Goals for September

Okay, so as August comes to a close, and I have had a lot on my mind, I decided to list my goals for the coming month of change. I think I've accomplished a good deal of things in August, including finding an apartment & signing the lease, ending my job at Mr. Tux, and getting 3 shots & blood drawn at the doctor without being a complete baby about it (let's not mention I almost passed out...)

September comes to me with a lot of new changes. A new home, living with the most amazing guy in the world (it's about time), no job, and the start of grad school at one of the best colleges in the nation. (oh and a new computer! yay!)

Let's start with the obvious goals:

• Successfully moving in to my new home- with lots of packing still to do, and having to go all the way to Wisconsin with a U-haul to get all of our furniture, there is a lot that can go wrong and it's already insanely stressful... Basically, I just want the hard labor part to be over and I want to enjoy being home  

• Being a good house-girlfriend- I'm not a wife yet, and I will be going to school, so there will be shared responsibilities (we're not one of those old-fashioned couples...) Nonetheless, there's a sense of wanting to keep the house clean and I'm actually kind of excited to cook dinner and pack his lunch (tee hee, I think I might write adorable notes for him- even if it makes him the laughing stock at work, I'm evil, what can I say?)

• Start working-out again- Hurting my back put the kabosh on that a while back, and I've honestly been too lazy to take it up again. With my recent doctor trip revealing a number I didn't want to know existed in relation to my body and with helping my friend move her shit down 3 flights of stairs panting all the way I determined what I already new to be true- I need Jillian again. I'll have to break out the smiley stickers (reward system, baby- works on kids and believe it or not it works on me too!)

• Not failing the first few weeks of school- Okay, the likelihood of that happening is absurdly minimal, but I'm sure I'm not alone. I want everything to go smoothly and I want all the other kids to like me.

And now for actual, track-able goals!

• Cake! I have a list of cakes and cupcakes to make this month so far. As soon as I can after moving it I really want to make Better Than Sex Cake. Chocolate, caramel topping, condensed milk, cool whip, and heath bars. Yum. I also have a cupcake order coming up! Elegant cupcakes! I will post pictures!
• September Book Challenge- From the Fantasy and YA Lovers group over at Goodreads Here! The challenge and the books I'm hoping to read are as such:
• A book with one of the letters from SEPTEMBER in it- Delirium by Lauren Oliver
• A book about Fae- Except the Queen by Jane Yolen & Midori Snyder
• A book released this year- Cascade by Lisa Tawn Bergren
• A book with purple on the cover- The Dark Divine by Bree Despain or  Nightshade by Andrea Cremer 

Wish me luck!

Keys! (And why I read sex novels)

So Mark and I have received our keys for our new "apartment" (it's actually a duplex!) and I'm getting really anxious to get inside! We officially move in Sept. 1st, which I suppose is a good thing because I'm actively avoiding packing my things (Note: blog writing...). I'm not really sure where to start... My good friend suggested I start with the important things: clothes, books & shoes.
I think I'm getting a bit of a complex from my mother constantly saying "when you're gone I'll have so much room!" or "There won't be so much shit when your gone."
Thanks Mom.
I get it though, she wants her house, and she did have 4 years of me not being around before I came back from undergrad poor and job-less. Even having 2 jobs didn't give me enough money to branch out on my own. This could easily turn into a political rant and all things money related, but I'm not going there... (boo! no fun!)
I'm finally excited that I get to be a real adult (albeit still poor and job-less) with responsibilities that I'm sure will get old very quickly, but excited I am nonetheless. And I'm pretty sure Mark is almost as excited as I am, although his dad seems a little more like he wants to keep Mark around for awhile.
Well, the lease is signed, our security deposit and 1st month's rent have been paid, and we have keys. It's on. We're really doing this! And now there's even more pressure for marriage. It'll happen. Eventually. We like making you people sweat.

And now! The moment my 2.5 blog readers have been waiting for! The second part of my title! I've recently mentioned to a lot of my friends that I greatly enjoy reading those romantic (and more often than not erotic) novels. Not surprisingly, I get a lot of shit mostly from my guy friends (most of the girls giggle and later ask me for suggestions...).
Boys, come on, you all watch porn and it's accepted. It's what you do. Us girls can't read our porn? At least ours has a plot. A REAL plot. But beyond that, for me it is an escape, like a good book should be.
When I say "good book", I'm not talking necessarily about award winners or books that gain the nods of scholars, I mean a book that captures you, takes you to a different world and makes you completely unable to put it down. Some girls like to read those sweet romances with gentle love scenes and marriage, and some (like me) like the gritty and, I'll say it, rough love stories with action, adventure and incredible sex scenes. Some of them make me swoon, and some well... yeah they're hot. I haven't heard any complaints from Mark about me reading them ;-)
So girls, own what you read! If you want to read your sex novels go ahead! There's no shame in getting a little novel-love! Yes, some of the titles are giggle-worthy, and some of those novels are incredibly predictable, but they're fun! I've got a few suggestions if you need any :-)

I mean really... look at this cover... drool!