Not exhausted, good news, word nerdery

The river was very still and glassy tonight

I've turned a corner in my quest to get fit (no, I wasn't walking around the block!). Tonight is the first time since I went back to the gym that I have left the building without feeling utterly exhausted. I did my usual workout (plus 1 minute of running) but I skipped down the steps of the gym after my workout, partly because I wasn't worn out and partly because I'd just heard some good news: pilates classes are now included in my gym membership instead of being an extra charge. Hurrah! I've done a few 6-week pilates courses at the gym before, but I've always resented having to pay extra. I'll be far more inclined to go regularly now.

Although losing weight isn't my main goal at the gym, I noticed today that my clothes are a little roomier. It's a nice feeling. I actually went back to the gym after my doctor 'prescribed' endorphins as a mood enhancer. I should have been going anyway, but that gave me the nudge I needed. I'm certainly less grumpy, but I think that's the endorphins, as well as the satisfaction of meeting the challenges I have set for myself and feeling myself getting fitter and stronger. 

My next book...

I've started reading The Etymologicon: a circular stroll through the hidden connections of the English language  by Mark Forsyth (aka The Inky Fool) and it's stupendously fascinating and surprising and funny.  I fear I will struggle to put it down and keep reading into the early hours... (Yup, if proof were required of my wordnerdery, the previous sentence would do it.)

I'd regale you with some of the things I've learnt, but each page is so dense with revelations of the surprising connections between seemingly unconnected words and I'm tired, so I can't remember any that particularly stood out. Oh, here's one: avocadoes are so named because the Aztecs thought they looked like testicles. And...and...the words testament and testimony share the same origin as the word testicles. I'll tell you about the words that are related to farting another time. 

Anyway, if you are a word lover, you must read this book. 

Two weeks in, autumn light, flamboyant shoes

Taken on my walk home tonight

Two weeks into my new job and I'm still enjoying it. So far I'm finding the learning curve much less steep than when I started my previous job. I often had moments of self-doubt for the first six months inthat job and seriously worried I wasn't cut out for it. I might not have enjoyed it at the time, but it was good for me. I guess a lot of things in life are like that (you might recall one of my 39 Secrets of Adulthood is 'Sometimes things that suck can still be kind of awesome'. Yup.) 

I had drinks last night with two friends from my old firm last night. That job was good for me in more ways than one.  

Indian summer

We've been having a very mild autumn in Melbourne with sunny days and mid-20s temperatures. It was raining this morning, but it turned into a sunshiney day which then gave way to  quite a balmy evening. There's something special about the light in autumn. In the late afternoons at work I've been enjoying the view from my window of the city bathed in soft, yellow light. As well as the State Library, from my 21st floo windows I can see the tops of St Pauls Cathedral, the Manchester Unity Building, the Century Building, and the MCG and AAMI Park in the distance. I also have a pretty good view of the construction site between Myer and Melbourne Central - they've demolished almost everything that was on the site, except for a  section of façade that's several storeys tall. 

Pressies

I arrived home a couple of nights ago to a parcel I'd ordered online last week. Nothing scholarly  like books - just a pair of rather flamboyant shoes. And they fit. Yay!  The shoes are further evidence that my obsession with black and white stripes is getting out of control...

I've had a few other online purchases arrive lately too. It's good being absent-minded because I order stuff and then forget about it. 

Tonight I arrived home to a parcel from my mum containing a bunch of those crocheted, padded coathangers that she made for me. They're daggy and nanna-ish, but they're so good for hanging knits and other garments prone to getting out of shape on wire hangers.

I haven't spent all my time online shopping though - I found  this great photography blog via Digital Photography School last week. If you're into photos of urban decay like me, you'll love it. He takes some fantastic black and white photos too. 

I've also become addicted to Pinterest. The girl who sent me the invite to join did warn me...

Other gleeful highlights since my last blog: 

* Luke and I are going to see the Black Keys in October. We've been waiting for them to announce another tour after the last one was cancelled. It's such a long time to wait!  Wah! 

* I have been eagerly anticipating the release of Jack White's new solo album, Blunderbuss. I bought it today and I'm listening to it now. I like it. Jack is doing a show in Melbourne in July too.   Must. Get. Tickets. 

I bought Blunderbuss at Basement Discs in a basement below Block Place, one of Melbourne's bustling laneways. It cost more than buying it online or at JB Hi-Fi, but I felt good about supporting an independent record store. (Coincidentally, tomorrow is Independent Record Store Day. I won't be visiting an indie music store though - I'm going to a market at the Royal Exhibition Building, one of my favourite Melbourne buildings.)

The new beginning begins

I've been in my new job two days and while I'm not sure yet if I'm going to like it enough to want to stay, the change in my demeanour since leaving my old job is remarkable. I feel so much...lighter. The change in routine and new challenge are working wonders. It's so good to be out of the rut and feeling motivated.

The people at the new firm are very nice and it seems a great place to work, it's just the job itself I'm still uncertain about, but I want to like it. There's Tim Tams on Fridays! A lolly jar in the kitchen! Weekly morning teas! Tim Tams on Fridays! (Hmmmm, there seems to be a pattern here...)

While I was told by the agency my hours were 8.30 to 5.00, I've since been informed it's up to me whether I start then or at 9.00. My initial reaction was "Yay, an extra 30 minutes in bed!" but then I thought, "Hmm, I do like finishing half an hour earlier....I'll stick with it!" Yes, I'm choosing to be out of the house in the morning more than an hour earlier than I used to get out of bed in my old job. 

Although I don't like getting up early (nothing to do with winter - my flat is always warm), I do enjoy it once I wake up. I've been rising just before the sun and I love that warm orange light streaming in my windows and the hot air balloons floating past. Very peaceful. (My enthusiasm might wane after a week of early starts, however...)

I went to the gym after work tonight and felt great afterwards. I've done about 2.5 hours of exercise today (including 1.5 hours of walking) and I feel good, in a slightly weary way.  

I arrived home to find a card in the mailbox telling me I have an item to collect from the post office. Yay. It's my copy of Peter, Paul & Mary In Concert.