We really didn’t do too much yesterday for various reasons and I haven’t been on top of it with the camera, but I wanted to share this picture of my mom and I and a few others…
I finally got to try the cookie so many readers emailed or commented told me was the BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE EVER at Levain Bakery!
This morning I ran in Central Park with thousands of other runners. More on that soon!
{ 60 comments… read them below or add one }
You are KILLING me with that cookie pic!!! Anyways … this all goes to show that you can’t keep New Yorkers down…. It is a plus to see the comeback and so many out in the park running.
That cookie looks SO GOOD! I just had to say, I am so sorry for the hate you got for going to NYC. You had a contract to uphold, and people really shouldn’t have taken that out on you. I’m sure had they been in the same situation they’d make the same choice.
Omg I want that cookie. Yum. Can’t wait to hear about the run in Central Park!
That definitely looks like the best cookie ever! Can’t wait to hear about the Central Park run! I went to NYC for the first time this year and running around the park was one of the highlights of my trip!
I can’t wait for the full cookie review!
Levain is the most amazing thing ever.
I’m heading to NYC in a couple of weeks…I will definitely be visiting that bakery, looks amazing! Jx
That is so awesome that there were so many runner at Central Park! Must have been a great feeling being out there with all the racers. Marathon or not, looks like there was a sense of camaraderie. Glad you got to enjoy your time there.
Looks like a fantastic day to run in Central Park! I hope that you are still able to have fun. I’ve seen a few pictures posted of runner’s helping with clean up. Is there any talk of the race coming back on but at a later date? Probably not…?
No, they’re canceling it completely for this year.
I love Levain!
I hope the negative comments over your decision to go to NYC stop now. I couldn’t believe it when I looked over them this morning.
Monica,
I am a loyal reader, but almost never comment (sorry!!). This time I feel like I MUST!! Please do NOT take any of the negative comments to heart. You are a sweet, thoughtful, GIVING person, anyone that has read your blog for a while will know that. So for them to assume you are being insensitive or cavalier is just hateful ignorance, and misplaced anger. Their negativity has NOTHING to do with you, you are just a convenient target. Do not justify them with a response!
Keep your head up, and thanks for sharing the pictures!! How was the cookie? I know you are on a mission to find the perfect one, so how did this one rank? It looks amazing
Thinking of you,
– Kendra
(I am sure I will probably get hateful comments for my above comment too. The haters out there think that a single comment or blog post is enough to judge an entire person against. They can say what they want, I can go to bed knowing I am a good person, they get to live with the fact that they are ignorant baffoons! )
I wanted to leave a loving comment for you. I agree with everything you said
To the above poster:
Are you suggesting that those of us who are witnessing firsthand the incredible loss of human life, property, access to clean water, electricity, heat and years of memories don’t have a right to feel put off by a post that seems, to us, to be insensitive? You’re right in that emotions are high at this time. Monica may not have intended to be insensitive, and may have put hours of thought into her decision to go to New York. But her post did not come off that way, and many of her readers (who likely agree with you regarding her character) responded to it with their true feelings.
Were hateful and personal attacks warranted? Absolutely not. But I think that labeling all individuals who had a negative reaction to a public blog post as “ignorant baffoons” is overgeneralizing and making assumptions about peoples’ character in much the same way that you say is uncalled for.
That cookie looks amazing!!! Glad you’re able to make the most out of your trip. Ignore the horribly mean comments. I was shocked when I read them. Your comment section just became a forum for all the anger that was brewing. Try not to take it personal.
Wow, Monica, you’re so brave for heading to New York in the aftermath of a crisis and eating cookies with your mom. I can’t believe all those meanies who think you should have volunteered (or maybe just kept your mouth shut) rather than worrying about your pants size and going running. How can people be so hurtful and insensitive to your feelings?
Mason, Wow thanks for being so supportive and understand!
I un-apologetically spent the day with my mom, someone who loves me, after receiving such hateful comments on my last few posts.
Good answer, Monica. I’m glad you had a nice time with your friends and family. And I bet the owners of the businesses you have supported while you were/are in NYC are thankful as well. Hang in there, girl.
I urge you to please realize that not all of the comments disagreeing with you were “hateful” — many of them were respectful but still disagreeing. There is a difference and I hope as a longtime reader a healthy conversation can still happen in your comments section!
@aweighty… I completely realize a handful of the comments were well said and thoughtful. unfortunately, the hateful ones hijacked the stream. I am always open to constructive criticism but it’s hard to listen to the helpful comments when one feels attacked. I do appreciate your reminder though
I’m sorry people were so hateful to you. Your blog is fun and I hope you keep writing!
Yes, Monica. You are a very special little snowflake because your mommy loves you and I can’t believe the rest of the world doesn’t feel the same way.
Give it a rest, Mason. Enough is enough.
You’re criticizing her and being petty and mean about for not being kind enough to others? Well, you’re doing a pretty poor job of establishing yourself as an expert on that front.
You don’t like what she does or has to say? Do us all a favor and go read another blog.
That was not what I was criticizing her for actually.
Thanks Mason! Yes, I’m lucky my mom loves me so much. May I suggest you call your mom/mother figure and show her some love?
My mother died in a hurricane. Tragic, I know.
Mason, I’m sorry your Mom passed away.
If you have any more frustrations, why not go on CNN’s website and vent there instead?
You’ll be able to bump heads with all the “insensitive” mid west, west coast, north west people to your heart’s desire.
I hope you find wholeness Mason. A loss of a mom can be haunting.
Hi all ~ I suggest everyone stops responding to Mason. Obviously trolling RER and is feeding off the replies it gets.
Ok, let’s be grown ups. Just because someone express’s an opinion different than YOURS doesn’t make them a “hater”. It makes me laugh when people say this because you are basically doing the same thing. By calling us “haters” you are basically judging us based off one negative comment we posted – the same way we are judging Monica off one CHOICE she made. The difference is we do not represent products or a public blog for money, and therefore our reputation is not on the line. I don’t understand how some people have made it this far in life. What do you do when someone in life disagrees with you, do you stop and call them a “hater”. I bet not. You only do that behind the screen of the computer (which you like to accuse us of). Sorry people, let’s all be adults and at least pretend you understand not everyone has your viewpoint.
Actually no, in real life when someone disagrees with me I seek to understand where they are coming from and put myself in their shoes and let their reputation (good or bad) speak for them. Just because you wouldn’t have made the same decision doesn’t make Monica wrong, a bad person, or insensitive. You are different people with different circumstances, and different information, responsibilities, and experiences. Just judging her against your own personal ideals without trying to understand how she came to the decision she did you are simply being judemental (a.k.a. hater). A more constructive comment would have been “I disagree with your decision, but I would like to know WHY you decided to go.” That type of comment stimulates intellectual discussion and shows a seek to understand. Many of the negative comments made showed know desires to understand, just to put her down and make her feel like crap. How is that productive or helpful to anything going on??
And how is calling all people who expressed a negative opinion “ignorant” helpful to anything going on? If you wanted to stimulate productive and intellectual discussion, you could ask people why they felt offended by a post rather than making overgeneralized comments (twice now).
I think most people understand that the choice to go was likely fueled by a contractual obligation to ING. Knowing the likely reason behind the decision doesn’t mean that the writer will agree with that decision. Comments expressing disagreement, expressing the reason for disagreement (i.e. the extent of devastation in the New York metro area, particularly in the borough in which the race was slotted to start), and then suggesting that the time spent in New York be spent helping those in need are not “hating” on anyone’s character.
There was no need to ask why those people disagreed they included it in their post. I am not bothered by their REASONS for disagreeing with Monica, they are entitled to that. My judgement is against their lack of interest in understanding her reasons, and immediately jumping to judgment against not her decision, but her personal integrity.
You’re right I should not have called the negative commenters ignorant, et al…. I should have worded it differently to say that their reactivity was ignorant (separating the person from the behavior). My apologies, I will be more clear next time (and there is no sarcasm intended here).
Semantics aside, I think you are missing the point. Your comments to this point have suggested that every person who had a negative reaction to Monica’s post about going to New York City had an ignorant reaction. Is it justified to say that comments attacking her personal integrity and/or character were ignorant? Sure. It’s never acceptable to call someone fat, or stupid, or selfish because of something they have written.
However, I fail to see how a negative reaction that did not delve into personal attacks is ignorant. For the past week, I have spent countless hours watching image upon image of towns in which I have spent years of my life reduced to rubble. I have read stories of neighbors who no longer have homes. My parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles have been without power for a week and will continue to be without power for another. And frankly, my personal experience has not been nearly as horrific as many others’.
Is my negative reaction to a blog post (again, not a person) which briefly mentions the utter devastation in New York and then goes on to express excitement over handing out marathon paraphernalia ignorant? Regardless of whether I knew the reasons behind the decision to go to New York, I honestly do not think so.
This was well said. Thank you.
That cookie does look relish!! And the pic with your mom is great…you are probably having a nice together time in spite of it all…that’s what its all about.
Glad you are having some good experiences on your trip. I bet running in Central Park this morning was awesome!!! The cookie looked amazing (as did the drink)!
Central park looks beautiful! Like an idiot, I ran on the treadmill. Should have gone to the park! That really is nyc’s best cookie!
Can’t wait to hear more about the central park run and the rest of your time in NY. I am glad Ben and your Mom have been able to be with you. You know the truth of who you are and what you feel in your heart – forget all the hateful words. Take care
Thank you Deirdre
I can’t wait to hear about your run in Central Park either! I bet it was really awesome.
Send you hugs! My heart totally broke for you when I read yesterday’s post. I even tweeted you. Hope you saw it. Don’t let anyone steal your joy mama! Ever!
Thank you! I saw your tweet
I have been seeing things all over Facebook this morning about people running their own marathon in Central Park. I think it is awesome!
The Kidless Kronicles
That cookie looks AMAZING!! And love the picture of you and your mom together!
That is a SERIOUS cookie. I wish there was a way to order it online and then still have it be that ooey gooey by the time it got to my house.
Seriously…I can’t think about anything but that cookie. Just wow.
so then..how did the cookie rank?
It almost looks like a muffin cookie! I’d love that as fuel during long runs. Mini ones! Taste way better then GU! Haha. I love NYC and hope you had fun people watching, running, and family time. Life is truly too short to be anything but happy.
I’m so glad to see that all those runners that traveled all those miles came together and ran. It was such a shame that the decision wasn’t made earlier so that everyone could rearrange travel plans. Thumbs up!
Monica – I’m new to your blog but you seem like a good & genuine person. So I just wanted to send you a smile
and a virtual hug.
Hello and thank you
I have been thinking about you I hope you are enjoying your time. I am sure you have also done your best to give back. You are amazing. I know you are doing the best you can do in this horrible situation.
Regardless of the first amendment, sometime we have to remember the elementary school rule… if you don’t have something nice to say don’t say anything at all! Keep running and eating (cookies) for us girl!
test.
Cookie looks way too good! Am glad to hear that the city is rebouncing.
Monica I usually read your blog daily but have been out of the country. I think you made a decision based on the info you had and you seem like an intelligent caring woman. Sorry you seem to be getting some flack. Don’t let it get to you. Keep it up girl!
I’ve been wanting to try their cookies since seeing them “throw down” with Bobby Flay. So jealous!
Levain cookies are freaking AWESOME. The chocolate chocolate chip is serious. I actually found a “copy cat” recipe and made them…they won’t let their true recipe out but it was pretty close!
Hii Monica–I’ve had RER in my Google Reader for several months now and always look forward to your witty, substantive and authentic posts. You make me laugh and I feel lucky to be privy to your life! As a NY resident, I for one am glad you made the cross-country trip and were able to enjoy what the city has to offer with your mom and hubs in tow. If there’s one thing to laud NYC for, it’s its ability to keep on keepin’ on.
And in the spirit of moving forward, I’d love to see a rundown of your thoughts on Levain’s CCC!
Surprised/Dissapointed that you didnt declare Levain’s chocolate chip cookie as the official best cookie ever.
Can I simply say what a comfort to uncover somebody
who actually knows what they’re discussing on the net. You actually know how to bring an issue to light and make it important. A lot more people ought to check this out and understand this side of your story. It’s surprising you are not more popular because you most certainly possess the gift.