A view from Verona Park (Essex County)

Ditching the thought of coffee and bagel I headed for a run. At 7 in the morning the sun was beaming right in front of my face. Runners and hikers alike, dog walkers, two grannies like love birds probably in their 70's, some kids with their parents, and few lonely hearts all mingled around the Verona park. I particularly enjoyed the serenity brought by the muted lake slightly populated by geese and birds. I ran a little and gulped some air, pushed my way to the top of the curve, around the lake and in to the tree-shaded area. I felt the morning breeze brushing against my damp skin as I trudged back to where I started.

It was an ideal Saturday morning after all.

Fantasy in Death by J.D. Robb

In the latest novel from #1 New York Times-bestselling author J.D. Robb, it is game over for the criminals pursued by NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas.

Bart Minnock, founder of the computer-gaming giant U-Play, enters his private playroom, and eagerly can't wait to lose himself in an imaginary world, to play the role of a sword-wielding warrior king, in his company's latest top-secret project, Fantastical.

The next morning, he is found in the same locked room, in a pool of blood, his head separated from his body. It is the most puzzling case Eve Dallas has ever faced, and it is not a game. . . .

NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas is having as much trouble figuring out how Bart Minnock was murdered as who did the murdering. The victim's girlfriend seems sincerely grief-stricken, and his quirky-but-brilliant partners at U-Play appear equally shocked. No one seemed to have a prob­lem with the enthusiastic, high-spirited millionaire. Of course, success can attract jealousy, and gaming, like any business, has its fierce rivalries and dirty tricks-as Eve's husband, Roarke, one of U- Play's competitors, knows well. But Minnock was not naive, and quite capable of fighting back in the real world as well as the virtual one.

Eve and her team are about to enter the next level of police work, in a world where fantasy is the ultimate seduction-and the price of defeat is death. . . .

SUMMARY SOURCE: GoodReads

A story where fantasy meets reality, of believing what is real and what is not. This is not my favorite book in the series, but there were several sections I laughed between Eve and Peabody, felt emotions between Roarke and Eve. The technicalities relating to the gaming world was too deep for my small brain, though the ending remained a satisfaction. There were good actions toward the end that got me excited, enough for me to continue reading the next book in the series.

Source: Audiobook

 1/2

I am a sucker for romantic words

He gave me this card on my b-day. I know it's just a piece of card bought from the store, but the knowing part that it came from him melt my heart away... in a good way of course. I think adding another candle to blow makes me all that emotional. It's ruining my cold cold image. My ice is melting :;-)

What Makes Work Comfy

My slippers. I like the warm textile rubbing against my skin. So soft and warm and cozy. It makes the not so bright day goes by quick, sometimes unnoticed. The mixed colors in stripe add contrast to a dull carpet, often vacuumed but remained as is -- dull. Good thing my slippers keep me company. Oh my slippers... (eyes batting, mouth curving to a smile, i'm getting all fuzzy but warm). My slippers...mine!

A view from the top

The first to come to work and the last to leave - yup that's me! Call it dedication or love or plain obsession but for me it's more a necessity. Too many deadlines to chase, not enough time to waste. But if there is one thing that keeps my sanity intact, I give the view from my office window a huge credit. My office is located at the 5th floor, the highest I could get in the building. The view changes in the fall and winter, but the green trees are hard to ignore. They're very eye friendly && stress reliever.

A view of NY from NJ

Yesterday EJ and I went for a walk in Weehawken overlooking the city on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. It was an unplanned move in EJ's part while navigating from a lovely dinner at West Orange. I for one a sucker of surprises agreed wearing stilettos in heels. But the heel pain or the so called plantar fasciitis I experienced later on was compensated by a simple massage and cozy movie night from the living room couch.