I’m a serious sap. After every little thing I do today, I can’t help but think, “this is the last time I’ll do this in 2010.” It makes each little thing seem about ten thousand times more important than it should be… but than again I’m a big advocate for enjoying the little moments and embracing the simple things in life, so I guess it works!
Today we took Sadie one one last romp at the dog park. I declared Sadie my favorite photography subject. She’s challenging because she’s always moving, but when you finally snap a good shot of her, it’s a really good one because she’s so darn cute.I love how she almost seems to smile when she’s playing around at the dog park. She’s in absolute doggie heaven! Truth be told, I think Ryan’s in heaven, too. I always laugh because he immediately scours the park with Sadie for tennis balls. I always tell him to hold off on ball throwing so Sadie has a chance to run around with the other dogs for a bit, but he gets anxious and wants puppy play time to begin now.
They’re quite the little duo. While Ryan and Sadie played fetch, I spent some time chatting with a woman about her German shorthair pointers. Ryan and I love these dogs (they look like darker brown versions of vizslas) and the woman was adamant that vizslas and German shorthairs make a fantastic duo. A playmate for Sadie one day, perhaps?
Ryan already has a name picked out for a little boy puppy playmate… Boomer. Hey, it’s better than a human boy named Hawk!
Lunch
After the park, we headed home for lunch.
Today’s mid-day meal included a dippy egg, toasted English muffin, sautéed mushrooms and roasted green beans.
To make the beans, I sprayed a cookie sheet with cooking spray, spread out the beans, sprayed them and sprinkled them with garlic salt before roasting them at 400 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes.
Ryan and I had never had roasted green beans before, and they were really good! I initially planned to let the beans cook for 30 minutes to make ‘em crispy like Jessica, but my stomach wanted food and we cut the cooking time short.
I left a few in the oven to roast while we ate, figuring I would take them out once we were done to see how they tasted when they were crispier.
And then I forgot about them.No that picture is not black and white.
Needless to say, they were definitely crispy, but not so edible.
The Hunger Games
After tossing my black beans, I headed out to do some Christmas exchanges and stopped by Barnes and Noble to pick up some books to read. (I’m gonna kill my new year’s resolutions! What, what!?)
I spent way too much time meandering up and down the aisles waiting for books to jump out at me. I then remembered that I had my brand new phone with internet (woo!), and checked out your book recommendations from my post yesterday. I saw that quite a few of you recommended The Hunger Games.
Once I located the book, I read the back cover and wasn’t so intrigued.
Each year, the districts are forced by the Capitol to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games, a brutal and terrifying fight to the death – televised for all of Panem to see.
Um, what?
I tweeted my skepticism, and was reassured by many of you that this book is definitely worth a read.
So, I bought it. I also bought a totally girly book just in case you guys are nut jobs and like reading about people that eat each other or something.
Ryan actually agreed to read The Hunger Games with me once he finishes his current book, so I’ll be sure to keep you posted on our thoughts!
Now I’m hanging out for a bit watching the UCF/Georgia game (go Knights!) before showering and getting ready to head to a party tonight to ring in the new year!
Happy almost 2011!
Gabriela @ Une Vie Saine says
Happy New Year’s eve!! I roasted green beans just last night- they’re so delicious that way. I love to dip them in mustard! The Hunger Games sounds interesting, I can’t wait to hear what you think of it…have fun tonight!!
Carrie says
Haha – yeah the Hunger Games can be slightly disturbing at times, but it sucked me in and I couldn’t put it down! A little odd but a good read!
Lauren @ Clean Eats in the Dirty South says
i’ve heard of the hunger games! one of my jobs is a nanny job, and the 10 year old i tutor reads this book for her reading journal. i’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing because i can’t quite tell if the book is appropriate for a girl her age. i trust her parents’ judgment, and yours too! let us know how it is 🙂
peanutbutterfingers says
i found it in the “teen” section!
Michelle @ Give Me the Almond Butter says
I completely agree with the dog photography thing. I feel like my dog completely knows that he’s on camera. He actually gets into some fantastic poses when its gone and tries to look regal. Your Vizsla is absolutely gorgeous. I love the spots on his tongue. Very au naturale 😉
Brittany (healthy slice) says
Gooooo dawgs! Tied at halftime… Quite a game!
I can’t wait to read the hunger games! I’ve heard it’s great!
Holly says
Happy New Year Julie! 🙂
Laura @ Meet Virginia says
Girl, you are going to LOVE The Hunger Games (at least I hope so)! The concept is totally whack, but it sucks you in! I don’t see how they advertise it as a teen book, because it can be pretty intense, but I really enjoyed all 3 books. Can’t wait to see what you think!
Katy (The Singing Runner) says
My dad has that same Body Building.com t-shirt, except his is white. Haha. 🙂
Have a wonderful NYE!!! 🙂
Brittany says
I’ve had German Shorthair Pointers my whole life and I think they are amazing dogs and would be a great playmate for Sadie. My precious girl Scout is 14 and still jumping around and playing like a little puppy! I hope you guys get one one day so I can see all the cute puppy pointer pictures, they have the biggest paws and ears when they are pups! Happy new year to your little family!!
Jennifer (The Gourmetour) says
Hey Julie!!
Happy New Year
You are adorable! I recently stumbled onto your blog and have been hooked ever since! I am just starting my blog and am not yet into a set routine but hope to someday run my blog like yours!
Anyways, I LOVE peanut butter and anyone I know could probably tell you this! I am literally making peanut butter brownies as we speak (a different one from the last post on my blog, if you look that is). I got the recipe from this great blog by this woman who LOVE peanut butter too! Anyways I wanted to share her blog with you because almost every other sweets post has peanut butter incorporated into it.
Anyways best of luck to you and congrats on being a newly wed!
The Girl Who Ate Everything blog,
http://www.thegirlwhoateeverything.blogspot.com/
Katie says
My brother&sister-in-law have a male vizsla & a female german shorthair pointer (Hank & Maggie) and they are awesome together. Love playing & get along perfectly, so I definitely agree that they are a good pair.
Totally creepy confession, the other day I called their dog Sadie and had to explain that I “knew” a vizsla with that name and I must have been thinking of her. Sadie is my favorite dog name though. (Used to be my favorite human name, but I couldn’t imagine naming my child something that rhymed with my own name.)
peanutbutterfingers says
haha i love it! sadie feels honored.
Katie @ Keeping up with katie says
The Hunger Games is a great book. Its part of a 3 book series and I just read it the other day and am already halfway through the 3rd book! You will LOVE IT and want to get the second part as soon as you finish the first book.
Healthy Chocohlic says
Sadie is, once again, adorable!!!
I’ve read the hunger games and loved it!!!!
Rachel@Skinny Southern Belle says
I finished the third Hunger Games today. It’s a great series!
Lindsay @ The Lean Green Bean says
I have a german shorthair pointer mix. he’s adorable…they’re the best dogs!!
carlee says
My friend read the hunger games and really liked it!
Here is my last comment on your blog of 2010! LOL
Sadie is sooooo cute! Do you mind me saying SO IS YOUR HUSBAND. hahahah.
Don’t worry I don’t want him. But he is mighty fine girl!
I like the looks of the lunch too!
Anna @ ciaotochow says
Oh Julie, you will not regret it! I was like you – so skeptical at first. And it’s such a weird concept, I know. But please give it a try 🙂 (Since they’re in the “teen” section, they’re quick reads!)
Sophia @ Raven Waves says
The Hunger Games is honestly amazing! You’re not going to regret it!
Erin says
My cousin’s name is Black Hawk…seriously. and he has white blond hair and blue blue eyes. My aunt is seriously special.
peanutbutterfingers says
TOP 5 BEST blog comments ever!!!
Sisters running the kitchen says
Hey Julie! I like your new years resolution about getting better at photography. I just got a new camera and I am enrolled in a photo class this spring semester…. Hoping to learn a few tricks! But I thought this may help you… Was watching ABC news and this guy who shoots for LIFE was on there has a book about photography…the LIFE guide to photography by Joe McNally. I just bought it two days ago. So far it’s great. Makes it interesting to read and easy to understand… Highly recommend you buy it!!
OrlandoPaula @ Eat, Watch, Run says
You should have bought Catching Fire and Mockingjay too, because you’re gonna regret that you didn’t once you finish Hunger Games. 🙂
lili says
the bottom of our oven is covered in brussel sprouts that look like that… oops, dont know who did that..
LOVE the hunger games, and normally i read more serious books, but this is a winner
Mary @ Bites and Bliss says
I do the same thing with “last (whatever) or (whenever)”..even for my birthday! haha
Betsy Ray says
I randomly read The Hunger games when it first came out… and LOVED it! I’m warning you now, go ahead and pick-up the rest of trilogy now– you’ll want to jump right in!
Also, don’t knock the Young Adult section… my some of my favorite 2010 reads were YA 🙂
Linda says
I still haven’t read The Hunger Games but I’ve heard fantastic things about it. I’m planning on reading it in 2011.
Carrie says
the hunger games book looks good! dw one time i left butternut squash in the oven and totally forgot about it– there was surely some squash
Laura Fredlund says
eeek! 🙂 I’m glad you’re going to read The Hunger Games. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on it.
Like everyone else said, it’s strangely hard to put down.
Holly says
I read The Art of French Kissing and it was pretty good! It was an easy read on the beach over the summer. I’m going to start Water For Elephants today. It is supposed to be such a good book and the movie comes out this spring with my boyfriend Robert Pattinson 🙂
Amber K says
roasted green beans are addictive! I roast 10-15 minutes at a high heat (I’m impatient). but they are more addictive that french fries!
Amber K says
oh and that’s why I LOVE the library. I get all of my books from the library, because if they are awful I’m not out any money.
Danielle says
I love the Hunger Games and I am sure you will too!!!! I could not put it down! 🙂
heather says
people eating people = “pride and prejudice…and zombies.” all i can honestly say is, i wish it’d existed during AP english in high school. amazon it when you get a minute, it’s funny. oh, and happy new year. : )