011.73 -- Hooray!

I have officially exorcised my book-slump demon. Yesterday I brought home two books from work. Today, I started and finished one of those, as well as finished (finally!) a book that I started months ago. (The library will finally be getting it back!)

Today, I also realized that this slump wasn't really a slump at all. I have been reading after all. Pictured here, the pile of books that have been occupying my time.


My theory is that the 12-week point marked a period of less worry and anxiety. It's not that I'm not interested in which piece of fruit the baby most resembles at this stage of development. I'm just glad to finally be interested in everything else again. Plus, let's face it -- I read the pregnancy books start-to-finish weeks ago!

618.2 -- Surprise!

I'll save you the time counting back from the due date ... As of today, I am 12 weeks and 2 days pregnant! :) While we've known for awhile, I've been waiting to hear the little one's 12-week-old heartbeat before making an official announcement. This is it! We're pregnant!

917.5 -- Vacation

I need a vacation. Everyday life is starting to get to me, and I no longer look forward to going to work, working out, or even just vegging around the house. Watching movies or tv, reading, home improvement projects ... I can't get into anything. Definitely time for a vacation.

Our plans are finally set. If you're curious where we're going, look no further than the Dewey Decimal number that tops this entry :-)

394.262 -- Better Late Than Never

Yes we did celebrate Memorial Day. Mostly just by celebrating the ability to do nothing :) We did of course set the flag to half staff at the appropriate times. Researching the exact whens of flying the flag on Memorial Day, we came across the following trivia.

Did you know that on Memorial Day, flags are meant to be flown at half staff only until noon? We did, but we saw a lot of business and individuals that didn't. I don't think this is something widely known. I'm sure our flag got some funny looks when it was at full staff for most of Memorial Day.

Did you also know that there is much support for celebrating Memorial Day on May 30 every year instead of celebrating the observed Memorial Day on the last Monday in May? While three-day weekend plans will suffer, proponents argue that the day will mean much more if a mini-vacation is not attached to it. What do you think?

011.625 -- Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Books

Lately I haven't been able to finish any of the books I've started. I'm definitely in a slump. This isn't because I'm reading bad books. I don't blame the books. Well, not this time.

I do have a short list of most hated titles. These are the books that have wasted my time, sucked out my enthusiasm for reading, or put me to sleep. Among them:

Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
The Lolita Effect by Gigi M. Durham
Dirty Martini by J. A. Konrath
Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie McDonald

I've recently discovered that most people are more likely to remember their favorite books than the ones they despised. What about you? Any books that you'd never recommend in a million years?