Finished!!!

I passed my LAST of 8 self-study courses and proctored exams on
Tuesday night! My official designation certificate to hang
beautifully on my office wall will come in February. My grauduation
application is all processing right now. I can start using the CLU
designation behind my name starting when I receive that!

The last one, "Income Taxation," was a DOOZY!

The Noticer

The Noticer: Sometimes, all a person needs is a little perspective. by Andy Andrews



My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a cute book. It reads a lot like a Mitch Albom book, quite a bit Hallmarky/Lifetime made-for-TV-movie. But there's some good advice. I would have given it more stars if I felt it was more original (I feel like he copied his "4 love dialects" from Dr. Gary Chapman's 5 love languages and his "the difference between you and the future you is the books you read" from Mark Twain). Good little pick-me-up and inspire-me-to-do-better book. Also made me wish I lived by the ocean in Gulf Shores, Alabama! My favorite story within the book was the one where Jones helped the elderly woman realize she could still do things, that her mission wasn't finished on earth or else she'd be gone, that by making small influences in people's lives now she could affect billions of people in the future. I LOVE his chain of events about George Washington Carver. Really makes you understand how interconnected we all are.



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For those gluttons for heavy reading...

East of Eden by John Steinbeck



My rating: 4 of 5 stars

John Steinbeck has a intricate, beautiful, and honest way of describing nature and people's hearts. This book draws in the reader like a non-shallow soap opera would, spans generations of a few families, but it does it in a beautiful and honest way, not a cheesy, overly-dramatic way. It's supposed to follow the biblical Cain & Able story, but I found it more of talking about the good and evil within each man. Some people are 100% either way as are some of the characters, but for most of us, we all have a good amount of good within us (divine nature & potential) and a good amount of evil within us (natural man that we're trying to overcome). And it takes certain experiences, people, or decisions in our lives to cause us to tip to one side or the other, or to recognize the good inside of us instead of focusing on the bad. In all honestly, yes, it's a high from finishing such a momentously massive book, but also, I enjoyed the read. I would caution that there are some seriously bad people in here that do bad things, a few cuss words in dialogue, but I would recommend it to anyone up for the undertaking :)



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Slackerrific Blogger

Hmmm, so how do you catch up on over a month of not posting updates for friends/family?  You bullet point and slack on creativity/humor:

• I passed my 7th CLU exam on Monday, the "Planning for Business Owners" course. I am so estatic!  Only one more left and this particular journey is done- I'll have achieved my Chartered Life Underwriter designation :)  I will test on the "Income Taxation" course around Dec 14th.  Then to finish pursuing the ChFC designation, I will do two courses/exams in February & March- I will have then achieved my Chartered Financial Consultant designation.  Yippee! Still working my way gingerly off the no-sleep-study-a-thon from Sunday night/Monday morning, though. Here are my completed courses, lined up in my office- sounds like riveting reading, eh?:

• Doug and Frank have been working their tails off running this past month.  They now can consistently do 4 mile runs out on the trail.  They're following the Hal Higdon half marathon training guide that I did for my first half.  I'm doing his intermediate II marathon training guide right now (modified the days, though, and I'm doing much longer, relaxed Saturday runs than specified).  It's just a schedule that helps you make great strides in improving your distance and keeping workouts mixed up.  Except this is how we feel most nights:

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  My thyroid biopsy turned out just fine, which was a relief. Doug was a supportive champ w/ me during it.  The Prolactinoma & Hashimoto's are under control, hormones leveled out, things going great.  Thanks to my personal nurse, my friend Carly, for always being my sounding board throughout everything this past year.  Makes me even more proud of my hard work & accomplishments in the weight loss department knowing I did it all despite a mild hypothyroid.  I have lost 39 lbs since the end of February!  Have to toot my own horn- isn't that what blogs are all about? Just working out really hard and couting calories, staying at a low-calorie, healthy, wholesome diet.  I am hoping to hit the final goal of 50 lbs total lost by December 31st.  I'll be at my goal weight then & plan on rewarding myself w/ a new pair of jeans from my sis-in-law's store.  It's all thanks to my wonderful group of friends on the 10 in 6 blog who I absolutely adore adore ADORE!  The most recent 10 in 6 challenge started up yesterday.  It's my 5th one participating in and my 3rd one running.  If you want to try and lose 10 lbs in 6 weeks (ladies only), then check it out.  Free support group of superheros.  It's pretty all-encompassing for my blogging outlet- so that's why I haven't been on this family blog very much lately.
  
  
  

• I have been caffeine free for 2 weeks
• All I can think about right now is a wonderful Thanksgiving break a head of me.  I can't wait to get in extra naps, extra workouts, & exra fun :)  We'll be with my family for a big Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday night, then with Doug's family for the rest of the weekend.  Dear wonderful weekend, please carry me through the next two days!

Green Revolution

Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution--and How It Can Renew America by Thomas L. Friedman

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Extremely fascinating book! Things I liked: witty, clever, lots of interviewee quotes, learned things I never knew about congressional sluggishness and big oil company lobbying to keep minimum fuel efficiency levels down, etc. A lot about biodiversity, global warming, carbon emissions, wind/solar/geothermal energy, etc. Did you know deforestation releases trapped carbon gases from the tree into the air? Just so much information and so much knowledge that it's hard to wrap your head around it. It's like multiple college courses crammed into one book. He really did a great job w/ his research. Loved the discussion of all the different experiences, views, failures, and successes of foreign governments and foreign/domestic businesses. I really liked his chapter that described the future home w/ smart appliances and smart box & future parking ramps. Fascinating and really captured my attention. It's a behemoth read.



My absolute favorite aspect of the book is the whole cynical and satirical discussion of yeah yeah you supposedly green American citizen w/ your energy saving bulbs, Prius, reusable grocery sacks, etc., you're so great, yay you, but guess what? One city in China eats that energy savings you would take years to built up for years all for its breakfast. The paradigm shift perspective that this book introduces is phenomenal- that it's such a HUGE global issue- that it's going to take so much to challenge countries like China, India, & Indonesia to try and out-green us and to try and skip the dirty-oil-based or coal-based development and jump straight to the clean development in an effort to get to that marketplace dominance before we can. Kind of like how China successfully skipped the whole telephone landline infrastructure development America went through and leapfrogged straight from no phones at all to cell phones. We need to as a global community encourage these economonies that despite it sucking and being completely unfair to them, that it's to their advantage and our advantage that they leapfrog their energy development. Whoever gets there first has the advantage in the global marketplace. I also loved his theories on petro-dictatorships- I completely and wholeheartedly agree w/ that one.



Things I didn't like, because I'm a critical cynic like that :) would be: How it got more and more partisan as it went on. I liked how it started off very non-partisan, not one political party does "green" right or wrong, but then as it went on and on, I felt it more and more partisan. Also, Friedman talks about needing quick and sweeping change from the government in the form of regulation and standards to make a guaranteed market stability for green venture capitalists, tax subsidies for clean energies, etc. Which I agree w/ to a certain extent- but I have major red flags and alarms that come up w/ government's hand being too involved in the marketplace. Friedman says government needs to set the regulations to jumpstart the free market and then let the free market take over, but I am so skeptical and leary of that much control and that much involvement, that our country will overtime be more authoritarian and lose the free market driven economy. Friedman even goes so far as to say he wishes we had the government of China for just one day to get things done and then go back to our own US government after that. To me that's a scary statement to make. I agree in the sweeping change and drastic measures, but be careful out there.



Overall, pretty awesome book, very educational, but don't take what he says as religious truth and become a worshipper. Extremely enlightening book, though. I recommend it to everyone!


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Book Club

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
So I liked this book, but I kept catching myself thinking, "Wait! That's not how vampires are supposed to act..." or werewolves, etc. My Stephenie Meyers & JK Rowling exposure have evidentially spoiled my acceptance and easy-goingness of this book. BUT, it was pretty good, even if I felt a lot of the elements & words were stolen & tweaked minorly from elsewhere...



Very predictable, typical teen fantasy genre, but very cute nonetheless. Just the right amount of plot twists and interconnectedness of all the characters, but a little over the top with the "dramatic irony." Doesn't really pick up until halfway through. I'll probably read the other two in the series, though.


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City of Ember

The City of Ember by Jeanne Duprau

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Book was so-so...I really liked some parts and I couldn't stand the naivity and drawn-out nature of some parts. The ending was an eye-roller for sure :) Cute concept, though. And I guess you have to keep in mind it's meant for young teens. I'll probably still read the rest in the series because I'm really curious for where the author could go next with the storyline.


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Inkheart

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was a really fun read- it oozed creativity and fresh ideas. I liked how it had about 10 climaxes instead of just 1 at the end. I loved Elinor & Farid, but I didn't relate to Meggie or Dustfinger that much. The author did a splendid job on the "scary" characters like Capricorn & Mortola, though! Scary characters are always creepier when they're developed to be a little off their rockers & unstable/unpredictable :) I can see this book appealing to Harry Potter and teen fantasy fans...but I think it would also make a fun book to read aloud to your kids.


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The Five Love Lanugages

The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate by Gary Chapman

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Ok, so I picked this book up, put it down, picked it up, and took me 6 months to finish because it's the kind of book you think & ponder about a lot. Definitely you should read this with your spouse. I really appreciated the insights towards the end on loving your children in their own love language- I liked that application of the principle. Definite must read for everybody.


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Ender's Game

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Turns out this was the favorite book of pretty much everyone who saw me reading it ;) I had never heard of it before, though! I really enjoyed the book. It's one of those thought-provoking looks into what drastic steps a futuristic humankind will take to "control" and "preserve" their way of life. I felt about 3 stars all the way up until the last quarter of the book, which was GREAT! 4 stars overall :)


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Must Read!

Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls by Mary Pipher

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was a slow go because of the digestion required and my own reflection. It wavered from 5 to 4 to 3 and back to 5 stars for me. This book, written by a female phsychologist in hte 90's, has some really great insight and analysis on what adolescent girls are faced with in our culture, reaching out to them, understanding them, loving them, parenting them, and about a hundred case studies of too much, too little, just right, horror stories, good adjustment stories, etc. It talks about girls not liking their bodies, peer pressure, bulimia, anorexia, alochol and drug abuse, sexual abuse/rape, acting out, depression, self-mutilation, withdrawing, racial tensions, etc. It will make you stop and think about your own adolescence, dichotomous values, decisions on where you stand with your boundaries in life, comfort in your own skin, etc. The whole premise of her book has to deal with how our modern culture pressures girls who are fun-loving and confident 10 and 11-year-olds to change when they become adolescents, splitting into two selves: one true and authentic self, one fake and false self. They face social pressure to put aside their true selves and display only a small portion of their gifts. They reject their true selves and "disown" themselves, thereby decreasing their self-confidence. I don't know, it probably doesn't make much sense unless you delve into the whole book! It's a deep read, but I think anyone with a daugher NEEDS to read it as part of a well-rounded parental research.


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Twilight Review

So here are my thoughts about Twilight, which overall was "ok."

- Edward was a very bad casting choice. The Edward in my head is hunkier, has more muscles, and looks like a chiseled Greek marble statue like Stephenie Meyer described. I know he's supposed to look 16 or 17 yrs old, but this actor was scrawny and sickly looking. The vampires are supposed to have this awe-inspiring effect on people, suck them in with their attractiveness and charm- Edward totally didn't do it for me.

-LOVED Bella, totally cute. Perfect. Now the boy shorts during the kissing scene was kinda taking some license and running with it- if I remember right from the books she was a big fan of the baggy sweatpants at all times :) Doug's response to this was "C'mon now, the producers of that movie knew that guys like me would be dragged to this show and would have been disappointed if she was wearing baggy sweatpants." Ha ha!

-LOVED the casting choices of Esme, Carlisle, Emmett (little hottie fo sho), Rosalie, Jacob, Charlie, & Billy.

-Jasper was made to seem a lot sketchier and insane-asylum-escapee than I remember him being. Yes, he was fighting a lot of urges...but the eyes about to pop out of his head? Reminded me actually of an early Edward Scissorhands....

-Love development between Edward and Bella was about a D for a grade. BUT, a lot of it is internal thought processes in the book that are very descriptive, and I know that'd be realy hard to put into a movie adequately. It seemed like "Hi, my name's Bella" and two seconds later "Hey, I'm ready to die for you."

-Edwards comments (particuarly in the woods and by that giant boulder when she's just told him she knows what he really is and doesn't care) made him appear really psychopathic and not the Rico Suave I remember him being. Hmmm... maybe the underlying theme of this post is that I have a bad memory :)

-Special effects were pretty funny. You could practically see the zip line and harness from the movie set when Bella was on Edward's back and they were running through the woods :)

-I think the movie deal was struck too soon. Now that the books are SO famous and popular and she's done with the series, she could have held out for a MUCH bigger name producer and higher budget film.

-Very fun flick overall, though :) And all the adolescent girls at the movie theatre dressed in their pajama pants and pink slippers, swooning and catcalling at Edward and Jacob on the screen were HILARIOUS!

Twilight

So I saw the movie last night! Haha, I swear I'm not psycho. The way it actually came about is that the tickets were all sold out to the showing that the majority of the book club girls were going to, and I didn't want to ruin Doug's birthday evening tonight by going to a movie, and so I was online yesterday and checking out times and saw there were a bunch of midnight showings of the movie at the theatre just down the street from where we live....and Doug didn't want me to go alone....and he would get to sleep in Friday morning...so he said he'd go with me! What a doll! Doing goofy things like this help us feel young and honestly it was really fun. Neither of us has ever gone to a midnight movie debut before. So we saw the 12:02 showing, along with a whole theatre full of CRAZIES! Hahaha! So of course I'm BURSTING to talk to someone about it, but I'm definitely not going to spoil it for those of you who plan on seeing it tonight...

What did I think of it? It was "eh, so so.." I'll post my full thoughts and critique later this weekend once the die hards have all seen it.

On to the important things, though! Doug turns the big 25 today! Whoa! He's a quarter of a century old! :) I love him so much. He spoils me, relaxes me, makes me laugh, kicks my butt into action, excites me, and makes me feel cherished. I love him and wouldn't have him any other way :) Happy birthday, bub! Tonight we're going out to our favorite sushi restaurant downtown at 8 :) YUM!!!!

I'm Esme

Ok, total bummer that it's not a better actress playing this role, but I'm still happy I'm Esme :) Too bad the movie comes out on Doug's birthday 11/21 and so I'll be seeing the movie later than the rest of the world..... wouldn't put Doug through that, though. Can't wait for our hot date tomorrow night!


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Thanks for the link, Muffington ;)

The World is Flat

And I finished this one last week- Excellent Read!

The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century by Thomas L. Friedman

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Phenomenal book! This should be required reading for all high school students to understand the economic/social/political/technological world they are about to enter. For the rest of us, I think it's a great read that would appeal to people interested in history, political science, technology, or globalization. For me, this was right up my alley and I LOVED it! Friedman is genius in my opinion. His whole premise or point to the book is to show how because of the convergence of various factors in the last 100 years, the world is flattening, in terms of the playing field leveling and more and more people of all parts of the world now being able to compete successfully and thrive. He was able to explain the birth of the internet and development of computer/info systems, the dot com boom/bust which actually helped lift the rest of the world up to our playing field, and a lot of global trade issues. I most enjoyed his case studies into UPS, Wal-Mart, math and science education in American youth, outsourcing, insourcing, offshoring, and a lot about China very in depth. I LOVED how he analyzed why Mexico never reached its full trading potential and is now falling apart econmically while China is reaching its full potential and is a world giant, despite the fact that Mexico has so many more natural advantages such as proximity to the U.S. He is careful to always explore all sides of an issue, such as culture, geography, politics, economics, education, benefits/cons, and allows for all counterarguments. The book isn't that argumentative, though. It's a great book. Now, a little side note, he is considered liberal in political/economic orientation...so take that as you will, but nothing is offensive. And I didn't agree with his prescription for the health care industry in America, but I loved everything else. I am uber-passionate about international relations and increasing global understanding and compassion among us all, but still, I think anyone who read this would have a MUCH better and thorough understanding of history and why/where we are today. I recommend it to everyone!


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Ultramarathon Man

Just finished this book last night- good read!

Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner by Dean Karnazes

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book helps us all challenge our excuses, push the limits, and know we can do anything we set our minds to.



There are too many good quotes in here to pick just one or two, but my favorite takeaway is the overall simplicity and solitude of running- that it can be a way to achieve clarity, peace, quiet, compassion, and in-tune-ness with your body.


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Good book!

Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Fantastic book! I absolutely loved this book. It is relieving to find someone who's mind is as neurotic and thoughts as fleeting and crazy as my own! The author, Elizabeth Gilbert, just went through a divorce and spends 4 months in Italy exploring pleasure, 4 months in Indonesia exploring devotion and meditation, and 4 months in Indonesia exploring the art of balancing the two (pg 30). She learns so much about herself- lessons that we all need to hear and to be constantly reminded of. The author's writing style is hilarious, very random quippets and side notes from a rambling brain, something I could relate to. I know it's controversial, but I love how she kicks anti-depressants and her discussion surrounding it. I love how she talks about "the beauty of doing nothing" in italy, just relaxing, reveling in life, and the hardest thing: making yourself comfortable with the idea that you deserve and have earned pleasure. "The appreciation of pleasure can be an anchor of one's humanity" (115). I love her battle out of lonliness and discouragement, her journey out of her own past, her examination of her whole life. And yeah, I want to go eat pizza & gelato in Naples!



I really examined myself and reflected inwardly on my own inner battles, my own road blocks to what I can become. [If anyone is interested in chatting more indepth about the Yogic/Buddhist/Zen ideas relative to LDS spirituality and pondering, I have become a relative chatterbox about this, so let me know :) and I'd love to talk.] I love her discussion of the difference between meditation and prayer: "Prayer is the act of talking to God, while meditation is the act of listening" (132). "If you clear out all that space in your mind that you're using right now to obsess about...you'll have a vacuum there, an open spot- a doorway...God will rush in- and fill you with more love than you have ever dreamed" (150).



This is just such a power book, an instrument for waking up inside all of us something that makes us want to be better and stronger, more centered and more balanced in our own lives. It's within us all along! Maybe our future selves really do tug and pull at our current selves to join them...



(Ok, I will say there are a few parts of language and ideas mainly towards the end that would be rated-R, so I'm not going to recommend it to everyone.)


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