New book

I am starting my quest to read the NY Times Top 100 Books of 2009. However, I believe I may have picked a book off of the list for 2010. I don't know why it bothers me so much, but it does. 101 books then? UGH.

Regardless, the book I'm reading is called "Not My Daughter" by . Not sure how, but in less than 2 hours I read all 378 pages of it. Possibly it was part that I hated the content so I wanted to finish, other part I was hellbent on disproving my husband that I can not read my 100 books in one year. Pish posh! 365 days for 100 books? The odds are totally in my favor!

Now on with the book.

Three best friends decide they want to intentionally get pregnant and all three then announce it to their parents as if they just won the spelling bee or made honor roll. Then the girls are SHOCKED that their parents are displeased. But the kicker is, the parents act like their daughters just lost the spelling bee and instead of treating for what it is - three extremely selfish, and irresponsible girls taking it upon themselves to ruin their lives and the lives of the men they so casually slept with (who they completely manipulated!) Then the three teens bellyache page after page about what this all means and what ever will become of their reputations, their jobs, what people will think. They don't like that people stare at them, that they aren't allowed to play contact sports anymore, and the boys they slept with are angry. HELLO?!

I'm sorry, but these parents should have been LIVID at what these girls did. What parent in her right mind would be so nonchalant about this? No screaming? No yelling? No "I didn't raise a young woman so selfish as you"? None of that? NOT EVEN A PAGE! It was more of a "well, what can I do now?" nonchalant attitude. I found it hard to swallow.

One Woman's Quest to prove her husband wrong

My husband thinks I am a slow poke reader (he really doesn't think that, because it would be a big fat lie), but he is under the impression that it will take me 2 years to read 100 books. I dare to take on this challenge. After looking through Amazon (my most favorite of all websites because I have countless wish lists with thousands of books), and am welcomed with open arms back to the library (because yes, indeed, I had a hefty fine to pay again. yes. again), I decided that I need to read with a purpose. My purpose is to tackle all the books on the NY Times Best Seller's List of 2009. As quoted by Amazon, "The editors of The New York Times Book Review have announced their choices for the 100 Notable Books of the year. "

After reading this, I said enthusiastically,"Gee I wonder how long it will take." To which my husband, looking pessimistic, said it will take me over two years. HA. That is all I have to say to that.

He is sitting next to me as I type this, upset that I am even bothering to type out our very short conversation. He worries that it will appear he doesn't support me in my goal -which couldn't be farther from the truth. Two years, however, seems so long! I don't really see it taking me that long. So to disprove his time table, I am making sure I start soon.

So tomorrow, I am marching to the library, and taking out my first book.

Amateur Barbarians by Robert Cohen.

Any thoughts?

Pity Parade Express

This post has everything to do with pity, and little to do with a party. Today is Mother's Day - and most of my life, I have spent Mother's Day in the exact fashion as the previous year, with my mom. This year is the first that I chose to go to a financial class over going to the shore with my parents. A huge part of me felt awful, because there are women across the globe that would love to spend this "Hallmark" holiday with their mothers, and can't - now I am making the chose not to. I didn't think I feel this awful or this lonely, but I do.

I also have a stepson, who recently (6 months ago) moved in with us. He is spending the day with his biological mother - something I didn't think I would give much thought to. But for some reason or another, I have been in a funk all day. Part of this is because I didn't get to spend the day with my mother, though I did take her out yesterday morning, and spoke to her three times on the phone. The other half is because when I picked up my stepson from his grandmother's house, he hasn't mentioned anything about Mother's Day.

So what really defines a mother? And can I get upset about the words, or lack thereof from a 10 year old? No. I really can't. He has loyalty to his own mother - which I deeply respect. However, I feel letdown in someway by this holiday. Mostly because it is me and my husband that have been raising him, not the mother he spent the holiday with. It is me that gets him up in the morning, reviews his HW, practices baseball with, kisses goodnight to. This is all by choice of his real mother. She made this choice - and yet, she still gets to spend the day with him.This shouldn't bother me as much as it does - but it does.

Therefore, I have been drinking the last of the wine I found in the store yesterday, called RELAX. Because that is something I need to do.

So to all the mothers out there, and by that I mean not just the ones who share the same blood type as the child - but those that are motherly figures, Happy Mother's Day to you. You are important, whether you are celebrated today or not.

Mom, I love you. Thank you for everything you have given me - the strength, the guidance, the laughter, and the understanding that I need to get my finances in order :) Without you, I wouldn't know how to even balance my checkbook (something I don't do nearly enough!).