Read This...

Just wanted you all to know that I'm alive and doing quite well. This month has been one of a lot of resting and a little relaxation as well. I've been a reading fool, not something that I've done for quite a while. My goal is to read two book a month, I'm currently on my fourth book for the month of January.

"A Million Little Pieces" by James Frey: I loved this book. I work in a setting where I deal with a lot of people who have substance abuse issues. This book was powerful and helped my understand their plight for sobriety a litte more clearly. Of course, I now know that most of the book was exaggerated or made up, but it is still a great read.

"Pledged": This was an interesting insight to sorority life. The book was written by a journalist who decided to go "undercover" into the Greek system and report all of the social issues that she encountered. From drinking and dangerous hazing rituals to isolation and sexuality, this was everything that I expected to read about. Much to my chigrin, or maybe to my delight that I wasn't stereotyping Greek life, the book contained instances of all these activities and more. Interesting read...made me want to go out and make a t-shirt.

"My Friend Leonard" by James Frey: EXCELLENT, two-day read and follow-up to "A Million Little Pieces". I don't care if anything was made up in this book or not, it was astounding and the writing was amazing. It makes you value those around you a little more, helping you to understand that often the losses that we experience make us more of the person that we were supposed to become.

I'm currently reading "Couldn't Keep It to Myself" by Wally Lamb and the women of York Correctional Institution, a series of essays from imprisoned women who tell the stories that led to their crimes. Next on my list is the story that Laci Peterson's mother wrote about Laci's life and then V has convinced me to tacked "The Divinci Code".

Have you read anything worth discussing? Share here!!

*I am fully aware that I should've underlined the book titles, but I'm apparently missing some functions while blogging that I've used in the past...any idea where these functions have disappeared to?

HAPPY 2006 Y'ALL!!

Hello! It's great to be back... I know that it's been a while and I apologize. I could go on and on with a list of reasons for my absence, but I will not. However, I will say that I no longer have internet capabilities from home (I keep getting viruses and V is getting tired of spending hours cleaning my computer...). As part of my long list of 2006 resolutions, I'm going to try to keep in contact more often. Here's a small update of what's been going on since last September...

1) As of tomorrow, I'll have been dating V for nine months. We're still not co-habitating, for our own goods...he's too particular and I'm too much of a slob. I do have a key to his place and practically live there on weekends.

2) My mother and future step-father have finally set a wedding date for next year. It seems as if I'm going to be inheriting the step-brother that I never wanted...Just kidding Lance, you know I luv ya!

3) I had my second trip to Madison to shop it up while V was at a conference and also to spend time with Jason, who has eloped since I've last posted. Thanks to Jason, I also got to participate in my first Cabaret show. I was assigned to be a go-go dancer on a lighting technician's catwalk during the show. Good times, good times.

4) I had two firsts in November. I spent my first Thanksgiving away from home and made my third trip to Wisconsin. V's brother was kind enough to host Thanksgiving this year at his place in Milwaukee. Everything was great! As sad as I was to be separated from family and friends for the holiday, V's family welcomed me as one of their own.

5) Shelby ran in his first charity walk with me. We participated in an epilepsy awareness run. He did pretty well for an 11 year old Pomeranian.

6) I went to my very first pro sporting event and LOVED it! V's duplex mate hooked us up with tickets to see the St. Louis Blues hockey team play. They lost the game that night, but we still had a blast. I also visited the St. Louis City Museum, which I had never seen before. It's really, really something that you should check out if you're in the city. The City Museum is an old shoelace factory that local artists turned into this magical jungle of tubes, springs, tunnels, and caves that you can crawl through. It's strange because you go through one hole and you could end up in a completely different floor. It almost reminds me of Willy Wonka's Choclate Factory. There is a three-story slide indoors for those who aren't interested in taking the stairs. The building also housed a circus, a small aquarium, a tattoo exhibit, a collection of old gargoyles, and a diner that is filled with some truly bizarre things such as rubber aliens and the "largest pair of underpants in the world." The outside of the building is also a massive group of climbing "things". There are two hollowed out airplanes that are suspended at almost the height of the building and you can climb up into them to explore. They even had a bonfire going when we were there. On the top of the building, you can see a school bus teetering over the edge. As I was talking to one of the guides that are greatly needed to help you get through the mazes of madness, I was told that this summer, the museum is planning on building a waterpark on the roof! It really is something that you need to truly experience. Be sure to put your kids on a leash, once they go in, there's no telling where they're going to be spit out.

V, his bro, and I rang in the New Year by having dinner at the local fondue restaurant, one of my new favorite things to do, and then spending the midnight hour at a friend's small gathering. Nothing too eventful, but significant enough for me to put another year behind me and welcome in 12 more months of possibility.

I hope everyone is doing well. Keep in touch!

-Jodi-