the Dalaverse

Oh man, have I had a good weekend. First there was the huge weight of grad school apps lifted off my shoulders on Friday. Yesterday Ness cooked a chicken and we had Jess and Amanda over to catch up, then watched "Bend It Like Beckham" at their place. I am now fully convinced that somebody told Keira about the original Jess/Jules storyline, because a. she touches Jess way, way a lot and b. I don't buy her attraction to Joe at all; their camraderie is very brother-sisterly. After the movie we wandered across campus to hang out with Kathleen while she was on duty. We listened to her tell a long and convoluted story about how she got together with her new boyfriend, but her new boyfriend is also her first boyfriend and somebody she's known since high school, so it's sort of understandable. And lastly, we shrieked with joy over the S2 finale of "The Office." Oh, Jim.

Plus there's this whole thing where I've gotten serious about being healthier. Cut because food/weight issues can be sensitive. I said I was going to exercise regularly at the start of this semester, but that fell off after about a week. The reason why I'm hoping it won't this time is because last weekend I stepped on my parents' scale and saw a number higher than I've ever see. And that really freaked me out. It's almost embarrassing for me to admit this, because I've always been staunchly anti-diet and I still wouldn't call it a diet exactly (I had a giant waffle and a danish for brunch this morning, if that helps reassure you, and Friday I got home from the post office and crashed with a pack of chocolate donuts with no guilt. That's why I hate diets -- they're so often founded on guilt, especially for women).
I'm just paying attention to what I eat and its actual nutritutional value, and taking advantage of the fact that I will in fact eat healthy snacks if they're around. I got my dad to buy me several boxes of those 100-calorie snack packs last weekend, and I bought a bag of oranges and two cartons of blackberries. Oh, and I've fallen deeply in love with raw almonds, after reading many good things about them and picking some up at Trader Joes. I love the taste and the texture. I just wish they weren't so freaking expensive -- but even so, I don't usually eat more than ten or so at a time, and I have a 1lb bag that should last awhile.

And I've put in gym time not just in twenty-minute intervals, but for a good hour-and-a-half stretch with a couple of miles on each machine (well, not the step machine -- I never liked those). I am determined to get back into the shape I was last fall, if not better, and I'm going to work hard to do it. I feel better already and I've just started making the effort.

Hee. I love this movie. "These are not spirit fingers. These...are spirit fingers." Except for some reason I remembered that guy as being played by Will Arnett. Plus, the whole thing is a vast indulgence for my girlcrush on Eliza Dushku.

Okay, to shower and then dinner. I believe there is leftover chow mein in the fridge.