I hope updates don't have to be interesting

A month later, and I'm still trying to make it feel like home. Living here no longer freaks me out but I also don't think I'll be here long enough for me to feel completely at ease. I do feel better, though, accepting that I'm just here temporarily. I'm not forcing a "home feeling" on it but it still has its purpose. Sometimes it helps to pretend that I'm spending the night at my grandmother's home in Mexico. Insects are just a part of life there. So are mini lizards that make kissing noises. Spiders aren't as cute, though.

I still kill at least one bug a day. Usually a wasp.

I work from the apartment 2 days out of the week. It's really sweet and saves me a considerable amount of gas. The new VISTA will be getting here in June instead of July. My supervisor failed to tell me this. Now I have to find something for him to do.

I started the South Beach Diet on Saturday. I was on it in my junior year of high school. Looking back, it doesn't seem healthy for me to have been on a diet at 17. It was successful, and I must say, the South Beach Diet in particular is very healthy. I didn't have self-image issues or anything but weight is always a bit of an issue among Hispanic families. In my family, it was mostly the women, my grandmother especially, that was completely uninhibited about criticizing weight issues. Her biggest concern was that I wouldn't find someone to marry. As a teenager. I guess I did it for her. It's going well. I can't tell you about any progress, if any. I don't have a scale. I didn't weigh myself before I started and my jeans feel a little bit loose but I've also worn them all once already. I don't mind the diet and I only get cravings a few times. Mostly, when I pass the Wonder Bread/Hostess outlet store. That's pretty brutal.

Most of my belongings are still in black garbage bags on the living room floor. I don't have enough room for my clothes. I currently have one failed clothing rack and a laundry basket that I'm living out of. To be honest, I don't see myself ever completely unpacking. By the time I'm done, it'll be time to move again.

The Farmer's Market on the Mississippi begins tomorrow. Nick has an early game so we might have time to go together. I can't remember the last time we did anything together.

I took Atti for her first walk today. I got her a bright pink harness and leash so that she'll stand out better. Our 45 minutes walk turned into 2 hours. Most of that was spent dragging her along. Literally, dragging her. She wanted to sit and soak it all in. I guess I should've just let her do that. Soon, she was so pissed she got loose from her harness and slipped under and into a nearby truck. I layed in the grass for about 25 minutes trying to coax her out. She hated me a lot a that point, though, so she really had no plans to leave the complicated and shady underbelly of a pickup. I knocked on an elderly couple's door and the husband layed under the truck. Atti didn't like him intruding on his own truck so she moved to another spot where I was able to reach and grab her. She is dirty and disgusting right now. Our shower sucks and I know what a nightmare it's going to be to bathe her.

I got a solo. Not just an unnecessarily high note either. The Galesburg Community Chorus is doing several selections from various operas and operettas for our concert "A Night at the Opera" on May 22nd. We have hired soloists one of whom will be taking the latter (and cooler) part of my solo because our director "needed to get them back on stage for the finale", regardless of the fact that the woman playing the antagonist would now be singing the protagonist's part. The song is in English. Everyone will notice. So....I'm not quite as thrilled about the solo anymore.

I honestly didn't think I'd be get so bored while writing about my life. Perhaps pictures would help. I'll take some tomorrow. I'd like to blame my bland tone of this post on the fact that I watched The Royal Tenenbaums for an hour before starting this post. It's still playing in the background.