Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

After a short break I am finally back! Link up, link back, say hi!

1. I took Sawyer on his first real hike today- he did almost three miles on his own, half of which was uphill. He was such a trooper and loved stopping to jump on rocks and collect little twigs. I look forward to many more in the future.

2. Kate's post on the most widely listed best-of-books is money, guys. She put it up a few weeks ago, but I'm just now catching up with life. Check it out.

3. Speaking of fellow bloggers, Brie is having her baby today! Stop by and wish her luck. Rory had a little one recently, too. You girls are all drinking the same water... 

4. It's so nice to be off for many, many reasons, but being able to cook legitimate dinners that require actual time has been downright satisfying. Last night I made this Roasted Tomatillo Chicken Enchilada Casserole last night (an old favorite of ours, but a bit labor intensive with all the roasting and food-processing) and tomorrow I am going to brave Slow Cooker Cabernet Beef Short Ribs with Mascarpone Polenta (as long as my bag of uncooked polenta arrives from Amazon on time, since my grocery store was out...). 

5. I don't usually get sentimental about celebrity deaths- I'm too emotionally detached to get super sad about people I don't know. But Carrie Fischer? Damn. Too soon.

6. After doing book talks with my students the week before finals, I was convinced by several students to read The Glass Castle, The House on Mango Street, and A Long Way Gone, all books I should have read but do not. 

7. I am currently about 70 pages into Brit Bennett's debut The Mothers and am thoroughly loving sassy Naomi and the intricacies of the Upper Room Chapel. 

8. I have to admit to being a little sad about packing away Christmas. This year was one of the best yet- having a toddler that is incredibly excited about every little aspect just makes the holidays that much better. We've had a lot of fun and it's been really special to see everything through his eyes.

9. I just finished listening to Lauren Graham's memoir Talking as Fast I Can and, in honor of Princess Leia, will start Carrie Fischer's The Princess Diarist next. Graham's was incredibly fun and super high nostalgia wise for Gilmore Girls lovers like myself.   

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

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1. I have revolutionized my way of living- I made a grading calendar. Why have I not done this before? I assign certain assignments to myself to grade and input each day so that things are now in much more manageable chunks. I'm still behind, but feeling like I am only responsible for so much on each day helps. I'm on day three and I'm actually ahead. 

2. Sawyer sleeps a million times better than he used to and since the time change he has been sleeping later in the morning to (he used to wake up before he needed to and now he's barely stirring as I go in to get him). Unfortunately, after crappy sleep for a few years now I can barely go two or three hours straight without waking up or becoming very restless. I don't want to take anything medicinal because I still need to be conscious in case he needs me and I typically end up really groggy when I have taken things in the past. After reading The Sleep Revolution and doing some additional research I found that tart cherry juice is a natural producer of melatonin and that some studies have shown it's effectiveness as a natural sleep aid. Last night I drank two ounces an hour before bed and slept for almost five hours straight. I don't know if it's a fluke, but I will definitely be trying it for a few weeks to see if it works. I have the data from by Fitbit to help me out, which I know isn't perfect but it's a least good for comparison reasons.

3. Speaking of my Fitbit, my husband got me the Charge 2 for my birthday and it's so much better than the Flex. It's not too big and the information it provides is a dream come true. 

4. I just started Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance and am so far really interested. I thoroughly acknowledge the fact that I am comfortable and happy in my liberal, progressive, Californian bubble and need to see how others live in the US. 

5. This weekend we are in full Christmas mode! Friday night we are putting up the tree and Saturday I am taking Sawyer to a Breakfast with Santa event at Pretend City in Irvine. That night we are going to head to The Mission Inn in Riverside to check out their huge light display and then on Sunday we'll do some baking and more decorating. There are only three more weekends until Christmas weekend and I work up until the twenty-third this year. Womp womp. Holidays are SO much more fun with a toddler. I used to sort of see Christmas as a means to a break (which is still great and I can't wait for), but now it's all about the fun activities we can do with him during December. 

6. Sawyer is super obsessed with BB-8 from Star Wars and has likes to say hi to the inflatable one that's on display at Target for Christmas (we go to Target very often, so this has happened numerous times). Scott and I are vehemently opposed to lawn inflatables (sorry-not-sorry), but we decided that we'd compromise and get on for the backyard so it's not visible from the front but then Sawyer can enjoy it whenever he wants from the sliding glass door. 

7. I started listening to Laurent Graham's new memoir Talking as Fast as I Can and it's been the perfect cure for the sadness following being done with all the new episodes. 

8. I know that I'm not going to Vegas for two and a half months but I am already SO excited (my mom and I are going to a concert and my brother, who is probably too young for me to keep up with in that city, might come along as well).

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

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1. Sloooooowest weeeeeeeek eveeeeeeeeeer. I'm looking forward to the weekend, and it hasn't been a bad week (so far) by any means, I just can't believe that it's only Wednesday. 

2. Roxane Gay is coming to LA in January and my friend and I are already stalking the Skylight site waiting for tickets to go on sale. She's coming out with a collection of stories that she's on tour, so that's exciting news in and of itself. 

3. I just got tickets for the three of us to go to a limited-time-only Pixar Exhibit at the California Science Museum in December (because that month isn't busy enough). It looks super fun and the tickets include entry to the shuttle- if you're local check it out!

4. I made these cookie bars (cream cheese + corn starch= so soft) and they were delicious (I used M&Ms and a cake pan instead, so they were thicker). I also made this gnocchi one-pot sort of deal as well, but subbed sausage for the chicken and it was really easy and good. 

5. I had no idea Maria Semple, author of Where'd You Go, Bernadette? had a new book out! I had a gift card to Amazon, so I ordered it the other day. It seems like a funny, quick read that will be at least a tiny bit relatable. 

6. I also just downloaded Amy Schumer's audiobook, The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo. I had reservations for a few reasons, but the first ten minutes I listened to today on the way to get Sawyer were entertaining.

7. Not only are there SO many books that are coming out of have recently, (I've had a post in my drafts on this for ages), but there are so many new albums coming out in the next few weeks, too! Lady Gaga, Kings of Leon, The Naked and Famous, The Weeknd, Beck, and Metallica, just to name a few. Thank goodness for Spotify.

8. The other night I was so exhausted and just done with attempting productivity, that I just climbed into bed with my book and laid there and read for the first time in ages. It seems so simple and common, but it's been ages since I've read in bed and it was so very nice.

9. So, an old colleague that I am friendly with managed to convince me to try Rodan + Fields' eye cream with all of her pictures and posts. I sort of feel like I've joined a cult (but one with people with skin that's continuously improving). I've heard that there are a lot of aggressive R+F saleswomen, but she hasn't been so I decided to go for it. Fingers crossed I have the eyes of twenty-year-old in sixty days.

10. My Giants are out of the playoffs. Womp womp womp. But you know what's most important? That my "team" doesn't lose the presidential race. Speaking of that, a student asked me whom I was voting for the other day and I couldn't answer because of this very specific memo that was sent down to all employees from the district office. Not that I discuss politics often with my students, but the fact that there could be a doubt in their mind where I stand on the issue, and that I can't clarify it, irks me to no end. I'm sure they know, but I want them to know. But they can't. 

Top Ten Tuesday- Audiobooks

This week The Broke and the Bookish ask us center our list around audiobooks this week, and I'm just going to go with the ones I've most enjoyed. I have had an Audible membership for about three or four years and used to listen a lot more before I had my son and was this pregnant lady walking her two dogs around the neighborhood for an hour a day. Now I primarily listen on the ten or so minutes from my work to daycare and on the weekends if I'm alone driving somewhere far (or if Sawyer has conked out), or sometimes if I'm cross stitching. 

I often listen to things that I wouldn't typically read on audiobook (like Gone Girl) or nonfiction.

Here are my favorites:

Bosspants by Tina Fey- I love that she reads it and thought it was a really entertaining listen. 

Waiting to be Heard by Amanda Knox- This would never have been a book I purchases, but I thought the case was interesting.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn- I am glad I chose to listen to this, since it kept my interest during long walks inside and outside. The male and female narrators took some time to acclimate to (their voices weren't pleasing), but I don't think I would have enjoyed actually reading it. I would be likely to listen to another one of her's in the future.

The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel- I'm not a huge space buff or anything, but I downloaded this on a whim and ended up learning a lot.

A House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout- I thoroughly enjoyed this memoir about the journalist's abduction while she was on assignment in Somalia. It was also really educational in terms of travel and Middle Easter/North African politics. I wish I would have read it and am considering getting a copy so that I can use it in an activity with my students. 

Anything written by Anthony Bourdain- He's funny, honesty, smart, and a great reader of his own work. I'm a sucker for restaurant and food books, so this is perfect. 

Anything written by Liane Moriarty- Moriarty is a little too fluffy for me to read (sorry!), but she's perfect to listen to. Her stories are crazy and humorous, and I love the Australian narrators.

On Writing by Stephen King- I LOVED this memoir and may actually purchase it as well. It was fascinating listening to him talk about his process. 

Love, Loss, and What We Ate by Padma Lakshmi- I was a huge fan of Top Chef back when I had time to watch it (and satellite), and I knew that it would sort of be a love/hate listen. Lakshmi is a little full of herself, but it was fascinating listening to her talk about her childhood, her marriage to Salman Rushdie, and her work on the show. 

Anything written by Jenny Lawson- She wrote her two memoirs, Furiously Happy and Let's Pretend This Never Happened, about her time dealing with mental illness and I was captivated by both. 

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

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ETA: I'm using this for The Broke and the Bookish's Top Ten Tuesday on 7/12; it's a "ten fact about yourself" sort of deal, so I thought my weekly post (with Linky! Play along on Wednesdays!) would work. Thanks for stopping by! 

1. Our Fourth of July weekend was pretty great. There were walks, a lot of pool time, a minor league baseball game with fireworks, and so much food. 

2. I finished two books today- Imagine Me Gone by Adam Haslett and and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's We Should All Be Feminists. Both hit home in different ways and I'll hopefully get some posts up on both soon before all the thoughts and opinions and emotions I have swirling around in my brain are gone. 

3. If I am being completely honest, I have to admit that I am surprised I have not given into Snapchat yet, since I was staunchly against MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, blogging, and Instagram, yet found my way to all of those. 

4. I love my tailor. She's this older Polish lady that is incredibly reassuring and fixes everything I take to her brilliantly. I wonder if she'll be my therapist too. Strangely I feel the same way about the plumber and the pool guy. 

5. So I wrote about a pedicure-related incident awhile ago, and today it was surprisingly made right (basically, about two months ago I went in and the pedicurist accidentally took a chunk out of my toe that ended up taking about six weeks to heal). I mentioned it in passing when I went back today (it was a different technician), just so she wouldn't do anything to that toe. She asked for details and I brushed it off, glossing over what had happened but that it had finally gotten back to normal and that I know accidents happen. When I went to pay they didn't let me! I was so surprised (and tipped accordingly). I guess so often I'm used to having low expectations when it comes to these sorts of things that it was just a nice little treat (Orchard Nails in Corona, for any local people). 

6. While I was in Tahoe a few weeks ago I was sitting on the patio waiting for my colleagues to join me for dinner reading The Girls when a fairly graphic sex scene came up. Here I was, surrounded by teachers drinking the free wine and beer at cocktail hour discussing test scores, curriculum, and innovative educational practices and I'm reading about a fourteen-year old being taken advantage by a cult leader. Then, today, I was reading Imagine Me Gone at the nail salon and the scene where Alex has his first very passionate, intimate sexual encounter with his soon-to-be-boyfriend came up. The juxtaposition between what we are reading and our own personal setting is so interesting, when looked at, and isn't just isolated to sex.  Nonetheless, reading sexual material in nonsexual environment is both sort of awkward and fun, in a rebellious sort of way.

7. My students are receiving their AP and IB test scores this week and the "thank you for helping me pass" emails are always nice to read. My AP Language scores for my sophomores were a tad higher than I thought they'd be and the IB ones are still trickling in, but so far so good. I hate that I feel  at all validated by test scores, and I am lucky to work at a site that neither penalizes or congratulates teachers based on them, but it's nice to see the kids be successful and to know that I'm at least headed in the right direction with my teaching. Plus, the kids get college credit and when universities are so impacted and tuition so costly, every little bit helps.

8. On the audiobook front, I just finished The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan (co-authoring seems hard for fiction, by the way) and began AWOL on the Appalachian Trail by David Miller today. The Royal We was light, fluffy, and entertaining- perfect for driving. 

9. Since coming back from Tahoe I really want to plan a longer, bigger trip for the three of us, or even just Sawyer and I if Scott doesn't want to go, or can't (he hates flying very much and his job can be demanding). I've been fantasizing about a long weekend in Portland or even somewhere like Denver. I just want to go. Plus I think Sawyer could handle two or so hours in a plane at this point, provided there were plenty of snacks and Zootopia on the iPad. This summer is probably too close to ending to make it possible now, but maybe later in the fall.

10. Hey, how about that Gilmore Girls subscription box? I must admit to setting an alert on my phone to sign up for the September one. $30 is a bit much to commit to the whole year, but I think one would be fun. 

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

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1. Oops:

Christine: Man, I'm doing really well budgeting this month, after everything I'll still have $xxx left after putting money in savings.

Anthropologie: You should buy this dress.

Christine: Okay.

2. I'm trying to drink more iced tea and less Diet Coke and Starbucks (ha), so while I wait for my cool little iced tea maker to arrive (because that will make this whole plan that much better, right? A new kitchen gadget?), I made some the old fashioned way. The tea bags are so effing annoying. Just shut up and stop trying to make me happy already. 

3. Point of clarification- when I included Marie Kondo's The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up in my last post on humorous books I was completely kidding around. She is very, very serious, I just thought the book and the whole "does this bring you joy?" thing was funny.

4. My drink, and new afternoon snack several days a week, is green. I don't even know who I am anymore. I'm drinking spinach? That is disgusting. 

5. I just finished Padma Lakshmi's audiobook Love, Loss and What We Ate and while I think she still seems a bit stand-offish at least I can see why now. She's had so many blows, although a great deal of success as well. I just stared Trespassing Across America by Ken Illgunas, and so far, so good. I love an epic hiking story. 

6. Confession- today was one of those very rare days that I've really struggled to do what I've needed to do and be who I've needed to be when I got home from work. Honestly, I don't want to play Legos. I don't want to go on our normal walk. I don't want to label seventy-six things that are sweetly pointed to with the question "what?" Listen, kid, we've been over it- those are the dog's ears, that's a llama magnet, and it's a bulldozer in your book. I don't want to clean up the kitchen, unload the dishwasher, think about dinner, or even wash my hair tonight. All I want is have my husband get Taco Bell on the way home, then go upstairs, get into bed and read until I fall asleep. But instead, I put on a smile, played with my kid and made small talk with the neighbor. Dinner is started and there's a load of laundry in the washer. But I still don't want to do any of it, and I feel guilty... but not enough to actually want to do any of it.

7. Sometimes I worry when people I think are intelligent individuals "like" things by various members of the Kardashian family on Facebook. Or they really fans and don't realize everyone can see their guilty pleasure? Are they being ironic? Or are they maybe not as bright as I thought? Unsettling.

8. My third period on Monday's senior ditch day- *crickets*-

9. This weekend should be pretty great. We are taking Sawyer to the Aquarium of the Pacific on Saturday for his birthday and plan on opening presents and eating the Curious George cake I am going to magically have time to bake and decorate that night. His birthday isn't until Monday, but weekdays are too hectic and Sunday he and I are meeting one of my old high school friends at the Carlsbad Flower Fields. Birthdays are exciting again when you have kids (after like twenty-seven I think they start falling into the "just another day" category).

10. The other day I was thinking about a temp job I had between first and second year of college working at this industrial chemical company. All I did was sit at a desk and when a request for a label came through I filled out this little form, printed it out, and stuck it in a file. It was SO boring and I felt like I had to look busy for eight hours a day doing about two hours worth of work. I have forgotten what boredom feels like, is the moral of this story, I guess. I have no desire for that kind of job or to feel so unchallenged, but I totally wasted those valuable hours flipping between the company's invoice page and various news websites. 

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

Happy spring (at least in Southern California)! Link up, link back, say hi!

1. There are three books-as-movies that I hope to see this month: Wild, Room, and Macbeth. I've had Wild for a few weeks and it hasn't happened yet, but I really want to. For what it's worth. 

2. I sat down to look at my calendar for this month and I am busy every single weekend day with at least one thing until the second week of April. Whoa. It's all fun stuff (weddings, friend time, family time, hair appointments, etc...), but that's a lot. I genuinely enjoy being busy and social, and tend to get a little down when I am not. But, on the flip side, I'm already behind at life, so we'll see where I'm at come April. This weekend I'm chaperoning a group of students from our school to a class they're taking a UC Santa Barbara (which means that I get to hang out around campus for a few hours, possibly in the rain, but that's okay!) and Sunday I'm meeting up with a friend for awhile in the morning so that we can walk and discuss very important matters. 

3. I went to dinner at a semi-nice place with a few friends last week and brought Sawyer along to see the girls. He was so well-behaved that the couple behind us complimented him on the way out, saying that they didn't even know there was a toddler right by them until they were about to leave. Kids are so unpredictable, but I am lucky that he generally behaves well when we are in restaurants, between the people-watching, eating, and coloring. There were a few bites of my chocolate cake in it for him (local folks, try Brio in Victoria Gardens! It was my first time there and we will be back). 

4. I am in an Audiobook slump. I finished Stephen King's On Writing and have another credit available, but can't decide what to listen to. So many things I'd rather read. I'm also caught up on Serial right now, too, so I need to figure something out (I don't care what anyone says, I'm still enjoying this season). Suggestions are welcome! I prefer nonfiction for listening. 

5. I downloaded the first episode of the Podcast The Worst Idea of All Time after my husband told me about it. Basically, these guys from New Zealand watch Sex and the City 2 once a week for a year and talk about it, each week drinking more and more (or something like that). I loved the show, but the movies were horrid, especially the second one (I'd see a third one, though, admittedly). I listened to the first one today and, even though they were totally sober, it was still entertaining. 

6. Fuller House is basically a disaster. Aaaaaand it's being renewed for a second season. Aaaaaaaaaand I will watch that too (I don't ever turn the TV on when I'm home in the afternoons, but I made an exception, since this isn't really a show that requires full attention).

7. I just started Monsters of Templeton by Laura Groff, since I loved her other two novels. I have high hopes.

8. I am looking for a dress to wear to a wedding and parent teacher conferences (I always buy a new dress, it makes it easier to go and smile and feel put together) and I saw one at Nordstrom that was cute. But then I noticed it was from Ivanka Trump's line and looked away in disgust. It became hideous. No way am I helping that family! Ugh.

9. I've always wanted to make my own granola bars (because buying them is way too easy, apparently) and I think I found the recipe to go with.

10. The state of my kitchen as a I type: a very tired Sawyer (we walked, colored, played kitchen, and blew bubbles in the last three hours) eating dinner, the ingredients for a cilantro rice, chicken, cheese dish for Scott and I in various stages of prep all over the counters, the sink piled with dirty dishes, the dishwasher half unloaded, and two dogs praying someone drops something. So, basically, any typical week night at 6:30. I better go. 

Have a great rest of the week, folks! 

Belated... Thoughts

[From Dept. of Speculation]

Oh the light at the end of the tunnel! There you are. Please, wrap me in your warm embrace and shield me from the horrors of the outside world.

No, not death. Christmas Break. Day one is in the books and it feels good.

I have been admittedly MIA the last few weeks, so I'm back for a quick hello and then business as usual. I have a whole bunch of posts lined up, so we're ready to roll.

This semester was really, really hard. The hardest in my entire 10+ year career, I think. Time was my greatest enemy; because Sawyer is so mobile and active and my husband barely gets home in time for a quick dinner before putting him to bed at night, I really don't get much done during the week after work. Weekends can be hard too, but I'll quit the excuses. I did the math and I graded over 6,000 assignments this semester, which equates to over 300 a week. Some are lengthy essays, some are quick graphic organizers to check off. If each took me an average of three minutes (ha!) that's over sixteen hours a week grading alone (or just more at the end of the grading periods). This was on top of really crappy sleep and other life issues. Bottom line: we cut down too many trees as a result of my classroom and I need to get my shit together. The other day I took a deep breath and my brain said, "Christine, you haven't done that in a long time." 

Tonight I ran into the grocery store for a bottle of wine and I got really self-conscious and didn't want to be that lady who's buying wine by herself on a Saturday night. So, I grabbed chips and coffee. So now I'm the woman drinking wine, eating chips, and anticipating a need to caffeinate through a hangover in the morning (all of this is incorrect, by the way; I will have one glass, won't eat the chips until tomorrow, and will be up walking by eight, headache free). Seriously, why do I care?

I've made a million peanut butter balls this week and have eaten about half a million. I use this recipe and it's the best one I've ever tried. My husband claims it's because of the vanilla, but I just think it's the ratio of powder sugar to peanut butter. Speaking of recipes, I want to make this Cheesy Bucatini Pie with Mini Meatballs this week. If Jessica makes it, it has to be great (I love how I use her first name, like we actually know each other). 

Listening to... Serial! I love it already. Truth be told, I'm glad she didn't just continue last season. I'm also listening to Jenny Lawson's Furiously Happy and it has seriously grown on me. The stigma of mental health is very sloooooowly fading away and I love her attitude. 

I also just finished Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill, another book by a Jenny, and another book about a woman struggling with anxiety. I really enjoyed it but the consensus at book club was pretty split. 

Tomorrow we're going to see Star Wars, finally. I only say "finally" because I feel like everyone has already seen it, despite it still being opening weekend. 

This will probably make sense to four people, but I really wanted to steal a sign advertising the yoga place my friend and I go to (it's one the size the realtors use to advertise open houses). The owner, who neither of us are in love with, is on the sign flipping the dog. Not long ago this friend and I were joking about going out late at night to draw mustaches on her, so I thought it was be hilarious to steal one and put it in her yard or wrap it up for a Christmas gift. Brilliant, I know. But then the wind blew them all away and I told her about my plan and she agreed that it was pretty great. And then today they put more out! I could have done it! Damn it! 

Eff you, company that handled Adele's LA portion of her tour! I tried to get tickets the day they went on sale and was put in the virtual waiting room for THREE AND A HALF HOURS! When I was let in I was promptly told they were sold out. 

I got on the treadmill to run a few miles this morning and it was not good. Ten minutes in I needed my inhaler and then after that I just couldn't get into a comfortable pace. I forced myself to do 2.5 miles, but after that I was done. Considering a few weeks ago I felt that I was Speedy Gonzalez and was stupidly entertaining the notion of a PR at Surf City I was pretty discouraged. A few hours later someone else posted about a less-than-stellar run and I commented that at least she did it. Practice what you preach, Christine. 

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

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1. Who want invite me somewhere awesome so I have a reason to buy this predictably overpriced but oh-so-lovely dress from Anthro? This is why I should have signed up to chaperone prom. 

2. Last week I walked just over 102,000 mother-effing steps in five days (that's an average of about ten damn miles a day) in order to win a Fitbit challenge with a coworker new to the game. It was so bad that at eleven at night on Friday after an exhausting week I was on my treadmill reading magazines and texting kind people that were willing to entertain me while I attempted to stay awake. And did I win? NO! He beat me by about 5,000 steps. I pretend to be outraged (fine, I am a little bit), but it was actually super motivating and sort of fun. 

3. I bought a Deep Covered Baker from Pampered Chef a few months ago and have used it just a few times. I haven't used it enough to justify the expense quite yet, but now that I tried making their infamous lava cake in it I just might in the near future. Let me preface this with saying that I completely believe that the whole Lava Cake dessert fad was incredibly gimmicky, on a culinary level, but whatever. I mean, I think peanut butter on a slice of cheese is delicious, so who am I to judge? Anyway, you make the batter from a boxed (the horror!) cake and pour it in the baker. You then plop in spoonfuls of 2/3 container of canned (the horror!) frosting, cover, and bake in the microwave (the horror!) for ten minutes. Boom, you have lava cake. It's sort of magical. 

4. I just renewed my single subject teaching credential and it cost $102.50 (I have a multiple subjects one too, for elementary, but at least that one is good for a few more years). That seems like a lot for a public service job. One one level I get it- people are required to buy uniforms and things like that for their careers, so this is just something we need to make our work possible. But, on the other hand, I am spending my days educating our state's kids and have completed years and years of schooling to do so (and have the student loans to prove it). And I have to pay? To educate? I don't know. A least it's a tax deduction.

5. Why not spend some more money? I'm about to head over to Visual Editions to pre-order their stunning version of Don Quixote. My husband wants in on this one, at least, so joint account it is... We have all their books except the last one, on maps, which I'm still pretty sad about somehow missing.

6. Can we just all agree, as a human race, to not put up Christmas decorations outside until after Thanksgiving? 

7. So, the mascot at the high school where I teach is Native American-related and there is an effort right now to change it to something that is more culturally sensitive, as has been done in countless other places. While I'm not going to get into the politics and excessively discuss my personal beliefs right now, since there are spies everywhere, I can certainly say that I am so very disappointed in how disrespectful some people are, on both sides of the debate. I desperately wish that this could be a civilized conversation that was used as a teaching tool, but for the most part it is not. I'm also concerned that people are saying things they shouldn't on social media- if this debate ends up going anywhere and the press gets involved, derogatory comments publicly made could impact people's future college acceptances, careers, and reputations. It's sadly messy. 

8. Also, not to get too political yet again, I am so disappointed by the ignorance people have towards refugees. This broke my heart. 

9. I'm still listening to Do No Harm, a memoir about a neurosurgeon in the UK by Henry Marsh and really love it. It took me a little to get used to the narrator's voice, but I think that's pretty much always how I am. 

10. One of the best things about Sawyer right now is that he's starting to become intentionally affectionate. He'll just walk over to me and hug me out of nowhere or blow me kisses while I'm putting him to sleep (that's probably him learning to be manipulative, who am I kidding?). He's finally starting to give Scott kisses, too, which is pretty adorable. 

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

[this morning. before seven-thirty. shoot me.]

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1. Last weekend I was driving up the parkway, which runs up a steep hill into our community. I was going the speed limit and cruising along when a ten-year-old boy darts out in front of me without a helmet. Luckily I saw him and swerved into the opposite lane, which was thankfully empty of oncoming traffic (upon further reflection, I'd rather hit someone in a car than a kid on a scooter, if I had to choose the lesser of two evils). I popped a u-turn and went back to the kid, who had fallen, and his older sister to make sure they were okay. I wanted to scream at him about how he could have just ruined both of our lives, and those of the people we love, by not using the cross-walk about an 1/8 of a mile down the road. I did, not, though. I made sure they were okay and kindly reminded them about cross-walks and helmets. I was very shaken up and wanted to either throw up or cry, but did neither. It's scary how quickly accidents can happen.

2. Have you ever tried explaining the difference between curling iron sizes to a guy? Don't.

3. I just finished Liane Moriarty's The Husband's Secret on audiobook and did not really enjoy it all (and the ending was a funny coincidence, considering what I talked about in my first point). I was amused by Big Little Lies, but thought this one was pretty weak. I think I'm done with Moriarty. Now I'm listening to Do No Harm by Henry Marsh about a neurosurgeon- so far so good!

4. Confession: I am nearly thirty-two years old and I still cannot use our wine opener. My husband opens the bottle every single time.

5. I'll make you a deal: if you stop talking about Red Cup I'll stop wishing you'd shut the hell up about the Red Cup. 

6. I finally finished The Man Who Wouldn't Stand Up and am about to start an ARC of Paolo Giordano's Like Family. I really enjoyed The Solitude of Prime Numbers, so I'm hoping this novella is also a good one. I feel like I've been in a bit of a rut lately, since work has been so busy, which has been discouraging.

7. Apparently I made plans with four different friends for this weekend, all of which involve eating. I'm thinking I should start fasting until then. Probably not. 

8. I really, really appreciate people that will give you reassurance, without a hassle. People that will listen to something that's paranoid or has no real basis for existing in your mind and will take (or at least pretend to) you seriously but then make you feel completely at ease. 

9. They started putting up our solar panels yesterday! Finally! This is also requiring a lot of logistical issues in terms of making sure they have access to our house, which is locked up with an alarm set during the day. They also made a huge-ass mess all over our backyard and garage while working yesterday, which admittedly irked me when I arrived home. They cleaned 90% of it up before they left, but still. In my book I'm the only person that's truly allowed to make a mess at my house, since I do the cleaning.

10. We have today off! Sawyer and I met up with a friend and her little guy to walk and talk this morning and then ran a million errands. Later after he naps, and I grade, we're going to bake a pie. And then have it for dinner. 

Happy Wednesday! 

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

It's Wednesday! Time to link up, link back, and say hey.

1. Yesterday a student gave me an awesome collection of succulents to add to the ones I already had. I decided to transplant the ones I had to some legitimate pots that I actually went to Home Depot for the other day and am pretty proud of my efforts. Day two in their new homes: everyone is still alive. 

2. When I was at Home Depot I wandered around the store for a really long time looking for a lawn gnome. I didn't want to ask someone, which I normally have no problem doing. I just know lawn gnomes are a little... weird and I'd much prefer to maintain the illusion that I'm just some young(ish), average-looking, clueless homeowner who needs something very practical and normal, like light bulbs or picture hanging thingies. So, I'll just have to order one (or fifteen) on Amazon.

3. After the Home Depot I went to the expletive-expletive-expletive podiatrist for my horrible and mysterious toe pain. I guess I have some structural issues, which is a nice way of saying I have a "mallet toe" (anyone who is reading that has never before is probably pretty weirded out by the lawn gnomes and deformed feet at this point). But, the symptoms I'm experiencing are more in line with nerve damage. So, he taped up my foot and told me to leave the tape on for three days without getting it wet (I had scheduled a pedicure for after the appointment, so this was very irritating news) and, the real kicker, I am supposed to stop whatever I am doing as soon as the pain starts and mark on my toe where exactly it bothers me with a Sharpie. Sure. Completely reasonable. And then the tape fell off later that day and I could have gotten my mother-effing pedicure. 

4. Also, while we're on the topic of things pissing me off, the annoying weird water main noise that disappears for months and then comes back has resurfaced. Two of my good friends have had issues with water damage lately and I'm terrified that I'm going to come home from work and my house is going to be flooded. I don't even know how to turn off the water. Or the electricity. Or the gas. I don't know how to do anything. I am useless.

5. Onto happier things. Sawyer's Halloween costume (Max from Where the WIld Things Are) came the other day and he looks ridiculously adorable in it. Like so cute I want to dress him in it every day and just have him live in it, until he grows out of it and I order the next size up for him to continue to wear 24/7. Until kindergarten, at least. 

6. It's basically fall:

7. I've established the fact that I'm basically pretty cheap but occasionally I'll get these ridiculous ideas of things to binge spend on. This time it's matching Star Wars pajamas from Hanna Andersson for Sawyer and I (my husband declined a pair). I haven't ordered them yet, since the price is beyond absurd, but I haven't forgotten about them:

8. I'm currently finishing Mindy Kaling's Why Not Me? and while it's funny and entertaining I think I much prefer listening to her books.

9. There's a college fair tonight that all my students are going to tonight and I seriously considered going when I found out there was cake. This desperation stems from the fact that I decided when I went grocery shopping over the weekend to not buy anything sugary to snack on and now want to cry. It has curbed my snacking considerably, so I better lose five pounds by Friday.

10. I went to yoga last week and the teacher is crazier than normal (maybe it was the moon... she kept talking about that). She tried to make the front row turn around to face the back row, where I was, and mimic their dance moves. Come again? I am here for the work out. I want to do reverse the warrior and do pigeon prep. The woman across from me looked at me expectantly and I shook my head. Nope. She started doing this arm-swaying routine that reminded me of this high guy in tie-dye that I saw a concert once. I crossed my arms and glared. I was prepared to tell the instructor, who is also the owner of the studio, that I'd blast her on Yelp if she tried to make me do anything but I think she knew better. It's all in the eyes.

Have a great week!

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

Hello! Link up, link back, or just say hi!

1. I just finished Andy Weir's The Martian and loved it. I'm definitely not a sci-fi reader, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was truly emotionally invested. Weir balances the science talk with a great personality and plenty of emotion. I don't think it's exceptionally well-written, exactly, but the story and voice make up for it. I convinced my husband to read it and he started this morning, which reminds me of college when we took some of the same English classes. I love talking about books with people, so I'm pretty excited.

2. Last night on a late-night allergy pill run to Target (side note: now that I'm 100% done nursing I can take awesome things like cold medicine and Claritin again! Interestingly, within a week of being done my allergies came back with a vengeance, after laying low since getting pregnant) I head a couple having a heated debate about keeping things out on the kitchen counter. He was made about the banana hammock and she thought it was fine. I'm totally Team Clean Counter- I am for a small stack of mail, the coffee maker, and a container with some cooking utensils. It also made me happy that there are other couples that argue over really stupid shit.

[I googled "cluttered countertops" and had an anxiety attack; source]

3. Over the past few weeks I've been around two newborn babies and have felt zero inclination to have another one any time soon. I was worried that holding those sweet, sleepy, innocent little ones would make my ovaries start hurting, but not even a twinge. I can't decide if this is good, bad, or natural since it's been only fifteen months since Sawyer was born and I'm just now getting good sleep. 

4. I finally bought a map for my Reading Globally Project that has been in the works for at least a year. Now I'll have to go back and figure out the settings for the books I've read in the last seven months and pin them. I'm trying to figure out the rules, though, since many books have multiple settings. Maybe the primary two? Or over a third of the book has to be spent at a particular place?

5. I downloaded Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies on Audible and so far I'm entertained but am glad I didn't buy the book to read- it's like funny chic lit so far. 

6. My friend, who is a new mom, texted me a link to a Mindy Kaling reading/talk that's happening in LA in two months asking me if I was interested and if we could make it work with the husbands watching kids. Heck yes! I just know her from The Office, but a chance to go into the city together, without kids, is enough for me.

7. Last Friday I took Sawyer to Irvine Regional Park and we had a great time. We road the little train, went to the zoo (it's more of a place where native animals have been rescued), watched other kids go on pony rides, and had lunch. We've also baked cookies together (he's getting good at pouring things in and loves to talk about the "balls" aka eggs, and the "vroom vroom" aka mixer), gone swimming a few times, kept up our walking routine, and visited with lots of friends. Tomorrow I'm going to attempt to take him to the Orange County Fair, which I have never been to.

8. I can't decide if being good at small talk is a skill I wish I had or not. I've been in instances lately where my lack of ability has been painfully obvious (at least to me). 

9. Yesterday I let someone have it on Facebook because they posted something about defunding Planned Parenthood (along with a Confederate flag, claiming PP had killed more "black babies" than "the other side"). I was so, so, so angry, as Planned Parenthood is a phenomenal organization that has helped so many women in times of need. Maybe it is with an abortion, maybe it's with STD screening, birth control, or good old-fashioned information. I'm getting angry again just thinking about the ignorance. 

10. My "bad foot" is in bad shape right now, and I just rolled it hopping off the treadmill this morning. I have flat feet, am an over-pronator, and have an extra bone in my ankle, so anytime I'm off it for more than thirty minutes it gets stiff and hurts for a bit when I get up, as is. Plus, it's always a little swollen. I've had to ice it every night before bed to keep the pain manageable, and I'm super sick of it. I've saw a podiatrist many years ago and spent a lot of money getting inserts made, at his advice. When I started using them they were very uncomfortable and did nothing for me. I guess the only other alternative is surgery, which I'm not interested in. So for now I'll just whine. And ice. 

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

Link up, link back. You know the drill.

1. Today is my first day of summer break and it has been uneventful, but nice enough. Errands, laundry, Duplos, and reading, basically.

2. I'm currently reading Gabrielle Hamilton's Blood, Bones & Butter as a part of my obsession with restaurant and chef memoirs (I just finished Yes, Chef, which was fascinating). Hamilton has an MFA, so she actually wrote the book, which is nice. My new reading trend has definitely made me excited to get a little more involved in the kitchen this summer, now that I will have more time.

3. I'm going to start a petition to outlaw all emojis; emoticons in the shape of :)   :( and ;) are still allowed, but other than that, no more. Nails on a chalkboard. I'm sorry. I know a lot of people love them A LOT and get super excited when more are released. If it tells you anything I have only used "LOL" once in my life (and ironically, of course).  Just say "black Santa has heart eyes and cycles on a skyscraper with palm trees," don't send me the stupid little pictures. I know I'm in the minority, but I don't care. At all. Not even a little. Emojis can die. 

[the best infographic I have ever seen in my life]

4. You know what? Stop saying "yummy" too. Unless you're three. 

I'll now quit complaining about standard, socially-accepted things that nice folks do.

5. My calendar for the next week is filling up fast, which was so not my intent (I just can't help it). Breakfast with a friend. Lunch with a friend. A visit with a friend. Coffee with an old student. A blood draw for life insurance. Swim lessons. A bank appointment. Yoga at an actual studio. 

Confession: being at least a little busy makes me happy. 

6. Another confession: I am so listening to Holly Madison's Playboy Mansion tell-all that comes out in a few weeks. I like to listen to thing I wouldn't read, are entertaining, and are nonfiction, so this fits the bill. Plus, I watched The Girls Next Door in high school (or college?), so I can't help to be interested. Is she really as stupid as she appears? I hope! 

7. My husband redid his office/spare room space and took all of his graphic novels off our main book shelves. He emptied out over a shelf, meaning I obviously need to buy more books. 

8. My kid is finally growing a head of hair. And is pulling himself up on everything he can and walking around furniture. He's also understanding simple directions ("put the ball in the cup"). One of the physical therapists that works with him said that he's actually ahead in a lot of his social skills, which is nice, since they usually just make me feel like he's behind, since he's not walking yet.

9. I pretty much don't give two shits about most movies that come out, but I'm pretty excited for Jurassic Park.

10. I made these yesterday, a much more simplified version of Joy the Baker's (she melted peanut butter, used bananas, and fried up some bacon). It was super simple- a small scoop of ice cream (the possibilities are endless!) between two Ritz crackers, freeze for an hour, dip half in melted chocolate (I used the ones that you can buy at Michael's for candy making), sprinkle with some sea salt (or sprinkles), and refreeze for another hour.