Things I Want NEED

Apple, for the billionth time since the release of my so dear, so ancient iPedro, has blown my mind. In addition to the still-fresh Nano, a new iPod has been announced that plays videos, washes your dishes, and can babysit your children. Well, just about. Apple's really on the ball with their mp3 players, and has definitely been listening to consumer demands and providing accordingly. Bill Gates, you held my heart captive for so long, and I have been freed. I'm about seven seconds short of shaving my head and preaching the Good Word of Mac to all around.

My mind is also still reeling that this is my THIRD post for the day. Katie Holmes is pregnant with Tom Cruise's baby and I'm tri-posting. Apocalyptic signs abound.

Fametracker

In addition to all of the other wonderful links provided by yours truly at Alteredtext, including my stud boyfriend's poetic musings, please check out the new link for Fametracker. Funny, funny, funny, sides ache, laugh out loud, good good stuff. It's the Onion on celebrity watch.

The Endless Weight

While I was home in September, Travis introduced me and my extra 20+ Spain Pounds to the Abs Diet. A staunch acolyte of the Carbs Are The Devil trend, I was horrified to see forbidden fruits, breads, and ilk floating around his apartment. You can't eat those and get skinnier! Gasp gasp. Shock. Anyways, the abridged version is that I've been on the diet since I got back to Spain and my belly is shrinking away. This is just about the best thing I can think of right now, as I was almost forced into wearing maternity pants and carrying around the big book of baby names. No really, I've gained that much weight. Suffice to say, it's been nice to watch my gut go in the opposite direction, inward not out.

The good thing about the diet -- the book prefers to call it a "lifestyle regimen" and I have unfortunately found myself voicing that same phrase to friends -- is that it wants you to get healthy; gone are the days of sitting around watching TV and losing weight because you're starved for JUST.ONE.FRICKIN.SLICE.OF.BREAD.PLEASE. Following the book's every notion to the letter, I've joined a gym. Now, regular gym attendance hasn't been part of my modus operandi in a few years, so I'm admittedly a little out of practice; but the disconcerting thing is that I am in all likelihood the most overweight member of the gym. Not that I think I'm a complete tub of lard or anything, but really, it's me and the beautiful people working their abs. I guess the positive spin is that I'm far from bored while people ogling. I've actually invented a new game which involves picking what I want my future, sixpacked self to look like. It's like grocery shopping: I'll take a sixpack of the abs, a pair of calves, and two nice, rounded pectorals.

Hoi. Hoi. Har. Har.

Even though I poke fun of how you always laugh at your own jokes, it's because you always know how to make me smile. You are gray-sh.

(Sorry for the very inside jok-iness of this post)

A Little Secret

While fixing my hair in the mirror I suck in my cheeks just a little bit, posing for my own imaginary photoshoot.

Ay Papi

salivation.

Back To Business

I arrived in Spain jetlagged and suntanned from my time in the States, and was immediately greeted by friend Jerritt, who had come to visit for a week. The next few days were a whirlwind of exhaustion and tourist sights for me, but altogether extremely fun. We went to the mountains and Toledo, and toured Madrid so much I felt like I don't really know the city I live in. It's always a bit unusual to show someone around a city that you're comfortably numb to; you inevitably begin to see it through different eyes.

Jerritt left on Monday just as I began my new and final schedule at work. This schedule, bought after a year of hard work and tears in class, is quite possibly perfect. Of course, I had to do a bit of haggling after realizing that the initial version of the schedule did not actually have the 20 hours on it that I requested and that I had been given an 8:00am class that put me into 25 hours. I got that class removed yesterday and smiled with satisfaction that this could, indeed, be the perfect final months in Spain that I've hoped for.