To tell you the truth, the entire weekend was fabulous! Very relaxing! I visited the Renaissance Festival on Friday since this was the last weekend of the season. I bought some beautiful yet practical pottery made by local artists and enjoyed all the usual festival delights: the turkey leg, the mead, and the fake british accents that seem to get worse every year.

Saturday was very nice! After spending the day tending to housework, Grubster came by and we planned to go to dinner and possibly a movie; somehow that never happened but we did get a nice night jog in around my neighborhood and drank some tea together!

The next morning we woke up, had some tea, eggs and ezekiel toast with honey that I bought at Ren Fest (collected by a local beekeeper who won the MN State Fair blue ribbon two years in a row. This is the best honey I've ever tasted!). This was followed by a quick trip to his apartment to pick a change of clothes, a cup of coffee and an apple for me! This O man's worst vice is coffee. He just can't shake the habit as hard as he tries!

We then headed downtown to a Vikings game (vs. New Orleans) at the Metrodome.

Whoa. What??? Me? At a Vike's game?

OK, let me explain. My realtor emailed me to ask if I could use two tickets to Sunday's game. While I'm not so much into sports, how can one turn down an opportunity to partake in one of Fall's most fun festivities? Strangely it seems as if the game goes by much more quickly when you watch it live. Last week when I told a co-worker that I'd be attending the game, she was quick to dismiss any trace of fun and spirit I'd experience with, "Oh, they suck this year."

Well, perhaps it was because they were playing a team who's home is no longer a home due to the chaos of Katrina but they played quite well and the Saints did put up a good fight during the second half of the game. Because of Katrina, while I enjoyed seeing all the spirit the locals have for their home team, I couldn't help but feel sorry for the Saints!

Strangely, I didn't expect to have as much fun as I did and brought the Sunday Strib along just in case I got bored but found that I really enjoyed being part of the crowd! I also enjoyed making a mess with peanut shells all over the bench. (Hey, they are good for As!). Grubster really enjoyed the game and said I'm driving if we ever go again because he wants to be able to drink more beer next time, haha.

Later that day, we visited the Mall of America and we bought absolutely nothing (OK, I bought a truffle at Godiva but that's it!). I tried on petites at Ann Taylor but the salespeople were way too pushy.

Here's some awesome news though....I fit into their size zero petite pants!

I figured that's good PR news considering this is supposed to be a blog to promote the diet, haha. I've come to realize that when you focus more on improving your health from the inside out, you look better from the outside in. I got into the BTD back in 2002 because cancer and heart disease run in my family. I stayed on it because the scientific concepts and theories made sense to me. I promote it because it works (for me, anyway!).

Well, we ended our night at French Meadow Bakery and Cafe uptown. We had a gastronomically adventurous flight of olive oil, butter, manchego cheese, and chicken liver followed by a pasta dish for Grubs and a miso salmon dish for me. I also sipped on a nice organic wine that went well with the flight but clashed horribly with the salty salmon. Oh well. Key lime pie to go...I was too stuffed to eat at the restaurant! (So much for those size zero pants, just kidding.)

It's so nice having Grubster in town! We had some major ups and downs when he first moved here but it seems that giving each other the space to breathe and live in separate homes is exactly what we both needed after being long-distance and living alone for so long. Being cramped together in a 650 square foot loft apartment in downtown Minneapolis this summer before I bought my house was quite a rough way to try to start a life together. I knew it wouldn't be easy but I didn't think it would make things so chaotic! Kids: don't try this at home! Literally!