It's been a fantastic week so far!

I can't express how pleased I am with my placement at the law clinic!  It's a great place - lots and lots of interesting work to do - and they are thrilled to have me.  I was immediately won over Monday afternoon when I returned to the office after observing hearings and spending some time with Duty Counsel at the Landlord and Tennant Board:  two of the lawyers had packed my desk with new office supplies -- nothin' says lovin' like your very own stapler!

I've met with a couple of clients already, and came into the office this morning to find a couple of files on my chair.  I see a very steep learning curve ahead of me, but I expect to really enjoy the challenge and complexity of the work.

So I've been knitting.  I mentioned Keeping Kids Warm a couple weeks back, and I decided I'd like to contribute to this cause.  I made the yellow mittens last week.  Last night I whipped that hat up in an evening.  This afternoon I started another pair of mittens.

After an entire summer of construction hell on our street, the paving has begun! Last week the sidewalks were replaced -- it seems the road has been widened, because the sidewalk is now on OUR side of the street light poles, having formerly been on the street side.  Oh well, I'll just be so glad when the heavy equipment and the BLOWING DIRT are gone.  Everything is filthy - we can scarcely see out the windows at times!



I read a blurb recently in the June issue of Chatelaine, about the "unexpected bonus of blogging":

Trying to quit smoking, lose weight or finish a marathon?  Start blogging!  The internet is a great place to declare a health goal, says Susan Biali, a Vancouver-based doctor, author and psychologytoday.com blogger.  "It creates instant accountability and a personal support group," she says.  Alison Dunn, who chronicled her journey from 5K to 42K on howiranamarathon.blogspot.com, concurs..."This trend goes further than just helping individuals reach their goals.  It's about collective triumph, too," says Biali.

So...how am I doing with my goals? 

• Well...I'm getting very, very close to my $2K goal for coupon useage this year. 
• I have been stuck at 25.2 lb loss for over a week now, and hope to push past this plateau over the next few days by increasing my activity -- I think the fact that I'm back in school (which means just about 2 hours of driving each day, sitting in 3 hour lectures, and trying to get ahead on the required readings) is to blame. I need to challenge myself to get moving at least as much as I was.  Frustrating!
• And I am no where near completing the 9 UFO's I hoped to finish this summer.

Last night I finished reading "Dark Places" by Gillian Flynn. I had read her first novel "Sharp Objects" a couple of weeks ago.  Both are way off my typical type of reading -- I usually go for histories, or relationship-y kinda stuff -- being in the thriller/mystery/dark realm.  Too bad she doesn't have anything else published right now, and I don't see anything on the horizon according to her website.  Anyway - I can recommend both of these - with a slight warning that the the subject matter is likely going to be offensive to some, and the main characters are understandably psychologically "damaged" after surviving traumas.