Random Chatter

Feeling Overwhelmed....

2009-04-16T14:12:00.004-05:00

I’ve been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately and its really starting to freak me out. I have so much to complete lately and I’m not sure how I am ever going to get it all done. I just want to crawl into bed and hide for a little while.

The end of the semester is coming up and this is the time I start to get overworked with homework, studying for finals, finishing up projects, etc. For my Business Class, I have two internet assignments, Corporate Consent Resolutions to draft, four chapters to read and to complete the discussion questions at the end of each chapter. All due in two weeks. Then I have a professional portfolio and a report to write for the final. Ugh!!! I have four weeks to complete that.

Then of course, I have Unit #5 to complete for Math of Finance, including 3 chapters to read, three quizzes to take, and a final on May 8th.

I also volunteered to be the co-chair of the Education Committee for the Madison Area Paralegal Association. I’ve already started looking for speakers next year and have one lined up!! I’ll be taking over as the chairperson next year and also will be the First Vice President as well. I guess its one more thing for my resume.

Also, I’m completing my paralegal internship. Fortunately I am able to use my current employment for that. However, I have Weekly Reports to complete every week, an Ethics Project due at the end of May and a professional portfolio of all my past work to pull together.
I’m also trying to prepare for the Real Estate Law Class I’m taking this summer. Unfortunately, that will be falling to the back burner for now.

And finally, I start my first CASA case on Tuesday. I am very excited to meet my family, two toddler girls and an infant boy currently living in foster care. I can’t wait to get started but its just one more thing to add to my plate.

Oh wait one more thing. Josh and I are going to look at a 4-unit apartment complex we are thinking about buying as an investment property. If everything goes well, we will be landlords by July 1st.

Now, all the events I have coming up….

CASA is having their large fundraiser on Saturday night. This should be fun; there’s a band, four comedians, a silent auction, and a hors d’oeuvre and dessert bar. Then we have a party we are supposed to go to afterwards but I doubt we will make it there.

Next week, I have a MAPA event and the Lambda Epsilon Chi (National Honor Society for Paralegal Studies) induction ceremony. Thursday is CASA Lobby Day at the state capitol. We get to meet with our state legislators and lobby for funding for CASA. Friday is a Tupperware Party but I might skip that as I’m running the Crazylegs Classic 8k the next morning.

The following week I have Book Club Tuesday night, class on Wednesday, a concert on Thursday, and a birthday party on Saturday.

Woooo- I’m tired just reading this….

What else?

I’m going to the Billy Joel and Elton John concert on May 7th which I’m really looking forward to.
My dad is having surgery on May 7 so I’ll be spending some of that weekend with him.
Girls’ Weekend in the Dells May 15-17. Two good friends are coming down from Minnesota for this so I have to go.
I’m participating in a webinar “The Paralegal’s Role in Bankruptcy Proceedings.”
Another girls’ weekend in the Dells May 29-30 for my sister’s birthday and she’ll slaughter me if I don’t go.
Somewhere in there, I would like to make it to Oshkosh and Green Bay to visit two friends who have both had babies.

I figure I’ll finally get to sleep around July.

I'm so excited!!!

2009-01-13T15:40:00.001-06:00

I found out that I get to start CASA training on Thursday nights!!! The classes are from 6-9 pm on Thursday for the next 8 weeks. I had applied for a volunteer position with Dane County CASA last spring but was unable to attend the training because it conflicted with my school schedule. And then, the Executive Director quit her job and they weren't holding any more trainings until they found a new one. Well, they have found a new one and trainings begin on Thursday.
CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates. The volunteers work with children within the foster care system, acting as a go-between for the judge, social worker, foster family, GAL, teachers, parents and the child. These are children where these is a substantiated case of abuse and the ultimate goal is to provide a way to safely reunite the children with their parents. Each volunteer is assigned one child or family if there are siblings. This way the volunteers can act as the "eyes and ears" of the court and are expected to report back to the court on a monthly basis.
Anyways, I'm so excited that I finally get to do this. I've been wanting to volunteer for CASA for years and now I finally have the opportunity to do it.

Book Review: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Diaz"

2009-01-08T15:32:00.003-06:00

Narrated by an old college roommate named Junior, "Oscar Wao" is, among other things, the story of Oscar LaInca - an overweight, sci-fi reading, Dungeons and Dragons playing, "ghetto nerd," whose nickname is Spanglish for Oscar Wilde (meant as an insult, alluding to both Wilde's girth and sexuality).

Although Dominican, Oscar completely defies the machismo stereotype, and given that he lives in the more-than-a-little-rough Paterson, NJ, Oscar spends most of his time in his bedroom where he can safely escape behind his Akira posters, Tolkien and role-playing games when he isn't in the midst of an obsessive and wholly one-sided love affair with some disinterested female. As can be easily inferred from the title, Oscar's life is brief; yet, Junior must span two countries and three generations in order to tell the story of it. He begins by explaining that the LaInca family is said to have suffered from a powerful fuku (curse) earned when Oscar's grandfather angered Trujillo.

Anticipating that most readers may have "missed your mandatory two seconds of Dominican history," Junior explains:

Trujillo, one of the twentieth century's most infamous dictators, ruled the Dominican Republic between 1930 and 1961 with an implacable ruthless brutality. A portly, sadistic, pig-eyed mulato who bleached his skin, wore platform shoes, and had a fondness for Napoleon-ear haberdashery, Trujillo (known as El Jefe, the Failed Cattle Thief, and Fuckface) came to control nearly every aspect of the DR's political, cultural, social, and economic life through a potent (and familiar) mixture of violence, intimidation, massacre, rape, co-optation, and terror...He was our Sauron, our Arawn, our Darkseid, our One and Future Dictator, a personaje so outlandish, so perverse, so dreadful that not even a sci-fi writer could have made his ass up.

The story of the Trujillo-era Dominican Republic becomes the backdrop for Díaz’s tale, which is equal parts coming-of-age novel, historical fiction, and epic family saga that seamlessly weaves hip-hop, feminism, mythology, science fiction and magical realism throughout.

And if I haven't made it clear enough by my rambling and overly long overview, I loved it. Admittedly, it took a little while for me to fully get into it, but was hooked come fifty pages in. I felt two sorts of sadness at the novel's conclusion: one for the sweet, brave, pathetic Oscar, and the other because I simply didn't want it to be over

Resolutions for the New Year

2009-01-06T09:27:00.003-06:00

I know that resolutions are a bit cliche and have never made them myself but, since this is a new year, I figured I would give it a try.

Fitness Goals
1) Run a 5k. I'm currently on Week 5 of the C25K program and have registered for my first 5k on Valentine's Day!
2) Run a 8k and 10k.
3) Lose 43 pounds before my high school reunion in June. This means consistently losing about 2 pounds per week.
4) Take a long distance running training class in the fall.
5) Swim lessons this summer. I can't swim very well right now. Hopefully lessons will help. The local tech. college offers adult swim lessons in the evenings.
6) Log 5000 fitness minutes on Spark. This breaks down to 90-100 minutes per week.
7) Run 500 miles in 2009. This is an average of 9-10 miles per week.
8) Do "man" push-ups. No more modified pushups!!
9) Just for fun; do the splits. I haven't done these since high school but my yoga will really improve.

My workout schedule is to aim for 30 minutes of cardio M-F and 15 minutes of strength training at least twice a week. I plan to concentrate on the running and losing weight. Once I get down closer to my goal weight, I will start concentrating on toning and strength building more.

Nutrition Goals
1) Eliminate meat, dairy and all animal products from my diet.
- Read books about vegan nutrition
-No FAST FOOD!!
-Plan weekly meals on Sunday.
-Pack lunch the night before.
-Collect bulk recipes for the week.
-Clear out "bad" food and donate to food pantry. (Although I feel a bit guilty about this; since you can't afford to buy food, you deserve to eat crap?)

Other Goals
1) Make a dent in the credit cards. Pay approximately 200-300 dollars per month towards debt.
2) Get my paralegal certification after graduation this spring.
3) Apply to bachelor's programs.
4) Get through the books in my To Be Read Pile:

*These are books I actually own, just have not read yet!*

Atonement: A Novel
His Dark Materials Trilogy (The Golden Compass; The Subtle Knife; The Amber Spyglass)
The Russian Concubine
Twilight
New Moon
Eclipse
Breaking Dawn
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister
The Glass Castle: A Memoir
The Imaginary Girlfriend
The Undomestic Goddess
Snow Falling on Cedars
Nineteen Minutes
The Tortilla Curtain
Love in the Time of Cholera
Promiscuities : The Secret Struggle for Womanhood
The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living
Salem Falls
The Pilot's Wife
The Poisonwood Bible
Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal
A Separate Peace
Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women
Lord of the Flies
Miracles Happen: The Life and Timeless Principles of the Founder of Mary Kay Inc.
Picture Perfect
Paris Trout
The Pearl
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction
A Cook's Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines
The Mermaid Chair
Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker
Step-by-Step Sewing Course: Essential Techniques for Making Over 150 Creative Home Projects
Change of Heart
How the Pro-choice Movement Saved America: Freedom, Politics, And the War on Sex
The Last Lecture
Gilgamesh: A New English Version
Wideacre: A Novel (Wideacre Trilogy, Book 1)
Innocent Traitor: A Novel of Lady Jane Grey
Martha Stewart's Cooking School: Lessons and Recipes for the Home Cook
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
On Writing
Bel Canto

In Memory

2008-12-02T10:40:00.000-06:00

This pic demonstrates

just how short grandma really is.

Today is the 5th anniversary of my mother's death. It doesn't get any easier. My therapist suggested that I remember the good things about our relationship and not to dwell on any last regrets.

My mom and her two sisters

as bridemaids for my aunt Dawn

My favorite memory of my mom was at my grandparents' house for Christmas Eve. Every year when I was growing up, my mom and her sister would pile me, my sister and our two cousins in to the 1978 Ford Ltd. that we called Urma. We would make the one-hour drive to Mukwango every year and usually it was snowing. The four of us would drive our mothers insane, I'm sure.

Mom and Charlie

The one that sticks out most in my mind, I was a little older, I believe about 14 or 15 years old. It was a family tradition to play some game, usually one that required us to sing and generally look like idiots.

Mom

Anyways, this year, as usual, my mom was winning. And being quite the sore winner if I recall correctly. So someone threw a paper plate at her. That one plate turned into an all-out paper plate war with just my mom, sister and myself making up one team. It was us against the rest of the family.

Sue, Janet (my mom) and Patty

I don't remember who won that fight. I'm sure it ended when someone got hurt.

Here's to you, Mom. I miss you so much.

*Sorry the pics are so small. This was the best resolution I could find.

Running

2008-11-24T11:05:00.000-06:00

I ran for the first time in over a year today. I found a beginning running program on www.coolrunning.com and I was a little wary of trying it. But I did and I found it much easier than I thought. I warmed up for 5 minutes and then ran for 60 seconds and walked for 90 seconds for a total of 30 minutes. It was great! I felt very awake and motivated afterwards. I plan to reward myself with a long soak in the hot tub after my stepdaughter, T. goes to bed!

November 19- This Day in History

2008-11-19T13:35:00.004-06:00

Today is my birthday and fortunately I still like them. I'm now 28! Next year will be the last birthday I celebrate EVER!!! I am NOT turning 30. Anyways, since today is a special day (to me, at least) I thought that I would share some fun facts about November 19 (from Wikipedia).

1095 - The Council of Clermont, called by Pope Urban II to discuss sending the First Crusade to the Holy Land, begins.
1493 - Christopher Columbus goes ashore on an island he first saw the day before. He names it San Juan Bautista (later renamed Puerto Rico).
1794 - The United States and the Kingdom of Great Britain sign Jay's Treaty, which attempts to resolve some of the lingering problems left over from the American Revolutionary War.
1816 - Warsaw University is established.
1847 - The second Canadian railway line, the Montreal and Lachine Railway, is opened.
1863 - American Civil War: U.S. President Abraham Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the military cemetery ceremony at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. - good to know, I never knew this!
1881 - A meteorite lands near the village of Grossliebenthal, southwest of Odessa, Ukraine.
1916 - Samuel Goldwyn and Edgar Selwyn establish Goldwyn Pictures (the company later became one of the most successful independent filmmakers).
1941 - World War II: Battle between HMAS Sydney and HSK Kormoran. The two ships sink each other off the coast of Western Australia, with the loss of 645 Australians and about 77 German seamen.
1942 - World War II: Battle of Stalingrad - Soviet Union forces under General Georgy Zhukov launch the Operation Uranus counterattacks at Stalingrad, turning the tide of the battle in the USSR's favor.
1943 - Holocaust: Nazis liquidate Janowska concentration camp in Lemberg (Lviv), western Ukraine, murdering at least 6,000 Jews after a failed uprising and mass escape attempt.
1944 - World War II: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt announces the 6th War Loan Drive, aimed at selling $14 billion USD in war bonds to help pay for the war effort.
1946 - Afghanistan, Iceland and Sweden join the United Nations.
1950 - US General Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes supreme commander of NATO-Europe
1955 - National Review publishes its first issue.
1959 - The Ford Motor Company announces the discontinuation of the unpopular Edsel.
1967 - The establishment of TVB, the first wireless commercial television station in Hong Kong.
1969 - Apollo program: Apollo 12 astronauts Pete Conrad and Alan Bean land at Oceanus Procellarum (the "Ocean of Storms") and become the third and fourth humans to walk on the Moon.
1969 - Football player Pelé scores his 1,000th goal.
1976 - Jaime Ornelas Camacho takes office as the first President of the Regional Government of Madeira, Portugal.
1977 - Egyptian President Anwar Sadat becomes the first Arab leader to officially visit Israel, when he meets Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin and speaks before the Knesset in Jerusalem, seeking a permanent peace settlement.
1977 - Transportes Aereos Portugueses Boeing 727 crashes in Madeira islands killing 130.
1979 - Iran hostage crisis: Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini orders the release of 13 female and black American hostages being held at the US Embassy in Tehran.
1984 - A series of explosions at the PEMEX petroleum storage facility at San Juan Ixhuatepec in Mexico City starts a major fire and kills about 500 people.
1985 - Cold War: In Geneva, U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev meet for the first time.
1985 - Pennzoil wins a $10.53 billion USD verdict against Texaco, in the largest civil verdict in the history of the United States, stemming from Texaco executing a contract to buy Getty Oil after Pennzoil had entered into an unsigned, yet still binding, buyout contract with Getty.
1988 - Serbian communist representative and future Serbian and Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic publicly declares that Serbia is under attack from Albanian separatism in Kosovo as well as internal treachery within Yugoslavia and a foreign conspiracy to destroy Serbia and Yugoslavia.
1990 - Pop group Milli Vanilli are stripped of their Grammy Award because the duo did not sing at all on the Girl You Know It’s True album. Session musicians had provided all the vocals. - Oh I am so proud
1994 - In Great Britain, the first National Lottery draw is held. A £1 ticket gave a one-in-14-million chance of correctly guessing the winning six out of 49 numbers.
1996 - Lt. Gen. Maurice Baril of Canada arrives in Africa to lead a multi-national policing force in Zaire.
1997 - In Des Moines, Iowa, Bobbi McCaughey gives birth to septuplets in the second known case where all seven babies were born alive. They would go on to become the first set of septuplets to survive infancy, with all seven alive in 2008.
1998 - Lewinsky scandal: The United States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee begins impeachment hearings against U.S. President Bill Clinton.
1998 - Vincent van Gogh's Portrait of the Artist Without Beard sells at auction for $71.5 million USD.
1999 - Shenzhou 1: The People's Republic of China launches its first Shenzhou spacecraft.
1999 - In Istanbul, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ends a two-day summit by calling for a political settlement in Chechnya and adopting a Charter for European Security.

I also share my birthday with some cool people:
1917 - Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India (d. 1984)
1933 - Larry King, American TV personality
1938 - Ted Turner, American businessman
1939 - Tom Harkin, American politician
1941 - Tommy Thompson, former U.S. Governor of Wisconsin
1942 - Calvin Klein, American clothing designer
1942 - Sharon Olds, American poet
1961 - Meg Ryan, American actress
1962 - Jodie Foster, American actress

CSA Storage Share-Part One

2008-11-17T19:17:00.005-06:00

Josh and I received our first CSA storage share today. CSA is short for Community Sponsored Agriculture and we purchased our share from MACSAC. The Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Coalition works to create a sustainable, just, and locally based food system in Southern Wisconsin by promoting and supporting CSA farms, coordinating community and farmer education programs about the benefits of locally, sustainably grown foods, and operating the Partner Shares Program which raises funds to subsidize CSA memberships for households on a limited income.

From left to right and back to front:

Rutabaga, Golden Beets, Chioggia beets, Celeriac and Ruby Heart Radish.

Clarissa cabbage, golden beets, Red cabbage,

celeriac and daikon radish.

Orange pie pumpkins and Scarlet Kobocha winter squash

brussels sprouts, carrots, potatoes, squash

Spinach, red potatoes, leeks and garlic

How many of these bestsellers from the last 15 years have you read?

2008-11-07T16:26:00.004-06:00

How many of these bestsellers from the last 15 years have you read? Bold what you've read, italicize what you own and star** books on your TBR list! (From USA Today ~ Feel free to copy & post yours on your own blog!)
Here's my list:
1 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone - J.K. Rowling
2 Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution - Robert C. Atkins
3 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
4 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling
5 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling
6 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling
7 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling
8 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling
9 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling
10 Who Moved My Cheese? - Spencer Johnson
11 The South Beach Diet - Arthur Agatston
12 Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom
13 Angels & Demons - Dan Brown
14 What to Expect When You’re Expecting - Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg, Sandee Hathaway 15 The Purpose-Driven Life - Rick Warren
16 The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom
17 The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen R. Covey
18 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
19 Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus - John Gray
20 The Secret - Rhonda Byrne
21 Rich Dad, Poor Dad - Robert T. Kiyosaki with Sharon L. Lechter
22 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee - one of the best books EVER!
23 Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff ... And It’s All Small Stuff - Richard Carlson
24 The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd - I wasn't too impressed.
25 Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert
26 Twilight - Stephenie Meyer**
27 The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks - I hate Nicholas Sparks.
28 The Memory Keeper’s Daughter - Kim Edwards
29 The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
30 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
31 A New Earth - Eckhart Tolle
32 Oh, the Places You’ll Go! - Dr. Seuss
33 The Four Agreements - Don Miguel Ruiz
34 Angela’s Ashes - Frank McCourt
35 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
36 Body-for-Life - Bill Phillips, Michael D’Orso
37 New Moon - Stephenie Meyer**
38 Night - Elie Wiesel
39 Chicken Soup for the Soul - Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen
40 The Greatest Generation - Tom Brokaw
41 Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer**
42 The Celestine Prophecy - James Redfield
43 Wicked - Gregory Maguire - I love this book.
44 Good to Great - Jim Collins
45 Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer**
46 Eragon - Christopher Paolini**
47 Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood - Rebecca Wells -Hated.
48 Your Best Life Now - Joel Osteen
49 In the Kitchen With Rosie - Rosie Daley
50 Simple Abundance - Sarah Ban Breathnach
51 A Child Called It - Dave Pelzer
52 A Million Little Pieces - James Frey**
53 The Testament - John Grisham
54 Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul - Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Kimberly Kirberger
55 Deception Point - Dan Brown
56 The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
57 Marley & Me - John Grogan
58 Dr. Atkins’ New Carbohydrate Gram Counter - Robert C. Atkins
59 Life of Pi - Yann Martel**
60 The Brethren - John Grisham
61 The South Beach Diet Good Fats Good Carbs Guide - Arthur Agatston
62 The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town - John Grisham
63 For One More Day - Mitch Albom
64 The Polar Express - Chris Van Allsburg
65 The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
66 The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch, Jeffrey Zaslow**
67 What to Expect the First Year - Arlene Eisenberg, Heidi Murkoff, Sandee Hathaway
68 Love You Forever - Robert Munsch
69 Green Eggs and Ham - Dr. Seuss
70 A Painted House - John Grisham
71 The Rainmaker - John Grisham
72 Skipping Christmas - John Grisham
73 Cold Mountain - Charles Frazier
74 The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night-Time - Mark Haddon
75 Life Strategies - Phillip C. McGraw
76 Seabiscuit: An American Legend - Laura Hillenbran-Great book
77 The Summons - John Grisham
78 Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - John Berendt
79 The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
80 The Runaway Jury - John Grisham
81 Goodnight Moon Board Book - Margaret Wise Brown
82 The Perfect Storm - Sebastian Junger
83 Snow Falling on Cedars - David Guterson**
84 The Giver - Lois Lowry
85 Embraced by the Light - Betty J. Eadie
86 The Chamber - John Grisham
87 You: On A Diet - Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet C. Oz
88 The Prayer of Jabez - Bruce Wilkinson
89 Holes - Louis Sachar
90 Digital Fortress - Dan Brown
91 The Shack - William P. Young
92 The Devil Wears Prada - Lauren Weisberger - don't waste your time
93 Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen
94 A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini
95 The Seat of the Soul - Gary Zukav
96 Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul - Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne, Marci Shimoff
97 The Partner - John Grisham
98 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
99 Eldest: Inheritance, Book II - Christopher Paolini
100 The Broker - John Grisham
101 The Street Lawyer - John Grisham
102 A Series of Unfortunate Events No. 1: The Bad Beginning - Lemony Snicket
103 The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver**
104 Into the Wild - Jon Krakauer**- I saw the movie which was pretty good.
105 The King of Torts - John Grisham
106 The Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell
107 The Horse Whisperer - Nicholas Evans
108 Hannibal - Thomas Harris
109 The Audacity of Hope - Barack Obama
110 Running With Scissors - Augusten Burroughs - sucked.
111 The Glass Castle: A Memoir - Jeannette Walls**
112 My Sister’s Keeper - Jodi Picoult
113 The Last Juror - John Grisham
114 The Devil in the White City - Erik Larson
115 Left Behind - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
116 America (The Book) - Jon Stewart and The Writers of The Daily Show**
117 The Red Tent - Anita Diamant
118 John Adams - David McCullough
119 The Christmas Box - Richard Paul Evans
120 The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - Ann Brashares
121 Sugar Busters! - H. Leighton Steward, Sam S. Andrews, Morrison C. Bethea, Luis A. Balart
122 Blink - Malcolm Gladwell
123 The Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle
124 90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death and Life - Don Piper, Cecil Murphey
125 The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien
126 1776 - David McCullough
127 The Bridges of Madison County - Robert James Waller
128 Where the Heart Is - Billie Letts
129 The Ultimate Weight Solution - Phillip C. McGraw
130 Protein Power - Michael R. Eades, Mary Dan Eades
131 Chicken Soup for the Mother’s Soul - Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne, Marci Shimoff
132 Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer
133 Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides**
134 Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin**
135 You: The Owner’s Manual - Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet C. Oz
136 1,000 Places to See Before You Die: A Traveler’s Life List - Patricia Schultz
137 Self Matters - Phillip C. McGraw
138 She’s Come Undone - Wally Lamb**
139 1984 - George Orwell
140 The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis
141 The Millionaire Next Door - Thomas J. Stanley, William D. Danko
142 The Other Boleyn Girl - Philippa Gregory
143 The Zone - Barry Sears, Bill Lawren
144 The Pilot’s Wife - Anita Shreve**
145 The Lost World Michael Crichton
146 Atonement - Ian McEwan**- was not impressed with the movie; hopefully the book is better.
147 He’s Just Not That Into You - Greg Behrendt, Liz Tuccillo
148 Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
149 The World Is Flat - Thomas L. Friedman
150 Cross - James Patterson

Slacking...

2008-11-07T10:56:00.003-06:00

How I feel at the moment

So, I've been seriously slacking on NaNoWriMo. I've been so swamped with homework and getting ready for my trip to Chicago next week. This weekend I need to write another 8,111 words by Sunday night to get caught up to where I should be! and somehow I should do this while working on midterm exam for Logic and Critical Thinking (I hate that class.) and do a weeks worth of Algebra so that I'm not behind when I get back from Chi-town. Oh I forgot. I need to work on my resume and cover letter for my internship application. I have to do my internship this spring in order to graduate in May! Ahhhhhh!

Making History.....

2008-11-04T22:01:00.003-06:00

As I sit here watching the presidential election results, I can't help but be incredibly proud of my country today. CBS just predicted that Barack Obama will be the next President of the United States and I began to cry. This is such a momentous day in our history. Just think, 150 years ago, African Americans were slaves! And now we have our first African American President. I think we just proved that we are not the uneducated, racist buffoons that we have demonstrated ourselves to be for the past eight years.

The election of Barack Obama proves the importance of exercising your right to vote. Your vote DOES matter. Even though the last two presidential elections have been stolen, we can change that if we turn out in force.

Way to go, America! I'm so proud of you!

NaNoWriMo Update-11/4/2008

2008-11-04T11:50:00.000-06:00

As of 11:51 am today I have 4460 words. By the end of today,I should have 6,668.00 words in order to stay on track for 50,000 words by November 30. I'm aiming to complete another 2,208 words in order to get back on track. My plan for tonight is to work on the novel while watching the returns on the presidential election after class tonight.

I've also made several changes to order of the story. I'm trying hard to not make too many because my focus needs to be on word count, not on editting.

Izzy had turbulent dreams that night. She dreamt that she was back in the storm, running against the wind as fast as she could. The wind kept pushing her back. She felt more and more trapped, helpless. She eventually quit running from exhaustion and allowed the wind to sweep her off her feet. She woke up just as she was about to hit the ground.
She sat bolt upright. The candle had burnt out in the middle of the night and the room was completely dark. The clock on the wall had stopped some time ago. Izzy laid flat until her eyes adjusted to the dark. Then she sat up, grabbed the lighter, and relit the candle. The candle gave off a feeble glow of light against the suffocating darkness of the room. But she could see. She picked up the blanket off the floor and pulled it around her, protecting against the dampness of the room. That was some dream! She was still covered in sweat from the exertion. She lies back down and fell deep asleep from exhaustion.
The sun began to rise above the horizon and pour in through the living room window. Izzy slowly opened her eyes, blinking from the bright light. Suddenly, she sat upright, eyes wide, forgetting where she was. She glanced frantically around the room, and, once oriented again, she settled back into the couch.
“Good morning,” said Sarah from her perch on the windowsill. She stood up slowly and floated over to Izzy. “That was some dream you had last night. Do you want to talk about it?”
“Good morning to you too,” Izzy pushed her hair out of her face. “No I don’t want to talk about it. You didn’t sit there all night, did you?” She snapped and rolled away; embarrassed that Sarah had witnessed her nightmares.
•••
Izzy set her backpack on the kitchen table. She pulled out canned food and set them on the table. “Do you have a can opener?” she asked. “I’m starving!” Sarah rummaged through some drawers until she found a can opener. “The electricity has been turned off, I’m afraid. There isn’t any way to heat the food.”
Izzy searched each of the kitchen cabinets looking for cookware. “I suppose I could heat it up over the fireplace. I was in a hurry to leave last night; I wasn’t thinking about food. I grabbed the first available that I found.” Sarah wanted to ask Izzy what happened, why she had run away, but thought maybe she better not. If she started questioning Izzy, she might encourage Izzy to ask questions back, and she was not ready to share her story. Izzy will tell her when she is ready. Izzy dumped a can of ravioli into a saucepan. She carried into the living room, moved the footstool in front of the fireplace and held the pan over the fire. “Hopefully this works,” she mumbled quietly.
After lunch, Sarah offered to show Izzy around the house. In the daylight, the house did not appear as dark and creepy as it did last night. The furniture was old and had obviously been in Sarah’s family for ages. The dark wood floors were covered in dust but were still in good shape. Cobwebs hung from the chandelier in the foyer and clung to the corners of the ceiling. The house had a faint moldy smell and the wallpaper was peeling in several areas. The girls walked up the stairs, Izzy holding on to the wide wood banister as she climbed. Each stair squeaked under Izzy’s weight. Upstairs were several bedrooms. The first bedroom on the right was obviously used as a nursery. The pink paint was peeling in spots and the curtains were moth-eaten. The white wood furniture was covered in dust and moldy in spots.
The next bedroom was once beautifully decorated. The walls were a deep purple with white trim and white furniture. Compared to the rest of the house, this room was less dusty and obviously had been taken care of.
“This room is cleaner than the rest,” Izzy remarked. “Have you been taking care of this room, Sarah?”
Sarah nodded silently. Her eyes were brimming with tears about to overflow down her white cheeks. Oh God, thought Izzy, I never knew that ghosts could cry!
“I like to come in this room sometimes,” Sarah choked out around tears. “It helps when I miss my family.”
Izzy reached out to touch Sarah’s shoulder. Her hand passed through Sarah’s form and brushed only thin air. “I would hug you now if I could, Sarah. It’s okay if you need to cry.”
Sarah sat on the edge of the bed, and began to sob. Her shoulders shook with the force of her sobs. She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. “I died in this room.” She paused and fell back on the bed. She wiped her eyes again and stared at the ceiling. Izzy tiptoed to the bed and sat down softly next to Sarah.
“How did you die, Sarah?” Izzy whispered softly, not out of curiosity, but out of genuine concern.
“I was murdered. I was fifteen years old. I had gone to a girlfriend’s house after school, planning to spend the night. As we were putting our pajamas on and getting ready for bed, I began to feel really sick. I was extremely nauseous, light headed and dizzy. I had to lay down for a bit until the dizziness passed. After a bit, I felt slightly better and decided to go home. More than anything I wanted to sleep in my own bed!
My friend’s mom dropped me off at the end of the driveway. She waved at me as she drove away, leaving me standing on the side of the road. Right away, I could tell that something was wrong, but convinced myself that it was just the dark. It was late fall and it got really dark quite early.
I pushed open the front door and was greeted by an empty house. Or so I thought. The house was deathly still as I climbed the stairs. I peered into my parent’s room which was empty. I was confused about where they might have gone and went back downstairs to call them. I picked up the phone in the kitchen. As I began to dial, I heard a muffled noise. As if someone was trying really hard to be quiet. I heard a thump above my head and a sound like something was being dragged across the floor. I ran upstairs.
As I rounded the corner to enter the upstairs hallway, a man jumped out and grabbed me from behind. He used duct tape to pin my arms and legs together and dragged me into my bedroom. He ripped off my pajamas and raped me multiple times. He held a pillow over my face to muffle my screams; I felt like I was suffocating. I tried to wriggle away but with my hands and legs bound, it was impossible.
Finally, it was over. He took a knife from his pocket and slit my throat. I bled to death on my own bed.
After death, there was a kind of peace. I left my body but was still in the room. I floated above the scene, near the ceiling. There were no bright light, no long dead relatives waiting for me. I watched the man wrap my body in blankets and drag me out of the room. I was watching my murderer, but I was very detached. The pain had gone away.
After he left, I ran to the nursery. My baby sister, Austin, was in her crib, crying. She quit crying when I entered the room. To this day, I swear she saw me. I tried to comfort her but I couldn’t hold her. I talked to her quietly, whispering in her ear that it will be ok. After that, I began searching for my parents in earnest. I ran from room to room, hysterical. I opened and closed closet doors, I looked under beds. Finally I went up to the attic and that is where I found them both. My mother was laying on her back, tied up the same way I was. My father was laying face down. I believe he was shot while trying to protect my mother.
Austin and our bodies weren’t discovered until Monday afternoon. One of my mom’s coworkers came over after my mom didn’t show up to work. The front door was still unlocked so she entered the house and began to look around. I could hear her calling our names, first my mom’s, then my dad’s, and finally mine. The first room she entered on the second floor was the nursery where she discovered Austin, still in her crib, with dirty diapers. She took Austin from her crib, changed her diapers and continued to search. The next room she came across was my bedroom. My dead body was still sprawled across the bed; the comforter was soaked with blood. I still hear her blood curdling scream at night. She ran to the phone in the kitchen and called the police.
The police never did catch my killer. Even to this day, it is unknown as to why he was here, what he was after. Nothing was missing, my mom’s entire jewelry collection, the electronic equipment; all was where it should be.
My murderer is still here somewhere and he will come back. I need to be here when he finally returns to the scene of the crime. I know he will. I just know it.”
Sarah told the story of her death in a cold, distant voice, almost as if she was talking about someone else’s death entirely.
“What happened to your sister?” Izzy gently prodded Sarah to continue. She was definitely curious to know the ending of the story but also genuinely concerned for Sarah. “Do you have any idea of where they have gone?”
Sarah shook her head. “I don’t know. I don’t know where to look.”
“My sister was raped and left for dead. My twin, Rebecca.” Izzy blurted out. “I don’t know how to deal with it. She’s in the hospital, dying, and all I can think about is me. I feel so guilty; it should be me lying in that hospital bed right now.”
“Is that what you were running away from? Why you came here?” Sarah asked. “Is she still in the hospital?”
“Yes,” Izzy sobbed. “My parents have been sitting at her bedside for days. I’m sure they haven’t missed me yet. I’m sure no one is looking for me; they probably don’t even know that I am gone.”
“Now that is not true,” admonished Sarah. “Trust me; I’m sure they are absolutely hysterical that they can’t find you. Everyone is looking for you! How could they not? One daughter in the hospital; the other daughter is missing! Izzy, you need to go back! What is your sister wakes up and you’re not there?”
“I can’t go back; please don’t make me,” Izzy sobbed. “Sarah, don’t look at me like that. I can’t deal with the uncertainty of not know if she will survive.”
Sarah looked exasperated. “Izzy, you are being incredibly selfish. You need to return. You might be able to help your sister, Iz.”
“Tomorrow, then, if I must. I’ll go tomorrow. I’m so tired; I need to sleep.” Izzy curled up on the bed. Sarah floated out of the room, leaving Izzy alone on the bed that Sarah had died in.

The nurses in the hospital entered Rebecca’s hospital frequently, checking the machines humming and beeping around her. Her mother was asleep on the floor next to the bed; her father went down to the cafeteria with some family members who had come to visit. The family members updated him on the search for Izzy. There was not much to say; they have called every one of Izzy’s friends looking for her. Each one had said that they had not seen Izzy but they would keep an eye out for her. Each said how sorry they were for what happened to Rebecca, and to pass their condolences on to their parents. The family members decided to leave out that bit of information for the moment. Neither one would be interested to hear that at this moment anyway.
Izzy’s father ate slowly, chasing the food down his dry, scratch throat with large gulps of scalding hot coffee. He didn’t care if he burnt his mouth; what did that matter compared to everything else that has occurred recently. His wife hadn’t slept in days; she finally fell asleep from pure exhaustion. He left her there to sleep and took their visitors to the cafeteria as to not disturb her. Let her sleep, he thought, I’ll never be able to sleep again.
Rebecca’s doctor had informed them that morning that the chances Rebecca would wake up diminished every day that she stayed in a coma. He suggested that they talk to her; that she could hear their voices and might respond to them. He hoped fervently that Izzy was found soon. He knew that if anyone could coax Rebecca out of her coma, it was Izzy. They were twins after all and seemed to share that special connection that twins do.
•••
The automatic doors swung open as Izzy walked through. She approached the front desk and asked which room her sister was in.
“Room two hundred and fifteen,” the receptionist informed her and went back to her private telephone conversation.
Izzy glanced around and spotted the elevator. She pushed the up arrow and waited for the elevator to arrive. She entered the elevator, turned around, and pushed the button for the second floor. The doors closed. “Thank you for coming with me, Sarah,” she said, speaking to what appeared to be air. “I couldn’t do this by myself. I feel better just knowing that you are with me.”
“I’m flattered that you asked me.” The words came from thin air. “Just remember that I am here with you.”
The elevator doors opened and Izzy stepped out. She took a deep breath and began to look for room two hundred and fifteen. She spotted the door and walked down the hallway. She paused, looked around and took a deep breath. Squaring her shoulders, Izzy reached out for the door, turned the knob, and pushed open the door. Her eyes automatically focused on the motionless form of her twin sister lying in the hospital bed. She took in the tubes and medical equipments that were keeping her sister alive. She gasped. The noise caught the attention of both her parents who were sitting together on chairs next to the bed.
Unseen, Sarah entered the room behind Izzy. She took in the same scene that Izzy had just digested. The first thing she noticed was how much Rebecca and Izzy looked like each other. She glanced quickly at Izzy parents as they jumped from their chairs and rushed to Izzy.
Izzy’s mother enveloped her missing daughter in her arms and held her tightly. Her father placed his hand on her head and began to stoke her hair. None of them spoke. Words would not have been able to say everything they had to tell each other. It could wait. They had plenty of time to talk later.
“Izzy, dear,” her mother said, taking her hand. She led Izzy to the side of her sister, and sat her in a chair. “The doctors tell us to talk to her. They said that she can hear us and if we talk to her, she might respond. We’ve tried but we think she might respond to you.”
Izzy leaned over and whispered in Rebecca’s ear. “I’m here,” she said. “I’m here. Please wake up. Please come back to me. I can’t do this without you. I’m so sorry this happened to you.” She sat back in her chair and rested her head in her hands, sobbing. Her mother knelt next to her on the floor and handed Izzy a tissue.
“I’m going to step out side and make a few phone calls. We’ve had so many people looking for you. The cops too. Everyone is so worried. I should let them know that you are ok, you came back on your own.” Her dad stepped outside and closed the door behind him.
Sarah approached the side of Rebecca’s bed. She bent over slowly and peered into Rebecca’s face. She examined it slowly and thoroughly, comparing her face to Izzy’s. She saw a nice girl, quiet, smart, and pretty, much like Izzy. But, most importantly, she saw life. She saw that Rebecca was not dead; her soul was still in her body. Trapped, possibly, wanting to wake up but can’t. She could see it. She could see Rebecca’s soul in her body; she could reach out and touch it. Sarah put out her hand slowly and gently brushed the bright light that made up Rebecca’s spirit. She whispered softly in her ear. The words were inaudible to all but Rebecca. And Rebecca began to stir. Her soul opened up and began to fill Rebecca’s still form with life. Sarah could see the soul moving, flowing, and filling every part of Rebecca with light.
Rebecca slowly moved her fingers and then wiggled her toes. A machine next to her head began to buzz loudly. Izzy and her mother were startled by the sound and jerked up. Her father rushed back in, followed by Rebecca’s nurse. She checked all the vital signs. “I think she might be waking up. Try talking to her.”
Izzy leaned forward and started to talk to Rebecca. She told her where she has been for the past several days. She told her about meeting Sarah, leaving out the part of her being a ghost. Her parents told her about all the visitors she’s had and about everyone who has asked about her. Rebecca blinked her eyes in response and slowly opened them against the bright light. Her eyes have been closed for almost a week now, and it took them awhile to adjust to the light.

Part 2

2008-11-03T11:34:00.004-06:00

The two girls began to carry old furniture downstairs and broke it apart, working slowly from the cold. They threw the kindling into the fireplace and lit it. The linens caught fire quickly and filled the room with warmth and light.

Finally, Sarah could see what the girl looked like. She appeared to be about 12 years old, a few years younger than Sarah when she died. Her long, brown hair hung around her shoulders, still very damp from the rain. She had big brown eyes hidden behind her glasses and braces on her teeth that reflected the light as she smiled.

The girl sat on the couch, huddled in a blanket for warmth. “Thank you,” she said simply. “I appreciate your help. I don’t mean to intrude on your home, but I have nowhere else to go and it is so cold outside.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Sarah said. “You’re not intruding. It’s been so long since I’ve had any visitors! My name is Sarah: what’s yours?”

“My name is Isabelle; my friends call me Izzy,” Said Izzy. “At least the few friends I used to have.” The last sentence faded off until it was almost inaudible.

“Please to meet you Izzy. It has been so long since I’ve entertained; I’ve forgotten my manners. I’d offer you something to eat or drink but, obviously I don’t eat or drink anymore myself.” Sarah said shyly, calling attention to the obvious.

“Listen! Do you hear that? I think the storm has stopped.” Izzy walked over to the window, pushed aside the curtain, and peered into the darkness outside. “Its still raining a bit but I think the worst has passed. Do you have electricity here? I bet it is working again.”

“No,” said Sarah. “The electricity was shut off a long time ago. No one ever comes here and I don’t really require it. I do have some old candles though. Would you like one?”

“Yes, please.” Izzy looks around. “I really can’t go home tonight. Is there somewhere I can sleep?”

“Yes, there are several bedrooms here. They are very musty and dark, I’m afraid, but you can have any one you’d like. I usually stay in the attic.” Sarah threw some more wood on the fire. “Are you warm enough? We could save some of this wood to use in the fireplace of your bedroom. They are a bit cold.”

Izzy curled up on the couch. “Maybe I’ll just sleep here on the couch. Would you mind?” She yawned and rested her head on the arm rest. “It’s very warm and comfortable.”

Sarah put a candle on the end table near Izzy’s head and lit it with her own candle. “Yes, that is not a problem. There are extra blankets in the closet down the hall. Very little has been moved in the past few years.”

Sarah started to head upstairs. “Sarah?” Izzy said. “Would you stay down here with me? I don’t like to be alone in the dark.”

“Yes,” said Sarah. “I can stay down here.” She floated over to the foot of the couch. “There really isn’t any reason to be scared of the dark. I’m the only one here.”

Izzy tucked her feet under the blanket and lowered her head on to a pillow. She fell asleep instantly.

Sarah continued to float at the bottom of the couch, watching Izzy sleep. She wondered what had brought Izzy to the house that night. Whatever it was, it must have been horrible for her to venture out into the violent storm that roared through that night. She bent over, picked up the candle snuff, and placed it over the burning wick. The candle went out and the room went dark. She placed the snuffer back on the end table, floated over to the window, and pushed the curtains aside. She took a seat on the window sill and waited for the night to pass, same as she has for several years.

The sun began to rise above the horizon and pour in through the living room window. Izzy slowly opened her eyes, blinking from the bright light. Suddenly, she sat upright, eyes wide, forgetting where she was. She glanced frantically around the room, and, once oriented again, she settled back into the couch.

“Good morning,” said Sarah from her perch on the windowsill. She stood up slowly and floated over to Izzy. “You must have slept well. You snored all night!”

“Good morning to you too,” Izzy pushed her hair out of her face. “You didn’t sit there all night, did you?”

Rebecca lay silently flat on her back, eyes staring blankly at the ceiling, unaware of anything. The respirator hummed noisily, carrying life sustaining oxygen to her lungs. Her body was crisscrossed with different tubes and wires, each tracking different vital signs. Her parents sat silently at her bedside. Her mother clutched a cup of forgotten coffee in one hand and a used tissue in the other. Her father didn’t hold anything; he sat silently with his hands in his lap, staring forward. Both were exhausted from long nights of waiting, waiting for the good news that Rebecca would wake up, waiting for Izzy to return home.

Izzy set her backpack on the kitchen table. She pulled out canned food and set them on the table. “Do you have a can opener?” she asked. “I’m starving!”

Sarah rummaged through some drawers until she found a can opener. “The electricity has been turned off, I’m afraid. There isn’t any way to heat the food.”

Izzy searched each of the kitchen cabinets looking for cookware. “I suppose I could heat it up over the fireplace. I was in a hurry to leave last night; I wasn’t thinking about food. I grabbed the first available that I found.”

And now, I'm stuck. I have an idea of where I want to take this story but I'm not sure how to get there. What should happen next?

622 Words Down-2712 More to go for Today!

2008-11-02T08:53:00.001-06:00

It was a dark and stormy night. The storm had knocked out the electricity to the entire neighborhood. On top of the hill at the end of a very long drive, was an old house that the neighborhood kids spoke of in hushed tones, in case the spirit that haunted it should over hear. People, including adults, crossed the street when passing the old house, but, tonight, there were no passerby. In the top-most window of the house, the flickering light of a candle was visible in the darkness. Of course, no one would see it as most people did not look at the house if at all possible.

The house was indeed haunted. Inside lived the spirit of a teenage girl, Sarah. She had grown up in that house with her family until something tragic happened there. Sarah had been haunting the house ever since.

Sarah cowered as the thunder and lightening crashed. Storms still scared her dead as they did alive. She wrapped the thick velvety musty curtains around her transparent form and continued to gaze out the window at the violent storm blowing through.

Sarah saw a sudden movement in the long driveway approaching the house. She leaned closer to the window and peered into the driveway. She could make out a lone form struggling against the howling wind and rain. As the figure crept closer to the house, Sarah grew more excited. Finally, a visitor! She had been alone in this house for so long; no one ever came to visit.

“But what if I scare the visitor away?” She spoke to herself out loud. “I’m so lonely! But most people are afraid of the dead.” Sarah went downstairs and hid beneath the stairwell, peaking at the front door as the unknown person entered.

A very wet and cold young girl entered. She closed the door quickly behind her and leaned against it, fully shutting it to the turbulence behind. She continued to lean against the door, not moving, until her eyes adjusted to the darkness within.

The young girl examined the house, looking for a place to warm up. A fireplace! She thought. After a quick glance around, she determined that there was nothing for her to burn in the living room. She wandered into the kitchen, looking for a forgotten candle, a left behind blanket. Puddles of water marked where she had walked.

Sarah couldn’t contain her excitement any longer. “Can I help you find something?” She asked nervously. “I could get you a blanket. Although it would be awfully old…”

The girl jumped, startled. She didn’t think anyone was here. Of course, she had heard the stories about the house being haunted but she didn’t believe them. Of course ghosts do not exist, she had told herself many times. But she had never approached this house before tonight.

She turned around to stare silently at the transparent form floating in front of her. “But, but, you’re a ghost!” She whispered.

“I’m sorry,” Sarah said. “I didn’t hear you. Would you like a blanket? I’d offer you some dry clothes but I’m afraid I don’t have any.”

“Yes, please.” Stuttered the young girl. “You wouldn’t happen to have any firewood lying around, would you? I’m so awfully cold.”

“No, I don’t,” Sarah said softly “But we could use some old curtains and furniture to start a fire, if you’d like.”

Sarah led the girl upstairs to the attic. It was crowded with old musty furniture, old clothes, paintings, and curtains long forgotten. “We could use these,” Sarah pulled old linens from a trunk. “This would work to get it started. We could also break one of the chairs over there. I don’t need all this furniture.”

Dream Park in Sun Prairie, WI

2008-11-01T16:30:00.002-05:00

We spent a lovely Sunday afternoon at Sun Prairie's Dream Park.

Halloween Costumes

2008-11-01T16:24:00.002-05:00

Writer's Block

2008-11-01T15:07:00.005-05:00

Today is the first day of NaNoWriMo, and I am already stuck! My original plan was to write something autobiographical. This was my hubby's suggestion as he would love to read it and learn more about my life before him. So I sat down this morning and began writing. I got to 609 words before I got stuck! What a boring life I must have! After re-reading what I had already written, I decided to restart with a different idea.

So far, this is what I have done to avoid writing:

checked my email
checked my facebook account
worked on my internship application- which is actually important!
searched through every drawer and pile of papers for a writing sample to include with my internship application- fortunately I did find one.
thought about starting my resume and cover letter- but have not actually started those either.
read some blogs
organized my homework
planted garlic
dug out my vegetable garden plans and organized them in a binder
checked my class website and thought about doing homework
organized my homework into piles
found my flash drive and reformatted it
searched for my camera to upload photos
posted on my blog

So that's it. Its already 15 hours into NaNoWriMo and I haven't written a damn thing!

Soul Mates...

2008-10-28T10:27:00.001-05:00

Do I believe that soul mates exist?

Yes. And here is why:

World's heaviest man marries in Mexico
Monday, October 27, 2008 7:13 AM EDT
The Associated Press By MARK WALSH Associated Press Writer
MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) — The world's heaviest man has tied the knot. Manuel Uribe, who hasn't left his bed in six years, married his longtime girlfriend Claudia Solis Sunday in northern Mexico.
Wearing a white silk shirt with a sheet wrapped around his legs, Uribe smiled as Solis, 38, walked down a flight of stairs wearing a strapless ivory dress, a tiara and hot-pink lipstick.
He later broke into tears as a notary declared the couple husband and wife in a civil ceremony attended by more than 400 guests. For the traditional first dance as newlyweds, Uribe and Solis held hands and swayed to a romantic ballad.
A popular local norteno band played accordion-heavy tunes at the reception, which featured a banquet of meat and buttered vegetables.
Uribe's mother, Orquedia Garza, said the groom steered clear of the five-tier wedding cake.
"He didn't break his diet," she told The Associated Press. "His doctors are here and they are watching him very closely."
The wedding, which was closed to most media, will be featured in an upcoming Discovery Channel documentary on Uribe, the 43-year-old former mechanic said.
"I have a wife and will form a new family and live a happy life," Uribe told hordes of reporters earlier as they followed him through the streets of Monterrey.
A flatbed truck was brought in to tow his custom-made bed decorated with a canopy, flowers and gold-trimmed bows to the wedding at a local event hall. Two police patrol cars escorted him ahead of a long line of traffic.
Uribe tipped the scales in 2006 at 1,230 pounds (560 kilograms), earning him the Guinness World Record as the world's heaviest man.
He has since shed about 550 pounds (250 kilograms) with the help of Solis, whom he met four years ago.
Uribe said he's gunning for a new title: world's greatest weight loser.

Sundays....

2008-10-27T12:17:00.025-05:00

The website I use to complete and submit my algebra homework was down yesterday (yeah!!) so I used Sunday for what it was meant for: Cooking!

I began by tossing together a homemade sweet and sour sauce. I coated some country style pork ribs and put them in the slow cooker for 6 hours. They turned out great!

While the ribs were cooking, I decided to try out a new recipe for apple butter. My father-in-law brought me 6-7 pounds of courtland apples that I needed to use! I haven't had a chance to try it out yet, but I'll let you know how it turned out.

Finally, I pickled some banana peppers that I had. I love banana peppers! They are great on veggie sandwiches and I can't wait to find new ways to use them.

After spending the morning cooking, Josh, Taylor and I finally carved our pumpkins.

Josh made a super scary pumpkin. I think it looks a lot like
Voldemort from the Harry Potter movies.

Mine was simple, with the words "Trick or Treat" carved in it. Unfortunately, the letters have somewhat disintegrated.

Finally, Taylor's pumpkin took the longest as she had to have the largest one she could carry.

We also assembled Taylor's Halloween gifts for her second grade class. A few weekends ago, we wandered in to Archiver's in Middleton, WI and of course I can't leave without spending way too much money. We purchased 40 sheets of orange paper which we cut into bag shape with the die-cutters in the rear room. We also purchased some stamps, ink, stickers and ribbon for the bags.

It took us several days to stamp the bags, doing a little each day. Taylor manages to get more ink on herself than on the paper! Last night it took all three of us to assemble the bags. Tonight we will finish them off with some stickers and ribbon. Finally we will fill the bags with candy and other Halloween goodies!

Countdown to NaNoWriMo! - 7 days to go

2008-10-24T08:29:00.017-05:00

For those of you who don't know, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. The goal is to hunker down, drink ungodly amounts of coffee and write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days.

From scratch.

In 30 days.

What am I thinking?

I've been thinking about participating in NaNoWriMo for the past year now and I have decided to do it this year. Because I need even more stuff to do.

I received my copy of the NaNoWriMo yesterday and am getting rather excited about writing my first draft of a novel. I've always wanted to write one but I hate my writing. I figured that this would be a good chance to just do it. Even though I don't have a plot, storyline, characters or any of those other things that one would expect in a novel. I do have lots of coffee and not so much free time though.

But, as Ernest Hemingway once said, "The first draft of anything is shit."

Wish me luck!

First Real Post!

2008-10-20T14:23:00.004-05:00

Ok, well anyone who knows me well will understand the significance of my first post to be about books. I keep seeing this list posted on several blogs and, while I don't know what the original source of the list is, I thought I would post it here as well. As you can tell, I have read quite a few of these.

The Big Read reckons that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they've printed. Well let's see.
1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you LOVE.

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen -
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien –
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte -
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee -
6 The Bible -
7 Wuthering Heights
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell -
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman - this one is sitting in by to-be-read pile on my bookcase.
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy –
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare –
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger -
19 The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With the Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald -
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky -
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck -
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll -
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens -
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis -
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis -
37.The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne -
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown – I have absolutely no plans to read this one.
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez - One of my all-time favorites!
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving - Also, one of the best books ever written!
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery- as a child
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood –
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding –
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan -
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens -
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez -
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck -
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov -
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas -
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding - Feel free to skip this one.
69 Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville -
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - I had this one read to me as a child.
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce -
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt -
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker -
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro -
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert -
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte's Web - EB White -
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad –
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery -
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams - Only good if you like warring bunnies.
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare -
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl -
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

*The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. The NEA presents The Big Read in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest.