The Myth & The Majesty

In keeping with the themes of the season, I decided to tackle a new book challenge. I'm hitting a bunch of classic mysteries ... horror ... creepy books in whatever order I can find them. I posed the challenge on Facebook looking for additional suggestions and as such I now have a few books to plow through before Halloween.   Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus This one has been on my "to read" list for so long that it's ridiculous. Heck, I even own it in paperback form. No excuse for this neglect. Now it's at the top of the list. It's also pretty short (like a few other entries on this list), so ... yep. No excuse. This will be my second one to read because although I've owned it forever, what really got me started on this new "challenge" was ... Dracula Another that I should have read years ago and just ... haven't. A bit longer than Frankenstein but written in a voice that I haven't been able to put down. Also,

... That I Am Bad At 1. Ending sentences with prepositions. 2. Knowing how to end a phone call. [Seriously, how is it I'm so awkward with this one even now?] 3. Wasting my time on the Internet. 4. Staying in touch with friends. 5. Managing my time (sometimes). ... Where I Rock 1. Cooking meals for myself. They're even often healthy. 2. Managing my finances (most of the time). 3. Folding a fitted sheet. 4. Calming small children. 5. Keeping track of multiple schedules. 6. Vacation planning.

So I've got this trip planned. And I feel like I could use some insight. So, if you would ... Any information would be fantastic! 1. Favorite places in and around San Antonio and Austin. 2. Must-see spots at the Grand Canyon. (Any particular tourist spots to find or avoid? Keep in mind that the north rim will be closed to visitors by the time I get there.) 3. I'm also shopping around a bit for places to stay -- camping, couches, hotels, whatever it takes. I've made a few requests already but I'm always open to suggestions. 4. Finally, if there are any generous benefactors out there who would help a girl score tickets to a Packers-Broncos game on November 1st (to fulfill a bucket list item), that would be awesome. [Yes, I'd pay for them. They've just been ... elusive so far.] Never hurts to ask, right?

While things have slowed down around here, I still haven't gotten back into a "normal" routine. So while I puzzle out what I should eat for dinner tonight, here's what's had me distracted this week.   Some Things 1. One of the weirdest parts of my parents living out here is that now I can run into them in the grocery store. Also meet them for lunch. But mostly the grocery store thing. 2. If you would, a friend of mine (Mr. Rogers, of the first Seoul trip) is currently on an extended bike trip and could use some friendly thoughts and prayers. (Things are going pretty well so far -- but, well, he's in Virginia right now and it's hot there. And he's got quite a few miles to go.) 3. I've had an almost-cold all week long. I think it's partially allergies, partially smoke from Idaho, and partially my body's usual reaction to summer ending. ["I'm done! You're on your own!" ... "Hey, that's not how this works.