High Five For Friday

Hello again, world!  Time to link up with Lauren @ FromMyGreyDesk for High Five For Friday!  It has been quite an eventful week around here (see #2)!

(lunch rock)

1. This past Saturday, Jesse and I went hiking in Oak Mountain State Park, just outside of Birmingham.  It was deemed our "day of fun" before I started back to school.  It was a beautiful day to be outside and we enjoyed almost every moment! Oak Mountain is HUGE.  We started out on one trail, crossed over to another, then decided we (read: I) were not going to make it all the way to the waterfall and back. So, we hiked back to the car, drove near the fall, then hiked to it.  I think Maggie enjoyed being outside just as much as we did.  While we were there, we did some Geocaching, which is where random people all over the world hide random containers (geocaches) with things inside (at least a log to sign once you find it).  The containers can vary in size from pill bottles to buckets.  If you find a container with items inside, you can trade something.  We didn't find anything super spectacular in the few containers we found, but it was a lot of fun searching for them!  For more about geocaching, click here.  You can hunt for geocaches all over (not just while hiking) - you'd be surprised where they are hidden.

2. This week kicked off my career as an optometry school student! (Whoop, whoop!)  It's still a little surreal that I'm here and starting this.  It's what I've worked hard for and where I've wanted to be for so long, and it's finally here!  I'm ecstatic, thankful, honored, anxious, and happy.  (Someone may need to remind me of these current emotions in the near future when I'm overwhelmed!)

3. My Friday afternoon was spent at the Dept. of Revenue getting my tag renewed.  This doesn't sound like something worth highlighting, but I had driven all over, stressed out, and got rejected once I got there last week.  SO, I returned this week with all proper documents, waited in line for 2 hours, was absolutely thrilled when I made it to the front of the line, and left with a brand new tag with literally no time to spare on the meter (no ticket...hallelujah)!  (The photo of the line above was taken on my way out. It was even longer when I came in. And even longer last week when I was there... madness.)

4. Our friend Chase stayed with us last night, and he and Jesse spent today doing more hiking and geocaching, and they caught up last night on some long-overdue gaming. I'm sure Jesse was glad to have a some "guy time."

5. Tonight, we had dinner at The Fish Market downtown with two of my favorite "optometry people" from the office I grew up in.  Thanks to continued education courses for them, we were able to catch up with each other (...talk about long overdue)! I loved our visit, and the food was delicious! I think we'll put The Fish Market on the return-to-list.