…and i’m DONE

(At least for the next two weeks before my online class starts…)

I’m taking it slow today; just trying to relax and enjoy tackling my GIANT to-do list (you know, the one with all the things I’ve put-off for the last two weeks…) piece-by-piece. Up first: BLOGGING!

So, yesterday was the big day; my Chem 2 final. I think I was more nervous for this one (despite my insane amount of studying) because I remembered how hard the Chem 1 final had been. Plus, everyone in my class knew I’d done exceptionally well on the first one, so I felt all this unnecessary pressure to do just as well the second time around. Only time will tell; I get my grade Thursday.

All in all, the test went well. A bunch of us showed up early for a study session with the tutor–which really just turned into a pseudo-party with donuts that probably served as more of a stress-reliever than anything else. I wish I could say that I walked out of the test a few minutes early knowing I’d done my absolute best and been able to feel incredible relief; instead I took every last moment and even then didn’t have a chance to go back and give the ones I’d had questions on a second look. The ACS finals are just like that; you just never know how you did until you get your grade. I’m not worried; the truth is that I studied hard, I’m a good student, I went into the exam with a 101% average in the class and the final is highly curved–if I don’t get an A, no one will. What I’m really interested in is my raw score on the final…

I did, however, take one last look at ECC before I left–all finished there!

Abigail and I had a late lunch at Arriba, where I enjoyed a small margarita on the rocks with salt (my absolute favorite) and just relaxed outside enjoying the mild weather. She just returned from a whirlwind week in Florida with her campus Christian fellowship from Penn State, so she was just as bushed as me. It was so nice to be able to (finally!) be able to enjoy talking about summer plans, Carolyn’s shower details and birthdays coming up (our summer is full of them).

Afterward, we got our nails done 🙂 (Because that’s what girls do, of course, and that’s what THIS GIRL does to reward herself after a semester well-done.)

This is the color I fell in love with at J. Crew a few weeks ago, but hadn’t had time to actually paint on my nails. It’s even brighter than this in person… What can I say? I wanted to CELEBRATE.

Abigail and I decided some iced coffee and Main Street-walking was in order after our nails were finished, so we ended our afternoon doing that. Oh, and trying on the HOT PINK HEELS Carolyn picked out for us for her wedding. Oh, they are bright. Oh, what an excuse to buy something I would NEVER buy myself in a million years. 🙂 I just told Andrew he’s going to have to take me places one can wear hot pink heels (with black pants, perhaps) so I can get some use out of them. Rick’s, I think?

Speaking of Rick’s… We were supposed to go there to celebrate the end of my semester, but it was a bit overcast. We love nothing more than sitting on their patio, every table full, on a beautiful night enjoying good food, good wine and good weather, and (unfortunately) it was just not that kind of night around here. So, we opted for The King and I, a thai place a bit north of Buffalo.

Love this outfit, and LOVE those shoes 🙂 I wore them for my exam.

After starting with hot tea (for him), white wine (for me) and an order of spring rolls (Andrew’s absolute favorite), our dinners arrived.

Instead of pad thai, my normal dish, I ordered their house noodles, which was similar but with more crushed peanuts, less tamarind and more veggies. YUM.

Andrew got a spicy stir-fry and gobbled it right up!

Don’t you love his shirt? He knew I would. It was a recent J.Crew purchase on super sale-$27.99! LOVE IT. He has these awesome light linen pants he’s always pairing with heavy or dark shirts/shoes/jacket, so this shirt will help give him something light and season-appropriate to wear with them.

We were both craving a little vanilla ice cream action, and Dairy Queen is Andrew’s favorite. (I’m a Kone King kind of girl, myself, but DQ is good, too. And it was way more convenient.)

Can you tell which one was mine? Despite my outright OBSESSION with ice cream, I was a good girl and ordered a small, which was just right. However, I’m already salivating over my next DQ treat: the ‘confetti cake’ blizzard they’re featuring this month. A mini-version will definitely find its way into my mouth when Abigail and I go to the mall to run errands later this week…

I have LOTS to do today… Up next: clean the house! Between all the freshly mowed grass we’ve tracked in (grrr…), hair, dust and other things that have been ignored for the past couple days, it’s a MESS!

what’s new around here

I know, I’ve been slacking.

Well, maybe with the blog, but everything else just seems to find its way into my already packed schedule. In addition to the massive amounts of chemistry studying that has been going on for the past week or so (and will continue until 10:59 Monday morning), I’ve been able to fit in a batch of yogurt, Mother’s Day cards/gifts/trips to the post office, multiple hairball clean-ups (eeewww) and some Big Bang-watching. Thank you, Andrew, for doing my dishes and folding laundry. I know I whine and complain and can be a bit of a perfectionist; thank you for being patient.

It will all be over after by 1 p.m. Monday–hurray! I can already taste the margarita I’m ordering afterward…

Anyway, here’s something of a re-cap:

1. Starbucks has had half-price fraps since last Friday, and I didn’t get one until Tuesday, which I think showed great restraint. The kicker? I tried their new ‘mocha cookie crumble’ flavor and I was so not that impressed. Oh well, guess that’s what I get for obsessing over it. I even brought some of my own sweet potato tortilla chips for snacking along with the drink (I love salty with chocolate!), and they are the same kind you can BUY at Starbucks. Ha! Bonus: I’ve been looking for one of their ‘city/state’ mugs that either said ‘Buffalo’ or ‘New York’ that I liked–loved this green one featuring the Statue of Liberty and the NYC skyline. Would love to find one that’s more local to Western NY, but until then, this will have to do.

Side note: I’ve visited more coffee shops in the past week studying for the final than I care to admit. However, I have a post going on my coffee preferences, so I suppose I could chalk them all up to research…

2. We recently received a giant box in the mail–it contained FOUR bags of Julio’s tortilla chips that Andrew mailed back from Texas. He even included a giant bottle of their seasoning blend–think he’s trying to tell me something??

Please note the first ingredient is MSG… Really? Like I’m really going to feel good about shaking THAT all over my organic sweet potato fries… I swear, you guys, it’s like I’m sleeping with the enemy, sometimes.

3. I made Graeter’s Black Raspberry Chip ice cream from Pioneer Woman’s new cookbook awhile ago, and I still have a little in the freezer. Here are a couple photos:

All the blackberries I used turned into this leftover pulp–what a waste! I tried it, just out of curiosity. Big mistake–all it needed was cobbler on top with some vanilla ice cream! I had to stop myself after two spoonfuls.

While the ice cream flavor was pretty spot-on, the chocolate I put in left something to be desired…. Instead of melting INSTANTLY in your mouth like real Graeter’s, these chunks of chocolate were crunchy and almost flavorless…almost no melting whatsoever. At first, I thought it was the kind of chocolate I used: bittersweet vs. semi-sweet, or milk vs. dark. However, upon further research into their methods (yes, I googled for their ingredients), I realized it’s all about the melting point and temperature…! Duh, Holly, did you not just learn about this in Chemistry? Basically, because ice cream is frozen, there is no way the chocolate can ‘melt in your mouth’ very quickly, unless you change the chocolate itself. Graater’s actually adds oil to their premium chocolate to lower the melting point… Now, all I need is their ratio of chocolate to oil…

4. So there is this long piece of carpet scrap we keep near the front door to help minimize mess on the carpet from coming in and out the door. Obviously, it’s not nailed down or anything, so EVERY TIME Hadrian gets in one of his “zoomies” moods, he kicks it up into a wad under the dining room table. Heck, even just normal walking moves the thing around. THIS. MAKES. ME. INSANE. I must bend over 900 times a day to fix the thing. Yet another reason our forever home will not have carpet.

5. I ate sardines the other day for the first time! Yes, I said sardines. Honestly, they taste just like chicken. Ha! No, they don’t…but they do taste just like tuna. Kath made a video of herself making a sardine salad and I was intrigued. I bought a can of them last time we were in Ohio at Trader Joe’s and finally gave them a whirl. Not bad at all! Seriously, just like tuna. I used her basic recipe and added some relish for a little more moisture.

6. Emily and I are plowing through Made to Crave and loving every moment! We both agree that these last couple weeks have been really neat and there just seems to be so much ‘synergy’ going on with everything we’re learning. For example, the beginning of the study focused more on simple principles of emotional eating, whereas now we’re moving into self-control (which was my first major break-through) and obedience to God. The other night, I had a little bowl of ice cream (small, self-controlled and completely permissible for me), but afterward I realized I had eaten it ‘just because I wanted it.’ A perfect example of giving in and meeting a need–even with something permissible–when I should have been strong.

And another example: yesterday, Andrew and I ate a late lunch, so we didn’t want dinner before going to see The Avengers with the Layers. It was about 5:45 p.m. and I’d just gotten a 100% on my final Chem quiz and was craving a walk and some fresh air, so we decided to walk to Vincenzo’s to get some water ice with our Groupon. Anyway (I have a point here, I promise), we indulged a little in some liquid sugar (smalls!) before the movie, but passed on popcorn at the theater, which was easy since the line was long and we were already late. However, by the time the movie ended we were both a bit hungry and Andrew suggested Kone King. Now, I tell you what, I LOVE Kone King–their custard is just wonderful! But you know what my first thought was: “I’ve already had my dessert for today–I don’t need any more.” VICTORY!!! Despite it being 9 p.m., I felt I needed some ‘real food,’ so we opted for subs, where I chose a turkey on wheat. VICTORY!

7. My friend, Regina, took me to the local Yogen Fruz here at the mall. Big mistake; it’s just another thing to crave. At least it’s (pseudo) healthy, right?

8. I’ve come to the conclusion that Hadrian and I are on some sort of weird circadian rhythm… Nine times out of ten, I wake up–moments before my alarm–only to hear him start getting up (his collar jingling, a familiar whine/yawn and stretch from the living room, followed by the clacking of his nails on our wood bedroom floor), also moments before my alarm… As long as I can switch him from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. while I’m on summer break, we’ll be alright.

9. Speaking of Hadrian… I’m the worst dog-mom EVER. I went out on a study break tonight to grab a Starbucks and run a few errands, one of which being to buy dog food–he’s dangerously low. Well, I was apparently more concerned with getting to Ulta before they closed on Sunday than PetSmart… Between that preoccupation and the onset of a sudden “shopping mood” (probably more like procrastination, in this case), needless to say, I arrived to PetSmart too late. Reason #536 that we don’t have (real) children yet.

Guess I’m going in the morning… (Which really just means an excuse to get Starbucks before school, but who’s asking??)

10. Hours to final exam: 12!

welcome, may!

And what a beautiful day it was here yesterday, for the first Saturday of the month!

The farmers’ market opened…

…and Carolyn and Abigail joined us for brunch at Charlie’s on the porch! Definitely one of my all-time favorite places. And only on the porch; inside is a little cramped when it’s busy.

Per my usual, I can’t NOT get the blueberry pancakes, but I also wanted some savory breakfast components, so I opted for a spinach and mushroom omelet, home fries and one pancake on the side. (The cinnamon toast was forced on me…too bad I couldn’t have gotten fruit instead.)

I’ll have you know that half of everything (minus the toast–I nibbled on a couple pieces, though) went into a to-go box as soon as I got my food. To-go box = more room on the table + more room in my tummy + more deliciousness to enjoy later = VICTORY! Therefore, following the previous equation, a to-go box = victory. (Obviously, the Chemistry is starting to go to my head…)

Speaking of Chemistry… As my test is beginning to loom in the distance (May 14th!), there was some of that going on yesterday afternoon as well.

Mid-afternoon, we met Regina and her kiddos, Kevin and Vivian, on Elmwood in Buffalo for some walking around. We’d thrown the idea out about getting margaritas (it was Cinco de Mayo, after all), but with the two angels that wasn’t going to happen…

We walked around for a bit, popped into Penzey’s Spices (I was in desperate need of cinnamon and powdered ginger–two of my staples–and also got some Za-tar spice and grinding salt).

Regina and I wanted ‘real’ food before we treated ourselves to ice cream (the kids and Andrew had already gotten cones at Watson’s, which serves Anderson’s Ice Cream), so she and I popped into the uber-crunchy (a.k.a super natural/hippie-ish) Globe Market for some bites. I ended up with tiny amounts of an Israeli Couscous dish and an almond and cranberry chicken salad.

After a bit of a run-around, Regina opted for some blood orange gelato–I had a taste and it was amazing–I ended up BACK at Watson’s for the same flavor Vivian had, White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle, atop some Chocolate Chaplin (chocolate with coconut, marshmallow and cashew).

OK, bit of a rant here: I definitely asked the lady for a small with two different flavors, but she obviously did not understand what I wanted, since I got a giant one. Now, the old Holly would have been super excited and used this as an excuse to scarf the whole thing because, after all, I had at least tried to order less. No, not the NEW Holly. My first thought was, ‘OK, now there is no reason to eat all of this since I didn’t want this much to begin with.’ This is growth, people.

And I’ll share the victory: I gobbled the top flavor–amazing, by the way–but realized somewhere half-way through the chocolate that I wasn’t enjoying it anymore. Into the trash it went! Hurray!

We got home around 6 p.m. and weren’t hungry for dinner, so back to Chemistry I went. Below is a page from my study packet from last semester’s ACS exam… Oh, did I mention THIS semester’s exam will cover both this AND last semester? Yup, it’s cumulative.

Quantum numbers, orbitals, wavelength… I don’t remember it all!

After just about pulling my hair out trying to at least get through a practice test, Andrew and I decided it was time to head out for some “dinner” at 8:30. I wasn’t thrilled to be eating this late, but a walk from our house to the village to the new mexican place for margaritas was sounding really good right about then. (I’ll say it again, it was Cinco de Mayo, after all.)

Well, long and sad story short: the mexican place was more than packed with no room at the bar and an hour wait (!!!), so with no where else to go, we walked back home, trying to brainstorm a solution. I had no interest in waiting and having a full meal handed to me somewhere at 9:30 at night; the truth was, neither of us were that hungry. This was one of those classic examples in which I have a definite need for a food “experience” and if that need isn’t getting met, filling it with anything else is pointless.

Sooo, I might have been a little grumbly on the way home. And then, it hit me! We had margarita mix in the fridge! I said I silent prayer that there was at least a little tequila downstairs… (gosh, I sound like a crazy person here…)

Three ounces of tequila (the last!) and nine of margarita mix later, Andrew and I were both enjoying drinks on the rocks (sad about no salt!) in front of the next season of Big Bang Theory on DVD. I even assembled some nachos with sweet potato tortilla chips, a little melted monterey jack cheese and drips of salsa.

Overall, it turned into an OK night 🙂 I treated myself to a couple bites–literally–of the chocolate I got at Watson’s earlier (a sample to compare with Fowler’s) and ended it there. Another victory, in my mind. I might have eaten later than normal, but I avoided going overboard by succumbing to a restaurant in desperation, or a popcorn-and-ice-cream-binge that would have been tempting had we not been in possession of margarita ingredients.

Happy May!