So, yesterday I get home from work to a gift from one of my good friends. It’s both the best and the worst gift ever. When I saw the box, I almost wept with a mixture of joy, sadness, fury, elation, disappointment, and um something else dramatic.

Oh my.

While I’ve never been, of course I’ve heard of it, read of it, dreamt of it. But never in my wildest imaginings, did I think I’d get a gift from there. Right smack in the middle of my sugarless phase of South Beach.

Anyhoo, I opened the box, and nestled in a colorful gift bag was this:

But then….

I had to hurry because George and I were going to dinner with some friends, to a little French restaurant that I love, but we rarely go to. My plan was to have mussels or a steak with some vegetables. Not exactly crepes or pommes frites, but better than nothing.

I hadn’t eaten much up to that point, and I’d been to the gym. We went to a friend’s house to meet up, and no one was ready. Forty-five minutes later, I’m starving, painfully so, grumpy, and ready to go. Finally, we’re off.

On the way to the restaurant, I’m feeling dizzy and nauseous. I hardly ever get carsick, but I guess when you have no food in you and your blood sugar has plummeted, it happens. Finally, we make it to the restaurant without me dying, but as we walk up to the door, I feel very tingly and light-headed. I’ve never fainted in my life, but I didn’t want this to be the first time. So I ask George to get me a glass of tomato juice while I sit outside.

He comes back with orange juice. Orange juice is strictly forbidden in Phase One of South Beach, being just full of sugar and not much else. But at that point, I really had no choice, so I drank it.

And thus came the great Falling Off of the Wagon.

Boy, did I fall. And it felt great! No regrets at all. I’m back on it this morning, it was just one night. But it was so worth it. Two and a half glasses of red wine. Bread. Cheese. Mussels and fries. And yes, a crepe for dessert. Filled with lemon curd. (Mmmm, Paula…am I making you jealous?)

Mmmmm….I wonder if I gained the 5.8 lbs back? Don’t care!

And yes, I had two of the tiny chocolate squares from my gift when we got home. And now it is hidden away (by George) for later. Much later.