Tv & Movies that I've Currently Watched

Dr. Quinn Season 4 Vol 8

Gilmore Girls Season 2

Felicity Season 3

Ally McBeal Season 1

Gossip Girl Season 2

Drop Dead Diva Season 1

Watched 17 again with Zack Efron, in which I thought was a really fun movie. I needed a good laugh!!!I watched it with my daughter and niece gina who was here yesterday too sick to go to school. tryin to think of other movies I've watched recently. I watched Dance Flick about a week ago which was all too similar to Save The Last Dance, which is one of my favorite movies, but I didn't like this movie cause I just thought it was retarded!!!! We also watched Bring it On: Fight to the Finish that even my husband enjoyed and of course my little girl was dancing to the music and the dances they did in the movie. I really need to get my little girl in Dance classes soon, she loves dances around I really think she'd enjoy it!

About Me

Hi! My name is Mary Beth. Most of my friends and family call me Boo Bear. Don't ask me why??? It's a nickname I got when I was really little and its always stuck!I come from a Yours, Mine & Ours Type of family so we are really blended to say in the least. I've lived in Tennessee pretty much my whole life except when I was in my early 20's I lived in NYC, in addition to living in Toronto for a bit as well. I miss the City especially NYC. There is something about the City that I've always loved. But, about 5 years ago I got married to my husband Marty who is an old country boy. He couldn't stand to be away from the farm I don't think. We have a beautiful 3 year old daughter her name is Leah Josephine.

Food & Exercise Journal

I'm going to try and start keeping a food and exercise journal. Not bothering with today since it's labor day so please check back again soon!

Free Book Giveaway!!!!

Shoot the Moon by B. Letts
B. Letts
I have 5 Copies of the Book "Shoot the Moon" by Billie Letts to giveaway. I've not gotten the chance to read the book but,I love Billies books. I've got a few on my shelf I need to get read. I don't know much about this book so thought I would give you a few reviews from other sites that have reviewed it.

From AudioFileIn 1972, in DeClare, Oklahoma, 10-month-old Nicky Jack Harjo disappears when his single mother is murdered. Thirty years later Mark Albright, Californian veterinarian to the stars, having just learned he was adopted, arrives in DeClare, looking for an explanation from the mother who gave him away. His search for answers to the past turns into a mission of justice for his murdered mother and an explanation of his own mysterious adoption in California. Although the murderer's identity is obvious early, Kathe Mazur's easy-on-the-ears voice makes the story an enjoyable companion on a long road trip. She uses nuances in her voice to move between past and present, giving us a sense of the story's characters, culture, and community. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From BooklistA man's desperate search for his identity drives this riveting offering from the author of best-sellers Where the Heart Is (1995) and The Honk and Holler Opening Soon (1998). No one in sleepy DeClare, Oklahoma, has forgotten the 1972 murder of pretty Cherokee Gaylene Harjo and the abduction of her infant son, Nicky Jack. Hard-nosed deputy sheriff Oliver "O Boy" Daniels pinned the blame on local preacher Joe Dawson, but few in town believed the kindly Joe was capable of such an act. Powerful emotions resurface 30 years later, when Nicky Jack, adopted and raised by a rich couple in Beverly Hills, mysteriously reappears, determined to learn about his mother and the circumstances surrounding her death. Veteran short-story writer Letts peppers her prose with a cast of quirky characters, including a quartet of nosy, domino-playing senior citizens and a perky pool-hall owner who bakes peanut-butter pies. Readers of Sue Miller and Wally Lamb are sure to embrace this memorable tale of love, loss, humanity, and hope. Allison BlockCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Here are the conditions of being qualified.
1. You MUST Leave a Comment in this Post and more than just hello
2. You must write a personal email about Some sort of Cold Case you either personally know about or thats been in your area.Or a short story that you have completely fabricated. Hey after all this is about a murder! email me at ezziriah at gmail dot com.
I will be picking 5 Winners with the best stories. I'm undecided if it will be random or not. The Contest will End on September 15,2008 at 12:00 AM CST. I want to give other people amble time to respond. Good Luck!

Mommy & Punkleknot

This is my daughter Leah & me hanging out at my husband Aunt's House. This was taken sometime this past summer. Not sure when.



Sent from my iPod Touch

On the Road to Sucess

I have one massive headache right now I really think the cause is a combination of lack of sleep and sinus headache! Hubby and I have had little spats all weekend it seems and it doesn't help matters! My neice came over late last night about the time I was headed to bed and she wanted to charge her ipod. I love her but,jeez!! anyways she asked if she paid for the Membership at the Local YMCA if I would go with her to go workout. I said of course!! She said it opens up at 5:30 am and doesn't close till 10:30pm so,I could always get up to workout if i decided to. But,she said she wouldn't. She wants to go in the evenings. :P I'm much more of a morning person for working out. I have tons to do of the evenings. Not,sure If the babysitter would watch the toddler for a few hours more in the evenings. I feel like if I don't do it first thing in the mornings I won't do it at all.

I'm really wanting a Wii & Wii Fit. I've heard great things about it and there is so much you can do with it. I've not walked in about 10 days now. Hopefully I can get with the plan in the next few days. My weight has hovered around 288-272 for the last too much and I so tired of making excuses and not loosing more than I have. I've got to do more. I read a blog today about her son asking her why she sits around all the time on the time in this one seat. I felt like I was her and I related to her so much. Alot of times I'm sitting and spending too much on the computer reading about weight loss and fitness and not enough time doing it. So,I have to do it!! Tonight me is going to bed early so,i can get up to go for a walk. I'm doing lunges 3X's a week and push-ups 3X's a week. I went to the grocery store earlier. I got alot of produce and I'm happy about all I've gotten. I think I done well as far as choices go. I hope everyone is having a great Holiday!

A loss is my gain!!!

Woohoo!!! I had a loss!! Wasn't earth shattering but,it was a loss so I guess thats all that matters. I always weight myself on Sunday Mornings which,ended up not doing so till after church this morning but,This week I lost 0.4 lbs.

My Long Weekend Plans

Well,I'm off work today. yipee!!! Hubby and I watched the movie "21" last night and it was a pretty good movie. I really liked it. My little girl kept wanting to play so,we didn't get too into it at first but,overall i think it was a great movie. Its about a College Student who wants to Go to Medical School and really doesn't have the money but,he is really good with numbers. His professor gets him into the "club" of numbers. So, he is the best at it and He gets greedy and wants it all. His teacher is getting a cut of the money and wants to go out on his own but,gets caught anyways I won't tell everything...lol but,he really shows the teacher a thing or two. Its a good movie.

Today marty,my husband is helping at his brothers house to do some yard work over there for some cash. My husband has made close to $400 of work just for cleaning up at his brothers. Today,I'm doing Laundry and hanging out with my little girl. I'm planning on going to see my parents but,they have a church fuction they have to be at by 3pm so not sure if i will get to make it up there or not? My neice,christina is coming over after 12pm. she was helping with a birthday party and then she is coming over. She is going to go to the White County Fair with us tonight. The Fair Costs $5.00 to get in tonight. They are having the Tractor Pull & Drag Racing @ 7pm that My husband want to see. So,we are mainly going for that. I thought we'd walk around the midway a few times maybe chat with people we know. Thought I would take my camera and take some pictures of leah's First time at the fair.
No plans for tomorrow other than sleeping in. Probably be a late night at the fair so,I know we will all probably sleep in. I have to work monday which is a drag. But,I'm probably only going to work half a day. I think we are planning on cooking out for our supper that night.

Glock the Rock

This is my favorite American Idol Singer EVER!! Its Gina Glocksen. I love her haircut in this. I have something similar now but,my hair is brown so I have strawberry blonde highlights. I think its so cute! I really want to grow my hair out but,what can I say when it gets summer time the last thing I want to do is mess with long locks. Okay enough blogging for now its momma time!!

The Dreaded Pregnant Picture

This is me preggers. I think I was about 8 months pregnant. I was on strick bedrest so,I gained quite a bit of weight. But,my neice,Tequilla Sunrise (yes,that really is her name!) took this she insisted that I would want pics of being pregnant. I think I gained a little more weight but,not much. I was on strick bedrest because of health issues I was having. I had a rough pregnancy and delivery. I had to have an Emergency Cesearen Section and my stomach muscles went to hell!! oh wait they where before that. Anyhoo,this is at my biggest. Hopefully soon I can post some better pictures where I have lost some weight. I want to weight till i loose a little more weight though.

My Favorite

This is my neice Christina whom I've gotten to where I call her "T-Nut" lately. She can act really silly. She's 16 years young and she just had a bday not too long ago. This was taken about 2 years ago at my baby shower. We had a blast that day. Never had so much at a baby shower. Christina is my favorite beside my own daughter. Her mom was a teenager when she got pregnant & had her. I can remember her coming to our parents house and she'd say here hold your neice and I was instantly in love with her. Such a cutie! What happened...ok ok I'm just joking tnut. I love you girl. We've been close ever since and my only hope leah looks up to her as she has me. Christina is over my house almost every weekend. She's my rent a kid as my husband,marty says. We are planning on going to the White County Fair Tomorrow night to see the Tractor Pull. Hopefully my daughter does well with being out late. She may go to bed late. I guess its another Sunday of sleeping in.

Wake-Up Sleepy Girl

This is My Daughter last July. We went to Morristown,TN to get my step-daughters things at her mothers. My step-daughter,Andrea was moving in with us. Although it was short lived. Anyways she got mad at her dad and moved back in with her mother. Drama I tell ya nothing but,Drama! God,Help her! Love her but,get soo sick of all the drama. Anyways,Leah just woke up from a short-lived nap. We hadn't even gotten out of our Hometown of Sparta,TN when she woke up and it was a long 3 hour drive. Looking back now she had no hair. She was bald! To think I actually thought she actually had some hair then. Her hair has really taken off growing. My only wish is to put it up in a bow by her B-Day which is about a month away. I need to start making prepartions for the Party! Any ideas?

My Grandparents

Here is a picture of my Grandparents. Pa and Granny Prater. I miss them. My grandfather was in his 80s and still working when he died. He was on his way home from work and had a vehicle accident in his truck. He was a worker!!! He worked in construction. My grandfather was a very giving person and my granny like to keep what was close to her even closer!! Granny and I didn't always see I to eye but,I am thankful we got closer before she died. I never went to Pa's Funeral cause I was young and had a major fear of funeral homes. I got to go to granny's wake but,never got to go to her funeral because of having to have reconstructive surgery on my arm. I can remember of coming into their house and smelling turnip greens cooking. I can never forget the smell. I also remember sitting on the couch and watching Professional Wrestling with Pa. They are missed and I hope they know that.

Snow Day 2008

This picture was taken Febuary 27,2008. We didn't get much snow as you can tell. We've not had a good snow since winter of 1998. I love a good snow but in Tennesse for the last few years it's been boarderline. It's either rain, snow or a mixture of both. Here is to dreaming of snow this next year.



Sent from my iPod Touch

Marcia Marcia Marcia

I know this probably isn't a very clear picture but, this is my sister Marcie I think she always spelled it Marcia. I used to tease her and go around calling her Marcia,Marcia,Marcia. She is an old older half sister but thought of her much more than that. She was more like a 2nd mom. She had a daughter who is just 3 months younger than me and we where close too. So we where around alot. I miss her so badly sometimes. There are some things you'll never get answers to and suicide is one of them. My sister shot herself with a sawed off shotgun. I miss her more and more nothing seems to ease that pain. My family is much different now. I only wished we where closer. Almost all families has secrets and ours is no exception. Looking back I wished I could had done more to help her. There has been so much to happen since her death. I try to become closer to my family but it seems impossible. It was like she was our glue. She was the one to organize picnics or campouts. It's sad. I've gotten married and had a child. Who knew??? Lots of people said I was the last they thought to do those things. I only wished my daughter could had known her.


Sent from my iPod Touch

Cousins Forever!

This is my Neice Carrie. She is married to my nephew Coma. They have 3 kids Dylan,Katie & Josh. Leah, my 22 month old daughter is with her in this picture. This was taken back in Febuary when she came over to help us pack some stuff up. Lately Carrie and I've gotten closer. Maybe it has to do with having a child of my own. Leah loves her children and the last time we visited with them she didn't want to leave.



Sent from my iPod Touch

Filling up the iPod Touch

Last Night I found out I had extras $$$ so,I bought me an iTunes Card and bought Some Music and some things to Watch on my iPod Touch. Here is what I bought.

Movies:
"21" Will give a review of it when Hubby and I find the time to watch it. Probably tomorrow or Saturday Night.

Television Shows: Prison Break hubby and I have been watching alot lately we just actually started watching it. And we are hooked.

Music: I bought the rest of Tegan & Sara's "So Jealous" album. I really love their sound. yes,I know they are lesbian but,don't care music isn't about sexuality its about creativty!

I also Bought Barlowgirl "Another Journal Entry" for the 2nd time. First it was on CD someone stole it and I just love them. Those girls can really rock. Saw them in concert about 3 years ago and I loved them the sister that is the drummer was rocking so hard that she broke her drumsticks!!! I also bought a few songs off their newest album.

Also bought MercyMe's "I can only Imagine"

so I now have close to 900 songs in my iTunes Library. wowzer I have a varied taste in music,from classical to contemporary christian to idie music. Love music!!

ohh and I added some more Grey's Anatomy Music to my Playlist. I am trying to get all the music off the show. I love alot of the music on there cause alot of it seems to be indie type music and I love it.

Just one Reason why I love the hubster!

I'm really proud of the husband. Last night at the dinner table he asked if I was going to take a shower? I said yes mostly because of aunt flo. When aunt flo is visiting I have a thing about taking a shower before bed. Anyho my Hubby was like you've not worked out in a week. I was like yeah I know. I was surprised him saying anything. He then said I don't want to see you fail I actually want to see you do this. I don't want to see you start and then quit. I want to see you sucseed at this. You've tried to loose weight for the last 5 years. It made me happy that he's my man! Seeing that he wants this for me too. I've been kinda depressed lately. I'm almost sure it's me not getting enough sleep. I'm suppose to have Saturday off. So I plan on sleeping in. Taking naps with Leah and resting up. Maybe take a walk Saturday afternoon. I really need to get my butt in gear and get back on plan. Food & exercise wise.

Sent from my iPod Touch

I have this feeling

I have a feeling that I'm the only one that visits this blog but, yours truly. But that's okay. This is for me anyways. I've been blogging through my wordpress blog lately. Most of the time I blog using my iPod touch. I really hope blogger designs a web app for the iPod Touch/iPhone soon!!! Wordpress has one why not blogger?? I work out in the country and I have No Wi-Fi acess so, I have no way of sending messages to my blog or to anyone for that matter till I get home. I wished someone would design an app program because it would be so easier to keep blog post in one central location. Plus I would love the app to be able to take pics or add pics from your albums you have already in your iPhone/iPod Touch. Hopefully someone will design something soon.

Sent from my iPod Touch


Update: I've not been here in about a week if not more! I really love blogging using my iPod Touch but there are no apps for blogging with blogger. Which,I hate. I have been using wordpress but,Blogger is much simpler for me to use. I've actually had about 3 different people to visit my blog this week and I'm so excited I'm actually getting peeps to visit my little corner of the world.

Random thoughts

Random thoughts

I went online over the weekend and ordered the Nike+iPod. I'm hoping I receive the whole iPod and Nike+ system before next Monday so I can start the whole week off fresh. I really can't wait to use the Nike+ system so I can see & hear how I'm doing. I've heard that it tells you if it's your fastest mile yet. I know there are all sorts of graphs on the site too. I'm just so excited about using it.
I started doing the "Couch To 5K" Monday and I didn't have alot of time but, I done what I could. I done the 5 minute warm up walk and then done 1 round of the walking/running interval and I was so out of breath. I had to stop to catch my breath. I never realized how outta shape I am in. For every workout I don't do completely I want to do it over till I actually finish it. I didn't workout this morning I reset the alarm and just got up with enough time to get ready for work.
I joined the "tweight loss challenge" this week. Everyone is organized on teams and everyone is on twitter to help motivate each other. So excited about having a group if people that is having the same struggles.

Sent from my iPod Touch

Couch 2 5K

This next monday I'm starting the couch to 5k. Its only 3 days in the week so,enough time to recover. Monday is go time!!


Week Workout 1 Workout 2 Workout 3
1 Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes. Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes. Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
2 Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes. Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes. Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
3 Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following:
Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes)
Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following:
Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes)
Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following:
Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds)
Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes)
Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)

4 Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes)
Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes)
Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes)
Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)

5 Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)
Walk 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog two miles (or 20 minutes) with no walking.
6 Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)
Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes)
Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes)
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2-1/4 miles (or 25 minutes) with no walking.
7 Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes). Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes). Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).
8 Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes). Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes). Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).
9 Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes). Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes). The final workout! Congratulations! Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).

Don't try this at work

Don't try this at work

Like I've said in previous post the lady I take care of gave me a treadmill. Yah me!! I'm glad I didn't have to buy one. I don't get paid again till Friday so, we are running low on gas $$. So, I was really wanting to start using my treadmill. So what did me being impatient do?? I loaded it up myself in the back of my jeep. Grrr... I am woman hear me roar. Boy, that thing is HEAVY!!
First of all ladies & gents don't go lifting your treadmill at home thinking it's a great workout. If your not careful you could hurt your back or some other body part you never knew existed.

Just tried my treadmill out & I love it!! My little girl even took a walk. I even took a little jog.

Sent from my iPod Touch

A new day-- let's clean the slate

A new day-- let's clean the slate

I'm really proud of myself yesterday I went for my morning walk there Is a hughe hill well, I ran up it. It probably only took 30-45 seconds to run up it. But, I done my usual 1/2 mile and had no leg pain that I've been experiencing lately. It goes up my leg and it's in my calf muscle as well as the muscles in my ankles. I wonder if that's shen splints?? I know they can be brought on at time because of weak muscles or even because of shoes. I know I need new shoes. I'm wanting some Nike+ for when I start using the Nike+iPod system. Maybe next time when I get paid. I'm planning on buying an iPod nano when I get paid this week. Planning on buying a refurbished one off the apple website.
Anyways, I can't wait till I get all my stuff for running with Nike+ I'm getting impatient.

I've started doing crunches. I want to do 100 crunches a day. So hopefully I can do at least 500 crunches a week. I want to do various Crunches so that I'm working various muscles in my abs. I really hope I can reduced my stomachs fat. My stomach muscles are horrible. Since having a baby my abs are just aweful. Especially my lower abs. Hopefully the crunches will help improve that area.

Sent from my iPod Touch

Free Treadmill

Free Treadmill

The lady I take care of has all kinds of stuff that she never uses. I went out in her garage the other day to get something for her. I noticed she had a treadmill. It looks like it hasn't been used very much. So this morning she asked if I still wanted that treadmill. I was like yeah!!! She said I could have it if I didn't charge her for taking her trash off. Yeah!!!! So I don't have to buy one now. I was planning on buying one to start doing my Nike+ walking/running workouts. Now I don't have to. I still need to buy a few things before I can start using Nike+.

•New Nike+ Shoes
•Ipod Nano
•Nike+ Starter Kit

I can't buy all these when I get paid but maybe I could buy the iPod Nano now and then get the Nike+ Software when I get paid again.

Sent from my iPod Touch

Ipod Nanos sale

Well,I'm so wanting to start tracking my walking/running using an ipod nano and the nike+ well,I went onto the apple website and found a ipod nano for $99! Depending on how much my check is this week I might buy one. Now it may take another 2 weeks to get the nike+ software and senor that I need. I'm still debating on getting some nike+ shoes. I do need some new shoes And I currently have nikes but they are NOT Nike+. I know right now i'm only walking but,I could track that regardless. Wheather its walking or running. I am wanting to start running not sure when I will start. But, with me the only one working I have to do one thing at a time. So this week its the ipod nano. Still looking around the internet to try and find one cheaper. I would even take the ipod nano 1st generation and i like those better anyways.

The Nike+ Human Race

I'm going to start training for next years Nike+ Human Race. I know there will be one 08/31/08 and I know I'm not in the shape for that but,I have a little over a year to train for the next one. So,with that said I ran across a beginners running schedule on the nike+ website. Im not sure what I will do once it starts getting colder because i know I won't even attempt to get up earlier to go walking/running of the mornings. But,this is my goal to run a 10K not sure how I will do any running yet see as I can barely walk .5 mile. But,I'd really love to get me a treadmill and maybe run that way. i might wait till marty goes back to work and I could almost buy one with one check. I think that is what I will do cause it will be around the time it starts getting cooler. A 10k is probably around 6.5 miles so,I want to be able to run that with no problem so,I have a year to train and get faster. For one to just walk a mile.

Nike+

I've been thinking of starting to run alot lately and its probably weird that I've even been having dreams of running. Yeah, I know its weird but,like I said I've been thinking of running ALOT lately!! Anyways if you are intune to the earth...lol you've probably heard about the nike+ that you can use with your ipod nano. It tracks your distance,calories burned,and a few other things I believe. I think there are even coaches on there that can help you to go even further. You have to have nike+ shoes well you don't have to but,I think it I'd rather have nike than anything. Thats what I wear currently. Anyways,I plan getting me a new pair of nikes anyways when i get paid this week but, I think you can wear other shoes as well. You have to have an ipod nano of course. Which,I don't have one yet but,plan to save up and get me one soon. anyways you have to get the nike+ software too to sync all your runs/walks on the nike+ website. I really would love to start running with nike+ It may take awhile before I can seeing how I need to save up for a ipod nano. They do have the nike sportsbands but,you don't have any music with it and there would be no coaching. Not sure if I want to go that route or not. I need someone to motivate me to get moving.

Who wears the pants in the family??

Who wears the pants in the family??

Wednesday night I was getting ready to take a shower. I got out some pj bottoms for me to wear to bed. Well I decided not to wear them. I laid them across my bed and thought to myself I would put them away after I got my shower. When I got out of the shower my little girl was already asleep. I looked down at her and she had my pj bottoms on!!!! My husband said she threw a fit to put my pj bottoms on. She fell asleep in them. It was so adorable.

Sent from my iPod Touch

Perfection

i love the biggest loser I've watched for the last several years and sometimes I wish bob or Jillian was my trainer :-( It would take some major guts to be on that show. Well,anyways I've been listening to Jillian's Podcasts via my ipod touch and I just love her and have learned alot!!!! Anyways, I listened to one today about how we all seek perfection which is so true. When we are dieting when want to be in that Perfect black dress or perfect size jeans. Once we get to that weight are we truly happy with the outcome? or are we seeking more. Are we wanting that breast lift or tummy tuck are we truly happy that we may have lost an amazing 70 lbs? or do we go further? And when we are over weight do most of you wait to have a life? do you wait to meet that special someone for fear of rejection? or fear of just not being what you think you ought to be. Are you putting your life on hold till you get to perfection I agree with Jillian about getting out and experienceing like now without regrets and without selling yourself short. Here's to life now!!!! Don't wait till your perfect because you never will be. Jillian was saying that Kim Lyons was on the show and someone ask when will I see perfection and she said NEVER Perfection is never. Your goal will never be finalized. Because this is a lifestyle and you have to continually work at it. We will never be perfect but we can make ourselves feel better. Have a better life physcially,mentally and emotionally and I think most of all Spirtually. There is no finish line and we will always have issues we need to work on.

My progress

My progress

Well yesterday could had been better. I got up and went walking and the road we live on is hilly and I didn't even walk a mile and it took 15 mins to walk it. I think it was not even a half mile. My husband said not to be too hard on myself cause 1. I just started walking again 2. The road we live on has a big hill. Maybe I can start walking after work and that would make a full 30 mins a day. I wished there was someone close by to teach me pilates I would love to do pilates a few times a week to work my body that way I'm doing it right. Maybe if marty goes to work maybe I could go to the cookeville pilates studio once a week. And maybe if I could do floor pilates work on my own maybe that would be enough pilates for the week.
Yesterday I pretty well stayed within my points but, martys aunt made spagetti. Any sort of pasta is my weakness. I actually had a smartones spagetti meal I could had eaten Instead but didn't. It's just I love spagetti!!! I think I'm doing much better today but I thought I might do some firm workout tonight since I wasn't able to go walking this morning. I thought I'd try and do one of my firm videos a few nights a week. While hubby is showering. I may have to stop and make Leah behave. LOL she can be a mess. But I love her. We sat on the porch swing before I had to give her a bath and hubby and I was snuggling while Leah played and she saw us hugging up to each other. She wanted to sit between us like a caperone. LOL. We began hugging up to her too. It was so cute. It felt so good just to cuddle up to my two fave people. Like I wanted time to stop for us to enjoy that moment. Leah began kissing her daddy then she would kiss me. Then it was kissing and
hugging her daddy or mommy!! I love being a mother. I only wished I had more time. I dread if hubby goes back to work. I'll probably have to find a new babysitter. Which is probably best anyways Martys aunt has watched her in the past and she is babysitting way too many kids as it is. I might check with my bestfriend Cherri she's at home all day anyways. It would give her some extra cash too. Hubby asked if his 18 year old cousin,Wayne could babysit and I told him noway in this life!!! He's a young boy and I think it's inapporiate for a young boy to watch any little girl. There is something I don't trust about him. I would rather pay someone I know that I trust than do that. Somewhere I know my child is safe.

Sent from my iPod Touch

I joined in...

so if anyone ever reads my blog you know that I've been doing weight Watchers on my own for the last month and as of today Ive lost a total of 10 pounds. Which of course I'm really excited about. My highest weight was 280 and I always told myself that if I ever got to 300 that I'd have to curl up and die. Well Im at the weight I was when I was 9 months pregnant with my 2 year daughter. Anyways when I told my husband I was going to a meeting he didn't seem thrilled. Like it's a waste of time. I was just gonna join to get the new info you get at a week one meeting. But after my meeting I felt like if I'm gonna do this I need some accountabilty and the only weigh I can do that is go to meetings. Plus I'd love to aim to get that keychain with the charms. It's something I have to work towards. It's not something I can just order online or go to the store and buy. It's something you have to earn. To earn it you have to actually WORK for it!!!

I'll be Your umbrella

I heard Umbrella sang by Mandy Moore last night on youtube and as always she does a beautiful job. I think I like it better than Rhianna's version. Its how I feel about my husband at this time in our lives.


Rihanna - Umbrella lyrics

Three Moons Over Milford

If you know me you know I get into a TV Show and I download them off iTunes and put them on my iPod Touch so I can have something to do while I'm at work with nothing else to do. I started watching "Three Moons over Milford" It was aired on ABCFamily and I really liked this show it was really cute but the ended the series back in 2006 it only last for an 8 episode run but,I wished it had done better. I really enjoyed the show. It gave the feeling of Gilmore Girls which I love too.

Getting on the stick

Getting on the stick

I'm sitting here watching Sex & The City at work. I'm so bored out of my mind. So, I've been recording Sex & The City and Scrubs on Mrs. Anderson's Tivo.
Well, I lost 4 lbs this week. A pretty good loss for my 1st week on Weight Watchers. The loss alone has gotten me on this high where I actually want to eat healthy and exercise. I'm feeling pretty good about it. I made me some chilli but I added some morning star crumblers instead of the regular ground beef that I usually cook with. I have no idea how much points they are but, it couldn't be as much as the regular chilli I usually make. I usually eat breakfast once I get to work but this morning Mrs. Anderson's nephews came so, it was after 10am before I ever ate.
I've been reading different weight loss blogs for motivation throughout my day. It's been a great motivation for me but, when I updated my iPod this weekend it took off my RSS Reader off my iPod :-( ugh I think I'm going to buy an app for my iPod off iTunes called b-Line I believe?? I thought I would get that to read the blogs I read. Ahh.. Going through withdrawals here I love reading them for support, tips and even getting new recipes for Weight Watchers.

Sent from my iPod Touch

Week 1 Weigh In

Okay so I'm trying to do this Weight Watcher think on my own and I really didn't get any real food in the house till Tuesday so, its not been an actually complete week on the program but,I weighed in on my Weight Watchers Scales and it kept reading several different numbers. So,not sure what to go with so the last time I weighed it said 271 that is a 4 pound loss for the 1st week. I don't think I can complain. I believe I got to walk 2 x's this week before I went in to work plus hubby and I went walking Last sunday evening we put our little girl in the stroller and we took her to the playground and played with her on the different playground equipment there. So,overall I had a good week

Starting Weight: 280
Current Weight:271

100 Calorie Packs are they really Healthy for You????

100 Calorie Packs are they really Healthy for You????

Yesterday, I watched the Today Show when I got to work. They had a doctor on there that had written a book about how food fuels our metabalism. He said that eating fruits high in sugar are better for you than processed foods that's high in sugar which I agree with. But he was saying to stay away from all of the 100 calorie packs. I agree that the more carbs you eat the more carbs you want but, if you do it smartly I think you could have a little snack just don't eat the whole box of 'em. But, I always make sure I eat my fruits first. That's why I love Weight Watchers. You can eat healthy while eat the foods that you love. I really feel that if you deprive yourself of what you crave your setting yourself up for failure. So here is my theory eat the foods you love but, do it smartly. Find low calorie/ low point foods finds and always remember portion control.

Sent from my iPod

Today's Journal

Check All
Target Food POINTS values remaining
7
Morning
1 Tbsp sugar
1
1 serving Smart Balance Omega spread, light
1
2 slice Weight Watchers Singles
2
1 packet Quaker Oats Instant oatmeal weight control - maple brown sugar
3
Subtotal
7
Midday
1 serving oscar myer roast beef
1
1 cup Iceberg lettuce
0
1 serving Light Flat Out Bread
1
1 serving Diet Dr. Pepper
0
3 slice tomato(es)
0
Subtotal
2
Evening
1 medium orange(s)
1
6 items Hostess 100 Calorie Carrot mini cakes
3.5
1 medium corn on the cob
1
2 large kiwifruit
1.5
1 serving Smart Ones Fajita Chicken Supreme
5
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
3
1 serving Diet Dr. Pepper
0
Subtotal
15
Snack
Subtotal
0
Total Food POINTS values used
24
Food POINTS Balance over (-) under (+)
+7
Exercise
30 min walking, brisk
3
Total Activity POINTS values earned
3
Check off these important items daily
Water 40 oz.
Milk & Milk Products 2 servings
Fruits & Vegetables 5+ Servings
Multivitamin herbalife vitamin
Notes: yea me!! I stayed on track all day!! I even stayed on track once I got home!! even went for a walk yea!!

Failure is NOT an Option for me

Failure is NOT an Option for me

Today has been a pretty good day for me although I should be drinking more water. But, I'm working on that. I seem to do well at work as long as I pack my Breakfast & lunch as healthy as I can. Living with my husband's family can be stressful at times and DH aunt acts ticked off if I don't eat what she cooks. But, it is my body right? Last night I actually felt guilty for not eating that junk so what did I do? I ate it!! As I was eating it I felt like such a failure. With each little I felt like I was cheating on a lover.
For supper we had homemade country biscuits with gravy and northern beans which I hate. I hate almost all beans. There was also some kind of meat porkchops perhaps. Which looked like it was rolled in flour and fried in grease of course. I don't even like foods like that so why in the world did I even eat it??
I've been walking around the local Elementary School which is not even a five minute walk from the house. My little girl came and got in our bed last night and around 7am she began gabbing and my hubby was playing with her and said honey did you know her diaper was off!! I started to laugh. He said all I could see was her butt in my face. It was hilarious. Im trying to pottytrain her but, I work all day and its close to 6pm when I get home. My hubby mostly watches her with the help of his aunt but it doesn't seem like they ever helped with the potty training. If I could just get her potty train I would be happy with myself on the parenting front. She was broke from a pacifer by the time she was 3 months old. The bottle took a little longer than I liked. She held onto it longer than most little kids I think cause of dh car wreck. She didn't have either parent for close to 2 weeks and I think she used the bottle for some sort of security. She's now able
to drink from a real cup without spilling it well,most of the time. Although she still drinks from a sippy to help prevent so many spills. Okay enough of weight loss & my parenting woes. I have 45 mins before I get off work. Planning on taking a walk before i get to the house.

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The Reality of Hamburgers

The Reality of Hamburgers

Yesterday I believe I done fairly well on Weight Watchers for the first time in 2 years. My husband wanted a hamburger so, I ate one too. Usually, I eat 2 burgers but, if I'm gonna loose weight I know I'm going to have to cut back. I was reading the nutrition info on the box and it had like 380 calories & 28g of fat. Omg. I can't believe I have been putting stuff like that in my body. This isn't counting the toppings. I believe I'm gonna try to start going to Weight Watchers Meetings but, hopefully I can find something close by. I might also try and do weight watchers on the go. I think I'll have to buy a palm pilot for it. I might could find one online really cheap. I've been coming into work at 9 am and I can stay late to work extra hours. This morning I came in and Mrs. Andersons best friend & her nephew was here. So, I thought while she was visiting with friends & family I would clean really good. It seems I was busy for 2 hours straight. So maybe
since I was so busy maybe it will make up for not walking this morning. I'm wanting to get up early to go walking before I come into work.

Todays Food journal

Hamburger--9points
Bun--2points
Lettuce--0 points
Tomatoe--1point
WW Cheese--1points
Dt. Dr. Pepper 0points
100 cal. Carrot cake--1point
Bananna --2 points

I have 19 points left for the day for me to eat. I am work and I have a kiwi & orange left to eat before I go home.

Sent from my iPod

Food Journal entry for July 8,2008

Food Journal entry for July 8,2008

Daily Target 34

Breakfast:
2 organic waffles - 4 points
1 tbsp smart bal. Lgt omega -1 points
1/4 c csry's syrup. -0 points
1 large bananna - 1 points

Lunch: points
Flatt out bread -1 points
Roast beef -1 points
WW Cheese -1 points
2 tomatoe slices - 0 points
Lettuce -0 points
Dt. Dr. Pepper - 0 points
Med. Apple. -1 points

Snacks:
Cantelope -1 points
100 calorie carrot cake -1 points

Supper

Dt dr. Pepper -0 points
Lettuce -0 points
Tomatoe -0 points
WW cheese -1 points
Burger -9 points
Bun 2 points
Pickles -0 points
Mayo -1 points
Ketchup -1 points
French fries -6 points

Dessert:
WW turtle sundae 3 points

Total Daily Points Eaten:35

My Thoughts: Oppsies I went over by one point according to my calculations. I had an extra slice of tomatoes this morning so I think I may have added a point so maybe I am okay. But, I do know that I still have some cutting back to do. This is just the beginning. What do all the Skinny minnies who can eat and eat cram their faces full of food yet never gain a pound. Its just not Fair. I feel like I have eaten more today than I have in months so,maybe thats my problem. While I was at work and Mrs. Anderson,the lady I take care was resting I done some squats and various exercises to get moving around. I don't have to be at work till 9 am in the morning so,I thought I would still get up at my regular time and go for a walk. Its should be nice!!
Sent from my iPod

Well, I searched online for a program to rip my DVDs that converts it into a iTunes readable file. The program is called Magic DVD Ripper and it normally costs $50.00. But I got it free!!! I downloaded 3 movies onto my iPod touch I borrowed from my sister,Crystal. Here are the movies I downloaded so far:

Well, I searched online for a program to rip my DVDs that converts it into a iTunes readable file. The program is called Magic DVD Ripper and it normally costs $50.00. But I got it free!!! I downloaded 3 movies onto my iPod touch I borrowed from my sister,Crystal. Here are the movies I downloaded so far:

Castaway
The Notebook
Sweet Home Alabama
Raise Your Voice
Fast & The Furious
Twister
Titanic

Sent from my iPod

The Good Witch

The Good Witch

I finished watching "The Good Witch" this morning at Mrs. Anderson's house. She had Dish Network her box has a DVR built into it. So I look on the guide for stuff to record & I've been watching it at work when I've got time. Anyways I finished "The Good Witch" it was a pretty good movie. I like movies that Lifetime & Hallmark puts out.
Ehr
Anyways the movie was about a lady who inherited an old run down house and she moves in and wins over a family and helps them with some issues each of them have. A grumpy lady tries to run her out of town. But finally she wins the towns people over too.

Sent from my iPod

A new start

A new start

I read a post that Roni posted on Weight Watchen. She said there was different levels of Food Journaling. Which, is so true!! I know that if I don't journal my foods then how will I ever know what I'm doing wrong. We can't do anything as far as grocery shopping goes cause, I don't get paid till tomorrow
I know I have to loose this weight and I don't think I ever will unless I just do what needs to be done. Such as journaling, planning my meals ahead and exercising. Since I've not gotten paid in 3 weeks I've not went to the grocery store and done any real grocery shopping. We've got plenty of food but, its not so healthy. This is my first day of Jornaling.

July 07,2008--

Today's Weigh-In:

Breakfast: Points
4 slices of white bread
4 tbsp of butter
4 slices of cheese
12 oz. Can Dr. Pepper

Snacks: Points
3 chocolate oatmeal cookies

Daily Water intake: 20 Oz.
Fruits & Veggies: none

Sent from my iPod

Hubby's Visit to Disability Doctor

My husband went for his appointment to see A Disability Social Security Doctor today. It was to help to determine if he will be able to get on his disability. I could kick my husbands butt!! He told that doctor that his former employer was paying his insurance to see if he could go back to work for him. He said I think you'll be able to return to work with a little Therapy. He had him to squat,bend him knee and to completely lay down with his leg all the way down. I really feel it may have ruined his chances on getting on disability. Which only means he will be able to go back to work. Which I kinda dread for him to do cause I hate him driving all that way around Sligo Bridge and working 60+ hours a week. I just rather see that he is safe here at home. I guess will take it one day at a time.

Bookman & Bookwoman's Top Book Reads for the summer

I watched Talk of The Town on News Channel 5 today while I had to work at Mrs. Anderson's house. I saw a preview of the show about what where the top books to read for the summer so,i especially wanted to watch today. If you know anything about me you would know that I love to read books.Bookwoman and bookman are the owners of a local used Bookstore in Nashville.They are open daily and have over 100,000 books in stock. I plan to read several books from this list. Some look like some real page turners.


They are located at:
BookMan/BookWoman Books
1713 21st Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37212





The top Books are:

A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander

From Publishers Weekly
In Alexander's charming third novel of romantic suspense set in late Victorian England (after The Poisoned Season), Lady Emily Ashton is at a country house party when someone shoots her noxious host, Lord Basil Fortescue, with a dueling pistol. After the husband of a good friend is accused of the murder, Emily determines to find the real killer. The only clue, a threatening letter promising a political assassination, drives Emily to Vienna, where she meets the painter Gustav Klimt and shares stolen moments with her fiancé, diplomat Colin Hargreaves. But Emily never forgets her urgent mission—in the service of which she must match wits with double agents and anarchists as well as ally herself temporarily with Colin's former lover, the sexually sophisticated Kristiana von Lange. The appealing Emily at times comes across as too modern for even the most unconventional Victorian character, and the plot sags in mid-story despite several clever subplots. Still, the book's entertaining voice and accurate period detail will seduce most readers.

The Road to Eden's Ridge by M.L. Rose

From Publishers Weekly
Lindsey Briggs leaves her fiance at the altar in her small Maine town and heads for Nashville to pursue her lifelong dream of being a country singer-songwriter in this quietly sentimental novel. After burying her musical inclinations under a Harvard education, 20-something Lindsey experiences an epiphany less than an hour before her wedding, standing in front of the mirror and listening to a recording of herself singing a song shed written half a lifetime before. She packs up her car and heads south, away from Eden's Ridge and the grandmother who raised her after her parents were killed in a car accident when she was a baby. Once in Nashville, armed with a guitar and a band of new friends, Lindsey encounters Ben McBride, the country singer who once visited her grandfather 50 years ago at his farm in Maine, and of whom she has an old photograph, a reminder of her grandfather's past and her own. What Lindsey doesn't know is the extent of McBride's involvement with her family and the secrets buried in her own life. Rose is the pseudonym for Myra McLary (Water in the Well) and Linda Weeks, who together breathe realism into their settings and life into their characters. Lindsey's lyrics, contributed by Nashville songwriters, leave depth and subtlety to be desired, but her passion for living and need to follow her heart make her a character with whom women readers will easily identify.

Phantom Prey (Lucas Davenport Mysteries)

 by John Sandford

From Publishers Weekly
In bestseller Sandford's solid 18th Prey novel (after Invisible Prey), Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agent Lucas Davenport, who's received numerous promotions in the course of the series, ought to be taking the desk aspects of his job more seriously. But the man remains more comfortable working a stakeout, interviewing suspects and taking down bad guys than he is filling out personnel evaluation forms on his staff—which explains why he's still getting shot at, peeping at a cocaine dealer's wife hoping for a glimpse of her husband and, at his wife's behest, looking into the unsolved kidnapping and presumed murder of a wealthy young woman into the goth scene. It becomes clear that a serial killer is targeting goths as well as anyone, including Lucas, who gets in the way. While some pretty murky psychology encumbers the plot, Sandford delivers the kind of riveting action that keeps thriller fans turning the pages.

Swan Peak: A Dave Robicheaux Novel

by James Lee Burke

Much beloved Louisiana lawman Dave Robicheaux is back again, this time in the brand new setting of the rugged Montana mountains.

Whacked by Jules Asner

From Publishers Weekly
Asner—ex-model, wife of director Steven Soderbergh and E! Entertainment Television personality—debuts with a dishy mix of Tinseltown hackdom, chick lit and, surprisingly, a chilling plot. Dani Hale is an L.A. TV writer for crime show Flesh and Bone who has an inordinate interest in all things forensic—one shared by technical adviser Rich Pisani, a retired LAPD cop. None of this stuff bothered me, Dani boasts about crime scene analysis. But what does bother her is slow-to-commit boyfriend and director Dave; the pretty actress he's directing, Chloe Johnson (whom Asner slyly credits as having worked with Soderbergh); her Crate and Barrel saleswoman mom; and work rival Evil Janet. But where other chick lit heroines fret about their fears, Dani hacks into e-mails and cellphones to alleviate hers. After discovering Dave has been cheating on her, Dani plots revenge on him, freckled harlot-starlet Chloe and office boor Evil Janet, but things quickly spiral out of control. Asner juggles horror and giggles and wraps it up with a subtle kicker, and though Rich's role is underwritten, the novel is still tons of fun.

Curse of the Spellmans: A Novel by Lisa Lutz

Lisa Lutz, author of The Spellman Files, is back with another story of the shenanigans of the Spellman family: The Curse of the Spellmans. The "parental unit" started a private investigation business when Dad retired from police work. His wife assists him and their two daughters, Isabel, (Izzy) a 30-year-old with a habit of being arrested, and Rae, a 15-year-old Cheetos-loving teen, would like to think that they help out in the family business. Especially where Izzy is concerned, this is a stretch. Brother David is a successful attorney who has nothing to do with the family enterprise. He has troubles of his own.

Izzy has been living in the apartment of a friend while he is away. When he returns unexpectedly, it quickly becomes clear that being roommates with an old, cigar-smoking, poker-playing, big drinker isn't going to work. Izzy moves home temporarily and then the fun begins. She decides that their new next door neighbor, John Brown, whose landscape gardening business she judges to be a cover, is somehow making women disappear. She gets herself invited to dinner, discovers a locked room, believes his name is phony, follows him everywhere, has a restraining order against her, and still she can't let it go.

Meanwhile, Rae has befriended a great guy, a cop named Henry Stone, who is almost too good to be true. The reader starts pulling for him and Izzy to get together right away, even though he doesn't deserve the aggravation. Lutz keeps the ball rolling faster and faster with David's problems, her parents' frequent vacations, which they refer to as "disappearances," and the fact that everyone in the family has secrets from one another. If there is any curse at work here, it is that all the family members are terminally nosy. What they discover about each other and the other players keeps you turning pages and hoping that Lutz is hard at work on the next installment of this zany family's misadventures. --Valerie Ryan

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. In the two years that have passed since the action in Lutz's hit debut, The Spellman Files (2007), zany Isabel Spellman, who works for the family PI firm in San Francisco, has become a somewhat responsible member of society. Unfortunately, she's also become obsessed with Subject (aka John Brown), a next-door neighbor who she's convinced has an evil secret she must expose, even if it means losing her PI license. Adding further hilarity is The Stone and Spellman Show, transcripts of recordings revealing 15-year-old sister Rae's fascination with her middle-aged best friend, stoic SFPD inspector Henry Stone, who endures Rae's adoration with liberal doses of Doctor Who watching. Henry's link to the Spellman family's fortunes suggests he might be a good candidate for Isabel's Ex-boyfriend #11 when Subject fails to make the grade. Fans of The Spellman Files will laugh just as loudly at the comic antics chronicled in this sparkling sequel.

Chasing Darkness: An Elvis Cole Novel

 by Robert Crais

After the fabulous success of THE WATCHMAN, Crais comes roaring back with his Elvis Cole series. Elvis was a hero when he cleared an innocent man of a murder charge. But when that innocent man is found dead three years later holding photos of the victim, Elvis is the one on trial.

Nothing to Lose -- Jack Reacher Novels

by Lee Childs

From Publishers Weekly
At the start of bestseller Child's solid 12th Jack Reacher novel (after Bad Luck and Trouble), the ex-military policeman hitchhikes into Colorado, where he finds himself crossing the metaphorical and physical line that divides the small towns of Hope and Despair. Despair lives up to its name; all Reacher wants is a cup of coffee, but what he gets is attacked by four thugs and thrown in jail on a vagrancy charge. After he's kicked out of town, Reacher reacts in his usual manner—he goes back and whips everybody's butt and busts up the town's police force. In the process, he discovers, with the help of a good-looking lady cop from Hope, that a nearby metal processing plant is part of a plan that involves the war in Iraq and an apocalyptic sect bent on ushering in the end-time. With his powerful sense of justice, dogged determination and the physical and mental skills to overcome what to most would be overwhelming odds, Jack Reacher makes an irresistible modern knight-errant.

Made in the U.S.A. by Billie Letts

he bestselling author of WHERE THE HEART IS returns with a heartrending tale of two children in search of a place to call home.


Lutie McFee's history has taught her to avoid attachments...to people, to places, and to almost everything. With her mother long dead and her father long gone to find his fortune in Las Vegas, 15-year-old Lutie lives in the god-forsaken town of Spearfish, South Dakota with her twelve-year-old brother, Fate, and Floy Satterfield, the 300-pound ex-girlfriend of her father. While Lutie shoplifts for kicks, Fate spends most of his time reading, watching weird TV shows and worrying about global warming and the endangerment of pandas. As if their life is not dismal enough, one day, while shopping in their local Wal-Mart, Floy keels over and the two motherless kids are suddenly faced with the choice of becoming wards of the state or hightailing it out of town in Floy's old Pontiac. Choosing the latter, they head off to Las Vegas in search of a father who has no known address, no phone number and, clearly, no interest in the kids he left behind.

MADE IN THE U.S.A. is the alternately heartbreaking and life-affirming story of two gutsy children who must discover how cruel, unfair and frightening the world is before they come to a place they can finally call home.

Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin

From Publishers Weekly
A chance encounter with an old flame in Giffin's bittersweet, sometimes mawkish fourth novel causes Ellen Dempsey to consider anew what could have been. Shortly after marrying Andy, Ellen runs into Leo, her intense first love. Leo, a moody writer, has secretly preoccupied Ellen ever since he broke her heart, so after seeing him again, Ellen wonders if her perfect life is truly what she wants or simply what she was expected to want. This scenario is complicated by Ellen's past: the early death of her mother and subsequent disintegration of her family have left Ellen insecure and saddled with unresolved feelings of guilt. These feelings intensify when Andy's career takes the newlyweds from Ellen's beloved New York City to suburban Atlanta. As Ellen's feelings of inadequacy and resentment grow, her marriage begins to crumble. The novel is sometimes bogged down by characters so rooted in type that they, and the story line, can only move in the most obvious trajectory. However, Giffin's self-aware narrator and focus on troubled relationships will satisfy those looking for a light women's lit fix.

The Right Mistake: The Further Philosophical Investigations of Socrates Fortlow by Walter Mosley

Living in South Central L.A., Socrates Fortlow is a sixty-year-old ex-convict, still strong enough to kill men with his bare hands. Now freed after serving twenty-seven years in prison, he is filled with profound guilt about his own crimes and disheartened by the chaos of the streets. Along with his gambler friend Billy Psalms, Socrates calls together local people of all races from their different social stations—lawyers, gangsters, preachers, Buddhists, businessmen—to conduct meetings of a Thinkers’ Club, where all can discuss the unanswerable questions in life.

The street philosopher enjoins his friends to explore—even in the knowledge that there’s nothing that they personally can do to change the ways of the world—what might be done anyway, what it would take to change themselves. Infiltrated by undercover cops, and threatened by strain from within, tensions rise as hot-blooded gangsters and respectable deacons fight over issues of personal and social responsibility. But simply by asking questions about racial authenticity, street justice, infidelity, poverty, and the possibility of mutual understanding, Socrates and his unlikely crew actually begin to make a difference.

In turns outraged and affectionate, The Right Mistake offers a profoundly literary and ultimately redemptive exploration of the possibility of moral action in a violent and fallen world.

Killer View by Ridley Pearson

When a skier goes missing at Sun Valley’s Galena Summit, Sheriff Walt Fleming quickly assembles his crack search-and-rescue team and heads out into the snowy night. Despite the treacherous conditions, Walt and his group, including deputy Tommy Brandon and Walt’s best friend, Mark Aker, set off on skis, accompanied by highly trained search dogs. Within minutes, something goes horribly wrong: a shot rings out, and one of their team is dead. By morning, Mark Aker has disappeared.

Torn between professional responsibility and the desperate urge to find his friend, Walt is further challenged by an unexplained illness at a local water-bottling plant that sends workers to the hospital and sets off biohazard warnings. Following threads of questionable evidence through the glitter of Sun Valley leads Walt to an unlikely—and darker—source, and reveals a crime played out on a much larger scale than he originally envisioned. Waist-deep in snow and knee-deep in lies, the life of his friend in the balance, Walt begins to suspect that the whole operation is controlled by people of great wealth and power, which leaves him where he started: out in the cold.

From adrenaline-charged start to explosive finish, Killer View is heart-stopping suspense at its very best.

Chasing Harry Winston: A Novel

by Lauren Weisberger

Product Description
The bestselling author of The Devil Wears Prada and Everyone Worth Knowing returns with the story of three best friends who vow to change their entire lives...and change them fast.

Emmy is newly single, and not by choice. She was this close to the ring and the baby she's wanted her whole life when her boyfriend left her for his twenty-three-year-old personal trainer -- whose fees are paid by Emmy. With her plans for the perfect white wedding in the trash, Emmy is now ordering takeout for one. Her friends insist an around-the-world sex-fueled adventure will solve all her problems -- could they be right?

Leigh, a young star in the publishing business, is within striking distance of landing her dream job as senior editor and marrying her dream guy. And to top it all off, she has just purchased her dream apartment. Only when Leigh begins to edit the enfant terrible of the literary world, the brilliant and brooding Jesse Chapman, does she start to notice some cracks in her perfect life...

Adriana is the drop-dead-gorgeous daughter of a famous supermodel. She possesses the kind of feminine wiles made only in Brazil, and she never hesitates to use them. But she's about to turn thirty and -- as her mother keeps reminding her -- she won't have her pick of the men forever. Everyone knows beauty is ephemeral and there's always someone younger and prettier right around the corner. Suddenly she's wondering...does Mother know best?

These three very different girls have been best friends for a decade in the greatest city on earth. As they near thirty, they're looking toward their future...but despite all they've earned -- first-class travel, career promotions, invites to all the right parties, and luxuries small and large -- they're not quite sure they like what they see...

One Saturday night at the Waverly Inn, Adriana and Emmy make a pact: within a single year, each will drastically change her life. Leigh watches from the sidelines, not making any promises, but she'll soon discover she has the most to lose. Their friendship is forever, but everything else is on the table. Three best friends. Two resolutions. One year to pull it off.

Middle Tennessee, 1775-1825: Progress and Popular Democracy on the Southwestern Frontier

 by Kristofer Ray

From frontier to organized settlements, the Middle Tennessee homeland and market developed quickly and produced waves of land speculation, great wealth and divisive politics in this precise history.

iACTUATE: 100 days of Inspiration

 by  Olusegun 'Sheq' Aranmolate

here are times when we are able to appreciate the benefits of being fit: physically, mentally and emotionally. Those times when we simply want to go outside for a long vigorous jog, volunteer in our community, donate money to charity, or start working on our dream projects. However, most of us have also experienced those down times—times of lethargy, when we seem to lack the energy and the zeal to be productive, or to even love life. These feelings are normal because from time to time we all get overwhelmed with several demanding situations in our lives. Nevertheless, we don’t always have to feel that way.

iACTUATE: 100 days of Inspiration, Volume One is a deeply thought-out book that deals with these and many other situations. iACTUATE: 100 days of Inspiration is the first volume of a series of motivational books by author Olusegun ‘Sheg’ Aranmolate that provides its reader with one-hundred famous inspirational quotes and one-hundred brilliantly written succinct messages that truly inspire them to improve themselves. Every message in the book depicts Olusegun’s experiences and personal journey through life so far.

In each message, he particularly illustrates how making little differences can change our outlook on life. In this book, Olusegun also provides his readers with a set of one-hundred simple mental and physical activities that strengthen the mind and the body. The several sections in the book dedicated to goal-setting and self-reflection makes iACTUATE a great personal journal that encourages overall mental, physical, emotional and even spiritual growth. iACTUATE: 100 days of Inspiration is an exceptional piece of work, very uplifting and a must read for everyone.

The Stone Gods by Jeanette Winterson

From Publishers Weekly
Prize-winning Brit Winterson applies her fantastical touch to a sci-fi, postapocalyptic setting. Heroine Billie Crusoe appears in three different end-of-the-world scenarios, allowing Winterson to explore the repetitive and destructive nature of human history and an inability (or unwillingness) of people to learn from previous mistakes. In the first section, inhabitants of the pollution-choked planet Orbus have discovered Planet Blue (Earth), and soon set about launching an asteroid at it to kill the dinosaurs that would prevent them from colonizing the planet. The second and third sections are set on Earth in 1774 and then in the Post-3 War era. Though passionate condemnations of global warming and war appear frequently, the book also contains a triptych love story: Billie meets Spike, a female Robo sapien capable of emotion and evolution, and falls (reluctantly) in love with her. In each of the scenarios, Billie and Spike (or versions of them) fall in love anew while encroaching annihilation looms in the background. Winterson's lapses into polemic can be tedious, but her prose—as stunning, lyrical and evocative as ever—and intelligence easily carry the book.

Certain Girls: A Novel by Jennifer Weiner

From Publishers Weekly
Following the story collection The Guy Not Taken, Weiner turns in a hilarious sequel to her 2001 bestselling first novel, Good in Bed, revisiting the memorable and feisty Candace Cannie Shapiro. Flashing forward 13 years, the novel follows Cannie as she navigates the adolescent rebellion of her about-to-be bat mitzvahed daughter, Joy, and juggles her writing career; her relationship with her physician husband, Peter Krushelevansky; her ongoing weight struggles; and the occasional impasse with Joy's biological father, Bruce Guberman. Joy, whose premature birth resulted in her wearing hearing aids, has her own amusing take on her mother's overinvolvement in her life as the novel, with some contrivance, alternates perspectives. As her bat mitzvah approaches, Joy tries to make contact with her long absent maternal grandfather and seeks more time with Bruce. In addition, unbeknownst to Joy, Peter has expressed a desire to have a baby with Cannie, which means looking for a surrogate mother. Throughout, Weiner offers her signature snappy observations: (good looks function as a get-out-of-everything-free card) and spot-on insights into human nature, with a few twists thrown in for good measure. She expends some energy getting readers up to speed on Good, but readers already involved with Cannie will enjoy this, despite Joy's equally strong voice.

Richard and John: Kings at War by Frank McLynn

Legend and lore surround the history of kings Richard and John, from the ballads of Robin Hood and the novels of Sir Walter Scott to Hollywood movies and television. In the myth-making, King Richard, defender of Christendom in the Holy Land, was the “good king,” and his younger brother John was the evil usurper of the kingdom, who lost not only the Crown jewels but also the power of the crown. How much, though, do these popular stereotypes correspond with reality? Frank McLynn, known for a wide range of historical studies, has returned to the original sources to discover what Richard and John, these warring sons of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, were really like, and how their history measures up to their myth. In riveting prose, and with attention to the sources, he turns the tables on modern revisionist historians, showing exactly how incompetent a king John was, despite his intellectual gifts, and how impressive Richard was, despite his long absence from the throne. This is history at its best-revealing and readable.

Hubert's Freaks: The Rare-Book Dealer, the Times Square Talker, and the Lost Photos of Diane Arbus

 by Gregory Gibson

rom Publishers Weekly
From the late 1950s until her death in 1971, renowned photographer Diane Arbus took pictures of oddball performers at the now-forgotten Hubert's Museum, a typical freak show in New York City's seedy Times Square. One frequent subject was Charlie Lucas, first a freak himself, later an inside talker. In 2003, Bob Langmuir, an anxiety-ridden, pill-popping, obsessive antiquarian book dealer from Philadelphia, unearthed a collection of photographs and memorabilia, including Lucas's journals and what he thought were Arbus's photos. This trove of genuine American kookiness came to dominate his life. Following Langmuir's quest—from the slums of Philadelphia to the halls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art—as he gathered, priced and ultimately came to understand this collection, author Gibson (Gone Boy: A Walkabout), himself an antiquarian book dealer, effortlessly twists these strands together with an emotional wallop. His toil in Hubert's vineyard, Gibson writes of Langmuir, amounted to no more or less than the continuing archaeology of the old, weird America. Gibson's laser focus on Langmuir's shifting state of mind as he struggles to master his personal demons and navigate the pitfalls of his own obsession gives this story its heart and opens a window onto a lost part of the American soul. 21 b&w photos.

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