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Friends Cut:

kittycatqueen - you have not updated your LJ in 29 weeks. Don't know where you have been for 6 months, but i don't know you well enough to keep you on here if you're not going to be here.

WARNING:

I do friends cuts. I like to have an idea of who is reading me, as I keep everything in my LJ under lock and key. I tend to cut people when I realize I’ve known someone for months and yet they haven’t ever commented. I tend to assume they are waiting on me to cut them and aren’t really interested in what I have to say. I’m not especially boring, I don’t think. I do a lot of fun things with my family, so that can’t be it, lol.

I love variety in my friendships. None of my friends are made from a mold, they are all unique individuals and i love them for it. I don't go around judging people, and i appreciate the same in return.

My life is pretty hectic most of the time, and i usually find myself much busier than i would like, but i always try to make time for my LJ and friends here. My best friends in the world can be found here in my computer *tap tap*, and i take my internet friendships very seriously. I hate feeling like i am just a number on people's lists, i like to feel like my friends really care. This doesn't mean you have to comment on every entry, i love comments but i understand we all have lives. Just show up often enough that i know you read, and care.

This is a *No LJ Drama* Zone.

I am such an awful scatterbrain lately.

I forgot to get the kids registered for school. 2 days i had, and two days i forgot.

I called the school to leave a message about when i could resgiter them. I had to leave two messages because... i don't know my new phone number. I had to call back to leave them my number because i had to look it up on the phone.

Just shoot me.

The Red Hat Club Rides Again by Haywood Smith

I don't know if any of you have read The Red Hat Club but this book is the sequel.

Georgia, Linda, Diane, Teeny, Susu, and Pru... once again they take their adventures to a whole new level.

Not all women in their middle age know how to have this much fun, but these girls have had a lot of practice. Their friendships have lasted, in some cases, as long as 51 years, and it just keeps getting better. They have founded their own Atlanta chapter of the Red Hat Club (based on the very real Red Hat Society - http://www.redhatsociety.com/) and are living their lives to the fullest.

Their bonds of friendship were forged in the Mademoiselles sorority, an Atlanta tradition from days gone by, and they have made it through the trials of high school, boys and breakups, college, marriage, childbirth, divorce, and menopause together.

In this novel, Teeny finds out that Pru (the prodigal sister) is once again in deep trouble, up to her armpits in drugs and addiction, and on the verge of being snuffed out by dealers. So, of course, the Red Hats unite and run off to Vegas to save their wayward sister from the depths of hell. Sure, they do end up having to kidnap her, and drag her unconscious on a plane back to rehab, but that's what good friends are for.

I laughed, a few tears fell, and i felt my heart grow full as they helped Pru follow the road to health and rebuilt their friendships with her.

Each of the girls has their own demons to face, and trials to overcome and help the others through along the way, in true sisterly fashion.

I do recommend that you give these books a try, if you enjoy chick lit. You don't have to be middle aged to enjoy the stories, and i think every woman can identify with at least one of these remarkable characters.

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire

Wow. This book will really make you think.

In this amazing novel, we follow the life of Elphaba, later known as the Wicked Witch of the West, from birth to the bitter end. In between is a gripping tale that ponders the philosophy of good and evil, and makes you rethink your preconceptions of what you think you know.

The 'Wonderful Wizard of Oz' is anything but. More like a ruthless dictator without a shred of compassion or moral decency, let alone a conscience. The politics of Oz are complicated, but compelling, and all roads (including the Yellow Brick Road), lead straight back to the Wizard. Indirectly, as well as directly, his actions shape Elphaba into the person, or Witch, we know her as.

This book is a feast for the brain. I loved the words he used, even when i thought i would need a dictionary. It was a journey through a remarkable and vivid world, on the constant edge of political turmoil. I found the religious arguments on all sides deep and thoughtful. I found myself feeling deeply for the unfortunate girl who had the ill luck of being born with green skin, which in turn colored her life from start to finish (pun intended). Born into a family as screwed up as they come, her dysfunctions are as natural to her as the air we all breathe.

She fights for her entire life to be different, unique, and yes, to do good in the world. Animal rights is her passion, and she fights for justice and equality in Oz even as the odds are stacked against her, and even those who fought with her succumb to normal everyday lives, and forget the righteousness of their former campaigns against evil and tyranny.

Readers will be amazed at how Maguire can turn a story everyone knows into a complex and mesmerizing tale where more than one side lives to be told, and everything comes full circle.

I loved this book. Many people say it is hard to read or slow, but i did not find it to be either. I found it remarkable. The philosophies discussed within will turn you on your head.

My favorite quote from the book:

I don't comprehend religion, although conviction is a concept I'm beginning to get. In any case, someone with a real religious conviction is, I propose, a religious convict, and deserves locking up.

I just got my LJ mail in my inbox.

I'd like to take a quote from it.

Account Structure Update

Back by popular demand, Basic Accounts will be available to all users again by the end of the (northern hemisphere) summer.

So... to anyone who said "Oh who cares if you go on a one day strike... they aren't going to care, and it's not going to change anything!"...

Nyah. And i mean it. From the bottom of my heart. You naysayers.

This really made me smile.

The Nanny Diaries - by Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus

An insane social satire in the vein of The Devil Wears Prada, this book delves into the world of society mavins and the people they hire to be their children's pseudo-parents.

Nanny is trying to finish her degree in child development at NYU, and takes on nanny positions as a way to stay housed in her tiny studio that she shares with her over-sexed stewardess i mean... flight attendant... roomate.

She finds new employment with the X family, which consists of Mr. X, his socialite "i'm-too-busy-with-the-Parent's-League-to-BE-a-parent" wife, and their 4 year old son, Grayer. What should have been a two nights a week job, turns into a full-time nanny position, plus the bonus of getting to be a personal assistant to Mrs. X, all for the whopping sum of 10 bucks an hour. In between jaunts with Grayer to his French lessons, piano lessons, playdates, preschool, doctor appointments, and schlepping to Saks to get the right kind of lavender water for Mr's X's trendy soirees, Nanny tries desperately to get to her classes on time and write her Senior thesis.

Add to this the discovery of finding out Mr. X is cheating on Mrs. X with a colleague... *gasp*. Suddenly, even the mistress is trying to tell Nanny what to do, and what to buy!

This story is pretty entertaining. The girls who wrote this both have actually BEEN nannies to over 30 families in NYC, and one must wonder how many of these instances that happen actually happened to them, because surely, you can't just make this shit up.

One thing i could have wished for... a 'real' first name for the main character. She and everyone else call her 'Nanny' through the entire book, and until i was halfway through the book, i kept wondering to myself who on god's green earth would NAME their child Nanny and how IRONIC it was that she would end up BEING a Nanny, til i realized that Nanny must be a fictional pseudonym for the character, much as the last name of "X" for the family she works for. What threw me was that all her close friends and family kept calling her 'Nan' like it really was her name...

I do recommend this for a read, if you enjoy this sort of book. I thought it was so touching how close she and Grayer became, and i could definately use some of her nanny moments in my real life sometimes.

Now, on to read Wicked.

Gone With The Nerd - Vicki Lewis Thompson

How about some absolute fluff? Summer reading at it's best, as long as you're not too interested in plot or believability.

Zoe Tarleton is a famous movie actress who wants to be taken a little more seriously in her roles. She is up for audition for a 'nerdy' role, but has no idea how to be a nerd. So she enlists her lawyer for the part, and invites him to a cabin (in Bigfoot Country no less) to work on learning the part.

Flynn Granger, her lawyer and apparantly, nerd of the hour, is at first a little put out by the suggestion that HE might be a nerd. But he admits to nerdy tendencies, like carrying his precious PDA in his front shirt pocket everywhere he goes. And the idea that his famous client needs HIS help is a little absurd to him, but he reluctantly agrees to the weekend away from the city to help her prepare for her role. Besides, he'd love to get a sighting of Sasquatch, the culmination of his inner nerd... i mean... child... dreams.

Everything is going well (and getting unexpectedly steamy) when strange happenings keep occuring. Killer bees... trees falling on their cabin... is Flynn's long-distance girlfriend the jealous type, or is something else going on?

My personal notes on the book... this was my first experience with the 'Nerd' series by this author. I personally don't consider that Flynn's character was such a huge nerd. He seemed like a fairly normal guy to me, just a sensible and intelligent guy. Maybe i'm a bit of a nerd myself. I suppose he was more of a nerd than the type of guy that a steamy romance is written around, but that's it.

I did figure out the plot twist before the book was even half done, so that was a little disappointing, no kudos for that. And the romance plot was a little blunt. I did enjoy the ending. I was not as happy overall with this book as i imagined i would be.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

I really enjoyed this book. I really enjoyed the movie as well, i think i've seen it about 50 times. Or more.

I was really happy to pick up a few things that you didn't get out of the movie. The movie kind of assumes you know a lot of things that you really don't unless you've read the book. I think there's a lot more backstory in the book, about the actual characters and their experiences, and that gives you a better view into some of the things that, in the movie, always made me wonder. I was definately able to see where they changed things slightly, or things were different.

I cannot say that the book was extremely superior to the movie, as some books are to their respective movies, because i think they included most of the things in the book into the movie, which really did surprise me. Perhaps that is because pretty much every major scene in the book was central to the plot itself, and it would be hard to skip any of the important happenings without leaving people confused. Most of the things that i noticed that were left out were things pertaining to characters themselves, or the mundane happenings in the story.

I think the beginning antagonism between Harry and Ron, and Hermione was more pronounced in the book. To me, in the movie it seemed like they were all pretty much friends from the start, where in the book you get more of a feel of how she truly annoys the crap out of Harry and Ron, until after the fight with the troll, where they are all bonded together by the moment, and the lie told by Hermione to save their butts.

I don't know if it was because i'd seen the movie before i read the book, or what, but i think they did a good job of choosing actors for the characters, because they all definately fit the part. That was one of the things i was most curious to learn for myself, was how well they matched up overall.

I am looking forward to the next books, and i am hoping i can read through them to catch up to the fourth book before i watch the fourth movie. Yes... i am way behind. Two movies behind. =)

But then again, it only took me what... 11 years to read the first book.

Okay... my book disease is gonna get me yet.

I have TWELVE (make that THIRTEEN - i forgot one deal was a 4 for 1, not a 3 for 1) books coming from paperbackswap! Thank goodness they are all Deals except one... one was a wish list book that came up... i have another one getting very close to coming up too, i expect it will by the end of the week. I have two sets of 3 books coming make that one 3 for 1 and a 4 for 1 (deals) one set of five books coming (i did a 5 for 2 deal), and one wish list book. The 5 for 2 deal... i ordered two books from her shelf, and ordered 3 'unpostables' for free. The unpostables just happen to be 3 Harry Potter Books. Books 2, 5, and 6, i believe.

I asked Jeremy last night (in his opinion) how many books should a person have on their shelf before offering up a deal of their own. He says... 200. I'm like holy fuckballs... i only have like 66 listed as it is. I don't know that i'll wait til i have 200 books, but it's nice that he thinks i have the room to store my PBS bookshelf til i get that many. I already am about to finish filling up my 2nd diaper box of books.

Anyhow, i am just glad i fill quite a few requests of my own. I sent off another book today. A book i honestly never thought anyone would want... lol. I can't imagine reading it myself... i found it in a box in my shed, i assume it was my sisters, it was in a box of college textbooks.

Anyhow... i guess i felt like sharing. I am so excited to check my mail every day lately... i just wish some of my books would arrive already!

My first stab at a book review.

Abram's Daughters series by Beverly Lewis

The Covenant
The Betrayal
The Sacrifice
The Prodigal
The Revelation

I ran across Beverly Lewis when my aunt had one of her books from the Book Of The Month club. I didn't borrow it, but it got me curious about the Amish, because my husband's roots are Amish, and i've always had a kind of curiosity because we live so close to Amish country.

I went to a yard sale and bought this big box of books, and it had this entire series in it. I eagerly tore into the first one.

These are a good source of information about the Amish, including often heartwarming moments laced with mystery and gentle suspense. You quickly grow fond of the main character, Leah, who is devoted to her family in every way possible.

The unfortunate side to these books is they are Christian Fiction, and often seem preachy, especially in the last couple of books. If you can get past that, these books are a quick read, and rather enjoyable. I made it through the entire series in less than a week.

The series is about one main family, the Ebersols. The family has 4 daughters and it strives to tell the tale of each of their lives and the paths they follow, and how these paths affect their family as a whole. The wayward eldest, Sadie, walks a path that is soon to affect not only her own family's lives, but the families of others as well. Leah, the next eldest, strives to keep family harmony even to the exclusion of her own future happiness, and who harbors no grudge for it. Hannah and Mary Ruth, the twins, are the younger daughters and have more differences than they do similarities. All the stories of the girls and their paths blend together and interlock in surprising and often convoluted ways.

I think the first 3 books are the most interesting. The next two go along the ways of wrapping up the loose ends and tie them into place.

There is a lot of romance in these, of a gentle nature, of course. They really are good books if you can get past all the Bible talk.

I don't know if i will read any more of Beverly Lewis or not. I get the feeling that some of her stories are a little more fervent about the Bible, and this was all i could take for the time being. But, i feel like i did learn a lot about the Amish, which was what i was going for, so i am happy.

I've been thinking about her for days. But i hardly ever nudge people, because hell, what is it my business if a person doesn't come to LJ, even if it's been months? Sure, i miss them and all, but i always feel like they'll be mad at me if i do. Like, hey bee-otch.. come update your lousy ass.

So i don't do that.

Well, now i feel really bad, cuz majortrip deleted her LJ. I know she'd been contemplating it, and i hadn't seen shit from her in nine hundred years, but damn.

*sniffle*

Well, every time she was here, i let her know how much i missed her... so i guess i can't ask myself, did she know i cared that much and wished to see more of her? Cuz though i never nudged her, i told her every time she posted. She'd been on the fence for ages about quitting LJ, and i guess she finally did.

Well, here it is...

If any of you ever decide to actually delete your LJ... no! Don't do it. I'll hunt you down til doomsday and pester you. Why would anyone delete something they'd been working on for YEARS? Sure, you can archive it, if you're in the know, but crist on a cracker...

I get too attached to people. I'm going to miss her.

I have been awake since 6:30... and not of my own volition, my eyes popped open and i tried to get back to sleep for the next hour and a half, but it's just not happening.

Before i woke up, i was having this really weird dream. I was in space, piloting this like... well... spaceship... not a huge one, a fairly small one... i think. (If spaceships are small...) The dream was like... half date night with the hubby, and half 'Oh noez! We have to save the world!' Very bizarre. One minute my husband is chasing me around the bed (yes, just like in the cartoons) and in the next segment, i find myself... in a battle in the depths of space. Yea. Very realistic. Mmm-Hmmm.

Anyhow... i am getting closer to beating my game. You know, the SPACE game. Haha. At least i can tell where my dreams are influenced from, right. Of course, in the game, we don't pilot ships... other people pilot ships. I do, however, get really cool robots to kick ass with.

Mmmm my coffee is ready.

Must remind myself to buy more coffee.

It's been a trend lately, but i may laze out again today. I do need to get some laundry washed and dried, but other than that, and some general picking up, i am not gonna stress over housework. I have had my fill of housework lately. I seem to do so much housework, i can never get anything else done.

I've been PMS'ing, but have no period to show for it yet. I'm kinda eager to have it too, maybe then i can get my husband to leave me alone. I'm so not in a touchy-lovey mood lately.

One of my Netflix movies STILL has not made it back, and i sent it off like the day after Xmas. I'm getting fucking irritated at the mail lately. I KNOW the holidays are rough, but damn, as much money as they are sucking out of us for our letters and packages, they should hire some new village idiots to help smack labels on boxes and drive them to their locales. Grrr! It should only have had to make it to St. freakin Louis! I got my tickets to the concert FROM St. Louis in like 3 DAYS. Why is one dvd taking over 2 weeks?

Yea, i know, i'm rambling.

Cuz i have nothing important to say. Nothing special happening. Yet the need to post is still strong, lol.

Well, i better go enjoy my quiet morning before the Princess Terror gets up and moving around, hehe. She can hear my keyboard clacking 100 miles away. *Shhhh*

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