Category Archives: Whatcha Reading

It’s Saturday!

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We are having a great day today. My Boy was asked on a date today by my assistant’s daughter, Stephanie. She picked him at noon and they went to Sky Zone. He had a great time. Like I have said before, being an only child is cool but being with parents all the time can get old. We are lucky to have such good friends who like our son! He is pretty cool.

While he was gone, I did some “work” work, did laundry (we have so much of it) cleaned out the chicken coop, played ball with Timber and then went to Fresh Market with My Man. We bought items for tonight’s and tomorrow’s dinner.

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Last night me and my boys went out to dinner at C&S Seafood. So YUMMY!!! My Man and I    started with a cocktail. We then split the Wedge Salad (I had them give my bacon to My Man) and a Shrimp and Goat Cheese Beignets. The beignets were so soft and lovely. Perfect for me. We then ordered the Plateaux de Fruits De Mer. It included 12 oysters, 4 shrimp and a pound of king carb legs. OMG! It was soooo good. I have always wanted to order the Plateaux de Fruits De Mer and I am so glad we did. It was wonderful night out.

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Tired out a new scarf yesterday. Thanks again Sue!!

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Shout Out to my Mom and Dad. Look what I got in the mail!! The toothpaste is sooo smooth on my gums, it feels like heaven. The gel, spray and liquid all work wonderful too. Thanks Mom and Dad!

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This is my a view of my home office where I have been working on “work” from home and on the blog. On Thursday, I thought I had lost my Mac. We had icky weather and the power flickered and boom! Mac dead! I was horrified! NOT MY MAC! On the laptop I started IM-ing My Man. He was not happy. I tried restarting it over and over again. I unplugged it. I plugged it in a different outlet. Nothing. I had to go to the store and when I got back I thought I would try to start it again. Bingo! It started. I guess it just needed to rest.

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My work companion, he is never far away. Sometimes we are joined by Panny too. When Simon joins me, he usually sits on top of me or one of the key boards.

Whatcha Reading?

At the moment, I am not reading anything. Sometimes, I am just not in the mood read. Not sure why that is.  However, I am listening to a new series via Audible Books.  It is called the White Trash Zombies Series.  Zombies, I know right? Crazy Me.

So far there are three books in the series and I am now listening to the third one. I really like the books. They take place in a small town in Louisiana. The narrator, Allison McLemore, does a great good with the accent. A bad narrator can totally ruin a book. I have returned books just because of the narrator. The main character is named Angle she is a white trash, high school dropout and addicted to drugs and alcohol when she is turned into a zombie. I really like her character. Being turned into a zombie is the best thing that happens to her. There are cringe worthy gross parts and being white trash and all, cursing but it is a fun series! Check it out!

Hope y’all are having as good as day as I am!  Be Good!!

Question: What are you reading/listening too? I need some suggestions!

Have I told you how cool my friends are???

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Have I told you how cool my friends are??? I know I have but it goes without saying, I got the best ones. Yesterday we had a friends over to hang out and go swimming. True to course, the weather here in the ALT was kinda shitty so just the kids went swimming. But hey, at least the pool is getting used!

So, I will admit it, I overdid it yesterday. By the time everyone came over around 2pm, I had driven myself to the Farmer’s Market, whipped out the leaf blower and work on the patio/pool area and mopped part of our wood floors. (some cat, (Simon) made a mess with his dirty paws). When everyone came I made a corn and tomato salad with basil, olive oil and lemon juice.

When I took my temperature it was 99. Well my 4 nurses sprang into action! Nurse Rebecca, Amy, Devra and Calanit moved me into the family room, got me water, a wet wash cloth, insisted I put my feet up and not move. This went on all day. I admit, I wasn’t feeling good and it was nice to have friends call me out on it and take care of me. Rebecca even gave me an pedicure. I have not

Rebecca hard at work!

Rebecca hard at work!

So pretty!

So pretty!

How nice is that? I have pretty pink toes! The Boy had a great time with his friends and My Man got some much-needed relaxation time with his friends. The Boy went home with his BF Corey and this morning went to church and the to White Water Atlanta. Afterwards they are heading to Amy’s community pool and will have dinner with them. This is giving me some much-needed rest time since at 4am me and My Man were in the ER. It was a false alarm. I haven’t been sleeping well or in some cases at all, I did too much earlier in the day and a temperature came on. I got as high as 100.5 but what we found out is that our thermometer is about a degree off! While at the ER I never got past 99. We got home around 7:15am and both went back to bed. I am going to be calling the doctor on Monday and will ask for something to help me sleep. This can’t go on.

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When I woke at noon my body was killing me. I felt like I had been hot by a truck! My back hurt so bad and my phantom pains where f-ing unreal. Hurt so bad. The only good thing about this is that My Man does not have to give me my shots anymore! Woot!

Whatcha Reading

My friends Aimee sent me this book and I just started reading it. Here I thought I had a rare cancer (sarcoma makes up less that 1% of all cancers). The author’s has a cancer that only .01% of the populations gets. WOW.

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I am on chapter 3 and am enjoying it so far. It would be a great book for caregivers to read too.

Shout Outs!

Jennifer S. Thanks for dropping off food for us! I look forward to my soup and pizza. I already started eating the strawberries. Sorry I didn’t come to the door, I wasn’t in the best shape. Glad you got to meet Timber!

Gerri- The soup hit the spot this afternoon! Very Yummy!

All my ladies Yesterday was a lot of fun, even though I overdid it! You guys are the best!!

Whatcha Reading?

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When we last spoke….

I finished Beautiful Bastard yesterday. It was a fun book. Turns out it started out as a fanfic called The Office. What is fanfic you ask?

Fan fiction (alternatively referred to as fan-fiction, fanfiction, fanfic, FF, or simply fic) is a broadly-defined fan labor term for stories about characters or settings written by fans of the original work, rather than by the original creator. Works of fan fiction are rarely commissioned or authorized by the original work’s owner, creator, or publisher; also, they are almost never professionally published.–From Wikipedia

So this fanfic was based on the Twilight Books. No there were no vampires, it really only used the character names and some of their traits, mainly Edwards. For the book, they changed all the names, some of the physical appearances (i.e.. eye color) and settings. This is being done more and more. Fanfic authors are pulling their stories, re-working them and then either self publishing them as e-books or are finding smaller publishing houses to do it for them. The most famous fanfic turned best seller is Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James. I read this as a fanfic, called Master of the Universe, two years before it came out as a book. She would update a chapter at a time each week…for all three books!! It almost killed me having to wait (Am I right H.P.A? You know my pain). That is how many of the fanfic’s are written, a chapter a week, however sometimes you have to wait weeks on end to get an update. I did get the books and read it as Fifty and although the writing isn’t perfect, I still enjoyed it!

Back to Beautiful Bastard… It was a fast read. Nothing earth shattering, meaning I have read the story many times before just with different characters and settings. I did like that the female lead was strong and not wishy washing and whining like some are that are based off the Twilight books. She stood up for herself and I liked that.

Since I finished that in less than 24 hours, I started another book (and finished it) called Dirty by Megan Hart. This is also considered an “erotica” but really it is a well written story about a flawed 29-year-old woman, who has yet to deal with a tragic past and instead choses not deal with her issues by having meaning less sex. Until….she meets Dan. I really enjoyed this book. It is very well written, the characters are honest, likable and flawed. I mean read the book in less than 24 hours! I couldn’t put it down. Unlike Beautiful Bastard, this book is not fun read. It deals with some serious issues (rape and suicide). There is no guaranteed happy ending. However I did like the ending…it was hopeful.

Since I am known to stick with the same author till I have read everything they have ever written (Lisa Gardner-only 1 more to go!), I have decided to read another book by Megan Hart. I just don’t know which one. I will let you know once I pick it!

Christian Gray

Ian

Ian

Ok, who out there has read Fifty Shades of Grey? Who do you think should play Christian? My top pick is Ian Somerhalder from Lost and Vampire Diaries. He would be perfect for the role! Those eyes! If you watch TVD’s, you know he can play an asshole, who underneath just want’s to be loved!! And have lots of sex. PERFECT Christian Grey. Am I right?

Ian

Ian

Now my second choice would be Ryan “Hey Girl” Gosling. I mean, look at that body, those eyes. Enough said. I just don’t know if he is tall enough, how he would look with darker hair and if he would even consider it. I know Ian wants to play Christian in the movie.

Ryan

Ryan

Ryan

Ryan

Question: Who do you think should play Christen Grey?

It is Thursday!!!

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It is Thursday! That means it is almost Friday!

My Poor Car

My Poor Car

This is a picture of my poor car. The poor thing is covered in yellow pollen. He asks me to wash him but I tell I can’t. One minute out of the car wash and he will be covered again in the yellow/green crap. He is very sad. I tell him to look on the bright side, every other car we see looks just like him. His response, he flips his check engine light at me.

The good news, is that we should be getting some rain today that will hopefully wash away some of the pollen. The Boy is feeling better. Looks like the allergy medicine I found yesterday, although horrible in taste (at least from the way he reacts when he takes it), seems to be working. He just has a bit of a runny nose. Hopefully the rain will help him out tomorrow.

Dinner

Dinner

Tonight for dinner I made a turkey burger with Trader Joe’s Sweet Potato tots. I love these tots! My Man seems to like them too. I only wish they would get crisper when I bake them.

Tots

Tots

Whatcha Reading?

I finished listening to Say Goodbye by Lisa Gardner and just started The Killing Hour by Gardner. Like I said before, I am really enjoying her books. Say Goodbye although good, was a bit hard to listen too. Mainly because it dealt with the kidnapping of young boys and well it kind freaked me out. I am now thinking about getting The Boy a personal trainer who could teach him some self-defence, build up his muscles and help him grow his confidence. I know, he is only 8 but…well…he is my boy. Plus, I think he would have fun.

I just finished reading Gone by Lisa Gardner and even though I have one more book of hers to read, I have decided to read Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren. I will tell you right now, this book is NOTHING like the ones by Gardner. I believe this will fall under the genre of Erotica. I have heard good things about it, hopefully it will not disappoint.

Question: Why do kids hate blowing their nose?

Cold and Rainy

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Hey Ya’ll!

Last Night

The Boy had piano at 5:30 yesterday. By the time I took him I was longing for my bed. I hit a wall  about an hour before. Not sure why, I got to sleep in. Maybe “My What Would SK Do” workout was just too much for me. No, I am just getting old.

By the time we got home all I knew was that I was hungry and wanted to sleep. I had no idea what to eat, being tired makes my decision making skills wither away. I ended up eating two pieces of left over cheese pizza and apple with peanut butter. Not the best dinner but it was fast and I didn’t have to clean any pots or pans.

After one episode of the Big Bang Theory and Jeopardy, I headed upstairs to get my PJs on. By 8:10pm I was lying in bed, watching Dateline NBC and listening to My Man and The Boy play the guitar. Once in my bed I didn’t feel all that tired, so I finished reading The Other Daughter and have started Alone by Lisa Gardner. I thought about changing genre’s and reading The Prey. However in the end I knew if that in the back of my mind I would be thinking that I still had two more Lisa Gardner books to read.

Time for bed

Time for bed

Finally Panny jumped on top of me to smell my breath. This is what she does every night. Sometimes she takes a whiff thinks about it and jumps off the bed running from the room. Other times she looks at me and then makes her self comfortable…right on top of my face. It makes reading very hard. It makes watching TV very hard. It makes breathing very hard. Eventually she will climb off me, take her place on the bed and tell me to stop reading/watching TV and go to bed. And so I do.

Morning

Bored in the car

Bored in the car

Today I will be heading down to Newnan, GA. I have meetings with two of my favorite clients. The drive takes about 45 minutes. I will most likely get there early so there will be lots of random picture taking.

My plan is to bike an hour at home tonight. The temperature has drop 20 degrees and it is rainy out. The Girls are not going to be happy. Their dirt bath will get all muddy. If only they were into mud masks.

-Later!

Whatcha Reading?

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I read books on my iPad using iBooks, Kindle and Nook applications. I also listen to them via Audible books (http://www.audible.com) while I am at work. So I am usually “reading” two books at once.

Right now I have halfway thru reading Lisa Gardner’s “The Other Daughter” and just stared listening to her book “Say Goodbye”.

I had listen to a few of hers in the past but I got hooked on about a month ago and am now determined to read/listen to everyone she has written.

Question: What are you reading now? Do you ever listen to audio books?

So it begins…

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Here I am on Easter working on getting my first “real” blog set up. I woke up last night a 3am and sat in bed for 2 hours trying to figure out why I was having such a problem setting this dam thing up! When that (and My Man’s snoring) almost drove me to the edge, I thought of what I wanted to share to the world on my blog…you now the fun stuff! So, as I fumble my way through setting this up, here are a few things I am planning to include:

            • Food Porn- I love to eat really good food. I really like it when I don’t make it, serve it or clean up after it, so I will be reviewing my favorite restaurants and not so favorite.

              Pan Roasted Wild Striped Bass

              Pan Roasted Wild Striped Bass

            • Getting Fit- Like I said, I love food. However, I don’t like the side effects. Also, I am turning the big 40 soon and I would like to be in the best shape of my adulthood as I enter a new stage in life. Plus, the clothes! Love the clothes! I will let you know where I get them, deals I find and oh, the workouts I like.
My Bike

My Bike

          • What am I listening to- We love music here at Hotel Yorba! I will up date you on not only what I am listening to but also what My Man and The Boy are listening to.
          • The Illness- I have had cancer three times over the past 11 years. I know, I know, I couldn’t just have it once! No!! Had to have three times! I am still on this jounery and will be for the rest of my life. I will inform you about my type of cancer and update you on my health. Right now all is well!
          • The Leg- This ties into The Illness and Getting Fit
          • The Job- I have my own business, which is great cause I am the boss and in charge. But is is also is hard cause I am the boss and in charge! The buck stops here as they say. I will talk about the day to day issues a working mom has to deal with. I am in finance and due to the strict guidelines  set up by the SEC, NYSE, my broker dealer, my compliance officer and everyone else out there who likes to make rules, I will not be discussing what I do on a day to day regarding my business. You want financial advice? Find a financial advisor! We rock!
          • Whatcha Reading?- I LOVE to read! I read all kinds of books and will let you know what I think is good, bad, funny, sad and steamy! You have a book you want me to read, let me know.
          • The Kids & The Girls- The Kids are the four legged members of our family. They are our cats Simon and Pandora. They also go by the names of Chunky Monkey and Porky Panny. The Girls are our two legged members of our family. Our Chickens Turbo and Poppy.
Turbo

Turbo

Sleepy Girl

Sleepy Girl

There will also be the day to day updates on what the heck is going on down here in the ATL. I am going to start out by letting a few friends and family know about My Hotel Yorba, but please share it with your friends and family. Once everything is up and running smoothly, I am planning on updating one to two times a day. Any suggestions you may have are welcomed!!

For all those who celebrate Easter, Happy Easter! For those of you who do not, Happy Sunday! And for those whose kids are on Spring Break this week like The Boy is, Happy Spring Break!!

-Shay