A Thought and a Half: Five on Friday - because it's been a while

...more like forever since I've done one of these. So let's do one, shall we?

Annual Family Feud -- As you have probably noticed by now, I absolutely love football season at VT. It's just the best time of the year. Last weekend, VT played UNC at Lane, and my parents came down for the game. I was ready for my Hokies to avenge the Heels' victory from last year, and to celebrate my dad's birthday football-style. The Hokies played great and got the win 27-17. But the best part was hosting a very Southern birthday tailgate for my dad! I think the Jimmy Johns sandwiches were his favorite.

om nom nom our tailgate

He even wore a VT shirt just for me!

L to R: Jordan, me, my roomie Laura, and Molly!

Amazing Pumpkin Bread -- I found this recipe on Pinterest a while back with the intention of trying it sometime this fall. I made it for our tailgate and it was delicious. I highly recommend giving it a try. My dad described it as, "a pumpkin pie you can eat with your hands." And it's low-fat, low-calorie, so I didn't feel so guilty enjoying it as much as I did. Click the picture below to go to the original recipe.

Kill It! Live -- After Yellowcard, my favorite band has to be New Found Glory. Earlier this year, they announced the release of their first ever live album, and I've been excited for it ever since. The album "Kill It! Live" came out this Tuesday, and I have to say I absolutely love it. I'm so glad some of my favorite tracks like "Hit Or Miss," "Coming Home," and "Anthem for the Unwanted" made it onto the album, but what happened to "Failure's Not Flattering"? Maybe next time?

Halloween? -- I haven't dressed up for Halloween regularly since middle school. A few years ago, my friends talked me into dressing up as Hermione, and I won't lie, I was an awesome Hermione. I wasn't planning on dressing up this year, but Jordan has talked me into it. So now, I need to come up with a costume. Any ideas? I'm open for suggestions. Actually, this would be pretty sweet...

from keiko lynn blog

My friends feed my coffee addiction -- Sometimes I think my best friend Kevin knows me a little too well. There's a brand of coffee called "Chock Full o'Nuts" that my dad buys sometimes, and I like it. Kevin found a special type of this coffee with 20% more caffeine...like I need more energy...and needless to say, I have a new favorite kind of coffee. Since Chock doesn't come in K-cups (yet?), I found a reusable K-cup at Bed Bath & Beyond, and I have to say it's one of the best purchases I've ever made. All I do is fill the cup with a few spoonfuls of coffee grounds and treat it as a regular K-cup. It's fantastic. I forget the brand of cup I bought, but I got it at BB&B for $14. It's metal/mesh, easy to clean, and will last a while, so definitely worth it. I can use it with other coffee grounds, too, on the off-chance I run out of regular K-cups anytime soon.