Friday fun!

I hope today is my last Friday off.  I am supposed to go back to full-time status at work tomorrow.  I've been part time since New Year's Eve!  If I go back to 40 hours as of Monday, I'll have exactly three weeks before the furloughs start and then I'll be back to 32 hours like everybody else.  :)  But more hours and more money sounds goooood to me!  This girl got stuff to do.  Larry will be home in just a little over six months now!  Time is going by SO FAST!!!  He's still doing great. He's about to get his drivers license and start college and by the grace of God, the VA is going to pay for him to go to school and after he's been at the Refuge for four months, he can get a job and he's had an offer already!  We even talked about him buying a vehicle.  I'm leaning him toward a pickup.  :)  And just last week, Larry stopped traffic and helped save a mama duck and her babies that had gotten on the median and couldn't safely get away. That's a sweet boy I have, I tell ya!  Things are absolutely wonderful and everything seems to be falling into place.  God continues to bless us every single day.  We don't deserve a bit of it but we are so thankful for it!!

Here I am waiting for Belinda for lunch!

For my hopefully last Friday off, I met my friend, Belinda, at Casa Mexico out on Highway 96 for lunch and then we went to see The Internship, starring Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson.  What a hilarious movie!  The two of them play 40-something traveling salesmen whose jobs become obsolete by the internet.  They apply as interns at Google and have to compete with hundreds of 20-year-old computer whizzes just to land a handful of jobs.  Google is such an awesome company to work for!  Free food and drinks, nap pods, exercise and play time, laundry facilities, free haircuts, on-site medical care, the list goes on and on.  The nap pods are what sold me!  Can you imagine??  The movie was great and I really, really liked all the 80's throwbacks in it!  And the quidditch game left me sore from laughing so hard.  I even cried a little at the end.  I loved it!!

 

This was THE. BEST. guacamole I have ever had!!

It was so good, I had to get me some more!!  :)  And I got the grilled chicken fajita quesadilla and it was ridonk.  Amazing.  Out of this world.  Most yum.

AND I'd ordered a pair of jeans a whole size too small to motivate me and I tried 'em on today when they came in the mail and they already fit!!  

I hope today was my last Friday off but with Fridays like this one, I won't be mad if it wasn't.  :)

Fill in the blank Friday!

I haven't done one of these in a while!  Today's blanks are all about firsts.

My first memory is of me and Ricky at the ages of three and two sitting on the front steps of the house we grew up in, the day we moved in.  I remember Daddy and Uncle Jiggs moving furniture in and Mama having to get us out of their way.  

My first love was my husband, Larry.  I have always been so thankful that I didn't have to kiss a lot of toads to get my prince. 

My first favorite color was purple.  I used to love anything purple when I was a kid!

The first time I really felt like a grown-up, I was nowhere near grown up!  I was ten and Mama let me start supper.  Fried chicken.  That ended up burnt on the outside and bloody on the inside.  Needless to say, Mama had to take OVAH. 

The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is feed Tabbie Hoffman.  By the time I wake up, he is bouncing on my head for his can.

The first record/cassette/CD I ever bought with my own money was obviously a record.  A 45.  Michael Damian's She Did It.  In 1981 and I was 14.  I already loved him as Danny on Y&R and I saw him on American Bandstand.  I ordered the record from Tiger Beat magazine.  I still love, love, love me some Danny Romalotti!

My first car was a 1984 Chrysler LeBaron.  June Bug, I called her.  I bought it at Paul Walsh Nissan in Macon when I was 19 and Daddy cosigned for me.  The payments were $209 to C&S Bank.  It was tan with chocolate velour seats and I loved it.  Right after I got it, I was going out to Garden Valley to pick up my friend, Lisa, and she, Audra, Ami and I were going to the movies in Americus.  I hit a huge washout in the dirt road and bent the A-frame.  The steering wheel never was right after that.  I was poor as a church mouse back then and when it came time for new tires, I bought them one at the time from Davis Tire Company in Montezuma.  Every week when I got paid, Mr. Davis sold me a tire.  After a month, I had a new set!  That was a good car.  I brought Odie home to die in it and I drove to see Larry for the first time in it.  Ami and I both got teary when I traded it.

Happy Weekend!

Fill in the blank Friday!

My bedtime routine includes a bubble bath, packing my lunch and backpack for work the next day and playing Words With Friends on Facebook.  Unless it's the weekend and then I get wild and crazy and watch a movie. :)

I am already in my jammies (and have been since about 2:00 this afternoon!).

I can't stand yogurt because it tastes like sour milk to me, clabber as I call it, and the texture is just gross.  But I love sour cream, cottage cheese and cream cheese.  Weird. 

My idea of relaxation would be spending a week at the beach doing absolutely nothing.  No sightseeing, no restaurant-hopping, no shopping, just laying in the sand, well protected from the sun, reading a hot, hilarious cowboy romance like this one and doing NO OTHER THING.

If I had an extra $50, I would buy a used record player and an old Joan Baez album.

The best thing about having a bloggy friend is meeting her!

A recipe I have been dying to try is Trisha's Country Quiche!

 
Happy Weekend!

Fill in the blank Friday!

My greatest strength is my determination (or hardheadedness!) and perseverance.

My greatest weakness is probably tending to take on more than I should.  Wears a girl out sometimes.

People always compliment me on my skin.  They want to know what I use to wash my face.  I'm always trying out cleansers and moisturizers and usually don't buy the same ones twice.  Right now, I'm using white Dove soap and aloe vera gel.  Easy squeezy.

If you found me procrastinating, you'd probably find me on Facebook.  Not probably.  You WOULD find me there.  :)

The most cozy place in all the world is MY BED.

Something new that I tried recently is inspecting the inside of an F-15 cockpit and assuring that all the pins and belts and buckles were as they should be.  I have the coolest job!!!

This weekend, I would like to go see a movie.  I haven't been to the movies since Breaking Dawn!  In November!!!  I'm just not interested in anything that's playing right now.  So I'll probably just hang out with my hubby and sleep.

Happy Weekend!!

Fill in the blank Friday!

The last thing I ate was a bowl of chicken noodle soup.  'Cause, waaaaaaaah, I sick.

The last song I listened to was At Last by Etta James.  She passed away today from leukemia at the age of 73.  At Last has been my cell ringtone for years.

Using the letters of my name (Ginger), I can spell renig, reign, ring, grin, rig, neg, ire, gin, gig, egg, reg, ern, eng, in, er...

If I had to dress in one color for the rest of my life, it would be blue.  I couldn't live without jeans and blue is always pretty.

My favorite candle scent is patchouli lavender.

If you were looking in my bag right now, you would find mints, my phone, my wallet and checkbook, pens, contact lens solution, lip balm, makeup, hand sanitizer, dental floss, lotion and a rubber vampire finger puppet that sat in my windowsill at work. 

When I finish my blanks, I'm going to take some cold medicine and go to bed.  'Cause, waaaaaaaah, I sick.

Fill in the blank Friday!

Waking up at the butt crack of dawn to go shopping is my idea of HELL.  Insanity.  A total waste of sleepy time.  Completely out of the question.  I have never, ever wanted anything that bad.  Not even $7 sheets.

If I were to go shopping today (and I made a deliberate effort to not go anywhere!), I would be on the hunt for something handmade or vintage.

Something I've been learning lately is to trust God every day, in everything.  He really knows what He's doing!

The best thing I ate yesterday was um, everything?  This was my plate.  

The BEST thing, though, was Mama's dressing.  Under the ham.  :)

I cannot start my day without my little routine!  Pee, brush my teeth, wash my face and moisturize, wash my hair and drink a glass of tea.

My nighttime attire consists of tank tops and pajama shorts when it's warm, long-sleeved tees and leggings when it's not.

I'm looking forward to Christmas!  Duh.  Four weeks!!

Happy Weekend!

Fill in the blank Friday!

A nervous habit I have is crossing and uncrossing my legs.  Oh my GOD, I have no control.  I also twirl my hair.  A lot.

Something that makes me sad is knowing the first Christmas of my life without my Maw is coming up.  :(

Today I am thankful for like every day, SO MANY THINGS!  My healthy family, my happy husband, my warm little house, my pantry full of food, every blessing the Lord has given me and continues to give me.

My favorite room in my house is my office/guest room.  I spend a lot of time in there.  It's cozy and warm, has a TV and my laptop and is close to the kitchen and bathroom.  :)

I can't stand a barking dog.  Especially at 3:00 in the morning.  Don't think I won't go out there in my 'jamas and yell at him.  I've seen me do it.

If I had an extra $100 to spend on whatever I wanted I would, well, I pretty much DO.  But to spend $$$ just for the sake of spending??  I wouldn't do that.  I guess to answer this blank, though, I'd say extra Christmas presents for my family. 

The last person I hung out with was Larry.  We had chicken tenders and ranch dressing.  :)

Happy Weekend!

Fill in the blank Friday!

My favorite new blog of the moment is Freckled Nest.  Leigh-Ann has beautiful photography, cute clothes and she drives an awesome 1974 Oldsmobile station wagon that she calls Bacon.  Ha!  She's thrifty, creative and oh so vintage.  I LOVE her blog!!

Something I'm thankful for is being able to spend today with Larry.  It's Veterans' Day and he's the bravest, sweetest, cutest veteran I know!  Spending Veterans' Day together has become a tradition for us and while it may mean more to me than it does to him, it's very important for me to let him know how very proud I am of him for yesterday, right now and tomorrow, too.

Something that made me laugh this week (besides my silly husband!) was Tuesday night after I registered for my classes next semester, I was in the student lounge and I put a quarter in the candy vending machine to get some Mike and Ikes.  The machines look like this.  You know the ones.  I put my quarter in and got ONE piece of candy.  You 'sposed to get a handful.  I got ONE MIKE.  That just struck me as hilarious and I literally busted out laughing.  I kept saying, "I got a Mike." like Charlie Brown and his trick-or-treating rocks.  Ha!

An item that is currently on my wish list is a tambourine.  :)

I'm excited about a LOT of things!!  Thanksgiving, my creative Christmas shopping, meeting Brandy and Mike, Willow and Roan next month, my interview at the base no matter the outcome, our practice moving to our brand new office, just ALL kinds of things!!  It's a very exciting time for me.  I said "creative Christmas shopping" because that's what I'm planning to do this year.  I declared this a "no-mall Christmas" last month on Facebook and got some positive feedback so I'm staging a revolution against big business this year.  Sticking it to the man by helping out the little man.  I LOVE that idea!!  I'm not saying every single gift I buy will be from small business but yeah, the majority will be.  I only have about 15 people to buy for anyway.  I've already started and where there were specific things family members wanted, I was able to buy them from individuals at Etsy and eBay!  I am SO excited about this.  Sears and Walmart DO NOT need our business.  People struggling to survive the end of the year need our business.  That's why I say we will have to be creative.  Put some thought into it, plan ahead.  It's so easy to just run to the mall and do our Christmas shopping.  That's what we always do.  I'm proposing we do things differently this year.  These are very different times we're living in right now.  Let's help each other!  Stick it to the man!!

If I were a color, I would be that beautiful blue-green color of the sea.  For obvious reasons.  :)

My favorite way to spend a chilly day is I ain't even gonna lie.  Asleep.  Under a quilt.

Happy Weekend!! 

Fill in the blank Friday!

My favorite thing about this week was Halloween!  It was so much fun!

Colder weather makes me lazy.  I just want to curl up with a blanket and do nothing until March.  I would have made a very good bear.

Three things that make me happy as of late are 60's and 70's music at Pandora, my coffee in the mornings and the fact that Santa is coming next month! 

If I could only wear one kind of shoe for the rest of my life, it would be Birkenstocks!

My personality type is INFP.  That is Introvert Intuitive Feeler Perceiver, which means I'm comfortable working and being alone, I trust my gut, I'm warm and friendly and I keep my options open.  Yep, that's me.

I have a serious problem resisting french fries right now.  I be lovin' me some frozen seasoned crinkle cut fries lately.  I bake them on a cookie sheet and then eat 'em with ketchup.  Yum!!  I also can't seem to stay away from Chick-fil-A's waffle fries lately neither.  

My favorite color to wear is black 'cause it's slimming (see FITB #6 above.  Ha!) and gray because Larry says he likes me in gray.  :)

Happy Weekend!

Fill in the blank Friday!

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a nurse when I grew up.  Now that I’ve worked in a doctor’s office for 32 months, I know why that didn’t work out.  :)

As an adult, my dream job would be working for a company or organization that protects the environment.  I really don’t know where I’ll be in the next year or so but I do know that I want to be somewhere making something greener.

 

When I was a kid, I wanted to be just like Mary Ellen Walton.  I sure had the sassy mouth for it! 

I scored many a wax lip with this old girl.

The childhood costume that I remember most was THIS WITCH AND I ACTUALLY FOUND IT ONLINE!!!!  I remember this costume and mask SO well.  It was awesome.  HOT but awesome.

My favorite Halloween treat when I was a child was homemade Rice Krispy treats.  I’m a child of the 1970’s and we got lots of homemade stuff on Halloween.  Cookies, brownies, caramel apples, Rice Krispy treats.  You didn’t have to worry about folks putting harmful things in your candy bag. 

The time I got in the biggest trouble as a child was when me and Ricky were staying with Grandma when Ami was born and Grandma’s neighbor had a horse that got out of his pen.  We chased that horse down a very busy Highway 49 with Grandma hollerin’ at us to come back, waving her pink bedroom shoe at us from the front porch.  She tore us up when we got back and then Daddy tore us up when he came to get us.  I can’t even remember what happened to that horse.

I get daily inspiration from sweet toothless baby grins.

Happy Weekend!!

Fill in the blank Friday!

Nothing says fall like pumpkins and mums on the porch.

My favorite autumn tradition is carving pumpkins, dressing up for Halloween and going to the fair.  I don't even mind raking leaves anymore.  Much. :)

My favorite fall treat is pumpkin anything (muffins, breads, coffee, bubble bath)!

Fall makes me think of what's to come.  The beginning of my favorite part of the year -- Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Autumn's free-form word association, GO!  Crunchy leaves, rosy cheeks, brown, orange, pumpkin pie!

My go-to outfit in the fall is guess??  :)  My yoga pants and a long-sleeved cotton t-shirt!  Also, my flannel jammie pants.

My favorite fall holiday is Thanksgiving.  I love, love, love Halloween and giving out candy to my little trick-or-treaters but there's just no comparison to Thanksgiving and being with my family and eating my mama's turkey and dressing.  Y'all.  If you ain't never had none of my mama's dressing, bless your heart.

Happy Fall, y'all!  Do something warm and cozy this weekend!

Fill in the blank Friday!

Something popular that I can't stand or don't "get" is Dancing With The Stars.  I've tried to watch it a time or two but I just wasn't impressed.  And who picks these "stars" anyway?  Bristol Palin and Nancy Grace?  Come onnnnnn...

Something unpopular that I LOVE is old country music.  I'm talkin' George and my girl, Tammy, Conway and Loretty, Patsy and I do love me some Charlie Rich.  Country music has NOT been the same since they closed the Ryman.

When I've had a bad day, I take a nap.  When I've had a good day, I take a nap.  Ha!

I would prefer a night at home in my jammies doing laundry and cleaning to going out and partying any day.  Like tonight.  :)

Something that makes me nervous is not knowing what's coming next.  I wish I could just roll with it and be open and flexible to God's plan and some days I do better than others but I want to know, I want to know, I want to KNOW.  You know??

Something worth fighting for is LOVE.  If you are so blessed to find THE ONE that God created just for you, you hold on to him (or her!) for dear life.  Do whatever you have to do to protect that relationship and grow old in that love. It may not be easy but nothing worth having is easy.  That's how you know.

When people think of me, I hope they think that I'm a good wife, daughter, sister, aunt and friend and that I have a good heart.  And that I'm funny as all get out.  :)

Happy Weekend!

Fill in the blank Friday!

My bathtub is one of my favorite hiding places.  Not that I need to hide but I just like hangin' out in there.  Bubbles, candles, fluffy towels, warm water.  It's good for the soul!

My greatest strength is my patience. If I'm nothing else, I am a patient girl!  I believe in that saying, "good things come to those who wait" and boy, I got some good things coming!! 

My greatest weakness is that I'm really tough on myself.  My job, my grades, even my marriage. Everything has to be perfect.  I'm SO blessed to have coworkers, teachers and a husband who love me anyway!

My car is a silver 2008 Nissan Altima.  I bought it brand new when I traded my 10-year-old Altima that had 180,000 miles on it and a new transmission.  :)  I LOVE Nissans.  Prolly won't ever have anything else.

In high school, I was painfully shy and extremely self-conscious.  Larry helped me so much with that.  He probably regrets it now 'cause I never shut up.  :) People who didn't know me back then cannot believe that I was ever SHY.  Ha!

Simple things make me happy.  I don't like jewelry (unless it's my wedding ring set or Larry's old dog tag), I'd rather have a plant or seeds than cut flowers and I don't like a lot of stuff around me.

As for this weekend, I'm looking forward to opening up my windows and letting that cool newborn fall air in, being with Larry 'cause I ain't seen him in two weeks and I'm pretty much gonna eat him up and just chillin' at home.  Literally!  It's supposed to be in the 40's at night here!!  I got a new pair of Old Navy yoga pants just burnin' a hole in my dresser drawer!

Happy Weekend!!

Fill in the blank Friday!

The best thing I did all week was buy some of this for my poor foot.  What a difference it made!!  It's identical to Biofreeze and it's over-the-counter.  I got it at Walmart for $7!!

Freshly-washed sheets make me super happy.

The best thing about my life right now is that everything seems to be falling into place!

Pets are just like family.

With cooler weather, I'm looking forward to being able to walk outside and not get eaten alive by skeeters.

Something that's on my wish list right now is a MacBook Pro.  And some of these -- reusable produce bags.

This weekend, I'm going to work tomorrow morning, go see Straw Dogs tomorrow afternoon, rest my foot and study for a test Tuesday night!

Happy Weekend!!

Fill in the blank Friday!

You should always take time to wash your face every night before going to sleep no matter how tired you are.  People comment on my complexion all the time.  They say I don't look as old as I am (I love that!) and that I have beautiful skin.  It's because I take care of it and always have. Ever since I was a kid using Noxzema!  Man, that stuff stunk.  I don't use any one thing.  I like to try different cleansers and moisturizers.  I'm using this right now to cleanse and this to moisturize.  Avalon Organics lavender. LOVE.  You can get both of them for fifteen bucks at Amazon.

Random acts of kindness make the world a happier place to be.

I can hardly wait for the leaves to change and to feel them crunching under my feet!  Now raking them all up is a whole 'nother story.

Saturday is my favorite day of the week.  I get to spend it with this really cute boy who still puts butterflies in my tummy.

Something totally dumb and ridiculous that I love is watching countless movies on Lifetime.  I swear, I'm addicted!  They are so hokey and sappy but I'll sit there and watch three in a row.

If I could, I would but I can't so I ain't.  :)

I rather like wearing yoga pants and a t-shirt all weekend!

Fill in the blank Friday!

Somewhere someone is doing what she loves.  I want to be like her.

Green-living bloggers are my muse. 

It would really suck if the internet was no more because I wouldn't know how to diagnose myself (and others!), find a phone number or fix a botched recipe.

The beautiful weather is my favorite thing about today!  I enjoyed a wonderful two-mile walk on the park trail with my friend, Lisa, today at lunch and it was awesome.

Life is kinda like a hot bath.  The longer you stay in it, the more wrinkled you get.

If I could have anything I wanted, I would want Larry home with me and to get started building our dream house.  I'm really, really looking forward to that walk-in pantry!

A funny thing happened the other day...I couldn't find my cordless phone.  Anywhere.  I looked all over the house and could not find it.  I even called it from my cell and the base rang but I couldn't hear the phone ringing.  Several hours later, I went to get a glass of tea out of the 'fridge and there it was.  Right beside the milk.

Happy Weekend!!  :)

Fill in the blank Friday!

My most irrational fear is drinking sour milk.  I have to sniff the carton before I pour any into a glass or a bowl for cereal.  Even if I JUST bought it and it doesn't expire for two weeks.  Don't care. I got burned once and ever since...  And this comes from a girl who will still eat cornbread crumbled up in a glass of buttermilk.

Letting someone do something for me makes me feel awkward.

I can't imagine life without my family. We just experienced the heart wrenching loss of our matriarch, our mama, our Maw, and with the exception of one cousin who couldn't make it, we ALL huddled together at Mama and Daddy's and helped each other through it.  I would NEVER have gotten to the end of that day without them.

Cheese is my favorite snack.  Any kind, any how.

Lately, I've been runnin' on faith.  Larry and I have some stuff going on that's taking forevah and I just had to give it to the Lord 'fore I let it drive me crazier than I already am.  :)

If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving is NOT for you.  :)

Fall is almost here!  It's crisp mornings, long-sleeved tees, comfort foods like chili and soup and hot chocolate, a yummy pumpkin candle, the fair and the smell of wood smoke outside from fireplaces that have just woken up from months of sleeping.  It's my favorite season!

Fill in the blank Friday!

One of life's most simple pleasures is sleeping in on a rainy day.

People who call me JUST to sell me something make me want to punch someone.

I like patchouli because it's sweet, warm and earthy.

Brouhaha is a funny word.

If I had to choose one beauty product to use every day for the rest of eternity, it would be a really good volumizing shampoo.  I cannot stand for my hair to go flat!!

I'm happy that it's Friday!!  I'm doing a whole lot of nothin' this weekend and like it.

I would never drink a beer.  Yuck.

Fill in the blank Friday!

My idea of pure perfection would be if everybody was open-minded and accepting of other people's ideas and beliefs, whether they be religious or political.  Oh, and a little bungalow on the beach would be schweet, too.

Oil makes the world go 'round.  And that makes me sad.

If it weren't for that blankety-blank candy drawer at work, I would have lost weight this summer! :)

Bloggers are going to rule the world!

If I had my husband at home, I would be very happy.  So happy that I might even become a 50's housewife like the girl in this picture.  NOT!!  I'd never be able to keep my mouth shut.  And cooking supper from scratch every night??  Puhleeeze.

I'm glad it's Friday because this has been another long, exhausting week!  Between that leaking pipe in the yard, broken toilets and a phone that rings off the hook at work, I'm ready for a quiet, restful weekend.

Something I'm excited about is going back to school on Tuesday!  I'm ready to learn how digital electronics work!

Fill in the blank Friday!

The TV show that I watch and would be embarrassed to tell anyone about is probably not a TV show.  I only watch a few shows regularly, True Blood, Rescue Me and The Office.  BUT I watch a truckload of Lifetime movies and yeah, they're kinda hokey.  Larry calls that The Manhater Channel.  Ha!  I swannee, though, once you sit down and watch one, you've watched three before you realize it.  Especially on the weekends.  Or is that just me?  :)

An item of clothing that is worn and torn but that I love far too much to throw away is a pair of black cotton pajama shorts that I got at Target six years ago.  They are most raggedy.  Big old hole in the butt and everything.  I sleep in 'em just about every night.  I love 'em.  

My grocery store impulse buy is nail polish.  I go in there to get a gallon of milk, a loaf of bread, maybe some bananas and I'll find myself in the cosmetic aisle every time!!  I only polish my toes and since I'm barefoot more often than I'm not and when I'm not, my toes are still showing 'cause I've got on flip flops or sandals, they got to be pretty, right??  

One thing in my life that I could give up but probably never will is Facebook.  I'm totally addicted.  I love expressing myself through my statuses and comments, keeping in touch with my friends and family that I don't get to see very much and just last week, I created a page to bring all my hometown folks together.  It's been so much fun reminiscing and talking about home and sharing memories.  400+ members and still growing!!

A little indulgence I have is a Dairy Queen cone every Sunday afternoon.  Yeah, that's probably why I haven't lost any weight this summer!  I leave Larry at 3:00 and just as a treat on Sundays, I'll stop at DQ and get a vanilla cone.  And sometimes, I'll get it dipped.  :)

The junk drawer/area in my house is virtually nonexistent!  I can't stand clutter!  I do have a utility drawer in my kitchen where I keep extra batteries, matches, a couple of flashlights and my collection of loose screws and nails but even that drawer is neat and organized.  

If you looked in my purse right this second, you would find a small makeup bag filled to capacity with the necessary makeup should one get caught in a torrential downpour and have to redo her face lest she scare folks, a small bottle of contact lens solution and a contact lens case, a spare pair of contacts, a pack of tissues, my old-school address book that still has my sweet mother-in-law's address and phone number in it and for that reason, I'll probably never get rid of it, my silver opera wallet that Ami gave me for Christmas last year that I LOVE, my checkbook with the hippie-peace-love-happiness cover that I bought on Etsy, six blue ink pens, my cell phone and my Canon PowerShot camera.

And yes, my pocketbook weighs 53 pounds.  :)