Amazon discontinued the ability to create images using their SiteStripe feature and in their infinite wisdom broke all previously created images on 12/31/23. Many blogs used this feature, including this one. Expect my archives to be a hot mess of broken book cover images until I can slowly comb through 20 years of archives to make corrections.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

My Dad Thinks I'm Cool

I need blog fodder. Unfortunately work has been kicking my ass the last couple of days, and I can't seem to put together a coherent post on one topic. So y'all are getting random thoughts, tid-bits and general silliness. I know, how did y'all get so lucky?

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First up, I've had three reviews posted over at TGTBTU within the last few days.

Clicking on the covers will take you to the full reviews.














A few things of note. The Substitute Bride by Elizabeth Lane is a sequel to last year's The Borrowed Bride.

I read In A Mother's Arms mostly because it had stories by Jillian Hart and Victoria Bylin, and also because I thought it was high-time I tried an inspirational romance. The Bylin story is emotionally magnificent, but readers have to be willing to wade through some "God-stuff" to get to the payoff. For that reason, I'm not sure how widely read it will be by the heathen secular masses.

I'm thinking of trademarking "God-stuff," in reference to inspirational romance books. As in, "How much God-stuff is in this story?" I think this is a perfectly reasonable question, but that could just be the way my mind works.

And because I tend to get a bit pissy defensive about my Harlequin reading, and because KristieJ was quick to point out that all the March HSR books had babies in them, I want to make sure everyone is aware of Someone Like Her by Janice Kay Johnson, an April HSR release.

No billionaires. No tycoons. No virgin secretaries. No mistresses. And no babies - secret or otherwise. Seriously. It's like the anti-Harlequin.

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What the 'eff is up with the lack of leftover Easter candy this year?! Frankly, the best part about Easter is going to the grocery store the Monday after and buying up leftover Cadbury Creme Eggs, Cadbury Mini Eggs and Robin Eggs for 50% off. But this year, and several trips to different grocery stores, have turned up absolutely nothing except a few leftover chocolate bunnies.

My running theory? The crappy-ass economy freaked out candy makers, and they distributed fewer quantities this year. Hence, no leftovers.

Bastards!

Either that or the So. Cal. grocery stores are conspiring against me. Doesn't matter really. I still don't have leftover Easter candy and that gives me a sad.

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Now, to explain the title of this post. Yes, gentle blog followers, my Dad reads my blog. This would probably be enough to freak out the typical mild-mannered librarian, but not I. I am "super" after all. No, it just means I try to keep my swearing to a minimum (hence the lack of F-bombing on the blog).

Dad told me over the weekend that he really liked my Opening Day baseball post. He thought it was funny. So funny that he made one of his coworkers read it.

Ahhhhh....

I love you too Daddy.

18 comments:

jmc said...

The leftover Easter candy disappeared from my grocery store FAST, too. I was looking forward to getting some of the orange-flavored creme eggs. But no.

Instead I had to make do with the homemade butter cream egg that my mom got me from one of the church ladies. I think there may be an entire stick of butter in there. And a whole box of 10X sugar.

Kristie said...

What do you think about the Tigers so far? I know it is still early, but the game today was WONDERFUL. They looked great... even the pitching! Of course, now my focus switches to my beloved Red Wings, but the Tigers are looking pretty good.

Big Sis said...

Dad always did like you best ;)

Seriously, about the candy. I went to Meijer on Saturday to pick up 2 small chocolate bunnies and some peeps. Nada. Seriously? Not even peeps? Y'all sold out of PEEPS!? But Rite-Aid saved the day with bunnies and neither the kids nor hubby really needed the peeps anyway (yuck).

Wendy said...

JMC: I saw those orange-flavored creme eggs, but didn't try any. And OMG - I think I might have slipped into a diabetic coma just reading about the homemade butter cream.

Kristie: When they show up, I think they look magnificent. When our pitching melts down? Ugh. I have today's game TiVo'ed.

Big Sis: Actually I think Dad likes Lil' Sis best. Says the neglected middle child ;)

OK - Peeps?!?! They were even out of Peeps?!?!?! It's official. It's a conspiracy.

Samanthadelayed said...

I went to Walgreens yesterday and they had quite a bit leftover Easter candy.. I got some Peeps and some Hershey's Kisses.

LoriK said...

The lack of left over Easter candy is not just a S. Cal thing. Here in DC the pickings got slim by the middle of last week and there were not good leftovers at all. nothing but the icky jellybeans.

You're Dad is totally right about you being cool.

I noticed, and was impressed by, the fact that you had 3 reviews up at TGTBTU. I put Someone Like Her on my TBR.

I would love it if people would start ranting inspirationals by how much "God stuff" there is. I'm willing to read at least some sweet stories, but my tolerance for overt "God stuff" is pretty low.

Bronwyn Parry said...

No billionaires. No tycoons. No virgin secretaries. No mistresses. And no babies - secret or otherwise. Try Kelly Hunter's books. None of the above - despite the horrendous titles they've given them in the US. "Bedded for Diamonds" (titled Priceless in the UK and Australia) is still available as an e-book, and her latest, with the God-awful inaccurate US title of The Maverick's Greek Island Mistress, is out there in print in May. They're published in the US under the Presents line, but are definitely not typical of that line.

(Disclaimer: Kelly is a friend of mine, but I don't go round pimping many of my friends' books. I pimp hers because she writes some of the best damn contemporaries out there in Harlequin land - great humour and dialogue with real characters and situations.)

Given your impeccable taste, I think you'd enjoy Kelly's books.

Alie said...

Aww that's sweet about your dad :) We have lots of Cadbury Creme eggs here in Canada, I can mail you some if you want ;) hehe.

joykenn said...

What is this discrimination against the US? Like Wendy and LoriK there were NO LEFTOVER Easter Candy. I did find one lone box of peeps but absolutely no chocolate (UMMM, CHOCOLATE, give me a moment here, I'm having an out of body experience.) There was fake straw left and some dye but what happened to the candy? I count on Halloween and Easter leftovers. Sigh! So none is So. Cal., none in DC and none in Chicago. How bout the south? They love them some candy in the south (after all moon pies and Dr. Pepper, need I say more).

Wendy said...

Samantha: I didn't hit Walgreens, and My Man suggested that I should have tried Big Lots. Alas, it's now Thursday, so I'm sure if they had leftovers, they're long gone now.

LoriK: Janice Kay Johnson has become my latest autobuy for the HSR line - although she's been writing for years and years. I know I've got some of her oldies buried in the TBR. Must. Unearth. Those.

The Hart story was pretty light on the God-stuff, and it was a nice, sweet story - but the Bylin was just heart-stopping. Unfortunately there was more God-stuff in that story, and in some instances I found it kind of intrusive.

Bronwyn: I do have excellent taste don't I? LOL I remember reading about Kelly Hunter's debut when it landed here in the US. Some other blog loved it? Smart Bitches? Dear Author? I didn't check it out at the time because....it's an HP. I know, I know. I'm really trying to broaden my HQ reading horizons and that includes HPs. Will definitely look her up. Thanks!

Alie: Nobody likes a tease.

I scored some Cadbury Creme Eggs right before Easter....it was the leftover mini eggs I was jonesin' for. And supplies were really limited this year it seems. I had a hard time finding them even before Easter.

Joy: Well it's obviously some sort of mass, wide-spread conspiracy. It's Thursday and I'm still depressed! LOL

I've got some blog followers in Florida. Maybe they'll chime in and give us the leftover Easter candy scoop in their areas.....

Liza said...

I found some peeps this morning, but no Cadbury mini-eggs and even the good jelly beans were gone.

azteclady said...

Of course your dad thinks you are cool--he's an intelligent man and you are cool, after all :wink:

Kee B. said...

Uh...I normally just lurk on this site and, of course, read all the books with good reviews, but I had to chime in on the candy theme. I live in West Texas, and I was noticing the same thing about the shortage. I went Sat afternoon to grab some goodies and was SHOCKED that the Dollar General was almost bare. In fact the checker thanked me for buying the last of it so he wouldn't have to move leftovers...like the day of Easter. There's something totally wrong about that.

Get this. I had to go CVS and they were still stocked to the rafters with candy waaayyyyy too expensive for anyone I know wanting to hoard candy in her panty drawer so her kids don't find it. Just sayin'.

P.S. Neglected middle children are the best grown-ups to know!

Barbara said...

LOL! Please, my kids polished off their candy faster than they could get the wrappers off. Gluttons.

I have to cut back, I've been pacing on too much weight lately. Yikes!

*as I drool over the Cadbury egg*

Wendy said...

Liza: I was shocked when my Big Sis commented that her local store was sold out of Peeps - before Easter! I didn't think that was possible.

Kee: This shortage of leftover Easter candy is serious business! It's bringing out the lurkers! Welcome, welcome long-time reader, first time commenter.

Drugstores don't tend to be on my candy hunting path, normally, because like you said - they tend to be pricier. So I didn't think to even hit Walgreens or CVS on Monday. I was desperate enough - I probably should have. Although happy day - I found one lone Cadbury Creme Egg in my pantry I had forgotten about! Yippeee! I'm going to savor that bad boy later today.

Barbara: My parents always gave us the best Easter baskets when I was a kid. I can't believe they stopped giving them to us. It's like they think that now we're all in our 30s, we can take care of ourselves on the Easter candy front. I think this post proves, that at least I cannot. Not with candy manufacturers and distributors conspiring against me.

LuLuBee said...

The candy thing seems to be a calendar issue. I think they put the candy out on the same date every year, and if Easter doesn't mosey along until late April, they're going to run out of even "leftovers" early.

What I noticed about the CVS here in DC is that they quit carrying the "quality" jelly beans (okay, Brachs is no Russell Stover -- love those Pectin Eggs -- but, still!). They carried some low cost crap -- Farley's, or something like that -- that had an icky mix of flavors (waaaaay too much white and pink), and were hard as a rock even in mid-March. I usually buy half a dozen bags of Brachs All Black jelly beans during the festive spring equinox season, but didn't even finish one bag of the Farleys. Fie on you, CVS.

Kate Diamond said...

I noticed the lack of Easter candy, too. I was hoping for some discount Cadbury Creme Eggs. Alas, no such luck.

Amy said...

Lol about the God-stuff. I review a lot of inspirational and general market and constantly feel as if I have to point out what might offend either readership. Lots of faith talk in this, or lots of sex in this one... ;)