"Cause I just found someone special and that's really something special/ Nice to meet you anyway"

I got a new laptop! I am SO excited (I'm talking I danced as I waited for the FedEx lady to walk up to my door). And you can be a little excited too since maybe this will mean I will write more on here. I know. I abandon all the time. I keep telling you I'm going to come back and then I leave again. It's an abusive cycle. I'm sorry. And I really am trying to get better.

But seriously I had my iBook G4 since I was a senior in high school (the summer of 2004). I did get Mac a new hard drive circa 2008 and that solved the slowness/memory issues for about a year. And while it was hard to say goodbye, it was time. I couldn't even watch YouTube videos because the processor was SO slow. And now I can do all sorts of things! Like make movies and actually burn them (Mac lacked a DVD burner... so two-thousand-and-late). But productivity may go out the window cause I now have PhotoBooth and we all know how much fun that can be.

So now I have new inspiration/motivation to write on here and edit the book some more. I still have been working on the book but man, having a job really cuts into my free time. So I know I always say it but stayed tuned!

"You just gotta ignite the light/ And let it shine"

I gave up Facebook a few weeks ago cause I didn't do much on it. And it was kind of getting to the point where it could be renamed "DisappointmentBook" because of the never ending changes, privacy concerns, and just seeing stuff I could go without seeing (ignorance is bliss, after all). So when Facebook was forcing this new profile design onto me, I thought, hey, all I really do is check the newsfeed on my phone a few times a day and that's all. Why not deactivate my account and see if there is THAT much of a difference in my life. A month later, I'm still going strong. Twitter is now my social media of choice. I don't understand why more people don't use it. And it is so true how the people who denounce it are the ones who make the most status updates on FB. Don't hate.

Anyway, since I've cut FB out of my life, I have more time to read more of both the novel and blog variety. I have a few go-to-blogs but am always in search of more so if you have any you'd like to pass along, please do in the comments.

The top three I have frequented in the past few weeks are:

1. Enjoying the Small Things. If you're a first time visitor, click the tab that says "Start Here if You're New" and have some tissues nearby as you read Nella's birth Story. Don't skip ahead and look at the pictures, it will ruin the overall effect of the story. And Kelle's pictures are amazing and while sometimes her language is a little too flourished for me, I still like to read what she has to say about her family.

2. Tyler Stanton of TrippandTyler fame. I gotta admit, I always thought Tyler was the Bob to Tripp's Larry; the more serious (/less funny) of the two. And oh how I was wrong. After reading both their blogs, I am now borderline obsessed with Tyler's. He is hilarious. I follow him on Twitter (and he requested to follow me yesterday! Sure, he has a "you follow me, I follow you" policy but I'll take it) and I just ordered his book on Amazon.

3. Bryan Allain. I stumbled across him because of Tyler's name dropping and I'm glad I did. Some of his rants from his early blogging days are so funny because they are SO true. Check him out.

Okay, I've shared some of my favorites, now please share some of yours so I'm not bored at work (when the kids are taking their nap if anyone from work reads this :) ).

"Who me?/ Yes, you/ Couldn't be/ Then who?"

When I was little, I LOVED the WeeSing videos. Sillyville, WeeSing Together, The Best Christmas Ever, and Old King Cole's Party (we actually lost that one or gave it away on accident; I'm still mad about it) and of course Grandpa's Magical Toys. My sister found a dvd of Grandpa's Magical Toys at a garage sale and got it for me for old times sake. Luckily I threw it in my bag one morning before work since it was raining and it was a saving grace when the kids didn't get to go out on the playground.

My mom warned me that she had put on one of the VHSs for my nieces a long time ago and they weren't interested. Let's face it, these movies were made in the late 80s/early 90s; the special effects are not up to par with this Pixar and DreamWorks generation. But I remember I how much I loved them and wanted to at least try it (and at the very least not have to watch The Letter Factory for the billionth time). They sing old school songs and nursery rhymes in this particular one and my kids LOVED it (well not one little girl who was freaked out by the clown Punchinello but she came around). They sing "Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar" and at the end the cookie jar talks in this deep, rumbly voice and says "No one stole the cookies from the cookie jar. You ate them all yesterday". This has been the number one quoted line. And now every day, at the end of the day, we sing the song. They are obsessed. The Pre-K kids were in my room and they wanted to learn the song. The kids in the other class wanted to learn the song. Basically I am now a hot commodity because they all want to learn in and since none of these kids are exposed to anything beyond Dora, Hannah Montana, Spiderman, and Toy Story (I actually pitched Grandpa's Magical Toys as a "like Toy Story but with real people!" This may have been what caused the little girl to freak out. And also all the kids to ask if Buzz and Woody were in it), they thought I was the sole person with insider knowledge.

I'm just saying, if you have a three or four year old, give WeeSing a chance. My siblings still block it out because apparently I made my mom play WeeSing in Sillyville every morning. Hey, Sillywhim was the shizz.

"A world that's fun of happiness that I have never known"

So... close... must.. keep... going.....

When I first started this blog, I decided to do song lyrics for every post. Most of the time they are related to the content, others it is just the song I have stuck in my head. I kind of always have a song stuck in my head. The one most frequently is "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" even though I only know like three lines. I use it on my family when I am sad and change the words to "Do cry". Now, imagine my glee (pun) when it was used on the most recent episode of Glee! Now I can learn all the words!

The same thing happened when the song "On My Own" from Les Mis was stuck in my head thanks again to Lea Michele. That one was stuck in head ALL day for, not exaggerating, three days.

Oh Broadway shows. Legally Blonde and Wicked also do this to me. As does Glee. Sigh.

"Ayo/ I'm tired of using technology"

I'm typing this on my brother-in- law's iPad. I can already say the full keyboard isn't that easy and contractions are about to get eliminated from this post. But still... I will probably be fighting the urge to purchase in a few months.

I am sort of a hypocrite. I will denounce something only to own it a few months later. When the iPhone first came out, I was so sick of the commercials ALL THE TIME. But sure enough, I got one three months after it came out.

I thought the same thing about UGG boots only to get a pair from my sister's friend when I was freezing and desperate for warmth. While I still think UGG boots are not attractive, they are comfortable. In the words of michael Ian black: it's like sticking your foot into a sheep's butt.

Also skinny jeans; why would anyone want that? Aren't jeans supposed to be comfy not constricting. Then I got a pair of boots I wanted to tuck my jeans into (another fad I initially scoffed at) and the bootcut just wasn't cutting it. Hence my purchasing of two pairs that I now long and perhaps wore with ballet flats today when I originally resolved to only wear them with the boots. Oops.

I'm sure there are million other examples but those are the three off the top of my head.

Okay the typing got bit easier. So we might be adding the ipad to the list.. Christmas is coming up. Wink wink.

"So you are now watching the Shaytard vlog/ Just sit back, relax, follow along/ To the things Shay says/ To the things he does/ With his cool family"

Another big factor as to why I didn't blog as much in past months was because I became obsessed video logs aka vlogs. Like people on YouTube who have recorded every day of their lives for the past year or even two years! I know, why would I care what ordinary people do on a day-to-day basis? But it's strangely fascinating. Even if at times even I acknowledge that I can't believe I am watching someone mow their lawn or take their dog on walk. But these people have huge followings on YouTube (well more likely, they had a sketch channel of some sort and then started an additional vlogging channel)! And these are my three favorites. I would say they are in order but I can't because I love all of them for different reasons. Here they are:

1. The Shaytards. No, not tard as in retard but as in unitard/leotard. I don't know why they picked the name, all I know is Shaytard (the dad), Mommytard, Sontard, Princesstard, Babytard, and Rocktard along with Malachitard (their dog) make up the most adorable family. I wish I was related to them. They make me want to travel to Idaho. They've been vlogging EVERY day for the past two years! The audience was there when they announced they were pregnant all the way to the delivery of Rocktard (not the actual, just afterwards). It's like I know them. The true moment I realized I was obsessed was when Mommytard bought two dresses for Princesstard and Babytard and held up each one say who it was for. I immediately thought Oh Babytard is going to like the one for Princesstard way more. And a split second later, the dad said the same thing! And sure enough, Babytard liked the other dress more! I felt so proud of myself. As well as a little worried. My family makes fun of me for liking them so much. But they would too if they just gave them a chance! And I've noticed my mom and sister AE slowing down whenever they are walking past the computer and cute Rocktard is on.

2. CTFxC. Charles and Alli are engaged (their proposal video won the Mashable for Best Video last year and beat A Very Potter Musical) and living in Tallahassee. Alli is a senior at FSU and Charles in a full time Youtuber. They also have two dogs Zoey and Marley. While they are a little heavy on the dog footage, they are still strangely fascinating. I have somewhat of a love/hate relationship with Alli. Sometimes she awesome and sometimes I just want her to shut up. But Charles is awesome. He's the guy every guy wants to be and every girl wants to date. Not speaking for myself of course. Just judging by the comments. Anyyyyway, they are pretty awesome and I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my CTFxC is for Haters hoodie in the mail. I've already got the shirt. Gotta complete the set.

3. Toby Turner. HIGH-LARIOUS. His Laziest vlogs series never fails to make me crack up. It's just him walking around, talking to his audience (audience? what are you doing in an x-ray machine at the airport?) about his day and upcoming things, and he is just so funny. Possibly the funniest of the three I've chosen. But they are all awesome. And you should dundundundunduna subscribe!

PS I just realized I wrote this post whilst wearing my YouTube shirt. Maybe that's where the inspiration came from....

"I'm craving for you/ I'm missing you like candy"

Oh. What's this? Just a regular old Reese's Peanut Butter Cup? Nothing special, right?

How about you zoom in on that lower right corner? That's right. 1 pound of peanut butter and chocolately deliciousness.

BAM. It's the size of my freaking palm! I saw it at Target and I just couldn't resist. Don't worry, it was a one time thing but I just had to say I've had it. So when you see it at the store next to the Yard O' Licorice and huge Toblerone bar and you think Who would ever buy that? You will know I did. And I never regretted it.

That's a lie. I did when I read the calories on the back. Tiny servings are key, people!

PS. That's two Mandy Moore songs in the past few days. What's wrong with me?

"Hey, hey, HEY!"

Modern Family is the new Arrested Development. I know, I know. That's a strong statement considering AR is in my top 3 tv shows of all time (along with LOST and Friends). I don't know why I didn't get into Modern Family when it started last year (my guess is it conflicted with another show) but I've seen an episode or two this season and thought it was decently funny. Then it took away all the Emmys from Glee so I knew it had to be good. Then it was on sale at Target for 20 and I had to bite. Well I may have watched the entire first season in a very small time frame (hey, they are only 22 minutes long) and I may or may not be obsessed Hint: I am.

It. Is. So. Funny. I crack up multiple times an episode. And I LOVE how all the little things add up by the end of the episode (something AR had down to a science). It's a toss up between Cam and Manny for my favorite character. Cam might possible have the edge. But I really love the whole ensemble and each actor plays their role really well. My only hang-up is Luke because sometimes he's awful at acting but that's the risk you run with child actors (not Manny of course). Speaking of Luke, did you know in real life that kid has been a member of Mensa since he was four?! I know, who would have thought?

But really, it's GOLDEN. And now I must catch up on this season a la Hulu.

"It's all that I want and it's all that I need/ At Hogwarts, Hogwarts/ I think I'm going back"

Ummmm so who is freaking excited for part one of the last Harry Potter movies to come out?! Me, me, me, ME!!!!!

Oh how that book series affected so many lives and it is far superior to Twilight. I'll admit the last HP movie was a little lacking but this last one looks pretty epic. My brother JP and I have seen the last few movies together so he, my sister-in-law KP, and I are planning on seeing it over Thanksgiving break. Woo!

Although I gotta say, after watching A Very Potter Musical and Sequel, DanRad just doesn't do it for me anymore. Or Rup. Or Emma. It's all about Darren, Joey, and Bonnie. And it will be really hard to see Darco played by a boy and Snape not wearing eyeliner and not have them break into song every few minutes. I know the majority of you have no idea what I am talking about but man on man, AVPM and AVPS are totally awesome.

"And I won't forget the men who died/ Who gave that right to me"

Happy Veteran's Day! It seems only appropriate that today I profess my love for the masterpiece that is Band of Brothers. Everyone in my family has ragged on me for not watching this miniseries before. But back when it was actually on tv oh ten years ago, we had to record it on a VHS (old school!) for my brother and I happened to see the one part where a guy is run over by a tank. And I was DONE. Traumatized. Never watching it. Ever.

I don't know what made me come around a few months ago but something did and I watched it and I LOVED it. Not just LOVED it but loved loved loved loved LOVED it. It is SO good. The interviews with the real life older men made me cry every single time. I want meet Dick Winters! But sadly he is no longer accepting fan mail. Sigh. But he is amazing as is every other member of Easy Company and any other man or woman who has donated their services to our country and defended our freedom. Thank you!

Now Hanks and Spielberg teamed up again to document WW2 from the other side of the world for The Pacific. Of course we would cancel our HBO subscription mere weeks before it aired. And just the other day I thought, "Man I wonder when that is going to come out on DVD?" because I'm still so early 2000s where I think it takes almost a year for stuff to pop up on dvd/video (do they even make VHSs anymore? seriously?). But what did I happen to see at Borders when I was shopping the other day (hey neighbor JPT :) )? The Pacific now on dvd? Did I have to resist the urge to buy it right then and there? Yes. Did I risk being late to work to run over to Target to see if it was on sale during the first week of release? Yes, yes I did. Did I miss the first week of release by a day and surely miss out on a sweet deal? Yes, yes I did.

But when I bought my own copy of Band of Brothers a few months ago, I also got Part One of the Pacific as a fun bonus/incentive. Perhaps I shall watch it and judge if I should buy it all. That sounds like a plan. But knowing me, I am going to love it. But I'm okay with that.

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas"

You know how some people hate the Christmas decorations are popping up already? I'm not one of those people. Before Halloween, tacky, but right now, I'm okay with it!

I went shopping at one of those fancy outdoor malls today and they had busted out the decorations. Huge red, shiny ornaments, wreaths everything... love it! My family used to live in Tucker and you knew it was Christmas time when they put the tinsel/light combination decorations in the shape of candles, wreaths, and snowflakes on the telephone poles. And I saw one in a shopping center on my way home from work the other day! Ah, nostalgia.

I think college kind of kills Christmas for you. Because the few weeks before Christmas you are hunched over textbooks, downing coffee, and either taking exam after exam or playing the horrible waiting game until your one. You can't do much with your friends cause you all have exams on different days and obviously you're away from your family. And then even when finals and papers are all done, you are absolutely spent. And then you have to find time in the few days before the actual holiday to shop for your million relatives (if you're like me). Plus these days, you only get like 2 weeks off when I swear my siblings were home for two MONTHS when I was in elementary school. Maybe it was switching from quarters to semesters but still. Of course it would change when I finally get to college. So, yeah, college kind of killed Christmas for me.

And Christmas kind of sucked last year even though I was done with college. Which meant I was unemployed and broke and had no way of buying presents for my family. I felt awful not being able to so I feel like I never really got into the Christmas spirit. But I've got a job this year and I am getting so excited (plus all my family will be here since my sister and her family are moving back to Atlanta after being in Seattle for the last two years! YAY!) but I feel like I need to hold off until at least after Christmas.

And maybe since I already did my lesson plans for December and I know how we are going to have a Jelly Bean Day and decorate christmas cookies and make milk carton gingerbread houses I am already in that state of mind. All I know is, I can't wait to break out the Charlie Brown Christmas cd to listen to while the kids have free time. Woo hoo!

Sort of a random post but I'm a little tired and still wanted to stick to my goal. 3/3!

"Please don't be in love with someone else/ Please don't have somebody waiting on you"

The book I finished reading today had a kid in it who talked about blogging a lot. This reminded me of my little blog that has pretty much been all but abandoned these last few months. I'm sorry but honestly I am exhausted 24/7. However I am going to try harder to get back into writing on here. I want to make a big gesture and say a post a day for 30 days but I don't know if I can commit that much. But it's my over-the-top-goal. Plus, I am getting back into editing the book so maybe that will help me want to write on here as well.

So as a baby step back into the blogging world, in the final few hours of this Monday, I present a Music Monday! Woo! Woo! Five songs currently on repeat on my iPod:

1. I Was Wrong -Sleeperstar. I'm a music supervisor's dream. I fall for songs all the time cause they are used on these teen shows and they just fit the moment SO perfectly that I become obsessed and practically trip over my feet running to the computer to download it. This was used on the latest episode of The Vampire Diaries. Say what you will, but that show is awesome. And this scene. Sigh. Ian Somerhalder deserves an Emmy. The single tear. The emotional swell in the music. Sigh. I love him. And, you know, the show too. But really him. He may have finally swayed me to Team Damon. I know, I was shocked too.

2. Enchanted -Taylor Swift. I was extremely excited for Taylor's third album and this is the standout favorite in my approximately 100 listens thus far. But I also love Haunted, Better Than Revenge, and Innocent. Pretty much 9-12 on the album are golden.

3. Dancing On My Own -Robyn. Yeaaaahhh.... it might have been used on Gossip Girl. Whoops. I'm a sucker for the CW apparently.

4. The Ballad of You and I -Melee. This was either a Single of the Week on iTunes, a Starbucks pick, or a Discovery Download on the iPhone. Either way, I got it for free and I am LOVING it. It's a band I might be willing to take a risk on and download the entire album. But I freaking love this song this much that it bodes well for the rest of the songs.

5. I am preemptively saying "Teenage Dream" by Glee feat. Darren Criss on tomorrow's episode. I don't listen to them before the episode airs cause that's like reading the ending of the book first. You gotta save the best for last. But based on last week's preview, it's gonna be totally awesome. Speaking of totally awesome, Darren Criss was the star of A Very Potter Musical and Sequel on Youtube. I already professed my love once but the kid kind of blows Daniel Radcliffe out of the water. I luff him. He is amazing and I may have shrieked when I learned via Twitter that he was going to be on Glee. And while I fought liking Teenage Dream by Katy Perry for a long time, I eventually had to give in. And I am rather obsessed but Darren's version might take the cake. We shall see.

Okay, that wasn't so hard. See you tomorrow.... hopefully! :)

"We don't do it now we'll never make it/ ... Break me out"

Miss me? Sorry, I know I'm awful at updating this here blog. But I'm going to try to get better! Really!

A few weeks ago I made a trip to Borders to get some books that I have given up hope finding at McKay's simply because they are too recent (Hunger Games series) or too obscure (Sisters Red). The cashier asked if I wanted to open a Borders Rewards card. Since I was plunking down quite a bit of money on my purchases, I figured why not? What harm could be done?

Turns out a lot. To my bank account. Did you know they e-mail you a coupon every week? Cause THEY DO! It's usually 33% off any one item which I don't know why they didn't choose 30 or 35 but I'll take it! And you can get special deals (like 50% off Mockingjay the week it was released)! I regret not opening one sooner. At the rate I'm going, I may single handedly save Borders from filing for bankruptcy. I'm really doing a service for the country. You're welcome.

The other day I was standing in line waiting to buy three new books and the cashier asked the lady he was checking out in front of me if she wanted to open a rewards card. She said no and I actually sing-songed (sing-sang?) under my breath, "Big mistake".

And I know.... why buy books? Why not check one out from the library? Or a garage sale or a used bookstore? The way I look at it is if MY book is every published, I want people to be excited and buy it from an actual store. Heck, I would be depressed if I saw it in the bargain bin but at least it would be in a store which is a huge leap beyond my laptop. Plus I wouldn't see a dime of profit from used bookstores or garage sales. Its an industry I want to be a part of some day (hopefully sooner rather than later) so I need to literally pay my dues.

Plus I chalk up the stack of books in my room to research. Maybe I can write it off as a tax deduction....

"Can we pretend that airplanes in night sky are like shooting stars/ I could really use a wish right now"

So I sort of abandoned this blog for a while there. Whoops. But I have a good excuse I swear! I got a job! As of right now it's just for the summer but hey, it's something! About a month ago, I pretty much got to the point where I had NO idea what I was going to try for next due to a lot of rejection and doors shutting. And then my boss from the summer job I had during college friend-ed me on Facebook. I thought Hmmmm... maybe I could ask her if they have any openings left for this summer so I took a chance and asked and she did! Hooray! So I am now the lead teacher of the three year olds class in a Weekday child care program (I essentially got promoted after not working there for three years. Boom). I'll include a few stories about work here and there but the employer and kids' names are staying anonymous. I'm not getting fired!

Today was a good day at work. I thought it was going to start off rough since several of the kids were extra clingy to their parents when being dropped off this morning (must of had a case of the Mondays). Little J especially had a hard time. So about an hour later during circle time, I had two books resting beside me. J excitedly said "I've never read those books before!" Then I said "Great, so they will be brand new and you won't know what's going to happen!" And J exclaimed "I'm so happy". Given his mood earlier in the day I asked him why and he said "Well I've never see these books before" and then he pointed at our Referee's Rules chart (Keep your hands to yourself, obey the first time, and so forth) and our sticker chart where once the kids get eight stickers for sharing, cleaning up, obeying, etc. they get to go to the dun dun dun daaaaa Totally Terrific Treasure Chest and said "And I've never seen these signs before". I don't know why he was so excited about the charts but I'll take it cause they are super cute (thanks mom for decorating them!). And the cherry on top, he said "And I love you" to me. Completely unprompted! Awwww. I wanted to give him twenty stickers but I fought the urge. I don't want to buy the kids' love (even though I clearly don't have to. Zing!).

Towards the end of the day I was reading a book about tadpoles and frogs to two of the kids. The little girl was saying how she had something at her house (maybe a pond or a lake, not sure) and she asked if I wanted to come over and see it. Now, maybe you don't know three year olds but this is one of the highest compliments you can be paid. If they ask you to come over to see them, babysit, or for dinner, you've hit the jackpot. Winner!

I've also gotten a drawing from one of the girls. Her mom also told me when little H was absent two weeks ago (stomach bug. super!) she said she knew that "Miss Annie was going to miss me so much today". And I did, I really did. Plus it worked out that all the girls were out that day so I was left with five boys. That was an interesting dynamic (read: Please God, don't ever let me be the mother of boy quintuplets).

Sometimes you have to come up with little games while you are waiting in line to go somewhere. My class is a big fan of "Simon Says Sitting Down" and "Raise Your Hand If...". I asked them to raise their hand if they were wearing sneakers. All of them were but all save one raised their hand. I asked little T why he didn't raise his hand since he was wearing in fact wearing sneakers. Little T replied, "These aren't sneakers. They're Pumas." Granted he was right but man it starts young doesn't it?

Oh and if you ever want to be entertained, ask a group of three year olds what they did this past weekend. Answers will vary from "I went to the zoo where there were 10 dinosaurs as big as houses!" to "I crashed my mom and dad's cars" (pretty sure both of these were dreams, but I'm not 100% sure).

"I don't know what this world's about/ But this will be our year"

When I was little I used to be obsessed with my birthday or more importantly my birthday party. And I mean obsessed. Like my mom had to make a rule that I wasn't allowed to talk about my birthday until after my brother's birthday on April 13th because I'd debate whether I wanted Pink Power Ranger party or one of those cakes with the Barbie stuck in it (never got one) starting in January. I just love birthdays (not even just my own. I get excited for other people too)! I was a master unwrapper at the young age of two. No one could tear their way to a Sesame Street VHS (how's that for old school?) or Big Bird tricycle faster than this girl. In the hour leading up to my actual party, I would sit outside and just wait for the first guest to arrive. I loved that part. I know, I'm a dork. But I'm okay with that.

In elementary school, my birthday rocked. Sometimes it fell on field day, that awesome day where your entire class wears the same shirt with a mascot that matches the letter of your teacher's last name (Moore's m&m's, Waller's Wildcats), you don't have class, and you spend the day competing in balloon tosses, potato sack races, and tug of war for much-coveted First Place ribbons. Sometimes my birthday party would also fall on field day and all the girls would load up into my mom's minivan for the party after watching the annual 5th grade vs sixth softball game to head to my house for cake, ice cream, and presents. Ahhhh the memories.

But my birthday took on, shall we say different memories in high school (frankly, I don't remember my birthday in middle school minus the really cool older girl who actually turned out to be quite the witch signing the poster on my locker): My beloved birthday started to fall in the middle of AP finals. Senior year I had to take the AP Biology exam (AWFUL) on my birthday and my mom wouldn't even let me check out of school after it. I did have my first surprise party that year the following day thanks to my friends so that made up for it. But still, not the actual day that was spent in the library trying to write about osmosis and cell division and bacteria.

Then there was college, oh lovely college. Freshmen year was the WORST. The night before, I stayed up studying in my freezing cold dorm room alone for my geology final. I woke up and felt terrible so I ran to the bathroom. As I was walking out, I fainted (ew). Like completely wiped out. I thought "Oh good I made it to my dorm. The floor is so cold. Wait, how did I get here?" and then I opened my eyes and say the grimy tile floor and I got out of there. Then I had to muster up the strength to go and take my 200 question geology final. Then I had about an hour to move out of my dorm before the check-out time. Luckily I had done most of the work the day before, but the few trips I had left were not fun. I then drove home to Atlanta sick as a dog and didn't even get to go out to dinner with my friends and family. Worst. Birthday. Ever.

Sophomore and Junior year I had finals right before my birthday but was spared a final on the actual day. So I would have my party on the actual day. Unfortunately a lot of my friends would already be studying abroad or doing their summer plans so those parties were lacking a tad in attendance but ultimately good.

Senior year I realized my birthday was going to fall on graduation. You know, a time where people have their parents and family in town and will have lots of plans and activities. Awesome. This was when I was hanging out with my awesome group of friends every weekend and I really wanted to celebrate with them especially before we all went our separate ways for the summer and in some cases, life. So I got smart and had it a few weeks earlier in April to ensure more people could make it. But yep, birthday was on graduation last year (not the best gift ever) and I woke up early, sat in the blazing sun, heard some cliched inspirational speeches and wore an itchy gown and goofy hat. My family had come up the day before since that's when the smaller English department ceremony was so I had no family plans while all my other friends did. But we all got to hang out that night and it was a good, good night.

This year my birthday (May 9th) is getting trumped by mother's day (as it did last when I was a junior in high school). I mean my mom is awesome so of course let's celebrate but come on, really? My birthday is already on a Sunday which is statistically the worst day of the week to have a birthday. But luckily this won't happen for another six years. :)

Okay, okay: We are also waiting to celebrate my and my brother-in-law BR's birthdays in a few weeks when my sister's family is visiting from Seattle. But it doesn't sound as dramatic when I include that part.

"When you call my name/ It's like a little prayer/ I'm down on my knees/ I want to take you there"

Happy Music Monday! How about a few of the current favorites? Okay!

1. Give Me Strength -Snow Patrol.

2. Gives You Hell -Cast of Glee

3. Cosmic Love -Florence + the Machine

4. Everything Comes With a Price -The Ruse

5. Like a Prayer -Cast of Glee (feat. Jonathan Groff) Seriously, this is my most favorite. Like right now, if I could only listen to one song for the rest of my life this would be it.

Basically, Glee can do no wrong. I'm not even a huge Madonna fan and that episode was EPIC. I seriously love it and listen to the songs all the time. LOVE LOVE LOVE.

Oh and the entire soundtrack to the Broadway musical Spring Awakening: Featuring the lovely Lea Michele from Glee and her new singing beau Jonathan Groff. Seriously I LOVE these two together. Its adorable that they are best friends in real life. I want to be friends with them too! Please?

"Will you fly me away/ Take me away with you my love"

We have a winner (Oh no, not about the "guess the hint" mini guessing game. I'll explain that one in a different post)!

I finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows) and I really, really liked it. It's the first book that has made it to the bookshelf instead of the floor in my sister's room for the next trip to McKay's. Hooray! I highly recommend. It was interesting even if it has a slightly slow start. And there are a billion characters introduced or at least referenced, but really who am I to complain? I was actually sad when it was over because I just wanted to know more. Hooray! Hopefully Jackson's book is coming soon and I will start another new one tonight. Maybe this will be a new good reads streak!

Summary (courtesy of Goodreads.com): January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she's never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb.... As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends--and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is.

"No there ain't no rest for the wicked/ Until we close our eyes for good"

"Perhaps there is some secret sort of homing instinct in book that brings them to their perfect readers. How delightful if that were true." -The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

I haven't read a good book in a really long time. And this makes me sad. I mean, I really liked The Blind Side a lot. I teared up several times (much like I did during the movie) but I skipped over a lot of the technical football/history stuff cause I don't understand it and frankly, didn't really care. I already wrote how I felt about Picoult's latest. I read Water for Elephants which I feel like got really talked up both by the reviews and some of my friends but I just wasn't crazy about it. LC's "book" (I'm sorry, I just really doubt she wrote it all by herself) was entertaining and of course it leaves off with a cliffhanger so you're eager for the next one even if this one was only so-so (kind of like previews for the next episode of The Hills). But really, I just want to read a really great book. Maybe one that makes me cry, just a little bit. Maybe the last great book I read was Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah but that was a loooong time ago. But that book was excellent.

I did start reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society two nights ago and after a slightly slow start, I definitely like it and am excited to read more. So that's good. But I liked The Help too and the ending just didn't clinch it for me. I know, I'm a tough critic. This is just setting me up for terrible reviews in the future if anything of mine ever gets published. But maybe TGL&PPPS will end the dry spell.

And even if it doesn't, my sister goes to this HUGE used bookstore in Chattanooga every now and then and always brings back some goodies. I used to send requests for books and she'd bring some back or let me borrow some of hers. And I got to tagalong a few weeks before Christmas and got several books. And she and I went on Monday and I got a rather large supply this time around. But really, she and I treat it like a glorified library because you always tote back a box of stuff you are trading in for credit. My first trip to McKay's was super successful. I got at least three books that I had been wanting for several months and she never found them (or they just weren't in stock). But this time around, I went in with a list of book, organized alphabetically and by genre so I could maximize the time I was there. I think I found two on my list of 20+ books. So then I just started throwing in anything that looked interesting and ended up accumulating quite the pile. My sister made me whittle it down a couple of books but I walked away with this:

Hopefully a really, really, really good book is hiding in there. Fingers crossed. Oh yeah, you can also see what kind of book I go for: the toss in your bag to read at the pool kind.

"All my dreams are built around your face/ And this place/ All the times of staring at the sun/ You're the one"

Years ago, I used an index card as a bookmark and I would write down the page numbers where quotes that jumped out and caught my attention. Making me say "That's SO true" and reread it. Well, I leant a book to my sister AE which was housing the bookmark and she threw it away (thanks a lot). So I started keeping little scraps of paper with these quotes on them so I could remember them (and use them on my Facebook favorite quotes section). But that got to be a messy and I was starting to find good quotes in songs, movies, even Starbucks cups so I got a little journal from Target one day and started writing them down. I highly suggest this if you too are someone who likes the little golden nuggets of wisdom, or just the plain, sometimes heart-wrenching, truth. Here are a couple I've jotted down over the years:

"I've learned that things change, people change, and it doesn't mean you forget the past or try to cover it up... it simply means you move on and treasure the memories. Letting go doesn't mean giving up... it means accepting that some things weren't meant to be." -Unknown

"At the end of the day, when it all comes down to it, all we really want is to be close to somebody. So this thing where we all keep our distance and pretend not to care about each other, it's usually a load of crap. So we pick and choose who we want to remain close to, and once we've chosen those people, we tend to stick close by. No matter how much we hurt them. The people that are still with you, at the end of the day, those are the ones worth keeping. And sure sometimes close can be too close. But sometimes that invasion of personal space can be exactly what you need." -Grey's Anatomy

"What you feel only matters to you. It's what you do to the people you say you love, that's what matters. It's the only thing that counts." -The Last Kiss

"No it won't all go the way it should/ But I know the heart of life is good." -John Mayer

"But there are some things that, no matter how much we worry about them, we just have to face them, and most of the time they turn out not to be nearly as bad as we thought they would be. And sometimes they turn out to be wonderful." -The Accidental Mother

"It's the sense of touch. In any real city, you walk you know? You brush past people, people bump into you. In LA, nobody touches you. We're always behind this metal and glass. I think we miss that touch so much, that we just crash into each other, just so we can feel something." -Crash

"Sometimes you just have to say exactly what you feel. In certain situations, you can't worry about how people react. You just have to be as honest as you can and let what happens afterward happen." -Love Walked In

"I wanted my stars clean and steady and spelling out a happy ending straight across the sky." -Love Walked In

"Picked all my weeds/ But kept the flowers" -Kelly Clarkson

"What was my worst first date? Uh, it was a couple of years ago, it was a lunch date actually. It was right down the street and we had just met and we really hit it off. It was kind of nice . And, um, and then as it turned out, it wasn't even a date because she was in love with someone else." -Jim Halpert

"The most important thing in your life is your family. There are days you love them and others you don't. But, in the end, they're the people you always come home to. Sometimes it's the family you're born into and sometimes it's the one you make for yourself." -Sex & the City

"It's time for you to prove/ Within your ruby shoes/ You deserve a smile with no regret/ Look at you/ Kicking off your shoes/ Dancing for the world to see" -Erin McCarley

"She just didn't know what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. She believed there had to be something special out there for her, a path that was hers alone and held happiness at its end, but where was the start of it?" -Firefly Lane

So yeah, I tend to like the sappy, lovesick quotes. Whoops. And it makes me sad cause I haven't found a good new book quote in FOREVER (seriously like since before Christmas). Here's to hoping I do sometime soon (and heyyyyy maybe if the book ever gets published, someone will write one of mine in theirs! OH! New ultimate goal!)

"And sometimes you close your eyes/ And see the place where you used to live/ When you were young"

Today I did something I've never done before: I got my very own library card! Yep and I'm 22. And an aspiring author. Buuuuut, I just always used my mom's card when I was little (and trust me, we caravanned it over to the library once a week and I would beg my mom for more books each time) and then I guess when I had money, I just purchased my own books as opposed to borrowing them.

The main reason I got one is because I no long have money to spend frivolously and I still really want to read Jackson's book As You Wish. However the library won't let you search the catalog unless you have a card so I gave in. I went to the library today and searched through the YA section for Jackson's book (it wasn't there. super bummed) and a couple others. But as I was searching the stacks, I saw SO many titles that I loved when I was younger. It was so nostalgic. Chocolate Fever, Walk Two Moons, Manic Magee, The Phantom Tollbooth, the Amber Brown (Is Not a Crayon) series, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Ella Enchanted, and SO many others. Could I tell you the plot of ANY of these? Nope. But my memory was jogged when I saw the familiar titles and fonts and book covers. Sure they were nestled between the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, the Princess Diaries books, Harry Potter, and Twilight but at least they are still hanging around.

Oh and the series that I absolutely LOVED were the Wayside School books. The kids at my school were also OBSESSED. Like you knew which kid had checked them out, so you would follow them to the library on the day they had to return it so you could harass the librarian once they dropped it in the box so you could be the next owner. Well that or we would all race to the section where they were (a top shelf towards the back of the library. STILL can picture it) if no one in our class had been the lucky recipient. That's how obsessed we were. But it's funny cause no one else I've talked to remembers these books. Come on people! The school that was supposed to be 30 classrooms on one floor but instead it is 30 floors with one classroom on each (minus the 19th floor... it doesn't exist), with the teacher that turned students into apples by wiggling her tongue and ears, the friendly gym teacher named Louis, the three Erics, the girl with the cutest missing front teeth but they are actually there, the girl with the long braid that the boy grabs onto when he falls out of the window, the boy who always gets in trouble for the smallest things and has to ride home with the kindergarteners, and so many other stories. I actually found two of the books at a used bookstore and snatched those up. I can't wait for niece SD to want to read them since I'm sure she will LOVE them.

Oh childhood, how I miss those simpler times. Sigh.