Well.

We have a problem, and the problem is this: I have now waited too long to update this thing, and I no longer know where to start. This will probably be an extremely stream of consciousness post, so bear with me.

Part of the reason I've been waiting to update is that I've been intending to take lots of pictures and post them, but I somehow haven't gotten around to that yet. This post will unfortunately be picture-less, but the plan is to charge my camera battery tonight and tote my camera around with me for the next few days so that I have no excuses.

One thing that has occurred to me several times in the past week is the very short amount of time it takes for formerly foreign places to become quite familiar. It's so weirdly easy to fall into a routine! Just yesterday when I went out to walk the dogs, I was struck by the normalness of it. Like, this is what I do. I walk my dogs down Curtis Street in Berkeley. The fog is still burning off the hills and it's still a bit chilly, but it will soon be midday, it will get surprisingly warm out, and the sky will be void of clouds. And all of that is perfectly normal now.

I ride my bike to school in the mornings, and I love it. It's a bit of a hike; we live around 1.5 - 2 miles directly west of campus, which means it's a steady incline from here to there. You don't notice it so much when you're walking, but you can definitely feel it on a bike. The first time I tried to make the trip quickly, I was amazed to dismount my bike and have my shorts fit much tighter than usual in the thighs. I thought, "Are my shorts always this tight?" and then I realized my quads had swelled from pedaling uphill for two miles. Sure enough, my shorts fit a lot better a short while later. Thank goodness!

I also noticed the incline the first time I went for a run. I headed west and around campus, then came back home for something around 5 miles round trip. I haven't been running very much at all since we got here, because I really haven't felt the need. Since the Jeep is still out of commission, I walk and bike literally everywhere and sleep like a baby at night. It's a different kind of exercise, but it's exercise nonetheless and I haven't wanted to throw too much stress at my body by combining that with starting school.

I've been surprisingly tired ever since we got here! Well, I guess it's not like I'm tired all the time, it's just that I get tired early in the evening and sleep 9 to 10 hours per night. The constant low intensity exercise and fresh air is part of it, but I've also noticed my brain getting tired from starting classes again. I'm not used to focusing on lectures, readings, and homework anymore, and it's taking a little bit of adjustment to get back into it. In a great way, though; I love being back in school, and I'm really enjoying my classes and professors.

Berkeley is beautiful. The Bay is beautiful. Campus is beautiful. Life here is pretty beautiful. (I don't know if he would admit it, but I'm pretty sure even Roger likes it here...) I've been completely blown away by the abundance of delicious, fresh food. The Park District folks got me $80 worth of gift certificates to the local farmer's markets, of which there are many. The Ecology Center (a local organization that administers Berkeley's recycling program, among other things) sponsors three markets a week, and I've been to two of them. The Urbana farmer's market is great, but the amazing thing about Berkeley is that 1) the markets are year-round here because of the mild climate and 2) the sheer variety of products available is astounding. Not only can you get the standard summer fare of tomatoes, squash, eggplant, cucumbers, potatoes, sweet corn, melons, etc., but there's one farm that specializes in just peaches and plums, and has a tasting table with small slices of dozens of different varieties so you can decide what kind(s) you want! There are also apples, pears, oranges, nuts, mushrooms, and even more exotic products like artisanal cheeses and yogurts, smoked meats, fresh seafood, honey, and plenty of stuff I'm probably forgetting right now. It is so much fun to go and just marvel at the beautiful food, and thanks to the good ol' UPD, I've been able to indulge in some of it too!

This is getting quite long, but I suppose I should update everyone on Roger's job situation. After getting internet access last Sunday, he has been diligently looking for jobs and has put in his application for a few that actually interest him. The review date (the day they start going through applications) for the one he's most excited about isn't until the 9th, so with some luck, maybe he'll have an interview for that one in the next week or so. Until then, we're getting by on my stipend, our savings, and I just took a position as a grader for an undergrad linguistics course, so that will bring in some extra cash too. I've already paid for our CSA shares for the next month too, so we'll at least have fresh produce to look forward to, even if our food budget stays on the cautious side until Roger gets his first paycheck!

Speaking of that first paycheck, I'm really hoping for a trip to Zachary's to celebrate. There are so many great restaurants to check out around here... we just need the disposable income to do it!