That's how old I am today. And I suppose depending on the first grader, you might not know exactly how old that is: I'm 48. It's funny how that age seemed so old at one time, and now it doesn't seem old at all.
First official photo. Resting bitch face, squinty eye and possible gang symbol in full force.
We had a great weekend, full of friends but not photos. Friday night we had date night at one of our favorite restaurants, Trattoria Roma. We were there nearly three hours and it was as fabulous as ever.
Saturday was spent watching football with friends. Both of our teams lost, but it was a fun day nonetheless.
Sunday was church, rehearsal, lunch, baby shower and drinks with friends.
Just to make this post worth your while, here's another awesome baby picture:
Once again, I'm borrowing from Steph for Thursday Thoughts and just like last time, she didn't do them today. Ah, well...
I’m late posting because we currently don't have internet at home. There are houses under construction next to us and last week the builders cut our cable. For TV watching, that's OK because we have satellite (believe me, if I were without TV you'd hear me yelling no matter how far away you are). However, it does affect our internet service, and it seems that now the earliest it will be fixed is next Gwensday. This seriously blows. So I've had to go to the office to work instead of being able to work from home, and blogging gets squeezed in as time allows.
I saw this meme awhile ago and sent it to Aaron. The note says "I've already fed him, don't fall for his bullshit." Our cats pull this all the time and last night they totally punked me. I started to feed them and Aaron stopped me just in time because he had already fed them. Bastards.
I can’t believe I'm about to talk about Justin Bieber, but his song "What Do You Mean" is all over pop radio. Does anyone else think this is date rape about to happen? "What do you mean / when you nod your head yes / but you wanna say no..." Memo to the Biebs: No means no.
Damn you, Days of Our Lives, for sucking me back into your vortex. I had heard that Peter Reckell (Bo Brady, for those who don't know) was coming back to the show and I tuned in one day and now I'm hooked again. #boandhope4ever My new obsession probably won't last long because ... well, if you could see everything on my DVR just waiting for me to watch it ... But in the meantime I need to find out if Abigail escapes from Ben and has her baby. Don't judge.
Do you watch The Voice? If not, may I suggest you watch this video from Monday night's show. This guy Jordan is amazing and his performance is so moving. After last week's events in Paris and all the hatred being spewed on social media, I really needed this.
It's book linkup time!! I'm not sure why I keep trying to come up with unique titles for these monthly posts. I should just pick one and stick with it.
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty - This is the second Moriarty book I've read and I can't wait to read more. There's something about the way she unfolds the story that really appeals to me. This one is about three women whose children are in the same class at school but they bond over much more than that. I didn't guess the twist. I call this "chick lit with a purpose." 5 stars
Where'd You Go Bernadette? by Maria Semple (Audiobook) - 4.5 stars, but I rounded up because I listened to this all in one day while driving home from vacation and it pretty much got me through the drive. Going in, I wasn't sure how I'd feel about Kathleen Wilhoite as the reader, but I thought she did a fabulous job. This book is either told from the perspective of Bernadette's 15-year-old daughter Bee or through various emails, notes and letters, and Wilhoite was so good at changing her voice accordingly. And, she sings at one point and I had no idea she could sing, but after a Google search I learned that she's released two albums.The ending was pretty fantastical, but I thoroughly enjoyed the story as well as Bee's teenage attitude and exuberance.
Everything I Left Unsaid by Molly O'Keefe - I received a free copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway.This is the kind of book that my mom would have said to me "there's a lot of sex in there," and she would have loved it! So, fair warning, there's of lot of sex - phone sex and actual sex. There's also a good plot. I'm positive that when I got to the cliffhanger I actually said out loud "are you KIDDING me?" But of course that means I'll be jumping on the next book. 3 stars Family Pictures by Jane Green - The first part of this book was very frustrating to me. I thought it was so obvious where it was going, but as it turns out, the book is about much more than the thing the two women have in common. It's really about the two women trying to keep their families together while also finding themselves in the wake of a terrible betrayal. I ended up liking it better than I thought I would but I like a lot of Green's other books better. 3 stars The Heist by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg - This book is the first of a series involving a female FBI agent and the con man she's been trying to capture for years but is now forced to work with. This was a fun, easy read (I finished it in one day while flying across the country) and I'm looking forward to more of the books in the series. 4 stars
Phew! 5 books this month and none of them were awful! What have you been reading? And be sure to check out other bloggers' book recommendations with our hosts, Steph and Jana.
In honor of his birthday today, it's time for more Shit Aaron Says!
Aaron: I lost my jeans
Me: How do you lose a pair of jeans?
Our friend Amy: This is why you don't have children. (Note that he did eventually find said jeans.)
Me: I have something in my teeth.
Aaron: Well, we know it's not floss. (Truth. I don't floss; Aaron does. A bit judgy, I'd say.)
Aaron (as the weather switches from summer to fall and he realizes he can wear his favorite combo of shorts and a sweatshirt): I like it. It keeps me warm and cool in all the right places.
After a choir rehearsal, it's nearly 10:00 and we haven't eaten dinner so we decide to go out to eat somewhere close to home.
Aaron (when we leave rehearsal): Where do you want to go?
Me: I don't know.
Aaron (5 minutes later, in the car): So where are we going?
Me: I don't know.
Aaron (after we get home and park the car): So where are we going?
Me: The Rossi
Aaron: I was thinking Haiku. Really?
Normally I'm NOT the person who is going to judge others on how they spend their time. But...two things:
The title of this post is a lyric to the song "Mrs. Potter's Lullaby" by Counting Crows. Love the song, love the album (This Desert Life).
I know there are people out there who just can't sit still and have to always be moving. I don't understand those people. And I feel sorry for them.
Last week I went to Myrtle Beach for a solo vacation. My parents had a timeshare there and I took it over after they died. Aaron wasn't able to go with me due to a trade show in Dallas so I ended up going by myself.
I drove and was a little nervous about that, only because I tend to get sleepy when I drive longer than, say, 20 minutes. Columbus to Myrtle Beach is 9 1/2 hours if you don't stop but of course you stop because... 9 1/2 hours. On the way down I split up the trip and spent the night in a hotel, but coming home I did it all in one day. Those last two hours were torture, but other than that what totally saved me were audiobooks. They kept me sane and awake.
I arrived Sunday afternoon and stayed until Saturday morning. The weather couldn't have been better - sunny and 70s every. single. day.
I slept in, I watched cheesy Lifetime movies, including the one about Aaliyah which was super disappointing because I later found out that her family wasn't on board and didn't allow Lifetime to use any of her music. I went shopping. I ate dinner several nights with friends of my parents who were also there. I read. On the beach. I sat on my balcony and "stared off into the distance."
Two of my purchases. I also got another ring, earrings, a pair of boots and two dresses/tunics. I don't have a shopping problem. Really.
I desperately needed this. Work has been insane and I have a lot of personal shit going on as well. And while those things don't just go away, a change of scenery and some serious "me" time allows a new perspective. I highly recommend it.
The last morning I got up before sunrise and walked on the beach.
I'm currently on vacation, but I couldn't miss Steph and Jana's linkup, especially since it's the one-year anniversary of Show Us Your Books!
The Martian by Andy Weir - Man, did I resist this book. Even though SO many bloggers raved about it, I really didn't think I'd even finish it, let alone actually enjoy it. Then my IRL book club selected it for September and I didn't read it before the scheduled meeting, which was then rescheduled so I decided it was a sign that I needed to read this book. I'm so glad I did! Yes, there's a lot of technical/scientific/mathematical shit that I eventually skimmed over, but there's also a lot of suspense/humor/sarcasm and that's what drew me in. I'm excited to see the movie, and knowing that Matt Damon is the star, I could hear him in the narrative. I definitely recommend this one.
Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll (Audiobook) - Last weekend I took a really long roadtrip by myself, and I knew I'd need something to occupy my mind and pass the time. I listened to this book and it definitely served its purpose. There were times during the book when I wanted more, but by the end I realized I didn't need more. I'd probably give this 3 1/2 stars if I could, but I rounded up because it kept me entertained while driving. I need to pick out another audiobook for the reverse trip.
Next up: Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty, and the bonus is that I'm reading it on the beach!
Hello, fellow book nerds! It's the best day of the month, in which a bunch of us bloggers link up and find out what others are reading and inevitably lengthen our lists of books to be read.
This month I only read three books. I blame Angry Birds 2. Don't judge. It appeals to my violent side and it's much better for me to be taking that out on those stupid pigs than on, well, people.
The Divers Clothes Lie Empty by Vendela Vida - I read this for an In Real Life book club. I've never been part of one before but this one meets at a bar so it blows away the "let's pretend we're talking about books when we're really drinking" facade. The book is a quick read. It's about a woman who leaves behind her screwed up family life and travels to Morocco, where she immediately loses her passport, money and credit cards when someone steals her backpack. The narrative is second person, which was a little tough for me because I had JUST finished reading You. We never find out the main character's name, but she uses about five aliases. It seriously annoys me to not know a protagonist's name. I will admit, though, that initially I gave this book two stars but after the book club discussion I bumped it to three.
Bossypants by Tina Fey - I really enjoyed this lighthearted, easy read. While I didn't listen to the audiobook, it was almost like I was listening to Tina because I could hear her voice in the writing. If your a Fey fan, it's a safe bet that you'll like this, too.
W is for Wasted by Sue Grafton - I've read every single book in the alphabet series, although I think my first one was G and then I went back to the beginning. Kinsey Millhone is never a disappointment to me. I love that she's still stuck in the 80s with no cell phone and limited computer assistance. Her PI business relies on her Smith-Corona typewriter and her index card system. The only reason I gave this four stars instead of five is the length of it. In fact, I've owned this book probably since it first came out and only just got around to reading it because of how long it is. The first handful of books in this series are pretty short and then Grafton seemed to hit her stride, but with W I felt like there was a lot of unnecessary narrative. Nevertheless, I'm still a fan and I'll stick it out till the end. (X just came out and I won't wait as long to read it.)
