early to bed, early to rise...

I have always been a reader. I blame this on my mom, who can blame it on my grandpa. My mom is the type of person who reads during movies and family card games, and my grandpa has given most of his house over to his book collection. Basically, I didn't have a chance.

Somewhere in college, I stopped reading as much. I blame this on actually having to study (which I didn't have to do in high school). During the summers I would visit the library pretty regularly, but it was just too hard during the school year.

I have read off and on since then, but it's still pretty sporadic. I blame this on three main issues:
1. After reading all day at work, it's really hard to motivate myself to do more of it at home. Which is why I usually end up watching something really mindless, like Friends reruns.
2. I become really emotionally involved in what I read. If it's a teenage angst book (think Harry Potter 5), I end up wanting to yell at everyone that they just don't understand. If it's a romance, I come out all mushy. The first time I read Ender's Game, I spent half the night sitting in bed trying to wrap my head around the story and creating subplots and what if scenarios. I also have vivid memories of my eighth grade self becoming so involved in a story that my friends stole my book so I would stop talking to the characters (out loud).
3. I have a really hard time stopping once I start. I finished the last Harry Potter book by noon the day it came out. I have walked home from school/work while reading. I have closed myself in my room, ignoring calls to dinner or social activies, until the book is over. I have stayed up until 4 a.m. just to find out whodunit.

Issues 2 and 3 came to a head this week. I borrowed the book Twilight from a friend. She warned me that I wouldn't be able to put it down, and she was right. I started Tuesday on the plane. Wednesday I stayed up until almost 2 a.m. to finish. By 1:30 a.m. Friday, I was done with the sequel too. And even though I would be absolutely exhausted when I finally closed the book each night, my mind wouldn't shut off. I just kept going over the book in my mind. Could Edward really be as hot as Bella thought he was? Did she really want to become a vampire? What would it be like to live forever?

All of which is my explanation for why I fell asleep at 6:30 p.m. last night and didn't get up until 6:30 a.m. today.

I'm the girl you never get just quite what you see

Because I liked Mike's list so much, I decided to create a list of my own. With no further ado, 20 things you may or may not know about Mindy:
1. I have kissed a grand total of 2 boys.
2. I (along with my sister) take after my dad's side of the family. However, I have been declared the spitting image of great grandmothers on both sides.
3. I am quite often happier alone than with large groups of people, but too much alone time makes me depressed.
4. When I was in high school, I thought Harrison Ford the most attractive man alive. Cary Grant would have won, but he was dead.
5. My best friend still likes to tell the story of how sometime during my sophomore year of college, I became a girl.
6. I give off a very shy, quiet first impression. Good friends know the trick is to get me to shut up.
7. My faith grounds me and gives me purpose, even when I only have the "desire to believe."
8. Starting even as young as junior high, I have always identified more with adults than my peers.
9. I have been fired. I do not recommend the experience to anyone.
10. I dislike tomatoes and avacadoes plain, but I love salsa and guacamole.
11. I adamantly deny I am a runner, despite that 13.1 mile insanity last month.
12. Though I know my own self worth, I can be very insecure.
13. I moved to California for the ocean.
14. I write short stories in response to large amounts of emotion, good or bad.
15. I can't say no.
16. I genuinely try to be nice to everyone.
17. I am a perfectionist who also knows when to let go.
18. Calling people on the phone makes me nervous.
19. I have very few regrets.
20. The "Bolero" from Moulin Rouge! is probably my favorite song ever (and that's saying a lot, because I really like music).

I can't spell VW but I got a Porche

Today I learned what it's like to be a blonde. No, I didn't dye my hair.

I got oogled.

I was walking across the courtyard to get my grilled cheese sandwhich. There were two men who I assume had been talking. However, as I got close, they gave that up. I looked at the first, half-smiled in acknowledgement, and looked down like any self-respecting American. But I could tell he was still looking. When I looked up again, he most certainly was. He watched me all the way into the resturant, despite me talking to my male coworker.

So that's what that feels like. Creepy, a little grossed out, and awkward.

I think I'll stick with being a brunette.

Random thoughts from Target on a Friday night

Why can I never make it out of that store without spending at least $30?
Even when I'm only there for a new toothbrush?
Why am I drawn to the home furnishings section, despite being very happy with my current room set up?
Why did they up some of the stuff in the dollar section to $2.50?
Why do I always pick the "slow lane"?
What on earth is the man behind me in line going to do with a home pregnancy test and a diet Coke?

Why is it...

that I can go all winter without getting sick ONCE, despite a particularly nasty bug circulating my office several times, only to catch a cold now? Nobody gets a cold in April! And besides, I was supposed to be immune. The real bummer is that I don't feel sick enough to stay home from work, but I don't feel well enough to really do work. Today I made it until 4:30. We'll see how tomorrow goes.

Motorcyle cop is a sweet nothing?

So a few weeks ago my coworker and I noticed a short, siren-like sound that happened every so often. We finally looked out the window to see a motorcycle cop giving someone a ticket. Suddenly our afternoon became much more entertaining. Now every time we heard the siren, we'd rush to the window to see what new poor sap was reaching for his license and registration. The fun spread down the whole side of our office--anyone who could see the street he was working.
Yesterday he was back, and this time he brought a friend! Another coworker had come in to ask us a question and stayed to point out where the cop was hiding. We all sat and watched the cars pull through this four-way stop, ooh-ing and aah-ing as people almost didn't stop but then saw the cop so they did. It didn't take more than two minutes before the first cop had pealed out to go after someone (he stopped; we think it was for tinted windows). Almost immediately, his friend went after someone else. We all had a good laugh (maybe too good on my part) and went back to work.
So beware of driving near my office. There's a motorcycle cop who likes to hang around, and if he stops you, I will more than likely be laughing at you.

It's all the blacksmith's fault

So I was talking to my aunt the other day. I was telling her about my friend who's getting married next month. My aunt said, "It's your turn next. That Prince Charming has just been delayed until now." I joked back, "His horse has thrown a shoe, I'm sure." We both laughed.
Last night I got to hear Tricia's doorstep scene from yet another date (no, nothing sketchy or mushy...just the normal, awkward "We're at your door; now what do I do?" end to an otherwise pleasant evening). It made me wonder. Why is it that some girls have to beat the guys off with a stick, and others can go years without a date to their name? While I let you all ponder on that, I'm off to find a good blacksmith. I hear his horseshoing capabilities are needed.

turns out they weren't kidding when they called it agoura hills

I DID IT!

The hills were insane, my knee is killing me (probably from compensating for the foot), and I thought I couldn't make it at least twice. But I did it! See:

I even did it in under three hours (2:56:19), which was my goal.

And Ali Brinkerhoff is a liar. Anyone who would come back, water in hand, to help poor struggling me to the finish line is definitely charitable.