I know I have not done a thankful Thursday post in awhile and I apologize for that. Thursdays have become a rather busy day for me. I toyed with moving the day, but Thankful Mondays just doesn't have a good ring to it. Then I spent like half a second trying to come up with an adjective for "thankful" that would alliterate* with a day of the week well, but came up with nothin'.
Anyway, let's be thankful, publicly on the web, when we can and be thankful that it's possible!**
This week, I am most thankful, and astounded, that my birthday is next week.
Seriously, I think about my birthday way to much. Less than a week to go! I'll be off on my birthday (Wednesday, May 1, if you're interested), and driving most of the day to go stay with my parents for a few days. Feel free to send me many gratuitous texts or blog comments. Those are my two favorite forms of communication.
And if my birthday is next week, then my BFF's birthday is this weekend, which is just as good.
Because Amie knows how to do a birthday and do it right. She has a weekend full of festivities planned, and I know I'll have just as much fun celebrating her birthday as my own.
Cinco De Moe's is coming
Have I mentioned that I love Moe's? Sunday, May 5 they're serving $5 burritos with a drink in honor of Cinco de Moe's.
That I'm going to see my mama and daddy this next week.
I haven't seen them since Christmas and that is way too long. Jill needs regular hugs from her parents and she's not afraid to admit that.***
I finally broke down and bought new work shoes.
I had worn holes in both pairs that I wear regularly. Why is so hard to find shoes that are comfortable and appropriately dressy for work?
ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT IS COMING BACK IN ONE MONTH!!!!!
If you've never watched Arrested Development, you should. It is one of the top three comedies ever made for tv. Maybe it is even number one or number two. And they've decided to bring it back for a limited run on Netflix. If you need to catch up, the previous three seasons that originally aired in the early 2000s are available on both Netflix and Hulu. Do it. You'll be thankful that you did. It just occurred to me that I should be rewatching the series in anticipation. New plan for all of my free time.
For my morning workouts with friends
Even if they do make me jello-y and sore a majority of the time. These two are a great encouragement.
For Face time
I actually don't call anyone with my phone anymore. It's just Facetime or texting for me (or snapchatting, I suppose), and I like it that way.
I feel like there are many, many things I am forgetting, but for now, I'm just going to be thankful it's Thursday!
*Can you use that word as a verb? Yes. Because I just did, sucker!
**Because, how thankful are we for the interwebs being a reality?? So thankful!
***Jill is also not afraid of speaking in the third person.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Musings from the Weight Room
Okay, I'm not literally writing this from the weight room*. But I have been back in the weight room twice a week for four weeks now. I'm lucky. I've had two friends ask me to join them in their workouts, so it gets me there on a regular basis.
Anyway, because of this increased weight room related activity, my limbs have been a'quiverin' a whole lot more lately and I just thought you needed to know**. Also, I have some random thoughts from my time in the weight room that I'd like to share.
I'm no expert, but from what I've read, a strength training routine is important, not just for being big and muscley (if that's your thing) but for being fit. I feel like a lot of people do cardio regularly, but not very many people are in the weight room or lifting weights at home. I understand. For me, in the past, weight lifting has been the first thing to go out the window when I get busy, but like I said, I'm lucky this time around. I can't wait to see what a difference it makes to my body. Once I stop feeling like Jello, anyway.
Do you do any weight lifting or strength training? If not, why not?
*I'm writing this from the complete opposite of the weight room. I'm crashed out on my bed because I am so exhausted from when I was in the weight room this morning, many, many hours ago.
**Why do you need to know? I don't have any idea. It's part of what makes being a blogger so weird. I plan to write a full post on this topic someday. Stay tuned. It will be called "Blogging is so weird."
***I have not yet had to do this. My co-workers are surely grateful.
**** Partially, this makes me feel bad. I mean, even with the full assistance of the machine, I can't do a pull-up???!??!! But without them being there, I wouldn't do it at all. I know that I've got to start somewhere in order to improve. And think what a great story it will be when I've moved from full assistance and a hand to only some assistance and no hands! So great.
Anyway, because of this increased weight room related activity, my limbs have been a'quiverin' a whole lot more lately and I just thought you needed to know**. Also, I have some random thoughts from my time in the weight room that I'd like to share.
- I judge a good upper body workout by how hard it is to take my shirt off over my head afterwards. I'm pleased to say that more than once I've been actually worried I might have to skip the shower and wear a sweaty shirt*** to work, because my arms were so jello-y.
- My Fitness Pal, the app I've been using to track calories for a couple of weeks now, does not give any "credit" for weight room activities. This is an outrage. I am sweatier and breathing harder during these sessions than I ever am by myself.
- Workouts are better with a team. Not only would I probably just skip without my friends, but while we're there, we encourage each other. And since I'm (ginormously) farther behind them on the fitness scale, they help me out. For instance I can't do a pull-up on the assisted pull up machine, even with the full assistance of the machine. So one of my friends lightly supports the bench my knees**** are on as I do the pull up and the other stands there and encourages me.
I'm no expert, but from what I've read, a strength training routine is important, not just for being big and muscley (if that's your thing) but for being fit. I feel like a lot of people do cardio regularly, but not very many people are in the weight room or lifting weights at home. I understand. For me, in the past, weight lifting has been the first thing to go out the window when I get busy, but like I said, I'm lucky this time around. I can't wait to see what a difference it makes to my body. Once I stop feeling like Jello, anyway.
Do you do any weight lifting or strength training? If not, why not?
*I'm writing this from the complete opposite of the weight room. I'm crashed out on my bed because I am so exhausted from when I was in the weight room this morning, many, many hours ago.
**Why do you need to know? I don't have any idea. It's part of what makes being a blogger so weird. I plan to write a full post on this topic someday. Stay tuned. It will be called "Blogging is so weird."
***I have not yet had to do this. My co-workers are surely grateful.
**** Partially, this makes me feel bad. I mean, even with the full assistance of the machine, I can't do a pull-up???!??!! But without them being there, I wouldn't do it at all. I know that I've got to start somewhere in order to improve. And think what a great story it will be when I've moved from full assistance and a hand to only some assistance and no hands! So great.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Cheering for Cindy
I believe I gave you ample opportunity in this post to sign up to have the most incredible morning of your life with me on Saturday, April 13.
If you did not take me up on such an unbelievable offer, that can only be labeled as "Your fault." I will wait, while you kick yourself. (If you don't live in Charlotte, you can skip the kick.)
Now, let me tell you what an incredible morning Amie, Cara (the only two smart enough to recognize a fun opportunity when presented to them) and I had yesterday.
Saturday morning, we rose before dawn, armed ourselves with coffee and Krispy Kreme and headed to mile 2 of the Charlotte RaceFest Half Marathon. We pumped up this Jonas Brothers song on the way there to get our energy up.* I wore my awesomely pink wig, Cara wore her purple tutu and Amie, well, Amie showed up.
I've got to give credit, Amie and Cara did not need much training. They understood we were there to cheer and cheer we did. We screamed and screamed and screamed, so much that Amie had lost her voice by the end of the first stop. Things like:
"You are awesome!"
"Look at you - you are running!"
"Looking strong!"
"Looking good!"
"We love you!"
"That runner's on fire!"
"You are amazing!"
"Way to work that downhill!"
"Way to run!"
"WHOOOOOOHOOOO!"
"I want to be like you, when I grow up!"
"Your perspiration is my inspiration!"
Among others. You get the picture. We also gave out a fair number of high fives.
We stayed at mile 2 from the very first runner until we saw our friend Cindy. After that, we took off for the next stop. We were the perfect team: Amie navigated**, I drove and Cara spotted street signs for me***. About two miles down the course we stopped, we jumped out, ran for the course and immediately started screaming encouragement. We did this each time, staying only until we saw Cindy and then taking off for the next stop. Here's what we looked like:
We were able to see Cindy and the runners before her 6 times on the course and again at the finish line. Strangers began to recognize us by the second stop and you could see them light up when they saw/heard us.
In the end, we watched Cindy cross the finish line of her first half marathon after running strong THE ENTIRE TIME. I was so excited and jumping up and down that I forgot to take a picture of her crossing the finish line (the one fail of the morning).
As we talked to Cindy about the race afterward, we were continually interrupted by the strangers we had cheered for, thanking us for our support and wanting to take pictures with us and our signs. Many, many strangers said that our cheering helped them keep going and they kept looking forward to seeing us again.
Now you might have read this account and thought, "Oh that sounds nice." or even "how fun!" but you might NOT be reading it and saying to yourself "THAT SOUNDS LIKE THE MOST FUN WAY TO SPEND A SATURDAY MORNING, WHEN CAN I COME DO THIS WITH YOU, JILL!!!!???!!!" And that's okay. Because reading this blog does not even begin to capture how fun it is to cheer for total strangers or how amazing it is to see them smile gratefully. I don't even think Amie and Cara really understood how great this adventure was going to be when they agreed to go. But they understand now. So, next time I post an opportunity like this, you might want to jump on it. Just trust.
That being said, if anyone out there is planning to run an endurance race (half marathon, marathon or tri) and wants a few race cheerers, let us know and we'll be there. Here's a few of the pics we took at the finish line.
*I don't know how you feel about the Jonas Brothers, but this song is AMAZINGLY FUN! Be warned: you will be uncontrollably compelled to dance if you listen to it.
**If you don't know Amie, she is the best navigator/map person I know. And that's saying a lot, because I'm not to shabby with directions myself.
***Even with my contacts in, I could not see as far as Cara. I attribute it to her young eyes.
If you did not take me up on such an unbelievable offer, that can only be labeled as "Your fault." I will wait, while you kick yourself. (If you don't live in Charlotte, you can skip the kick.)
Now, let me tell you what an incredible morning Amie, Cara (the only two smart enough to recognize a fun opportunity when presented to them) and I had yesterday.
Saturday morning, we rose before dawn, armed ourselves with coffee and Krispy Kreme and headed to mile 2 of the Charlotte RaceFest Half Marathon. We pumped up this Jonas Brothers song on the way there to get our energy up.* I wore my awesomely pink wig, Cara wore her purple tutu and Amie, well, Amie showed up.
I've got to give credit, Amie and Cara did not need much training. They understood we were there to cheer and cheer we did. We screamed and screamed and screamed, so much that Amie had lost her voice by the end of the first stop. Things like:
"You are awesome!"
"Look at you - you are running!"
"Looking strong!"
"Looking good!"
"We love you!"
"That runner's on fire!"
"You are amazing!"
"Way to work that downhill!"
"Way to run!"
"WHOOOOOOHOOOO!"
"I want to be like you, when I grow up!"
"Your perspiration is my inspiration!"
Among others. You get the picture. We also gave out a fair number of high fives.
We stayed at mile 2 from the very first runner until we saw our friend Cindy. After that, we took off for the next stop. We were the perfect team: Amie navigated**, I drove and Cara spotted street signs for me***. About two miles down the course we stopped, we jumped out, ran for the course and immediately started screaming encouragement. We did this each time, staying only until we saw Cindy and then taking off for the next stop. Here's what we looked like:
We were able to see Cindy and the runners before her 6 times on the course and again at the finish line. Strangers began to recognize us by the second stop and you could see them light up when they saw/heard us.
In the end, we watched Cindy cross the finish line of her first half marathon after running strong THE ENTIRE TIME. I was so excited and jumping up and down that I forgot to take a picture of her crossing the finish line (the one fail of the morning).
 |
| Cindy, the Amazing, in yellow |
Now you might have read this account and thought, "Oh that sounds nice." or even "how fun!" but you might NOT be reading it and saying to yourself "THAT SOUNDS LIKE THE MOST FUN WAY TO SPEND A SATURDAY MORNING, WHEN CAN I COME DO THIS WITH YOU, JILL!!!!???!!!" And that's okay. Because reading this blog does not even begin to capture how fun it is to cheer for total strangers or how amazing it is to see them smile gratefully. I don't even think Amie and Cara really understood how great this adventure was going to be when they agreed to go. But they understand now. So, next time I post an opportunity like this, you might want to jump on it. Just trust.
That being said, if anyone out there is planning to run an endurance race (half marathon, marathon or tri) and wants a few race cheerers, let us know and we'll be there. Here's a few of the pics we took at the finish line.
 |
| Shelley, pictured here, is not a stranger to Cara and Amie, but we didn't know she'd be running today. Bonus cheers for her! |
 |
| This man loved us and was the first stranger to request a photo. |
 |
| The guy next to Cara wore the Batman mask through the whole 13.1. |
*I don't know how you feel about the Jonas Brothers, but this song is AMAZINGLY FUN! Be warned: you will be uncontrollably compelled to dance if you listen to it.
**If you don't know Amie, she is the best navigator/map person I know. And that's saying a lot, because I'm not to shabby with directions myself.
***Even with my contacts in, I could not see as far as Cara. I attribute it to her young eyes.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
The Ugly, the Bad and the Good
The good, the bad and the ugly... a convenient way for me to sum up the past couple weeks in dieting world. But, because I don't want to end on a sour note, I'm going to reverse it and do the Ugly, the Bad and the Good. Wrap it all up with the positive stuff...
The Ugly
-I could barely move all of last week because I was so sore from working out again and getting back in the weight room.
-I have about four times the amount of clothes any one person should own. This is an unfortunate necessity, because I have to warehouse clothes in approximately four different sizes. And as seasons are changing, I'm realizing that I actually have very little in my current size that is appropriate for the season.
The Bad
-Last week I had two good days of tracking my food. Then I realized I was going out of town for the weekend, and let the attitude of "I'm not going to be eating well or tracking when I'm out of town, might as well stop now" get in my head. Also last week I did not do a good job of grocery shopping and got some snacks that were too many calories.
-This week I'm only doing slightly better. I think the enormity of what I need to do (again!) is settling in.
-My fitness levels have fallen very far.
The Good
-I've been meeting co-workers two days a week before work to workout. This has been great for several reasons:
The Ugly
-I could barely move all of last week because I was so sore from working out again and getting back in the weight room.
-I have about four times the amount of clothes any one person should own. This is an unfortunate necessity, because I have to warehouse clothes in approximately four different sizes. And as seasons are changing, I'm realizing that I actually have very little in my current size that is appropriate for the season.
The Bad
-Last week I had two good days of tracking my food. Then I realized I was going out of town for the weekend, and let the attitude of "I'm not going to be eating well or tracking when I'm out of town, might as well stop now" get in my head. Also last week I did not do a good job of grocery shopping and got some snacks that were too many calories.
-This week I'm only doing slightly better. I think the enormity of what I need to do (again!) is settling in.
-My fitness levels have fallen very far.
The Good
-I've been meeting co-workers two days a week before work to workout. This has been great for several reasons:
- I'm obligated to not sleep through my alarm.
- They've gotten me back in the weight room.
- They come up with challenging and creative workouts that make the time go by quickly.
- They are actually quite chipper and encouraging at 7 a.m. (as opposed to me at that time).
-I've been back on my fancy schmancy bike a bit and loving every minute of it. I hope I keep it up.
-Exercise makes me feel good.
What's been Ugly, the Bad and the Good about your week thus far?
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Vlog: Greetings from Future Jill
Guys, weirdest thing happened. I found this video file from my future self on my computer yesterday. Turns out my future self is pretty verbose, so I had to do a bit of editing. Enjoy! She/me shares some tips, interesting tidbits about the future and even a stock tip!
Also, I must travel extensively to Australia and England, because future me has quite an accent.
Also, I must travel extensively to Australia and England, because future me has quite an accent.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
It's time
It's time once again for me to start trying to lose weight. I tried to just accept my body weight as part of who I am and be happy with it. And for the most part, I've succeeded in not letting it affect my life or my moods (most of the time). That is a victory I will claim.
But I've reached a point where I've just got to try again. I haven't weighed in awhile (I will weigh tomorrow morning to check in), but I know I've continued to gain and am now at the largest I've ever been. It's getting to the point where I don't fit well in some seats, and it's difficult for me to bend over to put my tennis shoes on. Embarrassing. I can't believe I just shared that with you, the internet.
I've been putting off writing this post, because I hate the cycle I seem to have been in for the last couple of years, and writing about it on a blog just seems to amplify it. It goes something like this:
Try > lose a bit> hit a road bump> give up > gain weight.
I'm scared. Of giving up too quickly, but also of not giving up and losing the weight. It's a blessing and a curse that I've done this once before. A blessing because deep down inside I know I am capable of doing this, of trying and succeeding. A curse because I have done it; I've been so close to my goal and then I've let it all go. And that haunts me.
Here's what I don't want this weight loss to look like:
I don't want to feel guilty for eating chocolate or dessert.
I don't want to be unable to eat dinner with friends, because I don't know know the caloric content.
I don't want to be crazy restrictive with types of foods or calorie counts.
I don't want to give up Moe's.
Here's what I do want it to look like:
I want to plan each day's food in advance. When I don't eat according to plan, I want to think about why I've gotten derailed and what caused it. I know what my triggers are and I want to avoid them.
I want to eat all things in moderation.
I want to be able to have a beer or a glass of wine now and again.
I want to continue to be active and get back into fighting shape.
I want to rely more on God for strength and wisdom (I'm so so so bad at this)
I've mentioned before that I love my church, Good Shepherd Church. Today's Easter message was a great reminder of what God accomplished with Christ's ressurection, and what that means for those of us who are struggling with a big obstacle. I wish I could link the video here for you to hear it from Talbot himself, but it's not up yet. Maybe I'll come back later in the week to do that for you. Anyway, as I was praying during the last song of the service, God said to me, "If I was able to do something as incomprehensible as bring Jesus back from the dead, don't you think I can take care of this for you?"
UPDATE: HERE'S THE LINK.
I didn't give him an immediate yes. Instead, I kind of argued with him about it. It was a one-sided argument.
Here's what it comes down to: I don't know how Christ lives, but I know that he does. I don't know how God is going to save me from this cycle, and I wish I could say that I know that he will. That would, after all, be the poetic way to end this blog. It's hard, but I'm trying to trust him better this time around.
If you're the praying kind, I'd appreciate any prayers you could say for me as I try to end this struggle.
But I've reached a point where I've just got to try again. I haven't weighed in awhile (I will weigh tomorrow morning to check in), but I know I've continued to gain and am now at the largest I've ever been. It's getting to the point where I don't fit well in some seats, and it's difficult for me to bend over to put my tennis shoes on. Embarrassing. I can't believe I just shared that with you, the internet.
I've been putting off writing this post, because I hate the cycle I seem to have been in for the last couple of years, and writing about it on a blog just seems to amplify it. It goes something like this:
Try > lose a bit> hit a road bump> give up > gain weight.
I'm scared. Of giving up too quickly, but also of not giving up and losing the weight. It's a blessing and a curse that I've done this once before. A blessing because deep down inside I know I am capable of doing this, of trying and succeeding. A curse because I have done it; I've been so close to my goal and then I've let it all go. And that haunts me.
Here's what I don't want this weight loss to look like:
I don't want to feel guilty for eating chocolate or dessert.
I don't want to be unable to eat dinner with friends, because I don't know know the caloric content.
I don't want to be crazy restrictive with types of foods or calorie counts.
I don't want to give up Moe's.
Here's what I do want it to look like:
I want to plan each day's food in advance. When I don't eat according to plan, I want to think about why I've gotten derailed and what caused it. I know what my triggers are and I want to avoid them.
I want to eat all things in moderation.
I want to be able to have a beer or a glass of wine now and again.
I want to continue to be active and get back into fighting shape.
I want to rely more on God for strength and wisdom (I'm so so so bad at this)
I've mentioned before that I love my church, Good Shepherd Church. Today's Easter message was a great reminder of what God accomplished with Christ's ressurection, and what that means for those of us who are struggling with a big obstacle. I wish I could link the video here for you to hear it from Talbot himself, but it's not up yet. Maybe I'll come back later in the week to do that for you. Anyway, as I was praying during the last song of the service, God said to me, "If I was able to do something as incomprehensible as bring Jesus back from the dead, don't you think I can take care of this for you?"
UPDATE: HERE'S THE LINK.
I didn't give him an immediate yes. Instead, I kind of argued with him about it. It was a one-sided argument.
Here's what it comes down to: I don't know how Christ lives, but I know that he does. I don't know how God is going to save me from this cycle, and I wish I could say that I know that he will. That would, after all, be the poetic way to end this blog. It's hard, but I'm trying to trust him better this time around.
If you're the praying kind, I'd appreciate any prayers you could say for me as I try to end this struggle.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Thankful Thursdays: March 21!
Oh goodness, gracious, I'm actually getting around to posting a Thankful Thursday post this week.
Here's all the things I'm most thankful for this week:
Choir.
Ya'll know, I love to sing. I may not be especially talented in this area, but it is a passion for me all the same. And being part of the Good Shepherd UMC choir has been one of the highlights of my year. This Sunday, GSUMC attendees are in for a special treat. We've got a couple of our best songs lined up, plus two beautiful solos. We had practice last night, and it felt like we throwing up beautiful wall of sound. Do you know what that means? I know it doesn't make a lot of sense, but just trust me, it's beautiful.
My experience with Down Syndrome (aka Natalie)
Today, March 21, is World Down Syndrome Day. The day when we celebrate that little something extra (i.e. the third chromosome on the 21st pair of chromosomes, hence 3/21 as a celebration date) that gives us our friends with Down Syndrome. I never knew anyone with Down Syndrome before Natalie came along, and I've learned so much just the past two and half years. I can't wait to watch her grow and see what she continues to teach me.
My little sister is moving to Charlotte.
Mandy's been gone from the Carolinas for three years to a foreign land called "Mississippi." She is moving back this summer, and I'm so excited for her to come home.
Spring
Although the weather's been having a hard time deciding what season it wants to be, the few glorious days of spring we've had thus far make me feel like I'm living life in Technicolor. Now, if it would just stick around...
They've made a movie about life as an admissions counselor.
In a previous life of mine, I was an admissions counselor for almost four years. It's definitely one of those jobs that has a whole sub-culture. I'm curious to see if Admission nails it or not.
Three of my favorite people have become bloggers in recent weeks. Let me introduce you:
My dad, the director of talent management for a hospital system, has worked in HR, training and employee development for more than 25 years. His blog, All About the Buzz, is full of helpful tips, interesting factoids and inspiring quotes for managers. Over the course of his blogs, he's showing us how customers benefit when employees are engaged and appreciated and how best to engage and appreciate employees. www.allaboutthebuzz.net.
That's all for now. What are you thankful for this week?? Shout it from the rooftops! Or leave it in the comments section below, if that's more practical for you.
Here's all the things I'm most thankful for this week:
Choir.
Ya'll know, I love to sing. I may not be especially talented in this area, but it is a passion for me all the same. And being part of the Good Shepherd UMC choir has been one of the highlights of my year. This Sunday, GSUMC attendees are in for a special treat. We've got a couple of our best songs lined up, plus two beautiful solos. We had practice last night, and it felt like we throwing up beautiful wall of sound. Do you know what that means? I know it doesn't make a lot of sense, but just trust me, it's beautiful.
My experience with Down Syndrome (aka Natalie)
Today, March 21, is World Down Syndrome Day. The day when we celebrate that little something extra (i.e. the third chromosome on the 21st pair of chromosomes, hence 3/21 as a celebration date) that gives us our friends with Down Syndrome. I never knew anyone with Down Syndrome before Natalie came along, and I've learned so much just the past two and half years. I can't wait to watch her grow and see what she continues to teach me.
My little sister is moving to Charlotte.
Mandy's been gone from the Carolinas for three years to a foreign land called "Mississippi." She is moving back this summer, and I'm so excited for her to come home.
Spring
Although the weather's been having a hard time deciding what season it wants to be, the few glorious days of spring we've had thus far make me feel like I'm living life in Technicolor. Now, if it would just stick around...
They've made a movie about life as an admissions counselor.
In a previous life of mine, I was an admissions counselor for almost four years. It's definitely one of those jobs that has a whole sub-culture. I'm curious to see if Admission nails it or not.
Three of my favorite people have become bloggers in recent weeks. Let me introduce you:
My dad, the director of talent management for a hospital system, has worked in HR, training and employee development for more than 25 years. His blog, All About the Buzz, is full of helpful tips, interesting factoids and inspiring quotes for managers. Over the course of his blogs, he's showing us how customers benefit when employees are engaged and appreciated and how best to engage and appreciate employees. www.allaboutthebuzz.net.
The other two blogs are book journal blogs by friends of mine.
JMo's Year in Books allows us to follow along with Jenna's book selections for the year. I love it because I'm nosy and love to know what she's reading or thinking about reading. Plus, I'm very opinionated when it comes to books, so I get to voice my opinions about what she has read or she should be reading next in the comments.
The YA Wordsmith is written by the one person I know who reads more books than I do, my friend Nicole. Also, she is even more addicted to young adult fiction than I am. Some of the best books I've read in the past 8 months (cough...Fault in Our Stars...cough) were recommendations from Nicole. So the fact that she is now sharing her insightful reviews via the worldwide web is a big bonus for you folk who don't have the luxury of casually chatting about books with her over the top of your cubicle, like I can and do. Her blog helps me shape my "to-read" list.
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