My week...

Well it hasn't been bad, busy, and yet seemingly uneventful.


Our Seder's were really nice. We went to our Rabbi's home for the first Seder, and my parent's for the second Seder. It was nice to be able to do a full Seder with singing and discussions etc the first night. My family doesn't do a full Seder; we basically read a 5-minute schtick about the Exodus story and the 4 questions and then eat.

And cooking for the Seder at my families was nice. I have this new matzah cookbook. And you can make all this stuff that’s AMAZING with matzah. Not QUITE like normal, but pretty close. And MUCH better than anything else I've ever tried. It’s all about preparing the matzah so that it's soft and pliable etc. So I made this "noodle" kugel with matzah instead of noodles, and it was AWESOME! I don't like sweet kugels, but my family does, and this came out great, and it really didn't taste like matzah at all. Almost able to say that you couldn't tell that it was matzah instead of noodles. THAT'S GOOD! And also made an artichoke frittata (YUMMY!) And Rob made a hazelnut, raspberry, coffee whipped cream cake. DOUBLE YUMMY!!

On Monday, (Note, April 25th)Rob and I went "hiking" in this park that stretches between Stamford and Greenwich. Mianus River Park. I quote hiking because there aren't any mountains to climb in this part of CT. But we were walking on a trail in the woods along a river and there were some hills. It was a REALLY nice day. (The PERFECT date!) Not too hot, and not too cold, all I needed was a light jacket! We had a good day/date :) We walked/hiked. we saw dogs, we saw a river, we got lost on the interconnecting trails, we got to spend time together enjoying nature, it was fun. And matzah hadn't gotten old yet.

Tuesday I went back to work, and went back to Employee Health Services to get my clearance to be a PT again. My Shoulder/Back feels better, still a bit achy at times but pretty much better. And I got the clearance to be a PT again and so I did. :) But not with that psycho woman who hurt my back. Instead with another woman who also was adamantly refusing to get OOBTC. Only this time, she was tiny, and she eventually let me. Only in the process she told me I didn't know what I was talking about, we had to do it HER way, and I was absolutely wrong. Ahhhhh. Old ladies. BUT to make up for it I saw the cutest patient in the world. I've BLOGged about her before. A 76 year old woman who plays golf and runs and does yoga. She had an infection in her spine causing pain and surgery and weakness. She had gone to rehab but she came back because she was sick and in pain. And she came back complaining that she wasn't getting enough rehab, she wanted more. And how she needed to be on the golf course by the end of the season. She was so cute and so nice and it was an absolute pleasure to work with her. :) Oh yeah and I started to get sick of matzah.

Tuesday evening was my last painting class for the semester. :( No more till the summer. When I get some time I'll take some pics of my paintings I did this semester and post them up. But someone baked fresh brownies and chocolate chip cookies for the last class and they were still warm and smelled so good, it was KILLING me not to have one. It was hard. Matzah STINKS!

Wednesday was uneventful at work. Matzah still stinks.

Thursday I had off. I went with my Mom to Macy's. This one is a HUGE Macy's on LI. It's a stand alone store, not attached to a mall, so it's larger and had more stuff in it's departments, and had more departments than most of the other stores. I went mainly to get the watch my parents were getting me for my birthday, which is at the end of May, and to get shoes. Well, I got the watch. It's actually the same one that I had before, only this one works. And well, I'm a creature of habit. And it was still the nicest one in the case. And it had all that I needed. Two toned to go with everything, waterproof so I can wear it in the shower and swimming, and it has the date AND the day of the week. Something I LOVE because I never know what day it is with my crazy work schedule.

Ok so I got the watch, and THEN I got makeup, go figure. And then my Mom insisted on buying me 2 Dooney & Bourke pocketbooks, one black and one white. The ones with all the colors, one with the hearts, and the other with the DB's. And yes I guess I needed more than just a beat up purse to hold my wallet and phone and keys. Something to use when I go out or get "dressed" or something like that. But I'm SO not a girl, and I'm SO not comfortable with this kind of stuff, and these are EXPENSIVE bags! And I HATE to feel expensive, and I felt worse because she had just bought me my makeup and a watch. It just seemed like so much. But my Mom was insistent, I HAD to have the bags and they're really nice, and well, I couldn't but but but and argue anymore. And it made her happy so I let her get me the bags.

But OY, then there was the clothing. I paid for these, but Oh my gosh! I have NEVER bought so much at one time before. A dress with a sweater to go with it, a skirt and shirt, and another shirt. My mom btw, was going NUTS in the store trying to get me to try on and buy all this stuff, I had to take a lot out of the pile because I just don't have the $$. But she was literally SCREAMING in the dressing room when I tried on the dress. Apparently it makes me look hot. I'm so not fashion conscious, so not a girl and so not into fashion and clothes and makeup, and pocketbooks and all the other things girls "need." I mean I knew it fit and looked good even, but hot? Well, Rob agreed whenI got home and tried on the dress for him so I guess it's true. Anyway, so if my Mom had her way I'd have bought out the store, but I had a limited amount of $$ to spend... And I had gotten some shirts and pants at Ann Taylor Loft (all on sale WHEEE!!!) for work earlier in the day. So I was tired and still needed shoes. And they didn't have what I needed (DARN IT!), but OY; I was so tired by the time we left the store. I am SO not a shopper. I'm not a girl. Being a girl is too much work for me. I'm so much more comfortable in my jeans and a sweatshirt, or just khakis and a t-shirt for work. It's so much easier. Shopping is too much work for me.

Friday was another uneventful day at work. And today was another uneventful day at work. Oh yeah, and matzah is starting to make me sick. Tomorrow at sundown it's all over. I'm down to the last 27 hours or so of matzah. And then I'm FREE for a YEAR! As soon as it's time I'm going for Pizza. And Monday morning on my day off I'm taking myself out for breakfast for pancakes. WHOO HOO FOR BREAD! So many people have told me this week that they like matzah. And my response was that I liked it too, until I had to eat it as a staple for 8 days... And another thing about Pesach, You NEVER realize how much of what we eat has corn syrup (often the high fructose variety) in it until you can't have it. It's absolutely amazing how processed our food world has become. But what I'm looking forward to most when Passover is over is protein. No beans and no tofu, and no rice and no peanut butter and cashew butter on whole wheat bread or 12 grain bread (YUMMY!), and no soy stuffs has wiped me out this week. There's only so much cheese and eggs you can eat in a week. I'm starting to feel malnourished.

And Rob took off for a 4-day hike in VT with a friend so I'm all alone until Tuesday. I get the house to myself, which is kinda nice and also kinda lonely. Poor Rob though, I know he likes hiking and all that, but it's POURING outside, and is supposed to stay like that for the next few days.

ANYWAY so that was my week. Coming up this week: Work tomorrow, off and errands Monday, Student starts Tuesday (YIKES), working 6 days in a row, Tuesday through Sunday, progressively packing all week, and then next Monday I'm going to Chicago for the ABA conference! YAY!!!! WHOO HOO! I'm really excited and WHOO HOO it's getting closer and I have some time to do sight seeing outside the conference so I' excited etc. Anyone from Chicago, or who's been there have any recommendations for must sees if you only have about 2 days to explore? I'm definitely going to the Art Institute Museum, but anything else I should see? Any good restaurants? Any places a veggie could eat in a meat and potatoes town? Where's the best deep dish pizza? A New Yorker at heart, I have to compare....

But much more on all that later, this post is long enough. Hmmm, maybe my week was more eventful than I thought. Ok lady I luv you BYE BYE!!!