Feeling a bit lost without the Olympics

My daughter noted last night we can't remember what any of the other channels are. We only know 7, 27 and 30. The three Olympic channels. We did watch Top Chef Masters. Seems we missed a couple but it was kind of weird not to have sports, sports and more sports.

Spring, I hope, is coming to Canada, unlike parts of the US who are still getting snow. What's up with that? It's supposed to be +7 here on the weekend (45F). Yay spring. We are likely heading to Quebec City for a few days in mid-March when my daughter is on spring break which I hope will be fun. I've read a couple of books but am feeling kind of blah despite the sunshine.

A Fair Trade by BA Tortuga (44 pages)

This was one of the shorts at ARe which was benefiting heart research. Cotton is a cowboy who is bathing in a water hole when two crows show up. They try to steal his spurs but he chases them off. That night they show up again and turn into men and he figures he's going crazy or dead or dreaming but he's not going to turn down a chance to go to their place. They have some hot smexin' and he decides to stay with them for evah. What I liked about this was the way the birds thought. They spoke English and they understood everything but the way they talked and spoke had kind of an innocence to it, more child-like way of thinking about some things. You knew they weren't normal humans. It found it rather endearing. So it's a smexy little short with a different twist. Not sure they are twins, they apparently look the same, but then all crows do, don't they?

(And I'd swear that guy in the back is the same one on Chris's site today. I looked closely but I can't be sure. I think it's his chin/lip, I tried to compare the nipple. LOL)

Family Unit by ZA Maxfield (256 pages)

Richard at 45 is raising his 9 year old grandson Nick. At Halloween they trick-or-treat at "crazy army guy's" house who scares the crap out of them but Richard loves it. Retired army guy (not so crazy) Logan kind of starts stalking (in a not too creepy way) Richard. One day he joins him jogging and when he openly flirts Richard is so shocked he runs into a light pole (and made me laugh - I'm so mean). Logan takes him to the hospital and they admit they are attracted but Richard hasn't dated since he got custody of Nick who's mother is an addict and his father (Richard's son) died when Nick was 3. They try to work around it, with Nick NOT thrilled that Grandpa has a boyfriend. Not that he's a boy but that anyone is rivalling his affections and has serious issues because of his mother's neglect/abandonment as a child. It's basically the two guys figuring out how to be together as a family which Logan wants/misses with some drama surrounding Nick's mother's desire to be back in his life with a druggie boyfriend in tow. I liked it that both guys are older and yet Richard didn't act older all the time which was nice because I don't FEEL 45 and I'd like to think if I met someone I could be fun too. I remember someone reviewing this and saying sometimes they acted old and sometimes not, but as a grown-up sometimes you have to do the responsible grown-up stuff and act your age and sometimes you get to have fun and be goofy. It's a time of split personalities I think.

I also liked that while Nick was not thrilled I think he was portrayed accurately. Sometimes kids in books seems older or younger than they are but I think the fact that ZAM has young boys (a little older) means she can write a 9 year old with a lot of accuracy, how they behave and what they are interested in. I also think his response is completely in line with how he would react with his father figure never dating in 6 years suddenly bringing home a guy, not just any guy but "scary army guy". LOL There was lots of humour, them googling chicken liver because they didn't know what it looked like and talking about gutting fish. I am pretty much a ZAM fangirl though, so I love her work and if you are looking for a book with mature heroes I think it's a great choice.