things no one tells you about getting older #1687

things no one tells you about getting older #1687 - having a cup of milk and a banana two days in a row for breakfast makes you gain four pounds in two days. Holy moly...i'm not kidding. This is bonkers....

Moving on - I posted last week on two of the dem pages I'm in,
Noting the seeming lack of uniformity/direction from the Dem party and questioning what the Dem leadership are actually doing while the "grassroots" move. -
couldn't help myself!

I knew I was going in with the high chance I was about nettle some people with my forthrightness but I'm getting frustrated and apparently (based on feedback) I wasn't alone.

Surprisingly only a couple were notably irked. After dm'ing a few of the people who posted responses, I got really great feedback actually!
One of which is to tie in to the precinct chair - as they're a direct connection to the Dem party.
I looked into my precinct chair - unsurprisingly I don't have one - mine's one of the farthest away from the county court. It's a 40 minute drive and you have to attend meetings. Still it's important to note.

The other dem page that I posted to - i got a dm this morning saying that the admins weren't going to approve it because it didn't meet their guidelines and they were concerned about the controversy.
I get it, I do...it's just I really think that these things need to be addressed/discussed - this might be one of the many reasons we (they) got here in the first place...right?...or maybe not...what do I know.

We went to the horse races on RR game over the weekend for La's birthday. She sent me an email Friday talking about crazy Left-wing media bias and guns don't kill people and checking on spoons cause they apparently make you fat as a comparison....I wrote back saying "can you describe the spoon thing? Cause all I thought after reading it was “if a person wants to eat themselves to death with a spoon then that’s a personal choice they made about their own life…”. How does that compare with a gun that can be used irresponsibly to kill someone?"

Also watched Amy Schumer's new movie - good message, just kinda missed the mark somewhere and only a couple laughs. Still a fan.

 I didn't try reading anything new this time - wasn't actually home a lot. Just re-reading scenes from favorite books. Trehan Daciano, Kulti. Can't go wrong there.

obviously lagging on this thing.
went out to a bar with friends Friday and tried to stay up to watch men's gold curling. didn't last. Still..nice win.
helped prep for wendy davis gala up at Southfork....if I've learned anything is that most every "organized" group is basically just flying by the seat of their pants. But hey at least they're trying...
Voted. and as she said "What will you fight for even if the odds are stacked up against you?"...especially in my county. 

Tried Delicate Ink by Carrie Ann Ryan - no go - DNF - couldn't draw me in.
Finished Roomies by Christina Lauren - another friends little sister. Not my favorite of theirs.
Re-read Beautiful Player - I'd only remember "liking it" and the running part. Yep good read. 

draft from last week:
lord I've come *this* close to going off on people on social media this week...

 to go after traumatized kids with conspiracy theories to try to sidestep an obvious dilemma is nuts.

Last weekend - friends/socialize over German food dinner friday night. Friends/socialize and Chinese food for dinner Saturday night. Better conversations are always had over good food.

Read a lot this weekend -
Kresley Cole - Dark Calling - uh yeah this love triangle back and forth is tainting the story.
#4 in Lauren Blakely's Big Rock series - the doctor and the bf kid sister. still fluffy. 
#3 Badd series -Jasinda Wilder - basically all about the gals issues
and skimmed through Mark Manson's - The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck - repetitive, like the simplified approach
The List -Tawna Fenske - strangers quickly jump into it. He misleads her....eh. 
Wicked Horse - Sawyer Bennet - weak story plot, , he's using her for revenge. i think really i'm just over the "erotica club" thing. 

german dirndls, mexican calaveras, bluegrass music - halloween!

I informed Jamie that we were going out for Halloween this year.
He said he might need a tux for his calavera/sugar skull outfit.
I paused and said "no, you're wearing your bacon outfit".
He said, "no i want to do day of the dead too"....
I thought "ok then" and let it go

...but i'd paused and I've wondered at my pause.

It's not like I'm rah rah-ing my Mexican heritage in this case...
(And really, if I'm being honest - if I were going to go the "Mexican culture appreciation" route - between the two of us Jamie would probably win.)
As far as I remember, day of the dead was never really celebrated in El Paso.  I actually had to look it up in high school.
It's southern/central Mexico...Aztec native american culture honors/celebrates the life of the dead this way. And as the people merged it's remained and (obviously) evolved. So heck yeah, to me, it's a wonderful custom. We're rah-rahing that native american heritage custom. Plus it's kick-ass and I love colors and glitter...

ANNND I'm planning to wear a dirndl in a couple weeks for Wurstfest ...I don't have a drop of German/Bavarian/Austrian  - is it any difference?

No...i don't guess so -
before I bought the dirndl I looked up how/why it came about. It's basically representative of Bavaria/Germany's working class.
I have an appreciation for the working class.
And, I've not been to Germany -  but what's more representative of people/culture than their food right? I have an appreciation for german food (most ESPECIALLY the spaetzle! - YUMMMM).
Plus all the German people that I recall meeting are super blunt/to the point. I'm a fan.

So I say if you're wearing something, especially if that "something" represents a culture, if you have a basic knowledge and appreciation for that culture (meaning it's not meant for mockery or to demean) I'm good with it.

This extends to anyone wearing any comic book character (especially Rogue)
and/or
any political figure/statement - you better answer my basic questions cause otherwise *eyeroll*

next...


Lastly, if you're wearing a scary clown costume and I'm startled - I might accidentally punch you in the face (no offence)

Besides that  - wear what you want  - Halloween is just for fun, I don't over-think things :)

Let's celebrate Halloween/Samhain/Dia de los Muertos!

Oh also - we went to the bluegrass festival and it was lovely. A buncha gray hairs were passed out on their lawn chairs. ha. Nothing carries a feel like bluegrass country music.

This gal - Molly Tuttle was there - I'm now a fan

I re-read Lisa Kleypas (Lillian and Wesscliff) and Kresley Cole (Abyss) again.
Oh and tried Kristen Ashley - Furthest Edge - hmm...I mean I read it, def. eye opening but not my thing. Won't search it out.

all over the place

so I've been at my job 10 years now.
10 years (!) of herding people and revenue and  account reviews and hurry-up-and-wait.
This year has already been the craziest - I'm not sure where cross-platform media is going but...oy
Needless to say - where before I would've been nagging Jamie for us to start planning next year vacations.
Now not so....

moving on, walked into B&N the other day and kids were running around ruining it. *sigh*
is no place sacred anymore.

speaking of - heard the new Sunny Sweeney  - Bottle by My Bed -  friends commenting on it and their struggles with fertility. I can't relate but kudos to the story/song that means something.
That new selena gomez "it's not me" song ...
i mean it's not bad...it's just after the first few lines wheres the story and how does she sing it live...is it all just pre-recorded?...it has to be.

dammit - I just realized I missed the season premier of FaceOff! I've been marathon/fast-forward watching - loooove that show.

oh and jamie remembered about my blog, stalked me and saw my last venting post about him. oops. oh well.

Finished:
Power Game - Christine Feehan - yeah much better than the last two. In this case the love story complimented the action. It played well. 
Darkest Promise - Gena Showalter - Misery's story.  Lazarus faded for me. Definitely will hold till "paperback" prices for the remaining. And I'm not sure where she's going with the quick 2nd option for William but ooo she has to be careful with that one.
Shadow's Seduction - Kresley Cole - got a little irritated after about the 4th denial from Caspian. started skimming after about the 15th. Not awful...just towards the bottom on my list for KC standards. Especially after totally fan-girling the Dacians so far....

I don't know what happened but when I went to buy 3 new books from "go-to" authors of mine in kindle, they were each around $14+!
Kindle! The paper back was $7.99. I might need to make a u-turn here....or just wait it out.....

if you hesitate between the other person and me, don't pick me.

we didn't do much this weekend - scary to think how tornadoes (yet again) missed us by about 60 miles.

Finished Mariana - I vacillate between liking the surprise ending and not - kinda left hanging ...but maybe that's ok? I was definitely surprised.

KColes Wicked Abyss - beauty and the beast feel yeah...i liked it. Didn't love it. 

Heat Wave - Karina Halle - it's well enough written in that I'm close to finishing. Not a one-shot from me though basically from the beginning -
 cause seriously, I just read a quote that read "if you hesitate between the other person and me, don't pick me." This should always hold true.

with all the chaos since EO Jan. I've had LOTS of opinions but I decided to try educate myself as much as I could about just one bill going through the Texas house/senate (to hopefully satisfy my ocd to have one complete thought not doubting myself)
I chose SB4 - and now I almost wish I didn't know how awful,  totally off-base and in a lot of cases just plain racist some people with their opinions are when it comes to this bill -
then I could just be ignorant
and maybe better off?
It's seems like more and more - agendas are hidden behind words like safety, military or women/children. (super "1984"-like)

Then I heard the news that a  frat at Baylor - yes the school that my nephew is going to in the Fall - threw a cinco de mayo party. Awesome right ?- sombreros and margaritas...and margaritas and fun!
Well apparently several  decided to dress as construction workers and maids,  paint their face brown and chant "Build that wall" as part of their "fun" ....
ugh...why'd they gotta cross that line like that *smh* bleh.
That's all I'll say about that...for now

And so we No Doubt - my Mini Sheldonita played it this morning - I swear it's like she knows what I want to hear

most accurate description of love

One of the book sites I'm following asked for opinions on the most accurate description of love -
people posted lovey-dovey/tender stuff like from "Fault in our Stars"... and Pride and Prejudice - which admittedly is great  - “I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.”"

but so I of course said:
Not to negate the importance of sentimentality ('cause it's absolutely important) 
but additionally,  for me (and mine), this line just does it for me 
“She may be an evil bitch, but she is my evil bitch , and I'll have no other." Kresley Cole - Kiss of a Demon King. 
It's just so ...right...to point out that absolute love (in my opinion) is acknowledging the good and the bad about someone and still loving them for it. Plus it's freakin' funny...and that adds to it all too!

I wish that "beginning of in-love" feeling on everyone....what a great thing to have and remember. 
Can't say the same about the bad/worst parts...oy ... just awful hollow yucky-ness.

Moving on - I've loaded up my kindle for this weekend - around packing up Christmas stuff and the W's shrimp boil.

It's supposed to maybe snow tonight!!! yay

Totally in a 80/90s Country music mood lately. Tracy Lawrence and George Strait and The Judds!
Did lovers really fall in love to stay     
And stand beside each other come what may?               
Was a promise really something people kept
Not just something they would say and then forget?...

twist and tweet and striking out

Christmas #3 of 2016 is in the books -  My aunt broke out the qvc twistboard looking thing - I thought she and Jamie's mom were going to kill themselves. heh oy

one more Christmas to go next weekend. *whew*

Last minute dinner get together with J&V Saturday - she told me she still finds it really hard to talk to some of her best friends after the election. She's in her 70's so some of those are friends of 30+ years....She asked one of her friends why she voted for Trump, the gal told her because she didn't really care and her husband wanted her to...

Unfortunately I can relate to that story with my own circle -

In that vein, I couldn't refrain from doing (my 8th tweet of all time) in response to my State representative Matt Shaheen. Thing is I actually agree with him on some things: strengthening justice system, transportation spending.
What bothers me is he posts a bucolic picture with a bible quote about being "kind and forgiving" and he then posts about disliking "lying hypocrite liberals".
I said "you are my representative. All the name calling is disturbing. Please try to be more inclusive on your platform". Not that I at all think my tweet did anything but seriously! Don't "represent" me that way. It pisses me off.

Anyway - totally struck out in trying out new authors this weekend -
Unleashing - Shelly Laurenston - started out pretty good, the Crow concept was kinda cool, like the Valkyries of the IAD but it's so much better done in IAD and interest faded.
Bossman- Vi Keeland - again, better done by Christina Lauren, the girl seemed pretty needy. 
Hope(less) - Melissa Haag - didn't grab my attention from the start
Serendipity - Janet Nissenson - again didn't grab my attention from the start
Size Matters - Alison Bliss - obvious/ridiculous/boring self image issues from the get go. Is there a story about the friend? 'cause she owned it and reminded me so much of my college roommate. Men just loved that gal.
Pucked - Helena Hunting - amusing start but the story quickly faded...

and even a couple authors that I've liked
Susan E Phillips - Heroes are My Weakness - her dolls...just...no. lame. couldn't get passed it. 
Penny Reid - Truth or Beard - I finished this one,  it wasn't the leads, although I liked him much more than I liked her, just the blackmail backstory was eh..

so I just ended up re-reading KC's Shadow's Claim - never gets old. Never lets me down. Thank you.

TRIP RECAP: Carolina-s (and TN) on my mind

We got back from NC yesterday.
Re-cap -
Landed in Charlotte at 8am, drove the 2 hours west to  Asheville, they're in "exceptional drought"  and it's noticeable. Could definitely smell the smoke from the wildfires in the mornings.

Asheville in general - In a good way we think it's the "weird" that Austin has lost. Lots of good restaurants, bars and shopping all in a walk-able distance, if staying downtown.
Loved: people are very nice (but not very talkative), very dog friendly, the Crow and Quill, the view from Grove Park Inn - Edisons, The Admiral (everything was delicious!), Biscuit Head, people watching
Didn't Love: there's a slight chance you'll wind up sitting next to someone at a bar who's chosen to not bathe or use deodorant. (they'll know everything about being a vegetarian and your astrological sign though...)

Surrounding areas
Gatlinburg, Tennessee
We took a day trip up to Gatlinburg - stopped over at Carver's Orchard in Crosby, TN - nice, quaint.  Wish we would've been hungry to try their restaurant. 
Gatlinburg was awful - SO super touristy. We made the effort to park and walk down the main street toward the Ober tramway thing - we lasted 20 minutes and just made the decision get back to our car and leave.

the Blue Ridge Parkway (back down to Asheville) - beautiful...and just so nice to be out of the crowds

On our way back to Charlotte  
- Stopped over at Hubba Hubba BBQ  - very good (pulled pork yum! still not a fan of Carolina sauces though.)
- I googled "battle site near me" and sure enough (Revolutionary War) Cowpens Battlefield in South Carolina came up. I had low expectations but it's actually pretty neat. I got a map from the visitors center and we chose to do the hour+ auto tour. We pulled up the park website on our phone for the narration that brought each stop to life (we also searched for bullets to no avail.)
We also randomly passed by the Gaffney, SC peach tower (on the House of Cards show we just started watching last week....heh)
Charlotte - we had dinner at King's Kitchen and walked around downtown a bit. Not bad - just eh.... any Downtown City, USA.
Charlotte Douglas airport is officially one of my least favorite. B terminal was madness.

And so....with being back home, I'm ok with no pimento cheese, biscuits and gravy and horseradish in things for a long while.
Will we go back? Probably not - but I'd definitely recommend going! The Smoky mountains are beautiful and I really hope Asheville stays weird.

Finished - Ella Quince - Desperate for a Duke. Predictable, not bad...
Re-reading Lothaire - a nod to the Appalachian gal

friends/of friends, the buckle in my eye and a reading frenzy....

total reading frenzy this weekend,
except Sunday - we had people over.
Like 10 people? - that's a good amount - friends/friends of friends. It was nice and fun and all...especially when everything's not solely on us to feed everyone.
I think Jamie needed the socialization more than I thought...

I just get a little tired having to clean/pick up after people. I thought we were kinda past the age where people just leave their shit everywhere? Or gals?...I mean -  could we go a little old school and help a gal out with the dishes maybe?

Here's an example of a cultural difference....you can always tell when people weren't raised around a big family. I go in to someone's house knowing that you bring something, (at the very least your beverage of choice) and you (especially the women) always help the hosts consolidate/clean at strategic times for when the next round of hunger happens. ...but oh well...whatever. Really I'm just bitching...it's not that bigga deal - and certainly less expensive than going out, that's for sure. 

Just had my eye check up for my scleral buckle  - he says I'm good. May seems like forever ago - or maybe I just want to forget that it happened. Still getting used to it though....I can feel it stretch when I move my eyes to the right. Def notice floaters/flashes more, especially when my eyes are tired.  He wants to see me back in a year - we'll see how things'llve changed.

Finished
Elisa Braden's -new Viola's story  - Good story. jerkface moment! you don't ever go see your old girlfriend!ugh. 
Carrie Pilby - not sure how this got on in my queue?...didn't have high expectations but was pleasantly and thoroughly entertained! More than a few introvert/relate-able scenarios. I saw that it's going to be a movie. I hope they don't dumb it down...
1 and 3 of Christi Caldwell's scandalous - good getaway as always. ugh the blind-ness
Re-read - Sweet Ruin - it's funny how i seem to like Kresley Cole's books more the more I read them....

cliff-hangers! music,Unfriending, cults and hermitting

Friday - Chris Knight and Jason Boland were as good as expected,...Jason Boland a little better maybe? - the guy never sounds bad. Gas monkey live - good (huge) venue - the crowd was kinda lame - a guy in front of me kept yelling "play Waylon!" to Chris Knight.
Are you freakin' kidding me!!! I wanted to punch him in the mouth.

We didn't get to sleep till close to 2am - oy can't hang like I used to. We start drinking at 4 and done/home by 11. This is how non-amateurs do it...heh...
 At least we didn't reek of cigarette smoke like back then. Whisper Britches for dinner - low expectations from the chef of Casa Rubia but actually pretty good fried chicken...it's no Babe's but still good.

Saturday - Jamie left for golf in Louisiana, I went to Urban Crust for the surprise party.
The gal that disappeared with her new boyfriend 6 months ago - was (oddly) there. I think she figured out that I unfriended her on fb. . ..oops. She wasn't my friend anyway. I didn't dislike her - it's just I don't really have much in common with a 25 year old - even when I was 25. And times have changed! a 25 year old today isn't at all what I remember being like at 25?
I thought I was pretty good at finding something in common with anybody but I swear, more and more 25ish and younger something typical Texan/ Americans are like stale bread. Even though/if they've traveled around the world and experienced things like I'd never been able to at their age...communication skills are lacking! Lacking I say!!
It is what it is....I wonder if I intimidate them?...I have been told I'm a little "up-front" for some people...

Got to talking with a couple - clive owen looking type guy and pretty/plain-ish friendly gal (30?) - he wanders off to talk soccer - she talks about going back to school and working in hair and traveling etc etc. Then she non-chalantly mentions that she was raised in a cult.
My curiosity KIKI (as in Que?Que?) flares went right the F up

I wanted to ask her a million questions ( I've seen documentaries! the shunning , the isolation, the brain-washing!) but given the parameters of the event and how everyone was already moving on to the next bar I withheld. I think she could've withstood my barrage of questions - but (again) oh well ...maybe next time....see I do have a filter....

Didn't go to the after party - i really just wanted to be home AND Jamie was out of the house...so I finally got the house to myself!!

and so my hermit-ing (sp?) began

Finally -
watched Age of Ultron - i can see why I didn't hear all that much about it...it's overdone.
Watched all of Easy A - HA! i seriously love Emma Stone (see there's one 25ish? gal I think could be my homie - i'm not a total lost cause...)

Finished reading  2 and 4 more of Elisa Braden - i guess i'll come back to 3 at some point.
And finished Arcana Rising - and so...it wasn't so bad I guess...it is like most other  books that have the same leads for 3+ books - you still like them but about the 3rd book you're losing interest - i almost wish she did what she's doing with IAD and given each character card their own book to carry the story...anyway ...cliffhanger end yep...who tricked her? ...going  "pearl harbor" movie way?

Fast-forwarded through vma's - oy boring and a whole lotta ass everywhere. Are we done with the leotard yet? Eh - Beyonce though! "SLAY all day U-S-A!" (like Leslie Jones) I have a song or two of hers, I'm no mega-fan  - can't deny that was a performance though...

confessions of a (Olympics) mean wife

Quick cause ack!

I'm olympics obsessed - posted this...
my poor husband....

we also headed up to Denton for lunch and over to Lake Kiowa for Ari's 1st bday. I lasted an hour (oy all that energy wasted on the youth) but hey we went!

bought/read "Day Zero", I thought it'd be wasted $ but I actually turned out ok with the quick facts and deeper info - i'll be pissed if it's retold in a later story though!....and re-read "Dead of Winter" cause the next one's coming out next week!!!!

We leave to do Denver SUPER early ($90 RT flight though! woo) for the Ranger game tomorrow. Maybe they'll finally win a game for me?...i'm 0 for 3 this year.

VERY worried the dvr is gonna max out while we're gone. I can't believe men's v-ball lost to Canada!!! (FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS).

now...back to work!!

i see you lonely across the board

The Arkansas Derby in Hot Springs was interesting (and very crowded).
I wore my fancy pink fascinator. Jamie and i even matched - nerds yep ha. but fun!
I banked on a $36 winner (score!)....not so lucky money otherwise. 
And thanks to random strangers Diane and her friend for giving us a ride away from the track - nice people are the best. 

Besides that, the group we sat with (friends of friends) had a strange vibe.
Arkansas nice  - the southern that dallas has lost -  but all I think is it must be very difficult to bear the weight of most everyone around you knowing that you come from/have/are connected to a lot of money - and only seeing that...

My introvert observationist (is that a word?) always comes out in these situations - 

I see it time and again -  the expectations, calculating, hangers-on - and probable doubting of authenticity of everyone around them must be exhausting.
They're constantly surrounded and still, for the most part, it seems a lonely (and...jaded?) existence to me -  makes me wonder if they're ever truly happy

Finished - Kresley Cole's - The Player - and I'm thinking maybe if I read it again I'll like it better? I just couldn't sink in with this one like I usually can with her? Not bad but ....i can't place it.

not a nice wife thing to say

So Jamie's leaving on a bachelor party weekend to Cancun soon.
I told him to please remove himself from postings on facebook, cause it's embarrassing to say I'm married to someone who has friends that think it's a good idea to go on booze cruises in Cancun .

Even in high school and college I thought all that was so lame. Even worse now that we're grown.

I know...that's not a nice wife thing to say but whatever...he agrees with me.

so Dear mid-life-crisis men,
On behalf of all women who agree -  I'd like to tell you a secret (that's not really a secret) - it's a HUGE red flag and there aren't many things more pathetic than trying to recreate your youth in asinine manners such as
-talking constantly about: yourself/how much money you have/ how great you are, 
-a weird obsession with cars/corvettes, 
-creepy  flirting with barely legal girls (or women in general really) 
-and going on booze cruises in Cancun.  

Moving on - tried another "rock" book - Sweet as Sin - J.T. Geissinger- and pretty much again disappointed in the "I'm not that kind of girl but I really am".
Read Grace Burrowes - Groom wore plaid - she should've been smarter in figuring out where the f her money went!
Tried a Jennifer McQuiston and she's not my style got bored.

DL'd a few more but for now started re-reading "MacRieve" for enjoyment....

Also we saw The Intern - i mostly liked it but for the end - wtf?! seriously?

i'm irate

I'm in a mood and I can't decide if it's all the mass shootings, my family driving me crazy about Christmas already or last night my husband (nonchalantly) saying he's still kept contact with an ex-girlfriend.

The shootings (...and perhaps it's because I was raised with guns in the house AND I'm from Texas where pretty much the majority of the people I know own guns)
I can't help but think that if some of those people had guns to protect themselves the crazy people shooting at them wouldn't have had free reign to terrorize to that extent.

Then another side of me thinks about what a dutchman said to me over dinner in Amsterdam a couple years ago. 
He said "Can you tell me why Americans have guns? Why do you have to kill people to protect yourselves?" and it wasn't so much the question as an eye opener that a big part of the rest of the world can't fathom anyone ever resorting to that violence. It does make one wonder why. 

Moving on...Christmas is already a problem. It drives me bonkers the odd "perfect family" expectations and guilt weirdness that happens for a mass marketed "holiday". Wasn't Jesus Christ purported to've been born in the Spring for cryin' out loud!?

Then my husband - he looked at me like he was baffled that I might take exception about him communicating with his ex-girlfriend.

Honestly... I think he's an intelligent, caring, thoughtful man.
He'd never run around on me - but for the life of me I can't understand how asinine he can be some times!? Or maybe not asinine...maybe... unthinking about how I might feel says it better.

It's not even him I worry about - I know women. I am a woman. They're a million times more devious than men.

This calls for Old 97's...cause I'm irate

Oh and I finished Sweet Ruin. She writes a good story (as most always). Never got bored. Loved the leads. 1 of the 2 authors I'll pay $15 for an ebook for. $15 though...!!! ugh... *smh*

family drama & (im)mortal rules

So Houston - we met up with some family members at a bar up in Conroe and we got so loud talking over each other people were giving us dirty looks.

Good thing there were only 8 of us there - we might've been run out otherwise.
The bouncer did say though that he was "throughly entertained" as we walked out. ha.

Heard one of my cousins is getting divorced after just a year of marriage.
I can't say I didn't see that coming - computer nerd meets a pretty gal and got her the boobs and the Louboutin's and building a huge house outside of Houston somewhere that she wanted. And so when he starts to put the money brakes on she's not having it and the "spark is gone".

Then my cousin and his wife got on their high horse about how Jamie and I need to have children and we'll "never know how amazing it is if you don't" blah blah blah.

It was fine for the first 10 minutes (we're immune from most every other parent we know that says the same thing) but after a while it got annoying.

And so typically I'd be like "ok thank you. now be quiet"
but they lost their own baby a couple years ago from a terrible mitochondrial disorder. And so we gave them a little more leeway until Jamie hit his limit at about the 20 minute mark and I was like "ok it's time to go. nice to see ya. bye".

Again,  honestly....
I think we should be thanked for choosing to not have a child we don't really want to begin with. 

Moving on....The Blood of Eden YA series is good enough to get me to the beginning of the 3rd book so far. But (yet again), the second book in the series was mostly filler with a few relevant points - ugh. I feel so cheated when they do that.

Also re-read Cade/Holly's story - so good. I think she's my favorite written nerdy type girl.

Diggin' the new Jason Boland/Stragglers - Guess it's alright to be an asshole if you're good.

annnndddd - Classic Rangers...making it hard for yourselves. we'll see if we can move on after tomorrow's game. *I tell Jobu come, take fear from bats*....#nevereverquit

my rt15 recap & stragglers

Wow these last few days!!

Thursday
Went to the RT convention

• Pictionary with a whole buncha authors I've never heard of. Wanna know why? Cause it was an inspy authors! Christian, and Amish and the like. HA! Still...I'm not going to knock it. A good story's a good story. I'll give the books a go...why not!
• Next was a group of panelists at the other end of the spectrum - they called it the "Art of Funny Smut" Christina Lauren, Clayton, Chase and Probst. Pretty sure I've read all of them. All were really funny. I like their books and like them more now seeing who wrote them. Apparently event coordinators underestimated their draw cause there were way too many people in the small room and it was hot (not in a good way)!
• YA Fantasy - Cremer, Lu, Aguirre, Pierce, Westerfeld- I've read Lu's Legend and Westerfelds Uglies. It does make it better if you've read what they're talking about. I'm certainly more interested in Andrea Cremer just by hearing what she has to say though. It's on the list. 
• Paranormal - JClare, KCole, CHarris, DJones and GShowalter - This was the one I was most excited about as Kresley is my favorite. This was a great panel. I tried reading Harris's Sookie books but lost interest. I might try her again just cause she was hilarious. And good to know that Kresley never responds to any fan mail. She's very busy. I think she maybe could've said it a little differently? cause I think she might've offended some? I get it though.  
• Ended with Eloisa James, Sylvia Day and DJones - I love EJames books and learned interesting tidbits, both SDay and DJones were interesting...it's just by this time I think everyone was just straight up tired.  

I think I'd go for one day (maybe two?) again. It's worth going. I just don't see myself going for a week! I was beat by the end of just that day. 

Friday

I had a shit day at work so was totally in a drinking mood. We uber'd to see Jason Boland. He was awesome as always (his hair's gone gray? how'd that happen?)  but it turns out there's no uber to pick us up where we are when he's done!
Jamie finds a couple who's fine with us sharing their cab. It turns out they're from Arkansas and like to talk just as much as we do so we essentially kidnap them to our house. Next thing we know it's 3:30 in the morning and we have basic strangers staying with us in our guest room. 

Saturday

We take our new friends to breakfast and  back to their hotel with the promise to visit them when we head their way.

 I really thought I'd try to make it to the RT Fan day, but this was me all day yesterday instead:

So yep I've run the gamut of new memories/experiences these last couple of days - either way I'd say I've totally lived - it was quite grand. 

i'm out now though...chores and stuff.

the most nerdy thing I've ever done

I made a "my favorite authors / fangirl" tshirt on zazzle.  

I'm well aware that this is probably the nerdiest thing I've ever done (Jamie told me so too)  

Don't care - I'm totally wearing it at the RT convention here next month!

Everyone will be jealous...(or not) ;o)

I also bought my Derby hat...it's pretty - just not as fun. 

Jamie and I are bickering about the decoration/spending for this party. He bought a rose wreath specifically for this event because "it's 'Run for the Roses' Brenda!" 

Seriously?! he's never really cared about any decorations EVER but all of the sudden we're having a Kentucky Derby party and he's turned into "Mr. Interior Designer". ugh!

I'm in a Weary Boys mood - man I miss this band.... we saw them at Adairs and it was seriously one of the best musical talent abilities I've ever seen. More fiddle, more stand up bass - yes please. 

20's vs 30's *en serio*

with Kresley Cole being my favorite author, naturally I bought The Master on opening day.
It threw me a little, and not for the obvious deluge of "sexy times".

The lead was a latina and, as such, Kresley used some Spanish for thoughts/dialogue.
There were several instances where I think she got the conversational spanish off and (being me) I'm harping on it.

Not that I'm all that fluent anymore...I use it so rarely I'm forgetting more and more each day. It's kinda sad.

Regardless, I liked both leads. Especially how Lothaire-like Maxim was. Just not my favorite of Kresley's - (not the biggest fan of the erotica genre anyway.)

Really.... my favorite part was the girls night out. I think Jess's story will be good -the girl is crazy but so fun. I love colorful personalities!

Also, started on another book called Unidentified Redhead.
She's an actress my age having a fling (or maybe more?) with a guy 9 years younger.

I couldn't fathom being with someone younger... I think I'd be bored out of my mind.

This gal's not really reading like someone my age either though. I do like some of her silliness but some scenes are coming off as fake or desperate. I'm losing interest.

Honestly - in my opinion- a big reason why gals in their 30's are sexy is because they don't act like 20 year olds. Own it.

.....or well ....with the exceptions of instances like this.

We reserve the right to eat entire pies no matter what age.

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.

It's too aggressive. It's like....

Is it terrible that when I saw this picture this morning 

All I see is this?

Yep I'm in a mood today.

I've started re-reading Endless Knight as a refresher for the next-in-the-series release of Dead of Winter here in a couple weeks. Can't freakin wait!! This series is DEFINITELY on my favorites books list!

Oh and for the Olympics I say #Boston2024!