SPRING FEVER.

Is anyone else feeling Sweaty and showing slight signs of Sickness? Something is up with my alphabetical Stars and the letter "S" is currently ruling my cosmos.

1. Sunburnt.

Apparently Spring no longer exists, and we have skipped right into Summer. A few hours lounging at Hudson River Park caused me to turn into a human lobster.

2. Sailing to Staten Island.

If you're ever at a loss for outdoorsy activities, make your way down to South Ferry and hop on the free ferry heading towards Staten Island. It is a brisk, breezy ride - just long enough for you to drink a beer and wave at the Statue of Liberty.

3. Swine Flu.

I woke up today feeling slightly ill - unable to open my eyes, a warm forehead, and a slight headache. My body ached, which I attributed to my terrible sunburn. I was tempted to call out sick from work - but figured that sun poisoning would not be considered a valid excuse. Upon opening my inbox, I found a mass corporate email addressing the recent Swine Flu outbreak, which has now affected 28 confirmed cases in New York. I coughed thrice today, held in a few sneezes (so as not to alarm my coworkers), and felt dizzy when standing. Call me crazy, but I don't think my symptoms are unlike that of Swine Flu!! At the risk of losing two dear friends (please don't be offended, A & D), but in an effort to add validity to my claim - although I have not taken a recent trip to Mexico, I did happen to make a trip out to a lovely apartment soiree in Jackson Heights, Queens which is a mere 5 miles away from St. Francis Preparatory School.


OKKKK and it also doesn't help that I just opened up Facebook and saw that one of the nice people I had met at said soiree in Jackson Heights "received a call notifying (him) of a confirmed case of swine flu at (his) office." OK SO NOW DOES EVERYONE BELIEVE ME!?!?!?

4. Salmonella.

Today the FDA and CDC issued a warning of salmonella contamination in raw alfalfa sprouts. Guess when I read this article. After lunch. Guess what I had in my salad during lunch. Raw alfalfa sprouts. Thus far, there have been 31 confirmed alfalfa-related salmonella cases in Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, and West Virginia. It was only a matter of time for this outbreak to reach New York. Starting with me.

4. Sweet things.

I'll end my post on a lighter note with some sweet indulgences from the past few days.


Spoil your sweet tooth at Sweet Revenge in the West Village - a quaint cupcake cafe and bar that serves artisan cupcakes deck-ed out in delicious mohawks of frosting. The bakery goes above and beyond and even suggests wine and beer pairings to match your cupcake flavor choice. Above please find pictured their namesake cupcake - Sweet Revenge - made of peanut butter cake, ganache filling with peanut butter buttercream, and paired with a Malbec. Surprisingly, I did not love this particular flavor. It was almost too much peanut butter, not enough cake.


So thank goodness I actually ordered the Very Strawberry cupcake, which was paired with a Prosecco.


The ugly avec-flash photo reveals the construction of my absolutely delightful Very Strawberry cupcake - Mexican vanilla cake with fresh strawberries BAKED INSIDE and strawberry creamcheese frosting. The cake was a perfect texture, the frosting was heavenly, and the strawberry filling provided a pleasant surprise effect and tied the cupcake together.


Meeting for drinks in midtown is often a risk not worth taking. In my opinion, bars in midtown (East or West) are for the most part mediocre at best. That's why I was so surprised with my experience at M Bar, in the Mansfield Hotel. The atmosphere is what I imagine an old men's club would be - the walls are lined with book shelves, plush seating inset in dark wood, and a sufficient (but not overdone) cocktail menu. The casual, chic environment makes you forget you are only steps away from the craziness of Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Grand Central, and Bryant Park. Their cocktails are a honky $15, but delicious, strong, and made with care (and fresh fruits - note the grapes and blueberries floating in my drink!!).

5. Sleep.

Before I go running to the nearest hospital concerning my recent sugar overdose and outbreak of life-threatening diseases, I am treating myself to a night of intense rest. Which was really just an excuse for me to not go to the gym.