The Next Thing On My List- by Jill Smolinski

I finished another book today, in just under three hours. No kidding. I told you I am a speedy reader!! I read "The Next Thing On My List" by Jill Smolinski and I have to say- it is a terrific book. Absolutely a must read. It seemed kind of quirky and fun but I had no idea how thought provoking it would be. It is a story centered around June, who is stuck at a ho-hum job but doesn't really seem to be doing anything with her life. She's kind of a wall flower because of her doing nothingness. (This kind of resembles me lately). She unfortunately is involved in an accident that kills her passenger on the way home from a Weight Watchers meeting but discovers that the girl who was killed (who she barely knew) had a list called "20 things to do before I turn 25". So June, out of guilt, decides to take over and complete the list in her passenger's honor. So I really thought it'd be kind of a corny book but it really was very good. Lots of the things on the list were silly such as kiss a stranger, go on a blind date, go braless, etc. but some of them were more serious like change someones life. The book was actually super funny. I laughed A LOT and I don't know if the story itself was funny or if it was funny because June's luck mirrors my own. Everything that would happen to her would likely happen to me!! So if you are looking for a good book- this is one I would definitely suggest.

Wuthering Heights- done

Well I finally finished it. Please don't quiz me because to be honest- I have no real understanding of what I just read. Greatest love story ever? Not so much. But it is eerily similar to Twilight and New Moon- and I can see where the references came from. But Twilight and New Moon are so much better. I'm pretty sure everyone died. Now I'm off to start "The Next Thing on My List". Literally- that's the title of the book. I was going to start the Jane Austen collection, but I think I should move to something light hearted and easier to read so I don't give up on my summer reading list before June starts. HAHA!!

What the hell- Emily Bronte?!

OK, so I'm reading Wuthering Heights. I'm trying really hard. The main problem being that it took me 4 hours to get to page 94 because I have no idea what the hell I'm reading. Here's a sample that literally- I gave up on:

"Nay, nay, he's noan at Gimmerton," said Joseph. "I's niver wonder but he's at t' bottom of a bog hoile. This visitation worn't for nowt, and I wod hev ye to look out, miss-yah muh be t' next. Thank Hivin for all! All warks togither for gooid to them as is chozzen, and picked out fro' th' rubbidge! Ya knaw whet t' Scripture ses."

And this was one of the easier ones because I could kind of sound it out and Matt was getting really frustrated trying to ignore me.

Seriously- does anyone know Yorkshire translation??? If it weren't such a damn classic and a supposed great love story- I'd throw this shit back into the library return box. I feel like such an illiterate dumb ass trying to read this. Have I past the love story part? I have no idea because I can't understand 90% of what I'm reading. Attempting to read this book alone makes me realize how crucial reading and writing is. Seriously- are there people who speak and write like this now?? This is horrible. Ugh. I'm totally rethinking my reading list. And the fact that I have a super tattered and worn copy of "The Complete Novels of Jane Austen" sitting underneath Wuthering Heights on my table doesn't help. It may take me all summer to finish this pile at this rate.

Kayak Trip- PLANNED & OFFICIAL

Yes that's right folks, the city girl you all know and love is actually going to do an outdoors trip requiring physical activity. You can at least wait until I'm not here to snicker. I realize that kayaking involves a lot of paddling, but luckily we'll be in double kayaks, and Matt is fully aware that he'll be doing 90% of the paddling. :) Look who's snickering now!

Anyways- so we have the trip planned, have babysitters lined up for the kids which required more effort than I want to think about. We are going on this trip with two of our friends, Tammy and Chad. Tammy is afraid of water, but Chad is going to kayak with Matt and. The itinerary sounds fun, but grueling.

Experience sculpted cliffs and spectacular Lake Superior sea caves. Your day will begin with an orientation to kayaking skills, safety, and equipment. Our double kayaks will provide comfortable, stable vehicles with which you'll glide across the emerald waters surrounding the sea caves. The trip is 6.5 miles in length and includes a lunch stop on an isolated beach. Trips include equipment, guide, instruction and lunch. They depart daily and are arranged by reservation, Memorial Day through Labor Day. Participants must be 14 y/o or older.

I also noticed it also recommends "Prior Conditioning" such as sit ups, push ups, swimming, cycling, rowing, canoeing, etc to strengthen your upper body and whatnot. Guess what? I'm as limp as a noodle. The entire left side of my body has zippo strength and isn't even coordinated. I'm convinced the only reason I have a left arm or leg is that it's designed purely for decoration.

Matt and I are doing this on June 6 (a Saturday) and then spending the night in Ashland. Then on Sunday we're meeting up with Tammy & Chad to tour the Apostle Islands. (The kayaking & Apostle Islands stuff is in Bayfield, by the way). I'm looking forward to the tour because I've never gone on it and I have always wanted to see the Islands.

This trip is a mini vacation for just Matt and I for our anniversary, which is June 12. We've NEVER done anything on our anniversary and since this is our 5 year, we figured perhaps we should try to celebrate.

I'll update you on the trip and post pictures the following Monday, if I'm alive and able to use my hands/arms of course. If you don't hear from me, feel free to contact my mom if there's anything of mine you want. :) Jennie and Kelli get first dibs on my scrapbook stuff, though. HEHE!! But seriously, this week's agenda is to get myself the proper outer wear for the trip and to order my XShot so that I can take pictures of everything, including myself. Because if I'm going to enclose my ass into a little kayak, there will be pictures to prove this.

Elmo Can

Just finished the project I started tinkering with a couple of weeks ago. I had a big coffee can and didn't know what to do with it. We have a big Elmo chair the kids totally love and I decided to recreate the chair into a can. I made one already that the kids use for small toys and they argue over it, so I'm making another one so they each have one!

I used felt with adhesive to cover the can as well as for the nose and mouth. I used red furry trim around the top of the can since the felt didn't go all the way to the top. I think this one is going to be used for an Elmo themed party we're going to this Saturday. Olivia bought her friend Sophia something cute for her birthday and wants to put it in the can. We got Sophia something else but Olivia is very insistent on putting her thing in the can. :)

Meatball Failure

Most of you who know me don't know what an absolute failure I am when it comes to meatballs and meatloaf. I know, those are like the easiest thing ever and you're wondering how the hell can a person mess that up. I don't know how, but I know that I somehow manage to ruin them every time. I have literally tried every meatball and meatloaf recipe I could find to no avail. Here are only SOME of the results I've had:

• using a cookie sheet to cook the meatloaf, it turned into a burnt hamburger cookie. Black as night. I still can't figure out how it went from the loaf shape into a flat cookie shape.


• using an actual loaf pan- it burned the entire outside (I had to use an electric knife to get through the outer layer) and the inside was totally raw.


• trying to pan fry meatballs they started out golf ball size and ended up to be marbles. Don't know what happened there.

I could go on but really- these are painful memories. And god love Matt- he has been my tester but finally he told me to give it up. I suck at meatloaf and meatballs. He cracks jokes that when meatloaf goes on special at a restaurant that we should go so he can get his fix. Well this weekend I was absolutely determined to make some damn meatballs. (Oh- here's my confession folks- the fabulous meatballs you've had for my meatball subs aren't mine. My mom made them for me to pass off as my own. Thanks, mom!) So I cracked out my Betty Crocker Bridal Edition cookbook and found a recipe that seemed fool proof. I know I've tried this one before because it had something on the page that resembled smeared ketchup. Here are my results:

Were they good? Matt said they were "ok" which means he didn't like them. I tasted egg in them, so I couldn't eat more than one bite. Dammit. I guess I can be proud of the fact that they retained a meatball shape and were cooked all the way through. What the hell am I doing wrong?? Why can't I make a basic dish? I am a good cook- I can follow recipes, make my own versions, I just don't know what the hell I'm doing wrong. I need some private lessons or something. Is there a meatball/meatloaf expert out there??

New Cards..

So I made a few more cards tonight using scraps only! :)

These were fun- I used my new cricut machine to make the lady bug tag and the flower. I'm still getting the hang of the machine, but so far I love it.


This card doesn't open up- it looks like this. You can pull the tag out to write on it or write on the back of the card too. I've never done a card like this and for some reason it was harder to do than a regular one. Weird!