4.5hours left of the weekend to enjoy

Sunday and I’m back at my desk after yesterday’s 10hour stint in the office. I’d hoped that I’d only be giving up one day of my weekend on this pitch, I don’t know why I thought that as that’s never how these things go. Sometimes I am stunned at my own naiveté

Surprisingly I’m in a good mood despite a mild hangover from two cheeky glasses of Chenin Blanc at dinner with Melissa last night followed by a martini for dessert, and the fact that today has been a long day. However unusually in these circumstances I'll be leaving the office before midnight. Perhaps my good mood is partially due to the lovely walk I took into the office this morning, through Central Park. Today was a beautiful day in New York, a very slight nip in the air this morning, but otherwise gorgeously sunny, my favourite kind of weather. I walked through the park at around 8.30am, my peace only slightly marred by a few crazies/joggers, it was delightful. Or maybe my good humour is down to the fact that the back pain that came back with a vengeance on Friday after 4 straight hours seated on uncomfortable conference room chairs has finally abated thanks to the phenomenal pain patches the lovely pharmacist at Duane Reade on 3rd Avenue and 14th street recommended when I hobbled in like a hunch-back on Friday evening.

Friday was not a good one kids. I was supposed to meet Tel Aviv for dinner at Momofuku Ssam, because I had a huge craving for their pork buns. They’re divine. For the most part I’m a pseudo veggie, fish only, no meat, I’m just not that keen on meat, no other reason, but I just cannot resist Momofuku’s pork buns and have frequently raved about them to Tel Aviv - a very secular, pork eating Israeli boy, but don’t tell his mum, she’d be hopping mad if she knew - so we decided to stop by for dinner that night.

I hopped on the subway around 7pm Friday evening and headed downtown to meet him outside the restaurant. My back was aching a bit, but I put it down to stiffness from sitting in ill designed seating for most of the afternoon and didn’t think too much of it, however things took a turn for the worse when I sat down on the subway and almost immediately began to feel pins and needles in my legs. I broke out in a sweat as the prickling sensation travelled up my body and finally reached my head. It was horrible and for a few moments I swear I thought I was going to either black out right there on the train or throw up. I wasn’t sure I was even capable of standing and envisioned myself being stuck on the subway as it rattled out to Coney Island.

I panicked for about 5seconds and then pulled myself together long enough to get out of the train at 14th Street and once I was moving and in the fresh air, I started to feel a little better, although I was still pretty shook up from the experience and called Tel Aviv to have him walk up to meet me. The pain was still pretty bad and I was walking with the hunch of a 90year old. I was ready to go to the ER I don’t mind telling you, but then I’ve always suffered from an occasional overly dramatic streak. Fortunately Tel Aviv is a bit more grounded and suggested we pop into the Duane Reade across the street to speak to the pharmacist, a lovely woman who nodded her head knowingly – as only a fellow sufferer could- and told me that she was surprised I could walk.

She packed me off with a pack of Salonpas and instructions to take my Advil and get something to eat, saying that low blood sugar combined with the back pain was a likely cause of my funny turn. The patches are so good, I love them, they are the best thing since sliced bread, and at $2.99 for 4 they’re an absolute bargain. The only negative thing about them is they are so heavily mentholated that they overwhelm the delicate scent of my Narcisco Rodriguez perfume and make me smell like I am wearing Eau d’Extra Strong Mint, but at least I can move freely once more. I’m going to hot foot it over to the doctor next week though just to be on the safe side.

Anyway, I’m out of here as I want to rescue the few hours that remain of my Sunday night, so I'm going to have dinner with Francesca. I was hoping to see Tel Aviv tonight, but he gave up on my ever getting out of the office around 6pm and decided to go out to dinner with a friend. A shame, because I wanted him to come up to my apartment this evening. I needed him in the way that only a woman can need a man…now that the weather is turning cooler and my back is of a fragile state I needed him to help me lift the heavy suitcases full of my Autumn and Winter clothes down from the top of the wardrobe, oh and to change a light bulb in the kitchen ;-)