Karma

Last week I had lunch with Stimey. It was awesome. We had been planning it for about a month and when we first started discussing it I offered to come to her side of the beltway, as she had previously documented her displeasure at having to cross the Potomac.

Granted, her prior crossing the Potomac experience was for something much less fun than lunch with me, so I shouldn't have been teasing her. Especially since she did end up coming to my part of town for our lunch date. (Thanks again!!)

Now, while I cross the Potomac on a pretty regular basis, it is always heading east to the beach, or north to Baltimore. I rarely go west on the beltway and almost never continue on in that direction, into Maryland. In the 4+ years I've lived inside the beltway I've been to Montgomery County exactly once. Well, after yesterday, exactly twice.

Jen Lancaster was in town yesterday for a reading and signing to promote her new book, The Tao of Martha: My Year of LIVING; Or, Why I'm Never Getting All That Glitter Off of the Dog. I'm a big fan of Jen's books and I've gone to her signings when she's come through town each year that I've lived here. Usually they are at the B&N in downtown DC. This year, it was in Bethesda.

UGH.

Bethesda is not even 15 miles from my office, but it might as well be on the other side of the country for as much of a hassle as it was to get there and back.

I knew I was in for a slow trip, leaving work around 5 pm, but I was feeling optimistic. I headed north along the scenic GW Parkway, where I got to really take in the scenery, look at all the trees and all their branches and all their leaves. Really, look at them.

Because you have time for things like that when traffic comes to a complete and total standstill with five miles to go until you reach the beltway. I drifted along, (really, just drifted, no foot on the gas) pretty much from that point until I reach my destination, 54 minutes after starting my drive.

I arrived in Bethesda and attempted to find parking. Of course I missed every turn into the shopping center complex, which was one of those fake cityscape type places. An outdoor mall built to make you feel like you are just in an urban environment. With garages here and there, and apartments above the retail space. I made my way around the exterior, finally finding a garage I could pull into, parked my car and then took the elevator back up to street level. Where I discovered the drizzle had turned into a pretty steady rain. And that my parking spot was a solid 2 blocks from the B&N where the reading was.

Once I got inside, I was happy to be there.

Jen was highly entertaining as usual, answering questions, telling stories and reading from her book. She is so gracious when it comes to the signing, taking time to chat with each person, pose for photos and sign as many books as you'd like. Of course, that makes the line seem to last forever, but... it's still pretty cool.

Then, a little before 9 I headed out to leave. I needed dinner and while there were an abundance of restaurants in the faux downtown I was in nothing appealed to me and I had Chipotle on the brain. I googled and saw that one was located not too far away, so I headed that way.

Of course, I was in the wrong lane when I needed to turn. And then my gps kept telling me to make a U turn or turn left, but there were lots of signs telling me not to do that. I finally realized the signs where for certain times of day, made my U turn and got my dinner.

Next up, the drive home. I decided to go through the city, versus navigating my way back to the Beltway. Yet again being in the correct lane was a challenge. Not getting cut off by taxis was also a challenge. Buses drifting into my lane were a challenge. Rain was a challenge. Construction cones were a challenge. The whole dang drive home was a challenge. While I knew where I was the whole time, I was on pretty major roads, I still wasn't actually completely comfortable with my route until I was about 3 miles from home.

UGH.

In the end, I didn't really enjoy my trip to the other side of the Potomac.

Total and complete karmic retribution for teasing my pal Stimey.

Good People

I've been reading Vince Flynn's books for easily five years now. I first heard him talking about a new book on Elliot in the Morning and was intrigued. A friend of mine heard the same segment and took the plunge and started buying the books. I borrowed the first one from him and was hooked.

If you aren't familiar, Vince's books are CIA/counter terrorism themed. They are suspenseful, engaging and in many cases frighteningly accurate in terms of similarities between the fictional world of his main character Mitch Rapp and what we hear on the news these days. They also aren't really a genre I generally read much of, but I really really love these books.

Shortly after I started reading the series I mentioned it to my dad as books I thought he'd like. I'm sure my mom started off getting them from the library, as my parents don't buy books as a general rule, but soon my dad was so hooked on the series as well he made it a point to buy all of the books, even ordering hardback copies of some of the older ones from secondhand bookstores online. I don't think he had ever made an online purchase before, but he was determined to have the full collection.

Luckily, that made shopping for him a bit easier for awhile, as I always knew the latest Vince Flynn book would be the perfect Christmas or birthday present.

This summer, while things were still pretty good with my dad's health, he asked when the next Mitch Rapp book was coming out. I checked the website and discovered it was scheduled for release in mid-November.

As the summer wore on my dad started going out less and less, his energy level was pretty low. So he was home all of the time and he was going through books at a pretty good pace. This was also around the time we discovered that his treatment wasn't working and they had to switch to a new, and their last, option.

I decided to try and get an advance copy of the book. Some google sleuthing turned up his publisher's name as well as her Assistant and Associate Editors. A bit more sleuthing and I figured out the email address format for their company, wrote my message and sent it off hoping I'd get a response, but not really expecting it to work.

I also emailed the producer of the Elliot in the Morning radio show, since Vince is a regular guest there, to see if he had any tips on how I could get an advance copy of the new book.

Within 24 hours I had responses from all three people I contacted.

Amazing.

The new book was still being edited so there weren't any ARC's available to send yet, but as soon as one was, I was assured I'd get it. And then a day or so later I got a follow up email - the Editor had shared my note with Vince and he wanted to send an autographed copy of his last book for my dad.

About two weeks later, the ARC of The Last Man arrived in the mail. And within a few days of that, a hardback copy of Kill Shot, with the inscription to the left came as well.

Both such awesome gestures. I couldn't believe my random plea actually worked.

The unfortunate part is that cancer sucks and the books came too late. While it was only a few weeks, from when my dad was relatively healthy and reading 3-4 books a week, waiting for the new one from his favorite author, til when the books arrived, it was enough time for the medicine to stop, the cancer to spread and us to lose him.

I got the ARC the day after he died. And the autographed copy shortly after the funeral.

I hate having to tell that part of the story.

I wish I could be writing that he got the books and got to read the new one himself. Or even that I got to read it to him (though, some of the rather... um, fiesty, language would have made that a bit awkward!). I hate the way this story ends. I hate it because I miss my dad so much. But also because I feel like the ending takes away from the really nice thing that these total strangers did. How they went out of their way to get this book to me because of a random email that showed up in their inbox on a Thursday morning.

So please, let your takeaway from this post be that there really are good, nice, caring people in this world. People who will go out of their way to give a stranger going through a tough time a pick me up.

And if you've never read Vince's books, I encourage you to check them out. My mom is even planning to start reading through the collection now, well, right after she finishes the latest from Debbie Macomber and Danielle Steel...

Hysterical

The internet is filled with funny blogs and twitter accounts ready to pick you up when you need a laugh, but I recently came across a new one that, in my eyes, trumps the rest.

Meet Honest Toddler

It popped up as a twitter account in early May and yesterday I discovered there was a blog too. Written from the perspective of the toddler (Not a baby, not yet a big kid) you'll find posts about why Pinterest is Making You Dumb, the agenda for the Toddler Unification Conference, featuring sessions like "Stop & Flop" and Potty Avoidance, and my personal favorite, the Sharing post ( Why should I share? Do we live in communist Russia? Did everyone at the park chip in ten cents so that I could have these dollar store sand toys?).


Kudos to the mystery mommy behind this new site. Seriously funny, funny reads.

Goodbye for Now

No, I'm not going anywhere, that's just the name of the book that I got the advance copy of because the internet is a magical, magical place.

I finished it last night and wow, it was definitely thought provoking. Here's the description from GoodReads:


Sam Elling works for an internet dating company, but he still can't get a date. So he creates an algorithm that will match you with your soul mate. Sam meets the love of his life, a coworker named Meredith, but he also gets fired when the company starts losing all their customers to Mr. and Ms. Right.


When Meredith's grandmother, Livvie, dies suddenly, Sam uses his ample free time to create a computer program that will allow Meredith to have one last conversation with her grandmother. Mining from all her correspondence—email, Facebook, Skype, texts—Sam constructs a computer simulation of Livvie who can respond to email or video chat just as if she were still alive. It's not supernatural, it's computer science.


Meredith loves it, and the couple begins to wonder if this is something that could help more people through their grief. And thus, the company RePose is born. The business takes off, but for every person who just wants to say good-bye, there is someone who can't let go. 


In the meantime, Sam and Meredith's affection for one another deepens into the kind of love that once tasted, you can't live without. But what if one of them suddenly had to? This entertaining novel, delivers a charming and bittersweet romance as well as a lump in the throat exploration of the nature of love, loss, and life (both real and computer simulated). Maybe nothing was meant to last forever, but then again, sometimes love takes on a life of its own.


I was expecting a complete and total tear jerker from that, but it wasn't. I mean, yes, parts of it most certainly brought on the water works, but not cover to cover like I feared. And it definitely kept me thinking about technology and just because you can do something should you? At times I felt the answer to that question was a yes and at times a definite no.

This was SO different than the author's (Laurie Frankel) first book, Atlas of Love, that I'm already completely intrigued to see what she'll come up with next. Cause yes, I am the quintessential book fan - as soon as I finish one I want another. Now.

So anyway dear readers who are readers, I think this is one you should read. (Try saying that five times fast.) It doesn't come out until August but I'm happy to lend my galley out if you're interested - I just want to make sure I get it back because it's a pretty cool thing for a book dork like me to have.

I'm also happy to take your suggestions on what I should read next. I've been devouring books lately. This one was the fourth book I've finished in the first five days of the month. I'm trying super hard to be a library loyalist because all of this reading can put a big dent in the wallet for sure! I've got 15 books on reserve right now but I'm down to only one in the 'to-read' stack so any tips would be much appreciated! Especially older faves that are more likely to be hanging out on the shelves at my local branch ready to come home with me immediately!

I heart the internet

Again, the internet makes me a happy girl.

A few days ago I got the following email via my Goodreads account:


Hi Stacy, 


I saw you gave a great review to Laurie Frankel's previous book, "The Atlas of Love," here on Goodreads. We're publishing her new novel, "Goodbye for Now," in August. It's already getting amazing reviews, but the most important ones will come from dedicated fans like you.


I'd like to offer you a free galley copy of the book. Please send your mailing address to {nicepublisherman@nicepublisherman.com} if you’d like to read it.


Thanks!
{Nice Publisherman}
{Nice Publishing Company}

So let me get this straight... 

they are offering me a free book, by an author whose debut novel I LOVED and I'll get it as a galley (i.e. proof copy that is not yet published) that is not yet publicly available??

Pinch me, I must be dreaming. 

Yay internet, for making a sucky week just a little bit brighter.  

Thanks, Twitter!

Today was a day of great twitter finds...

First, the cast of West Wing reunited for a PSA to promote walking. I heart them, and, as one of my friends said after watching it, "I'll do anything CJ and President Bartlett tell me to do!"

Then there was the open letter from the Consumer Product Safety Commission to "Dr. Addison Montgomery" of Private Practice. Apparently on last week's episode of the show Addison had a baby and brought him home from the hospital and put him in a very unsafe crib - filled with blankets, pillows and a padded bumper. Seriously? She plays an obstetrician for goodness sake. I know it's just a show, just entertainment, but a lot of people get their information from tv and will see a "doctor" doing something and think it's ok. I LOVE that the CPSC reacted the way they did and I really hope that the post gets some publicity and attention.

And then there were funny tweets that just made me laugh, like this one:

"@delrayser: OH at Obama/Karzai meeting: "Wait, Clooney's not here with you? But I got an email!""


Or absolute ridiculousness, like this: 


Sen. Scott Brown's 23 year-old daughter is on his insurance, thanks to Pres.Obama! A plan, Brown wants to repeal!#GOPocrisy

I know there are lots of people out there who still don't "get" twitter, but I have to say, I absolutely heart it and find SO much great stuff there every single day.

Oh, Pinterest.

I joined Pinterest early last fall, when a few friends and I were hosting a bridal shower and one kept sharing all of her ideas via Pinterest. The two of us not on there couldn't see them without joining, so... I did.

I looked at her ideas, agreed they were cute and then never went back to Pinterest.

I honestly wouldn't have given it much of a second thought had I not started getting email notifications.

Beth is following you on Pinterest. Erin is following you on Pinterest. Amanda is following you on Pinterest. Samantha is following you on Pinterest. Amy is following you on Pinterest. Kara is following you on Pinterest. Ashley is following you on Pinterest. And on and on and on!

I started to feel guilty every time I'd get another one of these email notifications. I even posted about it on Facebook and got a bunch of likes and comments from others in the same boat.

That was in November. The guilt continued, but I didn't return to Pinterest.

Until today.

When the past two hours of my life were sucked away as I looked at things like Strawberry Heart Oreos and Garlic Cheesy Bread and the cutest most creative jello shots you could ever imagine! And I can't forget the earlaces for my earbuds, a cool photo family tree, cute love map, nifty wall art and pretty jewelry. And so. much. more.

So now I'm hungry, feel compelled to host a dinner party, get crafty and shop.

I think maybe I liked the guilt better.

The Power of the Internet

I love the internet. Seriously.

It's filled with fun and entertainment sure, but it's the amazing way it can bring people together, perfect strangers from all of the world can share and connect and find the support they need, all on these tangled interwebz.

It rocks.

I can think of a lot of examples, and probably will end up with countless posts along these lines over the lifetime of this blog, but here's the one that has me so very moved right now.

As I mentioned yesterday, I've been reading the blog An Acorn Dreaming, for awhile now, thanks to a post the author, Megan, had that went viral. One day last week Megan posted about a family friend, a 13 year old girl, who was going through treatment for lymphoma. The little girl's family was struggling with the medical bills and needed some help. So, I made a small donation and began reading her story on her family's blog.

She hasn't had the easiest of times, but the good news is she's 3/4 of the way through her 12 weeks of chemo and is doing well. Her type of cancer is curable and there's an 87% success rate of chemo working on it's own. Which is awesome. But here are the two things that I loved reading the most.

First, the way her family and friends have responded to this life altering news. I loved reading about the parties that took place in her hospital room and even better, the flash mob that was organized on her front lawn on her a birthday, a few days after she came home from the hospital. So cool.

But the other thing that I just loved was the response the family got when they shared their plea for help. On January 2nd they posted that they needed to raise $8,000 to cover the remaining medical costs. By the time I saw the link on the 4th they were half way there. By January 5th they had their $8,000 and a little more. And, while I'm not sure what the final statistics were, the mom shared that as of 8 pm on January 4, 59% of the donations were from people they didn't know, including donations from all over the U.S., Canada, Ireland and Surinam (gotta be honest, I don't even know where Surinam is but I think it's super cool someone there donated to a little girl here!)

I know this means so much to the family (I got a really nice thank you email from them) but it means a lot to me too, a total stranger, who stumbled upon their story and had the chance to see how much of an impact the internet can have.

Love it!