Pink Bike

Okay, so I know I mentioned a while back that I got a new bike. The reason I was holding off posting pictures was because I wanted to get aero bars put on it before I showed it off. I wouldn't want it to feel incomplete. So, here they are...way too many pictures of the most beautiful PINK bike in the world. My favorite parts are the little pink wire-ending-tabs (yes, that's the technical term)...

Bragging Rights

So, yesterday in class, the professor started by saying she wanted to read from some of the better papers from last week...and she started with mine! Not that big of a deal, for sure...but small victories, right?

(And Good God, I really hope that nobody in my class reads this, cause that would just make me obnoxious...)

And now the best news: I'm off to an amazing store where I'm sure I'll spend way more money than I have, but then some much desired pictures are soon to follow!

Finding Someone Who Cares

Sometimes I feel like there is no one in the world who really cares.

I don't mean the pity filled, 'Nobody likes me, Everybody hates me, Guess I'll go eat worms', type of not-caring.

I mean the walking home from the library late at night, realizing that no one besides your mother has called you in the past 24 hours, thought that not only do you not receive calls anymore, but you also don't have anyone to call.

Maybe it's because I'm so good at pushing people away, insisting that I don't need anyone besides myself. Maybe it's because I can be a really big freaking bitch. Maybe it's because I'm not any fun anymore.

But sometimes I just get so scared, so scared that I'll never again have someone who loves me more than anyone else in the world, someone who thinks of me first when they leave a rehearsal or work or a doctor's appointment.

I don't know who I think of anymore, and that's probably a good thing for now. But sometimes...sometimes it's just really lonely. Sometimes I just wish I had someone to watch movies with me, but more than that...I wish I had someone to share my day with me. Sometimes I wish I had someone who really cared. It's not easy to find.

And then I start thinking about all that is bad in the world and all that could and probably will go wrong and I get scared on top of lonely...and then my heart starts hummingbird beating with hurt and all I can do is sit down.

It's not depression; it's just the fear of the unknown and the inability to control any of it. And, of course, it's a bit of anger at myself, and then sadness towards the world at large.

I'm not saying I'm upset because I don't have that perfect guy; the guy is not what is important. What's important, what I miss and I'm upset I don't have, is the relationship with the guy...the closeness and the ability to share.

Because, you can't have that with just anyone. It takes a lot of searching to find someone who will share with you, someone who really cares.

Please, WASTE MY TIME!

Orchestra rehearsal is every Monday and Wednesday night from 6:45-9:45. I like playing in orchestra; I have nothing against the rehearsals. But. This week the conductor is out of town. So, on Monday night we had sectionals, where we rehearse in small groups without a conductor. (In sections, get it?) Last week, Mr. Conductor had told me that he didn't see any reason for a Wednesday rehearsal because having someone else come to lead the rehearsal would be more detrimental than helpful a week before the concert.

Great, so I start thinking I have Wednesday night off. I get excited; I'll get to go to the running club's Wednesday night run. It's a hilly 7.5m course, and I always feel like I've gotten an awesome workout afterwards. So, this morning, I taught spinning class, lifted some weights, and then ran 5.5m. I was thinking that another 7.5m tonight would be perfect because on Sunday I'm going to run a half marathon, and it would be good to get that distance in over the course of one day early in the week. I'd still have plenty of time to recover and it would help my race on Sunday.

[Side note: I'm not expecting anything amazing from this race. My PR (1:47) seems completely unattainable to me right now and I don't know how I ran that fast. I'm only hoping to break 2 hours.]

So, I get to school this morning and what do I find out? They've decided to 'run' the piece quickly tonight. In other words, rehearsal won't last very long (maybe 30-45 minutes), but it's just enough time to ruin any chance of getting to go to the run. Again, I have nothing against rehearsing, but this is only rehearsal for the sake of keeping us busy. I HATE BUSY WORK. They want us to be in rehearsal because a rehearsal is scheduled, and that's the only reason. We're not going to get anything done; we'll screw around for a while and then the assistant conductor will let us go, thinking we're going to be thankful for getting out early. HA!

I'm debating going to the gym after I do finally get released to run some more tonight on the treadmill (I'm not stupid enough to run alone in the dark), just so I won't feel like my evening went to hell. We'll see. I do have a paper to write; I'm supposed to be writing it now. I'm so sick of writing papers. I have 2 papers a week to write and it's getting old. 11 weeks left until Christmas break. 22 papers. But, I'm actually learning from my classes, so I won't complain about them.

I WILL, HOWEVER, COMPLAIN ABOUT THE STUPIDITY OF MAKING US REHEARSE TONIGHT. BIG. FAT. WASTE. OF. TIME. I wouldn't have as much of a problem with it if they would just give us some freaking advance notice. There is no reason why they couldn't tell us what was going to happen today at Monday's rehearsal.

Oh yeah, there IS a reason...it's that THEY DON'T HAVE THEIR SHIT TOGETHER. Thanks, administration. Thanks, non-existent orchestra managers. I really wanted to have my evening wasted. I appreciate your thought and concern for everyone involved. Really. Thank you.

Goodbye, Chest...

Okay, so my boobs are disappearing. What was once a D (too big) and was then a C (perfect) is now verging on a B (too small and I don't have any bras that fit). Why is it that when I lose even the slightest bit of weight, it all magically comes off my chest? Why not my thighs, so that I wouldn't have to worry about Body Glide before a run? Why not my butt, so that I could wear pants that are made for normal human beings? Hell, even my face would be better; then people couldn't call me a chipmunk...

My dad's response to the whole Susanna+Rabbi=Love scenario?

"She won't be attracted to him; he's not athletic enough. Plus, how is he going to make enough money for her?"

Recital Dress

I bought it today in the city. Don't worry, I'll iron it.

And even though I got it on a total leap of faith without even trying it on, it actually looks pretty good. Things do generally look better when they're on a body though; hangers don't have the best body shape, somehow.

(And now that the dress is all figured out, all that's left is to actually learn the music...)

My mother is trying to fix me up with our Rabbi.

Help.

Okay, so two problems here.

The first, and most obvious...um..he's a Rabbi. While I have nothing against our religious leaders in general, I really don't think I want to date one. Hello, restrictions and rules, right? I'm not about it. I'm sure he's very smart, sensitive, and serious (all the characteristics I'm apparently looking for in the World According to Mom), but...yeah...lest we forget...a Rabbi. As extremest as I can be, I don't think a religious fanatic and I would be a good match. There will be no 'Next Year in Jerusalem' for me.

And, as if we really need more veto power, the second problem...He's in Louisiana. If there's one thing I can vouch for learning from the past couple of pseudo or not-pseudo relationships I've had, it's that long distance is for the birds. I'm trying to avoid repeating my same mistakes here, Mom...don't tempt me.

All that being said, I appreciate her thought and concern. So, here's my final question: Why me, and not my newly minted Super-Jew sister?

Oh yeah, cause she already has a boyfriend...

An Afternoon in NY with Alex...Korean Food (yes, those fish have eyes), a Pet Parakeet, and Looking for Spinning Music

I'm a Fermata...Hold Me.

Because I can be a stuck-up-Scorpio-bitch, I don't join groups on Facebook. But if I did...the Fermata group would be the first one with my name on its roster. It's just hilarious; I love puns, especially ones that you have to have some background knowledge to understand. Because once again, I'm a stuck-up-Scorpio-bitch and I like to feel better than everyone else.

The other pun I giggle about daily is the advertisement for JDate on a billboard in NYC..."Why is this site different from all other sites?" Amazing. It's just pure genius. (I admit it; I couldn't have come up with it.) Now there's an advertising executive earning his keep...

I love garage sales.

Dating in the 21st Century

Who knows if it was even a date? He paid for my hot chocolate and there was a kiss on the cheek at the end, but it was called it a 'get to know you thing'. It's intimidating to call anything a date, I know...but damn, being a girl is just harder than being a guy when it comes to this crap, so the guys need to take control. I'm all for feminism and the power of the woman and everything, but you know what? There's definitely also something to be said for having someone else holdthe reigns once in a while.

And so here's the thing. Now he knows my last name. And he knows I have a blog. And I already Googled him. So I'm betting I've got another, say, 14 hours, before he finds this...if he was at all interested, of course.

So, do I erase the previous post?

Part of me thinks, screw it--if he is going to ever like me, then he can just see whatever he wants and it doesn't matter. I'm me and he can like it or not. But then...maybe that's just a little too over the top and he won't call because he'll think I'm crazy. But I am partially crazy, so maybe that's a good thing to know in advance...but maybe it's not necessary to know after one coffee date...and around in circles I go.

Either way, it brings up an interesting issue. How do you casually get to know someone in this age of the world wide web? It's so much harder to do it so-called-normally because of the vast amounts of data out there. Just by typing my name into a search engine, you can find out how good an athlete I am, where I've performed, where I've worked, where I went to school, where I'm from...and if you find my blog, then...well, you can kind of figure out my personality, or what I portray of it here, anyhow.

Does this make people think they know more of each other than they do? Will it lead to judgments, good or bad, that aren't necessarily true? I don't know, but it's definitely a new function of society that us singletons have to think about. Your identity includes your internet identity, whether or not it's something with which you identify.

I don't know that there is a solution, so, for now, I guess I'm going to continue on in my normal fashion, and I'll just hope that he's not the type to go web surfing, and if he is, well...it'll make for something to talk about, I suppose.

A Pick Up Line That Actually Works

"You're so pretty, I can't believe it."

Said while on the phone and motioning for me to wait. What can I say? I waited...

Showers

I'm a one a day kind a girl with showers. Vitamins too, but that's another story.

The thing with showers is...if you take too many of them, your hair gets all gross and dried out...and it's time consuming...and you're WET...and I don't know...I'm all about being clean and stuff, but I just don't like taking them more than once a day.

So no big deal, right? Just take your one shower a day and stop the melodramatic bitching, right?

The problem comes in with this multiple workout thing I've been having to deal with lately. I don't mind sweating; I really kind of like getting really gross and sweaty. But, I then like to be clean immediately afterwards. No sitting in filth here. I'm just not into it.

So, one of two things happens...

I ditch the second (and third) workout.

Or, I do all of the workouts in a row, and then take my shower.

Neither of which are really all that awesome when it comes to getting the most from your training.

I guess I'm just going to have to get over my little obsessions with control and just take the freaking shower again at night...but I gotta say...it's not going to be easy.

Tonight, for example...I was completely free from 1pm on (and I'm now done for the weekend-yeah!), and I had every intention of going for a second run (I ran a bit this morning before work/class). But in the end, I just took a nap, went for a walk, ate dinner, and did some stuff at the library. (I say stuff because I wasn't studying...I was fooling around with Dreamweaver. I'm hoping to get better at web design, but damn, massive programs like that can steal your life. One day soon, though, my web site will look cool, I promise.)

So in other words, no second run. I of course rationalized it by saying I'll go first thing tomorrow morning...and I will. But, all in all, there won't always be a 'tomorrow morning'. Now is better than later and shower or no shower, I've got to get my butt moving.

Because the butt? Not moving. i.e. My running is slow again, and it's annoying. I'm trying to not be upset about it, but I was really gaining so much ground last year...and now, every run feels hard, and once again, 9min/m are about my norm. Perhaps I just need to hold that pace until I'm in my 40's...then I'll qualify for Boston. 15 years and counting...

But! I did manage to conquer one aspect this week in my quest to be less weird. I got myself to the grocery store. I did not panic, leave the store with nothing, and then go hide under the covers for the rest of the day. Nope, I walked around the store like a normal person, ate the samples, and bought healthy, fresh food...instead of the mountains of processed shit I usually get with the brilliant plan of never again having to venture to that circle of hell.

My breakthrough secret? Trader Joe's. I actually like the freaking store. The ridiculous thing? I knew this from my Cleveland days. There, it was the only store I would go to on my free will. So why didn't I venture to the Trader Joe's here before suffering through a year and a half of eating boxed mac n cheese? I'm not really sure. It's especially stupid considering the store is about 8 minutes from my aunt's house, where I eat dinner most Tuesday nights...it's not even freaking out of the way! Sheesh. Sometimes, I amaze myself with my stubborn idiosyncrasies.

So, grocery stores? Beaten down with a stick. Someday, I can be a functional wife after-all. Next up, the shower thing. At least I'm taking one a day, so I think that, in general, I smell decent...most of the time, anyway...

Sisters

(the picture on my computer wallpaper right now)

Crud

I feel like crud. There is nothing hugely significant wrong, other than that my chest feels like it's filled with black sludge and I can't breathe properly. Which, of course, is oh-so-convenient considering I have an audition tomorrow morning...and I play the flute and breathing is required.

It's annoying to be sick, but it's even more annoying to be pseudo-sick, when you can't operate at full capacity, but you don't feel bad enough to allow for a day in bed, or even bad enough to excuse yourself from the necessity to write the paper that's due on Tuesday.

I didn't do my 15m run this morning so that I could get some extra sleep and perhaps snap out of it, but it didn't work. I've been fighting this all week, and now it has traveled down to my chest. I'm fearing it is verging into sinus infection territory and I'm going to be forced to go to the doctor, which I generally refuse to do.

Today is Rutger's homecoming. The town has been painted red. Literally. All you see is red on clothes, on cars, on buildings. And get this, when I woke up this morning at 7:45 to do my run (I actually drove over to meet the running club and then didn't run because it was raining and I felt like I was drowning in quicksand), there was already bumper-to-bumper traffic. People were up and tailgating before 8am. I have nothing against football or good parties, and I'm sure homecoming is a blast...but setting your alarm to get up and drink? I can't quite comprehend it. Starting at 3 pm, maybe 1 or 2, sure. Even 11am, for god's sake...but before 8 on a Saturday?? I'm probably just ridiculously lame, but it's just not something I could do. Then again, I do wake up at 4am and run a race on occasion, and I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who think that's nuts. So to each their own, eh?

The rain has stopped and it's a beautiful day to be here in Southern New Jersey. I met the running club for breakfast after they ran and I slept, and proceeded to eat way too much oatmeal. I'm sitting in the library procrastinating, yet am pleasantly full, and relatively happy despite the squirrel hibernating in my chest.

Fall has arrived, I believe. Even with the impending doom of winter approaching, I really love autumn. (What other season has two names? You've gotta love it.) The leaves are beautiful and the air is crisp. I get to wear long sleeves in the morning and shorts in the afternoon.

I swear I'm going to make it up to the cabin in Vermont this year so I can witness my favorite place in the world in a season other than summer.

'Winning' Essay (cause I was asked)

I am an ordinary 25 year old. I am not a recovering drug addict or a single mom with 5 kids. I am instead someone who has found triathlon and discovered herself through it. I am first and foremost a flutist, and always will be. I am getting my doctorate in flute performance so that I can someday teach at the college level.

The triathlon and flute coupling might seem odd, but the two are really more similar than anyone could guess. Music as a career is perhaps the only thing that can compare to triathlon in both intensity and satisfaction. Becoming a triathlete has enabled me to balance my life in a way that makes me smile bigger than I ever thought possible.

I am a whole person now. I am an athlete, which is something completely new and exciting. I have discovered things within myself that I didn't know existed. Stubbornness sure, but moreover, a persistence that I can transfer to every aspect of my life. So, what motivates me? The possibility of a life in which I am constantly learning and loving every day.

To quickly explain my athletic history, I have completed an IronMan, but I was slow, and I know that I have much more in me given proper training and coaching. I have been a triathlete for only 3 seasons. I might have jumped quickly to the IronMan distance, but I still have so much further to go.

Pretty freaking cool.

Now, before you even look at what it is, realize I have no expectations of actually winning the thing. I'm just excited to get to go try...

Who would have thought that filling out an application and writing an essay would actually work??

Playing the Game

In life, there's a game.

In music, if you don't play the game, you might as well not play your instrument.

It's the game of smiling and laughing when your boss tells a stupid joke. It's the game of understanding what people want and giving it to them, even if you don't agree. It's the game of knowing how to ultimately get to where you want to be.

I don't think it has to sound vindictive and Cheerleader Mom-esque. I think it's just reality. It's the way the world works. I doubt there was ever a time when people didn't try to win brownie points with the people who matter.

Think of your boss. Do you stand around and listen to his boring story? Why do you do it? Is it simply respect for your superiors, your elders? If so, I commend you. In my own cynical vision though, I don't think that's the case the majority of the time. I think a lot of it, if not all, is riddled with selfish intentions.

Maybe it's not just selfish. Let's rationalize. You go to lunch with your obnoxious boss because you think it will help you get promoted, and then you can give more to your family. That's not selfish; that's simply helping the people you love. And so we can bring that down to the basest of levels. By helping yourself, you're always helping others.

But where is the line? How far can you go before you ARE being immoral? Do you stop short of backstabbing someone? Or is that okay too, because you're doing what you need to do to help the people you love?

Everyone likes to be flattered, so is flirting okay? Flirting is harmless, right? But where does it stop? Obviously, having a physical relationship with a superior IS wrong if you are doing it to try to get ahead. So, I would venture to guess (hope) that most stick with the mental messing around, perhaps combined with a smile and a beer. But is that really any better?

Ultimately, you have to be able to stand your own ground. Sleeping your way to the top, physically or figuratively, won't work if you can't hold your weight.

And of course you'll enjoy your victory more if you don't feel you've cheated. But, I suppose my question is...is it really cheating? If it's the rules of the world, why disobey? Standing a higher moral ground is very noble, but does it end up being just stupid to try? And, is it really possible? Is it possible to advance in our world without all of this nonsense?

I don't know the answers, obviously. I've been watching people at rehearsals a lot the past couple of weeks as audition results unfold and parts are assigned. It's very much like a soap opera, and I would be silly to say I'm exempt.

I suppose I'm only hoping that the old truism 'knowing is half the battle' comes into play here, and the fact that I'm acknowledging the tendency gives me some brownie points with the old man in the sky.

In the Process, 2...A Doctorate of Musical Arts Flute Recital

I've just scheduled my fall recital. I'm giving two this year to help ease the requirements of the usually insanely busy 3rd year.

So, (without further ado...) it'll be on Monday, December 10. It'll be at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ at the Marryott Music Building in Schare Recital Hall at 2 PM. Repertoire TBA.

All you Northeastern folks are invited of course, and so is anyone else wishing to make the trip.

Congrats to all Wisconsin IronMan participants!

Just a Quick Shout Out

There are way too many of you to even begin to list, and I fear that if I try to include anyone, I'll insult the people I forget.

And so, with that disclaimer of my laziness, I just want to give a huge Good Luck and Have a Blast scream to everyone in Wisconsin...to the athletes of course, but their support crew and families as well.

Enjoy yourselves. Wear sunscreen. Keep moving forward. Smile. You've done the work and you deserve the day. Now go get it.

Wish I was there...

General Bitching, as per usual

Because I couldn't move yesterday, I missed my 8m fartlek workout. So, now I have to do it today, while in Philadelphia getting my flute fixed...and then I'm supposed to run 10m tomorrow morning. I screwed up, I guess. But, my flute is going to take all day to be repaired (cause yeah, I dropped it), so I suppose I don't have anything better to do than to run around the city.

I'm meeting a friend from undergrad for lunch in about an hour, but I'm not hungry because I just ate breakfast with my aunt and uncle and have done nothing besides sit in a car since. It's too hot to function, which doesn't really bode well for the run. All the radio personalities are talking about how beautiful it is outside and I just want to scream...um...hello?! It's 85 degrees outside and apparently people in the Northeast have yet to discover air conditioning. This is a problem. I might be from Louisiana and therefore used to the heat, but down south we also have such luxuries as CENTRAL AIR. Jeez.

Here I am, sitting outside of Borders in the heat, waiting for my friend. (Who, by the way, is blond and skinny. See, I'm not completely prejudiced; I can befriend the devil once in a while...).


Why am I outside if it's so hot, you ask?

Yes, Border's would be air conditioned (corporate bastards seemed to have been informed of the miracles of false air), but inside the store, you have to pay for the internet, while if you sit outside, you can steal someone else's broadband. And I'm definitely for things that are free, even if it means that when I see my friend for the first time in 4 years, I'm a smelly sweat bomb.

Holy. Sore.

Squats and lunges are the devil. I can't move.

First day of school.

7:11 am - wake up
7:22 am - get out of bed
7:48 am - head to student center to get breakfast because there is nothing to eat in my apartment and I hate (HATE) grocery stores (anyone want to be my grocery store bitch? big money involved...)
8:02 am - student center cafeteria opens, grab cereal, milk, and tea
8:04 am - appalled by the overpriced breakfast (must get to grocery store)
8:07 am - sit outside and eat overpriced breakfast
8:16 am - head to school to practice before first class at 9:50
8:26 am - check computer to see where class is; no updated information
8:32 am - ask music secretary where class is, she says it's on a different campus 25 minutes away by car, 1.5 hours away by school bus.
8:35 am - head downstairs to practice. definitely not going to take that class
9:03 am - friend knocks on practice room door:

"Hey, do you want to go class together later?"
"No, that class is on Busch campus; I'm not taking it."
"No way! I thought the class was just around the corner."
"Shit, I don't know. Wendy told me Busch..."
"Okay, I'll go find out." (general bitching about the complete disorganization of the school ensues)

9:11 am - return to practicing
9:16 am - friend knocks on door again.

"So, the thing is that there is a Davidson Hall on Busch and Davison Hall here, and no one knows which one to go to."
"Awesome. Okay, so lets just go to the one here and if it's there's no class, we'll leave because we're sure as hell not going to to go to Busch for a class anyway..."

9:24 am - back to practicing. again.
9:36 am - friend knocks. again.

"Hey, you ready?"
Sigh. "Yeah, just let me put my flute away."

9:46 am - arrive at class. It's on this campus.

Sign on door: The first class will only be an hour long (it's supposed to be 3 hours), and will meet upstairs from 11-12.

FUUUUCKKKK!!!!

9:52 am - head home.
10:11 am - practice. again.
10:28 am - Phil calls from Hong Kong. Answer the phone; give up on the morning practice.
10:53 am - frantically hang up the phone with Phil. Run to class.
10:58 am - arrive. Not late for first class. Good. (even though everyone else is already there and stares at me as I blow in the door)
11:02 am - teacher arrives.
11:33 am - teacher lets us go.

Yeah, SOOO glad I based my morning off of that 31 minutes of syllabus explanation and roll call.

11:48 am - take a nap. The morning was hard on my soul.

To prove to dad I'm not a fool...

What movie, anybody?

It's not a hard one, so no prizes for the winner...except for the general 'I won' feeling...

So, school starts tomorrow. I have class bright and early; there's no easing into the back to school thing here. Nope, it's just...Bang. Go to class. Bang. Take an audition. Bang. Go to rehearsal.

And I have to admit, I'm glad.

I had a psycho subletter, but other than that, it's been great to be back in my place. My place. That's all that matters...it's mine.

This subletter?

Left change all over the floor. And left her American flag hanging proudly on my window. Also left behind: A huge stack of Time magazines in one corner. Her foam mattress pad on the bed. And left bottles of cleaning products everywhere. In corners, under tables, in the bathtub. 15 or so of these bottles.

That's weird, right? I mean, I'm open to the possibility that I'm the one who is weird...but jeez...cleaning products? Everywhere? Weird.

And the kicker? The place ISN'T EVEN THAT CLEAN. There were dishes left in the sink (like 2...who leaves 2 dishes?), and there was tons of food in the fridge. But not usable food...like a tub of sour cream. Yuck.

And I could be going crazy here, but I think she replaced some things. Like my shower mat...it's almost the same, but I'm 99.9% sure it's different. And I think there are some towels that are almost the same color, but not quite. I don't really care...it's just weird.

So I spent the last 24 hours since I got here trying to make it feel like my apartment again. I think I've finally got it. I just have to put away my clothes and I'll be all unpacked.

And guess what? A year and a half after moving to New Jersey, I finally got on my bike here and went for a ride. My coach and his wife showed me some good places to do hill repeats and speed work on the run. After he gets back from Wisconsin, he'll show me his bike routes...

Okay, time for bed. You've got to get a good night's sleep before the first day of school, right? (And run away from your mom as she tries to get the summer's worth of knots out of your hair...)

Canoeing

Be Honest.

Yikes.

Does this look too egotistical? I was really excited about the whole top-bar-with-pictures thing, but after I was done, I took a step back and my reaction was that I came across as a vain idiot.

I mean, it's my website and all, but I do care very much about people and things other than myself...and I don't want to seem like I don't.

What's the general impression out there?

Lots and lots of new ideas...

And tons of airport time to make them happen.

Tomorrow, I have a 4 hour layover in Atlanta. I'm planning on spending the $7.95 for internet service and spending my time there updating my blog layout. I don't even have to feel guilty about spending my time doing that (instead of practicing or training) because what else can you really do in an airport? (Besides eat delicious horrible-for-you Chinese food, for which I'm sure I'll manage to make time...and probably some frozen yogurt too...and maybe a pretzel...)

Yeah, I know it's not a mark of a genius, but I learned a lot today and I'm excited to implement my new HTML knowledge. Right now things aren't quite working perfectly (if anyone knows about absolute positioning and links, let me know), but it'll happen.

Maybe no one besides me cares what my blog looks like, but nevertheless...

...change is on the horizon.