One Girl Revolution

So I think I either pulled a groin muscle or had my hip dislocate on me for a split second. It's hard to tell - all I know is that there was a split second of pain followed by difficulty walking. I didn't feel or hear anything pop, but I sometimes don't when the hip shakes loose.

It happened twice in a row within the span of a few seconds, so I'm hoping it's just muscle cramps. Walking home tonight will certainly be interesting.

Also, the Damien Dempsey show tonight, if I'm lucky enough to get tickets. (It's a free show, and in a college town...yeah.) I may well end up driving out there only to discover that tickets are long gone, so I'm not completely sure what to do if that's the case. I mean, I'll come home, obviously, but I'll be rather bummed.

I'm worried about walking now, though.

River otters could be returning to southern Michigan!

shadesong is looking for artists willing to contribute to Shayara. It isn't a paid position, but it's a rather fascinating project and concept. Contact her via LJ if you're interested. (I'm participating by way of roleplaying, because I'm just that much of a dork.)

Though I'm not going to hold my breath, there are rumors that we may finally be in for a thaw this week. That makes me rather happy - the sooner I can start walking to work again, the better. I'm pretty damn sure that I gained weight over the long winter, and I'll be happy to reverse the trend. It'll be easier now that it's more hospitable outside; I'll be able to alternate between walking outside or visiting the complex fitness center, which is finally, finally getting expanded to meet demand. Once I can be sure that I won't be walking out into single digit or sub-zero temperatures at night, I plan to go back to the indoor swimming pool for more no-impact cardio. I really miss swimming, though I still panic when people walk into the pool area while I'm swimming. It's for a stupid reason - I STILL don't like people seeing me in swim wear. As it stands, I'm still nervous about what my Boy will think when I teach him how to swim come June. I have a little more confidence about my appearance these days, but these worries have pretty much been hardwired into me from a very young age. I don't know if I'll ever be completely over them, but hopefully I can learn to live with them.

I think some of it may have to do with the people I'm surrounded by these days. You know that whole study about obesity being contagious? While I really disagree with the way that was presented (AVOID FAT PEOPLE OR SEAL YOUR OWN DOOM!!!1!), I think the theory that we base our assumptions of "correct" or "acceptable" body size on those around us may have some merit. I say this because of the shift in perception I've noticed in myself recently. Many of the people at work are comparatively thin; this may or may not have to do with the sizable vegetarian and vegan population we have in the office. None of them have said anything to me about my appearance or size (in fact, I feel more accepted here than I have at any other workplace), but I still find part of my psyche quietly panicking that I am, to use a phrase, "frickin' huge." My experiments in eating very limited amounts of animal protein resulted in a mixed bag - I think I did lose weight, but I also felt weak a majority of the time. Reintroducing animal protein made me feel much better; in the end, I just think that my personal genetic makeup demands this. I don't feel guilty about it, though I do sometimes wish I could follow the veggie trend more rigorously.

Of course, I'm finally settling with the fact that I'm never going to be the slightly taller, willowy person I've always thought I could be. I haven't been totally sedentary during the winter - I've been doing exercise videos and the like - and I've come to the conclusion that where most people slim down when they work out, I just build muscle. The program I'm doing now incorporates (modified) push-ups, and I'm having the bizarre experience of squeezing my forearms and feeling taut muscle instead of flabby squish. My legs are pretty solid these days, too. There's also a fun day after post-workout feeling - sometimes I feel sleeker, but mostly I just feel a lot stronger and more powerful. Combine that with a strong cuppa coffee and I feel like I could kick in doors. (Not that I go around trying.) There are still things I wish I could change about my body (it'd be nice if I didn't have such a broad ribcage, if only because I'd be able to find shirts that fit), but I guess being a sturdy girl has its advantages.

There's all this stuff I should be doing, so how am I starting off? By writing a LiveJournal entry. Class.

I am making a certain sort of progress, though. I slept in today, having had a rough couple of nights on account of my legs. It started on New Year's Day, when I decided to walk to the nearest box store to buy some provisions. We had a heavy snow the night before, and in keeping with a New Years Resolution (more on that in a sec), I decided to walk rather than drive. After all, walking through deep snow is good exercise, right? You bet your ass it is, and by the time I got back, mine was damn sore, along with the rest of my legs. I was wiped out, but the next day I felt good, if a little sore. So I thought it would be perfectly fine for me to start on the beginner level of this video, which my mom and her friends rave about. It relies on a lot of leg work, but that's ok, right? After all, my legs are big and chunky for a reason - muscle!

I cannot accurately describe the pain I felt the morning after, which continued and actually worsened yesterday. I felt like I'd been bludgeoned by midgets. I sincerely thought that I'd somehow managed to rip apart muscles to the point that my legs would be covered with bruises (they weren't). It hurt to stand up, hurt worse to walk, and sitting down? Well, that was just utter agony. I did some upper body stuff on Thursday, but last night I just crashed. Seems like that's just what I needed, though - the legs are still sore, but feeling much better today. I think after I'm done here, I'm gonna wash yesterday's make-up off my face, brush my teeth and head down to the fitness center. I'm hoping it'll be a little less crowded during the day.

I'm trying my best to start anew with the exercising and nutrition because of a resolution - to lose at least 40 pounds or go down at least two sizes, whatever comes first. Make no mistake, I'm happy with the progress I've made over the past few years. I've gone from a size [I'M NOT SAYING] in college to a more acceptable size today, but I want to keep the momentum going. It the very least, I want to tone up; I look in the mirror and know that I can do better. Besides, I'm really enjoying feeling stronger and more energetic - guys, just imagine if I was, like, twice as peppy by December 2008. There'd be no stopping me!

To that end, I've joined fortylbs, a community founded by maggiesox. It's invite only, I believe, but if anyone is interested, I can let the mods know. It's pretty awesome, as support groups go - we're all irreverent and snarky, and I think I've become the comm's unofficial DJ when it comes to workout music. You should see the list I put together Thursday - it's just the tip of the iceberg, too. It reminded me of the time I made a list of roller derby music for jumpinjessflash, if that gives you any idea. I bring the rock! Or something.

I'm also planning to start a Bookcrossing Zone at my office, if I can get a good collection of books together. It should be fun to see if people contribute - we're an office of music, film and video game geeks, so things should get nice and crazy. I'm looking forward to having my mind expanded. I'm putting together a list of books I'd like to read which will eventually go into the Zone at work; I'll post it here and in the forum of the Bookcrossing site. Of course, I'll need to scrounge up some books to trade, since most of mine were shuffled off to Goodwill during the move. If any of you want to get the employees of the Best Damn Office on the Planet reading, let me know. I'll give you my address and you can send 'em my way. I'm thinking that I may periodically take some of the copies that have been sitting in the Zone unread (or have made the rounds at AMG) and cross them over at my favorite Ann Arbor store, Wazoo Records. The people in there are fantastic and knowledgeable, it's a store with some actual damn atmosphere, and leaving books there can only increase the amount of people who stop in, as it talks about On the Bookcrossing Zone page. It seems to be holding its own, but I've seen too many cool stores back in Ohio close down when the corporate juggernauts roll in. Consequently, I'm very protective of the place and want to do all I can to make sure it thrives.

I mean, come on - I met the Rollins there. Right there. How could I NOT want to see it do well?

I guess I should probably wrap it up here. The day isn't getting any younger, after all, and I've workin' out to do! Here's hoping the legs keep up.

Here - watch this while I'm away:

After reading this article, I decided that I would give fasting a try today. It's something I've been curious about for a long while, but have never had an opportunity to experience.

Initial thoughts:

-I'm hungry

-My head hurts from lack of coffee

I'll write more later, if anything happens with it. Right now, I need to shower and get ready to try to find the post office in this town.

Obesity is contagious now? Wha?

From the article:

It's not just that people who share similar lifestyles become friends, Fowler says. He and co-author Nicholas Christakis of Harvard Medical School considered the possibility — and were surprised. For one thing, geographic distance between friends in the study seemed to have no impact: friends who lived a 5-hour drive apart and saw each other infrequently were just as influenced by each other's weight gains as those who lived close enough to share weekly take-out meals or pick-up basketball games. The best proof that friendship caused the weight gain, says Fowler, is that people were much more likely to pattern their own behavior on the actions of people they considered friends — but the relationship didn't work in the other direction. If you had named another person as a friend, and your friend became obese, than you were more than 50% more likely to get fat too. But if your friend had not named you as a mutual friend, and you became obese, it would have no significant impact on your friend's weight.

So...obesity is like a meme now? What?

I am not smart enough for this study.

Today, I got to see my friend eponabast for the first time since we graduated college. I still remember walking to the ceremony with her, both of us giddy and worried and happy and sad all at once. I didn't realize how much I'd missed her until today; when we met up at the local mall, I immediately felt that calm, collected feeling I used to get in her presence. Hopefully she won't mind my saying this, but her presence is very grounding for me; I'm braver when I'm with her, for some reason. Brave enough, in fact, to walk into a Torrid to do something I normally dread - clothes shopping.

I can't tell you how glad I am that I did. Because I never would have found this dress if I hadn't. To be fair, I'd been looking at it on their website, but I didn't want to go through the hassle of ordering it, trying it on and sending it back if it didn't work. As luck would have it, there was only one of these left in the store. In my size. And it looks awesome on me, if I do say so myself.

There are some minor complaints, but it has less to do with the dress than it does with me. Since it's clingy, it does hang a little unflatteringly in places. By which I mean it hugs the undesirable curves, better known as pudge. I'll probably have to buy a shawl or jacket for it anyway, since I'd like to wear it in Ireland (I guess the temperature there during the time of my trip will be rather chilly), so that'll hide it. However, that doesn't mean I can't try to do as much of this sort of thing as possible in the meantime. I know you can't spot train, but the way I look at it, back exercises can't hurt - in fact, they may take away some of the hurt that I experience in my back on a daily basis. Anything else would be a bonus. I did a bunch tonight, and I'm loving the feeling - my muscles all worked and gently sore. I may be in pain tomorrow, but as long as it's not the bad sort, I'll keep it up. Nothing like that "toning in process" feeling.

I also need to get back to eating better. I haven't been particularly bad with this, but my grandmother was here to visit for the past month, which means a lot of heavy, rich dinners both at home and out at restaurants. Consequently, I can tell that my body is quite fed up and is reacting through being sluggish and just feeling crappy. Tomorrow morning, I'm having a big cup of this right off the bat, since ordinary water doesn't seem to be helping that much. I also need to do some research into what foods best cleanse the system. The problem is, I don't want to do a fast or one of those bizarre detox diets that has you doing nothing but drinking lemon water for a week. (More examples of odd detox diets here.) I'm not looking for something that'll make me lose 5-10 pounds in a week; rather, I'm looking for whole foods in general that I can try to consume on a regular basis that will keep my system as clean as possible and running the best it can. Feeling like a sick, waddling slug is not fun, and I know I can turn it around. I just need to figure out how.

And yes, weight loss would be an added benefit when I get back to healthier eating, but my main concern is still the sluggy crapness. Once that's gone, I think things will more readily fall into place.

I've returned from my business trip, which means I missed updating this, my little corner of the Internets.

Lots of stuff (lots and lots) happened while I was away, not the least of which was far too much rich food and far too little physical activity. The immediate consequences of such were still evident this morning - no appetite, the continuation of an unsettled and upset stomach, and the disquieting feeling that I'd gained about 85 pounds over the course of two and a half days. Even this morning's coffee make the tummy a bit twitchy. Fortunately, it seems that things are calming down a bit, and I plan to immediately resume the proper eating/exercise regimen in an attempt to try to offset any damage and get back on schedule. I still want to go down one more size by the trip, if possible. Not going to stress about it, but still going to work toward it. It can't hurt, really.

Various things happened while I was on my trip, some good, some...well, you'll see.

First off - I might (and I emphasize MIGHT) have a lead that could finally get me moving on in my career. Unlike last time, I'm approaching this with a measured and tempered enthusiasm. Hopefully that will dampen the sting of any disappointment, if disappointment there shall be.

It would also appear that I might (again, MIGHT) end up being a docent at the Rock Hall. This means I'll be able to give official tours. Yes, that would be your greatest nightmare come true, as I'll have an even bigger reason to talk about music trivia you could care less about.

The dentist also called. Teeth come out June 25. Unless the aforementioned career thing works in favor. If that's the case, I may wait and see if they offer dental, then postpone. Not having to spend thousands of dollars on my teeth this year would really be a wonderful thing.

And then...( then there's this. )

Before I get back to work, I want to let you all know that teaandbitchery needs some help in her campaign to get LJ to sponsor a charity campaign every month of the year. Those of you who got LJ trees from me to benefit Heifer International will know what I'm talking about. Go check out her post for more details, then hit these two sites to search for likely (and appropriate) cause-sponsored months. Maybe look up some appropriate charities as well. (You can thank zarq for the links.) The more causes/months, the better.

Right - time to look busy.

Sometimes you just need a good dinner, by which I mean good conversation, good atmosphere, and some good laughs. Good food helps too, even if it's not good for you. (More on that later.)

My dad and I went to this place tonight and had a grand time. Afterward, we went home and sat on the steps of his back patio (he's still fixing up the patio furniture) and looked at a book of Life photos from the past century. Then there was a little more conversation before I headed home and sang myself hoarse to AC\DC. I really need to quit with that - it hasn't caused any permanent damage, but I'd rather not let it get to that stage.

I really, really need to watch it with the fried foods - I had some for lunch and again for dinner, and good god, am I paying for it now. I don't feel sick to my stomach or anything - just really, really fat and lethargic in the bad, sluggish, "oh crap I gone done it now where's my fat jeans" sort of way. You'd think I would have figured out by now that I cannot eat like I used to, because my body needs real nutrients and lighter foods. I suppose old habits die hard, and the traditional foods served by my family didn't exactly help me develop a taste for vegetables. (Craving salads is a bizarre phenomenon I'm still getting used to.) I get the feeling that I will be having a cup of this stuff tomorrow morning; believe it or not, it actually does work. I'd like to try the Republic of Tea version, and I want to look into this one, too. (It can't hurt, really.) And then there's this one - I've taken to drinking the Celestial Seasonings mint tea, which is cut with chicory. I want to see what a straighter mint tea tastes like. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find the mint tea in stores. I'm not sure about the other ones, either.

Why all the tea? Don't worry - I'm not giving up coffee. It's just that I've hit on a marvelous idea to solve the "container problem" I was having with the products for Moonage Daydream - tea tins. I got some World Market brand mint tea that came in this neat square tin, so once I'm done with that, I'll be using it for a bath mix or something. I'm also toying with the ideas of repurposing glass bottles with resealable caps for the body scrubs. I like the double appeal of ecological responsibility and unconventional packaging - it's very rock, or at least in my estimation. It'll also save me from having to buy new containers.

Speaking of buying things, I need a tea ball, or one of those tea ball spoon things. The World Market tea is looseleaf, and even though I have a book on how to read tea leaves, I'm not sure they'd be too keen on that at work. I'll need you all to remind me. ;)

Hmm...what else. Actually, it's occurred to me that I could really, really, really do with a massage. Badly. Possibly even one of the full body deals, though I'd be extremely happy if I just had someone work on my back. It's been tense and painful for the past week or two. Sadly, that sort of thing doesn't come cheap, and I'm trying not to spend too much money. Looks like that'll have to wait.

Ok, I think I'm starting to get a little incoherent on account of drowsiness. I'm gonna write back to theycallmeboy and then head to bed.

Oh. My. God.

I just put on a pair of jeans. Size 12.

And they fit. Comfortably.

HOLY CRAP I CAN WEAR A SIZE 12 OH MY GOD! ROCK! ROCK! ROCK!


...

...and now you all know what size I am. Heh.

Awkward.

Well, I suppose if there must be mockery, you're welcome to do so. I'm happy and proud, and that's all that matters.

Now, if I can get that 12 down to a 10 or an 8 before the trip to Ireland in August/September? I may well be the happiest girl anywhere, ever.

Now, if you'll excuse me, Ima go outside and enjoy the sunshine for a bit.

A new study suggest that diets may cause more problems than they solve - and that it might have just been better for overweight people not to diet at all. (There's a bit more about it here.) I do agree with their findings that weight loss/management has to be managed in the long term and made a lifelong goal. I only started making progress myself when I concentrated on exercise, then started moving (slowly) toward healthier food choices. And unlike dieters, I don't make certain foods verboten anymore - I just try not to go nuts. Your mileage may vary, of course, but this seems to be the best fit for me.

Of course, there's the psychological component as well. I'm starting to train myself not to eat when I'm bored or to reward myself with food anymore. It can be a hard, hard habit to break, but you reap the benefits fairly quickly once you do. I'm sure I still have a long way to go, but I'm proud of my progress so far.

Bigger Than Cheeses just saved me $10 and a couple of hours.

A new bill treats climate change as a matter of national security, as well it should. This is an issue that does and will affect everyone, including every single American. It's high time we remembered (or should that be "learned") that we are neither immune nor invincible to the issues that affect our fellow nations or our planet. We are the stewards of this planet, not its overlords.

Immigrants who take DNA tests to prove they are related to the families they left behind can find themselves in a shocking and heart-wrenching situation. Stories like these need to be publicized - the U.S. has a history of treating immigrants as "the other" instead of as equals. It's a lot harder to discriminate when you put a human face and story on an issue.

Well, I sure as hell won't be drinking pop for a good, long while. If ever again.

I think I can officially no longer have refined sugars. Well, I take that back - I can have refined sugars, but only in limited quantities over a moderate stretch of time. It's not a weight thing, but instead a health and well-being thing. I've noticed that too much sugar all at once leaves me feeling like crap anymore, especially when it comes to pop. For a while now, I've been avoiding diet pop (or any drink containing artificial sweeteners, for that matter) because it seems to generate some bizarre side effects - namely, a sickly sweet, lingering taste that nothing - NOTHING - will get rid of. I can drink water or unsweetened tea, I can eat, I can even brush my teeth, but the taste persists through it all. That was fine - I could live with that. I'd rather have my body process sugar and deal with the extra calories than have it process some chemical compound and have it turn into god knows what in my body.

But now it seems that that whole sweet, lingering taste thing has extended into normal pop as well. I had some regular Coke with lunch today and I'm still tasting sweet on my tongue. And it's really god damn annoying. That's not to mention the latest phenomenon with cake, cookies, ice cream, or anything else sweet and sugary. I don't have much of this stuff to begin with, and I can still have some with no ill effects, but my threshold for overindulgence seems to have really, really shortened over the past few years. I started noticing it when I started exercising on a regular basis, but it's become really evident ever since I started making small changes to my diet, like eating organic, drinking herbal teas instead of pop or Crystal Light-style drinks when I wanted a beverage that wasn't water or coffee, and having small amounts of dark chocolate when I get a craving as opposed to milk chocolate. (I'll still indulge in the occasional pop or milk chocolate goodie, but only once every few months, and not much at that.) I know I still have a lot of work to do in the nutrition department, but I guess I never realized how incredibly shitty processed foods can make you* feel. No wonder I was a waddling ball of dough in college.**

Now, this is probably all for the best, since my attempts at a somewhat healthier lifestyle has helped me feel better overall. I'm happy about that - it gives me more energy to go out and do all the stuff I need to do and like to do. And it'll hopefully be good for my long-term health as well - Type II Diabetes and heart disease run in my family, and I really don't like the idea of taking pills, learning to inject myself with needles, or saying goodbye to limbs.

But at the same time, I'm a little pissed. I mean, I like Coke. I'm not one of those people who buys it by the 12-pack, but you'd think that I'd be able to have a can once every two months and not feel like my tongue has a thin layer of gauze on it and The Taste of Sweet lingering in my mouth for hours at a time. Really, what gives?

And what's with this itching that won't go away? My skin just feels like it's been dipped in pollen or dust or tiny, tiny bugs or something. My skin isn't dry or irritated, just consistently, persistently itchy. I'm taking a homeopathic remedy for it, so hopefully that'll kick in soon. Because if it doesn't, I may just go crazy. God dammit.




*Just to clarify - that's a hypothetical you, not aimed at anyone in particular. This isn't an, "OMG you guys need to eat better because you'll feel so awesome!" entry, because you're all adults and can make your own decisions. This is more a, "Dammit, why didn't I figure this shit out sooner?" entry.

**Yes, I was. Yes, really. Not one of my finest hours. Got the degree, don't need pictures to prove it. I'm thinking bonfire. Yes, really. That bad. There were witnesses.

Clerks II may not be everyone's cup of tea, but The New York Times liked it.

145 years ago, India's British rulers declared by law that gay and lesbian relationships were "an unnatural offence". Sadly, the law has not been changed - and India's LGBT community is suffering because of it.

I sent off my $25 to Mercy Corps yesterday, and I was happy. However, I woke up today to the news that flooding in North Korea has claimed hundreds of lives and may push the country into famine once again. There's been a lot of talk about North Korea, obviously, and I'm feeling a bit down about this latest news. The people who have suffered because of these floods will obviously need help, but the country is incredibly closed off, and I doubt their government will let any aid get through. (They always try to project an image that everything is fine and they can take care of themselves, even though it's highly probable that this is not the case.) It's stupid, needless, and it breaks my heart.

In the meantime, there are many other causes that need help. If you'd like to donate to Mercy Corps, you can visit their website or send a check to:

Mercy Corps
Dept. W
P.O. Box 2669
Portland, OR 97208-2669

The website has donation categories; if you send a check, be sure to write one of the following on the memo line:

Where Most Needed
Emergency Response
Lebanon Crisis
Darfur Crisis
Gaza Crisis
Katrina Rebuilding

I'd encourage you to send something, even if it's only $5. It's certainly better than nothing!

***
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to whine about myself a little bit. If you're an athlete/trainer/know something about exercise and the human body, I need some advice.

I have been trying to amp up the exercise routine a bit via circuit training, fast music, and just generally running (and jumping) around like a loon every other night. I alternate this with walking - again, quickly. The workout alternates; it's circuit training, walking, circuit training, walking...you get the idea. I'm feeling really energized and a little stronger, so that's good. I've also had some soreness and muscle fatigue, which is to be expected. I've done well just plowing through it, but I was woken up a little last night by really, really bad cramps in my calves. It's like the muscles in both legs just spontaneously seized up. It went away rather quickly, but it wasn't fun.

My legs in general feel stiff - my joints seem ok with the exception of some very, very slight pain in the left knee, just enough to be noticeable. Yesterday I had some pain in the muscles above the knee, but beyond that, it's fine. The main problem seems to be the calves, which are really, really tight. (Not painful, except for those cramps last night.)

I've been trying to drink more water, and I have been stretching before the circuit training. I think I read somewhere that muscle cramps are caused by a lack of potassium; should I be taking supplements?

Anyway, if any of you have advice you could share, I'd appreciate it. Thanks much!

If Fox News had existed throughout history. (thanks, gairid!)

Tom Brokaw will be hosting a show about global warming on The Discovery Channel. I wish there was a way to get everyone in America to not only watch, but also come to an agreement that something has to be done. (There are some who say that global warming isn't the result of human activity. Even if it isn't, why not be more environmentally sound anyway? It certainly couldn't hurt.)

Keith Richards takes to the stage again. Hooray for Keith!

Joe Boyd, one of Pink Floyd's early producers, shares his memories of working with Syd Barrett.

As if we ladies needed another reason to fret about our weight. Now it appears that weight gain and breast cancer are linked. However, there is some good news...

Putting on 22lbs increased a woman's risk of developing the disease by 18%, the US team found.

But those who had lost the same amount cut the risk by 57%, the Journal of the American Association study showed.

Interesting. Time to make that one a new goal...

I like the theme of this study: Happiness doesn't cost the Earth. It's something worth remembering, I think.

Childhood Obesity Leads to Adolescent Obesity.

"Healthy weight control is a life skill. We focus on childhood obesity a lot, but still the biggest weight gain comes on after age 20. Controlling weight is a lifetime task. It needs to be almost from birth to death."

There is no escape, kids. NO ESCAPE.

Wait, there was a time when men didn't want to look like David Beckham? Did I miss something, or am I just too young to remember?

See it while you can. If more people don't wake up and do something, we're going to be visiting a lot of tourist spots while wearing scuba gear.

I wish we had something like this in the US. itslittlethings is a start (in its own tiny way), but wouldn't it be great to have something like this that was nation- or worldwide?

I am not sure how to feel about this. I suppose if they stay true to their original ethics, I'll be ok with it. However, I fear that they may stray from their original intentions after being swallowed up by such a big conglomerate.

The New York Times examines why emo boys are so hot right now. I think the following passage sums it up:

And if any emo sex symbol is more popular than Mr. Wentz it is Gerard Way, the singer for My Chemical Romance, an even more exciting band with a similarly successful CD, "Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge" (Reprise/Warner), as well as a live album due out next week. Mr. Way is more theatrical than Mr. Wentz: his songs are more turbulent, and he wears enough makeup to blur the line between beauty queen and corpse.

Three words: Sexy. Goth. Hobbit. That's all there is to it, really.

They discovered a Spanish ship in Florida. On dry land, no less!


And to continue with teaandbitchery's theory that Ohio is the oddity capital of the world, I submit this Smoking Gun article for your consideration.

In other news, the weird tension headache thing that I've had all day can go away any time now. Really it can.

I need some sexy boy to come along and give me a massage, as it appears that the tension is coming from my back and running up my neck and from there to my head. It is, as the French would say, Le Suck.

It's the first post of 2006! Guess I should make it a good one.

May anyone who stumbles across this message have a wonderful New Year, filled with all the hope and possibility in the cosmos. And let's not forget those who suffered during the many tragedies of 2005 - let's work together to help them recover and make 2006 a year for positive change on every front.

I'm going to sit down at some point and draw up some New Year's resolutions, concentrating on the areas of my life that are of greatest importance to me. Don't worry, I won't bore you all with them. (Unless you want me to.)

I can't wait to see what 2006 has in store for us. Actually, no. I'm excited to see what we, the citizens of this planet, have in store for 2006. I'm hoping it's all good!

This pretty much sums it up for me.

Well, despite the fact that I conked out for three hours this afternoon (and got the first truly restful sleep I've had in the past week), I am still tired. I'll be turning in around 10, if all goes well.

Back at work tomorrow. Sleep well, everyone.

The Good News- I'm not at work! YAY!

The Bad News- And it's because I'm still ill! BOO!

After waking up feverish and faint, I dragged myself to the first official doctor's appointment I've had since college. So now I have a primary care physician, and that's good. And I have insurance, which is even better.

But according to said doctor, who read the carefully constructed time line of events and symptoms (Yes, I typed one up. Yes, I'm a geek.), listened to me breathe (and cough/gag), and looked in my nose, throat and ear, I have something called acute sinusitis.

In layman's terms, this is a disease that occurs when bacteria set up camp deep within the cavernous recesses of your head. In my case, the bacteria have even gone so far as to set up microscopic yurts, as well as sending out scouts to look for fertile grazing lands for their sheep. Had I waited much longer, they could have started constructing crude permanent settlements and making their first forays into a structured social hierarchy. And that would have been bad. You never want your bacteria to start getting organized. That's how wars get started.

I have medicine now, and lots of it. Frankly, I didn't think they made prescription bottles that big. And I also didn't know that you could take that many antibiotics in one day. I'm going to have incredibly sterile innards.

And that's not even counting the other bottle of medicine, this one for to make me both breathe and cough, though not at the same time. I'm more pleased about that one, really. It's been about a week since I've had sufficient oxygen, and I kind of miss the feeling. I just wish I wasn't coughing so much. It makes the already painful left side of my face hurt even more.

But at least the yurts will be gone. Hopefully.

Ok, I'm going to go lay down. I feel like a slacker, since I should be using this time to write, look for a new job, clean my room, or otherwise be productive. But I just want to close my eyes and attempt to sleep. For like, two minutes. Even two minutes would be nice.

I'll have to go into work tomorrow anyway, so I might as well be rested up. Stupid work. Stupid bacteria. Stupid yurts.

Well, that's one way to get a date.

It's sort of amazing that more rock stars don't have osteoperosis...

How homophobia can cross cultures and destroy lives within an already oppressed minority.

***
I've decided that the worst part about this cold/infection/ZDV/whatever the hell it is isn't the coughing. It isn't the coughing, the sneezing, the goo I keep hacking up...no. The worst part of it is that it's severely irritating my lungs. And that doesn't sound like much until you consider what comes next.

I have a lovely condition called exercise-induced asthma. Basically, under the right conditions and with a high rate of physical activity, my lungs decide that they no longer like me and shut down. It's gotten better over the years (most likely a combination of more physical activity and a little less weight on my frame), but it still flares up from time to time. The onset can be pretty sudden; there's usually a split second between normal windedness and a full-blown attack where breathing is a struggle. This is sometimes accompanied by coughing and goo.

Basically, living with this...malady has been like living in that split second for about two days. And it SUCKS.

I'll be very happy when this goes away.