Day 9: McDonald's & Arby's

This Thursday was a super busy day for us.  So busy, in fact, that we had fast food not once, but TWICE!  I'm a little embarrassed to admit that.  However, I am proud to admit that both times we went inside to order our food.  And let me tell you- we were in and out way faster than had we gone through the drive-though.

Even at McDonald's, where two drive-through lines were in operation, we beat the Audi that had pulled in to the parking lot ahead of us by at least 7 minutes.  I was quite amazed!  The people inside were so nice and friendly, too.  It really made parking and going inside worth the effort.

At Arby's this evening I was able to crack jokes with the crew while waiting for Chris to text me his order.  It was fun and reminded me of being in college and being able to turn anything into a joke.

Another thing this evening that reminded me of college was North Point Church's Night of Worship.  Leaving there, I felt like I was 19 again and leaving 7:22- like I needed to go to Starbucks and hang out for another hour or so.  

What a great day of connecting with other human beings and a great evening connecting with the One who made us.  Feel free to share some of your interactions that have occurred through giving up drive-throughs or even through other means. :)

Day 8: Week One and the Outdoors

I love the outdoors.  The past few months have been pretty rainy, so any time we have a day of sunshine, I like to take full advantage of it!  The view from my studio windows is quite beautiful.  Since Georgia no longer experiences the full-on winters it did when I was little girl, the trees take longer to loose their leaves.  Oh, they turn beautiful shades of orange, red, and gold.  But here in February, there are still some trees holding on to their souvenirs of last year.  

I have fallen in love with this golden-tawny color and tried to capture it against the gorgeous blue sky today.  I even used one of my app finds: "Colors" to try to match the color exactly.  It got pretty close, but you can see in the picture below that it does not quite get the brightest part of the leaves.

 What would you call that color?  I think it's funny how I saw basically gold and blue but the Colors app picked up hues of purple.

Today marks one week since I have chosen to give up drive-throughs.  Looking back on the past week I would have to say the biggest difference is the lack of feeling rushed.  Since I'm no longer going through drive-thoughs, I really have to plan into my day the times I go out.  There has also been no fast-food in my past week, which I noticed not only in myself, but also in Chris as this morning he was starting to loose his pants due to the loss of a few pounds :)

How has your week been?  Did you take the challenge to forgo drive-throughs for 100 days?  Thank you for your comments!  Also, I am interested in doing a give-away to my readers.  If anyone has any ideas, please let me know!

Days 6 & 7: BP and Starbucks

Day 6: BP

Yesterday morning I woke up expecting the weather to be just as warm as it had been the day before (mid 60's).  As I walked out of the gym in my flip-flops, the wind screamed a big, resounding, "WRONG."  Fiona and I quickly hopped in the car, only to realize we needed gas.  

We mozzied on over the the BP, the whole while dreading getting out of the car again to go inside to pay.  I parked up front, locked the car up, and ran inside.  It was lunch time and the sweaty scent of workers filled the gas station well-known for more snacks than you can imagine.  When it came my turn in line, the lady behind the counter raised her eye-brows at me after hearing me answer, "no, that's it," to her question of "and what else?"  It reminded me of how radical an idea of forgoing pay-at-the-pump service is.

Side note: I always thought BP stood for "British Petroleum."  Wrong: It stands for "Beyond Petroleum."  While researching BP for this blogpost, I also found this lovely picture:

Day 7: Starbucks

So, someone from Starbucks must have read my blog, because today when I pulled up:

FRONT ROW PARKING, BABY!

This was a big deal for me, as I chose to test my commitment to the challenge and visit the Starbucks that did, in fact, have a drive-through.  Not only was I rewarded with the closest available parking spot, I was welcomed and enveloped by that heavenly scent of rich espresso and frothy cream.  Well worth the trip inside.

Days 4 & 5: The Farm

Saturday and Sunday proved to hold no temptations for drive-throughs.  Saturday consisted of having my hiney handed to me in yoga, thanks to Jackie at Atlanta Fitness. Sunday was much most fun as we spent the day at the farm riding horses. 

For those of you whom have been to my parents' farm, you know what a slice of heaven it is.  Angela lead the horse brigade, giving all the babies free rides.

March's Birth Flower is the Jonquil. Other sources say it is the flower of Pisces (February 20- March 20).  The Jonquil (also known as a Daffodil or Narcissus) stands for friendship and happiness.  They were in full bloom at the farm!

Day 3: Starbucks

After the gym today, I actually found myself debating on which Starbucks to go through based on which one had a drive-through.  I quickly remembered my 100 day challenge and reminded myself that either one I chose, I would be going inside.  

I decided on the one without a drive through so that I would not be tempted in case there was no parking.  On a quick side-note/rant: is Alpharetta the only city that NEVER has parking available for any Starbucks? The only one I can think of with ample parking is the one at the Barnes and Noble on North Point Parkway (I don't count the Target ones since they do not have a separate entrance), but that's really not a fair comparison because they're sharing with a giant bookstore.

So, there I was.  Dripping with sweat, red-faced and greasy-haired, walking into Starbucks to get my coffee.  And I got to meet the barista who made the most beautiful latte foam in the world.  I commented on how perfect it was and she exclaimed, "Well, God made the Heavens and the Earth, but I make the best foam in the world."  Quite a bold statement.

Have you taken the 100 Days of No Drive-Throughs Challenge?  Please comment to tell me about your experiences forgoing drive-throughs!

Day 2: Broadwell Cottage

Day 2 of 100 Days of No Drive-Throughs

Broadwell Cottage is nestled in the heart of Downtown Crabapple.  A historic little white house with an inviting garden in the backyard beckons you to look around at local artisans' ware.  It is here that the iCelebrate seminar, lead by Carolyn Graham, is taking place. 

Most of the rooms in the house are filled with funky-fresh and shabby-chic clothing, jewelry, decor, crafts, and pottery.  These are not the room where the seminar is held.  A special room exists here that is unlike the others.  Its calming blue walls, comfy sofas and chairs invite you to slow down, sit a while.  And breathe.  

While no drive-throughs were visited or resisted today, Carolyn did touch on an important subject that I instantly knew belonged in this blog: We need human interaction.  Just the act of coming together can do wonders for our mood.  We yearn to connect with people and when we take the time to do just that, wonderful things can happen.

Like the Broadwell Cottage on facebook and if you're ever in the area, definitely go in and check it out!

100 Days of No Drive-Throughs: Day 1

What could be finer than simple human interaction?  The subject is finally gaining popularity what with the solitude we are creating for our generation through the use current technology and "social networking" sites available to all.  People have numerous ways to stay connected (email, texting, facebook, twitter, blogging, skype, etc), but are we truly connected to the people around us?

I have been pondering this topic for a while as it was first brought to my attention by reading books on French lifestyles.  The French value human-to-human connection and can often be seen going inside of banks, completely foregoing fast food drive-throughs, and walking inside to pay for gas.  As I read, I thought to myself, "I don't really fall under the category of a 'Lazy American' who doesn't get out of their car to do anything.  Surely not..."  Suddenly I was aware of how often I do rely on machines rather than interacting with humans to complete my daily tasks and errands. I was shocked.  

So I decided to present myself with a challenge: "100 Days of No Drive-Throughs."  

I started today.  Not by choice, but out of inconvenience.  The gas pump would not read my card and I was forced to walk inside (gasp!) to see the cashier (and have a human interaction).  Walking back to my car, I decided today would be the day.

Please let it be noted that I am not saying that anyone who uses a drive-through is lazy.  There have been plenty of times as a new mother that drive-throughs have been a necessity.  There was many an errand that would have been avoided all together had it not been for drive-throughs.  

Now that my daughter is 2 and can easily be loaded in and out of the car, I am ready to accept the challenge of no drive-throughs for 100 days.  Feel free to take this challenge with me!  Please comment on your human interaction experiences as you forgo this amenity-turned-necessity.