Encounters, Weekend Festivities, and a Little Blog Love

Hey there!  My apologies for the late post!  There is a lot going on and also a lot to say today, so forgive me also for a long post.  Let's get started! 

This morning I had the most magnificent conversation with a complete stranger.  He was here in our office to fix our Xerox machine and came back to tell me what he had fixed.  Somehow our conversation naturally went from informing him that I am our office manager to discussing his dreams to visit Venice and even discussions about the current EuroZone crisis.  It was so refreshing to have a conversation with someone as genuinely interested in travel and the world economy as myself.  Not many people I encounter on a daily basis have travel dreams (at least that they express), input on the global economy and are so easy to speak with.  He was so kind, upbeat, happy and inquisitive. 

The biggest thing that stood out to me other than his warm personality was when he asked if I ever planned to move back to Europe.  When I responded that I am happy anywhere as long as I am surrounded by people I love, he replied that he could tell from my upbeat, happy demeanor that I was the kind of person who would have such an attitude.  What a compliment coming from a complete stranger.  I try hard to maintain that attitude in my life and was thrilled that it came out to someone I spoke to for only fifteen minutes.  Though it is doubtful I'll ever see him again, I wont soon forget our conversation.  So many times, we pass up the opportunity to learn anything about strangers we encounter throughout our days, and this conversation reminded me of how much substance humans have to offer if we only make time to listen.

Alright, moving on to the weekend!  This was another fantastic one mostly spent with my wonderful boyman eating, pooling, cooking, reading and watching the Harry Potter marathon on ABC Family... so many of my favorite things. :D

Friday, we had dinner at home and watched the Game of Thrones season finale.  Things are getting crazy!! I was starting to blur together the books and the show a bit, so part of me is thankful the third season isn't available to watch yet.  It has been interesting reading and watching side by side, but the plots are starting to stray pretty significantly from each other and I was beginning to have a hard time keeping things straight.

Saturday began slow and for once felt very un-rushed.  I had an appointment at the salon and then wanted to go to World Market to shop for a friend's birthday gift.  In between the salon and World Market,  I stopped by Starbucks for a bite to eat and a coffee treat.  As it was a slow Saturday and I truly had nowhere to be in any hurry, I enjoyed my breakfast on the outdoor patio while reading a bit of my book.  Relaxing at coffee shops is one of my favorite ways to de-stress and I really enjoyed having time for that experience.

Shopping went well and I found a gorgeous scarf and a pair of earrings to give my friend for her birthday as well as a frame I'd been looking for to accompany another gift.  I also picked up a few things for myself and a mini-gift for my sister.  It was hard not to buy the whole store as they have really cute home decorations, but I am happy enough with the way my apartment is currently decorated.  Since my lease is up in six months, I'd rather wait until after I decide whether I am moving or not before purchasing any additional decor for my living space.

Post-shopping, Jesse and I went to the pool with his friend and family.  A little sunshine was the perfect topping to an already lovely day, but festivities didn't end there!  After the pool, we got cleaned up and went to a very special dinner at my favorite spot, Sun in My Belly.  We went to another similar dinner at the same place about six months ago, but Scout Mob offered up another deal so I snatched it up and we went again!  This time, we enjoyed an incredible four course meal and a bottle of local wine.  Delicious!

Clockwise: Antipasto board with cured meats, cheeses, marinated olives and artichoke hearts; pear, walnut and blu cheese salad with buttermilk dressing; creme brulee dessert; main course of fried chicken, mac & cheese and collards; and center is the local wine from Cane Creek winery in northern Georgia

The wine alone would have cost almost as much as I paid for the entire experience, so I'd say it was a pretty sweet deal!  Thanks, Scout Mob!  After dinner, we met up with our friends Katie and Brad for a few drinks in celebration of Katie's upcoming birthday! 

Aren't they so cute together?  We enjoyed a great atmosphere and wonderful conversation.  Spending time with the two of them is one of my favorite things to do, and luckily Brad and Jesse get along swimmingly so going out as a foursome is fun for everyone.  Happy early birthday, Miss Katie!! Love you!

Sunday was on the quiet side and I spent most of it folding and putting away laundry while watching the aforementioned Harry Potter marathon.  In the evening I made some delicious buffalo meatloaf with a side of parmesan mashed potatoes and went to bed feeling full, happy and extremely blessed.

One last-yet-very-important thing on the blessed note- two of my favorite bloggers, one new and one whom I've followed for quite some time have honored Lucky Zucca with awards!  I've mentioned time and time again my appreciation for the blogging community and want to send a huge thank you over to Jessie and Alysha for nominating my little blog for such special and meaningful awards.  Y'all are so sweet!  This post is already getting quite long, so I hope it is OK if I post about the awards tomorrow and Wednesday.  Thank you again for such an honor, girls! 

Alrighty, I'm looking forward to fun posts these next couple of days thanks to Jessie and Alysha, but for now I hope you all have a magnificent Monday and I will see ya tomorrow!

Reading of possible interest:
Are you present to life experiences? A post from my wonderful chiropractor.  My favorite line: "...All we have at the end of this life are the experiences we gain every second of every day."
 75 Happiness Quotes to Live By from Marc & Angel