This blog has not been living up to its new name the last couple of weeks. Work has been crazy and I have been busy, but I can't seem to remember what I was so busy doing. honestly, I may have just wasted all my time playing my Beetle Adventure Racing and my new Zelda games on N64.

I got a brand new oak dresser. It's pretty. I think it is technically a chest of drawers, but that's too long to say in a casual conversation about clothing storage options. It has a really nice deep drawer, perfect for sweaters, 4 other good sized drawers and a small one at the top. I have gone without a decent dresser for so long that I am not quite sure what to put in all the drawers.

In other news I just bought a pass for all the university's fitness classes and facilities. I am quite excited. I already feel better since buying it. I don't walk as much as I did when I was a student and I can tell. I have gained weight since I graduated. I hope spending that much money on it will motivate me to get to the gym. I think I am going to try the cycling classes over my lunch hour a few times a weekd and lifting or running on the weekends at the new Fitness West since it's a little closer to where I live now and it's new. Fitness West is open on Monday so I may head over there since I don't have to go to work. I meant to try the cycling classes this summer but never got around to it. I can reserve a bike in the morning so I should always be able to go when I want to.

Also, I am finally not in the Rec Services calendar anymore. It was pretty much a picture of me holding a bag with my butt to the camera while the bag was being kicked and other people standing in line waiting to kick. Not the most flattering for me.

I can't believe there is already a football game this Saturday. It doesn't feel like tomorrow should be September. Not that I am complaining. I love fall weather.

I decided a long weekend at the cabin may have to be it for me this year. Thursday afternoon I drove to my aunt and uncle's house in Wisconsin and then Friday my cousin Bailey and I drove to our cabin in northern Minnesota. Bailey and I had a great time on the drive just talking about stuff. She's practically my other little sister. Before the rest of her fam arrived at the cabin I taught her how to make brownies from scratch, introduced her to hummus, taught her to crochet and we made cinnamon chip scones. I had shown my aunt the blanket I was working on and offered her one of the extra squares as a pot holder so I doubled it's thickness and added a simple white border. She was thrilled with it and said she had never been so excited by a pot holder. I hated to tell her how simple it was to make. My uncle and cousin Jordan made a beautiful oak pub table to sit on our cabin's enclosed front porch so I am going to make some placemats for it. Maybe some matching coasters too.

The weather wasn't the greatest. It was cool, windy and rainy so I didn't get to spend much time on the dock reading, playing in the water or sailing with my uncle. At least I was able to go to the cabin. I am thinking I may try to head up there sometime in September or October, so if anyone wants to see northern Minnesota in the fall let me know.

I also talked with my aunt, uncle and cousins about my mom. Since the divorce she has been living alone in a rather large Victorian house in need of a lot of work. She loves the house and really wants to fix it up so she can sell it, but I don't see how she could ever possibly do anything like that. It needs so much work and she doesn't have the resources to do any of it. The woman is too sentimental. She has a hard time letting go of anything. She can find value in almost anything no matter how little she uses or remembers it. Even a house that costs her over $500 a month just to heat to 60 degrees in the winter.

I don't know what to say to her or how to help her see what she is doing to herself. The house is a burden for her, but she isn't willing to let it go. I know she would be a lot happier in a house that "fits" her, but I don't think she sees it. She is more worried about not losing money on that house, but since we only paid $25,000 for it about 18 years ago, I don't think losing money should really be the issue. She is already will probably lose more money trying to maintain it than she would if she just tried to sell the house or somehow get rid of it. It has the potential to be a beautiful house, but the amount of work needed to make it a beautiful house is more than she can handle.

Obviously I have made a few changes. I needed something different. I think my new title is more fitting since that is really what this is all about.

In other news, I finally bought new tires for my car as well as fixing the alignment and getting the oil changed. Not only did it need it all, but I am going to be doing some long distance driving and didn't really want to blow a tire on the trip. There is a marked difference in the way the car feels. It's a lot smoother, quieter and I don't think it will be shaking quite as much when I get up around 60-70 mph anymore. Now if I could only find a book on CD that I can afford and would enjoy.

I think I am going to enjoy some free pizza now.

Almost all of my stuff is now in my new apartment. The rest of it is in Amanda's garage. I have a lot of stuff. I am not sure how it happend. I think I had 3 boxes of books and at least two of shoes. I think I had a suitcase, laundry basket, and suitcase or two filled with clothes. I probably don't even wear half of them. I think I need to do some major getting-rid-of-stuff before I move again. We still have to get Josh's stuff in here!!!

Today I went to Target to get the random stuff we need around here. I got kitchen towels and dishcloths as well as some scrubby thingies. For the bathroom I got a shower caddy and a rubber duckie to go with our shower curtain. I also picked up paper towels,toilet paper and napkins in somewhat large quantities. I also got a pair of shorts and a sports bra since I seem to be short on both. Somehow all that stuff added up to over $80! Most of the stuff was $3-4 and it all fit in 3 plastic bags, other than the paper products. It's crazy how the little stuff adds up so quickly.