Happy Friday

It’s a rainy afternoon, which is a perfect excuse for curling up with a good book. Husband is getting home early today. A 3-day weekend awaits us. We might take a mini-road trip. And/or we might go out to dinner and see a movie. I think we’re in for a fun weekend, either way. Hope your Friday is happy, too!

Keeping Tabs

I have a daily habit of checking our credit card account online. It only takes a few seconds, and I just like to make sure everything looks ok. Coincidentally, there are times it also lets me know that Husband is ok, too. Today he is traveling, and I wondered if he made it to his destination safely. I usually don’t call him right away, as I try to avoid acting like the worried wife (that I sometimes am). But our credit card already gave me the answer. Not only is he ok, but he’s also well fed (Taco Bell), all at a very modest price ($6). Thank you, credit card!

Good Books

1) I looked back at the list of books I read in 2009. Surprisingly, I’d have to say that my favorite was My Life in France by Julia Child.

I picked it up at the library on a whim after I saw the movie Julie and Julia, and it turned out to be so good! I enjoyed reading about Julia’s adventures and her passion for cooking and traveling. You can’t help but notice her enthusiasm for life in her book, which I found very inspiring.

2) Recently, I read The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks. I don’t usually like romance novels, but Nicholas Sparks books are always the exception. This one wasn’t my favorite of his, but it was still pretty good. It took me a little longer to get into it, but I still ended up being hooked by the end. And, in typical Nicholas Sparks fashion, the ending made me a little teary-eyed.

3) I’m proud to say that I’m now reading a book written by…my dad! This past year when I’d ask him on the phone what he was doing, he’d say, “Oh, I’m writing my book,” as casually as someone would say “Oh, I’m having a cup of coffee.” He finished it not too long ago, and he surprised me with a print-out of it as a Christmas gift. And I know I may be biased, but it is really good! It’s very suspenseful, and I often have to have remind myself that the author is not Tom Clancy, but my dad!

What good books have you read recently?

Relocation?

I’m wondering if they relocated Husband’s duty station while we were asleep last night. What other explanation is there for the weather turning from fairly pleasant to frigid? Based on weather alone, I think we might be stationed in the Arctic Circle now. (I’m exaggerating - but just a little.) Rationally, I know that I spent nearly 2 decades of my life where “wind chill factor” was a common winter phrase, and I should be able to handle the cold. My brain might know that, but my shivering body seems to disagree. I think a cup of hot chocolate is in order.

Back to Reality

I got a case of the Sunday Night Blues a full 24 hours early, on Saturday night. Putting the Christmas decorations away and knowing that soon we’d both be back to a regular work schedule made me a little sad. The Sunday Night Blues hit Husband on Sunday morning, as he started thinking about everything he’d need to do back at work. But, we knew that the end of our break was inevitable. After all, you can only spend so much time napping, watching TV, and eating leftover Christmas cookies, right? At least that’s what I’m telling myself.

Welcome, 2010!

My new work planner that I ordered recently arrived. I didn’t specify a color, but I was surprised to see that it was bright pink. So this year is already looking rosy (literally) for me!

I’m excited for a new year and a fresh start. Husband and I have quite a bit of traveling planned, and I can’t wait. We most likely won’t have to move this year, which is a relief that we can stay settled here for a bit longer. And I’m sure there will be plenty of other adventures along the way.

I wish the best for all of you this year!

New Year's Goals

I just have to accept that I’m way too sentimental to stop making New Year’s resolutions. And, if you asked Husband, he’d say that I’m a little addicted to setting goals. When I asked him on our last anniversary what our marriage goals should be, he got a confused look on his face and replied, “Let me get this straight…you make New Year’s goals, Lenten goals, and now you want to make marriage goals??” (The answer was “yes,” but I figured I should cut the poor guy some slack and just forget it.) So, in short, yes, I’ll be making New Year’s resolutions this year. I’m not sure whether they’re technically “goals” or “resolutions,” but here they are regardless: 1) Read more Specifically, I want to finish reading the Bible. I’ve had “read the bible” as my New Year’s resolution for more years than I can count, but I think this year I will actually finish it. I started reading it on a somewhat sporadic basis a couple years ago, and I have about a quarter of it left to go. In other words, by the time I finish reading it, I will probably have forgotten everything I read, and I’ll have to start again. (But I guess the point is to continually read it, right?) 2) Write more Sometimes when I start feeling unsettled or just a little “off,” I’ve come to realize that it’s usually because I haven’t written lately. Writing makes me feel energized and happier. So I figure I should take that as my cue to write more often this year, both on the blog and just in general. My overachiever self feels like there should be a third goal, but I can’t really think of a good third one. So two it is. And now I have to ask… Is anyone else overly preoccupied with making New Year’s resolutions each year, or am I the only one?