Waiting to hear...
I get questions almost daily about whether Ryan and I have heard more about the job offer in India. So I just want to get the answer out there for everyone to see: no. We should be hearing any day now, but there are still a lot of questions I need answered before we even think about moving. Here's a preliminary list:
pets/traveling with pets
medical/veterinary care
prescriptions
bugs
housing
Ryan's salary
my job/what would I do?
what exactly does Ryan's company pay for?
what exactly are we responsible for?
how long we must commit to
I think that's it for now. Let me know if there are other things I should be thinking about. I will probably be posting on here shortly after hearing if there is indeed a job offered. So keep checking!
Book Reviews
As many of you know, I keep a spreadsheet of all the books I've read (for the past couple years). I have decided to make that spreadsheet available online for anyone to view. If interested, click here. You can see the shamefully small number of books I've read recently, and my ratings and comments for each. Enjoy!
Book Review: Where Are You Now?
Where Are You Now?Mary Higgins Clark
I have only been truly terrified once from reading a book. Granted, it's probably because I don't read books that I know will scare me. So why did I read that one? Well, it was by one of my favorite mystery/suspense novelists, Mary Higgins Clark. I had read most of her recent ones, so I decided to go back and read her earlier ones. Bad idea. It was A Cry in the Night and I would only recommend it to people who enjoy a good thriller.
All that to say, I have just finished Clark's most recent best-seller, Where Are You Now? and I must say, I was very satisfied. It was scary enough to make me jump when my dog barked into the silence while I read, but not so scary that I had nightmares afterwards. And it certainly was a page-turner. There were two nights in a row that I was up until 2 am, just unable to put the book down!
As with most of Clark's books, the story takes place in Manhattan and follows a 30-something single and professional woman trying to solve a murder. Following Clark's newest trend, it is in the first person of the main character, but then switches into third person as we follow the other story lines throughout the book. Additionally, the first person was written in present tense, and while it did convey a sense of urgency and excitement (which I'm sure was her intent), I found it slightly confusing, especially as she switched between that and past-tense third person. After reading the first few chapters, however, I soon became used to it and settled down for a good read.
Carolyn MacKenzie, a 30-something lawyer living in Manhattan, has finally come to wit's end with her brother, Mack. Mack walked out on his life 10 years previously and was never heard from again. Except, that is, on Mother's Day, when he calls his mother to assure her that he is OK and happy. Carolyn has watched her family fall apart as, year after year, Mack doesn't come home. So this Mother's Day, she vows to Mack that she will find him and make him pay. As Carolyn seeks to find out the truth, there are disappearances around Manhattan and she inadvertently leads the police to believe that Mack is the kidnapper for whom they are searching. Even though she strives to prove that Mack is innocent, she finds herself doubting that to be the case. Soon, however, Carolyn realizes her own life is in danger and she has to rely on the clues she has dug up along the way to save herself and others.
Mary Higgins Clark knows how to plant suspicion in her readers' minds for first one character then another. Early in the book, I found myself saying "Oh, I've figured it out", thinking, you know, that I'm extra-smart and she can't fool me. Several chapters later, I realized that was exactly what she wanted me to believe! I must admit to this having happened more than once through the book, and the ending gave me a thoroughly satisfying surprise.
I believe Where Are You Now? helped to break Mary Higgins Clark's recent formulaic whodunit pattern, and as I said, kept me guessing until the very end. Other than the slight confusion of the past/present tense and first/third person, the book was a thoroughly enjoyable and thrilling read.
Book Review: Death of a Gentle Lady
Death of a Gentle LadyM.C. Beaton
I have just finished reading the latest book in the Hamish Macbeth series, written by M.C. Beaton. Having read the entire series, I was excited too see a new one out, and this one did not disappoint, in most regards. The book, as with all the others, is a captivating mystery and is set in the northernmost tip of Scotland.
Told from mostly Hamish's perspective, I once again fell in love with the village of Lochdubh, for its beauty and for its inhabitants. Hamish's description of the landscape always makes me want to visit the Highlands of Scotland and see the raw beauty that he is so in love with. And so adamently against leaving.
In the book, a gentlewoman, liked by everyone in the village besides Hamish, is found below the cliffs of her castle, murdered. The suspects include her family members, who were all gathered for a reunion, some visitors to Lochdubh staying at the local Tommel Castle Hotel, and even Hamish himself!! Detective Inspector Jimmy Anderson is in charge of the case, to Hamish's relief, and keeps Hamish well-informed of the goings-on. When the police arrest someone, Hamish is not satisfied and takes matters into his own hands, which lands him into even more trouble. Complicating matters is the Russian Inspector who seems to have a thing for Hamish, but also has a very tough side.
The usual brood of characters come into play in Death of a Gentle Lady, including the Curry sisters, the town's most prominent gossips; Angela Brodie, the doctor's wife and Hamish's pet-sitter; Willie, the obsessively clean restaurant owner; and Archie, a local fisherman who is condemned to his tight suits due to his wife's neurotic cleaning. In addition to the usual crew, there are some new characters to fit in with the current plot: the Russian Inspector, to whom Hamish referred to as looking like "Putin in drag", the family of the victim, and the villainous Detective Chief Inspector Blair, who, hating Hamish and his non-conforming ways, has a new plan for getting rid of him.
And as always, Hamish's love life comes into the story, and yet again, I was disappointed. He is propositioned several times, proposes once (and not to who you think!), and his two former lovers, Priscilla and Elspeth, both come home to Lochdubh for a visit. Will there ever be resolution here?
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was good enough to make me want to keep picking it up to read, but not so suspenseful as it made me want to stay up through the night to finish (and I've had this experience many times in the past, and am never happy with myself the next day!). The book had a good plot, as usual, but that's not what keeps me coming back to Lochdubh. For me, it is all about the lovable and flawed characters, most importantly, Hamish himself.
the difference between boys and girls...
“Ron,” said Hermione in a dignified voice, dipping the point of her quill into her ink pot, “you are the most insensitive wart I have ever had the misfortune to meet.”“What’s that supposed to mean?” said Ron indignantly. “What sort of person cries while someone’s kissing them?” “Yeah,” said Harry, slightly desperately, “who does?” Hermione looked at the pair of them with an almost pitying expression on her face. “Don’t you understand how Cho’s feeling at the moment?” she asked. “No,” said Harry and Ron together. Hermione sighed and laid down her quill. “Well, obviously, she’s feeling very sad, because of Cedric dying. Then I expect she’s feeling confused because she liked Cedric and now she likes Harry, and she can’t work out who she likes best. Then she’ll be feeling guilty, thinking it’s an insult to Cedric’s memory to be kissing Harry at all, and she’ll be worrying about what everyone else might say about her if she starts going out with Harry. And she probably can’t work out what her feelings toward Harry are anyway, because he was the one who was with Cedric when Cedric died, so that’s all very mixed up and painful. Oh, and she’s afraid she’s going to be thrown off the Ravenclaw Quidditch team because she’s been flying so badly.” A slightly stunned silence greeted the end of this speech, then Ron said, “One person can’t feel all that at once, they’d explode.” “Just because you’ve got the emotional range of a teaspoon doesn’t mean we all have,” said Hermione nastily, picking up her quill again.
excerpt from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Update on ME!
Hello old friend! I have actually really missed writing on here, but know the reason I haven't is because things are still so up in the air in my life! Ryan and I are waiting to hear about the job in India, and in the meantime, we've put our househunt on hold. So we are in limbo, which is not a nice place to write from. However, I realized that if my life is ever going to be in book-form (and who wouldn't want to read that book!?), I had better plug on through with my writing, even in the limbo periods. So here I am.
My resolutions are going so/so, which I guess it to be expected with resolutions! Tell me, are other people even thinking about resolutions at this point? I think I should get points for even remembering them.
I am, however, happy to relate that I have brought my quilt back out. This is one project that I must finish! Mostly because I know how pretty it will look on my bed!
I have actually been reading more, and even have a half-written book review waiting to be finished and then published for you all to see. I'm sure you are waiting with bated breath. That's good, you should be, it's going to be fabulous.
Sadly, I have nothing further to update you on. Wow, my book is going to be boring...
Lack of posts, part 2
I had no idea what a stir my "Lack of posts" part 1 would cause! On the one hand, most of you over-reacted, and when you did, it was a week or two after I had posted it (maybe it should have been called "lack of loyal readers")! On the other hand, it caused quite a stir, which means you are reading it! Better late than never, right? So this post is just to thank you for checking me out once in a while. =)
And to enlighten you as to what I was referring to in my previous post. Ryan and I have been thinking about moving. Most likely, we would be staying in the same area, but we are interested in buying a house. This is a big step for us (as I'm sure any of you who have bought a house know)! The other idea that had briefly tempted us was a move to India. The latter is rather unlikely, but both options are as scary as they are exciting!
Hope the news wasn't too disappointing! I had to keep you coming back for more somehow, right?
Lack of posts
I haven't wanted to write recently because I feel like I'm in a transitional period. Ryan and I are looking into some things that are going to affect the very near future, and it's somewhat scary. I find that when I write on this site, even if the majority of what is said is silly, I feel like I have to get real and become introspective. That is something that is even scarier when you're unsure of your future. So bear with me, and I'll give more details later. Oh yeah, and I've been really busy.
Update: Month 2
It's March already and time for an update on my resolutions. So here it is, my update for the month of February, summed up in one word. Bad.
But a new month brings a strengthening of my resolve (hey! resolve and resolution sound similar... spooky...).
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!
To those I love (in no particular order): Mom-best momma ever! Daddy-always supportive of me Ryan-the love of my life Amy-encourager, understanding, entertains me at work! Liz-my favorite roomie Steven-always reads my blog Joe-sometimes reads my blog Renee-my sweet cousin Shani-I think of you often. I miss you. The rest of my family-I truly love you all
There are tons more of you that I love, but I know you don't read my blog, so you don't get a shout out!
Too bad you won't even know you didn't get a shout out cuz you don't read my blog.
Update: Month 1
It's February, and not only does that mean an upsurge in my intake of chocolate, but it also means I'm looking at one month into my New Year's Resolutions. So I'm going to take a moment to go through them, explain how I'm doing, and how I need to improve. 1. Lose some weight. I go up and down with this one, which is to be expected, however I am happy to say that I am down approx. 6 pounds! In order to continue, here's what I need to work on: I'm pretty good during the week with my diet and exercise, but I fall apart on the weekends. I need to learn how to indulge in moderation. Is that an oxymoron?
2. Couples devotions daily. Again, this one has gone in waves. We do them several days in a row, then miss several days in a row. Recently, we've been in a missing stage. We need to pick this up again.
3. Listening to Bible on CD. Waves. Again. However, I did finish the first CD (most of Matthew) and I'm on the second. I must admit though, that my mind tends to wander a lot while on my way home from work, so I'm hoping that I'm absorbing the Words through osmosis.
4. Be a better mom. Let's see. This is a tricky one. I have been making more of an effort to keep the apartment clean and tidy. I've been good about planning dinners. But that's it. I haven't been reading more. I haven't cut down on my TV watching.
So that about wraps it up. I'm hoping that if I continue updating every month, I will continue to keep trying. And what more can I do than try?
I'm an adult and can do as I want! (Not really)
February is a special time of the year for me. I'll give you a couple seconds to guess why. Did you guess? Well, you're wrong! February is the month when grocery stores and drug stores all over America begin selling Cadbury Cream Eggs. These lucious cream-filled chocolage eggs are only sold in this country several months out of the year, and unless your boyfriend is visiting London and sends you a huge box full of them in mid-summer (true story!), then you're out of luck if you try to find them.
Before college, my intake of these devilish delights was exteremely limited (ironically this should have been when I was gorging on them, as my metabolism was still fast enough to burn them off!). However, when I got to college, and February came along, and I discovered a close friend had a similar taste for the eggs, we were buying them every chance we had.
One year, however, I discovered that it was much better to wait until after Easter to purchase the heavenly things. So that Monday, off I went to Target, and found them costing around 5 cents per egg! This was a 400% mark down! Well, I didn't want to leave a one behind, so I grabbed the entire carton and trotted to the cashier. As I walked, I found that children were staring at me, lust in their eyes. One little boy in particular was almost drooling with desire. I stopped and said, "Yes, I can do this because I'm an adult, and I can do what I want."
OK, I didn't actually say that, but it's what I was thinking. But unfortunately, I was only half true. Because I'm an adult, I do have the ability and the power to go and purchase as many Cadbury Cream Eggs as I want. But sadly, also because I'm an adult, I have to severely restrict my daily consumption of them.
But make no mistake, the Monday after Easter, I will be there again, with a carton full of my favorite sweet treat, inviting all the young eyes to stare and be jealous of the joys of adulthood.
Feeling the Pressure
I have been feeling like it's time for another blog post since it feels like forever since I've written. But upon visiting my own site, it's only been a couple weeks! I figure I can wait until February to post again (not counting this one). So check back then! Believe me, I've got some good ideas up my sleeves... I will be continuing my "What makes a good..." series.
I will be starting a new book review series, whenever I finish a book (now I've just got to finish a book...).
I will be evaluating my resolution progress.
Not to mention posting some good new (and old) poetry.
And as always, the humorous stories from my day to day (boring) life.
Stay tuned!
Another Purpose for a Useful Machine
"Where am I?" I thought to myself. Something was wrong, the room was familiar and yet not. And suddenly it came to me in a panic: I was in the men's room! How had I come in here? I've worked in this building for nearly three years, and yet somehow, when lost in thought, I had gone into the wrong bathroom! And were those large, men's feet I saw in the first stall? Spinning around, I grabbed for the door and peeked outside. Empty. I tried to look non-chalant as I exited the men's room and walked towards the bathroom I thought I knew so well. After all this time, going to the ladies' room should be nearly instinctive. Apparently not. Now I find myself wondering, every time I'm seated on the toilet, if I'm in the right place. I peek through the crack in the door, looking for anything that indicates where I am, but the two rooms look exactly the same! And then I see it and know I'm in the right place. Smiling to myself , I gaze fondly on the tampon machine.
Hot blog posts from 2007!
My title is a bit misleading, as this is only going to be a listing of my favorite of my own blog posts of 2007, in case you missed them! Plus, it's just another excuse for me to make a list... 1. Short story - Title pretty much sums it up, but I thought the story was sweet. If I do say so myself!
2. Help! My Roommate's a Werewolf! - I just find this funny...
3. My Fear List - Also, funny... is it bad that I crack myself up?
4. Squeaking, Squealing, Yelling - This just proves that once in a while in my marriage, I'm right!
5. True Beauty - About my beautiful mother...
6. Grace, A Children's Story - Still hoping to get this in book form someday. Still working on the illustrations to go along with it... maybe someday I will actually finish.
Resolutions version 2008
As has become my tradition, I would like to officially record my resolutions for this new year. I am proud of myself for being "ahead of schedule" as compared to last year, when I didn't write this post until January 23rd. This year, I've decided to examine why my resolutions from last year did not work, and what I can amend for this year. So first, I will reiterate last year's: 1. Lose 40 pounds. If you've seen me recently, you know this did not happen. And I think it's obvious why not. I was overly ambitious and even unrealistic. I am not a teenager anymore, so every pound will be a battle. I don't have it in me to fight 40 battles over the course of one year.
2. Get up in the morning to have daily devotions. This one is almost laughable. Not only did I NOT get up in the mornings, I was not faithful in my daily devotions either. I have come to the conclusion that saying "get up early in the morning" is not something I should promise anymore.
3. Post on this blog every week. Now, while I did not do this, I actually did manage to keep this blog alive, which is more than some people I could point out. In fact, many people...
So, onto my new resolutions. Ones that I hope are more plausible and manageable.
1. Lose some weight. The way I plan to do this is by eating around 1800 calories per day and trying to get in even the littlest bit of exercise daily, as well. I also am planning on giving up chocolate for big chunks of time. Now if these goals seem ambitious all over again, I feel I should disclose I have several people working with me on these and will help me keep accountable. In that regard, I count myself very lucky.
2. Couples devotions daily. Ryan and I have been good about this already and have come up with ways of trying to make sure when get this in during the day.
3. Listening to the Bible on CD. I figure this is a great way to incorporate Bible reading into my commute. Maybe it will help my driving too??
4. Be a better mom... This one may sound odd, as I don't have any children, but I do hope to in the coming years. That said, I feel I should start preparing to be the kind of mom I want to be. I want to take care of my home, plan good dinners, try to stay healthy, cut down on the TV, read more, try to be healthy. Talk about not being ambitious, right? However, I am just hoping with motherhood on the horizon, I will really take this resolution seriously.
Look for an update to these resolutions in one month's time.
As Promised... "What Makes A Great Sitcom"
I consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur of good television. I grew up on the classics (thank you, Nick@Nite) like "I Love Lucy" and "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and have now progressed to watching current primetime. I do, however, have some guilty pleasures like Survivor, and have even succumbed to watching several seasons of The Bachelor. But my heart still belongs to the sitcom. I love a good sitcom, and you will know I consider it good because I can watch rerun after rerun (and my husband hates me for it). And that brings me to my first point about What Makes A Great Sitcom.
Rewatchability. Now, if I remember correctly, this term was first coined by a once great Nick@Nite (a time when "classic television" meant classic television, and not Growing Pains and Home Improvement reruns). In order for a sitcom to be great, it must have the rewatchability factor. If you don't understand what I mean, start watching Arrested Development. This show has rewatchability written all over it. I have seen each episode several times and pick up new jokes and meanings every time.
I am a big believer in "inside jokes" in a sitcom. These are phrases or character flaws that are repeated throughout the seasons and only dedicated viewers pick them up and realize they are funny. This is necessary in rewatchability. Again, in my opinion, Arrested Development was the master at this. The inside joke factor is a reason that I watch reruns of the show, and as I said, continue to pick up more and more inside jokes.
Another huge factor in a great sitcom is chemistry among the characters/actors. I think this is why Friends made it for so long. It didn't offer anything new or something we hadn't seen before. Indeed, the biggest criticism of the show is that all they do is sit around, talking and drinking coffee. But I believe that is why the show worked. These characters had such great chemistry that we loved to watch them, and almost feel like a part of it. A new show that I started watching (and continue to watch only because I love Kelsey Grammer) is Back To You. I honestly think this show could be funny, but cannot pull it off due to a lack of chemistry among the characters. I am just not buying the Kelsey Grammer/Patricia Heaton love story.
Friends also had another factor going for it. Each of the characters had an equal and valuable role. And because of this, none of the sub-plots ever seemed boring. A major flaw with many sitcoms is when the non-main characters get their own plot lines and viewers must endure them while waiting to get to the real meat of the show. Again, (I'm sorry, Kelsey!) Back To You struggles to keep my attention through the sub-plots and I find myself even fast-forwarding at times (insert shameless Tivo plug here).
And finally, a great sitcom must have an overarching love story. Now please understand me here. Having an overarching love story does not a great sitcom make. It is the opposite. An overarching love story is the icing on the cake. It makes me full and satisfied. I can laugh and laugh, but the love story makes it complete. Frasier did it so well with Niles and Daphne (aren't they the reason we watched this show after its fifth season?). And who doesn't know about the Ross and Rachel love connection? The Office has done it superbly with Jim and Pam. Even Arrested Development had an unusual one, but nonetheless satisfying.
Rewatchability. Inside Jokes. Chemistry. Love Story. The factors that make a great sitcom. If you find yourself daring to disagree, I challenge you to leave a comment and we can discuss it further. But in the end, time will tell, as it has done with the good old classics of yesteryear.