Hello, Ya'll

                I promised myself that this summer, I was going to be productive, because (let’s face it) when is a better time to get productive than the day AFTER your last final? I told myself that procrastination may have got the best of me Spring of ’12, but by God Summer 2012 was going to be spectacular. I was going to read at least twenty-four different books (that’s about two books a week), I was going to write, write, write, and write, and I was going to study for the GRE, all while doing Crossfit and eating Paleo and basically just transforming into a sexy beast. Well, here I am a month into my summer vacay, and all I’ve managed to do is go to Crossfit almost every day. So there’s something… I can somewhat convince myself I’m not a TOTAL loser.

                I’ve never really done the whole blogging thing (grammatical error repercussions terrify me; I hate to have my writing so publicly scrutinized), but several of my friends are doing it, and truth be told, if my friends jumped off a bridge and it looked fun, I’d dive in head first.  So here I am. This blog is to keep me motivated; to make sure my summer isn’t a total waste. And, if nothing else, as long as I keep up with this, at least I’m writing. It might be shitty, unedited, totally unworthy of reading writing, but it is writing, all the same. So this blog will contain ideas I have about different short story possibilities, thoughts on the different books I’m reading, and my progress with Crossfit and Paleo. Oh, and maybe a little bit of my trials/tribulations of studying for the GRE (maybe, I don’t want to set my goals too high here).

                So, before I begin, let me explain a few things. First of all, I’m a grad student working toward getting a MA in English (hence the reading and writing). After I graduate next Spring, I plan on going straight into a Ph.D. program, because I am a masochist who would rather spend the next five years in school than in the real world. Therefore, I have to take (and score better than I did previously) the GRE. Yuck.  I’m also a girl who really missed playing sports, and was brought to Crossfit by (I’m sure) an act of God. I am completely and totally obsessed with it, as are most people who join one of the many cults, I mean gyms, across America. If you have no idea what it is, you have GOT to check it out. Youtube Crossfit and be amazed. You can also check out my gym’s website at www.crossfit573.com. Finally, Paleo, also known as the “caveman (or cavewoman, if you prefer) diet,” is basically a raw foods diet that is lactose and gluten free. Kinda. Ok, I say basically but it’s a lot more complex than that. If you wanna know about it, look it up. There are some great websites on it too, like nomnompaleo.com and everydaypaleo.com. I’m slowly transitioning into the whole no sugar/bread/milk thing, so we’ll see how that goes.

                Finally, the start of this blog coincides with the start of a 30 day challenge. A friend of mine recently had a lung cancer scare and is now giving up cigarettes. Another friend, to support him, started a 30 day challenge where everyone gives up or adds something to their lives to better themselves. My challenge? Give up beer for 30 days. !@#$%^&*(*&^%$#. Let me tell you another thing about me… I LOVE beer. I don’t like liquor, I don’t like sweet drinks, but holy hell can I drink some beer. I recently sat down and thought about how much beer I was drinking and I realized I was going through about a 30 pack a week. A beer with lunch, and couple with dinner, five or six on Friday and Saturday nights, plus a few extra on Sunday Fundays… it really adds up. That’s about 2800 extra calories a week. (Good thing I’m working my ass off at Crossfit, or I’d have two by now). So, starting at 12:00 am on June 12, 2012, I will not have beer for 30 straight days. However, it’s 9:30 right now, so I’m going to meet my friend and enjoy one (or three) last beer while he finishes his last cigarettes. If all goes as planned, I’ll write to you tomorrow.

Rhyen