Currently

Loving: Salads. At the moment salads are my jam. Well, that and cupcakes. But I've been really loving making my own salad (not that salad in a bag shit). Dustin's suggestion of adding croutons and trying thousand island dressing has changed my world. My salad world. I can't believe I never gave it a shot before. I was such a ranch snob.


Reading: Well I just finished 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' - literally 15 minutes ago. I can't remember the last time I read a book so fast. I started it late Friday night and already done Sunday morning. I loved that it is set in Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania, Ohio, and W. Virginia are mentioned here and there. It just reminds me of when Dustin tells me stories of his childhood. It felt familiar and there is always something comforting in that. The main character, Charlie, is completely lovable yet severely naive about most things. The book takes you through the ups and downs of his freshman year in high school. There were moments that made me laugh, moments of shock and intrigue but what I loved the most is how he thought about things and would articulate them in each of his letters. This is the only book other than Harry Potter that I found so many quotes I enjoyed that I took pictures of them with my phone. And there are a lot but here are my faves:



And in that moment, I swear we were infinite. 


I looked at them. And I think they knew. Not anything specific really. They just knew. And I think that's all you can really ask from a friend. 


I don't know if you've ever felt like that. That you wanted to sleep for a thousand years. Or just not exist. Or just not be aware that you do exist.


But because things change. And friends leave. And life doesn't stop for anybody.


There's nothing like deep breaths after laughing that hard. Nothing in the world like a sore stomach for the right reasons.


What has 32 legs and 1 tooth?
A West Virginia unemployment line. 
(I told this joke to Dustin since he's a West Virginian and all. He just kind of looked at me but he knew it was hilarious.)


So, I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from here. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them.


Even more incredible quotes HERE.


Watching: 


So You Think You Can Dance! has been really good.  These were my have dances from last week.



 

Also, Dustin and I just started watching 'The Newsroom' on HBO. It comes on Sunday night after True Blood and only a few episodes have aired so far. It's the news done right and I know that sounds oh so boring but it's a fascinating show. It's one of the smartest shows out there. Dustin has said multiple times "I feel like I have learned more about what is going on in the world through this show than all other REAL news programs put together." I completely agree with him. I feel smarter after watching it. I feel more informed while still being entertained at the same time. And although the show is educational in a way, it's also got drama, and romance and humor - entertainment. Still,  my favorite element is the sharpness. The cast is also amazing. I mean, Jeff Daniels is incredible. He better be nominated for every damn award there is and win a few too. I get to see Olivia Munn too which is always a good time. Except when she was in 'Perfect Couples'. That show was just awful.


Here's a clip from the opening scene of the first episode. If this doesn't get your attention than I don't know what will.






Listening to:  Still have 'In Currents' in my CD player in my car. Other than that I've just been letting Pandora pick music for me.



Planning: Our trip to Pittsburgh in October!! Dustin and I talk about it almost every day. We've got a rough draft itinerary  going so far that includes a good mix of family, friends, sporting events, touristy things, not so touristy things, and lots of food. The list keeps growing as we romanticize our trip. It's really going to be such a good time. I can't wait! I even bought some cute ankle boots at H&M yesterday in preparation. 


Working on: Dustin and I have been talking about some things. Some things I'm not ready to really share with anyone yet. But they are good, happy, adult things. It's the very early stages so it may or may not work out. But I'm staying hopeful because I do want them to work out. I have been really good about just going with the flow and having zero expectations. There's no rush and that feels good. 

Wishing: I wish that the weekend wasn't almost over. Sundays are so bittersweet.