The semester is now in full swing, and I’m sitting here this afternoon with nothing pressing to do. What, what? I guess that’s the advantage of saving most of your general requirements for last. The forecast for tomorrow is looking even better. Public schools in Winston-Salem have already been cancelled and 200 Delta flights in Atlanta have preemptively been delayed with the recently issued winter storm warning. All I can say is, my college career darn well better not come to a close without taking advantage of the lenient snow day policies of the Southeast.

Speaking of Atlanta, my visit to Annie before school started was full of Georgian goodness. The highlight was probably the tour of Mayfield Dairy. Did you know the Mayfield milk famous freshness is due to the Aro-Vac processor that utilizes heat and pressure to remove unwanted flavors (such as sweet onions that the cows may have enjoyed for a summer snack) as well as to the pioneering use of yellow cartons to block penetration of ultraviolet rays, which zap nutrients? And there’s a giant Jersey cow that guards the dairy. Almost as cool as the giant peach on the side of I-85.

Anyway, the focus right now is figuring out what I’m going to do this summer. Woot, woot. I’m open to suggestions.

Annie, Maggie, and me

So I spent the last few days in Vienna saying goodbye, realizing how much I was going to miss the city and the people. A couple weeks later, back home, I still have that same sad feeling. I so wish I could be going back there instead of back to the Wake Forest grind because I met so many awesome people through ÖSM and church. I also miss my roommates and all the hilarious times we had together. Blast. What can one do?

It is nice to be home, though. The familia is doing well. Dad spent a couple days sawing a freezer in half while Mom is her usual cooking/singing self. Genessa has reached her life goal by performing the around-the-world soccer feat. Forward and reverse. You only need to spend 24 hours in our house to realize how many times Jeffrey has repeated his latest basketball catch phrase, “He [Michael Jordan] was back—with a vengeance.” I had to pick Jordan up the other day from school. Back in my day, I so would have had to walk the four to five blocks home. I tell you what, the padres go soft on the young ones.

If you want to check out an album of (random) nostalgic pictures of Vienna, follow this link.

Two of the coolest Austrians ever, Nena (the birthday girl) and Petra (und ich).