a sample of memories

When I was younger, I used to adore Saturday morning grocery shopping - my family would head to the local Denninger's (which I now realize is only in southern Ontario, 'tis a shame) and I would get a sample of my favourite deli meat or some kind of treat they were setting up at a table.**

Well, since this past week and a bit has been a little on the busy side (half-studying, half-relaxing-time-as-to-not-go-insane-from-studying), I figured this post could be a sample of memories, if you will - some pictures of what I've been up to for the past fortnight. Which just about proves that whenever I'm not studying for final examinations, I'm doing one of two things: exploring the outdoors, or eating.

**P.S. It's memories like these that make me realize that I'm only getting older. No more free samples of turkey bologna for me (maybe that's why I barely go grocery shopping with my parents nowadays).

The downtown Christmas tree and The Boy hiding behind me and my large earmuffs, haha.

We went to a local pub eatery for the first time that, aside from having neat lights, specialized in seafood - and so we had, also for the first time, popcorn alligator. Actually tasted pretty good!

My brilliant university decided to schedule one of my exams at 7:30pm - ON A SATURDAY. A SATURDAY NIGHT. Even my Dad didn't understand and said, "But Saturday nights are for relaxing!" My thoughts exactly, father. So, to make the night less painful, me and my friend/classmate headed to the coffee shop across campus to study. I had the largest cappuccino ever and a delicious grilled chicken portobello wrap. Mmmm.

Not even two full days later, I had another exam at 9am. (Oh and of course, they schedule it so my last exam isn't until a week and a half later. The agony.) After handing in a paper, I decided to take some pictures of my snow-filled campus - including a bench that no one in their right mind would sit on and one of the oldest and prettiest buildings.

The rest of my week has been spent sending off Christmas cards, doing 75% of my gift-shopping, rewarding myself with some Starbucks after three out of four exams, photographing an event and attending a meeting, and playing way too much Sims 2. It's addictive. It's a problem. 

On that note, I wanted to give a big, big HELLO! to all the new followers I've just seen pop up to the side! And of course, all of you who follow this blog on the weekly-or-longer basis that I update it. Feel free to say hello!, and if you'd like me to check out your blog, I'd love to :) 

Feels strange that it's nearly the end of 2010, nearly the end of a decade (wowee). So my next few posts will probably be a recap of this spontaneous year of 2010, and what I'm looking forward to next year!

What are your plans this weekend?

Hope it's full of exploring and eating!