The Art of Procrastination

It's amazing how productive I can be when I'm procrastinating.

I had planned on spending my Sunday working on analyzing the results of my study. I started the day off with good intentions. I awoke early (shortly before 7am) and before rising out of bed, I mentally reviewed my checklist of things I needed to get done. I then gave myself a pep-talk, convincing myself that I needed to walk straight to my desk and get to work.

Fired up, I got out of bed with determination. But somehow I lost my way.

What I found was the TV remote. Channel surfing didn't produce anything of interest. It was still too early to call anyone, so I read the newspaper online. Then, I began dusting the furniture, washing a few remaining dishes in the sink and straightening up. Within an hour I was outright bored and a little hungry.

That's when I remembered that I still hadn't used my new waffle press. No time like the present to test out the new gadget, non?!

Waffles with blueberries, walnuts and syrup

A Day Down the Shore

To take in the last days of summer, we spent the day down the shore yesterday. It was a perfect beach day: sunny and warm with a refreshing breeze that floated over us as we soaked in the sun's rays.

Plus, since it's late August, I was able to dip into the Atlantic to jump a few waves and relish the healing power of the salty ocean (yes, salt is an excellent seasoning for food, but it also does wonders for the skin!).

We have been visiting Spring Lake for the past few years and we just love it. It's a quaint, picturesque town with impeccable landscaping, gorgeous homes, good restuarants and most importantly - at least for our purposes - a clean, less-crowded beach.

While the town's restaurants offer fresh, locally caught seafood and other tasty dishes, the boardwalk is limited food-wise. Of course, you can get your variety hot dogs, hamburgers, cheese steaks, pretzels, subs, pizza, and the list goes on and on. But, these are not viable options for me.

When it's a hot day and I'm sitting on the beach in a swimsuit no less, the very last thing I need or want is greasy, salty, almost-instantaneously fattening fast-food. So, I've learned to bring a few snacks of my own.

Yesterday, we stopped by the market and picked up some fresh fruit bowls. After a couple of hours sitting on the sand, the ripe strawberries and plump blueberries were the perfect treat - juicy, refreshing and light.