The College Life, Take 2

There is nothing better in life than giving up financial independence, free time, a carefree existence, time with cherished friends and family, all for the purpose of pursuing a dream. This dream that I speak of was more of a passion, a passion to obtain a greater fulfillment from my life expressed through serving others.

I followed my dream wholeheartedly, my mind shielding me from remembering the penniless existence I used to lead as a [first time] college student. The little naive me that I was, only some 15 months ago, happily threw caution to the wind and embarked on said dream by giving up my adulthood life and all the luxuries that came with it.

Now, the older and wiser me yearns for the simple luxuries of life- a homemade meal, like the ones I used to make from scratch (and let's not forget the Love added in for good measure).

So, yesterday I couldn't help but laugh at myself when I unpacked my groceries and to my amused horror had bought -

And ate this for dinner:

I must say, this takes me back to the days of being a [first time] college student on a small budget and a diet consisting of tater tots, Ramen Noodle Soup and Snapple Ice Tea.

Guess I've upgraded to fancier noodles, added a little nutrition to my meal, and now pay $2 for a half gallon ice tea. Yep, life is good.

My Apologies

Dear Readers, (or, my one and only reader B, who I had to coerce into sitting in front of the computer both times to actually read what I wrote)

I must apologize for my previous (and only) posts. The awful garbage that spewed forth I couldn't even bring myself to read. How you did it is beyond me and even more so, that you came back and are reading this, then all  I have to say is- what's wrong with you? But, if I won your affections, then, yay me!

So, having said all that, here is my declaration:
*raising right hand with left hand placed on an imaginary copy of The Upanishads*
I, author of this blog, hereby solemnly swear that I will no longer publish unmitigated garbage.
All posts by me, author of this blog, will from henceforth be what I consider of the highest quality.*

Sincerely,
Yours Truly

Have a Nice Day.

*definition of "highest quality" is the subjective opinion of the author and if you don't like it, well then, no soup for you!

Independence Day (part two)

In the spirit of continuing to live life beautifully, taking joys in the simplest of pleasures, B and I extended our Independence Day celebration by attempting to watch the sun set on the breathtaking grounds of Bryn Athens.
However good our intentions, "sun set watching" was not in the cards for us as the sun hid behind the trees and out of view.

A quick, little impromptu lunch was thrown together by yours truly; full of small little yummy treats.
B, never having been to Bryn Athens (as he's not originally from the area) very much enjoyed himself and was inspired to talk about Great Ideas and Literature to his and my heart's content.

However, our true intention was to continue the Independence Day festivities by watching a display of fireworks at a local elementary school.

The show, which was scheduled to begin at 9p was delayed by half an hour giving all sorts of creepy crawlies and mosquitoes just plenty of time to make a feast off of our bodies. Thoroughly bitten, dirty and itchy we returned home, happy at having seen some pretty fireworks light up the night sky.

Independence Day (part one)

You have to love a Nation that celebrates its Independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but this is patriotism - Erma Bombeck

Although my Independence Day did not quite play out in the aforementioned way, I still nonetheless had a marvelous day. The perfect lazy Sunday began with a leisurely lounging around the house as B and I waited for the scorching sun to take pity on us before we ventured out.

Our adventure began with a trip to Princeton Record Exchange where hours were spent perusing the many, many titles offered. Thirty five dollars later we happily walked away with an eclectic yet pleasing mix.

We continued our Princeton excursion with stopping by The Bent Spoon where we indulged our sweet tooth with some of the yummiest ice cream my tongue has ever encountered - Hazelnut for B, Sicilian Blood Orange for yours truly.

The evening continued on with a visit to Borders and a happy me walking away with yet another book.

Dinner at Penang concluded our night out.

As a first time visitor I had a difficult time deciding between which dish(es) to hone in on but pleasantly selected the Crispy Honey Squid as my appetizer and Pi Pa Duck with a side of White Rice for my entree. However much I enjoyed my meal, it could not have competed with the deliciousness that was ordered by B- Mango Chicken creatively served in two halves of a mango.

- Crispy Honey Squid - that I was too busy enjoying before I realized I wanted to take a photo (hence, a good portion of the plate is empty)

- Pi Pa Duck - again, I got ahead of myself, ate most of the 1/2 of duck and then realized I wanted to take a photo

- Mango Chicken - the yummiest of the dishes ordered. No wonder B has been ordering the same meal for the past 8 years