Happy March :) It's a beautiful day here in IC.

Today Phillip won tickets to the Big Ten Tournament. Student season ticket holders who attend x number of the home games are automatically entered in a drawing for them. Phillip's dad was thinking about getting tickets at least for him and the boys anyway, so I think now they'll just purchase one less and bring the other kid who comes to the games with us. I've been asked if I have interest in going, but really, I don't care all that much. Tickets aren't especially expensive, and it could be fun, but I feel like I've had enough family bonding with them the past weekend. There's only so much FFF one can take, especially when it's not even your family.

For Lent I gave up eating between meals. I've been thinking of it mostly as not snacking, so I decide when I eat if I really am hungry or bored, and if I am hungry, I'm trying to eat only as much as I need. Since my general rule is that my meals be healthy opposed to junk food, and I had some really good workouts last week, I felt pretty good about myself all week.

Then, Friday came. I'd done well allday and even got in a late workout (which can be hard when you just want to start your weekend) before going to Steak'n'Shake with my friends. We could tell early on that our waitress wasn't the brightest crayon in the box, but then, it's Steak'n'Shake. How hard can your order be?

Evidently, pretty hard.

There were little menus on the table advertising new fruit and yogurt shakes, so, holding the menu and pointing at the pink shake said "I'll have one of the new strawberry shakes without whipped cream or cherry," and trying to be healthy ordered a chicken breast sandwhich, withouth the honey mustard dressing it comes with on account of i don't like honey mustard.

Nancy brought me a regular strawberry shake with whipped cream and cherry. The reason I know this is there was no fruit on it and it wasn't in the same glass as someone else who had also gotten one. When she finally came around, I told her thats not what I wanted and she said well it's what I ordered. So I said I know you're busy so it's not a big deal and was about to ask her to just take it off the check instead of make a new one, but she said fine, she'd get me a new one. Except, really, she just took the old one back and put it in a new glass because there was still no fruit mixed in and there was more whipped cream and another cherry.

I was exasperated.

Then the food came. And at steak'n'shake, for an extra $2.59 you can have two sides. I did not order two sides. but I did get one side of French fries. and my chicken was SMOTHERED in mustard. like, this isn't just scrape it off with a French fry, but more like you wouldn't taste anything else even if you did like mustard.

So, clearly, I just start to cry because I won't eat any of this and the waitress was rude to me about the shake. She messed up one of the guy's sides but he didn't care because it was food he liked anyway. But I cared because I didn't order fries and I don't like mustard. But I don't say anything because I'm crying and the four guys I'm eating with were embarrassed enough about the shake thing when really, I wasn't out of line she was just rude.

And my meal was the most expensive one, and I didn't eat any of it.

Then, Saturday, the twins parents were in town for the game and took us out to eat after. And I ordered something I didn't really want because I was trying to stay within a price range here. Who wants to go out with a family and get the most expensive lunch? not me. So I didn't even enjoy that meal.

Then the guys were going to Whiteys that night and I wasn't even hungry for it but I was so mad that I hadn't had anything that I wanted to eat in two days that I wanted it so I could just eat something I like. Only, I didn't because I wasn't hungry and just was depressed instead.

That got me thinking about my eating patterns, though. Here at the house we don't have any snack food that are particular favorites, but things that are just okay. So I eat them, and then when something I do love comes along, I eat that, too, even if I'm not hungry for it.

Last night, FFF with the twins family continued, actually. Erin was in town for a swim meet so I went to the field house to watch her swim with Phillip. Eventually, Eric showed up, and eventually both ditched me to go play basketball. So I sat there with their parents for a bit. After Phillip's intermural basketball game, they invited me to go grab something to eat with them. I declined. Not that I didn't love spending the past three hours with them, but they did buy me a meal the day before and I didn't have any cash to offer (even if they wouldn't accept it).

So, I mean, we'll see about the whole Big 10 Tourney thing. The package Phillip got includes two sets of tickets for all the games, so even if Iowa doesn't make it past the first round (which they could, but then they face Ohio St.) they could catch a game or just spend the weekend in Chicago as the package includes a room at whichever hotel the team stays at.

Mary, do you need incentive to go to chi-town? jk...

My friend Rene is excited about me coming to Sevilla. She finishes finals the day after I get there, so depending on my travel plans has offered to meet me at the airport to avoid cab fair. Also, she's abroad with the same program I will be and can answer questions. At first I wasn't too excited about living with a family, but she always has such funny stories about the one she's with that I'm sure it'd make great blog material. Unfortunately, she's leaving spain to travel shortly after my arrival, but isn't coming back to the States until July.

Susan, I know you don't have much money, but you should think about coming. Mom doesn't want me to travel alone, but it'd be sad to go to Europe and then not travel at all.

More later this week.

TTYL