Back to School

Before our weekend trip Becca and I had planned on heading back to the cheap food market to do some grocery shopping early Monday morning, as neither of us has class until noon. We decided not to for a couple of reasons. One was that we were pretty tired, and jumped at the chance to catch up on sleep. My second reason was that I overspent my budget for the weekend. I gave myself seventy euro, and I spent eighty two. If I hadn't bought myself souvenirs, or twelve euro worth of Gelato I would have been just fine. I decided to balance things out by not spending any money this week. I have enough pasta and cornflakes to get me through this week. Especially when I factor in my first day of fasting, a cooking lesson where I get to eat what I make, and I'm going to eat my February box of Kraft Mac and Cheese on Friday. The program I came through, ISA, does a couple of cooking lessons throughout the semester, and Becca and I are both signed up for the one on Wednesday night, I'm pumped. After waking up at nine thirty, I read for my second class of the day, got ready, and eventually walked to school. Masterpieces of Italian Opera was good as usual, we watched parts of the Monteverde opera about Nero and his mistress turned wife Poppea. After two hours of viewing it becomes increasingly difficult to pay attention in the dark room, luckily this professor lets us take breaks. After class I printed off a few papers (which is free at school, very nice) and headed to art gallery management. I gave a presentation on an artist, and we turned in our first three weeks of journals. I walked home after class and attempted to catch up on my blog, while uploading my pictures to facebook. Up to this point my fasting was going pretty well, but then my roommates started to cook dinner, and it smelled so good. Going grocery shopping with Becca didn't help. It's a good thing I didn't take any money I would have bought the whole store. Instead I priced a few items (we were at a new, and much bigger grocery store) and helped her carry her bags home. I'm thinking that on Friday I will go to the cheap food market and get rice, nuts, and carrots, and possibly pick up mushrooms and peas from the grocery store. That way I can make delicious stir fries on the stove top. I'm pretty excited. If the other ingredients aren't terribly expensive I might even get a pineapple, that would be pretty tasty with rice and nuts, yum. We'll see how much the rice sets me back before I purchase tons of other ingredients, I'm hoping to stay under ten euro for groceries per week. Also I have no idea how to cut an actual pineapple, I'm pretty sure there's a specific technique, so if anyone knows please don't be stingy with your knowledge. Monday was also my good friend Vincent Peichel's birthday, I remembered about a week ago, and ordered him a cake on HyVee online. I managed to get a friend of his to pick it up for me (and I am eternally grateful) Vince wrote me a message on facebook this morning, and I liked it so much I'm going to share it with you here :

"Holy Awesome Cake, Batman! Are you serious?! You ordered a cake from Rome for me! I can't believe it! Ok, I can believe it, but really wow! Thank you so much. You are amazing. My day was going ok and then on my way out of work, Matt was like, "What's that?" I looked into the break room and saw a cake. I approached it with curiosity thinking it was an office thing, like cookies or donuts, left over from a meeting. As I got closer I didn't quite comprehend what I was seeing. It was a cake. I said out loud, "A cake?"
"Really?" Matt asked.
I noticed it had Batman on it. Frickin' cool. But it wasn't just Batman, it was Batman on the Batcycle blasting out of the motha flippin' Batcave! My thoughts were exactly: That's a sweet ass cake. Whose the lucky jackhole who got a cake?
Then I read it, "Happy Birthday Vince. ... er, what?" I read it again, yep, it still said, "Happy Birthday Vince." That's right, I was the lucky jackhole.
I didn't know what to think, my first thought was "WTF 2fix, you buy me a cake and no body effing tells me. Good flippin' job." But instead of saying that aloud, I said, "Who's it from?"
Matt replied, "One of your friends."
So, 2fix was off the hook, and I suddenly was reminded that I have incredible friends. I replied to Matt, "Who the hell would buy me a cake?"
It wasn't long before I figured out who would buy me a cake. It would be the same person who made me a cake last year. That person, in case you forgot, was you! So, thank you so very much. You definitely made my day and at the very least my week because I imagine I will be bragging about my awesome cake later in the week. I took lots of pictures and will have to put them up on fb or something. Thanks again.
Also, thanks for the Mexican-style birthday song. I liked that. Also, I've curled my mustache while typing this just for you. Okay, a little for me too. :P Miss ya!"
A successful present I think. After finishing uploading my facebook pictures I talked to Stu before heading to bed.