Currently September 2020

Get it? Instead of going bananas, I'm going ananas? (French for pineapple.) Okay just me? Well, I was amused for 5 minutes or so…

Currently | 9.29.20

Life in the Age of the Queen

[Explaination of the name in April's Currently.] Seriously. I cannot believe I am writing the September version of this series. September and October are my two favorite months of the year full of lots of travel and joy, and September is gone with really nothing to show for it other than blessed cooler weather. We still aren't traveling beyond a day trip (although there was that one heavily vetted overnight trip) although as I write this we are preparing for a 4-day trip to Black Mountain, our first overnight venture into the North Carolina mountains. We tried in the summer when we were going to camp in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park, but that was thwarted by nearly 100-degree temperatures and humidity.

We had a camping trip planned for this past week on the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula, but we got rained out. Mr. Misadventures had camped there a few days earlier and it was beautiful, but by the time the weekend came, no luck. We will be taking advantage of as many weekends in the fall as possible as the weather is very nice in North Carolina during this time of year. I've got a week off at the end of October and we are filling it with a bunch of day trips.

Since the time we went into confinement at the end of February through now, we have had take out twice. We got Vietnamese Bun Cha Gio after trying to make it at home and failing. And we got BBQ takeout while in the Outer Banks. That's it. For foodies who enjoy exploring restaurants, especially since we know our new area of Raleigh-Durham is chock full of good stuff, is frustrating. I won't restaurant shame anyone (just like I won't travel shame either) but for the Misadventures family we are ready to head into a restaurant or a boat, plane, or train yet. 

But let me tell you, we are getting to be world-class vacation planners because that's practically the only thing we can do at the moment!

Now, onto September and what's been going on in the Misadventures world!

Watching | Away

> We love (almost) anything to do with space and watched Away in a single afternoon/evening. Great actors and we love the focus on the individual astronauts which is different from other shows that focus on the science, etc. Being a SATC fan I am curious about Darren Star's upcoming Emily in Paris which I KNOW plays on all the stereotypical Paris strings, but I want to see it all the same, blame The Queen and content fatigue, this is at least set in Paris and I can watch the scenery and laugh at the cultural faux pas!

Reading | American Royals

> I wanted something mindless and American Royals delivered. The premise was intriguing. What if George Washington had been crowned king instead of elected President? And then the Washington family became our royal family. So interesting to think about! And while that storyline is in the backdrop this is really a book meant more for teens that appreciate young love. I wanted to love it, but I only liked it. I will admit that the book ended abruptly and awkwardly that I had to buy the 2nd book, Majesty, to see how the story continued.

Does anyone know of a grown version of this book using the same premise where America has a royal family rather than a President?

Up next…

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty, on par with Big Little Lies (which I love!)
The Cheffe: A Cook's Novel by Marie NDiaye, the (not very easy) life of a female chef in France.
The Wangs vs. The World by Jade Chang, if you like Crazy Rich Asians, this is supposed to be on par.

Best Bite | Scuppernongs!

> Say what? First time trying these North Carolina grapes and wow! They taste like candy! I didn't even realize they are the state fruit of North Carolina too. They are named for Scuppernong River, which is located just off Albermarle Sound, a place we have been spending a ton of time in for other reasons (blog post coming soon). If I see these in the wild I might seriously be in trouble. As it is, Mr. Misadventures have been buying a single small basket every week at the North Carolina State Farmer's Market and then enjoying a few at a time (they are FULL of carbs!).

Mr. Misadventures believes he has something similar in France, they are in the muscadine family. The farmer at the market says that he had a buyer from Albania who says that he had them growing up there so they exist in different parts of the world, but I had not had them until this past month.

Working On | Blog Stuff

> I know, what else is new. I always have multiple pots on the stove when it comes to Misadventures with Andi. I am currently working on revitalizing old posts including a Brittany road trip, our 18-month RV trip, and some Relais Chateau pieces. Also, I have been creating video pins for Pinterest as they seem to be popular on that platform as well as working on 2 sponsored posts and a holiday gift guide. Plus a local travel post based on a spot we keep traveling back to get all the good stuff.

Feeling | Anxious

> We are so close to the election and I just want this nightmare to be over. I was deeply saddened by the loss of RGB and horrified by the long-term implications of her replacement. I am voting by absentee ballot. Mr. Misadventures and I have them and we will complete them and drop them off by hand at a voting center between Oct 15-31. I don't mind voting in person, I did it in Arizona, but with The Queen, there is no way I am going to stand in line with others and go into a closed room to vote. With this method, we complete our ballots at home and do a drive-by drop off. 

Planning | Trips to France

> We came dream, right? At least it gives 2 Type-A travel addicts something to do. We have a springtime trip and a fall trip planned. The fall trip was one we would have been leaving for next week and we pushed it a year. The spring one is because by the time we are allowed to travel again we may never stop! Just kidding. But we do need to get France back under our skin!

Loving | Who Are Are Kidding?

> It's tough to love anything at the moment. I am a person that tries to be positive, to enjoy each day and I choose happiness, but let's face it, there isn't a ton to “love” right now and I am okay with that. At the moment, the simple things are all that we are left with, the big things are all up in the air at the moment – pandemic, election, the fires, the economy, travel, etc. I am happy enough to enjoy multi-mile walks in our forested neighborhood, truly fresh and seasonal vegetables and fruits, and the occasional weekend day trip. Asking for more than that at the moment may just be one thing too many for the Universe.

My Favorite Photo | Low Carb Round-up

> I haven't been super active on Instagram, not feeling it, although with our mountain cabin trip coming up I am sure I will get some inspiration. I did enjoy eating my way through my lastest low carb snacks and food round-up and the subsequent “photoshoots” that Mr. Misadventures and I did with the products. That Osprey backpack has been with me for more than 10 years and it shows up in a lot of photos!

Published in September

• A Parisian Picnic: 9 Ideal Picnic Places in Paris
• Things to Do While Staying in Fort Myers Florida
• Southwest Road Trip Itinerary – 10 days in and out of Las Vegas
• J’adore #85 – Low Carb Lifestyle Food and Snacks – Edition 4

That’s my month, what’s CURRENTLY going on with you?

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