Gorillas in the Mist...

This morning I was Sigourny Weaver making my way through the urban jungle that has artfully been sprayed with a fine mist. Upside: I didn't fall asleep on my bike? Downside: There were no gorillas, I was wearing a wool sweater dress, and I had actually taken the time to dry my hair this morning.

Why would a girl do such a thing to herself? I was attempting to avoid being driven to work by my mom... again. See, most of my time here in Charleston, I get to feel like I've got some amount of independence. My dad is rarely ever home, which unfortunately means I don't have access to a car, but also means that I get to pretend I can afford our swanky condo all by myself. I leave for work when I please, I come home from work when I please, and after work I get to be as lazy as I want to be. But that is definitely not the case when my mom is in town. She's always around.

Now, all would have been fine if my mom had stayed for the amount of time I had expected, but the morning she was supposed to leave, she extended her stay an extra week. I love my mother, I love seeing her and spending time with her, but I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR THIS! I like to know how long I need to be patient, how long I need to put my dishes away immediately after use, and how long I should expect to feel like I'm back in high school. That way I can spend my energy wisely. This change in plans, however, has left me no more patience to work with. I don't like it! I don't like it one bit!

So, when I saw that it wasn't pouring rain this morning, I had to make a tough decision. Get in my mother's rental car after waiting for her to get ready and then have to call her to pick me up later in the day (or walk, if it wasn't raining), OR ride my bike through the mist and deal with my screwed up appearance once I got to work?

So there I was, pedaling in the 50 degree weather, wearing a dress that kept flipping up and exposing my thighs to the water that was already hitting the rest of my body, and the first thing that came to mind was "Gorillas in the Mist." Best part, I can't remember anything about the movie itself, so I started making things up. The market was the headquarters for a secret drug cartel, the shops at Charleston place was an area of high Gorilla concentration (all angry and ready to steal my money from me in return for a Gucci purse), and Starbucks was our water tower... the sign that I had almost made it back to camp. I made it unscathed, just a little damp, and so as I put my bike away in the courtyard... there was a sense of pride in the 7 minute adventure I had just had. Katie: 1,  Drug Cartel/Gorillas: 0.

Love,
Katie

P.S. There will be another video clip in which I will apparently have a speaking line. I'll post it when it becomes available!