Watch Two episodes of Sex and The City & Call me in the morning By Lisa

A) Martini

B) Xany

C) Box of thin mint Girl Scout Cookies

D) Sex and the City

A, B, C or…D?  How do you deal with stress?

I’ve been known to toss back a cocktail, or six, to escape.  On more than one occasion, I’ve poached a few xanys off friends who are “afraid to fly.” And at the end of a really, really stressful day where I’ve been over-thinking the shit out of everything, I’ve straight up gone to town on an entire box of thin mints. (BTW–I highly recommend removing the two rows of cookies and immediately discarding the box–and its shameful calorie count– into the trash can. Out of sight, out of thighs, right?)

But my first choice to take a “brain vacation” is not necessarily A, B or C….because as good as they all make me feel “in the moment”… it’s the next day that aint so perty.

So, in honor of the one-man show I used to perform as a child, Dr. Steinofsky,(long story, but I will tell you it involved a white lab coat, my mom’s reading glasses and monologues about psychology?!), I’m going to give you Dr. Steinke’s, er, Dr. Steinofsky’s, number one stress cure-all. The best part about this remedy? You won’t feel like ASS ON A STICK the morning after!

My prescription for pain is to watch at least two episodes of Sex and The City. Sorry, my beloved Grey Goose, but I prefer a dose of Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte to get me through.

Put simply, I’d much rather empathize with Carrie’s latest Big drama than think about my own big drama. I can get lost in the funny one-liners (Samantha: “The guy I’m dating has the funkiest tasting spunk” Carrie: “Excuse me, can I cancel my rice pudding?”) and am no longer obsessing about the fact that the interest rate on my credit card “suddenly doubled”.

I love the entire series (well, with the exception of Berger-sorry was just “not that into him”), have worn the shit out of my DVD collection and have watched the movie more times that I can count (even twice in one day recently while I was writing)…but even the most die hard fan has her favorites. So here are mine. If you need an escape, I advise you to watch at least two and call me in the morning!

Season one, episode one- Sex and the City. Disclaimer: Sex and the City premiered 11 years ago (um, yeah you read that right!) So, if it’s been a while since you’ve watched that first episode, you need to brace yourself for a few things. Carrie’s hair is pretty bad (short and way too dark), there are a lot of boxy blazers (and Miranda’s not the only one wearing them) and there’s also that whole “talking to the camera thing” (thank God that stopped), but it’s still Sex and the City! And this episode is a classic because it’s when Carrie and Mr. Big first meet! So, is this a must-watch that will make you feel better? “Absofuckinglutely!”

Season two, finale- Ex and the City. Can you be friends with an ex? That’s the question Carrie asks in this episode. And it’s a question I think we’ve all asked. I’ll admit it. I’ve failed miserably at trying to be friends with an ex. Let’s just say I learned the hard way that it’s not a good idea to hang out with your ex in London while trying to pretend you’re not still in love with him…even when he tells you his “other” ex is also in town. (True story!) So when Carrie and Big have their lunch and he drops the bomb that he’s engaged, I feel her heart break. And when Charlotte asks Carrie how “she’s not in a hospital or something” after hearing that news, I can empathize with how, even when your heart physically hurts, you have to keep going. And it’s your GIRLfriends who you can always count on to help you through. (Xoxo!)

Season four- Ghost Town. I’ll admit it, I was on Team Aidan for a while. So I love when Carrie starts to admit she wants him back. (He did get really hot after he cut the hair, lost the tummy & those turquoise rings!) This is also the episode where Steve and Aidan open “Scout”, Samantha breaks up with her lesbian lover and Miranda (and her cat, “Fatty”)  think there’s a ghost in the apartment–which, for whatever reason, I find really funny… (Well, it could be because, in a particularly desperate single woman moment a couple years ago,  I came dangerously close to custom-ordering a cat. ) Hence my favorite line: Charlotte: “When I lived alone, I used to get scared. But now that Trey and I are back together, I feel so safe.” Miranda: “What are you saying, Charlotte, I have a ghost because I’m single? That’s discrimination!”

Season four- Baby, Talk is Cheap. I’m picking another episode from season four because I like so many of its story lines… Steve only having one ball and wanting to get a ball implant that’s not FDA approved (Miranda: “Do you want a pinto next to your penis, Steve?”), Miranda getting pregnant from her mercy f**k with Steve, Carrie and Aidan try to make it work but then realizing they don’t work…This particular episode also hits especially close to home–yet again. I, like Carrie, might also be guilty of throwing rocks at the window of an ex-boyfriend I was just slightly desperate to get back together with. I’ll spare you the gory details and simply say, “That was the last time I opted not to ring the doorbell!”

Season six finale- An American Girl in Paris, Part Une & Deux. I’m all about the happy ending. It’s why I read chick lit, write chick lit and love romantic comedies. So, naturally, I love the ending of the series because all the ladies get who and what they want. And even though they experience very real struggles along the way, everything is tied up in a perfect bow at the end. Just how I like it. (Favorite parts: When Big meets the girls in the coffee shop (his first time there) and tells them they are the three loves of Carrie’s life and a guy’s just lucky to come in fourth. When Miranda says to Big, “Go get our girl”… And then of course when Big goes to Paris and tells Carrie she’s “the one”… Hey–even though I’m a robot, I’m still a total sucker for all that romantic love stuff!

So, Dr. Steinke’s bottom line? If you’re feeling stressed, watch Sex and The City, go see the latest romantic comedy (only one year ’til the next SATC movie!) or read a good Chick Lit book.

I have one I can recommend…

xoxo