Frogs & Snails & Puppy Dog Tails

For the five years I've lived in Wilmywood, I've always admired the sterling silver music boxes in the window at Kingoff's Jewelers. The realistic looking Reed & Barton boxes come in a variety of animals - a polar bear, fish, duck, lamb and ladybug. But my unequivocal favorite is the frog. Whenever I'm strolling downtown, I gaze in the window and think about buying one. And today I got my wish. Next weekend, I'll be in Atlanta for the baby shower in Sprout's honor, and I couldn't resist the opportunity to finally have my frog. He plays "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," by the way.

It couldn't have been a more perfect day to pick up my frog, and instead of returning home directly, I went down to the riverwalk. The wind was quite gusty, but the sidewalk cafes and riverfront restaurants were packed with late afternoon lunchers and the see-and-be-seen crowd. A number of large boats were docked along the walk with names like "Inspiration" and "Worth the Wait." I've seen a few names down there that gave me a chuckle - like one called "My Divorce" and one that's called "Second Marriage." The boaters always make a big show of sitting on one of the decks and pretending they don't want people to stare, but why else dock there?

On the return home, I tested my willpower by strolling past Kilwin's - without going in. The smell of the wafflecones was tempting, but I held my resolve to not spoil whatever good I'd done in taking the walk by succumbing to the urge for ice cream. I noticed, too, that the brewery is open again, which made me want a black raspberry - another indulgence that would replenish whatever calories I'd burned. Now if I can just apply the same resolve to improving the state of my apartment, I'll be in good shape.