The (Not-So) Ordinary Life and Times...

Trying to lighten the mood

Everyone is getting really freaked out about Swine Flu. I thought this was cute:

How Swine Flu Began

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We'll miss you, Bea

I'm a big fan of The Golden Girls. Was saddened to hear that Bea Arthur (Dorothy Zbornak) had passed away this weekend. She was probably my favorite character. You'll be missed, Bea. Thanks for all the laughs.

I just can't get enough of this stuff!

I know I've been on the Bill Bryson train lately, but I just can't get enough of his stuff. It's hilarious. I was crying last night from laughing. My roommates thought I was in hysterics because I was stressed out about planning my wedding. Nope. Just happy that Bill Bryson knows what it feels like to ride in the car across the Midwest. My favorite bit from last night's reading, from The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-town America, by Bill Bryson (on vacation driving with his family):

"My father's particular specialty was the ability to get hopelessly lost without ever actually losing sight of his target. He never arrived at an amusement park or tourist attraction without first approaching it from several directions, like a pilot making passes over an unfamiliar airport. My sister and brother and I, bouncing on the back seat, could always see it on the other side of the freeway and cry, "There it is! There it is!" Then after a minute we would spy it from another angle on the far side of a cement works. And then across a broad river. And then on the other side of the freeway again. Sometimes all that would separate us from our goal would be a high chain-link fence. On the other side you would see happy, carefree families parking their cars and getting ready for a wonderful day. "How did they get in there?" my dad would cry, the veins on his forehead lively. "Why can't the city put up some signs, for Christ's sake? It's no wonder you can't find your way into the place," he would add, conveniently overlooking the fact that 18,000 other people, some of them of decidedly limited mental capacity, had managed to get onto the right side of the fence without too much difficulty."

Please go and get Bill Bryson's books. You'll laugh the entire time!

Pity Party

So I rarely do this. But I'm doing it now because I need to vent a little bit.

I'm always taking care of people. And I love it! I love making sure everyone is happy, I love buying gifts. I'm the person who if I see something at the store that I know you would like, I would probably buy it for you, just because. I love planning parties, and if it's your birthday, you'd better believe we're gonna have a good time! I'm the peacemaker. And I'm not even the middle child, I always thought that was weird. Being the only child I've always been told that I'm spoiled and selfish even. I know that I'm spoiled...but that's not really my fault. My parents didn't have any other kids to spoil, so what am I supposed to do? They did a really great job making sure I wasn't a brat, though. I take care of my things and I know what a dollar is worth. I think I'm a pretty smart cookie when it comes to money and material things.

What I want to know is why it feels like no one ever does this for me. Why doesn't someone throw me a good party? Maybe because my bachelorette party is coming up in a couple months and I'm mentally sabotaging it because I see it ending up like my 21st birthday. I just feel like I'm always watching out for everyone else but nobody else is really watching out for me. Dan excluded of course, but it's expected of him :) I'm talking mainly about my friends.

This is a pity party because I'm planning this wedding and 3 out of 4 of my bridesmaids don't live anywhere near me. So it's hard to get excited about wedding stuff with no one to share it with. And my mom just turns it into a circus and I feel like I can't get out of the huge white wedding circus tent.

Everything will be ok. I just want the wedding to be over, for Dan and I to go on our AMAZING European honeymoon and finally be together. Life will be good.

Thanks for letting me get it out! Ok, pity party over :) Enjoy Wednesday!

Bill Bryson visit

Here is Mr. Bryson accepting an award. I didn't get a good picture of him at his lecture, it was dark and there were too many people. 

Mr. Bryson signing my copy of Neither Here Nor There.

Me and Dan's stepmom Susan after the Bryson events.

Rainy days and Mondays -- (or the combination of both) -- always get me down...

Two quick things:
1 - Follow me on Twitter or Facebook. I update more often.
2 - I'll post the photo of Bill Bryson signing my book later tonight ;)

Busy people and busy lives!

I have a crazy busy week, so I may not be able to post again until later. Schedule is as follows (This exercise may be more for me than anything else):

Monday:
Take Marley to the vet to get more heartworm medication - 5:30
How I Met Your Mother - 7:30
Work out with Jillian Michaels - 8:00
The Hills - 9:00

Tuesday:
Hanser & Associates web site launch party - 5:00
Work out - 8:00

Wednesday:
Free night! (but still need to work out)

Thursday:
Work out - 6:00 a.m.
PRSA Institute Speaker/Sponsor Event - 5:00-7:00
The Color Purple at the Civic Center - 7:30

Friday:
Workout - 6:00 a.m.
PRSA Institute - 10:00  - 4:00
Work at Coach - 6:00 - 10:00
Amanda's Birthday - 10:30 - ??

Saturday:
Easter Vigil (help with set-up) - 8:30

Sometime this week I'd like to get some reading done AND some wedding planning things checked off my list. We'll see :) Less than 100 days until the big day !

Bill Bryson, here I come!

So for a long time now, I've thought about what I really want to do with my life. What in this world makes me happy? What should I be spending my limited number of days on this earth doing? The first answer is traveling. And an incredibly-almost-neck-and-neck second answer is writing about those travels. I want to be a travel writer. And if I throw in some PR and some music and some painting in there, my life will be complete. But I'll settle for the traveling part.

I love Bill Bryson's books. He's an incredible witty and careful writer, and I admire his style very much. PLUS: he's a native Iowan (from Des Moines) AND a Drake alum (go Bulldogs!). So when I found out that he was giving the Bucksbaum lecture tonight at Drake, I really wanted to go.

My future mother-in-law (also a Drake alum) calls me on Monday and says she loves Bill Bryson, she wants to come see his lecture and hang out with me. So today! I get to: go to a Q&A with Mr. Bryson, attend his lecture and a booksigning. I'm really excited, and I think today will provide some good in-law bonding time. I'm so excited!