August 13, 2009

27 Days....Um That's Like, Soon!


Now 54 is a pretty high number. So is 42 and even 35, but 27 – now that number is on the downhill slope towards zero. When I realized that there was less than a month between me sitting at home and me sitting in Rome, I freaked out a little… and I mean more than usual.


It was just a jolt of reality. A thunderbolt, if you will, of fear, nervousness, anticipation, and excitement! 27 days everyone…that is less than a month! Its 3.8 weeks. A mere 648 hours.


I am going to Rome...


I am really really going...


Wow

August 5, 2009

35 Days….I Think this is What Hyperventilating Feels Like


So, its actually starting to sink in. That I am going to be in Italy for three whole months…which is a really long time to be away from home. But at the same time it’s such a short period of time to be in Europe. It is so crazy that in a little more that a month my plane will be taking off for the adventure of a lifetime…

Woah – am I ready for this?

Planning is running smoothly, the days are ticking by, and the world awaits. I am happy to report that I’ve made excellent progress on my To Do list for Rome and things are plugging along nicely. Here’s what I have accomplished since my last post:

  • Buy School Books – Done! And the best part is I got all my books, for the whole semester, for a whopping $40. Now that is economy my friend.
  • Plan Plan Plan – (stay tuned, I’ve decided to devote a whole post to this) (p.s. prepare yourself)
  • Budget – Sent in my credit card app and am waiting to hear. Going to pay my school bill when I get back n campus in a few weeks

  • Research and Purchase Electronics – Really frustrated with this actually, I’m still looking for a good digital camera. Currently I’m researching seventeen (yes you read that correctly – 17) models and narrowing it down from there.

  • Knock Out My Killer Shopping List – Well, I wrote my shopping list. My Optimistic Mama is going to help out too, which is wonderful. Oh! I did buy a very ‘European’ umbrella ;)

  • Dealing With My #1 Problem – Procrastination is the best solution here

* Secret Coding: (Strikethrough – completed) (Italic – Waiting) (Bold – Working on it!)

I’ve been literally floating on cloud nine these past few days. I am really really going to Rome. OMG! My heart jumps every time I think about it.

This is truly going to be the experience of a lifetime!

Summer + Hippies = A Hysterical Wordless Wednesday

At the hippie Arts Festival concert:

Me: Looking around at the strange new surroundings
Lydia: "This is the type of music that you smoke something to hear the voices in your head...then you sit close to someone and hold their hand so you can hear the harmony!"


Photographs by one of my favorite people ever!

August 3, 2009

Self Discovery

I discovered something today...about myself...Espresso has a great effect on me!

Who would have thunk it - the college girl who can down several cups of coffee and go to bed is brought low by McDonald's brew. If you read my post about Mocha Monday then you are already familiar with the occasion.

So how do I know that its affected me?

Well when we stopped this morning I took two sips and felt all happy and then went to talk to my manager who probably thinks I'm crazy now all because I was talking really fast about this problem that wasn't really that big of a deal but it needed to be taken care of AND I was really happy on a Monday, which is rare but I did my work and got a splitting headache so on the way home Optimistic Daddy stopped again and I drank more and then I was singing and talking really fast the whole way home he seemed annoyed not sure why but then my legs were shaking when I tried to walk and I couldn't stop talking...I was literally spewing verbage (I like that word don't you?) So my Optimistic Sis told me to be quiet and stop TUI - Talking Under the Influence.


Convinced?

Optimistic Monday: National Watermelon Day

So, as I try to narrow down what exactly this blog is going to be about, I decided to start something new – Optimistic Monday. Each Monday I’m going to blog about something that makes me happy. A book, an experience…Or just share some tidbits of inspiration for the world. Maybe a little corny, but I thought it was a good idea, and you know, this is my blog :)

SO, I know this Monday post is a little late but - drum roll please

**insert drum roll sound effect here**

The 1st Optimistic Monday Post:

National Watermelon Day!

I don’t even know how I stumbled across this, but I wish I had done so sooner - Today, National Watermelon Day! Every year on August 3rd the nation celebrated watermelon and the joy it brings. I’m a huge fan of watermelon and it always brings back such happy memories of summer.

Seed spitting contests (which inevitably turned seed spitting fights) and eating watermelon for dinner on those days when it was too hot to cook. Ah….Oh sorry, I got lost in my thoughts there…back to NWD, as I am going to call it.

To celebrate I took a watermelon quiz from Watermelon.org and got a grand total score of 5 out of 12. Okay, so maybe I wouldn’t be the next “Are you Smarter Than a 5th Grader” Champion, but I still love the fruit.

To redeem myself from that embarrassment here is a fabulous recipe for a frozen Watermelon treat:

Watermelon A la mode

Ingredients:
- Vanilla Ice cream
- Pink sherbet (any flavor you like)
- Green Sherbet (again any flavor)
- Mini Chocolate Chips

Leave your frozen ingredients out to soften little bit.

Get a large to medium sized metal bowl. Once its soft enough take your green sherbet and spread it around the inside of the bowl. In other words, there should be a layer of sherbet around the inside of the bowl

Freeze until hard

Spread a thin layer of vanilla ice cream on top of your green sherbet.

Freeze until hard

While your bowl of goodness is freezing, mix your soft pink sherbet in a bowl with the mini chocolate chips. Then fill up the remainder of the bowl with your mixture.

Once again, freeze until hard. After this you should be able to turn your bowl up-side-down and your “watermelon” will pop out. Slice like you would a normal watermelon and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Okay – one more thing to celebrate! I wanted to post picture on myself chowing down in honor of NWD, but this was way cuter:

Have a wonderful watermelon day!!!