Sunday Salon

I've decided to revamp the Sunday Salon post....again as a way to catch up with you all if I don’t manage to get any reviews posted. And as a way to combine books movies and TV because the separate posts for all that isn’t working. Ready?

Weather Small Talk: We finally got rain!!!! And more rain...and more rain. Where was all this rain this summer? I'm not sick of it yet so that's good.

On The Idiot Box: New TV shows are back. I've been keeping up with 9-1-1, The Resident and The Good Doctor and I started a new K-drama called Black. It's very different than the last one and half the time I have no idea what's going on but I'm still invested.  I gave up on American Horror Story; too pointless for me.
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Weekly Reads: I finished the Grisha Verse series and loved it; started the Bloodlines series and read a quick YA contemporary romance as a sort of palate cleanser...Cause guess what came in the mail?!!! Markus Zusak's new book!!! I can't wait to delve into it!

Crazy Kitties: All this cold weather has made the kitties overly snuggly. They're always trying to suck up all my body heat.

This Past Week: Was spent pretty lazily. We winterized out rentals but mostly I snuggled up on the couch a lot with my kitties, books and TV shows. Friday was our 5 year anniversary and we spent it pretty low key cause my husband and I have nasty head colds but I can't believe its been five years. Crazy! 

Movie(S) of the Week: We saw Venom on Sunday and it was not nearly as bad as everyone has been saying. It was funny and entertaining. Good popcorn movie.  

Food Talk: I've been sick to my stomach all week too so eating and I aren't getting along. Somethings are fine but others just make it worse. I hope whatever this is passes soon. 

Plans For The Upcoming Week: I'm spending the week in Oregon with my friend. By the time you read this I'll hopefully be walking on the beach. I'm excited from a break from work and routine and glad to be spending time with my friend. I hope my husband and kitties survive with out me.  See you on the other side! 

Sunday Salon

I've decided to revamp the Sunday Salon post....again as a way to catch up with you all if I don’t manage to get any reviews posted. And as a way to combine books movies and TV because the separate posts for all that isn’t working. Ready?

Weather Small Talk: It's finally cooling off at nights which is glorious. The days are warm but not unbearable but it's still dry, dry, dry! It is supposed to rain next week though. I hope it really does and I hope it's lots of rain. We need it badly!

On The Idiot Box: I finished my first K-drama. The one I was talking about last week called Beating Again. It was so soap opera-y but so much fun. The ending was a bit of a cop out but I liked it. I also finished all the available episodes of The Frankenstein Chronicles. It's such a strange show but I liked it too. I Started American Horror Story The Cult and I don't know if I'll finish it. This show keeps getting worse and worse with each season.
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Weekly Reads: I finished Before We Were Yours. It wasn't at all what I was expecting and I really liked it. I'm still working on Siege and Storm the second book in the Grisha trilogy. I'm liking it but it's one of those books that's so much fun while reading but if you put it down it's hard to pick back up. I squeezed in a Sarah Scribbles book and laughed my way through it and started Bloodlines by Richelle Mead on audiobook for when I get off my butt and go walking everyday.

Crazy Kitties: My cat Belly gave me a huge scare this week. I had the front door open because I was cooking steak and the house was all smoky (I'm so not a cook) and when I was done eating I went out to find her. She's scared of the front yard and never wanders more then 20 feet from the door unless she slips around to the backyard. Well, I called and called for her looking in both the front and backyard and nothing. I started panicking and my husband and I started looking in the neighbors yards and all over the street. I decided to check inside again (I'd already checked all her usual hiding places and remembered she sometimes squeezes under my dresser) but she wasn't there. Suddenly I turn around and see her head poking out of the closet. She'd found a new spot to hide and was behind a huge fuzzy robe hanging in there. Why? Why do cats do this to us?! Ugh!

This Past Week: I went with some of my friends to an author event my library put on with Camron Wright the author of the book I reviewed on Friday, The Orphan Keeper. It was a smaller low key event but a lot of fun...and as usual, I didn't take a single picture. 

Movie(S) of the Week: We saw The House With The Clock in its Walls which is not one I'd seek out but there isn't much out in theaters that I haven't already seen so we gave this one a go. It wasn't bad. It was cute and a little spooky and a whole lot of fun. 

Food Talk: Remember those steaks I mentioned? After trying and failing to make a decent steak without smoking up the whole house and attempting a roast in my crockpot the next day that turned our dry and rubbery with half the potatoes done and the others still crunchy, I swore off cooking and we went out to dinner the following two nights! 

Plans For The Upcoming Week: It's still pretty warm but I think I'm going to start winterizing my yard: Pulling up my annuals and putting up the yard furniture etc. I like all that cleaned up so it doesn't get in the way of raking leaves...and they're starting to fall. 

By The Time You Read This...

By the time you read this, I'll be...on "vacation". As you may or may not know, my husband grew up on the Oregon coast and loves it desperately. My dad was raised in Oregon and while I wasn't born there he instilled in my a love for the coast as well. So my husband and I have been traveling to Oregon once a year, at least, for a few years now and driving up and down the coast visiting our favorite spots.

Our plan was eventually to retire to the coast. Yes, there's the rain but look at that view! ^ ^ And these sunsets!

We love it so much! So, it's with great happiness that I tell you of our happy news! We purchased a vacation house on the beach! I'm absolutely thrilled! So this weekend, by the time you read this, we'll be driving (*whimpers* I hate driving) a load of furnishings to our new vacation home. We plan to do  the whole Airbnb thing as soon as we can which is great income and also leaves it available for when we want to get away...several more times than once a year now.

I'm not writing this to gloat (well, not totally) but to let you know it might be quiet around here for a while. All the prepping seriously cut into my reading time so after playing catch up with reviews the last two weeks you'll notice a lull. Not that you'll mind but, you know, I'm telling you anyway. Hopefully the blog will be back to "normal" around mid September.

In the mean time, wish us luck on the LONG drive and have a great Labor Day Weekend! (to my American friends)

Because I Promised

I promised you before and after pictures of my backyard and if you follow me on Instagram you probably already saw these but, if not, here they are!

I actually grew up in this house and once upon a time it didn't look THAT bad but by the time my husband and I bought it, it had been neglected and looked pretty bad...as you can see.

This one's my favorite. It looks so completely different! See that resort look I was going for?

 This was a before the before picture. We used to have a deck but it was falling to pieces.

I'm so bummed that we didn't have a before shot from this angle because over where the fire pit and my husband's shop is was a huge pile of branches and logs and just a big ol' mess!

And one shot at night because the lights are my favorite part!

It was a lot of work and took way too long to finish but I'm so glad it's done now. I spend most of my afternoons out by my pool reading! I love how low maintenance the yard is because the pool, while fun, is NOT low maintenance so every little bit helps.

Thanks for letting me show it off!

TV Talk Sundays #6

Hi! I haven't done one of these boring posts for awhile! So just in the nick of time, here you go.

Back To Our Regularly Scheduled Programming 
(On TV now)

Season finales have happened, people. Let's talk.

 Jane The Virgin
What. The. Actual. F#&*! Did you guy's see this? I can't even! Mind blown! Why?! Why did it end that way? My only hope is that we have a long lost twin on our hands cause I just can't handle it!!!

9-1-1
Much less of a cliffhanger here. I do hope this series gets picked up for season two. It's completely ridiculous but I kinda like it.

The Good Doctor
This one had me choking up. I couldn't have handled watching poor Sean lose one more person in his life. This one better be coming back!

The Resident
I was SOOOOOOO happy to watch stupid Dr. Hunter get dragged off by the FBI. She's the biggest Beotch! If this one comes back next season I'll be watching. What can I say? I'm a sucker for medical dramas...even if they are all the same.

Netflix

I've been watching The Chalet thanks to Greg's recommendation and liking it. If you like mysteries and can handle subtitles you should check it out.

I'm still working through season two of Jessica Jones but sadly am taking forever.

Aaaaaand that's all I have to report on. This is my busy time of year taking care of too many yards so I never have as much time as I want. The heat does drive me inside though so hopefully I can catch up on my ridiculously long Netflix watch list. That being said, I probably won't be doing too many of these posts during the summer. see how much faith I have in myself?)  But you never know, miracles do happen.

TV Talk Sundays #5

Hmmm, I'm wondering if I should even bother doing this post anymore. Or maybe I should make it a monthly post. Oh well.

Back To Our Regularly Scheduled Programming
(On TV Now)

Jane The Virgin
They really amped up the drama here! I think this plot twist with Xiomara will be hard since my mother died of breast cancer. :(

9-1-1
While I'm not really a big believer in karma this episode made me smile. Those jerks deserved what they got!

The Good Doctor
No new episode this week. Sigh!

The Resident
This episode almost made me cry. Why can't doctors actually listen to their patients like Dr. Hawkins does in this episode? I can't tell you how many times I've been looked at like a disease or a problem rather than a human being, let alone a unique individual.

Netflix

The Crown
I finally finished season 2! I loved that last episode. Especially when Phillip tells everyone to shut up and the photographer to take the photo. Now it's just the long wait for season 3.

Jessica Jones
It's back!!! Season 2 is here! I haven't started it yet but I will. I'm very excited, though it won't be as fun without David Tennant. I'm not sure if I'll love it as much.

Haven't watched anything else on Netflix, though my list is miles long.

Amazon Prime

Victoria 
 I finished season 1 of Victoria and enjoyed it immensely. I wish season 2 was on there too. I'll have to see if I can find another platform to watch it on. The romance between the cook and Nancy broke my heart. I loved the cook...thought I can't think of his name.

TV Talk Sundays #4

Alright, this is a little late but I've been off my game lately. I'm happy the Olympics are finally over and we can get back to our regularly scheduled programming. I was starting to have withdrawals!

Back To Our Regularly Scheduled Programming
(on TV now)

Jane The Virgin
I felt sort of "meh" about this weeks episode. I feel like they've lost momentum. Hopefully things pick up soon.

9-1-1
This week's episode tackled the full moon and all the crazies that come out. I laughed at the prenatal yoga class when three women went into labor. As usual this show makes me roll my eyes but it's still fun to watch.

The Good Doctor
And they introduced a new doctor. I actually liked this guy. He's older and I can see him butting heads with the other doctors but that's got to be a good thing, right?

The Resident
This show is starting to piss me off. It shows the greed of hospital CEOs so well that it's making me sick. Our health care system is so messed up and whoever you want to blame, that's fine but the real villain is greed. It's all about the money. Ugh! I don't know if I can even keep watching.

Netflix

The Crown
Still slowly making my way through season two. I love looking up each episode after I watch and seeing what was accurate and what's not. It's usually pretty close to truth. Anyone else watch the episode with Charles going to that school and wanting to choke him out? Sorry, I know he's the future king of England but he's such a little pansy.

Amazon Prime

Victoria
I've started watching Victoria on Prime and while it's not as accurate as The Crown I still enjoy it. It's entertaining and fun to watch. Anyone else seen it? You should check it out. The guy who plays Albert is very, very dreamy!

In My Thoughts This Fine Day #15

Sorry for all you fans out there but I hate the stupid Olympics. I just don't care about all the asinine sports or even the more legit events that the Olympics features. The whole reason I'm doing this post today instead of my TV Talk Sunday's is because there's nothing new to report on. I guess everyone else is watching the above mentioned stupidity. Sigh!

It looks like winter finally decided to show up in my neck of the woods. I just LOVE how it waited till the end of February to start snowing every other day! In case you couldn't tell, that was sarcasm. I'm fine with winter but when it shows up this late and suddenly just starts dumping on us I get a little miffed. I couldn't resist taking the above picture. My kitty was certain she wanted outside but when I opened the door she took one step out and changed her mind. 

After reading The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett, (review up tomorrow) my first five star read of the year, I have the worst book hangover. I've tried picking up other books with no luck. It could be that I'm completely burned out on those Tournament of Books books but I'm struggling to get into anything. Sigh! I started Eliza and her Monsters the other day. Hopefully that will pull me out of this slump.  

Why, Hello There

A lot of you guys encouraged me to not give up on this blog and since I'm not quite ready to give up, I've decided to carry on. However, summers are just plain awful for me. I'm so busy I barely have time to read, let alone, blog.

Why am I so busy? Well, I think a lot of you know my husband and I own a few rental properties, right? Yeah, so in the winter I don't have to lift a finger at said properties unless something happens to go wrong, like a furnace going out (which two did this last winter) but that just requires a phone call to a repair company and a trip to the property to meet the repair man. Nothing too complicated. The summer, however, is a whole other story.  We do the yard work at our rentals so that means once a week we have to go mow lawns, make sure the sprinklers at one property are working and watering properly and make sure our tenants at the other property are keeping up with watering their lawns.

And now we have another property that we're remodeling right now...I swear this happens every summer...and on top of all that I have to keep up my own yard and house and, guys, I hate summers! I really do. They're hot and busy and all I want to do in lay by the pool and read but there's no time.

Thanks for listening to me rant. I have some book reviews to write but that might be all you see for awhile.

I hope everyone else is having a nice relaxing summer! See you on the other side!  

In My Thoughts This Fine Day #14

Holy Crap! A In My Thoughts post? I know, right?! It's been a while.

 1. Guys, I'm so BORED with my current reads! I don't want to fall into a slump because of them but I also don't want to give up on these ones. I'm reading A Madness so Discreet by Mindy McGinnis and I'm pretty sure I'm the only person on the planet who is bugged by it. My problem with it has things to do with my ...*gulps* dislike of anything Sherlock Holmes. Don't hurt me! I'm sorry. I just can't stand anything to do with Sherlock. I've tried it all and I hate it all. Any way, this one has nothing to do with Sherlock but it kind of feels like it and it's bugging me. Plus I'm 130 pages in and am still trying to figure out where its going. I need something soon or I'm giving up.
I'm also reading Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein and it's OK but slow. I'm reading it for book club so I won't give up but...I kinda want to.

2. I keep thinking of giving up blogging but then I think of the why I haven't yet. I remember when blogging was so fun for me. I couldn't wait to sit down and write a silly post or a book review. Now I have to force myself to write anything. It's not that I'm so much busier than before, either. Though, I am. I blame smart phones. I find myself sitting down to read or blog or even watch a stupid TV show and somehow I end up looking at Facebook or Instagram or Pinterest on my stupid phone! I'm seriously freaked out by this strange habit. I was born in the early 80s. I've only had a phone for 11 years and only a smart phone for like 5 years. That's not even a third of my life and yet I'm addicted! I've decided I'm going to put my phone in another room when I sit down to read etc. so I don't pick it up. As for blogging? I'm going to try to remember what I loved so much about it.

3. A moment for a soccer mention. Wow! I know! I'm talking about soccer again?! It's been, what? 5 years since I've had a soccer post? Crazy! Let me explain why. I had to get rid of my precious soccer channel. I was trying to save money and it had to go. So I couldn't watch my boys anymore and suddenly a bunch of them were transferred to different teams and new guys were transferred in and now I hardly recognize my beloved Real Madrid boys. So sad. I miss it but now, not only have I gotten rid of the channel, but have gotten rid of TV all together. Anywho, in my absence a certain player who I'm pretty sure is a vampire...has made giant strides.

  A Facebook post by our "vampire" . If you remember he turned his fellow team mates and after this post I saw this picture.

Is this him motioning to all he owns?!

Stay safe my friends! The "vampire" is coming!

7 "Interesting" Things About Me

Thanks to Kara from Flowers of Quiet Happiness for nominating me! I wanted to participate quite frankly so I had something to blog about. Guys, my blogging slump just won't go away. So anyway. The rules for this award are to post 7 interesting things about yourself and tag 10-15 other bloggers. Will you all hate me if I don't tag anyone but still participate? I hope not. Here goes.

1 On October 12th I'll have been married for 3 years. In that time, my husband has started his own business, we bought a house and remodeled it, bought two rental properties, got another kitty and tracked down my husband's birth mom (whom we visited in person this past weekend). If we'd had a kid I think I might have died from stress, yes?

2 I've been to England twice and would love to live there. I love it!

3 I have a library in my house that I remodeled the first of this year that has zero books in it. What? Then how is it a library, you ask? I don't know! It just is! It was meant to have bookshelves but due to buying a lovely couch and a chair to go in there before it was remodeled left me with zero room for my bookshelves.  Needless, to say, I still call it my library/reading room even if it doesn't have any books in it.

4 I live in Utah with "The Greatest Snow on Earth" And have never been nor do I desire to go skiing.

5 The house my husband and I bought was actually my mom's house. AKA the house I grew up in. So after a brief stint away where I lived in an apartment for awhile, I moved right back into the house I grew up in. So basically I've lived int the same house for 32 years. Can I just say, I'm really sick of the same old surroundings. Oh well.

6 I hate coconut but like Mounds bars. And I like them for the weirdest reason. You know in the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory when Charlie finds the money and buys a candy bar with the last Golden Ticket in it? Well, before he gets that candy bar, he gets another one that he shoves down so fast you'd think he hadn't eaten in years. Anywho, that first candy bar looks like a Mounds bar and it looks so freaking good! Just thinking about him snarfing down that stupid candy bar makes me want a Mounds bar.

7  I'm a crazy neat freak. I clean my house once a week. Which isn't too bad but I'm one of those weirdos that moves all the furniture to vacuum and sweep. Like the stove and the fridge and couches etc.  I never thought that was weird until people told me it was. Oh well.

So, there you have it. Not too interesting but hey. Again, I'm not going to tag any one but please feel free to participate! I'd love to hear 7fun facts about you guys!

In My Thoughts This Fine Day #13

Occasionally, I go through my TBR shelf on Goodreads and purge. Take off all those titles I no longer want to read. It's quite painful. I'm always afraid I'll purge a book I might have loved. Still, with over 800 books on my TBR shelf there's just no way, right? So I purge. And lately I've been considering purging my physical book shelves. *gulps* I don't know, guys. Can I do it? Will it feel good? I spent money on those books and if I get rid of a book I've never even read will I regret it?

Guys, I seriously miss routine! I know, it sounds crazy, but if your life was as unpredictable and crazy as mine...or if it is, you'd understand. I just want to have a nice normal life for awhile! Sigh! Hopefully one day it'll go back to normal and I'll miss the craziness.

I'm going to get really annoying for a minute! So I read and comment on all my fellow blogger friend's blogs via Feedly. Every day. On. My. Phone. And yet, I see all these people say it's just so hard to comment from a phone and they never have time anymore. What?! I find the time when I'm waiting in line at the bank or grocery store. And commenting from a phone is easy. I'll admit if I have a really long comment that it gets a bit tedious but if I keep my comments short and sweet, it's easy-peasy! Not that I'm trying to guilt trip anyone. I guess I just don't get it. I don't find it hard at all. Anyone else use their phone to read and comment on blogs? Tell me I'm not alone!

On My Mind This Fine Day #12

It's time for some more randomness!

1 Ugh! I'm in such a blogging slump! Somehow, with all the craziness going on in my life, I'm still managing to read great but blogging??? Not so much. So...I did write a review the other day and started getting annoyed with all the things I list. Like: Title, Author, Genre, Pages, etc. I love adding the first line of every book but are all those other things necessary? Do you even look at them? Sometimes I've seen people post the name of the series the book is in and what number it is which I really like but the other stuff...I don't know if it's necessary. Can't you just read the title and author off the picture of the book? I don't know tell me what you think.

2 Speaking of all the craziness. My husband and I own a duplex and had to send a tenant packing. We decided to renovate her side because it was in dire need of help. It's exhausting because we do so much of it ourselves. This time we decided to hire out the paint job because...well let's just say the words mental and breakdown were bandied about.  So we got some bids, hired it out and...I should just do these things myself! I'm such a control freak I want to hover over their shoulders and correct every little thing they do! I'm going to get through this. I just need to remember to breathe!

3 Shout out time! I used to be utterly obsessed with TV. I'd watch a million shows live (none of that DVR stuff for me). I knew what new shows were coming out each season and would make a schedule so I could check them out...you may remember because I posted about it a few times. Anywho, I hardly watch TV now. I just can't seem to get in to anything anymore. BUT! I love Jane The Virgin. It's so ridiculously, stupidly perfect! Have you seen it? Cause season 1 is on Netflix. You should watch it. I also actually have gotten into another show too. ABC's The Family. You may have seen me Tweeting about it. It's so addicting! Go on, check it out. Oh, and Game of Thrones is coming back! Wahoo!

In My Thoughts This Fine Day #11

It's been a while since I did one of these posts. Since I'm still working my way through Winter (very good but long!) I don't have any book reviews to post. So hey, how about some random thoughts. Enjoy!


1. Book Shelves
So most of us book lovers just love organizing and reorganizing our book shelves. I know I do but lately I've been trying to decide something a little different. See, I was always taught that books are to be lined up with the front of the shelf. So that's how I do it. But I've noticed that others push their books to the back of the shelf and put little knick knacks in front of them. I think it's actually very cute and heaven knows I need more room for my knick knacks but...the dusting. Sigh! What to do? What to do? What do you do and like best?

2. This video explains how I feel about the cold and snow to a T.

I actually like winter better than summer but I'm so tired of being cold!

3.I'm SOOOO excited about my reading plans this year. Now before you ask what I'm going to read let me just cut you off and say, I don't know yet. I do know that I'm doing all adult books for the month of February and can't wait to go into my library and pick out what I'll be reading. And then...! I plan on getting some series finally read. Usually I read a book in a series and then read something else but not this year. This year I plan on finishing some series I'm in the middle of and starting AND finishing some others. Don't ask but this makes me so happy and excited! You can follow me on Instagram if you'd like. I'll be posting pics of my monthly TBR books each month!

New Year, New Review Format

I've been struggling with my book review format for a while now. I'm bored with it. I get bored easily. Sigh! Any way, I figured with it being a new year and all, I'd change my format. But to what? I couldn't decide. Sometimes I just have random thoughts about books and no over arching feeling. I love the way Kami and Kimberly do their reviews. They both just sort of bullet point some thoughts they had while reading the book.  I thought I'd steal their format, change it up a bit and try it out for the year. You'll have to tell me what you think. Have a Happy New Year!  

In My Thoughts This Fine Day #10

I just read this book for book club. I thought it might take awhile so I go an early start. I was wrong. It didn't take me long. I flew through it. If you haven't read this one yet you haven't let it drop despondently from your hands as it ends and flung yourself on the floor in despair! I seriously need to discuss this book!!!! Sigh! Here's my question: Should I read the sequel After You? It just came out but I've heard really negative things. See, I figured either Moyes' wrote the sequel to give her poor readers some closure or she just wrote it because she knew she'd make bank. From what I can gather from people's reviews it's the latter. Ugh! Maybe just discussing it would be enough. If only I had someone to discuss it with!

I have five books to review...I'll attempt to write up some reviews after posting this but all I want to do is read! Considering my dismal reading numbers lately, I guess at least I'm reading, right? But when I keep flying though books I need to review them before I forget all about them and I don't wanna!!!!  I just want to read...I blame it on the season. When fall comes with its colder temperatures, I want hot chocolate, hot baths and books!!!

Hey look! A movie review shoved into my random post! Let me just admit right now that (sorry Jenni and Suey) I just don't get the obsession with Tom Hiddleston. I do, however, enjoy a good horror movie so I went to see Crimson Peak this past week. I seriously want those two hours of my life back!!! First off, ALL the scary scenes are shown in the previews! It wasn't even a horror movie. It was a disgusting drama involving a pathetically naive and weak heroine, incest and dubious plot. If you wanted to see it for the horror, don't! Just watch the previews. If you wanted to see it for Tom, don't! He's kind of a jerk in it and not in a Loki kinda way.

Rant & Rave #3

                            Rant & Rave

Rave
My new block kitties!

I shared a picture of my new kitties on Instagram but I just can't get over how cute they are! I've seen kitties like this before but I never even considered making them before because, well, power tools and I are long time enemies. Enter my awesome husband. He's more than just a pretty face. He has tools and the skills to use them! Not that cutting pointing ears into 2X4's is hard but if I was trying it, I might as well be disarming a bomb. So he cut the pointy ears and painted them and I picked out the smallest, beadiest googly eyes I could find and some cute Halloween ribbon and there you have it! Now my kitties are sitting on top of my fireplace where I can see them everyday and smile at their cuteness! My sister was so jealous I had my husband whip her up a pair.  What do you think? Cute, right?! 

Rant

Blue Jays! 

Blue Jays. The outspoken, obnoxious, state the obvious bird I can't stand! I know, you think I'm crazy. Blue Jays are so pretty. Well, pretty is as pretty does and this stupid bird couldn't make it's self more ugly if it tried! Besides the irritating sound this dumb bird makes it has declared itself the neighborhood watch! It's like that nosy old neighbor you have that is constantly watching you and then calling so and so to tell them what you're up to. These annoying birds are all over in my yard and they think it's their duty to sit in a tree right above my cats and squawk to all the other birds and squirrels that there's danger, danger, danger. No kidding, you stupid bird! Every other bird and squirrel knows all about the the cat. They've been QUIETLY watching it long before you got here. I would imagine when the blue jays start screaming that there's danger, that every other bird and squirrel rolls it's eyes and mutters, "no shit, Sherlock" under its breath. Good grief! Even as I type this one is squawking about something! So, if you ever see me in my yard yelling obscenities and throwing rocks up into the trees, well, now you know why.  Excuse me. A blue jay and I have unfinished business.

Rant & Rave #2

                                                                Rant & Rave

Welcome to my Rant and Rave post. A place where I can Rave about something or someone, and a place where I can get that chip off my shoulder by Ranting.

 Rave
I'm such a negative person that Raving about things just isn't "me", if you know what I mean. But, yes, occasionally I get over my pessimism and find something glorious and beautiful in life to rave about.
Today's Rave: Did you know Cabella's has fudge? Homemade in-store made fudge?! Alright, it's ridiculously expensive but it's delicious, comes in a bazillion different flavors and is quite the reward for being dragged to a hunting, camping, outdoors'ey store with my husband. This trip, I bought regular milk chocolate flavored and then tried the Heath Bar crunch and the Rolo flavored. Both delicious! Can you say sugar high?! 

Rant
Today's Rant: So, last Sunday I get to church, on time, and sit at one end of a pew. The other end was occupied by a group of older single widows. Between us is space but I sat at the end because I'm a bit claustrophobic and was feeling very dizzy and sick as it was. When suddenly, a good 15 minutes late, a couple with several kids walks up to me and just sits there staring at me. Now usually they might motion to the empty spot between me and the older ladies and mouth quietly if that spot is taken. To which I would nod, suck in and let them in. However, the man just sits there looking at me and I finally whisper, "would you like me to move down?" He snaps out a "yes" and I was so flustered I didn't say what I wanted to about how I was on time and that he can't just kick me out of my seat, but instead just moved down. So now I'm trapped between these older ladies and this loud family with young kids and does it get better? No! The guy gets out a bag of grapes and starts popping them in his mouth and somehow manages to make them crunch. I mean, I didn't know you can make grapes crunch but this man has somehow discovered the secret. So not only is he being totally disrespectful (it was during the sacrament for those of you who are LDS) but he's being loud and obnoxious too! Then through the rest of the meeting his little girl sat and kicked my legs. Seriously?! What's wrong with people? 
Now before you judge me for being a judgmental religious fanatic who has no charity, let just remember, no matter your religion or lack thereof, you don't kick someone out of their seat. You wouldn't go to movie and ask someone to move. At least, I hope you wouldn't. Anyway, I'm just ranting and ranting is safe here...right? ;) 


Hope you enjoyed my Ranting and Raving. What are you Raving and Ranting about today? Please share.

Rant & Rave #1

                                                                Rant & Rave

Welcome to my first Rant and Rave post. A place where I can Rave about something or someone, and a place where I can get that chip off my shoulder by Ranting.

 Rave
I'm such a negative person that Raving about things just isn't "me", if you know what I mean. But, yes, occasionally I get over my pessimism and find something glorious and beautiful in life to rave about.
Today's Rave: My all time favorite toy ever! My leaf blower. I know, you think I've really lost it now but don't click away just yet. I seriously love this thing. I love how powerful it makes me feel. I love when I'm in a particularly bad mood how taking the ol' leaf blower out and blowing my yard free of leaves dust and dirt just makes me smile. Nothing, can withstand it's force. (ok not really, but it feels that way) and just holding the power of wind in my hands makes me happy! I use it to clean not just my yard but my shop vac's filter out. Yep, just take that baby outside, have someone hold it, then blow the crap out of it! Wahoo! I also used that technique on my furnace filter when I wasn't able to replace it quite yet. Seriously, just ask my husband. When ever there's a job for the leaf blower; I get a huge grin on my face, a slight skip in my step and run to my beloved leaf blower.

Rant
Today's Rant: Stupid drivers. Actually, you'll probably see this little rant of mine more than once. My particular rant today has to do with people in parking lots. OK, so say you're driving down the little isle between parking spots looking for a good one or you've just exited your spot and are making your way down the isle to the exit and suddenly, someone starts pulling out. Well, obviously you can see better than they can, so you slow down waiting for them to see you. Now in my humble opinion. If you're pulling out of a parking spot you yield to the person in the "road" but lately theses entitled bastard just keep pulling out! They know I'm not waiting for their spot they just can't be bothered to stop. Apparently, in their mind, they have the write of way. What the hell?! It's happened to me so many times in the last little bit that I swear...one more person does it and I'll ram my crappy dented Honda Civic into their shiny new Mercedes. I swear I'll do it, consequences be damned! Phew! That felt good. Sorry about the swears.


Hope you enjoyed my Ranting and Raving. What are you Raving and Ranting about today? Please share.

Sunday Salon

Welcome to the Sunday Salon. A Weekly Update of my boring life. 

Weather Small Talk:  Still having that typical Utah spring weather. Hot as Hades one day, cold as ice the next. 

On The Idiot Box: My TV watching is pretty much down to series on Netflix. I tried out The 100, The Paradise and Daredevil. So far I'm only still interested in Daredevil. I guess I'll just stick with Game of Thrones.

Weekly Reads: I read two books again this week! I'm on a roll! I finished Dune and read Elevated by Elana Johnson. 

Crazy Kitties: I'm at my wits end with Belly. She keeps going potty on the bathroom rug. Now I don't get to have a rug in the bathroom. Any tips? Seriously. I've tried everything from punishment to ignoring her and nothing helps. It's a territorial thing and I can't get her to stop. 

This Week: Had some serious highs and lows this week emotionally. Stupid hormones! 

Movie of the Week: No new movies but I watched The Babadook (a Australian horror movie) on Netflix. I laughed through most of it as I often do in horror movies but this one had this whole symbolic thing going and it was pretty interesting. 
 

Food Talk: I know you're never going to believe this but I think I'm all sugared out. I just can't stand the thought of eating more sugary foods...just give me a few days. I'm sure I'll be back to sugar soon. 

Married Life: I decided to add a little something about my married life to this post. Tell me what you think. The past couple of weeks, It's occurred to me that the honeymoon phase is over. No, no. I don't mean I'm miserable and my marriage is boring and loveless. It's just not all passion and lovey dovey crap anymore. However, the communication level has gotten really good and I'd take that any day of the week over romance. 

Lessons Learned: Unfortunately, though I have these amazing breakthroughs about life everyday, I don't seem to act on them very well. Oh well. I'm still working on my goal of the year to love myself more. It's hard guys. Why do we woman struggle with this so much?!

Plans For The Week: The gross swamp we have growing in the pool is going bye bye. I'm so excited to get it all cleaned out and filled. Now if the weather will just cooperate and get warm!