• Home
• Music
• Entertainment
• Books
• Design
• Technology
• Help/Environment
• Wellness
• Life Banter

Toby, Wayne, Danielle and I went to Saigon on Main Street to eat lunch today.

Toby asked if I could drive, otherwise I probably wouldn't have gone. Which I think he knew. And he did admit when we got there that having me drive us all to lunch is the only sure way he would know if I actually eat.

Truth is...I am slowly slipping away. I'm just not hungry and when I am hungry I can't seem to keep the food down.

I weigh less now than I did in my senior year of high school.

This has to be contributing to my fatigue.

My friend Mike is now level 61 in WoW. I am only level 18. But he probably plays far more than I do. Seeing as how I haven't found the gumption to play more than once a week. I used to love that game. I do still. I just don't have the...I don't know what to call it.

Work is still going well. I'm all hooked up with my new hardware and software. My office is still kind of bare. I would buy a plant, but I have never had a plant survive. Maybe a BetaFish.

I should be getting a new chair. (Though I don't need one). And maybe bookshelves. (Though I said I'd just take some book ends). I am feeling very spoiled by these guys.

I finished another book. "Intensity" by Dean Koontz. It was a psychological thriller and I very much enjoyed it. It was difficult to read because it was very brutal, obviously since one of the main characters was a serial killer. But I felt compelled to read to the end and make sure he got what he deserved. And Chyna, the other main character, was such a true fighter and survivor that I found her quite inspiring. The build up of her character and the depth in which Dean Koontz wrote her is just awesome. If you like this kind of book, I recommend it.

Last night I started "Don't Kiss Them Good-bye" by Allison Dubois.
We shall see how that goes.

Labels: books

Today I finished the latest Nicholas Sparks book "Dear John."

Nicholas Sparks is my favorite author, but I found this book a little bit disappointing. The beginning was great, there was a blend of emotions while the characters developed. But from the middle on out it was nothing but sadness.

It isn't that I require a happy ending in all of the books I read. But I guess I do require closure of some kind and for me this book lacked closure for John, the main character.

Yes, there is a love story. One between John and Savannah and also one between the very same Savannah and her long-time best friend Tim. In addition, there is a storyline about family members with disabilities. Tim has a younger brother who is severely autistic and John's father suffers from Asperger's syndrome.

***Do not read further if you intend to read the book***

John and Savannah have a beautiful relationship, but the summer they met was the summer he had leave from the military. They were unable to keep their love alive after he went back to war. Now mind you, they tried very hard and stayed together for years. But eventually they grew apart and I couldn't fault either of them for that given the multitude of circumstances. And yes, the demise was made final with a "Dear John" letter.

Savannah ended up marrying Tim. Tim ended up very sick with cancer. And who was it that funded his expensive drugs and hospital stay in order to save his life...you guessed it, John. I just felt bad for John the whole time. His father died, his girl left him and then he saved her husband's life by anonymously donating money.

I did like the character development which involved Tim's brother and John's dad. I am fascniated with neurological disorders and this is the second story that Nicholas Sparks has written which included such ailments. So though this story was quite depressing, it was also very well written and informative.

Labels: books, family, Nicolas Sparks

I love to read and now that I'm done taking classes I will have time to read many books I have been storing away.

Last night I finished "Finding Noel" by Richard Paul Evans. The story was quite moving and there are many parts of it that I would like to share and reflect on because they impacted me greatly.

The story was about finding home, but the main character Macy, didn't realize that is what she had been searching for until the end of the story. She was adopted by a family who treated her like a slave and were abusive in many ways. Her sister Noel was adopted separately and thankfully into a far more loving family. Macy set out to find Noel but ran into many obstacles.

Mark is the other main character. His Mom had died and he was having so many trying situations. He had to use a phone in a snow storm and ended up meeting Macy at a diner.

Mark fell in love with Macy in three weeks flat, if not sooner than that.

They both throughout the course of the book saved each other with their kindness, compassion and love.

Mark never had a good relationship with his father, but on returning home he learns a great deal about the man he felt ostracized from his whole life. And he finally calls him Dad. His Dad's advice to him is 'sometimes it's the fight that makes a thing worth having.'

I think one very true sentiment in this book is that Macy had been through a lot in her young life. And when she meant Mark he was too good to be true. Macy's greatest pain had always come from those who were closest to her. Mark asked Joette (a wonderful woman in this story) how to break through Macy's walls. Joette's response was "With love. Unconditional, unrelenting love."

There is a story of family, tradition, love and hope.

For me, I couldn't have read it at a better time in my life. I love Richard Paul Evans books and that is why I bought it, but this story had all of the elements I needed at this point in my life.

The epilogue contained these beautiful words.

"I've come to know that our families are a canvas on which we paint out greatest hopes - imperfect and sloppy, for we are all amateurs at life, but if we do not focus too much on our mistakes, a miraculous picture emerges. And we learn that it's not the beauty of the image that warrants our gratitude - it's the chance to paint."

Labels: books, family