6 things...

...I did this week.

1. Made a dee-diddly-icious soup from scratch.
2. Ran 9 miles (!!) with Amanda and Sarah in Prospect Park.
3. Experimented with my new camera. (I did it! I actually bought it...and I NEVER buy things. Ask Erik: I loathe shopping.)
4. Had lunch with an Iron Chef.
5. Hung out with Meg and Mehdy, who were both in town. I've known those guys since I was 12.
6. Taught a nutrition class in Brownsville, Brooklyn.

16 again

I was 16 when I went to my first big concert: Pavement at the Ritz. I remember shouting the lyrics at the top of my lungs with my friends Meg and Eva. That's why it was so awesome to see Pavement last night in NYC. Meg flew in for the weekend from Colorado, and we headed to Central Park to see them play. Surprisingly, I remembered most of the songs! Afterwards, we went to our friend Mehdy's b-day party in the East Village. North Carolina reunion!

hug your dad

A dear friend of mine's father had a heart attack this week. My heart goes out to her. I know how hard it is to watch your dad—the epitome of strength—be treated like a brittle autumn leaf. It's scary to see this once-powerful man depend on machines and tubes to take a breath; it shakes the foundation of everything you know and believe in. Although my father was by no means perfect, he always put us kids first. And his favorite phrase is "if you happy, I happy." I love him for that. For the past decade, he's battled a string of heart attacks, strokes, and brain clots. There have been dark times when I've said a teary good-bye to an unresponsive body in a hospital bed. But he's always pulled through, and I've had the blessing of being able to truly appreciate someone I thought I had lost forever and say all the things I wish I had said. I hope, with all of my being, that my friend gets the same chance.

the high road

Something silly happened recently that had me questioning my faith in people. But, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I couldn't let that happen. How can you live your life with an open heart and kindness without trusting those around you? Everyone has a reason for doing what they do. My lesson: You can feel disappointed and lower your expectations accordingly, but it's important to realize that their actions really have less to do with you than their own personal motives. Then—and this is the hard part—move on. Dwelling on it will just harden your heart. I have to confess that there are times where I make hasty judgments about people, too, and this post is a reminder to myself to try to rise above that. On an unrelated and non-contemplative note, Erik and I went to an awesome Japanese restaurant on Friday. We sat in a little booth separated by a bamboo curtain, ate chicken wings, and laughed until our cheeks hurt. No matter what happens, I feel lucky to be so in love! [Photo credit: Amanda.]

already fall

This morning I went for a run and saw pumpkins at the farmer's market and smelled fall in the air. I can't believe it's already here... To offset my sadness about summer ending, here's a list of things I love about this season: skirts with tall boots, Central and Prospect Park's explosion of color, non-sweaty runs, brown-and-orange outfits, Erik and my birthdays, creamy tomato soup with grilled cheese, and pumpkin everything. (Pic of Blue Bottle in Williamsburg. Yum.)

dear New York...

...sometimes I hate you. You're dirty, expensive, and pretentious. You turn simple errands, like doing laundry or buying a piece of furniture, into a difficult ordeal. But, just when I'm ready to write you off, you give me an unexpected gem of a day. Today I started off the morning teaching nutrition to a bunch of 80-year-old Latino ladies in Rego Park, Queens, and finished the evening at a gala, feasting on steak and ogling movie stars, a twinkling skyline, and an amazing musician. (By the way, Will and Jada Pinkett Smith are impossibly charismatic. And, although I can't quite get over the fact that Robin Thicke looks exactly like his Growing Pains father, he is otherwise a very sexy R&B star.) New York, I just can't quit you.

busy bee

Phew! I've had a productive weekend. On Friday I had a meltdown about my busted dresser. For the past year, I've been digging through piles in drawers on the floor and walking around in rumpled clothes. I had reached the end of my rope—and poor Erik, with his adorable and bewildered eyes, had to bear the brunt of it. So Saturday we rented a ZipCar and headed to IKEA, with a delicious pitstop in Park Slope to celebrate Anthony's b-day with fried chicken and pulled pork (drool). A few tears, lots of strained muscles, and plenty of exasperation later...I have a lovely new dresser and our relationship is still in tact. Also, I did laundry, cleaned the house, and met Amanda and Sarah for a long run. My life is in order...finally!

Friday

I'm still on a post-vacation high, so I've been able to laugh off a pretty bizarre workweek: A bedbug infestation, 5-hour trip to the depths of Brooklyn, and a frantic-eyed vibe in the office. Luckily, I have a fun, relaxing weekend planned, with plenty of boyfriend time, barbecues, and running on tap. Whee! (Photo credit: Amanda. This makes me really want a new camera!)

portland fun

Isn't it funny how a day can last forever when you're not stuck at a desk? That's the way it seemed when we were in Oregon. I can't believe how much we squeezed into four days. We hiked Mount Hood, drank our way through (at least) three breweries and one winery, ate delicious food at pods and restaurants, rambled through art fairs and book stores, explored the rose and Japanese gardens, and ran a total of 10 miles. And, finally, we cried, dined, and danced at Sarah and Dwayne's gorgeous garden wedding. Sigh. It was perfection.

amazing

Oregon was absolutely stunning, and we had so much fun exploring, eating, and cheering on Dwayne and Sarah. More to come!

oregon trails

Holy crap, dudes! I've been crazy-busy lately, making deadlines, seeing out-of-town friends, doing TV appearances, and going into meetings. In other words, I'm doing a whole lot of things, but none of them exceptionally well. In order to squeeze everything in, I've been skipping the gym and eating take-out for dinner. Anyone find it ironic that, in the process of writing articles meant to help women get healthy, my own quality of life is taking a serious nosedive? Anyone?! (Note to self: Need to get better at following my own advice.) On the upside, I'm headed to a wedding in Portland, Oregon, today. I'm excited soak up some nature and chow down on farm-fresh food.