Gator Girl

Cheers to 2011

2011-12-31T22:29:00.002-05:00

As we enter the final hours of 2011, I would like to take a look back on all the events & people in my life that made this one amazing year.

1. February 17, 2011

Not only was it my 21st birthday and my first time drinking (legally), but I was surrounded by my amazing Phi Sig family as we celebrated big-little reveal and my (first) two littles, Kristen M. & Rachael. I was lucky enough to find a third match in Kristen A. this past semester. I am so very fortunate to have these three amazing ladies in my life!

2. March 2011

PDubbs & I spent spring break in New Orleans with his mom & dad. We witnessed the final night of Mardi Gras, enjoyed the French Quarter & ate out weight in beignets. The Wieruszewskis were so generous to let us stay with them and showed us all of the amazing sights, sounds, smells & tastes of NOLA.

3. April 1-2, 2011

Dance Marathon - what a weekend! Even thought it technically spans the whole school year, the actual event made all of the hard work worth it. To see the Overall team reveal the final total of all of the money fundraised by a bunch of students was incredibly touching, humbling, and inspiring. Not only did we raise a boatload of money for these kids and their families, but I gained a great friend in the process. Love you, Erin!

4. May-July 2011

I was extremely fortunate to land a paid internship at a hospital in Jacksonville over the summer at a great hospital. My preceptor, Mario, was fantastic. He was really patient with me and my lack of common sense and really took the time to help me. I learned a lot about working in hospitals and what kind of nurse I want to be. I was also extremely fortunate for Aunt Claudia & Kerry welcome me into their home & lives for the summer. I had so much fun just hanging out with them and I can't wait to hopefully see more of them next year :)

5. August 4-7, 2011

Phi Sigma Pi held their national convention in Washington D.C. this year. As Parliamentarian, I had a duty to go and represent our chapter along with our president, Natalie. Again, I learned a lot about our fraternity and what makes our chapter so special. I came out of the convention with a greater appreciation for my Brothers and grew a lot closer to all of the Brothers in attendance.

6. September 27, 2011

On this day, PDubbs & I celebrated our 3-year anniversary. I spent the night dressing up, heading downtown & eating delicious sushi but the company is what really made the night special. I spent the night with my best friend and the love of my life. I couldn't imagine a more perfect evening and I'm looking forward to many many more anniversary celebrations with that Polish boy.

7. December 24-29, 2011

Last but not least, we spent our Christmas cruising through the Caribbean. We sunbathed, boogie-boarded, surfed, ice skated & rock climbed on the ship, zip-lined through the jungle, went tubing under a mountain, drank cerveza on the playa, sang karaoke, beat "the Burkas" but lost to "the Jews" in a dodgeball tournament, and even putt-putt golfed. We had a blast but the best time was when my family was all together. It was awesome to spend so much time together away from computers, phones & cars. We were able to just be and enjoy each others' company. Can't wait for the next one!

2011 was a year of growth, learning and friendship. 2012 brings graduation, job hunting and who knows what else. It's an exciting and nerve-wracking time but as long as I have these people around me, I know it will be a great year.

Happy holidays, everyone! Have a safe & happy new years!

Love,

Megan

Broccoli & Cheese Soup for the Soul

2011-12-14T08:26:00.000-05:00

Wooo I'm back!

Monday marked the beginning of our month-long winter break around here. PDubbs & I both suffered through our last fall exam of undergrad! It was also a yucky, rainy day so what better way to celebrate than with a sinfully delicious stick-to-your-ribs soup?

PDubbs has always been a huge fan of Panera's Broccoli & Cheddar soup and when Ree, our best friend, posted a recipe for it a few weeks ago, it's always been in the back of our mind. So Broccoli-Cheese soup it was!

The first step is to grate your cheese. Lots. And lots. And lots of fat-free, zero-calorie cheese.

Just kidding. Totally not a low-fat recipe so just fahget-ahbout it now.

You could also buy the pre-grated stuff. We just bought the chunks because they were on sale and we're thrifty college students.

So you've got your cheese all prepped AND your biceps are killing you. No? Maybe that was just me. Then you whip out the biggest pot you got and melt a stick of butter.

Yes, I said a stick. Paula Deen has a smile on her face right now and doesn't even know why.

Melt the butter over medium heat and add 1 whole onion, chopped. Cook down the onions until translucent, about 5 minutes.

While that's happening, zap a couple bags of frozen broccoli in the microwave. Cook them a little less than the package says since they'll be cooking in a bath for awhile. You don't want them over cooked & mushy. That would be a travesty.

Once the onions are cooked down, add 1/3 cup of flour to really thicken things up. Mix it around until the flour is thoroughly mixed in.

Next, the recipe says to add 4 cups of whole milk & 2 cups of half-and-half. Don't tell Ree but because we're health fanatics, we used skim milk. And ya know what? I think it turned out just fine.

So you've got the milk & half-and-half, then add the now-cooked frozen broccoli. Let the milky mixture almost come to a boil then let it simmer for 20-30 minutes. We let it do its thing for 25 minutes.

Next comes the cheese. Just the cheese.

We used a combo of sharp cheddar, monterey jack & colby jack but feel free to use whatever floats your boat. Pour in all the cheese and mix until the cheese is melty & ooey & gooey. This is also the point where you want to add your salt & pepper to taste. The cheese is already pretty salty so we didn't have to use much at all. Just peppa.

Now comes the fun part. You can either throw it in a blender or use an immersion blender to mix everything up. Without hesitation, PDubbs went the immersion route. And he was pretty stoked about it.

When it's blended to your preferred consistency, it is ready! Pour into your bowl of choice (PW suggests a bread bowl) and serve with some toasted bread for soaking up that last bit of soup still hugging the sides of your bowl. Or lick it clean. Again, whatever floats your boat!

This soup was amazing. It was everything we were looking for on a rainy day and more. And it made A TON! We have enough leftovers to last us through Christmas.

On a different note, PDubbs & I are quickly heading towards our final semester as undergrads. I can't believe how fast the past 3.5 years have flown by and I can only imagine that next semester will be gone before we know it. You better believe I'll have plenty of nostalgic posts between now & then but right now I'm focusing on winter break & spending what could be the last Christmas with my family for awhile. As a new nurse, I'll probably be put on graveyard shift for all the major holidays for a few years. It's all part of the process, right? No sense in worrying about it now, just enjoy the moment.

Now that exams are over, I'm also going to pick up on that photo challenge I started in November! My camera has been alone for so very long and it needs some love.

Hope everyone is having a great week! Good luck to all my friends studying for their finals, safe travels to those heading home and a special good luck wish to those braving the mall crowds this shopping season.

Merp

2011-11-22T15:00:00.000-05:00

Sorry guys, I truly suck at blogging on a regular basis! I had an exam last week on top of hard core Phi Sig activities and just couldn't justify leaving my studies to fiddle with my camera. I want to actually enjoy this challenge and grow with it, not just feel forced to do it. I got some practice taking photos at night over the weekend (because I was temporarily nocturnal but that's another story), so I plan on using that experience for the next few days of the challenge.

On another note, I am soooo excited for Thanksgiving break! Spending time with the family + PDubbs, delicious food, my last home football game as an undergrad (!!!), and hopefully enjoying some beautiful weather are all on the agenda. Not to mention that Dr. Brother's 14th birthday is Friday!!! My classes were cancelled for tomorrow so I plan on using that time to get my life back in order after this whirlwind week.

With that, I will leave you this photo, courtesy of Starbucks Cup Magic App.

What are you doing this holiday break?

NPC: Day 9-11 & 13

2011-11-13T21:40:00.001-05:00

Day 9: A photo taken from a distance

I'm not used to being tall so I decided to take the "from a distance" aspect to mean "from up high". I climbed up onto a chair and just started snapping pictures of PDubbs studying. I like a lot of things about this photo. I like his relaxed position, the sparseness of items on the coffee table, the fact that he's only wearing one sock. And I liked that the original picture had a sepia feel so I wanted to take it to the next level. I used the Posterize edit on Picnik and set it to 9 colors to keep it more monotone.

Day 10: A photo of anything

PDubbs had an exam Thursday so I wrote him a little note with his breakfast to wish him good luck. I've written him good luck notes since we started dating. He has a whole bunch pinned up on his bedroom wall at home and another stack in a drawer here at school. I try to be creative but sometimes it's hard at 6 in the morning, as demonstrated by this minimalist note. I cropped the picture to focus solely on the letters and then boosted the colors with a few effects. (He aced his exam, by the way :) )

Day 11: A photo in black & white

My phone has been due for an upgrade for awhile and I've salivating over the iPhone since PDubbs got his iPhone 3G a few years ago. When I heard rumors that Sprint was getting the iPhone a few months ago, I held off on an upgrade. My parents graciously agreed to get it for me on the condition that it would be my last phone that they buy for me, now that I'm almost a grown-up (which is a scary thought that I will save for another day...). We ordered it last weekend when I was home and it said it would take up to 3 weeks but it arrived Friday afternoon right before the family got here for Phi Sig's family weekend! More on that to come.

Day 12 was a bit of a struggle but I'm still trying to figure out how to get some good bokeh shots. I'll revisit this one after this crazy week.

Day 13: A photo that's been edited

For every photo I've posted during this challenge, I have at least 3 edited versions saved on my computer. I only share with you my very favorite edit that I think best captures the spirit of the photo. With today's assignment, I wanted to take this opportunity to share all the edits of the same photo. I snapped the photo below straight out of camera today before the TFA Kickball tournament.

Below are the edits I made with it using Picnik. I still can't decide which one I like the best!

Simple Autofix

Lomoish

Holga-ish: 0% fade

Holga-ish: 50% fade

Orton-ish

1960s

Cross Process

Vibrance

Looking through them again made me even more confused! Which one is your favorite?

NPC: Day 7 & 8

2011-11-08T14:33:00.002-05:00

Day 7: A photo of a silhouette

Spanish moss

Yesterday I took several photos of PDubbs from a profile angle, which I thought were silhouettes. Turns out it's not a silhouette. Silhouettes are specific in that the subject is supposed to be an outline of a form so that you can not discern its features. Duh! So in between classes & studying, I snuck out for a scenery change and fresh air to snap this photo along with my assignment for Day 8. Living in Florida, we are surrounded by this Spanish moss since it grows on almost every tree. I don't even notice it unless an out-of-state friend comments on the stuff. I treated this photo with Lomo-ish on Picnik to really darken the trees and make the blue sky pop.

Day 8: A photo of something up close

I have no idea what type of tree this is but the bold red berries really caught my eye as I was walking by all the drabness around it. The tree limbs were pretty flimsy and kept blowing in the wind, making this shot a bit more difficult. I used the portrait setting on my camera in an attempt to hone in on a single berry. My camera automatically detects the subject and adjusts to a macro setting. I really need to learn how to achieve the same effect manually, which would give me a lot more control for the focus of the photo. Overall, I think this photo came out well. I used Orton-ish on Picnik & added a vignette to give it a more finished look.

I'm really enjoying this challenge. Just spending the time to take pictures and brainstorming for inspiration has helped my photography. Carrying my camera with me where ever I go is a great habit to not just capture the big events in life, but the smaller details that may be forgotten in a year, 5 or 10.

NPC: Day 6

2011-11-06T13:58:00.001-05:00

Day 6: A photo from a low angle

Kid's-eye view

Ever since I was little, I've loved the altar & organ at our church. Between the beautiful vaulted ceiling, glorious skylight, intricate stained glass and the enormous organ, this altar is nothing less than stunning. I did some cropping & editing using Picnik but chose to leave the pew in the frame because I wanted this photo to capture the image I would have seen as a kid sitting in the pews.

Happy Sunday, everyone!

NPC: Day 4 & 5

2011-11-05T22:14:00.000-04:00

Day 4: A photo from a high angle

Bentley Pants

This is Bentley. He's pretty awesome. I took this picture in our backyard today (I know it's not the 4th but I'm doing my best!) and realized that it was too far away. The "high angle" didn't fully capture his cuteness and the look of love as he eyed his favorite ball. For the next picture, I got down on his level and snapped this next photo.

Day 5: A photo of whatever you please

Bentley Pants again!

Much better! I cropped this photo to make his snout right smack dab in the middle of the frame. I also edited both of these pictures using Picnik's Orton-ish effect. This picture turned out much better and really captured his goofy grin and curly hair. Bentley & I went on a run this evening around the neighborhood and he killed it! He gets a little spazzy when we first start out and he tends to sniff & pee on everything in sight. But after about a quarter-mile, we both get into a rhythm and can just go. I'm going to miss this pup.

NPC: Day 3 Redux

2011-11-05T22:01:00.002-04:00

Day 3: A photo of your favorite place to be

Home!

It feels soooo great to be home! I love love love this wall in our hallway. I love the fun ribbons & the colorful frames, but most importantly I love the pictures. They depict our nuclear family as well as both sides of our family. They are a constant reminder of our support system and the people we love.

Delayed NPC: Day 3

2011-11-04T00:59:00.001-04:00

Day 3: A photo of your favorite place to be

Although I snapped several photos today, I know in my heart of hearts that the subject of today will be photographed tomorrow. Every picture I took today paled in comparison to what I will be able to capture tomorrow.

I'm heading home to good ol' Brandon tomorrow and couldn't be happier. I haven't been home at all this semester and this may be the only time I'm able to come home before winter break. Even though my parents are coming up to Gainesville next weekend for our fraternity's family weekend, physically being in the home that I grew up in and participating in my family's daily routine can not be replaced.

So I'm venturing solo this weekend down I-75 and will post a picture from today's (Day 3) and tomorrow's (Day 4) photo challenge pictures when I get there. :)

NPC: Day 2

2011-11-02T20:26:00.003-04:00

Day 2: A photo of what you wore today

Stethoscope & Scrubs!

Today was our last day of adult health clinicals for this semester! The past 10 weeks have literally flown by. November seemed like the distant future when school first started but here we are, already on our way to the new year.

My stethoscope was part of my outfit today but it has more significance to me. I also chose this picture because stethoscopes are essential to nursing practice. You can learn so much about your patients with this instrument. It's also a status symbol. Years ago, nurses were not allowed to wear stethoscopes because it was considered a physician's tool. As nursing practice developed, nurses fought for the right to use them in the clinical setting. They are used to assess cardiovascular, pulmonary and gastrointestinal status as well as manual blood pressure measurements. Stethoscopes are reliable, portable and easy to use, making them a nurse's best friend.

I'm proud to wear my stethoscope because it means that I have the knowledge and skills to assess my patients. I'm proud because nursing has come a long way, thanks to the work of strong, intelligent nurses before me. I'm proud because it means that I am on my way to being a bona fide RN!

November Photo Challenge: Day 1

2011-11-01T12:58:00.003-04:00

I've recently become obsessed with Pinterest and found this cute idea on Erin's board. What a fun way to better my (lacking) photography skills and challenge myself to update my blog regularly!

Source: superbarbs.tumblr.com via Megan on Pinterest

Day 1: A photo of yourself

Lots of room for improvement. Also, I'm sorry that I'm incapable of making normal faces. But I like the fact that you can see the camera 3 times in the shot. I also used Picnik for my editing needs.

Pizza Pizza

2011-10-24T21:21:00.003-04:00

Last week, I spent every night studying my brains out for my Thursday evening exam. I wouldn't have been able to study if it hadn't been for PDubbs offering to make dinner AND clean up. I love that kid!

To thank him, I offered to make a special dinner Friday night, complete with cooking and cleaning. We decided on pizza because we're ALWAYS looking for an excuse to use the stand mixer!

I started Friday before lunch making the dough from a recipe I found online. I won't even mention the source because I don't want this person getting credit for the dough - it was terrible! Don't get me wrong, it tasted great. But it was incredibly sticky and difficult to work with. I knew it was too easy to be true!

While the yeast was blooming in warm water, I mixed up the flour, salt & olive oil. Then gradually poured in the yeast mixture. When it was just combined, I coated a separate bowl with a little bit of olive oil, covered it in plastic wrap and let the yeast work its magic!

When we were ready to eat, we sliced up some tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, peppers, basil and plenty of mozzarella. Most of the ingredients were on sale at Publix - love saving moolah!

Next came the tricky part. The dough made enough for 2 pizzas but it was such a hassle to get them to spread! I coated the dough, hands & baking pans in flour but it was still sooooo sticky! It took a good 20 minutes of pulling, stretching, hanging, kneading and cursing to get the dough into a reasonably pizza-esque shape. But our perseverance paid off!

We topped one pizza with tomatoes & mozzarella and the other got the veggie treatment. We popped them in the oven at 500 degrees for 12 minutes to get a nice golden crust with bubbly, gooey mozzarella. We topped off the tomato pizza with basil to make it a magherita masterpiece.

PDubbs & I immediately went on to devour half a pizza each without even stopping for a photo op of the final products. But take my word for it - they were pretty & delicious! We loved it. Plus there was plenty left over for my favorite breakfast: cold pizza!

What are your thoughts on cold pizza? Love it? Hate? Never tried it?

Frat Family

2011-10-15T11:30:00.004-04:00

Meet my newest little, Kristen!!!

We had our big-little reveal Thursday night! Both of my littles also got littles so now I'm a grandbig!

Courtney & Rachael, my grandlittle & little

My little, Kristen, and her little, Paige

Welcome to the family, beautiful ladies! Now we have our own little tree :)

While getting new littles is always an exciting time in our frat, this weekend is also CAMPOUT! I'm so excited to spend time with my new little, grandlittles & 60 of my closest friends. It's so nice to get away from all of the stress and material things for a few hours and just hang out.

And, as always, go Gators!!!

Listen to your heart

2011-10-13T10:24:00.003-04:00

I've talked about how I want to get back in shape. This isn't for any particular purpose besides trying to lead a healthier life. Plus, if I have to tell my patients that they need to exercise 4-5 times a week, I should practice what I preach!

Yesterday, I laced up and set out for an easy 3-miler. Back in high school or even freshman year of college, this would have been easy peasy. I started off strong and was doing fine for the first mile. My legs felt awesome but my stupid heart started getting in the way. I had set out with a goal of running the entire thing without stopping to walk. So I listened to my body and took the speed down a notch and managed to finish without stopping.

This run was an awful wake-up call. I managed to finish but I've never been this out of shape since I started playing competitive soccer 10 years ago and it's NOT ok. I've been too focused on my health studies and have let my own health take a backseat. I need some balance in my life.

Balance. That's what life's all about, right? And with that in mind, here is a list of 5 simple goals for the week to help me achieve that balance between school, health, and relationships. I'm posting it here so that hopefully I feel more accountable for my actions and can report back with an evaluation.

1. Minimize Facebook time to the hours of 6-7 AM and 6-7 PM.

This may not seem like a big deal but my fingers automatically begin typing "facebook" whenever I open a web browser. Again, NOT ok! This will cut down on procrastinating so that I can focus on my studies while I'm at school & in the library.

2. Run 10 miles this week.

3 down, 7 to go!

3. Cook a homemade dinner with Patrick.

While we already cooked a delicious meal this week, I love love love cooking with PDubbs in our wittle kitchen. It's a great experience sharing tasks and enjoying the delicious meal we created together.

4. Go to 1 group fitness class.

Being a student grants me access to free fitness classes at the student gym and I should be taking advantage of them. One of my Phi Sig Brothers is an instructor for a Zumba class on Sundays that I definitely want to try!

5. Find out how to rent a locker in the Health Science Center.

You can rent a locker on campus in the same building as the library. That way you can store all of your heavy books there instead of carrying them back and forth. I have several nursing books that are 10+ pounds that I never ever use because they are so darn heavy! But if I make it easier for me to access them, I will be likely to use them to study!

So those are my goals for the week. Does setting personal goals help you?

Tut Tut

2011-10-09T21:41:00.002-04:00

You know those days when you wake up to the sound of rain, your house is dark because of the overcast skies outside? And all you want to do is lay in bed in your pajamas all day watching (probably trashy) TV? When the only thing that gets you out of bed is the prospect of belly-warming soup or a grilled cheese before it's back in bed?

Thank goodness we don't have a TV in our bedroom or else that would have been my day. Instead, I lounged around in my pajamas studying & getting myself prepared for the week. I had big plans to go running today but the hourly battle to avoid curling up in bed was enough mental exercise.

Time is literally flying. I don't know where this weekend has gone, let alone the month of October. We're almost halfway through the semester and things are settling into a comfortable groove. I've finally started to work with some data for my honors research project and I have a presentation to give in class tomorrow. I know exactly how it will go:

-I won't be nervous all day leading up to it. "I got this, no big deal" will be my personal mantra for the day.

-I'll sit in class and attentively listen to the other presenters instead of rehearsing my own spiel.

-My professor will call my name to present.

-I'll freeze.

-My innards will feel like they're turning inside-out.

-I'll forget my name.

-I'll call for my mommy.

-Then I'll give the presentation exactly like I've practiced all weekend.

I don't know why it happens, but it does. Every. Single. Time. No matter how long I practice and perfect it, this same chain of events will occur indubitably.

What did you do this weekend?

Recipe: Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

2011-10-08T16:07:00.005-04:00

Like I said, I'm obsessed with pumpkin. And when I found this recipe from Picky Palate, I knew it was meant to be.

Here's the cast of characters:

chocolate cake mix, instant pudding mix, oil, eggs, sour crema, milk, pureed pumpkin & chocolate chips

Add everything except for the chocolate chips into the mixer, mixing until combined. Then add the chips, mix for a few seconds until combined, and pour it into the pan. In the words of Ina Garten - how easy is that?

I like that the idea of baking cakes in loaf pans. Freshly baked breads always remind me of fall so having a cake in the form of a loaf fits the bill for fall perfectly! It also provides a nice cake-to-icing ratio :)

The recipe said to bake at 350' F for 55-60 minutes but our oven is like the surface of the sun so we knew to cut down on the time. Ours were baked to perfection by 45 minutes.

The cake was delicious, and even better when it was fresh out of the oven with the gooey chocolate chips.

But pumpkin buttercream can't hurt!

A second cast of characters:

room temperature butter, cinnamon, pumpkin puree, powdered sugar & milk

While the cake is cooling, beat the butter, cinnamon & pumpkin puree together on high for a couple of minutes. Then add the powdered sugar, tasting along the way until desired sweetness. Next, add a tablespoon or two of milk until you reach your desired consistency. Not an exact science but it came out delicious!

We used our new icing tools to have some fun with decorating!

My only criticism of the recipe was that the chocolate kinda overpowered the pumpkin. But once you add the pumpkin buttercream, it was magic in my mouth. Next on the to-bake list is pumpkin spice donuts!

Now it's time to watch the Gators get pummeled by LSU. Good thing I have some delicious cake to drown my sorrows.

If I hear "Roll Tide" one more time...

2011-10-02T18:10:00.005-04:00

My heart was bursting with happiness when I woke up at 7 AM on Saturday and skipped out the door for a morning run. With early classes and killer heat, morning runs just haven't been doable the past few months. But the amazing cool weather got me up and moving instantly. With my October playlist, I managed to pop out an easy 3-mile run. (Side note: My cardio is not where it once was and definitely not where I would like it to be. I want to run a half-marathon in 2012 so I need to get up and moving!)

The beautiful weather also made for great tailgating! It was even a little chilly in the shade, but a few minutes in the sun were enough to thaw out. I don't think I had a single bead of sweat the entire day, which probably hasn't happened since March. There was great company, great food and great fun all day. Campus was hopping with a sea of orange and blue with the occasional pop of crimson and black. There were friendly Gator chomps and "Roll Tides" thrown back-and-forth throughout the day.

Lovely ladies

And honestly, I don't think either side knew who had the upper hand in this game. Yeah, Bama was ranked 2nd in the country but Florida has been on the up-and-up all season. After a surprising and definitive victory over Tennessee, Alabama was the first team that might be able to handle Florida's dominating running game. And Alabama had been consistently strong all-around this season but could they handle the Swamp?

Caitlin, Angela, Sam & I. Another reason I love night games - seeing the sun set before the game!

We had pretty good seats this week, about 60 rows up on the 20 yard-line. We were close to the Alabama section but far enough away to safely Gator chomp them. The stadium was filled to capacity, making for a great intimidation factor. That is, for the first quarter anyways.

Kristen & I :)

As the game continued downhill, we turned our attention to a cute guy sitting in the next section over. And by we, I mean the females in our group. And by cute guy, I mean Ryan Lochte. A UF alum, Ryan is a three-time Olympic gold medalist and currently holds several world records. He often trains right here in Gainesville and likes to tweet about his nights out at midtown.

My little, Kristen, swam in high school and is a huge huge huge fan of Ryan. She was giddy with excitement when they announced him during a commercial break and stared at him from the minute he took his seat near us. During the second quarter, she finally made eye contact with him and he blew her a kiss! She motioned for him to meet us under the stands and he obliged!

She was shaking with excitement!

Michelle, Ryan & I. Notice the @ryanlochte shirt!

Being down by just 2 TDs, I had hope going into the 4th quarter that we could still pull out a W. But then Bama scored. And again. And that's when I knew it was over. I stayed for the whole game to show my support but it was a heartbreaker. I was bombarded by dozens of "ROLL TIDES!!!" on the way home, which just added salt to the wound.

Hanging out with friends all day and meeting Ryan definitely made it a great day. But damn, I really wish we had won. Only 3 more home games left in my senior year - I hope we can make the rest of the season count!

October Obsession

2011-10-01T08:00:00.003-04:00

Rabbit! Rabbit!

In honor of my favorite month, I've changed up the background & header of this little blog. And I've mentioned it here before but there are even more reasons for my love affair with October this year!

1. Florida Football is on a roll!

To start off, the boys in the Swamp will be playing Bama today, our biggest SEC rival. It falls on the first day of the month! Coincidence? I think not. This could arguably be the most important/best game of the season. It's a primetime game so you know the stadium is going to be CRAZY. I'll be tailgating with my bros all day and a bunch of alumni are coming who I haven't seen in months to years. Plus, a cold front came through so the weather will be GORG all day. Speaking of football, Florida-Georgia also falls in this glorious month. Super stoked!

2. He's baaaaaack!

Our favorite serial killer/vigilante returns this Sunday night. I'll be the first one (with a close second from PDubbs) to admit that I am a big baby when it comes to gory & scary things. But I still love love love this show. Even though it's super creepy, it's smart and well-directed. Plus I love all the Florida references! I had mixed feelings about last season (thank goodness Lumen is gone!) but I'm more than willing to give it another shot this year.

3. Phi Sigma Pi Campout

Second, Campout is in October this year. This is an event my frat puts on every semester where we rough it out in the wilderness for a night. We're not Boy Scouts so by roughing it, I mean we drive our cars to the campsite and hang out all night. Some people bring tents while others end up sleeping in their cars. But it's a great time to bond with our Brothers, Initiates & Alumni. This is second to last Campout as an undergrad and I don't know where I'll be next year or if I'll be able to come back. So I want to spend as much time with my Bros as possible and make the most of this year!

4. Pumpkin Spice everything

Since last time I waxed on about my favorite month, I've discovered a new favorite food - pumpkin. And just so happens that October is full of them! You don't even know how deep my love for pumpkin goes. It just screams autumn. It also screams "eat me, Megan." And who am I to say no? In the past couple of weeks I've made pumpkin biscotti and homemade pumpkin spice lattes. I have a recipe for pumpkin pie soup (thanks, Mom!) that I'm dying to try out. I'm sure PDubbs will document that adventure :)

5. New fave band

I've also made several additions to my October playlist thanks to my new obsession with Mumford & Sons. I've literally had these guys on repeat since April and I still can't get enough. Marcus Mumford's voice is so strong and pure. Their lyrics are intelligent and meaningful. They draw a lot of inspiration for their lyrics from great literature, such as John Steinbeck, William Shakespeare and even Plato. Yeah, that's right, Plato. I think it's awesome that they can pull from these great pieces of work and put a contemporary meaning to them. And everyone loves a good banjo solo! You can check them out along with the rest of the playlist here.

6. Oktoberfest

Now that I'm of legal age (read: old), I can partake in all the festivities of the Greater Gator Beer Festival! This festival usually takes place in March & October every year. The price of admission includes unlimited beer samples from local & national breweries as well as food from local restaurants. Mmm, hopefully they'll have pumpkin beer!

October has the potential to be amazing - hopefully it can live up to all this hype!

Chicken Fried Steaks

2011-09-26T18:41:00.005-04:00

Pdubbs here again keeping you all entertained while Megjo slacks with this blogging gig :). Come Sunday, I was inspired again by Pioneer Woman and decided to make a nice homey dish, Chicken Fried Steaks, which was featured on the season premier of her Food Network show! I started out with my wet-dry station for the cube steaks. First off just some flour with some seasoning.

Then some milk with an egg, and of course more black pepper.

Then I took my cube steaks, soaked them in the milk/egg mixture and into the seasoned flour. Then once again into the egg and once again into the flour.

Then they were ready for some canola oil in a hot cast iron skillet.

Flipped 'em once they got nice and golden brown.

Once they were nice and golden brown on each side I removed them from the skillet and added some flour and milk to the grease and made a gravy.

While the gravy was thickening, I boiled some yukon gold's (Polish style, of course), and sweated some onions for the veggie side dish.

When it was all done, I plated the steaks with potatoes, and some peas with onions and topped it all with plenty of gravy!

Megan was so happy, she couldn't hold still for a picture!

She's definitely kickstarting fall with her cute dress!

-Pdubbs

Nutella Cookies

2011-09-18T08:44:00.006-04:00

Pdubbs here again. So a week ago Megan's family came to Gainesville to watch the UF vs. FSU women's soccer game, with FSU coming out on top! The following morning, Megan made a delicious spinach and feta quiche for breakfast. Soon after eating, Megan and I were very pleasantly surprised by a house warming gift from her Aunt, Amy; a KitchenAid Stand Mixer!

After a few days of searching for the perfect recipe for the first use of the stand mixer, we decided on Nutella cookies! I began with the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and a touch of salt.

While Megan worked on the wet ingredients: sugar, brown sugar, butter, eggs, and of course Nutella!

And then came the most exciting part, mixing!!

After the dry ingredients were mixed in, the batter was finished with some quick cooking oats and vanilla extract. And now, let the scooping commence.

After just nine minutes, the cookies came out as delicious perfection.

And what better way to enjoy them than with a tall glass of milk!

We are both so very grateful for this stand mixer and can't thank Aunt Amy enough. We are excited to explore all the creations we can come up with using the stand mixer!

-Pdubbs

On this day

2011-09-11T09:35:00.004-04:00

September 11, 2001 is a day we will never forget. On this day 10 years ago, things were different.

Personally, I was in 6th grade at Dowdell. It was my first year wearing the coveted blue & yellow Brandon FC uniform. I had never picked up a clarinet. I couldn't tell you where Gainesville was located on a map. Dr. Brother didn't know how to read yet. J was still learning how to french braid her hair.

To put it in a sports perspective, the Bucs had yet to win a Super Bowl. Mia Hamm was still playing soccer. Michael Phelps had 0 gold medals.

In pop culture, the first Harry Potter movie had yet to hit theaters. NSYNC was still making music. ENRON was a thriving company. Barack Obama was an Illinois senator. Justin Bieber was in 1st grade.

Security lines were mere formalities, nothing to sweat about. We were able to keep all of our clothes on. Many Americans couldn't locate Afghanistan on a map. Osama Bin who?

September 11, 2001 is a day we will never forget.

I was walking to lunch when my friend, Madison, told me a plane had crashed into some building in New York City. "Really?" I asked. And I kept walking. It was a weird comment but Madison was known for saying silly things.

After lunch, my teacher was called out of the classroom and came back crying. After collecting herself, she attempted to continue with the lesson without mentioning the reason for the interruption.

At this point, I knew something was wrong. Something BIG. Over the next hour, about half the class had been signed out of school. By the time me & my carpool were called out over the intercom to go home, we were all concerned. We piled into the van where Ms. Swanson told us about the events that had transpired throughout the morning.

It was my first experience with hate and it was a fast lesson.

Almost 3,000 Americans lost their lives in the attacks that day. But our enemies did not succeed. They failed to realize that our spirit can not be broken so easily. Over the next few months, Americans pulled together to support each other through the hard times. It made us stronger, prouder & more united than ever.

September 11, 2001 is a day we will never forget. God bless America.

We are all strong for old Florida

2011-09-05T20:46:00.007-04:00

This Labor Day weekend was also the season opener for college football. The Gators had a home game and I was once again blown away by the entire Game Day experience. For those of you who haven't experienced a proper Game Day in the Swamp, I would like to impart just a teensy bit of the magic to you. Hopefully one day you'll be able to see for yourself why the Gators have the best fans in the nation.

Game Day in Gainesville for many is almost a sacred pilgrimage. Almost every weekend in the fall, thousands of people pack up their cars and drive for hours just to see their team. RVs and caravans begin arriving Friday night to fill the parking lots, garages, fields, yards, where ever they can find a square inch. Downtown Gainesville is packed with students, alumni, families and fans from all walks of life. There are even the occasional rival fans milling around that stick out like a sore thumb in a sea of gaudy orange and blue. Don't worry, we don't let them get away with it.

Then Saturday morning rolls around and you can sense "it". Your senses are bombarded by the excitement in the air. The best way I can describe it is "tangible." The game could be starting at 12:30, 3:30 or even 7 PM but tailgates start while there's still dew on the ground. A coozy in every hand, the smell of the smoking grills fills the air, and the sound of a football being tossed around. Yep, football season is back!

The festivities continue until about an hour before game time. As tailgates begin closing up shop, hoards of people migrate towards the Swamp, as if guided by some magnetic force. The sound of voices gets louder as you approach as the 90,000 swarm to get inside in time to hear 2-bits. There's an occasional chant or refrain from the crowd, just to reinforce the fact that "it's great to be a Florida Gator."

You push your way through the lines - literally - and march your way to your seat. That is, if you're sitting in the Alumni section, you're marching to your seat where you sit down. If you're heading to the student section, you head to the spot on a bench where you will stand for the next 3 hours to fulfill your student duty to intimidate the opponent by yelling as much as humanly possible.

With a few short minutes until game time, the Pride of the Sunshine marching band storms the field. As if the crowd needed more pumping up, the band fills the stadium with their traditional pre-game show that the fans have grown to know and love. As the band serenades you with the National Anthem, the stands enter a brief moment of silence. But only for a moment as the band picks up again with few more standards before heading towards the south endzone. And that's when you know the team is about to enter.

The jumbotron flashes images of a gator lurking in the swampy Florida waters. The Gator Chomp plays in the background and the anticipation builds in the stadium, arms posed in perfect gator chomps. A booming voice shakes the stadium with the classic pre-game line: "The Swamp: Only Gators get out alive!" The sound of cheers is deafening as the team races onto the field. Football season is finally here!!!

The next few hours pass by in a whirl. Between cheering on Jeff Demps & Chris Rainey, booing the opposition and chiming in during the stands tunes (I guarantee one of them will be stuck in your head for the next 3 days), it's non-stop excitement. And it's even more fun when we win!

Crowd interactions in the Swamp is a great social phenomenon. Just being there cheering on the Gators is like instantly making 90,000 friends. When the Gators score, you seek everyone within a 10-foot radius to high-five. After the third quarter and without even thinking, you throw your arm around the stranger beside you as you sing and sway to "We are the Boys." It all adds to the atmosphere and the experience. There's absolutely nothing like it.

It's great to be a Florida Gator!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2011-09-03T10:36:00.001-04:00

BBQ Meatballs

2011-08-27T18:45:00.007-04:00

My wonderful boyf, PDubbs, has graciously agreed to write a guest post recapping tonight's cooking adventure. Take it away, PDubbs! -MegJo

So today I woke up feeling very crummy from my allergies. I was congested and had a sore throat. But, Megan took care of me preparing breakfast and coffee, and later some hot tea. We watched the series premiere of Pioneer Woman’s new cooking show on Food Network. The show was great, and I can’t wait for next week’s episode! Inspired by Pioneer Woman, we decided to make a dish from her cookbook for dinner. We agreed on her BBQ Meatballs, and it was definitely a good choice! I started off by preparing the potatoes for the side dish, while Megan prepared the meatballs. She formed them into perfect sized balls.

After a quick 10 minutes in the freezer, the meatballs got covered in flour.

Then they were ready for some sizzling in our new cast iron skillet!

After lightly browning them, they got covered in the yummy tomato sauce Megan prepared and baked in the oven for 45 minutes.

They came out hot and sizzlin’.

We served them alongside “Polish style” potatoes (just plain boiled to perfection potatoes), as well as a nice “Baja Corn Medley” we picked up at Sams Club the other day.

The meal was perfect and tasted amazing! There’s nothing better than doing the things you love with the person you love.

-PDubbs

Dinner for Two

2011-08-20T10:51:00.007-04:00

In honor of moving into our new apartment (pictures to come!), PDubbs and I decided to make a fancy dinner. Something new and adventurous and fresh. During our shopping trip to Publix, we spotted beautiful asparagus bundles that we couldn't turn down. While thinking of something to do with our first ingredient, PDubbs mentioned a shortcut recipe for risotto using short grain rice instead of the typical (expensive) arborio variety. Asparagus risotto it was!

I perused Tasty Kitchen when we got home and found a recipe for Simple Asparagus Risotto from Erica Nicole of Pearls in the Kitchen. We substituted a few ingredients for what we had on hand and browned up some spicy mango with jalapeno sausage we had in the fridge. Nom nom nom!

To start, we poured in 4 cups of broth (we used chicken) to a saucepan and cover. Heat the broth over medium-low to low heat. Keep it warm throughout the cooking process to help your little rice soak up as much juice as they can.

In a separate saucepan, we added about a tablespoon of butter over medium-low heat. Once the butter melted, PDubbs added 1/2 an onion & garlic. We opted for lots and lots, about 5 cloves but we would probably add more next time for a richer garlic flavor. Like I always say, it's not enough garlic if you don't wake up the next morning to garlic breath. Just kidding, girls don't get garlic breath.

After about 5 minutes, add all 1 1/2 cups of the short grain rice and stir to coat with that delicious buttery-garlicky-oniony juice.

Once the rice is coated in yummy, add 1/2 cup of the warm broth and all of your asparagus.

And commence the stirring!

And stir and stir and stir. Once the rice has absorbed all of the liquid, add another 1/2 cup of the warm broth. Continue until all of the broth has been added to the pot. Our asparagus was still a little undercooked so we added our last 1/2 cup and put the lid on to let the asparagus cook by steam.

While the asparagus did it's thing, we browned up some sausage. We bought the fully-cooked variety so it only needed a couple of minutes on each side.

Once the asparagus was nice and tender, we stirred in some shaved parmesan and salted to taste. Then just spoon it in a bowl and plop some sausages on top. I'm not going to lie, risotto has always intimidated me with the constant stirring and after seeing Jyll's risotto disaster unfold on Next Food Network Star, I had my doubts. But this recipe was super easy to follow and the results were delicious! The short-grain rice plumped up beautifully and released it's starches to make that signature risotto consistency just like arborio. Plus, with just a splash of water, it reheated beautifully in the microwave the next day. And it's significantly cheaper - win-win! This recipe is also a great base for a variety of add-ins.

Tomatoes & basil? Yum. Lemon & rosemary? Mhmm. Black olives & sundried tomatoes? Yes, please!

Now it's time to prepare for my last fall as an undergrad. Where has the time gone?

Harry Potter: A Reflection

2011-07-17T12:06:00.010-04:00

That's it, it's over. My childhood has officially ended.

I spent it surrounded by gleeful young adults donning round spectacles, makeshift wands & magic-markered lightning-bolt shaped scars on their foreheads. Most of them were complete strangers. But Luna was there and Mad-Eye Moody, too.

At 12:40 AM, the lights dimmed for the last time. As the Warner Bros. appeared on the screen around 12:41 AM, my eyes blurred with tears (This would happen periodically throughout the night.). Just as when I opened the first page some 14 years ago, I was instantly sucked into the incredibly complex fictional world of wizards, witchcraft & wizardry. And for the next 130 minutes, I tried to absorb every detail of every minute of the 130-minute finale. I wanted to make it last.

And I was not disappointed. I thought the movie perfectly captured the action-packed finale of the series we've grown to know and love. The thing I love most about the movies is seeing the director's imagination come to life. And to see how far the actors and technology have come since the first film - WOW! What a difference 10 years make!

I distinctly remember the first time I laid eyes on the Harry Potter book. It was the summer of 1998 and I spent a few days visiting my Aunt Amy in Massachusetts. I was an avid reader at the time so we stopped in a local book store on one of our excursions. I probably spent 30 minutes perusing the shelves before my aunt picked out a thick hardback with a colorful cover, adorned with the illustration of a boy with disheveled hair, round glasses & a lightning-bolt shaped scar:

"Oooh, Megan! Have you heard about this Harry Potter book? It's about a normal boy who goes to a wizard school! I've heard great things about it. What do you think?"

"Hmm, that's cool, but what about this book about horses..."

Ok, so I didn't jump on the bandwagon right away. I actually don't how I first started reading the series. But I do know that once I started, I was hooked. I read for hours upon hours as reality dissolved into the imaginary world that J.K. Rowling created so flawlessly. The Harry Potter series was my first true literary love.

Fortunately, I was surrounded by other Potter fans. My mom & I took turns reading the books as they came out. My best friend and I wrote each other letters of acceptance into Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for our 11th birthdays. In 6th grade, I wore round glasses to school & got signed out early with friends to see the first movie (thanks, Mom!). I attended a Harry Potter-themed birthday in 8th grade, complete with a Quidditch cake and customized wands (thanks, Becca!). My same group of high school friends preempted midnight premieres with movie marathons. The summer before my senior year of high school, I stayed up all night reading the last book because I could not put it down physically or emotionally.

I essentially grew up with the main characters. In my humble opinion, Rowling did an incredible job creating such realistic and complex characters. When Harry broke his arm, I broke my arm. When they were on the rocks with friends, I was on the rocks with friends. When they were struggling with hormones, I was struggling with hormones. When they were riding dragons, I was driving cars. Ok, again, not exactly the same but you get the picture. Through her masterful use of words, I felt like I knew Rowling’s characters as well as I knew my own friends.

And they were real. They made their share of mistakes but everyone does. I believe what made them different and endearing was that they continued to make conscious choices for GOOD. And not just for their own benefit or even the benefit of their friends, but for a greater good. They stood up to peer pressure and never backed down. They weren’t afraid to make the unpopular decision or stand up to bullies. They realized at an early age even though they were still kids, they had the immense responsibility to save the wizarding world. And although I can't personally relate to their quest to save the world, I think their mission reflects a more noble value: choosing to make the right choice. And that is the most powerful message Rowling has granted our generation.

And although my generation makes up the majority of the readership, the Harry Potter series resonates with all types of people across the age spectrum. In my lifetime I don’t know if another book series will affect so many people. But I hope it perseveres and continues to spark a love of reading in young people as they become pulled into the lovely fantasy world of Harry Potter and his friends again and again like it did for me.

So thank you, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint & so many other talented actors & crew that have taken these characters from words on a page to real-life role models.

Thank you to my friends and family who have imparted on me a happy childhood filled with fun memories that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Thank you, J.K. Rowling, for creating a phenomenon, a common thread for so many, and a great story about loyalty, love and doing the right thing.

Cheers!

EDIT: I have been informed that my grandma Ownie bought my first two Harry Potter books. So, thank you, Ownie, for opening up my little 9-year-old world to the magical world of Harry & his friends!

Wordless Wednesday - Give a Kid a Camera

2011-06-01T20:40:00.003-04:00

Restaurant Review: Bento

2011-05-28T15:15:00.000-04:00

Since opening in 2002, Bento Cafe has become a staple in the Gainesville culinary community. It offers affordable & delicious Pan Asian cuisine including rice & noodle bowls, sushi & boba tea. I can't count the number of times PDubbs and I have ventured to Bento in the past 3 years - it's -our go-to dive for any occasion from a mid-week treat or an anniversary dinner. It's also our favorite place to bring family & friends from out-of-town! I documented our most recent excursion to give you a glimpse into why we love it so much.

Concept

As per the website & personal experience, Bento Cafe's concept is to bring a unique way to serve authentic Asian food fast and efficient. Between its extensive menu, fast service and cool, modern atmosphere, it definitely delivers!

Food

The menu varies slightly between locations but it can basically be broken down into "Sushi" dishes and "Kitchen" dishes. The sushi dishes are prepared in the actual restaurant in front of patrons at the sushi bar. Kitchen items are prepared fresh in the back but come out smoking hot. They also specialize in Bento boxes, hence the name of the restaurant! You can order any of the sushi or kitchen items as a box. The boxes come with a side salad with their special ginger dressing, wakame (seaweed) salad & a dessert.

After visiting so often, we've tried almost everything on the menu but we each have our favorite.

PDubbs has recently been ordering the Szechuan Chicken Rice Bowl. It always comes out before my roll but it's probably a good thing because it's always steaming! It consists of spicy chicken, stir-fried with snow peas, julienne carrots & scallions, all served over a bowl of white rice. Yum!

Once I had the Rainbow Roll, it was game over for me. It's the perfect sushi roll in my humble opinion. It's a basic California Roll with fresh tuna, salmon & tilapia draped over. It also comes with a small mountain of pickled ginger & fresh wasabi. I like it because it's cool & fresh with lots of different textures & tastes. I like to give mine a bath in a little dish of wasabi-infused soy sauce. Double yum!
The Boba Tea is also amazing. Boba is a milk tea made popular in the 1980's in Taiwan but has recently become hip here in the States. The menu has tons of flavors and offers combination suggestions. My favorite is chocolate + coffee = Mocha Magic!

Atmosphere

The atmosphere is definitely unique in that it can be a good place for a casual weeknight meal or a fancy dinner date depending on what you make it. After walking in the door, you are immediately directed to stand in line to order. The line can be out the door on a busy Friday night or completely empty on a Sunday afternoon, just like any other restaurant in a college town. But once you get past the mob of people ordering by the door, the restaurant opens up into a spacious dining room. They recently renovated it and added twice the floor space so there is even more room to spread out now. The ceilings are high with dimmed lights that totally add to the modern ambiance. During the evening, a single candle is lit on every table, setting up for a romantic dining experience. Or not, whatever floats your boat. There are also extra seating areas outside, both on the back patio & in front of the store. Or you could sit in front of the sushi chefs and watch them prepare plate after plate of sushi using only the freshest of ingredients.

Locations

There are currently 5 Bento locations, all are located in Florida.

Gainesville

1. 3832 W Newberry Rd

The original Bento Cafe. It's called Bento Blue because the interior is dominated by "cool blue dragon colors".

2. 3841 SW Archer Rd

Our favorite! It's also called Bento Red.

Orlando

3. 151 S Orange Ave

4. 7335 W Sand Lake Rd

Jacksonville

5. 4860 Big Island Dr

Jacksonville

Wordless Wednesday - T-Shirt Tiiiiime

2011-05-25T12:50:00.002-04:00

Paddles

2011-05-23T22:54:00.000-04:00

Last week, I mentioned my Littles, Rachael & Kristen. I said I was so very proud of them for toughing it out through the initiation process to become Brothers of Phi Sigma Pi, a national honors fraternity. What I didn't mention was how awesome each of these girls are in their own unique ways.

Rachael

I met Rachael at one of the first meet nights and we instantly hit it off. She's a freshman studying nursing (yay nursing!). She's tall and beautiful and could totally be a model. But she's also incredibly smart and kind. She genuinely cares about everyone around her, which is why she'll be an amazing nurse. Homegirl also knows how to have fun. She has a carefree & crazy spirit that sends her on some wild adventures. She's got spunk and I love her for that.

Kristen

Kristen actually played soccer with J way back in the day. We reconnected at a rush night and talked like we had never been apart. She's one of the most loyal and determined people I have ever met and truly wants to change the world for the better. She's also incredibly intelligent and a great converser. Seriously, she could have a rousing conversation with a rock. She's compassionate and driven and I love her for that.

My reaction. Needless to say, they are pretty awesome.

As with other sororities or fraternities, Phi Sig upholds the tradition of the paddle exchange where Littles make paddles for their Bigs. The paddles represent the relationship between the Big and the Little. They are a gift of appreciation for helping them throughout the initiation journey. Plus, they're pretty freaking adorable to hang up on your wall! The exchange happens at banquet at the end of the year with a big reveal.

Like my Littles, their paddles are so different from one another yet they each represent them perfectly.

Rachael put her quirky spin on it and through everything she had into it. I love all of the details that she incorporated. Details that only a good friend would know.

A bull-fighting nurse? How cute!

Kristen took a different route and made her paddle a piece of art. A perfectionist at heart, she said she LOVED decorating it, which really showed in the final product.

She glued on each and every one of those little bedazzlers. Beautiful details.

I was completely blown away by these paddles. These girls never cease to amaze me. Both of them were creative and unique and personal. Even if they had given me a slab of wood, I would still be proud to be their Big. These are great girls who will go on to do great things in the fraternity, in college and in life. I'm honored to be a part of their journey and can't wait to enjoy my last year of college with them as Brothers.

Sunday Brunch - Plan B

2011-05-22T14:00:00.007-04:00

Last week, Erin and I were on a mission to try a restaurant that couldn't be found anywhere else but Gainesville. We relied on our best friend, the Internet, and came up with a bunch of options. But we finally decided on City Crepes.

Best. Decision. Ever.

We knew we chose correctly when we saw a prosciutto crepe on the menu. Yes, please! It was fresh, delicious and only $6!

I knew I had to get the word out about this place. And ever since then I've been waxing rhapsodic about these crepes on Twitter, Facebook and telling all of my friends. I knew right away that Stacy would totally dig it.

Stacy and I go way way back, about 13 years now. We've been able to stay so close because we have so much in common. And one of those common interests is our love of food.

We thought crepes would be a perfect fit for a lazy Sunday brunch. So Stacy, her roomie, Leslie, and I decided today would be the day to get our French on. We set out with high hopes and empty bellies. Crepes, here we come!

Minor detail: City Crepes is closed on Sundays.

Oops! Probably should have checked the website. But our bellies were still rumbling so we came up with Plan B - drive around downtown Gainesville until something struck our fancy.

Within 2 minutes, we stumbled upon Frresh Cafe. It's a new dive adjacent to the (old?) Common Grounds space. Having never heard a peep about the place, we decided to be adventurous and give it a shot. I'm so glad we did!

Love the mason jar glasses!

It's billed as a Latin Organic Fusion Cafe (whatever that means) but the menu was even more diverse. The restaurant consists of just an outdoor patio and an indoor kitchen. That's it. There was one waitress on duty and one cook in the back. When the orders were ready, the cook yelled out through a window - "Order up!". If we weren't the only ones there I think it would have been a really cool vibe.

We each ordered a different type of stuffed French toast. I went for the Guava Cream Cheese, Stace got the Berry Blend and Leslie went with the classic Peanut Butter & Banana.

This picture does not do it justice. But the plate sure is pretty!

We sampled each others' variations and agreed they were all equally delicious. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for something different and affordable. I'm so glad our unexpected adventure turned out so perfectly. I can't wait to go back and try their dinner menu! The Marsala Churrasco wrap is already making my mouth water.

I wonder what Dr. Brother would order...

Rapture Blueberries

2011-05-21T18:01:00.003-04:00

If you're reading this, you made it through the EST Rapture - Congratulations!

PDubbs and I decided to enjoy what could have potentially been our last day by picking some fresh blueberries.

We saw an ad in a local newspaper about All U Can Pick Blueberries. Who could resist some fresh blueberries on a perfect early summer day?

Just grab a bucket and start picking!

Yum yum yum!

We spent about 20 minutes roaming around the property, picking berries and sampling along the way.

These blueberries are as fresh as they come. And so delicious! But we realize now why they're usually so expensive in grocery stores - it takes a lot of time and effort to pick through the bushes to get to the good ones!

Morgan Farm is located about 4 miles south of Gainesville down 441. It's owned by a lovely couple, the Morgans. They have acres of land devoted to these blueberries. Ms. Morgan called them hybrids because they have a thin skin but keep their sweetness. She also suggested looping the bucket through a belt. That way you have both hands free - one to pick blueberries and the other to snack with!

They are opened Wednesday through Friday from 8 am to 7 pm and on the weekends from 8 am to 1 pm. The price of the berries depends on what day of the week you pick. Weekdays are $1/lb and weekends are $2/lb - still a great deal! It was definitely something fun and different to do while supporting local business.

Now all we need are some good recipes to use up all of these fresh berries!

Picnik Love

2011-05-20T12:43:00.000-04:00

Now that school is out, I've had some spare time to do two of my favorite things - take pictures and edit them!

I'm no expert by any means but I love experimenting. I don't have an fancy camera or expensive editing programs. Just a good-quality point-and-shoot and a premium membership to Picnik. With these two things, I can do just about anything.

PDubbs and I went on an excursion this past Sunday to enjoy the beautiful weather before it gets too hot. We stopped by a student-run garden along the way where I snapped this photo.

I liked how it looked straight-out-of-camera so I thought it would be fun to play around with on Picnik. A few hours later, I had 15 different versions of the photo that I was happy with.

This one was made with the "Sepia" feature and then faded to about 35% to let in the natural colors of the original.

This version was made using two of my favorite features: "Ortonish" & "Vignette". For Ortonish, I get rid of the "Bloom" aspect to keep the original sharpness. Then, I applied a Vignette over it to give a more finished look. This combination is also great for posed portraits.

This is one of the many "Texture" overlays available with the premium membership. I bumped the fade down to about 35%.

I love this feature! It's called "Pantography-ish". You can control the number of boxes, the background color, even the "kookiness" of the orientation of boxes. So fun!

The free version of Picnik offers a lot of unique editing features that would usually require an expensive software program. The premium membership costs money but it gains you access to many more fun features. Plus, you can store pictures online so you can access them where ever you have internet access. This makes it easier to make cool collages like these:

Lazy Sunday

2011-05-19T12:21:00.011-04:00

This Sunday, PDubbs and I spent a lazy afternoon walking around campus. We started by Lake Alice and saw some typical Florida wildlife.

Go Gators!

I like turtles but not mean, creepy ones. They were scaring the gators away!

The iconic bat house across from Lake Alice is surrounded by an eclectic garden that is tended to by students. The garden consists mostly of vegetables but there are also some beautiful flowers popping up throughout the lots.

Squash

Cabbage

I love that the garden is a hodge-podge of plants. Nothing is perfectly trimmed or orderly. Everything is allowed to grow in its own natural way.

Curly Q's

Heirloom tomatoes

Sunflowers!

Next, we headed to the main part of campus to enjoy an afternoon carillon recital at Century Tower. During the fall and spring semesters, the bells toll every 15 minutes with a tune played on the hour. The UF Music Department offers a carillon class in which students learn how to play the massive bells. The students climb the 124 stairs to the top to play 2 15-minute recitals a day in between classes. Since all of my nursing classes are out of ear-shot from the bell towers, I never get to hear the recitals. I especially miss the Christmas songs that start playing in December!

And who could say no to some Mochi and people-watching? Then it was back to Jacksonville to get back to the grind.

Year in Review

2011-05-11T11:55:00.009-04:00

Let's start blogging again! The past 8 months have been a whirlwind - I'll try to recap some of the highlights before moving forward to bigger and better things.

Recap
1. First year of nursing school

Donezo!

I had no idea what I was getting myself into this time last year. I could count the number of times I had been to the hospital on 1 hand before starting nursing school!

I've learned a lot the past 8 months - and none of it came easily. I have never ever been tested so much academically. Nursing involves a different way of thinking about things, which took some adjustment at first. My GPA took a bit of a hit but I know I did my best throughout the year. I'm sure this is the right career path for me and I can't wait to see what the future holds.

2. Phi Sigma Pi

I'm so proud of our Brotherhood for working together to overcome obstacles. We've come a long way in the past year thanks to the help of every single member, new and old. We will definitely miss the leadership and fellowship of our new alumni but I know with the help of our new Brothers, we will be able to step up to the challenge. I'm especially proud of my two new littles, Kristen & Rachael, and can't wait to see them grow and develop with the Fraternity. I'm also grateful for everyone's support for...

3. Dance Marathon!!!

This year, UF helped raise over $700,000 to benefit Shands Children's Hospital here in Gainesville through Children's Miracle Network. All of this money will go towards lifesaving equipment and diversionary activities for the children and families seeking care at Shands. Every single person involved made an impact on the lives of these children and families. I loved working with Erin during the spring semester to help Phi Sigma Pi raise over $14,000 for the cause. It was a lot of hard work but it's all worth it. From seeing the CMN balloons on nearly every piece of equipment on the pediatric units to watching the kids play in the play areas funded by CMN to finally seeing a patient discharged after receiving lifesaving treatments, WE helped make these miracles happen and it's a wonderful feeling.

Thank you to all my readers who helped make this happen. We couldn't have done it without your support and generous contributions. Thank you thank you thank you from the very bottom of my heart. (Sorry I haven't gotten all of my thank-you cards out but they're coming!)

4. Ben is finally taller than me
I need to practice walking in heels.

5. New job, new car

I got a job as an "assistant care personnel" in a hospital in Jacksonville for the summer. I'm very grateful to have an aunt who lives there and has been graciously letting me stay with her.Thank you, Aunt Claudia!!!

I'll be working 3 12-hour shifts a week for the rest of the summer. During this time, I'll have a preceptor to shadow. I'm very grateful for this opportunity, especially given the uncertainty of the entire application process. It all started with a shot-in-the-dark email and I think it will turn out to be a great experience.

And since this job requires a bit of commuting, my parents surprised me with a new car! Her name is Chuck, short for Charlotte, and she's a beautiful Honda Civic. Sadly, she has already had a run-in with a wandering key. Someone keyed her while she was sitting outside of our house. Really, who does that? But she'll get buffed up and looking like new next week! J has the 4Runner now that she is done with her first year of college.

WHAT?!

And Dr. Brother is about to finish 7th grade.

Yep, a 7th grader is taller than me.

Moving forward

Now that school is over, I don't have many responsibilities or obligations outside of work. I plan on spending my free time researching grad school options, working out, tanning and exploring Gainesville. Hopefully I can pull PDubbs away from his classes for a quick day trip the Rainbow River or Ginnie Springs (get ready, PDubbs!). A lot of my friends are still in town this summer so I plan on catching up with them since I didn't have much time for socializing this entire year. Time to change that!

Wordless Wednesday - Post Mardi Gras

2011-03-09T19:23:00.002-05:00

Ouch

2010-10-16T22:26:00.001-04:00

I miss winning.

New Neighbors

2010-08-25T19:15:00.003-04:00

I always forget Gainesville is a real town with permanent residents. There are families and children and pets and people who don't even step foot on campus during the day. Crazy! One of these "real" Gainesville families lives next door to us in the new apartment. There is a mom, a dad, and a couple of kids running around. And I'm pretty sure they're pirates.

Ok maybe not pirates, but I'm pretty sure they're looking for treasure.

Alright it's probably not that either. But why else would they be hammering the walls at all hours of the day?

Let's stick with searching for buried treasure, savvy?

1 Day Down - 1,000,000 To Go

2010-08-24T12:46:00.003-04:00

I successfully survived my first day of nursing school! Woo!

I accompanied PDubbs on his first Gainesville Bus experience from my apartment. Luckily we're one of the first few stops on the bus route. The people from our stop filled up all the seats, and two stops later, all the standing room was taken too! It was awful watching people waiting at bus stops along the way. The look of excitement as they see the bus coming and the mad-scramble to find their IDs. But very quickly that excitement fades to dejection as the bus doesn't slow down and they can finally read the "FULL BUS" marquee. I know from personal experience that once one bus passes you by, your day is downhill from there, my friends.

Been there. Done that.

Since PDubbs class started earlier than mine, I arrived to my class a fashionable 1.5 hours early. And instead of wandering aimlessly around trying to find the room, I hopped into the library and looked up a floorplan to the building online. SCORE! No more looking like a lost puppy!

Side note: speaking of lost puppies, freshmen have infiltrated the UF campus. They can be seen traveling in mobs, heading into Gator Dining and running into people as they obscure their vision with big-ol' campus maps.

All in all, the lectures weren't so bad. Granted, it wasn't a lot of new content but it was still A LOT of content - I took over 30 pages of notes for Patho alone! But the professor is awesome and makes everything simple, clear and almost fun. I'm looking forward to our 3-hour clinical orientation today :)

Dr. B and J are heading back to school today!

First of all, when did Dr. B get so old?! He's already heading to the 7th grade. Hopefully he won't follow in his oldest sister's footsteps and decide it's really cute to wear toe-socks with capris. I apologize for the lackluster words of wisdom but that's all I really remember from 7th grade. I try to repress most memories from that era!

And when did J decide it was OK for her to up and go to college? Doesn't she know that she's still that little girl in pigtails who liked to do Jane Fonda workouts? That same girl who dressed up as Dorothy for Halloween for 3 years? The one preferred to pick grass on the soccer field instead of kicking the ball?

Kids these days.

The Bane of My Existence

2010-08-22T20:40:00.002-04:00

If I never see a moving box again, it will be too soon. It seems like that's all we've done this summer. But we moved PDubbs into his new digs yesterday, just in time for classes to start tomorrow!

After christening the new apartment, I spent my entire Sunday afternoon wrapping my ahead around the week to come. Between researching textbooks, jotting more dates in my planner and trying to find cute white nonporous nursing shoes (btdubs, they don't exist), I worked up quite an appetite. Just in time for dinner with the new roommates, Lydia & Jessica!

Lydia is the girlfriend of PDubb's friend and roommate. She went to the same high school as PDubbs and is from our area. She roomed with Jessica last year and they hit it off. Jessica also did the IB program - YAY IB! We went to Pita Pit and ended up talking for almost 2 hours. It was a great way to spend the last night of summer :)

As of tomorrow morning at 9:35 AM, I will officially be a student in the College of Nursing. This time tomorrow, I will have logged 4 hours of Pathophysiology lecture and another 2 hours of Communication & Health Assessment! And I will officially be back from my 7-month hiatus as a UF student. Hopefully my study habits come back to me - the habits I haven't used since December!

Hope everyone is enjoying their last few days of summer. It's been a strange summer but I wouldn't have changed a thing!

Besosssss

Filling It In

2010-08-19T23:08:00.002-04:00

There is no blank space in my planner. The end.

Orientationing

2010-08-18T21:53:00.004-04:00

Today was the first day of Orientation for the UF College of Nursing! It was a great way to learn about the program, see the facilities and get to know the people I'll be working with for the next 2 years! I'm so excited for the future and progressively getting more nervous as the hours pass.

But it was a taxing day between being bombarded by information (HIPAA, OSHA, BBP, OPMI, CON, GNAP - so many acronyms, so little time!) and working right afterwards. PDubbs had a busy day, too; for his chemistry research, he had to take a safety training seminar/course/thingy that took all day. He got to use a fire extinguisher and put out a small fire! [Edit: PDubbs informs me that it was a huge fire and it almost engulfed the library. Thank goodness he was there!] After busy days like this, it's always nice to work together in the kitchen to create a yummy dinner. Tonight it was steak (medium-rare, thanks), potatoes and stewed tomatoes. Yum!

I feel like I'm cheating at this blogging thing by posting short and useless posts because I'm too tired to expend any more energy. But I only set out to post every day and I've done that so far with the exception of move-in day when I didn't have internet. Woo!

Today I'll leave you with some interesting facts about the nursing profession. I'll tell you more about the program I'm about to jump into more later when I can actually wrap my brains around it :)

-For 8 consecutive years, the Gallup Poll has rated Nursing as the Most Trusted Profession. About 83% of Americans believe nurses' honesty and ethical standards are "high" or "very high".

-Florence Nightingale was also a renowned statistician. She was especially talented in visual presentation and statistical graphics. She created the polar area diagram, also called the Nightingale rose diagram, which is now commonly used in statistics today.

-In the 17th century, nurses had a reputation for being drunk and obnoxious. It was considered a low job in the social hierarchy.

-The profession gets its roots from both religious and military training.

-By 2015, nurse practitioners will be required to have their Doctorate of Nursing Practice or PhD.

-Scrubs are comfy.

Purple Poo, Lady GaGa and other Weird Things

2010-08-17T22:24:00.006-04:00

It's only Tuesday and it's already been a strange week.

1. Today I changed a diaper that was full of purple poop. 'Nuff said.

2. Lady GaGa went to nerd camp. We basically live identical lives, minus the superstar thing.

3. Just like music, PDubbs introduced me to gizmodo.com. It's like yahoo news but with other really weird things.

Tomorrow begins orientation for the nursing program. I'm not nervous (yet) about the orientation - but what should I wear?!

Heregoesnothin

2010-08-16T22:02:00.002-04:00

PDubbs has eclectic taste in music and he's always listening to something new or finding a new fave band. One of his more recent finds is a 19-year-old kid who calls himself NeverShoutNever!

I'll admit I wasn't much of a fan when PDubbs first played me some of his stuff. But the more I listened, the more I liked.

Like, I really really liked.

And coolest part is that he does everything by himself. He layers his voice and even does harmonies with himself. And even though he probably doesn't have much experience in life or love like most people our age, his lyrics are cute, fun and catchy.

This is the song PDubbs and I listen to every morning on our way to work. It's a great pump-up song, especially when combined with this song by Hellogoodbye. (Warning: NeverShoutNever! is kind of a hippie-weirdo-dork and don't bother watching the Hellogoodbye video - it's weird anime cartoons but the song is catchy!)

I'm Lovin' It

2010-08-15T21:10:00.002-04:00

Ikea, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways!

Yup.

Mhmm.

Oh yeah.

Uh huh.

Oh, baby.

Oh, my!

Just kidding on that last one :)

Facts & Figures

2010-08-14T17:27:00.003-04:00

1460

the number of miles from Gainesville to Denver

686

the number of days since PDubbs asked me to be his girlfriend

498

the number of hours until Gator football begins

143

the number of posts I have on this blog

44.5

the number of hours I worked this week

24.76

the amount we saved at Publix today

9.27

the amount we pay when PDubbs and I eat at Moe's

the number of days my family has owned a dog

the number of baths I have taken in my new apartment

the number of boxes of Cheezit ~~Party~~ Snack Mix we bought today

the number of illegal bunnies living in my apartment

the number of times I have won a giveaway on thepioneerwoman.com

Boo

2010-08-13T20:34:00.001-04:00

Boo! Happy Friday :)

Awkward Middle School

2010-08-12T23:30:00.000-04:00

Brace yourself for one of the most awkward and uncomfortable pictures of all times.

Are you ready for it?

Are you sure?

100% absolutely, positively, super duper prepared?

Don't say I didn't warn you!

Ta-Da!

This gem was taken moments before our 8th grade dance. Here are some of my favorite awkward aspects:

-Claire and I sporting the universal sign of discomfort: the forearm grab across chest

-The fact that 50% of subjects have their eyes closed

-12-year-olds wearing high heels. 'Nuff said.

-Shawls all around!

-Awesome posing. Between Lydia's half-squat, Becca's half-turn and Melissa's sorority pose, we look good!

-And don't forget about poor William sitting criss-cross-apple-sauce on the ground. I'm pretty sure boys still have cooties in 8th grade.

But the really cool thing about 8th graders is that, despite all of the awkwardness, they still look pretty adorable!

What a Sweetheart

2010-08-11T21:39:00.002-04:00

WORK WORK WORK. I've already worked nearly 30 hours this week and each of those hours has been quite a struggle. Like I said, most substitutes went home for the two weeks before school starts. This means that there are way less people covering all of their shifts. Every room has been having trouble - the teachers are stressed because the subs aren't familiar with each class's routine, the kids are stressed because they don't recognize the subs which further stresses out the teachers and so on. It's been exhausting but it has also made for a very interesting and rewarding week so far!

But since I'm so frigging tired, I'm gonna brag about what a great boyfriend I have.

-He deep-cleaned my condo for me. After I had a messy sublettee during the spring semester, I returned from Spain to a disgusting bedroom and bathroom. I had planned to make a day of cleaning the place up, but when I showed up, it was already clean! This was the best present I could have ever asked for - it was so thoughtful and sweet!!

-He has helped me move. From moving my life into a storage unit to relocating it to my new apartment. He even helped me and my family move J into her new dorm. He's been a great help this summer.

-He's letting me use his big ol' TV. And we can now enjoy cable television in my new apartment. Oh, how I've missed you, Food Network!!!

-He shares my love of Food Network and food in general. 'Nuff said.

-He cooked me dinner tonight. After a long day at work, I could hear my stomach growling on my way home on the bus. When I walked in my apartment, I was greeted with a hug and the smell of creamy alfredo. He's the best :)

-His name is really fun to write. Like any ~~teenage~~ twenty-year-old girl, I enjoy signing my first name with his last name like we were married. So many strange and unusual letters to practice!

There are a kajillion other reasons why he's so awesome but I'll save those for another time. Happy Hump Day, guys!

Breaking News

2010-08-10T21:49:00.002-04:00

Fudgesicles still taste good after they have melted, turned into amorphic blobs, and refreeze.

That is all.

5 Pounds

2010-08-09T22:56:00.003-04:00

We just received our first delivery at the new apartment!

PDubbs ordered 5 lbs of Haribo gummy bears. Party at the crib!

BYOTP (Bring Your Own Tooth Paste - you're going to need it!)

Glad That's Done

2010-08-08T17:40:00.000-04:00

Sorry about the lack of posting yesterday! We're figuring out stuff with our internet but I'm back in business today :)

These past 24 hours have been INsane.

After blogging Friday night, Pdubbs and I finished packing up his apartment. Since he had to be all moved out by noon, we loaded up the cars to expedite the process a little. While we were packing up his stuff inside, we saw a helicopter with a searchlight circling the area - not something you see everyday! Later, when we were shoving his life into our cars, 4 police cars were surrounding a car in the parking garage where he was parked. And they were still there 2 hours later!

We woke up early Saturday morning to pack up some final things, met my parents at the storage unit, and went to move into my new apartment! We were lucky that the weather in Gainesville decided to throw us a bone for once and delay the rain until after everything was already moved in. For the past two years, it has rained every time we try to move!

I'm so grateful to my family and PDubbs for helping me with everything. I honestly couldn't have done any of it without their help! Dr. Brother even did his part and provided some comic relief during lunch at Panera, where we ran into some friends from my U-12 soccer team. It never fails to amaze how often I see people I know in Gainesville. UF is huge but it seems like everyone I know is here!

Back to the job grind bright and early tomorrow morning. Now that classes are over, most of the other substitute teachers have gone home for the last two weeks of summer. I'm bummed that my new friends won't be working with me but it also means I'll be working lots and lots of hours. And lots of hours means more money to buy cute scrubs :)

Huh?

2010-08-06T21:25:00.003-04:00

I'm sure the image of the Quizno's Rat/Prairie Dog/Raccoon/Roadkill Thing from a few years ago is burned into your cerebrum. (Here's a link if you need a refresher!)

Their advertising geniuses are at it again with this gem of a commercial. I realize this is the second video of a kitten I've posted this week, but this one is not so cute.

Um.

What just happened?

I have a hard time believing this is the work of qualified college graduates. (And I really really hope I'll be more effective at my job after my college education!) Is this supposed to go viral? Be artsy & creative? Or just downright annoying? I just don't see any merit in this type advertising scheme. The creepy meat juice already freaks me out but now a commercial of dancing kittens singing off-key? I can think of a ton of better places to spend my 5, 4 or 3 bucks. But what do I know?

But enough ranting and negativity. I'm so glad it's the weekend - my family is coming early tomorrow morning to help me move into my new digs! I can't believe classes start in about 2 weeks. It should be interesting since I haven't studied since December :)

What are your plans for the weekend?

Baby Steps

2010-08-05T15:55:00.004-04:00

Hi, my name is Megan and I'm a Telephonolaliophobic.

I have a weird fear/ anxiety of talking on the phone. I put off phone calls as long as humanly possible. I break out into a cold sweat. Words kinda slur out of me like a drunken sailor. Needless to say, I text or email whenever possible.

And yes, I do understand the importance of telephones. They provide a fast, simple and cheap way to communicate with the world. Their use is practice and essential for all types of environments and situations. But I just don't like 'em.

Today I went to work expecting a day just like any other day. Everything was going swimmingly for the first half-hour or so until I got a call about staying later. See, the way they trick is by asking you if you want to pick some more hours. Who wouldn't say no to that? I rarely ever do, and today was no exception.

But you don't know what you're signing up for. They don't really tell you until after you agree in what room you'll be staying or even how long. Today was no exception.

Our preggo secretary called in sick today. She and the baby are OK but someone had to answer the phone. So guess who got to play Pam Beesley-Halpert for the day?

For the most part, Pam's portrayal does not begin to demonstrate the complete boredom I experienced today. I had a useless computer sitting on the desk in front of me that I couldn't use because I'm not an authorized full-time employee. So there it sat, just taunting and teasing me for 5 hours. That bitch.

But I much preferred those moments of quiet time to the anxiety-ridden moments when I had to answer a phone and talk to a human being. And due to my anxiety, I have avoided telephones like the plague and have therefore never learned how to work a lot of a standard phones functions like putting on hold, transferring calls, etc. And unfortunately, all of these things are highly important to a secretary, who acts like the hub of all incoming and outgoing phone calls.

5 hours later, after a couple botched transfers and a scavenger hunt through the hospital, I came out of the office unscathed (besides some shaken nerves). Even though it sucked at the time, I'm glad I kept at it and saw it out until the end. I've fallen into such a routine lately that it was good to step out of my comfort zone and shake things up. And it temporarily diminished my fear of phones - what a life improvement!

After work tomorrow, PDubbs and I will be packing up his apartment for our 4th move of the summer out of our 6 total. And after that, we'll get to enjoy the last couple of weeks of summer before classes start again. Where has the summer gone? Scratch that, where has this year gone?

Hope everyone is having a perfectly lovely week. Anyone have any exciting plans for the weekend?

Kind Words

2010-08-04T22:25:00.003-04:00

One of the teachers in the 2-year-old room at the daycare has been out sick the past few days. Since I just have a one-hour shift early in the morn, I was asked to pick up her shifts.

I'm pretty familiar with the kids but there's a lot that goes into taking care of those kids, which takes time. Since I'm relatively new, I'm still figuring out the routine and details that go with the job. Like with any job, it can get a little overwhelming. Throw in the fact that you're in charge of taking care of someone else's human and you've got a party!

In the past few days I've learned that two-year-olds are difficult. They're like "almosts" of childhood. They almost understand grown-up talk but not entirely. They're almost fully-coordinated. They're almost potty-trained. I'm not going to lie - it's been rough.

But it's all worth it when you make a breakthrough and the kiddo opens up to you. I walked in the room this morning and was greeted by a chorus of "Miss Megan!" One of them even ran across the room to give me a big bear hug. Hearing those words was a great pick-me-up at 8 AM.

Later during nap time, one of the full-time teachers and I were talking about the day thus far and general life things. She asked me about school and what I was studying. I asked her about her baby-on-the-way and her experience at the daycare. During our conversation, she told me I was doing a good job with the kids. My inner people-pleaser rejoiced!

Even though I know I'm far from perfect in my job it was still awesome to be recognized for hard work. Just a few kind words like that can really turn someone's day around. We're always commending children for a job well done, even if it's something as mundane as pushing in a chair or saying "please" or "thank you". And that's great - it encourages them to continue that behavior. But grown-ups need some encouragement sometimes, too!

I'm going to try to compliment someone everyday. It might seem silly and probably a bit hippie-ish but if it makes people feel better about themselves, who cares?

More than halfway through the week, folks! Hope everyone had a great Wednesday :)

Drawing a Blank

2010-08-03T21:06:00.007-04:00

I got nothing today - 9.5-hours with a bunch of 2-year-olds is totally draining me of any creativity or energy. Sorry, guys!

To make up for my lethargy, enjoy this video of a cute kitten!

Social Norms

2010-08-02T19:51:00.006-04:00

Let's say you have a 25-minute walk to work every morning. And let's say that at different points along this 25-minute walk, you pass the same people.

Is it socially acceptable to say good morning and/ or make small talk with these people in passing?

I ask this because Barney's lessons in manners didn't quite prepare me for this situation.

On one hand, these people are a part of our daily lives and we are a part of their lives. We share a common human experience of walking in the same spot of the world everyday. We recognize each other and we're aware of an intimate part of their daily routine. Plus, communicative interaction is one thing that sets us apart from most of the rest of the animal kingdom.

But then again, it's a little uncomfortable, don't ya think? It's not like you're going to stop your commute to work to have a meaningful convo with these people. You don't even know their names! They could be a Level 10 Creeper for all you know. If you do say anything more than "Good morning", the person is likely to have already walked past you, making conversation even more difficult.

Personally, I think a quick "hello" is plenty. It's polite and concise and far better than ignoring the person's existence all together. But anything more than that is a little too creepy for me. Did you hear that, creepy-middle-age-man-that-walks-by-me-every-morning? Commenting on something scrawled across my chest is not appropriate, even if it is my place of work.

What do you think?

Let's Do This

2010-08-01T21:08:00.002-04:00

I know I've been slacking at this whole blogging thing. Again. I just feel like I haven't had much to blog about lately - wake up, work, eat, work out, sleep, repeat. But a lot is happening this month so I've decided to document it daily through this blog thingy. Hopefully I can pick it up as a habit and work it into my daily or almost-daily routine! We'll see how it goes :)

Today J moved into her temporary dorm at FSU! She's up there in Tallahassee at this very moment with her 3 new roommates, who are also freshman soccer studs. The fam picked PDubbs and I up this morning to complete the final 2.5 hours of the drive to our rival school. After a quick lunch at Bruegger's Bagels (we need one in Gainesville ASAP!), we checker her into her new dorm.

As far as college dorms go, this is pretty freaking nice. Each girl has her own room complete with bed, desk, and dresser. There's also 2 bathrooms, a common area, and a full kitchen! They really spoil them before throwing them into the normal dorms after their 2-week preseason training, which begins later this week.

I remembered all of the excitement and nervousness I felt as my family dropped me off that first day. And that incredible sense of hope that comes along with an unknown future. While her status as a student athlete make her circumstances quite different from mine, I bet she's feeling those same things right now! I'm so excited to see where her adventures take her :)

But even though her schedule will be packed between balancing soccer, school and living life, she won't be a complete stranger this semester. I'm going to try to go to as many games as I can - I'm especially looking forward to the FSU vs. UF game on September 10th! I'll be that girl from the Swamp cheering for the Noles!

And just like when we moved into Hume that faithful day in 2008, it began to pour as we said our goodbyes. But this time my parents went home with one kid as they dropped PDubbs and I off after a yummy sushi dinner. Not to worry - Dr. B won't be an only child for long. Puppy Day is only a coupe of weeks away :)

Obvi

2010-06-24T19:07:00.002-04:00

I can't believe I left out such an important detail in my last post. Like, epically important and exciting and cool.

I got into the Nursing program at UF!

I've been waiting and waiting to hear back since I turned in my application in December. We were initially supposed to find out back in May but they kept pushing the date back. And back. And back.

I had heard that a few people had received their packets by last Friday but I was still anxiously awaiting mine. I knew I had the grades and I thought I nailed the application but I was still worried about my lack of volunteering experience. In a program that had over 600 applicants, only 100-120 were accepted. In that competitive atmosphere, experience in the field can really make it or break it between evenly-matched applicants.

I got a text from my good friend from high school, Affy, early Friday afternoon saying she got accepted. I was so excited for her and quickly texted her back, congratulating her for all of her hard work she's done the past year to get her grades up. While I was totally excited for her, I was also anxious about my own fate. She texted me back asking if I had heard anything but I didn't respond. I figured the packet would be sent to my home address instead of my Gainesville address; I didn't want to be disappointed by asking someone at home to check!

Fortunately, my dad called me 10 minutes after hearing from Affy telling me that I got in! I was so relieved and excited and elated all at the same time. I know it will be tough but I think my experience in IB has prepared me for the marathon ahead of me. I can't wait to start in August!

Catching Up

2010-06-24T10:00:00.000-04:00

So much has happened since the last time we met! The biggest change in my life is that I moved back up to Gainesville last week to begin my new job. Like any new job, it's a little scary and intimidating at first, especially since I'm responsible for someone else's children! The kids are so much fun and there is never a dull moment. Of course I've made some mistakes along the way, but that's how you learn, am I right?

Right?

Moms & J just got back yesterday morning from a week of galvanting around Baton Rouge for a Regional soccer tournament. All of the State Champs from the southeast region competed to become Regional Champs and earn a ticket to the coveted National Championship. I know they worked their butts off to win the State Championship a few weeks ago and Regionals were like icing on the cake. They did awesome, making it out of group play and all the way to the semi-finals before losing to the eventual Regional Champs in a 1-0 heartbreaker in the last 3 minutes of the 2nd overtime. They went farther than any other team from Florida has gone in their age group and they had a helluva ride! I'm so proud of my little sis :)

And finally, the good ol' US of A pulled off a killer win over Algeria. Their win yesterday morning puts them in first place in Group C, which is a pretty big deal. They play Ghana on Saturday, which is also the wedding day of our good family friend, Chicken! I love watching this team AND weddings so Saturday has all the workings of a fabulous day.

Hope everyone is having a great week - it's almost the weekend!

Soccer & South Africa

2010-06-17T09:40:00.003-04:00

Last Saturday, we attended a USA Watch Party at Chandy and Tammy's house. I always love seeing their smiley faces and it was awesome to have a throwback party to the days of the 2002 World Cup. Back then we would wake up at the crack of dawn to watch the underdog US team miraculously make it to the quarterfinals as we happily munched on junk food. Those were the days.

Unfortunately, I've barely been able to keep up with the World Cup hysteria this week. Between beginning my new job, taking the requisite naps after said job, and the lack of cable television in my condo, keeping up has been pretty difficult. My fantasy bracket is also shot - I had Spain winning 4-0. Whoops! I'm seriously considering switching all of my picks for the next round to the underdog and hoping everyone else picks the favorites :)

But I have been able to keep with the blogs of some of my closest childhood friends who are currently in South Africa. They're not there as tourists for the WC (even though they managed to score some tickets!!!) or even studying abroad, but helping out the impoverished. And while we're seeing the beautiful new stadiums and a facade of wealth and prosperity, these girls have been able to witness the poorest of the poor that lay just outside the tourist zones. And the government has been putting more and more money into creating tourist infrastructure as their poor live in shantytowns across the countryside. The rich-poor gap is obviously still a huge problem. My friend, Sarah, wrote a really interesting article about just that, and you can check it out here. Both Michelle's and Sarah's blogs chronicle their experiences this foreign world and provide some insight into what's going on there besides soccer.

And it's officially summer here in Gainesville - the weather forecast says it feels like 105° F. I'm already looking forward to hanging out my the pool with Stacy this afternoon :)

BSHS c/o 2010

2010-06-11T10:00:00.000-04:00

What do these two people have in common?

Besides a tendency to forget to put on a shirt and tattoos supporting their fave World Cup teams? (TODAY! TODAY! TODAY!)

As of Wednesday, they are both officially graduates of this high school!

Congrats to the the best sister a girl ask for! I'm so proud of you and all of your accomplishments. You've grown into beautiful young woman and I can't wait to see where your bright future takes you. I love you!

Photo Contest

2010-06-07T10:00:00.003-04:00

Last Friday I mentioned a contest sponsored by the UF International Center. It's a contest for students and faculty affiliated with the UFIC and the contestants are asked to submit pictures of their travels abroad that fall under the theme of "Global Culture." It's not a huge scholarship but it would be really neat to be recognized. Plus it would be a good use of my kajillion pictures I took in Spain!

Here are some of my favorite pictures that I took while I was over there. These are all pictures taken with my own little digital camera and then edited with either picnik.com or Photoshop CS4 (I think that's what it's called but I'm not going to pretend like I know what it's named or even what all the little controls do!).

I also provided a little background information as to why I chose each picture. So if one of these guys is way better than the others, feel free to shout it out in a comment :) Thanks!

1. For Whom the Bell Tolls

Ronda, Spain

This picture is attempting to capture the beautiful landscapes surrounding the ancient city of Ronda. Orson Welles and Ernest Hemingway are two famous foreigners who fell in love with this view as tourists and continued to vacation there every summer. "For Whom the Bell Tolls" was based on an account of the murder of Nationalist sympathizers in Ronda during the Spanish Civil War. They were thrown off a cliff just like the ones in these pictures. Even though they have a pretty morbid past, these mountains and hills are absolutely breathtaking in real life.

2. Nuestro Rey (Our King)
Malaga, Spain
This was taken during the Semana Santa celebrations. Each Catholic church has its own trono of Jesus Christ and another of the Virgin Mary. These tronos are crazy intricate and are carried by armies of men (in Malaga, only one trono is carried by women!). They are carried all over town in a slow procession that lasts for hours. During the year, they are housed in their respective churches, where they remain until the next Semana Santa. This trono is about to make its rounds. It will begin around 8 PM and won't be back until at least 3 AM!

3. Broken Plates
Barcelona, Spain
This was taken in Parc Guell in Barcelona. The park was designed and engineered by Antoni Gaudi, the renowned Catalan artist. He intended for the area to be used as a housing development, but, when no one moved in, he suggested it be changed into a municipal park. It's filled with totally unique structures and spaces, including this serpentine bench that surrounds a huge terrace overlooking the city. The mosaic was actually made from broken plates donated by local Spanish women!

4. If Plates Could Talk
Barcelona, Spain
Same picture, just highlighting some of my fave tiles.

5. Protecting the Parc
Barcelona, Spain
Another picture from Parc Guell and the bench, just from a different angle. You can see the serpentine shape of the bench a little better. Gaudi actually designed the curvature of the bench based on the butt imprint left by a woman in some wet sand. This picture also showcases some of the interesting statues and structures with the silhouette of the lion sticking out of the wall.

6. Faceoff
Malaga, Spain
This photo captures one of the scenes from the bullfight we witnessed on Easter Sunday. The matador pictured is Jose Tomas, one of the best Spain has ever seen. During this brief interlude in fighting, Tomas is assessing the bull's level of energy and taking into account the animal's temperament to determine his next move. I love Tomas in this picture - the outfit, the pride and showmanship in his posture, his intense eye contact with the bull. Everything.

7. Standing Ovation

Malaga, Spain
Another shot of the Easter bullfight. Jose Tomas has just defeated the final bull of the night with amazing skill. He's accepting the crowd's ovation as he makes his way to the center of the ring for his final bow. I get warm fuzzies just looking at this picture because it sums up some of the physical landmarks of Malaga - the Plaza de Toros, the Alcazaba silhouetted in the backgroung, the gorgeous sunset. And then the fact that I got to experience a real bull fight in the company of some great friends just makes it so much sweeter.

8. A Night of Carnaval

Malaga, Spain
Carnaval is the equivalent of Mardi Gras in the United States - the celebration before the beginning of Lent. Cadiz is the most famous center for Carnaval in Spain but Malaga also has its own traditions and celebrations. Most celebrations in Malaga, whether Carnaval, Semana Santa, or Feria, make their way to Calle Larios, pictured above. It's a huge pedestrian avenue, lined with shops and restaurants and paved with the granite and marble taken from the Roman Amphitheater (so they say). Calle Larios is decorated for each holiday with beautiful festive lights that reflect off the smooth walkway, as pictured.

Help Wanted

2010-06-04T22:00:00.000-04:00

The title of the post has a plethora of meanings for my life right now (I love words that multi-task!). And by a plethora, I really mean 4.

1. JOB

I'm in debt. It's nothing too serious - I decided to take out some student loans to finance my trip to Spain. It was DEFINITELY worth it and I don't regret it for a second. But it means I have to make some sacrifices and work to pay them off. After spending a week in Gainesville filling out a gazillion job applications, I finally landed at least one gig at a daycare center. I start next week and I can't wait! This job is totally perfect because it's working with kids (which I want to do for a living), the hours are super flexible and plentiful, and it's a hop, skip and a jump away from where I will hopefully be taking classes next semester. Hooray for being a productive member of society!

2. HOUSESITTING

J had her 3-day orientation at FSU this week. Both the parentals joined her in Tallanasty - I mean, Tallahassee to soak in the brainwashing that is college orientation. Unfortunately, the only time that worked with her crazy summer schedule was right in the middle of the week when Dr. Brother was still in school. Since my job doesn't start until next week, I was available to housesit. Dr. Brother and I got to enjoy some quality togetherness for the past 3 days, which has included:

chocolate crepes for breakfast
listening to the MJ morning show
Frappe Friday
a complete summary of all 3 of the books Dr. Brother is reading at the moment
almost killing some kids/ being killed while driving to his school
jamming to Usher's "OMG". Actually, Dr. Brother was too embarrassed by my dancing to truly enjoy the jamfest.

I'm so glad I got to hang out with that kid for 3 whole days. It was a really sweet reminder of what a great kid he is. I can't believe he's almost a 7th-grader!

3. HALFER

I want to run a half-marathon in December or January and I'm looking for some running buddies. Any takers? I also plan on fundraising for a charity or organization so stay tuned for more details!

4. POLL

I'm applying for a small scholarship through the UF International Center and I need help deciding which 2 pictures to submit. The theme is "Global Culture". The new header is a little preview, and, in the meantime, here's a link with more information and the photos of past winners that are truly incredible: UFIC Global Culture Photo Contest

We're planning on a relaxing weekend around these parts, including celebrating a special someone's birthday tomorrow! Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend and get to enjoy the beginning of summer fun :)

Not Just Another Day

2010-05-25T17:27:00.002-04:00

Happy Half-Birthday to Dr. Brother! Today he turns the big 12.5 - 6 months until he can get a Facebook. Watch out, world!

Now off to his first band concert. All day I've been mentally preparing for the sounds of squeaky clarinets, overly ambitious flutes, almost in-tune trumpets and and rockin' drum solos :)

A Taste of Spain

2010-05-11T14:00:00.004-04:00

Last week, I set out on a day-long process of making croquetas! They sat in the freezer for a few days while we raced around town getting J prom-ready but we finally got to share them as a family last night, along with a yummy tomato dip called Porra Antequera.

These croquetas were really special to me for a number of reasons. Simply put, they represent my experience in Spain. They bring back a chain of memories that fill up a typical day as a student in Spain - from hunger pangs throughout morning classes, to that perfect first bite through the delicate crust into the warm, delicious gooeyness beneath. And then the feeling of complete and utter satiation afterwards and wanting nothing more than to lay down in a food coma. But, begrudgingly, I would walk back to class instead. And from these small moments, I reminisce about long lunches spent watching Karlos Arguiñano with Emma, spending 3 glorious hours in the morning speaking Spanish, running along the Mediterranean Sea, intercambios, and I fall into a straight daydream of those awesome 77 days.

After a semester of hearing Emma and I squealing with delight at the sight of croquetas on our plates at lunch, Maria Jose graciously invited us into her home to teach us how to make these fried balls of heaven. And what began as a cooking lesson turned into a 10-hour marathon of cooking, eating and sharing and my favorite day of the entire adventure.

Emma and I began our day early Sunday morning by getting quite lost on the way to Maria's house and asking several friendly but unhelpful Spanish people for directions. The Spanish are notorious for their direction-giving and they certainly lived up to their name that day! But at least they were friendly!

But we finally made it and were welcomed with open arms and besos. We met Maria Jose's kids and puppy, Honey, and then got right to work! We made the filling for the croquetas, canalones filled with spinach, tuna & pine nuts and smothered in homemade bechamel sauce, fresh mussels with lemon and parsley, and a simple salad made of romaine lettuce and covered in a sauce of fried garlic and olive oil - all before lunch! The whole time we were frantically copying down the recipes in Spanish and taste-testing anything and everything!

We enjoyed lunch with Maria, her daughter and her son, who have both been to the US and speak English wayyyyy better than I speak Spanish. They were all so friendly and welcoming and we feasted on the food we had just made - all with fresh ingredients and made with love. We talked for a bit afterwards as our tummies rejoiced with all of the deliciousness and it was back to the kitchen for us.

While the croqueta filling was still cooling, Maria shared some stories from her past, from her childhood, through heartbreaks, and finally her true happiness in life, her children. She shared some typical Spanish desserts over coffee and tea. She shared her photos and her philosophy for life. She completely opened up her home and made us feel like part of her family. We continued to write down recipes and just enjoy each others' company. After 10 hours of full bellies and great conversations, Emma and I reluctantly took said our goodbyes and headed home. We both sat in complete silence on the bus ride, physically and mentally exhausted from a great day of cooking with a beautiful and strong woman.

And even though they were nowhere near as good as Maria Jose's, they reminded me of that great day and the love that she put into everything she did. I'm sure there was no better way to spend one of my final days in Spain with such great company. It's a day I will never forget and now I'm so glad I get to share some of my life in Spain with my family and friends! And Emma has a great post about it that perfectly captures the day, filled with awesome pictures. Miss you, chica!

The Perfect Storm - In the Best Possible Way

2010-05-02T11:00:00.005-04:00

This has been a very important past three days for a couple of my favorite people in the world.

1. PDubbs said goodbye to his teens as he hit the big 2-0 on Friday. We celebrated with his super Polish family by going out for some sushi! His sister even drove all the way to Gainesville to surprise him at dinner - precious!

Happy 20th birthday! Love you, kiddo!

2. After 2 years of living on-campus in tiny, squished, and claustrophobic dorms, PDubbs finally made the switch to a real apartment on Saturday! We spent most of the day Saturday transferring his stuff from his third-story room to our cars to his other third-story room down the street. And Florida decided to usher in the new month with 90-degree weather and humidity to match - sweat was plentiful. But he did it!!!

3. Last, but certainly not least, today is anniversary of the day of birth (aka as birthday to normal people who aren't me) of my beautiful, youthful, and caring Mom! To celebrate, we're hanging out at home and then going to PF Chang's for dinner. Only the best for our darling mother :)

Happy birthday to the best mom in the world! I love you!!!

Spain Montage

2010-04-24T02:54:00.001-04:00

I'm still working on some posts but here's a slideshow of photos from all parts of the trip. Enjoy!

(P.S. Many pics are stolen from facebook :) )

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Jetlag

2010-04-18T23:16:00.002-04:00

77 days have come and gone and I am now hanging out in Gainesville after a 2 day stay at home (thanks for the laundry, Mom!). I have some posts planned about my last few days in Spain but between the jetlag and Pdubbs time, I haven't had a chance to write everything down. But they're coming, I promise!

On another note, some of my new friends decided to travel around Europe for a few days after the program ended. But due to this freaky Icelandish volcano ash, they are all stuck in different parts of Europe with no way of getting home until Thursday at the earliest. My hopes and prays go out to all of them and their families and I hope they get home safely!

But here's some silver-lining: at least they're stuck in some pretty cool places - Rome, London, Malaga? Yes, please!

And I hope everyone else is happy and safe right here in the Uh-merica. It's great to be home :)

Que triste

2010-04-12T11:12:00.003-04:00

My last full day in Malaga will be spent classing, packing, writing car notes, studying, enjoying some Italian food with my amigos, maybe some more studying. I can't believe it's already coming to an end! I've been speaking way more Spanish than usual today to get my fill before I go home and lose all that I've worked on the past 2.5 months.

Who else will understand my broken Spanglish if not for these kids here? Probs no one.

On to the packing. Time to rock out to some Hanson, The Killers, and Cheap Trick. Hasta luego :)

Almost Perfect Timing

2010-04-11T03:36:00.003-04:00

Unfortunately, my camera has bit the dust. After several fights with 5'2" falls, it fought its last battle in the piercing store when it had a little run-in with a tile floor.

But don't shed a tear; it had a long, happy life, filled with action shots, macro photos of flowers, and even some sweet videos. It was a worldly traveler, having seen Jamaica, Mexico, New York City, Portugal, and all of Spain. It's been to bull fights and captured memories of graduation. It's snapped really awesome pictures, and not so awesome pictures. It's seen it all.

So from now on, the pictures you see on this blog will be borrowed from other sources until I muster up the funds to buy another. Thank you for you understanding.

See you in 4 short and (bitter)sweet days!

love love love love love

Cena Despedida

2010-04-09T12:04:00.005-04:00

Last night we had our goodbye-dinner. Valerie prefers to call it out see-ya-later dinner because we're all in denial that we're going home in just 5 short days. I agree with Val - "goodbye" is way too harsh!

The only things we were told about the night were to dress to impress and meet in front of our school at 8:15. And we finally got a picture of Pepa before we left!

Love her!

Once we met up with the group, we all walked over to this authentic Spanish restaurant called Papulinos, where we were treated to a real Spanish feast! Fresh bread, salad, croquetas, fried eggplant, kebabs, and desserts of course!

Jesse about to dig in to some fried eggplant covered in honey and molasses. Don't bash it until you try it!

Baby cakes to share!

In between one of the courses, our directors and a few students give toasts. Some had us rolling on the floor laughing one minute, as one student proposed to one of our directors with a plastic ring and a bouquet of lollipops. Others talked about the future and memories we will take away. And others had even the boys wondering if it was getting a little dusty in there. It was another perfect night to enjoy each other's company and savor the last few days we have together in this wonderful country.

Best roommate award should def go to us :)

Group photo!

I've loved every minute of my time here - even all those cold, rainy days in February. But I'm ready to go home. I miss you all and can't wait to see you in less than a week! Abrazos y besos para todos!

Random Happenings

2010-04-08T11:55:00.008-04:00

This week has been non-stop so far! Here are a few random happenings that I feel the need to share. Disfruta :)

For dinner on Tuesday night, a group of us went to La Queseria, a restaurant in Malaga that specializes in... wait for it... QUESO! Beautiful, bubbling crocks of cheese, perfect for spreading over a piece of fresh bread. We split a couple *cough*several*cough* cruezilitas of specialty cheeses and some tostas, which were also covered in cheese. And just in case we didn't get our daily intake of calcium, we went out for ice cream afterwards. When in Spain. :)

Wednesday was an epic day full of fun stuff. It started out with a lovely culture presentation by Emma, Alissa and Leigh about Spanish food! They handed out recipes to try at home and passed out typical Spanish food, like Malaga raisins, almendras (almonds) and local pastries! And since we had food on the brain AND it was Treat Wednesday, we popped into Aparicio for a pre-lunch snack.

Biscocho y merengue :)

That afternoon, we also got a guided tour of the Centro de Arte Contemporaneo (CAC). But before all that, a few of us chicas wanted to commemorate our time here by piercing our bodies! Nothing too crazy - noses, lips and ears. Just a little something to always remind us of our time in Spain. Or at least until they close up.

New Spanish friends!

The CAC was pretty guay. There was a temporary exhibit called "Jack Freak Pictures" by these two guys Giblert & George. I wouldn't have understood or appreciated their trippy art if it hadn't been for our tour guide who explained everything. The museum also has some permanent works that were interesting to say the least.

And after the museum, we made a beeline for 100 Montaditos for our last Euro Tapa Wednesday. Good food, good tinto, good friends, good night :)

Corrida de Toros

2010-04-08T09:00:00.001-04:00

On a beautiful Easter Sunday evening, a group of 10 amigas set out to experience a time-honored tradition of Spanish culture. With wide-eyed wonder and curiosity abounding, they were headed to the Malagueta to see the festivities. The streets were swarming with stylish Spaniards dressed to impressed. The nearby restaurants were overflowing with people enjoying their pre-dinner tapas and aperitivos while the scent of cigars wafted through the cool Spring breeze.

They entered the plaza in a wave of people. They could feel the anticipation and energy in the air as the crowd worked its way up to the top flight. After pushing their way through the row and filing into their respective seats, the girls were ready just as the band began their rousing march to begin the show. The performers entered the arena to a hefty round of applause and many an "Ole!" before retreating to their respective corners. And now the bullfight can begin!

Sunday marked the beginning of the bull-fighting, or Corrida de Toros, season in Malaga. The seasons generally last from March until October but every region is a little different. Malaga's season has only just begun and it will reach its peak in August for the Feria, or city-wide fair. Spain is all about fiestas :)

Professional corridas in Spain involve 3 matadores that each fight 2 bulls, for a total of 6 bulls. These corridas generally last 2-3 hours as the matadores take turns dancing with their respective bull. And that's exactly what it's like - a dance! And even though they're fighting against 500 lbs of pure muscle, they are so in tune with the animal's tendencies that they can make it do whatever they want, just like a choreographed dance. You can check out the video below to see just what I mean :)

José Tomás during the Tercio de Muerte

We were lucky enough to see what Pepa calls "el mejor matador en Espana" (the best matador in Spain!). His name is José Tomás and he was by far the best matador we saw that night. If the crowd thinks the matador does a fantastic job, the will wave whatever white things they have on hand (napkins, hankerchiefs, toilet paper...) to show their support. If the Presidente of the Plaza agrees with the audience, he'll grant the matador the honor of cutting off the bull's ear as a sort of trophy. And if he is really good, the President will allow them to keep the tail. José Tomás was the only one to earn this honor that night and actually went home with an ear from both bulls!

Cuadrilla during the Tercio de Varas

There are so many traditions and rituals involved in a bullfight that I can't even begin to put it all into a single post. So I'll bullet-point it all in case you want to skip the boring stuff and just go straight to the video!

Each matador has 6 assistants that make up his posse, which is called a cuadrilla. Each assistant has a specific job throughout the course of the corrida. The matador wears a traje de luces (suit of lights), which is custom-designed with silver or golden thread.

So fancy! And this guy isn't even a matador - we can go fancier.

A corrida is generally broken into 3 stages.

The first stage is called the Tercio de Varas where the cuadrilla tires the bull out and gives the matador a chance to see the bull's personality.
Then the picadores of the group weaken it more by trying to place banderillas (barbed sticks) into the bull's back and shoulders. This is done in the second stage called the Tercio de Banderillas.
The final stage, the Tercio de Muerte, is the most exciting - the dance between the matador and the bull. The matador puts the bull through a series of passes to weaken it and show off his moves. This can be the most gory part as the bull becomes more disoriented and the matador finally puts it out of its misery with a sword.

Once the bull is killed, it is immediately butchered and the meat is given to local orphanages and soup kitchens. So while it may not be the most humane sporting event, it does provide a great service for the community. Plus, the bulls have a it made leading up to the corrida - plenty of room to roam around in, tons of food, and their choice of the best ladies for breeding purposes.

This picture captures so much of Malaga - City Hall to the left, a palm tree, and a paloma (dove/pigeon), all silhouetted against a beautiful sunset.

I'm really glad we all got to experience it. One of the girls in our group has been to a bullfight in Madrid on her last trip here so it was great to have her there to tell us what was going on! It's such a unique part of the culture here and it's just another thing crossed off The List. :)

Enjoy!

Is this real life?

2010-04-06T17:02:00.001-04:00

Semana Santa is now over. With classes that started at 8 AM this morning and our departure date looming in the not so distant future, things are starting to sink in. Even though I'm still here in Spain for a week, I've already started to reflect on my experiences here. Heck, I'm already missing things that I can still enjoy for 7 more glorious days!

Like our walks to school,

experiencing Spanish culture (more on this later!),

my awesome roomie,

intercambios,

traveling,

and our interesting culinary experiences.

Nos vemos pronto :)

Future Honeymoon Location

2010-04-04T06:43:00.006-04:00

On Saturday, Harley, Alissa and I went on another daytrip - this time to Nerja, a town about an hour east of Malaga on the coast. It's known for its Cuevas (caves). Emma went with her parents when they visited last month and said it was a Must-See. After 2.5 months of living together, I know I can trust this girl. :)

It still amazes me how easy it is to travel around Spain! We just hop on a bus or a train and go anywhere. The bus from Malaga took us right to the Cuevas. The caves consist of 3 naturally-formed spaces, only one of which is currently open to the public. The rest are still being excavated by archeologists because the caves used to be inhabited by some of the first humans on the Iberian peninsula.

Unfortunately, we couldn't take pictures with flash so my blurry pictures don't exactly capture just how cool this place was. There were stalagmites and stalactites galore, crazy straw-like structures and even a natural amphitheater where they hold concerts!

Stalagmites. Or stalactites?

Really cool column. Photoshop fail.

Nerja is also known for it's beaches that attract thousands of tourists each year. Let me tell you, this place was like the mecca of British tourists - everywhere we turned we heard English and saw sunburned faces from extended siestas on the beach. But I can totally see why they would want to vacation here: it's beautiful!

Mountains next to beaches. Crazy! And check out that shade of blue!

Nerja also boasts the Balcon de Europa, or Balcony of Europe, where you can take in all of the beautiful scenery while enjoying some ice cream from one of the 23,241 vendors on the way.

El Balcon de Europa

There's a restaurant right below the balcony...

...where we stopped to enjoy the view and a Spanish cerveza.

Nerja is an absolutely gorgeous place between the caves, the mountains and the beaches. But what made it especially awesome was how quiet it was. This was the first time we actually got to enjoy a small town since coming to Europe. We could actually hear the birds chirping as we walked down quiet alleyways in silence, content with our own thoughts and ice cream. :)

This week has been a wonderful break but it's back to the grind now. I have 2 group presentations on Tuesday and 4 exams to study for on top of packing up my Spanish life to head back home in 10 short days. Do work, son!

And I've been hearing a lot about the unseasonably warm weather everywhere back home. Hopefully everyone is thoroughly thawed out from all of the unseasonably cold weather you just had. Mother Nature has been going crazy this year! Enjoy your Easter weekends :)

Gibraltar: A Confused Place

2010-04-02T12:25:00.000-04:00

While most of my amigos were galavanting around the continent, me and a few other students decided to chill out in Malaga. And while it would have been really super awesome to travel to cool places like Greece, France, and Italy, I'm completely happy with my decision. Staying in Malaga has given me a great opportunity to enjoy some quality bonding with my senora, work on my tan, and see what Malaga has to offer during this time of year.

It also allowed us to travel around Andalucia. And since Gibraltar is only a 2.5-hour busride away, we figured why not spend a day hanging out with monkeys and speaking English?

We took the bus to La Linea, a small Spanish city on the border of Gibraltar. It's called La Linea, or the Line, because it used to be where cannons shot from Gibraltar would hit when they were training their military. Who knew?

The Rock!

We made our way to the border, waved our passports at the nonchalant customs official, and found ourselves back in British territory. Cheerio!

We wandered around looking for the cable cars up to the top of The Rock. We passed many a tour guide offering to take us to the top in a bus. We must have looked Spanish that day because they all spoke Spanish to us at first! And when they realized we were English, they said "Oh! Why didn't you say so!" before continuing on their spiel about their awesome tour. We tried to gracefully decline but ended up just walking away from these pushy guides. Leave us alone, bro!

We finally made it to the cable cars and bought our tickets. Gibraltar officially accepts Gibraltar Pounds but nearly every store and tourist attraction also accepts Euros. You just have to specify which one you're paying with so you don't end up getting back the wrong change!

While we waited for our cable car, we were surrounded by signs warning of us the dangerous monkeys. From my experience, I think the British should be known for their silly signs.

Monkeys will bite you and steal your food.

Monkeys don't like to be impersonated. They will bite you.

We climbed up The Rock to the top platform and were immediately greeted by a beautiful view and some furry friends! Within a minute of walking off the cable car, a monkey crawled up my leg and starting going after the sandwiches in my bag! The signs we saw were enough of a warning for me! I shook the big guy off and booked it inside to eat my lunch before the monkeys ate it for me!

Monkeys are curious things.

After lunch, Harley, Alissa and I walked around the rock some more as we made our way down to the next cable car platform. We got to enjoy the views, the historical things around The Rock, and the monkeys!

Don't let me interrupt your nap.

Airport runway in the middle of the road. What a weird place!

Helpful sign.

Almost everyone is back home in Malaga now in time to enjoy the last few days of Semana Santa. Emma has some great stories about her adventures in Greece this week, too! I was so excited for them to travel but I'm even more excited their all home so we can live it up our last 12 days here in Spain :)

Hope everyone enjoys the holiday weekend! I'll see you all soon!

El Cautivo

2010-03-30T10:18:00.006-04:00

Woo I love Spring Break!

El Cautivo

Spring Break in Spain is really called Semana Santa, or Holy Week. In Spain they celebrate the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ with day-long processions. The processions involve giant tronos, or floats, that are carried by men. The tronos depict different images and scenes of the life of Christ, such as his crucifixion or resurrections. Each trono of Christ is also accompanied by a trono of the Virgen Maria, or Virgin Mary.

The train of Maria Santisima. Notice the flowers on it? People throw flowers at their favorite processions.

And when I say giant, I mean giant; it takes between 20 and 250 men to carry these things! And the Spanish go all out decorating the tronos. Each trono is unique and different but elaborately decorated with pan of oro (gold leaf) and plato (silver). The images of Christ usually involve some bloody crucification details while the Virgins sport tears of crystals. The faces always express some sort of suffering, either with the physical suffering of Christ or the emotional suffering of the Virgin.

The tronos leave from their respective churches from all over Malaga. The procession then follows it's specific route around the town, which always include La Alameda, Calle Larios, and La Tribuna de los Ricos. After the route (which could anywhere between 4 and 8 hours to complete!), the tronos return to their churches. But not before a few encore performances! People gather around the church to watch the spectacle of encierro (putting away), but will continue to cheer and shout until they bring it back out. This happens at least once for every trono but the more popular ones may make 3 or 4 encore appearances, delaying the closing time by up to 2 hours!

El Cautivo with all of its 242 portadores!

The most well-known trono of the Malaga Semana Santa is El Cautivo that makes it's appearance on Lunes Santo. This year, the impressive El Cautivo was carried by 242 portadores. It was also accompanied by 500 nazarenos all decked out in white robes and tapados (their pointy hats). El Cautivo also generates a large following - 3,000 normal people walk behind the procession in their own vigil! The trono of Maria Santisima de la Trinidad Coronada follows behind El Cautivo. She is just as impressive - it took 270 portadores to carry her this year!

Nazarenos (NOT members of the KKK!)

Harley and I were lucky enough to nab a spot in La Tribuna de los Pobres to watch the whole procession!

Maria Santisima

Another unique aspect about the processions in Malaga is that the portadores carrying the tronos don't just walk - the sway back and forth with each step kind of like a boat. They do this because it's an homage to the thriving maritine business that has supported and sustained Malaga for hundreds of years. So cool!

So there's your history lesson for the day, kiddos! See you in 13 days :)

Semana Santa empiece ahora mismo!

2010-03-27T05:55:00.004-04:00

See you at the beach :)

Sevilla: Churches, Palaces, & a Bachelorette Party

2010-03-23T15:43:00.002-04:00

Missed me? I'm back from Sevilla, our last overnight excursion for this program. It's sad to think it will all be over soon but I must say I think we went out with a bang!

Sevilla is the capital of Andalucia which means a couple of things.

1. It's old.

2. It's large.

3. It has a bunch of really old, large buildings.

4. There are TONS of English-speaking tourists.

But the old, large buildings were the first things on our agenda. On Saturday we saw the Alcazar and the Cathedral. Like every other part of Andalucia, Sevilla has a history rich in Muslim, Jewish and Christian history. The Alcazar, which is in between a palace and a castle, is a perfect showcase for all three religions. It first controlled by Muslims until the Spanish Reconquista, when the Christians came to power. When the Christians took over, they had to borrow a lot of money from the Jews to finance their pretty things, like the Cathedral. Because the Jews were so near and dear to their hearts (and wallets), they housed them in a special barrio (neighborhood) right next to the Alcazar, until the Inquisition when the Reyes Catolicos kicked them out too.

Muslims were obvi really into their reflecting pools. I want one in my house, too!

The Muslims like to decorate their architecture with scripts from the Qur'an. The top line is fancy Arabic while the bottom is common Arabic, which is written, read, and spoken by the people. The Muslims pride themselves on their literacy.

Forget what I said earlier. I want THIS in my house.

Warning: Whatever you do in Sevilla, DO NOT feed the animals in this pond. The pond is inhabited by ducks and giant fish. Someone tried to feed the ducks by throwing in a piece of bread form their sandwich and all hell broke loose. The second that bread hit the duck's mouth, the fish swarmed and attacked the poor duck. Luckily, the duck managed to swallow it in time to keep all of it's limbs but the fish went crazy after that. Please, don't do it.

The Cathedral of Sevilla is the largest gothic cathedral in Spain and the 3rd largest church in the world. Our charming tour guide, Joaquin, told us that when the Catholics set out to build it, they told the architects that they wanted something so grand and massive that everyone would think they were crazy for building it. And those Catholics do not disappoint! They tore down the Muslim mosque and put up a mammoth of a building, complete with a giant altar covered in pad de oro (gold-leaf). Some of Christopher Columbus's remains are encased in a tomb here, too. That's right - not all. Just some.

Outside the Cathedral (left) and Giralda (tower on the right)

The whole group in front of Christopher Columbus's tomb. Who would have thought someone's grave would make for a photo opportunity?

Beautiful altar covered in gold-leaf.

Even though the Catholics destroyed the mosque, they left standing la Giralda, a giant tower built by the Muslim sultan of the area. The Giralda is the tallest building in the city and it will forever be that way thanks to building ordinances forbidding new buildings to be bigger than the Giralda. To get to the top, you must climb up 34 sets of ramps. Not stairs, ramps. The sultan wanted to be able to climb to the top from his horseback so he told the architect to build him ramps. Now what you would want to do with a horse once you got to the top of a tower is beyond me, but that's what he wanted, so he got it. From the top you can see the white-washed walls of Sevilla sprawled out around you. I can't imagine how breathtaking it would be a on a sunny day if it was already so beautiful on that cloudy Saturday!

After we parted ways with Joaquin on Saturday afternoon, we had free time until 11:30 the next morning. What is there to do in Sevilla at night? Throw a fake bachelorette party, of course! We came up with an elaborate story about how I was going to "casarse" ( get married) and "despedir de soltera" (say goodbye to singlehood) for getting into a popular club in the centro. We even set a date (May 10th, btdubs) and decided we were all from New York. In the end, we didn't really need to make up this little white lie because there was hardly anyone in the club when we arrived unfashionably early at 11:30 PM. But the club filled up quickly and it turned out to be the best fake bachelorette party I've ever been to!

Bridal Party!

The next morning after shoving our faces at the breakfast buffet, we checked out of our hotel and headed to the Jardines de Maria Luis and the Plaza de Espana, where a scene from Star Wars Episode II was filmed. The Plaza is absolutely gorgeous in the summer, with bridges that span meandering moat lead to a huge fountain in the center. There are also benches that surround the Plaza and each one is dedicated to a different province in Spain. But unfortunately for us, the Plaza de Espana is not so pretty during off-months. Like almost everything else we've seen in Spain, it was under renovation to prepare for the bustling tourist season. Even the bench for Malaga was under construction!

Look familiar?

Pretending to sit on the bench. Womp.

There is a reason why Sevillanos are known for being very proud/arrogant about their city - it is full of culture, history, and 3 Starbucks. But I would take the beaches of the Malagueta and the silly one-armed Cathedral of Malaga over Sevilla any day!

Spanish TV

2010-03-20T14:29:00.005-04:00

Just like in the United States, television is an important part of Spanish culture. The people of Spain are very proud of their language so every Spanish channel is broad casted only in Spanish with no subtitles or dubbing. They also have English channels, such as BBC America and CNN, but Emma and I don't really watch those because we feel like we're cheating!

One of the shows we watch during lunch is called "La cocina de Karlos Arguiñano en tu cocina". Karlos is a world-renowned chef from the Basque Country of northern Spain. He cooks traditional Spanish food but usually with his own twist. He also likes to infuse his show with humor and random entertainment; he dances and sings in between preparing the food. After he's done cooking, he plates the food first in a "media racion" and then in a full "racion" style, which is typical in many Spanish restaurants. His food always looks delicious and he's so fun to watch! I'll miss the whole lunch experience here where me and Emma watch his show over a heaping plate of macarrones or sopa while staying warm with the space-heater under the table.

Right after "La cocina", "De buena ley" comes on the same channel. Emma described it perfectly as a cross between Judge Judy and Jerry Springer but classier than either show. Two people argue their cases in front of a judge (who I'm pretty sure is not legit) and then the audience gets to weigh in on their arguments. The battles can get pretty heated, which makes for some awesome television! My favorite person on the show is a recurring guy in the audience who looks like a character straight from Jersey Shore - he's ripped and wears skintight shirts, usually from American tourist attractions like South Beach or New York. He always gets air time and he always yells at someone, either in the audience or on the stand. But I have yet to see a full episode since I always have to leave in the middle for my (stupid) afternoon class!

Another one of my/ our favorite shows is "Fisica o Quimica" on MTV. It comes on at night while we eat dinner and we usually squeal when we finally find the channel. It's set in a high school here in Spain and it's about the students and teachers of the school and all of the crazy love triangles (and squares and pentagons...) that ensue. As you can imagine, the story lines are pretty complicated at this point and we only started watching it. And it's even harder to follow because it's 100% in Spanish but it's getting easier. Plus we get to see some Spanish eye candy ;)

I don't have much time to watch TV here but it's still really cool to experience another part of the culture. And even though I'm missing basically a whole season of American television (Pam and Jim having their baby, American Idol, Villians vs. Heroes on Survivor...), television here forces me to listen and hear some vernacular Spanish, which is awesome practice for talking to everyday Spaniards. When else will I get this opportunity to be so immersed and surrounding by this language? It's really starting to hit me that we only have 25 days left so I have to live it up and soak it all in :)

Streets Where the Riches of Ages are Sold...

2010-03-18T19:00:00.000-04:00

Saturday night we mapped out all of the big things we wanted to see so Sunday morning we were ready to take on London! And Sunday turned out to be the perfect day for some sightseeing!

We started our morning by making some PB&J sandwiches for the road so we wouldn't have to buy lunch - typical college kids trying to save a few bucks in a super expensive city! Then we walked down the street to Portobello Road! Before the trip, I didn't realize that anyone else in my generation had seen "Bedknobs and Broomsticks". But lo and behold, two other chicas in my group have seen it and love it as much as I do! So we followed the signs and asked for a few directions (have I mentioned I love that they speak English? it makes everything much easier!) and found ourselves at the top of the road!

The street was lined with little shops and vendor stands. We stuck to the antique part of the road but it went on forever and ever after that. I bought a few cool trinkets, mostly just to say that I bought them on Portobello Road!

After some shopping and eating (oops, guess we'll have to save the sandwiches...), we hopped back on the Underground to see the Tower of London, where are the beautiful jewels and crazy torture devices are located. Along the way we crossed Tower Bridge and ate some sugary peanuts (can you see a theme with food?). I love how the modern architecture can be found right next to all the really old and historical buildings!

Tower Bridge! How do you like the hat? It was a Portobello Road purchase!

The Tower of London was awesome! We got to see the Jewel House but, unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take any pictures. I took a picture of a sign on the wall before heading into the vault and this vulture-esque security woman called me over and made me delete the picture in front of her and watched me put my camera away! The British take their royal family very seriously! We also saw Bloody Tower, where they keep a few of the torture devices they used for the very worst criminals.

We stopped and chatted with a really nice Yeomen Warders of Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London (aka Beefeater). He told us a bunch of stuff about the Tower and Beefeaters in general.

-The letters on their coats, E II R, stand for Elizabeth Regina II. The R is always there because it stands for Regina for a Queen and Rex for a King. But the first initial and the Roman numeral change depending on the monarch at the time.

-In order to become a Beefeater, you must have retired from the British military with at least 22 years experience, receive the Long Service and Good Conduct medal, and submit an application. Once their application is accepted, they must attend a series of interviews and presentations before being admitted. It is a very prestigious position - there are only 35 Beefeaters at a time. The one we talked to was only the 336th Beefeater ever!

-All the Beefeaters live within the Tower of London with their families. Our new friend told us that the teenagers living in the Tower are very popular at their respective schools because everyone wants to party in the Tower of London! But he admits that it is really difficult to have a pizza delivered :)

We also had a conversation with this guard in front of the Jewel House.
Valerie: Ok, don't move! I want to take your picture!
Guard: Don't make me laugh!
Rebecca: Are you allowed to talk?!
Guard: Nope.
Rebecca: Want to get some drinks with us after your shift?
Guard: I get off at 4.

We wrapped up our convo and set out towards the Eye. Along the way, we made sure to see a bunch of cool stuff. One of the first things along the way was the London Bridge. For some reason, we all thought the Tower Bridge was the London Bridge so we were a bit disappointed when we saw the real thing. But it was a gorgeous day so we didn't let it slow us down!

Millennium Bridge from the last Harry Potter book! There are some ridiculous pictures of us pretending like the bridge is being torn apart by Deatheaters but you'll have to wait to see them!

After a 45-minute walk, we finally made it to the Eye! Who would ever think of building a giant ferris wheel on a river as historic as the River Thames? He or she was obviously a genius because this thing was so awesome! We got in our pod right as the sun was setting over Buckingham Palace and the rest of Central London!

Each pod holds about 25 people with enough room to walk around and see all the sweet views. It doesn't stop to let people on and off - you just kind of hop on as it moves. And the views were incredible. The timing was absolutely perfect, I would definitely advise everyone to go around sunset!

After our 30-minute ride, we popped into a cafe close by and finally ate our (now kind of mushy) PB&J sandwiches and treated ourselves to ice cream and coffee after our long walk :) Then it was on to our next destination: King's Cross Station to see the legendary Platform 9 3/4!

We're getting warmer...

Warmer....

Burning hot! But after running (literally) around the station for a good 10 minutes, a nice security guard pinned us as HP-enthusiasts and pointed us in the right direction.

Unfortunately, none of us made it through. And even though I know it's just a book, I was a little heartbroken that I couldn't make it through the barrier to see the Hogwarts Express. Ok, maybe I was a lot heartbroken. But even the 2 chicos in our group who haven't read the books got caught up in the excitement of it and posed for some silly pictures like this one.

After such a long day, we were ready to crash. We hung out in the hostel and packed up to leave bright and early Monday morning. I'm so glad we got to see almost everything we wanted to see and it was even better that I had the company of some great friends! We started off the morning right with some telephone booth pictures to wrap up our tour of jolly London. Thank goodness for nice people who speak English! I can't get over how wonderful it was to be able to communicate with other people without having to work out my brain.

And even though we got to see so much, there's still so much more to see there! There were so many museums and landmarks that I would have loved to see if we had another week there but you can only do so much in 3 days. So if anyone reading this out there is planning a trip in the near future and would like some company, I'm your girl! I also plan to attend the 2012 Olympics to watch a certain sister of mine dominate the soccer pitch :)

I'm pretty sure London will be my last big adventure outside of excursions through our study abroad office. I decided to hang out in Malaga for Semana Santa and see more of this beautiful city. But I'm also planning some daytrips so stay tuned for some awesome Andalucian culture!

I love you all and I hope everyone is safe and happy! See ya in 27 days :)

Sunny London

2010-03-17T07:40:00.000-04:00

Good day, chaps! I'm back from jolly good London, where I have just spent one of the best weekends of my life. We had a pretty lengthy to-do list but we managed to do most of the important stuff like eat fish and chips, see Portobello Road, and walk over the Millennium Bridge. Alright, I admit those might not be the first (or even hundredth) things you think of when you think of London but they were special to us so we did them!

We started out this trip on a much better foot than the Barcelona trip - we actually left the day we were supposed to! Score! And the sun was shining in both Malaga and London. Double score!

Our plane arrived Friday night at Stansted airport, which is about an hour away from the city center. We planned to take a bus to Victoria Station and then I had directions for taking the Tube to our hostel but the bus was full. Instead of letting us wait for another one, one of the guys in charge threw us on another bus to Liverpool Street, which is in a completely different part of town! We were lucky to find a very nice (and a wee bit intoxicated) English man that helped us buy cards for the subway that we were able to use the whole weekend. Yay for being able to speak English in London!

We finally made our way to the hostel and crashed. I'm always amazed at how quickly traveling can wear you out - all we did was sit and wait for the plane, then sit on the plane, then sit on a bus, and finally sit on a subway. But we were completely exhausted!

Hanging out in the hostel

Good thing we got a good night's rest because we were up bright Saturday for a free tour of the city! Our tour guide, Dave, was a native Londoner and full of fun facts about the city like...

-The Duke of Wellington built a giant statue (above) right outside of his front door to honor himself.

-After an important naval battle, the British put their slain captain in a barrel of wine to preserve his body until they returned to the Motherland. But when they got back and went to pull him out, they found only his body but no wine. It turns out that they had drained every barrel during their celebratory voyage home - including the one with the body in it!

-The 2012 Summer Olympics will be held in London. The only sport that will be played on royal property will be beach volleyball. The courtyard of one of the palaces will be turned into a volleyball court!

Changing of the guard!

Our tour took us past the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, Parliament building, Westminister Abbey, and a bunch of other palaces and important places I can't even remember. After our lovely tour, Dave showed us a place to go for an authentic British lunch of FISH AND CHIPS! And we even took a double-decker bus to get there - two birds with one stone :)

Emma about to enjoy some fish 'n chips nomnomnom

After filling up our bellies with fish, chips, tartar sauce, and "mushy peas", we walked along the River Thames and picked out the best street vendors for our return to the Eye the next day. Every few feet we saw another stand selling waffles swimming in chocolate and piled high with whipped cream, creamy ice cream in crazy flavors like dark chocolate and rum raisin, and the sweet smells of peanuts covered in butter and sugar! I probably would have gained 10 pounds in 4 days if didn't walk everywhere :)

Big Ben = Gator Bait

After our exciting day of sightseeing and exploring, we went on a pub crawl! Since it was set up through a company catering to tourists, it didn't exactly live up to my expectations. I always imagined a pub crawl to take place along the same street, with people popping in and out of seedy bars with the regulars hunched over their favorite brew, chatting it up with their favorite bartenders. Our crawl consisted of just one bar and 4 dance clubs, where they served fancy drinks and played loud music. But it was fun to hang out and meet some new people!

When in London, act like Spice Girls!

Overall, it was a very successful day and we got A LOT crossed off of our to-do list but there was still so much more to see on Sunday :)

-Big Ben: check
-fish 'n chips: check
-Buckingham Palace: check
-double-decker bus: check
-pub crawl: check