racing

it's been almost two weeks.
already forgotten a lot of what's happened so...highlights.

Jamie's part owner of a race horse now *eye-roll* - we're gonna check it  out tomorrow.

Derby party was work/tiring but mostly good and couldn't ask for better weather! my Texas district house and senate candidates showed...i'd invited them obvious with no expectations... so that was neat. Rest of the day was fun until "one" guy drank too much and came real close to starting a fight (I swear people on the day of their first born should just sign something saying "from this day on  especially, you are aware you won't be able to handle drinking alcohol like you used to could. Don't try. " 

Heading to Houston for Mother's Day this weekend.
Whole lotta stuff happening next weekend - block walk (oy), bar, crawfish, band
Trip to CA-Monterey Bay is planned for Memorial weekend.

Books
High Voltage (Fever) Karen Marie Moning - glad i waited for the library here. I finished it but I think she went wrong with Dani and I especially feel Ryodan deserved better. 
Hello Stranger: The Ravenels, Book 4 Lisa Kleypas - the gal doctors story, he was intense. Not my favorite of hers but not bad.

Bet Me (Lucky in Love Book 2) Lila Monroe - has a bit of  that "contemporary" immaturity problem..but I finished it. 

The Paper Bag Princess (Classic Munsch) by Robert Munsch - this was a reco from the fb book club thread. i was curious how children's books read now. Not what i expected. Pretty funny. Nostagic for Roald Dahl. 

"If you've got nothing to hide, you've got nothing to fear" - Joseph Goebbels

quick recap -
Friday - Dinner at the new Del Frisco's up at Shops at Legacy with the friends - nice upstairs bar with open windows - otherwise it's just overrated IMO. Most steakhouses are really.

Saturday - Went to Houston (bleh) to visit mom.

Saw the SB4 protests in Austin online Monday -
*again our Texas representatives make global news*
In a way.... it's almost a relief for true colors to be displayed. Maybe then people can stop pretending.

I'm glad they stood up against Rinaldi's instigation...on the other hand, reps (especially hispanic reps with the obvious extra obstacles) should remember they are on the floor of the Texas capital.
Be smarter. Defense isn't always defensive. Represent.
How could it have been handled better?

It's interesting too -
how some people say nothing about Rinaldi's instigation but just jump to justify his actions...
Really, it's just chilling to read so many "normal" people saying things (even outside of this incidence)  that I've read in history books - variations of hateful things that have been said during wars etc.

Like just right now (in this SB4, racial profiling, Rinaldi/Romero/Blanco, immigration etc debacle on the floor for instance.)
All kinds of people spewing things
And this post stood out:

If you've got nothing to hide, you've got nothing to fear"  - Joseph Goebbels 

and people were agreeing with it!
in this case I'm not sure if the person who posted it meant it insidiously or he was trying to open peoples eyes. Either way,  for people agreeing/liking it,  I really hope that it's just them being ignorant not knowing who Joseph Goebbels was.  seriously....chilling. 

Heard there's a protest outside of Rinaldi's office today at 4.
There was a "die-in" protest outside of Cornyn's office today too....

Finished
Fever Song - KMM - this finally ends. I'll never again read a series like this...i dropped out of Nalini Singh's Angles and I think I should've dropped out of this one a long time ago. Not that it was bad. It's just not necessary to keep throwing every dilemma in to extend a story. It's really not. And does this mean Dani's story ends here too? I'm almost wishing it does.
Silent Melody - Mary Balogh - i'm catching on to her writing style again. she writes well but it's just missing a small bit of sass for me. And throwing in the villian thing...eh.
Between Devil and Duke - Kelly Bowen - i'm almost finished here. Another historical that's not bad, it's just missing something. It's like i'm catching her at her beginning and once she gets a few more under her belt (and does away with the "hmm's) she'll be close to Eloisa James/Sarah MacLean level for me. 

girls gotta be bitches sometimes

I learned things this week!

1) the better business bureau is rad. These B's got things done!

2)don't buy fair coupons online - people in lines, to redeem, were pissed!

3) unfortunately most all women have stories in dealing with men who cross a line...
- The guy that'd touch your ass as you walk by in a bar/club
- The married man who propositioned you
- The guy who'd buy you a drink, then get irate when you wouldn't go home with him.
I think men have stories in dealing with women who've crossed lines too.

I'm not a man, (nor experienced life as one) but in my experiences I don't think I'm naive when I think that:
Most men might want to touch your ass but have the self-command to refrain.
Most men might find other women attractive but won't cheat on their wives.
Most men might buy you a drink with the hope you'd go home with him eventually, but don't expect it, and certainly wouldn't pressure you.

Personally (since I can really only speak for myself). I don't put up with bullshit....
- That guy who'd touch my ass as I'd walk by in a bar/club? Might end up with an elbow in his stomach - mostly though there are so many ways that insecure "men" like these can be brought down with just words.
- The married men who propositioned me? I'd engage in conversation but really only to tell them to maybe try talking to their wife 'cause I bet she's just as unhappy (if not more) as they were. "Maybe you're just boring and make life boring for her...did you think about that?"
- The guy that wanted to buy me a drink? I usually passed...cause it's a tricky tricky game. If I liked him I'd buy his drink...why? cause I'm the home team, girls gotta be smart. And if things get bad, girls gotta be bitches sometimes.

Finished tame a highlander - barely...sooo predictable.
Also tried Rachel Gibson novella - Blue by You - thanks but no thanks. not my style.
Got one of the last two Bridgerton books lined up....so glad it's Friday

so tell me who am I talking to?

So Jamie went on an interview and they told him that they really liked him but that he seemed too nice and they needed someone to "play the bad guy."
Seriously who says that?! and why would a company condone that?

and speaking of bad company practice - I submitted my awful customer service experience with lighting.com to the Better Business Bureau (with very low expectations) and they surprisingly got a response in 1 day. Again though...why did they force me to resort to do that? Don't freaking ignore my calls and emails! when did that become ok?

eh whatever - started reading KMM's To Tame a Highland Warrior - whew slow start...
Going to Bluegrass fest this weekend, and casino night, maybe meet up for a bday party, maybe go see Charley Crockett....I think he'd be good show...

For now though my mini was in a reckless mood today so we reckless -
So, tell me who am I talking to
Everything seems fine for the moment
But, I never know what I’m getting into
And, you make your lies seem true
You come and steal my heart with your wild eyes shining
Then you smile as you break it in two
What did you do with the girl I knew

buying swimsuits thinking one of them is gonna work.

two weeks til the beach. I keep buying swimsuits thinking one of them is gonna work.
I just don't get it ....i feel like I look so much better than I actually look in pictures most of the time....

moving on (cause ugh just one of those days I guess) .... I'm half way through KMM's Feverborn - I'm not sure why there's such a lovefest for this book (and the series really)- though I think she writes characters well, the story line just plods along. I think if it were edited by 25% it would be more my kinda pace. We'll see I guess.
weeks plans - LaLa's bday dinner, Adam Hood?, again the race track....

It's a mike mcclure day. Not sure why this guy isn't even more well known? - especially with his Great Divide stuff...
ask about my problems, I won't tell you no lies
everyday I'm getting older and the more I compromise
I've got debt and doubt and worries piled up outside my door 
makes me wanna ride my old bicycle down to the grocery store
and buy me some baseball cards and stick 'em in my spokes  
and ride around the old gym and sneak a couple of smokes 
then cruise around the car wash, till the sun goes down                
that used to be enough to make my world go round

All I ever really needed was a little spark

I had a blast on my girls/me weekend! jamie told me he "didn't know he was holding me back so much"..ha smh (such dramatics husbands have sometimes..).

Michael's is lovin me right now - I've made 3 trips there in the last few days. My calavera is looking so fun and sparkly though! AND yep I made a bit of a mess! It was grand.;0) 
Saw Bastard Executioner - wtf?! I mean, I don't mind brutality but I think it overshadowed the story here. next...
We went to a Ranger game. It was freaking hot...i'm over it. But they won...yay!
Saw Scorch Trials. (I need to go back and re-read the book...i've gotten it mixed up with all the other dystopian books I've read.)

And so I finally got round to reading KMMs Burned, I liked it I guess? it's like the Ghostwalker series though...I'm too far invested to not finish. I'm a Barrons fan but Mac is kinda eh,  I do want to know what happened to Dani though.

And now a little Brandon Rhyder cause why not! (plus I've got a "fire/sparks etc" theme going here apparently?) before back to work.
You come rolling in like gasoline, that's why there's never nothing left of me.
Cause you burn me.