4 a.m.

Except for today (7a.m., I decided ONE day could be a sleep-in) and Monday (3a.m. due to unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstances), I have developed the habits of a senior person.
Why? My academic career depends on me completing all my readings and assignments for these 6 courses I have accrued.
I still set unrealistic goals for what I try to get done each day. Every line is filled in my agenda book, with added bullets notifying me of what I still need to complete, and arrows redirecting some of my tasks. It's always been this way with me. And the works always gets done in good time.
But this 4a.m. wake-up that is unrelated to rowing, coaching, or personal training work, is very, very new.

I won't be watching very much T.V. now as I won't have knitting to support the sedentary feel of it. I am a single project at a time knitter, and after completing my first armwarmers, cannot afford more yarn at this time.
Perhaps I will substitute the knitting for exercising and/or stretching during the watching of T.V. - it's really only Ugly Betty I look forward to these days, and Ellen, of course.

These armwarmers will also be a gift for an unnamed individual.

I'll be playing Easter Bunny today on campus (which is very appropriate for our campus, considering we actually have bunnies everywhere - the babies are appearing again). My banana bread with chocolate chips and blueberries, as promised for my faith study group. They have probably forgotten that I would make it for one of our sessions, and now that today is the last session, I should definitely own up.



I have been waiting rather unpatiently for my package of goodness to complement my love for eating! Mother knows exactly how to take care of me.
Apparently it actually arrived two days ago, I just didn't notice the notice until yesterday. Thus, I had to walk all the way up the hill, a quick 2 min. bus ride to the post office, at which the lady announced, whoa, this one's heavy!, from the back. Which made me feel a little nauseated considering I had to get back the way I came.
Maybe she's a little weak? Maybe I still am a tank? It was definitely less than 20 lbs.
The trip back was easy compared to most grocery runs.

This is the second time I have received a package from my mother with an excessive amount of stamps and taping. I don't think the stamps was the post office's doing, but I don't want to make any unsupported accusations here. But I do suspect my mother had something to do with it. If so, she spend far too much extra time and money pasting 33 stamps on there. I love it though. So unique.
And finally, I found a perpetual calendar to place all those birthdays so I never forget. The good finds are always when you're not actually seeking them out. They tend to find you, in my experiences.


When I finally opened the package, check it out:
Pocky, dried mangoes, maple syrup, stew mix, sunflower seeds, brittle, fudge, polvoron.
Half for me, half for Ate Anna.
But I can't indulge. I have to make it last, and surprisingly so far I have only eaten a corner of fudge and one Pocky. For me, that's rather impressive.

My latest meal venture: pilaf (made of orzo, rice, onions, and garlic), with my touch of protein (pork loin cubes and mushrooms). The butter (2 tablespoons worth, which is not bad as this fed me for a good 4 days) made all the difference.

And finally, acceptance. The sweet relief of a rewarded effort, but the true rewards are yet to come.

I have been accepted as 1 of 10 young Canadians (although I'll be the second oldests at 22 when we depart) travelling to the Philippines (the mother country of the parents) in August as a Solidarity Trip participant for Development and Peace ( www.devp.org ). More info. to come.