>> The new Pope is really, really creepy-looking.

That's all I've got.

>> So I "tagged along" on Josh's trip to Ikea and ended up spending more than twice as much as he did. Eep. But now I have real curtains, instead of the shitty bamboo blinds that the previous tenants in our apartment left behind, and they look nicer and I can actually open them if I want to see the outside world, which I couldn't do with the old blinds. (They're about the same level of opacity, meaning a lot of light still comes in, but they do maintain privacy slightly better.) I also bought another chest of drawers, so my clothes will be nice and organized and easy to get at, and I bought real plates so we don't have to eat off of plastic ones, which is great. And I bought a plant, because they're nice.

Life took a turn for the busy in the past week, what with visiting friends and after-work socializing and the such, but the next week promises to be quieter. Which will be good, I think. I've gotta build that chest of drawers sometime, after all. And maybe I'll get to spend some time outside in this incredible weather...

(Interior decorating and the weather. This is officially the least interesting post I've ever written.)

>> Further to the previous link, I've been feeling like a bit of a Cookie Monster myself lately, or at least a Soda, Vending Machine, and McDonald's Monster. Since I started work I've been eating whatever fast food is convenient to the office, with frequent energy/morale-boosting snacks throughout the day. It's making me a bit flabby, and on a frame like mine (which isn't terribly pumped up or muscular at all), that shows pretty fast. I really ought to follow some of the good advice in this Ask MeFi thread on diet and exercise -- it sounds like hard work though, and I am rotten at hard work when there's no immediate reward (a very, very bad personality trait). I'd really, really love to have a sensationally hot body (and I'm sure the boyfriend would love it too), but the time and effort of a gym and proper eating habits -- not to mention the expense that both represent -- beats me down every time I try to start a fitness program. I'd love a gym buddy, but none of my few friends in NYC live near me or keep similar office hours...

>> What a gorgeous spring day it was today. Granted, I spent it all inside at the office (and it was a surprisingly busy day there), but walking out of the building into the sunlight (Hurrah for Daylight Savings, it makes me feel like I'm cheating and skipping out of work early) and almost-warmth was a lovely experience, as was having R.E.M.'s "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" blast onto my headphones as soon as I burst out of my subway station into the sunset. Nice.

Another thing that made today very nice indeed: The arrival via mail of my U2 ticket. Yes, I am going to be in the building for at least one show on the tour -- Nov. 22nd at Madison Square Garden, alone, in the nosebleeds behind the stage. Woof. But I'll be there, which is better than the worst-case scenario. I'm also loving the fact that pretty much every single show is turning up as a BitTorrent hours after it's played -- keep your eyes on U2log, we've been linking them as they're found. I'm listening to the first (very rough) show right now, and am looking forward to hearing the reportedly superior-sounding second gig...