So, it may just be the whole new-to-me thing ... but FB is totally addictive.

Even though it's not pretty. It's actually kinda annoying.

I feel compelled by it.

Stupid interwebs are sucking my brain bits our my ears. There's not much there! Leave it be!! :-P

Maybe FB isn't using Taco Bell's special ingredient, but rather it's a virtual zombie. Braaaaaaaaaains!

In other, unrelated news, Devil's Alley has fantastic happy hour specials (drink and food ). And you can sit outside. And pee with a skeleton in the bowels of a cartoon version of hell. Kinda neat, really ;)

Joined Facebook. Add me if you feel so inclined.

I gotta say, though ... so far I'm thoroughly unimpressed. It lacks much of the customizability of, say, MySpace. Or even LJ, for that matter. Bland. Blah. I'm a big fan of virtual ambiance ;)

We'll see. Enough people said, "Why aren't you Facebook?"

So, now I am. Sigh.

One day I will let a GIANT bandwagon just roll on by. And the world will NOT end *L*

Psst! - Hey stregapez! My profile pic is of you and I on NYE. If that's not coo', just let me know, and I'll yank it!

It's 2 a.m. I should probably join S under the covers. Why am I awake??

"The Proposal" was a LOT funnier than I thought it would be. I guffawed a few times ;)

Have to say, though ... Ms. Bullock went the plastic-doll route, which breaks my heart. Her skin is super tight, and her lips just look ... fake? She was so pretty. I get so sad when these celebrities go for surgery. We're turning into a race of alien-Barbies with these eternally taught, super-shiny faces *meep* And they had her in SO much makeup. She had dragon-queen eyelashes and purple shadow in BED.

* Had no idea how dirty that would sound until I wrote it!!!

The Little Book by Selden Edwards
rating: 1 of 5 stars

At almost 400-pages, this New York Times best seller is the product of the better part of a decade.

And you can tell.

It is obvious Edwards is very familiar with these characters, and is intent on making the reader just as familiar. Down to the minutiae.

On the plus side, yet another world war 2-centric book to add to my growing menagerie.

Unfortunately, also yet another book club pick that fairly missed the mark for me, I’m afraid. I’m not a fan of time travel books that bend and twist time to revert back on itself. This book posits that 2 men (American), father and son, travel back in time (to pre-war Vienna) at the moment of their respective deaths. Ultimately, the idea is that they have already changed the future with actions they’ve made in the past (a past neither were born into, if that makes sense?).

It is a well-weaved tale, with few inconsistencies. A tribute, as it is VERY intricate in detail. I can recall only one misleading item (which still bothers me in its inconsistency). This is the nature of my reading, I’m afraid.

The interweaving of real individuals of history with fictional characters was meant to lend a sense of authenticity to the story. Instead, I think it simply placed my focus a little too sharply on areas in which there was no need.

All in all, I don’t think I would recommend this book. It was a decent read, but it was unnerving and perhaps a little pompous, in my humble opinion. I say, read at your own peril.

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So, here I am. Tippity typing my work day away in the familiar urban setting of Philly, Pa. I feel so far removed from my recent midwest trip, it's unreal! ( Cut for length! )

Just wanted to let everyone know we're home. Alive and in tact, even.

Despite vigilant application of 70 SPF on our faces and 50 on our bods, we even have slight tans from the trip ;)

Final tallies:

Days on the road: 10

States: 13

Time zones: 3

Now, if I could only remember how to type ... *L*

Sitting near the "continental breakfast" at a motel-supplied computer in Nebraska. Omaha, to be precise :)

Ohio is boring. And flat.

Iowa has giNORmous power-generating windmills. They haunt the landscape like extremely awkward, white giants ... a little eerie, in my opinion.

Saw Capt. Kirk's future birthplace; missing "TrekFest" by a week ;)

Northern Indiana isn't nearly as nice as central Indiana. A little disappointed by that ...

Nebraska's rolling hills are bizarr-o. The steepness of SanFran in miniature ... again and again and again. Very rollercoaster-like ... and a little nauseating when you're trying to find a place to stay *blorp*

Got into the state at night, so I'm excited to see it by day :)

Ending transmission, as we've gotta get on the road. The vacation actually begins now. We've just been driving for 2 days straight. Ok, Seth's been driving ;) ((I tried to help, but I scare him when I drive his truck *LOl*))

*Off to explore the Midwest!*

"Star Trek," in my opinion, was great. S wasn't so impressed. But, I found it to be just the right mix of old-school camp and next-gen drama. It was a lot of fun.

My only *meh*s: I lost "Spock" a few times to "Sylar." Boo. I do think the idea behind the original Treks was to use actors not uber-well known elsewhere; it helps you immerse in the fantasy of it all. But, I can forgive the growing trend of recognizable faces in EVERYTHING. (Even cartoons, which incidentally, bug me, too ;) And Winona Ryder as Spock's mom? She's only 6 years older than Quinto! That doesn't even qualify for cougar status let alone motherhood. Blah.

Saw a trailer for the next Transformers movie. Totally stoked. Geek.

Just by point of fact, Abington Art Center is a great place to spend an afternoon. Tons of trails with [bizarre] modern art sculptures at random turns. The fascinating thing about some of the art, is that it is made to biodegrade. So, some pieces you can't see in their original form, because they've started their "return to the earth." There's a fascinating obelisk-type structure made of found elements, a bamboo arch-tribute to an Egyptian goddess, a miniature Van Gogh study/house (child-size yet sturdy enough for adult picnicking) ... and much more. I think the only art installation that truly baffled me was the pipe cleaner web. I got the premise, but I think the bright colors in the woods sort of startled my senses. I'm not a huge fan of uber-modern art; and I'm the first to admit it! But, I'm a fan of time outdoors. The trails are free, and picnic space is abundant. We went on a Saturday and practically had the place to ourselves. Peaceful and lovely :)

Also popped into our local ice cream shop for some hand-dipped, locally made fare. Happiness ensued *L*

Really lovely, laid-back kinda weekend. Aside from puppy drama (see S's post), I enjoyed it immensely ... short though it was *sniff*

Now I am at my desk at work. Stoopit desk. Stoopit work :-PpPpPpP

Insert moment of thankful silence this Memorial Day here.

3 hours of sleep makes K a something something ...

Weed whacking = good for the guns. *owie*

Humidity sucks. Let my least favorite season begin. (A month early!) Weeeeeeeeeeeee!

Were I a domestic ad: Turn-ons include baking, fresh lemonade, and vintage-y aprons. Turn-offs include gardening, cooking, and cleaning. *berk*

I love my house in the wee hours, when the shade is just right, and I can hear the birds singing outside :)

I can haz cheesecake. My awesome SiL, swiss1miss_99, held another fantastic class yesterday. Thank you! I can't wait to tuck into my creamy, almond confection. Must be patient. Oh, how I am not! *L*

Went with SiL's book club to see "Angels & Demons."

Once upon a time, a well-intentioned co-worker gave me this book as a holiday gift. It sat on my shelf collecting dust for a few years, until one day, out of things to read, I picked it up. It wasn't awful. I'm certainly not an action-adventure reader (or, typically, movie goer, really). But, it was a good collection of historical references and religious innuendo. I found it interesting, but not fascinating, if that makes any sense.

In any event, they watered it down a bit too much for the movie. I couldn't help but wonder what non-readers took away with them. Some of the characters were diluted unnecessarily, in my opinion. On the positive side, some of the scenes were EXACTLY as I'd pictured them in my head. Nothing short of eerie.

In my attempt to locate an important document last night, I came upon a cache of old journals. Not the thoughts-books I took hither and yon, but rather the private books I kept for me alone.

I think I will destroy them.

Graham Joyce had the right idea when he set his old journals on fire.

I really don't like the person who wrote those entries. I'm mortified when I realize she and I are the same.

I did notice an entry dated May 15th, 1999. It was the day my parents put our dog, Missy, to sleep.

Unbeknownst to me, we got Tass a few months before the 10-year anniversary of her too-soon demise.

I miss you, dear friend.

And, of course, I never did find the document. *sigh*

Point the 1st: I heart Franklin Park (Philly, 7th & Race Sts.). I especially adore the carousel (I recommend riding on the back of the sleek, shiny sea monster!). I also found that I very much enjoy ADD mini-golf in which we played only the holes with the niftiest models of Philadelphia landmarks (the Art Museum hole was gorgeous!), did not keep score, and zigzagged back and forth in numbers, depending on what was free. Oddly, some people did not seem as smitten with the idea as we were. Others dug it and followed our -- admittedly a bit bad -- example. But we were all playing free, so really, is it such a terrible thing to have fun with it?

Point the 2nd: "Diet" margaritas make me even more self-analytical than normal. Really not anything I need *L*

And, apparently, Splenda masks the taste of tequila quite well. Or, as R noted, the tequila simply might not have been very good quality. ... It was tequila S and I picked up on our honeymoon in Mexico. :) While I don't typically like the aftertaste and hyperactive-inducing qualities or faux sweeteners, I have to say these margaritas were quite tasty!

Point the 3rd: This morning reaffirmed my distaste for selling my possessions at yard sales. I will now happily return to giving them away to charity. I'd much rather they reap the benefits, anyway ;)

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

rating: 2 of 5 stars

Going into “The Alchemist,” I was unaware that it was quite so allegorical. The simplicity of the writing, the meaning behind each and every grain of sand … in some ways maddening, in some ways enlighting.

Similar in form to many religious texts, I suppose.

The storyline revolves around a shepherd boy named Santiago, in search of his Personal Legend. The theory being: Everyone is born with a Personal Legend, but most lose sight of it by not trusting in their heart and listening to the universe as it “conspires” to help them achieve their goals.

"There is one great truth on this planet: whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it's because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It's your mission on earth."

There is a lot of emphasis on following omens. And on self-learning through acknowledgement and bonding (of sorts) with the natural world (ie, its “soul”).

It was an interesting read that felt geared toward those in search of spiritual enlightenment. However, it was only minimal in terms of actual awakening for me. It did make me rethink a few aspects of life as I know it, which is certainly always beneficial. It would never do to turn in and tune out on your life! It’s a very quick read, so, at most you’d lose a few days to a tale simple in structure, striving to be large in meaning.

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"Ghosts of Girlfriends Past".

So cheezy.

I ADORED it. *LOl*

Yup. That's me. Lame and lovin' it ;)

My favorite aspect would have to be that for the flashback to "teenagedom" they used Christa B. Allen, the exact same actress tapped to portray the younger version of Jennifer Garner in "13 Going on 30."

Most disturbing aspect? Michael Douglas as "the old guy." Technically, his name was Uncle Wayne. But still. He was "old." I know they added makeup to make him look older. And he did a GREAT job. But, it just made me a touch sad to see him morph into that role.

If you are girly-female and in need of a super-fluff pick-me-up, go. Matinee, maybe. But go. There's nothing better than laughing out loud.

P.S. to kragar00 - Kirk Douglas is very much still alive, so nyah! He's 92, but he's going strong :)

The History of Love: A Novel by Nicole Krauss



rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book took the part of my heart that fully believes in the literature I read, and broke it into a million pieces.

And yet. I loved it.

From the first few pages, I was completely hooked. This novel is an extraordinary work of fiction. It’s heart breaking, beautiful, frustrating. Full.

When I finished it I cried.

And immediately knew that after a few months off, I will need to re-read this.

The tale weaves around an old soul whose life was a tragedy. And a family that suffered a tragedy.

And yet.

I loved it.

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I wrote a post. I "private"-ed a post. If you happened to catch it in the 15 minutes it was live, you can skip this one ;)

Basically, April was tumultuous. Good, bad, ugly. It covered all the bases.

Some firsts in the life of me:
1) Went to country-western line dancing night at a night club deep in the heart of suburbia for SiL's birthday.
2) Did a charity "dog walk" in support of our local dog park.
3) Went to a gentlemen's club for another friend's birthday.
4) Celebrated one year as a homeowner. It still feels surreal.

Also? My awesome husband got me a TomTom. How cool is that? I guess he doesn't want me accidentally driving off to New York, anymore :) Thank you, kragar00!

In dad-related news:
My father's home is going into foreclosure. I don't want to elaborate on this topic, because I'm still really upset about it.

April marks a full year since his last, big fall. The final one that landed him where he is today.

He's not doing very well. He has multiple infections. Last month, he made some huge progress in rehabilitation, only to have it squashed by another doctor who told him, basically, he can not make progress anymore, because he's sacrificing other areas of his health. *sigh*

There are so many other things regarding my dad that I could write about, but I will spare you. And honestly, it's not all bad. Just ... continue to think a good thought (or two?) if you can spare it, ok? I really appreciate it.

I hope all is well for everyone out in LJ land. Happy Friday!