I am currently reading this book called Snoop:  What Your Stuff Says About You.  The book talks about how your posessions, and the way they are organized in your life says a lot about your personality.  While reading this one night in bed, I stopped to imagine all of my belongings, and what people might assume from my “stuff.”

In my bedroom, I have three X-Files posters on my wall, and every single season of The X-Files on my book shelf.  Next to them, I have every Harry Potter DVD, and on my floor I have a 2009 Harry Potter calendar (because I haven’t hung it up yet, because I’m lazy).  Clearly, I am a big fan of fantasy and science fiction.  Clearly, I am a big dork.  I also have a mixture of lots of counseling books, and then other random books on my shelf ranging from Chick Lit, to books on having cancer, to Jodi Picoult and Wally Lamb.

I have my diploma and cap and tassle hung up on my wall.  Perhaps this says that I’m proud of my education from college, and I want to show them off?  I’m not sure if I really feel like that.  I could easily put them away to make room for a Twilight poster.

Then, while laying in bed still, I imagined my iTunes on my laptop.  I slowly imagined my playlists.  Not only do the actual playlists mean something, but the title of the playlists is even more telling into my personality.  I don’t have many of them, but here they are:  Barrel Fever, Christmas, Destare, Exercise Fast, iPod Shuffle - exercise, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Sedaris, and Soft Mix.

Barrel Fever, Me Talk Pretty One Day, and Sedaris are all various David Sedaris audio books.  I keep audio books on my iTunes, and then when I finish the book, the playlist and files get deleted.  I listen to them as I walk to the gym (which I have successfully done every day this week!!)*

Destare was a list of songs that we would play at Destare.  Lance had me get a lot of “popular” songs that we would play when we didn’t have a DJ.  I would put my phone on airplane mode, and we hooked it up to the sound system.

The most interesting is the Christmas.  Even more so, my Top 25 Most Played Songs, 5 of them are Christmas songs (they are the last 5).  Someone snooping around on my computer might think “Wow, she is really into Christmas music.  I wonder if that means that she’s very family oriented or very religious?”

The rest are all mixes that I made to exercise to.  One of them is specifically for my iPod shuffle (because that is how it’s synched).  Oh, except “Soft Mix” is just a mix of softer sounding songs, like Imogen Heap and Enigma.

I’m sure there is a lot of other stuff about my room that would be very telling - knitting needles that clearly haven’t been touched in months, lots of purses hanging around the room, a computer set up in my room that has everything BUT the tower (monitor, keyboard, speakers, and mouse are intact - the tower is missing!).  I also have my strange little “pile” of all my medicine bottles.  I started collecting all of my bottles of prescription pills, and even though most are empty, I am saving them.  What does that mean?

______

*  More on walking to the gym.  Even though it has been very chilly, I’ve kept up with it.  Usually I was able to go with a hooded sweatshirt and a down vest, but lately I’ve had to wear my full on winter jacket, gloves, and hood.  It’s not awful, but luckily it isn’t raining.  I’m not sure if I could walk in the freezing cold and rain.  That might be too miserable.  But it’s been great for me to add on steps (it is .6 miles each way), which I’d been having trouble with.  I think there hasn’t been a day when I was under 10,000.  The day of Larry’s party, I was over 15,000!  Tonight I’m worried, cause the gym didn’t open until 1, so I am planning on going at 4 (after lunch is digested), but then I’ll be walking back in the almost dark.

I am looking forward to doing lots more walking once it gets warmer out.  We have a local deli and butcher a mile and a half from our house?  I figure I could jog there, get meat, and walk back.  But, will the meat last if it takes me 30 minutes to walk home?

Oh, and here’s a quick vent.  Since I’m going to the gym so late, I wanted to eat dinner around 6pm (I also ate a late lunch at 2:30).  My dad asked, “Why do we have to eat at 6?”  and my mom said “Because Robin has to go to the F-ing gym!”  (but she actually swore).  I just kind of rolled my eyes, and didn’t say anything.  But here are my thoughts:  Yes, I go to the gym.  And I enjoy it.  It usually doesn’t get in the way of anything else others do, except sometimes I request dinner at a certain time.  Never anything too late, and I don’t think it has ever been later than 6pm.  I don’t think that a 6pm dinner is inconvenient (unless they have something planned for 6:30).  I don’t think that, because my mom doesn’t feel the need to exercise, that she should treat me and my gym going with such hostility.  She enjoys reading books, but it wouldn’t be very nice to me to say “Because Mom has to read her F-ing book!!”

I recently started watching the TV show Roswell.  Each episode is 44 minutes long, so I watch them while I am on the elipitical at the gym.

Thanks to Emiliano, I have been to Roswell, NM, and I have even been to the International UFO Museum and Research Center.  Unfortunately, in the show, they do not use the real museum in the TV show.  It is quite similar, and I was fooled until I looked at my pictures from this past summer. (The one with the green is the fake TV show one.)

So while I’ve been watching Roswell (which isn’t that great of a show, but it’s not terrible), I’ve noticed that it is a LOT like the movie Twilight.  I had noticed some similarities after the first episode, and the more I watch, the more I see.  Anywho, so here’s the comparison:

• Alien vs. Vampire

• Non-human finds plain Jane human to be incredibly attractive

• Non-human saves the girls’ life

• Non-human says “Oh, we shouldn’t be friends”

• Human girls finds out about the truth about the guy - he’s a non human!

• The non-human’s family gets pissed at the guy.  He’s putting their lives in danger by allowing this human to know about them

• The guy and girl decide they can’t not be friends

So far, those are the only similarities.  But I’m only on episode 5 of Roswell, and there are many more to come.

As my mom said “There are only so many themes that these people can write about, and the Roswell and Twilight people just happened to pick the same theme!”

And there are a lot of people out there who really don’t like the Snuggie!  Well, I’m sure that NIles will think of you all as he’s comfortably reading his book with his arms warmly in the sleeves of his blanket.

Last night, my dad had their office Christmas party at Larry’s house.  It was planned for December 12th, but it was postponed, because no one had power!  Tonight we were invited over to friends for dinner.   I can do both of these things because I quit Destare.  Otherwise, I’d miss out on all the fun, and be at work.  I’m glad I get to experience things again.

I went to Niles’ last night to watch the season premier of LOST.  It was awesome.  I got there for 8pm to watch the hour long recap of the show.  It was good that I did, because there were lots of little things I had forgotten since it went off the air sometime in early 2008.  Then, it was on for two hours, which was an unexpected surprise.

So after LOST was over, somehow, Niles was talking and he said something along the lines of “Oh yeah, I *mumble mumble* while wearing my Snuggie.”

My heart stopped.

“You.  Have. A. Snuggie??????????”

“Oh my God, where is it?  Why didn’t you tell me you had one?? Haven’t you read all my blog posts about the Snuggie?”  (Yes, I swear to god, I said that).

And so, not only did Niles get a Snuggie for Christmas, he also got the LED book lamp that came with it.  Of course, Niles modeled it for me.  And he allowed me to take pictures for my blog.  And in true awesome Niles fashion, he posed for the pictures to show just how awesome the “blanket with sleeves”  really is.  I tried to get him to hold a remote or a telephone (”Look!  I don’t have to struggle with this cumbersome blanket!”), but he wanted to read a book to show off his book light as well.

And so, here is Niles wearing the Snuggie.

I told him about my idea that if they made it in black (and it had a back, which is does not - it is legit just a backwards fleece robe without a hood), I would wear it out side.

Here is my original blog post when I discovered the Snuggie, incase you missed it.  Then, I wrote another one when I saw that they were selling it at Walgreens (this I found out just last Saturday).  I won’t be buying a snuggie, because I already have my own blanket with sleeves.  Perhaps a picture will end up n here some day.  But perhaps not, because I won’t look as cool as Niles does.

I thought of a problem with my mini house idea.

Health Insurance.

I absolutely need health insurance, not just because I have a tendency to get sick…. but because I require a prescription to Synthroid for the rest of my life.  Without insurance, it’s about $40 dollars a month.  With insurance, I pay $22 (cause it’s a name brand - and has to be Synthroid cause of the cancer).  Plus, I’m also prone to tumors (thyroid and one in my left breast that was removed in 2004).  And I have GERD, which I have heard can cause esophegeal cancer.  Plus, I was a lifeguard in the hot sun for 40 hours a week for 7 summers, which isn’t good for skin cancer.  So…..  That could be a problem.

I know that in Massachusetts (where it is ILLEGAL to be without health insurance), they have Mass Health that anyone can get (please don’t question me about this, I’m still covered by my parents’ cause I’m still in school).  But I’m not sure about “down south” where I’d be living.  Could I use Medicaid?  Or, if I have a part time job doing MH stuff, then perhaps I could get it through my employer.  That is definitely something that I need to think about before moving off to my own little village.  Perhaps I should just move to southern Italy, Spain or Greece.  My guess is that they would have national healthcare.  Or perhaps by the time I’m ready to move down there (2010, 2011?)  President Obama will have some new awesome health plan.  My mom has just made me very aware of the fact that I can not let my health insurance lapse, because then people will refuse to cover me because of a “pre-existing condition”.  Which is bull crap!

So I need to think of that before I move.  Perhaps in my little village, I could have a doctor and a pharmecutical drug rep.  The rep could get me free drugs (the good kind), and the doctor could take care of my health.  It’s all about bartering, people.  Alissa proposed that she wanted to live in my village (and be the one with the real job), which is awesome.  But, I ask, what do you have to offer?

On a totally different note, I want a bowl of cereal.  I had dinner an hour ago (at 7:30), and I have been hungry ever since.  I had a serving of a Trader Joe’s vegetable lasagna, half a piece of Texas Toast, and a garden salad.  It wasn’t enough, especially cause the seving of lasagna was only 260 calories.   But, the good news is, that I now have tons of room for cereal!!!  I crave cereal every single night, and sometimes I have room for it, and other times not.  But when I get a craving, I can’t stop thinking about having a bowl of cereal until I actually eat it.  It’s weird.  Then, I’m done eating the serving, and I think “Oh no!  I want more!”  But I’m usually very comfortable on the couch, and can’t convince myself to get up and ger more (plus, I know my stomach can’t really handle it).

**Update, I ate a nice bowl of cereal at 9:30.  It was delicious.  I can’t wait to have another bowl tomorrow morning.  Yuuuuum.**

I wanted to write a little something about why I blog. Recently it’s come to my attention that I’m tending to blog about nothing (this isn’t due to others pointing it out - well, my mom questioned one of my posts - but no one else has commented on my boringness). I certainly don’t mind that, because I really think that I am using this medium to express my thoughts. I will think about certain things, or will accomplish things, and instead of just thinking about them, I have decided to write them down. Perhaps it makes me more aware of my accomplishments, no matter how small or trivial they may be (cleaning out the basement, my magazines, books, and clothes).

It was brought to my attention this past spring that I live mostly in my head. A friend of mine, who I was spending a lot of time with, told me that while everyone in the room is speaking about something, I would sit there quietly. It was obvious, to him at least, that I am taking in what everyone is saying, and I am thinking my own thoughts and opinions about it in my head. I usually don’t discuss them out loud, but my gears are clearly turning. Even when it would just be the two of us hanging out, I would still tend to be very quiet. I would do a lot of thinking in my head, and sometimes he had to drag my thoughts out of me. Sometimes I feel as though I have mini conversations in my head, or that my thoughts are constantly racing.

I find that blogging is a way for me to get the thoughts out of my head, and onto paper. Well, e-paper, I guess would be the term. I think that it is healthy to write about everything and anything, and as David Sedaris once said, he wishes that he could go back to his diaries and read about how much gas cost ($1.77), or how much it was to see a movie ($7.75 in Fitchburg, $9.50 in Worcester), or even how much a gallon of milk was ($2.99, abouts – I pay exactly that for my ½ gallon of organic). But instead of the things he is really interested in (the costs of things back then), he is stuck with the writing of how crazy his family was growing up. I would like to think that perhaps I will go back to this blog in 20 years, and I will be able to not only read about gas prices (because I’ve talked about them several times), but also about what other crazy things I was talking about (losing power for 12 days, mom driving me nuts about bottled water, etc.).

It will also be very interested to read about how I am doing both physically and mentally, it having been less than one year since I’ve gone through radiation treatment (and surgery) for cancer. When I am forty-four years old, how good will my memory be on what it was like to have radiation? I’m sure I will cherish the pictures I have. (When I was measured with the Geiger counter, I had to shout “Dad! TAKE A PICTURE!” Because, really, how often are you measured with a Geiger counter? I wanted a picture! – and he was just standing there like a doofus, camera in hand NOT taking pictures)

And so, because of my goals for blogging (expressing my thoughts and getting them out of my head, and just writing about my day to day life), my blog is a bit of a hodge-podge of topics. I understand that it may not be the most interesting blog to read, but it is what it is. I have found that I could not write a food blog, because I eat the same thing every single day. Honey Bunches of Oats, half a banana, ½ cup of skim milk, along with ¾ cup of egg whites. For lunch, I either have tuna or chicken salad, a vegan veggie burger or a mini pizza. All of which I make on a high fiber English muffin. Lunch also includes a spinach salad with sunflower seeds, a red pepper, and light honey mustard dressing. Dinner is my only meal of the day that is different and even dinner seems to just rotate day by day. That is why I’m trying to get more interesting with cooking, and I just took out three cookbooks from the library yesterday to study up and get ideas. But I enjoy what I eat, and I look forward to it. Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen from the You On a Diet! Book said that it is best to eat the same thing every day. That way, you’re controlling what you’re putting in your body, and you won’t slip up and have something bad for you. (Or something, I’m not sure what their real explanation is). I’m sure I could take really beautiful pictures of my cereal and my mini pizzas (and here is my mini pizza getting beautifully browned in the oven, and let me put it on this delicate china plate to make it even more beautiful) – but I won’t bore you with that (again).

And so, this is me. For better or for worse, this is my blog. Mostly I write it because I enjoy it. I’ve found myself writing three blog posts a day. I love it. I have things that I wish to write down, and for some reason, I publish them on the Internet.

I was cleaning my room this morning (I am on a roll with the cleaning!) when I heard the familiar “ping”  of a message via GMail Chat.  I was surprised to see it was Megan, asking me if I was watching the Inauguration.  I had a plan to clean my room, go to the gym, have lunch around 1ish, and then go run errands to prep for dinner.  But instead, I went downstairs, watched the Inauguration of Barack Obama with Megan (via GChat), and ate lunch first, before the gym.  Then, I ran my errands, came home and prepped dinner (let the salmon sit in its sauce, and prepared the root vegetables so they’d be ready to be put in the oven when I returned), and then went to the gym.  As promised, I walked to the gym.  I was nervous that I wasn’t going to have enough time, but I cut my workout at the gym short to make up for the time spent walking.  Tomorrow, I have to babysit at noon, library meeting at 5:30, and then dinner at 7.  Because I don’t know what time I will get done babysitting, I’m going to the gym first.

I always try to count backwards when figuring out timing for things.  I need to leave the house by 11:30 (which will probably turn into 11:38, knowing me), so then I should be home and in the shower by 10:30, so I need to eat breakfast around 10 (takes me about 10 minutes to prepare my eggs and cereal), so to be at the gym for 45 minutes, plus a half hour for walking, I need to leave my house for the gym at…..  8:45.  I don’t like not eating breakfast first thing in the morning, but I figure I’ll eat an apple and/or an orange for energy before I leave.  That should be good enough.`

I read somewhere today that it isn’t good to chug water.  I guess our bodies aren’t equipt to handle all that water at once.  It doesn’t do anything bad, but the body can’t absorb it all for hydration needs.  That makes sense.  I also read that if you’re properly hydrated (not only should your pee be clear), but you should pee once every night.  I used to be able to wake up in the middle of the night, take my pill, and go right back to sleep.  Now, however, I try to do that, and all I can think is “Oh man, I have to pee.”  Which sucks, cause I really don’t want to get out of bed.  But of course, I can’t fall back to sleep, cause I have to pee so badly.  So I end up having to get out of bed anyway.  I should just get up right away without torturing myself by trying to convince my head that I don’t have to pee that badly.  When really I do.

I could use some book recommendations.  I started to read The Host, and it sucked.  I got to about page 15, and I’m pretty sure I’m giving up.  I think I read somewhere that you should at least give it to page 50 or 100 (I can’t remember which), but I don’t think I want to give it that much of a chance.  And so, I need more books to read.  My mom brought me home Snoop:  What Your Stuff Says About You, which I started and it’s interesting.  It looks at things like:  in a person’s office, are their photos facing them (which says “Aw, I like looking at my family, they’re great), or are they facing the visitors (which says, “Look at how great my family is.  I have this hot spouse, and adorable kids).  I’m only on page 20 or so, I fell asleep reading it on the couch (cause I was reclined, and my eyes were just so tired).  But I’ll pick it back up tomorrow.

I found an article, The Art of Living in Small Spaces, which had good tips about living in a mini house.  I’ve also found it interesting that in all of my “daydreams” of this little house, I’m by myself, doing my own thing.  I don’t have a husband/spouse/partner/boyfriend or anything.  Maybe if I do get a boyfriend, I’ll make him live in his own mini house.  There will be plenty of room, because I started a mini house community.  We will all barter with each other.  Some of us will grow lots of fruits and vegetables, and others will have real jobs and work outside the house.  The real worker will buy things like milk and pasta, and we will trade our vegetables and eggs with him for his purchased goods.  I could barter therapy with him, but there are strict rules for that.  Each person must agree upon the terms, and it’s better to trade services (I think).  Because if he loses his job, and can’t provide me with 15 pounds of pasta, and 15 pounds of flour, then should I just stop giving him therapy?  It would be better if it was a service, like…. he would mow the lawn every week or something.  One hour of lawn mowing for one hour of therapy.

I would prefer goods.  I can mow my own friggen lawn.  Maybe there could be a clause “In the event that pasta and flour can not be provided, ____ will be substituted.”  That way, I get what I want if at all possible, but there’s a “just in case” clause.

. . . But wait, aren’t ALL of my posts just my random mumblings?  Err… yes.  So, this will be random mumbling post #153.

• Since getting my stainless steel water bottle, I’ve been drinking a LOT more water.  It’s pretty great.  If the water in it is room temperature, I can pretty much chug the whole bottle in one sitting.  I’m still not drinking as much as I should be, but it’s gotten a lot better.

• I went through my book shelf and brought two bags of books to The Rabbit Hole, our local used/new book store.  In exchange, I got $21 in credit to use at the store.  Sweet.

• I went through my clothes for things to toss/donate, and decided to finally get rid of my Days Of the Week underwear.  I got them with Sally at American Eagle the Christmas of freshman year of college (2002) - so they’re just over six years old.  I don’t wear them anymore, but I just didn’t have the heart to get rid of them.  My underwear drawer is packed full of socks and such, and I just don’t have the room anymore.  I’m seriously a little sad about this - not about the underwear, but I don’t like throwing away memories.  I think of Sally whenever I see them.  They have reindeer on them, and each day is a little saying “Sunday I sleep in, Monday  I work, Tuesday is movie night”, etc.  I was always crazy about needing to wear Sunday’s on Sunday.  I couldn’t wear Sundays on Tuesday, that just wasn’t right.  I only knew two of them by heart - Sunday was red, and Thursday was dark green.  I couldn’t keep the other ones straight, and it was a pain to search for the correct day.  (Is it weird that I’m putting a picture of my (albeit, old) underwear on the Internet?  Probably.  But after this, they will end up in the trash.  For having made it 6 years, and still looking that good, they deserve a shout out in my blog.)

• I made dinner tonight from a recipe I got off the internet (olive oil and garlic with pasta).  It was craptacular.  It didn’t have enough “taste” - I even added TONS of garlic.  Plus, it was way too spicy; it made our lips burn.  It called for one tablespoon red pepper flakes, and I thought that was too much, so I added one teaspoon.  And that was too much.  It sucked.  I’m not satisfied by it, and even though I’m not really all that hungry, I’m still craving more food.  I wish that I just had a bowl of cereal and egg whites for dinner.  Now all I’m craving is a big bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats.  Stupid HBoO - why are you so delicious???

• It’s finally warmer out (30s) - so I’m going to get serious (again) about walking to the gym from now on.  Each way is about a mile, and I read that for every mile walked is 100 calories burned.  Plus, it helps add to my steps - and I’ve been lacking in them lately cause it’s been so cold.

• I took off my pedometer to take a shower, and look at the number it was on!  Make a wish! Oh, and my pedometer is out of batteries!  This morning, before I put it on, I saw that it had a small battery sign blinking!  Oh no!  But my mom stopped wearing her’s, so I just went to her room and grabbed her’s.  Like I could just stop wearing one cold turkey?  I don’t think so!

• I went to Walgreens, and I saw that they had The Snuggie for sale!  Holy crap!  And yes, it’s basically a backwards robe.  There was nothing in the back.  My blanket with sleeves has a back… it snaps together in the front.  It is awesomely ridiculous.

• When I look at recipes online, I need to see a picture of the food.  If not, how will I know if I will like the food?  Megan will think this is silly.  But, it’s one of the things I look for when going through a cookbook, or looking for recipes online.

• I hate how all of the fitness/lose weight guides say “Eat breakfast Every Day.”  I have the opposite problem - I want to eat breakfast 5 times a day!

And this ends another post of random things that I think of throughout the day.  I need to go read.  I also need to give up the Internet.  It’s turning me into a lifeless zombie.  I need to find a good blanket/afghan pattern so I can start knitting!  I found one, but, after she found out it was a blanket for me to keep, Megan said, “I think you should find one . . .  less ugly.”

Happy last day of President Bush!

Oh, and I had a nice big bowl of HBoO with half a banana, and I am now fully satisfied.

Anyone want to be in a book club with me?

Pat, Megan and I used to do an online book club back in 2005.  We had a livejournal page where we would post our comments and thoughts on the books we read.  http://operation-read.livejournal.com  (I had to do quite a bit of searching to find that!)

In our bookclub, we read She’s Come Undone, A Clockwork Orange, and Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal.  Then, for some reason, we stopped doing it.

I think books clubs are great, and I would like to do one again.

We all use Good Reads, which is a way to keep track of books you’ve read, and your thoughts on them, and to keep a list of books you’re planning on reading.  It’s a neat idea, but I don’t use it as often as I should (as often as Pat does).

I just finished reading Eat Pray Love, and here are some thoughts about it.

The book is set up into 108 short little “stories.”  I don’t know if she took journal entries to write them or what, but some of them are short (a page), and others are longer.  It made it very easy to find an appropriate place to stop reading.

Elizabeth goes through a really bad divorce with her husband (he refused the divorce, and it dragged on and on), then she falls crazy in love with another man, David.  That went down the crapper as well, and they loved each other, but things just weren’t working out.

She decides to take a year off and go to Italy (to learn Italian), India (to stay at an Ashram, where she prayed for HOURS every day, beginning at 3am), and finally to Indonesia (where she rented a house, and hung out with an old Balinese healer).

In Italy, she ate and ate, and gained ~30 pounds.  She had lost about 20 through her crazy divorce, so she’s didn’t really get fat.  It seemed as though everything she ate was the best meal she had ever had.  In India, she did a LOT of yoga and meditation, which made me want to start doing that.  When I live in my little house, it’d be nice to wake up every morning and meditate for one hour before beginning my day as a gardener.  In Bali, she spent time with two people whose jobs it were to be healers.  The one woman owned a “shop” where people would come to her to be healed.  This portion of the book made me want to live in my little house and still be a therapist and have patients come by to my house.  I’ll have a very small private practice.  Expect a short story about that topic very soon, I’m currently working on it.  (I’ve been enjoying writing lately with my spare time).

There wasn’t really anything that I disliked about this book, but I’m not as picky about my books as Pat is.  I couldn’t put it down, and wish that it was longer so I could keep reading it!  It was a very easy read, and I love non-fiction books.  It reminded me a lot of the movie (and book) Under the Tuscan Sun, but this one was a LOT better.  I hear they’re making it into a movie with Julia Roberts.  I’m glad I read the book before that movie comes out, though.  Wow, I just read that one of her short memoirs was turned into the movie Coyote Ugly!  How about that?!

Read an excerpt of the book here.

Next, I’m planning on reading (in order) The Host by Stephenie Meyer (I have it from the library, and need to read it before it’s due), The Last Lecture (about that college professor who recently died) - a fluff piece, sure, but I’m interested in reading it, and it’ll probably be a quick read (and I’ve already requested it from the library).  Then, I want to read Animal Vegetable Mineral by Barbara Ehrenreich (she wrote Nickel and Dimed, which I LOVED), as Megan just finished it, and loved it.  I’d also like to read In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan (the same author who wrote The Omnivore’s Dilemma - which I started, but never finished).

My brother is a senior at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.  His school is super lame, and whenever Massachusetts has a Monday holiday (and we have tons of them - Labor Day, Presidents’ Day, Patriots’ Day, MLK Day, Memorial Day, etc.) they NEVER get the day off.  All of the other schools have the day off, and banks are even closed.

But WPI stays open.  It’s like they don’t believe in these “bank holidays” (actually, I guess that’s a British term, in the US they call them “federal holidays).  It’s weird.

This year, however, it is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and WPI has closed their school to honor MLK Jr.

I find this very interesting, and I think that they have only decided to do it is because we now have a black President.

I wonder, if John McCain was our new president, would WPI have class today?  I bet they would.

Let’s say I want to do a point system to keep track of good and bad things that I do. Walk 10,000 steps a day, read for at least 30 minutes, drink diet soda (bad) or take my vitamins. It’ll be a way to not only keep track, but remnd me to do certain things (I never remember my vitamins anymore). Certain things will be worth more points than others, and the bad things will deduct points.
But what will happen with the points? What could I “buy” with them that doesn’t cost money or is some kind of food item? I’m trying to save money and accumulate less crap, so shopping or buying a good book wouldn’t be good. Neither would a $60 massage (too expensive). Something online suggested a bubblebath, but I don’t know if I’d really enjoy that all that much.
I’d like to keep track if things better, it will work as good motivation to remind me that I should be doing these things every day (reading!).
Is a point system silly? Should I just check off the things i’ve done, and turn the negatives into positives like “didn’t have any diet soda” (which uses a negative in the sentence, but the action is positive)?

Thoughts?