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Book 7 in the 2014 booklist: Full Moon (Dresden Files, Book 2) by Jim Butcher

October 19th, 2016

Book 7 in the 2014 booklist: Full Moon (Dresden Files, Book 3) by Jim Butcher
Finished: March 2
Remember, our ranking system? If not, here’s a reminder:
1 terrible, 3 ambivalent and 5 an all star must read book.

This was another comfort read, and for this book Mr. Marsters was much better in narration; not as good as future books, but he’s getting there.
This book is about, you guessed it, werewolves. Not just 1 kind either, that’s something you’ll learn more about when you read the book.

Shape shifting motorcycle gangs, gun happy FBI agents, a love story for the ages, and this book has a little bit of everything for everyone.

I give it a 3, not my favorite book; but I still enjoy it because it has my favorite cast of characters.
So check it out!

TaTa,
Amanda Ellen

Book 6 in the 2014 booklist: Storm Front, (Dresden Files Book 1), by Jim Butcher

October 17th, 2016

Storm Front, (Dresden Files Book 1), by Jim Butcher
Finished: February 18

Everyone has a comfort book or book series that they go back to whenever they need some familiarity. I have 2 such series, Harry Dresden and Harry Potter. I love Jim Butcher and the cast of characters he’s created in The Dresden Files series. The narrator helps too, James Marster is an amazing narrator for this series. I was in a little bit of a rut and needed some familiarity and pulled out the beginning of The Dresden Files again for a relisten. I remember hearing this book for the first time and how unsure I was of my ability to deal with the narrator’s obvious inexperience, but boy am I glad I stuck with it! This is perhaps my most favorite series of all time!

This book introduces you to Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, the only wizard in the yellow pages in Chicago and perhaps the world. Harry Dresden is an all around good guy, chivalrous to the end and a sucker for a damsel in distress.

In need of work to pay the rent, Harry leaps at the chance to help a distraught wife and the Lieutenant of Chicago PD with someone who violates the first law of magic; “Thouh shall not kill.”

The murders are gruesome and magically super charged. The question is not if Harry can solve the crime, but can he prevent himself from becoming the next victim??

If you can deal with Mr. Marsters inexperience and unfamiliarity with reading, this is a great book and the start of an awesome series.

I think starting here, I’ll start giving starred ratings. 1-5.
1 veing terrible, 3 being ambivalent and 5 being an all star must read book.

This book, I give 4 stars. The plot is good (although a bit cheesey), but the narration makes it hard to get in to the book.

I say give it a shot, and join the Dresden fan club.

TaTa,
Amanda Ellen

I got the 10 Years Blues

May 23rd, 2016

Yep, first off, it’s been a while since I wrote here.. sorry about that.

2nd off, the reason I came back. 10 years, it’s really been 10 years. You might be asking what in the world am I prattling on about… the answer to your question could be found here.

If you don’t want to read a 4 year old post, I guess I could give you the skinny.

It was only 6 years when I wrote that post, and while not much has changed, a lot seems to have changed.

So, 10 years ago, I was wheeled into an operating room with promises of returning to “normal” for what that serves as a status quo for me then. Needless to say, that “normal” was never reached. When I woke up, I couldn’t see the details of the room around me, I couldn’t really even see where my parents were sitting at my bed side. It was terrifying, but I felt the need to stay calm for the sake of not freaking my parents out. That’s me, always thinking of everyone else first.

I was told not to worry, things just needed time to adjust, my vision would be back in a couple of weeks. I thought, “Ok, no big deal, I can handle this for a few weeks.”

Well, a few weeks turned into a couple of months, and then I finally got a doctor to tell me the truth no one else wanted to say to an 18 year old girl fresh out of high school. “What vision you have now is all you will ever have, and I can’t promise it won’t get worse over time.”

That was a gut punch that I couldn’t take like nothing happened. I broke down, right there in the doctor office, ugly crying and all. I was just 1 step away from hysteria. I think if I could have talked, I probably would have been hysterical, but thankfully, I had no words, only tears.

What do you say to that? How do you react? Is there a right or wrong thing to say or do? I don’t think so, but I’m a firm believer that everyone deals differently.

One thing that cheered me up and drove me crazy at the same time was people saying to me “You are taking this so well. You don’t even look down about the whole situation, that’s really amazing.”

How could I go around showing the world my devastation? What good would that have done? I had it in my head, the best way to deal with something is to accept it and move on. Something from a distantly remembered Proverb about not being able to change things out of your control… and yeah, this was waaay out of my control.

I felt it inspirational to me that people didn’t notice I was sad, devastated and utterly lost.

I’ll spare you and myself all the bad thoughts I had, and pushed aside because once again, “What good will that do?”. That thought, along with my feeling of responsibility to hold it together for my friends and family probably got me through the 2nd worst time in my life. I say 2nd, because even though I was a small girl when my dad died, that still has to be the worst experience, losing a parent.

I now want to move forward, sharing all the other stuff that’s happened since that fateful day in 2006.

As a result of that day, I realized where I made some less than stellar decisions and put myself on a course to fix that. That course wasn’t probably the best way to deal, but the end result was worth it I think.

As a result of that course, I found the love of my life, the person who completes me and makes me feel like the most special person in the world sometimes. Don’t get me wrong, we aren’t like star crossed lovers like Romeo and Juliet or anything, but that also will probably be the difference in mutual destruction and something that lasts a long, long time. I fell in love with Taylor Scott at a time in my life where that was the last thing I was looking for. Guess it’s true, you always get what you don’t expect when it is least expected.

He’s been my rock, my sounding board, my cheerleader, and most of all my voice of reason. I couldn’t ask for a better person to share my life with.

That’s probably the number 1 thing that has come out of the past 10 years.

Next has been the transitions I’ve experienced, losing some friends, making others. That was a real life lesson that everyone should experience I think. It is hard losing friends, and even harder making new ones. I think I can safely say that after Taylor, my 2 best friends are people I have never met. They exist strictly on the internet and over the phone, but I couldn’t ask for better people to put up with me and my crazy antics. Thanks Randi and Ricardo, you 2 are the best.

Next, in these past 10 years, I have graduated from college 4 times. I have a certificate of basic management skills, an associate degree in liberal arts, a bachelor degree in business administration, and finally a master degree in management/leadership. I even have contemplated my PhD. I think if I tried to do that, my other best friend and the best reader in the state of Texas, Megan, would murder me with just her thoughts! haha

I’ve got great parents, great parents in Taylor’s parents, and a great family on both sides.

So, while it does suck to be blind some days, and it even can be so frustrating that it makes me feel like I have steam coming out of my ears. I just have to remember all the good and it makes me feel a little bit better. You have to give a little to get a little, and I think I gave my eyesight for everything I have now. I’ll tell you this, and it made shock you all. I would do that trade every day of the week and twice on Sundays! šŸ™‚

It really breaks my heart and exasperates me when people say “I don’t know how you do it. I think I would never recover from that.” or my personal favorite, “If I had lost my sight like that, I probably would have killed myself. My life would have been over.” That last one makes me grind my teeth, and really just makes me mad.

I have so much to be thankful for, and I can’t deny that I probably wouldn’t have any of it had it not been for a fateful day in May in 2006.

I have a job now, a fantastic boyfriend, family and friends. I couldn’t ask for more, that would just be greedy.

Next time something has you down, or you want to comment on someone else’s disadvantage, think about all the possibilities for good that could have or did come from that tradgedy or misfortune.

Not everything bad ends badly. Life is what you make it, and why not make your stay here as fun and enjoyable as possible?

I know I’m going to try, depression and anxiety be damned!

One thing hasn’t changed, I still think of others before myself, and I don’t think that is a bad thing. I think that’s a sign of good raising and good parents.

Ok, so that’s all I got. This has been therapeutic, and I’m moderately less sad than I was when I started writing.

Thanks for reading this far if you made it!

Leave a comment, or catch me on Twitter!

TaTa,
Amanda Ellen

Book 5 from the 2014 Booklist: Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld

March 8th, 2015

Finished: February 6

Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld

This is book 2 in the series/trilogy I spoke about in this post .

The behemoth is the fiercest creature in the British navy. It can swallow enemy battleships with one bite. The Darwinists will need it, now that they are at war with the Clanker powers.

Deryn is a girl posing as a boy in the British Air Service, and Alek is the heir to an empire posing as a commoner. Finally together aboard the airship Leviathan, they hope to bring the war to a halt. But when disaster strikes the Leviathan’s peacekeeping mission, they find themselves alone and hunted in enemy territory.

Alek and Deryn will need great skill, new allies, and brave hearts to face what’s ahead.

More Alek and Darren Sharp of course. šŸ™‚

I really do love the Perspicacious loris… which I think doesn’t really show up until this book a lot.

When looking for some of my favorite quotes, I couldn’t find them.. other than “barking spiders” and using the word “daft” lol.

Oh, and I love Doctor Barlow, she’s always good for a laugh, intentionally or otherwise. šŸ™‚

Thanks again to RO!

She’s always good at giving book suggestions! šŸ™‚

TaTa for now,
Amanda Ellen

Book 4 from the 2014 Booklist: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

March 7th, 2015

Finished: February 4

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
**Edit**
Sorry to say, that if you want this book, you’ll have to do a search on Audible as it seems the version I purchased is no longer available.
Sorry!
-Amanda Ellen
****

This book is a guilty pleasure of mine. If you recall, back a few years ago Twilight was a big deal… and well, I really, really, really liked the Twilight series.

So much so, that I made note of the book Bella made many references to, in her plight between Edward and Jacob.

That was, you guessed it, Wuthering Heights.

I had it on my mental list of books to read, but never got around to it… always finding something else I knew would be funner to read.

Well, I’m glad I read this… because I really enjoyed it. It’s a hard book to read, because one, it’s really old, and 2, you really have to pay attention to what’s going on to follow the story.

I will now proceed to bombard this post with my favorite quotes:
ā€œI wish you had sincerity enough to tell me whether Catherine would suffer greatly from his loss: the fear that she would restrains me. And there you see the distinction between our feelings: had he been in my place and I in his, though I hated him with a hatred that turned my life to gall, I never would have raised a hand against him. You may look incredulous, if you please! I never would have banished him from her society as long as she desired his. The moment her regard ceased, I could have torn his heart out, and drunk his blood! But, till then – if you don’t believe me, you don’t know me – till then, I would have died by inches before I touched a single hair of his head!ā€ -Heathcliff

ā€œYou loved me-then what right had you to leave me? What right-answer me-for the poor fancy you felt for Linton? Because misery and degradation, and death, and nothing that God or Satan could inflict would have parted us, you, of your own will, did it. I have not broken your heart- you have broken it; and in breaking it, you have broken mine.” ~Heathcliffā€

ā€œAnd I pray one prayer–I repeat it till my tongue stiffens–Catherine Earnshaw, may you not rest as long as I am living; you said I killed you–haunt me, then! The murdered DO haunt their murderers, I believe. I know that ghosts HAVE wandered on earth. Be with me always–take any form–drive me mad! only DO not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! Oh, God! it is unutterable! I CANNOT live without my life! I CANNOT live without my soul!” -Heathcliff

“ā€œIt’s a rough journey, and a sad heart to travel it; and we must pass by Gimmerton Kirk, to go that journey! We’ve braved its ghosts often together, and dared each other to stand among the graves and ask them to come. But Heathcliff, if I dare you now, will you venture? If you do, I’ll keep you. I’ll not lie there by myself; they may bury me twelve feet deep, and throw the church down over me, but I won’t rest till you are with me. I never will!”
She paused, and resumed with a strange smile, “He’s considering-he’d rather I’d come to him! Find a way, then! not through that Kirkyard. You are slow! Be content, you always followed me!ā€ Catherine

ā€œI was only going to say that heaven did not seem to be my home; and I broke my heart with weeping to come back to earth; and the angels were so angry that they flung my out into the middle of the heath on the top of Wuthering Heights; where I woke sobbing for joy. That will do to explain my secret, as well as the other. I’ve no more business to marry Edgar Linton than I have to be in heaven; and if the wicked man in there had not brought Heathcliff so low, I shouldn’t have thought of it. It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now; so he shall never know how I love him: and that, not because he’s handsome, but because he’s more myself than I am. What ever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same; and Linton’s is as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire.’
Ere this speech ended, I became sensible of Heathcliff’s presence. Having noticed a slight movement, I turned my head, and saw him rise from the bench, and steal out noiselessly. He had listened till he heard Catherine say it would degrade her to marry him, and then he stayed to hear no further.ā€ -Nelly

This is a love story, but these characters are so bad, horrible people… but you still have to awe the love they had for each other, and the lengths in which they went to try to make it work.

If you have the time and can follow closely, I suggest this book, it’s a great classic.

TaTa for Now,
Amanda Ellen

Book 3 from the 2014 Booklist: Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

March 7th, 2015

Finished: January 22, 2014
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

This was a book suggestion from our favorite book junkie, RO!!
It’s the first in a trilogy that I admit was better than I expected!

I was always intrigued with the phrases that RO would throw out randomly on her Twitter and Facebook.

“Barking Spiders” or “Stupid clankers.” Just to name a couple. šŸ™‚

When she even went as far as to change her name on Facebook once to Darren Sharp, that is when I had to ask what series or book had her so enthralled that she could be so influenced.

That would be this series, the Leviathan trilogy by Scott Westerfeld.
I had known for some time that Scott Westerfeld is like her most favorite author ever, but I never thought I would read any of his stuff since he’s a young adult writer, and I am always all about the dark, gloomy, and murder kinds of books. haha

But I gave it a shot because the first one showed up in another Audible sale.

Then Taylor and I were hooked, just like RO. Having to follow Darren Sharp, the Perspicacious loris, Alec and the rest of the crew.

The eggs always fascinated me, what could the Darwinists be hatching? What kind of machinery would the clankers come up with next?

And what about Constantinople, would that be the key to everything?

It’s a young adult story, but it’s a fun one… even for those of us who are old souls and a little bit of a curmudgeon.

Thanks RO!!

TaTa for Now,
Amanda Ellen

Book 2 from the 2014 Booklist: Don’t Scream by Wendy Corsi Staub

March 7th, 2015

Finished: January 15, 2014
Don’t Scream by Wendy Corsi

Don’t Tell A Soul. . .

In a remote, heavily wooded area near the Berkshires of Massachusetts, Rachel Lorant died on her birthday. But she didn’t die alone. That night, her four sorority sisters make a solemn, trembling pledge. They will never reveal what has just happened in those woods – ever. Instead, they will take their terrible secret to their graves.

Don’t Think About The Past. . .

Now, ten years later, their secret is coming back to haunt them as each receives a card in the mail from Rachel: “Happy Birthday to Me. xoxo R.” It’s clear that someone knows what happened that night. Someone is stalking them and sending mysterious, chilling gifts that only they can understand – deadly warnings of what is to come. For the sins of the past have come back with a vengeance, and a killer will see that they all pay in blood.

And Whatever You Do – Don’t Scream. . .

Brynn Costello has never felt such pure fear. She didn’t want any part in what happened so long ago, but now, the mother of two will do anything to stay alive and protect her family – even if it means matching wits with a killer she can’t see…a twisted psychopath who is closer than she thinks and who is saving her death for last.

I admit, I took horrible notes on this book, and my memory fails me slightly on the ending…
but do I remember some of the important parts.

This was an Audible sale book, and I remember when I read the above description that it was kind of a “I know What You Did Last Summer” type of thing.
Which is of course why I bought it… I was hoping it would be good and be a slasher type as well.

It did not disappoint, I was very pleased with the twist and turns this author threw at me, and I even have it on my books I will reread… because some of the scenes… the birthday party.. oh my!

HAHA, I really suggest that you grab this book if you want a little mystery, a little betrayal, and a whole lot of messed up…

It was a very good book.

TaTa for Now,
Amanda Ellen

Book 1 from the 2014 Book list: Doctor Sleep: A Novel by Stephen King

March 7th, 2015

Finished: January 8, 2014
Doctor Sleep: A Novel by Stephen King

On highways across America, a tribe of people called The True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless – mostly old, lots of polyester, and married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and spunky 12-year-old Abra Stone learns, The True Knot are quasi-immortal, living off the “steam” that children with the “shining” produce when they are slowly tortured to death.

Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father’s legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a job at a nursing home where his remnant “shining” power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes “Doctor Sleep.”

Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan’s own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra’s soul and survival.

Wow, this book. I loved the Shining. I was over joyed when I found out there was another installment.

This was not what I was expecting, but I was not unpleasantly surprised. Little Danny is all grown up, and helping someone else with “The Shine”. šŸ™‚

The True are really weird, and seriously creepy… but a good antagonist for this King book. I really think the Shining was probably better, but that’s because the eeriness and the ambience of the book was totally different, almost darker.

Dr. Sleep was a little less dark, but no means light hearted, I mean this is Stephen King after all.

I think if you can stomach The Shining, then Dr. Sleep is a logical next step, and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

TaTa for Now,
Amanda Ellen

Dear God, I’m not Job!

February 3rd, 2014

*warning*
** This blog post is approximately 2,186 words or somewhere to close to 10 pages in MS Wordā€¦ read at your own risk**
I titled this post ā€œDear God, Iā€™m not Job!ā€ for a reason. Today I found out that I have yet another condition to contend with within my body. I have hypothyroidism.

Before I get into that, let me give those of you not familiar with JOB and/or the bible story a summaryā€¦

Job is the bee’s knees. Really. He’s blameless and upright, and he has kids, a wife, land, and a bunch of sheep. Doesn’t get much better than that. Up in the heavens, God brags to the divine assembly about Job. Lo and behold, Satan comes out and challenges God on Job’s goodness. This can’t end well.

Back to the story. Satan tells God that, sure, Job loves God now, but takes away his earthly possessions and his children, and he will dump God in a New York minute. God agrees to the challenge, and Satan unleashes a force that kills all of Job’s family except his wife, kills his servants, and reduces his homes to dust. Ouch.

But guess what? Job remains loyal. He refuses to denounce God. Take that, Satan. God gets to back to bragging and Satan sets up another challenge. This time, God lets Satan give Job a nasty rash, boils, and blisters all over his body.

Now Job becomes a much less happy camper. After all, he was loyal to God, and look what happened. He doesn’t renounce God, but he does insist that he deserves some kind of explanationā€”wouldn’t you want one? His buddies Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar have an answer: it’s his fault. Hmmm.

Job isn’t quite satisfied with that explanation. Just in the nick of time, Elihu pops in to tell Job that he may not have sinned, but he still has no right to question his fate. After all, God’s universe is still endowed with immortal power. Bottom line: suck it up.

After much fretting and many speeches, God finally shows up. Why? For a scolding. Where was Job on the day the universe was created? Where was Job when God was designing the architecture of the seas and the continents? Where was Job when God invented Arrested Development?

Needless to say, Job feels a little humbled and acknowledges that, as a mere mortal, he can’t possibly understand everything in an immortally ruled universe. Taking Elihu’s advice, Job goes back to his day job, and eventually God gives him double what he had at the outset. Job lives to a ripe old age, and both God and Satan fade into the shadows.

Anyways, so yeah, I feel like Job. Letā€™s start off with my dad, killed in a car crash in 1994. Ok, I sort have dealt with that, almost 20 years after the fact. Then mom remarriesā€¦ sounds fabulous doesnā€™t it? Except for that part where my life and family turns into a Jerry Springer show waiting to happen. My sister (step) loves the boys a little too much, and soon enough becomes a mommy before she graduates high school. Soon before the first baby was born, she was married to the babyā€™s father. Then almost a year later to the date, a 2nd baby comes along. I am 1 proud auntie! I love kids! I spoil them and love them and babysit for my sister all the time.
Then she divorces hubby #1, after he works his tail off to support her ā€œlifestyleā€ that she thinks she needs to live, because she found a new boyfriendā€¦ soon after that sheā€™s prego again. Baby #3!! Not complaining too much, once again I love kids!
Hubby #2 not that bright, but I can deal… I mean, heā€™s not my husband. So, thatā€™s where she is now, and sheā€™s happy, so more power to her.

Next we talk about my ā€œbrotherā€ (step). I use the term brother loosely because I really donā€™t like him, not in the least. He is a cracked out, thieving, low life excuse of a person. Heā€™s so far into drugs, he doesnā€™t know which way is up. Everyone has tried to help him, and he just doesnā€™t want to change. So, yeah, he breaks my step-dad (from here on out dad)ā€™s heart. All he wants is his 1 son to do something with his life and not die early from a drug over dose. This is not likely to happen, given the transaction over Christmasā€¦ thatā€™s a whole nother story in itself!

Anyways, I was a normal kid for the most part… I have had my medical and other types of issues along the way, but for the most part I have been pretty normal over the first 18 years of my life. I was a sickly child, always needing antibiotics, this procedure here, that doctor thereā€¦ but hey I made it. Anyways, so went through my life being pretty cool with thingsā€¦ until 2006, the New Year after my 18th birthday. Thatā€™s when things really just hit the fan.

So, I guess it was February when I started to show serious signs of what I now know as hydrocephalusā€¦ have a Webpage about that.
At the time no one knew what was wrong with me; I must have had the fluā€¦ for 2 monthsā€¦
Well, then my vision started to black out, I ran over lots of stuff and tore up 2 vehicles in the process. It is a wonder I did not seriously injure myself. So, yeah, that happened the 2nd semester of my senior year of high school. Then one of my favorite people dies in a tragic swimming accident. He was babysitting some kids; the little girl left her toy in the lake where they were swimming. He went to get it, got caught in a trot lineā€¦ and drowned. For those unfamiliar with a trot line, have this .
I finally was able to find out my real problem sometime in May of 2006. I was directed to a neurosurgeon; I had my first shunt system put in, and was out of the hospital the day of my high school graduation.

Next we move to August of that yearā€¦
Another of my friends, actually, I jokingly called him my ā€œfavorite mechanicā€ because he did his best to fix my vehicles when I ran over everything so I wouldnā€™t have to tell my mom. Well, he was killed in a car accident, less than a mile from my house and about 5-10 minutes before my mother and I came up on the scene. I was traumatized to say the least. My neighbor, had been the one driving, and he was unharmed. Both of his passengers had been thrown from the truck despite seatbelts. One boy ended up with a punctured lung and some broken ribs, and my ā€œfavorite mechanicā€ had died from a broken neck.

Then I decided that I was 18 almost 19, it was time for me to try this whole moving out thing. I moved in with my boyfriend then of 5 almost 6 years. We rented a house with his sister and her boyfriend. That couldā€™ve been my best and worst decision yet. Best because I got a full view of what I was getting into, worst because he beat the crap out of me before I left.

I was young and foolish, and accepted his marriage proposal without uttering a word to anyone about the abuse. I mean, I threatened him with a kitchen knife, and it wasnā€™t as bad as it had beenā€¦ but once I moved to Austin for my blind rehab program, I realized that things would never be the same between usā€¦ and I had to get out.

I took precautions when I ended things with him, like making sure all of the appropriate staff knew to not let anyone know I was there and if someone came asking for me to clear it with me before telling them where I was.

Then, hereā€™s where the story starts to turn aroundā€¦

I went a little crazy in Austin. I had something to prove to myself and I didā€¦ there were still men that wanted me despite my ā€œbrokennessā€ or disabilityā€¦

So, that abruptly ended when the boy I despised so much turned out to not be so bad after allā€¦.
Hereā€™s the full story of how Taylor and I became a coupleā€¦.
It was April 20, 2007 Taylor and I were not fans of each otherā€¦ him because I was dating multiple guys and having funā€¦ me because he was a grumpy, stuck up, ā€œbad boyā€ that just knew how to get under my skinā€¦ and I didnā€™t like it.
The 20th that year happened to fall on a weekend. That weekend, we both were going home to visit our familiesā€¦ Me to east Texas, him to the little town SW of Ft. Worthā€¦. Me on a Greyhound in the dead of night, him in a friendā€™s car. We both were due back on the 22ā€¦
So, on the 22 I come back via Greyhound, just for them to tell me that my luggage has been lost, and if I wait for the next bus coming in, it might be on it. So, I waitā€¦
Still no luggageā€¦
Maybe if I wait for this next bus it will be there, but that is like an hour from now. I realize I will most certainly die of boredom, and who do I call to keep me company at the bus station??

None other than Mr. Taylor ā€œElvisā€ himself. He grabs a cab and meets me at the bus station and we talk until the bus shows upā€¦ alas, my luggage isnā€™t on that bus either and the next bus wonā€™t be in until 5 or 6 in the morning and it is now 7 or 8 in the evening.

Taylor and I catch a cab back to our apartments because the Greyhound supervisor assures me that my luggage will be delivered to me the next day. So, we get lost on our way home. The cabbie dropped us off on a street or 2 away from our apartment complex and we are lost.

Somehow, we find our way back, and we get ready to settle in for bed. By this time I realize that ā€œHey, I kind of like this guyā€¦ maybe heā€™s not too bad after all.ā€ You know the usual girl hormones.

The next day, I am stuck at my apartment waiting for the Greyhound people to deliver my luggage, and Taylor waits with me in my apartmentā€¦ This is now April 23, 2007 and Taylor and I become an ā€œitemā€ that dayā€¦ and he we are, almost 7 years later still going! ļŠ

Now, that was my silver liningā€¦
So, I end up meeting people when I move to Cleburne with Taylor after our 4 month love affairā€¦.
I start college as soon as I move here anxious to do something!

Now, I have been through college a couple of times over. I have an associate of liberal arts, a certificate of basic management skills, a bachelor of business administration, and working on my Master of science (management and leadership)ā€¦.

Iā€™m on the job hunt but I just canā€™t seem to stay healthyā€¦ my health does its own thing, and most of the time that thing is act poorly.

So, I can handle the hydrocephalus most of the timeā€¦ now I have these weird non-fluid related headaches… fine, the neurologist I think has fixed thoseā€¦
Iā€™m also hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) which is probably because Iā€™m fat, but hey, Iā€™ve been told this has a good chance of being congenitalā€¦

So, I despite all of that, when Iā€™m properly medicated, I thought I was a pretty active personā€¦ or not???

Today I found out I have hypothyroidism, which means that my thyroid doesnā€™t put out as much of my hormones as it should.
Have this info from the Mayo Clinic.

Basically, it sounds like scary stuffā€¦
How would one get this you might ask?
Well, my prime suspect in the matter falls on my biological fatherā€™s mother. She has the same condition, and it is likely that I inherited this ā€œconditionā€.
So, I want to say thank you, to the woman who wants/wanted nothing to do with me once my father diedā€¦ thanks for giving me another pill to takeā€¦ a constant battle with my weight due to lack of hormones, and God only knows what else will happen as time goes on.

So, dear God, Iā€™m not Jobā€¦ you might already know this since I got real mad at you back in 2006ā€¦.

So, can I please have a break? I just want to have a normal semester and get through Graduate school relatively unscathedā€¦

Signed,
Me (Amanda Ellen)

Anyways, this is a basic run downā€¦
Iā€™m finding it extremely hard to not be bitter, when I really have the right to be.
So, thatā€™s all,
Thanks for reading if you made it this far!
-Amanda Ellen

P.S.
I wouldn’t change anything leading up to meeting Taylor, he means the world to me!
Sorry for the mushiness! šŸ™‚

My 2013 end of year post, or year in review.

January 8th, 2014

So, hereā€™s my end of the year post for 2013. Yes, itā€™s almost 2 weeks into January, but I just now have the time to sit and write.
2013, perhaps one of my best years medically speaking, in a while. Only 1 surgery, and it was really relatively minor. Of course I probably have seen more doctors this year, but I believe the headaches may have been sorted out. I quit smoking, that was good..
I graduated from college with my bachelors degree, that was pretty cool. I started my masters program, sort of cool, sort of self inflicted pain? Lol
Letā€™s see, Iā€™m still alive, I like that. ļŠ
2013 had its ups and downs, but all together, it wasnā€™t too bad. I read lots of good books this year, mainly the Dresden Files series and some book suggestions from RO .
I finished the 2013 booklist with a nice even number of 36, this averages out to 3 books a month. Not too bad given my current workload with my classes, but I’ll try to increase that number in 2014. šŸ™‚
So, on to my goals for 2014ā€¦
1. I want to lose weight, inches, or whatever to put myself at a healthier placeā€¦ I wonā€™t disclose my weight, but itā€™s not acceptable anymore.
2. I want to reteach myself to eat 3 meals a day, not just 1. I have somewhere along the way, forgotten that a body needs 3 meals a day at the leastā€¦ I want to get back to that.
3. I am reteaching myself braille. I learned it very briefly years ago, but forgot it since I never used it. I believe Iā€™m older, wiser, and able to give it more time this go around and am giving it a shot. Taylor will also be a huge help with that.
4. I want to find a job. I have 2 degrees, a certificate of management skills, and working on my 3rd degreeā€¦ I believe itā€™s time to be a productive citizen, and work for my money and pay taxes. Really I just want a routine, a reason to leave my house other than to get groceries or go to the doctor.
5. I want to be healthier, this probably ties in with the whole weight thing, but I donā€™t like visiting a whole slew of doctors every monthā€¦ I want to be healthy and cut those doctor visits down.

Ok, so thatā€™s my goals for 2014. Wonder if Iā€™ll be able to get any of them, some of them, or all of them accomplished?
Please feel free to share your goals for 2014ā€¦ I wonā€™t call them resolutions, because resolutions fail more often than they succeedā€¦ by calling them ā€œgoalsā€ I hope to give them a better chance. Now, I only need to get over this cold thing I have and I will and can start on goal number 1, the weight loss thingā€¦ excersise is first on my agenda to achieve that. Thanks to Taylor, I can track things because he bought me a scale that does weight and body fat percentage. This tool will make it easier to know if Iā€™m losing the fat.
Anyways, thatā€™s my end of the year post for 2013.
Hereā€™s to a productive 2014!
TaTa,
Amanda Ellen