Go Georgia Bulldogs!

My photographic offerings for this post are woefully inadequate, and here is why:  Since I got my smart phone, I've caught a lot of flack from those near and dear to me because I do not fully utilize its capabilities. In other words, I use my ipod for an ipod, my camera for a camera and my phone for a phone, instead of using my phone for all three. So, determined to be a modern woman, when I accompanied my son to Athens, GA for his two-day orientation, I only brought my phone. As a result, I came home with a couple of lame, short videos. I thought I was taking photos. I'll figure it out, but I haven't yet.

The good news -- my son did graduate, with honors, no less, and is now a Georgia Bulldog! I'd never before gone to UGA since my husband had taken Hans on his tour after he got accepted, so I decided to go along for the ride this time. It's a good thing I did. The whole orientation process was so well planned, with separate programs for students and parents, with some parts overlapping. The kids stayed in a dorm, and we parents had the option to stay in the dorm as well, for a small fee, but it was recommended we leave the kids on their own instead. So I got a hotel room.

Our 48 hours in Athens were amazing. I was impressed with the facilities, the organization, the food, the town, the people -- Hans and I agreed that the whole time we were there, neither of us had encountered anyone less than happy. The food service for UGA has won awards for the best university food in the country, and I could see why. The variety of available options was staggering, and all were fresh and expertly prepared. This vegan came away from the bountiful salad bar and brown rice, beans and vegetables fully satisfied. I have a short video of one of my lunches from when I thought I was taking a photo, but it's better left to your imagination. The dinner the first night was a special feast for just the kids, so we parents were encouraged to explore Athens on our own. I made use of my GPS (yeah, I've learned how to use that at least!) and plugged in a restaurant that was recommended by a girl at work -- The Grit.

Yep, this is all I've got to illustrate this part of the adventure, which is such a pity. I thought I was taking amazing photos of the most decadent fresh Indian food I've ever eaten, but it turns out I wasn't. But I'll tell you about it. Picture me, 46-year-old full-time-mom of 18 years, in a strange town, walking into this hip vegetarian eatery in an old, historic building on Prince Street all by myself and sidling up to the counter. I must have looked out of place. Most patrons were a couple of decades behind me. They were an eclectic bunch, a young family, a few co-eds, but were mostly paired off or in groups. The few who were solo bore tats or dreds which automatically gave them an air of confidence and self-assuredness. The server asked if I had an order to go.

"No," I said, "I think I'll stay a while," and ordered a beer. Then I asked the server what he would recommend for a vegan. He suggested I try the special -- an Indian feast, but without the yogurt raita. So I did. There was a delicate coconut tofu curry -- not too sweet -- with jasmine rice. There was a lovely piece of naan, thick and filling with chunks of yukon gold potatoes within, and a tangy tomato chutney on the side. This was all delicious, but my very favorite part of the meal surprised me. It was a shredded carrot slaw, with raisins and lemon. Carrot slaws are ubiquitous, and thus on the boring side, but not this one. There were little caraway seeds, and the fresh lemon and raisins made the flavor very bright and different. I was sorry to get to the bottom of the bowl. This meal was so wonderful that I ate past the point of comfort. By the time I was considering packing up a portion of it, there wasn't enough of it left to justify packing, so I just kept eating and eating until it was all gone. This part of my journey took me way out of my comfort zone. I was very proud of myself for branching out.

In contrast to my own technology illiteracy, witness my daughter's creativity with her friends -- I think there's an app which enables one to make pictures of initials like this from photos of body parts. This was accompanied by a text which read "C is for Cheryl"

I'm so proud of my kids!  I want to be like Wynne when I grow up. At a young age she has learned perspective and balance. She's just amazing. Hans has overcome so much with his health issues and has a bright future. I really enjoyed my time at the University of Georgia and I think it'll be a great place for him. I'm glad to be part of the Georgia Bulldog family!