The Art of Racing in the Rain

Yayyyyy!!!! Today is a special day. Two things.

1.) My sister's birthday.
2.) The day we get to talk about The Art of Racing in the Rain


I was going to wait until tomorrow, but I just can't. Plus, I want to do a special New Year's post tomorrow, so today works better, hope you've finished it…

Before we get started with the fun stuff…here's the boring shizz.

I slept like a rock last night!!!

He's sleeping. Can't you tell?? No…well, me and Rox (rocks) are stealthy like that.

This is 100% due to our brand new pillows!!!!

Look at how lumpy our old ones were! I wasn't kidding people, pure misery.

I'd like to thank Home Goods for our half priced brand spankin' new Calvin Klein pillows!!! Luxury.

After that sleep, I was awoken by our dry cleaning pick up man. Seriously, you guys, look into this. You might just have it in your city, and if you do, it's worth it! 

This would be a really easy way to steal clothes too, if you're low. Just make sure you sign up the really well dressed people for your service! :) Teasing…

After that, I packed Justin's lunch and sent him off to school said bye to Justin as he took off for work.

That gave me some valuable alone time with my other lover.

I'm having an affair.

With VitaTops.

They're tallish, dark, handsome, and sooooo sweet to me.

I'm in love.

Lover brought strawberries and yogurt today…whipped cream's for later ;)

Delish start to my morning!

I felt extry motivated after this, so I headed to the 8:30AM spin class. We got to watch a video with national parks all throughout the west…it followed the road like you were really biking there. It was too cool! Then, I was so excited afterwards, I stayed for the 9:30 Strength and Cardio class. The cardio was rough, but the toning and abs were awesome!

Don't tell the instructor, but I read The Hunger Games for half of the spin class. I'm such a rebel. I can't stop reading it you guys. Every stop light, every waiting line, every walk to the gym… I read a few more pages. The games are just about to start in the book, and I'm so nervous!!!! I can't wait to find out what happens next. Seriously, if you have ever considered reading this series, do it. 

I came home to a quick shower, and lunch much like yesterday's.

Spinach salad with garbanzos, black beans, bagel thin, tomatoes, olive oil, squash, plus added flaxseed and nuts for some of extra calories I burned today. I'm sure the rest will be consumed tomorrow night in liquid form :)

I want to take the time to wish the best sister in the entire world a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Kara is one of those people who totally gets me. She is always on the same page with me, and I have a very special bond with her I've never had with anyone else. Maybe it's because we shared a womb? :) Or maybe it's because as different as we are (I'm an extremely girly, overachieving, crazy adventure seeking person and she's a cool, guys girl, who's super laid back and the sweetest person in the world). Kara is my rock. She is strong when I'm not, she's brave when I'm scared, and she cares for people in a way no one could ever match. I don't know what I would do without my sister in my life, and I want to honor her this year, which has been a very special year for her. I love her as big as the sky :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG!

Venus and Serena

On the way to Key West for her bachlorette party!

Her and aaron

At their wedding. Can you say presh?

On today's to-do list…

1.) White elephant gifts for tomorrow

Look at this gem I found at Salvation Army!! If you haven't seen this movie, you need to.

I also found some really cute clothes.

How bout that pattern and those neckline crisscrosses, eh?! ehhh?!?

Or maybe a western floor length denim dress for the lady???

2.) Get glasses fixed

Check out mah specks!! They fix my heed now!!! I realize this is a hideous picture of me…but I'll take funny over flattering any day.

3.) Go over Target paperwork

4.) Kara's birthday present (can't tell you what it is yet!)

5.) Hang new sconces

Home Goods. $12. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

6.) Pick out what I'm going to wear on New Year's Eve!

I was extra snacky today. 

Apples, bananas, cinnamon, pumpkin, and whipped cream.. I seriously need to back off on the cinnamon.

New snach (the cool way to spell snack)… celery with laughing cow cheese and turkey! Forget ants on a log…this is skin box on a log!!!! Mmmm…shalty….

After getting lost in The Hunger Games for a while, I fixed a few bowls of chili and settled into a low key Friday night with my sweatheart….. errr sweetheart. Same thing.

Ok…let's get down to business people. If you have not read the book… PLEASE STOP READING HERE!!!!! 

The Art of Reading in the Rain

Discussion Questions

1.) Some early readers of the novel have observed that viewing the world through a dog's eyes makes for a greater appreciation of being human. Why do you think this is?

I think the author focuses a lot on what the dog cannot do, such as communicate. You can feel the frustration the dog feels when he wants to contribute to the conversation or tell someone something really important. I think a lot of times, we take this ability to say what we fell for granted. By seeing the world through Enzo's eyes, you really feel what it would be like without these abilities.

2.) Enzo's observations throughout the novel provide insight into his world view. For example:

• "The visible becomes inevitable."
• "Understanding the truth is simple. Allowing oneself to experience it, is often terrifically difficult."
• "No race has ever been won in the first corner; many races have been lost there."
  
  How does his philosophy apply to real life?

The first one really rings true with me in real life. I think when we start to believe something about ourselves or others, we start to gather evidence to support this belief. The more evidence we gather, the more we "are right about it", the more the "truth" becomes reality. Take a little girl for example, for her entire childhood, she hides behind her mother's legs. Everyone encounters says, "Oh, you're so shy!" or "Why are you being so shy?" So, in the little girls mind, she becomes shy. This is a trait that she must have because other people perceive this about her. Her actions are dictated by this thought about herself and she remains withdrawn even into her adulthood. She will always and forever be "shy" because of this belief about herself.

3.) In the book's darkest moments, one of Zoe's stuffed animals -- the zebra -- comes to life and threatens him. What does the zebra symbolize?

The zebra in my mind, is the darkest of us as humans. It's the terrible things our mind gets away with whether we like it or not. Everyone has bad moods, terrible thoughts, or other negative emotions. I think the zebra is the physical embodiment of this dark side of human nature.

4.) Can you imagine the novel being told from Denny's point of view? How would it make the story different?

The book would have been much darker in my opinion. Denny shows little emotion except to Enzo. He tends to remain the rock for his family. I think Enzo's uplifting view of Denny and his character made the book more uplifting than the story would have been with Denny's point of view.

5.) In the first chapter, Enzo says: "It's what's inside that's important. The soul. And my soul is very human." How does Enzo's situation--a human soul trapped in a dog's body--influence his opinions about what he sees around him? How do you feel about the ideas of reincarnation and karma as Enzo defines them?

Enzo has an incredible ability to perceive people in the way only a dog could. Without judgement and with all the senses. This makes for a very interesting point of view. I LOVE his ideas of reincarnation that he will come back as a human when he's ready. I think it gives him hope that one day he will have the ability to voice his mind, and the fact that at the end of the book, he has his chance as a boy is soooo adorable. This was my favorite part of the book.

6.) Do you find yourself looking at your own dog differently after reading this novel?

Well, I don't have a dog, but just being around other dogs, I don't really view them differently. Maybe this is because I already had the belief that dogs have their own opinions, that they have their own soul and it's very human-like. Too many times, I have seen my own dogs look at me with the eyes that they know exactly what I'm saying or thinking. Too many times, my own pups have known that it was a time to comfort me or play or snuggle. I think their intuition is higher than that of humans even.

7.) In the book, we get glimpses into the mindset and mentality of a race car driver. What parallels can you think of between the art of racing and the art of living?

Living and racing both require you to feel in control of your own destiny, both require much patience at times and equally as much gusto at other times.

Overall, I thought this book was very sweet. I wasn't expecting it to be literally about racing, I thought racing in the rain would be the dog's version of racing in the rain. I loved hearing all the thoughts that Enzo had and I thought his intuition about Eve's disease and people's characters was amazing, and I hope to think that all dogs have this much connection to humans. I thought this book was adorable!

What did you guys think about this book if you've read it? I would love to hear from you!

Godnatt! That's good night in Swedish! I'm trying to learn some key terms for my upcoming trip!