Speaking of childhood, I got a fun e-mail from my friend Jenny at 8 this [...]]]> As of 3 minutes ago, it’s officially Thanksgiving! I’m cozy at home in my bed, surrounded by my stuffed animals, Polaroids from high school, and hundreds of books, among other things. What was your childhood bedroom like?

Speaking of childhood, I got a fun e-mail from my friend Jenny at 8 this morning while I was sipping on my coffee. Jenny is hands-down my oldest friend; our mothers grew up together, and although Jenny and I have been separate by half a country for our entire lives and only get to see each other once a year, we’ve always been close. When my grandfather was still living, my parents and I visited him in Indianapolis every winter between Christmas and New Year’s; this photo is from the winter of 1988. (That’s me on the right, with the bowl cut.)

Here we are this past summer, in Lake Michigan.

I miss her so much during the year. We look forward to our week on the lake so much!

After my trip down memory lane, I made a quick breakfast: Ezekiel English muffin with almond butter and a banana, raspberry jam on one side and pumpkin butter on the other.

I went to the post office to mail something; it didn’t open until 10 (which seems a little later) but there was a machine that got the job done. Then to physical therapy I went! It as a particularly good appointment. I learned some new exercises to stretch my hips; I can easily do them from the hotel room in Russia. After PT I raced back home to eat lunch before I had to turn right back around and go to an interview. I made a quick salad:

In the mix:

• romaine
• celery
• tofu
• leftover roasted veggiesM

It was one of the rare occasions where I could not finish my meal. Usually, once I’ve dished a certain amount of food out, I will eat every last scrap even if I’ve long since reached capacity. (Last night’s pasta plate was an example of this.) However, today I started getting a stomachache about partway through, and just picked out what I wanted (roast vegetables, tofu, hummus), leaving a fair amount of spinach.

I felt guilty about throwing the rest out (I won’t be back at the house for two weeks), but it was better than making myself sick. As it was, my tum hurt for the next two hours. My eyes are bigger than my head sometimes, and I think the most important thing I need to remember to do is slow down while I’m eating. I’ve been so rushed these past few weeks that although I’ve been eating foods I love, I’ve barely tasted them as I’ve had to practically inhale them to get from appointment to appointment on time. It’ll be nice to have a little break

There’s always room for sweets, though! I had a couple of these strawberry gummy candies from the Japanese grocery store in our neighborhood. Not bad!

I was starving after my interview. Luckily I had about four different snacks in my bag, so I ate one of the apple-flavored Heart Thrive bars that I was sent to review. I’ll do a formal review once I’ve sampled all of the products, but I liked this a lot!

When I got home I folded laundry and did some preparatory packing for my trip to Russia. I am one of the worst packers ever. I always take too much and forget crucial items, like spare contact lenses or pajama pants. Do you have any fool-proof (or LVP proof!) packing tips?

I snacked on some Concord grapes that were about to go bad while I waited for my dad to help me pack some things up. These grapes are really addicting. There are seeds, which I thought I wouldn’t like, but are actually kind of fun to work through and take longer to eat. Plus, these are the kind of grapes used to make grape juice, so they’re the perfect combination of sweet + tart.

While my dad was at a holiday party, my mom and I had dinner at watched Hannah And Her Sisters. Not only is this a really good Woody Allen film, but it’s told between two years’ worth of Thanksgivings! I ordered a bento box for dinner, which came with a spicy tuna roll, tempura, sashimi & shrimp shumai. (It came with rice, salad & miso soup as well, but I’m saving those for tomorrow.)

I also had a glass of Black Box Wine’s Sauvignon Blanc.

My mom brought home dessert from Billy’s Bakery, the same shop she ordered my birthday cupcakes from.

She bought one pumpkin cupcake and one pumpkin bar; we split them three ways. De-lish.

I’m off to bed. There’s a lot on the agenda tomorrow! Have a great night, a happy holiday, and safe travels wherever your day takes you.

Yesterday, my last day in Minnesota, was quite relaxing.  I slept in a little, then woke up, had some fruit…

I did quite a [...]]]> Evening, chickadees!  How was the rest of your weekend?  I can’t believe it’s over already… the days are just flying by, and I can’t seem to do a thing about it!

Yesterday, my last day in Minnesota, was quite relaxing.  I slept in a little, then woke up, had some fruit…

I did quite a number on those grapes!  Produces isn’t safe when I’m around.

We had a 12:30 reservation for brunch at the club, so I didn’t want to fill up too much… but I did caffeinate.

I loaded my plate to the brim on round one at the buffet…

In the mix:

• mixed greens
• artichokes
• hearts of palm
• peppers
• cottage cheese
• cherry tomatoes
• pumpkin seeds
• cauliflower
• balsamic vinaigrette
• seafood salad
• citrus- marinated mushroom
• strawberries, cantaloupe & pineapple

The halibut cake (about the size of an orange slice)  called to me on round 2.

I took a little bit of everything for dessert: mini magic & fudge bars, the bottom of a piece of pumpkin cake, and fresh berries.

I sipped on a cup of Darjeeling tea throughout the meal…

Don’t silk tea sachets feel so fancy? I love it!

With good reason, brunch held me over for hours.  We went straight to the airport from the club, with just enough time to check in and board.  I snacked on Pink Lady apple on the plane, more out of boredom than hunger.  (Hopefully I’ll finish this book before the year is out… it’s been long enough!)

When I got home, I made something quick and easy (although perhaps not as aesthetically pleasing as one might hope): Annie’s Mac & Cheese with a Morningstar Farms Pizza Burger, one small sweet potato, chili flakes and a scoop of nutritional yeast.  The entire thing was made in the microwave! Unfortunately, not all of my meals can be like the ones I ate over the weekend.  If only!

As per Sunday tradition, I ate my dinner while catching up on Thursday’s episode of Grey’s Anatomy.

I wanted something sweet (because I hadn’t quite had my fill already ) so I microwaved a banana for 90 seconds and topped it with Pure Dark cardamom chocolate, cinnamon, and agave nectar.

The first thing I ever cooked by myself on the stove was a version of this… I used to eat it while watching Wishbone after school.  Pretty cool.

Well, I’m off to get dinner started.  Please excuse my foreseeable absent-mindedness over the next few days… I have a lot to do to organize myself, and a wedding to go to at the end of the week.  I’ll do my best!

Have a great night

Yesterday I felt like something different so I made a bowl of cereal for breakfast.  I had Puffins, GoLean, and a banana with [...]]]> Good morning and happy Tuesday! How are you today? Did you sleep well?  I got home around 12:30 last night and collapsed into bed, snuggled up against the (clean) laundry. Whoops!

Yesterday I felt like something different so I made a bowl of cereal for breakfast.  I had Puffins, GoLean, and a banana with skim.

I worked all morning, and snacked on frozen berries and bee pollen.

By the time I finished my reading it was, as I’d suspected, to late to go to yoga.  I decided to go for  a run instead, which was a big mistake. From Step 1, my body felt heavy, my legs clunky.  My stomach started to growl, and new stitches kept popping up all over my  front.  My shoulders hurt.  My body just did not want to run. I should have listened to it and turned back immediately, but I didn’t want to “fail” so I kept pushing through.  I stopped a couple times: first for traffic, then to fix my headband, then to fix a stitch.  You get the picture.  It was not a good run. Finally, I got so frustrated and annoyed that I just turned off my watch and walked the rest of the way home… I was already only two blocks away from home (on the way back), so I ended up running 4 out of the 4.4 miles I’d set out to do.  Oh well.  Moral of the story?  Just as not all meals can be great, neither can all runs.  It doesn’t mean I’m a failure, or not a “real” runner, or anything else that sounds completely catastrophic. It just worries me because it’s about time to start increasing my mileage; I’m still planning to do that on Thursday.  We’ll see.

I came home famished.  I rooted around in the fridge, and found half a jalepeño.

I chopped it up and added it to my Sunday leftovers, and topped it all with asiago cheese.  It was a huge meal, but I wanted something big to get me through my wait shift.

On my way out the door, I grabbed some grapes and ate them on the subway.

I snacked on Organic Wheat Grass (Amazing Grass) and a Chery Cashew PURE bar at work (I didn’t eat the apple).

I really like this PURE flavor… I reviewed it once before and I think I liked it even better this time.  Nom.

Work was fine… we got a little busy and we were two instead of three on the floor, so we made a little more money.  Dinner, however, is what made the night worth it.  There was a mistake in the kitchen, so there was a piece of lightly grilled salmon under my salad!  The rest of the salad was mixed greens, beets, tomato, a sliver of avocado, and walnuts. It was so good.  I really don’t think I could have made a better meal at home… this was just what I wanted.

I’d planned on having dessert when I got home, but I was too tired.  Instead, I slathered up my legs with Bengay and got into bed.  Um, not the best idea.  I love how Bengay feels, but that icy hot goodness kept me awake! Whoops.

Off to my internship.  Have a great day!

Yesterday I used up the last of my walnut almond milk and added frozen berries, grapes, and Puffins.  Filling and delicious!

Yesterday was R-A-I-N-Y! It was [...]]]> Good evening! I hope you are thoroughly enjoying your Saturdays.  The day completely got away from me today, so this is going to be a bigger post than usual.

Yesterday I used up the last of my walnut almond milk and added frozen berries, grapes, and Puffins.  Filling and delicious!

Yesterday was R-A-I-N-Y! It was also very windy, so whatever umbrella you may have brought with you (which I did not…) was basically functionless.  I dodged the drops and met Caitlin for lunch in Union Square.  We’d planned on venturing out to someplace a little farther out of our comfort zone than Whole Foods, but it was so miserable outside that we just decided to eat at the hot bar.

As soon as we walked in, we were greeted with samples of Sweet Leaf iced tea.  I’d never tried this before, but I loved both the taste and their cute Grandma-themed packaging!

I loaded my salad box…

It included:

• mixed greens
• steamed kale
• roasted sweet potato
• vegan “chicken” salad
• baked tofu
• wasabi salmon salad
• Shanghai dumpling
• corn

We also were given samples of mini cupcakes for filling out a mapping survey.  Great day for free treats!

We stayed inside for quite some time, taking shelter from the storm.  I sipped on a nonfat cafe au lait with a shot of espresso to warm up:

When the rain started to let up, we ventured over to Barnes & Noble to do a little research.  On our way out, we popped into the music department and spotted The Upwelling‘s An American Stranger on display!

Caitlin snatched up the last copy, and we promptly demanded they order more.

Then I made my way home to take care of my pup’dog.

I immediately raided the fridge, and found these baby green plums.

I had a little snack of yogurt, one pear, and one green plum.

When I went through the mail, I found a package from Sarah.

She’d sweetly sent me the cup that I demanded to use every time I went to her apartment in Minnesota… it made me so happy! I hope you’re drinking plenty of tea in Russia, Sarah.

I spent the rest of the evening going through my closet and getting rid of old clothes.  I had a glass of Black Box Wines‘s Sauvignon Blanc to help me out…

I really liked this. Sauvignon Blanc is one of my favorite wines, and this was pretty good.  If I hadn’t poured it myself, I wouldn’t have known this wine came out of a box! Much better than the Franzia & Carlo Rossi more economical beverages of my college days.

I’d planned on cooking, but the weather was just too nasty and I wanted to stay inside and be cozy.  Instead, I ordered a bento box with shrimp shumai, sashimi, and a spicy tuna roll.

It also came with a small salad with carrot-miso dressing…

… and a hot cup of miso soup.

I was very full! But of course, when Ari called and asked me to meet him for Tasti D, I couldn’t turn him down   I got a small cup of oreo cookie peanut butter with Reese’s pieces.

Ari had to leave very early this morning to get ready for their tour, and although I had every intention of getting up with him at 8, I slept in until 11. Whoops! When I did get myself out of bed, I had a quick yogurt bowl with an apple and green plum.

I met my little red-headed friend for lunch; we went to the Manhattan Diner for California Veggie Burgers (avocado, Swiss cheese, sprouts & salsa).

The first time this came out of the kitchen, it was literally frozen cold.  The second time, it was burned to a crisp… I ate it anyway, with half of the bun.

After Ilana and I met up to pick up our race numbers  and T-shirts for tomorrow, I went to Citarella to get groceries.  Somehow I happened upon a cupcake sample station…

These homemade cupcakes are made with sour cream and buttermilk.  This was one of the richest, juiciest bites of cake I’ve had.  So good! I may just have to pick some up soon.

When I got home, unloaded my groceries and soothed my aching & blistery feet (trying out new boots the day before a race might not have been the best idea), I snacked on an apple.

Ilana came over and I made a cozy and comforting dinner for us.  We started with a mixed green salad with leftover carrot-miso dressing.

The star of the meal was Bon Appétit‘s Multi-Grain Penne with Hazelnut Pesto, Green Beans, and Parmesan.

I added a little more lemon juice than the recipe called for for a little extra zing, and I think it worked.

We dined in bed like queens, and enjoyed a glass of Black Box Sauvignon Blanc.

Ilana’s review: It’s not sweet. Very refreshing, but that might just be ’cause it’s cold.  Not my favorite, but not bad.  Would I buy it? I think so.  It’s growing on me.

We’re still in bed, watching The Devil Wears Prada.  The race starts at 9:20 tomorrow, so we have to get to bed early!  I’ve been mulling over this dilemma all day: I don’t have an armband for my iPod (it’s such an old model that they don’t make them for it), but I also want to run with my camera.  The ultimate question: to double-fist or not to double-fist? Is it a terrible idea to run with both hands full? I need your help!

Many thanks to Erin, who awarded me this award.  Thanks, Erin!

I’m very, very behind on your blogs, but I will catch up as soon as possible.  Love you mucho and have a great rest of the weekend!

Prune + almond butter. Heaven on earth.

My [...]]]> Good morning, darlings!  I went to bed last night during a storm, which makes me sleep harder and I just could not get up this morning! Yesterday I also extended my Snooze’s life for as long as possible, before finally getting up and making a pre-running snack.

Prune + almond butter. Heaven on earth.

My run was good! I had to stop for traffic a little more than usual, but I have so much more confidence in my running since this past weekend.  I really want to sign up for a race, as long as I tell myself that I will train for it properly so I don’t injure myself again like last year.

Total time: 21:23 minutes

Maximum heart rate: 195 (98%)

Average heart rate: 178 (89%)

Calories burned: 253

Breakfast was another awesome Amazing Grass shake.

• Amazing Grass Kidz Chocolate Superfood
• 1 banana
• 1 T chocolate PB2
• 4 oz water
• splash of coffee

It was smaller than yesterday’s and not nearly as thick, but it was still good.  Not enough coffee to keep me going, however… I stopped for some on the way to my internship.

At work, I made a couple post office runs, and took advantage of the time outside to refuel with some grapes. It was incredibly humid, so these were the perfect snack! Cool and refreshing.

Lucky for me, my mom was able to meet me for a quick lunch at Cowgirl, a Tex-Mex style restaurant in the village. (Photo borrowed from here.)

Everything inside was “Western”-themed, from the antler-shaped chandeliers to the cowgirl pin-ups.

I ordered a home-made black bean veggie burger with melty fontina cheese…

… with a salad.

I’d thought the burger would come plopped on top of a salad, but this was just fine. Notice the jelly jars the drinks come in (and my fleeing bun)!

I only ended up eating about 1/4 of the bun, though… it was a lot of food.

My boss surprised me by sending me home pretty much as soon as I walked back into the office. What a gift!

I had a lot of household chores on my to-do list, so I went back home to get some things done.  I ate an apple while admiring my new stack of books… I love working in publishing! I don’t have time to go to the library, but then again… I don’t really need to!

Then I got down to work.  Here’s what needed to get done:

• Blog posting
• Blog commenting
• E-mail catch-up
• Cleaning room (enough said)

• Take out trash/recycling
• Make dinner
• Enjoy an evening on my own!

It’s funny how you have to schedule in time for yourself, huh?

In the middle of my computer work, I whipped out Angela‘s Glo Bar.

It was delicious! Peanut butter and coconut go so well together.

It was already time for dinner by the time I got my housework done. I couldn’t decide what I wanted, so I combined a few things that I had.

I made lettuce wraps with brown rice, black beans, tomato, mango, lime, Daisy Brand cottage cheese, and cilantro.

I doused it in hot sauce, then mixed it all up and made a big mess.

YUM!

Dessert was equally awesome: a healthy brownie sundae!

I somehow managed to get my hands on one of Amie‘s raw agave brownies at the Summit, and ate it on top of a huge bowl of raspberries.  I added a few dollops of nonfat plain yogurt and a drizzle of agave, and voila! A deliciously perfect sundae.

It was a great day. I love when I have time to get done the things that have been nagging at me for days!

Have a great Wednesday! Enter K’s cookbook givewaway, and your day will get even better

Yesterday morning, some of us met at 7:30 for a run. We [...]]]> Good morning and happy Monday! By now, I’m sure you’ve all read numerous recaps of the 2009 Healthy Living Summit… I know I have! It’s interesting to see everyone’s take on it, because, like us bloggers, no two experiences are the same.

Yesterday morning, some of us met at 7:30 for a run. We hadn’t had coffee, but look at all those smiling faces! (Thanks to Caitlin for letting me bogart her pictrures )

I joined the 3 mile group, and enjoyed great conversation (pug or German Shepherd?) with like-minded ladies.

We ended up going about 3.5 miles, and I know I could have gone on longer. Having someone (or 10 someones!) to run with makes all the difference.  Do I see a race in my future?

Total time: 33:36 minutes

Maximum heart rate: 192 (96%)
Average heart rate: 172 (86%)

Calories burned: 380

After the run we had over an hour until breakfast, and I needed something for my tum.  Coffee!  I spent an embarrassingly long time trying to find the filters…

… only to discover they were “tea bag” style, and the filters were the coffee. Doh.

The group reassembled and went to Finagle A Bagle for lunch.

Talk about maximum efficiency! The bagels shoot out, assembly-line style…

They are then sliced by a giant spinning blade.

There were so many interesting bagel choices! French Toast, Honey Grain, Stuffed Vegetable…

The line was long, but we were all in an out in no time.  That’s progress, baby, progress.

We found a grassy knoll to sit on and enjoyed our breakfast outside, enjoying the last minutes of the Healthy Living Summit.

It took me a little while to set up my breakfast (I can be a little high-maintenance about that, if you haven’t noticed : On a toasted honey grain bagel, I spread light cream cheese on half, and Barney Butter with honey on the other half.

I also made sure to get some fruit in.

I was in a little bit of a rush to make the 12 PM checkout, but I managed to grab Heather to take a sunglass-twin photo. Why spend good money on fancy shades when you can get sexy ones like these at Target?

I hustled back to the hotel, grabbed my stuff, and hobbled out.  When I got to the station, I surveyed all of the food choices.  Not great, but I did manage to find a Greek Salad at D’Angelo’s.

I wasn’t a fan of the creamy dressing it came with… a relief, because I knew it would also stink up the bus. (I removed the onions for that very reason!)

There was an absurd amount of feta and olives, and I left a lot behind.

I also munched on an apple while reading my copy of Body + Soul from the swag bag. There are some great recipes in there that I can’t wait to try!

The ride from Boston –> New York is almost five hours, so I needed another snack. I went back to the swag bag for a Fruition bar, made by the makers of Pro Bar.

Here’s an idea of the size of the bar, using my camera case:

Pros: There’s a definite strawberry flavor here.  It’s very soft and grainy, so you don’t have to work too hard to eat it like some other sports bars out there. It reminds me of something I ate as a kid during snack time at school (which is reinforced by the sticky fingers you will get upon eating this). I like its snack size; you don’t have to make the 400 calorie commitment that you do for a regular Pro Bar. It also has very pretty packaging!

Cons: It’s a little too soft for me. I wish it would either be firmer like a Larabar, or crunchier like a granola here. There are oats in here, after all, so it shouldn’t be so soggy!

Bottom line: Would I buy this? Maybe. I want to try the other flavors of Fruition; I’ve heard rumors of Blueberry, which sounds pretty good. I don’t know how widely available they are yet (I’ve never seen them in stores), but keep your eyes open!

I shlepped about 100 pounds home from Chinatown and just wanted a comforting meal.  I made my old standby comfort food:

Gliding Calm tofu; a sweet potato with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar; steamed kale with rice wine vinegar; brown rice. This meal really feels like the equivalent of a big bear hug.

Do you have any comfort foods or meals you turn over and over?

I enjoyed dinner with a small glass of Villa Farnia di Farnese’s 2008 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo that my friend Howard gave me.

Frank Bruni describes this as a “good, solid, dependable wine;”  a staple in Italian restaurants.  It is medium tannin, smooth, and has the taste of black fruit.

I enjoyed the wine while watching Revolutionary Road and munching on one of Jenna‘s chocolate chip biscotti.

Er, make that two biscotti. I didn’t want the first one to be lonely!

Another great day. The Summit was a blast.  I had so much fun meeting over one hundred women who love to do some of the same things I do! Who’d a thought, in high school, that that would be possible?

It’s back to the grind, unfortunately, and I have a lot of reading to do. Hope your week is off to a great start!

This morning I got up bright and early to get some household chores done.  [...]]]> Good evening and greetings from the Healthy Living Summit in Boston! It’s been quite a long day, but it’s been interesting. I’ve met some great people, eaten some tasty food, and can’t wait to see what tomorrow has in store.

This morning I got up bright and early to get some household chores done.  I had a great breakfast mess of yogurt, a plum, 1/2 banana, grapes, and chocolate PB2.

After I packed and took out the trash (without incident, thankfully) I had time to go for a quick run.  I don’t know if I was excited for the weekend, or was enjoying a good jam, but the run was great! I didn’t stop and ran my two miles readily and happily.

Total time: 21:14 minutes

Maximum heart rate: 194 (97%)

Average heart rate: 165 (83%)

Calories burned: 225

I showered quickly, strapped myself with baggage (I always over-pack) and met my mom for lunch at the Lafayette Grill.

I ordered a niçoise salad with grilled scallops, egg-whites (I threw out the yolks), lettuce, tomatoes, and onions.

Pretty good for a lunch on the fly! We loaded back up and headed into Chinatown to catch the Fung Wah bus. Lucky for me, this meant passing by a special produce stand…

… and picking up a young coconut! I love New York.

Despite some horror stories, the bus ride was fine.  Over the five-hour ride, I had a Peanut Butter Cookie Luna bar:

I also had an apple while trying to figure out how to navigate my way to the hotel from Boston’s South Station.

I checked into my room and was very happy to discover this king-size bed. Ari was planning on coming with me but had to leave for bigger and better things, soooo… I love you, sugarpie, but I am going to s p r e a d OUT tonight!

At seven, I left the hotel and headed next door to Rustic Kitchen, where the first Healthy Living Summit event was taking place.  We had a separate room all to ourselves (bounced by Mark); it was beautifully laid out with lots of light and unique decorations.

The menu was interesting; food was served buffet-style on the bar.

The highlight of my night was finally meeting Anna, who writes Blue Plate Special, one of my favorite blogs. This is a pretty atrocious photo of me, but she looked fabulous!

Lucky for me, Anna came with her hilarious sister Meg.  Tomorrow gonna be a good day

I started the night with a vodka soda, and dragged it out for as long as possible.

I loaded my first plate with mixed greens, wild mushroom & goat cheese bruschetta, arancini, and margharita pizza.

My second and final drink was a glass of Pinot Grigio.

The next plate was loaded with ratatouille (I didn’t finish this), portobello & goat cheese pizza (my favorite), and fig preserve pizza (sans proscuitto).

I may have had another “cheese ball” or two… these babies were good!  I was, however, insatiable. Why? Alcohol + salt = one serious chocolate craving. Luckily, I’d brought a 1.2 oz bar of Green & Black’s Mayan Gold (dark chocolate with orange & spices) with me.  Thank heavens!

We have a very early day tomorrow (registration starts at so I’m going to go enjoy my giant bed.  Have a great night!

Been in my head… dance with it!

Thank you so much for your sweet comments about my less-than-stellar few days at work this past week.  I try to leave work at “the office” (in this case, the restaurant), and I know I shouldn’t let these things get to me, but sometimes it’s unavoidable.  Anyway, [...]]]> [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whbTXgYOXgI]

Been in my head… dance with it!

Thank you so much for your sweet comments about my less-than-stellar few days at work this past week.  I try to leave work at “the office” (in this case, the restaurant), and I know I shouldn’t let these things get to me, but sometimes it’s unavoidable.  Anyway, I love you guys.

Yesterday was another hot bowl of cereal, since I haven’t had time to go grocery shopping yet.  I can’t wait to have a breakfast cookie again!

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• cinnamon
• TJ’s Mangolicious mango/berry blend
• 1 tsp almond butter

In my rush to get to work, I left my camera on the kitchen counter.  At the restaurant, I had a cappuccino when I got there, a slice of a personal Margherita (mozzarella, tomato and basil) pizza around 3, and an egg white vegetable frittata (an omelet, but baked) for lunch at 4:30.

I brought my huge gym bag to work, but remembered that I’d forgotten socks and other crucial under items.  I walked to Gap after work to pick some up, but by the time I got there I felt like my legs were about to fall off and decided that going to sleep would be better than an excruciating workout.  I hopped on the train, had a little chocolate, and took a two-hour nap.

I felt very refreshed upon waking, and more than ready to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince with Ari, his brother, and his bro’s fiancé.  After reading a lot of mediocre reviews of the movie, I was pleasantly surprised and ended up really enjoying it.  The adolescent drama was even better than the last installment, and, as Ari said, “the camera work was really good” (he didn’t read the books, so he was a little lost).  I used to buy the books at midnight when they came out, so it’s pretty strange that it’s taken me so long to see it.  Anyway, if you’re an HP fan, go, go, go!

I didn’t end up eating dinner until we got back (my tummy was a-rumblin’ throughout the movie), so I made a quick and easy dinner at 11:30- a wrap microwaved and smooshed with pepper jack, hummus, mushroom burger, and spinach, topped with salsa.

I had some grapes on the side:

Because it was so late, I ended up eating really fast and getting into bed 10 minutes after I finished.  As a result, I didn’t feel so hot and was pretty uncomfortable lying there and trying to fall asleep.  One day I will chew my food slowly, like a normal person…

All in all, it was a pretty good Sunday.  Work was good and I got to see some important people in my life while enjoying magic and wizardry. What more can ya ask for?

Around the blogs: Check out the trailer for Lynn‘s new movie! It looks fabulous, and so exciting that we “know” her!

Hope you’re having a great Monday!