Look at me, look at me! Looking like a total idiot! Ok, ok, many of you will think I look nice and to that, I say “Thank you.” But look at the photo carefully. What is wrong? I certainly didn’t know until someone told me at a very high-level change of command I was attending. So high level that there were several people who noticed that I, a lowly Commander, was wearing an admiral’s hat! I had run into the uniform shop with barely any time to spare since the evening before, they had closed an hour earlier than what was listed online. Since I have a bowling ball for a head, there are very few covers stocked in my size. I found one, saw that it had gold braid on it, and bought it, thinking it was the hat for O-5 and above. I forgot that O-7+ hats have extra gold braid and, there you have it, that’s the explanation for my uniform faux pas.
The thing that sucks about having something wrong with your uniform at a big event is that there is nothing you can do about it. Did a ribbon fall off? That’s too bad. Mix up your mini and normal sized medals? You’re an idiot. Wear an admiral’s hat when you’re not an admiral? Oh, how people will talk! So, someone will come up and “nicely” point out that you look like a total moron and then you have to say, “Oh, thank you! I do look like a total moron!” Alas, there is no concession stand-like uniform shop that will allow you to remedy the mistake. Really, you should just find someone wearing a sword and commit seppuku. That’s about the only acceptable response.
Well, really, I did actually think about leaving but then I was like, “You know what? Ef it.” And the funny thing was almost no one noticed. Almost no one. I was talking to an acquaintance at an evening afterparty and she laughed so hard when I told her the story but then she said thank you because she apparently started talking to an important nurse attendee after the important nurse said, “Did you see that person wearing the totally wrong cover?”
Anyway, moving on. Look at this little slice of paradise I stayed at in August! It’s my in-laws’ house! They were so nice and let me stay for the first few weeks while I was in town. The birds stayed at Our Feathered Friends, a bird-boarding hotel (seriously). I was traveling a lot in August and didn’t want to worry about the messy birds while a guest at someone’s house.
And my in-laws have delightful neighbors. So, now I have neighborhood friends who will play with me!
I saw the Avett Brothers in August. It was a great show. I saw them the year prior in Portsmouth and I highly recommend seeing them. They have huge energy live.
Mid-month, I went back to Silicon Valley where SMS and I randomly went by a Leaf test-drive event. We got free cups and played with the charger.
The last weekend in August was a very special one because I was off to Minnesota for my sister’s wedding! She and Ricardo have been married legally for over a year (or two?) but this was the actual party. I was so excited because I was the Maid of Honor! Yes!
And look who I got to see?! This little treasure! He’s so big and handsome…it’s amazing how much a baby grows in a few short months!
Yes, my little nephew is a cutie AND I got to see my other two cutie nephews too! It was a great family weekend. A little less cute are a few of the grown-ups I hung out while we were eating fried food as part of a State Fair scavenger hunt. I myself enjoyed some cheese curds, which were not photo-documented.
The two loons above are eating veggies. Fried veggies. That’s about as healthy as it gets at the Minnesota State Fair!
We went to the lamb and sheep station. I pet a ewe, with trepidation.
The above cow is a cruel joke since SMS really wants to milk a cow at some point. Cow-milking, though, was after-hours. Boo!
If you’re feeling hefty after eating fried food and famous chocolate chip cookies, just take a picture in front of the largest boar, 1000+ pounds!
And, finally, after all the running around with the scavenger hunt and trying to shepherd ever-wandering family members, I got a beer. Why, oh why, do I always pick out the gross flavors. I really wanted a drink and this was borderline undrinkable. This was a dark stout with a sad piece of bacon. Blergh.