We're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat in Magical Realism

• Quinoa Meatloaf Update: everything I hoped it would be and more! I microwaved it at work and had with shredded purple cabbage for lunch on Thursday and Friday.

• Thursday, 4/24 after work we went to a Tribeca Film Festival double feature. First movie was Palo Alto, based on the book of short stories by James Franco, and directed by Gia Coppola. Movie was okay, nothing amazing, I think I liked it more since Emma Roberts was in it and I really loved her character on American Horror Story: Coven. Some good people watching at this one, Gia Coppola could be her aunt Sofia's twin and Zac Posen sat right in front of us. (Offtrack - obsessed with the dress he did for Dita VonTeese at this year's Met Ball...work of art!)

• After that we headed downtown to the big theater for premiere of Third Person. Movie was extremely long. We should have known during the introduction when the director quoted Camus and said he intentionally made it confusing to be thought provoking. A and I didn't find it confusing, just annoying. Went home straight after that and went to sleep. James Franco was actually in Third Person too - I am not the hugest fan but I have to respect how prolific he is. Two movies in one night, did at least one photo call and one afterparty, plus he starred in a Broadway show the same night - pretty impressive.

• Friday, 4/25 I went into the office for an event, it went well, then I went to vinyasa yoga class with a colleague. Quick shower then headed up to meet my mom for drinks and a show. Swung by Wise Men but my mom wasn't there yet so I picked up our tickets at the New York Theater Workshop up the street and swung back. I sat down and she came in a few minutes later. She had a beer and I had an "Old Pal" with rye, vermouth, and Campari. We noshed on figs and manchego and a beet salad with charred broccoli rabe and whipped goat cheese. Yum!

• After food/drink we went to see Red Eye to Havre de Grace at the New York Theater Workshop - really exciting new musical about the last days of Edgar Allan Poe. That sounds super-weird but it was great, very clever with imaginative staging.

• After the show we went for a beer and a debrief on the play at The Scratcher, then took my mom up to Grand Central and went home.

• Saturday, 4/26 we did some errands, then went to Begin Again, the Closing Night of the Film Festival. We got there decently early only to find there were assigned seats for this showing, so we did not get our usual seats. I like to sit center back over one of the entrances, on the aisle. We got aisle seats in the orchestra - surprisingly good considering the number of vips in the theater. Since we had seats we hung out at the coffee bar and watched the photocalls while we waited. Robert DeNiro introduced the movie and our new Mayor was there. Not going to lie, I picked this movie strictly on the basis that A's favorite daytime bar (7B/Valzac's/Horseshoe Bar) was in the preview. But it turned out to be a great movie - so much great NYC scenery and a really sweet story. Kiera Knightley is actually a pretty awesome folksinger - the songs from the movie stayed with me for a few days. Overall highly recommend.

• After the movie we went to dinner at Pierre Loti. It's a Turkish/Frenchy wine bar and one of my favorite places. I had salmon, A had the filet and we shared a bottle of red.

• After that it was still pretty early so we had a drink at Cole's. Probably should have just had the one but the bartender bought us a round and the drinks were somehow twice as large as the first round. Stayed out way too late and slept in.

• Sunday, 4/27 was a lazy day. Slept in until afternoon, went to yoga, showered, ate, then headed downtown to watch Mad Men. There were tons of alien looking people and drag queens on stilts - the screening room was in use for the secret Brooke Candy/Steven Klein Opulence video release party. I was so mad - had tried so hard to get an invite for this but it was just not happening, then we accidentally stumbled on it! Man. We walked home instead and it was warm and very nice. I saw pictures from the event the next day and it looked completely fun and ridiculous.

• Monday, 4/28 I worked from home, went to yoga by myself at lunchtime, then went down to Tribeca to meet A for rowing class and my colleague C and her friend were there. Superhard class! I had a 7pm call so had to rush home after that.

• Tuesday, 4/29 we had a team dinner at The General, across the street from my old apartment on Bowery. Food and atmosphere really sub-par...my colleague who was in town from Boston picked it because she saw it on the Today Show? No bueno. After dinner the out of towners and people with kids went home and everyone else went across the street to R Bar. I have loved this place through every iteration and yet again it did not disappoint. I guess it would be tough to go wrong with $4 prosecco, and happy hour until 11pm.

• Wednesday, 4/30 I worked from our midtown office, then went cross town to meet Kendra for the Metabolic Conditioning class. I think I baked balsamic chicken for dinner/lunch salads that night and made the coconut macaroons. (They came out well, whenever I made them, if you're looking for a recipe I loosely followed this one.)

• Thursday brought us into May 1st - how did that happen? Worked downtown, then went to Tabata class with my colleague C. I did power vinyasa right after Tabata which was not the most fun in the now damp sports bra. (Wish the classes were reversed!) A (met me at the gym after that and we ran a couple of miles of intervals. I was so sweaty after that I had to shower before going home on the subway, so I did that. We were starving so we went out to sushi/sake, then stopped in our local where I had two lemon drop martinis. Big mistake...huge!

• Friday woke up completely useless which left poor A to do an especially arduous errand for the two of us...alone. Felt horrible the entire day and did not do anything.

• Saturday was Derby Day - we'd gotten tickets to this big party and I was so not into it. A wanted something seersucker and I didn't even have a hat, so we went shopping. I found a fun black and white one that went well with a dress I already had and even some bracelets was decently pleased by the final outfit. Dress/I don't photograph well but I still like it/myself:

• The party ended up being okay, I bet A $100 that California Chrome would not win, which didn't turn out so well for me, but I'd rather give it to him then someone else.

• All the food at the party was gross (very Southern, everything fried) so afterwards we went to El Cid. Their food can be a bit hit or miss, but the cheese plate and most tapas are solid, plus $3 rose sangria and free olives - I'm a fan. We sat in the window, the weather was still pretty nice.
• After the we went to Montmartre which we've passed a zillion times and always wanted to go in, so we went. I was so excited because their drink names were awesome (I had the "We're gonna need a bigger boat") but both of our cocktails were pretty disgusting, sadly.
• After that we went to our local bar, got beers and mozzarella sticks, which apparently was not enough because we then went to the Cuban diner for arepas, fish tacos, and another drink each that we did NOT need. I had like a sip but poor A took one for the team and finished my whole (fruity, tequila) drink.

• Stayed up way too late at home, but it was fun, and we slept in the next day. I think I would have been hungover if we didn't sleep until like 3pm.

• After we got up on Sunday we went to vinyasa at the gym by the High Line. A prefers this location and the space is nice but the instructors always leave the shades open so lovely tourists get to watch us doing yoga. It is both weird and funny.

• We meant to run outside but it was still ridiculously sunny and I didn't bring hat or sunglasses so we did stair climber and ran a few miles of intervals. Yoga before sweaty exercise, much better.

• Monday I worked but did nothing else. We didn't even do anything for Cinco de Mayo.

• Tuesday I worked but did nothing else.

• Yesterday, (Wednesday) I worked from our midtown offices, had lunch with colleagues at Quality Italian which was nice but very midtown-y. I had grilled Yellowfin tuna over the Tuscan Salad (Baby Spinach, Treviso, Gorgonzola, Marinated Artichokes, Crispy Pancetta, Pears, Candied Walnuts, Sherry-Saba Vinaigrette) and shared the Chocolate Olive Oil Cake, coconut gelato, hazelnut gelato, and coffee gelato with my team.

• Did the Metabolic Conditioning class with my colleague C and Kendra (it was her last class before she moves up to her summer home on Prince Edward Island until August - waaah!)
• Showered at the gym, took subway home, and A was baking balsamic chicken for us. He made salads with the chicken and baby kale and they were very yummy. I baked another batch of the coconut macaroons and we ate them while using A's phone to try and teach us some simple words/phrases in another language. Somehow my attempts to say things like hello, thank you, and goodbye translated back to phrases involving drugs, tuberculosis, and vulgar slang for women's body parts.
• I have basically resigned myself to ending up on Locked Up Abroad.

If you read this whole thing you get a medal.

TL;DR - Ate too much, drank way too much, worked a bunch, saw some movies, worked out a bunch and did a shocking amount of yoga.