Bloggy Love

D from Beautiful Mess loves my blog!

To claim this most prestigious of prizes you have to answer a meme of sorts, this one with one word answers. You also have to pass it along to SEVEN other bloggers. And so:
1. Where is your cell phone? Desk

2. Where is your significant other? North

3. Your hair color? Brown

4. Your mother? controlling

5. Your father? gone

6. Your favorite thing? naps

7. Your dream last night? none

8. Your dream/goal? motherhood

9. The room you're in? office

10. Your hobby? Blogging

11. Your fear? barren

12. Where do you want to be in six years? Home

13. Where were you last night? Home

14. What you're not? pregnant

15. One of your wish list items? ipod

16. Where you grew up? Detroit

17. The last thing you did? blogged

18. What are you wearing? clothes

19. Your T.V.? off

20. Your pet? snuggly

21. Your computer? slow

22. Your mood? quiet

23. Missing someone? yup

24. Your car? reliable

25. Something you're not wearing? sweats

26. Favorite store? ?

27. Your Summer? busy

28. Love someone? yup

29. Your favorite color? purple

30. When is the last time you laughed? today

31. Last time you cried? Friday?

And I'm passing it on to:

Emily because she & I seem to have quite a bit in common, and as excited as I am for her to be starting this new chapter in her life, I'm sad that we haven't been able to meet face-to-face while we've lived so close.

R&R because she doesn't sugar-coat. Life isn't sunshine and roses just because you get off the IF ride, and she doesn't waste a moment's energy pretending that it is. She's honest, and she's raw, and she's genuine, and her writing has taught me a lot.

Joe because he gives the IF community a rare glimpse into the guys' side of this journey. If you're not reading him, you should be!

Pam because her words make me think, and make me examine my own feelings in ways that I wouldn't otherwise. Her blog is not to be taken lightly, not to be glossed over for quick updates. But rather to be sat with, over a nice cup of coffee, like an old friend you can really learn from.

And, my IRL girls: Mer, Kaci, and Becky. You girls let me live vicariously through the telling of your stories. Thank you.

The 9 Layers Meme

A meme to peel away the layers of you.

Layer One:
Name: Beth
Birth date: September 9
Birthplace: Detroit suburbs
Current Location: Detroit suburbs
Eye color: Brown
Hair Color: Brown (and grey)
Height: 5'5 ish
Righty or Lefty: Righty
Zodiac sign: Virgo

Layer Two:
Your Heritage: Italian and Heinz 57 (English, Scottish, Irish, French-Canadian, Native American)
The shoes you wore today: black high-heeled loafers
Your weakness: too many to count
Your fears: never being a Mom
Your perfect pizza: Papa John's Spinach Alfredo Chicken Tomato
Goal you’d like to achieve: parenthood, and debt-free living

Layer Three:
Your most overused phrase on AIM: lol
Your first waking thoughts: "nooooooooooooooooooo, not yet! 1 more snooze!"
Your best physical feature: I don't know - maybe my eyes?
Your most missed memory: Grandpa, and Dad

Layer Four:
Pepsi or Coke: diet wild cherry pepsi
McDonald's or Burger King: Burger King for the burger, McDonald's for the fries.
Single or group dates: umm, single
Adidas or Nike: Who the fuck cares?
Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: whatever is on sale
Chocolate or vanilla: Chocolate
Cappuccino or coffee: either

Layer Five:
Smoke: yes, but I wish I never picked it up
Cuss: Hi, have we met?
Sing: I wish I could.
Take a shower everyday: I'd say 13 out of 14... sometimes I just have an "I don't give a fuck" Saturday or Sunday
Do you think you’ve been in love: yes
Want to go to college: I'd love to go back. someday...
Liked high school: then, HELL NO. looking back now, yeah, I guess I liked it
Want to get married: I am, and it's the best decision I've ever made!
Believe in yourself: sometimes
Get motion sickness: on rides, yes. in the car, only if I try to read
Think you’re attractive: I have my god days, and my "shouldn't have gotten out of bed" days
Think you’re a health freak: Hi, have we met?
Get along with your parents: not as well as I'd like
Like thunderstorms: I love them.
Play an instrument: No, but want to learn the piano

Layer Six:
In the past month….
Drank alcohol: yup
Smoked: yup
Done drugs: nope
Made out: yup
Gone on a date: yup (gotta love date night!)
Gone to the mall: yup (unfortunately)
Eaten an entire box of Oreos: nope
Eaten sushi: it's been just over a month (and I only know that because we had sushi with my sisters right after Dad died)
Been on stage: nope
Been dumped: nope
Gone skating: nope (I do more "sliding" and "falling" than actual skating" anyway
Made homemade cookies: nope, but it's on my to-do list for the next month
Gone skinny dipping: nope
Dyed your hair: never
Stolen anything: not since high school

Layer Seven:
Have you ever….
Played a game that required removal of clothing: Yup.
Been trashed or extremely intoxicated: Yup
Been caught “doing something”: Yup
Been called a tease: Yup
Gotten beat up: Once. That was enough for me.
Shoplifted: in middle school
Changed who you were to fit in: yup, unfortunately

Layer Eight:
Age you hope to be married: I was married at 24, which seems like a good age.
Names of children: no kids yet, but I'm not publishing the hopeful names... or at least not publishing them again
Describe your dream wedding: I had my dream wedding... the man I love, our closest family and friends, and beautiful surroundings. What more can a girl ask for?
How do you want to die: peacefully
Where do you want to go to college: I went to Oakland (and dropped out), and have taken classes at the local community college
What do you want to be when you grow up: a Mom
What country would you most like to visit: Australia

Layer Nine:
Number of drugs taken illegally: I've only tried 1 illegal substance... not such a "gateway drug" is it?
Number of people I could trust with my life: Just one
Number of CDs that I own: too many
Number of piercings: had my ears done, but I'm pretty sure the holes have closed
Number of tattoos: none
Number of times my name has appeared in the newspaper: don't think I've ever been in the newspaper
Number of scars on my body: too many: 5 from surgery, 1 from a childhood accident that required stitches, and a whole bunch from being a tomboy!
Number of things in my past I regret: thats a trip down memory lane that I'm not really interested in taking, thankyouverymuch!

The "Have You Ever" Meme

Stolen from Sunday Stealing, who admits to having stolen it from Minnesota Mom.

Have you ever…

1. gone on a blind date? Never!
2. skipped school? yep
3. watched someone die? Dad
4. been to Canada? yep, Ontario (Windsor, Toronto, London)
5. been to Mexico? yep, Cozumel
6. been to Florida? yep, Orlando, Tampa, Miami (well, thru Miami)
7. been on a plane? yep
8. been lost? yep
9. been on the opposite side of the country? yep, to San Francisco & San Jose, CA
10. swam in the ocean? yep, on a cruise in high school
11. had your booze taken away by the cops? umm, no
12. lettered in high school sport? I believe I got an academic honors letter, but wasn't a sports player
13. cried yourself to sleep? more than I want to try to count
14. played cops and robbers? Of course.
15. played dolls? That, too.
16. sung karaoke? never on stage, but definitely from the crowd!
17. paid for a meal with coins only? yeah...gotta love a dollar menu
18. done something you told yourself you wouldn’t? oh yeah
19. cheated on an exam? probably
20. made prank phone calls? yep
21. laughed until some sort of beverage came out of your nose? many, many times. and let me just say that Vernors HURTS!
22. caught a snowflake on your tounge? yep
23. danced in the rain? yep
24. written a letter to Santa Claus? yep
25. watched the sunrise with someone you care about?yep
26. been kissed under the misteltoe? Yep
27. ever been arrested? nope
28. blown bubbles? yep
29. gone ice skating? Yes, but I renamed it ice-sitting.
30. been skinny dipping outdoors? yep
31. had a nickname? Yep.
32. been to Africa? nope
33. eaten cookies for dinner? many times (maybe that's why my jeans don't fit....)
34. been on TV? yep
35. been in a car accident? 1 bad one, and a couple of fender benders

What is your…

1. mother’s name? we shall call her P
2. favorite drink? wild cherry diet pepsi
3. favorite alcohol? Mike's Hard Lemonade
4. birthplace? Detroit
5. favorite vacation spot? someplace warm
6. favorite salad dressing? creamy italian
7. favorite pie? Bakers Square Lemon Supeme, or pumpkin
8. favorite number? 9
9. favorite movie? Sexs & The City, or My Cousin Vinny
10. favorite holiday? Christmas
11. favorite food? too many to list
12. favorite day of the week? Saturday
13. favorite brand of body wash? Dove
14. favorite toothpaste? sensodyne
15. favorite smell? Grumpy, fresh from the shower

Do you have any…

1. tattoos? Nope.
2. body piercings? nope.
3. Do you drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? 4
4. What do you do to relax? read, veg in front of tv, hang with friends, nap
5. How do you see yourself in 10 years? wife, mom.... not sure what else

And Who Are You?

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are a Grace!

You are a Grace -- "I need to understand the world."

Graces have a need for knowledge and are introverted, curious, analytical, and insightful.

How to Get Along with Me

• * Be independent, not clingy


• * Speak in a straightforward and brief manner


• * I need time alone to process my feelings and thoughts


• * Remember that If I seem aloof, distant, or arrogant, it may be that I am feeling uncomfortable


• * Make me feel welcome, but not too intensely, or I might doubt your sincerity


• * If I become irritated when I have to repeat things, it may be because it was such an effort to get my thoughts out in the first place


• * don't come on like a bulldozer


• * Help me to avoid my pet peeves: big parties, other people's loud music, overdone emotions, and intrusions on my privacy

What I Like About Being a Grace
* standing back and viewing life objectively
* coming to a thorough understanding; perceiving causes and effects
* my sense of integrity: doing what I think is right and not being influenced by social pressure
* not being caught up in material possessions and status
* being calm in a crisis

What's Hard About Being a Grace

• * being slow to put my knowledge and insights out in the world


• * feeling bad when I act defensive or like a know-it-all


• * being pressured to be with people when I don't want to be


• * watching others with better social skills, but less intelligence or technical skill, do better professionally

Graces as Children Often

• * spend a lot of time alone reading, making collections, and so on


• * have a few special friends rather than many


• * are very bright and curious and do well in school


• * have independent minds and often question their parents and teachers


• * watch events from a detached point of view, gathering information


• * assume a poker face in order not to look afraid


• * are sensitive; avoid interpersonal conflict


• * feel intruded upon and controlled and/or ignored and neglected

Graces as Parents

• * are often kind, perceptive, and devoted


• * are sometimes authoritarian and demanding


• * may expect more intellectual achievement than is developmentally appropriate


• * may be intolerant of their children expressing strong emotions

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

What's normal?

ok, I fully admit to stealing this idea from Nancy, but I really liked it, so I'm creating a list of my own. And, although we do have several in common, I know we don't have ALL the same readers.



So, indulge me if you would, and tell me what YOU think is normal!

1. Toothpaste: Squeeze from the middle or the bottom?
   
2. If you're a bottom squeezer, do you roll up the tube as the paste gets used?
   
3. How many times (on average) do you use a bath towel before washing it?


4. Toilet paper: underhang or overhang?


5. Quick trip on a lightly raining day: umbrella or no?
   
6. Bed sheets (top sheet): fancy side up to the bedspread, or fancy side down to the fitted sheet?
   
7. If you're the only one in the house that will drink something, is it ok to drink directly from the container?
   
8. For you IFers: Do you think in abbreviations? (For example, when expecting your period, do you think to yourself "Where the hell is AF?" or "Where the hell is my period?"
   
9. Does your spouse/significant other know about and read your blog?
   
10. Do your IRL friends know about and read your blog?
    
11. When watching live tv, do you watch commercials, channel surf during them, or do other things around the house (potty break, get a drink or snack, let the dog out, etc?).
    
12. When do you put up Christmas or Holiday decoratons?
    
13. When do you put dish soap in the dishwasher, just before running the load, or as soon as you start putting dirty dishes in?

OK, I think that's enough for now... I'll post my answers later today.

List Meme

Because I am desperately in need of some light-hearted blog content, I'm tagging myself, courtesy of Lori!

1. Where is your cell phone? good question... had to go find it - was in my jacket pocket
2. Where is your significant other? home
3. Your hair color? Brown
4. Your mother? difficult
5. Your father? missed
6. Your favorite thing? lazy days @ home
7. Your dream last night? don't remember any
8. Your dream/goal? peace
9. The room you are in? office
10. Your hobby? relaxation
11. Your fear? never being a mom
12. Where do you want to be in six years? north, on property, debt free, with Grumps & kids
13. Where were you last night? cousin's birthday party
14. What you're not? motivated
15. One of your wish list items? win the lotto
16. Where you grew up? about a mile from where I am now
17. The last thing you did? work
18. What are you wearing? slacks & sweater
19. Your T.V.? Old-style (not flat).
20. Your pet? Kaylah (dog) & Paisano (cat)
21. Your computer? toshiba laptop @ home, compaq desktop @ work
22. Your mood? drained, emotionally, physically, and mentally
23. Missing someone? several someones
24. Your car? silver dodge stratus
25. Something you're not wearing? slippers
26. Favorite store? don't have one
27. Your Summer? too busy
28. Love someone? Yes
29. Your favorite color? purple
30. When is the last time you laughed? this morning
31. Last time you cried? last week

If you're so inclined, consider yourself tagged!

1996

Another meme stolen from the fantabulous Jendeis!

The Rules:
A.) Go to Music Outfitters.
B.) Enter the year you graduated from high school in the search function and get the list of 100 most popular songs of that year.
C.) Bold the songs you like, strike through the ones you REALLY hate.

1. Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix), Los Del Rio
2. One Sweet Day, Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men
3. Because You Loved Me, Celine Dion
4. Nobody Knows, Tony Rich Project
5. Always Be My Baby, Mariah Carey
6. Give Me One Reason, Tracy Chapman
7. Tha Crossroads, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
8. I Love You Always Forever, Donna Lewis
9. You're Makin' Me High/Let It Flow, Toni Braxton
10. Twisted, Keith Sweat
11. C'mon N' Ride It (The Train), Quad City Dj's
12. Missing, Everything But The Girl
13. Ironic, Alanis Morissette
14. Exhale (Shoop Shoop), Whitney Houston
15. Follow You Down/Til I Hear It From You, Gin Blossoms
16. Sittin' Up In My Room, Brandy
17. How Do U Want It/California Love, 2Pac
18. It's All Coming Back To Me Now, Celine Dion
19. Change The World, Eric Clapton
20. Hey Lover, LL Cool J
21. Loungin, LL Cool J
22. Insensitive, Jann Arden
23. Be My Lover, La Bouche
24. Name, Goo Goo Dolls
25. Who Will Save Your Soul, Jewel
26. Where Do You Go, No Mercy
27. I Can't Sleep Baby (If I), R. Kelly
28. Counting Blue Cars, Dishwalla
29. You Learn/You Oughta Know, Alanis Morissette
30. One Of Us, Joan Osborne
31. Wonder, Natalie Merchant
32. Not Gon' Cry, Mary J. Blige
33. Gangsta's Paradise, Coolio
34. Only You, 112 Featuring The Notorious B.I.G.
35. Down Low (Nobody Has To Know), R. Kelly
36. You're The One, SWV
37. Sweet Dreams, La Bouche
38. Before You Walk Out Of My Life/Like This And Like That, Monica
39. Breakfast At Tiffany's, Deep Blue Something
40. 1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New), Coolio
41. The World I Know, Collective Soul
42. No Diggity, BLACKstreet (Featuring Dr. Dre)
43. Anything, 3t
44. 1979, The Smashing Pumpkins
45. Diggin' On You, TLC
46. Why I Love You So Much/Ain't Nobody, Monica
47. Kissin' You, Total
48. Count On Me, Whitney Houston and Cece Winans
49. Fantasy, Mariah Carey
50. Time, Hootie and The Blowfish
51. You'll See, Madonna
52. Last Night, Az Yet
53. Mouth, Merril Bainbridge
54. The Earth, The Sun, The Rain, Color Me Badd
55. All The Things (Your Man Won't Do), Joe
56. Wonderwall, Oasis
57. Woo-hah!! Got You All In Check/Everything Remains Raw, Busta Rhymes
58. Tell Me, Groove Theory
59. Elevators (Me and You), Outkast
60. Hook, Blues Traveler
61. Doin It, LL Cool J
62. Fastlove, George Michael
63. Touch Me Tease Me, Case Featuring Foxxy Brown
64. Tonite's Tha Night, Kris Kross
65. Children, Robert Miles
66. Theme From Mission: Impossible, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen
67. Closer To Free, Bodeans
68. Just A Girl, No Doubt
69. If Your Girl Only Knew, Aaliyah
70. Lady, D'angelo
71. Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First), John Mellencamp
72. Pony, Ginuwine
73. Nobody, Keith Sweat
74. Old Man and Me (When I Get To Heaven), Hootie and The Blowfish
75. If It Makes You Happy, Sheryl Crow
76. As I Lay Me Down, Sophie B. Hawkins
77. Keep On, Keepin' On, Mc Lyte
78. Jealousy, Natalie Merchant
79. I Want To Come Over, Melissa Etheridge
80. Who Do U Love, Deborah Cox
81. Un-Break My Heart, Toni Braxton
82. This Is Your Night, Amber
83. You Remind Me Of Something, R. Kelly
84. Runaway, Janet Jackson
85. Set U Free, Planet Soul
86. Hit Me Off, New Edition
87. No One Else, Total
88. My Boo, Ghost Town Dj's
89. Get Money, Junior M.A.F.I.A.
90. That Girl, Maxi Priest Featuring Shaggy
91. Po Pimp, Do Or Die
92. Until It Sleeps, Metallica
93. Hay, Crucial Conflict
94. Beautiful Life, Ace Of Base
95. Back For Good, Take That
96. I Got Id/Long Road, Pearl Jam
97. Soon As I Get Home, Faith Evans
98. Macarena, Los Del Rio
99. Only Wanna Be With You, Hootie and The Blowfish
100. Don't Cry, Seal

I'm honestly surprised that I plain old don't remember some of these. BUT, I am disappointed that more of the Alanis Morissette "Jagged Little Pill" cd wasn't on the list. That was the THEME SONG for my senior year! (Couldn't have anything to do with a couple of rough break-ups with my high school sweetheart, could it?)

The Omnivore's Hundred

Here’s what you do:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.



The Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Hey! I only refused 6 things! I'm pretty pruod of that!

Meme Time

Thanks Cali, for this easy way to spew some blog content on a crazy Friday!

The Name Game
1.Your rock star name (first pet, current car): Rocky Stratus
2.Your gangsta name (favorite ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe): White Chocolate Raspberry Fudge Flip Flop (doesn't work too well, does it?)
3.Your Native American name (favorite color, favorite animal): Purple Dog
4.Your soap opera name (middle name, city where you were born): Ann Detroit
5.Your Star Wars name (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 of your first name): HemBe (or HemEl, if I use Elizabeth)
6.Superhero name (2nd favorite color, favorite drink): Red diet Pepsi
7.NASCAR name (the first names of your grandfathers): Paul Paul (honestly...)
8.Dancer name (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy): Vanilla M&M
9.TV weather anchor name (your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter): Lintz Lincoln (that oneis kinda funny)
10.Spy name (your favorite season/holiday, flower): Autumn Iris
11.Cartoon name:(favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now): Peach Belt
12.Hippie name (what you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree): Rolo Maple (the peanut gallery can shoosh about "breakfast being the most important meal of the day".... I KNOW!)
13.Movie star name (first pet, first street where you lived): Rocky Hayes

One Word

A GIANT thanks to Jendeis for all of the recent memes! Heaven forbid I have to slow my brain down & focus it enough for some coherent, relevant blog content!

You have to answer all questions with one word.

1. Where is your cell phone? desk
2. Your significant other? Grumpy
3. Your hair? natural
4. Your mother? controlling
5. Your father? stubborn
6. Your favorite thing? snuggles
7. Your dream last night? none
8. Your favorite drink? Mike's
9. Your dream/goal? Mom
10. The room you’re in? Office
11. Your hobby? gardening
12. Your fear? childless
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? parent
14. What you’re not? skinny
15. Muffins? banana
16. One of your wish list items? puppy
17. Where you grew up? Detroit
18. The last thing you did? comment
19. What are you wearing? capris
20. Favorite gadget? cell
21. Your pets? furkids
22. Your computer? laptop
23. Your mood? stressed
24. Missing someone? nope
25. Your car? reliable
26. Something you’re not wearing? socks
27. Favorite store? Sears
28. Like someone? sometimes
29. Your favorite color? purple
30. When is the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? weeks

Flickr Meme

Thanks Jendeis, for another idea!

How to do this your very own self:

• Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
• Using only the first page, pick an image.
• Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into the mosaic maker. Choose 3 columns with 4 rows.

The Questions:

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One word that describes you?
12. Your favorite animal?

Glossary:

1. Beth
2. Steak
3. EDHS
4. purple
5. Chris Meloni
6. Mike's Hard Lemonade
7. Smoky Mountains
8. brownies
9. Mom with Kids
10. Couple + Nature
11. nervous
12. Golden Retriever Puppy

New Classics Book Challenge

I have this mental list of books that I want to read, except that I can rarely remember them when I'm at the library. Thus, Jenedeis's post today was perfect!

Lost In A Good Story is hosting a New Classics Challenge, based on a list of the 100 best reads published from 1983 to 2008, according to Entertainment Weekly. Because I don't have the time to put into Joanna 's challenge, I think I'm going to bend the rules a bit. BUT, I'm not going to sign up for the challenge, either, so can that really be bending the rules?

---Moral dilemma for another time, Beth. Stay on topic!---

So anyway, here's the list. Items I've already read are going in bold. Those I want to read will be purple. (And, because I'm an idiot like that, I'm going to italicize the ones for which I've seen the movie version... pop culture at it's finest, folks!)

1. The Road , Cormac McCarthy (2006)
2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling (2000)
3. Beloved, Toni Morrison (1987)
4. The Liars' Club, Mary Karr (1995)
5. American Pastoral, Philip Roth (1997)
6. Mystic River, Dennis Lehane (2001)
7. Maus, Art Spiegelman (1986/1991)
8. Selected Stories, Alice Munro (1996)
9. Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier (1997)
10. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Haruki Murakami (1997)
11. Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer (1997)
12. Blindness, José Saramago (1998)
13. Watchmen, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (1986-87)
14. Black Water, Joyce Carol Oates (1992)
15. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Dave Eggers (2000)
16. The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood (1986)
17. Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez (1988)
18. Rabbit at Rest, John Updike (1990)
19. On Beauty, Zadie Smith (2005)
20. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding (1998)
21. On Writing, Stephen King (2000)
22. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Díaz (2007)
23. The Ghost Road, Pat Barker (1996)
24. Lonesome Dove, Larry McMurtry (1985)
25. The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan (1989)
26. Neuromancer, William Gibson (1984)
27. Possession, A.S. Byatt (1990)
28. Naked, David Sedaris (1997)
29. Bel Canto, Anne Patchett (2001)
30. Case Histories, Kate Atkinson (2004)
31. The Things They Carried, Tim O'Brien (1990)
32. Parting the Waters, Taylor Branch (1988)
33. The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion (2005)
34. The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold (2002)
35. The Line of Beauty, Alan Hollinghurst (2004)
36. Angela's Ashes, Frank McCourt (1996)
37. Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi (2003)
38. Birds of America, Lorrie Moore (1998)
39. Interpreter of Maladies, Jhumpa Lahiri (2000)
40. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman (1995-2000)
41. The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros (1984)
42. LaBrava, Elmore Leonard (1983)
43. Borrowed Time, Paul Monette (1988)
44. Praying for Sheetrock, Melissa Fay Greene (1991)
45. Eva Luna, Isabel Allende (1988)
46. Sandman, Neil Gaiman (1988-1996)
47. World's Fair, E.L. Doctorow (1985)
48. The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
49. Clockers, Richard Price (1992)
50. The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen (2001)
51. The Journalist and the Murderer, Janet Malcom (1990)
52. Waiting to Exhale, Terry McMillan (1992)
53. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon (2000)
54. Jimmy Corrigan, Chris Ware (2000)
55. The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls (2006)
56. The Night Manager, John le Carré (1993)
57. The Bonfire of the Vanities, Tom Wolfe (1987)
58. Drop City, TC Boyle (2003)
59. Krik? Krak! Edwidge Danticat (1995)
60. Nickel & Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich (2001)
61. Money, Martin Amis (1985)
62. Last Train To Memphis, Peter Guralnick (1994)
63. Pastoralia, George Saunders (2000)
64. Underworld, Don DeLillo (1997)
65. The Giver, Lois Lowry (1993)
66. A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again, David Foster Wallace (1997)
67. The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini (2003)
68. Fun Home, Alison Bechdel (2006)
69. Secret History, Donna Tartt (1992)
70. Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell (2004)
71. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, Ann Fadiman (1997)
72. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon (2003)
73. A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving (1989)
74. Friday Night Lights, H.G. Bissinger (1990)
75. Cathedral, Raymond Carver (1983)
76. A Sight for Sore Eyes, Ruth Rendell (1998)
77. The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro (1989)
78. Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert (2006)
79. The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell (2000)
80. Bright Lights, Big City, Jay McInerney (1984)
81. Backlash, Susan Faludi (1991)
82. Atonement, Ian McEwan (2002)
83. The Stone Diaries, Carol Shields (1994)
84. Holes, Louis Sachar (1998)
85. Gilead, Marilynne Robinson (2004)
86. And the Band Played On, Randy Shilts (1987)
87. The Ruins, Scott Smith (2006)
88. High Fidelity, Nick Hornby (1995)
89. Close Range, Annie Proulx (1999)
90. Comfort Me With Apples, Ruth Reichl (2001)
91. Random Family, Adrian Nicole LeBlanc (2003)
92. Presumed Innocent, Scott Turow (1987)
93. A Thousand Acres, Jane Smiley (1991)
94. Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser (2001)
95. Kaaterskill Falls, Allegra Goodman (1998)
96. The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown (2003)
97. Jesus’ Son, Denis Johnson (1992)
98. The Predators' Ball, Connie Bruck (1988)
99. Practical Magic, Alice Hoffman (1995)
100. America (the Book), Jon Stewart/Daily Show (2004)

The "I'm Unscholarly" Book Meme

This will prove that I truly read for entertainment's sake.... and that I'm pretty easily entertained! I found the meme on Jendeis blog and figured I'd give it a whirl...




The Big Read reckons that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they've printed.

Instructions:

-Look at the list and bold those you have read.
-Italicize those you intend to read.
-Underline the books you LOVE or if you can't put a note at the end. (Blogger doesn't have underlining, so I'm bolding & italicizing these.)
-And, just for fun, change the font color of those you have seen the movie version.
-Reprint this list in your blog so we can try and track down these people who've read 6 and force books upon them



1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4. Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6. The Bible
7. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8. Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9. His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11. Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12. Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14. Complete Works of Shakespeare
15. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18. Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19. The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20. Middlemarch - George Eliot
21. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33. Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34. Emma - Jane Austen
35. Persuasion - Jane Austen
36. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38. Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40. Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41. Animal Farm - George Orwell
42. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44. A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving
45. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47. Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49. Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50. Atonement - Ian McEwan
51. Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52. Dune - Frank Herbert
53. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57. A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58. A Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60. Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66. On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68. Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
69. Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70. Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72. Dracula - Bram Stoker
73. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75. Ulysses - James Joyce
76. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78. Germinal - Emile Zola
79. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80. Possession - AS Byatt
81. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83. The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87. Charlotte's Web - EB White
88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90. The Faraway Tree Collection
91. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92. The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94. Watership Down - Richard Adams
95. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96. A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98. Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo



Hmm, not as bad as I thought. I've actually read 16 of them! How 'bout you? If you do the meme, please comment back with a link to your post, so I can go see just how much more literary you are than me.

7 Random Things

I was tagged by Nancy to share 7 random things about myself, so here goes.

1. I have lived in the same suburb my entire life. The house my hubby & I bought (from his grandma) is about 2 miles from my Mom's house, and also about 2 miles (in the other direction) from the house she grew up in.
   
2. I have never broken a bone or been stung by anything that it stings. I am terrified of both, and run screaming like a banshee away from anything that flies and goes "bzzzzz".
   
3. I am a biker-chick-in-training. Hubby has a '85 V65 Magna, and I'm learning to be a good little Bitch Seat Occupant. I'm still nervous as all get out in traffic, but it is getting better.
   
4. I have a tendency to jump way ahead of myself when presented with a potential problem. I freak out about the worst case scenario for a while, and then calm myself back down into an approach that's more reasonable, and much more manageable.
   
5. In my 29.25 years on this earth, I have spent 6 months without a dog. I don't think a house without a dog could ever feel like home to me.
   
6. I believe in God, but am not at all religious. I believe that it is each person's responsibility to do the best they can for themselves, for their family, for their community, and for society as a whole.
   
7. I am becoming a terrible passenger seat driver. I'm really trying to work on it, but it takes time. Or, at least, it's taking ME time.

I'm tagging: Chicklet, R&R, Roy, Wendy, Tigger, Andrea Jennine, and Courtney