Happy Monday. I would put an exclamation point after that, but I just don’t have it in me. How did it get to be Monday already? Why I remember a Monday not too long ago when I sat on the couch with remote in hand, computer on my lap, cat puking somewhere, and thought, “This is the life. I have a week of vacation.” And now it’s just a distant memory.

First of all, I am happy to report I survived Black Friday. I was in bed that night by nine (and slept for over ten hours), but I survived it. The day started out with me getting up at 3:25. That’s A-to-the-M. Morning.  It was dang early. The kind of early where your alarm goes off and you have no idea where you are or where you’re supposed to be or why Keith Urban is singing in your ear, but you wish he’d shut up. I’m not a deep thinker at the best of times, so definitely not when I get up early. Here were my exact thoughts at 3:25 as the alarm went off:

Where am I?
What is that noise?
Oh, no. It’s 3:25. I’m supposed to be at work by  now.  At school.I’m late!
(A few minutes pass) Wait. Why would I be at school?
No. . .that’s not right. Um………….. Supposed to be shopping? No, supposed to be getting UP for shopping. Ugh. Whose dumb idea was this? Just. Want. To. Sleep.
(Sit up. Look at alarm.) I’m gonna barf.

And then I got up and had a great day! I had planned to show you some pictures of the craziness, but I never got a chance to whip out my camera. I was too busy elbowing people away from my flat screen TV. (Just kidding. No TVs for me. And I didn’t have to play bumper carts one single time. People were so nice this year. Is this a sign of end times?)

By the end of the day though (actually about half way through), I was dragging. By the time I got home, I felt like this:

There are a few I’m So Sure giveaways going on that I wanted to tell you about. First of all, you can stop by Carman’s blog to read an interview with moi and get in the running for a free copy of the book. So far the odds of winning are good, so jump on over there.

You can also win I’m So Sure over at Susiemag.com. I just happened to have stumbled upon this one because I like to check out the things going on at Susie magazine. (It’s a great teen girl mag if you haven’t heard about it.) You can find that contest HERE.

I didn’t get to see New Moon over my break, but here’s an alternate ending to Twilight that I liked. Though why is Ed Norton cast in the part of Pop Cullen?

Everyone needs some extra cash during the holidays. I’m thinking of making Miller the Mentally Challenged Cat get a job. Like this dog.

I love checking out the Green Bean Teen Queen’s site. As a YA librarian, the GBTQ  is so on top of things in YA books and movies. She posted this movie trailer, and I decided it looked so good, I picked up the book today.

Percy got good hair! Pierce Brosnan? Not so much. He looks like Hagrid’s understudy.

Have you seen the newest internet sensation? It’s not Adam Lambert. It’s not Lady GaGa. It’s not a dog who can pee upside down. It’s the Muppets!

I never missed an episode of the Muppets when I was a kid. Even though I haven’t watched that show in decades, everyone’s name came right back to me as I watched their video. The sad thing is I can see a kid I taught last semester and can’t remember his name.

Though this isn’t a very redeeming thing to admit, I’m not a very Christmassy person. I just don’t really get all excited about it. I don’t decorate anymore. I don’t especially like to hear Christmas music, and I just get stressed over all I have to do (which really isn’t much). I used to love Christmas music. One of my best memories of growing up is sitting beside my mother at the piano. She would play and we’d sing carols, church music, or my favorite–old Disney movie songs. She’s the pretty soprano, and I’m the manly alto. So at one time I did enjoy carols. They just get so repetitive. My favorite thing is when someone revamps one and makes it new again. This year I bought Chris Tomlin’s Christmas CD (it’s okay), Sugarland’s Gold and Green (also just okay, but some different things that perked me up), and the newest one by Straight No Chaser. My favorite selection is definitely O Holy Night.

Isn’t that good? They are amazingly talented. The whole CD, Christmas Cheers, is pretty good. I recommend it. They were made famous by YouTube, so check out their other stuff on there.

I hope you have a great week. I’m off to write and watch some Castle. That show is growing on me more by the week.

See you Wednesday!

JEN