1/23/2005 06:17:47 PM|||Kismet|||It's been a pretty busy few weeks of the year so far.

I added a new photo album to look at...pictures of the two snow storms that went through this area. They weren't even bad enough to be called a storm in my opinion. However, being from Mississippi where snow is such a rare occurrence, and accumulation even rarer, I still get excited enough to take pictures.

You'll also get to see the new cat in my life...yes, the Crazy Cat Lady beacon activated a decade too soon! This one isn't staying inside...I actually only see it once a week or so. She (I haven't actually been able to check, but we think of it as a she) comes dashing out of the bushes at the front of the building and makes a beeline for me. When it snowed last week, I felt compelled to at least let the poor thing inside to get warm and eat something, so for about 45 minutes we had one very cute gray tabby guest, and one decidedly unamused Seamus. Sadly, there isn't enough room for another stray in a bedroom/bathroom that already has two humans and one feline, so I had to put her back out in the cold. Later that night, she heard the door open and came back to beg her way inside...I felt bad leaving the poor thing outside, listening to her meow and scratch at the door, but what else could I do? There's only one litter box here, and Seamus isn't open to sharing just because I want to take in another stray for a night. Animal Control or the shelters would just mean the poor cat would be put down in a few weeks, if not sooner. So for now, she stays outside...and whenever she finds me again, I'll bring her downstairs for another meal to keep her going on her journey.

Classes are going well. I'm finishing up week 2 of my assignments this afternoon/evening. Nothing spectacular to report yet.

My inner athlete prompted me to join a fitness center yesterday. Amber and I signed up for a 3-year contract at a new place called It Figures. It's a women-only circuit workout on hydraulic resistance machines, similar to Curves, only with a different name. I'm wary of long-term commitments like that, but A) it's cheaper per month, and B) as Amber pointed out, a 3-year contract provides a lot of motivation to stick with an exercise plan when you know money is going to get zapped out of your account for the next 36 months. The staff is very friendly, and the environment as a whole seems a lot less intimidating than a big gym, where I usually feel like just another face in the crowd. My assessment appointment is Tuesday, and after that, Amber and I will be trying to find times to go together for motivation. Viva la Inner Athlete!

On a different note, it's almost time to start serious apartment hunting. I think I have a place picked out that's still in this immediate area...we'll find out soon if the online prices are still anywhere close to the real prices.

That's all for now! Back to your regularly scheduled life programming.|||110652352737336102|||sorry for the lack of updates!