Books: The Sleep Killers, the Enemies of Cats

Last night I was up until 6 am reading, finishing this book. Granted I was also doing a written role play with Skoora, but I was reading while waiting for posts. Of course, I'd been reading this book all of last week, mostly in the bathroom and occasionally in bed, but the last couple of days I was happily moving toward the end.

The only thing I don't like about this book, happens toward the end but I'm not going to spoil it. Speaking of spoilers, if anyone checks out this series, DO NOT go to the Author's website else you might accidentally see a spoiler like I did. Unless you like that kind of thing. Well, okay, one more thing, I'm not a fan of 1st person point of view, but with so many damned books out there in 1st person... sigh.

I loved everything else about this book. The characters were believable, the dialogue felt natural, and after reading the book before this one, Halfway to the Grave was like a continuous breeze of fresh air. Really, the writing was really good. I think I purred.

My cat, Yoda, is not happy with me. I was yelled at more than once to get my ass in bed so he could curl up on my pillow and get his night time pets. He finally gave up on me somewhere between five and six am and went to his little space beneath the bathroom sink. Much to his chagrin, I picked up another book! My cat is going to kill me! Galen, the other cat couldn't give a shit.

So far this one is good too. I've only read the first chapter and it's only because I am waiting for my library to get the next in the previous book's series in. Really, I shouldn't be reading either of them. I should be reading my text books... but school doesn't start for a week... Or actually, I should be writing... Damn it!

Aside from all of the book fun, I got a call from my doctor's office today. The pharmaceutical company that makes one of my meds stopped their, oh I don't know what to call it, I suppose we can call it the "free med deal for low income patients" program with my doctor's office. I'm not really complaining, I was able to get one of my medicines for free for several months and that was a blessing. My doctor called in my prescription to another pharmacy, not the one I usually go to, because it does discounted meds. That will help out a lot.

Now, I have to be responsible and go read all the rubrics and what not for my classes. After that, I'll probably stick my nose back in a book and subsequently get chewed out by a fluffy feline.

Easter Egg Fail *facepalm*

I bought a batch of plastic dye-able eggs. I'd planned to paint them, make them beautiful, and then save them for years to come. Because I had to wait to paint them, because that window of time was cut shorter, and I was trying to do a rush job, and because a lot of my paint is old and some of it is a cheap brand that's very thin, I had a small disaster. Nothing turned out right and so, in a small annoyed fit, I gathered everything up and trashed it. Then today, in trying to dye eggs, I had some more little disasters, but, some turned out very pretty. I think that I might go to the store tomorrow and get another batch of the plastic ones to paint another time, when I can really take my time and don't need to rush.

We are taking it easy today for the most part. Skoora and I have laundry to do and showers to take. Her Mom is going to make us dinner later and at the moment we are watching Frozen. I really like this movie. I love Elsa and Anna is adorable!

Happy Easter with a catchy tune called Bipolar Easter Bunny. Not for little kids.

I watch a youtube vlogger named Cory Williams a.k.a Mr. Safety and have been for years. He does comedy, positive messages, silly things, and even songs! He also has a channel for his cats, don't know if you've ever heard of The Mean Kitty Song, if not, it's really cute and you should go check it out! Be careful when watching his music videos, most of his music is uber catchy! I've had songs stuck in my head for days, not that I mind. Anyway, his most recent is the Bipolar Easter Bunny. I wouldn't show it to little kids, personally, at least without viewing it myself first. Watch out this one is a catchy tune too! Happy Easter!!!

We've been busy this past week. We've had company, run errands, gone to appointments... I'm a little more than worn out but I still have so much to do even today that I don't dare take a break. Most of today's work is all on the computer. A friend will be coming over this evening for supper and Easter egg dying. Yes, we still do that. I have some plastic eggs that I want to paint. Oh wait, I have a ton of laundry to do, bleh. Next week there are three trips to Spokane scheduled and there might possibly be a fourth, not sure how that's going to work out yet though. I might also have to cancel one of my trips on account of gas. Oh and I have to jump start my homework next week.

In going to the Full Hare Moon ritual with another friend, we both met a really sweet woman. At least I thought she was really sweet and warm. I'm beginning to think that she used me as a gateway to my other friend. Which is fine in some respects and not fine in others. On one hand I am happy that my friend is meeting new people and making new friends. Actually, I love that because she is so lonely and being stuck in a small semi-isolated town in the mountains unable to drive, makes things very difficult. But on the other hand, I just wish people were honest with me. I never would have let said new person hug me much less exchanged e-mail addresses with her had I known she was just using me to get to my friend. Further more, this person kind of weirded me out a little, she was really huggy and kept petting my friend's arm. She asked permission first, and I chalked it up to "my family has never been very touchy so it;s something I'm not really used too" but I don't know, maybe I'm just a little annoyed and also kind of worried for my friend. There's some other stuff that I learned about this person through her profile on another site but that's really personal information that, while public, I don't feel at liberty to tell. No, I didn't go look her up (I'm not that paranoid), we are on the same site and she added me. All I know is that she had better not hurt my friend.

Peppermint Tea, Waking Heartburn, and We're going to be back at the Kroc Center soon.

I take antacids on regular basis and actually started having trouble with heartburn and acid reflux when I was in high school. Of course then I didn't really think much of it except what a pain in the ass it was. Now, I am a little more concerned. My Grandma and my Dad both had problems with heartburn and hiatal hernia and I am more than a little worried that I might develop the same problem. 

Last night while I was doing some reading for my witchy blog, I read that peppermint leaves are really good for heartburn. I am so glad that I happened to read that because I awoke a little after 3:30 am coughing and choking on heartburn. It was so awful and my throat still hurts. I drank two cups of milk and sat up for a little bit reading. Then, when I went back to bed, I propped my pillows up and while those two efforts didn't stop the heartburn, it helped enough for me to get some sleep. Unfortunately I still woke up tired and still had some heartburn but nothing like last night. 

I asked Skoora if we had any peppermint tea (because I am sometimes a compulsive tea buyer) and we do! She made me a cup. I don't know if it is going to work but I am certainly drinking it. Oh and I also saw the apple cider vinegar works for heartburn as well. I'm not sure if we have any of that left... I'll have to check the fridge next time I go into the kitchen. 

Skoora and I applied for a scholarship (a discounted membership) to the Kroc Center. It's like the YMCA only run by the Salvation Army. Anyway, they have two swimming pools, a river walk, and two large areas full of exercise equipment, a recording studio, a play area for kids, a couple of smaller gyms, and some class rooms along with a church sanctuary. There's more in the building, but it's a lot to list. Anyway, we were approved for the membership and instead of paying 60 dollars a month we'll be paying 21 dollars a month. I almost talked Skoora out of it because it is just one more bill, one more worry and headache. But she is looking for another job and we are hoping that using to Kroc Center will help me get physically stronger so that I may return to work and  not hurt myself any further. 

On a side note, I read a little bit to Skoora last night before we went to sleep. She doesn't really like romance novels but I happen to really enjoy them and enjoy them so much that I want to make a career in writing them. Anyway, this particular one I was at yet another sex scene. (I swear the two main characters spend most of their time having sex. There is less plot and more sex) Skoora didn't really like it and frankly, I was pretty annoyed with it to. I keep reminding myself that I love the story idea but don't like the style of writing or the voice. Also, Skoora thinks it would be much more effective to just say  "She came" than to explain in three sentences that she came. I agree with that too, at least in this case, especially in this case. I kind of feel that if I wanted to read almost constant sex, I'd go read some fan fiction that catered to specifically to that or just read straight up erotica. (frankly, there's fan fiction out there that's far better than this) 

Also, I don't feel like some of these sex scenes are very realistic. I feel that the author kind of went overboard with the scenes and the descriptions. It's just... Well, when I read that they are about to have sex, I sigh ad hope that it's over quickly. I just want to finish the book and get on to the next one. I know I could quit reading it, but I am hooked enough and really interested in the plot idea enough, to begrudgingly stick it out. 

I will say this, I feel that if you are going to write romance novels contemporary, urban, paranormal, historical or otherwise, you have got to find a balance between the sex and the plot else you are just going to leave people like me dissatisfied.     

Despite everything, yesterday wasn't as good a day as it sounded.

I haven't really been feeling very well lately. Part of it is the physical pain, yes, that is half of it, but the other half is depression. Both really caught up to me and hit me pretty hard yesterday afternoon. 

As soon as Skoora's parents left to go to the store I finally had the tv to myself. Of course there really isn't anything worth watching around 5 pm and that includes the news so I just flipped through the channels until I found something I could stand being on in the background and even as tired and as much as I was hurting, I got on the exercise bike. I think I lasted about ten whole minutes, if that, before I broke down in tears. Of course the fact that I was crying upset me even more. 

I decided that since I had the house to myself and Skoora's Mom wasn't there to stick her nose into my business, I needed to call my Mom and just vent. But by the time I started talking to my Mom the panic attack started. I really hate calling my Mom when I'm panicking but it was what it was and after I'd taken a xanax and could get my head together, she and I talked about all of it. Of course, she and Dad aren't happy that I am going back to school (I'm doing it online), they are concerned about the debt. But since it's one of the first few things that I've been excited about in a long time, she kind of backed off a little and told me just to take what I need to take to graduate. That's what I'd planned on. 

Skoora and I are broke, which is another problem we are dealing with. Skoora is trying to find another job that will give her more hours in the very least, if not more pay. I need a job as well but my situation is a bit complicated. Call centers aren't a good fit for me, not that I can't do the work, in fact I'm actually pretty good at it, it's just so mentally exhausting. Actually since working in two call centers I have panic attacks when making doctor's appointments, when calling in prescriptions, and especially talking to anyone I do not know over the phone. Most people don't know because I've gotten very good at hiding it.

 As for everything else I am qualified for, I am unable to do it physically on a consistent basis. I've been trying to work on that on my own, especially since I'm apparently not going to get any kind of assistance outside the home. Why not? Oh that's costs money and when you don't have it, no one even wants to look at you. 

There are a couple of other things that contribute to my panic attacks ranging from food control, lack of privacy, lack of respect, other people pushing their agendas (without any consideration for how I feel much less what's going to be more economical for Skoora and I in the long run) on the matter of where we live so much that I just want to strangle them, to what we are going to do about our cars. Add all of that up you'd think that would be enough but this business of me not being able to sleep at night from pain and I just kind of fall apart at random and inconvenient times. It's not good and I don't know what else to do. I guess there's really nothing that I can do. 

I am perpetually stuck in a cycle and people have all sorts of 'advice', none of which is within our affordability or really helps, and most of the time it's just them advocating that Skoora and I do what they want us to do, and never really anything that will actually benefit us. And you know what, I still drag my ass out of bed every day and try to be as positive as I can and keep my complaints down a minimum. 

Don't stop rockin your right to fright! School, books, and a Jeep!

We recently bought (splurged when we really shouldn't have) Monster High: Frights, Camera, Action! I've seen it twice and even though I figured out the plot pretty quickly (I generally tend to do that with most movies and even books), I really really liked it. But then again my favorite character is Draculara. Anyway, the song has been stuck in my head for the last couple of days and it would probably help if I quit listening to it... But it's so damned catchy!

My college called again. This time it was my personal adviser. Apparently one of my classes is really heavy and not a lot of fun so she wants to see if we can change it around. I don't know why, I am going to have to take it anyway. It's one of the required. I called her back but she was out of the office so I am waiting to hear back from her. I'll just see what she has to say and see what else we can do. I need to know soon so I know what books I need and how much they are going to cost. 

*edit: I just got off the phone with my adviser. She is really great and wanted to tell me about a different math class that is so much better. There's a wait list so we decided to just put me in a fiction workshop instead and do the new math class at a later date. Works for me! (excited!)

Speaking of books, I am reading one called Witch Fire. I actually read the 2nd book first (because I invariably seem to read the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th in a series before the 1st. To curb that, I've been checking books online before I buy them or borrow them from the library). I didn't really like the style or the voice in the 2nd book and I didn't really like it in the 1st book. I probably won't like it in the 3rd and 4th either, but what I do like about this series are the ideas and plot line. It's really interesting and not something I have seen before. 

As for my jeep. Skoora's Dad insisted that we take it to a dealership to have it checked. The exam for the car was supposed to have been free. Or so I understood it. They lied. They also didn't seem to find anything wrong (because my jeep is a little brat and behaved perfectly for them). So they changed out some filter and the whole shenanigan cost a little over $100. Really? Whatever... Also they ran my gas down so now I have to come up with some gas money or I can't even use the car to see if they actually fixed the problem. 

I am all over the place today. I kind of feel like I just need to step away and take a nap (I didn't sleep very well last night, I have lots of nights where the chronic physical pain keeps me awake or wakes me up and you know what, it really sucks). Unfortunately, that nap is just not going to happen.