Six Word Saturday

So many books, so little time.

This is what happens to me every Saturday.  I go to the library.  I tell myself I'm not going to get a lot of books out.  After all, look how many I had to return unread!  And I've got my 12 books for the TBR Challenge that I still need to read.  So no new books!

Well.... I've got to take out the ones that were waiting for me.  After all, the wait list was huge when I got on it after all.  And this graphic novel.... it won't take me long to read.  It'll be good for those quick evening reads and help me keep my reading count up.  And I really do need to get out this exercise DVD.  Wait!  There are the playaways.  That will help me read AND clean at the same time!  I should also look for another organizi....

No.  Nononono.  I've got to cut off somewhere.  That's enough.

What I ended up coming home with today was:

• Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan - I'd listened to the audio book, but I wanted my husband to read it and I want to give it another go for review purposes.
• Have a New You by Friday: How to Accept Yourself, Boost Your Confidence & Change Your Life in 5 Days by Dr. Kevin Leman - My physical therapist said she was reading Have a New Kid by Friday: How to Change Your Child's Attitude, Behavior & Character in 5 Days and suggested I might want to take a look at it because of my problems with Peter. While I was looking at it, I decided to check out the rest of the series as well - at least, the ones that fit for my life.
• Awakening to Zen: The Teachings of Roshi Philip Kapleau by Roshi Philip Kapleau - I heard an NPR Fresh Air story regarding Zen Buddhism and I wanted to learn more, so I'd requested it.
• The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - This is the playaway I got. I've been wanting to read this one for awhile, but it's one that had to go back too quickly. Audio book to my rescue!
• Marvel Mythos (v. 1) by Paul Jenkins, Illustrated by Paolo Rivera - Graphic novel. Quick read. I hope. Though I know me. It means I'm going to have to request the rest of the books in the Mythos series.
• Pilates Weight Loss Workout for Dummies - Still need low impact, so I'm hoping this will work. And that my husband will workout with me to it.

And I'm not even getting into the other books that I still have out, calling my name.  What I really need is a month long vacation where nothing is expected of me beyond reading.  That would be nice.

L is for... Library, A to Z Challenge

Yes, I'm about a week behind on this challenge.  I'm going to try to catch up as best I can over the next few days.
I love libraries.  I still remember the first time I stepped foot in one.  I was in Kindergarten, maybe first grade.  And we'd been brought upstairs to the school's library.  Every grade, kindergarten through 12th, used the same library.  The section furthest to the right when you come in the door was for the really young kids - K through 3, probably.  It held the picture books, and the ones for early readers.  In the same "room", to the left of this, were the stacks for the 4th through 6th graders.  Chapter books abounded there.  I felt proud when I was able to move up to those books.  Then you needed to go through a door to get to the HS side of the library.  When you were in elementary school, you needed permission to go through that door.  I think I got permission in 6th grade.  And again, I felt so proud that I was able to go to the books that felt more my speed.
But back to that first time in the library.  My class had been brought upstairs to the library - the strange and magical upstairs, at that time.  Because upstairs was the High School.  Almost everything we'd done was downstairs - well, except for music.  But that was right around the corner and up the stairs from my classroom.  This was half way across the school!
We sat in a circle in the children's section.  Mrs. O'Dell, the librarian, was reading a story to us and telling us how the library worked.  I was sitting somewhere near the back, I seem to remember.  And I just kept looking at the books around me.  I already knew the magic that books held - I'd been reading since I was 3 or 4.  But the sheer NUMBER of books... I knew that I wanted to read every one of them, and I wanted to read them right now.  I couldn't wait until we were given permission to take books out - 3 at a time, I seem to remember.  I had a hard time choosing which ones I wanted.
I read the Bearenstain Bears.  I read a book on how the body worked.  I read fantastical stories in fantastical worlds.  The library was the place where magic was at my fingertips.  Where I may have had to bring these wonderful words back, but I knew I'd be able to get them out again whenever I chose.  Books were like friends to me, and I was so glad to visit with them.
My view on libraries hasn't changed in the 30 years since my first visit.  It's still a magical place.  A place that offers so many things to me, my husband, my children.  It's a place where I can try new things, find out about subjects that interest me, find music and video and books being read to me, for those times when my hands are too full to hold a book on my own.  And best of all, it's a place where I know I'll meet more of my own kind.  Bibliophiles needing their fix of something new - or maybe something old - to take hold of their imaginations for awhile.  I will find people there that I can talk with about new books coming out, series that we've each enjoyed, and our wishes for what we'd like to see.
The library is my special place.  It's a place that my heart recognizes as home.

Once again, back in the saddle

The last several weeks have been insane.  Between Teddy's birthday weekend and an unexpected trip to Philly/NJ for a funeral, I have barely had a chance to breath let alone get anything done.  While there is still a lot of chaos around me, I'm trying to feel revitalized enough to get everything done.  I'm still trying to come up with a plan of attack... I have some ideas, but I really need to sit down and write them out.  I need to come up with something to keep everything in as well.  I'm getting ready to head out for several errands, including running to Wal-Mart, so I may be able to find something that will help me out.  And tonight, Rich is taking the boys out to go shopping for my birthday (am I seriously going to be 37 on Friday?  Gah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), so I might be able to get some of my organization done then.

I'm still staying about the same in the weight department.  I think I need to revamp my goals again, but that shouldn't be too difficult.  I'm still determined that I'm going to make the changes that I need to to be healthy.  The weather has been nicer, so I might be able to get out and walk more.  I bought another new pedometer - the one that I got with the DS program had the hook break off so it won't stay on my hip/shoe/whatever, and it doesn't do well in my pocket.  But the new one doesn't seem to be working right either.  I'll figure something out.  When I'm out at the store today, I'm going to pick up some more fruit so I have some healthier options for snacking.

I'm pretty behind in Swap-Bot again, in large part because of the trip to the NE.  I think tomorrow is going to be a Focus on Swap-Bot day.  Kids should be in PDO, so that should give me some time for taking care of things without the boys driving me insane.  I'm hoping to have everything back to normal on that end by the weekend.  We'll see how it goes, though.

I still have a lot of backlog with writing book reviews as well.  I'm going to write that up on a list as well, for the various things that I need to do.  That crosses over into Swap-Bot, since one of the swaps I'm in is a book log for the first quarter of 2011.  It shouldn't be too difficult, though, since most of the books I've read are graphic novels.  I did, however, listen to a couple of audio books on the trip, so those will count as well.

I have a grand plan for cleaning.  Rather than focus on a room at a time, I'm going to focus on a section of a room at a time.  The rest of the house might be a mess, but that isn't to worry about right now.  Instead, I'm going to start at one corner of the apartment - specifically, the far left corner in the kitchen.  I'm going to clean and organize from that point forward until I feel finished for the day, then I'm going to quit.  The next day, I can pick up from that point.  While I go, I'm also going to decorate - pictures on walls, things like that.  I won't have to be stressed because I don't have a specific amount that needs to be done daily, but I'll still be able to see progress.

There's fun worked in here as well.  Yesterday, before we got home, we stopped by GameStop to pick up our reserved copies of Pokemon: Black and Pokemon: White.  It's pretty cool because everything is brand new - new area, completely new pokemon, and I've been avoiding spoiling myself so I don't know what will be coming up.  Along with Pokemon, I'm finally downloading WoW to the new computer (which came in right before the trip to the NE).  So I'm going to make some time for that as well.  After all, I'm paying for it, I might as well use it.

I'm getting back into a few other things as well.  I finally got the 1st disc of Season 4 of Dexter, so I'm catching up on that.  I'm hoping that disc 2 will be in soon.  I'm also getting ready to start season 5 of Teen Titans.  I just have to send the latest disc back to Netflix.  We listened to Book 5 of The 39 Clues on the trip back and have decided that we really want to get back into those, so I have the first several of those on hold at the library.  Rather than spending a lot of TV time, we're planning on spending a lot of Audio Book time in the evenings.  It'll be nice, I think.  Plus, I need to make a trip back to Rick's Comic City to pick up a few new comics.  I haven't gotten a box yet, but I'm still thinking about it.  I could use more Green Arrow.

Speaking of which, Barnes & Noble is doing an online promotion of buy 3 get the 4th free on their graphic novels.  I'm debating picking up some.  I have a $20 gift card for B&N anyway, so it would be a good thing to buy.  I just have to decide what I want to get.

Re: the trip to Philly... for all that we saw family for a sad reason (my husband's grandmother's funeral), it was actually a pretty good visit.  We got to spend time with family and got to have fun with the boys.  I got quite a few cute pics of the boys and various members of the family, and I'm hoping to get those up on Picasa and/or Facebook next week.  I've got a few things that I'm hoping to put into the scrapbook as well.  That's another thing that needs to go onto my To Do list.

We'll be making another trip north this summer.  My in-laws have rented a house on the Jersey shore and we'll be there for a week.  We're hoping to go up to NY to spend time with my family as well.  I'm also hoping that we might be able to include a few days of visiting in Philly with friends and maybe making an extra stop or two at places in VA that we've been wanting to check out (including a super huge book sale that goes on 6 or 7 times a year).

It definitely looks like things are going to be keeping busy.  And that's good.  I need to keep busy.  Especially because Teddy will be starting Kindergarten in the fall.  And if I'm busy, I won't have to think about my little boy becoming a big one! :D

Now I'd better get going and run some errands.  Just too much going on and we all have to start somewhere!  :)

Have a great Fat Tuesday, all!

Bibs and Bobs of My Life Lately

Things on Planet Amber have been a bit busy.  I've been working hard on getting several swaps together, reading quite a bit and keeping busy with a few other things as well.  I'm hoping to have time to update my blog here in the next few days. I've got three books reviews coming - Blood Lite, ed. by Kevin J Anderson and volumes 1 and 2 of DC: The New Frontier.  I may have a few more by the time I write the reviews.  I'm currently in the middle of reading Birds of Prey (the comic) and The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. Plus about 3 other books that I have out from the library and a couple I bought at the library book sale yesterday.

For swapping, I'm almost finished with my geeky squash book.  I'll take pictures and post them.  I'm hoping to have it finished and out the door by Tuesday.  I'm doing a 30 day journal swap, which has been interesting to write.  I haven't started the David Tennant ATCs, but I'm hoping to work on that after I get the Squash Book out.  I've had a lot of e-mail swaps going as well.  Quite a few are of the survey variety, but I have a few that are a bit more creative.  Also, keep an eye out here for reviews of other blogs for another swap that I'm part of (Blog my Blog) and the week 3 prompt for the November Challenge is up, so that will be coming out soon too.  I'm really having a blast with Swap-Bot, though I probably should slow down a bit.  I've been signed up for 20 swaps with several on my watch list pretty consistently.

I participated in a line of Random Act of Kindness on Friday, which made my heart feel good.  I'd stopped at Starbucks for a Pumpkin Spice Frappachino and there was a bit of a line.  When I finally got to the window, I was told that the woman ahead of me had paid for my drink.  When I asked why she would have done that, I was told it had started several cars ahead of us when someone felt guilty about holding up the line.  So each one paid for the person behind them.  I couldn't break the cycle, so I paid for the person behind me as well.  I'd considering doing something like that before... just randomly pay for the drink of a person behind me in a drive through.  It was nice to be part of it, even if I didn't start it.

Today I'm going up to my dad's for my niece's birthday.  She'll be 10.  I suspect I'm going to be doing a lot of resting while I'm there.  I've overdone it the last several days.  Yesterday, we went to the library, the book sale and shopping. While we were on our way back to the van, my back started to spasm and I looked like a little old woman walking across the parking lot.  It wasn't quite as bad as right before the surgery, but it was worse than it's been in awhile.  When I'm lying down, it doesn't hurt as bad, so I've been lying down a lot lately.  Luckily, I have a doctor's appointment on Monday so I'll be bringing this up.

This week, I'm going to have a chance to bake. The boys' have their Thanksgiving luncheon at PDO on Friday.  I'm really looking forward to eating with them. It should be a good time.  The rest of the week is going to be cleaning, crafting and writing... I hope.

So that's the bibs and bobs.  Hopefully, I'll have some interesting things to post in the next few days.

Another Full Day

I'm starting to think that Full Days are becoming the norm.  As much as I'd love a chance to sit down and actually rest, that doesn't seem to be something that's allowed lately.  I blame myself fully, since the things happening are all things I'm taking on myself.  But there are times I'd like to take a breath for about 30 seconds.

We did have a relatively relaxing morning this morning.  The boys played quietly in our room, letting one of us sleep until around 7 (and, since it was me that they woke up, I let Rich sleep until around 8:30).  I spent time coloring for one of my swaps - and I'd forgotten just how much I LOVE to color until I started on it.  For the swap, we had to color one "girlie" picture for each of our 3 partners.  Me, being the overachiever that I sometimes try to be, picked four pictures for each person, trying to find something that the people in question enjoyed.  For one, I did butterflies.  For another kittens.  And the third (because they really didn't have anything specified), animated movies.  Plus I chose a Pokemon to color for each one.  I colored 3 out of the four pictures and left one uncolored for my partners to color on their own.  I'm actually pretty pleased with how all of it came out.

We had to go to the library this morning.  Along with books that were due, I needed to get an audio book to listen to on my trip to IN on Tuesday and on my way home Wednesday.  I picked out Any Which Way But Dead by Kim Harrison.  I've read her novels before and enjoyed them, so I think it will be a good choice.  From there, we went to the church where the kids have PDO and went to their Fall Festival.  It was pretty neat.  I picked up a couple used books (a couple mysteries) and a couple Advent Calendars.  The kids got to play some games.  Then we made a stop at a Gyro place we've been wanting to try for awhile.  And it was gooooooood.  If you're in the Antioch area of Nashville, definitely check out Sam's Gyros on Murfreesboro Road and Edge O Lake Drive.  Yummy yummy yummy Gyros!

We had Ruby's 5th birthday party out at Cane Ridge Park today at 1.  Me being me, I managed to get lost - even with the GPS.  Of course, that part wasn't my fault as the Park wasn't listed IN the GPS and I had to try to remember the general vicinity after I left the house.  But we did find it and did find Becca, Lewis and friends for the party.  The kids all seemed to have a blast and the Squinkies that we bought for Ruby's gift were the hit that I knew they'd be.

Once we got home, the kids took their naps and I got settled in to work on more Swaps.  I managed to get three swaps out tonight and that makes me feel like I completely, totally and utterly ROCK!  I even got my spreadsheet updated.

I may bring some of my Swap stuff up to IN with me next week.  I don't expect to have a ton of time - I'm thinking that I'll be spending quite a bit of time with Carm and Robbie while there.  But if I do have time in my hotel room, I'd like to be able to work on some of the things that I need to get done, like working on a few of the Journals that I'm going to be doing.

Tomorrow is going to be another fun filled day.  I think I'm going to try to work on some of the craftier Swaps, in the hopes of getting them out in the mail on Monday.  I've got 2 more pages to finish in my one Journal swap (a page decorated with tape and writing about my job with pictures), 2.5 more entries to write for the 5 profound events swap, and my squash book to finish.  I managed to find a lot of stickers that will fit with the theme of the Squash Book, so I'm finally feeling ready to actually do it.  If you look below, you'll see some of the other swaps that are upcoming.  I may work on them tomorrow as well, depending on how much else I need to do.  Or I may take the rest of tomorrow off.

Rich and Teddy will be going to Church in the morning while Pete and I sit at home and relax.  I've got to do a bit of shopping as well (maybe I'll let Rich take Teddy in the car to Church and I'll take Pete shopping....?)  I need to pick up shoes for the interment on Tuesday and I need more ink for my printer.  In the evening, we've got our last Halloween related activity - Trunk or Treat at the church where we get our Angel Food.  My kids are gonna have a blast, I think.

I've got plenty of pictures that I've taken over the last week for Halloween and other Halloween-type-events. But I think I'm going to wait until Monday to upload them.  That way, I can get it all done at once.  I've gotten some pretty cute pics of my kids, and I suspect there will be more cute pics tomorrow night.

So that's the busy life of an Amber.  I've still got to get my Intro post done tomorrow for LJ Idol too.  I've got an idea for how to write it up, but I'll need the help of people reading this blog.  Ask me questions - any questions.  And those will be what I'll write about in my intro post.  Of course, if I don't get any questions, I'll have to fall back and use my own imagination.  But I suspect I'll be able to get it done.  At least, I hope I will.

Oh, and I'm still working, slowly but surely, on my 101 in 1001 list.  This, at least, doesn't have a Sell By date on it, so if it takes me awhile to finish it, that's ok.  Keep an eye on this space, though..  When it finally does get finished, I'll be posting it here.

Plus, I'm going to try to watch as many of AFI's 100 Greatest Movies of All Time, 10th Anniversary Edition, as I can by the end of the year.  I've got a head start, as I've seen some of them before.  I'm actually about 1/4 of the way through..  So I'm going to try to watch the other 75 over the next few months.  Not sure where I'm starting yet, though Teddy does want to watch one I've seen before - The Wizard of Oz.  He's never seen it, but it makes me feel really good that he WANTS to watch some of the classics.

And now, hopefully, time for sleep.  Tomorrow will be a long, albeit good, day, and I need to be well rested for it.  Have a great night, or a wonderful day.... preferably both.  And thanks for reading Sanity's Overrated.

Fall Colors and other pictures

I've taken the camera with me the last couple of days to get pictures of the fall foliage.  I haven't gotten a lot of them, but I have taken a few.  So I thought I'd share them now.  Plus, I got a few pictures outside our library and one of Pete being a cutie at lunch today.

This is a picture from across the street at my friend Becca's house.  Such a beautiful gold.

This is across the street from our apartment complex.  I loved the contrast of red and green.

This is the display that the library has just inside the door.  They always have something cool there.

Random pumpkin by the flowers.

Some of the flowers that grace the area in front of the library.

More of the flowers outside of the library.

Pete, being a cutie