Cd’s … ect.

Last night I came home and had a package from Amazon in the mailbox. I was excited.

I bought the CD “Abbalicious” that is the work of several New York drag queens singing Abba songs (including Hedda Lettuce). I love drag queens and I love ABBA, so how could I go wrong?

The CD is fine. But there is something … missing. I think the CD format is all wrong for the medium. The fun about drag queens is actually SEEING them perform. Listening to them on CD sounds like… well… a bunch of guys singing ABBA songs. Not that there is anything wrong with that. It just lacks the glamour.

But I still like it. Because anybody can sing an ABBA song, and should. I think the world would be a better place with more ABBA.

Today I got to order two books from Amazon UK. I ordered the new one from Peter James (who I really like) and of course, I ordered Portobello by Ruth Rendell. I will read anything and everything Ruth Rendell will write. And from yesterday’s post, you could see that she was included on my list of twelve books!

Judgement in Stone is a classic and I do suggest you read that one but there are several others to try, including “Lake of Darkness”. She also writes the inpector Wexford series but many of them are stand alone thrillers. I think I like the stand alones the best, but the Wexfords are a smashing good read.

She also writes under the name Barbara Vine, so if you happen to come across a Barbara Vine novel, they are also quite good. The most recent was the Birthday Present and I liked that one quite a bit. I think that one is still only available in the UK. But it should cross the pond soon.

How did this post start? Oh, yeah. Drag queens. And books. And… what else?

It is almost the new year.

Happy 2009 everybody!

For Spo

My friend Spo put one some TGR (thumping good reads) on his blog and he surely has some great ones on there. I thought I would take his lead and post some of my thumping good reads as well. I decided to start with twelve, and will add more as the mood arises. Some of them are out of print and are hard to find, but you can get them through your library and the inter-library loan department!

1. Judgement in Stone by Ruth Rendell
2. A Place of Execution by Val McDermid
3. Dancing with the Virgins by Stephen Booth
4. Shroud for a Nightingale by P.D. James
5. The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie.
6. The Crime at Black Dudley by Margery Allingham.
7. Recalled to Life by Reginald Hill
8. The Moving Toyshop by Edmund Crispin
9. Death is No Sportsman by Cyril Hare
10. The Peacock Feather Murders by Carter Dickson.
11. The Groaning Spinney by Gladys Mitchell
12. In the Woods by Tana French

Happy Reading!

I’ve been tagged!

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them. 
5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

Ok. Six random things. Here goes:

1. Some people see the glass half full. Some people see the glass half empty.
My glass is broken.

2. When I was ten or so, I had an orange bike. I liked to ride the bike all over town. Sometimes we would ride down to this store called Bloom’s and buy comic book. I liked the X-Men the best.

3. I have a collection of Hallmark Christmas Disney ornaments. I had to stop buying them because they got too expensive. They are in large tubs in the basement. I don’t decorate anymore.

4. I really don’t like Star Trek. I have tried. I don’t see the point of it. And I find the original series so inane as to be almost unbearable.

5. I am afraid of anything that flies and has a stinger. It is almost a phobia. I am not allergic to stings or anything, but I panic whenever I see a bee or a wasp.

6. I actually like fruitcake. Probably one of a rare few, I am always hoping to get a good one over Christmas. I had a recipe for one that was delicious but I don’t seem to have it anymore. I wonder where it is?

I am not tagging anyone, but if you want to play along, please do!

Christmas Tourists.

Today it is Saturday.  I decided to come back to Baltimore a few days early as my mom and sister were not feeling well and I just seemed to be getting in everybody’s way.  I wanted them to be able to recover without feeling like they had to entertain me in any way and so I motored it back here yesterday.  The drive seemed to go well, and I was able to have dinner with Chris before he left for his week off to South Carolina this morning.

This morning  I saw him off and the house is already pretty lonely.    I took myself out to breakfast and had some eggs benedict, and then went to the super market for necessities.   I came back and decided to take a nap on the sofa, and laid down only to discover that the dog had thrown up on the sofa and I was now laying in it.   (yuck). 

I cleaned up the mess and luckily she had only thrown up on a blanket and I could throw that in the wash.   Then I really DID get my nap for real! 

I got up and made myself a couple of turkey burgers and fries and gave some fries to the dog and that seemed to make her feel better.  

Then I went out for coffee.

The only problem I am having this evening is that we have this GOD DAMNED light show half a block away.  The tackiest lights you ever did see,  an entire block long.   And to make matters worse, it is a famous light show that they advertise on the news, and so now I am sitting in the quiet and all I can hear are these tourists walking back and forth out past my front door, going to see these crappy lights.

It makes me want to go on the porch and should things like:

“Merry  F***ing Christmas!”

“Santa RAPED me under the tree last year!”

“There is no Friggin’ Santa  Asshole!”

And, well, you get my drift.   I really am NOT in the mood for happy family time walking down my street.

So, I think I will put in a TV show and tune out for a while.       Back to work Monday!

The Christmas that wasn’t.

It is Christmas day, and my mom and sister are both sick. We did get up and open presents, but then my mom had to go lie down and my sister soon followed. We had to tell my cousin Terry that we could not come for Christmas dinner. I really wanted to go, as I have not seen my cousins for around six years or so. I am worried that when my mom and sister die, they won’t even remember me.

But we stayed here and I made do.

I got so hungry around 6:30 that I had to search the house for food. I managed to find some ground beef and cheese and buns and frozen french fries so I made myself a burger and ate it under the tree.

How festive is that?

Anyway. I am not feeling the spirit this year.

I sure hope mom gets better soon. I only have until Sunday.

When I get back home, Chris will be gone for a week to visit friends, so I probably will not leave the house, other than to go to work.

We shall see.

Hope next year is better.

Christmas Eve

Now I know why I shop online!

My mother had no Christmas presents for me. She has piles of gifts under her tree, but had neglected to get any of mine, even when she had my list in plenty of time! So yesterday, we made the trek to Borders to purchase my Christmas presents.

Incidentally, ALL of my gifts to them were ordered online, and sent here and were all under the tree! I am a foreward thinker!

So, we get to Borders and the mall is an absolute MESS. There are cars everywhere and the traffic was abominable. I have never seen so much mall traffic! I thought it was a recession!

The good news is that (for any of you that care for future reference) anything that I want can usually be bought at borders or Barnes and Noble. I like books, movies, music. And you can get all three there. One stop shopping.

So, we managed to find Mamma Mia on DVD! And the new CD by the Veronicas, and a book called the Rose Labyrinth by Tatiana Hardie. Not a bad trip at all. A movie, a cd, and a book. What more could I want?

Then it took us about 45 minutes to drive from the mall over to Applebee’s for dinner (and Applebee’s is not all that far away). I had crunchy shrimp and mom had a grilled cheese and all was well.

Oh, and on the plus side, I discovered that I AM THE PACK LEADER!
I was watching the dog whisperer, and paying careful attention, and now when Lola barks at strangers walking up the street and will not stop, I walk over and do that little blocking maneuver that the dog whisperer does, and you know what? it WORKS!

Imagine.

I have to run. I have to redownload some games from Big Fish Games because my virus software screwed them all up.

I hope you all are having wonderful holidays!

One Piece…

I made the drive unscathed! I am so excited. It is good to see my mom and sister. I am glad to be here.

I am a little worried about my sister. She does not look well. She has lost all of her hair and lost her voice and the chemo is making her sick. I was a little unprepared for that because she has always been much healthier looking when I came before. I am going to try and keep her spirits up, though. I have some dance music on my computer. I think I will make her a CD.

I ordered them some gourmet popcorn in a large tin and it came so I let them open that one a little early so it would not get stale. And I can help them to eat it, and that is even better!

I am very tired from the drive. It was rainy and foggy almost the entire way and I was feeling tired from lack of sleep. I don’t sleep well when I am worried about things. And my foot was really sore because I was wearing my winter boots. I don’t have to wear them in Baltimore, but need them when I come up here in winter. So they are not worn in, and they are a little uncomfortable. I changed into my tennies at a rest stop and that helped.

I am heading off to bed now. G’night all.

I read this article…

That depressed people watch more television.

And let me tell you, I am watching an awful lot of television.

You see, I have discovered that I can download almost any episode of anything the day after it airs.   So, it no longer matters that I don’t have a TV antenna and can’t watch anything.    I have become addicted to the tube, and have been in a frenzy to watch almost everything and anything.

My favorites are:

The Mentalist,  Bones, Fringe,  Life on Mars, Gossip Girl and Desperate Housewives.

I am going to try Eleventh Hour, the Ghost Whisperer, Merlin (BBC) and Mad  Men.

So, I have not been posting as I have been watching much TV.   So, I must still be depressed. 

I haven’t bought any Christmas cards yet.  So, I hope you were not expecting one, because I have not had the energy.  Maybe I will send out Valentine’s cards.   Who knows?

In two days I am traveling to the snowy North to visit mom and sis.  My sister is still in good spirits.  She sounds good on the phone at any rate.   I will try to be perky for her, but as I am one who predicts doom and gloom at every turn, I may turn into a blubbering mess.   I am NOT good in a crisis.   I have picked out five good books to take with me so I have plenty to read.  And I have sent of their Christmas gifts so they should arrive there and they can open them Christmas day.

I don’t want anything for Christmas.

Except maybe Mamma Mia on DVD.  It came out yesterday. 

Did you know that I read an article  (yes, another article) that Mamma Mia is the highest grossing film in the UK ever?  It even beat out Titanic and all the Harry Potter films.  It has been running for 23 weeks.

This is why I LOVE the UK.    Doctor Who and Mamma Mia.  What more can you want out of life?

Anyway, my friend bought me some Dove chocolate for Christmas. I have not told ANYONE that I have it, and I brought it to work to not tempt Chris into asking me what it is.   I know that there is something wrong in all this, but I need my chocolate.  And it is ALL MINE.  

Am I a bit of a Christmas Bitch?

We shall see. 

So if I don’t write next week have a great Christmas, or Yule, or whatever you  celebrate.  And if you don’t celebrate anything, have fun with that, too.

See you on the flip side.

Happy Friday!

I am excited today because my young adult reading is officially done!

I can read adult novels again!

And I have started and making progress.  I have about 11 of them checked out from the library.   

I finished “House of Bones” by Masterton and it was a right jolly read about people getting sucked into walls and nothing left but a skeleton.  It was pretty good for a horror novel and I read it quite quickly.   The next thing I am reading is a mystery novel.   No suprise there, but it is what I do. 

I have been trying to get into the holiday spirit, but let me tell you, it ain’t happening.   I have tried listening to Christmas music in the car,  tried shopping, tried looking at lights, but I am not feeling it. 

I have managed to scope out a perfect gift for mom and sis and I just have to order them.  Something unusual and fun and different and not from a chain store.   I think I will have them wrapped and sent on to them and not worry about any fuss.

I hope to visit your blogs this weekend.  I know I have been kind of quiet as of late.  I haven’t had much motivation on the computer.  I log on and check my email and do facebook and then I end up watching a video or something and that is about it.    But I still love you all!

Anyway.  Have to get back to whatever the hell it was I was doing.  What was that again?