Euphoric

Today will be a good day.  Because it's Saturday.  And because, I've been very happy lately.  No headaches or migraines.  I think I locked up all of my stress and hid it from view.

I went to Reno this past week for work.  It was funny coming home.  I got home around 11:30 pm Thursday night.  Gizmo was so excited.  Anyways, when I tried to go to bed, Gizmo wanted my attention. So, he snuggled right next to me under my arm.  And then he put his head on my pillow.  Pathetic, yes...  But super cute.

There's not a whole lot going on right now for me.  I officially start vacation time in one week.  Jared and I don't leave until the day after the Fourth of July.  Hopefully I'll remember I have a camera and take lots of pictures...

Countdown

I go to Reno tomorrow.  Hopefully, travel will help the week go by quickly.  I'm so ready for my vacation!!

16 days until we leave for Gatlinburg.  Jared and I are making a pit stop in Columbus, Indiana where we're going to go to COSI, a dynamic hands-on science center.  I've heard a lot of great reviews about it.  So I'm excited.  And then we'll meet family in Tennessee for the week.  It's my first family vacation to the mountains after college.  I'm so excited!

Books

A few books I have been reading as of late...

I finally finished the Kushiel trilogy.  I believe the third one was definitely the best one.  It also had the most creative ways to induce pain.  Anyways, the books take on a historical fantasy.  It's amazing how much truth and lore is mixed in these books.  I truly enjoyed them and will probably continue on with the next books set in this world.  I just have to find time for them...

  

Waking the Witch is the latest book of Kelley Armstrong's Otherworld series.  One of the things I really love about her books (that I thought I'd hate initially) is how her books have different narrators.  It keeps the stories and views fresh.  A lot of series that have more than five books tend to go downhill and you don't get that 'awesome story' pull that you initially had.  Anyways, I look forward to her next book which comes out in a month.

  

Maybe one day, I'll deem myself too old to read Young Adult novels.  Until then, I'll enjoy them as they come.  I decided to try out the Darkest Powers series, and they were done really well.  The weird thing is they're set in the same world as the Otherworld series, it's just from a teenager's perspective.  I definitely recommend it if you're someone who enjoys reading supernatural-themed books.  I need to start the Darkness Rising series now.

This is the fourth of the Mortal Instruments series.  It definitely picked up pace about halfway through the book.  And that's when I was beginning to question how big of a cliff hanger this book would end with.  Let me tell you, the cliff hanger is huge...  It's a big one like the one in Vampire Academy's fifth book.  Anyways, another young adult book that's awesome.

I read this book because it's Sookie Stackhouse.  I loved the first six or so books.  This one is the eleventh.  While reading this, I kept asking where's the climax?  What's the point of this book?  This series falls in that category of losing it's spark after so many books.  I only hope that, when Charlaine Harris does wrap up this series, she gives it an amazing ending.

This book was a very quick read.  And it made me go teary eye quite a few times.  It has the somber, serious feel while never losing hope.  Also, the title is perfect.  This is one of those simple books that touches you after the fact.  It keeps you thinking and pondering what if?  I need to order the second book because I definitely look forward to it.

Change

Everyone needs a moment to be stunned and realize: in a moment, your life as you knew it could be lost because of one or a few bad decisions.  We found out yesterday that someone we knew in Logan pretty much has the rest of his life destroyed because of a few bad decisions he made.  And it's not just his life he's ruined, but his family's and his wife's.  I don't mean to minimize the bad decision because it was a huge bad decision.  But it makes you ask, "Is this 10 minute moment worth the sacrifice of the rest of my life?"  All I can hope is the people I know and love have enough sense to not do something so stupid.  And it's hard when you find out that assumption was a bad assumption with someone you knew.  More on the story can be found here:  Child Porn Arrests.

Anyways, life is good for me.  Jared came home from his vacation.  He's still in loe with me, and I love him.  So, we're happy.

We go on vacation in three weeks.  We'll be going to the Smoky Mountains.  Jared's never seen the Smokies.  We'll be staying in the #1 tourist attraction:  Gatlinburg, Tennessee.  It's an annual trip my family used to do.  Only, I haven't been able to join them since I went to college.  We'll be joining them this year.  Only we'll be driving south while they drive north.  And we'll meet somewhere in the middle (even though Jared and I have twice the longer drive than them).  But it'll be fun.  I'm excited.

By Myself

It's surprising how bored I can get without having Jared around (I guess it's not that surprising).  I spent 6 hours today cleaning my house.  I like having a clean house.  Obviously, I haven't cleaned it in a while.  It's nice and sunny outside...  I'd go to the pool and sun bathe, but there's probably 100 people there already.  And besides, I don't want to go by myself...

I think I need more friends...

Anyways, Jared and I went to the Arboretum last week.  Only, I didn't post the pictures.  So here they are.  My random Spring pictures.

It was fun watching the male turkeys display their feathers for the female.  The female didn't even notice.  She walked the other way.

Lilies

I never posted my lilies on here.  Well here they are now.  I'll have to take some pictures of my garden soon.  The corn, lima beans, peas, and green onions have sprouted.  One of my strawberry plants has already produced two strawberries (they were nummy).  Here's to healthy eating...