The Secret Garden

At the beginning of the month I wrote about why I added Read A Classic to my list.  (The Cliff Notes version is that they scare me.)  For one of my May goals, I decided to tackle item #27 on The List.  I read The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. 

I chose this for a few reasons.
1.  I already owned a copy.
2.  It is found in the children's section.
3.  I had seen the movie several times and the musical (yes they made a musical).

Here is a secret...I have owned this book for 22 years and never read it until now.  My Great Aunt Jeannie gave me a copy way back in the 80's!  (OMG I am old.)

If you've never read the book, The Secret Garden is about a girl who moves to live with her uncle after her parents die.  Mary is spoiled and quite contrary.  She meets 2 boys at her new home.  Dickon has a way with animals and nature, and Colin is spoiled, bedridden, and has been told his whole life that he is about to die.  Mary discovers a secret garden that has been locked up for 10 years and she and her friends bring it back to life.  Everyone lives happily ever after.

I liked the book but I didn't love it.  Perhaps it was the written Yorkshire language that got to me, but I think, had I not been familiar with the story, I would have liked it more.  All in all, it was nice to read a classic, accomplish a goal, and finally make use of a thoughtful gift.

Now that I have tackled a classic (however juvenile it may be) I am ready for further adventures into "old" books!

In May

In May I played teacher, ate a lot of chicken...and ice cream too, I mocked a religious outsider and said my farewells to the blog world in case of Rapture.  I survived the Rapture, did something crafty, stopped drinking juice, listened to a lot of Zac Brown Band, and made pretzels.  I finally settled on a blog design that I like, saw Something Borrowed and Bridesmaids, and made plans with far away besties for a summer adventure.

May was supposed to be my lucky month because it is an anagram for Amy but turned out to be quite the ho-hum month.  I don't even have anything to say about it.  I could whine about the blah-ness on the blog but I don't want to type it and you won't want to read it.  Instead, let's put May behind us and focus on June. 

May goals:
1.  Walk 31 miles.  Walked 26.  Started off strong...then it rained for a whole week and I lost momentum.  Typical.
2.  Buy new sneakers.  Done.
3.  Cross at least one thing off The List.  Done.

In June I want to:
1.  Eat something green at least 5 days a week.
2.  Be less of a hermit.
3.  Clean my entire apartment.

  

Remember the Time I Invented an Acronym?

Because of the long weekend, today is Second Saturday instead of Sunday.  I'm heading to WEMA* for the day to get crafty with some besties so Six on Sunday is on hold for now.  Instead, I will leave you with the yummy-ness that happened in my kitchen.

Chicken (yes I eat chicken like 58 times a week) with a panko-parmesan crust and angel hair with tomato basil sauce (out of a jar...obv). 

I dredged the chicken in flour, bathed it in milk, then coated it with the panko mixture.  I'm not even going to pretend that I didn't make a huge mess...because I totally did.

* Rhymes with FEMA and according to Amy (me) WEMA stands for Western Massachusetts.

   

I Couldn't Do This Again If I Tried...

Disclaimer:  Before reading you have to promise not to judge me for my dirty stove.

Last evening, I decided to make some chicken.  This is how it went down:

I grab my kitchen shears and start hacking a chicken breast into pieces that cook super fast.  I picked up the pan and gave the chicken a toss and I made a mess...surprise, surprise.  If you recall, I recently had a food flipping blunder while preparing a stir fry.  This time it was even more impressive. 

Here is my chicken in the pan on the front, left burner.

As I toss the chicken so it will cook evenly, one rogue piece escapes the pan and sails towards the back, left burner.  The piece of chicken manages to land at such an angle that it fell through the coil of the burner and right into the little metal tube thing.  (I call it the little metal tube thing because I have no idea what it is and couldn't begin to tell you what it is for.)

Seriously?  Luckily there is some type of vent or grate in the little metal tube thing because I can't tell you where that piece of chicken would have ended up otherwise.

At this point the stove is still on and I'm freaking out a bit wondering if this piece of chicken is going to catch on fire (I have a hypochondriacal fear of fire).  So I did what any smart lady would do.  I went all MacGuyver with my kitchen shears and fished that piece of chicken out of the little metal tube thing in my stove.

Obviously after the piece of chicken was recovered, I reenacted the rescue so I could document my crazy.

  

OMG SUN!

I'M ON A VITAMIN D HIGH!!!

Today I subbed a half day at a school where the kids called me by my first name.  It was so strange to hear "Amy" coming from the mouth of an 11 year old.

THIS AFTERNOON THERE WILL BE:

Sun.

Flip flops.

Ice cream.

A phone call with my name twin.

 

HAPPY LONG WEEKEND!

   
 

Let's Pretend It's Christmas

The closest I've ever been to a flash mob type of situation was sitting at the Dub on a Sunday afternoon before St. Patrick's Day.  (In the Boston vicinity St. Patty's Day is a HUGE deal.)  S and I were sitting there minding our own business when an entire bagpipe and drum band (complete with step dancers) start funneling in with 75 of their closest friends.  We were treated to a jig or two before they ordered all the Guinness that was on tap.

Today I was in need of some cheer.  I found that cheer in the form of a musical flash mob performance of one of my all time favorite holiday songs.  Just watch and you'll see.



How brave was that first girl?  You have to have guts to look crazysauce for 10 whole seconds before people realize what is happening.

   

Cooking With Amy: Pretzel Edition

I made pretzels y'all!  (I'm pretending to be Paula Deen today but will duck and cover if a ham comes flying at my head.)

It was easy.  You gather all 6 ingredients.

Then you mix until you make a mess.

Refrigerate overnight.  Roll into dough snakes.

Do some magical twisty maneuver until they resemble pretzels.

And bake until they look delicious.  Nom Nom.

Of course some looked more like pretzels than others.



Don't feel bad pretzel-like lump...you were still yummy!

  

The Death of a Dream

Way back when I was a sophomore in college I had a dream.  Not the Martin Luther King kind...it was more of a pipe dream.  As my roommate E can attest, my dream was to pen a super sappy heartfelt and moving novel that would be welcomed into Oprah's Book Club with eager arms (obv. propelling me to fame and fortune).

But today that dream must die.  Not only have I not written said novel but the demise of Oprah (as we know it) is upon us.  Today marks her last show and thus the death of a dream.

Let's pause for a moment of silence.


   

Six On Sunday

1.  Saturday was a perfect day.  It was GORGEOUS out...75 and sunny.  My only regret is that I didn't wear flip flops.

2.  Saturday was also girl date day.  S and I went for pizza then saw Bridesmaids which was HILARIOUS!

3.  This week at the grocery store I bought this:

I've eaten squash many many times but my family usually gets the green, pumpkin shaped ones.  I have never prepared squash by myself before.  I'm going to try and prepare this without incident but I don't know where to start.  Cut it in half?  Peel it?  With a knife?  A veggie peeler?  Do I even own a veggie peeler?

4.  I also bought these at the grocery store. 

I've been on an Asian food (i.e. stir fry and wonton strips) kick lately and I add these on top of everything.  If you know me, you know I also eat them from straight from the bag like crackers.  Nom Nom.

5.  I've been working on several things from The List this month.  But you're going to have to wait and see what this turned into!

6.  In case you haven't seen it, the CDC (that's the Center for Disease Control) has issued an emergency response plan for the zombie apocalypse.  It's nice to know that should the zombie apocalypse occur, the CDC will have my back.

   

My Farewell Address...Just In Case The World Ends

Last night at 3 am I thought I was being Raptured...a bit early...but Raptured for sure.  The global earthquake shook me awake with a horrendous noise.  Well, it turned out to be a severe thunderstorm...with apartment shaking intensity.

I awoke (unsaved) and spent my (possible) last day on Earth babysitting 11 year old hellions.  But my efforts were rewarded with a make your own sundae bar at lunch.  Mint chip and strawberry baby.  I colored bug thoraxes during buddy time, stared at the wall for 45 minutes during library time, and was treated to a whole school rendition of a Beatles tune during an assembly.  After school I took a much needed nap and woke up to BLUE SKY and SUN!  I guess Noah can keep his arc in storage after all. 

I was thinking today that when it comes to The Rapture (which is supposed to occur by timezone) us Westerners will at least have a head's up over the Eastern Hemisphere.  New Zealand gets to play guinea pig this time.

In the event that this is my last blog post ever, I feel like I should say something profound...but the truth is, tomorrow will be the last day on Earth for many people.  Even if we aren't Raptured we could just as easily be hit by a bus, or bitten by a snake, or have a brain aneurysm.  So be nice to others and try not to take life so seriously.  Eat well, be merry, and maybe add Rapture to your life insurance policy.

I promise this will be my last Biblical/Religious post and that Everyday A will return to its regularly scheduled content (assuming the world doesn't end).  But just in case, I had ice cream twice today.

 

The End of the World...Again

This morning I spent half a month's rent on new brakes for my car.  But I've been told they are good for stopping.  And now I can successfully:

If you recall the last time I had my car serviced...there was a man feeding pastries to his dog Lady.  Today there was a woman texting on her iPhone while her dog barked at people as they walked by.  Apparently my dealership has a "we're cool with dogs" policy.



I feel a bit like a creeper taking photos of strangers in public but not enough of a creeper to stop.

 
While I was waiting for my car to be serviced, I began to wonder if getting new brakes was worth my time and money seeing as the world is about to end.

In case you are unaware, May 21, 2011 is Doomsday.  It has also been referred to as Judgement Day and The Rapture.  According to my research (and by research I mean reading this page and this page on Wikipedia) Harold Camping, a civil engineer turned radio host, has predicted that this Saturday will mark the beginning of the end of the world. 

My religious knowledge is iffy at best but this is what I think is supposed to go down.  On Saturday, Jesus will return to Earth to gather the Christians in the air to save them.   I don't understand what "gathering them in the air" means though.  Will they die and go to Heaven?  Will they float around suspended in the sky?  Is the atmospheric gathering metaphorical?

At 6 pm local time (apparently The Rapture occurs by timezone like the sunset) there will be a global earthquake that will signal the beginning of the Rapture.  Five months after The Rapture (October 21, 2011) will be the end of the world...which is fourteen months before The Mayan end of the world on December 12, 2012.

A few things:
-  Does this mean that Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachman will be Raptured?
-  Harold Camping is certain beyond a shadow of a doubt that May 21, 2011 is the day.  But he was also sure that The Rapture was going to happen in 1994 and as far as I can tell we are still here.
-  What does this mean for people who are Jewish?
-  I thought that the Second Coming of Christ was dependent on the construction of the Third Temple after a red heifer is born in Israel.  (I read about this in The Year of Living Biblically by A. J. Jacobs and was fascinated by it.  The birth of a red heifer is supposed to be a sign of divine origin yet there are farmers trying to genetically alter cows in order to breed red heifers.)
-  There have been 10+ Rapture predictions in the last 180 years.

But, according to Wikipedia, Sir Issac Newton said that the world wouldn't end before 2060.  In 1704 he wrote, "This I mention not to assert when the time of the end shall be, but to put a stop to the rash conjectures of fanciful men who are frequently predicting the time of the end, and by doing so bring the sacred prophesies into discredit as often as their predictions fail."  Well...that sounds logical enough.  And he did discover gravity...so I'm siding with Sir Newton for now.

Discuss.

A Biblical Letter

Dear Noah,

I thought you would be here by now...seeing as how it has rained for my entire life and I can't even remember what it is like to be sunny.  I thought by now you would have taken the arc out of storage.  I thought you would have dusted it off.  What are you waiting for?  I'll start hoarding pairs of animals (I'll begin with puppies)...you just have to come through with the boat.

Let's make this happen.

XOXO,
Amy

   

A Google Game

A few weeks ago, I posted a cupcake picture to let the world my followers and stalkers know that my BFF was turning 29 + 1 years old.  Well, it must have been International Cupcake Day/Week because I got a billion (give or take a few) hits on that post alone.

So I thought I would parlay my traffic sources into a game.  Listed below are some of the international Google referring sites that people have used to find my blog. 

How many can you identify using only the letters at the end of the link?

1. http://www.google.co.uk/
2. http://www.google.ca/
3. http://www.google.fi/
4. http://www.google.it/
5. http://www.google.si/
6. http://www.google.com.au/
7. http://www.google.co.za/
8. http://www.google.co.nz/
9. http://www.google.com.ph/
10. http://www.google.co.il/
11. http://www.google.ie/
12. http://www.google.hu/
13. http://www.google.de/
14. http://www.google.ru/
15. http://www.google.ae/

I scored a 13 out of 15.  How many did you guess right?

Click on the link to find the answer.  Or cheat check you answers below.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
1. United Kingdom  2. Canada  3. Finland  4. Italy  5. Slovenia  6. Australia  7. South Africa  8. New Zealand  9. Philippines  10. Israel  11. Ireland  12. Hungary  13. Germany  14. Russia  15. United Arab Emirates

Has Anyone Seen My Will To Blog?

I've misplaced my blogging mojo again.  When I asked for blog ideas, it was because I knew my mojo was fading and I was hoping for blog requests like, tell me about every pet you've ever had, describe in detail what you would do with 50 dollars in quarters, or discuss every awesome moment you ever had at camp.  No such luck.

But...today Jenna posted about receiving The Overlord Award and she passed it on to me.  Well she passed it to an Amy and I am going to assume that I am the only Amy she could possibly be talking about.  Ha.

So not only did this give me an excuse reason to blog but I get to change three things about the world...or at least tell you three things I would change about the world.

Number 1:  I would cancel Fox News.  All of Fox News.  Even watching Jon Stewart make fun of Fox News makes me cringe.  Be gone.

Number 2:  I would make teleportation a reality.  How awesome would it be to be able to have dinner with friends that live across the country or across the world whenever you wanted?  Just to be clear, it would be super awesome.

Number 3:  I would invent a live action do over.  You would be able to rewind time only a moment or so in order to have a do over.  For example, I could re-do the moment when I got home from doing 4 miles at the gym.  I took off my sneakers, stepped onto my tile floor and slipped in my socks, twisting my knee.  In my live action re-do I would leave my sneakers on...or take off my socks thus preventing my current achy knee/awkward limp situation.

So there you have it.  If I could change things in the world they would be magical things.  The rules didn't specify realistic/imaginary changes so I just ran with it.

What would you change about the world?

  

Six On Sunday

How is May half over already?  Last week kind of got away from me blogging-wise.  I had a lot of almost-posts which all ended up being not-quite posts.  Then, the longer I went without posting the harder it was to write something...anything.  And then Blogger broke for two days.  But here are six of the things I did, thought, saw, or loved this past week.

1.  I had an online chat date with M and we tried to figure out gchat...rather unsuccessfully.


So we gave up and had a wonderful chat on Skype instead.

Something was HILARIOUS!

2.  I wanted to make the perfect birthday cupcakes for S.  I went to the store, list in hand and filled my cart with all the goodies needed to make chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter filling/frosting.  When I got into the check out line I realized I didn't have my wallet.  Embarrassed, I asked if I could leave my cart there while I ran to my car to get it.  I ran out to my car and grabbed my wallet and got back in line.  My wallet was feeling super thin so I opened it and it was EMPTY.  You see...the weekend before when I went to O-town's Bachelorette Party I put my cash, cards, and license into my wristlet...which was safely at home...while I was at the store with an empty wallet. 

We made do with Hostess cupcakes instead.

3.  In my effort to walk 31 miles in May (even though I've temporarily stalled at 10) I realized I'm in dire need of new sneakers.  I have been cursed with the widest feet on the whole planet and tried on so many sneakers to no avail.

Seriously...I tried on a lot.

I ended up buying 3 pairs with the intention of trying them on again at home to decide if any of them were keepers.  And after my day long search...I found them!

4.  This whole rain thing is not conducive to my walk 31 miles in May plan.  I would much rather walk outside than on the treadmill but I do not like to get wet...at all (unless it involves swimming).

5.  I cooked a lot of meals this week but that didn't stop me from eating cereal out of a coffee mug.

6.  I cooked two different stir fry meals this week.  Stir fry #1 was shrimp, zucchini, noodles and sauce.  Stir fry #2 was chicken, summer squash (which I think is just yellow zucchini), broccoli, asparagus, noodles and sauce.  I got a bit over-confident in my pan flipping abilities and had quite the veggie over board situation.

But let's be frank...I absolutely scooped it right back into the pan and enjoyed it for dinner and lunch the next day.

 

Remember The Time...

I got schooled by an 8 year old?  Yeah, that was today.

I was teaching 3rd grade and we were reading a National Geographic article about polar bears.  I pointed out that polar bears may go extinct if we don't help protect their habitat.  We listed some extinct animals like the dodo, dinosaurs, and the quagga (half horse, half zebra).  Then the following conversation ensued:

Student:  Passenger pigeons are extinct.
Me:  No they aren't.  I know someone who raises them.
Student:  No those are carrier pigeons. They are different.  Passenger pigeons are extinct.  The last one died on September 1, 1914.*
Me:  Oh.

Later in the day during independent reading time the passenger pigeon kid was "reading" a Where's Waldo book so I pointed out Waldo before he could find him.

Passenger pigeon kid: 1
Amy: 1

* This is true.  I don't know why he knew that fact but I Googled it when I got home.

  

Cooking With Amy: Mother's Day Edition

For Mother's Day I was in charge of dinner and dessert.  Dad was in charge of shoveling dirt, planting herbs, and getting dirty.  I think I got the better end of the deal!

I found a recipe for shrimp and pasta that you cook in the oven on The Pioneer Woman blog.  Her pictures made it look so delicious and it seemed simple enough.  When it came down to cooking it, my dad started throwing all kinds of stuff into the pan and the official recipe went out the window.

There was no measuring involved and we just added whatever we could find in the fridge.  The sauce had diced tomatoes, LOTS of garlic, olive oil, zucchini, white wine, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.  We tossed the shrimp into the sauce just at the last minute.

Then you were supposed to add the pasta and wrap the entire liquidy contents of the pan into a neat foil package.  Dad knew that disaster was imminent so he made me use a baking dish with high sides.  I wrapped it all up and baked it for 20ish minutes.

The pasta and shrimp finished cooking in the oven.  It looked beautiful but unfortunately was a bit dry since there wasn't really a sauce.  Sadly the meal didn't turn out as fabulous as my homemade ravioli.

But I redeemed myself with dessert.  I chose a simple dish that only required a 40 minute wait in line.

Raspberry chocolate chip and coffee Oreo.

Yum.

   

Six On Sunday: Mother's Day Edition

1.  Thank you for teaching me valuable life lessons...like which day is the best to buy plane tickets and that paying my credit card bill is non-negotiable.

2.  Thank you for taking care of me...like the time I needed to get my wisdom teeth out.  You took me to the oral surgeon and didn't make fun of me while I was hopped up on pain killers.  Also, thank you for never filming me saying stupid things and putting it on YouTube.

3. Thank you for never letting me get a perm. I know you rocked one for most of the 80's but you convinced me to stick with the naturally curly-ish mess I was born with.

For the record, I (mostly) grew out of these curls.

4.  Thank you for letting me use your washer to do my laundry even though I am almost a grownup.

5.  Thank you for being too awesome to buy a mini van even though I thought they were cool and asked you to get one.  (Especially because you are already what I would call an "aggressive" driver and if you drove a mini van I fear you would become one of these ladies.)

6.  Thank you for putting up with my obnoxiousness...like when I decide it's time for a photo shoot even when you are feeling shy.

Happy Mother's Day! 

I love you!

 

HBBFFL!



HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEST FRIEND FOR LIFE!



Mmmm...I want to lick my screen.

Today is my favorite Ronald McDonald (but less creepy and with better makeup) look-a-like's birthday.  Her name is Summer and she writes a blog about birthing and parenting the cutest baby ever!  And this birthday is kind of a big deal as she is joining a NEW DECADE!

She is trying it out for me so that when my time comes in February I know that everything will be okay.

If you are asking yourself, "What is the best birthday present for someone I don't know?" the answer is simple: a Happy Birthday donation.

Summer is participating in the March for Babies which raises money for the March of Dimes to fund research and help prevent premature births.  If you would like to donate to a wonderful person and a wonderful cause, please visit her donation page to make a Happy Birthday donation.  In making a Happy Birthday donation you can help celebrate Summer's special day and help babies everywhere have healthy and happy birthdays.*

Thanks! 

* Plus you get 10 awesome points.

BP Recap Just In Time For Cinco de Mayo

Glitter.
Margaritas.
Dancing.

The 12 hour affair began with a bowling themed engagement party.  And by bowling themed I mean we wore rented shoes and rolled big balls down wooden alleys at pins.  I was on a team with bowling sharks and although no one was particularly taking the bowling seriously, ALL of my team members broke 100 points while I managed a meager 67.

While bowling we ate, drank, and watched a gaggle of 12 year old girls do the "Cha Cha Slide".  Everyone signed a bowling pin for the happy couple and had a champagne toast.  In an effort to redeem myself, I harnessed my powers of estimation and guessed how many photos D had taken of O-town during their relationship.  I guessed 400 and the answer was 397...Vegas anyone?  For my awesomeness, I was rewarded with this:

I don't drink beer so I let the others have at it but I am def. saving that jug!

Fast forward to several hours later and the girls hit up a Mexican restaurant for some margaritas and food.  I was peer pressured into trying guacamole for the second time and I still didn't like it.  Everyone was dressed in their disco best for the evening festivities and I made friends with an older gentlemen who inquired about why we were dressed so strange.

After dinner, we headed to The Donkey Show (no not that kind of donkey show) in Boston.  It was a disco themed event that told a somewhat altered version of A Midsummer Night's Dream.  O-town danced on a platform with a guy wearing Converse, soccer socks, and tiny shorts and M got to ride through the "car wash" during the show!  We bathed ourselves in glitter, rocked disco ball necklaces and danced until last call.  In short, it was a pretty fabulous evening.

Sadly, I left my camera at home but here are some of the "official" photos from The Donkey Show website.

FYI:  That is glitter not sweat.

Best quotes of the night:

"Can you find the guy with the margaritas?  He is skinny and surprisingly attractive for a small man."

(To the limo driver) "Just to be clear, I am not offering you pot right now."

  
 

I'm The Girl...

Who ALWAYS broke the chain letter.

For those of you my age, remember back before email when friends would send chain mail to your house?  Like with the mailman?  You were supposed to then rewrite the letter and send it to (insert some number here) people or you would have bad luck for a billion years.  Come to think of it...maybe all that promised back luck is coming to fruition.*

Here is the part where I try to segue from chain mail to blog awards without making me seem ungrateful and making the people who gave them to me feel like they want to unfollow me.  For the record, I absolutely appreciate being thought of when it came time to forwarding awards (even if I feel like I didn't deserve them).  And the only comparison I'm drawing between chain mail and blog awards is the Amy ignores them aspect.

I've been given three awards by three wonderful bloggers and I've ignored all of them...until now.  Back in March, Miss Jenna bestowed upon me The Versatile Blogger Award.

Jumble Mash gave me an award for being an awesome guest poster on her blog.

And finally, Sunshine told me I am my blog is stylish.

To accept a blog award you are supposed to list some number of facts about yourself.  Because I love lists here are some more things about me:

-  The saying "better late than never" applies to 90% of my life.
-  I like to eat cinnamon Life cereal out of the box with my fingers.
-  Barnes and Noble is one of my favorite places ever!
-  I want to be an author. 
-  I just need a book idea.
-  I always liked the numbers 13 and 3.
-  But I think my lucky number is 4.
-  I made a delicious stir fry for dinner last night.
-  Baths kind of creep me out.
-  I need to learn how video G-Chat works before Friday.
-  My head wants to run a 5K but my body is not cooperating.
-  Sometimes I think I'm too cool for Blogger...
-  But actually I just think that Tumblr would be more receptive to my urge to post 4 blogs a day.

* This cannot be true as I make my own luck.  Just like that guy in Titanic who...um...never mind.

 

A Letter for You

Dear Official Followers and Anonymous Stalkers,

Now that I have settled on a blog design that I like (and intend on keeping for more than 2 months) I'm turning my attention to my blog content.  I began my blog as "Zero Ducks in a Row" to chronicle my struggles with losing my job but it has blossomed into a collection of random stories about my mundane happenings.

In my stalking of the blog world, I have found that most (Blogger) blogs have a central focus or theme:  new babies, cooking, crafting, running or book reviews.  Platforms like Tumblr seem more receptive to personal blogs about daily musings.  While I write this blog for myself, when you (and by you I mean me) put it out there for people to read you expect and hope for feedback in the form of page views, followers, and comments.

So I want to know what you think!

What do you like love?
What do you hate dislike?
What do you want to see more of? 
Less of?
Any suggestions for blog ideas?

Don't fret, this will still be all Amy all the time.  But I'm curious if you'd love to see updates four times a day detailing every inane facet of my day (like the guy I saw yesterday who put on leather work gloves before pumping gas) or prefer more thought provoking discussions on the difficulties of being a grownup.

XOXO,
Amy

   

The Back Story of # 27

One of my May goals is to cross something off of my list.  A lot of the items are long term goals or things that I have plans to complete at some point later this year.  I took a look and decided that  # 27 is going to happen.  Maybe not this week but some time in the next 30 days.

The Back Story:
I put "Read A Classic" on my list because old books scare me.  I find them difficult to read, hard to understand, and boring (and that is if I actually read more than 30 pages.)  I LOVE to read but I was the girl in high school that refused to start finish any of the assigned reading.  I learned the basics...Gatsby loved Daisy and they ran someone over, either Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn went down the river with Jim, and Beowulf fought Grendel and his mom.

In 8th grade I was in honors English.  Due to a lack of effort, I did not get awesome grades.  By some oversight, I was placed in 9th grade honors English where I proceeded to do worse than 8th grade.  I convinced myself that English was my worst subject and that I wasn't smart enough to understand the material when the reality was that because I wasn't interested in the books we were reading, I neglected to apply myself.  To be fair I was 14 and being asked to read Charles Dickens.  I didn't even know what socialism was so how was I supposed to appreciate a novel about the social and economic pressures of 19th century England?  High school English class killed my love of reading.*

In an effort to make good on # 27, today I did some recon at B&N. 

I'm still unclear on what actually constitutes a classic.  According to the display I can choose from:
Frankenstein
The Wizard of Oz
Dracula
Don Quixote
Walden
Last of the Mohicans
Any novel ever written by Jane Austen

The three that I am considering are:
Little Women (I've seen the movie)
The Scarlett Letter (I've seen Easy A)
The Secret Garden (I've seen the movie)

Any suggestions?  My hope is to read all three before the year is out but my TBR (that is book blog lingo for to be read) pile is like 925 books high.

* Fun Fact:  I buckled down and studied hard for my 9th grade honors English midterm.  I thought I did well.  As the teacher was passing back the midterms, the snobby girl (yes I'm being judgemental) next to me who always got good grades got an 88% on her test.  She turned to me and said, "Well I got an 88, but I'm sure you'll do fine."  I got a 96% bitch...I bet she still hates me.

 

The Big Reveal

So this is my new "look."

Please lie to me and tell me you love it.

 

April was Blogapalooza

In April I listened to a lot of Adele,  was a substitute teacher for 5th and 6th grade, slacked on the crafting, slacked on the gym, and slacked on the social visits.  I ate more Easter candy (Easter season seemed to rival Christmas season this year), started watching Castle from the beginning, celebrated O-town's impending nuptuals with a fab bachelorette party, averaged a blog post per day, was a guest blogger over at Jumble Mash, played math tutor and killed a lot of bugs.

At the beginning of the month I felt on top of the world.  But the last two weeks of April my spirits took a face plant into the world of substitute teaching.  I had to try out the whole, "if you force a smile you will eventually feel better" theory.  Some days it worked better than others.  But May is a new month...and if you know me you know there are few things I love more than a new beginning. 

Also May is an anagram for Amy...so that must be good luck.

My April goals were:
1.  Work.  In a classroom.  As a teacher.  Done, done and done.
2.  Get back on track with The List.  Still working at on-going goals but I did have a friend conned into offer to help.
3.  Cook more.  Bake more.  I cooked and cooked but didn't bake.  Boo.

In May I want to:
1.  Walk 31 miles.
2.  Buy new sneakers.
3.  Cross at least one thing off The List.

Six On Sunday

1.  It's May Day!  I don't really know what that means but I think it has something to do with twirling ribbon around a telephone pole.  Yes? 

2.  Last night was a 12 hour engagement/bachelorette extravaganza for the gorgeous O-town. (Full recap to come.)  We went here and got to wear these:

3.  We also got to partake in a glitter jar (which required a 3 am shower) because every available inch of skin looked like this:

I am sure that come Wednesday, I will still be picking glitter out of my hair.

4. Staying out until 3 am is not as easy as it used to be.  (Read:  Amy is getting old.)  I laid around in bed until 2 pm today!  I only got out of bed to catch up on reading blogs I missed over the weekend.  If I had a laptop or an iPad blog reading would totally have happened from my bed!

5.  I added a calendar to my home office* to keep track of all my nonsense because my old lady brain has been feeling forgetful.  If you want to have a play date let me know!  I'll pencil dry erase you in.

6.  Thanksgiving dinner on May Day is happening.  Be jealous.

* By home office I mean the place where I eat lunch while I blog stalk you!