oh, hi!

* the landlord of my building has applied for a substantial rent increase. the hearing is on march 28th. tenants are slowly organizing. i'm torn between focusing on this place and directing my energy to finding a new place. this is causing inner conflict. a lot of it. i feel guilty for not wanting to overextend myself. i fear for the tenants (the elderly, the immigrants) who may not have the means to endure a rent hike, but i also know i need to focus on a solution for me, not for the building. my therapist has asked me why i feel the need to "save" my neighbours, and why i think it's not okay for me to concentrate on what *i* need (and to put myself first), and i don't (yet) know the answer.

* i've been doing semi-regular tae-bo workouts. i like the fact that i get up, work up a good sweat to get rid of toxins, and then take a cleansing shower to wash them off immediately. i've also continued to have spinach salads at least three times a week. i've discovered that raw, hulled hemp hearts are delicious (and very good for you), so i sprinkle those on my salads, along with raw sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and ground flax.

* the oscar nominations were announced this morning. i was pleased that all my holiday-time filmgoing turned out to be worthwhile -- i've now seen almost all of the nominated films and performances. though, i have no interest in "the wolf of wall street."

* on january 1st, my new hourly rate kicked in. i remind myself of this new rate every day that i'm at the office late.

* soon, mom and i will have to start planning for florida. if you recall, when i returned from last year's southern sojurn, i said that the condo was falling into further disrepair with each passing year. i'm doing my best to convince mom to either question the owner of the place we rent about whether he's made any improvements (does the toilet now flush properly? have you painted all the water stains on the walls? have you bought new mattresses? do any of the TV remotes work yet?), or to opt for another (pricier) unit in the same building. the price difference is about $200 per week... but we'd get an extra bedroom, an extra bathroom, a corner unit and, one would hope, a toilet that doesn't require you to hold down the handle until the bowl is empty.