The week ahead

Congratulate me, please. I made it through last week.

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It was one of those weeks when it feels like anything that can go wrong does. Fixing things that kept falling through at work was making my workload heavier and putting me behind.

I'd leave work frustrated most days, only to go home and deal with mounting issues that had to be taken care of, so I'd end up getting only four to five hours of sleep a night.

It was a never-ending cycle that, as a grown-up now, I have no choice but to face.

Man, this is rough! No one told me adulthood would be this hard.

So what do you do when it gets this way? You suck it up. You get tough. You take a deep breath, say a prayer, then keep moving. You develop a plan that works for you to get things in order and turn your lemons into lemonade.

And to cheer yourself up, you break the norm and do something that you don't get to do every day, such as going to the 14th Annual Augusta Horse and Carriage Parade, my pick this week. It starts at 2 p.m. Saturday at Fifth and Broad streets.

How often do you get to see a parade that has absolutely nothing motorized? With more than 100 entries, including a hitch with eight black horses that weigh more than a ton each from Pennsylvania, there will be plenty to catch the eye. And, come on, you've got to admit that seeing little kids' amazement and hearing the funny things they'll have to say about this primitive mode of transportation are bound to cheer a person up.

The parade is open to any animal trained to pull a vehicle, and I've learned that a pair of goats and a pair of short-horned cattle are among the entries. Somehow, the thought of goats and cows trotting down Broad Street is disturbingly amusing. Just remember to watch your step after the parade's over.

That's just one thing happening this week. Keep reading for other things to do.

MONDAY

GOVERNMENT MEETINGS

Here are some government meetings to consider. In Columbia County, there's a 3:30 p.m. Management & Financial Services Committee meeting and a 4:30 p.m. Public Works Services Committee meeting - both in the General Conference Room, Building A, 630 Ronald Reagan Drive, Evans. Augusta-Richmond County committees begin meeting at 12:30 p.m. at the municipal building, 530 Greene St.

THURSDAY

STORYTIME IN THE PARK

Augusta-Richmond County Commissioner Tommy Boyles usually addresses adults, but today your children can get a chance to listen to him. Mr. Boyles will be the guest reader at the weekly summer series, Storytime at Pendleton King Park, 1600 Troupe St., at 10 a.m.

TRAVELED PHOTOGRAPHER

Athens photographer McGinnis Leathers' travels include visiting Antarctica, New Zealand and Scotland, where he captured some intriguing black and white pictures. See some of these snapshots at a free reception from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Dunlap Studio, 1018 Broad St.

FRIDAY

BLACK TIE GALA

The impressive, versatile Sounds Unlimited Band has played for the 100 Black Men of Augusta Inc.'s annual Black Tie Gala for the past six years. The organization will honor the band's 10th anniversary at this year's Black Tie Gala, 7 p.m. to midnight at the Gordon Club Ballroom at Fort Gordon. Tickets cost $65 and benefit the organization's mentor program. Call 724-5994 or 863-9341 for details.

SATURDAY

RUNNING FOR A CAUSE

The staff, pupils and friends of St. Mary on the Hill School are doing everything they can to help a teacher there who has been diagnosed with cancer. Take part in the Saints Run for Amy 5K Run/Walk and help them with their fund-raising. Registration is from 6:45 to 8 a.m. The 5K trek starts at 8:30 a.m. after half-mile and 1-mile children's runs. Call 733-6193 for information.

GULLAH GULLAH AFTERNOON

Stars from the popular 1990s Nickelodeon TV show Gullah Gullah Island will be at the Morris Museum of Art from 2 to 4 p.m. Everyone can sample some Gullah foods and learn Gullah customs, language, how to make sweetgrass baskets - all for free!

Reach C. Samantha McKevie at (706) 823-3552 or samantha.mckevie@augustachronicle.com.