1. How did you meet your significant other? If you don’t have a significant other, tell us how you met your best friend. 

I’m writing this on Tuesday and it’s funny this is a question because it is actually our anniversary! Ash and I met in college and the first time, he actually doesn’t even remember. I was visiting my friend, Steve, in the dorm because he was burning a cd for me. Ash came in to ask him something, as they had become friends through technology. Steve introduced him to me, I thought ‘Wow, a guy named Ashleigh?’, and he didn’t give me a second thought. LOL. But then Steve started bringing him to our apartment whenever he came to hang out and it went from there. Funny though: both my roommates wanted to date him but I somehow ended up marrying him!

2. It’s Department Store Day (October 16)…do you still shop in department stores? If not do you miss that kind of shopping experience? Do you have a favorite department store? Any fun memories of department store shopping when you were a child? 

I walked through Dillard’s the other day but I haven’t shopped in one in a long time. I guess if Beall’s counts, then we went there the other day. I realize that may only be a Florida thing.

I do miss the experience some, but purely from a nostalgia standpoint. But generally speaking, I don’t care for shopping. I want to get in and get out and going to a department store requires a lot of looking and patience.

While I don’t have a favorite, I spent a lot of time in malls/stores as a kid. My mom worked first at Jordan Marsh and then Burdines, both Florida stores. I remember my dad taking my sister and I up to the mall after dinner to see my mom, who worked evenings for a while when I was young. When she worked in the candy kiosk, she’d always give each of us a piece. Those are good memories.

3. Something you’re currently nuts about? 

Hmm, that’s tough. I’ve honestly been burning the candle at both ends lately with no time to do anything so I guess I will just say this cooler weather. We got a nice front come through and it has been a lot nicer out! Mosquitoes haven’t been dissuaded yet but hopefully soon.

4. What’s your favorite nut and is there a favorite recipe where this nut is used? 

Hmm, either macadamias or pistachios. I’ll take a peanut or cashew, sure, but those two are my faves. Oh, ok, pecans too. But favorite recipe? I guess pistachio pudding is one of my all-time favorite desserts and I never eat it.

5. On Wednesday we officially reach the ’70 days until Christmas’ mark. Have you purchased any gifts? If you don’t celebrate Christmas then how about Hanukkah presents? 

Yes! Only for my daughter though. I got her a cute custom water bottle back during the TLH Beer fest from one of the vendors. Then I ordered a couple things from her wish list because they were cheap and I know she wants more little things than the boys. We already told everyone that this year is mostly a big gift and maybe a couple small things. Too many trips next year.

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

You ever have a day where it’s both good and bad and feels…weird? Yesterday was that day. For starters, my oldest child called me not ten minutes after leaving for school to say he’d pulled over because something on his car was dragging. I asked if he’d hit anything recently and um, yeah, the night before he’d gone over a low median after work. Bruh. I was pretty mad about it but they had to get to school so that was an on-hold situation.

I had a lot of work to do so I set down at the laptop early, then my daughter’s bus was running late as always, so the stress began – would I have to take her? I rushed to pack up in case that was true, because I’d have to go straight to campus after. But it came, finally, so off to work I went. It was a lecture-intensive day because they needed to learn about finding sources, assessing sources for credibility, and writing an annotated bibliography. During my office hours, I zoom conferenced with a different set of students, then taught one more class and came home.

At this point, Elliot said the car thing had gotten worse – oh, and he stupidly drove to a friend’s house even with said problem. Sometimes I wonder where this kid’s head is at. I was pretty angry, thinking he’d need to take it somewhere but luckily, his friend’s dad knows cars and was able to reattach this little plastic panel that I guess he’d jarred loose. I felt like an idiot, with my kid going there and needing the guy’s help. We don’t know them all that well, but hey, I’ll take some free labor. I told him he’d better offer to do some yardwork or something.

Once that was solved, I was feeling a lot better and was free to enjoy our 19th anniversary! Ash and I had reservations at Blu Halo, which is actually where my son works now. He was off though and on soccer practice pickup duty. I look terribly fat in this photo but here we are before dinner.

Food was fantastic and I’ll write more about it in Friday Faves. We stopped afterwards at a local place, Smitty’s, for a couple beers and talked to Smitty extensively about Oktoberfest, since the guy has apparently been three times. It was a nice evening and when we got home, we watched an episode of Rings of Power and I know I fell asleep not too long after!

I woke up 45 minutes early today so I’m up and about, tidying things and doing work. I am really craving a Starbucks breakfast sandwich – a thing I NEVER eat since I don’t eat breakfast. But I am tempted – really tempted – to get one today.