"Sure, get off the bus at MY house!"

This is a line I once uttered to my friend Lauren when our bus driver forgot her bus stop (AGAIN!) and I decided she could make it to gymnastics if she got off at my house and my mom dropped her at her house. This was before cell phones. And, obviously, before we were 16. In fact, I think we were 13.

When I was 14, Brittany and I were both on the soccer teams, and even though she was on varsity and I wasn’t, we would always, always sit on the bus together.

When I was 16, and Kelly was 15, she asked if she could back my car up in my driveway. I said, “Sure!” She ran over a solar light. Whoops.

Every few years, my girlfriends and I try to convene somewhere and hang out. Lately, it’s been in my neck of the woods — whether those woods be Boston or LA! Lauren (see below) is already here, and my other ladies Kelly and Brittany get here tonight. Our other girls, Alex and Erin, will be SORELY missed.

Here are some photographs from our previous escapades — I am so excited and so blessed to be having friends who I’ve known and loved for over a DECADE coming to visit me.

I don’t know what is happening in this photo.

But this is what happened next.


The last time these girls came to see me, I lived in Boston. We went out to dinner, and I forgot my pen in the restaurant. The waiter (who dealt with our loud and ridiculous behavior) ran after us, saying, “Excuse me, ma’am, I think you left your pen.” A minute later, he came out again, with Britty’s purse, and said, “Excuse me, ma’am, I think you left your purse.” We. are. a. mess.

I cannot wait for all three of you to be here, all together, again. I love you oodles. 🙂

"49 grams of fat?! I eat that as a snack!"

As Jeff and I are still working on our eating out 2 week challenge (which has been extended until Thursday because of some outside interference) I went to Trader Joe’s the other day with Liz to get a lunch. I wasn’t really in the mood for any of their salads, and I was sick of sandwiches, so I looked at the Middle East Feast. With falafel, hummus, and pita, you can’t really go wrong. Since I’ve been watching my sodium intake right there with Jeff, I decided to check the sodium content.

(I took a picture of the back, too, but I’ll spare you a blurry photo.)

I didn’t get to the sodium. Because the FAT was 49 GRAMS. 49. FOUR NINE. FORTY NINE.  To which I proclaimed, “LIZ. FORTY NINE GRAMS?! I eat that as a snack!” Needless to say, I put the Middle East Feast down, and will never again be eating it as a snack and going merrily on my way. I got a salad that day, and it tasted just fine.  This challenge has really got me paying attention. If I hadn’t even noticed how bad something was for me that HAD the nutritional values, imagine how bad things are when I eat out and have no idea! The prospect of eating what I think is “healthy” and having it be 75% of my daily value of fat makes me feel unwashed.

Something tells me this challenge is going to last longer than I intended…

Monday morning: 5 Good Things

1. Soccer began again this weekend. Translation: hanging out with 4-10 year olds, Saturday morning, learning the basics of soccer. Referring, coaching, learning, stretching, loving.

2. Guys, Sam Summer is back in action, and here to stay until August.

3. Pizza night last night. Pictures to come. Including: Jennie lays  her own dough, and slides pizza into and out of oven. Success.

4. New planner. New space for planning. Planning for new things.

5. Farmer’s market: basil and rosemary plants. I cannot wait for May.

Bonus: 3 more PW recipes made. More to come.