run from your memory

Heading to see Chris Knight in concert again tonight.

I remember about 10 years ago when he came in town to sing. Small place and everyone's singin' at the top of their lungs along with him.

He stops the song right in the middle, says "It's my song, I'll sing it" and then goes on to sing another song - effectively shutting everyone up.

I love it! I mean, this is one person who just is who he is. Nothing fake here. PLUS he's a wonderful storyteller (and we all know how much I love a good story)

After the concert, Jamie goes up to him and asks "Chris, can I just give you a hug. I think you need it." Chris said "yeah, i guess." and stood there woodenly as Jamie gives him a bear hug.
ha! Classic!!!

Every time he sings this song I think of Lora Leigh's  Kiss of Heat. Woo...tortured....

You should've kept the diamond ring
I gave it to you for free
I don't need no souvenirs after what you've done to me...

the stretchy pants have spoken

I saw the  #EffYourBeautyStandards article.
I'm a proponent of being happy - so if you are, go girl.

My 2015 travel planning continues and I found out that I will be weighed before getting on the plane/helicopter for the day trips I want to do.... oy.

I'm definitely not getting obsessive over it (no crazy diets and whatnot) but I'm going to try to be a little more conscious of what I'm eating.

Even my stretchy pants tell me I'm at my max and that doesn't thrill me.

Nobody told me that once I hit around age 28, my body would be like:

*shakes fist to the sky* ...and well it doesn't help that I sit at a computer all day either.

I'm skimming through Samurai Game to catch me up on Christine Feehan's Ghostwalker series again before reading the new one that came out this week.

I've lost track on what's happened. Is the bad guy doctor dead? I don't remember.

These aren't my favorite books - but the action is fun and entertaining for what it is.  I think my favorite of this series is Ruthless Game

don't bottle it up.

So this weekend was interesting.
Mostly in a good way with friends and then an ending with Jamie that ruined all the goodness.

I'll take some ownership of making it terrible. I'll admit my contribution.

Note to self (and word to the wise) - Don't bottle negative feelings up when it comes to your spouse/other - cause it'll sneak up on you..

oh well....I think maybe I should just buy this shirt and wear it around a while so everyone knows...

Book-wise - I tried Jess Michaels' The Other Duke and I'm bored -  so strike again.

I'm re-reading Heart of Obsidian , Nalini Singh's darkest I think and its made me feel better.

There's nothing like this tried and true method of re-establishing/maintaining sanity....

viva las vegas

So, it looks like we're heading back to Las Vegas this summer. My cousin Mikey is gathering a cousins-only outing. This will be our first foray into a "without the parents" effort for us older cousins.

After my grandma died our parents (12 siblings and their spouses) erupted into fights and sides and bickering etc. It's lasted almost 20 years now....it's exhausting. Sad too, cause they're all getting older and still holding grudges/picking fights (if they haven't stopped talking to each other all together).

Observation lesson learned:
Ask parents what they want us to do with them when they die - check
Confirm with sibling that (though highly unlikely) if there's anything left to us she can have it - check

And so I've transitioned into the "grown folk" Las Vegas interests apparently,  #1 on my list is taking a helicopter to the grand canyon. I'm all about the restaurants too. We'll likely go back to Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill and Jose Andres' Jaleo. That hidden restaurant in Jaleo was a (pricey but) amazing experience too. That's where we first found out about secreto. Oy, that's some yummy stuff!

Aside from that, I've already warned my cousins that they can likely find me in a "Wheel of Fortune" trance at any number of casino's.

Side note on the book i'm reading -
Since I'm going to the RT convention here in Dallas in May, I decided to try reading some of the panel authors. I started with Megan Hart - Order of Solace.
And it's strike one -  I am not a fan.
I don't consider myself Ms. Feminist 2015 (honestly I like differing points of view. They don't all have to be kick-ass in your face gals) but the submissiveness topped with minimal character development here is pretty gross. Next.

Not (only) some Mexican rose

we took a dna test from ancestry.com (A WONDERFUL GIFT for someone who has everything btw).

I'm about 1/3 native american, 1/3 spanish and a 1/3 a bit of several others bordering the Mediterranean.
I consider myself an American from Texas.
I'm proud of my descent from northern Mexico.
Visiting the Basque region in Spain (where my maiden name comes from) was amazing. 
I'm also proud of the Canadian influence that I got growing up in Calgary. 



His DNA came up 56% British. Fifty Six Percent!!! Brits are supposed to be mild mannered aren't they? What happened I wonder? ha...

I'm in a Max Stalling mood today! I like his visualization.
Jamie sings "I always figured lightning strike, or rattlesnake, or bar room fight would do me in - not some Mexican rose" to me every time that part comes up. Ha!

I don't know about "a heart of black" but I do say mean things to him sometimes.  

He calls it my "Mexican-ness". 
I can't help it!
... nobody can make me as mad as he can!!....  
BUT there's no one better than me and he knows it!

Why's it gotta be my "mexican-ness"? It could be my TexAmeri CanMexican-ness 

or it could be -  Just Stop Pissing Me Off Ya Big JerkFace

Seriously though (back to the Pila song) - 
Dear Sir Dummy - in the song story - it is a fact you were hot and dumb. 
It's your stupidity that killed you. Don't blame the girl. 

Where are my dragons!

State of the union is tonight. This about covers it:  "Unless you've concocted a drinking game for the annual address to Congress (drink if John Boehner's tie matches his tan, chug for every Joe Biden smirk), you might be better off catching the highlights tomorrow and planning something a little more exciting..."

The whole politicking theme actually ties in to (what I'm reading) #2 of Courtney Milan's The Brothers Sinister series Heiress Effect and now #3 The Countess Conspiracy.

No whiny "woe is me" girls here too...score!

It's weird but this bothers me -
Jane (in the Heiress effect) is described to dress over the top crazy (hot pink, gaudy jewels etc) so why does the book cover have her in a - notably gorgeous but - normal green dress?

granted... I woke up a little grumpy today but I've noticed this many times now and it drives me bonkers!!!

-  a girl described as brunette is blonde on the cover. Or a regency book has the male wearing what looks like denim.

WHAT THE HECKFIRE?

Can politicians not be mostly all talk?
Do publishing companies not read the book?
Do authors/we just have to go with it?

Cause I'd think if I was the author I'd be a little pissed.

austin <--- torture

Just got back from my cousin Jason's wedding in Austin.  Young love, so sweet. Makes me want to get married again. Look at these two making out like newlyweds -

I had the cutest outfit - but lasted 10 minutes with the Betsey Johnson shoes.

I can't hang anymore..it's ridiculous.
Jamie gets so mad - he says "all the other girls bear it why can't you?" ha.
I told him he should try wearing them and then he can talk.

Aside from that, I'm liking Austin less and less.

There are way too many people there now. 6th Street is madness.

We tried to get into a speakeasy called Midnight Rodeo (you have to ring the doorbell to get in) but it was reservation only and they were booked solid. Bar Congress (the bar behind the curtain, within Second Bar) was a good cocktail.

Food - One of my cousins stood in line for 6 hours today to try Franklin BBQ (supposedly the best in the world according to Bon Appetit). But 6 HOURS? Really!! Crazy.

We drove out to Salt Lick and it was yummy - as always - especially the baby back ribs...i'm not waiting 2 hours anymore (much less 6) to get barbecue...we're in Texas not freaking Canada for cryin out loud, good barbecue is not hard to find.

And seriously...Austin, you're killin me. You're losing your character.  I used to love you.

Books -  Lord of Scoundrels was a little ridiculous..(I mean did she really just shoot him?...) but I loved the sassy, loved the chemistry. A good one.

Also read Sara Ramsey, I finished reading the book just to see what happened but it was kinda cheesy and I lost respect for both leads really so no more of hers for me.

Dutchess War to Irish Love

The Dutchess War,  imo the chemistry wasn't really there for this historical romance.

I did like their first sexy time though...only because it wasn't typical. Its more realistic than a lot of stuff I've read - he doesn't know what he's doing, so she guides him and they're both better off for it. Next.

There was a sports lull last night, so I got Jamie to watch Philomena with me (a feat since he doesn't love movies like I do).

I wrote about this part of Ireland when we visited last year along those same lines...

Ireland was interesting. There wasn't anything spectacular about it really. Head out of Dublin and all there is, is green and cows and rock walls and sheep..... but it's the people that made this country wonderful for us.

They were just so content. Not here, not anywhere I've traveled...not even in Canada do you get that impression of its people. It's really a great thing. And yes we've perfected the art of pub hopping - finding the half pint let us move faster too.

How do I find that old familiar feelin'?

My car played my favorite band on the way to work. Love when that happens!
So I turned it up loud and let the story play....

Well I know hello will surely end up awkward
I never had the knack for talking anyway
And you're not the kind for bending over backward
I smile and turn my shopping cart around and walk away. 

Turnpike Troubdours yes! Today will be a good day....

where she went

I'm surprised I liked Where She Went (the next book to If I Stay).

Maybe I went in pessimistic... (as I've said - I'm getting tired of YA series books) but yet again this author caught my interest.

This time by making it the guy's (Adam's) point of view. Angst-ridden characters but a good Sunday book read.

Also, watched a fast forwarded version of the golden globes.
Apparently I'm behind on things...I hardly recognized a lot of the nominations, much less watched them.

I loved HBO's Game of Thrones, Silicon Valley, True Detective and Olive Kitteridge and not a one of them won.

Speaking of -  I need to read Olive Kitteridge...going on the list now. Frances McDormand - wow, just wow.

lunatic husband is gone (till next season)

the pro football season is over! - well.... in our house with the Cowboys loss it's over.

No more lunatic husband in the house til next season. Yay! Honestly I'd like football more if he wasn't so crazy obsessive and tires me out on it 2 weeks into the season.

This also means baseball season is coming in fast - double YAY!!  they'll probably be awful again this year but - Go Texas Rangers 2015! #nevereverquit

Finished the last three of the Mathewson's NFH series, they were all very similar in the hate/love story line. There's only so much you can do with that trope but I overall liked them

.... I liked the last historical book Truce the best.  I'm a bit of a sucker for a historical anyway.

Also read Stepbrother Dearest, the ratings were really high for this book. (plus I liked a couple other Penelope Ward books enough to continue on, it seems).

The whole quick retelling of the story from his point of view was an interesting take.

Overall...it wasn't bad...just not enough to warrant 5 stars. I'd say more like 3.5.

the insecurity got on my nerves

So I enjoyed reading R.L. Mathewson's  Perfection overall.... it's just after a while Zoe's insecurity got on my nerves.

I mean I'm a girl - I get it - I've definitely gained weight from my 20's to 30's and you don't feel sexy so much anyway as you get older.

Seriously though, confidence is super sexy. You gotta own that (...or even fake it sometimes.)

...I think men (and women) respond to women who own their sensuality and are confident in it. Not flaunting, not clingy, not desperate. 

Seems like a lot of  gals have forgotten (or are misguided) on how to be a woman and in my opinion that's what men mostly want (in simplistic terms) - a woman .

Maya Angelou's "Phenomenal Woman" - she totally nails it. 

did y'all feel that earthquake!?

Mark that off the list of experiences - I felt an earthquake yesterday!
Just a baby one comparatively speaking but still really weird... ...

Seriously though, I'm ok with not ever feeling another one...

Also, finished the long awaited Dead of Winter. This is my least favorite of the series so far.

I got annoyed with the reminders of what had happened previously (seriously we're on the third book! it's on them if they don't know what's going on!)

BUT worse -  i got annoyed with Evie - lame remarks/analogies about climbing ivy and unbending oak, sentences like "...i'm going to give this everything I have. Will you?", what animals bench press, I could go on.

It did read a little better as it went.

I liked that she made a decision on Jack or Aric.
This is a love triangle done well!  But with that ending... it may not matter which choice she made -

 I doubt it though.

I'm not giving up on my favorite author of all time, it was still a good fast-paced book

... which means another year of waiting to see what happens next commences now.

Thoughts are with you Paris - it's just awful people terrorizing people - that it's in the name of religion/their God (ever, at any time) makes it that much worse.

a farewell dear friend letter

One Lavender Ribbon was a "just ok" read for me. What it did do was set off my own reminiscence.

This gal (in the picture below) and I considered ourselves best friends from our senior year in high school through college. She was the maid of honor in my wedding and the last time I heard from her was around 5 years ago. 

It was weird - she met her boyfriend (now husband) and then all communication/response stopped shortly thereafter. No explanation.

Nothing.

I'm not even sure if it was something I said/did or if it was an extreme case of "meet your spouse and move on" that happens to most everyone in their 20's that made her shut off like that. 

Jamie still thinks I should reach out to her and ask why.
I wish I had sometimes, cause yeah, I still wonder every once in a while (hence this post). 

....it's just.... it's kinda easy to stop grasping for something that was easily let go of at the other end. Know what I mean? 

So I guess this is my way of closure. Thanks for the fun times friend. Farewell.

a tactile theme

Black Silk - rented it from the library, then Amazon kindly reminded me that I already had this book. (Ugh. Hopefully this "book diary" thing helps with that. I've been doing that a lot lately....)
And so, I skimmed through this historical romance again. I liked MaryAnne for the most part. The bookish gals are fun. Sexy times were..well... sexy. But (as with most erotica) the plot fades and my interest with it.

Wool - my friend recommended this one....Short intro (futuristic/dystopian/sci-fi?) book intriguing in a "what happened?" sorta way.  but... I'm just so done with the mega series cliffhanger endings right now. Maybe I'll go on to read the next. Maybe I won't.

FUN!! I just noticed I have a theme! Hmm what other books have I read with cloth/fabric in the title?

Jude Devereaux's Velvet books - I liked Bronwyn's story the best - I forget which book was hers.

And well dangit...so much for that fun time. I've run out of ideas. Booo.

 ...so here's Stoney's "Velvet" (cause I love this song)....
There you are
it's like a song I heard In a smoky bar 
where the whiskey stirred
Just like my heart and it's dancing alone
And it seems like it just won't ever end

Kresley Cole's new Arcana book comes out tomorrow. So exciting!!!

another YA to movie book

I thought I'd had my fill of YA dystopian books but yet again Amazon pulled me in with the $1.99 holiday sales - ugh  *shakes fist to Amazon in the sky* - and I got  The 5th Wave that had been sitting in my wishlist who knows why/how long.

It  was actually a good read.  I heard now it's a trilogy and being made into a movie?
It seems like almost every YA I read is a trilogy and being made into a movie....

the best version

We had a packed house of friends and family over on our NYDay open house yesterday. Fun, but I forget how much work it is to have a party....oy.

So now I'm supposed to be taking down the Christmas stuff, but I'm lacking motivation so lets just list the books I've recently read ...cause I feel like it.

These three are totally different from each other.

- Her Druid Temptation - paranormal, great chemistry, short
- Whatever You Like - contemporary. A story with Black leads. I liked the change in imagery, she mentions Idris Elba as likeness to Roderick (the male lead). I had no idea who he was until I saw Pacific Rim. I see the appeal. He's totally sexy..... but why did they put white people on the cover of the book?
- Lord and Lady Spy - historical romance but with a Mr/Mrs. Smith plot that I really liked.

I'm still reading through Lone Survivor too. They're about to head into Operation RedWing (where he lone survives), everything up to this point was mostly him describing the process of becoming a Navy SEAL.  It is actually interesting - it's just my attention span is minimal with these kinds of books. His opinions of "lefties" and "liberals" throws me off too. The story and the people in it is amazing enough to stand on its own. Just tell the story yeah?

And so with that said -  I hope 2015 is a more good story than bad -  and this: