Routines and Deviations

I am now fully into the swing of things in my new life in Madison (which people also call Madtown or Madcity). So here's my average weekday:

I wake up at 7, usually not wanting to get out of bed since it is now cold here (though my apartment stays pretty warm). I drink coffee, eat cereal, and then have to begin the process (yes process) of getting dressed. I have to think in layers because most places it's pretty warm inside so you want to be able to be comfortable in the coldness outside and the heat inside. I am also refusing to use any of my heavy jackets yet because I want them as a last resort to the coldness. So for example here's what I wore today. I'll start from the bottom and go up.

Boots
2 pairs of socks
1 pair long underwear
1 pair leggings
Skirt
Long-sleeved shirt
Short-sleeved shirt over that
light sweater
heavy sweater
down vest
scarf
mittens

As you can see...that's a lot of clothes...which take a little longer to put on and a lot longer to think about, but I'm staying warm and so far the 30 degree weather is nice. Because it's been nice (ie sunny...it rained for like 2 weeks straight) I've been walking to Tandem in the morning. I've decided that I need to try to do this every day or else I'll become fat in the winter when I can't go outside/won't want to go outside as much.

Tandem has been good. This week we're cutting out 6 pretty elaborate shapes from huge Judy Pfaff prints. I like it though. It's meditative.

I come home at noonish and eat lunch/relax (which pretty much involves chatting to Elyssa and Laura on gmail). Then I go to work at Red Caboose. I don't know if I've mentioned this in any other blog posts, but for about a month and a half I've been working for an after care program. It's at a really cute elementary school about a half mile from my house. The staff are all really nice and though the kids can be handfuls at time I've already grown really close to them. Red Caboose is a great company and I get paid holidays and now have health insurance through them (which is much better than my old coverage). I get off work at 5:30 and come home.

I generally make dinner right when I get home and then mostly just hang around my apartment. I watch TV online, catch up with people on the phone, clean, work on drawings, and most recently have started Grad school applications. I'm generally too tired to go out and do anything crazy.

So that's the norm. Recent deviations include:

Carving pumpkins with my friends Jennell and Katie. (Jennell and I also went apple picking and she spent the night).

Going to see my work friend, Ione's, boyfriend's band play. They were a really upbeat West African band.

Going to a potluck at my neighbor Erin's apt, and then going to State Street for Halloween. State street is known for it's huge Halloween party...between 30,000-40,000 people go. I saw lots of cool/interesting/boring outfits. Unfortunately I'd locked my keys inside my apt and didn't have my id or phone and so I couldn't do much, but it was still fun.

Making delicious squash soup at Ione's apartment.

Tonight I am going to a potluck at my new friends Katie and Peter's apartment.

Tomorrow I'm having coffee with another work friend, Elizabeth.

I miss Florida, my family, and my friends, but I am still glad that I moved here. I really love Madison a lot, and the friends I've made are pretty cool.

I'll be glad to escape the cold for a little bit in December when I'm home for Christmas.