Hotlanta And Other Updates.

Updates...hm. :)
We went on a tiny getaway to Atlanta this past weekend. We left bright and early Saturday morning and as always, it was quite an adventure.
Giovanni started looking for our exit when we were about 100 miles from Atlanta. Can't blame him, though, as we're notorious for missing our exits, making wrong turns, and ending up in the wrong part of town. Once we got lost in Atlanta and ended up at the ONE gas station that was being robbed. I've never seen Giovanni run so fast. Ha! But that's another story for another day.
Anyway, we made it to our destination (Coca-Cola Factory) with minimal chaos, despite the faulty directions (curse you, Mapquest). The factory was fun, even though it was a giant Coke commercial. Definitely not worth the $15 tickets. When it was time to leave, the heavens opened up, and of course, we didn't have an umbrella. We had to run about half a mile to the parking deck, and we looked like drowned rats by the time we got to the car. We were soaked. I had on a long maxi dress and briefly considered slow-motion dancing a la sexy music video, but reconsidered it. I embarrass Giovanni so much, I thought I'd give the poor guy a break. Next stop, Ikea. Mecca of all things awesome.
I. Love. Ikea.
I've been obsessed for years, and always talk about going to the store.
The drive there was a bit harrowing.
Mapquest led us down a one-way street. The wrong way. We realized it at the same time-about the time the cars topped the hill, heading in our direction. Giovanni started banging on the steering wheel and yelling. "CASEY. It's a ONE WAY STREET." I was laughing hysterically so I wasn't much help. He whipped into a parking deck at the last possible second (SUCH nice people in Atlanta-they sped up when they saw us. WE LOVE YOU ATL [not]).
And then-big suprise, we missed our turn. We realized that when we noticed that we were the only ones NOT in fancy black SUVS with rims and bass banging and illegally dark windows to hide our dark deeds. Hm. The SUV behind us was getting closer and closer, it's menacing chrome grill disappearing behind the pitiful little Corolla. I suddenly wished our windows were tinted.
Giovanni glanced at me warily.
"Casey?"
"Yeah?"
"We're not in the nicest part of town. Listen very carefully to me. No turning up the bass, no rap music, and absolutely none of your "gangsta dancing"."

Giovanni doesn't appreciate it when I try to fit in. So much for culture immersion.
Party pooper.

And then-we saw it. IKEA. The beautiful blue building with the big, happy yellow letters. Once we parked (they have a PARKING DECK!), we rode the elevators into what can only be described as a compound of rad-ness. I squealed when the elevator doors opened, then when the native, oh-so-cool Atlantians turned around to look at the nerd who had never been to Ikea, I glared at an innocent-looking toddler. Kids. Always making stupid noises.
Oh, the joy! There was bright colors and model apartments and candy-colored leather sofas and funky furniture and crazy toys and designers with names I couldn't pronounce and dots over their names and big yellow shopping bags and helpful employees and sales and things like LINGONBERRIES!
What's a lingonberry? I don't know. But it sounds so happy.
Hours later, I was finally dragged, two big bright-blue shopping bags in hand, semi-comatose, to the car and back to the hotel. That night we ate Chinese-Canton Cooks. I'm not a fan of Chinese, but absolutely loved the spicy shrimp dish that I had.
We went home the next afternoon, in a tearing hurry to see Camilla. I missed her SO MUCH. She didn't even seem to notice we were gone, and hasn't paid the slightest bit of attention to the presents we bought for her. Figures. :)
She had her two-month checkup yesterday and is 23 inches long and 13 pounds.
Anything else? Think that's it...
So that's my updates. Now go make up for the 5 minutes of your life that you just wasted.