To remember those who serve…

Today is Veteran’s Day. The day was originally called Armistice Day, to commemorate the armistice of WWI, which was effective on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. In 1954, under President Eisenhower, Armistice Day was officially changed to Veteran’s Day – a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

On this Veteran’s Day I would like to take a moment to thank the men and women of our armed forces who have willingly sacrificed and served to protect our freedom and way of life. Their patriotism and love for our country and its citizens should be honored, respected, and above all – remembered.

Be careful what you wish for…

I have been complaining about work for several months now. I hate that I complain about it so much, but it was really getting me down. One of my biggest complaints was that I had been selected to be backup support for a second product, but they weren’t training me for it.  Finally I was trained on it, but I wasn’t actually supporting it because they needed me to support my normal product. I was frustrated and feeling like I was forgetting everything by not working with the new product.

Well, all of that changed this week. I have been sitting with the team for the new product for a couple of weeks now, and I missed my regular team. I had finally decided I was moving back to my team, and started unplugging my computer. The manager of the new team asked where I was going, and I explained that I was going back to my normal team since I wasn’t taking calls for the new product anyway. It was then he informed me that I would be taking calls for the new product, effective immediately. (I guess all I needed to do was threaten to relocate my computer -ha!).  And not only did they put me on the new product for a week (like I was originally expecting), but I’ll be on the new team “indefinitely”. hmm.

It’s nice to learn something different, and not take as many calls – (the new product has less volume, but the calls are longer and more complex) – but it’s weird to be “new” again. I barely have to think about my normal product anymore. Now, I’m back to feeling like an idiot and having to fumble through the troubleshooting. It’s all part of the deal, but it’s a weird feeling. Of course, now I have no right to complain about it – because after all, this is what I wanted.

Delayed Friday 5: Fall Classic

Friday 5: Fall Classic

1. According to the cliche, if you “spare the rod,” you “spoil the child.” Who in your life was probably spared A Rod while growing up?
   - My siblings. I have 5 sisters and 1 brother. I am the oldest by 6 and a half years… and I was definitely spoiled, but I was also spanked. A LOT. My siblings were threatened, but my parents rarely followed through. I did not approve.
2. In how many directions this week did you feel you were being Yanked?
   - About 15. But the big ones are still “To quit? Or not to quit?”.
3. On whom have you depended for relief this week?
   - The husband, as always. And he’s so great at being there for me.
4. Who deserves a standing ovation this week (or even a hip-hip Jorge)?
   - The husband and several of my co-workers who put up with the serious attitude problem I was having Monday-Thursday.
5. When did you last have a taste of Champagne?
   - Saturday, October 24th at Ricky and Casey’s wedding.

Happy Birthday to my Favorite!

Today is my wonderful husband’s 28th birthday. Man, we’re getting old! Like I mentioned the other day, he’s pretty amazing. He is my favorite person in the entire world, and even though my life with him is totally different than I ever imagined it would be when I was growing up, I wouldn’t want it any other way now. He is my soulmate and I can’t imagine my life without him. I have very particular tastes in men. It was kind of a running joke among my friends and I in high school and college, because if you were to describe every guy I ever dated (or even had a crush on) they would sound exactly the same on paper. It was pretty worrying for me when my “type” all turned out to be assholes. I did date one guy (still with the same “stats”) who was actually too nice. I had to break up with him. Even though he was gorgeous he would have let me walk all over him, and that is not okay. I’m a pretty opinionated person…but I need somebody who will give it back to me, you know? Anyway…when I met Howdy I was immediately attracted to him. He is my “type” after all. Lucky for me, he turned out to be everything I ever wanted, and had so more that I needed, and had never realized. I love him so much that even though we drive each other nuts sometimes, he’s still my favorite.

Book Review: Twilight of a Queen

Twilight of a Queen by Susan Carroll is the fifth book in a series that I enjoy. This series is set in France during the Renaissance period and the primary villain is Catherine de Medici, the Italian-born wife of King Henry II. One element of this series that I particularly like is that the main heroine of each book is different, although they are all intertwined. There are three Cheney sisters living on Faire Isle at the beginning of the series. The first 3 books feature each of the sisters respectively. Twilight of a Queen primarily focuses on the Lady Jane Danvers, a Catholic Englishwoman in exile during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I due to events that happened near the end of the 4th book. She takes refuge with the Lady of Faire Isle (Ariane, the eldest of the Cheney sisters) and becomes friends with another refugee -a young girl named Margaret Wolfe (Meg). Catherine de Medici is searching for Meg, convinced that Meg has the power to restore her youth and salvage her son’s reign through the use of dark magic. Catherine sends a ship captain named Xavier in search of Meg, but he wants nothing to do with Faire Isle and sails in the opposite direction. When a storm shipwrecks him on Faire Isle despite his attempts to avoid it, he is forced to come to terms with a family secret and to decide whether he will serve the Queen or follow his heart.

Running again, and my husband is amazing

Well, I only ran twice in September and once in October. Fail. But now that Howdy is home (FINALLY!!), I was able to get a run in tonight, and hopefully that bodes well for this month. It is also finally starting to turn into fall in Charleston, so it was in the high 50s when I went out for my run at 7pm. Amazing. Not that I’ve just been sitting around the last couple of months, I just haven’t been running. But this is my favorite running weather and I’m getting the urge to get out and enjoy it again. Tonight’s run felt so good! I’ve got a Zumba class tomorrow, but hopefully I’ll get another run in later this week.

And now onto the “my husband is amazing” portion of this post. He was gone for just a few days shy of 2 months, and he finally got home last week. So this past weekend was our first weekend at home together in over 2 months. I was having a crappy day at work on Friday (no surprise there) and not feeling too well. I was complaining to him via text message, and it resulted in the following exchange:

Howdy: I feel a back rub and a movie are in order as you drink a big cup of tea while cuddling with two small yet affectionate puppies…
M: That sounds amazing. You’re the best husband ever.
Howdy: That’s why I married you…you deserve the best.

Not only did he make good on the promises of a back rub, tea, and cuddly puppies, but when I told him I was leaving work, he ran out and brought home my favorite sushi takeout, and was pulling fresh-baked sugar cookies out of the oven when I walked in the door! While he was out he had also picked up pumpkins for carving and candy for the trick-or-treaters. And that’s not all! He got up early and let me sleep in an extra hour on Saturday morning. When I did stumble out into the living room I found he had cleaned the dining room, cleaned out the garage, and cleaned the kitchen while I was sleeping. We spent a wonderful, fun weekend together and I’m SO glad he’s home – because I love him like crazy, and let’s face it….he’s pretty much amazing.

Book Review: The Lace Reader

The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry is a novel about Towner Whitney and her return to her hometown of Salem, Massachusetts after the disappearance of her Great-Aunt Eva. Towner, whose real name is Sophya, has not been back to Salem in years – not since the death of her twin sister, Lyndley. Towner was hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital shortly after her sister’s death and went through shock therapy treatments that erased most of her short-term and some of her long-term memory. Coming back to Salem forces her to start remembering things from her past – such as her first love, time spent in and around Salem with her sister, and the abuse her sister and aunt experienced at the hand of her Uncle Cal.

The book alternates between Towner’s first-person point of view and a third-person omniscient point-of-view for the other characters’ parts of the story. Towner’s return to Salem is sad and confusing at first, since it is told from her own point of view. As the story progresses, pieces of both the past and present begin to fall into place. I found this book interesting and it was definitely different than most other books I’ve read. I liked the characters, except Cal, who I really hated- as the author clearly intended. I felt pity for many of the characters as many of them are emotionally, and even physically, wounded. My main issue with the book was that I didn’t get the whole “Lace Reader” portion of it. It was a common thread throughout the story (no pun intended), but didn’t really come into play that much – at least in my opinion. Since the title is “The Lace Reader”, I expected it to have more of a key role in the story.

There are many times throughout the book where the reader cannot be sure if Towner and her family are really psychic (or “readers”, as they call themselves), or if Towner really is just crazy like the rumors say. There is a huge twist at the end of the book that I did not see coming, and that rarely happens. I did wonder at times where the story was going, but the ending made it much more interesting. I gave this book 3 stars on goodreads.

Friday 5: At the Movies

Friday 5: At the Movies

What’s your favorite sports movie?
     – RUDY!! Followed by Field of Dreams and Invincible (with Mark Wahlberg)

What’s your favorite romantic comedy film?
     – Hmm, that’s a tough one, since I love romantic comedies. It would probably be a tie between When Harry Met Sally and The Princess Bride.

What’s your favorite animated Disney movie? 
     – Another tough one because I also love animated Disney movies. I guess I’d have to go with Aladdin or The Little Mermaid.

What’s your favorite non-Disney movie musical?
     – My Fair Lady – LOVE Audrey Hepburn!!

What’s your favorite stranger-in-a-strange-land / fish-out-of-water movie?
     – I supposed this could also be My Fair Lady

So I completely fail at the “pick one favorite” thing. I like too many and I hate to pick just one. It’s seems to final…so you’re just going to have to deal with my choosing multiple movies in various categories.

Reason 198,237,645 why I love my husband…

Last night we were watching Transformers 2 together. During the climactic battle scene, he turns to me and says, “Is it just me, or did Megan Fox gain weight since the first movie?”.

He’s a keeper, folks.

Book Review: The Murder of King Tut

I read The Murder of King Tut by James Patterson on my flight to Dallas this past weekend. This book is supposed to be a “Non-Fiction Thriller” according to the title page. I would not consider this book a thriller, although there was a mystery element, and it was interesting. Patterson (with co-author Martin Dugard – typical Patterson) alternates the story between 3 separate perspectives: his own 21st century point of view, that of Howard Carter (1891-1931), as well as Ancient Egypt (1492-1324 BC). Frankly, I could have done without Patterson’s point of view. I did find the facts about Ancient Egypt, such as the day-to-day life, designs of the tombs, and the background of Tut and his family, very interesting. Patterson’s books are always fast-paced, and his writing style and chapter breaks keep you engrossed in the story. Prior to reading this book, I knew very little about the discovery of Tut’s tomb – only vague tidbits I remembered from going to see the exhibit at a museum when I was a kid. I liked the details and character descriptions of Howard Carter and his lifelong fascination with Egypt. I thought the story of Tut and his wife (and half-sister) Ankhesenpaaten was sad, but sweet. This is written in story form, so it’s not a dry, bland non-fiction book like some. However, it is clear that non-fiction is not Patterson’s genre. While the subject-matter interested me, and the book was perfect for my plane ride, it was just okay.

I wouldn’t exactly recommend this book, but I wouldn’t not recommend it either. If it sounds like it’s your kind of thing, you’d probably like it…if it’s not your typical genre, well – you might not like it. I gave this 2 stars on goodreads, although I wished I could have given it 2.5. It was a little better than “ok”, but I wouldn’t put it in the “liked it” category either – I’m pretty stingy with my star ratings.