On Books

I just finished reading the book 'Decision Points' by George W Bush.  I don't necessarily read a lot of non-fiction, but I'm happy I read this--it gave a lot of insight into things Dubya was criticized for during his presidency.  Now, Dubya wasn't my favorite president, but I also don't think he was the Devil incarnate as so many people believe.  (I'll save that designation for an/other president/s.)  I didn't get the feeling that Bush was making excuses with the book, but I did feel as if he tried to set the record straight on some things.  He apologized and admitted mistakes, but he also stood by decisions he made, whether they turned out the way he wanted, or not.  After reading this book, I may have to read more presidents' memoirs--it certainly makes you look at a president differently.  It should be required of all of us to read presidents' memoirs--especially of those presidents we disagreed with.  It would help us to understand some of the pressures the POTUS is under and how difficult a job it really is.  And it might stop some of the horrible things that people say.

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These days, I find that my 'go-to' genre of books is 'fantasy.'  However, I'm a bit disconcerted over that particular designation for what I read.  The 'Twilight' Series, Harry Potter, and 'Alice in Wonderland' are all considered 'fantasy.'  The books I read are a bit darker than those.  Not only do the books I read have more blood and gore, but the characters tend to be harsher than the villains in some of the other 'fantasy' books.  A lot of what I read has more demons and monsters--and a lot of what I read seems to have more religious-like themes, good vs evil.  I understand how what I read is considered 'fantasy,' but calling the books such makes them sound much more lightweight than what they are.  While I'm sure there are sub-divisions in the 'fantasy' category, I think the books that I read should be in a category of their own.  However, I don't know what it could possibly be called.

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While I haven't been reading as much as I would like, I get a chance to read every day.  Since getting my NOOK and NOOKcolor--yes, I own both--I find that I'm not buying quite as many books.  When I was only buying hard-copy books, I would get them as soon as I saw them.  These days, with my NOOKs, I put whatever books I want on my WishList and then buy as I need.  It is so much nicer to get the books as I want them, rather than stockpiling like I always have done.  No matter what, I will never live long enough to read all of the books I own--whether they are hard-copies or ebooks.

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Books

I read--a lot. And I always have. When I was in my middle school/high school years, I would walk through the house with my nose in a book. Every night after dinner, I had to wash the dishes and the only way I would do it was by propping a book up so I could read at the same time. I know I'm no different than a lot of people, but I DO seem to have a quirk that I don't know how many others have.

Whenever I find a genre that interests me, I seem to fixate on it for an extended period of time--and most of the books I read are of that genre. During the middle school years, I fixated on Gothic romance and read everything I could get my hands on by Daphne du Maurier, as well as authors I don't remember. This obsession went on for at least two years before it ended. After that, it took quite a while before I fixated on something else and just focused mostly on best sellers.

I believe the next genre I read through was Native American-based fiction. I then moved on to Jewish fiction--Exodus, QB VII, Trinity, and other works by Leon Uris. After that I read everything I could by James A. Michener. Michener was quite a haul, as the man never wrote a short novel--every book was an undertaking. I've gone through Christian fiction, Apocalyptic fiction, the classics, paranormal/supernatural, detective, and sci-fi. (I might have even fixated on some non-fiction along the way, but don't recall what at the moment.) Throughout all of this time, I continued to read books of various other genres, but I always floated around my obsession until it worked itself out of my system--which it always seems to do.

These days I am reading books that are a combination of genres that I have read in the past. There are three series by three different authors that I am loving at the moment. They are detective/supernatural/fantasy novels that are easy to read and I devour them like a piece of my from-scratch red velvet cake. They are that delicious.

Jim Butcher has created the character Harry Dresden. Harry is a wizard who works out of modern day, downtown Chicago. He helps the police solve magical crimes, while he is working for and against the supernatural world. I first was introduced to the character of Harry Dresden when I watched the much too short-lived series that was on the Sci-Fi channel. I fell in love with the character and the stories and needed to read the books. I am now waiting for the newest book, number 12, which will come out in April.

While I was waiting for the next Dresden installment, I found Mike Carey and his character Felix Castor. Felix is a bit different than Dresden, as he is an exorcist based in London. Still, the feel of the books in this series are quite similar to the Dresden series. Felix is only featured in two books, so far, and I am waiting for book number three, which will be available in paperback in August.

The third series I'm reading, I have just begun. Actually, I'm only halfway through the first book and am completely and totally hooked. The author is Simon R. Green and his character is John Taylor--and he does his work in The Nightside, which is 'that square mile of Hell in the middle of London, where it's always three A.M.' Besides loving the genre, how in the world can you NOT love a book that has lines like this:

"I knew it was going to be a bad day when I woke up to find my rabbit's foot had grown itself a new rabbit."

and

"Betty and Lucy Coltrane. Best damned bouncers in the business...Fiercer than pit bulls and cheaper to run. Married to each other. They had a dog once, but they ate it."

and

"Rats have been known to jump back into open sewers, just to get away from the smell of an approaching Razor Eddie."

Number 10 in the series was just published, so I will be able to read these for a while.

I really can't wait to see what my fixation will be after I'm done with these books. I only hope it won't be Harlequin romances--cause that would mean I am totally in my dotage, or suffering from Alzheimer's.

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Taken Too Soon

Stieg Larsson was born in 1954 and died of a heart attack in 2004. He was an author and never saw any of his books published. However, he had delivered three manuscripts to his publisher before he died and they became best sellers in Scandinavia and Europe. They have been translated into English and two of the three have been published here in the US--the third will be out in January. After having read the two books, I must say that they are the best books I have read in a very long time. I can't wait for the third. Unfortunately, he never finished the fourth book in the series before his death.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played With Fire are the titles of the first two books in the Millenium series. The stories are filled with crimes of varying degenerate degrees, but aren't extremely graphic. I guess I will say the descriptions are more than Law & Order and not as graphic as Saw. The character of 'the girl' is one that you won't forget any time soon. She is socially awkward and a complete computer genius--at least in the form of being a hacker. While the books seem to ramble in many different directions, they come together beautifully in the end. Both books take you on a wild ride that leaves you wanting more.

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Is It Because They're So Young?

Two events of the last day make me wonder about the younger generation. And maybe it isn't the generation as much as it is talented youngsters with big egos. Whatever it is, there are a few 20-somethings that I really have little to no respect for--no matter WHAT accomplishments they may have on their resumes.

Very early this morning, I finished reading the book The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich. This is the story of the founding of Facebook and, to tell the truth, I am so disgusted by the whole thing that I have to think whether or not I want to continue using Facebook. I didn't find a sympathetic character in the entire book and I find the developer/co-founder/whatever he is a real sleazeball. Zuckerberg--the co-founder--seems to be as big an asshole as Steve Jobs is. Of course, the people who were screwed over by Zuckerberg are only a half step less sleazy than he is, but less sleazy they are. And Sean Parker--a co-founder of Napster--is just scary. I cannot believe ANYONE would want their company associated with this guy in any way, shape, or form. After reading about these people, I just wanted to take a long, hot shower. And I definitely would never want to meet any of them in person.

So, I'm just surfing around the web this afternoon when I find the STORY of the day--and it, too, makes me wonder what the hell is going on. Patrick Kane is a star with the Chicago Blackhawks. He is making money hand over fist--and stands to make even MORE when he signs his contract next year. (He probably will get anywhere from $6-8 mil per year, or more. And this doesn't include any endorsements.) He is 20 years old. He was arrested this morning.

Some time around 5 AM, Kane and his 21 year old cousin were picked up by a cab in the nightclub district of Buffalo, NY. When the cabbie charged them $13.80, the kids gave him $15. The cabbie gave $1 back in change and said he didn't have the coins to give back $.20. The kids got mad, one of them grabbed the cabbie by the throat, one punched the 62 year old man in the face and broke his glasses, and then they took the $15 from the guy. The cops were called, the cabbie pressed charges, and the kids were arrested. And that is pretty much where the story stands at this time. Now the waiting period begins to see if anything more comes of this.

Now back to my original question. Are these kids--and to me they definitely ARE kids, as they are young enough to be my children and most of them are even younger than my youngest--just being kids? Or are they so filled with their own egos that they believe they can get away with whatever they want? Do they feel as if the world owes them? Have they had it so easy that they don't think they have to behave with any amount of manners?

The people in the book are, basically, computer geeks. They seem to not have many of the social graces and live in their own geeky worlds. They also are geniuses, or very close. But, does this mean they can't treat people with any decency? Does this give them license to do what they want and hurt others because they 'don't know any better?' Just because someone is 'brilliant' doesn't mean he/she should get a pass when it comes to being a decent individual. But, in many circles, I guess genius lets a person get away with anything.

Then, we have the athlete. For the most part, the Red Wings (and probably other teams, as well, but I know about the Wings) let their players develop and mature before they are brought to 'the big club' and payed hundreds, or millions, of dollars. Many teams, however, have 18, 19, 20 year old kids signing big-money contracts and praising them to high levels. These kids don't have the maturity to handle the pressure, the fame, or the money that they have. Many of them believe the hype surrounding them--mainly because they were big fish in little ponds from the time they were toddlers and have been told from the time they could walk how great they are. And they were handed everything as soon as it was seen that they had any amount of talent whatsoever. So, they have egos that just won't quit.

I know that I have no idea how much of anything I read regarding either of these stories is true or false. I really can't judge any of these people. I want to believe that the next generation isn't going to hell in a hand basket, but after reading too many stories like these, I don't know if I CAN trust.

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Very Interesting

I finished reading Mark R Levin's book Liberty and Tyranny and must say that I would recommend it to anyone. It made me think, see some things differently, and supported a lot of my beliefs with factual evidence. Unfortunately, the people who most need to read this would rather burn it than open the cover. Hopefully this country will stop the decline it is in before we reach bottom. With my pessimistic personality, I don't know if we CAN turn it around in time.

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Some Ramblings

I'm almost done with the Russian novel I have been reading. Now I can get to some brain candy--the next Dresden Files book and the last two Twilight books! While the novel hasn't been a difficult read, it is very different from what I am used to reading. I'm hoping the whole thing will be wrapped up nicely in the epilogue OR the translator notes. I WILL, however, have to wait a week or two and think about what I read--so that I can decide whether I liked the book or not. Hmmmm.

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For two days in a row, I have seen a robin in the yard. I guess this means that spring is finally coming. Next week the temps are supposed to be at least 50, so things are looking up.

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Today I took a walk around the back yard--at least the parts that weren't still snow-covered--and saw that the chipmunks are excavating again. (At least I THINK they are chipmunks--they might be some other nasty little rodents, actually.) I will have to do SOMETHING this summer to keep the little buggers away from the tomatoes. I think K will have to do some target shooting before the summer is over with.

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The youngest daughter has a new kitten to take care of. Now for the story. Someone brought this kitten to the clinic--it had a nasty cut and a broken back leg. And it was only about two weeks old. The vet bandaged the cut and couldn't do anything with the leg because of the kitten's size, so the leg was left. Because the kitten wasn't litter trained--duh!--the bandages wouldn't stay clean, so they were disposed of. Unfortunately, the kitten developed an infection and wouldn't eat. After a few days of watching the poor thing get worse, the vet decided that the best chance for it to get better was to remove the leg, which he did. That night, A took the kitten home and had to deal with it having seizures all night. Tonight I talked to her and the kitten is finally eating and moving around. It just may make it. And I think A will fall in love with the little thing and decide to make it part of her family. Good grief. But, that is my daughter--she just can't turn her back on ANY animal! And I love her to bits and pieces for her kind heart.

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My oldest finally bullied me enough and I now am on Facebook. I have to keep this blog and my Facebook separate, as both of my girls and TONS of my nieces, nephews, and cousins kids are also on Facebook. I am not ready--if I ever will be--to have anyone in my family read this blog. Oh, the horrors!

I also have a Twitter account and am not sure if I will continue with it. It is like universal text messaging, seen by the entire world. I suppose I would like Twitter better if more people I know were actually using it.

Now, back to Facebook. To me, Facebook seems to be somewhere between blogging and Twitter--and in many instances, I like Facebook better than either of the others. That might be one of the reasons I'm not on Blogger as much as I used to be. And uploading pictures to Facebook takes a fraction of the time that Blogger does. But it doesn't look as if I will give up ANY of them any time soon. Just more time for me to spend on the computer. :/

So, anyone else on Facebook or Twitter? How do you like it? And how do you think it compares to blogging and/or Twitter?

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Books and Movies

Since there really hasn't been much in the way of new TV shows to watch lately, I decided to try and catch up on some movies that I never saw. I am really beginning to regret my decision. I'm not finding anything worth watching and I'm not sure if it is because the movies being made are just bad or if there is something wrong with me. (Okay, it probably IS me, but...)

I remember when there was a lot of talk about the movie Babel. I wasn't interested enough to go to the theater to see it, but I recorded it and watched it the other night. Well, there are 2+ hours of my life that I will never get back! I don't understand the whole point of the movie. So, there are four sets of people thousands of miles away whose lives intertwine in ways they can't imagine--big deal. I don't get why it was praised.

Juno was another movie that got quite good reviews. Fine, it was kind of cute, but not good enough to recommend it to anyone else. Again, not my cup of tea. A young girl gets pregnant and gives up her baby--so what? Not worth my time.

I REALLY don't like Cormac McCarthy's books--I've read The Road and Child of God and have vowed to NEVER read anything the man writes ever again. So why, you may ask, did I watch No Country For Old Men? I have no answer!!!!! Not the least bit entertaining--and I can't even begin to talk about the ending, or lack thereof! It made no sense at all--but then, neither of the books of McCarthy's had endings, so I shouldn't have been surprised. I guess I just am missing something.

And talking about endings: why don't movies have real endings anymore? Juno ended in a very dumb way and I have already discussed McCarthy's endings, so... All I want is closure to whatever I watch--is that too much to ask?

The last movie I watched and liked a lot was Eragon. It was a fantasy/scifi movie based on the first book of the trilogy written by Christopher Paolini. I seem to gravitate toward scifi, so it wasn't a surprise that I would like this. I thought they did a terrific job and hope the other two books are made into movies, also.

I haven't had too much luck in the book department lately, either. Recently I read two older books that I felt I needed to read and they both disappointed. In Cold Blood, while well written, was too much like the movie for me to enjoy. I had seen the original movie years ago and felt as if I had read the book before. But, I plodded through it. Then I read American Psycho--OMG!!! I think the only reason I finished it was to get to the end, hoping the explanation for everything that preceeded was a sick fantasy of the main character. No such luck--AND it didn't have a 'proper' ending either. AAACCCKKK!!!

Right now I'm reading Catch-22 and wish I could stop. (Once I start reading a book, I HAVE to finish it--that's just the way I am.) I. just. don't. get. it. It isn't the least bit entertaining and I have yet to find a character in the book that I like. Damn.

Just before starting Catch-22, I read Wicked. I can't understand HOW they made a musical out of it, but it was mildly entertaining. I didn't think the author explained some things well enough in some places and in others he seemed to explain too much. There was way too much I didn't understand about some of the characters and their motivation, and that sucked. The author has written two more books--possibly more will be coming--and I plan on reading them JUST so I can find out if he answers some of my questions. One thing I have to say though, I will NEVER be able to watch The Wizard Of Oz the same way again!

So, I guess my life will continue to revolve around hockey and after the season is over, I will re-watch my favorite hockey movies: Slap Shot, Miracle, and Mystery, Alaska. They just don't make them like that anymore! ;)

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Bits

I'm REALLY feeling bitchy today--and I don't know why. I hope it isn't because I know I'm not going to get another hockey fix for three months--that would just be TOO sad! :) Anyway, I had to stop myself from starting a fight with K earlier. He asked what I was going to do today and I swallowed my answer: "NOTHING--just like YOU!!!" Yup, THAT would have started a good one--MANY days of silence. :D

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Ending up on hockey notes:

--Lidstrom and Osgood will be on The Tonight Show on Tuesday! I wish more players would be there, but I'm sure most of them are going home--to Europe. They will, of course, be bringing the Cup for its appearance.

--It finally was revealed what was wrong with Franzen in the playoffs: he had a subdural hematoma. Scary stuff! And it makes it even THAT much more horrifying that the Penguin player gave him a shot in the head. It was bad enough to be hitting someone in the head who everyone thought had had a concussion, but THIS is much more frightening stuff. If Franzen would have walked away after that, I certainly wouldn't have blamed him--I probably would have.

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I just finished reading 'Requiem For A Dream' by Hubert Selby, Jr. While it was an interesting read, all I could think was, "I did this in high school--and I am SO OVER heroin addict stories!" And if I read ONE MORE book by an author who thinks it is fun to write without punctuation, I. WILL. PUKE!!!

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Verrrrryyyyyy slowwwwwwllllllyyyyyyy the summer TV series are beginning. Tonight is the second episode of 'In Plain Sight'--and I have high hopes for it. I enjoyed the premiere well enough--I think it just needs to get going a little more. What I'm REALLY waiting for are 'Burn Notice', 'The Closer', and 'Eureka. That will help the summer go faster.

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Has anyone else noticed just how bad some of the things are on QVC? When QVC first started, I thought it was fantastic, but things are definitely changing. First, I wouldn't buy one of the computers they sell. For what I want and need, they are VASTLY underpowered--despite what they try telling people. I guess for someone who doesn't know any better, they are okay, but still. And just WHAT is going on with the Joan River's jewelry collection? Did someone think this was a good idea? I mean, really, a stretch-band on a watch!?!?!?!? Would someone REALLY buy THIS? Enough said.

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Bookshelves

I really love books and own a lot. This means I have a real problem when it comes to storage. Here is a post with pictures of unique bookshelves. While I LOVE most of them for their innovation and design, they are too modern for me to own. (Besides, I have the feeling they cost WAY more than I would want to spend.) Go and enjoy the pics. (I really, really love the first shelf--but then, I AM a math geek. :))

Now THIS I could actually see in my house--of course NOT for me but for the girls when they were little. Really a neat idea.

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On Flying and Reading

Surprisingly, with all of my phobias, I am not a white-knuckle flyer. Granted, I get a bit of the heebie-jeebies on take-off and landing, but all in all, I do quite well. When we went to Vegas, for the first part of the trip, we flew completely in the clouds--it was just like being in an episode of The Twilight Zone! Still, I was calm. The only time flying is a problem for me is when there is turbulence--I get a bit nauseous.

The worst part about flying is the cramped feeling you get--they pack you in like sardines in a can! From Chicago, we sat three people side by each--with me in the middle. The next time we fly, I will have to check on the cost to go first-class. (I know, it will probably be more than I want to spend.) I have trouble getting comfortable--whether it is in a vehicle or airplane--and it has to do with my being so short. No seat is made for short people--the back is too high, my feet don't touch the floor, the seat is too long, etc, etc. I find myself having to move too often, just to try and get comfortable, which never happens. I'm like a fidgety child--I'm sure I annoy everyone around me!

As I said, I do quite well as long as there is no turbulence. I was able to read for quite a while in the air, but when it got to be too bumpy, I had to stop and just listen to music. Thankfully, I was able to get a few winks of sleep--this helped a lot as I was feeling a little bit of motion sickness. I can't imagine having to 'be sick' in an airsickness bag. And that's where I would have HAD to do my thing because it is next to impossible to get up from your seat during a flight!

All of this is just a way for me to begin talking about the book I just finished: 'Clapton: The Autobiography' by Eric Clapton. While I WOULD be happy listening to EC sing the phone book, I am a harsher critic when it comes to what I read. I am happy to say it was an extremely fascinating read. The book is very honest--he admits all of his faults and talks openly about his addictions, love affairs, and unflattering parts of his life and personality. However, despite his truthfulness, the book never has that exploitative, tell-all feeling that other autobiographies sometimes have. He is straight forward and exposes himself, but doesn't drag others into the story if the need isn't there. (I noticed this especially when he talked of his affairs--with all of the famous women he was supposed to have had affairs with, he mentioned very few of them by name. And, mentioning them wouldn't have added to the story, actually.) He spoke of his music career, of his 'lost years,' of his recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, and his finally finding the 'love of his life' and his happiness with his wife and children--all very fascinating, especially for a fan such as I am. However, I think even non-fans would find the story of his life interesting--the man has had an extraordinary life and is finally content. And isn't that what we all want out of our lives: peace, contentment, and serenity--which, it seems, he has finally found.

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Recommended

I don't usually recommend TV shows because my tastes are rather eclectic. Actually, I seem to favor my 'masculine side' an awful lot--I watch many shows that are marketed to males 18-35 years old! Examples: Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Firefly, Farscape, The Shield, etc. But, I have just found a new show that is quickly becoming one of my favorites and I have to recommend it: Burn Notice. This show is on the USA Network and only two episodes have been shown so far. It is called a 'comedy action' show and I'm loving it. It is all about a spy who has been 'fired,' or 'burned.' He winds up in his home town of Miami, with no resources and no idea why he has been burned. This is what USA Network says about it:

WHAT IS BURN NOTICE?

When spies get fired, they don't get a letter from human resources.

They get BURNED...

The action/spy genre gets a refreshing update with USA Network's newest original series, Burn Notice. Jeffrey Donovan stars as Michael Westen, an international spy who suddenly finds himself blacklisted. Dumped in his hometown of Miami without money or resources, Michael struggles to put his life back together and find out why he's been burned. In the meantime, he uses his unique skills and training to help people in need ... mostly people who can't get help from the police.

Michael is joined by Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar) an ex-IRA operative, who also happens to be an ex-girlfriend; and Sam (Bruce Campbell), a washed-out military intelligence contact who's being used by the feds to keep tabs on Michael.

He's also forced to confront the family he went halfway around the world to get away from - particularly his mother, Madeline (Sharon Gless) who couldn't be happier to have her son back in town.

Created and written by Matt Nix, Burn Notice combines the best of the action/thriller elements with surprising humor and an iconic new breed of spy.

If you want to watch something that is really fun--AND informative ('Michael' gives ALL kinds of useful info, like how to shoot a drug dealer who is behind his bullet-proof door ;))--check out the USA Network on Thursday nights at 10:00.

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Now that we have gotten the fun, summer TV program recommendation out of the way, I will give my 'summer beach reading' recommendation. If you have not read any of the books in the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich, then RUN, DO NOT walk, to the nearest place to get your hands on these books. Right now, there are 13 books in the series--not counting the 'between the numbers' books--and each one is a laugh riot!

Stephanie Plum is a 'Jersey girl' who has become a bounty hunter. Of course, she has NO idea how to do her job, but that doesn't keep her out of trouble. Not only does she find herself in very funny--and dangerous--situations, she meets some of the most unforgettable and hysterical characters imaginable: Bob the dog, Lula the ex-hooker, Sally Sweet the transvestite rock musician, and, of course, her grandma. Stephanie has two love interests: the mysterious Ranger, a GOOD bounty hunter, and Joe, a cop. She has feelings for both, but can't commit.

Whenever I start to read one of these books, I find it difficult to put it down until I'm finished. Thank goodness these aren't very thick books! :) More than once during the reading of one of these books, I will find myself laughing so hard that tears stream down my face. I TRY to contain myself when K is sleeping, so as not to wake him up, but it is in vain. Fun, fun, fun--and totally to be put on the 'best books to read at the beach' list!

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Heat, Kittens, Pregnancy...AND a Little Hockey

Damn but is it hot! This is the third day we have had temps in the 80s and I am not a happy camper. I am hot--in more ways than one. K came home from work early yesterday to put in at least one of the a/c units--we have three--and I will give you three guesses as to how many he took care of. And your first two guesses don't count. You got it, he didn't put in any. We are well on the way to a record temp for the day--something that thrills me to no end. At least I have tomorrow to look forward to: temps are supposed to be in the 60s and continue that way for the next week! Happy days for me.

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Youngest daughter called last night and she is caring for a foster kitten. She CLAIMS she is only babysitting for a friend who is a foster 'mother' and I hope she is telling the truth. She has three cats and two dogs already--she doesn't need any more animals. The two older cats ignore the kitten, as does the male dog. The female dog thinks the kitten is her baby--wants to constantly be cleaning and taking care of and protecting it. Which is a little disquieting as the dog weighs at least 60 pounds and the kitten is only the size of a normal cat's head! And the youngest cat can't even be within eyesight of the kitten and she is hissing. Not surprising as she is IS the baby of the household and now this CREATURE has come in and usurped her territory. Well, at least my youngest now has a taste of what sibling rivalry is like for when she has kids.

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Well, the youngest is officially trying to get pregnant. This MAY be a hard battle for her as she suffers from polycystic ovarian syndrome. Yup, her sister is able to get pregnant just by thinking about it and now youngest will have to go through all of the tests, etc, in order to have kids. Life can be so cruel.

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Oldest gets to see her doctor on Friday for her first OB visit of this pregnancy. I hope he has nothing but good news for her.

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Last night was the season finale of Lost--I have watched the finales of 24, Veronica Mars, Heroes, and Supernatural. What else...can't think as they all start running together after awhile. Right now, I'm kind of TV'd out, so I don't have much to say about the finales. I am on the fence as to if I will be watching some of them come fall. Have to wait and see.

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I just finished reading all of the books in the Hannibal Lecter series. After reading four books of his exploits, I am definitely in the need of some light summertime books. I think first on my list will be Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe and all of the sequels. The stories just make me laugh. And Janet Evanovich has the next book in the Stephanie Plum series coming out in a month or so, so I will be happy to get my hands on that one. Might be a good summer of reading.

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Just got an email from Barnes & Noble with a 15% coupon good on the highest priced item in my shopping cart. Hmmm, might HAVE to get the third season of Farscape. I wish they would put the series on sale once in awhile--it probably is the highest priced series I have ever seen at over $100 per season! Well, that overtime money has to go SOMEWHERE, might as well be B&N! :)

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Two days after the last game the Wings played and all of the 'experts' are out talking about next year. Granted, Ken Holland has it on his mind all of the time, but geez. And I can only add my two cents worth.

--I do believe I have to get on the bandwagon and say: get rid of Lang! They pay him way too much for what he does--or doesn't do--on the ice. At $3.8mil a year, he should be producing MUCH more. His time has passed, let him go.

--Hasek. What the hell can you say about a 42-year-old goalie? Especially one who plays as well as he does? This year he was healthy, but last year he only played 43 games. How long can his groin hold out? A VERY tough call. Maybe it's time for the Wings to get a 'young'un' up to speed in the net--but if they want another good run at the Cup next year, they might need to keep Hasek. Hmmm.

--Thank goodness they locked up Datsyuk and Holmstrom and Zetterberg won't be up for renewal for another year or two. I still think Lidstrom will retire as a Wing, so they don't have to worry about him for a couple of more years. But at 37-years-old, he might not be around much longer. After all, EVERYONE can't be playing at the level Chelios is at 45!

--Bertuzzi is another question mark. I would say, if he doesn't want too much, sign him. He wasn't back 100% after his back surgery and I think he could be a big asset next year. It all depends on what he might want--and if he can fully heal. $5mil is way too much, though.

--Then there is Schneider. Is he worth a substantial increase in his current +$3mil? Hard to say. I think a lot depends on who else they might want to pick up.

--At least I don't have to worry about my 'baby boy' for a while. He won't be a free agent for a few years, at least. He showed some of what he is made of during the season and especially during the playoffs, so I think the Wings will do all in their power to keep him on the roster when the time comes. I still think people will definitely have to learn how to pronounce the name Valterri Filppula in the years to come. He WILL be a star. And, hopefully, a star for the Red Wings!

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Updating

Our snowstorm finally ended--and now we are in the middle of another winter storm warning! This is supposed to last till tomorrow late afternoon or evening. The snow started just before we left the restaurant tonight and it looks as if we have gotten a couple of inches already. This is the real yucky kind of snow: wet, heavy, slushy. Not a lot of fun. However, it should not be as bad as the last storm. Here is how the totals added up: we got about 49" of snow during the storm and the town where K and I went to high school got 65"! Yep, you read that right--almost 6 feet of snow from one storm! The beginning of this week brought us some record low temps: -1 on Monday and a balmy +1 on Tuesday. I'm still waiting for all of the global warming to hit us here. Just have to keep telling myself that it WILL finally quit snowing--maybe. :)

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We're making plans to go to Chicago a couple of weeks from now. Our friends from Wisconsin wanted to see the Body Worlds 2 exhibit at the Science and Industry Museum, so we agreed to go with them. We will be staying in Schaumburg and drive into the city to see the sights. Of course, we won't be able to do all we would like--after all, we will only be there for two days--but if all goes well, we can always go back. I really am getting excited about the trip. The last time I was in Chicago is when we went on our class trip--and that was a looooooooong time ago.

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I just finished reading Hannibal Rising, the newest book by Thomas Harris. It was quite good--I enjoyed finding out why Hannibal 'The Cannibal' Lecter turned out the way he was. Now I have to re-read all of the Hannibal Lecter books in order. This should produce a few nights' worth of nightmares! :)

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Tonight the Stanley Cup playoffs started. Two of the games went into double overtime (as I am typing this, one of the games is about to go into the third overtime period!), Sidney Crosby was allowed to score only one goal (YAY! Can't help it, don't care for the kid.), and another game was won by one goal--a great start! I watched parts of two different games and I think it is going to be a battle of the goalies--whichever goalie is best and has the good luck, will help his team to the Cup. Much, much physical play--and it will only get worse as the games go on. Detroit plays their first game tomorrow night--guess where I will be sitting! :) Zetterberg WILL play tomorrow, but Bertuzzi is still out with a concussion. It will be nice to see the full team play together--maybe on Sunday.

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One of the good things about watching sports is the commercials. This particular one has been on for a little while, but it is my current favorite--I crack up EVERY time it comes on.

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Snowblowers, Escondido, Innocent Man, AND Hockey

--K has waited for the last two days for the snow blower to be picked up for servicing. It is still sitting outside and we have YET to hear from the guy as to why he hasn't been here. I don't understand why some people in business can't even do the barest minimum of customer service--such as calling and saying they are sorry, but something came up! We might not be happy that the service wasn't being provided in the timely matter we wanted, but at least we would know that they still wanted our business! K is STILL waiting for a guy to come and give us an estimate for a new driveway--FIVE YEARS AFTER THE FACT! I don't think he is coming.

--On Tuesday the new CD by Eric Clapton and JJ Cale came out and I LOVE it! (But, as I have said before, I would love listening to EC sing the damn phone book!) It is called The Road to Escondido and it is a bit hard to explain--it's a nice blend of blues, jazz, country, rock. Cale wrote 11 of the songs and they both sing and play--along with a roster of some great musicians. Nice music.

--I'm reading the new book by John Grisham, An Innocent Man. This is his first non-fiction book and it is really good--has the tendency to read like a novel. I hope it continues to be as good--I'm not quite halfway through. But like my love for anything EC does, I love Grisham's writing and will read anything he does.

--On Wednesday, the fall 'season' of Lost ended with a cliffhanger--DUH! The show will take a break until February when it will have 16 more episodes. I'm not too sure if this whole idea is a good thing. I'm really rather disappointed in the season so far. I think the show is being dragged out way too much and I'm getting too impatient to sit through the same storyline over and over and over again. Let's get some things going and then I will be more enthused about coming back to the show in February! But then, something may come on that interests me more and I may NOT be back watching the show. Hmmm.

--Speaking of shows that have been disappointing lately, I have to add Gilmore Girls in the mix. If the show doesn't get any better pretty darn soon, I may have to stop watching. And if I stop watching in the middle of the season, you can bet I WON'T be buying the DVD when it comes out! I keep hoping that the ones in charge know what they are doing and that things will work out in the end. Just have to wait and see.

--The Red Wings player that got hurt the other night, Jason Williams, WAS knocked unconscious for a moment or two when he hit the ice. He suffered a concussion and received 30 stitches. What a way to make a living!

--And finally, the Wings won again last night--their eighth straight win! They are doing quite well--something I didn't think was going to happen by the way the season started. One of the reasons they are doing so well is that they are leading the NHL with allowing the fewest shots--after all, if the opposing team can't shoot at the goal, they can't score. :)

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