The Hunt is Over!

That's right folks, we found a new apartment! We took the parents down to look over the complex on Thursday, filled out all the paperwork, I gave my current manager notice yesterday, and we move the last week of the month! I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am! No more peeing walls! At least we hope.

Seriously though - this complex is newer and nicer - and we're only going to be paying $40 more than we are now! The manager is really nice and seems to be really on top of things. Much more so than my current manager. It will be a little bit smaller than the place we're in now, but it has better storage, so I think it's all going to work out pretty well :)

It was kinda funny, when I went to give our current apartment manager notice that we're vacating, she knew exactly why we were leaving! LOL She apologized up one side and down the other for all the problems we've had in our apartment, tried to convince me that it was abnormal (and it might be), and offered to move us to a different unit. I told her as gently as I could that we just felt more comfortable with a newer building. She's a sweet old lady, I do like her as a person even if I don't think she's a great apartment manager. I didn't bother to tell her that even though I like her and Bob (the fix-it guy) I'll be a lot more comfortable in a place where the fix-it guy works more than two days a week, and where there's a more proactive approach to problems.

My plan for the next couple weeks is to try and pack a little every day. I'm starting with things that we don't use often (like the extra blankets, my crystal bowl, pictures) so that progress is being made! I'm also going to try to go through and seriously ask myself "does this really need to go with us?" and get rid of even more things. I'm a compulsive pack rat - but I've managed to purge a lot over my/our last 4 moves.

Oh my gosh - this is my 5th move in 2 years! Argh!

Did I mention in general I hate moving?

I am a person of routine. Moving requires completely disrupting that routine. First there's the stress of figuring out where your moving too. Then the packing up. Then the unpacking. Then finding out how your routine is going to work as you get settled into the new place.

I'm guessing that's a large part of why I've been so tired lately. Stress from trying to find a place we could afford that would be healthy for me, and because it's so disrupted my routine. That's why this blog hasn't been as consistent as normal. Lack of routine and exhaustion!

I'll try to keep things up around here as much as I can, but I must admit I'm really looking forward to the end of August! I figure by then we'll be at least mostly settled into the new place, Mo will be going back to school, and I can reclaim a routine for myself :D

Did I mention I do have my first bag packed? It's a garbage bag full of blankets :P Hope to get more done today! There's nothing on the agenda today - no where to go - so I figure I can do a little bit here and there around my normal reading/writing/beading/chatting :P

The Mystery of Grace by Charles de Lint

Buy it Now!

The Mystery of Grace

This was one I honestly wasn't sure I was going to keep reading, because it starts out with a one night stand. Normally de Lint's books don't have that much sex in them and it kinda startled me to have it be the opener of the book! I kept going though, and ended up very intrigued by the concept behind the book.

Grace is a hard core girl, she is covered in tattoos, but it's because they each have personal meaning not simply because it's trendy. She also discovered at an early age that she loved cars, and more specifically, restoring and working on classic cars. So instead of wearing makeup and doing all the things her mother would expect, she took shop, and grew up to become a mechanic.

Now Grace has died, but instead of going on to whatever reward awaits her, she's stuck in a limbo world that's centered around the apartment complex she lived in. She's not the only one stuck in this world, and each person is dealing with it differently. Some simply sink into apathy and sleep, other's find ways to occupy themselves, and still others are convinced there is a way out if they only look hard enough.

Grace and one of her new friends become convinced that there is a way out of their predicament. The story takes a lot of twists and turns, and oh did I mention? There's a heart breaking love story as well!

4th of July Fun :)

We had a lot of fun on the 4th of July! It was great, because I was actually able to do something for once :) I don't get out of the house except for errands and doctors visits that often...

Anyway - I made a yummy fruit salad for the event! And every last bite was eaten! Blueberries, strawberries, fresh pinapple, bannana, and mango. Yum :) I love fruit salad - have I ever mentioned that?

This is how we spent most of our evening - on the lawn talking and playing games! Well, one game. I think it's called Surro? Not 100% sure, but it's easy and fairly mindless, and we had a ton of fun!

We also got in a game of "make Kat think we're going to tickle her."

Highly hilarious for all of us, but poor Kat...

And I have to get in a shot of my dear hubby! His hair is getting long... I like it though!

So that's my 4th of July. No fireworks, just friends and food :) It used to be that they had a huge fireworks display at Fort Vancouver. Now I couldn't go to the actual Fort because that close there was too much smoke and I'd have an asthma attack, but you could see the display perfectly fine from the lawn of Clark College. That's why Bethie's house was always party central. We'd all park in her neighborhood and avoid the traffic at the fort, hang out and have food, and then walk over to Clark to watch the fireworks! Sadly they've cancelled the display for financial reasons...but we still had the party! Last year when we were up in Ellensburg was the first year I had gone with out going to Bethie's for the 4th in a LONG time, it was really good to be back :)

Sorry I've Been AWOL

There's just been so much going on latey! I have half a dozen posts written in my head - but I've had no time or energy to get them up here. First I crashed after the 4th (but it was worth it!) and then I kinda hurt my shoulder.

Yes, I can hear you already, but I did hurt myself again. I took a nasty fall tripping over a matt and wrenched my shoulder. It's healing fine, but the upshot is that I've been in a lot of pain and not spending much time at the computer. Now today I have a long day away from home...so I no guarantees that I'll get any of my posts up today either!

BUT the good news is that I think I'll be able to start getting back to my normal routine tomorrow :D

Broken Angel by Sigmund Brouwer

Happy 4th of July!!!!

Buy it Now!

Broken Angel: A Novel

I picked up "Broken Angel" by Sigmund Brouwer when I was browsing the "new books" section at the Library. The author caught my eye because he's one I read a lot when I was in middle school. I wasn't as thrilled with the last one by him I that I read as I thought I would be, but I was still willing to give it another try! I'm glad I did.

"Broken Angel" is the story of Caitlyn, a girl who's grown up knowing that she's different because of a growth on her back, and who's father has always sheltered her because of it. They live in Appalachia, a nation that's been carved out of the USA, and that functions by ruling it's inhabitants with an iron fist.

Now Caitlyn and her Father are in danger, she is being hunted, and he has a plan that he hopes will save her, but that will mean a ton of sacrifice.

The book is an intense thriller with lots of twists and turns that keep you guessing!

Wow - June was Busy!

Wow - I got a lot done in June! Think you missed anything? Then read through this post and follow the links to what you missed!

Remember, for my Top Commentators contest all that matters is the MONTH you left the comment in, not what month the post was written! So if you have some back reading to do - then earn some extra entries!

So what did happen this month? For one, I did my first ever author interview with Lisa Shearin! I just want to say thanks again to Lisa for agreeing to do the interview and for being so wonderful to work with :)

Now for the normal stuff (or as normal as it gets with me) :)

Personal Stuff:

Real Quick

An Update and Some Ramblings

More Updates

Looking for Sunshine

I got an Award!

Some Explaining to Do

The Disability Appliction

The Wall was Peeing

My Writings:

Aria's Quest - Pub Hopping

Aria's Quest - At Last

Summer Time Fun (informal writing)

Vacation Memories

Aria's Quest - That First Day

Aria's Quest - Full to Overflowing

Book Reviews:

Centaur Aisle by Piers Anthony

Three Rotten Eggs by Gregory Maquire

Woods and Waters Wild by Charles de Lint

Armed and Magical by Lisa Shearin

A Couple of April Fools by Gregory Maquire

The Feary Reel: Tales from the Twilight Realm

The Trouble with Demons by Lisa Shearin

The Pillars of Creation by Terry Goodkind

Cast in Courtlight by Michelle Sagara

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

Yoda: Dark Rendezvous

TV Post:

Star Trek: The Original Series

What's in the works for this month? Well nothing as exciting as my author interview...although I'd love to do another one at some point. Life is just to busy for me right now to do the work of finding one who will let me interview them!

We're still apartment hunting, but very little got done on that this week because there was just too much else going on. We spent about two hours today filling out MORE paperwork for the disability application. They sent both Mo and I these packets of questions about every little detail in my life and how my disability affects that. *rolls eyes* My hand was so cramped by the time we were done! It was kinda stressful too. Ended up with an asthma attack this afternoon. Probably because of the stress. But hey, hopefully it's worth it!

Fun stuff, I do have some pieces that I'm writing that hopefull at I'll find enough time to polish up enough to put up on the blog! At least one of them this month would be good right?

Wicked by Gregory Maquire

My recap of June will have to wait until tomorrow. I'm doing a lot better tonight - but still fighting off the effects of a migraine - so tonight I'm just going to post a review :) (I pre-write them).

Buy it Now!

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (Harper Fiction)

I came away from reading "Wicked" by Gregory Maquire with mixed feelings. I've always loved the story of the Wizard of Oz, and from that perspective it was a TON of fun to read some new "back story" to what was happening when Dorothy came to Oz! I really enjoyed the character development and how he explored the character of the Wicked Witch of the West.

I was a little disappointed by some of the things that Maquire chose to include. I think some of the sexual scenes he threw in were unnecessary and that his book would be appropriate for a much wider audience if he hadn't included them. Some of them did fit, but some of it just seemed like extra fluff to help the book sell.

One thing I found fascinating about this book was all the psychological elements he put into the story. There is a lot of discussion about the nature of good and evil, and what leads a person to either. The characters are complicated and interesting. The journey he takes the Witch on, as she becomes the "monster" we know her as, is full of interesting turns and twists!

Over all, I did like the book, but I wouldn't recommend it to a young reader. I'm wondering what the next book, "Son of a Witch" holds, and I would love to see the musical some day! I've heard some of the music and loved it.