"My Enemy's Cradle" by Sara Young

This is probably one of the most engrossing books I've read in a long time. I am NOT a fast reader at all. I like to take my time to thoroughly dissect the authors' words. I try to analyze why did they use this word and not that one, why did they form that sentence in that way. I love books that are full of description versus dialogue. I am definitely NOT into "Chick Lit".

So usually, I take weeks, sometimes months, to finish a book. But by finish, I really mean devour. But, that was not the case two days ago when I picked up, "My Enemy's Cradle" by Sara Young, then finished it at 4 AM this morning. I simply could not put it down. The nagging thoughts of, "Ugh, it's 2 o'clock in the morning and you have to go to work," were pushed aside due to the clever foreshadowing of this new author. She showed me that something was around the corner but didn't share too much about what that something would be. I just knew that it would be terrifying, or romantic, or stomach turningly, no turn-backedly, horrible for the main character. Yet there were moments of utter sweetness for her, and redemption.

This book did such a good job of getting into real emotions that define human beings and the choices that we make; and that sometimes we only delude ourselves into believing that we actually are making choices ... for in life as in this book, we are sometimes powerless to define the road that fate or our own human emotions will take us.

Good read!

Trouble Texting?

So, I'm not sure what the girl in the middle
of this picture is wearing exactly
(not that the one on the right is much better but at least she doesn't look like she had an accident at the waxing appointment) and honestly
the only thing that these girls have in common with this post is that they happen to be texting (let's just hope that's the only thing that they have in common, anyway).

So, I have gotten into the habit, right or wrong, of texting more than talking on the phone. It's so much easier ... or perhaps it's my dormant anti-social behavior coming out ... or the complete and utter need to control the course of the conversation. But whatever the reason, I am a texter.

Unfortunately for a certain someone within the 224 exchange, I am also a random button hitter. For example, sometimes when I am hanging up my phone (that is, when I actually do use voice), I tend to hit some random sequence of buttons that forces my phone to play music. Occassionally, this tricks me into looking all about myself for the speakers that must be hidden in the atmosphere near my ears, only to find that it's a mini speaker attached to my phone, that is inside my purse, playing music.

Well, for a poor victim in 224-land, I must have hit another sequence of buttons. You see lately, my significant other was complaining of not receiving many of my text messages. I could reach him if I pulled up a text that was from him and replied but if, as was the case recently, I tried to text him from my contacts list, the message was lost in cyber-space or mobile-space ... whatever.

There was one particular text that I needed to send without replying to one of his sent texts as it was from my pictures. See, like a lot of married couples, every now and then we spice things up by randomly sending an R- (or in this case an X-) rated photo. Since the husband in this obviously fictional story, did not get my text, I made the informed and educated assumption that the file must have been too big (does that happen in text-land?). So, I proceeded to go back to normal domesticated wife-mode and ask my husband via text to pick up some butter and mayo from the market before he came home (obviously his mind was not bent on coming straight home after the original pic ... since he never got it anyway).

So, this whole, not getting texts has taken it's toll. My hubby thought that he must have inadvertently blocked my number from his phone so we spent some time trying to figure out how one even does that. Then, I decided to review my phone and to specifically look at the number to which I was sending these unreceived texts. Well, low and behold, it was not my beloved's number ... I had programmed in some weird number that I could only pray did not belong to any of my friends or business associates. The prayer continues ...

But the moral of the story is that if your husband, friend, business partner, whatever ... is not getting your texts - don't assume anything! Lest they get the random P-Shot followed by the timely request for Mayo and BUTTER!!!

I am half Canadian ... or am I?

Being Canadian is not an ethinicity. So, if my father is from and lives in Canada, he is Canadian. However, if his daughter (me) was born in the US and never lived in Canada, that doesn't make me Canadian or even 1/2 Canadian. I am part Irish, part Scot. That said, I had a very weird experience with a supposed psychic who determined that I was 1/2 Canadian. Now, this girl was from a far reaching part of East Baltimore which makes her supposition suspect to begin with. But what exactly do Canadians look like? Well, they look like me.... and probably like you, too ... unless my truly ethnic readership has expanded.

But, what do Canadians sound like? Eh? They don't sound like me and they should NEVER say, "getter done".

Good vs Evil

Ravens vs Redskins
Orioles vs Yankees
Red Sox vs Yankees
Wives vs Girlfriends
Working vs Unemployment
Weekends vs Weekdays
Afternoon vs Morning
Faithful vs Cheating
Flowers vs Coal
Faux vs Fur
Ocean vs Desert

The list could go on but then I would have to kill you.

Love means never having to say you're sorry

I love, love, love the movie, "Love Story" ... but I don't quite believe that line. I think that there are multiple times that we hurt the people that we are closest to; the people that I am referring to here are significant others. Husbands, wives, girlfriends, boyfriends, etc. I think that once things get a little too comfortable (and sex can lead to comfortable ladies and gentlemen), we can cross the line and do things and say things that are utterly hurtful or cruel.

However, I have said and will always believe that "friends never have to say they are sorry." Friends are people that build each other up, applaud each other, help each other, laugh together and cry together. It seems to me that friends don't cross those lines that people that are "more than friends" cross. Is it because we have the others' best interest at heart when we are friends but as soon as we cross the line into lovers, we start thinking about protecting ourselves? Is it because we have been hurt before when we were younger and chose a partner that was inevitably going to give us a taste of the heartbreak that defines young love? Do we enter into a "them versus me" mentality to protect ourselves?

But whatever the reason, lovers do make decisions or do things that are hurtful and that warrant apologies. And, I think, we are all guilty of that and should remember that when we look at our lovers. We should think about their feelings and think about what we are doing to protect them - are we treating them as we would our friends? If not, why? And if not, say, "I'm sorry."

But to my friends ... never apologize to me. For if you ever really, really have to then we probably are not friends any more. For those of you that are my friends remember that I will always love you and support you and applaud you because you are exactly who you are.

You get what you pay for OR I hate the recession

So, I'm at the Walmart ... again. I needed to shop for new underwear, AGAIN. One, because since I was sick I still hadn't gotten around to doing laundry and two, because apparently Walmart brands are cut a bit large for the size (or I've lost weight), I think it's the former.

Anyway, as Walmart is perhaps the most diversified global business out there, at least according to my wise professor of global business, I decided to take advantage of their $10 manicure offer. Can't beat that, right? Well, this $10 manicure will either be my most time consuming as I'm going to have to re-do them as soon as I get home OR it will be my most expensive since I think I'm going to probably tack on a manicure to my mustache wax and facial appointment at About Faces tomorrow. Let me start with the fact that they only have colors that would be considered "primary" ie: blue and yellow OR if they do have mellow, secondary colors they are all FROST. I'm sorry but I thought that went out around the same time I had my yearbook pic from the previous post taken, 1988!

Shoulda just gotten a polish removal from the get go.

Did I mention that the register went down so I didn't even have time to get that 1/4-pounder with cheese which may have helped me to fit into my last pairs of new underwear?

While I was sick...

So I HATE being sick, hate it! And I've had the worst month with horrible back pains, then the flu! Nobody brought me soup and left it on my doorstep. As a matter of fact, I got a leaky pipe and now have a hole in my kitchen ceiling with a straight view up to my toilet.

But, being sick does give you a lot of time to watch re-runs of Law & Order, ER, Las Vegas, NCIS, and to check out funny websites such as http://www.yearbookyourself.com/