Currently - Feb '15

It's time for another Currently link up with Anne and Jenna. 

I've been in a bit of a funk this week, but I am "hearting" that we are one day closer to the weekend! I am also "hearting" the new mattress I finally invested in last month after 3.5 years of sleeping on a futon. The whole experience has been rather similar to when I got glasses in 7th grade -- I had no idea what I'd been missing!

I recently finished the novel, The Marriage Plot by Jeffery Eugenides, and started two non-fiction books: How to Win Friends and Influence People and Seabiscuit. The Marriage Plot was a good read, although I did not appreciate the lack of chapter breaks in the prose. Without natural stopping places to guide me, I was able to finish the book much faster overall, but each "session" was much longer than my usual 15-20 minutes before going to sleep.

I picked up my copy of How to Win Friends and Influence People at a used bookstore, and I had no idea how long it has been in circulation! While I am sure the principles still apply today, some of the text is a bit dated. I have set it down at least temporarily after reading a paragraph in which the author explains that he only knows of two people making over $1 million a year, surely a direct result of their incomparable people skills! There might be something to that, but I have moved on to a book that is actually intended to be historical. I've learned a lot about Seabiscuit and the sport of horse racing despite being only about a quarter of the way through the book. I am thankful for the regular breaks in the text and the occasional picture, and in awe of the talent and pure grit exhibited by the main characters.

I only joined Pinterest a few months ago, and will often ignore it during the week. It has been inspirational in helping me get rid of some clutter, and I have recently been pinning images of gallery wall ideas to help add more personality to my otherwise very standard looking apartment.

I rediscovered miso soup this week after picking up some take-out sushi on my way home yesterday. I used to make it pretty regularly as part of my dinner when I lived in Japan, and it's a nice way to warm up on a winter's evening.

On the other end of the temperature spectrum, I have been enjoying Whole Food's house brand gelato as though it were 28*C outside instead of 28*F. I've tried the Salted Caramel and Hazelnut flavors, and I would be hard pressed to choose a favorite between the two.

Keizo will be coming to visit in just two weeks, in what we hope will be his last annual, post-rugby season trip! He's been making these trips since his very first trip to the US in February/March 2010, but I really hope to put an end to the tradition later this year when he gets his visa and can relocate more permanently. I haven't planned much of anything yet, but there are plenty of places in my neighborhood and beyond that I am looking forward to taking him to, as well as spending some quality time hanging out at home in our sweatpants.

Thanks for reading!