catch you when the next sunrise comes back around.

watched people get arrested at the state capital live on FB today.
there is so much going on in the state special session and in the country (in general) and most of it is embarrassing/disheartening (enter other pessimistic words here). 
All I can do is shake my head at this point and continue on.

Had a long "catch-up" talk with D about how things are going from her perspective down in South Dallas -  She said people in her area have pretty much just stopped doing much of anything. Saving what they can, not buying, not spending. They've laid off half the people at her work. She knows people that have had things happen to them but don't trust the police to do anything to help so they don't call. She mentioned how laughable it is to be accused of taking advantage of the "system" wth food stamps when she's never even thought about it and works 7 days a week to support herself and her son.
We both agreed that the awful things are happening faster then we thought and that up  (north of DT) nobody seems to have been affected yet. We guesstimated within a year the "inconveniences" to them will start to finally be noticed.
Maybe we're wrong?...but I've been right so far....And overall i'm beat down today...
The best quote I read today: "I don't know how to get you to care about what's going on. "

Heading to see 1100springs and Stoney tomorrow - def could do with some music therapy

Finished
Breath of Magic - Teresa Medeiros - actually no I lasted 2 chapters? a whole lot of non-story. not my style. just no. 
King's Cage (Red Queen) - Victoria Aveyard - thought it was the end.  didn't realize this was a middle (filler book) grr...
The Theory of Attraction - Delphine Dryden - nerd neighbor, she helps him. surprise dom, well it was different. finished it. Won't search her out. 
The Dark Lord - Le Veque -  medieval. another i didn't finish. forced myself to to 30% and couldn't hang on anymore. 

Double Dare - R.L. Mathewson - fav. trope hate to love. liked this series enough to follow but this one was her worst IMO. it jumped around,  finished but really lost interest several times.

The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo - Amy Schumer - just started this one, amusing. That part where she can talk to anyone but needs to go hide in the bathroom (me! ha!) and/or the Irish good-bye.....yeah I think we could be friends in real life

so we stoney (as prep) Look at me Fly

suddenly you and (i saw) red queen

was watching the Roald Dahl "Faceoff" episode the other day,
Jamie walks in and says "who's Roald Dahl?"
I looked at him like this

*sigh* only the one who hooked me into the wonderful world of books Jamie....

we were invited and stopped over to some friends of friends house....very nice OU folk we've met a little through years. Parents of a special needs boy - he's old enough now where they can start to come out of their shell. A lot of Jamie's friends are getting to where they have kids old enough and can start to come out to play.
It's pretty interesting to witness how it's almost like they're kind of coming out of a cave -  unsteady on how to be still young, but not who they used to be.

Re-read - Larissa Ione's Passion Unleashed.

Finished Suddenly You - Lisa Kleypas - (I joined a FB group dedicated to old school romances from Jude D's page... and lord I can't keep up with all the reco's! It's so exciting but I can't hang. It's like the politically active info....can only take in small doses. heh.) So anyway...this one was one of my favorites (if not the favorite?) of hers. She's an author, he's not who she thinks he is, sparks, nothing immature... I liked them both a lot.

About to finish the second in Victoria Aveyard's YA Red Queen series (glass sword) - slow going but it's keeping me hanging on. It's just hard to transition from well paced/written/edited to a YA that has a lot of potential but a lot of unnecessary-ness (pretty sure that's not a word...oh well)

Bought the new Sarah MacLean - probably can't get to it till Friday. we'll see.

Every major Texas city (except Fort Worth) has joined the lawsuit against the state of Texas regarding SB4....I just  have to think....does this not even a little sway reps? How do they continue to ignore things?  (i dunno -  I've asked mine and the silence continues....)

laughed out and over my head

so yes Saturday was a day of gals - Michaels, arts/crafts, lunch...and lots and lots of talking as  - girls are wont to do 

Then I was home by 4 and did my first ever Netflix binge-watch.
A British show called Chewing Gum....
some of the British vernacular went over my head,
I ultimately had to put closed captions on cause I couldn't understand what the f they were saying

but lord....I laughed and laughed.
Not gonna lie - a couple times so hard I about peed my pants.
I'm twitter stalking the gal now....:0)

Attempted to go to the DMV and was (naturally) let down on expectations and the "online reservation" process - ugh...

March for Science Saturday - trying to think of a sign - I'll never be as clever as nerdy science-y people. grr.
Did post to "the group" that Rick Perry will be speaking as "Head of Energy" at the Earth Day Fair park downtown on Friday though - people are vacillating between the vomit emoji and high amusement/sarcasm.

Also (of course) read:
Larissa Ione - Z (just have to kinda think that she'll always think she comes in second...right?) and Razr (he didn't do all that much for me....this was one of those times I loved the gal and her world much more. Hope she continues there)
Victoria Aveyard - Red Queen - good potential YA but not gonna lie, I skimmed through some parts. It's a mish mash of a lot of dystopian others. And not always the best parts.  I'll continue if it comes around. No die hard here.
Finished #3 and #4 of the EJamesEssex sisters - Not my favorite series of hers. I was entertained. thank you. 

Annnd I read an article today that said live music is dying - case it point Wormy Dog OKC is closing this month - I hope it's just a lull - I love live music. It's a huge stress relief.

To that end (poor choice of words) gonna go with a little old school Crystal Gayle

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?...

time to move on

Wanna know how you know you're getting older? - we planned a day drinking day on Monday with the Ws - get to the house after a two stop hop (to keep going) -  and everybody falls asleep watching the Food Network instead - to eventually wake up to watch the Cowboy game.

smh. oh well.

Besides that my time off week is goin fast.

Finished:
Time Keeper - Mitch Albom - not as good as the others I've read of his -  but quick read, thoughtful. I forget how good he is with the one-liners.
The Last 5th Wave book - nope. didn't get me. oh well
Lingus - Mariana Zapata - I finished it but I mostly didn't like it. Funny at times but it's like stupid MTV stuff... the immaturity got old fast
#1 Chicago Stars - I liked them, I like how she turned her beauty around to work for her.
#5 Chicago Stars - this one bothered the shit out of me. She basically sexually assaults him and they live HEA? I finished the book and I think I would've liked her if that whole scene never happened. Just couldn't get passed it. Not ok.

I feel like I'm trying to get sick? maybe I just need to move around...
Think we're fixin to head to Fort Worth for an adventure? Jamie's goin a little stir crazy.

In an old school Cross Canadian Ragweed mood

can't research the world but I can offer a gal a drink and wish her a happy new year....

a family member got on their Trump train and I couldn't keep quiet this time.

I wasn't condescending (that doesn't ever help anything)...I really thought though, that given his viewpoint he'd have thoughtful/informative feedback on these two subjects especially when I asked the questions...
1)Puerto Rico and how he thinks it'll fare under Trump presidency (given that he's (passionately) from Puerto Rico)
and 2)tax $ in regards to veterans (given that he is a veteran)

and all I really got out of it is that Puerto Rico needs to figure out a way to retain it's entrepreneurs and Obama played too much golf and ruined everything. Trump will bring the jobs back and make this country great again.

So I asked if there was anything good he could say about Obama (healthy lunch options in schools, ending stop-loss, the concept of not denying insurance coverage to people with pre-existing conditions, incentives to farmers/ranchers to open their land for hunting/fishing...Osama Bin Laden?)
nothing....
all I said was "well that's disappointing" and then let it go.

Then I asked myself that question...what about Trump do I like?
so I thought....hmm tax cuts for big companies for more jobs. That makes sense right...
But then I thought ...has this been tried before? what happened when this last was tried?
Interesting! *fox ears lifted*
lets check!!!
so far (with my admittedly homegrown not wholly informed research skills)  I'm finding this statement to be true....
 "in 2004, U.S.-based multinationals corporations claimed they’d use their bonanza to create jobs in the U.S. In reality they actually cut jobs, as well as spending on research and development. The gusher of money was instead used for stock buybacks and to increase executive salaries. Compensation for the top officials at the biggest affected companies increased about 60 percent."

and so... here I'm exhausted. So... yeah...exhausted....maybe I'll pick the enthusiasm back up later. There's got to be some good stories somewhere...

Moving on - I reached out to the gal I used to play tennis with on linked in -  originally from Syria (with family still there) and a Muslim. She got off facebook a while ago for obvious reasons. I invited her to our new years day open house thing. I can't research the world but I can offer a gal (who's likely had a shittier year than me) a drink and wish her a happy new year....

also finished Dumplin' by Julie Murphy...it was a teenager story with teenager angst that can translate in someways to adulthood. Not bad.

And so we Great Divide - Lets Get Out of Here Tonight - (no pun intended heh) cause I feel like it.
I've been sitting here just watching smoke circle 
Around empty bottles of beer 
Lately all I've been talking about's getting out of here 
Let's get out of here tonight 
Throw our hearts to the wind 
Let's fill that highway up with our headlights 
Tonight there's a full moon shining down 
And I'm so tired of watching from this one-horse town 
And we can talk about it all later in the morning light 
Let's get out of here tonight

cravings, college and wild fires

so ready to see North Carolina and the smoky mountains this weekend....heard nothing but good things - stupid wild fires better not ruin my moment. I've wanted to see the Smokies even before even reading Hunger Games. I miss mountains....

recap from last weekend -
craving deep dish pizza we tried Gino's East in Dallas hoping it would be close to the Chicago original and it was so bad we sent it back- bummer

Went back down into Dallas for my aunts art show in the design district and talked to my cousins for a while. On a side note: I got so pissed off at Jamie, he actually lasted being quiet for about 10 minutes when I told him not to talk to me
(....I'd laugh but I really was pissed.)
 Then I got over it...it's seriously too much effort to be mad all the time. I don't know how people do it.

Family thanksgiving went well. No politics (like newslines are warning). I gave Kris a "how to college" book I bought on amazon and wrote a letter on the inside-

he looks at it and goes "a book...noooo" ha. I wish I had it before going into college though...lotsa stuff in there nobody tells you and you don't usually figure out until too late. Who knows...maybe he'll get bored and skim through it...crossing fingers.

About politics though - is it weird that I'm betting that all my favorite songwriters are gonna be putting out some really good songs here soon (after all of this past years fodder?)....just saying.

finished  YA -  Elsewhere by gabrielle zevin - and actually liked it a lot. What a great idea. It read a little immature/simplistic but the lead is 15! duh! 

Also read Confess by Colleen Hoover - pretty good but oy... heavy. I have another of hers ready to read but I think i'm gonna hold off 

and I finished another one....well dammit I can't remember what it was now...and so we micky and the motorcars

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...

the big easy (or not my kinda friend)

New Orleans good - as always.
We re-hit a few of our places - lord those bbq shrimp poboys at liuzza's by the track get better and better....

Didn't have time to test more really for the one day we were there.
It's definitely different meeting up with a group of people out there.
I guess I've just gotten so used to how Jamie and I travel -  its hard to compromise and adjust to people who don't travel like us?
With two things especially - sharing food and spending money

...I mean Jamie and I have shared food with people we just met at the bar - if you're acting that funny about it around a mutual group of friends,  I can already tell being direct friends is probably not going to happen.

AND I get being money conscious -  but the whole "to the penny" splitting is a little exhausting and really telling.

OH and dammit I saw that Amy Schumer was there and saw the Rebirth Brass Band off Frenchmen St!
I would've left her alone (or maybe I might have stared at her like this for a bit....)

who knows...I do know she freakin hilarious and that she likes the RBB.
Two checks on my list for being my kinda gal.....

I had it as an option to go see them - OF COURSE I DID -  we couldn'tve made it though...Jamie was already too much to handle,  and that was with us calling it an early night....

regardless I think we're on to something with these weekend trips. We might be doing more, more often.

I think we're gonna lay off the group trips for a while though - unless it's with people we know aren't gonna bring us down, cause who wants debbie downers on a vacation? seriously.

books
Elizabeth Hoyt - Ice Princess - i actually thought it was a well written girl in bad circumstances gets herself out story...just really short...if it was a bit more fleshed out I think it would've been better.
Denise Hunter  - Married till Monday - second chance story. I finished it but not really sure I liked it. Nice, normal guy tries to overcome complicated abused girl issues.
Stephanie Perkins - Anna and the French Kiss - a more mature YA I liked she realized there's a whole wide world out there. The whole back and forth got a little old .

pb&jamie where's my flask....

weekend was great conversations, music, food with fun people. Too fast as usual.

the new Montlake Cut was yum...just sooo loud..(oy I'm getting old)  
and yikes it's ridiculous how much cocktails cost...(maybe going pb&j tonight to compensate? ha)
or maybe seriously contemplate taking my flask everywhere again... 

Jamie uber'ing -  he'd basically turn it on and he'd get pinged, by that tell it's crazy how many people use it. 
I think he liked it, it's a good way to keep from getting bored, and only one shady-ish story of the five rounds he's done so far.

Books
Finished the third "others" book - eh...not sure I'll hang on to read the 4th.
and another YA -  Bad Girls Don't Die - reminded me of my "goosebumps" days when i was 10. Just a little more grown up. I actually did like the lead...I could relate to her - just overall, and especially toward the end, it read disjointed. Not bad, but  I don't think I'll continue here either. 
Also finished, Nora Roberts' Stars of Fortune it reads so much like the other series of hers ...umm something cross?...I forget what it was called. But I liked the series, (also like a pb&j) it's good enough for when nothing else works....so I'll likely continue as an "in-between" book.
Tried Green's -  Abundance of Katherine's and lost interest.

turns out a couple friends are heading to our portland/seattle baseball trip with us. yay!

not so great news - there was a police helicopter circling my neighborhood yet again last night. And armed robbery with a fatality 5 minutes from my house a couple hours ago. what the f is going on!!!

Loop da loop, upside down in reverse

Stop this ride I want to get off quick
It’s making me nervous, it’s makin’ me sick
These ups and downs, complete turn arounds
Makes me realize how good stability sounds

...CAUSE they'll be here Friday and hopefully sing this song!

 (I think we're going?).....and this song is so apropos in more ways than one..
I'm early voting today. I've decided on what I'm doing...for the primary anyway. 

Otherwise, still trudging along reading Anne Bishop's third "others" book - ugh trrrruuuuudging along. I seriously am bothered by "filler" books

Also, wrote on my congressman's fb page yesterday asking if the costs to maintain Guantanamo Bay factor in to him "strongly opposing the closing" of it.

OF course I don't "want radical terrorists in our communities"!... those detainees won't be transferred to "our communities" - why would he say that?

 I just don't understand (and perhaps I'm missing something).... BUT from what I'm reading - the cost to maintain guantanamo bay is crazy.

It didn't make sense to keep Alcatraz open -  how does it make sense to keep this one open?

The thing I like about GOP ideology is fiscal responsibility.
That's why I don't shut myself off from voting for a republican candidate.
Seriously...I can be swayed...but using scare tactics and being obstinate in "not wanting to do it because Obama wants to do it" is exhausting.

Just do what's right and/or makes the most logical sense...i don't freaking care what party you are....ugh.

act like it

yep a weekend of being a total homebody. (It was grand but I'm officially sick of being sick. its "on" this weekend. Snotty or not here I come. You can't hide. hehheheheeee.)

Watched Brown Sugar, I forget how much I like her acting/story telling. (and his).
I still say Love and Basketball is one of the best love story movies.
When she tries to be there for him and he breaks up with her! ugh idiot! *sigh* 

....another one like Keira Knightly's Pride and Prejudice that I have to stop and watch if I find it on tv. 

me ^
But not really cause there was no way my raggedy-ness looked even close to this.

I did have breakfast with my aunt. The real estate isn't holding her over very well. She started crying when I offered her money if she needed it. And she's not a crier. It must be pretty hard. Won't ever forget living paycheck to paycheck through college and your aunt lending you money or co-signing on an apartment to hold you over though. I know a lot of people aren't so lucky. 

It's interesting...she said she signed up for insurance through ACA last year and all they did was charge her money she didn't have only to have "the good' doctors not accept it when she did go.  It worries me.

Finished Act Like It - Lucy Parker - I liked the un-apologetic-ness of London characters and the not love at first sight. Good one. I bet that one would be a good movie. 
and Anne Bishop's #2 of the Others - and halfway through  #3 - I mean i'm still involved...the thing with this YA is it's kinda dumbed down in some scenes? I'm skipping a little.  And I'm still not sure why everyone likes the lead so much? Plus,  the whole cutting thing is kinda creepy. Of any character, I think Tess should have more play. She's rad.  AND I just found out there's a 4th book! whyyyy!? ugh

and i've been given more stuff at work...bleh.

made me want to have a drink

looks like we're heading back to New Orleans next month for a friends 40th. wooo.

we tried a New Orleans restaurant up in Frisco over the weekend - not bad for what it was.
I forget the kids evvverywhere up there. lord.- all the exhausted mothers and chaos children made me want to have a drink for them. 

We also went to the lakehouse (ahh the quiet) and so I got to read.
Finished:

• the Nightingale - yep pretty much a minor sobfest the last 20% of the book. I knew it!
• the final Spindle Cove - not at all believable but I think my favorite of the series. Quick easy read. 
• the first of (YA?) The Others - took a bit to switch gears (and worlds). I don't really have much of a picture of who the lead really is and why everyone just liked her.   I guess that's coming...? Liked it enough to line for the next one though.

In a angst ridden Jack Ingram mood today:

The neon's burning both ends of another night

Everybody's living way to loud

Workin' hard to act like every thing's alright

Anything to keep from coming down

Oh fool, you're fooling yourself

Don't you know that closing time will tell

And if you think you're fooling anybody else

Oh fool, you're fooling yourself

irritable spouse

knew it...they blew it. Stupid Rangers.
and half done with the last Immortal rules  -  so predictable...this really should've just been one book.

...I'm kinda glad I have this book diary thing. Now I get why people journal.
It's cathartic. I can't vent to Jamie, he's already in his roller coaster mood swing with the cowboys being so bad and now the rangers losing so badly.

I mean I'm pissed, that's my team,  but really...at the end of the day it's a game.
He lets it effect everything beyond what's reasonable...it's exhausting.

On top of that he's bothered with me cause today's the golf tournament for the charity he's on and I guess he didn't really believe me when I told him I was done volunteering for it.

I think I did pretty good dealing with all that for 6? years out of a sense of wifely support? And really I never volunteered to begin with....he volunteered me without even asking me! F'n jerk. Getting me all riled up all over again.  

But...married life lesson #102 - (no matter how much I want to) I can't keep harping on something that happened a long time ago. He knows why I'm pissed. Let it go Brenda or it causes more problems...UGH! For me..this is one of the hardest things to stop doing.

*update* I just read it's National Grouch Day! HA!!! Yay I win!!

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

to eat. so good.

I finished the book...and those pictures in MP's Home for Peculiar Children are real! Talk about creepy. 

We met up at the new-ish place for dinner last night
and so... sushi is slowly but surely redeeming itself for me. I've got my training wheels back on. 

I had a terrible first experience - it didn't help that most of the portions are big and there's no getting around putting the whole thing in your mouth. But...oh well...guess I'll get over it. First world problems. 
Regardless - it was good. And we had fun the old school way, over a good meal and bottles of wine (and maybe some moonshine someone thought would be a good idea to bring..?).

And so about the Pope... it's a strange thing. I don't really consider myself Catholic anymore, I just question too many things, but seeing the pope on tv and knowing how my Ita would've loved him and would've been watching him all day gets me all teary eyed.

I wonder if his presence/speeches had anything to do with Boehner's resignation?

I think Jamie and I are heading to the lakehouse / East Texas and the slower pace this weekend.

I feel a bookfest coming on...yay!!!

curious and Peculiar

well (not surprisingly) the husband CSI'd my Christmas card. 
not that I made it that difficult to find. He knows my password.
all i can do is shake my head...he just couldn't stand not knowing what it looked like!!! ha.

I'm almost finished reading Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. 
It's a little LionWitchWardrobe-y, a little Peter Pan-y with a just a slight macabre twist. They also put character pictures in there to delve you a little deeper- it's interesting. Not sure I'd like to be led like that so literally (or is it illustratively?) all the time but since this is the first i'm seeing of something like this - I LIKE IT!!

and so, i read a little about the #ShoutYourAbortion movement - the moniker is little off putting to me.
I don't need to know your business. You don't need to shout it. I support women's rights over their own bodies.
I'll look for facts/information, I'll vote, and perhaps donate...but I won't shout.

It's hard to hear for all the shouting going on already anyway...

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.

never gotten taller makin' someone else feel small

And so my nephew goes to Macarthur High. I've been informed on what happened with the kid and his clock. 
And...perhaps people might consider imagining you're the teacher and you hear a ticking clock coming from a backpack in your classroom? When you question what it is, the kid's not very forthcoming and all you see is a bunch of wires connected to a ticking clock...
Not that I'm saying all subsequent actions were the right thing to do. But there are other viewpoints to consider....

And honestly I really don't think everything is racial. 

In fact, (my experience, for the most part) prejudice only really happens when people of any race - by choice or circumstance - constantly surround themselves with those that look/act/think like themselves. Then add dramatics/paranoia and it goes bonkers. 

I wish they'd break the mold. 
Cause really...i've said it before...how boring to always converse with someone who thinks like you and agrees with everything you say. 

AND since I just can't stand it anymore....I try really REALLY hard to not say anything if I've got nothing nice to say BUT 
no I don't like Donald Trump. 
why? 
Not because I'm a woman, 
and not because of all the many (i'm from El Paso MANY) of Mexican descent people I know that aren't murderers, drug dealers or rapists 
but because I saw what a bully he was to the Scottish. 
I don't like bullies.
Kudos to you Scots for pushing back!!  
I can't wait to see y'all next year! Our trip is coming along very nicely. I love people that don't take shit from anybody.

I guess if I have to make a choice and affiliate with any party it's Libertarian.
Just do no harm, mind your own business and stay out of mine.
...ugh. 
This presidential election already makes me weary.

I'm reading the second in the Gone series, I'm starting to lose interest already. It's easy to put down and watch my Rangers instead. #1 #nevereverquit. 

And Jamie's gone on a guys trip for the weekend. 
I swear he's offended that I'm not just waiting at home for him to come back?...I've got plans yo!!!! I'm having a girls night tonight! Going to see my old college roommate play with her band.  

OH and it's North Texas giving day. Good idea!! I wanted to go a little more local this year. I'm down. I gave to Dwell with Dignity and PatriotPaws. I'll give to "my main" national cause in December.  

handy husbands & sudden endings

oh the joys of home ownership - first the air conditioner, now our kitchen sink faucet broke.
I'll tell you what though...it sure is nice having a handyman husband!!
Who needs to read romance novels when ya got a handy dandy husband!!!! YAY! (psyche... I'll still read romance novels cause they make me happy too)

I finished reading The Ascenders. Man...it had so much potential to be an awesome book. It was right up my alley...life after death, parallel universe, portals etc. It just lost all it's awesomeness as it went for me.

And continuing on the life/death path ...I saw it's suicide prevention week.
I'm pretty sure I'm a little "off the wall " when this subject comes up.

I can't say I never thought about it for myself (who hasn't though...right?...or maybe not. Who knows.), but in my case it was fleeting - I'm just too curious and find joy in too many things.

I don't think you can stop someone from doing something that extreme if they're really in that place.
But!.... maybe they're not there yet?! so yep I'm totally for stopping suicide.

Why? Not cause I feel sorry for them but because it's such an abrupt ending to what could be an interesting story. (Maybe not always a happy one but interesting none-the-less....)

Like the end of this Brandon Jenkins song/story....did he follow through? I'd like to think he didn't pull the trigger and maybe there was something super interesting that happened in his life that made it worth finding out how his story turned out? (I don't know what...I'm a reader, not a writer!)

or...if it's a terminal illness I would hope he would consider moving to Oregon, Washington or Vermont (maybe California here soon too *crossing fingers*) to have the option to die peacefully instead...

Lord please forgive me for what I’m about to do
I’m runnin’ on empty, my options are few
You know that I did the best the best that I can
But I’ve done hit rock bottom my time is at hand

yeah, cause I lost my job my bills are getting bigger
Got a cryin’ baby ‘bout to lose my mind
Hundred dollar habit ain’t got a penny
My woman ran off with a friend of mine
I can’t keep a job I’m too fucked up
DHS about to take my kids
Tryin’ to get well I keep getting sicker
Got me Sittin’ in the parking lot my finger on the trigger

Sittin’ in the parking lot my finger on the trigger

You know that I never meant to hurt anyone
And I’ll face the consequences for all the things I’ve done
And Lord sometimes I wonder if you’re even there
Cause my burden is backbreaking, it’s more than I can bear

Cause I lost my job my bills are getting bigger
Got a cryin’ baby ‘bout to lose my mind
Hundred dollar habit ain’t got a penny
My woman ran off with a friend of mine
I can’t keep a job I’m too fucked up
DHS about to take my kids
Tryin’ to get well I keep getting sicker
Got me Sittin’ in the parking lot my finger on the trigger

Sittin’ in the parking lot my finger on the trigger
Sittin’ in the parking lot my finger on the trigger

Cause I lost my job my bills are getting bigger
Cryin’ baby ‘bout to lose my mind
Hundred dollar habit ain’t got a penny
My woman ran off with a friend of mine
I can’t keep a job I’m too fucked up
DHS about to take my kids
Tryin’ to get well I keep getting sicker
Got me Sittin’ in the parking lot my finger on the trigger

Got me Sittin’ in the parking lot my finger on the trigger
Sittin’ in the parking lot my finger on the trigger
Sittin’ in the parking lot my finger on the trigger