Things to love

Believe it or not, there are things I love here, unexpected, mundane everyday things that have called for my attention, and I have carried throughout the day like a sigh of relief. They are as follows:

A beautiful breakfast sandwich, made with mozzarellas (I will never want one with cheddar again), eggs (white only), and bacon from Grandpa's Farm in Ohio (a tourist stop, not my Grandpa). Lightly toasted and delicious.

Summer wild flowers-- they are heftier than the spring ones were, and they wave at me from the sides of the roads, like hitchhikers beckoning me to take them home with me. I am convinced the purple one is a wild onion, and is has a sweet smell that has filled my dining room.

New hair color, paired with great grandma's beads I have never worn. I needed to touch up the color, and with a new cut, I thought I would start with a clean slate altogether.

I had been slightly influenced to change my color by the fact that, last weekend at a 5th of July party, I was being confused with "the other blond lady in the art department." Perhaps the greatest problem with teaching at an all male college is women are rare enough, folks (OK, only the men were doing it) surrender to their temptation of distinguishing us by the tones of our tresses. At the time, someone shouted, "no, she isn't that one. She's the one that saved the man from the river." OK, at least a more exciting a description than 'the blond.'

Anyways, I was ready to change my locks' shades. Last night I took the plunge into the bottle, this morning, unleashing my new color on the masses. Today, I had a technology meeting with a friend from across campus, who happens to have a similar color of hair as my new one. Oh, now I can be confused with her! I'm starting to see that this is not the answer to being a unique woman in a small town in Indiana.

I am at work right now. The evening security guard came by to lock up the doors. He's seen me before, usually just says hello and moves on, but for some reason, stopped in just now and asked if I was the new Costume Design person. No, I'm not. "Oh, because I ran into her husband and he said they just moved here." Nope, not me. "Oh. Then you're the one who saved someone from the river." It is so hard to distinguish women around here.