Currently...

I would credit someone for this blog post structure idea but that would involve a list of nearly everyone in the Western world. Anyhoo, this morning I biked to work and got a bunch of stuff done. So far this afternoon I have gone for a run in the 90-degree heat, biked home, taken the most glorious cold shower of life, and made/consumed a delicious smoothie. I am now curled up on my bed enjoying the AC with my two purry feline buddies, and plan to call a friend I haven't talked to in ages before heading back to work for the evening. No complaints here!

Reading: I ought to be finishing up some incredibly boring reading about automaticity and social cognition for school right now, but clearly I'm not. I have been reading "Anatomy of an Epidemic," a depressing book about how much psychiatry/medication sucks, and rereading the "Wrinkle in Time" series. I am also trying a new scripture reading approach. I am reading through and color-coding passages related to attributes I want to cultivate in myself (patience, trust/reducing anxiety, assertiveness). I just started last night and it has been a really cool experience so far.

Eating: Last night my good friend S and I went to Wendy's to try their pretzel burger. She is obsessed with German pretzelbrot, so we have been planning to go on a burger date for a while. It was everything we could have asked for, and more, but my belly sure hurt this morning! I'm glad to be back to healthy eating today (e.g., yogurt with dried fruit and nuts, lentil soup, raw veggies, protein smoothies).

Verdict: worth the bellyache.

Smelling: My nice clean fluffy blanket. :o)

Working on: Schoolwork and 3 different assessment reports. Also, an FHE lesson for next Monday and a time management lesson for a Relief Society activity next Thursday. My friend V, who works at a bank, is going to talk about finances too. Anyway, I have really missed teaching, so I'm excited for both!

Watching: How I Met Your Mother! I do circuit workouts while it's playing.

Loving: This fabulous weather (look, I'm totally doing that annoying school reading in this photo!). My super sweet and kind coworkers for throwing me a surprise birthday lunch, complete with butchered name and a "happy birthday" tiara. It was my second birthday tiara of the week, actually.

Dear weather, I love you. Never change.

Who is Ray-AY-nay?

Excited about: My roommate's and my joint birthday potluck party this weekend! As in shared, not marijuana. We invited a whole bunch of awesome folks and are going to deep clean the house beforehand. Good times!

Also, my eating and exercise efforts are starting to pay off - 4 pounds down so far! I have discovered that when I make sure I'm eating enough good fat and protein (about 30% of my total calories of each) it's a lot easier to pass up sweets and crappy carbs. The last time I got labs done at the doctor my blood sugar was slightly elevated, so I'm hoping this lifestyle change gets that back under control.

Shopping for: Nothing at the moment, because loans aren't in yet and we don't get paid till Sunday. Oh, the glamorous life of an academic.