home sick

Hello again! Oh it feels good to be back. First order of business: don't take this post's title too seriously :) it's not that I've been missing home (I'm here for "good," after all) or even that I'm sick of it yet but this is literally the first day I've been feeling 100% well. I've basically been a mess with a bad cough, major congestion, and a multi-day headache... in addition to losing my voice. Gross ;) apparently ten days of non-stop "senior/graduation" partying doesn't deliver the best of health. Who knew?!

After the first few days of not really eating much at all, I broke out the stove-top oatmeal last Friday morning. I had mixed my steel cuts with the last of the rolled oats that I had brought from school for a multi-texture bowl that I made the usual way with banana and fresh blackberries. Then, of course, there are the staples of the morning green tea and verre d'eau.

I've also made a return to peanut butter... for no other reason other than the fact that my mom bought a fresh container upon my return. It's a nice change but I do miss my Marantha almond deliciousness. What's your favorite nut butter?

The weather has been gorgeous, so even when I haven't been feeling in tip-top shape, I've been taking my dogs for walk to combine fresh air and a bit' o ejercicio. Walking alongside the Bronx River Parkway path in the late morning/early afternoon issuch a pleasure, mostly when Sable and Colby aren't pulling on their leashes in different directions :).

Besides today's treat, (of which I'll get to tomorrow,) lunch, has been boring.

I haven't been feeling like anything heavy so toast with hummus and spinach was usually just enough, without being too much, to get me by. Fruit was also unappetizing at the time so there goes that snack. Talk about bland!

Thankfully, the afternoons that have followed haven't been half bad. On Wednesday, I went down to the Bronx Zoo and was really excited... like really, really excited. When I was little I used to adore going to the zoo because I've always found animals to be so amazing to watch. I wanted to be a vet, after all.

This time though, as much as I enjoyed it to an extent, a couple of animals and their exhibits just made me sad. Quite a few are ridiculously far from their natural habitat and just didn't seem to be content with their manmade home. I don't know, I guess ignorance really is bliss. Still, they were beautiful, and I'm glad that I went to pay them a visit (since the money spent does go towards some conservation projects). How do you feel about zoos?

The best photos I got are the four above: a peacock, red panda, elephants, and sea lions. The red panda has always been my favorite animal. Why? I think because red is my color of choice and I like bamboo. Or some concrete reason like that ;).

By Sunday, I was much more back to my usual chipper self. My best friend Chrissie (and Laura too actually) just graduated from Fordham University and I went over to her house that evening for a little celebration. They had a delectable dinner spread of salad with gorgonzola, penne vodka, tomatoes and mozzarella, garbanzos, and Italian bread. There were quite a few carnivorous options as well :) but I obviously did not help myself to that part of the table.

If nothing else, being home is good for ^this^. Although I have stayed very close with a few of my high school bests, there are far too many people that I've lost touch with. Now, between Sunday night at Chrissie's party, and last night at a nearby bar, I have reconnected with dozens of these wonderful people. And I will actually be dining with a couple of them at a new Pleasantville soon-to-be (I can feel it) favorite, Haven tonight. This is going to be one great summer, I just know it.