100 Day Song Challenge

Days 3 and 4! Look, I'm not even a week into it and I've already missed a day! Haha.

Day 3--

A song that reminds you of a night out.

November 2005 driving around Long Island, NY with some of my new friends, listening to their music. It was the first time I'd heard this song. I didn't listen to a lot of pop music or top 40 at that time in my life.

Day 4-- A song you can remember your parents listening to.

I could definitely pick more than one for this day's challenge. My parent's listened to a lot of music while I was growing up and taught me a lot about music as well. I'll pick a favorite of mine...

The Who. One of the greatest rock bands of all time. Just look at that flowing, blonde, curly Jesus 'fro. In the words of my father, "You're welcome".

Day 2 of the 100 Day Song Challenge

So, for day two of the 100 Day Song Challenge I'm supposed to share a song from the 1st album (alblum, for the Van Duren's ;)  ) I ever bought. This is tough for me because I have bought so much music over the years I can't actually remember what the first album I ever bought was. But, I have an inkling and I'm rolling with it. The first album I can remember buying was 'Country Grammer' by Nelly. So-- here you go.

Title track from Nelly's first album. All my friends and I thought we were hot sh*t listening to this, and yes-- while this is the clean version my copy was explicit. I'm such a rebel. ;) And I'm only slightly embarrassed.

Enjoy.

100 Day Song Challenge

My sister gave me the idea to do the 100 Day Song Challenge so I'm going to try and remember to log into Blogger everyday for the next 100 days and give you all a song to listen to. Maybe doing this will inspire me to blog more often. So, here goes.

Day 1: A song you know all the lyrics to. 

Eve 6. Inside Out. Probably one of my favorite songs from the 90's and one of the first ones I had memorized that was released during my lifetime. 

Book Nerd

Here I am chilling on a Thursday night, the only one awake in my house. The SF Giants have just won the NL Pennant for the 3rd year in 5 and I'm SUPER excited but that's not the reason I'm still awake. I want to read. No, not just any book. I want to read a book that was supposed to be released in August, was pushed back to October and STILL has no release date announced. This is why I try and wait for a series to be finished before I start it, that way I don't have to wait in agony for the books to be written and released. Argh! I've been pestering the author on Twitter and on the series webpage so hopefully she'll announce soon and I can have something to look forward to! Not that I don't have other things I look forward to-- like shopping with my friends (PC outlets here we come!) or grabbing Chinese and spending a quiet night in with my husband watching movies (TGIF tomorrow!) or having a surprise day off from work because it's fall break and your boss is a teacher (yes, today was actually my Friday-- huzzah!). I'm just a book nerd who stays up late waiting in agony for book release dates to be announced, blogging to no-one in particular in the vastness that is the internet complaining that the book she wants to read hasn't been released yet! I know there are some other people out there that know what I'm talking about, I know I'm not the only one! Right? Anyone? Haha. In the meantime I'll try to distract myself by reading other books, and maybe it will work, who knows!? Anyway, as always, thanks for reading!

xo

In case you were wondering what books I could possibly be talking about... click here to check it out!

Hopefully, you'll thank me later. :)
In fact, I'm pretty sure you will.

I'm obsessed

 Lately I've been OBSESSED with reading. I've always enjoyed reading. When I was in high school my mom introduced me to a few of her favorite authors (which also happen to be favorites among some of my other family members). I started with Mary Stewart and would stay up well into the early morning reading her books. I've read just about every book she ever wrote and I love them all, dearly. After I read all the Mary Stewart I could get my hands on I moved to Georgette Heyer, mainly-- her mysteries. When I had read all the Georgette Heyer mysteries I could get my hands on I moved onto Josephine Tey and read all those. When I ran out of those old books I took a break. I read pretty sparsely after that. A book or two a year maybe. I graduated high school, had a job, moved to NY and became busy with life. Friends, a boyfriend, spending time in the big city, getting reacquainted with the church. Then I moved home, got married and was focused on building a life.

About two months ago my SIL recommended a book for me to read, so I did. In one day. Then I downloaded another book by the same author and read that one. Also in one day. Since that fateful day in August I've read 26 books. Not bad considering I work pretty much full-time, and have a husband and a house to take care of (okay, maybe my house and husband have been a little neglected, but really, just a little). My friend recommended I get a GoodReads account and it's the best thing ever. I'm so glad my sister-in-law recommended that book to me that day, and I'm so glad my friend recommended I get a GoodReads account. It's re-kindled my passion for reading and has made me start to consider going back to school-- to study Literature. Of course I know I'd have to get a Doctorate in order to make the degree worthwhile financially and I'd probably end up needing to find a professorship in order to make any real money, but I'd do it. Maybe I'd even become a writer. Then maybe I could inspire people. What a dream huh? Well, thanks for reading this nerd-fest. If you didn't know I was a total geek before, you know now.

xo

It's been awhile, and I'm terrible at blogging...

I rarely remember to get on blogger anymore, and I don't know if anyone else even reads my blog anymore but I've got some stuff that I'm ready to write down on here because I need to clear my head, and I don't get as much hand-cramping typing as I do writing. So here we go.

1. My father is and always will be an alcoholic. A mean one. About a year before Matt and I got married, my dad finally got sober and we were all sealed in the temple as a family. He stayed sober for about two years after that. After 3 years sober, he fell off the wagon and has yet to get back on and stay there. He has had day long, week long, and even months long bouts of sobriety but nothing as successful as that first time, 3 1/2 years ago. Just about 2 weeks ago he checked into the hospital to detox, my mom had told him if he wanted to go to California for the family reunion he'd better get sober. She also informed him that she took money out of her 401k to help them get caught up on bills (he's also been in and out of work for the last 3 years, not because he can't find a job he just doesn't want to keep them apparently) and with that money she also paid for a divorce attorney and a divorce. All she needed to do was sign the papers and their 30 year relationship would be done. I thought maybe this was the intervention he needed, but alas-- they got home last Saturday, he stayed sober for Father's Day (mainly because he didn't have a choice, the liquor store is closed on Sunday) but he's been drunk the last 2 days. I just want to slap him and shake him and tell him how pathetic it is that he's not even trying and his wife is going to leave him but it won't help anything. If my mom goes through with the divorce, he won't be able to stay in the house. He doesn't have a job. Two of my siblings are currently living home with them, and one is on a mission. There is no where for him to go. His sister in Washington won't take him because she can't have an alcoholic in her home, she's taking care of my grandpa. I won't enable him. I don't want an alcoholic in my home. But what do I do? Let him become homeless? How am I supposed to let my own father go homeless?

2. Matt and I have been trying to have a baby for the last year and a half. I've finally just started charting and have just recently finished my first complete cycle of charting. I ovulated on day 20 and started my period 9 days later. My luteal phase is 9 days. 12-14 is optimal, but mine is 9. I will chart for a few more months to see if there's a pattern or if it's just a fluke but I still can't help but be frustrated with my body. How much is it going to cost to fix a luteal phase defect? And what will it entail? I already have anxiety about it. Wonderful.

3. I need to fix my stupid car AGAIN! It's about $900. I need new tires before my inspection in August and that's about $400.  My beautiful fur baby needs a $2000 (that's if we get a good deal)  surgery sometime soon, and we're supposed to go out to NY in September for a family wedding. Why was I not born independently wealthy?

I've been trying to stay positive because I have a lot to be happy about. I have a pretty great family, and great in-laws. I have THREE beautiful niblings that call me Aunt Barbara. I have a fantastic, wonderful, amazing, stellar, perfect husband that would do anything for me including dying my hair, and painting my toes. I have the BEST friends. I have a good job that's steady, and fun. My husband has a job that takes wonderful care of him. But I still can't shake this feeling of drowning, this feeling of wanting to break down and cry for days. It won't help anything, but it still sounds tempting.

I apologize for bringing you all down with my rant about how hard my pretty great life is-- I know there are others out there dealing with more than what I am, I just need to have a pity party for a second. If you made it to the end, thanks for letting me vent.

xo

Baby Presley

My sisters friend Alisha had her baby yesterday. She named her Presley and she is adorable. You always forget just how small newborns really are. Here's a picture of Presley with her Aunt Maddie. :)