Quaker Oats, Workouts, & Miz Flashes the Windy City (not necessarily in that order).

by

I have to say that I was surprised how many of you emailed and asked for more details on the weekend. Not that I thought you weren’t interested in my little OATcation—I just wasnt certain if you were all oat’ed out.

Apparently you aren’t.

I do have more knowledge to share (& the recipe for pancakes we were treated to created by none other than THIS WOMAN) but figure you want to know the down&dirty.

The gossip.

Dont lie to me, People. Your emails tell the tale.

Many of you asked what it was like to meet the other bloggers/was I nervous etc.

Amazing & no.

Beyond the fact I felt as though I knew everyone since Id read their blogs for so long—an unexpected gift of my doing videos is that I also felt as though they ‘knew’ me.

That said, just because I wasn’t nervous doesn’t mean I wasn’t kinda star struck.

The knowledge, the talent, the collective years blogging, the creativity, the talent?

All very awe inspiring to me.

(if by awe inspiring you mean I was the held back and listened more shy version of myself the entire first night—-which I do).

Now to the flashing.

If you drop by here on any kind of a regular basis you’re aware that I, like all of you, lead a happy hectic life.

If you’re a BabyMama on any kind of a regular basis you’re aware that the aforementioned hectic life means I rarely shower without tinytoddlerpryingeyes waiting for me to hurry up and finish (TMI? yes, but that’s the way we roll here).

As a result, one big reason I was looking forward to the hotel stay was the chance to take a long luxurious shower. Alone.

It was the first thing I did Saturday morning and it was fantabulous.

Long, light because of the lovely enormous window, & relaxing.

(you see where Im going here)

Post-shower we all met in the lobby and, as I walked up to the group, I heard a woman say: …and that’s why they call this the naked building.

My. Heart. Dropped.

I’d made the assumption that, since there wasn’t a *shade*, the window in shower must be tinted.

It wasnt.

It ISNT (for those of you who may have the opportunity to stay at the well-windowed Hard Rock Hotel in the future).

And, when I went back upstairs at the end of the day, I discovered a shade pulled veryveryVERYtightly to the top of the window.

So tight & snug that, were you a mama who was way too excited about her solo-shower time, you mightcould unknowingly invite all of Chicago into the watery fun.

Id like to pretend that I dont give a shit but, in fact, Im still cringing about it as I type. Please not to let me know if you hear of anyone who spied my leg shaving in progress.

All in all (Im struggling for brevity!) it was a trip of a lifetime.

Meeting readers in person was so fun (yep, napwarden, Im claiming you.) & only increased my desire to do a Blogher Bumbling Band meet-up this summer at Blogher.

(complete with tees so we can recognize each other. anyone have any sponsorship connections? I’m putting feelers out on my end as well.)

I could go on and on but I wont.

I leave you with a glimpse into our weekend.

The messysillyunorganizedFUN which is a blogger meetup. Steph is filming, Leslie is in the background exercising and Lisa & I?

WHO KNOWS what we are doing (& why it’s so dark).

Please to enjoy—we certainly did.

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Comments

  1. Glad to hear you had a good trip. I’ve been watching/reading the details on Jenna’s blog and I must say I’m a little jealous… I’m from Chicago and all her notes about the cold made me homesick. =) Oh yeah, dig the plank!

  2. You guys look like you’re having a little too much fun in the gym!! As for the shower – hey, you showed Chicago who you really are!! No sugar-coating it…

  3. Pleasetoknow, if you will…

    I heart you. Obviously.

    And yet the flashing story? Is very funny. Is something that would happen to me.

    Not nearly as awkward as those moments in the changing room at (every once in a while) the non-school gyms in which OH YOU ARE NAKED IN THIS ROOM WHYYYY moments in which I didn’t realize other people had the “I”m gonna get nekked up in here” thoughts and change full frontal and oooh I kind of wish people would warn me first.

    The Mandapants? Doesn’t care if other people wanna get in their birthday suits. Fine. I’m mature and don’ care. But it’s SO NICE to know it’s coming, no? Lol.

  4. Actually, I phrased that wrong.

    Your story = more awkward.

    (You love me, right? Hey, Lance made a worse joke!)

    But it helps if you guys were all placed on a high high high up floor. Not many spectators. Lol.

  6. alas I was on the FIFTH FLOOR which, once I thought about it, REALLY should have clued me in on the fact that there had to be a shade.

    I was too busy enjoying the view, comparing the cloud cover to Austin’s sunshine and, well, luxuriating in the lather.

    *cringe*

    Miz.

  7. Can’t stop laughing about the shower incident! So something I would do – but it would have been a lot scarier for Chicago if it had been me! At least you were warned for the next morning! All in all sounds like a tiny blip in an amazing experince. Go you!!!

  8. Had it been a night time shower I’m guessing you would have been quite visible and quite possibly making the rounds on some voyeur site as I type….but since it was a daytime shower, you’re probably not…probably 🙂

  9. Aw, you’re both so cute!! I am such a fan of the walking plank.

    And don’t worry too much about potentially flashing people. We’ve all been there!

    And couldn’t ever get oat’ed out:)

  10. Thanks for the play-by-play. Just consider the shower incident as your gift to Chicago!

    I’m planning on being at BlogHer, too, and I’m hoping, hoping, hoping we have a bigger representation from the fit-blogging community this time. We could all get Hike Michigan Avenue t-shirts. 🙂

  11. OOOH THANK YOU SCALE JUNKIE! I shall commence telling myself precisely that (& pretend I didnt run back up that night and do the open window shower again with proper lighting, music and a scenic backdrop via an elegant shower curtain).

    and cammy? oh THERE WILL BE A BIG FITBLOGGER PRESENCE.

    THERE WILL BE 🙂

    Miz.

  15. Apart from the shower incident (which is something that would happen to me too) it looks like you had a great time. The weather must have been a real shock to you too! Did you convince Quaker that we need a protein packed oatmeal? Waiting to see boxes with you face on the front… 🙂

  16. Miz, at least these were people who you will never see again.

    I unintentionally flash the neighborhood on a fairly regular basis when my husband raises the blind underneath the sheer curtain so that I can’t tell the difference in the evening when I turn the light on and undress, but a quick check by hubby confirms that anybody in front of the house can see in quite easily. And I was wondering why we always have so many loiterers on our block.

  17. LOVE the flasher story – I know exactly what that is like (unfortunately).

    Thanks for more insight into your weekend.

  18. Too funny! The Bag Lady has a window in her shower which she doesn’t cover – but you’d have to have damned good eyesight to catch a glimpse of her, as it looks out over the trees between her backyard and the pasture.

    Loved the workout video!

  19. Dragonmamma? you know we’re neighbors right?
    all your workouts are paying off (wink)!

    Did you convince Quaker that we need a protein packed oatmeal? Waiting to see boxes with you face on the front…

    babysteps? she types never being one to admit defeat and still committed to creating oatmeal with 20 grams of protein per PACKAGE and not having to haul along protein AND oats when she travels.
    and it would (will? HELLO VISION BOARD!) be my caricature…no MizFit real mug anywhere if I can help it.

    translation: not yet.

    BUT the Quaker Steel Cut? Id never had it before and am one hundred percent SMITTEN.

    ok.

    Toddler calls.
    somethings a’foot upstairs with her & Ren Man…

    M.

  20. I LOVE this story! (sorry it is at your expense) But this is funny stuff. I am glad no one else is in the offic today. They would have just heard me bust a gut after reading your experience in the shower.

    It is an odd place for a window though…hmmm….

  21. Whenever I completely embarrass myself in a city in which I do not live, I like to remind myself that I’ll likely never see those people again. Still! Holy. Crap.

    I’m glad you enjoyed the rest of the weekend!

  24. Whenever I completely embarrass myself in a city in which I do not live, I like to remind myself that I’ll likely never see those people again.

    I watch way too many movies and have convinced myself I shall turn up on youtube and then shall be relentlessly mocked on The Soup.

    The latter I wouldnt mind as I heart the Joel McHale.

    Miz.

  25. hahahhaha Your story about the shower made me almost wet the bed! eh, what can ya do? In those type of embarassing body situations I always think, its nothing everyone hasn’t seen before right? Great video- that gym looks awesome for a hoteL!

  26. Someone must have been delighted during your shower time. Luckily it was Sat. morning, so hopefully the city was still hung over from their friday night extravaganzas. Love ya! Can’t wait to meet up again.

  27. Hi Miz.

    Thanks for coming by and leaving another note…blog update coming tonight after weigh in. It’s been a rough week.

    LOVE your shower story…woops. 🙂 I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to be part of a blogger meet up. Let me know.

    XOXO

  29. Shosh? All? you thinking about going to blogher in chicago? (I think it’s july 24thish).

    I know it’s early to start pondering but, up in herre, it is NEVER TOO EARLY to start putting away the pennies.

    ahhh dollar menu apples I shall miss the ease of ye.

    Miz.

  30. Im coming to blogher this year and would love to do a MizFit meetup.

    can we get mizfit tees? if we did just the small word mizfit on the front or back and all the same color then I wouldn’t feel weird.

    I mean I like your picture but I wouldn’t want to waer it (no offense) and I do think I am kind of a mizfit so I wouldn’t mind that!!

  31. Okay, it could be worse, and here’s how:

    My parents belong to a Lake. Every July 4th the lake hosts a picnic as a sort of fundraiser. My father loves it, and as that date happens to be his birthday, we all have to go.

    A couple of years ago, I had to pee, and thus went to the bathrooms that are there (note: they are real bathrooms, with stalls. Not single room bathrooms or port-a-pottys). There was a line, and as a result I got the handicapped stall. I also happened to be last in line, the bathroom rush apparently ending with me.

    Now, the other two stalls finished as I was struggling with my wet bathing suit. A child who SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER came in, and I guess her favorite stall was the handicapped one, because she peered in (Keep in mind that I’m not related to her, have pulled down my onepiece, and am trying to pee), when I told her to go away, she refused, and STARTED CRAWLING UNDER THE STALL.

    The suit was on in a flash, and I opened the door in time to accidentally hit her in the head (she sat up as I opened the door) as her mother was coming in. And was yelled at for 5 minutes. When I asked why she thought it was okay that her daughter was crawling around in front of an occupied bathroom stall, the woman spluttered that I should not have opened the door.

    (I couldn’t help this next part. I had to pee, had been gawked at by a child, and yelled at by her mother) I told the mother that the handicapped stall was only intended for the physically handicapped and walked out (hadn’t gone to the bathroom, so I didn’t need to wash my hands)

  32. Ah, Mizfit, I would have thought the same thing in the bathroom. Big, pretty window, no shade, so nice of the designer to incorporate natural light and A STUNNING VIEW. I’ve done this at several places and you’d think I’d learn…or maybe I’m secretly an exhibitionist (where is my trench coat, anyway?).

    I’ve also flashed my neighbors, as I forget to put pants on sometimes, lol.

  33. Great that you had a good time! Even giving the peep show and all 🙂 I only smile b/c it’s something that would’ve happened to me. Why do they do that when it’s common mistake? You’d think they put a note on the glass or something – or tint it! Geesh – are they looking to scar their guests??

  34. WOW getting pancakes from Stephanie it too cool!
    IT TOTALLY WAS. and she was such a regular person 🙂 gracious and, in a way, even a little nervous! very cool.

  35. LOL! I want to do an exercise video with the Mizfit!!

    I remember seeing the Rockefeller penthouse at the Waldorf in New York, and the shower had a panoramic view of the city!! Maybe it was built before they invented the telescope 🙂

  37. Dr. J? this?

    I want to do an exercise video with the Mizfit!!

    be careful what you say…it may just come true.

    (WAIT. AM I ON YER VISION BOARD?! Id LOVE that!!)

    even virtually. a simulcast of the same exercise done in two different locations…

    Id even ship you the Tornado to mess with your filming for *no* extra fee!

    Miz.

  41. Love the flasher story!!

    I had a realisation a few years ago when I was living on the ground floor of an apartment complex that was U-shaped, so I could see about 30 windows from my french doors (it was a lovely apartment… *sigh*) I used to get up in the morning and wander around in my underpants, to get a towel, then wander out in a towel to get clothes from the clothes airer / dryer…. (I am too busy to put these clothes in my wardrobe naturally! Busy wandering perhaps!) After a few months my friend sat on the couch facing the french doors and said “wow, how does it feel knowing all those people can see in to your sitting-room”…. *ahem*…

  43. did you do your lunges today? 🙂
    I had so much fun, can’t wait for BlogHer next summer so we can do it again.

    The shower story still cracks me up, although I think everyone has a flashing story. I used to pump breast milk while sitting on my couch at night. One night I was at the house across from mine and realized that from their upstairs window they had clear view to my couch. (thru one of those transom windows that seem pointless to me)
    I had obviously given them quite a show for way too long. 🙁

    oh well, c’est la vie, right?

  44. Miz,
    That shower story is a great account of the whole hotel experience. For many that don’t travel, you really do get a false sense of security by thinking you’re up to where no one can see.
    To make you feel even more creeped out, you’d be surprised how many large buildings in large cities I’ve walked into and found telescopes in the corner of offices

  45. can’t WAIT to go back to Chicago when it’s a tad warmer and this time hit NIKETOWN.

    I’d happily flash there for some free AIR RIFTS.

    Are you reading up in beaverton?
    😉

    Miz.

  47. Ah, sounds like you had a great time in Chicago! Please to consider returning for BlogHer this summer! I will, of course, be there! More fitness bloggers mean I might/could actually get to the gym.

    (more soc. media friends pull me in so many directions…)

  48. TOM I HAD NO IDEA.
    And Jamie? Methinks they now surmise that we are ALL tattoo’d mamas who belt out hiphop whilst shaving.

    Is that too far off?

    M.

  51. “THERE WILL BE A BIG FITBLOGGER PRESENCE.”

    Why does that (all-capped) statement reverberate with menace, somehow? There WILL be blood! Oh yes.

  52. Oh man, the shower story had me giggling like a silly schoolgirl. 🙂 Sounds like you had a great weekend and I’ve enjoyed reading the stories and looking at the pictures.

  53. yeah the fit bloggers need to be as ‘seen’ as the mommy bloggers, right?

    (She thumbtypes pondering the notion she *is* a mommy…it’s all so confusing)

    Shall we create a chant?

    FIT BLOGGERS UNITE.
    OUR PANTS NO LONGER TIGHT.
    WE LUNGE ALL THRU THE NIGHT.
    FLAB & FAT WE FIGHT!
    WE TRY WITH ALL OUR MIGHT.

    Yes?

    No??

    Oh. Ok.

    Miz.

  54. i never realized how I shimmied my shoulders while ellipticizing.
    Kudos to you for flashing, inadvertent as it was. I was gonna do it on purpose (shower with the shade up, I mean) but I chickened out at the last minute.

  56. I love the high-five push-ups. I’m going to try the modified fist bump version today with my man if we don’t crumple to the floor in laughter first.

    Re: your shower, do you think that was the Universe’s way of reminding you that prying toddler eyes, in retrospect, really aren’t so bad?

  58. tfh. you got me. The entire scenario was on my vision board pre- trip 😉

    And didn’t mean to neglect the pancakes comments.

    Recipe coming next week (*cue excitement building*) complete with photo.

    Miz.

  59. Ha – that’s an awesome story – and something I would do, too. Only I wouldn’t realize that everyone could see me until the last day, and therefore would’ve flashed Chicago 3 or 4 times. 🙂

    Am totally jealous of your oatmeal weekend.

  60. Love the flasher story. That would absolutely happen to me…and my arms are nowhere as good as yours!

    When I first moved into my current house, I thought I didn’t need drapes/window coverings, ’cause there’s just woods back there, right? And I do occasionally change clothes in the kitchen (it’s a long story)…which I kept right on doing till one day I looked up and realized I could sorta see in the windows of the house behind me, through the little spaces in the trees.

    It took me a week to realize they could also see me 🙂

    Installations of blinds rapidly ensued.

    Take heart, MizFit, for we have all been there!

  61. I can’t remember what else I was talking about because your shower incident reminded me of the red light districts in Holland. I agree that you probably wouldn’t be too visible in the daytime, though. And at least you didn’t have a red light, right?

  62. are you SURE it was an accident?

    hee hee

    and where can you buy the quaker steel oats?
    I haven’t ever seen those.
    are they new?

  63. I’m glad you had so much fun and it sounds like such a great experience!

    We have several big windows in our house, but they face our elderly woman’s house and she is never in the yard, so I have not been shy to walk around looking for things before I get dressed. Well, the other day, I looked up to see that she had a groundskeeping crew in her yard! Needless to say, they got quite the view. And, they’ll be back every week. I wonder if they’ll bring cameras…

  65. and where can you buy the quaker steel oats?
    I haven’t ever seen those.
    are they new?

    they arent new—but I cant find them here in TX either.

    (the bigass vat they provided for us saturday morning? oat’y heaven. I could live on steel cut!)

    I’ve emailed Quaker to find out where you CAN find it though…

    speaking of email.
    I guess mine is running reallyreally slow (as evidenced by people REemailing who never received my initial response. SORRY!).

    if you need me urgently (whatever that would be…cant imagine) leave a comment instead.

    Miz.

  66. I think tfh is on to something! When I went away last month I, too, enjoyed my solitary showers. But, my bathroom had no windows, so I was safe! That was just too funny, MizFlasher!

  68. AHAHAHahahahahaha!!

    Oh, wait. I’m trying to be sympathetic to your embarrassment . . . *giggle, snort*, no REALLY I am, it’s just that . . . .

    *giggle*

    Just that . . .

    *snerk*

    Oh, forget it. I can’t hold it in. That is just TOO FUNNY.

    *dies laughing*

    Did I mention that is something that I would do? Though I must confess, I think I’d be more exasperated with myself than embarassed. Somewhere along the way I lost all sense of modesty. Oops.

  69. At least no one was saying “Mommy Mommy Mommy Mommy Mommy! What you doin’?” during your shower. Or if they were, you couldn’t hear it.

  70. It was great to meet you! Fun video too. Heard that BlogHer is in Chicago so I hope to definitely attend. It will be my first BlogHer. Fun!

  71. my first blogher as well.

    Im not even adding the ‘if I can scrape together the funds’ because (ALLTOGETHERNOW) it’s on my Vision Board.

    I shall be there.

    Miz.

  73. LOL…I personally wouldn’t even trust an open window even if I knew it was tinted…atleast you’ve got a slammin’ body (you work out goddess you)…and a nice tan to boot…just consider your shower the highlight of someone’s day. I shouldn’t tease, but I always said if I was built like you I’d walk around naked.

    I’m glad you had a wonderfully oaty time in the windy city.

    Best,
    -Bex

  74. I love workouts that you can do at the house!! And, I’ve never seen that way of utilizing the plank exercise, I’m gonna try it next time I do planks, thanks for the idea!!

    All the Best,

    Andrew R

  77. Ohhh so that really WAS you on that video that’s all over the internet. Paris Hilton sextapes is SO over. Mizfit showertapes is where its at 🙂

    JOKE

    Meet-ups and the Oat Experience sounds like an absolute blast, I’m so happy (and so jealous all at once!) Ahh sometimes its nice to beam in the UK perspective but I am so far away from all you lovely people! Maybe one day….

    TA x

  79. I am ROLLING and MORTIFIED for you at the same time over the flashing.

    Glad it was such a great experience! And thanks for asking about the HFCS!

  80. Fun video!
    As for showers, one of the best showers I’ve taken is when I was exposed….! It was a shed in the country in Finland, and there was no one around! It was actually very liberating 🙂
    It’s funny, cause I feel like I “know” everyone too, from reading their blogs. Im glad to hear you had a great time in Chicago!

  82. cathy, you totally summed it up:

    I am ROLLING and MORTIFIED for you at the same time over the flashing.

    cracked me the he** up as well & set a silly fun tone for my day as it could only get LESS embarrassing.

    and chiarunner? me. but in my defense it’s always shorts weather here…

    Miz.

  83. Gonna leave a comment here before it gets too late in the day. (I’ll go back and continue reading comments afterward.)

    Love the shower story! Sounds like it could be kind of fun; I like looking out of windows while showering…kind of refreshing. People looking IN windows, not so much fun. Made me wonder why the Hard Rock didn’t put in blinds that pull UP from the bottom instead of the typical pull-down kind. That way you could cover up as much or as little as you’d like.

    Thanks again too for sharing more on the oat-cation. It makes those of us who couldn’t attend feel a little less left out.

  84. Started reading you through Roni and her description of her wonderful Chicago Oat-a-riffic weekend!

    I just have to tell you – my office is on the 14th floor in a building behind the Hard Rock Hotel in Chitown and I hate to tell you this, but on a DAILY BASIS I hear my colleagues giggling because they saw more than one naked person in a hotel room.

    Thankfully, we can only see bedroom windows, but still. It is totally correct that the patrons of the hotel have NO IDEA there isn’t privacy film in the windows. We have gotten so used to it, someone usually just calls out “NAKED (enter ‘guy’ or ‘girl’ here)!” and we go about our business. 🙂

    A disclamer should be on the keycards or something – 🙂

    To make you feel better, I live on the 15th floor of a highrise, and I am not safe from prying eyes there either. The guy on the 15th floor of the neighboring building has seen me naked so many times, I have started naked-waving at him (with my hand of course…lol). You would think I would close the blinds instead. Nope. I wanna walk from the shower to the kitchen naked AND have a view of Chicago.

  87. Miz! I heard you were a rock star in the windy city!! Cold isn’t it? LOL! Welcome to my world! Great job!

  88. awww it sounds like you guys had an awesome week!!!!!!!! i’m so jealous 🙂 love the video!

    thanks for leaving the super sweet comment on my blog about thinking of me this weekend – i was so hooked to the computer to read all of the bloggers’ blogs who were there to see how amazing it was! i’d be in total oats heaven hehe

  89. Oh, I’ve been laughing for the past two minutes (since there wasn’t a shade the window must be tinted . . . ) Well. you’re been very gracious about it, I think I would have sued the hotel 🙂

  90. I met Lisa/Workout Mommy for a few minutes at BlogHer ’08, but I got to spend a fair amount of time with Stephanie/BiSJ. Awesome lady. (And I dare say I’d say the same about you if/when I ever get to meet you!)

    So glad you guys had such a good time. Pretty crazy about the shower-show, though!

  91. We are kindred, exhibitionist spirits! (Read my entry “I’m Showin’ Sexy Crack” if you have no idea what I’m talking about!). Thanks for sharing. it’s nice to know you’re human (if even still super-human)!

  92. I’m still laughing . . . can’t think while I chuckle (WITH you, not AT you!). How wonderful that you could put your embarassment aside to share that wonderful story. Life is about making memories, is it not? Can’t say your life is boring!!!

  93. Did I just write the word “wonderful” twice in one sentence? I told you I can’t think while laughing . . .

    Please don’t tell anyone I’m an author. THAT would be embarassing. . .

  94. Miz:

    From what I saw, you are all deserving of the title “Miz Fit”! Just joking…I didn’t see a darn thing. No worries…most of us in Chicago look down, not up when we are walking down the street to avoid a facefull of building. If someone did get a glimpse, I’ll find out who there are. Several of us own cars with big trunks. That’s the way we roll. Ha!

  95. My Catholic prudishness pulled the shades down first thing but oi I can just imagine the shows AJ #84 must have seen..lol!

    The time in the gym was one of my highlights of the trip 🙂


  96. Dave? that made me laugh.

    my goal? to be as learned as you and STILL SILLY.

    you give me hope it is possible.

    Steph? BACK AT YOU. and **that** is precisely why Im going to blogher.

    to PLAY!!

  99. I love your blog! I found it through KathEats and Runningwitharecipe. I recently started a blog of my own in hope of changing the way I myself thinks about food,’diets’, and my body. I want to inspire others to do the same and learn from it! Thanks for the great posts, I look forward to following your blog 🙂
    Jennifer

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