101 Progress - August 2012

Here's what I did in August 2012

~ Blogged about my 101 progress, obviously! ;) 
~ Wrote a letter to a friend/a different friend.
~ Finished Reading the following book(s):
       The Host

~ Things fell apart with the book club meeting this month but I did create a blog for us and have already started next month's book. :) Hopefully I'll finish this month's book quickly so I can read more than one book this month. :)

~ Still writing in my journal albeit not as much this month but still writing.
~ Counted my pencils/pens; I'm at 269 - 16 more than last month! I bought 12 (they were Muppets and Icee pencils; too cute to pass up) and I found a few around my house. Some them were pens too.
         Funny story for one of the pens. Andy and I went out to lunch and the pen that the guy gave us to sign with said "The Pen has been stolen from: Douglas Pest Control Inc." Now I know that it was prolly one of those pens that was made to look like it was stolen, but it was still fun to "steal" a "stolen" pen. But if anyone asks, just tell them that I accidentally forgot and walked away with it. ;)

~ Counted my nail polish; I'm at 77!! - 5 new ones and I got all of them for FREE!!! I got a magnetic one from my mom (YAY for packages!!), I got 2 bottles of Essie as Klout perks and I got 2 for .033 cents a piece (which is free in my book) from Julep. I'm not sure how long this is going on but if you sign up to be a Julep Maven and enter in the code PENNY you will get your first Julep Maven box for one penny. If you don't want to continue receiving Julep boxes just cancel your account after you receive your first box. :) Click HERE to learn more and sign up. :)

~ Found jewelry. I don't know if I'll ever find it all. But I found some and once it's all organized and in my jewelry box I'll count this one as completed. lol
~ Pedicure of the Month - It was the Olympics so of course I had to do something fun for that! ;)

~ Song of the month: I haven't found a specific song for me this month, so I think I will dedicate this month's song to my Grandma (Mom-mom) who passed away on August 1st 2007. There are two songs that remind me of her: Alexander's Ragtime Band and Flight of the Bumblebee. I found a really good video for Flight of the Bumblebee so we'll go with that one. :)

Book Review: The Host

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"Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed.

When Melanie, one of the few remaining "wild" humans, is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too-vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

Wanderer probes Melanie's thoughts, hoping to discover the whereabouts of the remaining human resistance. Instead, Melanie fills Wanderer's mind with visions of the man Melanie loves - Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she has been tasked with exposing. When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love."


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This month for my book club we read The Host by Stephanie Meyer (Author of Twilight). First of all, it was hard for me to get into this book but I have said that about all of the book club books that I've read so far. I have pondered why it has been hard for me to get into the book club books and have come to the realization that it is my mentality. I think that most times I feel like I have to read the book as opposed to wanting to read it. I am going to try and get over that personal hump and focus on reading these books so that I can connect with the other people in my book club rather than thinking that it's just another book that I have to read. If you like a little bit of love, a little bit of Sci-Fi, and a little bit of fun banter I think that you will really enjoy this book and it won't be hard to get into it at all.

Once I got into this book I couldn't put it down.  I HAD to know what would happen. The two main characters, Wanderer and Melanie both existed within one body and both of them were very different. While they both longed for Jared, Wanderer had a very logical way of thinking, she loved everyone and was filled with guilt if something happened to one of the other humans. Melanie on the other hand had eyes for only two people, Jared and herself. Melanie reminded me a lot of Bella from the Twilight books, she was a little whiny, clingy and very stubborn. Melanie was trapped in her own body, unable to speak or do anything for herself, all she longed for was Jared and she made sure that Wanderer knew it. LOL

I really loved the banter between Wanderer and Melanie since they were so different. I thought it was funny how they would silently argue with each other, their personalities clashed but did so very well; it made for a very interesting and fun dialog. Sometimes the dialog between them was a little hard to follow since Stephanie didn't use quotation marks when they were talking to each other but it was fun nonetheless. Plus you did get used to it after a while. :)

I really connected to Wanderer. She was pulled in so many different directions. She was very literally stuck in the middle of a love triangle. She came into the human's cave knowing that some hated her, some liked her, some loved her for the alien that she truly was and she in turn loved everyone. She was selfless. I am selfish and can admit it. She inspired me to want to be more selfless. To stop thinking only of myself and rather look at those around me; think about what my actions do to everyone.

This book had a wide range of emotion. It made me laugh, made me frustrated, made me mad, made me happy, made me cry, and made me cry. Oh did I mention that it made me cry?! LOL It was a great book and definitely worth reading. :)

Rating:





Your Book Reviewer,
Jessy <3

Advice from Yoda

This is WAY too long for a Facebook status update but was WAY too hilarious not to share it....LOL

I posted a status about being anxious for my class that starts tonight and got this email from Yoda, my friend he is...

 "Nervousness leads to anxiety; anxiety leads to fear...

'Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.' 

You Missy are a jedi, I can see Yoda preaching to you (Ive changed some of this to suite you).  'Ready are you? What know you of ready? For eight hundred years have I trained Jedi. My own counsel will I keep on who is to be trained. A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind. This one a long time have I watched. All her life has she looked away... to the future, to the next cup of coffee. Never her mind on where she was. Hmm? What she was doing. Hmph. Caffine. Heh. Nail Polish. Heh. A Jedi craves not these things. You are reckless.'

Beware of the dark side. Nervousness, coffee, anxiety; the dark side of the Force are they. Easily they flow, quick to join you in a fight. If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will, as it did Obi-Wan's apprentice. "

LMAO!!!! Coffee and nail polish are my vices I don't see myself giving them up anytime soon...However, I'll try not to let my anxiety and fear consume me. 

Thanks I have to Yoda.

Your Jedi, 

Jessy <3

P.S. Yoda, my friend. You will be glad to know that I actually just watched Episode 1 the other day. :)

This Weeks Confessional

My confessions:

I have wanted a stiff drink AND thought it was Friday since Monday.

I stubbed my toe so bad that it split my toenail and my only worry was that my toenail would look weird when I paint it again.

I did not say nice words when I stubbed my toe, in fact some might be surprised as to what I did say.

I still have not finished reading my book club book. The meeting is next Friday, 8/24, at my house...Oops. It would be horrible if the host didn't read The Host; guess I'd better get reading.

I have wanted to beat my head against the wall more than once.

I have yet to send my letter of the month even though I wrote it at the tail end of July. I need stamps.

I left my iPod at work for one night and went through withdraws. I didn't know what to do with myself.

I now have the song "I don't know what to do with myself" stuck in my head and am mentally singing along with Cameron Diaz' horrible karaoke version from My Best Friends Wedding.

I have been frustrated with students who register for classes late. Classes start next week guys...

I can NOT wait until the weekend!! I hope it goes as slow as this week has. lol

I am confessing in advance for the stiff drink that I may have to have tomorrow night. LOL

Jessy <3

Blogger's Block

Ok so I watched this vlog yesterday where the person was having vlogger's block so he just kept talking. It was kinda funny because he had a clown that he was talking to, but he was talking to them about the fact that he didn't have anything to talk about. (How about "Why the heck do you have a clown in your room?") LOL Well, I am really having blogger's block. I really want to blog because I've been missing it, but I can't think of anything interesting to blog about. So, instead I'm going to ramble. LOL Here are some totally random things that have been on my mind lately...

First, I haven't been doing very well with exercising. :( I guess it is true that exercising at home is harder than if you go to a gym or take a class. So, I am going to sign up for the gym at my work. They have this employee incentive that if you work out for 33 hours over the semester they will give you $25. I figure 2 hours a week wouldn't be too hard to accomplish. Plus I would be able to tone, make myself look like I've lost weight (cuz I still don't see the difference in myself) and maybe it will give me a little more confidence. I am also going to be taking English 102 this semester, simply because the instructor was my sub last semester and he was awesome! Thinking about taking a class makes me a little nervous because of all of the partial seizures that I had during English 101 last semester. I am on new meds now so hopefully my meds were the issue and I won't have any partial seizures during this class. We'll find out; in the meantime, I'm trying not to think about it. 

New topic, totally random. I love Spotify and I have really been enjoying the "Singer-Songwriter" radio station lately for three reasons. First, the music awesome. It's a little melancholy but I think the songs are exactly what I have been needing. Second, it is making me broaden my music horizons. There are some songs that come up that I am like "ummmm...dislike aka...skip", but then there are others that I absolutely LOVE! The last reason that I love the new radio feature, is because I don't have to upgrade my account in order to listen to it on my iPod, and I can listen to it as long as I want, unlike Pandora who now gives you a time limit unless you upgrade. That third reason kind of sounds like two reasons doesn't it?! O well. lol

Third random topic. Just so you know why I am letting everyone know when I am skipping to a new topic is because the topics aren't connected in my brain like at all, so I'm sure they're not connected in yours. LOL Anyway, as most of you know, I am in a book club. This month we are reading "The Host" by Stephanie Meyer. I don't know what it is but I can not seem to get into the book club books. So far I have finished all of them and I am very happy with the outcomes and have been so glad to have read the books.  But I just can't seem to get into them until the half way mark and this one is no different. Every time I try to read this book, I fall asleep. This month the book club is meeting at my house, I would be a horrible host if I didn't read "The Host." LOL!! I have two weeks until the meeting so I guess I'd better get reading eh?!

Fourth topic, this one is kind of connected - at least in my brain. I am really getting annoyed with my house. I am so very glad that we've caught up with the kitchen and the living room but now my bedroom is driving me batty. I have to do laundry and I really want to be organized. So the reason it is connected in my brain, is because it something that I SHOULD be doing - rather than just blogging about it. 

I think I have rambled long enough. Now I must get off  this computer, that would include not getting sucked into Pinterest or Facebook (which has been hard lately) and either read or accomplish something in my house!! We'll see how that turns out. LOL

Sincerely yours, even with blogger's block,

Jessy <3

The Nail Files 8/10/12

 

I'm linking up with two fabulous ladies this week and sharing my nail designs. 

It's been a couple weeks since I've linked up so I have three designs.

The first is a cute turtle design that I did for my friend who wanted something green :)

And the other two are ones that I did for the Olympics first the nail design

I tried water marbling and got it to a certain extent, but I learned that it is picky. Your water HAS to be room temperature - no tap, no warm - room temperature. Plus it's best to use newer nail polishes, ones that haven't thickened.

Last one is my monthly pedicure Olympic Style ;)

I must say the Union flag was much easier to do on my fingers than it was on my toes. LOL

Your Nail Art Addict,

Jessy <3

 

Remembering Mom-Mom

Last week on August 1st, marked 5 years since my grandma, Mom-Mom, passed away. It is really hard for me to believe that it has already been five years, but then sometimes it feels like longer that that too. I felt bad that I didn't post something about her on August 1st but life happens. I did write a journal entry for her tho. :)

For those of you who don't know, I named Mom-mom. She was my mom's mom so it was a fitting name for her. After I coined her name, it stuck and everyone called her Mom-Mom, whether they were her grand-kids or not. LOL I have some simple thoughts and memories that I would like to share about Mom-Mom.

She was a woman who loved cats, I must have inherited that trait from her.

She was a bargain shopper and taught my mom and I everything we know. Whenever we would go shopping at a thrift store and got a parking place right up front she thought it was a good omen and that we were going to find really good deals that day. I still see those close parking spots as a good omens.

She loved to have people play with her hair. It was kinda funny, maybe gross to some, but she used to have me sit on the back of her couch and pluck out gray hairs. LOL

She must have loved music because a lot of the memories that I have about Mom-mom stem around music. She had a player piano that we would play rolls on and sing along to songs like "Teddy Bear Picnic" and "Great Balls of Fire." Mom-mom also got a music book for her piano. This was a special book that came with stickers for the keys so you didn't have to know the notes in order to play the piano. I got that book out the other day and started flipping through old songs that I remember playing when I was little.

Overall Mom-mom was Spunky, I think that must've been her middle name, Saundra Spunky Gerber. Yep sounds about right! She was funny, silly and a joy to be around. I miss her. I can't wait to see her again someday. Until then, she gets to watch over me and I get to reminisce about all of the great times that we had. :)


Love you Mom-Mom,
Jessy <3

Jamba Juice or Starbucks THAT is the question!?

Dear Jamba Juice & Starbucks,

Why must you always be right next to each other? I went to Jamba Juice this morning simply because I have wanted one for weeks now. However, in the process I had to pass up the wonderful smell of Starbucks that was right next door. I ALMOST changed my mind at the last second and thought about going to Starbucks instead. However, I fought the urge because I know that Jamba Juice is probably better for me or at least more "breakfastey" than just coffee.

I may be regretting my choice now, because I passed up the caffeine. I am not awake and just sent an email that was directed toward my boss and forgot to include her on the email. Fail... Jamba Juice, I really hope hope that your "energy boost" kicks in and wakes me up a little bit. If not, /soup nazi *No customer for YOU!* LOL

Your torn and extremely frustrated customer,
Jessy <3