October 2012 Round-Up


Happy Halloween! It's time for my October round-up.

What I Read...
  • Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares: I read the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books a few years ago, so I decided to pick up the newest book when I saw it at Goodwill. It was a nice diversion, even if the subject matter wasn't quite as light as I hoped it would be.
  • Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio: I've enjoyed reading Jio's previous two books, and this one was just as wonderful. This book isn't great literature, but sometimes it's nice to read a sweet book that doesn't make you think too much. I also loved that it took place in Seattle.
  • The Technologists by Matthew Pearl: My first book on the iPad. I enjoyed reading about the early days of MIT and returning to Boston for a little while, even if it was only in the pages of a book (screen on the iPad?).
  • The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling: I tried but barely made it 100 pages in. I miss Harry and his friends.
What I Watched...
  • The Perks of Being a Wallflower: This was a wonderful movie. I wanted to see it because of Emma Watson but left more impressed with the performance of Logan Lerman, the young actor who played the main character Charlie.
  • Sense and Sensibility: I watched my new DVD of the PBS miniseries last weekend. (It was a birthday present.)
  • TV: I've enjoyed watching some of my old favorites (Dancing with the Stars, Castle, Grey's Anatomy) and discovering new shows (Upstairs Downstairs).
What I Want to Remember...
  • Taking my first flying trip all by myself. I loved visiting Seattle; the fall colors, cooler temperatures, Pike Place Market, Space Needle — and of course, the skating — were wonderful.
  • Attending my second skating competition this year. I think this is the first time it has ever happened. I need to keep going because Ashley Wagner always wins when I see her live.
  • Celebrating my birthday with my family the first weekend in October. As always, they made it special.
  • Dressing up as McKayla Maroney for Halloween. It was fun to be "unimpressed" all day.
  • Learning my way around my new iPad. It really is a lot of fun to use, but I'm not completely sold on the Kindle app yet.
  • Attending the UT-WVU game earlier this month. The outcome wasn't in the Longhorns' favor, but it was definitely one of the best games I've ever seen live.
  • Getting crafty one weekend and creating my Seattle scrapbook before the trip.
  • Enjoying my special birthday cupcake from Gigi's Cupcakes.
  • Knowing that Sammy was well taken care of while I was gone because my entire family was in Austin.
What I'd Like to Forget...
  • The OU game (for obvious reasons).



About My Monthly Round-Ups
At the end of each month, I take a look back and write a post about the month's highlights, as well as what I read and watched. To see all of my round-up posts, visit this page.

Around Here...

It's been a long time since I've written anything, so I thought I would write about what I'm doing right now.

Around here I am...


Getting super excited for my trip to Seattle (and skating — I'm very excited to attend Skate America for the third time).

Making a few last-minute packing decisions (lots of long sleeves and rain protection).

Preparing things for Sammy while I'm gone. I'm very happy my family will see him this weekend so he won't be alone too long.

Trying to stay out of all the pre-election craziness but still getting sucked in. Every four years I get really excited to follow the debates, learn about the different issues, and passionately support my favorite candidates. Then I go on Facebook (or Twitter) and wish the election were already over.

Learning more and more about my new iPad. It's been fun to try out some of the different apps and download my first book on the Kindle app. I'm looking forward to traveling with it for the first time tomorrow.

Staying ahead at work (this one is not a joke). For some reason, it's like feast and famine with my job — I'm either pulling-my-hair-out busy or frantically looking for tasks to complete.

Enjoying the new season of Dancing with the Stars more than I thought I would. I'm Team Shawn, even though I'd like someone new to win this time.

Attempting to play four-in-hand at handbells. My bells are much more active this year, and I haven't quite gotten the hang of everything yet.

Using my oscillating fan to block out the noise from next door. If it's not fighting, it's something else, and the something else makes me miss the fighting. Awkward.

Reading The Technologists by Matthew Pearl (downloaded on my iPad). I just started it yesterday, but I'm enjoying the descriptions of Boston so far.

Hoping the Longhorns can turn their season around this weekend. If not, I'm looking forward to basketball season.

Happy Wednesday, everyone!