Sunday, November 3, 2019

Sundays with Sam - The Sunday Post



Sundays with Sam is a combination of Sunday Post hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer and Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

My Week in Review

Last week was a string of disappointments for me. First, I learned really late, that there was an opening in a group I have wanted to join for several years now. But, of course, I was too late to the party, and the job actually went to a person on my team. THEN, I went to IHOP, after a long absence, to find they not only renovated the restaurant, but also removed several of my go-to items from the menu.

The worst came on Wednesday. They called us in for a phone conference with a higher up to inform us, that we will go from a 37.5 hour work week to 40 hours. It affects me, the first shift, the most, because we are not allowed to start any earlier. We only have the option to leave 30 minutes later. Which means, instead of getting home around 5 pm, like I do now, I will be getting home closer to 6:30 pm, because of the timing of the shuttles, trains, and buses. It was a buzzkill. I never feel like I have enough time, and come January, I will have even less. *sigh*

My daughter is working in Newark this week, so you know what that means? I get to spend the weekend with her. So, something nice to cap off an un-spectacular week.







Let's Discuss!
  • AJ had me rolling on the floor as she related how she would die in a love story
  • Becky's back, and sharing how blogging is the worst
  • Laura talks about how she doesn't DNF, but probably should

On the Blog:
STACKING THE SHELVES

Won

I was lucky enough to win a giveaway for one of my anticipated books from Star-Crossed Book Blog. As if that wasn't wonderful enough, I also won a $50 Visa gift card, which I turned into a $50 Amazon card. You know what that means? I have some mad money to use on ebooks. This helped ease my work pain a little.



Edelweiss/NetGalley



What I Read Last Week

I am a bit off my TBR, but that's because I saw a tour announcement for HS&OBT, and so hope to be part of it, because I LOVED IT! I had to search for another retelling for my One Old, One New post, and was happy enough to add in Off Script - a very current Emma retelling.

Books

Audiobooks

What I Am Currently Reading


What I Plan to Read

How was your week?
Let us know in the comments!

64 comments:

  1. Oh wow those dog videos- the new doggie one was adorable, but The dodo one- that's kind of unbelievable and amazing. What a heartwarming story! Such an amazing dog!

    I am sorry to hear about the work stuff- how frustrating! And IHOP too- I haven't been to one in a while, but when favorite items are removed from a menu I always get stabby lol.

    Anyway hope you have a great weekend with your daughter!

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    1. The more animal videos I watch, the more human-like they all become to me. Maybe after so many years of domestication, animals are evolving and gaining more human traits. All my favorite items are always removed from menus. I must have some really outlier tastes.

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  2. I'm sorry to hear about the job situation and IHOP. I hope there's a opening on that group again very soon and you get the job. Hope you have a nice time with your daughter (it will make it up for all the bad things that happened this week). :)

    Happy readings!
    Tânia @MyLovelySecret

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    1. The mood at work was pretty dark after that notice. *sigh* I wish I lived closer, because then, I wouldn't care. I can only keep looking and trying to find something closer.

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  3. Oh Sam, sorry to hear about all of that :/ I'll be praying God gives you the strength to carry on each day.
    that's an awesome giveaway you won! I also got Girl Gone Viral! I remember loving that Kate Brian series. I never read the last book, though.
    I hope this week is much better for you!
    Genesis @ Whispering Chapters

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    1. Thanks for the prayers. I appreciate it. That Kate Brian series is such high drama. It's works really well for me in audio too. I am looking forward to Girl Gone Viral. I liked the first book, and am interested in this coupling too.

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  4. I'm not lying - every time I feel like I don't have time for anything, I think of how you make it work with the little time you have. I mean, I still haven't figured out your secret recipe, but still 😉. And now your rescheduling of service, as small as it is, goes and triggers such a brutal domino effect 😧. (I'm also sorry for your missing the new position chance!). But what I know is, you'll find a way around it, because you're that kind of woman 👍. It's sad that one's day has to revolve around work though...maybe you should reconsider your refusal to use the car for your commute?

    The dog who gets a dog for a gift is so precious LOL. And the one who rides a motorcycle with his owner is wild!

    Yay for the wins, and I hope you're enjoying a wonderful parent-kid time! Hopefully, the weather you're having is better than ours - it's been raining and blowing nonstop for 4 days here 😠.

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    1. I was thinking, thank goodness I hardly sleep, because once the schedule changes, I will be gone from home for over 12 hours a day. I just do a lot on the weekends. I refuse to shop or do big cleaning or anything during the week. I have trouble with my eyes and don't feel safe driving far, and also, I cannot see well in the dark. I don't drive at night or before the sun rises, which is not an issue on weekends, but would be if I were driving to work. My round trip commute would be over 80 miles, too, and it's on very congested roads. That's why I take the train.

      That dog reacting to the puppy is why people have pets in general. It's their unbridled enthusiasm for the little things, and the joy is contagious.

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    2. Indeed, it's a blessing that you hardly sleep. If I were in your shoes, I'd probably sleep my whole back-home-time away LOL. It's really unfortunate that your eyes trouble prevents you from driving though.

      I don't know how you manage to be so productive during the WE...ah, well, again, it's probably because you hardly sleep 😉. But even with blogging...I mean, it takes me two or three days to write a review.

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    3. I can hardly fall asleep in my bed, never mind on the train. I have no idea how people do that. You see, it takes me 2 or 3 days to decide to write the review, but I can usually write it in under an hour. Some are easier than others, and those, I really bang out.

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  5. I'm so sorry about your bad news last week, Sam! Especially the extra work time which makes your time at home shrink dramatically. That really, truly sucks!
    Congrats on your giveaway win, both a book and $50 is a boon, right? I hope you'll find lots of fantastic books to pick up with that money. There are so many great ones out there it's never difficult to one-click ;)
    I just bought all the Winston Brothers books, too. I want to read them now that there are so many out, and the seventh (and last?) one is out next week.
    Love the doggies - so cute :)
    Have a wonderful week ahead and happy reading.

    Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms

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    1. I had no idea I won a gift card with the book, so it was a nice pick me up. I reloaded my Amazon gift card with it, and will now hoard those dollars like Gollum watching the ring. Wow! You bought all the Winston books. I was lucky enough to get some of them on audio from the library, and man! That last book has me so ready for Scarlet and Billy's story.

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  6. How frustrating that your work life is becoming more difficult. I hated the jobs where I was getting home so late.

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    1. The worst part is that the only thing I don't like about my job is the commute. I have a great, supportive manager, a pretty fun team, and zero stress. I wish I could afford to live closer.

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  7. Sorry about the work stuff. That’s really frustrating. Congrats on the giveaway wins, though, and thanks for giving my post a shout-out. I had way too much fun writing that one. Have a good week!

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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    1. Yeah, life. It goes. Giveaways make it all a bit better, though. Your post was hilarious. It was meant to be shared. You should have linked it to the discussion challenge, because it fits.

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  8. The commute news stinks--so sorry! Thank you for sharing the videos--the Husky one is so inspirational and makes me miss my pup because dogs really are the best. Humans need to act more like canines in some ways.

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    1. Animals videos are always a great pick me up. That's what I really got to Twitter for

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  9. So sorry to hear about the string of bad news. I hope something good happens soon to take the sting off all that. But yay for the upcoming visit with your daughter!

    Nice new reads too! Totally new to me ones but I hope you will enjoy them all!

    Here's my StS

    Have a GREAT day!

    Old Follower :)

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    1. I am not holding my breath for anything to change between now and then. I might just hoard my time off and use it a half hour at a time to leave early.

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  10. Oh, man, that is a bummer about your work hours! That's a huge difference in the time you get home!

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    1. It's because I can only make a train that is an hour after the one I take now, and then I just miss the bus, when I get to the train station, and have to wait a half hour for it to come back. I am not feeling this new work schedule.

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  11. Bummer Sam!!! I know how "only" 30 minutes more can give 1h30 more when you commute. Not mathematics but real! I hope that next week will bring its lot of great news to compensate!

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    1. I just have to relish my book wins and use my vacation/personal time to leave early on some days. I am rolling four days over this year, so right there, I can leave early 64 times.

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  12. Oh man, that's rough! I'm sorry you've had to deal with so much disappointment this week. :/ Hopefully next week is a bit better for you. I do hope you enjoy your upcoming reads. 10 Blind Dates looks really cute!

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    1. I feel good about my TBR. I just found out I got a tour for one of the books, so I need to do a swap, but I am picking something light and fluffy to boost my mood.

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  13. That is frustrating! 30 minutes can make such a difference in your commute! I'm sorry they changed your hours. I hope you have a better week. :)

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    1. Getting the shuttle to meet the train to meet the bus is a delicate balance. That's why I have to leave at 5:55 am to catch a 6:53 am train in the morning. They don't align for my commute. They work better for people going to NYC in the morning and NJ in the afternoon.

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  14. Bummer about the longer hours and commute wait now. I'm glad you got to spend some time with your daughter. And those videos were fun:)

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  15. Sorry this week hasn't been better for you and you missed out on moving to a team you really wanted to work on. I think it's the fact it went to someone else on your team that probably made it worse but hopefully something good will come from the back of this for you (it has, right?)

    And IHOP changed? I have to say, I know it's a big US chain and everything, but when I ate there when I went to New Orleans a few years back it was honestly my favourite place to eat but every meal was way too big for me. Sorry they've taken off your go to choices from the menu but chance to try out new things and find a new favourite, right? You should really just start sampling the whole menu.

    And wow, now that is a kick in the teeth for your change in hours. I feel like folks never realise the big impact these small changes can have on folks. Is there now way you can shuffle your hours about and work more towards the start of the week so you'll leave later because of buses, train etc and then finish early at the end or something? Hopefully you can figure something out, anyway.

    At least you read some good books this week and I'll look forward to your reviews because it seems like you read some winners. And you're spending some time with your daughter which is always a good thing.

    I hope you have a far better week next week. You deserve it.

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    1. IHOP was always a favorite of mine (after Cracker Barrel) for breakfast foods. I was having a bad day, so I was just extra salty about it. My boss immediately pulled me over to talk about it, because I am the only person, who takes mass transit, but he's in a tough spot. I get that. The books were good this week and the wins were nice too.

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  16. Sounds like a rough week, sorry Sam. That especially sucks about your new work schedule.

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    1. Nobody died or anything, but I am already gone for 11 hours a day, and I dread giving up another 1 - 1.5 hours.

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  17. sorry to hear about all the badness, but those vids sure cheered me up and i hope they did you too
    sherry @ fundinmental

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    1. Thank goodness we have animal vids. I keep telling you, they help me maintain my sanity.

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  18. What a downer week. I am sorry about the change in your work schedule. I hope you can figure out a way to make your routine work. Hang in there.

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    1. Just when I thought IHOP was going the be the biggest disappointment of the week too. Not much I can do, except find another job, but I am always keeping my eyes open for something closer. This is the worst time of year in terms of hiring too.

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  19. Ugh Sam, that is a string of major downers, especially the longer work week. :( That's great you got to spend the weekend with your daughter though.

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    1. I have the kid cooking for me right now. It's good to be the queen.

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  20. That really sucks about the change in your work hours. Losing that much time has to really hurt. You added some great books this week. I hope you enjoy them all!

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    1. I will essentially lose 7+ hours a week, which is quite a hit, but what am I going to do.

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  21. I just added Hearts, String, and other Breakable Things to my TBR. So glad you liked it!!

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    1. I loved that book so much! I hope you love it too.

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  22. I'm so sorry to hear about the job changes---how frustrating!! Such a shame that they won't offer you the option to get there early.

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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    1. There's like 7 of us on my team affected, but so many of the people I travel with are affected as well. It's a raw deal for a lot of people.

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  23. Sorry to hear about your bad week, but glad you had something nice to cap it off. Congrats on the win! That's awesome!

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  24. I'm sorry you had a rough week. That's especially frustrating about the work hours. Not cool!! I hope you had a nice weekend visiting with your daughter though.

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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    1. It's always nice to see the kid, even when we only really relax at home.

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  25. Ahh I'm so sorry to hear about the long hours on the job, that really sucks :( I'm happy to hear that you won some lovely giveaways to brighten up your week a little bit and I'm sending you all the positive vibes for maybe new opportunities and less exhausting ones, too.
    Can't wait to hear what you think of When the Stars lead to you, I'm SO eager to read this one :D

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    1. When the Stars Lead to You was really good. I was a little =/ about the ending, but I liked it very much. And, thanks for the positive vibes.

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  26. Sorry about the disappointments last week! My husbands has a. similar one with having to work even later, and he already gets home at 2:30 AM, so I know what a bummer that can be! I had when restaurants mess with an already good menu. Starbucks is always getting rid of my favorite drinks. Congrats on the book win! I was eyeing that book too, so I'll be looking for your review to serif I should purchase it! I. wanted to read When the Stars Lead toYou, but got turned down for that book, so I'll be looking forward to your thoughts on that one as well.

    Lindy@ A Bookish Escape

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    1. Your husband is getting home, when I am waking up. That's tough working hours like that. I feel like the number one way to make sure an item is removed from a menu is for me to like it. I take it 100% personally. I was never rejected for Stars, but I am still pending. I lucked out that FFBC was doing a tour, and I jumped on that.

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  27. Sorry it was such a rough week. And boo-hiss to the change in schedule. Maybe the longer commute means more reading time? I know, I know, but I’m trying to find a silver lining. Love the cover of When the Stars Lead to You. So pretty. Breaking the Rules really broke my heart at parts. I’ve always loved Noah and Echo and seeing them struggling and hurting was killing me. I remember tweeting Katie McGarry while reading it and she was like, they’re going to be okay! LOL

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    1. I have a lot of company in my misery. Every person I ride the shuttle with will be facing the same issues come the new year. I don't read as much on the return commute, because the trains are really crowded and noisy, and my eyes are usually killing me after a long day at work. I think blogging is going to be harder, since I will lose so much time, and something is going to give.

      I agree. The up and down drama with Echo and Noah was painful, but I was happy with the choices McGarry made for them. I had no doubt they would be ok, Katie wouldn't do that us, but I was still stressed out as I read it.

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  28. Corgis hiding is the cutest!

    My work schedule was recently changed to - instead of starting at 7am I'm now starting at 6am. On the plus side though I get off at 1...

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    1. I love corgis and their little legs. They always make me smile. If I worked closer, I would love starting early. I miss two things about teaching. (1) Starting and ending early (2) snow days. I wake up really early (like 3 am), by the time I start work at 8 am, I am halfway through the day.

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  29. I'm glad some good things happened to counteract the not so great! A fun book win always helps me feel better :)

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  30. That is so awful about the work week, extending it that way and then it being extra extended for you because of travel situations :( I am so sorry about the missed opportunity because of not knowing about it earlier! Ugh, yes, this was a bad week. However, I do hope you enjoy your weekend with your daughter to make up for it!!

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  31. Seriously? They just change your working terms and conditions like that?! Please tell me they at least increase your salary to compensate for the additional 2.5hrs? (I'm guessing not...) Employers would struggle to get away with that over here.

    I hope you enjoy time with your daughter and shopping with your gift cards! A little bit of self-soothing goes a long way.

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    1. It was the most depressing meeting, and they were like, "you'll make more money". Well, of course, we will work longer hours, but the few thousand dollars will not improve my quality of life like the time would.

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