Monkeybooks and beginnings

I love to read. Love it. The last two years I've worked on a goal--read 100 books in one year. Last year I made it at 101. This year I'm not going to make it to 100 but I'm not doing badly. I've done a terrible job of keeping track of the books but I'm somewhere in the mid-60's right now. I've hit a bit of a rut because I've read everything on my to-read list that is in the library. So, if you have a favorite book, recommend it to me in the comments! I'll read just about anything except horror and romances (unless they are extraordinarily good and then I might consider it).


One of my big hopes is that Autumn and any other kids we have are also readers. So far, Autumn's on track to enjoy books. It's pretty cool to see her looking through her books on her own, reading to us, or just sitting and reading with Mike or with me.


I think one thing that really helps is that Mike is a reader, too. He's one of the only people I know who reads nearly as much as I do, and as quickly. We both have stories of reading instead of paying attention in class. :P I guess it could be worse--we could have been causing trouble, right??


I guess it's appropriate that we met in a bookstore. Someone in one of the comments, maybe on our anniversary, mentioned wanting to hear that story. It's actually much better in person. :D On paper it's a little boring...my sister and I were Christmas shopping December 2000. It was the first day that the mall was open for holiday hours. My sister is in this pic from Lindsay's wedding:


We went into Lemstone Books which is closed now. Things were pretty dead and I was looking at cd's when this guy came by and asked me if I needed help. I told him what I was looking for and he kind of grinned and pointed right in front of me (this is actually an ongoing thing in our life...I'm not terribly observant, lol). For whatever reason, we ended up talking--I know, I know, Mike talking...to a stranger, no less. But I've noticed Mike has a public persona that he uses when he's working and he's actually quite personable and helpful. I thought he was cute and as my sister and I left (I decided to wait on the cd), I thought "wow, I wish I had met him at like church or school."


We shopped for the rest of the evening and I didn't find anything better than the gift I'd first seen at Lemstone. I specifically told Valerie that I hoped the sales guy wasn't going to be there because he might think I was trying to flirt with him. Hahaha. Well. He was there. And he was just as nice as before. And we ended up talking again for a while. It turned out that he worked on computers during the day (he still works at the same company) and was just helping a friend out for the holidays. It's crazy how little decisions can take life in strange directions!


As my sister and I were leaving, seriously, we were waay out the door and heading for the exit, Mike came running out (by then we'd had the name conversation) and asked me for my number. Awkwardly. And apologetically. :) I'm pretty sure he'd never asked a girl for her number. And, really, I'd never given mine out because I tend to assume everyone is a serial killer for the first few weeks, lol. But he was so cute! So I gave him my number. And three (3!) days later, he called me...and the rest is history!


And, while I'm posting all these old pictures, have one of Miss Autumn...just a couple of weeks after she was born!


Mike, feel free to add or edit! :P