Upate

I still haven't done the laundry or changed the kitty litter BUT I do have purty finger and toe nails. And I'm hoping the first thing everyone I meet will say is "Great Brows there Kristie!" cause man that hurt! She ripped out A Lot of virgin brow hairs there - even on top! I haven't had my eyebrows waxed for a very long time and I can't say I really noticed, but apparently over the time since I last had it done, I've been plucking unevenly and the two sets of brows didn't match!
And she ripped out a lot on the sides near my ears. That's a sensitive area. My upper face burned for a while I tell you. And she trimmed them. My dad had great bushy brows and mine were kind of long I guess. Not any longer though. I still haven't looked at them in a mirror in case they are too thin and I have to fill them in with an eyebrow pencil.

And those nasty dead skin calluses on the sides of my big toes - my sisters know what I'm talking about - are all gone. Unfortunately the toes are still short and stubby though *sigh*

I shouldn't be here!

No, I shouldn't! I should be doing laundry. I got up early to start it. I should be getting my toenails and fingernails painted and my eyebrows waxed. I should be at the bank getting some more US currency. I should be cleaning kitty litter. I should be doing a post for Access Romance 'cause I'm up on Monday.

I should be doing any or all of things but I'm almost frozen with excitement. I wish I had Samantha's magic nose and I could just wiggle it and all would be done. But it seems the more excited I get, the more frozen I get. I wish it were the other way around!!

Don't get Mad....Get Even

ROTFL!!!!! You have to watch this - it's hilarious!!
This is the story on YouTube:

In the spring of 2008, Sons of Maxwell were traveling to Nebraska for a one-week tour and my Taylor guitar was witnessed being thrown by United Airlines baggage handlers in Chicago. I discovered later that the $3500 guitar was severely damaged. They didnt deny the experience occurred but for nine months the various people I communicated with put the responsibility for dealing with the damage on everyone other than themselves and finally said they would do nothing to compensate me for my loss. So I promised the last person to finally say no to compensation (Ms. Irlweg) that I would write and produce three songs about my experience with United Airlines and make videos for each to be viewed online by anyone in the world. United: Song 1 is the first of those songs. United: Song 2 has been written and video production is underway.

This just has to gone down as a classic. I'm sure glad I'm flying Northwestern!!

How I'm feeling

I'm finding it harder and harder to concentrate at work these last few days. Yesterday just dragged by. I have someone shadowing me at work tomorrow and I don't know what kind of mood I'll be in *g* Whatever it is, I'm sure I'll be several feet off the ground.

I stopped at a shoe store on the way home yesterday looking for a pair of nice sandals. I was telling Mary (who really needs to get a blog *wink*) in an email that I wanted to get sparkly. I tried on some really nice ones but they all had heels that were too high - and they weren't even high at all. While I admire high heels, I can't wear them so I had to settle for a slightly non-sparkly pair. I think I'll take them to work and then put them on so I can break them in a bit and find out where I'll have to put the band aids. One of the big things at the RWA conferences is the amount of standing/walking one does so comfy shoes are essential! I'm hoping to get these ones comfy by Monday. Now I just need to get a pedicure so my toes look purty.

I have my air bus booked.
I have my flight booked.
Thanks to super efficient Wendy, the room is booked. She's not just a Super Librarian!
I'll be the first to arrive on Monday. My flight was supposed to land at 5:00 pm but they changed it and now it gets in around 3:00. Wendy and Rosie will be in a few hours later. I'm thinking it will take me that long to figure out how to get the internet working!!
Brent will stopping by daily to look after 'the girls'.
I know where my passport is.

But I still have SO much to do - but I'm almost too excited to do it!

So - who else will be in Washington DC next week?

Recent Read

To Dream Again by Laura Lee Guhrke

Why this one: I love her earlier books. I noticed a while ago that this was the only one missing so I recently ordered it from Amazon

Steam Level: Warm but you don’t have to worry about that nasty tongue burn

Blurb from FictionDB (a most excellent reference site):

AN UNCONVENTIONAL WOMAN

Beautiful widow Mara Elliot had little time for shining promises-or impractical dreamers. If she couldn't save her small London factory, she would lose the chance of security she'd worked so hard to gain. But from the moment handsome inventor Nathaniel Chase became her unwanted business partner, Mara found his optimism and reckless determination kindling hopes she thought she'd forever left behind--and a passion that was suddenly putting everything she treasured at risk.

A FREE-SPRIRITED MAN
Nathaniel Chase was practical enough to realize that Mara's East End factory was his last chance to turn his innovative ideas into reality. But Nathaniel never guessed that he would soon hunger to pull the strong-willed woman close in his heated embrace, fire her heart with overwhelming desire, and gamble all he valued to gain the only future that mattered.

My Thoughts: I really, really enjoyed this book. The hero Nathaniel is adorable. He's an eccentric, scatter brained inventor and toy maker. He’s a Beta hero and one of the of the better beta heroes. He constantly puts things down and forgets where he put them. I surely can relate to that trait. He’s also a dreamer, another trait it’s easy for me to understand.

Mara is one of those prickly heroines. Now when it comes to this type, they are either annoying or likeable. Mara was likeable. She's a widow whose late husband was a flake who couldn’t commit to anything. As a result she had to be the grownup and the one to take care of the day to day details of life like paying bills. She also suffered a tragic loss earlier which makes her character even more compelling. Because of this, she is afraid to take risks, preferring to trust in what is. This is the tension between Nathaniel and Mara and is very real and believable and I could see the case for both of them. But Nathaniel is totally different from her late husband and despite his dreamer tendencies is one that Mara can trust to be there for her. They both seem to complete and compliment the other and they become what the other needs to make them a more rounded person.

This book was published way back in 1995 and may be hard to find, but it’s well worth looking for.

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

And this leads me to something that makes me sad as a reader. I’ve been a fan of Laura Lee Guhrke for years!! When I first started reading her books, I was struck by how different her stories were. Conor’s Way, one of my favourite books had a hero an Irish boxer very down on his luck. The story takes place in during the reconstruction of the South after the Civil War.

Another book I thoroughly enjoyed by this author, Breathless, has a divorced heroine and a hero who was her ex-husband’s attorney. Not So Innocent is another one I enjoyed immensley. The hero, Mick Dunbar is an inspector and the heroine, Sophie Haversham, has a gift of forsight. Charade is the story of a young indentured servant who becomes a spy in Colonial Boston. Prelude to Heaven has a runaway wife who was abused by her husband when she encounters a reclusive painter on the coast of France.

These are all books I’ve read and loved. And they are all unique. And they are published by Harper Collins and Pockett. Then she moved to Avon and things changed – considerably. After that that there were the overdone Dukes, the enough already Marques, the done to death Viscount and an author who wowed me with her uniquness became just another cog in the wheel. I’m a different reader then many. Thank goodness there are a few others like me, otherwise I’d feel very alone. But when it comes to historicals, I would take a book with an eccentric inventor hero over a duke; a down on his luck Irish boxer over and earl; a police detective over a marquis. I get bored to death with story after story after story dealing with the upper crust of British Society. It has been done to death!! I prefer a tale of more ordinary people. That’s one of the reasons why Dreaming of You and Suddenly You are my two favourite books by Lisa Kleypas. In one the hero is a gambler and the heroine a country mouse type writer and the other the hero a publisher and the heroine again a writer.

So when Laura Lee Gurkhe switched to Avon, I mourned, truly I did. Dukes and Earls and Viscounts (oh my) bore me and unless HIGHLY recommended, I stay away. And Dukes and Earls and Viscounts (oh my) are Avon’s bread and butter. So I knew that the days were numbered between Ms. Gurkhe and myself. It would be too painful to keep reading her post-Avon books with the dukes etc. when her previous books with more unusual characters were so loved.

The practical part of me understands why she switched. She has certainly received more notice now then when she was more a mid-list author writing for other publishers. And I’m sure that has translated into much better sales = more success = more money and who wants to be a starving artist when they can be commercially successful. But the emotional side of me – the stronger side alas – feels a great loss for what was. The emotional me wants her to still write those (to me) more interesting books – success and money be damned. But the emotional part isn’t always logical.

In some ways it’s even worse then when an author switches genres altogether. For example when Tami Hoag switched from romantic suspense to straight up suspense although I knew I’d be saying so long, I could do it with just very small sad sigh and then truly wish her well, the same with a number of other genre switching authors. But with Ms. Gurke, she is still writing romance, just not ones that I care to read any longer. It’s not unlike being close to winning the lottery, but only one or two numbers off. In the case of the others, it’s a lottery ticket with vastly different numbers. It just doesn’t hurt as much that way :-)

So for anyone who reads and enjoys Laura Lee Gurhrke, I highly recommend some of her pre-Avon books and for anyone who likes ‘outside the box’ romance, I highly recommend her pre-Avon books.

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And I'm going off onto another topic. I'm on my laptop while watching So You Think You Can Dance and I'm awed by all the dancers this season. Week after week there is NO ONE I want to see leave. I think overall of all the ones I've watched so far, these are the best GROUP of dancers I've ever seen.

This and That

First off, Alyssa of Alyssa`s Book Blog is looking for someone to take over her room in Washington DC if anyone is planning on going but doesn't have a room. She has the deets at her blog.

I'm going through the list of books to get at the Literacy signing. Now in addition to all my other 'issues' I also suffer from claustrophobia. During past Literacy signings, I read a point where it all gets too much for me and I have to get out - immediately. I haven`t been organized in the past and ended up missing out on books that I really wanted to get. But this time will be different. I will have *drum roll* a list!!!
So far this is my list. I'm sure I will be adding a number more

Butcher, Shannon, K	Burning Alive
Kantra, Virginia	Sea Lord
Thomas, Sherry	Not Quite a Husband
Blake, Toni	One Reckless Summer
Williamson, Beth	The Redemption Of Micah
Williamson, Beth	The Education of Madeline
Meredith Duran	Bound by Your Touch

I did indeed get the books I wanted at Chapters on the weekend. And didn't they just have that buy 3, get 1 free promotion going. So, *sigh* I ended up getting more. In addition to the ones already mentioned, I picked up these four.












Of course after buying them, I discovered a couple of the authors with be in DC.

Dilemma's Drive me Crazy

I've been on a book buying ban and so far I've been doing pretty darn good! The only one I've bought since I met with Nath, Cindy, Lea and Mary (and Ames via Web Cam) is Stacey Kayne's newest, Mountain Wild. But with the coming of July and the release of some really good books, I have to decide whether I'm going to give in or not. There are quite a few that I'm hankering for and I have a gift certificate from Chapters. I've checked and they are in the store. I've done my research and the authors of some of them won't be at the RWA conference so now I have to decide whether to get them or not.

Of course it's a forgone conclusion that I will. But still, it's a dilemma. Because it's not like I don't have enough books and will be getting many more in LESS THEN 10 DAYS!











None of these authors are listed on the literacy signing so I think it's safe to say they won't be there and I can do some book buying this afternoon!!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

And I have a new poll up. They are so easy in Blogger. I'm curious as to what everyone's favourite genre is. Do you have a favourite? Do you read mainly one or do you share the love? Why is the genre of choice your favourite?

So, now I'm often to do some shopping!!

So You Think You Can Dance

So - I've been watching and loving this show. They are such a talented group of dancers, I hate so see any of them leave.

Alas though - there is no Nico types.

But for those fellow Nico fans, such as Carrie - you can see he did away with the Mohawk. I kind of miss it :-(









I LOVE Enya and this was from a few weeks ago and is probably my favourite so far. Sadly, both Asuka and Vitolio are gone now *sigh*

Here is another one I quite enjoyed


And I always love the group dances


And I think Randi and Evan are adorable


(you can tell I just hit the motherload on YouTube *g*)
(really this is just and excuse to post pics of Nico)

New Blogger Discovery

She's not exactly a new blogger; she's been blogging since January, but she's a new find for me. And her newest review happens to be a book I adore. So be sure to check out Penelope of Penelope's Romance Reviews to see which book I'm talking about *g*.

My Girls...and my books

One other thing I had to make sure I was ready for before I head out is my camera and how to download pictures. It took a call for help to Nath, but I think I have it now. So my practice is my 'girls'. Zina Nota Warrior Princess Cat who is the bigger one and about 3 years old now and Callie aka Destructo Cat.







And since I'm practicing and I always love looking at others bookshelves, these are my living room bookshelves. I enjoy seeing what books I have in common with others so these are mine

And in other news!!!

It’s not long now!! As of tomorrow, it will be ‘officially’ less then two weeks until the RWA conference. I find that very hard to believe. I’m a lot less organized this time round. Yesterday, my day off was a busy day and I managed to get some of the more important things done:

I had my hair cut a week ago and highlights done yesterday - that gives my scalp time to fade and only have the colour on my hair added yesterday in order to give me that more youthful appearance and to wash that grey right out of my hair.

Bought not one, not two, but three new pairs of glasses. Now glasses and I, we have our issues. You see, they seem to keep running away from me and getting themselves damaged in the process. So far two pair of prescription sunglasses have managed to evade capture over the years and one pair of regular glasses. So I was down to one pair. The one remaining pair I had were bifocals from before. Then the arm went and fell off. And since they were bifocals and not balance with just one arm, when I wore them, I had to tilt my head in order to balance the bifocal part. People laughed. Nath laughed. And then one of the lenses fell out and that kind of took care of those glasses. Although there was an email that went at work that a lens was found at the front desk. It was mine.

So I decided it was probably time for new ones. I didn’t mean to get three pair though. I’ve always wanted a funky pair so I decided to finally get one. Then I got a normal looking pair that darken in the sun. But the glasses person explained that they didn’t darken that much and they didn’t darken in cars – and the sunglasses were on sale. So I decided what the heck. They look like cool shades instead of regular glasses tinted dark. So now I have cool shades, funky glasses and more professional looking ones.

Another Very Important thing I have to do before leaving is to get a manicure and a pedicure. I was hoping my nails would be nice and long, but in times of stress, I tend to bite them off – and they are bitten most of them. But the pedicure is important now that summer is here and I’m wearing sandals.

I’m even thinking of having my eyebrows waxed. And not only that, but the hair that gets darker all the time under my lip. I’m not close to mustache territory yet – and not to worry, never will be – but still, it’s not the same kind of hair I had in my 20’s. And chin hairs!!! Oh – those are so gross. I’m doing pretty good at plucking those little suckers, but I think I’ll have it done ‘professionally’ before I go just in case I get hauled out of the airport due to little scissors or eyebrow tweezers I might have in my luggage. One never knows what kind of trouble you can get into with a pair of tweezers!

Anyway – that’s the important stuff. The rest can come later