1. Vacation day! Long run, job interview, homework, dinner with Dad, out with friends. It's nice to get a bit of a break...I'm in a weird place these days.

2. I made cornbread last night (Smitten Kitchen's recipe) and I'm disappointed! It's only so-so. It's more tender than my usual recipe, but it doesn't have an nice sweet or spicy edge to it.

I don't make authentic cornbread; southerners, please don't beat me up.

3. I got "Wise Man's Fear" from the library yesterday and it's very tempting to skip everything in number one so that I can read the whole thing today.

1. A last-minute deadline change has made this an INSANELY busy and chaotic work week so far (3 days in!), but also a good one, since I'm really happy with the show we're putting together.

2. Tomorrow night, elizarde and BitterOldPunk will be at our house! For an all-too-brief visit, but still, any time you can see good friends is a good day.

3. On Friday the partner will have gone one month since quitting smoking. It's still a struggle for him, but I'm so happy to see him reach that milestone. :)

1a. I have new supposedly blister-proof socks that I'm trying out today. I am prepared for disappointment.

1. Going to see a man about a horse, no, scratch that. I am going to see a woman about an apartment in an hour, and I really need this to work out. We have looked at 50 odd apartments so far, 30 or so have plainly been inappropriate. The remaining 20 have been rendered unavailable through one mechanism or another. This place, while way out of our price range, is still in the running, simply because we hit it off with the owners. I am hoping we can reach an agreement.

2. Our glorious pup continues to be her totally rad self, making friends all over. People with little tiny dogs are still afraid to come up to her, but our neighbors are growing bolder and pups is getting more comfortable as a beach dog, and that is really nice to watch. Rottweilers can be disarmingly cute? Who knew? And when I tell people she is a rescue, they just melt.

3. Al-anon has been a veery big and important part of my life for about a year now. I haven't been to a meeting in weeks, and I think I really need one. Next one isn't until next Tuesday, though........ I guess I will be making program calls until then.

1. Ordered one of them HP tablets, since I have a Palm phone and they're supposed to play nicely. 32GB, of course. It arrived last night at my grams, but the super was gone by the time I got there. She should be able to grab it today. (There's no one at my building to sign for packages.) Can't wait to get it set up. Hopefully, it will work for my commute. I need to build a desktop machine so I can leave my work laptop at work and remote in on days I work from home. My back will thank me if it means less to carry every day. (Of course if anyone wants to buy me (or sell to me for cheap) a macbook air, that would also work. Better than a tablet, even. No? No takers? Oh well.)

2. So apparently I have an excellent OKC profile? (It's linked from my MeFi profile, ladies.) I got three messages in a single weekend. And, of course, as I mentioned, date on Friday. I'm still not ready to pursue, but I don't mind going out with nice people.

3. I think my ADD medication is making me OCD [is that a thing?]. I am having trouble stopping myself from plucking even the tiniest of hairs from my chin. Just caught myself doing it again. GRR. But all in all, I think the meds (anti-depressants, too, yay!) are helping. I don't feel so much like crap anymore, even though I'm still not sleeping much (so it wasn't just a lack of energy). Also, I'm able to work out a bit (been air drumming on the subway/train) and have gone down a belt size. Wau. Soon, I will be pretty.

Eide - I had that happen when I was on ritalin. Lots of skin picking; it was pretty not-great.

1. My morning sickness (YES I AM 150% SURE I AM NOT PREGNANT) has meandered into seasonal allergies that wake me up flat at 6 AM and make me heave for the next hour as I try to stop the dripping. Lovely.

2. Now that the wedding is over, I'd like to rejoin the world again. I was thinking that getting back into knitting or similar crafting would be great for that tactile connection. But I cannot for the life of me find that shawl I've been knitting! (It's probably in the car.)

3. Also debating whether or not to join this intensive "Fat to Fit" program at a new yoga place nearby. It's run by a woman I know casually, whom I like and admire, and they admit that the title "Fat to Fit" isn't a very "yoga-like term." I am very much against the hand-wringing about the obesity epidemic and very much into Health At Every Size.

But... I've been gaining a crapload of weight, and I feel physically gross because of the hormonal and mental changes it has exacerbated. I have a hard time doing cardio because of asthma-like stuff, but I've done well in intensive fitness programs like this before. So... who knows.

Also, Eide, I am TOTALLY an ADD stray-hair-picker. There is just nothing so satisfying as feeling something rough become blessedly smooth. Too tempting for sure.

1. I just got my flu shot. I figured I would be tempting fate if I didn't get it seeing how I somehow didn't get sick at all last year. And it didn't hurt at all which exceeded my expectations.

2. I hate having to review requirement and design documents for projects I'm not directly involved in.

3. While the temperatures have been nice lately, I would like to have the sun back.

1. I'm supposed to go to yoga--like now--but I haven't been feeling good in yoga class for about a month.

2. I'm at an uncomfortable place with my huge project at work.

3. Have to make an awkward personal phone call today that has had me on edge for about a month now.

1. I have been sick with a cold/cough/upset stomach for over a week now. My energy is totally sapped and I am beginning to wonder if there's a psychosomatic component to all this.

2. The above, plus everything else that's been going on in my life, has rendered me waaaaaaay behind at work. More stress.

3. I am in desperate need of a vacation.

*sends amro on vacation*

Go on, git! Shoo!

1. Trying to readjust to Real Life [tm] as I decompress from a three-week vacation that was wonderful but physically demanding. No matter how beat-up you are, people just don't cut slack when you've just got back from holiday. No slack to be had.

2. After some diet tweaks (and the support of our wonderful MeFits) I am slowly losing weight. I told my husband that when I reach my goal, I will ask our best-dressed friend to take me shopping for new (GOOD) jeans.

3. I've gone to minimalist shoes (usually Merrell Barefoots) for walking, running and hiking and am pondering how to keep warm and dry during the winter. All the waterproof shoes I find are either trail runners (too squishy) or Keen-style all-purpose shoes (too stiff).

1. We've all lived in the same house for almost a month and we haven't killed each other! Felt like it, some days, but we're all still here.

2. I'm on my second week of getting up at 5:godawful in the morning and working out before the kids wake up. Sore but happy.

3. Uh, got nothin'

1. Exhausted. I've been working insane hours for weeks because someone left the office and they're being replaced by two student workers. I need sleep so bad.

2. Resentful about 1. There, I said it. I couldn't sleep early last night because although the crunch is winding down at work all the dishes and laundry had piled up at home. Raging GRARS.

3. Fall bird migration is on! BIRDSBIRDSBIRDS

*conk* ZZZZZZ

1. I am feeling untrustworthy of my moods. This time of year is usually really godawful for me, and while I had a streak of 'okay' days for a while, I seem to have bounced back into 'good' days. Although my appetite has definitely decreased (which is usually a sign of badness to come), my mood doesn't seem to be going into the crapper. I do not trust this. But maybe it means that the meds are working? Maybe things will start to be okay? (And maybe it's just a perfect storm of meds working, more exercise, not eating complete garbage (although I do have crackers+cheese or cereal for more meals than I probably should), and bumping up my levels of protein by having hardboiled eggs for breakfast.) Or maybe it's because I pushed my bedtime back to 10pm instead of 930. Or maybe it's the fact that I'm having delicious coffee in the mornings.

2. I think I might be settling into the whole concept of having a life. I have activities to go to and whatnot. I'm also not completely exhausted with it anymore. My swim class is totally amazing, pilates is kind of average (and maybe yoga is more my speed, although I'm not sure), Wicca class is super fun, NARA is pretty boring but it's painless, and the gym stuff is okay, I suppose. And there's also my actual job and school.

3. I got my doumbek yesterday and I'm quite excited to start practicing it. I'm still irritated that I'm not getting a nice ring on my left hand with my zills, but that might also be due to the fact that I typically play with mufflers on. But I'm starting to care about things, which is probably due to decreasing the Lamictal. The only problem is, whenever I start to care about things--they tend to go to shit. (See also: #1.)

1. Watched Michael Apted's Married in America 2 with my boyfriend yesterday. Highly recommended and certainly gave us a lot of food for thought about what makes for a lasting relationship. Am looking forward to watching his Up Series now, where he follows a group of people every seven years from age 7 to 49. Amazing!

2. Made lime curd as I needed to use up a bag of limes and make a dent in the eggs I've been getting from my CSA. Used a new recipe -- not sure if I like it as much as my usual one. The boyfriend didn't like it, but he has this strange aversion to creamy desserts (including ice cream!).

3. Attended a very interesting science communication workshop yesterday with Randy Olson, a marine biologist turned documentary filmmaker. Fun stuff and I have lots to think about.

The 7-Up series is remarkable, peacheater. I loved it.

1) As of about an hour ago, my first round of exams for the semester is finished. I'm glad, as I've been averaging maybe 5 hours of sleep a night for about two weeks. Need to find time to catch up, maybe Friday afternoon. Blargh.

2) Related to the above, my fears that the new (even more!) hectic schedule would be mutually exclusive to dating someone came to fruition, so back to single life. Can't say I blame her. I just don't have the time or energy right now, and I'm far too invested in this academic shit to not keep school priority one. Kind of frustrated as I can see this being the case for years to come, but it was nice to feel human again for a few months. Back to automaton status though. So it goes.

3) Blech. Can't really think of a 3 right now. Just waiting to board my bus back to Tulsa so I can race into work. Yee-haw.

1. Coffee!

2. New boots!

3. Trivia night!

Ugh, ufez, sorry to hear about #2, bud. School really IS terrible for trying to have any sort of social life. :(

halonine, I feel your pain about the work hours. I've been through stretches like that, and it's really overwhelming after awhile. I hope you get a break soon.

Get well soon to all you sick bunnies! And thanks for reminding me I need to get a flu shot soon.

1. I am fairly certain I did much better on my chemistry test than I thought I would. My stomach was in knots this morning.

2. I can't wait for this weekend! My school is kind of famous for tailgating, and we're setting up a tent for the first time in a while. Anyone in the area is free to come, but, uh, I doubt any of you would be in the area.

3. It makes me really happy to see leaves falling already.

punchtothehead: 1/3 c buttermilk is nowhere near enough. Try using reversing the amounts of sour cream and buttermilk, at least. For spice: jalapeños and/or cayenne pepper. For sweetness: sugar, corn syrup, or molasses. Also, a 1:1 ratio of flour to cornmeal does not the best cornbread make. Try at least 1:4.

*reversing, not "using reversing"

1. Fresno weather just cannot break this heat streak, so I have surrendered the remainder of September.

2. Abstention from all recreational smokes and beverages over the last few days has confirmed that the wave of faintness/euphoria I get every afternoon is related to my physical condition or the prescribed drugs. I plan to continue this trial through Friday and possibly through the weekend, but man, this nausea sucks hard.

3. I have been trying to figure out how to finance moving since March. Living check to check limits me severely, however if I give my 30-day notice on the 10th the month before, I only have to pay 1/3 of the rent here, leaving 2/3 for moving and pitching a tent somewhere for the rest of the month. 10 years ago, I would have solved such a problem in my head before I could form it into words, as in, "Oh yeah, I'll just stay the first week." Now, such problems are sometimes unsolveable.

Ardiril, thinking of you.

workeant, my barefoot Merrells keep out water as well as any of my former expensive padded and shaped running shoes. Love 'em so much I'm planning on taking them to China for outdoor hikes/walks. They are my biking shoes too.

sperose, glad you are feeling better and smiling at your "perfect storm" of good news.

nthing the fabulousness of the Up series of movies.

For me:

1. Yesterday was my last rabies shot. I've been a pincushion this past month as I get all vaccinations updated for the upcoming China trip, and am also taking typhoid meds this week, which is a pain as they need to be consumed at least an hour before eating with a full glass of water.

2. Work is smooth sailing, All is fine at home. Aiming to get set for the trip (packing light and smart requires a lot of planning!) and trying not to think about how much I will miss my dog.

3. Listening to Sarah's Key and finding it increasingly gripping, and upsetting. I don't think a happy ending is in store, and if one is, I'll have trouble accepting it as anything more than sugarcoating for offal.

1. Work, I just can't even. This place is too crazy. If I didn't honestly like the people I work closely with, I would have lost my mind long ago.

2. So glad fall is here! The weather is so crisp and cool (and rainy- get out of here, rain). Lots of fun stuff coming up- bone marrow cell donation on Monday, a wedding in two weeks, apple picking, fun church stuff. Yay, fall!

3. One night a few weeks ago, I was lying in bed and it hit me like lightning- I NEED TO START PAINTING MY FINGERNAILS. I consulted my friend Nolan for advice and bought some supplies. Now I have fancy nails, yaay! I did a blue last Thursday night and it looked great for 5 days, which I didn't think was possible. I need to build my nail polish collection- all I have right now is the blue and a clear glitter. Next up- something neutral and a few more colors.

TPS: practice makes perfect. Nolan didn't mention coordinating, but you'll pick that up pretty quick. The 101 rule-of-thumb is "shoes, nails & earrings"; the key to this rule is learning how to break it.

Shoes, nails & earrings what? Like, they're all supposed to match or something?

Not so much 'match' as 'establish their own theme'. If you carry a purse, you can use it to contrast.

My purse and earrings are always neutral, so my nails can go wild :D

heheh - That's a whole different fashion school altogether, teeps. May I suggest an airbrush sometime in your future? Also, you won't believe what you can do if you learn to lay your own acrylic.

Mama don't do acrylic.

1. Called an old high school friend whose birthday it is today. I am actually in touch with 3 HS/college friends my age who have summer birthdays. I wish that I had a few friends in this town I live in that are that close.

2. Going to visit said friend in Kona this Winter. I really need to work on my guitar playing (he's great and I used to be as good as him) and swimming (in order to surf decent-sized waves with him).

3. I am not ready for winter but I am ready for cooler weather than we are having right now.

Crush, yoga sucked for me last night also. I keep cramping on the hard poses.
Msali, I hope today is the day you get a house!
Ardril, here's hoping that Fresno is in your rearview mirror soon!

1. Called my union to find a psychiatrist for my son to talk to. I'm not having any trouble with him, but he's still not doing things in school that he should, and I think he should talk to someone. My brother was diagnosed at age 15 as slightly manic-depressive, perhaps my son is the same?

2. Planning on my Halloween decorations and starting to decorate soon..we love this time of year!

3. Otherwise, nothing new to report, life is good, family and friends are good, knock wood.

1. Our newly adopted pooch is settling in nicely - today is 3 weeks. She gets along with our other 4 leggers well.

2. Football & cooler temps make chewie a happy girl.

3. New installer is working out really well. Now I just have to land a big fish.

Senyar, it sounds remarkable for sure. Can't wait!

1. Incredibly disillusioned with job/company (see grumbling thread), unfortunately not quite to the point of total apathy. Shit-icing on crapcake was management questioning my need for bereavement leave. I got it, at least.

2. Feeling pleased with the improvement my walking is having on my overall stamina, which pretty much disappeared after spring's bout of mono. Am basically working my way up to being able to start C-2-5K, jogging still being more than my lungs will allow at the moment, but I'm getting there.

3. The fact that it's for a funeral does not detract from my happiness about getting to see my sister and niece this weekend. I am completely in love with that baby.

That baby is supersweet.

1. Work has been really getting me down but I had a pretty good day yesterday- the VP said thank you to me for something, I had a good meeting and might have brought in a new partner, and I took something off my busy boss' plate.

2. I got internet at home again so now I can be on MeCha more! It's blocked at work.

3. We had a really fun housewarming party last weekend and many things got broken, which has never happened to me before, which I guess means it was a kickin party.