Book Report: 'The Art of Racing in the Rain'

author: Garth Stein
recommended by : Michelle, food blogger at http://thatssomichelle.blogspot.com

I love dogs and this book totally appeals to the dog lover in me just with its cover art! The entire story is being told from the dog's (Enzo) perspective, and at first it seems cute and novel. But as you get into the book you think of Enzo as more than just a dog. It's an easy read that isn't simple in the slightest. I know I'm being vague, but the story is so good and I enjoyed reading it so much, that I wouldn't want to take that experience away from anyone! Not only is the interpersonal story just wonderfully emotional, tugging at all the right heart strings, but the auto racing parts are interesting and different! This is a book I wish I could read for the first time again!


A must read! The Art of Racing in the Rain

when did that happen?

I find myself saying things like I don't cook, I'm not a good cook, I don't really know how to cook all the time. But I am not so sure that is exactly true. In fact... it may be a straight up lie. I realized it when I was making dinner two weeks ago and prepping for dinner for a picnik. I said "look at all this food, and from someone who doesn't know how to cook." I was met with the reply that apparently I do know how to cook, and a compliment at the end that it was delicious.

We enjoyed what we ate and no one got food poisoning... so maybe I should start giving myself credit for the things I can do.

"Do or do not, there is no try" - Yoda

time flies

They say that time flies when you're having fun, but I actually think that the opposite is true and time flies when you are living life. You know, you wake up on Monday, go to work, come home, unload the dishwasher, do a load of laundry, grocery shop, and before you know it, it's Thursday afternoon. The next day you sing Rebecca Black's song, Friday, while you get ready for work, and when 5pm hits, you're ready to party.

It seems like regular weeks just fly by.

But for some reason, vacations seem to last forever. Well, they seem to last forever until they are over.

My 4-day weekend seemed to last forever, until yesterday when I was wishing it had been a little longer. But this week has seemed to fly by and now my trip to Europe is right around the corner! But in my classic fashion, the next 6 days are jam-packed with work and fun!

windmill

My mom is the second youngest of seven kids (Irish Catholic). She tells a lot of funny stories about growing up and it seems she has a silly name or story about nearly everything. We have a name for the space between two couch cushions (or between a bed and a wall or headboard), the paplukie hole (also see kerplukie hole as my cousins pronounce it); I have the privilege of knowing what a 'watch bird' is; and I know never to 'Jean the bowl' when baking. But most of all, I have a name for the tall glass of cold water that you crave the morning after staying up a bit too late and possibly drinking a bit too much.

That's right, it's a 'windmill'.

Apparently when you are the second youngest in a family of seven, it means that you are the willing slave to the eldest. So my mom's oldest brother, who was in high school at the time, would ask his elementary school aged sister to bring him a windmill on weekend mornings. Just for reference, my mom also calls a glass of ice water CIWITW - coldest ice water in the world.

B3

My sister and I got my dad a beta fish for fathers day and gave it to him on Saturday. It was a great gift because a few years ago my dad had a beta fish that he referred to as our "little brother" and he brought with him in the cup holder of his car when he came to visit us. Even though it was less than ten years ago, he didn't remember doing that when we told him the story. Never the less, we remembered his silliness and wanted him to enjoy fish ownership again.

So I went to visit my parents on Sunday afternoon and my dad preceded to show me B3's new trick - grabbing the tip of a chopstick. He went on a on about how he was going to have to figure out either a)how to bring him to England in July or b)fish sitter accommodations. I informed him that I had a beta that stayed alive for 2 months even though I ignored it and that he would be fine for 10 days. Never the less, if you know a good fish sitter, my parents are looking for one.

being an auntie

333 days until 30 and today I became an auntie again! I have a brand new nephew, so new in fact, that I don't even know his name yet. His mother is my sister by choice, we are not blood related, but as far as I am concerned, you may choose who you call family. And if given a million choices, I would still only need one as far as she is concerned, she is my sister, her husband is my brother, and their son is my nephew!

Being an auntie is my favorite job I have ever had. Rowan, my 5 year old nephew, will tell you that I am the best Auntie Lizzy ever! So when Erin told me that they were expecting a boy, I was over the moon! I mean, I have experience being an auntie to a nephew. It's like getting a promotion at work, where they only make you do the things you are already good at! Not that I don't think I wouldn't make an amazing auntie to a niece, I will, but there is just something so wonderful about having a nephew! And now I have two!!!

"don't get old"

I started swimming laps more regularly to add some cross training to my marathon training schedule. Yesterday I went to swim some laps before teaching lessons and the 19 year old lifeguard, a friend of mine, asked why I would need to swim laps since I am already so tiny. I replied "I'm tiny because I swim and run, don't get old."

A friend my age, Emily, mentioned that she had been going to morning swim at another pool, so this morning I headed there to punish myself a little more. We were talking with another 19 year old that was there swimming about having to work out more, needing surgeries for old athletic injuries, and the like. Her advice to this young swimmer was also "don't get old."

It's absolutely impractical advice when you think about it. You don't have a choice, as time passes - you get older. I think what both Emily and I meant by "don't get old" was "make sure you take care of yourself, your body treats you the way you treat it, as you get older."

But it's a lot funnier to just tell people "don't get old."