I'm random, thanks for asking.

1) Have you read more books, or fewer books, this past year than usual?
I think I'm about on par with last year of not reading nearly as many as I wish I would.

2) What book are you reading now (or what book did you read most recently)?
The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner. It's cute, not terribly gripping, and I fear a plot twist out of left field is coming, but time will tell.

3) What is the best book you read in the past few years?
Educated by Tara Westover

4) Do you read more than one book at a time, or just one?
Only one, and not even daily at that. I've been better about reading before bed the past week or so.

5) How big is your to-be-read pile (or list)?
Um, I just bought 3 books last week and another today, plus I think 3 others I already had. Those are just physical books I have on hand; I won't even start on the list I'd like to read.
Basically, the pile is never-ending.

1. Are books losing importance as a source of information and entertainment?
Depends who you ask. It's definitely easier to google for information. But tons of people I know still read, A LOT. They are definitely still good for entertainment.

2. Are e-books the death of paper books? Will paper books disappear?
I hope not! I don't have an e-reader and probably never will. I've read a couple of classics online that I started as audio on a road trip but then wanted to finish, and I can read faster than the audio plays. Online, though, you have to keep scrolling down, which drives me nuts. Yes, e-readers you go to the next page, but still. I like paper books.

3. Should libraries focus on improving their technological resources rather than building a larger collection of paper books?
No.

4. How important are early reading skills in a child’s academic performance?
Ha. As a former teacher I should have more of an opinion on this. It's not as important as most schools make it seem these days. Pressing 5 year-olds to be at a certain level (usually letter recognition and letter-sound correspondence) by the end of kindergarten is ridiculous. Expecting 3rd graders to critically analyze passages and answer questions that take ME a good deal of effort to answer, then possibly hold them back based on results...I'll just get off my soapbox now.

5. Are people who spend a lot of time reading fiction wasting their time which could be better spent doing more useful activities?
More useful activities like what? If you read so much you neglect other responsibilities, then that's a problem. Reading fiction isn't a problem. Fiction can give you a glimpse into the minds of characters, their thoughts and actions, that are completely different from your own. Is there trashy fiction? Yes, just like there are trashy movies. I feel like no matter what you read, you can learn something from it.

1. What is one thing you’d like to accomplish in 2020?

Go for and get a promotion.

I was going to post other goals, but I can't remember what they are.

In other news, I got a phone case that isn't terrible and was cheaper than others. So, hooray for slight phone protection!

Oh! I remember my other goal, which is to read more books. More than the 11 I read this year.

full question list is here

1. How do you beat the summer heat?
Avoid going outside once it's over 110, though I don't think we've gotten there yet. Also, stay hydrated!

2. Do you have air conditioning?
You can't NOT have it here. When the daily high is over 100, and at night it maybe gets down into the 80s, you need AC.

3. What’s your idea of the perfect summer day?
The beach! Preferably at a lake. Warm air and cold water.

4. What’s one thing you always seem to do every summer whether you want to or not?
Try to get my garage to not be an oven.

5. Are you ready for the summer?
Ready? It's already summer. However, it's been cooler than years previous, for which I am grateful.

Sting is doing a residency in Las Vegas next summer. I'm taking a little inspiration from hopefulspirit and thinking of buying tickets, though I have no idea if I'll actually be able to go. Vegas is an hour flight or a 6 hour drive, so getting there is no problem. It's just if something came up in my schedule that would stop me.

I was just updating my books post, and have done a crap job with reading this year. I had to look up an IG post because I could not remember what I've read. Only 4 books?? Well those and the cookbooks I've bought. I'm also in the middle of another book that I started in April. Must. get. off. computer!!! Sigh.

1. How did you choose your LJ/DW username?
At the time I started my LJ, I was newly (less than a year) obsessed with Lord of the Rings, and also working at Starbucks, which was good for my coffee addiction. So, I chose a name that reflected the things I loved. I almost went with javaoliphaunt, but thought it was too out there. So, ringsandcoffee it was.

2. What has been your favorite day this year and why?
Either the days in March when I went to Disneyland, or the last day of work, which meant I would not be getting away from the job that was making me so unhappy.

3. What is your favorite film you've seen in the past year and why?
Funny that I have Pride and Prejudice on as background noise, as that's one of my all-time favorites. Past year as in since January or since last September? Either way, I have not seen that many new movies. I saw Wonder Woman, Guardians of the Galexy 2, and in December, Rogue One. I feel like I'm missing something, either in the theater or on Netflix. Nothing really sticks out as something I LOVED.

4. What is your favorite book you've read in the past year and why?
I've read half of One Thousand Gifts (Ann Voskamp), all of Ragamuffin Gospel (Brennan Manning), and have started A Homemade Life (Molly Wizenberg). My word, I need to read more books. I read too much online.

5. You get to program a half-hour of music videos on MTV. What videos to you pick?
Probably stuff from the 90s, when they actually played music videos. Even now, all I can think of Shania Twain's That Don't Impress Me Much, and that was on VH1. Oh! I'd have it be an episode of Pop-Up Video, so I could read random facts along with hearing the songs.

The weekends are never long enough to both unwind from the week AND accomplish items on my never-ending to do list. However, I have checked off a few: wandered around the mall, went to a bunch of stores yesterday looking for a bookshelf I don't actually have space for, got groceries, made some lunches for the week, laundry is in process, and I procrastibaked more banana muffins to use up some bananas. What I have not done is change my bed sheets and look over lesson plans for this week. I have church in a bit, and then Sherlock is on at 8.

This morning I had breakfast with my old teammate, J. We of course talked about work, the ups and downs of each. The grass was not necessarily greener at her new school, and she sort of wants to throw her name back into the hat at my school. I told her it's not necessarily great there either, but at least it's friendly and familiar. Then again, she would leave teaching if she could. Who knows. It was good to see her.

BIG NEWS, PEOPLE! I started reading a book last night! What? Crazy. A post came up on FB from a year ago showing ~10 books I had not read. Well I had read half of one at the time. Since then, I read one book and started another (that I decided I don't like). Anyway, last night I started One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. So far, so good. I need to make reading books before bed a habit again.

My no soda resolution is going well so far. I've been out to eat 3 times and got iced tea twice and an Arnold Palmer once, which I did not even finish. Healthy eating at home is still under construction. It's basically the same as usual, but I am trying to incorporate more fresh fruit and vegetables.

What else was I going to say? No idea. Oh. Postcards have been written and so hopefully tomorrow I can stop at the post office. Just FYI, if you get one from me, I apologize ahead of time for whatever dorky message I wrote.

I skipped life group (my Thursday night small group Bible study) tonight because work was stressing me out. Trying to pack in a bunch of grading from 3:30-5:30, then having dinner with Natalie, then life group, and not getting home till 9:30 was just not a good idea. Instead, I finished up the tasks I needed to do in my classroom, threw all my grading into my bag, then headed to Target. I needed new air filters, and decided to get ice cream instead of a frappuccino. I don't know what has come over me. I never really liked fraps, even when I worked at Starbucks. I've had several in the last few months, after not having more than 2 a year. Must be the heat. Anywho, Target did not have coffee ice cream, so I got vanilla bean instead. I also got a jar of caramel sauce. Yeah, I must really be in a funk.

At home, I mixed up a concoction of ice cream, a shot of decaf instant espresso, and caramel sauce, and called it dinner. Somehow my completely unhealthy dinner gave me the boost I needed to plow through a ton of papers and then enter the grades online. Next came my second course of ice cream. This time I just poured caramel sauce into the container and ate spoonfuls until the sauce was gone.

My hands smell like Dawn dish soap. I have more grading to do, but I've lost the will to do it. It's 8:15 p.m. This is my life.

~~~~~~~~

Since I leave my laptop in the living room more often, I've been trying to read books again before going to sleep. Real, paper books! My bedroom is currently littered with books. I started and stopped a few, and then started Far From the Madding Crowd. Holy cow, I had forgotten how much Thomas Hardy likes to describe landscapes. I'm only on page 21 but I think half of that is telling what the area looks and sounds like. I had to read it after seeing so many pictures from the miniseries on tumblr. Fortunately, this book seems to be less depressing than Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Please don't spoil it if I'm wrong.

On this trip, I have:
baked brownies and strawberry cake
saw cousins I have not seen in many years
watched all 14 episodes of The Office U.K. (infinitely more Martin Freeman love now)
camped in Yosemite (but still haven't seen any bears)
NOT been to Target (gasp!)
only been to Peet's twice; 3 times if you count the Peet's/ice cream place in Yosemite
finished the book Emma and Knightly
Eaten dinner at Max's (yum) and Luna Loca (Mom likes it, I think it's ok)

Tonight, I ate pie and watched SYTYCD. Lots of good dancers this season.

Tomorrow, I will see Allison in Santa Rosa. Friday I will see some Sac friends.

Need to upload pictures from my camera, but it's 11pm. Later, later.

I work close enough to the airport to be able to watch planes take off and land while on yard duty. Not actually lift off and touch down, as some buildings are in the way, but pretty close. So, I dreamed the other day of taking my measly $1300 savings and randomly picking a city to fly to. Indianapolis crossed my mind. We actually had a layover there when I was 12, but I didn't make it outside of the airport. I don't even know what there is to see in Indy. I spent about that much on my trip to Chicago last summer, and that didn't include a hotel. Needing a hotel for a trip of this sort would cut it quite short.

In my attempt to whittle down the pile of unread books and magazines next to my bed, I read an issue of Conde Nast Traveler last night. Not but a few pages in they featured a pair of earrings, made my local craftspeople or something, that cost $1250. Yes, that much. Here I thought I could go somewhere on $1300, and then I see earrings that swallow the entire budget. People HAVE that kind of money? The rest of the magazine featured several luxury resorts and hotels. Places I can only dream of staying in, some that require small planes or chartered boats to get to. Some of the features astounded me, such as a private plunge pool for each of 49 bures (I think that was the word) at one place, or a 6-to-1 staff to guest ratio at another. Some were on small chunks of islands in the middle of the Pacific. How in the world does one run a resort on a tiny island that serves gourmet meals made with organic ingredients that change daily? Meal planning and grocery shopping for myself is chore enough, and I just have to hop in the car to get what I need. Where do they find people to staff these resorts, especially people who don't mind providing all the luxuries described?

How do I get hired at one of these places?

Random association time: Hearing the song Crazy Love by Hawk Nelson reminds me of Luis, since I first heard it on my way to see him in the hospital. The book by Francis Chan, which inspired the song, is also in my pile of stuff to read. I actually started it, but went back to Our Mutual Friend after a few chapters. I think I'm finally over my OMF obsession.