T-minus 6 days

Okay, I have officially leased an apartment in Atlanta. Well, actually, it is in Smyrna, GA, but I'm only about 15 minutes from downtown. Did you know that Julia Roberts is from Smyrna?? I am in exceptionally good company. I would post a link to the apartment's website, but I'm cautious enough not to put up my new address for all the world to see. I could pick up a stalker someday, you just never know.

I am just so super excited, you have no idea. After months of being stagnant, I'm finally on the move! Of course, I am a little sad to leave the comforts of home and hometown. There are definitely some people I'm going to miss, most of whom live under the same roof just a short 5 minute drive from my house =) You know who you are. But, I'm putting my big girl face on, and I'm going to do my best not to cry. The bottom line is that it is simply time to get out of dodge.

More things that make me sad....my sister came to visit this weekend, and she and her hubby have decided to adopt one of my Phoebe's puppies. They've chosen Darla, who just happens to be my favorite because she's the smallest and she has sad eyes. I know they will love her and take good care of her, but I've cared for these puppies since the womb, and it breaks my heart to separate the family.

Back to the apartment, it's only a one bed/one bath, but I have a breakfast nook that I'm going to use as a makeshift office space. I'm going to need a Tiffany floor lamp for that, note to self. Also, I have vaulted ceilings, which is just the icing on top of an already delicious cake.

Speaking of cake...I had a dessert to die for at The Back Porch in Destin. It was called, get this, Hello Sunshine Cake. Orange layer cake with white chocolate icing. It sounds so simple, but it was unbelievably delectable. I'm going to make it as soon as I get my new kitchen up and running.

ATLast!!

I'm blogging from the beach this evening! It's okay to be jealous. You should be. I have been a terrible blogger the past few weeks, and it is simply because life has been so exciting and interesting! Would you like to hear the biggest, bestest news of the entire "In Search of Gumption" process? I GOT A JOB!!!! I can scarcely believe it. I had almost resigned myself to being dependent on my parents for the next 10 years, but no! For the first time in my life, I am going to be self-sufficient. Such a great feeling.

I am going to be a "Sales Support Coordinator" at a sports licensing company based in Atlanta. Doesn't that sound like so much fun! That's right. I'm going to be a city girl now. I think I will enjoy the change of pace. I love my small town life, but cities have easier access to gourmet food stores. I've already begun the apartment search (I've got to get a move on because I start in two weeks!!), and just this evening, I purchased the first pieces of my official career woman wardrobe! Thank you Banana Republic for your contributions!

You know, I should get back to enjoying my beach vacation, but I just had to drop in to share the good news! I'm feeling a great big pat on the back from all of my readers right about now. Merci beaucoup!

Hello, Is it me you're looking for?

I have been away for a week, and I apologize for that. It's been a bit of a hectic week, but nothing bad, so don't despair. Headliner for the day: You all might remember that I blogged a few weeks ago that I had a job interview for an unnamed company in Columbus. Well, I went for the interview, and it went well, but I've decided to turn it down. It was just too far away from home, and I didn't feel good about it at all when I left. I think I've finally realized that I have the right to choose family, something I always overlooked before. It's been liberating. Don't worry about me. I've got an interview in Atlanta on Wednesday and a promising prospect in the Chattanooga area, so it's all good.

Guess what! I bought a new purse! Coach, of course. I rarely buy anything else. They make them just the way I like them, simple and sturdy. The new one is a peachy/nudey tote. The color is excellent because it's very close to my skin tone (I'm extremely rosy). I'd put up a pic, but it's in the other room, and I don't want to go get it  =)

This past weekend was my very favorite weekend of the year. All you Daytonians know what I'm talking about. It was the STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL!! There is nothing better than small town festivals, and Dayton does it right with this one. We're talking a whole week of unbelievable hickish events, including a rodeo, a series of pageants, a carnival (which was half broken down this year...a nice touch), and a parade, complete with tractors, horses, bikers, and about a mile of Shriners in various vehicles. It's just a magical weekend. I think all of my readers who are not from the Tennessee Valley (yes, even the ones from Singapore), need to go ahead and mark the second week in May on your calendar next year. It's well worth the trip!!

That might be all for now. I'm feeling happy these days. I haven't listened to the "Worst Day Ever" playlist in at least a week, so life is good!

Fun With FaceinHole

The person you marry will be the person you have to get your picture taken with for the rest of your life. What if you don't compliment each other?!? That is terrible, and thanks to FaceInHole, completely avoidable. Let's try some fantasy relationships on for size...

Oh yeah. I'm definitely feeling this. I could do eternity. I'm very good at entertaining myself, so it would take centuries for me to reach a state of depressing boredom. Maybe a little longer with this handsome hunk of vampiric Britishness by my side. I don't really care for RPatz as RPatz, but as Edward.....oh my, irresistible. 

Every night in my dreams, I see you, I feel you, that is how I know that Leonardo DiCaprio and I make a DAAAAANG fine couple. I've known it since I was in the third grade. He's the childhood romance that just won't go away ("I just can't quit chu, Leo!"). Can I just say that my inappropriate smiles in all of these photos is hilarious to me? I literally have no pics of me when I'm not smiling to camera.

Yo ho! Yo ho! A life with Johnny Depp for me! I could do this. I could be a pirate. I could live on a ship and make my living pillaging villages in the Caribbean. I could survive on a liquid diet of rum (hmm, maybe not). This is one of the few instances in life where guyliner is a good thing. Gimme gimme more!

How did this get in here?

Da duh dadum, da duh dadum....Tell me this isn't perfect. Tell me this doesn't look natural and effortless. Tell me my round face is not perfectly complimented by a tiara. That's right! You can't say it because it's all true! Some people were just born with the regal gene. I am clearly one of those people. William, I've said it once, and I'll say it again. Big mistake. Big. Huge. 

Wasn't that fun?? Let's do it again sometime.

Bookies Part III

Last installment....let's roll.

BEST "I READ IT AS A CHILD AND IT NEVER LEFT ME"

Winner - The Wheel on the School, Meindert DeJong. This is officially the only book that I have ever read in one sitting, which is weird because I'm a book freak. I picked it up randomly from the school library one day in the 4th grade, and I just couldn't put it down. My mother was worried about me, I remember. I don't know why it fascinated me so much. It's about these kids in a Dutch fishing village, and they want to bring storks back to the area to nest, so they put wheels on all the buildings. Doesn't that sound bizarre? If you are one of my readers with children, you should get this for your kids. Kids apparently love storks and Dutch fishing villages.

1st Runner-Up - Island of the Blue Dolphins, Scott O'Dell. I read this one for the first time in the 2nd grade, but my fondest memories are from when my 5th grade teach read it to the class. She had an excellent reading voice. Karana, an Indian girl, lives for years all by herself when she is left by her tribe on an island in the Pacific. It's just remarkable. Like Castaway for the little ones. When the dog died.....oh my gosh, I can't stand it, even now. This book is serenity in written word. The island itself is as much a main character as Karana. Epic story. Read it. 

2nd Runner-Up - The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System. We all remember these books and movies. I can still remember the opening credits. Magic School Bus days were always my favorite days at school, and this was my absolute favorite book. I bet I read it about 50 gagillion times. I'm a bit of an astronomy nerd, and this is where it all began. On each planet, it showed how your weight would change based on the fluctuating gravitational pull. So much mind blowing information for someone so young. You can bet that my children will have these books memorized before they hit pre-school.

MISCELLANEOUS (I couldn't get them to fit in one particular category, but I love them just the same)

Winner - Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur Golden. I love love love love love this book! I read it over and over again. The imagery here is unparalleled. After reading it, I feel like I've actually walked the streets of pre-War Kyoto. It's the story of a poor young girl from a fishing village who becomes Japan's most celebrated geisha. The glitz and the glamour is countered by the harsh realities of life as an entertainer and, of course, the effects of WWII. And underneath it all, there is a truly touching love story that you don't even realize has been unfolding until the very end. Now, I will say that while I quite enjoyed the movie version, most people do not, so don't base your opinion of the book on the movie. The book is much better. Read it...NOW.

1st Runner-Up - The Gargoyle, Andrew Davidson. This book haunts me. I find myself thinking about it even now, over two years after reading it. It was a bit of a heavy read, so I haven't mustered up the emotional strength to read it again, but it's on the long list. It's a really crazy complicated love story that's speckled with tales from past lives and a heavy influence from Dante's The Inferno. The ending is just so sad an beautiful. Please read it, and don't give up on it after the first few chapters. You'll be glad you hung on.

I'd love to give a 2nd Runner Up, but I'm tired of typing, so that's all you're gonna get! I think I'm done with the Bookies now. Hope you enjoyed =)

Sad Songs Say So Much

I have at least one more installment of The Bookies coming soon, but before that, I have this to share...

Elton John said it best. April has straight up knocked me flat, and I've just about cried out. But, one good thing to come out of it is that I have created the perfect playlist for heartbreak and depression. I call it "Worst Day Ever".  I'm hoping that it's air time will begin to decrease after this week (job interview = possible relocation = clean slate = better times), but since we all have bad days every now and then, I'm going to share.

Possibility - Lykke Li

Someone Like You - Adele

Gone - NSYNC

How Can You Mend a Broken Heart - Al Green

Just a Dream - Carrie Underwood

Someone Saved My Life Tonight - Elton John

This Time - Jonathan Rhys Meyers

End of the Road - Boys II Men

My Immortal - Evanescence

Nobody Knows it But Me - Tony Rich Project

Roslyn - Bon Iver and St. Vincent

My Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion

If I Fell - Beatles (for the purposes of this list, I prefer the Evan Rachel Wood version from Across the Universe)

Never Think - Robert Pattinson

Nothing Compares to You - Sinead O'Connor

What Were We Thinking - Joss Stone

Make You Feel My Love - Adele version

Wish I Could - Norah Jones

Someone To Watch Over Me - Renee Olstead version

My Love - Sia

Enjoy.

Bookies Part II

Let's get right back to it.

BEST "MADE ME THINK" STORY

Winner - The Shack, William P. Young. This book is pretty well-known, especially in religious circles. I've talked to a lot of people who have read and it and the reviews are very mixed. It shows God and the Holy Trinity from an entirely new perspective and I think it was a little too much for traditionalists. For me, it was an incredibly comforting idea. No one ever thinks of God in a female form, but in his infinite power, he most certainly could. This book made me re-examine how I learn from tragedy in my own life and how my relationship with God is affected by it. Every time I read it, I pick up a little something else from it.

1st Runner-Up - Life of Pi, Yann Martel. This book blew my mind and that's all there is to it. It's the story of a young Indian boy who is in a shipwreck and he floats across the Atlantic on a life raft with a bunch of zoo animals who all die off until all he has left is a Bengal tiger for company. I realize that sounds strange, but the dynamic between the boy and this tiger is fascinating, and at the end of the book, you're left with your mouth agape, tears in your eyes, and that heavy feeling in your chest because nothing was quite what it seemed. Not enough people have read this book.

2nd Runner-Up - White Noise, Don DeLillo. I had to read this book for an honors class the summer before I started college, and I will say that it is not for the casual reader. This is a book where you have to stop and think about what you've read, really reflect on it, to get the full essence of the author's message. A chemical explosion, a new drug for the fear of death, and a complicated relationship between a man and his wife. What I really loved about this book was the writing. You'd be reading a dialogue, and then out of nowhere,  there'd be a sentence like "The radio is on upstairs." DeLillo is very attentive to even the most mundane aspects of the environment.

BEST HIGH FANTASY

Winner - The Lord of the Rings trilogy, JRR Tolkien. Who didn't see this one coming, right? Tolkien is the last word in high fantasy for a reason. I am very happy to say that I have just recently begun reading the third book in the trilogy, so I'm almost done. (Not decided yet if I'm going to tackle The Hobbit and The Silmarillion yet.) And of course, I'm a bit of a nerd for the movies. But, anyway, here's what I love about these in particular. High fantasy involves the creation of a new world, essentially, and Tolkien was endlessly thorough. Sometimes when I'm reading these books, I come across a person or a place that they don't talk much about, and I get curious. I do a little research, and I can easily find the full history. He literally created an entirely new world, and he fully designed it and mapped out its fate from beginning to end, sparing no details. It's mesmerizing.

1st Runner-Up - Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll. Everyone knows the story of Alice from the various movie adaptations, but about two years ago, I took the time to actually read the books, and they were absolutely fabulous! I love that they are written for children but the complexity resonates so well with adults. It is completely logic-less, which is both frustrating and refreshing as an adult reader. I feel like this is one of those books that, had I read it when I was 8, I would understand it about as well as I do now.

2nd Runner-Up - The Dark Tower Series, Stephen King. Okay, so I've only read 2/7 of these books, and it is true that I struggle with King's writing, but I have every intention of finishing, (3rd book is on the Kindle now) and when I break it down to the core plotline, I really like where it's going so far. I hurt myself with this one because my dad has already finished all 7, and he told me how they end (I asked). But, I think King would say that these books are about the journey, not the destination, and it was a lifelong effort on his part, so I have a lot of respect for the writing.

**Note for this section. I am considering adding George R R Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire to my reading list. I don't know a whole lot about it, but HBO has a new show out called "Game of Thrones" which is based on the 1st book in the series, and I've been watching it. I definitely recommend it, if this kind of stuff is your thing. I compare it to LOTR except a bit more medieval feeling, and a lot more earthbound.

More to come soon...