Summer mission update

I wrote about a month ago about all the things I'd like to accomplish this summer, and I thought I'd update you all on my progress. So here they are in order:

*I've been working pretty hard at looking and feeling better. I get on the treadmill everyday(I've only missed four or five days total in the last month, all due to being out of town or too busy, not just to being lazy) and added daily walks with Honey to my being-more-active regimen. Unfortunately I haven't seen any results from either of these things or from eating better/less, but I'm trying not to let that discourage me since if I gave up then I definitely wouldn't see any results. I still haven't weighed myself and probably won't. Ever. If I can help it.

*I've also been reading a lot so I should be able to complete the 50 book challenge this year. The last time I wrote I was up to 22 and now I'm up to 33. Woo! This is definitely a more enjoyable goal to pursue than the first. My favorite five books of the ones I've read since I wrote last are Papillon by Henri Charriere (autobiographical, true story by the only man to successfully escape from Devil's Island, a penal colony in French Guiana in the 1930s), Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (loved the movie, loved the book even more), Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore (really funny book that I've wanted to read for a long time and finally decided to buy after two friends on goodreads gave it five stars), When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris (more funny essays about his life, focusing more on his boyfriend Hugh this time), and Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk (almost a little too twisty for my tastes, it started to remind me of a daytime soap opera, but it was interesting). My least favorite by far is Rabbit, Run by John Updike--I have never despised a character, a protagonist no less, more than Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom. I couldn't get past how unsympathetic he is, especially since I got the feeling that Updike expected readers to sympathize with him. I do not recommend this book at all to anyone.

*I still haven't really acquired a taste for coffee beyond lattes. Maybe I'll start to really work on this one once I'm in Seattle. A big part of me not working on it is that I've been trying desperately to save money and didn't feel like coffee was important enough to spend any of my few precious dollars on.

*Speaking of money, I was finally able to secure employment! It took over a month for the store to call me back after I submitted my application, but at least they finally called me back. I can't even put into words how much I've been worrying about money. I have enough to get to Washington and to get into an apartment, but not enough to buy a bed or anything else I would need once I'm there. This job won't pay me much, but I'm going to ask them to work me as many hours as possible so I can make as much as I can, and at this point I'll take what I can get. I start on Tuesday so I decided to put off leaving until the last week of July (probably the 27th so I can still get to WA before August 1st) so I can work a little longer. Yay for me!

*Of course I can't update on my progress on getting to Washington in one piece since I haven't left yet, but I can say that I've already started packing and am trying to figure out just how much stuff I can fit into my car. It's not a lot, but I'll be able to take what I need for sure. And what I need includes a few boxes of books, of course.

*I've given up on finding a studio and have instead been in contact with another in-coming SU 1L. The plan now is to find a two-bedroom close to campus at the beginning of August. I think it'll be better to live with someone since it'll probably be cheaper and after spending the last couple of days alone in my house, I've been reminded of how much I hate living alone. I start freaking myself out as soon as it's dark out--every sound is a prowler, I have to check all around my bed and even in my closet for monsters every time I re-enter my room even though no monster would be able to fit into my small and cluttered closet. Logic really flies out the window once irrational fear takes over. I mean, the monster could have some amazing shrinking powers to fit into small spaces and he could grow to a great size once I discover his presence...you never know.

*I haven't been spending as much time having fun with friends as I'd like, but that goes back to the money thing and to the fact that almost everyone else has moved a little farther away and started working at real jobs. Besides the wedding in CT, I've spent most of my time at home. That's OK, though. Hopefully now that I'll have a little more money I'll be able to be more social. Except that now I'll be working, probably til late at night on the weekends, so maybe not.