Things not said (kind of long)

I got home Wednesday night after having spent the last two months in Arkansas looking out for my step-father's best interests while he recovered from a car accident (he's still not fully recovered but it was decided I needed to come home). While I was gone I had some things done to my house, like some construction work and then I had someone come and clean my house because I wanted to be able to come home and relax in a clean house - and that wasn't happening without an intervention. ;)

Anyway, there were some things that I thought went without saying, but apparently I was wrong. So, I want to take this time to say those things now. . .

To both the construction crew and cleaning crew (because I don't know who was at fault in these things):

First of all, I can't imagine that either of you would be okay if someone came into your house and tampered with your air conditioning thermostat. Well, I'm not particularly okay with one of you tampering with mine. But, if you were going to be so uncooth and do such a thing, the least you could have done was put it back where you found it before you left. At least that way I would've never known what you'd done.

Oh, and it's not enough that all the pieces of the items you broke were together. Couldn't you have just given me a heads' up and said, "hey, I'm really sorry but (insert item) got broken. It was an accident and think it can be glued back together - I'll leave all the pieces together for you." Yeah, that definitely would've been better than coming home and finding things broken throughout the house.

Okay, you both pulled my washing machine out to do work. One of you did something horribly wrong because now it floods the laundry room and hallway every time I do a load of laundry. Totally not cool and I think one of you should have to pay to have it fixed - you can work out the "who" amongst yourselves.

To the contractor I want to say:

I'm a single woman with a normal car. You knew that when I hired you to do the work. If your fees don't include hauling off crap, it would be nice to know that because I thought that was included in your fees. It was a bit of a shock to come home and find that I'm going to have to figure out how to get the paneling you removed hauled off. For future reference, I think this should be something discussed with your clients. I, for one, would've happily paid additional costs to have it hauled off.

Okay, there apparently was some miscommunication about the repairs to the walls. I don't recall the word "except" being used when I pointed to specific spots I wanted repaired. When I said "all" places on the walls, it also included the big honking hole in the bathroom wall but I guess I wasn't clear about that.

As for the baseboards, well, I have a couple of questions. Is there a reason you only did three of the four walls in my bedroom closet? And is there a reason you didn't put the same stuff you put under the kitchen cabinets under the bathroom cabinets? I'm just a little curious.

Oh, and the phone line. I know the baseboards you installed were thicker than the ones that had been removed but couldn't you have hidden the line and re-attached the outlet when you put in the new baseboard? Seriously, did you think I wouldn't notice the difference?

And for the cleaning person I have a lot to say to her:

I'm a dog person. You knew this before you came out because we discussed it. So telling me that I shouldn't let my dogs in the house ever again was out of line. Telling me once could have been considered constructive criticism, but telling me over and over and over (and over again) because you didn't think I was understanding what you were saying was totally uncalled for. As was taking everything dog related out of my house and throwing it into the garage, because you didn't think they should be in the house. The fact that I had to clean all that stuff when I brought it back into the house means you didn't do your job!

Oh, and it's in very poor form to quote a price for a job and then, once you're done, tell the person that they owe you an additional $20 for cleaning supplies. Seriously, that should've been captured in your quote. If you forgot to mention that supplies were extra, you really should have to eat the cost. Leaving the receipt and all the bottles of supplies on my kitchen counter wasn't cool. For one, it meant that I had to clear my kitchen counter and then wipe it back down when I got home. Something else I paid you to do. For another thing, it let me know that over half the items you made me pay for weren't even used. In short, you made me pay for things you didn't use and I don't need. Not a good way to get a recommendation.

When we talked about the job, I stressed to you that I really wanted you to focus on my bathrooms. The guest bathroom was disgusting and the master bath needed some special attention as well. I said those would be your money makers when you gave me the quote - remember that? Anyway, given that the topic that I went on and on about were my bathrooms, you can imagine my surprise to come home and find that both toilets still need scrubbing as did the master bathtub. I don't know how I could have been more clear about wanting you to focus on those areas. If you don't do bathrooms, you should have told me when we first talked.

I suppose you noticed all the baskets I have throughout my house. I use them to help keep things organized. In the master bath I have all the stuff I use in one. It makes for better organization and easier clean up. I just have to take the basket off the counter to wipe it down and put it back on the counter when the counter is dry. So, why you decided to pitch the basket under the sink and empty its items onto the counter, I don't understand. It just created more work for you - and me, since I had to put stuff back in the basket when I got home.

Ditto for the basket of movies in the living room. Why would you empty them onto assorted shelves on my entertainment center when they were all in one place in the basket? Again, you created unnecessary work for the both of us.

And while it could be considered nice that you put all the magazines into one pile, they were sorted based on what I had read and hadn't read. If you'd left the ones that were in a basket alone, it would've been okay. But, you couldn't do that, could you?

I didn't ask (or expect) you do wash my draperies. I can appreciate the gesture though. However, if you're going to take them down, it would've been nice if you had put them back up correctly. The fact that I now have to take them back down and figure out what the correct way to put them back up again annoys me to no end.

I feel similarly about you washing my walls. I didn't ask or expect you to do that. It's a nice gesture but I can tell exactly where you were when you decided you'd had enough of that and stopped. The fact that you went on and on (and on) about washing my walls and to come and see exactly where you left off doesn't lend itself to a recommendation from me.

And I'm curious - was there a reason you decided to rearrange furniture in my bedroom? Also, I'm assuming you don't watch TV or know how cable works because when you unplugged the cable box to plug in the lamp you moved to the other side of my bedroom, you rendered the TV it was attached to useless. I thought that was just common sense but apparently I was mistaken.
I'm not sure why you thought it necessary to rearrange items in my refrigerator (including the shelves). Things were arranged as they were for a reason. But that aside, if you were going to spend that much time on the refrigerator, wouldn't it have made sense for you to wipe down the the door and its handles too? After all, people see those before they see what's inside. Just saying.

As for your leaving my door unlocked - well, it worked out well and saved some time, seeing as you turned off the power to my garage door opener and I wasn't able to come in that way.

I have to hand it to you though, you though - you really cleared out the guest bathroom of "stuff". Of course, I'm not sure why everything was put in the living room. Seriously, I'd really like to understand what you were thinking by leaving that role of toilet paper on the table in the living room. I know sometimes a person can hardly wait but if they can't make it to the bathroom in time, I don't think a role of toilet paper in the living room is really going to be much of a help. Just saying.

And last of all, the phone books in the closet may have been a couple of years old but considering they were the only phone books in the entire house, I don't see where you thought it was okay to throw them out. It makes me wonder what else you threw out and so now I'm forced to go through the two huge trash bags you filled to see what else you deemed unnecessary in my life (thank goodness the dogs weren't here when you were throwing things out!).

In short, you created more work for me to do than there would have been if I'd just cleaned my house myself when I got home. So next time I need my house cleaned, I will definitely look elsewhere.

I also have a couple of things to say to others that weren't hired to do things. . .

To my friend that watched my house for me. Could you please return my calls and let me know where a month's worth of my mail is? Did you forward it after I told you I was coming home or are you still holding on to it? It doesn't matter either way but I'd like to know what's going on and your avoiding my calls and not returning my messages is aggravating as all get out.

To my neighbor who tossed his trash in my backyard. Knowing I was gone is no excuse. And telling me that you were waiting until I got home to clear it out doesn't fly. If you'd cleared it out while I was gone, I would've never known what you'd done. Waiting until I got home only caused me inconvenience because I had to lock my dogs up while you cleared out something that never should've been in my backyard to begin with. Not terribly neighborly if you ask me.

So there you go. That's what I came home to and had to deal with. They were all things I would've thought didn't need to be said but apparently they did. And now they're said. All that's left is for me to clean up behind the people I paid to clean up after themselves.

I know, long rant but well, I think it's over now. :)

Hope you're all having a great weekend.

~L

Snow Bound

A few years ago my car needed some repairs because part of a tire was flung up onto my car on the highway, doing approximately $3000 worth of damage to my car. The only vehicle the rental car place had was an extended cab, Ford F-150 truck. I was scared spitless of driving it because it was like a tank. I was the person on the road who was driving 5 miles an hour (no matter what the limit) and hugging the line on the driver's side. It was ridiculous, but it was all I had to drive.

Fast forward a few years when I was driving to see my step-father for Christmas and got stranded in the snow in Little Rock. Scared the crap out of me! Spent two nights in a Little Rock hotel and then turned around and went home. Never even saw my step-father.

Two years ago at Christmas I got to see my step-father but it snowed after I got here. We were in town when it started snowing and enough snow had fallen by the time we got home that I didn't think we were going to make it up the mountain to his house (did I mention he lives at the top of a mountain? yeah, he does.). Again, scared out of my mind. We finally made it up the mountain but were stranded for a couple of days. I was supposed to leave the next day so I had to extend my stay because I couldn't get down the mountain.

Well, I've been up here at my step-father's for a while now (still up here helping with his recovery from his car accident) and we've been lucky in the snow department (although it DID snow Christmas day - the roads were passable though). That is until this weekend. It snowed Saturday night and all day yesterday. My step-father is at the nursing home in town and I haven't been able to get there in two days because I'm stranded on the mountain (fortunately I had stocked up on food a couple of days before this happened - I hadn't planned to but when I got to the store to pick up a couple of items, I decided it would keep me from having to go again in a few days so it worked out great!).

Anyway, his friends called me today and wanted me to check out his car because it has 4-wheel drive. Well, the battery is deader than a doorknob so they walked me through charging the battery. Which is all well and good, except I think they expect me to drive into town now! Did I mention that it's a suburban and makes the truck the rental place gave me feel like the tiniest of cars? Who in their right mind would want someone who is not comfortable driving a big car and is scared spitless of driving in the snow, driving a big car in the snow??? Seriously, are these people nuts?

So, if you hear a news report that some crazy lady is driving a big ass suburban and has traffic backed up for 20 miles because she's driving so slow, well, just know it wasn't my idea!

Best Of. . .

If I remember correctly, one of my goals for 2009 was to read more books than I had in 2008. Well, I was two shy of reading twice as many books this past year! That happened, in part, because I had more books to read for classes and in part because I've added 25 books to the list since I left my house on November 8th to come to Arkansas to be with my step-father during his recovery from his car accident.

Anyway, here, in no particular order other than the order they were read, were my favorite reads of 2009:

Book Read for Pleasure
Zombie Queen of Newberry High by Amanda Ashby - the first few pages started slow but then I loved it!
Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich - I couldn't tell you what it was about but I can say with confidence that I've loved all of the Stephanie Plum books
Bunco Babes Tell All by Maria Geraci - I loved this debut book of Maria Geraci. I used to be part of a bunco group (and miss it!) and this was just such a fun book to read. :o)
Names My Sisters Call Me by Megan Crane - this book was about relationships between sisters. I could relate to so much about the relationships and normally this would not be a good thing, given my relationship with my own sisters, BUT it was written in such a way that I had a good feeling when I finished it. I really enjoyed it.
Not Another Bad Date by Rachel Gibson - when I think about this book, I can't remember what exactly made me really like it, but I do remember that I did. :o)
Finger Licking Fifteen by Janet Evanovich - see comment to other Stephanie Plum book :o)
What Happens in London by Julia Quinn - Julia Quinn's books are always so easy to read - light and fun. It feels like she sat down and wrote it all in one day, it flows so well. With the exception of one random scene that felt like it was thrown in to add pages, this was a typical Julia Quinn read for me.
Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella - by far my favorite book of the year. I've been a fan of Sophie Kinsella's since I read the first in the shopaholic series but this has been my favorite book of hers to date. Absolutely loved it.
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger - I loved this story and the way it was told. I think it would be aweseome in audio format. This one is a list topper for me too.
Just One of the Guys by Kristan Higgins - I asked for recommendations of books and Jamie recommended a different book by this author. Since I had this one already, I read it and it was a lot of fun.
Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson (audio version) - This had a sweet storyline that I really liked. It's what I listened to on my drive up to Arkansas.
Bunco Babes Gone Wild by Maria Geraci - The second in Maria Geraci's Bunco Babe series. It was as good as the first. :o)
This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper - Gabrielle Luthy recommended this one on her blog and so I thought I'd give it a shot. It was hysterical! I was reading it the day we had to take my step-father to the emergency room with his gall bladder. People were in the waiting room with injuries and illnesses and I was laughing hysterically. They probably thought mine was a head injury. ;o)


Books Read for School
Changing Places by David Lodge - This book was a lot of fun to read. The author made fun of writers, teachers, academia, life in general. Out of context the material may not be as funny but in the context it was written, it was great. Loved it.
Lysistrata by Aristophanes - funny
Emma by Jane Austen - I really enjoyed this book.
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi - based on her life and told in cartoon form, this was a very unique book and I really enjoyed it - enough to buy the second part and read it.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain - I really liked this story a lot. Loved the way it was told.

So, those were my top picks of what I read in 2009, what are some of your top picks?

For Breast Cancer Awareness

Have you seen this? The staff of an Oregon hospital put this together to help raise awareness for breast cancer. All levels of staff participated from the janitors and cafeteria staff to administrative staff, doctors and nurses. Pretty awesome, if you ask me. :o)

Stuff

I know it's been a while since I've blogged but a lot has been going on. Most recently, I came to Arkansas to help out with my step-father. He was in a car accident three weeks ago and, well, things are not going exactly to plan.

But, when I was driving up here I was surprised to find that there actually are parts of Texas that have a fall season. I got a bit excited because I thought it'd be cool to see the fall colors and even take some pictures.

Well, when I got to my step-father's, this is what greeted me:

No color. :o(

BUT, you know what wasn't disappointing? Maria Geraci's Bunco Babes Gone Wild.

I finished it today - and loved it! I loved her debut book Bunco Babes Tell All and pre-ordered BBGW back in July. And can I just say that it lived up to the first book.

I'll sum it up this way.....

It is a truth universally acknowledged that when Maria Geraci writes a book, it is good. :o)

Thursday's Roses

I'll eventually put up a "real" post, but for now, you have until midnight tonight to listen to today's "Roses".....

Listen here.

Check this out

I've blogged about Roula and Ryan's Roses before where someone who thinks their significant other may be stepping out on them can test that by seeing who they would send roses to. Well, they've started posting the session online the day of the thing. So, every Thursday from 9:00 a.m. until midnight, it can be listened to.

Today's was really interesting and can be heard here until midnight tonight. In a nutshell, the girl said she'd gotten an STD from her supposed monogamous boyfriend and wanted to see who he would send roses to so she could possibly find out who else he was sleeping with. Long story short, he wouldn't play along so they had to tell him who they were and he said she was a psycho and then she said she was pregnant (and no one believed her). It was pretty wild. So, if you come across this today (Thursday), you should check it out. It comes in three parts, just click on them and you'll hear the whole thing.

In other news, I saw on the news the other day where you can have books emailed to you daily. Some are free, some are for a fee but I found it interesting and thought I'd pass it along. You can check it out here.

Weird Dreams

I've been having some weird dreams lately. The first one I'm going to share, rather than tell you the dream, I'm going to tell you the conversation I had with a co-worker about it. It went like this:

Me: I had this weird dream last night. I dreamed that I thought someone was trying to kill me.

Her: Oh no!

Me: So I would go to family member's houses to hide out and they would leave the doors and all open and then leave!

Her: I think that means that your family member's doors are open to you, if you need them.

Me: No, no. You don't understand. I would go to my family and say, "I think someone is trying to kill me. Can I hide out here for a while?" They'd say "sure" then open all the doors and windows and then they'd leave.

Her: Oh.

Me. Yeah. I think my family has a hit out on me.

The other dream wasn't quite as straightforward.

I dreamed that I woke up one morning tired (not such a stretch, by any means) and didn't want to go into work (not a stretch in the least). But I was really tired and didn't feel like getting up off the couch to go get ready. I finally decided to call in and say I would be late. It was weird because I was calling the supervisor I had when I was in law. Not only am I not in law anymore (thank goodness!!!!!) but the supervisor I was calling is no longer with the company. Anyway, I was calling in and didn't want to actually talk to my supervisor so I left a message with her assistant. After I'd called in, I was annoyed with myself for saying I'd be in later. After all, I'd just given birth to a baby and I deserved some time off! My family (you know, the ones who in my dreams a few days later put a hit out on my life? yeah those people) was visiting to help me out with the newborn - and apparently the delivery because it comes out in the dream that I gave birth at home. Anyway, I'm annoyed with myself and trying to decide if I should call back and say I won't be in at all that day when I look up at my sister and ask, "How long ago did I give birth?" and she said, "Ten days ago." I hadn't thought it had been that long ago. But then again, the baby I'd just birthed was running (literally) around the coffee table and chasing the dogs - at ten days old. But I was still trying to figure out how to not have to go in to work so I started thinking - out loud - wondering exactly how long I could get off for childbirth. Thing was, I hadn't told anyone I'd just had a baby (apparently nobody had noticed I was pregnant?). So, I decided I'd go to the doctor and get a note. So I called my doctor. Her nurse said she didn't have any openings for weeks (which is very unusual...I can almost always get in the same day) and asked what the issue was. I told her I needed a check up following childbirth and explained that neither me or the baby had seen a doctor since I'd given birth and I was told to come right in and they'd work me in. I was getting everything ready to go to the doctor and thinking about how I would ask for an extended period of time off - with a doctor's note so I'd get paid - when I woke up.

I have no clue what that dream means. Thoughts?

And what about you? Any interesting dreams lately? Or is it just me and Jamie? :o)

Expensive Reading Group

I've always wanted to participate in a reading group where a book that will be read is determined, followed by a book discussion. I did that a little bit online over at RWA Online but I've always wanted to do the face-to-face kind of discussions.

Then a few days ago it hit me. I AM doing that. It's called school! The instructors decide what books we'll read and then we have to come back and discuss them the next week.

It just goes to show that there is something to the old adage that you should be careful what you wish for because while, in theory this is what I wanted, it wasn't exactly what I had in mind. ;o)

Okay, maybe I have a problem

Last year I took two weeks off during the holidays. During that time I changed some things around my house. I wanted to give it a more homey feel and I wanted it to be more reflective of my life. To that end, I took some baskets that I had and filled them with books waiting to be read and distributed them around my . . . living (in my defense, it is a big living room!).

Of course this doesn't include what I have on my bookshelf that's unread (the middle shelf - yes, it's dwindling somewhat but keep in mind, it is two books deep).

Or what's unread on my book carousel, which is one and a half sides of it.

Yet, when today's mail came and these came in

I got all excited. I was expecting the two on the left but the two on the right were a surprise (I'd won a contest and was expecting Margo Maguire's Wild but she threw in the other two for good measure!).

This doesn't include three others that have already shipped but not arrived or the ones that I pre-ordered and will be coming in the next few months. It also doesn't include the amazon order waiting for my gift card to come in.

School starts up again on Monday and pleasure reading will be put on hold again so I've been trying to get as much reading in this summer as possible and well, I'm kind of thinking I might not be able to read all my unread books by then...

Looking for Suggestions and a Giveaway

I'm on one of my book buying binges. It doesn't help that I know in a few weeks I'm going to have another $25 gift card to amazon.com or that I know in a few weeks after that, I'll have a $75 gift card to spend as I please (and trust me when I say, it will go towards books at amazon.com). Which is why I need your help. As you might remember, I've ordered so many books from them that amazon has started recommending books in different languages to me.

So, I'm looking for suggestions on books to put in my cart (so that I'm ready to go when the gift cards come in, because I can't wait . . . not that I have a problem or anything!). Have you read anything recently that you just loved? Why did you love it?

Or, tell me how you decide to give a new author a chance? Word of mouth? Website? And speaking of websites, what do you look for in an author website? Me, I like excerpts from books. I've bought several books after amazon recommended them to me (and I liked the cover or the title - or both) and I checked out the website. I'm telling you, a good excerpt and that book is mine. Which means an author without excerpts, well, I might still buy the book but the chances are better if I get a taste of it.

And what about book trailers? I still say that the trailer for The Fidelity Files was great! Sold me AND the book lived up to the trailer.

Oh, but about the giveaway. . . all you have to do is post a comment (maybe answer a question or two above, although I suppose that's optional) and you're entered to win a book that I have duplicates of.

Score one for Hollywood

So, I went to see The Time Traveler's Wife yesterday as planned. The night before I got my People magazine and they had a review of it. Normally I won't read a review before I see a movie because I don't want to be influenced by it but since I'd read the book, I didn't figure it could hurt.

Let's start with the reviewer gave it two out of four stars and says ". . . is a swoony love story that gets too caught up in explaining the mechanics and minutiae of its hero's wanderings woes, including a subplot in which a doctor discovers Henry is "chrono-impaired". "

Um, reviewer person? I have two comments about the "subplot" you diss in your review... 1) No more than ten minutes of the two hour movie were spend on that matter and 2) it was a BIG deal in the book, which you obviously haven't read.

She goes on to say she was put off by ". . . queasy-making scenes as Henry chatting up Clare when he's a 40ish adult and she's a young girl." Um, again, big part of the story, if you've read the book. But whatever. Who says you have to do your homework to get something published in a magazine that has the circulation that People does?

But this wasn't supposed to be a critique of one critic. No, it's supposed to be MY review of the movie.

Let me start by saying the book was over 500 pages long. I knew going in that there was no way they could cover everything from the book. I just didn't want them changing it so much that it was unrecognizable to the book.

Well, I loved the movie as much as I did the book. I found myself smiling quite a bit throughout it, much like I did while reading the book. For what it was able to include in the movie, it stayed pretty close to the book. Yes a few scenes were altered or combined but all-in-all the effect was still the same.

I will say that I'm not certain that I would have followed everything as well as I did, had I not read the book first but, I went with a friend who hasn't read the book and she enjoyed it as well. She didn't seem to have a problem following what was going on. Now, when I told her a few things they left out, she said that she wanted to read the book.

My opinion? I would've given it 4 out of 4 stars. :-)

Books made into movies

When the previews came out for The Time Traveler's Wife, I knew I wanted to see the movie. Then, I heard it was based on a novel.

You all are familiar with my book addiction by now so I probably shouldn't have to tell you that I had to buy the book and read it before the movie came out. Well, okay, you might not have known the last part about me - if I know it was a book first, I want to read the book first (and am kind of annoyed that someone pointed out that Julie & Julia is based on a book now!!! But I digress.) - before I see the movie. But yeah, I bought the book Saturday night and finished it Monday after work.

Loved it.

Which is kind of my point. I don't see how the movie can capture everything it needs to to tell the story that the book tells. I still want to see the movie but I don't want to be disappointed.

There are a couple of exceptions where I liked the movie better than the book (The Constant Gardener, Under the Tuscan Sun and Message in a Bottle come to mind) but in those instances, I saw the movie first (in the cases of The Constant Gardener and Under the Tuscan Sun I would have never gone to see the movies if it depended on my opinion of the book!). In the case of Confessions of a Shopaholic, the previews didn't look anything like what I'd imagined when I'd read the book, so I wouldn't go see the movie. I didn't think I would like it. I still don't.

Anyway, my question to you is, do you like books that are made into movies? Will you go see a movie without reading the book first? Or do you wait until after you see the movie? Which do you typically prefer (if you do read and see the movie)? And why do you think that is?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Oh, and for the record, I still plan to go see The Time Traveler's Wife this weekend. Me and my best friend will be sitting in the 11:30 a.m. showing Saturday morning. I'll let you know what I think. :-)

My Life According to The Beatles

I totally stole this from Mel (who has a debut book out, by the way...Bite Me. You can totally order it here).

THE RULES: Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. Pass it on to 15 people you like and include me. You can't use the band I used. Try not to repeat a song title. It's a lot harder than you think! Repost as "my life according to (band name)"

Pick your Artist:
The Beatles

Are you a male or female:
Girl

Describe yourself:
A Taste of Honey

How do you feel:
I feel fine

Describe where you currently live:
Nowhere Man

If you could go anywhere, where would you go:
Here, There and Everywhere

Your favorite form of transportation:
Flying

Your best friend is:
She's a Woman

You and your best friends are:
Free as a Bird

What's the weather like:
Here Comes the Sun

Favorite time of day:
Good Morning, Good Morning

If your life were a TV show, what would it be called:
You Won't See Me

What is life to you:
Getting Better

Your fear:
The Fool on the Hill

What is the best advice you have to give:
Don't ever change

Thought for the Day:
Let it Be

How you would like to die:
Too Much Monkey Business

Your soul's present condition:
Glad all over

Your motto:
Don't bother Me

You might have a problem if...

I've told you all how much of a book ho I am. Pretty much all my disposable income goes towards books.

I have a carousel FULL of books. A bookshelf that's three deep and two up full of books. Baskets of books all over the house. I even have some in my "linen" closet. As one of my ex-bosses used to tell people, I pretty much have boxes on every flat surface in my house.

I get most of my books through amazon.com. Seriously, I pay someone's salary over there - but I digress.

Anyway, at work we can earn gift cards up to $75 every quarter by being safe. I spend mine on books (at amazon.com). So a couple of weeks ago I got online and ordered $75 worth of books - most of which were pre-orders (I've never done that before but I LOVE the idea that for the next few months, books will just be showing up out of the blue :-) ).

Then, I realized that I'm about to receive a $25 amazon gift card (my credit card gives me "points" towards getting the gift cards) in a few days. The $25 will go towards books, of course. So, I was online looking for books I wanted to put in my "cart" so that I would be good to go when the gift card came in and this one was recommended for me by amazon...

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of Julia Quinn's. LOVE her books. But this is a translated book - ie NOT in English.

What is amazon saying? I mean, I realize they base their recommendations based on past purchases and what you've "viewed" but trust me when I say that I haven't been buying or looking at non-English books because I only speak/read English and sign language (and I'm pretty sure books aren't out in sign language). So, is what amazon is saying is that I've read all the books written in English? That if I want to read something "new" I have to go to translated books?

If that's the case, I'm going to need to stock up on the English to "other language" books! :-)

New Favorite Book

Sophie Kinsella has a knack for creating quirky characters that you love. And TWENTIES GIRL is no different.

For me it is kind of a cross between IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE and BRIDGET JONES' DIARY.

Lara Lington hears a not-so still small voice in her ear at her great aunt Sadie's funeral. The problem is, the voice is coming from great aunt Sadie's ghost! Sadie wants the funeral stopped until they can locate her favorite necklace and she won't let up on Lara until she successfully stops the funeral. With no warning and no time to come up with a better plan to stop/postpone the funeral, Lara declares that her dear old great aunt (who was 105 at the time of her death) did not die of natural causes, but was in fact murdered. When pressed for specifics, she's hard pressed to come up with details, particularly considering she never really met her great aunt Sadie but the word "murder" was enough to delay the funeral.

As if dealing with the fallout of the declaration of the supposed murder isn't enough, Lara is also dealing with a floundering business and the end of her latest relationship - not to mention her meddlesome aunt's ghost. And in typical Kinsella style, it is hysterical.

As the story unfolds, the relationship between Lara and Sadie grows. Yes, there is a romance thrown in for good measure but, for me, the heart of the story lies with Lara and Sadie.

TWENTIES GIRL is about values, family and leaving your mark on the world - whether you realize you've done so or not. It's a touching, feel good story that had me laughing hysterically (thankfully I read it at home!) and getting emotional about the characters. Not only is it my favorite Kinsella book to date, it is quite possibly my favorite book of all time.

I highly recommend it.

Another something new

Did I mention that I joined the gym while I was on vacation a few weeks ago? Yeah. Not only did I join the gym, I signed up for trainer training. I wanted a few sessions where someone tells me what machines to use (or what weights to use) and how to do the "exercise" properly so that I can lose weight, firm up and gain upper body strength. I signed up for three sessions with the option to get more later - for a fee of course. He asked that I go to the gym at least three times before I met with him.

That meant that I couldn't meet with him on our originally scheduled time last week - I hadn't gone at all.

But this week I was better. I went to kickboxing on Monday. It was different than I expected it to be but it was definitely a good workout.

Tuesday was a spin class. It was my first one ever. It was a good workout but OMG my legs are STILL sore!!! And you know how when you get off the bike you're usually straddling it for a minute and then you swing one leg over the peddle area to "dismount"? Well, when I was in the straddle position the thought that went through my head was "I don't think I can lift my leg over that." Then later when I got home, I heard Harley bark outside and heard a noise that could have been some poor critter getting injured and as I "jumped" out of my chair to try to save it, I realized that if its survival depended on my ability to move quickly and stop my dog from injuring it, it was in sad shape. Seriously bad shape. I could barely move. Fortunately Harley came in almost immediately and he wasn't carrying any creatures in his mouth so I think it was just a false alarm (I hope!).

Wednesday we (a lady at work has been going with me. she lives in Tennessee and has been working with us this summer but she's going back in a couple of weeks so I'm losing my workout buddy) had planned to do the step aerobics but when I told her I was too sore, she confessed she was too, so we went to a resistance training class instead.

That's where we met the nazi instructor from hell. She would show us what to do and then stand over us and yell at us if we weren't doing it EXACTLY how she showed us. I'm not even kidding. She was very rude and offensive. Very unprofessional. And it was all made worse because SHE wasn't even doing the exercises herself! Totally ticked me off. My friend felt the same way and another lady flat out told her she was a bitch and walked out of the class. Okay, so she did come back but she also told me she didn't like the instructor.

We were going to to Yoga last night but we didn't for two reasons: 1) my friend had another commitment and 2) nazi instructor was subbing for the regular yoga instructor. So I gave my body the day off.

But, I had been three times in the week so I was able to meet with my trainer. Now, remember, all I want to do is learn how to work the machines properly - the ones that will best help me reach my goal - that's it. And I'm fine with paying a professional to do it. He has me fill out a form and starts asking me some questions. He uses some thing to "pinch" my fat and then tells me he needs to weigh me.

Uh, that's not happening! And I let him know that. I haven't been letting my doctor weigh me but I'm going to let someone at a gym do it? Don't think so. So, what does he do? He says I have to give him a number...of my weight. Uh, hon, if I was going to TELL YOU my weight, I would have just let you weigh me. We'll pass on that option too. Then he wanted to take my measurements. Like I was going to go there? That'd be a no!

Now, for those that might think I needed to let him weigh and measure me I have this to say...it's not important to me if they think I'm making adequate progress. It's only important if I think I'm making adequate progress. I'm not doing this for them - I'm doing it for me. For me, that's the bottom line. Their opinion doesn't really matter to me - only mine does.

But anyway, then he had me do some squats so he could evaluate some things about my body? I'm not sure. I made sure he understood that I didn't quite have full function/control over my legs yet and he supposedly took that into consideration.

We did a couple of machines (so he could note some more things about me) and then we went back so he could ask me how many reps/how much weight/etc. I wanted to do. Um, yes I'm a trainer virgin but I thought that was your job to know? I basically told him that too - only a little nicer (I think).

He tried to plant the seed that I would need more sessions with him than the three I signed up for and ultimately I might get more but again, it will be because I want to, not because I'm being pressured to.

Overall, it's all been a decent experience. The one real stand out BAD experience was the nazi instructor but then, I don't have to take her classes if I don't want to. :)

And then there were two

Have you been watching The Bachelorette this season? Is it just me or does it seem like each season the producers want to just up the drama?

I haven't been deleting the episodes after I watch them but because my DVR is almost full and because the season is almost over, I have been re-watching all of this season's shows this weekend.

First let me say, I can't believe Stephen got let go on week one. He was so cute and funny. Mark made it to week seven I think and you know what? I didn't even remember him from the show!

But I digress.

In week two the guys had to vote for who they wanted off the show. I clearly remember being disappointed that they couldn't vote for Wes because he already had a rose. Re-watching this weekend I didn't feel the same (intense) animosity towards him. Maybe it's because I know he was finally found out and booted from the show. I just know that watching it again, I was surprised that he'd evoked such a strong (negative) reaction so early.

I fell in love with Jake and Kiptyn all over again. I was a bit disappointed in Jake for coming back and telling on Wes. Not that I didn't want Wes discovered and sent home, but you know, I'm not really sure what the problem was. Maybe I thought he should have come forward sooner, I don't know. Definitely made Wes look doubly bad though. Yet, Jillian kept him.

And Ed? OMG, she let him come back??? I told my friend (the one that got me hooked on the show) that if it was me, I wouldn't have let Ed come back. I understand why he did what he did but he made his choice and she'd likely be abandoned again by him. Not to mention that Michael was as cute as can be and he got the boot so he could stay. Didn't care for that. (Michael call me!)

Wes finally screwed up and admitted to having a girlfriend and finally got the boot. Jillian had the overnight dates and Ed was "unable to perform" and yet, she still kept him - over Reid. Seriously, what's up with that?

The previews suggest that one of the departed guys comes back and proposes. My friend and I suspect it's Reid but it could also be Michael - or even Jake maybe? I seriously doubt it would be Wes, who for the record, never denied having a girlfriend. No, he would just say, I can't believe you're asking this again sort of thing. A non-answer.

Anyway, so, it's down to two - Ed and Kiptyn. As I said, Kiptyn was an early front runner in my book and I'd love to see him get the final rose. Ed, not so much. I liked Ed and all but he ditched her once and I think it was the work of the producers that got him back more than him wanting to come back. After all, they had to be involved for him to know where she was - and in what room.

Tomorrow The Men Tell All airs. My friend and I have a little bet (if you can call something that has no pay off if you "win" a bet) on whether Wes will show up. She says no because he made such a fool of himself and was outted as having a girlfriend. I say he will show up because he was quite proud of making it to the final four WITH a girlfriend. Not to mention I don't think he'll pass up another opportunity to promote his CD.

In any event, I can say that watching the show when you know the outcome (at least to this point anyway) is a lot less stressful than the first time through. I got so aggravated with her for making such stupid choices the first time through. The second time through, not so much. And Tanner P and his foot fetish? Creepy the first time through - comical the second time through. But all of it, drama packed, don't you think?

So, what do you think? Will Kiptyn or Ed get the final rose? Who will show up and get down on bended knee to propose? And, will Wes show up for tomorrow's tell all?

Inquiring minds want to know. :o)

Your Secret is Safe with Me

I had lunch with SCG today. We were supposed to meet up tomorrow but this morning he sent me a text message, asking if we could go today instead.

Rather than text him back, I called him and gave him a bad time about changing dates on me (particularly since he's the one that set the date to begin with). Then, we started talking about our vacations (we were both off last week and I'm still off this week). We told each other what we'd been doing and after a while, we set a time that I'd come pick him up and hung up.

Two hours later I pulled into his parking lot and he was waiting out front. We were going to his favorite pizza place about 23 miles away and when we do that, lunch is never less than 2 hours long.

And we'd already covered everything we were going to talk about when I called to confirm lunch!

So, for the next two hours I started a lot of sentences with: "I probably shouldn't tell you this but..." I guess what I'm saying is that I am usually pretty good about keeping secrets but, if you've told me a secret well, ever, there's a good possibility that SCG now knows it too. That's not going to be a problem, is it?!? :o)

Contest

Everyone who knows me knows that I'm a book ho. There isn't much I wouldn't do for books. The list is pretty short. For example, I won't promote an author I don't like and I won't promote a book I don't like, even if I do like the author.

Which makes a particular contest really easy for me. You see, Eileen Cook is running a contest for a $75 gift card to the book store of your choice (details here). And, if you've been paying attention, I like Eileen's books - including What Would Emma Do?

I interviewed Eileen here. I believe I'd sent Eileen the questions before I'd actually read What Would Emma Do? But, I'd read Unpredictable and loved it, so I was excited about spotlighting Eileen on my blog. In fact, I even blogged about Unpredictable here. (It should be noted that promoting Unpredictable wasn't a part of the contest - just a bonus here because I really, really liked it!) By the time I posted the blog post, I'd read What Would Emma Do? and loved it!

Shortly thereafter What Would Emma Do? was listed in my top 9 favorite books of 2008 (Unpredictable also made the list but again, it's not part of the contest so consider this another bonus thing :o) ).

And then, not long ago, I saw that Eileen has another book coming out. . . The cover is absolutely awesome and I cannot wait for it to hit the shelves!!!

But back to What Would Emma Do? So in this contest we have to promote the book and well, I know of no other way than to tell you that I've personally read it and highly recommend it. And, if you go for that bonus kind of thing and you're ordering What Would Emma Do?, do yourself a favor and order Unpredictable too. I promise you won't be disappointed. :o)

Good Dog

I live in a relatively small town and every Friday I have a paper delivered to my house. I don't subscribe to the paper - and it's a daily paper, by the way - but on Friday's they deliver the paper to everyone. Why, I have no idea.

But, what that means is that every Friday morning, as I pull my car out of my driveway, I see the morning paper in the driveway. Then, every Friday evening, I pick it up as I retrieve my mail and dump it in the trash can in the garage so that I can haul it out on Monday morning.

Every Friday.

Well, this morning I was pulling out my car and sure enough, the paper was there like it always is. But, down the street I saw a suspicious looking dog. No, really, he was suspicious looking! It looked like he had something in his mouth but I couldn't tell what it was. He was watching me as my car approached the house he was in front of. His head was down but his eyes were following me, as if if he would do that, I wouldn't catch on to what he was doing.

Then I saw it, he had a neighbor's paper in his mouth! And as I pulled up along side him, he darted off into his backyard with the paper. The paper had come from his neighbor's driveway.

It struck me as funny and you know what makes it even funnier? There wasn't a single driveway (mine included) with a newspaper on it when I got home this evening.

I can only imagine how many newspapers are lined up in my neighbor's backyard. LOL

What happens when you ignore your email

Back when Hurricane Katrina did its damage, one of the facilities of my company was destroyed and for a long while there were pleas out to the employees of that facility to check in and let someone know they were okay. I remember there were several employees that went unheard from for a long time - to be honest, I don't know if they were ever heard from.

So, in an effort to avoid that type of situation again, my company implemented this emergency program wherein you have to call in to a specific number and "retrieve" messages and let someone know you were safe - or not. And every year they "test" that system to be sure it still works. They do this at the beginning of hurricane season - which is currently underway. (It was utilized last year when Ike hit this area as well.)

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago we all received an email asking us to confirm/update our emergency contacts (since Katrina it is required that we have at least one emergency contact in our profile, not our home number). It directed us to list our cell number first, since it would likely be on us if we "fled" town. Well, I refuse to give my cell number as a contact number and just confirmed that my step-father was still listed in the system. Check that task off my "to do" list.

Once the deadline for that had passed, we received another email telling us to test the feature ourselves by calling in to the designated number on June 18 - this past Thursday. Well, I'm getting ready to take two weeks off and I haven't participated in this exercise in the past so I decided to let it slide this year as well.

Then last night I received a phone call from my step-father. We typically communicate via email so I was a bit surprised to see that he was calling me. First words out of his mouth were "Are you alright????"

Me: Um, yeah. Why? What's going on?

To make a long story short, when I hadn't called in to the designated number as instructed, my step-father, as my emergency contact, was contacted! He said he was told it was a "test" but he was told that they were trying reach me to be sure I was okay!

Oy vey!

He said he figured I was okay but since my company had called him saying those things, he just wanted to be sure.

Oops!

Next year I'll do what I'm told. lol

This is how I want to do it

About online dating...it's not working for me. And I know why it's not working - for one thing, my heart's not in it. Readers of my blog and a few (very few) select friends know I've tried online dating. I know it's like the new way to meet people but I'm really not comfortable with the concept and deep down I've felt like if I did meet someone that way, I'd never want to admit that to the people who didn't know how we met - which is the mass majority of people. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with online dating if you want to do that - the problem is with me and I know that too.

Another reason it's not working for me is because I don't post pictures. I know men are very visual beings and with that whole "don't want people to know" thing working against me, I haven't been able to bring myself to post pictures. For a lot of men, that's a deal breaker - which is fine. But, here's the deal, I've been a paid member on two services and created a profile on a third (they still send you matches but you can't communicate with them). All three of the services have matched me with men I know. Yes, I know that that means they're signed up too but it still makes me uncomfortable and if they found out I had subscribed (I'm no longer a subscriber to any online service) to these services, I'd want it to be because I chose to tell them - not because they recognized my picture. Stupid? Yes, absolutely, but it's still how I feel.

But anyway, back when I was married, I tried to talk my then husband into taking ballroom dance classes with me but he refused. Shortly after we separated I started taking country western dance classes by myself. Then in 2000, I took swing and country western dancing with my nephew. And with Dancing with the Stars, it's really brought back the desire to take dancing classes. So anyway, a couple of weeks ago I pulled up Jessica Trapp's website and was looking around and was reminded that she belly dances (she's such a neat lady and so interesting!!!). Next thing I know, I'm googling "belly dancing classes Houston". I came across Dance Passion, a place that teaches not only Belly Dancing but also salsa, swing, country western, ballroom, hip hop and more. For me, I want group classes because private lessons are obscenely expensive and this school has group classes.

To make a long story short, a new session of classes started this week. I was interested in ballroom, salsa and belly dancing. The ballroom classes started on Monday but I was exhausted after work and couldn't bring myself to make the trek across town (no place near me offers classes - this place is 35 miles one way) for the class. I did, however, have the energy to go on Thursday for the belly dancing. It was immediately followed by the salsa class but I hadn't decided if I was going to do both. That is until I saw the big crowd waiting to get in to the salsa class. I figured if it was that popular, it had to be fun, so I signed up for it as well.

And here's where I get to the point of this post (yeah, I know, long way around)...they told us to find a partner. At the time I thought that would be the awkward part - the part where I felt like a loser because I didn't come with a partner. I didn't go look for anyone, instead, a tall, good-looking man approached me and asked me to be his partner. And for the next 30-45 minutes (before they made us start changing partners), he was my dance partner. He was nice. He was encouraging. And we had a good time.

But, the point is, we didn't have to fill out a 700 question compatibility thing or be compared on 29 points (or whatever it is) to find out we have something in common. We'd both signed up for the class of our own free will and without doing anything else, we know we have something in common. I like that - a lot. Is he going to be the next man in my life? Probably not. That's not the point. The point is, I don't have to do things that make me uncomfortable to meet people. If I just go out and do the things I like doing, I'm going to meet people with common interests without trying. All while having a good time to boot.

Bottom line, I think I'm done with the online dating thing. I know it works for a lot of people - and that's great - but it's not for me. I'd rather meet someone in a situation where we know off the bat that we have a common interest and see where that takes us. If it goes somewhere, great. If not, that's okay too. But in the meantime, I'm still having fun. And that's really what it's all about now, isn't it? :)

My boyfriend and his wife

The other day we had a luncheon at work in recognition of my upcoming service anniversary with the company. Technically it's supposed to be with people from your workgroup but, as much as I love my job and group, I really haven't connected with many people from my workgroup. So, I asked my boss if I could invite a few people outside of the group - and he said yes.

Which is how SCG got to be included in the guests. Well, if you've been following my blog, you know that mine and SCG's relationship has evolved over time. He's one of my favorite people and he's one of my closest friends now. And, if you've been following my blog, you also know he's married.

Now, when I talk about him to family members I always go, "My friend, SGC - you know, my married friend..." and then I proceed with the story. I have to do that so that they don't try to marry us off. I mean, not only is bigomy illegal, I don't share well.

Anyway, I don't expect to throw in that disclaimer when I'm dealing with non-family members - like work people. Yes, I talk about SCG a lot but not really any more than I do other friends of mine and SCG and I have discussed how people misinterpret our relationship and he basically said it was their problem, not ours and I've kind of taken up that torch and run with it myself since then.

But back to the lunch...I was actually more comfortable than usual at the event (I hate being the center of attention, which is why I wanted people I love and trust at the lunch with me) but my boss was making a mini-speech and he asked me what I'd ordered for my gift. Well, I haven't ordered it so he asked me what I was considering and the conversation went something like this...

Me: Well, there is a ring I'm looking at but I'd really like to see it in person rather than choosing it from a picture. There's also a crystal vase and bowl I was looking at. I was also considering a grill but I don't cook.

There were a few dazed looks and I realized that cooking has nothing to do with grilling so I felt a little uncomfortable and then followed it up with

Me: And he (pointing at SCG) doesn't grill.

SGC: No. No, I don't grill. I don't cook either.

Hmmm, can't imagine why people would think we were boyfriend and girlfriend from that! Particularly when he followed it up by making me tell a work story from before my time with this company - and one I wouldn't tell except to my close personal friends.

I spent the rest of the day repeating "No, he's really not by boyfriend! He's married!"

In any event, I had dinner last night with my "boyfriend" and his wife. I told her what had happened and she seemed to get a kick out of it. We left their house to go eat and she told me to sit up front and I said, "well of course I should sit up front with my boyfriend". We both laughed and I got in the back seat.

One of the things I really like about SCG though is, his love for his wife. It's obvious. I've never heard him speak disrespectfully of his wife. When he talks about things he wants to do (like hopping on a harley and traveling across country), he always wants to do them with Mrs SCG - always. When he is excited about something, he wants to share it with her. He makes time to spend time with just her - without the kids - on a regular basis. And they've been married 19 years. I don't know about you but I think that's pretty cool.

So, as far as faux boyfriends go, I could do a lot worse. :o)

The weekend

Numbers and I go way back. Back in junior high (we called it intermediate school here), I was in all the accelerated math classes. Same in high school. That is, until I got in to Trig in my junior. That's when numbers and I parted company. Sure, we run into each other from time to time but it's not the same. We just don't understand each other anymore.

Which causes a problem when I have to use numbers to count points when doing the Weight Watcher's (WW) program. For example, a few months back I discovered Stouffer's Cheddar Potato Bake. Have you had these before? I love them. I haven't followed WW for a while now but calculated them to be 6 points. Not bad, in the big scheme of things.

Well, I decided to go back to following WW and counting points last week and I picked up a couple of the CPB dinners. But, not 100% certain of the point value, I calculated it up Saturday when I was going to have one. Yep, 6 points. Then, when I decided to fix it up, I was pulling it out of the box and noticed something I'd never seen before. "Serves 2" Huh? What do they mean serves 2? That's when I checked the back and saw that it was 6 points per serving and that it had 2 servings in the box. So not good. When you get 21 points in a day, you don't want 12 of them going to a small portion of potatoes that someone thought was enough for two people.

This was followed yesterday by discovering that my 6 point peanut butter toast was actually 9 points! I also discovered that a serving of bread was one slice, so forget any sandwiches. And yet, for some reason, I'm not losing any weight. Go figure.

But, in other news, I got my hair cut Friday. Here's the deal...I got my hair cut New Year's Eve last year. I went in and told the person (this was a different salon - across town) I wanted my hair cut. I wanted a long layer at the bottom of my hair and I wanted to get bangs cut (I haven't worn bangs in a couple of years). She went wacking away at my hair and I came out with something totally different than what I'd asked for but it was actually very cute. I liked it a lot. I got more compliments on this haircut than any other I can ever remember. So, I was a little nervous when, six weeks later, I went to my usual spot and got my hair cut. The lady asked if I wanted the same hair cut and I said yes and away she went. She actually did a good job - I still liked it.

Then, another six weeks go by and I go to get my hair cut again. I got someone else, who looked vaguely familiar to me. I told her I wanted the exact same hair cut and she said okay and started wacking away on my hair. I wasn't paying a whole lot of attention until I realized she was using some sort of razor on my hair. And then I remember where I know her from...she's the crazy razor lady I blogged about here. I freaked out and our conversation went something like this:

Me: What are you doing?

Her: It's a razor.

Me: (the light going on as to where I know her from) Why are you using it on my hair?

Her: I only did one side.

She says this like it's not a big deal because she's only done one side - not like I should let her do the other side so they match. And if the the truth is known, I didn't let her do the other side. Sad thing is, the overall cut was so bad, I don't think anyone noticed the portion that had been razored.

Me: Did I ask you to use a razor on my hair?

Her: No.

Me: Then why did you?

Her: I only did one side.

Me: I asked you to give me the exact same hair cut I had! Why would you use a razor on my hair???

Her: I only did one side.

Me: Don't do anything else to my hair!

Her: Okay.

Me: I still need my eyebrows waxed.

Yes, she really did my eyebrows after that, so I deserved what I got there.

Anyway, I went Friday to get my hair cut/fixed at the same place. I got the person who had cut it the second time and had done a good job. She asked if I wanted the same cut and I said "not exactly. It got butchered the last time I got it cut so I need it fixed now." She said okay and as she cut, she pointed out where the last person had munked it up, as if it mattered at that point.

She cut things that shouldn't have been cut and after several days of playing with it, I realized why the cut looks familiar. Here is what my hair looks like.....

I only wish I was kidding!

How was your weekend?

Bunco Babes Tell All

My copy of Bunco Babes Tell All (BBTA) came in a couple of days ago. I had just started another book and kind of felt I should finish that book before I started a new one - even though I really, really wanted to read BBTA. I've really been looking forward to its release.

Anyway, I wanted to have it handy in case I finished the book I was reading so I took it with me to work along with the other book - you know, in case I read 250 pages over my lunch break and wanted to start something new. It also came with me when I'd take the other book into the bedroom, the living room or wherever I went. . . just in case.

Then I finished the other book last night. Finally! But left BBTA until this morning. I read the whole thing in two sittings. First one while I was taking a bath and the second sitting, once I got out. I probably would have finished it in the one sitting but there comes a time when you've just got to get out of the tub. :)

I loved it. It was smart. It was fun. I laughed and I cried (in a good way). It totally lived up to my expectations - and then some.

Can't wait for Bunco Babes Gone Wild comes out in November!

Most Expensive "Free Dog" ever :)

I have three dogs - Max, Harley and Brewsky. For my post labels, I only have one named for Harley and I realize that's because he's a bit "special" (bless his heart).

For those that don't know, Harley showed up in my house one day after work (the benefits of a doggy door). I tried to find his owner and discovered that he was a bit of a gypsy dog and decided to give this gypsy a real home.

I love this dog dearly but he is a bit "unique". For one thing, he sees the vet more than any other dog I've ever had. We go every 4 - 6 weeks for allergy shots. Before we realized he had allergies, the poor dog was being treated for mange, getting a shot every two weeks, followed by taking an oral medication that he hated. He limps a lot so he has to take a pill for his muscles/bones (it smells like skunk and I have to force it down his throat...meanwhile, Brewsky will gobble them up if given a chance). Things like that.

Anyway, about a month ago, I took him (when I took Brewsky to get his annual shots) to get his allergy shot and noticed he had a bald spot on his back, about the size of a nickel. I asked the vet about it and he said he didn't think it was anything to worry about but to keep an eye on it - his hair should grow back. Well, not only did his hair NOT grow back, the spot grew to the size of a quarter and the skin turned black. Then, a couple of weeks ago, he got a second bald spot on his tummy. They didn't seem to really bother him so I wasn't overly concerned but I was going to take him to the vet on Saturday with Max because Max's shots were due so I was going to make one trip (my vet is 25+ miles away - one way) and kill two birds, so to speak.

Well, Wednesday night I came home and there was a place on Harley's back that the hair was laying funny so I decided to investigate. I was running my fingers over his back to try to see if there was some sort of injury on his back and as I pulled the hair back, a big clump of hair came off in my hand! I kind of freaked. Fortunately the vet's office hadn't closed yet (I wasn't going to be able to get him in that night but I would be able to talk to the vet) so I called them.

They said they didn't think it was an emergency but didn't think I should wait until Saturday. So, I took him (and Max) to the vet yesterday morning. Apparently it's some sort of skin infection. So I got MORE pills that I have to force feed him and an expensive medicated bath soap.

I do love him but he is pretty expensive...for a free dog. :)

On the bright side, I can sleep in Saturday now, since I don't have to get up to take the dogs to the vet.

What weekend plans do y'all have?

Getting back in shape

Last year I was moved to a very stressful job and gained, in three months, almost all the weight it took me a year to take off. Since then, I've done my best to maintain that weight - or so it would seem anyway.

Every time I bring up the weight gain to SCG he asks me when I last ran - because that worked out so well last time I tried it. So, a couple of weeks ago, I went to join the gym but apparently they won't sign you up if you go in on the weekend. I took that as my cue to stock my house with DVDs and stuff that would encourage me to exercise at home and forget the gym.

My Kickboxing, Hip Hop and Yoga DVDs were shipped today, according to the email I received this morning. But the stair stepper I bought came in on Friday.

Can someone tell me why the biggest workout you get is putting the dang thing together? Anyway, I put it together last night and am already up to 31 seconds (yes seconds!). Tomorrow I'm going to try to up it to at least 32 seconds. And hey, it's still 31 seconds more than I would have been doing, right?

But the best thing is, my copy of Bunco Babes Tell All was also shipped today! And, if you haven't already, you can scroll down to read an interview with the author, Maria Geraci. I'm so looking forward to reading it, I cannot tell you. I was wishing I had it to read this weekend.

That's all for now, I hope you're all having a great Mother's day.

Fashionably Late

Can one be fashionably late to their own party? Sorry I wasn't here Thursday as promised. I had an incredible burst of energy Wednesday after all my exams were over and then I crashed hard. But I'm here now. :)

Since Wednesday was final day, I took the day off to kind of relax because I didn't want to have worked all day and then have to take 6 hours worth of tests. Part of my "relaxation" technique/method/whatever you want to call it, was taking a long hot bath while reading some non-school related material...so I read a People magazine. There was an article in there titled "Caught on Catcam".

Have you heard about this? This couple clipped a camera their cat's collar and set it to snap photos every two minutes. THEN, they sold the prints for $275 a piece and made over $5000! Can you imagine? My dogs would probably only come back with dog and people crotch shot photos and who would buy those?

Does your pet have any special talents that could make money? Please share. :)

Oh, and if you haven't seen it already, scroll down and read the interview with author Maria Geraci!

Spotlight On: Maria Geraci

Okay, I'm going to start the party early because a friend of mine has a book coming out tomorrow and I want to be sure everyone has time to get a copy because there will be a test. You can pre-order it here or maybe you prefer here. Go on, we'll wait. :o)

Anyway, a little about Maria. I first met her in Reno at the RWAOL party. She was one of three people who made a point of introducing themselves to me and making me feel welcome. I really appreciated it. So, when I think of Reno, I think of Maria.

I also think of Maria every time I get on the elevators at work because they have a glass backing that faces outside. And, if that makes no sense, if you read this post (and comments), it will make a little more sense. :o)

But anyway, here's Maria.....

Tell us about your story.
Bunco Babes Tell All is about a group of women in north Florida who play Bunco. In case you’re not familiar with Bunco, think boy’s poker night, except substitute the cards with dice, the beer with frozen margaritas, and the cigar smoking with gossip. It’s the perfect backdrop, I think, for a light hearted women’s fiction novel. Kitty Burke, my main character, is the only Bunco Babe who’s still single. She’s a Realtor and wants to broker a huge land deal in order to buy her grandmother’s old house. But first, she has to butt heads with the town’s senior citizens watch group, The Gray Flamingos, her cougar-wanna-be mother, and the smarmy land developer who’s hired her. And of course, there’s a hunky, mysterious stranger who comes to town to add romance to the story.

What's a typical day like for you?
I work part-time as a labor and delivery nurse 2-3 nights a week, so if I’m working, then I’m sleeping! But when I’m not scheduled to work then I typically wake up, get the kids off to school, then mess around on the computer for a couple of hours, either writing or surfing the net trying to figure out how to promote my book. At some point in the day, I have to make dinner, do some laundry, etc… Plus I have a new puppy and she’s a lot of work! I try to take her for a walk every evening, then I catch up on some TV and visit with my husband. If I’m on deadline, though, everything that’s not essential comes to a stand still and I’m pretty much writing every second that’s available.

How long have you been writing? How many books did you write before you sold?
I started writing 7 years ago. I finished 2 manuscripts (both historicals) before I sold.

What was it like getting "the call"? Who was the first person you told?
Getting the call was strangely surreal. It was about 5pm on a Monday afternoon and I was sick as a dog and lying on the couch watching TV, waiting for my cold medicine to kick in. My agent called and the instant I saw her number on my caller ID I knew that I’d sold. I immediately began jumping up and down and screaming! It was an awesome moment. Then I called my husband, followed by my cps, and my family. By the time my husband got home from work I was asleep (that cough medicine had finally kicked in!) so oddly, we never got to do the champagne thing. We’ll have a big celebration though after my debut signing on May 9.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
To stay true to your voice and to write what you love to read. You have to be your number one fan. If you don’t love your own work, then no one else will either.

Where do you get your story ideas? What inspires you?
My ideas come from everywhere- real live events, newspaper stories, and of course, my imagination (like my rear end, it’s pretty big!) I’m inspired most by a really good book that makes me laugh or cry or makes me feel a whole lot of emotion. I love reading a story and thinking "I want to make other people feel the way I feel now."

I know you were an AT finalist but how much of a role did contests play in your quest for publication?
I think finaling in contests can you give you a real mental boost, which in turn, brings your writing up a notch. For me, it gave me the confidence to query agents and publishers. When you see other people who have finaled getting published, you begin to think "I can do that too!"

What do you wish you'd known before you reached where you are now - and would it have made a difference in the steps you've taken to get there?
I wish I’d remembered how quickly time flies. Once I sold, I knew it was going to be 17 months till my first book came out. I thought I had lots of time to get everything done. Wrong! I only got my website up 3 months ago. In retrospect, I should have had that done 6 months before the book came out. But I try never to cry over spilled milk. What’s done is done, right?

Are you a plotter or a pantser?
A little of both. I start out with a very loose plot, then write and see what happens. My stories are very character driven, so at some point the characters literally take over the story. Then when the story is done, I have to take control back and edit and plot some more to make it all work.

I know you have written in more than one genre. What's it like to write in different genres? How do you transition between the them?
I began writing historicals, but I’m not writing them anymore. Historicals are my first love, but I think my voice lends itself better to contemporary romance.

What's next for Maria Geraci?
The second book in the series, Bunco Babes Gone Wild, comes out November 3. There’s a different protagonist, but all the characters from the first book are also featured. Hopefully, if the books do well, there will be more Bunco Babe books to follow!


Thanks for stopping by Maria! You can visit Maria on her website and blog. And if you haven't already (and why haven't you?!?!?) there's still time to order her book here and here. Get to it now!

Bad Blogger

Yes I know I've been a bad blogger. I've been trying to prioritize my time and between school and work, other things have fallen by the wayside. Like my social life, and my blogging. And the sad thing is, I feel like I'm failing at everything. I've been studying my tail off in my geology class and I'm still not doing well in there. The instructor keeps changing his mind on how he's going to calculate our grades and I'm beginning to worry that getting a B may be an optimistic dream. I'm currently working on accepting whatever grade I get in that class because I know I've done my best and that's all I can expect from myself. It's hard to accept, but I'm working on it.

But, in the meantime, I've missed some things in my personal life. For example, a couple of months ago I got an email from my online chapter, reminding me that it was time to renew my membership. At the time I thought "I have time" and did nothing. Next thing I knew, the deadline has passed (the whooshing sound and all) so I guess I'm not a member at the moment. I'm not unhappy with the chapter, I want to be a member - it's just that particular detail fell through the cracks with everything else going on. Never fear though, I'll be back when class is over (a week and a half from now - THANK GOD!!!). In fact, I think I'm going to have a blog party, complete with door prizes. So, feel free to stop by between now and a week from Wednesday but just know, come a week from Thursday, there'll be a party!

Until then...dig up your old party hats, invite your friends to stop by and come prepared to have a good time (no pressure on me or anything!!! lol).

The one with no specific topic

I love spring time. It's my favorite time of the year. Unfortunately though, between school and work, I've had no time to enjoy it yet this year. And it's not looking good for me to have any face time with it in the near future either. Seriously, even my long hot baths (my one indulgence - once a week) aren't unmolested as I've been taking class reading material in with me - instead of my gossip magazines or pleasure reading materials. And it's getting to me. But I've been wanting to blog about a number of things (it's amazing how active the imagination is when you really don't have time for it) but I just haven't had time. But I'm going to make time today anyway...regardless of the consequences.

So, has anyone seen the show "What Would You Do?"? It's on ABC and what they do is they set up situations and document how people react to them. I've watched the show a couple of times and they've really done some interesting pieces. But, the one I'm going to blog about today has to do with something near and dear to my heart...online dating. :o)

Here's the set up...they had a man and a woman set up dates with people they'd met online. The woman was drop dead gorgeous, about 5'5" tall with a good body. The man was also drop dead gorgeous and about 5'11", with a good body.

Those people really existed and were a part of the set up. But when the people came to meet their dates, the woman they met was 6'1". She wasn't unattractive but she was definitely not who the guys were expecting. The man, on the other hand was only 5'3" - and balding.

So, here's how it played out...It was really enlightening.

They had the faux date waiting when the women showed up first. The first woman was very pleasant to him. He said that he'd fudged his height and she said it didn't matter. He asked if she'd go out with him again and she said yes. Then, when the producers told her what was going on, she said she wouldn't go out with him again and had lied to be polite so's not to hurt his feelings.

The second girl came out and was also polite to him but they had the real guy come and sit next to her. She did a double take and then continued to talk to the faux date. Faux date got up for a minute and she turned to the real date and gave him her name and number. When the producers interviewed her afterwards, she also didn't want to hurt his feelings but wasn't going to pass up an opportunity with the real date.

The last girl was very upset and got up and left. The producers brought her back to discuss with her and she was still upset at the situation - if she said why, I can't remember.

Then they did the guys, which was very interesting.

Guy number one had his face pixeled out as he was bleeped out, yelling at everyone. The producers were going after him and he went so far as shoving the cameraman, as he continued to be bleeped.

Guy number two also had his face pixeled out, even though he never came into the bar. Instead, they showed him looking through the window and then call his date - who was in the back, receiving the call. Faux date pretended to be on the phone so he knew she was who he was meeting. He asked if she was in the bar and she said yes. He left and sent a text that said "Family emergency came up. Won't be able to make it. Sorry." Classy, don't you think?

Anyway, on to guy number three. Him and faux date really seemed to hit it off. To the point that when they brought in the real date, he did a double take but was content to continue his conversation with the faux date. Then, when the producers told him what was going on and why did he continue to talk to his faux date, he said because they really seemed to have a lot in common. After the producers were done with him, him and faux date continued to talk. Now, that's the kind of guy I want to meet! But I digress.

There was one more date, which was actually kind of funny. Like date number three, he talked with the faux date and they got on fine. Faux date excused herself for a minute and the bartender (who was in on it) started talking to him about his online date. The guy was saying that the picture he'd seen online was "smoking" and that that wasn't who he'd met but that, that's what you had to expect with online dating. Not too shabby. But here comes the funny part...The real date came up and introduced herself. He seemed a little shocked but started talking to her. Then they sent faux date back in. She played it well, like she'd been busted. Grabbed her stuff and darted quickly out of the bar. When the producers told him what was going on, he was cool with it and they ended up sending him out - sans cameras - with his real date.

So, what I got from all of this is that men really are visual creatures - at least for the most part. I mean, I already knew it but this really brought it home - particularly with the online dating thing. But anyway...


In other news, have you heard about the new reality show that's coming on on TVLand? It's called Cougar and is about older women wanting to date younger men. It was created by the same people who put on The Bachelor and, from my understanding, is formatted the same way. I'm having some computer issues so I'm not sure what all can be seen but you can find out more about the show here (http://www.tvland.com/prime/shows/cougar/season1/). :) (okay, can't do link embedding either...darned computer!!!) Should be interesting. :o)

Well, I think there was more I was going to share but whatever it was has left me.

So, what's new with you guys?