I've decided that I shouldn't drink alcohol and eat ice cream on the same day, unless that day happens to fall on a weekend, and weekends are defined as fridays, saturdays, sundays and holidays. It is appropriate to drink one or one and a half glasses of wine with dinner on a weekday night, but not half a bottle and certainly not wine and also cocktails. I have noticed that drinking has taken the place of bubble baths when it comes to relaxation. It takes less time and I can drink while I'm doing other things, whereas when I take a bubble bath I can only lay there, or lay there and read, and that only serves to make me anxious to jump out of the tub and do something else.

The TV is on a lot these days. The background noise is a nice combination of soothing and distracting with a pinch of frustration for seasoning. I had a panic attack deciding whether I wanted my bedtime activity to be reading *Empire Falls* or working on the Sunday crossword puzzle.

I want to be a lighthearted person. I want to be the sort of person who takes things with a grain of salt and isn't phased by the little things. I want to not wake up angry on a daily basis. I want to not talk myself out of saying what's on my mind. I want to record all of my withdrawals and purchases in my check register.

I want the character of me to be written by a brilliantly pithy writer.