1.  April 26th is National Audubon Day, honoring John James Audubon, the French-American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter known for his detailed study and illustration of birds in their natural habitats. Do you have a bird feeder? Any birds in your home decor? Have you ever owned a pet bird? What’s your favorite bird? 

No, no, and no. I’ve always been sort of averse to birds but I will say, I really like hawks and owls. They’re so cool – evil hunters. We have a backyard owl, whom we refer to as either Bob or Bro, which is short for Bromidic, which is the name of our homebrew and the owl is our mascot.

2. What’s something you took to ‘like a duck to water’? 

I guess writing; it’s always been the thing that has come easiest to me.

3. Empty nest, nest egg, proud as a peacock, free as a bird, birds of a feather flock together, or the early bird catches the worm…choose one and tell us how it currently applies to your life. 

I guess early bird here, since I have been waking early and this week, we have some 7:30 arrival times for work.

4. Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds…your favorite seed and a favorite food or dish made with that seed or topped with that seed? Have you tried all the seeds on the list? Any you don’t care for? 

I like all of those just fine; I guess pumpkin seeds are my least favorite but even then, they’re fine. I like chia in a smoothie, I eat flax seed crackers, and I do enjoy a poppy seed bagel, if I ever eat those. Love sesame seeds in Asian dishes.

5. Something in the past week that made you ‘happy as a lark’?

Hmm, I guess when we finally cleared the overgrowth on the one side of the house. Sounds silly, I know, but it looked so raggedy over there and it was driving me crazy. Tackling it and getting it all mowed made me happy.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Well, one of my favorite bands announced a Fall tour and they indeed do have an Atlanta date – October 13th. And we’re going! Tickets went on sale at 12 Tuesday and I was able to get a couple and in the same row as a friend of mine. Now I have to find a place for us to stay. I’m super excited for them to add a song to their setlist that the singer of another band on their tour sings with them. That’s going to be so awesome when the first line rings out: “Break down the walls again!”

Meanwhile, today should be fairly long, since we have 91 bills, all in third reading, which means structured debate. There’s special order every day this week and that’s just flat out exhausting. It’s a long week with lots of deadlines and I am trying my hardest to hang in there but feeling very stressed. I need a vacation or something; the weekend getaway will have to suffice. We are going to South Florida for a family member’s graduation and I am excited to get away. Normally they won’t let you take any time off during Session but they are allowing me to do this. Friday, we should get there in time for dinner and I am meeting my cousin Alan, cousin Erin and her husband Chad, and maybe a couple of their kids (who are older) at Tarpon River brewing, then the actual grad party is Saturday at my cousin’s wife’s sister’s house. Should be a cool time!