I’m not in College anymore

Greatest College Weekend Ever!

Little 500 Part I

Nothing reminds me more that I am no longer a college student than taking a road trip to Bloomington for a weekend of college living. College students are like wild animals – and I say this in the nicest way possible. It is so funny that it is a cultural norm and rite of passage to drink excessively, act ridiculously and do so in front of your peers, parents and any other adult that happens to be near you.

I was once a college student – but after last weekend – I realized I can’t hang with the big dogs. It took more than a week to recover from two “college like” evenings.

Bloomington Bagel = Lifesaver

I was dirty, smelled like alcohol and pizza (not because I drank too much because it was spilled on me) and I did the walk of shame in the rain at 8:30 am from my good friend Libby’s house to the hotel room I paid for but didn’t sleep in. Since I am no longer a college student and have an 8-5 job, I routinely wake up early in the morning hence the 8:30 am walk home.

Regardless – it is always fun to go back to school and relive the memories of the lifestyle I once had. To sum it up, I altered a funny movie quote to reflect my feelings of Little 500 weekend.

“The great thing about college is I get older, but IU stays just the same.” - So true.

Little 500 Part II
As a proud member of the 2007 Little 500 Steering Committee, I was so happy to go back to one of my favorite things that happens each spring in Bloomington. Lucky for us, we still get treated as special guests and get to take part in fun activities like the alumni bbq and we get infield passes and can watch the race from the center of the field. We also rent out the entire top floor at Nick's to celebrate post race. I love it and I hope I get to keep going back year after year.

Best seat in the house - from the infield

It was also so great to be back with great friends. Although our SC had a smaller showing than in past years, we had a great time and it was good to catch up with everyone. It is amazing how time passes by. Before we know it, we will be having our ten year SC reunion and we will definately be asking how ten years passed so quickly.

                                               

2007 SC photo a the Alumni BBQ

Pho Good

So my good friend and co-worker Amelianna introduced me to this wonderful Vietnamese noodle dish.

Pho (fuh).

Amelianna spent some time in Seattle last summer where Pho is beloved and readily available. It is delicious and is served with fresh Thai basil, bean sprouts, lime and various other sauces of your liking. Inside the bowl are rice noodles, the meat of your choice, scallions, onion and a hot savory broth that could cure a cold in a matter of seconds.

The restaurant Pho 43 just opened in Milwaukee and for all the Milwaukeeans reading this post, I recommend you go! It is delish, affordable ($5 for a large bowl) and you can also choose from a variety of wonderful bubble drinks and fresh fruit juices to accompany your meal!

You won’t be sorry.

Restaurant Info:

Pho 43
2155 Miller Park Way (The old Cheezy Grill)
West Milwaukee, WI 53219

Home is Where the Heart Is

Well - we found our new apartment! And we didn't have to look too far. Our friends, Curt and Celeste, just bought a home in the burbs so we are moving into their place. Not their actual apartment but the house. They lived on the lower flat and we are moving into the upper unit.

I am really excited to live in this apartment for several reasons: We are on the second floor and can have the windows open all the time. We also have two garage spots which is a definite plus for us and our vehicle history. Another plus is the location - right off Brady St. which is great because of all of the shops and restaurants. I am happy to head back to the Eastside. We are two blocks away from a lake view and close to everything.

I'm also excited to decorate a new apartment. We have a dining room now so I've been trolling Craig's List for a diamond in the ruff....an ugly dining room set that I can beautify! I'll be sure to do a 'before and after' of the new place. I wish I would have done that in our current apartment - it was quite the transformation!!

Redesign In Progress!

Currently, I am finishing some maintenance on our blog - should be done by Monday! Thanks for reading! Leave a comment!

C'est magnifique!

Lisa Ling is my hero!

Tomorrow, I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to hear Lisa Ling speak at Marquette. I am so excited to see Ling in person. She is truly one of the most remarkable, determined and unrelenting journalists of our time and her work to tell the stories of persecuted and mistreated women worldwide is beyond admirable. I have been a fan of Ling for several years and her work continues to leave me speechless, humbled and inspired.

Beach Bound

In a few weeks, I will be heading to Longboat Key, FL for a few days of sun, sand and seabreeze cocktails. I. CAN'T. WAIT.

Joey and I are meeting my mom and dad in the same villa that we stayed in last year. I love, love, love Longboat Key. The beaches are great, cute boutique shopping and there are several fabulous restaurants. My favorite place is The Sandbar. The restaurant is on the beach so you sit with your toes in the sand - doesn't get much better. It also helps that the sand is like baby powder and you can hear the waves amidst tropical live music while you are enjoying your lunch or dinner.

I also can't wait for a nice slice of real Keylime Pie! FL here we come!