I'm Lisa Pie and I don't approve of all of these messages

You know that I live in the great state of Texas, right?  And you must know that our state foisted that sorry ass Shrub on you as president, and for that I am very sorry.  I didn't live here at the time, and never once did I vote for him.

And now?  Holy shitballs!  This maroon of a governor we have is running around making the Shrub look like the smart one.  Is there no one around him who can keep him at home with his mouth shut?

Look at his latest bullshit move:

Now watch some anti-Perry, anti-Christian rebuttal to this:

And last, but certainly not least, here is a message to Rick "the hair-do" Perry from Jesus:

Rick Perry is a wiener.  He has a terrible record on women's and children's issues.  If you want an in-depth look at what he has done in his political career here in Texas, go to Amazon and buy "Adios MoFo".

I heard the NPR interview with one of the authors and it seems that the publisher threw lots of money their way to write this book when Perry started showing interest in running.  Then when he started slipping in the polls, they backed off, so it is only available as an e-book.

A year or so ago at a press conference, a particular reporter just kept pushing at Perry to answer some questions about what he has done to the schools and teachers in our fine state and he kept trying to duck them and not give a straight forward answer.  At the end of it, when he thought his mic was off, he looked right at the reporter and said "Adios MoFo".

Nice, right?

So, that's where the book title came from.  Give it a read and encourage anyone you know who might actually vote for this twit in a hair-do to also read it.

David Sedaris

Oh my.  Sparky and I went to see David Sedaris last night and it was so much fun.  It was well worth every penny.  We got there really early, like an hour and a half early, and believe it or don't we found a good parking spot!  Gasp!  That NEVER happens!

We wander inside the building and right up to a table that is selling DS books.  There will be time for a book signing and they wanted to make sure we have all the books we need to be signed.  Guess who had to buy more DS books?

All my effing books are either on my Kindle (heart the Kindle) or audio books.  No actual books for signing.  This might be the biggest drawback to the Kindle.  So I chose 2 of my favorites and was just standing around there in the big hallway next to a sign.  It said "No Photographs".  Maybe people thought I  was famous and carried that signage around with me everywhere I go?

Anyhoo, there I am standing and waiting. Sparky had to find the restroom and we were waiting for 2 other people to join us and we had their tickets.  So I am standing around being conspicuous.  With my sign.  And an official-looking lady comes over and says "Good job, being first in line!"  And I said "Really?" Then she answered me that "Yes, you are first in line for the early book signing.  He is going to do a signing before and after the show."

Yay!  I was first in line.  So eventually, David Sedaris showed up at the table and asked me to come over.  We chatted and it was wonderful.  He signed my books.  And I rambled on about how I love his books and I have all his books, just on the Kindle, so I had to get new copies so that I could stand in line to get him to sign them.  He very cleverly signed one of my books and drew a picture of my Kindle on it and said "There!  There's a picture of your Kindle.  In case it ever gets stolen you can show this to the police so they will know what it looks like."  Heeee!

He signed my second book and drew me a picture of a rabbit wearing glasses.  Just because.

Then he asked me who I was with and I called Sparky over and introduced them.  And then he gave us some postcards he had made up.  One is a picture of a dog skull and skeleton and it says "Pekingese"  and the other is like a hand-written sign that says "Abortions $3.00"  O. M. G.!!

We stood, we visited, we schmoozed.  It was wonderful.  I could have gone home right then.  But no, we stood around f o r e v e r waiting for the stupid people to open the auditorium doors.  Thousands of people milling about in a tiny area outside the doors and it was hot and claustrophobia-inducing and uncomfortable and gross.  I kept smelling other people, their breath, their sweat, their heavily-applied colognes and was getting on the verge.  You know what I mean?

So, they at long last opened up the auditorium doors and we went in and found our seats.  It was airy, cool and fresh in there and praise the Lord for that!

David Sedaris came on stage and was charming, witty and hilarious.  He read us stories that are new and not-yet-titled.  He read us stories from The New Yorker.  And then he read to us from his diaries.  Hilarious entries from his diaries.  And if that weren't enough he read to us from his favorite new book and I can't even remember this guy's name to pass it on to you.  I will ask Sparky tonight and post something about it tomorrow.  Then he asked them to raise the lights and did a Q&A just taking random questions from the audience.  And you know how in his stories he starts out on one topic and rambles over to here and then there and flits all over and is nowhere near the original paragraph?  That is exactly what happened when he was answering questions too.  I love that so much!

Tomorrow I will tell you all about a story he shared with us from his diaries.  It was hysterically funny, is what it was.

List of Six

I just got an email that talked about the List of Six.  I am over 50 flipping years old and am just now being told about this! What gives?  Why am I always out of the loop?

Apparently there is a List of Six things that you are allowed to be as snobby about as you want to be.  But only six.  After that you are just being a snob and no one wants to put up with your triflin' ass.

This article gave examples of the perfect cup of coffee, hubcaps, head-turning boots, whatever floats YOUR boat.  You are allowed six items to be that particular about and the whole world will be with you and support this.

So of course I had to start thinking about what my perfect List of Six might be.  And as they love to say on DWTS, "here in no particular order" is my list.

1. Vosges Chocolate Bars

Have you tried these?  Oh. My. Freaking. Goodness.  The absolute BEST chocolate bars made.

The very first one I ever tried is the Red Fire Bar.

It's like letting all the best things about Mexico melt on your tongue at the same time.  Deep chocolate, vanilla, a little cinnamon, and then different types of dried chiles that wake up the back of your throat. Lordy, lordy, I don't even know what to tell you about this one.  It is still my favorite, even after trying so many others.

My second favorite bar from Vosges is the Mo's Bacon Bar.  Chocolate, applewood bacon and alderwood smoked salt all combine to make the perfect taste experience ever.

Until . . . . .  My sister bought me a box of Vosges Mo's Bacon Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix!

I know, right!!!

Some warm pure maple syrup on top of those babies and you will want to sit right up and slap your mama.  It's like a bit of heaven on a fork.

So yeah, I am gonna be a snob about the Vosges chocolate.  Check out their website to see all the outstanding flavor combinations and giftie stuff they have.

2. This one is going to be completely different, but I am going to be a pushy advocate here.  I have become extremely selective about how things are packaged, where they come from and how those companies choose to treat their employees and Mother Earth.  So if I have a choice of a product that is inexpensive but bad environmentally produced or an alternative that is much more sustainably produced and more expensive I am going to support the sustainable one.  Less often due to the cost, but enough so that they know to keep doing what they are doing.

Case in point; I was looking for some bay scallops for a recipe the other day.  Bay scallops are the cute smaller ones about the size of mini marshmallows, not the big ones you want to wrap with bacon.  The store I was at had 2 scallops, the big ones and the little ones.  I needed the smaller ones for my recipe (which I need to share with you) but on the sign in the scallop bin in the fine print it said 2 things that got me. 1. Farm Raised and 2. Product of China.  Ewww and Ewwwww.  There was so much wrong with that product there was no way in hell I was going to buy it.

If you don't believe me just go google factory farming of fish and seafood and see what you think.  Then think about doing that in China.  They are willing to put melamine in the baby formula, put almost nothing in their cheaper drugs so essentially you are wasting your money and NOT getting well by taking them, and to top it all off these scallops then have to be shipped all the way across the world to get here.  That sounds safe and appetizing, doesn't it?

By the by these farm-raised Chinese bay scallops were going for 5.99 per lb.

The other scallops that I ended up buying claimed to be wild-caught from the U.S.A.  They were 15.99 per lb.

I consider the extra $20. I paid for those 2 lbs. of scallops a bargain.  And if it meant that I couldn't afford the difference, then we would have had beans and rice instead.  Be selective and never settle for an inferior product.  I promise you won't be happy with it anyway.

So that is my number 2.

3. My Teva sandals.

I used to be a shoe-holic.  I had so many pairs of shoes it was crazy!  Like more than 100 crazy.  That's how crazy I was about shoes.  Love the shoes!  I still love shoes.

But if I look at my life on a day-to-day basis and what I do and where I go and what I wear to these things, I see a pattern of wearing the same 7 or so pairs of shoes on a more consistent basis and the others less often.

And I said to myself the other day, "Self, if you could only have one pair of shoes for the rest of your days, which ones would they be?"

My Teva sandals.  Hands down. Number one choice, no debate.  Love the Tevas!  Other than dressing up, there is nothing you can't do in these shoes.  Nothing.

4. Giant screen t.v., cable and dvr.

Oh please!  I know it makes me look like a wiener that watches too much mind-numbing t.v.  But have you met me?  I can't imagine any person that loves their t.v. as much as I do.  And t.v. combined with a great cable package with a dvr?  Well, you have just hit the motherlode!!

I can think of many, many things I would, and do, give up to keep that t.v., cable, dvr combo going.

5. Customer Service.

I am fanatical about great customer service.  If you as a company don't care enough to put your best people in the front lines dealing with your customers, you don't deserve to have my money end up in your profits.  That's it.

Treat me with respect, consideration and above all, do what you say you will do.  Have some integrity, for heaven's sake!  And I will be a loyal customer forever.  But you fuck me over and treat me badly (speaking directly to YOU dickweeds at Home Depot) and that's it.  We are done.  I will never, never darken your door, I will never drop another penny into your coffers and I WILL tell every single person I ever come in contact with about your shoddy excuse for customer service.

Oh hell, now I have gone and gotten on my high horse about the jackwagons at Home Depot again.

I treat my clients with the respect that I expect to be shown and can't imagine why it should ever be otherwise.  And this is why I am happy with T-Mobile.  They are always, and I mean ALWAYS, great to deal with.

Yay T-Mobile!!  (boo, hiss on the Home Depot)

6. My Borsa Bella Bag.

I have shown you my Borsa Bella bag before.  (Good Lord, that was alliterative!!)

This is the fabric I chose.  It's called Kleo Pink.  Isn't it gorgeous?  I have the larger Kindle DX and so I have the larger eReader bag to house it.  In the front zipper pocket I have room for the headphones, the little reading light, the charging cord and any other little things I need to have with my Kindle.

If you have an electronic device of any kind , an iPad, an eReader, a laptop, whatever it is, if you want to carry it around with you safely and in style you should have a custom-made Borsa Bella Bag.   I truly love my Borsa Bella bag.  Enough so that I called Melissa and had her custom make a particular bag with a certain fabric and do custom monogram on it for my mama for her birthday.

So go check out Borsa Bella Bags and tell Melissa I sent you.  She had a deal on facebook for a while that if you liked her page she would give you a code for a discount.  Check it out and see if it is still running.

Okay, that's my List of Six for today.  I am sure if I made it again next week it might be different.  Maybe not.  But it's a woman's perogative to change her mind.  Just ask Bobby Brown!

Please do share your List of Six here, I would love to see them.

What's on my nightstand, so to speak

Y'all remember that I was sick with the head, chest, coughing virus thing for damn near FOUR WEEKS? Do you further remember that the meds and the coughing made it impossible to sleep?  How to while away the hours while the rest of the house slept was my dilemma.

Kindle to the rescue!


Oh, how I love my Kindle.  I love me some regular hardbound books, don't get me wrong.  I hold the written word in very high esteem.

So, I have been reading.  A lot.  I finally forced myself to read the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy.  I had tried and tried to start the first one, but it just wasn't striking my fancy.  Then finally, it did.

It's a crying shame that they were published posthumously.  I am sure he might have had a couple more good books in him.

Then I read this:

I can't remember who recommended this book to me, but thank you to whomever it was.  This was a really interesting read.  And then . . . .  at the end?

There's a conversation with the author and he goes into great detail about how this was one of those novels based on his very own personal family tree.  I really enjoy those historically accurate novels where you start out based in truth and then fill in the blanks with what you think would make a great story.

After that came this one:

Ok, now this book was recommended to me twice.  And when I read the little synopsis, I was immediately leary.  I thought it would be different than what it turned out to be.  So I did what any good Kindle owner would do, I got the free sample chapters to try it out.

Yea for the sample chapters!!

If they can hook you in the first couple of chapters, you are good.  If not, you've only wasted a little time and no money.

Back to Room.  This book was so clever, so intriguing and so gripping I don't even know how the author came up with this.  It does come to some good resolutions, but not so cute and "happily ever after" in a smarmy non-realistic way.

These were both really good books and I can recommend them.  After the dark subject matter of these I decided to go with a more light-hearted read and am currently reading a new Maeve Binchy.  More on it when I finish.

Oh!!  And totally off the subject of books, I got myself a new phone this weekend.  Yea!  I still like my old phone, but it was dying.  Is anyone else irritate that phones seem to be made to last 12 to 18 months while your contract is designed for 24 months?  And then you have to baby your phone along to get to the 24 month?  I am trying to get the hang of the new phone and find all new ringtones and Caller Tunes (as T-Mobile calls them).

In a couple of days it will be April Fools Day.  And that signals the beginning of all sorts of festivities around here!  Spring, wildflower sightings, Fiesta , Poteet Strawberry Festival , Easter, Earth Day , not to mention the NBA PLAYOFFS!!!  Time for our beloved Spurs to rally.  Yea!

Yep, April is a great month.  I swear to you there are at least 2 or 3 things you can find here to do every single day.  Most of them free.  If you are bored, it's because you want to be.

Every few years I update my inventory.  I do a complete inventory of everything in the house.  We have had to do this in the past because of all the international moving we did and keeping the inventory was a chore I took on and if we made a big purchase I would try to take care of entering the item right away from the invoice.  But sadly, since we have been planted for almost 6 years I have neglected my inventory.  So along with the spring cleaning mentality I get the "let's clean up the inventory list" fever. And that is my goal for the rest of this week, to work on the inventory.  Isn't that exciting?  Don't you wish you led the glamourous life I lead?  Real Housewives of SA, here I come!  Heh.

Enjoy your day.  

What's on my nightstand, so to speak

I used to post pics of the stacks of books on my nightstand.  And that was kind of fun.  But since I have a Kindle that I love so very much, it is more difficult to share with you what I am reading.  I am a very visual person, meaning my style of learning and remembering is visually based.  So I would love to show you the cover of the book I am currently reading, but who wants to look at a pic of a Kindle screeen?

And so I go online to look for a picture of the current book and here it is!

Some how on the Blue Zones website they only have one photo of the book, and it is a combo pic of both books together.  I am reading the one on the right.  It is really, really interesting stuff.  And while I was over at the Blue Zones website I took their happiness quiz, to see how truly happy I am in my current surroundings and such.

I got a B+!!!!

Not too bad!  Their recommendations were that I get outdoors more often (I don't know about that, because  outdoors here means suffering greatly with horrible allergies for weeks after just one excursion) and that I stop watching so much t.v. (Well, of course I saw THAT one coming!!)

Check it out and please, feel free to come back and report on your happiness findings and which areas they recommend some adjustments in your life.

Reading material

It has been a while since I have mentioned what all I have been reading.  I used to be clever and post photos of the books stacked up on my night stand.  And then I would show you a pic of each book front.

But now?

I have a Kindle!!!  Which is awesome in most regards, but in the show-off-your-book-fronts category, it is a loser.

So let me tell you all about what I have been reading and you can just imagine the fronts of the books.

First off, I just finished reading about the Michael Vick dogs.  I thought it would be a heart-warming story of triumph over sadism, adversity, slavery, etc.  But then it opened with a chapter from one of the dogs' point of view and a glimpse into the underbelly of the dog fighting world and the cruel way they train these poor animals and how they kill them.  This chapter I had to read in very small doses.

The book outlined how the law enforcement team came to be there in the first place and how meticulous they were in everything they did to make sure everyone involved was brought to justice.  Then it finally got down to the heart of the story which was what happened to each of the 51 dogs rescued and where they are now.  This was why I wanted to read this book.

You know back in the day, the dog breeds now commonly known as "pit bulls" were family dogs, they were the dog you wanted your kids to have.  They were known as nannies.  These dogs would do absolutely anything for their humans.  Even things against their nature.  Like stay loyal to the death for assholes who think forcing other creatures to fight for their entertainment is a good thing.

Back to the book and off my soapbox, this was a good book.  I liked how different chapters were told from all different points of view; i.e. the dogs, the rescuers, the cops, the lawyers, etc.  It really gave you a wide range of perspectives.  Two thumbs up for this one.

I also read the Squirrel meets Chipmunk, the newest David Sedaris.  And I have to say "well, this book was certainly different."  Don't get me wrong, it was good.  It was completely different from all his other stuff, so it was unexpected.  It was creative and different.

Before that I read Freedom, the latest Oprah book club selection.  After slogging my way through it, I still have no idea why she was so fired up about this thing.  Meh. It didn't do a damn thing for me.

And speaking of books that I just can't find any passion for?  What is up with the Girl with the tattoo books?  I have tried and tried to get through the little free chapters that Amazon lets you try for free, but nope, nothing.

I also finished up Shanghai Girls which was recommended highly by my mother.  Fair.  not great, not terrible, just fair.

So, hit me with some suggestions of great books.  They don't need to be new, just new to me.  My mind thirsts for fabulous turns of phrase and sometimes the brand new wells are dry.

Short but Sweet. or maybe not.

Ok, the last thing I posted was about the start up of the new summer of Big Brother.  I didn't expect to post about BB so soon, but the most hilarious thing was said on the first episode that I had to rush back here and share it with any of you that may have missed it.

Here's the set up:  All the houseguests were divided up into red and yellow teams with one person left to be the mascot.  That poor schmuck got to put on the hot dog suit from last year.  (This should have been a real clue to them that red and yellow were probably ketchup and mustard)  They go outside and the backyard is set up for a big challenge and made to look like a giant hibachi with giant wieners dangling over it on a pulley of some kind.  They were at one end of the hibachi and had to jump on the to dangling wiener and hang on while they were wheeled across to the other side.  The team with the fastest time of getting all their members to the other side were the winners and the very last person on the winning team is the new HOH.

Oh, and as they were hangin on the wieners for dear life they were being squirted with ketchup and mustard.  This made each trip across progressively difficult as the giant wiener gets more and more slippery.  Everyone with me so far?

So of course, they are cutting in with the diary room descriptions of this from each houseguest's perspective and they were hilarious!  But the best one was this:

The extremely dumb bleached-blonde girl named Britney who kept sliding off the wiener and having to go back and start again said "I lost my dignity on a slippery wiener".

Now how are they going to top THAT?  The season just started and how can they go up from that?  Or how can they go anywhere BUT up from that!!  I laughed so hard I had to go back and rewind and watch it again and again.  This is what unscriped reality t.v. is all about!  The dumb shit that comes out of the people's mouths.

And . . . . The end of the World Cup.  Next stop, Brazil in 2014.  Woo Hoo!!  No more vuvuzelas for four years!  Yea!!!

One more thing about the World Cup; even though none of my teams made it I was so happy to see Uruguay's Diego Forlan got the Golden Ball for being the top player of the whole World Cup. And to do it without even being in the winning team is testament to his talent.

Enjoy a little more Diego, won't you?

Those of you who weren't World Cup fans before might want to consider watching a few matches, don't you think?

I have been doing a lot of reading.  And I think it is thanks to my Kindle.  I have been breezing through books like a tornado!  A fast-reading tornado.  I have read Breakfast with Buddha (pretend that is underlined) for the book club at Bye Bye Pie.  If you don't read June over at Bye Bye Pie every day you just don't know what you are missing!  All the fun is over at June's house.

I also read the new Anthony Bourdain book, a couple of David Sedaris' books, and now I am reading (but not on the Kindle, real life books!  with pages to turn!) a couple of books by Sherman Alexie that my daughter the lovely and precious Rachel Pie gave me for Christmas.

So, what are you watching this summer?  What are you reading this summer?  What's going on in your neck of the woods?  Any fun trips planned?  Share with the rest of the class, won't you?

Random Thoughts

It has been a whole week since I have actually posted anything.  I am kinda shocked.  I have been busy as well.  Shocked and busy.

So I decided I would do some random stream of consciousness musings, ramblings and maybe even a rant or two!

1. Which do you find most annoying?  People who smack their food, people who slurp their soup, coffee or whatever, or people who do that weird breathing thing when they talk like that douchebag Dr. Phil?

Let's face it, all three of those are annoying in the extreme.  Just curious.

2. I love, love, love, pink puffy heart, love my Kindle!!!  And you know what else I love?  My Borsa Bella carry bag for my Kindle.  Isn't it cute?  It's stylish, functional, and protective.  It has a front pocket that holds the power cord, a cel phone or whatever else you might need.  Love the Borsa Bella bag!  Check out her site.  She has bags for damn near every electronic device you could have.  She has purses, totes and even the cutest diaper bags ever!  And no, I do not own this company, I do not even personally know anyone affiliated, or anything else.  I seriously love my Borsa Bella Bag for my beloved Kindle! and by the by?  The one I linked you to is the one I got!  I do love those big flowery things!

3. This one might be a problem.  I went to the free books for Kindle site to get some fabulous classics for free for my Kindle.  I got some great books by the by.  But then somehow I mosied over to the not-for-free books and was throwing them in my shopping cart willy-nilly just as if I were still in the free area!  Word to the wise:  Never shop both areas at the same time!  Never.  And let me just reiterate:  N E V E R.

4. My friend Patty Cakes is out of town.  So I have no one to read the obits with.  It's sad and not near as much fun to read the obituaries all alone.  There I was reading yesterday with my highlighter in hand ready to find some little gem, some fabulous turn of phrase, someone who really took the time and wanted to showcase their dearly departed's life.  And nothing.  Yes, people died.  Yes, it was sad.  But, nothing really stood out.  It was a (I hate to say it) a dull week in the obit section.  Maybe that is a good thing?  Maybe we don't want our fabulous, flamboyant, and living life to the fullest people to be dying off?

5. My niece got married last fall.  She is such a sweet and beautiful girl and made a lovely bride.  Anyhoo, she and her new husband built a big, beautiful home and furnished it together and filled it with wedding gifts.  They have 2 dogs and are a happy new family.  Then Friday night we were completely covered in thunderstorms.  The whole area was inundated by rain, flooding, thunder, and lightning. Her husband woke between 4 and 5 a.m. to the sound of the smoke alarm going off.  He opened the bedroom door to see what was going on and found himself standing in water and able to see the night sky above him.  Night sky surrounded by flames where their roof used to be.

He grabbed his new bride, they got their dogs and her purse and ran out and watched their house burn down.  All their belongings gone.  Their wedding photos gone.  All the wedding gifts gone.  I know, they are lucky to be alive and have each other.  And it makes you sound ungrateful if you don't preface with that thought each and every time you say "all my stuff is gone".  But if I were in her shoes, I would be falling apart.  You can not plan for a random lightning strike.  And all weekend I have been having these thought creeping into my consciousness "what would I do?, how would we go about corralling all our multitude of pets?, what would I want to grab and take with me on my way out the door? what will I have regrets over?"

See why I have no great and interesting thing to post today?  My brain is completely absorbed by this tragedy.  I keep thinking of her day-to-day life and how every aspect of it is changed.  "oh, I need to get dressed.  wait, I don't have any clothes", or "I will just put that in the washer.  nope, no washer."  She has to start completely over.  New clothes, new makeup, new shampoo, temporary place to live.  I haven't even asked yet if their cars were in the garage and are now totalled or not.

6. I can't end on news of my niece and her home. So here's one more thought.  Are you gardening?  Are you composting?  Are you harvesting rain water?  Are you using less of those horrendous plastic bags? You should know by now how I feel about those bags.  They are worse than Dr. Phil.  At least he doesn't sit in my pantry and multiply.

Nightstand Reading Redux

Yes, this is the book I am FINALLY reading!  I finished the Oscar Hijuelos book a couple days ago and picked up this tome and am now 10 Chapters in.  I have since peeled off those tacky Goodwill stickers so that the cover is all clean and pristine, by the by.

And this may be the last big book I read before my Kindle comes in!  Oh Happy Day!  I did receive a notice that my Kindle has been shipped.  I don't know from where it has been shipped.  Does anyone know where Amazon actually is?  Are there many locations around the country from which they ship?

I have been perusing the Amazon site to check out all the Kindle book selections to see which ones I want first.  Any suggestions?

I did it!!

Yes indeedy!  After more than 2 years of planning and researching, I did it.  I ordered the Kindle DX with AMEX reward points.  It did take me more than 2 years of swiping that AMEX card for gas, for groceries, or whatever to have enough points accumulated to get the Kindle for free!!!

Due to arrive in 14 days or less.  Last fall I started wavering about this wondering whether or not I would prefer to have an iPad.  And the iPad is awesome for music, movies, surfing, all sorts of things, but as an e-reader it is not making the cut as I read in Consumer Reports

So since I have wanted a Kindle for more than 2 years, and since I was able to obtain one for free, I bit the bullet so to speak and spend the points!  Woot!!

Reports to follow as soon as it shows up.  Snoopy Happy Dancin' going on here!!

iPad or Kindle?

Ok, I have been wanting a Kindle for forever!!!  But I am doing the Compact for the 4th year!!  I can't believe I have completed 3 full years already.  And yet there it is.  The premise of the Compact is that we don't just go out willy-nilly and buy new things.  We stop, we think, we find a way to re-purpose something we already own, we go to Craigslist, we go to Freecycle, we beg, borrow but definitely NOT steal; all BEFORE we trot down to a retail store and spend hard-earned cash.  And let me just say that the Compact has changed my life forever.

So I have been lusting after a Kindle for several years now and trying to find a way to justify its purchase. Less books produced means less trees killed means less clearing out I have to do on my bookshelves and also = less money spent on each book since they are $9.99 on the Kindle!  But that initial cash layout has always made me balk and wait.

But then I discovered that the Kindle is available to me on my AMEX reward points!  Woo Hoo!!  O happy day!  So I have been accumulating points with all my gas purchases, grocery shopping, etc and yesterday I checked and I now have enough to get the Kindle DX.  Awesome!

Yesterday I also got an email from Apple telling me the joys that I too could have if I would only pre-order the iPad which is coming out in less than one month.  I watched all the videos they sent about how fantabulous the iPad is and guess what?  All their marketing worked!  Now I want an iPad!

If I understand all the hype the iPad will do most of what the Kindle will do plus about 3,453,987 more things.  And at about the same cost.  Do I need all those other 3,453,987 things?  Maybe.  Who knows? None of us thought 10 years ago that every person on the planet NEEDED a stupid cel phone.  Apparently that was wrong.  20 years ago people were just getting home computers and look how that has changed the face of things!

I am going to keep thinking on this and try to make a plan I can live with.  This needs to be a well-thought out decision.  It needs to keep the spirit of the Compact.  And it needs to be something I will not regret.

If you have any thoughts or insight into either of these items or how I might go about making my decision, comment away!

Reading material

It's been a while since I have talked about which books I am reading. So I am here to rectify that little oversight. : )

Again, in no particular order, here are some of the books I have read or that are currently residing on my nightstand:

1. Babies remember birth. This was really interesting. Another of those things that keep smacking me in the face to remind me to quit talking so much and only say things I have really thought over and know that they will have value to those hearing them.

2. Jane Goodall, some book about food and eating habits around the world and what we should be doing. Can't recall the title right now.

3. Push - the book that has been made into the movie "Precious". Really good, and makes you want to go out in the world and start making an impact on someone's life.

4. Say you are one of them - Very sad, and powerful book set in Africa in different countries. Some of the most tragic lives I have ever read about.

5. Serena - for a book club. I just started it and so far I am only finding one character with redeeming qualities. The rest of these people are money-grubbing heartless bastards. Not too sure how this is gonna work for me.

I am STILL looking at the Kindle. I compared it to the B&N Nook and the other e-readers out there and I really do prefer the Kindle. But I want the Kindle DX which is not too much bigger overall, but it has a much bigger screen. Which means less scrolling, etc. And guess what?

Did you guess? Did you guess right? : )

My AMEX reward points can be used for a Kindle DX!!! Woot Woot!! I have enough points to get the smaller one for free and almost enough to get the DX. So I am going to continue waiting till I can get the one I want. Listen, I am nothing if not all about the anticipation being half the fun. Sometime this year I will have a Kindle and be just beside myself. Did you know that you can be reading a book on the Kindle and someone says to you, "Hey we need to take a quick road trip." And you can just take your Kindle and change it so that it READS TO YOU while you are road tripping?? Did you know that? Isn't that awesome?

There really isn't much I love more than books. I handle my books reverently. So it seems strange to some people that I would want a Kindle. Kind of an anti-book, or something. But here is how I see it: I can get a book for $9.99 on the Kindle and if indeed it is a great book that needs to be printed in hardback and take up space on my bookshelves then I will go invest in that book and make space for it. If it ISN'T really a great book, then I am only out $9.99 and no trees were cut down to make a copy for me.

Plus the fact that I can carry 3,500 books, plus newspapers and blogs with me in a tiny little amount of space is fab-u-lous!!

Are you reading? did you get any new books for Christmas? Do you have any recommendations? Do you have a Kindle or another type of e-reader? Share your thoughts, recommendations, etc.