Mosquitos

As much as I LOVE all the rain we've been getting --- I HATE the mosquitos that it brings!!

I liberally sprayed myself with OFF before I went out to mow the other night. My bug spray must have expired or something though.....because I have around 30 bits on my legs and arms. And mosquito bites on me get all red and splotchy. And they itch!!!

Ugggghhhh. Another reason to prefer the winter season.

Hot, tired, stinky, and sweaty

Yep, that's me. After far too long (probably at least a week and a half - though I can't really remember), I mowed my yard tonight. Thankfully, it wasn't too too hot today. But, even at 7:30 pm, it is still pretty warm here in my little corner of the world.

I finally broke down yesterday and bought a weed eater. So, the yard work took about three times as long as usual, because I was putting it together and figuring out how to work it. First order of business - got to get more extension cord. I've asked my first favor of my neighbor also....that next time he edges, if he would edge my driveway to get me a good edge that I might can keep with the weed-eater going forward. I couldn't get it all the way with the weed-eater tonight, though I did make good progress.

Now, I'm off to clean up and crawl into bed.....

Spring Reading Thing Wrap-up

Here is my original post with my list. Basically, I didn't make a list of what I wanted to read, but was determined to keep a list of everything I will read in 2007. Maybe for the fall reading challenge, I'll have a list of things I want to get through.



What I've read so far this year is ..... 31 books:

Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen
The Color of Law Mark Gimenez
Deception Point Dan Brown
Digital Fortress Dan Brown
Da Vinci Code Dan Brown
Outlander Diana Gabaldon
Angels and Demons Dan Brown
Primrose Past Caroline Rose Hunt
Lord John and the Private Matter Diana Gabaldon
The Accidental Bride Janice Harayda
A Salty Piece of Land Jimmy Buffett
Alexandria Nick Bantock
The Morning Star Nick Bantock
The Pocket Muse: Endless Inspiration Monica Wood
Heartburn Nora Ephron
The Forgetting Room Nick Bantock
The Museum at Purgatory Nick Bantock
Where is Joe Merchant? Jimmy Buffett
Voice in the Wind Francine Rivers
Echo in the Darkness Francine Rivers
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone J. K .Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets J. K .Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban J. K .Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire J. K .Rowling
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix J. K .Rowling
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince J. K .Rowling
True Devotion Dee Henderson
True Valor Dee Henderson
True Honor Dee Henderson
Net Force - Point of Impact Tom Clancy
Debt of Honor Tom Clancy




And here are the wrap-up questions:



What was the best book you read this spring?

How to define "best"? I can't even narrow it down! So many were so entertaining. Sorry, I have to cop-out on this one.

What book could you have done without?

The Museum at Purgatory -- couldn't even get into it, so I took it right back to the library.

Did you try out a new author this spring? If so, which one, and will you be reading that author again?

Dee Henderson -- she had been highly recommended and I really did enjoy the books of hers that I read. And yes, I plan to read another of her series soon.


If there were books you didn't finish, tell us why. Did you run out of time? Realize those books weren't worth it?

The Pocket Muse - I thought it would give me blogging fodder, but really it was for serious writers. So, I skimmed it all in about 30 minutes and took it back to the library!


Did you come across a book or two on other participants' lists that you're planning to add to your own to-be-read pile? Which ones?

I actually didn't have much time to browse other lists -- but I got quite a few suggestions on new authors and books to read that I haven't even attempted to start on yet!


What did you learn -- about anything -- through this challenge?

I'm definitely a fiction, read to escape kind of girl. I've tried to read non-fiction and just have a really hard time. I think I could probably do biographies, because really that is still an escape into someone else's world.



What was the best part of the Spring Reading Thing?

It jump started me on keeping a list of what I've read this year...



Would you be interested in participating in another reading challenge this fall?

Oh yes. Most definitely

Reading update

Well, I've been reading the same book for well over a week now.....must be a new record for me! Seriously, though, it is a Tom Clancy novel ..... Debt of Honor. I'm really enjoying it, but his novels are long and take FOREVER to read! Good thing there is nothing on TV to distract me!

Life Blogging

I was chastised this morning at church by a friend who thinks I need to post more often....somehow, I think he hasn't been looking at the right page because he thought it had been more than a year since I posted, but for Marc's benefit, here is a new post.

A little project that I worked on a few weeks ago....burp cloths for my four friends who have had/are having babies. The last shower was today and the gift delivered, so I can finally post pictures....

for Mollie and baby:
















for Sara and Jenna:















for Jenny and Colton:
















Last night I went to a fun dinner party....it was a 1929 Murder Mystery Dinner party. So fun....here are a few snaps:

The Train

Rambling thoughts from a public transportation rider.....

This afternoon, some pretty strong storms moved through my area. Strong enough, in fact, that it affected our train. When I got on my red line, it was standing room only (which is rather unusual, given that it was about 4:30 pm). The length of time at stops was longer than normal.

About halfway home, a group of teenagers got on the train. They were so extremely obnoxious. Loud.....belligerant.....disrepectful....profane.....obscene.....etc. Deep down, I wanted to confront them, but was quite too afraid to do so. Thankfully for the rest of the train riders, they happened to get off at my stop.

Then I ran to Wal-Mart on my way home.....I had a return and a few things to grab. While in the food section, a young man "recognized" me from the train.....then proceeded to ask if I had a boyfriend ("no") and a phone number ("no thank you!").

Just when I think there are no prospects in the world......hmmmmm

End of the rainbow.....

Too funny not to share.....

Finally, someone has found the pot at the end of the rainbow......

Hail

So, I'm sitting in a hotel in Yuma, Colorado......listening to at least golf ball size hail rain down on the roof above me and periodically smash into my window.....please pray that this storm will pass quickly and that there will be no major damage or injuries.

Hail appears to be done for now.....still raining and thunder, though.....

Fun Texas Geography Lesson

A little geography lesson for all - Here's a list of actual places to travel in Texas :

Need to be cheered up?
Happy, Texas 79042
Pep, Texas 79353
Smiley, Texas 78159
Paradise, Texas 76073
Rainbow, Texas 76077
Sweet Home, Texas 77987
Comfort, Texas 78013
Friendship, Texas 76530

Love the Sun?
Sun City, Texas 78628
Sunrise, Texas 76661
Sunset, Texas 76270
Sundown, Texas 79372
Sunray, Texas 79086
Sunny Side, Texas 77423
Sunnyvale, Texas 775182

Want something to eat?
Bacon, Texas 76301
Noodle, Texas 79536
Oatmeal, Texas 78605
Turkey, Texas 79261
Trout, Texas 75789
Sugar Land, Texas 77479
Salty, Texas 76567
Rice, Texas 75155
Sweetwater, Texas 79556

Why travel to other cities? Texas has them all!
Atlanta, Texas 75551
Detroit, Texas 75436
Colorado City, Texas 79512
Denver City, Texas 79323
Nevada, Texas 75173
Memphis, Texas 79245
Miami, Texas 79059
Boston, Texas 75570
Santa Fe, Texas 77517
Tennessee Colony, Texas 75861
Reno, Texas 75462

Feel like traveling outside the country? Don't bother buying a plane ticket!
Athens, Texas 75751
Canadian, Texas 79014
China, Texas 77613
Egypt, Texas 77436
Turkey, Texas 79261
London, Texas 76854
New London, Texas 75682
Paris, Texas 75460

We even have a city named after our planet!
Earth, Texas 79031

Exhausted?
Energy, Texas 76452

Cold?
Blanket, Texas 76432
Winters, Texas

Like to read about History?
Santa Anna, Texas
Goliad, Texas
Alamo, Texas
Gun Barrel City, Texas

Need Office Supplies?
Staples, Texas 78670

Men are from Mars, women are from
Venus, Texas 76084

You guessed it... it's on the state line...
Texline, Texas 79087

For the kids...
Kermit, Texas 79745
Elmo, Texas 75118
Nemo, Texas 76070
Tarzan, Texas 79783
Winnie, Texas 77665
Sylvester, Texas 79560

Other city names in Texas , to make you smile.....
Flower Mound , Texas 75022
Frognot , Texas 75424
Bigfoot , Texas 78005
Hogeye , Texas 75423
Cactus , Texas 79013
Notrees , Texas 79759
Best, Texas 76932
Veribest , Texas 76886
Kickapoo , Texas 75763
Dime Box, Texas
Telephone , Texas 75488
Telegraph , Texas 76883
Whiteface , Texas 79379
Twitty, Texas 79079

P.S. Whoops, left out
Muleshoe
Cut N Shoot
Hoop And Holler
Ding Dong
Farewell

And, of course, there is a place in Texas that is......
KNOTT, TEXAS

Mold

Did you know that coffee can mold? I certainly didn't. I guess when my parents were here for Mother's Day (yes, two weeks ago), we didn't empty the coffee pot on the way to church. Daddy dumped the grounds, but I never noticed that there was still coffee in the pot. I glanced that way just now and realized there was quite the mold colony growing. Gross.

Some assembly required

I know there are a lot of folks that are scared by those three little words.....but generally not me. I am sitting typing in my new desk chair....which took me about 30 minutes to put together. It's not rocket science, but comforting to know that I can follow directions and assemble something! The story of the chair itself is a good one -- I've been looking for a new chair for months and found a great one -- but it was a little more pricey than I wanted to spend. However, never did find another that matched up. So, finally decided to bite the bullet yesterday -- and what do I find out when I get up to check out? The chair is $90 off! Plus I had a $20 coupon, so it was less than half price!! Yippee!!!

Quick catch up on my reading - I've finished all the Harry Potter books and am now waiting anxiously for both the movie from book 5 and the release of book 7 later this summer. Also finished the Uncommon Heros series by Dee Henderson. Quick reads, but fun to see a glimpse into military life.

My parents are in town this weekend -- anticipating the thought of a long holiday weekend without seeing their girls caused a spur of the moment trip. They are staying with Heather & Phillip this time.....we're off to see Pirates of the Carribean at the Studio Movie Grill in a little while.

Looking forward to slowing down a little bit in the next few weeks. This next week will mark 4 in a row that I'm out of the office 2+ days. Nice to have the change of scenery, but it makes for craziness trying to make sure that everything continues to flow as intended.

And maybe, if it stops raining, I'll mow my yard sometime soon!

Married

Well, they've done it. My friends Brad and Laura are now well and truly married. After a breathtakingly beautiful heartfelt and poignant ceremony, we adjorned to the Tower Club for a quite atypical CofC wedding reception. Truth be known, it was an all out party. So fun. Good food and drink, good music, lots of good friends and fellowship time. Now, I'm off to sleep.....to dream of my prince charming and someday wedding.....

Onion

According to Spirit magazine (on Southwest Airlines), the onion is apparently the state vegetable of Texas. Did anyone else know that we have a state vegetable? Learned that on a flight to my state capitol tonight. Of course I believed Southwest's research department, but I googled it anyway. Lot of other interesting state mascots.....you can read all about them here if you are interested.

Traveling for work....CPE conference. Hopefully the two days of learning will actually be useful and I won't regret the craziness that work became in getting me prepared to be out of the office!

Ran into an old schoolmate in the airport.....Andy was a year ahead of me but we went to school together throughout middle/high school and college. He's a sucessful attorney, married, with a 19 month old baby girl living in Amarillo. I don't think I'd seen him since he graduated and went off to law school. He's in town for CLE --- at the same hotel as me I think. How random!

The 7 Meme.....

I've been tagged by Sarah to complete the following meme.....

Here are the rules: Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. You need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!

1. Habit -- I am a habitual snoozer.....seriously. I'll set my alarm 30-60 minutes ahead of when I really need to get up so that I can punch the snooze button repeatedly.

2. Fact -- I have my motorcycle license and plan to own a Harley-Davidson some day.

3. Habit -- I pop pretty much every joint possible - neck, back, knees, toes, and especially fingers.

4. Fact -- I do not have a green thumb. Though I enjoy live plants, I have a really hard time keeping them alive.

5. Habit -- I talk to myself .... often ..... out loud.

6. Fact -- I collect thimbles.....I have almost 200.

7. Habit -- I got sucked into soap opera watching in college - General Hospital in particular. I still record it every day (though I do skim through some storylines now).

So, here goes the tag....if you want to play, please do!!

Interesting.....

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

Hi

Hi, y'all. Long time, no post. I know. Sorry. Busy at work + lingering yucky stomach ailments + low motivation = no blog posts.

Catching up on my Spring Reading Thing......since my last post, I've completed all the books on my list. My friend Sarah told me that when I finished Voice in the Wind I better have book 2, Echo in the Darkness on hand because I was going to want to dive right in. She was right. I finished Voice in the Wind one day last week on the train and drove straight to the library to get Echo in the Darkness. So good. I'd highly recommend them.

Now, I'm re-reading all 6 Harry Potter books in anticipation of Book 7, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows being released this summer. So far I've finished book 1 and am about halfway through book 2.

Not really anything else to tell....just living life, learning how to maintain a yard through the spring/summer (not loving it, but it's one of the burdens of home ownership, I guess).

In a few minutes I'm off to my small group bible study, then to pick my friend Kelly up at the airport. Have a great Sunday evening.

Curves

I really don't like to exercise. But, I like food -- a lot. And not the really good for you food. I like fried stuff and chocolate. So, if I'm going to get healthy, I decided that it was time to start a real, committed exercise program. And I just found out that my company will subsizide a 12 month gym membership at any fitness facility (previously, it was only at a certain chain).

So, I joined a gym today. I've never done that before by myself. Yes, I joined onto my friend Jenny's YMCA membership for a little while, but I've never walked in somewhere and joined. I've always been intimidated by gyms. It's either a class at a set time period or you have to figure out how to use all the equipment by yourself. Neither of which is very appealing to me or fits well into my schedule.

So, today I joined Curves. It is only women. It is a set circuit of resistance training with cardio between. Two times around the circuit is 30 minutes. And I got a pretty good workout for the first time. I think I'll be a little sore tomorrow.

My plan is to go straight from work. If I come home, I won't want to leave again - plus they close at 7:30. One reason I don't do well working out at home is that once I'm home, I don't want to change and workout. So, going on my way home is really the only way I'll do it.

Or I'll get up and be there when they open at 5:30 am. Which would put me back home around 6:15 - enough time to shower and get ready for work to still make it pretty much on time. I'd rather do this option, but I'm afraid my snooze button might continue to call my name. Plus, I'm not sure how well my body moves first thing in the morning.

I think I'll alternate the options for a while to see which really works best, then settle down to a routine. Some of you out there, please email me in a few weeks and ask me how it's going. I'm gonna need a little accountability to keep it up.

20/20

I went to the eye doctor today for my first regular exam since my LASIK surgery. Good news! I'm still at 20/20!! And besides the fact that I can still see great, the doc said that my eyes are healthy too. Whew. Glad to have that confirmed. Not that I was really worried - I'm still seeing just fine. It is just nice to have an authority tell me that.

Brrrr

It was SO cold over the weekend.....and it snowed!! I went home for Easter and the high was 30 all weekend long. Saturday it snowed lightly off and on all day. Fun weather to have, but not on Easter weekend!

When I got home today, it was 53 degrees in my house. Brrrr!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

I finished a couple more books:

Heartburn Nora Ephron -- decent book, but I do prefer her screenplays. I was on the elevator one day as I was finishing this one up and a lady in my building just was so excited that I was reading it and told me how "outstanding" the book was. I wouldn't agree with her assessment - it was only passable. But I did finish it.

The Pocket Muse: Endless Inspiration Monica Wood -- I got this thinking that it might provide some blog ideas....alas, it was more for the "real" writer. So, I really just skimmed on through.

Alexandria & The Morning Star Nick Bantock -- continuation of the series. Excellent. Will definitely need to put these two on my list to own and re-read the whole series several more times.

Trip to the Library

When I was younger one of the highlights of summertime was trips to the library. I remember sometimes leaving with 20+ books. I feel like I'm reverting to a younger me.....

Dropped off the last three library books this afternoon and came home with 8 more:

currently reading:
Heartburn Nora Ephron

on tap:
Voice in the Wind Francine Rivers
Where is Joe Merchant? Jimmy Buffett
The Pocket Muse: Endless Inspiration Monica Wood
The Forgetting Room Nick Bantock
The Museum at Purgatory Nick Bantock
Alexandria Nick Bantock (book 5!)
The Morning Star Nick Bantock (book 6!)

If you aren't familiar with Nick Bantock, he wrote a wonderful unique series about Griffin and Sabine, two people who exchange letters and illustrated postcards. I was introduced to this series in high school and was astonished to find there are two more books!! Plus he wrote several other things, which I decided to explore also. I'd recommend the whole Griffin and Sabine series to anyone. It's definitely a stretch for your imagination.....