Wednesday Word Game: Brain Benders

For today's word game I took select questions from Gruber's Brain Benders Cards. Gruber is the leading expert on test taking and critical thinking skills. Therefore he put together some mind boggling puzzles, problems, and curious questions to sharpen your brain. Answers (not that you will need to look them up) are in the comments section below.

1.) Mary asked the same question 20 times in one day and got 20 different answers that were all correct. How can that be?

2.) What is the next number in the sequence:
       0  0  1  2  2  4  3  6  4  8  5...
A.) 6  B.) 8  C.) 10  D.) 12  E.) 14

3.) Which verb does not elong with the other words in the set:
BRING  BUY  CATCH  DRAW
FIGHT  SEEK  TEACH  THINK

4.) Terry is half as old as Alice was when Alice was five years older than Terry is now. How old is Terry now?

5.) A typist increased her speed from 60 words per minute to 75 words per minute. What percent did her speed increase?

6.) What kind of coat is put on wet?
 

The Target Tuesday Blues

It's official, my decision to give up Target for Lent is really starting to take its toll on me. It's so hard being such a giving, wonderful person. I miss it all, the sights of the beauty products, CDs and other items I don't need to purchase, the sounds of cash registers and joyful chatter, the smells of perfumes and shampoo, and I even miss that little dog they use as their logo. You see the problem is I abuse Target. I spend too much and I care too much, and that is why I needed some time apart. It is giving me a real chance to reevaluate our relationship, and really appreciate everything it's done for me over the years with regard to ease of shopping, convenience, and exceptional bargains. 

This has really given me some time to reflect on great memories of Target in my life. I remember my first trip to a Target in Virginia and being in awe of what an amazing store it was. I remember doing donuts in Katherine's car (not sure why) in the Target parking lot before it opened (when we should have been at school). I remember the days of "Target Tuesdays" with Little Kariny, Asmania, and Missy D. Our whole afternoon centered around a trip to Target and subsequent shenanigans (Guess we weren't that cool). I remember buying a slew of things I don't remember buying. Oh those were the days.

Okay these may be the ramblings of a crazy person but it was brought on by one instigating person today and her name is LINDA. I was being an overachiever at work, staying an extra ten minutes to work on ways to really help my students. Then this Linda character (names have not been changed in order to expose the guilty) passed by my room and boasted about how she was going to Target after work. I grew insanely jealous and fretful that I would not be able to stay away from Target for the requisite 40 days and 40 nights. But I did it, I even tempted fate by going to the Smithfield area and shopping at other stores. So here I am today urging everyone to know that if you work really hard, you too can achieve your goals. You're welcome for the motivational statement of the day.

Tuesday Tunes: Angry Chick Songs

Today is dedicated to angry music because let's face it we are all angry sometimes and two weeks ago the songs were way too happy. Here are my favorite ones to play when I'm in a bad mood. However, just listening to them now is making me angry, or at least want to be angry. 


1.) I Live For the Day by Lindsay Lohan
Sure you may think I am crazy for listening to Lindsay Lohan but I love this song. Who doesn't live for the tears to fall down someone's face?!

2.) Losing Grip by Avril Lavigne
Reminds me of being 17. Ahh the memories.

3.) You Know I'm No Good by Amy Winehouse

4.) Alanis Morrissette (Basically all of Jagged Little Pill obviously). Here is one that I really liked from her sophomore disc. Baba. Reminds me of the days where Me, Sue, Janis and Lorena would rock out in our basement.

5.) Love Me for Me by Ashlee Simpson
"And when you're crawling over broken glass to get to me that's when I'll let you stay." Gold.

6.) Lonely by Britney Spears
She is so empowering.

7.) Who's Crying Now by Saving Jane
I love this band. The whole Girl Next Door CD is terrific (well if you're a girl). 

8.) You're Not Sorry by Taylor Swift
There are a lot of her songs I could choose but I really like this one.

9.) Happy Now by No Doubt
This one was on repeat for me as a teen.

10.) Everybody's Fool by Evanescence

Ok it's official. I have the taste of a teenage girl.

2012 Book List

I definitely needed to put together a book list for the upcoming year. I don't want to put too much on the list yet because it's early on and who knows which titles are waiting to be released. Therefore I will continue updating this throughout the year. I tried to have a good mix of books including some classic novels. So far I have the following titles I want to read.

1. 11/22/63: A Novel by Stephen King

I started this in the year 2012 but have only read 100 pages so far. I like it because it's very different and I have never read a Stephen King novel before this. It has to do with a man traveling back in time to prevent the Kennedy assassination. I thought this was a very interesting premise and am enjoying it so far.

2. Lessons From the Mountain: What I Learned from Erin Walton by Mary Beth McDonough

Being a middle child I always felt I could relate to Erin Walton the best. There was a period of time where my sister and I would watch the Waltons nonstop so this will probably be an entertaining book for me to read (not sure of who else would enjoy it as much). 

3. In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson

I did start this book before but didn't finish it because I started reading other things (which often happens to me). This book has to do with the U.S. ambassador to Germany and his family during World War II.

4. Black Swan Green by David Mitchell

This book is about a thirteen months in the life of a thirteen year old growing up in England in the 1980s. 

5. The Pelican Brief by John Grisham

I have had two dream about this book so I think it is time I buckled down and read it. And then watched the movie because Julia Roberts is awesome.

6. Vanished by Joseph Finder

My dad just finished this and said it was excellent so I am more than willing to read it. I have only read one other Joseph Finder, and although I did not find it as entertaining a novel as any by Harlan Coben or John Grisham, I would read him again. Below is the book description. 

Nick Heller is tough, smart, and stubborn. And in his line of work, it's essential. Trained in the Special Forces, Nick is a high-powered intelligence investigator--exposing secrets that powerful people would rather keep hidden. He's a guy you don't want to mess with. He's also the man you call when you need a problem fixed.
Desperate, with nowhere else to run, Nick's nephew, Gabe makes that call one night. After being attacked in Georgetown, his mother, Lauren, lies in a coma, and his step-dad, Roger, Nick's brother, has vanished without a trace.
Nick and Roger have been on the outs since the arrest, trial, and conviction of their father, the notorious "fugitive financier," Victor Heller. Where Nick strayed from the path, Roger followed their father's footsteps into the corporate world. Now, as Nick searches for his brother, he's on a collision course with one of the most powerful corporations in the world--and they will stop at nothing to protect their secrets.

7. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

This is a classic I've been trying to start for a few years. Now that I think about it, I may have started it in 2002. Yikes. Well 2012 is the year to really come through with it. Why am I so lazy?!

8. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

I added this book to the list because I really feel I haven't read enough Jane Austen in my life. Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and half of Emma are just not enough for any human being.

9. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Naturally, I should read the third book in the Hunger Games trilogy.

10. Once Upon a Secret: My Affair with President John F. Kennedy and Its Aftermath by Mimi Alford

This one I am very excited about after hearing about her interview on television. There's something very entertaining about any stories about the Kennedy family.

Wednesday Word Game

Today we will focus on a Homophone game. In case you have forgotten, homophones are words that sound alike but have different spellings and meanings.

Example: It's as black as night inside the black knight's castle.

Directions: Use a pair of homophones to complete each sentence.

1.) Jenny ________ that she has cotton candy on her ________.


2.) ________! Do I really ________ you some money?


3.) The lost man was in a ________ after wandering ten ________ in the desert.


4.) The ________ in that phone booth has a shirt with a turtle-necked ________.


5.) ________! Don't pull all the ________ out of my barn!


6.) The campers in their ________ are ________ about reports of bears.


7.) Did that pirate ________ gold on the high ________?


8.) She forgot to ________ her closet door after getting her ________ out.


9.) Don't show your ________ while on a board a ________ ship.


10.) The army ________ choked on a ________ of popcorn.


The answers are in the comments section below.

The Beauty Department: SKIN FOOD: ACNE

Check out this interesting article by dermatologist Dr. Jessica Wu about which foods are more likely to cause acne, as well as which foods you can eat to prevent acne. I think this is very interesting because a lot of the dermatologists I have gone to see over the years have told me that there is no correlation between diet and acne, which I found very hard to believe.

The Beauty Department: Your Daily Dose of Pretty. - SKIN FOOD: ACNE