#hope I’m not being dumb by hoping this is a new chance for Karen Page to return

[skullsandwhiteroses]

So I guess the world decided to celebrate my fifth anniversary of this madness by dropping the most explosive fandom news we’ve had in years, huh

[talltalesandbedtimestories]

A View To A Winchester (Part 7)

Series Page

Summary: Julie’s starting a new life after divorce in a home with a very nice view.

A Dean X OFC story. I got this idea staring out the view of my home office window and thinking how nice it would be to have Dean Winchester to ogle. Gotten pretty cute and fluffy, with some angst. I’m a few sections ahead now in my writing so the outline of the story is taking shape and smut is on the near horizon. This has been a fun escape during stay-at-home orders. Getting to know Dean through my heroine’s eyes has been a great writing exercise and therapeutic reduction in anxiety. There should be studies done on what staring at photos and video of Dean/Jensen does to the human body. (But the SPN fandom has probably done one already; if not, it could be the next big scientific breakthrough.)

Section Word Count:  3,385

Section Content: fluff, angst, R-rated language, drinking, Spice Girls references, Dean being Dean and turning ladies to puddles

Thank you to @deanwanddamons​ for reading some of the story so far. Appreciate it.

~~~~~

Dean had not returned the next day. But Julie was apparently on his mind. He’d texted her that morning with an update. Another job had dropped into his lap. One too good to pass up. He wasn’t sure how long he’d be gone. But he was looking forward to seeing her when he got back.

That was on a Monday. She filled that day with decisions about what to make for her “girl power get together” scheduled for the end of the week. There was also the necessary recuperation from overdoing it with the wine. She hadn’t been that hungover in a while. Bingeing on caffeine and “The Office” helped.

By Tuesday, she’d become ancy. Staying home was not going to work. If her mind was going to run around in circles, there would need to be something else to occupy it. Rifling through options landed on a trip to a nearby state park. She’d decided on one with a bit of a challenging hike. Composed of winding hills and trails near the Brandywine River, the nature reserve filled her senses, balancing the whirlwind of emotions. She spent close to an hour sitting beside the riverbed. A turbulent spot chosen where the white water rushed over boulders and splashed into a slight descent. The river’s frantic pace cancelled out the chirping of busy birds. A gauge nearby displayed a healthy amount of rain had occurred over the past few weeks.  

Even the intrusion into her personal space by a talkative, friendly dog walker didn’t bother her that much. The petite raven-haired woman, whose age was hard to pinpoint, made some chit chat while Julie trekked back to her car. Her name was Ina and she was new to Delaware. Currently, she was in search of a server job at a high-end restaurant where the tips would make it worth her time. “Any recommendations for decent food markets? Best place to order take-out, Thai being my favorite?” Ina’s chocolate lab, Cocoa, sniffed at Julie’s sneakers with abandon as questions were tossed in her general direction. Julie pet Cocoa, dodging some inquiries and rambling off information about places near her home. Cocoa got a few good scratches behind an ear before she wished Ina well settling into Pike Creek.

Wednesday ticked by even slower. Her fingers itched to text Dean. The basement had been the lucky recipient of her time and attention. A large amount of progress was made unpacking boxes, sorting out donations, and finding permanent spots in the house for decorative items. She broke down and reached out to her brother and sister-in-law, Patty, and face timed with her nephews later that night. 

By Thursday, she went over her mom’s house. They ended up going to the mall and then shopping for the food Julie needed for her Friday night get together. She was reminded by her mother to feed the ladies well, with various cooking tips. Dean was also a large part of her mother’s focus. Julie feigned as much non-interest on the Winchester topic as possible. But her mother knew her well enough. She was reminded upon leaving to feed him the lasagna in the freezer soon.

Karen, Stacey, and Cat benefitted from a substantial number of Julie’s hours in the kitchen that Friday night. She’d attempted chicken parmesan, one of her mom’s signature dishes. Sauce had simmered on the stove for a couple hours - not as long as Brigida’s, but not bad. They were on the second bottle of red wine, having moved out of the dining room and into the living room. Cat, sensible and responsible as usual, was abstaining and had driven the other former college roommates over to Julie’s house.

Streaming radio played. They ended up singing along to “Holler” by The Spice Girls, sans Ginger. Julie had always been eager to take Posh’s lines, mainly because hers were few and far between. But, Karen, with her mocha colored skin, coiffed haircut, and pencil-thin skirt wrapping a pencil-thin body truly embodied the word posh. In spite of all that, Karen tapped away on her cell phone while covering Scary’s verses.

Julie had always admired Karen’s drive and dedication. She even hoped to get the divorce thing down as well as Karen. Her two teenage boys were spending the weekend at the Ex’s. She was heading up to New York by train to see her wealthy lawyer boyfriend Saturday morning. Karen made more money than “new man” did. She was a partner in a very successful law firm.  

Stacey always loved Baby Spice. She had the requisite long blonde hair and blue eyes and curvy figure. She also apparently loved babies, as she had birthed three of them in her fifteen years of wedded bliss. The youngest child was two and at home with the rest of the brood that night. Her somewhat sickeningly sweet hubby was great with the kids, she gushed. “He doesn’t think he’s babysitting when he spends time with them.” She nodded and pointed at all three women in succession. Her affinity for wine had not faltered either from their college days. Stacey’s lips are already way too loose when she’s sober. Her rouge stained mouth was downright slippery at present, wet with a good Cabernet Sauvignon.

“Lucky you.” Karen quipped. “My ex went to the mat to get shared custody. Yet, every time it’s ‘his’ weekend, there has to be an argument.” Karen’s love for air quotes hasn’t gone away. She smiled over at Cat. “You should have tried harder to seduce me, Kitty Kat. Would have saved me decades of dumb dick.”

Cat, who always seemed relegated to Sporty Spice by default, pushed black rimmed glasses up the bridge of her nose. Her blue eyes crinkled behind the frames. “It wouldn’t have stuck, Kar.” She dipped and sipped at her soda. Sharp angles of her brown bob curtained a pale face. Stubby fingers with short nails - that she probably still bites - flicked the hair back. “Besides, I wouldn’t be happily domesticated with Sheila now. And you hate dogs. I have two, remember? Big ones.” Cat turned to Julie. “What about you, Jules?”

Julie’s eyes widened behind her own glasses. “Are you offering to try and seduce me, Cat?”

Karen and Stacey laughed. Cat blushed. “No, smartass. Are you going to get a pet to keep you company?”

Julie shook her head. “Don’t think so.” She was taking it easier on the wine than the other two, still milking her second serving. There would be no hangover repeat.

“Well, a man, then?” Karen asked.

Stacey guffawed. “It’s only been a few months. Give the woman a chance to grieve.”

“Grieve over what? A shitload of baggage she never checked on the flight.” Karen shot back.

Cat rolled her eyes. “Here they go,” she mumbled.

Julie cleared her throat. All three turned to stare in her direction. “There is… someone.”

Karen slapped her thigh. “That’s my girl!”

“Already?” Stacey’s lids blinked in rapid succession.

Cat waved a hand at Stacey to hush, looking at Julie the whole time. “Details.”

Julie began the very lengthy tale that was Dean Winchester. When she was done, she was met with mixed reactions from the trio.

“He’s been stalking you?” Karen’s brow furrowed.

“He’s a bounty hunter?” Stacey added her concern.

“What’s his name again?” Cat pulled her tablet out of the huge purse by her feet. She was a communications manager at a large non-profit and social media was her specialty.

Julie shifted in her seat. “Dean Winchester.” Defense mode shot up. “To be fair, it’s not like I was innocent in the whole stalking thing, either.”

“Yeah, but you didn’t go much beyond some Googling, right? He got downright illegal in his activity.” Karen shook her head.

“Hm.” Cat frowned. “You said he’s around our age?”

Julie nodded. “43, he said.”

Stacey wagged a sluggish finger. “Hey, we’re 40. Don’t age us all prematurely. Nature’s doing a fine job of that without any additional assistance.” Stacey’s starting to slur. May have to cut her off soon.

Cat ignored Stacey, swiping and typing. “I’m not coming up with anyone around that age with that name. Weird.”

“Why’s that weird?” Stacey asked.

“Everyone has a digital footprint. Something can be found on anyone pretty quickly. Even if it’s the smallest, inconsequential bit of data. But, to find nothing…”

Julie shrugged. “Maybe he’s good at covering his tracks.”

“Even more reason to be wary of this guy, Jules.” Karen attempted a maternal look. “He sounds like the epitome of a bad boy. Come on, a vintage muscle car? You’re a sucker for that type. We were study partners working on our Minors in Psychology together, remember? Think about it. Ten years with a man you thought was a good partner and reliable, only to have that rug ripped out from under you? I’d be searching for the exact opposite, too, faster than you could say peanut butter sundae.” No wonder she makes the big bucks. She presents a damn good argument.

“Karen’s right.” Stacey tried to sound soothing. “You’re in a very vulnerable state right now. Hormones are probably all over the place. Any guy with ill intentions could take advantage of that.”

Julie raised a brow. “If you saw this man in person, Stace… trust me, you’d be all aboard the Dean Train. Remember Gavin Teller?” Julie leaned forward for emphasis.

“Yeah?” Stacey squeaked out the question. 

“Imagine Gavin having aged to perfection, like that fine wine you enjoy so much.” She pointed at Stacey’s glass. “Now, square that. You get Dean Winchester.”

“We all remember Gavin in his heyday.” Karen let out a low-key whistle. “Damn. I may have to reconsider my opening statement.” Her original career path of a prosecutor fell by the wayside midway through her college career. An enticing salary that could be earned helping clients buy and sell publicly traded companies won out.

Stacey shushed Karen. “College quarterbacks don’t turn into bounty hunters.”

Cat raised both hands in the air. “That is an opinion, not fact. And a totally ridiculous leap. Besides, Gavin Teller sells cars at his dad’s dealership now, is bald, and has a pot belly. His local TV spots are downright cringeworthy. Such a pain in the ass when his company sponsored one of our events. Wanted his cheesy grin inserted in so many media posts. How is that better than being a badass bounty hunter?”

Julie smiled at the tension and exchanged a knowing glance with Karen. They had long suspected there’d been some sexual experimentation between Cat and Stacey around college graduation. It had centered around a night of lemon drop body shots.  

Stacey tilted her nose up. “He was always nice to me.”

“That’s because he liked how you looked in that cheerleading skirt, Stace. I know I did. But, really, Julie… you should be careful.” Cat repeated the other’s concern.

The doorbell chimed. Stacey gasped and Karen’s posture stiffened. Cat returned the tablet to her purse. 

“Did you order more food?” Nervous laughter from the ladies followed Cat’s question.

Julie shook her head. She looked at her watch. It was not quite 7:30 pm. Seconds later her phone buzzed. She tapped at the screen to view the text.

Knock, knock

“Oh, shit.” Julie whispered.

“What?” Karen placed her wine glass atop a coaster on the coffee table. Even in high alert, the woman has good etiquette.

“It’s him.”

Stacey cupped a hand over her mouth.

“Dean Winchester?” Cat asked.

“Yeah.”

“Why’s he coming by unannounced?” Karen was in full-blown fact-finding mode.

Julie wrinkled up her nose. “I may have told him to stop by when he got back.”

“How desperate are you?” Stacey scolded.

“Stacey…” Julie sighed.

Karen raised two hands in the air with a smile on her face. “This is great.”

“Why?” Cat asked.

“So we can all get held hostage by Julie’s lady killer?” Stacey’s voice got higher with each word.

“We can vet him.”

“Vet him?” Julie groaned.

“Yep.” Julie had seen that stern nod from Karen countless times. “If he seems like a creep, you’re done with him. I’ll call in a favor to get a court order issued if need be.”

Stacey nodded. “Yeah. Between the three of us, we’ll be able to give you a decent character profile. And Cat’s not affected at all by men…”

Cat slapped both palms on her thighs.

Karen waved Julie to the door. “Hurry up and open it.”

“This is a horrible nightmare,” Julie mumbled. Her stomach was doing somersaults. What the hell will Dean think? What will the girls do?

“Your phone’s buzzing again.” Cat commented. “Anxious little bugger, isn’t he? What did you promise the man?”

Julie took a deep breath, her hand on the doorknob. The last rays of daylight sparkled through the etched glass. Maybe this is good. I may really need an objective opinion. After all, he’s probably not as irresistible as I’m making him out to be. Context.

When she opened the door, Dean greeted her with a full watt smile. “Hey there.” The two words slipped out slow. His hands held the cake box, fingers thrumming against the cardboard sides. “I was told to deliver this as soon as I got back.” His tongue darted out to the side for a quick lick of his bottom lip while he inspected her.

Damn. He was outfitted in a light grey, muscle-hugging t-shirt and faded blue jeans. Positively edible. Fuck context. She couldn’t stop the smile from spreading over her lips. This will be fun.

He stepped up into the entryway, not waiting for permission to enter. His hands offered Julie the box. She was careful to grab the box from the base. He glanced over her head and spotted the company in the living room. His eyes narrowed, tilting down to look into Julie’s eyes. “Sorry. Am I interrupting?” He whispered. “I saw the car parked out front when I drove into the neighborhood… didn’t recognize it…”

Julie arched a brow. “Were you worried for my safety? Or being nosy?”

He grinned. “A little of both.”

She nodded him into the living room. “Come meet some friends.”

He nodded in return and shuffled into the living room, hands stuffed in his pockets, shoulders back, a swirl of timid confidence. The ladies were all up from their seats. The tiny living room felt even smaller with the congregation and Dean’s frame occupying some of it. Julie’s slow steps gave her time to take in the reactions, hiding somewhat behind Dean’s impressive stature. In his wake, she picked apart his scent. The heady mix of leather, sweat, and grease was sharp and crazy intoxicating.

Stacey’s mouth hung open in slight disbelief. Karen fiddled with her hoop earrings and gave Dean the full top to bottom to top inspection. Cat’s eyes narrowed.

When Julie strolled up to Dean’s left, she saw his cautious smile preparing to melt the group. “Dean, these are some college friends of mine.” Julie rattled off their names in order. “Karen. Stacey. Catherine.”

Cat smiled over at Julie, appreciating the replacement of her nickname reserved only for select company.

And, then, Dean unleashed the smile that Julie was certain would topple their wall of uncertainty. He extended his hand and shook each one with the right amount of strength. “Pleasure to meet you, ladies. I didn’t think Julie had any friends.” He chuckled. “She doesn’t get many visitors.”

“And you’d know that because of all the spying you’ve been doing on our dear friend, I hear.” Karen was ready to knock him down a peg or two right out of the gate. But the look on her face betrayed the lackluster attempt at disapproval.

Dean’s eyes widened and he stared at Julie. “Have you been talking about me?”

Julie pursed her lips.

Dean shrugged, intense eyes still on Julie. “Well, if you appreciated beautiful ladies as much as I do, you’d understand.”

Stacey cleared her throat, Dean reddening her cheeks even more than the red wine had. She looked in desperate need of fanning. “Where’re you from, Dean?”

The question pulled his gaze from Julie. He smiled at Stacey again. “Kansas.”

Julie tilted her head, wondering if it was the truth.

“Long way from Kansas.” Cat added.

“Well, I’ve been all over the country.”

The three nodded in unison. Karen asked, “Have you gotten a tour of Julie’s house yet, Dean?”

Julie’s eyes zeroed in on Karen with laser focus.

Dean licked his top lip. Julie caught Stacey and Karen taking particular notice of that sexy tick of his. Not the only one at the mercy of those physical attributes, am I, Ladies?  “Um, no. This is the first time I’ve been allowed entrance into Julie’s compound, actually.” He pointed to the sliding door. “I’m usually relegated to outside chores.”

“Uh-” Julie started.

“We were getting ready to take a look around,” Stacey interjected. “Jules, why don’t we get the full narrated tour with Dean, here?”

Julie could feel her cheeks blushing.

“Oh, that’s…” He laughed, protesting with a shake of his head, “that’s okay. I’ll leave you ladies to your night. I was only dropping off this cake.” He pointed to the box Julie was still holding. “Still pretty damn tasty after a week.” He grinned at her. “I snuck another slice before bringing it back.” He rubbed a hand on his thigh. “It was nice meeting all of you.”

The three nodded again in unison. As Dean turned their gazes all dropped to stare at his ass. Julie stifled a giggle and pushed the box into Stacey’s hands. She met Dean at the door. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled.

He bent close to her ear and whispered, “You’ll have to let me know if I passed the test later,” waited a beat, straightened his posture, then ended with, “Jules.”

The light spilling in through the front door glass lit up his eyes a crystal green. “You’ve already passed mine.” She whispered back.

“Good.” He grinned.

“What are you doing tomorrow night?” she asked.

His tongue peeked out only a sliver between his lips, revving up the grin even more. “Guess that depends on you.”

“Come over around 8:00.”

He tilted his head. “Is that a request or an order?”

She ignored the question. “Make sure you eat dinner ahead of time. Cause I’m not making any.”

Surprise mixed with amusement on his face. He glanced into the living room. The ladies were seated now, talking amongst themselves, but still staring at the pair. His gaze heated her back up when it returned. “Want me fueled up for any tasks in particular?” Julie shrugged in response. “Hm. Any other commands?”

“Just don’t disappear tomorrow.”

He nodded. “Yes, Ma’am.”

She sighed. “Don’t call me Ma’am.”

His eyes narrowed. “Kind of sexy when you’re bossy.”

She laughed, blushing again.

“And when you’re blushing.” He opened the door for himself, waved a hand to the women and then mouthed “See you tomorrow night” to Julie.

As soon as the door shut, Stacey called out, “I take back everything I said earlier.”

Karen added, “If you get kidnapped, give him my address so he can swing by and grab me, too.”

Julie giggled, walking over to the group. “Seriously, what did you think?”

Stacey’s eyes bugged out. “Oh my god! He’s gorgeous and knows how to use it. That’s dangerous on a ton of levels. But I don’t think he’s a crazy psycho.” Stacey fanned herself. “My husband’s in for it when I get home.”

Karen nodded. “Oh, he’s totally trouble and you’re in for an amazing ride. But, in this case, it’s not the destination but the journey. The journey all over that fine man, of which explicit details will be mandatory. Plus, he didn’t go for the bait to inspect your house. I think an under the radar creep would have been all for that.” She pointed at Julie. “But, we still get a tour as your oldies and besties.”

“Of course.” Julie turned to Cat. “What about you?”

Cat shrugged. “He seems alright. I still think he’s got stuff to hide, though. I’m going to do some serious digging.”

Julie frowned.

“Just looking out for you,” Cat added. “But he did have a really nice ass.”

Part 8

Series Page

[survivorpacificislandallstars]

Ep. 4 - “I need a moment to scream” - Van (Pt. 1)

Well Rhea just made the dumbest move of the game she could possibly make, now if we lose again her and I are getting picked off 1 by 1, I hope there's a swap or I go to exile again or all hope is lost!!

Let's also get one thing straight. I know idol clues (or idols) are given out at exile. So that means we have either Gage or David who could potentially have an idol now. (Cause why only send one (dull) ) Plus on top of that, we saw Nicky submit the score to the tag. So we're on to whatever redemption yurei evilness you have going on. This needs to NOT HAPPEN. All stars needs to be easy and smooth for me but no, so far (even though it hasn't effected me) this game has been ugly as anything and it's day 7. If Gage does have the idol, I'm hoping he'll tell me. As much as I want this thing with me, Gage and Stevie to work. I need Gage to trust me more than he trusts Stevie. I want to be everyone's number one even if they don't realize it. So far I'm thinking I have no enemies. But that's only if we stay on these tribes. I'm just praying that if we do swap I end up with people who will want me here like Jordan or Jay. Or queen icon Samantha Bussy. She'd hopefully want to play with me. Just keep me as far as you can away from steffen. And that's not like an "omg please don't lol" that's a "if end up on a tribe with him I will go home." That's a fact.

This swap is so good I get to stay with Stevie and Andrew, im with Sam, Karen is here, Chrissa is the easy first boot if we lose. ALSO my dad Dan is here whew i hope we can talk when he gets on. I hope we never go to tribal but realistically we will

so this is a good swap hoping that i am not voted out here, because honestly most these people are great I love Dan and David robb and i am glad for katie and sam still being here karen is bae i am ready

I'm on some new tribe now, I won't even bother learning its name because I'm gonna be swapped to another one in a few rounds probably. But it's cute I guess. We have some crazy Kyaal people which is unfortunate but if they try pulling that rock bs over here they have another thing coming. Ashley poured some major tea. She spilled the beans on the majority alliance, I already forget who but I do remember that it contains Karen so it might as well be cancelled right now. Rhea apparently flipped on Jose (rip the king) but Rhea feels super bad about it and Rhea is an angel just by the way. So now Ashley has invited me to an alliance which I'm somehow included in containing: me, her, Rhea, Ash, Billy. If I had to pick one problem with it, besides the fact that like, I literally just got onto this tribe, it's that this alliance seems like it's full of people who trust Ashley and won't fuck her over. Which is um...cool, if you're Ashley. If you're not, um, there are definitely better options. But like was I supposed to say like "no I don't want to be in your dumb alliance??" And then get my ass kicked????????????? Well this is definitely a pickle of a situation. I'm not gonna plan too ahead, but...... Things aren't well and swell over here, that's for sure.

Tribe swaps are often times sort of awful but this isn't actually bad. At all. I have both Gage and Billy which is honestly a blessing in itself. But I got to keep Van and I have Ashley and Steffen who I'm also quite fond of and somehow Ashley has pull down me into an alliance already so I'm psyched tbh

oh my goodness Jose left and that was really sad. All he was doing was protecting his friend Ashley and that was so sweet and honestly he's the hero we don't deserve. Billy and Jose didn't even get a chance to reunite and so that's sad too, but maybe with Jose leaving it'll help Billy get targeted less so it'll be okay in the long run. ALSO I LEARNED TEA THAT I CAN'T TALK TO ANYONE ABOUT SO I'M FORCED TO TALK TO MYSELF IN THIS CHAT LIKE A CRAZY PERSON. Basically Mitch had an idol clue during the Daydream stage, but during the Izu stage it changed. Now Mitch hasn't played in Daydream or Izu so he doesn't realize what's happening, but when Izu became the featured season, the idol became "izu-style" where there's a grid you have to guess at. I LOVE IT BUT I CAN'T TALK TO ANYONE ABOUT IT AND TELL ANYONE TEA AND IT MAKES ME SAD. Anyway this means that the crazy Rakiura merry-go-round idols are coming soon and fuck that means things are about to get crazier than they already are. I also hope people are forced to do logic puzzles for the hawaii stage, but it'll probably just be the scavenger hunt. What Mitch NEEDS to do is align with someone in Izu so they can guess for the idol together, and FIND OUT THE DAMN TEA. Like does Mitch realize that he only has until the Rakiura section starts to find the idol and he hasn't thought of sharing the page with anyone yet?! He literally calculated that it takes 16 days to guess every spot and hasn't shared it. THERE WAS A REASON NO ONE FOUND IDOLS IN IZU PEOPLE. Though shoutout to Montison for clarifying how the grid works/coordinates so maybe things can actually be found this time. ;)

FUCK I AM SO SHOOK AGAIN. I noticed a certain air of familiarity with the "updated blog" and then I was reminiscing on the Izu blog page and realized THEY WERE THE SAME. (God I hate that blank white space at the top of the blog, it made me so paranoid when I was searching for idols and I kept HOVERING OVER IT) Then I looked back at the Daydream blog and was like OMG IT'S MATCHING EACH SEASON!! Anyway I think these twists are giving the long-time PI regulars a certain advantage and I'm all here for it. Like no offense to Niue, but I never played with you and so yeah I want you all to lose this season. I just hope the other returnees are noticing this too! like they obviously probably don't know about the idol because I don't think they've gone to Exile yet, but maybe they saw something funny with the blog page?? I hope they figure it out soon if they haven't already!

You know, my password is a little long for my 3rd confessional of the night. ANYWAYS I was on call with Jordan and he pointed out that he thinks I did really well on this challenge in Izu. I couldn't remember, but I do remember liking it. Jordan looked up our scores in the tag and I BEAT HIM. I AM SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW. Like I was such a newbie and I still managed to beat him and it was my proudest moment then and it's my proudest moment now. Also I told him what I was confessing about just now and now he's gonna try beating me and I'm not here for it!!

Me trying to show my children that backstabbing is fun: blob:http://imgur.com/c9f0bddb-39be-49a1-8b58-2d23e87bcc0d

[kellyinboston]

WHAT Wednesday

Sorry for being inconsistent with this blog lately, I am still trying to adjust and figure out my new schedule and my new job is keeping me very busy. We will figure it out, don't worry!

Since we last spoke life has pretty much been the same. Not a lot to report. But isn't that life!

WHAT am I reading?

Still reading Chronicles of Narnia, on page 181 (23% of the way through) and I am enjoying it. I am on the "second book" of five, which is called "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" - so probably the most well-known book of the series, but I actually liked the first book better. I still like this one, but "The Magician's Nephew" (first book) I enjoyed a bit more.

Also, when it rains it pours people. I have 3 books ready at the library. All of which have people in the queue, so when I check them out I have 3 weeks to read them - no renewing them. I can do this and I will do this. This will be my greatest accomplishment. I am actually flying a lot in the next week and a half so I will have a lot of time to read on the plane. Wish me luck!

The books are:

 Columbine by Dave Cullen (published in 2010), description:

"The tragedies keep coming. As we reel from the latest horror . . . " So begins a new epilogue, illustrating how Columbine became the template for nearly two decades of "spectacle murders." It is a false script, seized upon by a generation of new killers. In the wake of Newtown, Aurora, and Virginia Tech, the imperative to understand the crime that sparked this plague grows more urgent every year. What really happened April 20, 1999? The horror left an indelible stamp on the American psyche, but most of what we "know" is wrong. It wasn't about jocks, Goths, or the Trench Coat Mafia. Dave Cullen was one of the first reporters on scene, and spent ten years on this book-widely recognized as the definitive account. With a keen investigative eye and psychological acumen, he draws on mountains of evidence, insight from the world's leading forensic psychologists, and the killers' own words and drawings-several reproduced in a new appendix. Cullen paints raw portraits of two polar opposite killers. They contrast starkly with the flashes of resilience and redemption among the survivors.

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond (published 2016), description:

In this brilliant, heartbreaking book, Matthew Desmond takes us into the poorest neighborhoods of Milwaukee to tell the story of eight families on the edge. Arleen is a single mother trying to raise her two sons on the $20 a month she has left after paying for their rundown apartment. Scott is a gentle nurse consumed by a heroin addiction. Lamar, a man with no legs and a neighborhood full of boys to look after, tries to work his way out of debt. Vanetta participates in a botched stickup after her hours are cut. All are spending almost everything they have on rent, and all have fallen behind. The fates of these families are in the hands of two landlords: Sherrena Tarver, a former schoolteacher turned inner-city entrepreneur, and Tobin Charney, who runs one of the worst trailer parks in Milwaukee. They loathe some of their tenants and are fond of others, but as Sherrena puts it, “Love don’t pay the bills.” She moves to evict Arleen and her boys a few days before Christmas. Even in the most desolate areas of American cities, evictions used to be rare. But today, most poor renting families are spending more than half of their income on housing, and eviction has become ordinary, especially for single mothers. In vivid, intimate prose, Desmond provides a ground-level view of one of the most urgent issues facing America today. As we see families forced  into shelters, squalid apartments, or more dangerous neighborhoods, we bear witness to the human cost of America’s vast inequality—and to people’s determination and intelligence in the face of hardship.

Before the Fall by Noah Hawley (published 2016), description:

On a foggy summer night, eleven people--ten privileged, one down-on-his-luck painter--depart Martha's Vineyard on a private jet headed for New York. Sixteen minutes later, the unthinkable happens: the plane plunges into the ocean. The only survivors are Scott Burroughs--the painter--and a four-year-old boy, who is now the last remaining member of an immensely wealthy and powerful media mogul's family. With chapters weaving between the aftermath of the crash and the backstories of the passengers and crew members--including a Wall Street titan and his wife, a Texan-born party boy just in from London, a young woman questioning her path in life, and a career pilot--the mystery surrounding the tragedy heightens. As the passengers' intrigues unravel, odd coincidences point to a conspiracy. Was it merely by dumb chance that so many influential people perished? Or was something far more sinister at work? Events soon threaten to spiral out of control in an escalating storm of media outrage and accusations. And while Scott struggles to cope with fame that borders on notoriety, the authorities scramble to salvage the truth from the wreckage. Amid pulse-quickening suspense, the fragile relationship between Scott and the young boy glows at the heart of this stunning novel, raising questions of fate, human nature, and the inextricable ties that bind us together.

That was probably more than you wanted to know about books, but what else do you expect? I love books!

WHAT are we watching?

Still making our way through The Wire (again), a few episodes into season 2.

Family Feud has been on at 8pm on Channel 7 lately…so Neil and I will watch that. I like that show! But some of the questions they ask are a little disrespectful (for lack of a better word), for example, yesterday they said “we surveyed 100 people, name the top five places where you see boobs” – or something like that and I thought “well this is ridiculous” – so that kind of annoys me. I am no prude, but it is just stupid. Did I just talk about Family Feud for 5 minutes? I’m sorry!I am almost through season 1 of Parenthood, I enjoy it very much.

Watched the college football championship the other night (well I watch the first half and went to bed – Neil watched the whole thing) I am just happy Alabama didn’t win. I heard it was a good game!

WHAT am I looking forward to?

So I have a lot of trips on the horizon. (sorry Neil – he will be holding own the fort with the beast).

I leave for London on Saturday night for a work trip. I am in London for 2 days then go to Denmark for 4 days, so I am going Saturday-Saturday, so long trip. It will be super interesting and I am excited to learn a ton.

At the beginning of February Erin and I go to Nashville!

Then Terri, Melissa and I booked our girls trip the other night. We will be going at the end of March/beginning of April. We go on an annual girl trip but last year we were not able to go. We have been doing this for 8 years now (this year will be our 9th). We have been to the following:2009: San Francisco and Napa

2010 Denver

2011: Boston

2012: Florida

2013: San Francisco and Sonoma

2014: New York

2015: Chicago

2016: Nada

2017: GEORGIA (flying into Atlanta but going to Savannah and exploring the south!)

It is crazy to look back and see…how fun. I am so happy we do this, we hope to continue for as long as possible!

Now Neil and I need to book a trip together! He plans to join me on my next work trip.

WHAT is going on with Snoop?

We got some snow this past weekend and she loved it! She was more bouncy than usual.

 Elmer and Matilda are back in town (her corgi friends) and she is very happy about that. On Monday we walked with them after work and then they invited us up for some wine (wine for me, not Snoop!) and we hung out up there for like 1.5 hours, Snoop played with Elmer and Karen and Bob gave me wine and dinner – I think me and Snoop got the better end of the bargain! Personally, I am very happy they are back as well; Karen and Bob are great people!

Last night we went around the park with Charlie twice and they just played in the snow, fought over sticks (well Snoop did – she has stick aggression issues) and wore each other out.

WHAT are my goals for the next week?

Well, I will be traveling all next week, but I do have a couple things I want to get done before I leave.

I NEED to clean the floors. They are dirty. It is hard with this weather, but a good floor scrub is needed.

I want Neil to find a new place for our wireless router. I should probably remind him!

I would like to clean out the fridge/discard old stuff – but that may not happen…

Alright, that’s all I’ve got!

Thanks for reading!