Back to Life, Back to Reality

Somebody call Soul II Soul. I can't get the song out of my head! "However do you need me, however do you want me..."

Ahh. The bliss of vacation.  The sweet escape. (shout out Gwen S.) The lack of everyday-ness. The sleeping when it's dark outside.  The no working out and not even feeling guilty about it.  Aaahh. Isn't it so refreshing?  The thing about vacation that really stinks is when it's over. I  had 200 e-mails to sift through at work, most of them junk or things that were simply irrelevant by the time I got to them. Back to life, back to reality... back to the cold. Back to Pennsylvania, where I'm pretty sure they actually learn how NOT to drive.  Back to traffic, and people who brake in the middle of the parkway, for fun.  After 5 days of fun in Texas, and only 2 back here in Pennsylvania, I was so sad, so lonely.

Enter Gretchen, the wonder-friend. Seriously, how's this for a pick-me-up? A yummy Mediterranean meal, complete from appetizer to smoothie, a Steeler-spotting: Legendary player Franco Harris (wiki Steel Curtain or fly out of Pittsburgh International Airport, and you'll know who he is), A trip through a has-been mall that has an Old Navy with NO LINE, and a Pedicure!! Aaaah, Gretchen, nicely done!

 

I was all ready to have pity-party Saturday, feeling all lonely, and now, the party's canceled.

Plus, after that, I hit the bookstore and stumbled upon a great sale! And I stopped by Starbucks, where I made a new friend: "Dulce de Leche" It's hard to say, but worth the education from your local Barista, it was simply awesome. And there are little crunchy bits of goodness the latte stops by and picks up on its way to your mouth - a perfect 10!

And, get this: you know the "The Way I See It's" on the Starbucks cups? Well, friends, they are not only quoting well noted people and books and movies, but apparently now they are letting customers have their say. My The Way I See It tonight was from some guy named John Adamski, a Starbucks customer from Corvallis, Oregon.  Now, I'm just guessing that if this guy has been quoted on a Starbucks cup, he's likely googled himself, so I won't say anything too mean about his quote, but I just hope that one day the Starbucks quote-gatherers are in Pittsburgh and I can have my say!  I'll have to start working on something brilliant.  And I hope I end up on a Venti cup of something wonderful and not on someone's tall cup that's just being used for extra insulation or something.

Standby for my Texas blog. I'm waiting until I'm inspired and highly caffeinated, so that my blog will adequately express how wonderful the trip was!

Until then...