Defying Gravity & Drink in My Hand

1.  Defying Gravity - Kristin Chenoweth & Idina Menzel.  Wicked.  Even if you haven't seen the musical, surely you've heard about it in some capacity.  Especially given the recent attention focused on Idina Menzel with Frozen.  This is one of Amy's and my all-time favorite musicals.  We have read the book (radically different but also awesome) and seen it twice.  I love a good show-tune and this is one that never fails to disappoint.  Idina Menzel and her awesomeness aside, I also love this song because of Kristin Chenoweth.  She is amazing.  I was a huge fan of her on Pushing Daisies and then on GCB.  There are times when I'll listen to the entire soundtrack, it's that good.  And yes, I know all the words.  No shame there.

2.  Drink in My Hand - Eric Church.  I wish I looked that badass in a baseball cap and aviators.  Alas, I don't.  But I do love this song.  It's a great song to get pumped up to and leaves you feeling awesome.  One of the best things is the twang his voice has.  Maybe it's because I have a slight one myself (some would argue thicker probably) but I am a sucker for a good Southern accent.  I can't have this song on and not be in a good mood.  

All is well, D down, in Drosche Land.

Well Read

I love to read. I always have. Hey, it's a big reason why I teach and love my job. Amy and I have always been avid readers. For fun, that is. College textbooks?  Not so much.  But then life happens. Jobs happen. Kids happen. Dogs happen.  The free time in which to enjoy a good book seems to vanish into thin air. 

But I've decided recently to start reading again. Well, not that I stopped. But to make a more concerted effort to do so. To relax and unwind. Kind of like Amy and I are doing with running. Something for ourselves that we enjoy. 

Where to begin?  What to read?  I'm currently in the middle of several books. But I wanted to start fresh. Something new. So I decided to check out a book from the library. On my iPad. There's an app, Overdrive, that allows you to access libraries and their ebook database. You can then use your library card to check out. It's pretty awesome and I highly recommend it if you haven't done so already. All the fun of checking out a book without having to change out of your jammies and head to the library. 

Now, don't get me wrong. I still love an actual book. A real one you can hold and turn the pages. But I also embrace technology and the convenience of an ebook.  I think they can happily coexist. 

So the book I checked out is an Agatha Christie book, Hallowe'en Party. I love Agatha Christie and it's been ages since I read a book of hers. A good, old fashioned mystery. Ahhhhh. Sadly though my time with the book expires tomorrow and I cannot recheck it out since there is a hold on it. Thanks a lot random Houstonian for placing a hold on my book. Oh well. I plan on binge reading tonight. Who knows?  Maybe I'll finish?  

So. That's what's new here. What about you?  Reader?  Hard copy or ebook?  What are you reading right now?  Any good recommendations?

All is well, curled up with a good book, in Drosche Land.  

Read It!

Before I start, you were totally supposed to read the title of this post as though you were singing Michael Jackson's "Beat It"!  Get it?  Is it stuck in your head now?  If not, give it time!  Read on.

I love to read.  Maybe I've mentioned it before.  Since there was already a label for "Books" when I was writing this, I'm sure I have.  I may not always have/make the time to read, but I love it.  Amy does too.  We used to read for fun a lot.  That was way back before we had kids and our free time wasn't spent with laundry, dishes, packing lunches, diapers, and other kid-centric activities.  

However, now that the boys are older and Stella is so easy to manage, we have decided to make/find the time to read more.  Braeden is quickly becoming an avid reader himself and Jackson is showing interest in it also.  So, Amy (because I can't take all of the credit for this myself) found a public library nearby.  Because, let's face it dear readers, books are expensive so free is just the right price!

As it turns out there is a public library located within the Lone Star College just minutes from us.  Score!  So, a few weeks ago we headed out to get ourselves some library cards.  As you can see from the picture above the boys got theirs as well.  It is a great library with a fantastic children's section.  Amy and I quickly remembered how much fun it was to go to the library and check out books.  The boys were both in awe of the sheer number of books they could choose from.  Stella just enjoyed riding around the library in her stroller with the occasional stranger smiling at her and commenting on how cute she is (not that she expects that from everyone she comes into contact with or anything!).

In addition to checking out books for our own recreational reading, Amy has also found some great gardening books to help us out with our new hobby which, by the way, is coming along quite nicely.  Thanks for asking.  Once the weather warms up a bit more steadily we can transplant everything outside.  But I digress, back to the books.

We've also come to remember what an excellent resource the public library is for our classrooms.  Books about Lincoln and Washington for Presidents' Day?  Check.  Books about rocks, soil, and recycling for my Science unit?  Check.  Books about Chinese New Year and Mardi Gras?  Check and check!  It reminded us of when we were first married with limited funds and resources.  We would make weekly trips to the public library in New Orleans to check out books for our classrooms.  Memories.  

Ok, so I've totally nerded out about reading and the public library.  But that's cool.  I'll proudly wave my nerd flag.  I mean, I teach 1st Grade, so of course reading is going to be a hobby and a huge part of my life!  Hmmmm.  Maybe I'll start blogging about what I'm reading?  I'm seeing a regularly themed post?  Maybe?  Maybe.  We shall see.  For now though, I'm going to sign off and read a bit before bed.  Do you have a hobby/pastime that you are totally proud to nerd out over?  Reading?  You know there's something!  :)

All is well, literate, in Drosche Land.  

Q is for Quiet

We don't get much of it around here.  Not with my two crazy sons.  I see even less on the horizon with a new baby coming (let's face it, she's a Drosche so she's bound to be noisy too!).  Honestly though, I'll admit that I'm not a big fan of quiet.  Anyone can attest to this.  I like noise.  The TV, talking, music, white noise, and yes even the kids.  Quiet can often make me jittery and uncomfortable, especially in tense situations.  I'm the person that will sometimes get a case of the nervous giggles at such times.

However, I do value quiet.  It is valuable and needed many times.  During the sermon in church, at the movies, when the kids are in time-out, at night when you're trying to sleep.  It's during these times that quiet is a friend, someone I rely on.

I also enjoy, and look forward to, quiet once a day.  Late at night.  The kids are asleep.  Amy is asleep.  The dogs are asleep.  The TV is off (yes, I know shocking but it does get turned off here!) or at least turned down very low.  The house is quiet.  Usually at this time I am relaxing in bed reading.  A book, the Bible, blogs, random miscellaneous news on the Internet; you get the picture.  It's my time to unwind, to say goodbye to the day and relax.  Amy can go straight to bed after a long day.  Just lie down and she's out.  Not me though.  I have to have some time to sit and decompress.  It's the one and only time I relish the quiet.  Shhhh though, let's not let the word out!  The other 98% of the time though, quiet and I don't spend a lot of time together.  But I'm ok with that.

Do you enjoy the quiet?  Or are you like me and quiet makes your uncomfortable?  Do you have a time when you and quiet play nicely together?  :)

Shhhhh.  This is what quiet looks like here!

All is well, with the occasional peace and quiet, in Drosche Land.

   

N is for Nook & Nook App

I love to read.  I always have.  It's a topic I've mentioned here before.  I've even mulled over the options of reviewing books here on this blog.  However, I am not blessed with a reviewer's voice, nor am I blessed with the time to review books on a regular basis.  It was one of my New Year's resolutions to read more and, thanks to The Hunger Games trilogy, it is one I am on my way to keeping.

I'm split on the recent debate between eReaders and traditional books.  Sure, nothing beats a good book.  The feel of the paper.  Using a book mark or folding down the corner to mark your place.  Reading the back covers in a book store to see if it sounds good.  However, there is something to say for technology.  Having hundreds of books at your fingertips whenever and wherever you need them.  The ability to pick up a book no matter what else you're doing and read.  The portability.  You see my dilemma, one I'm sure many people have.

Now, I'm a huge Apple and iPad fan, that's no secret.  But apparently the Nook is huge.  Amy wanted, and got, one this past Christmas and has been in love with it.  She loves reading as much as, if not more than, I do.  It wasn't long until we realized to make the most of the Nook app for iPad.  Our tastes aren't always in line when it comes to reading, but occasionally we see eye-to-eye, or page-to-page for that matter.  Well, thanks to the Nook app we can both read the same book at the same time and only purchase it once!  Now, I know we are not the only or first people to realize this (at least I highly doubt it) but we still enjoy the feeling that we're beating the system a bit!  Taking advantage of them somewhat.  Ha!  We live on the wild side here in Drosche Land huh?!  Aside from our joy in dabbling with corporate trickery, the Nook and its iPad app allow us to have a common eReader ground here in Drosche Land.  Compromise is always a good thing right?  Plus, the Nook app gives me access to many books that aren't available via iBooks (The Hunger Games trilogy to name just 3).  So it's a win-win situation all around.

Paper or eReader?  iPad or Nook?  What's your choice?  Or are you like me and like you keep your options open?  Ahhh the new choices we readers have!

Nook meets iPad - a match made in heaven!  

All is well, well-read, in Drosche Land.

H is for Hunger Games

Yes, I know that The Hunger Games are everywhere and bloggers and news outlets have been covering it for some time, but I'm going to go ahead and join the ranks.  After having read about the book a while back when the hype was beginning about the movie's filming, sometime over the summer, I began to think about reading it.  Time passed, the movie's release was imminent and the frenzy was building.  I decided to go ahead and start the series, to read it prior to seeing the movie.  Boy am I glad I did!

I'll admit to jumping on the Hunger Games bandwagon, and I'm not ashamed in the slightest bit.  I was intrigued by all of the hype and press that was everywhere.  If you have not read it yet I HIGHLY (another "H" word) recommend it.  It's addictive and a fun and easy read.  I was quickly enthralled by the storyline and am now fully addicted.  I'm not going to give a full-on book review here, I'm not terribly gifted at writing those.  Plus, odds are you have some clue as to what it's all about.  I'm simply here to be one more person to join in the craze.  One more person for you to relate to if you love it or one more person to persuade you to read it if you haven't.  I've finished the first book and am one night of reading away from finishing the second!  I've yet to see the movie, but I always enjoy reading the books before watching any movie adaptation.  With Stella's arrival getting nearer I see myself enjoying the movie in the comfort of my own home (thanks Redbox!).  I'll post again about that once I see it.  A good old compare/contrast.  So, the moral of this "H" post - read The Hunger Games.  :)

READ IT!  Whether it's via iPad, Nook, or the old fashioned way!

All is well, curled up with a good book, in Drosche Land.

Tearjerker

Well, with all of the global excitement regarding this morning's royal wedding, I have a confession to make.  I'm a bit of a sap.  I like sad and sentimental movies, books, TV shows, really anything that can make you cry.  I mean who doesn't right?  Right?  In fact the genre "Tearjerker" is one of my favorites!  And yes, I did DVR the royal wedding (thanks TiVo!) as well as watch a bit of it this morning while getting ready.  I then listened to it on the MSNBC XM radio channel all the way to work.  I'll admit to being one of the billions of people totally addicted to the royal wedding.   

To some of you this will come as no surprise.  To others, I stand proud of my sappiness.  Currently I am slightly obsessed with the movie Country Strong (Amy is now rolling her eyes).  I totally did not see the ending coming and I love the movie.  Definitely one to own.  It drives Amy crazy, let's just say she was not as big a fan of the movie as I was.  She enjoyed it, but found it depressing.  I, on the other hand, enjoy this occasionally.  I know I can't be alone in this, but I'm willing to admit it.  I'll also admit that I may have passed this trait down to Braeden.  Don't let the two of us watch Marley & Me together.  Toward the end we become two blubbering and inconsolable people, bawling our eyes out over that sweet old dog.  This isn't the only movie that gets me though, the list is long.  Happy tears, sad tears, depressed tears, heaving sobs.  You name it, I've done it.  That's alright though, I'm just in touch and comfortable with my emotions.  Sometimes a good cry is just what you need.  Well, for Braeden and I at least.  

So, I guess that's it for a totally random post.  Random, but topical.  Well, I've got 6 hours of footage to get through, so I'd better get started.

All is well, tissues in hand, in Drosche Land.   

Juggling Act

Well, the new school year may not have yet begun, but we are fully into the school year routine here in Drosche Land.  2 days back into it all and so far so good.  We have been able to successfully wake up, get everyone ready, and get out the door on time.  Then our evenings have been a good balance of dinner, dishes, making lunches, baths, and appropriate bedtimes, with even some TV time included!  However, having said all this I am constantly aware that we are technically not fully into the routine yet.  That will come on the 18th with the beginning of the 2010/2011 school year.  Then we will see how well we continue to do.  Once things get really crazy and there are unexpected late nights, daily stresses, and other unforeseen calamities.  That is when the test will truly begin.  If I sit quietly and very still I can actually feel the pace of things begin to quicken!

Also, notice in the above mini-victories nowhere did I mention homework.  Ugh, I shudder at even the mere mention of it!  Yeah, I am writing this late-night post thanks to the ever-present homework.  Everyone else is asleep and I, as I typically do, have put off homework until the last minute.  Although I guess tonight counts as the second to last minute since the work isn't actually due until tomorrow.  Why then, do you ask, am I working late tonight?  Good question.  This week's assignment is a doozie.  Not difficult mind you, just cumbersome and time-consuming.  Having not worked on it one bit before tonight, I knew there was no way I would be able to complete it all tomorrow with my sanity and hair intact!  So, I bucked up and slayed the procrastination monster (or at least wounded it) and worked tonight.  I can't take total credit though, it was Amy who helped to suggest that I start tonight.  

So, I take a much needed break from homework to write this blog.  That and I'm halfway finished with the assignment so I think I've earned the right to call it a night.  Plus we are 3 days into August and I have yet to post!  Crazy I know.  But hopefully this has quenched your insatiable need for one of my juicy blog updates.  Oh yeah, blogging, there's one more thing to add to my to-juggle list.  I love it so.  We will see if getting back to school affects the frequency with which I blog, hopefully not, perish the thought!  :)

All is well, haven't yet dropped a ball, in Drosche Land.

Book Review - Eclipse

Well, I have officially finished 75% of the Twilight Saga and I must say that it is only getting better.  Each book is exponentially better than the previous.  This leaves me with super, crazy high hopes for the final installment.  But I know I will not be disappointed.

So, Eclipse is somewhat of a pivotal book in the series.  Storylines from the first two come to a head and get resolution, while other storylines gain speed and momentum, clearly building up for the last book.  It always amazes me when an author pens a series like this.  I cannot imagine the forethought and planning that goes into one book, much less several.  Meyer does a spectacular job at seamlessly blending each of the books together so that you get the feeling as though you are reading one giant book, which for the sake of heft and back strain, has been split into several smaller and easier to manage volumes.  

Eclipse is the show down for the Team Edward vs. Team Jacob debate.  Although I can't speak with too much surety about this since I do have one book yet to read.  However, this book truly examines the triangle and plays with your emotions and mind the entire way through.  It's a great ride actually, even though you are constantly twisted and bent by the storyline.  But, having said that, this is only one tiny part of the book.  There are so many events and emotions running through the book, but Meyer writes and deals with each in a way that you are never confused or overwhelmed.  Rather you are right there experiencing it all alongside the characters.

So, I think I must stop because if I talk any more about the book I will give it away.  However, I have to admit that I jumped on the bandwagon so late in the game I'm not sure there are many people out there who are unfamiliar with either the books or the movie.  But I could be wrong (a first huh?).  I guess I will have to remain more tight-lipped for the review of Breaking Dawn since many people watch the movies and don't read the books and that movie has yet to be made/released.  Oh well, at least I'll be ahead of the game in some aspect.  Until then, if you have not begun to read this series - START NOW!  Seriously.  Come on, everybody is doing it.  If the peer pressure doesn't lure you in maybe the fact that the books are just straight up awesome will!  Do it!  :)

All is well, one bite left (HA!  Another vampire reference!), in Drosche Land.   

Book Review - New Moon

Vampires and werewolves and humans - oh my!

Yeah I finished New Moon and it didn't disappoint one bit!  It took me about a week, which is fast for me.  I'm not as fast a reader as Amy (who/s beginning Breaking Dawn as I blog and will probably finish it today since it only took her a day to read Eclipse!) but that's okay.  I like to go slower sometimes, especially if I love the book, and savor it.  

I'll begin the review by reiterating that I am not a teen girl nor the mother of one.  I'm debating the term "Twihard" but that seems fanatical.  All I know is that these books are awesome, and quite addictive.  I will however admit that I am totally on Team Edward (sorry Team Jacob members)!  HA!  Jacob is nice and all, and a great friend for Bella, but Edward is her immortal soulmate!  :)  

What I like best about the books is that they pick up directly where the previous one left off, essentially.  The biggest part, without giving away too much, of this book is the introduction of the Edward/Jacob debate.  While there is not as much action, again avoiding spoilers, as there is in Twilight.  But that is not saying that the book is slow or boring - quite the opposite!  I got, and still have the feeling (although being only halfway through the series I can't be sure), that this book is setting the stage for the majority of the drama and plot that is to come for the next two books.  If that is the case, then the books will only continue to get exponentially more awesome!

So, obviously I HIGHLY recommend this book, although if you've read Twilight I doubt I have to endorse it!  I will say though that Amy and I gave in and watched the first movie.  It was awesome!  It followed the book quite well with very little changes.  Although I will say, as is always the case, the book is a million times better, but the movie does a fantastic job!  I have yet to begin Eclipse, :(  , due to the fact that homework is due today.  I am attempting (note I make no promise) to not start Eclipse until my homework is done, in a feeble effort to get it finished ASAP.  We will see how well I do.  I am also highly tempted to run up the road to the RedBox and get New Moon.  Again, we will see about that.

All is well, thirsty for more reading (HA! Another vampire reference!), in Drosche Land.

Book Review - Twilight

Ok, so Amy and I have finally given into the craze.  I'm not quite sure how it happened, but to tell the truth I had been pondering drinking the Kool Aid for a while.  Once Amy expressed her interest, I gulped.  Faced with the impending hospital stay and subsequent recovery we decided to take up recreational reading again, as I've previously mentioned in the last book review, posted here.  Well, who knew we'd missed it so?  Amy and I both being avid readers before life (i.e. kids, jobs, and Masters courses) imprisoned us, were eager to get this "fun" and "relaxing" part of ourselves back and have been pouring over the spoils of our last Half Price Books trip.  Yeah, technically one could view it as yet again adding something new into our already busy schedules, but this is something that brings relaxation so it doesn't count, I think.  But I digress again, onto the review.


Well, I finally finished Twilight.  No, I'm not an adolescent teenage girl.  No, I'm not one of those crazed moms of an adolescent teenage girl.  But boy oh boy am I hooked into these books now.  Yeah they are written about teenagers, high school, first loves, etc. but it's more than that.  It's kind of hard to explain, but they are just awesome.  In addition to the themes mentioned above it also is a Romeo & Juliet, forbidden love story, but retold with he added touch of something people have always found fascinating - obviously I'm talking about vampires.  This isn't anything new, think Ann Rice and her famous Interview with a Vampire, or duh, Bram Stoker and Dracula.  People have always been fascinated with vampires.  Out of all the monsters they are the coolest right?  I mean, immortality, super speed, near invincibility, mind-reading just to name a few of the "powers" attributed to them.  Plus you've got the mystery and intrigue of being relegated to night/darkness along with the strangely sensual nature of them and bam!  What's there not to love?  Mix these things together, along with Stephenie Meyer's gift for storytelling and character development and you've got the explosive result that is now a phenomenon, having spawned other similar novels and TV show's (on a side note check out The Gates on ABC Sunday night, it's good!).  She's been able to restart, and yet at the same time reinvent/change/adapt, an already successful genre.  That in and of itself is a pretty admirable feat.  In a way she's very much like J.K. Rowling, a regular person who just happened to have all of this floating around in her head.

So the above doesn't say much about the book itself but I don't want to give away too much.  I found it, personally, to be one of those books that absorbs you and actually brings you into the book.  One you have an extremely hard time putting down.  Yeah, it's about teens but in a way it's not, the story is so much more and actually as the book progresses it revolves less and less around this factor and becomes just an enthralling story.  So, if that (and the screaming teens/media hype) is what is keeping you away (and admittedly it kept me away for a long time) get over yourself and give it a try.  You won't be sorry.  Hmmm, it was easier to review a book this time, I hope that translates into a better review!

We have yet to see the movies, although I am crazy eager to  Instead we are going to read all of the books first.  They are so incredibly good, it is one of the instances where we want to know the whole story and experience it in it's true form before visually experiencing it.  I will begin New Moon tonight (Amy of course has finished it already) and I am excited to continue.  Stay tuned for that review very soon, I don't anticipate taking long to blow through this next volume!

All is well, and totally sucked in (get it??? a vampire reference!  HA!), in Drosche Land. 

Book Review

So, I finished my first non-M.Ed. book in almost a year during Amy's hospital stay!  Yes, I started it way back in September when I had barely just begun by M.Ed. program and life seemed blissfully peaceful.  Boy was I wrong.  Things picked up quickly and my dear book was relegated to life on a lonely shelf.  But, with surety of lots of time to kill in the hospital I began reading it before Amy's hospital stay and again fell in love with it.  And, with it, recreational reading all over again.  My new goal for this last half of my M.Ed. is to continue reading for pleasure, finding time when and wherever I can.  So, in celebration of finishing the book I thought I would post a quick book review here.  Why not?  Plus, I loved the book so this gives me another outlet for talking about it.  Maybe you're looking for a good book, maybe not.  Either way here goes the next addition to my blog.

So, what book is so great that it would bring about the start of book reviews on the blog you ask?  Cell - by Stephen King.  Now I have always loved Stephen King and have read many of his books.  However, truth be told (as I'm sure any parent will attest to) reading for pleasure since having the boys has been few and far between.  Well, back in September we made a trip to Half Price Books, the reason why has long since escaped me.  I saw this book and was intrigued.  I often shop for books based upon title and picture, in addition to my favorite authors.  I know silly, but a method that has never led me astray from great books!  You should try it.

Of course I did read the brief synopsis on the jacket and that's what hooked me.  So, it's no surprise that I am inseparable from my iPhone.  I love it, it does everything!  It is always with me no matter what and I am on it talking or playing incessantly.  I can admit this without guilt (even though sometimes yes I should be doing something other than having my face stuck in my iPhone) because I know I am not nearly the only person that is like this about their phone, iPhone or any other (lesser) phone.
 
So, what would happen if this new addition to our lives that we cannot live without turned on us?  What if it were used to send a mass message that would scramble our brains and render us completely primal?  Well this is exactly what happens in Cell and it basically leads to a complete breakdown of society.  The people affected by this "pulse" are pretty much zombie-like (trying not to give too much away) and those who didn't have cell phones (who?  I don't know anyone that would be this) are forced to hide and travel by night for their safety.  I'm not sure my brief little review here does this book justice, but it is fantastic.  I love Stephen King and his end of the world/armageddon (The Stand) storytelling is awesome.  Combine that with his horror aspects (The Shining, It) and I could not put the book down (well after I picked it back up after many months!).  I highly highly recommend it.  Plus I've read that they may be making it into a movie (hope it doesn't suck)!
 
So, there's my first book review.  Writing one is harder than you might think, for me at least.  It's difficult to capture the essence of the book without telling too much.  But read it for yourself and see!  I did enjoy the book review though, remembering the book was fun.  Up next - Amy and I have finally given into the Twilight craze.  She began Twilight as I was finishing Cell so I am currently waiting for her to finish so I can continue (I began it with a preview in iBooks on my iPhone!).  I'm not worried about that.  I enjoy reading and do so fairly quickly, but Amy is one of those super-fast readers and has very few pages left.  I anticipate having it to myself by the end of today!  So, I will be reading that series and then I plan on maybe another Stephen King or maybe just wandering Half Price and seeing what pops out!
 
All is well, enjoying a good book, in Drosche Land.