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Father-in-law and son-in-law drinking beer at a restaurant

Weekend Recap – The Parental Unit Visits

written by Parita 13 Comments

My parents came down for a quick visit this weekend.  And because they were only with us for less than 48 hours, we packed in as much as we could!

FRIDAY

My flight out of Chicago was at 6:30 pm, which meant that I got into Tampa around 10:15 pm.  Needless to say, by the time we got home, I was exhausted.  I pretty much went straight to bed and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow!

Quick side note – I got to use my TSA pre-check status on Friday!  You guys.  It was freaking awesome.  While the regular security line was super long, the pre-check line took about five minutes (if that).  For someone who hates to fly, this little perk made a usually frustrating experience quite bearable! 

Not only did I fly through security, I also got to relax in the Admirals Club with my coworker Ivette.  Ivette has status on American, and I got to tag along since we had an hour or so to burn before our flights!

SATURDAY

My parents were due to get in around 1 pm on Saturday, so we got up and got to work.  Vishnu and I tag teamed cleaning the apartment and washing two loads of laundry. I also made a quick trip to TJs to stock up some essentials for the week. 

When my parents arrived, I had lunch ready for us to eat – stir-fry with tofu, soba noodles, and a peanut butter lime sauce!  One of our all time favorites!  Luckily, they enjoyed it too!

In between lunch and dinner, we just hung out, talked, and watched TV.

For dinner, we went to a place called The Avenue because I was once again in the mood for a burger!  My mom and I ended up sharing a mac n’ cheese veggie burger (a veggie patty topped with a scoop of mac n’ cheese).  In addition to their own burgers, my dad and Vishnu each got a Stella.  They were then asked to pose for a picture!

The Avenue 1

While we ate our delicious burgers, we listened to an amazing live band play fun songs, both old and new!  Get this – they played “Get Low” by Lil Jon and the East Side Boys…but acoustically!  AMAZING!

Dan Orlando Music

SUNDAY

Sunday was beach day!  We headed to Madeira Beach a little after noon for a few hours in the sun.  As you all know, I’ve been yearning for a day at the beach for a few weeks now, and I finally got it!  So much fun!

Beach Day 2

My dad was like a fish – once he set foot in the ocean, he didn’t want to leave!

Beach Day 1

Beach Day 3

Sunday also included some dahi puri for me (crispy puffs filled with potatoes, peas, yogurt, and sweet and spicy chutneys.  And for everyone else, Mediterranean food!

Dahi Puri

And of course, it wouldn’t be a day in St. Pete/Tampa without some rain!

And just like that, we’re back to the grind – my parents are back in Atlanta, and Vishnu and I are gearing up for another week and a new rotation (ER)!

Did you have a good weekend?

Written on August 17, 2015 Related:Family

Veggie burger and fries from Stillwaters Taven in St. Petersburg, FL

Weekend Recap…

written by Parita 6 Comments

…that includes too many things to name in the title!

Another weekend, another recap!  Also, as I mentioned in my no added sugar challenge post, I’m in Chicago for work this week.  I love this city in the summer.  There’s truly nothing like it!

FRIDAY

I only worked until lunch on Friday since Vishnu and I had our TSA pre-check appointments in the early afternoon.  The “interviews” themselves took about five minutes each.  Actually getting to the airport was the real pain because of an accident and onlooker delays.

Since we were already in Tampa, we went to the mall to see if we could find any good deals.  Guess what…no deals!  I did get a new-to-me BB cream at Sephora though (will share more once I’ve tested it out a bit).  We also stopped by Nordstrom Rack where I found a beautiful woven dress that can be dressed up or down and will transition from summer to fall quite nicely I think.

When we got home from the mall, Vishnu asked if I would be interested in going to see the new Mission Impossible movie.  Since Reshma gave it two thumbs up, I was not only down but kind of excited!  Mind you, Vishnu’s been anticipating this movie for quite some time now.  How do I know?  Because he showed me the online trailer five times in the last two months! 

If you’re looking for a fun action movie to end the summer with, this is it!  I may not be the biggest Tom Cruise fan, but boy can he act!  AND Vishnu told me that he did most of the stunts himself.  Crazy!  I also loved the humor that was mixed in with all the action, particularly any scene with Benji!

SATURDAY

On Saturday morning, I went to TJs per the usual except this time I didn’t come back with tons of stuff.  Since I’m gone through the end of the week, I picked up a few prepared/prepackaged foods for Vishnu.  Before most longer trips, I try to make him something to eat for the week before I head out (lasagna, chili, etc.), but I didn’t prepare the way I usually do so Trader Joe’s to the rescue.  Tamales, chicken lasagna, and pizza will have to do this week!

Other to dos on our Saturday agenda included cleaning, a work out, de cluttering my makeup stash (i.e. throwing away a few old products that I held on to “just in case”), and packing.

We also met up with one of Vishnu’s co-interns and his girlfriend for dinner at Stillwaters Tavern.  Apparently the restaurant just opened a month or so ago.  I can tell it’s going to be a go to place for a lot of people because the food and the beer selection were both on point. 

I stuck with water as my drink of choice and ordered a house made vegetarian burger and fries as my main.  For some reason, I was craving a veggie burger all day, and this one delivered.  The patty itself was full of flavor (I think the main ingredient was black beans), and the toppings included feta, tzatziki sauce and pickled onions.  I honestly could’ve ate a bowl of just those onions.  They were perfectly sweet and tangy!  And the ketchup that came with the fries was a little spicy and added the perfect kick.  Craving quenched!

Stillwaters Tavern

As an aside, the chicken dish Vishnu ordered came with jalapeno cheddar bread pudding.  Um, how good does that sound!?  Too bad it was wedged between two pieces of chicken. Sad smile  I really wanted to try it!  Next time I may get it as a side.

After dinner, Shaz, AJ’s girlfriend, asked if we wanted to stop by the gelato place next door.  No worries, I didn’t cheat on my challenge.  While every got a cup of gelato, I sipped on a no sugar added latte.  But you better believe we are going back to this place in 20 days!  Some of the flavors looked and sounded absolutely delicious. 

SUNDAY

Our Sunday started way earlier than we wanted at 4:15 am because of my crack of dawn flight.  I promised myself (and Vishnu) that I won’t book early morning flights anymore unless absolutely necessary. 

Anyway, we got to the airport with plenty of time for me to check my bag and get through security.  Or so we thought!  The security line was unbelievably long.  At one point when I looked back, it had started to wrap around the back of the airport!  I couldn’t help but wish that our pre-check appointment one week earlier!  It was so bad that they closed the regular lanes where you go through the normal TSA process and opened up three pre-check lanes where you keep your shoes on and don’t have to take out liquids or electronics.  That was the only way to get everyone through.  Luckily, I made it to my gate with a few minutes to spare!

Airplane view of Chicago

Once I arrived in Chicago, I quickly unpacked/settled in to my hotel room and got ready for the day.  Unfortunately, it was drizzling, so I couldn’t go very far.  Vishnu wanted me to check out potential neighborhoods since we’re going to start hunting for our next home soon!  I guess the rain followed me here.

At 1:00 pm, a group of us staying at the hotel headed over to my coworker Toni’s parent’s house for dinner.  Toni’s family is Italian, and her dad just so happens to have a wood burning brick oven in his backyard, so we had an Italian pizza party!  So much delicious fun!

Wood burning pizza oven

Pizza party 1

Pizza party 2

And finally, I ended the day by meeting up with a very good business school friend of mine!  Mariam and I hadn’t seen each other since my wedding, so this was a long overdue reunion.  I love it when one trip fits so many different purposes!

I’ll share more about this trip in Friday’s post – lots of delicious restaurants on the agenda along with a Cubs game, fireworks, and more!

Have a wonderful Monday, and as always, thanks for reading!

Have you ever been to Chicago before?  Favorite US city?

Written on August 10, 2015 Related:Chicago, Restaurant, Travel

Wet Brush-Pro hairbrush

Three Things Thursday (19)

written by Parita 14 Comments

I can’t wait for the weekend.  I usually don’t like to think that way because it goes against being mindful and living in the present.  BUT this is Vishnu’s first full weekend off in what feels like a very long time, so I can’t wait!

We’re going to take advantage of the Fandango BOGO deal and go see Trainwreck on Friday.  I’ve heard good things!  And Saturday is a designated beach day.  We bought new beach chairs at Target a few weeks ago, and I can’t wait to put them to good use!

Anyway, let’s move on to this week’s Three Things Thursday post.  This week, I’m sharing three things I’m loving lately.

3 Things Thursday

Let’s get to it!

(1) Wet Brush-Pro

Wet brush-pro

My mom gifted me this hairbrush when I went home.  And then she ordered two more for herself!  I love it because no matter how tangled my hair may be, this brush doesn’t snag or pull at all.  The bristles are flexible and leave your hair feeling super soft.

I’ve never put too much thought into my hairbrush, but this one definitely makes me realize what I was missing out on!

(2) Popsugar Active app

Popsugar Active app

I recently downloaded this app and finally got around to using it the other morning.  I’ve been a Popsugar workout fan for a while now and love that this app makes available even more amazing routines.  And they’re categorized by type (strength training, running, yoga, and cardio), which makes it even easier to find exactly what you’re looking for.  I did a full body strength workout and it. was. tough.  Love having this app as yet another option for a great workout!  I highly recommend you check it out!

(3) TSA Precheck

Vishnu and I finally got around to signing up for TSA precheck.  Our interview/appointment is in a week or so.  I can’t wait to bypass the regular security line for the next next five years.  I didn’t really think it was worth it when Vishnu first mentioned signing up, but after my last few trips, I’m 100% on board!

Well, that’s all I have this week!

If you’re a blogger, write a post and link back to one or all of the hostesses: Raj from Pink Chai Living, Nisha from Love Laugh Mirch, or Salma from The Write Balance. Then share a link to your post (not your blog’s home page).

Did you already or do you plan to sign up for TSA Precheck?  I think if you travel semi-frequently, it’s totally worth it.

Written on July 23, 2015 Related:Three Things Thursday

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