Real Ale Coffee Porter

I spent the evening people watching with good company in a cool atmosphere in a nice little alehouse in the art district called Roosevelt's at 7.  It was rainy out, reminding me of Seattle of course, and I was craving something rich like a stout or a porter.  I asked if there was a beer menu, and found it odd that there wasn't.  You see, Roosevelt's apparently changes their beer selection so often that they don't keep a beer menu because of it.  As someone who likes seeing her options on paper, I was a bit disappointed by this.  Regardless I asked the bartender to sample all of the stouts and porters on tap with the exception of Guinness.  Sadly there was only one porter to choose from and two stouts.

I chose the Real Ale Coffee Porter.  If coffee is going to be in the name of my beer, I expect bold coffee flavor.  I was surprised when the hint of coffee was actually more like a background note in the taste.  It was subtle and not overwhelming.  By the end of the pint I was actually glad the coffee flavors weren't so powerful, but I would have named this porter something that denoted a subtle coffee taste.

I did love the feel of this brew, and while it did not blow my mind I would probably drink it again.  I did expect less carbonation and more richness, but it was a nice balance.  Not too carbonated, but more so than expected with a porter.

Overall, a good porter, but if you're a coffee snob like me, you may want a porter with stronger coffee notes.  Cheers!

What was in your pint tonight?

Those Angel wings in the background are almost placed where they should be...

Gratuity // Thankful Post

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am sitting here, drinking my hot cup of coffee deciding who I should declare thankfulness to.  It has been a blessed year and I think last Thanksgiving I just wanted to be at home more than anything.  I wanted to be surrounded by all things familiar and love and step away from the new life that I had established for myself in Louisiana.  It was a hard year, a year of growth, and for that I am eternally grateful.

For my profession I am thankful.  For the wonderful students I have the privilege of calling my own I am thankful.   I only hope that they have learned as much from me as I have learned from them.  For the community I have become a part of in central Louisiana.  I am thankful for being welcomed with open arms and open hearts to learn from these people and to give a piece of myself to their children.

For the education I have received, and that I hope to continue to receive every day.  I never stop learning, and everyone I meet teaches me something valuable.  Even you. 

Thank you to my supportive and loving family, for caring about me, encouraging me to pursue my dreams and trusting my instincts...even when they're crazy and involve possibly moving to the Pacific Northwest.

To my friends, new and old. Those I may speak to every day, and those I may speak to once a week.  Those who think I forget about them...I don't.  Those who have come into my life, out, and back in. Those who I never thought would touch my heart after high school.

Love you, Sarah

I'm thankful for Molly Denim Lupo and her loving parents

"Miss you Auntie Laura" 

To all of you, I sincerely thank you.

Update:

My University of Washington School of Social Work application is officially submitted! Now comes the wait. Come February I should hear a response.  I think about this every day and even had dreams about it the other day.  Sometimes you just know in your heart you're supposed to be somewhere.  I knew I was meant to do Teach For America.  I knew I was called to work for a greater cause much larger than myself, and when I stepped off that plane last Labor Day holiday in Seattle I knew that the next chapter in my life would begin there.

Send me positive vibes! 

With a BANG

Oh how glorious it is to be home.  First thing on my mind as soon as I landed: a haircut.  Nothing drastic, but definitely overdue for a change.  I have been trying to grow out my hair because I had it short for so long the last two years of college.  I miss my long hair.  I added some layers and some bangs to make a difference.

End result...

Long layers & some bangs

We like? I definitely LOVE.  My hair looks a bit shorter than it actually is in this photograph.  My long layers are perfect and I think my bangs add the perfect change that I needed for the end of 2012.  Best part about being home for the holidays?  Getting to wear real people clothes and not work clothes that make me feel like a teacher.  Saturday's outfit:

Fashion Saturday: Royal Blue Blouse - Marshall's
Skinny black pants - Forever 21
Gold leopard print tuxedo flats - Target

 Also, look at this amazing looking fruit I've had since I've been home.  Tonight, I'm looking forward to a spin class at my local gym.  CAN.  NOT.  WAIT.

Beautiful grapefruit

Fresh Pomegranate! 

 Tomorrow I get to see one of my best friends from high school.  YAY.
Anyone in the RGV for Thanksgiving?

Airport Daydreams

It's finally here.  The day I get to go home to the RGV.  I am sitting in the Houston airport waiting to board my flight.  I'm surprisingly early this time and I figured I'd be exhausted when I land and wouldn't gather the energy to blog.  I'm thinking of this commercial and secretly hoping it happens to me.  Can you blame me though?  Maybe that's why I am early today.

I do love airports though.  Am I the only one who thinks there is a romance about them?  People watching, seeing people arrive at their destination, people eager to see friends and loved ones.  Lovers, grandparents, mothers, daughters, husbands, wives, the men and women who serve our country, doctors, business people.  You see it all.  I particularly enjoy making new friends at the airport.

This evening I spotted a good looking someone who caught my eye from about 20 feet.  Nice smile, check.  Dressed low-key but put together, check.  Pulls out a book to catch up on reading, check.  Scoping out the title of the book...still working on it.  Wedding ring finger bare, check.  Call me a creeper, or call me a dreamer, I enjoy admiring from afar.  There have been songs written about moments like this, poems, books.  I just hope that by off chance we share a row on our flight #wishfulthinking (Yep, just did that).

Today I am thankful for

• Conversations with my best friend
• Seeing my family tonight
• Road trips alone with my thoughts
• Flights alone with my thoughts 
• Fourth grade pen pals 

Catch y'all en el valle. 

Back to some daydreams ;)

A Texas sunset on my drive today

Be Thankful

"Seek to learn constantly while you live, do not wait in the faith that old age by itself will bring wisdom." - Solon

I am thankful for the seven lovely ladies I have been blessed to also call my friends this year.  Four of them live across the street from me, and three I live with.  We had our very own Thanksgiving dinner tonight, complete with turkey and all.  We put on quite a feast, so big that we will be feasting together tomorrow evening as well.

Nothing like fine dining with great company. I laughed so hard at some great moments tonight.  Also, we used this website to set up our secret santas.  The holiday season is officially here! I'm listening to Carol of the Bells and just love, love, love this beautiful time of year.  Everything is magical.

Today's Happiness Journal Update:

• Lemons...beautiful and perfectly crisp lemons.

• Thanksgiving feast with great company
• My secret santa is...shhh! I can't tell.
• Sometimes gravy is brown ;) 

What are you thankful for today?

Connecting Flights // A Little

"If you add a little to a little and do this often, soon the little will become great." - Hesiod

Let's discuss the most depressing moment of my life.

I am sitting in my living room taking a fifteen minute break before my yoga class and I turn on the television to find this precious gem catch my attention.  I stopped, I pined, I perished as I discovered the storyline that very well could be my life one day (wishful thinking).

Only to find that...it was a ruse.

Wouldn't it make for a fabulous storyline, though?  Better yet, wouldn't this be the most perfect next chapter to my life?! I knew you'd agree :)

On a brighter note, I am starting my Happiness Project Journal today.  I am challenging myself to write at least one sentence every day for five years.  Is that not a manageable way to keep a record of life?  I am certain that I can get this done.  I will give updates here for y'all.

So, today Tuesday, November 13, 2012

• I began to master tree headstand (<-- a="a" and="and" at="at" began="began" but="but" by="by" check.="check." day="day" december="december" end="end" fall="fall" for="for" goal="goal" had="had" have="have" headstands="headstands" i="i" is="is" least="least" li="li" master="master" name="name" not="not" of="of" official="official" one="one" sure="sure" the="the" third="third" this="this" three="three" to="to" today="today" two="two" was="was" what="what">
• A student brought me some homemade gumbo after school and it warmed my heart.
• Let the week fly by because I am more than ready to go home for Thanksgiving Break! 

Join me on the Happiness Project and begin your own, today! 

Ask me about it. 

P.S. Come Pick Me Up

P.S. sometimes you just need a little Ryan Adams in your life...

Know what I mean?

Like this...

or this...

and this...

;)

Real

It has been an absolutely blissful Veteran's Day weekend.  I am so thankful for the extra day I had to relax this weekend.

I've been full of intense thoughts.  So intense it's hard to keep them straight.  I'm also ready to go home to Texas for awhile.  I'm just ready for a vacation.  My road trip to Texas on Friday will be the start of pure relaxation for me. At least for a week.  My graduate school application WILL be submitted from the place I call home, the Rio Grande Valley.  Right now, I've got everything together I'm just doing some final edits on my essays, getting some different people to do some final reviews.

Love has been on my mind a lot.  You could say that for the past six months love escaped me.  That sounds morbid and all sorts of dark and twisty that I do not mean to be.  I don't mean escape in the empty sense of the word, but just escape in that love and the idea of falling in love went away.  To take a break from my mind for awhile.  Love was always there and I still loved everything that encompassed the word and feelings that came with it.

But recently, love is on my mind again.  The possibility of falling in love again feels real to me.  It feels far away I may add, but it feels real. It's kind of a funny realization, and it almost sounds silly writing it down.  I almost want to kick myself and say, "well of course it was always real, and of course you will fall in love again" but it still won't change that for the past six months love and I gave each other some much needed space.  

Happenings from this weekend:

My first bon fire! 

First bon fire spent with great company

Delicious brunch!  

The beautiful view from the bath I took on my relaxing weekend out of town 

My roommate baking apple pie

Splurges at Marshall's

Steve Madden leather boots! 

Expect a post about this in the near future...

I love Young Adult fiction! 

What a steal! 

How was your weekend?

Any intense thoughts?

Suggestions on pushing through my week? 

Big To-Do's

Feeling accomplished.  Check out this to-do list I made for myself this morning...

Scheduling out my day

Up until a couple of hours ago I actually accomplished all things on that list.  I am very proud of myself.  Being a teacher is hard work my friends.  Things are going by so fast, and I feel like Christmas will be here before we know it.  The grad school essay is still a work in progress, I have finally cut it down to five pages, but it still needs to be condensed to four.  I am awaiting my official transcript in the mail so that I can upload it in a PDF and click SUBMIT.  I am so anxious and so excited at the same time.

I am also feeling an urge to head to Texas soon, I feel homesick for my family, for my hometown, and for all things Texan.  Good BBQ, sweet tea, Houston, Austin, the Rio Grande Valley, all of it.  I have next Veteran's Day Weekend off and I'm thinking of paying my sweet cousin in Beaumont a little visit. I miss her and I don't get to see her as much as I'd like to anymore.

The hardest thing I've found about being in the "real" world and being a true "adult" with responsibilities is making the effort to keep in touch with those that are important to you.  I struggled with that a lot last year and I'm doing better this year, but I definitely want to keep improving.  This also includes my family.  I talk to my mom regularly, but for example my cousin, my dad, my other family members I tend to start leaving behind for one reason or another.  Excuses are not okay, and I hate to be one to make them.  Everyone is busy, you just have to make time for those that matter to you.  I'm guilty of not doing it, but we can only go up from there ;)

Happy belated Halloween! 

This Halloween card I received doubled as a card AND a mask! How nifty.

 Goodbye football season!

Last high school football game for me.  So bittersweet.

 and hopefully...a hello to graduate school! 

Hey, I need to fully envision these BIG dreams of mine ;)