This week flew by in a flash. When I try to remember things that happened a month ago, it seems like recalling the distant past. And yet, each day and each week seem to fly by much too quickly.
Thankfully this week was a relatively calm one, with few 'extra' things on top of the craziness. Tuesday morning Little Dude had a field trip with his class, and since I wasn't already doing anything I decided to go help out. We went to a nearby theater to see a play that they were doing for kids. I was impressed by how well the kindergartners I was with paid attention, and I think Little Dude was happy that I could come. I dropped P.Bibby off at a friend's house and I felt awful when she clung to me and cried while I left. Thankfully when I came to pick her up she was smiling and my friend reported that she had enjoyed her visit after all.
The weather has turned cold but we haven't had any snow or rain for a while. I'm glad that things will be clear for Halloween on Monday. I'm really not that excited about taking the kids to go trick-or-treat; I feel like I'm having a hard time getting motivated to celebrate the holidays this year. Everything still feels weird and off-kilter and I think it will take a while to get feel at ease with the new situation. I'm used to doing stuff as part of a team and it is hard to be motivated to do it by myself. Actually, I think this is mostly true of Halloween since it's never been my thing. I am looking forward to Christmas.
I have found another good full-time job possibility that would give me great training and experience. I will send my resume off to them tomorrow, but I'm also not so sure about some aspects of it. The pay is really low but the hours are not conducive to keeping either of my second jobs. I know how to live frugally and I think I can make it with the pay, but things would be tight. It's also about 20 minutes away, which isn't a huge commute for most people, but I'm not sure I want to waste 40 or 45 minutes of my time every day driving. I'm still going to submit my resume and see if I at least get an interview. Then I can figure out the logistics.
On Monday I printed off a simple chart for myself with three goals: get to bed by 10:30, read the Book of Mormon, and write in my journal. Unfortunately the bedtime goal has never been met and neither has the journal one, but I have been reading my scriptures every day! I am trying to get my life back in order in some ways, and this week I am renewing my commitment to an earlier bedtime. I have to get up early to start my day and I know I do better with more sleep.
I've also been trying to figure out how to cook and eat. The kids are gone for several nights a week, and even when they're here I still feel like I'm cooking for one person because they don't eat a lot. I don't want to fall into the trap of only making kid-friendly food like pizza or macaroni and cheese, because I like to cook and I still want them to eat a variety of foods. But I need to find meals that are fairly simple, cheap, and that don't make a lot of food. Sometimes lately I've made bigger meals and then regretted it since I end up eating the leftovers all week. The kids don't eat leftovers, and while I don't mind them, I usually get tired of something after the fourth or fifth time I eat it.
Last night I caved and got myself some Panda Express, since I was by myself and it sounded yummy when I drove by. I did get the chow mein noodles, but I passed on the deep fried stuff and got some chicken with green beans and some spicy beef that had mushrooms and peppers. At least I had some vegetables, and there was enough food that I brought the leftovers for lunch at work today. I was very tempted to get fast food for dinner tonight, but I had self-discipline. When I got home I realized that I had some butternut squash soup in the freezer, so I ate some with a salad and a grilled cheese sandwich. Now I'm going to go have some yogurt before bed. I am making some progress on the food front; I've found that if I have some tasty, real food around that is convenient, then I do eat it. I just need to keep up that resolve.
Speaking of resolve, I should get to bed. I'm debating making Boston Cream Pie tomorrow. A whole cake for four people seems like a bit much, especially since the next day is Halloween and we'll be full of sugar. But I've been wanting to get on the bandwagon with talking about states again (we've taken nearly a month off) and I hate to miss out on it. I'm curious to see what the kids think about clam chowder; if they're hungry enough after church it just might be a success.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Maintaining my nerd credentials
We had this conversation a little while ago:
FoxyJ: "I can't believe they're going to build a temple in the Congo. That is just amazing. You know, I still have a hard time calling it 'Congo' because I'm used to it being Zaire. Except it hasn't been Zaire for about 15 years. I guess I'm a nerd because I still remember the old name."
Mr. Fob: "Actually, what's really nerdy is the fact that you were in high school when it switched names. How many high schoolers actually know where Zaire is, let alone pay attention to what it is called?"
FoxyJ: "I can't believe they're going to build a temple in the Congo. That is just amazing. You know, I still have a hard time calling it 'Congo' because I'm used to it being Zaire. Except it hasn't been Zaire for about 15 years. I guess I'm a nerd because I still remember the old name."
Mr. Fob: "Actually, what's really nerdy is the fact that you were in high school when it switched names. How many high schoolers actually know where Zaire is, let alone pay attention to what it is called?"
Saturday, October 22, 2011
How I Lost on Jeopardy!
Now that my show has aired I can finally talk all about my trip and the taping. Despite the fact that I did not win, I still had a fabulous experience. I wish I could do it again just because it was so much fun (and I'd love another shot at some money, of course). Alas, it is a once-in-a-lifetime gig so I guess I'll just have to write it all down here so I can relive the memories any time I want to.
I tried out back in March and knew that I would be in the contestant pool for about a year. Since this was my fourth tryout (and the third that landed me in the contestant pool), I really was not holding my breath waiting for a call. When my mom was here in July we decided to take the kids to Thanksgiving Point one morning. As we walked back in the house after lunch the phone was ringing; I checked the caller ID and nearly peed my pants when it said "Sony Pictures" with a California number. They invited me to come down to Los Angeles for a taping on August 30th. That was a really busy week for us and it was Little Dude's first day of school, but I didn't care. I immediately booked plane tickets and hotel and started watching the show and practicing ringing in by clicking a pen while I watched. I also spent some time reviewing things like U.S. presidents and state and world capital cities, but I actually didn't spend too much time practicing because I know that there's not much new information you can learn and remember in six weeks.
I asked Mr. Fob to come with me to Los Angeles because he is still a good friend (we were still married at the time, too) and I just didn't want to go alone. We flew down the night before, and my dad met us at the airport since he decided to come to the taping too. I was really glad we didn't have to rent a car and that he could drive us around since I don't know the area well at all. We checked into our hotel fairly late, but were starving so we ordered some quesadillas and a hummus plate from room service. I think we were feeling a little decadent at that point.
I got up early the next morning and got ready. I had ordered breakfast from room service; I knew we would get things like pastries at the taping, but I didn't want to spend the day high on sugar. I had ordered oatmeal, which did come, but for some reason I got tomato juice instead of apple. Oatmeal and tomato juice don't really go well together. The hotel provides a shuttle to take all the contestants to the studio in the morning, so I hopped on that with everyone else and we headed out to the Sony lot.
When we got there we spent some time filling out some forms and getting make-up on. I actually resisted the free pastries simply because I didn't want to mess up my lipstick. We also had some time to practice on the set and tape our "Hometown Howdies". I was a little nervous, but generally felt relaxed and excited. All the people who work for the show are really friendly and enthusiastic so that put me at ease. It was also fun to hang out with all the other contestants during the day too.
They tape a week's worth of shows in one day and they randomly pick contestants for each one. We got to sit in our own part of the audience, but were given explicit instructions to not look at or wave at our family members sitting nearby. That was actually kind of hard for me. I got to sit through the taping of three shows without being called to compete. It was also hard not to say any of the answers or make any comments during the taping. After the first three shows, those of us who had not taped got a chance to go get lunch. We had an escort accompany us over to the cafeteria for lunch, again with threats about looking at or talking to anyone. I made a joke about being on a tour of North Korea with our government minder keeping us in line. I was tempted by the burgers and pizza, but in order to keep my stomach happy I got some pasta with vegetables and goat cheese. It was delicious.
After we came back from lunch I found out that it was my turn to play. At that point I was glad that I had not eaten a big, greasy lunch because I started feeling a bit nervous. They touched up my makeup and put on my microphone, and it was time to go on stage. If you are really a nerd, you can actually look up the game here and see all of my stats. In some ways it was easier than I had expected; it did go by fast, but I didn't feel very nervous at all, and with the lights I really wasn't aware of the audience. At the same time, getting the buzzer timing was tricky, even with the practicing at home that I had been doing. I started out strong during the first round, but my confidence started to falter a bit after I guessed one answer wrong and then misspoke on another. I still can't believe that sometimes I opened my mouth and found something completely different from what I expected to say coming out. I also regretted missing out on the daily double, since it was such an easy one. I should not have been afraid of the sports category after all, especially since I got the first question in it right.
When the second round started, I was down a bit in points but still felt like I could come back from it. I had a good time, despite another stupid mistake (I constantly mis-remember Kilimanjaro as being in Kenya and you'd think by this point I would actually know that fact). I also knew the Thomas Paine question but was too unsure to ring in since it was close to the end of the game and I had made some mistakes at that point. And then I got the Daily Double. I was behind and I felt confident in the category, so I decided to take a chance and bet fairly big. Unfortunately the clue was tricky, and as soon as they mentioned Rogaine I began thinking "baldness" and completely drew a blank. Perhaps if I had thought "hair" or "hairline" my mind might have figured it out, but as it was I had no idea.
And then came Final Jeopardy! If you look at my stats, I answered most of the questions and I was doing all right, but Final is usually what makes or breaks the game. Once again I just got a bad question for me. After writing down my answer I realized that it probably was one of the BeeGees, but I don't know much about them so I had no idea. I had also researched some betting strategies for Final Jeopardy but had a hard time remembering them in the heat of the moment. There really isn't much you can do when you're in third place and the two other people know the answer.
After losing my game I collected my stuff and went to sit in the audience with Mr. Fob and my dad so we could watch the last game. I felt disappointed, but I also felt like I had done well and tried my best so I didn't feel as upset as I had thought I would be. After we were done at the studio we drove out to Santa Monica to a nice seafood restaurant on the ocean for dinner. I also insisted that we stop at Trader Joe's while were driving around so I could get some treats. We flew out early the next morning. Overall I feel good about the experience. I wish it could have gone differently, both in the sense of me doing a better job and in the sense of getting better questions to answer.
I tried out back in March and knew that I would be in the contestant pool for about a year. Since this was my fourth tryout (and the third that landed me in the contestant pool), I really was not holding my breath waiting for a call. When my mom was here in July we decided to take the kids to Thanksgiving Point one morning. As we walked back in the house after lunch the phone was ringing; I checked the caller ID and nearly peed my pants when it said "Sony Pictures" with a California number. They invited me to come down to Los Angeles for a taping on August 30th. That was a really busy week for us and it was Little Dude's first day of school, but I didn't care. I immediately booked plane tickets and hotel and started watching the show and practicing ringing in by clicking a pen while I watched. I also spent some time reviewing things like U.S. presidents and state and world capital cities, but I actually didn't spend too much time practicing because I know that there's not much new information you can learn and remember in six weeks.
I asked Mr. Fob to come with me to Los Angeles because he is still a good friend (we were still married at the time, too) and I just didn't want to go alone. We flew down the night before, and my dad met us at the airport since he decided to come to the taping too. I was really glad we didn't have to rent a car and that he could drive us around since I don't know the area well at all. We checked into our hotel fairly late, but were starving so we ordered some quesadillas and a hummus plate from room service. I think we were feeling a little decadent at that point.
I got up early the next morning and got ready. I had ordered breakfast from room service; I knew we would get things like pastries at the taping, but I didn't want to spend the day high on sugar. I had ordered oatmeal, which did come, but for some reason I got tomato juice instead of apple. Oatmeal and tomato juice don't really go well together. The hotel provides a shuttle to take all the contestants to the studio in the morning, so I hopped on that with everyone else and we headed out to the Sony lot.
When we got there we spent some time filling out some forms and getting make-up on. I actually resisted the free pastries simply because I didn't want to mess up my lipstick. We also had some time to practice on the set and tape our "Hometown Howdies". I was a little nervous, but generally felt relaxed and excited. All the people who work for the show are really friendly and enthusiastic so that put me at ease. It was also fun to hang out with all the other contestants during the day too.
They tape a week's worth of shows in one day and they randomly pick contestants for each one. We got to sit in our own part of the audience, but were given explicit instructions to not look at or wave at our family members sitting nearby. That was actually kind of hard for me. I got to sit through the taping of three shows without being called to compete. It was also hard not to say any of the answers or make any comments during the taping. After the first three shows, those of us who had not taped got a chance to go get lunch. We had an escort accompany us over to the cafeteria for lunch, again with threats about looking at or talking to anyone. I made a joke about being on a tour of North Korea with our government minder keeping us in line. I was tempted by the burgers and pizza, but in order to keep my stomach happy I got some pasta with vegetables and goat cheese. It was delicious.
After we came back from lunch I found out that it was my turn to play. At that point I was glad that I had not eaten a big, greasy lunch because I started feeling a bit nervous. They touched up my makeup and put on my microphone, and it was time to go on stage. If you are really a nerd, you can actually look up the game here and see all of my stats. In some ways it was easier than I had expected; it did go by fast, but I didn't feel very nervous at all, and with the lights I really wasn't aware of the audience. At the same time, getting the buzzer timing was tricky, even with the practicing at home that I had been doing. I started out strong during the first round, but my confidence started to falter a bit after I guessed one answer wrong and then misspoke on another. I still can't believe that sometimes I opened my mouth and found something completely different from what I expected to say coming out. I also regretted missing out on the daily double, since it was such an easy one. I should not have been afraid of the sports category after all, especially since I got the first question in it right.
When the second round started, I was down a bit in points but still felt like I could come back from it. I had a good time, despite another stupid mistake (I constantly mis-remember Kilimanjaro as being in Kenya and you'd think by this point I would actually know that fact). I also knew the Thomas Paine question but was too unsure to ring in since it was close to the end of the game and I had made some mistakes at that point. And then I got the Daily Double. I was behind and I felt confident in the category, so I decided to take a chance and bet fairly big. Unfortunately the clue was tricky, and as soon as they mentioned Rogaine I began thinking "baldness" and completely drew a blank. Perhaps if I had thought "hair" or "hairline" my mind might have figured it out, but as it was I had no idea.
And then came Final Jeopardy! If you look at my stats, I answered most of the questions and I was doing all right, but Final is usually what makes or breaks the game. Once again I just got a bad question for me. After writing down my answer I realized that it probably was one of the BeeGees, but I don't know much about them so I had no idea. I had also researched some betting strategies for Final Jeopardy but had a hard time remembering them in the heat of the moment. There really isn't much you can do when you're in third place and the two other people know the answer.
After losing my game I collected my stuff and went to sit in the audience with Mr. Fob and my dad so we could watch the last game. I felt disappointed, but I also felt like I had done well and tried my best so I didn't feel as upset as I had thought I would be. After we were done at the studio we drove out to Santa Monica to a nice seafood restaurant on the ocean for dinner. I also insisted that we stop at Trader Joe's while were driving around so I could get some treats. We flew out early the next morning. Overall I feel good about the experience. I wish it could have gone differently, both in the sense of me doing a better job and in the sense of getting better questions to answer.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
A Good Day
Today was one of those rare, perfect days. It was a gift and a blessing, and I want to write it down so that I can remember it. The older kids have Fall Break from school for two days; I took the evening off from work and decided to just focus on having a fun day together as a family.
The morning started out well with Little Dude waking up in a good mood and S-Boogie sleeping in enough to catch up on lost sleep. We hung around the house for a while and they actually helped me clean up the family room in the basement. I also made some yummy gingerbread muffins.
As it got closer to lunch time I was having a debate with myself about the fact that I had told the kids earlier this week that we would go hiking today. I haven't gone hiking in years, but the weather is beautiful and the leaves are gorgeous. Both kids have some kind of hiking/nature walk thing on their 'champions club' goals from school and they have been wanting to hike. So I packed us a picnic lunch and we headed out. I chose Rock Canyon because it's really close to the house and I remembered it being a fairly easy hike. I won't tell you how far we hiked or how long we spent because it's embarrassingly short and my legs are sore because I'm that out of shape. But the kids had a great time and it was nice to be outside for a while. I was proud of myself for getting out and doing something fun with them.
Then in the late afternoon we drove up to Sandy to meet up with a friend of mine who generously offered to take new family pictures of me and the kids. Last December I bought the kids some cute matching outfits from Gymboree on clearance and they all looked adorable. Even better, the lighting and scenery were gorgeous and the kids actually behaved. I had been dreading this day all week and it was not a hassle at all. P. Bibby didn't feel like smiling, but she's cute no matter what she does. I even got a few nice shots of myself that I can use for times when I need a headshot.
I bribed the kids with the promise of Wendy's for dinner so we had a quick meal before heading home (I think the baby had 2 french fries and a Frosty for dinner. Oh well). When we got home we watched my episode of Jeopardy! together. I think the kids were a little bored by the show itself, but they thought seeing mom on TV was really cool.
Then later tonight a bunch of my wonderful friends came over with chocolate cake to watch my show. The other day we got the VCR hooked up to our projector so we could watch it on the big screen, and it was so much fun to watch it with my friends cheering me on.
So, today was a great day. I felt happy, the kids were happy, the sky was blue and the leaves were bright red and yellow. I hope we have more days like this one in our future.
The morning started out well with Little Dude waking up in a good mood and S-Boogie sleeping in enough to catch up on lost sleep. We hung around the house for a while and they actually helped me clean up the family room in the basement. I also made some yummy gingerbread muffins.
As it got closer to lunch time I was having a debate with myself about the fact that I had told the kids earlier this week that we would go hiking today. I haven't gone hiking in years, but the weather is beautiful and the leaves are gorgeous. Both kids have some kind of hiking/nature walk thing on their 'champions club' goals from school and they have been wanting to hike. So I packed us a picnic lunch and we headed out. I chose Rock Canyon because it's really close to the house and I remembered it being a fairly easy hike. I won't tell you how far we hiked or how long we spent because it's embarrassingly short and my legs are sore because I'm that out of shape. But the kids had a great time and it was nice to be outside for a while. I was proud of myself for getting out and doing something fun with them.
Then in the late afternoon we drove up to Sandy to meet up with a friend of mine who generously offered to take new family pictures of me and the kids. Last December I bought the kids some cute matching outfits from Gymboree on clearance and they all looked adorable. Even better, the lighting and scenery were gorgeous and the kids actually behaved. I had been dreading this day all week and it was not a hassle at all. P. Bibby didn't feel like smiling, but she's cute no matter what she does. I even got a few nice shots of myself that I can use for times when I need a headshot.
I bribed the kids with the promise of Wendy's for dinner so we had a quick meal before heading home (I think the baby had 2 french fries and a Frosty for dinner. Oh well). When we got home we watched my episode of Jeopardy! together. I think the kids were a little bored by the show itself, but they thought seeing mom on TV was really cool.
Then later tonight a bunch of my wonderful friends came over with chocolate cake to watch my show. The other day we got the VCR hooked up to our projector so we could watch it on the big screen, and it was so much fun to watch it with my friends cheering me on.
So, today was a great day. I felt happy, the kids were happy, the sky was blue and the leaves were bright red and yellow. I hope we have more days like this one in our future.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Random Brain Dump
I really want to get back in to blogging more regularly. Despite the fact that people seem to regularly declare blogging dead these days, I like it. I still have a lot of post ideas in my head. However, I worry about the fact that my posting this year has been about half of what it used to be, and most of those posts are declarations similar to this one. So now I'll stop dithering and dump some random crap on you (isn't that what blogging is all about?)
This weekend really kicked my butt. I should be in bed catching up on sleep since I still haven't made up for losing so much over the weekend. I'm teaching two classes that meet Monday and Wednesday. Last Monday my students turned in papers. Due to the fact that I'm working two part-time jobs, I didn't even get to the papers until Thursday. That gave me four days to grade 40 papers, which doesn't account for the fact that I also have a life. By Sunday morning I still had 20 papers to go. So I stayed up very late on Sunday finishing the grading. Now I'm tired.
I didn't grade papers on Saturday because I worked most of the day and then took off a few hours early to go to a mission reunion. I hesitated to go because Mr. Fob and I served in the same mission and we have many friends there who have no idea of what is going on. It turned out to be a wonderful time with only a few awkward moments. I got to see old friends, took home a bunch of leftover Cafe Rio food for free, and actually sat through a spiritual meeting in peace for the first time in a long while.
I totally love working at the library, and when I think of leaving I get sad, but I've been looking at and applying for other jobs. The chance of me getting a full-time position there any time soon is minuscule, and I am ready for something full-time with benefits and hours that don't include nights and weekends. Teaching is actually going really well this semester, but trying to combine that with another job is very draining. I can teach, but it's not my favorite thing to do and I'm getting tired of it. Hopefully something will pop up soon. Financially I'm OK for a while, but I'm ready for a 'real' job.
The hard thing about being tired and stressed is that I don't feel like I can give as much to the kids as they need. The two older ones have been having a bit of a hard time (obviously). In some ways they are handling things well, but we have moments that aren't so great. On Sunday Mr. Fob dropped the kids off after lunch, just in time for church. Little Dude is not a big fan of church lately anyways, and he really didn't want Dad to leave. So we had a lot of crying and screaming, although I went ahead and got him in the car and drove to the church. When we were almost there, I looked at him freaking out in the back seat, looked up at the mountains, and announced that we were going for a drive. We missed most of sacrament meeting because we were driving in the canyon, looking at leaves, and talking about a bunch of things. I don't plan to make skipping half of church a regular occurrence, but it was the right decision at the time. I know that they just need time to adjust to everything and we are both trying to make things as easy for them as we can. It still sucks to watch your kids have to go through something painful that you can't just make disappear. I'm looking forward to Thursday this week when they don't have school and we are just going to hang out all day and have fun.
And, speaking of Thursday, I am going to be on TV! Since I fell of the face of the blogging-planet I never mentioned that I got to fly to LA in August to tape the show Jeopardy! Well there is the fact that I wasn't supposed to talk about it either. So now I'm telling you that you can watch me on Thursday night. I will write up a full report of my experience this weekend, since I can talk about it after the show airs.
This weekend really kicked my butt. I should be in bed catching up on sleep since I still haven't made up for losing so much over the weekend. I'm teaching two classes that meet Monday and Wednesday. Last Monday my students turned in papers. Due to the fact that I'm working two part-time jobs, I didn't even get to the papers until Thursday. That gave me four days to grade 40 papers, which doesn't account for the fact that I also have a life. By Sunday morning I still had 20 papers to go. So I stayed up very late on Sunday finishing the grading. Now I'm tired.
I didn't grade papers on Saturday because I worked most of the day and then took off a few hours early to go to a mission reunion. I hesitated to go because Mr. Fob and I served in the same mission and we have many friends there who have no idea of what is going on. It turned out to be a wonderful time with only a few awkward moments. I got to see old friends, took home a bunch of leftover Cafe Rio food for free, and actually sat through a spiritual meeting in peace for the first time in a long while.
I totally love working at the library, and when I think of leaving I get sad, but I've been looking at and applying for other jobs. The chance of me getting a full-time position there any time soon is minuscule, and I am ready for something full-time with benefits and hours that don't include nights and weekends. Teaching is actually going really well this semester, but trying to combine that with another job is very draining. I can teach, but it's not my favorite thing to do and I'm getting tired of it. Hopefully something will pop up soon. Financially I'm OK for a while, but I'm ready for a 'real' job.
The hard thing about being tired and stressed is that I don't feel like I can give as much to the kids as they need. The two older ones have been having a bit of a hard time (obviously). In some ways they are handling things well, but we have moments that aren't so great. On Sunday Mr. Fob dropped the kids off after lunch, just in time for church. Little Dude is not a big fan of church lately anyways, and he really didn't want Dad to leave. So we had a lot of crying and screaming, although I went ahead and got him in the car and drove to the church. When we were almost there, I looked at him freaking out in the back seat, looked up at the mountains, and announced that we were going for a drive. We missed most of sacrament meeting because we were driving in the canyon, looking at leaves, and talking about a bunch of things. I don't plan to make skipping half of church a regular occurrence, but it was the right decision at the time. I know that they just need time to adjust to everything and we are both trying to make things as easy for them as we can. It still sucks to watch your kids have to go through something painful that you can't just make disappear. I'm looking forward to Thursday this week when they don't have school and we are just going to hang out all day and have fun.
And, speaking of Thursday, I am going to be on TV! Since I fell of the face of the blogging-planet I never mentioned that I got to fly to LA in August to tape the show Jeopardy! Well there is the fact that I wasn't supposed to talk about it either. So now I'm telling you that you can watch me on Thursday night. I will write up a full report of my experience this weekend, since I can talk about it after the show airs.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Reading Roundup: September 2011
Cinderella Ate My Daughter by Peggy Orenstein
I've read some of Orenstein's articles before, so much of the stuff in this book wasn't particularly new to me. However, I still enjoyed reading it and it reminded me of some things that I had not thought about for a while. As far as where my children are at in relation to today's culture, I feel pretty comfortable, but there are still some things I would like to change in the world at large.
The Man in the Rockefeller Suit by Mark Seal
I love books about true crime, and I thought this book was fascinating. I'm still astounded at how this guy could live a lie for so many years and pull it off successfully. There were a few spots where the writing could have used some polishing, but generally I thought it was a good book.
Every Patient Tells a Story by Lisa Sanders
This is another book written by an author that I have read for years in the NY Times. I did recognize some of the case studies she includes in here, but I still had a great time reading the book. She not only describes some 'medical mysteries', but also discusses the history of diagnosis and current issues in medicine.
Bossypants by Tina Fey
Tina Fey is one of the funniest women alive today. I already knew that, and it was just confirmed by reading this book. The interesting thing to me was the fact that she is not just funny, but has a lot to say about being a woman with a career in a field that has generally been male-dominated. This book was surprisingly insightful; I just expected it to be funny.
I've read some of Orenstein's articles before, so much of the stuff in this book wasn't particularly new to me. However, I still enjoyed reading it and it reminded me of some things that I had not thought about for a while. As far as where my children are at in relation to today's culture, I feel pretty comfortable, but there are still some things I would like to change in the world at large.
The Man in the Rockefeller Suit by Mark Seal
I love books about true crime, and I thought this book was fascinating. I'm still astounded at how this guy could live a lie for so many years and pull it off successfully. There were a few spots where the writing could have used some polishing, but generally I thought it was a good book.
Every Patient Tells a Story by Lisa Sanders
This is another book written by an author that I have read for years in the NY Times. I did recognize some of the case studies she includes in here, but I still had a great time reading the book. She not only describes some 'medical mysteries', but also discusses the history of diagnosis and current issues in medicine.
Bossypants by Tina Fey
Tina Fey is one of the funniest women alive today. I already knew that, and it was just confirmed by reading this book. The interesting thing to me was the fact that she is not just funny, but has a lot to say about being a woman with a career in a field that has generally been male-dominated. This book was surprisingly insightful; I just expected it to be funny.
Crossed by Ally Condie
Yes, this is the sequel to Matched, and no it doesn't come out until November first. But I got to borrow an advance copy from someone at the library. I really enjoyed reading it and thought it was an excellent follow-up to the first book in the series. Now it's going to be a really long wait until the third book comes out!
Yes, this is the sequel to Matched, and no it doesn't come out until November first. But I got to borrow an advance copy from someone at the library. I really enjoyed reading it and thought it was an excellent follow-up to the first book in the series. Now it's going to be a really long wait until the third book comes out!
The Distant Hours by Kate Morton
I think this is the book that has finally convinced me to give up on Kate Morton. I really liked The Forgotten Garden, but this book and the other book I read by her were just a little too over-the-top gothic that I couldn't handle it. I'm usually fairly willing to suspend disbelief but this book was just too ridiculous in the plot twists and turns.
Faith by Jennifer Haigh
I think the biggest strengths of this book are its setting and characters. Even though I have never been to the place that the author is describing, I really felt like I could see it and really imagine all the characters. They are also all very nuanced and not stereotypical at all. I thought the plot wasn't that great and it had a few too many twist for my tastes, but overall I would recommend this book.
I think this is the book that has finally convinced me to give up on Kate Morton. I really liked The Forgotten Garden, but this book and the other book I read by her were just a little too over-the-top gothic that I couldn't handle it. I'm usually fairly willing to suspend disbelief but this book was just too ridiculous in the plot twists and turns.
Faith by Jennifer Haigh
I think the biggest strengths of this book are its setting and characters. Even though I have never been to the place that the author is describing, I really felt like I could see it and really imagine all the characters. They are also all very nuanced and not stereotypical at all. I thought the plot wasn't that great and it had a few too many twist for my tastes, but overall I would recommend this book.
Untold Story by Monica Ali
I listened to an interview with the author of this book on NPR and thought it sounded like an intriguing idea. I've never been that interested in Princess Diana and I don't know much about her, but I think that makes me a better reader for this book than one who would be concerned about the author getting the details 'right'. I thought this felt a bit like a modern fairy tale, particularly in the author's use of language.
I listened to an interview with the author of this book on NPR and thought it sounded like an intriguing idea. I've never been that interested in Princess Diana and I don't know much about her, but I think that makes me a better reader for this book than one who would be concerned about the author getting the details 'right'. I thought this felt a bit like a modern fairy tale, particularly in the author's use of language.
Sex on the Moon by Ben Mezrich
I thought the subject of this book sounded fascinating (a plot to steal moon rocks from NASA), and the writing style only enhanced that impression. This was a great, fun book to read and after a while I couldn't put it down because I just wanted to find out what would happen next.
Movies
New Moon
After the awfulness that was Twilight I had low expectations for this movie. I ended up being pleasantly surprised. It had a decent plot, some very likeable characters, and pretty nice special effects.
Eclipse
I thought New Moon was palatable, but I nearly gave up on this one halfway through. Both Jacob and Edward turn into freaky controlling jerks and I really didn't feel like watching it after a while. I still haven't made up my mind about Breaking Dawn yet.
Thursday, October 06, 2011
How are you feeling?
First of all, a big thank you to everyone who left a comment on my post or who emailed me. I have been wanting to reply personally to many of you, but I just haven't had the time or mental energy for the last few days. I hope to get to that point soon. Please know that I have read all of your messages and I can feel your love.
The biggest question I get from people lately is 'how are you doing?' or 'how are you feeling?' That's a pretty standard question,but I've had such a hard time answering it because I seem to be feeling many things, and sometimes more than one thing all at once.
Fine That's the standard answer and usually one that we give to people who ask the question. I've also been using it to figure out whether people I know in real life have heard anything yet. Some accept my answer and some, like my friend yesterday, invite themselves in for a glass of water and then let me know that they know what's going on and are concerned. The truth is, in some ways, I am 'fine'. I'm not OK with what's happening, but we have a home, we're all healthy, I am employed, and I have enough education to eventually get a good full-time job. There are many reasons why things aren't 'fine', but there are plenty of ways they could be worse.
Angry Well, duh. If I weren't angry right now I'd probably not be human. But the truth is that a lot of the anger has worked its way out of my system during the last few months. Some of it has been taken away simply through prayer. I seem to be OK with the big issues, but I do find myself getting angry at little things, like my printer not cooperating. Obviously it will be a little while before I can say I'm completely at peace.
Sad Again, duh. Of course I'm sad. I'm sad for the kids, especially. They are doing somewhat better than I expected and we've both tried hard to be open in communicating with them and with listening to their feelings. (As far as 'open' we mean simply telling them what is going on and reassuring them that we love them. We haven't explained the reasons 'why' Daddy wants to leave because none of them are old enough to understand.). My house feels lonely at night and I need to do a better job communicating with other adults because I like to talk.
Embarrassed I know I don't have a logical reason for this, and I know that none of this is my 'fault', but I often feel embarrassed, particularly in social situations. It's hard to believe from my blog, but I don't like to talk about my feelings in person and I don't like to draw attention to myself. Going to things like church activities is hard because I feel so conspicuous. Yes, logically I know it's not a big deal and that half the people in the room aren't even paying attention to me, but I have been having feelings of embarrassment because I hate being the object of attention, fuss, or pity.
Empowered I hope no one misunderstands me, but there are some moments when I feel free and strong. Overall, being married was mostly pleasant, but there were also some very hard things. There were issues in our relationship that were difficult and stressful, and a part of me is glad to not have to deal with them anymore.
Happy Yes, happy. Not all the time, not at all. But life has been good lately too. The kids are sweet and P. Bibby learns something new every day. There have also been some rather weirdly absurd moments lately; the kind where you can either choose to laugh or cry. Like the other day when we had to drive up to get our final documents to pick up and turn into the court. It was already a little weird because I was driving Mr. Fob's car because he is still taking painkillers to treat the shingles attack he's had for the last three weeks. After we signed the papers and got back in the car, Alanis Morissette came on the CD player singing "Let's Fall in Love". That was a little surreal.
I think what I usually answer is "I'm hanging in there." Because I am. Minute by minute. Day by day. That's the only way to do it and that's the best I can do.
The biggest question I get from people lately is 'how are you doing?' or 'how are you feeling?' That's a pretty standard question,but I've had such a hard time answering it because I seem to be feeling many things, and sometimes more than one thing all at once.
Fine That's the standard answer and usually one that we give to people who ask the question. I've also been using it to figure out whether people I know in real life have heard anything yet. Some accept my answer and some, like my friend yesterday, invite themselves in for a glass of water and then let me know that they know what's going on and are concerned. The truth is, in some ways, I am 'fine'. I'm not OK with what's happening, but we have a home, we're all healthy, I am employed, and I have enough education to eventually get a good full-time job. There are many reasons why things aren't 'fine', but there are plenty of ways they could be worse.
Angry Well, duh. If I weren't angry right now I'd probably not be human. But the truth is that a lot of the anger has worked its way out of my system during the last few months. Some of it has been taken away simply through prayer. I seem to be OK with the big issues, but I do find myself getting angry at little things, like my printer not cooperating. Obviously it will be a little while before I can say I'm completely at peace.
Sad Again, duh. Of course I'm sad. I'm sad for the kids, especially. They are doing somewhat better than I expected and we've both tried hard to be open in communicating with them and with listening to their feelings. (As far as 'open' we mean simply telling them what is going on and reassuring them that we love them. We haven't explained the reasons 'why' Daddy wants to leave because none of them are old enough to understand.). My house feels lonely at night and I need to do a better job communicating with other adults because I like to talk.
Embarrassed I know I don't have a logical reason for this, and I know that none of this is my 'fault', but I often feel embarrassed, particularly in social situations. It's hard to believe from my blog, but I don't like to talk about my feelings in person and I don't like to draw attention to myself. Going to things like church activities is hard because I feel so conspicuous. Yes, logically I know it's not a big deal and that half the people in the room aren't even paying attention to me, but I have been having feelings of embarrassment because I hate being the object of attention, fuss, or pity.
Empowered I hope no one misunderstands me, but there are some moments when I feel free and strong. Overall, being married was mostly pleasant, but there were also some very hard things. There were issues in our relationship that were difficult and stressful, and a part of me is glad to not have to deal with them anymore.
Happy Yes, happy. Not all the time, not at all. But life has been good lately too. The kids are sweet and P. Bibby learns something new every day. There have also been some rather weirdly absurd moments lately; the kind where you can either choose to laugh or cry. Like the other day when we had to drive up to get our final documents to pick up and turn into the court. It was already a little weird because I was driving Mr. Fob's car because he is still taking painkillers to treat the shingles attack he's had for the last three weeks. After we signed the papers and got back in the car, Alanis Morissette came on the CD player singing "Let's Fall in Love". That was a little surreal.
I think what I usually answer is "I'm hanging in there." Because I am. Minute by minute. Day by day. That's the only way to do it and that's the best I can do.
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