Review: Futuristic badass Sirantha Jax -- Fiction Friday

It's not often I pick up a futurist sic-fi book. Unless it's a young adult distopian novel, I have passed right by them. However, this series took me for a journey into the mind of Ann Aguirre and deep space the likes of which I had only seen in shows like Battlestar Galactica and Firefly.

In fact, that's what this series reminded me of.  The premise is that space can be navigated quicker through the minds of a special few who can "jump" ships through portals. But that isn't what caught me. It was the character, Sirantha.

via Amazon

Few female characters are strong enough to make me really wish I was them. Few grow in the course of a series so that you wouldn't even recognize them from the first book except that you were there. That is Sirantha Jax. She is funny, irreverent, sassy, sexy, and too much fun.

Until she and her longterm boyfriend pilot a ship that wrecks carrying all the dignitaries of the known worlds. One that kills everyone on board but for her.  She is being charged for the "crime" and kept in solitary. She changes after that and continues to do so.

A band of misfit renegades rescue her and the fun begins. She's met her match in a damaged man of few words and they go on adventures worthy of The Enterprise.

There are 6 books in this series and it wasn't until I finished the last one that I realized I had no more to read. I was heartbroken. I needed to prepare myself there would no longer be this amazing world of multiple planets, aliens shaped like praying mantii (that would be oddly attractive by the end) and a camaraderie only found in war between soldiers.

By the end, Sirantha is a new woman and so was I. I felt I had been in every flight, every battle, every amazingly lush scene of new worlds.

I still miss it.


Check it out at Amazon.ca

Volkswagens, bossiness, and two-by-fours: Thankful Thursday

The view from my drive home one winter morning

1. My first week as temp team lead has gone well. I like it and I feel I am making a difference again. For the first time in a long time, I was too excited to go to work to sleep.


2. The house build is getting back on track. Basement floor is poured and the basement is in the process of being framed. It's going to be a real house soon.


3. This video by Walk Off the Earth -- they use a VW Beetle to make all the percussion sounds. Unreal cool!!
   
   


4. Even though I got stood up on a coffee date with a friend's son, I ended up stumbling on a knitting group I will be joining in the future. Yay knitting friends!


5. I started back on Weight Watchers after a year absence. I'm not dieting, but I find I need a way to remain accountable for what I'm eating and this is the best way for me to do it. Love their mobile app!

Jealousy as a road map for change

The task for the Artist Way in week 7 was to create a jealousy map. By identifying who we are jealous of and why we can then look at how to amend that. Rather than looking at jealousy as a terrible, horrible personality flaw, and feeling down about ourselves for having it, the author encourages us to use it as a catalyst to direct us.

"My jealousy had been a mask for my fear of doing something I really wanted to do but was not yet brave enough to take action toward." Julia Cameron, The Artist's Way

So, in the spirit of growth and sharing, here is my jealousy map.

Who: Wynn Anne        
Why: Her fiction writing is so great. Seriously. You need to check it out.
Action/ Antidote: Practice writing fiction until I get better and pick her brain about things more often!

Who: my roving family and friends
Why: They have travelled so many places. My siblings have been to England, Germany, France, Italy, Ireland, Scotland, Romania, and Eastern Canada. My friends have been to Austria, Australia, Brazil, and so many other places. My father goes to weird places so I am not jealous of that. Sheep brains for lunch? No thanks.
Action/ Antidote: To make travelling a priority. Put aside a portion of my "fun money" for solo travel and aside some of our home money for travelling as a couple. And/or, rob a bank.

This one may be a bit odd for you, but here it is.

Who: KB (my good friend who passed away suddenly)
Why: Her life was a true testament of how a person should be. The things people said about her joyous nature, her generosity, her love were not just accolades -- they were absolute truth. I would like to live my life in a way that inspires such prose and esteem.
Action/ Antidote: Live my life in a way where people can say things about me that I would be proud to hear. Live with honesty, kindness, humour, and compassion. Remember who I want to be and make every decision with that person in mind.

How I won super awesome Blundstone boots

I don't feel like I win a lot of things, but when I do, it's a doozy.

Once, when I was 11, I won a colouring contest and got a basket of Easter chocolate. It included a giant chocolate bunny.

When I was 27, I won a trip to Mexico and took my sisters. It was only available in August, but it was still pretty cool.

Now, I won a pair of the greatest boots!

I entered a giveaway on my friend, Elan's blog Schmutzie.com for an awesome pair of Blundstone boots. I have entered for them before, but never expected to win them. Elan is kind of a big deal and has a lot of followers (and thus entries). Also, I know her personally which means I will not win because that is just the way life is.

Imagine my surprise when I actually won!

I have heard people talk about the boots for ages, but I'm cheap and lazy, so I never got a pair. I was pretty pumped to know they were finally going to be mine!

I was contacted by a rep from Tin Shack and made arrangements to go down to a local shoe store, Iannones Footwear, to pick up my boots.

My fancy boots!

Dudes, if you are in my city and need some shoes -- that is the place to go!! They sized me up, hooked me with the perfect Blundstone, and then were very patient with me when I also fell in love with another pair of boots I can't afford.

I settled on a gorgeous pair of Blundstone's and plan to come back for the other pair later.

Not a toilet seat cover! -- Post from the past

This story of my knitting adventure was posted Jan 17, 2011 when I had my site Buggering Knit Monkies. 

Since I was on a roll with other hats, as soon as I completed the last rainbow hat, I started on a green uber slouchy hat I had seen a pattern for.  I thought it was cute and something I hadn't done before, so I'd give it a whirl.

By the end of the meeting the second day, I had a fair amount done.  It was rapidly growing into something.  And growing.  And growing.  It was the hat that just kept getting BIGGER.

When I pulled out the hat in progress in front of The Guy he jumped back in surprise because it took up THE ENTIRE ROOM.  Not really, but it was quite large considering what I normally work on.  He laughed when I stretched it out the full length and said, "It could be a toilet seat cover!"

It stuck.  Every time I looked at it, I started laughing as I imagined our house covered in knitted doily type things including toilet seat covers of the 70s (but hand made so it's cool!)

Once I neared the end of the project though, it started looking like a real hat.  I'm happy with the end results, but will not be keeping it.  It belongs with someone else!

Side shot.  Ignore me.

Back shot.
This was difficult considering I had my camera over my head.
But look at how small my bum looks!
And it shows my back cleavage.  HOT.

Update: 2014
I sold it to someone who loved it. I'm glad they did. Their toilet must be very warm.

No memory: Fiction Friday

This is not part of the Spinster House story. It is a starter piece I wrote for an online class I am taking. I hope you like it.

When I woke up, I was driving. The street in front of me was sparsely populated with other cars and drivers -- all who seemed not to notice I had just come to consciousness. I had not been and suddenly I was.

The yellow line of the road slid under the front corner of my car as it always did, disappearing only to reappear in the rear view mirror later.  The cars to the side of me appeared to be travelling backwards as I remained still, but I knew (somehow) they were parked and I was moving steadily forward.

It is quite disconcertion to arrive anywhere when you have no memory of getting there, but it feels especially dangerous while driving a one ton vehicle. Add to that I had no idea where I was going and I was about to panic. Hands at 10 and 2, I breathed deeply and searched my mind for something.

I had to take stock of the situation. I obviously knew how to drive - the motion of the car, the traffic, lights, and stop signs came to me without thinking. I continued along the same road as though that was my intentional direction. I assumed I had pointed myself that way for a reason, so that way I went.

The car was neatly lived in and in good condition. It appeared to be small SUV with a thin layer of dust covering the dash and random bits of someone's life tucked here and there. An empty take-out coffee cup sat in the holder, a stray receipt, and a pair of sunglasses.

I was overcome with an additional panic when I glanced in the rear view mirror again and noticed a child's booster seat strapped in behind the passenger seat.  My heart nearly stopped and my breathing definitely did.

I wasn't sure if the vehicle was even mine. If not, I had taken a car from a parent. If so, it was my car and that was even worse. Where was my child? Did I even have a child? I'm a parent??

As I pondered my impending motherhood, the GPS spoke out filling the silent vehicle with it's feminine voice. "Turn left in 50 metres."

I was glad someone knew where I was going.

Though I was hesitant to follow a disembodied voice, I seemed to be a rule follower as I turned obediently and followed the road for a short time before she announced (in her superior knowledge) I had arrived at my destination.

I pulled into the drive of a two story family home. White shutters encased large windows and complimented the soft yellow siding. A white porch circled the side of the house and disappeared from view. Two rocking chairs sat near a small table as though inviting friends to sit and get comfortable.

Off of the drive was a small red tricycle laying down in the grass. It seemed to be abandoned in a great hurry by a small person off in search of a grand adventure. My heart gripped in fear and I steadied myself again.

I heard a knock at the car window. Dark eyes of a handsome man stared at me questioningly. Beside him was a little girl with the same eyes and a streak of mud across her cheek. He cocked his head to the side and asked "Babe, are you coming inside?"

Next up:
Chapter 2:
Karen discovers who she is and how much not remembering can hurt those around her.

I live an exciting life: dog toys, laundry, and knitting -- Thankful Thursday

1. My first week back at work in 2 months has been great. I'm feeling really positive and had a fun time. Today at noon, I may hear more good things about work. 
2. I went to bed and woke up with in a pile of toys Monty had amassed during the night. 



Monty's toys

3. I'm almost done our laundry after a week away
4. I've had a lot of knitting time and am almost done a pair of fingerless gloves for a relative and I've got an order from my husband for a pair. The Guy WANTS something I knitted!?!





knitting tweed



5. I made a page to keep all my #100happydays pictures in one place.