Redeemed.

So, I told you guys how I was going to file a claim with Half.com if I didn't get my Carrie fix.. Well, I still didn't get my Carrie fix. I filed a claim. Then I sent an email to that douchebag who didn't send my book telling her I filed a claim. And you know what?? She refunded my money. So inspite of her flakiness on my borderline obsessiveness about Carrie and the girls, the douchebag actually had some decency. Who'd a thunk it? On the upside, I just ordered "Save Karyn" by Karyn Bosnak a couple of days ago and can't wait to get my little fingers on that. So there.

Bitchiness and Drama?? I'm THERE.

Hubbs and I and 2 of our closest friends trekked down to the beach this past weekend for Hubbs' birthday. It was cold and rainy and there were a surprising number of people there. At first I was a little tiffed because I couldn't find my Monopoly game to take with us. Then I forgot my Scrabble game, because we all enjoy a good drunk Scrabble session. I took a puzzle, a couple of books, my Nintendo DS and my Chaucer homework with me in case I got bored. But aside from a little bit of reading ("Dirty Girls On Top" by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez, SOOO GOOD), I got hooked on my newest TV addiction... America's Next Top Model and The Bad Girls Club. Who knew? So much drama, so captivating. I'll conitue to watch these two rain or shine!

For the Love of Sex and the City..

I love Half.com. I shop there, I sell there, I lurk there. I am also, like, IN LOVE with Sex and the City. I have searched many a Borders Books and Barnes & Noble for this glorious book by Candace Bushnell. But alas, they do not carry it and I am cheap so I turned to Half.com. On February 4th, I placed my order. I think it was supposed to be coming from somewhere up north like Boston or New Jersey. Today is March 6th. This glorious book has yet to grace my mailbox. In a moment of Carrie Bradshaw awe, I asked myself, Will it ever arrive? I contacted the seller who claims to have "Already sent you an email because you asked for it fast, so I sent it first class." I say, Bullshit. I NEVER emailed her, nor did I ever ask her to "send it fast." As impatient as I am, I understand that when things are mailed it takes a few days. My estimated arrival date was between Feb. 14 and Feb. 26. So I sent her a reply back calling her bluff telling her that if I don't recieve it by the end of the month I will file a claim and request a full refund. She responds by saying that I don't need to result to threats and that she'll be glad to refund my money if I don't recieve the book and all she's doing is trying to make the world a better place by giving it books. I didn't threaten her; I followed Half.com protocol. If she slacked and forgot to mail it, fine. I understand. I slack too. If she totally misplaced my order, fine. I understand. I forget things too. But BE HONEST ABOUT IT. Don't try to jerk me around. I'm giving her til the end of this month, then I'm filing a claim and hope to get my money back. It's not about my $4.72 or the book, it's about principle. What is the world coming to when you can't get your Carrie fix?

Can we be honest for a minute?

Okay. This is gonna be a sort of weird post for me.. So deep breaths.. WOO SAAHH.

Okay. I'm not a real religious person. I mean, I'm from the South; I am a God-fearin' woman and all, but I don't practice my religion. I believe that there is a God and I believe in Him in my own way. I don't really know yet if I believe in a heaven or hell. I believe that some things are an act of God, or a miracle from the highest high. I believe that if He brings you to it, He'll bring you through it. And I believe that no more is placed on you than you can handle (ie: your cross to bear, so to speak). These are things I believe. I respect what you believe. And I never try to push my beliefs on anyone else. Everyone has the right to their own religion and their own beliefs. I don't appreciate the looks I get when asked about what I believe in. I don't chide you, so keep your clucking tongue to yourself.

That being said, I just read a very interesting book. Escape by Carolyn Jessop. It is her side of what really happens in a religious cult. More specifically, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and polygamy and Warren Jeffs. Now, I have no qualms with the Mormon church who, as I understand it (correct me if I'm wrong), banned polygamy, nor do I have beef with polygamists. If you want 10 wives because you think that will mark your importance in heaven with God, then hey buddy, go get yourself 10 wives. I'm cool with that. I don't believe in it, but I'm totally cool with that. I may think you're a little sick and are just seeking a "divine" outlet for your affair-ish ways, but whatever floats your boat. Who am I to judge you? What I'm not down with? Is brainwashing, child-brides, abuse (physical and emotional), and "keeping sweet". If you want your "wives" to obey you and be obedient, then it's your marriage and your right. As a more independent woman, I seriously doubt Hubbs could "keep me in line". We are equals. You, however, are treating your "wives" as second class citizens. As property, to be bought and sold as you see fit. And that? Is sooo not cool in my book. It's about as logical as the Ahab kamakaze pilots in WTFistan believing that if they die for Allah (whoever), they'll get a 100 virgins when they die. Come. On.

Our God is an awesome God, yes. I seriously doubt, though, that he preached that we should beat our women and children and keep them subservient at all times. That we should treat them as property and that they should have no rights. That they should share one man with 5 other women and be taught that water (water?!?) is the devil and they can't swim in it. That the color red is an abomination and that all their money should be turned over to their husband. That they should marry a man they have never met, who could be 30 years their senior, at the tender age of 18 (or younger!!). That the "outside world" is so awful. That going against their "priesthood head" (their husband/prophet) would result in them spending the next life in eternal damnation.

All I can say is... BULLSHIT. Our God is mysterious, but He is surely not a money-hungry heathen like Warren Jeffs. Warren Jeffs even proclaims to BE Jesus Christ! Didn't David Koresh try that one already? Warren Jeffs has a MySpace! Go ahead.. Look it up. I did, and I wrote him a nice little message saying that I hope he rots in E-Mortal hell for what he has put "his people" through, all because he's a power/money hungry bastard. Go on, send him your thoughts. This guy is a basket case.

I just simply can not and out right refuse to belief that a God so wonderful and merciful and boutiful as ours could "lead" people like Warren Jeffs into the corruptness that is his empire. I feel so sorry for the lost souls that follow him. For the poor, sweet, innocent children that are born into this and know no other life. For the officials getting flack about storming in and taking 400 and some odd children from the compound this year in Utah/Arizona, Kudos to you. These kids need to be away from sick individuals like Jeffs. Now I agree, that if this is their way of life and the way they practice their religion, and they ARE NOT HURTING ANYONE or BREAKING A LAW, then leave them be. But when they think they are above the law and marry kids off as young as 12 to men who are 60, that is just sick and somebody's ass better go to jail. It just absolutely disgusts me. I feel strongly that government officials acted just in time for it not to be another Waco fiasco, but will it make a difference? Jeffs has appointed a pro-temp leader to take his place while he's in the slammer. The abuse is still going on. Carolyn Jessop was Merril Jessop's 4th wife. She has 8 kids. Merril Jessop now has close to 20 wives and probably close to 60 kids. Warren Jeffs is in prison and proud of the fact that he was on the FBI's 10 most wanted list. These people are a joke.

It saddens me that there are individuals in this country that exploit the name of the Lord for their own benefit and drag thousands of innocent people down with them in the process. It saddens me that there are more religious cults in this country with far more bizarre tales, and some of them will die for what they so eagerly believe. I don't believe that anyone should be persecuted for their religion, and please don't misunderstand me. I'm not persecuting these people. I simply can not wrap my mind around the thinking behind what is supposed to make this moral and right.

Deep breaths. Deep breaths. Woo Saahh..
I'm stepping off my soap box now, and hope that I don't have to take it again for a very long while. Thoughts? Anyone?

Thursday's Pick

Quite by accident a while ago (read: I don't remember when), I found the book Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs in my public library. After reading the description I just knew I had to rush home and read it. I was not disappointed. It produced many laughs and also many WTF? situations. This kid was seriously screwed up; but it was oh-so-humorous. After reading that one little book, I felt compelled to read everything else he'd written: Sellevision, Possible Side Effects, Dry, Magical Thinking. They were all so incredible. That's why, when I read the latest Bestseller list at Barnes and Noble.com and saw that he'd turned out another bestseller, I just had to track it down. Thank you public library for recognizing the awesomeness that is Augusten Burroughs! This book is slightly different than his other works. This book is a memoir of his father. If you have read any of his other pieces, you will have noted the absence of his father. This book explains why. It's like a pre-cursor to the rest of the story. I was truly captivated by this book that sometimes made me shudder and gasp in the horrific events that almost took place. Yet another great read. Rush (Hurry, I'll wait) right out and pick this up. And if you haven't read "Running With Scissors," pick that up too. It'll finish where this one leaves off.

Thursday's Pick

By far the best book I have had the pleasure of reading in a long time.




*Edited to Add: I have picked this book up from the library before, and after reading a couple of pages found that I wasn't that interested. However, I'm always willing to give books a second chance as sometimes my mood reflects what I read, so for the second time I picked up "The Friday Night Knitting Club." I liked this book for the female comaraderie, the unexpected plot, and the characters whose lives are told in such detail that you could point them out on the street. It felt as if each one's soul was bared just expressly for the purpose of the reader. They feel like old friends that everybody knows. After the initial chapters, I found that I just could not put it down. My husband would beg me to turn off the nightstand light so he could sleep, but I couldn't. I just had to know what happened next. From the book's title, one would assume that this book was about old ladies in a knitting club; Although there is a knitting club involved, these women are far from old. They are full of spirit and humor and wit. Such an awesome read. To my friend Lindz, PLEASE, PLEASE go get this book. I promise, you will not be disappointed!

Christmas Underwear in May and a John Grisham novel

Okay, it's official. I'm not going to die an untimely death from Lyme's Disease. Whew! That was a close one! It turns out that you're not supposed to put Neosporin on a tick bite, which I may or may not have done, and that apparently, I'm allergic to Neosporin. I've been using this stuff for years. YEARS. And it's never affected me in any way. Until now. I'm glad that was all cleared up. There is nothing more humbling than lying on your stomach in your underwear in a doctor's office while she takes sharp objects and pokes around in a tick bite to "make sure you got the head and everything out." To top it all off, I was wearing my Christmas underwear. It's May. No, I don't like Christmas Just-that-much. I just got new draws for Christmas and like 3 pair just happened to be Christmas-y. At least I remembered to shave my legs, yo. You never know when you'll be at the doctor's office and they'll tell you to "Drop'em." I like to be prepared. So now that I'm done fearing every bug bite disease listed on Webmd.com, I've been pretty productive for a procrastinator. The goodie boxes got shipped. I've been packing up our room at the MIL's. I enlisted the help of my parents to help get my new kitchen situated. Hubbs and I got everything out of our two storage units and moved it all to the new house (in less than 2 hours!!). I have to finish moving boxes from MIL's to the new house today, drop off library books, check the mail box, call the landlord about the broken dishwasher, distribute Hubbs' paycheck to the appropriate outlets (read: bills), and unpack more stuff. I also have to go buy a trash can, Q-tips, a new razor, and shower curtain rings. Then I have to go to Ma Dukes' house and raid her linen closet for curtains and bath mats. I do believe it's gonna be a busy weekend, and it hasn't even started yet! I just got finished reading John Grisham's The Appeal. Oh, it was good! But the ending sucked. I was disappointed to say the least. But overall, the book was awesome. Now I have to work my way through the massive pile (20) of books I may or may not have ordered online from the library. And I may or may not have forgotten that they send them as they come in and not just hold a couple at a time so you'll have adequate time to read what you have. Sadly, I have to send some back after scanning the first two chapters and deciding that they are not worthy of my time at the present moment. I probably would not have this problem if not for my Padre bringing home books like The Appeal (when he knows I'm a die-hard Grisham fan) and other assortments of books from the auction he and Ma Dukes regularly attend. Seriously? The Appeal is still in hardback and is close to $25-$30 in stores and they got it for $2. Two Bucks!! This has thus interrupted my library time. Those books need love too. I just hope I don't lose any in the move!