Traveling with Parents

I've recently returned from a vacation with my parents. They have a house in Scottsdale, AZ and a couple months ago, after I got my Christmas bonus from work, I decided that I was not going to pay off ALL my bills, I was going to get my ass into the sun to refill my vitamin D levels (you know how gray it gets in the PNW this time of year?) and relax because I've been so stressed out.

It was a wonderful trip, and coming home was bittersweet. My mom didn't want me to leave. She was staying there another week. I could have stayed there with her, the weather having been in the upper 70s the entire time I was there, but I had children, a job and a boyfriend I wanted to get back to.

Being on vacation alone with my parents, I learned a few things about myself and them that I thought I would share with you.

My parents:

~ They've turned into the Bickersons i.e. my grandparents, but only where two things are concerned, driving and cooking.

When they picked me up from the airport, traffic was heavy, as I came in during rush hour. They decided to take an alternate route. As I sat in the backseat, I listened to them squabble about which street would take them which way, which went through, etc, etc,. I felt like I was a kid again on a cross country road trip. I wondered where my barf bag was and why my brother wasn't slapping me in the head.

My dad and I put together Bracioles for the football games on Sunday, and there were a few debates when it came time to cook them. My dad didn't heat the oil first. I told him to, but he didn't listen. When my mom saw this...then it was too much oil, then not enough sauce...you get my drift.

Other than those two things, my parents are a loving couple who take care of each other well.

~ I'm not sure what's going on with my mom's hearing, but it's a little contradictory. I'll be sitting there right next to her talking to her and have to repeat everything I say. But if I'm sitting at my computer and I say something inadvertently to myself, she could be in the other room and hear me. Mind you, she will still say, "What?" but she still hears me.
~House cams are cool...and creepy. My dad has one at his home here and one

down in AZ. He says it's for safety, I think it's so he can check on his cat, Maxx and make sure he's being properly taken care of. And he can talk to you through the camera. He did it to me in AZ and it scared me to death at first.
~ They have a set routine. This may just be the vacation routine, but here it is.

• Dad up, coffee, breakfast, newspaper.
• He gets mom up to take pills, makes her breakfast, she drinks coffee, reads the paper, watches TV.
• He takes a walk (which I did with him).
• Mom and I would sit outside while my dad tooled around the house. I have no idea what he was doing. I know part of the time he was on his computer, but he wears a pedometer and has to get his 10k steps in, so I know he's also doing other things like taking out the garbage, probably changing light bulbs and stuff, because he always gets his 10k in.
• Lunch is somewhere in there.
•  Errand running (this is sometimes done after the walk, but many times we did it in the afternoon).
•  Down time. Mom would nap, I would write or play on the computer, my dad would do his tooling around again.
• Dinner.
• TV, which consisted of three game shows, Let's Ask America, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, then many episodes of some type of Law & Order show. I didn't even know they watched Law & Order.
• Bed.

Drinks were spread sporadically between  down time and bed. We threw in a couple other things, went to the neighbors to visit during the 'Down Time' one evening. Mom and I went shopping  one morning after I walked with my dad, must most the time, the above was the schedule. And I could only stomach one or two L&O episodes then would adjourn to my room for Damages, reading or sleeping.

~ My parents are still two of the smartest people I know. Seriously, just watch Jeopardy with them.

Me:

~ I'm not too shabby myself, when it comes to Jeopardy.
~ Replacing a heat pump is expensive and loud. Avoid it at all costs.

~ I can still read a book in days if I set my mind to it. I read Insurgent by Veronica Roth in 5 days, and that was only at a couple hours a day. Do you know how thick that book is? I even bought Allegiant for my Kindle while I was there (I never read on my Kindle, of course I ordered the hardback as soon as I got home. It should be here today). I'm going to try to make more time to read more books this year.
~ I have no will power when it comes to Italian bread. I can resist any kind of sweets you throw at me, but throw a loaf of Italian bread in my direction, and it's all over.
~ I need to take some time to recharge. I just normally don't know how to do it. On vacation with my parents, I'm forced to do it. I'm forced to sit and do nothing but take walks, read or write. I have to find a way to balance everything I have at home, but to squeeze that time in too. It may be a matter of giving on some other things. Social life, Netflix...but I know it will be worth it. I feel so good after a long weekend of doing nothing.
~  Avoiding becoming a Bickerson, I want the same kind of lasting and loving relationship my parents have.  My mom has had some health issues this year, and I see how my dad has lovingly cared for her. This June they will celebrate their 50th Anniversary. I know I will not have a relationship that lasts that long; if I found someone right now and lived another 50 years I'd be 95 (okay it's possible, but probably not plausible). But seriously, all kidding about their bickering aside, they have a love that has endured hardships and pain, good times and bad, and I hope I find one even half as binding as theirs.

Next trip: Weekend road trip with 8 teenagers. Oy. Wish me luck.

12 books

My reading plan this year is to read 12 books. I know that is a drop in the bucket to some of you, but for me, it's kind of a big deal. I get so caught up with life and writing and editing my own books, admittedly, I don't make enough time to read. I wish I did, but I don't.

I have one rule.  I'm going to take at least 9 of them from the books I already have on my shelves and not by more than 3 new ones. The majority of books I own, I've never read. There are just sitting there staring at me begging to be read.

So I'm going to break them down into months. I've not started January's book yet, but I'm heading on a long weekend this week, and I'm going to start (and maybe finish) then.

January: Insurgent by Veronica Roth. This of course is the 2nd book in the Divergent (on my shelf)
series. I LOVED Divergent, and it's time to finish the series.

War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

February: Allegiant by Veronica Roth. 3rd book in the Divergent series. See above. (to purchase)

What if your whole world was a lie?
What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

Ooooooh. (shudders) Note: I cannot wait for the Divergent movie coming out this year.

March: The Summer of Letting Go by Gae Polisner. Most of you who read my blog should know by now that Gae is a very good friend of mine. I have been waiting for this sophomore book of hers for what seems like forever (as have many). It sounds so amazing...you should put it on your list too. (not on my shelf, but pre-ordered so counting as already owned)

Summer has begun, the beach beckons—and Francesca Schnell is going nowhere. Four years ago, Francesca’s little brother, Simon, drowned, and Francesca’s the one who should have been watching. Now Francesca is about to turn sixteen, but guilt keeps her stuck in the past. At loose ends, Francesca trails her father, who may be having an affair, to the local country club. There she meets four-year-old Frankie Sky, a little boy who bears an almost eerie resemblance to Simon, and Francesca begins to wonder if it’s possible Frankie could be his reincarnation. Knowing Frankie leads Francesca to places she thought she’d never dare to go—and it begins to seem possible to forgive herself, grow up, and even fall in love, whether or not she solves the riddle of Frankie Sky.


April: Auracle by Gina Rosati. This is one of my 2k12 peeps. There are still so many 2k12 books I have to read (and 2k11 for that matter as that's where I started), but this one is next on my list. (on my shelf)

Trapped outside her body, Anna sees and hears but cannot touch the one she longs to hold.

Anna has a secret: she can astrally project out of her body. But when there's an accident and her classmate Taylor gets into Anna's body, what was an exhilarating gift threatens to become a terrifying reality. Anna and her best friend Rei form a plan to set things right, but they don't anticipate the feelings that are beginning to grow between them. Auracle by Gina Rosati is an exciting, sensual novel that explores the relationship between body and soul and the power of a single touch.

May: Something by John Green. I have a few books of his books on my shelf and I'm not sure which I want to read first. I believe I have Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, Paper Towns, Will Grayson Will Grayson and Fault in Our Stars. I don't think I want to read the latter yet. Any suggestions on which I should read first? (on my shelf)

June: Nothing Special by Geoff Herbach. I read the first book in this series, Stupid Fast and LOVED it! Herbach is funny, but there is also an element of emotion and thoughtfulness in his writing. (to purchase)

Hey Aleah,
I miss you. Because there's some serious donkey crap going on right now. I'm supposed to be at football camp, but noooo ... Andrew had to go missing! So because of my stupid little brother, I'll probably lose my chance at a scholarship and end up being nothing special.

I'm pretty sure Andrew ran away to Florida, and now Gus and I have to drive cross-country to get him. Did you know Gus used to think

Miss Piggy was hot? Anyway, Andrew once told me I needed to get my head out of my butt. So that's what I'm trying to do. How about a kiss for luck?

Felton

July: Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn. I heard this is a great story and has a cutting theme in it, so I thought I'd read it, since I wrote about a cutter as well. (on my shelf)

Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, reporter Camille Preaker faces a troubling assignment: she must return to her tiny hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls. For years, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed in her old bedroom in her family's Victorian mansion, Camille finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Dogged by her own demons, she must unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past if she wants to get the story—and survive this homecoming.

August: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. This book sounded so cool. I bought it a couple years ago and never read it. It's time. (on my shelf)

What if you only had one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it turns out to be her last.

The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. Living the last day of her life seven times during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

September: Something Like Normal by Trish Doller. I met Trish through my ex-husband's cousin before either of us had book deals. Then as luck and coincidence would have it, our debut novels were both released in 2012. I've been wanting to read this for awhile. I'm going to read it this year. (to purchase)

When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.

October: The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride. I was introduced to Kristina by a mutual friend and writer, Brady Allen. He was one of Kristina's professors. She was part of the class of 2k10.  I've had this book on my shelf for a couple years. It's time I read it. (on my shelf)

When Tessa's best friend Noelle disappears right before the start of eighth grade, Tessa's life changes completely--she shies away from her other friends and stops eating in the cafeteria. Now, two years later, Noelle has escaped her captivity and is coming home, in one piece but not exactly intact, and definitely different. Tessa's life is about to change again as she tries to revive the best-friendship the two girls had shared before Noelle--now Elle--was kidnapped; puts up a futile resistance to the charming new guy at school; pursues her passion for photography while trying to build the bravado to show her photos to the public; and tries to balance her desire to protect and shelter Elle with the necessity to live her own life and put herself first.

November: Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell. I've heard so many great things about this book and it's set in 1986, when I was in high school. How can I not read it?

TWO MISFITS. ONE EXTRAORDINARY LOVE. 
It's 1986 and two star-crossed teens are smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you'll remember your own first love--and just how hard it pulled you under.

 A cross between the iconic '80s movie Sixteen Candles and the classic coming-of-age novel Looking for Alaska, Eleanor & Park is a brilliantly written young adult novel.

December: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. Because it's about time. (on my shelf)

Sylvia Plath's shocking, realistic, and intensely emotional novel of a woman falling into the grips of insanity.

If I finish all these...I will start on these next...
Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini
The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney
Where things Come Back by John Corey Whaley
Very Bad Men by Harry Dolan
Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
Breathe My Name by R.A. Nelson
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendara Blake