50 shades of ...No Thank You

My random ranting during my reading of the first book of the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy.
BIG TIME SPOILER ALERTS!


Americans don't say "cinemas" we go to the movies.

Who lives in the Pacific Northwest and hates coffee?! 

Drunk dialing. hehe Whoa, Christian is cookoo!

Red Room of Pain - Not my cup of Twinings tea

Ironic that his name is "Christian"


Christian Grey is a sick man with too much money.  
Control Freak, Sex Addict, Kinky freak! 
More like 80 shades of effed up. 


Did there really have to be a whole chapter dedicated to the submissive contract? I didn't even read it.  
Skipping over until the contract is done.

Ana's inner goddess/devil vs. her subconscious was really annoying. Inner goddess dialogue and updates start getting unnecessary and then completely annoying. No use for them

Twilight regurgitation of "do I dazzle you" dialogue 

So many women swooning over this man.  In reality wouldn't their relationship be considered an abusive relationship? Christian wanting Ana to be submissive, using sex to distract her from her real feelings, unnecessary gifts, and speaking to her so disrespectfully. 
His mood swings. 
Anna is scared of him when he's angry.  
All this "you are mine" possessive language. Okay Smeagol she's your Precious, we get it. 
As soon as sex is over it's like he's done with a business transaction. 
And obviously his need to punish her with a hiding/spanking if she angered him.
Swoon?  I think Not! 

Too much Holy Cow! Holy Shit! Holy (fill in the blank) every other paragraph almost.

And yet somebody please tell the author to put the Thesaurus down!

I just can't get over how Christian is so demeaning!

Ana knows in her head and in her heart that she shouldn't be with him, but she folds so easily. So weak!

Christian is like a sex robot. "I'm going to f*** you now." (robotic voice)

I keep thinking "what an A hole" when Christian is talking in the Red Room for the first time w/ Ana.
I get the heebie geebies when she describes the way he looks at her.  Creepy Creeperson!

"Perchance to dream"?  Does the author throw those lines in as an inside joke or something?  A line from hamlet in the middle of a Red Room convo after sex.  Strange. 
Rolling my eyes (oops Christian doesn't like that) Whatever!
Go Flog yourself Christian.

Christian - Future Wife Beater

Every time Christian comments on her beautiful skin I can't help but to think of Silence of the Lambs and the Skin suit.  Ew Ew Ew!!

I know the author is British and the character Ana is a fan of British Literature but... "prevailed upon". Come on who speaks like that anymore? Maybe the Royal family I guess. 

Talk about emotional roller coaster. More like emotional rocket ride. Blast off... then the engine fails.  Then it starts up again... just to fail again. Ugh! I catch myself thinking aww that was sweet of Christian, then he says something completely vulgar. ugh buzz kill.  
Then he does something and I think aww see he has a heart, well I guess a heart of steel more like it. 
Come on I think he does love her, oh no wait he just wants to F*** her brains out. How romantic.

Wow King Stalker this guy.

Well that was gross. Period sex...eek!

Okay so he was a crack baby, or his mom was a crack whore. I still don't really feel sorry for him.

Oh no she's asking for the full throttle in the Red Room. Don't do it! 

I told you so! Dummy

Finally Ana tells him off! Leave him girl, you better leave his crazy ass! 

I don't like the fact that I didn't want Ana to be with Christian. Why am I reading this if I'm hoping for the couple to break up?  Depressing. 



Things I did like.

Taylor - So loyal
Kate - Ana should have listened to Kate!
Grace - Christian's mother

I love their email exchanges when Ana is in Georgia.

I love Ana's Dad Ray. I adore her Mother Carla!

Oh well if you can't guess by now I didn't enjoy the book.  Thankfully I convinced my cousin to just give me a synopsis of the rest of the books so I don't have to waste my time reading them. No big deal. Good for what it is, 80% humping, 10% Submissive contracts and negotiations, 10% story. 

Best Efforts

I tell this to my kids all the time...

If you are going to do something, ALWAYS and ONLY give it your BEST effort.
Actually I tell my Volleyball players the same thing.  If you are going to show up, you better show up and give me 100%.

I'm a Coach, so it is not in me to say I don't mind losing.  Because I absolutely hate it!  But if it's one thing I hate more than losing, is losing because we didn't give our best effort.  I believe that if my players play to the best of their abilities and then some, and still lose, then we lost to the better team.  No shame in that at all.  

Every time the Olympics come around I am reminded why I love sports.  Not so much by the big Goliath champion gold medal winners, but by the little unknown countries who SHOW UP and give it their best for their countries. 

Like Maureen Tuimalealiifano of Team Samoa.  She competed in the individual Women's Archery event in London.  After the preliminary ranking round Maureen was ranked #63 out of 64.  Which meant that her first opponent would be in the higher ranking countries.  And who does she get? The archer from South Korea who is ranked #2.  But #1 ranking was also from South Korea.  The same South Korean team of archers that won the Gold medal just a couple of days before.   (And every year before that since the event was introduced into the summer Olympics)  

Even though she was defeated I respect her so much for just showing up and giving an olympic effort for our little island nation.  I am also immensely proud of how she carried herself and how she just always looked so happy and honored to be at the Games. 

Check her out channeling her inner Katniss Everdeen. ;) 

Thank You Team Samoa Facebook page for providing pictures of this event! 

And what about Eric Moussambani dubbed "Eric the Eel" of the 2000 Sydney Olympics.  Representing Equitorial Guinea in a swimming heat of only 3 swimmers.  The other two swimmers were disqualified due to false starts, so Eric is left to complete the heat alone.  Just him.  Eight lanes and he was the only swimmer in the pool.  He struggled to finish since he had never before seen an Olympic sized pool before that day, and he had just learned some techniques from the American swim team just two days before.  But he showed up and he finished. In the record books he is listed as the winner of his first and only Olympic swim race.  

original story from cnn 

 In 1992, while watching the Barcelona Olympic track races, 

I distinctly remember bawling my eyes out when I was watching this race live on television.  Derek Redmond of Great Britain tore his hamstring before he could finish his 400 meter race.  I can't imagine the feelings he was going through, but he got up and started hopping his way towards the finish line.  And then his father comes from the stands and helps his son in his emotional finish of the race that had already ended.  This moment in the Olympics was used by the Olympic Committee and Visa as an example of the Olympic spirit, and for Nike in their series of Courage ads.   

My sister asked me who won the gold in the last Olympics for Women's Volleyball. I couldn't even tell her.  In the end I remember the little people and their stories.  I remember the losers and their Olympic spirit.  Hopefully my kids understand what I mean one day.  "Oh that's why Mom always told us to always do our best."  Because nothing of quality ever comes from giving a half ass effort. 

Don't judge my knowledge by my fitness

As a mother of five and a coach, I get the looks all the time. You know those looks like, "She's the coach? But she doesn't look like a coach?"  What the hell does that have to do with what I know about volleyball?  I absolutely love the game, I played the game for years, and I love learning even more about coaching everyday.  Just because I don't look like a fitness junkie doesn't mean I don't know what I'm talking about.  It means I've had five kids and I put them first and unfortunately don't have all the time in the world to work out everyday.  

Yup that's the skinny me. Oh how I wish I could still be that fit again. But that was ages ago.  I'm a mother now, and I'm not obsessed with trying to get back to that size because that's just not me anymore.  I have more important things to worry about.  And yes I desperately need to work out more often, but I don't let it consume me.  Okay so I bake too much too.  I just have to accept it for now and try to find the time to get healthy and not worry so much about being skinny. 

That's me now. Chubby face and all. And I couldn't find a full body picture because I don't like taking them and I'm usually hiding behind my kids on purpose. hehe Nope I don't look like an athletic coach AT ALL. But just shut up, wait and see. And suck it when you realize that the shape of my body has nothing to do with my knowledge of the game.  

Peace out! 

Move over Ezra Taylor, you are not my Daniel.

This is Ezra Taylor, as if most of us Telesa fans didn't already know. But if you don't know what Telesa is, or who Ezra Taylor is...Helloooo! Where ya been? Get with the program and read the first two books of the Telesa Trilogy by Lani Wendt Young!(click on Telesa for the link)


When I first saw this photo before I read Telesa The Covenant Keeper, I thought wow this dude is cute! But for some reason when I read through the book the first time I just never really pictured Ezra as Daniel.  I don't know what happened.  Daniel in my head was never Ezra.  Same thing with my sister who just finished reading Telesa, and When Water Burns.  But she said Ezra is not cute. WHAAATT! Back it up, hold up, check your makas (eyes) girlfriend!! One thing he is not is ugly. hahaha He's just not my Daniel, doesn't mean he isn't handsome. I'm not blind sheesh!


If you haven't heard I am a fan of Kane Thompson of Manu Samoa and Chiefs.  And by fan I mean stalker. ha! j/k But he's not my Daniel either. I just like looking at him.  And I wanted to upload photos of him for no reason.
But he happens to be on the same rugby union team as...

My Daniel who is more like this beautiful creature Richard Kahui.

Yes yes, he's not even Samoan or Tongan.  I believe he's Maori and European but not sure.  Whatever it's my imagination I can make him whatever I want.  So he's my Daniel Tahi.  


I watched this video on youtube a while back and that sort of sealed the deal for me.  If it's one thing women love is man that can make them laugh.(at least for me it is) And I seriously almost peed my pants.  

Oh my gosh, I was dying when they started singing Celine Dion! 
Anyway, Ezra is the official face of Daniel, but not when I read Telesa.  


Off to read When Water Burns...Again. Happy reading! 

Confessions of a Cry Baby

I should change my Blog title to "Diary of a Cry Baby".  Geez I'm so darn emotional lately it's sickening even to myself.  Okay let me see, last month I cried in a grocery store.  That was a new one for me.  Fast forward to today I cried in the waiting room of car repair shop.  There are no boundaries to my tears.  Ugh, I hate that I can't control it.  I have literally, for as long as I can remember, tried and tried again to control my emotions so that I'm not tearing up at every little sob story, elderly couple, or sad movie.  But I just can't.  I CAN'T!  Okay so I sound like a weirdo with the whole crying at the auto repair shop.  So here is what happened.

I woke up early to get to the auto repair shop so that I wouldn't have to wait too long for a simple oil change.  But I stayed up too late, as usual, and had to drag myself out of bed.  I got to the shop a little later than I wanted, and ended up having to wait for customers who arrived before me.  I didn't mind though because I packed my book to read just in case.  

The book, The Rescue, by Nicholas Sparks.  Strange how I started reading this book.  My son Coby, who has language delay and is technically diagnosed as "at risk for Autism", likes to mess up my books on my book shelf.  One day after Coby had thrown down all my books from my shelf I picked up the book, The Rescue, and started to read.  And what is the story about?  A Mother and her son with language delays, like my son.  Right away, I was pulled in just from her experiences with trying to find a diagnosis for her son and why he wasn't talking.  So anyway, I felt like I was meant to read this story.  

So after a sleep deprived night, I'm waiting at the auto repair shop, reading my book.  The beginning of the book starts out with the Mother getting in to a car crash, and her son wanders away from the scene of the crash.  Right away she is freaking out especially because she knows that she can call his name to high heaven, but he wouldn't answer back.  Long story short, small town heroes come to the rescue and search for hours for her son.  Finally one of the rescuers finds her son. And the boy who doesn't talk, looks at the man, and says "Hewwo"(hello).  He runs up to the man and wraps his arms around the man's neck.  The man so overcome by exhaustion and the joy of finding the boy, tears up as he held the little boy.  

And that did it.  A lost, special needs boy, found by a local hero, and says "Hewwo" like my son Coby says "Hewwo" and I was fighting back tears.  There were sounds of metal being cut, and tires being removed, and engines revving up coming from the garage. And there I was in the middle of all that crying.  I turned my head, acting as if I was staring at the morning traffic as I wiped my tears. There was a man a couple of chairs down from me. I couldn't see him but I was hoping he wasn't thinking I was a complete basket case of a woman who cries in public while waiting for an oil change.  Who does that? Me.  I don't know if it was the lack of sleep coupled with the story that hit too close to home, but it happened.  And I'm over it now.  Until the next time I end up crying in public.  Oh gosh, just please not anytime soon.  Or not ever would be better. 

Being Stubborn For the Sake of my Son

In March of this year I was researching online specific behavior of one of my twins, Coby.  After five kids I was pretty used to regular toddler behavior.  But Coby, at 2 years, was not talking yet, and had very odd habits, and major tantrums.  After reading over several blogs, over a dozen articles online, and watching a bunch of youtube videos I decided I needed to get Coby to a specialist.  An Autism specialists.  I did even more research on how I could get him evaluated, and found a research group that would do it.  The Child Psychologist given to me by my insurance wouldn't even see him until he was either over three or after five years old.


On May 1st, my daughter's 7th birthday, we took Coby in for the 4 hour process of the Dr. observing him, playing with him, blood work, and different tests.  The Dr. said he definitely had a delay.  A "Global Developmental Delay" was what she called it.  Heck if I knew what that meant then, or even still understand what that means now.  So I thought okay good, she didn't say definitively that he was Autistic.  However, she added to her initial diagnosis, "with a risk of Autism" because of Coby's mannerisms that were stereotypical Autistic habits.


So Coby's information was passed on to another agency which brought in another Dr. to observe him in a home setting.  A two hour session of the doctor observing Coby and trying to get him to interact with her.   But the overwhelming feelings I felt from being thrown into this world of Psychologists, social workers, evaluations, insurance calls, therapies for Coby, training classes for us, and people coming into my home every weekday for two hours a day was just too much.  I held it together for as long as I could, but I just totally fell apart later that day.  I was in the grocery store and got a text from my husband to "Have a good practice! I love you", and the tears just came.  Right there while standing next to the diapers.  Inside I'm trying to force myself to stop crying, but I had hit my limit.  I couldn't hold it together anymore.  So I called my husband and he calmed me down.  He grew up with a sister with down syndrome so he assured me that we were going to be okay.  I was just overwhelmed with all the information being thrown at me at once.  But I was on my way to volleyball practice so it was a chance for me to exert some energy into something else besides stressing out. 


But the distraction only lasts as long as the practice.  As soon as I am home I see Coby but I realize even through my little meltdown because of how things are going to change so much for us, one thing never once changed.  How much I love my son.  If it is at all possible I loved him even more.  I never once said I wish my son were normal.  I was just relieved that we finally knew what could be going on with him.  I know that Coby doesn't enjoy the doctors making him focus on specific tasks, but it is for his own good.  


My family has this last week to enjoy our present normalcy before we have to altar everything around Coby and his therapy sessions and our parent training.  On top of jobs, the other four kids, house cleaning/cooking, exercise, and trying to get sleep, it's going to be hard.  Statistics I've read say that couples that have a special needs child increases chance of divorce and health problems connected to high stress levels.  I'm sure that happens, but I refuse to believe it for us.  What's the saying?  God never gives you anything you can't handle.  I think that's why He made me so stubborn.  If anyone tells me I can't do anything then I'll try my darnedest to prove them wrong.  Even if "them" is just a stupid statistic.   


"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" - Philippians 4:13


P.S. All prayers will be gladly appreciated.  God Bless! 


<3 Reenie 

I Break for Food!

It's been a month since the last time I posted something up.  I was going to post about my cooking adventure, but was too busy cooking. So here are some of my recipes I remembered to take pictures of.

I love love loved this carrot cake recipe.  Just the right balance of carrot and nuts. But the best part of the recipe is the cream cheese frosting. I just kept "sampling" the frosting to make sure it tasted okay. ;) It's a bit time consuming getting the carrots shredded, but it was worth it. You have to try this carrot cake recipe!  Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Chicken and Spinach pasta bake.  I didn't care for the canned tomatoes in the recipe next time I'll use fresh tomatoes, but otherwise an easy recipe. chicken and spinach pasta bake

These crescent pockets are so easy and delicious.  My kids loved them and leftovers are easy to pack for my hubby's lunch. Chicken Crescent Pockets