freckledmemory

I'M PLAYING HOOKY TODAY! And I don't care who knows it. I'm tired and I wanted to be home when nobody else was. And I'm not wasting it by sleeping, though I did lounge around on the couch a little while and watched Tommy Lee Jones in In the Electric Mist which I didn't even know existed until I saw it at the movie store yesterday evening. It's about Louisiana detective Dave Robicheaux who's in several of author James Lee Burke's books. I've read a couple of them but didn't really like them a lot. But now I want to get the one this movie's based on and compare. It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World was also on early this morning and I watched a bit of it but it's loooooong and I didn't want to spend that much longer in front of the TV.

I'm thinking about running to the gardening center and buying some potted plants to sit on the porch. I need some ant killer too since none of the home remedies that my friends have recommended have worked. I really need a couple of new pairs of work pants but don't know if I want to try on clothes today and don't want to be gone that long anyway. I want Chinese for lunch but don't know who to ask to go with me...maybe I'll get takeout and bring it back home.

I was gone all weekend and just read about Paul Harvey dying, he was a great storyteller. I used to listen to his news every day when I was little just to see what twist was at the end or what famous person he was describing. There was often a little moral to his stories, a gentle jab about right and wrong.

My head's all stuffy this morning and it's very cold this morning and everything's white again. It makes me want to stay home, turn up the heat and just read all day. Alas, nobody pays me to do that...

I haven't seen any of the films nominated for Best Picture. I liked Iron Man and The Strangers.

I left work this morning and I was some kind of sick, dizzy, nauseated, running a fever, and with a killer headache. I talked my doctor...well, really I suppose the nurse talked the doctor into okaying a called-in prescription of antibiotics and a strong decongestant. They were reluctant but apparantly there's major sickness and the office was swamped with patients so there was no way they could squeeze in another. I thought I was going to have to lie down on the floor before they filled my prescription at the pharmacy, I felt that bad. I made it home and took it though I discovered that even though it said it was OK to take with OR WITHOUT food, that does not apply to me. I got very ill. Eventually I got a little food down and took another dose and did OK with that. I can tell the decongestant's working, I don't feel like I'm smothering and some of the pressure behind my eyes is gone.

Then tonight I was hungry again and tenderized some steak and seasoned it well and cooked some fresh corn. But now I really don't want it. I suppose it can be my lunch tomorrow.

I did read the first chapter of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea last night but felt so horrible I can't remember what I read, certainly not enough to discuss it at 20000leaguesfan. I'm not sure there will be anybody much to discuss it with anyway, nobody's really said for sure that they got a copy and are reading it.

I think we're going to start reading Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea over at 20000leaguesfan. There's only three or four of us and we're going to read it slowly, a couple of chapters at a time, and discuss it as we go along. Anyone's welcome to join us!

I've been under the weather all week and if I'm not feeling a lot better by tomorrow I'm going to call and see if I can get in to see my doctor. I'm hurting all over, but especially my neck and shoulders, and not even ibuprofen puts a dent in it and I'm still all stuffy and can't breathe well at night.

Go and see The Uninvited It's a new horror movie and real creepy, not bloody. I went with a couple of friends last night and we loved the movie.

It's beautiful outside, that's why I can't figure out why I'm sitting here looking at this computer.:)

Disney's doing a remake of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. And probably with Will Smith as Captain Nemo. Heeello. Nemo was from India and while I like Will Smith I just don't see him as that character. Anyway, I want to re-read the novel but I was too lazy to go to the library today. Maybe Monday. I found a community, 20000leaguesfan.

Title: Different
Author: freckledmemory
Fandom: My Own Worst Enemy
Characters: Henry (Edward!)/Angie
Rating: PG
Word Count: 220
Disclaimers: NBC owns these characters.
Summary: A little drabble about Angie and the new and improved Henry.

( Different )

For some reason it's hard to settle in on Fridays. A couple of my work friends were goinng to see a movie and invited me. I was tempted but hubby had commented about us spending a quiet evening at home, blah, blah, blah, and since we're trying to get along and make things work I stayed home with him. He fell asleep of course, so I watched The Clone Wars and then the last part of Crusoe. The Clone Wars kind of centered around the clones which to me is interesting. Crusoe is a new show, actually I saw a bit of the middle part of the first one and thought it looked interesting. Sean Bean's in it though he's not the main character, Philip Winchester is Crusoe. I've no clue who Winchester is *snicker* but I love the name.:) Life had earthquakes and a lot of the new guy played by Donal Logue. WHY is this man appealing? He's not handsome and his hair's greased back. But I get a kick out of him and I'm wondering if he will be paired with Reece.

Oh my God, I missed Supernatural. We had a fall carnival at the school and we helped do some of the outside activities and just couldn't get away and back home to watch my show. *sob* I feel really ridiculous but I love that show!

It has turned cold tonight, more than was forecast. It seems strange after having the unseasonable warm weather for so long. I finally dug my scarecrows and a few other fall decorations out. I'm missing my power cords that I used to hook up a few things, I don't know if I put them somewhere or if someone borrowed them. I looked for some pumpkins in town but they had no big ones as they usually do for Halloween. Someone at work said he'd heard the storms had wrecked some areas where they're grown. I wanted yellow mums and they had everything but those.

I'm reading C.J. Box's "Free Fire." It's one of the Joe Pickett books which I always enjoy. That's about the only thing I've read recently. I took five books back to the library earlier in the week, very overdue and still unread.

If someone asks me one more time when we are going on vacation, I will hit them with the nearest hard object. They know dear old hubby's not been working for WEEKS. That means...hello?...things like vacation have been bumped down to around eighty something on the to-do list.

Have you ever had the urge to watch a particular movie and you know you had it recorded eons ago and you find EVERYTHING ELSE UNDER THE SUN but that one particular movie? And they don't carry it at the store no more either.

This morning we made a fast trip to the mall for a co-worker's shower and there was this new store and it had ARMOR and SWORDS and WEIRD MEDIEVEL STUFF and I swear I stood there with my forehead against the glass. My friends were "wtf is wrong with her?" Anyway, they wouldn't let me go in and drug me away. *sigh* Nobody understands me.:)

Okay, the little people convinced me that I really did not want to watch yet another Supernatural episode from my well-used DVD set. Instead we watched farm animals. Including a cow...with a very male voice...and...he had a, uh, now what's it called...utter, udder, hell I don't know how to spell it but he had female parts that give milk. VERY prominent too. What the shit is this? So is it time for me to explain the wonders of how everyone's not alike and some people are made different, blah, blah, blah? But then I'm thinking no, this is WRONG because it's a damn cow and the males don't have those. It's like claiming pink is your poodle's natural color. Doesn't happen in nature.

Anyway, I quickly gave up the television to ponder the intricacies of the human mind. Especially of those who make children's cartoons.

Okay, today a co-worker and I got lunch at a cafe down the street. Not the greatest food but at least it doesn't pop out of a machine. Anyway, there's this older lady sitting two tables over (and keep in mind this is a small cafe so 2 tables over is practically bumping elbows), well dressed, hair just so, big rings on her blue-veined hands, she screamed "money." And she picked her teeth after she ate. Sat there and pulled her red lipsticked lips up and picked her big yellow teeth with a toothpick. Then flossed them. I stared. Everybody stared. The waitess hid.

If you're a Star Wars fan and you're not following the news in the theclonewars community, you should be! There are links to new pictures, calendars, books, news, etc.

Well, I was back to the library...yes, I admit that I returned unread books...and wandered around forever just looking. A friend was with me and she was just astounded at how much time I could spend in a library. Anyway, I did not take the dreaded book list and instead picked up a couple of mysteries, can't even remember their names right now and one by Stephen King I'd missed. I know I'm regressing...

And there's nothing to watch on TV, which is because I have a few days off and actually have time to watch something.

And I did see Indiana Jones a few days ago, couldn't remember if I'd posted that here. Worth every penny though I felt a kind of sadness about how much time has passed.

I can't remember who on my flist list are fans of Star Wars but if you are (or even if you aren't!) check out the info at these communities:

theclonewars
legacy_dreams
shadowsofmindor
forceunleashed

A lot of good information, pictures, and links.

I just think it's wonderful that the Star Wars fans are still going strong after all these years. To me Star Wars represents a happy time during my life.

And now Indiana Jones is coming! More good memories associated with him. Does it seem that movies were more fun back in the 80's? Of course some of you may not have even been born yet. But we're so numbed to all the things we can see now easily that I think some of the fun and anticipation has gone out of everything. Now it's easy to find out beforehand what's going to happen. And no matter how wonderful the special effects are, they're not as shocking and thrilling as they were years ago.

Yes, I'm proud of myself, I've finished Catcher in the Rye and I actually LIKED it. I kept finding myself wondering about the story while I was at work every day. But the ending kind of hung there unresolved but then I expected that. I wish there was more to the story, I would like to have known what Holden made of his life.

My husband and I always watch the Kentucky Derby race though this year we were both doing yard work and almost forgot. We missed the first hour of the program which I hated because that's where you learn about the horses, trainers, and jockeys. But at least we did make it in to see the race. We always pick our top three choices. His included the winner and my pick was Eight Belles just to spite my husband cause he made an ugly remark about fillies not being able to win, and because a friend of mine has a young daughter named Belle.

Well, a wonderful race suddenly turned into a tragedy. Eight Belles placed second but then immediately collapsed with broken ankles and had to be euthanized. How the heck does a horse break both ankles like that? On the news tonight there was speculation that the horse was pushed too hard and that there will likely be some sort of investigation.

I missed Supernatural!!! We had to be at a ballgame, no chance of getting out of it. I wonder if there's anywhere online to see it?

Okay, now I've started J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye. I've got my fingers crossed that I'll like it better than the last book I read. I've already read quite a few pages and so far it's holding my interest though it's not what I normally like. The main character, Holden, is a teenager going to some kind of prep school. Through his thoughts and conversations it's becoming obvious this kid has some kind of emotional problem.

Mout Ironic, tremendous internal wealth, know how to rapidly connect with others, looks for paternal authority. Colors: male: brown, female: red carmine Compatible Signs: Amon-Ra, Thoth Dates: Jan 22 - Jan 31, Sep 8 - Sep 22 Role: A creator goddess, she was the mother from which the cosmos emerged. Appearance: A woman with the wings of a vulture, holding an ankh, wearing the united crown of Upper and Lower Egypt and also a dress of bright red/blue, with the feather of Maഠat her feet Sacred Animal: vulture What is Your Egyptian Zodiac Sign? Designed by CyberWarlock of Warlock's Quizzles and Quandaries

Anybody seen Prom Night? It was...okay. Nothing like the original. I was surprised that it wasn't too gory, I think it was rated PG-13.

I had to literally force myself to finish Faulkner's book. I carried it around with me and finally finished it while waiting for a friend to get off from work.

I still don't like it. It was depressing as hell and there wasn't even a character to root for. The third brother, Jason, was an asshole who thought too much of himself and took everything from everyone though he had more to start with. He supports the family but rubs it in any time he can. The mother is always sick and there's a younger girl running around, Caddy's daughter, into trouble.

The last part's about Dilsey, the family servant, and she seems to be the sanest one of the whole bunch which is probably why they treat her like shit. She tries to take care of Benjy, worries over him. Caddy's daughter runs off with a carny and takes good old uncle Jason's money, part of which he stole from her so he can't sic the police on her.

As for the end...well, it really had no end. They go to the graveyard and Benjy has a fit cause they go the wrong way and Jason fixes the problem. Yay.

Apparently the meaning for this whole mess has just flew right on by me. I'm sure there's all kinds of hidden meanings in the story and I'm not being appreciative enough of it, but it just made me feel down. I'm glad it's over with.

Well, I've finally muddled my way through part of The Sound and the Fury. I don't care for it too much, not because of the characters or the story itself but I think because of the way it's written though I know that's part of what makes the book a classic. I keep losing track of who's doing what, it meanders so much.

The first character, Benjy, seems to be mentally handicapped so his narration just kind of jumbles along. It doesn't seem that most of the others care too much for him, or maybe they're just negletful of him. There is one sister who seems to care for him. But there was a lot of stuff implied in this part of the story and I'm still not sure about some things that happened or were referred to.

The next part is about brother Quentin and I thought the story would become a little easier to understand, but it still jumped back and forth a lot and I'm never certain about the time frame for some things. I'm almost finished with this section and then I think it goes on to another brother. So far the most interesting character is sister Caddy. Quentin seems to focus too much on her sexual activity, is almost obsessed with it since he believes females should remain pure until marriage but then I suppose that was the view of most people during the time it's set in.

To me this is not a very likeable book but then I assume it's not meant to be. It's a disturbing book, a view on how people thought about things during a time when the world was picking up speed and changing.

I started William Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury this afternoon. No, I have not finished Fahrenheit 451 but I left it in my bag which I left at my mother's and since I'm unsociable today, I did not go and get it. The book is CONFUSING and it's hard to figure out who's talking and thinking and it's written very strangely. It took me awhile but I finally connected Benjy to the 33 candles, I thought he was a child at first but he must be a mentally handicapped adult. At least I think so, I'm not positive about anything so far.

And yes, I did come down with some horrible cold thing and I'm croaking like an old frog. Everybody looked at me strangely at church, even when I didn't speak, so I must look sick too though I tried to be extra careful with my makeup and hair. And...I think the pastor thought I was crying during one part of his sermon cause he kept looking very kindly at me...but my throat kept having spells of hurting and a maddening tickling and it made my eyes water and I was popping throat lozenges like crazy.

Yesterday, we stayed outside most of the day. I got my largest flowerbed weeded and the soil turned real good. Sunflowers and zinnias will go into it from seed. They'll grow quickly and need little taking care of. Plants are EXPENSIVE this year and both the places I usually buy at, well their plants look kind of puny. I'm waiting to see if they'll get in newer and healthier shipments. There will be a frost tonight, I'll have to remember to set my already planted pots under the porch so they won't get the droops.

Well, I've been sidetracked recently because of a tooth infection, had to take a round of antibiotics. It's a tooth in my lower right jaw though funny when it first started hurting, it felt like it was an upper tooth, something to do with how the nerves are connected I suppose.

I left work early today and had intended to clock back in at 12:30 but the more I thought about it the more it sounded like a good idea not to, so here I sit being useless (but happy!) again. My sister came over to check on me when she found out I wasn't at work and brought fried food which neither of us needs. I still feel like crap and now seem to have a cold on top of the tooth problems. You'd think the medicine would've killed everything but I suppose nothing really does away with the common cold.

I haven't made a noticeable dent in my reading list yet, I'll have to call and renew some of the books before too long.

Did you know there's a community for Fahrenheit 451? It's fahrenheit_fans and I think it was suppose to be for a potential movie that hasn't happened yet but I think anything, like discussion or questions, about the book is okay too. So far I haven't read enough to talk about it.

Well, this was certainly a sucky weekend...

I won't go into boring details but I definitely could have done without it. My nerves are crawling and my head still pounding. I can only hope for the bright light of Monday morning...how strange.

And we also had a little bad weather...like maybe a tornado that touched down about not even a quarter of a mile down the road and took off roofs and threw down big trees. And we didn't even know it until emergency vehicles started zooming by. I do remember a time when the wind really sounded odd and changed direction, blowing against the front windows, which are facing north, but then when I went into the kitchen they began blowing against the windows there but that's facing the south, and everything turned dark and strange looking, so I'm assuming that's the time the tornado was prowling the neighborhood. And of course my poor short circuited brain didn't connect the dots at the time even though I should have known better. Anyway, it wasn't near enough to damage us and no one else was injured except an older lady was taken to the hospital because her blood pressure sky-rocketed when her roof came off, very understandable.

And no I didn't read anything this weekend. That should tell you I wasn't quite right in the head.

I picked up the latest Supernatural magazine at the grocery store last night. I love the pictures. I can't wait until the show's back on.

We rented No Country For Old Men, an EXCELLENT movie, and lived up to all the praise about it. Usually I don't agree with what the critics and awards think are the best films but this one I did like. Josh Brolin I wouldn't even have recognised. Tommy Lee Jones looked so old. I've watched him forever, since I was a little girl. And the actor, Javier Bardem, who played the bad guy was very creepy. Didn't he win awards for the part?

I've been reading the online articles about the finding of a parachute that might have been the one D.B. Cooper used. He's the one that jumped out of a plane with money in 1971 and they never caught him, don't know if he survived or was killed. Mysteries like that drive me crazy!
Here's two links to articles about it:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=4524172

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/D/DB_COOPER?SITE=DCTMS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_McCoy

The last link is at Wikipedia and gives the background story on it.

Title: What Could Have Been
Author: freckledmemory
Fandom: Star Wars
Characters: Darth Vader/Anakin, young Luke Skywalker
Rating: Rated G
Word Count: About 809
Disclaimers: I don’t own or profit from the characters.
Summary: A drabble about Vader and what he could be thinking about.

( What Could Have Been )

Cross-posted at several Star Wars communities.

I think I could get lost in the library, I'll be in there for hours if I don't watch myself. But I did forget to take my list and my traitorous brain tried to shut down and wouldn't let me remember what was on it. So I ended up rambling around and getting too many books.

The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner (sleepingwitch recommended Faulkner)
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (recommended by theonides)
The Winds of War by Hermon Wouk
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (recommended by dark_lord_taral)
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway (Hemingway suggested by marajadeclaria)

TOO MANY and I thought I must be crazy, I'll have to renew most of them. I've read East of Eden before but I couldn't resist when I saw it. I looked for Catch 22, recommended by theonides, but it wasn't listed and I meant to ask about it when I checked out but forgot. There were several I forgot but now I have my hands full with these. I looked for Roger Zelazny's Amber series but it wasn't there either. I was going to get the first one since I haven't read it in almost 20 years.

Shopping and shopping and more shopping. There'll be nothing left and I'll be destitute for weeks. But I had no cleaning stuff, the cupboard was literally bare, plus I wanted to replace a few things out of the medicine cabinet, and there was the Easter bunnies to buy, chocolate not real bunnies. And it's so QUIET, I'm not used to being by myself during the day that much.

Has anybody seen I Am Legend? My sister wanted to rent it this weekend to watch and I had no better suggestion, everything I thought of wasn't out yet.

Well, someone ran over my squirrel. I guess technically he wasn't mine but I'd been feeding him for months and now there's a squirrel run over in the road and I'm pretty sure it was the same one since I've only ever seen one come to the box unless they take turns. I'm debating with myself whether to go get him and bury him. Not exactly what I want to do on my free afternoon.

Monday morning again, how cruel. At least it's a four day work week, it does help to know that.

Books...haven't been to the library yet but I do have my interesting little list. I haven't read on what I already have yet either, just haven't felt like it, a stressful last few days.

Easter things...haven't bought everything yet. And I have a vague memory of some type of food items for our church's Easter egg hunt Saturday. Maybe it'll come to me by then or I could hunt up the list at Wednesday services. I know I'm not buying a new dress this year, it's a waste, I won't wear it. Slacks and a pretty top will suffice.

In some ways the day went by very quickly but at the time it was happening, it seemed very slow. I've had the opportunity this week to work with people that I usually don't work closely with and that has been a nice experience. Everyone is tired though and ready for the week to be over with. When I got home I lay on the couch and watched an old CSI rerun, unusual thing for me to do but I was so tired and fuzzy headed. I made a hamburger for supper though I really wasn't hungry.

We've got tickets to a hockey game this weekend. It's an hour and a half away and at night of course. I went one time last season and had a wonderful time, I don't know why I can't drum up any enthusiasm for it this time.

Thanks to all who've given me suggestions to put on my book list! I'm going to try to get most from the library and they've said before that they can borrow from other libraries too so hopefully it won't be hard to find what I need. I think I'll check out no more than two at a time and if that seems difficult I'll just do one at a time. I think I'm already on the waiting list for several books, mystery books plus the Death Star book. And then there's that pesky Dean Koontz book I haven't finished yet, but that's mine not the library's so I guess it doesn't matter how long I take with it.

I'm still not happy with my Anakin/Padme story, I think I'll have to redo it, it just doesn't sound right. But that probably won't happen tonight...

I've gotten several suggestions so far of books to put on my list to read this year. I'll wait a few more days and then list all the suggestions and we'll see if I can work my way through them. I'll probably try getting the books from the library, if I really fall in love with something I can order a copy. I don't have my Frank Herbert books anymore, I think my brother has them and he's in another state and probably wouldn't admit to having them anyway. But I know the library will have those.

This morning there was ice on my windshield but by mid-afternoon it was in the mid-seventies which felt wonderful, I only wish I could have been outside more to enjoy it. I drove into town right after work and picked up a few things I needed for work. Still no Revelation and no Starlog or Star Wars Insider magazines. I LIVE IN THE WRONG PLACE!

I skipped church tonight (yes, I know I'm developing a bad habit of that) and went to see my sister. We somehow got off on the subject of our childhoods, I was the oldest and often "in charge" of the younger children, and I didn't realize the way she viewed me back then. It kind of makes me feel unsettled now that she thought I was so mean, I wasn't even in my teens yet when I was often left in charge of four younger siblings for hours at a time. Her memories of the time seem so much clearer than mine even though she was probably only 3 to 5 years old.

Okay, friends, I need your help. I've mentioned before that I want to make a list of books to read this year, things I should have read in high school or college but for various reasons didn't. I'm a big reader of Star Wars and mystery books so it will be a HUGE challenge for me to read other things, more "serious" books so I'll feel my knowledge is a little more well-rounded.

Sooooo...somebody suggest something to put on my list!

I posted a link, http://community.livejournal.com/theclonewars/7122.html, at theclonewars. Check it out!

Title: Wife
Author: freckledmemory
Fandom: Star Wars
Characters: Padme Amidala
Time Line: Prior to Revenge of the Sith
Rating: Rated G
Word Count: 690
Disclaimers: This is fanfiction; I do not own or profit from these characters.
Summary: A drabble about Padme’s thoughts.

( Wife )

Cross-posted to several Star Wars fanfiction communities.

I LOVE softball games and that's what I watched this evening, way off in the country and down an old rutted dirt road. It was at a high school, actually back behind it, and turns out there was a wonderful new softball field back there. The teams were evenly matched so it was more fun that way than when one has a big advantage over the other as it was during the last two games I've watched.

Afterwards some of us got together and found a decent restaurant nearby. Seafood mostly but I didn't want that and ordered a fully loaded baked potato and the salad bar. That potato COVERED my plate, it was good but I couldn't even eat half of it. It was a nice night for driving home too, the stars so bright I felt I could actually see instead of being half blind.

I was going to read some more but I think I need sleep more...

Well, I was suppose to go to bible class but my friend talked me into playing hooky cause she wanted to go to the movies, I said yeah if we could see Jumper. She was all for it, though she's not a SW fan she still thinks Hayden's definitely worth looking at. When we got there the Indiana Jones preview was showing...blaring so loudly with the theme song I swear I lost hearing in my right ear. I was wishing for the slo mo too cause it went way too quickly. I drooled all the way through the movie, I wouldn't even get up to go to the restroom. The movie was just fun, like movies used to be. Samuel L. Jackson was suitably menacing though I heard a few snickers when he came onscreen with that white hair. The leading girl was okay, the other Jumper kind of grew on my after a while, even the drunk dad. Not the mom though, I didn't care for her character at all and she showed very little remorse for leaving her son to fend for himself with an alcoholic father and discovering his ability on his own. And there's so many loose ends hanging, a sequel may be in the making I think.

Well, I guess it was an interesting day. Sort of. We ended up at one of the casinos which was kind of stupid since we had no money and we couldn't even eat at the buffet because it was the wrong time of the afternoon. So we looked, walking around in our scruffy old jeans, my hair looking like it needed a good wash. Yeah, we stood out amidst the Saturday afternoon crowd of older, wealthier (well, I couldn't swear to it but damn that was a lot of gold and shiny stuff flashing) people. You should have seen what was in the parking garage, I was afraid to breathe as I walked by them.

Yeah, I know I sound mean but I guess I was down already before this little adventure. I don't begrudge anyone their fun and doing whatever they can afford to do, especially older people who've worked hard for it. I guess I was feeling lonesome, despite my company, and worried about a lot of things.

We went by Home Depot on the way home, usually the gardening center cheers me up but it was still bare. I got a little pot of purple petunias and a smaller pot of somethinng else...the name's run off and left me. I don't know why I bought them, I'll have to bring them in every night cause it's still too early in the year.

At least it was a quiet evening when we got home and I didn't feel like I had to be cleaning or finishing up something for work.

Life can be cruel. I leave work early, clocking out knowing that my time sheet will say OUT EARLY in big huge letters for today, just so I can drive the 30 minutes to the one store that might possibly have the new Revelation book out. Well, they didn't. And none of the a******* who worked there had any clue about anything whatsoever such as did a shipment come in today, Tuesday, as usual and will there or won't there be any other shipments of books this week???? Nothing. They kept pointing to a paperback of Allegience as if they thought any old book would do if it said something about Star Wars. And do you know where the Allegience paperbacks were located on the shelf? Right in the middle of the westerns. I know the whole store thought I was crazy.

I go out into the parking lot and the damn SUV (what the hell am I driving a gas-guzzling SUV for anyway???) has a low tire on the front so I have to limp over to the nearest gas station which is fortunately nearby and try to get some air in it, already getting dark and cold enough my fingers wouldn't bend properly. I did make it home but now's the worry I'll have a flat tire in the morning since I don't know what caused it to be low like that.

And I really wanted that damn book even though I've already read all the spoilers and supposed chapters. I JUST WANT IT. If my credit cards weren't maxed I could've ordered it and it would've been here TODAY, but noooooooo...unprepared me as always.

Good thing I didn't blink or I would've missed the whole month, it's going by that quickly, already the 24th...

Let's see, today was the usual Sunday I suppose. Church, got out a little earlier than usual but then I noticed the pastor's been starting a minute or two earlier every Sunday so he can be through earlier and our getting out time has slowly crept back to about 12:00 instead of almost 12:30. Afterwards, I went to eat at a favorite Chinese restaurant with friends but after I got there discovered I really wasn't very hungry. It's a buffet type thing so I got a spoon of this and that but just kind of picked at it, I just didn't want anything. Very strange for me.

I shopped a little, couldn't find what I really wanted. I did finally break down and buy the Indiana Jones DVD set. I've looked at it for weeks but wouldn't let myself spend the money. Today there was ONE left and I stood there staring and thinking that it was a great possibility that there wouldn't be anymore in or the price would go up even higher because of the new movie. So before I knew it that lonely little boxed set had hopped up in the seat of my buggy. I haven't even opened it yet but I have a warm fuzzy feeling now that it's mine. I probably have at least a couple of the movies on a VHS tape somewhere packed away but had no desire to hunt them up.

I did see some more I wanted...Comanche Moon, The Lost Room (remember that strange show from last year, it was maddening and I never did quite understand it so I want to see it again), the Ghost Whisperer sets (I just started liking this show this year when I kept seeing part of it while waiting for Moonlight to come on), and the last season of CSI. Yeah, the price on the CSI set made me actually cringe and I walked away swiftly.

I'm back to reading The Sorcerer's Circle again, it's getting interesting though I don't like the sappy girlfriend part. I don't think I'll be reading much of it though, I'm too sleepy already.

Yes, I have read some more on Dean Koontz's book but I'm still not even halfway finished yet. And I still don't like it much which still surprises me.

Here's what I want to read next:

Revelation by Karen Traviss
Death Star by Michael Reaves and Steve Perry
Degrees of Separation by Sue Henry
Winter Study by Nevada Barr
Damage Control by J.A. Jance

I know the Nevada Barr book won't be out until April 1st and I'm not sure if the J.A. Jance and Sue Henry books are out yet either. And I also want a short list of books I should have read while in high school and college but never did. Books everybody else has read but me...a crater in my education.

I just remembered that I forgot about Eli Stone. I wonder if it came on tonight? And my sister was telling me, or really asking me, what did I know about the lab guy on CSI, the obnoxious one that took Greg's place, shooting himself (on the show, NOT in real life). But I haven't been watching the show much since the beginning of the season. I still like it but if I watch Supernatural then I have to wait for CSI to repeat at 11 PM on another channel and I'm often unconcious by then or just too damn tired to care what I miss. I've turned into an old lady (no offense to any older ladies who come along and read this, please).

Why has the bar across the top of my page changed???? I've had it set for the past few weeks to be black with dark turqoise font and now it's back to its original dull gray and white font. I didn't reset it. Guess LJ has ghosts in their programs. It's a pain in the butt though to have things change like that though...

I've thought of a million reasons not to go to work this morning. There's the nagging tooth pain (true!), and the lingering sniffles from a cold, and the unpaid bills I need to pay in person, and all the various things that can only be done in the bright light of day. I'd better not though. Just as soon as I take a day off then I'd come down with some horrible malady that would make me miss another day or three. I need a better check than that this month.

Church tonight and I have the lingering suspicion that I forgot to do something...are we having cake or something afterwards for somebody? Or is that next Wednesday night?

I'm trying to write an Anakin/Padme story, my first in a long time. It's still nothing but scribbles and notes on a scrap piece of paper right now though.

Do you know that all weekend I had forgotten it was going to be President's Day? The information apparently just leaked out of my head somewhere along the way. I got up, started to get ready and finally stopped when the itch in my brain kept trying to tell me something. That something was...hey you, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORK TODAY. And even after I acknowledged that I was still so unsure that I went and stared at the kitchen calendar and sure enough it said President's Day in bright red letters and I had written NO WORK across the little block on some previous day that I have no memory of.

So it would have been a nice day if I hadn't had the sniffles and developed a low fever by the middle of the afternoon. I've been taking DayQuil which is non-drowsy and since I didn't want to sleep away my day off. But it doesn't seem to help, it just makes me feel funny.

I started a new book, The Sorcerer's Circle by Michael Siverling. I've never heard of him or the book and picked it up at the library last week cause it looked brand new. But it was published in 2006 and there's a previous book listed, The Sterling Inheritance, which I think might have been the first of the series. Anyway, it's about private detectives, a young guy Jason, his mother, and a couple of his deceased father's fellow policeman. It seems like it'll have a sense of humor, never a bad thing. I still haven't got over the cruel ending of the Karin Slaughter book I just read and I could do with a little humor. Anyway there's a website listed at the back of the book, Midnight Investigations, for the book and the author. I'm going to check it out and see if any more books have been published in case I really like this one and think I need to read the rest.

Why am I up so early on a Sunday morning? I don't know but it's certainly nice and quiet. I still have a couple of hours before getting dressed for church and I'm trying to decide if I want breakfast or not. Usually I don't eat much in the mornings, a bite or two of something maybe or a little glass of milk. I've found if I do any more than that then instead of keeping me from being hungry, I'll eat anything in sight the rest of the day. Not good.

I've already got the laundry going, I love the smell of the detergent (washing powders is what we call it around here) and fabric softner. I'm old enough that I can remember when there was a little laundromat (washateria!) here in our town. I don't think we ever went there to wash our clothes, we had an old washing machine and then hung the clothes out to dry before finally getting a dryer. But anyway, I used to go there with friends and even though it was a raggedy old building and probably not too clean it still smelled wonderful from all the washing powder smell that had seeped in everywhere. Actually that building is still there but was remodeled into a house many years ago.

On Sundays my mother would cook a large dinner after church, fried chicken and rice and gravy. It would be 2:00 or after before it was ready but always worth the wait. She doesn't cook like that any more, lost the want to do it I think. My mother's mother lived down the street and we would borrow the Sunday paper after she'd finished it, pieces of it would be all over. On some Sundays, when my father still lived at home, we would go and see his mother. I can get to that place in about 10 minutes now but back then, in his old car, it seemed to take forever to get there. She was not a friendly person and though she looked like a grandmother, she didn't seem like one. It was only years later after she had died that I realized she was that way with us because she hadn't liked my mother. But I did love to go to her house, mostly because my dad spent a lot of time with me there, walking through the woods or working in the little garden hidden behind the house or walking up the sandy driveway, shady with all the old trees, to the mailbox. I always wanted to buy the place back but my grandmother's old house was finally torn down a few years ago and a different one moved in and the price would be too steep even if it came up for sale.

I don't know why I'm thinking of all that, lonely I guess.

Nooooooooooo...I finished the Karin Slaughter book and actually cried, how could she be so cruel? It took me YEARS to warm up to the character of Jeffrey Tolliver because he had cheated on his wife Sara. Now that I've finally got over it, the author kills him off. And they were going to be so happy...*sniffle*

Let's just not talk about yesterday, I'm still pulling myself out of the pit.

Let's see...Supernatural! Now that's a wonderful subject. I laughed all the way through last night's episode. It was called "Mystery Spot" which to me was a stupid name because yes, although they visited something considered a mystery spot, to me the show really wasn't about that unless I just completely missed the boat which is always possible. I know Dean dying over and over and over shouldn't have been funny but it was. Dean flying through the air after getting hit by a car is forever replaying in my brain. Of course, it turns dark before the end, Sammy without Dean apparently does not have all cylinders operating in his brain. And of course the culprit is the Trickster which is good cause then Dean's not dead...yet. And I really don't like "Back in Time" by Huey Lewis & the News screwing with my mind again, take it away please, they could've found another song.

Is anybody watching Eli Stone? Very strange show with its suddden song and dance numbers. It's growing on me though.

I can't believe Valentine's Day is tomorrow, I am so unprepared...

I stopped by for a quick look-see at theclonewars and there's a post about The Clone Wars showing as a film in theaters on August 15...I read it twice to be sure I was not seeing things. Heck, I know it's animated but IT'S STILL STAR WARS and it's at the theater and I never thought I'd be seeing another Star Wars anything there. The only difference is the August date, it should be May don't you think? But it's probably not finished yet. George Lucas is a devious man.

And I think Jumper is out starting tomorrow isn't it? I would probably pay to see Hayden Christensen in anything. Aren't they showing the Indiana Jones trailer before Jumper? I hope so, then it would be a double treat.

No reading for me except a little of my flist list, I've had a killer headache all day, though that Karin Slaughter book is calling to me. I need rest though, tomorrow's likely to be stressful at work and then there's the obligatory holiday things to give out to certain members of my family.

I hate work. No, that's not really true I suppose, I don't mind it at all once I get there. It's just the in between from here to there. I'd much rather sit here and write or even happily fold the mountainous pile of clean but now wrinkled laundry that's occupying the bedroom chair.

I checked over the whole house to make sure all the windows are locked. There's been a lot more traffic up and down our road since the compactor thing's temporarily out this way. But a lot of people just riding up and down the road here all day and we're kind of isolated. I've never worried too much before but I just had an odd feeling yesterday afternoon when I was out cleaning the front flower bed, seeing one particular vehicle pass by several times with a couple of young guys in it and didn't recognise them as being from this town unless it's someone new just moved in. I don't know...it's just a strange feeling I've had but I'm trying to be cautious.

I read another chapter of Koontz's book but then I must admit to also reading several chapters of the latest Karin Slaughter book last night before bed. I've read her others books that are about the same characters, but this one is really excellent and if you like mystery/detective type books you'll like this one, it's called Beyond Reach and gives a lot of interesting insight to the character of Lena but also to Jeffrey and his wife-for-the-second-time Sara.

I suppose I should dry my hair and go to work...

Well, I'm back to reading The Darkest Evening of the Year. You know, the Dean Koontz book I've been having trouble with for some odd reason. I'm on Chapter 8...yeah, I know that's shameful.

The characters of Moongirl and Harrow, and they should be frightening characters as they are insane people traveling around torching places, but somehow the characters are just flat. But then since I am only on Chapter 8...

The lead character Amy is likeable. The story is about the dog but so far not much has been said about it, just implied...and I'm not doing a very good job explaining my thoughts on this cause I just don't have many yet.

I've been reading some of the spoiler threads about the upcoming LotF book, Revelation. Spoilers don't spoil me, the make me want the book even more and I very badly want this one. What surprises me though is the posts that mentioned Caedus' redemption. After Mara's death many readers wanted the ex-Jacen Solo dead as soon as possible or at least sufferinng a great deal. We all cheered when Vader was redeemed but not many have been rooting for Caedus. But I think that may be changing now. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I would rather he be redeemed than dead but...how to do it so it's not stupid. He can't just be the old Jacen, he's gone. But the new Jacen is kind of hard to root for, also unlike Vader, even before he was Caedus.

And Luke. I like Luke again since his wife has died and I know that's a strange thing to say but he'd gotten staid and now he's got a little fire in him and I like it. I think Ben likes it too. I always thought it was a shame that Luke never connected well with his son, especially since he was denied knowledge of his own father for so long.

And all this with Jaina and the Sword of the Jedi and Boba Fett...I'll reserve any opinions or predictions on that, though I do enjoy reading anything about Fett.

Tenel Ka and Tahiri are just cardboard characters most of the time and that's a shame.

Has anyone read the Death Star book?