Have people in general forgotten what having manners mean? Or have people become oblivious to saying thank you or please? Or do they just not care?When I was growing up, I was raised to say please and thank you when asking for or receiving something. It's become a part of who I am today. Now, however, I look around me and see gratitude sorely lacking in people. It's sad to think this is what society has become.Maybe I will just chalk it up to one more disappointment this year as this has been the year for me in disappointments. Maybe next year will bring out the manners in people. Maybe next year will find me being more reluctant in the area of gift giving.
Survived the holiday in one piece. Went to TX to see my parents. Had a good time but I really need to rethink the whole staying at their house next time. All of the cigarette smoke got to me and now I'm coming down with a sinus or upper respiratory infection, which is so NOT what I need.Picked up some Zicam cough mist which seems to be helping the scratchy throat and cough and congestion. It's supposed to cut the life and symptoms of a cold in half. It's also supposed to reduce the severity of the cold.I've reinjured my back today. Getting out of my bed this morning, I didn't have a light on and tripped on a footstool so I am back in pain but am taking the drugs left over from the last time. I am tired of this already. I've been using heat and ice alternately hoping that will help too and doing the exercises. I'll see how I feel tomorrow. If I still have pain, I will call Dr. White to get adjusted.I bought a portable DVD player to use in the bedroom and also take with me on the plane when I go to Alabama in January. On the flight from Dallas to Phoenix last week, I was sitting next to a woman using a laptop to watch movies and thought it was a great idea to pass the time during the flight. Usually, I read, but sometimes feel nauseous after reading for too long on the plane. Happens all the time, especially if I try to read in the car. It's a Polaroid brand and has a 10" screen which is a pretty good size.
Here is my October reading review:Conspiracy In Death by J.D. Robb - 10/10http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/1014140Kill The Competition by Stephanie Bond - 9/10http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/1192289Alone by Lisa Gardner - 9/10http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/2461899Wedding Season by Darcy Cosper - 9/10http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/1915992The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket - 9/10http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/2971660
Oh my gosh, I cannot believe it is November and it's nearly half over already! Let's recap:October was pretty good. Divorce was finalized on the 13th. Rob and I had been talking about going to counseling to see if we can rebuild our relationship. Decorated my apartment for Halloween and it looked fabulous! Had a tarot reading party on the Friday before Halloween and that was a lot of fun with some friends. Looking forward to doing that again in about 6 months.November didn't start out too well. By the 4th, I discovered that Rob betrayed me YET AGAIN! How do I fall for this shit over and over? Apparently, while he was making promises to me about wanting to be together and working out our problems, he was exploring his feelings for someone else! A different someone else, I might add, than the first skank he ran off with. He really is the most selfish bastard I have ever had the misfortune to meet. So, now, not only are we not going to reconcile, there will not be a friendship thanks to his lies. I would rather be friends with Charles Manson....I also finished physical therapy for my back. Hopefully, there will not be any recurrences. With my back injury, there is usually an 80% chance, which frightens me somewhat because I never want to go through that again. I will be looking into taking some Pillates classes which come highly recommended to me from the therapist and doctor and chiropractor.Now, here we are on the 11th. Happy Veteran's Day to all our brave armed forces personnel currently serving our country and to those who gave their lives to serve that didn't make it home and to those who have served in the past and are deserving of this day.This weekend, I am going to a Harry Potter marathon with friends where we will engorge ourselves on food and watch the three Harry Potter movies to prepare for next Friday when the new edition comes out in the theaters, Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire.More later....
Got the final divorce decree in the mail signed by the judge on October 13. So, now it really is all done and over with.Not sure if I am happy about it or not. Maybe a little happy and sad and still pissed off that it all came to this in the first place. If he would have just opened his damn mouth and started communicating, maybe none of this would be happening...
Numerous people have recently told me that one glass of red wine each evening has wonderful health benefits. OK, I'll sip....The problem is I am in no way, shape or form a wine drinker so I have no idea what is good. I tried a bottle of imported Sangria that wasn't bad. I believe the brand was Carlos Real Garcia or something along those lines. Then another person told me to try Yellow Tail Shiraz which is an Australian wine. Don't care for that. It's too bitter. I think I am definitely favoring a sweet fruity tasting wine. Where do I begin?
On my way out this afternoon to run a few errands and join up with friends for a BBQ. Stopped at the dumpster to drop off my household trash. Nothing unusual there. Noticed the dumpsters were closed which is usually a sign that they were recently emptied and saw several bags of trash lying in front. Still, I didn't think anything unusual as they probably fell out when the trash truck picked up the dumpster, right? When I got closer, I saw a bag and there was a book sticking out of the top. Upon closer inspection, I see the bag is full of books! Was someone going to throw out these books like they were trash?!? Seems like blasphemy to me to actually throw away a book! What else could I do but rescue those poor books and bring them home where I will register them at www.bookcrossing.com and find them homes where hopefully someone will appreciate them!
Didn't do too badly in August with my reading...the links will take you to the book on my virtual bookshelf so you can read comments about it.Breakfast at Stephanie's by Sue Margolis - 9/10http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/1931431No Second Chance by Harlan Coben - 9/10http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/2810901Seize The Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon - 10/10http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/2335376Undead And Unappreciated by MaryJanice Davidson - 8/10http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/3141595Turning Thirty by Mike Gayle - 8/10http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/2258605
I don't know what I did but I have thrown out my back. Since last Sunday (Aug. 28), I have been in excruciating pain. I was sitting at my new computer desk and stood up to get ready for work when I felt a cramp in my right shoulder. Didn't think anything of it and started rotating arm and shoulder around thinking to work out the cramp when I feel a very sharp pain radiate from my shoulder down my back. Went to the doctor on Tuesday, August 30. He told me I had strained a muscle or pinched a nerve in my neck! My neck! What the hell medical school did he go to? Yeah, I know everything is connected but I have full range of motion in my neck and no pain there! It's my frickin back that hurts. He gives me a prescription for Soma which does absolutely NOTHING for me other than to make me feel loopy. So, on Friday, September 2, I go to a chiropractor. I am a complete and total chicken and have avoided going to such places because of the horror stories I have heard about them. I am surprised and amazed that this chiropractor is different and uses different methods. After the treatment, I feel pretty good. Really good as a matter of fact. I'm thinking, "Great! I'm healed!" That was probably my first mistake. On Saturday, it was starting to tighten up again. I went for a pedicure because they let you sit in a massage chair and that felt good but by Saturday night, the pain was getting intense so much so that I was taking Soma about every 4 hours. Nothing was helping. Not the Soma, not ice, not heat, not massage. By Sunday morning, the spasms were so intense and painful that I couldn't stand upright and I was in tears. My friend MaryAnn and her daughter Samantha were staying over for a girl's night so they called her husband Lee to come and take me to the emergency room. Rob was with Lee so he came along to help. We were at the ER for 6 1/2 hours. They gave me an injection of Demerol which helped, but I had a bad reaction to it and ended up passing out. They gave me 3 prescriptions (Percoset, Skelaxin, and Motrin) and the drugs seem to be helping much more than the Soma ever began to.Monday was a holiday so I ended up sleeping most of the day and taking the pills. I was able to get a doctor's appointment for Tuesday. Rob took the day off and drove me around to the doctor and to get xrayed. I'm going back to the chiropractor on Thursday. My doctor told me to continue going to the chiropractor and depending on what the xray tells him, I may have to get an MRI done. So, needless to say, it's been a rough few days that I will be glad to be done with.
Today is 6 weeks from the day I ordered my living room and office furniture. When I placed the order in the showroom, I was told 4-6 weeks. Rob, the soon to be ex, tells me that his living room furniture was delivered just over 4 weeks from his order. So, for the last two weeks, I'm wondering where the hell my furniture is! I am sick to death of sitting on this piece of shit futon that has served as my bed and couch since March. Thank God the bedroom furniture came last month and I have had a real bed to sleep in or I would have taken hostages already.So, here we are at the 6 week mark and my furniture is FINALLY in. I am going down there today to pay off the balance and schedule delivery. It will be so nice to have a real couch and chairs in the living room (though I have discovered that Rob and I have bought the same couch) and the room will actually take on the shape of a living room instead of a studio/dorm room look. I will also be able to FINALLY unpack the last several boxes of office stuff.It's the little things that mean so much...
I've been a very bad blogger, it seems. So much has happened since the last time I posted, I hardly know where to begin...OK, where was I? House sold late June and I stayed with some wonderful friends who were so gracious to open their house to me while I was waiting for my apartment to become available. I moved into the apartment officially on July 1 and have spent virtually the entire month of July just acclimating to having my own place and being physically on my own for the first time in my life. Still not completely unpacked, though I am getting there. I've been buying new furniture and have received the bedroom set so now the bedroom looks like a bedroom. Still waiting on the living room and office. I found the most awesome rolltop computer desk at Ashley Furniture and had to have it. So I decided to scrap the dining room and use that space as an office instead. Unfortunately, if the rest of the furniture is anything like the bedroom, my next move will be a real chore. I am still amazed at the size of the furniture, though it fills up the space quite nicely.Haven't gotten as much reading done as I usually do but I am hopeful that will change. In the month of June, I read:Truth Or Dare by Jayne Ann Krentz - 5/10. The story was OK. It is the sequel to Light In Shadow and I enjoyed that one better.Body Double by Tess Gerritsen - 8/10. Very good story featuring Boston PD Detective Jane Rizzoli. I really like this character and look forward to more books with her in them. The Miserable Mill by Lemony Snicket - 9/10. I'm quite enjoying this series about the trials and tribulations of the Baudelaire orphans as they try to find some happiness while eluding the clutches of the evil Count Olaf.Bitten by Kelley Armstrong - 9/10. First time read by this author and I was very impressed. This book is the first in her Women of the Otherworld series. Bitten features a woman who happens to be the only female werewolf in existence. She's trying to make a life for herself in Toronto when she is summoned back to the Pack to help them track down a rogue werewolf who is attacking humans. I will definitely be looking for the sequel.Every Boy's Got One by Meg Cabot - 9/10. Very good story. I really enjoy this author. This book is written entirely in emails and journal entry format, which made the book easy to read. It's about a cartoonist who accompanies her best friend to Italy to help out with her elopement. Along the way, she meets and hates the best man...but not for long.July was an even slower month for me in terms of reading:Eleven On Top by Janet Evanovich - 9/10. Another action packed adventure for Stephanie Plum. Still no decision on whether she wants Ranger or Joe.Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison - 9/10. Another new to me author. This book reminds me of the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton. Rachel is a witch who is also a bounty hunter who teams up with a vampire to go into their own business. Only problem is, the company they work for don't react too kindly to paranormals wanting to branch out on their own. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.Dead As A Doornail by Charlaine Harris - 9/10. Another good installment in the series of Sookie Stackhouse. This book finds Sookie trying to deal with the aftermath of discovering her brother had been bitten by a Were-Panther and will change with the next full moon. To make matters worse, someone is attacking and killing shapeshifters. Could it be her brother Jason? Sookie has to find out the truth before her brother is next or worse...her.Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling - 10/10. Fans of the Harry Potter series will not want to miss this sixth book. I found the story to not be a happy one so I am hoping that book 7 will tie up all of the loose ends and resolve the unhappiness.
The house has officially sold! Close of escrow was yesterday and my agent called me yesterday to let me know that title recorded the deed at 4:20 in the afternoon, so it is now official. I am "homeless." LOLSo now, I am waiting for the title company to call me to pick up the check. I can't believe after all the stress of the entire process that it is finally done. Now, we can pay off everything and get focused on filing the divorce and starting over. Feels kind of good and a big relief to have it done now.
Actually have some good things to share...1. After less than 2 days on the market, the house is under contract for $6000 over list price!2. If all goes well, the closing will be around June 30.3. Someone at work thinks I'm pretty special. I was given a beautiful arrangement of roses and baby's breath. The roses are dark pink with yellow blended in. Kind of a hybrid and they are just beautiful and it was so sweet to be thought of.At this rate, I should acquire the winning Powerball ticket this week...
Read 7 books in the month of May...
THE SINNER by Tess Gerritsen - 8/10 - Another case featuring Detective Jane Rizzoli and Medical Examiner Dr. Maura Isles that involves the murder of two nuns.
THE KILLING HOUR by Lisa Gardner - 9/10 - Another case featuring Pierce Quincy and Rainie Connor and Pierce's daughter, Kimberly. In this book, Kimberly is more of the primary character as she discovers a body on the grounds of the FBI academy.
FASHIONISTAS by Lynn Messina - 7/10 - Interesting story that takes place at a magazine where an associate editor finds herself in the middle of a plot to overthrow the boss from hell. Some interesting characters and a surprise twist at the end.
JUST ONE LOOK by Harlan Coben - 8/10 - First time reading this author and it will not be my last. Centers around a character named Grace and what happens when a photo of her husband taken many years ago with a group of people ends up in a packet of pictures she picks up from having developed. When she asks her husband about it, he denies that it's him and while she is upstairs getting ready for bed, he takes off. This begins a huge chain reaction of events that leaves Grace trying to figure out what is going on and protect herself and her family from sinister people who won't stop at murder to protect their secrets.
THE SWEETEST TABOO by Carole Matthews - 9/10 - Entertaining story about an English woman named Sadie who meets an attractive LA movie producer. They fall in love and she moves to LA to be with him. Despite their best intentions, they can't seem to get together. Enter Tavis, an up and coming actor who Sadie develops feelings for but thinks he is gay. I enjoyed the triangle though I don't think I would have been able to choose between the two men because they both had great qualities mixed in with their faults.
MURDER LIST by Julie Garwood - 5/10 - Unfortunately, not one of Julie Garwood's better books. I struggled through this book and lost focus many times. There were so many sub-plots going on that I had difficulty following them all and trying to figure out what was connected to what. The story centers on Regan who attends a seminar with her friends trying to expose the host as a fraud. During the seminar, the participants are asked to make a list of people that if ceased to exist, the world would be a better place. Regan forgets about the list until the first person on her list turns up dead.
TALES OF A DRAMA QUEEN by Lee Nichols - 8/10 - Another new author to me. This was a light and entertaining story about a woman starting over after her fiancee marries someone else. The main character, Elle, can't seem to get her life on track or hold down a job. She seems to be a flake at times and full of high drama, but very likeable.
Sometimes, I feel like my life has taken on a sense of the bizarre. I often wonder how it got to be this way with little or no effort on my part; almost as if I have no participation in it. Rob moved out on Thursday as planned. I've taken it a lot better than I thought I would. Maybe that's because he has been spending more and more time away from the house doing his own thing with the skank and less time with me. I have to keep reminding myself that I am better off without his sorry ass. I also have to keep remembering how he has lied and betrayed me. All of the early promises of his support, help and friendship are probably lies too. He knows of the tentative move of June 30 but he's already making excuses of "need to see what is going on" that I can tell he's going to cop out and not help with the move. He's gotten what he wanted. People helped him so when the time comes to return the favor, he won't. I suspected he would do this so I don't know why I am even surprised. Just one more lie and betrayal to add to the list. Now, this is where the bitterness kicks in...I so hope she rips his heart out and stomps it into tiny pieces. I so hope he learns how it feels to be betrayed. I cannot wait to shed his presence from my life.Because he's already reneging on his earlier promises to help, I had to hook up the DVD player yesterday. In all honesty, if I had taken on a more active participatory role over the last 18 years when it came to the installation of electronics and other things, I probably would have saved a lot of money. In typical Rob fashion (which is giving no thought to cost or logic), he tells me I am going to have to buy a whole new TV because the one I inherited has only one outlet and the splitter as well as the AB switch I bought weren't going to work as the DVD player uses an S video cable. I bought an RF modulator kit and brought it home and hooked it up because he obviously can't spare the time as he said he would. The only snag I ran into was getting audio output during DVD playback. That was easily resolved by changing the audio output selection on the DVD setup menu. A major accomplishment I feel and just in time to watch the new Michael Keaton movie, White Noise, which was very good by the way.Another sense of the surreal is it is still May and we are already in the triple digits. Today is supposed to get to 111 with heat advisories. God, I hate this state...
I put an apartment on hold with a tentative move in date of June 30. If everything goes well with the sale of the house, I should be in my new place then. I was so excited and nervous and scared to death at the same time. My leg was bouncing up and down, which is strange not only to experience but to see....Anyway, the apartment is in the same building as the one I was hoping for earlier, but it's diagonally behind the other one. The only drawback is the balcony faces west so I will have to do something to minimize that awful afternoon Arizona summer sun. With every downside, there is always an upside, right? So, the upside is where the first apartment's balcony overlooked the parking lot, the one I have on hold overlooks a grassy courtyard area. Very pretty...another upside....the leasing agent told me that if for some reason, the sale of the house does not go through as anticipated and I can't move in on June 30, they will transfer my deposit to another unit. I won't have to forfeit the deposit as I was afraid I would.Rob is moving out on Thursday into his own apartment in Scottsdale. Not sure how I feel about it other than it really will be for the best for both of us for him to go ahead and leave. Now, I only pray that everything else will move along smoothly and to my benefit. :o)
Today was a busy day. The pool table is gone! A couple of guys from City Billiards showed up this morning before 0800 to dismantle the table and take it out of here for the new owners. The great room sure looks odd now. But at least we can move around the room easier and there is more room for boxes. Rob took the day off so after the pool table departed, we went to IHOP for breakfast and then to Walmart to pick up a few items for dinner. Came home and packed several more boxes. Found all of my Christmas wrapping paper, ribbons and bows, etc. and couldn't find a box that they would fit in and be waterproof so I ended up with yet another rubbermaid storage box. This one sits really low to the ground and has wheels on it. It's called an "under-bed storage box" though I don't know if it will be going under the bed once I move. Anyway all of the various sized rolls of wrapping paper fit perfectly and there was plenty of room for the other accessories. Much more organized.Went up to north Scottsdale this afternoon to look at a couple of the apartment complexes that Rob is considering. I think it comes as a shock somewhat to both of us just what moving into an apartment is going to mean. Not to mention all of the fees and deposits and what not that we will both have to cough up for each place. This whole process has left both of us feeling a little shellshocked. I will be glad when it's done and we can both move on with our lives.
Been having difficulty concentrating on books. One of the things that ending a marriage reveals to a person is there are no more walls or barriers to hide behind; or a book to hide in. My mind has been so wrapped up in the dissolution of my 18 year marriage, that it has been hard to immerse myself in a book. For the past several weeks, I have been reading the same books:Dog Handling by Clare NaylorGetting Over It by Anna MaxtedNo, these are not self-help books, but by guessing at the titles, you would think so....Also listening to Whispers by Lisa JacksonHopefully things will settle down soon and I get back into the one true passion in my life and that's reading...
