update

Hi guys,

Here's the news:

Last night, I attempted to go to the B.J. Novak performance on the Quad with Michelle. I watched the weather report and saw that it was going to rain, so Michelle and I decided we'd get there early because according to the one flyer I found for the event, if it was going to rain, the show would be moved into the Union and seating would be limited. We arrived a few minutes before a half an hour early and when we got there, we discovered that the Union was already at capacity. The Office is funny, but I couldn't help but wonder whether these people had actually waited in line for two hours to see his stand-up routine. Probably not worth it. That was a let down, but we got over it quickly.

Michelle and I used to go on what I like to refer to as "adventures" freshman year. She'd drive us around the cities and Savoy and wherever else in the area and we'd fall upon places to go. And we would stalk our favorite performers when they played shows in town. (In fact, that was what we were planning to do with Mr. Novak.) We basically fell out of that pattern after freshman year, but last night we had a return to that time.

We checked out Cakes on Walnut, the new cupcakery in downtown Champaign. I had the salted caramel cupcake (large) and she had strawberry balsamic (large). Salted caramel had a pretty presentation: chocolate cake, light frosting, piece of brittle on top. Strawberry balsmic was white cake, strawberry frosting with balsamic vinegar drizzled across the top. They both cost $3.25. Salted caramel was OK, but it didn't really taste like caramel, so I don't think it was worth $3.25. They were rather large cakes, so it was tasty, but since it is the first week, I don't think the bakery has perfected its methods yet. It was also Ebertfest this week, so demand for cupcakes was high. We were there for an hour maybe, and when we left, they had pretty much ran out of stock. The Roobush tea was good though. For $2, I thought it was worth the cup. I would definitely recommend Cakes for a date. Get your man to buy you a cupcake meal, that'll be hot. They have wine and liquors there too, so I predict that it will become a new downtown hotspot (They're open 'til midnight too).

We realized we needed substantial food so we headed over to Seven Saints. It was pouring outside but exhilarating to just wander around and end up wherever we ended. We ordered Magic Hat #9 beer and appetizers. The chicken tenders were huge! I could not finish them. They were crunchy on the outside (slightly charred looking) and incredibly moist on the inside. Perfect. We also got the hummus plate, and it was good for a bar. The whole thing cost $10. The service was amazing; our waitress checked on us a lot and she was also a preschool teacher who happened to have a student named Divya! If you never been and you're downtown, check it out.

Today, Christine, Kelly and I went to EuroMart for their 4th anniversary celebration. As soon as we were inside the door, we were offered up a plate of samosas and baklava. The samosas were not warm but they were large and satisfying. The baklava was sweet and not toooo sticky. We also had some Japanese apricot juice. Yum yum yum. As we wandered further in, we fell upon the deli area, where samples of cheese, olives, spreads and sweets were set up. The sage cheese is amazing! I tried it the other day at Environmental Horizons and it lived up to what I remembered. I had some almond Gouda, that was great too. I tasted my way through that line and everything met my expectations. A perfect free lunch!

From EuroMart, the three of us trekked over to Illinois Terminal. We walked across grassy knolls and train tracks and wandered and wandered, but we got over there eventually. We went to Target of course. I bought sandals (for $16, kinda expensive, might return them if I find something better), Loreal makeup powder (I haaate liquid makeup) and $.95 nail polish. What is important about that trip is that over in the summer aisle, they have Cynthia Rowley alcoholic beverage mixes. On the largest bottle (I believe its premade margarita), we saw a terrifying sticker. "Warning: this drink contains bromate, which in California, has been found to cause cancer." Who in their right mind would buy something that says it'll give you a cancer????? So heads-up, Cynthia Rowley drinks could kill you. Just say no.