Kate, I thought of you when I read this article:

http://www.thenation.com/article/168125/amazon-effect

I've been completely absorbed by Diablo3 as of late.

Well, that's not completely true. I'm still putting in applications and I get housework done, but all of my free time has been D3 related.

The joys of not having a job or children? =p

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! I'M THIRTY-THREE! WOOOOOO!

To all of you mothers out there in Livejournal land, happy mother's day! I hope your children treat you well. :)

I learned, upon waking, that Maurice Sendak died today at the age of 83. In case you aren't aware, he did Where The Wild Things Are and a slew of really amazing picture books. Truly we have lost an amazing artist and author.

I feel like my biggest problems with exercise are mental. I know I can do it. The program is not super difficult or anything. But I find that some days I dread it and thus, it feels more difficult. I want to be able to look forward to my daily exercise, to feel that rush of energy you're suppose to get when you do it. Sometimes I think I do, like it's right there and I'm brushing the edge of that sensation but I have a hard time embracing it.

I feel like if I can only try to enjoy it a little bit more, it won't become this huge thing I have to do every day, like it's keeping me from doing more interesting things. I'm still working on it and I think I'm getting closer but it's a war I've been fighting for years. Every battle won brings me one step closer to achieving my goal. Every battle lost feels like the end of the world.

But as I sit here at my computer, sweaty from my recent skirmish and feeling pretty good about it, I feel like there's hope for me yet.

Finally had my first job interview here in Toronto. I've been putting in applications a fair amount since we moved out here (though not as much as I should due to illness, I think) and my latest attempts have proven fruitful. And, to make things better, it's at the local large bookstore chain! The commute is a bit much but if I have to work in retail, this is the sort of place I really want to work at.

I should hear in the next 4-5 days if I get a second interview. Wish me luck!

Over Easter weekend, Karl and I had the opportunity to watch the 25th anniversary tour of Les Miserables. It was beautiful and I'm so glad we had a chance to see it, though I would have liked better seats.

This has put me in the mood to see Phantom of the Opera once again. When I was young, both Les Mis and Phantom came through MSU and my grandmother, being a patron, got my family tickets to see them. The memory of those performances have stuck with me and listening to my CD of Phantom of the Opera reminded me of the performance I saw so many years ago.

And even though it HAS been many years (Possibly 15, maybe more), I will never forget the final scene. As the Phantom is sobbing with his love for Christine and sits down in his throne, covering himself in his cape. The moment when Christine's friend approaches and pulls the cape away to reveal only the mask laying there. Even to this day, it brings tears to my eyes.

My only regret is that I haven't had the chance to see this as an adult.

When I was young, the world was black and white.
As I get older, things become shades of gray.
The stream of conscious of the internet allows us to see those who still think the way we once did.
And it embarrasses us to imagine we were ever so naive.

I have a long standing fight with myself over my weight. I try to exercise, but I don't try really hard, if you know what I mean. Over the past 4 years or so I've been trying to get into better shape but I've never been completely successful. I was doing okay on the Power 90 system, to the point where I think I have slimmed a little, but with the move and everything I just haven't been able to keep it up.

I know that not changing my eating habits enough is my biggest problem. I still like sweet things and I still want cake now and again. I try not to indulge too much but I think if I wanted to seriously lose some weight, quickly, I'd need to completely cut out the fattening foods. I don't mean the good fats; I'm talking about cake, cookies, treats of these sorts.

My biggest concern is still to get in shape. I want to be able to do things without getting tired, like hike for a few hours or ride my bike across town (a much bigger thing living in Toronto). I just feel like I don't push myself hard enough or long enough to get the results I want.

But I keep trying.

Monday I started Power 90 up again. It's kicking my ass right now; all of my muscles hurt. But I'm going to do it again, no matter what it takes.

Wish me luck!