1.  Long time no type!  I can’t even remember the last time I blogged…  It’s been a whirlwind since school ended; our trip to Italy was followed by a week at home (crazily trying to recover) before I rushed off to my brother’s high school graduation and my annual ‘East Coast trip’ to visit friends and family in DC and Pennsylvania.  As usual, it was a great visit, but always nice to be home.

2.  And another note about our/my recent adventures…  We’re currently experiencing technical difficulties with my computer.  As in, it won’t let us/me upload any more photos due to lack of memory.  Hmm…talk about a problem I never anticipated having!  Blast all those photos Andrew takes of our trips!  So, until we resolve this issue, Italy pics will have to wait.  I may, however, be able to blog about my East Coast trip from my phone…

3.  I start school tomorrow.  SO SAD.  Here I am, a month out of school and into summer and I feel like I’ve barely had a day off at all!  Thankfully, it’s an online writing class that shouldn’t be too much to handle.  Cross your fingers that my hopes become reality.  

4.  I’m hitting the gym tomorrow–it’s back to reality for this girl!  After a month of ‘vacation’ and the number of runs in the single (sniff sniff) digits, I’m both anxious to and about getting back into my regular routine.  I’m actually starting to crave a major sweat session and counting my calories (while sometimes a drag) always makes me feel better. 

5.  I’m seriously nesting right now (no, I’m not pregnant) and just want to feel like we’ve really moved in!  It’s almost a year and we still have things to hang on the walls…  I finally ‘moved into’ our porch yesterday by simply moving a piece of furniture and throwing some artwork on already-existing nails, and I’ve already been out there THREE TIMES to read/write.  Now, if only we had some more seating out there…

6.  Speaking of additional furniture…  I’m in DESPERATE NEED (ok, so maybe ‘need’ is used loosely here) of a bed!  I have a double headboard, but would take a twin.  Really, I suppose I just need a mattress.  Anyway, I have all the components to furnish our extra room except a bed and bedding (which I’ve of course already picked out and over which I continue to drool) and it’s killing me.  

7.  Our yard is also in need of some TLC, except that we have so many ‘plans’ (some sooner rather than later) that it’s almost pointless to tackle much of it until other things are finished.  Case-in-point: I’d LOVE to plant beds with transplanted hostas from other parts of the yard, except that we have to do fence work in the near future.  So, no bed-planting yet…

8.  It’s hot here.  Well, not that hot, but our house gets pretty warm due to lack of air flow.  So warm, in fact, that Andrew is on the cusp of buying a window AC unit for our bedroom.  I’m anti-AC, but am apparently losing this battle.  I’d give anything for a ceiling fan, but that’s a huge project that just isn’t high on the priority list right now.

9.  My car key clicker battery is dead.  It’s totally a first-world problem (thank you, Regina, for that ever-appropriate reference, except that now Andrew uses it whenever I complain about anything…), but it’s so inconvenient.  It seems more often than not, my hands are full just when I need to unlock the car…

10.  We’re having friends visiting for the 4th of July, and then more friends the following weekend as well.  I am so excited!  Obviously, I want lots of things to be done around the house, but here’s what I’m MOST excited about: planning the menus.  Seriously.  I can barely contain myself thinking about what I will make for these dear ones who will drive six-plus hours to see us.  Forget about visions of sugar plums on Christmas Eve; I’m imagining pancakes and our BBQ spread and homemade ice cream…

Happy Summer!

1.  Andrew and I spent this past weekend–Easter–in NYC.  It was lovely.  Tons of pictures were taken.  Lots of good food eaten.  Memories made.  Blog post/posts coming this week, I hope.

2.  Why is it that going on ‘vacation’ never seems like a vacation once you get home?  Between spending all my Spring Break before NYC doing homework/studying/getting ahead, and then being gone for the rest, I need a vacation FROM my vacation!

3.  It was snowing this morning here, and now it’s sunny.  Pick one, Buffalo!  I’ve been waiting a week to wash my car!

4.  It’s kind-of tradition for us to order pizza when we get home from a road trip.  There isn’t anything in the house, and we use it as an excuse to relax in front of the TV and savor the last moments of a trip before returning to ‘real’ life.  Well, there was no pizza for us last night.  Pasquale’s was closed yesterday, along with just about every other eatery in East Aurora.  Kudos to all the local businesses for actually OBSERVING Easter!  (It was greasy cheesesteaks for us from one of three open places.)  I’m thinking of writing an Op-Ed piece for the paper…

5.  Is it bad that I’m already anxious to get back to the pantry project?  (Rather, for Andrew to get back to the pantry project.)  I can’t help that I’m so goal-oriented.

Off to school for me!  Lots to do, lots to do!

1. WOW I’ve been quiet. (Well, at least on the blog.) It’s been busy, but I’m feeling a bit of a ‘lull’ coming on, if only for a week or two. My two big tests are over (can’t say I’m super impressed with either; still waiting on a grade for one of them) as well as my interviews for the coordinated program. Just trying to stay on top of all the studying before the next round of tests.

2. I painted my nails GREEN this afternoon (while studying, of course). St. Patrick’s Day is Sunday, and while I’m not Irish, I always get super excited. I’m not sure what we’re doing this year, but I’m ready with painted nails, an ‘I’m not Irish but kiss me anyway’ t-shirt and I make a mean Irish Soda Bread. Invite me to your party today!

3. Mini-Lent Update: I’ve lost 2 pounds in 2 weeks! Hurray! I realize this isn’t what Lent is about, but I was pretty happy this morning when I hopped on the scale, and am even wearing my skinny jeans in celebration. On a more spiritual note, God has really been revealing to me just how much I was letting food control me. When I did this same study with Emily a couple years ago, I refused (and I mean REFUSED) to give up sweets, extolling an ‘everything in moderation’ approach. Well. If Lent has taught me anything, it’s that I have been using that cookie here and those M&Ms there (not to mention the giant bowl of ice cream at night) as sources of comfort and plain indulging my taste buds for TOO LONG. It’s my prayer that one day soon I won’t even really crave these treats, and that I would come to crave God with the fervor (thanks for the word, Regina!) with which I crave sweets.

4. We’re getting away! It’s a bit spur of the moment (points for me!), but Andrew and I have decided we need a weekend AWAY. Away from house-cleaning, projects, school and these animals! I announced it a couple nights ago and Andrew jumped right into planning. We’re headed to New York City. Now, if I can only limit the amount of ‘dessert’ stops Andrew plans in the city… (Trust me, I’m already in prayer!)

5. We got more snow this morning. It’s absolutely frigid here. I just cannot keep the house warm enough. I’m even planning to DRIVE the mile to Taste (our local coffee shop, where you can find me studying each Friday afternoon), which irks me to no end. Although, I did just see someone walking past our house just now. If she can do it, so can I! (But don’t hold me to it…)

6. I haven’t cooked in what feels like forever. We’ve been busy and in an effort to spend less at the grocery store, I’ve been trying to use things we already have. This resulted in Andrew’s less-than-enthusiastic response to some frozen tamales one night and his favorite nutty sweet potato soup another night, which I paired with homemade cinnamon raisin bread. YUM.

7. The savings at the grocery store has gone directly to wine purchases. $100 in a span of four days. Hey, it was the $1 sale at Premier and then I went to a wine and cheese pairing class at our local store… I think 11 bottles for less than $100 is pretty good, don’t you??? (At the very least, we are good for AWHILE.)

8. Anyone in need of a very large composter? (Or know of someone who may be?) Long story short: Andrew was awesome and got me a composter a couple years ago, except he thought bigger was better. (Of course.) Well, it’s too big for us and after two failed attempts to make compost, I admitted to him it’s a giant source of stress and guilt for me. I had no idea when he gave me the bigger one what a challenge it would be to fill it. So, if I can find a home for the big one, I’d very much like to get the one I WANTED IN THE FIRST PLACE. (Bonus: the smaller one allows you to compost in the winter, too, which is how all this has come up just now. It pains me–physically–to throw away all the compostable material I use in the kitchen all winter!)

9. I have a surprise for Andrew tomorrow. It involves our Saturday morning breakfast. And that’s all I’m saying!

10. Pantry project/kitchen lighting has not been touched in days. You better believe that’s on the agenda this weekend…