Road Trip!

I'm fighting to stay awake at my desk this morning.

Yesterday, The Writer picked me up from work and we drove all the way to Pittsburgh to go to Ikea.  It was only supposed to take us two hours, but the GPS was determined to keep us on rural roads, so it felt like much longer.  I was looking for some small items for my new apartment, like an extra end table, a lamp, and some general decor.  It was nice to an inventory other than that of Target or Walmart.  I'd started to feel like I was at one of those two stores every other day, staring at the same stuff and not wanting any of it.

First, at Ikea, they have carts with swivel wheels on all four corners instead of just the usual front two corners.  I was first to discover this and, since they took a little getting used to, was a little out of control.  The Writer took this as an opportunity to revoke my driving privileges (the Jersey jokes never get old).  I think he just wanted a turn with it, since he spent the rest of the day swinging the cart around and riding it through Ikea. I'm sure they loved us.

We wandered through the "accessories" section first, as in, not the main showroom.  I picked up a few kitchen and bathroom things, as well as some wall hangings that will serve as a headboard. I can't wait to put them up.  My walls are SO bare and my attraction to neutrals makes for a pretty bland living space at times.  After that, we made our way through the showroom upstairs, lusting after amazing kitchen and cozy living room displays.  I'm so thankful that our design styles mesh.  I'd be excited to decorate a living space with him, should we ever end up living together.

I found the end table and matching coffee table (an unplanned addition) downstairs in the warehouse, where The Writer had some serious fun with the shopping cart in the wide, concrete aisles.  I'm lucky I didn't get run over!  I'd planned on taking pictures of our adventure, since we never seem to do that, but my camera died when I tried to take the first shot. Sad. And no, I didn't have extra batteries.  I'm not an extra-batteries kind of girl.

We decided to try Bahama Breeze for dinner before heading home.  We both had the Jamaican Chicken Breast.  It was delicious, but neither of us was particularly full afterwards, so we had to hit Panera before setting out.  Thankfully, the GPS was kind to the poor, tired driver (Him) and kept us on highways the whole way back.  Once home, I, of course, had to get the tables put together before going to bed.  I did it partly from excitement, but also new that I was picking up some second-hand Ikea furniture (a loveseat and two chairs) from my old theatre and that they would need putting together today.

The Roommate and I decided to have an open house on Sunday for all of our friends in the area, so I've got a lot to do.  I want the place to look as put together as possible, because I am itching to take some photos and get them posted.  Not to mention having to plan drinks and snacks for the party.  I think I may only be more tired by Monday.

The Writer & Redhead Take Miami

The Writer and I finally got some good, solid alone time yesterday.  We drove across Alligator Alley to South Beach, Miami.  No alligators were seen on the way there or on the way back.  After all the wildlife we've seen on this vacation, I almost expected a few alligators or, if we were lucky, a panther.

I made the mistake of not eating a good breakfast before we left, so by the time we got there I was a little cranky from being hungry.  We walked our way down the Lincoln Drive Mall, making a few stops before my stomach really started grumbling.  We found a beachfront Italian restaurant for beers and mojitos to go with his steak and my veggie panini, which were absolutely delicious!

Our parking meter was almost up, so we decided to take a spin further down South Beach.  There was a music festival that The Writer was really interested in and wanted to try to sneak in some listening. We had thought about getting tickets, but it was a three-day event and the passes were pricey.  I wanted to check out Dash, since I'm a little bit of a Kardashian fan, but parking was nowhere to be found.  We managed to drive by our points of interest, so at least we can say that we were there.

We parked back at the original lot and hit Starbucks for some caffienation and the use of their bathrooms.  Even though we both try to avoid chain restaurants and such while exploring a new area, Starbucks is somehow different. Maybe it's the air conditioning, but it always seems to be calming when you step into a Starbucks far from home.  After some more shopping and a long walk along the beach (I think The Writer was trying to find UltraFest again) we headed to dinner at The Big Pink.  Thankfully, there was parking closer to the restaurant because my feet were thoroughly worn out.

Dinner was delish! I usually don't go for any kind of cheesesteak, since I'm used to authentic Philly cuisine, but I took the waiters recommendation and tried the chicken cheesesteak with peppers, onions, and mushrooms.  I like to add some spaghetti sauce for a pizza cheesesteak feel. After dinner, we headed back to his parent's house in the dark, not a nerve-wracking experience at all! Well, not for me because I fell asleep, but The Writer had to be sure he didn't hit any alligators or run out of gas. We made it back safely and slept extremely well.