I was distracted by the half-masticated cow rolling around in your wide-open trap.*

Earlier this month I got an e-mail from Goodreads basically letting me know that I shouldn't feel bad if I don't reach my goal in time, I would be in good company. Here are the facts: Goodreads members set a collective goal of reading 10 million books in 2011. As of December 7th, 4 million books had been read! If Goodreads Members were just one person that person would have only accomplished 40% of his/her goal...that's unacceptable. I'm proud to present to you the facts of this Goodreads Member as follows:

January - 4

February - 3

March - 4

April - 5

May - 4

June - 3

July - 5

August - 3

September - 1

October - 7

November - 5

December - 6

Grand Total - 50!

Goodreads will now give me a special badge for my profile - that's exciting and a bonus to the goal.

The books are in reverse order (the first book is the last I read), not that you care, but I needed to get that off my chest.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

The second book to be re-read (can you tell I'm getting ready for the movie?) I worried at first that I wouldn't be able to do it, but it turns out that I have my facts mixed up over what happened in which book, which made it easier for me to read it again...still good.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
My mom bought me this for Christmas and it was pretty short so of course it got thrown into the mix as I came down to the wire. I read this Christmas Eve and as I read I couldn't help but picture Gonzo in a top hat and Michael Caine.
Seriously...I'm Kidding by Ellen Degeneres
I really liked this book at first. This is the latest of three books and I've never read the other two so I don't know if she rambles this much in the others but it got to be too much for me. I got frustrated on one chapter where she talked for a couple of pages about what she was going to write but never really got to it. I can understand doing that for humor but I began to feel like the last half of the book was like that, like she was trying to double the size but had no idea what to write.
An Overdose of Death by Agatha Christie
I am liking this Agatha Christie. I like the twist in the stories. With both that I have read I have gotten the ending partially correct, but had ended up doubting myself. This one, I had the general idea but would never have guessed the way it turned out.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I believe that this is the very first book that I have reread! Normally, I remember too much and can't reread a book...at least, I haven't tried very often because the few times I have I can't motivate myself to finish because I know what's coming. But the movie is coming out...and I know I shouldn't go see it cause I'll probably just be annoyed with it...but I can't help myself. I first read this book back in 2009 (thanks Goodreads for keeping track of that) and while I remember most of the story, there were little things I had forgotten. Not to mention, there were parts of the story where I couldn't remember if it came from this book or was in one of the other two. I still think it's good.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I really enjoyed this book. I heard from several people that it was a quick read and well written, so I gave it a shot. I wasn't disappointed. The book is told from the perspective of three different characters and I love how Stockett goes back and forth between the three. A few days after I finished the book, Ryan and I went to see the movie at the Byrd...I had been told it stayed pretty close to the book, and that may be true, but I was still upset at the changes that they made and I actually did not enjoy the movie at all. The characters felt very shallow, which is sad because they are so rich in the novel. I am beginning to think I just shouldn't see movies after reading the books...

...It's Over!*

The World Spins Madly On.*

Heh - I think this was supposed to be done in 10 consecutive days, but I've kind of dragged it out by a couple of months. Almost done.

Four Books

These are not my top four favorite - but they are the first 4 I thought of and why I like them.

4. The Thirteenth Tale - I love the twist in the storyline. There were times when I was like, "Get back to the good storyline!" cause there was more than one going on at a time, but by the end I saw the need to do it exactly as how it was done.

3. My Sister's Keeper - this book made me cry and there aren't many books that can bring me to tears. Loved the book, despised the movie. Seriously, despised it.

2. Fountainhead - This was a long book with tiny print and was a struggle to read because of size, but it was well worth the read. I loved the characters, I loved how the ones who seemed flawed were my favorites in the end.

1. 1984 - I don't know exactly why it is my all time favorite - but it is. It's a dark, dystopian novel and maybe that's why I love it so much. Haven't you heard? Dark and depression = deep.

You do what you do, I do what I do.*

Well - it's here, the end of 2011. I can't believe how quickly this year flew by. I also can't believe that it didn't quite turn out how I thought it would. I think it's funny how in my mind I have things worked out and then life happens and the story line changes, but I'm not disappointed that the year didn't go as planned. In fact, I'm very happy with the changes that were thrown into my path. I had a great year, dispite the heartaches. I am indeed grateful for the people who helped to shape this year. To the ones who gave me my space and to the others who told me I couldn't have it, when I was going through tough times.

To my friends I say, thank you. This life wouldn't be much without you in it, so thanks for being here.

Now on to bad news - the recap. Let's see how I did.

1. Read 50 Books - I did it (December list to come)! There were times when I didn't think that I would make it (was it October?) but I somehow did it. I'd like to thank everyone who helped me get there by recommending books (um, everyone) or by giving me my space (um, everyone), or by reading to me when I was too sick to keep my eyes open and read for myself (Ryan). Thanks everyone for helping me to do this goal that I will never repeat. I like reading, I would like to keep that enjoyment.




2. Run 1/2 marathon - I did it! I felt like I was going to die and that it was the dumbest idea I have ever had but...I did it! (P.S. another goal I will never repeat).




3. Budget - Yup - still working on it. But I think I finally have a better chance




4. Finish my third story - Done and Done. I think I finished back in March and am editing all three right now - trying to make them better and getting ready to send the first one off to a publishing agent to see if I can get any bites.




5. Lose Weight - Maintain weight...that counts right?




6. Get motivated at work - Well - I got promoted and my work load increased. I have discovered that dispite a few things that I really can't stand....I like my job overall. So I am more motivated to work.




7. Reduce Debt - If I hadn't bought a car - this would have been green....cause other than that I've been working it down.




8. Home Improvement - Have I ever!




9. Learn to Compromise - I think I have come a little further on this. You'd have to ask people who I have compromised with.




10. Work on my Serious Theme (Choose the Good Part) - I didn't do so hot, I'll be honest. So - for 2012 I have a new theme and some goals to go with it to ensure that I will do better next time!

You gotta check the mirrors, just the side of your eye.*

Can I just say that I realize I have been behind on blogging. I know you guys are desperate to know what has been going on in my life...and you've been checking the blog daily like the loyal readers you are. So I apologize :P. So - I will now start catching up, but trying not to overload you with posts. For the next few weeks the post may be mixed (old and current). Hope you enjoy.

The Turkey Trot

On Thanksgiving Day, Kami and I got up a little early and went down to the University of Richmond for their 30-something annual 10k run that they have every year. The funny thing is - I grew up around the corner from U of R and have never heard of this race. But Kami, who moves from Utah, knows about it the first year she is here...she's a Wellness Coordinator for work - so I don't feel so bad.


It was only about two weeks after the half marathon, so you would think that it would be a piece of cake...yeah, I thought so too. I blame the hills, the area around U of R is very hilly. Also, my foot did that painful thing it did during the 1/2 marathon (I should get that checked out).

I didn't get the time I wanted, but I finished and got a shirt. In 2012 I'll get back into beating my times rather than just finishing a race. I'm already signed up for the Monument 10k, I am trying to sign up for the Mud Run (the website isn't working right), there's the Autism 5k that I run every year and I am going to do the 8k in November (instead of the half marathon).

You wouldn't be able to tell that I kind of hate running...would you?

Does syrup have sugar in it?*

Today I called a girl to follow up on a fax that she requested. I had sent it that morning and just wanted to make sure that it went through. She said the faxes don't come directly to her, but she's sure it made it alright and then she said, "I appreciate you." I waited a minute cause I thought she would finish with, "for following up" or "for faxing that over" but instead we both set for an incredibly long three seconds of silence. Then I said, "Ok, well, thank you." Then we said our goodbyes.

All day I have been randomly repeating that in my head and it makes me smile/chuckle a little.

So - to everyone who reads this...I appreciate you.

I've lost my marbles*

I might have a problem. I put up my Christmas stuff the day after Thanksgiving and I got to see all of my penguins.

Except - that wasn't all of them, there were also the ones at work that I had forgotten about. Plus, Wanda just gave me the fat penguin on skis...isn't he the cutest little fat penguin ever!?

Not to mention that since then Kathryn has given me a set of penguin salt and pepper shakers and I now have a penguin stocking. (Oh and four penguin cups that match the penguins below and four penguin plates that match the blue penguin set above).

In fact, we all got new stockings. In order from left to right: Kami, me, Lisa, and Ryan.

Happy Holidays.

He was there and we were there and he wouldn't try!*

I love these kids in my life...seriously.

So last Sunday, Ryan came over for dinner at my parent's house. Joanna's boys are pretty used to Ryan (in fact - they may love him more than me...). So Ryan and I are sitting on the couch with his arm around me and I look over to see Tommy looking right at me. I don't know how long he has been looking at us, it's a little unnerving (only because, how long has he been watching us?) and I say, "What's up bud?" He remains quiet for a moment and says, "awkward!" and then turns to watch the television.


Later, Ryan shows Ava a magic trick and she has him do it over and over (I saw that coming - but Ryan did not - anyone who has spent time with kids know that they don't easily get tired of things like that). Then Tommy sees it and wants to see it over and over. Then Tommy wants to do the trick. So he takes the quarter that Ryan was using and says, "Hey guys, watch this!" once he has our attention he throws his hands up in the air and cries, "Don't look!" so we look away and somehow, I just can't figure it out, the quarter disappears while we aren't looking. Then it appears on the floor, or in his hand, or if we are lucky, somewhere on us and we ohh and aww.


Tommy was on a roll on Sunday by the way. He comes into the dining room and says, "hey guys," (...have I mentioned that might be his most used phrase? Hey Guys...insert something here"). Back to the story, so he goes on, "What do tables eat?" Some of us waste a little time trying to think what the clever answer will be and Tommy says loudly, "Ice cream!" I gave him a pretty convincing laugh if I do say so myself. The others don't laugh as loudly and Tommy smiles and says, "it's a joke." Then he moves on the say what chairs eat (I believe they eat dinosaurs), this too is followed by, "it's a joke!" So later, I asked him what couches eat (or something like that) he answers something random in return and my eyes get big and I say, "Oh, you've heard this one." I get nothing from him, I think Ryan laughed though. My sense of humor is lost on children sometimes.

My brother-in-law, Ben, called me up on Thursday and invited me over for dinner, so of course, I went. I was hanging out with Tommy (there are other children in these stories - just wait) on the couch and he keeps sticking his finger up his nose.

Me: Go get a tissue, bud.


Tommy: You go get a tissue.

Me: I'm not the one with my finger in my nose.


Joanna: Tommy, get a tissue.


Tommy: I'm too short.

Me: No you're not

Tommy: Yeah I am, see? (he gets on his knees next to the bookshelf and reaches for the tissues up on the third or fourth shelf) See, I'm too small.

Me: Get on your tippy-toes, I bet you can get them if you are on your tippy toes.

Joanna: You just got a mushroom (Jessica is confused) to make you big.

Tommy gets up off his knees and reaches for a tissue and brings it to me. It takes me a minute but I realize what has just happened.

I've played the game...he got a Mario mushroom and grew big and tall so he could get that tissue!

Later that night it turned out that Tommy had Jacob's PJs on and it created quite the event. Somehow, Joanna got everyone to calm down, Tommy remained in Jake's PJs and then Jake was going (sadly) to put on different PJs. As Jake and Tommy passed each other in the hallway Jake starts to cry. We ask what happens and Jake says that Tommy elbowed him in the eye. Tommy doesn't deny it but he puts distance between him and Jake. Joanna comes in at that moment and starts striping in the PJs off of Tommy and giving them to Jake. I don't know why - but I thought this was hilarious.

Joanna told me a story about Ava saying, "Eat, eat" when the baby is feeding and I wanted to hear her say it. So the two of us were hanging out and I look at Ava and say, "Eat, eat!" She smiled and says in her Ava voice, "Eat! Eat!" and then pats my chest...I guess I deserved that.

This past Sunday at dinner, Jake comes in to report on Tommy's bad behavior. His eyes get all big and he points towards the family room and says, "Tommy's on a rampage!"

My Dad was going to take Theo with him to pick up Samantha from something and Theo didn't want to go or something like that and to calm everyone down Jake says, "They fight with each other remember?" Duh.

Later, while eating cake, Jake had crumbs on his back and Joanna was wiping them off asking how he managed to do that. Jake just shrugs his shoulders, keeps eating and says, "it just fell on me."

That's all I have for now.

I have a big head and little arms. I'm just not sure how well this plan was thought through.*

January - 4

February -3

March - 4
April -5

May - 4

June - 3

July -5

August - 3

September - 1

October - 7

November - 5

And Then There Were Non by Agatha Christie
Um - yes please. It took me a few pages chapters to get the characters straight in my head...but that certainly got easier as they were dying off (Dun dun dun). This book kept me guessing, even when I thought I had figured it out she would do something that threw me off. I would definitely recommend this book.

Standing for Something by Gordon B. Hinckley
Of course this book is good - for those of us who grew up with Hinckley, it is exactly what you would expect to get from him. The man is so optimistic even if the face of so much wrong in the world. I went crazy with my pen underlining important things not only to remember, but also to do.

A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer

When I first started reading this book I kept thinking, "there's no way that this is real, it just can't be." I think the worst moment is realizing that it can be and that there are so many children who have to live lives like that.

A Series of Unfortunate Events - The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

I really liked this - it was different enough from the movie that I didn't have too much trouble reading through it. However, I don't think I could commit to reading all 11 million of the series (okay, okay, it's more like 11 or 13 or something).

Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling This was a fun quick read that Ryan let me borrow. It was much like reading Harry's textbook on Fantastic Beasts... J.K. Rowling has an incredible imagination!

I like the night life.*

I have survived one more year of the Harvest Ball! Yea!

Considering how busy I was making sure that the food was stocked and the punch was available (because my word, that punch was popular! Recipe here) I took a lot of photos! So I will mostly just post with some comments here and there. We had over 200 people there this year and it was a lot of fun!

This picture just cracks me up!

Some of you may remember my fake fiance, Matt. He grew a stash for Movember and looked like he could be from the 70's...he's kind of a big deal*

Kami took quite a few of Ryan and me. She's obsessed with us.

Bryan, Kami, Christian and me.

DaNcInG FiEnDs

He was actually trying to avoid the camera...but it looked like a dance move.



And then just some more random photos.


This is where I was threatening Zach...it's good to know that Ryan will just stand by and laugh (he's probably just happy that face isn't directed at him).
I feel like Tyson NEVER smiles - so this was big.
Jesse is so excited that the Harvest Ball is finally over!


I thought they wouldn't like this picture...but Tyson LOVED it. Must be the baby carrot.

Don't antagonize her - I love a happy medium.*

Here are pictures from the hike a few weeks ago.

This video is of my friend, Ben (a.k.a. Brother Ben) he is talking about the extinction of some tree. It's a little hard to hear him because Zach is right by the microphone, but I thought Ben's improve was great.

Pictures - in no particular order

Erin and Christian racing uphill.

Zach feels that no hike is complete until he gets a picture of holding my hand.

After Kami took the picture of Zach and me she wanted Ryan and me to take a real one.

Me - beating Zach when he's down. Kami says it's because he held my hand.

Cam wanted proof that he was on a hike - since apparently hiking is a white person's activity. A funny story - the same day that we went hiking there was a 50 mile race (yes, a 50 - on foot - race). Cam and I were coming up one steep part of the hike and moving out of the way for runners. There was this black guy running towards us, he ignored me and looked right at Cam and was like, "What's up?" Cam, like a little school girl, said, "Hey," and then proceeded to giggle and said to me, "he just made my day." I thought maybe I didn't hear the guy right and he said something else to Cam, so I asked Cam what he said that was so funny. Cam said, "Nothing, but he was a black guy running." So I said, "Well Cam, you probably made his day too, he saw you and said, "it's a black guy hiking!"

I loved hiking with Cam

Ryan

Ryan and me on top of a rock - I tried to take our picture with the view in the background and the sun kept messing with us so Lauren (who is very short) took our photo).

Some of the view behind me. The trees had already lost a lot of leaves by the time we went hiking...maybe next fall we'll get them sooner.

Ben and Zach from "Two Guys and a Gnome"

Bryce, Ben, Zach and Ryan. Bryce was told to play the fiddle, Ryan was told to look like he was in deep thought, and Ben and Zach looked at nothing and pointed.

We had about 17 people on the hike - so naturally (and I mean this in that it was unplanned but kind of naturally happened) we divided up into two groups. This is group A.

We all crammed on to a rock while waiting for group B to arrive. I had to hold on to a tree and lean back just to get this photo.

That's it! Hiking is probably over and done with for 2011 - but hopefully I'll go on more hikes in 2012!