Solo Day Trip to Amherst

When this past weekend rolled around and I didn't have any plans to do much of anything, I began contemplating taking a drive out of Boston, just to clear my head and get a change of scenery. Within about twenty minutes of awaking on Saturday morning, I decided I'd like to drive to Amherst, got dressed, filled a water bottle, grabbed my camera (which I didn't really end up using), jumped in my car, scooped some Dunkin Donuts, and hopped onto the Mass Pike for a 100-minute drive west.

It wasn't a very nice day for a drive - a mixture of snow and rain - so that put a slight damper on my ability to zone out while driving to ponder life's great questions. Instead, I skillfully maneuvered my Yaris down the wet Pike while singing along with my iPod at the top of my lungs. (Quick random poll: Do you sing while you drive? I only recently realized that not everyone does this, which seems really effing weird to me. Please weigh-in via Twitter or Facebook.)

Arriving in the Pioneer Valley, my very first stop was Esselon Cafe. This was where I had my first post-college job as a server/barista/staff supervisor. I graduated from UMass in the spring of 2006 and then floundered a bit for that summer, not knowing where my next step should be. With a whole crop of the-best-effing-friends-in-the-whole-world still finishing up their final year of school at UMass, it wasn't terribly hard for me to decide to move back to Amherst for the fall "semester." There, I found an apartment, scooped the job at Esselon, and then spent the next year working there full-time while pretending I was still in college with my friends.

When I stopped into the cafe for brunch on Saturday, it was the first time I'd been there in years - but the place hasn't changed a bit (aside from staff turnover). I ordered French toast with strawberry compote and fresh berries, which I enjoyed with a big mug of hot coffee before getting back into my car and beginning the ultimate Amherst-drive-around.

.  as seen by all the cool people on my instagram  .

For about 2 hours, I wound and wove my way through the streets of Amherst and through every nook and cranny of the UMass campus. So much has changed in town and on-campus since I was a student there. Businesses have closed, moved, changed hands, changed names. A tonnnn of new buildings have sprouted up all over campus, leaving some areas nearly unrecognizable.

.  campus pond and view of the library and student union  .

I made special trips past a few of my old apartments and dorm buildings, as well as some of my favorite off-campus hangouts. The latter included some of the best and most notorious "party houses" around town, which were all given colloquial nicknames like Russell Street, Hippie House, Long Radio House, or Monkey House. Everywhere I drove, bittersweet memories flooded back to me, which - as the term bittersweet generally implies - was both good and sad.

Before leaving town, I did manage to park and actually get out of my car for a bit to head into the Campus Center, where my wallet took a hit as I went a little H.A.M. on the University Store's apparel section.

It seemed high time for my wardrobe to get some fresh UMass gear, so I bought two new t-shirts and a sweatshirt. The sweatshirt has barely left my body since Saturday - it's so freaking soft and cozy.

There were so many fun and irreplaceable times had in Amherst, and driving around town/campus was pretty much as literal as you can be with the phrase "taking a trip down memory lane." It was a much-needed reflection session, and I was glad that I was alone for the day - able to drive absolutely anywhere that I pleased, able to stop at any random house or building or parking lot that I wanted, able to spend as much time as I chose. But I do hope I'm with lots of friends the next time I go!! :)

And on that note, check out this post from the last time I visited Amherst with my friends Kara and Kyle!

Where did you go to school?
When was the last time you headed back to your college campus?
Do you still keep in touch with your college friends?

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Donut Villa: Uh Huh, This My Sh*t

GREAT news, guys. I finally found a down-home breakfast/lunch diner near me! I've been on the hunt for one of these places since moving to Medford, and last weekend I discovered where my hood has been hiding one. And believe it or not - it's less than a mile from me. #FacePalm.

God only knows what was going wrong the last 10,000 times I Googled "breakfast near Medford" during the last several months, but prior to last weekend, the only results I'd find were for Dunkin Donuts. Now, Y'ALL KNOW I love my Dunks, but it's hardly the breakfast diner atmosphere that I require on my Saturday mornings. From Pittsfield to Amherst to Boston to Cape Cod to Portland to Vancouver - I've always managed to find a local breakfast diner that could make my morning by serving me up a spectacular-yet-basic plate of over-medium eggs, bacon, wheat toast, home fries, and maybe even some French toast. And now, Donut Villa in Malden, MA has claimed that coveted spot in my current neighborhood. Hoozah!! Cue the "Thank God I Found You" dedications.

And you're welcome for the reminder about that song's existence.

Situated inconspicuously in the middle of a small strip mall on Highland Ave in Malden, Donut Villa is a low-key breakfast/lunch diner and bakery with a no-fuss menu that features not one single item over $10. In other words, uh huh, this my shit.

You can choose to sit at a table or at the counter on diner-style stools. I've been twice now and experienced both. Sitting at the counter gave me the opportunity to chat with the person beside me, a really charming older woman named Muriel who has been coming to Donut Villa for nearly 30 years.

Each time that I've been into the diner, I've ordered The Hungry Girl Breakfast. It comes with two eggs, choice of sausage/bacon/ham, toast, homefries, choice of two slices French toast/pancakes, coffee, and your choice of milk/OJ. SO MANY CHOICES. I go over-medium, bacon, wheat toast, French toast, coffee, OJ, and ask to hold the homefries. It's a completely sufficient amount of food for $9.95. I've cleaned my plate each time... What can I say? I was a hungry girl.

John, the old gentleman who owns the joint and cooks all the food, is a huge Patriots and Red Sox fan, with memorabilia and championship plaques proudly hanging on the walls of the diner.

Maria and Dawn, the two sassy women who make up the waitstaff, come off a bit tough at first but I got a softer vibe from both of them upon my second trip in to the restaurant. It's obvious that they have a lot of regulars, and they know most of the people who walk through the doors.

The diner is cash only, but if you accidentally go there cash-free (like I did on my maiden trip), there is a Dunkin Donuts next door with an ATM that you can run to use. Ironic that that's where I had to head to get cash for my Donut Villa bill, but... YA WIN SOME, YA LOSE SOME, DUNKS.

Oh, and obviously... Donut Villa also serves up donuts. Made in-house by John daily for the last 25+ years, they are the first thing you see when you walk into the diner. Did I get a picture of them? Well no, I didn't. But I'm not making them up, guys. They exist. And they're good. I had a powdered cinnamon sugar donut the first time I went in, but was too full  to indulge in dessert after my second breakfast there. In retrospect, it's a regret of mine. Should've gotten the donut...

Anyway, this place is definitely my new jam. I've told all my friends about it, and now I'm telling you guys about it too. They're open Monday through Sunday, 5:30am - 2:00pm, and you should go give them your money in exchange for food and donuts, pronto.

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Sophie's Cosmic Cafe in Vancouver

Just a few blocks up the hill from my apartment, there's a very popular 4th Ave diner called Sophie's Cosmic Cafe. Since moving to Vancouver, Sophie's has become one of our top picks for breakfast places... in part due to its close proximity to our home, but also because of their tasty food and fun atmosphere. You've probably even heard me mention it here on my blog multiple times, if you're any sort of a regular reader.

See, Sophie's doesn't just serve up food (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) - they also serve up a trip down memory lane. Every inch of the entire building is decorated - covered, I should say  - in old, classic toys and nostalgic memorabilia.

Even the building's facade has character - "Sophie's Cosmic Cafe" is spelled out above the door in leopard print letters, and the entrance is flanked by a 4-foot-tall fork and knife set...

.  source  .

 Here's a peek inside the place, though keep in mind that I took these photos months ago, during the holiday season (hence the Christmas decorations you may notice in some of the pics)...

.  obviously these particular pictures were snapped back during the holiday season  .

.  this is a shot looking UP a wall!  .

They have cute hand-drawn placemats too...

Onto the food though!

There is a massive menu, so be forewarned. However, my favorite section of their breakfast menu is called the Light and Low Cholesterol Breakfasts, which is where I always order from.

Actually, I always order the same thing - 2 poached (medium) eggs, wheat toast, bacon, and a side of fruit. It's called the Light Breakfast and it comes with a choice of bacon or sausage and fruit or salad. I love how thick the toast is and the slightly vinegary taste of the poached eggs.

The fruit bowl at Sophie's is also one of the best in Kitsilano, as far as breakfast places go. They give you banana, kiwi, strawberry, melon, pear, orange, grapes and grapefruit!

If you're in the Vancouver area and are into yummy breakfasts AND pop culture relics/vintage toys, you should probably head to Sophie's. There is always something to look at, and they even have a great patio that's open during the warmer months.

http://www.sophiescosmiccafe.com/
2095 West 4th ave, Vancouver, BC
(604) 732 6810

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This post isn't sponsored. I just love breakfast food.

Make This: Open-Faced Yogurt Parfait

Yep, "open-faced yogurt parfait." As far as I'm concerned, I just made this term up. #CoinedIt. So what is it? Well, here's what the concept looks like in practice:

Pretty, right? And no mason jars required.

Here's what I put into my open-faced yogurt parfait:

• strawberry yogurt
• almonds
• granola
• dried cranberries
• raisins
• chocolate chips

Some other shit you could throw in there:

• dried fruit
• walnuts
• fresh straw/blue/raspberries
• shredded coconut
• honey
• flax seeds
• the kitchen sink (if it's fresh)

What would you put into yours?

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Mexican Food, Mariachi Band and Mi Amigos ♡

While home in Massachusetts recently, I had the distinct pleasure of spending some quality time with some of my fwiends in the Boston area.

Arriving in Boston on the night of Thursday March 14 (in my mother's brand new Honda Element that she allowed me to borrow... thanks Mom!!), I checked into Hotel de Kara... aka my friend Kara's Cambridge apartment ;) The two of us got to catch up and were soon joined by me buds Jrod, Derek and Jenna. Cue immediate laughing and jokes and love.

On Friday, after much deliberating and an excess of self-indulgent quips via a long email chain amongst 20 people, we decided that our group of UMass' finest would meet up at El Potro for dinner - a Mexican restaurant in Somerville that boasted a live mariachi band on Friday and Saturday nights. Not just any mariachi band... but the "Best Mariachi in the Boston Area" - Mariachi Estampa de America!

Massive kudos to El Potro for allowing us to reserve space for 11 people, even when they claim to not take reservations. We arrived to see a long row of tables had been moved together and set for our group - hoozah! The waitstaff totally put up with all 11 of us showing up at different times - literally the arrival times spanned at least an entire hour - but they let us hold down the 11 seats we'd requested. They must have realized there was a profitable light at the end of the tunnel for them ;)

With a table full of amazing friends catching up with one another plus tacos, enchiladas, margaritas, nachos and tortas a go-go, shit was wicked good. I had El Potro's Tacos Chipotle - spicy chicken tacos served with rice and beans. Unfortunately the place was so packed and chaotic - what with a live mariachi band playing and all - that I had to suffer with an on-fire tongue/lips combo as I made my way through the tacos because no one would come and refill my water glass :(  The food was so delicious that I kept trying to take further bites of it, sans water. It hurt... so good. My lips were chapped for the next 3 days because of it. #BattleWounds.

The mariachi band was extremely spirited. And loud! They were a lot of fun though and added real character to the place. They made their way around from table to table, playing for all the groups in the restaurant. We even got to hear them perform Feliz Compleanos for a couple of tables.

They took up position at the head of our long row of tables right as our friends Stephanie and Gerry came into the restaurant and sat down in the end chairs to join us. So the two of them basically arrived and could immediately not hear a single thing happening elsewhere at the table! #OOPS. Poor timing.

After a confusing group bill-paying scenario of epic proportions (seriously, this was one for the books) we finally gave El Potro their restaurant back and allowed them to seat the growing number of people who had been lined up at the door for 45 minutes. Whateva.

The only picture I have of the evening is this blurry shot that I tried taking while we walked between El Porto and the next bar we ended up at:

.  awesome picture  .

Even though there are plenty of friends who still live around the Boston area, bulk style UMass outings like this one don't happen super often anymore - when we're able to actually get (almost) everyone together in one place. More often, it sounds like friends gather in groups of 2-4 people every week or every couple of weeks to enjoy each other's antics. A nice sizeable group of 10+ of us really only happens nowadays when someone (like me!) is home visiting from the West Coast... or around Labor Day when our friends Geoff and Abby hold an annual kick-ass party... or around Thanksgiving when my friends hold an annual "family" Thanksgiving potluck that usually attracts at least 20-30 people. Here's what that ends up looking like, if you're curious:

.  peeps on peeps on peeps  .

After we left El Potro we took a stroll down the block to find the next suitable establishment for our group. We settled on Precinct, where we were joined by a few other friends as well, with plans to watch our friend's band play... but they ended up going on too late for most of us to stick around for it. #GettingOld.

The next day (Saturday March 16) a few of us managed to get up and out to an Irish breakfast at Tommy Doyle's Pub & Restaurant in Kendall Square in Cambridge. I then spent a completely relaxing afternoon at Jenna's apartment with her fiancé Dan, plus Jrod and Derek. After some group hugs and some sad puppy faces, I said goodbye to me buds and hopped into the Element for my drive back to Pittsfield.

When I'm with my friends it's more than fine to just sit in a room and make each other laugh. Spending time with them all made me feel like a small weight had been lifted off of me - like something was put back into place. Meeting new people is always nice - and I'm trying my damnedest to become better at doing that in Vancouver - but being with the friends I love so much gave me a sense of relief. That just because I'm across the country from them doesn't mean there's one single ounce of love lost or forgotten. ♡

#ZOOOOOOOOOOOMASSSSSSS!

.  this picture does not belong to me. thanks danielle .
. umass homecoming game at gillette .

Joe's Grill on 4th Ave in Kitsilano

Finally - a place in Vancouver that doesn't charge one first born child for eggs and bacon!!

You know I love me some breakfast food. I'll seek out the perfect over-medium egg until the proverbial cows come home. Joe's Grill is, compared to its fancy 4th Ave neighbors, a totally unassuming place from the outside... but these people are doing it right.

Whether it's 2:45 in the afternoon and I'm one of the few people in the place, or it's 10:30 in the morning and the restaurant is packed, my eggs were over-medium. Someone in the kitchen at Joe's gives a crap about how their eggs are cooked. That's what's up. I couldn't wait to take Dave there.

These breakfasts cost what a simple breakfast really SHOULD cost at a restaurant - eggs/home fries/toast costs $5.65 and adding ham/bacon/sausage to that only brings it up to $6.45.

The bacon is what Dave and I very fondly refer to as "Chinese food bacon" because it tastes a little bit like Chinese food. We run into it in different restaurants all over the place - I don't know what is different about it that gives it such a distinct taste... but Boston - you can go to The Brighton Cafe to taste it yaself, ked! At Joe's, it's simply delicious: four or five generous strips, not too thick, not too skimpy, not too fatty to eat. Just damn good. Mmm...

For an extra $1.50, you can substitute fruit or tomato for the potatoes, which I was all over. The side of fruit is not the same "freshness and taste" quality as Sophie's Cosmic Cafe - which is a restaurant I've GOT to write about sometime because I love their breakfast as well. But Joe's is a perfect choice when you don't feel like waiting for Sophie's to have a free seat and also don't want to pay the extra $ for Sophie's. Joe's is just a few doors down the street, and it's jussssst fine for me!

I really like how casual Joe's is - it reminds me of something more small-town than the other places on 4th Ave in Vancouver. The big, brightly painted food/coffee artwork on the walls was a cheerful touch to the low-key room.

Also, here are three words that you can't beat:  Breakfast. All. Day.

Mmmhmm, get yo' 3:30pm breakfast on ladiiiiies!

Overall, I'm definitely going to keep going back to Joe's Grill. I've only had their breakfast, but breakfast is the most important meal of the day... and they make theirs well. Chuch.

Haulin' in the USA!

So I'm pretty sure I've mentioned before that Vancouver is el spensivo. Shet costs mad jobros here. AKA... hide your Nicks, hide your Joes and hide your Kevins 'cause they snatchin' up all the jobros round here. Basic toiletries, bread, eggs, turkey, face wash... you name it, they're selling it here for $3 more than it is in the US, plus their approximately 12% sales tax. All those extra jobros add up mighty quick!

It was obvious fairly soon after we got here that we'd need to make some trips to the States to do some serious bulk shopping for non-perishables.

I'm very pleased to report that we went to town at both a Target and an Ikea when we were back in Portland for Thanksgiving this past week/weekend. (Not to mention a couple of those expensive thrift stores that I love to hate... Peer pressure.)

On Saturday we ate breakfast at Broder in Portland (I had the Lost Eggs and Dave had the Solstice Bord) and then headed to Target to brave the Black Friday weekend shopping crowds. It was pretty busy there, but it could have been much worse. After only losing one another once, we ended up leaving Target with:

• 4 jars of pasta sauce ($1 each - should have bought way more!!)
• different kinds of pasta
• Annie's mac 'n cheese
• 20 hangers
• huge bottle of olive oil
• big jar of mayonnaise
• dijon mustard
• 2 boxes of chicken broth
• tons of canned beans
• "  "  "   tomato soup
• "  "  "   canned tomatoes
• plenty of taco seasoning (we like tacos)
• toilet paper
• paper towels
• cereal (you wouldn't believe how expensive cereal is in Vancouver)
• big bottle of ketchup
• coffee
• tshirt/socks/boxers for David
• ample face wash/face scrub for meee
• some nail polish (couldn't help it)
• a new blush brush (vital)
• soap (Dove Cucumber and Green Tea, IFYEWMUSTKNOW)
• Q-tips
• a plastic set of drawers
• Christmas lights
• Rubbermaid plastic food containers
• a REAL vacuum!
• some sort of Sony stereo system thing for Dave's birthday
• almonds
• peanuts

And since Target and Ikea are practically on top of each other, we scooted over to Ye Olde Swedish Home Furnishings Mega-Store for some goodies and meatballs. Just kidding about the meatball part. We had very specific things we needed to get there, so we did the fastest walk through Ikea that anyone has ever done. We left with only a few more items than we intended to get, but still kept things reasonable:

• a new end table (now the end table on the left side of our couch MATCHES the end table on the right side of our couch! #GrownUpSuccess)
• photo frames - if you need smallish picture frames, Ikea's are only $1.99-$3.99)
• a little shelf for plants in our living room
• welcome mat
• wall hangers for coats
• cutting board
• plastic food containers
• miscellaneous storage boxes

I love that everything at Ikea is sold inside of a tiny box. Does it remind anyone else of a pop-up book when the furniture items get put together and are suddenly WAY larger than their itty bitty boxes?

Needless to say, with our Kia totally packed full of completely useful things, I was feeling incredibly self-satisfied. I couldn't wait to bring it all home and spread it out on our living room floor and admire all of it and snap a picture... which I did as soon as we got back to Vancouver:

 

 

.  the one on the left is new, isn't that exciting?  .

.  new ikea piece! don't mind our sad-looking rose plant . 

. new tiny ikea end table . 

It wasn't all work and no play... I snagged these animal-printed goodies from a Buffalo Exchange in Portland as well:

.  i swear that "animal print cardigan" was on my list! $14.50 for a used cardigan, ay yi yi .

.  this was on my list too - animal print scarf, $8 . 

All said and done, we spent a chunk of money on all of this... but I know that it's so much less than we would have spent on the same amount of stuff here in Vancouver. We may eventually get ourselves a Costco membership and use it over the border in Washington, but I'm not entirely convinced that Costco is less expensive. We'll check it out and decide. Let me know if you have any spectacular bulk purchasing advice!

Cafe Zen vs Home + My Workout

It's been raining here almost all weekend - the kind of weather that kind of makes you want to stay inside and wear pajamas all day. Despite that, we have managed to get out a bit for walks and errands and food!

I absolutely love going out to eat breakfast on the weekends, so each Saturday it's inevitable that I will drag Dave out to a diner somewhere for something eggs-and-bacon-ish.

Yesterday we went just up the street to Cafe Zen to sample their breakfast fare. We didn't have to wait at all, which sucked. (Not.)

Normally my order of choice is just two eggs over medium, bacon, wheat toast and homefries. This time I ordered Huevos Tapatios: two eggs, avocado, salsa, chorizo, cilantro, green onions, feta cheese and tomatoes, all served on top of a hot tortilla. I didn't take a picture of it, but this person did, if you're interested. It tasted just as good as it looks. It was also served with a little side dish of fruit.

We were however ignored by our waitress and didn't even get re-fills of our water or coffee. If we hadn't each had 2+ cups of coffee at home before we went out to breakfast, we probably would have been pretty peeved about that. Later we learned that our waitress had actually left the building altogether during our meal, and we were eventually (stress on the eventually, if the italics font didn't tip you off) given our check (or cheque if you're in Canada) by a different girl entirely and on our walk home even passed our first waitress as she waited for the bus on the sidewalk. Breakfast for the two of us here was about 30 Jo Bro$.

This morning I "made" a simpler breakfast at home, which I'm enjoying right now while we watch the Patriots game:  coffee, wheat toast w/ natural peanut butter, and a big 4-fruit salad.

.   apples, strawberries, grapes, banana   .

Perhaps not as fancy as the breakfast at Cafe Zen, but 100% easier on both my wallet and my health.

Speaking of health, I signed up for a new gym membership here in Vancouver the other day, at Steve Nash Fitness World (LOLOLOL Canadians love Steve Nash). It's pretty big and MUCH more crowded than any gym I've been at before. Also, it stinks. Like a hockey team's locker room. It does however have a Ladies Only room for strength-training, which so far I appreciate much more than I expected to. The entire gym is generally pretty disorganized - with weights/equipment lying around everywhere and a "grab a weight from someone else the second they set it down" type of "every man for himself" atmosphere.  There are "Please put your weights back on the racks" signs all over, but perhaps Dave and I are the only ones at the gym who know how to read? Not sure if this particular gym relationship is going to be a lasting one, but I'm willing to give it a chance for a little while.

We had to talk ourselves into going to the gym at all last night, and we finally did around 6pm, knowing that the gym closes at 7pm on Saturdays (wack). For that reason, this workout was shorter than usual, but I'm very glad I did it anyway. 

I thought I'd also blog about my workouts here, which you're welcome to read, skim, or skip. I'll also include links to videos or resources where you can see what each exercise is and how it's performed. (I do this for my blog at work sometimes, too!) Working out is definitely one of my interests, as anyone who has ever gotten into a conversation with me about fitness knows. I have my job to thank for this and consider it to be one of the most important things that I've gotten out of my nearly 5 years with the company. Being exposed to so many different workout ideas on a weekly basis has made me feel like I never have the excuse of being bored with my workout routine. Plus, each workout is usually demonstrated and thoroughly described by a certified fitness professional, so it's not just "ideas" I'm getting - it's actual fitness knowledge. 

10/13 workout;

10 mins elliptical

12 overhead press, 12 lbs each hand

40 Brazilian crunches

on exercise ball, 10 lbs each hand:

   - 12 chest press

   - 12 close grip chest press

30 crunches on exercise ball, holding 12 lbs

12 deltoid flys, 8 lbs each hand

40 leg lifts + 6 lb medicine ball pullover (I usually do these with 8-10 lbs, but I can't find anything in this gym! 6 lbs was all I could locate)

24 plank row, 8 lbs each hand

40 weighted side bends, 12 lbs each hand

12 deltoid raises, 8 lbs each hand

- :30 plank

- 20 plank glute kickbacks

- 60 "swimmers"

Do you have a gym membership? If so, do you use it as much as you want to?