Tradition Thursday

Today I'm thankful to have had a few hours of downtime and relaxation in the midst of a week that has been go-go-go since Sunday at 3:00pm. I went from campaigners with my freshman girls, to speeding to a 5:00pm church service, to team meeting in a fort. On Monday I went from class to Westwood to club. On Tuesday I have a full day of class and senior small group at our house. Wednesday is back to Westwood, and I feel like every spare moment this week has been spent writing papers, crafting lesson plans, and trying to squeeze in a quick workout. I have hardly had enough time to breathe, so I can forget about accomplishing any of the "extra" items on my to-do list, ie, hand-washing some of my shirts. I hardly even have time to send my parents a quick text to update them on my life, and the way they find out about the things that I am doing is if I find myself in the car with 15 minutes to spare for a quick phone call, or by reading this blog. I knew this semester was going to be crazy, but I'm really living it. I've stayed up past midnight three nights in a row, and that is extremely uncharacteristic of me.

So, with all of that being said, I was more than ready for my Thursday night tradition, in that either Dylan or I pick out a new restaurant to go to dinner. It was Dylan's turn to pick a restaurant this week, and we went to a restaurant that is located very near where we live - Contigo. As it turns out, he has been there before, but he really liked it, and it was obviously new to me, so it fit the criteria.

The first thing I noticed was how cool the atmosphere was. It reminded me of a ranch, which makes sense because that's what it is modeled after. Contigo offers mainly outdoor seating, which was perfect on a beautiful night like tonight, and all of the tables and chairs looked like they came straight out of Pinterest. The fact that lights were strung throughout the eating area helped add to that effect. It was a very welcoming environment, and I had heard of the restaurant before, but had obviously never ventured over there despite it being about a 7-minute drive away.

We ordered the olives as an appetizer, and though we both ate quite a few of them, we agreed that they had a funny taste to them. I think it was the orange, and the fact that they were extremely salty, but since we are both olive lovers, we figured they would be a fun thing to try.

For the main dish, I went with the rabbit and dumplings, which is definitely out of the ordinary for me, and Dylan opted for the daily fresh sausage. I actually really loved the rabbit, and I know my dad would be extremely proud to hear that I ventured out and tried something new without him having to lie to me about what I am eating. I have a really hard time trying new things, and I think Dylan was even a bit surprised at my adventurous decision. We both really enjoyed our meals, though I am a bit sad that I didn't get to try the hamburger. Next time!

We just couldn't leave without some dessert, so we split the watermelon, lime, and mint sorbet, because Dylan is a good sport about my lactose intolerance. It sounds like an interesting flavor combination, but I really liked it, and Dylan claims to have liked it too, so I'd say the night was a success. I certainly can't complain, as my food was good, the atmosphere was fun, and I had a pretty great date.

Now I'm at home reviewing my lesson plan before I teach it tomorrow. Cross your fingers that it goes well - I'll be back with a full report, I'm sure!