Saturday, March 27, 2010

Day 1 of My Break

I'm starting off my stay-cation spring break on Long Island quite strong. I have already checked one item off of my list of things to do this week.

Today I took a ride with my parents to the new Whole Foods in Lake Grove. If you are unfamiliar with Whole Foods, they sell fresh, organic and natural foods in a comforting and modern atmosphere. The store is huge, but the aisles are slim. Maybe that is because they expect the patrons to be skinny as well, but this is not always the case (I know this firsthand). There are employees peppered throughout the store preparing samples for shoppers. I tried a Cajun tuna steak today that was so delicious. It tasted like a Filet Mignon, no lie. I also tried some apple wheat grass drink and if you could taste the color green, this drink is what it would taste like.

They also had recipes hanging from hooks randomly throughout the aisles. I am a big fan of the free take-away, so I obviously took a few of those. However, they do not have a frequent shopper card, which I also love, but I did get advised by customer service to sign up for e-newsletters and sales on their Web site (Check!). I will pay-it-forward and advise you to do the same. The products aren't the cheapest because you are paying for quality and purity, so you should, and I will, try to save money wherever you can. You can also sign up to have recipes sent to your inbox, an added benefit.

After walking around and enjoying the variety, I finally left the store with a few items in my newly-purchased reusable bag. Those items were:
  • cold cuts: turkey, ham and yellow American
  • two loaves of fresh Jewish rye and organic Italian bread, sliced by the baker
  • German mustard
  • a bottle of hard cider
  • 1/2 lb. of chicken salad
  • 1/2 lb. of potato salad
  • 1/2 lb. of pasta salad
  • cocoa butter lotion
I spent a little over $40 but am very happy with the result. I just wish I had a $100 gift card so I could give a few more things a try, like that seasoned tuna steak. Mmmm...

Yay for Spring Break

This week (March 29 - April 2) I have off for spring break. Time off is one of the benefits of working for a college. So, since I have this stay-cation off, I have made a list of things to accomplish while I am spending time on Long Island. These items are not too serious, but they do make a difference:
  1. Attend a yoga class at Yoga for Life using the gift certificate I received for Valentine's Day.
  2. Go to Whole Foods and buy some "good for me" foods.
  3. Go to the MOMA to see the Tim Burton exhibit.
  4. Get my car washed.
  5. Get my car inspected.
  6. Visit the C squared Gallery and the WH Design Studio, both in Patchogue.
  7. Go shopping at H&M for Arizona with the gift card I received for Christmas.
  8. Have lunch with a friend or friends.
  9. Rent movies from the Red Box.
And, GO!

Monday, March 01, 2010

Hoping The Deep End doesn't go off the deep end


There is a new show on ABC that I really enjoy. The Deep End is about five first year lawyers at a very demanding law firm. One of the two first year females is the actress that played Deb in Napoleon Dynamite. The partners that mentor the first years at the firm are Billy Zane as the angry one, Nicole Ari Parker as the tough one, Clancy Brown as the nice one and Norbert Leo Butz as the crazy one (he's new).

The first years are brave, smart and charming and I think they are doing what most young professionals, like me, wish they were doing; they are kicking butt and taking names. They are beginning their careers with a full sprint. They are following their dreams no matter who tries to get in their way.

There have only been five episodes, but I am hoping that there will be more. I will go as far as to say that The Deep End is the Grey's Anatomy for the suits and ties of the world. This show is perfect for us Generation Yers who would rather cut people up with words than scalpels.

If you want to see what I am talking about, go to www.abc.com and watch a full episode or five.