What is wrong with this picture???

1. My mom wants a Bl@ckberry so she can text and email with her best friend (who lives within walking distance). My dad already has one and I get more emails from his Bl@ckberry than from his physical computer.

2. Jon and I recently got on a family plan for our cell phones. We got the cheapest phones possible and refused the additional charges for texting because we rarely text.

So much for the younger generations "keeping up with the technologies."

Hello Blog!

I have neglected you once again!  Today is EXTRA special because I'm posting twice!  This is a rare occasion indeed.  I have another random Wednesday off and thank goodness because I have managed to mess up my back over the past few days.  So, what's been happening in Colorful Colorado?

-The in-laws visited a few days back.  We took a trip down to Colorado Springs to visit this and this.  The dogs were an absolute hit at the first stop.  People went nuts over their coloring and the fact that they have long hair, which longhaired dachshunds are common, but people just don't realize that they're dachshunds.  They had a blast getting all of the attention and they enjoyed climbing rocks.  Here is a picture... they were exhausted.

The cog rail was awesome, although the seating was uncomfortable and is the likely reason for me sitting on the couch with a painful lower back now.  The scenery was beautiful though and the summit was breathtaking.  I found out that one of my friends worked up there in the shop when she was in high school... they make great high-altitude doughnuts!

-Our dear friends here in FoCo gave birth on the 3rd.  The father went to high school with us and is a medical animator, like Jon.  They gave birth to a precious little boy and he is the first newborn I have ever held.  He has give me reason to practice my stitching lately, which is a hobby that I have come to really enjoy.  So I have created several images on a set of terry cloth bibs.  Cats, drum sets (his dad is a drummer), sea life, rockets, etc.  So much fun!  We're so happy for our friends.

-My parents will be out for a visit next weekend.  I'm so looking forward to this because the dogs love both sets of grandparents and their visit coincides with this... something my mom and I have anticipated for quite a while.

-Jon and I have started one of those "couch to 5K" programs.  Since moving to Colorado, I have done the same amount of exercise, but have eaten more.  I feel awful.  My heart rate feels so fast, so my main goal is to reduce my heart rate. Running here has proven a bit more difficult.  Not only am I out of shape, but the altitude kicks my butt.  We're gradually working our way to a healthy running regiment (we're only on week 2 now which has us walking a lot) and I'm looking forward to feeling like I'm not going to have a heart attack every day.

So that's it for my update.  I'll be back hopefully sooner rather than later!

Book Review: Howards End

Author: E. M. Forster

Originally Published: 1910

Read in: April - July 2009

My second Forster novel, Howards End proved to be an interesting read.  The book focuses on three different gradations of middle class families and class struggles in Edwardian England.  The Wilcoxes are a hard-core rich English family.  The Schlegels are half-German and spend much of their time in salon-like pursuits.  The Basts are of the lower middle class and are constantly struggling.  

Margaret Schlegel and Mrs. Wilcox form a friendship neat the end of Mrs. Wilcox's life that is so profound that she decides to leave the Howard's End estate to Margaret instead of her own family.  The remaining Wilcoxes find this so preposterous that they chuck the written note into the fire and Margaret never knows of her inheritance. The Wilcoxes had an embarrassing encounter with the Schlegels earlier at Howards End when Margaret's younger sister, Helen, struck up a romance with the younger Wilcox son, who soon left the country without her.  After Mrs. Wilcox's death, Henry Wilcox falls in love with Margaret and the two soon married, much to Helen's chagrin.

The Basts come into the picture when at a musical event, Helen accidentally takes Leonard Bast's umbrella home with her.  Leonard follows her and shares an awkward encounter at the Schlegel home.  Eventually Bast and his wife become a charity case for Helen and when the three attend an event hosted by the Wilcoxes, Bast's wife recognizes Henry as a former lover.

The above is only half of the connections these three families share.  It's amazing to me that all three are part of the middle class because they're so different in almost every aspect of life.  The Basts, at the bottom of the middle class totem pole, obviously struggle the most and the passionate Helen is often looked down upon for showing compassion for them.  Margaret is often stuck in the middle of arguments, as she tries to get Henry to open up more while getting Helen to calm down at the same time.  The climax at the end of the book is shocking and very telling of the time period and acts as a wake up call for all.

I enjoyed this book, although not as much as A Room With A View.  I really enjoyed the movie with Sir Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson.  I watched it about half way through reading the book because I was honestly struggling to finish the book (hence, why it took me 2.5 months to complete.)  The movie got me back on track though, even though it spoiled the end for me.

Up next for the Classics Challenge is Madame Bovary.  I read A Simple Heart in French in college and enjoyed it, so I'm looking forward to this.  Actually, I think this will be the first French author I've read since college.  I think I overdosed back then, but I'm looking forward to getting back to my roots, because there are some AMAZING French authors out there.