A "new book" free April... what does that mean?

So most of you know that I'm a book-a-holic, but I'm giving up buying books for the month of April.  In doing that, many would wonder what am I going to read... well, here's a short list of what I'm in the middle of, and what's on deck:

Currently Reading:

The Audacity of Hope - Barack Obama

A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole

Mansfield Park - Jane Austen 

The Smoke Jumper - Nicholas Evans  (I'm struggling with this one... but I hate to give up) 

Classics in the stack:

The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas

Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen

Journey To The Centre of the Earth - Jules Verne

Alice in Wonderland & Through The Looking Glass - Lewis Carroll 

Vanity Fair - William Thackeray

The Canterbury Tales - Geoffrey Chaucer 

Contemporaries in the stack:

Several Agatha Christies 

About A Boy - Nick Hornby

City of Bones - Cassandra Clare

Blind Assassin - Margaret Atwood 

Fever Pitch - (also Nick Hornby)

Anybody Out There? - Marian Keyes

The Sleeping Beauty Proposal - Sarah Strohmeyer 

and several more buried in the stacks... so just because I can't buy new, doesn't mean I'll go unfulfilled.    Really my goal is to get through the ones I'm in the middle of... but my guess is that I'll get through one of those, and probably a couple of contemporaries... but i'll likely do a re-read of something... I am way too set in my ways.  

Two items in one week...

Tuesday night I got "go to [name redacted]" (the local bar) and last night, in continuance of one of perpetual challenges (monthly date night with my husband), I got another "go to [specific restaurant]" off the list.  

Last night I actually got to go out to eat with my husband at a restaurant I've been wanting to try.  The food was decent, and the service was nice. I won't say "I can't wait to go back" but I also won't say "I'll never go back there." 

But, after the completion of these two things on my list this week, I'm officially 20% through with my list of 50 items.  Of course, most of the completed bits are the easy ones... but still 20% is 20% :) and there are several repeating challenges that I won't finish until the last week anyhow, such as:

bi-weekly blogging

a weekly walk with the dog

weekly correspondence with friends (via phone or email, not just facebook)

monthly date with my husband

monthly (small) contribution to savings

So I know the last 10% won't be completed until next May...  but we'll see how far we get on the remaining 70% :)

another thing off the list...

One of the things on my list is a visit to [name redacted], the local bar that everyone at school goes.  Somehow I managed to make it through my first year and a half here without ever visiting said bar.  Until last night.  

Last night my oral competition partner and I won our argument in the second round, and therefore needed to celebrate. So off we went to [name redacted]!  I'm not quite sure that I understand the mass appeal, but the drink was decent and the grilled cheese sandwich was delicious.  I'll totally go back sometime in the future.  

a note on the oral competition:  we lost round one, and won round two; and thankfully (just how I feel) we didn't advance into the next round.  (the people with 2 wins and no losses advanced first, followed by the high scorers in the 1 and 1 group)  Oral argument is scary, but I feel that my character has been built by this experience. 

An Attitude Adjustment...

That's right. I'm in serious need of an attitude adjustment.  I'm not quite sure what's going on, but I'm just feeling snarky and snappy all the time with my poor husband, who has done nothing to deserve it.  

I'm not sure if I'm just feeling overwhelmed (I know I am) or if it's something more.  The husband is out of town for the weekend, and I'm going to try to take sometime to just chill out and reboot.  

I think part of the problem is that my husband is home ALL of the time.  Since he arrived, I don't think I've spent more than an hour in our place without him.  I can understand that to an extent, he's new to the area and hasn't really made his own friends yet, and he's still looking for a job. But after living alone for a year an a half, I've gotten used to my "me time."  This isn't to say that I'm unhappy that he's here (I'm very happy he's here) or that he doesn't leave me alone (he does, I have plenty of time to do my homework and such), but there's something to be said for being home alone, and getting to do exactly what you want, without regard for anyone else.  

For me this weekend will probably filled with TV on DVD, watching the 6:00 episodes of Bones on TNT, reading in bed until late at night, making food my husband doesn't like for dinner, and who knows what else.  Now I know most of this stuff I can do with my husband around, but out of consideration for him, I chose not to.   Hopefully next week I'll be in a better mood!

Another item off the list, and upcoming month long goals

This last weekend I spent the weekend in Seattle with my friends!  It was a great weekend.  I saw both of my parents, my former coworkers, and my very closest friends!

One of the things on my list was "a girls weekend in Seattle"  and now it's done! It was so wonderful that I'll probably have to do it again soon!  

next up... there are two month long challenges on my list.  

1.  not to buy any books for a month.  

Now for most people that's not a big deal, but for those of you who know me, you know I can hardly make it through Target without a book.  (I will confess, I've already purchased probably 7 books this month alone - but 4 of those were overstock sales for less than $5 each).  but  it is one of my goals to try to make it an entire month without purchasing a book.  And I think the month is going to be April. There's only one book on my list of wants that is coming out in April, and it's coming out on the 28th... I bet I can make it til May to buy it.  So we'll see how it goes.

2. read cnn.com (or another online news source) every day for a month.

I am very out of it when it comes to what's going on in this state, let alone the country or the world.  So it's my goal to try to bring myself up to date a little by reading the news every day for a month.  Now this is not to say that I currently never read the news, but I will admit most of my news is of the celebrity variety, entertainment stuff and who's dating who(m?).  So I figured since I'm giving up books for April, maybe I can add in news instead. 

I'll let you know how it goes...

Coffee Free for Two Weeks

That's right... it's been two weeks since I've had coffee, no drip, no mocha, no latte, no caramel machiato, not even any coffee ice cream or tiramisu.  

I've decided I'm not addicted to the caffeine, because if that were the case I'd be going crazy and be overly bitchy to everyone first thing in the morning. I really just miss the ritual I think.  The warm feeling of the paper cup from Starbucks, or the smell of the coffee as you stir in the cream and sugar (or coffeemate in my case)... curling up with a cup of coffee and a good book on a saturday morning, or the latte to get through the tiresome hours in the library on a long project. 

I'm not sure if the point of lent is to give up something for 40 days, and then make that sacrifice permanent, or if it's just to practice the art of deprivation for shortish periods of time...  I'm surely hoping it's the latter, because on Easter, I'm bringing coffee back.  BIG TIME. 

until then, I'm going to go make a cup of tea or something. 

Spring Break (WOOHOO)

I am finally on Spring Break.

I made it though the day from Hell (the 5th), and managed not to cry about either mid term or my brief. (a surprise but still).  I still haven't had any coffee... and my office is officially "clean." or well as clean as it'll get for a student, there are books and such everywhere.  

I'm so excited for Spring Break!  My in-laws are visiting (due to arrive in an hour or two), then I'm headed to Seattle to spend some time with my friends and family.  I can't wait.  I'm sure I'll find some time to catch up on my homework too... 

I LOVE Spring Break!

5 Days Without Coffee (and counting)

So I haven't had coffee in 5 days.  Let me tell you what I've learned...

I added a countdown to coffee to my blog so I can see that there is an end out there.

Lent is actually 45 days. 

Sundays don't count - they are mini Easter's and therefore you can celebrate. (therefore I could actually have coffee on Sunday's if I wanted to)

Right now I'm going to try to stay off coffee the whole time, but if I have to, I might have A coffee on Sundays just for sanity's sake. 

It only really bothers me that I can't have coffee at 8 am when I don't want to be awake yet, and when my husband makes coffee at home and I have to smell it. 

Other than that... this is the week from hell.  I have a massive brief due (my entire grade in one class) and midterms in 2 other classes. YUCK.  But, after 4:00 on Thursday all will be well.  Spring break starts Friday (after my one morning class), and my in-laws are visiting for the weekend, then I'm headed to Seattle to visit friends. I can't wait!  But it just reminds me that you have to get through the bad to get to the good :)