Weepy

but not crying if that makes sense. Today is Chris's 39th birthday. I met him shortly after his 24th birthday 15 years ago. We've been married 14 1/2 of those years. I'm used to him not being home for his birthday but for some reason this year I'm all sad about him not being home. Maybe its more hormonal for me this year because I'm in the start of menopause or maybe its just because my blood sugar is low and I should eat dinner. LOL. I don't know but I sure wish he was home. Normally he'd be home tomorrow but since he didn't go out to work til yesterday that's kind of impossible. He might be in Sunday morning but he won't be home to stay so he'll miss out on the kids as Zombies this year. We don't have very many Halloween years left either. Our kids have always gone for scary and gory costumes except for the one year we got them to be Drew and Mimi from the Drew Carey show. Also being broker than broke doesn't help either. I got his gift ahead of time and gave it to him back when we had money but I had wanted to get him something else when it was closer to time for it but that flew out the door. I hate being like this. It'll pass. It always does. Stupid hormones.

and again

Another crappy paycheck. The person who is screwing up my husband's paycheck better be glad I can't get ahold of her. She'd definitely know the right way to get it done if it were me training her. We can't afford these mistakes. At least I don't have to figure out how to buy tires or a water heater this time but still money I was counting on being in the bank isn't in the bank because of a mistake made in the payroll department. All I know is that if Chris screwed up more than once he'd have been fired or demoted at least. Hopefully it'll get straightened out but still there's no cash in our pockets in the meantime. At least I don't have a huge grocery list this time either but it sure would have been nice to pay all the bills that I needed to pay.

Update: Duh...I forgot that Chris's partner took off an extra week instead of just two. He was out one of the two weeks on this check because he thought his Mother was going to pass but she pulled through. So, this check is that week and the next week Chris did only drive the first shift. The next check will be another week of first shift but should have this week with 2nd and 3rd shift on it too so it'll be closer to being normal. I just will be holding my breath on the 2nd check of November. It's Thanksgiving and we've got to have gifts for Jessie and Nicky for Christmas at least and travel money to go to MIL's house then for sure. She's coming here for Thanksgiving. We don't get to see her very often as it is and I'd hate to not get to go for Christmas and she be without any family then. She does have somewhere else she can go but as long as we can physically go to her she shouldn't be alone for that holiday.

Long Time

gone. I haven't had much to say lately. We finally got a new water heater and Chris put it in really easy. I know I should have more faith in him but when it involves electricity I get the heebie jeebies. My Mom said I got shocked when I was 6 months old from putting a bobby pin in an outlet. I, of course, don't remember it but every time I have to plug something in or mess with electricity the hair on my arms stands on end so somewhere deep down inside I remember it I guess. LOL. We're planning to go and see my Dad on Saturday the 23rd. Chris is going too. Don't know if the kids will go or not. They love seeing Grandpa but its really boring for them to sit up there and listen to the same old stories over and over. The company Chris works for is changing our insurance over in January. So far I think our family doctor accepts the new insurance but I'll find out for sure once I get the info on the new plan. I'd hate to change now because she's been our doctor since Jessie was a year old and knows the whole family inside and out literally. My sister Cheryl has even started going to her. I think she's that good or it could be I'm just that comfortable with her. She's about 4 years younger than me and her 2 kids are right below mine in age so when I call up and say I need this or that she usually just sends me a prescription. The kids did great with their first report cards of the year. Jessie seems to be getting Math a little more this year than in the past. So far so good. Dad is doing okay. He's so skinny but he's hanging in there. He has a ton of stuff wrong with him and nothing has happened lately so I keep waiting to hear something about him. I've been having lots of dreams about him too. Not comforting ones but not really scary ones either. My brother Patrick isn't doing well. He and Dad seem to take turns with their health except Patrick doesn't have dementia at least. We survived the last three months financially somehow. I don't know how we did it and managed to have food but it worked out somehow. I hope that part of the year is over for a long while. I can handle one crisis at a time usually but 3 in a row was a little much for me. Chris just lets things roll of his back but I guess since I'm the one worrying about it he doesn't need to. Hopefully I'll be back sooner than two weeks this next time.

Happy Fall Ya'll!

The weather has been gorgeous here in central Texas. Lows in the 60's and highs in the 80's. I'm loving this weather. I went with my Mom and two sisters to see Dad today. He was having a really good day. He's even skinnier than he was before. My sister Kelly brought her son Phillip and Dad really enjoyed watching him play and run around the unit. After we visited with Dad for a couple of hours we all went to Souper Salad for lunch. It was so good. I haven't been there in forever. I forgot how good their gingerbread can be. Then they opened up a new branch of the library in Waco. It's so nice and huge. I can't wait to go back with my books I really want to read but not buy list. I picked up one by Diane Chamberlain called Cypress Point. Its one of her older ones so I don't know how I haven't read it before. Then I got a sci-fi read too called The Devil's Alphabet by Daryl Gregory. Then I came home and we're just going to laze around the rest of the day. It's been a weird week for me. Lots of driving and I'm not used to it so much anymore. I'm very swollen from it. Chris has been having to be picked up every other day this past week is why. Next week he's going to be gone all week so it won't be so bad on me. I hate him being gone but its what has to be done so we can live in all our glory of a doublewide mobile home. LOL. It'll be all ours in 10 years. Not much longer at all.

Kissing Papa bye bye.

The boss with the grandparents.

Strayed Much?

I've pretty much strayed away from how I wanted to use this blog. I wanted to talk about my Dad and the family and how we are handling how life is with someone who has dementia like my Dad has. I guess life just got in the way or should I say a string of bad luck? I did go and see my Dad a couple of weeks ago with my Mom, sister Cheryl and Jessie. We had a nice little visit but I haven't been back to see him again yet. Hopefully this weekend we'll get to go again. I forgot to mention that I ran into a friend from when I worked at KMart. Her Mom had Alzheimer's and was in her 80's and finally passed from it. I hated to hear it but its got to be better than not knowing anybody. My friend was lucky though that her Mom was able to be kept in a family home and be taken care of by family. We can't do that with my Dad because of how violent he gets and also he can't walk at all anymore. I know she didn't mean to make me feel bad but only forgot that my Dad is in the VA and that we can't just stay up there with him overnight and such. He does good to handle us for an hour or two at a time when we go up there. I wonder if its just a male/female thing? It'd be interesting to find that part out. My Mom and Cheryl went this past Saturday and visited with my Dad and Cheryl said his hands are starting to curl up from him not using them so much. I'm wondering if he has rheumatoid arthritis? His Mom had it and her hands got like that too. There's not much to talk about on my Dad right now. He's hanging in there. I can't believe its almost a year since he's been in the VA now.

These were taken the last time I got to go up and visit Dad.

CRAP! *Edit

Yeah! Somehow I finagled the bills and was able to get the new tires and 4 wheel alignment. I didn't want to spend the money but the tires were really that bad. Choosing between them and hot water wasn't easy at all.

Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap! The paycheck is screwed up! I don't even think I'll be able to buy groceries this week. Hopefully, I'll be able to get just some basic stuff. No tires for the car this time and I'm not even sure we'll be able to squeeze a water heater out of it either. I'm only going to pay the bills I have to but still I hate just getting by. We were doing so well and now its been just one thing after another. I told Chris he has to say something to somebody about the obvious mistake on his paycheck. If I can see it I don't know how they didn't see it when they were doing the accounting stuff. I'm just tired of all the bad luck we've been having lately when it comes to money. I'm not a money hungry person either. I don't mind just getting by usually but having no hot water really sucks. I just can't take another 2 weeks of none. I'll lay low a little bit and then get over it. I just don't want the kids birthdays to get screwed up. They never ask for anything big. I know a lot of their friends have huge parties and get gifts like its Christmas morning but we've never gone overboard on birthdays but we had wanted to do a little bit more since they're getting older and wanting more adult things. Hopefully the next check will be right cause that one has all the major bills coming out on it. Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!Crap!

Well,

it's been a quiet week. Still no hot water. We thought the water heater was working again but it wasn't. We did get one last hot shower out of it each at least. Thursday we have to get 4 new tires and an all wheel alignment so there goes $400. The water heater with installation will be another $600. Just hoping the paycheck will be big enough to cover both. We might have to wait another week or so on it anyway cause Chris might be out til next week. I have a phobia about workmen/workwomen being in my home when my hubby isn't so if Chris isn't home I'm not having the water heater done. Its bad enough I have to go and get the tires done. I don't think its a man's job or anything but I do so much of the home stuff on my own and have for the past 10 years I like to have Chris do what he can when he's home. He always does the yard work of course because I refuse to use his riding lawnmower. If something happened to that baby I'd never hear the end of it. I don't use his upright vacuum for that reason either. Every one I've ever touched has gone to the vacuum graveyard. We have a quick stick one that I use that's batter operated. I don't have a good record when it comes to vacuum's is all I can say. I've been waiting for House to come back and it finally has. It's off to a great start from what I can tell so far. Don't forget to breathe when you're watchign it tonight Diane!

CPAP Stuff

Well, Chris got his CPAP machine and I must say I haven't ever slept so good in my life. I guess it's been about 8 years or so that he's been snoring and then in the last 2 years that he's been snoring so bad that it effected my sleep. At first Chris got the nostril mask. It looked really uncomfortable to me so at his appointment to get the equipment I asked him if he really thought that was the one for him. He said yep. It is the one that just goes into the nostrils. It looked painful for sure but it actually worked. For about 3 days...on the 4th and 5th day he actually knocked or took it out towards morning. His doctor appointment went well. He actually was stopping breathing for up to 30 seconds for almost every minute he was sleeping that night during testing. No wonder bells and whistles went off. The first night he used the machine after he got it was wonderful except it was so quiet I had to turn on the fan in the bedroom for white noise. He POPPED out of bed on Friday at 5 a.m. I couldn't believe it. He hasn't popped out of bed in years. He went and got the regular mask that just covers the nose before he went back out to work on Tuesday and said that this one is definitely the one. LOL. He has 2 more times to trade in that mask in the next 30 days so we'll see if we need to make another trip to trade it in or not. He'll be in early on Saturday morning so I can't wait to sleep with him again and see if it was just a fluke or not that I slept so well also. All I know is I didn't need a nap like I usually do when he's home. So........what's good for the goose is definitely good for the gander (in this situation at least).

Oh, the Weather Outside was Frightful......

yesterday. I've never been scared of rainstorms but yesterday we had major RAAAIIIINNN and it was scary even for me. Our little bitty town didn't flood but the rest of our county apparently got a good bit of rain and the flooding was everywhere. We're not far from Ft. Hood (about 35 miles) which is a good thing because the soldiers were definitely needed to help. There was a mobile home park in Nolanville that flooded and a mobile home floated away with a lady inside of it. Very scary for me since that's what we live in too. We're on a hill so I don't have to worry about floating away but maybe sliding down the hill instead. LOL. Temple lost power for most of the day but I heard this morning that almost everyone has it back again. It's just too hot and wet to have to suffer sitting around in the dark too. There was one fatality where a car tried to drive across a flooded roadway and the driver drowned. Remember, if you come across a roadway filled with water to turn around, don't drown!

As If.........

I don't have enough to worry about. Chris went for his sleep study last night and it was determined he does have sleep apnea just like his brother and dad. We don't know official results but he said they woke him up and put him on a CPap machine because all the bells and whistles went off. We don't know if its because he stopped breathing which is the major reason for a CPap machine or if he's like his brother and just snoring so loud that its waking him up. I didn't doubt he had it but while waiting for him to get tested it was almost like he wanted to have it. I'm glad its all figured out that he needs something. Now we just gotta wait and find out. I guess we'll both be learning this together.

Woohoo!!!

We now have wonderful cold central air conditioning again. Once the techs got here it only took about 45 minutes to get the new unit installed and running again. Yeah!!!! The kids are going to be so happy that there rooms aren't like ovens anymore.

Ode to Air Conditioning

Central air conditioning is swell,
Central air conditioning is great,
Central air conditioning breaks
and now I ache.

Window units are swell,
Window units are great
Window unit will be in my living room window
Before too late.


As if you can't guess from my really bad poem our A/C went out last night. We found one online at Home Depot for $99 and are on our way there early this morning to pick one up. I just hope they have one. We were only able to scrap up a little over $100 to buy one so if they don't have that one I don't know what we'll do. We get paid on Thursday otherwise and I'll figure out where I can go during the hottest part of the day if I have to. Let's just hope we can get the cheap A/C window unit they had online.

School...Yeah!!

The kids start back to school on Monday. I think they're as ready to go back as I am for them to go back. LOL. They'll both be in the same school again. I can't believe I have two middle schoolers this year. Next year I'll have a Freshman in high school. Yikes! The years have just flown by. It seems just like yesterday that they were this little and more worried about how they looked for Halloween than anything else.



This was the last year I got to choose their costumes. They went as Drew Carey and Mimi from the Drew Carey show and they won second place in the costume contest at the Mall. They were 3 and almost 5. Now its just about the pumpkins and they don't like to trick or treat anymore.




So who knows what this school year will bring? I'm hoping they'll have a wonderful time being back in the same school together. I guess we'll find out soon enough.

This, That and Weird In Laws

Miss Emma got out of the hospital yesterday. Boy what a relief! I was so worried for her and the whole family. It's going to be a total lifestyle change for everybody but they're going to be good at it when they get it all figured out..


If you've read my blog for a while you know that we have had a falling out (7 years now) with my father in law and his wife. Quick backstory on it. My mother in Law and he divorced when hubby was about 11. He was a cheater from year one she said and why she stayed with him and his cheating ways is her story to tell. He cheated with a cousin by marriage to her so it was really bad. They married and I guess he continued to cheat on 2nd wife. They divorced and he met his current wife after that. He told her all kinds of lies about my mother in law and she proceeded to tell them to me 3 days after hubby and I married so she definitely has been on my bad side forever. She's about 20 years younger than him and only a few years older than me so she's never really called me her daughter in law and I'm definitely not her style of person. She picks and chooses her friends as to how they will benefit her life. I can't imagine just having friends like that. I would have missed out on a lot of wonderful people otherwise. Anyway, she's a loudmouth and thinks everyone should live like she wants them too. She was always saying things about my kids, about how big my daughter was at the age of 4 and how they were her husband's grandchildren. Finally, we stopped seeing them after hubby's father came to our house to see if we had heard anything from hubby's brother. Not to see us, the kids or to even see how we were doing but to ask about brother in law. Oh and to show off a new car they wanted to buy. Anyway, long story, and I could go on and on about them but that's plenty for now. If father in law wasn't with his current wife I have no doubt that he'd be in my children's lives. He also doesn't have any personal friends left from before they married. She's driven them all off with her attitude. Okay stopping that story now. What's really sad is they only live about 20 minutes from us. My kids are definitely missing out but I guess "Grandpa" doesn't think about them since he's got the two younger ones in his life now. :(


Anyway, they went down to see Emma while she was in the hospital. Okay that makes sense. Go and see her, make sure she's getting better and come home. Nope. They're staying until Sunday. They're not staying with brother in law and his family. They're staying at the Hilton. My mother in law told hubby that they've been at the Hilton more than they've been to see Emma or the family. I guess father in law decided he needed a vacation. Just doesn't make sense. His stupid wife had the gall to ask that they let Emma come home with them. I couldn't believe hubby when he told me that. Emma just got out of the hospital yesterday. She barely saw an Endocronologist today. They're just getting her started on the right dosages of insulin and they don't know what all everything will do to her yet when it comes to food and exercise. My father in law is diabetic but its type 2. Type 1 is a whole other ballgame especially when its in a child. Father in law's wife has been begging for Emma to come and stay a few weeks throughout the summer is what my sister in law has told me and she's told her no. Emma's not ready to spend the night with my mother in law who is local and maybe only 10 minutes from home. This was way before she was diagnosed with diabetes too. So can you imagine how she'd be being 4 hours from home with a Grandma she doesn't really care for? When Emma was in the hospital they brought a stuffed animal and balloons and when they left they told Emma they'd see her tomorrow. She told them she didn't want to see them unless they brought her another toy. Wow! Out of the mouths of babes for sure. Kids can see through people. Mine saw through her but because my Mom brought me up correctly I took 7 years of abuse from that woman before I finally said no more. It took her downing my children and finally my father in law before I said no more. Anyway brother in law said no way and now father in law's wife is mad at him. Maybe brother in law will finally get it and talk to his Dad about everything that she has said to my sister in law. My hubby never would but he did finally have enough and we stopped seeing them. I just wish father in law knew why we pulled away. I'm sure his wife has lied about a lot of stuff. Going by stories brother in law and sister in law have told me I know she has because she took stuff that happened in our home (kids throwing keys at tv and coloring on tv) and said they happened at her house. @@ (that's an eyeroll) Anyway that's the backstory on father in law and his wife or part of it anyway. My children are worth more to me than having to live UP to her example of life.

Wow! (Edit)

Just found out that our niece Emma (4 on Sept. 12th) has been diagnosed with Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes. Shock, dismay and a lot of OMG's muttered over the phone to my sister in law Mellodie. She's in the ICU in Shreveport right now for a couple of days at least. I'm so worried for everybody. Mellodie is upset cause she can't be there at night with Emma cause of the baby. My brother in law Alan will be up there with her at night but still if you know how it is to be a Mom you want to be there 24/7. Mellodie said that is what her brother has but he didn't find out until he was 24. That was way after Mellodie was married and gone so she doesn't know anything first hand about it but I'm sure she'll know everything she can as fast as she can too. I wish I could be there for them but its just no way. School starts Monday and we're broke from buying school supplies and clothes. I'm going to research and see what I can find out about it all too. I'm diabetic but its Type 2 and they're different from each other. Emma's always been really healthy so its just so shocking to find this out. I'm sure she'll be fine and healthy again just dealing with diabetes for the long run.

EMMA IS GOING HOME TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!

All Because Two People Fell In Love

Ya know to me it's all so clear
Every one of us is here
All because two people fell in love

Thanks Mama and Daddy. I wish we could really celebrate it this year. Happy 50th anniversary.

Except for the heat....

we had a really nice day. We went and got chicken and sides for my Dad and went up to the V.A. to see him. He was able to be out of bed today so we weren't all crowded in his room. He looked good for him. He had on his World's Greatest Grandpa shirt that my sister Kelly gave him when she found out she was pregnant with Phillip. It looked good on him but you could definitely tell he lost even more weight than what he has already. He didn't want to eat at first but once he got started on the chicken there was no stopping him. He got weepy a few times when we would mention some of the people from his family like his Aunts and Uncles but he never came to full blown tears at least. I forgot my camera today. I really need to get a good shot of him and my Mom. Hopefully I'll be able to get up there next Sunday. We need to drop the kids off then to spend the night anyway so it'd be a good day for Chris to go and see him too. We'll see what happens. I've learned I have better luck if I don't plan on things.

My Mom and Dad's 50th Anniversary is on Tuesday, August 10th. We won't be celebrating it though because it would just upset my Dad that he couldn't be home. I know that my Mom is really upset. She's trying to be strong but she's gone through so much this year of not getting to be with him. I kind of wish she would break down but then again I sure don't want to see her lose it. I know she would feel better because when I finally broke down about my Dad a few months ago I felt a lot better. It's really weird for me, almost like I'm grieving my Dad, but then he'll have a good day like today and I feel a little guilty for the grieving. Okay, enough of the maudlin stuff.

I was thinking that for Chris and I to be married 50 years I will be 84 and him 74 and Nicky will be my age of 49. Really weird how that works out like that. I hope we make it. :D

Yeah!

I finally get to go and see my Dad again tomorrow. I haven't seen him since his birthday so I'm really looking forward to it. We're going to take him up some Church's fried chicken, french fries and coleslaw for his lunch. I know he hasn't had any fried chicken in a long time. If he eats it great and if not we'll just take it to my brother to eat. I was going to cook some for him but I don't have any dark meat and that's his preference. Church's is right by my Mom's house and on the way to the V.A. anyway. After we see my Dad I'm going to see if my sister wants to start on my Mom's room and getting it rearranged or at least get started on taking stuff out of the dressers my Mom wants to get rid of. They'll be put out for the trash to be picked up or drive by pickups for people who need something that's better than nothing. That's the plan anyway. Let's see if it works out.

First Line Friday...early...

My friend Kathy hosts First Line Friday. You can find her at the link below. Check her out. She has a wonderful blog of lots of reviews of books. You can't go wrong by checking out her blog and a Kathy Recommended Read.


http://bagsbooksandbonjovi.blogspot.com/2010/03/first-line-friday.html


FIRST LINE FRIDAY...First lines have always intrigued me since I heard an author
say that writing the first sentence is, by far, the most difficult part of writing a novel.
The reasoning was that a first sentence can make the reader continue reading or
cause the book to be tossed aside. So, go to your To Be Read Pile, choose as
many books as you want and share the first line. Be sure to include the title and
author so that if your reader also finds it intriguing, they can find the book. Also,
share your thoughts about the first line. Does it draw you in? Is it...exciting...thought
provoking...scary...funny?

I've been on a sci-fi kick still but have switched to Vampire stories. I guess because we finally did get to go and see Eclipse and we've been watching True Blood on HBO also. I love this series. My friend Heather finally told me I should read the books and that she'd send me hers to "borrow". LOL, I don't borrow books except from the library. I'm afraid a friend might send me a "borrow" and I'll want to keep it so if someone says I can borrow I usually just say thanks but I'll just see if I can find it on paperbackswap.com first and if not there I will buy it.

Anyway, I read Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris. It's the first in the Sookie Stackhouse novels which True Blood is based on. I loved it. The series really stuck to the book. They had a character called "Bubba" that I would have loved to see in the series but they left him out. Let's just say he was based on a well-known Memphis singer and referred to in the book as the Man from Memphis. Got it? I knew you would figure it out. Now I've started the 2nd book in the series called Living Dead in Dallas. Of course, I know what's going on since I watch the cable series but still to read it and see the little changes makes me love it more. Here's the first line.....

Andy Bellefleur was as drunk as a skunk.

Woohoo! What a first line. For one thing this character doesn't get drunk so it makes you wonder what's going on with him. I found out of course because as soon as I got the book in the mail today I couldn't stop reading it. The character Sookie being able to read minds doesn't hurt either. While it was out of character for Andy it made sense after Sookie read his thoughts and found out how why he was so depressed. Oh and before I forget to tell you Andy is a detective on the small police force in Bon Temps, Louisiana where the book takes place. You can just imagine what it would take for someone like him to get as drunk as a skunk. By page 6 I find out that one of my favorite characters in the cable series is found dead in Andy's car which had been left overnight at the bar since he was drunk. I am so glad that there was that slight change in the character not being killed on the cable series. Probably if I had read the books first it wouldn't have mattered to me because I wouldn't have known anything much about that character to start with but now after watching him for two seasons he's a very endearing character. I'm glad for that little twist but since I plan to read the rest of the books in the series (in order) I'm sure that if there are some future characters that are out of the cable series and vice versa it won't make any difference to me then. It's like with all book to movies stories......the books are always better.

Hmmm.....

It seems that with Bloggers new design changes there's not too much that can be done with backgrounds. So far I've figured out a little about the dimensions needed but I can't get it exactly. I made another blog just to try out the different backgrounds without changing my everyday blog and graphics blog but I just haven't had any real inspiration yet. Oh well, any excuse to play right? LOL.