Monday, April 29, 2013

Survival of the Fittest

Completed.

The next installment of Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware series. I'll admit I had a hard time with this one. I don't know if it was the subject matter (eugenics) or if I didn't take a long enough break from Alex or if I need to get away from mysteries for a while. But whatever the reason, this one didn't fly by like most of this series has. It wasn't a "real page turner" for me.

At any rate, I finished it and am moving on. On to my challenge for myself. One book off my shelf for every two on my NOOK. I thought I needed to read these books and so it's time to actually do so instead of letting them continue to sit and pile up.

Up first is catching up in "What to Expect: The Toddler Years" and "The Harbinger" since I can't ever read just one book anymore!

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Surprise! Or maybe not...

So I stole another blog idea. A personality test. I took it with curiousity, and skepticism.

"You Are Organized"

"You are driven by an acute sense of responsibility and conscientiousness. You are a firm believer in pullin gyour own weight. You like rules more than most people. Even if they're a pain to follow, you like to know where the boundaries are.
"You are analytical and cool headed. When confronted with a monumental problem, you're willing to go slow and take one step at a time. Een if you aren't a scientist, you have a lot of respect for the scientific method. You like to test out ideas and theories.
"You appreciate quality, and you have high standards for everything in your life. You always give others credit for a job well done. You have a head for facts. you are very precise and detail oriented. And you can't help but correct people when they are wrong."

And then I took it again, changing just the couple of questions on which I really had a hard time deciding which was more "me."

"You Are Grounded"

"If slow and steady wins the race, then you're going to be crowned grand champion. You are consistently consistent. You pride yourself on being dependable and reliable. You are a rock, and you are especially loyal to your friends and family.
"You're the kind of person who finds it hard to say no to someone in need, and why would you even want to? Helping out gives you a sense of purpose.You do well with a routine and consistency. You find 'boring' to be quite rich and deep. You enjoy perfecting your everyday tasks.
"You are agreeable whenever possible. Disagreeing stresses you out, so you only stand your ground when it's necessary. You are patient and very open to changing your mind. You are always willing to hear someone out, and you are a good mediator."

What do you think? Is either right? Neither? Both?

Find out about your own personality. But remember, you can't believe every quiz you find on the internet. What's your personality?

Friday, April 19, 2013

Reading Reading Reading

I have decided it is time to set another goal for myself. I have been having great fun playing with my new NOOKs... Which means I am, once again, ignoring the large quantity of "real" books sitting on my "to be read" shelf. So new goal: one book off my shelf for every two NOOK books. Starting as soon as I finish the library book I rented on my NOOK- I mean, I HAVE to finish it before it's due back!

All that being said I have recently completed The Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder which had bonus novella Candy for Christmas included at the end, both by Joanne Fluke. And I finally (FINALLY!!!) completed The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (which did get better the further I got into it. And I am 99% sure I have read it before). Now it's back to Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware series and then on to The Harbinger. After that, who knows! The possibilities are endless!!

Friday!

Time for Hilary’s blog hop over at Feeling Beachie!! Join in the fun and answer the fill in the blanks!!! She is always looking for more statements so if you have any ideas let her know!!! But now….on with this week’s statements!

This week’s statements:

1. I hate __
2. I used to love playing _____ as a kid
3. Common sense says ______, but I tend to ____________
4. Once, I was surprised to find myself __________________.

1. I hate mustard. All condiments really, but mustard popped into my head for some reason...
2. I used to love playing dress up as a kid.
3. Common sense says not to use credit cards, but I tend to find them necessary at times.
4. Once, I was surprised to find myself not fainting at the sight of blood.

Phew! Those last two were kinda tough!

Monday, April 15, 2013

A Few Things You Probably Already Know

I like to steal blog prompts from other people. It's an easy way for me to get another blog post posted without having to use my noodle to brainstorm a topic myself. This one I stole from my Auntie at It's Just Life .

1. What were you doing 10 years ago?  Let's see, 10 years ago would make it April 2003, so I would have been finishing up my junior year at Capital University. I have a few months of ABA experience under my belt by this point. I was researching graduate schools in my spare time...

2. What 5 things are on your To-Do list?
          1. Empty dishwasher
          2. Clean house
          3. Return phone calls
          4. Organize basement storage area (again!)
          5. Clean up playset building project mess in garage

3.What are 5 snacks you enjoy?
          1. Cheezits
          2. Teddy Grahams
          3. Pretzels
          4. Fruit
          5. Granola Bars

4. Name some things you would do if you were a millionaire:   Pay off my student loans, mortgage, etc. Probably get new cars. Make a retirement fund. Pay off family and friends' debts. Give a bunch away.

5.Name some places you have lived.
          Shelby, Ohio
          Bexley, Ohio (Capital University- 3 different locations)
          Beach City, Ohio (Camp Wanake, I consider it living there for 2 summers)
          Columbus, Ohio
          Whitehall, Ohio
          Reynoldsburg, Ohio (2 locations)
          Blacklick, Ohio (2 locations)

I guess if you really wanted you could lump Bexley, Columbus, Whitehall, Reynoldsburg, and Blacklick all under the "Columbus" label since most people outside the Greater Columbus Area don't know the above as anything other than Columbus....

6. Name some bad habits you have. 
          Snacking all day instead of eating meals...
          Starting a new book before I've finished the old one...
          Spending too much time on Facebook...
          Not folding and putting away the laundry as soon as I take it out of the dryer...
          Letting my kid watch more TV than I said I would...

7.Name some jobs you have had. 
          Slave laborer         
          Babysitter Extraordinaire
          Custodial Aide
          Camp Counselor
          ABA Therapist
          Intern
          Professional Counselor
          Foster Care Consultant
                                                                                   

Friday, April 12, 2013

Friday Fun Fill-In

It is Friday and time to join Hilary over at Feeling Beachie for her fill in the blank blog hop! Join in the fun by going over and checking out her blog and signing up!!! Now on to the fun!

This week’s statements:

1. I don’t like to ____
2. I love to ___ in the morning
3. If I could change one thing in my life it would be _______
4. If I was better at _____, I would _____

My answers:

1. I don't like to be rushed.
2. I love to sleep in past 6:30 in the morning.
3. If I could change one thing in my life it would be our work hours so that we could spend more time together as a family.
4. If I was better at art, I would consider being an art therapist.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

The Price of a Pet

What does it cost to be a pet owner? Well, I suppose that depends on the type and number of pets. Food, bedding, entertainment, waste management, etc. All factors in pet ownership.

But there is a hidden cost. The price of affection. This is the price you learn of when your furry (or non furry) friend falls ill, is injured or missing. I'm not talking vet bills (though that is a HUGE cost!). I'm talking that sinking feeling that your four-legged (or two or no legged) friend is going to live on only in memory.

Sometimes the decision isn't ours. After a long, happy life, the pet says goodbye. Other times tragedy strikes. In some cases the decision is clear, merciful. In others, the pet owner struggles as to what is the right option. The animal is unable to communicate in a clear way what his/her desire from the pet owner would be. Sadly, the high cost of treatment is a limiting factor in the decision-making process.

I grew up in a rural area, where, for the most part, pets were just that- pets. Not members of the family. Not "children." I've loved and lost my share of animals. And I always understood that was the way things were.

When the huz and I adopted devil kitty, Jynx, we had a long conversation about him being a pet and not more. We were on the same page. And still are. But now we are the grown ups in charge of making the decisions about our pets. We've spent the last five years double checking to make sure all the food is put away, wearing socks for the sole purpose of protecting our delicate ankle skin, and never having an empty lap.

We know we can't do more for the patient than we have. What we don't know is if this treatment is working. What we don't know is if and how much pain he is in. He seems happy to see me- loves the attention, but then he always has been an attention hungry cat. He'll eat, but only a few bites and only if I'm sitting with him. With only a day and a half left of the steroid, I see no improvement in his gait, no feeling coming back in his tail...he just wants me to pet him. That's all he's ever wanted- aside from a piece of bread here and there and maybe to play fetch once in a while (yes, he is a cat...)

More updates on his condition over the next week and a half...

Please enjoy the following pictures: Jynx shortly after we got him, the day we introduced him to his younger "brother," and his most recent portrait after returning from the animal hospital.





Thursday, April 4, 2013

December Dread

Sigh. Once again I have fallen off the blogosphere. Seems I have so little free time these days! This new job definitely keeps me busy, then there is Punky, the huz, the house, chores- oh the laundry! never ending laundry! What little time I do have to myself I spend reading. Or trying to catch up on the DVRed shows! So the blog goes by the wayside. Not that any of my four followers are complaining! No one is pleading for more of my ever enticing and inspiring words. But it keeps me in the practice of writing (someday I will publish!) and is a therapeutic outlet for me.

So what does any of this have to do with the title of today's blog? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

December Dread was the latest installment of the murder-by-month novels I have been working my way through. Are these books literary masterpieces like Shakespeare? Well, no. But when I read non-scholastic material I look for likeable characters and a storyline that I can lose myself in. And Ms. Lourey has done that for me in Battle Lake with Mira and Mrs. Berns. And now I wait the painfully long time until January Thaw hits shelves- it's not even done being written yet! Though I imagine it'll be a little easier to wait for this than it was for the final Harry Potter...

Till then I have another Minnesota based mystery I borrowed on my NOOK and The Harbinger loaned to me by a family member to tackle! Not to mention getting caught up in "What to Expect: The Toddler Years," and finallllllly finishing "The Scarlet Letter" (why can't I get through the last bit?!)