Subliminal Messages

I have this weird affliction that is partly due to how my brain works and partly the fact that we are all bombarded with information being shouted at us from newspapers, TV, radio, the internet, etc.  I sometimes get things "stuck in my head" that have no real meaning to me, evidencing that I "hear" a lot of information, but am not really "listening." Years ago it was the name, CC Sabathia, back when he pitched for the Cleveland Indians. I am from Wisconsin and grew up a Brewer's fan and while CC did end up playing in Milwaukee briefly, it was year after I first heard his name that he did so.  Nonetheless, one summer his name would constantly run through my mind. I finally had to ask my husband who he was (though I suppose I could have Googled it!).  We live in New England and are Red Sox fans and I suppose he must have pitched a game against the Sox and it just stuck with me, unknowingly.  A few weeks ago it was the "Vezina Trophy," which (I now know) is the trophy awarded to the NHL's most valuable goaltender.  There's usually an explanation as to why I "hear" these seemingly random names/things, and in this latter case it's because the Boston Bruin's won the Stanley Cup this year and their goaltender, Tim Thomas, was awarded the Vezina Trophy.

 CC Sabathia

 Tim Thomas with the Vezina Trophy

New Year's resolution check-in...

One of the resolutions, or goal really, that I made for myself at the start of 2011 was to read 52 books by the end of the year.  That obviously equates to one a week, and I allowed myself the benefit of including audiobooks towards my total since I spend so much time in my car.  As it is now June 30th and therefore the midpoint of the year, I felt it time to check my progress.  As of today, I have completed the 23 books listed below, all of which have been read/listened to since 1/1/2011 in the order they were read:

(1) I Remember Nothing: And Other Reflections by Nora Ephron
(2) I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman by Nora Ephron
(3) Heartburn by Nora Ephron
(4) The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
(5) A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose by Eckhart Tolle
(6) Postcard from the Edge by Carrie Fisher
(7) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
(8) John by Cynthia Lennon
(9) In His Own Write by John Lennon
(10) The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
(11) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
(12) Fade Away (Myron Bolitar series) by Harlan Coben
(13) The Girl Who Play with Fire by Stieg Larsson
(14) Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever by Mem Fox
(15) Better Than Life by Daniel Pennac
(16) Autobiography of Mark Twain, Vol. 1 by Mark Twain
(17) The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest by Stieg Larsson
(18) On The Road by Jack Kerouac
(19) Promise Me (Myron Bolitar series) by Harlan Coben
(20) Dead Reckoning: A Sookie Stackhouse Novel by Charlaine Harris
(21) The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
(22) Room: A Novel by Emma Donoghue
(23) Brave New World: A Novel by Aldous Huxley

Therefore, I am three books shy of where I should be at this mid-point of the year. Stay tuned for a posting late December 2011/early January 2012 to see if I reach my goal!