French press, The Hunger Games, and a Happy Baby

It has been a long time since I have posted anything on my blog. Periodically I will write something, but then never get around to posting it. So, if you are reading this that means I actually had follow through this time around.

Today has been a great day. And I needed it.

This past weekend was really busy. I felt like I was rarely just sitting and spending time recuperating. And as a result, I started my first full week back to work exhausted. I hate starting off a week with no energy whatsoever. It is not fair to Baby and it is not fun for me. Come Tuesday evening, I felt like the weekend was a distant dream that I might never get the pleasure of meeting again.

Fortunately, despite the twelve minutes that Baby was really whiny this morning, today has been a great day. I feel like she and I are really getting back into our groove. I returned from summer vacation to discover Baby to be all grown up! She walks and jabbers like a pro now. Which only means she is very mobile and very intrigued in everything going on. She is also extremely bright and hilarious. I find myself laughing at her nearly all the time, and she laughs back. I am glad to be back with her.

Right now, she is smelling my new Toms because that is what I do every time we come back inside to ensure that they are not getting smelly, and that is what she assumes one should do.

Also today has been great because I decided to bring my french press to work today, along with my cinnamon coffee and french vanilla creamer. All they have here is a coffee pot that brews the worst tasting coffee I have ever had and a keurig machine. Which gets really old, really fast.  So finally I have been able to enjoy a hot cup of coffee made to my ultimate perfection! The simple pleasures in life are sometimes the ones we overlook, but often the ones that can bring great happiness.

I know this post is getting long, but I figure I have not given anything new for a long time so I better get it all out there right now.

I just want to make a quick plug for my new favorite series, The Hunger Games Trilogy, by Suzanne Collins. A quick overview, it is the three book series of a young girl Katniss Everdeen who lives in a post-apocalyptic North America. The country is divided into 12 districts, all under the rule of a corrupt capitol who punishes past rebels by holding what is called the Hunger Games every year. The games take one boy and one girl from every district, place them in an arena, and force them to fight to their death. The last person standing is the Victor. All three books are out now and after reading the last one, Mocking Jay, I backtracked and am re-reading the first two. I am hooked. It is a great read. This is twofold, one reason is because it is so darn entertaining and well written. The characterizations are brilliant and the plot is gripping. And two, because it inspires my own writing. I'll save my update on that for another time.

Hopefully, I will get much better at blogging now that I have a regular schedule. I miss being open about my life. So with fall on its way and summer on its way out, a new year in Chicago is beginning. Year two with Baby is near. And life lays waiting.