Currently freelancing

I told myself I would take a break during Thanksgiving, but clearly that did not end up happening.

mystery solved.

Further to my post wondering where the hell people stash their keys while out running (or in my case, walking), I have discovered their secret: super high-tech running pants or tights that have little zippered pockets above the butt! I discovered this, obviously, by checking out the butts of people who were running past me yesterday. The deal is kind of like these running tights from Lululemon (click for larger picture), except most of the ones I saw had the little pocket on the back waistband. However it is important to note that while this is ingenious, I don't know that I could ever convince myself it's okay to spend $98 on athletic pants.

Pile up

Bookshelf space is at a pretty high premium in my apartment. The two very small bookcases I have can't keep up with my addictive book-hoarding tendencies, and what you see here is the result. One of the things I'm most hoping about whatever new apartment I move into is that I'll have enough space to bring my mondoginormous bookcase that currently resides in my room at my parents' house (this thing is like 8 feet tall, people).

But you know what I noticed about this here stack? Not a one of these books was purchased by me, new, in a bookstore. They are all either from the free book pile at work, swaptree, library sales, gifts, or The Strand. And one of them I think I stole from my mom. I think the only time I bought a new book this year--and it was actually a hardcover--was the new Audrey Niffenegger, and I can't even remember what was the last time before that. It takes a lot for me to plunk down fifteen or twenty bucks on a book when I know I could get five times as many for my money on Swaptree--but I'm glad not everyone is like that, or I'd be out of a job.

Weekend accomplishments

My feet, thigh muscles, and ankles are sore tonight after I went a little Prospect Park crazy this weekend, doing a full loop of the park yesterday and a loop and a half this morning. This 60+ degree weather is probably due to the horrors of global warming (hey, I'm reading Hot, Flat , and Crowded right now, so it's on my mind) but at least it let me get in some park time before it gets freezing soon. And even though there were seventy year olds out and about on the jogging paths passing me at my mere walking pace, it was really enjoyable to be outside early in the morning and getting the old heart rate up. Also I totally am a poser and got one of those armband holder thingies for my iPod so I can listen to Harry Potter audiobooks the whole time. Question: what do people who run do with their stuff? Where do they keep their keys? Also HOW CAN THEY RUN SO MUCH, FOR REALS.

Always freelancing

Among the plot points of this page-turner? White slavery.

And yes, there's adultery (kind of)

Holy God, is anyone else excited by this trailer??

Sunny days, sweeping the clouds away

These have been putting a smile on my face all week long. Can Google feature Sesame Street every day of the year?

Confession

Hi. My name is Bethany, and I am a Craiglist addict.

It's gotten really bad. I am hoping to move into a new apartment on January 1, and I feel like I've been spending about a third of my time until then scrolling through those tantalizing and frustrating one-line listing titles.

It's a little too early to start seriously looking at places for January move-ins, so at this point I have not definitely narrowed things down between Brooklyn and Manhattan and one- two- and three-bedrooms, which means there are a lot of variables and price points and neighborhoods and picture options for me to be plugging in and getting glazed-over while clicking through.

Last week I was able to go two full work days without checking my traps once, but my resolve soon evaporated and I since have lost all willpower to stay off the site at work. I just keep scanning the neighborhood names and looking up locations on Google maps and trying to decipher oddly angled photos and drooling over the possibility of having stainless steel appliances and living in Park Slope.

Fall in the park

I'm feeling like a . . . I believe the only correct word is putz for not taking more advantage of Prospect Park being about a fifteen-second walk across the street from the apartment building I've lived in for almost two years. I went for a walk with my parents there yesterday morning while they were visiting and it was so warm out and I just kind of felt like duh, why don't I do this more (or at all)?

I'm going to try to make a conscious effort the next two weekends between now and Thanksgiving to do a little loop there during the day. It's saddening me that any semi-warm weather is probably behind us now, and that I don't have any daylight hours during the week I can do this since the sun isn't even risen yet at 6:30 in the morning and it's totally gone by the time I get off the train at 5:45. If things work out with any luck I won't be living in Brooklyn by the time it's spring again, so I need to get in some quality park time while I'm still here.

Why hasn't Gawker Stalker been updated in over a month? And why I am I so annoyed about this? If Julia Roberts or Justin Long has been sighted a few blocks away...I need to know about it!

In the cube

I spend tons of time on Etsy ogling pretty things, but I had never actually bought anything until this week, when I ordered this fun mousepad (and yes, that's the same fabric as the curtain in my bathroom). Sometimes cubicle life can get depressing, so I wanted a little something pretty to make me happy when I look at it, and I also picked up one of these Stockholm magazine holders in apple green to hold my seasonal book catalogs.