Well, the Christmas tree is gone. The rest of the decorations are coming down gradually, and I’m still drinking out of my holiday mugs (that’s allowed until January 6th, right???) But it’s a new year, and time for the first Ultimate Coffee Date, hosted by Coco and Deborah. Get out your holiday mugs one last time, grab a delicious beverage (always Earl Grey tea for me!) and let’s get started.
If we were having coffee (tea) together, I would share one last “fantastic” photo my daughter sent from Rome.
I would love to put them all together in a collage, “Angie’s Trip to Rome.” It would be special!
She had a good time, although traveling to a different country can be eye-opening. You appreciate first-hand the hardships people go through- like, did you know people in Italy are actually forced to drink room temperature water???
Yes! There’s NO ICE. No ice in the hotel! No ice in the restaurants! If you order a soda, it comes in a can, and it’s kind of cold but not really, and there’s no glass full of ice to pour it in! You can’t imagine how much I’ve heard about the lack of ice in Rome. Well, hopefully this harrowing experience will make her appreciate life in the US more.
My daughter has a few days to recover from her jet lag, and then it’s back to school… for two days. On Wednesday of next week we’ll be off to Tampa! Angie is playing in the high school All-State band; my husband will be attending various band director conferences for professional development, and my son and I will be enjoying some rest and relaxation.
Last year when we went to Tampa I sought out a trail for an adventurous run… but this year, I’ll be doing a long run on Wednesday morning before we leave, so my time in Tampa can be more chill. I plan to stay close to the hotel, read my books, visit the Starbucks… and POSSIBLY have a blogger meetup (ooh! Exciting and mysterious… who lives in Tampa???)
The last thing I would share over coffee is my new wall calendar, which I found while randomly browsing at Barnes and Noble:
Seriously? CATS AND BOOKS??? It’s like someone made this specifically with me in mind. Here’s the January picture:
I love it so much! 2024 is going to be a great year!!!
Do you use a wall calendar?
Room temperature or ice water?- Room temperature is actually better for your digestion, but I know it’s hard to drink if you’re used to icy cold.
Header photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
52 Responses
Cats and books? can i have that calendar? so cute!!!
definitely room temperature or warm water. My stomach is very sensitive to cold things now.
I think ice water might be a purely American thing. And yes… the calendar is so, so cute.
What a fun trip– my Latin club went to Rome in high school, but my parents wouldn’t let me go. And Tampa sounds great too– a blogger meet up, even? A great start to the year!
SAME SARAH! Actually it was some trip through history class I think and I desperately wanted to go and my parents did not want to pay and i am still a teeensy bit annoyed 🙂
OH BUMMER! Although… it was expensive. It’s the only big trip in high school though and we didn’t want her to miss it.
Yes, our year is off to a busy start! And I’m feeling bad for high school Sarah who didn’t get to go to Rome.
Wow, so many great things here.
Time to chill in Tampa (with your son also chilling!). Yay! And a blogger meetup. I’m jealous, but still excited for you.
That calendar! Perfect.
And I laughed so hard at this: “Well, hopefully this harrowing experience will make her appreciate life in the US more.”
I DO use a wall calendar (and a desk calendar, and a big paper planner). What can I say, I am responsible for the killing of several trees a year. Sigh. I just love the tactile nature of paper and hate using a digital calendar.
I prefer cold water, but don’t need it ice cold and can be fine with room temperature water if I need to be. My husband HATES warm water (ironic, since he was born in Europe).
And you know I love Rome. I actually don’t remember my water being warm at restaurants? But maybe I was just enjoying Italy so much I didn’t notice. Rome was just…wonderful!
I have a feeling you weren’t quite as focused on the temperature of the water as my daughter was. You were probably appreciating everything else too much to care.
I love wall calendars! Sometimes I just need to see everything laid out in front of me.
That is a fun calendar! I guess there really is something for everyone!
I like my water without ice in it, and don’t actually like it to be cold unless it is a really hot day and I need to cool down. So maybe I am European!? Or Italian at least. I actually was in Rome with some friends years ago and their beef was the coffees. They were horrified with (1) the size of the coffees and (2) the fact that Italians do not really do “to go.” So my friend would order three espressos and an Americano and would then pour them all into a cup to take with her. The Italians thought she was a hoot (or an idiot, I can’t really say for sure).
Ha ha… my daughter doesn’t drink coffee, otherwise I’m sure I would have heard about that. When I was in Europe, years ago, I remember just noticing that everything was smaller. Like- I used to drink soda then- there was no such thing as these massive “Big gulps” that we have here. Which is probably a very, very good thing.
You have to do the collage! Or at least save the photos in a Google album and share them with the family! The Tampa trip is going to be a blast. Now of course I don’t know who your meetup is with but it’s fun to guess so I’ll just put it out there. I think it *could* be with someone who loves to read and who has two cats (pause while I second guess myself but I think Stephany lives near Tampa?). Anyway if it’s not with her it’s going to be with someone really cool and it will be a good time.
My parents get us a ginger tabby wall calendar every year since we all have a soft spot in our hearts for ginger tabbies. But I think the cats and books calendar tops that!
Hmmm…. you COULD be right : ) I’m not saying it will happen… it’s a possible meetup.
I LOVE ORANGE TABBIES! My next cat will be an orange tabby, and I’ll take a ginger tabby wall calendar any day.
Your daughter sounds like she has a very fun and quirky personality! Funny, having just been to Italy, I don’t remember that there was not ice. I do agree that the refrigeration is not as cold as we like it here in the US. Maybe that’s why the cheese is so good-now I’m thinking about the cheese again lol. Thanks for joining for coffee
Deborah, thanks for hosting! Funny how no one else seems fixated on the temperature of the water in Italy. And yes… “quirky” is a great word to describe my daughter.
Oh, I like that photo. It really does leave you wondering. You should totally make a collage for your daughter!
LOL on the ice. I prefer room temperature water but definitely want my Coke in a glass with ice. 😉
I like your plans for Tampa.
Our tree is coming down this weekend ….
I usually drink my water room temperature, but on a hot day I love an iced tea.
Good luck with the tree! The rest of our decorations are coming down this weekend, and I’m not looking forward to it. Un-decorating is not so fun!
I love that calendar! I do get a few wall calendars every year (Sandra Boynton and the Boston Bruins), but I use those only for reference–what day is? What day was last Tuesday?–and I use the google calendar for all my planning and appointments. I used to use a paper planner, but I got hooked on the digital, and now use it for reminders and to-dos as well.
I prefer ice water, especially if it’s hot weather, and I got a steel water bottle from Tervis that really keeps it cool longer–love it!
Well, I should amend my previous reply. My first glass of water in the morning is always room temperature, and if I’m drinking something with meals I like it room temp. But I do fill a stainless steel water bottle with ice water to drink throughout the day. It’s usually pretty hot here, so that’s probably why we’re so used to ice water.
Hahaha about your daughter…. The photos, the water, all of it. So funny! Things ARE very different in other countries! It’s so interesting which things can be very similar and then other random things so different! It can be confusing when you don’t know what to expect, for sure. One thing that stresses me out is not knowing what the exact tip culture is in different places! Like in Mexico you are supposed to tip the people who bag your groceries, but they don’t tip as much at restaurants, and other places not at all, etc. I find it sort of stressful when I don’t know what’s expected, as I think this varies so much place to place!
Have fun in Tampa and good luck to Angie in her big band event!
Yes, tipping is complicated. I have to say, I work for tips and I get annoyed when people from other countries don’t tip correctly. I think it’s one of the things you’re obligated to figure out when you travel! I know it can be confusing though.
Lol at the harrowing experience! Too funny. I went to Italy when I was 16, also on a school trip, and I LOVED it. I don’t remember the ice though. Then again, I drink room temperature water on the regular, because I am a sucker for pain?
Have fun in Tampa (who DOES live in Tampa, I am wracking my brain. All you Floridians!). I hope it’s nice and chill!
Oh, you know this person! Even if we don’t manage to meet up, I’ll mention who it is in a future post.
Your daughter was totally pranking you, right? These photos are HILARIOUS. Surely she took great photos and just shared these with you to meet the letter of the law about connecting with you every day? I need to know more about Angie’s process here!
I will basically only drink things if they are ice cold or boiling hot. Room temp is a no go. I would probably just drink coffee or tea nonstop if I were in Europe. I would be a jittery mess, but I would at least be drinking something.
Ha ha. I do like boiling hot- like I like my tea so hot it ALMOST burns my mouth.
My daughter’s thought process… one thing is, she knew the chaperones were posting GOOD photos on the band app, which we could view, so she didn’t need to send any to us. I think most of her personal photos (other than the ones she sent us, ahem) were more of people in her group rather than famous landmarks. Sigh.
I prefer my water chilled, but I’m used to drinking non-chilled water on my runs, so it’s not a dealbreaker. I don’t drink much soda, but that HAS to be chilled to tone down the carbonation. Your daughter’s pics are very … interpretive 🙂
Icy cold fizzy drinks are my all-time fave. It doesn’t have to be soda- it can be seltzer. But I love the fizz and the cold.
Hey, now we know your daughter’s name!! I don’t remember you referring to her by her name before! 🙂 Her trip photos are something else…
I will drink water either way. We have this odd set-up of refilling powerade bottles. Phil and I each have 3 – mine are grape powerade bottles, his are cherry, I think. I keep the bottles out for hours so often when I am drinking the water, it’s room temp. I would miss having ice in restaurants when I was a kid but as an adult I’d be like – well, I guess I will just drink wine! 😉 I will say when I am dining out, most of the time the water at restaurants is room temp/no ice. And it doesn’t bother me. So maybe this is an area of life where I can actually say I am flexible!!! 😉
We do use a wall calendar. Every year I make one on Shutterfly with pics of the boys and I gift one to my MIL. So that is the calendar in our kitchen. And then my mom makes one w/ pics of all the grandkids and that goes in Paul’s room.
Yes, I’m wondering if these people who say they didn’t notice the warm water in Italy were more focused on the wine??
And I’m going to say you ARE a flexible water drinker.
YES to the photo collage for your daughter! I think that would be funny to look back on in future years!
I definitely prefer ice cold water and drink more if it’s chilled rather than room temperature. But on long runs in the summer my water doesn’t stay cool for long so I’ll still drink it since I’m thirsty but I don’t enjoy it as much.
Warm water while running is the bane of my existence- which is bad since I live in Florida. In an attempt to keep it cold, I’ll freeze the water in my water bottles overnight (I fill the bottles almost to the top) and if it’s a really long run I’ll keep some in my cooler in the car and switch them out. But on a hot day I still end up with warm water, sigh. I’ll drink it anyway of course- but I wish it were cold. It’s especially hard when Tailwind gets warm- yuck.
Room temp all the way! But yes ice is a rarity in Europe. And then there’s the tiny cups of strong coffee — or so I’m told, since I don’t drink coffee!
There’s a theory that drinking cold drinks does bad things for the digestive fire. But I didn’t often drink cold drinks, other than smoothies, before learning that.
Enjoy your vacay & meetup!
Yes, it’s not supposed to be good for your digestion, actually to drink at all with meals, but especially cold water. But when you’re 15 years old you can get away with anything.
I think “moderation” is the key when visiting Europe. They don’t have extremely cold drinks, or huge cups of coffee, or giant sodas. Unlike here.
What a cute calendar! We have a pun-filled wall calendar for the kitchen (we love food puns) and have a whole moment on the first of each month when we turn to the next one. Yay for your upcoming Tampa break! I can’t wait to see who and what you see there – and hope you enjoy all the Starbucks and sunshine you possibly can!
Yes, the Tampa trip should be fun- I wish it were a little longer, but I’ll still get my fill of reading, Starbucks, and probably more sunshine than I even want (remember I live in Florida so if anything we get TOO MUCH sun.)
Your calendar- and ritual of turning to the new month- sounds really fun.
hehehe, I actively avoid ice whenever possible so I guess I’d be right at home in Rome! 😛
Your wall calendar is so cute! Two of my loves in life! <3
I know Farrah, me too. Now if they just incorporated running somehow… I guess that wouldn’t really fit in.
Yes, you’re all ready to go to Europe and enjoy the beverages there!
That is a great calendar! I have two – one at home and one at school – but they’re not as cute as yours. I had to laugh at the room temperature comment because that is how I like my water and soda. Yep, no ice for me.
REALLY? No ice in your soda??? I think that’s unusual… but to each his own!
I like cold water in the summer and room temp in the winter. I used to really want ice, but now I don’t care about that so much anymore.
I hope you have a great time in Tampa. I am not sure who lives there. Stephany lives in Florida, but I’ve never been and don’t know the geography. I hope it’s Stephany!
I have 2 calendars, but none have pretty pictures. When I worked in an office, I had a wall calendar on the side of my cubicle, and I always made sure they were really pretty. Or else one with nice pictures for my desk. Now at home, my desk is smaller, my walls are crowded. I have a day timer with a month at a time showing, no room for pictures, and we have a big desk type calendar that we put on the fridge. I love your cat and book one, though!
I always like pretty pictures on my calendars. The truth is I don’t use a wall calendar THAT much- but I like having it up anyway. And now I’m enjoying the photos on this one.
Hahaha, I will confess that I usually order drinks without ice here in the US because they fill up the whole glass with ice and it waters down the drink LOL
Also, I really think you need to frame those pictures from her Rome trip.
Someone else from Europe said the same thing- they felt like they were being gypped by the ice since they got less of the beverage!
Happybelated New Year!
Oh, traveling teenagers. The ice made me laugh because I had the opposite feeling when I first came to the US. Why does every drink have to be ice cold? I do prefer room temperature. Traveling sure makes us aware of our habits. My kids are always outraged when we don’t take a huge water bottle everywhere (very American in my opinion but I do see the use for that – ice, not so sure).
I think it’s definitely what you’re used to. If you grew up drinking room temperature water, ice water would seem kind of harsh. And, carrying the huge water bottle everywhere is a newer American thing- we didn’t do that when we were kids.
What a cute calendar! I just ordered mine for 2024 from an artist friend of mine – crispymeows.
LOL! I forgot about the lack of ice in Italy. I prefer room temperature so I never think about it. I have a hard time drinking things that are too cold.
I like my water cold, and these days at home, I have to stick it in the soda stream and make it bubbly first. But I also just drink it however it comes. I’m trying to get my kids to just drink room temperature water out of the tap, but the *insist* they have to get it out of the water dispenser in the fridge because it tastes better. But… it’s the same water! We haven’t ever replaced the water filter in the fridge in the five years we’ve been here!
We usually have a wall calendar – this year the Husband brought a free one home from church, but it’s so full of holy days and saints that I don’t have room to write anything on it, so I need to get a different one. This is probably a good time to get a wall calendar, though – I’m sure they’re pretty cheap by now.
I had to laugh a little bit about no ice in Italy :). It’s not entirely true as I was able to get ice this summer in Sicily, but in general yes it’s different in Europe than in the States. I still try to get ice here in the Netherlands only to be told “It’s already cold…”. Um. I don’t care. I want it extra cold. Geez. You can take the girl of of the US but you can’t take the US out of the girl. Oh but don’t even try to get tap water here. They act like you just ate their first born child.
Ooh a blogger meet up woud be exciting!
I love the calendar!! My friends got us a “Cats of Greece” calendar when they were there last September. ADORABLE.
CATS AND BOOKS! I love it.
While I don’t like water, I don’t like cold water even more. So iceless Rome can have me, no ice and all! What a phenomenal experience for her. I think you should make her an album of her photos. It would be hilarious.
Best of luck to all in Tampa. We just settled A’s accompaniest for his solo MPA in Februrary, and are getting ready for all the wind ensemble things. It’s a lot.
Your daughter’s photos have been priceless lol I do think ice cold drinks is really an American thing though you can get ice in Europe if you ask for it.
The trip to Tampa sounds like fun – enjoy!
I’m digital but still have a wall calendar and desk calendar…
Room temp. I ever even have ice in my water at a restaurant.
Oh man, I can’t WAIT to find out who you’re having coffee with!!!
My water MUST be cold or I won’t drink it. It’s always hard for me to be in European countries because of the ice situation, lol. Room temperature water is so BLECH to me.
Augh. If your blogger meet-up came off, I am SO ENVIOUS. Also since it’s supposed to be a high of 0 on Tuesday, I am envious of Florida in general, right now. 😉
I am also dying laughing at your daughter. I agree with another commenter – she sounds quirky and irreverent and fun. I hope that the Tampa trip was a fun family-centered event with everyone getting to enjoy their own favorite activities. <3
And room temp water, all the way. Save for my fizzy water, which I drink on the coolish side. But never, ever, ever with ice. Never ever. 🙂