there is something living in the crawl space above my apartment. something very, very active early in the morning. my guess is that it is a squirrel and it is just doing the natural thing and storing up acorns for the coming winter. i think it is storing up acorns because occasionally, i hear them roll from side of my bedroom to the other - usually before my alarm is set to go off. i like animals in general, but i HATE this squirrel. waking up to its scratching and scrambling just above my head (it sounds like he is about to scratch through the ceiling and join me any minute) is absolutely maddening! maybe gathering season will be over soon and i can have peace and quiet in the mornings again.

kickboxing has been a blast lately. the jumping back kick has truly opened up a new level of kickboxing for me. i'm having so much fun trying new combinations and kicks. i think part of what is so fun about it is there are so many other things i've tried to pick up as an "adult" that are so hard for me and it's nice to have something i'm good at. for example, i've been trying to learn to play the guitar for many years and i'm moving at a very slow pace. my mind knows where my fingers need to be for a certain chord, but my fingers just won't go there. it is hard. but, kickboxing comes a little easier for me which is nice.