Call Me Crazy

Today I didn't go to church because I had to work. It was the bi-annual mandatory inventory day, so I had to be there. Oh well. It wasn't a bad day though because I could wear jeans, and we all got a free lunch. Plus we could blast the music. (Sorry Princess for putting up with my current Blitzen Trapper obsession!) And, since two of my coworkers have birthdays this week, I gave into peer pressure and agreed to make a cake. I have a really great chocolate cake recipe, but had never actually tried it, so I figured this was the perfect chance. And a great excuse to wear my cute new Anthropologie apron! I love the kitchen in my apartment because it has a ton of counter space, and by the end of the night every inch of surface was covered in cocoa, powdered sugar, or flour. I'm not a neat baker, but I get the job done right.

Despite the fact that I forgot I had shortening and so used margarine instead, the cake seemed to come out perfectly! And yet, with just two layers it seemed a bit small to me. Call me crazy--I decided to make another batch! So I made two more layers and added one to the first batch, so my cake had three layers. I contemplated four, but realized that the thing was already starting to resemble a certain Pisa landmark, so I kept the fourth layer back and frosted it for me and my roommates.

The cake turned out beautiful, but the next question was how to get it to work! It was on a nice platter, too big for any bag or box that I had, so I settled on covering it with tinfoil and carrying it on the Subway. Luckily it was Sunday so I could sit down on the train. But the D was running on the A track so rather than transfer to the E, I decided to just get out at Columbus Circle and walk the rest of the way, carrying the cake in my arms. Now I know how mothers feel. That thing must have weighed as much as a 2 year old. Writing this post has helped me realize that I tend to do things in extremes. Cake made from scratch and twice as large to boot, volunteering to come back to work on my day off tomorrow because there is still so much inventory work to do, then walking the entire 5 miles home just to see if I could do it... I like to test my limits, which I think is a good thing.

By the end of Inventory, the cake was everyone's reward for coming in to work on a Sunday, and I enjoyed a piece of it myself, although I was stuffed from a pizza lunch. And I guess I could have kept it to two layers, because there was about half of it left over. Then again, the leftover cake will help motivate us all to go to work tomorrow! I left work at 3 and decided that it was such a nice day I would walk along Central Park for a while, and not get on the Subway right away. Call me crazy, but I ended up walking the whole way home!

It was cold, but sunny, and not windy at all, and the walk up 8th Avenue was so pretty. It's amazing to see how the scenery changes from huge mansions, hotels, and apartment complexes to discount stores, empty lots, and churches as you get farther up the West side and into Harlem. My feet would just not stop walking, but it felt so good. I worked that cake off, for sure! I figure it was about 5 miles, give or take, and it took me exactly 1 hour. Now I know.