Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Sand Sharks (Deborah Knott Mysteries, #15)Sand Sharks by Margaret Maron
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was my introduction to Margaret Maron's writing and Deborah Knott Mysteries. What great fun! Deborah is a judge attending a summer conference of district court judges. Things start right off quickly when one of the judges gets murdered. Of course Deborah is in the middle of trying to sort out 'who done it'!

Besides a good mystery, Margaret Maron show me a bit of North Carolina that my 4 nieces probably know more about that I as they were born and raised in North Carolina. I will have to share this with my sister as well as she spent time in that area as well.

Final thought: i you've ever wanted to know what a summer in North Carolina could be like. If you like a really good mystery. If you want to learn more about what things judges might think about...you might enjoy this book as much as I. In fact, I have become of fan of Ms Maron's writing, I will probably been indulging in more of her Deborah Knott Mysteries! I want to not only indulge in some good mysteries but learn more about North Carolina...even more about what the judge will get into next!

Like many of my favorite mystery writers, this book can be read as a stand allow...but DO NOT use it as a 'patient book'...it will make you crazy waiting for another doctor's appointment or voting line, etc to find out what will happen next! Says the voice of experience!

Danny from Scotland makes me laugh!

What happens as he meets the Queen of England!

How can such a short day seem so long?

it started with a trip across dallas county to see the wound care specialist.

o, what's that about?

sorry, i guess i better update you. about a month ago, a pin prick of a hole appeared on my tummy...then a second one. they joined hands and made a larger wee hole. i was sent off to said wound care specialist and we (doc and dh and i) have been working on getting it to heal from the inside out. ...what an icky mess! 

what caused it?

damned if i know! the challenge body just wanted to make sure i wasn't getting bored is my best guess.

now, can we go back to my day?

we got to the appointment with 8 minutes to spare. noted because we got to the hospital early so i could grab for something to eat before the appointment. (two chicken tacos were wonderful!) from experience i always have a 'patient' book. (patient book = a book you carry in your purse for times when you have to wait...a doctor appointment, while sitting in the car while some one runs into the store ... you know, 'i'll only be a minute'...those kinds of things.) good think i did too! i got an entire hour to read! finally we are in a room. my lovely doctor enters and does her poking and prodding and we all talk about about the state of the wound and  how it is progressing. she leaves to be replaced by the nurse who dressing the wound...no skirt and blouse...just some packing strips...no, not bubble wrap...just some strips to try and keep the wound dry, topped with some seaweed product that much resembles the angle hair stuff used to make spider webs for halloween or used to decorate christmas trees. she's through and we are off!

next stop, egg roll express...wonderful chinese food take away for dinner! yummmmmm!

when asked where to next by him, i respond with 'i want to go vote'. and we are off!

we arrive at 4 something.  i go in to vote while dh and oscar stay in the van....with the chinese food. (oscar can't vote...he's a dog! dh can't vote, he's not a citizen.) dh has decided to eat his dinner while he waits for me...'probably will be 3 hours'.  he was wrong! it only took 2! 

most of the time we were waiting for the line to move. people chatted...no about politics but other stuff; kids, coppell, etc.  one of the poll workers came by with an empty water bottle and gave it to the last person in line...that person was to tell anyone who came in after who wanted to vote, that the polls were closed and the hours for tomorrow. after about an hour, i went back to my patient book...finished that and didn't have another so just people watched and ease dropped. another poll worker came up to tell everyone not to worry about the pa announcement of the library's closing, they would be there until the lady with the bottle had voted.  she also wanted to make sure one had either a driver's license or a voter's registration...and if the latter, that it was signed.

i gotta tell you, all the poll workers were bright and cheerful. they thanked people for not only coming out to vote but for their patience with the long line....this at the end of what had to be a very long day for them! 

and the people in the line, every one was patient. i did not see one person leave to come back another day. people thanked the poll workers for being there to help all of us! 

maybe it's a southern or texas thing, all these people being so nice to one another. i hope it's not. i hope everyone, no matter what day they vote has an equally nice experience!

my wheelchair came in handy, not only as a foot reliever, but also when it was my turn to vote as it rose   (me) to the occasion so i could get up high enough to use the voting machine...meaning they didn't have to spend time setting me up.

as i, and others, left, we thanked the poll workers for their voluntarism as they thanked us for voting.

they thanked us for voting. think about it. i did. they were thanking me for 'exercising my civic duty'.  i was thanking them for helping me exercising 'right to vote'. my privilege to vote! me, a mutt american, a woman, a disabled person, a retired baby boomer person. i look back at all those who made it possible for me to vote and know what a privilege it truly is, my vote, and i rejoice!

I ALMOST FORGOT!  look at the marvelous sky that greeted me after i finished voting!