Gingerbread Heart in Magical Realism

Friday I had to get up early, make myself presentable and fly to Chicago for a quick in and out trip. Flight surprisingly uneventful after all the problems they were having with that air traffic control fire. Took a cab to Navy Pier and had some time to kill before my event so went outside by the water for a bit:

Event went okay, got the last flight back to NYC and got home just after midnight.

Slept in until 2:30pm on Saturday, then headed out late afternoon. Did some errands, had dinner, went to sleep.

Sunday we woke up fairly early and headed out to Oktoberfest. Everyone was late, we all got ridiculously drunk drinking beer out of huge steins. Yeah, I don’t know:

Made A buy me this gingerbread heart necklace, which I devoured the minute I got home:

Monday I went up to the hospital to get my stitches removed. I felt awful and tender the rest of the day. They cleared me to work out, but didn’t feel I was ready, plus had a work trip for the rest of the day through late night Tuesday. Work stuff went fine but I felt reclusive and sad during events and staying in the hotel by myself.

Wednesday I worked downtown, had lunch with a bunch of my colleagues at a Mexican place where I had the most vile salad ever. I wanted a grilled tuna over greens but they sold out of that - instead I had to choose this nasty salad - It was seriously two tortilla bowls filled with cabbage and cheese in equal ratios. Had like two bites of that, plus a margarita that a colleague ordered for everyone, and I was so tired after lunch, had to stop for a coffee on the way back to the office.

After work I went up to Lincoln Center for another NY Film Festival screening. A’s parents were in town and he asked me to get them tickets. The show was sold out so I couldn’t get us seats together, so they sat in our seats in the Orchestra, and we sat up in the box seating on the balcony. Still not bad - that theater is so well designed. Movie was The Clouds of Sils Maria - overall a good picture, and yay no male full frontal nudity. Juliette Binoche is amazing, Kristen Stewart looked pretty cute too in this metallic Chanel robot outfit. Metallic was definitely a theme (not sure if you can really tell from the photos but Juliette Binoche’s skirt was full metallic sequins/beading - kind of Egyptian looking with her haircut.)

After the show we went to dinner with A’s parents at Good. I had two glasses of Chardonnay, with hangar steak, kale caesar, and cornbread. And a milk chocolate semifreddo for dessert. We had a drink at Wallflower afterward, I had a manhattan and A had buffalo trace, rocks. Or rock in this case - they use those big round balls of ice. Love those.

Thursday I woke up and I was zonked. It was A’s birthday and had done absolutely nothing to celebrate. He said the tickets for his parents and dinner with them was his real present, but I like to go a little more over the top, so was disappointed in myself. I am also paying the balance on a long-awaited trip we have scheduled for next year as his real gift, but still. I had a reservation at STK in our neighborhood, but after Oktoberfest on Sunday, getting the stitches removed, then the work trip immediately after, I wasn’t feeling like myself. After the rich lunch/dinner the day before and not working out for over a week, I was feeling gross and tired and asked if we could cancel and go to the gym instead. He was good with that (I wouldn’t have been, but luckily he is a different person than I am and genuinely didn’t seem to mind.) So we did a Tabata class and power yoga afterwards. I felt so much better. We had green apples and avocado wrapped in turkey slices for dinner, and watched Scandal.

Showered, blowdried, and went to sleep for a bit before my alarm went off at 5am today, Friday. Yuck. Got ready and then got on a train for a short work trip. I am hoping to be home around 9pm tonight and going to sleep sooooo well. Maybe even on the train back. I am sleepy and my biceps are sore. Blah.

I’m not usually that person who lives for the weekend but I just need two days to catch up on life. Life meaning sleep.