Moral of the Story: Five Things To Do When It's Raining

It has been raining in Abilene non-stop for a solid 24 hours, a rarity round these parts, and I have been forced indoors. I got back from Dallas yesterday, a trip I'll discuss soon, and I have been contemplating what to do this weekend since the forecast is gray and wet. Here are some things I came up with:


1. Start a job -- So I thought for a while that I would move to Austin, one of my favorite cities in the wide world. While I still would like to live there at some point, it began to feel like wrong timing. It's one of those things that I can't really explain, except to say that I had a sudden desire to stay in Abilene. Austin will always be there, but for now, I'm going with my gut. Which, I guess, is currently in retail because I got a job at a boutique in Abilene where I've literally been shopping all my life. They sell a lot of random, fun things and I'm excited to start this afternoon! The girls who work there seem so cute and fun, and even though I don't know how it's going to fit into the overall plan, it's nice to have something to say when people ask me, "What are you doing now?"


2. Cook for myself -- My parents will be out of town this weekend, and a lot of people are going to be away for various things, so I'm looking forward to some alone time with the kitchen. I've been wanting to try these Chipotle Chicken Sweet Potatoes out, and tonight might be the perfect night for music, a glass of wine, and a new recipe.

Recipe

Buy it! 

3. Finish my book, start another one -- I've been reading Lise Funderburg's incredible book, Pig Candy, for a few weeks now, and I really want to finish it this weekend. Not only was Lise a professor of mine this summer at the Paris American Academy, so I can hear her voice while I'm reading, but she is just a fantastic writer. She covers so perfectly her father's last few years struggling with advanced prostate cancer and his trips back to his hometown in Georgia. I recommend it whole-heartedly, and probably even more than that once I've finished the book.

Next up will be a novel from another PAA professor, Lauren Grodstein, whose new book, The Explanation for Everything, I can't wait to start.


4. Write! I know I say this all the time, internally if not blog-ternally (that's probably not a word, don't ask me to be an English teacher ever), but I really need to keep writing, exercising that part of my brain. Also, I was thinking about starting a writers' workshop in Abilene. If you or someone you know is in the Abilene area, a writer (beginner, professional, or anywhere in between), and would benefit from getting together with a group of writers every month or so to share our work, would you please let me know? This summer's workshop was so great and I would love to keep that going.


5. Online Shop -- I have a party next weekend, and I need to find a dress like Cinderella needs to find her goddamn fairy godmother. It is for a black-tie event whose attire is "Black Tie and Tie Dye," which is a pretty awesome idea, but also what does that even mean? I perused some shops in Dallas on Wednesday with every intention of buying a dress, but ended up walking out of Northpark Mall with a coffee mug from Anthropologie and two dresses, neither of which work for the party. Basically the story of my life... It's okay though, I will persevere and hopefully not end up with the entire new fall collection at j.crew or that elephant lamp I've been eyeing on Etsy.


Have a lovely, rain-soaked weekend!