Things have been going so well here at Casa Kittling. Denis is feeling (and moving around) better. We've both been rejuvenated by our trip to the zoo, and we're already talking about going to the Desert Botanical Garden next Thursday when the weather has made promises that it will be gorgeous and warm.
Naturally, some gremlin had to throw a monkey wrench at my head to darken my mood.
What happened? Well, I purchased H&R Block tax software from Amazon as I have done for several years. I got the email, followed the instructions, went to H&R Block's activation page so I could download and install the software, filled in all the blanks, and... nothing.
After several attempts, I called the H&R Block support number. All that did was make me see 200 shades of red. An automated voice told me exactly what I'd already read and done from the email and from Amazon. Could I speak to an actual human? Of course not! So I'm stuck with a nonrefundable purchase that I can't use. Grrr! Somehow, I'm going to get that software downloaded and installed, blast it! I refuse to lose!
I'm still managing to smile, and I hope y'all are reading some good books that take you away from your worries. I have read two A+ books back-to-back, and am almost finished with another good'un.
I may not be including a raft of book banning links, but that doesn't mean I'm not keeping an eye on things and putting in my two cents where possible.
►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄
- Little House on the Prairie is being rebooted by Netflix. I'll be interested in seeing what they do. The books were among my favorites as a little girl, and I never cared for Michael Landon's TV version of them.
- Why Simon & Schuster's flagship imprint won't require blurbs anymore. Manning makes a lot of sense in this article. (And you know by now that I've never cared for blurbs.)
- This broke my heart. American children's reading skills reach new lows.
- Inside a collection of "imaginary" books.
- Why murder is the perfect escape from life.
- Author Mary Childs: On trying (and really failing) to design my own book cover.
- Utah students can no longer bring personal copies of banned books to school.
- Archaeologists discovered 141 ancient gold coins depicting nine Roman emperors in Luxembourg.
- See the haunting stone face of a Ptolemaic statue unearthed near the ancient Egyptian city of Alexandria.
- Art thieves blew up a Dutch museum's door to steal an ancient golden helmet from Romania.
- The Bad Dürrenberg headdress: an elaborate 9,000-year-old headpiece worn by a female shaman in Europe.
- Secret passageways recorded in Leonardo da Vinci's sketches have been discovered beneath a medieval castle in Milan.
- Archaeologists have discovered a rare liquid gypsum burial of a "high-status individual" from Roman Britain.
- How a Hawaiian high school student inspired nine new state animals.
- Eleven animals that can purportedly predict the weather.
- Oyster "blood" may be the secret weapon in our fight against antibiotic-resistant superbugs.
- Australia's brush-tailed bettong looks like a tiny kangaroo, and it's bouncing back from the brink of extinction.
- A sunfish got "lonely" when its aquarium closed for renovations. Staff found a creative way to cheer it up.
- You can watch a sneaky squirrel eating the fruits of its heist. (When you have food delivered to your doorstep, don't leave it out there too long!)
- A new marine protected area in the Marshall Islands is brimming with life, like a "time machine" to oceans long ago.
- The Mona Lisa is moving to a room of her own at the Louvre.
- Take a journey down under with these photos of Australia.
- How the largest volcanic eruption in human history changed the world.
- Make My Drive Fun is an interactive map that plots interesting sites to see while on a road trip.
- Here's a detailed virtual reconstruction of ancient Rome.
- Dolly Parton, legendary singer, songwriter, and philanthropist, celebrated her 79th birthday.
- Raye Montague: the "hidden figure" who revolutionized naval ship design.
- Brazilian sculptor Michel Torres Costa turns bolts, nuts, and other scrap metal into strikingly detailed sculptures.
- The wonderfully complex Whitman Sisters.
- Meet Rebecca Bradley, the Texas Flapper Bandit.
- Simone Weil: voluntary worker.
- Five novels with tantalizing anti-heroes.
- 20 new and upcoming works of historical fiction to check out in 2025.
- Love dogs and mysteries? Check out Carol Lea Benjamin's series.
- Ten undiscovered gems from the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.
- Twenty albums turning 50 in 2025.
- Historical fiction about little known history.
That's all for this week! No matter how busy you may be, don't forget that quality Me Time curled up with a good book!
I can't tell you how glad I am that you and Denis have had the chance to get and about, Cathy. It's good to hear the weather cooperated, too! As for that software? GRRRR!!!! It's so frustrating, isn't it, when something that's supposed to be straightforward ends up tangling you in knots. I really hope you get it straightened out soon. As for me, I'm off to Milan...
ReplyDeleteI think you like secret passageways as much as I do!
DeleteI'm sorry you can't get that software to work! Technological glitches like that are the worst. I'm going to have to update my computer this year and I'm already dreading it.
ReplyDeleteI certainly can understand that!
DeleteHope you guys get to go to the Botanical Gardens soon. I've loved the 2 visits we've made there when were in your area. Have a good week and good luck with technological issues!
ReplyDeleteWell, we've booked Dial-a-Ride to get us there Thursday, so fingers crossed nothing prevents our going!
DeleteWhat a great year of music 1975 was. I still listen to a lot of it. You've just reminded me that I need to plan a trip to our own local botanical garden, one of my favorite day trips.
ReplyDeleteThere's something very peaceful and calming about wandering through a botanical garden.
DeleteSo glad you both got out to the zoo, but am sorry about the technical glitches. It is so frustrating not to get a real live human to talk to. I call very late at night and get a call center person in another country and can discuss a problem that way. I can't wait to see what those Aplus books are. I need some book inspirations. Am finishing Attica Locke's final Darren Mathews book, "Guide Me Home," a good one. But she's not writing novels any longer; Hollywood has pulled her into writing and more. I'm watching movies like crazy to try to distract from what is happening.
ReplyDeleteI need a few movies to watch, too-- especially since I'm trying to get a knitting project completed by a certain date.
DeleteI liked "For the People," a legal TV show on streaming and "All Rise," another legal show. I watch 42 episodes of "Body of Proof," about a medical examiner. I heard the new movie with Sterling K. Brown on Hulu is good. I love Will Trent and High Potential on Hulu. I'm always looking for a good show or series.
ReplyDelete