I’ve had three doctors’ appointments this week–one on Monday and two on Tuesday.  The first appointment was to have my bones scanned.  My gastroenterologist was worried about the density of my bones since I have a vitamin D deficiency.  According to the scan, my bones are still healthy so I don’t have to worry about osteoporosis for the time being.

The first appointment on Tuesday was with my general doctor.  I wanted him to take a look at my knee.  He said I have bursitis, which is an inflammation of the bursa underneath my knee.  For the next couple of weeks, I’m not supposed to jump, run, or climb stairs (or as little as possible since I live in a two-story townhome), and I need to be careful when doing lunges or squats.  Luckily, my boot camp instructors are working with me and still giving me a good workout.

My general doctor also decided to test my vitamin D, vitamin B12, and iron levels again since I’ve now been on supplements for a few months.  Yesterday, I got a call from the nurse.  My vitamin D and vitamin B12 levels are in the low normal range so I just need to keep taking my supplements and, hopefully, they’ll continue to increase.  My iron level, on the other hand, is still too low, which means I get to have iron infusions by IV once a week for the next four weeks.

The second appointment on Tuesday was with a sleep doctor.  I don’t sleep well at night.  It takes me forever to fall asleep and then I wake up umpteen million times during the night.  When I wake up, I don’t feel rested at all and I constantly feel like I’m going to fall asleep at work, which I’ve actually done.  He’s having me start a medication to see if it will help me sleep.  It’s not habit forming, which is good.  He’s also testing my oxygen levels to make sure I don’t have sleep apnia, or I should say a worse case than I already had because in 2005, I was borderline.

*****

I’ve been doing boot camp for five weeks now.  This is my sixth week.  So far, I’ve lost 12.8 pounds and three or four inches off of my waist.  I’ve also lost inches off of my thighs, hips, and neck, but I’m not sure how much.  They don’t track chest measurements for women.  I want to start tracking that measurement (at home) because I really want to know if I’m losing inches there.  It would be a glorious day if I am.

*****

I feel like Tuesday was a waste of a day off of work.  I took it off so I could read Mockingjay all day.  Guess what didn’t happen? I didn’t get to Mockingjay at all. I knew I was pushing it because I was only halfway through my reread of Catching Fire at midnight on Tuesday morning.  But, I figured I could get through the rest of the book mid-morning.  I was wrong.  With all the doctors’ appointments, boot camp, and car troubles on Tuesday, I didn’t finish my reread of Catching Fire until 9:00 pm.  I was so frustrated!  But, I’m glad I took the time to reread The Hunger Games and Catching Fire.  I always forget how much I love a story until I’m rereading it.

At this point, Mockingjay is going on hold for a couple of days because I have the chance to read an ARC of Matched by Ally Condie.  My blog friend Natasha lent it to me at the book charity event last Saturday.  We’re going to a book blogger social this Saturday, which makes returning it to her easier since neither of us know where the other lives. I figure I’ll always have Mockingjay now that it’s mine, but if I don’t get Matched read by Saturday, I’ll have to wait until November 30 to read it.  Whatever you do, please don’t spoil Mockingjay for me, and I promise when I review Matched, I won’t spoil it for you!

*****

Yesterday, Corey started school for the first time in over 10 years.  He was really nervous, but I think he enjoyed his classes.  Of course, he’ll know for sure how he feels once he’s gone a few times.

I start school on Monday.  I’m excited, but I feel like it’s almost on me and I need more time to get ready!

I found this on It’s All About Books.  Suey found it from Booking Through Thursday.  It’s very similar to the last tag I did; but, it does have some different questions so I thought I’d join in.

What is your favorite childhood book?
I wasn’t much of a reader when I was a child.  However, I loved it when my dad would read My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett to me.  I also loved Number the Stars by Lois Lowry.

What are you reading right now?
I’m going through my reread of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  I’m almost done and then I’ll reread Catching Fire so I’m ready for Mockingjay on Tuesday! I know I’m cutting it close.

What books do you have on request at the library?
If I don’t have the money to buy a new release, then I’ll usually get on the wait list so I can read it.

Do you have any bad book habits?
I don’t think so.  I’m usually very nice to my books.  I guess you could count that if an atomic blast went off near me while I was reading and the fact that I wouldn’t notice it as a bad book/reading habit.

What do you currently have checked out at the library?
Nothing.

Do you have an e-reader?
No, but I’d like a Kindle.

Do you prefer to read one book at a time or several at once?
I read one book at a time.  However, because it’s taking me so long to get through The Fellowship of the Ring, I have put it aside to reread The Hunger Games.  But, I don’t read them concurrently.

Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
Nope.  The only thing that has changed is how I review them.  I use to just say that I liked or didn’t like a book.  Now, I go into the details of why I like or don’t like a book.

What is your least favorite book you’ve read this year (so far)?
I haven’t read a lot this year, unfortunately.  But, I guess if I had to choose, it would be The Left-Handed Book by James T. deKay.  I didn’t hate it or anything; I just enjoyed the other books I’ve read more.

What is your favorite book you’ve read this year?
Linger by Maggie Stiefvater and Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
Not very often, but I have been trying with The Lord of the Rings.

What is your reading comfort zone?
I love young adult (YA) because they’re clean.

Can you read on the bus?
I’ve never tried, but I can’t read in the car so I doubt it.  I can read on a sailboat, though.

Where is your favorite place to read?
The bathtub

What is your policy on book lending?
I’m very cautious with who’ll I’ll loan my books to.  And, I don’t loan my Twilight Saga books to anyone because they’re signed.  I also don’t loan my Harry Potter books to anyone because I experience separation anxiety.

Do you ever dog-ear books?
The thought repulses me!

Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
I did in The Hobbit because it’s a paperback version and I thought I was going to take a class this summer that would make me analyze the death out of it.  Prior to that, never.

Not even with textbooks?
Textbooks aren’t real books. Writing in them doesn’t count.

What is your favorite language to read in?
I’ve read a few books in Spanish and French, but it’s hard for me to follow sometimes.  I feel like a kid in grade school again.  I have much higher reading comprehension in English.

What makes you love a book?
A fantastic story, amazing characters, and good writing; however, most of the time, I do prefer story more than prose.

What will inspire you to recommend a book?
See the answer to the previous question.

What is your favorite genre?
I love YA, clean romance, fantasy, and mystery the most.

What genre do you rarely read (but wish you did)?
I’m not sure there’s an actual genre that encompasses all the classics, but I wish I read more classics.  I’m trying to implement a two classics per year rule.

What is your favorite biography?
Both of the biographies I’ve read (that weren’t mixed with fictional elements) were inspirational and I don’t think I can choose between them.  The first is The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.  And, the other is Night by Elie Wiesel.

Have you ever read a self-help book?
Yes, three: Body-for-Life by Bill Phillips, Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson MD, and Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard.

What is your favorite cookbook?
I don’t cook from a cookbook very often.  I normally cook from family recipes (if I cook at all).

Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
Night by Elie Wiesel

What is your favorite reading snack?
I try not to eat when I read.  Otherwise, I’d overeat.

Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
I’ve never had a book ruined by hype before.

How often do you agree with critics about a book?
Not very often because they’re looking at literary elements and I primarily look at story.

How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
I don’t mind at all.

If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?
I have no desire to read in a foreign language, even though I love languages.

What is the most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen and The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

What is the most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
There are many.  I can’t name just one.

Who is your favorite Poet?
I don’t have a favorite poet.  I don’t like poetry because I don’t get it.

How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
Two or three

How often have you returned a book to the library unread?
A few times only because I’ll renew the book so I can have more time.

Who is your favorite fictional character?
Ron Weasley from the Harry Potter series

Who is your favorite fictional villain?
Voldemort from the Harry Potter series

What books are you most likely to bring on vacation?
I’ll bring the current book I’m reading and the next in line.

What is the longest you’ve gone without reading?
If you count my childhood and the time I was in junior high and high school, then years.  If you count from the time I found my passion to read, then a couple of weeks.

Name a book that you could/would not finish.
The first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by JR Ward and the first book in the Psy/Changelings series by Nalini Singh

What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
My husband ( ), the TV (sometimes), and loud noises

What is your favorite film adaptation of a novel?
This is a hard question because I’m very nit picky about movies that were books first, but I’d have to say the newest version of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe because it followed the book so well.

Most disappointing film adaptation?
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

How much is the most you’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
If you don’t count textbooks, then around $100.

How often do you skim a book before reading it?
I only skim books that are too intense for me and I need to know if everything’s going to work out.  However, I force myself not to skim the last book in a series.  I want to be surprised from beginning to end, even if I’m hyperventilating during the entire process.

What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
The only reason I’ve stopped reading a book since I found my passion to read is extremely graphic sex.

Do you like to keep your books organized?
Yes, not only in physical form, but on the Internet too.

Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
I keep them unless I didn’t enjoy the book.

Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
Most of the paranormal romance novels that my friends read because they’re too racy.

Name a book that made you angry.
Only scenes in books have made me angry.  I’ve never had an entire book make me angry.

Name a book you didn’t expect to like but did.
Freshman for President by Ally Condie, My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters by Sydney Salter, and The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

Name a book that you expected to like but didn’t.
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.  It’s not that I didn’t like it; I was just disappointed by it.

What is your favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
The Twilight Saga and Harry Potter series

Yesterday, I had the chance to attend the evening portion of the A Book for Every Child charity event.  Before the event, my friends, Debbie and Emily, and I went to dinner at the Olive Garden.  It was so much fun to spend a little bit of time before hand with my friends.  I have to say that I haven’t had a craving for sweets since I started boot camp.  But, once those breadsticks came out, I really wanted one.  I knew if I ate one, I’d start and not stop.  I abstained and I’m very proud of myself for doing it.

At the charity event, we got to mingle with authors and see some more of our friends from other events we’ve been to.  I made a fool of myself in front of Brandon Mull and I even got to speak a little Spanish with Shannon Hale.  (My friend Brodi will post about how I made a fool of myself because I’m sure she’ll tell it best.  Look for it on her blog tomorrow or in the next week.) The evening was full of comedy both by the authors and Divine Comedy.  There also was an author panel in which the audience got to ask the authors questions about their favorite books, authors, the writing and publishing process, etc.

The auction was a great success.  There were so many things donated by the different authors and local businesses.  Many of them went over their retailed value.  Bree Despain donated her book The Dark Divine as well as an ARC of her new book The Lost Saint.  It went for $101.  Ally Condie donated an ARC of her new book Matched, and it went for $80.  I wanted to bid for both of those, but they were already too rich for my blood.  Someone even paid $500 to be killed fictionally. I think that would be cool.

After the event, Debbie, Emily, and I went to Spoon Me to get some frozen yogurt.  (I actually just ate my banana so I didn’t begin eating sugar again.)  We were joined by Tess Hilmo, Bree Despain, and Valynne Maetani.  We had a lot of fun making spooning jokes.  (We were helped out by the different advertising methods in the store–napkins, cups, etc.)

National selling children’s authors in Utah are putting this fabulous event together to help low-income children get books of their own! Read more about it on their website where you can also register and/or donate.  (Show your support on Facebook .)

There will be a day event featuring authors teaching classes and an author panel, and an evening event with comedians, bands, and an auction.  Some of my friends and I will be there helping with the auction so come say hi if you’re there.

Workshop Authors: Anne Bowen, Laura Card, Kristen Chandler, Kristyn Crow, James Dashner, Bree Despain, Ann Dee Ellis, Jessica Day George, Sharlee Glenn, Christine Graham, Mette Ivie Harrison, Matthew J. Kirby, Mike Knudson, Kristen Landon, Sheila A. Nielson, Sydney Salter, J. Scott Savage, Emily Wing Smith, Wendy Toliver, Rick Walton, Dan Wells

Author Panel: Ally Condie, James Dashner, Bree Despain, Jessica Day George, Shannon Hale, Brandon Mull, Brandon Sanderson, Sara Zarr

Date/Place: Saturday August 21, 2010 at Waterford School

Because I was so busy updating my blog last week, I didn’t read a single chapter of The Fellowship of the Ring.  I decided to read one chapter while I took a bath before I put it (or keep it) on the back burner so I can reread The Hunger Games and Catching Fire in preparation for Mockingjay‘s release next week.  As I was reading this chapter, I came across something in one of the many songs throughout the book.  The song sung by Frodo at The Prancing Pony sounds eerily familiar to a beloved children’s nursery rhyme.

So the cat on his fiddle played hey-diddle-diddle,

… the cow jumped over the Moon,
And the little dog laughed to see such fun,
And the Saturday dish went off at a run
with the silver Sunday spoon.

This brings up a few questions.  Did Tolkien plagiarize “Hey Diddle Diddle”?  Or, did he actually write the nursery rhyme?  Or, is it okay to use something as long as you change it?  Or, is it okay to use a nursery rhyme because no one really knows who created them?  Are nursery rhymes under the jurisdiction of creative commons/public domain?  According to Wikipedia, JRR Tolkien satirized the rhyme.

I’m not condemning Tolkien in the least.  I was just a little shocked to see such an obvious reference in The Lord of the Rings of all places.

I’m probably jinxing myself by doing two posts today, but this thing isn’t going on forever and I want people to have the chance to participate if they want to.

Bree Despain, author of The Dark Divine, posted about the YA Fantasy Showdown on her blog today.  This showdown is basically a battle between well-loved characters in popular YA books (e.g. Edward Cullen vs. Katsa; Hermione Granger vs. Christopher Chant).

There are 32 characters, all present and accounted for. That means sixteen battles. Half of them will not be making it to the next round (yes, you may shed tears for them. We will). BUT. It is up to you to vote on who moves on.

There will be a battle between these characters. Oh yes, an epic battle. There are stats, photos, and our own prediction of how the fight might play out – but hey, we’ve been wring before (stupid solar-powered torch).

The showdown looks like it will be a lot of fun.  The first round of battles has already started and continues until Thursday.  The showdown ends Monday, August 23.  Be sure to join the fun!

Also, Bree is hosting a give-away for an ARC (advanced reader’s copy) of her next book The Lost Saint.  All you have to do is read her short story about the battle between Daniel Kalbi (from The Dark Divine) and Jace Wayland (from Mortal Instruments), vote who you think would win between those two characters, and post a comment on her blog letting her know you did.

The most frustrating thing for me when trying to lose weight is when I don’t lose weight and I gain it instead.  I’ve been eating completely healthy this last week and I worked my butt off in boot camp, yet, I still gained two pounds. I’m just trying to remember that it’s probably because of muscle gain, even still it’s disconcerting. I guess we’ll see if I lost any inches this week after our session today.  I really hope so because I have a hard time sticking with things when I don’t see results.

Updated: I did lose an inch off my waist and a half an inch off my neck.  I do feel a little better now.

*****

I’m getting all my paperwork done for my financial aid for this school year.  I’m a little behind because Corey and I had to file our taxes late due to everything that happened last year.  I always forget how much paperwork it takes to get financial aid to go through.  It’s so daunting!  Luckily, my FAFSA application says I should not only qualify for subsidized loans this year, but I should also qualify for a full pell grant!

*****

I’m getting really nervous about my Spanish class this semester.  Sure, I’ve known Spanish since I was six years old, but I don’t speak or listen to it every day.  I also haven’t really practiced in many years.  I try to speak it whenever I’m hanging out with my nephew-in-law Dave, but I just feel so rusty.  The last class I took was almost 10 years ago.  What if I’ve forgotten everything I need to pass this class?  Fortunately, I remember most of the grammar rules, but my vocabulary is not nearly as rich as it used to be.  I know it’ll come back to me, but I’m still nervous.

*****

Since I finished rereading Shiver and reading Linger, I’m back to reading Fellowship of the Ring again.  I hope I can finish it this week.  Otherwise, it’s going on the back burner again so I can reread The Hunger Games and Catching Fire to get ready for Mockingjay‘s release on the 24th!