Reality Check

It just hit me. I go back to Hickory in less than 2 days. This Christmas break is almost OVER.

Did I tell you I had 11 {yea, that's not a typo- I said ELEVEN} papers to write before mid-January & planned to do some over break? Well, guess what...I didn't. Did I tell you I wanted to get on a good sleep schedule while I was at home? Didn't do that either.

My first week of break was full of last  minute Christmas things and spending time with some of my friends I hadn't seen in a while! then came the two days of Christmas, followed by a *fabulous* snow storm that started Christmas morning, and then a couple days of Christmas clearance shopping... and then the rest is a blur!! Time has flown by and that is not good!!

It's funny about time flying...it flies when you don't want it to & ticks slowly along when you're anxiously awaiting something! That figures. I guess we all need to learn to cherish those special moments because they'll be gone before you know it and to be a little more patient and a little less anxious for those things we are waiting on. Easier said than done....*trust* me!

Now that I know it's coming I am anxious ALREADY. What was that...a whole one second before I quit practicing what I was preaching?? Great, Nicole... I say I'm anxious only because I dread what's coming...packing the car up & heading back to Hickory, only to need to unpack things, get things ready for the upcoming semester, taking down Christmas decor at my apartment, getting things ready for the new transfer freshmen coming in, oh, and those eleven papers I mentioned above. So much for a peaceful week before school starts!! I am just ready to get the car packed up and get up there and get it all DONE! I do *not* want to start this semester off with a messy apartment and a to-do list a mile long.

One thing I am looking forward to is living back in Hickory. I've probably gone to Hickory six times in the two weeks I've been home in Lincolnton. It's about a 25 minute drive, but six times...with rising gas price!! It gets old after a while. All my favorite stores are in Hickory & I do my grocery shopping at the Super Wal-Mart. {Lincolnton needs to hurry up & get theirs up & running!} Hickory also has something else Lincolnton doesn't have....and that, my friend, is a *Starbucks!*

I have never been a Starbucks coffee fan {therefore I don't usually go to Starbucks} but I found myself with two $5 gift cards, {much} thanks to sweet Maylen and sweet Maggie. :) I went up through the drive-thru and said to the man behind the speaker, "What do you have hot and non-coffee tasting?" He listed a couple seasonal-sounding drinks that sounded a bit nasty to me, until he said the beautiful words..."and we have a caramel apple spice." My world will now never be the same.

Starbucks.com says, "If you’re longing for the toasty warmth of a woolly blanket and crackling fire but don’t have the luxury of escaping to a cabin, we suggest a freshly steamed Caramel Apple Spice. Prepared from 100% pressed apple juice sweetened with cinnamon syrup, whipped cream and our own buttery caramel sauce, it strikes a soothing balance between sweet and tart that never fails to hit the spot."

Doesn't that just sound delicious??? Trust me, IT IS! I get it with no whip cream on top {and usually spill it all over my arms as I am walking into class}. Just go ahead, take my word for it, and go on out & get you one before they quit selling it because I'm sure it's a seasonal drink! You can thank me later.