Tag: Morning Meanderings

Good morning errrr… afternoon! 

I have had a pretty nice end to my week.  I had a day off on Friday (woo hoo – seriously woo hoo!!!) a nice package arrived, and a successful road trip yesterday.

Last week I read and reviewed Jerusalem Maiden by Talia Carner.  I had met Talia in New York this year and enjoyed talking with her.  When I wrote my review I mentioned that I was interested in hearing that Talia had written two other books that I would like to read some day.  Soon after, Talia contacted me saying she would be delighted to send me the other two books.  (*someone pinch me – these book happenings often feel like a dream!*)  Of course I said I would love that.  😀

On Friday, Talia’s package arrived:

 

And then yesterday I went to my closest Barnes and Noble in St Cloud, Minnesota to see the NOOK representatives and they were SO NICE!  The lady (I wish I would have caught her name) was so kind to me!  I know very little about the powers of my NOOK and she walked me through some of the magic of the NOOK and upgraded my NOOK and hooked me up with a free book.  I left feeling very satisfied with the help I was given.

Did I leave empty-handed?

Of course not…. that has never happened.  😛

There it is…. a great weekend that really makes me appreciate the book relations in my life 😀

 

 

Good morning!  😀  I am late but it is still morning here in Minnesota.

Today is my first full day off, no commitment day in over two weeks.  I am beyond giddy and thus the late post.  I slept in… I took my time getting ready for my day…  I had my coffee on the deck and cereal too (I never take time to do this!!!) 

The day is gorgeous and as soon as I am done here… I will be out there, book in hand… taking in the rays that I have not yet had time for in 2011.  You will find me:

Or…

Or…

Or…

No matter what I choose I am getting some outdoor time!  😛

 

And as for the news, my awesome friend Alison at Alison’s Book Marks had mentioned the news on Pottermore yesterday and I about sssqqqqquuueeeedddddd with excitement.  Ok…. not “about”…. I did.  😛

 

Good Morning.

*GAH*

I have been sitting here thinking about the last month and my lack there of my regular scheduled work outs.  I can not even really blame the bike injury as it started weeks before then… actually mid May.

Prior to BEA (New York) I was too busy with regular work stuff and meetings to do my kick boxing and group power lifting… back from New York I was recovering from New York (does this happen to anyone else?  Where you need to recover from the vacation?  Just wondering…)… that weekend I had a 40 mile bike ride…. woo hoo…. bit of exercise….

then nothing until the MS 150 the following weekend where I crashed at mile 71 and have done nothing since….  😯

So – pity party aside… 

here is my game plan of what I CAN DO…

I CAN still roller blade.  I have a deep gash on my right ankle but I think if I cover it I will be ok.

I CAN walk and jog on the tread mill

I CAN use the elliptical

I CAN take my dogs for walks in the nearby park… something I always plan to do… but never do…

I CAN bike…. (yes, I can!) and today I get my bike back – woo hoo!!!

So there is the “plan B” in my life… I do not have to be inactive, and I need to get moving in a stronger more positive direction.  😀

LAPTOP made it home yesterday and is working fine!  My bike (which I call Opportunity Drive) will be home this afternoon.  I WILL make a full recovery from this injury and move forward starting today. 

Ok… no idea where all that came from other than I am tired of sitting around with the TV on.  Back to the books and the fun.  😀

Work out with me this weekend…. share your ideas for getting a little exercise while having fun doing it.  I would love to know!

Good morning 😀

I am feeling a bit handicapped today – I went in to have the large obnoxious cast taken onn yesterday and instead it was replaced with a bigger – more obnoxious cast.  😦  Apparently my wrist is not strong enough yet and my fiongers need to be more stabalized.  *sigh*

 

But I am not the only thing in my household that is on the blink…

First off…. my bike has been in the bike shop for over a week.  I hate that.  It’s not that it is that banged up (I hope not anyway)… it’s that they have been too busy to love on it.  I am sure they are thinking that a girl in a cast is in no hurry to get her bike back.

They would be wrong.  😀

Secondly… Laptop caught a Virus Sunday evening and hit the black screen of death.  I took him in on Monday and they hope to have him ready to go again some time today.  This is the same Laptop that died for two days a couple months ago and came back to life… not once, but twice.  I know soon I am due for a new one. 

Currently I am using hubbies laptop which I just do not like as much as my own.  For one – he only uses Internet Explorer and I never use Internet Explorer…. my blog and everything works differently with Explorer.  It’s also slower than mine… to comment, takes me twice as long to submit. 

So that is what is happening here… everything is getting repaired…including me.  Hopefully soon we will all be well running machines again.  😛

 

 Good Morning!!!  😛

Do book lovers influence your reading?  They sure can for me!  A good enthusiastic talk about a book and really – I start to crave it.  If it can make someone else excited…. I want the experience.  Here is an example:

I am in New York last month having dinner with a lovely group of bloggers.  Suddenly someone mentions a book I have never heard of before.  Night Circus. 

 “It’s about a circus that only appears at night”

“It is going to be awesome – very YA – this will be a hit!”

“It is said to be the next Harry Potter!”

Whoa.  Stop the presses.

I want this book.

The Book Expo is out of the ones they handed out.  I come home and I email the publishing company of my interest explaining my conversation at BEA… and then I wait.

Packages come… not it.  not it.  Not it.

And then…

it arrives.

All beautifully packaged in Circus striped paper and a lovely red ribbon addressed to me. 

Now…

I do not want to open it.

Too pretty.  😛

So I finally feel like I am over a blogging funk.  Yesterday I wrote 5 reviews.  It felt awesome.  For the last week and a half when I went to write a review I suddenly was exhausted just thinking of adding the pictures, the synopsis, my thoughts, linking to Amazon, Good Reads, my Reading Map….. GAH.  I usually closed the laptop and went to bed instead of writing anything.

BUT – yesterday for the first time since before my bike accident I came home… did a couple minor housecleaning things… and CHILLED.  Yup.  Sat in the recliner with a cup of chicken soup and a bottle of water and I wrote the afternoon away.  I even prepped all my posts for my current reads and listens.

Today I hope to write the two interviews I have ready to go, and hopefully just read this evening.  Ahhhhhh….. just read.  I like the sound of that.  😀

Mornin’!

First of all let me say…. this is not a life blog. 

Although….

it does seem like it recently….

😯

Hmmm…..

Ok… lately I will admit it may be one. 

“Where are the book reviews Sheila?”

I am reading…. I just have been flying through the days from morning to night lately and quite literally have had no time to write reviews.  I plan on it, every day… then… I just do not get in to the house on time.

Currently I am in Chicago with my “life sisters”, Heidi, Sara, and Cindy.  What is a life sister?  Sisters I chose.  Girls who are as close to me as sisters. 

Oh… and the dork meter is set on high today so let’s have a little music shall we…

Heidi I met 20 years ago at Wal-Mart.  We were Customer Service Managers together.  Cindy came to work at Wal-Mart 16 years ago, and Sara I hired in the Housewares Department 13 years ago.  We are a motley crue, but we try to do something once a month, many times just dinner to keep in touch. 

Ok… back to Chicago.  Yesterday was highly busy – we drove into Chicago at 9 am and spent the entire day (and evening) on the Navy Pier.  We were on a Pirate ship, went to the top of the Sears Building, took the water taxi, seen the Buckingham Fountain…. had my first Chicago hot dog….

We pulled into out hotel at 9 pm and then, after we were settled in.. went out to dinner.  Back at midnight… 

And now we are off again.

I guess temporarily this is a life blog.  Books are coming… they are … I promise.  I have things to say 😛

Good morning!  This morning I am in a hotel in Michigan WI. This is where we landed after out 10 hours in the car yesterday between stopping and checking out small towns and shops and driving to our destination.

I slept A LOT.

I told my friends I felt like a baby in the car seat… the car starts moving, I fall asleep.  😛

Our morning had started out with a stop in Clearwater Minnesota for breakfast…

Ok… we didn’t actually eat that but what a picture right? 

We traveled all day – I read (unfortunately)  little.  We stopped at a few cool shops to check out local fare… and its funny how small towns have these giant “photo-op” spots such as….

 

There was also a giant chicken, a mouse house, turtle, mermaid, the Mousehouse, etc…

I  think these large statues… tourist attractions are hilarious!  Do you have any where you live?  In Brainerd all we have is Paul Bunyan… 😛

(Hopefully back later today with a review…)

Mmmm….

Good morning.  I am having peanut butter toast and COFFEE this morning.  Peanut butter toast because I can not take the meds without food (learned that the hard way).

I am having a love hate relationship with the pain killers.  I love them because when I take them I no longer feel the ache of my shoulder, arm, wrist, fingers and leg…. hate them…. because I don’t like to take anything. 

Last night I had book club.  I had book club which I love.  I have book club which I love AND I did not have the book read.  GAH.  😛  The book is The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch.  I just picked it up from the library yesterday.  It is a short read a couple of hours to read – 4 hours on audio.  What was interesting about this review is that it is a true story, an actual lecture of a dying man.  Not our usual genre and that is what excites me.  I love to see us branch out as a group.  The discussion was amazing and tearful.  I can not wait to get it read so I can review it and share with you this incredible group of women.

One of the girls in our group brought her mom which was so much fun!  I love that others want to join us!  We also picked out t-shirts last night for our group which I am excited about.  They will be in next month so I will get group pics then.  I love that this group is growing in so many ways!

As for friends… I sit here this morning fully packed and other than packing up LAPTOP, I am ready to go.  My friends Cindy, Heidi, and Sara are meeting here at 7 am where we will load up and road trip to Chicago.  No reason other than we planned a road trip last fall and now… here it is.  I thought about cancelling with my arm all wrapped and my body beaten… but Al (hubby) and I decided i should still go.  It will be good to go on a relaxing trip.  This time of year his schedule is busy and he is gone from morning until night anyway.  So…. here I am… ready for new adventures (although thinking June 2011 has been enough of an adventure already…LOL)

I have soooo many reviews to write and two interviews and I plan to do so as soon as I can.  I hate being behind but each night when I sit down to do it…. I get sleepy and decide it will have to wait. 

Anyhoo… the girls said that as long as I am not on LAPTOP all the time… he can come with – so yay!!!  (I will try not to abuse my rights… ;))

Have an awesome Wednesday…. I will be on all week to update you on the who, what, and where…. 😀