A Truly Blessed Day!

     So I turned 36 today. Like one of my favourite characters, Bella Swan, I've never been comfortable with birthdays and being celebrated.  If it was up to me, I'd fast-forward the day and just get on to the "plus-1-day-older" day, LOL! But it seemed the universe had other plans for me. I received countless wishes on Facebook, a few cakes, a birthday whistle, lunch, chocolates, cards and hugs! I even had the opportunity to blow out birthday candles and made a wish, after being sung to, Oh Boy! It has indeed been a blessed day.  

     I rounded off the day by having some Me-Time at the movies. Inception was awesome.  Christopher Nolan is a genius film-maker!  Just wished the crowd was thinner though! 

     This came for me over the weekend, all the way from the US. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it!

 

      It definitely made my day! Thank you Mar!  Sure Edward, I'd love to enjoy several hundred more years with the Cullens! 


     I got this wonderful ecard on Hallmark from Maria today. Man oh man, it was perfect! I managed to take screen caps of it. Too bad, I couldn't capture the sound. They should really consider making those ecards downloadable! 


     And gosh, check out this gorgeous one from Caro! My goodness, what talent! I wish I was as pretty as her drawing, LOL! 

    I left this message on my Facebook page when I got home this evening but it seems apt to repeat it here as well....

There is no greater blessing than having loved ones and friends in one's life. 

Thank you for all the birthday wishes, prayers and gestures. 

My days shine brighter with such wonderful people in my life. 

You are all truly amazing and I'm greatly humbled!

     

How to Order Coffee, Miss Swan Style!

     My boss was buying us coffee this morning from Starbucks and my colleague, Sharon, was gonna call it in. We were discussing the sizes of the drinks since it can get a wee bit confusing at Starbucks with them being called Tall, Grande and Venti rather than Small, Medium and Large.  

     The conversation went something like this:

     "Which size is the general one?"

      "I think Tall is Small..."

     "No, what is the normal one?"

     "I dunno but Tall is Small and..."

     The conversation was starting to remind us of another attempt to order at Starbucks and we both burst out laughing. No one can order coffee like Miss Swan! You'll see why...

Unique Way to Cool Down

     How cute is this dog! Spotted in Central Park, USA, trying to cool down in the summer heat! Came across it on Socialite. Too adorable not to share!  He sure looks like he's enjoying himself!

Sudden Death

     There's nothing I love more than being drawn into a book; when I can't bear to put it down; when I'm thinking about it even when I'm not reading it and wondering when is the next pocket of time that I can sneak a few lines. 

     It's been a while since I've been so engrossed in a story that is so intriguing that it sucked me in.  But I reckon Allison Brennan's Sudden Death managed to do just that! I confess that it was a slow start even thought there was enough action but I reckon I was just disappointed that it took so long before the two leads met - 153 pages long! But once they did, it was full speed ahead! I'd never read any of her books before but I came across her name as a recommendation and though I didn't take that particular recommended book, I can see now that I shall be reading more of her work!

     Sudden Death is a mix of Criminal Minds and CSI and even has a dash of Christine Feehan's enhanced super soldiers in there.  I love a good intrigue but more often than not, the intrigue books that are usually written doesn't have any romance - okay so I love romance, what can I say.  So this is a definite mix of both. And oh boy, that psychotic twist was so far-fetched it was amazing! I sure did not see that one coming!  It was definitely worth my three days! 

When a homeless veteran is found dead in a squalid Sacramento alley, FBI special agent Megan Elliott vows to find the murdered hero's killer. Her investigation gets complicated fast, for the victim, a former Delta Force soldier, is just one link in a nationwide spree of torture and murder.

Straight off a job rescuing medical missionaries, soldier-for-hire Jack Kincaid returns to his home base in the Texas border town of Hidalgo only to receive the news that one of his closest colleagues has been brutally murdered. Faced with an inept local police force, Jack takes matters into his own hands.

Now, as part of a national task force to stop the sadistic killings, "by-the-book" Megan and "burn-the-book" Jack form a tense alliance, sparked with conflict and temptation. But they struggle against more than passion, for a vicious pair of killers has only just begun a rampage of evil . . . and the primary target is much closer than Megan suspects.

You Gave Me Your Heart...

 

     I thought this song was perfection after watching the movie and was super thrilled when it was revealed to be an Edward-Bella song. How well done is this clip though. Sigh.... For all the Edward and Bella fans out there.... Enjoy...

Getting Back Into the Groove with Nothing But Trouble

     Anyone who know me is aware of my book-addiction but I'd been stuck in a rut for a while.  The last few books I'd chosen were good but weren't outstanding. It was like surviving on tofu, nutritious and keeps you full but not quite satisfying.  

     I'd also been reading a lot of paranormal romances of late, having already zipped through most of the light-hearted romances of my favourite authors. Nothing wrong with paranormal romances, of course, I love them. But there is only so much of that macabre sense of doom one can stomach and unless they are written by Jayne Anne Krentz or Sherrilyn Kenyon - who have the very uncanny yet exceptional talent of injecting lots of humour into such a genre - most paranormal romance writers have the usual level of seriousness, paranormal mystery and yes, that impending sense of doom, that often accompany such books.

     To top it off, I was bracing myself to cut off ties with Sunny Bookstore. It was regrettable but their move to a new location has made it less convenient for me and the departure of the gals who used to recommend me amazing books made my choice easier.  I'm rather sad about it. It's like the end of an era. I'd been going there on and off since I was 15 years old but I guess it's time to move on. 

     I'd been satisfying my craving via e-books on my iPod, which is wicked cool, though the problem with that is with so many titles at my immediate disposal, I tend to jump between books, LOL! As if that was not enough of a problem when I was reading physical books, I assure you that annoying habit can be even more magnified with electronic books.  I'd managed to finished two or three books and would have continued along that vein when I had the urge to pay a visit to Woodlands Regional Library on Tuesday.  I thought why not, I'd brought the book bag after all and felt kinda 'empty' so I thought I'd give it a shot - usually a trip to Sunny always ensure a full bag since it would mean an exchange of books.   

     I dawdled along the shelves and had one book in my hand which I was not really in the mood to take and it was about 20 minutes before I had more in hand (we are entitled to six books for three weeks) but even then I was in two minds whether I should even borrow any. See that's why I'd always preferred Sunny. I may have had to pay for them but the books are sorted in alphabetical order by genre so it'd be a quick matter of looking for specific books I wanted. With the National Library I had to go through shelf upon shelf before finding the books I wanted.  They may not even have the books of authors that I'm familiar with, though to give them credit, they have vastly improved their collection in recent years. 

     In any case, I didn't get any book that truly appealed to me and was contemplating putting all the books back until I chanced upon my seventh book. I gasped out loud (luckily no one was close by, LOL).  Just by looking at the cover, I knew I'd not read it before but the published year confirmed it for sure. Without even looking at the synopsis, I immediately grabbed it and returned one of my other choices back to the shelf. 

      There are some authors whom I trust explicitly to be able to pique my interest.  Rachel Gibson is one of them.  I'd already read every book written by her and had no doubt that I would enjoy this one too.  

TROUBLE...
Chelsea Ross's acting career has been a total bust. The closest she ever came to stardom was her brilliant performance as "Pretty Dead Girl #1." But leaving Hollywood to become the personal assistant to a famous hockey player could be her stupidest career move ever.

MORE TROUBLE...
Injured superstar Mark Bressler's glory days are over. The one time bad boy jock could at least be civil to the pint-sized, pink-haired bombshell who the Seattle Chinooks hired to be his P.A. If Chelsea didn't need the money, she'd be skating away from the world's biggest jerk-on-ice as fast as her feet could carry her.

BIG TROUBLE!
Chelsea can deal with Mark's rotten attitude and dark moods. The problem is those biceps and that red-hot hockey-toned bod! And when the bad boy starts to put the moves on her, Chelsea knows it's time she banished him to the penalty box...if only she could resist the kind of trouble he has in mind!
     Suffice to say I was not disappointed. I started the book at 7.20am on Wednesday morning and by 8.45pm of the same day, I was finished! The story is so charming and hilarious, it was like I was watching a movie rather than reading a book.  I laughed out loud at many parts - and hopefully no one thought I was loon when I couldn't hold back the smiles on the train, LOL. I was almost reluctant to see it end. 
     I'd forgotten how enjoyable it is to read such a light-hearted book and more importantly, how wonderful it is to hold a physical book rather than an iPod. There are advantages of carrying an iPod around since means you are never out of a book but nothing can surely beat the feeling of flipping through pages and seeing how much of the book you've covered and how much more you have to enjoy the moment.   
     I'd also missed zipping through stories at such speed, not because I can't wait to finish it but because I couldn't put the book or at least can't wait to get back to it. The thrill is just amazing! So thank you Rachel! May you write many more beautiful stories!

A Truly Eclipsed July...

     So July is finally here! Usually I don't really look forward to July, or rather the end of it - *Cough* stupid birthday thingey *cough*! - but this July is very special!  I finally managed to assuage a yearning though strangely it has far from dissipated.

     A little overdue but to be fair, I have been overdosing on Eclipse since its release on 1 July, LOL.  After all, what can one do when Forks and the Cullens keep beckoning?  Why, keep visiting of course! Wouldn't do to disappoint the Cullens after all! 

     The soundtrack didn't resonate with me as much when I bought it, even as I was stoked when I had my hands on it, LOL!  Oh, I tell a lie, I was really excited about Muse's Neutron Star Collision but the rest weren't making an impact on me much.

     I was tickled when there was a poster in it too. First pic I see, aaahhhh my beloved Cullens, oh what joy! Then I see the wolf pack, awesome. But what it becomes on the opposite side and all on its own, what a gorgeous sight!  Oh my Bella! 

     Of course now that I have seen the movie a time or two or more, that is no longer the case. Alexandra Patsavas, the Music Supervisor, has done a wonderful job yet again and her collaboration with David Slade, the Director, is wicked cool!

     Furthermore, I've never pay much attention to movie scores before this even as I know how important they are to a movie. So I was not able to fully appreciate everyone's excitement when Howard Shore came on board. Yes, Howard Shore of Lord of the Rings fame and Oscar winning too! I confess I loved Lord of the Rings in its entirety but if one is to ask me about its score, I would have to give a blank look.

     But oh my word... his score for Eclipse just kills me! It complements the various scenes so perfectly it's totally surreal! I can listen to it now and it will leave an impact, as though I'm instantly imported to Forks yet again! Sigh.... These are some of ones that really left me breathless. 

     So the film is amazing! Even as I understand the impossibility of putting every delicious bit of the novel into a 2-hour movie, I think they were able to get the essence of the story and has managed to enhance our appreciation of the series thus far, even further. Thank you David Slade!

       As for how many times I've seen this film to date... well, let's not ruin the moment, shall we? 

Video of the Day: Dennis Quaid's Hilarious Hidden Camera Prank - The Ellen DeGeneres Show

     God I totally lost it when I watched this! Ellen is such a meanie to him! I thought the Starbucks prank was bad but this definitely tops that! Dennis is such a good sport. Gotta love him!