A - Z Challenge: Zilch

 Yep. After two days of busting my ass at the water office, I'm taking today off. I'll be returning the dogs to my parents today as I've been dog-sitting since Saturday. So it's a trip to Redding today to return dogs and hang out a bit with Mom. Looks like we're going to try to see Frozen at the dollar movies. So I will finally get to see what the fuss is all about with this movie.

But it's back to the grind tomorrow.

A - Z Challenge: eXample and Yuck

Since I haven't read any books that begin with the last three letters of the alphabet (at least none that I can remember lol), I'll be winging it from here.

X can be for "example". As in, for example, I now work for a teeny tiny mountain town water company - I am the office gal. It's amazing how terribly the place has been run for the past 50 years. And no, I'm not joking. For example, apparently no one has enforced the Rules and Regulations very well. Like people who haven't paid their water bills have never been shut off. Totally serious. No one has ever enforced water conservation because no one is on a meter - it's flat rate for unlimited water use and this town uses like three times the national average (roughly 250-300 gallons per day, which to a third world country would be considered outlandish waste of water). Seriously? You bet. And since we're in a major drought at the moment, you can bet that's going over real well. For example, their billing statements have no due date listed even though technically the due date is the 10th of each month (according to the Rules and Regulations). It's never been enforced, so payments trickle in all month long and late fees have only been added if a payment isn't received by the next billing cycle. Crazy? Yes. Truth? Of course.

Y can be for "yuck". As in, it's a yucky situation for Boyfriend and myself because we're now enforcing said Rules and Regulations and in fact, today (Tuesday) is shut-off day. We're happy to work with customers and create a payment plan (no interest, can't beat that shit) and have them sign a contract. There are about five people who keep telling Boyfriend that he can't shut their water off; I think they think that he's bluffing. Unfortunately he's not bluffing. They don't pay, they get shut off. And a few people want to take their matters and feelings to the Board of Directors. I wish them luck because the Board is semi-new within the last year and they want action, which exactly what Boyfriend is doing.

Another yucky thing is that the system is so old (50 years) and there are actually a handful of houses that we can't turn off. And the homeowners know it. Slowly, Boyfriend has been renting a backhoe and digging up people's yards to put in a proper service so that can be shut off. And no, they weren't nice yards, either, so the water company digging up their yard was actually an improvement. Seriously.

Oh the fun.

 

A - Z Challenge: S, T, U, V, and W (Playing catch up!)

Alright, so life got the better of me this week. Whoops. This is what happens when you start the A - Z Challenge the night before it starts as you've only just come up with a theme and write posts only a couple days in advance. Wow. Since last weekend, it's been super busy. A good busy, but it's kept me away from writing and reading blogs as I try to keep up with life.

So to play catch up for the week, here are my books for S, T, U, V and W!

Sarah's Key by Tatania DeRosnay

Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten year-old girl, is brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the Vel' d'Hiv' roundup, but not before she locks her younger brother in a cupboard in the family's apartment, thinking that she will be back within a few hours.

Paris, May 2002: On Vel' d'Hiv's 60th anniversary, journalist Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article about this black day in France's past. Through her contemporary investigation, she stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah. Julia finds herself compelled to retrace the girl's ordeal, from that terrible term in the Vel d'Hiv', to the camps, and beyond. As she probes into Sarah's past, she begins to question her own place in France, and to reevaluate her marriage and her life.

OMG. One of the best books I've ever read. Must read. Tatania takes a real even in France's history and uses fictional characters to bring it back to life. Your heart aches and breaks throughout this book, because little Sarah continues to try to get back to her brother. Although we readers pretty much know what happens to the little brother, which again, breaks your heart. But Sarah won't give up - she has to get back to him. Julia has to track down anyone who remembers that fateful day of the Vel'd'Hiv and who is willing to speak of it - no one likes to remember that it ever happened. Their tales slowly begin to intertwine and Julia has to know what happened to Sarah and where she ended up as her name never appears on lists. Seriously, read this book. This for me, is Tatania's best work.

Tell Me Where It Hurts by Nick Trout, DVM

It’s 2:47 a.m. when Dr. Nick Trout takes the phone call that starts another hectic day at the Angell Animal Medical Center. Sage, a ten-year old German shepherd, will die without emergency surgery for a serious stomach condition. Over the next twenty-four hours Dr. Trout fights for Sage’s life, battles disease in the operating room, unravels tricky diagnoses, reassures frantic pet parents, and reflects on the humor, heartache, and inspiration in his life as an animal surgeon. And he wants to take you along for the ride.…

Having worked in veterinary offices I really didn't hesitate when buying this book. Each clinic and each doctor are very different, not only in what they specialize in but their personalities and their clientele. This is an interesting read from one veterinarian's perspective. 

Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler

After nursing a broken engagement with Jane Austen novels and Absolut, Courtney Stone wakes up and finds herself not in her Los Angeles bedroom or even in her own body, but inside the bedchamber of a woman in Regency England. Who but an Austen addict like herself could concoct such a fantasy?

Not only is Courtney stuck in another woman's life, she is forced to pretend she actually is that woman; and despite knowing nothing about her, she manages to fool even the most astute observer. But not even her love of Jane Austen has prepared Courtney for the chamber pots and filthy coaching inns of nineteenth-century England, let alone the realities of being a single woman who must fend off suffocating chaperones, condomless seducers, and marriages of convenience. Enter the enigmatic Mr. Edgeworth, who fills Courtney's borrowed brain with confusing memories that are clearly not her own.

Try as she might to control her mind and find a way home, Courtney cannot deny that she is becoming this other woman and being this other woman is not without its advantages: Especially in a looking-glass Austen world. Especially with a suitor who may not turn out to be a familiar species of philanderer after all.

Okay, so I haven't read anything that started U, so I'm improvising with this one. Another Jane Austen-type spin-off here, but not your continuing story kind. In this book we find Courtney, a woman of the 21st century suddenly and somehow transplanted in 1813 Regency England. And to top that off, she's in some other woman's body, kind of like a Freaky Friday thing. Not only does she not know how she got there (perhaps some elaborate dream?), but she has to suddenly act like a lady of the 19th century. And with that last bit she finally realizes how annoying the constant chaperones are and that body odor is something that hardly exists  mostly because everyone smells and therefore ignores it. She also finds out just how much trouble a bath actually is and how women were forced to deal with their "monthly cycles". She does have a hilarious moment actually meeting the famous authoress, Jane Austen, herself and completely makes a fool of herself. Overall this book was enjoyable and really put you in Courtney's shoes and how awkward it would to be transplanted back two hundred years.

The Vendetta Defense by Lisa Scottoline

When "Pigeon Tony" an elderly pigeon racer is arrested for the murder of his lifelong enemy Angelo Coluzzi, the Coluzzi's family seek revenge on Pigeon Tony and his lawyer Judy Carrier.

 Another Lisa Scottoline book on the list and for good reason. It's good. Poor old Pigeon Tony (and he seriously wants people to call him that) winds up in the hot seat for allegedly murdering his arch enemy, Pigeon Tony winds up in serious trouble. He and his lawyer race against the clock trying to avoid being killed by Coluzzi's family, who is hell-bent on revenge. Judy has to figure out how to defend a client who insists that he "killed" but he did not "murder". The story takes us to a different place and time - Mussolini era Italy and an age-old feud and crossed an ocean. Another great read by Lisa Scottoline!

White Girl Problems by Babe Walker

Babe Walker, center of the universe, is a painstakingly manicured white girl with an expensive smoothie habit, a proclivity for Louboutins, a mysterious mother she's never met, and approximately 50 bajillion Twitter followers. But her "problems" have landed her in shopping rehab--that's what happens when you spend $246,893.50 in one afternoon at Barneys. Now she's decided to write her memoir, revealing the gut-wrenching hurdles she's had to overcome in order to be perfect in every way, every day. Hurdles such as:

- I hate my horse.
- Every job I've ever had is the worst job I've ever had.
- He's not a doctor, a lawyer, or a prince.
- I'll eat anything, as long as it's gluten-free, dairy-free, low-carb, low-fat, low-calorie, sugar-free, and organic.
In an Adderall-induced flash of inspiration, Babe Walker has managed to create one of the most enjoyable, unforgettable memoirs in years.

So I was entertained when I read the back of the book (above). I mean, who spends nearly $250,000 at Barney's?! Or anywhere else for that matter?! While I was entertained, I think my jaw was usually slack from shock and my forehead hurt from hitting it so much. I wouldn't necessarily say that Babe's issues are "white girl" problems and definitely not your average "first world" problems; they are pretty much just the problems a spoiled little rich girl has to deal with after always getting what she wants. While entertaining, this book was also rather annoying, even if it's a complete farce of a story. 

 

A-Z Challenge: Rose Madder

Rose Madder by Stephen King

This is the story of Rose Daniels, "the most richly portrayed female King's ever created" (Detroit Free Press). Escape from her macabre marriage is not as easy as fleeing to a new city, picking a new name, finding a new job, and lucking out with a new man. Not with a husband like Norman...

For the record, I am not a Stephen King fan. I have read only a handful of his books and each one of them freakin' freaks me out. This one, while at first it seems it's a normal, every day evil (domestic abuse) and eventually takes a turn for the oddly supernatural regarding a painting. At some point this chick actually enters a painting. Yeah, it's as weird as it sounds. However, Stephen King does very well with this book and does well with the characters. You really feel for Rose trying to escape a terrible life and find something new and safe and he writes a good villain in Norman. But like normal Stephen King novels there's a huge element of weird in them.

A - Z Challenge: (My New) Quest

Okay, so this isn't a book review. I haven't read anything that starts with Q. So, I am taking a tiny break from my book review theme of the A - Z Challenge.

My new "quest" can also be called a part-time job! I believe I've mentioned before that Boyfriend manages a tiny water district in a tiny mountain town. He started just after Thanksgiving. Well, the office gal they had up and quit in January, leaving the water company high and dry. She cited in her resignation letter that Boyfriend had his own personal agenda and she couldn't just sit there and watch it happen. No one knows what the hell she was talking about because Boyfriend is trying to get the water company back into good standing with the state and trying to get grants to redo the systems. I digress.

For a month Boyfriend pestered the board of directors to hire me as their new office gal. All of March they himmed and hawed over this until finally, two of them said, "We really need someone! When can she start?" They were unsure of hiring me because I am living with Boyfriend and that is considered nepotism. Those two finally convinced the third board member to agree to hiring me. Oh to live and work in Small Town, America. lol

Since April 2nd I've been slaving away. It's supposed to be a part-time job, just a few hours a week. Five or ten hours, really. I've been working so hard and way more than ten hours a week. The last office gal who is supposedly also a "bookkeeper" sucks at filing. I have been filing papers from the last ten years that have just been "swept under the rug" so to speak and shoved in a random filing cabinet. The board members took over receiving customer payments and paying bills.

I've been thrown in (actually I kind of jumped) into the deep end, never having worked for a water company before. My quest or goal is to make them run more efficiently and with fewer errors. Today alone (I'm writing this on Wednesday) I spoke with three customers regarding errors on their accounts. Two had sent in nasty notes on their statements, but luckily for me they were very nice and understanding when I explained my situation and were so appreciative that I had taken the time to call them to let them know I had fixed the errors. One customer showed up in person and was so happy that someone seemed to be keeping "office hours". We discussed her past due amounts and she happily agreed to sign a contract stating exactly how much she would pay each month until her account was paid in full.

Then I had a guy from a bank call me regarding a lien on a property due to lack of payment as the house had evidently been repossessed. I explained that I was new to the water company and asked him to list exactly what he needed from me. He gave me his email and phone to give him the information and to let him know if I had any questions.

Mom came up on Tuesday to teach me how to do payroll taxes. I've never done payroll or their taxes before. Mom's a good teacher, and she got me all squared away. She even offered to come up to help me get the office running like it should. She worked for a water company for over 20 years and knows this stuff inside and out. Thank God for my mother!

It's been an interesting two weeks with the new job, I can tell you that. And I plan to edit their billing statements, get them using Quick Books for more than just the basics (because I know it can do so much more), the filing completely caught up, accounts payable and receivables properly lined out, the office clean, and make them more efficient overall. It's going to take some time.

 

I get home each day and even if I've only worked three or four hours, I am so mentally drained . . . I'm exhausted! But I am accomplishing things little by little. And that makes me happy.

A - Z Challenge: (The) Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe

Harvard graduate student Connie Goodwin needs to spend her summer doing research for her doctoral dissertation. But when her mother asks her to handle the sale of Connie's grandmother's abandoned home near Salem, she can't refuse. As she is drawn deeper into the mysteries of the family house, Connie discovers an ancient key within a seventeenth-century Bible. The key contains a yellowing fragment of parchment with a name written upon it: Deliverance Dane. This discovery launches Connie on a quest--to find out who this woman was and to unearth a rare artifact of singular power: a physick book, its pages a secret repository for lost knowledge.

As the pieces of Deliverance's harrowing story begin to fall into place, Connie is haunted by visions of the long-ago witch trials, and she begins to fear that she is more tied to Salem's dark past then she could have ever imagined.

I cringe when I see or read anything on the Salem Witch Trials. What a time to have lived through; living in utter fear of being accused a witch for no reason, for it often meant a death sentence. This book was pretty interesting as the author takes us between worlds, a modern woman's world and the woman's world in Salem. She comes across odd things in her grandmother's house, some things which excite her graduate advisor. The author uses truth in history and weaves it with a fictional main character and story. Pretty well done and kept me entertained. Another book I recommend.  

A - Z Challenge: One for the Money

One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

Pestered by her close New Jersey family, Stephanie Plum offers to catch high-school crush Joe Morelli, cop turned bail jumper, for her cousin Vinnie's company. She questions "working girls" to find the missing girlfriend of vicious prizefighter Benito Ramirez while Joe secretly watches her back. Ranger mentors her and supplies vehicles when hers explode.

I have to say that the Stephanie Plum series is pretty hilarious. They are good, quick reads and can make you laugh your ass off. We find Stephanie laid off from her job as a lingerie buyer, she's hawked nearly everything she owns in order to pay rent and feed her hamster, Rex. She's got the over-bearing mother who cooks roast beef every week and thinks Stephanie is dead if she's two minutes late for dinner. Her Grandma Mazur is totally the bomb and as the series goes on, you will love some of the shit that comes out of that woman's mouth. The father seems to mumble and hide behind his dinner plate or the newspaper and tries to not hear the dinner conversations. Stephanie begs for a job from her slimy cousin Vinny at his Bail Bonds shop and is soon chasing skips and trying to bring in Joe Morelli, her childhood nemesis who deflowered her in a bakery and whom she may or may not have clipped with her dad's Buick. Ranger tries to teach her how to be a bounty hunter and she's almost completely hopeless at it but still manages to bring enough people in to pay her rent or at least buy a loaf of bread. There's always a murder mystery and Stephanie ends up way over head and winds up blowing up more than one car in each book. If you're looking for a quick read that delivers some good laughs, look no further. Stephanie Plum is an enjoyable heroine who can crack you up!