Ch-ch-ch-changes

Mugi: Master of the Sock Drawer

I've officially failed at my "resolution." Which is why I never make any in the first place.  I made it an entire month without buying any books for myself and I finished five of the unread books in my queue in the process.  But I broke down yesterday because I only worked a half day (freedom) and the used bookstore is precariously located between Metro Mutts and Eastern Market (temptation).  I bought:

• Drown, by Junot Diaz (does it matter that I've already read half the stories? NO.)
• Kafka on the Shore, by Haruki Murakami (Peer pressure)
• How Proust Can Change Your Life, by Alain de Botton (Elsa, I was stalking you one day...)
• Ella Minnow Pea, by Mark Dunn (It's true, I've never read this somehow.)

Don't be decieved. He will bite you if you're not petting him
first thing in the morning.

The problem is that today, Tim has left me unattended at the Barnes & Noble. He's taking the Foreign Service test today, which means we made the official life decision to join that elite few... if he gets in. In which case, the fact that I'm buying even more books is doubly troubling because that means I'm going to be like, stuffing paperbacks in my shirt just to get them from country to country.

I've only been alone here for 30 minutes and I've already purchased:

• Her Fearful Symmetry, by Audrey Niffenegger (it was on sale.)
• We Need to Talk About Kevin, by Lionel Shriver (Longnutzer, I am SO excited!!! I don't know why I waited this long.)
• and a cup of peppermint tea, which isn't so bad, I guess.

Things have been a little crazy over the past two weeks, between the cleanse, the cat, and the new job. As you can see, I have taken nothing but pictures of the cat for the past two weeks. The cat is fine.

FOR REAL.

Today is day SEVENTEEN of the Clean program. I fell off the wagon one time and had about 1/4 cup of frozen yogurt with berries--it was the first time I'd eaten ANY dairy or refined sugar in two weeks. And ten minutes later I had a headache. Basically my body has gotten really excited about eating nothing but totally healthy food all the time. Which is going to be interesting when the cleanse is over because my brain wants mexican food like nobody's effing business.

Tim, amazingly, is doing much better than I am. He seems to be perfectly happy with two smoothies a day. I, on the other hand, have probably never wanted a Philly cheesesteak so bad in my life. But this is probably based more on my psychological need for things I can't have than anything else. Today I made grilled lamb chops for lunch. Grilled lamb chops for lunch. If you told me I couldn't have a smoothie, I would probably be really whiney and annoying about my sudden desire for one.

My job is also going well. I LOVE meeting a billion doggies everyday.  And if you'll give me ten minutes I'll tell you all about how to pick out the best dog food. Would you like that? I'll bet you would. It's only with the greatest restraint that I'm resisting telling you about it right now.