I joined pottermore, you guys.

I just joined Pottermore, and I got sorted into Hufflepuff. I'm not sure I can describe it more accurately than telling you that at first I was like

And then like

But now I'm like

EDIT: Also, Hispter Cat likes Hufflepuff, so...

just a quick post before bed...

Sometimes I wonder how I come to be friends with people who are so different-minded than myself. Here I was, thinking that racism -- in any extreme -- was an old-fashioned idea, and that people my age would just be over that by now. Not so! It turns out that I was being ignorant my thinking these things.

I have a new friend down here who I would classify as someone who is rather bigoted in her ideas. "Racist" seems like a harsh word. She's not out there committing hate crimes, but makes comments that make me uncomfortable. It makes me unsure of our friendship. I like her a lot, and we've become close, but her old-fashioned ideas make me wince.

I do think (as the song from Avenue Q says) that everyone's a little bit racist. But I also don't think that anyone should allow that to completely shape their view of another person. We all judge based on looks (race notwithstanding), but can we strive to dig a little deeper?

on friends and finding a man

Steve is visiting. Yay!

Steve and I, on his 21st. Old picture, but it's still cute!

We're headed to Busch Gardens tomorrow, and hopefully silliness and fun ensues.

My friends have convinced me to join Plenty of Fish, which I did. Which prompted about 12 guys to be like "u r sexi" and just send me poetic messages, such as "Hi", or my favorite so far: "Hry". Where's the romance? The attempt to woo? It doesn't help that I feel like I am lying to the world when I put up pictures like this:

When I really look like this.

I'm a mess, really.

on setting goals

I've never been much for running. Even when I was a tiny skinny thing I always hated it. Really, I hated exercise of any sort. Looking back, I think that I was probably super anxious about the idea of running and being in a race, and it just ruined my whole day.

But of course, I am an adult now, and I recognize that exercise has benefits, like you know. Making us live longer. And stuff. And so I've been working out. And I have a new goal! I would like to be able to do The Color Run next year. There's one happening in December down here, but I don't think I am quite ready to commit to that. But one year from now, I hope to be ready for The Color Run 5K. It just looks like so much fun. It makes me WANT to be a runner. Plus, Lulu Lemon has the cutest running fashions ever, and I want to get on board with that.

In other news, here's a cute picture of Penny playing with her new friend, Winston.

mah fravrit!

All I've done today is watch White Collar reruns, go to the gym, watch The Hangover, and then more White Collar reruns.

So productive.

For the past three weeks I have been so good about going to work out. There is an older man in my neighborhood who is a personal trainer and he offered to train me for free. So a couple friends and I go for a half hour three times a week and lift some weights. It's a pretty good deal. I've definitely built up at least some muscle.

I love this part of White Collar, when he base jumps off the building.

Anyway, so the weight loss journey is beginning, but I haven't altered my eating habits quite yet. Given that, I've not really lost weight. I'm only slightly more optimistic than I was.

I think this entry had a point when I started, but then I got lazy. You win some, you lose some, I guess.

sometimes I don't have a blog title.

It's somewhat disenchanting to be hanging out with someone all night and have him ask you if your friend is single. Then again, free drinks because your friend is cute isn't something to complain about, I suppose.

Highlights of the night include:

• Paying for only one drink all night.
• Almost winning at darts (I've never even been able to hit the board before!)
• A woman telling me she wanted to slap my ass.

There are worse things. But is that what it's like for cute girls all the time? Do they never buy their own drinks? I must discuss.

Also, Penny ate the wheel of my mouse. *shakes fist*

oh! I do like to be beside the seaside!

It's true, nothing makes me happier than the thought of sailing. I've always loved being near water. Perhaps it's part of growing up in a state surrounded by lakes. I grew up sailing on my dad's boat and my grandfather's boat, but never really learned to sail, myself. I'm not sure if I never took an interest in learning, or maybe if I've just forgotten it all. But I would love to take one of those classes where you learn to sail by going out on a boat with an instructor for a few days... pricing it out, they look very very expensive. So I'm hunting for maybe some cheaper lessons. Or maybe I just need to get a "Learn to Sail" textbook, though I'm not sure how much about it I could learn via reading.

My grandfather primarily taught my brother how to sail. Matt's really a faster learner than I am, and at the time I was a nervous boater, convinced that the boat was going to tip over. By the time I got over that silly fear, I think I missed my chance to learn. I regret that.

Matthew, the intrepid sailor.

Me, my grandfather, and my brother. 

I don't have any photos on my computer of me sailing, what a shame! I'll have to ask my mom to upload some and send them to me. I have some very fond memories of being out on Lake Charlevoix and Lake Michigan on Grandpa's 41 ft. Hinkley, the Fly-n-Finn. I loved sitting up on the bow on a calm sail just as much as I loved a windy day sitting on the "low side" as I always called it. Being able to stick your hand in the water as you fly over it on nothing but the power of the wind... paradise.