This week went by too fast. There are too many deadlines coming up! Is that how you feel too? Spring break is almost here though, and for me and many others on the quick quarter schedule that means FINALS. So to get those off our minds, let’s take an adventure downtown. Instead of watching a movie, getting sucked into the artificial realities of Hollywood. There is a time and place for movie nights, but tonight is not one of those nights.

Whether you are in New York City or a Podunk town in Nebraska…

1. Go to an improvisational comedy club. Have you ever scene “Who’s Line is it Anyway?” Stand up comedy is also really great, especially when going with a group of people.
2. Gaming centers are fantastic for the inner-gamer and are a nice compliment to the dinner & date combo.
3. Go to a show at one of your city’s venues. They’re usually cheap, depending on the lineup, they’re fun, and it’s an ideal way to support local musicians.
4. Take a walk and admire window displays and city lights and the rush of taxi cabs and cars along the avenues. I strongly encourage getting lost. It’s the best way to find new places and to have spontaneous adventures.
5. Go to that restaurant that is known for their delectable desserts, even though it’s super fancy. Order some dessert and fries. It’s a GREAT combination.
6. Get lost in the city’s large library.
7. Find a large body of water and skip stones.
8. Go to a museum.
9. Ride bikes through downtown and feel the rush of going downhill.
10. Swing dancing! Salsa dancing! Blues dancing!
11. Play Scrabble with friends at a coffee shop.

Whatever you end up doing today, remember to relax. I hope your Friday is adventurous.

P.S. I am convinced that I will be able to work Scrabble into each of these lists.

I don’t know where you’re from, but in Seattle the winter is subtly coming to a close. The trees are in blossom and the sky is blue. The sky is almost too blue. It makes me a little worried for the buds, which have the ability to easily freeze within a week of typical winter weather. And it makes me a little worried for the emotions of many, who are soaking in the Vitamin D and are more joyous than usual. I would hate for the winter to come back with a rude awakening to many, leaving many depressed and on the bottom of their game because of the weather’s crude deception. But since the weather is nice (hopefully it is wherever you’re at too), and it is Friday, a trip to the park might be necessary.

For the sake of your studies…

• Take a break. Your brain needs a rest from the long week, so have a little fun by briefly visiting your childhood in a park setting.
• Go swing and close your eyes, tilt your head back. Feel yourself fly.
• If you nanny, take the kiddos along with you who can show you games like ‘Pretend’ and ‘House’ in the jungle gym.
• Take a walk.
• Play soccer or basketball with the kids that typically occupy the park’s fields and courts.
• Have a picnic.
• Read in the sun.
• Fall asleep in the sun.
• Forget about your to-do list.
• Play Scrabble, of course!
• Post-park, watch some reruns of Recess. Remember that show, the one on Saturday morning cartoons?

Hopefully this park excursion relieves any stress that classes may have brought on. And I hope that you don’t rely on this good weather to provide you with happy feelings, because it might not be around for much longer. Have an adventurous Friday!

Bon Appetite!

It is Friday and with Fridays come good times. Looking forward to the weekend ahead (a three  day weekend, I might add), an adventure in the kitchen could not only be satisfying to your appetite, but quite entertaining. I have some suggestions for your time spent in the kitchen which includes eating, lots of flour, and your favorite pop music of the 90s. Don’t forget to share this with someone special. Particularly someone who also enjoys *NSYNC, the boy band’s first album, self titled, which came out in 1998. Er, I mean someone who also enjoys your favorite pop band.

A Classy Kitchen Experience

• First of all, a good cooking atmosphere requires the right kind of music. Tune your Pandora station to classical music.
• First Course: Butternut Squash soup
• Second Course: Bruschetta with tomato and basil
• Third Course: Caesar Salad
• Preparation for the Fourth Course: As it is cooking, partake in a game of Scrabble, cards, or Ticket to Ride (a great board game)
• Fourth Course: Three Cheese Tortellini with Garlic Green Beans on the side
• Fifth Course: Bake a pie.
• Finish the cooking experience with Julie & Julia. The lives of Julie, a blogging wife living in Queens with a passion for cooking, and Julia Childs, the famous Chef known for her cookbook, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” are set side by side in this film when the pressures of cooking test the lives of both Julie and Julia.

A Kid-like Kitchen Experience

• Music: Your favorite greatest and worst pop band of the 90s
• First Course: Top Ramen. So many flavors, so many possibilities.
• Second Course: Muddy Buddies, also known as Puppy Chow
• Third Course: Garden Salad with fish crackers sprinkled on top
• Preparation for the Fourth Course: While waiting for the entree, play a game of Sorry! or Trouble.
• Fourth Course: Baked Macaroni & Cheese with baked French Bread
• Fifth Course: Banana Split
• Sixth Course: Have a flour fight.
• Make the experience complete by watching Ratatouille. The tale of a rat with a desire to become a chef, but struggles through an industry that is rodent-phobic.

TGIF

Big shocker, it’s raining in Seattle today. As my roommate Jenny and I were looking out of the large cafeteria windows at lunch, we were pondering fun activities to do in the rain. The clever child that lives within her helped me come up with these great activities. That is where this list spawned from…

Did I mention my rule?

No studying on Friday nights. It’s an obligation and I have no way out of it. I know, it’s really lame. I wish I could study on Friday nights, but I have no choice. I hope I am having an impression on you. And I hope you are catching my sarcasm. Is that allowed via web?

The best things in life are free

1. Puddle Jumping
2. Play some sort of group activity in the rain i.e. frisbee or soccer
3. Make grass angels (long grass is preferable)
4. Take pictures of people wearing quirky rain boots
5. Count how many raindrops you can catch in your mouth
6. Watch movies that have anything to do with rain whether it be the title or a particular scene i.e. Singing in the Rain, The Notebook, Garden State
7. Dance
8. Read indoors, preferably next to a large window with a warm drink (see #10)
9. Take a walk
10. Drink Hot Chocolate and add flavors like vanilla, cinnamon, orange, almond and peppermint
11. Play fun word games i.e. speed Scrabble or Mad Gab
12. Write haikus about the rain (5-7-5)
13. Do crafts
14. Make a stop motion video
15. If you live in a dorm, knock on everyone’s door and get a large group of people to do this list with