Books read in 2010

Bobby and Jackie: A Love Story, C. David Heymann
Fletch, Too, Gregory Mcdonald
American Legacy: The Story of John and Caroline Kennedy, C. David Heymann
Tis Herself: An Autobiography, Maureen O'Hara and John Nicoletti
A Woman Named Jackie: An Intimate Biography of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, C. David Heymann
John F. Kennedy, President, Hugh Sidey
Oswald's Tale: An American Mystery, Norman Mailer
First Ladies: The Saga of the Presidents Wives and Their Power 1789-1961, Carl Sferrazza Anthony
The Saga of the Presidents Wives and Their Power 1961-1990, Carl Sferrazza Anthony
Real Life at the White House: 200 years of daily life at America's famous residence, John Whitcomb
Amelia Earhart, Tanya Lee Stone
The Thirty-Nine Steps, John Buchan
Hungry, Crystal Reen with Marjorie Ingall
Harry S. Truman, Robert Dallek
The Murder of King Tut: The Plot to Kill the Child King, James Patterson
Shutter Island, Dennis Lehane
Duchess of Death: The Unauthorized Biography of Agatha Christie, Richard Hack
Alice: Alice Roosevelt Longworth, from White House Princess to Washington Power Broker, Stacy A. Cordery
Murder on the Orient Express, Agatha Christie
From Love Field: Our Final Hours with President John F. Kennedy, Nellie Connally & Mickey Herskowitz
After the Funeral, Agatha Christie
The Mysterious Affair at Styles, Agatha Christie
Best Evidence, David S. Lifton
The Secret of the Old Clock, Carolyn Keene
The Hidden Staircase, Carolyn Keene
The Bungalow Mystery, Carolyn Keene
The Mystery at Lilac Inn, Carolyn Keene
The Secret of Red Gate Farm, Carolyn Keene
The Message in The Hollow Oak, Carolyn Keene
The Whispering Statue, Carolyn Keene
The Haunted Bridge, Carolyn Keene
The Mystery of the Brass Bound Trunk, Carolyn Keene
The Secret in the Old Attic, Carolyn Keene
The Clue in The Crumbling Wall, Carolyn Keene
The Clue of the Leaning Chimney, Carolyn Keene
The Secret of the Wooden Lady, Carolyn Keene
Mystery at the Ski Jump, Carolyn Keene
Clue of the Velvet Mask, Carolyn Keene
The Witch Tree Symbol, Carolyn Keene
The Hidden Window Mystery, Carolyn Keene
The Haunted Showboat, Carolyn Keene
The Secret of the Golden Pavilion, Carolyn Keene
The Clue in the Old Stagecoach, Carolyn Keene
The Moonstone Castle Mystery, Carolyn Keene
The Mystery of the 99 Steps, Carolyn Keene
The Invisible Intruder, Carolyn Keene
The Secret of Mirror Bay, Carolyn Keene
Mystery of the Glowing Eye, Carolyn Keene
The Secret of the Forgotten City, Carolyn Keene
The Strange Message in the Parchment, Carolyn Keene
The Mystery of Crocodile Island, Carolyn Keene
Dead Until Dark, Charlaine Harris
Living Dead in Dallas, Charlaine Harris
Club Dead, Charlaine Harris
Dead to the World, Charlaine Harris
Dead as a Doornail, Charlaine Harris
Definitely Dead, Charlaine Harris
All Together Dead, Charlaine Harris
From Dead to Worse, Charlaine Harris
Dead and Gone, Charlaine Harris
Dead in the Family, Charlaine Harris
In The Valley of the Kings: Howard Carter and the Mystery of King Tutankhamen's Tomb, Daniel Heyerson
Mystery of the Fire Dragon, Carolyn Keene
The Thirteenth Pearl, Carolyn Keene
The Triple Hoax, Carolyn Keene
The Flying Saucer Mystery, Carolyn Keene

Currently Reading: Dark Lover: Black Dagger Brotherhood, J. R. Ward
Up Next: Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times and Corruption of Atlantic City, Nelson Johnson

Weight loss

I have lost 70 pounds so far in 2010. It has taken me 26 days to drop five pounds. I felt like I was never going to hit it. I finally did Sunday.

I've heard the expression that "the last 20 pounds are the hardest to lose." That is so right. There were many days that I was a half pound away from 70 pounds. Then eating too much lunch or dinner would set me back. It is just so frustrating sometimes. You feel like your doing everything right with exercising and eating, but the scale tells you differently.

With me reaching the 70 pound mark, I'm finally out of the overweight category on the Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator. To be in the normal weight category for the first time in 12 years feels so good. I don't plan on hanging around the tail end of the normal weight category. I want to be in the middle of it. I still have a few pounds to lose to reach that goal.

Books read in 2010

I finished two books in two days. Actually it was more like a couple of hours. My sister bought me some Nancy Drew mystery books for my birthday. I just finally got around to reading them. I like the books, even though they are for kids. They are quick and enjoyable reads.

Bobby and Jackie: A Love Story, C. David Heymann
Fletch, Too, Gregory Mcdonald
American Legacy: The Story of John and Caroline Kennedy, C. David Heymann
Tis Herself: An Autobiography, Maureen O'Hara and John Nicoletti
A Woman Named Jackie: An Intimate Biography of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, C. David Heymann
John F. Kennedy, President, Hugh Sidey
Oswald's Tale: An American Mystery, Norman Mailer
First Ladies: The Saga of the Presidents Wives and Their Power 1789-1961, Carl Sferrazza Anthony
The Saga of the Presidents Wives and Their Power 1961-1990, Carl Sferrazza Anthony
Real Life at the White House: 200 years of daily life at America's famous residence, John Whitcomb
Amelia Earhart, Tanya Lee Stone
The Thirty-Nine Steps, John Buchan
Hungry, Crystal Reen with Marjorie Ingall
Harry S. Truman, Robert Dallek
The Murder of King Tut: The Plot to Kill the Child King, James Patterson
Shutter Island, Dennis Lehane
Duchess of Death: The Unauthorized Biography of Agatha Christie, Richard Hack
Alice: Alice Roosevelt Longworth, from White House Princess to Washington Power Broker, Stacy A. Cordery
Murder on the Orient Express, Agatha Christie
From Love Field: Our Final Hours with President John F. Kennedy, Nellie Connally & Mickey Herskowitz
After the Funeral, Agatha Christie
The Mysterious Affair at Styles, Agatha Christie
Best Evidence, David S. Lifton
The Secret of the Old Clock, Carolyn Keene
The Hidden Staircase, Carolyn Keene
The Bungalow Mystery, Carolyn Keene
The Mystery at Lilac Inn, Carolyn Keene
The Secret of Red Gate Farm, Carolyn Keene
The Message in The Hollow Oak, Carolyn Keene
The Whispering Statue, Carolyn Keene
The Haunted Bridge, Carolyn Keene
The Mystery of the Brass Bound Trunk, Carolyn Keene
The Secret in the Old Attic, Carolyn Keene
The Clue in The Crumbling Wall, Carolyn Keene
The Clue of the Leaning Chimney, Carolyn Keene
The Secret of the Wooden Lady, Carolyn Keene
Mystery at the Ski Jump, Carolyn Keene
Clue of the Velvet Mask, Carolyn Keene
The Witch Tree Symbol, Carolyn Keene
The Hidden Window Mystery, Carolyn Keene
The Haunted Showboat, Carolyn Keene
The Secret of the Golden Pavilion, Carolyn Keene
The Clue in the Old Stagecoach, Carolyn Keene
The Moonstone Castle Mystery, Carolyn Keene
The Mystery of the 99 Steps, Carolyn Keene
The Invisible Intruder, Carolyn Keene
The Secret of Mirror Bay, Carolyn Keene
Mystery of the Glowing Eye, Carolyn Keene
The Secret of the Forgotten City, Carolyn Keene
The Strange Message in the Parchment, Carolyn Keene
The Mystery of Crocodile Island, Carolyn Keene
Dead Until Dark, Charlaine Harris
Living Dead in Dallas, Charlaine Harris
Club Dead, Charlaine Harris
Dead to the World, Charlaine Harris
Dead as a Doornail, Charlaine Harris
Definitely Dead, Charlaine Harris
All Together Dead, Charlaine Harris
From Dead to Worse, Charlaine Harris
Dead and Gone, Charlaine Harris
Dead in the Family, Charlaine Harris
In The Valley of the Kings: Howard Carter and the Mystery of King Tutankhamen's Tomb, Daniel Heyerson
Mystery of the Fire Dragon, Carolyn Keene
The Thirteenth Pearl, Carolyn Keene

Currently Reading: The Triple Hoax, Carolyn Keene
Up Next: The Flying Saucer Mystery, Carolyn Keene

Morning fog - Chicago, IL

Miles run in 2010

I have met my New Year's goal for running. My goal was to run 1500 miles this year. I passed it Monday with my long run of 13.1 miles. I will keep pushing myself and continue to log over 50 miles a week. Can't wait to see how many miles I will have run at the end of 2010.

2004: 204.5
2005: 227.4
2006: 285.7
2007: 348.9
2008: 663.2
2009: 691.6
2010: 1515.7

Clothing

I have lost over 65 pounds. I'm very proud of that. I have been holding off buying new clothes until I get to my goal weight. While getting to that point, all of my clothes are super huge. The belt on my shorts is as tight as it can go and it bunches the fabric. What I think is funny is the end of my belt touches my back. I can almost wrap my belt around me twice. Besides my clothes being super baggy, my rings are now loose. I know thought my fingers were fat, but I guess they were.

I have been hesitant to buy new clothes. I did buy some new pants for work and shorts. The sizes that I bought still feel loose on me. I've been so heavy for so long, it is hard to get myself to look at smaller clothing. I'm afraid to buy the smaller clothing because what if I gain weight again? That is something that I don't want to happen. I got to keep exercising and eating right to make sure that avoid weight gain.

My goal weight is 15-20 pounds away still. I will keep working on that goal everyday until I reach it. When I finally do reach my goal, I will be shopping for a bunch of new clothes. You can guarantee that they will fit me right.

Books read in 2010

I really enjoyed the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris. While reading the books, I pictured all of the characters from True Blood on HBO. The books and the TV series are different from each other. Some characters that are in the books, are not in the TV series. I don't mind that. I like how both are unique.

Bobby and Jackie: A Love Story, C. David Heymann
Fletch, Too, Gregory Mcdonald
American Legacy: The Story of John and Caroline Kennedy, C. David Heymann
Tis Herself: An Autobiography, Maureen O'Hara and John Nicoletti
A Woman Named Jackie: An Intimate Biography of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, C. David Heymann
John F. Kennedy, President, Hugh Sidey
Oswald's Tale: An American Mystery, Norman Mailer
First Ladies: The Saga of the Presidents Wives and Their Power 1789-1961, Carl Sferrazza Anthony
The Saga of the Presidents Wives and Their Power 1961-1990, Carl Sferrazza Anthony
Real Life at the White House: 200 years of daily life at America's famous residence, John Whitcomb
Amelia Earhart, Tanya Lee Stone
The Thirty-Nine Steps, John Buchan
Hungry, Crystal Reen with Marjorie Ingall
Harry S. Truman, Robert Dallek
The Murder of King Tut: The Plot to Kill the Child King, James Patterson
Shutter Island, Dennis Lehane
Duchess of Death: The Unauthorized Biography of Agatha Christie, Richard Hack
Alice: Alice Roosevelt Longworth, from White House Princess to Washington Power Broker, Stacy A. Cordery
Murder on the Orient Express, Agatha Christie
From Love Field: Our Final Hours with President John F. Kennedy, Nellie Connally & Mickey Herskowitz
After the Funeral, Agatha Christie
The Mysterious Affair at Styles, Agatha Christie
Best Evidence, David S. Lifton
The Secret of the Old Clock, Carolyn Keene
The Hidden Staircase, Carolyn Keene
The Bungalow Mystery, Carolyn Keene
The Mystery at Lilac Inn, Carolyn Keene
The Secret of Red Gate Farm, Carolyn Keene
The Message in The Hollow Oak, Carolyn Keene
The Whispering Statue, Carolyn Keene
The Haunted Bridge, Carolyn Keene
The Mystery of the Brass Bound Trunk, Carolyn Keene
The Secret in the Old Attic, Carolyn Keene
The Clue in The Crumbling Wall, Carolyn Keene
The Clue of the Leaning Chimney, Carolyn Keene
The Secret of the Wooden Lady, Carolyn Keene
Mystery at the Ski Jump, Carolyn Keene
Clue of the Velvet Mask, Carolyn Keene
The Witch Tree Symbol, Carolyn Keene
The Hidden Window Mystery, Carolyn Keene
The Haunted Showboat, Carolyn Keene
The Secret of the Golden Pavilion, Carolyn Keene
The Clue in the Old Stagecoach, Carolyn Keene
The Moonstone Castle Mystery, Carolyn Keene
The Mystery of the 99 Steps, Carolyn Keene
The Invisible Intruder, Carolyn Keene
The Secret of Mirror Bay, Carolyn Keene
Mystery of the Glowing Eye, Carolyn Keene
The Secret of the Forgotten City, Carolyn Keene
The Strange Message in the Parchment, Carolyn Keene
The Mystery of Crocodile Island, Carolyn Keene
Dead Until Dark, Charlaine Harris
Living Dead in Dallas, Charlaine Harris
Club Dead, Charlaine Harris
Dead to the World, Charlaine Harris
Dead as a Doornail, Charlaine Harris
Definitely Dead, Charlaine Harris
All Together Dead, Charlaine Harris
From Dead to Worse, Charlaine Harris
Dead and Gone, Charlaine Harris
Dead in the Family, Charlaine Harris

Currently Reading: In The Valley of the Kings: Howard Carter and the Mystery of King Tutankhamen's Tomb, Daniel Heyerson
Up Next: Mystery of the Fire Dragon, Carolyn Keene

Splash - Chicago, IL

Water Taxi - Chicago, IL

Books read in 2010

Bobby and Jackie: A Love Story, C. David Heymann
Fletch, Too, Gregory Mcdonald
American Legacy: The Story of John and Caroline Kennedy, C. David Heymann
Tis Herself: An Autobiography, Maureen O'Hara and John Nicoletti
A Woman Named Jackie: An Intimate Biography of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, C. David Heymann
John F. Kennedy, President, Hugh Sidey
Oswald's Tale: An American Mystery, Norman Mailer
First Ladies: The Saga of the Presidents Wives and Their Power 1789-1961, Carl Sferrazza Anthony
The Saga of the Presidents Wives and Their Power 1961-1990, Carl Sferrazza Anthony
Real Life at the White House: 200 years of daily life at America's famous residence, John Whitcomb
Amelia Earhart, Tanya Lee Stone
The Thirty-Nine Steps, John Buchan
Hungry, Crystal Reen with Marjorie Ingall
Harry S. Truman, Robert Dallek
The Murder of King Tut: The Plot to Kill the Child King, James Patterson
Shutter Island, Dennis Lehane
Duchess of Death: The Unauthorized Biography of Agatha Christie, Richard Hack
Alice: Alice Roosevelt Longworth, from White House Princess to Washington Power Broker, Stacy A. Cordery
Murder on the Orient Express, Agatha Christie
From Love Field: Our Final Hours with President John F. Kennedy, Nellie Connally & Mickey Herskowitz
After the Funeral, Agatha Christie
The Mysterious Affair at Styles, Agatha Christie
Best Evidence, David S. Lifton
The Secret of the Old Clock, Carolyn Keene
The Hidden Staircase, Carolyn Keene
The Bungalow Mystery, Carolyn Keene
The Mystery at Lilac Inn, Carolyn Keene
The Secret of Red Gate Farm, Carolyn Keene
The Message in The Hollow Oak, Carolyn Keene
The Whispering Statue, Carolyn Keene
The Haunted Bridge, Carolyn Keene
The Mystery of the Brass Bound Trunk, Carolyn Keene
The Secret in the Old Attic, Carolyn Keene
The Clue in The Crumbling Wall, Carolyn Keene
The Clue of the Leaning Chimney, Carolyn Keene
The Secret of the Wooden Lady, Carolyn Keene
Mystery at the Ski Jump, Carolyn Keene
Clue of the Velvet Mask, Carolyn Keene
The Witch Tree Symbol, Carolyn Keene
The Hidden Window Mystery, Carolyn Keene
The Haunted Showboat, Carolyn Keene
The Secret of the Golden Pavilion, Carolyn Keene
The Clue in the Old Stagecoach, Carolyn Keene
The Moonstone Castle Mystery, Carolyn Keene
The Mystery of the 99 Steps, Carolyn Keene
The Invisible Intruder, Carolyn Keene
The Secret of Mirror Bay, Carolyn Keene
Mystery of the Glowing Eye, Carolyn Keene
The Secret of the Forgotten City, Carolyn Keene
The Strange Message in the Parchment, Carolyn Keene
The Mystery of Crocodile Island, Carolyn Keene
Dead Until Dark, Charlaine Harris
Living Dead in Dallas, Charlaine Harris
Club Dead, Charlaine Harris
Dead to the World, Charlaine Harris
Dead as a Doornail, Charlaine Harris
Definitely Dead, Charlaine Harris
All Together Dead, Charlaine Harris
From Dead to Worse, Charlaine Harris
Dead and Gone, Charlaine Harris

Currently Reading: Dead in the Family, Charlaine Harris
Up Next: In The Valley of the Kings: Howard Carter and the Mystery of King Tutankhamen's Tomb, Daniel Heyerson

Chicago

My husband and I visited Chicago last week for the third time. We had a nice vacation. We didn't do too much and I really liked that. Usually while on vacation, we try to see everything we can. This time, we went to visit a couple of places. It was my task to pick the places we visited this trip.

Our first stop was the Art Institute of Chicago. The AIC has many beautiful collection of works to see. My favorite piece in the AIC was the Henri Cartier-Bresson photo exhibition. The exhibition spanned most of his life. Wonderful exhibition.

Our second visit was to the Museum of Contemporary Art. I wanted to see some other kinds of art while in town. Definitely different then most museums. I have a hard time understanding contemporary works. The visit still didn't help. I don't think I will ever understand it.

Our trip ended with a boat cruise. We boarded a boat at Navy Pier and took an evening architecture and fireworks cruise. The boat tour took us down all three branches of the Chicago River. All of the building lit up at night were pretty. Our tour guide had so much information on most of the buildings near the river. He was a book of information. After the architectural tour, the boat stopped on the Chicago River to watch the fireworks.

Everyday of our trip started with me waking up at 4 a.m. to work on the hotel treadmill. Most people would have slept in on their vacation. Not me. I needed to workout. Besides running, we went over to Michigan Avenue everyday. My husband and I spent most of our time at Nike Town and Adidas inside the Water Tower Place near the Hancock Tower. We bought new workout clothes from both stores. I did buy an non-workout item, a dress from Banana Republic.

We did eat at some great restaurants on our vacation: Pizzeria Uno, Weber Grill Restaurant, Rosebud on Rush, House of Blues and P.F. Chang's China Bistro. My favorite lunch of the week was P.F Chang's. I had spring rolls and crispy green beans. So delicious. I must have them again. My favorite dinner in Chicago was at the Weber Grill Restraint. My husband and I both had filet mignon for dinner with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and fire roasted corn. The beginning of the meal started with pretzel bread rolls. Those were the best rolls ever. My mouth is watering just thinking about them. We finished our meal with a double chocolate bundt cake. So good and chocolately.

August 15

John Wayne Clark
April 15, 1942 - August 15, 1998


Twelve years have gone by since your passing. Dad, you are loved and missed.

Ferris Wheel - Chicago, IL

Flags - Chicago, IL

Bird's Eye View - Chicago, IL

Bee - Adrian, MI

Books read in 2010

I am loving the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris. I'm saying it again: the books are wonderful and I recommend them to anyone, especially True Blood fans.

Bobby and Jackie: A Love Story, C. David Heymann
Fletch, Too, Gregory Mcdonald
American Legacy: The Story of John and Caroline Kennedy, C. David Heymann
Tis Herself: An Autobiography, Maureen O'Hara and John Nicoletti
A Woman Named Jackie: An Intimate Biography of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, C. David Heymann
John F. Kennedy, President, Hugh Sidey
Oswald's Tale: An American Mystery, Norman Mailer
First Ladies: The Saga of the Presidents Wives and Their Power 1789-1961, Carl Sferrazza Anthony
The Saga of the Presidents Wives and Their Power 1961-1990, Carl Sferrazza Anthony
Real Life at the White House: 200 years of daily life at America's famous residence, John Whitcomb
Amelia Earhart, Tanya Lee Stone
The Thirty-Nine Steps, John Buchan
Hungry, Crystal Reen with Marjorie Ingall
Harry S. Truman, Robert Dallek
The Murder of King Tut: The Plot to Kill the Child King, James Patterson
Shutter Island, Dennis Lehane
Duchess of Death: The Unauthorized Biography of Agatha Christie, Richard Hack
Alice: Alice Roosevelt Longworth, from White House Princess to Washington Power Broker, Stacy A. Cordery
Murder on the Orient Express, Agatha Christie
From Love Field: Our Final Hours with President John F. Kennedy, Nellie Connally & Mickey Herskowitz
After the Funeral, Agatha Christie
The Mysterious Affair at Styles, Agatha Christie
Best Evidence, David S. Lifton
The Secret of the Old Clock, Carolyn Keene
The Hidden Staircase, Carolyn Keene
The Bungalow Mystery, Carolyn Keene
The Mystery at Lilac Inn, Carolyn Keene
The Secret of Red Gate Farm, Carolyn Keene
The Message in The Hollow Oak, Carolyn Keene
The Whispering Statue, Carolyn Keene
The Haunted Bridge, Carolyn Keene
The Mystery of the Brass Bound Trunk, Carolyn Keene
The Secret in the Old Attic, Carolyn Keene
The Clue in The Crumbling Wall, Carolyn Keene
The Clue of the Leaning Chimney, Carolyn Keene
The Secret of the Wooden Lady, Carolyn Keene
Mystery at the Ski Jump, Carolyn Keene
Clue of the Velvet Mask, Carolyn Keene
The Witch Tree Symbol, Carolyn Keene
The Hidden Window Mystery, Carolyn Keene
The Haunted Showboat, Carolyn Keene
The Secret of the Golden Pavilion, Carolyn Keene
The Clue in the Old Stagecoach, Carolyn Keene
The Moonstone Castle Mystery, Carolyn Keene
The Mystery of the 99 Steps, Carolyn Keene
The Invisible Intruder, Carolyn Keene
The Secret of Mirror Bay, Carolyn Keene
Mystery of the Glowing Eye, Carolyn Keene
The Secret of the Forgotten City, Carolyn Keene
The Strange Message in the Parchment, Carolyn Keene
The Mystery of Crocodile Island, Carolyn Keene
Dead Until Dark, Charlaine Harris
Living Dead in Dallas, Charlaine Harris
Club Dead, Charlaine Harris
Dead to the World, Charlaine Harris
Dead as a Doornail, Charlaine Harris

Currently Reading: Definitely Dead, Charlaine Harris
Up Next: All Together Dead, Charlaine Harris

Laundromat

I took my first trip to the laundromat today. I was glad to find two washers side-by-side to use. I was disappointed to learn that one wash cost almost $5. Are you serious? Five dollars? I paid that amount, but I was not pleased. I was expecting $2-3 tops.

Something that eased the sting of the high wash price was that my clothes would be done in twenty minutes. That is really fast. That is faster then my washer at home. Normally, a wash cycle at my house takes about one hour. I brought a book with me to pass the time. I didn't even finish an entire chapter and my clothes were ready. Granted the chapters in the book I'm reading are 25-40 pages long.

I hope next week I will be washing the laundry in my basement.

Washer issues

When I was doing the laundry last Sunday, I saw something funky blinking at me. On the front of the washer is a display and it was blinking F 71. I didn't know what that meant. I tried starting the washer, but nothing happened. I figured it was best just to unplug it to see if it would reset itself. I plugged it back in. The F 71 message was gone from the display, but the washer didn't turn on. It didn't do anything.

I decided it was best to wait for my husband to look at it. After lunch, we headed down into the basement to look at the washer. He pressed the power button and the washer came on. No error messages on the display. I was excited and put in a load of laundry. The washer worked correctly for the entire cycle. No error messages. When the cycle was over, I put the clothes in the dryer.

While the clothes were in the dryer, I heard a beep. I went over the to washer to see what it was. On the washer display was another error message. This time it read F 70. I unplugged the washer to make the message go away.

The next day I told my husband that the washer gave me another error message. I said it was sick and needed help. My husband made an appointment and the repair man came to the house today. He took apart the front of the washer and said that there is a problem with electronics inside the washing machine. He called appliance stores around town to find out if they had the parts that we needed. Of course not. No one had them. The repair guy ordered the parts and said it would take about a week to be delivered. My husband made an appointment for next week to have the parts installed.

Now I'm stuck without a washer. Boo. I have to do a couple of loads of laundry tomorrow afternoon. I will be driving to a laundromat in town. It will be a new experience as I have never had to go to a laundromat. I will be taking a book with me to read while the clothes are getting washed. The good thing is that I just have to wash them at the laundromat. I can dry my clothes at home in the dryer for free.

Random things

I saw the numbers on the scale that I've been wanting to see for weeks. The scale told me Tuesday that I lost 65 pounds. These five pounds were the hardest to lose. It took 25 days. I spent almost an entire month trying to get rid of them. I hope the next five pounds don't take as long.

Michigan's primary election was held Tuesday. I'm sure it has always been this way for every primary, but we were told by the clerk that we had to vote straight party ticket. That upset me. I wanted to vote for people that were on both sides of the ticket. Instead of voting with my party, I voted for a person from the other side of the ticket. The person I voted for was an incumbent. They needed all of the votes they could get. I hope people that I really wanted to vote for win the primary so I can vote for them in November.

My husband and I went to a jewelry store Tuesday. It was for my birthday present. The jeweler brought out what my husband picked. There was four items to choose from. The first two items were earrings. They were nice, but not my style. When the jeweler opened the bags to the other two items, I loved them. My husband chose a matching necklace with earrings. So pretty. The necklace and earrings were a wonderful gift from my husband. It indeed was a happy birthday to me.

Books read in 2010

My sister gave me books as a birthday present. She knew I was a True Blood fan, so she bought me the books that created the HBO series. My sister bought me the first four books of the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris. I read the first book, Dead Until Dark, in two days. I like how the True Blood series follows the books on some story lines. I also like that the books are different then the TV series. Some characters that are in the TV series have different endings in the books. The books are wonderful and I recommend them to anyone, especially True Blood fans.

Bobby and Jackie: A Love Story, C. David Heymann
Fletch, Too, Gregory Mcdonald
American Legacy: The Story of John and Caroline Kennedy, C. David Heymann
Tis Herself: An Autobiography, Maureen O'Hara and John Nicoletti
A Woman Named Jackie: An Intimate Biography of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, C. David Heymann
John F. Kennedy, President, Hugh Sidey
Oswald's Tale: An American Mystery, Norman Mailer
First Ladies: The Saga of the Presidents Wives and Their Power 1789-1961, Carl Sferrazza Anthony
The Saga of the Presidents Wives and Their Power 1961-1990, Carl Sferrazza Anthony
Real Life at the White House: 200 years of daily life at America's famous residence, John Whitcomb
Amelia Earhart, Tanya Lee Stone
The Thirty-Nine Steps, John Buchan
Hungry, Crystal Reen with Marjorie Ingall
Harry S. Truman, Robert Dallek
The Murder of King Tut: The Plot to Kill the Child King, James Patterson
Shutter Island, Dennis Lehane
Duchess of Death: The Unauthorized Biography of Agatha Christie, Richard Hack
Alice: Alice Roosevelt Longworth, from White House Princess to Washington Power Broker, Stacy A. Cordery
Murder on the Orient Express, Agatha Christie
From Love Field: Our Final Hours with President John F. Kennedy, Nellie Connally & Mickey Herskowitz
After the Funeral, Agatha Christie
The Mysterious Affair at Styles, Agatha Christie
Best Evidence, David S. Lifton
The Secret of the Old Clock, Carolyn Keene
The Hidden Staircase, Carolyn Keene
The Bungalow Mystery, Carolyn Keene
The Mystery at Lilac Inn, Carolyn Keene
The Secret of Red Gate Farm, Carolyn Keene
The Message in The Hollow Oak, Carolyn Keene
The Whispering Statue, Carolyn Keene
The Haunted Bridge, Carolyn Keene
The Mystery of the Brass Bound Trunk, Carolyn Keene
The Secret in the Old Attic, Carolyn Keene
The Clue in The Crumbling Wall, Carolyn Keene
The Clue of the Leaning Chimney, Carolyn Keene
The Secret of the Wooden Lady, Carolyn Keene
Mystery at the Ski Jump, Carolyn Keene
Clue of the Velvet Mask, Carolyn Keene
The Witch Tree Symbol, Carolyn Keene
The Hidden Window Mystery, Carolyn Keene
The Haunted Showboat, Carolyn Keene
The Secret of the Golden Pavilion, Carolyn Keene
The Clue in the Old Stagecoach, Carolyn Keene
The Moonstone Castle Mystery, Carolyn Keene
The Mystery of the 99 Steps, Carolyn Keene
The Invisible Intruder, Carolyn Keene
The Secret of Mirror Bay, Carolyn Keene
Mystery of the Glowing Eye, Carolyn Keene
The Secret of the Forgotten City, Carolyn Keene
The Strange Message in the Parchment, Carolyn Keene
The Mystery of Crocodile Island, Carolyn Keene
Dead Until Dark, Charlaine Harris
Living Dead in Dallas, Charlaine Harris

Currently Reading: Club Dead, Charlaine Harris
Up Next: Dead to the World, Charlaine Harris

Lenawee County Fair Queen Second Runner Up - Ashleigh Sancrant

Lenawee County Fair Queen Second Runner-Up: Ashleigh Sancrant

Sponsor: Brad and Amy Sancrant

Talent: Tahitian dance

Crowned by Lenawee County Fair Queen 2009 Charlotte Squires