I Love Studying

So I'm one day in to my LSAT prepping and so far, so good. I can't tell you how good it felt to sit down at the desk, number 2 pencils carefully lined up on the desk, ready to go for the diagnostic exam (sounds so clinical). Don't get me wrong, the test was hell. First, I had so many problems focusing in on just the test. I kept thinking about work, what I ate for dinner, when I could go to sleep, etc. I had never seen an LSAT question before sitting down for the By the third section, I was dead....luckily, I brought trail mix, which my instructor said was the perfect snack food. And I have already registered for the test, which is more than I can say for some of my classmates....so on snacking and preparation, two areas in which I already knew I excelled, I'm doing well.

Anyway, these LSAT questions were so bizarre. One of the logic questions involved three roommates and five pieces of mail and contained a set of rules as to who could get what piece. Uh, hello? If there's no addressee, just return to sender and let the Postal Service figure it out. But unfortunately that was not an answer choice.

I expect that as a result, though, of this new study schedule, the blogging will increase....more time spent at the computer. Also more time to procrastinate! But alas, laundry and yoga are calling to me....also tonight's Thursday so I've gotta make sure I'm around for Burn Notice, quite possibly the best and worst show on television.

Farewell to Free Time Tour

I am within hours of starting my LSAT prep class and while I am excited on many levels (achieving goals, intellectual stimulation) I am also terribly worried about how this class will cut in to my leisure time. I know, I know, a terribly ridiculous idea, but as we know I place a high premium on my leisure pursuits (namely, lounging and watching tons of television). So in anticipation of the work/study/class routine that will dominate the next three months, I've been indulging in some of my favorite activities - not changing out of my PJs until 3pm on a Saturday, watching Lifetime movies, reading self-help books, going to happy hour, cooking, crafting, etc. I think I've taken more of an interest in my supposed "hobbies" in the last week than I have in the last 9 months combined. However, I can bemoan their loss even if I haven't been exactly diligent about pursuing them.

Speaking of hobbies....I've been swimming for about a year now and it has come time to replace my bathing suit. As you may recall, one bathing suit was see through, and the other is pilling like crazy. Also, my goggles were practically disintegrating in the water. So I finally have gotten the budget back on track (the no eating out in February has worked out extremely well and I hope to continue its success in March) and I was able to spring for a new suit and a new pair of goggles. The suit is awesome - I'm always nervous about the grab bag situation (where basically the suit is cheap but it's a surprise what it looks like) - but it fits better, so I don't look I've got a saggy butt, and the color isn't crazy either. All of this has spurred me, in addition to needing a good stress relief, to be more serious about my swim workouts - I've been logging continuous half miles the last two times I went. Tomorrow, I will continue this trend and swim another half. My goal is to eventually work up to going two to three times a week and swimming a mile at at time. The only downside is that it really knocks me out. I'm talking like I fall into a deep, deep sleep that feels like I took two Benadryls with a beer (not that I have direct experience with that). In the end, though, it's good because it really does level out my moods, and I feel the key to success in the next few months is managing stress levels (because obviously even though I don't have a lot of stress, it's important to manage it nonetheless).

At any rate, I have to finish my "organic" mac and cheese from the box and then I have a date with Rodney Yee, yoga instructor extraordinaire. Also, as this is the first week in three weeks where I've had to work all five days, I'm still getting back in to this work thing...

Digging out from Snowmaggedon

Snowmageddon did not bury me in snow. There isn't really any reason as to why I didn't update the blog earlier this week, as I was home for four out of the five work days. Without getting in to a discussion of the snow plowing capabilities of DC versus other, more harden climes, I will say there is a ton of snow. Today was the first day that I went back, and I felt like my life was in danger many times: climbing over mountains of snow to get back to sidewalk, cars (as always) showing their disrespect for pedestrians, and nearly falling on the solid blocks of ice that have accumulated because people haven't shoveled (I propose sending the meter maids out to ticket people who haven't shoveled - because yes, there is a law that says how long you have to shovel).

And in the last week it has seriously felt like the end of the world. Blowing snow, people walking in the middle of major roads, sirens off in the distance, beating their way through 50 mph gusts, the grocery stores wiped out...I am just glad that this is behind us.

Also right now I'm watching the Olympic opening ceremonies, and it seems that all they have in mind is advertising. Bob Costas just flat out said they are going to take like 6 commercial breaks in the next four minutes so that they get their ad dollars in. In the last half hour, the Olympics has been used to hawk everything from Papermate pens and mattresses. And how can the Census afford commercials in both the Super Bowl and the opening ceremony? Sigh. But seriously, love the Olympics...I'm going to print out the TV schedule and post it next to my desk....maybe during my lunch break I can catch some events. I hope one day to attend an actual Olympics....I wish Chicago had gotten the games for 2016!

In other news, some of you may have heard about DC's new bag tax. The deal is this: grocery stores and places that sell food must charge 5 cents for every plastic bag. The money goes toward a nonprofit that is helping to clean up the Anacostia River. Ok, I can definitely get behind this (silence, all you people who think I'm anti-environment! I'm so green now!). Sometimes I forget my reusable bag at home and must pay for the plastic (which I then promptly recycle when I'm done - and by recycle, I mean take my lunch to work and then put the bag in the recycling container). But I cannot fathom why on Earth Barnes and Noble charges me the 5 cents. Yes, they sometimes have a Starbucks and assorted chocolate bars at their register. But I would be willing to be that those areas (especially the chocolate part) account for so little of their bottom line that it just seems ridiculous to charge me the 5 cents.

It's been a while since I posted an ABBA video....and this one is epic. I love Mamma Mia, and I don't care who knows it....and yes, I know Pierce Brosnan wasn't his best but you gotta love him for trying. In this scene from the movie, Meryl Streep's character is expressing her anguish at being passed up for another woman so many years ago. Epic scenery! Blowing wind! Scarves! It's great.

What?!? Queen Elizabeth isn't attending the Opening Cermonies?!?! Outrage. Ok I'm going to watch this...catch you on the flipside.

Snowmageddon

Never in my life have I witnessed craziness on the scale that Snowmaggedon has brought upon the DC Metro area. On Thursday, I went to the grocery store because I forgot to get milk when I went on Tuesday. I was not prepared for the grisly scene that awaited me. Entire sections of food, gone, replaced by big gaping holes where ground beef and other sundries once stood (sidenote: everyone in DC must have been making chili for the Super Bowl because the ingredients needed were gone). The lines were snaking out the door...it was incredible. And I wasn't even there during the worst period!!

Overall, Snowmageddon afforded me a lot of time to catch up on some stuff. Some longstanding projects got done, as well as some leisure time (I watched most of the John Adams miniseries this weekend; he's starting to get on my nerves). And now I have a snow day, which I haven't had a snow day in YEARS. So overall, I'm loving life right now!

I did break out the Crock Pot last night for some chili action...unfortunately, today I am not feeling so hot....hopefully I did not make bad chili.....

30 Day Shred

It's really hard for me to think straight enough to eek out a blog post because my muscles are still on fire from 30 Day Shred. What's that, you may ask? Well, it was a clearance DVD at a Suncoast in Philly that was closing, and Alice had tried it. If Alice endorses it, then it usually means it's good for you. I bought the DVD earlier in January but had to wait until my parents came down (and brought free weights) so I could do the DVD. So tonight, I thought, why not?

Perhaps the problem is that I didn't stretch enough...I swim, bike, and do yoga regularly, so I'd hardly say I am out of shape. However, one of the reasons I bought the tape was that it focused a lot on strength training, and I would like to build some lean muscle. Jillian Michaels, The Biggest Loser trainer, hosts the DVD, and actually I found her to be quite motivating. The mantra? No pain, no gain. And that was true...although it was an intense 20 minutes, I do like the fact that it's a compact, effective (at least for right now) workout that I can do in my studio.

Which brings me to another point...I love my apartment, I love spending time here, but tonight I knocked in to my "heirloom" chest (bought from Pier 1, thinking it would last forever...however, it has already cracked in 5 places) while doing the DVD and it kind of hurt. So there is always some tricky positioning so that I can do chest exercises, etc.

In other news, the desk continues to be a good idea. I love the little workspace...however, it's a little dark over here. I will have to sojourn out to Target to find a nice desk lamp.

I'm hoping for a snow day tomorrow, but expecting to inevitably have to go to work. I never thought I'd get so cynical over snow.