All I Need

What a deliciously weird and wonderful day! Part of its charm is its inauspicious start; I could have sworn that today was going to be awful. I got up at 6 to go to the gym, which was a real struggle considering it was raining and cold. At the gym, I had slim pickings with regard to television. See, I go to this gym just for the TV monitor in the treadmill. Yes, I can watch any show I please as I run. The problem is that there really isn't anything on at 6 am, unless your tastes gravitate toward Saved By The Bell or Vh1 playing Sarah Boreallis's (sp?) song on loop (God I hate that song). Anyway, I decided to watch The Today Show. By the time my run was over, I was thoroughly depressed. The topics? Rising airline costs, floods in the midwest, the anniversary of Iraq, the biological predisposition in humans to cheat on their significant others, and the high probability of having Alzheimer's. Now I know why I read so much celebrity gossip. When I'm done I feel smug or satisfied. 

Anyway, this sort of television viewing actually sparked a super interesting conversation with Dan. And then we flipped through my J.Crew catalog, where I found the perfect bridesmaid dress. In my excitement, I showed them to A., who kindly pointed out that the $385 price tag may be a little high. But not to fear dear readers, we found a suitable alternative!

This is actually a four season suit from J.Crew. Now picture this on my bridesmaids and this on my maid of honor: 

Wouldn't this look great? Plus, these dresses are so practical; my special ladies can wear them long after the ceremony.  Your thoughts?

I showed these to Dan and he loved them. We really got into the wedding planning mood, which had never really struck us. Somehow googling information about Guanajuato was just what we needed. 

Beautiful. 

In other good news, I may have a research opportunity. This professor told me that two of my advisors had said "great things about me." Plus, someone I really admire wants me to read his paper! I am so flattered. 

Good news all around. Now if I could just pretend the world around me isn't crumbling...

Good Morning

So it's Thursday morning and I am sitting all by myself in the East Lounge in Rackham Graduate School. I am trying to revise the ethnicity list for the new version of the Comparative Prelim, but I am finding it difficult, nay, impossible to concentrate. A friend of mine in college (I suppose we were friends... definitely on friendly terms, hung out a couple of times) died. He was badly burned in a fire in Seoul and his family was raising money for his medical bills. I contributed and was looking periodically at the facebook page reporting his status. Last night, while working in the Ford School, I checked it and to my utter surprise, he passed away. I never entertained the notion that he wasn't going to make it. His sister uploaded a journal entry he had written. It was much more profound than anything I've jotted down in my moleskin notebook (or on this blog, which goes without saying). He was utterly alive and aware that he was living. I am often torn between the concepts of living for the day and living for the future. Too much emphasis on the here-and-now can, on the individual level, lead to disaster for the future, and on the aggregate level, a hedonistic culture. Yet continually planning for that day that will never come robs life of all of its spontaneity, and, inevitably, some of its beauty. In his journal entries, it seems that he had a perspective on the world that I sorely lack. He knew he was part of a bigger thing. He saw the failings of society, but he didn't linger in his pessimism or freeze in the futility of individual action, something I do. I am saddened that the world lost such a reflective and intelligent individual. 

It's All Right

I'm back in Ann Arbor and Reality has just sucker punched me. I have SO much to do. The good news is that I'm on track with my raw food diet. I actually feel really good, especially after a week of gluttony. In other news, the girls were really happy to see me! Both of them have been jumping onto my lap and rubbing up against my legs. In some ways, it's good to be back.

100% Committed

I'm going to announce it here...I am going to eat only raw foods for the month of March.*  Dan is taking the under. I will update this blog with my progress.

*I am not counting my birthday or Easter.

Baseball Bores Me

I'm in the house while Dan, Jon, and David go and enjoy a spring training baseball game. YAWN. I've been working half-assedly (is that even a word?) on my revamped prospectus. This bad-boy needs to be done by Sunday, lest I incur the wrath of the department chair. Anyway, I feel oddly inspired to work today. I was going through an email folder I made when I was really into organizing my emails and I realized that I did have some good moments in this program. By good moments, I mean times when it seemed like I was going places professionally. Those good moments have since dried up, but at least I know I once had it in me and I may have it again. We went to the Grand Canyon. It was beautiful, but it just confirmed what I've always known: I hate being in the great outdoors. I spent our last day in the lodge working, which, for me, is preferable to hiking the rim. Thanks but no thanks. I've been reading Andrea's blog and I'm thinking of trying the raw foods diet, er, lifestyle. Lately we've been subsisting on trail mix, In-N-Out burger, and Mexican food. I do not feel well. The idea of fresh foods is so appealing right now. The problem is that Dan and I live to eat and I cannot see him being happy about this change. Moreover, what would I say to Dan's parents when I go to eat at their house tonight? Or when we go to a prof's house for dinner and I munch on a plate of lettuce? It seems rude. Any advice? I am going on a run now. It is exhilarating to be running outside. Needless to say, I do not want to go back to Michigan.

How Will Hillary Run A Country If She Cannot Even Run A Successful Campaign?

It's spring break and I've been enjoying the warm Arizona sun. We had a hellish trip over here, which began inauspiciously enough with me being involuntarily bumped from my flight. This essentially grounded Dan, Jon, and David. Instead, we spent the afternoon eating at Benihana in Dearborn and trolling the mall. We then caught a flight to Las Vegas at 9:00 pm, which included us running across the tarmac in Las Vegas. In Phoenix we've spent most of our time eating and shopping. The highlight, for me, was hitting the craziness that is Last Chance in Phoenix. Speaking of Last Chance, yours truly found a pair of Chloe heels! YAY! Sure, they look a little worn. But they perfectly constructed and were an absolute steal in terms of price. When I was in Paris, I would stop by the Chloe boutique and just stare at the merchandise with awe. These are similar to the shoes I bought, except mine are a dark brown and do not have the buckle. I can't wait to wear them out! Today the four of us piled into the Jeep and headed to Prescott, Arizona. We stopped at Montezuma's Castle and Sedona. Sedona reminded me of a Barbara Kingsolver novel mashed up with the wackiest parts of Bloomington with a dash of Boulder for good measure. Every other store hawked crystals and David wondered if every resident was a would-be novelist. Unfortunately, throughout the day I felt dizzy and had a headache. In the car, I fell asleep and I didn't even realize it. Do you know what I mean? I woke up and I had no idea that I had fallen asleep! Earlier this morning, I ran eight miles and I hadn't drank much water all day. When we got to our hotel in Prescott, I collapsed on the bed. Dan brought me bottle upon bottle of water. In the span of 3 minutes, I drank 60 ounces of water. I've been drinking water all night. Now I'm going to watch the re-broadcast of the debate. Go Obama!

Accentuate the Positive

I am trying my hardest to be positive today but it is not working. I even cranked "It's A Beautiful Day" on my way to school. For a moment I was feeling it. Now I just feel like I'm this weird girl who is uber-competitive and completely unlikable. Oh, and I feel stupid as well. Not one of my brightest moments. Anyway, I really want to get my groove back. What does that mean? It means ACCENTUATING THE POSITIVE. Yes, EVERYTHING is GREAT! Smile...with GUMS! I'm serious.