And, an update

I got home from FHE not too long ago, and was moving the couch so the carpet around it could get some air and dry, and lo and behold, I found a frog in my apartment.

I felt kind of mean putting it in a jar to take it outside, especially since he was such a little guy and wasn't really going to escape my hand. But on the bright side, by putting it in the jar, I was able to get a picture.

He has now been safely relocated to the outdoors. At least, the relocation was safe. I don't know how safe the outdoors are. And, I can now add catching a frog with my bare hands to my list of accomplishments.

Welcome to the Puddle--Galoshes available at the door

I like rain. I like watching it. I like walking in it (although, admittedly, lightning is kind of problematic). I like thunder, I like lightning (mostly watching it). Rain is great. What's not to like about it?

Well, ask a stupid question...I found out this week that I'm not such a huge fan of rain indoors. You know the kind of thing. Rains six inches in one night (a delightful display of thunder, lightning, and downpour, I might point out), and runs out of places to go, so the rain decides your apartment would make a great place to hangout. I definitely was not expecting to slosh to my alarm clock to hit snooze on Thursday morning, but what else can you do when your entire apartment is sitting under almost an inch of water?

On the bright side, though:
I got to go puddle jumping in my house. How often does that happen?
I finally decided what to do with all those boxes I've had stashed away, taking up closet space. (There's really only one thing to do with wet cardboard. Recycle).
I finally have good motivation to take things to get dry cleaned. (It was really just my formal, which was long enough to touch the floor and get wet. But if I'm taking one thing to be cleaned, might as well take it all, right?)
I had the brilliant thought to not leave my computer sitting on the floor. (Envision choirs singing here).
I have a great name for my apartment now. (The Puddle. I like it).
I have discovered that humidity really does amazing things for the natural curl in my hair.
It's a really great story to tell.
All I had to do was call the office management, and they dealt with the cleanup, mostly.
It makes that renter's insurance I've been paying for seem totally worth it. (I mean, it was worth it anyway, but still. Now I know how it can come in handy).
Free carpet cleaning. Ish.
I have a greater appreciation for dry feet. (My feet weren't properly dry until roughly 6:20 on Thursday. Bless you, my tevas).
I have great motivation to go do things. Or maybe I should say, a very handy excuse. The logic goes something like this: "I really should hem those pants. But...there's no dry place to try them on, and nowhere to work on them, since everything that was on the floor is on the table at present. So, I might as well go to Rochester with Emily and Sister Dunn." Automatic justification for playing and not getting things done. (Cut me some slack, it's summer and I had a very hibernative winter. I need to play!)
Every day, I get to think about how blessed I am, because even though my apartment flooded, it really wasn't a disaster. I didn't really lose anything of value, and even though I am kind of bored with the dampness of my place, it's drying out, and in a week or two, I won't even remember. I mean, really. What is there to complain about?

That's all for this time. Stay tuned for more from the Puddle.

O Canada

If you are looking for excitement and adventure, then Windsor, Ontario, is the place for you. Only a trip across the Ambassador bridge, this delightful city of 200,000+ and home of the prestigious University of Windsor has all the fun you could ever want.

Visitors to this lovely town will enjoy a nice walk along the Detroit River and get the best view of Detroit that the planet has to offer. One can glimpse the Detroit skyline, as well as enjoying the local cruise lines.

One should always visit the local attractions, and Windsor is no exception. To get a flavor of the local culture, one should definitely take a tour of the local sign exhibits, including the:

the Fill-in-the-Blank collection,

Fill-in-the-Blank collection,

the Riddle-Me-This Collection,

and, of course, the infamous Viciously-Cruel-Fountain-Designer-and-Other-Inhumanities collection.

Model of the Francois Baby House.

Another local cultural attraction one should not miss is the renowned Francois Baby House.  This fine community museum presents the history of the House, such as its role in a planned invasion of Michigan and other areas of the US, and other fascinating exhibits covering the magic community in Windsor, the Windsor Federation of Musicians, and a sampling of miniatures. Also among the museum's offerings is a cabinet of oddities, such as a fine piece of art made entirely of human hair and an actual scalp, among other strangely bizarre artifacts. Children and adults will love the hands-on portion of the museum, and will even have a chance to leave behind a hand of their own. Be sure to swing by the museum's gift shop for some excellent souvenirs for your friends back home.

Naturally, while traveling one must partake of the native cuisine. Canada is no exception and visitors should be sure to try out Pho Xic Lo, one of the finest Vietnamese restaurants Windsor has to offer. Other exotic food selections include a fabulous variety of Cadbury bars, and one should not miss out on the bagged milk.

For the more intellectually minded traveler, you can feast upon the fine body of Canadian-ish literature at the annual Terry Fox Giant Used Book Sale*.

Included in our Windsor package is the supremely successful language course, "Learn to speak Canadian in 3 Words or Less," where you will learn to properly pronounce about and gain the essential knowledge of Canadian grammar, eh.

So sign up for your Windsor Travel Experience today, and take the trip of a lifetime!

(Or, at least the trip of weekend.)

*Note: Books may or may not actually be giant.
Guests to Windsor should note that passports are required to enter the country. Some interrogation and mild torture may occur.
It should be further noted that entry to Windsor is limited to those who can successfully find their way into the country. All maps, compasses and GPS are banned in the attempt to enter. Homing pigeons, however, are allowed. 

The Windsor Travel Guide is brought to you by:
Francois Baby and his house

Bagged Milk
Wonderbars
Vietnam
the Texas DMV
Banana Hands or Death unLTD.
and Canada, which is really big. Eh?