Sunday Update - Week 30

Another week has passed and Sunday is here again.  

Unfortunately, these days I don't have anything interesting to talk about.  I work, I come home, I veg, I sleep... Lather, rinse repeat.  And since I can't really talk about the particulars of work, that cuts of 40 hrs worth of my awake time out of my Sunday Update.

I did manage to get some reading done.  I finished two books last week and DNF'd two.  I'm most of the way through another book right now and I'll finish it today.  

Baking happened.  Nothing exciting or even different.  I made zucchini bread last Sunday and granola bars yesterday.  

I also hit the Wallyworld yesterday.  I'm in charge of the pop machine at work now, and part of that is acquiring the cans to fill the machine.  So, before I did my own groceries, I did that.  168 cans worth.  What can I say, it's been a while since anyone did this and the machine was out of damn near everything.  My back seat is filled with pop.  Which meant I didn't have room for deer food.  Needless to say, I need to find a better way to do this.  Then I went back in and did my own shopping.  I was a naughty girl and bought stuff we didn't need.  Next month, I need to go back to my usual shopping strategies.  And of course, it was pouring rain, so between the two trips into and out of the store, and the loading of stuff into the car, plus the trips from the car to the house, I was soaked.  

After the rain stopped, Hubs and I went for a walk.  Our first real walk in weeks.  We did a little over a mile and man, can I tell that it's been a while since I walked.  I also took a short walk on my lunch half-hour one day this past week.  Still too hot for such activities.  I was a sweaty mess and I only walked for 8 minutes.  Additionally, on the activity side of things, I was moving boxes of stuff around at the office.  Weight: 175.4

In other news, my bank was robbed in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.  The gals who work there couldn't give me any details, because it's an ongoing investigation, but there were observations I could make on my own.  For instance, the two robbers knocked out the right side of the glass double doors to gain entry.  I'm not really sure what these bastards could've gotten away with - the vault, where my safety deposit box is, is well... a vault.  The bank does have a security system, which alerts the authorities and has cameras, so there's that.  Unfortunately, we are far enough out that the police did not arrive in time to catch the assholes.  

While I was discussing this bit of local news with the gal at the corner store, she told me there are also reports of a camouflage Chevy Blazer in the area making threats to set people's homes on fire and rob them when they escape the flames.  Nice.  I also heard about two other robberies in the area.  One of the people I was talking to said all this crime is because of, you know, drugs.  I think it's because people aren't being taught not to touch what doesn't belong to them, while being taught that they're entitled to shit, and there are no longer any real consequences for bad behavior.  And drugs.  But that's just me.

And now, on to the weather... It's been wet.  I can't complain, though, because we've been hoping for rain for so long that complaining would be hypocritical.  So, yay, rain.  

Nothing much else going on around here.  What's up in your world?

Saturday Reading Wrap-up - 7/30/22

Good morning!

I picked up a bunch of new ebooks this week.  3 urban fantasy, 2 suspense, a romance, a mystery, and a fantasy.  

Books Read: 

42) Fastening the Grave by LA McBride (7/29/22) - UF*# - 5 stars.  New to me and underappreciated.  Free off the Freebooksy newsletter.
Review: "Good one here! A different and interesting premise, likable (or hate-able, as the case may be) characters, solid writing. All around an enjoyable book."

41) Tapas, Carrot Cake and a Corpse by Charlotte Denver (7/24/22) - Cozy Mystery* - 4 stars.  New to me but not underappreciated.  Free off the Book Doggy newsletter.
Review: "Cute, little cozy mystery."

DNFs (and here I was thinking I escaped the week with no DNFs):

7/29/22 - free - suspense.  I would've killed the two characters in the opening scenes myself if I could've.  Dragging the reader around with a pair of unlikable people for a couple chapters without introducing the suspense is not a good way to keep this reader reading, lemme tell ya.

7/29/22 - free - romance.  Bleh.  A tried and true premise tortured by godawful writing.

Currently reading... After I finished that good book and then DNF'd two dregs, I gave up and watched On Patrol Live.  I'll try something else today.

What was on your reading list this past week?

Thursday This n That

Hubs found an auto mechanic that makes house calls.  

Paper towels are becoming scarce again.  

Speaking of paper towels, we have this dispenser at work that pulls sheets through a little hole in the bottom.  I swear you need a degree in physics to load the damn thing.  First, you need to rip the tube out of the center.  Then you need to pull the center towels such that they come out in a line so you can feed them through the little hole, but they don't want to come out in a line, they want to come out in a clump.  Ah, the little annoyances.  

Yesterday was a day of little annoyances.  And that's all I have to say about that.

FB is doing this thing where they're filling up my feed with 'suggested pages' instead of showing me the pages I actually chose to see.  Smart.  Not.

The other day, I saw this post about a police officer who rescued a puppy from some homeless people.  It was thin and had a horrible skin condition that looked like mange.  Poor ugly, little, bald puppy.  He took the puppy home and made it his family's puppy.  It wasn't mange.  It just had a bad flea allergy.  In no time, the puppy's skin is clearing up, the hair is growing again, and it's the happiest puppy ever.  It has its own FB page, so I'm following its progress.  Such a heartwarming thing to see.  They've named it Sir Charlemagne Buckington the Third.  Too fun.

I see a lot of things online about how horrible people are to drop their dogs off at a shelter and how if you get a dog, it's your dog for life.  But sometimes, giving a dog up is the best thing you can do for it.  When I left Michigan, I took both of my dogs to the Humane Society.  I was moving to Florida.  Aside from the fact that I would've had to drive 1000 miles with two big dogs (and my kid) in a little car, and the fact that I would never have been able to find an apartment that allowed two big dogs, I figured the heat would kill those dogs.  They were cold-loving dogs.  One was a malamute mix for petesakes.  Anyway, I did what I thought was right for all parties concerned.  It broke my heart, but I did it.

And now, I don't have any pets.  Not because I don't want a pet or seven, but because it wouldn't be fair to a pet to bring them into my life at this juncture.  Sure, there are tons of pets needing a loving home.  But pets need more than love.  They need loads of attention.  And they require a ton of money - food, toys, vet bills, etc.  If all I have is love to give them, but not the essentials, then maybe it isn't the time to have one.  Even if I know there are tons of them in shelters across the country.  Jus' sayin'.

Although, I keep thinking that a cat would be nice.  Hubs would have someone to keep him company while I'm at work.  I mean, he has the herd of deer, but he can't pet them and they definitely cannot come in the house.  LOL

One last thing... We have frogs hanging out in the front garden.  Frogs.  Leopard frogs.  In this heat and drought.  I was amazed.  You go near the front bed and they're hopping all over the place trying to escape.  So, I put a little flat pan of water out there on the ground for them.  And I filled the bird bath.  I put a rock in the center for perching and because I read that butterflies also enjoy a birdbath, as long as they have something to land on.  

That's me, kind to critters of all varieties.

What's on your mind today?

Sunday Update - Week 29

We're more than halfway through the year.  Things are looking up on a personal level.  We won't talk about on a world level, k?  I'm just muddling through and trying to live my life here.

I thought about writing yesterday.  That's actually a step forward.  I also tried to come up with a schedule with which I can get some words out without burning myself to a crispy critter.  It may involve writing in the morning. That hasn't worked for me in the past, but hey, this is a new world I'm working in, so maybe there's hope.  

I managed to finish reading two books last week.  Yay.  I'm still behind on my goal, but I'm not dropping further behind, so that's something.  

In baking news, I made cake cookies last Sunday.  Today, I need to make zucchini bread.  

At work, I was relaying what I thought was a funny story about getting home from work and then doing spreadsheets, wherein I attached the wrong file and sent it to the office.  It was posited that perhaps I was stretching myself too thin.  Eh.  I've attached the wrong file when I wasn't doing a day-job, too.  I make mistakes.  In the scheme of things, it wasn't the worst mistake I could've made.  Hell, I could've sent the right file to all the wrong people.  THAT would've been bad.  Yes, I am tired.  It's just a matter of getting used to all of this and acclimating myself to working when I haven't.  :shrug:  I must be getting used to it, or my brain wouldn't be thinking about throwing writing into the mix, too.  I tell you one thing, I probably won't write on the nights I have spreadsheets to do, too.  Hence, the maybe writing in the morning.  

Thankfully, Hubs is doing a most excellent job of taking care of the house, so really all I have to do is cook dinner.  And some nights, he does that, too.  Or we have leftovers or sandwiches.  It's all good, baby.

We had a bit of a scare this week.  Lumpy came into the yard with only one twin.  Fortunately, the next day, she had both of them with her.  I suspect the boy is starting to get more independent and decided he didn't want to follow Mom that day.  Nature can be a bitch, though, so if we lost one, it wouldn't be totally surprising.  Just sad.  

We're starting to see bucks again.  And we're playing the game of 'wonder which one is Sonny'.  For those of you who are new here, Sonny is Lumpy's son from two years ago who hung around with his Mom and his twin sister, Sissy, until last year's rut.  He's out there amongst the bucks somewhere.  I expect he'll be a little bit tamer than the other bucks because his mother and his sister are so much tamer.  They know which human is the food-bringer and what yard to find him in.  So Hubs can basically walk right by them and they follow him down to the feed pans, like big dogs.  They do not get close enough to touch, which is the way we want it, but they let him get closer than any other deer would.  

We have a bitty bunny hanging out here now.  She's about 2/3rd size of an adult rabbit.  And very chill.  Like the deer, she knows where she can get food and water, and remain safe.  Welcome to the menagerie, Bitty Bunny.

It's been so hot here.  And so dry.  Hubs has been watering my gardens so my plants don't die.  I don't expect great things from them this year.  If we can just keep them all alive, maybe next year will be better.  The vegetable plants... well, they're annual, so there won't be a next year for them.  But hey, they're alive, even if they are nowhere near putting forth anything edible.  

Well, that was a long-ass post.  Sorry.  Loads to say, I guess.  Anyway, thanks for reading this far.  Leave a comment, if you're not too tired from reading, and tell me what your week was like.

The hot and the dry are making life hard for the animals.  Which, I suspect, is why the deer have been eating my irises.  They don't usually do that.  Irises are not a food of choice for the deer.  This year?  Munch munch munch.  Like the hard winter where they ate my coral bells (another plant they aren't supposed to eat).  It is what it is.  

Speaking of deer eating things, they have ruinated Elmer the elm.  He's just a stick in the dirt now.  Hubs keeps watering it, but I think it's a lost cause.  :shrug:  We still have Cecil and Cedric cedars, though.  Fingers crossed that when they finally go into the ground, the deer leave them alone.

Saturday Reading Wrap-up - 7/23/22

 Good morning, Everybody.  I've been busier than a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest, but I did manage to find time to read this week.  

Unfortunately, I'm down to one unread ebook, so I'd better get cracking this weekend or I'll be without new books to read.  The one I have left is a cozy mystery.  Still have loads and loads of hardcopies, but I need to get some more of those, too.

Books Read:

40) Crossed by Death by ACF Bookens (7/22/22) - Cozy Mystery* - 4 stars.  New to me but not underappreciated.  Free off the ENT newsletter.  
Review: "Interesting premise with a slightly different kind of heroine. And I totally didn't figure out whodunnit before the reveal."

39) The Daemoniac by Kat Ross (7/17/22) - Paranormal Historical Mystery*1 - 5 stars.  Not new to me, since I already read the 5th book in this series, and it has plenty of reviews.  Free on Amazon which I discovered after I'd finished the 5th book and went looking for it.
Review: "Excellent story! I actually read the 5th book in this series first and then went back to the beginning. I'm glad I did. I'm looking forward to reading the others along the way. Definitely worth reading, even if you don't start at the beginning."

No DNFs.

Currently reading... since I finished that cozy mystery not long before bed last night, I didn't have time to start anything else.

What was on your reading radar last week?

Thursday This n That

Shit, it's Thursday.  Where did the rest of the week go?  Seriously.  I swear it was just Monday.  

Yesterday, I left work at the same time as one of my co-workers.  She got into her car and rolled down all the windows, then yelled to me that it was 114 in her car.  I have manual windows, so I was walking around my car rolling all my windows down at the time.  When I got in, it felt like 130.  And of course, my old car doesn't appreciate it when I run the AC.  Of course.  Callie Cavalier growls at me when I try to run the AC... the bitch.  So, I hopped in and drove.  The air coming in the windows... Well, you know that whoosh of hot you get when you open the oven to check whether the pizza is done in the middle?  That's about what it felt like.  Lucky for me, I only have a 5-7 minute drive.  By the time I got home, my lighter was hot to the touch, as were the metal bits on my purse - both of which were inside with me all day.  Hell, I was hot to the touch.  We won't discuss how hot the steering wheel and gear shift were.  

It's bill-paying day.  Woohoo.  As soon as I get this post finished, I have to go do that.  Then shower.  Then work.

Hey, my new sheets and shorts arrived yesterday.  We have two sets of sheets we rotate.  One of them developed a hole in the fitted sheet, so that's relegated to 'drop cloth' duty.  I ordered a new set to use as the main set and we'll take the older set and use them as backup.  I also developed a hole in the butt of my favorite shorts, so I ordered two new pair.  Hubs is washing everything right now.  Yay.  After this morning's shower, I'll put on a pair of the new shorts and tonight we'll be sleeping on new sheets.  

We have a baby bunny living just off the yard.  Not sure where, but close enough that we're seeing her frequently.  Yay.  

Speaking of babies, the fawns are doing fine in this heat.  Of course, Hubs is refilling the water pans like 3 times a day.  And we do live near a lake.  Still, the water is fresher and cooler here.  

Okay, well, I should probably start me day.  Have a great one!  

Library Stories and Reading

Okay, I stole the idea for this post from my friend, Silver.  This started out as a comment I was leaving on her post.  She asked for library stories.  Go read her most excellent post and then come back.  

Okay, so here's my comment:  "I don't have a library story.  Libraries haven't been my thing.  We lived far enough out in the country that Dad driving me into town to visit the library wasn't happening.  I went to the school library where we could check out one book a week, as long as we turned in the book from the week before.  Mostly, I read the same books over and over.  Or I read the few books I had at home over and over - Robin Hood and King Arthur were my favorites.  When I got old enough, I started reading Mom's books.  She belonged to that Harlequin subscription service where books would show up in the mail.  And the garage sale finds when Dad would bring home boxes of assorted books for Mom.  I read a lot of things I probably shouldn't have from those boxes, lemme tell ya.  Then there was the year or two when my oldest brother lived next door and he'd let me borrow as many of his books as I wanted, and he had tons of books.  I think it was high school before I started visiting the library regularly.  I'd check out as many as they'd let me and tear through them all.  Fantasy and SF mostly.  And that was the first, last, and only time I was a regular library visitor.  Weird for a writer to say that, I know, but it's true."

And here's what I could've added, but my comment was already too long for someone else's blog...

The truth is that I haven't stepped foot in a library in years.  And that was to talk to the librarian about carrying my books.  I donated a few and never saw them on the shelves, so I stopped.  Oh, wait, I went in one other time to attend their book sale.  I picked up quite a few.

Oh, I did try to get a library card here.  I had the idea that I would regularly check out books there.  The problem was that in order to get a library card here, I had to present not only my driver's license, but also a utility bill.  No, my checks wouldn't be enough to prove I was a resident.  Not my voter registration card either.  Had to be a utility bill.  And I don't carry those around in my purse.  I could never remember to take a bill with me when I was going to town, so I gave up on getting a library card.  

If I want to read a book, I buy it.  If I don't have the money to buy the book I want, I go without.  And I read a lot of free ebooks.  Or I buy books at the thrift store.  I also have a shit-ton of books here in the house that I can read.  

The last time I was in the library, and the years before when I went to the library regularly with Owl, I noticed that the library wasn't so much about books anymore.  They were internet cafes without the coffee.  Or daycare centers where a person could drop their kids off for free for the day and someone else would entertain them.  When I was a kid, libraries were for quiet, peaceful reading.  Maybe some research, which was also quiet.  The last thing I want when I'm reading or trying to find something to read is a bunch of kids running around.  Or people playing video games in the background.  

To me, a library is sacrosanct.  Like a temple to knowledge.  A place for quiet introspection and learning.  Filled with the smell of books, not the smell of sweaty rugrats.  

Anyway, it kind of turned me off of visiting the library.  And now, here anyway, the library is always asking for money.  So they can build a bigger location with even more room for computers and 'activities', but never a word about more room for books.  Feh.  

I'll stick to my personal library, thanks.  It's quiet here.  And there are actual books.  I can read them or pet them or just stand around smelling them.  

What about you?  What's your library story?