Hot child in the city

Whenever people hear that I live in Houston, they always say something like, "Oh, how can you stand the weather?" I usually leap to the defense of my new adopted hometown (I've lived here longer than I have anywhere since I left home for college) by touting its mild winters, lovely springs, and the fact that I'm never in town during the summer. Actually, though, Houstonians have developed ways to ensure that they never experience the weather if they don't want to. Houston is a driving city. There's public transportation, but it's not comprehensive, and the city isn't set up for a lot of pedestrian and bicycle traffic, although The New Oregonian rides everywhere on a bike when she's here. It's quite possible to almost completely avoid fresh air altogether, barring the quick walk from your front door to your car. There's even an elaborate tunnel system underneath downtown, connected to most of the bigger buildings, that's full of restaurants and shops, so that you can go out for lunch without, you know, going out for lunch. To top it all off, my office is in the interior of the building (read: no windows). There are days that I emerge from work completely surprised that it has rained, or shocked that the sun is still out. The lighting guys down the hall have put up a mural "window" on their wall.

Today I woke up and could feel a shift in the weather. It wasn't cold, but it felt different. Sure enough, on the walk to my car this morning, I was comfortable wearing a jean jacket (this is major). I did a little "Fall has arrived" dance and vowed to experience as much fresh air as possible today. And I did, sort of. Windows rolled down everywhere I went, lunch outside on a patio, and at this very moment the sliding door to the balcony is open and my kitten is making adorable instinctual "eck eck eck" noises through the screen door at whatever animals she can see outside. An impressive amount of fresh air, I think, considering the busy day I had. I managed to fit in an incredibly long production meeting for my next project, afternoon hang time with Nathan, some paperwork, a work-through of Daughter with the supers, and part of the Ballo Piano Dress Rehearsal (just an audience member for that one).

And now, I'm sitting on the couch with a Leiny's, listening to A Fine Frenzy on my brand-new Bose Sounddock (Thanks, Nathan!). All in all, a pretty good day, wouldn't you say?

Oh, and apparently I've become incredibly attractive all of a sudden. I've been hit on more in the past couple days than I have in the past 6 months. Guys, please. If I'm wearing a wedding ring, and you're wearing a wedding ring, and we didn't exchange them in a ceremony of some kind, don't look at me like that. Eew.