You have nine minutes to write, then YOU MUST go to the gym.

Today I decided to forget anything and everything I’ve learned doing WW off and on the past few years. Namely? If I could chew it and it was legally food and in my office–today I ate it. Ooooh, chocolate chip cookies at 10AM? Munch. Ooooh, pizza for lunch? Eat, eat. An extra slice or two of pizza after lunch? Why not! Regular Coke with ice? Yes, please. Gourmet chocolates? I’ll have two (or ten). Wait, are those chocolate chip cookies still there? And Chocolate covered pretzels?

Needless to say, I’m feeling a little gross right now and am forcing myself to the gym.

I do want to pat myself on the back on a little Argentina guide that I put together for Ronnie–he’s leaving shortly to go to MY favorite country with his family. So I took a moment to give him unsolicited advice, which I am keen to do. It involved a certain ice cream place we all know and love called Freddo’s. Avoiding the Coati in Iguazu. Avoiding alojamientos and using the verb coger. And insisting that he go to the Palace of the Fried Potato.

Otherwise the day was pretty quiet. Gifts started pouring in from co-workers with everyone trying to convince me that I’m not an asshole for not participating in the gifting. It is rampant and I didn’t expect it. Champagne, picture frame, candles, cd, homemade jam, cute pen. And me? Not even cards. I feel like I’ve blown it. It isn’t that I don’t participate because this year I’m Jewish, but because the mad office gifting doesn’t appeal to me. If I give you a gift because it struck me as perfect or because I’m moved to–fine.

One person reminded me that you don’t gift “up” into the heirarchy, so really, I should the intern a gift and the other admins and that is it. But I don’t even plan on doing that. I’ll bake some challah in the new year when folks are back. Or I’m going to start opting out of every office gift opportunity. I had friends at IES who said no to every request, no matter how much they liked the person. It kept them out of the nickel and diming that office gifting seems to cause.

Now with one minute to spare, I’m going to put on my pants and shoes and get my chocolatechippizzaregularcokegourmetchocolatecoveredpretzel ass to the gym.