Exceedingly Mundane

I saw this over at Marianne’s blog yesterday, and swiped it! Thanks Marianne 🙂

Have you ever…

(x) Gone on a blind date
(x) Skipped School
( ) Watched someone die
( ) Been to Canada
( ) Been to Mexico
(x) Been to Florida
(x) Been on a plane
(x) Been lost
(x) Been on the opposite side of the country
(x) Gone to Washington , DC
( ) Swam in the ocean
(x) Cried yourself to sleep
( ) Played cops and robbers
(x) Recently colored with crayons
( ) Sang Karaoke ….
( ) Paid for a meal with coins only?
(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn’t?
(x) Made prank phone calls
(x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose – or other places!
(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(x) Danced in the rain
(x) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(x) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(x) Watched the sunrise with someone you care about
(x) Blown bubbles
( ) Gone ice-skating
( ) Been skinny dipping outdoors

Let me know if you decide to play along at your blog; I’d love to come by and read your answers!

This week’s topic: Cover-Up

While acknowledging that we can’t judge books by their covers, how much does the design of a book affect your reading enjoyment? Hardcover vs. softcover? Trade paperback vs. mass market paperback? Font? Illustrations? Etc.?

Well, that’s a good question! As far as it affecting my reading enjoyment, that’s probably close to a zero. How it affects what catches my eye at a store, or more importantly, a library sale, now that is more important! I definitely love cute covers and those with good colors and those that are eye-catching. But it really has to be the author or story or content that affects how I enjoy the book. I like to “collect” hardcovers of certain authors, like John Grisham. I prefer holding the trade paperback size the best, and probably like the regular mass-market paperback the least. But I have plenty of those, as I tend to pick them up at library sales for 50 cents each. I’m trying to get more of those, with the intention of one day joining paperbackswap.com. But back to design – certain books just catch my eye, and might make me look at the back cover or inside excerpt and read what it’s about, whereas I might not have picked it up if the cover or title didn’t catch my eye.

Case in point – the books I’m currently reading. Don’t they have the greatest covers?

Happy Reading!

randomness…feed your mind and your blog
March 22: 100th Post

This week marks the 100th post of the Randomness Meme. Here’s this week’s questions:

A set of random questions:
1. What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?
2. What shampoo do you use?
3. How do you like your eggs?
4. What’s the first thing you do when you get online?
5. What is your favorite tv show?
6. Which do you prefer, the sunrise or the sunset?
7. When is the last time you went to the mall?
8. What was the last food that you ate?
9. What is your favorite animal?
10. Do you collect anything?

OK, great questions, but my reply is going to be fairly long. I don’t say much of anything quickly and succinctly! Click the extended entry to read all of my answers!

1. Favorite ice cream flavor – duh, chocolate! Although I do like variations on a theme – cookie dough, Oreo ice cream, Butterfinger ice cream, brownie fudge fantasy ice cream, etc. Yummy!

2. Shampoo – I’ve been using System Biolage for a while now. I use the color safe one, since I get my hair colored on a regular basis. I’ve had grey hair since I was in high school. I have a feeling that if I were to stop coloring my hair, once it all grew out, I’d probably be 95% grey, maybe more. So, I color it and I use only shampoo and conditioner for color treated hair.

3. Eggs – I like my eggs most every way! I love eggs and as long as they are cooked, I will eat them. I don’t like “sunny side up” eggs, as the white is not cooked, but I like them cooked over-easy, scrambled, poached, boiled, or any which a way!

4. First thing online – well, I crank up my laptop, then load my email and a Firefox browser to our website and my blog. I check my email, and make sure that our site is up, then I go to sites like iGoogle.

Read the rest of this entry »

This week’s topic: The End

You’ve just reached the end of a book . . . what do you do now? Savor and muse over the book? Dive right into the next one? Go take the dog for a walk, the kids to the park, before even thinking about the next book you’re going to read? What?

(Obviously, there can be more than one answer, here–a book with a cliff-hanger is going to engender different reactions than a serene, stand-alone, but you get the idea!)

Well, that does depend on the book, but the majority of the time, I do turn to the next book and dive right on in. Part of that is because a lot of the time I’m reading books in a series. If I’m not reading series books, I’m usually reading light and enjoyable books, and I’m happy to just enjoy it, and turn to the next one. If I read a “deeper” book, or one that affects me more, it is often a bit harder to just let go and move to a new book. Sometimes, however, after reading a “heavier” book, I am anxious to change to something light and fun, so again, I am happy to just dive right on into the next one. Ok, I sound like a broken record. Yes, I do believe I mostly prefer to just move onto the next book! LOL 🙂

Happy Reading!

randomness…feed your mind and your blog
March 9: The Internet
Do you remember time before the internet?
websites, memes, blogs, message boards?
When did you first ‘log on’?

Well, this is a blast from the past! I’ve been working on computers all of my adult life. I earned one of the first computer science degrees (minor, in my case) that was offered at the small, private college I attended, way back in the 80’s. I did all of my programming on an original IBM XT with dual 5 1/4″ floppies. I started a computer network in the engineering department I worked in at my job. I was using our company’s mainframe for email in the late 80’s and then migrated our section to PC-based email. I can’t remember exactly when I got on the Internet, but it was sometimes around 1994 or 1995. I know that I spent a lot of time online once I discovered the Internet. And I still do – actually, I spend more and more time online as the years go by!

Although I can remember what life was like before the Internet, that doesn’t mean I want to go back. I like being able to look everything up in the blink of an eye. I like paying my bills online. I like blogging, sharing photos, uploading them to get printed, ordering stuff online, searching for recipes online, ordering my movies through Netflix, etc. I can remember having a rotary dial telephone in the den of the house I grew up in – but that doesn’t mean I want to give up my VOIP phone or my cell phone I take with me everywhere! 🙂

Have a great day!

Ooh, fun topic this week! List your ten favorite drinks. Now, this is right up my alley 😀 I’m a huge drinker. I just don’t drink alcohol, but boy, do I love a ton of other stuff

Such as…

Coke Zero
Cherry Coke Zero
Mountain Dew Code Red, diet or regular
Dr. Pepper (regular, but I rarely splurge; not as fond of the diet)
Coffee with splenda and a good flavored creamer
English Toffee cappuccino
Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash (only available Thanksgiving to Christmas)
White Chocolate Mocha from Starbucks (again, I rarely splurge on any Starbucks drinks, too many calories)
Sweet Tea (McAlisters or my mother-in-laws are the BEST!)
Orange Juice, Apple Juice, Grape Juice
Cranberry Juice with Ginger Ale
Sonic Diet Cherry Coke with Chocolate (sounds yucky but it’s wonderful)
Sonic Java Chiller (with mocha or caramel or both!)
Hot Chocolate
Hot Green Tea
Raspberry Zinger herbal tea

Oops, more than 10… told ya I was a big drinker. I could have easily come up with 20, probably, LOL!

This week’s topic: Format

All other things (like price and storage space) being equal, given a choice in a perfect world, would you rather have paperbacks in your library? Or hardcovers? And why?

Gosh, wouldn’t that be a wonderful thing, if price and storage space were really not an issue?! I’m envisioning a huge room in my spacious new home, just for a library. With big leather chairs and big snugly chairs by a fireplace, with ottomans and chenille throws tossed on them. Wall to wall bookcases overflowing with books that I love and want to read. Even one of those nifty movable ladder things to move around to find all of my books 🙂 However, I don’t think that’s ever gonna happen for me. But – if money weren’t an issue, I’d probably really get mostly hardbacks. I really like the bigger trade size paperback, so I don’t have a problem having those. I would really rather not have the small paperback. As I’m getting older, I’m finding that the type size on most of those is getting really small, plus sometimes they are just harder to hold for me. Give me a large paperback or a hardback most every time.

Great question! Happy Reading!

This week’s topic: After the Honeymoon

Have you ever fallen out of love with a favorite author? Was the last book you read by the author so bad, you broke up with them and haven’t read their work since? Could they ever lure you back?

Good question! I don’t think I have ever fallen “out of love” with an author. I do have a couple of authors that I used to read years ago that I just do not read any more. It’s not so much that I read a book that I didn’t enjoy, but more that my tastes have changed, and my reading has “evolved” a bit. I used to read a lot of Danielle Steele years ago, and my mom read her also. I loved buying a paperback of hers, so I could read it and then share it with my mom. I also used to really love Barbara Delinsky, and while I would still read her now, I just don’t ever think to check for her books at the library. I have so many other authors that I’ve discovered now to read, and many more I want to try, as well as new genres that I’ve found that I enjoy. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book by an author I liked, and the book was so bad that I swore off them. I have done that with a new author, though. I read one Joyce Carol Oates book a year or so ago and hated it. I won’t read her ever again.

Happy Reading!

Lynne tagged me a few days ago with this fun meme about blogging. Her post is here 🙂 Thanks Lynne!!!

How long have you been blogging? A little over three years – I just had my 3 year “blog-aversary” on February 3.

What inspired you to start your blog, and who are your mentors? We had our website set up and running for about 6 months. We had forums where I could post and ask questions (trivia, talk about movies, tv shows, girlie stuff, etc), we have a section for storing recipes, a section for posting reviews like book reviews, a photo gallery for sharing photos, and even a journal section where I could write journal entries, like an online diary. But– it is all very compartmentalized. I wanted a free-form way of doing all of this. I wanted a way it could be just for me, not for the entire website. And I wanted to try something different. I got to surfing around and found out about the concept of a blog. The rest is history 🙂 Oh, and no mentors really. Although I had found a couple of blogs I liked and sort of knew what I wanted to do with mine.

Are you trying to make money online, or are you doing it just for fun? Just for fun. We do have an Amazon Associates thing setup, but that’s mostly at the main site. I do have it on my sidebar, but I don’t think anyone has ever used it! I don’t do a pay per post thing and won’t be headed in that direction in the future.

What three things do you love about being online? Being online – everything is at my fingertips. I can check the weather, our bank balance, pay bills, look up movie actors, song lyrics, read cooking forums, find recipes, look up people’s thoughts on books, order library books, get movies from Netflix, etc. Anything and everything. When my computer is down or our Internet is out, I’m totally and completely helpless. Dead in the water 😀

Chat and IM? I used to, but not much anymore. Mostly email.

Tag I won’t tag anyone specifically, but please feel free to play along. Let me know if you do, so I can come check out your answers! 😀

This week’s topic: But, Enough About Books

Okay, even I can’t read ALL the time, so I’m guessing that you folks might voluntarily shut the covers from time to time as well… What else do you do with your leisure to pass the time? Walk the dog? Knit? Run marathons? Construct grandfather clocks? Collect eggshells?

Well, that’s an easy one! I like lots of other things. I also read magazines and have way too many subscriptions. I watch a ton of television. You could even call me a TV junkie. 🙂 Normally, when the shows are all on, we might have 2 or 3 shows a night that we watch. We also love movies. We have been doing Netflix now for about 8 months and we’ve watched a ton of movies. Tim likes to go to the theater to see movies, which is fun, but the practical side of me prefers to stay home and rent them. Much cheaper, and my popcorn is healthier 🙂 I also love taking photos and playing with my camera. Needless to say, the computer sucks up a lot of my time. Blogging, reading blogs, browsing online shopping sites, playing games (lately, Text Twist), surfing cooking sites and gleaning recipes, etc. I do like to cook and bake, usually, but I go through phases with that. Beau gets a lot of my attention. We used to walk regularly, but Tim injured his knee and we haven’t been able to walk a lot. It’s starting to heal, we hope, so I’m hoping we get to walk with Beau more often. Beau loves to play out back, play ball, chase birds and squirrels and cats. When the weather is nice, I like to just sit outside with him and enjoy the sunshine.

There, that was a boring answer! 🙂

Lynne posted this “Two Things” Meme on her blog last week (original post, here), and I thought I’d play along! Thanks Lynne!

Two names you go by… Stace and Boogie (do NOT ask!)

Two things you are wearing right now… Sweatpants and a t-shirt

Two things you would want (or have) in a relationship… have trust and commitment

Two of your favorite things to do… read and watch tv/movies

Two things you want very badly at the moment… chocolate and a good night’s sleep

Two pets you have or have had… Sally (the golden retriever) and Beau the wonder dog

Two things that you did last night… watched an older movie and played Text Twist

Two people you think will fill this out… no idea!

Two things you ate today… oatmeal and coffee so far!

Two people you last talked to… Tim and Gail

Two things you’re doing tomorrow… going to the grocery store and doing laundry 🙂

Two longest car rides… to Colorado when I was nine years old and to Washington DC with Tim

Two favorite holidays… I guess Thanksgiving and Christmas, but let’s break with tradition and say Super Bowl Sunday and Christmas Eve 😀

Two favorite beverages… Coke Zero and orange juice

Two people no longer alive who you’d like to talk to… my mom and my grandma Presh

I won’t tag two other people, but if you decide to play along, be sure to let me know!

Stolen from my dear Project365 buddy, Desert Songbird. Thanks for letting me borrow this one!

I love to eat: anything chocolate, shrimp

I hate to eat: beets, any type of greens like mustard or turnip greens, peppers

I love to go: on vacation with Tim, or on long walks on a nearby walking trail with Tim and Beau

I hate to go: to that doctor for my yearly checkup 🙁

I love it when: I have time to spend just looking and browsing in a bookstore and maybe even taking time to have a coffee too 🙂

I hate it when: drivers pull out in front of me and make me slam on my brakes

I love to see: my house when it’s all clean (and cozy and comfortable, too!)

I hate to see: any kind of movies or tv shows that show people hurting children or animals. I won’t watch.

I love to hear: Tim and Beau playing and Beau starts making his “happy” sound, har har har 🙂

I hate to hear: people in restaurants or movies on their cell phone, disturbing everyone else. If you’re at dinner with your spouse or date or family, why on earth would you sit there the entire time on your cell phone?

I won’t tag anyone in particular, but please play along if you’d like! Leave me a comment and let me know, so I can come read your answers 🙂

This week’s topic: Let’s Review

This week’s question is suggested by Puss Reboots:

How much do reviews (good and bad) affect your choice of reading? If you see a bad review of a book you wanted to read, do you still read it? If you see a good review of a book you’re sure you won’t like, do you change your mind and give the book a try?

Good question! My answer is not very interesting, I’m afraid. I do read reviews, both at other reader blogs and also in the paper and online. If I see a bad review of a book, it will make me think twice about trying it. If I do try it, I will either check it out of the library or maybe pick it up for a low price at a library sale. I rarely buy books to read unless I know I will love them. And the same goes for reading them – I usually only read a book if I know the author or genre and I’m fairly sure it’s something I will like and enjoy. I’m afraid I’m not very adventurous with breaking out of my comfort zone and reading books that are not my “usual” type. 🙂

Happy Reading!

This week’s topic: Catalog

Do you use any of the online book-cataloguing sites, like Library Thing or Shelfari? Why or why not? (Or . . . do you have absolutely no idea what I’m talking to?? (grin))

If not an online catalog, do you use any other method to catalog your book collection? Excel spreadsheets, index cards, a notebook, anything?
Don’t forget to leave a link to your actual response (so people don’t have to go searching for it) in the comments—or if you prefer, leave your answers in the comments themselves!

I haven’t played in the last couple of weeks, but this week’s question is right up my alley. I actually looked at this and agonized over this very subject for a long time. I catalogued our DVD collection a while back, but I used some free software that I downloaded and did it all on my local PC. I was considering doing the same with my books. I know several bloggers who use both LibraryThing and Shelfari, and was having a really hard time deciding whether to try one of those or do it locally on my hard drive. That solution was provided by a dear friend who gifted me with a one year subscription to LibraryThing. I set it all up and entered all of my books, and I love it! I have been keeping it up to date and plan to continue my subscription next year. I love that they have a widget that I can use on the side of my blog to show random books from my library. I love how easy it is to use – simply enter the ISBN number from the back of the book and bam, it’s added to your library. The only downfall that I’ve found so far is that it is online – I don’t have this info in my PDA to have with me. I have to rely on my memory (oh, the horror!) to remember if I already own a book when I’m browsing in a bookstore. Thankfully, I do the majority of my book purchasing online, so I can easily flip over to LibraryThing to see what I have by that author, in that series, etc. I really like LibraryThing. Great question!