Grateful.

Y'all, I am so damn grateful.

My husband and I, the sometimes amazing, always ridiculous K., are about to land on the other side of the Florida Bar Exam.  Hallelujah.  Halle-fuckin-lujah.

He asked me last night, after the first day, if I would be mad if he had to take the exam again.  He didn't understand why I laughed hysterically.  1) I legitimately believe he's going to pass the exam.  2) He would be willing to take it again!  AWESOME.  My husband is  stepping up.

When I dropped him off at the test site on Tuesday (and a little bit this morning), I cried.  I was so proud.  My husband made a pledge and is living up to it.  And he was ready - he took preparation seriously.

And I am so grateful.  To the friends who heard me bitch about the Bar Exam.  To my family who supported us with love and emails and phone calls. 

To my husband, whom I believe in, again. Not because he's going to pass the Bar Exam (and he is), but because he took the damn thing.

Calm? I got your...

calm right here!

Yeah, we're T-minus hours until the Florida Bar Exam. And while I had the good sense to avoid a manicure (yes, I'm still a nail biter), I did not have the good sense to avoid a hair cut. I am now the proud owner of a disastrous new 'do that makes me look a lot like the Church Lady.

K. remains a bastion of calmness. He's been listening to BarBri on hyper-speed, and regurgitating information about Florida Homestead exemptions and evidence exceptions. He's sleeping soundly. And on Friday, he looked at me and said, "This is all coming together." Well gee, babe, I sure hope so.

I'm nervous - but not absurdly nervous. Appropriately nervous. And aside from the r e a l l y awful situation on top of my head, I am excited about driving to Tampa tomorrow. I am thrilled that my incredibly smart husband is here. At this spot. Ready. Prepared. He amazes me.

Gram, this is for you.

I never took a real spring break. Well, maybe "traditional" is a better word. I spent my spring breaks with my Gram in Punta Gorda, FL. It was great. We'd tool around in her best friend's golf cart. We'd play cards and eat pretzels with peanut butter. We'd drink highballs and sit in the sun and visit the weird and random around her community. We'd volunteer at her church. Those weeks were some of the best memories I have of my Grammi. I wish I had been able to do it as an adult -- or at least apologize for the stubborn, hard-headedness of my collegiate youth.

In addition to spending quality Grammi time, we'd go shopping. Gram, who hated shopping for herself, would encourage me to wear teal capris and sweetheart necklines. Never black. (I looked like death warmed over in black). I loved it. And I learned that sometimes, even though a t-shirt and jeans would make me more comfortable, sometimes the situation warrants a little more.

So next week, I'm wearing bright colors. I'm wearing a sweetheart neckline. I'll be wearing lipstick (which is also due to my mother's influence: always wear lipstick when you need to feel happy). And when I have lunch with Grammi's sister and brother-in-law (my favorite great aunt and uncle), I promise not to wear black.

I never had braces.

But that hasn't stopped me from tearing up at the iPhone commercial featuring a young tween and her dad. At the ad, the dad says, "You look beautiful." Oh people, do I lose it at that moment. Almost as much as the "faces" ad that features the soldier finding out he's going to be a father. Oh, Apple! You trixster!

If you haven't seen the ad, here it is:

Sunday Travel v5, among other things...

It's the Fourth of July - go eat some ribs, drink some cold beer and light a few (legal) firecrackers.  Do it for me.  Do it for your country.

If I were traveling this weekend - which is a big if because I consider the Fourth of July one of the several holidays a year that call to the amateurs, New Years Eve being another example.  Well, since this is all imaginary anyway, let's go camping.  Yes, I said it - camping.  A tent, a cooler, some charcoal -- y'all, pack the bug spray.

We're heading up to Unicoi State Park, near Helen, GA. [Sidenote: if you've never been to Helen, you should go.  Deliciously cheesy, even the trash cans look like little German boys and girls.  It's Heidi Takes Gatlinburg.]

Unicoi State Park is a gorgeous state park - and whatever you want to do, they have it available.  I'll be planning some cowboy food and my Marlboro Ranch skillet will finally make an appearance.  There will definitely be s'mores.

And tubing.  We'll go tubing down the Chattahoochee River.  Which ohmygoodness is a lot of fun.  And I'm going to drag K. to the Cabbage Patch Hospital, only to see him beg to stay in the car.  So, no joke - we used to go there as kids.  It looks a lot different, but the whole Mother Cabbage in labor thing?  My brother and I used to LOVE it.

Camping, swimming, tubing - maybe even a little fishing?  Who knows?  It will be a lovely weekend, in the cool northern mountains of Georgia.  And K. can't handle the tent?  We'll def. stay in one of these: barrel cabins.