Fiona's Farrago

Planned Parenthood

2008-02-10T16:53:00.000-05:00

Every Friday there is a man in the county where I live who gets out of bed, dresses himself, drives to the local Planned Parenthood building and protests for eight hours. He is Pro-Life. He is white. His signs vary from week to week. Sometimes they are a simple message of choosing life while at others they are an in-your-face condemnation of those who believe in abortion.

For those of you who read my blog, you know my stance. I am pro-choice, pro-abortion, pro-sex education and a supporter/volunteer of Planned Parenthood. It amazes me that someone can feel so strong a conviction on this topic that they would give a day of their life each week in protest. A man, who will never be in the position of having to make that decision, could feel such overwhelming vehemence against how a woman chooses to deal with her body. In a way, I almost wish my conviction was that strong.

On Friday, a friend called to tell me that this man, this man who once served as a member of our School Board, was once again standing on the side of State Road 60 with his narrow-minded and ignorant sign. Apparently on that day, he was demonstrating his conviction alone. A myriad of feelings raced through me as I hit 'end' on my cell. I wanted to scream. I was immediately angry. I wanted to put on my clothes and push through my hangover from hell and drive downtown and confront him. I wanted to stand in front of his stupid little sign and prevent his ignorance from infecting or hurting anyone else. I wanted to yell at him until he went away. I wanted to talk to him until he saw reason. I just wanted him to stop.

I have considered myself a feminist for quite some time and have always been pro-choice. However, in the last seven years, after working with all of these low socio-economic students, I feel stronger about the existence of Planned Parenthood than ever before. I've seen these girls who have been molested, raped and seriously taken advantage of. I've seen the fear in their eyes, the feeling of total helplessness and loss of control. I've seen them struggle with the decision to have an abortion and more times than I would like to remember I've seen them struggle even harder with their choice to keep the baby. They are children themselves. Lost, confused and hurting. At fourteen they are required to make a decision that will live with them for the rest of their lives and more often than not, they choose to continue the cycle of poverty that they were born into.

How could this person, this man, this white, rich, suburban southern baptist, have any right to criticize the choice these girls are making? How could he be so blind as to think he has any idea? This man may be pro-life, but he certainly isn't pro-child. The damage he did within our school system will remain for years to come. And these children that he feels should be born, has he taken a step to assist in their lives? He hasn't helped serve food at the homeless shelter. He hasn't been at the local youth activity center volunteering his free time to tutor and entertain these children while the women he say should keep the babies work minimum wage jobs that won't even put food on the table. He hasn't done anything to assist in the lives of those who actually choose life. And perhaps that is my biggest complaint with the fanatical pro-lifers. While they spend so much time insisting that everyone should have a right to live, they do nothing to help improve those lives. There is no community outreach. No help for the young mothers. Nothing to aide them after their decision has been made.*

Perhaps it is just that I am so thoroughly ingrained in my beliefs that I can't see the other side. I like to think I can but on this one I'm stumped. Life is precious, but quality of life is equally so. Next Friday, this man will once again park his car and pull his picket sign out of the trunk and spend countless hours hurling accusations at women who enter the Planned Parenthood building. And I will get up and get dressed and go to school and try to teach those same girls that they need an education, they need to believe in themselves and they need to work hard in school in order to have a better life. I can't hold a giant white sheet up in front of this man and block his message, but I'll continue to be an example to my girls. To show them that strength in women should be applauded. That it is their life and their body and their right.

If you too are an advocate of choice, you can Join the One Million Strong Campaign. The One Million Strong Campaign is a Planned Parenthood Action Fund-sponsored effort, combining national, state, and local Action Funds to identify, energize, and mobilize one million pro-choice voters in the coming election. With your support, we will work to elect pro-choice candidates at every level, including a pro-choice president and Senate and House members; pass laws and policies that support women's health; defeat anti-choice ballot measures; and turn out one million pro-choice voters in November 2008!

*I am speaking from my own personal experience. I have looked for resources for my girls for several years now and there is nothing available from the local church and pro-life organization in my county.*

...Fiona...

Sunday Musings...

2008-02-10T15:33:00.000-05:00

It's a beautiful Sunday afternoon here in Florida. The temperature is about 72 degrees, the windows are open, there is an awesome breeze and I'm getting to sit here and cyber-surf. Gawd, I love days like this.

I have lots of stuff floating around in my head, but I'm not sure any of it is really worth a full blog post. So, I think this will just be my completely random snippets.

Politics

Okay, so I'm totally a Hillary Fan. I voted for Hil in the primaries and I'm really hopeful that she will get the Democratic nomination. And thankfully, I'll be happy with Obama even if Hillary doesn't get the nomination. However, in my book, experience is key. I recently saw the kick ass video on YouTube for Obama by a collective group of public figures, and yes, while it is cool, I worry that he isn't mature enough or experienced enough to really carry off real change. And while Hillary may not be as radical as I would like, there is just no way I can't vote for a woman, especially one with her qualifications. So, in the words of my favorite tee, "Just vote for the bitch."

Work

I've really been slacking at work lately. Well, okay, not slacking (totally not me) but not the completely anal retentive version of me that I usually am. Why? Oh, I guess I've just realized that I need to chill out and have a life. No matter how much I do at work, there is always going to be more to do. Plus, I think it helps the kids that I'm not so 'on it' all the time. FCAT is coming up and the stress of that is about to begin. It isn't something I'm looking forward to, mainly because I know how difficult it is on the kids. Plus, it's really exhausting trying to make test prep fun and exciting for low achieving kids.

Life

Life, hmmmm, what can I say? LOL You know, the divorce was really hard for me, for a variety of reasons, and I just abhorred everyone who repeated the old cliche that 'there is a reason for everything'. No, seriously, it was like nails down a chalkboard for me. I didn't want to evaluate the past five years of my life and I certainly didn't want to think about the future, but man, time is the best kind of medicine. Now, looking back, they were right. There certainly is a reason for everything that happens. I've had to work really hard at not regretting my years of marriage with Linc and instead enjoying the memories and seeing how it shaped me into the person I am today. Now that I've completed the familial obligations of love and marriage, I really get to think about who I am and I what I want out of life. I've spent so many years trying to please my parents and make them happy, and while some of the things I did were really great for my life (softball, teaching), others weren't and it took this divorce to make me see that. So, I'm enjoying my friends, I'm doing some writing that I never would have attempted and I'm in a relationship that is just amazing. So yeah, life is good.

Books

I haven't been reading much romance lately. Why? I don't know. Perhaps I'm just not out of my cynical stage yet or maybe its something more. I've been reading a lot more non fiction than fiction these days. I reread the series by Dave Pelzer (A Child Called It, Lost Boy and A Man Named Dave). A Child Called It is definitely a thought provoking book. I also read Family Outing by Chasity Bono which I wasn't expecting to be very good but I was pleasantly surprised. It's mostly a collection of other's stories and she had help writing the book, so all in all it was good. And of course, I'm reading tons for school. I'm currently on Absolute Brightness by James Lecesne. Its an ARC I got from a friend. And I have Beastly by Alex Flinn in my TBR. Beastly is a teen ARC I got in Toronto and never got around to reading. I've had three girls read it and they have just raved and raved, so I'm going to see what all the fuss is about.

Off Topic

I have a ton of artists I want to download on my iTunes. Flo Rida being the main one. I try and try to expand my musical pallate, and as much as I like other artists, I always gravitate back to hard rap and hip hop. What is that? Why on earth is a little country girl so drawn to that kind of music. Must be something with my subconscious. You think?

To do

Oh goodness, do I want to even begin to tackle the to do list? Hmmm, lets see.
1. Buy new clothes
2. Wash my sneakers (like ten pair!)
3. File papers
4. Take books to book store
5. Put away my Christmas decorations ( I KNOW!!)
6. Call Grandma and wish her Happy Birthday (87!)
7. Call my Aunt Janice because I haven't done that in like two months!
8. Send Emma and Alexa a post card.
9. Go over and visit with my friend Q since she isn't working.
10. Clean my house (um, maybe I'll skip this one?)
11. Organize my scrapbooking stuff. (I haven't done this since BEFORE I moved!)
12. Okay, I'm going to stop before I get overwhelmed!

...Fiona...

Let's try this...

2008-01-30T14:50:00.001-05:00

Okay, I can't post at school, which is why I haven't been putting posts up. So, I'm trying the new e-mail in your post option. Will be interesting to see if this works. Holly, I know you've done this before, right? If any of you have tips, I'd love to have them.

PS: This counts as my post for the day!

...Fiona...

Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage.

What?!?

2008-01-30T06:32:00.000-05:00

My last post was January 8th? Crud, bad blogger. Bad, bad blogger. OKay, so I'm never home to write! Sheesh. Gimme a break!

Posting today...promise.

Maybe.

I'll try!

No really, I will TRY!

What? I will!

...Fi

Hey Baby, What's Your Sign?

2008-01-08T17:15:00.000-05:00

Libra in a Nutshell

Born: September 23 – October 22

Element: Air – communicative and logical

Quality: Cardinal, the quality that signifies change and movement

Symbol: The Scales

Lucky Day: Friday

Lucky Number: 6 and 9

Special Color: Blue and lavender, the colors of harmony and refinement

Libra Traits: Charming, indecisive, diplomatic, easy-going, vulnerable, idealistic

Nobody will ever accuse a Libra of not being fair. With the Libra symbol of the Scales on your side, you are a seeker of balance, justice and order.You are objective, always able to see both sides of every story, and you are good at handling a crisis. You avoid conflict at all costs, which is why you try to be so peaceful.Striking a harmonic balance in all areas of your life is a continuous goal of yours. But don’t think just yet that every Libra should enroll in law school to become a judge, because your ever-present indecisiveness would get in the way of making rulings.

Relationships
Partnerships with friends and lovers bring out the best in you. You are emotionally driven in all of your relationships and possess the gift of understanding others’ feelings and needs.Part of your charm is having a knack for making other people feel important. It’s a good thing you are so socially inclined since you despise being alone.One relationship technique native to the Libra sign is giving in during an argument just for the sake of not ruffling any feathers, even when you know you’re right. This is where the diplomatic side of you comes in.

It's Tuesday!

2008-01-08T17:06:00.001-05:00

Um...I got nothing

...Fiona...

B is for Books...

2008-01-06T18:05:00.000-05:00

B is for Books

Books! God I love books. Love, love, love! The first book that I remember was the Very Hungry Caterpillar. I loved that thing! I had the kind with the really thick pressed pages so I could read it again and again and it never wore out. I’ve always been a good (and fast) reader. I started reading the classics in middle school, along with teen horror king Christopher Pike. Pike wrote about sex, which was water-to-a-dying-man for a thirteen year old. I actually think it was that aspect in his books that ultimately led me to love the romance genre. But gosh, I have so many memories about books; I wouldn’t even know what story to tell!

My Top 4 most memorable books (like the kind that I can still remember the covers in my head!

Th The Hungry Caterpillar
Final Friends by Christopher Pike
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
Perfect by Judith McNaught

You know what you have to do...Okay, so I’m going to tell the embarrassing 8^th grade yearbook story. Whenever this memory pops up in my head I take a second to go back to 1994 and then I cringe in utter embarrassment. Even now, all these years later, I am so.fucking.embarrassed! I did the absolute stupidest shit in school. How I made it through, I’ll never know.

In 8^th grade I was head over heels in love with Russ. We had dated off and on since 6^th grade. We were even one of the first couples to *gasp* French-kiss in 7^th grade (quite the big deal back then). Then, in 8^th grade, Russ decides he likes Heather better and drops me harder than a 400 pound man out of an airplane. I was crushed. Devastated. Heart-broken. Life could not…would not go on. But I was thirteen and as most young, hormone raging adolescents do, I quickly recovered. Tony liked me! Tony, who was tall, dark, and han…no ladies and gentleman, Tony was not handsome. He was tall and dark, but his head was too big for his neck, his nose was too big for his face and he looked like a pepperoni pizza on steroids. Oh, what was I thinking?!? Tony’s mother was also a teacher so we began spending our afternoons together, he asked me out, we held hands at lunch, and life was grand. At the end of the year Tony asked me to go to the 8^th grade dance with him *sigh* and I said yes. I had the biggest poufy hair at the dance, I wore a purple dress and he had a tie to match and we slow danced the night away. Pure bliss.

The next Monday at school we finally got our long awaited yearbooks. I can still remember it like it was yesterday. Tony sat in front of me in Mrs. Jacob’s home ec class. During second period he turned around and handed me his yearbook. Since I was Tony’s girl, I got to sign his yearbook first (insert little girl squeal here). I was at the height of my Christopher Pike obsession at this point and had just finished reading Final Friends 3: The Graduation. In this book, the main characters are graduating from high school and the first two chapters are small inscriptions that they are making in each other’s yearbooks. One character, Bubba, is the rudest and crudest of them all (and duh, my favorite!). Well, as you can imagine, Bubba writes a particularly ‘racy’ message in Sara’s yearbook. When I read it a week earlier I just knew that was what I had to write in Tony’s yearbook when he gave it to me! He would see that I was a woman who was sexy and smart and knew what she wanted. What the hell was I thinking??? And why, why oh why, did it not dawn on me in the ensuing seven days that this would be an utter mistake? But alas, I was thirteen, the hormones were raging, and I, apparently, had no brain.

My inscription in Tony’s yearbook (verbatim from the book):

My Dearest Tony,

My heart patters at the thought of us making love tonight above the deep ocean swells, our bodies locked in passion, the salty sweat on the burning flesh of our entangled limbs mingling like oil and wine, ready to burst into flaming ecstasy. My head swoons. Tonight, Tony, I promise you, will be our night. The gods will envy our joy.

But we mustn’t be foolish. We mustn’t forget, in our carnal hunger for each other, certain responsibilities. You would rather float on love-intoxicated perfumed clouds, I realize, ignoring the practical demands the world places upon us, only fantasizing about the pleasure I will send throbbing through your body. Yet we have to be careful. We can have our cake and eat it, too, but only if we don’t let the ice cream melt. We have to get some condoms.

As you have probably guessed, anything that will heighten our delight is fine with me. I prefer the natural to the artificial, the tight to the loose, blue to red. Keep this in mind when you visit the pharmacy, Tony, and you will be thanked a thousand times over when the time comes.

Love You Always,

In So Many Different Positions,

Fiona

I imagine at this point your mouth is hanging open in shock, you aren’t reading this because you are rolling on the ground laughing, or you can totally feel my absolute mortification. I told you it was bad. There was a reason I haven’t ever rewritten this passage.

Remember when I said Tony gave me his yearbook in 2^nd period? Yes, that means that everyone who signed it the rest of the day read what I had written. It never crossed my mind that other people would read it or that Tony would be completely embarrassed by the passage also. By lunch everyone knew about it and Tony had to hide his yearbook in his locker while we both prayed the story didn’t get to our mothers.

I don’t know how Scarlett the guidance counselor, who knew everything I did in school, never found out. Or maybe she did but couldn’t muster the nerve to face me about it. That night I came up with a solution: we would glue a page over the top of it (I had written it on the back cover). The next day I came to school armed with a piece of construction paper and super glue. Between the permanent marker and all the glue I used, I am confident those words were never read again. My relationship with Tony ended shortly after that. Apparently, I was too much woman for him to handle.

Life Lesson: “Don’t put it in writing unless you’d be willing to have the world read it.”

Fiona

TGIF

2008-01-04T09:34:00.000-05:00

It's fRiDaY!

My friends are back in town, I had a great time line dancing and it's the last weekend before school starts back.

Woo-Hoo!!!!!!!

...Fiona...

(and Florida's finally beginning to feel like the damn sunshine state again!)

A is for Amber

2008-01-03T08:02:00.000-05:00

This is the first installment of my alphabiography.

If wondering what the hell I'm talking about, then you missed this post. Read it first.

A is for Amber

I couldn’t think of a more fitting way to begin my alphabiography then to talk about my students. I love teaching, I love being a teacher and as much as it drives me completely crazy, I wouldn’t want to do anything else (quite yet). Amber and Dana are Irish twins (9 months apart) and probably two students that I will never forget. You run in to kids around town: at Wal-Mart, taking your money at MacDonald’s, passing in the mall, and when you do you rack your brain furiously trying to remember their name. Usually I can remember where they sat or how awful their parents were or who their best friend was but names completely elude me. So I say “hi” with a lot of enthusiasm and ask how school is going, hoping all the while they don’t ask me if I remember who they are (note to former students: don’t put your teacher on the spot like that! We teach 130 of you a year, I couldn’t possibly remember all of your names!). But Amber is one of those students that I will never forget. I think of her when having a difficult day and she’s one of those that will just flit across my mind from time to time.

More below the cut

Amber is one of five children. Her parents are really great people but were not blessed with a lot of intelligence. They do the best they can and truly love their children, but providing adequately for them has always been a struggle. Amber was in a particularly difficult reading class and I really had to come across as the authority figure. I think I might have scared her a little, actually (hehe). On the third or fourth day of school we were doing an assignment and Amber just couldn’t get it. The idea was completely eluding her, so I had her stay with me through lunch; we shared my ham and turkey sandwich and finished the worksheet with time to spare. While sitting there munching on chips and sipping Capri Sun, Amber began to tell me her story. She told me about her mom and her dad, her four sisters, what subjects she liked in school and which ones were very difficult for her. I listened, she talked and by the end of our lunch period a bond had already been created. Amber hugged me and said thanks for listening and ran out the door to her 5^th period.

The next day, after class, Amber put a brown paper sack on her desk and pulled out her own sandwich. Our daily lunches together had begun. It was my first year at a new school, I hadn’t made any friends, I didn’t know anyone, so I figured, why not? Amber and I would talk about everything, from books we were reading to favorite tv shows. She would talk to me about the struggles they were having at home, teachers she was having a problem with and some days we even worked on homework. I have to admit though; my lunches with Amber were purely selfish. Never had I felt like I was making such a difference in the life of a child then I did for those 30 minutes every day with her. Some days Dana, Amber’s sister, would eat lunch with us, or other friends she invited would come by, especially if we were going to be talking about a book they had recently read. But for the most part, it was just Amber and I.

A week before Christmas, Amber’s family was evicted from their home. I still tear up when I remember her sitting in my room crying, telling me that her family of seven would be living out of their van. She wasn’t even upset for herself, she was sad because her dad felt like he had failed them. I did what I could, especially about getting them help for Christmas and luckily within a month they were back in government housing.

Amber’s a senior in high school now. She’s struggled with school but will be graduating in May. She calls me, not as often as she used to but at least once a month, to tell me how she’s doing or ask my advice about a boy (god help us!) or get help with a homework assignment. I have her younger sister this year and she is the spitting image of Amber and just as sweet and lovable.

There are a lot of people out there who do this job that shouldn’t. Teachers who come to school for the paycheck and the summer vacations. There are also those of us out there who work and work and work and are never appreciated. I truly consider myself one of the lucky ones. I love my job and I think, on most days, the kids love me back. I’m fortunate to have had a student that made such an impact on me. There are lots of teachers out there who can’t say that or don’t have that memory. Amber, thanks for splitting a sandwich with me.

Life Lesson: “Slow down and eat lunch. It might just be the meal that changes your life.”

Totally Joe

2008-01-02T17:28:00.000-05:00

Book Review: Totally Joe

Occasionally I’ve reviewed a book here that I have read/used for school. I’ve been sitting on Totally Joe for a while (and for a reason).

Totally Joe is the story of Joe Bunch, lovable misfit and celebrity wannabe from Paintbrush Falls, New York. Like his longtime best friends Addie, Skeezie, and Bobby, Joe's been called names all his life. So when he's given the assignment to write his alphabiography -- the story of his life from A to Z -- Joe has his doubts. This whole thing could be serious ammunition for bullying if it falls into the wrong hands.

But Joe discovers there's more to the assignment -- and his life -- than meets the eye. Especially when he gets to the letter C, which stands for Colin Briggs, the coolest guy in the seventh grade (seriously) -- and Joe's secret boyfriend.

By the time Joe gets to the letter Z, he's pretty much bared his soul about everything. And Joe's okay with that because he likes who he is. He's Totally Joe, and that's the best thing for him to be.

Here is an exuberant, funny, totally original story of one boy's coming out -- and coming-of-age.

More below the cut

Totally Joe is a great book for kids, especially ones dealing with being different and not fitting in, but reading this one as an adult was, well, amazing. Howe has one of the best voices I have ever read on paper. Almost every line is funny (hard to do and not force it) and his ability to recreate situations and deliver dialogue is stunning. I read TJ in one day and couldn’t stop laughing and the book hasn’t stayed on the shelf since. My kids love it and I highly recommend it. Even if you’re a grown up, even if you’re straight, Totally Joe is more than just a great read, it’s an experience.

Interview with James Howe

So, why have I been sitting on the review for so long? Well, because I want to do my own alphabiography, of course! Let’s call it a New Year’s Challenge! Every week, I plan (hope) to post a new letter of the alphabet. In six months, my very own alphabiography should be complete!

Buy Totally Joe here!

Excerpt:
Joe Bunch, The Early Years:

"My mom says that I played wedding for about a year and that I kept asking everybody if they would marry me. Even Jeff. (That was the only time anyone can remember Jeff threatening to clobber me on a regular basis.) I had my Lainy doll marry my Ken doll. I also had her marry some of my Barbies. And G.I. Joe. (I hated that the soldier doll had my name. I mean, please. I didn't play with him much. He was another Christmas present from my clueless grandparents. One time when they were visiting, my grandpa asked me if G.I. Joe had been in any wars lately. I said, 'No, but he and Ken got married last week.' Every Christmas since then, my grandparents have sent me a check.)”

Resolutions...

2008-01-02T10:43:00.001-05:00

Okay, I don't really have any serious NY resolutions set. Typical stuff, but I saw this on Julieree's blog and had to steal. It pretty much sums it up for me:

Hump Day! (and I'm home!)

2008-01-02T09:01:00.000-05:00

Hello Cyber World, I'm back from the farm and never been happier about it!

I spent 8 glorious days with Scarlett and Jimmy (with a small break in the middle) and you know the one nice thing about going home? It makes me more thankful for having gotten an education and the hell out of Dodge!!! *haha*

My dad just had back surgery so I had to help out a little more than usual. Typical farm stuff...put out hay, patch fence, count cows, feed bulls, blah, blah, blah. Nothing real exciting. Scarlett and I got along really well and we took Grandma to go see Cats in Tampa for New Year's Eve! It.Was.Awesome!

I ended up going down to the 'hunting camp' when we got back to the show and saw a lot of old friends. We ran the dogs, caught a deer and drank a lot of beer! LOL You know the saying, "same shit, different day"? Yes, well...it's true. Give a bunch of guys a wooden shack and too much beer and you get the same thing every time...how dumb can we get? This is the conversation (and scene) I walked in on:

Doug: You go first
Dale: I'm not going first. You're the one that thought of it...you go first!
Doug: But you won't do it if I go first.
Dale: You calling me a liar?
(oh, here we go...)
Doug: No, I'm calling you a pansy ass because you won't do it.
(at this point there is a loud guffaw from the 15+ people egging these two idiots on)
Dale: Fine, put your money down.
(20's are set on the table)
Doug: Ready?
(head nod from Dale)
Doug: On the count of three....1, 2, 3
(and at this point, Dale downs an entire glass of pickled hog's feet juice.)

No, Doug didn't drink it. He wasn't that stupid! Laughing and puking (on Dale's part) ensued.

Ah...home.

Fiona

Oldies but Goodies...

2007-12-30T11:38:00.000-05:00

I put some new posts up on the sidebars. During my search I ran into some old but fun posts. Thought I might re-share one or two.

Retro Monday...

Everywhere I looked this weekend, the 80s were coming up in the conversation. So, thought you might enjoy this!

You Know You Grew Up In The 80's or Early 90's If:

1. You've ever ended a sentence with the word SIKE. Of course!

2. You watched the Pound Puppies. I got one for my birthday! Gray with a brown spots on the butt.

3. You can sing the rap to the Fresh Prince of Belair and can do the Carlton. It was Philadelphia born an’ raised, on a playground is where I spent most of my days…shall I continue?

4. Girls wore biker shorts under their skirts and felt stylishly sexy. Mine were neon green and pink.

5. You yearned to be a member of the Baby-sitters club and tried to start a club of your own. Yes to both.

6. You owned those lil' Strawberry Shortcake pals scented dolls. Yes, almost all of them. I collected them from flea markets for a while. I still have them and have considered selling them on eBay but Mom says that would be sacrilege.

7. You know that "WOAH" comes from Joey on Blossom. He was such a hottie, but I liked the older brother, Anthony, better. (see #23 for explanation)

8. Two words: Hammer Pants. Not only did I have an orange and blue pair…my mother had a pair!

9. If you ever watched Fraggle Rock. We didn’t get HBO…just one of those big ass satellites that didn’t get anything but sports and news.

10. You had plastic streamers on your handle bars... and spokey-dokes or playing cards on your spokes for that incredible sound effect. Not really sure playing cards classifies as 80s, but I had the neon spokey-dokes.

11. You can sing the entire theme song to DuckTales. Not only do I know Duck Tales, but I also know Tiny Toons, which followed.

12. It was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons. Can we say Zack (Saved by the Bell)?

13. You wore a ponytail on the side of your head. Of course.

14. You saw the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on the big screen...and still know the turtles names. Do you mean the quartet of humanoid turtles trained by their mentor in ninjitsu who must learn to pull together in order to face the menace of Shredder and the Foot Clan?

15. You got super-excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school. I bought this at Wal-Mart several months ago in the bargain bin! LOVED this game!

16. You made your mom buy one of those clips that would hold your shirt in a knot on the side. We got them at the flea market, decorated with puffy paint and rhinestones.

17. You played the game MASH (Mansion, Apartment, Shelter, House) Still do.

18. You wore stonewashed Jordache jean jackets and were proud of it. Yup.

19. L.A. Gear....need I say more? I got a black denim LA Gear jacket with the LA Gear logo sequined on the back. I kept that bad boy for years…LOVED it! It went well with my white and pink LA Gear hi-tops.

20. You wanted to change your name to JEM in Kindergarten.(She's truly outrageous). Don’t know this one.

21. You remember reading Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and all the Ramona books. Every one of them, I think.

22. You know the profound meaning of WAX ON, WAX OFF. Profound? I know I said it this weekend!

23. You wanted to be a Goonie. Oh yes, this began my love affair with the ‘nerds’ of movies. First it was the younger, asthmatic brother of Goonies and then it was on to Goose from Top Gun.

24. You ever wore fluorescent clothing. Everything! But what I remember most was this hair barrette that was made out of neon green and pink shoelaces (went with the bicycle shorts ya know)!

25. You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off and his cheeks shifted. Yup. God, the glove, the jacket…

26. You have ever pondered why Smurfette was the only female Smurf. That is a good question...

27. You took lunch boxes to school... and traded Garbage Pail Kids in the schoolyard. Garbage Pail Kids were awesome!

28. You remember the CRAZE, then the BANNING of slap bracelets.
Oh yes.

29. You still get the urge to say NOT after every sentence. *hangs head* I still do this sometimes.

30. You remember Hypercolor t-shirts. Had a pink one that turned purple.

31. Barbie and the Rockers was your favorite band. Nope.

32. You thought She-ra (Princess of Power!) and He-Man should hook up. Weren’t they?

33. You thought your childhood friends would never leave because you exchanged handmade friendship bracelets. Of course.

34. You ever owned a pair of Jelly-Shoes. (and like #24, probably in neon colors, too). Purple.

35. After you saw Pee-Wee's Big Adventure you kept saying, "I know you are, but what am I?" Who didn't?

36. You remember "I've fallen and I can't get up". Did you know Donatello says this in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III?

37. You remember going to the skating rink before there were inline skates. Thursday nights. After a while, I got to work behind the counter and pass out skates. This I did for free mind you, because it meant I was cool. What a sucker.

38. You ever got seriously injured on a Slip and Slide. Scar is on my right arm.

39. You have ever played with a Skip-It. Easter: Skip-It Skip off=Champion.

40. You had or attended a birthday party at McDonalds. Two years in a row.

41. You've gone through this nodding your head in agreement. And my neck hurts from doing that.

42. You remember Popples. Um, no.

43. Don't worry, be happy. I remember that!

44. You wore like, EIGHT pairs of socks over tights with high top Reeboks. 3 pairs and the hi-tops were LA Gear.

45. You wore socks scrunched down (and sometimes still do... getting yelled at by younger hip members of the family). Yes.

46. You remember boom boxes. . and walking around with one on your shoulder like you were all that. Remember them, didn’t have one though.

47. You remember watching both Gremlins movies. I still won’t sleep without a night light. My mom got me all the books and records that were given out with kid meals from…Hardees?

48. You know what it meant to say Care Bear Stare!! Yes I do! My cousin, Mandy, and I would do this when her little brother would throw a fit.

49. You remember watching Rainbow Bright and My Little Pony. Oh yes…I had the doll too.

50. You thought Doogie Howser was hot. Absolutely…didn’t I talk about nerds already?

51. You remember Alf, the lil furry brown alien from Melmac. Yup.

52. You remember New Kids on the Block when they were cool... and don't even flinch when people refer to them as NKOTB. I had every cassette tape, every poster.

53. You knew all the characters names and their life stories on Saved By The Bell The ORIGINAL class. Zack, Screech, Lisa, Kelly, AC Slater and Jessie. And I did that without pausing!

54. You know all the words to Bon Jovi - SHOT THROUGH THE HEART. Shot through the heart and your to blame baby you give love...a bad name!

55. You just sang those words to yourself. Absolutely!

56. You remember watching Magic vs. Bird. Yes…satellite, remember?

57. Homemade Levi shorts.. (the shorter the better). Oh god, the memories!

58. You remember when mullets were cool! Oh yes.

59. You had a mullet! Um...no!

60. You still sing "We are the World". I love that song...we are the children....

61. You tight rolled your jeans. How can I forget that? I was a pro!

62. You owned a banana clip. Quite a few!

63. You remember Where's the Beef? That was funny. Had the t-shirt.

64. You used to (and probably still do) say What you talkin' about Willis? No.

65. You had big hair and you knew how to use it. The taller the bangs, the better.

66. You're still singing shot through the heart in your head, aren't you!!! Busted.

67. Did you enjoy your little trip down memory lane? Very much so.

...Fiona...

Name that song...

2007-12-28T12:25:00.000-05:00

I have a stupid song stuck in my head. I don't know the artist, I don't know the lyrics...

The chorus goes:

Da da dada
da da dada

Don't ya just hate that???

Oh My Aching Head

2007-12-28T10:03:00.000-05:00

Captain was my friend. Now Captain is my hangover.

Its the start of a new year and in the spirit of 'bucket' lists, here's one of mine.

Things to do to reclaim my life:

1. Drink until it hurts (check)

2. Dance again (check)

3. Make some great friends (double check)

4. Drive a car I like (will have to wait a while...)

5. Sky Dive (um....not enough drinking for that yet)

6. Bungee Jump (why do I do this to myself?)

7. Travel alone (thinking Seattle for Spring Break maybe?)

8. Read all day without feeling guilty (Woo Hoo!) (check)

9. Be a slob (half check, working on this one)

10. Rekindle an old friendship (haven't decided who yet)

11. Forgive someone (hmmm....who needs forgiveness?)

12. Get my name back!

13. Go to a Cowboys game.

14. Join a softball team.

15. Live without guilt, regret or fear!

...Fi

What's New With Me...

2007-12-27T15:01:00.000-05:00

So, let me catch you guys up:

1. Linc and I divorced. Yeah, shocker I know. He decided to leave. It was hard, but I dealt with it. Am moving on...

2. I moved. Couldn't afford the beach on a teacher's income. Bye, bye waves. (no worries...I bought a cd of the ocean!)

3. I now have a great little apartment in Vero. It's the perfect size for me.

4. I'm still teaching and loving it.

5. I'm applying to grad school. Wish me luck!

Hello All!

2007-12-27T14:55:00.000-05:00

Hey Guys,

Hope this finds everyone well! I'm sure you're tired of my saying I'm back and then not posting anything, so I won't.

My students found my myspace so I had to change it. Here's the new one. Come be my friend!!

My Space Link

Fiona

PS: myspace is under my 'real' name. LOL

It's back!

2007-08-01T15:42:00.000-04:00

My goodness, I can't believe how many people are still coming by the Farrago even though I haven't been posting! Must be all those great links! hehe

Anyway, here it is, returned to the general public, of course, no different. I had planned to do some revamping and start up the blogging again. The revamping didn't happen but hopefully the blogging will.

Till later,
Fiona

Black Monday

2007-02-26T06:14:00.000-05:00

Oh, it is totally black Monday in Florida!

FCAT today.

The last seven months of sweat, blood, tears and time is wrapped up into 160 short minutes.

Wish us all luck.

Fiona

Reading anything?

2007-02-25T14:57:00.000-05:00

Okay, so my posts haven't been book related. *sigh*

I'm reading...I AM! I just haven't felt like talking about it. After finishing Karen Ranney's Highland Lord series, I fell in to a funk. They were just so good I guess I had my fix. I reread Johanna Lindsey's Hearts Aflame and Surrender My Love last Sunday. I love me some Lindsey (in case you didn't know).

Linc and I watched the Da Vinci Code (again) on Monday. The movie launched me into a reading of the book. The book launched me into reading Mary Magdalene, Bride in Exile by Margaret Starbird. Which then spurred on The Gospel of Mary Magdalene. Which is where I'm at today.

However, now I have an itch for another historical. I'm looking for a book about a guy (Scottish probably) who takes a woman hostage. They are traveling (to war, I think). She can sew and is assigned to his tent. I know at one point she cuts up all his clothes. It's very 80's physical. Probably written by Lindsey. If the title jumps out at ya, give me a holler, otherwise you can find me waist deep in books this afternoon.

Fiona

I'm not as bad as Sybil

2007-02-25T11:14:00.000-05:00

What Curse Word Are You?

Why the fuck you'd want to know what your curse word is in the first place is just jacked up shit, but what can I say?

I'm "Damn!!"
Take What Curse Word Are You? today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Personality Test Generator.

Ah yes, the perfect combination between the bad-ass and the smart-ass. You know just how to use a curse word so you don't sound so tough, but at the same time not like such a pansyass you can't even say the damn word. Kudos to you.

What are these kids learning?

2007-02-20T08:54:00.000-05:00

The server at our district office crashed Thursday, which meant we spent all of Friday in the dark ages! Without data, we had no way to: take attendance, input/look at grades, make phone calls (we have IT phones), access our lesson plans, find students, nothing, nada, zip, zero, zilch.

It was fun.

Luckily, because the FCAT is coming soon, I had already started making some critical thinking but "fun" worksheets for the kids. So we did those while I sent text messages to the school secretary.

The first worksheet I had my kids do was Famous First Names of Men. Because it's Black History Month, let me point out a few of the obvious they didn't know (these are directly from the worksheet):

___ Whitney (invented the cotton gin)

___ Robinson (first African American Baseball player)

___ Mandela (first elected South African President)

I'm currently creating a PowerPoint lesson for Monday and Tuesday. It is something I've wanted to do for the last couple of years but just haven't had the time. We are going to talk about influential African American writers and work with some of their texts. I get very excited when I start teaching with Langston Hughes (I just love Simple) and Maya Angelou.

Not to mention, they couldn't get these either:
___ Einstein
___ Lennon
___ Carroll.

They did, however, know Mark Twain and Charles Dickens *sigh of relief*.

...Fiona...

Artsy~Fartsy

2007-02-17T07:51:00.000-05:00

Here are some more cards from this week:
(I think you can double click the image to make it larger)

Scarlett's Valentine:

Linc's Valentine:
Grandma's Birthday Card:That is actually some adhesive fabric I found at Big Lots! Is it not awesome!?!

I would like more money. Who wouldn't??? But apparently... I am such a good tutor that my pupils only need me for several sessions and then stop coming because, "they are just doing so well now." Grrrr.... At Christmas I sold a butt load of cards to people at work and Linc told me I should sell them on ebay. Meh. However, I'm now thinking about Etsy. Here is the other ~~crap~~ stuff I have to offer.

I paint paper mache boxes. Here a few that I have around the house:

The flower box

The heart box

The button basket

The black paint doesn't photograph well.
This is a round box painted black with rub-on transfers.

I have made a lot of these for my aunts and cousins. They just love them. Some I glue stuff to the lids and/or put ribbons around the necks. Personally, I like the raw look without the fluff.

What do you think? Etsy worthy or should I not even bother?

...Fiona...

Thanks!

2007-02-17T07:06:00.000-05:00

For knocking up my stat counter!

Of the last 100 hits to my site, 88 have all found me with the google search "does meredith die".

heeheheheehehe

Keep 'em coming!

...Fiona...

OMG Grey's Rocks!

2007-02-16T11:58:00.000-05:00

I am soooo loving Grey's Anatomy.

This three story arc that they are currently airing is awesome!!!

Last night's ending...Meredith all blue in Derek's arms...Christina feeling all kinds of emotions....McSteamy and McDreamy having a T-Total bonding moment (I think this is the start of their "brothership" returning)...Derek cries...and Denny!!! Squeeeeeee!

You'll have to touch me if you want to read more...

What would we do without YouTube???

DOES MEREDITH DIE?!?!?!

No! Not with a final episode called "Some kind of miracle". This podcast with Executive Producers Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers discuss "Drowning on Dry Land" and tease next week's episode, "Some Kind of Miracle" (2/22/07). There is a nice discussion about Meredith's past and the building of Meredith and Derek's relationship.

Grey's Podcast

And because they have (imo: temporarily) departed from Alex and Izzy...here is my favorite montage:

If you're not going to watch the whole thing...at least hold out until 3:07...haaaawt. And of course, it ends with my FAVORITE scene of GA evah!

...Fiona...

10 weird things about me

2007-02-11T10:05:00.000-05:00

Like I'm not weird enough without spelling it out. Bookwormom tagged me.

1.I can't stand long fingernails (the natural kind, not acrylics). It "squicks" me out. I have to cut/bite mine and I make a conscious effort not to look at women's hands if they have naturally long fingernails.

2. I take showers with the bathroom light off. Started when I was a kid. I thought I was getting a little more sleep because I wasn't fully awake yet.

3. I like to eat real food for breakfast (I'm eating Chinese now, it's 9:00 am).

4. I don't like pens. I prefer... to write with freshly sharpened pencils. Ticonderoga pencils. I have two pencil sharpeners at home and two at school.

5. I don't like talking to people in the lobby of our condo. I will sit in my car until they leave instead of walking in and having to say, "hi".

6. I had a lot of credit card debt in college. I hated bill collectors. They made me phone phobic. Now I hate hearing the phone ring and cringe every time it does.

At this point, I had to ask Linc for help...here are his answers:

7. My throat itches ( a lot) and I make this weird croaking, alligator noise in an effort to scratch it.

8. I can't burp. My husband is trying to teach me (don't ask) but having little success.

9. My kitchen has to be clean. I don't care if the rest of the house is buried in dust and infested, my dishes are washed, floor swept and counters wiped down.

Gosh, this was hard!

10. I watch tv in a mirror while I work on my computer.

...Fiona...

Green with envy

2007-02-10T23:36:00.000-05:00

I wish I was more crafty. I just love going to julieree's site, looking at how talented she is and then clicking on all of the wonderful links in her sidebar!

Here, my favorite links and a pic of my favorite craft:

wee wonderfuls

While She Naps

And if you weren't already drooling, this little bad boy is for sale at her shop, Etsy. I think the nieces might all be getting one! And this I might buy even without a birthday or holiday for an excuse!

O, to be as talented as Shim

I do, however, dabble a little amature-ishly in the craft department.

I used to scrapbook, before I got a digital camera. Now I have no pictures to scrap because I never print them out! I have started making cards though.

Here are my Thanksgiving cards:

And my Christmas Cards:

And now my Valentine Day cards:

...Fiona...

Gouging out my eyes with a spoon

2007-02-10T11:38:00.000-05:00

My Saturday morning went something like this:

Wake up *yawn*

Make coffee *yum*

Blog hop *yeah!*

Run across this post of Suisan's

Clicked here

Entered a world of rage and prejudice (thought about linking)

Blog hopped in said world of rage and prejudice (decided you are better off not knowing)

Found a very innocent looking teenage girl who won a $1000 scholarship for writing

this

No. Words. Can. Convey. My. Horror.

Fiona

{Side Note: Is the new fear tactic of extremist pro-lifers to tell teenage girls that having an abortion will cause breast cancer? The American Cancer Society has this to say:

"Both abortion and breast cancer are topics that can bring out strong emotions in people. The issue of abortion generates passionate personal and political viewpoints, regardless of a possible disease connection. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, and it can be a life-threatening disease that most women fear.

Linking these 2 topics understandably generates a great deal of emotion, as well as controversy. Research studies, however, have not found a cause-and-effect relationship between abortion and breast cancer."

End Side Note}

Look out Canada...here I come!

2007-02-10T08:12:00.000-05:00

Yes ladies and gentlemen, you have read correctly. Yours truly just received word that she has been approved to go to Toronto, Canada for five days to the International Reading Association Annual "Reading Without Boundaries" Conference!

Woo-Hoo

Doing a little dance.

I'm so excited! Five days, 19 workshops, a young adult author luncheon along with lectures and book signings with... Chris Crutcher, Laurie Halse-Anderson (squeee!), Lois Lowry, Walter Dean Myers and Sharon Flake. OMG, I could just pass out thinking about it!!!

School is giving me "temporary duty elsewhere" so I don't have to take personal days AND paying for my sub! I'm footing the bill for the conference and travel and expenses, but it will be soooooo worth it!

And it was all my idea!

Yipee!

Sort of softens the blow since I'm not a finalist for district Teacher of the Year.

Good thing I have my Canadian History post.

And I totally wanted to play the I love Canada YouTube song, but the video's been pulled. Bugger.

...Fiona...

Review: Daystar by Rene Lyons

2007-02-04T10:26:00.000-05:00

I finally got a chance to read Daystar by Rene Lyons Saturday and LOVED IT!

If you remember, I reviewed Midnight Sun back when it came out in July (read review here) and I gave it an A.

I have tried paranormal romances before but they just can't seem to hook me, however, I enjoy this series so much! If you read my review of Midnight Sun, you will notice that 1) I gave it an A, 2) I loved the story and I loved Sebastian and Allie, and 3) based on the quotes, I was already smitten with Constantine. How lucky am I that my favorite character got his own story in book 2!?! Squeeeeeee!

Daystar picks up where Midnight Sun left off...Allie has just recently been turned into a vampire and Lex (Allie's sister) has moved into the house with the rest of the Templars. Constantine and Lex had a scene together in Midnight Sun, which was obviously a huge foreshadow of what was to come in Daystar.

Lexine wants Constantine. Although he is not of the living and she has never even been kissed, she knows that he is the man she wants to kiss her, caress her and do all kinds of naughty things with.

Constantine can not seem to get Lex out of his head...or his pants. Fighting the temptation of purity has become a full time job, but with most things, the best of intentions are often dismissed when beauty and desire are this overwhelming.

I really liked Constantine and Lex's story. I would have liked to see more of Allie and Sebastian in the story, but I understand that is just the series whore in my talking. After a lot of sexual tension (and my own purchase of a certain Enigma CD), Constantine has discovered the secret of the Daystar. Without revealing the secret I can't say too much about the plot except for the fact that the flashbacks of Constantine's childhood did an amazing job of endearing him (even more) to me as a reader. I enjoyed Constantine and Lex together, I felt their relationship was believable and viable. In this book, the setting changes from Damascus to England and the introduction of The Order of the Rose, The First and Isobel. I'm really loving all the characters in this series and hoping that all of their stories become more developed as we go on.

Rene has done another fantastic job. The story she weaves of Constantine and Lex is timeless. She the pure and innocent, he the tortured and damned...le sigh. Good stuff.

Kudos Rene, you've knocked another one out of the park.

Grade: A

Rene's Website with links to purchase Daystar from Samhain Publishing can be found here.

...Fiona...

Podcasts

2007-02-04T09:23:00.000-05:00

Podcasting originated somewhere around 2000 and the name is a spin off from Apple's iPod. A podcast is designed to be an automatically downloaded or streaming file. Essentially, it is the internet's version of radio since it is considered to be a repeating syndication. However, Wiki can explain podcasting much better than I...click here

Some common podcasting sites:

Yahoo Podcasts
Yahoo has entire host of podcasts, many of which you can subscribe to for free. Their free podcasts include Learning Mandarin, NPR Story of the Day and Song collection, This week in TECH and Science Friday just to name a few of my favorite.

iTunes

The NY Times Listen to the day's front page every weekday, or find out which stories readers like most.

And now my favorites...BOOK REVIEWS!

The NY Times reviews books

The Hennepin County Library reviews Teen Books

Between the Lines Weekly Book Review Show hosted by former first lady of Atlanta Valerie Jackson.

Cover to Cover Book reviews by Chantal Paquin.

Litrivore

And now for the Romance!

The Kissy Bits The Kissy Bits is a show about reading, writing and enjoying romance. This podcast talks about romance in writing and about writing romance. Each week she'll explore a theme specific to writing emotion that goes beyond the cliche, as well as give real life tips for writers of all genres.

Ellwood What does Leigh dare to do today? Live vicariously through this up-and-cumming author of erotic romance as she chronicles her writing life on her weblog.

I definitely would like to see more romance review podcasts and more authors doing shows like Ellwood.

Happy Podcast-ing!
...Fiona...

Do you podcast?

2007-01-30T11:46:00.000-05:00

I would like to get into podcasting. Watching them, that is. I think it is the coolest thing ever! I am especially interested in video book reviews. Does anyone watch podcasts? Have a great site to recommend?

Thanks,
Fi

The Highland Lords Series

2007-01-29T09:18:00.000-05:00

So I'm on book 4 of 5 of the Highland Lord series by Karen Ranney. I would give the entire series itself a B...mmmm, maybe a B+.

Book 1 is called One Man's Love. It tells the story of Alec Landers, the Earl of Sherbourne (or Ian McRae on his Scottish side) and Letis McRae. Alec/Ian faces the time honored dilemma of left and right. On the right is his mother's English heritage, where he is an English Earl and a commander in the Regiment. On the left is his father and grandfather's legacy as Laird of Clan McRae and Gilmuir castle. Ian and Letis reclaim their childhood love and ultimately abandon their Scottish home for the safety of generations to come. Grade: A

Book 2 of the Highland Lord series tells the story of... Ian and Letis's oldest child, Alisdair McRae. Alisdair and his four brothers were raised in Nova Scotia, where Ian and Letis have moved Clan McRae and begun anew (and have done quite well for themselves). Alisdair is set to inherit his father's English title as Earl of Sherbourne and is on his way to England to turn down the title when a whim has him stopping along the Scottish coast to see hi ancestral home of Gilmuir. Gilmuir is in ruins and has been wrongly given to the nasty Laird Drummond by the English. Alisdair, being the rich sea tradesman that he is, offers to pay Drummond any amount to get Gilmuir back for the McRaes. Drummond agrees, but marry his beautiful daughter, Iseabal, is also part of the deal. Alisdair concedes and he and Iseabal are married immediately. Heading off for England, Alisdair plans on procuring an annulment for him an Iseabal and seeing her settled nicely somewhere very, very far away from her evil father.

Once they reach Brandidge Hall, Alisdair becomes enraptured with his step-grandmother, and strangely enough, with Iseabal herself. Putting his pride aside, Alisdair decides to embrace his future b accepting the Earlship, marrying Iseabal and going back to Gilmuir to rebuild the family ancestral estate. Everything does not come easy to this couple like love did. There is an evil man in Laird Drummond who will not rest until he has killed Alisdair McRae. In addition, Iseabal must conquer Alisdair's men and the villagers to whom her father has destroyed. A wonderful story of love, survival and lots of angst, I give When the Laird Returns an A.

Book 3 is titled The Irresistible McRae. Definitely the worst book in the series it was close to a DNF for me. However, I wanted to read the rest of the series so I did a skim and read for the second half of the book. The story of James McRae (the second oldest of the McRae brothers) and Riona McKinsey is a wonderful love story. However, the external elements of the plot fall short. Riona has recently become an heiress and is in Edinburgh to find a husband. Told that her sister is in the garden crying, Riona runs to her side only to find that she has been lured there by the very creepy Harold McDougal. After spurning his advances, Riona returns to the party with Harold trailing her and the lace on her dress ripped. Her chaperone, the up-tight Mrs. Parker, declares Riona ruined and swears she must marry the slimy Harold McDougal. Riona, her sister Maureen, Mrs. Parker and that slimeball Harold all return to Tyemorn Manner, where Rion agrees to marry nasty Harold McDougal. She agrees because her sister, Maureen, is in love with Captain Hastings, whom they are afraid will cut his ties to Maureen if Riona darkens the family with scoundrel. Yep, that's right, she is going to marry that ugly man so her sister can be happy.

Enter the dashing, rich, handsome, suave, irresistible (hence the title of the book), did I mention handsome, James McRae. James comes to Tyemorn Manor in his uncle's stead. His uncle, Fergus McRae, was once a border with Riona's family and is now back living with the love of his life, Leah. Because of their marriage, Fergus is unable to attend to Susannah's request that he come help them and sends James instead. James and Riona hit it off immediately. He thinks her impending marriage is a love match while Riona is secretly dying inside. For the next four weeks, James and Riona fall more and more in love, while her marriage to Harold-the-Greedy looms on the horizon. Needless to say, there is a lot in this book that is never said, that just aggravated the crap out of me. James and Riona come together in a not-to-believable way (Hello! Virgin, outside, people around...I just wasn't buying it) and the entire story is neatly tied together in a happily ever after ending. After reading (okay...skimming!) two hundred pages of angst and depression and wanting, I wanted a little more to my HEA. However, the love story was good and the ending was complete, I give it a C.

Now I am reading Book 4 in the series, To Love a Scottish Laird and it is sooooo good! Hamish McRae, yes, another brother, is also a ship captain. While trading with the East India Trading Company he is captured by a local tribe and tortured for a year until he escapes. Now having returned to Scotland and holed himself up in a ruined castle (apparently there are plenty to spare), Hamish has exiled himself from his family and the rest of the world. Concern for his brother prompts Brendan to bring a local healer from Inverness, Mary Gilly, to see if she can fix Hamish's lame are and perhaps his broken spirit too. So far, it is excellent!

I'm concerned about Book 5 however. It tells the story of Douglas and Jeanne. They have sex, she gets pregnant, father separates them, takes the baby, she lives in a convent, he travels the high seas angry at her desertion until the are reunited and discover that they were both lied to. The reviews on Amazon are awful and I hate stories where my h/h don't raise their own children. It really bothers me. We'll see, I might not even read it.

Ciao for now,
...Fiona...

Used Book Store...

2007-01-27T16:12:00.000-05:00

I spent all day trying to get to a certain UBS and when I pulled into the driveway at 3:13, I saw the sign that said they closed at 3:00. Grrrr.........

Speaking of UBS...I haven't bought a new book since the strike!

...Fi

Beta, Spam and other useless trivialities

2007-01-26T09:11:00.000-05:00

I switched to Beta but only cause they made me. I'm hoping since I held out that all the bugs and kinks are taken care of. Any tricks that I should be aware of since I haven't been around lately?

What's up with the e-mail spam? I saw the show on Dateline (?) about all the new tricks by the spammers but holy cow! My yahoo account has about 20 spams a day. It's ridiculous!

I'm not going to say that I'm back because every time that I do I disappear again. We'll see.

I'm reading Karen Ranney's Highland Lord series. I'm on book 3, The Irresistible McRae. My favorite is definitely When the Laird Returns (Book 2) with Alisdair and Iseabal. Loved it! If you need a Scottish fix and haven't read these, yum...

Oh, and I'm Teacher of the Year at my school. Go me!

...Fiona...

Hello Everybody!

2006-12-09T07:50:00.000-05:00

Hi Blog Land! How are you? Sorry I've been away for so long but I'm just so unbelievably busy these days. I"m out the door at 6 am to go to school, I teach all day (those darling little 8th graders), then it's after school detention, followed by an on-line class which I finish up with a nice side of basketball practice. When I get home at about 7:30 and I cook dinner, wash clothes and if I'm lucky, do a little scrapbooking, there just isn't any time left in the day.

I haven't even been reading lately, well, not romance anyway. I've read Criss Cross, Eragon, Eldest, Paul Revere's Ride and other poems by Washington Irving, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, etc, etc...unless it's for 8th grade, it's just not getting read.

No news on the baby front. We are still trying but mother nature is being a fickle little sprite. My BF "Q" is having her little girl on December 22nd, so I'm very excited about that. I threw her a gor-ge-ous baby shower a couple of weeks ago right after Linc and I got back from visiting his family for Thanksgiving.

So things seem to be getting better, even though it is the holidays. I knew school would get better about now. Next semester always seems to be a breeze and I seem to have so much more free time, just haven't figured out the imbalance yet, of course, sports has a lot to do with it. Between football and volleyball and basketball....Yikes!

Anywho, what happened to my graphic at the top of the blog??? Ouch! Guess I'll have to fix that. I hope you are all well. Maybe I'll get to some blog hopping this week.

Take care,
...Fiona...

On Hiatus...will return

2006-10-07T20:39:00.000-04:00

Work is kicking my butt. New teachers, new curriculum, new students and I've taken on some extra/new responsibilities.

I miss all my on line buds but I just can't seem to catch even a minute to be on the computer.

I'm hoping I'll return before Christmas but it's not looking good. Everything seems to slow down around March...so it might not be until then.

...Fiona...

Johnny's sidekick, Danny

2006-09-18T11:48:00.000-04:00

Picture this: 5th period is diligently writing away in their reading journals when Shaun gets up to sharpen his pencil. On the way back to his desk he yells out amid the utter silence, "Don't touch me." Never one to be falsely accused, Danny yells back, "I didn't touch you...boy."

An argument ensues:
Shaun: "Yes you did."
Danny: "No I didn't."
Shaun: "You did too, stop lying."
Danny: "I'm not lying, shut up before I really do hit you!"

At this point, the boys classmates begin to pay attention. You can see their palms itching to lay bets like men circling a cock fight.

Shaun: "You did touch me, when I sharpened my pencil."

Danny replies,
"I'M NOT GAY!"

To which a stunned and silenced class bursts into laughter.

Yes ladies and gentleman, let the games begin!

...Fiona...

Welcome to the work week!

2006-09-04T18:42:00.000-04:00

Shocking...

2006-09-04T09:42:00.000-04:00

I go to bed with a shock and I wake up to another...bad things come in threes, right?

First of all, my sympathy goes out to Louisville running back #19, Michael Bush, who broke his leg last night. As a junior last year Bush was up for the NFL draft but turned it down to play one more season with Louisville and a shot at a better draft season. Bush had a great start to the season scoring three touchdowns against Louisville's arch rival, Mephis, before a tackle broke his tibia. Bush is out for the season and possibly his career.

It's so sad to see such a talented player lose his future in a second on the field. And to Louisville who have a good shot at winning the Big East Conference this year, I hope Smith and Stripling step up to the challenge for you. Of course, Louisville QB Brohm must be crushed. Brohm and Bush were arguablly the best 1-2 punch this year and both were top contenders for the Heisman. Hopefully Bush's replacements will continue to highlight Brohm's talent.

Then, Linc wakes me up this morning and tells me that Steve Irwin has died. How shocking! I mean, everyone always joked about it but all I can think about is little Bindi Sue. That little girl loved her daddy and it just breaks my heart.

Now if FSU loses to Miami tonight I will be in a total depression.

...Fiona...

The Strike, FOOTBALL and...other stuff

2006-09-03T17:45:00.000-04:00

The strike is going well Sybil! I actually haven't had a yearning to go into a New Book Store (NBS) yet. We were at the mall yesterday and when I walked by Walden I started to go in just because of habit but stopped myself. Linc asked if we were going in and I had to tell him about the strike. He laughed and asked what I was going to do after the 30 days. I'm thinking I might keep right on going and see just how long I can last!

Will football ever start??? I'm dying here! Since I started blogging in March I haven't had the opportunity to talk about football. I love high school football. Live and breath it. I grew up in a town where there was nothing but football, my dad was a coach and we went to games three nights a week. (yep, three, middle school on Tues, JV on Thurs. and Varsity on Friday) I keep track of four different high school teams: my dad's in central Florida (I even drive the 2 1/2 hours on Fridays to see the really good games), the two that my middle school feed into (Sebastian and Vero) but Vero is "my team" (Go Indians!) and Chaminade Madonna in Miami.

Vero's not having a great year. We lost to Sebastian for our kickoff classic and we had a really bad night Friday losing to Santaluces 16 to 6. At one point our receiver fumbled the ball (for the third time) on the 6 and at the end of the play with number 1 kneeling on the field in embarrassment, the sprinklers came on. It was classic. However, South Sumter is kicking ass again this year (go coach Sherman!) and won at Lake Butler 47 to 0.

FSU plays Miami tomorrow (yea!) and NFL starts Thursday (double yeah!)

We are currently in a three day weekend with very few games to watch. I'm currently watching Memphis at Mississippi (meh) but all their talk of this week's upcoming games (Ohio, WV and FSU) is making my mouth water. We went and watched PoC Dead Man's Chest last night. I liked it a lot. I don't think it got a fair grade from the critics and viewers and Linc and I both thought the ending was good. Then, just to tease myself some more we watched Invincible. Damn but I need to get me some ESPN Classic. Been meaning to do that.

We decided to cave and get HD programming from BrightHouse. Since we now have an HD TV and all. Now that I'll have a box I can get additional programming. I'm awfully tempted to get the NFL on Demand.

Okay, you're sick of the football talk already, aren't you?

LOL

Oh, I started reading again! Yea! Darcy and Elizabeth. Started last night and I'm on like chapter 13. It's really good so far! For those of you who read Mr. Darcy Takes A Wife by Linda Berdoll, this one seems to be just as good!

...Fiona...

I'm done...

2006-08-30T19:20:00.000-04:00

buying new books that is and for two reasons:

1. All I do is go around talking about how wonderful the throwbacks from the 80s and 90s are.

and

2. All the new books I keep buying suck.

If the older books are more to my taste and can be bought for a fraction of the price from UBS...then why am I paying on average 8 bucks for a book that has the potential to be real crap? I mean, come on, even the last Lindsey and Quinn was crap. Why do that to myself?

I have to admit, all of the talk about new releases and who just got what is alluring, but I'm tired of being a conformist. I'm tired of trying to "keep up with the hype". I'm losing.

So I'm banning myself from the bookstore. For the next 30 days I will not step foot in a new bookstore and I will not buy a brand new book. I'm picking thirty because my birthday is on October 1 and I will more than likely want to treat myself to a book or two. If I hear that a book is good, then I'll make a list and look for it at the UBS.

What has really spurred my distaste in recent romance is the 20 by 20 meme that Cindy started (yes Cindy, it's all your fault!). Almost every list is filled with great, older books, many of which I haven't read. Why am I spending my money on new releases that are bad when all of those good old books are sitting on the UBS shelves just waiting for me to buy them? And then, even though I was planning this as I read Zeek's post at RRR, the recent discussions about author's being upset at readers buying used just floored me. You aren't providing quality writing and yet you complain that readers try to save a few bucks? Oh my.

So I'm done and now you know why. Let the count down begin. It will be interesting to see if I'm much happier at the end of my 30 days.

...Fiona...

Nines marry nines..

2006-08-30T13:17:00.000-04:00

and twos marry twos.

Do you agree?

If that quote rings familiar it's because House said it in the Season 2 Finale. I chuckled when I heard it but didn't think more about it until I was watching tv this weekend. Twice couples were brought up into the conversation who were clearly off the numbers mark and I was shocked by how much it bothered (maybe not bothered but confused? or surprised?) me that a 9 would marry a 3.

Philosophical debate contintues after the cut

What about you? Ever thought about it? Are you an 8 totally in love with a 4?

Or are numbers all in the eye of the beholder?

Of course, then you must ask if money has the ability to raise you on the number line.

...Fiona...

20 Things That Irritate Me

2006-08-29T09:04:00.000-04:00

1. Joke pauses-my father in law does this a lot. There you are, talking or eating or whatnot and then WHAM! A joke pause and you don't know what he just said or you totally didn't think it was funny enough for a pause so there's that awkward second where you look at the individual and your mind is thinking I'm not going to laugh for you you idiot, that wasn't funny or shit, I shouldn't have been daydreaming about dinner what the hell did he just say? Crap, now I gotta do that fake chuckle.

2. "When are you guys going to have a baby?" (my sister in pain, Izzy!)

3. Girls Gone Wild (thanks Daniella)

4. Hurricanes

5. Only 2 open lanes at the grocery store

6. Parents who sign homework without reading their child's answers

7. No name papers

8. Elementary school teachers (it's not natural to be that happy all the time)

9. Endlessly long red lights

I had no idea how difficult this would be!

10. Idiots who freak out over Tropical Storms

11. The Weather Channel

12. Having to rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher

13. Dust bunnies

14. House dogs (excluding Max!)-I don't have a dog and no, I don't want yours in my lap either

15. Crying babies in expensive restaurants...hello? You're ruining everyone elses $50 meal!

16. Rude checkout girls at Wal-Mart. It's Wal-Mart sweetheart, what were you expecting?

17. Getting home and having those stupid anti-theft ink tags still on the outfit I wanted to wear tomorrow!

18. Did I mention The Weather Channel?

19. Phone calls at 4:30 am with no one on the other end of the line.

20. No passing zones

...Fiona...

Damn, damn, damn

2006-08-28T21:01:00.000-04:00

Okay, so the storm isn't really that big of a deal because by this point if it was going to blow away, it'd be gone by now. And the day or two off school will be nice. But what sucks is that we lose our emergency days from the calendar, which means we'll have to work the day before Thanksgiving.

*sigh*

We are the only county working tomorrow. Which means the kids (that show) will be completely useless.

...Fiona...

**Update** I just received a call getting an official invite to a kicking hurricane party. Now that Ernesto will probably only be a TS, we can hang out at friends and party hardy.

Top 100 Books

2006-08-28T09:47:00.000-04:00

Top 100-How many have I read?

Bold= read
Italics= TBR pile
= Already entered on the written TBR list (written? people do that?)

1. Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase
2. Flowers From the Storm by Laura Kinsale
3. Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie
4. As You Desire by Connie Brockway
5. Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie
6. Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas
7. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
8. Over the Edge by Suzanne Brockmann
9. All Through the Night by Connie Brockway
10. Sea Swept by Nora Roberts
11. It Had to be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
12. A Summer to Remember by Mary Balogh
13. Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer
14. The Proposition by Judith Ivory
15. A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught
16. Ravished by Amanda Quick
17. Frederica by Georgette Heyer
18. Mrs. Drew Plays Her Hand by Carla Kelly
19. MacKenzie's Mountain by Linda Howard
20. Mr. Perfect by Linda Howard
21. The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer
22. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
23. The Bride by Julie Garwood
24. Devil's Bride by Stephanie Laurens
25. To Have and to Hold by Patricia Gaffney
26. Born in Fire by Nora Roberts
27. Winter Garden by Adele Ashworth
28. Gone Too Far by Suzanne Brockmann
29. The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn
30. Saving Grace by Julie Garwood
31. My Dearest Enemy by Connie Brockway
32. In the Midnight Rain by Barbara Samuel
33. The Windflower by Laura London
34. Naked in Death by J.D. Robb
35. Whitney, My Love by Judith McNaught
36. Nobody's Baby but Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
37. A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux
38. Paradise by Judith McNaught
39. The Shadow and the Star by Laura Kinsale
40. Dream Man by Linda Howard
41. Out of Control by Suzanne Brockmann
42. Silk and Shadows by Mary Jo Putney
43. See Jane Score by Rachel Gibson
44. Shattered Rainbows by Mary Jo Putney
45. Thunder and Roses by Mary Jo Putney
46. The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
47. Heart Throb by Suzanne Brockmann
48. For My Lady's Heart by Laura Kinsale
49. Honor's Splendor by Julie Garwood
50. Lord Carew's Bride by Mary Balogh
51. Untie my Heart by Judith Ivory
52. Dream a Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
53. The Secret by Julie Garwood
54. This is All I Ask by Lynn Kurland
55. Slightly Dangerous by Mary Balogh
56. One Perfect Rose by Mary Jo Putney
57. To Love and to Cherish by Patricia Gaffney
58. Kiss an Angel by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
59. Heaven, Texas by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
60. Venetia by Georgette Heyer
61. Daughter of the Game by Tracy Grant
62. The Prize by Julie Garwood
63. Reforming Lord Ragsdale by Carla Kelly
64. Prince Joe by Suzanne Brockmann
65. The Notorious Rake by Mary Balogh
66. Heartless by Mary Balogh
67. Son of the Morning by Linda Howard
68. Sleeping Beauty by Judith Ivory
69. Where Dreams Begin by Lisa Kleypas
70. The Devil's Cub by Georgette Heyer
71. The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons
72. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegar
73. With This Ring by Carla Kelly
74. The Lion's Lady by Julie Garwood
75. The Rake by Mary Jo Putney
76. Fallen from Grace by Laura Leone
77. Always to Remember by Lorraine Heath
78. Castles by Julie Garwood
79. One Good Turn by Carla Kelly
80. Chesapeake Blue by Nora Roberts
81. By Arrangement by Madeline Hunter
82. Perfect by Judith McNaught
83. My Darling Caroline by Adele Ashworth
84. The Defiant Hero by Suzanne Brockmann
85. The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockmann
86. Guilty Pleasures by Laura Lee Guhrke
87. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
88. Kill and Tell by Linda Howard
89. After the Night by Linda Howard
90. More than a Mistress by Mary Balogh
91. Born in Ice by Nora Roberts
92. Miss Wonderful by Loretta Chase
93. The Charm School by Susan Wiggs
94. Scoundrel by Elizabeth Elliott
95. How to Marry a Marquis by Julia Quinn
96. Angel Rogue by Mary Jo Putney
97. Trust Me by Jayne Ann Krentz
98. Dancing on the Wind by Mary Jo Putney
99. Once and Always by Judith McNaught
100. This Heart of Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

I've read 23. I wonder where I fall on the scale? Pitiful, average or above the cut? What's your number?

...Fi

Viral Blogging

2006-08-27T12:28:00.000-04:00

Not one to be left out...

WIN $200 AMAZON Gift certificate from DearAuthor.com by participating in a blogging experiment

I am participating in a blogging experiment hosted at dearauthor.com

To enter the contest, put up this blurb, image, and trackback and you are entered to win the following prize package.

$200 Amazon gift certificate
Signed copy of Slave to Sensation
New Zealand goodies chosen by Singh
ARC of Christine Feehan’s October 31 release: Conspiracy Game

You can read about the experiment here

and you can download the code that you need to participate here.

SLAVE TO SENSATION
Nalini Singh
Berkley / September 2006

Welcome to a future where emotion is a crime and powers of the mind clash brutally against those of the heart.

Sascha Duncan is one of the Psy, a psychic race that has cut off its emotions in an effort to prevent murderous insanity. Those who feel are punished by having their brains wiped clean, their personalities and memories destroyed.

Lucas Hunter is a Changeling, a shapeshifter who craves sensation, lives for touch. When their separate worlds collide in the serial murders of Changeling women, Lucas and Sascha must remain bound to their identities…or sacrifice everything for a taste of darkest temptation.

Excerpt

DNF...

2006-08-27T11:28:00.000-04:00

Secret Society Girl was a DNF.

Sorry!

...Fi...

So what happened?

2006-08-27T07:22:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm not really sure. When I started blogging six months ago I was a total addict. I didn't think there was any way I could go a day without my 'blog fix'. And then this summer, with nothing else to really do, I put it into overtime. So did I get burn out? Or did real life just intrude too much?

I think a little of both.

Last week we had preplanning at school and I am a team leader, which means I run a group of teachers, three of which were new this year. So I had absolutely no time. I spent the evenings and the weekend trying to get myself together since I was spending the days helping others. And then the kids started. It looks like this might be a really nice group this year (knock on wood) which we need because the last two years, woooo, have they been rough. And man, I forgot how exhausted you are the first week! Linc and I have been working till 6, then I'm too tired to cook so we go out to eat, add the 30+ minute drive home and by the time I walk in the door at 8:30-9:00 I'm just too pooped to do anything other than go to sleep. I didn't even call my folks this week and usually I'm on the phone with Scarlett or Jimmy at least every other day.

And then Linc bought a TV. Yep, last Saturday evening, one day before kids started, my husband bought a 50 inch Sony LCD television that once we got home was HUGE. So big in fact, that we had to rearrange the entire living room. Which ended up requiring us to move the furniture in three rooms. I completely rearranged and redecorated our house Saturday and Sunday evening after working full days. It's just been crazy!

So things are starting to get back to normal. I vegged and relaxed yesterday and I feel much better. My students start reading tomorrow in class so I will have 20 minute mini breaks each period which will give me time to do all my teacher stuff and free up my afternoons for...blogging! I apologize for dropping off the face of the earth for so long. I know how upset I would have been if it was one of you.

I'm here, I'm back, and maybe better than ever!

Of course, I have done absolutely no reading.

...Fiona...

North and South

2006-08-15T19:03:00.000-04:00

I would like to thank whoever recommended the video North and South. Cindy? Wendy? I'm not really sure but because of a blog post I ordered it from Netflix. Of course, it sat in the kitchen for over a week when it came in because I wasn't in the mood for a civil war movie. Yep, you read that right, I said civil war. The problem is, when anything is mentioned of north and south here (in the south) the civil war is your immediate thought. It didn't even dawn on me until Sunday that BBC wouldn't make a movie about the American Civil War! ROFL!

So, Sunday I popped the first dvd in (the only one I received) and fell. in. love. with this movie. Loved it so much that when I finished the first disc I went to Barnes and Noble (who have an entire BBC section, I'm so in love with them right now) and bought the video. Came home and finished it! It was sooooooo good! Rent it and watch it if you haven't.

Of course, Monday I had reserved to veg out the day before going back to work and what better way to waste away the day then to watch Pride and Prejudice again! I put a post it note inside the case and have been listing all the dates that I've watched it...13 times in the last two years. Of course, after I watch P&P I have to read my favorite parts of Mr. Darcy Takes A Wife. *le sigh* Like the beginning when they are still dating and get caught by Jane making out in the bedroom. Or what about the bathroom/carriage scene the night after the honeymoon? Hmmmm? Of course, I always read about the miscarriage and ball like a baby. I skip all the chasing Georgianna crap and then read about the twins birth. Follow that with the last 10 pages of the novel and *le sigh* you have happily ever after.

So, to whomever posted about North and South...THANK YOU!

...Fiona...

First day...

2006-08-15T18:58:00.000-04:00

Well, I went back to the grind today. Surprisingly I couldn't sleep last night. I kept having nightmares about walking in to class the first day and there being so many students I didn't have enough desks for all of them! Linc and I were both up at 3:30, neither one of us could sleep. I was anxious and I think Linc was terrified at the thought of all those end users returning and messing up his computers! hahaha

Work was actually fun. I have three new teachers in my grade, two of them reading teachers so I spent the day running around getting everybody settled. Tomorrow will be filled with meetings so maybe around Thursday I'll actually get to do some planning?

I'm exhausted and trying to get myself drunk so I'll talk to you later.

...Fi...

I'm home!

2006-08-12T12:03:00.000-04:00

Just in case you didn't know.

School officially starts for teachers on Tuesday and kids Monday, August 22nd. I may be very sporadic with my posting depending on how motivated I am. The more the idiots I work with piss me off the more posts you will probably see! LOL

Happy reading!

...Fiona...

Movie Help!

2006-08-12T11:54:00.000-04:00

I need the name of a movie. I watched it when I was a little girl and I'm pretty sure it was old then. I think the main characters might have been a little girl and a little boy with their grandfather, but this is the scene that is stuck in my head:

This little man (fairy? elf?) is single and being chased by a bunch of girls and the one who catches him gets to keep him. I think it might have been Jethro from the Beverly Hillbillies and I'm pretty sure the kids watched this scene in horror.

Thanks!

...Fiona...

Free Romance Novels

2006-08-09T20:59:00.000-04:00

That's right!

I'm assuming these are all self published but, free is free.

Visit FreeOnlineNovels.com and the romance novels are a little over half way down.

Personally, I'm interested in Blaze of Light (a modern (?) viking romance) and Lucifer-Love's Redemption. Both happen to be by Robyn Crane. Is she a published author?

Fiona

Last Day...now with pictures!

2006-08-07T00:10:00.000-04:00

Because of Beth, we had breakfast at Ann Sathers. It was wonderful. I had a mushroom and swiss omelet and Linc had french toast. We shared the cinnamon roll. Yum. The food was good and the coffee even better.
More below the cut...

After breakfast we rode the L down to the Field Museum where we spent the rest of the day. At 3:30 we got in to see the traveling King Tut exhibit. We never made it to Ft. Lauderdale when it was in FL so we went in Chicago. It was good but we were disappointed that none of the coffins holding Tut were on display. Just a wooden bust and a mini version called a shabti.

After 7 hours at the museum, we went back to Navy Pier. We had dinner at BeBops.

Then we headed over to the IMAX theatre and watched Superman Returns 3D. It was really good. I didn't like Lois Lane's characterization and of course I didn't feel their was enough of a love story, but it was surprisingly good.

I'll be back at the home base Monday night. I have one week until school starts back and Scarlett has been at my house for 4 days so it will probably take the next week to undo all of her rearranging! LOL

Fiona

Chicago Dos Dia

2006-08-06T11:45:00.000-04:00

We walked three hours this morning! Down Astor and over to Michigan Avenue to do some window oogling and shopping.

Pictures below the cut...

Then we met my favorite SIL Pam and hubby at the John Hancock Building. She works in Chicago and they are also here for the weekend. We went to Giordano's on Superior, but there was an hour wait so we ended up across the street at the _____ Rush Street Restuarant. It was this great little Italian place.

After lunch we went back to the Hancock building but didn't want to wait an hour for the line so we headed back over to Navy Pier and did the architectural river tour.

The tour was fun and gave us a nice rest. After that we walked for two hours over to the Sears Tower and went up to the Skydeck.

Not ones to let good things go, Linc and I ate a deep dish pepperoni at the Giordano's on Jackson.

We can't find a bus route map. None. Other than the teeny tiny ones posted at the stops. Did you know Chicago won't even fit on one map? So the busses have been difficult and we've opted to walk instead. This evening we went back to the subways because those I can work and we had no problems. Went across the entire city no prob. It also appears that the red line is the party line. It is constantly packed with 20 somethings. I wonder if that is a result of the weekend, Lolapalooza, or just a constant occurance.

Museums tomorrow!

...Fiona...

Chi-caga Day 1

2006-08-05T10:14:00.000-04:00

After we left the awesome hotel yesterday we were going to head north and explore a little bit but Linc was starving so we bee lined over to the lake, took a pedestrian tunnel under the big road and walked along the coast.

Pics below the cut...

We didn't really have any plans so when we came across the Beaschstro, Linc decided we were eating dinner. It was a fun little outdoor restaurant right on Lake Michigan. And for all you Chicago natives, the Beachstro really does look like Key West in Chicago. We had blue chips with black bean and corn salsa. Linc had pizza (the best so far he said) and I had quesadillas. The food was really good. Our waitress was from Ireland and had the most beautiful brogue...After dinner we continued walking up to Navy Pier. We walked along this very busy concrete biking/jogging path while watching the swimmers in the lake.

And then we arrived at Navy Pier. We ended up at the Beer Garden where we watched the boats going out while the sky changed the prettiest pink and blue and listened to a band playing on stage.
And then after the sun set and the city started to turn on we headed back to the hotel via Grand station. The walk into the city felt surprisingly safe. The L station was awful. We were trying to catch the red line and it was coming from 95. Every single train was packed. So far, not much to recommend Chicago's public transportation. I think we're going to stick with the busses for the rest of the trip.
...Fiona...

Look out Chicago!

2006-08-04T17:53:00.000-04:00

Well, we've arrived!

1. Chicago is...different. First, we couldn't find our baggage claim terminal. Holy freakin' cow is O'Hare complicated! Sheesh! Then, we took the CTA into town...a 45 minute train ride. When we got to the station the attendants were yelling to come on that everyone could get on for free so we jumped on the bandwagon and went. The train was packed. I mean, shoulder to shoulder, no where to sit, packed in like sardines. (sssppttt, Linc was not a happy camper at this point, hehe) Every time the train stopped I had to literally get off, let everyone by and then squeeze back in without the doors hitting my backpack. It was...an experience.

2. Chicago and Boston are night and day. The people in Boston were friendly, the streets were clean, we saw maybe 5 bums while we were there and no slum areas. Chicago, not so much. The people on the train were surprisingly loud. Several large groups of locals thought nothing of talking to each other at the top of their lungs. However, it felt a lot like the busses in Orlando, so it made me a little homesick (LOL).

3. Our hotel Rocks! We are in this beautiful area of Chicago (the north side) and are only blocks from the Archbishop's residence, the Edward Russell House and Charnley-Persky House. What's so special about those places you ask? I have no idea but I should be able to tell you after dinner! Oh, right, the hotel. We are staying at the Ambassador East for $99 a night. God love Orbitz. No really, that site is da bomb.

4. I'm too embarrassed to tell you what we have spent for internet access. We thought we were having to pay in our hotel in Boston and the connection was really sucky so I wasn't on much. When we checked out this morning we weren't charged (because of said suckiness), so yeah! But we did pay for wi-fi at the airport because we got there so early and then we had to pay a flat fee for each day here at the ambassador. Ugh. We are some serious nerds.

5. We're off to explore. I can see Lake Michigan from the hotel window so we're headed over to Lincoln Park. After that I don't know. Maybe dinner at Navy Pier. We'll see.

6. I'm halfway through Midnight Magic by Feehan and I'm loving it. I had a hard time picturing Gregori and Savannah. Gregori's just so...old. And Savannah was a little annoying with her whinny butt attitude in the beginning but I'm really liking it now. I love the whole young innocent saves the older dark hero from himself. I really enjoy that plot. I wonder why?

Happy reading!
...Fiona...

En Route...

2006-08-04T08:41:00.000-04:00

Well, we had another great day in Boston yesterday. It was really hot but the wind took a turn about 5 pm and it cooled down really fast. 68 degrees last night and 70 this morning.

Yesterday morning we took the trolley tour of Boston. It took almost 2 hours and we had a great guide. We really enjoyed hearing all of this history and seeing the city without all of the walking!

We ate lunch in Little Italy...what a great neighborhood! Linc had pizza and I ate lasagna. It was soooo good. We walked the neighborhood for almost an hour after lunch and then grabbed the trolley again.

We did a little shopping at Copley Place and then we went to Downtown Crossing where I saw the infamous Fillene's Basement! Ah, the stuff dreams are made of. We also stopped at Brattle's Book Shop where I picked up a couple of OOP poetry books.

We made an early night of it. Did a little pub hopping and then went back to the motel to pack. I'm currently in the Boston airport waiting for our flight. We layover in Philly and should be in Chicago at 1pm.

FYI: The original Cheers picture I showed you was the sound stage replica in Faneuil Hall. Here is the entrance to the Bull and Finch...the original inspiration for Cheers.

Later,
Fiona

Boston Day 2

2006-08-02T21:38:00.000-04:00

First thing this morning we headed off to the JFK museum. It was really good and the exhibits had lots of memorabilia. Definitely worth it.

Next we headed to Fenway Park. Walked the neighborhood and took in the ambiance. We ate lunch in the shadow of the Green Monster at the Cask and Flagon. Linc had an awesome pepperoni pizza and I had ½ a Rueben and clam chowder. I am a clam chowder fan and man, that was some of the best I have ever eaten!

After Fenway we headed over to the Museum of Fine Arts. We saw paintings by Monet, Renoir (which was my favorite), Van Gogh, and O’Keefe (my second favorite). The Egyptian exhibit was a lot of fun and we really enjoyed Rock Posters Through The Ages. We were lucky because our detour through Fenway had us arriving at the MFA at 4pm and we got in free because of a special “open night”! That saved us thirty bucks.

We spent hours in the MFA so we headed over to Boston Common and walked down Trenton Street, doubling back through Downtown Crossing and ended up in Chinatown where we had the BEST beef and broccoli and sweet and sour pork. Yummy! We ate with our chop sticks and listened to the couple next to us talking in Chinese (I think). It was a lot of fun.

It’s 9pm now and we’re back in the hotel. Feet are aching but we’re having a blast. We’ve decided to pay for the Trolley Tour tomorrow. It will give us a tour of the city above ground and we can get off and on all we want.

…Fiona…

PS-Blogger stopped letting me upload pics halfway through. Maybe it'll be in a better mood tomorrow.

Hello from Boston!

2006-08-02T08:23:00.000-04:00

Well, we made it! We had to switch planes in DC and had a 2 hour layover because our pilots were stuck in traffic. We landed and jumped right on to the Silver Line and learned the MBTA first hand.

We went to the New England Aquarium yesterday. Their claim to fame is the penguin exhibit. It was lots of fun. There is also a traveling jelly fish exhibit here that was really neat. Jelly fish are just beautiful! We also watched an IMAX movie. Sharks 3D. Actually, it was a little boring...oh well.

After the aquarium we walked through Faneuil Hall and ate dinner at Cheers.

Today we are going to see some museums and try to stay out of the 102 degree weather.

Freedom Trail tomorrow.

The city is really easy to get around in and we're already pros at the Subway...which is H.O.T.

My attempt at architechtural photography!

This is what you see when you come off the subway and turn to go to our hotel. I love this.

This is the street that our hotel is on. We are right in the middle of the city with local pizza joints and pubs on every corner!
...Fiona...

PS-Blame Ames...she wanted the pics! :-)~

Leaving on a jet plane...

2006-07-31T18:47:00.000-04:00

The bags are packed. The alarm is set for 3 am (yikes!) and we take off from OIA at 6am sharp. We'll be arriving in Boston at 10:30am and hit the ground running. Freedom trails, wharfs, Walden Pond, aquariums and all the beer we can possibly consume. Watch out Bean Town, here we come!

3.5 days at Boston and then 4 more in Chicago. Daily updates and pics planned! Looks like we're going to get there just in time for the heat wave!

...Fiona...

I found...

2006-07-30T21:08:00.000-04:00

Dark Desire by Christine Feehan at the UBS. Reading Midnight Sun by Rene Lyons made my mouth water for some vampires. I probably haven't read what I would consider good vampires since my days with Christopher Pike. I picked out three vamp books before I left for the farm on Friday but ended up reading Dark Desire.

Wow, was it good. Talk about a tortured hero! Jacques was tortured...literally! I really enjoyed the book and picked up Gregori and Byron's stories on my way home tonight. I'll be reading them this week.

So, what are you reading?

Fi

Now I know...

2006-07-30T21:03:00.000-04:00

Why there are so many comedies out about wacky families!

me: Hey Grandma, how are you?
Faye: Oh honey, I'm good, just as busy as can be. They're dropping like flies, ya know.
me: What's dropping like flies?
Faye:The old folks. Why, I've been to 6 funerals in the last 4 weeks. I keep opening the paper expecting to see me name written there!

And what's a family visit to the farm without a cow taking down the fence emergency, a philosophical ~~screaming match~~ debate with Scarlett over why every religion other than Southern Baptists are not heathens and having to repeat everything twice at the dinner table because Jimmy refuses to wear his hearing aids.

Home sweet Home.

Fiona

Note:

2006-07-27T18:21:00.000-04:00

Dark Protector-ebook

2006-07-27T17:55:00.000-04:00

I thought I would "do a Sybil"

Dark Protector
by Alexis Morgan

Category: Romance

Description: Devlin Bane: Born a Paladin, he is a member of an ancient band of warriors locked in a centuries-old war against evil. His destiny: To die over and over again to protect mankind from the Others, only to be revived each time by his mortal Handler. But his fierce strength and courage cannot save him from gradually becoming one of the monsters he was born to destroy.

Dr. Laurel Young, who has spent years training to become a Handler, must remain detached from her patients. But each time she revives the darkly compelling Devlin Bane, he claims a little more of her soul and incites in her desires that grow wilder and wilder--even as he inches closer to losing his humanity. As the war against the Others grows more desperate, Laurel and Devlin can't help but give in to the fierce hunger that's sizzled between them for so long. Now they'll face the ultimate battle together--to save a dark, passionate love that goes against every rule as they join forces to fight an enemy who is closer than they ever imagined....

eBook Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Pocket Books,

eBookwise Release Date: July 2006

Find the author here

and a review here

Anyone read it or other works by the author before?

...Fiona...

4 things

2006-07-27T12:24:00.000-04:00

I was about to start pouting about not being tagged and then Ames went and shared all the love!

Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Steak N Shake Waitress
2. Cowhand (aka cowpoke)
3. JC Penny Shoe Salesperson
4. Law Office Clerk

Four movies I would watch over and over (and have):
1. Ever After
2. The Big Easy
3. Pride and Prejudice
4. Bull Durham

Four places I have lived:
1. Webster, FL
2. Tallahassee, FL
3. Umatilla, FL
4. Sebastian, FL

Four TV shows I love to watch:
1. Grey's Anatomy
2. House
3. Amazing Race
4. American Idol

Four places I have been on vacation:
1. Yellowstone National Park
2. The Badlands
3. Key West, FL
4. Washington, DC

Websites I visit daily:
1. Myspace.com (I have a classroom space 4 my kids)
2. Yahoo!
3. YouTube
4. Simon Says BB

Four of my favourite foods:
1. Chicken Nuggets
2. Tator tots
3. Tuna fish
4. Artichoke and spinach dip

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Honolulu, Hawaii
2. Lake Michigan
3. Cayman Islands
4. Spain

Four friends I think will respond:
Devon
Amanda
Nicole
Tara

...Fiona...

The Libertine

2006-07-26T23:06:00.000-04:00

Has anyone seen The Libertine with Johnny Depp? Where was I when this came out?

I had a poetry professor who was short, timid and wore those stereotypical round-rimmed glasses. He was very meek (unless he was reading poetry, whoa boy, watch out then!) and his lectures were very serious. At the end of my first semester he invited all of us to Rochester Night. We met at a local restaurant, ate way too much, got roaring drunk and read bawdy poetry aloud to our horror. I'll never forget that night with Little Dude sitting at the head of our table quoting lines from Sodom by memory. It was great and this movie was exactly how I had always pictured Mr. Wilmot.

I have to say that the first two minutes of the movie are the best. If you see nothing else, see this.

...Fiona...

We've established I'm a sucker, correct?

2006-07-26T12:34:00.000-04:00

THE REALITY CHICK BUZZ THE BOOK contest!

The PRIZES:
(1) Your choice of either an iPod Shuffle, OR a fifty dollar Amazon.com gift certificate(2) An autographed copy of REALITY CHICK by Lauren Barnholdt(3) A copy of the August issue of Teen People, which lists REALITY CHICK as a Can’t-Miss Pick for August(4) Free tuition to a session of Lauren’s YA writing class

THE CONTEST:
STEP ONE: Simply copy and paste this whole message (including the info about the contest) into any blog, message board, email list, myspace bulletin, or anywhere a lot of people will see it!

REALITY CHICK by Lauren Barnholdt is NOW IN STORES!

Going away to college means total independence and freedom. Unless ofcourse your freshman year is taped and televised for all the world towatch. On uncensored cable.

Sweet and normal Ally Cavanaugh is one of five freshpeople shacking upon In the House, a reality show filmed on her college campus. (As ifschool isn’t panic-inducing enough!) The cameras stalk her likepaparazzi, but they also capture the fun that is new friends, oldcrushes, and learning to live on your own.

Sure, the camera adds ten pounds, but with the freshman fifteen a given anyway, who cares?Ally’s got bigger issues — like how her long-distance bf can watch herloopy late-night “episode” with a certain housemate…

Freshman year on film.It’s outrageous.It’s juicy.And like all good reality TV, it’s impossible to turn off.

IN STORES NOW!
Check out Lauren on the web at www.laurenbarnholdt.com or on her myspace at www.myspace.com/laurenbarnholdt

STEP TWO — Email Lauren at lauren (at) laurenbarnholdt.com and let her know you’ve posted about the contest and the book, and you’ll be entered to win the prize pack! The winner will be picked at random on September 1st. The more places you post, the more entries you get. Have fun and good luck!!!

...Fiona...

Note: Isn't this exaclty what Jane was talking about but with a bribe to sweeten the deal?

Pamper Me Day

2006-07-25T23:53:00.000-04:00

I slept in.

I had lunch with my two best girls.

I got a haircut (and love it!).

I got my eyebrows waxed...and I still have eyebrows!

I got a Deluxe pedicure (hot rocks, cool wax, massage and cute red tootsies) and read Secret Society Girl while sitting in the massage chair. Oh did I feel so uber chick cool.

I had pink and whites put on (acrylic nails) at Linc's request.

As I bee bopped around town in my new car.

O, ouch, sizzle, I'm on fire!

What a great day. I never do this for myself so it was fun. But now I can't type. I once saw a show on E! where they were showing popular clothes for dogs. They put little shoes on this dog and he pranced around like his feet were on fire. That's what my fingers feel like on the keyboard.

More tomorrow. I'll be back to the whole lazy slob life then.

Fiona

Romance Readers Ring

2006-07-24T23:45:00.000-04:00

I'm going to make you find out for youself!

Bwahahahahaa!

Romance Readers Ring

...Fiona...

You know magic isn't real, right?

2006-07-24T16:11:00.000-04:00

Review is back up and Amazon replied to my inquiry as to the missing review:

Greetings from Amazon.com.

I'm sorry your review of "Highland Fling" was withheld in 
processing.

I have now reinstated the review, and it will appear on our web site
soon. We appreciate your patience in this matter, and look forward
to reading your next review submission. 

Our disclaimer that reviews become our property allows us to have 
free range on posting them or not posting them. We never censor 
reviews inappropriately or change the tone of comments, but we do 
reserve the right to delete or edit inappropriate comments that fall 
outside our review guidelines.


...Fiona...

The Survivor

2006-07-23T18:44:00.000-04:00

“…He just buried the baby, put me in the wagon and we went seventy miles to Galveston without stoppin’. He never said a word. Put me on the first ship he found…it was headed to

Australia

. And he said, “Don’t want no woman that would kill my son to save herself.” And he turned and he walked away and never looked back. I know, because I watched to see if he would.”--Crazy Cora from Quigley Down Under

Crazy Cora is considered crazy because she lives in the past. Calling men by her husband’s name, Roy, and reliving her life with him rather than living in the present. As punishment for attacking a man in town, Cora is stranded in the Australian Outback with sharp shooter, Matthew Quigley. After spending several days together, Cora and Quigley are temporarily rescued by a band of aborigines. That evening, Cora, while staring into the fire, reveals to Quigley what she did and Roy’s reaction, ultimately showing Quigley her fatal flaw and the reason she hides herself in past experiences.

I love Quigley Down Under. I’ve probably watched it five times. And I’ve never completely understood Cora. Each time it gets a little better, a tad bit clearer. Cora is a survivor, my favorite type of heroine. I’ve heard people talk about (myself included) how much they love a tortured hero, but I have to say, tortured heroines (while few and far between) are my favorite. Cora represents what I would consider The Survivor of the female archetypes. After having experienced the trauma of killing her child and being abandoned by her husband, she survives by wearing the mask of insanity, reliving the days of her life with Roy until finally facing her fears in the Australian Outback.

The Survivor is an interesting heroine (in the context of surviving a past trauma) because of what she must overcome to be with the hero and what he must accept in order to be with her. The survivor usually feels responsible for the past and therefore sees herself as inferior for it. She blames herself for a poor childhood, failed relationships and any lack of education or experience. And being tortured for past sins keeps her from finding happiness in the present. I enjoy stories with Survivor heroines, although they can run the risk of being TSTL, they are entertaining.

Survivor heroines use many masks to cover the truth. Insanity, a bad reputation, cattiness, intelligence and my least favorite, silence. But what I like about the survivor heroine is that they are strong on their own, without the hero. The fact that they have lived and kept themselves in one piece is a testament of their strength. However, it is the survivor heroine that makes us love the hero. The hero who can accept the heroine regardless of her past. The hero who helps her to face her fears. The hero who saves her from her own self destruct button. Our true knight in shining armor of unconditional love. The survivor tells the most beautiful story.

…Fiona…

PS: Sorry Trollop, but Tom Selleck knows how to work a mustache!

Name that movie...

2006-07-23T15:02:00.000-04:00

For a prize, take a guess in the comments. Name the movie and character. Double prize if you can tell me the situation for which the quote arose.

"Roy was hunting stagehands when the Comanches came. I grabbed the baby and a pistol and I hid in the root cellar out back. And the Indians tore up our sod house and I was real quiet but then the baby started crying and I tried to shush him and suckle him but he just wouldn’t stop. One Comanche, I remember, he acted real drunk and he wore my green apron. He must have heard something because he started hollering and coming closer. So I put my hand, gentle like, over my baby’s mouth, “Don’t cry, Daddy’ll be home soon.” The Indians found us but they just laughed, they were drunk. They didn’t want to hurt anybody…just rode away. At sundown Roy came home but I was too afraid to come out of the cellar. I was afraid what he’d do when he saw I smothered our son."

Good Luck!
...Fiona...

Poof the Magic Dragon...

2006-07-22T21:16:00.000-04:00

Our conversation went something like this:

Linc: I thought you put that review on Amazon.
Me: What review?
Linc: The one about that book you hated.
Me: I did...why?
Linc: It's not there.
Me: What do you mean it's not there? It's there.
Linc: Nope. Not there.
Me: What? Let me see.

Well damn, what do you know. My amazon review of Highland Fling is...poof! Gone.

And 8 out of 13 people had said it was helpful...

Fiona

Color me suckered...

2006-07-21T10:10:00.000-04:00

*clap, clap, clap* Congratulations Mrs. LaBrecque. I tip my hat to you. Your savvyness at turning an honest review into a dog and pony show for more sales was successful, and I, as one who paid to take a ride on the looney-go-round, am quite embarrassed.

Highland Fling tells the story of ER doctor Kate Wexford and her trip backwards through time into the arms of Scottish Laird, Darach MacTavish. Kate is the typical 21st century heroine (lonely, without family, married to her job and inferior in her own eyes) who pines for a man in a painting. After hearing that the man she physically longs for was killed over two hundred years ago at the Battle of Culloden, Kate is pushed into the painting by the strangely perceptive curator, Hamish. Falling back in time Kate lands naked in MacTavish's bed. At this point, the story was going well. Kate had gone back in time, was missing the conveniences of the 21st century and was falling in love with Darach.

However..., when the two decide to go forward in time to find out about the Battle of Culloden and how to keep Darach alive, all went wrong. LaBrecque didn't allow for any conflict in the book. Every time something came up a neat and tidy (and unbelievable) solution appeared for the hero and heroine. When the two arrive back in the museum, Hamish awaits with a perfect set of clothes for Darach and Darach shows no shock at 2000 Atlanta. Once arriving, Laird MacTavish learns how to surf the internet within five minutes, can read present day English with no problems and can cook a full meal with no experience and only a cookbook to guide him.

The ridiculous turns downright outlandish after Darach leaves Kate to go back and save his people. She has period clothes made and packs bags to take back with her. She arrives naked the first time but returns the second fully clothed and with suitcases to boot. With no conflict to speak of, convenient solutions at every turn and an alpha laird who dreams of writing poetry *gag, gag* this book flops. And, aren't Blazes supposed to be hot? Highland Fling was lukewarm at best.

Note: I won't be at RWA, however, if Mrs. LaBrecque would like to reimburse me for the $5.09 I wasted on this book, I will be happy to give her my address. Just e-mail me at addicted2fiona@yahoo.com. Of course, I should subtract the 10% I saved by using my membership card, but then again, if we are going to get real nit-picky, shouldn't we add the gas it took me to get to the store and back home again? My car gets 20 miles to the gallon, the store is 10 miles away, 20 miles both ways, that is one gallon of gas...$3.02. Of course, I think it is only fair that we add my time value which is 2 hours to read times my rate of pay which comes to $58.30 plus the 30 minutes it took me to write this review (because as we all know, LaBrecque will probably make money off this) is $14.57, which gives me a grand total of $80.47 that Mrs. LaBrecque owes me. Of course, I consider it the price paid for being a fool.

...Fiona...

Mr. Romance

2006-07-20T18:02:00.000-04:00

I don't even know how I got here. Sybil's post about that AWFUL article on the RT convention led to too many clicks and ultimately this website:

Click here

I dare you to make it all the way to the bottom...and if you do, there is a prize waiting for you!

...Fiona...

YouTube owns you...

2006-07-20T13:53:00.000-04:00

Before slapping another one of those adorable videos of Max up on the screen, YouTube.com users need to check out the fine print!

According to this post at BoingBoing, YouTube.com has changed it's terms and conditions, saying that once you upload your video, they have complete royalty-free ownership. That means that the next cute baby, dog, or music video posted could be sold to any major advertising firm with nada going to the original uploader.

I wonder if there is a connection with this coming on the heels of the success of Evolution of Dance?

...Fiona...

Review: Midnight Sun by Rene Lyons

2006-07-19T22:55:00.000-04:00

"Fascinated by the way they moved and the passion for the fight gleaming in their eyes, it was easy to see why the Knights Templar were considered the elite in their day. They fought with the belief that if they fell in battle, they would ascend straight to God. That belief gave them an advantage over their enemies. After all, how do you win against men who fought with nothing to lose and all to gain?"

I first heard about Midnight Sun over at Sanctuary's Finest. One of the girls was gushing about how excited she was over this new and upcoming author. My interest was piqued and I headed over to Rene Lyon's site to see what all the fuss was about. As many of my readers know, I'm a historical girl. I read all things historical. With my current reading stint of Holy Blood Holy Grail I was very interested with a book that told the story of damned Templar Knights cursed to walk the earth as vampires by way of punishment from God.

Review below the cut...

"The renegades, who dared to take from them, were going to learn exactly why the Templars were the most feared creatures this side of Hell."

This is book 1 of a 5 part series. In Midnight Sun, we are introduced to the five Knights Templar who were damned together by the archangel Michael to walk the earth as vampires looking for redemption. Tristan, The Guardian; Sebastian, The Sage; Constantine, the Dragon; Lucian, The Knight; and Rafael, The Rogue. All of the knights are gathered in Damascus, Pennsylvania (year 2005) to look for the Daystar, an ancient relic that holds the key to allowing vampires to walk during the day. While in Damascus, Constantine and Rafael stumble across local ghost hunter Allison Parker while she is being attacked by a band of renegade vampires. Saving her from certain death, Allie is taken into the circle of the Templars, supplying them with eyes during the day while they sleep.

Sebastian is drawn to Allie and hates it. For the last three hundred years he has sworn off allowing himself to become attached to any female, but he can't seem to fight the attraction that he feels for Allie Parker. With the help of two match-making Templars, Allie and Sebastian decide to stop fighting their attraction for each other and allow fate to take the lead.

While the story is about Sebastian and Allie's love, much of the book builds all of the characters, which I highly enjoyed. There was not a lot of conflict between the hero and heroine, but within the story itself, which kept this a very fast paced read. Mrs. Lyons uses multiple points of view in the story and I appreciated that she gave her reader enough credit to know they could keep up. I enjoyed the jumping POVs, feeling that it gave me a greater insight into all of the characters and kept the book moving without stalling out. As the ending might not be what many expect, I felt it was perfect. It gave just enough to make me happy but held back enough to keep me drooling for the second installment.

What left me guessing:

Why was Allie a ghost hunter? I didn't feel it added to the story. The way she was introduced to the Templars was a great set-up so the ghost hunter aspect felt forced. Especially since nothing came of it. I'm not really sure how she made enough money to survive.

Why Damascus? Why were they there? Why was the Daystar there and why was it a vampiric hotspot?

What is the relic? And why did it need to be in Damascus?

Of course, this is book one of a series so I suspect that a lot of my questions will be answered as I continue to read the rest, which I will be doing.

The things that bothered me:

Grammar. I struggled with this one but in all fairness, I have to put it out there. I was annoyed with the amount of mistakes that riddled the story. Nothing major, just sentences that didn't flow like, "As she quickly as the possibility came was as fast as it went." and, "He was stuffed with too much false bravado and overblown arrogance to make what he now was a good fit on him." However, the good part is that the story was strong enough for me to ignore it each time and keep reading.

Clichés. There were a few too many in the first 100 pages of the book for me. After that, I really didn't run into any.

The things she got right:

Tristan. Sebastian. Constantine. Lucian. Rafael. These raw, guttural, alpha male heroes were dead on.

"From the time he took his first breath, he was being trained to become a warrior. To become a man who shed blood without care or conscience. Each blow delivered from the fists of his sire made him stronger. Harder. Henry Draegon battered him until he made certain he beat the humanity right out of his son. Until all that remained was an angry, bitter boy who grew into a savage man with a gift for killing."

Memorable characteristics without being over the top:

""Where's the fun in that, love?" His English accent lent him an air of sophistication."

""Oh good. A fight," Constantine remarked blandly as he strolled through the parking lot as if he hadn't a care in the world.
"Holy shit." Pete's eyes widened in horror. "That's the Dragon."
Constantine inclined his head. "Always nice to meet a fan.""

Allie and Sebastian. There love was believable.

"Over the ages he bled and killed for God. He killed to protect the lives of his brothers-in-arms. He fought for so many reasons, but never for love. That was the one thing he never believed in enough to shed blood for. Until Allie. For her he was willing to bleed himself dry. For her he was willing to walk through the fires of hell."

The religion. She made it count without beating you over the head with it.

"Yes. Lucian had brought so much pain to Stephan. More than he could ever imagine. He did to him, the one thing that would break a man as religious as Stephan had been. He removed him from God's grace."

Scenes. One thing Mrs. Lyons can create are scenes. Her book is scene after scene after delicious scene. It's hard for me to put this into words but with most books there will be one or two scenes that really stand out for me but in Midnight Sun there are countless. Lyons is a master at creating visuals for my eyes to devour.

Gasping, Allie spun around to see Sebastian standing directly behind her. As usual, he looked gorgeous all in black. She shot Constantine an accusatory frown. "You didn't tell me he was here." Constantine shrugged and looked out into the crowd. "You didn't ask."

Grade: A

Great job on your first book Mrs. Lyons and I can't wait to read Constantine's story, The Daystar, released from Samhain Publishing on October 31st.

For those of you who have read the book, I would love for you to talk about your favorite scene in the comments.

Mine:

The bar. Allie has gone to The Gate with Constantine and Sebastian to see if they can weed out some renegade vampires. To play the role of victim Allie dresses up in a goth outfit that is not at all 'her' but apparently very hot. After bantering back and forth about her boots, Allie heads to the other side of the bar to be picked up while Con and Seb watch from their table.

"Moments later another guy approached her. Disappointingly, he too was of the living. Again, Allie made quick work to get rid of him, keeping herself available to any dead who happened to decide to show.

She cocked a brow at Sebastain and shrugged, wiggling her foot.

"She said to tell you it must be the boots the boys like."

Knowing Allie put the sarcastic comment into Constantine's mind, Sebastian arched a brow regally, "Did she?"

That's mine. What's yours?

...Fiona...

Tag...You're It!

2006-07-19T17:42:00.000-04:00

Izzy got me...

1) When did you first start blogging and why? I started blogging about a year ago but I didn't have a theme or any real reason to be there. After I started finding more romance oriented sites I dropped my blog and started the Farrago in April.

2) What don't you talk about? Hmmm...if I don't talk about it why would I tell you? hehe Like Izzy, I don't talk about... sex, some things should be private. I have a second job that I don't talk about due to some people's sick googling abilities. And I leave out most of the family drama. I already have to live with it, why rehash it in writing?

3) Are you and your blogging persona the same person? Very much so. What you see is what you get. Only, I probably come off more forceful/pushy in real life. I'm a natural leader and I teach on my feet so I tend to speak without thinking a lot. In the blogosphere I get to reread and edit before I hit 'send'.

4) How do you use blogging to build friendships? The teaching profession is one of the least read professions. It is utterly embarrassing. Blogging allows me to connect to people I share a passion with. I have something to talk about other than the weather and work.

5) How would you describe your writing style? Realistic. I tend to type the way I speak. I'm a fast typer so I usually talk to the computer screen and my fingers record the transcript.

I'm tagging:

Jennie (jennie's b[ook]log)
Valeen (TAP)
Wendy (Our resident super librarian)
KristieJ (The Cravenator)
and
Devon (No baby, that's no stake...)

...Fiona...

Have you noticed?

2006-07-18T19:30:00.000-04:00

So maybe you noticed and maybe you didn't that I have a new blog section called OT (off topic). ON that blog roll is a really interesting site called BoingBoing which covers a wide variety of off the beaten path news/blog articles. Visit it if you haven't.

Because of my earlier post about the children of Israel and Lebanon, I'm sharing a post from BoingBoing:

Image of the day: children send messages on missiles

I don't know the whole story behind these images, but they say a lot on their own. Israeli kids are told to "sign" bombs directed at Lebanon, writing messages like "from Israel with love."

...Fiona...

Midnight Sun and Highland Fling

2006-07-18T17:32:00.000-04:00

Thanks to the girls at Sanctuary's Finest I found Rene Lyons and bought her first book, Midnight Sun from Samhain today. This book isn't historical (it's paranormal), but it is about the Knights Templar, so who could resist?

Here's a blurb:

Where the damned come to play. When things go bump in the night, Allison Parker bumps back. As the resident ghost hunter in a quiet, rural town, she's thrust into the nocturnal world of the Templars. Embracing the night, she finds a place where she belongs. Damned by God, Sebastian of Rydon knows only blood and death. After eight hundred years of merely existing, he learns what is to live when Allie comes bursting into his life. Her spirit guides him out of the dark. Caught in a web of hate and revenge, they search for love as their world is torn apart.

I had some issues downloading the book and I just want to give a shout out to the girls working MyBookStoreandMore technical support! You guys rock! My e-mails were answered within the hour, they helped me with my ebook software (I hadn't downloaded ebookwise librarian) and then for safe measure sent me another file. I'm so impressed. 5 out of 5 stars for MBaM customer service!

Can you say Highlander? Laird? Hot sex?

While at Barnes and Noble today I decided to look for Jennifer LaBrecque's Highland Fling. It is a Blaze and I found it behind two other Blaze books! Last one...go Fi! Anyway, it is a time travel. Man, am I stepping out of my zone or what?!? Anyway, Kate Wexford is transported over 200 years back in time to Scotland and into the bed of Laird MacTavish. I didn't know with this being a Blaze if it would have an HEA so I skipped to the back and was sold! I bought it and I'm already halfway through. Which is good seeing that I have three books I need to read and talk about ASAP.

As for the hamster scene on the first two pages of the book...I laughed out loud on the punch line. It really was funny. And I don't know about the hamster being an urban legend, but I do know that Mr. Garrison did it to Mr. Slave once on South Park. hehe

...Fiona...

Secret Society Girl Release!

2006-07-18T14:43:00.000-04:00

Secret Society Girl by Diana Peterfreund released today! Congratulations Diana! What an accomplishment.

The short of it:

Amy Haskel is a junior at Eli University. Thinking she is being inducted into the "literary society" Amy answers a strangely vague phone call requesting her presence. Once she arrives she realizes that it's not the society she thought at all but one that is surrounded in mystery and secrecy.

Okay, that's as far as I have gotten but I am loving it! For someone who is almost anti-Chick Lit I'm really enjoying this book. I think it is the mystery of it. I'm not sure if there is any real kind of romance story in here, I'll let you know when I finish!

Here is a review from Teens Read Too

And here's Angie's review.

Anywho, Diana has been doing a count down on her blog for the last 8 days and I took these pics for her. My book store drama below the cut...

I went to Barnes and Noble in Melbourne, Florida today and picked up my very own copy of SSG! It wasn't even on the shelves yet! I looked everywhere and then asked at the customer service desk. The guy went into the back and got a huge stack and brought them out. I asked if he was going to put them on the shelves because I wanted to take a picture. Oh was that a mistake! They had to call the customer relations girl who wasn't sure about me taking a picture because of copyright, blah, blah, blah. She went to go ask her boss and never came back! So, after I had read the first two chapters of SSG while waiting I snapped my contraband pics! hehe. Here they are...they are a little blurry because I was trying not to have my camera confiscated!

And this last one is for fun. Diana's two biggest fans...Cuff and Link. Notice Cuff is trying to eat SSG!

On an ending note I just want to say how wonderful I think Diana is. I know I've spoken to some of you about your varying viewpoints about said author, but she is really cool. Diana and I traded e-mails and I was very impressed with her. Congrats again Diana!

...Fiona...

Spin Me Right Round Baby Right Round

2006-07-18T09:46:00.000-04:00

And around we go...

I have something I want to show you, but I have to give you a little background (which you have no doubt already seen) first.

An up and coming author, J. Wallace (they say she has a website but I've yet to find it), left a "mean and scathing" review at Amazon.com for Jennifer LaBrecque. Jennifer was pointed towards Amazon.com by a fan who e-mailed her telling about a nice review she had left. While there, Jennifer saw J. Wallace's review and responded on her blog (see link above).

The Smart Bitches are on the case.

And Allison Kent has picked up the ball with smiting J. Wallace and giving away three free copies of Highland Fling.

Okay, okay, so a reader left a nasty review. So what? Okay, an aspiring writer left a nasty review. So what? Said aspiring writer dissed the editor and publisher in her "mean and scathing review." So what? Did I mention it's the same house she is trying to shoulder her way into**? Still I say....SO WHAT!

More below the cut...

Which leads me to the comments left by other authors at Jennifer LaBrecque's site:

Debra Webb says:

"I’m with Jaci, if you ain’t got nothing nice to say, keep your trap shut! This business is tough enough without folks showing their superiority complex (aka stupidity). And as Rhonda said, the publishing world is very small. To knock an author is bad enough but to insult her house and editor, well that’s just plain DUMB!"

...and while professing her love of free speech, Kimberly Raye said:

"To the reader who trashed this, get a sense of humor, why don’t you? And remember the old saying “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all,” otherwise it might come back to bite you in the ass."

If anyone should guard and protect the written word and our right to write whatever we want, shouldn't authors? I was impressed by Mrs. LaBrecque's take on the episode. Based on everything I have read she was able to put a nice spin on this and get some nice additional sales for this book. I might even take a look at it when I go to the store today to buy Secret Society Girl by Diana Peterfreund.

But it is the authors behaving like ~~idiots~~ rabid fangirls that leaves the bad taste in my mouth. If you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all? Who the hell are you? A reader can say whatever she wants about a book that she bought and paid for and hated. So maybe it wasn't the wisest thing to use her real name and bash the publisher at the same time, but it sure as hell is her RIGHT! And I'll stand behind any reader who wants to say that a book sucked big ass hairy donkey balls (thanks Karen!).

And that's the word.
Fiona

** I would like to add that all info about Mrs. Wallace, her writing career and favored publisher is all hearsay until someone actually links me to her site, which everyone is refusing to do.

Can you tell I'm bored?

2006-07-16T11:54:00.000-04:00

1.)
Post your e-mail! I tried to e-mail three different people yesterday and couldn't find an e-mail for any of them! Putting your e-mail in your blogger profile makes it really nice for people who want to get in touch with you. Of course, you could always e-mail me a nice, friendly, "Just dropping in to say hello," e-mail and then I could add you to my address book!

2.)
Survivor Man-Has anyone seen this show? The guy gets dropped off in the middle of nowhere and survives on the land while talking to you through his handy, dandy camera and giving great survival advise. Speaking of his advice, did you know that a Frito chip (just one) can be used as a candle? Really cool. Linc and I tried it. Will post the pic when I go into the bedroom and get on the other computer.

3.)
And here are some Quizes I took because I am soooo bored (now do you know why I taught summer school?):

You Passed the US Citizenship Test

Congratulations - you got 8 out of 10 correct!

Could You Pass the US Citizenship Test?

You Failed 8th Grade US History

Sorry, you only got 2/8 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade History?

You Passed 8th Grade Math

Congratulations, you got 9/10 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Math?

...Fiona...

Looking around...

2006-07-16T11:15:00.000-04:00

Laa tee daa, laa tee daa...

Where have all the romance readers gone?

Hmmm...

Fiona

Top 10 in your player...

2006-07-16T11:13:00.000-04:00

I've recently found myself practically making love to my mp3 and missing many of you guys, so in a concerted effort to get us all together and find new songs for my player, I'm creating a Tag.

I'm going to list my 10 favorite songs on my ipod and then tag the last five people who commented on my blog!

1. Single by Natasha Bedingfield (I suggested this to Ames for her theme song!)

2. Father Figure by Ace Young

3. Crazy by Gnarls Barkley (I'm really loving this song!!!

4. Black Horse and the Cherry Tree by KT Tunstall (She freaking rocks! Watch kick ass video)

5. Lo Que Paso, Paso by Daddy Yankee (Lo siento! Está en español sólo...Mire el video)

6. Not Ready To Make Nice by the Dixie Chicks (Is it just me or are videos just getting better?)

7. One by Mary J. Blige and U2 ( never would have thought to put these two together)

8. Put Your Records On by Corrine Bailey Rae (I'm not crazy about the care free, springy time video, but my goodness, what a beautiful voice!)

9. Sunny Road by Emilani Torreni (see the video, hear the accent, love the song)

10. Wanted Dead or Alive by Chris Daughtry (Linc thinks he butchered the song, I love it better than the original. What do you think?)

Even if you weren't tagged, you can still play along! Make a Top 10 post, list your current 10 favorite songs (use CDs or the radio if you don't use a player) and then tag your most recent commenters.

I welcome multiple tags, because lord knows I have way more than 10 in my favorites!

Tagged:
Bev (BB)
Sybil
Ames
Izzy
Marg

Have fun!

...Fiona...

The Secret by Julia Garwood

2006-07-16T07:04:00.000-04:00

The Secret by Julie Garwood was originally published in 1992 by Pocket Books.

The story begins with the formation of a friendship between two little girls who normally would have never been friends. Judith Hampton is Engish but her loving aunt and uncle live on the border between England and Scotland and take her to the border festival where she meets Frances Katherine Kirkaldy. A punishment rock and a vicious little bee forges the girl's friendship forever.

Now it is years later, Frances Katherine is about to have her first child and Judith has promised to be there. Frances Katherine defies her husband's clan and requests that Judith be brought to her, despite the fact that they hate the English. Convincing the council of her bond with Judith, Iain Maitland, the clans laird and Frances Katherine's brother-in-law agrees to go to England and retrieve Judith. Besides, Judith is not only a woman but English, she will never keep to her word and agree to follow the barbarians into the Highlands.

Judith Hampton is packed and ready to leave when Iain Maitland and his warriors arrive at her home. Shocking the warriors by leaving without any hesitation, Judith begins the long journey to the Highlands and into Iain's heart.

More below the cut...

As the book progresses Iain struggles with making Judith understand that he is laird and she should obey all of his commands. Judith has a hard time understanding all of the Highlanders rules. Once they reach the clan, Frances Katherine is overjoyed with Judith's presence. Fearing for her life with the birthing of her babe, Judith soothes Frances Katherine by telling her all of the knowledge she had acquired in the last few years about being a midwife. Her knowledge turns into the clans saving grace from the current evil midwife.

Now Judith is finally making her place with the clan. Wait, did I mention her father is the Maitland's sworn enemy?

Births, fights, a backwards Clan Council, one stubborn laird, and a kidnapping make The Secret a great read!

Judith is a great heroine. She's tough, strong, self-assured but knows when things are too much and allows herself to lean on Iain for his strength and support. Iain is such a good alpha. He is stubborn, strong-willed and forceful. However, he knows that his defenses are no match for Judith.

This is one of my favorite scenes with Judith and Iain. Judith has just finished birthing her first baby and Iain has waited for her outside the house:

"She took a deep, cleansing breath. It didn't help. The shivers increased. She told herself she was going to be all right; she wouldn't disgrace herself. She'd gone through a frightening ordeal, yes, but she had gotten through it, and she could certainly get back to her own bed before she completely lost her dignity and started in sobbing and gagging and God only knew what else.

It was a logical plan to Judith, but her mind was telling her one thing and her heart was insisting upon another. She needed privacy now, yet at the same time she desperately wanted Iain's comfort, his strength. She'd used all hers up tonight. Heaven help her, she needed him.

It was an appalling realization. She hesitated for the barest of seconds. And then Iain opened his arms to her. She lost the battle then and there. She started running. To him. She threw herself against his chest, wrapped her arms around his waist and burst into uncrontrollable sobs.

He didn't say a word to her; he didn't have to."

For series enthusiasts: The Secret has connecting characters with the book, Ransom, and The Secret should be read first.

...Fiona...

Did you hear?

2006-07-15T18:22:00.000-04:00

Screech is going to lose his house...unless we help!

Here's the site: GetDShirts.com

Do your part.

...Fiona...

Interesting article...

2006-07-15T08:06:00.000-04:00

One of the leads on Yahoo! today is this article:

Are romantic movies sabotaging your love life?

Could the same be said for our romance novels?

...Fiona...

How lucky we are...

2006-07-14T16:08:00.000-04:00

I was going to make a very upbeat, happy post about how I am through with school and starting my summer vacation, but I can't. The attacks between Israel and Lebanon have really touched me in the last two days.

I read historical romances for the character's way of life. The strife and struggle of carving a family and future out of the wilds of an uncivilized land. And often I stop and think how far removed current Americans are to this situation. Have we ever gone hungry? Or been subjected to the elements? Or exposed to the brutality of war? Many of us can say we have never been any closer than the picture on the tv or the words on a page. But I suddenly find myself thinking of the children who aren't that lucky... The children being raised in Israel and Lebanon. The children who know what it is to be hungry and to know that leaving your home to find food could lead to your death. The children whose entire childhood memories will contain the sound of bombs, blasts and gunfire. And their mental images will always have rubble in the background.

Lately, I have been thinking of these people who are trying to just keep their families together and safe in the midst of something bigger than they are. The mother and father who need to protect their children, the teenagers who want to use the strife of their land to express themselves and set themselves out as individuals. And what about the couples? The young lovers who want to fall in love and marry and have a family. What of them?

But mainly, I feel for the children. Children who will now have to live with the nightmares their heads of state have created for them. The children who will try to see past the pain in the future and build a family for themselves. For everyone living through this crisis that is the Middle East, you are in my thoughts and prayers.

...Fiona...

The best day evah!

2006-07-13T19:49:00.000-04:00

First of all I would like to say that tomorrow at 1:01 pm my vacation will officially start! Summer school will be over and I will have 30 straight days of sleeping in, binge reading and beach bumming! Yipee!

Now, on to the good day...

We had a huge breakfast at school this morning and I made cheese grits which everyone ooh'd and aah'd over.

My kids were soooo well behaved today!

Then I went to see Rachel, my indie bookseller friend. We sat around her counter drinking caps and talking about romance books. A costumer came in and asked us about what authors we were talking about and I got to gush over Garwood!! She then bought The Wedding! And then we talked about more books, authors, this month's RT, blogs and just had an all around girly afternoon. It was great.

Then I took myself to the movies. Yes ladies, I went to the movies by myself! I used to do that in college and right after and I remember how embarrassed I was about going alone. Now that I'm married it doesn't bother me at all. I guess its because I could have someone with me if I wanted...but I didn't! ;-) Anyway, Linc's in class tonight so I took my happy butt to see The Lake House...aka THE BEST MOVIE EVAH! OMG! It was good, no, great, no, awesome! Oh my, oh my, oh my. I loved it! To say the least.

Now I'm home and I'm going to curl up on the sofa with my 'puter and a bowl of mac n cheese and blog hop and begin Lion's Lady.

Have a great Thursday evening!

...Fiona...

Reading Slump Conquered!

2006-07-12T20:28:00.000-04:00

Oh my! I've read five books in as many days! I think I've finally overcome whatever slump I was in in July. Here are my reads, ranked...

1. The Wedding (by far the best book I've ever read. I mean, I'm ranking it above any of my Lindsey books and those of you who know me, well, that's huge!)

2. The Bride

3. Master of Desire by Kinley MacGregor

4. The Secret by Julie Garwood

5. Saving Grace by Julie Garwood

My apologies to everyone I've been ignoring. I've got tons of e-mails to return, laundry to wash and my poor husband hasn't had a decent meal in days! LOL Maybe I'll get some of that done before starting Guardian Angel! ;-)

...Fiona...

Reason #16

2006-07-11T16:28:00.000-04:00

Reason #16 why I'm happy my company is gone:

Making banana nut bread (that I don't have to share with anyone) buck-ass naked in the middle of my kitchen while dancing to this...

Too much information?

...Fiona...

Finished Master of Desire

2006-07-11T16:08:00.000-04:00

I just finished reading Master of Desire by Kinley MacGregor. Now I remember why I liked her so much!

Have you ever been so involved in a book that you stayed up hours past your bedtime trying to finish and with just 50 pages left you can't do it? You just can't keep your eyes open one more minute so you go to bed and then wake up before the alarm clock goes off and you grab your book before even turning on the light. And then, while reading before work you keep glancing at the clocking chanting to yourself, "I can do it, I can do it, I can finish." And then at about the point of no return where you either have to put the book down or be late to work you stop and sniff yourself thinking, "I didn't do much yesterday. I could go without a shower."

Yeah, me neither.

...Fiona...

Smart Bitches Day-Perfection

2006-07-10T18:36:00.000-04:00

Today's SBD Topic: Perfection On Paper

She is beautiful, kind and thin as a weed.

He is tall and handsome and has sinewy muscles.

Sound like every single romance book that you read?

Why the perfection? Is there perfection in real life? How many perfect looking couples are there out there? And if you know any...do you really like them?

But there is nothing that will yank me out of a story faster than an imperfection in my characters. I don't want wide hips or a big nose with a hook. Yuck! If I wanted imperfection, I would look in a mirror! LOL

There are two books that I've read recently where the imperfections in the characters really pulled the bottom out from under me with the book. In this first book (I can't remember either of the titles) the hero marries the heroine instead of the girl he was betrothed to. During the course of the book the jilted fiancé comes over to the house and harasses the hero and heroine.Anyway, the jilted fiancé is supposed to be oh so beautiful but she has a big, hooked nose! Every time the narrator talked about the girl her nose was brought up. It's size, it's hook, and it might have even had a mole or mark! The nose was as much of a secondary character as the girl herself! And then I find out she is the heroine in another book! How am I supposed to see her as beautiful?

And then I read another one where the heroine was standing in front of the hero half naked and he makes a comment to himself about how big her thighs are and she probably doesn't like them. Hello!?! I'm not buying into the fact that he wants to scrump her if he is thinking about how she freaking has thunder thighs!

When I read these details in a book it's like running into a brick wall. I can't seem to get past the imperfections. The flaws. Every time he calls her beautiful I think to myself, "Yeah, except for her huge ass thighs."

So is there a happy medium? Can you have beautiful characters without the perfection? How come I (we?) can tolerate personality flaws in characters but not in physical appearance? Or does this all go back to the thought that this is a fantasy and we can fix personality flaws but not physical flaws?

...Fiona...

PS to Holly: I've lost my ? key. It must be a virus that you are spreading around! I've had to Ctrl + V this whole post for all of my ?.

Odds and Ends

2006-07-09T08:10:00.000-04:00

(Just pretend you are reading this yesterday...)

Happy Sunday to you all! Oh, what a glorious, beautiful day it is! The birds are singing, the crickets chirping, little children are laughing down at...what? Why the hell am I so happy you ask? Oh, that would be because the company that I have had for the last 9 days flew home last night! Yipee! Yes ladies and gentleman, I can once again walk around the house naked, leave a dish in the sink and watch whatever I want on tv!!!

For shits and giggles (because it runs in the family) my mom had tons of people call last night and ask what I was doing and if they could come stay for a visit. My cuz M, my uncle Kenny, my grandmother...oh, she just thought it was hilarious!

I told them all... HELL NO by the way! ;0)

Does anyone know how to set up a blog ring? You know how sites will set up a ring so you can click the icon at the bottom and go to the next site related to that topic. That would be neat for us readers of romance. If someone found one of us they could find all of us. Anyone wanna take on that project???

Has anyone seen how Super_Librarian Wendy is linking to me? ROFLMAO! I love it! I laughed for five minutes when I saw that. I think I want to do something like that. Jazz up the blog roll with more than just a name. Kate Rothwell does it too. Hmmm...I think I'll start with Holly!

**By the way, Happy Birthday Wendy!!!**

I finished Saving Grace last night. It was another good one. Not as good at The Bride or The Secret, but it was good. Maybe you will get reviews sometime this week! I was going to move on to Castles, The Gift and Guardian Angel by Garwood which all center around Pagan, a pirate. BUT, I'm really on a Highlanders kick so I'm going to stick with that. Besides, the bad PotC reviews sorta took the wind out of my sails (pun! haha). Anyway, I'm reading Master of Desire by Kinley MacGregor until I can buy The Wedding today after work.

Ta-ta,
Fiona

The Bride by Julie Garwood

2006-07-07T12:56:00.000-04:00

This book freaking rocks! OMG! It is soooo awesome!

The fab-u-lous ladies at Turn Another Page choose The Bride by Julie Garwood as their Remembering the Classics book pick for July.

In this book, King Edward orders Baron Jameson to allow two highland chieftans to marry the daughters of their choice. Jamie is chosen by Laird Kincaid.

Alec, the laird of Clan Kincaid has no problem choosing a wife at his king's command, a wife is nothing more than chattle, one who obeys their husband and does his bidding.

Most wives do, that is.

This is my favorite scene from the book:

"Let me understand this," Jamie began. "You really think I'm going --"

"It's very simply, wife. If you're loyal to Scotland, you're loyal to me. You'll see the rightness of it once you've settled in."

"Once I've what?" Her voice was suspiciously soft.

"Once you've settled in," Alec repeated.

Her throat started aching with the need to shout at this arrogant man. Then she remembered Beak's suggestion not to nudge the laird's temper until she knew what kind of reaction she was going to get.

She'd better be cautious, she decided. It was common knowledge that Scots lashed out before thinking better of it. They all beat their wives as often as the inclination come over them.

"Sheep settle in Kincaid. I'm a lady, if you haven't taken the time to notice."

"I've noticed."

The way he drew out that remark made her heart quicken.

"Yes," she stammered. "Women, you see, don't settle in. It isn't at all the same."

"It is," he contradicted with a lazy grin.

"No, it isn't," she snapped. "You'll have to take my word on this."

"Are you challenging me, English?"

I love when Alec calls Jamie English. It's a great quirk of his character. Alec is a great alpha hero. He's strong and powerful and tough but not a dim-witted stubborn ass. And Jamie is probably a little too forward thinking for her time, but she's a funny, strong-willed heroine.

Read this if you never have and reread it if you have!

Other news:

Garwood is apparently going to break my reading slump! Woo-Hoo! I finished The Bride in two days, The Secret today and now I've started Saving Grace. I think in honor of Johnny Depp I'm going to read Castles, The Gift and Guardian Angel next. I know I've read Garwood before, lots actually, but I don't keep records and can't remember. The Secret sounded familiar as I read it. Anyway, it's been, oh...8 years since I've read a Garwood, so a rereading glom is just what I need.

Speaking of Pirates of the Caribbean, I had no idea it was going to be such a box office smash! All shows were sold out Friday and Saturday at three different theaters here in town. Holy cow!

...Fiona...

Livin' On A Prayer

2006-07-06T20:48:00.000-04:00

There we were, having a nice afternoon drive, talking about anything and everything when I suddenly gasped! As the faint strains of the song began my eyes took on an evil gleam as I turned and looked at Linc. This song epitomizes my 80s childhood. I wiggled my eyebrows up and down then immediately started to sing with my hand balled up like a fake microphone. Linc was horrified that I was going to crash the car but soon was laughing so hard he was crying when I began to belt out the melody.

Play this and tell me you don't sing along too!

LOL

Oh god, the hair! I'm loving the hair!

Enjoy!

...Fiona...

The Post Game Show

2006-07-06T17:39:00.000-04:00

Yesterday Linc and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary! Woo-Hoo! Go us!

Anywho, we had a nice day. We both worked and when I got off at noon we had lunch at Ruby Tuesday (that story will be posted on ABM2) and then Linc gave me $50 to go book shopping while he finished up work! Yeah!

I went to BAM and bought two Mangas...I'm interested to see what this is all about and I must say that Bookseller Chick's post yesterday peaked my interest. I picked up Earthian Vol. I and Same Cell Organism. They sound interesting. I'll let you know.

After the book store I picked Linc up and we drove to Vierra where we had reservations at The Melting Pot.

Holy Cow.

We only had to wait about 5 minutes and then we were taken back to our table with a dozen red roses on it! Yes! He got me roses!

Pictures below the jump...

The lighting was practically non-existent, so the pictures are really dark...sorry!

Here is a pic of the roses on the table. The thought was great but cooking your food on the same table as this out of control arrangement was not so good. LOL

Here is a better pic of the wild flowers in the kitchen.

We ordered the Fondue Feast. It is a 4 course meal. We dipped bread, veggies and apples in a cheddar cheese melt for our first entree.

Linc had a mushroom salad (minus mushrooms) and I had the chef salad. His salad was yummy! Mine looked like someone had sneezed on it. And the dressing tasted even worse!

Our main meal was next. All of the food comes out raw and you cook it in the cooking sauce of your choice. We picked the Mojo. Yummy! The raw platter is below. It had lobster, tiger shrimp, filet mignon, pork, chicken, spinach ravioli and asian potstickers.

Here is a pic of Linc cooking his dinner.

And here is my plate...about halfway through. It looks a lot less appatizzing in a flat pic! LOL

And here is dessert! Yowsers! It is a plate with sliced bananas, strawberries, pineapple, squares of chocolate and blondie brownies and marshmallows rolled in cookie crumbs with a cheesecake in the middle. The waitress put a candle in our cheesecake for our anniversary. We made a wish and blew it out...but I can't tell you what I wished for!!!

Dinner was a 9 out of 10. It was such a fun experience.

On the way home I got sick. I mean, sick-sick. Linc had to pull over while the contents of my stomach fertilized the side of the road. Once we got home I stayed in the bathroom until 2 am. Apparently the dinner was rejected by my system after a month of summer detox.

It was still a nice dinner though!

...Fiona...