Too Bad

I know I'm a bit behind the times, but I'm just watching Prince Caspian for the first time.

I'm glad I didn't spend money to see it in the theater because I am quite disappointed.

I recorded it on my DVR and have been watching bits and pieces of it all day. I'm having trouble getting into it.

My main problem is that it isn't anything like the book.

Again, very disappointing.

A very, very hot day plus a disappointing movie plus cooking in the very hot weather equals an almost grumpy girl. I'm holding out, trying to stave off the grumps, but if it doesn't cool down soon I don't know if I'll make it.

How Do You Spell Trouble?

HGTV.

That's how.

Guys, I don't know what has happened to me. Usually, I am an avid NON-TV watcher during the day. I don't like the noise of having it on all the time and I don't like getting sucked into shows that add nothing to my thoughts or skills.

I guess that might sound kind of pompous, but I don't mean it that way, I just usually don't like TV.

But there are occasional days, especially days when I have two needy babies, that the sound of adult voices is welcome, even if they are coming from a box.

I don't know if it is because I have a lingering cold and am feeling less energetic than usual, or if it is because I'm trying to tune out the constant refrain that says, "Put on your running shoes and get going!" Whatever the initial cause, I have found myself totally wrapped up in home improvement shows and room make-overs found on the Home and Garden channel.

The trouble isn't just that I am totally captivated by shows that teach you how to make your home more appealing to potential buyers... it's that both Andy and I are sucked in. We stayed up WAY too late last night, totally mesmerized by the pretty new paint colors and the interesting floor plans.

And that is only problem number one. Number two is that just like fashion makeovers leave me feeling unhappy with what I have and wishing for $5000 to redo my whole exterior, these room redesigns are leading me to look at my own humble (and sweet) abode with distaste. Where I have usually been content and enjoyed my home's character and ability to offer shelter and warmth and a place to connect with friends, I now see only the flaws and our financial limitations for creating that illusive "perfect space."

I refuse to live with the feelings of "less than" just because I can't afford an interior designer to come remake my home, or even the perfect shag rug. I have comfortable chairs and lots of ice water to offer hot, tired guests.

So, consider this my warning to you. If you are not an avid HGTV watcher, don't ever, EVER turn it on. It gets you in the first half hour! And if you ARE a fan, be careful how it affects your eyes. TV will do that to you... make you feel like you and what you have is completely inadequate.

So now, I am gearing up for a day that includes running shoes, moving couches, cleaning counters, appreciating what I have... and maybe just one teensy weensy show... or maybe not.

Snack Review

Okay, my current FAVORITE snacking items:

Salty: "Everybody's Nuts Pistachios" in Salt and Pepper flavor.  SO yummy!  And they are pistachios, so you have to work really hard to eat each one which, in theory, means you will eat less at a sitting than say, Smokehouse Almonds.  I get mine at Costco, but I'm sure they can be found elsewhere.

Sweet:  TRADER JOES CANDY CANE JOE-JOES!!!!! AGHHHHHHHHH!!!! They make me so, so, SO happy!  I got my first package last night and the first bite sent me dancing across the living room.  I am currently working my way through a stack by the computer.  If you do not have access to a Trader Joes, please, let me know.  I will personally guarantee that you are able to sample these delicious treats.  Excuse me now while I take another bite and groan with pleasure.  YUM!

Book Report

I try and make one or two trips to the Library each month.  It saves me from mindless tv watching and provides me with something to occupy my "me" time.

On top of that, I just love reading!  Words are so fascinating to me and I enjoy absorbing the wonderful (and sometimes not-so-wonderful) ways that writers string them together.

My usual MO is to go to the Library, return my previous selection then grab a few books at random.  My favorite sections are the New Book and Mystery isles.  I've also discovered the Board Books for check out and it has entertained Jack to no end!  

Given that it is now perfect snuggle-up-inside-with-a-good-book weather, I thought I would pass along some titles that have been entertaining me.  Just because I love you.

Here goes:

Gluten-Free Girl by Shaua James Ahern

I originally picked up this book because my dad has been having some weird medical issues which have been loosely tied to a wheat allergy.  I also have a cousin who has been diagnosed with Celiac Disease, the topic of this book.

I'm not sure what I expected, but whatever it was, this book was far, far better.  The author is educated and passionate about sharing her experience with the diagnoses of CD and provides a glimpse of her life as she has embraced a new, gluten-free way of living.

The way she talks about food is beautiful and makes me want to stop by her house for dinner.  The whole thing was totally inspiring and challenged a lot of the ways I view food (she has some good, if not biting, commentary on the American way of eating).

Just be warned, Shauna is so good about touting the joys of gluten-free that you might just want to jump on her ship. I am seriously considering it :-)

The Ridiculous Race by Steve Hely and Vali Chandrasekaran 

This book is hilarious.  Really.  I was reading it in bed one night and burst out laughing.  Andy just looked at me and asked, "How can you laugh at a book?" There are some things that just can't be explained.

The premiss is that Steve and Vali (in real life they are writers for sitcoms) challenge each other to a race around the world without using airplanes. I don't think I would want to be friends with either of the authors, but i sure appreciated their sense of humor and friendly banter.  

How Starbucks Saved My Life by Michael Gates Gill

I know that there are many, many thoughts about Starbucks.  Some good, some bad.  I confess that I really love the coffee giant.  I love the weekly planner I bought at Starbucks.  I love my iced Carmel Machiatto.  I love that if my drink tastes weird or isn't what I asked for, it is not rude to ask for it to be fixed.  I love that the baristas engage in conversation.  I love a meeting place that is outside of work or home, but still feels familiar.  On top of all my warm feelings toward SB, I also am completely fascinated with their ability to become such an institution, especially in Seattle.

So when I saw this book, I picked it up immediately.  Turns out, it is not so much about Starbucks, but more about a man's journey to understanding human interaction and satisfaction in life.  

It sounds a little cheesy I guess, and maybe it is a little, but I read it during a week that I was feeling a little blue and  a little discouraged and it kind of snapped me out of it.  It is a quick read and worth the trip to the Library (that totally sounds like a Reading Rainbow sum-up, doesn't it?).

Side Story:

A few quarters ago, Andy was taking a

Children's Literature course for school.

He was supposed to go the the library and

get a book to discuss on an online forum,

but forgot.  So instead he just went to 

Reading Rainbow on the web and listened to

one of the kids read the book out loud.

Ha!

Oh Andy!

So I had pretty good luck with my non-fiction selection, but my fiction choices were all a little mediocre.

Worth Reading:

Sammy's Hill by Kristen Gore.  Very Funny.  One of my all time favorite novels.  Another laugh-out-loud title.

Patricia Brigg's "Mercy Thompson Novels" These are only worth reading if you kind of like sci-fi/fantsy books, which I admit that I do.  The first book in the series is "Moon Called."

The Next Think on My List by Jill Smolinski.  I'm usually not a big chic lit fan, but I enjoyed this one.  

Don't Bother:

The Snow Empress by Laura Joh Rowland.  Maybe one of the most poorly written historical novels I've ever read.  I kept trying to give the author the benefit of the doubt and assume that it would pick up toward the end, but it didn't.  

I've got another trip planned for this week. Do you have any suggestions for me?

Dinners NOT Ready

In case you are ever looking for a time-saving approach to dinner and you are tempted to try "Dinners Ready," I advise against it.  

Andy calls it "Dinners Not Ready."  As in "What's for dinners not ready tonight?"

To give them some credit, the food is good and it is nice to not have to think about what to make, but I spend as much time, if not more preparing the food.  And most of the dishes don't include veggies.  And the cook times given in the instructions are all grossly underestimated, except in the case of rice where it is over estimated and you will end up with burned rice. And the servings are on the small side (Andy's words last night, with a pleading look I don't often see - "Is there any more food?"  So in addition to spending more time than I wanted on the first meal, I made a second meal for my hungry guy.). 

I guess now I don't have to wonder if it would be a good fit for our family.  It isn't. If you've been wondering the same thing, wonder no more.  It is not all it is cracked up to be.

Since I'm in a magnanimous, advice offering mood I will throw one more bonus review.  If you are ever tempted to substitute Tazo Vanilla Chai instead of the organic original because it is on sale for $2 cheaper - don't do it.  The vanilla is VERY disappointing.

There you go, consider yourself an informed consumer.  I will be sure to keep you up to date on my culinary discoveries.  Hopefully next time it will be something that brings wonder to my kitchen, instead of disappointment.