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Wow, it's been a while....once again. I must get better at this. I do miss writing in it, but, for some reason, I don't always take the initiative and just do it.

So, life has had its ups and downs lately. Mostly ups, thankfully. But the downs have not been all that fun. Namely, being laid off from the magazine and having to restart a job search after working in a place I loved for four years. The magazine is still in existence, but our parent company decided to take it in-house in New York City to have their staff there do it. I'm actually itching to see what the magazine will look like now, after having the same people write, edit and design it for years and years and years, having been very successful in the venture. Ah well. Looking forward....

I've had a few bites on the job search side, but no offer just yet. I'm keeping my head up and hopes high though, despite the state our economy is in. If paying the bills means I have to work two part-time jobs, so be it. I recognize that losing my job at the magazine was nothing in my control. It was nothing I did. So I just picked up and moved on, while still holding on to friends, memories, and a few freelance jobs in the tennis industry.

In more fun news, the wedding planning is starting to kick into high gear. We have the ceremony and reception locations, I'm pretty sure we have a DJ, and we're starting to consider food a little more seriously than before. I think I've got my color scheme (blues and greens) and I found a cake design I love. The next big thing we need to tackle (and soon) is making the guest list official and sending out our save-the-dates. We ordered those from Winkflash.com-they're postcards with a picture of Justin and I on Penfield Beach in the front and details on the back.

I really do plan on writing for this blog more often, and if I'm not making good on that promise, I want my readers (because I know there are at least two of you!) to let me have it. :)

My gassy return

That post title got your attention, didn't it?

I know it's been a while, but there's no need to dwell on the past.

I just heard some very good news. Today, for at least a few moments, the price of crude oil dropped to $100 a barrell, to $99.99. (Hey, it's something.)

I was watching the news just a little while ago, and the anchor, and now this article is attributing this drop, the first time it's happened in five months, to a decrease in global demand.

I couldn't be happier. Good habits, that will benefit both our wallets and the environment (yay!), seem to be developing across the world. Let's just hope it continues once the prices go back down to a more reasonable level.

Illegal fees

Just saw this article on Yahoo. Apparently, a Supreme Court judge in California ruled that it is illegal for cell phone companies to charge fees to customers who decide to terminate their contract early. Even though it won't affect me, I'm actually happy to hear the news, having had to wait for some time to change my cell phone and service a few years back when I decided I wasn't happy with Cingular. (Fewer dropped calls? Yeah, right.)

A lot of people say, and even I believe, that a contract is a contract, and you have to follow it. But at the same time, if you're not happy with the service that you're paying for monthly, then you should have the option to back out. It's not like the carriers haven't received any money from the deal, and they're not left buying you a new phone that's compatible with the carrier you switched to. So it's still money out of your own pocket. And the carrier is undoubtedly still bringing in millions from all it's other customers.

Impending surgery

Yea. That's right. I get to go under the knife, albeit a relatively tiny knife, I'd imagine. In and out procedure, so it's not so daunting.

When I moved into the condo, I was getting ready for bed one night when I took a look at myself from the side in the mirror. It was then I noticed a sizable lump on my back.

The doctor confirmed my suspicions that it was a benign lipoma, basically, a piece of fatty tissue on my back. The plastic surgeon I was referred to measured it at 4 centimeters, a pretty big size.

Lately I'd noticed that the area would ache a little, but I couldn't tell for sure if it was from aching was caused by the lipoma, or if it was just shoulder/lower neck pain. Then, today, I woke up and had trouble moving my left arm, bending over and even breathing because of a horrendous pain in my back and chest. I'd slept over a friend's house that night, and could have unknowingly slept wrong or pulled a muscle, but I wonder if it could have something to do with the lipoma. The surgeon had said he doesn't like the lipomas to be symptomatic. I think he said something along the line that it could be bothering muscles or nerves.

My plan had been to postpone the date of the surgery so that I could enjoy myself on a trip we're going on that weekend. But that may not be the smartest move.

Your thoughts?

What's been happening

It's been a while since I last posted, so I'll give you as complete an update as I can.

I've decided not to continue posts in "what I ate and how I exercised" format, since it seemed pretty verbose and boring to me. I will say, however, that I've stopped snacking as much as I used to, and I've worked my jogging up to a half-mile on the track, completing the other half by walking.

Justin and I now have a grill and table, making the outdoors and fun and comfortable place to eat at home. (Picture upload isn't working. Check back for an update.)

Justin, some friends and I went to see Batman: The Dark Knight at 12:01 a.m. today. It was a great movie, although I was ever-so-slightly disappointed with the ending. I think, though, it's my lack of knowledge of the Batman comics that contributed to it.

I'm just starting a few days off to relax, spend time with friends and family, and get some things done around the house. It'll be nice to have a "vacation," I'm happy. And maybe I'll finally have more time to blog.

Until then!