decluttering and rambling

I am in a decluttering mode – every unnecessary thing is being slipped into the proper drawer or chucked into the recycling bin. This also includes random scraps of paper or post-its on my desktop that comprise my random musings over the last six months. Here’s a hodge-podge of thoughts so I can free up that much more space.

*I love watching clips of my favorite TV show and movie scenes. They never get old.

*I love the youtube video of Anderson Cooper laughing. As a sidenote, I think Anderson Cooper is a great reporter.

*I love all the guest stars on Grey’s Anatomy (not to mention the fact that I LOVE Grey’s Anatomy). A few of the highlights in guest stars include two actors from the 90s version of Little Women (Meg’s Mr. Brooks and grown-up Amy), Kostos from Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Mrs. Kim (sans Korean accent), Max Medina, Francie, and Grandma Lorelai all from Gilmore Girls, and Mandy Moore. I also love the episode that had Victorian romance scenes – Grey’s Jane Austen style was pure brilliance.

*I do not love that I agreed to be interviewed for a newspaper article on recent graduates who move home. I still believe that my decision to move home was a good one, but the article itself was humiliation in its purest form.

*I found a voodoo doll that I made years ago for a roommate of mine. She was hating life and one of her coaches, so my solution – voodoo doll. I know – I’m a strange soul. Don’t judge.

*I kept track of random quotes from Grey’s – the obsession this summer was raging. Plus I was unemployed…so I had lots of time.
Isn’t it easier to be single in pairs?  ~Callie

I’m not going anywhere without you.  ~Owen
Blondes are either badass or fun and you’re…you’re a brunette.  ~Mark

If you’re not scared, you’re not paying attention.  ~Miranda

I can’t breathe without you.  ~Christina
The person that invented the phrase happily ever after should have their ass kicked…so hard.     ~Meredith

*I decided (along with NPR) this summer that facebook killed the ten year reunion. I did not attend mine. Instead I went to Louisiana to hang out with Jewels and Mae. Best decision ever.

*Realization: my snark often equals my truth.

*Toni Morrison asked the following question and made the following statement:

         When a kid walks into a room, does your face light up?

         When you know better, you do better.

         When people show who they are, believe them.

*I don’t know where I got the notation, “four boxes – you have the rest of your life ahead of you.” But I remember thinking about the concept over and over again – if you packed up your life and moved on from where you are now, it wouldn’t be the end. It would just be a new beginning.

tech funk

I have not been in a techie mood in months. I avoid facebook whenever possible. I only check two blogs regularly. I certainly don't write on my blog with the exception of posting my book reviews that I do for goodreads. My online book club with Anna and Megan is going offline. All this is to say is I kinda wish it was 1995 when I still didn't have an email account or really know what the internet was.

Life, on the Line

Life, on the Line: A Chef's Story of Chasing Greatness, Facing Death, and Redefining the Way We Eat by Grant Achatz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was heavy - like, literally heavy, and surprisingly, I loved it. I'm not saying I'm surprised that I liked a heavy book, but I'm surprised that I thoroughly enjoyed a book about one of the most creative and successful chefs in America today. Grant Achatz has wowed critics and diners alike since first joining the famed French Laundry at the young age of 22. Achatz is remarkable because he has a vision unlike any other. His food sounds like the stuff of dreams. Throw in a brilliant businessman (Achatz's partner in opening Alinea in Chicago), 24 course meals, and you have a book that makes you hungry. Achatz's struggle with cancer only makes his success more remarkable.

My only complaint about this book is how quickly it wraps up. It's almost as if Grant and Nick (the brilliant businessman) realized the book had to go to print and cut one hundred books down to forty. I'd still recommend it. It makes me want to eat more adventurously, live more passionately, and travel to Chicago for dinner. Happy reading and happy eating!!

Room

Room by Emma Donoghue
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was so scary. I still feel queasy thinking about it. I don't want to give details because part of the brilliance of this book is its mystery, but this story is not for the faint of heart. I still can't decide if I'm glad I read it. I still can't decide if I'd recommend it. All that said, Donoghue is a masterful writer. The story is perspective-shattering. Read it. Don't read it. I can't decide.

You Have Seven Messages

You Have Seven Messages by Stewart Lewis
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Dramatic teenage girls would love this book. And since I am no longer a teenager, I am not in love. There were clever ideas in this book, but I don't think Lewis creates a compelling narrator or a brilliant plot. Long story short, this is a book for my freshmen girls. The end.