End of B3DA

Well, I did it.  Once again I blogged everyday in April.  Did I half-ass it some of the time? Yeah, but that is alright.  I made it a point to come and blog everyday and now I'm done.  I'll try and blog more the rest of the year but I cannot make any promises.  I do know that today I am going to go swimming and just hang around and enjoy the lovely sunshine.  I hope you all have a great day too and thanks for reading my blog this month (if you did. Well, even if you didn't).

Kate's Wedding Dress and what I hope it means

I did not stay up or get up to watch Prince William's wedding to Kate Middleton.  But looked up the dress and watched a couple of videos when I got up.  I loved her dress.  It was exactly right for someone marrying a prince and it was modern enough for someone her age. I liked Pippa's maid of honor dress too.  It was very simple and lovely.  I hope it means that strapless is out and sleeves of some sort will be back in.  I've never been a huge fan of strapless.  I think very few people can pull that look off and that most people don't, but whatever. To each his own. I had a boatneck dress with cap sleeves for mine.  Anyway, I love her train and the detailing on the dress.  The lace was lovely and the necklace was great.  It was exactly right for a royal wedding.

Favorite audio book series

I love to listen to audio books.  I usually listen to them on my commute to work and when I clean the house and occasionally in my office.  A good audio book narrator can do wonders for a book and bring it to life.  Sometimes I can listen to a book and know that I never would have made it through it reading it, but because a great narrator, I can finish it on audio.

1. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling- read by Jim Dale. 
Jim Dale is an amazing narrator and I could listen to him all day. 

2. The Charlie Bone series by Jenny Nimmo - first five read by Simon Russell Beale, subsequent books read by Simon Jones. 
At first I wasn't happy about the narrator change.  I hate that.  But Simon Jones is a great reader and so I didn't mind.

3. A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket - read by Timy Curry.
This is another series that had a narrator change.  Books 3-5 are read by the author Daniel Handler took over narrator duties.  While he is just alright, Tim Curry is the better narrator.  He has the perfect voice for this gothic, dark-humored series.  And that leads to ...

4. The Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix - read by Tim Curry. 
Garth Nix is one of my favorite authors and so far I have had good luck with his books.  Tim Curry is once again the perfect narrator for this dark series filled with zombies, magic, and supernatural creatures.  His voice for the cat Mogget is dead on.

5. The Key to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix - read by Allan Corduner. 
I really love this whole series even if it gets a bit formulaic in the middle.  Allan Corduner does a great job of bringing Arthur and the denizens of the House to life.

6. The Bartimaeus series by Jonathan Stroud - read by Simon Jones. 
Jones is the absolute best voice for Bartimaeus.  I could not imagine a better voice.  In much the same way that Jim Dale is cemented in my mind as the voice of Harry Potter, Simon Jones is Bartimaeus.  He does a great job with the djinni's sarcastic voice and footnotes.

7. The Bloody Jack series by L.A. Meyer - read by Katherine Kellgren.
Admittedly I have not gotten very far in this series (I'm only on book 2) but I am loving Kellgren's voice for Mary "Bloody" Jack Faber.  Kellgren also does a fine job on The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series.

8. The Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene - read by Laura Linney (the first 7) and various other narrators  . 
I spent all of last reading all 56 original Nancy Drew books and I tried to listen to all the audios.  All the narrators do a great job.  My favorite is Laura Linney.  She does a very nice job of brining Nancy to life and striking the right tone.  The music is great and really adds to the overly dramatic tone of the story.

9. The Wolves of Mercy Falls series by Maggie Shiefvator - read by Jenna Lamia, David Ledoux (Shiver); Jenna Lamia, Dan Bittner, Pierce Cravens, Emma Glavin (Linger)  . 
With the increase of POVs in the book, the amount of narrators increases.  I find that (Grace) has the slowest voice and sometimes it can be grating but overall they are beautiful books and the narrators do a great job.  This is one series that I can honestly say that I don't know if I would have made it reading it, but the audio is just that great.

10.  The Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich - read by Lorelei King.
Stephanie Plum is one of the best book characters and I love all the books.  King does a great voice for her.  This is another series that changed narrators and I liked C.J. Critt (she narrated the first set of books) too.  I've notice lately that most of Janet Evanovich books are read by one or the other of these narrators.  I guess they just fit her books.

Favorite songs right now

My taste is music leads toward dance music with catchy lyrics.  So don't expect this list to be anywhere near urbane or cutting edge.  I have terrible taste in music.  I just like to dance and so my music often reflects that. Don't judge me.

1. Till the World Ends - Britney Spears
2. On the Floor - Jennifer Lopez
3. Bottoms Up - Trey Songz
4. Girls on the Dance Floor - Far East Movement
5. Freak the Freak Out - Victoria Justice
6. What the Hell - Avril Lavigne
7. DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love - Usher
8. Blow - Ke$ha

I never..

I could fill up a book with the things I have never done.  I've never gone skydiving, I've never played a drinking game, I've never written a book.  But most of the time I am ok with the things I've never done.  There are a few things I regret in life that I am too old or too chicken to do now.  But mostly that's fine.  Because there is plenty that I have done with my life.  I've gotten my masters, I've gotten married, I've had a child.  These are things that I am proud of and that I feel good about.  So for all the "I've nevers" that I have, I have an equal "I have" and it all comes out to about even.

Easter Weekend

It was a fun long weekend.  I was off work Thursday through Sunday and we went to my in-laws for the holiday on Friday.  Saturday I hosted a bridal shower for my sister-in-law.  It was really nice and everyone seemed to have a good time.  I made stuffed strawberries and bacon-wrapped little smokies, both of which were really good.

Then Sunday we woke up early and hid Easter eggs for Bub and then helped him hunt for them when he woke up.  Most of the family went to Mass (I am the only non-Catholic but I went anyway) and then we went back to the house and swam.  My father-in-law boiled crawfish and they were delicious.  We swam some more after eating and then my family and my sister-in-law and her fiancé all packed up and went to our respective homes.  It was a very busy weekend and tiring but super fun.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates Easter!  We are at my in-law's house for the weekend, probably going to mass in the morning.  Then an Easter egg hunt for the boy and later crawfish for everyone!

Four Things

I saw this meme the other day and thought it would be fun.

Four jobs I’ve had in my life:

1. Bookseller
2. Member Services Representative for Louisiana's PBS station
3. Sales person at Godiva Chocolatier
4. Librarian

Four books I would read over and over:

1. Harry Potter
2. Pride and Prejudice
3. Someplace to be Flying
4. Bellwether

Four places I have lived:

1. Houma, LA
2. New Iberia, LA
3. Lafayette, LA
4. Baton Rouge, LA

Four books I would recommend:

1. Harry Potter
2. Someplace to Be Flying
3. The Kid Table
4. The Dust of 100 Dogs

Four places I have been (outside the U.S.):

1. Florence
2. Rome
3. London
4. Paris

Four of my favorite foods:

1. Crawfish
2. My husband's spaghetti sauce
3. King Cake
4. Cinnamon rolls

Four of my favorite drinks:

1. Water
2. Coke Zero
3. Sweet tea
4. Iced mocha

Four places I would rather be right now:

1. Florida at my in-laws' place
2. on a cruise
3. hanging out with my family
4. In my bed

Four things that are very special in my life:

1. my family
2. my dogs
3. my Nook
4. my friends

Follow Friday: Twitter

It's no secret that I freaking love Twitter.  I'd rather be there than Facebook any day.  So some of my favorite people to follow on Twitter are:

@Cleolinda: one of my favorite bloggers ever!
@The Bloggess: another blogger and funny person
@Girl Detective: Mostly on Tumblr, but updates are funny
@ActuallyNPH: Neil Patrick Harris = awesome
@fuggirls: The Fug Girls from one of my favorite sites, Go Fug Yourself

and, of course, @MaureenJohnson because she pretty much wins at Twitter everyday.

Things I Love Thursday

I thought I'd try my hand at Things I Love Thursday for a change.
This week I love
* having a three day work week and being off on Thursday and Friday
* having no reference shifts this week and hanging out in my office all day
* watching my son play tee ball.  4 years olds playing baseball is ridiculously cute.
* going to my in-laws for my sister-in-law's wedding shower and just hanging out for Easter

On writing book reviews

I am a book blogger, but I am not a professional review. It's just a hobby. One that I put a lot of time and effort into, but it doesn't put food on the table, it's just something that I like to do. I started a book blog mainly just to keep track of the books I read and do reading challenges. It's fun and I enjoy and I rarely, if ever, get negative comments on any of my reviews. I am rarely outright mean about a book and I try hard not to bash books that I don't like. There are a few exceptions where my reviews can be construed as mean, but that sometimes happens when you review a book that you hate. I like to think that it shows my honesty, but I know that some might disagree. I know that there are a plethora of articles and blog posts about book blogger and authors and the love/hate relationship that goes on between them. I try to stay out of it. In general I try to stay under the radar of most authors because my reviews are not for them. I am not reviewing them. I am reviewing their book. And, even if it is their "baby" or life's ambition or their most heartfelt work, I still have the right to review it as honestly as I can. People who say that book bloggers should be nice because this is someone's work seem to have a vague about what that actually means.  Like people don't get performance reviews or have their work criticize at a desk job. Books are just like everything else. Once it is out there, then it no longer belongs solely to you. It's like having a kid. Once that kid exists in the everyday world with other people, then there is no way for that child to escape criticisms.

Recently I wrote a fairly neutral review on a book that is otherwise getting glowing reviews.  I didn't dislike but I wasn't entirely wow'd by it either.  It was just good.  It was fine.  I'll read the sequel but I couldn't, in all honesty, say that was the best book ever.  Because I read a lot of books and this didn't give me that feeling that I get when I read a really great book.  It was just fine.  And that is fine.  This book will do well.  Other people loved it and felt free to tell me that in the comments.  Which I welcome.  I really do not mind people disagreeing with me in the comments.  I am going to emphasis that.  The thing that struck me reading through them is that the real fans were trying to convince me that this book was awesome.  It's like they needed me to agree with me.  I get that.  I do.  I've defended some (in my opinion) awesome books on other blogs.  But it's not going to make me change my opinion.  Especially when some of the comments seem to point out in a round-about way that I don't understand the book and precisely why it is so awesome.  Yeah, that's not going to make me change my mind.  Is it possible that I will change my mind later?  Yes, that has happened.  I've written reviews that were neutral or negative and later realized just how much I hated the book.  I've written reviews where later I realized how much I loved the book.  It's a matter of perspective.  Just because I don't like your favorite book doesn't mean that you don't like it.  It doesn't mean it is not worth reading.  We all don't have to like the same book.  It's better if we don't, in fact.

Dream Vacation

I have a lot of dream vacations for my family.  I have a few that just involve me alone with no one needing anything from me.  But that might be a whole other topic.  But the one vacation I really want to go on is not my dream, but my mom's.  She has always wanted to go to Italy, specifically Florence.  I have been before when I was 17, but she never has and it is a dream of hers.  I would like to take her one day.  That is my part of the dream.  I would like to be there with her when she finally sees this place that she has been dying to see forever.  It is so beautiful there and it definitely would not disappoint her.  Sadly, I don't know when or if this will ever happen.  But I hope that even if I can't bring her she gets to go anyway.

Wodehouse

Late last year I read a long short story (or a short novella, your pick) called "The Crime Wave at Blandings" by P.G. Wodehouse.  I'd never read any Wodehouse but he was an author I always meant to read.  I really enjoyed the story and in a fit of interest I decided I would read the entire Blandings Castle Saga, short stories and novels, in 2011.  And here it is, mid-April, and I've read 2 novels and I'm halfway through a 3rd.  I have a lot of books to read, including some review books for the book blog, and I'm now wondering if I am going to make my goal.  I'm going to continue to go through with my personal challenge, but I am going to try not to be too disappointed with myself if I don't make it.  It's honestly not that big a deal if I don't finish and if I can't get the whole thing done by the end of the year, I can continue it onto the next year.  That being said, I am enjoying the Wodehouse books.  It's like reading a British sitcom and I love those things!  I love that these books are still funny 80+ years later.

Easter Egg Hunting

Today was...

Today was a really nice day.  My son had his first tee ball game which was adorable and ridiculously cute.  Then we came home and had a bit of a rest.  And then we went to Easter Fun Day in a nearby neighborhood where Bub played in a fun jump and hunted Easter eggs and had a his picture taken with live bunnies.  It was really fun and something we try to do every year.  Then we went to my parents' house for hamburgers and just to play.  Sadly, the pool is still too cold to swim in, but one day soon I'm hoping it will be good.  Maybe next weekend? Anyway, it was a fun day and I enjoyed it.

Cupcakes are the perfect dessert

I'm not a big fan of cooking.  My husband is much better than I could ever be so he does most of the cooking.  I do like to bake though.  My favorite things to make are cupcakes.  There is something perfect about a cupcake.  It's the perfect amount of cake and frosting and cupcakes are so cute anyway.  I usually make out of the box cupcakes and rainbow cupcakes are my favorite.  They are so bright and cheerful and very cute! 

 

I have also used the same idea to make a Christmas cake with red and green food coloring and Candy Corn cupcakes which came out alright.

Reading classics

I've never been a huge fan of reading "classic" books.  I've read them to be sure, but they are not my favorite and I don't like it when people make a big deal about it.  It always comes off as pretentious whether they mean it to or not.  I have some favorites among the classics, a few Dickens and
Austen and so on.  Mostly I prefer reading young adult books.  That is my preferred genre and I hate it when people give me a hard time about it.  Rarely do I get a lot of flak for it, but there are some who can't understand why I don't read more adult books.  To them I say this, I am an adult all of the time.  Why do I have to read about it too?  YA books just appeal to me more.  I find most classics boring and I hate wading through the language in half of them.  And I am old enough now to make the choice of rather I want to read them or not.  And that is all there is to that.

What I look like today

My head is pounding and I do not feel good.

is getting sick.

This is just a short post.  I think I'm getting sick.  I'm so very tired despite having slept from 8 pm to 6 am this morning.  My throat hurts and my ear does a little too.  I'm the worst sick person so I'm a little whiny now.  Now I'm sitting here already in my pajamas watching some weird show with my son.  It is a beautiful day and normally I would take him outside but I don't have the energy right now.  Oh well, tomorrow is tee ball practice so we will be outside then.

Workout routines

We all have routines.  I live almost solely on a routine and most of the time it makes me happy.  Last year, around August, I decided to change my routine and incorporate some exercise.  Back before I was a mom I used to workout when I got home from work, but that fell to the wayside once I had my son.  One day I realized that I hated how much weight I had put on and I needed to do something about it. Put up or shut up.  But given the fact that exercising in the evening was no longer an option, I decided I need to drag my butt out of bed in the morning.  So I started getting up at 5:30 a.m. and working out.  Mostly using videos because I can't really leave the house and my sleeping son.  I have actually stuck with it for the most part except for a few weeks here and there and I am proud of that.

I've finally reached the point where I know what kind of workouts I want to do after much trial and error.  I really like the "Walk Away the Pounds" series and the Self fitness videos with the strength training.  My plan is to alternate a walking video on Mondays and Thursdays with a strength training video on Tuesdays and Fridays and save Wednesdays for Pilates.  However I am having a tough time getting into that routine.  I somehow always manage to skip Wednesdays and then sometimes I get to Thursdays and don't get up.  This morning I didn't wake up in time so I didn't do anything.  I plan on making that up at some point.  Most of the time I am getting in 3-4 days which is good but not quite to the level I want.  Oh well, try and try again, I suppose.

Almost forgot...

I almost forgot to blog.  We went to church this morning and then came home to have a lazy day together.  BT made pretzels and cookies and I watched "Ramona and Beezus" which was cute.  The little girl who played Ramona looks like Rory Gilmore (I can't think of her name and I'm too lazy to look it up right now).  It's a little eerie how much that little girl could be her sister.  But they did a great job casting that movie with people who look like they could be related.  I wasn't fond of making Beezus 15 years old but it was fine.  It was a cute movie.  So that is about it for today.

Crushes

For me there are two types of crushes: romantic and platonic.  Romantic crushes are hard.  I guess that is why they are called that.  Because chances are your feelings are going to get crushed by the object of your affection at some point or another.  Generally, for me, my crush never knows that I am crushing on them and so they have no real care for the small slights to my emotions. But that is how it goes.  I have had many romantic crushes so far in my lifetime, none of which resulted in a relationship of any kind.  Thinking back to high school I can say with a fair amount of certainty that there were several guys who probably had crushes on me.  But I was one of those unaware teenagers and so I never realized it.  There was a very cute football player who asked me to tutor him in physics but I stupidity admitted to being mediocre in physics and said no.  I think back to my high school self and want to slap her.  Oh well.  Nothing to be done about it now.

Platonic crushes usually come with new friendships.  For me, when I make a new friend, I get a little wrapped up in that person.  Because it is exciting.  Here's a new person to get to know and find out all the things about it and it is fun.  But eventually the newness wears off and then you are old friends and it is comfortable.  This is much like any new relationship now that I think about it.  Once again, in high school and college especially, I tended to have a lot of platonic crushes.  Usually on people that I wanted to be friends with but never made the extra step to have an actual friendship.  I was usually the "pet" of the older students because I was shy and nice and quiet and they found that adorable.

But now that I'm older and married, I don't usually think of things in that way.  Do I still get crushes?  I would say yes, but I'm less likely to admit to it.  Because there is that thing in society that says no, I shouldn't because I am married and betrayal, blah blah blah.  But crushes are not necessarily about sex.  It's about finding someone else interesting.  And, like all relationship, it's about establishing the boundaries that are okay for your stage of life.

I'm not even coherent enough for a conversation

People keep trying to talk to me, thinking that I can engage in a conversation.  I cannot today because I went to bed too late and then my child was too scared to sleep in his own room so BT got him and put him into bed with us.  This lead to my being kicked and hit and it is ridiculously uncomfortable to sleep with the child.  So I was tyring to figure out what was wrong with me and then I remembered what happened last night.  I need a nap now.

Diana Wynne Jones: Some of my favorites

Diana Wynne Jones died in late March and I was saddened to learn of her passing.  I grew up reading and re-reading her books and I can count her as truly one of my favorite authors of all time.  Her books meant a lot to me growing up and I hope that they will mean as much to my son as he grows up.  I went to public library catalog thinking I'd check out a few of my favorites and then do some reviews on them.  But then I saw how many there were and I didn't know what I would choose. Instead, I've decided to list some of my all-time favorites, the ones that I wore out my paperback copies and will always be counted among my favorite books.  It's not a short list or even a complete list of her books that I love.

Howl's Moving Castle 
(sequel: Castle in the Air and the House of Many Ways)
Full confession: I have not read the House of Many Way and have read Castle in the Air only about two times
But Howl's Moving Castle, that I have read many many times, in addition to owning the movie which is very different from the book, but is still brilliant.  I digress.  I was always drawn to stories of magic and magicians which might explain a lot of Wynne Jones' book and I love the story of the magician Howl and his demon and poor Sophia who is under a curse by the Witch of the Waste that has turned her old.

A Tale of Time City
A science fiction tale of Time City, a city which exists outside of history and whose purpose is to keep history on course.  Vivian is kidnapped by two boys from Time City thinking she is the source of problems that history has been having.  I liked how the technology is described and the image of the clothes the denizens of Time City has stuck with me.  It's amazing because the computer pads the children use are actually quite a bit like an iPad.  There is also a quest aspect in the story and I credit this story with my love of quest/puzzle stories.

The Chrestomanci Series
Charmed Life
The Lives of Christopher Chant
Witch Week
The Magicians of Caprona
There are other books in the Chrestomanci series, but the ones listed above are the only ones I have actually read.  These are fun books dealing with orphans, multi-dimensions, magic, and love.  I could not get enough of Charmed Life and The Lives of Christopher Chant and I loved figuring out the mythology of the stories.  I actually read them out of order the first time I read them, but it was amazing to me when I figured out that this Chrestomanci was actually Christopher or Cat.

Dogsbody
The tale of the Dog Star who is sent to Earth in the incarnation of a dog after being convicted of murdering a fellow celestial body.  This book always touch me, partly because I am a dog lover and I love the idea of something being bigger than it really is. 

cross posted with The Little Bookworm

Before I was a librarian...

Before I was a librarian, I worked in retail.  When I was in college, I worked the Christmas season at a bookstore which also had kiosks for different things.  The first year was calendars and Successories and the second year was calendars and pet products, like a mini-PetSmart.  So I either worked at the book store or one of the kiosks.  Mostly the second year I was in charge of the calendar store and that was fun because it was actually in a store and not in the middle of the mall so it was like I had my own little store and calendars are easy to sell and to keep straight.  Then, my last summer of college, I got a job working at Godiva in the mall and I loved that job.  My co-workers were all really cool and it was a fun job and, hey, Godiva chocolate.

Then I graduated with my undergrad in Psychology and had a hard time finding a job where I could use my degree.  I had moved to Baton Rouge where my boyfriend was finishing his degree at LSU and ended up at the mall there working at Godiva again.  But it turned out only to be a Christmas seasonal job because I had waited too long to get  back in and the last full time job she had was given to someone else.  So, on one of my last days, I ran down to Gymboree and filled out an application there and was hired.  And there I learned to fold tiny little clothes and sell to distracted moms.

But I needed to make more money and I was only part time.  A shoe store opened next door to Gymboree and I applied there and was hired.  I worked at both for a while but began to dislike the manager at Gymboree where I wasn't getting enough hours anyway.  So I quit that one after getting a job at the San Fransisco Music Box Co. for another seasonal job.  I liked that job well enough and the manager was my age and very nice and they had some pretty things in there.  But, eventually, I was offered a full time position at the shoe store but only if I quit my other job to be available all the time.  Of course I did.  But within about 3 or 4 months, we found out that the company was closing all of its stores so I would be losing that job.

I then applied for a job at Louisiana Public Broadcasting (the PBS station of Louisiana), in the Friends of LPB section, the fundraisers, as Member Services Representation.  That was my first office job with an office of my own and it was awesome.  It was an entry level job but we did a lot with the telethons and I made friends with my supervisor.  It was a very nice job.

All through this I had been trying to get into grad school for Psychology but I wasn't having any luck.  My research background was shaky at best and that is a big deal in psychology.  So I went back to an old idea of mine to become a librarian.  LSU happened to have a library school and I could walk to the campus from our apartment.  I applied and was accepted and had to quit LPB because they wouldn't make my job part-time (they later did, grrrr).  But that was fine because I got an graduate assistantship in the circulation department at LSU and that was the best thing for my career. 

If I won the lottery...

If I won the lottery I'd pay off my house and get us both new cars.  I'd pay off all our debts and get us to the point where we didn't have anything to worry about, just in case.  I'd make sure our parents were set up and that our brothers and sisters were good too.  I'd donate a portion to 2 charities, one for animals and one for children though I don't know which ones.  I don't think I would get too crazy though a new wardrobe for both me and my husband would be in order.  And we'd probably get a bigger house and Bub would go to a really great school.  But I wouldn't want to get too crazy because you never know and I'm all about being cautious with money especially right now.  This might be a boring answer to a fantasy question, but I am more practical than anything.

I don't know what to write about so I'll tell you about my weekend

This weekend I had planned to go swimming as evidenced by my Saturday haiku.  But it had rained earlier in the week and the water was a bit too cold.  Maybe next weekend?  We'll see.  Instead I went along with my mom and my sister while they did some shopping and then they took my son home with them while I stayed home and cleaned the window blinds with my husband, BT.  Exciting, I know.  Then we went over to my parent's and played bocce and hung out outside since the weather was nice.  After dinner, my sister, BT, and I played Rock Band and I think I'm starting to do alright on bass.

Sunday Bub and I missed church and the three of us went to a birthday party for one of his preschool friends at a place that is nothing but inflatable bouncy things and slides.  This is our 5th party there and so we are very familiar with the whole thing.  His two best friends showed up late but he was so happy when they got there.  In the party room, the mom had the whole thing themed out in Wizard of Oz with blue/white gingham table clothes and the matching cake and balloons and wall decorations.  She had the plates and the cups but I'm not sure why she had cups because they had juice boxes but whatever.  She was one of those moms who wants everything to be just so and so was trying to get the 4 year olds to do things a certain way and that is never going to happen.  The boys got mini-picnic baskets filled with blue and brown M&Ms and the girls got ruby slipper treat boxes with red and white M&Ms.  It was really cute.

Then after the party we went to my aunt's house for burgers and hot dogs and we played some horseshoes.  My family used to be big into horseshoes and then my uncle got sick and we should of went away from it.  This is the first time we have gotten together to play since he died and I wished he was there.  I think we all did.  But it was fun and I lost because I am not that good but I scored a couple of points and one ringer so that is something.  And I played with Bub and my 5 year old cousin.  We all had a good time and it was a nice weekend.  Just really busy.  Maybe next weekend we can have a day at home.

What my day will look like today

Playing bocce with my family. I am yellow.

Day in Haiku

Lovely day today
Yes, think I might go swimming
And enjoy the sun

BEDA 2011 - An Introduction

I figured I'd start out with an introduction for today.  My name is Andrea and I'm a librarian.  Specifically I am an academic librarian in southern Louisiana.  I have been married for 6 years and I have one four year old son whose Internet name is Bub which is also my nickname for him in real life.  I also have two dogs.  Java is a "tweenie" dachshund and Kona is a mixed breed stray who found his way to my mom's front porch and ending up staying for good.

I am also a book blogger at The Little Bookworm and that is where I do most of my blogging on an everyday basis and where I review books and do other fun book related things.  You can find me on Twitter and on Tumblr but my Tumblr is currently mostly about whatever book I am reading.

This is my third BEDA.  I did the first big year with Maureen Johnson and then did August last year when she did it again.  But I decided to join Becky when she started saying on Twitter that they were starting in April.  I'm hoping to make it all the way through this month and blog everyday.