A girl walks into a book shop

I am mid way through Jane Eyre and I am already dreading the day I finish it. Do you ever get like that whilst reading a great novel? There I am enraptured in the story, and it's over. Though happy I have finished the book, I have to go about finding another book to fall into. Not always an easy task.


Yesterday I went to the used bookstore by my work. I found out they were having a book sale, so I went in. I have had a list in my head of books I really want to read, and I hoped I could find them there. Hoping to walk out with a new title, I proudly carried out five. Two I have been waiting to read, and three that just looked great. Looks like I will have to finish Jane Eyre quickly so I can start another.

Friendly Competition

I just found out there was a competition to get linked on my blog. I'm didn't even know people read my blog.

Why does it hurt to bend over?

A few months ago I had the grand idea to plant tulips outside of our office. I love tulips, they introduce spring so well. For those who don't know, you plant tulips in the fall and then they bloom in the spring. Let me quickly explain that I don't know if I have ever gardened in my life. I have pulled weeds when my Mom made me, but gardening has never been a hobby, in fact I have never been able to keep a house plant alive (apparently they need water occasionally). So, with my lack of knowledge or experience in any gardening I ordered tulips. And daffodils. And Hydrangeas. And Lily's. Total there were around 250 bulbs. Maybe I went a little overboard...

So the bulbs came and my Coworker and I decided today would be a quiet day and we could plant them. I went to the gardening shop to get topsoil and mulch, and also get some advice. The manager said to mix it in to our soil, or we could use a tiller. Since we have no tiller, I told her we would use shovels, she said to invite over friends. Unfortunately I have no friends who weren't either working or enjoy manual labor, so it was up to Olivia and I.

I don't think I have shoveled that much since I was a ski instructor and it snowed FEET at the resort. My office job has not been preparing me for this type of work. We shoveled, mixed, dug holes, covered, transplanted and spread mulch.

I definately grew a new appreciation for my Mom and Grandma's gardens (and the hard work it takes to garden).

If our front yard doesn't look like Holland in the Spring I am not going to be happy.

One Year. No party?

I have now been a working girl for one WHOLE year. Actually the year rang in on the 1st, but I was too busy faxing, emailing and balancing to write a blog about this momentous occasion. One Year! Whoa! This is the longest I have ever been at one consecutive job, and the longest I have lived in one place since high school.

And don't tell my boss, but I'm getting the itch. I generally live with one foot planted in place and the other stepping off to some unknown. I'm trying, really hard, to happily stay put. I like my job. But maybe there is something else, like studying eastern medicine under a Buddhist monk in Tibet, that would really captivate me.

I will be grounded here for a while. I have no plans to leave, and this feels good for now. This job has been a blessing, I have learned a lot, met amazing people and grown. I have gotten to study issues I love and have learned to love some issues. It has been a wonderful year.

Notes for Sarah Palin:

1) Learn how to pronounce nuclear. It may be coming up a lot in the next little bit, and you are just asking to be likened to Pres. Bush if you can't pronounce it.

2) On the topic of Pres. Bush, learn what his doctrine is.

3) The proximity of AK to Russia gives you NO, I repeat NO knowledge of or expertise in foreign policy. Please do not state that it does. Yes, it is a small world, unfortunately there are a few major international conflicts going on in it. You may want to study up on them.

*Note: If anyone hasn't had the chance to watch the SNL skit about Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton... watch it here. Hilarious.

What's happening

The past two weeks have been really eventful, though no blogging has happened. Here is a quick recap:

Two Weeks of Debauchery
Like freshman year all over again, except I am not 18 and I like sleep a lot more now. It was fun to pretend though. With Callie leaving we had to pack in a ton of fun into two short weeks; and we did.

MoCo Fair
Davenport won a giant dog which is sitting in my room right now. Carnies, sharing Carmel Apples (not weird) and the world's largest horse, Sampson. He drinks 25 gallons of water a day. And he is Absolutely Alive.

Latin Dancing
Spinning, Dipping, Salsa and Merengue. A new love of mine. These hips don't lie. Part of the reason I have been so sleepy, it's hard to party like a rock star on a work night.

Georgetown Pool
Saturday afternoons are best spent here. And they often are.

NYC in a day
Chinatown Bus. Street Food. Phantom. Times Square. Reebok Miami Vice's. Street Purses. Rockefeller Center. More Street Food. Chinatown Bus Fight. An innocent fib (apparently the bus does stop in Philly).

Labor Day tour of DC
Callie's cousin was in town and I must say we make darn good tour guides. Highlight: the ghetto shoe store. Low light: the Library of Congress was closed for the holiday.

Church Talk/ Proposal
Both in one Sunday. Missionary work is great. And, I should dispel all rumors here and say it was a fake proposal. But in the middle of introductions at church after Sacrament. I was all shades of red.

Moving
Callie my roomie is moving back to UT. I am not okay with this. Darn jobs across the nation. Now I get "new roomie." I am sure she is great, but will she wake me up with the Cougar fight song? I sure hope not (no offense Callie).

True Love

I found this story on Tara Z's blog. Amazing.