Sherbet Success, Matt is Mush Party, Reflexology

Back story – Read yesterday’s post here: The Great Sherbet Search

After work yesterday, instead of walking 5 miles to the boy’s as I had originally planned, I had to instead go on a citywide search for raspberry sherbet. Keep in mind I had already checked two supermarkets by this point. I took the subway to my own stop, since I know where lots of grocery stores are in my area — and I found it at one of them last year. Unfortunately, I could not remember which one. Last year, the very first place I tried is the one across the street from my apartment — Food Emporium BridgeMarket — and they didn’t have it. I wasn’t surprised. After major renovations a couple of years ago, this Food Emporium is fancy. They don’t have a great selection and if you ever need something normal, chances are they won’t have it. If you ever need something fancy, chances are they will. And they aren’t organized in aisles. They are too fancy for the common people’s aisles. Instead, they are organized in little stations.

Anyway, I knew I would not be going there first. One of the stores, a Gristedes, that I went to last year was no longer there. I started off at D’Agostino a few blocks from my apartment. They had rainbow. They had orange. I left.

My choices became as follows:

(A) Walk further downtown about 9 blocks away from my apartment to a Food Emporium (FE) that has a large selection

(B)Walk closer to where I got off the subway (a couple of avenues away) to a FE that has an OK selection

(C)Walk uptown 10 blocks (but more in the direction of my apartment) to a cramped, kinda dirty but fully-packed Gristedes (where I believe I found the sherbet last year, although I can’t be sure and stop off at my FE BridgeMarket on the way even though there’s no chance they’ll have it but it’s on the way to Gristedes

I chose option A. I was wearing flip flops (I know, I know) and by the time I got to the FE I was in a great deal of blister pain. Also, I stopped for some peanut butter Tasti D. I arrived at the FE and it took me forever to even find the ice cream case. Finally I found it and they had rainbow. They had orange. I left.

On the way back I stopped on a stoop to change into my sneakers. Ah, relief. Onward. I decided to head towards Gristedes because my memory of finding it there last year was becoming clearer. But as I passed FE BridgeMarket on the way, I stopped in. They always offer samples there, so I thought it wouldn’t be a completely wasted visit. I sampled a little sandwich, hazelnut milk chocolate (MMMMM), a brownie and swiss cheese. I arrived at the ice cream freezer feeling quite satisfied but without expectation. My eyes scanned the ice creams, moving slowly from the right to the left. There go the sorbets. Hello, sorbets. The freezer started looking very empty. Shelf upon shelf was bare. But then something caught my eye. Sherbet. Three of them on a shelf alone with nothing else. They were a dark pinkish color. Could it be? The last time I saw that color it was a tease — the pink side of a rainbow sherbet. I got closer. Looked in. Raspberry!

I FOUND RASPBERRY SHERBET AT THE SUPERMARKET RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM MY APARTMENT! If only I had gone there first! And of all the sherbet they could have had in the store, these were the only three there. All three were raspberry. The rest of the shelf was empty of sherbet. I bought them all. While the recipe only calls for one container, the next time I want to make the pie (4th of July, Labor Day, etc) I will be prepared without having to run around like a madwoman again.

  

This means that I will make the pie this weekend and post the recipe and pictures next week!

Matt is Mush Party
I believe I might have mentioned before that my little brother Matt Matt is mush. Well, here is a picture of the inside screen of my phone. I call it the Matt is Mush Party. You can’t tell from here, but these figures actually move in a little dance. They know Matt is mush. Look how much fun they are having! The Matt is Mush Party is always going on! Woo!

Reflexology
Last year I was getting a pedicure at a local nail salon. During the foot rub section, the woman who was giving me the pedicure suddenly began pressing hard on one spot on the bottom of my foot. It hurt in that spot. She looked like she was deep in thought as she pressed the spot again. And again. Then she tried telling me something but she was Korean and was having a hard time getting her thoughts out in English. She was gesturing to her stomach and back to my foot but I wasn’t sure what she meant. She got up and came back shortly after with a textbook open in her arms. She brought it to me to show me a diagram and description. She pointed emphatically at one word and back to me. The word was bowel.

She had felt something in the section of my foot that corresponds to the bowels! She asked me if the spot she was touching hurt when she pressed it and I told her it did. She said that means that I have problems there.

Normally I would say that this probably isn’t real, but of all things she could have claimed — the headache spot, for instance — she happened to choose the exact place where I suffer. I have to think there is something to this. She gave me a 10 minute foot rub in that spot and told me I will start to feel better, but to come back once a week for foot rubs in that same spot. I never did go back (lazy, busy, etc.) but I always kept it in the back of my mind. I told my doctor at the time and he scoffed.

I bring it up now because in a few weeks, the boy and I will be going away for a weekend to a spa resort. I always opt for the hot stone massage when I get spa treatments, but I decided instead to opt for something I always wanted to try — reflexology.

Read some facts about reflexology here.  This site says:

Reflexology is a science which deals with the principle that there are reflex areas in the feet and hands which correspond to all of the glands, organs and parts of the body. Stimulating these reflexes properly can help many health problems in a natural way, a type of preventative maintenance. Reflexology is a serious advance in the health field and should not be confused with massage.

Doctors agree that over 75% of our health problems can be linked to nervous stress and tension. Reflexology improves nerve and blood supply, and helps nature to normalize.

And from the spa we will be at, their site says:

This traditional technique targets pressure points on the feet that relate to specific areas of the body. With each point revitalized, tension melts away and a heightened sense of well-being is felt throughout the body.

Of course, I could have gone at any time to the Asian nail/massage place across the street from my apartment where they are probably even better at it and understand it better. But, after all this time I haven’t. And here is my opportunity. Additionally, my feet always hurt and always feel a strong need to have them rubbed, so I might as well! The treatment I am doing lasts 50 minutes and includes hands too.

I really like how specific this chart is regarding my own problems. Even if/when it doesn’t help (especially just once session) — getting my feet massaged to make my tummy feel better is not something I am opposed to!  Maybe I will “have” to do it more often to know for sure…  🙂 At this point, honestly, I am willing to try anything if it means something other than surgery will make me feel better.

Have you tried reflexology or any other alternative treatments? What was your experience like?