hunger games!!!

So I've always wondered what it felt like for fans of Harry Potter and the Twilight books to have to wait for the movies to come out...were they anxious, excited, full of glee!? Well now I know and yes they were! Every time I see a photo or a trailer or one of the stars from the movie I get sooooo excited! I am completely obsessed with these books and the characters and the story. I am so obsessed with them I will talk to ANYONE about how amazing the books are. For example:

I'm getting on the L and find a seat next to this girl who is probably about my age (I always try to find a seat next to a girl, safety first!). She had a punkish cool style to her, short bright red hair and cool biker boots. Anyhoo, I sit down next to her and pull out my current book (I'm reading Pet Sematary...it's creepy) and I see her pull out none other than THE HUNGER GAMES. Eyes wide and grinning I turned to her and said "Oh my god, I LOVE that book!" She kinda gave me a -I can't believe this girl is talking to me- look but then I think she realized I was a normal person....ha ha. She smiled back and said, "I actually just bought it, my roommates are obsessed with all the books." I'm thinking, tone it down Caroline, don't FREAK this girl out. I finished the small convo by saying (with a big grin on my face because that is what these books have done to me whenever I get a chance to talk about them) "They are the best books...you'll really like them." Then we both go to reading our said books and I couldn't help but feel utter jealousy that she was starting on page ONE of THE HUNGER GAMES.

See how these books have made me crazy! I feel like I need to find like a Hunger Games support group in Chicago where I can discuss the books until my head hurts. Sigh...if only a group like that really existed.

I love my man

Sean started his new job this week! He is just so super happy and I am so super happy for him. He is the most hard-working, kind, and selfless boss anyone could ever have! Everyone at his work is lucky to have him! We went out celebrating at our local watering hole and this is us waiting for the train home...after a few beers. We just couldn't stop laughing for some reason! :)

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY WEEKEND!

          

discovering the king on halloween

Having read every single book in my library I was in need of more books to read while riding the train to work. I came across an old box of Sean's in our storage closet and to my luck it was full of Stephen King books. I thought "perfect for October!" My mom always read Stephen King when I was growing up and so I always ended up watching the movies with her once she finished a book. FYI - never let your 7-year-old watch Stephen King's IT, I was deeply disturbed by that move and my 7-year-old self did not sleep for weeks and had nightmares about that creepy clown! I even tried to read the book in high school and the clown came back in my dreams so I had to quit!

Well so far I have read Salem's Lot (another crazy scary movie), The Dead Zone (suprisingly political based, and not very scary), Thinner (gross and creepy), and I just finished CUJO yesterday!

OMG...Cujo is really, really scary!!! I am a grown woman and I found myself looking at our bedroom closet at night for monsters AND at times Cami (our dog) has made me feel a little uncomfortable...

Doesn't she look kinda suspicious? What is she thinking?

I think today I am going to go buy IT at Borders and challenge myself to read it...I'll let you know what happens...

train bliss

One of my favorite things to do in Chicago is to ride the train. I call it the train - not the subway or the 'L' - which it should be called, but the train. I am for certain this is very wrong to say around Chicagoans, since in fact there is a rail road train (the Metra) that runs out to the suburbs. But that is what I like to call it - the train.

Now being an Oklahoma girl, I grew up driving on those long stretch of gleaming hot highways - I-35, I-40, I-44, and I do NOT miss them one bit. Let's be honest - I've never exactly been a great driver. I can be aggressive and loud when need be, but usually I drive slow and stay a car-length distance away from the person in front of me. I'm even worse when I am in the passenger seat...

But riding the 'L' is just bliss...this meaning that I feel like I have my own personal driver every morning to take me to and from work. I say "hello!" to the train conductors in the morning and sit in my usually seat by the window. I have read almost 15 books since moving here, and have listened to entire albums on my iPod, all while relaxing and staring out into the beautiful cityscape of Chicago. One of my favorite past times is people watching - I swear I have seen an exact twin of everyone from back home on the train - even you Erin!

My only scary experience on the 'L'...so far:
Recently I was trapped in one of these train entrance gates. I scanned my card to get on, pushed through the jaw-like gate and BOOM! - I was stuck like a caged animal! Not only was I unable to escape from the teeth of this giant monster, but the train I was trying to catch was still in the station, with people on it, who were staring at me...or more like laughing at me, while the train creeped slowly out of the station. What was a girl to do!? In the end a nice women freed me with her card, and we both had a good laugh together.