Twenty Twelve

I didn't put much too much thought into resolutions for the new year. Really I just jotted down a few things that I'd like to work on. Things that were already on my mind, and I had already been starting on. So, here are the things I'd like to accomplish in 2012:

.Drink 40 ounces of water a day: The number sounds a little random, but I have a 40 ounce plastic bottle that I take water to school in. I've been having headaches and breakouts lately, and I think dehydration might be a key part of the problem. One bottle a day is the goal.
.Drive: With the changes in jobs and school I need to work harder on getting my license. I signed up for an online Driver Ed course which I'm almost halfway through; passing the test for it will exempt me from the written test at the DMV. And today I spent about 30 minutes practicing my driving with Josh. Sure, I am so tense during it that my whole body aches now, and I might have had a small cry when I got home, but I guess stuff like that is normal when you're trying to conquer one of your worst fears.
.Be more involved on campus: With the changes in work I'm hoping I'll have some more time available to be more active on my campus. I have enjoyed working for DSS so far, and hope to be able to go to more Historical Society and Phi Theta Kappa events this semester. The vice-president of our campus told my TX Government professor that he thought I was one of the strongest students on the campus, and I'd like to do what I can to earn the high opinion he's bestowed upon me.
.Use what I have: I have so many things that I don't use when I could, and yet I'm always looking for something new. So, one of my goals this year is to use what I have. I mean that in reference to many things- from getting creative with the wardrobe I already have, to cooking through my freezer and pantry instead of constantly stocking it. Last night Josh and I pulled out the Beatles Rock Band instruments to enjoy something we already have. Today I finally cooked a chuck roast I've had in the freezer for quite some time. We had delicious shredded beef tacos and there's another dinner's worth in the freezer for the busy school nights ahead. I want to make use of the resources I have at hand, not constantly look for new resources.
.Read 20 books: This goes hand in hand with the last resolution actually. I have easily 20 books around the house that I've bought or received, but haven't read yet. I honestly don't know how attainable this goal will be on top of school, but there's no reason I can't try.



































via pinterest

Turn the Page

Since school has finished I've finished four books. Two of them I started before school ended, but I finished them once on "break", and started and finished two more since finals were done with. I'm feeling very proud of this fact, despite that we aren't talking about War and Peace or Moby Dick here. They weren't big books, but they were good books that I enjoyed, so I declare it a total win. What's up next? I still have to peruse my shelves of the unread to decide, but here's what I've just finished up and loved. And if you want to see what else I've got on my to-read list (besides what's listed in my sidebar here) you can click over to my pinterest board of books.

Getting Ready

I was too busy to get to a Weekend Roundup yesterday, but what a busy and fun weekend we had. Hang out time with Josh Friday night, followed by a late night on the skype chat with my Conan friends. Saturday had a late sleep-in, lazy morning, and then getting ready and heading first to Fate Lions rehearsal and then to The Granada for their show. Veronica and I left the fellas at the theater and headed on foot to get some refreshment from the heat. We grabbed Jessaica as she was just checking out at Buffalo Exchange and hit up Blue Goose for margaritas, mojitos, and Mexican food. Mmmmm. It was funtimes chatting with the other FL ladies, although minus Delia. The show was great, Josh's sister and husband came out too, and I had a real blast while we all hung out on the front porch of the theater gabbing the night away. After the show we went back to Jason's for eggs, potatoes, and more talking. Sunday I spent a good chunk of the day being lazy, which included afternoon relaxation in my new inflatable lounging pool. I spent a little time in it Friday and Saturday, but took advantage of having free time during the sunniest part of the day on Sunday. I'm gonna love getting to soak in the sun this summer.

And now this week is also super busy with planning and preparation for our trip to upstate NY. Lots of laundry, cleaning, and packing to be done. And we have a long stop in Detroit between flights, so some reading materials will be essential. I'll be stopping by the book store this evening. Thinking about picking up these goodies. Don't judge!

























Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Green



























Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier






















Mr. Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange

To-Reads

Wanted to share some of the newest additions to my To-Read list. Hoping to make a library run and check out one of them this weekend.
















The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin















Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell

















Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver















Happier: Learn the Secret to s to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment by Tal Ben-Shahar

Lovely Linda

I alluded to my most recent purchases a few posts ago. I have wanted these books for years, had them on my amazon wish list for quite a long time. Alas, they are out of print and therefore no one seemed to give them much thought when buying my Christmas or birthday presents. But my interest in photography collided with my recent McCartney obsession and so forth I went to eBay in search of them. I got Sixties from the Goodwill of San Francisco's eBay store, so at least the little I paid for it went to a good cause. The second book, Roadworks, came from a UK seller, but arrived just a few days after the first. These books are filled with beautiful photographs- famous musicians and strangers on the street. Linda McCartney was incredibly fortunate to be blessed with natural interest and talent that met with good timing and luck to create some amazing images. Some of the shots in these books truly take my breath away.

Things Floating Around

I finally finished reading "The Omnivore's Dilemma" this week. I heart Michael Pollan. But aside from that, it has set a lot of different thoughts floating around my gray matter. Gonna do a little free-thought list here.

-Pig tails make me sad.
-I don't want to stop eating meat.
-I don't want to eat industrial meat.
-I want to start composting.
-About 1% of me would like to try hunting.
-98% of me is too squeamish to take that other 1% seriously.
-1% knows I'd break my shoulder if I shot a rifle.
-Is buying a large quantity of meat the best option for consuming local grass-fed animals?
-Is there any spot in my yard that will get enough sun for a garden?
-Why is our farmer's market not super awesome?
-Would it be super awesome if more people utilized it?
-How many people I know might be interested in buying local meat? Enough to help defray costs for all?
-I need to widen the variety of vegetables and grains I eat.
-Should I buy a chest freezer for the garage to store all this meat in?
-How hard would it be to make cheese?
-Why haven't I figured out baking bread yet?
-How many things could I really take on myself with the amount of free time I have?
-I want to re-read "In Defense of Food".

My Christmas Wish List No. 4

From the Read portion of my Christmas list I'm hoping to find this interesting book under the tree this year. I found many of the pre-restoration photographs on exhibit through our tour of Ellis Island earlier this year fascinating and I know that I would love to spend some time examining all the interesting photographs behind this cover. Thanks in part to Mr. Wilkes' photography they have begun working on the restoration of the south side of Ellis Island. Maybe someday I'll be able to go back and tour the entirety of this fascinating historical place.

Creepy Reads

I FINALLY finished reading Team of Rivals Monday after a long, cozy Friday night that consisted of tomato soup, grilled cheese, a bowl of popcorn and a lot of page turning. I don't know what book I want to move onto next, but I'm taking a little detour to celebrate Halloween while I decide. Currently resting on my bedside table is the complete works of Edgar Allan Poe. Here's hoping I don't here any gentle rapping at my chamber door!

Library Card

Running by the library after work to pick up a copy of this. A little crazy, since I'm still reading the biggest book and trying to keep up with Newsweek, but I'm up for a challenge.

Spoiled

I'm spoiling myself a little bit, but that's okay, right? Hopefully I'll have them the first week of June.



























Lens photo by Bree R

Sick Day

Home sick with a monster headache today. A big bummer cause I was really looking forward to my Friday off this week. I may just work a half day still, as Josh doesn't mind and my boss is going to be out of town. Anyway, just finishing up my blog rounds. Which means I'm about to tuck back into bed and tuck back into my current read. I wish every Colin Firth movie were based on a book. Reading is even more enjoyable when I can imagine Mr. Firth in each role. ;) Oh, and of course Ms. Austen ain't bad herself.

Falling for Fall, The Sequel

Walking out the door this morning I was greeted by a cool crispness in the air. It was in the upper 50's, which meant I got to run back inside and grab my new trench coat. Yes, it might be somewhere in the 80's when I leave work today, but it definitely kept the chill off me this morning. And it cheered me up about accidentally sleeping in and being almost 2 hours late to work. But with my work schedule that put me here at 8:15, so it's not as bad as it sounds. And my boss is pretty forgiving about stuff like that, since I'm here at 6:30 AM most the time. The thing that sucks the most is I was just getting to the great part of a good dream. D'oh.

On the way to work I kept thinking about all the holiday activities I'd like to plan. I've got a lot of stuff to get done around the apartment before I'm ready to revv up my entertaining engine, but this book should help me get going. It's my paper gift for our first anniversary. I've just started reading it, and I'm also reading Newsweek and the Frank McCourt book at the same time, but it will no doubt help inspire me.

Changes

I have a sometimes overwhelming fear of change. How do I move past this? Sometimes I yearn for change so much, but am terrified into inaction. I wish I would have some kind of epiphany, but as long as I have to be my own catalyst I don't see things changing. Oh, neuroses, why must you be such a pain in the tush?

Last night I made an unsuccessful trip to Old Navy, after a trip to Borders with slightly better results. I got my sister's birthday present, which I forgot to bring with me today to mail. I also picked up the new issue of Blueprint, but I haven't had a chance to really delve into it yet. Wandering around and looking at all the books that I would love to read makes me wish I wasn't such an incredibly slow reader. Trying to keep up with my Newsweek subscription is hard enough. I haven't really read anything of any substance from a book in months. Time to start one up again, but I'm unsure which one. Also overwhelming is the size of all the books I was coveting at the shop. 400 pages, 500 pages, more even? Probably take me a year to read just one of them.

I feel like I need some cheering up. This cheers me up quite a bit.