The Dinner Group Dilemma

The other day as I was pondering about my blog and my inattentiveness to it, a brilliant idea came to me: "We should name our dinner group!" You see, my dinner group is amazing. Twelve individuals  meet together four times a week to share a meal, social, and have a great time. My food budget hasn't been overdrawn since I joined. I get to talk and eat (for some, eating is the most important part) and be entertained that takes up about an hour of my day. It's pretty fantastic.

So the thought of giving a name to the dinner group appealed me. I mean, if I'm going to blog about my everyday life, then I better be creative with something, right? And it got my brain churning.

It could be named Stan's Dinner Group, because Stan was the founder. But he moved to New Mexico quite a few months ago.

Nate's Dinner Group could work too, but Nate shot that one down quicker than you can say no.

I came up with some funny animal names: Hungry Hyenas, Fitful Flamingos, Thirsty Tigers, Wallowing Minnows, and so on.

As I invited other dinner group members for their opinions, it was clear that no one had thought of naming the dinner group before. And that I was probably the only one who really cared. But since I'm writing this blog, I wanted to call the group something. (Maybe it's just me and my tendency to name things: my car is named Gizmo, my iPod Touch is Peregrin Touch, my Macbook Pro is Bernie, and sometimes I call my camara Flashy.  Yeah, it could be just me. I do draw a line though. My work computer is just computer.)

This is what we decided (among the few who cared): TDG

TDG, or The Dinner Group.

Hmm. It's practical. And descriptive.  It works, I suppose. I think I'm going to shorten it to DG though. It's faster to type.

The Night Circus

I read this book in December and discussed in January in my book club. We had a great discussion and overall everyone liked it. Here's the review I posted on the book club's blog.

"The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night."

And so begins the story about two men who pit their apprentices against each in a challenge that ends with only one winner. Filled with mystery, romance, and magic, this book was, at times, mesmerizing and made me want to go to the Night Circus. This circus is like no ordinary circus where customers sit and be entertained by various performers. No, it's meant to be explored. And for someone who loves to explore new things at her own pace, it was a perfect book.

I felt like this book had a lot of strengths sprinkled with some weaknesses. I absolutely loved the author's descriptions of the various tents inside the circus. Each tent is magical in its own right, filled with impossible but incredible feats. Some chapters allow you, the reader, to take a slight break from the story and make you feel like you're the one exploring the circus. I also liked the puzzle of the two apprentices trying to figure out who they were competing against. The typesetting and design of the book was fantastic! And overall, the feeling of the book fit the story--dreamlike, ethereal, and magical.

I go back and forth when books are written in the present tense. Sometimes the author pulls it off really well, while other times not so much. This book did all right. There were a few times where I felt like it didn't work, but for the most part it didn't bother me.

One weakness that the book club members pointed out was the lack of conflict and unclear boundaries of the magic used in the book. 

Here we have two men who use different methods of magic, both feeling like his method is better than the other. One leaned toward raw talent, the natural magic inside his apprentice--in this case, his daughter. The other leaned toward studying and practicing of magic from books. He takes an orphan boy to train him. Neither master is particularly close to their apprentices. Neither are really to be rooted for. And as for the apprentices, both are likeable enough, so it's hard to choose a favorite. And since readers know that only one apprentice will survive the challenge, it becomes frustrating when neither master tells the apprentices that important fact. The masters hardly say anything about the rules, really. So just when you think this is going to be about the masters, it turns into a story about the players.  In the end, this ebb and flow of wondering where the story goes makes the conflict disappear and reappear in a different shape. It can get ambiguous--and I lost interest a bit. 

Although magic appears in the book frequently, it's never quite defined. What kind of magic is it? Or how does it work really? Those aren't ever answered. It's as if magic has always been there and we the readers should just accept it as it is. This aspect leads to revelations in the book that made me wonder if the author had a clear plan for the dramatic end or if she just made it up as she wrote. And that bothered me a little. Don't get me wrong: the ending was pretty awesome how she wrapped it up, but some aspects of how the author used magic to get to that ending seemed like cheating, somehow. But it is her story and her world . . .

I gave the book 4 stars on Goodreads. It definitely was enjoyable to read!

My Current Obsession

As some of you may know, I get obsessed with some things, usually books or TV shows or movies or whatever else I get obsessed with. In any case, my current obsession is The Hobbit. So many good actors are in this movie: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch. I've read the book (liked it), watched the move (loved it), and downloaded the soundtrack (obsessed with it). I can name all 13 dwarves. And now I'm writing about it.

So in honor of the movie, here are the lyrics of the Dwarf song "Misty Mountains" sung by the cast:

Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away ere break of day
To find our long-forgotten gold

That pines were roaring on the height
The winds were moaning in the night
The fire was red, it flaming spread
The trees like torches blazed with light


I love this song, even though it's pretty short. It's the men's voices, I'm pretty sure.  

So the world didn't end in 2012...

This may come as a surprise to a few of you, but the world didn't end in 2012. Which means that I once again have an opportunity to evaluate my 2012 happenings and highlight a few of the lessons I learned. Drumroll please.

Lessons Learned in 2012

(in no particular order)

1. I enjoy running and exercising.  This coming from a person who is a slow runner. But I enjoy the benefits of running—feeling healthier, happier, and better about myself. I got some new running shoes and some coworker support to keep me going. As a I looked at all the progress I had made this year (two 5Ks and a 10K), I realized that I needed to step it up. So I got a gym membership, and I'm excited to stick to my plan. I know that if I can get into routine, it will be easy for me to keep. 

2. Finding balance in life means sacrifice. I have a lot of interests, and I wish I could do them all, but this year I set aside some of my interests (like working on my novel) to other more important things, like my health (exercise equals time) or Church-related activities.  Along the way, I discovered I can have balance in my life that makes me happy. And if I missed out on something, it was okay. I find that being content with what I have makes me feel better and allows me to better cope with the nasty difficulties of life.

3. Working overtime causes stress. I worked a lot overtime this year at work. CFI made a lot of (good) changes and it really stretched me, but things are looking up, and I feel like this year I'll be more productive without working so much overtime. 

4. Challenges in life can either make or break me. With the help of the Savior, I can choose how challenges affect me. Some challenges seemed so overwhelming, but I have tried to trust in the Savior and his Atonement this year to help me overcome my challenges. And you know what? When I trusted, things seemed to work out. And when I doubted, they seemed to go wrong. I can choose whether a challenge will break me. But with the Lord's help, I know I have someone who will be there for me. I can view challenges as stepping stones that will help me become the person God wants me to become. I've changed from saying "Why me?" to "How can this help me?" That question has helped me so much this year.

5. Joining a dinner group was a smart decision. I joined a dinner group this year. We meet four times a week, and I cook for the whole group once every three weeks.  I know for some that dinner group is, well, about having dinner without doing much work. But for me, it helps me fill my "emotional tank." I get to spend time with friends, talk about my day, and joke around, and above all feel appreciated and loved. Dinner group has been one of my greatest blessings this year. I'm so grateful to be a part of it.

6. I am never going to catch up with my to-read list. And I'm okay with this fact. I have far too many books to read, and there are far too many good books out there. Because I need balance in my life (see #2), some things take priority over my books. But I shouldn't stress about not reading. I've learned to enjoy the time when I do read for fun. And I've read some fantastic books this year (although I stopped blogging about them . . . sorry, got a little busy (see #3)). 

7. Family is family, and you should love them even when they bug the heck out of you. I think this lesson may be repeated again next year. It's a good reminder, though.

I think there were a lot more ups than downs in 2012. I moved into Deerhaven, have made some great friends, and overall am doing well. Let's hope 2013 can be just as great.

Evaluation of 2012 Goals:

1. Write in my journal every day. I did really well with this goal until I moved in August. Then it became spotty. But I did write a few times in those last months. I find that writing in my journal helps me to reflect.
2. Run a 5K in 35 minutes. Ha! This was ambitious. I think my fastest time was 45 minutes.
3. Lose 30 pounds. I kinda took the summer off and then started to be more consistent in September. The good news is I haven't gained anything. The bad news is I haven't lost anything. It's a wash.

2013 Goals:

1. Finish editing my novel and get it published. 

2. Have a 30-minute scripture study session weekly.

3. Lose 15 pounds in 4 months.

  

The Help

I went to Idaho for a family reunion last week, which meant that  I had plenty of time to read in the backseat of the car. I just love road trips where I can read. :)

Confession: I read this book because I watched the movie. And I really liked the movie. I also read this book because my sister had a copy of it and loaned it to me, which made it convenient to read it at my leisure and not in the three-week period the Provo Library has. Freedom!

I really liked this book. In fact, I gave it five stars on Goodreads—I liked it that much. And here's why:

The characters: Aibileen, Minny, and Skeeter really sold it for me. The characters were lively, funny, thoughtful, wise. I felt they were friends from the beginning. Minny was my favorite with her spunky attitude and backtalking, but I felt that I connected more with Aibileen. It also helped that the images I had in my head were similar to the actresses in the movie. I couldn't help but compare the book to the movie, and am quite satisfied with the adaptation.

The plot: I was hooked after reading two chapters. I wanted to see the book to the end. I needed to know what happened (even though I knew what was going to happen).

Themes: This story got me thinking about relationships in my life. It's amazing to me how many interactions we have with people and we don't realize how much of an impact we can make by what we say or what we do. In some ways, this book showed that we do and say affects others more than we realize. When Aibileen says, "You is smart, you is kind, you is important" to little Mae Mobley to offset what Mrs. Leefolt has done, it tugged at my heart. It was interesting how that sentence is repeated over and over in the movie, but in the book, we get different versions of it until the last chapter. 

 I don't like the cover though.  When I first saw this book, I had no idea what it was about. The cover does nothing for me. That's my only complaint.

Read it and let me know what you think!

The Hound of the Baskervilles . . .

 

Sherlock Holmes. These days he's really popular. And how can you not enjoy the versions out there 

when you have this:    

  or this:   

But as I my friend told me, if you're going to read anything Sherlock Holmes, you better read The Hound of the Baskervilles. 

What surprised me was how entertained I was by reading it. I had no idea that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (because, yes, you must say his whole name to get that hint of British authority) was so clever with words. This mysterious tale is really well-known and I knew what was going to happen going in, but I didn't realize that I would have such a great literary treat to sink my teeth in to. Told in the perspective of Watson, we get to see reports, journal entries, and firsthand experience. Holmes is eccentric, smart, and just as socially awkward as he is now often seen on screen. 

And really, who doesn't like a good old-fashioned ghost story about a hound?  You gotta read this book!