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In this case, I advocate choosing conventional over organic produce.

Also On Tap for Today:

• I am nerdily excited for my new planner to arrive (mostly because I spilled water all over my old one)
• Found this helpful: 5 yoga mistakes to avoid
•  I want to be a Patriots researcher

Let’s hear it: Patriots or Giants?

Without further ado…. the winner! (If you listen closely, you can hear Clark snoring at the beginning of this video. Muhahaha.)  Oh, and that wink was a space filler.  This was all above board, I can be trusted.

Congratulations, Sarah!

Please send me an email at ontapfortoday(at)gmail.com and I will make sure you’re sparkling in no time.  For everyone else, Sparkly Soul is offering a 15% discount on all orders placed now through March 1, 2012 (my birthday… hint, hint).  Simply enter FitFluential at checkout.  Thank you so much for taking the time to enter; and special thanks to Sparkly Soul for the bling.

Also On Tap for Today:

• How cute are these coasters?
• Getting my (insane) sweat on at hot yoga
• Picking up a new pair of running shoes

Did anyone else stay up past their bedtime to watch Pee-Wee Herman on Top Chef?

The twenties have spanned quite the spectrum for me.  I have lived in two college dorms, my parents’ home (where quarters were not required for laundry and my roommates, better known as Mom and Dad, were totally cool), an apartment in Coolidge Corner, and our condo in South Boston.  I’ve worked at two organizations (despite hearing at my high school graduation that our generation would switch jobs five hundred times during our first ten years out of college), been promoted three times, and had precisely one feral cat die under my car during the span of a workday.

While in my twenties, I’ve been single, single, single, not single, and engaged.  I met a couple of non-ones during my twenties, before meeting the one weeks before turning 25.  Somehow I tricked Nick into falling in love with me, finding me a French bulldog, and agreeing to spend the rest of his life with me.  As a twenty-something, I’ve seen my older brother graduate from law school and my younger sister and brother graduate from college and enter law school and graduate school, respectively.  During my twenties, the four of us landed in Boston.  We are but a bridge away from one another.  I’ve watched in awe as all of my siblings turned into real live adults, following the example our parents set so well for us.

The twenties had its ups and its downs.  All of the worry about finding a job, and then finding the right job, and then finding a job that paid more than $13,000 (you’ve got to start somewhere… and, um, that’s where I started), finding roommates that wouldn’t kill me in my sleep, finding a non-hideous outfit for my 10 year reunion, finding my better half, and finding myself?  It was all worth it.  It was worth it because I get to enter the next decade of my life more confident, more accomplished, and more interesting than I was ten years ago.  I get to spend my thirties with a stronger body, a stronger brain, and a more full heart.

Let the countdown begin.

Also On Tap for Today:

• Why didn’t I think of this? (don’t answer that)
• Want to fall in love with running?  Check out my guest post at A Healthier, Happier Bear
• I could stare at these photos all day long

What was the best part of your twenties?  Or thirties?  Or whatever-ies?

I managed to get today’s breakfast and lunch all packed up, the dishes done, and my bag ready to go last night.  I am truly amazed by the amount of time I usually manage to waste before heading out the door in the morning.  Perhaps this weekend’s conference inspired me to get my act together.

After a short break, Clark is happily back at The Pawsitive Dog for day school.  He’s doing his best to start back on the right paw, but apparently he’s been a bit naughty as of late… which makes me love him even more.  Apparently someone left a door open today and, ever the opportunist, he went on a little adventure through the neighboring pet store.  What a goober.

Nick and I picked up the little guy before heading to our soccer game, which ended rather disappointingly.  We were the #2 seed heading into tonight’s championship games, but lost our first game.  Per usual, we had no girl subs, and I walked away from the field feeling utterly wiped.  When we returned home, I caught a glimpse of a box that recently arrived and just like that, instasmile.  With January wrapping up, it’s time to dig into my foodie penpal package. I was lucky enough to receive the most fantastic package from Alex of yums and loves.  As soon as I learned that she has a Frenchie named Clarence, I knew we could be kindred spirits.

Alex sent me a Frenchie memo pad, which you might recognize from Clark’s 2nd birthday when I came out of the crazy dog lady closet, creating goodie bags for all of Clark’s four-legged friends.  Thanks for replenishing my stash, Alex!  She also included a copy of Everyday Food, one of my favorite sources for tasty, healthy recipes. Other goodies included snickerdoodle animal crackers (straight into my little lunch bag those go!), tiramsu almonds, glazed almonds with honey, cranberries and sea salt, a bar of dark chocolate and Barney Butter packets (a favorite around our condo).  Alex completely spoiled me.  Thank you so much!

If you’d like to participate in this fun monthly exchange, hop on over to Lindsay’s blog for more information.

After such a good start to the week, it’s time to slip on my sparkliest shoes and relax a bit.  It’s likely I’ll be trading them for snow boots tomorrow morning, but that’s fine by me.

Also On Tap for Today:

• Baked hot chocolate? Sounds amazing.
• A little nighttime yoga
• There is still time to enter my Sparkly Soul giveaway

Is your week off to a good start?  What does February have in store for you?

]]> http://ontapfortoday.com/2012/01/31/today-a-good-start/feed/ 4 Elizabeth flowers in the bathroom pack your lunch january foodie penpals sparkly shoes http://ontapfortoday.com/2012/01/29/today-be-healthy-boston-day-2/ http://ontapfortoday.com/2012/01/29/today-be-healthy-boston-day-2/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 01:58:06 +0000 Elizabeth http://ontapfortoday.com/?p=5399 ]]>

I grabbed my yoga mat and I made it to the Westin on time for the second day of Be Healthy Boston, which kicked off with a morning stretch and flow led by lululemon ambassador Leslie Salmon Jones.  One of the women I sat next to in one of yesterday’s workshops raved about Leslie and her infectious attitude, and it’s no mystery why.  I left the session feeling energized, warmed up and quite like someone who had not woken up on the wrong side of the bed.

I met up with my new pal Elizabeth for the morning keynote, Organize Your Mind to Organize Your Life, delivered by Margaret Moore, founder of Wellcoaches Corporation and a 17 year veteran of the biotech industry.  Ms. Moore offered several rules of order for the brain, and techniques for improving brain health and function.  She talked about the disadvantages of multitasking, remarks that resonated loudly with me, a person who seems to be perpetually multitasking and often running on empty at the end of a busy workweek.  Ms. Moore shared important connections between negative emotions (including feeling stressed or frenzied) and impaired working memory and overall brain function.

Now I know why I often forget where my car is parked.  Yikes.  Fortunately, Ms. Moore offered several proven steps we can take to improve cognitive health and flexibility… and they’re sort of… no brainers.  Bahahaha.

• Exercise
• Meditate
• Engage in mindfulness practices
• Breathe and take breaks from tasks that require sustained focus

Ms. Moore shared that, generally, people who do not suffer from ADD or ADHD can focus deeply on a task for an hour before needing a break.  Multitasking may seem like a necessary evil in our day-to-day lives (I certainly feel pressure to get six things done at once), we divide our attention when we multitask.  I’ve had a printout on the Pomodoro Technique at my desk for ages.  Perhaps I should give that thing a look on Monday morning.  Though I was never much of a scholar when it came to science, I am a nerd through and through and was fascinated with the research and practical application Ms. Moore offered.  Verrrrrry interesting.

Next up was Live Practically Green: Make healthy green choices for your family, home and workplace with Susan Hunt Stevens, Founder and CEO of Practically Green.  Attendance was a bit down from the day before, and there were only four other people in this session.  Susan had such great information to share, so I wish the room had been full, but it was really nice to be able to ask a lot of questions of such an expert.  I am looking forward to digging into Susan’s site, which features 400 actions you can take to live more greenly.

Susan shared some great advice for making better choices about what we put in, on, and around our bodies. A few of the many, many tips I noted in my little (recycled paper) notebook:

• In addition to food, drink, water and personal care items, we need to be mindful of packaging and food storage.  Food should not be stored in plastic, and plastic should never go in the microwave.  I shall henceforth be digging into our extensive Pyrex stash.
• When purchasing cosmetics, lotions, and beauty products, avoid anything containing parabens or fragrance.
• Most new mattresses are made from petroleum-based foam, which is highly flammable.  As such, mattresses are treated with flame retardant, which is highly toxic.  Like the Britney Spears song, except awful.  Because infants spend 80% of their time in their cribs, it is especially important that they have safe mattresses made from natural materials.  Our Tempurpedic mattress literally changed my life, so this one broke my heart… hard.
• Wash all new clothing before wearing to limit the risk of dyes and other chemicals.  Susan recommended organic cotton lines from Eileen Fisher and Nike, as well as buying clothing at vintage and secondhand stores.
• Indoor air is between 5 and 5o times more polluted than outdoor air (this shocked me, to be honest).  Wiping your shoes on a mat and leaving them at the door can reduce up to 80% of toxins you might otherwise track through your house.
• We can save on energy costs by reducing the amount of meat we ate (I am so ahead of the curve, unintentionally), investing in high efficiency and Energy Star appliances, and getting an energy audit to identify sources of waste in our homes.
• Only 50% of Americans have access to curb-side recycling.  I am feeling especially fortunate to live directly across the hall from our condo building’s recycling room.  Even though one of our new neighbors apparently missed the “no cardboard boxes in the trash/recycling room” memo and unloaded a full condo’s worth of boxes this morning.

Susan concluded with a great quote, reminding us that everything adds up.

“It’s not that you can make a difference…it’s that everything you do makes a difference.”

–Phillipe Cousteau, CEO of EarthEcho International, and grandson of Jacques Cousteau

I started taking the quiz and building a sustainability plan at Practically Green and continue to soak up even more information from Susan Hunt Stevens.  I highly recommend visiting her site.

Before heading home to tackle a few Sunday errands and chores (hello, Mount Saint Laundry) and get myself on track for the week, I met up with Elizabeth for a Yoga Beats mini-class hosted by Healthworks.  Hitting the mat twice in one morning with a new friend felt like the ultimate luxury, one that I thoroughly enjoyed.  This was a day well worth getting up for, toothpaste on the shirt and all.

Also On Tap for Today:

• NHL All Star game aaaaand the NFL Pro Bowl (that’s a whole lot of rich people playing games)
• Bath time for Clark!
• Love this: Twitter accounts all Bostonians should follow

Have you been to any interesting events or conferences lately?

I arrived just in time to grab a seat for the first workshop, Live Boldly! Becoming Who You Were Born to Be with Lauren Mackler, a coach, psychotherapist and best-selling author.  I worried it would all be too touchy-feely-mumbo-jumbo-ish, but I found myself taking pages and pages of notes.  Ms. Mackler talked about getting back to our whole person, which gets buried by our conditioned self as we grow older.  Apparently our first seven years are the most formative, as this is when the framework for our strongest core beliefs is established.  This is when we are most affected by factors such as our family environment, gender, race, culture, religion, and social experiences.  This is when we begin to believe that people are good and trustworthy, or that life is unpredictable and unsafe, for example.

As someone who works with children, I couldn’t help but think about the importance of good role modeling.  While we should obviously be making good choices for ourselves, our choices and behaviors also make an impact on those we care for.  What do I teach people by being afraid of failure, or doubtful of my own abilities?  Quite a bit of food for thought.

After the first workshop, I browsed the Be Healthy Boston Marketplace and chatted with Doreen Hing, founder and designer of Plank yoga mats and accessories.  Besides being adorable, the mats were designed to help yogis correct and perfect their form.  I was psyched to hear that Plank products are available at South Boston Yoga (and online, for those of you who are not my immediate neighbors).

I got lured over to Boston Behavioral Medicine‘s booth and before I knew it, I was wearing headphones and my finger was being attached to a heart rate monitor.  Many of the organizations exhibiting in the marketplace were offering various services, from quick fitness classes to massages.  Boston Behavior Medicine was offering biofeedback and stress management therapy.  After completing short exercise involving diaphragmatic breathing, it would seem I am extremely gifted when it comes to relaxing, having regulated my heart rate in record speed.  Hey, we all have our talents.  I walked away ready for a nap, with a free meditation cd in hand.

There was quite a bit of down time allotted for perusing the marketplace, but after such a wild week, I was sort of anxious for the rest of the programming to start up.  Let’s get the show on the road, I found myself thinking.  I tend to like things to go back-to-back-to-back, and considered ducking out early.  As I type that last sentence, I wonder if perhaps the relaxation machine was broken.  After sitting down to lunch with a really lovely group of ladies, I am quite glad I decided to stick around.  Fellow BC grad Candy O’Terry, the award-winning radio host of Magic 106.7 and founder of their Exceptional Women programming, delivered an incredibly moving talk, sharing lessons she’s learned while overcoming adversity with grace and courage.

After lunch I grabbed some tea and chatted with Elizabeth, whom I met at lunch.  As someone who tends to keep to myself when flying solo at conferences and events, I truly appreciate when I am lucky enough to encounter friendly, outgoing people who also happen to be non-terrifying.  Elizabeth (it seems like everyone I know shares my name) and I met up for the last session of the day, but first I attended Reading Between the Lines: Separating Health from Hype. The panel was moderated by Terri Trespico and featured Dr. Julie A. Burke of Newton Chiropractic Centre; Franceen Friefeld, RD., LD., P.H.Ec.; prolific writer Kate Hanley and Cathy Wong, ND, CNS.

The panel emphasized the importance of understanding and identifying the sources and research behind health fads, claims, and packaging. It was quite interesting to hear four women from such diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise share their perspectives and dispel various myths and misinformation.  A few bits of advice that all four experts seemed to agree on:

• Filtered tap water is your best bet when it comes to hydration.  Not only is it more rigorously tested than bottled water, tap water doesn’t contribute to landfill waste.  And if you fill up your bottle at someone else’s house, it’s free.
• People should not fear good fats.  Same goes for carbs.
• The “all or nothing” mentality is not a sound approach to wellness.
• As Kate Hanley noted, “Wellbeing is like inertia.”  Making even small steps in a positive direction will lead to overall improvements.  ”Focus on progress, not the destination,” she said.
• Vitamins and supplements should work as a team, and most people will benefit from a daily multivitamin and fish oil supplement.  Before loading up on vitamin D and iron supplements, people should know their current levels and needs.
• Detoxing, when approached as an opportunity to be mindful of what you’re eating and how it makes you feel, can be beneficial.  Fad dieting, yo-yo dieting, and habits that we can’t imagine sustaining for 5 or 10 years, however… not beneficial.  Obvi.

I wrapped up the day on a really uplifting note (get it, like… a music note…) in Living in Harmony: Managing Stress through Music with Dr. Suzanne Hanser, founding chair of the Music Therapy Department at Berklee College of Music, and Brian Jantz, Assistant Professor at Berklee College and a music therapy facilitator and researcher at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Children’s Hospital in Boston.  When the session began with Mr. Jantz and Dr. Hanser singing a song about friends, peace, and love being all around us, I knew I was in the right room.  This coming from the same person who feared her first session was too touchy-feely.  I am truly fickle multifaceted.  We received Biodots to track our skin temperature and correlating stress levels (perhaps I should consider this afternoon’s panel’s advice and look for some research on this one).   I am still wearing mine.  And I am amazed it’s not giving my sensitive skin some sort of contact rash.

I didn’t need much convincing that music has transformative power, but when Dr. Hanser broke out the Navajo flute, I looked down at my Biodot to see I had gone rather instantly from “very tense” to “relaxing.”  She was totally playing my jam.  We talked about different ways we can use music to center and relax ourselves in daily life: singing in the shower and listening to music that is meaningful to us (or has a positive association) while sitting in traffic, for example.

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We learned about how Mr. Jantz uses music with patients facing much more challenging stressors, in his work in hospitals and clinics.  Clearly, he and Dr. Hanser have an incredible gift.  They shared this video with us, which left me in complete awe.  Before wrapping up the session, we had the chance to make our own music, using hand chimes.  My Biodot, once again, shot right back to “relaxing.”  I think that was the theme of the day.  And that, in itself, was well worth the price of admission.

Also On Tap for Today:

• Watching the NHL All Stars skills competition
• Reading through all of your Sparkly Soul giveaway entries – goodness gracious!
• Learning more about the Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies at the Dana-Farber Canter Institute 

What is your best tip for managing stress?  

After days spent looped out on cold medicine (due to illness, not recreational use… obvi), I am finally feeling back to (mostly) normal.  The fact that my monster cold came to town during two of the busiest weeks of my professional life was unhelpful, to say the least.  I find that getting all dolled up, giving speeches, kicking ass and taking names, and fundraising are most effectively done without a man voice (unless you’re a man), without a fever, and without an endlessly running rose.  With all that behind me, I free to spend an entire Friday evening doing nothing except talking to my dog in made up accents, listening to Duffy and reading magazines.  Oh, and eating.

Despite being under the weather and working 12 hour days, I’ve managed to fit in a few good things this week.  My Monday night soccer team is blazing a path to glory (or whatever), heading into next week’s championship round.  During this week’s game, I didn’t score a single goal (which is better than scoring one goal on your own net… which has happened before… twice), but I was a veritable fortress on defense.  At the risk of being a sexist piglet, I can’t help but squeal with delight when I shut down burly, athletic men as they dribble towards the net with the ball.  Especially when they look surprised.  Even more so when they look angry.

After getting a bit too caught up in the competitive spirit last season, my goal for this season (besides getting goals) was to not swear on the field.  Or succumb to some sort of rage blackout like I did that time someone slide-tackled Nick and nearly ripped off his leg.  So far, so good.  With two games to go, I have been all manners and grace this season.  (While I apologize for sounding like a complete egomaniac at the moment, rest assured that my ego was placed firmly in check earlier this week, as I bounded out of the yoga studio all high on my back bending abilities and promptly fell down a flight of stairs.  Truly, it has been that kind of a week.)

My Thursday night soccer team has also been a source of goodness.  I arrived late to last night’s game, having come directly from my work event, changed from a cocktail dress into my sweet uniform in the car and flew onto the field with a full face of makeup.  Nothing says, “I’m here to play” quite like a winged eye, Nars’ pinkest shade of blush, and some subtly simmering lids.  While I probably should have gone to bed instead, burning off a bit of stress and laughing with my teammates was the perfect way to wind down a crazy day.  I am really thankful for the opportunity to play with such a fun, supportive, goofy group.

When I finally made it home, my brain would not turn off.  I have it on good authority that turning the TV on does not help you wind down.  I can’t help but ignore the research when my DVR has one of my favorite shows of all time ready and waiting, though.

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I can barely make it through the first minute of an episode of An Idiot Abroad without dissolving into a fit of laughter.  I used to listen to The Ricky Gervais Show podcast in the car but got to the point these same laughing fits became an impairment to my driving.  While watching television in the wee hours of the morning is decidedly bad for you, laughter is most certainly good.

Now all that’s left to do is sparkle.

The lovely people at Sparkly Soul recently sent me two of their truly sparkly headbands, and they’ve got a pair tucked away for you, too.  I recently got a shorter and sweeter hairdo (so short and sweet that it barely fits into a ponystub, let alone a ponytail), complete with un-requested side swept bangs.  The haircut is a story for another day, but needless to say, these headbands could not have arrived at a better time.

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Not only do Sparkly Soul headbands look adorable, they don’t budge.  Not during yoga inversions, not during flying leaps across the soccer field, not during runs, not turn the most rough and tumble boxing workout and (as I learned last weekend) not during naps or entire days spent in bed.  The soft velvet lining means no headaches, no snarls, and no hair dents.  If you’ve never experienced a hair dent, don’t ask questions.  Just consider yourself one of the few and fortunate.  Given my choice of colors, I opted for silver (to match my engagement ring… just kidding… kind of) and red for an upcoming Valentine’s Day race.  I am tempted to order the rest of the rainbow.  They’re that good.  Let the record reflect that I have no cold medicine to blame for my enthusiasm, just a really great product.

Would you like a Sparkly Soul headband or two for yourself?  The generous people at Sparkly Soul is offering one of their wide headbands and one of their thin headbands (in colors of your choosing) to one lucky reader. Headband Head on over to sparklysoul.com to check out their offerings and leave a comment below with your favorite color(s).  I will announce a winner at the end of the day on Wednesday, February 1st.  Yes, it’s February next week. 

• For an extra entry, feel free to tweet:  “I want to win a @SPARKLYSOULINC non-slip headband from @ElizabethEv! Enter to win here: http://wp.me/pySBS-1oE”

If you’d like to learn more about Sparkly Soul, I recommend connecting with them on Twitter or Facebook.  They also have some pretty great Pinterest boards.  Disclaimer: I received two Sparkly Soul headbands free of charge, but was not compensated for my glowing review, nor for hosting this giveaway.  My opinions are all my own.  Preach it.

Also On Tap for Today:

• Getting excited for Be Healthy Boston :)
• Drinking lots of tea
• Visting with my parents!  Woooo!

Pick a color.  Any color.  Where do you plan to sparkle this weekend?

I thought about buying a new themometer, and administering it in the ladies’ room.  If I have a fever, it would be helpful to know.  So I can make sure I buy the fever-reducing stuff.  Is there a way to tell the difference between having “chills” and being just plain old cold?

I went home with a variety of potions, and seem to be on the mend.  I am trying to stay hydrated, but after several nights of mouth-breathing, everything tastes like an old sock.  Even water.  Regardless of how many times I brush my teeth.  After blowing my nose raw, it’s a merry shade of pink.  I’ve covered it in Vaseline.  I am not sure that’s accomplishing anything, other than making in insides of my nostrils very shiny.

While I stimulate the antibacterial segment of the economy, I hope you all are having a much more lovely, germ-free weekend.  Oh, and go Patriots.

Also On Tap for Today:

• Check out Amanda’s bake sale to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (you can bid on some of our paleo crunch!)
• Sunday night yoga
• Happy New Year!

Are you a big baby (like me, clearly) or a good patient?

After a very brisk walk with Clark, I headed to Dedham to for my first platelet appointment in over a year.  I used to give every month, but sort of fell out of the habit.  I always get a bit nervous before donating, but once I am all bundled up in my cozy, heated chair all I can think is let it flow.  And by it, I mean my blood.  I’ve got O- blood, which makes me a universal donor, and have never minded needles, so giving blood or platelets seems like an obvious way to help out.  Plus, I am easily persuaded by charts.

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The process is a bit different from donating whole blood.  I usually give platelets using both arms, and today the process took over three hours.  Essentially, blood is drawn from one arm and the cells are separated.  Platelets are removed and collected (in my case, from my left arm), and the remaining blood cells are returned, along with some saline (through an IV my right arm).  The sensation of having the blood returned is a bit strange (I sometimes get a metallic taste in my mouth, and a feeling of fluttering at the vein), but it’s not at all painful.

Check out my sweet bandages... and man-ish thumbs.

Donors are given their choice of movies, plenty of warm blankets, and Tums (I am not sure why… but um, I take all of them.  No questions asked.).   I’ve learned my lesson the hard way (trying not to cry while watching The Blind Side, while attached to a blood sucking machine, while in a room full of strangers… not a good look), and usually watch an old standby.  Today it was The Devil Wears Prada, followed by the end of the Ravens and Texans game.  Feet up, limitless supply of juice.  Not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

If you’re considering donating and have questions, let me know.  I’m not a phlebotomist (such a fun word), nor do I play one on TV, but I sort of know what I am talking about.

I got home just in time to let it flow at South Boston Yoga.  I loved my first class there last Sunday and decided to advantage of their new student special ($25 for two weeks of unlimited classes).  I’ve taken classes here and there, and always leave feeling more limber, more balanced and more smiley… but I have never really committed to a regular practice.  Perhaps 2012 will be the year I become a yogi.  Who knows.  I’m already seeing improvements, though.  Last week I stayed in bridge pose, afraid to take on the wheel.  This week: proverbial balls to the wall.  It was, um, wheelie exhilarating.  Bahaha.

It’s past my bedtime.

Also On Tap for Today:

• Watching Downton Abbey
• These videos are killing me
• Brilliant: mason jar becomes travel mug

What was the highlight of your weekend?  

Though I aspire to eat as thoughtfully as my fiance does, sometimes I’d rather just eat nachos and call it a night. And I am fairly certain I would be the first member of the tribe to go extinct were I living in caveman times. I’d much prefer a blade of grass over a wooly mammoth leg, or whatever. While the paleo diet may not be for me, I’m usually up for something new. Especially if it involves feeding people.

According to The Paleo Diet Lifestyle,

A Paleo diet, also known as paleolithic diet or caveman diet, is all about natural foods to help achieve great health and a perfect physique. The human body evolved for more than 2 million years with the food found in nature: game meat, fish, vegetables, wild fruits, eggs and nuts. The human race was thriving on this diet high in animal fat and proteins and low in carbohydrates, but things changed when we introduced unnatural foods to our bodies.

Clark thinks he invented paleo. He’s like, “Dude. I’ve been eating fresh vegetables and nasty ass raw bones since you got me. If you’d let me forage for berries and magic mushrooms, I would. Old news. Give me a grain-free treat.” So sassy, that one (in my imagination, at least). Needless to say, I have a lot to learn.

Meanwhile, anything I know about football I learned from watching my younger brother play. And from listening to sports radio during my measly commute. Driving home earlier this week, a caller mentioned a poll running on the Denver Post’s website asking readers, “Whose life would you rather live: Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s or Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow’s?” Is it wrong that I would rather be Tim Tebow? Man Uggs, Super Bowl rings, ponytails and supermodel wives are all well and good… but, um… no thanks. I am easily overwhelmed.

Being easily overwhelmed seemed like a perfectly good reason to hand off (hey, that’s sort of a football phrase) the paleo chicken wing responsibilities to Nick. Being a vegetarian who has undercooked meat on more than one occassion is an equally valid reason. I stuck to less terrifying recipes, ones that bore a lower risk of me giving away botulism:

• Gazpacho
• Shrimp ceviche
• Paleo “sushi” (hollowed cucumbers stuffed with sliced turkey and avocado)

When it was all said and done, the Patriots won quite definitively and the paleo-inspired food seemed to be touchdown dance-worthy. I am beginning to wonder if Clark those cavemen and women were on to something. On second though, those suckers didn’t have stoves. Or sports radio. Or mascara.

Also On Tap for Today:

• Tackling the utensil drawer
• Fighter conditioning
• Must get a good night’s sleep… busy day tomorrow!

Who would you rather be, Tom Brady or Tim Tebow? Who would you rather eat like, me or my dog? (Just kidding… unless you’re going to answer.)