a bagel on a plate full of onion rolls.

I like how my post titles have just devolved into random musical references. Oh well.

You guys. This morning I walked 4 miles before work. Which was awesome and I'm super proud. But that is not what this post is about. This post is about The Best Bagel I Have Ever Had.

This morning, I walked up 8th Avenue and passed Murray's Bagels. Now, look. Here's what. I'm trying to lose weight. Aren't we all. But I've also learned that that will never happen eating raw carrots and celery 24/7. I don't remember the last time I had had a bagel. I mean really just gotten a freakin bagel and schmear and chowed down. So I rationalized it by deciding I'd have half for breakfast and half for lunch, and I walked into Murray's. I knew I would go with the whole wheat everything variety, as Murray's is one of the few places in the city with that option. What I did not predict, though, was the discovery of Maple Brown Sugar Raisin Walnut cream cheese. That is literally everything I love in the world. It's like Mr. Murray was like "Hmmm...you know who I like? That Kaitlin Fine gal. She's so delightful. I'm going to make a cream cheese that combines her favorite things ever. I won't tell her, so it'll be a super great surprise when she walks into one of my successful bagel shops one day. I'm tempted to name it The Kaitlin, but that might just get confusing." I saw past the subtle name to Mr. Murray's intentions and realized it was tailor made just for me. I excitedly ordered my bagel and large iced coffee with skim (it was early). I put it in my bag, saving it until I got to work and could truly sit down and savor the goodness.

Little did I know what a life changing event this would be. From bite one, I knew I had found The Best Bagel I Have Ever Had (TBBIHEH). The cream cheese had just the perfect hint of brown sugar sweetness, complimented by the crunch of the walnuts and the delightfulness of the raisins. It was heaven. Usually I have a hard time eating half of something and saving the other half (I obvi have mad self control issues), but it was no problem with TBBIHEH because I knew, come 2pm, I would be able to enjoy its glory once again.

Now it is gone. My calories are counted (and were less than I had expected...) and all I have left is a boring old banana for my mid afternoon snack. But TBBIHEH lives on in my memory. And in my heart. And now in this blog post.

I think there's a lesson here, though. A lesson in guilt. I felt guilty yesterday when I ate 300% my recommended sodium intake in mediocre Olive Garden food (despite the amazing company...). I felt guilty the day before when I ate approximately one billion peanut butter filled pretzels at my office (I swear to you they are like crack). But this? TBBIHEH? No freaking way. And part of that was because I walked 4 miles before 9am, which helped to balance out my caloric intake, but most of that is because it was a damn good bagel.

I think this has both nothing and everything to do with the 3Day. The connection is somewhere in the idea that the 3Day is all about the experience. Sure, it's walking 60 miles in 3 days, and it's athletic in that way and it's important to train and read the rules and blah blah blah, but I have a feeling none of that will matter when I start The Best Walk I Have Ever Taken on August 6. Those first hours, like my first bites of TBBIHEH, will melt away any concerns about calories, blisters, hydration, or rain, and it will just be about the experience at hand. And if it's anything like my experience this morning/afternoon, it's gonna be freaking amazing.

LOVE and TBBIHEH,

KFine

FUN(draising) update: I am literally $30 from 50%. This is EXCITING! I'm a little nervous about the second 50, but I'm starting to think creative thoughts and I'm sure I'll figure it out. Hellooo pink-themed bar night...

the beauty is...

Well, friends, it's been a while, hasn't it! I've had a crazy couple of weeks resulting in not a lot of walking and a LOT of eating, which in turn translated to not a lot of blogging. But I'm BACK.

I'm having a hard time with this "spending money" part of the 3-Day. I know, I know, I need good shoes, I need a good pack, I apparently need some schmancy socks, and I DEFINITELY need a lot of sunscreen. Unfortunately, the combination of my less-than-desirable income and my more-than-expensive city makes this a liiiittle difficult to rationalize. This results in me spending about 8.5 hours of my 9 hour work day shopping online for said items, only to succumb to either my frugality or my indecisiveness (or both!) and give up. I want to make sure I have the absolutely definitely totally completely PERFECT items, because I can't afford to try them all out until I find the lumbar pack of my dreams. I was so thrilled when @the3day retweeted my plea for lumbar pack advice, but then it ended up confusing me more!! I think I'm just going to have to bite the bullet and make decisions and just deal with it...but not before I ask my fellow walkers for their advice this weekend. We're doing a 16 miler from Penn Station to Brooklyn and back on Saturday! Holla!

After a few rough waking-up mornings I'm back to walking to work, which is delightful. I stopped and got some fruit on my walk this morning, and discovered not one, but TWO free sample stands - one for Simply Orange OJ (my fav!) and one for some Quaker cereal something (they gave me four boxes. Hey free breakfast for days!). As I stood there debating my chances of successfully stealing a bottle of OJ, I looked up and discovered this:

So apparently this artist, Kate Gilmore, was commissioned to create this piece of art, entitled Walk the Walk. It consists of exactly what you see: a yellow box with 10 women on top - not actresses, not models, just women - walking around for 10 hours per day. I am obsessed. I usually get annoyed with artsy fartsy stuff like this, but it was kind of amazing to see these women walking around on this platform, emanating exactly what was going on around them...tons and tons of women, myself included, walking to work wearing some variation of this exact outfit and expression. As the article states, the "performers" stomp and march at will and do not speak, but rather express themselves in their walking patterns. More than watching the performers, though, I relished in watching the people watching the performers. From the hipsters standing and nodding knowingly in their skinny jeans to the tourists shaking their heads and saying "only in new york" to the hardcore New Yorkers determined to ignore it to prove their indifference...it was fascinating. I like to think I was a combination of all three. I chuckled knowingly, snapped a pic on my BlackBerry, then continued walking to work.

I discover beauty on every single walk I take in this city, whether it's in art, nature, or another human. That's pretty sweet.

Speaking of beauty, Chicago theatre lost an amazing actor today in Guy Adkins. I didn't know him as many of my friends did, but I was lucky enough to grow up watching his performances. He was and will continue to be an inspiration.

LOVE and art,

KFine

P.S. I am SO CLOSE to 50%! Time to step it UP! http://www.the3day.org/goto/kafine

well i didn't WANT to be an american idiot...

...but I am. Why? Because I went on a 15 mile walk on the hottest day of the year so far and did not bring sunscreen. WHOOPS. Somehow every year I think, "This. This is the year I will tan. This is IT." But it never is. So now I'm suffering the consequences in the form of lobster skin and lots of Gatorade. At least I'm not this much of an American Idiot:

BUT let me tell you about this walk! I took a 7:51am train (oof) to Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island, where I met five other 3Day walkers and we embarked on this delightful walk. We walked through forest, along water, and through these delightful little shore towns, but the scenery didn't hold a candle to the company. These women (and man) were so inspirational. Some of them had done as many as seven walks and couldn't wait to go back for more. We talked about everything from our families, our travels, and our 3Day experiences all the way to the screwed up college application process, the Mets, and Obama's love of the White Sox. One woman, Liz, talked me through the entire 3Day process, from opening to closing ceremonies, giving me the highlights, lowlights, and everything in between. I got sock advice, shoe advice, gear advice...everything! And, most importantly, I got allies in this crazy thing we're all doing. I'm thrilled to be doing this walk, but it's been hard being separated from my other Lady Tatas, and even harder being in a 3Day Walk-less area without the resources of other cities. So I couldn't be happier I found this group of the most inspirational and amazing people. I can't wait for our next walk on the 15th...this time in my hood!

The walk itself, as I said, was gorgeous. And I made it through 15 miles without too much pain! I will say the last mile and a half was a little rough, and I was definitely stiff later in the day, but I survived! I also looked up equivalent distances so I could have points of reference, and I found out 15 miles is also:

• The distance from the NU theatre building to Wrigley Field and back.
• MORE than the distance from my mom's house to my grandma's (11.2 miles)
• Only slightly LESS than the distance from my parent's house to my apartment in Evanston (17.2 miles)
• LONGER than Manhattan (13.7 miles)
• The length of Liechtenstein.

So, I walked the length of an entire country. HOLLA.

In other news, I'm up to 44% in fundraising. WHAT?! So amazing. I broke through the $1000 mark! I'm a little nervous about turning that 44 into a 100, but I'm starting to think outside the box. It's good...it forces me to be creative! That's what I do, right?

I'm going to try to fight the exhaustion that comes along with major burnage and walk 6 more miles tonight. Pray for me.

LOVE and 20/20 hindsight,

KFine

P.S. Here are some pretty pics:

la cage aux walking.

Oh hey! It's been almost a week since I've written, and what a week it was. Not really. BUT some fun things have happened! On Saturday, I set out to walk 8 miles (just call me Eminem), which was my longest walk yet. My initial plan was to walk to Brooklyn and subway it back, but plans got in the way, so I ran errands and wandered around Central Park before walking home. I ended up unintentionally walking 11.4 miles! I didn't even realize how far it was until I got home and Google mapped it, but woah! I felt so amazingly accomplished and super delighted. It was such a beautiful day out and I had some great tunes on my iPod so it made it easy! Of course, I stopped to snap some pics...

TURTLES.

Isn't this the gazebo where Carrie gives Miranda relationship advice and is all "You're smart but you don't feel" and stuff? In the movie? No?

This is the reservoir. It is awesome.

Oh I'm sorry, am I hiking in North Carolina?

...Nope, still NYC.

So that was my really exciting 3Day news. 11.4 miles. Holla. Sunday's weather was the polar opposite of Saturday's, so I spent most of my time on my couch until going to this college fair on the Upper East Side and talking to the next cast of NYC Prep about Northwestern University. It was...an experience. I feel for kids going through the college application process right now. It is not easy, especially coming from such affluent areas and high schools. Crazy. Cray. Zy.

Last night I went to a big schmancy Sondheim tribute (hopefully the last of the 80th BDay celebrations...) which was belabored but delightful. By far the highlights were:

1. Nathan Lane coming on with a tuba and a cello (a tribute to the evening's director, John Doyle, who is known for revivals where the cast doubles as the orchestra) and doing a fantastic bit of physical comedy before launching into a medley that included everything from "Comedy Tonight" to "Tonight" to "Ladies Who Lunch" to "I'm Still Here." I swear. At the risk of sounding ancient, young comedians just don't understand comedy like people like Nathan Lane do. Brilliant.
2. Raul Esparza singing Being Alive. I have no words. If you haven't seen it, here's the youtube of his Tony performance. After you watch it, mop up your puddle of tears and remind yourself that this was the year David Hyde Pierce won the Tony for Curtains. Womp.

There were other good things, too. And a really awkward recorded tribute from Julie Andrews that featured her singing a verse of "Not a Day Goes By." It was strange, but hey, she's Julie Andrews.

That's about it, friends! Back on the fundraising trail, looking to get over this 33% hurdle. Oof!

Hope everyone's happy and healthy.

LOVE and Sondheim,

KFine

damn mets...?

This post is just so I can share this insanely pretty picture I took at Citi Field before the Cubs decided to suck embarrassingly.

oh what a beautiful morning

Yup. The cattle didn't move their heads as they saw me walk by, and the corn at the Union Square farmer's market was definitely as high as an elephant's eye. My morning started not with the loud beeping of my alarm clock, but instead with my internal alarm clock saying, "Hey! Hey there! You wanted to wake up 20 minutes ago!" To which I responded, "You know what, body? You're right! Hey thanks! You're not so bad." And promptly got my bootay moving to a great workout with my intellectually challenged but physically fit trainer Christine, who regaled me with thrilling tales of Jersey life...making dinner for her boyfriend's friends (who I imagine look like the cast of Jersey Shore), going out on Saturday, being hungover on Sunday...you know, only the really vital things. But then she told me I looked skinnier, and suddenly all was forgiven. Win #1.

Usually, after training at 7am...that's right friends that's in the morning...I go next door to Think Coffee (best iced coffee in the city) and read for a while before hopping the subway to work, but I'm finished with my book club book and haven't started another, so I decided to stroll to work instead. Now, I've been walking to work for weeks, but when I walk, I walk. There is no dawdling. Hello I'm in training! Today, though, I had some time and the weather is GORGEOUS, so I set out to take the full 50 minutes I had to dawdle to work, instead of the usual 30. It wasn't very difficult to do, as I immediately stumbled upon the Union Square farmer's market. WHAT?! It's ever M/W/F/Sat and I could not be happier about it. In the future, I'll plan out my meals a little better so I can take full advantage of this shmamazing thang, but for today I settled for a taste of homemade raspberry jam and a whole lot of great smells. WIN #2.

Win #3 I guess came before Win #1, but I'm going with it. Serrr American Idiot opened on the big BWay last night, and they released the cast album on the same day (which is insane and AMAZING), so I obvi downloaded it last night. It did NOT disappoint. The album is every bit as kickass as the show, and I love the raw quality of it, as opposed to the over produced albums of today (cough Spring Awakening cough). Anydoodle, this album got me through my workout and my stroll, and occasionally I jammed along embarrassingly. I maybe have listened to it 3 times already. So, it is WIN #3.

Win #4 is best described through pictures....

Oh hey there, Empire State, how you doin?

Tell me that's not the coolest effing thing ever.

A little respite in Bryant Park.

I mean come on, right?! This city, man. It's pretty freaking sweet. Anyway, I've decided to try to make mornings my thing. Even if I don't go to the gym, I think just taking some extra time in the morning can set the pace for a great day. We'll see how long this fight with my snooze button lasts, but it's at least a good thought.

In other news, I haven't fundraised in a week. OOPS. Oh well, this week: mornings, next week: money.

LOVE and sunshine,

KFine

the ladies who brunch

I. Love. Brunch. Moral of this weekend. You can stop reading. But not really.

So I decided Saturday morning to treat myself to brunch at my new fav place, Elephant and Castle (a-thank you Betsy Hogg). I sat in a little corner with my little book and my little coffee, and it was so delightful. I think I've learned to love doing things like that in NYC. Living on the opposite end of the island from most of my friends has allowed me the opportunity to discover the joy of sitting in a restaurant for an hour and a half, subtly eavesdropping on hilarious conversations around me, and enjoying the morning. I think I'm going to make this a weekly thing. We'll see.

After my brunch, I went on one of the longest walks I've been on thus far...totaling about 6.5 miles! I walked all the way down to Battery Park, the southern tip of Manhattan. It looks something like this:

Yup, that's the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. It was a little cloudy and rainy, which I think weeded out some of the tourists, so it was a delightful time down in the Battery (as opposed to up in the Bronx...).

My walk down there was amazing. I love downtown Manhattan. The juxtaposition between the brand new fancy schmance skyscrapers and the super old historical buildings is just really phenomenal. This idea of past and present living side by side is...there's something magical about it. I think this is best exemplified around Ground Zero. I hadn't been there since I became a New Yorker (am I a New Yorker? I feel like I'd get yelled at for using that phrase, but I live here, right??). I got weirdly emotional walking in those surrounding blocks. Just thinking about that day, walking on the same sidewalks where firefighters had run to the scene and others had fled...I'm getting chills just thinking about it. I finally started to understand how huge these towers were and how much this changed New York. I mean I obviously understood it intellectually, but this was on a completely different visceral level.

Anyway, my whole point...across from Ground Zero is St. Paul's Chapel. It looks like this:

This place opened in 1766. 1766. That is 244 years ago. George Washington prayed there after he was inaugurated president. GEORGE WASHINGTON. (side note: this video is hilarious.) Just seeing this combination of new history at Ground Zero literally across the street from some of the oldest history of the United States...it's really incredible. I tried to get the vibe with this pic...the tombstone closest to the camera is a 32 year old woman who died in 1805...

So that was that. It was cool. Then I walked back up the west side along the river, which I will always love. I learned that down at the bottom tip of the island, there are like a billion parks along the west side which was amazing. I can't wait to make picnic baskets and bring them down there this summer. And dammit I'm gonna do it!!

Last night, my friends and I decided I'm going to become a runner. It's going to be a long process, but I'm going to ease myself into it. So today, I went for about a 3.5 mile walk and ran about .75 miles of it. It's something, right? I dunno.

At the end of that run/walk was another brunch, one that was the exact opposite of yesterday's to celebrate a one Jessica McKenna's birth. Lots of friends, lots of food, lots of laughing. Just as yesterday's brunch was a nice reminder of the joys of solitude, this reminded me that I could not be luckier to have such an awesome group of friends in the city.

Discoveries abound this weekend, and tomorrow...CUBS VS. METS!!!!!! I love baseball.

I'd like to leave you with this photo, and I hope you take its advice to heart:

LOVE and well-fed rodents,

KFine