Reading

So I'll admit, I've been putting off this post, because it's my 100th!

Despite such a monumentous occasion (*snort*) I don't know that I have anything particularly exciting to say. Today's topic is reading.

My goal for the year was to read 52 books, or one a week. I got behind right off the bat; I'm currently 2/3 of the way through what technically is book 20.

Book 20, though, is A Storm of Swords, the third A Song of Ice and Fire book by George R.R. Martin. The link is for this version:

Which is a mass market paperback. It weighs in at a hefty 1,241 pages. That's ENORMOUS.

I have this copy:

Which is the first edition hardcover. (I was in the process of reading the series, so I didn't go out of the way to get the first edition; it's just what there was!). In hardcover, the book is still almost 1,000 pages (though admittedly there's about 50 pages at the end that is the lineage of all the major houses discussed in the book, to help readers keep track of what literally ends up being hundreds of characters).

That being said... a 1,000 page hardcover ought to count as more than one book, right? Especially since the other books in the series, Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings, weigh in at 720 and 784 pages, respectively, in paperback form.

Is it "cheating" to count those two as two books each, and Storm of Swords as three? I'm not trying to inflate my numbers (okay, maybe a little), but to be fair, my copy of Storm of Swords is so big that the binding BROKE - literally, the first 150 or so pages are broken off from the rest of it. It collapsed under its own weight!

If I modify my counts (because I'm OCD, and this matters to me, for whatever reason), that would make this reading of Storm of Swords count as books 23, 24, and 25.... which means I've caught up to where I'm supposed to be. A Feast for Crows will also count for two (it's 784 pages as well) and the forthcoming A Dance with Dragons will be three (it's a 1,040 page HARDCOVER).

I can't wait for ADwD to arrive. I preordered it a few months ago, and it comes out July 12th. Less than a month to finish ASoS and AFfC. Can't wait! (NERRRRRRRRD).

Trying not to be impulsive

As some of you know, I work at a car dealership. (Yes, I'm willing to link which one - we're not as bad as some I've heard of!). Part of my job here is taking pictures of almost every vehicle that hits the lot so that they can be posted online. The downside of this is that it makes me want a new car.

All. The. Time.

Currently I drive this:

While admittedly blurry, that is my car, parked by my office, as seen on Google Maps Street View. Pretty neat! Mako is a 2005 Ford Focus ZX3 SES in Sonic Blue.

There's nothing wrong with him. He's pretty adorable! Only 60,000 miles - less than 1/3 what my parents typically put on their cars.

But I want something else. I can't help it! I see the new things that come in ALL THE TIME.

Like this:

The 2012 Hyundai Accent hatchback. We haven't gotten a hatchback one in yet, just the sedan version... but it's adorable. The one we have is black. It comes with a surprising amount of features, given it's less-than-20-grand pricetag.

Another on-the-way vehicle is this one, the 2012 Hyundai Veloster:

In size, it's somewhere between my Focus and the Elantra hatchback. It has three doors - one on the driver's side, two on the passenger's side. It's supposed to come with all kinds of fancy schmancy technology, and will be marketed to folks my age. It will get 40MPG on the highway.

Then there's the 2011 Ford Fiesta, and the 2012 Ford Focus redesign, and the 2013 Hyundai Elantra Touring redesign...

Sigh. I'm trying to tell myself I don't need a new car - because I don't, there's nothing wrong with Mako at all! - but I want one anyway.

Book #21: Waiting

Book #21: Waiting: The True Confessions of a Waitress, by Debra Ginsberg (2001, 320 pages)

I'm starting to wonder how Ginsberg has any time to do the things she writes about - I realized halfway through this book that I'd read another book by her, titled Raising Blaze: A Mother and Son's Long, Strange Journey into Autism. In that book, she talks about how she reorganized her life around raising her son, who has autism but is more on the savant end of the scale.

In Waiting, Ginsberg talks about her time as a waitress, from learning the trade, fibbing to get into better gigs, and how great it is that it allows her to rearrange her schedule so she can write and raise her son. I began wondering how she had time to waitress if writing and child-rearing had her so busy; then how did she have time to write, if waitressing and her son were so time consuming! (She's also written another memoir about her family, particularly her sisters - is one person's life so interesting that it merits three memoirs before even celebrating her 50th birthday???)

Anyway, this book provides an inside look into the world of waitressing. It's got its funny moments, but generally is more about her experiences in particular than about waitressing in general. I guess I was disappointed by that, hoping for more of an anthropological look at the culture of waitresses, but it would also have helped if I'd realized I'd read something by this woman before. I'm not sure I'd recommend it - I'm sure there are blogs on the subject that are just as interesting, and much briefer reads.

Safeway Savings, May 2011

My Safeway savings didn't feel nearly as impressive in May as in April, but we actually did better this month than last month! The store's "Just for U" offerings changed, taking away some really good prices on OJ, ground beef, and frozen pizza - staples of our diet, for better or worse. My grocery bills in June also included some non-grocery items, like charcoal (though that was on sale) and a bottle of tequila.

Overall, we spent $236.86 on groceries and saved $151.75, or 39.05%. In April, we only saved 33.82%. We spent less in April, too, but the different is explained by the aforementioned alcohol and briquettes.

My tactic for this month is a little more devious - Jeff has a Safeway card, too, so I've signed HIM up for the Just for U program - genius! His prices on certain things are better (like my Yoplait yogurts!), plus we'll get the free dozen eggs again. I read the terms-of-service and couldn't find anything explicitly forbidding this....

Wink wink.

Credit card love

I'm not *usually* one to just rave about stuff, and link to it, and say "hey, help me out," but this is an offer I can't pass up.

I'm in love with one of my credit cards, and they're giving out bonus rewards money to folks who get other folks to apply, so... here ya go.

My Discover card is great. 1% cash back rewards all the time. 2% back during your birthday month (come on, everyone extends their birthday anyway!). 5% cash back in different categories every quarter (for example, July through September is 5% back on your first $300 for purchasing gas, hotel stays, and movie tickets). The rewards are great - you redeem $20 in rewards, and get $25 in partner gift cards like Old Navy (not all of them are that good, but that one's my favorite!). You can also redeem for Discover gift cards (which work just like cash), or statement credits.

You can also get extra cash back when you shop online through the site. You log in, like you were checking your bill balance, then click on a website - like Barnes and Noble, different flower websites, etc. - and once you buy stuff, get EXTRA cash back. Last time I bought through Barnes and Noble, it was 6% back, instead of the usual 1%

Anyway, here's the link to apply for the card:

http://t.co/36FK3Qx

You get $50 in rewards after your first purchase, and I get rewards, too. Simple as that. I pay all my bills on it and easily get over $100 in rewards - straight up cash to Old Navy! - each year (and I'm not even that big of a spender).

Edited to add - and who can't pass up the offers they're giving new cardholders? $0 annual fee (which is always the case), and 0% on both balance transfers and new purchases for 15 months! 

June To-Do List

June 2011 Goals and To-Dos

Reading:
-Finish 7 books - mostly things that are wished for on Paperback Swap:
     -Book 3 of George R.R. Martin series
     -All the Names, by Jose Saramago (recommended by Allison)
     -Waiting: The True Confessions of a Waitress, by Debra Ginsberg
     -School of Dreams: Making the Grade at a Top American High School, by Edward Humes
     -A Country of Strangers: Blacks and Whites in America, by David K. Shipler
     -The Rhino with Glue-On Shoes: And Other Surprising True Stories of Zoo Vets and Their Patients (I'm finally going to finish it, honest!)
     -Gracefully Insane: Life and Death Inside America's Premier Mental Hospital, by Alex Beam

Work outs:
-Ride my bike 100 miles total
     -Progress:
-Keep up with calisthenics (every odd numbered day)
     -1 -   PU SQ SU AC B L

Sewing:
-Sew together all hexes - hopefully into full top!
-Pin half-square triangles
-Find more fabric for boys
-Finish PJ shorts
-Finish shower curtain

Working:
-Keep up with binders for Dan - no more than three day turn-around (provided his PC is working!)
-Schedule next day off (6/13)

Gardening:
-Finish weeding side garden
-Weed back garden - attempt not to make fence fall over in the process
-Dig out agave plants for Janet
     -Find out if Janet wants the cactus, too; dig that out, if she does want it

Home Improving:
-Save up money. And then save up some more.
-Bathroom remodel:
     -Have Mark complete work (installing/fixing outlets, install light switch, install drain/hot water line for washer, dryer vent!)
     -Repair area of wall that was opened to do Mark's work with scrap drywall
     -Repair window area in wall
     -Install light fixture
     -Get rid of shitty looking texture in room
     -Prime, paint walls 
     -Come up with some sort of solution for area under the sink
-Find, frame, hang up diplomas

May recap

So these were my May Goals and to-dos:

Reading: - Accomplished! I read all five! It was really helpful, for wahtever reason, to pick books and say "This is what I'm going to read this month!
   -Finish 5 books:
     -Deer Hunting with Jesus
     -Another of the Martin books
     -Grave Secrets, by Kathy Reichs
     -Adam's Navel, by Michael Sims
     -The Red Leather Diary, by Lily Koppel

Work outs: - I started out the month well, but things went downhill after that. I'm SO strongly affected by the weather, which has been absolutely crazy this month. Hopefully it will clear up and turn into a real summer so I can get back to bike riding.
-Ride my bike 150 miles total
     -Progress: 64.9/150
          -Date:  4/26   Miles: 6.9
          -Date:  5/2     Miles: 16.4
          -Date:  5/6     Miles: 8.0
          -Date:  5/8     Miles: 8.6
          -Date:  5/10   Miles: 17
          -Date:  5/18   Miles: 8
-Keep up with calisthenics (every odd numbered day)
     -1 -   PU 45 SQ 100 SU 45 AC 107 B 55   L 35
     -3 -   PU 48 SQ 75   SU 47 AC 120 B 80   L 35
     -5 -   PU 45 SQ 90   SU 60 AC 125 B 80   L 24
     -9 -   PU 62 SQ 105 SU 75 AC 150 B 100 L 38
     -11 - PU 35 SQ 105 SU 65 AC 150 B 120 L 27
     -15 - PU 55 SQ 79   SU 80 AC 150 B 175 L 19
     -21 - PU 37 SQ 60   SU 55 AC 110 B 130 L 16

Sewing: - I started quite a bit this month - the PJ shorts are one step away from being done (just need to do the elastic); I have pieces cut for two of the surprises, and have one set of pieces pinned together. The big quilt for Jeff and I is pinned together, waiting for me to develop the courage to actually start quilting it. I made several skirts for a friend's daughter. I did my first swap - though was admittedly disappointed because I didn't get an item back, like I was supposed to. :( The shower curtain isn't finished yet, either, but then again, neither is the bathroom it's supposed to go in!
-Cut pieces for one quilt, start pinning/piecing
-Put our big quilt together, pin
-Start quilting big quilt!?
-Mug rug swap - mail by May 14!
-Make pajama shorts for self
-Cut, work on PJ shorts for presents
 Make shower curtain for back bathroom; add buttonholes for hooks, hem to length

Working: - I did pretty well with this, considering Dan's PC was having trouble for a large portion of the month. Still haven't scheduled the day off, though... not sure why! LOL.
-Keep up with binders for Dan - no more than three day turn-around (provided his PC is working!)
-Schedule next day off (6/13)

Gardening: - The weather held this one up, too. Who wants to dig in the dirt when it's all mud from the intermittant rains we've still been having! I did make some progress, though, around the garage, and got Jeff to agree to help dig out some of the persistent, extra big plants, so that's good!
-Finish weeding side garden
-Weed back garden
-Start sunflowers, other plants to plant around garage?
-Weed around garage (fence side, yard side, driveway side)
-Dig out agave plants for Janet
     -Find out if Janet wants the cactus, too; dig that out, if she does want it
-Trim grapefruit tree, fig tree off fence

Home Improving: - This took longer than expected, also, but because of issues with the estimates we received for the bathroom. The project, however, starts (hopefully) tomorrow and should be finished by mid-month! I cannot WAIT to do laundry at our house!! :)
-Save up money. And then save up some more.
-Plan, work on bathroom remodel
     -Choose colors, buy paint
     -Get fabric for, make shower curtain
     -Finish drywalling skylight shaft
     -Repair/mud walls
     -Get quote for moving switch, moving outlet, repairing existing outlet, moving drain, checking for hot water; get work done when feasible
          -Get a second quote, from less-unreasonable contractor
     -Purchase, Install light fixture
     -Purchase primer, prime walls
     -Purchase paint, paint walls 
-Find, frame, hang up diplomas