Skinny Minny!!

Well, almost.

Doomsday prepping.  (that is, giving up
 alcohol,  caffeine and sugar)

BUT since my last post, I completed my 10 day detox diet and am now…..drumroll, please…….. 12.6lbs lighter!!!  (I obviously had a lot of tox-es to de-myself of!).

Yep, I survived the Hell that is Life Without Caffeine, Alcohol and Sugar and my body seems to like it very much!  As per my last post, the first couple of days were definitely the hardest - I had zero energy and just felt, well, off, but by day 4, I was starting to feel better.  Now its day 13 and counting and I feel completely fantastic!!   Now I won't bang on about it too much like an evangelical bore, but it was surprisingly easy (once you got past the first couple of days) - I was following the plan in the 10 Day Detox Diet book by Dr Mark Hyman (he also wrote the Blood Sugar Solution diet) and I loved that it told you what to do and when for each day, so you didn't have to think, just follow instructions.  The food was GREAT - all his recipes were fantastic and I found myself rediscovering the fun of cooking.  Pootling about in the kitchen while making supper and listening to Radio 4 Extra is just so comforting and homey.  Love it.

Now this was bloody lovely.
Steamed sole with ginger and scallions.

One of the hardest bits was committing to getting up at 6am each morning to get to the gym for 30mins of exercise before breakfast but now I'm over that initial hump and I'm actually - shock horror - starting to look forward to my morning run!!  I've even signed up for a 5K run round Lincoln Park Zoo on June 1st!!  And this time I won't be hungover or wearing a penguin costume!  So yey me - and here's to the next 12lbs - onwards and downwards!!  The only question i have is - why, o why, did I not know about this book when I was doing the Get Lean and Loopyliscious Challenge?!!!  Just think of all those forfeits I wouldn't of had to have done!!!

Grilled tofu with basil cilantro pesto
and grilled courgettes

Anyway, enough of that, but I wanted to share as I'm feeling in a rather chipper mood and considerably more perky than I've been for a long while.  It also helps that its not sub-zero temperatures outside any more and the whole town seems to be bursting forth with life and sproutiness.  Walking to go buy a paper last Saturday (and to have a hot stone massage to treat myself and my new Temple-like body), I walked past a little crop of bluebells, right by the train station.  It reminded me of growing up in Cornwall, the vast swathes of bluebells and daffodils that used to dot the countryside, and it made me feel warm and vaguely nostalgic.  I think i'm definitely getting soft in my old age.  Its also getting more and more beautiful around town, as the trees start coming in to blossom - today, it was a glorious 65 degrees and the simple joy of feeling the warmth of the sun on your face is definitely appreciated more after the Snowmaggedon I've just endured!  Its even getting warm enough now so that a trip up to our gorgeous roof deck is now completely pleasant and a sensible thing to do, rather than a hypothetically good idea that turns out to be bloody freezing, but which you sit out for at least 10 mins anyway, in an act of futile meteorological defiance!  It did, though, force me to finally figure out how the fire pit worked, so that trip wasn't completely wasted!

Its alive!!  The ground has finally unfrozen and it lives!!

So, the date for Operation Elephant Freedom draws ever closer.  I am SOOOOOOO excited to move and, not surprisingly, to actually see the new apartment I've already committed to living in for the first time!  I'll be able to get access on May 10th so as to measure up, then I get the keys on Tues 12th!  WHOOOOO-HOOOO!!!!

I've got the movers booked, the Elfa people on standby to do a rapid turnaround of Old Closet to New Closet, the cable man sorted, the new furniture delivery sorted AND I figured I might as well throw a Housewarming party into the mix for good measure!  One day off my clean living detoxed diet to enjoy champagne, sushi, pie and pizza!  Yey!  I've invited a bunch of folk from work and from the building and am also going to invite my immediate neighbors on the 5th floor - be nice to start to get to know a few more folk in the building.  I already know one guy - I sold him my acoustic Martin guitar (yes - I finally parted with it!) so perhaps he can bring it, so i can hear how it should be played!  I can't wait to share my new place with you all - the main living area and bedroom are very very different from the style I've had since I moved to NYC over 10yrs ago.  I just fancied a change - and the tax return man kindly obliged, so I thought, why not?  Today the indoor/outdoor table-top ethanol fireplace arrived and looks very fancy - it'll be perfect on my new black honed granite dining table or on the cocktail table in my patio outside.  The cats are also enjoying trying to destroy the lovely tiffany blue and cream swirly indoor/outdoor rug I bought for outside, so the sooner I can get that out of the way of their little Feet of Destruction, the better.  Also, it goes without saying that - as soon as my move is done, my place is open for visitors!!  So come to Evanston and visit!!! (and for you cat allergic peeps, my building also has a non-fluffed guest suite that you can reserve, so no excuses!!)

Anyway, THANK YOU for your suggestions so far for places for me to visit and Stuff to Do.  It was all remarkably sensible with a low probability of my getting arrested, so that was a pleasant surprise.  I've decided to wait to do most of them until Mumsie arrives in 3 weeks (yey!) and will put all the suggestions into the TARDIS of Dreams and draw one out each weekend.  Keep the suggestions coming, though - we need to have enough to keep Mumsie out of trouble for her entire trip….

Oh go on then.  Don't mind if I do.

I did, however, stop into the Botanic Gardens a couple of weekends ago as the weather was absolutely glorious and there was an Antiques Fair And Some Other Random Attraction on that weekend.  (side note: this is how crazy-assed the weather is here - Saturday, it was 72 degrees and I got burnt, Monday it was bloody well SNOWING!!).  So, i decided this should be my first foray into Doing Local Stuff - especially as its directly on the way home from work, so I can see it becoming a favorite place to stop off afterwards and.. umm.. smell the roses.  Also - as there was an antique fair on - I thought i might look for some fun or distinctive bar ware for my soon-to-be delivered bar cart (G&T anyone?).

Well.  Its amazing the shite that people will buy.

To give you a sense of the immensity of turdy tat that was on display - I didn't buy a single thing.  Nada.  Nought.  And remember, I'm the girl who successfully managed to shop in the cafeteria at work the week before in Zurich.  So for me to walk out completely empty-handed gives you an idea of just how much crap and tack there was on offer!  You have to wonder how people manage to make a living selling frogs made out of stones and "faeiries" made out of wire and whimsy.  Unbelievably, at the other end of the spectrum, were stalls selling estate Chanel jewelry and Hermes purses - i mean, who comes to an Antiques fair and drops 20 grand on a second-hand handbag?!  Craziness.

But, it was fun to people watch and to sit outside in the It'll Be Beautiful Once Everything's Sprouted garden and enjoy the sunshine.  Here are a few pics from the day (the stuff I could find that was already in bloom!) - enjoy!

No idea what these are.  But they were there and
 so was I, so it seemed rude not to…. 

Loopy - these are for you as I know
how much you love 'em…. 

Path with green stuff - a welcome change

I guess they really like white.

And - finally - Dylan showing everyone how its done.

Not Swatch Watch

Oops.

The cats are not happy with me.  I just set off the fire alarm in my apartment grilling onions.  They both HATE high pitched sirens, so Dylan has just given me a filthy "WTF?" look before heading to his safe place amongst the black jackets in my closet.

Anyway, i'm back.  Sorry I've been gone for so long, but things have been a little intensely busy, what with the move, the new job, the travel and the siren's call of hibernation.   However, spring is trying its damnedest to sprung (70 degrees on Saturday, snow on Monday…hmmm..), so its time to slough off the sloth, start to catch you chaps up on what I've been up to over the last couple of months, and then set you all a little task...

When I left you all last, I believe we were about to reach the thrilling conclusion to Swatch Watch.  Since then, I'm happy to report that the Doria Charcoal beat out a very close challenge from the Dawson Cement and will be joined in victory by Louis, Delia and Chloe.  Madison and..um… Crest will form the vanguard on the terrace.  Obviously Room and Board derives its furniture inspiration from 1960's baby name books and toothpaste.

"But...Wait?  What?  A terrace?? " I hear you all cry!  No - I haven't been holding out on you but, since my last blog post, I discovered that I have the misfortune to have a herd of elephants/small children living directly above me.  Whats more - despite my apartment building being a brand new construction, it is not at all soundproof!  The beautiful wooden floors act like big sounding boards so that the thump of footsteps above me is ridiculously noisy and even makes my ceiling shake at times.  Either the family living above me are very flat footed or very large but, whatever the reason, I can't take it anymore.  So, in about 4 weeks time, i'm moving apartments again!!  And this time, I'm heading for the penthouse, baby!!

Yes - fortunately a 2-bedroom plus den AND TERRACE apartment on the 5th floor is becoming available (the current occupants are moving back to South Carolina cos they couldn't deal with the Chicago winter!) so I pounced on it!  Of course, its a bit of a pain in the ass having to uproot and move again (including getting my newly-installed Elfa closets uninstalled and then re-installed in the new place) but it will be well worth it to be able to feel as if I can finally relax in my home.  Fortunately all my new furniture from Room and Board (thanks, Mr Tax Return man) can be delivered after my move, so thats going to be less hassle - and i can't wait to see everything!  Its going to look super swish!  Of course, I will post pictures after my move and when its all "done" so you can see my new digs.  I'm very much looking forward to having my own little private spot outside with my terrace - perfect for the 8 days of the year when its warm enough to sit outside.  The only other real bummer about having to move is leaving behind my fab Sherlock wall - decorated with temporary wallpaper (great website called Spoonflower.com) and put up lovingly by my hairdresser (who also does interior design - a perfect combo!).  I love how it looks (and I picked all my furniture out with that in mind as the accent wall - so we'll see how it pans out) and - as I had to sign for my other apartment sight unseen, I don't know whether i'll be able to have something similar in my new place.  But, anything has to be better than the Elephants Above, so i'm sure it will be fabulous!

Cumberb*tchin' decorating!

Anyway, I have to tell you - right now I feel like Hell On Toast.  I am currently on Day 3 of a 10-Day Detox diet where you give up sugar, alcohol and caffeine.  CAFFEINE, PEOPLE!!!  I know I drink a lot of the stuff but it is truly ridiculous that on Monday night, Day 2 of my detox, I was so tired I went to bed at 8.30pm!!!!   How rubbish is that??  Today, i'm sitting here supping a cup of decaf English Breakfast tea, in a desperate attempt to fool my central nervous system that its getting some go-go-juice but, frankly, if i make it to 9pm tonight, I'll be amazed.  The other part of this detox diet involves 30mins "brisk" exercise first thing in the morning before breakfast (I did check and snoring or enthusiastic nocturnal drooling doesn't count), so i've been up every morning at 5.45am to get my arse into the gym before work.  By the time 8am rolls around, all I want to do is climb back into bed!

Resistance is futile

But why, SITC, why all this detox nonsense??  Well, alas, its all a necessary evil to undo the effects of Severe Choccy Bunny Syndrome - a common malady affecting travelers to Switzerland around Easter time.  Honestly, those little cocoa bombs were simply everywhere - you sneeze and you find one has accidentally jammed itself into your mouth when you weren't looking.  It was bucking ridiculous.  What on earth was a girl to doe?

Bigger than a small child.
Probably tastier too. 

Psycho bunnies

Healthy AND snacky?  How Swiss.

Last ditch attempt at the airport to
 ensnare you in choccy goodness

Now THATS my type of transport!  Veuve Cliquot bicycle?
Ding-ding!!

I also tried to find some errant, non-seasonal reindeer to get the herd started early in amongst the Lindt mountain, but alas, there was nothing hare.  Fortunately I'll be heading back to Zurich in September, so perhaps i'll have more luck then…

So, other stuff I have to catch you up on:

trip to Japan (it was very interesting…)
trip to Zurich (it was surprisingly nice)
trip to WholeFoods Lincoln Park, Chicago (ooohhhhh…..)
trip to antiques fair at Chicago Botanic Garden (its amazing the crap people buy)
Dylan and the washing machine

Alas its now 9.15pm and i am seriously drooping. (steady).  So, i will pick this up again tomorrow night for another exciting installment.  Given the craziness has calmed down now, I will endeavor to blog post more than once every two months!

In the meantime, here's a Mission Should You Choose To Accept it.  Along the lines of Dungeons and Dragons and the Choose Your Own Adventure books (remember them?) - you get to choose what I do and where I go exploring in and around Chicago.  Loopy - you were a particularly brilliant travel agent last time, so i'm looking to you for kick-ass suggestions.  Daniel.  Nope.  I'm not going there or doing that.  Ashley, Sarah - of course they serve champagne there - why else would I visit?  Jessica - that is an awesomely nerdy suggestion.  Lori - Tillamook!!

Ah….its good to be back.  Lets go have some adventures together!