What I'm Reading...

Hi...my name is Alannah and I'm a reading addict. Specifically, I'm a Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooter addict. I can't break free. No matter how hard I try, I just can't stop reading these damned books! And it's becoming quite an issue for me. I've heard of writers who have such a problem of breaking free of the internet that they have their husbands disconnect it before they leave for work (Leslie Kelly/Parrish) and another one I've heard of sends her modem to school in her son's bookbag.

I've considered sending the current book that I'm reading to work with my husband so that I can't read it. But I can't bring myself to do it. I mean, what if I have to go to the bathroom?! LOL

I'm up to the 5th book in the series - only 10 more to go! I'm doomed. Here's the cover and info from her website.



It was supposed to be a "dog and pony show" -- an elaborate demonstration of SEAL rescue techniques -- to celebrate a presidential visit to a California naval base. Professional, no-nonsense White House staffer Joan DaCosta arrives early to scope out the area. Assigned to be her SEAL liaison is Lt. (jg) Mike Muldoon, a born leader -- strong, decisive, tough and fearless.

Against her better judgment, Joan finds herself drawn to the handsome young officer. Skilled at being "one of the guys" in the mostly male world of politics, she is dismayed when Muldoon breaks through her defenses. While tension mounts between them, fueling their growing attraction, a far more sinister danger is lurking, as terrorists plot a daring attack against the president. To protect their commander in chief, Joan and Muldoon must not only risk their hearts -- but their very lives...

HERO: Lt. (jg) Mike Muldoon, U.S. Navy SEAL Team Sixteen
HEROINE: Joan DaCosta, White House Public Relations assistant
LOCATION: San Diego, California

Do you have any suggestions on how to break free of the curse? I hope it's a fantastic weekend for everyone.

Peace and love,
Alannah

Cheesy Chicken & Rice Casserole

1 can (10.75 oz) Cream of Chicken Soup
1 1/3 cups water
3/4 cup uncooked long-grai white rice
2 cups fresh or frozen vegetables
1/2 tsp. onion powder
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese

Stir soup, water, rice, vegetables and onion powder in 12" X 8" shallow baking dish.
Top with chicken. Season chicken as desired.
Cover.
Bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until done.

Top with cheese. Makes 4 servings.

I found this recipe in a junk drawer I was cleaning out. I haven't tried it, so I can't vouch for it. But it sounds good so now that it's been unearthed I'm going to try it next week.

Have a great day!!
Peace and Love,
Alannah

Hump Day Humor

This video is hilarious! Lu questioned how much beer was involved when the concept was dreamed up. I question how much hard liquor was involved before these guys could actually get up (no pun intended) on stage and do this in front of millions of people! And watch for the girl chewing on her headband - I think she's quite engrossed!

Enjoy!!



Owww...my stomach hurts from laughing at these guys!

Have a wonderful day!
Peace and Love,
Alannah

Food For Thought...

A CHILD'S VIEW OF THUNDERSTORMS

A little girl walked to and from school daily.

Though the weather that morning was questionable and clouds were forming, she made her daily trek to the elementary school.

As the afternoon progressed, the winds whipped up, along with lightning.

The mother of the little girl felt concerned that her daughter would be frightened as she walked home from school and she feared the electrical storm might harm her child.

Full of concern, the mother quickly got into her car and drove along the route to her child's school.

As she did, she saw her little girl walking along.

At each flash of lightning, the child would stop, look up, and smile.

Another and another flash of lighting followed quickly and with each, the little girl would look at the streak of light and smile.

When the mother's car drew up beside the child, she lowered the window and called to her, "What are you doing?"

The child answered, "I am trying to look pretty because God keeps taking my picture."

I hope it's a fantastic day!!
Peace and Love,
Alannah

PS - Sorry I didn't get back yesterday to comment back to you guys (or to look at that gorgeous line-up again *sniff*). I was having major computer and internet problems and couldn't get back online.

Glad you carried on without me!!

What I'm Reading...

I'm still on my Troubleshooter kick and I don't seem to be able to get loose. LOL

I tried to read Leslie's Pitch Black, I started reading the prologue, and I just couldn't make myself keep reading it when I had these other Troubleshooter books laying on my nightstand. So, I've tucked it away to read when...apparently the time is right.

I'm up to the 4th in the series...Out of Control. Here's the cover and deets from her website:



Savannah von Hopf has no choice. To save her uncle's life, she goes in search of Ken "WildCard" Karmody, a guy she barely knew in college who is now a military operative. She must convince him to help her deliver a cache of ransom money into the hands of terrorists halfway around the world. What she doesn't expect is to end up in WildCard's arms before she can even ask for help.

WildCard has always had a soft spot for beautiful women. But when he discovers Savannah's hidden agenda, he is determined to end the affair. But Savannah is bound for Indonesia with or without his protection, and he can't just walk away. When her plan goes horribly wrong, they are trapped in the forsaken jungle of a hostile country, stalked by a lethal enemy. As time is running out, they scramble to escape, risking both their lives to stop a nightmare from spinning even further out of control...

HERO: Chief Ken "WildCard" Karmody, U.S. Navy SEAL Team Sixteen
HEROINE: Savannah von Hopf
LOCATION: San Diego and Indonesia

I hope it's a fantabulous weekend for everyone!!!
Peace and Love,
Alannah

Hump Day Humor

A filthy rich MISSISSIPPI man decided that he wanted to throw a party and invited all of his buddies and neighbors. He also invited Leroy, the only redneck in the neighborhood. He held the party around the pool in the backyard of his mansion.

Leroy was having a good time drinking, dancing, eating shrimp, oysters and BBQ and flirting with all the women. At the height of the party, the host said, "I have a 10 ft man-eating gator in my pool and I'll give a million dollars to anyone who has the nerve to jump in." The words were barely out of his mouth when there was a loud splash and everyone turned around and saw Leroy in the pool!

Leroy was fighting the gator and kicking its ass!

Leroy was jabbing the gator in the eyes with his thumbs, throwing punches, head butts and choke holds, biting the gator on the tail and flipping the gator through the air like some kind of Judo Instructor.

The water was churning and splashing everywhere. Both Leroy and the gator were screaming and raising hell.

Finally Leroy strangled the gator and let it float to the top like a dime store goldfish. Leroy then slowly climbed out of the pool. Everybody was just staring at him in disbelief.

Finally the host says, "Well, Leroy, I reckon I owe you a million dollars."

"No, that's okay. I don't want it," said Leroy.

The rich man said, "Man , I have to give you something. You won the bet How about half a million bucks then?"

"No thanks, I don't want it," answered Leroy.

The host said, "Come on, I insist on giving you something. That was amazing. How about a new Porsche and a Rolex and some stock options?"

Again Leroy said no.

Confused, the rich man asked, "Well, Leroy, then what do you want?"

Leroy said, "I want the name of the sumbitch who pushed me in the pool!"

Food For Thought...

I got this video in an e-mail the other day and thought it would make a great "Food for Thought" topic.

I hope you enjoy the video.



Peace and Love,
Alannah

Yikes!!! I forgot to post today!

When I woke up this morning my internet was down and so I figured the Universe was working with me to keep me offline and get my words written. Then, when it came back on, I forgot to come and post what I'm reading.

First, word count update: Yesterday, I managed to get 5500 words written! Woo-hoo. It took a toll on my back though and I don't think I can do that too many days in a row. Today...nnn..not so good. I have gotten 1500 written, and I'm sure I'll have 2500 done for the day. But have about 5000 I need to make up from last weekend. Slow and steady, I guess.

As for what I'm reading. I'm still on the Troubleshooter Series - back on track with book 3.

Here's the cover and the blurb from Suzanne Brockmann's website:



Her passion is flying. As one of the best helicopter pilots in the naval reserves, Lieutenant Teri Howe is tough, dedicated, and highly-skilled--until a past mistake surfaces, jeopardizing everything she's worked for.

Rock steady Senior Chief Stan Wolchonok has made a career of solving problems. He willingly comes to Teri's aid, knowing that his personal code of honor--and perhaps his heart--will be at risk. But when a jet carrying an American senator's daughter is hijacked, Stan's unflinching determination and Teri's steadfast courage are put to the ultimate test. The rescue mission will be daring and dangerous. But somewhere between peril and resolution, the line between friends and lovers begins to blur, pushing both their lives over the edge...

HERO: Senior Chief Stan Wolchonok, U.S. Navy SEALs
HEROINE: Lt. (jg) Teresa Howe
LOCATION: San Diego and Kazbekistan (also known as "The Pit.")

I'll be finished with this book tonight and will start on Leslie's "Pitch Black" tomorrow. I hope it's a great weekend for everyone!

Peace and Love,
Alannah

Off topic...

I know, it's Thursday and I'm supposed to have a recipe today but instead I have a video. You may have seen this on AOL's Aimzone, that's where I first saw it, but in case you haven't I wanted to share it with you.

I'm a huge Keith Urban fan. HUGE!! There aren't enough descriptive words in the English language for me to be able to describe just how big a fan of his I am. So when I saw a headline that said, "Keith Urban object of Taylor Swift prank" I had to see what it was about.

Taylor Swift, who's the opening act for Keith's current tour, and her band dressed up in Kiss costumes - complete with make-up - and walked onstage while Keith was singing "Kiss A Girl." The moment that he sees them coming on stage he turns to look and only slightly falters - he keeps singing but it's must softer. It is hysterical so I had to share it. Enjoy!!



Have a great day!!
Peace and Love,
Alannah

Hump Day Giggle

You've probably seen this before, but in case you haven't...

KINFOLK

Two good ol' boys in a Forks trailer park were sitting around talking one afternoon over a cold beer after getting off of work at their local plywood plant.

After a while the 1st guy says to the 2nd, "If'n I was to sneak over to your trailer Saturday and make love to your wife while you was off huntin' and she got pregnant and had a baby, would that make us kin?"

The 2nd guy crooked his head sideways for a minute, scratched his head and squinted his eyes thinking real hard about the question. Finally, he says, "Well, I don't know about kin, but it would make us even."

Hope it's a great hump day!
Peace and Love,
Alannah

Food For Thought...

"You are what you repeatedly do. Excellence is not an event - it is a habit."

Aristotle
384-322 BC, Greek Philosopher and Scientist

And why is it so hard to develop good habits but so damned easy to develop the bad ones? Just sayin'...

Have a fantastic day!
Peace and Love,
Alannah

What I'm Reading...

Well, I'm still on my Suzanne Brockmann kick but somehow, I got seriously off track with the order. I have no idea how it happened, since I have the list saved to my desktop so that each time I go to Barnes & Noble I know which one is the next one I need to get. But somehow, I skipped 3 books. I guess there was a reason, I tend to believe that things like this happen exactly the way they're supposed to so I'm grateful for the mistake...whatever the reason. LOL

Here's the cover and the blurb about the 6th book in the series, GONE TOO FAR:

In his career as one of America's elite warriors, Lt. Sam Starrett can do no wrong. In his private life, Sam--the king of one-night stands--has done little right. Now, he's waiting for a divorce and determined to stay active in his young daughter's life. But when Sam shows up at the door of his ex-wife's home in Sarasota, Florida, he makes a grisly discovery. His daughter is gone and the body of a brutally murdered woman lies on the floor.

FBI agent Alyssa Locke's relationship with Sam has been overwhelmingly intense and nearly catastrophic, yet it refuses to end. The last time she saw Sam was six months earlier, when they worked together to stop terrorists from assassinating the U.S. President. Much to her dismay, Alyssa is assigned to help with the murder investigation and once again the two are face to face. When explosive information surfaces linking Sam to the still unsolved assassination plot, the stakes are raised. With her reputation hanging in the balance, and her loyalties in question, Alyssa is faced with an impossible dilemma: arrest a man she believes to be innocent, or risk her career.

While Alyssa tries to fight their intense attraction, Sam is determined to heat things up between them once again. And the complex case pushes them both to the wrong side of the law--and on the run to discover the truth. As more agents step into the chase, and with Sam's daughter still unaccounted for, neither Alyssa nor Sam can predict how hot this deadly situation is about to become.

A thrilling novel that ranges back into the days of World War II, into friendships, families, liaisons, betrayals, and the code of honor that binds the U.S. Navy SEALs, Gone Too Far is an electrifying experience in suspense--and a brilliant tale of lives lived on the edge."

It's a great book and I absolutely adore Sam and think Alyssa is totally kick-ass. 2 thumbs up! LOL

I hope it's a great weekend for everyone!!
Peace and Love,
Alannah

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

I might have posted this before, and if I did, I apologize. Hubby requested this one night this past week and I almost laughed when he said, "If it's not too much trouble."

Uh...that would be a big, huge NO!

Can of chicken (I use 2 big cans)
shredded cheese
diced jalapenos (optional)
Enchilada sauce

Mix the chicken, cheese, jalapenos together. Fill soft tortilla shell with enough mixture that it's filling but that you can still roll it closed (I tend to have a problem with that part, I always overstuff them).

Pour a little of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish. Place the filled tortillas on top of the enchilada sauce. Pour more enchilada sauce over top. Place a little more shredded cheese on top. Bake at 350 until they're warm all the way through and the cheese is melted.

Ta-da...a dinner that apparently seems difficult to make (lol) but is VERY easy!

Have a great Thursday!
Peace and Love,
Alannah

Hump Day Giggle

An Irish priest was transferred to Texas . Father O'Malley rose from his bed one morning. It was a fine spring day in his new Texas mission parish. He walked to the window of his bedroom to get a deep breath of the beautiful day outside. He then noticed there was a jackass lying dead in the middle of his front lawn.

He promptly called the local police station......The conversation went like this:

"Good morning. This is Sergeant Jones. How might I help you?"

"And the best of the day te yerself. This is Father O'Malley at St. Ann's Catholic Church. There's a jackass lying dead in me front lawn and would ye be so kind as to send a couple o'yer lads to take care of the matter?"

Sergeant Jones, considering himself to be quite a wit, replied with a smirk, "Well now Father, it was always my impression that you people took care of the last rites!"

There was dead silence on the line for a long time.

Father O'Malley then replied: "Aye, 'tis certainly true; but we are also obliged to notify the next of kin."

Happy Hump Day!!
Peace and Love,
Alannah

Food for Thought and special link....

"A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out."

Walter Winchell
1897-1972, Journalist

I also wanted to share a link with you, in case anyone was interested in making a donation. Margie Lawson is a therapist who also happens to be an amazing writing teacher. I've learned more from Margie than probably anyone else. Below is an excerpt from her newsletter:

Please consider donating $50 for ALS research through my cousin's ALS fundraiser page. You will have two chances to win prizes valued at $450 each.

My cousin has Lou Gehrig's disease. Here we are at our family reunion in North Carolina in early July. Dennis is my hero.

I am determined to help Dennis achieve his fundraising goal for ALS research. His goal: $100,000.

I will help him reach his goal. Supporting him -- I am indomitable.

Indomitable. You've got to love the way those five syllables carry power.

Indomitable. Incapable of being overcome. Never say die.

That second definition gives me a visceral response . . . and the courage to request your support. Please join me.

I am enticing you with BIG PRIZES! You may win:

1. A 75 page Triple Pass Deep Edit -- $450 value!

2. Registration for a three-day Immersion Master Class: Deep Editing Power -- $450 value!

To date -- three people have donated. Their names are imprinted in my brain forever -- and also on a list on the ALS page on my web site. MARGIE'S AMAZING PEOPLE list.

Dennis will draw the names of the two winners on August 9th. Winners have their choice of the two prizes. Click Here for details and a link to my cousin's fundraiser page.

Dennis has raised $7,300 to date. He knows it is too late to make a difference for him. But he is striving to make a difference for the 80,000 people diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease in the next ten years. One of those 80,000 could be someone you love.

Consider making a $50 donation. It is tax deductible. Make your heart do the happy dance. Make my heart do the happy dance too.

Those who know me, know I am usually focused on all fun, all laughs, all loving the happy life. Thank you for listening and supporting me when I am serious too.

Remember the August 9th deadline. :-)

Appreciative.................Margie


I told Margie I'd post it on my blog, just as an effort to pass the word along.

I hope everyone has a fantastic day!!
Peace and Love,
Alannah