What If?

So if you know me, know me, you know I like weird knowledge books. The book, What If: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions  by Randall Munroe is just one of those books. I loved it. I listened to it as an audio book, so I lost some of the math element that I could have worked better seeing it written out.
My favorite sections are the "disturbing questions" that have been submitted. I think my favorite one was how cold would your teeth have to be to shatter upon drinking a cup of hot coffee. His response was: "thanks for my new re-occurring nightmare." That reminded me of a friend that has a re-occurring nightmare of all their teeth being pulled out by gum.
This is just a great book of odd knowledge and math. I like math but I'm not good at science. I never took physics. I probably would have struggled but ultimately liked it. Just, if you're a nerd, you should probably check this book out sometime.

The Heir and The Crown

I've been listening to The Selection series by Kiera Cass. I've been enjoying the series. I had to go to books 4 and 5 as I am still on the waiting list for book 2! It's a cutesy YA novel series.

The daughter, and heir, of the original selection (books 1-3) is now in her own selection process. She's narrowing down a group of 35 suitors to a husband. At the same time, her country is experiencing unrest. She's trying to handle both the selection and keeping her country from falling apart. Talk about stress. 

Legend-wait-for-it-dairy

So I read Legendary by Stephanie Garber. I read it so fast. I didn't want to put it down. It left so many questions. And I can't wait to get my hands on the next book. There were so many twists and what ifs! Was it all real or was it a set-up? Who really is Legend?


The second book is a second installment of Caravel that was set up for the queen's birthday. The Fates have started to come free. They want Legend and Legend wants them. Tella is set on a mission from the Prince of Hearts to find the true name of Legend. She is torn between keeping her word to the Prince of Hearts in exchange for information on her mother who disappeared when she was young and winning the heart of Dante. Dante, he's the dark, brooding, bad boy from Caravel.

I can't say enough good things about the book; just go read it.

Broken Brooklyn

I recently listened to Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín. It's a novel that takes place shortly after the end of WWII. Eilis and her sister live at home with their mom in Ireland. She is unemployed, but hopeful to get office work. She is somewhat ambushed with a job offer in America. Her mother and sister are very insistent that she take this opportunity. A Father from Brooklyn, played golf with her sister and bam, moving to Brooklyn. She sets off to America, does her work, distracts herself with night school, and gets a boyfriend. She ends up going back to Ireland after a family emergency. Her boyfriend begs her to come back, the get married quick before she leaves. When she's back in Ireland, she gets lost in her life back home, trying to figure out what life would be like if she stayed.

*SPOILER ALERT*
I am genuinely disgusted with how this book ends. I'm actually surprised by how many books I pick up that had adultery in it. I guess life will keep bringing up what you try to avoid or shut the door on, until you face it. The last portion of the book just annoyed me. I bristled. It was like she tried piecing her life together back in Ireland. It seemed like her biggest issue was how to get a divorce in 50s Ireland and also that spiteful old lady knowing she was already married. Then on the boat ride home, she was like. I'll read all my husband's letters on the ride home so it won't seem like I left them unread while I ran around with another guy; pretty much just trying to sweep it under the rug and pretend that it didn't happen.

I guess we all have our sins that we don't know exactly why we do it, we just do it. Then we're left afterward thinking what possessed us to do such a thing. Maybe that's what she felt. It didn't seem like she had much guilt over her cheating. I don't know if the author wanted it that way. Overall, I was really interested in the book.

Helter Skelter

I've got another 3 books all going at once: Longbourn, Legendary, and Ice Cream Queen (still, I know...I miss placed it for a week and found it wrapped up in my hammock!).  I haven't finished either yet, but I am enjoying them all. In fact, I want to get back to Legendary right now. I'm more than half done already. I'm off to rinse the day away and hope in bed with my doggos and read until I can't possibly keep my eyes open; which, now that I'm old only takes about 5 minutes!

Polar Bear Dreams and Cardio

Favorite Song(s) of the week:

Favorite Quote(s) of the week:
"You actually had a gyno say your downstairs area was 'juicy'? I think there are better synonyms for that."
"Do you ever get any pain when you work out?" "You mean other than the pain in my soul when I have to do cardio?" "I feel the same way about cardio!"

Favorite thing done this week:
Biking to the library to pick up my back.

Favorite show/movie of week:
Didn't really watch anything this week. I watched some Property Brothers and Fixer Upper. I love HGTV

Favorite thing read:
I finally got Legendary!!! I am so excited. I've only read a few pages so far, but I am probably going to spend too much time this weekend reading it.

Favorite event:
Finishing cardio

Most inspired moment:
Writing up a description for the fund raiser I want to start...hopefully this weekend. I've been playing with the idea of it for years now, but the time feels right now.

Thought(s)/Epiphany (ies) of the week:
If I had any, they have all slipped my sleepy mind at this point. 

Weirdest dream: So I have had several this week. The strangest and funniest involved my dogs and what I do every day...walk them!  So I was walking down this road near my home, and where the actually is a sub-station, there was a lake. My dogs weren't on a lead. As we were walking by this, some panic arose and people started running about. There was a polar bear coming up and out of the semi-frozen lake by the road. I, also panicked, and began herding my dogs away from the lake. My two biggest, boy dogs, all scramble away with me.  My little Trinity Mae, with sass for days, walks up to the polar bear that just climbed up on to the land. She has her teeth bared and is snapping her jaws at it (like she does to her dad and uncle when they are play fighting). I quick went back and got her...how, I'm not entirely sure. 
I think the dream stemmed from the fact that I put her out on her dad's lead by his dog house and had her dad in the garage instead. She literally chewed through the cable (one set to hold a 150 lb dog...and she is 60lbs) and ran into the garage and curled up in the kennel. 

Wildflower

I just finished listening to Wildflower by Drew Barrymore this afternoon on my way home. I liked listening to the stories of her life and getting to know a different side of her than what I see in movies and magazines. She seems like a pretty amazing person, determined not to repeat the mistakes of her past.  I got to see the side of her that produced films, hunted out stories worth telling, attempted to make pancakes, and the famous Toddette. I enjoyed learning about how her and Adam started collaborating together on films and how her film company, was worried about how well Never Been Kissed would do in theaters. I absolutely love that movie. And Charlie's Angels, I think I watched it like 20 times on repeat one summer.

One thing I did notice, is her hodge-podge of "god." She mentions astrology, Eastern religions, Judaism, and New Age.  And I guess I'd say "new age" is like someone saying, "the universe has blessed me with this new juicer." I did like that every curve ball life threw her way, she looked for a lesson...or at least was able to look back when writing this and find a lesson in her trial. Way to go Drew, I hope you find the one and true God some day.

PS: I also came across this song the other day while flipping radio channels.

Friday Follow Up

Favorite Song(s) of the week:
I haven't been listening to too much music this week. I have been listening to my audio book or Pastor Collin Smith's sermons on the way to work. Maybe, Teenagers, by My Chemical Romance.  That song got me super pumped and reliving my teen years.

Favorite Quote(s) of the week:
"I love cookies. I can relate almost anything to cookies. Cookie analogies!" "Oh...I don't see that word in print very often, took me a moment." "Lol, this isn't Kiss the Girls." -convo at work
"If you ever need a boyfriend, my dog is in love with you." - my neighbor about how her dog waits to see me walk by every day and how sad he gets if I don't

Favorite thing done this week:
Mani/Pedi date with my Meep and buy my first pair of Michael Kors sunglasses. They were a splurge, but a necessary one. Last year, I had lasik done. I also tried on a pair of Michael Kors sunglasses for the first time last summer, and it was amazing. My friend was like, all sunglasses will never compare again once you have tried these sunglasses. She was right.

Favorite show/movie of week:
I haven't watched much, but I did like what I saw when I watched Alone. It's kind of like Naked and Afraid, but you get clothes and are solo.

Favorite thing read:
Wildflower by Drew Barrymore

Favorite event:
Friday!

Most inspired moment:
When I actually dragged my but out of bed early Thursday to do my workout before work!

Thought(s)/Epiphany (ies) of the week:
If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say: "I can't pay my bill this week. I only get paid every other week," I would be a millionaire already. Budget people! And besides people who get paid once a month or in big clumps, I'm fairly certain the whole of the job market gets paid bi-weekly.

Weirdest dream: I honestly can't think of a single dream that I had this week. Mostly, my ex turns up in some manner in my dreams; sometimes just a glimpse and sometimes a major part in my dreams. I can't think of any particular dream, so next week I'll have to keep a dream journal to see what twisted things my subconscious is dredging up for me to deal with.

To Stay or Not to Stay, That is the Question

So if you have ever followed my blog, you know that I am a poly-reader; meaning I am reading multiple books at the same time. Currently, I am reading Wildflower by Drew Barrymore, The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street by Susan Jane Gilman, and On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingals Wilder.  I get to listen to Wildflower during my commute, read Ice Cream Queen during free time, and Plum Creek while on break at work and between calls. 

The most recent book I finished, was If I Stay by Gayle Forman. I enjoyed the book and listening to it. I don't think it was particular amazing. It is a new way to think about life and death. My personal morals don't quite align with what is portrayed in the movie; but it doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the story. I'm a sucker for a love-conquers-all kinda story. Mia, the main character, goes through her life story and reasons for staying or leaving life behind, after her family has been in a terrible car crash. I won't spoil it, but I'm pretty sure many people have seen the movie that came out a while ago. If you love stories and seeing life from someone else's view; this is a good book to just enjoy. 

Barefeet in the Sand to Heal the Soul

I am currently making my way through my Cultural Intellectual book.  I am not much for one single page of reading at a time, the way this book is set up.  I love random knowledge and facts, so I like reading this stuff.  I like reading in chunks.  So I'm about halfway through this mountain of knowledge. It's got 7 different categories from politics to music, from sports to literature and film. 

Anyways, I recently read a novel called Barefoot, by Elin Hilderbrand.  I really enjoyed this reading.  I was another gym book exchange pick-up and another one I stayed up all night to finish.  It's really been a while since I've just wanted to dive into books and escape.  It is so much more refreshing than scrolling endlessly through Facebook.  Which, side note, I was trying to stay off Facebook from Monday through Friday and last week was the first time breaking it since the start of the year.  It is bad.  I broke again today.  Excuses, excuses, my phone has been acting up and messenger kicks me out all the time and acts like I just downloaded it.  So to get my messages, I go in and then I get sucked into the vortex.  I just need to not. It really is amazing how much time you have for other things. Back to the book.  It was one of those "gets to your heart" novels. It's a multi-person perspective novel, so you see the story from everyone's point of view.  I like novels that give you the story from many different angles.  It just makes the story feel broader and well-rounded. 


The story is of three ladies that move out to Nantucket for the summer (which I just learned where that is the other day while watching the weather channel...nerd, I know; but it was on at the gym. I also learned where Montauk is located).  Two of the three women, sisters, and owners of the house their family has held on the island for generations.  The third is a friend of the eldest sister who has come to escape the city and some troubling relationship problems.  All of  them are dealing with issues and trying to solve them with "a little Nantucket sand in their shoes." The first day arriving on the island, they meet Josh.  He is going to school to be a writer.  The moment he sees them, he knows there is a story.  His path keeps brushing up against theirs and he eventually becomes the babysitter for the eldest sister's two small boys.  The story continues from there.

Nantucket and Montauk on the map, because I know you wanted to know

Mercury in Retrograde

I'm BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And on my favorite night: Lit. Lundi!

I recently read Mercury in Retrograde by Paula Froelich.  I have not laughed this hard in a long time.  The book was hilarious and at a point when I needed a good laugh.  This was the second book, in about two weeks, that I actually stayed up into the wee hours of the morning to finish.  The story was entertaining and light.  I picked this book up at the gym book exchange.  This isn't a deep thinking novel, but it was witty, humorous, and entertaining.  Laughter is great medicine.  Reading is great for empathy; and thank God for this book, because I at least know I'm not the only one that seems to have lots of things going wrong in my life (Mercury just seems to be in constant retrograde for me - lol).

The book follows three girls as their lives get up-ended by Mercury going into retrograde.  When Mercury appears to be traveling backwards, from earths perspective, things tend to go rather WRONG.  Penelope, Lena, Dana are three New York ladies whose lives have gone awry during Mercury retrograde.  It covers how their paths all cross and their lives go in every which way; thanks Mercury retrograde!

I recently put out, on the city network page, an ad for a book club!  I don't know if I should just join the library book club or start my own. I'm just excited to get back at it.

Loaded Gun Complex, Cock it and Pull it

I started listening to the audiobook version of Triggers by Marshall Goldsmith while driving back and forth to interviews.  It's really enlightening to some of the things that we subconsciously do because something in our environment triggers a reaction in us.  A few key phrases that have stood out from the book, so far, have been: "changing a habit can be simple, but simple does not mean easy," and "Fairy tales end with 'and they lived happily ever-after' - that's why it's called a fairy tale and not a documentary." (*Please note these aren't direct quotes from the book, just the rough out-line of what I heard and took away from passages*).  And if you've read any of my blog before, you know my writing skills, grammar, and spelling just go out the window when I'm tired.  I've been going from interview to interview and I'm hoping it will soon pay off and I can have a good job (or 2, or 3, or 4).  Anyways, that side-track was because I'm not going to be able to review this book very well in my current state; plus, I'm not finished yet!  I'd highly recommend checking if your library has this in print or on audio.  It's been eye-opening to some behavior things and ways to become more aware of what is happening around you that triggers an internal reaction.

Mudras, Pajamas, and Fools (Oh My)

Yup; that's me!  I did a video the other day and posted it on YouTube.  I was super scared and nervous, but excited to share what I knew about changing your posture in just a few minutes a day. All stuff you can do while in your pajamas.  Hence, the title and my awesome wardrobe choice.

I didn't post yesterday because I was on a very long bus ride back to Wisconsin.  And as noted, it's not possible to post a blog from an iPhone. Out of all the things you can do, you can't do that.

Instead, I started reading about mudras in Mudras: Yoga in your Hands by Gertrude Hirschi and another book, called Fools Rush In: An April Fools Day Anthology. They are both very interesting and I plan on posting the mudras that I have been practicing from the book. 



I'm not even through the first story in the Fools Rush In book, but I like it already.  The first story is about a teenage nerd that get courted by the popular cute guy and ends up getting hurt in one of those horrible public ways.  It keeps alluding to what happened, but it hasn't actually said yet. It's 12 years later, and Alex (the nerd girl) is putting her life back together and running her own floral shop.  She begins planning the wedding flowers for a local celebrity; one day, Beck (hot, popular betrayer) walks in with said celebrity client.  It turns out he's the brother of the celebrity lady. I'm really interested to see what else happens.  This is the point where my bus pulled up to the stop.  I'll keep you updated.

Forgive like Jesus

I love books.  Ask anyone who knows me, books are one of my giant obsessions.  Give me hot chocolate, a cozy blanket, a good book, and a dog or two (or even three), and I'll be set for a day.  You could probably leave me in one spot and return 12 hours later and I'd still be there reading away.

Okay, so I think you get how deep my obsession is with books.  I just got two new ones today.  I don't really have the money to buy stuff yet, but I thought these two books were something I should invest in for my own personal growth as a human.  Normally, I'm all about going and renting from the library and then buying as a last resort (unless I really love it or it's on uber sale). And heck, these two books were $6.29 total.  I picked up Procrastination: Preventing the Decay of Delay  and Forgiveness: The Freedom to Let Go, both by June Hunt.  I'm really having difficulty in the area of forgiving some of the betrayals I've felt in the last year, so I thought this book would be perfect.  I often have a hard time with forgiving.  And it's not the typical problem.  You could hurt me a million times, but if you said sorry, I'd accept it and forgive you.  I give so many second chances, I often get walked all over.  I'm hoping this book can keep me forgiving like Jesus, but still drawing the boundaries to keep from being a door mat for others.  The second is just because I love to put things off and then the next thing I know, I've run out of hours in the day!  I'm so a list maker, so I'm hoping this will help me work through my lists in a timely manner and not always losing hours of sleep to get things done.  I'll have to keep you updated on what I learn from these babies.

What's Your Stone

Favorite Song(s) of the week:
Let it Grow - Clapton
Cheerleader - Omi
Shut Up and Dance - Walk the Moon
Believe - Mumford and Sons
Strawberry Fields - Beatles
Fight Song -Rachel Platten
Bad Blood - Taylor Swift (usually I don't like her, but this song gets to me)



Favorite Quote(s) of the week:
"I may only have one match, but I can make an explosion." - Fight Song
"Learn, Love, Grow, Explore, Adventure." - Personal Statement
"What's my stone?" - Kathy Lee Giffords tribute to her husband
"Focus on where you want to go, not on what you fear." - Tony Robbins
"I'm so proud of you." - My husband to me :)

Favorite thing done this week:
Making my vision board, doing art, and starting a new job as a LifeStyle and Wellness Coach

Favorite show/movie of week:
I watched a few Friends episodes with my aunt this week and remembered how that show is so hilarious.

Favorite thing read:
How the Scots Invented the Modern World by Arthur Herman

Favorite event:
Team Meeting last night.  It was so inspirational and full of hope!

Most inspired moment:
Again, last nights team meeting was powerful.
And also, Kathy Lee Giffords tribute to her husband, Frank.  Makes you want to get up and do some good!

Thought(s)/Epiphany (ies) of the week:
I can do this! 
Life is so full of potential at all moments.  You can choose to see it or ignore it.

Weirdest dream:
I have a lot of weird dreams.  Like, a LOT!  I'm sure not many people have dreamt about being a rat or having a conversation with Walt Whitman.  I'll usually have something good, but nothing this week.  Watch, tonight I'll have a crazy dream!