Ragin' and Lazin'

Lots of exciting things have been happening around here! Well, I guess "exciting" is in the eye of the beholder... But that's why the blog has been slackin' for news.

I'll start with Night No. 4 of the Lew Crew's clean eats. Everyone finally consented to quinoa bowls. I promised them, if you really don't like it, I'll never pester you about quinoa again, but at least you'll have given it a fair shot.

Turns out, everyone liked them, and they're a keeper! The only meal on my agenda that we never got to was vegetable kabobs. I'm sure we'll get to them at some point. We are all about veggies in this household.

This meal was the simplest we made. I topped beds of lettuce with helpings of quinoa and dollops of fat-free sour cream and fresh pico de gallo. Some people added black beans to their bowls. I'm not a huge bean fanatic, so I stuck with the basics.

Next was Ian's going-away party this past weekend. I visited from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon for a perfectly perfect time. As soon as I arrived, Ian and I hit up Olive Garden for a calorie-fest, endless salad, and a much-needed glass of sparkling moscato. We lounged around Friday evening and hit the sack early.

Saturday, we ran errands for Bonnie, helped set up accommodations in the back yard, and essentially completed everything on Island Time (i.e. as slowly as possible).

Ian's "going away" to medical school in Richmond, but hey, who doesn't want an excuse to eat and drink too much with good friends?

I know it looks as if this is the only shirt I own... I promise I (sometimes) wear other clothes.

I discovered a new favorite beer (or three):

Michelob Ultra Dragon Fruit Peach

I also enjoyed the Woodchuck Raspberry one of Ian's friends provided, as well as the Wild Blue blueberry lager Ian convinced me to try. Yum!

Aaaand what kind of party would it be without an alumipint? The hair goes up, the inhibitions come down...

Sunday morning held sleeping in, a delicious breakfast courtesy of Bonnie,

far too many episodes of season 8 of The Office, a ridiculously delicious Subway sandwich, a new mix CD -- yeah, people evidently still make those -- and a temporary good-bye.

Why temporary?

More to come on that subject! ;)

I absolutely love visiting Ian's family. Even after more than two-and-a-half years, they make me feel so at home while simultaneously spoiling me rotten, as if every visit is my first. I couldn't ask for better peoples.

Lastly, I have an awesome ear infection. Rad. My doctor wasn't sure whether it came from the hundreds of laps I swam last week, which is pretty uncharacteristic of my fitness routine, or from working with children for a living. Either way, I've got a quarter-sized swollen lymph node behind my right ear, pressure in my ears fit to implode an airplane cabin, and antibiotics equally as large. Looks like it's out of the pool and back to the dreadmill for a few days until this pain clears up. Boo!

P.S. How was your weekend? What were you up to? Can you believe it's almost August already?!