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I am the Worst Person in The Woooooorld

Sorry for my long absence from the blag! Sometimes life gets in the way. My heart feels warm and mushy because of all of you who have been asking where I’ve been! I still can’t believe people care about anything I have to say. But this will motivate me to actually write a book one day…

It’s been a very busy week, but luckily this week will be a short one because we are closed on Good Friday! My office is hardly ever closed because we follow the stock market schedule. So, when they’re open, we’re open. Last year Good Friday fell on my birthday, so I was especially happy. I was one happy Jew.

I have lots to tell you all!

Book Review TK
I finished Rethinking Thin. I want to do an official review, but in my rush to get to work this morning I stared directly at the book and didn’t think to actually take it with me. A total brain fart! Does that ever happen to you?

I want to wait and review it when I have it in front of me for reference. I will say this — it was fascinating. I have a much clearer understanding of weight and why we are the way we are. I will get into this more later this week in my review. Stay tuned!

POM Review
I received my POM juices from POM Wonderful! I tried one and it was a bit more tart than I like things — but mixed with some Diet Sprite and Vodka, it would be the perfect refreshing drink! Vodka optional, of course. I will be saving the rest of my free bottles for warm spring/summer days when I can take it outside, sit with a book, and drink in healthiness mixed with not-so-healthiness of Sprite. Some of you would probably enjoy it along, but it is not for me in its true form. My favorite thing about it? The only ingredient is pomegranate juice! I love, love, LOVE  that. “No added sugars, preservatives, colors or cheap filler juices.”  Read about the health benefits here. Do you think I could bring it with me to a bar and asked it to be mixed with my drink?  😉

Hehe, Juice Couture.

Juice Couture

Brownie Bites
What else? Well, the Erin Baker’s Organic Brownie Bites that Missy got me for my birthday are almost all gone already! My favorite thing to do it crumble one up and mix it into my Vanilla Chobani/Bauman’s Pumpkin Butter combination. Truly the perfect breakfast. And the boy loves them too! I often see empty wrappers laying around his room.  I was sad that we flew through them so fast, since the shipping price on their website adds up — the three boxes I ordered came to $24 with shipping! But yesterday I made a discovery — THEY SELL THEM AT MY HEALTH FOOD STORE! Aaahhh! They only had the Walnut flavor which is fine by me! I bought 3 boxes and am now very happy. These little brownies are so chocolatey and great, truly the perfect snack and all 90 or 100 calories. I love brownies.

Missing My Best Friend’s Birthday  … 2 years in a row
While it seems from this blog that I have been all brownies and smiles lately, that is sadly not the case. My GI problems are getting in the way of my life. My best friend’s birthday was on Saturday, and she planned to go out to a bar in the East Village. During the day we enjoyed a spa day to celebrate (I got a Hot Stone massage) and after relaxing all day were ready to have some fun at night. It’s been a long time since I dressed up to go to a bar and I was excited! I packed a few outfits to bring to the boy’s, along with some jewelery choices and really great gold Arturo Chiang shoes that I have been looking for an excuse to wear.

Hot Stone Massage

I got to the boy’s and was relaxing before it was time to shower when the pains began. I usually get my stomach pains in the same place — high up in my stomach, right under my chest. They are usually very intense, and come and go every few minutes. This means they are spasms. Sometimes the pain is worse than others. On Saturday, they were intense. Very intense. I was crying every time I felt one come on. I couldn’t move, but I didn’t want to miss Rae’s birthday. I was hoping they would die down so I could start getting ready, since it was getting late and I needed to get in to the shower. I tried to get up, but found myself curled on another spot of the bed. I couldn’t even sit up. I got myself onto my back and it felt wrong. I felt like the pain might feel better if I was on my stomach. I tried to turn over but couldn’t move; the pain became worse when I moved. Finally, I got myself onto my stomach but it felt even worse than on my back. I tried to go onto my side and failed. I tried again a couple minutes later and was able to curl on my left side. That seemed to help, and the pain became a little less intense. I was putting off calling Rae because I really wanted to make it — I missed her birthday last year because of my stomach and didn’t want that to happen yet again.

The pain subsided a little but so I went into the shower. I’m not gonna lie — it was hard. Standing there was hard, I felt weak and the pain was coming in waves. During the shower I knew there was no way I could spend time at a bar, possibly standing, and talking to people. I couldn’t even imagine a cab ride feeling this way.  I knew what I had to do.

I got out of the shower, back into bed and told Rae I could not make it. I felt like the worst friend in the world.

I asked the boy, who is a doctor, if it is possible this is all fake. Maybe none of this is really happening. Maybe nothing is actually wrong with me and the pains aren’t there. 

He said that as a physician, he knew with 100% certainty that my problems are real. I had multiple tests that all confirmed the problems, that all pointed to the same condition. It is not normal to experience the things I experience, he said.

Maybe it’s not normal for other people, but maybe it is normal for me — this condition is MY normal. Therefore, nothing is wrong, I told him. For me, this is normal.

He said if I was born this way, then yes, it would be my normal. But I wasn’t born this way. I have an exact incident I could point to that caused all of this to happen. I can pinpoint that incident, that infection, as the time everything changed for me. It is not fake. It is real.

And I know that. I know this is real but I can’t help but question it when things go badly at inopportune times — ie, my best friend’s birthday TWO YEARS IN A ROW.

I even went so far as to point out that I was conveniently fine on my own birthday. Yet on hers, I was in excrutiating pain. He said, when you have these pains at other times, is it on days you have something special planned? No, I said. Usually it happens at work on a normal day. There you go, the boy said. It is just unfortunate chance that it happened today. It happens at times, and today was one of those times.

I know this. But I can’t stop feeling like the Worst Person In The Wooooooooorld.

Worst Person in The World

The real Worst Person in The World is Simba. I can’t take it. He is out of control and has been SO much worse lately. The HMPHs don’t stop. The hyena laughter and the cackling “kekekeke” laughter. The shouting out words and phrases in a high pitched voice. The reptition of the same sounds over and over. The huge pre-laugh WHOOP that he makes before every burst of laughter. Can’t. Take. It.

4 Way Class Comparison TK
As I’ve mentioned, Melissa at FitnessNYC gave everyone at the blogger events 2 free passes to Physique 57.  She loves it there (as does Kelly Ripa) and constantly raves about it. She also belongs to Exhale for the Core Fusion classes. I ordered the DVDs (haven’t tried them yet) and they came with a free class! In addition, my gym offers Transfigure, taught by a Core Fusion instructor and incorporates the same “Lotte Berk” ideas. I have taken Transfigure 3 times so far and am fully addicted. It really is the most comprehensive workout and I am always ready to collapse and scream in pain. Instead, I only sometimes collapse and instead of screaming in pain I let out a big sigh of pain at the end of a set.

So, as I am addicted to Transfigure (after just 3 classes), I am REALLY excited for my two upcoming Physique 57 sessions – 4/12 and 4/23, and my Core Fusion class on 4/25!  I also want to take advantage of the free class The Body offers — this class is the same idea as well. Once I have all four variations under my belt — Physique 57, The Body, Exhale Core Fusion and Transfigure I want to do a four way compare and contrast on here as a resource to anyone thinking of trying them out! I will schedule The Body as soon as I can  fit it in so I can write that exciting blog post!

By the way, if anyone told me a year ago that I would be addicted to spinning and strength classes, I would have laughed in their face. If anyone told me this five years ago, I would have spit in their face.

BAKE SALE
Please visit Meghann’s Bake Sale. All funds raised from this event will go directly to her Team in Training Efforts to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. And I am particularly excited because my brother’s girlfriend/practically my sister Mallories is making Mix-and-Match Nut Butter Cups! For my birthday last year, she made me these AMAZING cookie crusted Peanut Butter Cups. Best thing of my life. No joke! This uear she made me delicious Carob Almond Butter Cups which I loved as well! So go bid!

I bid on a couple items myself!

Running Outside Attempt #1
I tried running outside for the first time yesterday in Central Park. The run also had a purpose — get to my apartment on the East side from the boy’s on the West side. I immediately got an intense pain on the outside of my upper thigh. I had to stop. And today my shins are both killing me. Next time, I will try stretching first. I want to be able to run!

Although, the day before I did an OK GO Coached Run on the treadmill and they tell you to go very fast, so maybe I was just recovering from that. I hope! There is nothing more I want than to be able to run outside on beautiful spring and summer days. I did get to walk both to and from the boy’s yesterday so that was a very nice outdoors workout regardless!

My gym has this Alter G treadmill that is supposed to make you weightless and it is very easy on the joints. Maybe I should try it one day! It’s like running in a bubble.

Alter G Treadmill

Contest 
Visit What Do I Eat Now for a chance to win a great contest! It includes POM Green Iced Tea which I would LOVE to try as well as a bunch of different cookies, and me love cookies.

I have lots more to write about this week, so please check back. I will try not to fall off the face of the earth again!

NYC Blogger Brunch & Birthday Weekend Recap

Hi, all! What a weekend. I will start from Sunday and work my way backwards.

Sunday: NYC Blogger Meetup Brunch

Melissa from FitnessNYC has been wonderful in organizing these meetups! We met at Counter, a vegetarian restaurant and organic wine bar. The menu looked delicious! I got there way too early because I am insane when it comes to time and have this ridiculous fear of being late. I walked around a little to kill time. While walking, I spotted two people who looked a lot like Heather and Mark from HangryPants. I wasn’t sure it was them, but I couldn’t stop staring. Then I saw the guy take out a bar and start eating it. I figured it wasn’t them since they were going to the brunch, so why would Mark be eating a bar? Well, it did turn out to be them — and Heather even posted a picture of Mark eating a bar in the exact place I saw them!

I meet up with Missy and we get to Counter and sit down at the table. I’m socially awkward so it was a little hard for me to make conversation, but after a delicious Sangria I felt better. I also met some of the girls at the dinner last week which helped. Find more pictures from the brunch here.

Brunch  Brunch table

The waitress — the only waitress working in the restaurant — came to take our orders. Although I had my eye on the french toast, (French Toast a delicious vegan twist on classic french toast with banana flambé), Bethenny’s Naturally Thin words were echoing in my mind, for the following reasons:

Your diet is a bank account: The day before the brunch was my birthday, and I had two cupcakes and shared a molten chocolate cake with the boy. Following this idea, french toast wouldn’t be the smartest choice. It is all about balance.

Downsize Now *and* Cancel your Membership to the Clean Plate Club: I was hungry. There is no way I was going to be able to eat only half or even three quaters of the french toast. Also…

Know Thyself: I know myself. I know downsizing wouldn’t be something I could do on this day — so I simply ordered something lighter.

So I decided to go with something else that looked delicious! A goat cheese, spinach and kalamata olive Frittata (Frittata Du Chèvre eggs, goat cheese, spinach & kalamata olives with mesclun & home fries).

I LOVE goat cheese so I was still pretty excited about this choice. We all place our orders; I asked for no spinach in the frittata because of my GI problems. and a few minutes later the waitress comes back out. They don’t have any goat cheese; they only have swiss. Do we want something else?

I channeled Bethenny again. Bethenny would say the only way I would be satisfied is to get something I really wanted. I decided half the french toast would satisfy me more than an egg dish I didn’t really want. So I told the waitress I would like the french toast instead. And she said…  “We only had one order of french toast today and someone already ordered it.” Um. What?

A restaurant with maybe 10 brunch items on the menu doesn’t have 2 of them? On a day we had a large reservation so they knew to expect us? Keep in mind the restaurant was pretty empty aside from us. They couldn’t make sure they had everything on the menu?

I decided to go with the frittata with swiss cheese. I told the waitress I would take the swiss cheese, and reminded her that I did not want spinach. She said no problem and left.

We waited. And waited. And waited. Gradually some of the food starts to come out. We waited and waited some more. Finally the waitress brings out my food and she proudly announced “here is your frittata with spinach, no cheese!” I told her that I did want cheese but I can’t eat spinach. She said she was sorry and took it away.

More waiting. And waiting. Finally I get my food — and it has GOAT CHEESE on it! Strange, since they said they didn’t have any. I couldn’t even dig in yet because some people still didn’t get their food! Finally all the food was out and I took a huge bite of my omelet. And I tasted a familiar taste. And I look in it — lo and behold, there is lots of spinach!

Goat cheese frittata

Now if I remember correctly, I sent it back the last time because there was spinach in it. I explained to the waitress at that time that I couldn’t eat spinach — so what did she tell the people in the kitchen? Why did they think I sent the first one back? And as we at the table remarked, they had no idea this meal would solicit 15 food blog reviews!

So I call the waitress over and tell her, again, that I simply cannot have spinach. She apologized and said she would get me the right order. Someone else came over to me and told me my meal would be comped. I felt a little better, but I was hungry! Everyone else had their food and was eating. I was waiting. And waiting. And waiting. Everyone else finished their food. I was waiting. I decided that if the food didn’t come, I wouldn’t say anything — I would rather just go home and eat with the boy at this point. Eventually, though, my food did come.

And the order was still wrong.

There was no spinach this time — but this time the frittata was egg whites, which I didn’t ask for. I wasn’t about to complain again and I was starving, so I ate it. And it wasn’t that good. And I wasn’t satisfied.

Then I had a taste of Danielle’s french toast (she is the one who got the last order!) and Shane’s pancakes and I felt much better.

So even though Counter had horrible service and just okay food, I had a great time with the bloggers. I wouldn’t ever go back there — but I don’t want Melissa to feel bad, having picked it. She had no way to know our experience would turn out like this! I still had a great time regardless — and I used the money I saved on brunch to spring for a cab back uptown to the boy’s, where I got some much needed rest. Brunch really wiped me out! Also, a big thank you to Sarah from Tales of Expansion for her delicious cookies and Melissa for her bars and freebies!

Saturday: My birthday

Saturday was pretty low key. The boy brought out a delicious red velvet cupcake in the morning for me. I said, “Oh, red velvet!” and he said, “Yeah. You knew that? Is it a known thing?” I said, “Of course it is! You never heard of red velvet cake?” and he said, “Nope! I thought the bakery made up the name. I just got it because it looked nice.”

Red Velvet

It was so good! This picture above isn’t mine — mine looked even better!

We did some errands during the day, including a quick stop in to see the boy’s adorable niece and nephew, where I had another cupcake that they made for me using funfetti cake mix! Mmmm. I also jogged on the treadmill for 30 minutes, which felt really great. By this point we were pressed for time and I had to go get ready for dinner at the Russian Tea Room!

The Russian Tea Room was beautiful. I can’t even begin to describe the decor and adornments, but I do suggest that everyone go there at least one time in their life! The seats were also the comfiest restaurant seats I have ever sat in. Then again, when you are paying these prices they better be!

We shared a delicious appetizer: Goat Cheese And Wild Mushroom Blinchiki – chestnut crepe filled with mixed mushrooms and melted onions with a mulberry and pomegranate reduction.

It was heavenly!

For my main course I got Kulebiaka – salmon wrapped pastry with slow cooked onions, roasted mixed baby beets, and a red beet reduction, topped with red caviar. I didn’t have the pastry part of it, but the red beet reduction was sweet and delicious! The salmon was very flavorful too. The boy got Chicken Tabaka – flattened porcini and truffle marinated poussin with butternut squash mousseline kohlrabi and wild mushrooms. For dessert we shared Wild Chocolate Mi-cuit – chocolate cake with a molten center, pistachio ice cream and raspberry syrup. I loved it! The chocolate was so rich and tasted like dark chocolate. The combination of the molten center (I love mushy consistencies in my desserts!) with the pistachio ice cream was perfect!

After we ate, we went down to the gift shop and looked at all the interesting Russian pieces. It was fascinating! We wanted to go to the top floor to see the tree of faberge eggs, but it was closed off for a private party. All in all, a great birthday!

Friday: Tapas and drinks

The night before my birthday, I celebrated with my closest friends and family for delicious tapas and sangria at Xunta.

I wanted to keep it small this year, so it was just 3 of my closest friends and my cousin. And, of course, the boy and other significant others.

We were all squished at a table and it was hard to hear across to the other side with the loud music, but it was still very fun! The waitress didn’t want to take our orders so she gave us a pen and paper and told us to write down what we want ourselves. Uhhh.. isn’t it her job to write it down? Here is a picture of Missy and her guy writing their orders down.

Writing down order

We all ordered some really great tapas. The highlight — and the reason I wanted to go to Xunta in the first place — bacon wrapped dates!

Bacon wrapped dates   Strawberry Shortcake

MMMMMMMMMMM. That is garlic shrimp behind them. And the boy got a Strawberry Shortcake! He tried to order dessert from the waitress, who told him they don’t have any but directed him to a bakery next door. I realized what he was doing when out of nowhere he jumped out of his seat, ran up to the waitress and started talking to her.

A strange person arrived selling plastic merchandise. Missy’s guy decided to make a purchase from this odd character. He got us these light up necklaces but after we put them on we realized they were light up Jesus necklaces! Since we are Jewish, we decided to trade them in for light-up sunglasses!

Funny glasses  

I wanted to include a picture of me and the boy but he is very into his internet privacy, so here is me and a yellow blob. Next to that is me with my best friend Rae.

ME and yellow blob    Me and Rae

It was so nice to see all my friends and my cousin! I had a really great night — and a fabulous 26th birthday weekend!

Also, the snuggie is crap it already has a hole and I wore it maybe 3 times! And congrats to Jen from PriorFatGirl who is featured in this Star Tribune article.

Thanks to everyone for all your birthday wishes!

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