cold snaps are fine by me

 It seems like most of North America is experiencing a 'cold snap' right now, based on my ultra-scientific research (social media and a news headline I saw (but did not read the article)). Unlike cold snaps in the middle of winter, a mid-July cold snap is pretty extremely awesome. For us in Georgia it means that we get a few delightful days of highs in the mid-80s (instead of mid-to-upper-90s) with humidity around 50% (instead of 381294340392929%). It's blissful. I almost want to say tell me where it's like this all summer long, I'm moving there...but I'm guessing that if it's this mild in the summer there, the winters would be long and terrible and I would quickly come to regret my choice. I'll just stay put and enjoy this cold snap while it lasts.

After dinner we took a bike ride. Sometimes living in the sticks is annoying (like when you need an ingredient for something and don't want to drive 15 miles to get it), but when it's a lovely summer evening and you want to ride your bike without fear of getting smooshed by an 18-wheeler...it's perfect. We're surrounded by miles and miles of untrafficky and scenic roads. If only they were flat...then it'd be perfect. As it is is, they're hilly enough to be quite a decent workout.

Somehow it took me until last night to realize that with the way I strap my phone onto my handlebars, I CAN TAKE A SELFIE WHILE RIDING. I know. Revolutionary. I can't believe I've wasted so many bike rides by not properly documenting the bottom of my chin. As an added bonus, the bike selfies are even worse than normal selfies because you have the regular graininess of the front-facing camera PLUS the added obstacle of the phone being inside a clear plastic case thingy that straps it to the bike...resulting in a picture so blurry it's almost like an Impressionist painting or something. Fabulous, isn't it? Also, please try to imagine the intensity of Matt's eye rolling when he discovered me taking selfies while riding a bike. To my credit, I only did it while we were like...in deserted neighborhoods, barely moving. I'm not that reckless...

Speaking of neighborhoods- in one of them near our house, I discovered next-door-neighbor houses for sale. Isn't that awesome? It brought back a dozen memories of people I swore I was going to grow up and be next-door-neighbors with. But then it turns out to be not so easy to make your "let's be next-door-neighbors forever!" dreams come true because next-door-neighbor houses just aren't always on the market at the same time...and not to mention, what're the odds your best friend is also house-hunting at the same time and that the house next to you is going to meet all the needs her family has? Yeah. Slim. But just in case any of you are looking to move and you have hand-picked your future next-door-neighbor...if you don't mind living in the sticks, I have just the house(s) for you.

Not to end on a downer, but I really do need to report that the bike ride wasn't all fun and selfies. Right as we were finishing and putting our bikes back into the garage, I felt something sting my sweaty back (that was clothed in a sweaty t-shirt, mind you). I reached my hand up the back of my shirt and didn't feel anything, so I decided it must have been my imagination. Then I felt it again, higher. I reached in again and discovered a freaking FIRE ANT chomping its way up my back!! How?! Why?! What on earth. Stupid bugs. So now I have a trail of fire ant bites (and if you've never experienced the joy of fire ants, trust me when I say they are a whole different ballgame from regular ant bites) up my spine. Wildlife is way overrated.