Blockade Billy

I am actually posting another book review, this one only took me an hour to read on a quiet Sunday afternoon. It is actually what they call a novella, not a book, because it is very small, and almost could have been classified as a short story. It was okay, and I guess I would have enjoyed it more if I was a baseball fan. The only reason I read it was because it was by Stephen King. The only question I have is was it based on an actual catcher who was said to be erased from history who played for a major league team that is no longer around. I searched online but could not find any information on Billy Blakely except that is tied to this book. Does anyone know?

The Lonely Polygamist

"To put it as simply as possible: This is the story of a polygamist who has an affair." That first line grabbed my attention to a good story about an abnormal family. The first thing that caught my eye was the cover and title and I thought what an interesting concept. We all are familiar with the term polygamist and that it usually means a large family, so how can someone possibly be lonely? The book was a good read about a dysfunctional family, even dysfunctional by polygamist standards. I don't have any problems with anyone who chooses this life, I only have problems if they are forced into it, not allowed to leave it if it is not something they want for themselves, or forced into a marriage when they are underage. I kind of feel sorry for the main character, he is not capable of handling the overwhelming resposiblity it must be to take care of many wives and numerous children, while being expected to live up to a certain standard set by his church. I cannot imagine that sort of life.

Leftovers

I typically don't mind eating leftovers, as long as I had enjoyed it the first time. Last night we were both home for supper so I had decided to cook a good meal. I had a frozen meatloaf I put in the oven, and then made a box of scalloped potatoes and a bag of Steamfresh peas. I figure the total cost of the entire meal was $1.80 and very proud of that!

Faith usually doesn't like leftovers and never ever touches them unless I heat them up for her and basically force her to eat them. On my way home tonight I knew I was making supper for one because Faith worked, so I was actually looking forward to the leftovers. Guess what I found on the counter--a dirty plate and empty containers. SIGH....on the bright side it must have been really good for her to do that.

Nowhere To Run

Normally I would never pick up a book that looks like a western. Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed a few westerns in the past, with "Lonesome Dove" being at the top of my list, but I picked up the first C.J. Box book when I read it was about a game warden in Wyoming.

I had always enjoyed the Anna Pigeon series by Nevada Barr, stories about a female park ranger who solves mysteries, so picking up a new one was intriguing. I was hooked. The main characher, Joe Pickett, is just a simple man who is always trying to do the right thing who has a great wife and family. In fact he manages to get into alot of problems because he wants to do the right thing and follow regulations the way anyone in law enforcement is supposed to. His fumblings sometimes remind me of the problems Stephanie Plum experiences, only without the humor.

This particular plot involves people who believe in Objectivism, a form of Socialism, and how the government will see what it wants and take it without any concerns of how it can hurt an individual's livlihood. Joe almost losings his will to do the job he needs to do, but faces his fear and of course, things work out.

Tornados

Wonder what this post is all about? First things first: is it tornadoes or tornados? Just putting that out there.

It's nights like tonight that bring back those memories, and I am sure you already know what I am talking about. Those twilights we are taken to the basement because the hot wind is blowing and the clouds are that ugly black color. I know there was a reason we kept that ugly green huge desk in the basement, I think we could all fit under there as kids. Mom being Mom has made us aware that nature is unpredictable, and why take chances? Just go to the basement, but NEVER, EVER, go to the actual shelter underground. Too creepy...too many spiders...and possibly snakes.

I don't know if you are aware of what we have to do while at work when there is dangerous weather. First, we get that dreaded call from every single manager sitting at home in front of the TV watching Keloland putting the fear of god into Sioux Falls. Reason why every single one calls? Because there is a chance that noone may call. When you are inside the store you can't tell what is going on outside.

Number one there is the tornado watch. That means I stand at the door in front of I don't know how many panels of glass to watch the sky. Next becomes the actual warning. That means I stand at the front door in front of all of that glass. This is the only way I can hear the sirens, of course.

Once the sirens are going, we have to make an announcement (and I won't bore you with it because I can recite it by heart--not really but I've made it enough). Every single person in the store has to go to the hallway by the restrooms because of the sirens going off. Why the bathroom hallway you may ask? It is the safest area in the store (not really, but my personal study shows that there is ALWAYS some little boy or very old lady that has to pee during this, so why not there? I really don't want to clean up pee if the tornado does not rip us apart). Oh--I forgot to mention that when we get the warning BEFORE the sirens, we are arming up with flashlights, our walkie talkies (and cell phones), and locking up the registers, because if the sirens do go off, we want to be sure that when the till is flying through the air the money is kept neat.

Now we are in the shelter. But not me, the fearless leader. I am standing once again at the front doors by all of that glass. You see, we have to leave the front doors UNLOCKED because we want anyone who needs it to be able to seek shelter inside. I also have to tell those that look like they are seeking shelter that no, they can't go find a red pair of heels to go with their new dress, can't you see that tornado you nitwit? Yes, I am not making that up. I have actually had people look at me like I'm the crazy one not letting them shop.

We have to stay in the shelter until the warning is lifted, not necessarily the sirens stopping. There have been times I have let people leave, I can't force them to stay, but they have to leave completely. I am the expert when it comes to the tornado procedure (specifically section 14-11 in the Store Safety Manual). I have been the only manager on duty when this has happened, and the scariest was the night quite a few years ago when that tornado completely destroyed Spencer. I wouldn't allow any of the employees to leave even after closing, and had many of their scared parents telling me how relieved they were knowing their teen wasn't trying to get home in that. I even had a guest bring in her two big shephards because I didn't think it was safe for the dogs to be in the car either.

We may laugh that Mom overreacted during this weather when we were younger, but I thank her. I don't think it is worth risking your life to prove you are brave, and there are too many lives I have to be in charge of when at work. It is a running joke at work that every time the sirens go off in town, it means Kelly is at the store. For some reason it usually works out that way. By the way: I close this Thursday night---don't be suprised if we have another tornado warning.

Air Conditioning????

I am sitting here at the computer and sweating. I am refusing to turn on the air, it is not even June yet for goodness sake. Last night was terrible. The wind was whipping around everything and we finally shut them because the blinds were making too much noise to sleep. Still, not turning on the air!

Deliver Us From Evil

Just finished David Baldacci's latest. It took a little longer to read this one than usual because the plot just kind of spun it's wheels in the middle of the story. I love the main character, Shaw, and the idea of a vigilante group anonomously killing off people who have had a horrible past (such as a Nazi who has created a new life), but the book really slowed me down.

I am a fast reader, and find it funny to suprise people at work with a new book I start. They all think I am a speed reader, but I just tell them I don't have any other hobbies. In fact the dentist loves to see what I bring in every time I go in for a cleaning (whether it is for me or Faith) and she said "14 day loan?" (the library has a yellow sticker on it, denoting it is a new publication and that is the limit for checking it out). "How can you get that done in 2 weeks?" I just smiled and said it wasn't a problem. Little does she know that this book really took me almost a week, a few days longer than most!

Back to the book: LOVED the ending. It was totally a cliffhanger--can't wait for the next one!

Ben & Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch

This is my favorite ice cream. I should not buy it, because then I have to devour it right away. I always have good intentions to eat a little at a time, but why do I fool myself? I will sometimes sit down and eat the whole thing and feel like an absolute pig after. Who can resist coffee ice cream with BIG chunks of Heath Bar?

Don't Know Much About Literature

Faith and I were at the mall looking at the bookstore and found a very interesting author: Kenneth C. Davis. He has a series "Don't Know Much About..." that looked very good. Because I am cheap, we checked them out at the library.

This one was right up my alley! Has some great questions and answers that are all about books. One interesting part of the introduction it told the story about some teens partying and vandalizing a cottage in Vermont. This particular place once belonged to Robert Frost, so the teens were required to attend a class about the poet as part of the sentence. I find that information to be very intriguing and some more non-useful stuff to load up my brain.

I'm having fun trying to see if I can answer some of the questions. I did not know that "Where's papa going with that ax?" was the first line of Charlotte's Web, one of my favorite books growing up, but of course I did know that "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." was the first line of Tale of Two Cities, another favorite of mine. There may be more questions in the future! Who knows which one of you may need some of my handy useless information to win that million dollars on a game show?

Burn Homework Burn

Faith had to work 11-8 today, and when she asked if she could sleep over at a friend's house, I thought she deserved to. The PLAN: BURNING HOMEWORK. I don't remember doing this in high school, unless we needed to start the wood stove when it was 20 below and Dad had already used all of the newspaper. That was completely necessary. This PLAN was not. Dropped her off and there were already about 20 teens in the back yard ready to start the fire pit. Faith's choice?? Chemistry and Anatomy---that's my girl. She still has her English and History at home. So when driving her there in addition to telling her to be careful, don't drink, don't smoke, etc., was don't fall into the fire. I'm just glad I don't have to drive her smelly, woodburning smoky but home like last time. PHEW that stunk!

Cheap Starbucks

Hope this link works. It's for the Starbucks in Barnes and Noble, and I hope it makes up for posting that picture of you, Heather!

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/email/Print_nonav.asp?r=1&PID=33983&r=1

Sorry Heather

Kristen mentioned this pic in her post, and how she didn't have it. Well, I had to share because first of all, I love this picture, and second of all, I am your big sis and still love to pick on you:)

Get A Clue-Seriously

Because I don't know if there are random people reading my posts, or even if there are people I know besides family browsing my blog, I am going to be as general as I can about the following.


I know some who are getting government assistance to help pay for children's medical care, food supplies, and lodging. I have NO PROBLEM with anyone in need getting help. I encourage it and think that the program is good, though with some faults. What pisses me off is when I know someone who is using it to their advantage.

First case-pregnant and not getting married on purpose. Stated that they will get more government money if they aren't married, even though they probably would be considered "common law" married if the state really wanted to look into it. I don't think that anyone needs to get married to support their family or actually be a family. But actually stating that they are now NOT getting married because they can get more money that way?

Second case-paying major dollars for TWO animals that will need food and vet attention when they continue to receive assistance for above listed needs. These pets were not homeless shelter pets in need of attention, they were pets bred to sell for money. So instead of paying for groceries for a month for their children (yes, more than one child) they purchase 2 animals and keep their appointment with the government to continue to receive assistance.


THAT IS A BIG WTF MOMENT!!!

A Reliable Wife

I checked this book out from the library because a recommendation by an employee in a bookstore. I know he was trying to get me to buy it, but I am always trying to save money, so when it is a book by someone new, I turn to the library.

The summary was interesting, and because it was recommended, I thought I'd give it a try.

DON'T BOTHER. The only reason I read the whole thing was because it wasn't very long. The location was the middle of Wisconsin in the early 1900's at the start of a very long winter. In fact the author kept bringing up the fact that many of the townspeople would go crazy over the long winter months. That is what made this book wierd. The craziness around town was mentioned but never in detail. I suppose it was to enhance the strangeness of the main characters, but it didn't work for me. I don't think it helped that we are currently in a stretch of rainy cold weather and no sun outside with a depressing read to get through made for a very strange story.

House Rules

I really enjoy Jodi Picoult's novels, and jump at the chance to read her current book. She will take a situation or subject matter that is current in today's world and put a spin on it. There are many of her stories that I have no idea how they will end, and some of those endings really make me think.

Her newest book, "House Rules", was an okay read, but not one of my favorites. Her main character has Asperger's syndrome, an affliction that has recently been in the news and brought to the public's attention on a reality show. It does bring awareness to this problem that many families have and mentions that autism, which Asperger's is part of, could be caused by children's vaccinations.

While many of her past novels bring an ending that just "blows my mind", this is one I had figured out after the first few chapters. Maybe that is why I think this is not one of her best. I still look forward to what she does next though.

Under the Dome

I finally finished this monster book. I mean monster by the size, not that it was a book about monsters, which typically classifies a Stephen King novel. I can't remember the number of pages, but it was large, and I think it was larger than his publication "It".

I wasn't planning on reading this recent publication because the past 5 or 6 King has released have not held my attention at all. In fact "Buick 8" I actually stopped reading half way through. I tried "Cell", "Lisey's Story" and his recent publication of short stories, but just could not do it. For some reason he had lost his luster to me, I was reading "blah" stories that had been done.

I realize that the other books I could not read had ended up on the best seller list, but I think that King is an automatic best seller author. I was a hard core fan, and own many of his books. In fact "The Stand" copy is worn and thumbed through, it will always be on my top list of must haves. When Mom told me that many had liked this recent book, I thought I'd give it one more try. Thanks Mom--you were right!

This was old school Stephen King. Plot takes place in Maine (not too far from Derry, where "It" took place, and Castle Rock was a nearby town--the name of his production company. NOW you understand how hard core I am). There is a large list of characters, namely the entire town, which has the classic small town good and bad guys. Something out of this world happens to this town, causing a "Lord of the Flies" vibe to what happens to society when people are left to govern themselves. His character, The Chef, reminds me of the crazy dude in "The Stand" who sets all those fires. This man is ruled by who he feels is God, just like the firestarter. It ends with a confrontation with an unknown society, and only a few survive.

At the end of the novel were typical King "Author's Notes". I love how he tells where a story came from and developed, and this was quite a shocker, but now I understand why I really enjoyed this recent book. It was NOT a recent book, he had actually tried to write in back in 1976, around the time "The Stand" was released. WHAT??? For some reason this kind of disappointed me. Here all along I thought he was back to writing what I loved, and he was revisiting something he had tried to write in the very beginning. I realize that this story probably had to wait until he was capable of completing it, I understand that. I only hope that I can actually read his next one. I will be terribly disappointed if I can't do that.

Even though I will never stop being a fan, I may not like all his new publications, King is a leader in the publication world. Not only his stories become classics, but he loves to experiment with the media. He has done the typical movie and TV productions of his books, written novellas, released only online or audio books, and now is publishing Manga based on his writings. He knows where to push the limits, and has certainly pushed my imigination past it's limitations and for that I am grateful.

Happy Mother's Day!

I have the best family, and the reason for that is Mom. Thankfully 42 years ago this month she gave birth to me, followed closely by Kristen, and after a much needed break, Heather. Mom has recently become one of my best friends as well as a mother, and I love the time I have with her. Because of her guidance, I try to be the best mom I can be. When I want to vent, she is one I call--she listens and if needed will help me make a decision. Mom is the glue that holds our family together (sorry that is so cheesy but it is the truth). Thanks Mom, for everything you do.

My sisters are also the best Moms I know. Every thing they do amaze me, and they both have terrific sons to show for all of their hard work. I am also proud to call them my best friends, and my only wish is that Heather was living closer (or I was living closer to Heather).

Happy Mother's Day to you! I love you all!

Saturday Time at Home

I actually have a day off today and plan to just stay home. Sometimes I just don't want to go anywhere or deal with the public, so I hang around home and do what I want to do. Today is one of those days. I have to work on Mother's Day, and because no one else wants to work, I know it's going to be a "fun" day, so I figure today is my Mom's Day and I am going to do what I want to do, which is nothing. If I happen to run the dishwasher or do a few loads of laundry, that's okay because I feel like doing it, not because I have to. Faith has plans this afternoon, and I told her to go and take the car. It is nice to have time to yourself and I plan to take full advantage of that today!

Sun Tea

I love sun tea, and usually make it all year long, but I tend to make more in the spring and summer. Technically what I make is not sun tea, probably just brewed cold tea. I will fill a large glass jar with hot tap water and add 2 regular tea bags, and for a little kick a peppermint tea bag. If you noticed in past posts about my coffee addiction, I love the taste of peppermint and use the tea bags to make the same flavor in my tea as well. It works pretty good! I have tried other flavors, and the apple/cinnamon is good, but my favorite is the peppermint.

Quite a Pair

Guess it was cold in Kristen's house yesterday. Check out this pair trying to keep warm.

Lucy's Toy

Lucy has a favorite toy. It is one we picked up at HyVee after we first brought her home, and it was only $1.00. She has alot of other toys, and does play fetch with her favorite purple fuzzy mouse, but this toy is her absolute favorite. If you look closely at the string (sorry the phone takes terrible pics) you will see all the little bumps. She has stretched it out that we have had to tie it shorter! She will chase this for hours if we will play with her, and because she still qualifies as a little girl (just 2 this year!) she loves to play. Lucy will actually "pick" at your clothes until you give in. I have also noticed that if I don't play with her, she doesn't get rid of enough energy to sleep all night.

I'm surprised it hasn't fallen apart yet!