kokuhaku.

Well, today I made it official. If I make all my outstanding goals for 2k7 within the year, I'm gonna quit vegetarianism.

If you know me, you have probably already heard me say that I really don't feel attached to the lifestyle anymore. I've just kept doing it for the past few years, cheating only slightly on rare occasions. So, I've been waiting for a good enough reason to quit... at the same time I've had a growing sense that the good it does the world is nearly if not actually outweighed by the energy I lose to it. It's not that it's an enormous sap on my energy, but it certainly takes something out of my life when I have to tell my friends that restaurant X is no good for me, or when I have to turn down potato chips offered.

I want to turn that energy toward something more worthwhile than irritating others with my finickiness. But I have to have my herculean labors first. If you were around for my entry at the end of last year, you know what my labors are.

1. repay my folks by april. DONE
2. pass level 3 of the Kanji Kentei (may be done as of June 10, just passed 4 on the DS, but...)
3. run 10 k in 45min. (managed it in 50 mins last week... my third week of running)
4. bench press my own weight (currently 64kilos, and I'm pretty sure I can press about 45)
5. save 500,000 yen. (this one could be tough, as I'll be paying Japanese social security soon)
6. do a backflip (here I've yet to make any progress)

Each one feels quite within reach... though it's pretty unlikely that I'll manage the money one before at least November. So I'll be enjoying at least one more "meatless summer".