In Other News

It's amazing how much has happened since the last In Other News post. Hurricane season is in full swing as I've talked about quite a lot lately and it is really keeping us on our toes. Whether we need to evacuate for Hurricane Ike or not, I'm pretty sure we have decided to leave town this weekend and go visit my in-laws. That way we will be safe no matter where the storm goes. We may be boarding up the windows before we go.

So, let's jump right in. Here's what's happening with us In Other News:

• Of course, Hurricane Ike will be making landfall in Texas this weekend. The farther south it goes, the safer things will be at our house. Even if we don't get a direct hit we will still be on the "dirty" side of the storm with much wind and rain. We are hoping people will be safe and evacuate if necessary. People around here are stubborn after all the heavy traffic with the poorly planned evac for Hurricane Rita a few years ago.
• Note: I've decided that my husband's nickname on this blog will be "Chuck." Early in our engagement my dad mistakenly called him by that name and it has been a joke between us ever since. Our friends get a kick out of it because apparently he doesn't "look like a Chuck," however one should look! So, in the spirit of anonymity (and inside jokes) I will be calling him Chuck.
• September is the month for doctor appointments at my house. Chuck and I have the always fun, shared dermatology appointment tomorrow unless we evacuate sooner, and we will both be taking care of our 6-month dental checkups and cleanings this month. That's not at all interesting, I know, but hey, it feels great to get that stuff crossed off of my list.
• It only took me two weeks to read the entire Twilight series. I loved it! Here's my breakdown of the books. Don't worry, I'm not into spoilers so it's safe to read on. I thought the very best book in the series was book 3, Eclipse, followed very closely by book 1, Twilight. I liked book 2, New Moon, but it definitely had a darker quality to it and was a little harder to read. Book 4, Breaking Dawn, in my opinion was a little too graphic and gory, and frankly too long. Don't get me wrong, I don't think there could ever be too much Edward Cullen so I was still interested in the plot. I just thought it could have been wrapped up more succinctly. I have to give credit to the author Stephenie Meyer. Although I occasionally read some SciFi-type books, I never thought I could be interested in a book (much less a series) about vampires. She did a great job writing it and she had me hook, line, and sinker. I passed them along to my sister, and now my brother and my mom are enjoying them as well. It has been a lot of fun to talk about the books with several friends who happened to be reading them at the same time. I can't wait for the Twilight movie November 21!
• I actually took a short break between Twilight and New Moon to read a book entirely unrelated, The Shack by William P. Young. I don't normally interrupt a series like that but I was trying to get it finished before I got together with some friends who had already read it and wanted to discuss it. Some consider it controversial, but I found it very interesting. The more I try to briefly write about it here, the more I think it needs its own post. I actually have NOTES from the book, so that should tell you something! If you'd like to read more about it or discuss The Shack with me, look for a new post soon.

With the possible evacuation/trip to see family I will probably be out of touch for several days, which means I won't likely be able to read my regular blogs. I hope you all have a great weekend and we'll hopefully catch up next week!