We’re In!

Corey and I took possession of our townhome yesterday. We were really excited to sleep in our own bed last night.  The cats were excited to see all their stuff again and acclimated to the change really quickly.  They’re now acting as if they’ve always lived here.

Yesterday afternoon and evening, I cleaned the bathrooms and fridge. Luckily, the fridge only needed to be wiped down.  However, the bathrooms were nasty!  It seriously took me an hour and a half to scrub the bathtub! It was so gross! Corey and I don’t think the previous owners ever cleaned the place because even though the tub and toilets are clean now, they still look dirty with all the stains and hard water deposits on them.  Needless to say, Lime Away will be my best friend for the next few months!

Today, I’m going to clean the microwave, the stove/oven, and wipe down all the cupboards and shelves. Then, Corey and I can start putting things away. Once we get some organization to the place, I’ll take some pictures.

PS–I hope everyone has a happy, fun, and safe New Year’s!

Woo Hoo!

If you’ve been reading my blog, then you know the last couple of months have been very stressful and frustrating as we’ve been trying to buy a townhome.  All our struggles have finally paid off!  We signed the closing papers this afternoon, the loan was funded, and we take possession tomorrow once everything has been recorded with the state!

If Dr. Seuss Were a Technical Writer

As most of you know, I’m a technical writer for the company I work for.  For the most part, I enjoy it.  However, technical writing can get very boring, tedious, monotonous, etc.  When Corey came across this on Gene Ziegler’s blog, I thought of how much fun technical writing could be.  But, alas, only Dr. Seuss can get away with such nonsense.  (Of course, I also like this because it uses Fox in Socks as its inspiration.) [Read more...]

Review: Sunrunner’s Fire by Melanie Rawn

Sunrunner's Fire CoverTitle: Sunrunner’s Fire
Author: Melanie Rawn
Series: Dragon Prince #3
Genre: Fantasy
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It began with the discovery of the Star Scroll, the last repository of forgotten spells of sorcery, the only surviving record of the ancient foe who in times past had nearly destroyed the Sunrunners and their magic. Now, as Andry, the new Sunrunner Lord of Goddess Keep, begins to master this potentially deadly knowledge, while Pol, son of High Prince Rohan, seeks to touch the minds of dragons, the long-vanquished enemy is mobilizing to strike again, drawing on forbidden lore to play an ever-shifting game of treachery and betrayal–and secretly infiltrating even the most strongly protected of citadels.

And soon, Pol, Andry, Rohan, his Sunrunner wife Sioned, and all whom they hold dear will find it hard to tell friend from foe as spell of wars threaten to devastate the land–and dragons soar the skies, inexorably lured by magic’s fiery call….

Just like its predecessors, Dragon Prince and The Star Scroll, I loved Sunrunner’s Fire.  Also, just like its predecessors, the story has elements for everyone, such as romance, adventure, fantasy, and conflict.  I found the story to be riveting from beginning to end.

One of the reasons I loved Sunrunner’s Fire is that it’s the end of the trilogy so most of the events that had been brewing during the trilogy finally came to an end.  The diarmadh’im had a more central role in the story, which I thought was very interesting as I learned more about their powers and saw a glimpse of the reason for their hatred of the faradh’im.  I also loved watching the events in the lives of the characters, especially Rohan’s and Sioned’s, play out.

As I started to read Sunrunner’s Fire, I knew Melanie Rawn had written a second trilogy, Dragon Star, that followed Pol’s life rather than Rohan’s, Pol’s father.  I didn’t expect all the conflict to be resolved.  By the end of Sunrunner’s Fire, Rawn has laid the ground work for the events in the Dragon Star trilogy to flourish into its own story.  Luckily, there was enough of a sense of closure that I don’t have to start the second trilogy immediately.

“O Holy Night”

My mom showed this to me and I really enjoyed it; it’s very moving.  “O Holy Night” is my very favorite Christmas song and it always reminds me why we celebrate Christmas.