do you hula?

OMG!

My crazy, sexy friend, Timi invited me along to a fun fitness class last night at 8pm
I happily agreed since I have definitely been stressed out and needed to release some tension.

So after my imaginary 5:30 pm meeting (i got the date wrong!) what an APRIL FOOL ;-) I called her to say that I was free earlier than 8pm and should we perhaps meet for a light snack before class?
...YES!
Great where?
a vegetarian on West 4th, I\'ll text you the name when I get there
OK

Ok, so I walk outside and find it\'s pouring down and "Lil\' Miss Brit" here has no umbrella; so I look for a cab.......Lol.....I can hear you go "yea right? at rush hour in nyc you\'re really gonna find a cab in the rain -you silly foreigner".... so I walk over to the F train at 34th in my 5 inch heels.

It was a nightmare getting into the swinging subway door of the Mall and then carrying my heavy briefcase on wheels down the stairs - awful!
But I did see someone in much worse shape. The poor guy in front of me had a prosthetic leg that didn\'t bend so i told myself to "zip it girl and count your blessings"


So finally I got down another flight of stairs to the platform thinking "why don\'t they have elevators or escalators like in London? I mean how would a mom handling a stroller and tons of bags do it? She probably wouldn\'t be so stupid as to wear 5 inch heels.

The train arrived. I couldn\'t wait to sit down but a young guy nearly stole my seat from me! It was MINE! I saw it first, I was heading towards it, what was he BLIND? I must have given him such a bad stare, that he got up and sat further down the car. (eek!)

The drama continued...west 4th is a VERY long station and I had to walk up two flights of stairs carrying the bag, walk all the way to west 3rd exit to get out - out in to the now torrential rain storm..
I looked at my phone for a text but nothing yet....

I looked left, right and center for a bloody umbrella and typical; you can NEVER find one when you need one!
So I am walking along west 4th thinking \'I\'d better find this vegetarian restaurant before I drown\' when
my phone buzzed in my pocket. "Mojo. W4th and Mercer"

Ok so where\'s Mercer? I find a little dark skinned man with a bike and ask him....but he doesn\'t speak English...so I walk east some more and ask a few students if i\'m going the right way and fortunately I am.
Waiting to cross MacDougal and got splashed by a cab - not in a Carrie Bradshaw kind of cool way - more of a drowned rat kind of way....

I continue walking and by now I am cussing "Why the f*ck didn\'t I just jump on the train and go home to Jersey? I was RIGHT THERE at Penn station? I could have been all cozy and dry on that train and be home in time to watch American Idol - warming up with a glass of Cab Sav!! ..... ooh, I wonder if Matt or Megan get axed tonight?

But I battle on, getting wetter and wetter and NO it wasn\'t fun!....I heard the negative voice in my head in a smirky way just saying how much worse it was getting and I felt my blood actually starting to boil!
every street sign i saw, i said you\'d better be Mercer.......but there was NO mercy!

Did I mention I was in 5 inch heels?

soooooo
I see a cross street and I say "If this is not Mercer. I am turning round and going home, I walk past the 3rd big NYU building now and can see the street sign but I can\'t read what it says...I get closer....it says

mercer! wow I made it......now I am mad but happy too and hungry, very hungry and wet....VERY wet!
I walk inside and catch a glimpse of my reflection: I kid you not: my hair was clinging to my face, my wool coat had water dripping off it and I left a small stream behind me as I walked my way over to sit with Timothi....OH NO there\'s a mirror on the wall next to our table......my make up is sliding down my face...I looked like a badger. No that\'s not fair to badgers...

So Timmi, like a good friend, let me blow off steam - well she had no choice really with the combination of my boiling blood and soaking garb!!!!

We chatted, ordered some really scrumptious vegetarian food, which was so affordable $4:95 for dinner at Mojos! And let me tell you, in this economic climate, anywhere that serves good, wholesome tasty food gets my vote.

I started to dry off, my tummy was getting filled up and we started to have a laugh...by 7:45 I was feeling myself again and wanted to get over to the fun fitness class.

It was a Hula Hoop class with disco music and I had a blast!

It took me right back to my childhood; it challenged me and put a big old smile on my face.

I ordered my very own blue and green hoop "with bling" silver threaded through out and I left very happy and satisfied that we just "let go and had fun".
I felt lucky that my dear friend let me vent, listened to me, reassured me it would pass quickly, made me laugh at myself and brought me back to me.

that\'s a friend

thanks T,

Hoopla next week?