Joining the Throngs of Married People

Yes, you read right...Yours truly is now trying to plan her own wedding! As of a few minutes past midnight on Christmas morning, I joined a group commonly known as the engaged. After the initial shock and extreme delight that I was asked to be someone's wife, I barely had any time to enjoy it before the reality of all the planning required popped into my head. You may laugh, but I went straight to Chapters on Boxing Day and bought a wedding planner and a book about how to find bridal bargains. This is definitely going to be quite the interesting year and I am both excited and a bit scared about tackling all the details. However, once the date is set (we are meeting with my church's priest on Jan 2nd to set the fall date) and the church and hall are booked, then the details begin...I must admit that I am quite curious to see what style of wedding gown will look good on me. So may styles and only one wedding (I would certainly hope)...Let's just hope that the journey is as easy as it can be.
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My family is thrilled and is racking up quite the phone bill calling me up to talk about the upcoming day. It's kind of cute. It's a little sad that they are so far away and can't really go out and do the planning with me, but I will keep them up to snuff the whole way (that's what e-mail is for...plus you can attach pictures). Well, enough about all this, there are still people to inform about the big day. For right now I will just enjoy the fact that the man I love happens to love me just as much and was smart enough to ask me to give him forever and a day...

Movie Quiz

Okay, so this came from Nicky once again and I have been tagged. I guess I am in the hot seat for the time being...

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1) Popcorn or candy? Hellloooo, POPCORN!!!

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2) Name a movie you've been meaning to see forever. I have always wanted to see The Last Emperor

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3) Steal one costume from a movie for your wardrobe. There was a really pretty dress worn by Natalie Portman in the second Star Wars movie that was flowy and pale yellow from the top down to darker hues at the bottom...it's been a while, I can't do it justice because my memory is a bit foggy. Maybe if I take my significant other into consideration it might have to be the Priness Leia outfit at Jabba's place (how many hours of working out will that require?).

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4) Your favorite film franchise is...Indiana Jones!

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5) Invite five movie people over for dinner. Who are they? Why'd you invite them? What do you feed them?

- Harrison Ford because my first crush was Han Solo (and then again as Indiana Jones). I'd feed him whatever he wanted.

- Morgan Freeman because I find him fascinating and love his work. I think he'd get steak and some sort of fancy vegetable side dish.

- John Cusack because everyone wants to meet Lloyd Dobbler from Say Anything. He is the kind of guy you take home to mom. We'd have a BBQ.

- Ashley Judd because she is a strong woman. We could talk about the work she does for pediatric AIDS. She'd get a fancier meal with lots of veggies.

- Adam Sandler because it's always good to just be silly for an evening. He'd get spaghetti.

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6) What is the appropriate punishment for people who answer cell phones in the movie theater? Confiscate the phone and a period of time where they can't enter movie theaters!

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7) Choose a female bodyguard: Ripley from Aliens, Mystique from X-Men, Sarah Connor from Terminator 2, The Bride from Kill Bill, or Mace from Strange Days. I have always thought Ripley was kick-ass.

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8) What's the scariest thing you've ever seen in a movie? Don't laugh, but the original "The Blob" terrified me when I was 7 because you couldn't hide from it in a closet since it could ooze through anything!

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9) Your favorite genre (excluding "comedy" and "drama"). Thrillers/suspense.

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10) You are given the power to greenlight movies at a major studio for one year. How do you wield this power? It would be nice to see something outside of the box (I am tired of cookie-cutter movies). I would also greenlight anything with Harrison Ford, Morgan Freeman, John Cusack and Edward Norton.

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11) Bonnie or Clyde? How about someone who lives?!

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I guess it's now my turn to tag some people. As always I am taggin Kawi and Daisylixxx! Don't let me down girls...

Christmas is Coming! Christmas is Coming!

Anyone who knows anything about me knows that I absolutely LOVE Christmas. As soon as December hits, I get all my decorations out and trim the tree. Should I mention that I have so many ornaments that I have to choose which ones I want to use each year? Should I also mention that my tree is gargantuan? It's 7.5 feet tall and quite full. No Charlie Brown tree for me! Some of my friends have given my place the moniker "Christmasland" and I guess I agree that it's appropriate. I have the gargantuan tree, a Christmas village, garlands around the doorframes, 3 - count 'em - 3 stockings (one is Tigger sticking out the top), candles and stuffed animals on all shelves. I sometimes even put out some children's books I have bought over the years about Santa and his workshop. Did I mention that I love Christmas???

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However, this year is quite strange...Today is the 19th and being in Montreal you would think it would be pretty and white. Not so! We have only had 2 snowfalls and the snow has refused to stay. December 1st was actually quite horrid as we had freezing rain and the ice detroyed a lot of lovely trees, while giving a lot of people electricity problems (yours truly was spared the aggravation). I know that come January and February I will be cursing the minus 40 weather plus windchill, but right now I would really like to look outside my window and feel like Christmas is less than a week away!

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Speaking of less than a week...Have you done your Christmas shopping? Have you bought all the gifts needed for all your loved ones? The clock is a-tickin'...I actually got mine done early this year (the last weekend of November) because I knew that I would have very little time this month. I am looking forward to finishing this week at work and then taking it easy until the new year. After spending the last 3 weekends entertaining the public by singing in the malls, I am bushed! Only 6 more days...

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I hope I don't get a lump of coal from Santa!

Gotta Love Josh!

Josh Groban is coming to Montreal in March 2007! I am so psyched! I saw him 2 years ago when he came and I promised myself that if he ever came back again, that I would definitely go, no matter what the price of the tickets. So, I am planning on going yet again. He is an incredible singer and all his classical training has served him well. When his first CD came out, I couldn't keep from hitting "replay" on the very first track (my mom still teases me about not being able to listen to that song only once). Talk about a very mature and developed voice for someone so young at the time (and he is still very young). I gravitated to the songs "Alla Luce Del Sole" (the first track) and "Alejate" for very different reasons since they are very different types of moods. On his second CD I found myself instantly liking "Oceano" (the first track...hmm, a trend perhaps?) and "You Raise Me Up", again for very different reasons. Now I have just bought his newest CD and will have to see what songs I gravitate to...maybe the first track? Anyways, I urge anyone who loves music to check him out to just sit back and enjoy the richness of his voice. What a treat!
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A little sidenote: I took a quick little quiz called "Which Josh Groban Song Are You?" at www.quizilla.com and it turns out that my favorite song is the one I am like.

Inside the Actors Studio Questions

I have, on occasion, caught the show "Inside the Actors Studio" hosted by James Lipton and always find myself intrigued by actors' answers to his questions at the very end. I figured, who cares if I am not an actor, I'm gonna answer those very questions myself. So here goes:

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1) What is your favorite word? Gargantuan

2) What is your least favorite word? Failure

3) What turns you on? A bright smile

4) What turns you off? Ignorance

5) What sound or noise do you love? An all-out belly laugh from a child

6) What sound or noise do you hate? Someone yelling and dragging their child because they can't walk fast enough to keep up.

7) What is your favorite curse word? Mother f$%*er (but I have to be REALLY angry to use that one)

8) What job other than your own would you like to attempt? Marine biologist

9) What job would you hate? Garbage collector

10) If there is a heaven, what would you like to hear God say when you get to the Pearly Gates? I'm proud of you.

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Simple enough...Anyone else? Again: Kawi or Daisylixxx? Some more food for thought...

5 Things People Don't Know About Me

I got this idea from the blog of someone I came across totally randomly. We have never met, so it sometimes feels like I have a cyber pen pal (I grew up loving to write to people and had lots of pen pals that I met briefly through vacations or basketball tournaments). Anyways...Let's see...what can I tell people that they don't know about me? Here goes nothing:

1) I can wiggle my nose like a bunny.

2) I have perfect pitch (and only now am starting to appreciate it when singing).

3) My stomach growls so loud that it sounds like I am harboring a monster in there! And it's genetic! (Dad is the same way).

4) My toes are so long that people tease me saying they look like fingers (but the baby toe is so small that if I wear sandals with one strap across the foot, it looks like I only have four toes!).

5) I once won a dance competition at a night club in Korea (and only after the DJ prompted me to join...even though I was red with embarrassment).

So there you go, you now know me a little bit better :) Who wants to be the next one to attack this one? Kawi? Daisylixxx?

The Age Old Question...

Vacation Destination: Florida

My week in Florida is quickly coming to a close. I must say that the constant daily sunshine has been a VERY nice change from what I left behind. This time of year is perfect for me because there is absolutely NO humidity. I love it! The nice cool breeze, lack of humidity and daily sun were just what I needed after a hectic couple of months (new job, new home). It's been nice spending time with the family as well, since we only get to see each other once or twice a year. I'm glad that they have such a good life down here, but I am quite content to stay in my neck of the woods (even if that means I have to get through conditions of -40 with windchill in January every year). The palm trees are beautiful out here, but I could never trade my autumn colors for them. Maybe when I am retired...but that's not for a very LONG time! For now Florida will just have to remain a vacation destination :)

How to Take Yourself Out of a Competition in 5 Seconds Flat!

Well, as I am sitting here in sunny Florida, on vacation now, I am looking back over the last 24 hours and the craziness that took place...

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I was in Jacksonville for an international barbershop convention and contest (IC&C), but never got to compete. I had the worst case of food poisoning I have ever experienced! After having had a horrible early morning where the bathroom was my best friend, I seemed to be doing a bit better after having been up for a few hours after breakfast time. I managed to get through physical and vocal warm-ups with the chorus and then had an hour and a half to get make-up done and get into costume. That's when I got hit...Not feeling particularly well, I rushed into the washroom yet again and within a few seconds of being in there started to feel extremely light-headed. Being the smart person that I am, I got myself down to the ground in case of any fainting spells and the next thing I knew, I was staring up at my roommates trying to get the bathroom door open because I was sprawled out on the floor blocking entry! Apparently, they had heard a THUMP! and came rushing to the door calling my name with no replies coming back. Talk about a great way to worry people...yeesh! (No worries, it seems that the sound was not my head smacking anything. It seems that my elbow took the brunt of the fall because it is really tender and I have no bumps on my head...talk about lucky!) So needless to say that I ended up in bed getting some much-needed rest and missing the whole competition. Thank goodness I didn't fly out here only to compete. That would have been a ton of money for nothing! Now I am going to enjoy the rest of my time out here visiting the family. It's just too bad that the only time they have ever been able to see what I do, I wasn't even on stage. At least they saw the rest of the chorus before we drove 5 hours to get back "home".

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Check out the results from the competition at www.harmonyinc.org and check out my chorus at www.montrealcityvoices.com.

Reading Survey Making its Rounds

There seems to be a thread making its way around the blogging population, so I figured I'd add my 2 cents worth for whomever may care what I think (btw, that's the library on the Tampa campus for the University of South Florida, top right, where I had to research many a report as a student).

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1) A book that changed your life: Wow, that's a tough one since I have read many books that have left imprints. I read a book once that was about gypsies and the type of life they lead. It was very eye-opening. Also, the Anne Frank diary is quite captivating. So many books, so little time...
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2) A book you've read more than once: I am not really one to read books more than once because my memory is WAY too long. However, I have read To Kill A Mockingbird by Lee Harper more than once and always in one straight run. I just LOVE that book (the movie with Gregory Peck is also excellent). When I was a kid I often read Beverly Cleary books over and over because they made me laugh (Ramona Quimby was quite the character).
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3) A book you'd want on a desert island: Hmmm...101 Ways to Cook What is Within Arm's Reach...mwa ha ha ha!
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4) A book that made you giddy: Is this a trick question? Do I really need a book to make me giddy? Not likely...However, there was a book called Dad's Life by Dave Hill that made me giggle. One of the kids is hilarious because he absolutely wants to be Snow White for Halloween and his whole character is just cute. Also, Sex for Dummies...if you need that, then I'm thinking you've been living under a rock...lol
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5) A book you wish had been written: Why Call Them Love Handles When I Don't Love Them and I Can't Handle Them? for obvious reasons ;)
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6) A book that wracked you with sobs: A Time For Dancing by Davida Wills Hurwin. I read this book and found it hard not to cry while reading it during my lunch hours at work a few years back. All the girlfriends I loaned it to said they had a hard time keeping it together as well. It's a story about 2 best friends and how they cope with the fact that one gets cancer. A very heartfelt story that goes through all the emotions: sadness, anger, hope...
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7) A book you wish had never been written: I just read a book recently that was WAY too disturbing (I don't even remember the title, I've blocked it from my mind already). It started out as just the narrative about this guy's life and when I was about 20 pages from the end...BOOM!...he goes into how his love for his sister also happens to be something that leads them to sleep together all the time...YUCK!!!
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8) A book you are currently reading: Yesterday I started reading a book called Brother and Sister by Joanna Trollope. We'll see if it's any good. It's another discount table purchase. Time to find out if it is a pleasant surprise...
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9) A book you've been meaning to read: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. I remember loving the movie and crying a lot when one of the characters died. Way back in high school (okay, not THAT way back) I was told by a girl in one of my classes that she was having a hard time reading the book because it kept making her cry. I am curious...
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10) Tag: Okay, I tag Kawi to tackle this next...

Painting: A Numbing Array of Choices

Have you ever walked into a home decor store and taken a look at the number of color choices? Holy cow, it's enough to make your eyes cross! I swear, no matter how many times I think I have a color scheme in mind, it inevitably ends up changing after I have been presented with the walls of color swatches. My boyfriend and I had discussed what colors we would use in the new apartment: a light mossy green in the bedroom and a café au lait type of hue for the living room, entrance and hallway. These are the colors we ended up with: khaki in the bedroom (which turned out to be quite nice) and a brighter peachy color in the living room, entrance and hallway. So much for our initial plans...

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Once you make your decision, then the real fun begins. The painting itself is quite tedious, what with taping edges, doing the corners, going around doors and windows, etc...It may not really feel like you are doing much at the time, but boy do you feel it later! I woke up yesterday after having painted all afternoon on Saturday with sore parts that I was cursing all day. The balls of my feet were actually in pain. My shoulders were sore and tight from rolling the paint on the walls. My lower back was sore because I had been on my feet the whole time, bending and reaching, alternately. And finally, the one which I couldn't figure out at first: my hamstrings. They were the victims of all the crouching I did to outline the floorboards. Ouch! My body is no longer speaking to me :(

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Okay, so all complaining aside, I am glad that the painting turned out as well as it did (the hallway got finished tonight and the place is now ready to be inhabited). Now it is definitely time to move in and boy is it ever a good thing that all the painting got done before we got all the furniture in. Thank goodness for small favors :)

Packing Stinks!!!

I am so tired of packing right now! My first question is: "Does anyone really need this much stuff?" Between my books and my Christmas decorations, heaven forbid I actually own anything else...geez. Can you tell I am just dying to get all of this done and over with? Four more days, I have to keep reminding myself...I keep filling up plastic bins, dumping the contents off at the new place and then refilling them. I am hoping to alleviate the amount of boxes that will require carrying during the actual "Big Move". Hopefully, after the furniture has been tranferred, there will be little else left. Thanks to one of my girlfriends, a bunch of boxes and bins were transported and emptied yesterday (much appreciated). Things should go fairly smoothly...and not a moment too soon! As of this past weekend, there is a gaping hole in the bathroom ceiling of my current residence! Yes, you read right: there is a HOLE in the bathroom ceiling. A water bubble started Friday night and by Saturday morning the ceiling was caving in due to the water weight. Fun, huh? Counting down the days and still praying for super powers to get all the packing done with a flick of the wrist or a snap of my fingers...Still hasn't happened, but a girl can try, can't she?

A Moment of Levity

A New Place on the Horizon...

So, on the homefront things are gonna be new and exciting: my boyfriend and I are moving into a new place together. And so a new phase begins...picking paint for the walls, decorating a new space so that it isn't too girlie (not really a problem with me) and not too masculine or sterile. I look forward to making the place into a home. Although the more I pack, the more I realize I have waaaayyyy too much stuff!!!
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The question remains: what will it really end up being like? I'm thinking that it could be shades of "The Honeymooners" myself what with Alice being a bit of a smart ass and Ralph being all blustery (nahhhh, that doesn't sound like us at all...lol). Good news is that they always ended every episode with a kiss (*wink, wink*). Just to be sure though, could someone give us a call once in a while to make sure that we haven't strangled each other? I am only joking...or am I? Hmmm....

My Top 5

Does anyone remember the episode of "Friends" where the characters are talking about their top five actors/actresses that they can fantasize about? It's something my best friend and I used to actually put careful thought into when we were younger (keeping it down to 10 was tough enough). So, can anyone name their five? I actually have five of my own: John Cusack (which I constantly bug my man about - "Oh honey, I have a date with John Cusack tonight" which prompts him to ask me what movie I am about to watch), Hugh Jackman, Harrison Ford (in the Indiana Jones days), Patrick Dempsey and Vince Vaughn. All I can say is "Rowr, are they hot or what?"

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Don't tell me that when John Cusack stands under that window with the song "In Your Eyes" playing in "Say Anything" that you don't wish it were you, ladies, that he's playing it for...or that you think that Hugh Jackman looks "okay" in "Swordfish" (besides, everyone knows that Wolverine kicks ass)...or that you didn't want Harrison Ford saving you from a pit of snakes or taking you through space to shoot at some Storm Troopers...or that Patrick Dempsey was not the cutest geek on earth in "Can't Buy Me Love"...or that Vince Vaughn didn't tug at your heartstrings in "Return to Paradise" when he yelled at Joaquin Phoenix to focus on him...All of these men have something incredible hot about them. They are all ruggedly handsome (pretty boys begone!) and dreamy (Dr McDreamy anyone?). I am not the type of gal to go "gaga" over anyone, but even I have to admit that these men are fine specimens :)

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No, I am not about to replace my man or fantasize about someone else. I just like watching these guys on screen once in a while. Who says (eye) candy isn't good for you?

Art, a Feast for the Eyes

I have already written about music and how it crosses language barriers. The same can be said about art (I am talking paintings and such). So, I figured I'd take a small moment to pay homage to an artist that I have been drawn to the last few years: Jack Vettriano. I have a copy of the print "Dance Me to the End of Love" (top left) in my bedroom. To me, it speaks of old-time romance and class. Yes, you've guessed it, I am a romantic at heart. I also happen to love the print "Back Where You Belong" (top right). The colors and poses just seem to really strip down to bare feelings (doesn't it just scream love to you?). Okay, okay, enough mushiness...Check out Vettriano's prints if you get the chance. There are some really good ones: Night Geometry, The Singing Butler, etc...etc...He has a nice mixture of passion and old-time romance. Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong era...

Music Creates Emotion

They say that music is an international language. Is this really true? Think about the classical music that is known by all, whether it be Beethoven, Mozart or Tchaikovsky, everyone has heard at least one of their pieces. The titles may not roll off the tongue (is it just me or are they all named something like "Concerto No.7 for Piano in F Minor"?), but most of us can recognize some of the major pieces. True, it may only be because they have been used in a TV commercial or just sampled in another remixed hip-hop tune, but these pieces of music have stood the test of time. The great composers were able to put together tunes that bring us to feel something (it could be great appreciation for their work or just a plain old "is this song EVER gonna end?" feeling). Since emotions don't have any particular language, I guess we can say that music can cross those barriers as long as we allow it to bring us to feel something. Even I will admit that I am partial to Tchaikovsky's piece that we know as "The Waltz of the Flowers" in the famous Christmas story The Nutcracker.

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Here's a question that is often difficult for people to answer: What is your favorite song? There are so many tunes that we may hear that bring out an "Oh! I LOVE that song!!!" but when it comes right down to it, what IS your favorite song? Some people may have one for each type of music style they like or they may have one that is tied to a warm memory. I myself have a favorite song based on the emotion behind the lyrics as well as the lyrics themselves. I am a lover of music and have very eclectic tastes. I like everything from Tchaikovsky to The Gypsy Kings and Louis Armstrong to Linkin Park (please note that country and techno are not a part of my wide range of tastes). However, even with all the great songs out there, I have one that happens to tug at my heartstrings. It is from the musical "The Phantom of the Opera" which I absolutely loved and saw twice (it's also a great, yet gruesome book). Here are the lyrics:

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Music of the Night

Night-time sharpens, heightens each sensation

Darkness stirs and wakes imagination

Silently the senses abandon their defences

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Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendour

Grasp it, sense it - tremulous and tender

Turn your face away from the garish light of day

Turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light

And listen to the music of the night

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Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams

Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before

Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar

And you'll live as you've never lived before

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Softly, deftly, music shall surround you

Feel it, hear it, closing in around you

Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind,

In this darkness which you know you cannot fight - the darkness of the music of the night

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Let your mind start a journey through a strange new world

Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before

Let your soul take you where you long to be

Only then can you belong to me

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Floating, falling, sweet intoxication

Touch me, trust me, savour each sensation

Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in

To the power of the music that I write - the power of the music of the night

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You alone can make my song take flight - help me make the music of the night

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I just love how this song is about the way the Phantom loves a woman (Christine) and wants so badly to share the dark world he must live in, knowing that it is not a world she is a part of. The pleading and sense of sadness always capture me when I hear this song. My favorite version of this song is by Colm Wilkinson because he has such a deep and emotional tone when he sings it. I get goosebumps upon goosebumps...

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All this to say that music creates emotion in us. Whether it causes one to get "pumped up" for a soccer game in Italy or a hockey game in Canada...Whether it causes one to want to dance with a loved one...Whether it causes one to shed a tear...Music is a language that we all understand.

Named for a Cartoon Character

Okay, so the title may have caught your eye and you may be wondering 'what exactly does she mean by that?'. Well, let me clarify what I am alluding to: my younger brother was named for a cartoon character by yours truly. How's that for original? Our parents were having a hard time coming up with a possible name for a baby boy and asked me my opinion at the tender age of 5. Since I was only 5 what did I really have to draw on but the cartoon world that I enjoyed immensely? I figured that if I ended up with a baby brother and he was named for a hero, he would grow up to be that character. So, being a fan of "G-Force" (aka "Battle of the Planets") I asked my parents to use the name Mark (since that character was the leader), but since that name was already attached to a cousin of mine, it was a no go. Please remember that I was only 5...The next logical choice was Jason since he was the second in command and a fiery character...and VOILA! I ended up with a younger brother named for that character.

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So after hours of trying to track down some information on my brother's "alter ego". Here is what I was able to find:

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"No last name is given. Sometimes called 'Jase' for short by Princess. Jason is second-in-command of the G-Force team, and has shown a longing to be the leader, at times coming head to head with Mark and his decisions. He has a temper and is often referred to as a hot-head, yet he still cares deeply for his fellow teammates. He has the reputation of being one of the best race car drivers on Earth, and has competed in many interplanetary racing events. He also is the most likely of the team to be interested in pretty women, but they have an annoying tendency to somehow be affiliated with Spectra. Jason operates the weapons of the Phoenix and his vehicle is called the Spacemobile (real imaginative). He is knowledgeable about the defense systems of planets and facilities."

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Age: 18

Nationality: Sicilian (Birthplace: the fictitious BC Island)

Hair: Reddish brown

Eyes: Blue

Side Occupation: Private small-time race driver

Residence: Small trailer which he tows to his race locations

Strengths: Excellent marksman; acts as chief gunner for the team. Good at mechanical solutions to problems (as opposed to Mark's strength in strategy), and uses the drill, blowtorch and cable attachments on his airgun to best advantage. Excels at throwing darts and knives; every member of the team carries feather shuriken, but use of these weapons becomes Jason's trademark.

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So there we go...my lil bro's name origins are now documented for all to see. Love ya, Jay!

Top 100 Books Chosen by Canadians

Since I am an avid reader, I figured I'd put this list up that I had clipped from The Gazette at the end of 2005. Here are the 100 books Canadians favored (blue for those I haven't read and purple for those that I have):

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1. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

2. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

3. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee (my favorite book)

4. Gone With the Wind - Margaret Mitchell

5. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - J.R.R. Tolkien

6. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien

7. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - J.R.R Tolkien

8. Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery

9. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon

10. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry

11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling

12. Angels and Demons - Dan Brown

13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling

14. A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving

15. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J.K. Rowling

17. Fall On Your Knees - Ann-Marie MacDonald

18. The Stand - Stephen King

19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling

20. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

21. The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien

22. The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger

23. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott

24. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

25. Life of Pi - Yann Martel

26. The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams

27. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

28. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis

29. East of Eden - John Steinbeck

30. Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom

31. Dune - Frank Herbert

32. The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks

33. Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand

34. 1984 - George Orwell

35. The Mists of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley

36. The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett

37. The Power of One - Bryce Courtenay
38. I Know This Much is True - Wally Lamb

39. The Red Tent - Anita Diamant

40. The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho

41. The Clan of the Bear - Jean M. Auel

42. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

43. Confessions of a Shopaholic - Sophie Kinsella

44. The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom

45. The Bible

46. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy

47. The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas

48. Angela's Ashes - Frank McCourt

49. The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck

50. She's Come Undone - Wally Lamb

51. The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver

52. A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

53. Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card

54. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens

55. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

56. The Stone Angel - Margaret Laurence

57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling

58. The Thorn Birds - Colleen McCullough

59. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood

60. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

61. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

62. The Fountainhead - Ayn Rand

63. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy

64. Interview with the Vampire - Anne Rice

65. Fifth Business - Robertson Davies

66. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

67. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - Ann Brashares

68. Catch-22 - Joseph Heller

69. Les Misérables - Victor Hugo

70. The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

71. Bridget Jones' Diary - Helen Fielding

72. Love in the Time of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

73. Shogun - James Clavell

74. The English Patient - Michael Ondaatje

75. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett

76. Summer Tree - Guy Gavriel Kay

77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith

78. The World According to Garp - John Irving

79. The Diviners - Margarent Laurence

80. Charlotte's Web - E.B. White

81. Not Wanted on the Voyage - Timothy Findley

82. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck

83. Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier

84. Wizard's First Rule - Terry Goodkind

85. Emma - Jane Austen

86. Watership Down - Richard Adams

87. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

88. The Stone Diaries - Carol Shields

89. Blindness - Jose Saramago

90. Kane and Abel - Jeffrey Archer

91. In the Skin of the Lion - Michael Ondaatje

92. Lord of the Flies - William Golding

93. The Good Earth - Pearl S. Buck

94. The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd

95. The Bourne Identity - Robert Ludlum

96. The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton

97. White Oleander - Janet Fitch

98. A Woman of Substance - Barbara Taylor Bradford

99. The Celestine Prophecy - James Redfield

100. Ulysses - James Joyce

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I would like to attempt to read most of what is on this list. I even have some of these books waiting on my shelves to be read. Hopefully I will continue to chip away at the list...If anyone has any suggestions for good books to read, please feel free to let me know of them :)

Boredom Has Set In...

Being stuck at home on a rainy day is not a fun thing. What is there to do? Okay, I know that there are options like reading (which I LOVE to do), listening to music, catching up on e-mails or writing blogs, but if I want a little bit of relaxation where I can shut down the thinking process, there is absolutely nothing on TV! I know I'm thinking mindless, but drivel is not what I want. Soap operas begone!!! It would be nice to actually come across something halfway intelligent (see? I am even being nice by only asking halfway intelligent). Yeesh! In a world where reality TV rules (and I admit that I am a follower of shows like "The Amazing Race" and "What Not to Wear") is there no higher cognitive thinking on TV? Do the networks even know what that is? Can they even spell it? Even most of today's sitcoms are just...not....funny. Maybe I'm just getting (*gasp*) older...Okay, stop thinking that nonsense right now...I am still waiting for something really intelligent before my entire IQ disappears from watching what is now called "quality programming"...Blech!!!
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Maybe I should just get back to that book I have been reading for the past month (usually finish books within 2-3 weeks....I am due).

Does Becoming a Driver Require a Lobotomy?

I have a question: do people check their brains at the door when they enter their cars? From what I have been witnessing lately the answer is a resounding "YES"! Between drivers who refuse to look at oncoming traffic when trying to cut across into the far lane (from a sidestreet), those who like to hog 2 lanes at the same time and those who get upset with you if you even show the slightest reaction to them cutting you off, I'm starting to lose faith in the public's ability to get behind the steering wheel and use any safety measures. And don't even get me started on parking lots. They are havens for the degenerates of the world. Am I being too harsh? I don't think so. Think about it...how hard is it to maneuver between stationary vehicles? If you can't do that, what makes you think you can handle being on the road? It's like using a bike with training wheels and not being able to stay upright. Okay, so maybe I am not the one doing the driving, but being a pedestrian I see a lot of weird stuff out there. Heck, even some pedestrians need some major help out there. You know what I'm talking about...the ones who stand in between lanes (not on the median) and wait to run across between cars. Fine, if you want to play "chicken" with oncoming vehicles, that's your prerogative, but please don't let me catch you doing it with your child as your shield (you think I make this stuff up, but I don't).

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Okay, okay, I know that not everyone is that bad. However, just to be on the safe side maybe I should stay in bed and call in sick tomorrow...

How Did I Ever End Up Here?

Okay, so who would've thought I'd end up creating a blog? Me, of all people? I have no idea what I will be writing in this space, but hopefully it won't bore the pants off the masses...I can only hope that it will be a fun tool to chronicle my thoughts (when I'm not having blonde moments) and maybe any treks out to fun and interesting places (have already been to China, Cuba, Korea, the Philippines and Thailand...what's next?). As they say: "it's not the the destination, but the trip that got you there that counts".