New Idea.

I think I'm going to start posting mini reviews about all the books I've been reading and have yet to read. I've been tearing through books so often lately, I think it'd be neat to share my thoughts on them and maybe convince some of you (if anyone actually reads this) to read some of them or skip them.

Not to mention, I've been buying a lot of books lately so that would motivate me keep it going. The book reading list has been piling up mainly because there's this used movie, cd, vinyl and now used BOOK store right by house, and a lot of the books I've found there that I've always wanted to read I've been buying for 99 cents so I have a lot of catching up to do.

So what do you all think? Book Review Mondays? Paperback Wednesdays? Book Club Sundays? Suggested Reading of the Day? I'll find that catchy title soon enough.

UPDATE ON 9/10/2012: I think I'm going to stretch this idea out further to include films as well. I don't plan on including mainstream films that every and their mom has seen, but more so movies I've found interesting and worth recommending to others.

Free Weekend Getaway? Don't Mind If I Do.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I got to go to South Lake Tahoe for a couple a nights and see Maroon 5 in a sold-out concert all for the low cost of $0. How is that possible you might ask? Well, let me tell you just how.

One Monday morning, the Monday before July 4th to be exact, my boyfriend and I woke up some time around 7:40; as is my habit, I grabbed my phone and made the rounds of checking my email, the morning's headlines and checked out my Facebook news reel. I'm a fan (on Facebook that is) of a local radio station here in Sacramento. I saw a post from them that said something about winning tickets to go see Maroon 5 in concert, but one had to qualify to win first; and by qualifying one would win their newly released album. All I had to do was tune in around 8 in the morning to find out how to qualify. So, what do I do? Seeing as I'm still on my phone at this point, I immediately go on their website and listen to the live stream that they have available. As soon as they said, "Be caller 103 to qualify" after announcing the contest, you can bet your balls I was dialing their  like a mad woman to  win. Several times, all I got was a busy signal; one time the phone rang and rang and I hung up because I didn't want to lose precious time trying to be the winning caller. After several more busy signals, I got through to a ring. At this point, I decided that it no one answers by the time the total call time reached 30 seconds, I was going to hang up and try again. But as luck would have it, that's not how things were going to go.

One the second to last ring before I was going to hang up, I heard the line click. On the other end I hear a man come on and say, "So, you ever wake up and find out that Adele's baby isn't your baby?" and I responded with, "That happens to me all the time." I thought someone was fucking with me but I decided to play along just in case. Eventually, he got to the  main point, "Are you a Maroon 5 fan?" and I responded with, "HUGE Maroon 5 fan." That's when he congratulated me on being caller 103 and how I'd won the CD and qualified to win the big prize: a hotel stay for 2 nights and two tickets to the sold out show. I'd find out if I'd won or not the following Friday if they called me before 8am. So, I shivered with anticipation (see what I did there?) for the rest of the week because I really wanted to win.

Come Friday morning, I was laying in bed with then boyfriend C (I say "then boyfriend" because if you've read my previous posts you know how that one ended up) and low and behold, my phone rang. It was from an unknown and private number, but I answered anyhow because it could've been an emergency for all I knew. But, wouldn't you know it, it was the radio station. After dicking around with me for a while, they told me that I'd won the whole shebang, and I've never had my heart beat so fast in all my life (if you don't count embarrassing moments). Who would've thought then that that weekend would turn out to be the best weekend of my life?

The winning tickets that came with some sweet seats.

I'M ENGAGED!!!

Well, depending on who you ask, I'm either: A) Just engaged or B) I'm FINALLY engaged -- but like I said, it all depends on who you ask. After being together for 4 years my now fiancé thought it was time to pop the question. It was so cute when he told me how nervous he'd been the entire time leading up to it. And the way he did it as well, was something that was definitely our style.

While on a weekend getaway to South Lake Tahoe, we decided we were going to go on a hike and revisit Emerald Bay -- which is a 20 minute drive or so from the California/Nevada stateline (which is where we were staying). Since there was no parking near the Vikingsholm (where was our intended destination) we had to park at the Inspiration Point vista point, just a little over a mile walk/hike away. So, before we headed up there, we stopped at the local Subway to get a couple of foot-longs for lunch. After parking and packing up my camelback and all that other fun stuff, we began our trek out to the start of the trail down to the Vikingsholm. Before we headed down there, we thought we'd find a bench or something so we could each lunch.

Boyfriend C was trying to find the "perfect" spot while I was just trying to find somewhere decent enough to sit so we could eat and sit and so I wouldn't burn my butt (it was a really warm day out). He's out on top on this rock hill saying it's perfect, while I'm walking around it saying I refuse to burn my butt; I end up finding a nice ledge, that's half in the shade, and has the perfect view as well. I tell boyfriend, and pull out the sandwiches and start tearing into one while he walks on over to me. Upon reaching me he said, "Can you put the sandwich down?" and I responded with a "WHY!?"

He just replies with a, "Can you just put it down?" and I say "Okay, fine." He then proceeds to recite the chorus of The Beatles' "Do You Want to Know a Secret?" and then gets down on one knee and simply says, "Will you marry me?" I managed to sneak in a "Are you proposing right now?" in there.

After saying no -- he knew I was kidding when I said it -- and officially saying yes, he told me the story about how he went about asking my father's permission and pretty much telling everybody and their mom that he was going to propose that weekend. After telling people the story, they all said that it was very "us" the way it happened; I'm thinking the sandwiches had something to do with it.

Me in all my excitement.

Overall, it was a nice surprise to a fun filled weekend. The day only got better when we hit up the Maroon 5 concert that I won tickets to (more on that later). The engagement is still sinking in for sure, but I'm super excited about it all! Not only that, but I'm surprised at the overwhelming response and joy that we've getting and how much people want to help me plan my future wedding. Which, by the way, is just a little over a year away now.

This one will definitely be framed seeing as this is where he proposed.