Badass Books of 2011

Hello ladies and gents.  Well here we are, the last part of 2011.  I have to say 2011 was superior to 2010 in nearly every way.  I got a career in 2011, I got married, I went on a super honeymoon, and Scott and I made strides toward what we want in life.  I can only hope that 2012 will continue the upward trend and help us get even further along our list o' goals.  I'll send good 2012 vibes to anyone who will send them to me.  Deal?  Ok good.

Instead of doing a year in review, I thought I'd make a list of books I really enjoyed this year.  They're not necessarily books written in 2011, but I definitely read them this year.  And I liked them.  In no particular order:

1. The Help- I was really late to this bandwagon as I only started reading the book around the time the movie came out.  And because I'm one who feels the need to read any book before seeing the movie (with the exception of Jurassic Park because I was 8 when that movie came out, but I later read it and it was WAY better than the movie), I decided I wanted to read the book before I went to see it.  It was a really great book.  It's amazing how far we've come in even the past 50 years with civil rights.  I can't imagine thinking that someone had a disease because of their skin color.  People were dumb.  In case you were wondering, I saw the movie recently and really liked it too.
2. A Dog's Purpose- this one is probably one of the best books I've ever read.  I bought it as part of the huge order I made from Borders with the gift card we got for our wedding. (Thank goodness I used that before Borders went bye-bye).  I started reading on a Thursday evening before bed, and I had finished it by Sunday afternoon.  Tears, laughter, the whole nine yards.  It's a book written from the point of view of a dog as he goes through different lives trying to find his purpose in each.  If you have ever thought to yourself "I wonder what my dog thinks of everything that happens," this book is one you should read.  Obviously no one will ever really know what dogs are thinking, but I'd like to think it was something like this.  Such a great read and it really made me appreciate my furry children even more.  I recommended it to everyone I know, and it was a successful recommendation because everyone I told really liked it also.
3. The Art of Racing in the Rain- another book written from a dog's point of view.  This one isn't as upbeat as the other, and takes on more dark and adult themes.  I still cried though.
4. The Jaycee Dugard Story-  I'm not sure if that's what the book is called, but nonetheless it was a really good, if horrifying, read.  To read what that sweet little girl endured for so long, and to see how positive and graceful she has stayed throughout it all, it's remarkable.  It really puts things into perspective.
5. Bossypants- Tina Fey's "memoir" or whatever they call those.  It's hilarious.  I would lay there in bed reading it, and burst into a random fit of laughter while Scott just looked at me like I had clearly lost my mind. 
6. The Hunger Games (and Catching Fire and Mockingjay)- Oh my goodness.  These books are insane.  I read the first one in about 2 days, the second in 2, and am currently on the third, which I anticipate finishing well before I go back to work on Tuesday.  It's a young-adult series, but it's so well-written you will literally read 100 pages in what feels like five minutes.  I know Diane is eagerly awaiting me to catch up and finish the last book so we can spend hours analyzing it, much like we do every book series.

I am sure I read other books in 2011, as I tend to get through a book every few weeks on average, but those are the books that stuck out to me as books I really enjoyed.  I have a list of books I'm excited to read in the new year also.

1. Water for Elephants- again I know there's a movie but I can't see it until I read the book!  I got through the first few chapters before I got books 2 and 3 of the Hunger Games so Water for Elephants got shelved.  But I am excited to pick it back up again.
2. 11/22/63- Stephen King's thousand page thriller about a guy who is sent back in time to try and prevent JFK's assassination.  I have it on the Kindle ready to go.
3. Band of Brothers- here's one where I'm guilty of watching the movie (mini-series) before reading the book.  But, in this case, the series is absolutely phenomenal, and I've heard the book only expands on the characters you come to love in the series.  I got an Amazon gift card for Christmas so that will be on my Kindle very soon.

And, because I still am a girl in my 20s, I'm eagerly anticipating Emily Giffin's new book, Where We Belong.  I love some good chick-lit too.

 I hope you each had a good year, and I promise to keep my good vibes for good vibes deal if you do.

Christmas Time!

Well here we are; it's Christmas time again.  This year has flown by!  I can't believe I've already been at the firm for almost a year.  Time flies when you're busy I suppose.

Back in high school, I used to always go to the Christmas Eve service with my parents at our church in Frisco (Faithbridge Presbyterian).  As I got better at the saxophone, I'd also play a Christmas solo or two of some sort during the service, wedged between any Bible verses I'd read.  That usually necessitated rummaging through all of my solo books mid-December trying to find the book of Christmas solos, having one or two practices with the piano player, and then it was lights, camera, action.  My senior year, there was a middle school girl who played the clarinet who also wanted to play a solo for the Christmas Eve service.  I had a book of B-flat solos from my soprano sax, so I lent her that so she could pick one to play.  I can't remember what she chose, I think "O Come all ye Faithful" or some other song in a major key that has happy upbeat chords.

I didn't get to hear her practice, but when it was lights camera action I remember wondering if she was playing the same song as the piano player.  Whatever she had practiced had morphed into "O Come all ye Faithful" in E-minor or something, because every chord was dark and every harmony with the piano was about half a step from where it needed to be.  Poor tuning will get the best of us.  Poor gal powered through but I remember looking around and seeing some of the slightly alarmed faces in the crowd.  For some reason my Mom (who witnessed the whole thing) found my account highly hilarious, and to this day when I say "Christmas songs in E-minor", she gets a good laugh.

A new frontier...

I love a good deal.  I'm a firm believer in the power of Target, and if you can brave the throngs of poorly dressed, badly groomed folks, a good Wal-Mart deal.  Today, however, I discovered something new.  A place I had never been.  A shopping experience I had yet to conquer.  Ladies and gents....I went to...

I don't know what made me try it.  But I did.  Oh my God.  Literally everything is a dollar.  They're not lying.  And it wasn't just random brands like Larry's Dish Soap or Donna's Toothpaste.  They had Dawn!  For a dollar!  To me, nothing is more annoying than spending money on necessities like dish soap, paper towels, or laundry detergent.  They're not fun like books, shoes, or Apple accesories.  So if I can get that crap for a dollar, I'm on this train.  And the seasonal stuff!  Along with household necessities, I loathe spending money on Christmas wrapping paper, boxes, or gift bags.  No one cares if you spent 6 dollars on an intricately made Christmas box for the office party cookies.  At least I don't.  I want the cookies.  The day after Christmas all you see mounds of discarded paper, bags, and boxes in mountains of black trash bags that the trash guys adore.  So, back to the moral of this story.  Who has two thumbs and loves the Dollar Tree?  This girl.  I should get that on a shirt.  I could probably even buy the materials to make the shirt AT the Dollar Tree.  It's a cycle of inexpensive winning. 

I'll be sure to keep you updated on my Dollar Tree winnings.  I call them winnings because when you spend a dollar for a 5-dollar tube of toothpaste, you're essentially winning it.

A walk down memory lane...

Here I am.  Whee. 

For those that don't know, our sweet family puppy Katie drifted off into eternal sleep on Monday.  She was nearly 16 years old, and had been struggling with a lot of joint pain lately, as well a just a general deterioration of quality of life.  I had known things weren't going too well over the weekend last weekend, so when my cell rang at lunchtime on Monday and it was Mom, I immediately knew why she was calling.  Mom said she was very brave, and didn't get the normal car ride jitters when she thinks she's going to the vet.  Despite the fact I knew it was coming sooner rather than later, and knowing full well what a great life she'd had, I was still surprised by my reaction.  Fortunately I was at home and I was able to get all the crying out in the comfort of my living room.  I couldn't imagine hearing that in my office.  Also fortunately, I have two pretty cool dogs of my own who immediately came to make sure I was ok.  Truman put his head in my lap and Cherry just sat quietly behind him.  Man I love my dogs.

Anyway, I have a giant box of old pictures that I decided to look through because I knew it would have pictures of Katie that I could post as a last "love you" to my sweet little girl.  I also found some gems along the way.  The quality of these pics is suspect at best because, well, they're old.  I'm sure you'll survive.

 Grand Theft Auto hooker walk anyone?

 Katie and Dad in our Frisco yard.  He looked confused even then.  ;)

 Leah has always loved pictures of herself.  LOVED.

I think this was an Easter party at KB (then KT's) house.

Country girl night- Trail Dust and dancing.  My definition of country girl was putting my hair in braided pigtails.  Try to resist.

My girl!

Probably one of my favorite pictures of her.  

"Singing along" to my saxophone.

:)

 Christmas Eve 2002 I believe.  She was so stylish with her festive bandanna.

We look good.

I loved that little dog.  And, I love all my friends in these pics who I am fortunate to still count among my best friends.