habits and hobbies

I go to the gym pretty frequently. 3, 4, 5 times a week. When I go to the gym, there are several people who look familiar to me because I've seen them there several times. There are a few people whose names I even know. Then, there are a few people who I remember because.. well.. they're just unique. There's Old Commando, who doesn't wear underwear (shudder), there's the gay Hispanic man who has a red and black mohawk and stretches in the sauna in his teeny-tiny underwear, there's the very athletic guy with the robotic leg, the guy who looks like Paulie Bleeker from Juno... it goes on and on.

Then, I start to think--am I one of those "unique" people that gets remembered for his strangeness? I am pretty strange. I go to the gym wearing t-shirts from bands that probably no one there has heard of (I'm such a hipster). But I think my real sticking point is my behavior on the elliptical machine. See, I hate cardio exercise in its various forms. I hate running. I hate biking. I hate swimming. But put me on the elliptical and I'll burn 700 calories before you can bake a casserole containing that many. I have some pretty bizarre behaviors on the elliptical though. I spend about 80% of the time on there with my eyes closed. I lip-sync all the music that plays on my iPod. And I don't mean I just kind of murmur the words... I really belt it out on mute. I put on a serious concert performance on an Ashlee Simpson scale of lip-syncing awesomeness. I also kind of... snarl at my reflection in the TV that's part of the elliptical machine. I grin and snarl and leer at myself. It's really kind of freaky. I look kind of like a singing werewolf.

And that's the image I'll leave you with: a werewolf singing along with Panic at the Disco.

it's February in my brain.

I wish I had words to describe the feeling in my body and mind. It just feels like.. "smoo." Not a delicious treat from The Big Apple, but just a pathetic, blah, yucky word. Smoo.

Beyond that.. I went home last weekend and saw Adam, Amanda and Aiden, aka Iron Man. It was great to meet Aiden, especially since he was being a little snot and kept changing his mind about when he was being born. I got to see Denham and Julie as well, and Jamie and Jeff too. It was a nice weekend.

Work is kinda stressful right now. Getting new clients always wears me out, especially during school, because the school systems are very uncooperative about transferring records and admitting my clients as students. I want to punch the schools in their throats.

Okay, I came up with a word. "Poopy."

Hearts of Hoodlums

Work has been tiresome lately. I'm trying to get two kids enrolled at school--two kids who actually want to go to school--but the school systems are being completely ridiculous. Completely annoying. Ugh.

I'm making banana ice cream for my boss MaryClare. Her birthday is Saturday and she requested it. She's an awesome boss. If she had asked for something I had no idea how to make, I would have figured it out. I love having a great boss and a great coworker on my team. :) They're both amazing.

Oh! And two of my best friends in the world are welcoming their long-awaited child into the world tomorrow! I can't wait to see them!

Wonderworld

I feel superb.

My life is pretty wonderful right now. Every day, I feel like I can take invenory of all the magnificent things that are occurring in my life. I love my job and I love what I'm doing. I don't think I want to be there forever, but for now I'm doing exactly what I got my degree to do: help people. I'm helping kids get their lives back together, and helping create, unite, and re-unite families. A lot of it is paperwork, but after I had my first adoption finalized, it was like a beam of sunlight illuminating my soul. For at least that day, I felt like my life's path was shown to me. Every day I think of something new I want to do to contribute to the betterment of the world. I feel like I'm bursting with thoughts and plans. I don't have the means right now, but I am not going to get so bogged down in the everyday mundane activities of "life" that I lose sight of my dream. I want a better place, and I want to help build it.

For the first time in a long time, I feel good about my life. I'm starting to get in really good shape. It's a long process, and I'm definitely not going to be running any marathons soon, but my body is changing in a positive way. I'm excited to see where I'll be by Halloween and Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas, instead of giving gifts this year, our family is taking a Caribbean cruise. I could not be more excited about the holidays. I feel like now that I'm an adult I appreciate them so much more than I ever have.

I am also very excited about the great things happening for my friends. Two of my best friends in the world are having babies, and I couldn't be happier for them. They'll be having their babies within a month, and I can't wait to meet Aiden and Sam. Very very very happy about so much.

Words of wisdom

My fortune cookie today said: "You are often unaware of the effect you have on others."

Not to sound like a completely self-involved douchebag, but I think that's true.

The feel-goods

I'm glad I have someone to play video games, eat pizza, and drink beer with. It's pretty fantastic.