Holy Cannoli. This past week has been absolutely incredible. I went to New York to compete in the Prince Evidence moot court competition, and my team won the whole thing. The WHOLE thing. Yeah.
So what comes with victory? Absolution! That's right - every piece of piece of cake, every bite of pasta, every second trip to the buffet line was not only worth it, but necessary. I have my extra pasta pounds to thank for making my skirt too tight and consequently making me stand up straighter with my stomach sucked in so that I didn't split the skirt. Who knows? Maybe if I were slightly more slouched I wouldn't have made it as far ...
In the spirit of blindly ignoring the purpose for this "healthier living" blog, I will now brag about all the delicious food I overindulged in. The never-ending pasta service at Becco (Manhattan, theater district) included mushroom and sage ravioli, tomato and basil spaghetti, and orecchiette with bacon and swiss chard - as always, it was all heavenly. And, as always, I ate more than any reasonable woman should. Another highlight was the grilled duck salad at Bar Tabac on Smith St. in Brooklyn - earthy duck, peppery arugula, bacon, walnuts and a grape dressing made for a perfect lunch on a cold and rainy day. Also on Smith St. was Yoshi sushi - I had one of the best rolls I've ever tasted - it was spicy tuna and avocado, but instead of seaweed as a wrapper they used shaved cucumber - the cool, crunchy cucumber and creamy avocado contrasting the spicy tuna was just perfect. And of course, there was the food at Brooklyn Law School for the competition - let me tell you, these people know how to entertain - everything from the daily buffets to the over-the-top final banquet (the mac and cheese was to die for). It was all wonderful.
But despite the expansion of my waste line over the course of the weekend, I did manage to make it to the hotel gym every morning of the competition. And by make it to the gym I mean to pass through it to get to the whirlpool. Okay, I did actually do some light yoga and walking, but come on, who can turn down a whirlpool?!?!? And for reals - I did LOTS of walking. The last day I walked from Brooklyn to the East Village. And then I ate Pierogies in cheese sauce in the East Village. But the important thing is that I walked there.
But of course, the meal I was looking forward to most was Mom's home cooking on the last night of the trip. Mom and Dad had the teammates and I out to Long Island for a victory dinner with my sister and her boyfriend. Wine way too nice for the occasion was brought out, and we ate stromboli, cheese, lasagna, Italian salad, meatballs, and homemade zeppoles until we were fit to burst. We drank liquid gold dessert wine, moved to the living room, and watched the Top Chef finale. We watched hysterical YouTube videos and cracked up over the Bronz Zoo cobra's tweets and the AccuWeatherman's threats to lay the hammer of snow on the cobra. My brother left work early so he could stop by for a surprise hello. It was perfect. The perfect ending to a perfect weekend of hard work, satisfaction, good friends, good food, and fun. As my dad says, "This is what life is all about." It sure is. I'll get back on the bandwagon once my feet are back on the ground.
And for your viewing enjoyment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heeTNhUnC3U&feature=player_embedded#at=25
No comments:
Post a Comment