-- I had a really, really nice weekend. In fact, I pretty much achieved a perfect Saturday: I woke up, showered and got ready, went out to brunch at the Seward Cafe, sat around and chatted for four hours, drove to Edina to meet up with Rob (who's in town!) and Heather, and we drank coffee for quite a while. Heather had to head home, so Rob and I walked two doors down from the coffee shop, and I had falafel for dinner. That's a perfect Saturday. Eating and then sitting around having interesting conversation until it's time to eat again.

-- I ordered the buckwheat pancake with fruit and yogurt at the Seward Cafe. The last time I got it, the yogurt was in the middle of the pancake, with the carefully-sliced fruit artfully fanned out around it. I brought my SLR this time to get a better photo, but when I got my plate, the fruit and yogurt had been slung on top haphazardly. It made me laugh. It was outstandingly delicious, though.

-- On Sunday, I went to Half Price Books and found two Elvis Costello CDs for under $5 each (Spike and The Juliet Letters). I've amassed so many of his albums in such a short time recently that I haven't been able to fully appreciate them all; I've listened to Blood and Chocolate a couple of times all the way through, for example, but it hasn't really sunk in yet. It's the obsessive side of me kicking in (wanting to have every album I come across), but there are worse things to obsess about.

-- I've been exclusively using my Bialetti to make coffee in the mornings, but when Alex made the best coffee ever in her French press, I decided to give my own another chance. I've always followed the rule of using two tablespoons of grounds for every cup of coffee (which I think is technically considered to be six ounces of water, not eight) and using water that hasn't yet come to a boil. But yesterday (and again today), I dumped in three tablespoons and turned the kettle off as soon as it boiled. So good.

-- I do not like when Beany appears to be keenly watching something under the baseboard heater, as she was doing a moment ago. On a similar note, one of the guys in my acting class said he saw a rat in the school theater we gather at. A rat! I wish I would have seen it too.

-- Today I did my three-mile run outside. It was very grey and cloudy, and I had to run into the brisk wind during the first half, but I still finished just under my usual pace and didn't keel over, so it was a success. My first 5k of the season is on Saturday, and I'm excited! I even bought a copy of Runner's World (the UK edition, because the US issue was all about weight loss), which I will now return to reading.

Hello, friends! What a beautiful day it was -- an amazing week, really. I think we're supposed to get a couple days of inclement weather soon, but it's been warm (around 40F) and is supposed to stay that way, so I can't complain. I was outside with the cats this afternoon, and I realized I've probably never taken a picture of the (slightly crooked) weather vane on my garage. So now I have! I'm going to ramble on about running now...

I took a walk yesterday; I'm not really sure how far I went -- it took fifty minutes, but there was a fair amount of carefully navigating icy patches. With that and my outside run on Wednesday, my quads were still the tiniest bit sore this morning. Funny, that -- I never get tired legs from running on a treadmill, but tromping around outside obviously works them differently.

So I was a little bit nervous about my first long run in my 10k training schedule (technically, I started it last week, but the first 'long' run was three miles, which wasn't new to me). Especially since my 2.5 miles on Monday (on the treadmill) had felt sort of off. As if I were running with my upper body instead of my legs, if that makes any sense. But, despite my quads, I could tell as soon as I started running this morning that everything felt great. I finished my 3.5 miles feeling like there was still fuel in the tank, which is fantastic.

Having a definite training goal is nice -- I love having something to work towards. But it's also the tiniest bit stressful. I generally go pretty easy on myself, psychologically, when I get on the treadmill. I'll have a distance I'm aiming for, but I tend to say, 'But if I only do two miles [or whatever], that's okay, too.' I'll almost always still run the originally planned distance, but it's nice to have that out if I'm just not feeling that particular run. But now, with my long runs once a week, I feel like I have to make each one count. Never mind that I can always just try again the next day!

I'm really looking forward to running longer distances in the future. Quitting every summer has meant that I never really build up endurance, which also means that I've not really been able to improve my time -- and I'm pretty slow. So I want to run year-round from now on and try to make real progress. It's the only exercise I really enjoy, but I only enjoy it when I run regularly.

After today's successful run, I'm starting to see the sense in incorporating weight training for my legs. I'm going to brunch tomorrow morning, but I think I might hit the ladies-only gym afterward, bust out a quick mile on the treadmill, and then use the weight machines (it's less scary doing that with only ladies around, see). It's true -- I like this so much that I want to indulge in a semi-spontaneous trip to the gym.

One last note: I read something on the Runner's World website about the age-old question, 'Am I a runner or a jogger?' -- if you worry about the distinction, you're a runner.

Things I Love Thursday! Here's what I'm loving:

-- Remembering to keep brainless dinners in the cupboards. I couldn't decide what to have for dinner last night (because I'd already had my pile o' greens for lunch!), but my problem was solved when I realized there was a package of Tasty Bite's Bombay Potatoes hidden away. I cooked in some kale (because what isn't made better through the addition of kale?) and called it dinner. Easy peasy.

-- Running outside. Okay, it may be too early to say that I love it, but I took my two-mile (and a bit) run outside yesterday, and it went better than expected. I always feel like I'm moving so slowly when I'm running for real versus on the treadmill, but I actually shaved 40 seconds off my usual two-mile time. When I first started running, I did so exclusively on a treadmill until a couple of weeks before my 5k, and trying to run outside was killer. So I think I have a lingering fear of running 'for real' which maybe shouldn't apply as much anymore. I read something last night about running outdoors taking more muscle control, due to uneven surfaces, and that would definitely explain why my legs felt tired for the rest of the day, which almost never happens after a treadmill run. The best part, though? I was able to walk through my sunny neighborhood to cool down instead of a sweaty gym.

-- My wireless mouse. I realized earlier this week that the wireless Logitech keyboard and mouse that I used with my old PC (before the Torborg residence became all-Apple) were still in the basement and would work with my MacBook. Sweet relief. Using the laptop's trackpad for extended periods of time while proofreading gets to be painful, but having the mouse off to the side is much more comfortable. It only took me three years to figure this out.

-- VitaTop + cream cheese. I had an Apple Berry VitaTop with my salad for lunch, but instead of eating it plain, I sliced it into two layers, spread cream cheese on one, and then put it back together. Incredible!

-- A tidy home. When I started my whole 'overhaul' project, I stopped doing the fake tidying I usually engage in, where I stuff things in closets and cupboards to get them temporarily out of the way. But I've been busy lately and haven't had much time to dedicate towards properly organizing things, and I realized I just had to straighten the house out for the time being. The piano room and my bedroom have already been overhauled, so there's no stashing going on there, but the kitchen and guest room really benefited from some surface tidying. Whew.

So, a few weeks ago I received a package from Vitalicious for review -- and incredible assortment of their many VitaTop flavors and a box of the VitaBrownies. Vitalicious specializes in making baked treats (muffins, muffin-tops, brownies, etc) that all weigh in at 100 calories per serving and are pretty darn good for you, to boot.

I'd had a chance in the past to try the Deep Chocolate flavor of VitaTops, but the selection at a lot of my local stores is hit and miss, and I never seemed to be able to find the varieties I'm hoping for. Cue the arrival of the assortment from Vitalicious -- I was in heaven! I realized that I had the VitaBrownie in the picture above -- one of the first items I sampled from the box -- on February 23rd (because I date my images, not because my memory is that good!), and I almost couldn't believe it had only been just over a week! I feel like my secret stash of VitaTops has been with me forever, but maybe that's just because I keep going back to it. Vitalicious products are made to be stored in the freezer, which is awesome, because you can stock up (via their website!) and not worry about opening the package and having them go stale before you get a chance to finish them.

I don't eat muffins or muffin-tops or that sort of thing very often. Sometimes I get into a routine -- after baking a loaf of zucchini bread, say -- but baked goods don't actually play a huge role in my daily diet. But whether it's the VitaTops' size or just the fact that I like going through the (rapidly dwindling) collection in my freezer to pick a flavor, I've been 'sneaking' them into a lot of my meals recently. You know what goes really well with a pile of green veg (= most of my dinners, recently)? A bran VitaTop. Or I'll eat a smaller lunch and heat up one of the chocolate-y flavors afterward for a treat. Nom.

I haven't tried everything yet, of course, but I think the Banana Nut flavor might be my favorite -- it does NOT have that horrible, artificial flavor that many store-bought 'banana' foods do. I've also tried several of the bran varieties: CranBran, Raisin Bran, Blue(berry)Bran, and Apple Berry -- oh, maybe that's all the bran varieties! I told you I've been getting through them! They're very substantial-feeling as a side to a meal. I keep meaning to try spreading cream cheese or almond butter on one of these, because I am 98% sure that would be amazing. My only complaint in all this sampling I've been doing is that there was only one identifiable cranberry in the particular CranBran muffin-top I ate. Completely excusable, of course, because when you're mixing up muffin batter, there's bound to be a slightly unequal distribution of ingredients. But, you know, I mention it in an effort to be fair and balanced.

The chocolate flavors I've tried: Double Chocolate Dream, Fudgy Peanut Butter, Chocolate Mint, and Deep Chocolate. The particular Fudgy Peanut Butter muffin-top that I ate had an impressive cluster of peanut butter chips! I really liked all the flavors, though, especially the Chocolate Mint; the texture is dense and cake-y and satisfying. In fact, despite the fact that I pictured the VitaBrownie in this post, I think the chocolate VitaTops are actually more decadent-feeling (well, as decadent as 100 calories can be).

Whew, I didn't realize I had so much to say in this review! You can read all the details about the products and company here, but I think it's worth saying that I like the Vitalicious products because they taste good and are fun to eat, not because of a list of healthy attributes. That said, I would not be eating a muffin with my meal if it were 500 calories and had a day's worth of fat, etc.

I'm going to be very sad when my current supply runs out, mainly because the huge variety of flavors was so exciting -- luckily, the same sampler is available here! But if I had to choose three flavors to restock, I would go with Banana Nut, BlueBran, and Chocolate Mint. Maybe Double Chocolate Dream (because then I could put almond butter on it!). Have you tried VitaTops before? Do you like them?

-- Look at Beany, bravely trekking through the snow. The weather was SO nice today that I had to let her out. She didn't seem to take notice of the snow, but I suppose that was because she could pretty much just walk along on top of it. She also went up and down the back path a few times, until she realized she'd stepped in a puddle. This seems to be a cat thing: she was walking along the damp path, looked up ahead and noticed there was puddling, and then looked down to realize that she was already standing in water. Much distasteful lifting of paws and awkward rerouting ensued.

-- Speaking of thaws and the resulting puddles, late winter is just a bad time to get your car washed. I treated mine to a gas-station car wash that left it very shiny indeed, which meant that I had to drive on tip-toe all the way back home. That was yesterday, and when I went out to the supermarket today, an oncoming van splashed into a pothole and threw dirty water right across the hood of my car. Heart breaking! So even though I knew it was completely ridiculous, I grabbed a sponge, a bucket of soapy water, and a towel when I got home and wiped it off. Completely normal.

-- Also completely normal? That guy who was wearing short sleeves while chipping away ice from a parking lot today. That's how we do it in Minnesota!

-- I was setting up my automatic estimated tax payments today (I already filed my 2009 return ages ago and got my refund), and as I was filling in the amounts for my MN state income tax, I actually had a pang of, 'But that's not enough!' As in, how can that measly amount possibly cover my share of what it takes to keep the state running? Not that I have extra money to be paying them, but I did feel a bit bad. I should sponsor a loon* or something.

* That's the Minnesota state bird, in case you haven't brushed up on your MN trivia lately.

-- Recently, all my at-home dinner planning has gone like this: 'Okay, a huge pile of broccoli, asparagus, and kale. What goes with that?' Last night, I sauteed everything with onion, shiitake mushrooms, and a couple slices of fake bacon (and had a cranbran VitaTop on the side). Tonight I sauteed the green veg with onion, chickpeas, and black olives (with Ezekiel sesame toast on the side). I season everything with soy sauce, nutritional yeast, cumin, and chili powder. If I were allowed to use only two spices in cooking (not baking), I think they'd have to be chili powder and cumin. Until somebody else suggests something, in which case I'll change my mind.

-- Katie asked about the races I've entered. I've only ever run one 5k, which was the Race for Life in London. That was in 2006, and it was the reason I started running in the first place. I think I saw an ad for the race on the Tube and decided that it would be a good goal to aim for. I continued to run on a treadmill after that, although I stopped when I moved into my house. I joined the gym in December 2007, I think, and started running again, but then got plantar fasciitis and switched to yoga and elliptical for a long time. Last winter, I was determined to get back to running for real and enter races, but... I didn't. So right now is the first time that I'm back to routinely running 5k (3.1 miles) on the treadmill since 2006. Entering the races has definitely given my motivation a boost, especially since I'm now training for a 10k!

-- Yesterday, Alex hosted the be all and end all of Sunday brunches. Rainbow pancakes. With -- wait for it -- edible glitter. It's definitely bizarre (and awesome!) to eat something so vibrantly hued, but it really didn't take very much gel dye to color the pancake batter. Everybody's Sunday was enriched. And Alex, you should let me come over some time and take photos of your house. We can have a special house-tour entry.

-- You know what? I feel great. It's been sunny (well, not right now, because it's 11:30pm, but generally... during the day), I've been running, I'm on track with work, I have amusing friends, I get to wake up tomorrow and eat oatmeal and do a runner's yoga download. Things aren't too bad.

-- My plan today was to read the book I bought yesterday and clean the kitchen. I did neither of those. But I did get a huge amount of tidying done in the guest room (not proper overhaul-type tidying, but getting things hidden away so it looks presentable). And I had pizza and watched a movie with my mom. So, you know, nearly the same thing.

-- I woke up at a sensible time this morning, which these days means waking up before 10:00. (Whereas, a couple months ago, it would have meant staying asleep past 7:00, as I kept waking up annoyingly early against my will.) So I had breakfast AND a normal lunch. Julie and I had been talking spinach the other day, so I was craving a spinach salad, which I made with avocado, dried cranberries, walnuts, and pickled beets. On the side I had a banana nut VitaTop, which is one of my favorite flavors so far. The kind folks at Vitalicious sent me a package for review, which I will be doing very soon. I don't want to give anything away, but I'm sort of in love.

-- My mom sent me home with a white, ceramic, life-size cat statue. It's less horrible than you're probably imagining. I think it was originally a gift from my grandma, and I remember it being around the house when I was little. None of our cats (Booty included) ever paid it any attention, but I was curious to see what Beany would think. I put it in the middle of the living room floor and called Beany in from the kitchen, and she came running in and stopped about five feet from the statue. She slowly walked the rest of the way towards it and started sniffing it. Then she walked over to Booty, who was also in the living room, and gave him a few licks on the head. And THEN she went back to the statue and licked IT on the head. And then I died. And when I revived myself, she was running at the statue and then jumping in the air and laughing. Oh, Beany.

-- It's that time of year again: primroses are only $2 at the supermarket. How could I possibly resist that? I couldn't. We're still a long way off from seeing primroses growing outdoors in this part of the world, but I'm taking their potted presence as a guarantee that spring will eventually arrive.

-- I went into the supermarket for a box of Honey Smacks. I left with Honey Smacks, asparagus, broccoli, carrots, juice, and kombucha. I'm like some sort of weird, reverse impulse shopper who can't stop herself getting the healthy food as she passes by.

-- I had a dream the other night that I went outside, and the herbs in my garden were starting to grow (also, the snow had melted, I guess). I also recently had a dream where I was in Japan and another during which I lost a friend's identical-twin infant (who doesn't exist). The garden dream, though, was almost certainly inspired by the fact that last year's potted amaryllis has started growing again (I hid it away in the basement for a couple months to force it). When I told Julie about the dream, she said, 'Aw, you had a spring dream!' That's what happens when you live in Minnesota.

-- I picked up a copy of Daniel J. Levitin's The World in Six Songs today. I loved his first book (This Is Your Brain on Music), so even though this one seems to have mixed reviews, I'm looking forward to reading it. In fact, I think a successful Saturday tomorrow would include much reading, Glenn Miller records, and perhaps a bit of kitchen organization. It doesn't take much.

I'm going with a loose breakfast theme today.

-- I've gone through several different oatmeal variations over the past few years, but this is how I've been making them lately: I cook about 1/3 cup oatbran in 1/2 cup almond milk + 1/3 cup water (roughly). I add a packet of stevia, a few shakes of cinnamon, several drops of concentrated coconut flavoring (I got this last weekend, and I want EVERYthing to taste of coconut now). After about four minutes, I turn the heat down and add a quarter cup of beaten egg whites, while stirring. I let it cook for another minute or so and then dump it in a bowl, add a tablespoon of almond butter, artfully arrange the banana slices, and top with a couple spoonfuls of pumpkin flax granola. Complicated much? But I love it.

-- To answer Jessie's questions on my last post, there's a layer of cream cheese on my toast/English muffins before I put the jam on top. I'm not a HUGE fan of plain cream cheese by itself on toast, etc, but it's magic when paired with jam. The sausages are Morningstar brand breakfast links. I prefer their products over Boca, although they don't score as well in the protein department (for the burgers, that is). If you can get your hands on Quorn's 'chicken' tenders or turk'y burgers, stock up.

-- I was a loyal PG Tips drinker in London. It costs the same to get a box of Yorkshire Gold or PG Tips here, though, which seems like an injustice, as I reckon PG Tips should be cheaper. So, to stick it to the man, I feel like I should spend my $4.99 on Yorkshire Gold. Given the choice, though, say, if somebody from the UK were visiting in March, I would like an enormous box of PG Tips.

-- Right now, I switch between having oatbran and English muffins for breakfast. And I recently stopped going to the gym Monday-Tuesday-Thursday-Friday and started going Monday-Wednesday-Friday instead. This has been a blessing, because now I can alternate between my two breakfasts every day of the week. I can't eat oatmeal on days that I run (too sloshy + not enough staying power), but I don't like having to wait two whole days to have it again. Problem solved. Crisis averted.

-- Two of my top moments in any given (average) day: 1. Sitting down with my breakfast and coffee in the morning while I listen to the radio. 2. Crawling into bed at the end of a long day, with my flannel sheets all warm from the heated mattress pad. That I'm conscious for very little of the time between those two events (er, in the right order, that is) is like a bonus.

I'm all out of questions to answer, but it's Wednesday, so that means it's time for What's Hot and What's Not. I've missed a week or two, so I'm sure you're all desperate to find out what's been hot in my life lately and what has not.

What's Hot

-- Ezekiel products. I've been eating the English muffins (I like the seven-grain kind) for a few months now, and today I tried their sesame bread for the first time. It's got the same knobbly texture as the muffins, and I really like it.

-- Entering races. I had a fantastic run on Monday, so I signed myself up for three races in the next three months. The 100% Irish for a Day 5k in March (like, in two and a half weeks!), the Get in Gear 10k in April, and the Northside 5k in May (Northside!). The 5k races should be no big deal, but I've set up a training schedule for the 10k. I've done the math, and that's, like, twice as much running as a 5k.

-- Green veggies. Well, that's sort of a tautology for me. I'm not sure if I consider any non-green 'vegetables' to be real vegetables. Broccoli, asparagus, kale, chard, spinach, other 'greens', Brussels sprouts, green beans... maybe peas. Those are vegetables. Tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, cauliflower, carrots, radishes, other root vegetables... those are vegetable-like. Potatoes might as well be bread. In case you were wondering how I categorize these things. Anyway, my point is that I've been eating heaped piles of green veggies lately, and I like it.

-- E-mailing friends throughout the day. I don't think there's anything simpler and more pleasing than taking a break from work to read a witty e-missive from a pal. If I've just had a good run, a cup of coffee, and a funny e-mail exchange, I'm pretty much as happy as an extremely happy clam.

What's Not

-- I feel like I've been a little bit hoodwinked by my last jar of . I love all their flavors, but the 'Oh! Berries' Pacific Blackberry was always my number one, and today I opened a jar of 'Oh! Berries' Marionberry -- they changed the blackberry on me! And I did not like it as much. It's the saddest thing to happen to me ever (in the jam category of my life).

I've had a nice day -- my run this morning went really well, so I took the plunge and registered for three races this spring, including a 10k, which is going to take some training (I generally run 5k or less when I go to the gym). It definitely feels great to have something to shoot for, though! Sometimes, between waking up later in the day and going to the gym, I wind up not having a real lunch (just a Luna bar or something after I run), and that means a meal gone missing that would usually contain a lot of veggies. So I bulked up on my green at dinner tonight -- broccoli, asparagus, AND kale. So good.

Anyway, time for part one of the questions and answers! The second part will be the questions pertaining to the house and my living situation and other such things, so tonight's Q&A is sort of a grab bag! I'll put everything in the extended entry, so click to read my answers!

Thanks for the questions, guys! I wanted to tackle the work-related topics in one post, because my answer was starting to get pretty long. I'll start answering the others later, so if there's something you're wondering, feel free to keep asking!

How did you get into publishing? How did you get started working as a proofreader? Where do you work, and what did you major in in college?

I'm lumping several of these questions into one here, because I think I can just do one long explanation and cover everything. I majored in English in college, with a self-chosen emphasis on composition and linguistics (there was just one umbrella 'English' degree, but there was a lot of freedom to choose classes within categories, so you could have a more literary education or more technical).

By my last year of university, Rob and I were dating, and I popped into the Snowbooks office to do a few random bits of work while I was in London that August. Em and I got along well, and it turned out I wasn't a terrible worker, so we made arrangements to get a work visa, etc, etc. So, basically, the only words of advice I can give as far as how to get into publishing are these: know the right people. I don't doubt that I'm skilled at what I do, but I do know that I wouldn't be where I am if I hadn't fallen into a very coincidental situation.

Because I've only ever worked for an indie publisher in the UK, I don't know in detail how the American publishing machine works, as far as starting a career. And my knowledge of the big publishing houses is anecdotal. There are benefits to working for a small publisher -- you'll get more responsibility and the opportunity to learn an array of skills -- but if you're looking for a traditional ladder to climb, with the pay raises that entails, you're going to have to try to break into one of the big guys.

These days I'm freelance, although most of my work is for Snowbooks -- technically as a contractor. Em and Rob own the company, and at heart I'm still part of Snowbooks, but on paper I work for myself. It's the dream situation, really: the relative stability of having a core income, but the flexibility of being freelance.

I probably talk about proof reading more than anything else, because it's the most time-consuming of all my tasks, but I wouldn't call myself a 'proofreader'. I also design covers, typeset books, and function as an acquisitions editor. I call myself a 'publishing project manager', but even that's a bit of a lie, as the only person I manage is myself -- I actually do everything it takes to turn an submitted manuscript into the files that make a book.

In the near future, I'm going to start a big push to acquire more freelance projects in my areas of skill -- proofreading, cover design, typesetting, and also web and other print design. Even though I think that the quality of my work is at least a little above average, it's scary trying to sell my services under my own name (as opposed to being behind the Snowbooks name). Like a lot of creative people, I tend to more time focusing on the outstanding work that others produce than valuing my own. But we shall see how it goes.

-- I was going to go to REI before dinner and then stop at Trader Joe's to pick up some food; I'd been thinking about their tomato bisque. But then I decided to wait until tomorrow for REI, which meant I could just stay at home and proofread (zombies!), but I still wanted that soup. So I thawed out some tinned crushed tomatoes I'd frozen (not IN the tin, of course; I'd used half of a 28oz can in another recipe) and made a simple soup, and the secret to making it good was the tablespoon of cream cheese I stirred in. And because I'd made tomato soup, I had to make a grilled cheese to go with it. I'm kind of in love with this photo. So much that I'm not too modest to say so.

-- One drag about being awake later in the night is that I just had the urge to go out and remove all the rubbish from my car (gum wrappers, receipts, etc). But it's dark out and winter, and I should just wait until tomorrow. (I will.)

-- Oh, actually, before my REI-before-dinner plan, I was counting on making a quick trip there after I went to the gym. But I forgot my wallet, which meant that not only couldn't I go to the store, but I also couldn't get a coffee. So I just headed home. Which turned out to be rather fortuitous, as I pulled into my alley right as a UPS truck turned onto my street. I got to my front door (via the house, from the garage, which is out back) right as the UPS guy was ringing the doorbell. Good timing! (The parcel was a package for review, in case you were wondering.)

-- I have not seen a single minute of Olympics coverage, because -- yes, I'm going to say it -- I don't care. And because I don't have a TV. I love that there are athletes who do amazing things and achieve their dreams and that the world tunes in once every four years to acknowledge their skill (or mock their costumes?)... but I really couldn't care less about watching it. I know -- I'm cold and heartless. Oh well.

-- Thanks to the Olympics being so important, though, all the shows I usually watch on Hulu are airing repeats. That means that I went in search of something new to watch, and I found Being Erica. After watching an episode, I realized my mom and I once happened upon it on TV, but I called 'boring' and asked her to change the channel. But that was before I knew it was Canadian and had the actor who played Eric in Wonderfalls. Excellent.

-- Only one person has commented with questions so far. Are you all really so incurious? Have I just been so thorough in what I write as to leave nothing answered? I will be forced to make up questions and pretend that other people asked them. Don't make me do that! Here are possible categories: vegetarianism, living abroad, owning a house, gardening, zombies, running, running from zombies (not really), cats, oatmeal.

I generally have a pretty good sense of time, but today really felt like a Wednesday. I was planning on doing a What's Hot, What's Not (not that I'd thought of anything yet... but I was planning to), and then I realized that it's already Thursday. So I guess I can just do the Things I Love instead.

-- My house. I don't spend much time out front, so I rarely take photos from there; there are many more shots of the back of my house. But I think it's cute, even in the deep snow.

-- Going for walks. An after-dinner evening constitutional is the best in the summer. Today was so sunny and mild (almost above freezing!) that I took an afternoon stroll around my neighborhood. My shoe hurt the back of my foot, and the sidewalks were treacherously icy in places, but I still enjoyed it.

-- Creative energy. There's nothing like having a big push to get things done, work-wise, and actually enjoying it. And I feel full of ideas and potential right now. Awesome.

-- Flowers. I wonder if there's some sort of 'weekly flower delivery' gift that one could bestow upon a person (me). That would be pretty expensive, I bet. But I love having flowers in the house. My mom gave me a Bachman's bulb garden basket, and it's starting to bloom.

-- Hyacinths. How do they smell so good? Hyacinths and lilacs. If there were a body lotion that accurately replicated either of those scents, I would buy it.

-- Dreaming about new spaces. I'm seriously still obsessed with getting a studio-office. This will happen. I want to earn a full year's rent before actually committing to it, so it might not happen in the next few months, but it feels achievable. Especially if somebody (*cough*Alex*cough*) splits it with me.

Lastly, not a thing I love, but a request. Every so often, I get questions in the comments, and I forget to answer them more than I should. I'm thinking of doing a post of answers to questions, so if there's anything you've been wondering (and maybe you already asked, but I didn't respond), ask away. Any topic! No question too boring! Doesn't have to be relevant! If I'm not comfortable answering it for some reason, I'll at least acknowledge that it's been asked, so you don't have to think I'm some big ignore-er. So leave a question in the comments or send it to anna.torborg [AT] gmail.com. Once I've got a batch of them, I'll do the answers post -- soon, I hope!