Nearly Here

July 2nd is nearly here and THAT my friends is the next meeting of the Barnes & Noble Book Club that I now ... am the leader of. 

First off, I was like 'Whoa, when did this happen?' and Second, I was like 'All right. What improvements can I make?' 

For one, I'm making an even BIGGER effort than ever to read and complete each monthly selection. I managed to keep up when I had read Frog Music by Emma Donoghue and now I am working on the selection due for that day. 

The Here And Now by Ann Brashares is about a girl named Prenna and her friends and family who are living here in the 21st Century but they're originally from ... some thousand years in the future. In HER time, Earth has been devastated by a disease caused by mosquitoes and through the miracle of time travel, they have traveled back to our time and try to avoid suspicion from the Time Natives, otherwise known as people who shouldn't suspect them in our time period. 

Basically, they have a list of 12 rules they have to follow to avoid detection and of course one of them is ... not to ever fall in love with a Time Native. Which she does. 

So far, I find the book a bit tedious and dull. Prenna does everything that she can possibly do that would GET HER CAUGHT breaking the rules, yet she stupidly looks around like 'What? How on earth did that happen?' It makes me scream at the book 'Well of COURSE your best friend was taken away. You were telling her things where you KNEW the leaders of your little community can OVERHEAR YOU, YOU MORON!' 

Needless to say, I think the book could have been a THOUSAND times better if Ann Brashares had actually taken the TIME to write the book properly. At least develop the plot a little more. 

On my 1 to 5 scale, I give this book ... 

Give it a rest, Ann! You're forcing them out as fast as possible and you're ruining your talent. 

Still, simply from the leader of a book club ... I will remain impartial as I come up with some discussion questions for it. 

And isn't it odd how I got on a roll for ... however long it was where I wrote every Monday and Wednesday without fail and recently, it has been on Tuesdays and Thursdays? I don't know why ... but it had suddenly dawned on me that I had switched the blog up to this. Have there been any objections to this? Let me know! 

Meanwhile, I just go about my life, doing my own thing ... 

Although, I really wish that Avatar the Last Airbender was on Netflix. I really miss the episodes in Book 3 when Sokka, Katara, and Aang first go into the Fire Nation. Mostly because Sokka is HILARIOUS. 

See what I mean? I blame one of my besties, Emily. She apparently has been on an Avatar binge so every now and then I think of funny quotes and post them on her wall. 

Well, I should probably let this lie for a while. This where my mind goes, I tell you. 

Maybe I just need more tea. 

Oooh! I should get a cup of Rooibos. Drink ALL the tea. 

OR ... maybe I need a tea that will give my brain a jolt. To get me back on track. I'll have to go through that tea book some more. Maybe it will talk about a couple of types. Meanwhile, let me think of a new topic to talk about ... thinking .... thinking .... think, think ... think ... think think *sits in chair like Winnie the Pooh* 

I've GOT IT! 

So you know that really weird feeling you get when you think you've forgotten something, but you can't put your finger on it. And it slowly starts to get to you until you feel like you've gone completely mad? 

That was a customer in here yesterday. She was panicking because she lost her car keys. In the store. A whole bunch of us were fanning out and looking all over in the area where she was SURE she'd lost them. After maybe 20 minutes, she STILL hasn't found them. I even looked all over on top and underneath the shelves she was browsing when she was sure she lost her keys. 

I finally asked her 'Why don't you check your purse one more times?' She gave me a look that clearly told me 'do you think I'm stupid?' but she did anyway. This time, I noticed there was another pocket on the front of her purse. I point it out. She says 'No. They wouldn't be in there' I asked 'Are you sure?' Again, I got that look. That one that speaks volumes and is understood without saying a word. I simply looked back. She sighed and opened up that front pocket. Guess what? She found her keys. 

She told me over and over and over that she was so thankful that I had helped her find them. 

It reminded me about ALL the times that I was sure that I had lost or misplaced or forgot about something that was never going to come back to me. And I know we've ALL had these moments and you realize that whatever it was ... was right in front of you the entire time. 

When we panic, we don't look properly. We just give it a cursory glance and then look EVERYWHERE else. So here's some other advice that I need to remember to give myself. Because it works for everyone no matter what the problem is. Let's look close to home first. Usually, that's where it is. 

And let's try to throw that one phrase out the window ... you know the one

Question: "Where was the last place you saw it?" 

Answer: "Well if I KNEW that, I wouldn't be LOOKING for it" 

All right, I'm really going now....

Be Open, Be Loving, Be Yourself

Taryn

Ran For All It Was Worth

And yes, I AM talking about the Cheetah Chase.
On Friday night, my friend came over to stay the night since we figured it would just be easier to carpool to the zoo. I'm really glad we did now. 

5:55am - The alarm went off. 

6:20am- We finally got on the road. 

7:00am- Arrive at the nearby High School to wait for the shuttle. So. Much. Traffic. 

7:40am- Still on the shuttle and finally getting dropped off to go get our numbers and tote bags and t-shirts, ran DOWN the hill to the Bag check to STORE our bags and then get in the Runners group for the race to begin.

8:00am - the race is ON! 

And no, you can't see me anywhere in this. I was NOT at the front of the pack. I just wanted to show from that angle just HOW many people were there. 
According to the Binder Park page, more than 1500 people participated in the Run/Walk this year. 

I even saw a few people I KNEW while running. That part was really cool. I was like 'Oh hey! Sara!' and 'Hey Katey, fancy seeing you here' and 'Oh! Look! There goes Chris'. 

I thought a couple of times I was going to have to stop and walk or just stop in general, but I was listening to my WCSG radio app on my phone for the entire run and when I was running up a particularly awful hill and that 'stopping' thought entered my head ... THIS song came on. 

And then, the final time, I thought I was going to stop ... I had just spotted the sign that said we were at Mile 3. By that point, I was like ... um ... no, that would be dumb. There's no way that I can't make it now ALL the way to the end. 
I finished in 48 minutes. I felt so proud of myself. 

OHHH ... and later when I was on the Binder Park Zoo Facebook page, I found THIS picture. 

<--- See that little striped shoulder and the ear right behind this blue shirted girl? That's me. LOL! 





That kind of made my day. I'm not going to lie. I kept going through all the pictures to see if I could find my bestie who finished 3 minutes before me, but she must have been super speedy because I can't find one. 

Then on Sunday, my bestie and I went to JAFAX which is basically a cosplay convention for Anime, Manga, Pop Culture, and Comic Books. There are panels that convene, talking about various topics from Anime Speed Dating (no joke), designing your own Kimono and Hakama, and Trivia about Anime. Then there are the vendors! It's kind of like going to the Renaissance Faire. Every vendor is different and selling different things and all of them make you drool as you stare in wonder at all the pretty things. 
There's one thing that I have ALWAYS wanted though. An Alcapasso. This 'stuffed animal' is a popular collectible in Japan and very difficult to track down ... even on the Internet for a decent price. And at JAFAX, they have them. I had been saving and saving all year to get one. They're basically alpacas, but some are dressed like pirates, some are big, some are small and most are rare. I got one of the new minis wearing the lacy ribbons. 

They have no website! And most that I have ever been able to find for sale are by sellers online IN Japan and the shipping fees are horrendous. They're just so STINKING cute. 

ANYWAY ... now that I have bored you to death with talk about my find at JAFAX, I can move on to stuff I found at work. 

There's a book that I want to get for the ChocolaTea that's called Tea Sommelier. In it, it talks about the various uses for tea, what kinds are available and how they are steeped. It even talks about what foods would be best for drinking certain teas. 
And since I am sitting at Barnes and Noble and reading this book, I will enlighten you all with a little blurb about a certain type of Chinese Green Tea. 

Tai Ping Hou Kui 

Typically, this particular green tea is found in China at the foot of Huang Shan mountains. During processing, this type of tea takes on a very unique shape. It's unusually long, has flattened leaves and can measure up to 6 inches in length. 
I actually like the color of this leaf. It's a very rich, brilliant green. The flavor of the tea is reminiscent of the orchid and is surprisingly sweet. 
Generally, the tea is recommended to be steeped for about 3 minutes to really develop its full flavor.
So far, I have yet to discover if ChocolaTea offers it as one of its teas and I will explore this so I can give you a full report on where it can be located. 

TeaSpring <---- Or you can visit this website for more information and even to order it in ounces if you so desire. 

What I found absolutely fascinating about this tea is that it was given the recommendation to drink it alone. With no particular food because it already had such a unique flavor. It has made me fascinated with this tea AND this book. But half off a lot of money is still a lot of money, so if the book is still here when I write the next blog post, I will give you another tea fact from it. I want this book. Just saying. 

After all, if one is going to learn about tea, one has to understand the true spirit of tea. So further study is required. 

I do believe that is all I have to say at the moment. I wish you all well. 

Be Open, Be Loving, Be Yourself
Taryn

Somewhere Different Right Now

Hey!! 

I'm posting from a new location other than ChocolaTea. I bet you'll never guess where. 

Oh go on. Guess! 

Beaners? No. Too expensive and their blenders are too noisy. 

Waterstreet Coffee? No. STILL too expensive and their coffee tastes ... what's the word ... haughty. Like it's bigger than what it really is. 

Okay, I'll just tell you. You'll never guess. 

Barnes & Noble! Okay, maybe you really could have guessed that. Give me a break. I wanted to use my Employee Discount.

There is a new coffee shop in Schoolcraft I have been curious about, though. It's in the teeny tiny building on Grand street and it's called The Grinder Coffee. On their website, they have the CUTEST story about how they fell in love with the location and the building and the small town atmosphere and charm. 

I have a theory and correct me, if you don't agree Tori but I think that location is jinxed. It has been a variety of restaurants, including Chinese, American, Italian, another Chinese restaurant, and even a smokehouse at one time. 
I'm holding out hope that this little coffee shop makes it. Schoolcraft hasn't had one in while since the Whistle Stop about 5 or 6 years ago. And THAT was good coffee. 

I am sending out much good chi and juju to The Grinder Coffee! You need all the help you can get. 

Yesterday ...

I got to go into work for a few hours. From about 4pm to close. I wasn't in the cafe, which was a nice change of scenery and got to work instead ... at cash register. I knew that I had worked in cafe so long because I kept asking people if they wanted anything else with their books. Like I would if someone was ordering coffee and I offer them a cinnamon scone. Customers kept giving me strange looks like ... "Yeah, this is it. I wanted the books." 
But all in all it was a really nice evening. I'm looking forward to my shift tomorrow because I want to practice marking cups with foam like the above picture. Granted, most customers won't see it in their lattes because it gets covered up with a lid, but at least I get to try it out more. I love being a barista. 

That's not a bad thing, is it? 

Okays moving on.... 

So guess what? Only about 8 more days until the Cheetah Chase 5K race at Binder Park Zoo. I. Am. So. Ready. I went for my run this morning and ran for nearly 20 minutes straight without STOPPING. When I got back, I felt like I was on top of the world. On the actual day of the race, I have to be there around 7am with my bestie so we can get our numbers and t-shirts. We have to park at the local high school and a shuttle takes us over to the zoo, so obviously, they can keep the gates closed from the public until the actual race is over. 
I'm so PSYCHED! The only thing I'm a little anxious about is the terrain changes. From asphalt to boardwalk to grass/dirt is still not something I've completely been able to practice on. So I admit that on the hills, I may be walking, but still! After I tackle the 5K, I'm going to start training even HARDER to complete a half marathon. 

I should get this on a bumper sticker. Because at this current moment, I feel like expressing this feeling to the world. Love running. 

A little story for you. 
When I first started running.... I hated it. I couldn't breathe. I felt like my legs were leaden sticks underneath me and it hurt like the dickens by the time I was done. But I had an amazing accountability partner. One of my besties, Faith. When I ran with her and started getting that feeling that said 'Stop running' ... she pushed me to keep going despite the fact that I wanted to stop. She wouldn't LET me stop until we had reached a half hour mark. After the first few DAYS of us doing this routine where I would be begging to stop and she would make me keep running ... it got ten times easier. No joke. Now I crave it! And training for this 5K? It's only made it better. 

My suggestion for anyone who wants to run? Get your own Faithy. But you can't have mine. *laughs* 

So wish me luck on June 21st! I'll try to remember to take pictures along the way. They'll be blurry, but the attempt will be there. 

Be Open, Be Loving, Be Yourself 
Taryn 

<---- me being random back in ... December?

Giving A Cat A Bath

I may have mentioned this before ...

I have a cat. A long haired black cat. Her name is Gypsum. When I first got her as a kitten, she was tiny and ragged and shaved because when she was found, she was covered in all these mats and furballs. 
Since I got her, she's had ... maybe three baths in her lifetime. 

She got her fourth yesterday. I was brushing her out and I found this huge clump of matted furs. I realized that she just wasn't able to clean it ... so I had to do it. I put her in the tub and she knew IMMEDIATELY what was happening. Let me tell you ... she was NOT pleased. I started cleaning her off and getting the dot of shampoo in the mat and getting it unstuck together. 
Gypsum let out the most pathetic MEOW I've ever heard. It was kind of like a cry for help. 

This was about as close as it gets to the sound of my cat getting a bath. I felt so bad. 

Afterwards, I had her wrapped up in a warm, fuzzy towel and I brought her to my room and just calmed her down. When I let her out of the towel, she curled up on my lap, purring like the bath never happened. And when I brushed her out to her sleek perfection? Gypsum really loved me then. 

There are two things I did learn from the experience though. 
1.) Trim cats nails FIRST. Ouch did I get nailed a couple of times on my hands. 
2.) Kitty treats afterwards sooth the savage feline. 

For those who might be reading this and thinking ... it's animal abuse? 
Cats, as clean as they get themselves do NOT have a tongue that is twice as long as its body. 

Lickitung Pokemon has a tongue that's twice as long as its body. Forgive me.  I've seen several episodes on Netflix. 

So they miss bits of their fur that good old-fashioned soap and water can get out. Plus, because my cat is long-haired ... she tends to get kinda stinky. I only use a bath as an absolute LAST resort so I hope you don't hate me forever for doing this to her. 

Oh and in case you were wondering what my cat does look like ...? 

I know I'm biased, but isn't she just the prettiest? I maintain that she could win kitty shows. 

Moving on ... *stares up at picture of cat while typing* 

Since I last posted, things are still ... relatively the same. I'm still thinking about money. I still think about work. I still think about getting a SECOND job that wouldn't make me want to jump out 12th story window (*coughs* Target *coughs*) 
But ... I'm still taking things one day at a time. You never know? Maybe it won't matter and then the plot of that book series by Susan Beth Pfeffer I read will come true and I won't HAVE to worry about that stuff anymore. 
P.S. I'm about to start book 3 in that series. 

The World We Live In. It goes back to the first family in the series, Miranda, Matt, Joey, and their mom but it crosses over with book two Dead and Gone. 

Meanwhile, I still have to make it through City of Heavenly Fire. Yes, I know. I got the book on May 27th ... but give me a break! It's the FINAL book in the Mortal Instruments series and it's so depressing that I have to give it some time and draw the book out. I still have until Fall of 2015 until her next series begins after all. 
I promised no spoilers so that's all I'm going to say on THAT book. 

The next book I'm currently reading is ...

Everlasting Enchantment by Kathryne Kennedy
Another romance novel. But it's part of a series I started back in ... I don't know ... 2006? 
It's set in London, but the author's made the whole world kind of filled with magic. Everyone has some sort of magical ability and based on what power you have determines your status kind of thing. And this series has to do with shapeshifters or the Baronet class in the ton. 
I've been following this author for a while on Facebook and I got the ARC (Advanced Readers Copy) a while ago and finally got to it in the To Read pile. Don't worry Kathryne Kennedy, I will buy an official copy as soon as I can. 

I will finish CoHF and write a brief and non descriptive review for everyone as fast as I can. 

But until then, I will remain your faithful blogger.

Be Open, Be Loving, Be Yourself
Taryn

When On A Writing Binge ...

... You need the following items. 

1.) Soda! Caffeine is essential to a writing binge. More likely, you'll be writing LONG through the night and will need the continued caffeine jolt. 

Plus, once you're through with all your cans, you can take them to a recycling center and feel like you've saved the environment. Go trees

2.) Paper! Every now and then, you need scratch paper to jot down ideas. Ideas that aren't formulated enough to actually put IN your novel. So always have scrap paper on hand. 

Maybe not this much ... but you get the idea

3.) Snacks! Sustenance is necessary through a writing binge. How are you supposed to write an entire novel with only soda in your system? Healthy snacks optional. :P 

Although carrots or apples with peanut butter wouldn't be a bad option either. 

4.) Comfy Chair! You're going to be sitting there for a while. So you'd better get the coziest chair you can find. 

Now this would be sitting in luxury. 

5.) Music! You get the right jams ... you'll be writing all night for sure! 

Getting lost to the tunes is kinda fun! 


All right, there's my 5 things that I think are ABSOLUTELY necessary for going on a Writing Binge. 
The reason I opened with those are ... I've been writing. A lot lately. And seriously, if I had a day where I could get away with it, THIS is what I would do. What I wouldn't give to just have all the time in the world to have one. Maybe when I was in high school or in college did I have the opportunity. Heck, even that year where I lived in Holland, MI ... I had time to do this. 
Good times! But it's been so long since I've had a decent uninterrupted writing binge. 

What kind of things do you do to make you feel like you're 'losing time' in a good way? Something simple like walking the dog? Something a bit more complicated to master like the writing binges? Maybe you throw yourself into knitting until you look up at the clock and it's time to make dinner? 

If you ask me ... everyone needs this. To stop thinking about bills, responsibilities, work, and scary life stuff. 

Taking a DAY. Just one DAY doesn't hurt anything. Sometimes, I think I take things WAY too seriously. I come home from work and I think about money. How much I have. How much I don't have. How much I need. How much, how much, how much ... well ... sometimes the real question is this. How much more can I take? 
As a person who suffers from anxiety, these questions can circle and circle until you're only seeing the negative things. You're only seeing positives in very minuscule things that don't seem to add up compared to everything bad going on around you. 

As one of my many times relied on verse ... 

Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the Plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you hope, and a future" 

Even though I see nothing but 'bad' all around me, it helps to SLOW ... DOWN. Because all my worrying and counting and calculating isn't going to help. God KNOWS what I'm going through. He sees the worries in my heart and He still loves me despite the fact that I'm a complete nutcase at times. 

So there's my little piece of advice. Take a minute .. heck, a DAY to try and alleviate any of your fears. Take your worries and put them in a box and send them to God. 

Be Open, Be Loving, Be Yourself
Taryn

Living, Breathing Books

HELLO!!! *hears a couple crickets answering back* 

So City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare was released on May 27th. It was a beautiful Tuesday morning. I was sitting in my car from 8:45am ... awaiting my bosses to open the doors to let me in so I can buy my copy. 

I go in and there it is. 

I freaked out. I admit that I let out a bit of a girlish squeak as I picked it up. It's the FINAL book in the Mortal Instruments series. The book blogs have been talking about this book for the last TWO YEARS, debating about what's going to happen to these beloved characters. 

Clary Fray has to finally face her evil brother, Jonathan "Sebastian" Morgenstern before he unleashes his Endarkened Shadowhunters on the world. Is there a cure for those forced to drink from the Infernal Cup? 

Jace Herondale is learning how to use the Heavenly Fire that courses through his veins as a weapon, but at what cost when it means he can no longer have physical contact with his girlfriend. 

Ugh! It's a book series that we're all anxious to finish ... but terrified at the same time because so much is at stake in the novel. Plus, we have to wait another year and half until her new series, The Dark Artifices is released. 2015, you can't come soon enough. 

There's another book that I'm looking forward to as well. 

It was recommended to me by a friend and author, J.H. Trumble. 

Now I know nothing beyond the main synopsis of the book so here it is. 

When a cheating boyfriend leads to an unexpected summer job, Rowena discovers that the best way to let go of the past might be to dive right into it.

Rowena Duncan is a thoroughly modern girl with big plans for her summer—working at the mall with her best friends, taking trips to the Cape, date nights on the beach—until she catches her boyfriend making out with another girl. Heartbroken, she applies to an out-of-town job posting and finds herself somewhere she never expected: the Renaissance Faire.

As a face-painter doubling as a serving wench, Ro is thrown headfirst into a vibrant community of artists and performers. She feels like a fish out of water until Will, a quick-witted whip cracker, takes her under his wing. Then there’s Christian, a blue-eyed stunt jouster who makes Ro weak in the knees. Soon, it’s not just her gown that’s tripping her up.

Does that sound fun or what? 
I can't wait until I can get a copy of this because this book combines my TWO favorite loves when it comes to books. Renaissance Faires and Romance! Teehee! So I'm putting it out there. I'm psyched about even more books to pick up. Not that I really need anymore. Am I right? 

On another note ... WHEN did it get to be June? I feel like someone has been using Hermione's Time Turner (yes, I used a Harry Potter reference) and I woke up in June. Yesterday was January, I swear! 

We live in a fast paced world and I get that we've entered the Technological Society or whatever, but what I wouldn't give to return to the days where books weren't read on e-readers, internet wasn't used as a PRIMARY means of communication, and social networking was hanging out at the mall or wherever WITH actual people. 
Okay, rant over! 

I'm better now. Especially considering how invalid that it must be considering that ... I'm writing this rant ... on a BLOG on the INTERNET.
Yeah, I have problems. 

Oh well. 

Fare thee well everyone! I can't wait to write something for you again. 

Be Open, Be Loving, Be Yourself