Friday, June 26, 2015

Random Ramblings




It’s still busy and I really should be concentrating on what I’m getting paid to do, but I don’t think it will hurt if I take a few minutes here and there as what I’m doing is pretty routine and my mind is once again taking flight.

 

The snobby snob in me can’t help but chuckle at the flogging of the dead horse and the utter ridiculousness that is the FOURTH installment in the 50 Shades phenomenon.    For those who pay attention to such things, I haven’t read the books, will never read the books, haven’t seen the movie, will never see the movie.  I’m annoyed at the fact that so many have read these books and the buzz has been out of this world for, from what I’ve read, is poorly written fan fiction.  There are so many fabulous authors out there who write well written books that will pass by completely unnoticed by the general masses who then read garbage.  To me it’s not unlike Keeping up with the Kardasians winning a Golden Globe for  best acting.  It’s wrong, it’s just wrong.

So I couldn’t help but laugh at the indignation of so many who are discovering that book 1, from Christian Grey’s POV is just one of three and the author has 2 more of the exact same book planned.  Good grief - talk about flogging a dead horse!! 

 
I read some reviews on GoodReads and word is – it’s garbage.  I can’t help but hope the author plummets down to earth where she never should have risen anyway.  I tell you, I am such a bitch some days.

 

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I’ve been designing – sort of – my own calendars for a number of years now through Vista Print.  Every month was a different scene from North and South each and every time the calendar ended in August with “The Train Scene Kiss”.  I brought it into work and as more and more people from work watched and loved it, I began to order more calendars for coworkers – just to share the love.
 

Well people, we have come to the end of an era I’m afraid.  For the first time since 2011, North and South screen caps no longer grace the months.  Nope, I’m figuratively doffing my cap and passing the calendar torch onto Outlander. 
 
 These are a different kind of calendars.  Instead of starting in January, as most do, mine start in September so it’s getting really close to time to order them.  Because we often plan schedules 2 weeks to even a month ahead of the current date, I have 2 of them on my desk, the current month and the next month.  So I’m needing September soon.  A few other people do the same thing and some of these happen to be fellow fans of Outlander.  So I’ve designed the calendar – just have to hit that pay button and the order will be winging its way to VistaPrint.  I just hope Richard/John will forgive for leaving him behind as I move on to Sam/Jamie.  I will love you always John Thornton and at least we have 2013.
 
Bet you all thought you'd never seen the day.





 
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I know I’ve bitched about this before but I will continue to do so until JUSTICE IS SERVED!!  They have a thread again at AAR for freebie or ebook sales.  There are a couple lately for books I would love to get and they are on for a great price at Amazon.  Amazon –dot COM that is!  It’s an entirely different story at Amazon.ca.  And of course it’s through my favourite publisher (not) Harper Collins/Avon. 

Sex, Lies and Online Dating by Rachel Gibson (love her books)

Amazon.com - $1.99

Amazon.ca $8.99

Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas

Amazon.com - $1.99

Amazon.ca $8.99

Your Scandalous Ways by Loretta Chase

Amazon.com - $1.99

Amazon.ca - $7.99 (squeal of a deal there she said sarcastically)

GRRRrrrrrr

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I received a mood calendar as a gift a while ago and I brought it to work.  I love this calendar and changed it every day to reflect my mood.  Coworkers are starting to check my mood before checking how I am.  Lately it’s mostly been on the negative side of things, but starting Thursday, July 2 (Wednesday is a holiday here in Canada) the calendar mood will be starting to change.  Why you ask?  Well, it’s cause then we will be into the actual month I head once again to RWA – this years in New York, to meet up with my people again.  I think anticipation is even higher this year as I missed last year, mostly because of the depression but also because I had another big project, new bathroom that I had to pay for.  This year I’m getting new siding but that’s not going to stop me from RWA.  There are SO many people I’m looking forward to seeing, but a special shout out to Wendy,SuperLibrarian.  We will be roomies again after several years apart and my first question will be “Wendy, Wendy, Wendy, what do you have against Jon Snow that you are glad he’s dead????” 
 

Mind you I haven’t watched Game of Thrones for a few seasons now, it became just to bloody bloody.  I have tried a couple of times over the other seasons since and then there would come a scene where someone got stabbed in the eye and that was all she wrote.  But from the first season that I was an AVID watcher, Jon and Daenerys and Tyrion were my favourite characters with Jon being #1.  AND THEY KILLED HIM OFF!  As if Ned and Robb and Catelyn all dying wasn’t enough.  As if what’s happened to Sansa and Arya isn’t enough?  I’ve lost track of the little boys.  So did they then have to go and kill of Jon??? Why, Why, Why?



 Then I can hardly wait to see Lisabea and Rosie – I hope Rose is going again!!  Of course there are so many other too, but the four of us seem to hang out the most.

Now back to the point – see how I ramble and get off topic?  So now that I will be in countdown mode, my mood will be picking up until I’m up to daily bouncy

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 This has nothing to do with anything to do with romance but it is a real bug-a-boo I have.  I’m on the phone a lot anymore at work.  And I can tell when the person is speaking on a cell phone.  Cell phone reception/quality is TERRIBLE a lot of the times.  I’m constantly adjusting my phone’s volume, calls cut out, they are mumbled and I can’t hear what they are saying, they are calling while in traffic and all I hear is background noise.  A lot of the nurses who call in have been issued cell phones and I think the company they worked for must have ordered the cheapest cell phones they could get.  It makes me so cranky (and then I have to change my mood calendar) whenever I get one of these calls and chance are when I’ve had to ask for the fourth time for them to repeat something that I can’t hear, an impatient tone in my voice may come through – not at the person I’m talking to, but the cheap piece of equipment they are using.  I’m cranky enough as it is since I don’t like talking on the phone, but talking on the phone and not hearing what the other person is saying, well, many of those kinds of calls a day and I really need to de-stress at the end of the day.


Anyway - that's all I have for now

'til later


 


5 comments:

nath said...

Hey Kristie!

If only Harpercollins would allow coupon and promo codes. Oh well. You want another bad news? Seems like print book price is going up in the fall. Although it's not such a bad news for you since I think you stopped buying print :)

Wooohooo, RWA!! Can't wait to see you there!! And yep, Rosie is coming :)

sometimes, I wonder if it's the phone itself or people who don't know how to hold their phones :(

Lover Of Romance said...

Yeah I have read Fifty shades and they are okay stories, but I will probably never read the fourth, its just the same honestly. It still surprises me how popular these books have gotten. Especially when you compare her writing to others, its a no brainer that there is a long list of other books I would have preferred to be turned into movies. Although the acting is superb. So they at least got that right.

Wendy said...

We can hang out in the We Haven't Read Fifty corner together. I know just enough about the books to know that reading them would make me VERY angry - and Wendy, she does not like to "hate read." My sister, against my stern warnings, read (and skimmed) the first book and she was not a happy girl. She reads romance every once in a while - but usually only books I recommend - and she was like, "Why are people reading this crap when the erotic books you've recommended to me are SO MUCH BETTER?!?!?!"

The great mystery that is "word of mouth." And yes, of course my employer bought a bazillion copies of book four - because, you know, library. Sigh.

Squeeee! Yes, Rosie and Lisa will both be at RWA. Rosie and I aren't flying out together (sadness) - because she's hitting the east coast sooner than I am. I'm so excited that Nath will be there - and I'm hoping Ames? I know she was thinking about it. If Nath pops in maybe she'll give us an update on if Ames is coming or not :)

Kristie (J) said...

Nath: I can hardly wait to see you again!! It's been a few years now hasn't it? I'm getting a bit more excited by the day. By the time I get to the last week, there will be no living with me!

Lover of Romance: I haven't seen the movie so I don't know about the acting - though I did like the guy who played Christian in Once Upon a Time. In fact when he was killed by the evil witch - that's when I stopped watching it. But it just irks me to no end that these books are being hailed as all that is the "romance" book.

Wendy - doesn't it drive you nuts sometimes when our families don't listen to us about something? Both my sister, one who NEVER reads romance and the other who is more of a closet romance reader have read at least the first book and hated it/them. Sister 1 who doesn't read romance only read the first book but I think Sister 2 who does, read all 3 of them. Now if they had just asked me, the romance authority, I could have told them to pass them by.
I haven't heard if Ames is coming or not? I should check with Nath - she would know

nath said...

Yep, Ames is coming :) She isn't registered to the conference, but she's coming :) My sister is tagging along as well. We're all driving down together along with another of my friend. Also, in the area of NYC, I know Hils, Christine and Mariana all have plans to come to the literary signing :P