Cupcake adventures!

Made these. Recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World.

They. Were. Delicious!

In Which I Admit To Enjoying Romantic Spy Mysteries

This book, The Betrayal of the Blood Lily comes out on Tuesday, January 12th.

(Picture of book for good measure)



And I want to read it. Even though its silly, unsubstantial fluff, set centuries ago with dashing spies and courageous women and corset busting...I want to read it. Mostly because I've read all the other ones and they are so delectable.

But: this means that it is coming out in the store. The DC library, which doesn't get books in a timely manner, probably will not own this selection for months. And months. This has been a problem. As I get more and more connected to book blogging, I want more and more new releases. But to get new releases, you have to buy them. Or wait four months while the DC library system gets their act together to send me hot tickets like The Lost Symbol.

So what is a girl to do? I recently read a new release series book while sitting in a Borders during my lunch, which seems kind of like stealing:



I no longer have as big of a soapbox to stand on when recommending books, so reading everything for free seems like I'm mooching off the system. But how different is it to read a book in the store versus check a book out of a library that dozens of people also used to read a story?

End of a Decade (but I'm only acknowledging 2009)

So everybody has decided to make a list about how they feel about the decade. I am not near that level of self reflection at this moment in my life.

I was only prepared for the end of 2009. I totally forgot about the whole decade thing. Seems kind of small potatoes after a turn of a century, no?

Last year I wrote that for 2009 I was going to stop re-reading books, start reading harder books, and write more.

I did re-read almost no books. (I cheated when The Time Traveler's Wife came out -- I reread some choice scenes before I went to see the movie.)

I partially failed though. I didn't really scale back the teen fiction. The only thing that I read that was massively out of my way was The Book of Basketball by Bill Simmons.

What I did accomplish at the end of the year, as a result of being flexible with my reading, is that I really like listening to podcasts. I listen to This American Life, Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, and various How Stuff Works.

So -- its kind of a draw. I read a lot of stuff, but not a lot of it was far outside my comfort zone. But I did push onto podcasts (with the help of Dan!)

This year I have only two goals:

1. Continue to use the Wii Fit for at least 30 minutes three times a week. (My weight has stayed stagnant since last New Years. Really, that's better than nothing, right?)

2. Keep track of all the books I read in a spreadsheet. (This will be nice if only so I can remember exactly what I read.)

So nothing too outrageous for the new year. Good luck you with your own changes.

WTF Christmas

see more Lolcats and funny pictures


I've been sick. I haven't gone shopping in a crowd. I haven't eaten until I thought I was going to explode.

I think this means its not Christmas?

This Girl Loves The Collage

Facebook status collage, that is.

More oversharing:



Similar, of course, to my tweet cloud.

The one that makes me happiest? When I got unofficially offered the job I have now, I went home and updated my status to, "ZOMG HIRED?!?!?!??!?"

Something to think about: Period

I hadn't really thought about this before. Really. I assumed... that there was some solution in poor countries that didn't have to include the Tampax brand.

I can officially acknowledge that I have been spoiled rotten.

[From When Menstruation Means Inequality at the HuffPo]

The one where I intellectualize our Tiger Woods obsession

[photo from buzzfeed]

I tend to over intellectualize things that I know are not the awesomest. Like Medium; I say I enjoy this show because it is a good portrayal of a working mother in a loving and sometimes complicated relationship with her husband. Or Grey's Anatomy for its awesome diverse cast of characters (and not just skin deep diversity, but diversity of backgrounds).

Which brings me to Tiger Woods. I've seen him play on television occasionally (in between naps). I don't watch golf voluntarily, I don't find it particularly exciting, and while I can appreciate his talent, I generally don't care that much about him.

Which I assume is what most people felt. We admire his hard work and talent, but unless we enjoy golf... that's where our thoughts about him stopped.

Until we found out that he slept with about 100 cocktail waitresses and porn stars (I haven't been keeping count after 3). Suddenly the Huffington Post has a page periodically updated with mistress photos and videos. Commentators offer their opinions on cable networks. The late night comedians have a field month.

Why? Two reasons:

1. Tiger was too good to be true, and now we have proof. Classic fall from grace. He's talented, he has a pretty wife, he's got beautiful children, and he's rich. We love this fall from grace. No one can be that great -- if only so they don't make us feel bad about not being so great. We love this so much: "Yeah, he has talent, but he can't keep his personal life straight!"

2. We are natural voyeurs (this is, unfortunately, the reason that reality television exists). We're all peeping toms, just a little bit, but instead of peeking into his windows we're thumbing through the tabloids and online. We are naturally curious about the lives of others. Its instinct; its how we learn how to live our own lives, from the trial and error of others.

For my part? I know way more about this than I should. My RSS reader gets the Full Feed from Huffington Post which gives me the up to date info as soon as it happens. (I need to rethink the HuffPo, because they are the reason I know about OctoMom). And I have to admit, the illustration above is awesome. And without the constant coverage seeping into my brain, I wouldn't find it funny.

So feel better if you think you know too much about Tiger Wood's bedroom. Its just your natural voyeurism kicking in.