Books.

I know that YA fiction is supposed to be for kids, but I have always loved that genre. I used to have a motto in high school, when I would go to the library every day after school and take out every YA book they had (no lie): "A book a day makes you smarter."

Well, if that's the truth, I got a heck of a lot smarter during the past week and a half!


In 10 days, I read the entire Princess series-those which were available at least. Yes, I know these are kids books. However, when my dear friend Anna gave the first two to me as a gift my junior year of college, I got hooked! We had gone to see the first movie that summer and of course loved it. So, for my birthday she got me those books. And I became obsessed, not only with those, but almost everything the author had written. I would stalk Meg Cabot's website, constantly looking for her newest releases. And proceeded to read every other book that she published (except for most of the weird supernatural ones).

And last winter, she (Meg Cabot) left me hanging with Book #9 of the Princess Diaries. I was actually quite furious with the way she had left things in both books 8 and 9. And then I had to wait a year to find out the end.



Well, the very last Princess Diaries book was released yesterday, January 6th. A date I waited and waited and waited and counted down for.




In preparation, on Saturday, December 27th I began re-reading the P.D. books.

On Monday, January 5th, I finished Book #9.


So, between 12/27 and 1/5, I read:

The Princess Diaries #1, 2, 3, 4, 4 1/2, 5, 6, 6 1/2, 7, 7 1/2, 8, and 9 (yes, there are 1/2 books...they are shorter in length and sort of supplemental to the rest of the series).



Well, yesterday I had to go to Rochester to have dinner at a friend's house. Truly, I would have gone regardless to go to Barnes and Noble to pick up the final masterpiece.

I got home super late from dinner last night because of the weather. I do admit however, that I read about 10 pages before I couldn't stay awake any longer.


Then today I read all through my lunch break.
And I came straight home from work and parked myself and my book on my couch for the afternoon...and the evening...into the night.

And 383 pages later, at approximately 8:45 pm, I finished.




I won't comment on the outcome of the story(ies), because some people will be reading it (them) and I don't want to spoil anything. Let me just say however, that Ms. Cabot certainly made up for making me so furious with the way she left things in her previous books.


And now, life can go on. And I can read the other book, Ransom My Heart, the romance novel that Princess Mia wrote herself (not Meg Cabot, but Mia wrote it...hehe).


For more info, check out this article:
http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2009-01-04-meg-cabot_N.htm

And please...let that thing about the College Years be true! :-p









And as I close, let me say, that I will forever love Michael Moscovitz. With all of my heart. :-p

2008 in Review

As 2009 dawns upon us (in just a few hours!), I thought I'd do this little year in review survey everyone has been doing.


01. Where did you begin 2008?
At the Feller's house.

02. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Started teaching full-time, moved into an apt.

03. What was your status by Valentine’s Day?
The same as every other V-Day. :-p

04. Were you in school (anytime this year)?
Yes-I taught at 4 different schools in 2008.

05. How did you earn your money?
Teaching, vocal directing shows, working at church, teaching lessons, Thomas the Crap-tank announcing, working at the park.

06. Did you have to go to the hospital?
For an ear infection once.

07. Did you have any encounters with the police?
Um...I got pulled over for a headlight. And, I ALMOST did a few weeks ago because I didn't have any cash w/me when I went to the gas station, so they were going to let me go back and pay the next day, but I didn't get there by early afternoon, so they called the cops! HAH! Obviously I was going to pay it, but yeesh!

08. Where did you go on holidays?
Um...Easter was church & home, 4th of July was work and Feller's & fireworks, Christmas was home and g'rents.

09. What did you purchase that was over $1000?
Lots of furniture.

10. Did you know anybody who got married?
Stacey & Justin, Jessica & Paul, Miranda & Ron, Derek & Laura, Anna & Alberto...I know there were others but I can't think of them right now.

11. Did you know anyone that passed away?
Yes, my pastor's husband passed away a week ago today on Christmas Eve.

12. Did you know anyone who had a baby?
Justin & Amy, one of my cousins, bunches of other people. Lots of babies to come very soon...like little LEAH, Tim & Kim's baby in a couple of weeks! :-D

13. Did you move?
Yes, I did.

14. What concerts/shows did you go to?
Oh gosh, too many to count! Favorites: Pride & Prejudice the Musical, Wicked, Legally Blond, and a gazillion others.

15. Are you registered to vote?
Absolutely

16. Who did you want to win Big Brother?
I don't know who was on Big Brother.

17. Where do you live now?
an apt.

18. Describe your birthday.
I was in You're a Good Man Charlie Brown and we had a performance that night. Lots of friends & relatives came. After it some of the people in the show went out to Chili's and got food.

19. What’s one thing you thought you’d never do, but did in 2008?
I have no idea...I don't think I did anything that outrageous.

20. What has been your favorite moment?
I can't think of a favorite. There were lots of good ones though. Maybe seeing Houghton people back in March.

21. What’s something you learned about yourself?
I'm much more of a perfectionist than I ever thought I was.

22. Any new additions to your family?
Ashley-Robert's girlfriend...I guess you could say she's an addition.

23. What was your best month?
I loved December :o)

24. What was your worst month?
Ugh...probably August or something. That was a crazy month.

25. What music will you remember 2008 by?
Viva La Vida

26. Who has been your best drinking buddy?
Lol...I certainly don't have any drinking buddies. Katie drink water and lemonade when we hang out. Does that count?

27. Made new friends?
I don't think so. I made new acquaintances though.

28. Lost friends?
No

29. Favorite night out?
Anytime out w/the BFF's...to shows and then dinner/Friendly's, etc.!

30. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Probably happier
ii. thinner or fatter? A bit thinner
iii. richer or poorer? "Richer"

31. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Well, September 20th was my birthday...I don't think I'll forget my own birthday. :-p

stuff

I just heard this song for the first time yesterday, but it's my new favorite already. In fact, I looked up their website today (Tenth Avenue North) and they had streaming mp3, so I listened to them for a while at work. :-p If the auditors come to get me for listening to Christian music on my work computer, oh well! ;o)




In other news, I'm in the middle of the 3rd of the Twilight books, Eclipse. I had put off reading them for about 2 or 3 years now and I'm so sorry that I did! They're so not what I expected...so much better. I LOVE Edward Cullen. :-p Bethany, her best friend Erica, and I all went to see Twilight on Saturday. I might take myself again this weekend. And the next. And maybe even again. Continuously until it comes out on DVD. ;o) Yes, I loved it that much. Very intense. Very romantic.

My mom, Ashley (Robert's girlfriend) and I also went to see Australia on Black Friday after shopping all day. It was very long, but oh so good! I loved that one too. I'm sure it'll get some Oscar nods, though I've also heard that it got some poor reviews. Sadness!


I got a tree and decorated it for my apt. It's not done quite yet. I think I still need some ornaments. I also might want a tree skirt even though it's in a pot. The floor around it looks weird though, so I have to figure something out.

Apt. is getting closer to being done every other week (haha-when the paycheck comes!). As soon as it's finished, I'll post some pics. Until then, I don't dare show my bare walls on here! ;o) For now though, you may all settle with these poor representations of my Christmas Tree (I hate how it looks in the picture! :-p).






*I should add that I should have edited these pics before posting them. The tree is not really leaning. The pics are just lopsided. :-p




And now, I'm off to read more about dear Edward (:-D) and wait for Robert and Ashley to arrive for dinner. :o)

What a week...

and it's not even over yet!

Things were great coming back to school on Monday. I finally had most of my voice back. I was speechless last week...literally, as I had acute laryngitis and couldn't make a sound for a couple of days. So my voice was back, my choirs were sounding pretty good in prep for our concerts coming up, and my general music classes were having fun working on their commercial and Stomp projects.

Then came Wednesday. Wednesday was the day I woke up late, only to find an inch of snow on my car. So, I rushed trying to get it cleared off so that I would still have extra time for my drive to work in case the roads were icy. However, as I got in my car and pressed the brake and clutch to start the car, the brake went ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. Ugh. I thought that maybe it was just snow or ice on my brakes and they just needed to warm up, so I pumped them and drove. And they didn't work. And I coasted into the gas station around the corner from my apt. Thank God I drive a stick. So, after the brake fluid that I poured into the reservoir did nothing, and after I called the school to tall them I wouldn't quite make it to teach first period (or at all-ugh), and after calling my parents to get my dad's advice and my mom's help w/a ride, I walked back to my apt.

After coasting my car through town to the shop, waiting all day and missing a day of work, and shelling out lots and lots of dollar bills, I had Betsy back almost as good as new. Or so I thought.

And of course there was other crap that went on, which I'll refrain from mentioning. And I had to spend a ridiculous amount of money on stupid bills of various types.

But today, I left school excited because I'm going to Fredonia for the weekend to take some students to Area All-State, which should be fun!





Then this afternoon, as I was driving, my speedometer quit on me. From 60 to 0 in .5 seconds.



The end.

Procrastination

I am procrastinating. I should have left already to head to Rochester, but I haven't. Instead, I'm reading blogs and now posting this fun little survey thing that Em did. :-p Oh well...I'll leave in a few minutes!


10 years ago I was:
1. 17 years old and a senior in high school
2. playing in the pit for Fiddler on The Roof for Lake Plains Players (I wasn't "in" it either Em! ;o))
3. Getting ready to audition for The Music Man-I wanted Marion and got Mrs. Paroo, but it was a fun part anyway.
4. Usually busy with babysitting, rehearsals, hanging out w/Tim, and youth group/church stuff.
5. Procrastinating on my college applications.

5 things on today’s to-do list:
1. mail out some bills
2. Go to the Glu Factory to buy the awesome painting that I saw the other day which I will hang over my kitchen table
3. Pick up a birthday card for Joe
4. go to Joe's birthday party
5. clean up my kitchen from the nasty dinner I just made (I burned the rice because I turned the wrong burner down...DUH!).


5 snacks I enjoy:
1. ice cream
2. various crackers like cheezits and triscuits
3. granola bars
4. cereal
5. SOME chocolate

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire (or billionaire):
1. pay off all of my student loand
2. pay off my family's debts
3. buy everyone in my family big beautiful houses (or barns/garages if they so desired)
4. buy all of us awesome cars (like the black fusion w/black leather interior that I want...or the fleet of Ford Escorts I'd love to have).
5. Buy up properties/buildings/homes to transform into businesses and homes and give them to people for free.

5 places I have lived:
1. Rochester, NY
2. Lyndonville, NY
3. Houghton, NY-Lambein
4. Houghton-Garden Apts :-D
5. Houghton-Yorkwood
AND, I just moved to Medina, so I'm adding a 6th. I haven't actually lived anywhere else. :-p


5 jobs I have had:
1. summer drama teacher
2. Professional singer (for real!)
3. Library clerk
4. Choir director
5. Music teacher



Alright, I need to get out of here. Maybe once this apt. doesn't like like a big expanse of potentiality and actually has some stuff on the walls and looks decent, I'll post pictures! ;o)