I've been gone awhile...

...it was like a little vacation. Except it wasn't.
I've been sick. Head cold sick. Stuffy, achy, hot/cold shivery, coughy, sneezy sick. Poor Sweetness (aka youngest son) had to endure days on end of television while Mommy lay barely conscious on the couch.
I feel better now. Thanks for caring ;D

The only redeeming thing about not being able to sleep because your sinuses are in full impact implosion mode is the ability to get caught up on lots of reading. I put away two novels since Wednesday ~ Men in Kilts by Katie MacAlister (recommended by Amy) and Lover Awakened by JR Ward.

Now lets go back to a little post from a last week, where I eschewed anything vampirish, then had to eat my words after reading Lover Eternal. Well, I'm still munching!
JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series is my guilty pleasure. I shouldn't like them ~ as I said before ~ they're loaded with hokey dialogue, pop culture references which really date the series - I mean, 'The Swan' went off the air years ago, didn't it? - testosterone dripping uber-alpha males in black leather trenchcoats with ridiculous names like Tohrment, Rhage, Vishous and Phury. And have I mentioned their penchant for designer duds? When's the last time any man YOU know complimented another man on his Dolce & Gabbana suit? (please, don't answer that...)
There's also a squicky underlying tone of homoerotica...
AND I'M JUST SUCKING IT ALL UP, BABY!
Somehow, this author makes it work. Really work. Works so well that when the 4th book in the series, Lover Revealed, hits the shelves on Tuesday, March 6th, this little lady will be in line at Chapters. And that's just creeping me out a little sumpin. "You feel me, my brother?"

Men in Kilts, meanwhile, was a very funny, light-hearted read. The perfect book to bring me back to reality. It takes place in Scotland (no, really?) and having been there myself, I could picture the sheep dotting the country-side ... and maybe the yummy Scottish men in kilts, just a wee bit. And maybe I had Gerard Butler's voice in my head. Just odd times, usually between 3am - 11pm.
Oh bluidy hell, Amy! See what you've started...

50 Book Challenge Scorecard: 14 Books Down, 36 To Go... Whoop!

I have much blogging to catch up on... but this is it for tonight. Tomorrow I shall tackle the topics "Did I really write that?" and "Watch out Nation, here I come!"

Lover Eternal, Oscar Rant

What I said in my last post regarding vampire novels not my thing? Yeah,... never mind that. I just devoured JR Ward's Lover Eternal. DEVOURED.
I'll be honest, it started off shaky for me. I barely got through the first chapter: too many pop culture references, too much alpha-male testosterone, too many 'do you feel me, my brother's', a too many Wesley-Snipes-as-Blade images. But once I met Mary, the heroine facing another bout of leukemia, and vulnerable little John Matthew, a sub-sub-character whom I'm sure we'll be seeing much more of in sequels, I was hooked with a capital H.
I bought it thinking it was the first book in the Brotherhood of the Black Dagger series, but realized a few chapters in that I had picked up the second. This pissed me off to no end, because to know me is to know I despise starting in the middle. That alone would have made me put the book back on the shelf, but by the time I'd clued in, I was too far gone.

Watched the 79th Annual Academy Awards last night. I don't think I've missed a telecast since I was about 13 years old (that's a lot of Oscars!!) and I must say that last night's show was the most boring and disorganized show I ever witnessed. No fault of Ellen's,... but the director should be taken off the job. What was with all the lame camera angles, shots of Jack off-stage, and lingering closeups of Oscar on the floor? And to play off Jennifer Hudson while whe was being emotionally charming and letting the elderly Italian 'scorer' (Clint's word, not mine) babel on w/translation for 10 minutes after a 15 minute tribute was more than enough. The fact that Al Gore was THE HIGHLIGHT of the evening says plenty (with no disrespect to Mr. Gore -- but come on, it was a documentary!) And why does Jack ALWAYS get a front-row seat. ALWAYS. Tom Cruise presented, but wasn't in the audience and obviously didn't bring Katie (oops, I mean Kate). No Brangelina, no Matt :( or Dame Judi. George Clooney looked fab, and the ladies dresses were elegent and beautiful, but there were definitely a few 'big names' missing that I would have loved to see.
And one last rant. Who was the Vogue fool on the red carpet who kept referring to Jennifer Hudson as 'the people's princess'. Is he freaking mad?? How dare he dis Diana in that way!! Completely out of line, disrespectful and in very bad taste.

The Rest Falls Away, Personality Test

I just teefed (as my Jamaican friend used to say) this personality quiz from TL's blog and Oh, what fun! Get a load of these results!!

You Are An ENTJ

The Executive You are a natural leader - with confidence and strength that inspires others. Driven to succeed, you are always looking for ways to gain, power, knowledge, and expertise. Sometimes you aren't the most considerate person, especially to those who are a bit slow. You are not easily intimidated - and you have a commanding, awe-inspiring presence. You would make a great CEO, entrepreneur, or consultant.

What's Your Personality Type?

The joke of it is -- I AM SO NOT!! Let's start at the top:
Natural Leader? Sure, if you can find me cowering in the stacks at the library.
Driven to succeed? Knowledge perhaps, but I couldn't give a toss about power. Seriously, you drive.
Sometimes not the most considerate person? Okay - you got me. I have no patience for those 'a bit slow' (and by this I mean ignorant, small-minded or just plain Paris-stoopid).
You are not easily intimidated. I am too!! I once got pulled over by a cop because my scooter tail-light was out and I started to cry. And my hubby was a cop at the time! How wussy is that?
You have a commanding awe-inspiring presence. Only to my 2 1/2 year old. Maybe not even.

In other more realistic news:

1. I still have a cold, but it moved from my chest to my head. So instead of not being able to catch my breath because my lungs hurt, I can't even inhale through my nose.
2. Since the frenzy that claimed life since pre-house-guests, I haven't done a bit of writing. NOT ONE WORD. This must change.
3. Since the frenzy " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " ... or gone to the gym. This, too, must change. See item #1 for excuse. It's hard to get sweaty when you can't breathe.
4. I just spent the last two hours catching up on my blog-reading. Boy, have a missed a lot since Wednesday night's TT post. Vicky has a CP, TL is an introvert and so are a dozen others, Christine has bad hair, and Amy is distracting me with eye candy. (Oh, Amy... Not the hologram dude again!) Megan wants to cut a groove at the gym but is thus-far controlling herself, Margaret reviewed the latest Grey's Anatomy trilogy, Abby is done with vamps and Jana is finished with Kelley Armstrong, for awhile. And many more...
5. I finished the 11th book in my 50 BOOK CHALLENGE, The Rest Falls Away by Colleen Gleason. Enjoyable read, even though I'm not into vampires. I've tried, really, to embrace the world of paranormal and I can't fault the authors -- the stories are good, the writing excellent -- I have to admit that blood-sucking, shape-shifters and were-creatures just ain't my cuppa tea.

The next book I pick of the TBR shelf won't be a romance. I'm romanced out for the moment and would like to try something different. I'll let you know...
And now I'm off to medicate myself to sleep.