I am so happy

I just realized.

Last night I was watching "Into the Wild" and at the end of the movie, the spoiled rich kid (how I envisioned his reasoning for running away) actually had something smart to say. "Happiness is only real if it is shared" At that moment I realized that even though you can be happy alone, it can be increased exponentially if you are sharing those memories with people you love. I looked at K and I just melted. Life is better when it is shared and I am so happy to share it with K!

This weekend we painted the kitchen. Normally that'd be a daunting task, but K and I really looked forward to it. Working together to improve our living environment even if time consuming and repetitive made us both happy. I can't imagine ever really enjoying painting a whole room by myself. That's just a small and probably bad example, but I hope it demonstrates my point.

It's the people in your life that make it worth living, and everybody should take time to reflect upon and be thankful for the memories and the time they have to spend with others that they love. Nobody is here forever.

The Photography of Cooking

Most everybody loves cooking with friends and family and I've started to notice that it really brings out a lot of laughs and smiles. This really is perfect for photography because you have the opportunity to get a lot of impromptu shots and the people being photographed will love it because they're in such a good mood! These pictures are also great additions to anybody's photo album because so many warm memories are wrapped up in those cramped moments in the kitchen. I should do more of this type of photography, because even if I take a bad photo it still seems to come out good. But that's the thing about memories, you don't need an artist to sculpt them, you just have to remember.

Food I miss from ISU

It's funny that I miss food from college more often than anything else. Yes, I miss the parties and the ability to sleep all day and lack of real bills. But day after day, I wish I could find something similar to so many of the foods I ate at ISU. Here is a list of food I miss the most and I hope dearly that I can find a way to eat some again before I die ;)

1) ISU Meat Lab bratwurst - I hope to head over to the market and buy at least 4lb of this next time I visit Ames. They're open from 11:00-1:00 on Fridays so I can't wait to stop by.

2) Gumby's pepperoni rolls - I had some of these when I visited Illinois State back in Nov. They were heavenly

3) West Street Deli capicola and pastrami on panini-style toasted dark rye with mayo, black olives, banana peppers, lettuce and tomato - complicated order, but it is seriously the best sandwich I have ever put in my mouth.

4) Pizza Pit fried buffalo wings - These come in at a close second to my all time favorite fried wings from the Chicken Shoppe in my home town. Unfortunately, the Chicken Shoppe no longer exists and their delicious wings are lost forever.

5) Pizza Pit cheese bread - Italian bread covered in a thick layer of mozzarella and Italian spices then baked until the cheese is gooey and the crust is crispy. Dip it in a cup of fresh marinara sauce and you'll be in heaven.

6) Home Team Chicago-style sausage pizza - For the price, this pizza couldn't be beat. It cost only $6 without any coupon, and it lasted me at least 2 meals. A lot of people didn't like Home Team but I loved them and now that they're closed. The closest location is in Des Moines, and I don't see any indication that they serve this pizza anymore :(

7) Totino's Mexican pizza - OK, this is just frozen pizza, but you Chicagoans think you all are too fancy to stock a $1 Mexican pizza, don't you???