Here's the juice

Thank you thank you to everyone who commented and emailed me suggestions in response to my last post. I am still combing through all the details, but I have a pretty good idea of how I want to schedule the rest of the trip. Additionally, three people in my office have been to Peru and Machu Picchu, one of whom is a native, so they have all been ripe with recommendations. And, randomly, Elle has a whole story this month on where to go in Lima - at least, for good shopping - so that was a pleasant surprise I uncovered just pages into their monster four pound issue.

At this point, my biggest concern about Machu Picchu is whether I will ever be able to spell it. Seriously? I've been researching it for weeks now and I still can't write it without looking online to confirm which word has the extra "c".

Before I get too excited about Peru, however, I have another trip to get out of the way. I am headed to NYC this week for a quick work jaunt that should be good and hopefully not as exhausting as some of the others.

Additionally, this week, the Cringe book is coming out, and I'm a bit nervous about what to expect. There is a Today Show segment planned, and I imagine some talk in the blogosphere, and I have no idea what, if anything, will link back to me. Last summer, when I found out that five of my entries were being used, I freaked out a bit, and tried to get the author to take them out. No go. Instead, I gave a pseudonym so as to avoid my real name coming up in Google; but I gave this blog address for credit, figuring I might at least pick up a few readers. Back then, though, half my high school wasn't in touch with each other on Facebook, and the chances of anyone I actually wrote about reading it, were low. Now, however, there may be cause for me to start my Peruvian vacation two months early, shamed into hiding deep in the Amazonian jungle.

If I'm so embarrassed, why am I writing about here, you ask? Because I'm in a freaking book, that's why! Despite the fact that my 10 year old mind still makes me cringe, I'm really excited to see this stuff in print. Dignity is overrated.

Finally, and relevant to nothing, I would like to tell you that I spent $10 on orange juice this weekend. No, I didn't buy a few gallons of Tropicana or my usual Trader Joe's version. I was at Whole Foods, and apparently misread the price tag. Seeing as the juice was organic and fresh-squeezed, I thought $4.99 was reasonable for a "once in a while" treat. Not until I got home and looked at the receipt did I realize I'd just spent $9.99 on juice that expires in three days.*

Hopefully I'll be more adept in my Peruvian purchases than I am at picking my perishables.

* It wasn't until I wrote this post and went back to look at the juice that I realized it expires on Wednesday. And I'm leaving for NYC on Tuesday. So I poured myself a big glass because I can't let $10 juice go to waste. It is, hands down, the most delicious orange juice I've ever had. But for $10, they could have at least put vodka in it.