February 29, 2008 by samantha.

I did it again last night. I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeanette Walls. It was one of those nights were I kept telling myself I only had a hundred pages to read, then seventy-five, then fifty pages, and so on. It was such a good book that I did not want to put down. It was also nice to have a good book to read after reading to so-so ones back to back.

It is the memoir of Jeannette’s unbelievable childhood. Parts of it made me want to cry, parts of it made me cringe. I was amazed at how intelligent both her parents seemed and yet how little they cared about the welfare and health of their children. They obviously did love their kids but it’s amazing that children can be brought up this way in the United States and nothing is done about it. It’s a well-written memoir and will make you thankful for your childhood and family.

I hear they are making this book into a movie. I am curious to see it. I do not think that they will be able to ruin the story, but you never know! I am trying to figure out who will play the characters and I am stumped!

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February 23, 2008 by samantha.

My week vacation is coming to an end. It was a fantastic week that went by way to fast. I had a long list of things that I was going to do and I do not think that I completed even half of it. To be honest, I have no idea where the list is! It was kind of nice to not have a plan for the day. All I worried about was walking Val and reading a book. I cannot say enough about how nice it was. Is this what most people call relaxing?

As nice as that all was, I am already planning for Spring Break. I will probably be going back to Florida. It has been a year since I have been back and I am anxious to see how things have changed. And I think that we will be doing some sight seeing while back in the South. Right now I am thinking of flying into Atlanta, driving over to Savannah, and ending the trip back in good old Niceville. Of course, I know that I will probably end up spending all of my time in Niceville with no sight seeing tour. Either way, it will be nice to get out of California!

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February 23, 2008 by samantha.

The Solace of Leaving Early by Haven Kimmel was a book that I really wanted to like. No matter how hard I tried, I found this book hard to read. I did not care for either of the main characters and at times, I found the story hard to follow. I kept reading, hoping that the story would get better, but I had no such luck. It was a real struggle to get through. I laugh that I had such a hard time, since most of the reviews I have read about the book had nothing but praises for it!

The Solace of Leaving Early is a story about a woman who drops out of her doctoral program and goes back to her hometown and a minister in the same hometown, both of whom are dealing with their own personal problems and who are put in a situation where they have to take care of two little orphaned girls. Like I said, I wanted to like this book. I kept giving it another chance, but unfortunately it never reached my expectations.

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February 20, 2008 by samantha.

My week off is at the half way mark and so far it has been great. I have spent most of time in San Diego. I have enjoyed spending time with my grandmother and I think she is enjoying having someone to run around with. I can honestly say that we not been taking it easy! We have been on the hunt for some new chairs for her living room. We have very different tastes and ideas. And both of us refuse to give in. But at the end of the day, it will be my grandmother’s decision.

On Tuesday, we went down to Balboa Park and visited the National History Museum. A new exhibit just opened, called A Day in Pompeii. It was fascinating. If you are down in San Diego, I would recommend going. It is a self guided tour and has a kid friendly version for the youngins. I think everyone can enjoy it, whether you have visited Pompeii or not.

Today it is raining, but it should clear up by the afternoon. Until then, our afternoon plans are on hold. We might head to the Wild Animal Park or maybe stay dry and go see a movie. I can say that I am very excited about today’s lunch plans. I am going to the Spicy Pickle. I discovered this place when I was driving around Boulder, Colorado. By accident, I discovered one down here and I am keeping my fingers crossed that it is as good as I remember. But seriously, with a name like the Spicy Pickle it has to be good!

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February 20, 2008 by samantha.

I have been holding on to this book for a few years and finally decided to give it a try. The first one hundred pages hooked me. I was so excited. Too bad the those first hundred pages were the best part of the book!

The Cloud Atlas, by Liam Callanan, is about a bomb diffuser in the army during second world war who is sent to Alaska to dismantle the bombs the Japanese sent to the United States inside air balloons. These balloons, of which there were over nine thousand, fell all over Alaska and West Coast of Northern United States. The balloons were rigged with explosives and are one of the best kept secrets of the war. A completely fictional story based on a true-world event. To be honest, I was not very interested with the characters in the book and what happened to them. I felt that the characters should have been better developed and the relationships they had with one another was a bit strained. The characters were had to find believable and their stories were to bizarre to believe.

I think was intrigued me most about this book was that I had never heard of Balloon Bombs. Everyone I talked to had never heard of them. I spent hours on the computer learning about these Balloon Bombs. Still, I am happy I read the book. I learned something new and who can complain about that!?!?!

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February 16, 2008 by samantha.

I got flowers for Valentine’s Day!! I was so thrilled. They were unexpected and greatly appreciated. The flowers are gorgeous! They were delivered at school and caused quite a stir. If only I had a good story to go with them! Still, I am enjoying them and I am very thankful! The other big news of the day was that it snowed most of Valentine’s Day! Outside, everything was covered in a thin, white blanket or snow. It was gorgeous! I really wish I would have had my camera.

My Friday night was a quiet one. I finished my book, The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult. It was another fantastic novel by this author.

It is the story of a young girl that claims to have been raped by the hockey captain from the high school. Trixie and Jason had been going out, but one night things happen that change their relationship. Trixie’s parents are trying to cope with what has happened to their daughter and deal with the strains of their marriage. Trixie’s father, Daniel, is a comic book illustrator. This plays a major role in the book. Daniel’s latest comic, The Tenth Circle, backs the main story. I skipped most of the comic story as I read the book. Jodi Picoult has become one of my favorite authors. Every book I have read by her has never disappointed me. I will say that The Tenth Circle is probably my second favorite, And they are making a TV movie based on the book. I hope that it will be just as good.

Now I have a week off of school. I have to figure out what to do with my time. I am going to head to my grandmother’s and spend some time with her. We have no big plans. Maybe hit Ikea, go to a movie, and play a bunch of games. I have not been to the Wild Animal Park in awhile and I look forward to going back. I do look forward to some good talks with my grandmother and I know that I will have many crazy aunt stories to tell!

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February 10, 2008 by samantha.

The heat is back and I am so not happy. Granted it was only 75ish today, but that is too warm. It is a lot better than the 100+ weather we will have in a few months, but still I am not happy! Then again, I have not felt myself this weekend. I do not really feel sick. I am just exhausted and for no reason that I can explain. I think I am going to be able to put my week break to good work! I plan to sleep, read, and relax!

Besides not feeling up to par, I had a great weekend. I went to a friend’s house on Friday for Game Night. We didn’t play many games, but we had some great conservations. No topic was off limits. We talked a lot of politics, school, and babies. I did play ping pong and I think I am quitting my job to go on the Ping Pong Pro Circuit. I am good! The Chinese and Forest Gump have nothing on me!

Saturday was a slow day. I did not sleep well the night before, so I took it very easy. I read in the morning and watched some TV. I discovered OnDemand on my TV. I had a good time watching Bunny Theater. It is hilarious. It is cartoon rabbits that act out famous scenes from movies. It has been done before, but I really enjoyed it. I saw the Bunny versions of Titanic, Star Wars, and Spiderman to name a few.

Saturday evening I was feeling a little better, so I ventured to the movies. I saw 27 Dresses. It was much better than I thought it would be. I had a great time. I would recommend it. It was you expect from a Chick Flick, with the ridiculous plot to the sitcom ending. Still, it was entertaining. Of course, the most difficult decision of the day was trying to decide what to to for dinner. I was in no mood to go out, so I went to Chipotle. I love Chipotle. The only bad thing is that I think Chipotle is owned by McDonalds. Leave it to them to ruin a good thing!

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February 7, 2008 by samantha.

This was a book that I have been holding onto for about ten years. I guess it just needed to be the right time to read the book and appreciate it. The Mutant Message Down Under by Marlo Morgan was an interesting read.

Supposedly, it is based on a true story. I do not know if I really believe that. The story is about a woman’s journey across the Outback with a tribe of Aborigines. The tribe’s people “kidnap” the author and lead her on a spiritual journey. The author is the chosen one to share the history and way of life of Australia’s Aboriginal tribes. As they trek across Australia, they teach the author how to respect nature, appreciate what the land gives them, and how to live a simple, happy life.

I really enjoyed learning about the history and culture of Australia’s native people. Just like the Native Americans, they have suffered the loss of their heritage and country. As Australia was settled, the Aborigines were forced into the harsh, almost uninhabitable Outback. Almost everything that was once scared to them was either taken away and put into a museum or became inaccessible because of “modernization.”

Whether the story a true one or not, I really enjoyed the book. I am glad that I waited to read it. Now was the right time. It was an easy read where I actually learned something! What more could I ask for!?!?? And of course, now I really want to go to Australia! Anyone interested in going?

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February 6, 2008 by samantha.

I am in a foul mood. I cannot pinpoint why I am in such a bad mood, but I am. I know I should be happy. I am happy with the results of Super Tuesday. My grandmother is doing much better. I have a vacation coming in about a week. Still, I am not in a good mood. All I want to do is read my book and hide in bed. Val would not mind as long as I got up to go on our daily walks.

In attempts to make this post not so ridiculous, I wanted to include this picture I took over the weekend. It was a wet and dark weekend. In between the rain showers, I went outside to explore. I looked over to my fence and saw this white rose that had poked through. It was just a gorgeous site. I really like how the fence looks so rough and tough next to the delicate rose. Usually I am not a fan of roses, but I really like this picture.

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February 3, 2008 by samantha.

The Giants won the Super Bowl!! Ha ha Tom Brady!! Ha ha Patriots!!

I had to start this post that way. I am a little excited. I only caught the last seven minutes, but I am happy that I caught the end. What a great way to end a weekend.

Saturday was an interesting day. I went baby shopping with a couple of girlfriends. We registered! It was so much fun to be able to shop and not spend a penny! We spent a zillion dollars in about two hours. And I learned more then I ever needed to know about baby supplies. Thank goodness I am not having a baby anytime soon. They are damn expensive! But that is why you have a baby shower and keep your fingers crossed that someone will buy an expensive item.

Saturday night I went to see The Bucket List. It was much better than I expected it to be. It was silly and predictable, but I really enjoyed it. It made me appreciate the friends that I have and renewed my faith in the human spirit. It also got me thinking about my own ‘bucket list” of sorts. The problem with that is the list would change every day and I would probably lose it. And I would get frustrated if I hadn’t crossed anything off in awhile. Then again, I do like to make lists…

I woke up early Sunday morning and finished reading The Kite Runner. It was such a good book. I almost did not want to finish it. I wanted it to keep going. I have to find someone who read it, so I can talk about it. I am eager to read another book by the author, Khaled Hosseini. It was a perfect morning to read. It was cold and rainy outside. It rained for most of the day, but there was about an hour break. Val was happy, because that was just enough time for a walk.

All right, I am off for another book to read. Have a great week and Happy Super Tuesday! I am sure I will be posting about that!

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