While I was exercising today, I mentally created a story to explain the sofa guy of the previous entry.

Unfortunately, I waited too long to write it down.

But here’s the idea:

He came back to town early only to discover that his apartment was cordoned off with police tape. One of his neighbors had been found dead in her apartment–discovered only after her body began to smell. Unfortunately for him, his cheap bastard of a landlord put him up in the skankiest fleabag motel in town, where gravel trucks roared past his window all day and all night.

And then Michael showed up and so the story abruptly stopped there. Which is too bad, because I was hoping to learn how the neighbor had died, and if the apartment would be condemed.

It was a lot better in my brain when he was rubbing the week old stubble on his chin and regretting returning to town a week early.

Right outside our facility is a huge open atrium with tables and chairs and two cushion love seats where students can eat lunch and study and socialize. It’s actually a rather nice area, and for the most part the students are good about keeping it nice looking.

I mention this, because since about nine this morning, some guy has been asleep on one of the love seats. First of all, the seats have wooden arms, precisely to make them uncomfortable for lying down. Secondly, how can you sleep for six hours IN PUBLIC?!

That’s just creepy.

I’ve never been a fan of New Year’s Resolutions. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seriously made one (the ones you make as a kid when you’re all excited to stay up past you bedtime and make something up off the top of your head just because that’s what you’re supposed to do totally don’t count.)

If I decide that something needs to be changed or done, then I simply do it. (I’m impulsive like that.) I decided I needed to start exercising, so I start walking that day at lunch. I decide that I needed upper body strength, I sign up for the gym the next day.

(The closest I’ve come to planning out a major change was spending two months reading magazines full of “Get Organized!” articles, and then deciding one day to organize the basement, including going and buying all the boxes and bins and baskets I’d thought were interesting in all those magazine articles. [The result? Total win!])

I’ve never understood the idea of waiting until the end of the year, making up a whole list of things you don’t like about yourself, and then try to change everything at once. That’s just a recipe for failure, which seems like a good way to feel even worse about yourself than you did when you made a list of everything that was wrong with yourself.
But as I read magazines and blogs that talk about resolutions, I’ve started to think about whether there are things I need to resolve to do. (Mind you, the fact I’m still in therapy for my depression makes me even more introspective than usual.) I realized that in a little under two and a half years I turn forty. And even though I like birthdays, that’s still a pretty big turning point. So I started to wonder if there was something about myself that I’d like to change before I reach that point?

At which point, like any normal American female, I started listing off things I don’t like about myself: my hair, my skin, my shape…

Then I stopped and said fuck this. There is nothing horribly wrong with me. No, I’m not perfect, but NO ONE is perfect. So why would I even try the impossible?

Thus I decided. What I want to do by the time I turn forty is to be comfortable with myself as I am. I want to be able to look in a mirror and be happy with what I see, and be comfortable in my own skin.
And I think over the past couple years I’ve been taking baby steps in that direction. I’ve been learning how to deal with my hair. I’ve been trying different things for my skin–making an effort instead of just ignoring it. And those things are helping, because although I can’t control every element of my life, there are things I can do to make life easier for myself. (i.e. anti-frizz serum is the best stuff in the whole world.)
So there you have it. My resolution. To become comfortable with myself, as I am, by my 40th birthday.

Now I just need suggestions for how to go about doing it.

Here’s a very nice article on Bill Stewart from the Post Gazette.

I’m optimistic, although not overly optimistic. As we were saying this morning at work, we’ll need two years to see how he really does, but I am hoping this work out as well as the Fiesta Bowl, because the more I read, the more I like Bill Stewart.

I just opened Quicken, and just noticed that I had pending bills to pay. (Quicken is cool like that in reminding me of upcoming bills.) When I switched to that account I saw, “OVERDUE!” “Oh shit!” I thought. Then I read the rest of the notice: “Teleflora. Would you like us to schedule this as a regular transaction?”

No. No I would not.

Stupid computer.

So that tells you where I’ve been spending money recently. (No, I haven’t been buying flowers for myself! Though some days I’m tempted.)

Which reminds me, I need to send flowers to my other grandmother who’s in the hospital…

Six came really early this morning.

And I bet the gym this afternoon is going to be mildly unpleasant as well.

But at least it was a good vacation.

As my vacation winds down, I’m going to try to read as much as possible this weekend. It doesn’t look like I’m going to get to Red Seas Under Red Skies but perhaps sometime later this year, when I feel up to dealing with a hardback book and am in the mood for high fantasy.

Which is strange, actually. For years and years I was hard pressed to read much besides high fantasy, but recently I simply have no been in the mood for it at all. Possibly because I re-read Rhapsody last year, and my stomach still hasn’t settled down quite yet. (I still think that if you ignore most of the Rhapsody bits, there’s still a fascinating story about Achmed and Grunthor. It just doesn’t take up enough of the book.)

I’m also going to try to get back onto a better sleep schedule this weekend. Staying up past 1am is not going to be good when I try to get back to waking up at 6AM to write before work.

So book reviews will appear in the side panel as I write them, otherwise, enjoy your weekend.

Good!

And we’re off!

I liked the comment by one of the seniors (Reed Williams?) in the pre game.

Announcer: Do you prefer natural grass or artificial turf.
WVU Sr: I’m just glad there’s a surface. I’m from Moorefield, and we had a dirt field with a few strands of grass there.

8:40 – (sigh)

8:44 – Eric Wicks = Awesome

8:50 – ACK! Steve Slaton CAN’T have a hamstring pull! NOOOO!

8:51 – YAY Pat McAfee!

8:57 – WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Fantastic interception!

I have to say I’m liking Bill Stewart’s coaching so far. He’s stepped back to let the team take center stage, and seems to have a good rapport with the guys.

9:05 – Yay McAfee again!

9:25 – Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Play clean guys!

9:35- TOUCHDOWN! YES!

9:42 – Whew. I can’t believe they didn’t capitalize on that pass.

9:49 – YES! YES! YES! (happy dance)

10:37 – I can’t believe they didn’t call the blatant holding and facemasking! Jeesh! No wonder Johnny Dingle is upset!

10:54 – (sigh)

11:00 – DEVINE WITH THE TOUCHDOWN!

11:08 – DARIUS REYNAUD WITH THE TOUCHDOWN!

Can we keep Bill Stewart?

11:19 – Well, okay. I don’t really feel bad about that at all. It was a very nice pass. Don’t know why they keep trying the 2 point conversion. Our defense is HOT tonight.

11:23 – 79 YARD TOUCHDOWN PASS! Yay for Tito Gonzales!

11:35 – ENOUGH with the PENALTIES ALREADY!

11:42 – I can’t believe this. I’m in awe. I never expected us to do this well.

11:55 – I’m beginning to suspect one of the refs is a Sooner fan. Some of these calls…

12:01 – Man, Bradford has a hell of an arm. But I still like Pat White better.

12:08 – That’s a lot of hugging going on down there.

12:08 – WE WIN! WE WIN! WE WIN! Hurray for Bill Stewart!

It’s almost time!

Here’s hoping that Pat White can keep the team together.

LET’S GO MOUNTAINEERS!

We’re watching the Rose Bowl Parade (one of the few times a year we actually watch live TV).

It is now officially the new year.

Happy New Year!