Austin Teen Book Fest 2013 #ATBF13

I have wanted to attend the Austin Teen Book Festival for 3 years and could never make it happen. When this year's line up was released, I nearly fell out of my chair in excitement - Rae Carson, Marissa Meyer, Holly Black, MAGGIE STIEFVATER! - and I was determined to be there.

Thankfully, I was able to make it happen and it was an almost perfect day.

via ATBF

Maggie opened the festival up with a poignant and hilarious speech. She made some really great points about how creative types typically have equal stores of fear and imagination, and how we need to be able to balance the two somehow. She said that, as a writer, a person plays the "what if" game - what if someone could physically manifest their dreams? What if shapeshifters were real? - and that that game says that all the dreadful possibilities are just as important as the magical ones.  She spoke briefly about her novels, including the beautiful, perfect creation that is Sam Roth and then The Raven Cycle books, and she ended it by saying that "we are all Dream Thieves because we can choose to manifest our dreams or our nightmares."

It was a really great way to open up the day, and once Maggie spoke, my friend and I headed up to our first panel of the day - Into Hearts of Darkness, which featured Jon Scovron, Mari Mancusi, Robin Wasserman, April Tucholke, Victoria Scott and the fantastic Holly Black.

There were several great questions posed to the authors here, but my favorite tidbits were uttered by Robin and Holly, both in response to the query: Where do your ideas come from?

Robin quoted the amazing Patrick Ness and said that, "One idea is never enough for a book." She talked about how he says he usually gets The Idea, and then other Ideas appear and they all sync and congeal and suddenly, this mass of ideas is a Living, Breathing, Thing, and then there's enough to be a book. I thought that was a really fantastic statement. Holly said the best advice regarding ideas she ever got was to "Honor your obsessions." That's a pretty cool idea, too - the thought that if you love something, you should probably write about it.

It was a great start to the day, and then we went back to the main hall to watch the Fierce Reads ladies face off against the Dark Days gals in a silly set of games. The best part of this, for me, was when David Tennant appeared on the screen and everybody went nuts. O DOCTOR, MY DOCTOR, I LOVE YOU SO!

(Obligatory side note: There were SO. MANY. WHOVIANS THERE. I was basically like, "Hello, you are my PEOPLE!") 

Then, we grabbed some lunch and bought a few books - I got ASYLUM by Madeleine Roux and THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE by Leila Sales - and headed upstairs to try to snag a good couple of seats in the Dark Days panel room. (We ended up on the 2nd row - SWEET.)

Madeleine Roux, via my OG iPhone

The Dark Days panel was, by far, my favorite of the entire day. It included Madeleine Roux, Sherry Thomas, Mindy McGinness, Michelle Gagnon, Amy Tintera, and Rae Carson.

These ladies are clearly all friends, and they all played off of one another so well - and they're all hilarious, so that definitely helped. A couple of observations here: Michelle Gagnon is so cool, I want to read all of her books, ever, now. DON'T TURN AROUND and DON'T LOOK NOW have been on my radar, but she's so fantastic, I kind of want them in my grabby little hands right now. She and Rae both had this really calm, approach and it was just super cool. Mindy is hilarious - and I mean, snarky and smart, and I never would have guessed that she spends her days as a high school librarian. Biggest surprise of the day? Sherry Thomas, who's glasses and general look do sort of speak quiet librarian but is smart and genuinely a riot who had a snarky remark to almost every question, including how, sometimes, ideas are on sale at Costco, and how hers was a free sample.

Favorite moment, though?

Madeleine Roux's answer to "Where do your ideas come from?" The answer involved blood sacrifice by the light of the full moon, a spirit named Dave, and naked dancing.

Like you do.

via my OG iPhone

After Dark Days was Fierce Reads, which was in the same room, so we were able to settle in and really enjoy it.  The authors here were Leila Sales, Marissa Meyer, S.A. Bodeen, and Alexandra Coutts. The tone of this panel was a lot less snark and a bit quieter, but the result was the same - these ladies love to write and they loved interacting with their readres. Having already read Meyer's works, the other three authors were virtually unknown to me, but now I can say that I need to pick up TUMBLE
& FALL by Alexandra, STAT. The idea of a novel that focuses on the time spent waiting for a natural disaster to strike is scary in the best, most real way, and I really have to find myself a copy of that book soon.

Our last panel of the day was Powers Strange and Perilous, which included Robin LaFevers, Lisa McMann, Cinda Williams Chima, Rosemary Clement-Moore, Melissa de la Cruz and her husband Michael Johnston, and the awesome Maggie Stiefvater. (FLAILY FLAIL FLAIL.) I've read something by everyone on this panel with the exception of Lisa and Cinda, so this was a fun one for me. It was interesting to hear how everyone thinks of the supernatural abilities that they've given their characters, and I especially liked how Robin spoke about the extraneous abilities she gave the ladies in her His Fair Assassins series - I love that she correlates them to the ways the infants struggled at birth (which sounds morbid, I know... because it is). Maggie was, as usual, hilarious and awesome but still made a lot of interesting points, and then it was off to the closing speech with the wonderful Holly Black.

Holly spoke of fear, too, and how one of her lifelong obsessions (vampires) manifested from her childhood fears. We really enjoyed her speech, but I'm not going to lie - the lines for autographs were becoming a bit intimidating, so we hopped in line a few minutes before she finished up so we could be sure to have a couple minutes with each author for whom we had a book to be signed.

All in all, I got Leila to sign my copy of THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE, Marissa to sign my copy of CINDER (I already have a signed copy of SCARLET), and Maggie signed my copies of both THE RAVEN BOYS and THE DREAM THIEVES. My little exchange which her while she was signing my books is also one of my favorite things of the whole day.

via my OG iPhone

Actual conversation:

Me: Hi! Thanks so much for coming today!
Maggie: No problem; I love it. <begins signing>
Me: Also, thanks for creating Sam Roth. He remains my favorite YA Boy ever.
Maggie: Well, he's a good book boyfriend to have.
Me: Right? I figure he'll sing me a song and then turn into a wolf with gorgeous amber eyes. What could be bad about that?
Maggie, as she finishes signing, with a grin: Shedding.

HA. And now you know why I say she's 100% awesome. ;)

Anyway, the ATBF was really great. I am thoroughly impressed with how smoothly it ran, how easy the schedule seemed to flow, and how genuinely kind all of the authors seemed. Will definitely try to attend next year's event! 

Thanks to Book People and all the volunteers for making it so great! And a huge thanks to the authors for being generous with their time.

Challenge Results: WHOOP!

Well, my first official Beachbody Challenge is complete, and I'm really happy with the results!

Here were my goals, as posted on 6/22:

• Replace breakfast with Shakeo every day for 60 days. 
• Follow the work out schedule (Supreme Warrior) listed in my Fitness Guide. 
• Lose 15 pounds
• Lose a cumulative 10 inches 

Negative bit first: The only slight disappointment, for me, is that I didn't lose any weight. None. Nada. I realize this is because I was working out HARD, but it's a disappointment, nonetheless. 

I have had Shakeology for breakfast every morning since late June. I love-love-love it.

I didn't miss a single workout from my Supreme Warrior schedule. Not a SINGLE one. I have worked out 6 days a week since 7/1. I'm taking a couple days off now, but will probably start back up tomorrow with 5 workouts a week.

And, most impressive:

Over the span of 60 days, I lost 11.1 inches. ELEVEN POINT ONE. I've replaced 11.1 inches of fat with muscle by working out, eating pretty clean, and keeping my long term goals in mind.

My waist is thinner, my legs are more toned, my arms are thinner, my shoulders are more defined - I'll take that, with no weight lost, over the quick drop in pounds I experienced in the past because I was eating processed, packaged stuff that was likely devoid of much that could be considered healthy any day. This is loss I can maintain simply by continuing my relatively newly acquired healthy habits.

I'm going to keep up Shakeology - it's the best, healthiest breakfast I've ever had in my life, and the benefits of my regularly ingesting so many Superfoods are all over the place. I'm actually satisfied after I have my shake. Beyond that, I have more energy, my body feels more balanced, and I'll go so far as to credit the vitamins and nutrients in Shakeo for the fact that, last month, I could feel a cold sore coming on and my body was able to fight it off without any medicine. Please and thank you!

As for the workouts - for September, I'm going to continue Combat, but I'm going to follow a schedule of my own making, made up of my favorite workouts - Shock Plyo, Combat 30, and Combat 45, possibly with Power HIIT thrown in. Then, in October, I plan to do T25 (ShaunT is a BEAST!) which will last 15 weeks, so it will get me through the holidays. Then, depending on where I am in the new year, I may consider Insanity, though I am already planning to revisit Combat in the Spring sometime.

For now: I was able to easily put on pants I haven't worn in at least 8 years last night. In my goal size.

Thanks to Beachbody's programs and my love of Shakeology, I'm the healthiest I've ever been, weight be damned. Yes, weight loss is an eventual goal, but for now, making the complete transition to clean eating is where my focus is.

So, in short: this whole experience was pretty awesome.

Til next time,
Ang

Summer Reading Programs: DONEZO!

I'm excited to say that B completed all three of her Summer Reading Programs as of yesterday. All together, she read THIRTY-TWO books this summer, of varying lengths. We did read Lewis Carroll's ALICE IN WONDERLAND together - I read it aloud, chapter by chapter - but I made her read me the remainder aloud, and she did remarkably. We had her first official Meet the Teacher night last week, and I told both her teachers she can read independently and they both just sort of nodded. All of her teachers have been like that at first - the "yes, everyone thinks their child is a genius" sort of brush off - but give it two weeks and they'll change their tune.

Anyway, photos of my B and her rewards:

1) Reading Challenge #1: Austin Public Library's Summer Reading Program

2) Reading Challenge #2: Barnes & Noble's Imagination Destination Program

3) Reading Challenge #3: Book People's Give Me Summer, Give Me Books Program

It makes me happy to no end to know that this focus we've helped her grow, regarding reading and words and art, will be a lifelong one.

I'm so very proud of my little reader.

The #SWEATTour's Austin Stop - 4 YA Authors at Book People!

This evening, I had the absolute pleasure of attending the Austin stop of the SWEAT Tour. SWEAT: SoCal Writers' Excellent Adventure in Texas. Cute, no? Also, it was (of course) over 100 degrees today, so it's probable that that other meaning of sweat was a possibility.

In preparing for this event, I was looking into a couple of the authors' information and when I pulled up Amy Tintera's bio and picture, I realized she looked super familiar. When her novel, REBOOT, was released, I thought the name was familiar too, but I never looked into it, assumed that it rang a bell because I'm pretty involved in the YA community as a whole, and let it go.

Yeeeeah.

She and I graduated from High School together. So, that's pretty cool.

Anyway, a quick conversation with her via Twitter later, and I said I'd say hello this evening at the event (I did, and she's very sweet, and she even signed my book with a "Go [school mascot]!" which I thought was pretty darn cute).

The panel, as a whole, was really fantastic, partially because all the ladies were so very different and partially because the books they represented were all so different. Authors were:

Amy Tintera - author of REBOOT and its forthcoming sequel
Shannon Messenger - author of The Keeper of the Lost Cities and Let The Sky Fall series'
Debra Driza - author of MILA 2.0 and its forthcoming sequel
Kasie West - author of PIVOT POINT and THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US

photo taken with my crappy iPhone

The moderator - Jen, I believe - led the ladies through some really great questions. At this point in my YA Reading Career, I've been to quite a few author events, and I feel that her questions were the best I've experienced. I took a few notes on the questions and their responses. Here are my favorite highlights:

If you could summarize your book by using only the names of TV shows or movies, what would you choose? 
Amy: The Walking Dead meets La Femme Nikita
Shannon: (re: LET THE SKY FALL) The Last Airbender meets Twister
Debra: The Bourne Identity meets AI
Kasie: Pride and Prejudice meets Pretty in Pink

Then, they ladies played 2 Truths and a Lie. Mrs. West has a pretty hilarious truth about choking on her own hair. That's all I've got to say about that. ;)

What's the worst (and best) writing advice you've ever been given? 
Amy:
Worst: Always know the end before beginning to write.
Best: Finish the writing.

Shannon:
Worst: You can't move on to the next chapter until this one is perfect.
Best: from Ellen Hopkins: "It's never to early to begin treating writing like a job."

Debra:
Worst: It's OK to query before the writing is done.
Best: From Cindy Pon: "Let yourself write utter poo."

Kasie:
Worst: You have to outline to be a serious writer.
Best: Don't compare yourself or your experience to others'; No two stories or writers are the same.

Which "current" books do you wish you'd had as a teenager? 
Debra: SAVING FRANCESCA by Melina Marchetta (and several members of the audience, me included, gasped. Because YES. ALL KINDS OF YES. Marchetta FTW.)

Amy: IF I STAY by Gayle Forman

Kasie said she didn't have a specific favorite, but that she wished Sarah Dessen had been a writer when she was a teenager. Shannon said she simply wished YA had existed; it would have stopped her from becoming a non-reader in her teens.

When was the "moment" you realized that this was real, that you were a 'real' writer?
Debra: The day before her book released, and she promptly had a panic attack as she considered all of the possibilities ahead of her.

Kasie: When she received her first review from a stranger.

Shannon: At her launch party, when a class-full of Middle Grade aged students were actually in attendance; also, the first time she received a letter from a parent saying that her book was what made their child a reader.

Amy: There was a moment in her kitchen in which she just determined that she was going to write, and after that, she began to work toward publication.

photo taken on my crappy iPhone

I found it really interesting to hear so much of my writing style in various comments the authors made. Amy advised that her main character arrived first, and the world was built around her. This is often how things work with me -  more often than not, actually. Kasie said she can't outline; it takes all the creative juices out of her. I am a terrible outliner. It's impressively bad. Shannon said she *can* write for hours and hours on end, but the outcome isn't pretty and she'd rather not. It was kind of cool to hear others express the same traits that I see in myself.

Anyway, at the end, I bought a copy of Amy's book and she signed it; I also picked up a few signed bookmarks and a tattoo for REBOOT. It was a pretty great event... and it's one more thing to check off #59 on my 101/1001 list.

:)

10 Things I've Finally Learned

(in no particular order)

1. Letting go is better, sometimes. Even if you're not good at it. Even if it hurts all the while. You shouldn't have to fight for some things. If you do, they weren't worth it to begin with. Sometimes, life gets in the way. If a separation happens, but you come back together later, it's probably genuine. So it goes.

2. Chbosky was right: We accept the love we think we deserve. If you don't love yourself truly, you won't allow anyone else to, either.

3. It's OK to not be OK.

4. Do not ignore your own needs. Not for long, anyway.

5. It really is the little things. Be reasonable, but don't deny yourself.

6. You should always be developing and growing yourself. Learn, change, move. That's life.

7. "Call few people enemies and call fewer people friends." * Watch who you open your heart to.

8. "Don't do it for the wealth; do it all for the love. Love everything you do and do nothing halfheartedly." *

9. "Be what you speak, man. Never speak on what you be." * Only you can do you. Respect yourself and be who you are.

10. You are responsible for your inner peace. You can let people or situations rob you of it, but ultimately? It's on you. Hold onto it.




* lyrics taken from Deep Puddle Dynamics' song "The Scarecrow Speaks" which contains an insane amount of quotable lyrics. We can talk about my attachment to that song in another post.

15. Throw Bella a crazy awesome 5th birthday bash - DONE!

Bella's fifth birthday was the biggest party we've ever had for her, and it was Alice in Wonderland themed. It was really simple to put together, though, and she was so excited all day. All of our People were there, and there were tons of kids. We had cupcakes, Eat Me cookies, sandwiches, unexpected barbecue, perfect weather, and an amazing array of gifts, when all was said and done.


I was also able to take off work for her actual birthday, and we spent the day together, just relaxing and wandering around town. It was an all-around great day.

(all photos are mine. do not take them without permission, please.)

Big Top Candy Shop! :)

We so rarely allow her to eat candy, this was a big thrill for her.

DIY goodie bags at the party.

I put up quotes around the space the party was held in.

NOMZ.

My little archery fiend. ;) 

I'm so glad I was able to put this together, and that it went off (mostly) without a hitch. Thanks to everyone who came out, and to Erin for allowing us to take over her house for the afternoon.

Til next time,
Ang

Update: Summer Reading Challenges!

Well, hi there.

At this point, with 23 days before Kindergarten is slated to start (OMG WHAT), Bella has made great strides in all of the reading challenges she entered this summer.

1) Reading Challenge #1: Austin Public Library's Summer Reading Program
As of right now, we are on book 22 of 32. The deadline for this program is 8/24. She'll reach this goal, no problem.

2) Reading Challenge #2: Barnes & Noble's Imagination Destination Program - DONE!

3) Reading Challenge #3: Book People's Give Me Summer, Give Me Books Program
As of today, this is DONE, too! We'll probably take her to Book People tomorrow to pick up her gift card and let her pick out a book to buy. So exciting!

I plan on taking a photo of all her spoils once she's done with all three challenges - should be three brand new books - and posting it here. It's so cool and so great for me to see her excelling as a reader. I simply love it. And her, of course. To the moon and  back.

As for me and my Goodreads Challenge, here are my current stats (I won't hit this goal til probably November/December, but still, I'm working on it throughout this summer, so here we are):

Books read: 61 of 85

Pages read thus far: 23029

Thanks for reading this! ;)

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BeachBody Challenge Check In: 30 Days, Minus Inches

Hi there,

Well, we're halfway through my BeachBody Challenge, and while I'm not over-the-moon with my results (it's all mental, I assure you. More on that later), I do, in fact, have results, so that is good progress.

First, as a reminder, these were my goals for the initial 60 day period:

5 GOALS
Dates: July 1 - September 1: 
1. Replace breakfast with Shakeo every day for 60 days.
2. Follow the work out schedule (Supreme Warrior) listed in my Fitness Guide.
3. Lose 15 pounds
4. Lose a cumulative 10 inches

I'll give a quick update regarding all 4 goals below.

1. Replace breakfast with Shakeo every day for 60 days. 
This is in progress. I've had Shakeology every morning for breakfast since late June, and I really do love it. 

2. Follow the work out schedule (Supreme Warrior) listed in my Fitness Guide.
This is in progress as well. That said: I haven't missed a single workout, and I don't intend to start now. 6 days on, 1 day off... it's been a challenge, but one I have really been stoked to be part of.

3. Lose 15 pounds. 
Here's where I feel I'm struggling. I haven't lost a single pound. I lost 1, then gained it back. Then, I lost 2.5 and have somehow gained those back, too? Thing is, I'm not eating badly, and I'm not overeating either. Yes, I have some splurges, but not every day. While I understand that the number the scale shows is often unreliable at best, it's still hard to mentally get over the fact that, for the last 30 days, I've been kicking it into high gear, I've lost inches, and I've worked HARD, and the scale hasn't moved. I do understand that the same weight looks very different when it's leaned out, but still. This is the hard bit.

4. Lose a cumulative 10 inches. 
Well, this, at least, I can celebrate. As of today, I've lost the following inches:
Chest: -1.6 inches
Left Arm: -0.25 inches
Right Arm: -0.5 inches
Waist: -2.5 inches
Left Thigh: -0.55 inches
Right Thigh: -1 inch
Hips: Unable to measure (because I measured incorrectly previously)

So, after 30 days, I'm down a cumulative 6.4 inches, which puts me only 3.6 inches from my goal. That, my friends, is progress that I can't argue with.

I've signed up to be a BeachBody Coach, and I'm still motivated to work out hard. I'm going to reevaluate my diet (again) for the month of August, and it's my intention to do Combat at least through the end of September. My hopes for the month of August are simple: continued loss of inches, and hopefully the actually loss of pounds. Also, I want my kicks a bit higher, so we'll see.

Til then,
Ang

Love and marriage, love and marriage...

So, I'm just going to jump in on this topic... one that I generally shy away from, but for the moment, I'm just going to discuss it briefly because I read this thing that really resonates with me, and it just happens to be in the middle of a blog post that is very, very....

Well, it talks about religion and Christianity and God a whole lot.

So, here's the quick and dirty version of my thoughts on religion: I believe in the Christian incarnation of God. I do not believe I have to go to church to prove that; in fact, I can candidly say that, based on historical facts about my life, church was often a detractor from developing pure, untarnished faith in my aforementioned God. I also believe that many other religions, mostly Eastern in origination, make a lot of really good points, and that the Universe is a big, karmic thing. But I do believe in God.

In the middle of this blog post, which (by the way) I only read because I liked a snippet of this quote a friend-of-a-friend shared on Facebook, I found this quote that so succinctly sums up my thoughts on my marriage that I couldn't not share it with you guys.

PS The title of the article is "My husband is not my soul mate."

I'll let that sink in for a second.



.

.

.

The author discusses the late '90s/early '00s movement among young Christians, which I was a part of, to varying degrees, so I remember it well: I Kissed Dating Goodbye and Courtship and whatever other generally twisted out of proportion thing was going on then (not to say that there was not merit to each of those movements, but I do believe that there was a bit of an overzealous focus on the HOW and not the WHY of each of them). I also believe that it gave a lot of people - particularly young women who labeled themselves Christian - unrealistic expectations about how a relationship would come together for them... how God would divinely intervene, make the handsome youth leader with an amazing voice and skills on the guitar step right into their path and make them swoon their way into a marriage that would be amazing in every way. Not quite realistic, that.

We could talk for hours about it, but that's not really the point here.

The point here is this quote, right here, is perfect.

My marriage is not based on a set of choices over which I had no control. It is based on a daily choice to love this man, this husband that I chose out of many people that I could have chosen to love (in theory, don’t imagine that many others were lined up and knocking at the door). He is not some illusive soul mate, not some divine fulfillment, not some perfect step on the rigorously laid out but oh so secret “Plan for My Life.”

But he is the person that I giggly chose to go out on a date with in college. He is the person who chose to not dump me when I announced that I was moving to France for a year, then Kentucky for another year. He is the person who asked me to move to DC and I chose to do so. He is the person who decided to ask me to marry him and I agreed. At any step here, we could have made other choices and you know what? We might have married other people, or stayed single, and had happy and full lives.

But now I delight in choosing to love him everyday.

I like it better this way, with the pressure on me and not on fate, cosmos, or divinity. I will not fall out of love, cannot fall out of love, because I willingly dived in and I’m choosing daily to stay in. This is my joyous task, my daily decision. This is my marriage. (via)

Replace some of those locales, and it's my husband and me. Also, I wasn't so giggly... at first.

All variables aside - including our daughter, who has completed our lives in ways we didn't even know we were lacking in - I don't even think I need to say anything else, aside from this:

I love you, Kenya.
Forever and always.
Arguing or laughing or crying or talking each other down.
Day in, day out.

Thank you for giving me that same honor.

 

A Beachbody Update, Clean Eating, Books, Joss Whedon, and Bella B.

Hey-o.

Well, we're 9 days away from my first official "measure in," and I haven't lost any weight. I won't lie, that's really disappointing, but I did take some preemptive measurements last week in an attempt assuage said disappointment, and inches are gone from my waist, arms, and legs, so obviously, my body is changing. I just wonder what this is going to mean, weight-wise. I'm eating within a calorie allotment and replacing a meal every day with Shakeology, but still not seeing loss. Yes, there have been a few moderate cheats - like last night, I had Torchy's Tacos for dinner (and it was deeee-lish), but I am still more mindful of what I'm eating now than I have probably ever been before.

via

So anyway, it's upsetting (to a degree), but I have tone in my arms and legs where there was none before, and my shoulders and upper body are also changing - so much that a girl in my apartment office said something about me being "pretty cut" through my shoulders, so I'm trying to focus on that. She also said that, in her experience, the first month of her Insanity workout, she only lost 4 pounds, and then she dropped the weight during month two, so I'm hoping I see a similar trend. The goal for me has never been to be skinny, per say, but to the fit and strong. I'm on my way.

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It's a goal of mine to have my household move to clean eating by year end. It's hard, especially in this
day and age of GMOs. God only knows what other science projects are offered to people in the grocery store, but it's a goal, and I hope we can do it, expensive or not. It's probably going to be a step-by-step process for us - move meats, then veg, etc etc, but I think it's a worthwhile goal for a million reasons. Though it was a bit of an unwieldy and overly verbose read for me, I'm glad to have read THE OMNIVORE'S DILEMMA, because it really did enhance my perspective on food and where it comes from. For now, we try to avoid processed foods as much as possible. We'll see how this goes.

In other book news, I've been reading THE INTERESTINGS for the last week and I'm having a sort of difficult time with it, not because it isn't...well, interesting, but because the narrative itself seems overly dense in all the wrong places. I'd rather sparse but intentional writing (like what's used throughout THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS, which I adored) than needless blathering, and I really feel like this book goes on and on about some of the most inane things. But: I will finish it. I have about 150 pages left, I think. We'll also see how this goes.

Obligatory Interjection: I'm currently enjoying the first cup of coffee I've had in about 3 weeks. It is rather divine.

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While I've been sipping on this Cup of Deliciousness, I finished watching Serenity this morning, the 2005 Joss Whedon film, and I'm (as usual) kicking myself for not watching it sooner. Buffy was fabulous, and so was Angel, but my real point here is that I love that Whedon isn't afraid to make brave, bold, kick ass female characters, and for this, Serenity did not disappoint. Also, Nathan Fillion, shirtless and sporting bedhead isn't so terrible on the eyes. I also really want to see his version of
Much Ado About Nothing because I am a Shakespeare girl at heart - have been since I was about 17 and begged for a leatherbound, embossed copy of his complete works. I'm sure it will blow my mind.

And speaking of strong female leads, my wee one will be 5 on Thursday, and she's becoming quite the kick butt girl herself. Thursday will be spent doing whatever she wants.

Til next time,
Ang

Reading the Summer Away

This blog? It's really just a glorified Mama Brag, so prepare yo'self.

This summer, my Beautiful B agreed to be a part of not one, not two, but three reading challenges. Yes, some of the books will overlap, but the point is that she's agreed to read just under 40 books this summer, most of them by herself.

via

Reading Challenge #1: Austin Public Library's Summer Reading Program
For this challenge, she's got to keep a log of which books she's read and once she meets her goal, she can turn in her completed list and she'll get a free paperback book from the Library to keep! I asked her how many books she wanted to read per week, and she said 4. I multiplied that by 8, to cover two months of time, so her goal for APL's SRP is 32 books of her choosing. I'm making her read most of them, but I've also read one or two with her.

Reading Challenge #2: Barnes & Noble's Imagination Destination Program
For this challenge, she had to read 8 books of her choosing and keep a log of them. Additionally, she had to make recommendations on who should read each book. Once the list was complete, her "prize" was  free book, based on her age group.

This challenge is actually done already! B chose the classic RAMONA QUIMBY, AGE 8 for her free book. I can't wait to read it with her.

Reading Challenge #3: Book People's Give Me Summer, Give Me Books Program
This program is a bit more structured than the other two, in that Book People has a list of recommended books according to the child's age. Granted, B's skillset is a bit more advanced than some of the books for K-2, but it's good practice for her, so I don't mind. I've gotten 4 of the recommended 6 books on their way to us from the Library and I'll let her read two other books of her choosing. Once she finishes this challenge, the reward is a $5 gift card to Book People, which we'll let her use on a book of her choosing.

We'll get our girl a library of her own yet. ;)

For the record, I, too, and part of a reading challenge for the summer. It's hosted through the APL as well, and for every 5 books I read, I am entered into a drawing for some pretty sweet prizes. I'm also still trucking along on my Goodreads Challenge.

What are you reading this summer?

MWAH,
Ang

The Skinny Bitch Chronicles: Mini Check In

So, I'm four days into my Beachbody Challenge, and let me tell you:

THIS SHIZ IS INTENSE.

I flippin' love it, though.

Even when my muscles are screaming at me (which happens every work out, just take my word for it), I feel strong and confident. The workouts themselves are enough of a challenge to sort of spurn me onward but they are also, without question, absolutely attainable.

Better than that, though: I can feel my body changing, already.

I feel lighter on my feet. I can tell that inches have started disappearing, and I think (though I don't have much of a way to confirm this quite yet) that my waist is trimmer. And let's talk about my shoulders and upper body, and how much of a bad ass Boxing Training makes me feel like.

I gotta say: At the end of a workout, after you've done a straight minute of jabs, and you're sweating, and your heart rate is through the freaking roof, and your shoulders are screaming, and your upper biceps are asking for a break, your abs are starting to yell at you, and hell, even your upper thighs are starting to complain... There's nothing quite like that final fist pump of victory, right there at the end.

Trust me, yo.

My official weigh in days are either going to be Sundays (my rest day) or Mondays. I can't wait.

Stay with the fight,
Ang

PS This bad ass right here? This is Rach, one of the primary coaches of Combat. Along with Pink, she's my fitness role model. It also helps that she seems like a cool chick. ;)

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The Skinny Bitch Chronicles: Initial Goals

(Don't worry - I'm not going to post every week about this, but I do want to keep a record somewhere of what I'm doing/where I'm at on this so, here we are.)

SO, exciting thing: My Les Mills Combat DVDs and first order of Shakeology arrived today. Shakeo is delicioso, and I'm pretty impressed at the sheer volume of recipes that Beachbody provided up front (as well as by the fact that there's a schedule of when to do which workout, because I was legitimately concerned about what that was going to look like). AND I went through the Basics DVD, because although Combat speaks to my inner bad ass, I know next to nothing about mixed martial arts, and I want to at least be comfortable performing the movements.

Man.

Just moving through them, engaging my muscles the way that they instructed to, doing everything from capoeira to karate, and I was already sweating.

That...

Well, it makes me CRAZY excited about the next 2 months. KIA!

So, here are my goals. Keep in mind that these could be crazy-conservative - I've never done anything like Combat before, so I have no idea how my body will actually respond, only that the only changes that can come are good ones.

5 GOALS
Dates: July 1 - September 1:

• Replace breakfast with Shakeo every day for 60 days. 
• Follow the work out schedule (Supreme Warrior) listed in my Fitness Guide. 
• Lose 15 pounds (I'm hoping this is really low-balling it).
• Lose a cumulative 10 inches (I actually have no idea how to approach this bit, so if you have advice, please let me know. Maybe this is way too low). 
• (Keeping this one hidden for now)

 I took measurements tonight, and I'm planning on a detox of sorts for the coming work week. Then, on Monday, July 1, it begins.

LET'S DO THIS.

PS Here's some more pics of Pink and her killer figure (please note that none of these photos are mine, but I completely spaced on keeping the source links):

Trim waist, strong abs.

#killerlegs

Commitments. (Skinny Bitch or Bust, #2)

Well, I've done it.

I've signed up for Beach Body's Combat challenge. It's centered on Les Mills' Combat workout, which is a series of mixed martial arts, somewhat choreographed moves. The focus is toning and strength, and because it's my goal to be svelte (isn't that a good word?) instead of skinny (because really, skinny's never going to be an accurate descriptor when you have shoulders and hips), this feels right up my alley.

Yes, it's expensive up front. Yes, if I keep up the Shakeology stuff, it will be a monthly expense that I'll need to incur. But guess what: I'm here to tell you all that I'm making a commitment, right now, so that I can deflect that cost and hopefully break a few rather bad habits in the process. And here they are:

1) No more Starbucks (admittedly, I don't go all that often anymore, but still).
2) More importantly, no more snacks at Barnes and Nobles on the weekends. (Please note that there's no way in hell I'll ever stop going to B&N itself, but I can save the cash I spend there every weekend, for sure.)
3) No more eating at the cafe at work for more than about once a week.

(It goes without saying that I'll have to cut back on eating out, in general (which, again, doesn't actually happen that often, but the point is, it happens, and if it doesn't, that's money saved.)

That, in and of itself, will save the majority of this initial, up-front cost. It would cover my entire monthly commitment if I keep going with the Shakeology portion of this challenge.

I've taken "before" pictures. I'll be taking measurements on 6/30, and intend to take regular measurements after that. I've gotten my husband to agree that he's also going to try the work out, so we can move forward on this together.

I've existed long enough in that, "eh, I look fine" phase. I want to feel (even more) confident. I want to work toward something. I want to be where I want to be in the next year or so, if possible. I want my husband to see me at my best, and because he loves me, he wants that, too. I want to be fit NOW, while my child is small, so that I'm healthy and have the energy it will take to run right alongside her.

I've found my motivation in Pink. Yes, the singer. Laugh it up, but look at this woman's physique:

 

via

via

No, I don't want to be QUITE that ripped, but you get the point, right? Toned everywhere, and she has a toddler at home. Besides, I generally think she's pretty bad ass.

Anyway. So. Challenge begins 7/1. By the end of June, I plan to get back to drinking water the way I should and want to have largely kicked sweet stuff to the curb (that last one will be difficult, but I can do it). Yes, there will be some cheats - there are a couple VIP birthdays in July, including my daughter's 5th - but that's the point: they'll be cheats, not regular occurences.

There's been a quiet shift. I can feel it. This is going to make a big difference.

And quite frankly, I can't wait.

Skinny Bitch or Bust, #1

It's been a couple weeks since I blogged. Sorry about that, O Devoted Readers. All four of you. ;)

Today's post deals with a lot of business that's often just no fun to talk about: health and fitness.

Short version of a very long story:

In February 2012, I decided I was going to get healthy. I've always weighed significantly more than people assumed, and I wanted to change that. I was going to lose the weight I wanted to lose so that I could feel better about myself, and I was going to do it through diet and exercise, but mostly diet, at least at first. And through a series of stops and starts that began in March, I made a lot of progress. By the time June came around, I'd lost about 10 pounds. By the time October arrived, I'd lost 26ish, and that put me significantly closer to where I wanted to be.

And then life went a little batshit crazy on me, and I just... stopped. Stopped eating well, stopped exercising regularly, stopped drinking water. I just stopped.

Well, anyway, I've had a few false starts since then, but it is my goal - no, not goal...

In June, I'm going to get back to where I was. I'm going to watch what I eat, I'm going to exercise, and I'm going to do it without a bunch of excuses. Yes, there will be cheats - it's summer in Texas and sometimes, there's nothing more delicious than a margarita. But those cheats will be just that - special treats. At some point in the near future, I want to make the move to organic, non-GMO foods, but at this point, that's not a realistic option, so for now, I'll just focus on eating well.

I'm blogging because I want to take a few minutes to discuss my five goals for the month of June, with the intention of checking in on July 2nd to see how well I did, and the reason the title of this post includes #1 is because I want to make this a regular theme here, if only for my personal record keeping:

1) Start and finish the planking challenge I found on Pinterest. 
2) Drink at least 40 ounces of water a day. I did it before and I know water intake is the KEY to my losing and keeping weightoff. 
3) Take actual measurements so I'm aware of more than just what the scale says and how my clothes fit. 
4) Find a cardio routine I can do at home that works for me. Do it 3x a week. 
5) Find a leg toning routine that actually works and do it 3x a week as well. 

That's a lot, yo.

But honestly?

I'm worth it.

Skinny Bitch or Bust,
Ang

101/1001: #34 - Attend my Graduation Ceremony

Well, it's done. After a lot of back and forth on my part about whether to attend or not, I did it, at the behest of a handful of the most important people in my life. And in the end, it didn't matter than I've been done with this part of my life for a year, because the people I love most were there, and they are the reason I was even able to finish this damn thing anyway.

Also, sometimes, your family gives you things that are perfect:

taken with my OG iPhone.

And sometimes, they write things that make you cry:

taken with my OG iPhone.

And now, to get moving on completing my application for Graduate school - all they need from me is transcripts.

Cheers, y'all.

via

Not Hyperbole at All

Well, I'd like to thank the people who said something to me, either in real life or via blog comment, about the last post here. It's good to know that people are here, that they're reading the words I throw into my blog posts, and honestly, 'outing' myself makes me feel a little more free, somehow.

I'm not sure how or why, but I've felt a sort of weight lessen, like not admitting that I struggle with depression was holding me down, in a way. I don't know.

I won't lie. Last night wasn't really a good night for me. But I'm ok today, and I'll be ok tomorrow. And that's how it is.

I won't make any promises that my next post will be all sunshine and roses, but I want to talk a little bit more about my dealings with depression in this post, because sometimes, I read things and they strike a chord and I can't not say something about them, so here we are. Besides, this is my blog. I shall blab about whatever I want, yes? Yes.

Hyperbole and a Half is a blog I've been aware of for quite some time, but her most recent post has been such a GPOY for me that I can't really explain it. She succinctly words some of my thoughts on my depression - because I do have to own it - to the point where all I could do while I read the post was nod and stare at the screen in some form of awe.

The beginning of my depression had been nothing but feelings, so the emotional deadening that followed was a welcome relief.  I had always wanted to not give a fuck about anything. I viewed feelings as a weakness — annoying obstacles on my quest for total power over myself. And I finally didn't have to feel them anymore.
But my experiences slowly flattened and blended together until it became obvious that there's a huge difference between not giving a fuck and not being able to give a fuck. Cognitively, you might know that different things are happening to you, but they don't feel very different. (via)

This is me, to a tee. K and I have had a very difficult five years. Every sort of financial problem that you can think of has fallen over us. We moved to get a fresh start, but experienced a lot of the same issues we had in our original location. The strain that came as a result of all the financial woes was compounded by issues with a member of my family that was a never-ending drain on my feelings of self-worth and my feelings about life and where I wanted to be. There were good things, of course - the birth of our daughter is the best thing life has ever granted either of us, we do have a handful of friends who have remained at our side, and for me, there was writing and reading to escape a bit. But still, because of how very difficult life had become, from mid-2009 forward, I was basically in a constant state of stress, strain, and variations of "God, what next?"

At some point in 2012, I realized I was able to stop feeling things. I was able to turn off the freak out, I was able to stop my anxiety, I was able to put on a smile even when I felt like hell. And at first, that seemed like a blessing. It felt like a victory of sorts, because I could stop feeling stressed and beaten up and the numbness was just... well, it was sort of lovely. Then, in late 2012, my marriage hit a wall, and we very nearly separated. In the beginning of this time, I felt nothing.

Let me repeat that: I felt nothing about the possibility of my marriage ending.

Until one day, I did. And that day, we decided to make it work, and we're better and healthier and more honest with each other now than we ever were before, and it's good.

But that got me thinking.

At some point, in hindsight, I realized that I could feel okay. I could feel content, and not strained and sad all the time, but that there was some sort of haze over it, some sort of cloud that kept me at arm's length from every feeling. I realized that this thing that I thought was a sort of blessing in disguise was a curse straight from the pits of hell, because not caring is one thing - not being able to care is a wholly different item.

Further, there was the realization that I felt a strange sense of animosity toward some of my friends - only a handful, who were perpetually happy and refused to allow me not to be. It made me crazy when people tried to put a positive spin on everything, when they wouldn't just let me feel what I felt, even if it was nothing that day. When every day is dull and drab, it's hard to feel like there are sunshine and roses anywhere, and that's all I can say about that.

At first, I'd try to explain that it's not really negativity or sadness anymore, it's more just this detached, meaningless fog where you can't feel anything about anything — even the things you love, even fun things — and you're horribly bored and lonely, but since you've lost your ability to connect with any of the things that would normally make you feel less bored and lonely, you're stuck in the boring, lonely, meaningless void without anything to distract you from how boring, lonely, and meaningless it is. (via)

That. So much that.

Thankfully, my daughter has been the exception to this rule in my life. She has the power to make me laugh and cry and smile and forget any of the shit that's holding me down, and even if it piles on top of my head the moment I put her to bed and I'm faced with it again, that makes her the strongest, most wonderful person in the world, in my eyes (on top of the fact that I love her, no matter what).




So here's the thing:

I struggle with depression. Saying "I'm depressed" has become an almost useless statement in our society, I think, because it's used when referring to things that are just a bit of an inconvenience. Are you really depressed when you can't do that one arbitrary thing? No, probably not. So I won't ever refer to my emotional place as that. But it is a battle. Some days are better than others. I love the people in my life. I love where my life is moving. But sometimes, I look out in front of me and I see what looks strangely like the seemingly barren wasteland that is behind me, and I have a hard time putting one foot in front of the other.


And here's where I am:

I am working on regaining some of the hope I used to exist in. I am working on thinking about us owning our own home and traveling together and being able to wake up with a smile on my face. I am working on being more honest about my feelings, outwardly, instead of keeping my real reactions to things in my head. In this same vein, I am working on being honest with my husband instead of shielding him from my struggle because I know he worries more than he'd ever publicly let on.

Basically, this right here:

via

No, I'm not all instasmile and permahappy right now, and maybe I'll never be, but for the first time in my entire life, I'm ok with that. I can be content with what I have and where I'm at, yes? And that, my friends, is progress in the right direction.

And now, back to your regularly schedule program. Thanks for reading.

until next time,
ang

In Which I Ramble About Identity

This post is inspired by a few things that would seem unrelated to one another, perhaps to anyone else's eye or mind, but for me, they all correlated, so here we are.

What I'm about to ramble about for a bit is the result of a quote from a YA novel, some self-analysis I've gone through in the last few weeks, my thoughts on many of the people in my generation, and an image that a friend shared on Facebook.

Yes, really.

And we'll start off with something a bit personal, so consider yourself warned.

01: I struggle with depression. 

I don't think you all understand how huge it is for me to actually label it as such. For years at this point, I've known that I tend to get dark and twisty. That once my mind delves into those depths, I often have a hard time shaking it off - - but the fact that I could, in fact, shake it off without assistance from medication, made me think that if I labeled what I experience as depression, it cheapened the very idea of struggling emotional health.

In hindsight, I can see the exact moment in which I began to isolate my mental and emotional struggles from the rest of my self, like they were unworthy of consideration. And really, how sad is it that I considered myself in such a poor light? I'm a strong personality, and I know that. And I've only just recently admitted that I have been doing this for a handful of years at this point.

In hindsight, I can see when my struggles began. It hasn't been a life long thing. I can see where it began, and where it worsened, and where it took me over, and even now, I know that I can shake it off. I am strong in will and mind power, and I can do this. I know I don't need medication, though it's possible that I'll look for a therapist at some point, just to have an outlet.

I've always said that my high degree of self-awareness could be both a blessing and a curse. At this point, I'm still getting used to labeling my struggles as depression, but I think it's a step toward reconciling all the roles I feel that I portray in my life, so I'm ok with it.

02: The quote that made me think. 

I recently finished Gayle Forman's lovely YA novel, JUST ONE DAY. It centers on Allyson, a girl who is a summer away from starting college, and the struggles she experiences with her emotional health and some self-actualization over the span of a year. It's lovely, and while I loved being in Allyson's head, the quote I'm going to blab about for a moment actually came from a male character in the book that goes by the name Dee.

He and Allyson are having a rather intense discussion about who they are, and this exchange happens:

"You know," I begin, "you don't have to do that with me. The voices. You can just be yourself." 

I mean it as a compliment, so he'll know that I like him as he is. But he doesn't take it that way. He purses his lips and shakes his head. "This is myself, baby. All of my selves. I own each and every one of them. I know who I'm pretending to be and who I am." The look he gives me is withering. "Do you?"

(Just One Day, Gayle Forman, Page 217)

In that one sentence, Dee became so strong, in my mind (not that he wasn't before). He knows who he is. He knows who he isn't, who he's faking for the public. And he's ok with it all. To be honest, I kind of feel like I should find Gayle Forman and buy her coffee just for that line, never mind that Willem and Allyson, who are the main characters in the book in my eyes, are amazing in and of themselves.

And those thoughts about Dee led to this:

03: My thoughts on many members of my generation

I think that, beginning with the younger members of my generation and definitely with those who are just a step removed from my generation, society feels that we're selfish and short-sighted, and often lazy. Never mind the fact that this mentality is overly harsh in many cases, and is absolutely damaging,  but in my experience, at least with people in my age group, it's false.

Here's what I see in my generation:

I see a whole lot of people - a good portion of which are women - unable to reconcile all of their selves. So many people I know are so good at putting themselves last. At dealing with lack. They're good at ignoring the things they need help with or their struggles in favor of letting someone else succeed. I honestly feel that many people in my generation - I'm 30, by the way - are looking for who they are, and many of us are not sure where to go to get that.

And it makes me think: What if everyone had a session with Dee that mirrored that little tidbit between him and Allyson I quoted up there? How many people are actually that self-aware, and beyond that, how many people would truly be that self-accepting?

I've only recently begun to accept this portion of myself, the one that struggles with depression. How many people are operating in lives that are compartmentalized like that?

And how much easier would everything be, internally, if we all could do that, if we could all allow ourselves to just be?

04: The Facebook image. 

Sometimes, the Universe is oddly interconnected for me, and probably for you, too.

So, when my friend Courtney posted this on her Facebook feed today, it seemed so well-timed, given my self-realizations of the last few weeks, my reading of Ms. Forman's lovely book, and the thoughts it garnered:

 

I can't give a source because I don't know where she got it. Sorry, Internets. 

But honestly, I don't think it even requires any explanation, aside from this: 

YES. To all of it. And that thought applies across gender, across ethnicity, across every group and subgroup of humanity. 

Here's to being who we are, my friends. 

Until next time, 

Ang

Brain Dump 1.0

The kiddo is watching "Brave" again, reviewing the story of her favoritest of all the Disney princesses (and, frankly, Merida's probably my favorite, too, with Tiana coming in at a very close second), so I thought I'd take some time to blab about some decisions I've recently made. As a warning, this blog is of a really personal nature.

First, we're having a pretty large amount of financial strife at present, and we have, really, for what seems like years. Really, it originated back in mid-2009, when my job was outsourced to India, and I faced nearly 5 months of unemployment. That was a really rough period in our lives, suffice to say. Thanks to many variables, including no less than 3 lay offs experienced by K in 2011, I don't feel like we've ever even come close to recovering. This would all be frustrating and perhaps debilitating enough, but it's made potentially doubly so now, because we're both working, and we still don't seem to be able to make a dent in the things we want so badly to be out from under. However, this is what I've realized:

I've become resigned.

I've gotten to the point where I'm past wanting to buy a house, even though it's what K and I really want, what B deserves. I'm bloody sick of being in an apartment, but my credit blows a big one, and there's nothing I can do, at present, to fix it. I've gotten to the point where I'm done worrying about all of it. I've gotten to the point where almost nothing - none of the absurd financial things that seem to continue happening, no matter how little money we actually spend - ruffles my feathers anymore. Yes, it all sucks. Yes, I wish it was different. Yes, I'm aware that part of this problem is that, for at least the last 3-4 years, I've been consistently paid less than I deserve, based on my education and experience. But we don't seem to be able to move forward, so we do with what's there, and that's all we can do.

Yes, I want better for us. But it doesn't seem possible for now, so, I guess, whatever. That may be a sad thought. But honestly, for the sake of my sanity, I can't really consider it any other way right now. And I feel at least ok about it.

Maybe I'll go buy a lottery ticket. ;)

Moving on.

Second, I've decided that May 1st, I'm getting back on the dietary bandwagon. I'm going to attempt to do what is now being considered Paleo (sort of). What I mean is that I'm going to try to kick a lot of the processed crap out of my diet, and I want to re-up my water intake. We'll see how it goes. I'm also going to try to get back to working out 3 times a week, even if that just means taking a long walk with the kiddo in the evenings. I weigh significantly more than people generally think I do, and I want to change that. I want to be where I want to be; as it stands, I'm comfortable as I am, but I want to be healthier, and if I want to change, I've got to do something about it.

What's really unfortunate is that eating healthy is expensive as shit, which is so ridiculous, but what can you do? We'll do the best we can do.

Third, I've had a lot of issue as of late being able to find the focus I need to write. I don't know what that means. It's a little scary, to be honest, but I've been in a similar position before, and I hope this is just fleeting (for lack of a better phrase - the writer's block has never lasted this long before). A lot of it comes from my taking issue with the industry itself right now, and that set of issues isn't going anywhere, so I am either going to have to get over it on my own or just shove through my irritation.

Fourth, I feel like, for the last few years, the status of many of my friendships has been in flux. This is something I'm learning to deal with on my own. I'm adjusting, learning how to deal with feelings of exclusion and the like, and I feel like I've grown stronger because of it. I'm spending more time at home without complaint (though, I'll be honest, sometimes, I just need to get OUT), and thanks to these developments, I've learned who my true, real life friends are. And because my friends are more like family than most of my actual family, this is a good lesson to have learned.

What's funny is that I know that a good portion of this blog could be considered negative. Maybe you're worried that I'm feeling bad about life or something right now. But I promise you: I'm not. I feel fine. I'm alive, I'm still breathing, my kid has food to eat, my husband and I genuinely love one another (which is significantly more than some can say), I have a job that I enjoy about 90% of the time, and HEB makes a really delicious brew of coffee that I can make whenever, wherever.

Really, I'm not sure you can expect much more from life.

Til next time,
-A

20 Questions

I thought this questionnaire was pretty cool, and my friends over at keysmashblog posted it a couple weeks back. Because I'm pretty fantastically faily right now about keeping up with my eleventy million emailed notifications of new blog posts (and Google Reader is kaput), I thought I'd post my responses here.

1. How do you take your coffee? 
With a good amount of sugar and half and half. Please note that I do not like flavored creamers. Honestly, there's very little I find less appetizing.

2. What is/are your middle name(s)?
Renee. No tilde. 

3. Do you have a side of the bed?
When I'm actually in bed, I prefer to be on the right. 

4. What is your favorite color to wear?
Purple or teal.

5. Do you leave the water running when you brush your teeth?
Sometimes. And by sometimes, I mean: Usually. #waste

6. When you’re home alone are you more often watching TV or listening to music?
Listening to music, unless I'm in the middle of a Doctor Who marathon. For reals.

7. Do you sing in the shower? If so, what songs?
Oddly enough? No. You're all surprised, aren't you?

8. How many times do you hit the snooze button?
Zero, usually. That said, I usually have 3 or so alarms, all set to go off at random times on my phone, so if I ignore one, another is usually coming at some strange interval of time later.

9. If you could change your name would you? If so, to what?
Meh. Angela is alright.

10. Do you crack your knuckles?
I do. It's a rather unfortunate and nasty habit.

11. Do you fall asleep easily?
Depends on what the day was like. There are evenings in which I stare at the ceiling for ages, and others in which I pass out moments after my head hits the pillow.

12. Do you smile at yourself in the mirror?
I do. Who doesn't? 

13. How many pairs of jeans do you own?
Honestly? 4. Yes, that's it. And 2 of them don't fit properly.

14. Do you prefer a firm mattress or a soft mattress?
Firm.

15. How do you like your burgers done?
Eh. Medium-Well, I suppose. Red meat and I aren't really BFFs.

16. What is the newest music you’ve listened to?
One Direction. Don't judge me, monkey.

17. Do you use lip balm?
I'm actually pretty sometime-y with lip balm.

18. Are you good at parallel parking?
Well, I haven't done it since this one time in Nashville almost 2 years ago. I hate it, regardless of whether I'm good at it or not.

19. How often do you Google yourself?
Uh, I think I've done that once. Because no thanks.

20. What kind of bread do you keep in your house?
Wheat, always.

101/1001: #90. Wear false eyelashes

Donezo! I wore false eyelashes while I stood for one of my dearest friends in her wedding. Maid of Honor, baby!

Wheee!

Courtesy of my Instagram Feed.

Can't I wear them every day, forever? Sigh. 

Summer Reading Plans

Hey there.

So, this thing has been circulating around the interwebz : clicky click.

Aside from the fact that, for about a thousand reasons, I won't touch 50 Shades of Shite with a ten foot pole, I've made myself go through this flow chart a couple different times with different answers, and every time, I've ended up with a book that's been on my to-be-read list for quite some time, which is pretty cool.

That got me thinking - what are my summer reading plans? Last year, I decided to read some kidlit between whatever I happened to pick up from my shelves. In some instances, I reread old favorites; in others, it was the first time I'd gotten around to it. Some examples of what I read last summer are:

• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (one of my favorite books)
• Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
• Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
• Wonder by RJ Palacio (FEELS ALL OVER)

An approximation of my tbr pile. No, really.

I think that, this summer, I'll finish up my reread of the Harry Potter books. I just started a slow read of Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone, and I'm really enjoying reading the books with the knowledge of everything that's to come. I'll also continue to be part of a book club. But, I'm not sure that that's really enough to constitute Summer Reading Plans! Maybe I should set a numerical goal - "I'll read x books by the last day of August."

Are you a reader? What are you going to be reading this summer?

:)

101/1001 - #93: Watch all of the James Bond movies

Self-explanatory, yes? #93 on my list of 101 things to do in 1001 days is to watch all the Bond movies, in sequential order. My husband loves James Bond (most men do, I've found), and I really enjoy the films since Daniel Craig has taken on the role.

Here's the list. I'll update with the date I watch each film.

Official James Bond films

    Dr. No (1962-Sean Connery) - watched 4/3/2013

    From Russia With Love (1963-Sean Connery)

    Goldfinger (1964-Sean Connery)

    Thunderball (1965-Sean Connery)

    You Only Live Twice (1967-Sean Connery)

    On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969-George Lazenby)

    Diamonds Are Forever (1971-Sean Connery)

    Live and Let Die (1973-Roger Moore)

    The Man with the Golden Gun (1974-Roger Moore)

    The Spy Who Loved Me (1977-Roger Moore)

    Moonraker (1979-Roger Moore)

    For Your Eyes Only (1981-Roger Moore)

    Octopussy (1983-Roger Moore)

    A View to a Kill (1985-Roger Moore)

    The Living Daylights (1987-Timothy Dalton)

    Licence to Kill (1989-Timothy Dalton)

    GoldenEye (1995-Pierce Brosnan)

    Tomorrow Never Dies (1997-Pierce Brosnan)

    The World is Not Enough (1999-Pierce Brosnan)

    Die Another Day (2002-Pierce Brosnan)

    Casino Royale (2006-Daniel Craig)

    Quantum of Solace (2008-Daniel Craig)

    Skyfall (2012-Daniel Craig)

    "Bond 24" (2014?)