Feels Like Falling for the First Time…

I’m feeling those little tingles and jingles that I haven’t felt for 7 years. There is a change in the air, and it’s not just the pollen. I’m getting lost and spending far too much money on textbooks, and all of the sudden, I’m on the same level as the 2,500 17-19 year olds scampering around the campus of University of Pennsylvania… Where on EARTH is my Trapper Keeper?

Yup, I’ve found a new love and, though there’s a bit of an age difference (try 247 years… rob the cradle much?) I think we have a solid future ahead.

Ben Franklin – Founder of UPenn and general badass extraordinaire

I spent yesterday doing typical first year things…. I panicked when I couldn’t get into a building, I stumbled over the uneven bricks, I took a campus tour, and I checked out some frat boys (totally platonic, I got my own frat boy at home).

Delta Psi ’til I die

Visiting the UPenn chapter of my OWN fraternity (though, at UNC, it’s co-ed and basically 100% different from the UPenn chapter) brought back so many feelings of excitement and anticipation, feelings I never thought I’d have again after graduating from UNC.  And, of course, I picked up the standard amount of Swag for any new student to campus.

Praise be, this shirt’s free (other than that massive tuition bill I paid…)

Hell, I even got a LANYARD!

(Anyone else remember how attached they were to their first-year lanyard? And how devastated you were the first time you lost it/it broke? So many feelings…)

I’m too excited for words. There’s this feeling I get exploring my new home for the next few years… an electricity in the air, a general “anything can happen” vibe that fills the air. And even though I spent this morning shelling out some more bucks for textbooks (that’s one semesterly purchase I did NOT miss) and going over all the readings I have to do before classes even start (What happened to syllabus week being for parties and free foods?), nothing is going to bring me down.  I gotta get some notebooks, some highlighters, and a few reinforcers I’ll never use, and invest in a solid chunk of Lisa Frank goodies.  It’s back to school, baby, and this makes it official.

Too Legit.

What is/was your favorite thing about going back to school?

Best school supplies?

Six Pack Sunday: A Day Late for Labor Day

Hey there all, happiest of Labor (or not-very-much-labor) Days to you and yours!

Yesterday, after tackling some big girl tasks, I decided to enjoy a little less grown-up fun.

Trashy mags and froyo for lunch? Don't mind if I do.

I parked it at Sweet Frog, not my NUMBER ONE ALL-TIME FAVORITE froyo place in the area but a little closer than Tutti Frutti (which is my favorite) and an acceptable substitution when I need my fix.

Oh, and on my way home, I spotted this little signage:

Moonberries? Really? God, the name of these yogurt places are always ridiculous.

Spotted outside of the Target near Southpoint in Durham, moonberries  is apparently “coming soon.” Well, color me excited.

ANYWAY, all that froyo eating plum tuckered me out. So here’s this weeks’ Six Pack Sunday: A Day Late (it’s the holiday, people).

1. Know your customer

Nailed it, Target.

XBox 360, meet Doritos. Doritos and XBox 360, meet the favorite combination of your clientele. Gotta give Target major credit for this one, as it actually made me laugh mid-shopping, imagining my brothers (and boyf, at that) seeing both of these, lighting up, and clearing the shelves. Yum.

2. Coconut oil = COCONUT Oil

Having used the medjool dates I got from Swanson Health Products before to make some pretty sweet carrot cake-balls in the past, I decided it was finally time to whip out the coconut oil I also received from them.  I used it to make one of my best good karma omelets to-date.

2 egg whites, 1 yolk, 2 slices of low sodium turkey, tomato, green pepper, spinach, sprinkle of cheese

Coconut oil, Live, in the Flesh (er.... jar?)

I know many folks who use coconut oil for baking and honestly, I think that might be the way to go. I’m a HUGE coconut fan in all things (froyo, macaroons, pina coladas, getting caught in the rain [of coconut shreds]). But the taste of coconut in this omelet was a little off-putting. Luckily, it was nothing a little smattering veritable flood  of Frank’s Red Hot couldn’t cope with.

Are you interested in getting some free Swanson Health Products goodies to review on your own blog? Then check out the Swanson Health Blog for all the details.

3. A little SWAG goes a long way

I gave that Barney Butter an A+... and a hotel key, for later.

Keen-WA!

So this week, I enjoyed quite a few little bits and pieces leftover from my HLS swag bag. Highlights included the Barney Butter Almond butter packet with an apple snagged from the hotel I stayed at during my Winston-Salem trip and the Roasted-Red Pepper/Basil Quinoa/Rice mix from Near East. Not a HUGE eater of either of these products, they were both delicious enough to make me wanna go out and try them again.

4. CART ESCAPE!

BUSTED!

Spotted about 1/6 of a mile from the grocery store, these carts were clearly trying to make an escape. Sick of carting around other people’s foods, I’m pretty certain they were trying to venture to the woods both to connect with nature and to forage for nuts and berries.

I wish them luck in all their endeavors, and give them serious credit for getting as far as they did by the early evening.

5. Deal of the Day

Spotted at the Target near Southpoint!

Harvest Time by Big Boss, as I’ve mentioned before, is maybe my favorite pumpkin ale. And Target was selling 6-packs for basically pennies (not Bad Penny, though, which is a mis-label). And so, of course, I picked up a pack. Target has a tendency of occasionally having CRAZY low, random prices on beers (once we got 36 Coors Lights for $15. I know, I know, Coors Light, but a deal’s a deal.)

I may go back for another today. I love it that much.

6. Summer of Riesling Farewell Party (of one.)

Farewell, summer!

Though I spent most of this summer having my own personal “Summer of Great Beer”, I figured I should end the Summer of Riesling 2011  with a Bang. And a bottle of Bogle. Not light enough for my liking, but drinkable. And a great way to enjoy a pre-game Friday night featuring my nearest and dearest friends.

Yup. The Cast of Degrassi. (click for Source)

Some might say that obsessively/compulsively watching Canadian teen dramas about high school students 7-9 years my junior is crazy. To them, I only have one statement:

It goes there.

If only we all lived our lives like the cast of Degrassi…..

Anything fun going on for your Labor Day?

It’s raining here, but that won’t keep me away from my buddy’s BBQ.

Have you ever watched Degrassi? OR any other teen dramas compulsively? 

No shame in that game, I watch ’em all.

Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ Festival in Cary

Good morning and happy weekend all!!

I’m writing to you from a comfortable couch after sleeping on a less-than-comfortable floor…. ah, the life of a Triangle Nomad, right?

It was more than worth it though, as last night was the Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ Festival in Cary, NC!

This was the second year in a row I’ve attended the festival, both celebrating (a day later) my beau’s birthday!  We had a killer groupon deal for it, and joined two of our buddies, Claire and Taylor, for the festivities.

Even though we got there half an hour before the doors opened, there was still a line.  Luckily, we were toward the front (whew).

Oi vay, lots of thirsty folks!

Luckily, we had entertainment in the form of some classy zydeco music.

Nothing classier than overalls in front of a moving van, right?

They actually ended up letting the “will-call” ticket holders in about 5 minutes before the Groupon holders, which was pretty lame in my book. That being said, by the time we got in, there was a lotta beer to go around.

Cheers!!

You can see Taylor’s sweet lanyard on the right there, which perfectly held our tasting glasses when we didn’t feel like holding them ourselves.  It was a nice enabler to my laziness, I have to say.

There was some awesome drinks there:

Offerings from Blue Point Brewery

Outstanding cocktails made with St. Germain elderflower liqueur

There were some…. less than tasty drinks there:

Hey! That's not beer, bourbon, OR BBQ... but it is Burnett's.

The BBQ was off the chain (and included with the Groupon!!)

A full plate of deliciousness!! Pork, beans, a roll, and coleslaw!

And we had a lot of laughs.

RELEASE THE KRACKEN! (and I basically wore that eye patch all night).

We even found some other beer buddies in the area.

Oh, hey LaurPo!

We had Zingo come and pick us up/drive my car back to Taylor’s house for a little late night swimming.

I also have a bit of a confession. When I’m surrounded by the possibility of coming home with free stuff…. I kinda go a little crazy.

So. Much. Swag.

  • 6 temporary tattoos
  • Heavy Seas Eye patch
  • Absolut Vodka bar mat
  • Malibu Rum bar mat
  • Palms Sticker
  • Lanyard and tasting glass
  • 3 koozies
  • a little baggy of hops!
  • 1 flashlight keychain
  • 2 bottle opener keychains
  • a Magic Hat sticker
  • a Magic Hat condom (get it…. a “magic hat”! — That’s what the Magic Hat rep told us.)
  • And an Iron Man shirt…. in a boys medium. Yeah that may have been from the pool later. Sorry, little man. Don’t leave your things lying around.  Creeps might pick em up.  Creeps like me.

Since we lived it up and dined/drank like royalty last night, I’m off to a pilates class at noon. I’m nervous…. Wish me luck!