15 books

Rules: Don’t take too long to think about it. List 15 books you’ve read that will always stick with you. They should be the first 15 you can recall in no more than 15 minutes.

These are in no particular order, and if you asked me at another time, they might be different. Well, except for a few.

1. The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald

2. The Secret History – Donna Tartt

3. Grasshopper - Ruth Rendell writing as Barbara Vine

4. The House of Mirth – Edith Wharton

5. Harry Potter (all of them) – J.K. Rowling

6. Travels - Michael Crichton

7. Harrison Bergeron (technically a short story) – Kurt Vonnegut

8. The Fountainhead – Ayn Rand

9. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man – James Joyce

10. Bel Canto – Ann Patchett

11. The Sun Also Rises – Ernest Hemingway

12. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle – David Wroblewski

13. Atonement – Ian McEwan

14. The Sisters Mortland - Sally Beaumann

15. Special Topics in Calamity Physics – Marisha Pessl

contents will self-destruct in…

Emlocke did it, then Heather from Singing With My Heart (which I just recently started reading and dig), and since I don’t have anything interesting to write about, I figured I’d copycat.

My bag and it’s contents:

I bought this bag last August as a present to myself when I got my driver’s license.

Orbit gum
5 bobby pins
3 pens
Work pass
Coconut body lotion (from a winter survival kit sent from a friend)
LG Chocolate phone (red)
iPod in a case that’s too big for it
Pharmacy in a bag
Tissues
Planner (rarely used)
Powder compact (used only for mirror)
Assorted lip balms/glosses
Citrus hand lotion (also from winter kit)
Assorted cards (library, Starbucks, etc)
Keys (NY apartment, PA home, GW Men’s basketball schedule from ‘05-’06)
Wallet
Sunglasses in case

I should admit that there are usually crumpled receipts in there, but I cleaned up for you.

Things I am recently obsessed with

- Lie To Me
- Old Navy jeans: Sweetheart fit. $19 and they are super comfortable
- Homemade whoopie pies from a coworker’s aunt. I want to go there.
- the trailer for 500 Days of Summer
- Food blogs. I just want to bake all day and learn to cook.
- Sugar Lip Treatment from Fresh
- checking flights to warm vacation spots

to have and have not

In tenth grade history I learned one of the most important lessons of my life. Mr. Heim (whose wife also taught history at our school, aww) told us that essentially every conflict in the world comes down to those that have, and those that have not. I’m not sure I fully agree with this, but I see where he was going with it, and it’s a thought that has stayed with me.

I usually consider myself a have not. (I know that there are starving children around the world and unemployment is the highest it’s been..um, ever, and I know that there are millions of people suffering from fatal illnesses so I should really just shut up and be grateful for hot water and a roof over my head. But the thing is, it’s hard to feel like a ‘have’ in comparison to those people because they aren’t in front of me. I’m not confronted by their needs every day, only my own. So if you think I’m selfish fine, it’s my blog.)

This morning I had a have not moment when my roommate’s sister surprised her by flying in for her birthday this weekend. Even though I was part of the surprise and able to vicariously enjoy it, it highlighted my have not status. Sure, I have a sister, but not the kind that would fly in to surprise me for my birthday. Or call for my birthday. Lying in bed at 6:30am this morning, hearing the squealing from the next room, I was jealous. Green grass jealous.

And then I started thinking about all the other things I have not (a valentine, a perfect nose, a disposable income, a vacation) and it was a bit of a spiral until my alarm went off. So, to snap myself out of this have not-edness, a list of ten things I have:
1. my job (especially after this week)
2. my parents (who celebrate 31 years of marriage next week)
3. chocolate-dipped rice krispie treats
4. self-control
5. my friends
6. romantic comedies waiting on my DVR and in theaters
7. warmer(er) weather
8. my new haircut (I’m not going to lie, I’m getting a little vain)
9. naturally blonde hair
10. free time (which I might not have as much of if I did have a valentine)

Happy heart-shaped food day

Netflix knows me too well.

I recently had some Safari related issues, resulting in my having to restore it to all it’s default settings, deactivate fonts, etc (very high tech, no?). As a result, I now have to sign into all the websites that before remembered who I was. Chiefly, Netflix.

So after about a week’s absence from the net of flix, what do I see? A new welcome screen, which I’d heard about but hadn’t seen myself. According to Netflix, this is what I’m interested in:

1. TV Teen Dramas (Life Goes On, 21 Jumpstreet, After School Specials 1981-1982): based on my interest in Dawson’s Creek and Popular (seasons 1 and 2)
2. Kyle MacLachlan: because I recently added Twin Peaks to my queue
3. TV Family Dramas (Wildfire, the Black Donnellys, Kyle XY (sidenote: why doesn’t this fall under Teen?)): based on my interest in Joan of Arcadia and The Tudors
4. Pre 20th Century Period Pieces (Stage Beauty, Elizabeth): based on my interest in Becoming Jane and Pride and Prejudice (the BBC series, not the Keira Knightly version)
5. Teen Dramas (Secondhand Lions, Some Kind of Wonderful): based on my willingness to watch anything with Mandy Moore in it.

Apparently I love the drama. I think it’s important to note, however, that Netflix clearly thinks I’m 14, since even under TV Family Drama it did not suggest anything like Judging Amy or Once and Again. I’m really grateful for that. Thanks, Netflix, for not judging me by my horrible taste in entertainment, but rather, encouraging it.

Happiness in list form

In honor of my currently being a little mopey, here’s Charles Schulz-esque tribute to things that make me happy. (To be added to whenever I feel like it.)

Happiness is:
-a friend that blocks out the nutrition info on the chocolate bar she gave you.
-watching Aidan tell Carrie “You broke my heart!” over and over again. Because it’s funny.
-ice cream for dinner.
-guilty pleasure music.
-netflix in the mail box.
-finishing a crossword puzzle.
-watching movies all day (and night).
-a sleeping kitten.