tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5659145130130182302024-03-12T18:38:17.382-06:00Brilliantly BlondeThe notes and ramblings of a random and unglamorous soul.Brilliantly Blondehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16261281459696781673noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-565914513013018230.post-34530687683224598872012-07-11T02:04:00.000-05:002012-07-11T02:04:16.953-05:00Summer Reading List!!Schools been out for a little more than a month now, and as usual, I have thrown myself into summer reading. Unfortunately, much of it has been a textbook that makes me want to gouge my eyes out with a rusty spoon. I have managed to squeeze-in a few novels, but I simply don't have enough time to do a full review on each. Thus - the "mini-review"!!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_UmlzEgTRjfQY8eEPNnJEvxrJet2R55AawFdO-T-QY02XyGG8mPn8C-e0KlUBkFZ_Yfap9ne6vS9of_kRs9Wp8FmMdC-KBH9NzasNfNmC2mGSqgNdD5Ji07ge8ixpOv3beMjQatbMQU_p/s1600/Mrs.+Kennedy+and+Me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_UmlzEgTRjfQY8eEPNnJEvxrJet2R55AawFdO-T-QY02XyGG8mPn8C-e0KlUBkFZ_Yfap9ne6vS9of_kRs9Wp8FmMdC-KBH9NzasNfNmC2mGSqgNdD5Ji07ge8ixpOv3beMjQatbMQU_p/s320/Mrs.+Kennedy+and+Me.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><br />
Mrs. Kennedy and Me by Clint Hill<br />
I had a real love/hate relationship with this book. While it was an interesting glimpse into the life of Camelot, I didn't feel any emotional connection with Jackie. It felt to me more like a simple retelling of the day to day activities of the First Lady. A few funny moments, but overall, not a fabulous read....especially knowing how it's going to end.<br />
Three out of five stars.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgialtQnokC63hE2AB5b5mSmoCDz0RvzDAKHGDdcxCQth5pmtXL3EhTLmXH6CiXYiIzxgshYuL9rSJs1nJByVZf4XZ7_6-Id6A9ChxCw-7TbbzMjvjetSb5U9YYBQ4KXYTElPoKFQJ6DHzi/s1600/Let's+pretend.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgialtQnokC63hE2AB5b5mSmoCDz0RvzDAKHGDdcxCQth5pmtXL3EhTLmXH6CiXYiIzxgshYuL9rSJs1nJByVZf4XZ7_6-Id6A9ChxCw-7TbbzMjvjetSb5U9YYBQ4KXYTElPoKFQJ6DHzi/s320/Let's+pretend.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><br />
Let's Pretend this Never Happened by Jenny Lawson<br />
I'm not a fan of acronymns, but this book literally left me "ROFLMAO." How is it possible that one person can be so ridiculously warped? The book was almost too funny...perhaps even a little hard to believe in a few places. However...if I EVER find a Hamlet von Schnitzel...I will be the happiest girl in the world!<br />
Four and a half out of five stars<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDEKo6WmgCeuQVG2-WdFgadcobVSrJiOytRn8zeOuFIF_Z57Y6R46GaYTL5b-4X0KJtVhO2dzFGSUjliwoHDeGPVm4Ce25KkOA8i3evPFP_YG6KSUOJpuwg9-pOaCOTU5p16adExUrHxU/s1600/calico+joe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDEKo6WmgCeuQVG2-WdFgadcobVSrJiOytRn8zeOuFIF_Z57Y6R46GaYTL5b-4X0KJtVhO2dzFGSUjliwoHDeGPVm4Ce25KkOA8i3evPFP_YG6KSUOJpuwg9-pOaCOTU5p16adExUrHxU/s320/calico+joe.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><br />
Calico Joe by John Grisham<br />
this is not your typical John Grisham book. There are no lawyers, no spies, no hidden schemes or plots. Calico Joe is a simple, but gut-wrenching story of jealousy, spite, and redemption. I haven't read anything that made me feel such contempt and disgust in a long time. This is a MUST READ for baseball fans, and a good choice for non-baseball fans.<br />
Four out of five stars<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCgCsfiXwBDgGFryq2UDCxs_P1nkWcWJqpgO6C3yW-MwxilOK880DXA2ySVEL-LUv8EUfdo4vRnpVTSPcxSuJcdKk_MMaEbPjkCw1n_XX_29lqHrZn_FFsVN2_Dplo9-OR_YDXjdk-b6ei/s1600/i+suck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCgCsfiXwBDgGFryq2UDCxs_P1nkWcWJqpgO6C3yW-MwxilOK880DXA2ySVEL-LUv8EUfdo4vRnpVTSPcxSuJcdKk_MMaEbPjkCw1n_XX_29lqHrZn_FFsVN2_Dplo9-OR_YDXjdk-b6ei/s1600/i+suck.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I Suck at Girls by Justin Halpern<br />
Like it's prequel, Sh*t My Dad Says, this book left me laughing out loud and giggling uncontrollably at night, trying not to wake my sleeping husband. Halpern is a master of the memoir, frighteningly honest, and unafraid to share his own humiliation again and again. I would recommend this book to anyone who can read. I even read a few chapters to my 11 year-old, and he giggled like a school girl.<br />
FIVE STARS!!!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtp5O1bVbO2IXVJEPlT_i3ojhMR2vZ_58xZhSU6-EPBFwqOc7Slo2foAx8Tl44HS4aMFboZVmgEdaBwh48ICAhU7vV3JEcgwnh7wn3L52SaTAbku7ReUcr92EKRm2mo7tjPN3ihFUW9Bzx/s1600/theperks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtp5O1bVbO2IXVJEPlT_i3ojhMR2vZ_58xZhSU6-EPBFwqOc7Slo2foAx8Tl44HS4aMFboZVmgEdaBwh48ICAhU7vV3JEcgwnh7wn3L52SaTAbku7ReUcr92EKRm2mo7tjPN3ihFUW9Bzx/s320/theperks.jpg" width="285" /></a></div><br />
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky<br />
A good friend of mine recommended this book several weeks ago, but I didn't really get interested until I saw the movie trailer (which looked fabulous, BTW). I downloaded the book and devoured it in less than 48 hours. Unfortunately, the jury is still out on this one. Chbosky's story is a psychological coming-of-age story of a 15 year-old boy struggling with his identity and the suicide of one of his close friends. The characters are interesting, but I just didn't find the narrator believable. I just don't know about this one.<br />
Two stars....but I may change my mind later. ;)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNwY4Xuv_OOwIoX1_s5WFDeevU8j4sA71MAn9WsHMtUdb1TJfi50TwpOFRW7AtSjlgoXVrEcWxK1oICx2ZdpCR7HAkbNjg1dH7OICCKYQQ4trQNApvYsmGDXUEU8oTRMIrIkVnqDA_2LOE/s1600/flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNwY4Xuv_OOwIoX1_s5WFDeevU8j4sA71MAn9WsHMtUdb1TJfi50TwpOFRW7AtSjlgoXVrEcWxK1oICx2ZdpCR7HAkbNjg1dH7OICCKYQQ4trQNApvYsmGDXUEU8oTRMIrIkVnqDA_2LOE/s320/flowers.jpg" width="257" /></a></div><br />
The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffengaugh<br />
I definitely liked this book, although I thought some of the characters were undeveloped and one-dimensional. Victoria is an 18 year-old foster child who has just been "released" from state custody and must make her way through the world on her own. She'd rather sleep in a flower bed in the park than in a real bed, and she'd prefer to avoid all emotional connections with human beings. <br />
But she is really, really into flowers. If you want to know why - check out the book. <br />
Four and a half stars<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZl8qVt4VyrvBR2ymoc_JMFijdiE-9sOOGcxHVHXU5OJh2JSSGtjnQPVZANuELLb8RQK4WxViNBqzQFDkly_SKJrjFcR5RchoB6gAxB_gKSr7Mn0an-aqvAyXwZZ6w8kPh_RgRQ3dlMAA/s1600/confessions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZl8qVt4VyrvBR2ymoc_JMFijdiE-9sOOGcxHVHXU5OJh2JSSGtjnQPVZANuELLb8RQK4WxViNBqzQFDkly_SKJrjFcR5RchoB6gAxB_gKSr7Mn0an-aqvAyXwZZ6w8kPh_RgRQ3dlMAA/s1600/confessions.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire<br />
Another book recommended by a friend and so far, one of the top reads of the summer. This retelling of the classic Cinderella story was refreshing, and I thoroughly enjoyed the book once I got past the first few slow and extremely sad chapters. This is a book I would love to use to teach perspective and point-of-view. I recommend this book, but only if you have a dictionary app. Maguire is very proud of his ridiculously over-developed vocabulary.<br />
Four and a half stars<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIr3VeIJQRGS391Db0dKYx-1TQISWKNwat4SNmZ7fxcvkafhwGdJxpM7JnlOKiJeMwIupanY9gRVe5npcbw1IEbK7DEBsrV8yQMQsdrnSVzA30VId4_zi5j_-dktI9G0LbF-Y8ffnUk3Xa/s1600/prophet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIr3VeIJQRGS391Db0dKYx-1TQISWKNwat4SNmZ7fxcvkafhwGdJxpM7JnlOKiJeMwIupanY9gRVe5npcbw1IEbK7DEBsrV8yQMQsdrnSVzA30VId4_zi5j_-dktI9G0LbF-Y8ffnUk3Xa/s320/prophet.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><br />
The Front Porch Prophet by Raymond Atkins<br />
If any book I've read this summer is deserving of an entire blog of itis own, this is it!! I read this book last summer at the urging of my friend, Sarah, and I completely fell for it. If there was ever a male version of "Steel Magnolias," this is it! The Front Porch Prophet is a story of friendship, heroism, love, malice, family, greed, and secrets. Atkins is a master story-teller, letting the story unfold bit by teensy bit with snarky humor and wit along the way. His descriptions are vivid, making his characters lovable and unforgettable:<br />
<br />
<em>"Rufus' lineage was unclear, but he appeared to be a cross between a Great Dane and a bear...his hair grew in patches around scar tissue...AJ likened the dog to a creation by Dante on LSD. He was a hound from hell, and AJ had no doubt that if Rufus ever got a hold of him, there wouldn't be much left to bury, exept maybe a half-eaten shoe or a few small pieces of the Louisville Slugger."</em><br />
<br />
<em>'Hell, AJ, the man wore me down. Had some of those hot lights shining on me. Beat me with a hose. I confessed. He also made me admit that I was the second man on the grassy knoll and he may have me pegged on the Lindbergh baby."</em><br />
<br />
This is a book that I could read again summer after summer. It's been a long time since a novel has inspired such a large range of emtions in me as this one did, and I know I'll keep coming back to it. After I read it TWICE, I went back and re-read all the places I'd highlighted just to experience it all over agin. You know those books that make you really sad when you finish reading them? Not because they're sad books or have sad endings, but you're just generally broken-hearted that they're over?? Yes...this is one of those. Double-up on the happy pills....<br />
FIVE STARS<br />
<br />
I'm currently reading Slammed by Colleen Hoover, and so far, I'm not really digging it. I'm assured it will get better, and that I'll be instantly downloading the sequel, but thus far, I'm not really convinced...but it is better than reading my textbook!!Brilliantly Blondehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16261281459696781673noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-565914513013018230.post-58826398803505403132012-06-14T23:53:00.000-05:002012-06-14T23:53:28.706-05:00Summer Lovin'It's been just over three weeks since school ended, and I'm just now getting around to my first blog of the summer!! What a lazy arse I must be!!<br />
<br />
Not true, my friends. Not true at all. These last three weeks have been packed full of travel, work, home construction, and grad work. Despite all this, I am absolutely lovin' this summer!!<br />
<br />
We left June 3rd for a four day trip to New York. With 30 middle school students, 2 high school students, and nine adults, we flew from OKC all the way to the Big Apple for a fast, furious, and FABULOUS adventure!! The highlights of our trip included: FAO Schwartz, 5th Avenue tour (Trump Tower, Tiffany, Saks, etc), St. Patrick's Cathedral, the children's zoo in Central Park, Empire State Building, Strawberry Fields, John Lennon Memorial, Shakespeare Castle (all in Central Park), walking tour of Greenwich Village and Soho, World Trade Center Memorial (which was magnificent), Wall Street, Chinatown, Phantom of the Opera, the Today Show, NYU, a subway ride, Rockefeller Center, NBC Studios tour, Statue of Liberty, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, Grand Central Terminal, and lots of yummy New York treats - cheesecake, coneys, and New York style pizza!! We even got to see the space shuttle Enterprise as it was being pulled down the Hudson to it's final resting place at the USS Intrepid. I know that sounds like a lot to cram into four days...and it WAS!! We got home exhausted, but just in time to see the Thunder take-down the Spurs to win their conference!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPJmZ2dli-j3pe2EZAWeprxaPF0ijcxF5FcGW8LwgDa-ZCAJTDHqvqA044X1VNWricb5gMs0atx1v66Ux9iWYv3fR0qjjz3z4vkDeXB9iUGkyxbQlvXGN4HSupNyhxKSC5GFHMeKiPxbiO/s1600/P6030017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPJmZ2dli-j3pe2EZAWeprxaPF0ijcxF5FcGW8LwgDa-ZCAJTDHqvqA044X1VNWricb5gMs0atx1v66Ux9iWYv3fR0qjjz3z4vkDeXB9iUGkyxbQlvXGN4HSupNyhxKSC5GFHMeKiPxbiO/s320/P6030017.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The whole gang in front of the statue of Prometheus at Rockefeller Plaza!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVFbpDg1_NB4h9PveQrrsNJ4gCc2EjsFkthh4iijmEV_rZhB_XLvZ_koE-PoPw7PoDtU68VHmXDxxPneIh0LbAgXnuQNfd6jDbtCljWYgAj7JTCwDapXx5Icf12fOvmwfr5z5irO6efa0_/s1600/P6030026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVFbpDg1_NB4h9PveQrrsNJ4gCc2EjsFkthh4iijmEV_rZhB_XLvZ_koE-PoPw7PoDtU68VHmXDxxPneIh0LbAgXnuQNfd6jDbtCljWYgAj7JTCwDapXx5Icf12fOvmwfr5z5irO6efa0_/s320/P6030026.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My girls at NBC Studios</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGa9qSwaeVhKfBbFS-N8QSI_qEuB4tlQhElJK6sf76v-4-6kpim_XyfNVShCaW1SD0mtici80jxzzHTH-p8PZTaCGA3ERcGVGB6Uu9KzvQAV2XnHr8xQe8W_1_v0Cmh-q6OnGEjlcc2cA/s1600/SANY0182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGa9qSwaeVhKfBbFS-N8QSI_qEuB4tlQhElJK6sf76v-4-6kpim_XyfNVShCaW1SD0mtici80jxzzHTH-p8PZTaCGA3ERcGVGB6Uu9KzvQAV2XnHr8xQe8W_1_v0Cmh-q6OnGEjlcc2cA/s320/SANY0182.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Chelsea and I with the Naked Cowboy</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgalg3CFhUgECPWdaMpLl3WHnUKU4seQf3u4Ucw7BB5Gyxg2nJBbDpTTk3KAlqWL27Ezgy1eYHI0gcriqt4uZg51_BUF-A806qU1f4eWP_CfM6HEcabbKFKm099jgYybvnHhQqPpOaKs7jr/s1600/SANY0229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgalg3CFhUgECPWdaMpLl3WHnUKU4seQf3u4Ucw7BB5Gyxg2nJBbDpTTk3KAlqWL27Ezgy1eYHI0gcriqt4uZg51_BUF-A806qU1f4eWP_CfM6HEcabbKFKm099jgYybvnHhQqPpOaKs7jr/s320/SANY0229.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The John Lennon Memorial</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDASSaEHgrYCC4jpNgF_MCKGvEbpirA0Xk3pdu37DlZcOaDqmCxFGkZYzbRq0DA39yTnDJSsUfrChwP9wVQQsrQ37UUt5FB7EuWztVSx_AbXBI_MQoIcoTBt8VafWnjyq_QDnnI9OoEvH/s1600/SANY0190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDASSaEHgrYCC4jpNgF_MCKGvEbpirA0Xk3pdu37DlZcOaDqmCxFGkZYzbRq0DA39yTnDJSsUfrChwP9wVQQsrQ37UUt5FB7EuWztVSx_AbXBI_MQoIcoTBt8VafWnjyq_QDnnI9OoEvH/s320/SANY0190.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Today Show!!</div><br />
<br />
Which is the second reason I'm lovin' this summer!! I can't pinpoint the exact moment when I became a die-hard Thunder fan, but it was sometime between December and February, and it was life-changing! I love that there is FINALLY a team that unites my entire family. No more bickering over bedlam (well, until November, that is!). We're all completely enchanted by the Thunder, and watching their games has become a family event for us. With all these games, I'm finding it hard to even watch my beloved Yankees (gasp!). Yes, it's true. The Thunder has topped my darling Yanks as my all-time fave. We've only made it to a couple of games this season, but I'm sure we'll hit more next time around. It looks like we may have worked our way into a group of season ticket holders, so I'm definitely pumped for that!<br />
The boys in the "Thunder-Mobile"...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKhS-1icZk-jEeO15rirdqgtC6mrqEdZfxPQHLWEsvjwzR-6gX1MsIaP2UfINnLVVMopOVhq4TCoerRWMuqOTFQ3mBhbZCGoBeEPfNRPmu1uaD9ltHVbUlzdfAiSlJS1GfZTGlZyd22Jb/s1600/thunder+jeep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKhS-1icZk-jEeO15rirdqgtC6mrqEdZfxPQHLWEsvjwzR-6gX1MsIaP2UfINnLVVMopOVhq4TCoerRWMuqOTFQ3mBhbZCGoBeEPfNRPmu1uaD9ltHVbUlzdfAiSlJS1GfZTGlZyd22Jb/s320/thunder+jeep.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
And that brings-up yet another reason this summer has been so hectic. No sooner than we were unpacked, my husband was ripping-up carpet and throwing paint on the walls in my youngest son's room. We'd been planning on redoing the room, but I had no idea he'd dive into it with such ferocity the moment we pulled into the driveway! I do have to say, the room looks fabulous. Dawson wanted a "Thunder Dome," and we delivered!! Two blue walls - one OKC blue, one navy- and one orange wall. The fourth wall is white with a huge Thunder logo hand-painted by my husband's aunt and extraordinary artist, Terri. It took her most of one day and another evening, but the design is amazing. We finished the room off by ripping the closet apart and building an organizer. He now has a brand-new room complete with hard wood floors, mini-fridge with Thunder fatheads, an autographed photo of Desmond Mason, and enormous basketball television! I'm so jealous!<br />
Photos of Dawon's new, awesome room!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbDfStmQrApdLfQh02AXIOu5MhzWSI3COSf3rIAhAEW3Zt1tj1qGdIjjEyWohpDnG8abeRxKizVYt1q9R2_oPA9Sm95O1xwGIoWFJi9TrQrdkLR6EXKBtIYceyi_BAxGcgOPCnjwg9L9zj/s1600/walls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbDfStmQrApdLfQh02AXIOu5MhzWSI3COSf3rIAhAEW3Zt1tj1qGdIjjEyWohpDnG8abeRxKizVYt1q9R2_oPA9Sm95O1xwGIoWFJi9TrQrdkLR6EXKBtIYceyi_BAxGcgOPCnjwg9L9zj/s320/walls.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVdExIV1kYSnWiKO8QlDODKi89fNj0odL7bmwHT6Q_0H6NQOJiYjb0ZfHr9tnHgDPx7XsUcCjy8EFpJYAwRkMqgOJdqnKPKH84pezbBGZ7-XV3ht_TIrjP1MWQs4QAuNy85ie7TAkKxRTx/s1600/televisioin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVdExIV1kYSnWiKO8QlDODKi89fNj0odL7bmwHT6Q_0H6NQOJiYjb0ZfHr9tnHgDPx7XsUcCjy8EFpJYAwRkMqgOJdqnKPKH84pezbBGZ7-XV3ht_TIrjP1MWQs4QAuNy85ie7TAkKxRTx/s320/televisioin.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6GzhQlP35fvkm_3RS534IwWkpXka-lW3uL4PHt-3gJIgyQrkUy2TTDH8nZEmi0I_De7dnRteRRbckH7x77UBby8Mhn4Nh6tl1nbSXVLVhSPp3SXn40msbQcsxA5Lsi6EoPh_QA3FATxlA/s1600/logo+wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6GzhQlP35fvkm_3RS534IwWkpXka-lW3uL4PHt-3gJIgyQrkUy2TTDH8nZEmi0I_De7dnRteRRbckH7x77UBby8Mhn4Nh6tl1nbSXVLVhSPp3SXn40msbQcsxA5Lsi6EoPh_QA3FATxlA/s320/logo+wall.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWCoQKeKSiq8Bw2SfyDs3f5_4EDgo_tyDydYTckHKsll9-n4h8cHQtrne1_rVMqPSzQa04rBgHMlHysNAKvOw1RfbMI8gVdomVRjfOvI5Hc1JNEifH5pbi5l9DanHWEzlSKv_qP3lvMBHu/s1600/fridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWCoQKeKSiq8Bw2SfyDs3f5_4EDgo_tyDydYTckHKsll9-n4h8cHQtrne1_rVMqPSzQa04rBgHMlHysNAKvOw1RfbMI8gVdomVRjfOvI5Hc1JNEifH5pbi5l9DanHWEzlSKv_qP3lvMBHu/s320/fridge.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<br />
I've also decided to torture myself by starting grad school this summer. I had intended to start back in January, but I just didn't get around to enrolling...yes, I'm a horrible procrastinator. I missed the first two days of class because of the New York trip, and as of yesterday, I was so confused and behind that I was ready to drop the class and restart in August. I had a 4-page paper due by midnight last night, and I miraculously finished it by 10:48 (proofread and edited!). Despite being a little confused and somewhat overwhelmed by the though of a 20+ page research paper, I am going to tough it out and finish this class. I keep thinking that surely if I make it to every class, do the work, and put forth an honest effort, the professor will pass me!! Ordinarily, I wouldn't be satisfied with just "passing," but I'm not working on scholarships this time around, so a B (or even a C) won't kill me. However, my massive OCD may push me into overdrive and force me to earn a better grade. Time will tell...<br />
<br />
On top of all this, I still have my wonderful, fabulous book club, which meets every other week. I adore book club and am so glad I took the initiative a year ago to officially start it. June is our one-year anniversary!! Yeah!! Go us! I've actually already read the next three books for our meetings, so I've started reading a couple of other things. I started Calico Joe today, and couldn't put it down. I read nearly the entire book while sitting poolside, and will probably finish the last few chapters as soon as I finish this blog. I sincerely hope my grad work doesn't get in the way of my summer reading....that would make me very angry. You woudn't like me angry.<br />
<br />
I also have baseball games 2-3 nights per week for my 11 year-old son. Dylan usually plays first or second base, but he's been getting in some practice time as pitcher the last couple of weeks. I prefer him on first or second, but he'll step it up and do whatever is needed for his team. So far, they've beaten every opponent but one...not bad!<br />
<br />
The next couple of weeks will continue with the hectic madness. The spouse and I are playing in a golf tournament on Saturday morning, and I have a family reunion that afternoon. Sunday is the designated lake day (weather permitting), and I have to drive to Alva on Wednesday for some peer editing in my class. We leave next Friday morning for a long weekend in Dallas with the boys - Dallas Aquarium, Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum, Madame Tussaud's, Rangers baseball, and some relaxation time by the pool. Of course, we'll have to spring from our beds on Monday morning and fly back to town in time for Dylan's baseball game at 6:00....<br />
<br />
I definitely have a full plate for these next few weeks, but I absolutely relish this time of year. Hopefully, we can find time to squeeze in a camping trip or two, as well as a day at my favorite summer hangout...Whitewater Bay!!<br />
<br />
So, dear reader...what are YOU lovin' this summer??Brilliantly Blondehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16261281459696781673noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-565914513013018230.post-27323405799904918782012-03-18T21:18:00.002-06:002012-03-18T21:33:55.077-06:00Book Review: 50 Shades of Grey by EL James<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8OvzqzKOLdbcw-NiiUJ-nS-8cqNdCGDa1loo7rcyO55QYl7neDy41OzDWY0sSeDaa-522f8o8fUM0DQTiyigBNhJsN9Hzb9IuXZp34mf0FdA2o_c4goXnIOf7ttdPJ5EAy0i6joyY-wuK/s1600/50+shades.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8OvzqzKOLdbcw-NiiUJ-nS-8cqNdCGDa1loo7rcyO55QYl7neDy41OzDWY0sSeDaa-522f8o8fUM0DQTiyigBNhJsN9Hzb9IuXZp34mf0FdA2o_c4goXnIOf7ttdPJ5EAy0i6joyY-wuK/s320/50+shades.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>Not since Oprah was bamboozled by autor James Frey has a novel caused such outrage, controversy, and complete madness in the literary world. After hearing some of my co-workers discussing <u>50 Shades of Grey</u>, reading the numerous blogs and articles about it online, and seeing the discussion about it on GMA, I decided I simply had to grab it for myself. <br />
<br />
From goodreads.com:<br />
<span id="freeText13782950632864559570"><em>When literature student Anastasia Steele is drafted to interview the successful young entrepreneur Christian Grey for her campus magazine, she finds him attractive, enigmatic and intimidating. Convinced their meeting went badly, she tries to put Grey out of her mind - until he happens to turn up at the out-of-town hardware store where she works part-time. Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever.</em></span><br />
<br />
As mentioned above, I purchased the novel late Thursday night, as the book I was reading had left me bored and unamused. It took me less than 24 hours to become a hopeless addict, unable to put the novel down (even during class!), and desperate for more. Before I delve further into the dark and twisty tale of Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey, let's establish a few things.<br />
<br />
1. This is not a book you share with your mother.<br />
2. It's not your typical book club selection.<br />
3. It's graphic...very, very graphic. <br />
4. If you are of a delicate disposition - offended by foul language or sexual content- do NOT read this book. It is not for rookies.<br />
5. Did I mention it is exceptionally graphic?<br />
<br />
<u>50 Shades of Grey</u> is not your sterotypical romance novel. Christian Grey is no Mr. Darcy, and Anastasia Steele is definitely not Lizzy Bennett. Anastasia Steele is a soon-to-be college graduate, coerced by her strong-willed roommate to interview billionaire bachelor Christian Grey for their college newspaper. Clumsy, innocent, adorable Anastasia is instantly captivated by the uber-charming Grey and his sexy, unruly curls (Yes, I imagined him to look like Dr. McDreamy!). Unbeknownst to Ana, Christian (a sado-masochist who specializes in dominant/submissive kinkery), is equally enamored and quickly presents her with a 'proposal' to become his weekend playmate and partner in his universe of whips, paddles, chains, and clamps. <br />
<br />
And so the story begins...<br />
<br />
<u>50 Shades of Grey</u> is a little bit of <u>Twilight</u>, a touch of <em>Pretty Woman</em>, a dash of <em>The Graduate</em>, and a lot of <em>9 1/2 Weeks</em>. Ana is the sterotypical sweet, innocent, naive heroine, and Grey is a dark, brooding, exceptionally wealthy Heathcliff with a mysterious past, a controlling nature, and an overwhelming desire to spank. The sexual content of the book is bountiful and explicit (I'm pretty sure I turned 50 shades of pink while reading), but if you can get past the constant fornicating, you will discover a truly gut-wrenching psychological romance that will leave you emotionally exhausted and desperately yearning for more. <br />
<br />
Initially, I was very turned-off by the violent sexual details of the book, and bored with page after page of glorious, always-satsifying coupling, but there is an infectiousness to the story that is mystifying and addictive, and I couldn't put it out of mind. I knew there was no way to write a best-selling trilogy that consisted only of pornographic prose, so I continuted to read on, and I'm glad I did! <br />
<br />
James is a genius at pulling the reader's sympathy for her characters, and she lets the story unfold slowly, keeping the reader completely enthralled. I did get a little tired of Ana's constant worrying, second-guessing, and insecurities. I found that I had to constantly keep reminding myself that she is only 22 years old and in her first-ever relationship and it's with an older, controlling, jealous man who wants to dictate her every move. (Wow...does art really imitate life? Perhaps James knew me when I was 22? Yikes...that's another blog for another day!) But, I loved that Christian was a character I'd never seen before - a unique, self-loathing loner with an undiscovered ability to love. The growth of both characters throughout the story is impressive, and I was ridiculously consumed by their tale, sobbing like a blubbering fool and sick to my stomach at the book's conclusion.<br />
<br />
Overall, I have to say this book is deserving of the hype. For fan-fiction, it is nastily scandalous, horribly inappropriate, extremely disturbing...and utterly irresistible. I don't think I've ever read anything quite like it, and I cannot wait to start the sequel!!Brilliantly Blondehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16261281459696781673noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-565914513013018230.post-48712592360407050082012-02-19T19:24:00.000-06:002012-02-19T19:24:59.247-06:00In What Other Profession?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8GOaOyJ4eY5c6dqI2atQ13n844gjMle6M-2B_2LS6YpOKK5v1hC3hPNIqJuCGr0R3ERWHRBNUFK2QApC_oB1IZicZ7i1RSaBzk87JsFfP-lVmpCFYc5pdNWJqxKrOuQmuAmoXoCMNOb8t/s1600/teacher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8GOaOyJ4eY5c6dqI2atQ13n844gjMle6M-2B_2LS6YpOKK5v1hC3hPNIqJuCGr0R3ERWHRBNUFK2QApC_oB1IZicZ7i1RSaBzk87JsFfP-lVmpCFYc5pdNWJqxKrOuQmuAmoXoCMNOb8t/s400/teacher.jpg" width="400" yda="true" /></a></div><div align="left">A friend of mine posted this picture on Facebook the other day, and it left me giggling (although I prefer to think I'm more like Michelle Pfeiffer in <em>Dangerous Minds</em> than Robin Williams). </div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">It also made me remember a really good blog I read a while back from a teacher in Kansas. </div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">It's too good NOT to share. Enjoy.</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div class="entry-content"><em>I’m going to step out of my usual third-person writing voice for a moment. As a parent I received a letter last week from the Kansas State Board of Education, informing me that my children’s school district had been placed on “improvement” status for failing to meet “adequate yearly progress” under the No Child Left Behind law.</em><br />
<br />
<em>I thought it ironic that our schools were judged inadequate by people who haven’t set foot in them, so I wrote a </em><a href="http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/aug/27/offensive-letter/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;"><em>letter</em></span></a><em> to my local newspaper. Predictably, my letter elicited a deluge of comments in the paper’s online forum. Many remarks came from armchair educators and anti-teacher, anti-public school evangelists quick to discredit anything I had to say under the rationale of “he’s a teacher.” What could a teacher possibly know about education?</em><br />
<br />
<em>Countless arguments used to denigrate public school teachers begin with the phrase “in what other profession….” and conclude with practically anything the anti-teacher pundits find offensive about public education. Due process and collective bargaining are favorite targets, as are the erroneous but tightly held beliefs that teachers are </em><a href="http://www.examiner.com/k-12-in-topeka/teachers-overpaid-and-under-worked-part-one-benefits-to-bad-stuff-ratio" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;"><em>under-worked, over-paid</em></span></a><em> (earning </em><a href="http://www.edexcellence.net/flypaper/index.php/2010/05/senioritis/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;"><em>million-dollar pensions</em></span></a><em>), and not accountable for anything.</em><br />
<br />
<em>In what other profession, indeed.</em><br />
<br />
<em>In what other profession are the licensed professionals considered the LEAST knowledgeable about the job? You seldom if ever hear “that guy couldn’t possibly know a thing about law enforcement – he’s a police officer”, or “she can’t be trusted talking about fire safety – she’s a firefighter.” </em><br />
<br />
<em>In what other profession is experience viewed as a liability rather than an asset? You won’t find a contractor advertising “choose me – I’ve never done this before”, and your doctor won’t recommend a surgeon on the basis of her “having very little experience with the procedure”. </em><br />
<br />
<br />
<em>In what other profession is the desire for competitive salary viewed as proof of callous indifference towards the job? You won’t hear many say “that lawyer charges a lot of money, she obviously doesn’t care about her clients”, or “that coach earns millions – clearly he doesn’t care about the team.” </em><br />
<br />
<em>But look around. You’ll find droves of armchair educators who summarily dismiss any statement about education when it comes from a teacher. Likewise, it’s easy to find politicians, pundits, and profiteers who refer to our veteran teachers as </em><a href="http://www.edexcellence.net/flypaper/index.php/2010/05/senioritis/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;"><em>ineffective, overpriced “dead wood”</em></span></a><em>. Only the rookies could possibly be any good, or worth the </em><a href="http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/applicant_recipients/eligibility.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;"><em>food-stamp-eligible</em></span></a><em> starting salaries we pay them.</em><br />
<br />
<em>And if teachers dare ask for a raise, this is taken by many as clear evidence that teachers don’t give a porcupine’s posterior about kids. In fact, some say if teachers really cared about their students they would </em><a href="http://www.edexcellence.net/flypaper/index.php/2010/05/senioritis/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;"><em>insist on earning LESS money</em></span></a><em>. </em><br />
<br />
<em>If that entire attitude weren’t bad enough, what other profession is legally held to PERFECTION by 2014? Are police required to eliminate all crime? Are firefighters required to eliminate all fires? Are </em><a href="http://www.examiner.com/k-12-in-topeka/we-must-fire-bad-doctors" target="_blank"><span style="color: #336699;"><em>doctors</em></span></a><em> required to cure all patients? Are lawyers required to win all cases? Are coaches required to win all games? Of course they aren’t.</em><br />
<br />
<em>For no other profession do so many outsiders refuse to accept the realities of an imperfect world. Crime happens. Fire happens. Illness happens. As for lawyers and coaches, where there’s a winner there must also be a loser. People accept all these realities, until they apply to public education.</em><br />
<br />
<em>If a poverty-stricken, drug-addled meth-cooker burns down his house, suffers third degree burns, and then goes to jail; we don’t blame the police, fire department, doctors, and defense attorneys for his predicament. But if that kid doesn’t graduate high school, it’s clearly the teacher’s fault.</em><br />
<br />
<em>And if someone – anyone - tries to tell you otherwise; don’t listen. He must be a teacher.</em></div>Brilliantly Blondehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16261281459696781673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-565914513013018230.post-13582356142671656662012-02-19T19:02:00.000-06:002012-02-19T19:02:22.061-06:00Sunday Stealing: The 99'er Meme - the Final Part<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Cheers to all of us thieves!</b></div><br />
76) In your opinion, what makes a great relationship?<br />
Laughter, trust, and bail money.<br />
<br />
77) How did/could someone win your heart?<br />
Chocolate, flowers, Dave Matthews music, and Ugg boots!<br />
<br />
78) In your world, what brings on more creativity?<br />
I'm a pretty creative person, and most of my inspiration comes from completely random things.<br />
<br />
79) What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far?<br />
Finishing college<br />
<br />
80) Why did you break up with your last ex?<br />
We despised one another<br />
<br />
81) What would you want to be written on your tombstone?<br />
My name, I guess???<br />
<br />
82) What is your favorite word?<br />
Crimeany!<br />
<br />
83) Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word: delusional.<br />
mother<br />
<br />
84) What is a saying you use a lot?<br />
No more photos, please!<br />
<br />
85) Are you watching Idol this season? If yes, how do you like it?<br />
Are you kidding me?? The Kardashians are going through a crisis. Who has time for idol?<br />
<br />
86) Were you surprised that House got canceled?<br />
Not at all. It was the same show every week with different patients.<br />
<br />
87) What is your current desktop picture?<br />
Myself with a Roman gladiator - taken in Rome circa 2008.<br />
<br />
88) If you could press a button and make anyone in the world instantaneously explode, who would it be?<br />
Tim Tebow<br />
<br />
89) What would be a question where you'd not tell the truth?<br />
This one....<br />
<br />
90) One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find that you are surrounded by WEEPING ANGELS. The Weeping Angles aren't really doing anything, they're just standing around your bed. What would you do?<br />
Offer them a tissue and some chocolate?<br />
<br />
91) You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what's even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What is that power?<br />
I'm pretty much all-powerful already, but if they could give me the ability to pick the powerball numbers, that would be cool.<br />
<br />
92) You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again? <br />
I really have no idea. Well, i do, but it's too personal for the net.<br />
<br />
93) You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?<br />
My first marriage<br />
<br />
94) You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. (let's say that you are both single and available) Who might it be?<br />
Brad Paisley?? Not really sure.<br />
<br />
95) You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go?<br />
Somewhere warm, peaceful, and rum-filled<br />
<br />
96) Do you have any relatives or friends in jail?<br />
Who doesn't?<br />
<br />
97) Who's winning the U.S. Republican presidential nomination? Why?<br />
Ron Paul?? Not really sure. I don't keep up with this crap until it gets closer to the election.<br />
<br />
98) Who's winning the next U.S. Presidential election?<br />
Whoever gets the most votes.<br />
<br />
99) If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say?<br />
Don't do the final part of the 99'er Meme...it's pretty dumb.Brilliantly Blondehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16261281459696781673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-565914513013018230.post-7867901842302288052012-02-12T09:57:00.000-06:002012-02-12T09:57:08.721-06:00The 99'er Meme: Part 3<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Cheers to all us theives!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">51) Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have done you wrong?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Sometimes...<br />
<br />
52) What is your astrological sign?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Pieces<br />
<br />
53) Do you save money for anything? What?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I am horrible at saving money. If I have it, I spend it.<br />
<br />
54) What's the last thing you purchased?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Jewelry<br />
<br />
55) Have you ever had a relationship that you realized was lust not love? </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">What?? Never!!<br />
<br />
56) In a relationship?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">With my shoes.<br />
<br />
57) How many relationships have you had?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Why do we keep dwelling on how many shoes I own?<br />
<br />
58) What do you want to tell us about your day?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There will be no "funday" in my Sunday, that's for sure.<br />
<br />
59) Where were you yesterday?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">At home, hosting a jewelry party<br />
<br />
60) Is there anything interesting within 10 feet of you?<br />
A lazy cat.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
61) Are you wearing socks right now?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Yes...I have hardwood floors, so socks are required.<br />
<br />
62) What's your favorite animal?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">My students.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">63) What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">If they aren't won-over by my sensational looks, I usually get them with my adorable dimples and sparkling personality.<br />
<br />
64) Where is your best friend?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Why? Did someome let him out of the kitchen?<br />
<br />
65) How did you end your last relationship end?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Signing divorce papers.<br />
<br />
66) What is your heritage?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Um, not really sure. My mom is a card-carrying indian. I'm pretty sure I'm just a mutt.<br />
<br />
67) What were you doing last night at 12 AM?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Mourning the death of Whitney by torturing my children with my stellar version of "I will always love you." Oh, and whining because I'm missing Mardi Gras.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
68) What's new?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The rug on our living room floor.<br />
<br />
69) What is the key to seduction?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Salt, lime, 1 oz tequila.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
70) What was the weirdest thing that happened to you this week??</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Getting tons of free school supplies from Wal-Mart...<br />
<br />
71) You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">RIP Fluffy<br />
<br />
72) You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">D- None of the above<br />
<br />
73) You can only have one of these things: trust or love.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Trust<br />
<br />
74) What's a song that always makes you happy when you hear it?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">If you're happy and you know it... <br />
<br />
75) Who has your cell phone number (other than family)?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Apparently, every car salesman in a 120-mile radius.</div></div>Brilliantly Blondehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16261281459696781673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-565914513013018230.post-38498797201470587132012-02-05T15:31:00.000-06:002012-02-05T15:31:23.775-06:00Sunday Stealing: The 99'er Meme Part Two<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">26) Are you happy with the person you've become?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There's always room for improvement...not much, but a little.<br />
<br />
27) What's a sound you hate; sound you love?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Hate- alarm clock</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Love- 3:00 bell on May 26th<br />
<br />
28) What's your biggest "what if"?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">What if I wasn't so ridiculously fun?<br />
<br />
29) Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Ghosts - yes. Aliens no...although I think I may live with a couple.<br />
<br />
30) Stick your right arm out; what do you touch first? Do the same with your left arm.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">right arm- Dawson...left arm - nothing.<br />
<br />
31) Smell the air. What do you smell?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Cinnamon stick Scentsy!!! YUM!<br />
<br />
32) What's the worst place you have ever been to?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">It's a toss-up...either Detriot, Michigan, or divorce court.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
33) Choose: East Coast or West Coast?<br />
Never been to the West, so I'll have to say East!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
34) Most attractive singer of your opposite gender?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Enrique!! He's yummier than the Scentsy!<br />
<br />
35) To you, what is the meaning of life?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I'll have to get back to you on that one.<br />
<br />
36) Define: Art.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Anything that makes you stop and think twice...<br />
<br />
37) Do you believe in luck?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Just the bad kind.<br />
<br />
38) Patriots or Giants? Or, who gives a rat's ass?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Giants. Tom Brady is the devil.<br />
<br />
39) Will you watch the game? If yes, with who?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Yes - we're having our fifth annual "Junior Super Bowl Party"...we'll be watching with eight wild little boys!<br />
<br />
40) Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">It seems like we've covered this before. Yes, I drive. Yes, I've been in multiple wrecks.<br />
<br />
41) What was the last book you read?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Night Road by Kristin Hannah. There's a book review a few blogs back.<br />
<br />
42) Do you like the smell of gasoline?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Absurdly, a little.<br />
<br />
43) Do you have any nicknames?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Famous Amos</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Amy Jo (which I despise)</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Princess of Everything<br />
<br />
44) What was the last movie you saw?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The Change-Up...freaking HYSTERICAL!! The first 30 seconds in and I was already rolling.<br />
<br />
45) What's the worst injury you've ever had?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I broke my elbow when I was little, and my brother once tried to bash my head in with a boulder. Other than that, probably the three times I've broken my nose.<br />
<br />
46) Have you ever caught a butterfly?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Yes...the little darling became the inspiration for my tramp-stamp.<br />
<br />
47) Do you have any obsessions right now?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">BOOKS!! Always books!<br />
<br />
48) What's your sexual orientation?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Straight.<br />
<br />
49) Ever had a rumor spread about you?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Of course.<br />
<br />
50) Do you believe in magic?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Not really...but I do believe in fairies!!</div>Brilliantly Blondehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16261281459696781673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-565914513013018230.post-18816806068695454072012-02-04T15:21:00.000-06:002012-02-04T15:21:50.370-06:00Book Review: On The Island by Tracy Garvis-Graves<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjasYQLu3owaZinJhEswALG_iJkibXnIryOsInyaxMtNV6YOhXUZb95gBw9MSFLuyBaPotA3ztvMk_Z6anjCy0-JLTaT0aB_9OCt87LBV7jo-M5kmt04Oe3nfxgkkqbK5aiVBMtqlVVP3Bz/s1600/on+the+island.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjasYQLu3owaZinJhEswALG_iJkibXnIryOsInyaxMtNV6YOhXUZb95gBw9MSFLuyBaPotA3ztvMk_Z6anjCy0-JLTaT0aB_9OCt87LBV7jo-M5kmt04Oe3nfxgkkqbK5aiVBMtqlVVP3Bz/s320/on+the+island.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>A friend recommended this book a couple of weeks back, and I wasn't really intersted. However, when she said the author was married to a Woodward boy, I was intrigued (although I never was able to confirm/deny). I bought the book on my Kindle for $2.99, and set-out for a three-hour tour...<br />
<br />
From the cover:<br />
<span id="freeText5835062485722763670"><em>When thirty-year-old English teacher Anna Emerson is offered a job tutoring T.J. Callahan at his family's summer rental in the Maldives, she accepts without hesitation; a working vacation on a tropical island trumps the library any day. T.J. Callahan has no desire to leave town, not that anyone asked him. He's almost seventeen and if having cancer wasn't bad enough, now he has to spend his first summer in remission with his family - and a stack of overdue assignments - instead of his friends. Anna and T.J. are en route to join T.J.'s family in the Maldives when the pilot of their seaplane suffers a fatal heart attack and crash-lands in the Indian Ocean. Adrift in shark-infested waters, their life jackets keep them afloat until they make it to the shore of an uninhabited island. Now Anna and T.J. just want to survive and they must work together to obtain water, food, fire, and shelter. Their basic needs might be met but as the days turn to weeks, and then months, the castaways encounter plenty of other obstacles, including violent tropical storms, the many dangers lurking in the sea, and the possibility that T.J.'s cancer could return. As T.J. celebrates yet another birthday on the island, Anna begins to wonder if the biggest challenge of all might be living with a boy who is gradually becoming a man.</em></span><br />
<br />
<span>For me, this book was a cross between the movies <u>Castaway</u> and <u>The Blue Lagoon</u>, except the leading lady isn't a teenager - she's a 30 year-old English teacher/tutor for a teenage boy recovering from cancer. I have to admit, the author doesn't waste any time delving into Anna and TJ's story, which is probably what kept me reading. Within the first few pages, the plane crashes and they're instantly in a battle for survival, and the action never ends. </span><br />
<br />
<span>I found myself in a real love/hate relationship with this book. The story was fascinating, fast-paced, and suspenseful...all fabulous qualities in a tale. However - and I don't think I'm really giving anything away here- I really struggled with the physical relationship and intimacy between Anna and TJ, and it made me feel very uncomfortable. The author carefully avoids the relationship until TJ is of "legal" age, but it still just kind of made me feel icky. Probably because I'm a teacher, and I work with kids all day, but I just had a hard time seeing past TJ being her "student," which grossed me out. </span><br />
<br />
<span>Despite all this discomfort, I couldn't put the book down. I devoured the book in less than three days, completely absorbed with the story and where it would go. There were some aspects of the book that I found far-fetched (a boy recovering from cancer can survive for years on a deserted island with no medical assistance?), but I simply couldn't stop reading until I reached the story's end. I completely expected it to be a typical couple-on-the-deserted-island tale, predictable and overused, but the author threw-in some pretty unexpected curveballs that kept me turning the pages.</span><br />
<br />
<span>I wouldn't recommend this book for my teacher friends - except maybe just to open a voracious debate on ethics - but I would totally share it with the hopeless romantics out there!!</span>Brilliantly Blondehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16261281459696781673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-565914513013018230.post-3487239441268214492012-01-29T20:46:00.000-06:002012-01-29T20:46:50.870-06:00Book Review: Night Road by Kristin Hannah<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtCrJVveRE20NXVDxqc6amDeurtypJhWy_EK_eMfz62WCq58m_8a8fEojFU3yS-kndD0gpackEo6gzDM6BoGBn-9vfJuQ4gmHOkGiUd43Gfy-YS7vLJ4wsw6SO1JlfbExZlMoCeqM_0M2/s1600/night+road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtCrJVveRE20NXVDxqc6amDeurtypJhWy_EK_eMfz62WCq58m_8a8fEojFU3yS-kndD0gpackEo6gzDM6BoGBn-9vfJuQ4gmHOkGiUd43Gfy-YS7vLJ4wsw6SO1JlfbExZlMoCeqM_0M2/s320/night+road.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>I just finished reading <u>Night Road</u>, a novel I wanted to purchase at our school book fair last week, but decided to download on my Kindle Friday afternoon, as I was out of reading material for the weekend. <br />
<br />
From the cover: <em>For eighteen years, Jude Farraday has put her childrens needs above her own, and it shows - her twins, Mia and Zach, are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill moves into their small, close-knit community, no one is more welcoming than Jude. Lexi, a former foster child with a dark past, quickly becomes Mias best friend. Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable. Jude does everything to keep her kids on track for college and out of harms way. It has always been easy - until senior year of high school. Suddenly she is at a loss. Nothing feels safe anymore; every time Mia and Zach leave the house, she worries about them. On a hot summers night her worst fears are realized. One decision will change the course of their lives. In the blink of an eye, the Farraday family will be torn apart and Lexi will lose everything. In the years that follow, each must face the consequences of that single night and find a way to forget... or the courage to forgive.Vivid, universal, and emotionally complex, Night Road raises profound questions about motherhood, identity, love, and forgiveness. It is a luminous, heartbreaking novel that captures both the exquisite pain of loss and the stunning power of hope. This is Kristin Hannah at her very best, telling an unforgettable story about the longing for family, the resilience of the human heart, and the courage it takes to forgive the people we love.</em><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have to say, this book is by far one of the best I've read in quite some time. The characters were bright and believable, and the story held me completely captivated from Friday afternoon all the way until Saturday evening. I would have finished it much earlier, but I had to put it down a few times to attend my son's basketball tournament! The story is told from three points-of-view, which makes it a little different from the typical first-person narration. Throughout the course of the novel, I found myself moved from laughter to tears on more than one occasion, as my heart broke time and again for Lexi and her seemingly hopeless situation. I was angered at Jude for her controlling nature, her bitterness, and for abadoning her family when they needed her the most, and I completely empathized with Mia- the awkward, book-loving, Disney-singing teen in a tutu and Converse All-Stars. Unfortunately, I didn't feel like Hannah developed Zach- the character at the center of the plot, which made it hard to connect to his emotions or his part in the novel. I wanted to know what he was thinking, what he was feeling, and what it was he <em>really</em> wanted.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If I had to pick something that I didn't like about the novel, it would be Jude's relationship (or lack thereof) with her mother. I was really hoping after all the tragedy and heartbreak, she would reach out more to her mother, reconnecting and rediscovering the love that had been lost. I wanted Jude to come full circle in her role as both mother and daughter, and was disappointed when the novel ended with just a hint of a reconnection between the two.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Overall, I absolutely loved this story, and I'd highly recommend it to the majority of my book-loving friends. I haven't checked yet to see if it's lendable or not, but I do know its available at our middle school book fair!</div>Brilliantly Blondehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16261281459696781673noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-565914513013018230.post-25749317454717307382012-01-29T16:48:00.000-06:002012-01-29T16:48:22.619-06:00Sunday Stealing: The 99'er Meme Part One<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cheers to all of us thieves!</span></b></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1) Put your iTunes on shuffle. Give me the first 6 songs that pop up.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1. Give Me Everything by Pitbull</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">2. Dirt Road Anthem by Jason Aldean</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">3. Piano Man by Billy Joel</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">4. California King Bed by Rhianna</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">5. Born This Way by Lady Gaga</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">6. Red Solo Cup by Toby Keith</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2) If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mark Teixeira<br />
<br />
3) Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Mia began talking slowly, stumbling over her words, but when she started talking about Heathcliff, she kind of took flight."</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">- Night Road by Kristin Hannah<br />
<br />
4) What do you think about most?</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Things that I should be doing.<br />
<br />
5) What does your latest text message from someone else say?</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Ha ha ha" from Chelsea Roberts<br />
<br />
6) Do you sleep with or without clothes on?</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jammies!<br />
<br />
7) What's your strangest talent?</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have a ridiculously precise memory...and I can bend my thumb backward.<br />
<br />
8) Women.... (finish the sentence); Men.... (finish the sentence)</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Women need shoes. Men should buy women shoes.<br />
<br />
9) Ever had a poem or song written about you?</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Only one song that I know of, and it was pretty cheesey. One brief poem...</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Amy, Amy, Amy,</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Won't you lay-me, lay-me, lay-me.<br />
<br />
10) When is the last time you played the air guitar?</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In class on Friday...right before I sang a verse of the milkshake song. Don't ask.<br />
<br />
11) Do you have any strange phobias?</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Crunchy bugs. Can't stand them. This includes, but is not limited to: grasshoppers, locusts, and june bugs.<br />
<br />
12) Ever stuck a foreign object up your nose?<br />
A tampoon once..to stop a nosebleed. It's amazing how effective they are!</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">13) What's your religion?</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Christian<br />
<br />
14) If you are outside, what are you most likely doing?</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sitting on the sand, sipping a cold one.<br />
<br />
15) Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it?</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Behind. I am NOT photogenic!<br />
<br />
16) Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band?</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">U2<br />
<br />
17) What was the last lie you told?</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Not really sure...I'll have to think about that one.<br />
<br />
18) Do you believe in karma?</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">No, I just generally believe in really bad luck.<br />
<br />
19) What does your URL mean?</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It's pretty self-explanatory.<br />
<br />
20) What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength?<br />
Greatest weakness - lack of patience</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Greatest strength - I'm a really good speller??</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">21) Who is your celebrity crush?</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Must we continue to go there??? Chris Pine<br />
<br />
22) Have you ever gone skinny dipping?<br />
Yep.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">23) How do you vent your anger?</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Usually by eating or popping a couple of extra wellbutrin!<br />
<br />
24) Do you have a collection of anything?</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have a huge collection of worthless jewelry, books, Tinkerbell things, shoes, and Hello Kitty items. I also am a bit of a gizmo-hoarder!<br />
<br />
25) Do you prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online?</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ugh, neither. Texting is the only way to go!</span></div>Brilliantly Blondehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16261281459696781673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-565914513013018230.post-58755190986275646862012-01-22T19:25:00.000-06:002012-01-22T19:25:29.184-06:00So Long, Brown-Eyed GirlIt's been a pretty sad weekend in the Whitewater household, as we had to say good-bye to our smallest family member, our 8 year-old lab mix, Shanti. My husband rescued Shanti from the pound when she was about seven months old, and she's been with us every since. We actually adopted her the week before we moved into our current house, so to not have her here is going to be a huge adjustment for us. <br />
<br />
We're not really sure what happened - I came home Friday afternoon to find that she'd had an accident in the house (which NEVER happens), and she was extremely lethargic. We made a rush trip to the vet's office and were told she had some type of infection and that "something" was attacking and destroying her red blood cells...a life-threatening situation. After some of shots, instructions to keep her fed and hydrated, a couple of bottles of antibiotics, and instructions to have her back at the office first thing Monday morning for a transfusion, we headed home. She was lethargic, but functional Friday night, but by Saturday morning, it was obvious her condition was deteriorating quickly. She would't eat or drink, and she didn't have the strength to get up and move about. Needless to say, it was a long, heartbreaking day, and despite our best attempts to keep her going until Monday, we lost her that evening. <br />
<br />
I'm usually annoyed with people who treat their pets like children (or often better than their children), and we didn't treat Shanti that way. She was our beloved pet - a member of our family- and we loved her as such. Despite her large size, she was an indoor dog and we took her with us whenever we could. She had a darling, sweet, loving, gentle disposition that I cannot imagine ever finding in another creature - or in another human to be quite honest. The little beast was able to turn even my cold, cynical, sarcastic heart to mush over the past few years. She loved us completely, totally, and unconditionally.<br />
<br />
They don't write obituaries for dogs, but maybe they should. In any case, this is my blog, and I think she deserves at least a paragraph or two...<br />
<br />
<div align="center">Shanti Alan Whitewater</div><div align="center">2003-2012</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-99XTwWw7W8bbywlUhM4OWEAtKW9fs6_RcLKOzsQVZduD5XHnIy-ZPL2JoR8T3mVhvzxLKcSvJf3czf-SjB9rtmjnNVOlXh4gThOFEjxpofg2q-AlYiVt8fTQNw7nYp57XUewVZ16pD1/s1600/shanti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-99XTwWw7W8bbywlUhM4OWEAtKW9fs6_RcLKOzsQVZduD5XHnIy-ZPL2JoR8T3mVhvzxLKcSvJf3czf-SjB9rtmjnNVOlXh4gThOFEjxpofg2q-AlYiVt8fTQNw7nYp57XUewVZ16pD1/s320/shanti.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Shanti was the very beloved pet of the Whitewater family. Adopted from the pound at less than a year old, she lived with her people all her life, chasing squirrels and digging holes in the backyard. Shanti was loved by everyone who met her - at the soccer games, kids flocked to her to rub her ears or to feed her Twinkies. When children came over to play, she was happy to indulge them in a game of tug-of-war, or to show-off her array of fabulous tricks. She helped in the kitchen by cleaning-up all the leftovers, and she served as "guard dog" for the home when Clint was working overnights. She even accompanied me to school several evenings when I was afraid to be there alone...although I had to lure her up and back down the stairs with treats! Shanti loved to go to the lake, camping with her family, walking around the neighborhood, and riding in the Jeep with the top down and her tongue flopping about. She greeted everyone at the door with a friendly body-wag (it was impossible for her to JUST wag her tail), and she even managed to capture the heart of the neighborhood mailman. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Shanti was the mother of 27 puppies, protector and friend to Dylan and Dawson, and the brown-eyed baby girl for Clint and myself. The last thing she did completely on her own was to follow us to bed Friday evening so that she could spend one last night by our side. We shared eight precious years with her, and our lives are better for having had her with us. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, it's time to say so long to my brown-eyed girl. You have taken a huge piece of hearts with you, and our lives won't be the same without you. I hope you are somewhere in Heaven chowing on a gigantic chew bone and tormenting those pesky squirrels who annoyed you so much. We love you and will miss you always.</div><div align="center"></div>Brilliantly Blondehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16261281459696781673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-565914513013018230.post-61283847604136270282012-01-22T13:47:00.000-06:002012-01-22T13:47:15.231-06:00The Never Ending Meme - Ends!<strong>Cheers to all of us thieves!<br />
</strong>36. Have you watched <b><i>American Horror Story</i></b>? <br />
Not necessary, I teach middle school. I live it every day.<br />
<br />
37. Baseball hat or toque? <br />
Baseball hat.<br />
<br />
38. Do you shampoo or soap up first in the shower? <br />
Shampoo<br />
<br />
39. Wet the toothbrush or brush dry with the toothpaste? <br />
Ugh, wet is always better.<br />
<br />
40. Pen or pencil?<br />
Pen - in pink, of course.<br />
<br />
41. Have you ever gambled at a casino?<br />
Absolutely...but only on the nickel machines. I hate to lose money.<br />
<br />
42. Have you thrown up on a plane? <br />
Ugh, no.<br />
<br />
43. Have you thrown up in a car? <br />
On a car...<br />
<br />
44. Have you thrown up at work? <br />
Yes, and I don't recommend it. They called me "Patty Puker" for a week.<br />
<br />
45. Do you scream on roller coasters? <br />
Sometimes.<br />
<br />
46. How many shoes do you have? <br />
Now you just sound like my husband!<br />
<br />
47. Who was your first roommate? <br />
Some crazy Catholic school chick from Ponca City who went bat sh*t crazy when she got to college.<br />
<br />
48. What alcoholic beverage did you drink when you got drunk for the first time?<br />
Champagne...and I don't recommend it.<br />
<br />
49. What was your first job? <br />
Babysitting.<br />
<br />
50. What was your first car? <br />
A wretched blue Ford Mustang...ah, the memories!!<br />
<br />
51. When did you go to your first funeral? <br />
When I was very little. I don't remember much about it.<br />
<br />
52. How old were you when you first moved away from your hometown? <br />
18!! Moved to college at OU.<br />
<br />
53. Who was your first grade teacher? <br />
Mrs. Lynch. She made us say the Lord's Prayer every day. I wonder how that would go over these days?<br />
<br />
54. Where did you go on your first airplane ride? <br />
Madison, Wisconsin!!<br />
<br />
55. When you snuck out of your house for the first time, who was it with? <br />
I'm going to plead the fifth on this one.<br />
<br />
56. Who was your first best friend and are you still friends with them? <br />
Ashley Elwood was my first BFF. We aren't close, but we still see each other every now and then. Her dad and mine work together, and our families are friends.<br />
<br />
57. Where did you live the first time you moved out of your parents’ house? <br />
1024 East Walker Tower....at THE University of Oklahoma!<br />
<br />
58. Who is the first person you call when you have a bad day? <br />
My husband...because he loves to listen to me whine. Unless of course it's his fault my day is bad...then I rant about it on Facebook!!<br />
<br />
59. Whose wedding were you in the first time you were a bridesmaid or a groomsmen? <br />
I was a bridesmaid in my cousin's wedding when I was 25.<br />
<br />
60. What is the first thing you do in the morning? <br />
Weigh myself...and then cry.<br />
<br />
61. What was the first concert you attended? <br />
Sammy Hagar!!<br />
<br />
62. First tattoo or piercing? <br />
Had my ears pierced the first time when I was about five (I think)...first tattoo at 27.<br />
<br />
63. First celebrity crush? <br />
Ricky Schroeder!! Loved Silver Spoons!! :)Brilliantly Blondehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16261281459696781673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-565914513013018230.post-49862762216805328992012-01-15T15:25:00.000-06:002012-01-15T15:25:26.032-06:00The Never Ending Meme - Part 2A certain blogger friend has been nagging at me because I've all but let my blog die since school started, so I figured I'd jump right back in with something easy - Sunday Stealing!! <br />
<br />
Cheers to us thieves!!<br />
<br />
21. Did you go to your high school prom? <br />
Mine and those of several other people. I think four or five in total.<br />
<br />
22. Perfect time to wake up? <br />
Just after the husband has cooked breakfast!<br />
<br />
23. Perfect time to go to bed? <br />
Right after finishing a good chapter in an excellent book!<br />
<br />
24. Do you use your queen right away in chess? <br />
You're joking, right?? I've never played a game of chess in my life. I can hardly win at tic-tac-toe. Besides, queens are for drag shows.<br />
<br />
25. Ever been in a car accident? <br />
More than I care to remember. I was actually in one with the aforementioned blogger friend...<br />
<br />
26. Closer to mom or dad…or neither? <br />
Both in different ways.<br />
<br />
27. What age is this exciting life over for you? <br />
My life is exciting?<br />
<br />
28. What decade during the 20th century would you have chosen to be a teenager?<br />
I was a teen during the late 80's/early 90's, which was pretty grand. I can't imagine being a teenager without enormous shoulder pads, hoop earrings, and Doc Marten boots.<br />
<br />
29. Favorite shoes you have EVER owned? <br />
I love all my shoes equally. How dare you suggest I love any one pair more than the others. Scandalous.<br />
<br />
30. Do you have an article of clothing you have had since you were in high school? <br />
I still have some Re Dinks shirts...maybe a Cats shirt that I got when I was a junior, and a homecoming t-shirt from 1992!<br />
<br />
31. Were you in track and field? <br />
Track and field ranks right up there with chess in my book. Pointless.<br />
<br />
32. Were you ever in a school talent show?<br />
Not as a student. I did perform as Snooki at the Fall Follies this past November. A priceless performance if I do say so myself. I was very Jerseylicious.<br />
<br />
33. Have you ever written in a library book?<br />
I've never written in one, but once when I was little I decided the illustrations in one weren't good enough, so I gave it a crayola-crayon makeover.<br />
<br />
34. Allergic to?<br />
Penicillin and conservatives.<br />
<br />
35. Favorite fruit? <br />
My friend, David.Brilliantly Blondehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16261281459696781673noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-565914513013018230.post-22894851736555979002011-08-28T21:02:00.000-05:002011-08-28T21:02:56.054-05:00Sunday Stealing! The 20 Question Meme<!-- google_ad_section_start(name=default) --><br />
<div class="date-outer" closure_uid_sf3gyi="19"><h2 class="date-header"><b>Cheers to all of us thieves!</b><br />
<br />
1. What's for breakfast?</h2><h2 class="date-header">Vanilla-almond Special K!<br />
<br />
2. Do you read a newspaper daily? <br />
Online, usually.</h2><h2 class="date-header">3. What do you do when you can't sleep?</h2><h2 class="date-header">Read or take an ambien...or both!<br />
<br />
4. Say a word that sums up your mood. <br />
Blech.</h2><h2 class="date-header">5. Do you remember your dreams?<br />
Usually I remember bits and pieces. However, I do remember those from last night, and they were BIZARRE!!</h2><h2 class="date-header">6. Name something from your dream last night.</h2><h2 class="date-header">Oh, lord. Can I change my answer from #5 and pretend I don't remember?? <br />
<br />
7. Name a food that describes you. <br />
Spicy salsa!</h2><h2 class="date-header">8. Today you are wearing:<br />
OU t-shirt and gym shorts...it's laundry day!</h2><h2 class="date-header">9. What's in your pockets?<br />
No pockets in the gym shorts!</h2><h2 class="date-header">10. Did you sing in the shower today?<br />
Um, no. But the carhop at Sonic did catch me belting-out some Adele!</h2><h2 class="date-header">11. What's the last song you heard? <br />
You and I by Lady Gaga!</h2><h2 class="date-header">12. Looking forward to the holidays? <br />
Always!</h2><h2 class="date-header">13. Where do you want to be this instant?<br />
Someplace cool with drinks and Billy Joel music.</h2><h2 class="date-header">14. What's for lunch? <br />
McDonald's!</h2><h2 class="date-header">15. What's something you would like to do soon? <br />
Revive my blog!</h2><h2 class="date-header">16. Reading anything now? What is it? <br />
I'm in-between novels right now!</h2><h2 class="date-header">17. What's for dinner? <br />
Ribs</h2><h2 class="date-header">18. A favorite part of the day is: <br />
Coming home to my boys after school!</h2><h2 class="date-header">19. Are you happy? <br />
Heck, yes!</h2><h2 class="date-header">20. Guess how many people will do Sunday Stealing this weekend?<br />
Um, zero that I follow!</h2></div>Brilliantly Blondehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16261281459696781673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-565914513013018230.post-4965912120039273402011-07-10T12:26:00.000-05:002011-07-10T12:26:22.452-05:00No one likes a cheater...but I'm pretty sure no one likes the tests, either!(re-printed from It's Not All Flowers and Sausages)<br />
<br />
<div class="date-outer" closure_uid_ulz8hh="29" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; left: 1px; margin: 0px; position: relative; top: 1px;"><div class="date-posts"><div class="post-outer"><div class="post hentry"><div class="post-header"><div class="post-header-line-1"></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/06/education/06atlanta.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=atlanta%20test%20scores%20cheating&st=cse"><span style="color: #298bd5;">This article</span></a> was sent to me via email today. In a nutshell, it discusses an investigation of the Atlanta public schools in which it was discovered there was rampant cheating on standardized tests. They say at least 178 teachers and principals, most of whom have confessed, were involved in the cheating. Here's a quote from the article, "A culture of fear, intimidation and retaliation existed in the district, which led to a conspiracy of silence, he said in a prepared statement. “There will be consequences,” Mr. Deal said." (Mr. Deal is the governor of Atlanta.) Consequences like dismissals and maybe criminal charges. And, if I may be so bold as to make a bit of a prediction here, teacher bashing. I mean, it's open season on us teachers lately, no?<br />
<br />
Granted, these people should not have been cheating. Cheating blows. I hate cheating. I hated dealing with cheating in my classroom. All the long discussions about losing gracefully and being a good sport and blah blah blah...which I totally know is beneficial but really I just wanted to say, "Cheating is a waste of time and energy and it always catches up to you, so just go sit over there and stop playing if you're going to ruin our fun." Whether it's little friends cheating at a math game to win, well, to win nothing, or adults cheating on standardized tests, I think we can all agree it's just wrong.<br />
<br />
But just like I had to squelch my desire to simply stick cheaters off to the side and deal with the larger problem, so do these adults responsible for educating Atlanta's youth. We can't just bash the teachers and the principals. (Although clearly many are tempted to grab flaming torches and beat us when we're down.) We have to look at the larger problem. What about this culture of fear that has been created for adults working in schools? What about this obsession with quantitative data and test scores and seemingly nothing else? What about all the studies that negate the usefulness of this data when it is abused as we so love abusing it today? What about <i>all that? </i><br />
<br />
As I sit here typing this blog, I'm almost sick of myself for just engaging in this debate. I am so sick of test scores. I am so sick of the blame. Most of all, I'm so sick of bitching about all of it. (Okay, I secretly love bitching about many things, but even I have my limits.) Instead of <i>continuing to talk and talk and talk </i>about test scores and graphs and standardized tests, why don't we just change the conversation? Yes, I mean us, we, teachers, THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY HAVE AN IMPACT ON CHILDREN EACH AND EVERY DAY...let's just change it. Stop talking about the tests. Yes, they exist. Yes, they are being abused. Yes, they are out of control. So let's just move on and talk about something else like how we want our classrooms to be run, what we want our little friends to get out of their time with us, what we feel are the true purposes of school and how we can achieve those.<br />
<br />
What do you think? Easier said than done? Has the pressure and fear consumed us all? </div></div></div></div></div>Brilliantly Blondehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16261281459696781673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-565914513013018230.post-44251182709423668092011-07-10T12:13:00.001-05:002011-07-10T12:20:09.526-05:00Sunday Stealing: The Plaid Hat Meme<strong>Cheers to all of us thieves!<br />
1. When showering, do you start the water and then get in, or get in then start the water? </strong><br />
Start the water, then get in.<br />
<br />
<strong>2. Have you ever showered with someone of the opposite sex? </strong><br />
Awkward question...but yes.<br />
<br />
<strong>3. Were you ever been forced to shower with one of your siblings?</strong><br />
No!! I have an older brother, so I'm pretty sure that would have been inappropriate.<br />
<br />
<strong>4. Have you ever dropped your soap on your foot? </strong><br />
Amongst other things...<br />
<br />
<strong>5. How old do people say you look? </strong><br />
They are usually pretty accurate - 25.<br />
<br />
<strong>6. How old do you act? </strong><br />
School-year-me is pretty old and boring.<br />
Summer-me is much more fun...<br />
<br />
<strong>7. What’s the last song you sang? </strong><br />
Rolling in the Deep by Adele. I rock that tune.<br />
<br />
<strong>8. Have you recently become a member of anything? </strong><br />
Summer Book Club!<br />
<br />
<strong>9. What are your plans for next weekend? </strong><br />
On Friday I am taking a good friend to the doctor in OKC. On Saturday, the hubs and I are taking the evil offspring to OKC for a long weekend. Movies, White Water, laser tag, horseback riding, etc.<br />
<br />
<strong>10. Do you kiss with your eyes open or closed? </strong>Closed<br />
<br />
<strong>11. Whats the sexiest thing about Sarah Palin? </strong><br />
Her absence.<br />
<br />
<strong>12. Who’s the sexiest famous woman alive? </strong><br />
Other than the one answering this blog?? Probably no one.<br />
<br />
<strong>13. Who’s the sexiest famous man alive? </strong><br />
Kevin Spacey, Mark Teixeira, Chris Pine, Justin Timberlake...I could name several.<br />
<br />
<strong>14. Does your family have a crazy uncle? </strong><br />
Not really in my family, but my husband's crew is full of nuts.<br />
<br />
<strong>15. Have you ever smuggled something into another country?</strong><br />
Not anything illegal.<br />
<br />
<strong>16. Do you live in a city with a good sports team? </strong><br />
Ha!! You're joking, right?? We have an awesome boys' basketball team, an incredible baseball team, and an undefeated 3rd/4th grade football team. Once you become an adult in Woodward, your athletic talents cease to exist.<br />
<br />
<strong>17. What is the most unusual?</strong><br />
I do not understand this question. Are you stoned?<br />
<br />
<strong>18. How do feel about the Goth people? </strong>They are goth-tastic. I wish I could wear that much eyeliner and not be called a trollop.<br />
<br />
<strong>19. Can you fix or your significant other your own car? </strong><br />
Of course I can. I drive it to the shop and write them a check. Problem fixed.<br />
<br />
<strong>20. Would you want to kill Casey Anthony yourself if you were guaranteed to get away with it? </strong><br />
No. I think the woman is guilty as hell, but I'd never kill someone.Brilliantly Blondehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16261281459696781673noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-565914513013018230.post-44381193782231039082011-07-07T01:06:00.000-05:002011-07-07T01:06:37.566-05:00360 Degrees Longitude - One Family's Journey Around the World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8CViiOiaILyGD01t6iNKSuVcGOEgfY0CHCj4nKibgjth1LmSMYLJm5xK1moXV14UVg-1AtNRCLIaYlgcZ0nD0gqLCUrhJwX8rfZ-EQoOI5EQFhkgu7nr-v2uQBbocR9to3VtOWIuk8wZI/s1600/360-degrees-longitude-review-full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8CViiOiaILyGD01t6iNKSuVcGOEgfY0CHCj4nKibgjth1LmSMYLJm5xK1moXV14UVg-1AtNRCLIaYlgcZ0nD0gqLCUrhJwX8rfZ-EQoOI5EQFhkgu7nr-v2uQBbocR9to3VtOWIuk8wZI/s400/360-degrees-longitude-review-full.jpg" width="258" /></a></div>I finished reading our latest book club selection a couple of weeks ago. 360 Degrees Longitude (345 pages) is a memoir of John Higham and his family during the year they spent traveling around the world. From the book cover:<br />
<br />
<i>After more than a decade of planning, John Higham and his wife September bid their high-tech jobs and suburban lives good-bye, packed up their home, and set out with their two children, ages eight and eleven, to travel around the world. In the course of the next 52 weeks, they crossed 24 time zones, visited 28 countries, and experienced a lifetime of adventures. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Making their way around the workd, the Highams discovered more than just different foods and cultures; they also learned such diverse things as a Chilean mall isn't the best place to get your ears pierced, and that elephants appreciate flowers just as much as the next person. But most importantly, they learned about each other, and just how much a family can weather if they do it together. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
While this wasn't a book I would have selected myself (I'm not a memoir kind of gal), I am glad that I read it. I am a travel enthusiast, and I was instantly intrigued with the idea of taking a year away from "life" to explore the globe. I was also curious about how this would work traveling with such young children. When we travel, we can barely make it to Seiling, OK (35 miles) without stopping for bathroom breaks, snacks, drinks, etc. I would NEVER consider even a cross-neighborhood bicycle ride with my children, much less one that would take me across several continents. I have to give it to the Highams, they have some cojones!!<br />
<br />
Unfortunately for me, this book doesn't hit the five-star mark. The most memorable aspect of the entire novel was the comedic tone and wit that emanates from the author's voice. Higham is remarkably humorous (who knew rocket scientists had a sense of humor?) and relates his tales with such hilarity that I frequently found myself laughing out loud. He weaves journals from his family members into his own narrative, providing the reader with a multi-dimensional view of the family's adventures. A true scientist, Higham utilizes Google Earth to provide the reader with an opportunity to share in his family's travels. By accessing Google Earth, the reader is able to locate each destination along the way, view photographs of every stop, and learn a little more about the world. While I thought this was an incredible concept, I was unable to get the application to work, and within 15 minutes of struggling with it, I lost interest and just wanted to read.<br />
<br />
Pinpointing exactly why I didn't care for the book is somewhat difficult. Obviously, it is a memoir, so there is no true conflict or climax, but I really found the book to drag on in places and to be a bit too repetitive. Travel, tour, pack, repeat. After a while, I found myself merely skimming the pages...blah, blah, blah. It just wasn't very <i>exciting</i>.<br />
<br />
I also found myself questioning the believability of the book. The children never seemed to bicker, the adults never required "alone time," and everything between Higham and his wife was just too.... perfect? At one point in the book, Higham becomes lost in a strange country, only to find that his wife has left signs posted all about town, giving him directions back to their hotel. Really? This was just a little too hard for me to swallow.<br />
<br />
What I did like about this book was that it validated my reasons for leading student travel groups. Higham clearly understands that reading about an event in a book or watching a Hollywood re-enactment simply does not compare to having your feet planted firmly on the ground where the event took place.<br />
<br />
<i>"We had been reading about the 1944 invasion as part of the kids' homework, but there was a difference between holding a book in your hand and walking in and through the bunkers, foxholes, and decrepit equipment. Even though more than six decades had passed, somehow there was an echo of the thundering bombs and a whiff of gunpowder that was palpable in the otherwise serene landscape." </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
All criticism aside, I applaud John and September (his wife) for their adventurous spirit. I cannot imagine walking away from my life for 365 days to circumnavigate the globe with my children. Given the opportunity to take on such a quest, I would have selected Paris, Rome, Berlin, Shanghai, Sydney, and Dublin. Sleeping in a tent and slumming it in third-world countries would <b>not</b> have happened, and I <b>never</b> would have left my children alone in aiports or sent them to the top of the Eiffel Tower <b>alone</b>! Obviously the Higham family has a hippie mentality that I have yet to embrace, but that is just fine with me!Brilliantly Blondehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16261281459696781673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-565914513013018230.post-72592286981524485102011-07-05T17:35:00.000-05:002011-07-05T17:35:59.827-05:00Kindle me this, Kindle me that...My name is Amy, and I am a book-aholic. Reading is my drug of choice. Simply entering a book store causes my heart to race, my palms to sweat, my mouth to water, and my ability to make rational decisions to completely fly out the door. My husband frequently jokes that if we lived in a larger city, he wouldn't have to worry about me staying out late at the clubs. He knows if I was out late he'd likely find me hidden-away in the corner of the neighborhood bookstore, latest novel in hand, eyes glazed-over and spittle forming at the corners of my mouth. Bookstore clerks would be my new BFF's, and new bookshelves would have to be erected in our home to store "my precious." He refers to my novels as my "boyfriends," and jokes that if we're ever hit by a tornado, they'll be able to find our house by the remaining pile of books. That's why I was shocked two years ago at Christmas when he bought me the latest e-reader, the Amazon Kindle.<br />
<br />
To be perfectly honest, I was skeptical about the Kindle. I'm a <em><u><strong>real</strong></u></em> "book-lover." It's not just the stories that I desire - it's the actual book. I love the smell of book glue, the crisp feel of the pages between my fingers, and the weight of the book in my hands. I relish the excitement of coming home, new book in hand, admiring the cover, and the anticipation of where the story will take me. I take pride in my vast personal library - a collection of books started when I was only fourteen! Could I really give all that up to read books <em>electronically??....</em><br />
<br />
Absolutely. I love my Kindle!! I honestly think it's the best gift my husband has ever given me, and I am constantly telling people how great it is. Personally, I think Amazon should put me on their payroll or give me a percentage of the sales, because I'm pretty sure I've convinced several doubtful people to purchase the Kindle in the past year or two!<br />
<br />
One of the main reasons the Kindle is so fabulous is because Kindle books are actually cheaper than the hard copies. For example, my book club is preparing to read the novel <em>Room</em> by Emma Donoghue. The Kindle version of the novel is priced at $9.99 (no shipping/handling necessary). As a new release, the hard copy ran $24.99 on Amazon.com, and that is before shipping and handling!! On this one book alone, a reader can save over $15!! Of course, you have to consider the purchase price of the device ($139.00). At this rate, the Kindle pays for itself after the purchase of about ten newly released novels, and then actual savings on the novels begins.<br />
<br />
For me, the best thing about the Kindle is that I have access to novels INSTANTLY!! I am a true night owl and something of an insomniac, so it's not unusual to find me up at two in the morning finishing my newest book. If this particular book happens to be part of a series, I want the sequel now! I live in a small town in northwest Oklahoma, so unless Wal-Mart happens to have it (and they usually don't), I'd have to order the book online and then wait on the USPS (aka the slowest delivery service known to mankind). With the Kindle, I simply access the Amazon store, select the book, and BOOM - there it is!! No postage, no waiting, no wasted gasoline, and I can buy the books without ever changing out of my pajamas or brushing my teeth!! Could anything be more perfect???<br />
<br />
The Kindle also gives me the advantage of having a new release the minute it drops. Last year, I pre-ordered Suzanne Collins' <em>Mockingjay, </em>the final book in the Hunger Games trilogy. I anxiously waited up the night of it's release and at midnight - SHAZAM!! There it was on my Kindle, ready to be devoured!! I had read the entire book by 5am, while my non-Kindle owning friends sadly waited nearly a week for their hard copies to be delivered (and they paid more than I did!) With the Kindle, gone are the days of hovering around the front of Wal-Mart in the middle of the night, waiting for the newest Harry Potter book, shoving-away small children, and visciously fighting the crowds just to get a copy! <br />
<br />
For Kindle owners, there are no lines, no snotty bookstore clerks telling you the book you want is old and out-of-stock, no waiting for packages that take an eternity to arrive, and no need to drive two hours to the closest bookstore! <br />
<br />
Of course, there are still those who argue that traditional books are better, and that is fine with me. Let them continue to enjoy their old-fashioned, hard copy books and their eight-track players.Brilliantly Blondehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16261281459696781673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-565914513013018230.post-80677694206843628662011-06-14T23:25:00.000-05:002011-06-14T23:25:40.995-05:00Book Review: The Peach Keeper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3dOQl6Ca3gfGzv33nUpS6TuQxdlGvhF1OJAxxTS-nuZjSmtY4vVw1HaS9Ew9jajA3qq4ccv5YZgWQTWX6PfRz7kmMW-jw3SziQjLi27tXzuYNX0FuYsqE1lpj3g_oeiepNH6RuX0UUX-7/s1600/The_Peach_Keeper_A_Novel-69464.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3dOQl6Ca3gfGzv33nUpS6TuQxdlGvhF1OJAxxTS-nuZjSmtY4vVw1HaS9Ew9jajA3qq4ccv5YZgWQTWX6PfRz7kmMW-jw3SziQjLi27tXzuYNX0FuYsqE1lpj3g_oeiepNH6RuX0UUX-7/s400/The_Peach_Keeper_A_Novel-69464.jpg" t8="true" width="262" /></a></div>While I finished reading it a couple of weeks ago, I've held off on posting my review of The Peach Keeper (288 pages) until after my first book club meeting as I didn't want to bias anyone before they had the chance to read it. From the publisher:<br />
<br />
<em>At 30, Willa Jackson returns to her small Southern hometown, Walls of Water, N.C., in the wake of a failed marriage to her college sweetheart. She's determined now to lead the quiet life she believes her father wants her to have, but is soon derailed by the wealthy and powerful Osgoods, the family that shaped her high school experience. The Jacksons were also wealthy once, until the logging industry failed, and Willa's teenage grandmother went to work as a maid for the Osgoods. Paxton Osgood, Willa's counterpart, has everything Willa envies—wealth, beauty and a sense of belonging—but Paxton hides a deep loneliness and discontent. To further complicate Willa's unrest, Paxton's brother, Colin, fled town years before but has returned and become an irresistible force in Willa's life. When a skeleton that holds the secret to both the Osgood and Jackson family fortunes is discovered at the Jackson family's old estate, long-held beliefs are likely to be overturned.</em><br />
<br />
I chose The Peach Keeper for our first book club selection based primarily on customer reviews from the Amazon.com website.This was, of course, poor decision-making on my part. I didn't completely dislike the book, but I felt it was nothing more than southern chic-lit with a touch of magical realism thrown-in. Despite the incredible first paragraph, I didn't find it to be very compelling or memorable. <br />
<br />
<em>"The day Paxton Osgood took the box of heavy-stock, foil-lined envelopes to the post office, the ones she'd had a professional calligrapher address, it began to rain so hard the air turned as white as bleached cotton. By nightfall, rivers had crested at a flood stage and, for the first time since 1936, the mail couldn't be delivered. When things began to dry out, when basements were pumped free of water and branches were cleared from yards and streets, the invitations were finally delivered, but to all the wrong houses. Neighbors laughed over fences, handing the misdelivered pieces of mail to their rightful owners with comments about the crazy weather and their careless postman.....If anyone had been paying attention to the signs, they would have realized that air turns white when things are about to change, that paper cuts mean there's more to what's written on the age than meets the eye, and that birds are always out to protect you from things you don't see."</em><br />
<br />
The Peach Keeper is an unlikely combination of The Breakfast Club and Fried Green Tomatoes. Paxton Osgood is your stereotypical former prom queen who is smothered by her mother's relentless expectations and her own attempts at perfection. In contrast, Willa Jackson is a former high-school prankster who runs her own business and does her best to lead a quiet, uneventful life. Friendship seems unlikely for this duo until a bizarre and supernatural chain of events draws them together in a tale of abandoned frienship, romance, loyalty, and murder. <br />
<br />
The book had great potential, but I was disappointed in Allen's ability to develop the story, amplify the characters, and consume the reader. I was totally unconvinced with "Sebastian," the charming, handsome metrosexual love interest of Paxton, and the ludicrous explanation for his teenage homosexuality. For me, the most intriguing layer of the novel was the story of Paxton and Willa's grandmothers and their depression-era southern bell lives. Unfortunately, Georgie is virtually a non-existant character, and their tale is sloppily and abruptly explained at the end of the book. The "mystery" of their friendship isn't very mysterious, and the story was disappointingly predictable - the kiss of death, IMO! <br />
<br />
The Peach Keeper is a quick, light, easy summer read- not a horrible book, but not one that I'll be pulling out to re-explore anytime soon.Brilliantly Blondehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16261281459696781673noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-565914513013018230.post-83215465689186715302011-06-08T16:42:00.000-05:002011-06-08T16:42:44.788-05:00Sam I Am (Not)Although it's been over two years since he won the coveted Heisman Trophy, Sam Bradford's statue in Heisman Park was finally unveiled a couple of weeks ago. Bradford, who currently plays for the St. Louis Rams, is by far one of the greatest players in OU football history, and is the fifth Sooner to claim the prestigious title after greats Jason White, Billy Sims, Steve Owens, and Billy Vessels.<br />
<br />
I am a HUGE OU fan/alumni, and I will probably lose my "sooner-card" for saying this...but I have to be honest. <br />
<br />
The statue is ridiculous!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwdame-0-BY5nYGxYy_WGGiLsZ3_6ryRJ_WY8-HIc3uMBlFNS4wzmS_ESIm_DOcGwXf59FaQNq5EecSLj14smRYzi5ywZ22V7ti-1d5Ar1jitl0jMfsEZghfrnCzRtZL0f89_qnV-etw9/s1600/sam+bradford+statue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwdame-0-BY5nYGxYy_WGGiLsZ3_6ryRJ_WY8-HIc3uMBlFNS4wzmS_ESIm_DOcGwXf59FaQNq5EecSLj14smRYzi5ywZ22V7ti-1d5Ar1jitl0jMfsEZghfrnCzRtZL0f89_qnV-etw9/s320/sam+bradford+statue.jpg" t8="true" width="225" /></a></div>I am so disappointed. I realize the statue was sculpted to re-create one of Bradford's most incrdible plays (against OSU, nonetheless), but something here has gone horribly awry. They've turned a monumental moment in football history into a recreation of cartwheel day on the elementary school playground! Come on, people!! Didn't anyone really look over the sample before committing it to stone??Brilliantly Blondehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16261281459696781673noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-565914513013018230.post-73093773581706802132011-06-04T23:33:00.011-05:002011-06-05T20:42:44.056-05:00The Splendor Falls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc9-uDFzzymxKvuAJ_VRbnY47M2-fPLGotbIRjAoJWbwH59QxEDFF05ylyk1xxtbJ8Ad7KA7FwKfB5LeOialmNFi7CcooxQTOrntLtY6h1fFjmohRH1B4mh8O0ytd09W6DCT2rNK8O5lbZ/s1600/splendor+falls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc9-uDFzzymxKvuAJ_VRbnY47M2-fPLGotbIRjAoJWbwH59QxEDFF05ylyk1xxtbJ8Ad7KA7FwKfB5LeOialmNFi7CcooxQTOrntLtY6h1fFjmohRH1B4mh8O0ytd09W6DCT2rNK8O5lbZ/s400/splendor+falls.jpg" t8="true" width="268" /></a></div>Only a week into the summer, and I've already devoured two books - go me! The first was <em>The Peach Keeper</em> (review will be posted after our book club discussion on June 14th), the other was <em>The Splendor Falls</em> by Rosemary Clement-Moore (528 pages). <br />
<br />
<em>The Splendor Falls</em> is the story of Sylvie Davis, an up and coming prima ballerina who suffers a career-ending injury at the age of 17. Unable to cope with the loss of her ability to dance, her mother's new marriage, and her father's recent death, Sylvie begins to fall apart. Her therapy? Spending the summer in Alabama with her father's cousin on plantation that would make Scarlett O'Hara salivate! <br />
<br />
Arriving in the deep south armed with her lap dog, Gigi, and an arsenal of attitude, Sylvie quickly realizes that things at the family estate aren't what they appear to be - mysterious family gardens, cryptic journals from ancestors long-passed, apparitions in the mist, and terrifying wailing sounds emanating from the woods in the back. Add to this mix not one, but two ominously charming young men vying for her attention (one very Heathcliff, the other a little more Prince Charming), and you have a great summer read!<br />
<br />
This is the first book I've read by this particular author, and I must say I was quite impressed. Her lavish descriptions of the plantation home and the south in general are remarkable, and she is a master at giving her characters voice, charisma, and believablitly. <br />
<br />
<em>"I was the opposite, a cut flower with no roots, no longer attached to the nourishing soil. Melodramatic, yes. But that's how I felt not being able to dance."</em><br />
<br />
I've complained a lot lately about the overwhelming push of supernatural tales in YA fiction, but I found myself consumed with the ghostly visions and magical atmosphere of BlueStone Hill and Sylvie's quest to discover her families secrets. After I read the book, I went back and read Tennyson's poem by the same name, and although the author doesn't specify any connection between the two, I don't think it's just coincidence that Rhys constantly refers to Sylvie as "princess." There were other links as well, but I'll leave you to decide for yourself!Brilliantly Blondehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16261281459696781673noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-565914513013018230.post-15724676417246558592011-06-02T22:13:00.000-05:002011-06-02T22:13:14.585-05:00RIP Jeff Conaway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPeor1SbSaQ86bwx71FEhZNzxmBQ5-Q6bzCmsCQ4IqpeHa6Vq0DlwJFsiv0hkaLK-8LIEq1z-eNMMfK-0HqZx09qJ23MmMXfYFaKTF7IkpxXqQFWNYL6RAnJdAio8sIY5bNzmYJ1h-AO5t/s1600/kenickie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPeor1SbSaQ86bwx71FEhZNzxmBQ5-Q6bzCmsCQ4IqpeHa6Vq0DlwJFsiv0hkaLK-8LIEq1z-eNMMfK-0HqZx09qJ23MmMXfYFaKTF7IkpxXqQFWNYL6RAnJdAio8sIY5bNzmYJ1h-AO5t/s320/kenickie.jpg" width="310" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>I am very saddened this week to learn of the death of Grease star Jeff Conaway. I will say that watching Jeff on Celebrity Rehab the past couple of years has just been sad. The first couple of episodes, I didn't even realize it was him. He looked more like Gollum from Lord of the Rings than he did the hunky, car-racing greaser from his earlier days. I grew up watching Grease religiously, fairly certain that some day John Travolta would swoop into one of my lame high-school dances, Cha-Cha me across the floor, and we'd cruise away in the infamous "Greased Lightning." I always adored Kenickie, and was a little jealous of his little romance with Rizzo. After all, a hickey from Kenickie is like a Hallmark card!!<br />
<br />
Rest in peace, Kenickie.Brilliantly Blondehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16261281459696781673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-565914513013018230.post-85788380365099847792011-05-24T23:00:00.001-05:002011-05-24T23:00:59.544-05:002011 WMS 8th Grade Slideshow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxGOUcwsZ_YgdZdBG0hPNexnPOoQANBRQZ5rgHFK08tgsq_pG_z7vOIiTEPcG8eVP2VEp9S-yP9eCbghNK4' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Brilliantly Blondehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16261281459696781673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-565914513013018230.post-39607820458909217532011-04-29T22:22:00.002-05:002011-04-29T22:33:56.138-05:00Dinner and a Movie (minus the movie)Originally, this blog was supposed to be a review of a new movie and a new local restaurant. However, we haven't had a functional theatre since before Valentine's Day, and I didn't think anyone would want to read about the latest Redbox rental (Salt on blu-ray that ended-up costing us $40 b/c the hubby forgot to return it!).<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZeExp3HA-oj_3af3c1_L5Cshd9yMQDMe-9_PnqQtGB1qARWl5Sq-femEhGvgOQyy9r8k5N2uqKtnghoR6mvt7gzUavDTUFviLNOv_ufPt_TrTKbh_o5-b8NMHep6UMZs_nIn3kBejLbmR/s1600/endzone2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZeExp3HA-oj_3af3c1_L5Cshd9yMQDMe-9_PnqQtGB1qARWl5Sq-femEhGvgOQyy9r8k5N2uqKtnghoR6mvt7gzUavDTUFviLNOv_ufPt_TrTKbh_o5-b8NMHep6UMZs_nIn3kBejLbmR/s320/endzone2.jpg" width="247" /></a><br />
The family and I decided to try-out Woodward's newest hot spot this evening, Endzone Grill. Located next to White Dental Clinic in the old Budigley's building, EG is a traditional sports grill with loads of atmosphere and a promising future. It is run by former Mazzio's manager, Dustin Iliff, who is a friendly, charismatic fellow who really seems to enjoy the restaurant business and has a warm, welcoming personality. Iliff is quick to produce a refill, change a channel, clean a table, take an order, or -most importantly- sit and chat with his customers. Making the diners feel important is a huge factor in a restaurant's success, and it is a talent that Iliff demonstrates with ease.<br />
<br />
Despite the overflowing parking area, we were quickly seated in a cozy booth in "KD's Corner" (Kevin Durant for you non-Thunder lovers). Within just a few moments, our drinks appeared, and a friendly waitress was available to take our order. I ordered the club sandwich w/fries, Clint requested the cheeseburger w/fries, and the boys selected the chicken tenders dinner with sides of fries and mac & cheese. I was surprised to not see a children's menu, but the boys are always happy to share an adult meal, if I can get them to agree on the entree!<br />
<br />
We waited slightly longer than what I'd consider "usual" for our food, but that is typical with a new restaurant, and refills were offered frequently. It also gave us a chance to have some family time and conversation with the kids, which was nice - when Dylan wasn't too busy texting his girlfriend. When it did arrive, the food was pretty good, and for the most part, we were very happy. The mac & cheese we ordered for our ten year-old was served with small chunks of peppers, which would be fabulous for an adult, but not great for a picky pre-teen. To his credit, Dylan did try a few bites of the unusual dish, but eventually turned-up his nose and opted to nibble on our fries instead. Had I known it was not "traditional" mac & cheese, I never would have ordered it for him, but would have chosen fries or fried okra instead. Incidentally, I tried the spicy m&c, and thought it was divine! :)<br />
<br />
Overall, we were fairly impressed and so very glad to be somewhere new! There were a few "new restaurant" mistakes, but nothing that would keep me from going back. Iliff employs a new, fairly inexperienced wait staff, but they are bright young ladies (I should know - they use to be my students!), who will catch-on quickly and improve their service tremendously in just the next couple of weeks. I found out once we got home that they DO have a children's menu, but it was never offered to us...freshman mistake, ladies!<br />
<br />
The menu is not vast, but EG offers appetizers, salads, sandwiches, burgers, and a handful of entrees. I can't report what is included on the children's menu or the beer menu, because neither were presented to us. I was a little shocked that our bill added-up to $40 for three dinners (only one of which was an entree), three drinks, and two domestic beers. Forty dollars at other nearby restaurants would have purchased a couple of steak dinners with appetizers or salad/salad bar, <em>and</em> a couple of kids' meals, but Woodward is starving for new, refreshing, non-ethnic food options, and that is exactly what you'll get at Endzone Grill!<br />
<br />
I fully expect Iliff's operation to be extremely successful. With his experience in the restaurant industry, Dustin will work out the kinks quickly and earn a multitude of loyal customers. I can already imagine the place jam-packed the next couple of weeks during Thunder games, and I am going to predict a plethora of football watch parties! Monday Night Football (if the NFL can get their butt in gear!) will keep Endzone Grill very busy, and I can definitely picture myself cozied-up to the big screen, dining on cheese fries and watching my beloved Yankees winning the next World Series! <br />
<br />
Stop by the Endzone Grill and let me know what you think!Brilliantly Blondehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16261281459696781673noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-565914513013018230.post-18260506623486406122011-04-24T17:56:00.000-05:002011-04-24T17:56:53.054-05:00Sunday Stealing: The 65 Question Meme<b>Cheers to all of us thieves!</b><br />
<br />
1. Tell us who the last person that you took a shower with.<br />
I'm going to decline this one...<br />
<br />
2. Tell us about your favorite tee-shirt. Extra points if you show a pic. (We know. What can you do with freakin' extra points?)<br />
Yankees t-shirt purchased in Times Square!<br />
<br />
3. Has anyone ever hit on you even though they knew you were taken?<br />
Yep<br />
<br />
4. Do you plan what to wear the next day?<br />
Not really<br />
<br />
5. How are you feeling RIGHT now? Why?<br />
Hungry...Clint hasn't cooked dinner yet.<br />
<br />
6. What's the closest thing to you that's black?<br />
The television set?<br />
<br />
7. Tell me about an interesting dream you remember having.<br />
I had this very strange dream a few weeks ago about Blake Griffith asking me to prom...<br />
<br />
8. Did you or might you meet anybody new today?<br />
I doubt it.<br />
<br />
9. If you could be doing anything right now (or perhaps after you finish this ridiculous meme) what would it be?<br />
I'd really like to be laying by the pool, reading the newest Sookie Stackhouse novel<br />
<br />
10. Can you think of a meme question that's never been asked?<br />
Lots<br />
<br />
11. What comes to mind when I say China?<br />
Jackie Chan<br />
<br />
12. Are you overly emotional? <br />
Definitely not<br />
<br />
13. If you could listen to just one rock album (CD, vinyl or mp3) which one would you pick?<br />
U2- The Joshua Tree<br />
<br />
14. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it?<br />
Mostly lick<br />
<br />
15. Do you like your car?<br />
My truck? yes<br />
<br />
16. Do you like yourself?<br />
This is dumb. I adore myself, as does everyone else I meet<br />
<br />
17. Would you go out to eat with Charlie Sheen?<br />
Heck, yes!! But only if he's paying.<br />
<br />
18. What was the last song that you listened to? <br />
To Make You Feel My Love - the Adele cover of it<br />
<br />
19. Are (or were) your parents strict?<br />
Somewhat<br />
<br />
20. Have you ever wondered what attending a wild orgy (if only to watch or...) would be like?<br />
Not so much<br />
<br />
21. I say cottage cheese. You say:<br />
Yes, please!<br />
<br />
22. Have you ever met a celebrity?<br />
Yes!! Several, actually. They seek me out...<br />
<br />
23. What was the last movie that you watched at home?<br />
Love and Other Drugs<br />
<br />
24. Is there anything sparkly in the room you're in?<br />
Just my personality!<br />
<br />
25. What countries have you visited?<br />
Mexico, Canada, France, England, Italy<br />
<br />
26. Have you ever made a phone call while you were drunk that you've regretted? If yes, do tell.<br />
Do we really need to go there??<br />
<br />
27. Where were you going the last time that you were on a train?<br />
Sleeping!!! It was an overnight train from Florence, Italy to Paris, France<br />
<br />
28. Bacon or sausage?<br />
BACON!!<br />
<br />
29. How long have you had a cell-phone?<br />
Since 1997<br />
<br />
30. What other memes do you do regularly?<br />
I'm a one-meme kind of girl<br />
<br />
31. Who is the craziest meme host? <br />
?<br />
<br />
32. Who invented chop sticks?<br />
Someone with much better balance than myself<br />
<br />
33. Who are you going to be with tonight?<br />
The family<br />
<br />
34. Are you too forgiving?<br />
No<br />
<br />
35. When was the last time that you were in love?<br />
I fell hard for an adorable pair of shoes just yesterday!<br />
<br />
37. What was the stupidest thing you learned in high school?<br />
Anything that was in Gulliver's Travels!<br />
<br />
38. What was the last thing that you cried about?<br />
Missing my grandmother's funeral<br />
<br />
39. What was the last question you asked?<br />
Does she think that looks good?<br />
<br />
40. Favorite thing to do this time of the year?<br />
Golf!<br />
<br />
41. If you had to get a (or another) tattoo, what would it be? <br />
I don't think I'd go for that again.<br />
<br />
42. How would your best friend describe you?<br />
A walking holiday.<br />
<br />
43. Have you ever seen all three Twilight films?<br />
Shamefully, yes.<br />
<br />
44. Ever walked into a glass door?<br />
Yes...and I've smushed my face against the glass on the aquarium at the zoo. Not fun<br />
<br />
45. Favorite color on that person that you are attracted to?<br />
Blue<br />
<br />
46. Have you ever slapped someone?<br />
Ha - yes!! And he deserved it!<br />
<br />
47. What hair style (for you) would you like to see return?<br />
Kentucky Waterfalls?<br />
<br />
48. What was the last CD you bought?<br />
Holy cow!! Do they still make those?? I have no idea, but I did download the Songs for Japan album last night<br />
<br />
49. Do looks matter to you?<br />
Somewhat<br />
<br />
50. Could you ever forgive a liar?<br />
Yes.<br />
<br />
51. What's the hardest bill to pay every month?<br />
The student loan payment for the degree that my husband is still 15 hours from completing.<br />
52. Do you like your life right now?<br />
Absolutely!<br />
<br />
53. Do you sleep with the TV on?<br />
No - it must be off!<br />
<br />
54. Can you handle the truth?<br />
yes...more dumb questions<br />
<br />
55. Do you have good vision?<br />
I had Lasik two years ago, so I'm seeing better than 20/20 baby!<br />
<br />
56. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people?<br />
No...well, maybe.<br />
<br />
57. How often do you talk on the phone?<br />
A couple of times per week. Texting is much more time efficient.<br />
<br />
58. What celeb would you like to come home to?<br />
Chris Pine...but he would be coming home to ME<br />
<br />
59. What are you wearing?<br />
Boomer hoody and black Adidas warm-up pants. It's laundry day!<br />
<br />
60. What is your favorite wild animal?<br />
My 9 year-old<br />
<br />
61. Where was your facebook picture taken?<br />
Notre Dame!<br />
<br />
62. Can you waltz?<br />
No, I'm horrible at it!! <br />
<br />
63. Do you have a job?<br />
No, I have a destiny!<br />
<br />
64. What was the most recent thing you stole?<br />
Someone's heart, I'm sure.<br />
<br />
65. Have you ever crawled through a window?<br />
Hasn't everyone?Brilliantly Blondehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16261281459696781673noreply@blogger.com1