decidedlyodd

Not a whole lot has been going on the past couple of days. I’m finally getting back into the swing of work after taking a much needed break most of the end of last week. Poring through papers and doing a lot of thinking about how I’m going to approach the newest problem in my research.

Anyhow, today I also went over the shopping center off Briar Creek Road in Raleigh, where the good Target is at. Strangely, I didn’t find anything I wanted to buy at Target. I almost got a hat since I really could use one to shield the sun from my face. While there I saw a lot of very un-family apparel, which I suppose surprised me being that it’s Target which seems so wholesome. Lots of trucker hats with beer logos on them, not to mention those shirts with off logos containing text like “morning wood” on them. It just strikes me as odd since that part of the store seems to be catering towards teens. Do parents buy those clothes for their kids or do the kids wander over to Target themselves to buy it? Maybe I’m out of touch (which is likely) or something. They could be catering to twenty somethings like myself and I just have no interest in a hat with the Miller beer logo on it.

I did find a cheap shirt at Ross. When I find decent things for cheap prices there I’m pleased, but there really is so much crap. I also bought a pair of running shoes at Dick’s right before they closed. I’ve told myself I need to augment my exercise routine which currently consists of biking or occasionally walking every day. They were $50 and on a slight sale ($5 off), but I’m sure I didn’t get a very good deal. However, I knew if I didn’t buy them then, I’d just procrastinate so it was better to just suck it up.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been getting into exercise, which historically has been so unlike me. I still loathe group sports for reasons I don’t entirely understand. Maybe it’s cause my general athletic suckiness causes problems when there’s competition. Most group sports also require coordination and agility, which I just don’t have. On the upside though, I’ve found solitary things to do like biking and walking. I’d like to add running and swimming into the mix. I’ve just found that I sleep much better at night and generally feel better when I get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. I’m not entirely sure why it took me so long to figure this out. Maybe I’m just stubborn or all that PE I took in junior high and high school turned me off to it.

I think I’m gonna shell out the $60 to take swimming lessons at the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA, that is if there’s still space left for non-members when I can first register this coming weekend. I already can swim and am totally comfortable with water, but really have forgotten all the technique I learned when in swimming lessons when I was like 5. There’s a beginner/intermediate class and an advance/stroke clinic class. For the more advanced class, you need to be able to swim 50 yards continuous freestyle and backstroke. I’m not sure I can swim 50 yards and certainly not with proper technique. Heck, I don’t even know how to do the backstroke, so maybe it’s best to start at the beginning.