It's kind of like dating

Just like you don't appreciate the people closest to you until someone ELSE does, I forget how great Baltimore can be until friends from somewhere else re-introduces me to it.

Meeting Jackie and Dave and heading out to Mama's On the Half Shell for Orange Crush and John Daly Crush was just what I needed after an insane week. Who knew there was such a thing as tea-flavored vodka?

Now it's off to Prague!!!

2 more identified...

The creator of this lovely diorama "As Seen on Peeps TV" said there were 16 infomercial products shown here. I found 8 and then reached out for some expert assistance to under the remaining 8:
1 Snuggie
2 Perfect Pullup
3 Doggy Steps
4 Aqua Globes
5 Cash 4 Gold
6 Shamwow
7 Tempurpedic adjustable bed
8 book light

One of my experts found:
9 bedazzler on the chest of drawers
10 for SURE a thighmaster on the bunny on the floor

only 6 more to go!

Busted...

My friend, Jackie, just busted me on the last post because I always SAY I'm going to slow down and not do as many things, but every time she talks to me I have something going on every night.

I said that that was the reason I needed to read these books -- one day it will start to sink in. The scary thing is that I do say No to lots of things. If I don't start saying No to more things, my bookstore will be take longer to start up and I will miss spending time just hanging out with family and friends.

So...said no to everything next week to hang out with Jackie and Dave in Baltimore and to check out 2 bookstores...if there's time.

...living on the edge..."Margin" by Richard A. Swenson

You get a clearer idea of the book with the full title: Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives by Richard A. Swenson, M.D.

"Overload is the disease of our time. Margin is the cure."
"Margin is the space that once existed between ourselves and our limits. It is something held in reserve for contingencies or unanticipated situations."

It's not that Dr. Swenson is saying something we haven't heard before or shouldn't instinctively know, but it seems we need to keep hearing it. Maybe one day it will sink in and we will say "No" to taking on one more thing.

Life is to enjoy, not endure (not sure who said that). And to paraphrase Stephen Covey, the enemy of the best is the good. We're all doing good things, but when there isn't time to do everything, can we stop long enough to figure out what the best things are?

So another book with practical ideas on creating space/margin in our lives is a good thing.

without further ado...Wash Post Peeps Diorama Contest

Results of this year's Peeps diorama contest from the Washington Post Peeps Show III.

We were worried it had fallen victim to cost cutting measures, but it was back in all its glory. The creativity amazes me - the winner was Edward Hopper's Nighthawks painting.

Other favorites included Miracle on the Hudson, Peeps in Escher's "Relativity", The Peeps of Wrath and As Seen on Peeps TV (with 16 As Seen on TV products!). Enjoy!

(Snuggie, Perfect Pullup, Doggy Steps, Aqua Globes, Cash 4 Gold, Shamwow, Tempurpedic adjustable bed, book light - I think I've found 8 so far.)

"Sunshine Cleaning" Smiles

I found myself smiling often during Sunshine Cleaning. While I expected to like it, I also really felt for the characters. You'll like it (and considering that crime scene clean-up is involved, it's not that gory).

What are you doing with your Peeps?

Besides being yummy, peeps spark creativity as evidenced by these creations from a Washington Post contest. View the gallery.

I love peeps. Yes, I know they're pure sugar and will rot my teeth. I don't care as long as they're stale.

If you have allergies, according to the official Marshmallow Peeps website, PEEPS® Brand Marshmallow Candies have 0 fat grams, are gluten free, and are nut free. Whew!!

And if you want to have the sweet taste of peeps with at all times, try Peeps Lip Balm, yumm...Strawberry Marshmallow Cream.

Jane Austin, Zombies, who knew?

I can't make this stuff up.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem! By Jane Austin and Seth Grahame-Smith.

Opening up a whole new audience for this classic book by incorporating a mysterious plague, zombies and subsequent zombie warfare, Grahame-Smith also introduces a new set of complications to the romantic entanglements of Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy.

Due to the buzz, the release date for the book has been moved up several times, so expect to see it any day. And, I read there's already talk of a movie...wonder what Colin Firth is up to?

and if the title doesn't grab you...

the review will...
Good Book: The Bizarre, Hilarious, Disturbing, Marvelous, and Inspiring Things I Learned When I Read Every Single Word of the Bible by David Plotz, a writer with Slate magazine.

From Booklist: "At a time when wars are fought over scriptural interpretation, when the influence of religion on American politics has never been greater, when many Americans still believe in the Bible's literal truth, it has never been more important to get to know the Bible. Good Book is what happens when a regular guy—an average Job—actually reads the book on which his religion, his culture, and his world are based.

Along the way, he grapples with the most profound theological questions: How many commandments do we actually need? Does God prefer obedience or good deeds? And the most unexpected ones: Why are so many women in the Bible prostitutes? Why does God love bald men so much? Is Samson really that stupid?"

No April Fools, here's where it's at

The book train continues to roll along. Hopefully I'm the driver and not the guy handing off the caboose (apologies to my nephews for not using Thomas the Tank Engine).

So for those interested folks, here's where it's at:
Wrapping up Business Plan and working on financials
Next big step is getting a loan and signing a lease
...THEN it gets really crazy, so be ready!

I'm glad so many of you have (knowingly or unknowingly) volunteered your time and creative talents! And yes, there will be a big party whether I pull it off or not.