Now, where was I?

Man, it's been a while! I can't believe how insanely busy the last couple of weeks have been. Rather than try to detail everything that happened, here's a few highlights.

1. Road Trip To Vermont - just for the hell of it. I stayed at a new hostel in Burlington, which was surprisingly well situated right on Lake Champlain. There was a folk festival in town, so I got to see the craziness that is contra dancing. Think Jane Austen-era ball meets Pauly Shore square dancing in 'Son in Law'. It was awesome! I'd never be caught dead doing it of course, but it made for some entertaining inner dialogue as I walked along the water. Speaking of the water, Lake Champlain is beautiful! A must see if you are ever in Burlington, VT. Seriously. Just make sure you mentally prepare for any trip to Vermont - you WILL leave there ready to marry a mountain man and trade in your Manolo's for Merrill's. One last thing to note about Vermont - Subaru!

2. Nothing's Quiet on The Working Front - In what I can only call a stroke of poetic justice, a former salesperson from the company has started his own competing company. And my boss found out about it in an email mistakenly sent to him by said former salesman. Love it! Philip Seymour Hoffman is obsessed with crushing him now, of course, which makes it all the more difficult for the rest of us. The work amount is increasing, hours are longer, and PSH has no idea what he's doing. Hiring operational help? Focusing on Business A? Business B? Or, Business C? Some things never change.

3. Steig Larsson Was a Genius - I just finished 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo'. Seriously good book. Good to the point that I was up until 6am this morning reading it because I couldn't put it down! I resisted joining the band wagon on this book initially, but then I started to read about the casting for the movie version. I am a big read it before seeing it proponent. The deciding factor was the book jacket, which tells the story about the author. Steig Larsson died shortly after handing over the manuscripts to his publisher. How tragic is that? A New York Times best selling author, and he never got to enjoy it. It is so much more than a mystery novel. The characters are so well written, you can see the plot unfolding and Larsson really takes you into the mind of the characters. You get over the Swedish references really quickly too, which is nice for a white bread American girl like myself. Can't wait to start book 2, 'The Girl Who Played With Fire'.

4. The Highlight of The Week - Watching 'Cop Out' with Mom and Dad. It's not often that my Mom can sit through a movie, so it's always a treat when we can actually all just sit and relax as a family. The best part though is my parents laughter. My Dad breaks into fits of laughter pretty easily. All it takes is an episode of 'Wipe Out' and the man is practically on the floor. My Mom doesn't break that easily though, so it's especially entertaining when she does. When the two of them laugh together, it's infectious! And 'Cop Out' brought out the laughter in everyone. I remember being in stitches watching this movie in the theaters, and the second time around was no exception. If you haven't seen it, correct that problem! And if you can, see it with my parents - it's seriously hysterical!