HELLO?!  Are you there, Blog?  It’s me, Healthy Chow!  Did you all miss me?  Well, I’ve certainly missed you and didn’t spend one day not thinking of all my dear bloggie friends.  My apologies for being MIA.  I think it’s been over 3 months?  (hangs her head in disgust) But thank you to all those who emailed me, left me comments and sent me tweets asking if I was OK.  Muah! You know how to make a gal feel loved!

So, I bet you’re wondering what I was up to while I was on my hiatus?  Well, I’ve been quite the busy lil’ bee.  I have a huge project that I’ll be launching any day now, and I can’t wait to tell you all about it.  It’s not quite ready yet, but it.is.this.close.  I’m so excited!  I want to scream my news from the rooftops, but the time isn’t quite right.  Not just yet.  But have no fear, good things come to those that wait…

In the meantime, I wanted to make my return to the blogging world and let you know that I’m back.  My blog is going to change a bit in terms of content, format and appearance (and perhaps even a name change!).  But, it will still be the same woman behind the words.  That will not ever change, rest assured.

Since it was about a year to this day when I published my very first blog post, I thought it would be apropos to make today my rebirth back into the blogging world.  After all, today is my birthday!  Remember last year’s post?  It’s farewell to my Larry Bird birthday, and hello to my…Paul Pierce?  Yeah, that one doesn’t work as well.  But whatever it is, it’s a new year and I have many fantastic and new things on the horizon.  And pretty soon, it will all be out of the BAG…

Look who came to say hello!

So what have you been up to since I’ve been away?  Tell me what’s up!  Anyone have any exciting news?!

***And happy birthday to my twin and one any only sister.  You are the best sister EVER and I don’t know what I would do without you!!!  I love you!***

Namasté,
Nicole

Image Credit – secret.extrarisk.com

That was me for most of yesterday, and a little right now.  I’m not a migraine sufferer, but yesterday, I had the second one of my life (don’t cry for me, Argentina!).  Holy crap on a cracker! I don’t know how people deal with these on a regular basis?!  Anyhoo, I’m much better today (in case you were wondering ).  Nothing like de-plugging from your laptop for a few hours, staying well-hydrated, and having a hot and humbling yoga sesh this morning to make you feel brand spankin’ new again.  But those sugar-free fudgesicles didn’t seem to hurt either (thanks Patrick).

OK, I’m off to seize the day.  The sun is shining (again) and it feels like summer here in Boston.  I’m grateful for feeling more like myself today, knowing that I can harness the power of breath to keep me calm in my times of need, and having the ground to support me when I’m weak in the knees.  And oh yeah, getting a loving phone call from MHC to see how her precious daughter is doing is always pretty fantastic, too.

Image Credit – tripadvisor.com

Do you have any uncommon cures for headaches?  What seems to always make you feel better (mentally or physically)?

***Are you following Megafruit yet on Twitter?  You really should!  They are giving away 3 – $100 Visa Giftcards at random once they reach 1,000 followers.  What are you waiting for?!***

Namasté,
Nicole

Do you know what a Panamera is?  No, I didn’t say ‘Panera’.  I’m not talking bread here.  The Porsche Panamera is a four-door, four-seat, luxury sedan.  The first sedan for Porsche.  For shiz and giggles, Patrick and I decided to look at cars yesterday.  While we aren’t in the market for a new one, Patrick likes to just ’see’ what’s out there.  Thus, we landed at Porsche of Westwood, about a half an hour drive from Boston.  I had already been to yoga class, it wasn’t raining (like it will be for the rest of the week) and was actually quite sunny outside.  So, I was game.  I just didn’t know I was going to end up in a race car.

Image Credit – chinaluxculturebiz.wordpress.com

I’m not really one for driving fast, as I drive a Honda Civic (and no, it hasn’t been souped up), but yesterday afternoon, I must have been in the need for speed.  While we told the salesman we were very casually looking around for cars, he insisted that we go for a test drive.  Who were we to say no? Plus, it was our salesman who was going to be behind the wheel.  We were just going along for the ride.  And boy, was it a ride!

Our test drive only last about 10 minutes, but in that time frame, I managed to sweat through my down coat and almost put a hole with my fingernails through the palms of my hands from clenching my fists so tightly.  I wish I had taken a picture of my facial expressions while we were taking those sharp turns on and off the ramps of the highway, but I was too busy holding on for dear life.  I couldn’t stop laughing in the backseat (I do this when I’m nervous) and feeling as if it was my first time on Space Mountain.  The thrill of speeding through the air while the vehicle I was traveling in hugged the road on what felt like just the two right-side tires, was enough to put my adrenaline into overdrive.  To say the least, I was out of my comfort zone and it’s pretty safe to say, I liked it.

The Panamera car brochure we got to keep as a souvenir

While my brief stint as Danica Patrick was fun and certainly exciting, I don’t think I’ll be rushing out to buy this car, or any sports car, anytime soon.  I’m happy with the car that I have and safely taking turns at 15 – 20 miles per hour (I believe our salesman mentioned that we were taking the turns at about 40 mph!).  But, that feeling of letting go, feeling completely out of control, doing something completely out of the ordinary and not being able to do a damn thing about it, that might be an experience I’ll soon have to revisit.  I’ll just be sure to be wearing my seat belt.

What gets your adrenaline going?  Do you like to drive fast (don’t be afraid to admit it)? Or, do you prefer to stay on the safe side like me?

Namasté,
Nicole

Everywhere I look these days (I’m sure it’s the same for you), I keep seeing signs for everything ’spring’.  Yes, I’ve been noticing the flower buds sprouting up from the ground, the leaves slowly growing back on the trees, the birds seem to be chirping much louder and there’s a new crop of fresh produce that’s trickling into the grocery stores.  But no, those are not the ’signs’ I’m talking about.  I mean the signs that say ’spring sale’, ’spring cleaning’, ’spring clearance’, ’spring cleanse’, and ‘new for spring’.  It seems that everyone is ready for a change and a chance to begin anew.

Image Credit – cleveland.com

The other day in yoga, as we were in extended side angle pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana), our teacher told us to fully feel and be in the pose.  She said that even though we’ve been in the pose millions of times, we should pretend as if it was the first time, and really take notice of how we’re feeling.  We shouldn’t operate from memory; we should take each pose exactly for what it is.  Our teacher told us to consider each pose as a renewal.  Instead of plowing through each pose and waiting for it to be over (which is what I have the tendency of doing when I’m in this certain pose), our teacher asked that we be aware of our senses and respect what our bodies were telling us.  She said to not assume or expect to feel a certain way, just because we may have had those feelings when we previously held that pose.  We should come into the pose with fresh eyes and an open heart, no opinions nor preconceived notions, just the willingness to learn.  In the spring, we have the chance to shed what we built up inside ourselves during the cold and wintry months.  The bulk and extra line of defense we created to help keep us warm in the previous season, we can now let go.  Spring marks the time for rebirth; the time for all things to evolve.

Image Credit – upsanddownes.wordpress.com

As I flowed through the rest of the poses in class that day, I realized that my practice wasn’t the only thing I needed to review with fresh eyes.  Like many others in this world, I tend to be a creature of habit.  When I find a method of doing something, a certain way of thinking or feeling, I don’t like to change it.  It doesn’t matter if my way is more difficult, not as efficient or unhealthy, I stick with it because it’s what I know.  But like the new season that we ushered in just last week, it’s time to do some cleaning of the house.  The clutter of negative energy, unproductive ways of thinking, unnecessary self-criticism, rigidity and bad habits that should have seen their demise long ago, need to be swept away.  It’s pointless and unhealthy to keep around thoughts, feeling and actions that don’t benefit us.  While it might be easier to carry all this ’stuff’ around versus finding the strength and energy to let it go, sometimes it’s the discomfort that will heal us in the long run.  The emotional journey we need to employ may not be the most pleasant one, but it might just be the most necessary one.

Image Credit – gardenguides.com

We put our bodies through detoxification, new diets (diet meaning what we eat) and increased exercise because it’s necessary to get rid of the ‘junk’ that has been lingering inside of us.  It may not be a fun or enjoyable process, but in the end, we emerge healthier and happier.  Like the plants and flowers in the ground, there’s a seed that must be cracked and broken through before new life can be sprouted.  It’s a chance to grow and find a new beginning.  The signs are all there and they are pointing to us to make the change.  It’s up to us to stop and pay attention.

***Speaking of new things for spring, would you like to try some Mangosteen?  Baby pineapple?  Lychee?  How about some new Lululemon clothing?  If you’re interested, check it out here!***

I’m working on letting go of the little things.  It’s something that tends to gnaw at me and it’s about time I get rid of this habit.  What are you going to work on?  What do you plan on cleansing yourself of?

Namasté,
Nicole

Image Credit – boston.com

Happy March everyone!  The beginning of a new month is always exciting for me.  There’s just something about seeing the number ‘1′ on the calendar.  In a sense, it gives me a fresh slate and resets the clock for me on all the things I can accomplish in one month.  To some, March can seem like a long month, being that there are 31 days and for most of March, it’s still winter with winter-like weather.  But, I like to think of March as the point where we’re moving towards the uphill side of things.  After all, in 20 days it will be the first day of spring, and spring to me signals the rebirth of Mother Nature.  Our days will get longer, the weather will get warmer, things will start appearing greener and flowers will begin to bloom.  So what’s there NOT to be excited about?  I wanted to dedicate this post to some of the things I am looking forward to (things happening in March and beyond) and things that just get me excited:

• Warmer weather! I’m getting rather sick of bundling up and can’t wait to just walk outside my door without having to worry about bringing my gloves
• Trying new recipes and making some inventive kitchen creations – I think you all can agree with me on that one!
• Longer days – Just being able to see the sun for a few minutes longer each day makes me smile.
• Yoga, yoga and more yoga – Check out Tina’s post about her yoga challenge.  I love reading about how more and more people are practicing yoga, loving yoga and making their practice a priority in their lives.
• March Madness – I like basketball, but my husband is obsessed loves it!  This is the month for NCAA mania and knowing that this is one of Patrick’s favorite times of the year, I’m excited for him.  Plus, his passion and zeal for this sport is contagious!
• The return of my car – After close to $2,000 worth of damages, she’s ready to come home!  All I can say is, thank goodness for insurance…
• Our existing projects (as well as some new ones) and the prospect of them launching and coming to fruition – More details on this soon to come…hopefully, very soon!

Image Credit – fishingforsoul.wordpress.com

What are some of the things you’re looking for to this month?  What are some of the things that get you excited?

Namasté,
Nicole

I really wish you could come to one of my yoga classes with me, especially yesterday morning’s class.  The class was taught by Daniel, a wonderful yoga teacher at the studio to which I belong who has recently taken his teaching to a whole new level.  To say that I look forward to each and every one of his classes would be a sheer understatement.  Daniel has this amazing way about him.  He’s upbeat, gentle, full of passion and his soft nature can make the grouchiest of people smile.  But, he can also teach a kickass class.  And yesterday’s class was exactly that.

Class started off pretty easy.  We did some breathing, moved onto some light stretching and then began flowing.  Within 15 minutes, the room become incredibly hot and I was starting to drip with sweat.  While we primarily focused on our hips and hamstrings yesterday, there was one series of stretches that blew my mind and nearly had me crying like a little baby.  I’m not sure if there were technical or sanskrit names for these poses (the word ‘insanity’ does comes to mind), but what I do know is that I felt every ounce of them.  Essentially, we did a series of quadriceps stretches with one leg bent and lunging forward, foot flat on the ground, and the other leg kneeling and bent backwards with the foot moving forwards.  It was supposed to look like this:

Image Credit – yogaplexus.com
(this is actually the teacher I talked about from this post)

Needless to say, these stretches were no cake walk.  In fact, I was in quite a bit of discomfort, if not pain.  We don’t usually do these stretches in class and therefore, my muscles were just not used to them.  As I was taking slow and deep breaths to calm my mind and to tell myself that I wasn’t in fact being tortured, my teacher chuckled and said, “the feeling you are experiencing right now is called enlightenment.”  While a good portion of us sort of laughed, most were still grimacing in distress.  Daniel went on to tell us that being able to find pleasure in pain and discomfort is what some would consider enlightenment.  To be able to find the beauty in what we so often see as disaster is how we transcend and grow as humans.  I thought about Daniel’s words for the rest of class and for the rest of the day.  What he told us in class made so much sense and really struck a nerve with me (HA!  I totally didn’t mean that one!).

Image Credit – chopra.com

As I looked back on my life, I tried to remember the times when I experienced the most pain, both emotional and physical.  Those times in my life certainly weren’t fun, and I certainly did not laugh as I was experiencing them.  But once I overcame the pain and worked through the severity in what I was feeling, I somehow felt better.  In a sense, I felt free.

I remember learning to ride my bike as a kid for the first time and how I constantly fell and got countless bumps and bruises.  It hurt and for awhile, I just didn’t want to ride.  I know think I may have even cursed my bike.  But soon enough, I learned how to ride without falling off and the bumps and bruises healed and were forgotten.  I also remember the pain of having my heart broken for the first time and how I never thought I would get over it.  Everything reminded me of him, and the thought of moving on just didn’t seem possible.  But as time passed, I did get over him and I did move on.  I also remember how I felt when I found out my parents were separating.  I never thought it could happen to me, and the realization that their story wasn’t going to be happily ever after, crushed me.  But seeing that they both are now in a better place and living happy and full lives brings me comfort, and makes me understand that things really do happen for a reason.  And when my grandmother passed away when I was 10 years-old, I discovered what grief was and what it was like to lose someone you love.  It was pain like I had never experienced, and made me see just how cruel life could be.  But feeling those raw emotions toughened me, and I learned that life is truly precious.

Image Credit – lifevesting.com

In every situation, I experienced pain and while I didn’t think I could ever rise above it, I somehow flourished and emerged a stronger person.  There’s no doubt that while I was in the midst of my suffering, whether it was physical or emotional, there was pain.  It was real, and I certainly was not at ease.  But when we can find a shred of pleasure or comfort when we are in distress, we can somehow manage to find peace.  Pain doesn’t have to be something from which we hide; it can actually be something that brings out the true warrior in us.  We can conquer the pain by finding the power that lies within it, and use it to help us stand tall, versus standing in the darkness.  And when we find the key to accomplishing that, we have truly found enlightenment.

Image Credit – lenayoga.com

What moment in your life has taught you the most about yourself?  And if that’s too personal, what’s your favorite stretch or your favorite way to stretch?

***Interested in trying some delicious fruit snacks?  Check out Morgan’s giveaway – they really sound too good to be true!***

Namasté,
Nicole

I’ve been reading more and more about people challenging themselves with fitness goals.  The runners and cyclists out there have been signing up for races and thus, gearing up for their training.  Others have been hitting the gym hard. They’ve been trying to go as often as they can, taking classes varying from Body Pump, kickboxing, spinning and Budokon.  I’ve also encountered people who have been committing themselves to getting at least an hour of cardio close to every day, along with some strength training.  And then there are the ones who are challenging themselves to practicing yoga for a pre-determined set of days.  I love the perseverance and dedication from all the people I’ve been reading about – regardless of the activity they are committed to doing.  I don’t know if it’s because of New Year’s resolutions, if the winter doldrums are forcing people to want to be active in order to stay warm or if it’s because people are just in need to get into shape.  But whatever the reason is, I support it 100%.

Image Credit – walkmoreeatless.com

I guess the fitness fever is contagious because I’ve been doing my hardest to practice yoga as much as I can.  And when I say, ‘as much as I can’, that means every day.  I’ve been trying to get myself to the studio every day of the week to get my daily session of hot power yoga.  In theory, being able to get on my mat every chance I can get is a glorious thing.  But, that is theory, and not reality.  Because I’ve been without a car for the past few weeks, Patrick and I have been having to share his.  Thus, going to class whenever I want hasn’t been entirely possible.  Patrick and I have been working on several exciting projects and while I am grateful for that, I’ve been quite busy and have had to adjust my schedule.  And naturally, there are just some days when I’m tired, sore or just plain not in the mood to go to class.  In other words, I just haven’t been able to practice yoga as often as I would like.

Image Credit – ehow.com

When I couldn’t meet my self-prescribed challenge, I’ll have to admit I was a bit bummed.  I kept asking myself questions like, ‘what is wrong with me?’, ‘why can’t I do it?’, ‘why am I so lazy?’ and ‘why can everyone else complete their goals but me?’  But none of those questions were making me feel any better and they weren’t helping me accomplish my goals any faster.  In fact, I was feeling worse.

I love how I feel in my body, mind and soul when I’m practicing yoga.  I feel strong, happy, healthy, love for my self and for all those around me and I feel capable.  I’m relaxed when I’m on my mat and I’m at ease.  I’m not critiquing myself, I’m not upset if I don’t meet a certain mark and I’m not putting myself down.  In fact, I’m at peace with myself when I’m practicing yoga.  So why can’t I have these same emotions and feelings when I’m off the mat?  Why is it that when I’m not practicing, I can’t seem to achieve that same level of peace?

Image Credit – businesspundit.com

This dilemma has plagued me for quite some time, and I’m still not sure if I’ll ever have the complete answer.  But what I have come to realize is that there shouldn’t be a beginning and an end to one’s yoga practice.  Yoga should be something that is practiced everyday, but that doesn’t mean one needs to be on their mat.  The lessons we learn in class about life and about ourselves should be something we practice on a consistent basis, not just for 90 minutes a day in a bamboo-floored studio.  Just like the transitions we utilize in yoga flowing from pose-to- pose, our actions and thoughts we have on and off the mat should be seamless.  We grow and transcend when we can mimic what we accomplish in our yoga practice, in our daily lives.  As my yoga teacher tells us, “our mats should be a practice space, not a performance space.”  We shouldn’t reserve all of our positive energy and emotion just for the times that we are able to make it to class or to our mats, and shine for those short moments when we are in the studio.  By using the time when we can practice yoga as time to teach and prepare ourselves for our day-to-day lives, we are truly practicing.  And when we can make how we conduct ourselves while we’re practicing yoga be virtually the same as when we are not, then the need for making challenges and for criticizing ourselves when we aren’t able to meet our own standards suddenly aren’t as important.  We can practice every day because the practice of yoga is something that can be done in our minds.  We don’t need to be on our mats or in a studio, we just need our breath and the knowledge that peace can be achieved at any time and any place.

Image Credit – path2innerpeace.com

Do you like setting goals for yourself?  How do you keep yourself motivated?  What do you do when you can’t meet your goals?

Namasté,
Nicole

How many times has this happened to you? You’re in a rush and need to meet a deadline.  As you’re banging away at your computer, trying your hardest to get everything finished, your co-worker comes by.  He starts talking and talking about something unrelated to work and won’t even take a breath to notice that you’re working harder than James Brown.  But instead of taking a few minutes to give him your undivided attention, you ‘yes’ him and half listen to what he’s saying.  In fact, you’ve heard all that your co-worker has been saying one too many times, as he seems to go on this rant several times a week.  So, instead of engaging your co-worker and thoroughly listening to his words, you basically just nod your head and answer his questions in your mind before he even asks them.  Sound familiar?

Image Credit – creativeenergyblog.com

Well, I don’t want to admit it, but I am totally guilty of this.  I used to think it was me being a fabulous multitasker, but that was just me trying to convince myself that I could do no wrong and that I basically had everything figured it out.  Sometimes I get so focused on what I’m doing in my own life, that I tend to shut out the rest of the world.  I’m not trying to say that I walk around like a zombie and that I don’t communicate with humans.  In fact, it’s the complete opposite.  My goal is to look and act as ‘normal’ as possible on the outside, but to be completely engulfed in my own self-thought on the inside.  Actually, I’m so good at this little charade that at times, I tend to fool myself.

The other day in yoga class, I was having a difficult time keeping up.  I’m not sure what the issue was?  Perhaps I wasn’t hydrated enough?  Maybe I didn’t get enough rest the night before?  Was I hungry?  Did I have too much on my mind?  Whatever the case was, I just wasn’t feeling it.  But instead of listening to what my body was telling me, I told my body to keep going.  After all, I had been practicing on average about 6 days a week for the past two years.  I knew my body could hack it.  The poses that we were doing in class weren’t hard.  I knew them all like the back of my hand and it didn’t seem as if anyone else in class was struggling.  I just kept ignoring what was going on inside of me and plowed through the rest of the class.  I felt like crap, but I didn’t care.  My goal was to just finish – how my mind and body felt didn’t play a factor.

Image Credit – somethingbruins.blogspot.com

As I was pushing through another pose, my teacher started talking about having a ‘know-it-all’ mind.  She asked if we were treating ourselves like so many other people we interact with on a daily basis.  Were we fully listening?  Were our bodies trying to have a conversation with us that we just couldn’t pay attention to?  Did we think we already had everything figured out?  Like in almost every class, I thought my teacher was talking directly to me.  I had the ‘know-it-all’ mind and I was definitely not listening to what my body had to say.  I was treating myself the way I was treating my chatty co-worker.  That kind of treatment wasn’t fair to my co-worker and it wasn’t fair to me.

After having my revelation, I finally decided to let my body do the talking and my ears do the listening.  Even though we were coming towards the end of class, I decided to make the every last minute count.  I listened to what was going on inside of me and walked over to the wall and just let my legs rest (viparita karani).  It felt amazing to completely let go and to feel the support beneath my legs.  While I wasn’t feeling 100% for most of the class, I felt completely at ease while I was resting.  Once I allowed my body the chance to speak and to be heard, the ‘off’ feeling I was having started to disappear.  For the last few moments of class, I was at peace – physically, mentally and spiritually.  I wasn’t pretending as if I knew what was going on with my body and that I had everything figured out.  For once, the ‘know-it-all’ didn’t want to know anything.  I was glad to have the opportunity for my mind to learn as much as possible from my body.  All of the information was available for me to soak in, it was always there.  I just had acknowledge it.  But when we train ourselves to constantly be the best at everything, we don’t leave room for growth or improvement.  For that reason, we need to understand that it’s important for us to be both the teacher and the student.  As soon as we start thinking we know everything, that’s when we’ll find just how little we know.

Image Credit – thehealthylivinglounge.com

Are you a fan of Lost?  I am!  And I’m so psyched that the new season has started.  If you are a fan, what did you think of last night’s episode?  If not, are there any television shows on right now that you just have to watch?

Namasté,
Nicole

I know it’s been cold all around the country, but it seems it’s been especially cold up in the Northeast.  I mean, when you’re wearing two pair of gloves, two pair of pants, two fleece jackets and a winter coat and you’re still numb, that’s not good.  Fortunately, this bitter cold spell is ending and we’ll soon have just regular winter temperatures.  Phew!

Other than practicing yoga in a hot and humid studio, drinking absurd amounts of hot water with lemon and herbal tea, never taking off my Snuggie (just kidding.  I don’t have one, but right now, it doesn’t seem like a bad idea!) and soaking in a bubble bath until I start looking like a prune, the only way I can stay warm physically and mentally is by eating vats of steaming hot soup.  Can you blame me?

Image Credit – mediabistro.com

Last night, I had a big bowl of broth on the brain.  I just couldn’t let it go.  All I could picture was that warm and toasty feeling in my stomach and how happy I would be.  I had to have my soup.  But, just any soup wasn’t going to do.  I had a hankering for Thai.  I needed soup from one of my favorite Thai restaurants, Dok Bua.  It’s just too bad that the timing of my soup hunger had to coincide with the Celtics/Lakers game.  And we can’t forget that I am married to Sport Billy.

Lucky for me, Patrick was also in the mood for Thai.  However, we had to make a deal.  We could have dinner at Dok Bua, but it had to be quick so that we could make it back for the last quarter of the Celtics game.  Done and done.  As long as I could have my soup, I didn’t mind having to rush back home to see the end of the game.  Healthy Chow knows how to compromise!

Dok Bua is a charming, little Thai restaurant in Brookline.  The prices are great, the food is delicious and the service is always prompt and exceptional.  While I have many favorites at this place, without question, I had to have my chicken noodle soup (guay-tiow-kai) tonight.  It’s simple, hearty, delectable and a nice bang for your buck.  Plus, soup takes me a good 10 minutes longer to inhale eat than a noodle dish would, and being able to eat slower is always a bonus for me.

Because we were dining on the earlier side, we were one of the only patrons in the restaurant.  Thus, our food was served immediately.  Obviously, Patrick was psyched about this as he was trying his hardest to make the end of the game, and I was psyched because I could finally eat my soup!

My chicken noodle soup was perfect.  The broth base was savory and bursting with flavor from the fresh scallion and cilantro.  The rice noodles were plentiful and the chicken gave this dish just the right amount of protein.  To top off my soup, I was given fresh bean sprouts and Thai basil.  I love adding bean sprouts to my soup as it gives a healthy crunch and adding Thai basil to anything is always wonderful.  It’s fragrant, sweet and has a mild licorice flavor.  It definitely made my soup even better, if that was even possible!

Patrick seemed to really enjoy his meal as well.  He ordered the chicken pad-si-ew dinner special, his all-time favorite.  Pad-si-ew is sautéed wide rice noodles in a spicy and savory brown sauce.  The dinner specials at Dok Bua come with a cup of tom yum soup, two egg rolls, two fried pork dumplings and steamed jasmine rice.  Needless to say, this is a lot of food, but certainly one of the best Thai food deals you can get in town.  Now you know why we love this place!

While my dinner tonight was most enjoyable, it was quickly coming to an end.  The Celtics were up and the clock was ticking.  But there’s always time for fortune cookies.  It’s just the right amount of sweetness to curb my post-dinner sugar craving.

“The future is the most expensive luxury in the world.”
“There is no reference for beauty.”

We got home just in time to catch the last few minutes of the game.  Literally, Patrick was running from the car into our condo building.  I don’t know why, but I thought this was the most hilarious thing!  Unfortunately, our night did not end in a ‘win-win’ situation.  While my giant bowl of soup was able to keep me warm and take some of that chill out of me, the Celtics lost their game to the Lakers by one point.  Oh well.  Nevertheless, we had a great dinner out and this was a relaxing way to end our frigidly cold winter weekend.  When you have wonderful company that warms your heart and a hot meal to warm your belly, how can you complain?  It’s just what the dok-tor ordered!

Better luck next time, C’s!

How do you keep warm during the winter?  Are you a soup person?  What’s your favorite kind of soup?

Namasté,
Nicole

When I got up yesterday morning to attend my yoga class, I didn’t think anything was different.  I shut the alarm off, washed up and got dressed for class.  But when I walked out to the street where I have parked my car every day and night for the past four years, I noticed something.  Actually, I should say that I didn’t notice something.  My car was nowhere to be found on the street.  I walked up and down the sidewalk frantically looking for my car, trying to figure out if I had left it elsewhere.  As I began sweating and my heart was racing, I realized that the last place I parked my car (and the last time I saw my car) was at the very exact space where I was standing.  And there was not a trace of it to be found.

(I took this pic this morning, not yesterday when I noticed it was stolen.  This is where my car is usually parked on the street, but today there was nothing…)

I turned around to walk back to my house in a frantic state.  Who would want my car?!  It’s over 10 years old, isn’t flashy, isn’t fast and certainly wasn’t the nicest car on the street.  So who would have wanted to take it?  I felt so sick and so wronged.  Tears started filling my eyes as I dialed the police department’s phone number.  However, I had to be re-directed about three times before actually reaching someone who could tell me about my car.  I was informed that I had to find out if it had been towed before I could actually report it as being stolen.  Was I supposed to know this?!  All I knew was that it was gone, that it wasn’t illegally parked and I didn’t have any outstanding or unpaid violations.  So just where in the heck was my car?!  The third person I spoke to was kind enough to look up my license plate to see if it had been picked up or found by their department.  Sure enough, my car was towed on Sunday evening, about 40 minutes after I had parked it for the night.  Instead of being in Boston, my car was now about four cities over, just sitting there idle in a tow yard.  Yessirree, my car was gone in less than 60 minutes from when I safely parked it.  WOW.  I couldn’t believe it.

Image Credit – carinsurancequotes4all.com

This is what I imagine happened to my car, since the window was never broken…

The pleasant gentleman at the tow yard informed me that my car was involved in a hit and run in the same city as  where the tow yard was located.  Apparently, the person who stole my car, didn’t know how to drive it and hit a parked car.  Naturally, he fled the scene on foot before he could be caught.  The owner of the parked car called the police to report the hit and run and that is when my car was towed.  Needless to say, my car was now broken into, involved in an accident, towed away and pretty damaged.  Zoinks!

Ouch!

My poor car…

The passenger side mirror is gone, too…

Look at the ignition just hanging there…

Take a look at how far back the driver’s seat is…It’s no wonder the thief crashed my car.  How could he see?

At least the thief left me my car parts…

And my American flag…

And if my day wasn’t already fun-filled enough, my next step was to go to the police station to report my car as being stolen.  I’m not sure if I looked as if I was the criminal or if the people at the front desk were having a bad day, but I was treated as if I wasn’t telling the truth.  Because my car was stolen from one city, was then involved in an accident and found in another city, my story was a bit too complicated for them to comprehend.  Finally, I must have broken through to the two ladies because they believed me and my paperwork started getting processed.  But before that was completed, I was asked, “why do you have an American first name and a Chinese/Japanese last name?”  And then I was asked, “why are Asians mostly short, small and on the skinny side?”  And finally I was asked, “why do Asians like to drive cars like Hondas and Toyotas?”  I didn’t feel like answering any of this woman’s questions, but I really didn’t have a choice.  I was at her mercy and just wanted this process to be over.  After over an hour of time, I was finally set free.  Not only was my car stolen and I felt violated, but over an hour of my time was robbed from me and I felt violated once again with the treatment I received at the police station.

Image Credit – cafepress.com

All in all, it wasn’t the best of days.  However, it certainly wasn’t the worst by any stretch.  I wasn’t hurt, no one was hurt in the accident, my car was recovered and it can be repaired.  Patrick was able to help me today during my adventure at the police station and was there when I completely freaked out at home this morning.  While a material possession such as my car was taken from me, the things that matter the most were not.  I still had a safe home to come back to and the support of my husband (and family – thank you Michelle, Dad and Mom for listening and making me laugh!).  When I was at the police station, I heard calls coming in for incidents involving assault, a restraining order and a gun shot wound, and I even heard someone loudly screaming in the background as they were getting booked.  My car being stolen seemed quite trivial in comparison to some of the other issues that were going on around me.  And while today won’t go down in the books as a happy day, it’s definitely a memorable one, and one from which I will learn.  Being able to find the lesson or the moral in a ‘not-so-pleasant’ situation is something I like to do.  It helps to remind me that life is never perfect and is constantly teaching us, if we are willing to learn.  And this is something that can never be taken away from me.

Do you have an alarm on your car?  I know people who don’t even lock their car doors.  Do you use one of those steering wheel locks?  I’m thinking I need to get one…

Namasté,
Nicole