And then there were four

Finished reading the fourth book of the year last night, "Roommates Wanted" by Lisa Jewell. A great story about an odd group of single people living together in London. So far I'm awesome at picking based on title and back cover blurb. British chick lit is oh so good.

There are several other books by the same author. I think I'll add Lisa Jewell to my list of authors to read more from.

Another closed cover

I've been a reading fiend so far in 2010. Can hardly get enough. Up late. Turning off the TV to read. Read on the bus. Read during lunch. Read, read and then read some more.

So far I'm three for three in my choices. I've liked them all and they've each been different. Took a bit to get into this book because the author was very wordy. Her sentences going on and on for several long lines. But then I got accustomed to it and couldn't read it enough or learn enough about the characters.

This one was The Second Coming of Lucy Hatch by Marsha Moyer. The story of, well obviously, Lucy Hatch a recently widowed woman and her journey back to life from a stable but emotionless marriage. She moves back to her hometown and falls deeply amazingly passionately in love with a man, Ash, who feels entirely the same way. Well written love scenes. A wrenching depiction of Lucy's grief.

There is a second installment in the story of Lucy and Ash that I hope to read as well, called The Last of the Honky Tonk Angels.

The old switcher-oo

After I've finished reading a book I really enjoyed I find it difficult to get into the flow of a new one. It's as if that old book is so burnished into my brain and the words of that author are the only ones I can process and all others be damned.

Book 3 of 2010 started with difficulty this weekend. I kept having to re-read sentences and start paragraphs over again. The sentences seemed to scatter into word pieces in my brain that I could not put back together into a logical flow. Wait now her husband died...how, wait now she's...a widow, wait now she's living alone...where, I duh huh?

Am I the only one?

Oh and about the meds

Just before Thanksgiving I decided to stop taking the anti-depressants entirely. No more half dose for me. The timing of it was fairly odd because it was right before the holidays which is of course a notoriously stressful time for most people. And having Thanksgiving with both of my parents for the first time in 15 years I should have been upping my dosage not stopping it entirely. But I just knew it was the right thing to do. I can't really even tell you why.

At first it was a bit like the when I cut my dosage but slightly different. I had these strange electric shock feelings every so often. They have stopped since then, which I'm very glad for because it was kind of uncomfortable.

So that's me, med free and feeling good.

And a Two

Stayed up late last night and finished my second book of 2010, The Next Thing on My List by Jill Smolinski. From the moment I started reading it I just had to finish it. It's the story of a mid-30's woman (June) who gives a new acquaintance (Marissa) a ride home and they end up in a car accident which kills Marissa. The whole story surrounds June trying to complete a To Do list that Marissa had written before her death.

The style reminded me a lot of Monica McInerney who's books I really love. The people are well written and the story progresses with a great flow. Really recommend it.

Back again; 2010 book reading begins

Went away again didn't I? Not even sure what I wrote here last. So let's just start again, shall we?

Had a pretty good holiday. Dad came to visit for Thanksgiving. We painted my bedroom ceiling and walls. Took a while for me to get used to the wall color. It's an apple green. Still trying to find a duvet cover that works with the wall color and the new drapes I chose. The drapes are a dark gray. Also need to get myself an actual dresser. Haven't found anything that I like quite yet. Christmas was good too. I was a PMS crazed lunatic right before New Year's so I was asleep by 10:30. Oh well to that one.

Tally's doing really well. Still a sweetie and staying healthy. Yeah!

On January 3rd I hit Half Price Books and walked away with 9 books for less than $40. Made me so stupidly happy to have that many books waiting to be read next to my bed. Just finished the first one of the pile on the bus ride home tonight. It was The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King. It is the first of a series and I'm looking forward to reading the next ones. The story involves a young woman and her friendship and partnership with Sherlock Holmes. Really well done and worth reading. I'm glad that Peter suggested it. And that I finally found it at HPB.

Not sure which book I'll start next. I'll have to see what interests me on the pile before bed tonight. I shall try to keep up and not stay away so long again.

Regrets

A post on a friends blog got me thinking about things that I regret. There are a lot of things as I'm sure there are for everyone but there are three in particular that are really nagging at me lately.

The first one happened a long time ago, perhaps 4 grade. W and I were at my house playing. We were standing in front of our pantry trying to decide what to have as a snack. She wasn't making a decision. For some reason it made me mad. I have no recollection why but I said to her that if she didn't make a decision I would hit her. She didn't and so I did. I hit my friend. I was what about 11 at the time maybe only 10. Even now at 35 it still bothers me. I still wish I could go back to that moment and not hit my friend.

The others are more recent in the past few years. Two friends got married. I could have, no wait I should have gone to their weddings/receptions. It would have meant traveling out of state which at the time would have been a bit of a financial strain but nothing I couldn't have taken care of. In both cases I couldn't make myself go. I've been up and down the past decade or so and that was a down time. I look back now and I cannot believe that I didn't go. I wasn't there when my friends wanted me to be. I wasn't even able to properly face it. I didn't RSVP either way to either event. I didn't even RSVP. I couldn't face telling them. I couldn't face any part of either event in any way.

I feel like each of these events are sticking with me for a reason and I hope to one day be able to get past each of them and make peace with it. But for now I'll just let it be known here; I feel horribly for each of them and would change them all if I could.

Damn you Bill

Right now Hurricane Bill is speeding his merry way along toward the Eastern Coast of the United States. At any other point in my life I would not worry one little bit about said Hurricane. But the issue with our "friend" Bill here is that he's heading to the Eastern Coast of the United States where I will be vacationing next week!

This is my first vacation, of more than a long weekend, in two and a half years. Holy hell that's a long time. And I couldn't be looking forward to it any more than I am. I am longing greatly for a week of lazy beach time.

I swear I will torture all Bill's for the rest of my life if this Hurricane steps one little intrusive swirly cloud into my vacation. Let's all aim our high powered fans toward the East Coast in order to veer Bill from his currently predicted destination, OK? OK.

I'm a bit of a fan

I've discovered the show "Bones" and I am loving it. It's in repeats on TNT and my lovely little DVR tapes all of the shows for me. Then I spend a lovely evening watching them. I play with Tally in bits and pieces because she doesn't like it when I pay obsessed attention to anything other than her. Tonight I've worn her out playing and she's passed out cold on the entry rug. It's a little orange rug and she really likes it.

Have you ever seen the show "Castle"? It stars Nathan Fillion. It's a great show. A lot like "Bones". Funny and interesting and well there's the lovely Nathan Fillion eye candy. My god is he the most gorgeous man. Funny and adorable and Canadian! I do believe that if he and I met it would be love at first sight. :)

And do you know what I'm also a fan of? Jelly Belly Sours. Almost as much as Nathan Fillion.

Where'd she go?

It happened again. I stopped writing here. Can't figure out why but it did. It does.

Don't have a ton to say so I'll just start by telling you what's been going on.

Boss was gone for the last two weeks of July and it was fantastic. Loved it. Got to make the decisions about what people where doing almost as if I was actually fulfilling my job description! Also had a few meetings with Big boss (my boss's father) about how things were going with boss and how I should tailor my interactions with him to suit his style because that's what he needs. That's how he works. That's what I should do. Um wait a minute I say. Why is it that my style works well with everyone else in the office and not boss but it's me that has to change? Why is it that boss's style means that no one wants to work with him but we are the ones who have to change? Don't think so big boss. Things need to change and it isn't me that's the issue. He says he's going to make things happen. Little boss has been back a week and so far nothing's changed. Wait and see.

Got all of my plans for my vacation set. Flight, hotels and car. All ready to go. Now I just have to wait two more weeks and it will be vacation city for this gal. Tally's going to stay with my mom for the week.

Speaking of Tally she's been doing great. She's loving our longer summer walks and so am I. She's been shedding like crazy! The heat last week of July really killed her energy level and turned her into a shedding machine. I can't keep up with all of the hair. No matter how often I clean. This week her energy has been getting back to normal. She's playing a ton and seems really happy.

This past week a contractor has been tearing out the common wall between the bedrooms from Molly's side. So poor Molly has been having to live sleeping in her living room all week. Can you even imagine? Going from a small place (650 sq ft) and not having the use of an entire room for a week!!! Ugh. He took out the existing drywall and lame insulation replaced it with quiet batt insulation, homasote sound barrier board and will drywall over it all tomorrow. He's also been building out her closet in the plan I came up with. Then while I'm vacation he's going to build out my closet. I'm very lucky to not have to live through the construction like Molly has had to.

Well that's all I can think of for now. Perhaps I'll be back again soon.