Fall into reading - almost the finale

I’m obviously so behind in my FIR updates that it feels silly to update today right before the last week. BUT I have done a fair bit of reading since my last update so here’s where I’m at:

Untouchable: This was my book club book a few months ago and I read half but not all. I finally finished it, and I really enjoyed it.



Beauty Queens: I tried. I really did. But I could actually feel my brain cells dying so I called a day. Officially off my list of ongoing things to read.

Lords of Misrule
Carpe Corpus
Fade Out
Kiss of Death: all by Rachel Caine. More of the Morganville vampire line. Fun reads, not exactly brain food but enjoyable.

Boo: this was a light Christian romance. I think I enjoy Rene Guttridge – doesn’t beat you over the head with the Message. Light good read.

City of Ember: I wanted more, so I guess I’m glad there’s more in the series but I thought there wasn’t enough meat to this first book. I’m interested enough to keep going though, so here’s to my future reading of People of Sparks!

Gap Creek: I read most of this. I’m not sure I care enough to finish it.

Just My Type – a book about fonts: I love it! Still about half way through, but really enjoying.

My goal for the final week is pretty simple – I want to finish Just My Type. I have a couple more Rachel Caine books from the library that I’ll read if I have time, but I definitely read the AMOUNT of books that I wanted to read. I didn’t read all the books I put on my list, but I read the important ones and I feel good about how I’ve finished the year. It has made me think about what kinds of reading resolutions I’ll put on my list for the coming year. Stay tuned for that!

My goal for FIR was 19 books, and I've read 25. Anything else is just gravy, right?

In the blink of an eye

The title of this entry is amusing to me, because I’m having a problem with my eye and it itches and it’s an angry red color. Better amusing to me than annoying, and that’s what this eye issue is. But anyhow.

It seems like it’s been no time at all since my last post, but evidently it’s been more than two weeks. I’ve started a couple posts but they just seem so JOURNAL. This is what I did with my Thanksgiving vacation. So here’s the run-down: T-day morning boot camp. T-day: family, good. Black Friday: serious shopping, new winter coat and a new DISHWASHER and nearly all the kids presents. Other odds and ends: busy, busy busy.

So there, you’re caught up. There were lots of other things, and I might do posts later about them but at least I don’t feel like I’m just ignoring this blog which is what sometimes happens when I feel like I’ve missed too many days. I know it’s silly – you don’t know what you’ve missed. But it just seems like SO MUCH.

Again. Anyhow. My dishwasher! I’m so excited. Hubby installed it on Saturday (which I didn’t think was that big of a deal, but every time I mention that my husband installed it people are all, “he did it himself? You didn’t need it professionally installed?” so yes, evidently my hubby is cool like that.) and last night we ran our first load. I know, I’m obviously “old” because this morning I thought about the fact that a) I left laundry in the washer and will have to re-wash when I get home and b) I can empty the dishwasher and see how clean my dishes are! This is also mind-blowing because one of my least favorite chores in emptying the dishwasher. But clean dishes! Amazing!

I’ve finished my shopping for the kids, hallelujah. Henry’s main gift is this loud huge Chuck the Truck, and Spencer’s main gift is some wooden Thomas trains and set pieces to add on to his train set. Henry’s also getting a soccer ball and some clothes and books, and Spencer is getting books, clothes and … oh, I know there’s something else in there but I can’t remember. For the stockings, Henry has some talking animals and Spencer has some of those finger skateboards, as well as flashcards and some other odds and ends. Not an extravagant Christmas, but not bad either. I’ve also gotten all the presents for all the children in our life, and we did a gift exchange/secret santa for our mommy’s group and all the kids got a present.

We also decided to do a couple needy family things this year. We adopted a child from the Angel Tree (which is mostly online now, which makes me a little sad) and bought some clothes, shoes and toys for a local 2-year old (he requested a drum set, so this is my apology to the mom ahead of time), and we went in with some friends to adopt a family of three children for a holiday party. We bought for the boy – Ironman action figures and a big talking/walking robot (again, sorry mom. Kids love noisy toys!) and we’ll bring some non-perishables as well. We also have a couple extra toys that we had bought for the holiday party before we found that cool robot, so I think I’m going to take the kids to the Ten’s Toybox holiday Toys for Tots drive.

Obviously, I’m working on teaching the kids to give, rather than get. Spencer is now at that age that every single thing he sees on tv, he wants. (Except the girl toys. Nora (a girl at daycare) wants those.) It’s really one of the most grating things for me. Spencer has never wanted for anything, and I really want to curb any feeling of entitlement he feels. Fortunately, he has no problem giving. Unfortunately, he doesn’t understand why he’s not “getting” too.

I’m nearly done with my Christmas cards – I lost my Excel spreadsheet with all the addresses on it, so I’m now waiting for all addresses from friends and family, but the majority of things are done. I found a friend who wants my Size 10 jeans, so I’m mailing those off to her at the same time. I’m sadly lacking on the rest of my gifting – I seem to have no inspiration this year. A lot of people might be getting gift cards. Is it uninspired if you get gift cards that you really think they’ll appreciate? Like, I’m thinking of getting a gas card for my mom. And my dad wants one to Home Depot. And I always get his girlfriend one to Michael’s. The one person we ALWAYS get a gift card for, I think I actually have an idea of what to get that’s not a gift card. Ack!

TOT: Thanksgiving!

So Monday afternoon I was driving home from work, jamming to Christmas tunes, and I thought, Hey! TOT has to be about Thanksgiving! How exciting! And it is! How exciting!

1. What are you doing for Thanksgiving this year?
Pretty much the same thing we do every year, going over to my in-laws' house and sharing Thanksgiving with my husband's family. This year I was supposed to do the Turkey Trot 10k, but I've decided to do a morning boot camp and then I'M MAKING THE TURKEY. And the sausage stuffing. And I'd gladly make everything else too, but I'm going to have to wait 25 years for that.

2. What are you most thankful for this year? My family. It's cheesy but I'm so thankful for my boys. I'm trying to have more patience for them, and it's just as rewarding for me as it is for them. I have a bit of a short fuse some times, and the little things set me off much faster than the big things. I'm trying to be thankful with every interaction, to slow my response down and calm down. Helps with husbands too. :)

3. Do you have any traditions on Thanksgiving? The parade? Football? Long naps? We always go to my in-laws' house now. There once was a day when that was different and involved more extended family and POKER and I miss that, but I like what we have.

4. Is it called stuffing or dressing? Is it in the bird or a separate dish? I'm happy with it no matter how it is, but we usually cook it separately, with sausage, and it's stuffing.

5. Do you cook? Less than I would like. One time, in college, I made the whole spread and had my mom and brother and sister over (I was between relationships and my roommates were out of town). It was awesome. One day I'll be able to plan a whole thanksgiving meal. Maybe I'll just do it in February.

6. What is your favorite dish? Stuffing. Which is why it's my dish to bring every year.

7. What is your dessert preference? More stuffing. Otherwise, I'd be happy with a holiday cookie and after-dinner coffee.

8. What is your favorite Thanksgiving memory? One year, when I was about 8, we had a special holiday feast where we made Roast Lion (it's a pork roast and beef roast slow cooked all day) and I just remember the FEELING of that holiday, not the specifics.

9. Do you plan to shop on Black Friday? We do indeed. My mom is spending the night at the house with the kids, and we're going to head out! We're actually even thinking of hitting the midnight-opening Outlet malls ... how crazy are we??

10. What are you most dreading about Thanksgiving this year? Nothing! Maybe the work days leading up to it?

For more, go visit Chelsea!

Fribble

I named this "fribl" when I emailed it to myself from work, where I wrote part of it. It was a shortening of "Friday blog", but I think fribble is a better descriptor of what I'm putting out in the blogoverse. Blogoverse? Blogosphere? I obviously can't think much better today than I could yesterday. Plus, I also obviously can't post on the correct day anyhow.

I keep wanting to write a thankful list with Spencer like we did last year, but every time I ask him what he is thankful for he says this:

I’m thankle for my momma and daddy and Henry and HOT WHEELS!

As cute as it is, I cannot get him to consider anything else.

I put my Christmas tree up this last Sunday. Not decorated, but lighted. Monday I put the skirt down and the train around the bottom and finished the indoor decorating and put the Christmas doormat and wreath out. I’m so excited. I know that everyone wants everyone else to wait until after thanksgiving, but what’s wrong with wrapping the whole holiday up with a bright red bow? Christmas music is even on the radio.

I don’t know what to get the kids this year for Christmas. Henry got so much for his birthday that I’m at a complete loss as to what to get him, and Spencer … well, I’m almost overwhelmed with all the stuff that he “wants”. I’m thinking about getting him some more train parts to go with his wooden train set. My mom is getting him a mini-skateboard. I don’t overdo Christmas because everyone else does, and frankly they have enough stuff. And I can’t get them to get rid of anything. What do you get a 15 month old who already has everything, given that his brother already has everything and he just plays with those toys anyhow?

Skyrim came out last week, and I am a video game widow again. It's really frustrating, but it's not like I can expect him to sit in the living room with me and watch Grease 2, so I haven't figured out how to mention that's irritating that he sits in the library all morning playing a game that I won't allow the kids to watch.

Henry says “night night”!! He still has no other words, except for mamamamamamamama which I’m beginning to be convinced either refers to Daddy or his sippy cup and not me, but if you say night night, he’s start waving and say “ni-ni”. This does not mean that he’s ready to bed, but that he can parrot. He will also lay down on the closest pillow and wave when you say “night night”. He's gotten worse about actually GOING to sleep, and cries again, but at least he's cute about the heading-to part.

If you'll excuse me, A Girl for All Seasons is being sung on tv.

Fall Into Reading – my bi-Wednesday post on Thursday

So! I’ve been trying to write this post since Tuesday, but sickness has made it impossible for the cloud in my head to lift enough to sit in front of a computer outside work long enough to type anything. However, I have made more time for myself to read over the last couple weeks. Here’s what has been on the agenda:

Season to Taste: I finished this one, and it didn’t disappoint. I liked the combination of memoir and informative context of what your sense of smell means. To me, right now, it means my house smells like pine and cinnamon.

Bossypants: I was not as big a fan of this one as everyone else. Dare I say, I just don’t find Tina Fey that funny? Parts of it, namely the motherhood parts (A Letter to my Daughter, the Teat Nazi), were hilarious. But I’m not a fan of SNL generally, and I have never watched 30 Rock. I just felt like she was trying too hard to be funny.

Beauty Queens: I tried listening to this book while I ran, and It. Was. Terrible. The most inane book I’ve ever tried to listen to, and if I had to listen to one more ridiculous footnote I thought I was going to scream (if I had enough breath left to do so while running). I didn’t finish it. BUT I kind of want to know what happens so I’ve requested it in print from my library so I can finish. How sad is that?

Night Road: I do love Kristin Hannah, and this one didn’t disappoint. I love how real but how beautiful her stories are. Things aren’t perfect, and tragedy happens, but there’s still hope. I also love how she brings the hope and then let’s the reader imagine where the story goes afterward. Love it.

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake: I wanted to love this book. It has such an amazing premise, and every time I would try to explain the book to someone they would say “But it sounds so interesting!” … but it just wasn’t very well written. I hate to say that – it had such promise. I kept waiting for the magic, but the end just went downhill.

The Tens

Thanks Chelsea, for giving me my Tuesday topics.

1. What are your pantry staples?
whole wheat pasta, bread crumbs (italian seasoned and plain panko), an array of canned veggies that I never eat. Cheerios, enchilada sauce and chopped green chiles. There's a lot of other things in there, but these are items that are always there, and I know they are always there.

2. What are your refrigerator staples?
organic milk (whole and fat-free), butter, smart balance, half and half, eggs, a block of cheddar cheese, low sugar grape jelly, and assorted condiments.

3. You already look like Heidi Klum (or your favorite supermodel). Now, what are the top three non-physical things you would change about yourself?
Am I Heidi Klum, or me in Heidi Klum's body? If I were me and you're just trying to say "what non-physical things would you change about yourself?" a) I'm impatient b) I pick fights when I'm bored, sometimes with my husband, sometimes with my toddler. c) I spend too much money.

4. What’s holding you back from your dream job? (If you already have your dream job, how did you get there?)
Money and time to go back to school. If I didn't have to account for my paycheck I would open a used bookstore and not care if I was in the black or red. Or I'd go back to school to get my Master of Library Science and work in a library. Or I'd say screw it all and stay home with my babies (one of them is kinda sicky, so he's sad right now).

5. You have $500 to spend but it has to be on one item only. Go.
I need a new phone. Mine is always iffy.

6. What is something that you are embarrassed to admit you buy on a regular basis?
Not on a regular basis, but I occasionally get a hankering for Ramen or the powdered Kraft mac & cheese. I always make mac & cheese from scratch and have for 20 years but that powdered stuff ... it can be tasty when you have a craving.

7. What’s in/on your bed every night?
Me, my husband and my teddy bear. Don't judge.

8. What is a non-necessity item that, no matter how expensive it gets or how tight your budget if, you will always find room for it?
hair dye. I tried to stop, and it just looked terrible. I dye it pretty close to natural, but it really needs that color boost. I did go to box, and I'm okay with that.

9. What is the weirdest sandwich you’ve ever made?
I'm not big on weird sandwiches. I like to grill mushrooms and then add them to a grilled cheese sandwich. That's stretching it a bit, I guess.

10. Would you rather: Be banned from Pinterest forever, but gain a million captive Twitter followers; or, never get on Facebook again but gain five thousand blog readers?
I have not gotten on the Pinterest OR the twitter bandwagon, so I guess I would go for being banned from Pinterest. But my Twitter followers would be sorely disappointed by my tweets, as there are none. I'm pretty attached to facebook and blogging though, so I'll leave that one as it is.

Thoughts on a Thursday (but posted on a Friday)

I have been taking the stairs at work in earnest for a week now. This morning, it occurred to me that this might be the reason why my ass hurts. (side note: also excellent segue to walk into your boss’s office in the morning and go “Hey! I figured out why my ass hurts!”) Also, I’m wondering how many Google hits I’m going to get from this post. (“Dear Google, why does my ass hurt?” PS – I don’t want to know.)

It’s cruel and unusual punishment to make the office stairwell smell like breakfast sausage.

I left my phone at home on Thursday. It’s a) amazing how much I get done without it and b) terrifying not to have it. I’m so cut off! So what that I do have a work phone, and the internet, and work email and even F B for “work research purposes”. I can’t play WWF! What will I do??

Work, apparently. I’m rockin’ the “doing work” thing.

I finished Tina Fey’s Bossypants today. I think I’ll keep my opinions on that book to myself, at least until Wednesday when I do my Fall Into Reading post next Wednesday; which is coincidentally when my book club meets to talk about it too.

One day I will start reading the rest of my library books. Wonder if there is a cheesy teen vampire book or two in that stack ... oh wait, there is! There is!

It's also cruel and unusual punishment for the stairwell to smell like macaroni and cheese.

And one Friday thought:

Barney at six am is only worth it to watch Henry dance.