Since I haven't begun working, and don't want to pay the 5 bucks a meal to eat in the dining room, I've been having peasant fare. Large hunks of bread, a slice of cheese, an apple, and a bottle of water. It feels so wholesome, so back to my germanic working class roots. That and all the physical activity I've been doing -- oh its so wonderful to get out in the sunshine surrounded by nature that's actually pretty, and not just struggling not to be desert, I wake up every morning with sore muscles and skin one shade of brown darker (brown is pushing it -- one shade of almond darker would be mush closer). And tearing off hunks of bread is so satisfying! No slices for me -- just grab the loaf and rip. Ok -- enough on that subject. i'm going to go read Jane Eyre again and get myself back into a Victorian frame of mind...

I've been here for a week. I'm so impressed with all the excersizing I'm doing. I've been walking for an hour in the mornings, and then biking the 2 miles into Solvang to check my phone messages once a day. How very exciting! I'm getting very brown. The freckles I hadn't seen in about 6 years are all making a point to say hi. I'm going to get a cat. Is that great or what? I'd like a kitten, but i live in the wild, and I don't want a poor defenseless kitten out roaming around and getting eaten by a snake or a wild dog. So, in that light, I think I'll get a grown cat. I have two favorites at the animal shelter. I'm going to go play with them again today to see if I can make up my mind.