I'm 26, and I now have a lisp

YuK, YUK, yUk!!! You know how cars have the ‘new car smell’ well my lovely new retainer has the ‘new retainer taste’; a pungent combination of plastic, metal, and cleaning solution, gag me. After a three week wait, I was actually happy to hear this morning that my new retainer was in! I drove to see my Orthodontist and he snapped the thing in place and said- “keep it in, and try not to talk”, sensitive guy, eh? I asked my million questions since he left me dumbfounded with such little instruction. Questions like- do I need to take it out to eat, do I need to have it in at all times, do I need to clean it with a certain solution- I mean, since when does the patient have to interview the doctor for info?
After I got my answers he said come back in 4 weeks and we’ll adjust it. I was like “What?” this is going to be a step by step process!? I thought this was a one & done thing- nope…I’m sure he’s going to drag me along until he feels I have paid enough (again) for straight teeth. Whatever, I’m vein and I want my teeth to be straight again- so I’ll put up with the thing.
This past weekend was of course a whirlwind- when is it not? Friday I went shopping with a friend of mine Kelsey- who is super fun and is a great shopping buddy! Friday night Jeff & I ordered out sushi-and to my surprise Jeff also got me a Quart (yes quart) of my favorite Ginger Dressing from our sushi place so I could make my ginger salads at home- it took all I had not to open the quart container and just drink the stuff- it’s pretty fantastic!
Saturday we sleep in late then found ourselves at Panera, which has become our Saturday morning ritual. Jeff decided to start calling it ‘Panera Carb Load Company’ because as you know Panera will give you the biggest carb load crash in the world “Hi would you like carbs, carbs or more carbs with your bread bowl of soup.”
Saturday night we hung out a Kelsey’s and Ben’s house with another couple, Bob & Lauren and had some fabulous burgers and played taboo until us girls beat the boys so bad that they found every excuse in the book to stop playing
On Sunday, I don’t know what came over me but I just had to clean, and clean I did- 8 trash bags later the guest bedroom & kitchen were organized, clean, and clutter free! It’s weird because I consider myself a pretty neat and tidy person; however, I’m a drawer stasher of late. If something didn’t have a ‘home’ it’s new home was a drawer- where I didn’t have to see it- after 3 years you could say my drawers and cabinets belonged in a home of a hoarder. So something had to be done-
Speaking of Hoarder- has anyone else been watching that show on A&E? I think I’ll credit that show for my sudden desire to clean up my hidden piles.
Well I guess I will go officially start working today- since it’s almost noon, and my morning has consisted of facebooking, reading our local online paper, and blogging.
Back to the grind!

BOOKS BOOKS & more BOOKS

Oh my gosh, I love to read. Who knew?

Well, what can I say, I was a typical kid and used good ol' handy dandy 'Cliff Notes' growing up for all occasions. My teachers, did of course, frown upon this but what's a girls to do- I needed time to talk on the phone, play sports, and write an endless amount of notes to my friends-of which contained nothing because you're always afraid a note will be stolen-
My life was busy, so like many of ya'll did, I spent the $5.95 on Cliff Notes from Books-A-Million, for someone else to tell me what the heck Shakespeare was talking about.
What freakin' lame-o I was! Yes, I managed to get good grades (somehow)- but here I am, approaching my 26 b-day and I haven't read even ONE of the many classic novels!... -I'm sure my best friend Lindsay (a.k.a. A 7th grade english teachers) is saying 'oh my gosh, missy...,that's terrible' , and I deserve it ;)

So here's my new gig. I'm going to press the rewind button and allow myself a second chance to catch up to all those smarty pants out there who actually took the time to read the books we were assigned in school...except this time, I get to pick the book list.

1. Angela's Ashes, by Frank McCourt, 1996
2. 'Tis, by Frank McCourt, 1999
3. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, 1951
4. The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, 1939
5. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, 1960
6. 1984, by George Orwell, 1949
7. Animal Farm, by George Orwell, 1945
8. Catch 22, by Joseph Heller, 1961
9. Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, 1954
10. Slaughter House Five, by Kurt Vonnegut,1969
11. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, by Ken Kesey, 1962
12. Gulliver's Travels, by Johnathan Smith, 1726
13. The Color Purple, Alice Walker, 1982

So I started Angela's Ashes yesterday, and it's zooming by. Such a great story. I find myself feeling as if I'm there in Ireland watching this family go through so much in the 1930's. I found it hard to tear myself away from the pages...but after neglecting to spend anytime with Jeff & Max yesterday I put the book down and watched some tube (tv) with Jeff. But let me tell you- within 5 minutes I was out, cold, snoozing.

I'd love to hear any advice on good classics to add to my book list, that anyone may have. I do have a long winter coming up, so I need to get my library stocked asap!
Book list topic to be continued...we'll see how long this lasts ;)