So good!!!!

Just finished this yesterday. What an awesome read! Even though I'm forty-three and this book was written for young adults, I highly recommend it. This is the perfect month to read it too because of the vampire theme.

Now I'm excited because the movie is coming out November 21st. Here's the website.

I watched a few clips and the character casting looks right on the mark - especially Edward.

I'm going out and buying the next one in the series right away!

Our second Christmas water incident...

...the first incident happened two years ago when it rained and rained on Chrismtas Eve and our chimney sprung a leak.

This was the scene shortly before our Christmas came crashing down all about us. My husband and son were harmoniously assembling a Lego space craft, my daughter was playing with her virtual dog and I was trying to keep the house put together. Then my son went to his room and we heard him say, "I am in such big, big trouble!" This was our heads up that he had left his sink, which he stopped up, with the tap running for I can't imagine how long. It was almost like the cartoons where you open the door and a wall of water comes crashing towards you!

Every single drawer (removed and drying now on our screen porch) was FILLED with water! My husband sucked up two shop-vac containers of water! I can see us in our eighties recounting the Christmas our son flooded his bathroom in graphic detail to a room of disinterested people.....

On a happier note, check out all the awesome books my father-in-law gave me for Christmas! Can't wait to dig in!!

We're heading to OH-IO! tomorrow morning for a week so the posts stop here until 1/3/08. It's silly to post since all my readers are the people we're going to see but, just in case there are lurkers...

Shopping....

I spent a good portion of yesterday shopping. Here's all the goodies I gathered. I hit Target and the mall before I ran out of time. The crowds were totally manageable, thank goodness! My favorite is this Yoda ornament. It's SO beautifully ugly!!!

I have a few ornament gift exchanges and I'm so tempted to wrap it and use it just to see the reaction of whoever gets it! They'll be all nice and polite but they won't be able to hide the reaction on their face. In their head they'll be thinking, "Oh my God! What loser bought this and thought anyone would like it!?" I know I won't be able to keep a straight face and I'll totally give myself away. My husbands says everyone will know it's me right away. If I chicken out, I can always give it to my brother, the ultimate Star Wars fan. (Notice on the bed - I bought two so I can keep one for myself. It'll go perfect with my Spock in the transporter room ornament and my Roswell UFO one.)

Other finds, the new David Sedaris' Christmas book (one for me and one for my boss), Knuffle Bunny Too for my son, Toss Across (I loved that game growing up!), Sweet Tart paste that comes in a toothpaste tube and you squirt in your mouth, ugly Christmas cards (sorry everyone) and lots and lots of clothes from Limited Too, and Old Navy!

Book Signing

I went to a book signing this evening with my friend Julie. Lisa Solod Warren was signing the collection of essays she edited, entitled Desire: Women Write About Wanting. It was my first book signing ever so I didn't know what to expect. I was a little let down because there was barely anyone there when we arrived about an hour into it. I guess that made it better for talking to Lisa, though, because she had time to do more than just sign the book. It turns out I know one of the other contributors in the book too. Jenny Siler wrote an essay that was included in the collection. We were done after about 10 minutes but neither of us wanted to call it a night when we had just gotten out so we grabbed some coffee and dessert. Julie was smart and did the decaf route and I'm totally wired and will be up all night. So to summarize, the book signing was kind of a dud but it was nice to get out and spend time with a friend.