The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The FTC doesn't have to worry about me writing about books. This one I checked out of the library. And the other's I've done I've bought on my own.

For those of who don't know what I'm referring to, the short story is that the FTC apparently doesn't have enough to do so they decided to focus on book bloggers (bloggers in general actually) and that anytime a blogger reviews a book that they have to give full disclosure. OR something like that because in typical government form they are very ambiguous and not clear at all what their expectations are.

Anyway, I digress.

I started reading this book as part of the BOTNS DystopYA challenge. Well, I was sucked in from the first page. Ok, maybe the second page. By the time they were at the square and pulling names for The Hunger Games, I too was yelling, no, no. And wondering, could this really happen. I look forward to reading this over the weekend. I'll finish it by tomorrow probably.

Hope lives again

Wow! President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize. I'm sitting here in shock because I don't think anyone expected this. But this does touch my cynical heart. While I tell my children all the time that if they work hard enough, they can accomplish anything, truth be told, I don't really believe that. There are so many obstacles that are out of your control, that sometimes, it takes more than hard work. It takes luck. And money. Neither of which seem to be abundant in my life. I'm not whining about it, since I do have riches in other areas that matter. The way things are, it seems to me that there isn't much hope for them, even if they work hard.

President Obama has given me back that glimmer of hope, that yea, if you work hard, even coming from poverty, you can do anything. We don't live in poverty, but we do live paycheck to paycheck. And there isn't a lot of money for extras. Usually, this can bog me down. Seeing the President win the Nobel Prize, while he has so many detractors and so many critics makes me feel like you can persevere. The fact is, he came from nothing and look where his hard work has taken him. I have hope again, that the little boy in the bedroom across the hall can make his dreams come true. The little girl in the room next to his can as well. I can help them affect change. I believe this again. It's actually a nice feeling.

I can't wait until the kids wake up to tell them.

Best Missed Connection on Craigslist so far

to the lady that i repoed her car - m4w - 23 (Hollywood)

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Date: 2009-09-30, 1:22AM EDT

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me= the repo man who took your car
you= the lady that came running outside as i was driving away in my black tow truck

you looked pretty cute and i know the sterio type repo men are white trash and nasty... but im dead sexy :D

what kind of car do (or did) you have? hit me up i might be able to help you get it back :D

OMFG! This is great! LMAO!!

Just Write (sung to lady gaga's just dance)

That's what all the books about writing say. Read, then write. Then rinse and repeat apparently. So, that's what I'm doing. Actually, I'm going to enter a contest. The Washington Post is having a "pundit" contest in which you submit a short (no word count, ugh, torture) essay about a topic currently in the news. Then you write a brief bio paragraph. LMAO!! Since when am I brief. The winner gets a semi-regular column or space in the Post. I'm not sure if it's the paper or online version that they refer too, but either way, for me, the aspiring wanna-be writer, I figure it's worth a paragraph or two.

Except that I'm never sure if I can keep it at that length. Then of course, there's the matter of choosing the subject. Well, shit, I work in healthcare and that topic couldn't be more prevalent, right? Sure, you say, write about what you know. Except what if writing about what you know, could get you in trouble with the powers that be. Of course, it would really be more of an op-ed piece. Hah, or even an insider story. Ooh, which reminds me, I am considered an insider by the SEC, so I don't suppose that I could write what I know even if I wanted to, right? Or write. Or Just Write (again with the Lady Gaga Ear Worm). Speaking of Lady Gaga, did you guys see her the other night with Madonna. Yea, that skit wasn't the funniest, but I'll admit I did chuckle a couple of times.

I'm just about half way through with Await Your Reply. And it's due back at the library tomorrow. I don't think I can read half a book in one night. So I'll have to recheck it out again, and hope that I remember where I left off. Sadly, the finances do not foresee a trip to B&N or Borders this week. Or anytime soon. It's about to be the Holiday Season, and I've got to start planning and saving now. Otherwise, come December, the kids (really just Shy) will be in for a rude awakening. They'll think that Santa dissed them. Well, he should. That reminds me, did I ever tell you guys about the time that I really put coal under the tree for my eldest.

Wait, don't yell at me yet, hear me out. He was being such an ass. Spoiled rotton kid. Really, he was. Hell, he still is, only difference is he is a man now. Anyway, I warned him about a million and one times that Santa doesn't bring presents to little boys who disrespect their Mommy (he was like 8 at the time, Jon was 2 and Summer must have been 14 or so. Anyway, he started hyperventilating Christmas morning when he saw that there were no presents but rather a bag of charcoal. Sadists that we are, we started laughing, until I felt a slight twinge of guilt. Hey! He totally deserved it, and if I could, I'd give him coal again this year, but he's 18 and knows it's me now. Anyway, his presents were in the closet, the little shit, and we gave it to him. After he acknowledged that he was really sorry for being disrespectful. I don't think it lasted until the 26th.

Enough procrastinating, I'm off to clean up the dinner dishes and read a bit. I must be getting old because I've been falling asleep at 10pm-ish these days. 10p is the 11p.

Random musings that aren't worthy of their own post

I'm over hearing about the Kanye/Beyone/Taylor incident. Really. Done. Get over it people.

I don't understand why the library lets you check out up to 40 books but doesn't let you renew if someone has a hold on it.

If it's on Twitter, it's not breaking news stop-the-presses worthy.

I am never going to finish "Await Your Reply" by Thursday. I'm about 1/2 way through. Sadly, I have to work.

Is it wrong that I chuckled when I heard Tom Delay had to bow out of Dancing With the Starts. Hah. I'm evil, I know.

I love Mad Men. It makes me miss smoking. Not enough to endure the ramifications of actually smoking. But enough that I wish that there weren't any ramifications.

The FTC really doesn't have anything better to do.

Even though I love Mad Men, West Wing is still my favorite show, ever.

When is it going to get a little cool down here. I mean, it is October. Today was a good day. I journaled everything. I now you were wondering. I may take a walk tomorrow. If it doesn't rain. And even if it does. I may channel Gene Kelly.

Acceptance of myself through others

It's another week, and I'll start again today. Start changing my lifestyle, how I eat. Listen to my body and give it the fuel that it needs, not eat out of nervous energy to stuff my emotions. My mom said that to me yesterday, that as she observed me eating, it looked like nervous energy. It was good to hear that actually, because it put a visual to the feelings and emotions I go through. As I weighed in, I am up again. Two more pounds and I am not surprised. I'm also not freaking out about it. In actuality, I think I'm finally able to let this weight go. To release it the right way. It's been giving me the perspective of my life that I need. I've mentioned before how I feel that whenever I've been really thin that my priorities weren't in order. I think that they are in order for the first time in a very long time, years in fact.

It's really about the way you eat and how you live life. I said something to my daughter yesterday that my mom said that she really likes the way I said it to her. She, my daughter, had said she was finished with dinner and I said, are you satisfied? My 6 year old then says, what does that mean? And I answer, "not hungry." Did you get that?? Not hungry. That's what we need to eat to, not full. But satisfied, which means not hungry. And this was something that I really want her to learn. My mom said that she really liked the way that conversation went, because I am showing her, at a very young age, how to eat and how to feel about food. And that is, not feelings at all. It's fuel that we eat for energy. I need to remember this.

Of course, my daughter has been instrumental in my learning how to accept and love myself and not be so self critical. I love her unconditionally and the emotions are so strong for her. This is how I need to think of myself. I've realized that. I teach her and she makes mistakes but I don't think horrible things about her because of this. I don't, instead, I want to use those opportunities to teach her to grow and improve herself. Well, then, why can't I...no change that, why don't I treat myself that way. I'm not sure of the why, but what I do know is that I am and have been treating myself that way.

Wow, this was a long post, but one that I needed to get out. I look forward to each and every day as they are really gifts. Enjoy each moment.

In other random news, I'm going to start reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins as part of a Dystopia YA challenge on Books on the Nightstand podcast and blog that I follow. (See my blogroll, they are there).

Sleepy Saturday

I have to be up at the crack of dawn to take Shy to a gymnastics competition. I'm yawning, but continue reading Await Your Reply.

Had a fun day with the kids and my Mom, who is down visiting strictly to see Shy compete tomorrow. I'll be sure to update when I get home what her scores were. We hit the book stores today and I picked up Vincent Bugliosi's tome on the Kennedy Assassination. John's that is. This book is huge, but according to the flap summary and the TOC, it covers every aspect of the case and what is and isn't true. This is a book to keep. I'll read bits of it at a time, I'm sure, since it's so large.

Then Shy and I went to the library since our libraries are now closed on Sundays and we won't have an opportunity to go as was our routine. I guess Sat library visits are now going to be the norm. I got some vegetarian cookbooks and a chick lit book on Sex and the City that came in.

I've also heard murmuring that The Girl Who Kicked Hornets will be out in 2010. I hope so as I feel like The Girl Who Played With Fire left me hanging. I mean, who survives a bullet to the brain?? Well, I guess if it a bibi gun (which is what I'm going with) then I suppose it was possible.

In other completely random and unrelated news, I'm so excited that Brett Musberger is giving Randy Shannon props on ABC and the game, Hurricanes vs. Oklahoma. It looks like OK is going to score. Ugh, I've got to get to bed since I've got to be up so early.