maybe I will.

Hardcore Book Club

I started a book club. It's called the Hardcore Book Club. Hardcore members only. This means: no vampires, no church books (rude, sorry), no Oprah crap books...just some hardcore reading.

First book: A Tale of Two Cities. I've never read it, didn't choose it, but think it's probably pretty hardcore. If you want to read along.

I've already read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Last summer. I think it was good even though it feels boring right now.
I'm the same with the reading ADD thing. I stopped reading Tess when the bad guy showed up in the last section. Didn't feel like dealing with that all the sudden.
What should we read?
I need a book even though i told Cam I was off books for a long time. I'd rather spend my time doing nothing productive and eating. Help.

Where are you watching this fascinating show? Through your neighbor's window? I'd like to know so we can watch it, too. I like shows where contestants say balls. I challenge you to use this sentence with a stranger by Friday: I'd do it if I had the balls.

Shall we read a book together? I haven't really read a book since..........February? Sad. I have reading A.D.D. or something. Glad I'm not the only one unable to finish books. Forget Tess and the whole Stonehenge ending.

Remember Stonehenge on that movie, This is Spinal Tap? If not, ask Cam.

Or is it Stone Henge?

Have you read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn? If you want to start it, I'll pick it back up again. Or give me a title and I'll read it. Including what you have started on your own book...send it my way.

L took ten steps today.

Cam and I are watching Ultimate Fighter the TV show where they all live in a house and swear. Its awesome.
Sort of like watching the OC.
or House.

They say things like "I get a lot of positive feedback. Now I just need the balls to use it." It's fight day and I am very nervous.

I has to stop reading Tess near the end because the bad guy just came back into the picture and I wasn't in the mood.

Next I want to read something. I don't know what. What should I read? What should we read? I also think that maybe I'm onto a new book. I need to send along what I have.

Actually, Tess of the D's was one of my favorites. So tragic. Poor girl. I haven't read a classic....mmmmm....since college?

Can't find A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. It's around here somewhere...

Into Thin Air...read it. I forgot to leave it with my parents. You will not be able to get the images out of your mind. Teaser: Did you know that as you climb Everest you pass corpses all along the way? Just frozen, dead bodies. Oh wait, did I already tell you that?

In other news, Laisa bought me the coolest book for my birthday. It's an A-Z book on kids and how they died.

Examples:

B is for Basil assaulted by bears.

K is for Kate who was struck with an axe.

L is for Leo who swallowed some tacks.

I might buy it for you or I might forget.

i AM READING Tess of the D'Urberville's. Don't ask me why. I just found it on the shelf and thought, ehh, why not. I like it and there are still notes I wrote so diligently from when I read it in college.

I've read a Tree Grows in Brooklyn and I waNT TO read Into Thin Air. V keeps hitting the caps.

I also made homemade graham crackers. Does that make me equal to you know who? I didn't take pictures though. Shoot.

Also, are Coleman and his wife getting a divorce or are they on Divorce Court just for show? Cam and I are not in agreement on this. Please explain. Also, also, I forgot to ask you about the Bachelor situation. I haven't watched the latest but plan to tonight (even though I already know who's off due to reading People, ugh). I'm actually pretty shocked.
Theend.

Three Months?

We haven't blogged in three months! Quick update:

1. I baked meat loaf for dinner last night (Billy Joel's wife's recipe)(only the best around here)
2. I really liked Elder Ballard's talk on mothers.
3. I have started plenty of books lately, but only finished a few. Books I started:

• Eat, Pray, Love
• Wednesday Wars
• Cut
• Into the Wild

Books I finished:

• Into Thin Air
• The Other Boleyn Girl
• I'm sorry; there are no other titles for this category.

4. Little L can climb all of our stairs now.

5. I'm currently reading, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

Whatcha reading?

Tod has been out of town this weekend.
So I blogged a bit more than usual.
I spent (total over the entire two days) four hours on a blog.
She will not be named.

But...

She makes homemade cakes from scratch for her kids' birthdays.
She reupholsters furniture.
She paints animals to hang in her kids' rooms.
She uses whole wheat pasta when she cooks.
She makes all Halloween costumes herself.

So...

I finally turned off the computer earlier this evening. I had to stop. I turned it off and took a tour of my house. I searched for ONE OBJECT I'VE CREATED in this house. The only thing I could find that I'd made was the protein shake in my hand.

Well...

I am trying to figure out why I'm not creative. Why doesn't my mind scream ideas all day long? Why don't I break branches off of lemon trees so I can hang my paper mache blossoms to them and arrange them in vases I've hand painted? Why don't I think to buy vintage fabric at Joanne's, then wood at Lowe's so I can come home, stretch the fabric over the wooden frames I've built and arrange them in my guest rooms?

I'm going to go take a hot shower sitting on the floor.

Struggling

I'm about 30 pages into E, P, L and so far it's okay. I understand the appeal and why people love it; she's clever and vulnerable and searching for spirituality. We've all felt lonely, we've all felt depressed, we've all wondered who we really are. However, I'm annoyed sometimes and not feeling motivated to finish. It's probably just me, resisting what a lot of people love.

I was the same with with Harry Potter.

I will finish and report my decision.

Next book:

We are reading this next. Only because we want to.


Not because she told us to. Join us and we'll find out what the big deal is.

Triathlon Calendar

Click here and put in your votes.

Moo goes the chicken

We are cutting Cut. Our next book will be . . . tba by Holly. Until then, I just ate some brown bag popcorn and it was DELICIOUS. I also was going to go running/workout but Cam had to go back to work tonight. Will I ever get to workout and fulfill my dream of running more and more triathlons and being a calm energetic mom who says Moo goes the cow? That remains to be seen.

Rolanda...

I read about 10 pages of Boy Toy and then I put it down for a week. That's how good it began. But I'm about to walk upstairs, get in my bed, and try to continue reading. Since then, I've been dabbling in these readings instead. Quite a spectrum, I know.

Hang in there and read 13 Reasons Why first. So we can talk. And maybe go for a walk although I've heard through the grapevine that you look super skinny. So maybe don't walk.

And I will see you next week! I want to try P712 with you! And get organized. Bye.

A love letter

Dear ReadandRun,
I have not received any of my books yet. No 13 Reasons Why, no Boy Toy, no anything. However, I have read the Clique and A Christmas Carol and part of We Were the Mulroneys and part of My Brother the Dog while waiting. Please let my books come soon,
Love, Rolanda.

PS is Boy Toy worth the wait?
PPS I do not run
PPPS or exercise.

It's here! It's here!

I will begin...tomorrow. Anyone else reading this with us?

P.S. I don't recommend searching for this book cover online unless you include the author's name. Whoops.

P.P.S. When is our next race? And where? And Katy...are you coming? I say yes.

I'm impressed. Did Mel B. get kicked off?
I have to read Speak again for my class.
I'm also going to read Boy Toy.
Tomorrow I'm going to make cranberry sauce.
I should be writing about death.
Instead I'm trying to watch project runway online but it's not working.
What do you think about the bachelor?

I don't want to take away from your scary story, but this story is sort of scary, too.

We were watching DWTS last night (figure it out) and Mel B. (Spice Girl) did the splits four times in a row.

Tod: Wow! That is hard!

Me: It's not that hard.

Tod: Can you do the splits?

Me: Sure I can.

Tod: Do it.

Me: Right now?

Tod: Yeah.

So I did. I broke into the right side splits right there on our bed. He nodded his head then kept watching the show. I am 98% certain I injured myself. I'm not sore today, just injured. This is a secret, though, because I need to be as good as Mel B.

I'm glad your little man is okay. And just count your blessings that your hamstring is in tact.

My little baby almost died during Relief Society today. He started choking (really really really choking) on one of these little guys. I started bawling. He wasn't making any sound and I was hitting his back and I'd swiped his mouth and the lesson had stopped and everyone was sort of holding their breath and the pediatric nurse sitting right in front of me didn't grab him. Then he started sort of crying so I thought he was okay so I took him into the hall and then he started convulsing. I have to go now because he wants some yogurt but this is to be continued . . .

I'm back, so he was sort of convulsing and the first counselor had come out and was trying to take him from me and I was cry yelling "Get Carrie" (the pediatric nurse) but first counselor wasn't paying attention to my hysterics. Instead, she took him and she made a little knuckle and told me this is how you do it and she did the heimlich on him. A goldfish came out. In tact.

Later Carrie told me that's not how you do it for kids under a year and that you're supposed to do this other thing but I was sort of numb and so glad she did do it even if it was dangerous because then he could wail like he wanted to wail and then he hugged me but not really and then when I went in the mother's room to calm down he tried to get off my lap to see what the paper towel dispenser looked like from the bottom up.

After I got my druthers together and went back into the RS room to get my stuff, I told the Relief Society President that we should have an enrichment on CPR and choking techniques. I even said, "I think that's a lot more important than learning how to make bread." She agreed.

He slept that night from 5:00pm to 4:00am. He drank a little at 5:02 and then went back to sleep until 7:30. He was truamatized too.

Pump it up

I just want to say I am very excited for the race. For several reasons. First of all, we were all pregnant last year and now we are racing! I am also excited to swim in this huge pool. Zig zag. I want to tell you to pump it up this week. When I say pump IT I mean the volume. Pump up the volume and tell everyone that Saturday is the day.

Good luck tomorrow with treats. I may eat a piece of candy but I honestly like to cut out crap the week before. Do what you can. I am adding an inspirational picture from last year's race. I took this picture. He is the real deal.

I hope this race will be the beginning of years of racing. Eventually the Ironman. Right, Ann Dee? Or maybe we could do it relay style. In Hawaii. See you Friday, ladies. I'm proud of you.