Friends with a Murder

Friends with a Murderer

Pay no mind to the fat girl in the middle.  That's another story all on its own.

The blonde on the left is Deedra Grubbs and her husband's name is Bobbie.  They attended my church and small bible study group that was held in our Associate Pastor's home each week.

I hit it off with Deedra right away because of her dry southern sense of humor.  We started spending more and more time together.  I fell in love with their 2 young daughters, and even threw a little birthday party for their turning 5yr old because they didn't have any money to do anything for her.  So I bought her a birthday cake, some princess dress up clothes and a doll.  Her little face was priceless when she saw that it was all for her.

I helped Bobbie get a job at the warehouse that I worked at.  Soon after, there was a break in where the computer, cash and tools were stolen. 

No one ever suspected Bobbie and Deedra.  Not until years later.  Then it all made sense. 

But the Monday after the weekend break in, I remember Bobbie stomping around acting all mad about it as it if were his things that were stolen.  Him finding where "they got in at", offering to weld up the area to make sure it never happens again, blah blah blah. 

Again, at no time did anyone suspect him and Deedra at all.

But after it happened, Deedra wouldn't let me in her home when I went to check on her, probably because of the new computer they had obtained, which was my work computer.

Soon after that, Deedra just snapped, said that "her rainbow didn't include my color" and "I just wanted her for her money".

None of it made sense.  It was literally mind boggling.  But speaking to other people in the church, it was believed that they were getting involved in drugs again and were doing and saying strange things to them too.

So they disappeared from our lives.

Then one day a few years ago, they were all over the news.  A manhunt was underway for them, there was live coverage, their pictures were everywhere.

They severely beat a woman that Deedra was cleaning a house for and robbed her.  They shot 3 people and one cleaning lady at a motel was killed.

They are both serving life sentences for Capital Murder.

http://abclocal.go.com/story?section=news/local&id=8637297

http://cbc-radio.com/local-news-blog/101217

http://www.houstonpress.com/news/robert-and-deedra-grubbs-middle-aged-montgomery-county-couples-crime-wave-over-6752656

http://www.texastribune.org/library/data/texas-prisons/inmates/deedra-michelle-grubbs/738753/

http://m.kltv.com/kltv/pm_/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=od:rUq6kdJ8

http://m.yourhoustonnews.com/courier/news/m-bond-set-for-conroe-woman/article_e0b57ed9-4b45-50eb-ba5c-c739644a9c6d.html?mode=jqm

Confessions of a Pen Addict

Confessions of a Pen Addict

We could have $60 in our bank account and I will have no problem spending $50 on pens at Office Max, even though I already have a million pens that are my favorite and won't use because they are my favorite, so I need to buy more pens to use, but then I find out that they are my new favorites, so I won't use them either because they are my new favorites, and I go to my old favorites to use, then I remember that those are my favorites too, so I just end up not using any of them and stealing a pen out of someone's car instead.

Hello, my name is Barbara and I'm mentally ill.
✍✑✐✎

*Ahem, this is only my drawer pens.   I have gallon zip lock bags full of pens too. 
And swag bags full of pens from author signings.
And pens in unopened packages.
And don't get me started on mechanical pencils.

Nine Minutes and Out of Time by Beth Flynn

NINE MINUTES and OUT OF TIME by Beth Flynn
Reviewed by Blue's Book Reviews

Nine Minutes by Beth Flynn has been on my very long list of books to read for what feels like forever.  I was making a drive up to Dallas for an author event and wanted to find a book to listen to for the drive there and back to keep me company.  After looking through all of my options, I zeroed in on Nine Minutes and pulled the trigger.  

First of all, I'm normally not a big MC fan nor am I a fan of reading/listening to anything written in 3rd person.

Here's the BUT...but this writing and narration was absolutely suburb!!   This story kept me on the edge of my seat and left me constantly guessing at the who's, the what's, the where's and the DAFUQ just happened moments.  I never even noticed the 3rd person view and that right there for me is so very huge.

While reading Out of Time, I have gone without washing my hair for 3 days.  I also may have fibbed and told my husband that I was running a fever so that I could stay in bed and continue reading without fear of him being angry with me for spending 3 days wearing the same pajamas, hair a mess, unshaved legs and underarms while looking  more and more like a homeless bag lady with each passing day.

All because of these characters.
They consumed me.
They haunted my sleep.
They kept me from basic physical hygiene.
I'm sure that I've damaged my bladder from holding it for far too long because making the choice between getting up to pee over putting down my Kindle for 3 minutes was a no brainer as I chose to hold it a little bit longer.

Grizz.  Kit.  Grunt.  Blue.  Moe.  And wait for it...Jodie Marie.

Yes, you heard me right.  Jodie Marie and I are in a book together! Never-mind that I'm playing a bad-ass biker dude named, Blue, and now that you know that I'm really a bad-ass biker dude named, Blue, just be sure to not tell my husband.  
And then there's Jodie Marie, the foul mouthed Brit with bright blue eyes and blonde hair who shows up in the end of Out of Time causing me to squeal out loud!

Nine Minutes and Out of Time took over my life and rendered me completely useless to my family.  The headache that came upon me once I finished Out of Time was the hangover headache that I get when I finish any phenomenal book/series.  That sweet agony that we all seek when reading a book, that coveted book hangover that leaves us feeling lost, dazed, euphoric and sad, all at the same time.  
I'm going to need lots of aspirin.  Lots of reassurances that life will go one.  Lots of confirmations that I'm not the only one who felt this way when finishing these books.  

And finally, I'm going to add this series to my,"Blue's Freaking Favorite Books of All Time in the History of Ever List"!!!


Blue's Book Reviews gives 
Nine Minutes and Out of Time by Beth Flynn
FIVE THOUSAND TIMES INFINITY 
FREAKING BLUE STARS!!

Click to Buy Nine Minutes and Out of Time 

Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson

My dear friend from AHS  Class of 88, recently finished listening to Jenny Lawson's Furiously Happy audio book and told me that I had to listen to it.  She even offered to buy it for me.
I told her that I had a credit that I could use to get it and to save her money.  I love her for even offering to get me the book though!!!  Xoxoxo

Anyway, WOW.  This book.  I'm not finished listening it yet but I LOVE it!!!

#1.  I'm not sure if Jenny Lawson is me or if I'm Jenny Lawson.  Which means that I too have mental illness which would explain a lot.

#2.  She talks like I do but add the strong Texas accent for me.  She speaks with a singsong way like I do.  I've been told by a coworker once, "Do you realize that you sing with you speak?"  Uh, no.  But thanks for pointing that Mr. Harry Hypersweater.  So now, while I write this or anything else I write, I hear Jenny Lawson's voice, or my voice, I can't tell anymore because I now think we are the same person.

#4.  What she says about suffering with mental illness, is brilliant and raw.  I needed to hear this because after living with at least one mentally ill person in our home (since now I'm certain I'm also mentally ill but somehow I've managed to function without needing alcohol or meds, but I'm sure Bryan would have been much happier if I had been taking lots of meds and lots of alcohol but I have recently been diagnosed with ADD but I don't take my Adderal like I should take it and this runalong sentence is proof of that.  And that I must be running a fever.

Bryan says, "He loves me, but I'm hard to live with." 
I'm sure my husband and Victor, Jenny's husband, would have lots to talk about about regarding their hard to live with wives.

#4.  Jenny Lawson spent an entire chapter talking about how assholey people are at airports. 
It. Was. Brilliant.
Someone other than me and my coworkers, acknowledging what we know all too well, that travelers are absolutely evil assholes and they need to be hit with a pinata stick.  Hard. 
But I personally would prefer to stab them in the neck with my pen while asking them if Jesus is their Lord and Savior because they are about to meet Him whether they believe in Him or not.

http://amzn.to/1LyYfiA

http://amzn.to/1Rkknki