I Welcome October With Open Arms

September has never been my favorite month. It's too much of an in-between, like May. With these in-between months I never know what to wear. This morning I was cold, so I wore to work: tall boots and thick socks, skirt, longsleeved tshirt and a long sleeved cardigan. I am so effing hot right now. And it's warm and sunny outside, so when I walked outside to get lunch, I started sweating and now I'm a hot and sweaty mess and can't really change anything about it. I'm giving a big middle finger to September right now. Are you summer or fall? Make up your damn mind.

But, not to fret because tomorrow is October and I love me some October. This October will be particularly sentimental.

My October goal will be to do Octobery things like pumpkin carving, apple orcharding, leaf viewing and picking and hot apple cider drinking.

Happy October's Eve to all!

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

This was a book I sort of wanted to stay away from. I have this thing with books where when everyone else is reading them, I don't want to. What is that? Then my boss lent it to me, so I read it and I will admit, I was hooked. Although, I think this book could have been better. It took a long ass time to get into it. And then there were two endings. There was an ending to the story that was interesting and then there was an end to the story that sucked. Basically the author sidetracked at the beginning, got to the meat of the story and tied it all up, then went back to the beginning.

It was a super fast read and the story really engrossed you. I could not put this book down, I just had to find out what happened. So, that's something. However, I was a little bit annoyed at how our hero Mikael Blomkvist figured the murder mystery out. It was pretty far fetched not to mention the fact that the author really telegraphed the ending. From the beginning it was clear that the answer to it all was in the pictures.

If you haven't read the book, you are probably confused. Here's a recap without giving too much away. The hero is an author who has recently been shamed. A rich guy offers him solace in writing a family history in small town Sweden. In addition he asks him to help solve a mystery of his niece's death. So, the author hero goes digging and the murderer gets angry and starts coming after him. Then this young woman enters the picture and begins helping our author hero with his investigation. Is it love between the two or just raw sex? Who can tell? Then they figure it out! The mystery, not the casual sex, because really who can ever figure that out? Elementary! Now comes the serious danger. Don't worry, our heroes always live! Then we go back to the author hero's shame and delve deeper into the young woman...then cliffhanger! Because there's another book and this author knows that true money is in a series.

Here's the real thing. Has anyone else looked into the story of the author's death? It's actually super interesting and mysterious on it's own. He planned writing at least 7 books, I think, but the publisher only has the first three. Major bummer. The books only get better.

So, 3/5 or 7/10 stars. I just wasn't impressed with the beginning and was so annoyed that they ruined the real ending by ending with the beginning. You dig?

CBS Boycott

I will not be watching tomorrow night's CBS lineup. About a month after starting to date Mike I found out about this possible CBS show. I thought, how cute! Until I learned it was about two obese people named Mike and Molly learning to love each other after meeting at overeaters anonymous.

I can't tell you how many people have commented to me about this show. I've had enough. So, I'm begging you to not watch the show so I can return to my regularly scheduled life.

Quote of the Week

Me: Have fun at the allergy doctor.
Mom: I will. I love getting poked.

Random Acts of Douchebaggery

While recently in our nation's great capital, I had a rather unfortunate experience. When Mike and I first got into the city, we took the metro from the airport to the Dupont Circle Station. The station was close to our hotel and I figured once we got on the metro station we could easily check our handy Droid phones to give us directions on how to get from the station to the hotel. I didn't figure that metros are tunnels deep underground and there would be no Internet service. I can't plan for everything!

Long story short, once on the metro, we realized that we wouldn't be able to get directions until we were above sea level.

The metro stops and here we are with our carry-on bags and a large rolling suitcase trying to fight our way through the crowds to get to the escalators. It was not the best experience of my life.

Mike and I get on the escalator and there weren't too many people behind us. Most of them were in front of us only because they trampled us to get to the escalator first. It had been awhile since I had ridden the metro, so I'll admit, I sort of forgot the whole "standers on the right, walkers on the left" philosophy. Mike was in front of me standing on the right and I was trying to ask him whether he was able to get Internet service yet, so I was committing an apparently cardinal D.C. sin by standing in the walking lane.

Some bitch was walking up the escalator and was having none of this. She walked up behind me, put her face right in my ear and said something along the lines of you're not supposed to be standing there. I don't remember her exact words because I was so startled by her mere presence. She was literally right behind me and definitely within my personal bubble. Anyone who knows me knows that I do not like it when people are in my bubble. And this bitch was in my bubble. I could feel her breath on my face as she whispered in my ear. Consider me creeped the eff out.

So, I'm startled and not really processing what she's saying. I'm more worried she's a hobo out to snatch my purse. I kind of jump out of the way and then realize that she is calling me out for standing in the walk lane. Listen, I get it. You want to get out of the metro station at a faster speed than the escalator will take you. I totally understand. And here I am, a dumbass tourist holding you up by standing in the walk lane. However, there are far more appropriate ways to handle this situation. Like standing a few inches back and saying "Excuse Me". There is no need to be in my bubble.

Also, there's no need to be a bitch about the whole thing. Clearly we are tourists and clearly we don't know where we are going or what we are doing. If I was a bitch to every iowan or wisconsinan who drove to the TC to do their shopping in the big mall.....oh wait.....I am a bitch to those people.

I don't know if I should un-RAD this girl out of hypocrisy or continue the RAD? I'll continue it, bitch was in my bubble.

Summer Blockbuster Bust

Remember a few years back when there was a writers strike? It was awful because it shortened the Lost season, but awesome because it made you realize how you can still live without T.V. Did that ever get resolved? Because honestly, this summer the movies have been garbage and I'm wondering if there's still a writer's strike.

I love cinematic adventure. I also love popcorn that is not microwaved by me and has plenty of butter topping. I can get both of these things at the movie theatre. So, I go to the movies often and will see questionable movies just to get the popcorn. But this summer, there has been nothing.

I saw Inception and it was brilliant. That was about 2 months ago (maybe more, where did the summer go?) and there was literally nothing else that caught my attention. To make matters worse, there still isn't a whole lot I want to see. I'm going through theatre popcorn withdrawal. Anyone have a cure for this conundrum?

Me On: Vending Machines

Is anyone else as appalled as I am about the prices of vending machine goodies recently? Because I am hot and steaming mad about this issue.

At work there is only 1 place where you can get snacks from a vending machine. I work in a building with 18 floors and they only have one vending machine area. Horror!

What makes this situation even worse is that they have allowed a complete scheister to control the vending machines and he has jacked up the prices to such levels that I won't even consider buying a bag of Pretzel M&M's from him.

Here's the story. Back when I first started, bottles of soda were a very reasonable $1.00 and candy and chips were at .60 cents. Perfectly adequate. Then the vending machine troll upped the soda to $1.25 and the candy and chips to around .75 cents. Still, though, this was fine. He put up a sign that blamed it on the economy.

A few months went by and another sign went up...further blaming the economy. So, now soda is $1.50 and candy is .80 cents. I'm getting annoyed. His prices were pretty much in line with other vending machines, but it was like Dude, how has the economy gotten that much worse in the last 3 months that you have to raise the prices again. Also, he has no teeth, which makes me suspicious about all things with this vending machine guy.

I persisted in my bottled soda addiction, though. At $1.50 I wasn't going to stop drinking an at least daily soda. In addition, there was a period of time where the soda machine was broken causing it to drop two sodas with one purchase. So, I felt like his price increase was a wash for me since I was getting some free stuff.

After a few months of this new price increase, the toothless vending machine troll did the unthinkable and put up another sign. Yes...ANOTHER SIGN. Again blaming it on the economy. Soda was now $1.75 and candy and chips were $1.00. WTF?! I cannot believe that this vending machine guy is paying anywhere near $1.00 for a Snickers bar in bulk. I know for a fact that I can get them for about .30 cents a bar at Sam's Club.

This price increase, however, seems across the board in the vending machine world. But, honestly, $1.00 is really too much to pay for a candy bar. So, I've boycotted all things vending machine (except yesterday when I really needed a 3 Musketeer bar to help me write an order). No shady toothless troll is going to screw me that badly just so I can have a soda.

Rock 'N Roller Coaster

I will not be lying to you when I tell you that I have never been on a roller coaster more awesome than this one. Never. Not that I'm a roller coaster connoisseur, but I've been on my fair share. Rock 'N Roller Coaster wins every single time.

The part about this roller coaster that is so amazing is the very beginning. There you are strapped in to the car waiting for the clearance to go. When it's time, the car goes from 0 to about 60 in maybe 2 seconds.

The other thing that makes the roller coaster awesome is that you can't really see anything ahead of you, so you don't know about the dips and turns until you are just upon them. And there are a lot of twists and loops. Another bonus is that the whole time they are blaring rock and roll music at you. Granted, it's Aerosmith, which isn't terrible, but I would like it if it was mixed up a bit.

The true downside to this ride is the line. For some reason, this one seems to have a difficult line that Disney has never quite gotten right. I've waited in line for 45 minutes when the little sign at the entrance says "15 Minute Wait Time". And you can never eyeball the line either because it goes inside a building, so you really have no idea how many people are waiting. This ride would get a 5 if it weren't for this one annoyance.

It's a short little coaster ride that packs on major thrills. 4/5 stars!

September, Don't Be In Such A Hurry

In theory, I love the fall. I like the change from a steady heat to a more subdued crispness. I like the idea of colors and moods changing. I feel happy when I think about cuddling up in the perfect over sized sweater with the windows open and a cool breeze coming in while sipping hot cider and watching a movie on my large and plush sectional sofa and an awesome scented candle burning in the background.

The reality of fall is that none of those things will happen. I will more likely be itching like crazy in a wool sweater that is far too hot for fall, it will be gross and rainy meaning the windows can't be open, I never have hot cider available to me, I don't own a large and plush sectional sofa and I never notice a candles scent until I leave a room and then come back into it.

So, even though everyone else is becoming ecstatic for the changing seasons, I'm holding onto summer with everything I have. I want the weather to be hot and sticky, the days to be long. I want to be always in dresses and flip flops. I want to be able to go outside whenever I want and not think about whether I need a jacket. Give me one more month of summer September, I know you have it in you!

My NME goal this month is to enjoy every last moment because soon it will be winter once again.