Shrimp Boil Surprise

The best things in life aren't things. ~Art Buchwald

Earlier last week, my dad had told me to mark my calendar for last Friday night...he was having a shrimp boil! Of course I was excited... I love shrimp, and though I have been getting out more than I thought I would with Ron being away, I still need all the social interaction I can get. My job was to bring bread, so I ventured out to Publix (by way of the Gap Outlet, just one last time!), bought the only three french bread loaves they had, had the nice bakery man slice them up for me using his handy-dandy bread slicing machine, and showed up at Dad's. Neighbors soon started showing up, and to my surprise, they started bringing me presents! Huh? The sweet Evans' who used to live catty-corner to us (who now live a few streets over) gave me a pretty tray tied up with a bow along with a fun bottle opener. Mrs. Evans said it was my graduation gift... How nice! It got better though...she also brought a cake (chocolate buttercream from Edgar's!) with "Congratulations Brooke" on the top! I was super confused when I saw it, but I finally figured out that my dad had planned this whole party not just as a casual shrimp boil for the neighbors, but kind of as a celebration for me finishing residency, and as a good bye party! Don't know if he's celebrating that or not! :) Sweet Mr. and Mrs. Salter brought a card and bottle of New Age wine (that is a good luck present for Ron... they know he loves it!)... and everybody said congrats and goodbye... I was really shocked! I''ll have to get my Dad back for this one! I don't really like this goodbye business, but parties and dinners sure are fun! Thank you Daddy! I love you!

I'm not worried about moving away from my Daddy... since we're moving to Auburn, I think I'll see him more than I even do now!! We both love our Auburn Tigers... he will come and visit me often, I know!


Now that I have a place to live, the fact that we're moving has become more real. I'm excited, but I think I'm still in denial. With studying taking up my days, Olympics taking up my nights, and planning a trip to Beijing taking up all other unclaimed pockets of time, I have barely spent any time at all preparing for this upcoming move. I'm really glad I have had all this time off, but I'm not sure where it has gone! I start work in less than one month, and so much is about to happen in the meantime...

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You're on your own.
And you know what you know.
You are the guy who'll decide where to go.
~Dr. Seuss