The Week in Bullet Points

I know I've been incommunicado; it's been a busy week. I could write a lot but will update using bullet points:

• Five hours in delays and 1 canceled flight later I'm back from Christmas in Memphis, where Santa still found me; I was welcomed with warm, open arms; and the topic of conversation among Brian's family members rotated between babies and football (it is the South). 
• We ate a lot of cheese. No vegetables or fruit -- just meat 'n' cheese grits, cheese dip, cheesey eggs and more. My healthy diet is now back on track.
  
• I finished reading both "Twilight" and "New Moon" and am going straight after work tomorrow to see "New Moon" in the theater. I am totally obsessed but feel better about reading the books because, as my friend Laura reminded me last night, the subject matter is for adults.
  
• I have a sinus infection. 
• I've heard from my Aussie friends this week and have one visiting this weekend, so I'm thrilled. He's a foodie, so we're doing Gino's East pizza on Friday, Blackbird on Saturday and Mixteco Grill on Sunday.
  
• I am officially committed to an international/Olympic distance triathlon -- registered this week. 
• I'm really looking forward to New Year's. Brian's cooking dinner for a small group of friends, and that's it. Love it. 

Here's wishing you a very happy holidays and happy new year. Let's make 2010 a good one, shall we?

The Bed Was Really Warm

Four days of the five-day work week I crawl out of bed at 4:52 a.m. By 5:12 or so I'm at the gym, and by 5:17 you can find me in the pool or setting up my bike in the spin room.

This morning I made it up half the stairs to the spin room before I stopped dead in my tracks. "I am too tired to work out today," I said out loud, a declarative statement to make it real. I was back in bed -- still warm -- by 5:30.

This decision normally kills me -- I genuinely feel better if I work out, especially during a holiday week, when I'll likely miss a workout or two -- and I think part of why I'm writing about is that it isn't bothering me, despite how weird it feels to skip a workout, unplanned, during the week while I'm healthy.

The goal today was to move my "day off" of working out to later in the week so I could get one last good workout before Christmas. And the goal of every morning is to get past the initial resentment of crawling out of bed. I do it all the time and like it -- even on the toughest days, I'm good to go once I get to the gym and, at the least, will do a very low-impact workout if I'm not up to speed. Not today.

My legs lacked strength. My eyes hurt from not getting enough sleep (it'd taken a while for me to fall asleep last night). I could barely process the thought of cycling up hills or doing jumps on the bike, let alone getting on a bike and taking orders from a spin instructor to go harder and faster.

I've overlooked all these things before and chugged through, or I've rearranged my workout schedule so I could still get the same number of workouts in and catch up on sleep. I think I'm secretly afraid that once I cave, I'll be tempted to skip again. You know of that slippery slope most people go through;I don't want to be one of those people who falls off. That said, I'm not most people, and I know it's good to catch up when you need rather than stress over about it.

Doesn't mean it's easy.

The Big Olympic Distance Tri Debate

Guess what:
1) I can now do flip turns in the pool!
2) I'm now running twice a week, albeit briefly (up to a mile and a half after a swim).
3) If I want to shave about $40 off the price of the Chicago Triathlon, I have until Dec. 31 to do so -- and thus decide on Olympic distance racing versus another sprint.

The flip turns just came to me one day. I'd technially learned how to do them in college but could never get my breathing down well enough that I felt comfortable turning my body entirely upside down and breathing out. Then this weekend  -- a good 8 years after I'd been taught flip turns -- I said to myself, Sara, you're going to do a flip turn. And I practiced, and it came easily, and I kept practicing. And then I got into a rhytym where I kept 'em up. If I botched one, I'd swim back and try it again. I'm still not as efficient as my pseudo turn I'd adapted over the years, but I'll get there.

The running thing is a big step for me. I figure if I ran twice a week and added a half mile every two weeks I can def. work my way up to six miles. And if I don't have time for all that in the morning -- it would eat into my core training time -- I could do a short run during the week and a longer run on a weekend. This is all a big hope, but we'll see.

And as for the Olympic distance event, I'm nearly there and ready to commit. It's scary. There's a big jump from sprints to Olympic, and I could be finishing the race in a lot of pain. But I just keep the Bangs Lake Aquabike in my head: I did the Olympic distance swim followed by a hilly-and-windy-as-fuck 25-mile bike and felt I could still run. So throw in some training and BOOM, I'm there.

The plan: a sprint in June or July; the Aquabike in July or August (whenver it is); and the Olympic distance at Chicago.

Now I just have to hit register and we're all good.

New Version of Christmas

Brian and I have this conundrum of both being part of families where Christmas is *the* holiday. I'm sure it's a common problem, but my being an only child, and his being a member of a 39-member-or-so family with 98% attendance every year puts a twist on it. Until this year, we each went our own ways, but now I'm making the trek to Memphis for the 25th. My parents and godmother came over this past Saturday for Christmas at our place, and Brian cooked. I felt so adult -- this is the first time I've had family over instead of my mom or aunts cooking -- and Brian acted like the adult, preparing this huge meal basically all by himself.

I contributed goat cheese brie and truffle mousse (BUY SOME -- AMAZING) for appetizers and supplied a fruit torte and mini desserts. The big show was our dinner:

Seared rack of lamb atop a cannelloni bean shmear with pureed parsnips; roasted turnips and carrots; and seasoned bok choy.That's not blood underneath, btw, it's a something-fancy reduction. I put together the mini calla lilies.

I was happy to have my parents relax. They're bodies are both taxed, and their health makes small things like unloading groceries difficult. Honestly, I was afraid that my mom wouldn't be able to make the climb to the third floor but knew she'd come through at least this one time more. I have a feeling my mom's dream would be for me to host Christmas instead of her, but that's a long way off. Until then, this could make for a nice tradition -- as long as Brian's doing the cooking (haha).

By the way, these will be the last fuzzy camera shots ever (hopefully), because Brian got me a new camera for Christmas. I hate my camera. I generally have to take photos five times to get something exposed correctly or clear. And yes, I do play around with the settings and even read the manual. Not that it hasn't taken some great shots -- I just need the perfect lighting for it to happen.

What We Eat At Home: December Highlights

Put aside all the holiday meals (four so far) and we've had a fairly healthy food month here at Brian and Sara's. Some of this months have been my favorites in terms of both flavor and color:

This is my favorite in terms of color. I took cubed sweet potatoes, spinach and onions and sauteed them in a little olive oil, then added eggs. I recall cumin being a component as well. The flavors came together well -- it's the execution that fell short. I threw the potatoes in first but totally underestimated how long they'd take. Mental note: fully cook the buggers and then add 'em.

Brian made me this after a long night at work, and it's still one of  my favorite quick pasta dishes to date. I can't recall all the ingredients, but I do know that spinach, a little bit of tomato, onion, garlic, and rosemary -- lots of rosemary -- were involved. He sauteed those ingredients and added the sauce to store-bought mushroom ravioli. The fact that there was only a hint of tomato instead of its being the main ingredient really made the rosemary (and was there thyme, too?) stand out. Brian says he simply took my pasta sauce idea and put a twist on it, but I think he did much more.

 Mmm, catfish. Some call this redneck. I call it tasty and fun. So long ago, though, I can't remember what he put in the sauce -- I'm pretty sure wine's in there -- and if that was polenta on the bottom or what. But I had to at least call it out.

See the next post for the big holiday finale.

Secret Santa Duty Report

How could you NOT love these kids? My coworkers and I became Secret Santas this year and got to distribute the gifts to needy kids in Chicago Public Schools, and what a hoot! This video begins right after we "Santa's Helpers" walked in.



This year I bought gifts for three kids, and two of those gifts were in lieu of gifts to a couple of my friends who I always exchange with. It's so easy and simple, and we're at a time in our lives where we don't really need to buy more things for each other. These kids' excitement woulda topped any gift certificate, candle or jewelry we might have given. .

This little girl was my favorite -- a little me! I, too, had glasses when I was young, and I hope I was nearly as smiley and sweet as she was. Her glasses, btw, were much cooler than mine; I wore upside down glasses, and they were horrible. I distinctly remember another 5-year-old and her mom walking by our house and pointing at me while asking why my glasses were upside down. But I digress. This little girl was my favorite.

I'm thankful Barbie's still popular, b/c Lord knows there are some skanky dolls out there.

This little girl wouldn't open her present so she could have something under the tree. (She wasn't the only one.)

I spent $30 on a Hug-n-Heal Barbie set when bubbles could've brought the same enjoyment? J/k

The little girl (above) didn't get what she wanted and had a major meltdown -- one of only two, so I consider it a success.

I can't tell who's more excited in this one. Remember how fun it was to watch someone open presents -- especially toys?

No update here: They are serving the exact same pizza that they did when I was in elementary school in the '80s.

So if your company, church, gym or what have you does a Secret Santa, DO IT. Do one. Do a few. Buy in lieu of presents for other people. They'll appreciate it.

One more thing: when you're buying something, try to stick to what the kids want and don't assume that because they're poor they'll automatically like whatever you give them. Kids are kids. Rich or poor, they have an opinion. And although many definitely will have an appreciation or excitement that a more fortunate kid might not feel, they still dream about cool toys they see on TV. Just sayin'.

Merry Christmas!

Ever Hear of This Charity Idea?

I went to my parents' house over the weekend to help them with their big-ass tree. It's huge, and now that my dad's constantly winded from treatments (he has bladder cancer) and my mom's barely walking these days, it's pretty much up to me to put it all up, which takes a while because it's about 8 feet tall, at least 5 feet wide and has hundreds of ornaments.

That leaves a lot of time for talking. And as we unpacked and organized Christmas stuff, my dad shared a few stories about the food pantry he helps out at. (He switched his treatment schedule to accommodate a few hours at their church's pantry, which is amazing to me. He certainly has an excuse to not give back, I'd think, given his circumstances.  But I digress.) We talked about needy family's holidays, and I got to thinking: is there a charity that collects Christmas trees and ornaments to hand out to the poor?

Think about it: people every so often get a new fake tree -- or a fake tree is "free up" when a person dies, as in the case of our friend Lorraine -- and this usually pretty decent or still usable fake Christmas tree is available. And what about all the ornaments that, in my mom's words, you just want to break because you never really liked them in the first place, or you're just tired of 'em (in our case, we have hundreds -- hundreds! -- of ornaments for our tree and surely don't need them all)? It would be a shame to throw them out or give them to someone who doesn't really want them. What about poor families without  money to invest in trees and decorations? Trees bring so much cheer and not having one if you celebrate Christmas is a big contrary to the holiday. (Let's put aside the debate about what Christmas is really about and agree that it's nice to have holiday decorations).

The ideal time to hook people into donating would be post-Christmas, and it would take a lot of pre-planning and publicity. I'm going to investigate this and report back. If you've heard of any organized charity or specific mission to donate trees, let me know.

The Holiday Psychics Tell All

Last night was Brian's trading firm's holiday party at Shaw's Crab House, the second holiday party I attended with him there. I should be writing about the food, a full-out buffet with every kind of seafood at our fingertips: lobster tails, king crab legs, an oyster bar, sushi and more. At the end of the night -- and one bottle of chardonnay later (I don't even drink chardonnay, so I'm not quite sure how that happened ...) -- I was hungry again and immediately had visions of our cab making a late-night burrito stop on the way home. I opted for late-night king crab legs (pictured), still coming out the kitchen. Clearly, we indulged and are fortunate to have had such a nice, drunken feast. Sure beats the holiday pot-lucks at the magazine I'm used to!

But the other story about the night was Madame Someone (shockingly, I can't remember her name), the palm reader, and Brigid (?) the tarot card reader, we had at our drunken disposal. I have a feeling some of the traders got some canned, trader-typical traits described to them  -- I know Brian did. But what about me, a random guest?

For background: The palm reader had nothing to go on in terms of details and my body language, which was drunken body language. And the parts of my personality she called out were not exhibited in my interactions with her. Admittedly, if you're good at reading people, that alone can say a lot, no matter what condition they're in.

Here's what she said:

-- I'm very direct (YES -- confirmed by Brian). :)
-- I'm very confident and strong-willed (YES. And as a side note, she even hyphenated strong-willed correctly in her notes to me!).
-- I'm an expert teacher and trainer (YES. Well, I've been successful in those roles so far).
-- I'm extremely capable of juggling; I could raise a family, have a career AND do community work (no family yet, so we'll see, but I do juggle a lot, including community work).
-- Something else she noted that I keep under wraps, and she knew I keep it under wraps. Hah!

My palm and my birth date told her that this coming summer will be really strong for me: I'll gain expertise, responsibility and elevated status. I'll take it. Hopefully, this relates to some of the decisions I'm making about my life now. We'll see.

And then there's Madame Brigid, the Tarot card reader. Supposedly in the next 30 days I will be making a big decision that will bring a lot of change in January, and it'll all be for the best. She said something about being in communications and having fortune and luck on my side.

I've only been to one tarot card reader before -- I went with a friend who really wanted to go -- and was uber skeptical, determined to not give off any indication about whether or not she was right or offer any facts that would direct her. It was a horrible reading, although when you've got someone totally uptight across from you, I can't imagine you'd be at your best.

So what will the end of 2009 bring for me? I'll have to check back in in 30 days -- her fortunes were for a 30-day period. Wonder if there's a 30-day guarantee, too, because I fully intend of having a successful next 30 days. :)

Food Photos TK

I owe this blog a food photo update -- it's been awhile. I've got enough photos, mostly from home, but the problem is that they're in two different places, and it's a bitch to download.

A good majority are on my phone, which means I have to send them to an online album through my Verizon account, then send them to my email address, download them, then upload to the blog. There's a "send to blog" option, but I must be doing something wrong, because it's not working (I've only had the phone for a short time, so maybe that's the problem).

The other photos are on my camera. It's really not that difficult to download 'em, but it takes time. It all does. And these days, I'm lacking the time to spend uploading, downloading, emailing and editing.

Ad class just ended (more on that later), so that should free me up. Stay tuned. Tonight's dinner alone is worth bragging about: it's Brian's take on my own recipe! Store-bought mushroom ravioli with a sauce of onions; orange and yellow peppers; tomatoes (not a whole lot though); olive oil; garlic; and rosemary.

My Belated Take on "Twilight:" Be Careful if You Love It, Be Careful If You Hate It

I finally caved and watched "Twilight" this weekend, and, like my attraction to the bad boy I knew was no good for me, I can't stop thinking about it. The author and producers did a good job, because Lord knows idolizing the love affair between Edward and Bella is not healthy to dream about.

Listen to me! I sound like the jaded (or enlightened, depending how you look at it) feminist I read in Bitch magazine who ripped the oh-so-popular saga to shreds for its unrealistic, abusive and virginal themes. I should tell you I didn't avoid the movie entirely because of the article, even though the writer's argument was pretty strong; I just didn't get the vampire thing. Pastie white skin, creepy eyes and monotone dialogue are not hot. After all, you fall in love with characters because you relate to them in some way, right?

That's the scary part: there are controversial parts of this movie I related to, and I'm betting there are tons of scenes teenagers do too. Flash back to "Moby," the bad boy I dated years ago whose chemistry pulled me in but whose immaturity and rudeness "because he liked me so much" repulsed me. Thank God I had the clarity to know my limits and break it off. What about the teenagers idolizing these characters who think the Edward-Bella relationship is dreamy?

In my book, any guy -- Rob Pattinson or not -- who shows up uninvited in your bedroom while you're sleeping is creepy. Same thing if he's possessive, keeps you from your friends and gets rough when he's angry. Oh, and when a guy tells you, "I'm not good enough for you" or "I'm afraid to hurt you" -- he is and he will. Edward might not be a physical abuse case waiting to explode, but he does need vampire therapy -- and it's not pyschologically healthy for Bella to be involved with him.

When the movie ended, I didn't think it was so bad. Some parts were hot. Others I couldn't stop thinking about. I thought Bitch magazine had valid points but overreacted.

Yet each time I mulled the sexy-hot chemistry between Edward and Bella, I got hit with a pang of disgust. Four days of analyzing this movie and I finally realize my gut has been reacting to all those unhealthy parts of their relationship the same way it would when I was with a guy who was bad for me. Coincidence? I think not. 

The good thing is I know this is a movie, and I think it's fun to get caught up in the attractive parts of their love affair. I watched "Twilight" twice. I even want to see "New Moon," despite hearing the cheese quotient is sky-high. And I may or may not have already downloaded the "Twilight" soundtrack (hey, it's good.).

If you haven't seen Twilight already and are skeptical for whatever reason, see it. Figure out what you do and don't like about it -- and why. At the very least, the characters will play in your head for a while, just as author Stephenie Meyer intended. It's a movie, right?

SaraZailskas.com is Up!

SaraZailskas.com is up and running! Need something written? Edited? Take a gander, and let me know how I can help.

And if you know of anyone who owns a restaurant, please encourage them to have me proof their menus. It kills me each time I see sweet breads and sweetbreads used inconsistently ...

Coming Up: Ad Class Finals ... Web Site Launch

This Tuesday will be the last ad class of the semester, and it's bittersweet. It'll be a relief to have the workload lifted, but it was fun to try something new. And I'll miss my classmates. Just like I remember in high school or college, the semester ends right when everyone starts clicking and getting comfortable around one another. Why does it always happen that way? Whether it's the 9-month school year coming to an end or, in the this case, a 9-week class, it always winds down the exact same.

Most of my classmates will continue on in the sequence. I'm going to take the marketing class in the spring but not do the ad classes. I would continue if I were getting more out of them that applied to my career, but I can't justify the $1,300 price tag at this point for something that's just fun.

***
As I write this, we're hours away -- pending all is activated properly by our friends at GoDaddy.com -- for the launch of my Web site, SaraZailskas.com. Shockingly, the site name wasn't taken, so I grabbed it up a few months ago and commissioned the fabulous Paula Girshman of Graphica29 to execute it. I thought it was pretty pathetic that I didn't have a Web site to send to people who were interested in hiring me as a freelance writer, editor and project manager. Way to join the land of the living, Sara!

Paula and I worked together at my current job on our award-winning digital magazine, and we kicked ass. No, really; we work together seamlessly, and our talents complement each other. Naturally I thought of her when I was ready to go.

I had the concept in mind for what I wanted, and she took it to a new level. My favorite part is the outline she did of a woman (me) sitting at a table and working. Check it out when you can.

If you want to work with Paula, you can reach her at paula@graphica29.com. And if you need a writer or editor, let me know. I've done everything from marketing copy to e-newsletters to books and theses, so whatever your task, I can help.

Running in the Right Step

Sports life got 1,000 times better for me this week. I had my last consulting appointment with Coach Bill Leach to collect my gait analysis and go over steps for improvement. He gave me a 15-page report, went over steps for improvement and even had me running again with a corrected stride.

I already went for one short run -- my goal is to start short, frequent runs to get my body used to running regularly -- and it was pain-free. Pain free. I don't remember the last time I ran pain free -- if ever. And this is all from a couple simple exercises. Best $150 I spent (or rather, best gift ever: Brian's treat).

What my running video showed is that I generally have good running posture and excellent heel kicks, head position and arm rotation. The bad part was my gait: my feet begin to cross over when I run, my stride is too long and my hips were collapsing with each step. Actually, they weren't the only thing collapsing: each time I hit the ground, my entire posture would crash down, so I was effectively running up and down instead of straight. Each strike meant I was absorbing my entire body weight on one leg; in slow motion, it literally looks like I'm being clubbed over the neck at each step. It was actually painful to watch.

His analysis of exercises I did barefoot to check rotations and posture and such showed that I have a weaker lower back and abdomen; I've been working on core strength but apparently have not been doing so evenly. He also suspected my calves are tight -- and they definitely have been bothering me -- because my ankles aren't properly rotating either.

It sounds like it's easy to run, but it's not. This analysis has reiterated to me that some people's bodies can take running without proper technique, and others like mine can't. How many people really have proper technique, right?

Going forward, I'm doing exercises to build up my glutes, and I have backward running and pawing drills to do to keep my gait correct. This one backward running exercise he gives you is amazing; for some reason, running backward for about 20 meters and then taking off forward resets your gait and gets you running as you should be. Instant correction -- I love it. I feel like a pansy -- running "correctly" for distances does not look match the virilous postures of die-hard athletes in commercials or even running on the lakefront -- but I'll take that over feeling pain.

Tuck my abs in. Don't overreach. Swing the arms. Go. That's my mantra going forward.

It's exciting to want to run again.

Lula, You're Wonderful, But Cafe You Are Not

Brian and I ventured to Lula Cafe yesterday -- finally! -- for Tuesday Night and were reminded that you can go to a restaurant and have every course and every dish taste great; sit in a spot-on, warm atmosphere with stellar service; and still be surprised with unique twists on familiar and unexpected ingredients alike. It lived up to the hype -- and there has been a lot of it (deservedly it turns out). But that's not what I want to write about.

Lula calls itself a cafe.

To Lula and all the other restaurants that tack on "cafe" to their name, I say: wtf.

A cafe is a little restaurant that serves coffee and maybe sandwiches and other light things. Merriam-Webster agrees! There are nice little tables to sit at and people watch, and you can generally hang out all day if you want. Only have a few bucks? Fear not, you can still get a drink and snack. I think of Paris, romance, traveling, puppies with their owners and all other cafe-type things that make them a great urban escape.

But there's a crop of restaurants posing as cafes, and they're ticking me off. Magnolia Cafe, Lula Cafe, Cafe 36 -- yeah, I'm talkin' to you. You serve pork dishes! You braise meats! And I have to drop a good $60 on a meal for two -- because it's dinner  you serve, not a sandwich and soup with a side of wrought-iron furniture. If I had a dog, there would be no place to tie it up, which is standard cafe service protocol. Again, wtf.

Lula, you wonderful place, you: sadly you're guilty of this misnomer. Your short-rib stuffed rabbit was phenomenal but requires a full kitchen for preparation. Your sketchy locale (OK, Logan Square is *slowly* gentrifying, but it ain't there yet) does not allow for the relaxing people-watching I expect to at any cafe, and you open for dinner. Will you allow me to hang out all day at one of your fancy tables buying only a coffee and sandwich? I think not.

I wish these restaurants would just call themselves what they are and drop the "cafe." Or at least follow Cafe Too's example, which is closer. Stop messing with my expectations, even if you hit home runs on all other counts.

***
Why We Can't Wait to Go Back to Lula:
-- the fact our waiter was Mexican and our water boy was white (sorry, but how often do you see that?)
-- a great beet salad with myer (sp?) lemons and homemade ricotta
-- crispy sweetbreads with figs
-- a homemade pasta and pork dish (with more figs!) that oozes comfort
-- a great meritage for $9 a glass
-- kick-ass short-rib-stuffed quail with winter vegetables and pumpkin puree
-- and the carrot cake. Sure, carrot cake is carrot cake. But do other versions have Lula's frosting recipe? Nope. It's perfectly moist and carroty goodness.