Vampires

One more thing. I love reading. But I never really read the whole book. I read the first few chapters and then the last 3 or 4 chapters. If I can't figure the book out, I read from the back forward and the front backward until I can figure out the story.

Don't ask why. I don't know. I think it's because all books, most books at least are predictable. Plot specifics might change, but really the basic tenet of the book remains the same. (kind of like " the song remains  the same").

I don't like horror and I really never thought of myself as a lover of vampire stories. Not really. My son wanted to bond over True Blood. So we watched. But then I had to read all the books. every one. I read them so fast and out of order that I really couldn't tell you what happens. Not in any specific way.

when I see kids in clinic, I ask what they are reading. Some kids will barely get their nose out of the book to talk. But it's a fascinating world of what kids read. One kid was reading Vampire Academy. And again, to bond, I decided to read it. But I didn't really read it all. I read the beginning, figured out who the characters were. Learned strange words like moroi, dhampir, storgi. etc. Got the gist of the story and skipped to the end. But about the third book, I actually read the whole thing. And realized that I had missed a lot by skipping around. So now, I 'm left with the choice or re-reading the rest, or going forward without a real clue as to what happens. The kid in clinic, was thrilled that I had actually read the series she is reading. So, it's good. And hey, I can almost bluff my way through anything..... she thought I read the whole thing. and yeah, it's a little dishonest, but I did fess up to how I read books, which cracked the mom up. It went right over the kid's head.

There are books that I wish I could read from start to finish but I'd never be able to read if I did that. We decided at work that I was a dork because for about a week I fell asleep every night with nephrology books in my bed. who the heck reads nephrology before they go to bed? I do. I have a big bed, there was room for me and the books and my daughter when she climbed in late at night and a cat. and the laundry that sits at the bottom of the bed waiting to be put in drawers. I hate that part. I'll fold, but could I pay someone to actually put in the drawers or better yet, my kids don't even have drawers they have shelves. How freaking easy is that. But I still hate doing it. I usually fold it about 3 times before it makes it on to the shelves. yes, i"m lazy. and I hate putting away the clothes and emptying the dish washer.

Still Missing: a wonderful, but disturbing book. (and unfortunately, I only read the beginning and the end, so I don't know what she went through in the middle, but I'm okay with that). I mean I don't want to know what it was like to be held captive. But the end it was a shocker. SO I'm glad I sort of read it. I have the general idea and isn't that what counts. Sort of. someday when I have time, I'll read the whole book. but for now.... i'll settle with 6 chapters.

our work book club is trying to read eat, pray love. I put it on CD for one of my office workers, who loved the cd. Unfortunately, I dropped the bag carrying them and now they are out of order. She's says it's kind of fun, skipping from country to country when she changes the CD. She can't count which "bead" (chapter) shes on, because of that. I'm still on bead 6. Cuz I can't love the book. I only wanted to read it because I've been to all three of the countries and I think they are far more interesting than the book. (at bead 6).

Oh well. off I go.

It's been a year and what a year

It's been a year. Let's see in that year I've not gotten any closer to learning how you neat people do it. In fact, I think it's gotten worse. Why is it when I'm out walking or showering I think of things to say, but when I sit down to write; it's so much harder....


It's been a busy year. The bald kid is still a bald kid, but now a 4th grade bald kid. The little pink is still a little pink (but with pierced ears) and in 2nd grade. The biggest kid is finishing off those pesky three college classes to finish his degree. The second biggest kid is away at college in Florida.


We went on a long 2 1/2 week vacation this summer. Packing for three people in one suitcase for three different types of vacations . Never again. packing for diamond mining at Herkimer Diamond mines (in NY) A ton of fun. If you've never done it; give it a try. Then Great Wolf Lodge; with my ex and his wife. And my 79 yr old mom. That was also fun. Shockingly. Love the new wife, my ex, still glad he's the ex. Then to a fancy hotel on an island. The Grand Hotel. This was, also surprisingly, my kids favorite part of the adventure (although, by that time, I'd be surprised if they could remember diamond mining). They didn't want to leave. Want to move there. (that answer would be a NO). You have to ride a snowmobile across the lake in the winter. No, thank you.


But next year, it's not going to be a 3-in-1 deal.


It's been a year of fun and sadness. but still a year gone by incredibly quickly. Now as we enter the gorgeous Fall; I'm ready for time to slow down a little bit.
New goals have to be reached (walking 10,000 steps per day, tackling the clutter, putting down new flooring, losing 15 lbs so I can't pinch 6 inches).


But for now. I realized I have to finish at work and go home and fold the mountain of laundry that comes with 2 kids who change their clothes every 5 mins.


I said, gee if I stayed up for 48 hours I could probably get every thing I need to do done. Alex said, you could get it done in that amount of time. ???


Getting back to the fat: I'm not really fat; but I do weigh more than I used to. In fact, my kids were saying my fingers were fat. But they are basing that on the fact that I can't type on my cell phone. Not that my fingers are really fat. They are pretty skinny.


But I was thinking about how getting fat. How easy it is to get fat because it happens gradually. Slowly, incidiously. Like grass growing. You don't notice the grass has grown until its tall enough to cut. And you think, ' I just mowed how'd it get so tall?' I think getting fat is like that. By the time you realize you've gained all that weight; it's already on you. When i look in the mirror, I think how'd this happen? What changed? Where has my athletic sense gone?


I joke with my sisters that are they get older they have all discovered their inner athlete. I've discovered my inner laziness. Seriously. When I think that I trained for a triathleon at one point (meaning I biked about 120 miles / week, ran about 25 miles and swam 3-4 miles, plus stair master, etc ) I think What was I thinking? But I'd like to have that body back; but I'm not really interested in doing the work. So, I'll continue to lament, that somehow, like quietly growing grass, my body fat continues to grow..... and that is a shame.


My mother, at 79, is more active than me. Really??? I mean really? For one, she has the time, no kids at home, and is retired. Umm, I still don't think I'd be that active. I'll be lazy.


But new goals for now:
 - get a hair cut.
 - get a pedometer and start getting to 10,000 steps per day. I always feel tired at the end of the day, like I've done a lot, but I have come to realize that as adults we're tired because our brains work so hard each day, not actually our bodies.
 - finish putting down new floors.
 - lose 15 pounds
 - finish the de-clutter process.
 - buy christmas presents before December 25 or 26 (I HATE buying presents. it's not the present it's deciding what to buy).


Okay done for now.