Here.
I think this is the longest I've ever gone without posting since I started this LiveJournal back in December 2001. Last I posted was April 30th. April thirtieth!! That's six weeks ago.
Just so you know, I haven't died. I've been just fine. The fact is that I discovered 750words.com and have been using that quite diligently. So to me, it doesn't feel like I haven't posted because I've been posting at least seven-hundred-fifty words every single day since that last post, it's just that no one else can see them. And for me, it's what I've needed. I needed a place to just do a brain dump and spew whatever was on my mind at the end of the day without worrying about revealing any confidential information (although I don't use names, because it's still online), or worrying about having to give backstory or explanation or make it comprehensible or have any discernable cogent thoughts. I don't have to worry about presenting a balanced peek into my life so people don't comment and tell me that I'm miserable when I'm not. I don't have to worry about getting or not getting or responding or not responding to comments at all. It's a simple, private journal, only I can write in it much, much faster than I can with my paper one. And my arm doesn't cramp up. And I love it.
You can also use it to track various metrics, so I've been tracking hours of sleep, sleep quality, weather (on a 10 point scale), mood, grumpiness, and happiness. Then the site lets you compare how two metrics line up. What's most surprising is how little any of these factors track each other. I mean, some of my grumpiest days are also my happiest, and vice versa. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it other than weather, but that's okay.
Anyway, that's one of the things I've been up to. I haven't missed a day since I started, except for one Saturday when I only wrote about 500 words and then had to go somewhere, and then I forgot to finish. So I've only just earned my albatross badge (30-day streak). I've got turkey, penguin, flamingo, albatross, cheetah, and hamster. I should have a turquoise horse soon, but then I go on vacation in July. I'm already worrying about how I'm going to keep up when I'm on vacation at the lake, because I'm not wild about the prospect of writing 750 words on a Droid.
I've also been working on getting back into shape and getting in a serious workout every day, which I'd really let slip. I've finally managed to get strong enough that I started running again. I know better than to run before strengthening the muscles in my legs (especially around my knees). Also, my old roommate from Nola, Jill (who just ran her first marathon), gave me an autographed copy of Born to Run as a Christmas/birthday gift, and I finally got around to reading it. It's more like I've been devouring it. It's a fantastic read! I'm going to turn into quite the evangelist for it. Once again, it's validating everything that I knew instinctively about running that was drilled out of me in gradeschool gym class and made me hate athletics. I'm past the bitterness, though, and I'm just excited to get stronger.
The problem is, of course, that when I went on my first run on Wednesday evening, I decided to go with the more natural, "barefoot running" gait. My lungs and legs felt like I could run forever, but my hips and ankles seemed to disagree, so I took it easy and walked a lot. Apparently, I didn't walk enough, because shortly after I got home, my left leg seized up in one gigantic spasm/cramp from mid-thigh to toes. I spent the night slathered in Flexall, begging my leg to forgive me. But I'm good now and ready to get back to it. Baby steps. . .
So I guess that's all for now, but that's where I'm at.