I'm sure this will construed as "Un-American" on my part, but heck I'm all about confessing today:



I will not be watching the Presidential Debate tonight.



I'm sorry, I can't bring myself too. This election nonsense cannot end soon enough for me.



Now before anyone starts hurling insults my way, I will state upfront that yes, I do indeed vote. I've always believed strongly in voting. Maybe because it was just 80 years ago that the US decided that as a woman I wasn't too bubbleheaded to be allowed the privelege.



However I cannot tolerate politics and this election year in particular is enough to make my brain melt. Every year the mud-slinging gets worse. Call me old fashioned, but I'd like the candidates to actually talk about the issues as opposed to attacking each other's character. Tell me why you think you're the person for the job - not why the other fellow is a lying scumbag.



I made up my mind ages ago how I'm voting in November (and no I'm not disclosing it in this blog because I have no desire for hateful comments - and all sides are making hateful comments this year - grow up already). But here are some things I'd like to see the candidates spend their time addressing to the American public instead of 1) Where Bushy-boy was during his National Gaurd duty and/or 2) What Kerry really did in Vietnam:

1. Why did my boyfriend have to move 3000 miles to get a job - any job!
2. Exactly what are we going to do to combat rising Health Care costs?
3. How are my sister and brother-in-law going to send 2 kids to college?
4. Why is my younger sister overworked, underpaid, and constantly having to justify what she teaches if it isn't on some bull-shit standardized state test? (For the record - she teaches in Florida)
   
   
5. For that matter, why am I (as a librarian) the biggest supplier of books to my library?
6. Why can't the state of California run itself? (Although I know the answer already - the politicians!)
7. Why are there so many working poor in this country?
   
   

Now I know what you're thinking - Wendy watch the debates! Surely the candidates will answer you're questions.



Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha - I'm sorry, that's the best laugh I've had in ages. And for the record - I'll read all about the debate on the Internet tomorrow - the condensed version that gives me the highlights in easy digestable pieces as opposed to long-winded explainations by the candidates. Frankly I expect a lot of tap dancing on both of their parts.

Time again for Wendy's Football Picks From The Past Weekend.



This Monday I'd like to feature my bonehead call of the weekend. As my "Upset Special" I picked Cincinnati over Baltimore. I know, I have no idea what I was thinking. Maybe it was lack of oxygen to the brain - I spent part of my weekend sick with a sore throat.



I also put a massive dent in Trace by Patricia Cornwell and wrapped it up this morning. I have to say, I really enjoyed it. A vast improvement over the last two entries in the series. Our heroine, Kay Scarpetta, is back to working the autopsy table (she's a former medical examiner), and there is actually a mystery. The last couple of books dealt solely with character relationships with a mystery tossed in as an afterthought. Here, the mystery is the focus.



I will say that Cornwell continues the bad habit of leaving loose threads dangling, but as she tends to get to these in later books I haven't become terribly annoyed with the habit. I wouldn't be surprised in Kay finds herself back in Richmond, Virginia working more cases in future books. Pure speculation on my part - but a reasonable assumption I think.



Next up - another mystery. Body Double by Tess Gerritsen.

I must have done something right, because I've read two review books in a row that were just fabulous.



I wrapped up Come To Me by Lisa Cach this morning, and have been wondering ever since why this author is not a huge star. This is my third book by her - the third that has rated at least a B on my personal rating scale. I can only guess it's because she continues to take risks with her storylines, never settling down to be pigeonholed into one single sub genre.



Come To Me is the story of a succubus (a demon who brings erotic dreams to mortal men) who finds herself turned into a mortal woman to help our hero, a scarred prince hungry for revenge. Seems our heroine provided the wrong dream to the wrong man, which led to our hero living in exile and practicing black magic. Don't you just hate it when that happens?



Toss into this mix the fact that the story takes place in 15th century Transylvania - well it ain't your typical romance novel is it? And by typical I mean Regency Historical, Victorian England, contemporary comedy, romantic suspense, or even my personal favorite - a western.



Next on my list is the latest novel by Patricia Cornwell - Trace. I'm really looking forward to it, as I've heard the author returns to her forensic suspense roots. I've was keenly disappionted in the last two novels in the Kay Scarpetta suspense series, so I'm hoping that the rumors are true, and Trace will be a return to high form.

It's Monday so that means it's time for Wendy's Football Picks From The Past Weekend!



This past weekend my most excellent pick was:



Atlanta over St. Louis followed by picking the low spread on Oakland vs. Buffalo. Yes, I picked Oakland to win, but only because the Bills seem determined to squander what talent they do have. Why aren't we putting both whiney McGahee and Travis Henry on the field at the same time? And excuse me - but besides Takeo Spikes on defense - where the hell is the passion on that team?



My stupid pick of the weekend was going with a 7 point spread on the New Orleans vs. San Francisco game. Every year it usually sinks in around week 2 what a pointless endeavor it is to call any game New Orleans plays. Never has a team had more talent, but been so awful. I think they have the same issue the Bills have - no passion.



I don't even want to talk about the Red Sox vs. Yankees weekend series. Boston - why not just drive the Yankees to the World Series? You could loan them the team bus even!



In other news, I got my older sister turned on to the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. I normally like to recommend the gory stuff to her - but having recently given birth she seems sensitive to such plot lines right now. I hope she snaps out of it - I bought her a book at the Tess Gerritsen book signing I went to on Friday, plus I'm going to loan her the next installment in Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series....just as soon as I'm done with it.

So by now everyone has probably heard about the lovely incident at the Oakland A's/Texas Rangers game last night. Nice huh? Rule #1 in professional sports - Ignore Idiot Hecklers. Rule #2 for Women Everywhere - Get Out Of The Line Of Fire If You're Dumb Enough To Be Married To An Idiot Heckler.



I told my boyfriend that this is just further proof that women are really stupid when it comes to men. I'll admit it - we really are!



My boyfriend also sent me this article on the most notorious Players Vs. Fan fights in MLB history. My favorites? Ty Cobb of course. Arguably the greatest ball player of all time (and the greatest Tiger. Period). What a A-hole though. Geez. And wait until you read the Albert Belle account - priceless.



I finished up a totally fabulous book this morning, and just have to gush. Leave It To Cleavage by Wendy Wax is more of a cozy mystery about a woman finding herself than it is a romance - but it's being marketed as a romance, so there you go.



The heroine is a former beauty queen who discovers that her husband:

1. Likes to wear women's lingerie
2. Is having an affair with someone who likes French manicures
3. Has left her - and vanished off the face of the Earth
4. Has run her family's lingerie company into the ground.

So it's up to our heroine to:

1. Dust off her MBA degree and save the company before panic ensues
2. Find her no-good husband
3. Divorce his sorry butt
4. Survive her various charity obligations
5. And somehow get the snooping (and handsome!) police chief off her back.

Naturally we have a romance between the police chief and our heroine - but what works so well is the fact that the heroine has to resume control of her life. She's been coasting. She thought her marriage was fine. So in between sorting out the mess her husband dumped in her lap, she's also becoming a stronger, better person.

It doesn't hurt that I found this book very amusing in parts, and Wax's writing style is breezy and charming. With only her second book, Wax comes off like a seasoned veteran. Brava!

A very high B+ - and I could easily make an argument that it's a "keeper" (A!).

Since it's Monday (and I'm about as ready to work as the Hilton sisters), let's add a new feature to the blog shall we? I'm going to call it Wendy's Football Pick Of The Past Weekend. My boyfriend and I make the NFL season a bit more interesting by entering into the spirit of friendly competition by calling each game (using a point spread if we pick the same team). I totally kicked his ass this weekend (Ha!) and came out looking like a genius with this pick:



San Diego over Houston.



Yep - I actually picked the Chargers to win. My boyfriend's exact words were "What?!?!" followed closely by "relying a lot on LaDainian Tomlinson aren't you?" Ok, so yeah I was - but turned out Drew Brees had a good game too.



As this new feature evolves, you can also expect it to include the various bonehead calls I make - which this past week included me picking San Francisco over Atlanta. A close game, but still I should have known better.



In other non-sports related news - my new toys arrived this weekend. There's nothing like a TV upgrade to make life a little sweeter. We now have a 36" flat screen TV with a surround sound system. Of course, with no entertainment system, we've had to be a bit creative organizing all this new "stuff." All I can say is God bless Rubbermaid totes. I also got my beautiful new oak dining room set - which is so heavy I've declared that we cannot move anytime soon.



As far as reading, I finally put aside Summer By The Sea by Susan Wiggs. It's a fine enough book, but I just could not get into it. Also, the arrival of my Amazon order, coupled with new a patch of review books, were so enticing I opted to start something new. The lucky winner was Leave It To Cleavage by Wendy Wax. I know, I can't believe I'm reading something with that title either - but so far I'm enjoying it immensely. This coming from a girl who has never really gotten the romantic-comedy trend in the romance genre.

Being a Detroit Tigers fan takes a lot of hope (or denial depending on the season), and a lot of Mylanta. After losing to Kansas City today 5-26 (!) they came back for game 2 of the doubleheader and won 8-0.



God bless Alan Trammell - it's amazing he doesn't have an ulcer the size of Montana.



Just further proof that we need pitching. Heck, us and just about everybody else in the league.



In other updates - Hell is only experiencing mild flurries. The city posted 2 "Unauthorized Vehicles Will Be Towed" signs, but I have yet to see my "Staff Only" parking signs in back.



Oh well....