Summer!

Sort of.

Summer in Seattle is a fickle beast, indeed. Summer up here doesn't really start, according to the locals, until July 5th. Right after the holiday weekend, which is always rainy and gross. Very much the opposite of Louisiana summer, which starts in April and blazes on through Halloween, usually. Today it's partly sunny and 62, just like it has been the last few weeks. But since I'm now an expert in dressing in layers, it's all good.

I LOVE Summer. It's always been my favorite, usually because I get a long time off, or at least a deterrent from my usual routine. Working at a university is AMAZING for the reason that Summer at work is awesome. I'm talking empty campuses, increasingly casual work clothes, no lines at the Starbucks across the street that's usually jam-packed, and very long lunch breaks. All on top of the vacations everyone takes, so that even if I don't actually go anywhere, works slows down so much it feels like a break.

I've noticed that Summer is a good time for me to get various personal projects done. I always pick something to work on, and set a goal that I can, god willing, achieve by Fall. This year, I actually have a few goals, and they're all pretty big, but I am kind of excited:

Summer Goals:

1. LOSE WEIGHT
I know. I won't spare you the whining about how gross I feel and how hard getting in shape is for me. The truth is, I've been lazy, and I've run out of excuses for how I got this way and why I still look and feel this way despite realizing how gross I feel. Therefore, I have deemed this THE SUMMER OF SKINNY, where all efforts will be made to be skinnier, and also THE SUMMER OF NO EXCUSES. Because the weather is good, I'm not looking for or changing jobs, I'm not traveling anywhere soon, and I live on the freaking beach, so I officially need to get it together. Here's my action plan: I've sign up for Weight Watchers (online, as I would prefer not to go to the meetings, thanks) along with my friend Mal at work (who has lost scads of weight doing it the last few years...I'm talking triple digits). She also ran a half marathon this year and occasionally works out with me, so she's a great partner. I got a really good price to join (no joining fees right now!), and hey, if Jennifer Hudson lost 80 lbs doing it (post-baby!), I really think I can too. I also swore not to buy ANY new clothes until I hit my first weight loss goal. I'll try not to talk about it a lot on here, but if I announce it here, maybe it will help keep me accountable. SUMMER OF SKINNY, people!!


2. Read. Books.
I'm good at devouring my monthly magazines and daily blog feed, but when it comes to books, I'm ridiculously behind. I'm going to spend the next few months replacing 50% of my tv time with reading actual books (don't worry, there will still probably be lots of tv time available). I read the first two books in the Game of Thrones series (this is not the real name of the series; Game of Thrones is the first book in the series and the name of the HBO show based on the books. The real name is something like Fire and Ice or something about swords, but I would prefer not to refer to it that way. I'll look it up if I talk about it more.). Anyway, they are super good. We have them on the nook, and thank goodness because in real life they are about 800 pages each, and therefore impossible to read anywhere except propped up in bed. I read about 300 pages' worth on the plane to Vegas, and it not only saved tons of room in my carry-on, but also the embarrassment of reading a huge fantasy novel about swords in public. Jk. So I'll be reading the other books in that series, interspersed with plenty of chick lit.

Those are my main two goals. Here are a few others:
3. Save money. To be promptly spent this Fall on plane tix home for weddings and Mardi Gras next year. And pay off my credit card.
4. Explore Seattle. Which I'm still not great at.
5. Decorate my office. I have my eye on a loveseat. And getting my diplomas FINALLY framed and hung, to intimidate my student workers.
6. Look for a new apartment. That is slightly larger, still on the beach, pet-friendly, and for a good price. A girl can dream, right?
7. GET A DOG. This would ideally occur after we find the new apartment, but maybe we can skirt the rules if Seth and I bring him/her into work every day. Which is possible.

If you are interested in participating in any of these adventures, please come visit. Thanks.