Fifty

As in, Fifty Shades of Grey.  These books are just... wow.  I just finished the second book and already have the third on my Kindle which I will dive into here shortly.  I have to admit, I was skeptical since I had heard mixed reviews.  One of my friends told me not to bother, the first book was extremely hard to get through because all it was about was sex.  Finally though, I gave in because I wanted to see what all of the hype was about.  Man, I'm glad I did.  I'm sad there are only three books.

Oh yes, there is a lot of sex.  (And let's be honest - it has made me want to do uh... naughty things to my husband). But it's about so much more than that, there's an actual story line here.  These books are written so well.  It's a love story.

And their making this into a movie?  I can't even imagine how that is going to work, but you better believe I will be owning it.  Please, for the love of all things holy, do not cast Kristen Stewart as Ana.  Am I the only one who thinks she is an awful actress?  I have my own thought on who should play Ana and Christian, but how about Charlize Theron being Mrs. Robinson?  I think that's a good fit.

I absolutely HIGHLY RECOMMEND (in shouty caps) these books.  E.L. James, keep on writing girlfriend... I'm going to keep on reading.  I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Rewind - Birthday Weekend

All sorts of things have been happening.  Is it the end of April already?  I'm extremely happy with my job situation. It took long enough, but I finally feel like I'm settling nicely into my career path. There's nothing much new going on at the home front. M and I are just enjoying each other. We celebrated his birthday last month by going away for the weekend. It was a ton of fun.

M wanted a low key birthday.  I promised I would not have a party.  I had no intentions whatsover of keeping that particular promise.  It was big birthday for him and he does so much for me so I wanted to make his birthday extra special.  But, he kept bringing it up and insisting he really did not want a party... to the point where I would feel bad if I did.  So instead, I planned a getaway to a bed and breakfast in Geneva to celebrate his birthday. 

We stayed at the Lakehouse Inn and it was fantastic.  They actually cooked breakfast for us every morning.  Geneva is known for their wineries and we went to as many as we could in three days.  It was so much fun and so relaxing.  Our room was very homey and I loved the coziness of staying at a bed and breakfast.  I would definitely go back.

I booked a massage for M on his actual birthday, and I opted to go with a pedicure.  The only thing that would have made the weekend even more perfect was if the weather was better, sunnier.  It was cold and cloudy, so we couldn't take advantage of sipping wine out on the patios, but hey... just an excuse to go back this summer, right?

I don't know why I didn't take very many pictures.  Too busy enjoying ourselves, I suppose.  We made it to Harpersfield, Ferrante, Laurello, The Winery at Spring Hill, Old Mill, Deer's Leap, Grand River Cellars, Debonne, Old Firehouse, Maple Ridge, and of course the Lakehouse Inn Winery.  We have been to Ferrante's on several occasions and love it.  Our new favorites are Harpersfield and Laurello.  Laurello had amazing wine... so did Harpersfield, and the atmosphere was incredible.  They had a huge fire place where we promptly got our bottle of wine and plopped down on the couch right in front of the fire.  Heaven.

We did see these little guys when we went to The Winery at Spring Hill.  I was very excited, probably because I already had several glasses of wine... don't judge. This also reminds me of one of my favorite Rob & Big episodes.  Yes, I love Rob & Big, but I digress.  Who doesn't love mini horses?

Sunday morning meant it was time to get going home, sad face.  We made a quick stop ad Dunkin Donuts (can't do without coffee) where there also happened to be Baskin Robbins.  M decided he wanted ice cream for breakfast.  After all, it was still his birthday weekend.

When Are You Having A Baby?

I have been getting this question a lot lately... family, friends, co-workers... everyone wants to know. Apparently once you hit the one year mark of being married, it’s go time.

The answer is simple: I'm not. The reason is also quite simple: we just don't want to raise a child. Yet people continue to ask. One of my co-workers has asked me a few times this year already if I am pregnant. (Is this a way of telling me I need to spend more time in the gym?) When I tell her emphatically, NO, she actually says, “Are you sure, you have a glow.” Really, I’m sure. Promise.

I will admit, growing up I always thought I would have kids. As a matter of fact, I wanted a big family. I have four siblings and I love it. As I got older and realized everything that went into raising a child, I didn't want any part of it. First of all, I could probably only handle one and I really, really do not want an only child. I think it would be incredibly lonely for said child. That, and I just don't want to deal with being sleep deprived, temper tantrums, cleaning up bodily fluids, or the attitude that comes with raising a teenager. I certainly have enough of my own. Patience is definitely not my virtue (the same is true for M). I like to do what I want to do when I want to do it. And then there is the financial part of it – having a kid is expensive. There are too many other things I want to do and spend my money on. Do you think I am an asshole yet? It’s okay, I already know this. Go ahead and call me selfish (it wouldn’t be the first time I have heard this in regards me not wanting a child), but what I think is selfish is having a child when I already know I wouldn’t be a great parent.

I have three absolutely gorgeous nieces and two very handsome nephews. I adore them and love spending time with them. But at the end of the day, I’m glad to give them back to their parents. In particular, my five year old niece can be quite the handful. I love her spunk – girlfriend cracks me up, but after spending the weekend with her I am exhausted. I don’t want to have to entertain someone 24/7.

Maybe it’s possible that some of this has to do with my own experience with my parents’ divorce when I was just three years old. You won’t ever hear me making excuses, but I certainly have issues because of it. On the other hand, I also believe that in some ways it made me a stronger, more realistic person. I suppose subconsciously it may be possible that I’m afraid of being a bad parent and screwing up my own child. Maybe, I don’t know.

Anyway, why do people feel the need to ask these questions? I typically respond with a sarcastic comment such as “When are YOU having a baby?” or “When are you going stop asking stupid questions?” For God sakes mind your own business. It’s rude, people.

The Daniel Fast

This is what I am up to right now. It's day 3 of the 21 day Daniel Fast. My friend is doing this with her church and I decided to try it out, too.

• All fruits and vegetables


• Only water to drink


• Whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds


• No meat


• No dairy


• No sweeteners


• No bread


• No artificial or processed foods


• No chemicals

There is a spiritual part of this, of course, and I'm hoping this helps with my plan to strengthen my faith. The concept of this fast comes from Daniel 1:8-14. Daniel challenged King Nebuchadnezzar's royal foods and ate vegetables and water for 10 days saying if in the 10 days he didn't look better than the ones eating the royal foods, then they could do with him as they saw fit. Daniel believed God had called him to eat such a diet and would protect him. God did just that and Daniel's skin looked healthier than those eating the choice royal foods.

This is challenging. It's only day number three and my biggest challenges are avoiding sugar and caffeine. I am obviously addicted. I have also learned that I'm not that great of a cook when I have to prepare things from scratch. I am seriously considering some cooking classes when this is all over. However, I am loving the fact that I know what all of the ingredients are that are going into my body. If I don't know what it is, I'm not eating it.

In other news, I booked M's surprise birthday weekend getaway and I'm very excited. We'll be hanging out at a bed and breakfast the last weekend in March and exploring the different wineries in the area. Can't wait - it will be so nice to get away, even if it is only for a weekend.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year, y'all!

I have started this year 10 lbs heavier than I was at the beginning of last year. In case you were wondering, I gained the 10 lbs just in the last couple of months. Not good. I'm not one to make New Years resolutions, but I need to fix this, and fast. It's amazing how much worse 10 lbs can make you feel.

My wonderful husband has agreed to go to the gym with me for weight training twice a week. I will focus on cardio at least 3 additional days of the week. It's not going to be fun at all (I hate the gym) and I hesitated at first. My husband used to power lift. He knows what needs to be done and does it. For the most part, I know what I need to do too, thanks to our stint with a personal trainer a little over a year ago. However, I am a huge sissy and will not push myself. I know M won't let me slack so this should be interesting. We started last Thursday and let me tell you, I am SORE. This is especially true for my triceps, biceps and chest - obviously I need help with upper body strength, because I apparently have none.

Bottom line - I just want to feel better. We are planning a Mexico trip in October so I want to look better, too. But most importantly, the goal is to feel better.

Other things I want to accomplish in 2012:

I want to read more books. I didn't do this nearly enough in 2011.

I want to listen more and relax more often.

I want to figure out my faith. I was raised Catholic and went to Catholic school. Without getting into a whole lot of detail, I decided I'm never going back to a Catholic church (aside from weddings or funerals). I don't feel comfortable there. A few recent happenings have made me really question my faith. Quite frankly, I'm pissed off at God. And I don't want to be. Yesterday my sweet friend invited me to go to church with her and I took her up on that offer. I'm not 100% positive this is the right fit for me, but it felt so nice. Everyone was wonderful and very friendly. I'm trying to make peace with something I have been and will be dealing with for a long time as well as something else that just popped up into my life. Things I have no control over.

2011 was a great year, but I know there are changes to be made. Happy New Year - I hope it's filled with happiness and good health.