Summer 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!!

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!!

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!!

The whole gang in front of the statue of Prometheus at Rockefeller Plaza!

My girls at NBC Studios

Chelsea and I with the Naked Cowboy

The John Lennon Memorial

The Today Show!!

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!
The boys in the "Thunder-Mobile"...

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!
Photos of Dawon's new, awesome room!

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...

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.

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!

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....

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!!

So, dear reader...what are YOU lovin' this summer??

Book Review: 50 Shades of Grey by EL James

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 50 Shades of Grey, 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.

From goodreads.com:
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.

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.

1. This is not a book you share with your mother.
2. It's not your typical book club selection.
3. It's graphic...very, very graphic.
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.
5. Did I mention it is exceptionally graphic?

50 Shades of Grey 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.

And so the story begins...

50 Shades of Grey is a little bit of Twilight, a touch of Pretty Woman, a dash of The Graduate, and a lot of 9 1/2 Weeks. 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.

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!

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.

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!!

360 Degrees Longitude - One Family's Journey Around the World

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:

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. 


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. 


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!!

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.

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 exciting.

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.

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.

"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." 


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 not have happened, and I never would have left my children alone in aiports or sent them to the top of the Eiffel Tower alone! Obviously the Higham family has a hippie mentality that I have yet to embrace, but that is just fine with me!

Kindle 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.

To be perfectly honest, I was skeptical about the Kindle. I'm a real "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 electronically??....

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!

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 Room 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.

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???

The Kindle also gives me the advantage of having a new release the minute it drops. Last year, I pre-ordered Suzanne Collins' Mockingjay, 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!

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!

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.

The Jewel of St. Petersburg

I finally finished reading Kate Furnivall's latest novel last night. Notes from the cover:

In this prequel to her debut novel, The Russian Concubine (2007), about White Russian Lydia Ivanova, Furnivall focuses on Lydia’s mother, Valentina, during the years leading up to and including the Russian Revolution of 1917. When Bolsheviks bomb her family’s country estate in 1910, crippling her younger sister, Katya, 17-year-old title character Valentina is left with guilt and resolve. With a slim frame but steely character, she defies both convention and her father, who is the czar’s minister of finance, first by training and working as a nurse and then by refusing to marry for money (in order to solve the family’s financial problems). Instead, she chooses the man she loves passionately, Dane Jens Friis, the czar’s engineer. Through the years, her hatred grows for Viktor Arkin, a Bolshevik leader once in the Ivanovas’ employ who develops an emotionally complicated relationship with the family. Furnivall portrays a country in dreadful conflict, with the grinding poverty of the masses fueling rebellion against the privileged classes. A must for readers of The Russian Concubine and Furnivall’s The Red Scarf (2008).

I became interested in Furnivall's novels two summers ago when I read The Russian Concubine and the sequel, The Girl from Junchow. A historical fiction zealot, I was instantly captivated by the tales of Lydia Ivanova and the beldam of post WWI Russia/China. While I am highly educated in both US and European history, I know very little of the events that transpired between the Romanovs and the Bolsheviks during the Russian revolution and even less about early 20th century China (no wonder I had such a hard time grasping the events in Dr. Zhivago!).  Becuase of my ignorance, I found the need to seek out historical texts to help me understand the period and the life of Lydia and her family, and let me say - I was HOOKED.

The Jewel of St. Petersburg is a prequel to the other novels, and was nearly as fabulous as the other two books. I became absolutely captivated with the Danish hero, Jens Friis, and enthralled with the story's antagonist, Viktor Arkin. In Arkin, Furnivall has created a character whose outward actions are remarkably heinous and despicable, while his inner emotions are tormenting and tragic. I actually found Arkin's character far more intriguing than that of the "leading lady," Valentina. Arkin longs for a revolutionized Russia, void of the controlling Tsar Nicholas and his disgustingly rich comrades, but to achieve this goal, he must spill blood, ruin lives, and destroy much of St. Petersburg. His tragic connection to the Ivanova family provides the principal conflict of the story, and makes for page-turning tale. Several nights I sat up reading, only to discover that I had long passed my desired bedtime...and I paid for it the next mornings!

If you are a fan of Kate Furnivall's other novels, you will enjoy this one as well. Before you fire-up the Kindle, however, consider looking into the story's primary character - St. Petersburg. Familiarity with the city's history will no doubt be beneficial when trying to digest the events connected to the revolution and to Valentina's tale.