Ryan and I didn’t have very high expectations for this evening’s buffet dinner at the hotel. The menu delivered to our room at the start of the month read “herb crusted tilapia” for tonight’s meal.
To me, fish and a buffet just do not mix.
I brought a whole wheat tortilla and some cheese to dinner to make myself a quesadilla in the microwave.
As my ‘dilla was heating up, I checked out the goods at the buffet and get this: The fish actually looked good.
Okay, so it doesn’t look that great in the above picture, but the tilapia was actually quite flavorful. We found out from the head chef that it came from Sam’s Club! 
Along with the tilapia, I ate my quesadilla with a side of Caesar salad and rice. I went back for seconds of the salad and rice.
This will actually be my last hotel buffet dinner. Tomorrow I am heading back to my parents’ house because my flight for Philadelphia leaves from Tampa Thursday morning.
Then, on Friday, Ryan is officially moving out of our current hotel because his company will no longer be paying for our stay here. He’ll be moving into a less expensive hotel until we move into our rental home on September 1. I will likely be staying with Sadie and my family during this time, and Ryan will stay with us on the weekends.
It’s going to be a lot of shuffling around and the separation is definitely less than ideal, but we’ll make it work and will have a real home soon. I can’t wait for Ryan, Sadie and I to begin living a normal life as a family in Ocala. I really miss making healthy meals in a real kitchen and laughing as Sadie hops off the couch every night around 9:45 p.m. and puts herself to bed… in our bed. Yes, she really does this and waits impatiently for us to join her.
If we take too long, she comes back out of the bedroom and gives us the stink eye before going back to bed.
Book Time
After dinner this evening, Ryan and I were both in the mood to lay around in the hotel bed and read the books we both started last week. We read for a few hours and both ended up finishing our novels!
Talk about a heavy read. The Kite Runner was one heck of an intense and graphic book. I really enjoyed it, but it’s definitely not for the fainthearted.
Ryan actually finished reading before me and got antsy waiting for me to finish, so he started blasting YouTube videos of music from our boy The Biebs to make me hurry up.
I wonder what hotel guests thought if they walked by our room and heard “One Less Lonely Girl” blaring. Maybe they’ll think a teenage girl is clearly living in our room… or, you know, a 27-year-old man.
Sleep well tonight, friends! 
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You have such a great attitude about all the moves and hotels. It’s help me keep perspective when I get grumpy about how much cat hair covers my house or my husband’s lack of dishwashing desire.
ps- laughing that the hotel has a “head chef”!
I wish I had your positivity about moving! i’ve lived three different places the past month until I move into my new apartment on the first and I cannot wait! I love that Sadie has a schedule she follows, my dog definitely can tell time.
Did you not know? Vizslas can tell time! Koda will go sit by her food bowl everyday at 4:30 on the dot. If I ignore her, she will whack her bowl around a few times after 5 minutes. Also, at 10pm Koda hops off the couch and sits by the door to be let out, then puts herself to bed, too! I think I love these dogs more than is healthy or natural 🙂
they are the best dogs in the world!
you really do have a great attitude about moving! I am 2 weeks into my new apartment and 4 days into my new puppy and am stressed as can be! I would love any advice about how you guys trained sadie so well
Awwww that must be hard to jump around! But in due time you’ll have your house. Woot!
And your sadie girl back 🙂
Yay for the last hotel dinner! You’ll be back in your OWN kitchen cooking your OWN food before you know it. 🙂
I loved The Kite Runner. You’re right, it’s definitely not a light and airy read, but still so good. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
You guys will be back to normal soon…hopefully cooking up a storm in a lovely little kitchen with beautiful cabinets 🙂
Have fun at HLS this weekend! 🙂
I have a Labrador, and he ALWAYS goes to bed at 9pm on the dot! An hour later when I usually go to bed he gives me the “eye” for waking him up! It cracks me up every time!
I love hearing Sadie stories! My dog, “doc” is equally as quirky as Sadie sounds!
That book looks like it will be a good read, will have to go on my list. Your shuffling won’t be too much longer…totally know it sucks but at least for now you’ll be able to spend some great time with your parents and the lil’ lady. Safe travels!!!
Glad the hotel meals are going out With a bang!:)
Yey leaving the hotel!
Personally, I looove staying at hotels, but I bet after living there you’d want to get out.
Good luck tomorrow!
Julie, I read your blogs multiple times a day. (And yours is the only one I do so with.) It’s so well written, and makes you feel like you’re chatting with a good friend. Keep it up! And your Sadie and my Sadie sound much like the same dog! I miss my Sadie’s stink eye 🙂
thanks for your comment about my writing, rachel. that means a lot. and yay for dogs named sadie!
I can totally relate to the shuffling and no kitchen! Hang in there because it will feel amazing when you have your own kitchen again! We moved out of our apartment and into my father-in-laws for 3 weeks until we left Alaska and then spent 2 weeks traveling until we got to our new home! I was so happy to see my own kitchen and dishes/etc I almost cried!! 🙂
That dinner looks good! I’m sure you can’t wait to get back to your normal routine– routines are so comforting,arent they?
Sadies such a cutie!! At least hes not listening to Greyson Chance!
On the plus side, you guys are both together and the hotel buffet means you don’t have to cook and can let someone else do all the work.
And Sadie is too funny. How dare you you think about messing up her bedtime schedule! LOL! Animals are so funny. They start knowing your schedule and expect you to stick to it. My mom says my cat sometimes sits by the door when its time for me to get home from work. So stinking cute! Got to love them!
I’m glad you are so upbeat about the situation at hand! Just think of how amazing it will be to have your own kitchen with that vitamix whirring away the most delicious smoothie creations ever! I totally feel ya on the distance issue. I haven’t gotten to see my man for 16 days now! 🙁 Missing him like crazy–10 more to go!
Gotta love the Biebs! I always find myself mouthing along to the words when I’m lifting weights in the gym… I’m just waiting for someone to recognize what I’m singing and come up and say something. That person would have to be my friend. haha.
What a cute evening. 🙂 You and Ryan are adorable. I’m sure the separation will be hard–my BF and I actually lived long distance for 6 months!–but you guys will make it work!
Herb crusted tilapia at a hotel does NOT sound good at all, but I’m glad it worked out 🙂 And I love that you make quesadillas in the hotel microwave haha
As for the novels– The Kite Runner is one of my personal favorites. If you liked it, you should definitely pick up A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khalid Hosseini. Definitely a similar read, but I actually liked it a littttttttle bit more. (Even though I cried like a hot mess)
You have been so positive throughout this transition period! I am sure that it will all seem worth it come Sept 1 when you are in your beautiful new home 🙂
That will be hard being away from Ryan but at least you’ll have Sadie to cheer you up.
Are you going to be writing a review on Kite Runner? I’m interested to know your thoughts. We seem to have similar taste in books, so it’s great to hear what you think as this one has been on my list for a while.
yes! i am planning on it!
I have been an avid reader of your blog for a while now, and I have found so many great ideas from your posts (aka jelly and cheese bagelwiches, seriously changed my life!). Thank you for all of the inspiration. And by the way, I love the tilapia from Sam’s Club!! Is that weird?
Haha, if we don’t get to bed before the dogs it’s hard to find room because they do NOT like to move over! (Yes, they own our bed). 🙂
P.S. I feel for you with the unsettled living environment. When Jason and I tied the knot it was another two months before our house was done being built. We lived at his sister’s house (along with her hubby, 4 kids, a dog and a cat)! Time flies and you will be settled in no time.
Haha my husband would kill me if he knew I told anyone this but he’s actually seen the bieber movie!!! Haha some of his songs are kinda catchy, not gonna lie!
I love how positive you always are! And this post had me laughing from the “It’s bedtime Sadie” to the 27 year old Bieber lover! Your sense of humor is always so cute!
You are a champ!! …. I miss the husband after about 2 days of being away, I start to get grumpy after that. I just like being with him…. Guess that is why we got married, huh?! HA! ….. Hugs to you! Yay for being with Sadie though, he will miss you BOTH!!!
I just went to YouTube to listen to One Less Lonely Girl. Bieber is such a guilty pleasure, I hate admitting it. Good luck in this transition time!
Ginger does the same thing! Except she doesn’t sleep in our bed. Around 10pm if we’re still downstairs, she’ll look at us and then slowly make her way up the stairs from to her bed up there outside our bedroom door. If we’re not upstairs in bed within the hour, she comes back down the stairs, stops at the platform and gives us this look like “are you COMING!?” haha. They are so damn funny!
Motivational Biebah! Rad.
No way. When you first said herb-crusted tilapia immediately I thought “Sam’s Club” because my family had the tilapia for dinner a few nights ago. I didn’t have any but it smelled amazing.
Sadie seems like such an awesome, cute dog! I’m in college right now but I can’t wait to be able to get my own. In the meantime I’m volunteering at the Humane Society playing with dogs and petting them. I guess I get to do the fun part of having a dog 🙂
It seems like it would be kinda fun living in a hotel but I can see how it would get real old, real fast!
Ha ha! I love that Sadie does that and comes and gives you the stink eye! Edie knows when it’s time for bed but she doesn’t have a set bedtime. She just follows me when I go in the bedroom.
You’re so lucky Ryan reads with you. MY BF reads magazines/stuff online, but I don’t think there is anything sweeter than a couple both reading books together 🙂 I’m such a dork (I’m probably the only one who thinks this!)
ryan was actually never a big reader until after college when we read our first book together! now he’s much more into it. there’s still hope for your BF!
We have two labs that do the SAME thing at bed time. If they’re ready for bed, and we’re not in bed yet, they will keep bugging us until we go to bed with them. It’s so cute!
I love The Kite Runner! Now you and Ryan need to read A Thousand Splendid Suns!
My dog does exactly the same thing but when we don’t come to bed he walks out of the room and grumbles at us….like he is telling us off. He likes to go to bed early but doesn’t get up until about midday! Good luck with the transition from the hotel….I hope Sep 1 comes quickly for you.
Each time I see pictures of the hotel buffet food I am reminded of my sorority house’s buffet meals. I miss the never-ending healthy cereals and salad bar… but definitely not all the salty and processed food (like egg patties) that you’ve been getting!
I love love loved the Kite Runner. Although I never watched the movie because I assumed it would make me too sad. If you haven’t already, I recommend reading The Bookseller of Kabul. It is beautifully written, set in Afghanistan and chronicling the stories and trials of a middle-class family. It reminds me a lot of A Thousand Splendid Suns, especially because it focuses on the role of women in society.
Is that tilapia with crab stuffing? I had some from BJ’s (another Sam’s-like club). It was delicious! And only like 150-200 calories per serving.
Glad you finished the Kite Runner. Very good, but I agree, very heavy. I’m about to start Sarah’s Key. Just have a chapter or two left in the Lost Symbol. My husband is cracking up at Bossypants, if you’re looking for something more lighthearted.
no, i WISH it had crab stuffing though!
No one is ever too old for Biebs. And get this…he is so multi-talented. Ryan MUST hear this (and blast it too ;)):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61OVoTFebcc
I’m really glad you are done with hotel living (and back to a blender at your parents’ house) but sad for you that you and Ryan will be apart for the next couple of weeks! My husband travels 4 months out of the year and it gets old fast. Distance makes the heart grow fonder though, right?
The Kite Runner was such a fantastic book…one of the best books I’ve ever read! The scene in the bathtub with Sohrab was one of the most chilling scenes I’ve ever read in any work of literature. I thought the entire thing was spellbinding and very, very well-written and my only regret is that I tore through the novel so quickly because I was so eager to find out what happened next! Reading your posts has actually made me want to read it again…
If you’re planning on watching the movie, I’d suggest waiting a few days. I literally finished the book 30 minutes before leaving for the film and I was profoundly disappointed–I think my expectations were too high.
Also, if you’re looking for a great book to read next, I’d suggest Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. It’s a very interesting and fantastically written book–it’s serious in places, but it’s got loads of humor to it as well. My wife read it and insisted that I read it too–I’m glad I did, because it’s one of my top 3 favorite works of literature (along with The Kite Runner and Fields of Fire)
thanks for the book recommendation!
as for the movie, i’m not sure if i want to see it. the book was really graphic and i’m not sure i can handle watching that. plus, i’ve heard from a bunch of people that the book is MUCH better than the movie.
did you read the author’s second book?
Ohh I did! A Thousand Splendid Suns was just as great as Kite Runner in my opinion, but I agree with what you’ve heard about the KR movie—it was good, but not nearly as good as the novel.
Nope…law school, fantasy football and sports, and pushing through the Harry Potter series kept me from reading other books during law school other than The Kite Runner, Middlesex, and Prince Caspian. Sad! It’s on my list though–my wife read it and she loved it even more than The Kite Runner.
haha….ya, i’m always a little hesitant about buffet line seafood but if it looks good then go in and cross ur fingers!! juuust kidding. no, i love seafood so much and looks like ur din din was tasty!
i’ve also heard great things about the kite runner from tons of people, even though it’s heavy, so i think i’m going to have to check it out.
Way to end the hotel stay with a bang- that dinner actually looks great!
If you enjoyed The Kite Runner you MUST read A Thousand Splendid Suns. While I found myself very emotionally moved by both books, 1000 Splendid Suns spoke to me even more as a women (the main characters are women, well girls really). Not gonna lie, it’s probably one of the most heart-wrenching novels I’ve ever read, but definitely worth it!
I want to read the Kite Runner! sounds so amazing 🙂
My sister loves the Kite Runner. It is the only book she has ever read more than once and the only book she has kept. I have it at the moment cause she thinks I should read it, but I don’t handle those sort of books / films well – too emotional for me.
Now, completely off topic – I was at our local shops today and noticed that they have opened a Lululemon store I was very excited so I snuck in for a little look-see and I can see what you mean about being a bit pricey. I’m not sure what your USA prices are but they are asking $99 for exercise pants / leggings $75 for the top you got from the meeting you had and $65 for a little bra top that actually looked like a bra. They have some gorgeous stuff there and the shop was quite busy. I will have to save a little before I can wear anything. I try and put away $10 per kilo I lose so maybe when the time comes for some new gym gear I may just splurge a little.
Are you sad about the situation? Don’t worry about it, it’s only a temporary disagreement. You have a wonderful family!