#94: No french fires for two whole months!

I did it! I finished my personal challenge of not eating french fries for two straight months.

French fries aren't my favorite food, but they are up there. I found it to be a pretty hard thing to avoid all-together. I think I could definitely limit my fry-intake, but cutting them out is a definite no-no. I got the idea cuz Nicole (Nathan's sister) doesn't eat fries anymore (at all) because of a challenge she did back in high school. I think she's crazy because boy are fries delicious.

Not only did I manage to avoid the awesome seasoned potato wedges... but I avoided them at the most difficult of places. We took a family sibling trip to Disneyland (can now be dubbed "annual Disneyland trip"), and on the way down we stopped at Red Robin! WTF! THE hardest place to avoid the damned fries because of the delicious seasoning. But I came through and ordered a quesadilla so I didn't even need to avoid a fry substitute. On the drive home we stopped at In 'n' Out Burger. Holy mother! Another tasty fry choice destination. I managed to eat my cheese burger sans fries and escaped the trip without breaking my challenge. I knew if I made it through that trip that I could make it to January 2.

So on January 3, Nathan and I hit up the Red Robin near our house where I dined on the most yummy seasoned potato wedges ever.

Next fry binge: The Hat chili fries! (Guess I'll have to wait 'til we go back down to Pasadena)

#18: My writing in 2008.

So this year I published 35 articles. My goal was to publish 5-10 articles a month, which looks like I was able to meet! Sadly, none of them were paid articles, but that's still pretty awesome. Looks like I'll have to work more in 2009 to get the paid article part of my list taken care of.

I am going to try and update this more this weekend so what I have really accomplished since the start of my list. I hope it will encourage my sister to update her list as well, after all, this was all her idea!

More updates to come...

#18: Murs: a rapper with a heart of gold. ;D

Did another write-up for Better Propaganda. They are posting their top 100 artists & albums of the decade, one day at a time, and I did the blurb about Murs' 3:16: The 9th Edition. Check it out.

And check this out too:

#27: Another ethical dilemma from Jodi Picoult that drags you in and sucks you under.

Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another Picoult novel... much in the same of all her others. OK, so I've only read My Sister's Keeper in addition to this one, but I imagine they follow similar themes of legal/medical ethical dilemmas. Not saying that's a bad thing as I'm easily sucked into her stories and mostly her means of story-telling/format. Short chapters told by different characters in the story makes for a very easy and pleasurable read. I was super attached to everyone in Change of Heart and as predicted by me, found myself crying at the end and throughout the story. Definitely recommend.


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#27: More magic, female heroines and beautiful drawings for your graphic novel loving ass!

Amulet: Book 1: The Stone Keeper by Kazu Kibuishi

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars

Just finished Amulet: Book 1: The Stone Keeper and I want moooooooore! I bought this at Comic Con this year, after it was recommended by my friend Nicole. She knows the artist/author and he signed it with a cute little bunny drawing! Any way, GREAT! adventure/fantasy graphic novel series... and I heard it's already being optioned for a movie. I am super happy to see another female heroine in the lead role, so the little girl inside of me jumps for joy and longs for the days of having silly adventures! The illustration and drawings are really great too! Quick read--I think I finished it in less than an hour. Definitely recommend.


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#27: Flyte and those crazy Heaps!

Flyte by Angie Sage

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars

Happy to report that I will be continuing on with the Heap series as book 2 (Flyte) was more successful than the first book. I'm now more attached to the characters in the story and the development being made. I don't wanna do the spoiler thing but you know it's a childrens/young adult series so no dark endings yet. Lots of fantasy odd characters and magical tales, with both male and female LEAD heroes! I thought of and compared the book to Harry Potter a lot less through this book, and also got through it a lot quicker. Can't wait to visit the library and pick up book 3.


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#31: All Girl Summer Fun Band closes out the summer.

Okay, the technically speaking the All Girl Summer Fun Band are not a "new" girl group to me. I've been following and enjoying them for many years now, bit they do have a new album out, so I'm counting this one in the #31 category.

I've thoroughly been enjoying their new one called Looking Into It. The three-piece Portland based girl group has been around for a decade now, and still manage to keep up the '60's girl-group infectious crunchy guitar pop.

Check out the video for "dear mr. and mrs. troublemaker" at the outhouse in los gatos (i was at this show!):