In the Here and Now

Skipping over the last year…

I just finished Season 5 of Drop Dead Diva. Loved it.
I also just read Where'd You Go, Bernadette? Best book I've read in awhile. And I've read a lot of interesting books recently.

Writing has been on my mind a lot recently. Maybe I'll get beyond a blog post soon.

Journeys

My life's journey seems to be going through a pretty nice prairie for the moment. I can see for miles and it is all the same. Pleasant. Not entirely interesting and perhaps a little...what is the word I'm looking for?...not boring exactly, but maybe rut-ish. But looks can be deceiving when it comes to the future, so I will keep moving forward and see what comes.

As for more literal journeys...I have a big trip planned in the coming months. And I'm über excited. It is the 10-year trip. The "I've been dying to go there for so long" trip. I'm a little stressed with planning, but most of the big stuff is out of the way, and next up is the fun part: what exactly to see.

And of course—a literary journey. I started reading The Wheel of Time series again in January. Oh so many years ago, my cousin introduced me to this fantasy series (and there is always a journey of one kind or another in those) and I fell of the slowly moving wagon years ago. I promised myself that I would jump back on the minute Mr. Jordan finished it. Well, Mr. Jordan died (our joking seems a little prescient now.) But, much to my relief, he had outlined the rest of the story with his wife and in notes, and the family hired another writer to flesh the rest of it out. The last book (14 when we thought there would be 10 back in the 1990s) came out in January. And now I am back on the wagon resuming my literary journey. It's weird reading books I read many years ago; I have this dim memory of certain things and no memory of others. I keep waiting for things to happen, only to have to wait more (because it happened two books later.) I'm currently at the tail end of book 4; once I get to 7 or 8 I should be past this weird memory part. And then it will be me impatiently reading to find out how it ends. Can't wait!

And lastly, little ladies' journeys: In February I was asked to be the godmother to a beautiful baby girl. And yesterday, my first niece began her life's journeys. I'm excited to be a part of these ladies' lives. Oh, quite serendipitously—they both have the same middle name! Love.

The Night Circus

I don't recommend things very often, because it is so much about taste. So, unless I know your taste, I probably won't recommend books, movies, etc., to you. I might say how I felt about it, but I will make sure you know I have broad taste. You may not. And I don't want to be responsible for your investing a decent amount of time in something you don't like.

That being said...

Read The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. It's just that good. The mood, the description, even the things I don't understand about the ending. Still really, really good. 

Bruno on the Street

A friend posted this on FB, and it tickled my funny bone—and was a useful cap to some discussions about different parts of my life recently.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWp6kkz-pnQ

Try something new. And then keep trying.

Trampling Turtles in Suits...wait...

That'sTrampled By Turtles and Suits. The two entertainment pieces that made this weekend good. And what made it great?...well, that should be who. I spent some time in my old stomping grounds this weekend with new friends and then caught up with old friends. And then came home and caught up with more old friends. Overall, a very uplifting weekend.

Back to the entertainment! I started watching season 2 of Suits online a few months ago. And then I discovered a good friend is watching it too. And she just gave me season 1 for my birthday! I'm really excited to go back and catch up on the lawyerly goodness. It's a great blend of personalities and plot and bravura and learning lessons and growing up. And suits :)

I also had the privilege of seeing my second Trampled By Turtles show in Mankato this weekend at a beautiful 3-year outdoor venue. Perfect weather. Fantastic show. (Seriously, how do they play that fast?) Good friends. Great evening.

Thirtieth Olympiad

I love the Olympics. I fall for every ridiculous, cheesy overdramatized moment. I cry at the truly dramatic ones. I get into it. And yet, after a long weekend away with my family, when I wasn't taken away every day by work and instead could enjoy the Olympics at least in the background for four days straight, I think I may have reached saturation. Except that it is still on in the next room as I type this. So...addiction? Yep. It's only four more days and then I have to wait two years, so I may as well enjoy it. Maybe some day I'll even get there (as a spectator...I've long since given up dreams of making it there as an athlete...)

Favorite moments so far (either viewed, read about, or watched online)
Team USA beats Canada in soccer to get into the gold medal match...that was drama!
Missy Franklin...pretty much everything she was a part of, including that Call Me Maybe video.
Misty May-Treaner and Kerri Walsh Jennings three-peat in sand volleyball...their celebration was pretty epic.
Men's basketball players popping up at all of the events to show support...seriously, if you could, wouldn't you? (This also goes for the royals.) So fun!

I'm kinda sad that I haven't gotten more time in watching the lesser known sports like water polo, judo, and archery. But there is only so much time in the day...and I so love them all!

Foreshadowing

I'm watching and loving Downton Abbey. It really is as good as I'd heard. But even though I have a free day and could get away with just watching the rest of the episodes I have on hand, I stopped. I stopped because they are foreshadowing something I really don't want to happen. And it's as if when I stop watching I can stop it from happening. Ah the control we wield over the imaginary...

Eventually (today probably) I will get to curious and finish watching this episode. I'll let you know whether I was unhappily right or delightfully wrong.