burger and had me a nice little bunless turkey burger with a side of fried pickles. 

I may or may not be on a subconscious mission to find the best fried pickles around town, and so far the only ones that come close to my favorite spot [Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville, TN] are from Captain D's. Captain D's! Who would've thought a fast food chain that specializes in seafood - my most hated food type ever in life ever - would batter and fry the most delicious pickles in all of Georgia [that I've found, so far]? The fried pickles from Tin Lizzy's, Grindhouse Killer Burgers, TJ's Sports Bar and Grill, US Cafe and Village Burger pretty good, too.

But I didn't come here to write about fried pickles, so back to my lunch haven. I could've stayed there, outside, for hours. If only I had brought my laptop with me, because my workload honestly wouldn't've seemed so heavy out there in the sun. It's crazy how much more productive I can get when I change up my environment.

Okay enough rambling. In other news... Happy Friday! It's date night for me so I'll get a chance to check out Noah and probably-likely-definitely stuff my face afterward.


Shine bright like my forehead this weekend.

Hashtag selfie.

[p.s. I would like to point out that my computer is putting squiggly lines under the words "hashtag" and "selfie"... which makes sense. Except these two words are now officially in the English dictionary.]