Things I'm Not Ashamed to Admit

I like mayonnaise. I listen to Christmas music all year round. Sometimes I don't take a shower every day. I read the Harry Potter books all the time. I watch the Harry Potter movies all the time. Sometimes I put on my make-up while I'm driving. There are times when I jam out to Bryan Adams - like this morning on the way to work.

Reviews: Wonderland Tales...

I finally saw Alice in Wonderland the other night - the new one, not the Disney cartoon because I've seen that a bazillion times. I liked it! It is different, but hello, it's Tim Burton. Of course it will be different! Wonderland is still wacky, but a bit more run-down than we last saw it. The characters are colorful and bizarre, but with noticeably less pep in their step - must be that overbearing Red Queen dragging them down. Alice is sad and cynical, not at all the bright-eyed and inquisitive child she was on her last visit. Heck, she doesn't even remember her last visit! It is a relief to note that her cynicism is not angry - on the contrary, it seems rather passive. She is not at all fazed by her sudden descent down the hole, nor by Wonderland and its oddities...in fact, one begins to question her unremarkable attitude until you remember she thinks it all a dream - unworthy of a reaction, you see, since in her dream she will come to no harm, she will wake up, none of this is real. Until, of course, she realizes she can, she won't, and it is... In the end, all is right (wrong?) and Alice just tells it like it is. I especially like her advice for Aunt Imogene - "There is no prince. You need to talk to someone about your delusions"...well said. Definitely worthy of a purchase at a later date and time...

Next, The Thirteenth Tale, a book I have now read twice and can see doing so again. Really excellent. Several words come to mind - gothic, strange, twisted, sad, madness, seclusion, incest...yes, I said it. I think what makes this such a good book is that it really is just a good story... A famous, yet highly reclusive author is finally telling the story of her much-sought-after and much-lied-about childhood. Her biographer is a young antiquarian bookkeeper with a haunted past of her own. And speaking of haunted... The Angelfields live in their beautiful but crumbing estate, practically locking themselves inside its decaying walls for generations while ignoring the world around them. They are a strange family. And pretty twisted - at least, Charlie and Isabelle are. The twins are just victims of inbred mental illness and a severe lack of care. Read this book.

Summahtime...

...is moving right along! Officialy it does not start for another few weeks, of course, but what does that mean? It's 90 degrees outside and school is out - it's summertime.

Super excited about the beach in 5 weeks - whoop-whoop! Matt and I are both ready to kick up our feet and do nothing! Everyone will be there for this year, including Larryn and Isaac and Ellie - full house, to say the least! I think 17 of us? And that's not including Sallie or Sam, who will probably show up...

Matt and are great. Work is going well for both of us. He is having to work some nights now, which neither of us are thrilled about, but he loves his job and is willing to work when he is needed. Plus, the nights aren't that late, he is usually home by 10:00 - no rolling in at 2:00 or 3:00am, that's for sure! The Mill House is still kicking - the pizza is delish and everyone who eats there seems to agree! Work is going great for me. We just finished tallying up budget for next year, which was a totally new experience for me, so that was interesting. Still getting things in order, but I think that will be an on-going project for some time... Loving being done with school! Now I'm just waiting on that diploma...

Camille graduated from high school last week...I cannot believe the baby is a graduate! Mom did fine, she didn't totally lose it like I thought. Perhaps when Camille actually leaves for Clemson, then she will have the breakdown?? She will be fine, with 4 grandkids not even a mile away... Still, that's hard, having the baby graduated and gone...

MLIS

Today is Graduation Day! I'm not walking and I'll be at work around 3:00 pm when my college graduates, but it still counts! I'm kind of bummed because I won't get my actual diploma for a few more months - dang. I was ready to frame that baby! And my Lander diploma...where is that thing anyway? I am pretty excited about finishing up, though. I had a job opportunity here at work and so I decided to go ahead and graduate with just my Master's degree, dropping the school media certification for now. I plan to enroll in the Specialist Program and I will have 6 years to complete that degree, if I wish. But...no more school for now! Awesome.

Sam and Sallie graduate from PC this weekend - Silas graduates from Anderson! Congrats to everyone! And Camille graduates from Clinton High in a few weeks - oh my, that's just crazy! The baby...

School

I almost had a panic attack on Tuesday, when I realized that the assignment I was getting ready to email in was actually supposed to be snail-mailed, postmarked 4/27. I realized this (well, I remembered this, since I've actually known since January) on 4/27 around 4:00 pm. Oops. Both of our post offices, kudos to them, are closed by 4:30 - nice. So, I busted it to the UPS Store where I couldn't get a 4/27 postmark, but I did get a 4/27 meter mark? Whatever that means...

Frankly, I don't really care, because I am DONE WITH SCHOOL!! Whoop-whoop! Graduate career over (for now, until I decide to go back, if I do) - give me that diploma! I am super-excited about having my Master's degree - I will be getting that diploma framed! And my undergraduate, since I never got that done 8 years ago when I graduated. Graduation is one week from today; my official graduation time is 5/7 at 3:00 pm, but I'm not walking (I wasn't paying for a cap and gown!) so I won't be there. I'll be at work at 3:00 pm : ( Still excited, though!

Anyway...celebration!!

Enya makes me happy

Yes, she does. I still play her Christmas CD.

"March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb." It is the last day of March - has this come to pass? I'm not seeing any lambs - but, I suppose the weather hasn't been too liony lately. So, does this mean that "April showers will bring May flowers"? Probably - more like "March showers."

My obsession is beginning to haunt my dreams. What obsession? Oh, just NCIS, the best show ever. I do love it. But, I've been having some dreams that border on bad lately, and my lightbulb moment was in figuring out it's probably because of my 3-hour-5-day-a-week NCIS marathons. Like, last night I was in some sort of war game dream, and the other day NCIS was playing war games - creepy. Perhaps I should lay off? Nah... That's like saying lay off Harry Potter or something - not gonna happen.

Well, married life is great. The roommates are not. Yes, I am a newlywed with roommates. Yes, I am not happy about it. Are they leaving soon? Fingers crossed. I get my first big paycheck this Friday and Matt's finally getting paid, so we'll see what our financial future holds. But - they will be leaving as soon as possible. Nothing against them, I want my house back and I want my house for just my husband and me - plus, I need those rooms they're in!

I graduate in May and I am sooooo excited! Looking forward to a degree and no school for a while; not looking forward to paying those loans off. Bummer. I'll be paying up and out and everything in between for the next 50 years.