went ice skating yesterday! i hadn't gone in forever so to make up for it, we went for about 3 hours. wow that was a lot, i'm feeling it in my left hamstring now. but oh so fun, worked on my loop jump (which i'm never going to get) and feeling a lot more comfortable with my toe loop (yes, it's different from a loop jump, so different). a friend of mine is a certified teacher, all the way up through all levels of freestyle, and she helped me a lot.

feeling unmotivated in lab these days. lack of data will do this to you. am i really discouraged this easily? (don't answer)

despite lack of data, enjoying my downtime in post-quals grad school life. I love it! ^^ I'm much happier and less stressed. I become a better person when I'm not stressed - more patient, more understanding, more willing to listen. Trying to make use of my downtime by cleaning up, organizing, being active, reading, and in general, bettering myself, rather than just collapsing and watching tv.

it's winter! i can't believe it - the temperature drops to 70 degrees and you smell wood burning in the air due to revving up of fireplaces. Only in California... tempted to turn my heater on as well. :)