Zee Reads – July Edition

And yet another month in which reading a lot was NOT an option. Trying to obtain a roof over my head has become… well priority #1. I raised some funds, to which I’m extremely grateful and thankful for, but I fear I’m going to run short come the last week of August.

ANYHOO!!!!

I DID manage to read some..

Fills my trilogy, blue cover, and author under 30. YAy! Go me!

I LIKED the first book. I did. Despite the fact that it was about teenagers doing adult things, (the heroes were 16 and 18) I liked the set up, the knowledge that something was just not right. Dysotopian and Apocalypse I’m good with, really.

Sadly, it went downhill.  About 1/3rd of the way through the 2nd one, I was just… shaking my head and the 3rd? If it wasn’t my kindle, I would have thrown it across the room. I honestly felt the rug had been yanked from under all of us. It was all a big set up. You spend so much time as a reader, getting involved and empathizing with the characters and then…. meh!

The Transfer is a novella, read it in under 30 minutes. Just back story for the 18 year old hero. Figured, why not?

I cheated. It was an audio book and there was more pre-stuff at the beginning than anything else. Not my normal cup of literature.

I went ahead and finished it. Why put up with anymore pain??? I WISH I had read THIS version…

Really. THAT would have been much more enjoyable! Fills several slots as well – A book with bad reviews, a book you started but didn’t finish. I’m not going to attempt – a book everyone has read. Please.

What can I say that has not been said before?

nothing. I have nothing to add. Horribly written, the author is seriously in need of a thesaurus and needs better writing skills. Someone should fire her editor, fire the person who decided to publish this. This book is proof one should research their subject. I am submissive. I would run from Christian Gray. Really. Run for the hills. There are two more after this. I don’t care. She probably marries the idiot.

It’s completely unbelievable! What college student in this day and age doesn’t have a laptop, or at the very least, some sort of electronic with internet capability???? An email address???? It wasn’t even funny. It should have been a joke, it IS a joke, a very bad bad poorly written joke!

I am offended this woman has made a ton of money and is having this piece of shit filmed, giving her a bigger head than she already has. We are rewarding talentless hacks! Of all the wonderful fanfiction out there, all the talent, we have THIS to represent us! Small wonder the fanfic world has so little respect!

People are allowing their children to read this. Why? My Leather-clad Muse informed me if I EVER used the term ‘Inner Goddess’, he was packing up his fuzzy handcuffs and flogger and leaving my fat ass.

Here’s to hoping that once school starts, things will quieten down and I can read… and write. Preferably read something BETTER than this piece of crap.

Blog Introspection #10

Good afternoon and how are we all??? I’m hanging in there, I think. Things have changed greatly since I’ve last been in a classroom 100% of the time. Changes, changes I’m not sure I like.

I have to test my babies. Not my older ones, just the younger ones. I’m only going to see them once every 5 to 6 days for 45 minutes and I have to spend TWO of those precious class periods testing them! A classroom teacher will have them more in 10 days than I will all year and I HAVE to test them.

I know, I know, it’s to prove if I’m an effective teacher or not…

Spent today in my room – Mahal’s Anvil! First the building is OLDER than Dwalin before he finally kicked the bucked and we’ll be there 2 years until the new on is built. The place isn’t secure – well it is now, there will be LOCKED gates and fencing all the way around – but I”ve got my stuff, band stuff, and science stuff in my room and my storage closet (which is 4 feet wide and 22 feet long!) and there are dead cockroaches the size of 5th graders!!!! I’ve pulled everything into the middle of the room and tomorrow, I’m going to PAINT! Sunny yellow!!!!

But not the brick walls. Yes. Not cinder block. Brick. I have BRICK walls and whoever painted before, painted the electrical wiring TO the wall.

I have 16 electronic keyboards. Full sized. And only 3 outlets. I see surge protectors in my future. I am afraid I’ll over load the electrical system of this building and maintenance said well, we’ll find out together, won’t we???

Met staff that told me – I went to school here. I’ve taught 18 years. It’s the only school I’ve taught at. And there’s more than one who have done that…

But it’s all good. All good. It is hotter than the Forges of Erebor and I’m sitting across the street from a Krispy Kreme.

Yes, one of THOSE Krispy Kremes. Genevieve is a smart cookie. Life is good.

Nothing in place yet for housing beyond Monday. Getting antsy. Looking for a cheap week to week. Where I’m at isn’t cheap enough. I fear I won’t find something cheap enough.

Blood sugar is coming down into reasonable range. Got up yesterday morning and saw something I’ve not been able to see in months – my ankles. Am rather happy about that. And tomorrow evening, I”m going to go to the beach and have a nice walk. It’s time. It’s due.

Spawn is looking at rentals for us. And Pop!Thorin has decided he will be the House Thorin. Pop!Thorout will stay at work. I’m thinking a framed 5×7 of Sir Guy is needed as well.

Soooo… Day 10?

What do I find most difficult or challenging about blogging?

To be honest, I think I’m a pretty boring blogger. My blog is just a conscious stream of thought, my observations of life in general, and rather surface. I’m not a mover or a shaker. People don’t come here to get the lastest RA news, or book reviews or movie reviews. Yes, I have a point of view and yes, I’m rather… obnoxious about it. I just stand my ground, but there isn’t a lot of traffic and I chalk it up to the nature of the beast. This is my quiet corner. I like it that way. Sometimes I wonder what I should blog about, IF I should blog about something, is it of interest to anyone but myself?

Usually not. But that’s okay.

I don’t think people realize how excited I am about being able to see my ankles…

I am sooooo tired

It’s been an amazing 10 days…. holy cow.

First off….the packing of the room…

Uhm… there seems to be a wall between us all of a sudden? Was it something I said? Ate? Should I put my boots on the back porch?

My sister and niece came over yesterday and after we clipped kitty claws, we had pedicures! My niece insisted I needed happy flowers on my tootsies.

All of my stuff (well not my clothes on hangers) for the great load up…

My mom said I wouldn’t get it all in the car.

I

heh! Showed her!

I listened to a man with a beautiful voice read Lords of the North on the way down.

Funny… or maybe fitting… Just as I was pulling up to my exit to the coast, I looked in my rear view mirror and saw the most glorious sunset. Sun setting on an old life.

Yeah. Fitting.

Sorry. I’m not normally philosophical.

Because I’m in this room through next Monday morning, I only unloaded the cabin of the car. Everything else is still in the trunk.

That was all in the back seat. Think I have enough stuff? I left my shampoo and razor at home. I have travel shampoo and disposable razors… lovely. At least I have them.

He’s guarding the carb tabs. No more walls….

I have orientation in the morning. Then I need to find the school I’ll be at. I’ve got 3 different addresses, so while I’m at the board office, I’ll find out.

Tired. Really tired. Excited. Scared. I’ve not taught this age group since 2002. They are work. Serious work. I can walk into a middle or high school, grab a few sheets of music, warm them up, work on sight reading and then sing. Not so this age group. There will be serious serious planning. Every week. And I need to find out of the school website is capable of audio and if so, I’m going to need recording equipment for a once a month this is what we’ve done – for each grade level.

Don’t know what materials I have access to. Hoping to get into my room tomorrow afternoon or Tuesday.

Terrified what my insurance is going to be. You might hear me cursing a blue streak.

I was going to watch Hannibal tonight, but I’m too warn out. Going to call it a night. Tomorrow starts too early.

For Guylty

You mentioned my four-poster, what you could see….

Behold! My room! Clean. (I took pictures as it’s such a rare thing to find my bed made)

Of course this was taken before I got a new night stand… the chair isn’t in the room anymore.

Status update

• Room packed.  Check. It’s packed, with the exception of the sweeping out before I leave. Mom won’t have to pack a thing. Dresser drawers, yarn, cross stitch, etc… packed.
• Meds/vitamins/Meds/HbA/Meds/inhalers/Meds/CarbTabs in something quick and easy to find. – Check and Double check! Carb tabs in purse, as is emergency inhaler and protein bars.
• Icechest? – has it. Cleaned out. ready for water and greek yogurt.
• Doctor visit – said and done and the only reason why she isn’t upset with me is the fact I’ve been in the car on the go go go go for the past 2 months. I think my car should have a McDonald’s Drive-thru Speed Pass on it. She wasn’t amused.
• Clothes/closet packed – that’s what I’m currently working on.  Most of my stuff is on hangers and all of my suitcases (5 of them) are rather small. As in the weekend/overnight variety. I’ve learned when you roll clothes, you can get more in a suitcase. If I run out of suitcase, I have 3 large shoulder bags that will hold up to 15-20 articles of clothing each.
• What music is here packed – sorta. Up in the attic, I have my 21st century composer kit. 8 complete lessons, can be broke down into 16. Although I consider that more for middle school. All of my K-8 and Music Alive, as well as my History of the Blues and American Music Road trip are in the storage unit… somewhere… along with the rest of my elementary music… I see me spending a lot of time down in the storage unit soon. Very soon. Before next Friday soon. Like probably Tuesday soon. I have no clue what music system they have. You might not hear from me for a while.
• A bed to sleep in secured – sorta. A wonderful friend obtained a room at a nearby motel for me for a week. Whoot! Personnel is working on something long-term. I have a few places to call when I get there. The Salvation Army for starters. Women’s shelter. Just me.
• Fundage. Not met goal, but enough for now. I’m over half-way there!
• LOTW narrated by Richard burned – tonight. Maybe tomorrow night.

I think I’m doing pretty good.

Mom: Your room looks empty. You’re taking ALL of this with you, right?

Me: Noooooo… only my suitcases, my laptop and computer accessories, (externals) that stack of green crates and the several cases of dvds. 

Mom: You’re not taking your yarn?

Me: Looks at huge ass box of yarn and stacked gallon tubs of separated yarn. Mom. The Silver Fox has room, but not near the room Christine had. (Silver Fox – my 2000 Avalon. Christine – my 1997 Buick LeSabre.) I’m going to be doing good to get all 6 green crates, my suitcases, my clothes on hangers, my laptop and laptop gear, my knit work bag, my cross stitch work case and the several cases of dvds in the car.

Mom: So the big box of yarn isn’t going?

Me: No.

Mom: Or the stack of ice cream gallon containers with yarn in them.

Me: No.

Mom: Your record albums?

Me: No. I’ll make several trips back I’m sure and when I have somewhere secure – or a least room I hope in my music closet, I should have a music closet if I don’t have a music closet, I should have book shelves – I’ll bring back the albums and stuff as i can. I’ll probably hunt out and retrieve my Bowman Albums – the little ones go for that stuff. we can march around the room and play Mad Conductor. I think my opera karaoke is in the storage unit. You’ve not lived until you’ve heard a bunch of 3rd graders tackle the Anvil Chorus, karaoke style.

Mom: Maybe we’ll rent you a storage unit…

Me: Why? It’s not a ton of stuff and you better not put my records in a storage unit. Key words – climate controlled…

Sigh. Doing laundry. Almost done with the clothes.

Sigh.

Soooooooooooooooo tired….  I want to do some Richarding… 😦  I might watch a movie tonight… might… what to watch…

Don’t judge me.

Has WordPress done another upgrade? My window for writing is now only an inch high. Makes looking at what I wrote murder.

note to self

When things are missing, it is always good to raid Spawn’s room.

I have been hunting my black work pants, several work and comfy tops, jammies, (like 3 pairs of jammies) socks, and misc. unmentionables, for some weeks. I have found them…  laundered and folded neatly in a basket in my son’s room, beneath a box of electronic games and his jammies and his bathrobe. He apparently did laundry while I was on one of my lone jaunts and put them in his room for safe-keeping.

Don’t know what he was keeping them safe FROM, but they were there, forgotten by him, but safe.

[For mature readers only]: We have a newly published author among us!

I am SOOOO happy and proud of her!!!! (And look! It’s a REAL BBW on the cover! WHOOT!)

Me + Richard Armitage

A fellow fan, originally inspired by Richard Armitage to get her writing back on track, has just published her first story on amazon.

Although she has written some fan fic, the story itself is not about any of Richard Armitage’s roles — it’s an entirely new creation with original characters!

Right now you can buy it for $2.99 OR on Friday, you will be able to download it for free. Check it out!

Beware — this is an erotic story, and may not be to everyone’s taste. Make sure you have read the description before buying.

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Blog Introspective Day 9

Taking a break from my rampant packing. Poor POP!Thorin is just bug-eyed and overwhelmed right now. I think he fears I’ll mistake him for his twin and pack him up for months. His twin is packed. I need my navigator.

Ahem.

Day 9

Whoosits and Whatsis

So the question is have I ever made a post I regretted later?

Suffice to say, I’m a pretty confident individual. I’ve never regretted anything I’ve said anywhere. Certainly not here. And if I said it, I meant it. Period. I have strong opinions. I am aware that others have differing opinions and I try to be respectful and tread gently with my friends who have differing opinions. This is how I’ve managed to have friends who have different political and religious beliefs than myself.

Actually, there are subjects we tend to steer away from after initial volleys in which it is proven we have differing opinions on. Debate is not my forte.

However, once or twice in my online life, I wish I had put on the brakes and worded something differently.

Whosits-Whatzits: Wank in the garden. Feel free to skip.

Yes, it’s pink!

Some time ago, my parents decided I needed a tool kit. Why, I don’t know, but I admit it’s come in handy. My brothers and my sister, tbh, find it amusing, especially my sister who quite frankly, doesn’t need a man. Really. She changes her own oil. The last time I spent the weekend with her, she salvaged a rather nice couch and love seat the neighbors were throwing out. She cleaned them up and realized they had no footers.

So off to Home Depot we went, bought 8 footers and when we tipped the couch over to attach them, we discovered one of the wooden braces/frame was splintered. (hence why they were tossing it.) I’ll be blessed if the girl didn’t measure the entire piece, hauls me BACK to Home Depot, find a post of the right proportions, measures it, SAWS it with a hand saw to the correct size, goes back home, gently pulls out the nails and replaced it.

Puts on footers and it’s lovely. Disgusting. My idea of ‘DIY’ is hand-washing dishes when the dishwasher isn’t working or you’re out of automatic dishwashing detergent. (Don’t put Dawn in the dishwasher. The suds were 2 feet high in the kitchen. Don’t ask me how I know.)

I take that back,  I’ve put together a few grills and have hung pictures with this… taken apart a few things. The elder male spawn doesn’t know the difference between a phillips and a flat head.

Anyway… I would suggest the food and drink are placed away from the computer and there be nothing in your mouth.

But the parental units bought me a tool kit and the hammer and measuring tape for Christmas some years back…

Yes it’s pink. Ain’t it cute?

I especially love the screw driver and bolt set. Everything a girl needs. Pliers. Tweezers. Wire cutters,  2 needle nose… flashlight. Yes that’s a measuring tape. When the kit is closed, it’s not quite a 5 x 6 – just a little bigger than my glucose kit. Fits beautifully in one’s purse. Just in case you have an emergency.

Oh… I love this…

Yes, that would be pink and purple butterflies on that hammer.

And it’s the perfect size – obviously.  Yes, I have hung pictures with it.

Don’t ask me where my parents got this. I have no clue. I’ve never seen anything like it, but I DO love it.

OH! Before I forget, that lovely silver grip isn’t just for looks or easy handling…

That would be a small phillips and 2 smaller flat heads. Great for those teeny tiny screws…

That little one MIGHT be an inch and a half long. If that.

It’s late and I’ve not had much sleep. can you tell???

Dear God in all His Glory – NOW WITH PICTURES

The is the second load. My mom asked – where are you putting all these boxes? You can’t take it all with you!

I know. The stuff that IS going with me is on one side, the rest is being… stacked… The thing is, I don’t want her packing my room. As it stands, I can’t find 3 pairs of my pajamas – I normally wear a t-shirt or a nightshirt, but I need something that will cover my butt a little more as I don’t know where I’m ending up at… I can’t find 2 of my 3 bras. I had them Friday… I can’t find my work black pants.

I just passed the half way mark on my GoFundMe…

Stressing has commenced…