The Speed of Dark

“It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it.” ~John Steinbeck
 
 
Yesterday started off bad, but it improved. I woke up with the worst cramps. I didn’t feel like I could move. However, I managed to pull myself out of bed and go to the gym to run. Running was harder because I forgot my lap counter. So I just ran off and on for 20 minutes. Things will be more structured tomorrow. While there though, I ran into Chris, the old RA. He works till 7 in the morning at the office and then drives over to the gym, so I am going to start hitching a ride with him on Monday mornings. Hopefully that will make it easier. I hate walking alone when it is dark out and not a lot of people are about.
 
I came home and showered, which sucked because we didn’t have any hot water. I was pissed, so I took a lukewarm shower. I sat down on my bed, motivating myself to get dressed, but the cramps were horrendous. I was contemplating not going to class, but it was the second day of classes, so I couldn’t skip out. So I managed to climb the mountain to campus and by the end of my second class I was feeling better.
 
Angie, the girl I studied with in Mexico, ate lunch with me. We had a good time talking about everything and her friend joined us. It was nice to catch up with her and I think we are going to make it a normal thing to eat lunch together on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Managed to get through all of my classes and ran into a lot of the Saudi’s yesterday. They are so funny and they are always surprised to see me.
 
Made curry last night for dinner. It had yellow and green peppers, with chicken. It was quite delicious and I think I will be eating it a few more nights this week. I’m not opposed.
 
I sat at work last night and started reading this book for my Recent Popular Literature class. I didn’t think I was going to like this book very well, but I am surprised. It’s called The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon. I can’t put it down. I read five chapters at work last night and I read more today. I am happy that I’m doing my homework, but I’m neglecting my Spanish homework, so I need to start that soon.
 
I had an appointment to get my hair cut and colored today. I decided that I wanted to dye it back to it’s original color. This debate lasted a good two weeks before I finally scheduled an appointment. I normally dye my hair a plum red color, but my hair is naturally a dark, dark brown. When the sun shines on it, it turns a chocolate brown and then a penny copper. As a little kid, I had beautiful shades of brown in my hair. So sitting in the stylist’s chair I told her that I wanted to color it back to it’s natural color. She was looking at the roots that had grown out. They were about two inches long and they look jet black. I told her they look black, but it’s really dark brown. She said that she understood and went to go mix the colors. Well, I think she just colored my hair black, at least that’s what it looks like in front of a mirror. However, while I was driving this afternoon, the sun shined on it and it looked like it had a few tints of brown in it. Oh well, we will see. I’m not upset, it’s just so weird to have dark, dark hair again.
 
I have a committee meeting this afternoon for the Student Housing Board. I am not going. I told them that I wouldn’t be able to make the meetings if they had them on Tuesdays because I have an internship. However, the internship hasn’t started yet, but they don’t know that. I just am taking this day for myself. I don’t have classes, I ran a bunch of errands, going to go do some Spanish homework in a little bit, and then I will go to the gym later to walk. I can’t swim laps today because of coloring my hair. I need to give it a few days before I expose it to chlorine.
 
I can’t believe how much of this entry I have spent on my hair. I sound so vain. Anyways, Bern did the sweetest thing for me. He went back home for break, Brazil. I was working in the office on Sunday and he came up. He surprised me and gave me some Brazilian chocolates and this beautiful wood carving that has my name carved in it with a palm tree, the sun and a sail boat. On the back it has the year inscribed in it and his city. I thought it was so sweet! Bern is such an angel. His girlfriend came up later to say hello to me while she waited for him to get ready and she said that she and I were the only one’s who got wood carvings like that. He didn’t bring anything like that back for his other friends. I felt really special.
 
Sunday night Vinnie and I went grocery shopping together. Vinnie’s car died, the one that him and Manny bought for $250.00. Not surprising, but I feel bad for them. He and I went grocery shopping and it was so funny. Guys shopping is entertaining and Vinnie was no exception. He bought a rolling pin to make chapati. I told him that I would love to make chapati with him, he said that he was willing to allow me to be his guinea pig and test out his attempts on me. Nothing really exciting happened, but it was just amusing.
 
Need to go work on my Spanish phonetics and start thinking on ideas for my first story for my fiction writing class. I had an idea, but that one isn’t flushing itself out. If anyone has any ideas, I would love to hear them.