Just depressing

I put on my list "Watch 20 documentaries" because it's an interesting way to learn about things in the world that I don't know much about.  Little did I realize that they are all depressing explorations of the world around us.  Le sigh. 

Case in point:

Waiting for Superman

 

A movie about public schools in America.  It's bad. (Well, actually, this movie was good.  Public schools in the US are bad.)  And depressing. Nick & I finished the movie and turned toward one another and were like "Yikes, how do you fix that?"  I think the worst part was that there were some really smart, revolutionary people working on the problem.  And it seems clear that we know how to do it/what needs to be done.  And there are stubborn annoying terrible people (I'm looking at you, teacher's union leaders) who are looking out for the adults, not the kids.  And not the country.

Here's to hoping some one at some point (soon) can make some progress.

Where do you send your kids?  Nick and I were products of public schools - but is it really as bad as it sounds??

A sad little sub-check.

Adventuring in Sonoma

A year or so ago, LivingSocial and similar websites were all the rage.  Look at all this fun stuff you can do!  And it's cheap! So fun!  And we did a couple, but then I think society got burned out by all the emails, the activities weren't as fun as they sounded when advertised and it wasn't as good a "deal" for getting new business as the companies had thought.  So my "Do 3 LivingSocial things" got modified to "Do 3 new things you wouldn't normally have signed up for".

Number three basically jumped off the sidewalk and tripped us!  While out in Sonoma the other day, we decided to get a glass of wine at this wine bar that we like, but hardly ever go to.  And saw this sign:

Can you read that?  It says "Seminar with wine & food pairings of wines from the EXACT RANDOM REGION IN ITALY THAT CARRIE AND NICK ARE GOING TO IN SIX WEEKS." 

Puglia is the heel of the boot, Sicily is the soccer ball that the "boot of Italy" is kicking. We're spending about half our trip in Puglia, but not heading to Sicily. 

Our seminar leader Lito (Lino? gosh, I forgot already...) worked for a large winery in Italy as their sales guy in the US.  He was super dynamic and brought really fun wines we don't normally get here: Fiano, Nero d'Avola, Negroamaro.  The food pairing was yummy (except that I really just don't like olives...) and one of Nick's co-workers & his wife came too.  Very unfortunately, Nick had to work at 10p - so he was truly just tasting and I "had" to finish his glasses for him.  Equally unfortunately, they were offering the wines at super good prices, Lino said the prices that they were selling for a bottle were the price of one GLASS at most restaurants - but we have so.much.wine. right now that we didn't buy any.  Next time!

And there IS a next time - he's coming back in February!  (And he offered to help us with our trip planning/connections there... I hope he comes through!)

And to #97 - do something fun - 3/3 CHECK!

New obsession

So I get a little obsessy about books.  Sometimes tv shows (hurry back Game of Thrones!!), but mostly books.  And I've mentioned before that I've been checking out a very specific new genre:

Young adult, post-apocalyptic dystopian trilogies

Hunger Games

Graceling

Pure (second one coming out in Feb 2013!)

and now...

Source

Divergent (I haven't read #2 "Insurgent" yet, no spoilers!)

I'm totally obsessy over this.  It's a long book - and I read it twice before returning it (because I check out books from the library, mhm - cool like that).

Anyway, it's being made into a movie and while I don't like the casting I've seen so far, I think it could be greaaaat. 

Which faction would you choose?? And if you haven't read it - go do so and then come back and answer!!  (My Answer: If I wasn't Divergent by chance, then Amity.)