Dork Alert!

I've warned you! What you're about to read is so utterly dork-ish that you'll be embarrassed for reading it. I've decided to start another online reading group! Before I tell you the book let me first say that I am SOOOOOOOO EXCITED! I've read it before however this time will be better because I'll be simultaneously listening to another well-known academic dissect the book! Farmer Ted is jealous since he won't have time to participate. However he has suggested another reading option...which I'll also try to fit in (blegh!). Feel free to shake your head in disgust.

So what's the book?

Karl Marx's Capital!

You know you're jealous!

Where I've been lately

So I've been in this strange place lately with respect to blogging. I have one month left before my life is turned upside-down. For starters I'll be moving to Las Vegas and will no longer be able to call Idaho my home. So in order not to confuse people I'll change the title of my blog slightly to something along the lines of "An Idaho Gal in Vegas". Suggestions welcome! While I live mostly in denial deep down I know that my Northern Idaho/Eastern Washington roots will never leave me. Born a redneck always a redneck!
The other aspect is that I'll be beginning law school which some have equated to purgatory. So like other lemmings I started a law school blog to document my specific law school adventures. And I plan on cross-posting so that my personal stories are on both blogs. Anyone interested in reading my law school blog AND respecting my anonymity over at the blog just let me know. I'm very nervous about law school but I'm excited as well. I'm nervous about the work load but excited about the people I'll meet and the opportunities I'll have.

So dear readers I promise you I'll post more but know I feel as if I've fallen through the looking glass. Any advice for packing up a huge house and moving it across state lines?

BTT: Definition

What, in your opinion, is the definition of a “reader.” A person who indiscriminately reads everything in sight? A person who reads BOOKS? A person who reads, period, no matter what it is? … Or, more specific? Like the specific person who’s reading something you wrote?

For some reason I feel like this was recently a topic. Oh well. I define a reader as someone who reads for pleasure or enjoyment. While we may all read on a daily basis, whether it's the newspaper, work, e-mail, etc I don't necessarily believe that we are reading because we desire to. So a smidgen of desire is worked into my definition. While I have no children of my own there are many in life. I'm always reading with them and they know that we have to read for at least five minutes without interruptions. Reading is a skill on its way to becoming a reader.

FF: 194

Appetizer

If you could live on another continent for 1 year, which one would you choose?

Difficult, Antarctica is up there but I think it would have to be Asia. I would love to explore all that China has to offer. I suppose I could if I had the money since I have three friends living over there. Farmer Ted pointed out that I should pick Australia since it's an island and I have thus far only been to islands. An actual continent might throw things off.

Soup

Which browser do you use to surf the Internet?

Mozilla, because all my friends use it. And I love Leechblock which keeps me away from sites I shouldn't be wasting my time on. This will come in handy this fall when law school starts.

Salad

On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how much do you know about the history of your country?

7---I have a strong aversion to the Civil War, however all else is covered.

Main Course

Finish this sentence: Love is…

a garden. Dig it! (Farmer Ted's addition) All I can think of is Love is a Battlefield by Pat Benatar

Dessert

Have you ever been in or near a tornado?

No. I'm sure I've had a drink called a tornado though. Does that count?

BTT: Flavor

Think about your favorite authors, your favorite books . . . what is it about them that makes you love them above all the other authors you’ve read? The stories? The characters? The way they appear to relish the taste of words on the tongue? The way they’re unafraid to show the nitty-gritty of life? How they sweep you off to a new, distant place? What is it about those books and authors that makes them resonate with you in ways that other, perfectly good books and authors do not?


This is a truly complicated question. Several books stand out as favorites, all for different reasons. Reflecting on those that come to mind I would have to say that these books resonate with me due to what I was going through at the time I read them. I have fond memories of Anne of Green Gables as a child, most likely because I was coping with my parent's divorce. Anne is a strong, courageous character who overcame obstacles. I'm positive this is why I was drawn to her.
Old Jules by Mari Sandoz reminds me of living with my own angry father. It is one of my favorites because again, if Mari could do it then so can I. I related to many of her experiences even though she lived in the 19th c. When I read it my father was just being diagnosed with kidney failure and thus in need of a lot of assistance.
I have always loved the Harry Potter series because when you listen to them they sound so exciting. I enjoy the feeling of closing my eyes and listening to Harry's adventures. It's an escape from reality unlike any other audiobook I've ever listened to.
I've enjoyed Jeanette Winterson and Jhumpa Lahiri because of the emotion they write into their books. Winterson makes me think about feeling like I never have before, while Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies came at a time in my life where I was feeling lifeless. Reading the emotion helped re-spark life back into me.
Then there are those books like Carson McCullers's The Heart is a Lonely Hunter and Carlos Bulosan's America is in the Heart that just remind me of growing up in small town USA. Bulosan because he traveled through the area I grew up in and McCullers because she captured the loneliness small towns often possess. I am proud of myself for not looking back after H.S. graduation. Small town life is just not for me.*

So, the flavor is really just what I'm experiencing in my life at the time I'm reading any book. I'm sure I'm not alone in this as many people read in search for parts of themselves they've never known or explored. I don't need self-help books, just the right book at the right time.




*Small is under 10,000 people. I am perfectly content in a city of 30,000 + or even seven million.

Live from Las Vegas

We've been here two whole days with two goals: to find a place to live and to see the law school.
Found a house to live in yesterday, AHEM, the very first day we were here. It's cute, has pool access and outside misting system for already spoiled dogs. Today we went to the law school where I received an "eh" tour. The dude, oh wait!, Director of Admissions, did not know how to sell his school. A beautiful law school though. Other perks were partying last night with friends met in line for Purple Reign, the Prince tribute band AND partying with Wayne Brady, who likes to have an entourage of ladies. Our table kept ourselves busy by betting who would be the first person to puke at the table in front of us. It was horribly fun!

Winnings: $5.11
Money spent gambling: 0

I found eleven cents and won five pigs on the free spin! Whoo-hoo!

FF:193

Appetizer

Do you consider yourself to be an optimist or a pessimist?

At the moment? Pessimist. We're moving to a new city, new state, and I'm very nervous. My nerves have been causing me to be a pessimist lately.

Soup

What is your favorite color of ink to write with?

I have no preference in ink. I tend to prefer cheap freebie pens over nicer ones. I probably don't have to ever buy a pen with the number I have in my house. They just seem to accumulate over time. However if it's a pencil then I prefer Ticonderoga pencils above all else.

Salad

How often do you get a manicure or pedicure? Do you do them yourself or go to a salon and pay for them?

Occasionally I will pay for them but for the most part I do them myself. When I was a full time floral designer I gave myself one weekly due to standing on my feet all day and using my hands. The knives we would use dried out my skin and my cuticles were always dry. I find that a good scrub, some cuticle oil and a rich lotion do the trick for me.

Main Course

Have you ever won anything online? If so, what was it?

No.

Dessert

In which room in your house do you keep your home computer?

Well, we have two laptops and a desktop. The laptops are everywhere in the house. The desktop stays in our bedroom where we also use it to watch movies and online television. We have really bad reception for digital television and don't watch enough tv to pay for cable. It's nice and easy since we have a wireless mouse and wireless keyboard. If I wanted to surf the net in bed I can.