A good excuse

Hi all! TGIF!!!!!!!!!! So I didn't post last night, but I swear, I have a really good reason. I was THISCLOSE to finishing Just Between Us, and I just couldn't put the book down! I just had to finish it! Anyone who's ever been really into a book... you totally understand! :-) I had to stay up late to finish it0 like 12:15 (I would have finished earlier, but got sidetracked with The Office, 30 Rock, and a phone call from my sister), but I DID finish it! And I'm so glad I did, because it was SO good!!!! It pretty much wrapped up how I expected it would, give or take a little surprise twist here and there, but it didn't matter... it was oh so very good. I LOVED it. I have yet to come across a Cathy Kelly book I didn't like! :-) I strongly recommend it! Two very enthusiastic thumbs up.

Not only did I stay up late to finish it, but THEN I woke up at 5 a.m. and never really got back into a sound sleep... I tossed and turned and definitely dozed here and there, but never a full, sound sleep, or at least that's how it felt... so I spent the day totally sleep-deprived. And then I got to work and drank an abundance of coffee to overcompensate for my tiredness. Not the best idea, although it certainly seemed like a good idea at the time. But the good news is that it was an extremely quiet, non-busy day today (thank God, because things have been so chaotic and stressful at work lately, and have finally started to calm down and resume a little normalcy). So it was a good day to be sleep-deprived, because I didn't have to use my brain much today.

I am so jazzed for my new book pick! I picked this baby from the box of titles (random pick, as usual, it's so much more fun that way!), and I'm so glad I ended up picking it!

Chasing Harry Winston, by Lauren Weisberger! Yay! Any Lauren Weisberger fans out there? She wrote The Devil Wears Prada (one of my all-time favorite books), and Everyone Worth Knowing (also a very good book). This is her latest novel. It's about three friends who are about to turn 30 and they make a pact to do something drastic that will change their lives in the upcoming year- the serial monogamist who just ended a relationship will casually play the field, the serial dater will get into a real relationship for the first time in her life, and the third friend hasn't decided yet, LOL. I acquired this baby for $1 at my local library a few months ago- they sell used books too. I read the first chapter on my lunch break, and it's great so far! I can't imagine I'm not going to like it. I've really been on a roll with the good books lately!

So I haven't been taking any food pics lately. Mostly because I've pretty much been eating the same things all week, and I don't want to bore the serious food bloggers out there. :-) But here's a rundown of what I've been eating- while it might be monotonous, all of my eats have certainly made me happy:

*Oatmeal*: Can we just stop and discuss for a minute just how much I love oatmeal? I mean, this is not anything that should surprise food bloggers, as oatmeal is one of the most popular eats I read about on all of your fabulous blogs. But I need to say it anyway. Oatmeal might be my best friend these days, and I don't care how sad that sounds. :-) I am always reluctant to eat oatmeal, not because I don't love it, but because I can only do oatmeal in the winter/colder weather (my tummy likes cold breakfasts, like cereal and milk, in warmer weather), and I despise winter and cold weather, and so I psychologically equate oatmeal with cold weather. Isn't it funny how food can be so psychological? LOL. Then when I can't deny the fact that it's winter any longer, I bust out the oatmeal, and remember just how much I love it. Lately I've been waking up in the morning and getting really, really excited for my oatmeal breakfasts. At first, I wondered if that was strange, but my sister admitted that she does the same thing, and all of you seem to love oatmeal so much too, so it's nice to know that other people share the strong oatmeal love! I love reading about all the different oatmeal combos you all are eating. Me, I keep it the same every day, because I never get tired of it- 1/2 cup quick oats, 1 cup+ water (I don't like my oats thick- I like a BIG bowl of oatmeal! So I add more water), oodles of cinnamon, ground flaxseed, and a banana. I've put PB in it before, but since I eat PB&J every day for lunch, I usually don't put it in the oats. So I've been eating this combination for weeks now, and I can't get enough of it! Hurray for oatmeal, one of the best foods ever. I must admit, I do miss my fave cereal- Barbara's Shredded Spoonfuls- and I'm thinking that's tomorrow's breakfast. Cold weather be damned! :-)

*Sweet potatoes*: I've had one with dinner almost every night this week. Another food that I SERIOUSLY never tire of. Actually, now that I think about it, I don't really tire of foods in general, even if I eat them every day. Does that make me strange? What can I say... I like what I like! Plus I've been so worn out from work lately that I just haven't had the energy to get creative with dinners. Still, I'm eating my last SP for dinner tonight, and mixing it up over the weekend. The shelf-stable carbs are feeling ignored. And I'm feeling some brown rice love this weekend, and have some ideas for dishes. I'll post pics!

*Tribe Sweet Red Pepper Hummus*: Another reason I've been eating lots of sweet potatoes is because I have very recently and joyously discovered that sweet potatoes + hummus= love and happiness. I'll be using up the rest of my hummus tonight with my last SP... I have it all planned down to a science. Haha. I'll also be dining on salmon (salmon burger from TJs), and steamed broccoli while watching my latest Netflix DVD- disc 2 of season 1 of The Practice. Did anyone else like this show?

*All of my preworkout snack bars this week have been chocolate-based. Chocolate is always a good thing.*

What's everyone up to this weekend? Who'll be watching the Super Bowl on Sunday? I was invited to a party, but I have less than zero interest in football, and the party is like 45 minutes away, so I think I'll take a pass on it!

I'm off to make some dinner and watch me some Dylan McDermott! I'll definitely be reading more of my book tonight too! Reading and watching TV... I know what you're going to say. I am a total party animal. ;-D