Book Review: Blink

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell.

In the beginning, Blink was a difficult book for me to enjoy because it felt as if I was reading a psychology text book; however, once I got to about midway, the book read fairly easy and became more interesting.

Blink is about first impressions. It is about how the unconcious mind works within the first few seconds a person comes in contact with something using their senses...sight, sound, smell. Gladwell's examples that support the theories he presents are fantastic. [I even performed the new Pepsi challenge on all of my friends! Unlike Gladwells acquaintances, all of my friends seemed to guess correctly, but I'm pretty sure that they are cheaters. Ha!]

This book falls under the non-fiction category, which is not a genre that I usually prefer [and it was nothing like Outliers, which still hails as my number one pick for this year], but I would recommend it to someone who likes this kind of read.

I am now one-third of the way through my Bucket List goal of 30 books before my 30th birthday [or 30 books in a year]. I have been so busy--and reading hasn't been a top priority for me lately--that I am worried I won't hit this mark...and that fact is quite sad to me...but I will only have to try harder, eh? Yeah...

10/30

EverCare

Okay, so I have to talk about my new most favorite toy, EverCare:


Pull your mind out of the gutter, it's not a vibrator! In fact, right behind that metal opening are three little razors--so that would be painful.

It's a $5.99 fuzzball shaver! [once again, take the mind out of the gutter]. I'm talking about the pilling on sweaters. This tiny, handheld contraption will remove all of those pesky fuzzies that are formed from wear and, *Voila!* The sweater looks brand new! It is fantastic.

I realize that this is not a new invention, but it is a new-to-me product and I'm undeniably smitten. I found it the other night at the store when I was shopping for Andy's Christmas gift--an iron. Yes people--I said IRON...as in that little heated object that presses shirts. It's what he wanted...ha ha ha!

Happy Merry Holiday's, Y'all!

Book Club: Then We Came to the End

So...I've been a bad blogger. Two months since my last post [but in my defense, October is the busiest month of the year in my life...and November I was just super lazy]. Here is a post I've had in my queue for awhile...I'm not changing any of it...so deal with it! Ha ha!

The reason I am posting all of my books, etc. on here is because I need to keep track for my 30 Bucket List [which I'm not doing so well on!] Bear with me! ...and Family? I will have our happenings up soon...I hope!



September 2009 has wrapped up and with it, another book club accomplishment. Our read was Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris. This novel takes place in an office environment filled with employees of various personalities. You have the crazy guy, the unstable girl, the bitch, the prankster, the serious guy, the gossip, the know-it-all, the misunderstood. Every character has his or her own story within a Marketing Company that is on a downhill slide, each patiently awaits 'walking Spanish down the hall' [getting fired]. Much of this book was laugh-out-loud funny and most of it I could relate to as an employee who does the weekday 8-5 grind. I found myself picturing numerous people at my firm in place of the quirky characters in the book. It was a fun, fast read and comes highly recommended by me! Woot!

9/30

Book Review: Outliers

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell is a non-fiction story of Success. Gladwell's theories on why certain people are successful--due to opportunity, wealth, intelligence or even being born in the 'right' year--are incredible and I could hardly put the book down. I am not usually into this genre of book [non-fiction leaning more towards educational], but Gladwell has a knack for smooth writing, incorporating stories that captivate the reader. [To be honest, if this book was not given to me by a family member, I never would have glanced twice in its direction.] I am definitely going to pick up his other two books, Tipping Point and Blink, which are supposed to be very similar to this read, just on different topics.

8/30

Book Review: Deep Dish

Deep Dish by Mary Kay Andrews is another chick-lit book that I read to pass the time between novels. This book, about a 30 year old woman chef who competes with a hunky male chef for a national television show, was a fun, carefree read and didn't require much effort to get in and out of the story. The content was simple, as most chick-lit books are geared towards people who read seldomly, and, of course, the characters fall in love--so it was also a feel good book. Sometimes a girl needs a feel good book, right?

The curious thing about this choice is that I am not a fan of Mary Kay Andrews and yet, I continue to pick her up at the book store. I have read four of her books and none of them have impressed me; however, the cover art of her books scream *Girlie*, enticing me from the bookshelf and I just can't resist. I think: Maybe this book will be a great one… Always disappointed.

So, if nothing else, it is another book towards my ultimate goal of thirty and for that, a pat on my back!

7/30

Race for the Cure [Tulsa, OK] - September 19, 2009

[Above is a picture of my race shirt. I am an avid Oklahoma State fan...and yes...I was wearing the shirt as the picture was taken!]

As you can see from my 'Operation Dumbo Drop' sidebar on the right, I haven't been running [or doing much activity at all] for about a month, so I was really nervous about Saturday morning's 5K. I honestly thought I would be walking most of it, but was pleasantly surprised that I didn't take my first stop until after 18:00 minutes had passed! After that, though, I stopped pretty frequently.

Saturday morning was BEAUTIFUL--perfect weather with the right amount of sunshine and breeze--in Tulsa, Oklahoma where my brother-in-law Daniel and I ran for Team Bubbies! he beat me...but not by much!!! I was very shocked that I was able to finish the race in 34:10 after not having run for so long. It isn't a great time, but I'm very happy about it [although I am super sore today!]

I hope that Saturday's race is the kick start that I need to get back into a regular exercise regimen--especially with the Oklahoma City race in a couple of weeks.

Here is a pic of my watch--which was started and stopped as soon as my foot hit the mat. Turns out, it was pretty accurate, as my official time read exactly the same!


3/10

Book Review: Wilt on High

Wilt on High is the third of four books of 'Henry Wilt' by English author, Tom Sharpe. Since I mistakenly read the last book first, this was my final piece in the series.

The Wilt books are laugh out loud funny. They all revolve around a little, squirmy Englishman named Henry Wilt who gets himself into pickles without doing anything at all, but rather being at the wrong place at the wrong time. He is a professor at a Technical College and everything he says--and all of the explanations that he gives for situations--are very literal and rely heavily on technicalities, which does not help any of the messes that he finds himself in. In Wilt on High, there is a murder at the tech, drug trafficking and Russian spying--all of which Wilt is the prime suspect for and none of which he has done.

Henry Wilt is also blessed with an idiotic wife, Eva and four terrible quad-daughters. What a mess!

I highly recommend this series to anyone that would like a light, funny read--and doesn't mind crass references and isn't afraid of a potty mouth.

Book 6/30

Book Club: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

August's pick for Book Club was The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. This book, which takes place the year after WWII ended, is written as a series of fictional letters to and from many different characters. The main character, Juliet Ashton, is a successful writer that wrote humorous columns during the war and begins to focus on more serious material, in search of the perfect subject for her next book. As fate would have it, a man on Guernsey Island happens upon her information and blooming correspondences, budding relationships and a new life for Ms. Ashton quickly follows suit. There is so much more to this story from the perils of war time [famine, restrictions, German soldiers] to a strong, quick minded girl named Elizabeth and her precocious daughter, Kit. We get background stories on so many different characters: men, women, children, writers, editors…this is by no means solely a book for women!

Due to the format of this book, I was able to get through the entire read in two days. [I read very slowly!]. The letters, some short and some long, gives easy stopping and start up points for the reader and, although they are fictitious, I felt as if I was reading the private correspondence of people who lived long ago and have since passed. Before this book, I had never heard of Guernsey Island, so the research I was able to do after finishing created an even stronger home for the characters in my mind.

Jennifer made a delicious Potato Peel Pie for book club and it. was. awesome!


I enjoyed reading this book.

Book 5/30

Book Review: Peony in Love

Peony in Love by Lisa See is an exquisitely written novel based in 17th Century China. The story, told in the first person, revolves around a young woman named Peony who becomes engulfed in lovesickness, becomes obsessed with a play that revolves around love called The Peony Pavillion and dies of her 'illness'. Peony then becomes a ghost and describes the circumstances she experiences in the afterworld as well as her feelings and what she needs to do to make things right in order to move on. She interferes with the mortal world, makes mistakes, learns how to grow from a young lady to an adult and watches over the family of the love of her life. Peony also learns the history of her family through the words of her deceased grandmother and then her mother and is able to continue on her journey with their help. Love is stronger than death.

This book toys with a reader's emotions. It sent me spinning in a cycle of happiness, sadness, anger and elation. I will never be able to wrap my head around the pain and suffering that a woman had to endure in China. Women were expendable, a piece of property that had no worth and were confined to stay within the walls of a family compound. Women were not able to choose the man that they spent the rest of their life with, but rather forced into a loveless marriage for wealth or family gain. Don't even get me started on the footbinding nonsense...

Reading literature such as Peony in Love definitely makes me realize how good my life has been and how much of my freedoms that I take for granted on a daily basis.

Book 4/30

Book Club: The Eyre Affair

Our Book Club chose The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde to be our July book. This novel revolves around a Special Operations Agent [for books] named Thursday Next and her adventures through cities, time/space and books to catch the villan in this book, Acheron Hades. Yes, I said books--as in leaping through the pages of classic novels and poems.

I am not a fan of science fiction or fantasy novels. Twilight was an exception because who is to say that vampires are not real? Certanily not me! I am not a Harry Potter fan either [put your guns down!].

[Okay, I did love the Time Traveler's Wife, too…so maybe I am just selective,.]

Either which way you look at it…I was not a fan of this book. It was brought up as a choice for a couple of months, so we decided to just go with it…errr…they did. I wanted no part of this book before, during or even now--but it wasn't a terrible book. At all.

In fact, if I was a fan of this genre, I would have loved this book and devoured the entire series.

I think that if you enjoy reading…and you enjoy this genre, then pick up the series. You will like it. It had some entertaining parts, such as the villan being named after a mythological hell…and Tuesday's boss being named Braxton Hicks.

There was just too much "unreal" for me to enjoy it.

Book 3/30

25 MORE Things About Moi

I am repeatedly getting tagged on Facebook from people filling out a '25 Things About Me' list. Frankly, I don't know how to fill out the notes on Facebook, but I am quite familiar with my blog, so I'm just going to write them here and then post a link on my new addiction. Sounds like a plan, Stanley!

As you know, I posted a more extensive About Me list last year, so it was very difficult coming up with 25 more items in addition to my previous 100. So…here goes it…

1. I love to put cinnamon apple sauce on everything [including Ravioli's]
2. I once pulled a back muscle in the shower while belting out Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful"
3. I have a magnificent view of the Myriad Gardens from my office window
4. I believe in God, but do not believe in organized religion
5. My sister and I were only grandchildren on my father's side, yet my grandparents could hardly stand us.
6. I love Indian Food. Every birthday, that is my meal choice. Period.
7. I sobbed uncontrollably at the end of Benjamin Button
8. I have become quite addicted to milk chocolate covered almonds of the Hershey variety
9. I want to move to the Eastern part of the United States
10. I love my friends - real life and bloggers!
11. I always route for the underdog
12. I am usually the underdog
13. I cried the first time my husband beat me at mini-golf
14. I am very competitive
15. My new celebrity crush is Bradley Cooper [although he does not replace my previously mentioned crushes: Ryan Phillippe and Ewan McGregor]
16. I think mowing the lawn is oodles of fun
17. My mom and I once bought 200 lottery tickets…and ended up winning only seventeen dollars
18. I once got chased to the police station by a crazy woman in a truck after I flipped her off in the Taco Bell drive-thru line
19. You can win me over with a cupcake--my ultimate weakness
20. I floss every day
21. I rarely wear make-up
22. I am addicted to Mafia Wars
23. I once licked all of the salt off of my airplane bag of pretzels and then gave them to my mom to eat [she wasn't happy]
24. My favorite gum is Trident: Original Flavor
25. I love love love Chocolate Chip, Orange, Zucchini Bread. Yum!


So there you have it. Not a super exciting list…but it took a LONG time for me to come up with 25 things and cross reference them to my old list. I only put one thing on there twice and that was 'I do not like to swim in public bodies of water'…so that item is doubly true.

Book Review: Twenty's Girl

I have been reading such serious and/or uninteresting novels lately that it was time for a light, airy book. Twenty's Girl, by Sophie Kinsella [my fav. chic-lit/British author] definitely hit the mark. This story focuses around a girl in her late twenties [Lara] who is being visited by her dead great-aunt [Sadie]--yes a ghost. Unknown family history and scandel is unraveled and a strong friendship between two unlikely characters is born. This book comes highly recommended by moi [to females].

Although some people brand chic-lit as 'lame' and 'brainless' literature, I feel as if the books are a break away from reality and everyone has a happy ending. I especially like these light books when they are set in different countries and this particular book has only strengthened my desire to visit London.

...I certainly want to know what a 'dough ball' is… sounds simply delectable!


Book 2/30

Midnight Streak - July 25, 2009

Last night at 11:00 p.m., I ran my second out of ten 5K's for my Bucket List. I participated in the Midnight Streak [no we didn't run naked] and it felt GREAT...plus I beat my previous run time by a little over 2 minutes--I ran 3.1 miles in 31:09!!! So. Excited. About. This!!!

I followed up my run with a late night IHOP meal. Nothing better than eggs and greasy bacon after a nice run, right???

Here's a picture of my watch. I don't know how I'm ever going to time something else and be forced to delete this...b/c I highly doubt I will ever be able to beat this time!!!



2/10

Bucket List: Granny Bowling

Another mark off the 'ol Bucket List for me. I bowled an entire game granny style last night--sober! It was a lot of fun [the company was even better!] and I bowled a 44, which was only 32 points below the 'real' game I played right before it. So I'm not a pro-bowler…whatev's!

As you can probably imagine, I debated putting this picture up. In the end [pun intended], it was the right thing to do. Do NOT judge the Lopez--or no soup for you!



Three down, Twenty Seven more items to go! Chuggin' right along...

Freedom Run and Downtown Dash

July 4, 2009

Andy and I participated in a 3K Freedom run in Bethany, Oklahoma on Saturday morning. It doesn't count towards my Bucket List [duh, it's a 3K], but I knew that signing up for it would motivate me to push hard for my 'homework'. I did push pretty hard--I came in 21/71 women and that made me super happy! I wasn't thrilled with my time, though--plus they didn't have a start mat to clock my real time and I like to start in the back of the pack. Anyhow, it was a fun run, good homework and I was glad to get it out of the way early!


June 13, 2009

This post is long past due! Jennifer and I decided a good way to kick off boot camp would be to run a 5K the Saturday before torture began. We ran in Oklahoma City's Downtown Dash--and this was the first of ten 5K's that I plan to run before my next birthday! Andy and Sarah ran with us, too--Sarah pretty much kicked arse! The 2009 Downtown Dash was an evening run based on one of the most humid days ever. It was pretty much breathing in liquid air and I am thankful that Jennifer hung back with me. [Note: Jennifer runs MARATHONS and a 5K is easy peasy for her--but she held back just for me and we got to talk! woohoo!] Needless to say, my time wasn't so hot, but it was good--and I can definitely beat it in my next run! Won't be hard anyway!
After the run, the plan was to go to McNellie's, a bar in downtown OKC. They handed out pint glasses at their water stop and if we brought them in, we got a free pint of beer. Well, we had an 8 year old little girl with us and she wasn't allowed in [which we didn't know b/c the race was not only family oriented, but it is a bar/restaurant type of place]--PLUS, because I didn't have my i.d. with me and I obviously look like a teenager [*smiles*], they would not let me in.

Andy and I headed over to Mama Roja with the Mobs and had a delicious meal! My last great meal before boot camp--woohoo!

Andy and Jennifer:


Danny, Sarah and Samantha:


1/10