What a girl wants, what a girl needs... I bet you sang that!
This is my take, based on relationships I've been in and others that I've seen, of some things that makes girls happy, and things that don't. These are not necessarily in order.
What a girl wants
1. To be loved, wholly and completely.
2. To be cherished.
3. To be number one.
4. To be hugged daily.
5. To be kissed.
6. To be publicly acknowledged with love.
7. To hold hands.
8. To have her opinion respected.
9. To feel valued.
10. To matter.
11. To be included.
12. To be appreciated.
13. To have promises kept.
What a girl doesn't want
1. To be ignored.
2. To be made fun of.
3. To be taken advantage of.
4. To be demeaned.
5. To be controlled.
6. To be lied to.
7. To be spoken down to.
8. To feel unimportant.
9. To be called negative.
10. To be treated like a child.
11. To feel like an obligation.
12. To be left out.
13. To be business partners only.
Thanksgiving is the best meal of the year! Turkey and dressing, gravy, cranberry sauce, black olives, green bean casserole, and mashed potatoes with loads of butter!
I'm late, but it's still Tuesday! I'm linking up with Stacy.
Thanksgiving is over! Let the Christmas season begin! Actually, Thanksgiving is my favorite meal of the whole year. Turkey, dressing, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, gravy, not necessarily in that order. Now, I can take or leave the desserts. I'm not crazy about pumpkin. But the dinner... yum!
My school was out for the whole week. It was a nice break. Usually, we have three weeks of school between Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year, we have four. Whose bright idea was it to keep us in school until December 22? That gives me two days off before "The Big Guy" comes down the chimney! That's not enough time! But... before I panic too much... at least I don't have little ones. On second thought, I will probably panic a little bit.
I usually get sad on Christmas morning. Why? Because it's OVER, that's why! Christmas is such a cheerful time of year. The celebration of Jesus' birth, the music, the Christmas movies, Christmas carols, decorations, and buying gifts.
Unfortunately, my better half doesn't have the same sentiments. He'd rather go on a vacation and skip Christmas, but I just can't and don't want to. It would be like Christmas with the Kranks!
And - big news - my daughter graduates from college in less than three weeks!
What are you most looking forward to this holiday season?
I have to admit... I am abandoning this book. I wanted a really gritty, realistic young adult novel that I might be able to recommend to some of my boys. But this? This is an angry rant from a very angry character. I don't see any redeeming or likable qualities, and I am on chapter 5.
It is similar to stream-of-consciousness writing which is difficult to do well. And this main character has some major issues. Mom is remarried to a man that beats him and insults him mercilessly. He seems bright as far as academics go, but his attitude toward the world is just one of anger.
In chapter one, he must have said, "You don't know me" thirty times. Maybe I exaggerate a little, but after the first time or two, I think it sank in... I don't know him. I'm glad I don't. He is unlikable.
At one point, he says he is floating 20 feet above his backyard. He also states that his real father named him after a toilet (John). He calls his step-father "the man who is not my father." One of his teachers, the one he calls Mrs. Moonface, assigns too much homework. He calls school "anti-school." He nicknames a classmate's nose "Beanman's Beezer." He talks about Glory Hallelujah as though she is ugly, has greasy hair, and is stupid. Then he decides to tell the reader the truth, that he is in love with her. His tuba is not a tuba; it's a frog. Delusional! And he repeats that the reader doesn't know him and will never know him. And for all of his delusions, sarcasm, and anger, he tells the reader he is not to blame.
I just couldn't read any more. I found the cynical protagonist had no redeeming qualities. I just couldn't keep reading the negativity. As I was reading, the words that kept playing through my mind were, "This is so stupid." And you can't fix stupid! Maybe one day I will pick it up again and give it another shot, but if the first five chapters are an indication of the rest of the novel, I'm not sure I can finish it.
What a week or two it's been! The World Series, the victory parade, basketball season picking up, the time change, Veteran's Day, blood work, and a "little" thing called work! Whew!
Speaking of blood work, no surprise that my cholesterol is up. I was taking a statin, but when it ran out, the doctor wouldn't renew it until I had another office visit. However, over the course of the last few months, I've changed doctors. I know I need to eat less fat and exercise more, but I'm sure going on the medicine had something to do with it, too.
Also, I ran out of my migraine preventative, and, you guessed it, I have to go to the doctor again before they will refill it. And the soonest I can get in is a week and two days. Meanwhile, I am suffering from headaches with occasional blinding pain, where it feels like the side of my head is burning or that part of my head may melt off, and flashes of light like lightening rods.
And the last of the medical info... the carbon dioxide in my blood is too high. I've never heard anything about that being an issue. Is anyone familiar with that?
Thanksgiving is coming soon, and I can't wait! I love to eat turkey and dressing (down here in Texas, it is called dressing, not stuffing, and there are no oysters, apples, nuts, cranberries, or any unusual ingredient in it.) Dressing is best made with cornbread, butter, onions, celery, broth, salt, pepper, and sage. Delicious! Unfortunately, my family doesn't look forward to turkey and dressing as much as I do. It's a shame.
I'm looking forward to more than the Thanksgiving meal. I love the parades! And I'm excited about listening to Christmas music and decorating the house. Most of all, I'm ready for a week off from school after which there will be four more weeks till we get out for Christmas break!
And now, I will leave you with this cute cat video!
This is the first novel by Reinhard that I have read. It was a slow start, but it picked up. Overall, I thought it was good.
The story's main character is Lieutenant Kane, a police detective with decades of experience who prefers to work alone. He doesn't always make the decisions I would expect a police officer to make, which is how he gets himself into some trouble. There is a killer on the loose, and Kane becomes his focus. The killer is out to prove that he is sharper than the police, Kane, in particular.
I believe the story could have been told in a more concise narrative. The author focused on too many nit-picky details about coffee, food, clothes, the cat, etc. that did not lend themselves to moving the plot forward. Sometimes I felt like the plot was predictable, and I don't believe some of the criminal's behavior was sufficiently explained.
On the other hand, I liked this book because it reminded me of an episode of one of my favorite TV shows, Criminal Minds. It was graphic, dark, and twisty. And while it was at times predictable, there was enough suspense to keep me interested. I might even read another book in the series.
Here in Houston, we've waited 55 years (For me, only 52) for the Astros to win a World Series. They have only been to one previous World Series in 2005, and, of course, they lost. But we're winners now, and it's great for our morale. Many in Houston are still recovering from Hurricane Harvey damage, including my in-laws. The World Series win brings us all together regardless of income, status, race, employment or lack thereof. It doesn't matter. We are ONE.
Did you know that, 3 years ago, in 2014, Sports Illustrated predicted the Astros would win the 2017 World Series? Crazy, right? George Springer is on the cover, and there is it in print...
"Your 2017 World Series Champs." How did they know???? A guess, sure, but they must know things about baseball that the average Joe doesn't know. And there will be a parade today at 2:00 PM to honor the Astros. I can't take off work, but my son and his friends will be there.
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