I just looked down my shirt and realized I had forgotten about the paper towel I’d stuffed in my sports bra to soak up the sweat a few hours ago. It’s hot in Brazil. Sometimes when I get undressed at night, paper towels just fall out, and I realize I’m turning into my grandmothers far sooner than I expected, tucking kleenex and toilet paper away in clothing/skin pockets.

Week Highlights

  • Carnaval is starting! I went for a walk on the beach on Sunday, and realized I was
    it's so weird that they just photo-shopped my body onto this woman for this photo. they didnt even ask me about it. so rude.
    it’s so weird that they just photo-shopped my body onto this woman for this photo. they didnt even ask me about it. so rude.

    seeing a curious number of men dressed as women, particularly Disney characters. And then a woman in her 80s dressed as a beer fairy (heroine). Followed by a man dressed as a beer, drinking a beer, carrying a 12 pack of beer (possible life mate). OMG, I thought. I’m Here. We have next week off of school for the celebration. I am a leettle worried about how much fun I will have. But my neon pink fanny pack and I are READY FOR ACTION. And I’m sure I will make good use of my tutus and tiaras. However, I would appreciate never again seeing Minnie Mouse pee standing up….why so many men are dressed like her for Carnaval, I do not know. But it is more than startling.

  • super professional at all times.
    super professional at all times.

    After spending a week testing students new to our school for English levels, I FINALLY get to start hanging out with them teaching. So far I have been able to contrive a reason to show not one but TWO Buttermilk the Goat videos, my hug bucket is overflowing, and the mustache stickers are out and proud. I had 13 students last semester, and 18 this semester, which means almost twice the _______________. Really. So many things can go there.

  • my beach
    my beach

    Had a fantastic Saturday. Beach day with friends that turned into a “let’s go to a favela to a bar on top of the hill literally as far as you can go up that hill and listen to some music!” This involved a busride that ranks in my top five most questionable busrides (and I have ridden on chicken buses with actual chickens and roosters. In pre-dawn hours. With floors missing.) and some very excited dancing to 90s/2000s pop music, probably too many caipirhnas, and lots of fun.

  • Won an epic cockroach battle Friday night — settling into bed, saw a big’un scuttle towards my guitar which brought a “OH HELL NO” and then a chase sponsored by a cancer-inducing amount of Raid until he surrendered in front of my bathroom. I marked his corpse with an empty beer can to pick up in the morning. Tell your
    i helds it. #neverforget.
    i helds it. #neverforget.

    friends, roachy. After the events of Cicada Showdown 2015, this is obviously a big win.

  • Skyped with my dear friend and living miracle, Robyn, who wants to start a blog and mistakenly thinks I know what I’m doing on here. Big deal because: a. her being alive is a big deal – her story is incredible and I’m so happy she is going to be sharing it in a bloggy way and b. I hate Skypeing, this was important, and I did it for over an hour. Phew. I will link y’all up when she goes live with what is sure to be a good time.
  • I hesitate to say this outloud, but….I think I have survived Brazilian summer
    view from the top
    view from the top

    without air conditioning. Just a crappy fan. I feel like this makes me stronger somehow.

LowLights

  • The ants seem to be evolving into something stronger. They are still everywhere – bed, coffee, computer, food. But now I find these kinds with horns on them. They are harder to squish or swallow, but slower than the others, which is good. But I had to fish several out of my macaroni and cheese the other day.
  • My addiction to Trivia Crack is consuming my life. Sometimes I go to the bathroom and forget what I’m even supposed to do there because I’m so busy silently screaming at the poor wording of a question or my fat thumbs. That being said PLAY ME!

  • meh.
    meh.
  • This season of “The Bachelor” is more cliche and annoying than usual, which is HUGE DISSAPOINT because I loved Chris last season. However, I am glad I have a found a reliable, if not exactly legal, site from which to download episodes so that I’m not missing out on what I’m sure is the love story that is consuming the nation. Winky Winky.

And that’s all! No hurries, no worries. Come visit soon.

<3

This post sponsored by a cup of coffee at 4:30 that was a mistake, and Amos Lee’s songs.