Summer reading so far:
* The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers
* Triumph of the Darksword by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
* Dave Barry is From Mars and Venus by Dave Barry
* Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them by Al Franken
* Eight Weeks to Optimum Health by Andrew Weil, MD
* Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations by Al Franken
* Doom of the Darksword by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
* Forging the Darksword by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
* Stupid White Men by Michael Moore
* The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
* Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
* Villa Incognito by Tom Robbins
* Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
* Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Friend by Christopher Moore
* To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
* Island of the Sequined Love Nun by Christopher Moore
* How To Be Good by Nick Hornby

Last movie seen:
The Matrix Reloaded
Rating: wha? yawn...

time flies
Can't believe September is almost over. And I didn't even get to do all my summer stuff. I've only been camping 4 times this year, and that's just not right. Did get to take a nice canoe trip, but haven't done much more than that. And now fall is definitely here. Just last week I was wearing miniskirts and Birkenstocks, and now it's on to long skirts and tights and boots. And coats. The change is kind of nice, though I am always reluctant to let go of summer, which is my favorite time of year.

Anyway, I just contributed money to a political campaign--my first time ever. While I like most of the Democratic candidates (except for Lieberman, who for some reason I cannot stand), I went ahead and donated to Howard Dean. Just $25, but hey, if everyone that's disgusted with Bush gave $25, we could get him out. Stop the Bushit! I also like Clark a lot, though I'm suspicious of his Republican past. Kerry's not bad, but I don't think any of the other candidates could stand up to Bush in '04.

So, that's about all that's going on right now. October's about to rear its amber-tinted head, and Halloween's one of my favorite holidays, so now the race is on to figure out what to wear (for trick-or-treating, of course).
02:04 p.m. | Tuesday, September 30, 2003

Follow your instinct
Well, I decided to pass on the house. Went to visit it for the third time, this time with Scott. He liked it, but he pointed out a lot of things that would need fixing. These are things he could do, but that I really doubt I would. So I decided to pass. I'm sort of sad, because it had a lot of amenitites, but there was a voice in my head that kept telling me it wasn't the right house for me. And I felt a sense of relief when I made that decision. So I'll keep looking and someday my house will go on the market. And then I will grab it. How do people do it though? It's such a harrowing process. Jeez.
05:23 p.m. | Wednesday, September 17, 2003

How do you decide?
So there's this house I like. It meets all my criteria: has a fenced-in, private backyard, has a front porch with a swing, is large, has hardwood floors in some of it, is in a decent neighborhood, has a huge silver maple in the backyard, as well as a patio and deck in the backyard. And I can afford it. So what's my problem? I didn't walk into the house and just decide that I loved it, that it had to be mine. But upon careful consideration, I realize it has everything I want in a house. But I'm worried. There's this voice in my head that is suspicious. Why has it been on the market for over a month if it's so good? Why hasn't someone else grabbed it? Of course, if someone else did, then I'd probably be thinking that they got MY house. How do you decide this is the house you want? I'm so afraid I'm make the commitment, then find out something is seriously wrong with it. But that's why you get an inspection, right? So I don't know what I'm worried about. It meets all my criteria. I should jump on it. My mortgage wouldn't even be much higher than my rent right now. So why am I hesitating? If I don't get this one, then I'll probably end up with something that doesn't meet all my criteria, and is more expensive. Maybe I should make an offer. I didn't realize this would be so difficult! I thought I'd walk in and just *know* that the house should be mine. And really, I like this house. Ah, decisions...
11:11 a.m. | Monday, September 15, 2003

Same as it ever was
Not much going on in my life. Still keeping an eye out for a house I like and want to live in. Still trying to do good with the healthy lifestyle gambit. Yesterday I went for a 70 minute walk with my dog, so that was good. Still smoking though. Have set a date of Sept. 22 to quit, since that's when I quit the first time, back in '96.
But really, that's about it. How very boring. Oh, but here's a funny link:
Bush Action Figure: Get the real story behind the newest doll on the block.
11:55 a.m. | Tuesday, September 9, 2003