The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

I was 11 when the book came out, so I was the perfect demographic for it. That book played such a pivotal role in my life at that age. I remember being excited for the next books and waiting for their releases.

I’m 41 now and I still will pick up any book by Pullman and read it. He is my very first favorite author.

I have two.

I do not like Will Ferrell in his typical roles at all and I’m glad I’m not the only one saying this anymore. Everyone quotes Anchorman and I just did not enjoy that at all, or Elf, Step Brothers, or any of his “everyone loves” movies. Stranger Than Fiction, however, was amazing and I wish he would do more roles like that.

Tom Cruise is my other one. I find his acting very bland and unappealing. Mission Impossible has put me to sleep every time I try to watch it. I am not a big fan of Top Gun, Jerry Maguire, or any of them. My Cruise exceptions are Tropic Thunder which I wish he did more comedic roles like that and Minority Report, not a perfect movie but it was the very first DVD I ever owned so there is a bit of nostalgia tied to it.

Freeze your excess lemon juice!

My friend brings over fresh lemons from her lemon tree pretty often and they are always delicious. Recently, I juiced and froze a bunch that I knew I couldn’t get through before a 10 day vacation. Now, I have lemon juice cubes that taste just as good as fresh. They also melt quicker than regular ice, so they can be used in cocktails too.

Star Wars Pod Racer Halo Reach Word of Warcraft

Pod racer was the first game I was better than my younger sibling and when I bought my very first CD (Green Day). I spent hours playing that game with my CD on repeat.

Halo Reach was the first Halo game I was really into and first console modern game played. I spent so many hours playing online and IRL with friends.

World of Warcraft is the game I’ve played the longest. I’ve been playing since a few months after launch. Even though I initially thought it was “too cartoony”, it has kept me entertained for decades. Some of my favorite books are from Warcraft lore. I’ve played countless hours with friends, but now I play solo more than anything. I chase achievements, transmogs, and pets.

That makes sense. I wish we had that here, but I’m happy they at least are required by law in my state to tell people about the surcharge.

Oh the hummingbird wars are highly entertaining. I’ve found it much easier to grow plants in the ground vs in pots, although I can grow flowers in pots.

You’re very welcome and I hope you have a wonderful week!

Recently, I’ve actually found the opposite to be true in the US. Smaller places prefer cash because they can avoid the CC fees that they get charged for every single swipe. Many places have a sign at the register that they add an additional ~3% to the bill to cover fees which it can be avoided by paying in cash. I’ve started using cash over the last year to avoid the additional charges, especially for takeout.

Every Saturday and Sunday morning, I do my gardening.

I spend a few hours pruning my tomato plants, adding clips to hold up cucumber vines, check my eggplant and zucchinis, spray everything down because it all has powdery mildew, and I water all of my potted herbs and flowers. I start early, like 6:30-7am because no one is awake and all I can hear are birds chirping*. Eventually, the neighbors wake up and I can smell bacon cooking before I go inside and make my own breakfast.

*the birds chirping are usually from the hummingbird wars that take place on the hill behind my house. They zoom fast overhead and attack each other behind the hibiscus fence.

Epistory and Nanotales

Both fantastic games with beautiful graphics and good for typing practice.