I Loves Me Kindle

I got a Kindle for my birthday. At first I resisted giving in to this technology. I like the feeling of holding a book in my hand. I love walking through the aisles of a bookstore and having covers jump out at me. I like to count the pages I've read and determine how far along I am. You can't get these feelings with an ebook...or can you?

I also have some little idiosyncrasies when it comes to reading books.

1. I don't like reading hardbacks. They are too cumbersome to hold and carry in a purse.
2. I am very particular about the condition of a book. I much prefer new books. To see a book whose pages have been turned down to mark a spot or whose front cover has been folded back makes me cringe.
3. I don't like library books, mainly for the two reasons listed above. Plus, think about how many people have sneezed directly into a library book.
4. Finally, I'm very particular about a book's font. If it is too small, it hurts my eyes.

For the past several months, I have been on a reading kick. And since I have a new book fetish, I have run out of space on my bookshelf. I just took a load of books to a used bookstore, and they've already piled up again.

I also need instant gratification. I buy a lot of books on Amazon (since there is no new bookstore in my area...gasp!) The problem is, it takes a week to get the book.

So......for all of these reasons, I've bought a Kindle. I used my birthday money (yes, even 36 year-old's get money in cards.) Now, I can:

• get instant gratification with a 1-click download that is immediately transferred
• store 1000's of books
• control the font size

I was afraid the screen would hurt my eyes, but it doesn't at all. It is not back lit like a computer. If you're reading in the dark, you still need a light.

Best of all, I bought a case for it and you can hold the case just like a book.

As for roaming through bookstores, I can still do that (if I'm ever in a real city.) I can just download the Kindle version straight from my device. There also is no rule prohibiting me from reading "real" books. Let's be honest, for the longest time, the bookstore I most often frequent has been Amazon.

Instead of pages, I now count in percentages. Because you can change the size of the font, the number of pages in a book can change. Instead, the Kindle tells you the percentage of the book you've read. You can also see how far along you are into a chapter, for those who don't like to stop reading until you've come to the end of one.

I just finished reading my first Kindle book today, The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen. It was AWESOME, but that's a separate post. Read my Shelfari review. I feel like I read so much faster with the Kindle. I also might read different types of books than I'd normally choose because Amazon offers specials, which is how I ended up with The Surgeon.

That's my review.

Calgon, Take Me Very Far Away

I can't take it anymore. Belle and I and doing battle. One of us is not going to make it out of this summer alive. A jar of petroleum jelly this morning. A bottle of nail polish this afternoon. Both on my couch! I'm losing my sanity. Nothing is safe in this house from her clutches. There are just not enough beers in my refrigerator.

Comments

P.S. If you want to comment on any of my posts, you have to click on the post-it note at the top right corner of the post itself.

Sharpies Should be Outlawed

Today's Pros:
1. I finished all my grading for the semester.
2. My final exams are written and copied.

Today's Cons:

1.  This

2.  and this

3.  and this

4. and this

5.  AND THIS!!!!!!!

and 6. (not pictured) Belle emptied the bubble bath onto the bathroom floor this morning and was covered in it. I left it, as I was (once again) 15 minutes late. At least the house smelled baby fresh when we got home. This seemed like a really big deal until #1-5 occurred.

Hopefully, the marks on her face will be gone by tomorrow morning. Yes, the marker's permanent. Thank God for the Mr. Clean magic eraser. I got it off the tile, but not the grout.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls

We took Melanie and Belle to the Carson and Barnes Circus last night. They LOVED it! Melanie rode an elephant and a camel. Poor little Belle had to sit it out again. Maybe next year. The circus itself was actually entertaining. It was nice to see so many people who came out to support an American tradition...let's not get into the animal rights issues.

The human performers were very entertaining. There was an aerialist that was incredible. At one point, a guy lost his footing during one event and almost fell. People shrieked in terror. That's not helping, people. It reminded of the movie, The Greatest Show on Earth, though not as dangerous or spectacular.

It made me think about the circus performers and their backgrounds. One girl performed a hula hoop routine. She had to have been a rhythmic gymnast. I also couldn't believe the number of kids and dogs who were milling around their trailers. Do they have a tutor? The kids, I mean. I don't envy that life. They were loaded up, and the last trailers were pulling out this morning as I left for work at 7am.


At any rate, it was a fun time.

I Work, Therefore I am Not

I have 9 days left of school this year. I cannot tell you how happy I'll be on May 28th. Going back to work was probably a mistake...at least in terms of being a Drama teacher. I used to love it. Now it just takes up whatever spare time I have.

It's not that I mind work. I do not feel I was cut out to be a stay-at-home mom. But a part-time job or one where I could work from home would be ideal. My life from 5:00-7:00am is chaotic, frantic, frustrating, you name it. And it doesn't help that I'm raising two fashionistas.

I've applied to every online school there is. I'm beginning to get a complex that I haven't been hired yet. Ah, if only I could turn back time and change my college major. I'd maybe have more options.

Maybe something will happen this summer.

Recent Pictures of the Girls

Grand Opening

So, several of my friends have started blogs. I though I'd join in. Not that my life is that entertaining or that I think I'm so fabulous that the rest of the world should know my goings on. I am, however, very goal driven. My theory is that if I'm forced to write about my life, I might indirectly become more exciting.

I'm turning 36 in 4 days, hence the title. So, you ask what, "What are you going to do in a year when you're 37?" You might also ask, "Do you actually have any sense?" My answer to both questions: "I don't know." Maybe blogging will be 'so last season' in a year, and I won't have to worry about it.

I have several goals for myself in the next coming months. Hopefully, this blog can keep me focused. In no particular order, I'd like to:

1. Spend quality time with my children every day.
2. Average reading a book a week.
3. Stick to my new workout schedule.
4. Write on this blog at least once a week.

Happy blogging!