Ho Hum!

I feel like I have a little bit of breathing time right now. I only have three more papers left to write for this semester and one technical document to edit. Yeah! Although I have a paper due this Tuesday, I'm not stressed out by it. It'll get done. The GRE exam is somewhat on my mind. I really need to get a move on studying for it. I just need to get through to the end of the semester and everything will be fine. Work is like this constant dread...I have to stay at the "office"/computer all day in case something needs to be done. It's pointless really, but at least they're paying for me to sit here! :O) I'm nervous about applying to grad school...what happens if I don't get in (because I probably won't)? I need to talk to my professors to see what they have to say; I'll have to figure out when their office hours are.

I'm reading Anna Karenina right now, and it is quite absorbing and interesting. :O)

Okay, I thought I had time to chat, but I don't. I need to get some stuff done around the house.

Updating

First off, everything is great with Brad and I again. We went through a rough patch, but everything is back to normal. We understand the boundaries of acceptable behavior and inexcusable reactions. I think our relationship had become stagnant for a while and any reaction is needed to wake us up to the reality of our love. I don't want to say that we become complacent, but essentially, that is what is was.

Did everyone vote yesterday?

I made another 100% on a paper! This one was on the rhetoric of gender. I limited my discussion to positive images, because, for one thing, I don't buy the "glossies" because they do influence me. I clarified that point during the first part of my paper. Yeay!

It's a rainy day, but I'm enjoying it. There is something about a rainy, fall day. I feel so warm and snugly in my house. :o)

I'd better get to work. I'll write again soon!

I don't know

I'm not sure what to think of the relationship I'm in with Brad. I know one thing: it isn't necessarily a good thing. He doesn't support me and just gets mad at me if something doesn't go according to his schedule (yes, he is the one that thinks he is "spontaneous" and "flexible"). For example, I went to lunch with my friend, R, yesterday. It was great to see her and to catch up on everything. It was so much fun! We laughed and laughed about "Neuticles" (the ball implants for pets), and time passed without us realizing it. I looked down at my watch and saw that it was 5:00! I took R home and hurried home. I knew me being out so late wouldn't sit well with Brad. He's very particular. When I got home, he went off on me because I made us miss the spin class. I didn't apologize; I didn't do anything wrong. I just don't feel like I made us miss the spin class; he could have gone without me! So, I asked him if he was ready to go workout, and he went off about how I was selfish and critical of him. I really have no clue where that came from. He muttered some things about me under his breath, but I didn't say anything. He got ready to workout and just left while I was changing into my workout clothes. I drove over in a separate car because I wanted to work out. After doing a bit of cardio, I asked him for the workout schedule. He offered to show me which exercises I needed to do, which was nice. One of the exercises I wasn't sure how to do it even after he explained it to me. He goes, "Are you stupid or something? What the fu*k don't you understand?" I just turned and walked away; I don't need to listen to him talk to me like that!! While I was doing one of the exercises, he came over and asked me if I had anything to drink with R. I had 2 beers over the course of 4 hours. He asked me who else was there. There wasn't anyone else there. He kept prodding asking questions obviously believing that it wasn't just R and me. I sick of this! I really don't know if I can take much more of his attitude towards me. It sucks! I have no idea what I did to deserve this treatment. For a while, I thought it was something I did, or that I somehow offended him. But, you know, I think he has some control or emotional issues. . . something. I'm not going to allow him to take me down. . . or make me feel bad about myself. I've had abusive boyfriends in the past (one broke my hand), and I don't want to be in one again. Maybe I'm wrong? Maybe I'm the one that has a problem? I can't imagine what it is but maybe I did something to trigger this anger in him? I really don't know. I do know that it is hurting me, and I don't feel like he really wants me to be happy. He never asked how R is doing, or stating that he was glad I had fun with a friend. He could have handled the situation so much differently than the way he choose to. I'm just hurting inside, and I can't turn to him because he is the one that is hurting me.

Missed them!

We didn't have any trick-or-treaters last night. Oh, yes, they were swarming all over the neighborhood, but we didn't turn any of our lights on and we stayed in the basement. :O) We went to work out around 5:30 and didn't leave the gym until about 7:30ish. We did a spin class with an instructor we haven't had before. It was a dude that totally kicked ass! He pushed us to our limits. It was awesome. I am so not an anti-female person, but I really think the female spin instructors don't push you to improve. When they say, "If you're comfortable, turn up your resistance a little," he said, "It is human nature to set the limits for the body when it starts to feel uncomfortable--you can always push yourself harder--you are capable of doing more. DIAL UP YOUR RESISTANCE!!!" Maybe I just like the military/commanding style better? Anyway, it was a great workout and I didn't feel bad about not riding the Parkway.

I have a media watchdog paper to write for next Tuesday. It's one of those really vague assignments that you get to pick the topic yourself, which is sometimes a really good thing. I'm kinda lost on this one. The professor must think that we, the class, just have all kinds of time to devote to her class. She wants us to watch the news for five days, listen to the radio, read magazines, books, online articles, but no newspapers. We're suppose to research how a topic is presented in each of these areas, find the biases, and then argue our own position on the issue. Seriously? I have no idea where to start. I'm kinda thinking about doing something on North Korea? I would love for the whole Tour/Landis fiasco to still be prominent in the news, but alas, I shall have to content myself with politics. What else could I have a position on? Fantasy sports? Oh! I could write about health! That could be interesting! I'll spend some time searching the Internet for a topic.

I really need work to be over. I have so much to do for school and around the house. I desperately need to finish the quilt for the guest bedroom. I made purses for my friend S's birthday and my sister's birthday. I need to mail them out! My friend, K, is getting married this weekend. It's an outdoor wedding, so I hope the weather is nice... for her sake and for the guests.

Oh, yes, it has been a while

Wow! School and work have kept me extremely busy. Not to mention: biking, reading, sewing, hanging out with Brad. One of my classes was cancelled this morning, so I finally have to write. Isn't everyone so happy? :O)

Let's see. What have I done of interest since the last time I wrote? Good question. Finished A Confederacy of Dunces. It is a great book, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a funny, thought-provoking book. I would discuss it in greater detail, but I know a few people currently reading it that might read this blog, so I won't. Now, I'm reading Anna Karenina. I'm on page 125 out of 850. It's extremely interesting--there are such differences in how gender is viewed compared to current standards. After reading on Friday night, I settled down to sleep, and I found myself thinking of what it would have been like to not have the ability to vote, own property, be independent. Women have only recently been able to be their own person, independent of others--especially males. I'm not as strong of a feminist as I used to be, but when I read books like this one, it makes me realize how far we have come.

Let's see, what else? Started training on the bike again. It is looking like we'll be able to do the double century ride next year--the one I have been excited about ever since I heard about it. I'm really, really hoping we can afford the tickets out there. A lot of that will depend on whether I have a job or not. I'm still thinking about grad school, but we'll see if I can get in first.

Brad and I are doing all right. For some reason, he has been extremely critical lately. It's not that he is intentionally being mean, but he doesn't have much patience and gets angry about things that aren't a big deal. It's very frustrating to live with someone that thinks they can complain about how dirty the house is but then leaves wrappers and dishes throughout the house. To be completely honest, I'm tired of picking up after him, so I've been leaving everything where it is. When he complains now, I just ignore him and hope he realizes that he is a big contributing factor to making it dirty. But, if I let something slip, then I get a lecture. I don't get it. Another thing I don't get is that he doesn't let me enjoy things if he doesn't enjoy them. Does that make sense? Like rap songs on the radio. Sometimes he humors me and lets me turn them up and dance around. But, at other times, he gets upset about the "loud" music. Then, he gets to decide what our monetary priorities are. I don't spend much money, but occasionally, I'll buy something I think we'll enjoy. For example, I bought us a toaster oven so that when we have something little to heat up we don't have to turn on the "big" oven. He thought that was a waste of money. Maybe it was, but I thought it would be a nice thing to have. The next day, we go out and he gets a hand saw something or rather because we need it for the house. Really? I don't know. He hasn't been very tender or affectionate towards me lately. I don't know what is up. I've always thought he has control issues, and now that I am standing up for myself, he's getting disoriented and doesn't understand what is going on. We'll talk about marriage one minute and how excited we are. But the next minute, he's going off on me about something and saying stuff about how he's glad we're not married yet because we need to work "that" out. Whatever. The thing that really irritates me though is the fact that he is willing to say things to me in public. It's one thing to have a problem with me, it's another to go off on me in public. He's extremely nice around friends though.

Opps. Didn't mean to vent for a minute there. Here's a post I wrote last year on my old blog. It's about Halloween, which freaks me out.

Halloween night. Normally on this day each year I hide myself away in a room that doesn't have windows and keep all the lights off. Actually I haven't done that in 3 years but that used to be my Halloween night ritual. It's hard to believe but I've never been trick or treating and I'm scared to death of the kids that walk around in scary costumes. My parents raised me strict Southern Baptist and never allowed me to participate in such a satanic holiday. Never mind the real reason for Halloween; they only care about the devil worshipping that is suppose to culminate on this day. I remember when I was in fifth grade they took me to church to watch a film about devil worshipping and Halloween. I promise you I have not been the same since. TERRIFIED ME!!! To be completely open, I wanted to lose my virginity after that because I did not want to be a virgin sacrifice. I secretly decided that should someone nab me I would lie to them so that I wouldn't be sacrificed for being holy. Yes, I decided that "thou shalt not lie" was not a commandment when it came to saving the earthly dwelling of my soul. You can bet your bottom dollar that if I ever have kids I will be taking them out on Halloween night. Apart from the spirituality of the day, there is sense of community that I missed experiencing. The feeling of camaraderie with other kids having fun and of goodness that people open their doors and give (even if it only results in cavities). :o)

I'm not reading over everything I've written today, so if there are any grammatical errors, please excuse them. I need to get ready for school. I'll try to be more consistant about blogging. Work should be slowing down again after this week, so I'll have more time to devote to writing.

Blahbity-blah

Earlier today I knew what I wanted to write about on my blog, but for now, it has escaped me.

Brad was on a business trip the other night, and I decided that it would be great to put together a bookshelf. I've been wanting another bookshelf for quite a while, but we never seem to find time to get one. I finally decided that I would just do it since I had time. Since I'm pretty new to the whole furniture building thing, I thought it best to use an electric drill on the screws. You know, to make sure they were nice and tight. The bookshelf I purchased is one of those particle-board cheapies from Target. Apparently, it is quite easy to strip the screws on particle-board...especially if you're using an electric drill. Anyways, the bookshelf was put together, but it wasn't very stable. Last night, I decided to move it from where I put it together to it's new location in the corner. Wrong. As I was sliding it across the floor, the bookshelf started leaning. (The new cheapies are made from four vertical boards versus the old ones that were more stable with only two vertical boards.) It ended up breaking at the joint that connected the two vertical boards on the left side. Thankfully, I still have a 1/2 bookshelf since I removed the "top" part from the "bottom" shelves. It's working out great and doesn't block any light from hitting my desk! Yes!

I want to organize my books on an Excel spreadsheet so that I can easily see what is in my library. Of course, I'll mark the books I haven't read yet in an effort to keep myself from purchasing new books at a faster rate than I read the books I already have. I go in spurts it seems. I didn't buy a new book for about a year, and then all of a sudden, I just started grabbing all the books I've been contemplating buying (about five of them). It'll probably last about another week, and then I won't buy any more books for another year. It's just one of those things I'm obsessed with...pens, books, and sewing material. It used to be pens, books, and lipsticks. At least everything will get used at some point. Yes, I'm sure someone out there is saying that I should go to the library (if my Dad knew about this blog that is exactly what he would say), but I like to write comments in the margins and underline meaningful quotes. You can't do that with public library books. I like to interact with my books not just read them. :o)

When is laundry done?

Household chorses never seem to end, right? Well, I have a question for you: when is laundry done? I think Brad and I have a different idea of what it means to "do the laundry." Brad likes to put the clothes in the washer; move them to the dryer; and then dump them on the couch claiming that he did the laundry, and now I need to fold and put it away. I think that if you want to get credit for "doing the laundry" you have to manage it from washing it to putting it away. What do you think?

I'm getting a haircut after school today. I love it when people play with my hair! It's so expensive to go to the salon, but I'm vain enough to continue. I have an interview to conduct at 5 p.m., and then I'm going to dinner with my friend, K, and her fiance, S. It should be fun!

Better get ready for school...I need to leave in approximately 20 minutes.

There's a lot

There is so much going on right now. I'm finding that I must create lists to remember everything I need to do. It's the good kind of stress (well, writing this one paper is the bad kind of stress) and is quite different from my last job. I'm driven by producing results. For me, part of producing is the process. I like to work things that take a few days to complete--not doing something quickly just so it is done. I know I'm talking somewhat vaguely, but I don't want to say anything that sounds negative about my former employer.

Brad and I are going to send my grandmother some money. Since my grandfather is in the hospital, I'm sure she is struggling. About 20 years ago they were sued (for a very stupid reason) and lost all of their money. They haven't been financially stable since. My grandfather was working, but not making enough money to really save. So, we're going to send a little money. It has been rough the past two months since I wasn't working, but we're quite sure we're not as tight as she is right now. Plus, she is my family, and we love her.

It's going to be a long day at work, but I'm looking forward to it since I'll be busy! Tonight I'm going to finish the paper I don't want to write! Lofty goal? I hope not.

Weekend Update

This post will be about my weekend, but did anyone see the season opener for Saturday Night Live? Tina Fey is gone! Anyways.

Brad and I had a really great weekend! We made a little fire in our fire-bowl and burned the branch that fell off one of our trees during the storm last week. That was really nice. We just sat there watching the fire and talking. It felt like we were camping, something we haven't done in quite a while. On Saturday, I worked on and finished one of my papers that is due Tuesday, and I began researching the topic I planned to write on for my other paper. I've decided since then that I will write on a different topic--road cycling in Knoxville and Driver Education. Yesterday (Sunday), Brad and I went to church, and then we rode our bikes!

It was so wonderful to be back on the bike! We did a 35 mile ride, and I'm not sore one bit. I was afraid I might be since I haven't been able to exercise for about 2 months now. To be honest, I think my body needed the rest. We rode one of my favorite short rides...it goes through a lot of Tennessee farm land and is a gorgeous route!

There is only one person (that I know of) that is reading A Confederacy of Dunces. It is such a wonderful book...I've been going through it slower than I normally would, but it is one of those books that you don't want to rush through--it's so good that you don't mind reading it slowly because that means it will last longer. :O)

good/well or good/evil

A couple weeks ago, my friend, A, and I went to the used bookstore. After browsing for a while, we finally made a decision on which gems we would purchase. A paid for her books and turned to me and said, "I did good!" I immediately corrected her with an exasperated, "WELL!" She looks at me and says, "I did GOOD as in I did not do EVIL!" It was hilarious; I wonder how long she had been thinking of that one and just waiting to use it.

Brad's mom sent me the most gorgeous pen for my birthday. It's made from seven different types of wood! It's beautiful and writes very well. Pens are so cool. I've "collected" them for as long as I can remember. I tried to kick the habit for about a year; I actually threw the majority of my collection away--they were taking up too much space. Yes, I had that many pens. I'm trying to be more critical of the pens I purchase...I'm not buying a pen simply because I don't have one like it. I can tell which ones I'll definitely like versus the ones that I know are awful. So that's good.

I have been slammin' busy with school and work. I love both, but it is quite a bit of work. It has been difficult to get to sleep at night, and I think it is because I've been so active during the day that my brain will just not stop. I lie awake thinking of everything I need to do and how I'll do it. After accidentally sleeping in on Tuesday, I didn't know where my first class would be meeting this morning (the professor doesn't want to walk all the way to the other side of campus from her office, so we hold class in the library--in a different room every time), so I sent an email to everyone in the class to find out. One person wrote back to tell me where class would be and to also give me the good news: our paper on the rhetoric of 9/11 isn't due until next Tuesday! It's not due today! I was overjoyed to find that out last night! I have most of it written, but I need to write the intro and conclusion. I finished my other homework, but I still wasn't done until 11:30 p.m. after starting my day at 8:30 a.m. I'm NOT complaining, just merely remarking on why sleep has been slow to come to me. My brain just wants to veg out after going for so long without a break (I didn't take a lunch break, but I did take and hour between work and doing homework to eat dinner and to exercise for 30 minutes).

I'm finally feeling well enough to exercise again. There's still a bit of congestion going on, but it's not too bad. We're hoping to ride our bikes on Saturday. Brad rode last night and feels great. Yeay!

Well, I'd better go get ready for school! Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Grandparents

My paternal grandparents came in town yesterday so that Grandfather can go to the dentist today. He will only go to this one particular gentle dentist. They drive 4 hours to TN every six months or so. I like it because that means I get to see them! They took Brad and me to dinner; it was so much fun! My grandmother is so sweet and so cute! She has a fantastic southern drawl that always puts a smile on my face.

While we were at dinner, they told us a story about their friend, Al. Apparently, Al would throw parties quite often, and Grandmother and Grandfather would not attend. One day they got an invitation to attend a party for Al, and they decided to finally go to one of his parties. When they got to the festivities, they filled their plates and sat at one of the tables to talk with friends. Finally, Grandmother says she looked around and then leaned over to the friend sitting next to her and sweetly asked, "Where's Al?" Grandfather chimed in, "Where is Al? We haven't seen him for a while, and now he's not at his own party?" Everyone was horrified! The friend sitting next to Grandmother said, "Al has been dead for a month! This is his memorial!" My Grandparents said they were so embarrassed!


In other news, my maternal Grandfather is not doing well. After breaking his hip a couple weeks ago, he is now in the hospital due to a kidney infection and pneumonia. I don't know what is going to happen.

I still don't feel very well. My throat is still sore, and I'm thinking about going to the doctor. I'm pretty sure it's just a sinus infection (biggest evidence of that: major nasal drainage), but my throat is feeling very icky. I accidentally overslept this morning, which is probably a good thing since I need sleep to heal. I'm going to take a shower and head to my other classes.

Last night

I had so much fun last night! My friends, K, S, and R, came over for a grill out, and then we went country line dancing. It was so much FUN! We got along so well, and there was a lot of laughter. E was unable to attend because her flight from CA was delayed. She didn't arrive in Knoxville until after midnight. She's marching in the Alumni band today so I'm not sure when I'll see her. Tonight, Brad and I are eating dinner at our neighbors. I'm hoping we don't spend all night over there, but we'll see. I have a lot of homework to finish this weekend. I have a paper due on Thursday, and I'll need to get a large chunk of it done before Monday. Working has prohibited me from doing much during the week. I can't imagine writing a whole paper during the week!

Well, I need to type up my response to the reading I've completed so far. Hope everyone has a great weekend!!!

Short Post

This is going to be a short post because work starts in 7 minutes.

I'm feeling much better, and my voice isn't quite as croaky.

Last night, I went to a lingerie shower for my friend, D. It was a lot of fun. We ate at a Japanese restaurant and made her open her gifts in public. It was funny, and I think she enjoyed herself.

A few of my friends are coming over tonight for a grill out. It should be fun. I haven't seen one of my friends, E, in a long time. She moved to CA, and we don't get to see each other as much. I'm thinking of taking a trip out there sometime after Christmas.

Okay, I should go and get my desk prepared for work. Hope everyone has a great day, and I'll try to post again later or this weekend!

Wonderful

I had a wonderful birthday! For my Birthday Dinner, Brad took me to Abuelos. It was fantastic! I can't wait for another thing to celebrate so we can go back! Actually, it wasn't terribly expensive. Compared to past Birthday Dinners it was cheap--I ordered one of the most expensive entrees on the menu at $14.99. (Last year we went to Baker Peter's Jazz Club where a steak is $30.) Every single bite I put into my mouth was superb! So good!

My favorite book of all time, All the King's Men, has been made into a movie and will be released tomorrow. I'm having friends over for a grill out tomorrow night, but Brad and I are there on Saturday! It stars Jude Law, Kate Winslet, and Sean Penn. It looks pretty good. Brad has read the book and loves it too.

I thought I was getting better, but this morning I woke up with a lot of nasal drainage. Thankfully, I don't have to talk much today. I would think about skipping my first class, but we have a quiz and I can't miss that! :o)

IT'S MY BIRFDAY!!!!!

Wow! 27 feels different! I woke up this morning to Brad bringing me breakfast in bed--eggs and pancakes! I got to open my presents: a really nice CD player for my crafting room, a Bible cover, and two Chuck Palahnuik novels (Diary and Haunted). Palahnuik is one of my favorite authors ever...he uses such a unique writing style and startling subject matter. I'm super excited! My friend, D, is going to take me to a celebratory Birthday Lunch. :o)

I feel a lot better today, but my voice is still a bit croaky. I hope I'm able to do my job! I'll be working until about 6:30, and then Brad is going to take me for my Birthday Dinner. I think we're going to try a new restaurant; I'll let you know how it is.

Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to me! It's going to be a wonderful day!!!

Birthday anticipation

When I got home from school today, I let the dogs inside then got the mail. I was walking back from the mailbox when I looked down the street and saw the UPS truck coming towards our house. I slowed down and the UPS driver slowed down. My heart leapt with excitement--a present! I turned, gave a half wave, and beamed a smile. The driver smiled back, waved, then reached down to change the truck's gear as he went over the "speed hump" just past our driveway. I felt so silly! The UPS driver was just slowing down so he wouldn't damage all the fragile packages as he went over the "speed hump."

It's My Birthday Eve!

The full celebration is beginning! It will not stop until the end of the month! I'm becoming very excited about tomorrow. My birthday is always a time of rebirth for me. A time for reflecting on how I've grown and how I will continue to mature. I don't believe in astrology, but my sign is Virgo--the goddess of harvest. I reap the lessons I sow during the year at this time. On my birthday, I feel benevolent to everyone and want to spend the day in complete happiness!

I'm not positive, but I think I might be coming down with a cold. My throat feels icky, and I'm just plain tired. I'm taking all my vitamins and downing some echinacea. Hopefully I'll feel better before tomorrow.

Where should Brad take me for my birthday dinner?

Brad and I watched the news last night...it's down-right scary! I am not as informed as I should be on many of the current issues in the media. I am utilizing the Internet to research the history behind the conflicts in the Middle East. In my Rhetoric & Writing class, we are analyzing the rhetoric of 9/11. It is extremely interesting to compare writings and speeches given during the first month after the attacks to the writings and speeches being given now. I don't think we (Americans) have made much progress in understanding the real issue behind the attacks...we have responded to the violence against us, but we have not discussed the policies the terrorists have said they were fighting against. It is important to remember that the terrorists are not exemplary of mainstream Islam. I won't write about this touchy subject right now, but PLEASE become informed about current events...democracy works best when citizens are informed. To be informed, one must consult many different mediums...understanding how and why bias is formed and used. In 1782, Hector St. John de Crevecoeur wrote "What is an American?" In that piece, he states, "As citizens it is easy to imagine that [Americans] will carefully read the newspapers, enter into every political disputation, freely blame or censure governors and others." Have we done that? Are we ideal citizens?

:::coming off my soapbox now:::

I am enjoying working from home. I didn't get out of my pajamas yesterday! I have noticed that I must become more efficient with my time. My day started at 8ish, and I finished homework around midnightish. It will be necessary for me to spend more time working on homework over the weekends. I have time to write on my blog right now because one of my classes was cancelled. I don't want to spend all of my time working and going to school. If I prioritize correctly I should be able to continue working out and starting the book club.

So far, only one person has become a contributing author on our book club blog. I've heard from my other friends that they will be joining, but they just haven't gotten to it yet. My guess is that once they purchase the book and begin reading, they will join at that time. I'm really excited about discussing our book! It's something to look forward to! Plus, it'll be great to hear other people's perspectives. :O)

Well, I've written a small story already. It's amazing; I could write, and write, and write. It's just so much fun! Hope everyone has a great day!

Hi

I started working at my new job on Friday afternoon. They over-nighted a cell phone to me, and when I called to talk to them, they begged me to start right away. I did. Today will be the first full day of work. I still have a little bit of homework to do, but I'll get to it tonight.

Brad and I planted two trees this weekend: a dogwood and a flowering cherry. We're looking forward to Spring so we can see the impressive display of flowers. I'd like to get a couple evergreens to add winter interest. We're trying really hard to conserve money, so that may wait until next year.

Tennessee lost to Florida on Saturday. It was an exciting game with a bad ending!

Well, I need to get ready to start working. The area I am recruiting for is in the Central Time Zone, so I have to wait until 9ish to start working. It's going to be nice to have my mornings. On the flip side, I will have to work until a least 6:30 every day. Hopefully everything will go smoothly.

Last day

Its been glorious, but it will all come to an end on Monday. On Monday, I start my job. I think it is going to work out really well since I will be working from home. It is the ideal situation!

The weather in East Tennessee is now more than perfect. It feels and smells like September, my birthday month. It's fabulous, and I want to spend every moment I can outside. We put the screens in the windows last night (they're the old style of windows that push out so you can't leave the screens in all the time).

If you haven't watched the most recent episode of Project Runway, stop reading now. -------- Okay. Can you believe they brought Angela and Vincent back? It was definitely good television, but it must have sucked for the other designers. Michael is so nice...did you see him helping Kayne? I'm so glad Laura won; I really liked her dress...especially the fringe at the bottom. Uli has long been one of my favorites, but like the judges, I want to see something different from her. I want to see something tailored and not so breezy. Jeff has some wacky, rock-star outfits, and I want to see him design something simple and sophisticated. I think all of the designers left are wonderful. Each has a unique style. Overall, I think Michael is the most versatile and probably deserves to win. I didn't watch the first two seasons, but didn't males win both of them? Oh well, may the best designer win!

I've had positive responses to the book club from five of my friends, one no, and one that I haven't heard back from (I don't think she checks her e-mail very often). Brad might join, and our total would be six. One of my friends is going to tell two of her other friends about it since she thinks they might be interested. So, today, I'm going to write out some general guidelines. Brad doesn't think I need to do that since everyone is a friend. I probably don't need to, but it'll be fun. Plus, I'm going to make the schedule rotation for choosing books. Since I am starting the club, I think I will choose the first book and kick off our discussions. After much deliberation, we are going to read A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. It's going to be awesome, and I am so looking forward to it!!!

I'm meeting My A for lunch. I'm going to go through the Chick-fil-A drive-thru before I pick her up. We'll eat in the car on our way to the used bookstore. We're both "enablers" for each other's weakness for books. Hey, at least I consider used books now. I used to be a book snob and only read new, unmarked books that were purchased at full price. This is what I call progress.

Stapler

I won a five dollar gift certificate to Wal-Mart when I was in fifth grade. It was the award for doing something well in the computer class...maybe something to do with The Oregon Trail? Please tell me someone remembers that game. I digress. The stapler. My mom took me to Wal-Mart so I could pick out my prize. I have this major thing for school and office supplies so I spent the majority of the time perusing the pens, paper, folders, notebooks. But what I really wanted was a stapler. I could envision myself stapling packets of information together...everything would be completely organized if I only had a stapler. Alas, all of the staplers were a bit more than five bucks. I decided to use some of my allowance (an allowance of fifty cents that I earned by doing three hours worth of chores before 10 a.m. on Saturday morning--if they were not done by the time limit then I wouldn't receive the full amount). I picked out a white Bostick stapler, and I've used it ever since. I love my stapler...it has progressed beyond useful school supply that organizes my life to an object of extreme sentimentality.

I printed a two page article this morning and confidently reached for my stapler. But, it didn't staple! I was horrified! My trusty stapler! Oh! What's a girl going to do!?!? Examine it and figure out why it isn't stapling--that's what you do!

I figured out why it was malfunctioning--the tooth that separates the staple being used from the rest had become hooked on the wrong side of the staple reservoir. After quickly fixing the issue, I stapled that article together, hole-punched it (another great invention), and put it in correct chronological order with other articles I deem important. All this is made possible because of my trusty stapler.

And for those wondering, yes, I totally identify with the guy in the movie Office Space. :O)