Skinny Fat Pants

Hey Everybody!

Sorry for not posting on Friday - we had office holiday party festivities all day. I got a little tipsy on the white wine and danced like Elaine Benes (on purpose). Submitted below is file footage for your review:



Sweet Fancy Moses!

I had a great, busy weekend - the first in a long time, since I've started shielding myself from the outside world and flaking out on plans with friends. I met my friend Katherine for brunch at Ann Sather, and as I was eating their amazing cinnamon rolls, I wondered why I didn't bring people here more often. I had been to Sather's before - believe you me - but I never think to take out-of-town guests there. Word to the wise: if you come to visit me in Chicago, make me take you to Ann Sather. It's just a fifteen minute walk away.

Anyway, Katherine filled me in on her demise at Taste America Catering, making her the fifth person to leave the company after me. We then went Christmas shopping at Threadless, Foursided, TJ Maxx and Best Buy. Guess what? This day started at 11:00 am, and I didn't get home until 6:00 pm. That's a lot of freaking shopping and to-doing. Plus we had a pop-up blizzard, so this was all happening in the wet slushy cold. By Sunday I think we had 6-8 inches on the ground in my neighborhood.

A quick note: If I ever write the word "nayb," that's my slang for neighborhood. I say it in speaking, but if I wrote it, I think people would have a harder time getting my gist. For you spelling bee veterans out there, I'll use it in a sentence:

Suffice it to say that after this blizzard, it was difficult to negotiate the side streets of my nayb.

Yesterday I took the suburban Metra train out to Lake Forest to have lunch with Mary Ann, my former supervisor at Edward Jacks and Company - my first job in Chicago. I think of Mary Ann like my Chicago mom. When I was working there, she was always looking out for me, worried about my commute, shielded me from my boss when he was upset. In short, Mary Ann's my mentor. This woman has class out the ass, and she is a smart businesswoman with heart. She even comes to town to see my shows - Manda, Scott and Cody got to even meet her one time.

We ate lunch at this new restaurant called Chief's Pub. She said it was opened by Lake Forest and Lake Bluff firemen, so I was expecting firehouse-style fare: chili, family-style service with big portions. Heck, that's how I'd market it. Instead it was mostly apps, sandwiches, salads & soup (including chili), but it was all food warehouse products. Circle S had a better quality selection.

The ambiance was nice, though, and so was the company. I planned to stay for three hours, but MA and I talked so long that I decided to stay an extra three hours for the late train back to the city. We went back to her house for coffee and cherry chip cake and exchanged gifts. I just brought her some lemonade salt scrub, but she gave me a bunch of gifts from Edward Jacks and Company - candies galore, an ornament, coffee, and a leather mousepad. It was so nice of them to think about me. I still think that was a great company to work for; I just wish my commute wasn't four hours each day!

I can't go to the nutrition clinic tonight because I have to get my wisdom teeth evaluated. They are on their way out! I am going to get weighed in on Thursday night, so I'll let you know how that pans out.

I'm celebrating a little non-scale victory today: I can fit into my skinny fat pants. There is such a thing...for me at least. I bought a pair of black dress pants this fall that could take on some extra thigh; they fit just right. Then right before I went to New Orleans, I thought I should upgrade to one size bigger, for fear that my pants would split or I wouldn't feel comfortable running around in just-right fat pants. I've been wearing them ever since.

I busted out the skinny fat pants on Friday for the holiday party, and they were great - not too snug and not as loose as the big ones. I'm wearing them today, too, and I feel svelt-esque.

"Here's to us that wish us well, and those who don't can go to hell...All right, who's dancin'?"

So there's that,

Laura