Right now, I'm loving...

April has turned out to be a real downer.  For some reason I haven't felt like being social/productive/patient/fun... 
I will say that waking up to a mailbox lid in my front room, surrounded by glass, didn't help.  I know what you're thinking: a mailbox lid?, who does that?, did it not wake you up? where do you live?  Well friends, I can only answer the last question.  I live in a nice neighborhood where Mark and I are surrounded by sweet 80 year olds; so I'm at a loss...  Here's the damage:

So, starting last week, I've tried to concentrate on things I'm loving right now (instead of being a Negative Nancy).  Right now, I'm loving:

• Diet Pepsi.  Yep, I said it…diet PEPSI.  I feel like I’m letting down my fellow Southerners. Don’t worry, I’m a coca-cola girl at heart, but my work cafeteria sells Pepsi in fountain form.  And you know what?  I’m loving it!  Look at the size of this monster that I’ve been getting most mornings:

• Friends/Family who don’t mind if you unload on them.  Yep, it doesn’t matter what time of the day it is or what’s going on, I have the kind of friends and family who will let me completely unload on them…and feel sorry for myself for a good 20 minutes (or however long it takes me to realize that there are worse things going on out there).

• My iPod.  I can't go a day without this little guy.  I've been listening to a lot of Mumford and Sons, Glee, James Morrison, and lots of raps

• One of my best friends moving to Birmingham.  I am DEFINITELY loving that!  For some reason, I haven't ended up with a picture of the two of us yet.  So, stay tuned (I know you can't stand the excitement).

So, April is starting to look up.  And next week, I get to head to Chicago to see some fam and tour around the city some.  That's right April, prepare to be dominated.

Insanity!

Have you heard of "Insanity"?  It was developed by the same company who put out "P90X", and it is definitely insane.  The workouts are 40 minutes, which includes: a warm-up, stretch, intense workout with 30 second breaks, and stretching.  So, really, you are only seriously working-out about 25 minutes.  Yet, I haven't been able to do 100% of even one of the workouts... INSANE! 

I've done about 1/4 of the workouts, but have taken my time doing them...skipping days to rest or run.  I haven't had a difference in size or weight, but my abs are stronger and my stomach seems less flabby (just a little).  This is a huge plus for me, as I HATE doing crunches. 

Interested?  Check out this video I found on YouTube.  The nutrition plan it refernces is included and looks to be pretty high quality...though, I flung it to the side as I prefer to eat how I'd like :)

Book Blog???

Confession:  When I was in middle school, I was required to read EVERY NIGHT for 30 mins.  Then, my mom/dad had to sign a log that I had completed this ridiculous assignment.  At 14, I thought I had better things to do with my evenings: IM people on AOL, watch "Dawson's Creek", discuss "Dawson's Creek" with Chelsey.  As a result of this "forced reading", I started pretending to read.  That's right!  I preferred to space-out and just turn the page when I thought I would have completed it.

It was "Harry Potter" that got me to finally enjoy reading.  But nothing has been as influential as my book club.  I LOVE reading now!  Even as I type this, I'm looking longingly at my next book...  So, you'll have to forgive me if I have turned this blog into only book reviews.  But, I'm excited about reading again!

That being said, here is what I've been reading:

"Still Alice" by Lisa Genova:  I knew I had to read this when I found out that it was about a woman who develops Alzheimer's Disease (AD).  My grandmother developed Parkinson's and then AD when she was in her seventies.  Since both are thought to be hereditary, I have always been a bit curious about both.  For me, this book was amazing...possibly one of my top 10 favorites. 

The main character, Alice, is a professor at Harvard who discovers she has developed Alzheimer's at 50 (early onset AD is completely new to me).  The book follows her thoughts as she becomes more affected by AD and as her family works to deal with it's effects on her and them.  I loved that the book felt more uplifting than sad...though definitely sad in places.  I also appreciated seeing AD through the patient's perspective; and it felt very accurate to me.  I highly, highly recommend this one...especially if you have lost a loved one from this horrible disease.

"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" by Mark Haddon:  This one is a bit harder...  I read a lot of great reviews before I bought it.  Then, I read a lot of bad reviews.  People who had knowledge of autism, or in some cases individuals with autism, did not feel as if is was a correct portrayal of an autistic mind.  I made a note in my head to remember that while I was reading it, but it was not necessary.  Based on the very little knowledge I have of autism, I thought the reviews were harsh.  I have a cousin with autism, and he is very, very different from this character.  But I don't think it's a far stretch to assume that autism could affect someone the way that it affects the main character, Christopher.  I also thought that that the book was raw, honest, and somewhat interesting. 

But here's the kicker...I didn't really like it that much.  I can't even explain why...

March Reads

This past month, I enjoyed two good books. 

First, I read "The History of Love" by Nicole Krauss.  My friend Allison wrote about how much she loved this book in her blog, so I bought it when I went on my "book buying frenzy" a couple of months ago. 
The book begins each chapter with a different character not related to the first, and I'll admit that I had to read a few chapters more than once to keep up with everyone.  Once I got a grasp on what was happening, I was hooked! 
The ending was definitely what made this book so special.  It wasn't exactly what I was hoping for, but it was so sweet and touching that I literally had goosebumps reading the last few pages.

Two suggestions: 
1. Read this book
2. Spend a little extra time on the front side writing down all your characters

For my book club, I read "The Well and the Mine" by Gin Phillips.  Bonus: Gin Phillips physically came to our meeting to discuss the book with us.  Coolest thing ever!  Especially since we all liked the book.  I do wish we had spread out our "southern, small town" books a little more.  Between "The Help", "To Kill a Mockingbird", and "The Well and the Mine", I think we're all starting to get bit jaded.  But this a good read, especially if you've heard stories from your grandparents about "the good ole days" of sitting on your front porch drinking sweet tea.  And, if you're anything like I am, it will give you a new appreciation for your washing machine, dish washer, television, and fast food.

Happy Reading to Ya!

From 11 to 9...but it's an improvement

Drum roll please....

I just finished my first week in my new department! 

Geographically, my new job seems like a step down.  I moved from the 11th floor to the 9th floor; which means I ride a different elevator without all of the executives that I used to see going up to the 16th floor.

Financially, I'm in the same place.  I needed to change departments to help my career long-term, and I was happy to take this one as a developmental move.

Emotionally, intellectually, and any other positive "ally" word, I feel like I just moved a million miles from where I was.  I am definitely in a job now where I have more opportunities to learn and grow in my career.  In addition, this job will allow me to actually design something.  Since I got my engineering degree for that exact purpose (or so I thought), it feels amazing to know that in the next few years, I will be USING my degree.

Wish me luck with this new opportunity.  Cause right now, I can't wait to take the "low levels" elevator to 9 each day!

Caroline and Preston get hitched!

This weekend, Caroline Drummond got married and officially became Caroline D/A.  Congratulations to Caroline and Preston!!

(Photo courtesy of Meredith Jones)

We gonna party like it's my Birthday!

Sigh...it's official...I'm in my LATE 20s.  Tuesday, I celebrated number 27.  But, a girl can't complain when she is blessed with so many great friends.  Look at the crowd that showed up just to eat dinner with me on my birthday (and this was just the girls).

Thanks to my amazing friends for making me feel special year after year.

Oh, and Mark got me some nice sunglasses for my birthday, whoop whoop!  One more New Year's Goal down.  Hopefully there will be some pictures of me in them as the spring and summer come along.