Weekend in Instagram

This weekend I took it easy.  My ankle was sore and I really just wanted to veg.

 I started Saturday with a delicious homemade nonfat, extra-foamy latte.  My coworker's awesome husband (whom I've never met) gave me this brand-new espresso machine that he got as a gift years ago but has never used.  So, Saturday was the first day I put it in action and boy, oh boy, did it make a killer latte. FYI, the best coffee in Ohio (at least that I've found) is Stauf's, locally roasted in Columbus, Oh.  It's a little pricey, but is totally worth every penny.  Their espresso blend is fantastic, as is there Kaldi's blend and their French Caramel.  (Also, I just put in my first online order to them this morning because they're offering free shipping for the month of February, and they were out of one of the things I ordered, so they immediately called me [we're talking 15 minutes after I put in the order, people] and got something else for me.  Great customer service, so friendly and helpful!)

 Caffeinated human. Groggy basset hound.

 I spent most of the weekend watching Scrubs and working on a Sunburst granny square afghan I just started.  I've done a granny square afghan before, but this is my first time doing the Sunburst.  It's also the first granny square I'm making for our house, but more on that later.  So far I really like it, the pattern is pretty straight-forward and it's easy to keep track of everything since for the first three rows you need 16 of every stitch.  For right now I'm only prepping the circles.  Once I think I have enough of them, then I'll be constructing the squares around them out of an off-white yarn.

 

 While I was crocheting away, Cheese was keeping me company on the couch.  I love it when he snuggles up in a ball and covers his little nose with his paw to keep it warm.  So precious!

Last night, A and I watched the last two-thirds of the Oscars.  Correction, Antoine, Cheese and I watched the Oscars.  It's funny, I never make a point to watch the Oscars, but when I actually end up watching it I always enjoying myself. 

Bad Juju

The last couple weeks have been riddled with bad luck for me and for a lot of people around me.  First, I fall and fracture my ankle.  Then I come down with a cold this week, after having been around not one person who been sick.  And, I just had a nasty upper respiratory infection in early January which took forever to get rid of.  Something is royally messed up with my immune system!  Anyway, one of our volunteers at work got in a fender bender last week.  A coworker had a rock go into the compressor of his car which cost $1K to replace.  Then this morning Antoine slips on ice and bangs himself all up and his hand starts bleeding.  Jesus, this shit is crazy!  It needs to stop!  So, seriously...be careful out there people, it's dangerous!

Using Pinterest to Plan Trips

Let's face it, Pinterest is just plain addictive!  Everyone warns you before you get on it, but really they can never properly prepare you for how much it'll suck you in.  I think what makes it so appealing is that it can be used in so many different ways.  There are those who pin every silly DIY and/or crazy shortcut post that ever existed.  Then there are those who create endless fashion and outfit boards (my cousin).  Then there are those like me, who love to find new recipes or pin old favorites.  Besides for recipes and crochet patterns, I love to use Pinterest as my own personal trip planner.

When it comes to planning travel there are generally two types of people, those that leave it to the experts (aka travel agents) and those that enjoy the planning almost as much as the trip itself.  I, of course, fall into the latter category.  I contribute 50% of this to my love of making lists and 50% to my sister, who is a phenomenal travel agent.  My sis took me on several trips in my teens, most notably a stellar 10 day trip to the UK.  It was so beautifully planned and organized.  We flew into Edinburgh, rented a car and drove down to the mid-lands where we visited friends, went to Liverpool and Stratford-Upon-Avon, and then we took a train to London where we spent the last couple nights.  It was an outstanding trip, and it showed me what good travel is all about.  To this day, I almost always run my trip ideas past my sister, you know, since she does it for a living and she's been almost everywhere.  But once I get the thumbs-up from my sis, then I begin researching.

My research is generally just Google-based.  Usually I'll check tripadvisor to see if there's anything I've missed, but generally the top "things to do" on their list aren't usually activities or sights that interest me.  Plus, the ratings and reviews are so subjective.  Though, sometimes tripadvisor will surprise me!  I constantly turn to Google maps to map out and route the trip, especially near the end of planning when I'm deciding on a specific day-by-day agenda.  For our last couple trips and our next one coming up (Vancouver, Montreal, and Seattle, respectively) I used Pinterest to compile ideas, from places to stay, things to see, restaurants to check out and little helpful tidbits that I've discovered and don't want to risk losing.   

This is my board for our next trip Olympic National Park and Seattle, which is coming up in May. [Click to see the full board]

I'll make notes in the pin description, mainly how much it costs, what it is close to and when it might fit best into the trip.  Then I can constantly share the board with Antoine (and my sister) to get feedback and bounce around ideas.  Plus, just looking at the board makes excited for the trip, which can be kind of torturous...especially if it's months and months away, like Seattle!  Another advantage to using Pinterest inn this way is since I have it on my phone, if I need an address, directions or hours while we're on our trip I can just go to my board instead of spending time searching for it online. It's all-around awesome and now I can't imagine planning a trip without it.  I encourage you to try using Pinterest the next time you plan a trip!

Now if Pinterest could only make it so that you could rearrange your pins within a board I would be in seventh heaven! 

Montreal: Notre-Dame Basilica

I'm not a religious person, but I enjoy visiting old, beautiful churches.  It's solely for the architecture, design , and history rather than anything else.  Montreal's Notre-Dame Basilica is definitely a place of beauty.

Look at those stairs!  I'd love to have those in my house, minus the cherubs and old bearded dudes.

 I bet that organ sounds amazing!