You may or may not be asking where the heck this blog went*. So what up, Apple Moskowitz, where have you been? We’ve seen nothing but a kiwi video since freaking Hanukkah, Ms. Maam. For reals, what the hey?

Well! It’s been a bit of a Thing around here at Chez Moskowitz, what with all the holiday stuff.** If you’ve been following along, you know that the family comes in from far flung parts of the States for Thanksgiving, and then things really don’t slow down until about now. I really like now – there’s way less stress, and I can discover cool stuff like if you add a can of mushrooms, a little paprika and a the juice of half a lime to some leftover buttered rice and then warm it in a skillet, it’s a pretty osm side dish for dinner. It’s the little things, friends. It’s the little things.

Also, I’ve taken over handling the Poets Asylum blog – whee! Go check it out – mostly it’s stuff that relates to the Sunday night reading here in Worcester, MA, but there’s also some fun stuff about poultry poetry events out and around the region, info on deadlines and opportunities for poets, breaking poetry news,*** and the occasional cartoon. Good Tiems.

Also I’ve been doing yoga with Dearest Will. Ikr? As my brother said when I told him, “Wow… I guess the floor did feel a little bit colder…” But in seriousness, it’s been really lovely to have a partner for yoga, and to get bendy and bondy at the same time. Speaking of bendy, did you know that Yoga Journal just started another 21 Day Challenge? I kinda loved it last year – they put up different little videos every day so you can try things out.

This year they have two levels of videos – stuff for newbies and then an intermediate level set. This? Is absolutely wonderful on a number of levels. First and foremost, because due to some chronic pain issues (mean old sciatica. Mean old S/I joint), in spite of daily practice, I’m sort of always at the beginner level. Also, Will is just beginning, and hopping in at the deep end really sucks. This year they also have a tracking thing, where you can tick off what you’ve done, and see it laid out for you. I love me some ticky boxes, I do.

Speaking of ticky boxes… Other stuff I adore right now includes 750words.com. It’s a website where you sign up and write every day, and it counts you off to 750 words (see what they did there?) It’s totally private, which means that you can write any little thing at all without fear of broadcast (or accidental broadcast). Also, and this is my favorite bit, you earn badges for your writing – there’s a badge for starting (it’s an egg), there’s a badge for writing 30 days in a row, there’s a badge for writing without distractions (a hamster on a wheel – adorbz), a badge for your typing speed, a badge for participating in their monthly challenge to write every day… You get the picture. Totally fun.

Also, the people who bring you 750words. com have something called Health Month, where you can track your health goals. You choose stuff that you want to have as your goals (this month, for example, I chose taking a multivitamin, eating greens, and exercising five days of the week), and then you check off in the morning what you did or didn’t do the day before. You have to answer to the The Lizard, a cute cartoon guy who asks you how you’re feeling a few days a week, and if you want to, can track your weight n’ stuff (tho’ you don’t have to, and there’s no pressure to), and you can post to the game wall if you’re looking for some camaraderie. Also, the site graphs your progress, and you earn cartoon fruit, which is totes fun.****

Also, I read The Hunger Games books last month, which took up a significant portion of my down time. SO GOOD.

That, friends, is where I’ve been =) More as it happens ♥

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*All six of you
**It started the week before Thanksgiving. Today I am giving thanks that things are getting back to a semblance of normalcy.
***ikr? There’s poetry news? You betcha.
****Did I mention that I really like that whole achievement thing? I really like it – whether it’s WoW achieves, badges, cartoon fruit, or the shift from my inbox to my outbox, I freaking love seeing accomplishments like that. Also, I love infographics. That may or may not be relevant.