Things I don't need to hear any more about

Today is Monday, and I'm feeling disillusioned with the state of the universe. I'm pretty sure this is because of the grad school no man's land I seem to have stumbled into. I had a feeling of tremendous momentum last week, and it was immediately followed by a feeling of impressive stuck-ness. So far, the stuck-ness is winning.

Therefore, I have put together a list of things I don't need to hear any more about:

1. the rising cost of health care
2. the eventual comeback of Britney Spears, Winona Ryder, Whitney Houston, etc.
3. the fact that nobody in the world is going to have enough money for retirement
4. that weird detox diet involving lemon juice and cayenne pepper
5. the fact that baby carrots make a great little midday snack. When baby carrots start to taste like Reese's peanut butter cups, then you can talk about them some more.

Conversely, I wouldn't mind hearing more on the following topics:

1. this song, which sounds like it was recorded for less than the cost of a meal at Denny's (but somehow it succeeds beautifully)
2. baby snow leopards
3. anything that the endlessly interesting Paul Ford touches

Tomorrow kicks off a six-week boot camp for me. I am tired of feeling like a slob. The boot camp will require rousing myself at the crack of dawn (5:30, to be precise) and reporting to a gym down the road. It will involve lunges, squats, and other uncomfortable words. I am finding that the "brisk walk at lunch" doesn't really do it for me. I sit at a desk all day and I'm craving more tangible reminders that I am not just a machine who knows how to apply makeup and operate a mouse. The boot camp cost $350 and requires me to keep a food diary. In a weird way, I'm looking forward to it.