I know today is the TBR challenge and hopefully, I'll have time tonight to write my review... in the meantime, I'll like to welcome a new blogger. She's been around blogland for quite a while and been visiting different blogs and leaving messages... but now, we get to know more about her because she has her own blog!!! Youppi!!
Welcome to blogland
Showing posts with label fellow bloggers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fellow bloggers. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
The Great Western Drive!!
First, I'd like to thank everyone for their encouragements about my ankle. It is much better and I can now walk with very little pain. Actually, it just feels a little stiff when I rotate it :) I was able to hobble on it and rush to the bookstore today under the rain :) Good sign, no? :P For those who are wondering, I did score at the bookstore!! Love it LOL.
Secondly, I missed the TBR challenge for the first time :( I wanted to review something, but it just didn't come. Also, I've been reading really slowly this month. I think it's the books, the Cal Leandros series. I'm really enjoying the series, but it takes me forever to read the books. Almost a week a book ^_^; That's just not normal!! Sigh, too bad. Maybe I'll try to do a two-fers next month. Anyway, I'll have to pick up my re-read very soon if I want to make it ^_^;
Finally, I'm a bit late to the party, but it doesn't matter because the posts will still be there right? Well, Kristie is at it again, and has started a new campaign. This time, it is not simply to recommend a new book, but to share and celebrate her love of Western romance books! She's enlisted the help of two other very popular bloggers, Wendy the Super Librarian and Sybil from The Good, The Bad and the Unread. Together, they have come up with...
It's been a week-long campaign with many interesting posts about the genre and why they like it so much. In addition, there's tons of recommendations and a contest. So be sure to drop by all three blogs to discover or re-discover this genre. I think it's a great idea, because western romances are rarer and rarer nowadays, eclipsed by paranormal romances and urban fantasy books. Newcomers to romance books (actually even me) might not know where to start when it comes to this genre so this has been very, very helpful :) Also, when have these three bloggers steer us wrong? LOL.
Have fun!!
Secondly, I missed the TBR challenge for the first time :( I wanted to review something, but it just didn't come. Also, I've been reading really slowly this month. I think it's the books, the Cal Leandros series. I'm really enjoying the series, but it takes me forever to read the books. Almost a week a book ^_^; That's just not normal!! Sigh, too bad. Maybe I'll try to do a two-fers next month. Anyway, I'll have to pick up my re-read very soon if I want to make it ^_^;
Finally, I'm a bit late to the party, but it doesn't matter because the posts will still be there right? Well, Kristie is at it again, and has started a new campaign. This time, it is not simply to recommend a new book, but to share and celebrate her love of Western romance books! She's enlisted the help of two other very popular bloggers, Wendy the Super Librarian and Sybil from The Good, The Bad and the Unread. Together, they have come up with...
THE GREAT WESTERN DRIVE!!
It's been a week-long campaign with many interesting posts about the genre and why they like it so much. In addition, there's tons of recommendations and a contest. So be sure to drop by all three blogs to discover or re-discover this genre. I think it's a great idea, because western romances are rarer and rarer nowadays, eclipsed by paranormal romances and urban fantasy books. Newcomers to romance books (actually even me) might not know where to start when it comes to this genre so this has been very, very helpful :) Also, when have these three bloggers steer us wrong? LOL.
Have fun!!
Monday, June 15, 2009
Day 4 and 5
The trip is over, the vacation is over and now I'm sitting at work :( Time flies - especially great time!
So let me quickly recap Day 4 and 5.
Day 4 started off quite early, but it was very relax. I read a little, then sneaked down to the living room to use Kristie's laptop. Quickly blogged and blog-hopped. I saw Cindy's post and wondered which option it was going to be :P For those who are wondering, it was option 1 :) Cindy was in a really good mood and definitively ready to take on the world.
Bob was our designated driver and took us to Kelsey's, the restaurant where we were going to meet Lea and Mary. There was a little bit of traffic because it was Heritage Day in Ancaster, but not that bad. We were pulling in the parking lot when Kristie's cell phone started ringing and LOL, Kristie and I just dove into her purse. See, although Kristie's cellphone is functional, she has difficulties with it... and LOL, guessing that it was probably Lea calling, we didn't want to miss the phone call. Well we didn't... it was indeed Lea, telling us that she'd be there with Mary, her online date, in about 10 minutes. So Kristie, Cindy, Bob and I went into the restaurant and sat... waiting impatiently... and a little bit anxiously.
So we were all staring out the window, trying to be the first to catch a glimpse of Lea and Mary... and then, you have Bob pointing out and saying: "I bet that's them!" Kristie, Cindy and I looked at the 2 women he was pointing at... and we all had the same reaction... a mixture of "God no!" and "I don't think so... maybe?" Having no clue what Lea and Mary looked like, it was hard to tell... but the two ladies Bob pointed out looked, well, dried-out. Older ladies (probably in their 60's) with salt and pepper hair, severe expression on their face... and one of them had a Chapters bag... Then, they came into the restaurant and LOL, Cindy, Kristie and I were staring at them... they approached our table and we held back our breath... and they sat in the booth behind us. LOL, sigh of relief. Hey, I'm not saying that women in their 60s-70s cannot enjoy romance... however, they just looked so severe and stern. Not people I imagine would drive one to two hours away to meet strangers to discuss romance! So after these two ladies, 2 younger ones came in... but this time, one of them had a baby, so we figured quickly it wasn't them either... and then, Lea and Mary surprised us (they parked on the other side, so we didn't see them from our window). We saw two women looking around, unsure... so we decided to wave and yep, indeed, it was Lea and Mary!!
As it is usually with romance lovers, we quickly found things to discuss and there were no awkward moments. Time really went by quickly... and by the time we got out of the restaurant, it was around 2.30pm if I remember correctly. So the reason why Cindy chose Kelsey's as the meeting point was because there's a huge Chapters just behind! So guess what we did? Of course, we went and did a quick tour :) LOL, I felt like we hogged the romance section, standing in our little group and discussing this book and that book... and asking each other "Did you read this book?" "What did you think of this one" "Oh, I love this author!" LOL :) Nobody went out empty-handed :)
After Chapters, we decided to go to the UBS in Burlington. Only problem was that we were 6 (including Bob) and so we had to use two vehicles: Lea, Mary and Kristie and Bob, Cindy and me. So Lea would follow Bob... and LOL, we lost Lea in the parking lot!! LMAO!! Bob assumed that Lea knew where the gas station was, so he took a head-start... but Lea, Mary and Kristie were only getting the car. Cindy made Bob stopped, but we were already in a different section of the parking lot... So we could see that Lea went back to where Bob was parked and she circled, looking for us ^_^; So a quick phone call, more hand waving and we were all ready to go :) Cindy decided she would be driving instead of Bob :)
The ride to the UBS wasn't very long. We got to this small mall and went into it, all excited... and the UBS wasn't there anymore!! For a moment, I thought it was the UBS curse. See, last year, when Ames and I went to Holly's wedding - all the UBS we planned to go have closed down... so I was like: Here we go again... Only, this time, Cindy knew that the UBS was still open, because she had called them earlier in the week. So we stood in the mall and called 411... and turned out the UBS had moved just the month before to another mall... just in front of another Chapters! So we piled back into the cars and went to the UBS and we made it :)
The UBS was a good one :) And it was well classified because it had just opened! I found some very precious gems! Can't wait to show it to you (in the next post)!! LOL, one cute thing is that a little birdie came into the shop. He was tiny, but so cute!! Bob was a dear and picked the bird up and showed him the door. However, the birdie came back and Bob had to do it a second time :P (We figured he liked the shades)... As for the actual shopping, well... I don't know how these ladies went through all the books so fast, but they were all done before me!! I was half-way through the Contemporary section (still had the Historical one to go through!) and already, Lea, Kristie and Mary had paid. Huh LOL :) Of course, I'm the one who came out with the most books :) Then, we crossed the street to go to Chapters where I only bought 1 other book. Actually, at this point, I think only I and Cindy bought books... and Cindy was able to find a purple book bag, so she was all happy :)
After that, we all went back to Cindy's home. The day was gorgeous and hot, so as soon as we came back to Cindy's, she and I took a quick dip into the pool :) It was great! Then, we had a BBQ :) After eating, it was starting to get a little dark... so we went to Cindy's living room for the book exchange. In the meantime, I connected onto internet and Ames was online!! So she was able to meet Lea and Mary via webcam! Seriously, I love that little new toy... After the book exchange, dessert and some pictures, it was time for Lea and Mary to go :( The Canadian Bloggers Meet was ending :( Kristie, Cindy and I stayed up to talk a little bit more and then, we went to bed.
You can go to Kristie (and here), Cindy (and here) and Lea's respective blogs for other accounts of the blast we had! :)
Day 5 was another relaxing day. Again, I woke up early and did a quick tour on blogland. Then, we went to a shoe store - my sister wanted Converse shoes and I was able to buy them, so score! :) Then, we went for brunch. We made it back to Cindy's home and had about 2 hours before I had to go to the train station. I had to pack all over again to fit the shoes (I bought a pair for myself too ^_^;), but everything fit... but my suitcase was a little bit bulging LOL :) Then, we chatted a little more by the side of Cindy's pool... and it was time to go :( Kristie left to go home while Bob and Cindy drove me to the train station...
Overall, I had an amazing trip to Ontario and am really glad I went! Sure, I scored with the books... but more than that, I was glad to be able to hang out with Kristie and Cindy! I thought that was really the best... because last time, I only saw Cindy a couple of hours... This time, I really got time to know Kristie and Cindy better :) I loved those relax moments we had where we just chatted and gabbed! It was also great to meet Lea and Mary (we're trying to convince Mary to become a blogger :P) and discuss books with them :) One of the thing that stands out to me is when Mary said: "There are people like me outside! I'm normal!!" and seriously, that's the beauty of meeting bloggers and romance lovers! This feeling of companionship and understanding. LOL, the first question Kristie asked Lea and Mary when they sat down at our table in the restaurant was: "How many books do you have in your bag?" LOL :)
So yes, I can't wait to do this again!! and thank you from the bottom of my heart to Cindy and Kristie for having me over and Lea and Mary for making it to the meet!
So let me quickly recap Day 4 and 5.
Day 4 started off quite early, but it was very relax. I read a little, then sneaked down to the living room to use Kristie's laptop. Quickly blogged and blog-hopped. I saw Cindy's post and wondered which option it was going to be :P For those who are wondering, it was option 1 :) Cindy was in a really good mood and definitively ready to take on the world.
Bob was our designated driver and took us to Kelsey's, the restaurant where we were going to meet Lea and Mary. There was a little bit of traffic because it was Heritage Day in Ancaster, but not that bad. We were pulling in the parking lot when Kristie's cell phone started ringing and LOL, Kristie and I just dove into her purse. See, although Kristie's cellphone is functional, she has difficulties with it... and LOL, guessing that it was probably Lea calling, we didn't want to miss the phone call. Well we didn't... it was indeed Lea, telling us that she'd be there with Mary, her online date, in about 10 minutes. So Kristie, Cindy, Bob and I went into the restaurant and sat... waiting impatiently... and a little bit anxiously.
So we were all staring out the window, trying to be the first to catch a glimpse of Lea and Mary... and then, you have Bob pointing out and saying: "I bet that's them!" Kristie, Cindy and I looked at the 2 women he was pointing at... and we all had the same reaction... a mixture of "God no!" and "I don't think so... maybe?" Having no clue what Lea and Mary looked like, it was hard to tell... but the two ladies Bob pointed out looked, well, dried-out. Older ladies (probably in their 60's) with salt and pepper hair, severe expression on their face... and one of them had a Chapters bag... Then, they came into the restaurant and LOL, Cindy, Kristie and I were staring at them... they approached our table and we held back our breath... and they sat in the booth behind us. LOL, sigh of relief. Hey, I'm not saying that women in their 60s-70s cannot enjoy romance... however, they just looked so severe and stern. Not people I imagine would drive one to two hours away to meet strangers to discuss romance! So after these two ladies, 2 younger ones came in... but this time, one of them had a baby, so we figured quickly it wasn't them either... and then, Lea and Mary surprised us (they parked on the other side, so we didn't see them from our window). We saw two women looking around, unsure... so we decided to wave and yep, indeed, it was Lea and Mary!!
As it is usually with romance lovers, we quickly found things to discuss and there were no awkward moments. Time really went by quickly... and by the time we got out of the restaurant, it was around 2.30pm if I remember correctly. So the reason why Cindy chose Kelsey's as the meeting point was because there's a huge Chapters just behind! So guess what we did? Of course, we went and did a quick tour :) LOL, I felt like we hogged the romance section, standing in our little group and discussing this book and that book... and asking each other "Did you read this book?" "What did you think of this one" "Oh, I love this author!" LOL :) Nobody went out empty-handed :)
After Chapters, we decided to go to the UBS in Burlington. Only problem was that we were 6 (including Bob) and so we had to use two vehicles: Lea, Mary and Kristie and Bob, Cindy and me. So Lea would follow Bob... and LOL, we lost Lea in the parking lot!! LMAO!! Bob assumed that Lea knew where the gas station was, so he took a head-start... but Lea, Mary and Kristie were only getting the car. Cindy made Bob stopped, but we were already in a different section of the parking lot... So we could see that Lea went back to where Bob was parked and she circled, looking for us ^_^; So a quick phone call, more hand waving and we were all ready to go :) Cindy decided she would be driving instead of Bob :)
The ride to the UBS wasn't very long. We got to this small mall and went into it, all excited... and the UBS wasn't there anymore!! For a moment, I thought it was the UBS curse. See, last year, when Ames and I went to Holly's wedding - all the UBS we planned to go have closed down... so I was like: Here we go again... Only, this time, Cindy knew that the UBS was still open, because she had called them earlier in the week. So we stood in the mall and called 411... and turned out the UBS had moved just the month before to another mall... just in front of another Chapters! So we piled back into the cars and went to the UBS and we made it :)
The UBS was a good one :) And it was well classified because it had just opened! I found some very precious gems! Can't wait to show it to you (in the next post)!! LOL, one cute thing is that a little birdie came into the shop. He was tiny, but so cute!! Bob was a dear and picked the bird up and showed him the door. However, the birdie came back and Bob had to do it a second time :P (We figured he liked the shades)... As for the actual shopping, well... I don't know how these ladies went through all the books so fast, but they were all done before me!! I was half-way through the Contemporary section (still had the Historical one to go through!) and already, Lea, Kristie and Mary had paid. Huh LOL :) Of course, I'm the one who came out with the most books :) Then, we crossed the street to go to Chapters where I only bought 1 other book. Actually, at this point, I think only I and Cindy bought books... and Cindy was able to find a purple book bag, so she was all happy :)
After that, we all went back to Cindy's home. The day was gorgeous and hot, so as soon as we came back to Cindy's, she and I took a quick dip into the pool :) It was great! Then, we had a BBQ :) After eating, it was starting to get a little dark... so we went to Cindy's living room for the book exchange. In the meantime, I connected onto internet and Ames was online!! So she was able to meet Lea and Mary via webcam! Seriously, I love that little new toy... After the book exchange, dessert and some pictures, it was time for Lea and Mary to go :( The Canadian Bloggers Meet was ending :( Kristie, Cindy and I stayed up to talk a little bit more and then, we went to bed.
You can go to Kristie (and here), Cindy (and here) and Lea's respective blogs for other accounts of the blast we had! :)
Day 5 was another relaxing day. Again, I woke up early and did a quick tour on blogland. Then, we went to a shoe store - my sister wanted Converse shoes and I was able to buy them, so score! :) Then, we went for brunch. We made it back to Cindy's home and had about 2 hours before I had to go to the train station. I had to pack all over again to fit the shoes (I bought a pair for myself too ^_^;), but everything fit... but my suitcase was a little bit bulging LOL :) Then, we chatted a little more by the side of Cindy's pool... and it was time to go :( Kristie left to go home while Bob and Cindy drove me to the train station...
Overall, I had an amazing trip to Ontario and am really glad I went! Sure, I scored with the books... but more than that, I was glad to be able to hang out with Kristie and Cindy! I thought that was really the best... because last time, I only saw Cindy a couple of hours... This time, I really got time to know Kristie and Cindy better :) I loved those relax moments we had where we just chatted and gabbed! It was also great to meet Lea and Mary (we're trying to convince Mary to become a blogger :P) and discuss books with them :) One of the thing that stands out to me is when Mary said: "There are people like me outside! I'm normal!!" and seriously, that's the beauty of meeting bloggers and romance lovers! This feeling of companionship and understanding. LOL, the first question Kristie asked Lea and Mary when they sat down at our table in the restaurant was: "How many books do you have in your bag?" LOL :)
So yes, I can't wait to do this again!! and thank you from the bottom of my heart to Cindy and Kristie for having me over and Lea and Mary for making it to the meet!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
A Re-read challenge for 2009?
Hmmm, perhaps I should wait for asking fellow bloggers opinions since half of you are going to disappear this week-end to eat turkey, but LOL :) I had this idea this morning and well, am too impatient to wait anyway.
Okay, so I've been buying lots of books lately... however, surprisingly, instead of reaching for these new releases... I've been grabbing oldies that I've already read... and as a result, yesterday, I've re-read Love Songs by Katherine Stone... Actually, I've realized that it's been a while since I've re-read any of my keepers... and it made me realized that I missed them ^_^;
So long story short, I've been wondering if anyone would be interested in a Re-read Challenge starting probably in January 2009. I mean, there is a lot of challenges out there where the goal is to purge the TBR pile... but most of us have a huge collection of keepers. How long has it been since you've picked up one of your dear keepers? Wouldn't it be interesting to see what you think of them now? Don't you want to share them with your fellow bloggers?
I was thinking of a format similar to Keishon's TBR Day... what do you think? Would you join?
Okay, so I've been buying lots of books lately... however, surprisingly, instead of reaching for these new releases... I've been grabbing oldies that I've already read... and as a result, yesterday, I've re-read Love Songs by Katherine Stone... Actually, I've realized that it's been a while since I've re-read any of my keepers... and it made me realized that I missed them ^_^;
So long story short, I've been wondering if anyone would be interested in a Re-read Challenge starting probably in January 2009. I mean, there is a lot of challenges out there where the goal is to purge the TBR pile... but most of us have a huge collection of keepers. How long has it been since you've picked up one of your dear keepers? Wouldn't it be interesting to see what you think of them now? Don't you want to share them with your fellow bloggers?
I was thinking of a format similar to Keishon's TBR Day... what do you think? Would you join?
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