2009! Joys and Concerns so far...

Things in general are feeling great in this new year. I had a great week in Pittsburgh and have been happily back in Austin since right before the new year. We've had some cold days, but nothing like the Northerners are having. And we've also had a few days that were really warm and made me second guess that whole "put away summer clothes" thing. I have one skirt that I left out and it is now my good weather go to. Thankfully, it's versatile and I can wear multiple tops with it. Phew!

Among the things going well so far are my New Year's Resolutions! One is to go to the gym 3 times a week. Since I began my trial membership at 24 Hr Fitness, I have been keeping this one. The membership was really cheap, though I accepted a complimentary session with Cheukyee, the skippy, happy, personal trainer who nearly had me spending more money to learn how to stretch properly. He is a really good salesman! I had to hand it to him. Thanks to John for bringing me back to earth and making me realize that I don't need a personal trainer to reach my goals, because my goals are currently very minimal for myself. =) Nothing like a half-hearted New Years Resolution to really get your blood pumping.

My second NYR is to go to the grocery store once a week. See, I don't have a family (I mean like I'm not a wife or mother) and I live in close proximity to a ton of amazing food that's all reasonably priced. Thus, I end up eating outside of my home way too much. Yipes! you say, but no worries - my gym is right next to the grocery store! It's called HEB here and was created by a man named Harry E. Butts so he decided just to stick with his initials. No joke! (At least I think John was telling me the truth. Go ahead, wiki it). So I've haven't eaten at a restaurant much at all lately, and I'm feeling like I don't miss them that much. =)

Less like a NYR and more of just a general goal is to save money for my last year of grad school, which will begin part time this summer. I am just getting settled into my new job, which I really like, but I think since I'm already accepted at UT, I better get this year out of the way. I think the State of Texas will just have to plug on without me come September.

The annoyances of 2009 thus far all culminated tonight. I'll list them in order of chronology and relevance: 1) I have poison ivy 2) Our shower leaks large streams into our bathroom and hallway with each shower 3) Tonight it leaked into my room 4) Our toilet flusher handle thingee broke too

It isn't really all that bad, I just thought it was humorous. For starters, I camped for 9 summers straight in the wonderful Pennsylvania Laurel Highlands and was exposed to a lot of poison ivy. But it's a summer problem, and I thought I was immune. Apparently something about yardwork in January in the damn state of Texas steamrolled my immunity, leaving me with small red pockets of oozing poison on my wrist, neck, and forehead. Yes - forehead! Grr. It's not even that it's oozing at all, it's just the impression that it can ooze, and thus, spread. Ew!

Then the bathroom... See, we have this landlord that doesn't believe in hiring people to fix stuff. This is why one of the baking bowls that I brought with me has been under the kitchen sink catching a leak since last year. (August 2008 really, but last year sounds more dramatic). We are working around the garbage disposal, which is really annoying when you pour too much cereal. And now the puddles problem has been solved. It is not just spraying through the cloth shower curtain as my roommate and I once thought. It is an internal problem and I will keep my loyal readers abreast of upcoming repairs or lack thereof.

It reminds me of a time when Uncle Buzz put on swim trunks and jumped in the shower in their basement after equipping me with pen and paper to find out from whence flowed the leak. It was especially entertaining when I told him that I found it and he goes, "What? Oh good Lexi, I was washing my hair."