1.  I AM SO HUNGRY.  With all the reading I’ve been doing (my newest cookbooks, my ex-pat-chef-living-in-France-memoirs, Pioneer Woman’s blog, Kath’s blog), I see food at every turn.  With just a few more pounds to go, I MUST control myself!

2.  Why is a cake cone called a cake cone?  It’s not made of cake, or really anything remotely like cake.  In fact, I’ve always thought they tasted like styrofoam.

3.  I called around to local apartment complexes today.  We have about another month here in the hotel, and if by the end of that month we have no solid prospects on a house, we have to get an apartment or house for rent.  It seemed a little dicey as I called place after place and heard they only accepted “small” dogs, or none at all.  However, it looks like there are at least two places that will take all three of us, and one is actually in East Aurora–praise God!

4.  We looked at a house today that is closer in price to $500K than $400K…  I don’t know what we were thinking.  Actually, I take that back.  I know exactly what Andrew was thinking.  He did his homework and found out the house had been for sale for a whole YEAR awhile ago and never sold…which means they’ll take less.  However, our “less” and their “less” are probably two very different numbers.  That, and in seeing the house, (while it was AMAZING) it was really too big for us.

5.  We just had a heat wave here, along with the rest of the country.  The temps soared to mid- to upper-90s and the locals were dying.  While it was definitely warm and uncomfortable, it wasn’t too bad for Andrew and me.  However, one must remember that a lot of people here don’t have a/c, including Andrew’s parents.  Their house was HOT.

6.  Have you heard of that “Dessert Delights” gum?  They have flavors like Key Lime Pie, Orange Dreamsicle and Strawberry Shortcake, all of which I’ve gotten before.  In the Target check-out line today I saw Apple Pie.  I grabbed it immediately.

7.  I’ll be in Phoenix next week with my mom and brother, Aaron, for his Assemblies of God National Youth Fine Arts competition.  I’m excited to see them both and his guitar solo, but I’m also excited to find hole-in-the-wall places to eat.  I love eating at special/famous/local favorites while I’m traveling; I think it’s better than sightseeing.

8.  Andrew’s 10-year high school reunion is this weekend.  I’m super excited.  Going to his reunion is second only to going to MY high school reunion, which is this October.  Let’s just say I’ve been waiting for this for, well, ten years.  In fact, I was actually a little worried that they’d be on the same weekend.  That is so me.

9.  I just ordered two more cookbooks; a smoothie one and an Eastern Mediterranean one.  I’d been eyeing the smoothie one for a bit and thought Andrew would like the other one.  And I had a 60% at The Good Cook.  I found another one to add to my wish list today: Quinoa 365.  Lord help me.

10.  I’m so hungry…did I already say that?

1.  Andrew, Alex (Andrew’s friend from high school and also his best man in our wedding) and I are going to “Thursday in the Square” in downtown Buffalo tonight.  Actually, it’s now “Thursday at the Waterfront” since they recently moved it, but that hasn’t caught on yet.

2.  I’m SO CLOSE to my weight-loss goal!  Seriously, like one or two pounds away.  I’m very excited, except that I’m starting to have thoughts like “What about another four to make it an even twenty..”  Twenty sounds so much better than sixteen.  And it’s not like I won’t gain a couple back/fluctuate a few on any given day, so what IS another four?  Is this normal?

3.  I vacuumed out the Pilot today.  YIKES.  Hadrian’s hair was EVERYWHERE.  Must. Vacuum. More. Often.

4.  I’m planning on taking a “field trip” to the big Wegman’s tomorrow.  I call it a field trip because I don’t really need that many items and because I’m really going just to explore (I’ve been before with Andrew’s mom, but never to really ‘take it all in’) and take pictures for the blog (to show all of you, of course!).  I’m going to feel really silly taking pictures at Wegman’s.  Just being honest.

5.  I laid out in my bikini to get some sun today.  (Don’t worry Dad–I COVERED myself in sunscreen!)  I felt like a teenager.

6.  We’re pretty much having a heat wave here–it’s been mid- to upper-80’s for more than two days.

7.  I ran three miles with Hadrian this morning.  He definitely has the energy, but he goes in spurts throughout the run.  One minute I’m yelling “easy!” the next, “come on, buddy.”  I think he likes it, and it definitely wipes him out for awhile, if not the whole day.

8.  Speaking of Hadrian…  We’ve had some drama with his, um, how shall I say it delicately?  “BM’s” is the only thing that comes to mind.  Anyway, since this past Sunday I’ve been mixing up rice, oatmeal, canned pumpkin and peanut butter in different mixtures with his food.  We’re currently switching him to yet ANOTHER dog food to see if it helps the ‘problem.’  All this food mixing does somehow bring me a small sense of fulfillment.

9.  My pinkie is blue, but feels much better.  I still cannot believe Hadrian seriously (relatively speaking) injured both Andrew and myself in the same day.

10.  There is some sort of German festival this Sunday outside East Aurora.  Andrew and I are SO EXCITED.  German food.  German beer.  Good weather.  Festivals.  Life doesn’t get much better.  (OK, maybe ice cream would be a good addition to the list.)

things i’ve done since arriving in New York:

1.  unpacked

2.  watched cable TV

3.  made hummus  (from my newest cookbook, Patricia Wells’ Salad as a Meal)

4.  gone to a farmer’s market

5.  finally finished last month’s issue of Shape Magazine

6.  gone to the post office

7.  driven back and forth between our hotel and East Aurora a gajillion times

8.  ran with hadrian

9.  made dinner in the kitchenette (grilled cod with spaghetti and pesto)

10.  gone to Great Harvest Bakery (got a mini rye loaf and a mini cinnamon swirl loaf)

11.  gotten myself hooked on NBC’s ‘The Voice’ (it was all Andrew’s fault)

12.  and, most of all, missed my routine and our friends in Ohio 😦