I Like Aquariums too

I finished "Carter Beats the Devil" by Glen David Gold. It was a really good book. It's about a magician, President Harding, a lion, a Secret Service agent and the invention of television. It's a fictionalized account of what have could have happened to President Harding amongst the story of Carter the Great, the magician. Pretty good stuff.

I also finished reading "The Inheritance of Loss" by Kiran Desai. It was good, but a pretty depressing story. I can see why it's won some awards, as it's very realistic and this is what really happens to people. I think I'd rather read books which are a little more upbeat though. I've now switched to some sci-fi to get away from all other books for a bit. I'm reading "The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch" by Philip K. Dick. Much better.

I went to Atlanta for Thanksgiving. It was a lot of fun. Can you believe there were 17 of us sitting down to dinner? I can't believe there were so many. It was a lot of fun. We went to a different house for dessert, which sounds a bit retarded, but was actually a great idea as everyone woke up and seemed to meet more people because of the different location. Probably because of the coffee and sugar too. That seems to wake people up also. But it was fun.

I got to visit the Aquarium in Atlanta. It's a relatively new aquarium & it's huge. The biggest in North America. It was so cool. There is a tunnel that you walk through and have all the fish and sharks swimming around you - pretty damn awesome. I highly recommend it, if you're ever in Atlanta.
Tahoe in about a week. I can't wait.

The Demise of the Book Club

Well, the book club that I went to isn't dead, but for me it is. I started to feel really out of place there. Most of them went to the Pomona Colleges and I didn't really feel that I fit in. Oh well. I still like to read and no one can take that from me. The book club was fun while it last for me. Just the end to that chapter in my life.

I finished "After Dark" by Haruki Murakami. The latest of his books. It was wonderful. It takes place all in one night and each page has the time listed on the top. It's actually a fun book. A great idea and Murakami pulls it off. There is only a little bit of "strangeness" in this book. I enjoyed the feel of reality mixed in with a touch of supernatural. Gave a nice feel to it. I'm now halfway through "Carter Beats the Devil" by Glen David Gold. I'm really enjoying it. It's a fiction novel, with a lot of true historical facts. President Harding died a few hours after going to a magic show & it centers around the magician, Charles Carter, and what may have happened. I have to admit that I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy this one, but I have to say that I am. It's a pretty gripping story.

Halloween was fun, went to the Kings game. They lost, but it was fun to go, drink some beer, eat some nachos and just have some fun. There were a few people dressed up too, so it was fun to see all the costumes.

I saw an amazing movie over the weekend. I wanted to see a cute movie, was in the mood for the "happily ever after" feeling. Instead I saw a really warm, funny, realistic movie. It was great. "Dan In Real Life" was a lot like "The Family Stone". Both have that real quality that makes you embarrassed for many of the characters. Makes you remember all the times that you made a jerk out of yourself, but also reminds us that life makes us do "stupid" things. And it's not always a bad thing. I really enjoyed this movie, for the laughter, the love, the reality of it.

Off to Atlanta for Thanksgiving. Will be my first time there. Hoping it'll be fun. I really want to try and visit the Aquarium there if I have time. We shall see.

Happy reading...

Yay Books!

Right after I finished "White Oleander" by Janet Fitch, I read "The Caine Mutiny" by Herman Wouk. It was for my bookclub, but I didn't attend the last meeting, since I was only halfway through the book. The funny thing is a lot of people didn't show up & I think only 1 person actually finished the book.

I really enjoyed "White Oleander". It was very poetic & a good story. As for "The Caine Mutiny" well...I liked it, but I didn't love it. I think it's more of a guy story. It was interesting and parts of it were really great. But I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed. The romance story in it was stupid & boring. And what bothered me most that he took sooo long to build up to the actual mutiny & court martial. It's pretty long-winded. I did enjoy the characters though. It was an interesting read, just not one of my favorites.

Saturday I finished "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khlaed Hosseini. His 2nd book after "Kite Runner". It was another amazing story. I have to admit that "Kite Runner" is better, but they are pretty different. This one is more about being a woman in Afghanistan and how the country has changed for better or worse over the years, especially for women. It was pretty powerful and I have to say that I am so very grateful for my parents, my country and my up-bringing. I can't imagine having to wear a burqa or not being able to go outside without a male to escort me or holding a job or going to school or... It was a beautiful story and I recommend it to everyone.

Now, I'm reading another Murakami book!! I'm so excited. Ever since I found out that he had another book out I've been excited to read it, so now I am. It's called "After Dark". So far, I'm only 20 pages into it & enjoying it.

I haven't really been enjoying my bookclub, but am debating on going to the next meeting in a few weeks. They plan on watching the movie The Caine Mutiny at about 3 & them discussing the book over dinner. Maybe, I haven't decided yet. I kinda want to see the movie, just to see how it is portrayed from the book. Hmmm

In other news, Halloween is almost here. Went to the pumpkin patch & my boyfriend carved these pumpkins.

I made all the seeds. Yum! I think we may go to a King's game on Halloween night. I hope so, as that would be really fun. I'm not a big fan of Halloween. I think it's great for kids, but I don't like dressing up and there's no candy in it for me anymore!

Other than that, life is going. I went to Philadelphia a little over a week ago. It was my first time there & the city really reminded me of San Francisco. I liked it a lot. I went to a wedding outside of Philly in King of Prussia. We stayed in Radnor, which was a nice town. It was a really cool wedding. I'm sure they spent a lot of money on it & we had a lot of fun!

Movie Screening

So I am finally using my Film Independent membership and went to a movie screening last night for "Reservation Road". I am disappointed. It has a wonderful cast and the acting was great; however I think the book would have been much better. The story was lacking. Lacking what? I'm not sure, but I feel slighted. I'm going to try and see "The Darjeeling Limited", Wes Anderson's latest next week & am hoping that one will be more to my liking. Although Anderson's films are very hit or miss for me. I've loved some and really disliked others, so we shall see.

I'll be finished with "White Oleander" today and unsure what I'll read next. I want to read my next bookclub book, but the library does not have it in yet & I just realized that my next bookclub is in a week and a half. Oh well.

My work just gave us our new Medical Benefits package and not only are they raising all the costs (including co-payments and prescriptions), but now to be enrolled you have to complete these 2 "wellness programs". Argh. Like I don't have enough on my plate already! And I have to get all this done within the next 4 weeks. Oh yeah, I have the time right now, but I can't start until after I take the webcast, which is next week. And I think some of this crap needs to be done outside of work or something. Sounds ridiculous! If I pay my dues and do all my regular check-ups, why do I have to go this extra mile too? Bastards!

The book list continues

It's been awhile and as usual a lot has been going on. I have been updating my booklist a lot and have received many recommendations. Thanks for all the great book titles!!

Jewish New Year & Yom Kippur were nice. I spent it with my Mom (as usual) and some family. It was a good time. For some great news, I received my blue belt! I finally tested and got it. I had to break a board with my side-kick again. This time though, I had to break a thicker board. My first try I barely even touched the board with my foot. Then I took a minute to breath and concentrate. And I went for it and went right through the middle of the board. I think I even closed my eyes, but heard the crack. It was amazing. And there were quite a few people there who got to see it, so that was cool too.

My brother got married at our Dad's house. It was a spur of the moment wedding. I suppose it was decided only about a week before. His wife, my new sister-in-law is pretty nice. My brother left for Guam about a week later. He's going to be there for about a year. I guess I have all that time to get to know my new sister-in-law. When he returns, they are supposedly going to move to San Diego. Right now, Marcy (the sister-in-law) is living out near my Mom. She comes to visit sometimes when I'm at my Mom's.

So as for the books I've read, I'll try to recount them...I read "Krakatoa" by Simon Winchester about one of the biggest Volcano eruptions that was heard halfway around the world and had repercussions that affect us even today. It was pretty interesting. Then I read "World War Z" by Max Brooks (Mel Brooks' son) for my bookclub. it was fantastic! I adored this book. He writes it as if this major world war broke out, but it wasn't between countries or politics, but was because of a zombie outbreak. It's told all in first-person interviews and kept me extremely captivated the entire length of the book. I even wanted more. It was an awesome first book and I think there will be a movie soon. I have to admit that if zombies started to infest the earth, I am not prepared and would end up a zombie quickly. Then I read "The Professor and the Madman" by Simon Winchester. This was the true story of the first Oxford English Dictionary. It mainly focused on one of the individuals (the Madman) that contributed at least half of the words, who was an American Civil War surgeon that had schizophrenia, killed someone in England and was locked up there in an asylum. It was a fantastic tale. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Apparently he's written another book that focuses more on the making of the OED. I want to read that one too.

I bought a few books online, including the "Griffin & Sabine" trilogy by Nick Bantock. Apparently there is a follow-up trilogy, which I just ordered yesterday. I read all three in one sitting. They are very short, but absolutely beautiful. Very hard to explain, but it's a correspondence between these two people. So the book has envelopes and postcards and beautiful artwork within it. It's the most intriguing way to enjoy a book. It's visually amazing, fun to open everything (like a pop-up almost) and a beautifully woven tale. These are the kind of books that I want to populate my bookshelves. I can't wait for the next trilogy to arrive!

Now, I'm reading "White Oleander" by Janet Fitch. My friend lent it to me & I have to admit that I have trouble putting it down. It's very well written. Can get a little sappy at times, but I'm enjoying it and should be finishing it soon. I also found out that there are 2 more Haruki Murakami books that have been translated into English. I'm so excited to get them (ordered them yesterday too) and read them. Going to be so good!!

That's all I got for now. Sorry for the crazy delay in posting. A lot more books to recommend...

San Diego or Bust

Bust. Well, I was supposed to go to San Diego on Saturday. First to go to the Natural History Museum, which is having an exhibit of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The biggest public viewing of them ever. And also to have dinner with my brother. Well then plans got changed to just driving down for dinner. The exhibit will be there through December, so we have time for that, but my brother is shipping off to Guam in a month for a year, so there isn't too much time to see him before he goes. I actually got to sleep in on Saturday which was nice. I was going to run errands and decided to just do one or two that were really close to home, as I thought I'd be driving a lot in a few hours. To make a long story short, we didn't go. Ben had to work and thought he'd be home by about 3 or 4 (plenty of time to drive down to San Diego, have a nice dinner and chill and then drive back). But, he didn't get home until after 8pm. So there went that one. All in all the weekend was nice, much better than last weekend. Next weekend might not be so great (Vet appointment for Grr on Saturday morning, which means a carsick kitty Yay! And taking my Mom car shopping on Sunday, ugh).

As for the latest & greatest novel I finished..."Sick Puppy" by Carl Hiaasen. It was a very entertaining novel. I really enjoyed it. I had a lot of fun reading it and had trouble tearing myself from it. I'm still waiting for a book from the library, so in the meantime I'm reading "Krakatoa: The Day The World Exploded August 27, 1883" by Simon Winchester. So far, I'm having a little trouble getting into it. It's hard to go from a wildly funny, sarcastic, yet very witty fiction to a non-fiction about a volcanic eruption. It's good so far (I'm only 20 pages into it), I just have to get used to the writing and it being a non-fiction, which may take a few more pages.

Off the grindstone they call work! Or should I say Back to it, as I've been here an hour already...

Rough Weekend

Following a rough last few days, I finished "Deception Point" by Dan Brown. It was an amazing thriller. Full of suspense and twists and turns. So much fun! I read the last of it on Sunday night, sitting in my new reading corner. It was a blast. I think it's the combination of my awesome reading corner, super comfortable chair, and a good book that can make life a little more worthwhile. At least, that's my take on it.

I'm now reading "Sick Puppy" by Carl Hiaasen. He's another writer that I would say is along the same lines as Vonnegut and Robbins. Very witty and sarcastic. I'm enjoying it a lot.

I still have a book that I've requested from the library, although it's still not there and I requested it about 2 weeks ago. I'm hoping it'll be in by the time I finish this one. I want to read the Harry Potter series too, now that all the books are out. I think I may read those next.

And lastly, to end this posting:
I want to commemorate the death of Ralphy "Snowshoes" Eiben. Died on Monday July 23, 2007. The last of my childhood pets who looked like he was part bobcat or something. Six claws on each of his front paws. He knew his name and would talk to you. He had the best purr of any cat I've ever heard, the most soothing sound. He killed & brought home a full grown rabbit once. He was such a big cat, that I think other little animals just got so scared they stood there staring and one swipe with his claws and they were down for the count. He will be missed. I took some pictures and video of him in his last few days, but I didn't get his talking meow or his purr. I wish I did. I hope Ralphy & Psycho are rejoined and happily playing together as they did in this life. Bye Ralphy, I really hope we gave you a good life. I'll miss you.

Reading is Fun!

I finished "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro last week. It was a truly amazing story. Ishiguro has this great way of telling a story while keeping a shroud of mystery around it. So, even if the story is not a mystery, you still find it all a huge mystery to you. When I finally found out, or shall I say, realized, what I was reading about it put me into a sense of awe. I had already gotten close to the main character, so it wasn't that jarring for me, yet it was still a little unsettling. It was beautiful. I can't even describe how wonderful of a story it is. Nothing is as it seems.

I'm now reading "Deception Point" by Dan Brown. As usual, it's a great thriller/adventure book that I'm thoroughly enjoying and cannot put down. His writing is so easy, yet really sucks you in. He has a way with explaining scientific facts in such a way that almost anyone could understand AND want to read more. It's pretty fun. I'm still waiting for the book I requested from the library to come in. In the meantime, I'm enjoying my read!

P.S.

While I was in Nantucket I went to the whaling museum. There is an exhibit there that has some things about the whaleship Essex. I read a book awhile ago that I posted about, called In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick. It's all about the true story of Moby Dick. Actually Herman Melville was the cabin boy of the ship that picked up the captain of the Essex after a 93 day journey of trying to be saved. A whale rams the Essex and only a few people survive. It's 93 days before most of these people are found. It's a crazy story that was pieced together from journals and such. Really wonderful. But to finally see this stuff in an exhibit was exhilarating. I'll post a picture or two, once I finally get them from my digital camera...

Been awhile

Sorry about the lapse in postings. Life has been pretty hectic & I have managed to read a lot of books, just kept forgetting to post about them. The move has been totally complete and I have to admit that I really do love this new apartment, especially without the drunken manager. I finally got my deposit back a few days after California law says, but I finally got it. Grr has decided that it's fun to go for walks around our new apartment complex. If we leave the front door open she slips out and saunters back in about 10 minutes later. It's kinda funny. We've even had two houseguests already.

I had a wonderful 4th of July. We went to Nantucket for the week to visit some of Ben's friends. It was such a wonderful place. I had the best time there, but it was nice to get home, back to my bed and back to Grr. One of our new neighbors was nice enough to get our mail and water our plants for us, so it was pretty cool. I think Grr had fun at my Mom's. My Mom thinks she's such a funny little cat, which she is (not so little though).

So, let's see I really can't remember all the books I've read, so I'm only going to speak about what I remember. A History of Love by Nicole Krauss was a wonderful book. I really, really enjoyed it and was totally gripped by the stories. I also re-read Illusions: Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach. This was supposed to be for my book club, but the meeting was the day after I got back from Nantucket. After I ran a bunch of errands & picked up Grr from my Mom's, I was not able to go anywhere and especially not able to coherently speak about a book. So, I didn't go. I emailed a few people & found out that the discussions were great. So it sucks I missed it. I did like this book again. It's really short and sweet. You don't have to think too hard, but at the same time the book makes you think. It's well worth the read.

I finished that book Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld. Thought it was good. It was a nice snapshot life of a girl in a boarding school that just wanted to go. I liked it, but wouldn't thoroughly recommend it unless I knew that's what someone was looking to read. I did also read Save Fish From Drowning by Amy Tan. What can I say? Amy Tan delivers yet again. She's amazing. The story was fabulous, well written, wonderful characters and just a great read. And the story is not like any of the other Amy Tan books. I highly recommend it.

Now, I'm reading Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. So far, it's a mystery. One that I'm enjoying. I think I'll read my next book club book once I find out what it is. I also put another book on hold at the library, just in case...

That's it. I tried to cram a lot into this posting, but hope it's okay. I promise to try and post again a little sooner this time.

What now?

Okay, so I hate to admit this but I guess I'm going into freak-out mode a little bit. Moving is a big thing, don't ever let anyone tell you different. Even if it is only 4 miles down the road. And I think moving all in one day or weekend is much better than spreading it out. That's my opinion. Last time I moved all in one day and it was much easier and way less stressful than moving over a few weeks. I'm not a happy camper. I'm super excited to move, love the new place, but am just not loving this way of doing it. It sucks.

I read "Love Walked in" by Marisa De Los Santos last week. I finished it in a few days. It was an amazingly wonderful story. Don't let the title fool you. It's not totally sappy & girly. It was very thoughtful and bit emotional. I really enjoyed it.

I was waiting for my next book for my bookclub to come in, reading another filler. I'm halfway through it & my book came in. So now I need to read quickly and get my filler done to be able to read the next book before our bookclub reading. My filler is "Prep" by Curtis Sittenfeld. It's a really cool book about kids in boarding school on the east coast. I'm really enjoying it. Not too sure about the kids' names in the book. I am sure he is making some sort of statement with names like Cross and Aspeth, but I'm not too sure what.

That's it for now. Over & out.

Moving Sucks

After all these years of threatening and saying I'm going to move, I'm actually doing it. Moving in with the boy. Grr's a little freaked out with all the boxes in the apartment. But she seems to like when things disappear. She sits in the spot where my bookshelf used to be, like she's claiming it all to herself now. Strange cat. I just can't believe that I have so much stuff. I know everyone says that, but really?! Where did it all come from? Every time I pack a bunch of boxes, and start to feel that this isn't too bad, I open another room or closet or whatever & find I still have SO much left to pack. It's all I seem to think about. For what it's worth, I do think there isn't too much more. I can't believe that it's been over 3 years I've lived in this apartment with the drunken manager and the cracks in the walls getting bigger, oh and don't forget my bathroom ceiling caved in twice, sigh...I'm still going to miss it. I have until May 31st to be out, for the rest of this month I have two apartments. I feel rich being able to say I have 2 places. It's fun.

Onto the fun stuff. I joined a bookclub!!! My first time meeting with them is this Saturday and I finished the book yesterday. I'm all set. I'm so excited. The book was really good. "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman. It was a really good read. I enjoyed it a lot. Lots of adventure and quotes and action and mystery and etc. It was wonderful. I'm very excited to discuss it with people and see what their takes are on it. I'm curious to see what other's think and what I can learn from them, things I may not have noticed or thought of.

Oh, and my new place is closer to my Martial Arts class!! Woo-hoo!

I'm going to be a boxer someday

I typed a whole posting a couple of weeks ago and went to publish it and then it all disappeared. I got frustrated and hadn't tried again until now. But of course, I just finished another book a few days ago and the posting that got deleted was about a book I finished a few weeks ago. I hate doing one posting for 2 books even and I have to do one for 3.

I finished "Bel Canto" by Ann Patchett. It was wonderful. I was a bit disappointed in the ending though, as it really reminded me of the Russian novels I love. There was this whole beautifully woven story and then it just kinda ends. It was also a rather strange ending too. I'm not really sure how it even got to that point. But, up until that end it was absolutely magnificent.

The I read "The Tenth Circle" by Jodi Picoult, which was pretty good. I enjoyed the characters and the writing style. The story wasn't the best for me, though. It was a good, quick read for me.

And last, but not least, I finished "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult last week. It was fantastic. The story was gripping and the writing was wonderful. I really loved it.

Now, I'm reading "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman. I joined a book club and this is the book they've picked for this month. It looks good & so far, it's good reading. Just after the last two, "girly" type books, I'm having trouble getting into this one. I'll let you know how it goes. I only have about 2 weeks left before the meeting, so I'd better get into it soon, as it's not a short book.

I've been going to class a bit sporadically, but am finally back to about 2-3 days per week. It's going okay. The thing I hate is that there's only one other girl in the class. She's 14 and about 5'7". I'm only about 5'1". And she's a big girl. So her kicks almost topple me over, when we practise. And when it's her turn to hold the pad to kick, she spaces out & doesn't pay attention and I've almost kicked her hand about 50 times. I finally asked to be put on the punching bag last week. And to my surprise, this 14 year old definitely has an upper hand on kicks over me, but as for punches I rule. That's right, I could totally be put in a boxing ring and kick her ass in 2 minutes flat. If it were kicks, she's have me out in about 10 seconds. But, at least I can punch! And my hook punch is getting sooo much better. That's right, I have to feel just a tad bit superior over a 14 year old. Otherwise I just get frustrated and annoyed.

Happy reading!

A Tale of Tails

I finished "The Thirteenth Tale" by Diane Setterfield last week. It was a wonderful book. It had a great twist too. It was one of those books that you pick up and start to read, not really knowing what to expect and then you realize you've been reading for over an hour and your lunch break is over, but you really don't want to have to put in your bookmark and close this wonderful world which you've stepped into. I couldn't get through it fast enough, but was sooo utterly sad when it ended. The ending was wonderful, I just didn't want it to end. I fell head over heels with all the characters and had a rough time turning that last page and saying goodbye to them. Truly a remarkable read.

Well, I haven't been to class much. Partly because I've been staying later at work. It's kinda crazy moving up in the world, especially when you realize that you actually do have more responsibilities and that people expect more out of you. I can't just shrug my shoulders and say "I don't know" as much anymore. Because I'm one below the manager, I'm expected to know or expected to find out whatever it is, quickly. I can't pass stuff on as much. Whereas before, if I was called or emailed and asked something of which I really didn't know, they would just say, "That's fine I'll call/email John or Jason". Now it's, "Call me back when you find out". I have no fallback. My manager better be here for at least another two years, just to give me that cushion. Totally freaks me out when he's out of the office too. He was out on jury duty for about two days a few weeks ago, that was pretty bad for me. But I survived. Just gotta take it one day at a time and figure it out.

Now, me moving to another apartment is on the horizon. Went apartment hunting all weekend. I finally had to talk to my drunken manager yesterday and let her know, so that when the apartment I put in for calls her and asks about me, she won't totally freak out. It's all a bit scary. I'm trying to stay calm and part of me is really hoping we get this apartment we applied for yesterday. Another part of me is just freaking out and hoping it doesn't even come to that! How sad. I am definitely excited to move, but am sad to leave my neighbors and the world I've created for myself over the past 3 years. I'm going to miss this world. I know change is inevitable, I just get really scared when it's this much change at once. That's a lot to take. Gradual change is better, but I suppose in some ways drastic change doesn't have to be so drastic...right? Just a lot to take in and mull over in my mind. I really shouldn't be thinking this hard about it, but I really can't help it.

On another, less freaked out, more fun note...went to a dinner party at my friend's house on Saturday night. She decided to get all festive for St. Patrick's Day and invited a few of us over and cooked all day. She made corn beef, cabbage, potatoes, peas, macaroni casserole, salad, and even dessert! It was all so scrumptious. And everything (except the corn beef of course) was vegetarian. So, I had plenty to eat and loved it. So yummy!

Split Ends

So, I didn't end up reading Mayflower. I read about 50 pages and realized I wasn't really into it. I picked up "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario instead. I finished it a few weeks ago and I have to say I loved it. It's this true story about one kid who wanted to be reunited with his mother so badly that he took all these risks just to be with her. Supposedly, a lot of women in places such as Guatemala leave their children with relatives to make a trek to the US, so they can send home money for food, clothing and school for their kids. Most women say they'll be back in just a year or two, but usually they don't end up going back and just send money every month. The kids left behind feel they have been abandoned by their mother and some of them, even as young as 7, try to make this incredibly terrifying trek out to be with their mothers. It was a great read, and really really made me realize how great I have it. Born and raised here by two wonderful parents, who weren't dirt poor and I had/have lots of opportunities, unlike many, many people in other countries. I can't even fathom how I would've turned out. Totally lost on me.

Now back to fiction...

Last week I finished, "The Patron Saint of Liars" by Ann Patchett. My boyfriend's parents gave this book to me for Xmas. I have to say that I truly enjoyed it. Very quick read and so well written. The ending was really cool.

But what I'm most excited about, is I'm now reading "The Thirteenth Tale" by Diane Setterfield. Starts off strong and I'm thoroughly enjoying it, with only 50 pages under my belt.

I had a birthday a week ago. Was a decent birthday, as birthdays go. 28 & counting. Hollywood Video gives one free rental on your birthday. I didn't even know that and got one, so that was cool. And 2 weekends ago, I was in Tahoe. I snowboarded 2 days in a row. It was wonderful. I haven't been snowboarding in 7 years, but I didn't do half as badly as I was expecting I would, so that was awesome. Also, got to see my Dad this time. And he got to meet my boyfriend. Stepmom wasn't around, I couldn't have planned that one better! No, I like her, it's just that I was glad that my Dad and boyfriend got to meet one another, without her around. It was just nicer for me. Plus I got to hang out with my Dad without her, and I needed some Dad time. That's about it.

So, while I was in Tahoe, Grr stayed with Grandma. On the 3rd night, I called my Mom to say hi. She says she has to tell me something and starts with, "I have a fern..." I immediately start laughing and tell her that I'm sorry, since I should have warned her of Grr's plant obsession. She came home to find her fern lying on it's side. She thinks that her cat, has climbed up and knocked it over. She starts scolding Ralphy, "Naughty cat! Knocking over my plants..." and I can just see Grr sitting there looking all innocent. A little while later my Mom starts hearing a cat throwing up. She runs in just in time to see Grr throw up some leaves. I had to instruct my Mom to make sure this fern is now in a safe place, far away from Grr, either outside or in a closet somewhere.

My hair is getting long, as I've been growing it out, looks good. It just sucks, my hair is so curly that no matter what I put in it and wash & condition it with, I still have dry ends. My newest favorite thing is to pick at my split ends. I shouldn't do it, but it's fun. I need to get my hair trimmed before this turns into a strange habit. I already have my strange habits, I don't need anymore.

I went to a wedding on Saturday night. There were 8 of us at the table. How come I always have to be at the table with the most annoying guest? Seriously. Those people you come in contact with and you think, "How the hell has this person gotten this far in life without being killed yet?". She was great! Her boyfriend couldn't get away from her fast enough, left us high & dry with her at our table by herself for most of the evening. It was just bad. I had trouble containing my annoyance. I made sure I didn't ask any questions. My boyfriend almost started egging her on, as he was enjoying how dumb this person was, I kicked him under the table to signal him to stop. Thankfully he listened, or it would have been a horrible time for all, seeing as I could've said a lot of things that I was specifically holding back.

Well, I've jotted down my fill. Until next time!

Happy New Year!

It's now 2007. I don't feel any different. Maybe I'll feel older or different in another 7 weeks or so after my birthday. I actually had a really nice New Years Eve. I went to a low-key party at a friend's condo. I was pretty happy that the friend not only lived in the valley, but lives about 10 minutes from me. It turned out to be a few of us, drinking, chatting and just having a nice time. I was home by 2am. It was pretty cool. Most New Years Eves are uneventful and somewhat pathetic for me. I pretty much feel jipped, like I was promised more, even when I go to a party. Last year I had a little gathering at my place of a few girlfriends. It was okay, but felt lacking. This year I didn't feel that, somehow I feel like I finally had a complete New Years Eve.

I saw "The Queen". It was a spectacular movie. I really enjoyed it. I also rented "Lady in the Water", which I really liked too. It was a wonderful fairy-tale brought to life. It reminded me of the Neverending Story.

I finished "Zorro" by Isabel Allende yesterday. It was a really great book. It chronicled Zorro's childhood and how he became this famous masked legend in California. I liked learning about his parents and who they were and how he grew up. I highly recommend it! Today I'm going to embark upon reading "Mayflower" by Nathaniel Philbrick. I'll let you know how it goes.

So, my plant is dying. Is that supposed to signify something? I've re-potted him before and painted his pot and I water him regularly and he's been in the same spot for over 2 years doing just fine. But now he looks all wilted and pathetic. My boss has a green thumb, so I brought my plant into work today. He thinks we should re-pot him using soil with some miracle grow and vitamins in it. I hope it helps. Makes me sad that he's dying like that. It's so weird. I put him in a paperbag to bring in today and had to put another paper bag over him, so Grr wouldn't start munching on his leaves. She likes to eat plants.

Hoping 2007 brings laughter, love, new friendships, relaxation, fun, success and a bit more money.