Day Twenty:

Day 20: Nicknames

I have only a few nicknames. 

Drea - an obvious abbreviation for Andrea (pronounced both ways that you say Andrea)

Dre or Dre Dawg- pronounced just like the Rapper. I got this one a lot back in the day. Now that I'm 31 and not as hip it doesn't appear as often. Shame. 

Peanut- this nickname was originally given to me by my 7th grade math teacher, Mr. McClain. I was really little and really tan when I was younger. I guess he thought of me as a little peanut. 

The really funny part about this nickname comes from a 'Most Embarrassing Event EVER' moment in middle school. We were all about to take a test so the room was quiet. I accidentally dropped my pencil off my desk and reached over hurriedly to pick it up off the floor. As I reached out to grab it, I let a HUGE fart slip. I sat back up and my face turned bright red. Everyone turned to look at me and laugh. To make matters worse, my 7th grade crush sat right behind me and he was shaking his head in disgust. And good ol' Mr. McClain called out, "Was that you, Peanut??"

Yes, Mr. McClain. It was MEEEEEEE! (said in the style of Jim Carrey in Liar, Liar). 

That's what I wanted to say and do. But instead I just sat turning brighter and brighter shades of red. I think sweat droplets may have formed on my forehead. Anyway...that was nearly 20 years ago but the nicknames still stands. 

My husband calls me this everyday. 

Day Nineteen:

Day 19: Something You Miss

Riding cable cars like true tourists

My friend and I about to take a boat ride

The beautiful bridge

Majestic views

Coit Tower

Falling on my bike (this happened A LOT)

Ferrying across the bay after our bike ride

Beautiful city at night

Other side of the bridge

Winery tours

I left my heart in San Francisco...

Day Eighteen:

Day 18: Favorite Place to Eat

MMMMMMMM.....

I love talking about food. 

Well it technically says favorite place (singular) but there is really no way to say one particular favorite because, as with most things, it depends on the mood (and sometimes my desire, or lack-thereof, to dress up). 

Here is a list of TOP 5 FAVORITE PLACES TO EAT (in no particular order):

1. Il Pizzaiolo, Mt. Lebanon, PA 15228

Yum Yum Yum! This place was one of our favorites while we were living in Pittsburgh and I still crave it daily. I will take a trip back just for this restaurant. So authentic and such a great ambiance as well. 

To Try:

Arancini

Margherita D.O.C Pizza with Buffala Mozzarella

Burrata Cheese

Caprese Salad

Gnocchi al Pesto

House Chianti

Tiramisu

2. Uchi, Austin, TX 78704

Not as familiar with the menu here, but the times I have been have been phenomenal! My sister and her husband go here a lot more than I do so they usually help us in ordering. That being said, I don't think you could really go wrong in your ordering here because everything is delicious. I love sushi so I thought of the best sushi place to be my number 2 and this is it! 

3. Thundercloud Subs, Austin TX 

Yeah, you may not have expected that one but, I gotta tell ya, I love eating here. There are various locations. I really like the one near Lake Austin Blvd. Also the one off Riverside. My husband prefers the one near Lakeway where we grew up, for nostalgic reasons. Either way, I love their fresh ingredients, their bread, their lettuce and I always feel good after eating them, never bloated or gross or filled with shame. See next entry for that feeling...

4. Primanti Brothers, Pittsburgh, Pa

So, this one is awesome but I have a feeling it's not the very best for you, health wise. However, I love it and I dare not admit that to my husband because I gave him such a hard time for going there several times a week (sometimes several times a day...) The key here is to add the egg to your sandwich and don't skimp on those fries! 

5. Church Brewworks, Pittsburgh, PA

So, this picture doesn't really justify the amazing food and beer here, but the part that is really fantastic is that the experience takes place in an old Catholic church. The church was abandoned and set to be torn down and someone had the brilliant idea to turn it into a microbrewery and restaurant. The food is really, truly some of the best I've ever had and the beer is DIVINE. (Get it...). Worth a trip all the way up to the Burgh. 

Day Seventeen:

Day 17: Something you're looking forward to...

Well, to be honest, there is a lot that I am looking forward to. But, in the more immediate future, I am certainly looking forward to my upcoming trip to Italy for my friend's wedding. 

I'm returning after not having traveled there since 2008. It feels like forever ago. The last time I went, I was there a short 10 days (kind of like this time will be). I took classes at a language school Monday through Friday, participated in some evening tours and activities, visited my friend and then also my wonderful Italian family for whom I was a nanny back in 2005. Then it was back to the US. 

This time I am bringing my husband. I'm kind of nervous about how that will play out. He's not the most well traveled person. And he gets easily frustrated with crowds, foreigners, strange languages, difficult situations...basically our two days in Rome when we arrive may end up being a disaster! I hope not, but I have no way to know how he will react. I wish it weren't that way, but he's like an extremely large ticking time bomb when it comes to his frustration levels and the way he ignites himself over issues. 

But, this is a post about looking forward to things! 

I'm looking forward to: 

1. Eating delicious food

2. Strolling the streets and seeing the sights and taking it all in

3. Hanging out with Alissa and all her friends and getting to meet different people

4. Trying to speak Italian

5. Seeing the Tuscan countryside

If I were going on this trip with a friend, or my sister, or myself I would say I am looking forward to the outrageous comments from the Italian men or their extreme politeness, but that doesn't happen in the exact same way when you are traveling around with a man. Especially an American man. So basically, I won't be offered free drinks or bottles of wine. Che peccato. 

Anyhow... wish me a buon viaggio! I depart at the end of June!

Here are pics from that last voyage there (mostly Bologna, Venice and Padua).

Bologna Streets

Delicious Pizza!

The Many Bikes of Padua

Waiting patiently for my pizza

Roma

Posin in Venezia

Day Sixteen:

Photo Courtesy of The Aestate

Day 16: Dream house

This one is a little tricky. 

My dream house is constantly evolving. It helps that I have a dad who is a home builder. But then again that also makes it hard because I have grown up seeing so many awesome houses and thinking of them all as readily attainable. Not so! 

Fortunately, my tastes have changed to follow trends and current events (i.e. the recession, over population, sustainable food movement, slow food movement, simplify life movement). That being said, here are some desires for my dream house: 

1. Large outdoor space to spend most of my time within. 

2. Ample raised bed garden along with other gardened spaces, providing a mixture of food plants, herbs, flowers and native plant species. 

3. Green house. 

4. Floor to ceiling book shelves filled with BOOKS!

5. Unique, hand-made and/or local artwork filling each room. 

6. Colorfully painted walls. 

7. Wrap around porch. 

8. Shade trees. 

9. Large open kitchen. 

10. Child's play room/create room/inspire room

11. Artist's studio

12. Yoga room (this could also be within the artist's studio).

It may sound like my house is huge, but notice I do not care too much about space for the other things. I actually would love it if my future little family members all shared a room so that they became super close with their siblings while also learning important lessons on sharing, tolerance, close spaces, and respecting other's sleeping time. I know this may not actual happen like this in the real world, but we are talking about my dream house and dream world here so, ya know, let a girl dream. 

I also envision rooms with natural light, indoor plants, hearty wood tables and unique features that conserve energy and make it easier to recycle and waste less. 

Here are some images that kind of represent this dream house: 

Photo Courtesy of Carlota Santamaria

Photo Courtesy of Linsey Hasenbank

Photo Courtesy of Apartment Therapy

Day Fifteen:

Day 15: Favorite quote

There are, of course, many favorite quotes of mine and it really would depend on the day and what is going on in my life at the time. That being said, here is what has become a favorite recently:

"Intelligence plus character- that is the goal of true education." - Martin Luther King, Jr. 

I think this quote resonates with me because I value education and prioritize it with the highest of priorities. I also think this is something we are currently struggling with in our education system. We spend a lot of time testing and re-testing and teaching to take the test and less and less time is spent on teaching how to be a better person.

I spend quite a bit of time teaching my little ones in class the values of being honest, doing good work, being polite and being compassionate. There is no test on these subjects but I think without this type of education, students enter the world with an incomplete education. What use is a person who can rattle off facts or do advanced computations if they can't relate to the people working around them? If they can't see a problem in society and want to use their knowledge to make something better or improve some way of life? Isn't that what education is for?

Day Fourteen:

Day 14: A picture of you last year - how have you changed?

Obligatory bluebonnet pictures
April 2012

This picture was taken a little over a year ago. I was on the way back from my bridal shower in my hometown of Austin, Texas. Of course we had to pull over to take blue bonnet pics when we saw a patch that seemed worthy of a pic. 

A year ago I was about to get married. I was going through all the frenzied preparation for that big day. I was living in Pittsburgh but commuting often back to Texas for wedding activities, other friend' weddings, and family stuff. It was exhausting. At this point in my life I was so caught up in wedding planning that I don't think I was as focused on me and just enjoying all the little moments. It felt like a blur and I think it made me realize that I needed to work on being more present and in the moment in every step of my life. During this picture moment, all I kept thinking about was where we had to be next, if we were going to be late, if I needed to keep my dress from getting dirty. Looking back, however, this moment was where I should've been most present. Just me and my mom, taking pictures in the flowers off the side of the road. Very few showers or parties or get togethers can beat that.  

This past year has had its ups and downs and its challenges, but it has also made me very aware and for that I am so grateful. I work on it every day. Just today I went outside to eat my lunch on the back deck of my parent's house. I let the dog and cats out and together we just sat, listening to the birds and the tree leaves blowing in the wind and the sound of trickling water from the fountain. At that moment I was so content. I watched a hummingbird flitting from flower to flower and was amazed at its tiny size and bright, beautiful colors. I watched a deer trot through the woods, trying to remain unseen. I watched my animals prowling around, sniffing the air, looking up and down, truly being present with their surroundings. I sat and sighed. I am here in this moment now and don't want to think about anything else on my to-do list, my to-call list, my goals list, or my worry list. I just loved being there and at that moment, just being part of today, and I realized how far I have come from a year ago. 

Be present. Be mindful. Take in your surroundings and forget about the to-do list for a portion of your day. The to-do list will always be there. These moments, though, they are fleeting and it's up to you to take them in, keep them, hold them and enjoy them.