100+ Things About Me

1. I’m a Christian. I belong to a Lutheran church and I teach Sunday school. But, most of all, I am a Christian. Plain and simple.
2. I’m a liberal. I am a member of the Democratic party but I think I identify myself as a liberal. And even more than that, as an American.
3. I never thought I’d get married. But I actually found Prince Charming and got married at the ripe old age of 31.
4. I’m a joiner. I’ve always loved joining clubs and groups. I’m always looking for an opportunity to get involved and meet people.
5. I love volunteering and doing community service but it seems like I never have enough time to do everything that I’d like to do.
6. I am owned by one black and white cat named Toulouse.
7. I’m a Texan (fourth generation…not a fake Texan like the former President) living in California.
8. I have taken up knitting and sewing and I love it. It’s a meditation and it makes me happy to make things for people.
9. I love giving gifts and shopping for people. It is one of my great joys.
10. I am a big reader. I love surrounding myself with books. I collect signed first editions and my books are always one of the first things I unpack when I move. Getting them in order gives me a sense of comfort.
11. I’m a movie buff. I will see just about anything. Within reason.
12. I’m a cookie monster. I can’t control myself around chocolate chip cookies.
13. I adore Baskin Robbins peanut butter and chocolate ice cream.
14. My comfort food is macaroni and cheese.
15. I’m a highly sensitive person. Some might call me “high-strung.”   And they have.
16. I read the definition of “Success” commonly attributed to Emerson almost every day and I feel frustrated that I’m not achieving it.
17. I don’t suffer fools gladly.
18. I am impatient and I have a temper although I'm getting better at controlling it.
19. I like freebies and goodie bags.
20. I enjoy reading parenting magazines and celebrity entertainment mags.
21. I love cookbooks although I don’t do much cooking.
22. I'm a wee bit claustrophobic.
23. I would have liked to go into musical theater but I lacked talent.
24. I like traditional church services. Give me the standard litany and old-fashioned hymns. Electric guitars and Starbucks coffee cups don’t belong in my idea of church.
25. I have a weird sense of humor and love to laugh.
26. I like shows that have conspiracy angles like “X-Files” and “Lost” and "Fringe."
27. I love the shows on pay channels like HBO although I feel guilty subscribing to them.
28. I have been known to get involved in reality shows much to my embarrassment.
29. I became a mom on May 18, 2008.  I never thought it would happen. It's my greatest blessing.
30. I work in a library although I’m not a librarian.
31. I actually have a Master’s degree in anthropology and museum studies.
32. I love to travel. I wish I could do it more often. On my wish list: Spain, Ireland, Thailand, Kenya, China, India, anything in South America.  And I have to get back to Italy.
33. I can’t stand to be hot at night. I have to have the room freezing cold to be able to sleep.
34. When I sleep, I have to have the covers pulled up under my nose.
35. I’m an only child and I am adopted.
36. My father died when I was 23. He was hit by a car while walking across the street. I miss him every day.
37. My maternal grandfather was in the Texas House of Representatives. He survived being picked up in his car by a tornado.
38. Although people will tell you differently, I am very shy person. I never know what to say and I am awkward in social situations. I find it difficult to make friends.
39. I never feel like I do enough for or give enough to other people.
40. I peaked in high school. My grades were good, I got in lots of honor societies and won awards and my potential was high. I burned out in college. Grad school was pathetic. But I finished.
41. I would love to own a bookstore. I pass an empty storefront where I live almost every day and imagine what it would be like to turn it into a children’s bookstore or a rare books bookstore.
42. I have a weird body thing where I think I am actually thinner than I am. I’m always amazed to see how big I am in photographs.
43. My husband embodies the top five on my list of characteristics in a man that I vowed I would never consider. Guess having all five together cancelled out my vow. Never say never.
44. I used to have a pretty bad shopping problem. I was trying to reinvent myself and ended up overdoing it. That and the fact that I love buying things for other people.
45. I love it when I get handmade things from my creative friends. Handmade gifts are the best. Second would be gift cards that allow me to have special outings with my loved one. (ie. movie gift cards or gift memberships to museums)
46. I love getting things in the mail. Especially random cards from friends. Nothing makes my day like getting a surprise card or package in the mail.  Real mail....not e-mail.
47. I am addicted to tall, non-fat, no whipped peppermint Starbucks mochas.
48. I can’t live without sparkling water.
49. I can’t leave a bookstore without buying a book.
50. I want to be runner. I really do. If I can just figure out how to get started and stay motivated.
51. I love shoes. No matter how much weight I seem to gain, my shoe size stays the same.
52. I’m like a child. I get really cranky if I have low blood sugar, if I’m hot or if I’m tired.
53. I hate my teeth. I’ve had braces three times and they still aren't the way I want them.
54. I have to sleep with two pillows….one for my head and one for between my knees.
55. Keb’ Mo’s music inspires me and makes me happy. So does Lyle Lovett's.
56. I have lots of favorite books but some of the best are POSSESSION by A.S. Byatt and a ROOM WITH A VIEW by E.M Forster.
57. I am a chronic nail-biter.
58. When I was younger, I didn’t want to grow up. I liked being a kid. I still miss it.
59. I had a whole host of imaginary friends when I was younger. In fact, I had whole fantasy worlds. If only I had had a Wardrobe to go through.
60. I love body products and anti-aging products. I keep thinking I’ll find a miracle cure for wrinkles and perfect skin.  So far, I haven't. 
61. I was in therapy for several years. It didn’t help. But I have seen it help other people.
62. I had really bad depression for a few years. I think it was hormone-related.
63. I would love to drive a minivan someday.
64. I really really really love NPR.
65. I am an INFJ in the Myers-Briggs personality test.
66. I am a 4 (romantic) in the enneagram. (with #9 [peacemaker] coming in second)
67. I love getting dressed up in costumes. My favorite costume is my Lara Croft costume.
68. I really like a good Renaissance festival. And sometimes I even dress up.
69. I wish I could go to the theater more often. I really enjoy the symphony, ballet, opera and plays.
70. I am passionate about Shakespeare.
71. I am half Mexican and half Irish.
72. My mom's hot tea with lemon always makes me feel better.
73. Even though it was tough growing up there, I miss the community I grew up in in Dallas.
74. My favorite clothing stores are Sundance, J.Jill and Anthropologie. (and Neiman Marcus although I rarely buy anything) I almost exclusively shop for clothes through catalogs and I buy more children's clothing than clothes for myself now.
75. I really love driving around looking at Christmas lights. Gary thinks my fascination is crazy.
76. I enjoy a good night of board games and I'm constantly looking for new ones.
77. When I was younger, I really wanted to be a comedic actress.
78. I'm a member of the Junior League. (since 2002!)
79. I'm a member of my local Woman's Club. (it's kind of like the WI in "Calendar Girls" but with more food and alcohol) I'll be President in 2012.
80. Halloween is my favorite holiday but I love Christmas too. In fact, I love the whole holiday season from Thanksgiving to New Year's.
81. I enjoy giving parties and having people over to my house.
82. I love taking baths. My bathroom is filled with bath bombs, bubbles and bath oils. It's my private time to relax and read.
83. If Gary would let me, I'd fill our house with delicately scented candles.
84. I have a compulsion to put things into order. Which is probably why I work in a library.
85. I used to have a preschool storytime. I think it is so fun to work with toddlers and preschoolers.
86. I enjoy singing even though I'm not much of a singer. I got a karaoke machine one Christmas and I used to go in the back bedroom and use it all by myself.
87. I can be very misanthropic sometimes. People can really frustrate me.
88. I love museums. I make a special effort to attend traveling exhibitions. Sometimes, I will even travel to a city just to see an exhibition.
89. I used to work in the Latin American Art department of the San Antonio Museum of Art. It was wonderful.
90. I was in a local sorority in college. I never thought I would join a sorority but these women were so cool that I did it. I regret that I wasn't more active in it.
91. I took piano lessons from age 5 through age 15. I didn't like it when I was taking lessons. Now, I find it relaxing.
92. I love to dance. I never took ballet although I wish I had. I did take tap when I was younger. And some jazz dance in high school.
93. I was a cheerleader in middle school. Along with 100 other girls. We were part of a pep squad that took turns cheering. I hated cheering. I loved the dancing.
94. I have a fear of cyborgs.
95. I have regular nightmares about Gary leaving me or something happening to Noodlebug.
96. It comforts me when my cat sleeps next to me.
97. Someone once described me as a combination of Mary Katherine Gallagher (from Saturday Night Live), Daria (from MTV) and Xena/Lara Croft. I see myself as someone more like Amelie (from the French movie of the same title).
98. All of my romantic sensibilities were formed by "A Room with a View." When I went to Italy for the first time, I searched for a handsome Englishman in a wheat field. I didn't find him. I went back years later with a handsome Italian-Irishman on my honeymoon. We stayed in the same hotel where the movie was filmed.
99. I can get very emotional about fictional characters in books and movies. They often become real to me.
100. I love being a mom. I hate being a full-time-work-outside-the-home mom.
101. The first Christmas present I ever specifically asked for as a child was a Nat King Cole record. I still love him today. (I'm a big fan of classic pop/jazz standards)
102. I have developed a new fear of being homeless. 
103. If I could just win $150,000 in the lottery my life would completely change.  I dream of getting out of debt.
104.  I wish I were creative enough to come up with a wonderful handmade product I could sell on Etsy. Instead, I spend way too much money on Etsy buying other people's wonderful handmade products.
105. If you have read this far, I'm impressed. One of my greatest desires is to be understood.

2007 Cometh...

Well, it's almost the new year. I can hardly believe it. 2006 was quite an eventful year for me. I quit my job of five years, sold my house, moved to California, got a new job....oh, and got married. I have now been married for six months. wow.

I was thinking back to other New Year's Eves today. New Year's Eve is typically a disaster for me. I have almost always had a bad New Year's Eve. December 31, 2003 was a particularly bad one. No one would commit to doing anything so I broke down and agreed to organize something at the last minute. We had a pretty large group and went to a restaurant for an all-inclusive dinner. Everyone hated it. And then we found out that the place didn't take credit cards and didn't have a cash machine. The whole thing was crowded and unorganized. Some of the group blamed me for the snafu. My boyfriend at the time was a particular jerk. I thought at one point that he had left me there. My close friend was particularly pissed off about the whole thing. Later that night, she attempted suicide. It was awful.

Four months later, I dumped my boyfriend. One of my friends who had been struggling with infertility told me that she would pray for me to find the right person. A month later, I did. I prayed for her, too. And that friend....she now has an almost two-year-old child. I think about that New Year's Eve of 2003 and I am amazed at how much has changed. I am now married to a wonderful man and living and working in a new place. Four of my friends have had children. I've let go of some friendships and made some new ones. Lots of changes.

This year, I would like to:

1) Strengthen family relationships and friendships ....I'm going to try and be better about keeping in touch with people.

2) Lose weight and get healthy....I'd like to start running.

3) Improve my knitting skills.

4) Start thinking about having kids.

5) Love my husband even more.

I can't wait to see what 2007 brings.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Bunco Night and Holiday Wishes

Well, we had our Woman's Club meeting last night and I learned how to play bunco. Now, if I just learned to play bridge and mah-jongg (sp?) , I think I'd be set. Actually, it was quite a nice evening. Bunco is pretty easy to play. Although it is all luck. No strategy. I'm not sure I like that. It makes me feel like I'm not in control of my own destiny.

Anyway, just wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas. (and Happy Hanukkah and Happy Kwanzaa etc) I will be out of state for a week so I probably won't be able to blog. So, no freebies or boring posts from me for a whole week! But I hope your holidays are very merry.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas....

LBC Freebie of the Day

February 2 is Go Red for Women Day. It raises awareness about heart disease and women. Heart disease is the #1 killer of women. I observe this day every year. If you sign up with the American Heart Association, they'll send you a free pin.

Red Dress pin

Let it Snow!

I have been talking to my friends in Denver and they have been telling me all about the blizzard. I'm so jealous. I always loved a good Denver snowstorm. Usually, the library would never close, so I'd be stuck at work but people would still trudge over to the library for DVDs. If it was a really good snowstorm, I loved getting stuck at home. One big snowstorm, I organized my basement. There is a good feeling about not being able to go anywhere to get anything done. It is almost as if you have been given permission to relax a little bit. Or catch up on things. We don't get anything here but rain.

I really miss the snow.

In other news, I was excited to hear about HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HOLLOWS. Gary and I are currently working our way through "Chamber of Secrets." I have read them all but Gary hasn't, so some nights when we don't want to watch t.v., I read it out loud to him. It's a nice cozy thing to do. ;)

LBC Freebie of the Day

I hope this one works. We could all use a little "holiday cheer."


Pravda Vodka sample

LBC Freebie of the Day

Yogi Tea

Yogi Tea Sample

The Big Switch

Well, I'm going to try and switch over to the new Blogger today. I'm kind of scared. What if it doesn't work? What if I lose three years of blogging?! I'm going to try and remain positive.

In the meantime...

I listened to the President's press conference this morning....

(crickets)

You know what? The man is the President of the United States and he will have my respect for that. However, he makes me so mad when I listen to these press conferences. He acts like a petulant child. He is so rude to the press. Even when they are asking perfectly valid questions. One woman asked him if he would overrule his generals etc if they disagreed about sending more troops into Iraq. He basically refused to answer the question calling it purely "hypothetical." Then, he said to her in a very sarcastic way, "Nice try." Like instead of asking a perfectly reasonable question, she was trying to trick him. I don't understand why he is like that.

I got caught up on the Daily Show and the Colbert Report last night. I've been missing them both because I go to bed earlier now. But Colbert's commentary on Republican "cojones" vs. Democrat "cojones" really made me laugh. I especially liked it when he said that ladies can have balls but he prefers to call them "Thatchers." I love that Stephen Colbert.

LBC Freebie of the Day

Pretty Feet and Hands rough skin remover

Pretty Feet and Hands Sample

Scrooged

Gary and I watched "Scrooged" last night for a little holiday fun. It is one of my favorites. There are so many good lines in it. I just have Albert Finney's "Scrooge" and "A Christmas Story" left and I will have watched most of my Christmas favorites.

I came into work today and had several little gifts on my desk. It was as if the Christmas fairy had come in the night and delivered treats to my desk. I was so excited! I finally got all of my gifts mailed and/or passed out. I have even found a few on my own doorstep that I promptly placed under the tree like a good girl.

It's hard to believe that Christmas is less than a week away. Where has the time gone?

I don't have a freebie for today. Yet. I'm pretty picky about what I post. It has to be a decent freebie with no strings attached. I'll keep looking but the freebies may be a bit sporadic from now on. I promise to keep posting them as I find them. If you are a freebie addict, I suggest starting a free junk e-mail account to use for registering for this stuff.

LBC Freebie of the Day

Reach Access Flosser--I just received this one two days ago.

Flosser Sample

Christmas Lights and a Book Wish List

We went to the city this weekend because I wanted to see the decorations. Well, I was sorely disappointed. We only saw one outdoor Christmas tree. No garland. No lights. No decorations. It was disappointing. However, there were really cute adoptable cats and dogs in the windows of Macy's. That almost made up for the lack of general festiveness in the city.


As some of you may know, I collect signed first-editions on a small scale.

Here is my current wish list:

1. Thomas Pynchon, AGAINST THE DAY

2. A.S. Byatt, POSSESSION

3. William Goldman, PRINCESS BRIDE

4. John Irving, WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP

5. any Jimmy Carter book that I don't have

6. Bill Clinton, MY LIFE

Hoops and Yoyo Fun!

My co-worker Donna gave me a Christmas present today! It was a Hoops and Yoyo Christmas ornament that plays three Hoops and Yoyo sayings. I love it! I'm going to keep it on my desk at work.

So, in honor of this terrific gift, I give you my favorite Hoops and Yoyo moment:


The Mincemeat Pie Bit

LBC Freebie of the Day

Well, I have now offered two weeks of freebies. I will continue to post them if people like them. So, if you want me to keep posting freebies, please drop me a comment.


Biz Stain Fighter in powder or liquid

Biz Sample

Holiday Party

Well, tonight is our office holiday party at my boss' house. Should be interesting. I haven't really had the chance to socialize with any of my co-workers yet. It's hard to believe that Christmas is right around the corner. In a week, Gary and I will be flying home to Texas.

I wish I could share with Gary some of the traditions that I grew up. But I can't recreate some of them. One of my favorite holiday traditions growing up was a block party that one of my former neighbors hosted. When I was almost four, we moved to a house one block over from our former one. So, we still stayed in touch with all of our old neighbors. One of them, Libby, was a very sweet elderly lady who had been a nurse and had traveled the world. As she got older, it was difficult for her to decorate her home so she would host a holiday party every year and the neighbors would gather and decorate her tree and home. I looked forward to it every year. Her house would be so cozy. And everyone would bring treats to share. Libby always had a small gift for every neighborhood child. And, for a reason I can't remember, I always got to put the star on top of the tree. Evidently, that had been my job since I was too young to remember. And I was still performing the task into my teens. After decorating and eating, we would listen to someone read the Christmas Story from the bible and then we'd sing carols. Sometimes, one of the neighbors would bring his trumpet. It was so great! I really miss that. And Libby.

A Kinder, Gentler Malady

As I read back through some earlier posts from a few years ago, I was struck by how frustrating my former job was. In every post, I'm whining or complaining about some aspect of my job. It was turning me into an angry and bitter person. I used to wonder why the people at the DMV were so grumpy. Now I know. Jobs like that can wear you down after awhile. And the part that makes me really sad was that I am really not *that* person. I'm not truly an angry bitchy person. (at least, I don't perceive myself to be) So, I took some time off (nine months) to reclaim some of myself. Now that I am working again, I'm starting to see the original workplace Malady coming out. The one who is fairly pleasant and like getting along with co-workers. The one with a sense of humor. And I like that. I want people to see me and think, "hey, that Malady girl is really a nice person." I shudder to think what people thought about me at my old job.

LBC Freebie of the Day

I just had to post this one. When I went to a Shecky's event, they had these in some of the goodie bags. My friend got one. They are for women who don't like wearing panties with jeans/pants.

Commandos sample

LBC Freebie of the Day

Eucerin Calming Creme

Eucerin Sample

Tradition

I have never really thought of myself as a traditional person. Lately, I have come to the conclusion that I am more driven by tradition than I thought. I think that the holidays are bringing this to light. I have my little things that I like to do every year. Especially at certain holidays. There are specific things I like to eat, prayers I recite, decorations I use, activities that I pursue. Because that is what I have always done. And I tend to be pack rat when it comes to family things. I have my grandfather's LaZBoy and my grandmother's bedroom furniture. I have the rocking chair that my parents rocked me in. Quilts that my great-grandmother made. The fireplace tools that my great-grandfather made. Gary thinks my attachment to "stuff" is ridiculous. But those things help me feel connected to the past. I sit in my grandfather's chair and it reminds me of all of the times he sat in it. Every time I use the fireplace tools, I amazed to think that my great-grandfather used them for the same purpose. These things connect me to the past. It's sort of a more personal version of a museum. It's amazing to go into a museum and look at ancient combs from Egypt and think about the people that used them. It's even more amazing to look at something and think about your own family using it. Of course it is true that each of us has our memories of the people we have lost. But, sometimes, a particular item can recall memories that you may have forgotten. Especially smells. I am always tempted by the bold packaging on boxes of Coty face powder at the drugstore. My grandmother used that powder and every time I smell it, it brings her back to me. I guess I'm just sentimental that way.

LBC Freebie of the Day

Soft and Glide deodorant --Scroll down page for link to sample

Soft and Glide sample

A Bad Way to Start the Day

Well, I am ashamed to admit this but I almost lost my temper this morning. It's been raining so I decided to go through the Starbucks drive-thru. (is that spelling right? it looks weird) Anyway, I decided to add a little something to my coffee so I asked for a bagel. The Starbucks guy said he would need to be sure they had some and that he'd be right back. So, while I am waiting for him to return, the people in front of me have already driven on. The guy behind me sees this and starts honking impatiently for me to move forward. I am still doing business over the intercom, so obviously I can't move forward yet. I gesture to the man behind me that I am still ordering and he honks again. I wanted to jump out of my car and throttle him. It was so rude! I understand that we are all in a hurry these days. And I understand that sometimes, some of us will space out and not realize that it is time to move forward. But really!!! I think some of us need a few lessons in patience! (including me)

LBC Freebie of the Day

You can get a whole bunch of Post-It freebies here. Just go to the site, choose one the ladies and then click on the "Free Stuff" tab on the right-hand side.

Post-It Freebies

No Surprise Here....

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm You're probably in the final stages of a Ph.D. or otherwise finding a way to make your living out of reading. You are one of the literati. Other people's grammatical mistakes make you insane.
Dedicated Reader
Literate Good Citizen
Book Snob
Non-Reader
Fad Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Create Your Own Quiz

Christmas Blahs

I love the holidays. I look forward to them every year. I decorated the house over Thanksgiving and got all the packages wrapped and under the tree early last week. And now I've been experiencing the Christmas blahs. Christmas will be different this year. I miss all the holiday fun in Denver. I had my little traditions. Taking the day off and going shopping and ice-skating with my girlfriends. Going to see the lights on the 16th Street Mall downtown. Attending the "Santaland Diaries" at the Bug Theatre. And the snow. I know I need to start my own traditions here but Gary isn't really into the holidays and I don't really have friends here yet so it's hard. Gary did take me to see a performance of some holiday readings this past weekend. And I stayed at home and watched "Miracle on 24th Street" to pep me up. Now, I just have to watch "Scrooged," Albert Finney's "Scrooge," and "A Christmas Story" and I will just about be caught up.

LBC Freebie of the Day

Here is a link for a sample of Olay Definity Intense Hydrating Cream. I love their stuff!

Olay Sample

The Other Type of Breakup

With the prospect of reuniting with a lost friend on the horizon, I've been thinking a lot about friendship breakups. Have you ever been through a friendship breakup? I think for women especially friendship breakup are a lot like romantic breakups. Some of the same feelings are involved. I've been through about four friendship breakups over the course of my life. Two of the people I eventually made peace with. We are now friendly although we won't ever be close friends again. But the others... Sometimes it's hard to get past the bitterness and the hurt. And sometimes, the feelings of betrayal. I decided I would reach out to one of those people yesterday. We'll see what happens. Probably nothing. But I still wanted her to know that, in spite of everything, I wish her well and I hope she's okay.

In happier news, today is National Brownie Day and three out of the four people in my department brought brownies. Woo hoo!

LBC Freebie of the Day

Sample of Sunsilk Shampoo
(I tried this and ended up really liking it. My hair felt so soft!)

Sunsilk Sample

Big Night

So, we had a fun time at the restaurant event last night. There was quite a crowd. We got to drink some good wine and have some great food. We even met a few nice people. I don't tend to do well in crowds. I was getting ready to throw in the towel but we found a place to sit down out of the throng and then it got better. Tony Shalhoub, the actor, even showed up. We didn't get to talk to him but it's always fun to see a movie/tv star in person.

It's funny. I love going to charity events, martini lounges, events involving goodie bags (wink!), home tours, etc. But usually, when I get there, I get fed up with the crowd and want to leave right away. It reminds me of my time in a sorority. I would got to mixers and parties for about 15 minutes and then I would leave. Gary, on the other hand, never wants to go to these things but when he gets there, he has a good time. And he usually convinces me to stay. Maybe we are a good complement to each other.

LBC Freebie of the Day

Noxema Blackhead Cleanser Sample


Noxema Sample

The Lure of the Goodie Bag

So, like most women, I love a goodie bag. When I first starting attending charity events, I was introduced to how great goodie bags can be. I've gotten some great swag. Makes me consider how fun it must be to be a celebrity who gets all kind of great free stuff.

Working on committees to put together events for the Junior League, I got to learn first-hand about what goes into gathering items for goodie bags. And it's hard work. But people love them and, often, they expect them.

The best goodie bags I have gotten have come from sample sales. Billion Dollar Babes has a nice end-of-year goodie bag that is not only filled with great swag, but also unzips into a garment bag. And Shecky's Girls Night Out bags are full of great full-size hair products and other freebies like Hane's panties. A few friends attended a Shecky's event with me and we had a lot of fun. It is $25 to attend (although they tend to offer 2 for 1 deals you can split with a girlfriend) and you get to do some shopping and have lots of free drinks. The other night, Gary and I attended an InStyle magazine party in the city and got a pretty nice goodie bag. It even had a plate in it! (a sample of Corelle)

Gary doesn't understand the lure of the goodie bag and walked out of the event without getting his. Phooey!

Tonight, we are attending a special event at our favorite local restaurant. We are told a well-known movie actor may be there. I doubt there will be a goodie bag but I know there will be lots of great food!

LBC Freebie of the Day

I think I might start posting internet freebies that I find.

Today's is a sample of Folgers Lively Columbian blend. Follow the link and look in the lower
left-hand corner of the page.

Folger's Sample

One Word Meme

From Vieve:

1. Yourself: Bookish
2. Your spouse: Lover
3. Your hair: Brown
4. Your mother: Outgoing
5. Your Father: Missed
6. Your Favorite Item: books
7. Your dream last night: weird
8. Your Favorite drink: fizzy
9. Your Dream Car: Volvo
10. The room you are in: Cubicle
11. Your Ex: Grrrr
12. Your fear: Alone
13. What you want to be in 10 years? Happy
14. Who you hung out with last night? Hubby
15. What You're Not: Cheap
16. Muffins: chocolate
17. One of Your Wish List Items: knitting
18. Time: ????
19. The Last Thing You Did: Ate
20. What You Are Wearing: jeans
21. Your Favorite Weather: Fall
22. Your Favorite Book: Possession
23. The Last Thing You Ate: Sandwich
24. Your Life: good
25. Your Mood: tired
26. Your best friend: far
27. What are you thinking about right now? home
28. Your car: Suburu
29. What are you doing at the moment? daydreaming
30. Your summer: eventful
31. Your relationship status: newlywed
32. What is on your TV? dvds
33. What is the weather like? pretty
34. When is the last time you laughed? monday
35. Who do you tag? Ellen

Dilemma

Okay, so more drama.

I'm going home for Christmas for the first time in several years. There has been a yearly holiday event with some of my high school classmates at a former teacher's house ever since we graduated. I've always enjoyed going and this year I may actually get to attend.

When I got the e-mail about the event, I noticed that a former friend of mine will probably be attending. He was just about the best friend I had. And he dropped me out of the blue. Just quit responding to my phone calls and e-mails with no explanation. We didn't have a fight. Nothing was wrong. He just disappeared out of my life. And I have been really hurt by it. I can't imagine what it would be like to see him again. How awkward it would be. Would I be able to be civil? I just don't know. So, now I'm not sure if I want to go. I know it sounds silly. I should just go and have a good time and see old friends that I haven't seen in years. And introduce Gary to everyone. But I'm not sure that the whole thing wouldn't be just too upsetting. What to do?

Bookish Things

In honor of the beginning of the first ever BookSwap (which I am so excited about!), I thought I would talk about one of the books I'm reading right now. It's called the THIRTEENTH TALE. (see sidebar) It was a little slow to get going but now I am completely hooked. I haven't been this enthralled by a book in a long time. (I think SHADOW OF THE WIND was the last book that drew me in like this) I don't want to put it down. In fact, I'm feeling a little resentful of work for getting in the way of my reading! I'll let you know if it fulfills its promise.

In other news, I was unpacking a box of new books for the library today and saw that MARCH by Geraldine Brooks had won the Pulitzer. I thought that book was absolutely awful. It should have been called DEATH MARCH because that is what it felt like to read it. Oh, well.
At least I have something good to read.