26. Read an autobiography, a memoir, or a biography

A horrible sad (and somewhat disgusting) book about a young boy's crazy parents and the life they thrust upon him. This book is just depressing -- there is no "I Shall Overcome" ending. It is what it is.. but I am not sure of the point in sharing his experiences in a memoir -- unless it is to let the rest of the world know how bad it really can be and to remind us that our lives are no where near as bad as we think they are.

I do not recommend it to others.. it goes into graphic detail of his supposed introduction into "gay sex" at the age of 13 by his 30+ year old boyfriend. And it just literally makes me sick to my stomach to think that no one was there to help this child. I may have to read another autobiography, memoir, or biography just to get this one out of my head!

24. Read 10 new children's books

After school today I read Dork Diaries: Tales from a NOT-SO-Fabulous Life. One of my students (hi Erin!!) read this book and thought I needed to read it as well. It was surprisingly cute and made me laugh. Although it isn't a book I would read aloud to my class it is a book I would recommend to friends with girls between 7 and 12 or so. If Erin has book 2 I might even read it to see how Nikki continues to survive at her new school!

24. Read 10 new children's books

By "new" children's books I mean new to me. :-) My friend (and former Kindergarten teacher) Helen Rawlings told me about this book that she read to her 3rd graders. I love Andrew Clements's children's books -- Frindle is my all time favorite -- so I was anxious to read this one.

The main characters are Mark and Mr. Maxwell one of his teachers. Mark is a rich kid who has moved around a lot. He ends up in New Hampshire for the 2nd half of 5th grade -- while he is waiting to start his prestigious (boarding) prep school. Each year Mr. Maxwell takes the entire 5th grade on a camping trip to the State park.

Very suspenseful story... I just wish he hadn't ended it so abruptly.

17. Have watched an academy award nominated movie....

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036872/

My dear friend Tami picked this one the winner from 1944. She told me it was an "uplifting, musical" -- I think she was saying something about my choice of films! We'll if you cry at the end of uplifting movies I guess this was one... and if singing a song every 30 minutes or so makes a movie into a musical I guess this one would qualify.

The difference in the quality of film was fascinating for just a 4 year difference. The caterpillar eyebrows of all the singers (except Bing) did make me laugh -- maybe that was the uplifting part!

17. Watch an academy award nominated, blah, blah, blah

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032881/ nominated 1940

Wow, I remember reading Our Town in English, Mrs. Henry's class sophomore year I think . For some reason the storyline has always stuck with me. When I saw it listed as one of the nominees for 1940 I knew I wanted to watch it again and see if it still spoke to me. The thing that spoke to me most today was the scene where Emily goes back to her parents' home and it is the morning of her 16th birthday. She watches her mother bustle around the kitchen but her mother never stops to actually engage with her. At one point Emily screams, "We never look at each other." Wow, don't we get so busy living life and having those ordinary days that sometimes we just don't even look at each other. :-(

17. Have watched an academy award nominated movie from each year (not necessarily the winning movie)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021890/

I wanted to watch these in order from oldest to most recent. The oldest film available on Netflix Watch Instantly was from 1930/1931 -- The Front Page. It was hard to sit through... rough sound, a bunch of men sitting around in a newspaper office.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024473/

The next film I watched was from 1932/1933 - The Private Life of Henry VIII... throughout the whole movie I kept thinking.. just shoot me now! It was sad and very long. One of his wives at the very beginning was talking about how to act when one was being beheaded. :-( I think I will have to read a book about him but I am *not* ever going to watch this again!

After watching those 2 I decided I would watch something more current... believe it or not I had never seen Rain Man (nominated and won 1988) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095953/-- tear jerker!! Not sure why I never watched this in the past... I liked it made me sad and made me happy... any movie you can laugh AND cry watching is a good movie IMO.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029047/

Now as I blog, I am watching In Old Chicago (nominated in 1937) on Netflix with my friend Tami (hi Tami!!) even though she is in Las Vegas and I am in Tennessee. (Isn't technology amazing??) Now one of Tami's first questions was "Are you just watching this because it is available on Netflix Watch Instantly?!" My reply, "You betcha!" LOL Now after we started watching and researching it a little more I am actually excited about watching it. It is a "musical" of sorts. It is based on the story of Mrs. O'Leary and her cow that started the Great Chicago Fire. It is also one of the most expensive films made at the time of production ($1.8 million)... The main reason I like this one is ever since Tami told me the basis of the film I've had the song running through my head!

Late one night

When we were all in bed

Old Mrs. O'Leary

Left a lantern in the shed

And when the cow kicked it over,

She winked her eye and said,

"There’ll be a hot time

In the old town, tonight."

Spoken:

"FIRE, FIRE, FIRE!"

67. Drink water every day

Water, Adam's ale, aqua... I am not a huge water drinker... it is flavorless and I dunno, I just don't drink it. But as part of my goal of giving up artificial sweeteners I have been drinking water every day! Now to be completely honest (this is after all for me -- not you readers :-) ) I have been drinking Propel and counting it as water. Propel does have artificial sweeteners in it but for me this is a stepping stone to getting where I want to be.
I have also been drinking water with Crystal Light Pure Fitness in it (grape of course). Right there on the box it says no artificial sweeteners.. so I am hoping to use this as my main "flavor adder" to my water! So far so good! Wish me luck!