Farewell Summer

Well, this is my last post as a woman of leisure.  I go back to school tomorrow, and I'm trying to muster up the motivation to redecorate an entire new classroom, do lesson plans, and face teenagers again.  The two months away have been just lovely (and, obviously, I'm ridiculously fortunate to have a job that provides such nice, long breaks), but right now the thought of being back in a classroom with thirty odd kids makes me want to whine and then sleep.  But by next Monday I'll be good and ready because, if for no other reason, I have no choice.

This summer has been fun and productive.  Matt's birthday celebration this weekend kind of doubled as a farewell to summer, and it couldn't have been nicer.  We went to see Midnight in Paris, which you should go see.  I'm trying to figure out a way to work it into my American Literature curriculum.  

After the movie we stopped by Saigon Bistro for lunch.  (Savannah folk, if you have not been to Saigon Bistro, you are really missing out.  It's cheap and delicious and fresh and awesome.)  Then it was off to the beach for the rest of the afternoon and evening.  The evening beach visit was Matt's birthday request, since we had so much fun doing the same thing last year.  And it was grand.  We really try not to take for granted the fact that we live so close to the beach, and that we can just go out there for a couple of hours when we feel like it.

Matt was happy as a clam all night.

"No, Matt, I'm not going to put these pictures on the internet." 

And then these pretty awesome clouds rolled in, and Matt and Collin were really taken with them. I've never heard people talk about clouds for so long, and with such fervor, as I did last night.  Then I think that Matt got annoyed with me because, while I thought the clouds were pretty great, I did not think they were so great as to merit a full 30-minute discussion of them.  Then I got annoyed that Matt was annoyed.  We finally decided to agree to disagree on the degree of the awesomeness of the clouds.  Oh, marriage.  (Also, maybe I would have found the clouds to be more extraordinary had I not bee the DD for the night?)

Matt stood there, basically having a religious experience staring at the clouds.

And then, when the clouds started to dump rain on us and Matt's hair began to stand up straight (like he'd rubbed it with a balloon), we decided it was high time that we head on up to Fannie's for dinner.  And then it was my turn to have a religious experience--with nachos.

Farewell, Summer!  Until we meet again!

Sunday Funday

You know what I love?  (Well, other than the fact that it is FEBRUARY (!) and we went to the beach?  And that it was actually warm outside!?)

I love the walk from the parking lot to the beach.

When you walk along the walkway and start to hear the waves crashing.

And when, finally, you see the ocean. Isn't that just the best?

And I love porch swings on the beach.

 And sticks that look like sea monsters.

And crappy self-portraits.

And my tacky white sunglasses.

And killer seagulls.

And two for one margaritas.

And coming home, just a tad sunburnt to a sunny kitchen and a cute dog.

And I LOVE Pilot Precise V Rolling Ball pens.

And asparagus and its effects.

And the fact that March is fast approaching!

And I absolutely love this dinner.

I'm a little bit less excited about the fact that school starts in seven hours, and I'm still awake.  Eek!

Which reminds me, I also love naps.

Hope you have a great week!

Go Tybee!

Tybee Island named America's healthiest beach.

Apparently they didn't try the sweet tea. . .

Matt, Mandy, and Miley go to Tybee.

Today was the first official Matt and Mandy Monday Funday of the summer. We--along with what seemed like half of Savannah--headed out to Tybee for the afternoon. What we did not realize was that Miley Cyrus would be filming her latest movie about 100 yards from us. (Matt claimed not to know, but I've seen all of the Hannah Montana recordings on our DVR, so I think I know what's up.) There were hordes of people trying to catch a glimpse of Miley. We, however, preferred to focus on these babies. I kept catching them with my toes.

Then the boys played bocce ball. Matt says I should add that he won.

And drank lots of beer.

We sat under our new umbrella and read.

Although we didn't really care about the Miley excitement, it was pretty cool to listen to the director shouting throughout the afternoon: "Background! Action!"

Below: if you look really, really closely, you'll see Miley. Not really, but that is where they were filming the movie.

Right now I've had my post-beach shower, I changed the sheets on the bed (no more dog dirt!), and I'm gearing up for another day of fun. We're celebrating our second wedding anniversary tomorrow!