1. Have had a big desire for junk food lately. I need to get some cooking done this weekend and get back on track on my usual diet.

2. Finnegans Wake is consuming a big part of my days. It takes a surprising amount of time to read 5 pages, and then the layered word play haunts me. All other reading seems too simple.

3. The weather is getting increasingly nice. I want to go lie in the sun outside like our orange cat.

1. No storms here but it's chilly, windy and rainy, like the middle of October. We had 3 days of warm weather last week. I think that was summer. Stay safe in the storm, US bunnies.

2. Work is insanely busy, and I seem to be 'carrying' the rest of my team in terms of output. Last week I was responsible for one-third of our total output, in a team of 9 people. I have a strong work ethic, it's not in my makeup to slack off, but I sometimes wonder what the rest of my team is doing all day. I hope my manager is wondering that too.

3. My back yard is full of weeds. Yet the flower seeds I planted haven't shown their little faces. I need to get out there and weed, if this autumnal weather ever ends.

Rainy and cold all day yesterday. Rainy and not so cold today. I have more things to plant, and desire to do this without rain.

I have to walk 1/2 mile to go pick up my car, but there's a steady rain, so I'm at a Starbucks.

After a long siege, my health is improving, my energy is slightly less depleted. Cautiously optimistic.

1. "Vortex shedding" is a cool term.

2. This is a really pretty visualization of algebraic numbers on the complex plane.

3. Hannibal is turning out to be a pretty good show.

1. Need to fix a yucky scrape on the side of my car.

2. Our choir effing BOMBED this Sunday, it was our worst performance ever. I am taking action to remove the person causing the problems, which isn't fun, as I hate to tell an elderly person that their time with the group is over. Luckily, he is not objecting to the concerns, and I think we'll all be fine in the fall. Still, it's not fun.

3. The new season of Ice Road Truckers promises to SUCK this year. *sigh*

1. Rain rain rain.

2. Tired of proofreading stuff.

3. Sad I will miss this party.

1. There have been so many bugs in the apartment recently: spiders, flies, one random waterbug. Glad we are moving soon and hope we don't take any with us.

2. I've started using MyFitnessPal to track what I eat, it's going ok so far but it's annoying how slow it loads.

3. Honeymoon planning has begun! We will go to the Greek Islands for a little more than a week. I'm excited.

1. Still battling this miserable throat/chest cold I've had since Saturday. Feeling a little better today. Chest is loosening up. Choked down a triple dose of cherry nyquil last night (nasty stuff -- needed a peanut butter chaser to get it down) and knocked myself the fuck out. Sleep, glorious sleep. I think I may still be a bit loopy from it. That or just exhausted (word).

2. Nine days until summer break! Count 'em, people, NINE! Yippee! **Snoopy dance**

3. Bad news: New York State/City has come up with a so-called teacher evaluation plan that pretty much allows a principal to target, set up, and fire any teacher he/she wants to after two years, especially in schools with a high percentage of high needs students (Special Education; English Language Learners; high poverty, with all its complicating factors). Ah, well. At least one will be able to see it coming. Thing is, it makes it difficult to speak out and advocate for the students if in retaliation your job could be on the line (all a principal would have to do, especially in high schools, where there are state regents exams, is give a teacher a majority of very weak/absentee/high needs students, and the teachers "numbers" would look like crap. I've had classes with 100% Regents pass rates, for example, and I've had classes with a 40% pass rate; am I "Highly Effective" or "Ineffective"? Same school; same teacher; similar curriculum -- different students (no one seems to want to say, but the students are the biggest variable. Harvard's only Harvard because of the students. I guarantee if you swapped Harvard students with Bronx Community College, it wouldn't be Harvard anymore). The sad thing is, it's going to drive a lot of good teachers away from teaching, especially in high needs areas. Who, after all, wants to risk their career if they can help it. Teaching may be a noble profession, but one still has to eat.

1. Reached a watershed with eating and fitness: I had to take the lift out of my shoe so I could walk without pain. It's been there for more than 10 years, since my first pregnancy. I get over a certain weight and it has to be there. If I go under I need to not have it.

2. It's been crazy hot here. I'll take any rain.

3. Finally got to volunteer at the riding center again! Since the kids are at camp all day I have all this freedom. It's really nice.

Dayum, pips, that's awful