One thing I’m a huge nerd about is Halloween. My coworkers have already started asking when I am going to decorate my office. I hate early decorating (go away Xmas decs!) so I usually wait until October has arrived to decorate for Halloween. This year I am decorating a day early because I am working with an intern that is possibly as geeky as I am about Halloween and she is only in on Tuesdays. So I went shopping for decorations today and I’m going to pull out old decs tonight. I keep my work decs non-ghouly and leave the skulls and monsters for home.

I’ve been thinking about the fall things I like (birthday, Apple Fest, Halloween) and trying not to think about the scary darkness of winter. Winter has things I like too (Germanfest, glugg, oddly colored gingerbread houses, drinking myself to death on New Years Eve) but always has some extra sadness that isn’t there with other times of the year.

I think I found a boxing gym that I can afford. It’s a lot cheaper than the other boxing gyms, maybe because it sucks or maybe because it’s small and newer.

I didn’t see clients this weekend, I’m going in this week to get an overview of the whole client intake/scheduling process. So I will call my clients and see if they want to meet with me this weekend or next. I’m happy to be seeing clients because work has been terribly boring lately but so nervous!

I met my clinical supervisor this week. He is super awesome, I like his counseling style and he is down with my interest in holistic therapy.  Assuming all goes well with the paperwork and my hours, I have about 7 months of volunteering ahead of me. Maybe when I am done they will ask me to be a contractual therapist and I can keep seeing my few clients and (!) get paid!

The client coordinator at the center I will be volunteering at contacted me and said I can start seeing clients anytime. I’m going to go in next week to see how the logistics of seeing clients works and will probably have my first sessions next Saturday. So excited!

I’ve been looking into a certificate at The Stress Institute at Roosevelt University. The certificate is in relaxation, meditation and mindfulness. It’s not exactly what I’m looking for as far as holistic therapy but I can’t find anything else college/university based in the area. Ideally, I would like something similar to the holistic health program at Western Michigan Uni. Without going to Michigan.

Coincidentally, today’s NASW newsletter had a link to an article on Zen of Therapy. The book seems more of a “how to keep your cool when dealing with crackheads” type guide but also talks about incorporating Zen practice into counseling practice with the client.
Earlier in the week I was watching Brad Warner (Hardcore Zen author) debate a sock puppet. The sock puppet thought he was Noah Levine. Silly socks! Noah Levine is also a punk rock Buddhist but he is more like “Raa I almost killed myself with drugs and smashed people and then I found Buddha! Neck tattoos!” Brad Warner isn’t that intense and I’m pretty sure he would still be alive without Buddha. Noah co-founded an organization that uses Buddhist thought in helping incarcerated teenagers. I’ve found a few different Buddhist counseling programs in California. It would seem California is the place to be for what I’m looking for but I’ve seen what Americans do to Eastern ideas when they attempt to mainstream them. (Who wants a Miley Cyrus feng-shui mat?)

I was explaining who Maggie Gyllenhaal is (really how could you not know?) which led me to browsing Donnie Darko trivia on IMDB. Did you know Sparkle Motion was supposed to be dancing to West End Girls but they couldn’t afford to use the song? Neither did I. It’s been a while since I’ve listened to Pet Shop Boys so I went to YouTube to watch their video for West End Girls. Why does this song remind me of Flight of the Conchords? Oh, because they did a parody of it for Inner City Pressure.
So what I’m saying is why don’t I own Donnie Darko? I think I’m going to go see if Reckless Records has a copy.

Buddha class ended, my head is filled with all sorts of Buddha knowledge that I will soon be unable to recall. Actually, I intend of continuing with this Buddha stuff. I put all of my class info in a nice binder for future reference. I’m going to start meditating more often at the Zen temple closer to me and maybe join one of their study groups.

My friend got married last weekend, I was sick and only able to go to the ceremony before I felt like I was going to fall into a fevery sleep. It was a small ceremony and very nice because Jesus was not mentioned and Henry Miller was.

The GLBT health center finally contacted me. I meet with my clinical supervisor next week at my agency.  I feel all professional, I even booked the conference room because my office is set up weird and there’s a computer desk keeping me from sitting next to anyone.

I’m looking for a new phone because Verizon will give me credit toward a new one and my current phone makes funny sounds other than people’s voices.  I’m thinking about the Samsung Alias because it has a QWERTY keyboard. No, I’m not getting an Iphone. Too big, too breakable, too expensive. And I really have no need for it. The only time I can think of the internet being useful is when I get lost, which I do a lot. I can text Google for addresses, I might be able to do the same for directions. Did you non-internet-on-phone people know you can text GOOGL to get addresses and phone numbers? Very useful.

We have lots of potatoes (because I was going to make meatloaf cupcakes but then got sick) so I’m going to make cheesy potato soup. And it’s going to be awesome.

Friday I saw Co-ed Prison Sluts with friends. It was just as funny as I remembered it being 10 years ago. It’s run has been extended, it shows every Friday so go see it. I slap my ass at you!

Saturday I made lots of penis shaped cookies for my friend’s bachelorette party. I made one of the cookies XL and wrote the friend’s fiance’s name on it with icing. He saw it and was slightly horrified. I made goodie bags for the party with fake jewelry, pink shot glasses, cookies and other random things. This is as girly as I get. This friend is having a simple wedding, not making anyone wear stupid dresses, do the Electric Slide, eat bad chicken or any of the other that brides like inflicting on people. I appreciate this and show my appreciation by feeding her drinks that have “ball” in the name and trying to get her to wear a tiara.

I get mad when I see Christmas decorations up in the store in August but I’m already thinking about Halloween. It really is retail’s fault. I went to the store today to buy stuff for my friend’s bachelorette party and the Halloween costumes were already out.

I already saw a cute costume, a zom-bee (undead bee, of course). Or maybe sexy Abraham Lincoln.

Also October means my birthday! Ugh, 29! It looks like the party will be the first weekend in October. I will email out invites so make sure I gots your info.

I recently discovered that there is still a jug of jungle juice from last year’s party in my parent’s freezer. A bunch of alcohol mixed with OJ and fruit punch. Break it out for my bday or use it to blind enemies?

I was damn unproductive this weekend. Lots of of bars and friends so an accurate summary of my summer: Little accomplishing, much drinking.

I don’t think I actually wrote up a to-do list but I know I wanted to learn more about Buddhism (finishing my class within the next couple weeks), meditate more (didn’t meditate most of the summer, starting to get back into it now), lose weight (ha!), take a trapeze class (decided it would be hell on my knees), stay out of a relationship (dated but stayed away from monogamy-land) and keep busy (does the drinking count?).

So I’m still undisciplined as ever. But this weekend was fun! One of my better ones even if it involved saying goodbye to a friend that’s moving across the country for a PhD program. I found out who sent me the Pink love note (not who I thought!). I bought tacky bachelorette party things and then carried penis shaped cookie cutters in my purse for a night. I stayed up much too late and I’m on my way to doing that again tonight. I saw Blue Ribbon Glee Club in Millennium Park. I know a glee clubber! I went to Lush and spent way too much on soap. It’s one of my few girlie things along with shoes.
This entry is probably only interesting to me at this point. But I need entries like this to look back on since “I write to remember.” People record history in order to avoid repeating it or to painstakingly try to recreate a certain point in time.