New Snacks, New Restaurants, New Friends…

Okay, so I’m just going to get right down to it and say that I might’ve found my new favorite sweet snack.  Two nights ago, I was planning out my lunch for yesterday, when I opened the cabinet where I keep the nut butters and saw a jar of Peanut Butter & Co. Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Peanut Butter staring back at me. 

And instantly, my apple + peanut butter snack went from basically boring to totally super awesome.  I mean, it says it right on the jar; so why didn’t I think of this before?!

I cut up a Fuji apple (which are my new favorite kind of apples, by the way) and put the slices in a Tupperware container with a spoonful of the PB, and when I went to eat it yesterday afternoon, it was like a party in my mouth.

It may not look all that appetizing in the pictures (sorry) but seriously I hoped it would never end.  Last night when I was packing up my lunch for today, it was the first thing in bag. 

The other eats from yesterday were pretty standard and nothing to really write home about.

Green peppers + chipotle hummus:

Salad with romaine, spinach, steak, cucumbers, carrots, and BV… which I just realized I apparently forgot to take a picture of.  But it was just like Wednesday’s lunch, so you can click here if you really want to see it again.

After work, my manager set up a little happy hour get together at a bar downtown for some people in our department and a group of others I’d never met.  I have to admit: I was hugely nervous about going because I’m not really an outgoing person by nature, and usually I’d probably just talk myself out of it.  When I know people, I love to talk and be social, I’m just not good at meeting people for the first time.  But I know how important it is to meet people if I want to enjoy life here (which I do), so I sucked it up, didn’t make excuses for not going out with everyone else, and walked in there ready to introduce myself. 

And I’m so grateful he invited me and so glad that I went because even though I’ve been really nervous about how I’m going to meet people and get involved in things here, I now see that I really have nothing to worry about.  Everyone was so welcoming and I met a lot of great people who I can totally see myself getting along with.  I’ll tell you, that’s definitely a good feeling when you move to a new place knowing no one!

The bar we met at was a local college hot spot, with a pool table and lots of space to mingle.  I was expecting typical bar food grub, but their menu surprised me in it’s variety.  I ordered a turkey club sandwich, which included turkey, bacon, lettuce, and tomatoes, (no mayo) on toasted wheat bread.  Kettle chips on the side in the middle.

(Sorry for the picture quality… I was trying to be discreet.)  They had a lot of things on the menu that I’d like to try – I heard the tator tots are really good – and I’m hoping I’ll get to take Billy there next time he has a day off to come visit because I think he’d really like it too. 

So I’d say it’s ‘so far so good’ with restaurants in my new town.  Every one I’ve been to has been good, and I have plans to visit a couple more this weekend.  Add some potential new friends to that list and I don’t think I’m doing so bad here!

And the good news just keeps coming because… It’s FRIDAY! And my Dad’s coming up tonight… And he’s bring my new sofa + chair… AND, we have a very special activity planned for Saturday…

So bring on the weekend!!