Friday Five: Catch Up Edition

Dang! Where did the week go? Here's why I didn't post this week (a.k.a. "excuses, excuses"):

1. I was spending all my time wishing it was Friday. No, really. Friday-itis started on Tuesday this week. No idea why, but I hope I've got that out of my system now and can stop wishing my life away next week. (Ahem. I would like you to please notice that, despite my acute Friday-itis, I am posting my Friday Five on Friday. Thank you.)

2. I also spent all my time eating this week. Not kidding. Ask Karen Mahoney. One day I was so amazed at how much I ate, I actually emailed a list to her. For example, this gorgeous sight is a box of the most amazingly fantastically delicious miniature donuts of all time. I really could have just stopped at miniature donuts. I mean, that's enough of a wowzer right there - not donut holes or munchkins or any of that nonsense. Actual, fully-formed, fully decorated, individually flavored and accessorized donuts...but miniaturized. Also? Some of the tastiest donuts I've ever had. And I ate a whopping four of them, so I should know. Thank you, beloved teammate (whose hand is pictured below for scale), for introducing me to this wondrous creation!

3. I spent quite a bit of time scouring the internet to find the cheapest deal on the Japanese version of Rosetta Stone, levels 1-3. I finally bit the bullet and ordered it from Amazon and lo! It arrived today. I can't wait to start learning!! I'm hoping to have at least a tourist's grasp of conversational Japanese by the time we go there in October.

4. I spent some time saying a temporary goodbye to my friends at the place where I've done HIV Counseling for the past year and a half. It was a tough decision for me but I've decided to stop counseling. I'm just not made of strong enough stuff to tell young men and teenagers that they are HIV positive without it creeping into the rest of my life. I did love the outreach and education aspects of the counseling, though, so I'm sure I'll find a way to volunteer in a different capacity after a little break.

5. Okay, confession time. The real reason I left my laptop packed away all week was because I got utterly sucked into this wonderful book:

So, so great. If you enjoyed her Black Jewels Trilogy, you'll love this latest installment. Love!! Love, I say!!!!!!!! I want to just read it all over again.

But, now the week is over (and so is this Friday Five) and I must get back to the writing. I have a few day's worth of work to make up for!