1 - Rachel Ray's accent - it's out of control. She moved from the midwest like ten million years ago - that accent should be fading out by now.
2 - Ina Garten's breathing - I know they keep the mikes really sensitive on these cooking shows, so you can hear all the fun food sounds (which also gross me out - especially when they are mixing up really gloppy foods), but I really could go without hearing the Barefoot Contessa's heavy breathing while still reaping the benefits of learning how to make a great rack of lamb.
3 - Giada DeLaurentis' giant cranium. Can that girl's head get any larger? really? She's like a Barbie doll, or no, one of those Bratz dolls that they have now. Tiny little mini-body, HUGE GIGANTIC HEAD.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
A friend of ours
Things are moving into second gear in the whole "moving" thing. We picked up some boxes on the weekend, so I can start packing up (yay!), we did our home inspection on Saturday, which let us know that a) our place is too new to have any problems and b) our place was constructed well, so there are no foreseeable problems other than normal wear and tear. Last night SB met with our landlady to let her know we will not be renewing our lease - she was actually really sad and said that we are her best tenants.
Trying to decide now what furniture we will keep and what we will sell. Anybody wanna buy a Leksvik 7 drawer chest? $100.
I haven't had much time lately to think of things other than work and moving, and I know TV is not much more exciting to hear about, but YAY the Sopranos are coming back in two weeks! I've been watching the re-runs of part one of season six, and I know it didn't air that long ago, but I had totally forgotten all of the crazy stuff that happened at the end of Part I. I think I was so sad that we were left hanging that I had totally blocked out the good stuff.
- Phil Leotardo is in the hospital with a heart attack and Tony goes to him for a truce - SO HUGE
- AJ starts a relationship with a Puerto Rican who has a kid. And he's working in construction. Before he met the girl, I thought it was only a matter of time before he got mobbed up. Then when he started seeing her, I thought he was safe. Then at the end, when he's talking to them about buying her necklace at the mall and Christopher is like "you should have asked me, I know a guy" I was like - yikes, AJ is totally getting made!
- Meadow is in California - something bad has to happen, because she is altogether too happy, and Finn is the one who ratted on Vito and I think that will end up coming back somehow.
- Carmela's spec house is supposed to distract her from searching for Adriana, but I think she is going to find out that Tony had her whacked.
- I WANT FURIO TO COME BACK
So much stuff! anyway, if you've never watched before, then I guess it's kinda late to get into it, but I highly suggest getting all the DVDs and watching.
Trying to decide now what furniture we will keep and what we will sell. Anybody wanna buy a Leksvik 7 drawer chest? $100.
I haven't had much time lately to think of things other than work and moving, and I know TV is not much more exciting to hear about, but YAY the Sopranos are coming back in two weeks! I've been watching the re-runs of part one of season six, and I know it didn't air that long ago, but I had totally forgotten all of the crazy stuff that happened at the end of Part I. I think I was so sad that we were left hanging that I had totally blocked out the good stuff.
- Phil Leotardo is in the hospital with a heart attack and Tony goes to him for a truce - SO HUGE
- AJ starts a relationship with a Puerto Rican who has a kid. And he's working in construction. Before he met the girl, I thought it was only a matter of time before he got mobbed up. Then when he started seeing her, I thought he was safe. Then at the end, when he's talking to them about buying her necklace at the mall and Christopher is like "you should have asked me, I know a guy" I was like - yikes, AJ is totally getting made!
- Meadow is in California - something bad has to happen, because she is altogether too happy, and Finn is the one who ratted on Vito and I think that will end up coming back somehow.
- Carmela's spec house is supposed to distract her from searching for Adriana, but I think she is going to find out that Tony had her whacked.
- I WANT FURIO TO COME BACK
So much stuff! anyway, if you've never watched before, then I guess it's kinda late to get into it, but I highly suggest getting all the DVDs and watching.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Adventures in psychopharmaceuticals
I have been taking meds for about 18 months. They keep me from crying in the pharmacy, in my car, and when I run out of Cheetohs. My doctor said we would try them for a year or so, and then wean me off slowly and see how it goes. When I got back from vacation, I had about 14 pills left, and then one refill.
I decided to wean off, convinced I am now happy, and well-adjusted, and fabulous, so why do I need this crutch? I started by taking half a pill a day, then every two days, then not at all. I haven't taken any meds for about a month now.
I thought it was going really great - not one phone commercial had made me cry, I wasn't feeling exhausted all the time (that was one of my major symptoms when I first went on meds - I was just constantly tired. I think I would have stayed in bed all day for a week if it had been allowed.) But then I noticed something.
Sometimes I would find myself acting like I was on speed. Things would blurt out of my mouth before they even popped into my head. All the time. I've been almost manic, just talking and talking and talking. I found myself at a client meeting wondering how I had gotten off on a tangent about dog diarrhea. The other night while watching TV with SB I kept cracking him up with all the random one-liners I kept throwing at him.
So, while I'm glad that I no longer want to crawl into my bed and sleep for a month, I don't think this new behavior is quite acceptable either. At least I am functional, but I don't trust myself to open my mouth, for fear of what will come out of it.
I'll go see the doctor next week and see what he thinks. Not sure if I will go back on my old meds or get something new, but in the meantime I'm thinking of taking my routine on the road.
I decided to wean off, convinced I am now happy, and well-adjusted, and fabulous, so why do I need this crutch? I started by taking half a pill a day, then every two days, then not at all. I haven't taken any meds for about a month now.
I thought it was going really great - not one phone commercial had made me cry, I wasn't feeling exhausted all the time (that was one of my major symptoms when I first went on meds - I was just constantly tired. I think I would have stayed in bed all day for a week if it had been allowed.) But then I noticed something.
Sometimes I would find myself acting like I was on speed. Things would blurt out of my mouth before they even popped into my head. All the time. I've been almost manic, just talking and talking and talking. I found myself at a client meeting wondering how I had gotten off on a tangent about dog diarrhea. The other night while watching TV with SB I kept cracking him up with all the random one-liners I kept throwing at him.
So, while I'm glad that I no longer want to crawl into my bed and sleep for a month, I don't think this new behavior is quite acceptable either. At least I am functional, but I don't trust myself to open my mouth, for fear of what will come out of it.
I'll go see the doctor next week and see what he thinks. Not sure if I will go back on my old meds or get something new, but in the meantime I'm thinking of taking my routine on the road.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
A full closet be not a good closet
Before Christmas I did a closet clean-out and piled two garbage bags full of clothes that I haven't worn for...well some of them I've had since high school. It felt good, and a bit melancholic as well. My closet and drawers were jam-packed full, but a lot of the stuff that I was donating was just slightly too small for me (or a lot too small, depending what era of my life it originated in), and I couldn't help but thinking that I could get some use out of it if I would just lose that ten pounds (or 20, or 30...)
Now that we are moving (yay yay yay), it's time to do a full purge of all of our stuff. We have stuff that I haven't seen since we moved it from Lennoxville five years ago. That stuff has to go.
Yesterday was Closet Day, and I cleaned out mine and SB's closet, and all of our dressers. We ended up with three more garbage bags of clothes to donate, and one garbage bag of garbage - torn, ripped, gross clothes that no one would want. And underwear. Who wants 2nd hand underwear? Where did all this stuff come from?
Today is Magazine Day - I'm trying to go through all the magazines I have accumulated, pull out anything useful, and chuck the rest. Wedding mags stay. Cosmo from 1987 is garbage. New Yorker is a keeper. US magazine announcing Britney and Justin's break-up - although nostalgic - is getting recycled.
I feel good getting all these things done, and finally decluttering, but I also feel a bit overwhelmed. When did we accumulate all of this stuff? Where did it come from? And, though it may seem trivial, some things are hard to make the call on. What if in three months I think back and regret chucking something?
So much pressure.
Now that we are moving (yay yay yay), it's time to do a full purge of all of our stuff. We have stuff that I haven't seen since we moved it from Lennoxville five years ago. That stuff has to go.
Yesterday was Closet Day, and I cleaned out mine and SB's closet, and all of our dressers. We ended up with three more garbage bags of clothes to donate, and one garbage bag of garbage - torn, ripped, gross clothes that no one would want. And underwear. Who wants 2nd hand underwear? Where did all this stuff come from?
Today is Magazine Day - I'm trying to go through all the magazines I have accumulated, pull out anything useful, and chuck the rest. Wedding mags stay. Cosmo from 1987 is garbage. New Yorker is a keeper. US magazine announcing Britney and Justin's break-up - although nostalgic - is getting recycled.
I feel good getting all these things done, and finally decluttering, but I also feel a bit overwhelmed. When did we accumulate all of this stuff? Where did it come from? And, though it may seem trivial, some things are hard to make the call on. What if in three months I think back and regret chucking something?
So much pressure.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Ours, ours, all ours
So, we will be moving on or before May 1st. On or before, meaning the current owners are already moved out, so as soon as all the inspections, document perusals (condo rules and agreements), and notary crap is done, we could theoretically pay up and move in. Could be done in as little as two weeks. Whoa.
Now it's time to start adding up all the moving expenses, of which there are many many many, and they add up. Especially hook up fees - pretty pissed that we have been Bell clients for ten years and we still have to pay $50 to get our account and number transferred.
Here are a couple of photos of the space, with the current owners' stuff, of course, but gives you a bit of an idea.
I can't wait to get in there!!!
Now it's time to start adding up all the moving expenses, of which there are many many many, and they add up. Especially hook up fees - pretty pissed that we have been Bell clients for ten years and we still have to pay $50 to get our account and number transferred.
Here are a couple of photos of the space, with the current owners' stuff, of course, but gives you a bit of an idea.
I can't wait to get in there!!!
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Well, I know one thing for sure...
My digestive system does not enjoy stressful situations like condo buying.
I was finally able to get some sleep last night, after taking some allergy meds which put me out.
The problem I'm having today is stomach-burn (not even heart burn, just total gurgle belly). I went and got a hair cut to try to relax a bit (I find my hair turned out a bit weird - maybe it will just take a few days to get used to).
Anyway, so the seller gave us another counter-offer, which we are accepting, and will sign and send back to him tomorrow. Everything will be notarized at the end of April, and we will be good to go move in on the 1st of May. Holy crap, that's in like a month!
WE ARE MOVING IN A MONTH.
Barring any major catastrophes, of course. We have to get the place inspected, even though it's brand new, still a good idea to have an official reading on the state of the place when we get it. Also have to arrange for movers, and start thinking about things we need to buy/sell before moving.
I feel like starting to pack right now. I'm so excited!!!
Okay, now I'm going to go and try to sooth my stomach.
I was finally able to get some sleep last night, after taking some allergy meds which put me out.
The problem I'm having today is stomach-burn (not even heart burn, just total gurgle belly). I went and got a hair cut to try to relax a bit (I find my hair turned out a bit weird - maybe it will just take a few days to get used to).
Anyway, so the seller gave us another counter-offer, which we are accepting, and will sign and send back to him tomorrow. Everything will be notarized at the end of April, and we will be good to go move in on the 1st of May. Holy crap, that's in like a month!
WE ARE MOVING IN A MONTH.
Barring any major catastrophes, of course. We have to get the place inspected, even though it's brand new, still a good idea to have an official reading on the state of the place when we get it. Also have to arrange for movers, and start thinking about things we need to buy/sell before moving.
I feel like starting to pack right now. I'm so excited!!!
Okay, now I'm going to go and try to sooth my stomach.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
The waiting game
Yesterday we put in an offer for The Dream Condo. Now I am tearing my eyes out with the horror and the agony of the waiting.
The Dream Condo is literally that. We saw quite a few places, all of them built recently (since 2000), some around 1000 square feet (like Dream Condo) some giant ones over 1500 sq ft with mezzanines. But none of them felt like home. Dream Condo automatically gave me the feeling that I already lived there. There are only a handful of little projects I could foresee possibly undertaking to make it more our own (like a counter upgrade - gross green laminate countertop in the kitchen, and some other gross laminate in the bathroom. I dream of soapstone.) But even the paint colors are us. They even have the same furniture we do (albeit it is IKEA furniture, and half the city probably has it, but it just fits in the space.)
Dream Condo is in an apartment-style building, but doesn't feel like it. There is a little gate you enter instead of a doorway, and the stairwell leading up to our door is open. We would be on the second floor, so not too high up for the doggies, who are quite old and don't like stairs so much, but not on the ground floor, with people walking by and getting all up in our business. The walls and floors are all constructed of concrete, so there is practically no way to be bothered by neighbors, unless they are hanging out their windows screaming and you happen to be on your balcony. We would have a parking spot. I would be less than five minutes away from half of our clients. The Dream Condo is heated by blowing air, not baseboards, so feels more comfy. There is central air conditioning. A gas fireplace. A giant spa tub and separate shower. Hardwood floors. Cherry wood cabinets. Stone tile in the kitchen. His and her closets. A giant balcony. And no grass to mow.
Why would we choose a condo? It's next to impossible to find a free-standing house in the city that we could afford. Living outside of the city is not an option for us right now, as I need to be close to the business, and we can't afford to rent an office. Plus SB also works downtown. Some of the older condos are really charming and romantic-looking, but how romantic is it to hear your neighbors upstairs clomping around at 5am? And how charming are all the other problems that come along with a place built in 1920? We don't have time for that. Would it be nice to have a yard - theoretically yes. But our dogs are so old and dependent I don't think they'd really enjoy it, maintenance is annoying, and....maintenance is annoying. Our balcony is big enough for a bbq, lawnchairs, a nice furniture set, etc. We can hang out out there on a Saturday and drink beer, read the paper, let the dogs and cat sleep in the sun.
I don't know, maybe I'm being too idealistic. I'm sure once we (if we) move in we will find out what the downsides are to this place. But for now I just want all this offer-counteroffer-countercounteroffer bullshit to be done, and I want to know if and when we are moving. I can't sleep. I have a migraine. I hate negotiations. SB loves them, and is having a hard time understanding my grumpiness. But we should know by tonight. So I'm trying to keep busy and make the day go by fast fast fast.
The Dream Condo is literally that. We saw quite a few places, all of them built recently (since 2000), some around 1000 square feet (like Dream Condo) some giant ones over 1500 sq ft with mezzanines. But none of them felt like home. Dream Condo automatically gave me the feeling that I already lived there. There are only a handful of little projects I could foresee possibly undertaking to make it more our own (like a counter upgrade - gross green laminate countertop in the kitchen, and some other gross laminate in the bathroom. I dream of soapstone.) But even the paint colors are us. They even have the same furniture we do (albeit it is IKEA furniture, and half the city probably has it, but it just fits in the space.)
Dream Condo is in an apartment-style building, but doesn't feel like it. There is a little gate you enter instead of a doorway, and the stairwell leading up to our door is open. We would be on the second floor, so not too high up for the doggies, who are quite old and don't like stairs so much, but not on the ground floor, with people walking by and getting all up in our business. The walls and floors are all constructed of concrete, so there is practically no way to be bothered by neighbors, unless they are hanging out their windows screaming and you happen to be on your balcony. We would have a parking spot. I would be less than five minutes away from half of our clients. The Dream Condo is heated by blowing air, not baseboards, so feels more comfy. There is central air conditioning. A gas fireplace. A giant spa tub and separate shower. Hardwood floors. Cherry wood cabinets. Stone tile in the kitchen. His and her closets. A giant balcony. And no grass to mow.
Why would we choose a condo? It's next to impossible to find a free-standing house in the city that we could afford. Living outside of the city is not an option for us right now, as I need to be close to the business, and we can't afford to rent an office. Plus SB also works downtown. Some of the older condos are really charming and romantic-looking, but how romantic is it to hear your neighbors upstairs clomping around at 5am? And how charming are all the other problems that come along with a place built in 1920? We don't have time for that. Would it be nice to have a yard - theoretically yes. But our dogs are so old and dependent I don't think they'd really enjoy it, maintenance is annoying, and....maintenance is annoying. Our balcony is big enough for a bbq, lawnchairs, a nice furniture set, etc. We can hang out out there on a Saturday and drink beer, read the paper, let the dogs and cat sleep in the sun.
I don't know, maybe I'm being too idealistic. I'm sure once we (if we) move in we will find out what the downsides are to this place. But for now I just want all this offer-counteroffer-countercounteroffer bullshit to be done, and I want to know if and when we are moving. I can't sleep. I have a migraine. I hate negotiations. SB loves them, and is having a hard time understanding my grumpiness. But we should know by tonight. So I'm trying to keep busy and make the day go by fast fast fast.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Whirlwind
Wowie.
So, in the last week I have:
- worked two groups a day minimum as one of my girls was on vacation
- had a dog puke in the car every day for five days.
- started looking for a condo to buy
- met with an agent to help us find the perfect condo
- watched The Departed - awesome!!!
- got bit in the face by a puppy, very near my eye
-got snapped in the hand and arm by a giant elasticky leash one of my clients has when her dog got excited, chased a ball, and the clasp broke, subsequently snapping the leash back on me, narrowly missing my eyes.
- had a dog spray in the car to mark it (an un-neutered pug male - not a whole lot of stink or pee, but still very annoying and icky)
- found the perfect condo
- started looking at making an offer on that condo
- lost a dog for half an hour (found the little bastard, but he kept running from me. He was soooo sticky and dirty from the salty sidewalks. All the other dogs were pissed at him - because of him, their walk got cut short)
- had the time change totally fuck up my life.
It has been a crazy week - we are going to see Dream Condo again tonight (our third visit - we've been to two open houses there, and now we're going back with our agent). And I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. We've seen a bunch of other places, but this place just gives me that feeling. You know the feeling. Like you already live there. I just love it so much. When we talk about it, it's all I can say. I just love it. So much. Ugh, I will really hate if we don't get it. Unless something better magically pops up out of nowhere. I hate the waiting. It really drags it out, having to make appointments all over the place to see it, finance it, blah blah blah. Poor SB is swamped at work as well, and is the primary responsible for doing the whole business part of it (I just participate in the selection, decoration, and general "putting togetheredness" of it all), so he's having a tough time balancing, I'm sure.
Anyway, I have a lot of anxiety right now. I can't wait until we settle on something (ie The Dream Condo) and the moving process begins. And ends. I can't wait.
So, in the last week I have:
- worked two groups a day minimum as one of my girls was on vacation
- had a dog puke in the car every day for five days.
- started looking for a condo to buy
- met with an agent to help us find the perfect condo
- watched The Departed - awesome!!!
- got bit in the face by a puppy, very near my eye
-got snapped in the hand and arm by a giant elasticky leash one of my clients has when her dog got excited, chased a ball, and the clasp broke, subsequently snapping the leash back on me, narrowly missing my eyes.
- had a dog spray in the car to mark it (an un-neutered pug male - not a whole lot of stink or pee, but still very annoying and icky)
- found the perfect condo
- started looking at making an offer on that condo
- lost a dog for half an hour (found the little bastard, but he kept running from me. He was soooo sticky and dirty from the salty sidewalks. All the other dogs were pissed at him - because of him, their walk got cut short)
- had the time change totally fuck up my life.
It has been a crazy week - we are going to see Dream Condo again tonight (our third visit - we've been to two open houses there, and now we're going back with our agent). And I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. We've seen a bunch of other places, but this place just gives me that feeling. You know the feeling. Like you already live there. I just love it so much. When we talk about it, it's all I can say. I just love it. So much. Ugh, I will really hate if we don't get it. Unless something better magically pops up out of nowhere. I hate the waiting. It really drags it out, having to make appointments all over the place to see it, finance it, blah blah blah. Poor SB is swamped at work as well, and is the primary responsible for doing the whole business part of it (I just participate in the selection, decoration, and general "putting togetheredness" of it all), so he's having a tough time balancing, I'm sure.
Anyway, I have a lot of anxiety right now. I can't wait until we settle on something (ie The Dream Condo) and the moving process begins. And ends. I can't wait.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
I have a problem...
I'm addicted to Facebook!
What the hell is this thing, and where the hell did it come from? Who is the evil, evil person who came up with this bright idea?
I got an invite like a month ago, and signed up, but never went back. Then suddenly, this week I got like four more invites. So yesterday I officially got on there, and started looking for people. Actually, the most fun thing is browsing everyone else's friends and finding people that way, cause it turns out I'm not as great with names as I thought I was. Plus, people get married, and the crazy ladies who don't live in Quebec actually change their names when they get married. Crazy girls. (just kidding - it's so weird here, for those of you who don't live here, it is actually EXTREMELY difficult to change your name when you get married. People rarely do it officially.)
Anyway, so I've been stuck on Facebook all morning, even though I have to do my payroll.
Oh, also, yesterday I got bit in the face by a six month old lab. I was trying to grab her collar to give her back to her owner (she chased my group down the trail, and the owner hadn't even brought a leash with him - dumbass), and she just jumped right up and mouthed me in the face with her sharp little puppy teeth. My face was of course frozen, since it is minus one million degrees outside, so it really hurt, but she didn't break the skin, thank goodness. Nor did I lose an eye. This time.
What the hell is this thing, and where the hell did it come from? Who is the evil, evil person who came up with this bright idea?
I got an invite like a month ago, and signed up, but never went back. Then suddenly, this week I got like four more invites. So yesterday I officially got on there, and started looking for people. Actually, the most fun thing is browsing everyone else's friends and finding people that way, cause it turns out I'm not as great with names as I thought I was. Plus, people get married, and the crazy ladies who don't live in Quebec actually change their names when they get married. Crazy girls. (just kidding - it's so weird here, for those of you who don't live here, it is actually EXTREMELY difficult to change your name when you get married. People rarely do it officially.)
Anyway, so I've been stuck on Facebook all morning, even though I have to do my payroll.
Oh, also, yesterday I got bit in the face by a six month old lab. I was trying to grab her collar to give her back to her owner (she chased my group down the trail, and the owner hadn't even brought a leash with him - dumbass), and she just jumped right up and mouthed me in the face with her sharp little puppy teeth. My face was of course frozen, since it is minus one million degrees outside, so it really hurt, but she didn't break the skin, thank goodness. Nor did I lose an eye. This time.
Monday, March 05, 2007
I have no idea what "Meme" means, but I love this one
I found this on Jen's site, and think it is fantastic!!!!
Original Instructions: In the list of books below, bold the ones you’ve read, italicize the ones you want to read, cross out the ones you won’t touch with a ten-foot pole, put a cross (+) in front of the ones on your book shelf, and asterisk (*) the ones you’ve never heard of.
I left some books in just regular old font, these are the ones I am not sure I want to read or not.
Can't get strikethrough to work in blogger, so have made the ones I will not touch with a ten foot pole red.
Feel free to tell me I am totally wrong and should read something on this list (take note that I hate hate hate magic realism, fantasy, and anything that involves wizards. I will just never like these, ever, so don’t try to push them on me.)
1. +The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee) (I can’t believe I don’t own this one!)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. +Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. +Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving) (I love John Irving – slowly working my way through all of his stuff)
15. +Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling)
17. +Fall on Your Knees(Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban(Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. +The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. +Life of Pi (Yann Martel) (hated this book. Hated.)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. +Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie(Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. +1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. *The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. +I Know This Much is True(Wally Lamb) (probably my favorite book ever)
39. *The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. +The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. +Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. Bible
46. +Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48.+ Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. +She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. *Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. +The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. +The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. *The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller) -
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. +Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. *The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. +The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. +Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
81. +Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. *Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. *Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down(Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. +The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. *Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. *Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. *The Good Earth(Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. +White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce) (I love James Joyce’s short work, just not sure if I’m ready to commit to this one)
I recommend meme'ing this too - if you do, leave it in my comments!
Original Instructions: In the list of books below, bold the ones you’ve read, italicize the ones you want to read, cross out the ones you won’t touch with a ten-foot pole, put a cross (+) in front of the ones on your book shelf, and asterisk (*) the ones you’ve never heard of.
I left some books in just regular old font, these are the ones I am not sure I want to read or not.
Can't get strikethrough to work in blogger, so have made the ones I will not touch with a ten foot pole red.
Feel free to tell me I am totally wrong and should read something on this list (take note that I hate hate hate magic realism, fantasy, and anything that involves wizards. I will just never like these, ever, so don’t try to push them on me.)
1. +The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee) (I can’t believe I don’t own this one!)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. +Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. +Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving) (I love John Irving – slowly working my way through all of his stuff)
15. +Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling)
17. +Fall on Your Knees(Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban(Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. +The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. +Life of Pi (Yann Martel) (hated this book. Hated.)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. +Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie(Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. +1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. *The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. +I Know This Much is True(Wally Lamb) (probably my favorite book ever)
39. *The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. +The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. +Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. Bible
46. +Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48.+ Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. +She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. *Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. +The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. +The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. *The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller) -
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. +Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. *The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. +The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. +Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
81. +Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. *Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. *Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down(Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. +The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. *Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. *Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. *The Good Earth(Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. +White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce) (I love James Joyce’s short work, just not sure if I’m ready to commit to this one)
I recommend meme'ing this too - if you do, leave it in my comments!
Back on track
Wow, so it has taken me a week to get back into the swing of things after vacation. My tan is fading. It's depressing.
SB ran the business alone while I was away, and I must say he did a pretty fantastic job considering a few weird things popped up. He handled them well, especially since he was in the middle of one of his busiest weeks at his real job.
My second day back on the job, I took my mommy with me to visit some cats. They were fun and sweet, and I think my mom actually liked playing with them while I did all the dirty chores. The apartment was on the second floor, with an interior stairwell with about 15 stairs. You see where this is going, right? We took our shoes off at the top of the stairs, and then when we left, obviously, we put our shoes back on at the top of the stairs. But the stairs were painted with a very glossy paint. And our boots were wet.
Yup, I fell down the stairs.
My mom went down first, and was unlocking the door when I fell down like 10 stairs. She turned and said "What are you doing?" Seriously?
So for like three days last week my ass and right arm were killing me. My ass hurt when I ran. My arm hurt when I buckled my seatbelt.
Welcome back from vacation.
SB ran the business alone while I was away, and I must say he did a pretty fantastic job considering a few weird things popped up. He handled them well, especially since he was in the middle of one of his busiest weeks at his real job.
My second day back on the job, I took my mommy with me to visit some cats. They were fun and sweet, and I think my mom actually liked playing with them while I did all the dirty chores. The apartment was on the second floor, with an interior stairwell with about 15 stairs. You see where this is going, right? We took our shoes off at the top of the stairs, and then when we left, obviously, we put our shoes back on at the top of the stairs. But the stairs were painted with a very glossy paint. And our boots were wet.
Yup, I fell down the stairs.
My mom went down first, and was unlocking the door when I fell down like 10 stairs. She turned and said "What are you doing?" Seriously?
So for like three days last week my ass and right arm were killing me. My ass hurt when I ran. My arm hurt when I buckled my seatbelt.
Welcome back from vacation.
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