A Mary Richards for my generation

     I am about three weeks away from wrapping up an organizational behavior class and this week's reading featured an example of ways a person in a leadership position might react when they are new to a less than welcoming organization. The format of the chapters in this book are to set up the scene and then offer a process for achieving desirable results. I usually like to consider my gut reaction to the scene before reading further.  For this one, I immediately knew how I would react. I would say in my most pleasant and cheerful voice,  "If you'll please [do what I say here], so I can just [describe how I'm going to decimate you here]. Thank you so much!"

     I never thought I would have or need any other role models as a feminist other than my mom. But I realized, the person I am imitating when I need to be tough, is Brenda Lee Johnson, Kyra Sedgwick's character on The Closer. At first I was a little embarrassed to have a fictional TV character as a professional role model. Yet, the more I thought about it, the more clearly I saw why I looked up to her so much.  She has unflinching personal integrity.  She even has the decency to manipulate people to their faces. They're on to her game, yet somehow, it is impossible to call her bluff or to evade her tactics. They even know she's intentionally letting them see the manipulation happening. There are no tricks. There is no mistaking Brenda Lee for anything but aggressive when she's interrogating a criminal. She twist every word like a knife. She knows it. The criminal knows it. And she's so good, they can't even cry foul when it's all over, because she hasn't missed a single please or  thank you, and she was perfectly clear with her intentions. It was always their choice to make a confession. (Note the lack of "whether or not" in that choice.)

      Although she works in a hostile environment that has traditionally been seen by others as "a man's world", Brenda knows better. She is an effective, respected leader in her world. She is nobody but herself as she gets the job done; not "one of the boys", not a "damsel in distress". She is decent and polite, but never submissive.   She is a lady and doesn't give an inch. Not ever. Especially not on that.

Cool Running

       I started running! I've been running for three weeks on the "Couch to 5K" training plan, with my Lover as my coach. He's wanted to run together for so long, since it has been an important part of building his confidence and making him feel good. He wanted that for me, and to share a hobby with me as well. Although it makes me so very happy  that this makes Brad happy, I am not doing it just for him. Brad started running to get healthy and to lose weight. That, along with diet changes helped him to lose 90 lbs in three years! I, on the other hand, do not feel as though I need to lose weight and I could not use that as a source of motivation.

      Actually, this is less about how other people view me, and more about taking care of myself. I finally had a motivation to start running on my own after realizing I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder.  Exercise and getting out in the sun can minimize SAD symptoms. I also started running because I realized won't be a hot, young thang forever! I gotta use it or lose it when it comes to bone density and muscle mass!  I think people would find it shocking that I am immensely proud of the fact that I ran for two- 3-minute increments (in addition to some shorter increments), without being totally winded. I could not do that a week ago. It's a little embarrassing to admit how out of shape I am, but I'm glad I'm doing something about it now.  I am a prime example that "small" does not always mean healthy! I love to think about how strong my heart is getting and the gunk I am cleaning from my cardiovascular system.

     Friends, please love your body by loving life! Screw the scale! Leave behind the clothing labels!  Ditch the fake food! Chase nutrients and satisfy cravings for adventure! There will be no before and after photos, because "the revolution will not be televised."

The Ballad of the Apple Pancakes

This morning, I got it into my head to have these pancakes from the Williams-Sonoma website to celebrate the arrival of crisp, Fall weather:

Unfortunately, I'm too lazy to actually follow a recipe with more than 4 ingredients before I have eaten breakfast, so I decided the best course of action was to make my normal pancake batter, add some grated apple, and slice another one by hand to get that awesome visual effect in the photo. I didn't want the spices because, quite frankly, I get a little bored with the old cinnamon/apple combo. I like the flavor of apples cooked all on their own. It's such a clean, sweet flavor!

Anyway, the pancakes were not so great. They were too dense and heavy to cook through before burning on the outside. And the thinly sliced apples? Not happening. I didn't want to put the wet batter in my trash can to fester, so I dumped what remained after several failed pancakes, into a 10 inch frying pan to cook. Of course, that made a pancake large enough to cook slowly and  it was large enough to need the density of the batter to hold together. It was perfect, and huge. So, I pulled my self up by the boot straps and fried up the remaining sliced apple. I ended up with this: 

It was delicious! It was apple-y! It was a monument to serendipity! It was a great way to start my day. I know nobody reads this thing, but if you happen across my little corner of the internet, please fell welcome to share a tale of an epic culinary comeback! 

Woah! Fall just set up shop in a hurry!

     Since the highs around Boston have gone from 80 degrees to 60 degrees in a matter of two days, I feel as though I've been slapped in the face by Autumn! Not that I'm complaining; Fall is my favorite season! This week, in addition to the weather change, I have been invited to a Halloween party, and made plans for picking apples next week! I'm looking forward to trying yet another New England delicacy- the apple cider doughnut!  Also, I saw these cookies running rampant through the blogosphere, and now I have to get my hands on some cider so I can try it out in my own kitchen! Not Martha, you rock SO HARD!

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After a nice vacation weekend in Cape Cod last week, today is a day of intense cleaning and chores! (And homework.) ...And maybe some shopping for Halloween costume materials? 

Meanwhile, at the "Welcome Table"

My Aunt just got married over Labor Day weekend! My Mom and I were honored to be asked to be part of the wedding, even if it was in a small way. We were completely in charge of "the guestbook", which turned into the guestbook and gift table, which turned into a personalized picture frame with autographs of guests surrounding a photo from the happy couple's engagement session, and then some!

We made personalized wish cards so people could write wishes or advice to Whitney and Will on their big day, and they could put them in the smaller bird cage on the left. They could put the cards they brought with gifts into the larger cage on the left. (Oh, and that's my fellow tablescape artist, my mom!)

After the ceremony, we moved all the stuff to table inside. (Not too keen on the black table cloth, but eh! Who cares? We were too busy having a great time! ) You can see the pretty bows and signs my mom made! My mom and I used Skype a lot to collaborate on the designs for the signs and the wish card.

We sent the cards out to be printed after we came up with a design we liked, but they weren't cut straight, so we cut them ourselves. My mom found this really great John Lennon quote for the backs of the cards.

It was a fun project and I was glad to be a part of their day! 

Never Forget...

This morning I turned on the TV at the bed and breakfast at which I was staying to see the most horrific and graphic footage of the moments just after the planes hit the World Trade Center, and I was so disturbed. Not only by what was actually on the screen, but by the idea that somebody thought it would be a good idea to watch this footage again, and in some twisted way believes it's an appropriate way to honor those who suffered 10 years ago. Why do so many fetishize the grief and violence that led up to, made up, and followed this event?  Is it not more appropriate to have a moment to truly appreciate the freedom and peace we generally take for granted in this country? 

"I can sum up every thing I've learned about life in three words: It goes on." - Robert Frost

In that spirit,

3 Reasons I'll Never Forget September 11

1) Yes, the terrorist attacks too, but also...

2) September 11, 2003- I somehow mustered up the courage to ask the boy who would become the love of my life to be my boyfriend...and he said, "yes"! 

3) September 11, 2011- I laid eyes on my newest cousin for the first time via text message. He/She may only be a booger smear right now, but he/she is the cutest booger smear I've ever seen!

Us, 8 years later...to the day. 

Obligatory Post Regarding Tropical Storm Irene

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As a former resident of Florida, I find the hysteria surrounding hurricanes in New England to be a little exhausting. I bought some soup, set aside some water and really expected a long, rainy day and nothing more. I must be an expert after all those years down south, because that's exactly what happened. Not that I'm not grateful for the safety, I'm just not surprised that it turned out to be much ado about nothing. Sending positive thoughts to those that need it in The Carolinas and Mid-Atlantic.

The Mc Bad Choice

My brain is laced with congealed fat and genetically modified whatever, so this entry will be poorly written...although, I think that is normal for me. Anyway, I give you the thoughts, *actions*, and "words" (and commentary!) that all came together today to make...

The McBad Choice.

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I'm running out of money! Hurry up fall semester! I need my financial aid. I should try to save money and hit up the old McDollar Menu during my lunch break at the temp job I've taken up (and surprisingly enjoy) to make ends meet during the times I'm not working as an unpaid intern (which I also enjoy). *Walks up to counter and am informed that my order does not compute* WHAT?! A MCDONALD'S WITH NO DOLLAR MENU? Blasphemy! ...Shit! What should I order??? *panic mode* "Uh... I'll have a number 4 with Dr. Pepper." What did I just order? ( FYI: Asking for a number 4 at McDonald's will get you two cheeseburgers a medium fry and a medium soda. Why I didn't just ask for a regular cheeseburger instead is a mystery.) I'll sit at this small table to eat my enormous meal in peace and shame. *Family walks in with no less that 8 screaming children and two sleeping children in a double stroller, sits down at all the tables surrounding me, and two of them sit at my table. Without asking me if I'm okay with that.* (Literally. <--I am using this word correctly, not to indicate hyperbole.) These people are lucky I'm doing my internship in pediatrics, and I like kids! For all they know, I'm one of those bitches with a hostile womb who hates children! Or, a well dressed crazy person! ( I know that's not what a hostile womb is. Just work with me here.) *React to the child kicking me under the table by inhaling my fries and second burger at an alarming and impressive rate.* I really want ketchup. But if I get up, I might lose my seat, my meal or both! *continue to eat fries as they are*. *Collects things and clear out as fast as I can. My chair is swallowed by the crowd and I run out of there.*

*Halfway back to the office* Let me check the time on my phone. Where is my phone? CRAP! *Runs back to McHell* *Snatches phone from the middle of the table, which goes unnoticed by screaming children and broken parents*

*Day goes by...* I'm never eating anything that's not a homemade fruit smoothie, ever again.

*Goes home and showers grease and sin away*. * Lover comes home and surprises me with donner kebab for dinner*! *I pretend to be dainty for 5 seconds before polishing it off like a boss*. *PAIN* I think I might be able to withstand childbirth without drugs after this.

FIN

Inspiration: Twin Peaks Brunch

After netflix jammed this show down our throats after we gave high ratings to The X Files, A Clockwork Orange and 2001: A Space Odyssey; Brad finally broke down and began to watch Twin Peaks. It has been our bedtime ritual for two weeks now, since the music makes me calm and sleepy, and Brad likes to have "quiet while [he's] watching [his] stories". (His words.)

Anyway, I think the show would lend itself quite nicely to a brunch theme for those of us who are just left of center...

The menu

pie via, donuts via, ham via, coffee via

It is cannon that all brunches include eggs, orange juice and a fresh fruit and veggie offering of some sort. These things are non-negotiable. But for the sake of theme making you have to go beyond that. So, here we have the famous donuts, set out just so. I think they would make a pretty awesome (Edible!) table runner. You'll notice in the show that they are the kind of doughnuts you get in the cake doughnut variety pack (plain, chocolate, powdered sugar and if you're lucky, cinnamon and sugar). Of course it is far tastier if you can find these varieties freshly made at your local shop, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone turn down a powdered doughnut of any kind. Of course you need some diner pie. Cherry is the most famously associated, but if it's not your thing, no worries! I've heard them mention several types of berry pie a couple of times here and there. The next part is very important to get right. It must be MAPLE ham. Why? Because, " Nothing beats the taste sensation when maple syrup collides with ham!" Wash it all down with some "damn fine coffee".

The Decorations

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Just picture it: A table laid out with a red cloth. Simple, diner style dishes, silverware and condiment containers. Black and white zig-zag napkins, bound by those charming owl napkin rings. Finish it off with poker chips strewn about the table. (Don't forget the DOUGHNUT CENTERPIECE!)

Hopefully your friends are able to be entertained by their own conversation at a brunch, but just in case yours need a little help, may I recommend an "FBI investigation for clues"? Hide iconic items from the show around the gathering space and make it a scavenger hunt for guests. (Items on the list might include an eye patch, a small baggie of "cocaine"- powdered sugar, firewood, Denise's wig, etc.)

There, I said it. I'm weird, and Twin Peaks inspires me to throw brunch parties. Yeah...just RSVP in the comments section.

The one where I try a trend...

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Eh?

Rainbow Connection

I saw on NPR's website that the Muppets are releasing a new album performed by some of their newer rock star friends. ( You can follow the link to listen to the album in it's entirety until it is actually released!) Of course everyone has their favorites that bring them back ("'Bass Man'?! That's my jam!") but I think there is one song that unfailingly moves everyone that listens to it: "The Rainbow Connection". Seriously, if you can listen to the original version (or the new version on The Muppets Green Album, mentioned above) without at least getting misty, you have no soul.

"Who said that every wish would be heard and answered when wished on the morning star? Somebody thought of that. And someone believed it. Look what it's done so far..."

The thing about this song is, it's not dismissive of reality. It acknowledges that having faith in dreams alone is silly. But, that faith is an ESSENTIAL PART of making dreams come true, and that dreams can come true. How wonderful is that? I hope I can successfully teach my children to believe in their dreams in a way that will never prove to be false, the way Jim Henson does in this song.

Fact.

FACT: I am a huge nerd.

FACT: I love the ride inside the geosphere at Epcot, Spaceship Earth.

FACT: When I Skype with my family, I feel like this:

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The Dog Days Are Upon Us

Cloudy again...but rumors of sun tomorrow! Today I am turning in my abstract for the poster session by those of us who are completing their practicum during the summer semester. This means two things:

1. I am one step closer to being a master of public health!

2. The summer is almost over. (BOO!)

Time to break out the old "Summer 2011" Bucket less to assess what has been successfully completed, and what still needs to be done!

Summer 2011 Bucket List

1. Practicum- Check!

2. Visit Arnold Arboretum

3. Visit Freedom Trail- Check!

4. Swim

5. Have a cold one at a brewery tour- Check!

6. Have an epic Fourth of July Celebration in the cradle of independence- Check!

7. Barbecue ribs- Check!

8. Cobbler and pie- Check!

9. Raspberry-Lime Rickey

10. Grill out- Check!

11. Visit Cape Cod

Looks like I've got a bit of summer left ahead of me after all...

Bread of the Week: Harvest Grain

I hope to make this a regular feature, so I'll be more likely to keep up with the bread baking. This first week, I made a whole-wheat harvest grain bread.

I used the recipe for 10-grain bread in Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day, but I substituted King Arthur Flour's Harvest Grainsfor the Bob's Red Mill 10-Grain Cereal. I think the Harvest Grains require less water than Bob's mix, but I just made up the difference by adding some extra flour until I got it to a nice consistency.

I just made a small 1 lb loaf, because it's just the two of us. We want to be able to eat it all before it goes stale.

My very favorite thing to do with fresh, crusty, savory breads is to make really gorgeous grilled cheese sandwiches. I think that Baby Swiss in the fridge will do quite nicely!

Brad, watching MST3K after a productive day at work. :o)

Can we just talk, for the 500 billionth time in the blogosphere, about how impeccable the style of the women of Mad Men is? I'm not just talking about their glamorous outfits for going out, I'm mostly fascinated by the outfits and hair styles they wear when they're just"schlepping around" at home. Here are some elements I'm hoping to incorporate into my own wardrobe.

Midge in Season 1, Episode 1

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Definitely a strong contender for my first day of school this year.

Hermes scarf

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The obvious reference is the scarf gifted to Peggy by Duck, but several of the ladies make use of this holy grail of fabric squares. Okay, maybe I can't have an Hermes scarf anytime soon...but I can get a very nice silk one somewhere else, and I can wear it in these ways:

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and lastly,

Trudy Campbell's Hair

I'm obsessed with it.

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Sunday, It's Raining.

For some reason summer rain does not get me down, the way it does any other time of the year. I guess it's because summer rain usually a pretty heavy downpour for a short amount of time, so it feels very exhilarating and cleansing. I recently saw this post on fitsugar that gives tips for hiking in the rain. I never thought about doing that, but it seems like a fantastic life experience! I definitely added it to my bucket list. It has inspired me to do a little cleansing in my own life, lately.

I'm upping the exercise as I've grown a little belly (not a baby, just a belly) in the past two months. I've been using the "Crunch" workout series. (Available on Netflix watch instantly!) So far, I've done the "Super Slim Down", a yoga Pilates mix; and the "Candlelight Yoga", hosted by my favorite Yogi: Sarah Ivanhoe! Today I'm also changing my diet to include more veggies and less cheese (and less McDonalds.... and less New England ice cream...)

I started baking my own bread again. (This week's recipe is Harvest Grain.) It think it upset me more than I care to admit, that I didn't get the job at a a bakery in my neighborhood. I stopped cooking with passion and fell back on simple recipes that were not very healthy. I haven't written on my cooking blog in ages. I have been reading David Lebowitz's blog though. He is so inspiring! I really hope this is a temporary feeling, but I think the best way out of my little rut is to start blogging regularly again. It keeps me on the look out for inspiring things in my life, and serves as a record of all the inspiration in my life to keep me going on the slower days. I don't advocate living to blog, or blogging to live, in the long run; but for now I think this is what I need.

Also, this:

My first year of school is finished, and I'm pretty happy with the results. I think this blog is going to be seasonal, since I didn't really have that much spare time during the school year to even do anything worth blogging about. Summer has begun I guess, since Brad and I had our first scoop from J.P. Licks of the season tonight Anyway, here are some bits for catching up.

1. It has been insanely rainy/cloudy here this spring. Inspired by Vintage Blog's post on Teddy Girls I wore this yesterday:

2. Jay-Z's blog is amazing.

3. I have been alternating between wanting to get married and wanting to have a baby on a daily basis for the past two weeks. Today is a baby day. This is probably because I haven't had school to distract me for about two weeks.

4. I've been on a smoothie kick for about two weeks. Favorite flavor so far is just frozen mango bits with plain yogurt and a dash of milk to thin it out. I've also been wanting to make Strawberry-Rhubarb pie, lemon curd, jam and hummus.

That's it really. This is a weak post, but this summer seems promising, so hopefully there will be more in the future! :o)

I heart PBS

I don't have a T.V. When I say that, people either pitty me (because I'm a poor grad student) or they act like I'm so pious for giving up that slothful contraption. But really, I do watch T.V. shows. I watch them online! I watch Glee, Greek, and Kitchen Nightmares on Hulu (just like everyone else). But I'm also ADDICTED to PBS online! I love Masterpiece (Hello! Sherlock and Downton Abbey this past season!!) and Nova Science Now. I just watched an episode about "living forever", and there was a part on some scientists here in Boston growing organs at Mass General.

Now, I'm in Public Health, so most of my thoughts regarding Mass Gen involve charges, insurance companies, and staffing needs for patients. I have the tendancy to see American healthcare as some clodhopping mess with no direction and a bad attitude acquired at some unethical corprote board meeting in the 1980s. I digress...The point is, I walk by BMC, Mass-Gen, Brigham Womens all the time, and I forget to see the mindblowing innovation that the people in those buildings have achieved.

Seriously, while I'm trying to get my Dunkin Donuts fix, they are taking a set of human lungs from a cadaver, using a solution that strips cells, but not the protein structure of the cells, and implanting new cells on the scaffolding, which will grow into a new functioning organ! Dr. Ott at Mass Gen was on a team at U of Minnesota to do this. So cool! (Also, the organs look really neat, almost like they are carved out of white jade.)

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This is a photo series of the first type of organ to undergo this process: a rat heart. The series shows the organ being stripped of the original cells, being re-covered with seed cells, and then the final new heart on the bottom right.

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This is a stripped human heart. On Nova, they showed a functioning heart and a functioning pair of lungs that work inside jars.

I heard that last year, they put a heart scaffold into a lab rat, and the rat's body did not reject the implanted scaffold, bringing us one step closer to fully functioning, implantable organs for humans!

Question though, can this be used for people with congenital defects? Or will the different structure provide a solution to the original problem?

Spring time wish list

Maybe the winter weather is getting to me, but I've been fantasizing about not wearing 10 lbs worth of outerwear just to take out the trash! Here are a few of the things I'm wearing in my dreams...

These adorable mocs from Cole Hann, with Nike Air technology (because Boston is a walking city) and a diary lock instead of the usual buckle. As usual, what I want is out of my price range, so I'm going to settle for a well made, supportive, red patent leather penny loafer or moc wherever I can find it.

Next is another pair of shoes:

My I've had a pair of white ones for about 4 years and they served me well. I'm on the hunt for a replacement, and I think green is a nice unexpected change. This is definitely a more reasonable purchase...one I'll probably make in the near future.

Finally, I could really use a white sundress. I think I say this every year, and every year, the perfect dress eludes me. Seriously, this year, it WILL happen. I haven't found a photo, because I haven't found the dress yet. But when I do, you will know.

Meanwhile, I'll keep loving my snuggly sweaters, and hot tea. That part of winter never gets old!

Sorry, my dog ate my brain...

I have not been blogging as much as I would like lately. This is because my classes are far more demanding this semester than they were last semester. I've been logging the hours I put in (including class time) and it comes out to about 48 hours a week. Pretty intense. So while I'm slowing down on the entries, I'm not gone. Just more busy with things that aren't worth blogging about (like non-profit accounting homework). I think what's going to suffer the most is my other blog since I've definitely upped the amount of frozen food around here. :o/ You don't realize it when you're a kid, but this opening sequence is totally accurate.

Voodoo

I love it when Brad puts on D'Angelo after work/school. It's like a bit of Friday on Wednesday.

xoxo

We are not really making a plan for how to see New York, we're gonna just let it happen. I'm not sure how effective that will be, so just in case we have three activities planned:

1. New York Public Library

2. L.A. Burdick NYC- Just like our lovely Burdick but with a liquor license!

3. Mike's secret place for the best pizza in town!

While I am excited to see the city on my own terms (the last time I was there, I was 17), I'm more excited to be with Brad as he experiences the city for the first time. Even more than that, I'm VERY excited to see some friends from Brad's philosophy graduate days! Saturday can't come soon enough!

Have a Slice

In honor of our upcoming trip, here are a few of my favorite slices of Big Apple life:

• An Apple a Day
• From Me to You
• The Bitchy Waiter
• The Sartorialist

Empire State of Mind

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*Cell phone rings*
Drew: Hey, what's up
Me: Nothing. What's going on with you.
Drew: Not much, I'm in Miami.
Me: Cool.
Drew: Are you guys doing anything next weekend?
Me: We don't have plans.
Drew: Some of us are going to NYC, you should come.
*logistics*
Me: That sounds great! You should tell Brad...


That's exactly how long it took for next weekend to go from drab to fab!

Good Morning Sun

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I started doing yoga in 10th grade to cope with the stress of being in a very crowded and noisy high school. I used Yoga for Dummies, and it was my daily hour of quiet time. As I got better at it, I moved on to the "intermediate" routine which was the Sun Salutation. I fell out of the habit after going to college. By some happy accident, my lover and I have fallen into a routine of doing the Sun Salute together every morning this week, so I went out and bought him his own yoga mat. (It's black. Much more manly than my lavender one with which we've been taking turns.) I think we might get bored with just one routine so I did a search for some more routines, and I found this site with the most adorable little illustrations!

I didn't resolve to do this, but it would be a nice thing to keep up for the rest of the year!

January

I love the quiet of January after the hullabaloo of the holidays. Even the light is quiet. Not bright white, not gray, but a nice creamy color that doesn't strain the eyes. (I've heard it called "winter white" in the fashion world.)

January is....

A steady diet of citrus, minestrone and hot cocoa

Reading in a corner

A new start at the library

Long walks around icy ponds and rivers

New Year Musings

One of my friends always works on New Year's Day. He says it's a fresh start, so you should set the tone, and do on January 1st what you want to be doing all year long. I didn't exactly follow that advice, and yesterday I was a little sad. I thought I had missed the window for change, and had set a pretty lazy tone for the new year. Luckily, I was able to pull myself out of it, and did yoga with my lover, cleaned my kitchen and made some preparations for the upcoming Semester. Maybe I was a little late at setting the tone I wanted, but now it has been set, and I'm ready to bring it!