Sookie!

So tonight is the night!!! I’m so excited!! The final installment and 13th book is coming out at midnight. I know a lot of you that have followed the series have some kind of negative comment about the books and how they think that the story line has gone down hill, but not me!!! I’m happy for each and every book that Ms. Harris has made about Sookie Stackhouse. While you are correct, some of the stories weren’t as captivating as others, but as a whole I think that the storyline was very creative and had me reading from start to finish in the matter of a day. And while I’m sad to see the characters come to a conclusion, I’m glad Ms. Harris has decided to end them at 13. While other authors, whom I shall not mention, continue with their story well into the 25+ books and capitalizing on the market, she has decided not to continue to beat a dead horse.

For those of you that don’t know these books were the starting point for the series True Blood. While HBO and Allen Ball (director) decided to go a different direction from the books in season 2. A lot of the same ideas were keep in place. I know that the show and the books are complete different from each other, each are equally done fantastically. Each character had a place and a purpose in this paranormal world. With each adventure making all the characters lovable, whether they be a blood thirsty vamp, or a norm.

I for one am happily waiting for midnight to come, to see just where the author has decided to to lead them. Happy reading Truebies!!!!

Brilliant!!!

So…I don’t quite know who came up with the idea about selling Author’s stories 1 or 2 chapters at a time, but from a business perspective..it’s well Brilliant!

I’m sure there are plenty of people out there that are going to disagree with me completely, but if you place yourself from the mind set of either the person selling the book, marketing the book and publishing the book, there are a lot of up sides to this. One, you have a instant following of people who want to read a book that is a $1.99 and/or free for the first book. Two, when said follower is hooked on the characters they end up following along with the story for however long you continue with the series. Three, while other stories where all of the stories are together and they will sell for $4-$9 per book. The author will split up the book into 8-15 chapter books. At $1.99 per book this will easily equate to $15.92- $29.85 per story line. In that respect it is a BRILLIANT plan. I’ll admit there are authors that have reeled me in on this as well.

On the flip side of this, While some stories had been good to begin with, they since have been so convoluted that the story altogether has driven off readers do to incomplete thought processes and dragging out the problems, proverbially beating a dead horse while the resolution of the problem to begin with could have easily been solved. OR as a writer no, no…completely forgetting some of the conflict points that you had at the start of the book and never addressing them. That one has particularly perturbed me on an on going basis, but as my OCD kicks in I tend to trudge forward in hopes that the author goes, “oh, yeah I have to address this problem.” With no clean tie in on how the character learns to deal with this conflict or how to make this not a conflict at all.

While I don’t know many authors that are doing this chapter teasing and I still believe it’s a great idea. Of course, some authors definitely have done it better than others with an exit strategy. Some unfortunately are killing their new budding careers by delaying the inevitable.

Sucker

Dear Lord, I should have Sucker written in permeant ink on my forehead. Just for those that don’t already know this about me.

So the Sat before Easter, number two AKA the Girl, got me Good. I should have saw it coming but I let it happen anyways. I can’t say where we were coming from, but I can say where I was going to. I was headed to Sam’s club, and before we get off track this occurrence did not happen at Sam’s club, but near it.

So the Girl and I are driving along and we are driving past Petsmart, when she see’s the sign….PET ADOPTIONS. My daughter proceeds to point out that we should stop in and see the doggy’s.

Me: “Um, honey…I don’t think it’s a good idea to stop in today since we are on a tight schedule.”

The Girl: “Mom, just give me five mins, to go look…..pleaseeeeeeeee”…. *eye bat, eye bat*

Me: Grr… “Fine FIVE mins only.”

This was my thought, I was like how much trouble can we get into in 5 mins? In out and I get a point up from Dad who’s no where around here. SCORE!!!

We go over to the pet adoption area and look at all the dogs, and we don’t see a dog that we want. Until I turn around and there she was, a Morkie. All blonde, big eyed, petite and cute nose. I ask to see her and they say sure. I pick her up and place her back on the floor, only to turn over to get her stomach rubbed. Yeah, needless to say we got a dog for Easter. I’m officially a Sucker.

Note to dog number 2:
Let me tell you as cute as you are, it is hardly as cute when I’m carrying you around all week like a fourth kid. Halving all of your stuff around, listening to you complain and beg me to pay attention to you. All while the other dog looks at you like you are Lucifer on four legs come to torment him. While he looks longingly at me like, “Why does she get to get on the couch! Why does she get to sit in your lap, why does she get to sleep in your room! This is BS!”

Hello, Is it me you’re looking for?

So I realize that I’ve been on a Month long hiatus, but to be honest I was just plain busy! Between the painful hip flexor injury, to the kids being on Spring break, the kitchen being updated and the new dog…I have simply just been swamped. But I did get some reading in, but I will write about that in a later blog for this week.

First off……So remember the last blog I wrote about joining soccer for the 30+ age group that my hubby and I decided was a great idea? Yeah, I hurt myself and so did the Hubs. I was so excited that first day too! I was all ready to go and what happens the first 2 seconds I’m on the field? I try to go for the ball and happen to slide across the field on my hip.  With the ref behind me telling me to stay on my feet because sliding for the ball is not allowed. For one sir, I don’t think I could duplicate that even if I tried, but two, Do you think that I happen to like to slide on my hip/ass across the field just for the heck of it? Eh, that would be a no.

Within the next few mins, I swear that I was having an asthma attack due to the whole sprinting back and forth on the field. You know, I thought going to the gym and working out would have corrected this at least a little…NOPE! I was dying and had to take numerous breaks, because apparently I’m too old! lol. Did I mention that I also pulled an unknown muscle in my leg? Well, I did…… Not only did I get home an not move the remainder of the night. I woke up like a Mack truck hit me the next morning, unable to move everything lower than my rib cage for the next week. And forget trying to go upstairs to go to sleep, I just slept down stairs on the couch because it hurt so much.

The following week, I was a little sore and was just going to take it easy. I get on the field and what happens the first second I’m out there? I kick the ball and pull like a hip flexor. I can’t kick or do the running movement on my left side. Thinking to myself uh oh, I better be careful  I walk out to the field and try to kick the ball, only to feel such a excruciating pain in my leg that I start to see stars and almost pass out. Yeah, I sat on the side lines the rest of the game.

After that game we had about 3 weeks off because of Easter and we go back to the field next Sunday. Let me tell you I am hoping that I don’t make a fool of myself again, by only making it to the side lines because THAT truly sucks. I feel like a 80 year old lady in need of an oxygen machine and a permanent band aide filled with Tiger balm. Here’s to this weeks game and few more prayers to me not falling apart on the field.

Dancing fools and their Mama’s too.

So my Fridays nights are pretty much a done deal with Number 3’s dance classes. And no he’s not talking ballet… He’s taking Hip Hop. Which is great for him, because he likes people watching him and dancing. (Attention Whore at its best! Lol)

Now what I dread is that when I get to the dance studio it instantly becomes Mommy social hour. If you are unaware at what happens at mommy social hour. It apparently is where all mommies’ living vicariously though their 2-10 daughters by entering them into ballet, tap and jazz. I should know I was a product of this process and I too tried my daughter at this. (Failing miserably… Number 2 is a Tom boy and hates following directions. Something about her defiant nature comes to rear its ugly head.)

Mommy hour at this particular establishment is where all the mommy’s talk, while their other kids usually boys or babies under 2 scream, misbehave, cry at the top of their lungs while laying on the floor. Without a backwards glance at their children until the older child is either done with class or kid B hurts themselves. At this point why have the other kid with you? Why not get a babysitter? Your husband? Anybody to watch your kid while you are here! Or better yet, why not act like a parent and pay attention to your damn child. They are only little once, play with them. Entertain them, do something other than talk to your friend about you workout routine, or what you are doing later tonight. Because guess what??? Your friend Susie probably can’t stand you and isn’t going to be your friend in a yr or 2. But guess what you’ll be stuck with kid 1 & 2 forever, or the next 18ish years or so… Depending on how much you keep ignoring them. There are only 2 outcomes from this, either you are going to have a failure to launch and your kid will be the 30 year old still at home complaining about the years of therapy caused by you or they are going to bounce at age 18 and never look back. Your choice completely.

Filling the void

So as football season has ended I’ve found myself more and more, wondering what the heck to do on Sun. (Well besides church.)

I don’t know about you, but during the winter months with school and soccer season for the kids are in full effect. I normally take down our direct tv programming to the bare minimum. Well I figure no one is home, but the dog and really, he doesn’t need over 400 channels snoozing on my floor. Then usually around Feb or March, I then upgrade it to the Premier package simply because a lot of my shows are starting and I simply cannot miss Game of Thrones and True Blood. Lol, no really the kids have a lot more vaycay time and it allows them to watch all of the cartoon channels.

Well with that said, since football season is over, it has now turned into soccer semi-finals season, soon to be World Cup season. I really don’t mind my Sundays being filled with football but I really enjoy my soccer Sundays instead. Because well, the guys are cuter. Lol. Maybe I’m silly but I’m kind of glad I can fill my year full of football (Euro or American) almost 365 days a year.

Well here’s to Soccer season, until its football pre-season… Then I have to get my fantasy football team into gear.

Regaining my youth

So I spent the last weekend with number 2, my daughter, watching her play 5 games this weekend. When I got the brilliant idea that it would be fun to get back to playing soccer myself, not because I thought I was trying to keep up with my daughter. But to quite simply get back into shape. Well it was a great idea in theory. To be honest I think I am genuinely scared. I haven’t played soccer for a team in like 20 years! Saying I’m scared might be an understatement, I think using the word petrified might sum up my angst at this point.

So Last Monday, I put myself in gear. I started dieting again and started doing the P90X, Plyometrics (Don’t laugh, I always say it wrong and possibly spelling it wrong too). OMG, let me tell you…..That video is pretty easy, I did about 15 mins before I had to get going, until you get up the next morning and can’t move anything lower than your waist. No, BS…I couldn’t sit down, I couldn’t walk, F trying to pick up something that you dropped, that suckers gone. It’s Thursday and I basically just thought I was up t doing it again today. Now, I’m just scared for tomorrow.

So 4 days into it and I’m down about 3 lbs. I’ll keep you guys up to date about how my progress is doing. lol….No pain, no gain right.

Too much you say?

So I was born in the early 80’s and grew up with both parents working and remember most of my childhood coming home from school to an empty house. Free to do pretty much what ever I wanted to do with my babysitter being the television. And a lot of TV I did watch. I also know quite a few people that did the same thing as children that have thriving careers, that still watch a great amount of TV.

Fast forward to present day….. My hubby goes on a rant every now and then about the amount of TV that I watch. I really don’t think it’s a problem, because I also squeeze in about 3 books a week, including something to do for the kids, work, and dinner made every night. So with all of those things done, I enjoy quiet a lot of television. He always says that the TV sucks the energy out of you and it does it makes a person not use their brains. Its a waste of time and you could being doing something better, yada yada yada…

So here’s my argument, does television really rot your brain? Or do they just tell you that to just to try to make you feel bad. I’m not saying I sit at home watching all of this TV on my bum all week. I watch it as background noise or in the Gym when I’m on my hamster wheel, I mean treadmill about 3-5 days a week. But I do watch a lot of TV and I don’t feel bad about it, my kids like watching their cartoons I watch their cartoons too. I would probably say that half of my TV shows that I do which are cartoon, anime and comic book related.

So how much TV is bad TV? All of my kids do a sport, read at a higher level, in accelerated classes, go to church, do bible study ,donate their time to charities, do chores and read at home and I don’t think that their amount of TV really affect them. I think that while they are concentrating that the TV should be shut off, at least for them they need to focus. But for someone like me I like the noise of the TV and/or radio to even remotely keep me focused. Is too much TV really a blanket saying for every one or is it a case by case thing, that some need other things to stimulate them?

I guess I can’t see myself winning this argument, but it would be nice to know that I’m not the only person thinking or feeling these not so negative thoughts at the TV being the cause of all the Brains of America being sucked out of their heads…I mean isn’t that the parents job to say hey for every TV show you watch I need you to read 1-2 books for the month/ 20-30 mins a day?. Or how about learning TV shows, because I do love my Mysteries at the Museum , Men Who Built America or numerous documentaries that are on the Telly. My kids watch them with me. Or is it the dumb reality TV shows that are being watched on numerous stations, of mundanely idiotic that are fist fighting in bars, getting arrested and generally making fools of themselves that people are specifically speaking about? Because if that is the case then I full heartily would agree to def not watch those idiots.Or is it simply because the people that these children are watching are slowly becoming idols in the eyes of children that don’t know any better because they do not see anything constructive at home? How do you as a parent get mad at an inanimate object showing children how to be grown ups when the actual parents are not showing up to say, “Hey Little Johnny, you realize that all that stuff is just a creative story line designed to keep you entertained. Stuff like that really doesn’t happen right?” OR it does happen but the clean up is a lot worse, this is actually what you do to be a grown up. I don’t know, what is that saying…..Lead by example?

I am simply stating that it simply could be the venerability of a child’s mind seeking an example of how to behave because the parents themselves are no were to be found?Or perhaps maybe, just maybe, I found a way to sensor what my children watch simply because I am there to say, “hey kid, that is inappropriate change the channel or that crap doesn’t happen dude.”

Just a thought.

…And your little dog too.

Nothing is better than sleeping in until 8-9 am on a Sunday morning than waking up to your freaking neighbors dogs yelping at each other everyday for the past 3 days. I know that today is Sunday and there should be a caveat for the love they neighbor blah, blah, blah…..But Seriously?!?! Everyday your neighbor next door and the new neighbor across the street decide at 7 am that they are going to be let their dogs out of the house to bark at each other from their respective back yards. I mean my dog barks when people come over but other than that he doesn’t do it. Even when the other dogs in the neighborhood are barking to their hearts desire. How the F did I get two neighbors who thought this was okay was beyond me.

I think that having dogs and having children are in the same neighborhood, if you as the responsible adult have kids or animals, you should teach and guide them to have good manners and care for those around them by not getting on other people’s ever loving nerves. I mean when I see that kid, you know which kid I’m talking about, the one who is yelling and screaming at their parents while the parents look at them and say, “Well Johnny that’s not nice.” (Yeah good luck with that one, save bail money now.) I simply stop and tell my kids, “Hey see that kid over there? Yeah don’t be the kid every one hates and wants to beat up. You definitely won’t have friends acting like that. Heck you better hope I don’t leave you at the corner with a sign that says…Kicked out of last home for being annoying.” (Yeah I won’t do that last one but it sounds good, doesn’t it?

I mean if your dog is barking what happened to getting your dog back inside the house if he is not behaving himself. Dogs thrive on self control and boundaries if they didn’t have them then you’d be one step closer to the dogs running your life or your kids for that matter. Ever wonder about those Mom’s that are stay at home Mom’s go, I am so tired and they only have one kid and that kid is doing no extra curricular activities? Really? You can’t be that tired because I have 3 kids 4 soccer games on sat with 2 separate piano classes and I’m out of the house from 8 am until 10 pm? How the  heck are you tired, oh wait, it’s because you let your kids wake up when they want to, not adhere to any nap times, discipline, or a consistent bed time. They boss you the parent around until you are so exhausted that you can no longer function. Yeah well, the same goes for  your dogs.

I’m all for love thy neighbor as you love thy self, but what if you were the type of person that would kick yourself in the ass if you were the annoying neighbor? What then?

Easy to please

So the big Valentines day is coming up and my friend asked me the dreaded question…..what is your hubby getting you for Valentines day? Which I promptly replied….I dunno and maybe it’s because I have kids or have been married or in a relationship for ever, but…..all I want is a gift card for my nook. I know there are women out there saying, really that’s all you want? Yes, it is.

Call me crazy but I don’t like wearing jewelry. I have my wedding ring but I genuinely don’t wear jewelry. Nor do I care for diamonds or massive bling. I don’t wear earrings or bracelets, I think this has mainly come about because of getting the jewelry getting caught on things and earrings hurt my ears. I don’t want flowers, one because I have a brown thumb capable of killing any plant I try to keep alive or grow. Two, because they die, I mean why spend money on things that are bound to die. Take me to a meal, I much rather eat something really good than have some flowers. I also don’t like chocolate. Yeah, I know it’s like a cardinal sin not to like chocolate as a girl but I really don’t like it.

So call me easy to please but for Valentine’s day get me a book and a really delish lunch, or how about an afternoon nap? Now I def need me one of those.