This whole fiasco with Madonna and her taking on the (Hebrew) name of Esther is just making me laugh. One report says she isn't really doing it, it's just her "dream name", and another report says she's totally doing it. It makes me laugh either way.

This reminds me, I was reading an article/interview in Vanity Fair last weekend about Bill Clinton. And he said (I can't remember the exact wording, so don't quote me) that if Israel were ever in a battle for it's very existence (as in a great war, not the usual day-to-day battle for it's existence, I guess) he would pick up a gun and be in the trenches fighting to save it. How odd is that?? I guess he likes Israel more than I knew, though the imagery amused me since I could only picture the Israeli Defense Forces telling him to get the hell out of the way. Lovely thought though, thanks Bill.

Moving right along....
Let me tell ya, I think I really AM getting old. This was proven when I came to the sudden realization that I get absolutely NO exercise in my life whatsoever. My PARENTS are in better shape than me! (though it helps that they have a treadmill in their house, in front of a tv) I was once a girl who loved her sports and various other activities, and now I am embarrassingly out of shape (skinny does not necessarily equal healthy, folks). I decided if I was going to inject some exercise in my life and maintain it, I would have to make it fun (see Rat's blog). And with that I dug out my old bike and went for my first ride yesterday, and it was fantastic! Sure my thighs burned like a sonofabitch and I thought my lungs were going to collapse, but I was feeling energized afterwards and had gained a small feeling of accomplishment. Maybe tonight I will ride a little farther, and the day after that even farther! Slowly, slowly. This makes me happy.

So after I got back from my bike ride I hopped in the shower and then headed over to the grocery store (it was 10pm by this time, long live the 24 hour grocery store!). And that's when I started to do my old person's shopping. What do I mean? Well, it all started a few months ago when I switched from white bread to whole wheat bread. Laugh if you will, but I was used to what I was raised with. I had fought eating brown bread for the longest time, but now it's my friend. I've even started eating whole wheat pasta and it's pretty darn good too! Then, most recently, it was....soy milk. And now I am in love.

Last night I found myself buying "grown up" food items. I actually bought LIGHT mayonnaise (something I would once *never* had done), flax seed (good for fighting bad hearts and cancer!), soy nuts (an awesome crunchy snack, better for you than most nuts), and god help me...I bought a BRAN cereal. And I'm not talking Raisin Bran here, I'm talking All-Bran (hey, William Shatner says bran is good for me!). Oh yes, I'm eating bran. Just picture me this morning as I was sprinkling a serving of All-Bran over my Spider-Man cereal (you can't really eat a lot of this stuff straight, y'know! you'll blow your colon!). I know, it's like having a diet Coke with a cheesy greasy burger, but I'm not gonna throw out perfectly good cereal just because I'm trying to get healthy. I'll finish the Spidey cereal and then it's on to Mini-Wheats and Corn Flakes (with the occasional Lucky Charms or something. come on, a girl's gotta live a little!). For a hilarious review of All-Bran (aka: "twigs and milk") go here. Just remember, kids...when you eat a lot of bran you have to drink a lot of water. Trust me on this one, very important.

Anyway, all this good eating and the start of what I hope will be regular exercise, has me feeling pretty pleased with myself today. Will I be able to keep all this up? I think if I change things a bit at a time, I can. Yes indeed.....I'm finally growing up.

In other news, I am going with a friend of mine tomorrow to a tattoo convention going on here in Toronto. I am doing my best to NOT get that tattoo I wanted (go look here if you don't remember what I'm talking about). I pretty much have myself talked out of it because the tatt would look terrible without the white, and white just doesn't look good when you use it in large quantities. We'll see. I really have wanted that tattoo for a while...(what?? three isn't enough??). In other words, I don't want this looking like this (pretend my flesh is actually that colour, as disturbing as the notion would be). See how bad it would look??

In a completely unrelated note, did anyone watch Extreme Makeover last night?? I wept like baby I was so happy for this one woman. She was nearly deaf and they gave her a new type of hearing aid not yet released in the US and she could hear almost perfectly!! Then they put her in a symphony hall and had an orchestra play for just her as she sad and cried because she could finally hear it as it was meant to be heard!! She cried, I cried. It was a beautiful thing. (here's her before and after gallery. you won't friggin' BELIEVE how much they change her)

Before I go I'd just like to open the invitation to those interested in a Gmail address; send me an e-mail pleading your case and if I likes it I'll send you an invite. Don't you wanna be trendy like all the other kids using Gmail??

Shabat Shalom.