Summer: Day 74

Today I worked and finally got a chance to finish painting my bookshelf and headboard! I'm really excited to have that done, and I hope to put them in my room tomorrow. I also got AutoCAD installed on my computer today. After I installed it, I considered that I probably should have installed AutoCAD Architecture instead... but there's no way I'm going to install another 4 hour installation. We'll see.

I texted an old friend/co-worker/acquaintence today. I got a response, so it's good to know she didn't fall off the face of the earth!

Kevin is on vacation in Michigan this weekend. He and his grandparents went to Fricano's pizza today, which makes me quite jealous. If you're ever in Michigan, hit up Fricano's. One of the best pizzas I've ever had. http://www.fricanospizza.com/

Summer: Day 73

This morning I went to the dentist and discovered I had no cavities. Victory! I've started flossing since becoming a responsible adult, so it was nice to see some results.

Summer: Day 72

It was fun to be more involved with the design side at my internship today. Not only did I get to sit in on a vendor meeting, but I also got to pull fabrics and accessories and get product specifications for designers. I loved it.

At night, I had fabulous time going to the premier of Cowboys and Aliens with Kevin and two friends. Universal Studios sponsored a pre-party at Solera, a Spanish restaurant in downtown Minneapolis. I had never been there before, but their appetizers were quite good and made me want to make a return visit!

Summer: Day 71

I woke up extra early today so we could go try to start the car at 7:15. We managed to get it home, thank goodness.

At work, I hung lots of pictures and organized lots of files. I'm going to miss being around all the designers when I go off to school!

Summer: Day 70

Woo double shift days! Not much to note other than the fact that my car refused to start when I tried to leave OfficeMax. My parents came to pick me up, and it still refused to start. Bummer.

Summer: Day 69

My first day back. I worked an 8-4 at OfficeMax, had dinner with the family, discussed college finances for next year, and spent some time with Kevin. A decent day.

Oh yes, and the best part of my day. Kevin had suggested that we meet that morning for coffee or something before we worked. I thought that would be so early, so he said that was fine. Right as I started work, I see him walk in with a my favorite coffee (mint condition mocha) and a muffin from Caribou. Surprises are amazing!

Summer: Day 68 (Travel)

We didn't have time to do much in Milwaukee before for our bus left, but we did go with Charlie to pick up some soda from the Sprecher factory, and we ate lunch at Kopps (Think Culver's, but better). The ride back was pretty relaxing, and I managed to get more of 1776 read.

It was such a nice weekend, and I think it was the only time I've had 3 days off in a row this summer... I think I need a break once in a while!

Summer: Day 67 (Travel)

We all woke up feeling quite refreshed after sleeping in on a Saturday morning. We all slept in except for Lauren, who went for a run before everyone else got up. Which reminded me how utterly out of shape I am after not running for a month... Then we had a yummy breakfast- Lauren and I made chocolate chip pancakes on the spur of the moment, and we took turns eating at Charlie's 2 chair card table dining table.

After breakfast, we walked all the way to Italian Fest. I got a great view of the city! Italian fest was very uncrowded and a bit interesting. There was this one tent with tons of old photographs that we spent quite a bit of time in, laughing at this family picture, or that outfit, or that wedding cake. On the walk back, we ventured into a HUGE used bookstore. I almost got lost. Kevin was pretty excited.

For dinner, Lauren and I were privileged to have dinner prepared for us by the boys: sweet and sour stir-fry, garlic cheesy bread, and salad with a genuine Italian homemade dressing. Needless to say, we washed dishes.

The rest of the night was spent meeting Charlie's neighbor friends and watching the scary movie Paranormal Activity. We were too exhausted from the walk to do much else!

Summer: Day 66 (Travel)

July 2011: Milwaukee

Lauren, Kevin, and I embarked at 4:39 P.M. from the Greyhound Bus Station. In my opinion, one of the nice things about the bus is being able to see your hometown city as you leave. Since I don't live downtown, it gives me an opportunity to look at some of the architecture and people of Minneapolis.

The bus ride proved quite successful, as I was able to finish a book and rest some. I didn't listen to my iPod at all, which is abnormal for me. Usually the earbuds are glued to my ear during a trip.

We arrived in Milwaukee around 10:30. The city lights shone brightly through a light fog. Within minutes, we were at Charlie's apartment. We spent an hour or two hanging out and playing Xbox. I failed at Fifa (2010? 2011?), but really enjoyed playing Xbox Kinect for the first time ever. Probably the most enjoyable type of video game.

Summer: Day 65 (Recipe)

Coffee Double Chocolate Brownies

This recipe is my very own adaptation of a cooks.com recipe. It's an easy way to make coffee brownies, and the chocolate chip options can be substituted for basically any toppings or types.
It was a great travel dessert, because they hold together in tupperware containers without falling apart. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures. 

Total time: 50 min. (10 prep, 30 bake, 10 cool)

1 beaten egg
1 (21 1/2 oz.) pkg. fudge brownie mix
1/4 c. cooking oil
1/4 c. instant coffee grounds 
1/2  c. water
1/2  c. large size semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips/pieces (the nicer the brand, the better)
1/2  c. white chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl combine egg, brownie mix, cooking oil, coffee grounds, water, chocolate chips. Stir just until combined. Spread in a greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan (I prefer using a light coating of shortening for the greaser, but butter works as well). Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes (toothpick may not come out clean if you stick it through a chocolate chip). Cool completely in pan  Cut into bars. Makes 36 small brownies.

Note: The edge brownies taste better after a day or two. No clue why.
 

Summer: Day 64

Tomorrow Kevin and I travel to Milwaukee! We're taking the bus, so it will be nice to not have one of us driving the whole time. We're going with Lauren, Charlie's girlfriend, who is sooooo nice.

Tonight we made coffee brownies to bring with on the trip. I had been wanting to try a coffee brownie recipe for aaaaaages, so it was good to finally try one out. Coffee and chocolate are two of my favorite things! The brownies turned out a little bit too hard/chewy- a little overbaked maybe? I might try making it again with another egg or more water. We'll see. Still, I love the brownies more than ordinary brownies.

My brother just got an android phone, and it was funny to hear that he has a to-do list on it. I love having a to-do list on my phone, but it sounds like  I actually use my to-do list a lot more than he does.

Summer: Day 63

I am quite tired from working and double shifting my internship and work. Cannot wait to fall into my bed tonight.

Also, soooo excited to go to Milwaukee this weekend with Kevin and Lauren to go visit Lauren's boyfriend Charlie! It should be a blast!

Summer: Day 62

It continues to be brutally hot and humid. Another side effect of the heat is that my car has problems starting. I have to try it again with a pump of the gas before it wants to start for me.

After I came home from work, I worked on figuring out my schedule for next year. It looks like I may have only one class on Friday if I go with it. I love having my Fridays free.... That was my schedule first semester last year, and it was the bomb.

Summer: Day 61

I'm just living life. It's been brutally hot and humid outside too, and our power has gone out twice in the last two days. It's a minor nuisance always resetting my clock. Being inside is fabulous.

At work, I started training a new associate in the print and document center. Soooo much to learn!

I've been loving New Found Glory songs recently.
"and oh-oh-oh, we've got something golden..."

Summer: Day 60

Update on my downstairs bedroom project: I have the room measure and a general idea for a style direction, but otherwise I've gotten nowhere. It would help if I had some spare time.

Summer: Day 59

Today was shopping, cooking, and eating. Soooo good. Soooo much food. It was like Thanksgiving in July, and I enjoyed as much as I could, especially seeing as I've lost weight over the summer.

Also, I don't post links a lot, but this post showed up in my Google Reader, and I think it's really relevant/nice. Basically, it proposes that the cure to procrastination/lack of motivation starts with answering the question "What makes a good life good?" In other words, what are you living for and what do you want your life to be like? Once you answer that, figure out how college/what you're doing fits in with that plan. I totally agree with how this puts time management and motivation in perspective with what really matters to you.

Summer: Day 58

Today, I think the sky was the darkest I've ever seen it during the day. It was positively night outside! The rain lasted all day, and it was cool to see the storms pass from the huge windows in the document center at work.

Tomorrow I'm looking forward to a day of the Farmer's Market, making food, and eating dinner with my family and Kevin's. What a great way to spend the day!

Summer: Day 57

Today, I got paid at an unpaid internship. Win.

Kevin and I went to Olive Garden tonight because I had a gift card. It's too bad that our server did not know the difference between tortellini and ravioli. Just a bit funny....

Summer: Day 56

Basically, today I had no voice. NO voice. But at least I could whisper. I had my internship, and at night I went to a pre-screening of The Changeup with Kevin. Yes, it was a dumb comedy. Yes, it was very vulgar. Yes, it did have a heartwarming emotional moment or two. And yes, I saw some interesting interiors.

Summer: Day 55

My raspy voice has turned into no voice. It sounds hilarious, so I can see how people make fun of it.

Today I installed my first light fixture (with a bit of help). I got an old light fixture from the Martha O'Hara showroom for free, since I would have been throwing it out anyways. I was able to switch out my bright brass ceiling fixture for something a bit classier in about 15 minutes. Changing lighting is a lot easier than it looks!

Summer: Day 54

I'm still getting over my cold. I have quite the raspy voice, and I can sleep for hours straight.

Things I hate (at least some of the time):
-uncertainty about the future
-lima beans
-reinstalling software
-lazyboy chairs (how they look, not how comfortable they are)
-being tired
-really dumb comedies

Summer: Day 53

Ahh store meetings. We get together and eat pizza and learn about the upcoming BTS (back-to-school) season. This year, OfficeMax's focus is on delighting the customer- basically getting to know the customer and exceeding their expectations. In many ways, this makes me think of how, as a Christian, I am called to serve others. I love others by genuinely wanting what is best for them. We need to love others as we love ourselves. If I'm not growing in this area, then I should not call myself a follower of Christ.

Summer: Day 52

I was sick all day. I woke up and was going to go to work, but thankfully my brother went in for me. Thus I went back to bed and couldn't stop sleeping. I woke up for a bit in the afternoon (i.e. from 4:30 to 8:00 P.M. I was awake.), and I slept 12 hours that night. I hate being sick.

Summer: Day 51

It's Friday, Friday, gotta work on Friday. Yep, it was nice and slow at work, giving me plenty of time to restock paper.

This morning, I worked on getting my computer back up and running. So many things to reinstall: iTunes, Firefox, Microsoft Office, Internet Security, printer driver... phew. I'm working on it. Some of the programs have had problems installing, and for a while I was freaking out looking for my the DVDs I backed up my music on. (Thank goodness I found them).

Today for lunch, I had a wheat wrap with a mix of peanut butter, chopped apple, chopped celery, and raisin filling. Since the recipe was out of the Healthy College Cookbook that Kevin got me, I was happy that the recipe was much better than the other recipes I've tried from the book so far. I've been doing a lot more cooking and recipe trying lately in preparation for when I'll be buying and making all my food this fall. It's quite fun.

Summer: Day 50

Today I finished inventoring what I could at my internship. Woohoo.

Summer is at least halfway done for me. It makes me pretty sad... I've had a great time so far.

I've started reading 1776, courtesy of Kevin. For a history book, it is excellent.

Summer: Day 49

At my internship today we started taking inventory of everything. This includes every piece of furniture, art, lighting, and accessories. What a job.

Two of the other interns and I went out to Noodles for lunch. I ordered the Pesto Cavatappi with chicken, which provided me with leftovers for the next day. I was quite pleased with the quantity of mushrooms in the sauce and the well-designed take-out box. Even though it's not very healthy, if I go to Noodles again, I want to order the Macaroni and Cheese. Even though Macaroni and Cheese is the best in the fall and winter.

"The more I see, the less I know..." ("Snow" by Red Hot Chili Peppers)

Summer: Day 48

The office has the day off today, so I've been able to have a lazy morning before I go to work at 4.
Lazy morning activities:
1) make apple cinnamon pancakes from a recipe I've never tried before. Have to add about 3/4 c milk because the recipe is obviously untested or poorly written (why would they put that in a cookbook?). Pancakes turn out well nevertheless. It helped that I've made pancakes a lot before. They're probably one of the first things I learned to make, yet I still have trouble flipping them.
2) finish reading Mere Christianity. I have a new book to add to my list of favorites.
3) catch up on my blog and email

Summer: Day 47

OfficeMax was fairly busy for it being the 4th of July. I had quite a few customers at the copy center, including several who were finishing up things right before the parade. I remember the same customers doing the same thing last year... their lack of preparation is almost shocking.

I got off at 6, so I was able to eat dinner with my family before heading to the fireworks in Excelsior. For once, I was pretty prepared (perhaps learning from the lack of preparation of my customers?). I sprayed up with bug spray, and remembered to bring some essentials: blanket, goldfish, cards, and glowsticks. As much as I dislike bug spray, I definitely hate mosquito bites more. The fireworks were good and relaxing with Kevin and my friends Haley and Lindsay was a perfect way to spend the Fourth. If I were to rank holidays, I think the Fourth would be in my top three.

Summer: Day 46

Sunday. I worked 11-7, and after I got off I made a quick orange-carrot smoothie (semi-failure) and ate a leftover enchilada, changed, and went to the Chanhassen street dance with Kevin and his friends. It seems as if more and more people attend the Chanhassen 3rd of July celebration every year... I always see lots of people I know. Afterwards, we went over to a friend's house, and I played Settlers of Catan for the first time. It's funny, because that game always reminds me of when I first met Kevin's friends, because they were all playing Settlers of Catan at Scott's house.

Summer: Day 45

Saturday. (Now it's Tuesday, and I'm trying desperately to update my blog posts). I worked 9-6 at OfficeMax, then I came home to have dinner with my family and Kevin. After dinner, we sat around a bonfire in my background, read, and roasted marshmallows. I discovered that nutella is a wonderful replacement for chocolate on smores, mainly because you don't have to worry about it refusing to melt. With nutella, the inside of your smore is guaranteed to be oozy, warm, sugary deliciousness. I'm such a nutella addict. After smores, we lit off some legal fireworks in the driveway and saw what appeared to be a misfired illegal firework at the end of the street. We weren't sure if anyone got hurt, and although no ambulances came, we saw two cars go up the street about 5 minutes after the misfire. Hopefully everyone was all right.

Summer: Day 44

I had the day off!!! It was my first day off in over a week, so it was much enjoyed.

First, I had lunch at Rey Azteca, a local Mexican restaurant, with my friend Lauren. I ordered a lunch combo of a quesadilla, an enchilada, and a chalupa. The quesadilla was perfection, with its thick and fried tortilla. The enchilada was pretty bleh with a bleh sauce, and I think they gave me a tostada instead of a chalupa. I didn't complain about the tostada mistake, because I honestly didn't mind.

Later, Lauren and Lindsay and I walked around Excelsior, despite the heat. We would never have been able to bike (as planned) in that heat. Even though we weren't really shopping for anything, Excelsior was nice to just walk around.

After dinner I got to see Kevin, so it was a great end to my day off.

Summer: Day 43

Moving things into cars and out of cars in 100 degree heat is pretty brutal. On days like these, I know that I should not live in the South.

That night, Kevin had a surprise outing for me. I knew that I needed to wear my swimsuit and that it was okay that Lindsay came too, but I didn't find out until we got there that it was beach volleyball. I think he was quite clever to not tell me until we got there, seeing as beach volleyball is not my favorite activity.Kevin really enjoys it though, so I have attempted to learn how to play. Sometimes, though, I really need to have a better attitude about it.

Summer: Day 42

Today I recovered from only getting 3 hours of sleep. My body screams at me until I catch up. Coffee and Diet Coke got me through the day. Unfortunately, I was unable to fall asleep when I attempted to take a nap.

Summer: Day 41

A few days late... I'm really behind in posting! Sending off my computer has a lot to do with it. This day ended up being super long. First, I was at my internship from 9-3, helping finish up moving stuff from the showroom. Then, I went to work from 4-9, after which I had an HP event that ended in the midnight premier of Transformers 3.

Basically, I loved some of the interiors in Transformers. I even spotted an Arne Jacobsen egg chair!