<p><a href="http://crushitbook.com/" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3123" title="book-header2-trans" src="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/book-header2-trans-227x300.png" alt="" width="227" height="300" /></a>I'm a book junkie.  It all started in my childhood.  When I was 3, I didn't take a stuffed animal or doll to bed.  I snuggled up with the book <em>The Three Little Kittens</em>.</p>

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<p>I still take a novel to bed each night, but rest it on the nightstand when it's time to turn off the lights.  :-)</p>

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<p>Each Christmas, a few books top my Christmas list.  This year, I asked for two books that kept surfacing in conversations with various peeps.  The only specific peep that I can recall at this time is <a href="http://peterpaluska.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Peter Paluska</strong>.</a>  (Thanks, Peter!).  Hell if I can remember the others.  Luckily, I picked up a copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Keep-Your-Brain-Alive-Exercises/dp/0761110526" target="_blank"><strong>Keep Your Brain Alive:  83 Neurobic Exercises to help prevent memory loss and and increase mental fitness </strong></a>when I was shopping for family Christmas presents in Houston. </p>

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<p>Anywho, this year's Christmas List Books were Crush It and Rework.  At one point, when Mom begged me to compile The List for the umpteenth time, these books and an Anne Taintor calendar were the only things that I could think of.  Mom was frustrated, but she got over it.  She should be happy that her daughter asks for books instead of expensive jewelry or electronics.  </p>

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<p>Surprise!  Santa brought me both books!  I guess I was more nice than naughty this year.  Darn. </p>

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<p>Houston, we kinda sorta had a problem though. </p>

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<p>What could possibly be the problem, you ask? </p>

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<p>I get jazzed by non-fiction. </p>

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<p>In fact, I get <em>so</em> jazzed that if I read it during my regular reading hours of right-before-bedtime, I can't sleep.  I have enough issues with my brain refusing to cooperate and turn off at night.  Throw innovative ideas into the mix, and I'm a full-fledged insomniac.  I am limited to my bedtime story (you might call this a "novel") before bed or I am toast the next day. </p>

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<p>Which means that I need to read non-fiction outside of my regular reading hours.  And my Crazy 365 Day Project Blog + New Puppy + Working-for-the-Man Life doesn't have room for reading outside of my regular reading hours right now.  Unless...</p>

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<p>I creatively morph it into one of my 365 days! </p>

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<p>Which is exactly what I did on Day 99.  When I had hours and hours of captured time while traveling back home to my fair city</p>

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<p>(If the <em>Crush It</em> or <em>Rework</em> guys happen to stumble upon this, they're probably as frustrated as my mother right now.  Sorry, guys, but this is a chick blog.  What did you expect?)</p>

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<p>Here's another source of jazziness for me:  airplanes.  Something about airplanes makes me heady and inspired.  My airplane giddiness is not induced by the compressed air.  Or the in-flight cocktails.  Nope.  It's brought on my non-fiction reading binges. </p>

<p><br class="spacer_" />When do I ever get uninterrupted time to read non-fiction?  Never!  But on planes, my attention is captured for hours on end. </p>

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<p>On Day 99, my reading binge plan included both of my Christmas books.  Flying from Houston to Phoenix with a layover in Austin should give me ample time to work my plan.  <em>Crush It</em> is short, and <em>Rework</em> has lots of drawings.  Hurrah! </p>

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<p>What I failed to incorporate in my plan is my uncanny knack for befriending strangers on planes.  It happens nearly every time. </p>

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<p>In the summer, on the way home from Boston, I met an 80 year-old Dutch-American woman with one of the most fascinating life stories I've ever heard.  In the fall, on the way to my grandfather's funeral, I met a married couple who turned out to have everything in the world in common with me. </p>

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<p>One Christmas I even met a soon-t0-be boyfriend on a layover.  By the end of the flight, we were kissing in baggage claim.  It was all very romantic.</p>

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<p>This time, one of my seatmates was hoping to kiss me in baggage claim, but no chemistry on my part, my friends.  Awfully nice guy though.  He chewed my ear off for awhile before passing his phone number to me.  Now I feel like a shallow wench for not calling him.  Argh. </p>

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<p>And then there was the sweet young mother next to me whose 1 year-old I needed to entertain for half the flight.  Bloody hell!  I stopped teaching 2.5 years ago!  Why couldn't I just read my book in peace?  And why did I pay $150 for my perfect pooch to stow under the seat without a peep while your kid is flying free on your lap while trying to grab my dinner and screaming when he doesn't get it???  Humbug. </p>

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<p>SOMEHOW I managed to tune everyone out and at least read Crush It! in its entirety.  Of course, I read it so quicky that I can hardly remember it. </p>

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<p>Just kidding. </p>

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<p><a href="http://37signals.com/rework/" target="_blank"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3124" title="front-cover" src="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/front-cover-186x300.png" alt="" width="186" height="300" /></a></p>