A new experience every day...

Well, I moved into the apartment in Ann Arbor about a week and a half ago now, and I'm still getting adjusted. I've had some new and interesting experiences and have learned a few things, so here they are day by day.

SAT 1/19
Moved in! And my first "cooking" experience. Hah.

SUN 1/20
Realization about birthdays and getting older. It's a strange progression, really: When we turn 14 it's like "Sweet! 2 more years until my driver's license!" When we turn 15, "one more year!" When we turn 16, "I can drive!" When we turn 17, "One more year until I'm 18!" When we turn 18, "I'm 18! I can go to Canada (among other things)!" When we turn 19, "2 more years until I'm 21!" When we turn 20, "Next year!" When we turn 21, "I can drink (legally)!" Then, when we turn 22..."Wow, I'm old...I don't want to face the real world." The excitement of getting older goes away quickly, doesn't it?

MON 1/21
My first full solo grocery shopping experience. I took all 44 items to the self-checkout line and proceeded to have several problems with the computer thingy. The lady was nice enough to tell me halfway through that the self-checkout lines were supposed to be "12 items or fewer" - which is apparently posted. On the floor... So that was fun.

TUE 1/22
My first run in Ann Arbor. I learned that I needed to find an alternate route to get to Barton because Pontiac Trail has no sidewalk and basically no shoulder for a little over a quarter mile, so it was kind of unsafe and crappy. Especially in the snow. The way back was all uphill too, so I had to run uphill in snow. I realized how tough that is and that I'm going to have to get used to the hills out here. It's tough right now, but it will be good for Big Sur!

WED 1/23
My first near-dog attack on a run. Seemed like the owner was a very grumpy/angry person and basically yelled at me because I didn't stop running while she took 5 minutes to reel in her dog.

THU 1/24
Saw the Spirit of the Marathon movie. It was pretty good. Not great, but pretty good. It reminded me of why I run. When you see people finish. That says it all. Finishing a marathon has been one of the few moments in my life where I was purely happy.

FRI 1/25
I discovered my puncta lacrimalia, the lacrimal point (on your eye...border...thingy).

SAT 1/26
My first long run in Ann Arbor. I ran down Huron towards the river and through the parks along the river there by the middle of the city and the hospital. It was really nice, though there was a fresh coat of snow (1-2 inches?), so it was a little tougher than I wanted. But that's okay because it was "nice" out. I wanted to take some pictures but apparently my mini camera battery was dead :( Those parks are probably really nice in the Spring!

SUN 1/27
First trip to IKEA. Went to get a desk, bookshelf (ended up being part of the desk), dresser and desk chair. Went to Rose's in Canton with the 'rents for a good dinner. When I got home I put the dresser together. I only hammered my thumb once, so that was good.

MON 1/28
Second trip to IKEA...because apparently there were two boxes for my desk. Who knew? It would have been helpful if the person at checkout said something... Anyways, after realizing it I had to drive over to IKEA at like 8pm and get the second box. I did finish putting it together the same night. It had more parts than the dresser, but I knew more what I was doing, so it went quicker.

TUE 1/29
In our ESD class at work I learned how an Air Ionizer works. Exciting, huh?
My run was in the rain with temperatures in the mid-40s, so I got to wear shorts for the first time in a while!

WED 1/30 (today)
My roommate's sister was here for the last few days painting, so I didn't have an accessible bathroom in the morning. So, I just went and showered and shaved at work...heh. Hopefully it will be the last time I have to do that :)
The heatwave went away with strong winds for highs in the teens today. So I had a chilly 13-degree (-5 wind chill) run. A "fun" run as the ChiRunning book calls the easy ones.
Work sucked, as two of my "projects" at work got questioned, but I got one answered, so that's good. I was really tired all day because I didn't sleep well (noisy wind and painting), so it was kind of a miserable day. I'm surprised how productive I actually was (not very, but more than I expected)...

What has tomorrow got in store for me?