© 2011 BrianneJoy. All rights reserved. Garisoles

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

“Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder” is a phrase I have learned to be true over the past few years. As most of you may know, Justin and I have been together for a little over four years now. And the entire relationship, we have never lived in the same town. {No, Sylvester/Albany do NOT count as the same town, they are over 30 miles apart.} With this fact, absence has made our hearts grow fonder. Our friendship has developed into a love I never could have imagined, and I find the days between our visits seem like years.

The anticipation of seeing Justin last Friday had sky-rocketed to high altitudes and I literally had butterflies thinking about the next two days I would spend with him. Unfortunately, the almost four hour drive to Athens dampened my spirits and prolonged our meeting. {Side note: I stopped at Chick-fil-A along the way, check out the snazzy, new dip or squeeze ketchup packets!} Around 10PM, I finally made it! Whoo-hoo! Justin wrapping his arms around me after a missed-my-turn-hit-traffic-road-rage evening, was the ideal ending to my solo road-trip.

Snazzy Dip or Squeeze Ketchup Packet

Saturday was a big day, UGA was playing a three day tournament again 16th in the nation, Baylor University, and we were going to the game! We kicked off the excitement with one of my favorite Athens eats, Cali n’ Titos. Justin and I always get the fish tacos. {I told ya it was a new fave!} Delicious. Albany native, Marshall Coleman and his lovely lady joined us for lunch! The beautiful weather, plus the festive Cali n’ Tito atmosphere, was perfect for dining outside. Check out this fabulous photo I captured outside of Cali n’ Titos!

Cali 'n Titos

Goooo Dawgs! Sic’ ‘em! We stole a win on day 2 of the BU vs. UGA face-off. It was my first college baseball game, and it was a success!

UGA Baseball

After attending Watkinsville Baptist Church on Sunday morning, Justin surprised me with a perfect, afternoon date. We started out with lunch at Garisoles, this unique, Mexican-Italian Fusion restaurant right outside of Athens. Garisoles was quaint and romantic, with yellow, umbrella covered tables, eclectic foods, and exceptional service. With a buffet-style feast of salmon, scallops, vegetable medley, spinach and shrimp ravioli, and roasted potatoes, prepared by in-house and owner, Chef Jose. Chef Jose was also the hands behind the made-to-order breakfast delicacies, including specialty pancakes/waffles, crepes, and breakfast burritos. Justin and I ordered a breakfast burrito with the works, Chef Jose made the meal right in front of my eyes. Absolutely delicious! The burrito was served with freshly made queso poured on top. Yum! {Side note: I got a wonderful, detailed recipe to making homemade queso. I will definitely be trying this recipe soon!} The burrito was so delicious, I almost forgot to take a picture.

Garisoles

Garisoles Breakfast Burrito

Yellow Umbrella

Lions, Tigers, and Bears, oh my! It was such a beautiful day, we decided to visit a state park. Justin discovered a nearby zoo, that included trails, exhibits, and a pond. Very similar to Cheehaw Park in Albany, we saw many interesting animals and enjoyed each others company as we strolled through the park. Before our journey, Justin gave me a fabulous gift! A Car Wash! Whoohoo, a clean car. Isn’t he awesome?!

My recent found love for frozen yogurt is progressing and inspiring me to try most frozen yogurt shops I stumble upon. Athen’s frozen yogurt, Yo-Guri and Yoforia. Okay, I tried not one, but two fro-yo shops! Yo-Guri, located downtown, was our dessert after dinner. Unfortunately, it was a huge let down. One, it is NOT self-serve. Two, if you pick a flavored yogurt, it’s double the price. Three, very few choices in flavors or toppings. Yoforia on the other hand, amazing! It had double the number of flavors I’ve seen at La’ Berry or Lovin’ Spoons, all 14 were delicious! Plus, the toppings were endless. Affordable, Yoforia compares to Lovin’ Spoons with a fee of $0.39 an ounce. And I found a winner!

The only downfall to our weekend… saying goodbye. With all of the fun I have, I always dread the end of the weekend. It’s never easy thinking about the next 14 {sometimes more, sometimes less} day stretch between the goodbye kiss and the next hello! The absence does make my heart grow fonder, and I continuously look forward to our next, wonderful weekend/time together.

 
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