Kim’s Comments (group member since Sep 17, 2008)

Kim’s comments from the Runs with scissors group.

Again, I cheating here as this a book due out in May, 2012 and I read the ARC of it. Set as a post apocalypse tale, the story follows a young woman and her friends in a Poe inspired tale. Again for the teen and up reader, adults will enjoy this book as well. Since I read a proof that was still un-edited, there may be some questions answered in the final book that I felt were not addressed in my copy.

I have to admit that as of the posting of this, the book is not out yet, so I am cheating a little here. I got to read an ARC of this teen book and the projected date of release is May,2012. The book skates on the edge of steampunk and is set in the 1880's, with a alternate history setting. Araby turns 18 and goes in search of answers as to who her father is and who she is as well. She has been told all her life that her father was a goblin and that since she has extra long feet and hands, that she may very well be part goblin herself.

A trip to the Skree where all peculiars are sent is in her plans, but what she finds out is another matter. Well done and a good read for adults too.

This is one of those books for grown ups that is written in the style of a well known kids series. The illustrations are just as good as the prose. I can see this book as first time parent gift to a really good friend or to those parent who have stars in their eyes and no flipping clue as to what they are in for.

"The Mirage" by Matt Ruff is one of of those books that will be the most talked about book by the end of the year once it catches on and it will. This is an alternate idea and history to 9/11 and it makes your brain crash, burn, re-group and do it again. It is really a thought provoking idea behind it and worth the time to read.

This question came to me last night after watching "Desperate Housewives" and the funeral on which it centered. (That's all I will say in case there are those of you who did not see it yet.) It got me to wondering, like I do after any funeral, just what do you think people would say about you and what final words you would want on your head stone, a few words that sum you up and your life. Words that would tell anyone who had never met you, the type of person you were.

I have thought about this and I would like to have a green burial, so there would be no headstone per say, but I think I would like my life summed up by Dr. Seuss. He said it best when he said, "“Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.”
I think that says it all.

Here I am once again, feeling lost but now and then...oops, sorry wrong show. Today I am another year older,and apparently not too much more the wiser. I am not finding myself as peppy as last year,perhaps because last year I was starting the new chapter in my life and was proving to myself that I could do things I never thought I could do, and now I am still doing the same and not getting any further ahead, not sure. I am sure that things HAVE to get better and I hope that will be soon.

On Leap Day, Kim Harrison, author of the Rachel Morgan urban fantasy books, came to a branch of my library system. Not only did she Q & A a question for me, we all got meet and greet with her. I too my omnibus of the first 3 books to be signed and got an early b-day prezzie from the boyfriend of the new book that just came out, so I got to have BOTH signed! Not only that, I and the boyfriend had our picture taken by Kim's husband and it is on her site, kimharrison.net, under events, look for the Cleveland appearance, or check out my profile page, and you can see it in my photo gallery.

Well, I am fine, the car is back and I have my check from the insurance company. My mechanic was able to fix it with no problem, and it turns out that it was mechanical failure and not driver error that caused my problem. My control arm (for those of you who don't speak car, that is what makes the wheel turn) broke. This is a very delicate part and a good pot hole can fracture one. My mechanic thinks this may be the case and that I must have hit ice or something causing just enough torque to snap it.

All in all, not a bad situation, and now I can make jokes. Saturday, I was shaking and crying throughout the day. I have never had been in or had an accident before. So, as a first time for everything moment, not a bad one.

So, I was not the cause of any problems, yay. I decided that I wanted a dress for the wedding and found one in a catalog that was on clearance. One size smaller than I normally wear, but I decided to chance it. Not only did it fit, it was too big and I am having it taken in as we speak. :)

I had a doctors appointment on Monday. All of my numbers are good. My weight did not change, but I am extremely fine with that. I figure I am a plateau right now and that is fine. I may go in the inches department for a while and gain more muscle. With the knee still healing, I am not as fast or doing as much as I would like, but I am still doing something. I will faster and I will get to my 3/4 mile goal when I get there. I am fine with that. I figure as long as I am not gaining weight, it's good.

I had my first car accident today. I am fine. The car,not so much. Not totaled, but not driveable either. I am shaken up and weather is the very utmost cause. Snow. I was going slowly and was on my way to the library. I turned the corner and car met curb. The right front tire is UNDER the car. See, when I break something, I don't go half-way.

I am reading the series now, and I highly recommend book 1 "Some Girls Bite". Interesting take on the vamp. legends.

The first of these 2 is a photo essay book with photos from the web blog site of the same name. HOO-BOY! And all it takes is 90 seconds.......


The other is a bed-time book for adults who are or have been around small children at bedtime. This is what you WANT to say to the kid. Go on youtube and look for the audio version. Samuel L. Jackson reads it. I had to bite my hand to keep from disturbing others at the library.

This is an historical fiction that fans of "Memoirs of a Geshia", "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" or those who love to read about the Shogun era of Japan. Then main character, Oie was real and her father was a very famous painter in Japan during this era. How the author stumbled upon this story is almost as interesting as the story itself. Told in first person, it is really well done.

I have got to stop watching day-time television and cable news channels. (I SO need a job!) I saw a story yesterday that lead to a discussion that had me going "What in the green Earth has gotten into people?!" Violent shopping incidents seem to be on the rise. Holiday shopping this year involved pepper spray, and fist fights. Over the last 2 days, there have been fights and a person was stabbed over a pair of SHOES! There was a brawl in the Mall of America over a supposed appearance of a rapper. In the 80's there were near riots over toys, people were trampled and there have been instances of this in recent years on Black Friday, with workers getting killed over THINGS for crying out loud.

Our society, it seems to me, is un-evolving. We are going back to our animal roots because we are spending too much time away from each other. We are social creatures at heart, but having 3,000 "friends" you've never met on Faceplant are not a replacement for face to face contact. The generations that are being raised now, have no concept of privacy. They tell all on their twits, hoots, and with "here I am" programs on their phones (way easier for stalkers to find you!) Big Brother has trained us to watch ourselves.

Businesses are not helping this situation by making it harder for customers to find a human to talk to, or see for help. Banks are charging for paper statements, seeing a teller, and other things to force you to use the computer which is cheaper for them, and removing you one more step away from a human being. More and more companies are creating more and more elaborate automated mazes for you to go through before you may talk to a human (the worst offender is the phone company). More stores referring you to on-line options, while you are in the brick and mortar store, again shoving you away from other humans.

Video games on our phones, and other devices fill time while with others,that used to be filled with conversation. (How many of you are guilty of texting, taking calls and other things while out with a friend or on a date?) Violent video games, with ratings that many parents ignore, are played by children with no business playing them, who then in turn, go out and commit unspeakable acts "just because." We are shocked by this and wonder how this could happen.

Adults and kids spend WAY too much time on computer screens. Even e-readers are no longer just e-readers, they have to do everything and then some now. The expert that was the discussion partner for the shoe story blamed the fact that we are on top of each other too much, with us clustered too closely. He did later blame stores for creating the "limited quantities rage" meaning that stores create the in demand culture we are seeing.

I think we have the power to control this. Protest when companies take away human contact. Speak politely to sales clerks at stores. Use your manners. Hang up your flipping phone when you are ordering food, coffee or in a restaurant. (Not every one wants to hear about your sex life!) When out with friends or on a date, turn off your phone or device (yes, they do turn off!) Protest automated mazes! (I curse at the ones that you talk to. Either they hang up on me, or put me through to a person because it can't understand me.) Be polite to the rep when you get one. Write a letter instead of an email. Put down the Kindle and pick up the real book, this will mean a trip to the big building full of books called a library, which will mean you will have to actually see other people. Do not use automated check outs. Use a person.

If we all band together, we can save ourselves.

I just wonder if it's worth it?

So, I am keeping up with my swimming last week and I will swim this week. Next week and the week after are a little sketchy due to the holiday and the special schedule that the Y will have to accommodate the winter school break. I will be baking after all, scaled back from normal, due to my wonderful cousin who sent me a modest check for Christmas with the instructions to "buy baking supplies or what ever else I want." Needless to say, I was in tears over this kind act. my cousins were either adults when I was born, or are younger than me by at least 2 years or more (depends on which side of the family, on my dad's, I'm the youngest grandchild, on my moms', the oldest) so this cousin (on my mom's side) and I have always been close since our personalities are similar. She has been out of work almost as long as I have and yet she did this wonderful thing. I am beyond grateful and yes a thank you note will be on it's way as soon as I buy it today. (I am one of the few people who still send/give the darn things it seems.)

So yesterday, I wanted to crawl under a rock and stay there. As you know, I am doing the flowers for my best friends wedding in June and her bridal gifts. I ran into one of her sisters yesterday, jokingly said that "Your sister (my friend) is driving me crazy.", to the sister with no sense of humor as I was to find out. Now my friend is hurt (not by me) and thinks her sisters will now back out of the wedding. I feel like dreck and only want to finish my part and not even go to the wedding now since I fell that I may have caused this by accident.

I need a muzzle.

I saw a snippet of this on Fox news over the weekend and it left me going, "What was this guy smoking?!" An N.Y. professor, George Guilani,has decided that "Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer" is tantamount to bullying and has re-written the tale making Rudolph more triumphant. (To see the entire story go to:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12...

It was mentioned on the telecast that this professor also felt that Rudolph is the wrong message for disabled children, telling them that they only matter if they do something extraordinary like Rudolph. What the fragnard?

This is so way far beyond to far that it's off the map! Several years ago,there was a movement to sanitize fairy tales and nursery rhymes due to violence and non P.C. images, never mind that the original versions were intended for adults and were considered morality tales and tales of caution. This is the next volley in an unwelcome arena. I am sick to the TEETH of people telling me what THEY feel is good for me, what I should read and what my children should read (or in my case, my charges and "nieces" and "nephew".) If you are a parent and don't want your child to read something, believe in something or what have you, fine. Leave me and mine out of it, for crying out loud!

Did you know that Rudolph is actually one of the most successful advertising campaigns in history?

"Tis true. Gene Autry recorded the song in 1949, after the book was created for Montgomery Ward in 1939 by Robert L. May. The song has been covered by many artists over the years, the t.v special spun off several sequels. Is Rudolph "bullied", yes he is. He is shunned for being different, but in the end, that difference is celebrated, not a hindrance.

I am sick to death of P.C.er's ruining the "Night Before Christmas" (Santa is an unhealthy weight, he smokes, wears fur and is breaking and entering) and other tales simply because they are too secular, too religious, not broad enough, too narrow, what have you. Believe what you want, but don't tell my kid there is no Santa, Jesus is the reason for the season (he was born in the summer!) or that Saturnalia was appropriated by the Christians due to convenience (it was,but that is not my point) ant so all of this is bunk or wrong, or whatever your personal take on it is.

At the base of this, this is just silly. Regardless of what you believe in, this time of year is set aside to think about being nice to each other (which should be all year long), giving to those who don't have much (see previous statement) and to just be with the ones we care about. Pulling apart a kids song is stupid, and this has gone to far. If we keep taking away everything that is for kids and putting an adult spin on it, how are our kids supposed to be kids?

I say that this is piffle,nonsense and that this guy needs a good, stiff thump in his eggnogs.

I have not felt very Holiday embracing for the last several years. Due to unemployment (remember, my job requires others to be working) and repeated applications for jobs not in my field (you want fries with that?) and other recent developments, the Holiday time is not joyous for me. Every year, I bake. I love to bake,and I typically make 6-7 different kinds of cookies and bar cookies, totaling around 100 dozen or so, that I give as gifts to the library staff (who put up with me everyday), the neighbors, friends and any family I may be working for. I have had to scale back each year for the last 4, and this year, I will not be able to bake at all. ( I may still try to make the one thing I make every year or my mechanic may not talk to me anymore).

So, depression is setting in, caring about anything is getting hard. When I am working, I give to charity all year long, donating to the Salvation Army, Cleveland City Mission, Susan G. Komen, and the Red Cross (since I cannot donate blood, I give money). I also give to food drives as they come up and put something in the red kettles every time I see one. (Yes, I do that now, although it's more like a dime instead of a dollar).

So, feeling like this, I am not caring if we even decorate the house or anything this year. I am not usually all that thrilled with this time of year due to the rampant greed (corporate and individual) that courses through young and old alike. I try my best to get the kids I watch to understand that charity is something that you need to do ALL year and not only at Christmas. I take the kids to a store like Big Lots!, the dollar store, or to a local discount store, Marc's and give them a budget of say $10.00 and have them spend it on things for Toys for Tots. Getting them to buy things for others can be hard, as they look to buy what they want. I try to get them to think about what they have to spend, and try to get as much as they can for their money as well as think about both genders, not just toys that their gender tends to like. Does this work? I don't know. I hope it does.

Last night, I watched "Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown" for the nth time. A special that is older than me can still make me feel good. I am Charlie Brown BEFORE the tree. I am Charlie who is talking to Linus while they are walking, the one who says that he is no happy despite everything going on. Sending cards ,decorating are all good and fine, but he is not happy. By the end, of course he is and everyone realizes the true meaning of the holiday is not presents, pageants, or light displays, but friends, family and sharing.

Nostalgia causes me to watch this every year, and no matter how "anti" holiday I am, I fell more seasonal after watching the show. Today, I'm not so sure how I feel. The sense of what ever I felt last night is not as strong as it was and I am not sure how I feel now. I know that this too shall pass and that things will get better (cliche much?) but WHEN is the key. Will I ever get back the feelings of hope, joy and love I used to feel at this time of year, or is it gone forever?

I have been lax in posting here since I have been taking on-line classes and trying to deal with some things that have cropped up. I am still swimming my mile and doing well.

2 weeks ago, I was swimming like normal, and another person was swimming as well, when a guy got in the pool and started walking in the pool. Now, this is a long held grievance of mine and I have voiced this to the Aquatics directors repeatedly, that the posted rules state that open lap swim is for swimming only and that exercises are to be done at the posted times. The policy seems to be more reactive than proactive. The life guards (according to them when I've asked) can only step in if the other swimmers complain. Otherwise the rule breakers are left alone. There are only 4 lanes in the pool and this can get crowded when this happens because and I quote, "we are trying to accommodate all swimmers."

Never mind that there are more openings per day for the exercisers than the swimmers.

So, there I am and here comes the walker, walking the WIDTH of the pool and INTO my lane while I AM SWIMMING IN IT! Right at him and he gives ME the stink eye because I'm in HIS way! Now mind you, he was also walking across the other swimmer as well and gave her the same look. There sits the lifeguard staring into space and not doing his job, which to me he should have stepped in without anyone having to say anything as this was blatant safety issue.

I did lodge a complaint, this time to someone higher up the chain of command, and the following week I found that they put in 1 lane rope (that's the kind you see the Olympics to separate the swimmers) so now the pool is divided into 2 halves to keep anyone from walking across like that again. For now at least. This will change. I expect by the first of the year, that this will go away and we will be back to square 1.

My Y is the only one near me that offers the open swim daily. The other 2 have classes or open exercise times during the day, so going to a different location is not an option. I do not see how this helps anyone if their safety is in question. I can't swim during an organized class, so why should they be able to exercise during my swim time?

GRRRRRR!

Sorry, had to vent.

I got the ARC of this book that is due out in Feb/2012. This is the first of a new series and it is good. She plays with real places but they are not what we think of as now.

The Brotherhood rules with and iron fist, witches are persecuted, and a secret society is working against them. Three sisters are trying to hide what they are, and the oldest, Cate, MUST decide to join the Sisters or marry. Period. Brotherhood rules.

I will not say any more because you just need to read this for yourself, but trust me, it's worth it!

I kinda read this yesterday. While I agree with the author that diabetes is a very real problem, I felt that the way he handled the subject was very poorly done. The author is a columnist and talks about his diagnosis and how he has handled it without needing drugs! His take is that he is smarter than doctors, the American Diabetes Association, and the drug companies. Be as that may, what he has done for himself may not work for everyone and I think this book should be read with a large dose of caution.