10 Randoms..... Summer Reading

Since the beginning of June I have been devouring books. I love summer for th simple fact that I don't feel guilty about sitting on the deck with a good book, a drink, and some sun. I deserve an escape, if only for a chapter or two. These (with the exception of the first two because I am still reading those), are books I have read since the beginning of summer. All of them have been good reads. Can't complain about what I have accomplished thus far!

 Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum - A different perspective on Nazi Germany. I am loving it right now. I am looking forward to the end. I'll let you know.

 The Four Hour Body  by Timothy Ferriss - I know there is no easy way to lose weight. If there were I would have already tried it. However, there are little tricks you can do to help facilitate said weight loss and several are included in this book. Even this morning I guzzled my 500 ml of ice water...

 Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin - Cute. Typical chick read. They all live happily ever after in the end, but despite the predictability of it, I still enjoyed it. I was rooting for the underdog through it all. It also was made into a movie, but the only reason I would go see it is for John Krasinski. He's dreamy.

 Bossypants by Tina Fey. Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Hilarious. Nothing else to say but that. So so funny. (What a stellar review, non?)

 Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe. I haven't really been a autobiography fan. I would rather read fiction, but how could I not get a book with him on the cover? Huh? He is hot. And he is a really good writer. And he has met and worked with a lot of people, and tells amazing stories. And the thing I think I like most about him? He has a strong marriage and family. Does that really exist in Hollywood?

 The Help by Kathryn Stockett - Such a good book. I get why they are making it into a movie. I am also glad I read it before the movie came out. Excellent story, funny, and frustrating at the same time. 

 My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler. I have read her other two books and this was her first. I think she is hilarious. I giggled my whole way through this one. I am also glad I don't have enough to write my own book like this.

 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling - I had to remind myself of the sadness I felt the first time I finished the series. I know I am not alone when I say I wish this could go on forever. I hope she does. I hope that one day Harry and Ginny have little wizards, and they go to Hogwarts and that one of them grows up to be the Headmaster or Mistress... and that they fix all of the wizarding and muggle world problems. Optimistic? Likely, but a girl can dream can't she?

A Million Little Pieces by James Frey - I read this when there was the first commotion about it on Oprah, and I read it again this summer because Oprah interviewed Frey again. I didn't have a problem with the story the first time; I think that a majority of books including memoirs have fiction in them, and I enjoyed it even more the second time.

 Night by Elie Wiesel - Ugh. Hate that we even have books like this. I am fascinated by WWII. I don't know why, but I think it has something to do with the fact that disgusting hatred was allowed to exist in plain sight for so long. I hate that. I also didn't love this book. Not for the book itself. The story is one that needs to be told, and heard, and repeated, but I didn't like it because I know it was true.

 

Room by Emma Donoghue - This was tough at the beginning. The first 50 to 100 pages made me want to quit reading because the manner in which the young boys speaks is difficult to work with, but once I got to understand his situation and thus his speech patterns, it made a good read. And a sad one.

 

Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes. FUNNY. Story about a partying Irish girl who agrees to go to rehab because she thinks she will meet a bunch of celebrities there. She doesn't. But the anecdotes are worth a good giggle.

10 Randoms.... the funniest lines from Wicked

On Friday night, my dear friend Catherine and I went to see Wicked in Calgary. It was amazing. I loved it as much as I loved Phantom. I also loved that I got to spend some time with a friend who loves theatre as much as I do.
The play was considerably funnier than I expected it to be, and here are my ten favorite funny lines from it. (There were also at least a million heartfelt lines that I could include here too, but then I would just be rewriting the script!)

1. Morrible: Miss Elphaba, I hear you're very...bright.
    Galinda: Bright? She's phosphorescent. 

2. Galinda: That was your very first party...ever?
    Elphaba: Do funerals count?

3. Elphaba: Well we can all come and go by bubble. 


4. Elphaba: So you lied to them?
    Wizard: Only verbally.


5. Palace Guard: There's a goat on the lamb!


6. Glinda: I know you don't want to hear this but someone has to say it! You are out of control! I mean they're just shoes...let it go!

7. Glinda: Glinda. The "ga" is silent. 


8. Nessa: What are you doing here?
    Elphaba: There's no place like home.


9. Fiyero: There's no pretense here. I happen to be genuinely self-absorbed and deeply shallow.


And the one that made me really giggle:
10: Nessa: Mmm... What's in the punch?
      Boq: Lemons and melons and pears.
      Nessa: Oh my!


I can't wait for this musical to return so I can take Avery with me. I know that she would love it as much as I did!

Happy Birthday Mr. Handsome!

Cohen turned four on Tuesday. Four! I can't beleive I have been parenting for as long as I have. But I now have a four year old in the house! We were camping in Champion because the kids had swim lessons, and so this was probably one of the least stressful birthdays I have ever done. I made Cookie Monster cupcakes the day before we left, kept them in the freezer, and voila, the day of, I pulled them out. We just had hot dogs and cake, and presents, and rented the pool. It was short and sweet, and I think Cohen enjoyed just about every minute of it. Except for the minute when his first cupcake dropped on the ground.... but every other minute after that!

NKOTBSB - ahhhhhh

I

I didn't get tickets. I didn't want to buy the crappy cheap seats, high in the nosebleeds for this show, so when I couldn't get them, I thought it wasn't meant to be. Then Jenn sent me an email with some tickets on Kijiji. GOOD tickets. Lower bowl tickets. Club seats. For $100. So, so worth it. I have never walked down into seats for a concert when I wasn't on the floor. But here we were. Twelve rows up from Donnie, and the rest of the boys. Mmmmm. I don't care that I am 35 and still swooning over a boy band. They put on an amazing show, and the BSB weren't too shabby either... A great night with a great friend!

Signs of Summer in Champion

I live in an amazing community. Amazing doesn't cut it. For a village of 400 people, it pretty much kicks ass. We just celebrated our centennial last weekend, and it was three days of jammed packed fun that I won't soon forget. However, that weekend has come and gone, so now I need to rave about something else. That something is our brand new swimming pool. Our old pool was built in 1967, and it really was showing its wear. So work began on fundraising for a new pool. And it was worth the wait. Our new pool is bigger and so much better. There is a graduated entry which basically means I don't have to get in the water if I don't want to. Cohen, who last year, screamed and clung to me, now walks in up to his chin and bounces around screaming "Look at me!". Avery is getting more and more brave with each day we go, and just started dog paddling the other day. It will also soon have a spray area to add to the excitement. It has been open for exactly a week, and the only day we didn't go was the one day we went to the spray park in High River instead. I love our little pool so much I don't mind the 15 minute drive to town and back home again each day, just so we can get a little bit of respite from the heat, and I can watch my kids have a ball!

Oh Canada!

Canada Day is my favorite holiday. I love it even more than Christmas. After all, there aren't fireworks on Christmas. I love my country. I love being a Canadian. I love the freedom that has been given to me. I love that my children will grow up in a country that they are able to make their own decisions, say what they want, vote for who they want.
We celebrated Canada Day this year in Champion at the Centennial. It was an amazing weekend with something for everyone. I am proud to be a Canadian, and especially proud to be living in Champion; especially this year.