The voices in my head

It's late. The brain won't let me rest so I've been thinking of different points of views in novels. An unusual topic at 1:00 am but nevertheless, it's keeping me entertained.

What got me thinking deep on this topic is there is a book that's been taking me a while to read and I was trying to figure out why when tonight it hit me. I've been stuck in one spot for a while because the story is now being told from the villain's point of view and I don't like that. In fact a lot more than I'm comfortable with is from the villain and huge chunks at a time. As a reader, I'm wishing the author would find a different way to let us know how the villain is influencing the story. I don't like being in the villain's head. He's one bad dude and causing all kinds of trouble. Late this night I'm wondering why authors do this.

I haven't gotten the Black Dagger Brotherhood bug. I've read a couple of the books but I'm not in a big hurry to read more. But in reading what other readers say about them, one of the big complaints that I see is too much time is spent with the Lessers or whatever they are called - I forget at the moment. I've read where a lot of readers just skip these parts and to me it seems that something is wrong with the picture when readers just skip huge hunks of the story.

In order to have a good story - or any story at all really, we have to have conflict. And a good deal of the time conflict is caused by The Villain whose goal is to destroy in one way or another the happiness of the hero/heroine. So why do we need to read it from his or her head?

Another issue I've seen a lot of readers struggle with is when there are multiple points of view. While this isn't quite as annoying for me, still I prefer only to see the two POV, the heroine and the hero. Many more than that and it can get confusing.

But

I do like to get the heroes POV along with the heroines. I'm always a little disappointed when the entire story is told from just hers. I like to see what the hero is thinking too.

Has this been a problem for anyone else? Have you got stuck while reading a book because you are in the villains head? Do you get distracted when there are too many points of view? And would you just be happy with the heroines POV or are you like me and want to know what the hero thinks too?

Just being curious

I'm in the middle of about 3 books so no reviews at the moment so while wondering what I could blog about, I was listening to Dr. Joy Brown yesterday and she was reading some studies on what women prefer as to hair on men. Interestingly, the majority of women preferred some facial hair on guys. The thought being that it makes them seem to be more 'manly' men. Now if they had asked me, I would have been in that group. I think stubble on a guy is very sexy. Let's face it - those among us who watched Lost didn't do at least a small swoon for Sawyer even if you were a Jack fan????

And how about beards? It's harder for me to appreciate beards, but - it can be done - and done very well if you check out the picture on the right here *dreamy sigh*

So - what about you? Does facial hair on a guy work for you? What kind do you like best? I have a poll going, but if you want to further comment, please *g* go ahead

Once again, it's that time!

I seem to be all about the funny these days don't I? Anyway - with weeks away from my spam mail, as you can imagine, I have quite a few emails in my junk mail and it's time again to delete it. But I need to do a general answer to a few first. So here we go!

Josh Silver says: Destroy Big Bird

And I say: How can you even think such a thing? Do you realize how many young children will be devastated if you destroy Big Bird? Heck, even grown ups would be sad. My sons would be sad. Ask Son # 2 about the movie Follow that Bird. He still remembers it fondly.



So simply give your head a shake and get that idea out of your head!!


Karyn Schaubert says: Chemical spill results in mutant fish


And I say: I know that this is a serious subject, but really - an email in my junk mail just makes me think of a Simpson's episode. I never actually open my junk mail unless I know who it's from - like Chapters telling me they shipped me books, but I really don't know what I can do about it??????


Chrystal Murphy says: do you need my pic

And I say: ah, no?????? I don't know you Chrystal so I can't fathom why I would need you picture.


eyjotio2092@bluewin.ch says: Be larger than you ever were

And I say: eyjotio2092 (odd name by the way) I am doing my very best to make me smaller than I have been in years. It's a struggle. I miss chips. I miss cheesies. I miss cookies and I don't even eat cookies. And don't even get me started on chocolate. So I can honestly say I don't want to be larger than I ever was!! I'm too large as it is.


Allie Schamburek says: Boy bites off own finger

And I say: Hmmm - did he do it on purpose or was it an accident?? Whatever, I hope they found it and managed to reattach it. They really are doing wonderful things in surgery these days.

ajyveuifik4247 says: For your fellow idiots

And I say: Word of advice ajyveuifik4247 - it's probably not a good idea to address people you are sending emails to as idiots. By adding the word fellow, you are calling me and idiot. Now since I don't know you from Adam, I'm not taking it personally, but still in the future.........


Scorro Bolden says: can I send you my pic

And I say: Scorro: thank you but no thanks. Again, I don't know you so I don't know why I would want your pic, but I think you and Chrystal need to get together and exchange photos. Strikes me that it might be a nice match.


nancy kipkayla says: Hello, this message is respectfully yours

And I say: Nancy, I am very impressed by your politeness. You could give lessons to ajyveuifik4247, but I don't know you and since your email came through my junk mail and I'm just a cynical bitch, I'm going to be cautious and not open it. But for any who do, I hope you continue with your fine manners.


Mary Alice Crim says: You Decide

And I say: OK. How does next Monday afternoon sound. Or, mauve, I think mauve would work better. See - there's just too much open for interpretation to answer your question.


earymov7866 says: From your friend

And I say: earymov7866. with all due respect, and I don't mean this in any kind of mean way, but you are not my friend. Unless this is a fake name and you have another name that I might recognize.

Willard Mayberry says: Your wishes have come true



And I say: No Willard, they haven't. To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure what my wishes are. At the moment they are simply to be able to run on a tread mill, or go on a date or a big one, to have Richard Armitage fly to London and kiss me.
And I don't think any of these have come true. I know for sure the RA one hasn't!!!!!!!!!!!
Although I do thank you indeed for the opportunity to look for and post gratuitous pictures of Mr. Armitage kissing. *g*


isatoefoh3907 says: Let's go there together

And I say: Is this a request for a date? Or just a 'since we will both be going we might as well just take one car' type of thing? Regardless, as I've said to others, I don't know you so the answer will have to be no.


Douglas Ladd says: Be her passionate tiger

And I say: I can't say anything - I'm too busy giggling!











Well, except for the typical viagara, watch and diploma junk mail, this takes care of my most recent bunch. My junk mail folder is empty once more.

Something else that craked me up.

I've only seen this commercial once, but I laughed all the way through it!!

Laugh for the day

I seem to have lots of space down the sides here on the blog and with time on my hands, in a effort to fill it up with .......something, I thought of bad covers on one side and good covers on the other. I struck pay dirt for the bad side with this one.

They don't make them like this any more.......Thank Goodness!!

Description: Passion and Intrigue on the High Seas

She was the daughter of Duncan Farrow, the fiercest corsair on the Barbary coast. Born into the French aristocracy, raised as a pirate, beautiful Courtney deVilliers Farrow could fight as hard, swear as well, and outwit most men.
But now her father was gone -- killed by the Yankees. Courtney was left to fight a losing battle with the American ship, the Eagle, commanded by First Lieutenant Adrian Ballantine. His bronzed face, sun-bleached hair, and smoky gray eyes had captivated dozens of women in his time, but he held no charm for Courtney.

They were deadly enemies, and before long she was his prisoner, bound for Gibraltar, trial, and execution. Then a stunning coup turned the tables. The proud Adrian became Courtney's defeated captive.
Would she now show the defiant lieutenant mercy? Or would she follow her womanly whims and give him exactly what he so clearly had coming?


From the Olivia Newton John wannabe female cover model with the falling off puffy shirt, to the too tight-panted, smush-nosed, chest barring male cover model, this one just screams "Laugh at me!"

And could the description get any more dramatic????? *laughing*

" The proud Adrian became Courtney's defeated captive."


Or how about in dramatic tone:

"Or would she follow her womanly (womanly??????) whims and give him exactly what he so clearly had coming"

(helpless giggle)

Or:

"His bronzed face, sun-bleached hair, and smoky gray eyes had captivated dozens of women in his time, but he held no charm for Courtney."

They forgot to mention his smushed nose.

And who the heck writes this stuff anyway?

And the winner is.........

Now that it's gone across the country and won't be a spoiler for anyone in a later time zone, I'm happy to announce this years winner of So You Think You Can Dance Canada, the show that rocks my socks and makes me wish I was 10 again so I could take up dance is........

Denys Drozdyuk

YEAH!!

From the official SYTYCD Canada web site:

Denys Drozdyuk is Canada's Favourite Dancer

"After more than one and a half million votes, 25-year-old Denys Drozdyuk, a ballroom dancer from Toronto, was named Canada's Favourite Dancer.

He was rendered speechless, doubling over in shock as host Leah Miller revealed his win on the So You Think You Can Dance Canada Season 3 finale on Sunday night. "Thank you very much," he said, bowing in front of an ecstatic audience.

Confetti cannons burst gold and silver flakes on the stage as the dancers lifted Denys high above their arms as Denys' mom wept in the audience.

From his audition in Montreal, Denys brought his versatility and strong work ethic to the competition, making him a contender from the very first show. "You are a great example, an inspiration for a generation of dancers to come," Jean Marc said before the verdict was revealed.

Luther noted his incredible passion. "It comes through the cameras every time you get on that stage," he said.

Denys now carries the title of Canada's Favourite Dancer and has received the prize of $100,000 and a 2010 Mazda2."

Nice to know that my two hours of voting worked. I don't get ''silly'' over a lot of shows and things - well....... OK.......... maybe I do, but I sure did over this one. And it's interesting to note that he was announced as the winner whilst dressed in the costume he wore for his final dance of the night, the Pasodoble, the same dance genre he did in his audition!!

Now the withdrawal will start.

Recent Reads

Thank goodness that while the blogging seems to have been scarce, the reading has picked up. I bring you not one, not two, not three but FOUR of my "Recent Reads".



Water Bound By Christine Feehan

Why this one: Well, (yep - long story ahead) I have an odd relationship with Ms. Feehan. Either I adore her stories or I can't stand them. I don't like the Carpathian books at all, at all. And I read Lair of the Lion and HUGE yuckers. But still I didn't totally abandon her and tried Wild Rain and loved it and then read the first couple of the Ghostwalker series and really enjoyed them. But for some reason she kind of dropped off my radar and I hadn't read any other of her books for a while. Then I saw a review of Water Bound at AAR and it piqued my curiosity.

Steam Level: *blowing on fingers* Hot Blurb: The last thing Lev Prakenskii remembered was being lost in the swirling currents of the ocean and getting sucked deeper into the nothingness of a freezing black eddy off the coastal town of Sea Haven. Just as quickly, just a miraculously, he was saved—pulled ashore by a beautiful stranger. But Lev has no memory of who he is—or why he seems to possess the violent instincts of a trained killer. All he knows is that he fears for his life, and for the life of his unexpected savior. Her name is Rikki, a sea~urchin diver in Sea Haven. She has always felt an affinity for the ocean, and for the seductive pull of the tides. And now she feels drawn in the same way to the enigmatic man she rescued. But soon they will be bound by something even stronger, and their tantalizing secrets will engulf them both in a whirlpool of dizzying passion and inescapable danger.

My Thoughts: I'll be honest and say what intrigued me about this book was reading that the heroine had a form of high functioning autism. I thought this worked very well in the hero in Jennifer Ashley's The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie so I was curious as to how it would work in the heroine in a contemporary. And I'm quite pleased to say for me it worked very well. There is no question that Rikki Sitmore has her share of 'quirks'. She had a terribly sad childhood, losing her parents at an early age due to fire and having the nightmare of fires follow and destroy after that. She has finally found a home in Sea Haven, the same town setting as the Drake Sister series. She has found a family of sisters now; not sisters by blood, but sisters of the heart. She also has a successful job as a sea urchin hunter. She is drawn to water in many mysterious ways. For example, when having nightmares about the fires that have destroyed her life, all faucets in her home mysteriously turn on. She can manipulate rain and she is never completely at home unless she is diving in the ocean. Her life is going along as well as it can considering her quirks until she rescues a strange man in the middle of a ocean disruption. I know some of this sounds odd - it's odd to write it, but trust me, when reading this book, it made perfect sense. The man she rescues, Lev Prakenskii, is peculiar in his own right. He has no memory for quite some time, but he does know he is a dangerous man and one who should stay far, far away from Rikki. But he quickly becomes one of my favourite kinds of heroes, the kind that is wrecked for the heroine. He realizes that he is no good for Rikki, yet he can't leave her. Because of the fires that have dogged her all her life, Rikki is afraid she's been the one setting them, but Lev knows she couldn't possibly be the one and he is determined to keep her safe and take care of her. For example, she is very sensitive to different textures of food and exists almost exclusively on peanut butter. She refuses to allow others into her 'space' whether it's her boat, her house or even to the use of her dishes. But Lev 'gets' her and is determined to both protect her and expand her narrow live. He is constantly challenging her to move outside her narrow comfort zone but always there for her in case she stumbles. This is an odd book due to the nature of the heroine, but I adored it. Rikki is a heroine I really enjoyed; one who has had to adjust to the world because of her differences, but has done so very well. She's a tad to prickly at times for me to keep this book from being a five, but she is a very strong heroine and I really liked her. And Lev makes for a mighty fine hero. He has done some very violent things in his past. He's been pretty ruthless, but then again because of his history he has had to be. But he is totally redeemed by his acceptance and respect and protectiveness of Rikki. The reader knows he will die to protect her and as already mentioned, he is totally wrecked for her. This book was a real treat!

Grade: 4.75 out of 5




Into the Crossfire by Lisa Marie Rice

Why this one: Hey, it's Lisa Marie Rice!! I always read her books

Steam Level: Hey, it's Lisa Marie Rice!! Her books are always hawt stuff

Blurb: Former Navy SEAL Sam Reston keeps to himself. His world is dangerous, uncertain, violent...and there is no room in it for the helpless and weak. Then the most beautiful woman in the world moves in next door to him . . . . Nicole Pearce's life is complicated enough--with an ailing father and a new business to worry about--and the last thing she needs is to get involved with a secretive, hard-bodied, hardheaded neighbor. Yet Sam leaves her breathless--her body tingling with erotic desire--and it takes every ounce of her fabled control to resist offering herself to him, no strings attached. What she doesn't know is that Sam Reston is on an undercover assignment . . . and she's about to step into the crossfire. Never has Sam ached for a woman so badly, and he's never fallen in love before. Now that Nicole is in grave danger, he will become her shield, and guard the tempting body he longs to touch and taste. Because a terrorist plot hatched half a world away is heading to their doorstep--and it can only be derailed by one man and one woman.

My Thoughts: This author has a formula. And while she doesn't deviate from it much, as long as I don't read too many of her books in a row, it's a formula that works very well indeed for me. Ms. Rice's formula; total alpha hero, often ex seal or other type of military, heroine in distress, alpha hero lusts after heroine, falls very quickly for heroine and takes over and saves heroine in distress. Heroine falls for hero despite his overbearing ways and allows him to help her after a token resistance. Now one might think that might get a bit tiresome and were I to read too many of her books in a row, it does. I know this because I did it with the Midnight series, reading them back to back to back and by the time I got to Midnight Angel, the sameness really took away for me. In fact I don't think I even finished this one. But if I leave space and read all kinds of other genres between them, I just adore her books and once again I'm happy to say I adored this one too *insert happy face* As per usual, when hero Sam Reston, former Navy Seal and now part owner of his own detective agency first spies Nicole Pearce, his new business neighbour, he is instantly smitten. But he's undercover on his latest case, trying to put a criminal in prison and is in no shape to make any kind of approach. But once he's back to himself, he wastes no time in bargaining her into a dinner date. Sparks fly between them but Nicole is in no state for any kind of relationship. She's had to rearrange her whole life to take care of her dying father. She is trying to get a new business, translating, off the ground and when not working at this, she is looking after her much loved father. But Sam isn't about to let her go. He's never felt like this about a woman before and is willing to do whatever it takes to be a part of her life. He really gets his chance when something strange happens and her office is broken into. He goes into full Protector Mode as he works with his two foster brothers to find out who is after Nicole and what they want with her. As with all of Ms. Rice's heroes, I loved Sam. He's determined to help 'his' woman. He knows his way around the bedroom and he's willing to be flexible with Nicole. Although yes, a bit formulatic, nevertheless he makes for great hero material. And I equally enjoyed Nicole. Despite having her life turned upside down by the illness of her father, she holds no bitterness at her circumstances. Although give many opportunities to become one of those TSTL heroines we all despise, she doesn't. While she wants to hold Sam at arms length, she knows he can help her and she is open and honest with him when she needs to be. Along with every other book by this author with the possible exception of Midnight Angel and I need to read it again with distance this time, I loved Into the Crossfire and most heartily recommend it. There are two other foster brothers and I really hope they each get their own story. I'll be a happy camper if they do

Grade: 4.75 out of 5



Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis

Why this one: The only trouble I had with the last book by this author was she didn't know baseball. Other than that, I would have enjoyed the story very much. So when I read the buzz on this book and the fact that it isn't one of her baseball books, I was onboard.

Steam Level: Very warm. Not hot like some of the others maybe, but warm is very nice too!

Blurb: Maddie Moore's whole life needs a makeover. In one fell swoop, Maddie loses her boyfriend (her decision) and her job (so not her decision). But rather than drowning her sorrows in bags of potato chips, Maddie leaves L.A. to claim the inheritance left by her free-spirited mother -- a ramshackle inn nestled in the little coastal town of Lucky Harbor, Washington. Starting over won't be easy. Yet Maddie sees the potential for a new home and a new career -- if only she can convince her two half-sisters to join her in the adventure. But convincing Tara and Chloe will be difficult because the inn needs a big makeover too. The contractor Maddie hires is a tall, dark-haired hottie whose eyes -- and mouth -- are making it hard for her to remember that she's sworn off men. Even harder will be Maddie's struggles to overcome the past, though she's about to discover that there's no better place to call home than Lucky Harbor.

My Thoughts: As long as Ms. Shalvis hasn't written a heroine I despise, or about a sport she doesn't really know, I've really enjoy her books and this one is no exception. Maddie is kind of a sad heroine. Pretty much abandoned by her mother, she has been raised in Hollywood by her set designer father. But when her mother dies and leaves an old dilapidated inn in a small coastal West coast town to her and her two half sisters, Maddie is determined to take this opportunity to get close to the sisters she barely knows. Her sisters aren't keen on the idea to put it mildly, but she wants this very badly. She's never been the strongest of the sisters, she has kind of let people, most especially an abusive ex, bully her and take advantage of her. But she wants to start over; a stronger Maddie and one who is willing to go after her dreams.

Jax Cullen is the hero. He too has changed his life around. Once a shark of a lawyer who would do anything to win cases, after one particular case went very, very wrong, he left his old life behind and moved back to his small home town to get back to his roots as a carpenter. This much simpler life allows him to help out many of his small town friends as a way to make amends for his former life. When almost run over by Maddie - literally - he sees her as something of a lost soul who can really use a friend and as he gets to know her better, as more than a friend. But Maddie has been burned in the past and doesn't really trust herself much anymore and does her best to keep Jax at a distance. Jax for his part, is somewhat afraid and also bound by his oath not to tell Maddie everything keeps important information from her.

Meanwhile, Maddie tries to build bridges with her sisters, keep Jax at arms distance and generally make her life over. Both she and Jax are great characters. Having two sisters of my own, I liked the squabbles she, Chloe and Tara constantly had. This isn't a big 'action' book; rather it's rather simple, relaxed and enjoyable 'taste of life' kind of contemporary book. It's the first of three and I'll be reading Chloe and Tara's books when they come out.

One small thing took me somewhat out of the story though. The time is around during the Christmas season, which also adds charm. But then it's Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and nothing is really made of that. No gift exchanges, no mention of Christmas family dinner. I just found it a bit jarring for some reason. But other than that small fact, I found this book quite enjoyable.

Grade: 4.25 out of 5


One Touch of Scandal by Liz Carlyle

Why this one: Ms. Carlyle used to be an autobuy author for me, then she wrote a couple of books I didn't really care for and she kind of fell off the map. But I read a pretty good review of this book and thought I'd give her another go.

Steam Level: It takes a while for the kettle that is this book to boil, but once it does, it's fine rolling boil

Blurb: Against the glamorous backdrop of Victorian high society, Liz Carlyle paints a dramatic tale of dangerous desire, the first in her sizzling new trilogy. All Grace Gauthier ever wanted was the security of a good marriage, family, and home. Instead, despised by her aristocratic mother's family because of her father's foreign birth, she's taken a "safe" position as a governess. Now, unprotected and alone in London, accused of the shocking murder of her employer, she has no one to turn to except the mysterious -- and possibly dangerous -- Lord Ruthveyn. A dark-eyed Lucifer, Ruthveyn guards his secrets carefully. His shadowed past is a source of pain and rumors -- only whispered. Grace's plight -- which echoes his own -- moves him, as does her quiet beauty. Ruthveyn is determined to save Grace by unmasking a killer. But his growing passion places his own heart at risk and threatens to expose his dark gifts to the world.

My Thoughts: First off - I just have to get this off my chest and then I can get serious. The Cover! Avon Cover People - you can suck like nobodies business when it comes to covers. This author used to write for Pocket where they gave her great covers. Then she moved to Avon and this cover is just plain NASTY and I don't mean that in a good way. I mean it in it's original meaning - horrible, awful, terrible, hideous, dreadful! If I were the author and upon first glance of the cover, I'd have been in tears. I mean - could that dress look any cheaper??? It looks like a dress that a first year sewing student might whip up. And what's with that silly stretch of her neck. I tried duplicating that and it hurt! (I need more neck exercising) And those colours orangy-yellow - again, just nasty. I mean seriously - take a look at either of the covers on the right, gorgeous colours, tasteful covers and then at One Touch of Scandal. Wouldn't you want to cry too? Good thing the version I read was on my Kobo in ereader form so I didn't have to really look at it. I was so disappointed when I heard that she switched publishers. And the difference between covers is just one reason.

Now, getting away from the monstrosity that is the cover and onto the book itself. I hadn't gotten very far into this book before I realized why I had loved Ms. Carlyle's earlier books. In fact in one of my trips to Chapters, I picked up a book I didn't already have.

The book starts with murder; the murder of Grace Gauthier's employer and secret fiance. It doesn't take her long to realize that she needs help as she seems to be top on the suspect list. She looks for an old friend and army officer that served under her Army father. But it seems her friend is out of town and instead she tells her worries to Adrian, Lord Ruthveyan. He's a rather mysterious guy, he and the other members of his club. Still, Grace who has always been a very good judge of men, does trust him and puts her faith and trust in his hands.

And Adrian is mysterious. He's one of those tortured soul kind of heroes that are so very delicious. He has an odd talent that leads him to keep his distance from just about everyone. If he touches them or looks into their eyes, he can 'sense' things about them, such as how they will die. This keeps him apart from everyone but those in his club who all have similar kinds of 'gifts'. But for some reason he is unable to 'read' Grace and this is very calming to him. In addition, he is very attracted to her though he fights it, thinking in time, he will get glimpses into what her future holds in store for her and he will once again suffer. He tries his best to resist falling for her. He spent much of his life in India and his mother in fact was an Indian Princess and his father English which makes him a half caste hero. This doesn't really play into the story though except as another way he is separate.

Grace also has had an unusual upbringing. Her mother died early and she has spent most of her life following her French Legionnaire officer father. She had come back to England after his death and was just finding a new life when it was torn apart by the death of her employer/fiance. She is also strongly attracted to Adrian, but like him, is determined to resist as she sees no future with him. But as they work together to try and clear her name, they finally are unable to resist each other.

I do believe with this book, that Liz Carlyle is back on my list. I enjoyed it. Adrian was a very good tortured and mysterious hero. Grace was a heroine I really appreciated. She was quite practical and pragmatic. Despite being terrified at being a suspect, she is realizes that Adrian is her best hope for clearing her name and she trusts him to do exactly that.

Grade: 4.25 out of 5

So there you have it - four for the price of one. And I quite enjoyed every one of them. I love it when I'm on a roll.

As it slowly draws to an end.........

One of the biggest bummers about breaking the leg was not being able to keep up with So You Think You Can Dance Canada. I was so excited about it but then..... the break. I didn't have TV in my room; it cost too much, so I could only follow it online and it wasn't nearly the same. Plus much of my enthusiasm waned in the other thrill of events.

But I've caught the fever again. And luckily, as in Season I, there has been one dancer in particular that is skilled beyond belief and even better, makes the bell ring on my crush-oh-meter. I've been aware of him since his audition which blew me away, not to mention the lust that kind of crept in.



Now I'm not going to post all his dances, that would take too long and if you do want to see more, here is his "official" site. But here are a few of my favourites. Warning though - close before Leah comes up as she is without question, one of the MOST ANNOYING "hostess" of any show - ever.

This is one of my favourites and he cracks me up at the beginning when he says he is funny in such a deadpan kind of way.



And just watch him move in this dance!!!!


Now this next one is my favourite of the whole season. I can't tell you how many times I've watched it already. In a way it's more of a dance for the woman (Danielle) but if you watch it, you can see what an incredible partner he is. (now if this were to be made into a romance novel, he would have been so torn about having to give her the news and in three years hasn't been able to forget her. He's no longer in the military, but has opened up his own detective agency. Because he hasn't been able to forget her, when a case draws him to the town she lives in, he drives by her house to see her one last time, only to realize that she is being stalked by some psychopath and he stays to save her - and of course they fall in love)



Now these next couple are from the final show where it was down to 4 dancers. The choreographers in the first dance include Nico - the winner of the first season and one of my "crushes"



The second is a Salsa - not a dance I care for really, but just look at him take dance steps while lifting Amanda overhead - amazing!!


Now his bio is truly impressive. His full name is Denys Drozdyuk and he's originally from the Ukraine. He came to Canada but then moved to Germany to study ball room dance. He was World Ballroom Champion for a few years before attending Julliard.

The show is almost over for the season though. We find out tomorrow night who the winner is. I have my fingers crossed and I know I voted almost non stop for two hours - nope not much of a life these days heh,heh,heh. I really hope it's Denys. They haven't announced yet whether there will be a tour but I really hope there is since London has been a stop the past two years.

And speaking of former crush Nico - here is one of his final dances.

Dang!!

I went and disappeared again didn't I? I didn't mean to - again. I can't figure out what's happening except maybe I'm putting so much into day to day activities, I'm worn out when I get them done. I surely don't have the stamina I did a month and a half ago. I do something such as go for physio, then meet a friend for coffee or lunch or something and wham!!! I'm done for the day.
I'm still bothered by the setback - my foot is still twisted and hurts like a sonuvabitch and I'm very frustrated with that since it's putting everything else behind. I feel something like a fraud since I'm not sick sick and that part of the brain that's wired to go to work won't let me go, but I don't have the energy to work a full day or even half day at the moment. They have someone filling in for me so actually, it would be a bad thing to go back right now since they would loose a fully functioning person and replace them will me - who's exhausted after doing simple things.

I'm ready to say so long to Son #1. Not because he's not helpful - he is up to what I expect him to be - but he's such a flipping JINX!! Now he seems to have broken my dryer. First off, it's his fault I broke my leg, then he broke the key off in the back door and no of us have a key to the front door. So the rare time we were both going out, we couldn't lock the door - didn't that make me feel safe - not. He called a locksmith to fix it the other day - but somehow I ended up being the one to pay for it. I tell you, I need Krisite to emerge more when dealing with him.

Then he broke the screen door off the back door. Now long time visitors may remember this is not the first time I've had "back door" issues. So this is not the first time. The main issue with it now is Destructo Cat escapes a lot more than she used to. And now the dryer. Unfortunately while he started doing quite a bit of laundry that had piled up - but most of it was towels and sheets and stuff - he hadn't really got into clothes yet. So I'm down to the dregs of clothes. He's going to the laundromat in the next day or so until he calls the repairman - but just like everything else he's managed to break, I have a feeling I'm going to end up paying for it. So the sooner he gets out on his own again, the sooner body parts and other assorted items will stop breaking!

And of course the best solution to the current problem - shortage of clean clothes - is shopping. Hopefully it will have a positive effect rather than the opposite *g*

The reason I call it Ramblings

is because I ramble and this will be one of the queen of rambling posts.

As you may have gathered, depression has been trying to get a foothold and so far for the most part I've been winning the battle. So quite a bit has been going on lately. Son #2 and his delightful girlfriend came over on Sunday to get me on board HEALTHY EATING. First off, was a cleaning of the fridge. That one hurt a bit. I sat at the kitchen counter as they went through my fridge pitching just about everything that was in there. I suppose there was no reason to hold onto bottles of salad dressing that expired back in 2009 or maple syrup that was so thick holding it upside for almost 5 minutes and it still didn't move were good things to toss, but it did hurt to see the multi packages of wieners head into that green garbage bag. I know that wieners and their sister bologna are the garbage pit of food; that they use the snouts and other real yucky stuff of pigs to make them and that they are loaded with salt and probably one of the worst things we can eat. But dang I love - or rather loved - the taste of them. He did let me keep theGrill'ems though. I think he took pity on me as it wasn't only the hot dogs that had to go but the cookies as well. Now I'm not a big cookie eater so it wasn't as hard to say so long to them, but still - they were the good kind of cookies! Thin wafers topped with chocolate - Mmmmmmmm. And the cruelest cut was the loss of my chocolate mint cookies. They are my comfort cookies. When I was a young thing and went to visit Gramma, she always had these chocolate covered mint cookies 'cause she knew they were my favourite. So to see them thrown out without the respect they so deserved was a bit tough to take I'll admit.

So after that it was a trip to the grocery story for THE HEALTHY food. Why is that healthy food is so much more money and so much more - well - boring, then the junk stuff?? I was a bit worn out by the time we finished getting groceries, after taking time to carefully examine almost everything. I think it took us about 10 minutes on salad dressings alone. You see my favourite - Thousand Island - is higher in fat and calories than some of the other kinds Ryan suggested. But I don't like the ones he suggested. I offered a few other alternatives that he put the kibosh on. So we finally reached a compromise. I could have Thousand Island as long as I didn't drown my salad in it; that I promise to use it sparingly. As I said, it took about 10 minutes to reach this resolution alone! *roll of the eyes here*. I knew Ryan would really enjoy this section of Let's Get Healthy. And absolutely no Cheese Whiz or cheese slices - no processed food at all really - made it onto the belt when it came time to pay. If I want my own version of Egg McMuffins, it's whole wheat English Muffins buttered with calorie reduced margarine and brick cheese slices - and the egg - a normal egg.
So that was my big day on Sunday.

~*~*~*UPDATE~*~*~*

I actually started this post a while ago and meant to finish it and post it much sooner. Since then it's been up and down. I've had a lot of ups and lately a lot of downs. I was on a nice uphill and was just about ready to ditch the walker and graduate to just the cane but then I twisted my foot - my left foot of course - the one with the broken leg attached to it and now I'm back to using the walker again. I'm not to happy about than let me tell you!

Also, while I was in the hospital they asked all kinds of questions about my health in general since I had neglected it really for so long. One of the things I mentioned was that both my hands were numb and tinglish. I hadn't really thought about this - just thought it was another annoying thing to not think about. They set up an appointment for an ENG - a nerve kind of test thingy. I had that late last week and wouldn't you know - they found something. Damn it! They want to send me for an MRI as soon as I can get in for one. They think it's a pinched nerve or something and *grrrrr* one of the options mentioned was surgery. I don't want any more surgery. The leg was quite enough thank you.
As if that weren't enough, I somehow let it slip that's it's been a while (like years) since I've had one of those examinations. You know - the ones us women have. So I have an appointment coming up much too soon with a gynecologist. *shudder*

In the reading front, my reading mojo is slowly returning. A friend took me to Chapters not long ago where I stalked up on books. I have given up smoking though some days it's been a real struggle, and I've pretty much given up soda/pop and for the most part have been eating very healthy with much more fruits and veggies than I've eaten for some time, books are the addiction I won't give up *g*. Hopefully I'll have some reviews written soon. I'm still on track to have my best reading year since I've been tracking this, though not as many as I'd hoped before THE FALL.

So at the moment I'm taking things one day at a time - and doesn't that sound disgustingly cliche-is. Yesterday was a good day. My twisted foot wasn't bothering me too bad so I made my first solo trip to the grocery store and then to the mall for lunch at the food court. Today on the other hand isn't going so good. My foot is hurting again so my goal for today is just to get the kitchen and hopefully the living room cleaned. I am keeping up very good with getting washed and dressed within half an hour after getting up in the morning. That in itself is a goal I set when I got out of the hospital. I haven't got hooked on soaps in the afternoon which is good. But I shamefaced admit that a few times I've watched Jerry Springer and Maury Povich. Yes, yes I know - they are much worse than soaps. But they are trash at it's very finest.

And now - I must do some blog hopping - something else I've neglected for much too long. Sorry for the long absence. I promise I won't stay away this long again!

Oh - and before I go - one more thing. All About Romance has a poll up now for your top 100 romance book poll. I REALLY love everything about this poll. Not only is it fun for me to come up with my favourites, it's also a great place to get rec's for books once the poll is closed and the results are posted. Voting started on Oct 15 and runs until Nov. 14. So far I have 50 of my top listed and I'm working on the next 50. I say everyone send in their list even if you can't come up with 100. I don't think you have to come up with 100 if that's too hard. But I do urge everyone who reads and loves romance to send in what they can. It's fascinating to see what others are reading and loving. The last one they did was in 2007 and I know for myself, I've found some excellent new books since then.

Home Sweet Home

I'm home - been home since Wednesday. But in some cases, while it's good to be home, it isn't so sweet as one thinks it might be. Such was my case. One tends to be somewhat cocooned in the hospital. While they did get us up and moving very early every day and it was the rehab ward so we did a lot of that kind of thing, still in a lot of ways there is a whole lot done for you in the hospital. Beds are made. Meals are cooked and brought to you. Water is brought to you several times a day. Medication is already measured out and brought to you when it's time to take it. Well, you get the picture.

So my throw into the deep end of the reality pool was almost immediate when I headed home and had to make a stop at the drug store on the way. Son #1 picked me up and drove me but before going home I had to get all the medication they've prescribed. I went in taking 3 pills a day and left taking 7! Now mind you, 3 are vitamins and the other is percs for the pain. But that seems a lot to figure out every day myself and they have to be taken at different times of the day so that's something I have to figure out for myself anymore. And the trip to the drug store wore me out! I had no idea I would get that tired that soon. I walked over a thousand steps at a time at the hospital - albeit on a step machine. But still, I was exhausted. And when I got home I thought a cup of tea would be just the thing. But the work involved in getting a simple cup of tea almost seemed overwhelming. With 2 good legs and working arms it's a snap. But when one of the legs is broken and one is already tired, it's almost overwhelming.

And I don't think Son #1 did any housework at all while I was a month in the hospital. He says he did and while I don't want to argue with him, I say he didn't. So when I walked -or rather wheeled into the house again, I wanted to cry at the amount of housework needed to make me feel comfortable. Not even my bed was good to sleep in. Destructo cat had let her displeasure at my disappearance be known and peed on the bed. I had Son #1 wash all the sheets but he didn't think to make the bed after that and I'm tired of constantly asking him to do things and at times I don't think think he's doing the life math - mother with broken leg can not make bed on her own.

So for the first several days I've been pretty depressed. I finally bit the bullet and asked my group of friends for help and the absolutely wonderful group they are, they are all have offered to help in one way or another. One of them has her own room mate who just underwent knee replacement surgery so she has her own patient to look after and I know from experience how tired and in pain her room mate is so she needs to take care of her. But even knowing that she is taking care of someone in similar circumstances helps.

I had the PSW come over yesterday to help me with my shower. Yep, I can't even shower by myself - think how slippery the tub can be and how scary it can be when both legs can't support you the way they are supposed too. I hadn't had a full shower since last Saturday - when in the hospital you only get a shower once a week - the rest of the time it's sponge baths, so while somewhat embarrassing having to have someone other than an approved member of the opposite sex see me nekkid as a jaybird, it did feel marvelous to be that clean again.

So all this is to say that I haven't blogged as I was sad and feeling sorry for myself and I couldn't seem to find my usual sense of humour and optimistic self. I haven't even been able to pick up a book to read!!! Now that makes things real serious. I've always read when things were looking gloomy (or happy, or happy or sad or scary or sunny or whatever). But things have turned a corner now thanks to good friends so it's much better. I leave you with what I think is the theme song of my life. Truly - this song has always really spoken to me and it was just on the radio and once more it really hit home