Eclipse

621 pages later, I have finished Eclipse. This one was by far the strangest of all 3 that I have read. Not that there is anything normal about being in love with a vampire........but, moving right along.
Only 1 more book to go in the Twilight Series, Breaking Dawn. I am sad that the series will be over, but I am so excited to see what happens with Bella and Edward. At least then I will have the movie to look forward to in November!

Been There. Done That.

I opened up my J.Crew catalog the other day and this image was right there, in the middle of the denim section, staring at me. Tight-rolled jeans. Now, I don't know about you, but I lived through tight-rolled jeans once back in 1988, and I'm not going back. Sorry, I don't care if they are trendy. I carefully tight-rolled my Guess jeans and proudly wore them with a matching Guess jeans sweatshirt all through 8th grade. I had bangs and a perm and I was stylin' as I walked the mall with my other tight-rolled jean friends on Friday nights. (Ash, you were there...) But, I'm not tight-rolling anymore. No, thanks.

Happy First Day of Fall!

The first day of fall occurs at the autumnal equinox: Monday, September 22, 2008.

In Search of Gasoline

This morning my gas light came on as I was driving Will to school. I think, okay, I will fill up on my way home as I am doing errands. Umm, wrong. Every gas station in town is out of gas. I did not know this. 1 and 1/2 hours later (and mild panic aside) I now have a full tank of gas.

So, as I am watching my little red light gas light, I call everyone I know asking where to get gas. I stopped at the Purple Cow (you locals know...) and the nice people there said the Exxon in Green Hills has the only gas left around anywhere close!! Well, the Exxon in Green Hills is on the busiest road in all of Nashville. Cars were lined up both sides of the road. I actually see one of my best friends drive by as I am waiting in line! They have attendants in the road directing traffic. It was true madness. I wish so much I had my camera with me. It cost exactly $61 to fill up my Outback. (This is better than my friend Stacey's $106 Tahoe!) I would have paid anything by this time, I promise you! I have heard stories about people waiting in gas lines back in the 70s, but I guess I never thought it would happen to me. Oh well, it did.
Any good gas line stories out there?

In Defense of the "Onlies"

I went to a Ladies Fellowship Dinner Monday night with ladies from our church. It was wonderful. I met people I had never spoken to before and made some great connections with ladies I may never have met on a hectic Sunday morning. One of the mixer games was to divide into groups by birth order. Four groups- oldest, middle, baby, and only. (Let me just say I have always been fascinated by the birth order theories. I have read birth order books and strongly believe in most of the theories.)

I am slowly fixing my decaf coffee watching people gather into their groups, wondering if I will be the only "only" here. Thankfully, I was wrong. In the corner were 4 other "grown-up" only children. 5 of us total, ranging in ages. We were supposed to go around and tell what we thought was the best thing about our specific birth order. Well, that was kind of obvious to the 5 of us- we never had to share anything. So, instead, we went around and told WHY we were only children. Out of the 5 of us, 2 reasons were health problems and 3 were divorce. Let me just say that is the biggest misconception about only children. Ask one, because there is always a reason. Fertility issues, divorce, health problems, etc.. Don't just assume.

Now, to the second biggest misconception. Being spoiled rotten. That is the first thing out of most mouths in regards to only children. I get defensive here. No, we did not have to share the backseat, toys, or attention. But, did this automatically make us "spoiled?" Umm, no. Now, obviously I chose to have more than one child. Nothing can compare to the bond between siblings. I cherish watching my boys interact with each other. And, thankfully, my sister-in-law is like the sister I never had. I share my life with her just like I would a blood-related sister.
I have been blessed. I have parents who raised me not be "spoiled," but to appreciate life and the blessings God has given me. I was taken everywhere with my parents. It was assumed I would travel with them and know how to converse with adults.  No, I didn't have to share a backseat, but that is a good thing since I routinely get severely carsick.  I never had an atari or a nintendo, but I was taken to museums and nice restaurants. I had a wonderful childhood and for that I am thankful.
For all you "onlies" out there, this is for you! Now, I will end my rant for the night before my mother dies of embarrassment.

New Moon

I finished New Moon last night. It is the second book in the Twilight series. That means I now only have 2 left. I already feel panic- what will I read when I'm done?!? I know I sound dramatic, but these books are engrossing. I find myself thinking about Edward and Bella randomly during my day. I have one other friend, Liz, who is reading them at the same time. We call each other and leave crazy voice mails on each others phones. Thanks for understanding, Liz!!

New Moon started off a little darker and slower than Twilight. But, it more than made up for it at the end. I have read reviews of this book at both ends of the spectrum. Some hated it and some loved it. I guess that just depends on your level of love for Edward and Bella. I loved it, but the ending really left me hanging. I needed more than she gave at the ending. I guess that is why Stephenie Meyer is a genius. I will be out finding Eclipse (the next book) today or tomorrow!!

Who are you?

I added the Live Traffic Feed to see who is visting my blog. I recognize most of the names and locations, but some are random. (Like the person from Greenville, South Carolina who visits everyday?? Do I know anyone in Greenville, SC??) I have seen this done on other blogs, so please indulge me with participating in the poll. Let me know who you are and how you found me and my relatively dorky blog. (you could take this opportunity to leave me a comment if you've never done so...you don't have to have your own blog to leave a comment.) Thanks!

The Ultimate Cute Slippers

Aren't these slippers cute? Clearly, they are adorable! My wonderful friend Heather gave these to me for my birthday. (the other feet belong to my cute friend Stacey. She was lucky enough to get some too because she is pregnant!!) Thank you so much, Heather!! I told you they would make the blog !!!!!!!

My New Obsession

Are any of you familiar with Stephenie Meyer and the Twilight Series ? Well, I just finished reading the first book, Twilight (all 498 pages of it) in about 5 days. Addictive. That is how I would describe it. The wait for book 2, New Moon, at my library is so long that I am going to have to go out this afternoon and buy it. I can't stand it. I now know what all the fuss is about.

I saw her interviewed on 60 Minutes (or some show like that) and she is just a normal stay-at-home-mom of 5 who happens to be instantly famous because of these books. Kind of like a J.K. Rowling story. I love that! These books are based on a crazy dream she had one night. She said she woke up and raced to her computer to get it all down before she forgot. Now, I have crazy dreams all the time, but usually forget them before I can even get to my coffee. The movie based on Twilight is coming out in November.

For those of you saying, "isn't that the vampire book?" Yes, but this is no Anne Rice. It does not read like vintage sci-fi or goth. It is a modern day love story. Meyer is a fan of Jane Austen. Trust me. You won't be able to put this book down.

Happy September!

I love September. It has always been my favorite month. Here's a few reasons why:

1. The "back-to-school" feeling. I don't care how old you are, everyone needs that fresh start in the Fall.


2. The first UT football game. This is best experienced in Knoxville. Where else in the world can you find a huge parking lot tailgate party at your local Food City giving away free food and t-shirts? Where else in the world is there a radio station that will play "Rocky Top" 24 hours straight to celebrate the beginning of football season? I will always consider myself lucky to have lived 3 Septembers in that beloved town.


3. The beginning of the month still feels like summer, but by the end of the month it feels like fall. You might even smell a bonfire or two. I love the smell of fall!


4. It is my birthday month. I am turning 29 again this year. It is also my father-in-laws birthday month. He is a Virgo, like me. Maybe this is why we've always gotten along so well. No, I don't believe in astrology, but the Virgo description has always fit me frighteningly well.


5. The season premiere of Grey's Anatomy is Thursday night September 25th. Seriously people, let's get our priorities straight here.