Trinity of Tealights

Thunder Only Happens When It's Raining...

What a treat! A springtime thunderstorm. I love storms...I find them beautiful, lovely, the perfect accompaniment to jazz, self-introspection, and nice steaming cup of coffee or tea.

I started the process of making room for C today. In order to give her her own closet, I cleared out the one in the hall, took some things downstairs to my storage unit, put others in my closet, or in the kitchen, if appropriate. Tomorrow, at some point after the gym but before the reading in Hampden I'm attending with one of the women in my poetry group, I'll move the bookshelf of cds into the hallway.

Haven't been to FCF (Faith Christian Fellowship) in months. Because Sarah's moving away is imminent (she and Michael are headed down to NC this weekend for his audition. Praying people, pray!), I've been spending a lot of Sundays with her (the most convenient day for us to hang out), and aside from that, on the Sundays that I am at home, I was not very motivated to go. Very suddenly, I just lost my steam. In any case, I've decided that I am going to the 8 a.m. service tomorrow. I am really looking forward to having the corporate worship experience.

Lately, I've taken to eating mangos a bit differently (for me, anyway). Just taking off the peel with my thumb and forefinger, and holding the whole fleshy mess with both hands, biting around the core. Such a passionate fruit should be eaten with gusto. And I'm too impatient for slicing right now.

The Wonderful Girl You scored 61 looks, 72 personality, 83 politics, and 25 sex drive!

You're extremely nice, beautiful, and know your politics. Your sex drive is a little low, but that's not as important as love is it? You will make someone a great wife or girlfriend someday, if you haven't already. You're the kind of girl that everyone secretly wants. Most people claim that they want your opposite, the sex machine, but in all honesty we want the nice one. With a little sex drive you would be perfect, but maybe you haven't even had sex yet, and for that I commend you.

Link: The What Kind of Girl are You Test written by ramonaaronperez on OkCupid Free Online Dating

Michael and I ordered chinese food for lunch yesterday. I went with shrimp and broccoli (no rice)...a fairly conservative choice (I ate as little as possible of the oily sauce) for takeout. Tonight, after the gym, I made a very health-friendly version of the same. I used canola cooking spray to saute the shrimp (plenty of Old Bay, of course). I added a good dose of Shitake Mushroom Sauce, too. I boiled the broccoli for only a minute or so, then removed the water. It was that bright green colour that lets you know the vitamin content is still intact (the worst thing you can do to a green vegetable is cook it within an inch of its life). Then, I added it into the pan with the shrimp. So light. So delicious. Almost no fat and little prep time.

This evening's workout consisted of the elliptical, the stairmaster, the rowing machine, and some lifting. Not too bad after all was said and done. I came home and did crunches; I try for at least 15 a night. I know that's by no means a ridiculous number, but I figure consistency is more important for me than quantity at this point.

My report card came today. Of course grades are not in yet, so I got that stupid "M" beside the class name, but I did get the benefit of seeing a lovely A beside the column for Poetry and Poetics, the class I hated at first.

Finished

I couldn't find my keys this morning. I realized this just after Michael called me to tell me he'd be outside my building to pick me up for work in just a couple of minutes. Panic ensued. I eventually found them under my pillow. It's a wonder I didn't dream about doors that I couldn't open.

Fortunately, for me, my boss was out sick today. This was a good turn only because I really needed to spend some time finalizing my final paper for the Contemporary American Writers class that wrapped up tonight, and I couldn't very well do that with any ease with her happening by my desk and random intervals.

Per the instrucotr we all brought "celebratory eats" for the fete. There was quite a nice spread, including 3 different kinds of beer, chips, bread, dips, cookies. I had more alcohol than anything else during the first half of class and spent that hour in a relative shroud of unaffected peace of mind. The discussion was interesting from this vantage point. Everyone seemed so impassioned. I followed the conversation, but didn't proffer any thoughts of my own.

I realized that I hadn't eaten since lunch time, which is why I felt that half a beer and 3/4 of a glass of wine. During the break, I got some of the food, but restrained myself to very limited portions.

Blast it all, but I ended up leaving my breadknife and tea towel behind! I sure hope someone picked them up and will return both to me. I sent out an e-mail once I got home. If these items are irretrievably lost, then I invoke the spirit of Elizabeth Bishop's "One Art," and say "the art of losing isn't hard to master/ so many things seem filled with the intent/ to be lost that their loss is no disaster."

The long day of the spring semester is over. Now I just wait for the grade report, then I relax with Caryl all summer.

Fitness-related Pet Peeves

It is not only common courtesy, but a rule at public gymnasiums that one wipe off, using a solution (provided by the gym), any equipment that one has used once one is finished with that machine. Essentially, you are not permitted to leave your sweat on any equipment.

I am noticing a disturbing trend among some of the clientele that frequent my fitness facility. I have seen a few offenders "wipe" off machines with their own towels (already soaked with their sweat!), or half-heartedly with their own hands (what?!), or not at all... they just walk away, sociopathic and whatnot... either not thinking of the next person who may come in after them, assuming the machine has been cleaned...or not caring. either way.

Another bothersome trend is the sizing attributed to workout gear. Wanting to trade in my old (now baggy)sweats for some more streamlined workout pants, I went shopping this past Saturday. I still weigh enough to merit an extra large in most things, so I automatically went for the XL bottoms. When I tried them on, I fit them, but in no way comfortably. As a matter of fact that "XL" felt more like a large to me. Not only were they too small, but weren't even cut right for my body. The pervasive theme seems to be that you can't wear true work out clothes unless you are already relatively thin, and have a body of a specific shape.

I know there are specialty stores/catalogues where larger people can buy comfortable (and more expensive) exercise clothing, but I really do believe there should be a greater variety of sizes available in stores and sports shops. Maybe I'm not looking hard enough?

I'm determined to go this year...

Roasted Zucchini & Baby Carrots tossed w/Honey and Thyme in Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup...

Was what I had for dinner last night. I loved the earthy thyme softened by the honey coated with the smoky flavour of the commingled tomato, garlic, and pepper. It was simply delicious, and was the perfect segue between my workout and working on my final paper for class. Before going to the gym, I ate half of a Kashi Go Lean protein bar, so I didn't really miss the meat/soy component of dinner at all.

I lit my mango and tahitian vanilla scented candles, then did crunches on the yoga mat while watching sitcoms in syndication.

When I sat down to my computer to compose my final essay, I had less than a page of it already done. Before I went to bed last night, I was well onto the 4th page of what need only be a 6-page affair. I'll finish it up tonight after the gym.

Currently, I'm on my first cup of green tea. The cream coloured gerber daisies I bought yesterday are sunning themselves. They look so sleek and dainty standing in the makeshift Boylan Bottle Works vase I made for them.

In just under two weeks my sister will move in with me for the summer. She got a job here at my company! I guess I should start intentionally enjoying living alone for the next week and a half. For the next three months, that independent living I enjoy so much will be on hiatus.

M is for the Many things she gave me...

I left work on Friday evening and from there went directly to the train station to get the 5:25 to DC. I went to spend the entire weekend with my mother, and truthfully, I was more looking forward to it than not. I felt hopeful that we could get through the weekend with little manipulation or childishness on either side. We've been talking on the phone a lot lately and bonding over our mutual fitness efforts. Things have been nice. Good even.

I was about 15 minutes later than I told her I'd be. Once I got to Union Station, I missed the first possible subway train going in the direction of her house, and during peak hours, especially if you have to transfer at any point, missing one train can easily add about 10 to 15 minutes to your ETA.

As was the case back in the old days when I rode the commuter train from Baltimore to DC and back again every day, I was lulled to sleep within minutes. A very literary sleep in which the sentence "the body has a memory," kept repeating, like a mantra, in my head. Interspersed between this refrain were lines from Elizabeth Bishop's poem "One Art" in which she discusses grief with detached irony and encourages people to embrace loss...that it's no disaster...and I kept thinking of the line "practice losing farther, losing faster..." and then from nowhere "the body has a memory," would crop up like the beat you count by in a song.

My sleep was train-feverish. I missed Gordon, I realized. All this had to do with being back in the context in which I spent much time thinking about him. Like coffee, the train is a symbol of our association, and specifically of my longing. I dreamt in phrases. "I've lost him so entirely," I thought at one point.

This train of thought was palpable and mutual. I discovered, hours later, before I went to bed on Friday night, that he'd sent me an e-mail. I've yet to reply. At first I was certain that I would, now I'm not so sure.

Mom and I were both hungry, so after hugs we headed to The Golden Corral. Let me just say right here and now that my mother's idea of heaven is the buffet-style restaurant. I have always preferred sitting down and being served one plate of specifically chosen food to the "pigs at the trough" model of eating, so how much more now that I am being health conscious?

I didn't do too badly, but it's difficult to mind one's Ps and Qs at a place where the vegetables are boiled within an inch of their lives, and as a result are tasteless, and where everything else is fat laden.

Friday night and Saturday morning were pleasantly uneventful and included another meal out, this time at a steakhouse (my suggestion). I had a very crisp wedge salad, which is by no means conservative (mom and I shared it); a steamed vegetable medley which was delicious. It tasted as though the verdant zucchini, the lemon yellow squash, and the bright orange carrots had been tossed in just a bit of honey; sirloin tips (of which I ate very few because the veggies were filling); and smashed potatoes, all of which I gave to my mother, save for one forkful that I ate just to taste the magic.

Then came the unfortunate event. I attended a bookclub meeting with my mom that in retrospect I should not have gone to. I knew the topic was going revolve around the life of Christ, and I know that I have a lot of trouble being neutral about it. I don't think Jesus is up for debate. People can and do feel their own way about him, but I think what he said about himself trumps all of that as objective fact. Anyway, Let's just say that while my point may have been valid, I didn't handle the way I discussed my point super-well. I ended up leaving in a huff and waiting outside for my mom and Jim to finish up with the group so we could go grocery shopping.

I picked up some puffed millet and found fat-free soy-milk (so that's breakfast this morning)in addition to tuna, a couple of soups, honey, whole wheat bread...things like that.

Running around with my mom and her compadre, I was completely out of control of the schedule. Fortunately, I was full enough from lunch that I didn't feel that I was about to die of hunger (and I picked up a Naked Food-Juice from whole foods for a snack) or anything, but I didn't eat any dinner until 10:30 Saturday night! Technically too late to be taking in new food, but just as bad to skip a meal, too, so I cut up one of the zucchini I'd purchased, sauteed it in canola cooking spray, then later added my leftover sirloin tips. Delicious, but pretty heavy, especially for that time of night.

See, after the disastrous book club and the shopping, my mother had to "see a woman about some jewelry." Naturally, because my mother is an extremely social creature, every errand turns into a visit. I was unnerved the entire time we were at this woman's house, because her parakeet flies around freely, and frankly, though I know many people allow their birds to do this, I cannot relax with a bird flying above my head in an enclosed space!

Sunday morning. Didn't know how I would feel about my mom's church which seems a little hoakey to me, but I actually enjoyed myself, and found their Christianity/Meditation fusion to be interesting. Jim's mother attended the service with us...then off to another buffet. This one was decidedly upscale and held in the dining area of a fairly nice hotel. But the pressure to eat more than one plate of food is intense, otherwise, you are totally missing out on the value of the buffet concept!

I got salmon and asparagus tips (in a decadent cream sauce) along with chessie potatoes. Later, I got a spring medley of veggies, mushroom ravioli, and something else, which I forget. For dessert, 3/4 of a slice of spice cake, and cup of coffee with cream, but no sugar. I calculated that meal at roughly 800 calories. Fortuitous, since it was lunch, and if one is going to "celebrate," it should be earlier on in the day. For breakfast I'd had cereal with soy milk (all my mom uses now)so, I still had a good amount of calorie inventory left over for dinner.

The day was just beginning. Once in St. Mary's county, we picked up my sister then drove to one of my mother's favourite haunts in Calvert county for dinner. This sad, decrepit little tikki lounge where the food is only fair, but that sits on the water. I did broiled seafood and had a sub par pina colada. I've decided that I loathe eating out! I am so sick of having to eat something I'm either not interested in, where no nuturional information is available, or something that just isn't healthy.

I got home at about midnight, because of course, we had to unload some of my sister's stuff back to my mom's house before I could go home. It was just a long, long day. The weekend was more pleasant than not, but I lost two days of having reasonable control over my eating plan and schedule, two days of working on my final paper for class, and two days of working out.

It was hard not to feel that it was worth it when my mother cried when I told her what I got for her...It hasn't yet arrived, but it's what she wanted.

Haughty Intellectual You are 71% Rational, 42% Extroverted, 42% Brutal, and 71% Arrogant.

You are the Haughty Intellectual. You are a very rational person, emphasizing logic over emotion, and you are also rather arrogant and self-aggrandizing. You probably think of yourself as an intellectual, and you would like everyone to know it. Not only that, but you also tend to look down on others, thinking yourself better than them. You could possibly have an unhealthy obsession with yourself as well, thus causing everyone to hate you for being such an elitist twat. On top of all that, you are also introverted and gentle. This means that you are just a quiet thinker who wants fame and recognition, in all likelihood. Rather lacking in emotion, introspective, gentle, and arrogant, you are most certainly a Haughty Intellectual! And, most likely, you will never achieve the recognition or fame you so desire! Sweet! To put it less negatively: 1. You are more RATIONAL than intuitive. 2. You are more INTROVERTED than extroverted. 3. You are more GENTLE than brutal. 4. You are more ARROGANT than humble. Compatibility: Your exact opposite is the Schoolyard Bully. (Bullies like to beat up nerds, after all.) Other personalities you would probably get along with are the Braggart, the Hand-Raiser, and the Robot. * * If you scored near fifty percent for a certain trait (42%-58%), you could very well go either way. For example, someone with 42% Extroversion is slightly leaning towards being an introvert, but is close enough to being an extrovert to be classified that way as well. Below is a list of the other personality types so that you can determine which other possible categories you may fill if you scored near fifty percent for certain traits. The other personality types: The Emo Kid: Intuitive, Introverted, Gentle, Humble. The Starving Artist: Intuitive, Introverted, Gentle, Arrogant. The Bitch-Slap: Intuitive, Introverted, Brutal, Humble. The Brute: Intuitive, Introverted, Brutal, Arrogant. The Hippie: Intuitive, Extroverted, Gentle, Humble. The Televangelist: Intuitive, Extroverted, Gentle, Arrogant. The Schoolyard Bully: Intuitive, Extroverted, Brutal, Humble. The Class Clown: Intuitive, Extroverted, Brutal, Arrogant. The Robot: Rational, Introverted, Gentle, Humble. The Haughty Intellectual: Rational, Introverted, Gentle, Arrogant. The Spiteful Loner: Rational, Introverted, Brutal, Humble. The Sociopath: Rational, Introverted, Brutal, Arrogant. The Hand-Raiser: Rational, Extroverted, Gentle, Humble. The Braggart: Rational, Extroverted, Gentle, Arrogant. The Capitalist Pig: Rational, Extroverted, Brutal, Humble. The Smartass: Rational, Extroverted, Brutal, Arrogant.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 50% on Rationality You scored higher than 50% on Extroversion You scored higher than 40% on Brutality You scored higher than 78% on Arrogance

Link: The Personality Defect Test written by saint_gasoline on OkCupid Free Online Dating

I'm It!

From Muddyart's most recent post:

If you're tagged, you need to choose 5 (or more if you like) occupations from the list below and then finish the sentence for each that you've chosen.

You then tag three more people who must do the same. You can add more occupations to the list when you pass it on but you must choose your 5 from the list provided by the person who tagged you. You're also asked to trackback to the blogger who tagged you if you know how.

If I could be a scientist...
If I could be a farmer...
If I could be a musician...
If I could be a doctor...
If I could be a painter...
If I could be a gardener...
If I could be a missionary...
If I could be a chef...
If I could be an architect...
If I could be a linguist...
If I could be a psychologist...
If I could be a librarian...
If I could be an athlete...
If I could be a lawyer...
If I could be an innkeeper...
If I could be a professor...
If I could be a writer...
If I could be a llama-rider...
If I could be a bonnie pirate...
If I could be a service member...
If I could be a photographer...
If I could be a philanthropist...
If I could be a rap artist...
If I could be a child actor...
If I could be a secret agent...
If I could be a comedian/comedienne...
If I could be a priest...
If I could be a radio announcer...
If I could be a phlebotomist...
If I could be Paris Hilton's stylist...
If I could be the CEO of Microsoft..
If I could be a movie producer.
If I could be a laser hair removal specialist...
If I could be a dog groomer...
If I could be a bicycle repairman...
If I could be a member of the Royal Family...

here are my additions to the list:

If I could be an editor....
If I could win the Nobel Peace Prize....
If I could invent a new no-cal drink....
If I could be a member of the President's cabinet...

If I could be a writer I would write novels about the drama and intellectually-hellacious pas de deux of relationships. I would also write pulitzer prize-winning volumes of free-verse poetry.

If I could be Paris Hilton's stylist, I would help her get some...style, that is.

If I could be a professor, I would teach comparitive literature, and devote an entire class to Anna Karenina.

If I had been a child actor, I would have been one of the few to not star in a porn flick or do drugs.

If I could be a rap artist, my debut album would be called "All you Sucker MCs better just back up off me."

P.S. I tagged Catchka, Michael, and Sarah.

Michelangelo's David

Working from the disegno paradigm, the artist considered that the essence of his David was already present in the block of marble and that he was simply cutting away whatever was not David.

As I'm watching my own body change, I find this notion even more intriguing and romantic than I did before. I am simply chiseling what is not myself to become more fully formed as myself. The Greeks definitely gloried in the physical form and praised it, when athletic and in top condition, as an indication of a sound mind.
The Latin idea for this is men san in corpo sano.

Exercising has given me a mental clarity I wasn't expecting. My clear mind enables me to be commited to my exercise routine. Now that I have put food in its proper place and have an appropriate perspective on it, my body is better able to do the things I want it to do.

Now we begin to form the abdomen...one stroke at a time...

My Stock Is Plummeting...

If RetroStats is anything to go by. It must be all the prosaic entries I've been posting lately.

Well, here's a little intrigue for the faithful few that remain.

The kid I "hung out" with a couple of weeks ago both annoyed and repulsed me during the course of my last Tuesday night class of the semester. Last week he off-handedly suggested that the next time we try out The Helmand (Afghan restaurant of excellent repute here in the city), as you may recall. This was perfectly fine and in keeping with our agreement that the next meal would be on me. No boundaries overstepped. No presumption of anything. He wasn't weird.

Leading up to class all day on Tuesday, though, I felt uneasy. I sensed that there would be uncomfortable tension with him. So, I deliberately sat one seat down from where I usually do. True to my expectations, he adjusted himself so he was sitting next to me. He led with "You owe me a meal; don't think I've forgotten about that." I understood this to be his attempt at another off-handed reminder that he and I are supposed to go out again. But his neediness was so bald and obvious in that moment, and as a result of being embarrassed for him because of that, I became detached and formal. I assured him that I had not forgotten, adding "I get paid at the middle of the month, and at the end, so again, it will have to be at one of those times."

As we were going over poems, he found himself without copies of two of them, which meant he'd have to look on with me. I was so determined not to given him any fuel for the fire, that I simply gave him my copies, then looked on with the person sitting next to me. In that moment I felt that by simply being alive I was encouraging him! He made other half-baked attempts at humour/flirting that I dodged and deflected with an icy stare.

I left class quickly because I was concerned that he was going to try to have a "moment" with me. Instead, he tossed off what I'm sure he thought was a breezy "call me." I lost even more respect for him.

I felt stuck, because this guy, just two weeks prior seemed like a great potential friend; hanging out with someone I didn't know well was novel, and therefore exciting. What's more, he'd been generous enough to pay for my dinner the first time, so it would not only seem odd to refuse to spend time with him at least once more, but would also leave me with this uncomfortable debt over my head.

If I let that meal he bought stand as is, It's as good as saying we went on a date (I say this because of where I think his head is. I mentioned before that I suspected he made more of it than I did.) But I was chagrined to go out with him again, alone, which might arguably subject me to more discomfort in the future.

Then I got a brilliant idea.

I asked one of our mutual classmates, a woman, to join us. He knows her and they once attended a reading together (she invited the whole class, but he was the only one who responded in the affirmative), so I thought I could just play that "the more, the merrier" card and inform him "oh, by the way, C will be joining us. We'll just meet you there." Which is what I did.

Come to find out from C, she knows exactly where I'm coming from where he's concerned, and is more than happy to lend her services, because she too felt weird at the thought of being alone with him at the reading, and at the last moment "dragged a coworker along," much to his seeming chagrin. She said he seemed annoyed that another person was with them, though the initial invitation was by no means exclusive to him. Since then, she has deliberately and significantly distanced herself from him, she told me.

I felt extremely validated and was pleased to have my instincts corroborated.
He hasn't yet acnowledged my message about C and I meeting him at the restaurant as yet. I wonder if he'll slink off, or if he'll force me to get hyper blunt with him (which, I'm telling you, he does not want, because I won't spare him if it comes to that).

The underlying drama of all this is that it made me realize how burdensome unsolicited, unrequited interest is. I nearly sent g an e-mail apologizing for subjecting him to my feelings for so long. Suddenly his totally ignoring me at the St. Patrick's Day party in 2002 made a lot of sense. I felt so retrospectively embarrassed because he, at times, must have felt toward me what I felt toward this kid on Tuesday night.

In one of our team meetings we got the "it's time to go the extra mile" pep talk. The pep talk which basically means anyone not working later or coming in earlier or taking work home is dead weight, and yes, your bonus may be impacted. Speaking of bonuses, I already have at least thirty ideas in mind for how to purpose the money. This is a great time to remember that one shouldn't count one's chickens before they hatch. These adages exist for a reason. Someone somewhere learned these truths the hardway. I'll say it, because someone should. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Think about it.

With all that in mind, I don't want to speak prematurely, but I may have some really great news regarding my sister soon. When it's official, I'll share.

My dreams were disjointed. In one segment, a series of steaming coffee karafes were sticking, handle side out, of the mailbox slots in my apartment building. The handles were orange, indicating a decaf brew. Every one had one except for me, and I thought, "well, the mailman knows I'm not drinking coffee anymore..."

It was a very striking image...that series of coffee pots in mailboxes. I might want to develop that for a poem.

Also, rather unceremoniously, I had a skim vanilla latte on Sunday. I ordered decaf, but I don't believe that's what it was. I didn't wake up planning it, but when Sarah and I were at starbucks, I decided to have one to test the waters, in lieu of the green tea I usually order at cafes now. It has clearly been long enough because it just wasn't that big a deal to me (and I know lattes are more milk than anything else), and I wasn't immediately sucked back into the addiction vortex. I may be ready to have the real stuff from time to time now.

Your #1 Match: ISTJ

The Duty Fulfiller You are responsible, reliable, and hardworking - you get the job done. You prefer productive hobbies, like woodworking or knittings. Quiet and serious, you are well prepared for whatever life hands you. Conservative and down-to-earth, you hardly ever do anything crazy. You would make a great business executive, accountant, or lawyer.

Your #2 Match: ESTJ

The Guardian You're a natural leader and quick, logical decision maker. Goals are important in your life, and you take many steps to acheive them. You enjoy interacting with others, mostly through work related activities. Your high energy level means you are great at getting things done! You would make a great teacher, judge, or police detective.

Your #3 Match: ISFJ

The Nurturer You have a strong need to belong, and you very loyal. A good listener, you excell at helping others in practical ways. In your spare time, you enjoy engaging your senses through art, cooking, and music. You find it easy to be devoted to one person, who you do special things for. You would make a good interior designer, chef, or child psychologist.

What's Your Personality Type?

Clearly, Quiz Crazy...



>

American Cities That Best Fit You:

65% Chicago

65% New York City

60% Boston

60% Philadelphia

50% Los Angeles

Which American Cities Best Fit You?

Let's Hope...

Your Seduction Style: The Coquette

You are a pro at playing the age old game of hard to get. Your flirting style runs hot and cold, giving just enough to keep them chasing you. Independent and self-sufficient, you don't need any one person to make you compelte. And that independence is exactly what makes people pursue you.

What Is Your Seduction Style?

Riding Devika's Coattails

Your Linguistic Profile:

50% General American English

35% Yankee

15% Dixie

0% Midwestern

0% Upper Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Cleaning Phase I Completed

After eating the small amount of leftover Afghan food (from Wednesday's outing) supplemented by roasted brussel sprouts and carrots, I went out for about a two-mile walk (with free weights). It felt so primitive compared to my gym workouts. But hey, I shouldn't knock it. I lost the first twenty pounds just doing that two or three times a week.

Cleaning is wonderfully invigorating. I finished sweeping, mopping, and wiping the kitchen by about 9:00, and then finally got the gumption to move my cd shelf from the bedroom into the hallway, so that I could rearrange the bed and open up the room some more. My sister is bringing her keyboard (w/stand), so creating a place for it was crucial.

Tomorrow, when I return from Sarah's, I'll do more dusting and sweeping. I'll also clean the bathroom. But today, I go wholesale club shopping. With two people in the house buying some things in bulk suddenly sounds like a good idea.

At this point, I'm just waiting for Sarah to arrive. We'll begin with breakfast at the One World (I am in love with their 7-grain pancakes!), then we'll push off onto our shopping adventure.