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?