I'm in a mood....

All this skepticism/snark/mockery in regards to the time's up/ metoo/women's movement is interesting. I'm curious as to how it's affecting personal relationships?
Jamie was (and likely still is) baffled at my recent involvement in local politics and need to go to the women's march next week. But he's never tried to mock or deny my thoughts or concern.
And quite frankly I don't need to get him to see from my perspective - I just recognize and truly appreciate his support.
So perhaps (before defaulting to derision) maybe people should try to say "I support you" wife/friend/mother etc. and see how that changes relationship dynamic?

Also, it's worrying that people are not seeing the bigger picture on these "tax breaks". It almost like "here throw them the bone...all they'll see is that they're getting something. They'll be so focused on the bone they don't see that we're getting all the meat."
Like seriously...don't they wonder why it was shoved through?

ANYWAY....moving on! I keep thinking I'll get tired of New Orleans and it's not happening - our Saturday day trip blew by. We jumped 7 places and again never touched the Quarter.

I'm getting really bad about tracking my books...
Laurelin Paige - Porn star - so yeah...reading about it the same as watching it...eh...but I hung on to get a better glimpse of the relationship part of the story...and it was ok. 
Samantha Chase- Friday Night Brides - eh. i read it. 4 girlfriends stories. pretty shallow overall.
Wake a Sleeping Tiger - Lora Leigh - i read it...liked them as individuals but together...eh..i guess? Wished she would've gone more into detail about why/how his recessed genes happened. 

And so we Charley Crockett old school/new school

beware the quiet bookworm

GOOD MOOD friday! yaaasss! tick tock tick tock (...5:30?)

(....and I can't wait till we can break up outta here. oh oh oh. Here - (yes *I'm loving this song*))

and I'm feelin sassy and I've got my face on and I'm here to party (with the best of them)

...it'd been AGES since I've listened to mainstream radio. 

Lo and behold  I land on KissFM and heard this new(?) girl singing a story that i could so relate to (even now in my married years.)  Go girl....

"I'm sorry if I seem uninterested

Or I'm not listenin' or I'm indifferent

Truly, I ain't got no business here...."

*Except I do dance and I'm not always an "anti-social pessimist". Life lesson #43 - for your own sake (to make things easier for yourself) ya just gotta fake being interested sometimes - it's just part of adulting....
But really... as I've gotten older (and when I'm in the mood) I freaking love talking to people - ESPECIALLY the ones who surprise me. 

Like the bookworm in the corner by herself (who may or may not might be me) ....

Finished Stygian's Honor - the girl lead was very wishy washy - it got on my nerves. I liked him I guess. Really just kinda "eh" all around...

Got a weekend of going out planned...yay..tick tock tick tock.....

great American! (of MEX and CAN)

I feel a little bit of a poser being a facebook member of the Canada Club of North Texas
... but well... there's still a bit of nostalgia from living there through my elementary school years I guess?
I'm still interested - and what few memories I still have from growing up there are good ones.

Interesting too (now that I look back)
coming from El Paso - desert, Mexican-Spanish lilted English, where everyone had dark hair/eyes like me 
to Calgary, (T2K 2P8!)  90% light hair/eyes, prairie, clean air, and blessed, blessed snow.  (lord I think I miss the snow the most....) 

I was never, not once (that I can recall), made to feel like I didn't belong.
I guess kids in 1st grade don't notice those things.
Or maybe El Pasoan kids and Canadian kids in the first grade aren't taught that different = bad. 
So it was an easy transition  - and for that Canada will always be a special place for me.

(....now, coming back to El Paso for middle school with my mostly forgotten Spanish, Canadian-lilted English is another story.... ugh wretched year.)

Anyway...regardless....me! a FB member of the North Texas Canada club -  noticed when a fellow member posted the below video:

I think it should be a bit of an eye opener to see how other countries see us.
Us(A)...- my great nation that (i agree) needs help making it good again....

Reading Lora Leigh's Stygian story. Eh...just eh so far. 

Right now there are so many new books that have come out that I want to read, I chucked them all to fill in the (my) blank of the Breed series (yep still hanging onto it)

walked in to a bar and gave thanks.

So I was worn out and about to give up on Austin (its turning too pretentious and cliché IMO)

But!!!...this weekend, I was reminded how awesome Austin used to be (and still could be). 

I stood next to a tatted biker guy, a Prada/Chloe gal, a cowboy, a rockabilly/pinup gal, hipsters and foreigners and we were all freakin loving the music.
The Continental Club is a great venue, my band is freaking awesome and still so talented. 

yes my feet hurt and i was beat not goin to bed til 2:45. I don't regret it though!!!

Also yes, what "everyone" says is true. 

Franklin bbq is legit. 

We pre-ordered a 6 pound brisket, skipped the 4(?) hour wait line and took it back up to Dallas with us for our Thanksgiving last night. Add that to sides from Babe's Chicken dinner house
and Holy moly...all of us were this.

I'm truly thankful how blessed I have been and am (even more so for this weekend and how great it was). 

Finished Graeme/Gideon's Breed story and ....yeah... eh. Not even close to the others I've liked so much.
But I finished it...so I guess that says something. 

why you worried 'bout me...

so it's hard to concentrate but I'm gonna start with what made me happy this weekend.
Dinner at Knife was ok, the pig barbacoa was really good. Everything else was just eh.

the Rebirth though....they're just so fun. 
Joyous, lively and I think I'm a little sore from dancing.

I think the friends enjoyed them too. How could they not. A weird thing is that the Granada closed at 11. What's up with that...? Paris attacks..maybe...

I'm also happy that Death with Dignity National center asked me for my story and put it up on their new site. Hopefully any little bit of awareness helps their cause.

I've started reading the last Breed novel. It's contradictory...not the biggest fan so far.

and so *sigh* here i go cause I can't not say anything.
my mind is boggled with responses I'm seeing on social media - the accusations and the name-calling and the pointing fingers
...shouldn't we be figuring out how to help stop terrorist attacks rather than deflect and twist tragedy to personal agendas?

The Governor of Texas wrote a letter to the President today stating that Texas will not accept Syrian refugees.

On my facebook feed alone it's dividing people.

Like...one facebook friend posted "God Bless Texas" - obviously in support.
What's interesting to me is...both of his wife's parents are refugee immigrants. Not from Syria but from a war torn country at the time.

And look...if what they say is true and one of those guys did disguise himself as a refugee, maybe right this very second, shutting people out is the right thing to do for the collective whole.

What do I know. I'm not fully informed. 

This letter as the first reaction doesn't feel to me like the right thing to do though.
I get that he's scared. Who the f isn't worried really?
I think if he just would've suggested a solution or how we as a state and as a nation could contribute to helping anti-terrorism efforts...or anything helpful really, it might not make us look as intimidated.

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. 

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...

Rule Breaker(s)

11 years together and he still has an amazing ability to grate on my nerves like no one else.
I never thought I'd be married (much less be with one person for this long). You'd think that after all this time he'd steer away from setting me off but does he? No.

I'm not turning into one of "those" nagging/woe is me wives. He and I are gonna have a little chat later. Fucking fucker.  

So now that that's out of the way -
What's a good "I'm not ok with you acting this way and I'm going to do something about it" book - what comes to mind is Lora Leigh's Coyote's Mate. Super sexy yes (as most Lora Leigh Breeds books are) but also good conflict story with great chemistry between the leads. Anya (the lead) is introduced as a girl and through the story you see her evolve (with lots of obstacles) to hold her own with intense Del-Ray and everyone else.

About Lora Leigh's Breeds books - she's slightly redeemed herself in my eyes with this last one Rule Breaker  ...those last few books before that one were not good- so not good I was close to stopping her altogether (especially with her missing the mark with Jonas Wyatt's story. I still feel robbed.)

Regardless - overall, the Breeds books -  I'm a fan.