I’ve always been bewitched by books: The feel of them in my hands, the delicious scent of their paper, their world waiting to emerge as I read.

I found it disheartening when the Tudor Book Shop closed last year. I remember so vividly when my parents would take me to the Kingston staple to pick up the latest book in the “Babysitter’s Club” or “Sweet Valley High” series every month.

When word came about Waldenbooks’ recent demise, I had another pit in my stomach. The longtime Wyoming Valley Mall store will close this weekend, but as of Monday night, hardly anything remained but white empty shelves that practically glared in the fluorescent lighting. It was always such a treat to go to this store, too — back before there was a Cross Valley Expressway; it was almost like an excursion when I got to go to Walden. 

Like millions of people, I’ve bought my fair share of extremely well-priced books via the Interweb, but there’s something about a bookstore that feels like home to me, and feels so much better than waiting eagerly for the mail. I love wandering without a certain book in mind among the shelves of tomes aligned like sentinels to see if I can find my next “favorite novel.”

I love Barnes & Noble just as much as I loved Walden and Tudor — which is a good thing since it’s now the only remaining bookstore in Wilkes-Barre’s near vicinity. A bookstore-less mall is sad, but the times, as it has been said, are a-changing.

But my love of curling up with a good book will never stray, regardless of where it’s purchased from. At least us “bookophiles” still have those two inviting B&N homes left here in the Valley.

But before I walk back into those Starbucks-scented havens, I’d like to say thank you for encouraging a lifetime of reading, Waldenbooks. You will be missed and remembered fondly by the little girl I used to be.

I’m pretty miserly with money.

OK, the truth? I’m pretty miserly with my own money — anyone else’s, and I’ll spend, spend, spend as frivolously as I can.

I think I was just born that way, because I certainly wasn’t raised that way. Both my mom and my brother are good at squirreling away for rainy days. Not me. I love shoes, going out for drinks and dinner, shoes, shopping and shoes. In fact, today I am wearing my beloved Uggs that I was finally able to finagle as a Christmas present from my parents.

When I first moved out on my own, I realized just how expensive life on your own can be, especially where groceries are concerned. Obviously, it has only gotten worse over the past few years, and if you’re trying to eat healthy and go heavy on produce? Forget it!

The first few months on my own, I lived high off the hog, as they say, buying expensive brands at the store until I realized just how much I was spending (and just how much of that could and should be going toward utility bills).

So I did what any penny-pincher would do: I started to go generic. Generic cereals, generic cleaning products, generic, generic, generic. Truth be told, my mom was right all those years ago when she’d say you couldn’t tell the difference when I’d throw the name-brand product in her cart.  

I should be commended for how miserly I’ve become. I even use coupons sometimes (yes, like a ’50s housewife, but sans the expandable coupon folder), and I very rarely deviate from my shopping list.

Sure, my store brand honey nut faux Cheerios taste exactly the same, and their rice is, well, rice. But there are some name brands I will never not buy. Jif peanut butter, Q-tips cotton swabs, Bumble Bee tuna, etc. Sometimes there are just no acceptable substitutes.  

Proof: I bought generic cotton swabs for the first time a few weeks back, and the first time I used one, the stick gave out and I damn near took out my eardrum.

No, the lesson I learned was not to refrain from cleaning my ears in such a way that is widely warned about. What I gained from the incident was that sometimes it’s OK to not pinch pennies. 

         
           

           

2009. Wow.

Nothing seems to inspire so much change like the first day of a new year. What is it about Jan. 1 that inspires us so? Is it the fresh, clean slate of a whole new 12 months that is spread out before us like a new notebook?

Last year, I wrote a column about how I wanted 2008 to be different for me, how I was going to stick with every single one of my resolutions for the first time ever.

The usual yearly suspects were there: Lose weight, become a gym rat, divorce my credit card, get a new car, etc., etc. I was even so sure of myself and my willpower that I even vowed to quit smoking, something I’d done on and off since I was 16.

I can proudly say that I have been smoke-free for a full year now and will soon celebrate a one-year anniversary with a new car. 

As for the other stuff, well, let’s just say I talked the talk — or wrote it, more specifically, since my resolutions were printed in the paper — but didn’t walk the walk. Even publishing my resolutions didn’t drive me to follow through. I loved food and loathed exercise too much to stick with that part of my 2008 list.

And so I start back at one, and it’s a tale as old as time. But in ’09, I will be different, because I am different. I feel like I’m not even the same person I was a mere 365 days ago, even without saying goodbye to my Visa or losing weight — at least the latter stayed exactly the same.

For the first time in my lucky life, I am at ease with myself, with who I am, who I’ve grown into and the actions I’ve taken since this time last year. Why would I ever need to change that?

What wouldn’t you change about yourself this year?

About the Author

Nikki M. Mascali interned at the Weekender in 2005 and is proud to have been the paper’s oldest intern. She became the staff writer/designer in 2006 while still obtaining her journalism degree from Luzerne County Community College, which she received in 2007.

Nikki has written about a variety of topics, from a local dominatrix to Larry the Cable to Soulja Boy, Slash and Shinedown — and everything in between. She represents the “she” view for the “He Said/She Said” with Eric Petersen of Froggy 101.3 in the paper and on air at 5 p.m. every other Wednesday. She also attends the monthly KRZ Spotlight Lounge for photographs and exclusive interviews with artists like Plain White T’s, Matt Nathanson and Hinder. See her every Monday on the Weekender homepage in the Weekly Dose video with Editor Michael Lello.

Nikki has a never-ending love for Twitter (follow her at www.twitter.com/nikkimm33), Steve McQueen and Gerard Butler movies, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and eating, hence the reason she’s our food writer. She thanks you for reading her blog because she’s that kind of girl.

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