A little slice of Heaven

It's 2:51pm on Tuesday, and, having worked through lunch, I decide I want to step outside for a quick afternoon coffee. I am dressed in jeans and a belted jacket made with thick sweatshirt material because our building doesn't skimp on the AC (and by "doesn't skimp," I mean that most of the office has visible goosebumps every single day). As I exit the building, I expect to be greeted with a gust of hot, damp air and begin untying the belt on my jacket in preparation.

But, wait... what is this? Gray skies, wet pavement, and... dare I say it? A cool breeze? I stand on the pavement transfixed and slightly disoriented. It is September in Austin and it's cool enough to wear a jacket or sweatshirt outside-- not the way people in LA immediately don wool sweaters and scarves the instant it drops below 68 degrees, for fear that the moment will pass and they will miss their sole opportunity to show off their winter wardrobe-- but for real... It's actually that cool. (Weather.com subsequently confirms that it is a shocking 63 degrees out.)

I find myself smiling and giddy in the way I can only compare to the feeling I would have at home in Seattle on the first sunny, 70-degree day in May. Dark, dreary, damp... what's not to love? The world is a beautiful place!

Inspired by a sudden burst of seasonal cheer, I enter the Starbucks across the street and saunter up to the counter. Emboldened, I order... wait for it... a Pumpkin Spice Latte. Those of you that know me know that I am strictly a Grande Nonfat Latte girl-- no sugar, no flavorings, just straight up java with a little dairy to smooth it out. To date, I've had one other Pumpkin Spice Latte and it was a horrible mistake. The latte was so pumpkin-y that it was actually was orange. I dumped it out in the street. That was in 2005 and I haven't gone near one since. But, today, I ask them to go particularly easy on the syrup and you know what? It's pretty good. Not everyday drinking kind of good, but perfect to celebrate the first day in Austin where I do not feel like I am living on the face of the sun.

But, never fear, my tan will not wane anytime soon... Weather.com assures me it will be back in the 90s by the weekend.