Almost 25

Did you know that my birthday is on Tuesday? Cuz it is... And did I really just buy jeans at a regular people store? I'm pretty sure I did, but I haven't done that since high school, so it's a bit fuzzy.

Speaking of smaller jeans, the triumphant return to the gym will happen tomorrow. I haven't gone in about a month, and since I'm paying for it, I feel like I really should go. I was going to start going again today, but I went shopping instead.

People keep complaining about the heat around here, but I don't really get it, it doesn't seem that bad to me, though I reserve the right to complain later. It's been just over two years since I returned from Alabama, and I wasn't even there for the summer, but remembering the September heat there definitely makes this Nova Scotian weather pale in comparison.

I'm about halfway through "The World According to Garp". I've had it out of the library on various occasions since February and I'm determined to get it down soon.

The family reunion is next weekend. I plan to document the crazy as much as possible. Most of the crazy involves awkward family conversations. That's what happens when you put a bunch of people in a room who drive cars with bumper stickers that say, "I'd rather be alone in my living room with my reader's digest".

This will be a "dry" family reunion, no doubt. Which is something that apparently doesn't happen in Cape Breton... We're the boring, protestant kind of Irish.

Speaking of which, I forgot to wish you a happy Orangemen's Day. It was celebrated in various places around Nova Scotia until not too long ago (probably around the time people forgot what it was for). My grandfather remembers a big community picnic on July 12, and a parade. The community hall in Margaretsville was called the "Orangemen's Hall" until a few dozen years ago.

The more you know.