Pros and Cons of a Kindle

Joe bought me a Kindle for my birthday this year, which was in April. It was quite possibly one of the best presents for me, someone who loves reading and technology. Since I got it, people have asked me what I thought about it. So, I thought I could write a blog post about the pros and cons of a Kindle...

Pros

• Most books for $9.99 or less! Even brand-new books that would normally only be available in hardback version for $25.
• Instant access to books anytime.
• Holds a lot of books! I don't know how many, but a lot more than I could easily carry around. I keep it in my purse so that I can read when I'm waiting on something.
• Note and searching features that I haven't used much yet.
• Can read your books to you. However, it uses a monotone, computer voice. Might be again for the car if you just have to get through something. Then again, there is always audible for audio books.
• Looks cool. Especially if you have a purple cover for it.

Cons

• Take off and landing on planes. It's an electronic device, so you can't read during these prime reading times.
• Battery. I forgot my power cord when we went to Barbados, so Joe had to take me to a used bookstore after my battery died.
• Instant access to books anytime. I am buying at least 2 a week, which means I am spending the money.
• Not so great around water. Baths. The rain. Beaches. I haven't ruined it in the bath yet, but I am careful.
• The price for the actual Kindle. Good thing I got it as a gift.
• Needs a back light. Joe says I should just buy one of the reading lights that go with it, but I think a back light would be better. Like I need something extra to keep up with.
• Flipping back and forth. Maybe if I would use the bookmark or notes feature, this wouldn't be a pain. But I don't like it when I want to go back to see something I already read and have to scroll through the pages click by click to find it.

All and all, I love it! Mainly because of the coolness of the idea and convenience of always having a lot of books with me.

What are your thoughts on the Kindle?

ROC on!

Joe with his friend Laurie Dangler,

brain cancer patient and founder of ROC on

When my husband and I started dating, he said he might run the Cooper River Bridge Run 10K with me sometime. I took this to mean we were going to run the race that year. When Joe realized my expectation, he grudgingly trained for the race with me, hating every minute of it.

However, during the race at mile five, he said, "Thanks for making me do this!"

He realized races were actually fun. Ok, maybe he wouldn't admit they were fun, but he at least knew they were not impossible. In fact, he experienced a burst of energy in the last mile and ran faster, beating me by a minute. (Jerk!)

Since then, Joe has surpassed my 5K and 10K speeds, and I have taken up half marathons. Of course, when I signed up for my first half marathon with my friend Holley, Joe declared he had no interest in running a half marathon. He swore to me that 10K would be his longest distance. That was before he heard from his friend Laurie.

Laurie Dangler is a M.D. who went to Ohio State University Medical School and did her residency with Joe. In 2008, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Joe hadn't heard from her in years when he received the e-mail telling him of her diagnosis. She said she had started a group called ROC (Run Over Cancer) on to raise money for brain cancer research. The group raised money while training for the Columbus half and full marathons.

"We have to run that race," I told Joe.

"But running a half marathon is going to be hard," Joe protested.

"Having brain cancer is hard," I replied.

Joe changed his stance from "I am never running a half marathon" to "I am considering running a half marathon."

In December, we went to Dayton, OH, to visit his family for Christmas. While we were there, we had lunch with Joe's childhood friend Kevin and his wife Jenni. The topic of running came up, and we talked about the Columbus half marathon.

"The last time I ran a half marathon, I said I would never do it again," said Kevin. "But I'll do it if you do!"

"Yay!" I cheered.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute!" said Joe. "I never said I was doing this!"

But I knew he was.

On October 16, Joe and I boarded a plane for Columbus, OH. Joe was still skeptical about his ability to complete the race. The farthest he had ever run was 9 miles, and the farthest he had run in training for this race was 6 miles. He complained to Laurie in e-mail that he didn't think he had trained enough.

"I'm not trying to be mean," wrote Laurie. "But I had my parathyroid glands removed on September 9. And then I was on chemo last week, so I won't be in the best shape for the race either."

Joe stopped whining and proceeded to beat me by 13 minutes. I got my best time in a half marathon so far.

"It wasn't that bad," said Joe when we met at the ROC ON tent after the race. "I would run another with you."

"In two weeks?" I was signed up for the Spinx Run Fest Half Marathon on October 31.

"No, but we could come back next year," he replied.

So, next year, look forward to hearing more about the Columbus half marathon... maybe even the marathon! (Joe insists he will not do a marathon - haha!)

We neglected our ROC on duty of raising money in 2009, so I will be harassing everyone to donate money for our race in 2010. Start saving!

Postsecret.com and My Brother's Suicide

On Thursday night, my friend Teresa and I attended a talk at the Peace Center featuring Frank Warren, the creator and founder of Postsecret. Warren described Postsecret as a "community art project." It is a blog in which he posts secrets that people mail to him on postcards. Check the site to see 20 new secrets every Sunday. Since starting the blog, Warren has also published three books of select secrets that he has received in the mail.

During the presentation, Warren talked about suicide. He gave a statistic that I cannot remember exactly, but the gist is that more people are killed by suicide than homicide. I don't know if his assertion is correct, but the fact that we can lose our loved ones more readily at their own hands rather than at that of another is a powerful suggestion.

My own brother committed suicide about 11 years ago. He was 18. I was 21. His death was a devastating surprise and shock for my entire family. Sure, he had issues. But so do a lot of people. I often wonder what he would be like today if he had not shot himself on that fateful night. Would he have finished high school? Gotten a good job? (He was intelligent.) Married? (He was awkwardly handsome and funny.) Had children? (He had a kind heart.) And what would the rest of my family be like? Would I have spent years running from my grief and making unwise, rash choices? Would my parents still have gotten a divorce?

Of course, I have no way of knowing what would have happened if he hadn't killed himself. All I know is what happened after he did. But I do know this. I have been one of those people who have contemplated suicide. (Warren said 1 in 15 of us do.) I have struggled with a severe anxiety disorder, and I have felt that ending my life sounded easier than going through another day frightened and sick with worry about imagined future outcomes.

However, after going through my brother's death, I can say I would never take my life. It is too devastating to the people left behind. And I hope if anyone reading this is considering suicide, he or she will take my advice...

Don't do it.

Crazy Text Message Conversation

Last night, when I got out of my quilting class, I had a text message from a number I didn't recognize.

It said, "Hey ROBERT"

Thinking my friends Teresa and Robert had probably seen each other out and were being funny, I decided to tease back.

I texted, "Is that 'hey' from Robert or 'hey, Robert?"

Response: "Lol who is this ROBERT"

Hmmm. Either the Robert I knew was very confused, or this was a different Robert.

I responded, "You texted me. You don't know who I am? Do you randomly text numbers?"

Robert said, "nope i don't lookin for linda thanks ROBERT"

Me: "Wrong number! No Linda here."

Robert: "Thanks! ROBERT"

I could have easily ended here, but I couldn't help texting again.

Me: "If I see Linda, I'll tell her to text you."

Robert: "LoL WHO IS THIS PLEAS ROBERT"

Me: "Not Linda."

Robert: "Then who? r u a dude ROBERT"

Me: "It will always be a mystery to you."

Robert: "OK NO WORRY LOL ROBERT"

This conversation was going to either get very silly, or I was going to end up having to tell this guy who I really was. So, I didn't respond.

However, five minutes later, Robert texted, "Lol WHO R U? ROBERT"

I decided it was time for bed. I haven't heard from Robert since.

Exotic Dancing Drop Out

I skipped the last day of exotic dancing class, the day when I was supposed to perform by myself for my class and the night when we were all supposed to go to Nepal's to see the pros in action. But I had outfit and shoes all ready. I was going to be a "Medic." (My husband asked what about the outfit made me a Medic when I brought it home from the costume shop. I replied I didn't know, but the outfit matched my shoes.)

Then, after work on Monday, I was tired. Attempting a dance I couldn't remember in front of a bunch people I didn't know didn't sound appealing. So, I'm sorry to disappoint my loyal audience, but I'm not a stripper. I guess I'll stick to sales for now, and I'll always think, "What if I had attended my last class?" Would I have been discovered as the next exotic dancing diva? Probably not, but no one will ever know for sure!

Being Happy

From a Real Simple article I received on my Google Reader...

"Some people worry that wanting to be happier is a selfish goal, but in fact, research shows that happier people are more sociable, likable, healthy, and productive―and they're more inclined to help other people. By working to boost your own happiness, you're making other people happier, too."

So, how can you be happy? Check out the rest of the article, "9 Things You Can Do to Be Happy in the Next 30 Minutes." The article may over simplify happiness, but the bottom line is that you have to take responsibility for your happiness. Do something! I recommend quilting, my latest endeavor. More about my new quilting class and the upcoming conclusion to my exotic dancing class when I have time...

Forget the Live You've Planned; Enjoy the Life You Live

"We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us." ―Joseph Campbell

Do you ever wake up in the morning and wonder what this life is that you are living? It may not be a bad life… In fact, it may be pretty awesome. You see people living on the street who might love to have your life. But your life is nothing like what you would have envisioned it being when you were 10 or 20 years younger. And sometimes… just sometimes… you wonder, “How did I get here?” And maybe even, “Why can’t I make this happen for me?” Or, “Why did that happen to me?” And my favorite, “I am such an idiot! Why did I do THAT?”

I don’t know why, but I think feeling like this is pretty normal. I know I feel this way, and others have told me they have felt the same. That is why I like this quote that I got from the Real Simple Daily Thought newsletter. They have a lot of good quotes. You can subscribe via e-mail or RSS. You should check it out if you need daily inspiration. Or you can just read my tweets. I pass along the quotes I like from various sources on a semi-daily basis. www.twitter.com/debbyderosa