Took a week to finish --- pesky job, life, need to sleep. It was incredible though. I read the last page at 2am Tuesday morning and felt like I’d finished one of the Keg’s fantastic New York striploins.

I notice that Sanderson fleshes out the characters more than Jordan, who, albeit an amazing storyteller, can make his characters a little one-dimensional at times.  A lot of the female characters, for example, do little more than sniff, look down their noses, yank their hair and act obstinate. With maybe the exception of Moiraine and Aviendha.

This is going to sound odd, but in this book, I feel like they’re actually women. Multi-dimensional, with hearts and feelings, and actual strength as opposed to stubbornness. I didn’t hate Faile. Not once did I use the phrase, “Shut up, Nynaeve.”  And I want to BE Egwene Al’Vere when I grow up.

Semirhage was diabolical and vulnerable at the same time. Moridin made me sympathize. Poor guy’s not looking for glory, just a peaceful ending. I found myself twisting and turning with Rand. “Yep, that’s what I’d want to do. Yep, that’s exactly how I’d react.”  Mat’s trying REALLY hard not to grow up and failing miserably. Again, I can identify.

I could picture every scene in my head vividly, like I was watching a movie. There was even background music :D.

I'd like to say that I only hear this comment once or twice. But as every conversation I have with every one of my friends usually includes this question....

I have a Blackberry. I have caved to the beast known as technology. I am countering this, however, by getting rid of my home phone. Wise, no?

I'm going through a bit of an existential crisis right now -- Who am I? What's my place in the universe? How do I REALLY like my eggs, etc. etc. I saw the movie "Runaway Bride" for the first time a couple of weeks ago when it occurred to me that this is me (ah, the downfall of being a people-pleaser).

So I've been spending the last while looking through old diaries dating way back to my teen years in an attempt to discover who Sandra really is. One thing I found was a list of the things I wanted to accomplish before I turned 35, composed one night on the Beach in Busan when I was 23.

Here is a reprint of the list, updated with current status, at the age of 30:

1)     Write and publish a book --- 25% complete.

2)     Become fluent in at least five languages --- 60% complete (English, French and Korean -- just need two more).

3)     Live in a European city for at least a year ---- 0% complete

4)     Discover the secret recipe for dalk galbi  --- 110% complete, discovered and made for friends at least three times!

5)     Learn to cook, and cook well --- 60% complete. I haven't killed anyone yet.

6)     Wear a bikini at a public beach --- 25% complete. I've worn a two-piece. Counts for something, right?

7)     Short-term relationship with a European --- 100% complete. Dated an older guy from Germany for a short time.

8)     Start studying the piano again --- buffering. I have the keyboard, I have the sheet music. Just waiting on time.

9)     See the Holy Land for myself --- 0% complete. For now.

10)   Kiss the one that got away --- 100%. Done and done!

It was hard, but I discovered a reason to love my brand-new three-hour Saturday morning obit shift:

Getting downtown 30 minutes early and hitting the farmer's market one block away from the office. There aren't a lot of people, the good, fresh stuff is still in abundance, and I can pick up a yummy breakfast for less than $5. Today's breakfast was some fresh-baked croissants, a yummy sliver of peppercorn Brie, and the biggest, sweetest Honeycrisp apple I've ever tasted (and a very large coffee, of course!)

Plus Saturday mornings are pretty slow, obituary-wise, so I've been catching up on adjustments and call-monitoring that I haven't had time to finish during the week. It's kinda nifty!

Finally getting used to the new position, and I'm learning so much about myself!  In the last month I have learned that:

1) I'm a wee bit too trusting

2) I'm an overachiever

3) I suck at delegating. I tend to assign tasks, and then worry about them. And worry. And worry. Until finally I will go back to the person I assigned the task to and take over, because I like things done my way. This is annoying, and it means that I don't have time to get my own work done because I'm too busy running back to my delegated tasks.

My boss and I had a really long talk and she advised me that "the supervisor should not be taking more calls than her staff" and "You really need to let things go and trust that they'll be done." I suck at this.

The good thing is that I have begun to take her suggestions into advisement and I actually made it out of the building at the end of my shift, instead of two hours later on Friday. It was exciting. Jimmy and I celebrated with a horror-movie marathon and takeout from the most amazing Italian place on the planet!!  Fresh garlic bread on focaccia is sooooo goooood!!!

Pictures to follow when my camera battery has been replaced

We have determined that there are four different types of female car show visitors:

A: The actual avid car show fanatics, the ones who can rattle off makes, models and stats on sight alone. Recognizable by little-known facts such as: "Did you know that they only made this one for about six months back in the sixties?  Wait, is that a STUDEBAKER over there??" (Maggie, I'm looking at YOU!)

B: The females with "car interest". We drool, we fondle, but we don't master in the art of.  This would be my category. Recognizable by the phrase, "Mmm.. sleek lines.. curves... colors.. pretty.."

C: The gals who tag along after their SO's to show moral support. Recognizable by the oft-repeated "Yes, dear. That IS nice, dear."

D:  The girls you look at and nod, thinking, "Extras in the next Fast & Furious sequel." Recognizable by tall, teetering heels and an extra bit of swagger as they walk by the car owners.