MerrinDonahue.com

Can anyone give me a good reason why I spent 5 hours trying to get past ONE stinkin’ level of Twilight Princess today? Anyone? Bueller?

It’s no secret that I heart Nintendo. I heart Zelda. Kevin stayed up all night trying to get me a new Wii, but alas, there were none to be had. We thought we got lucky on Amazon this morning, but not so much. There is one lady who lives close to us that had one listed on Ebay, but Kevin had to run an errand during the last few minutes of the auction, leaving me to watch it. We set our high bid, but in the last 5 minutes, it kept getting higher and higher. Luckily, I have fast fingers and a total disregard for our bank account. I won that sucker in the last TWO SECONDS. Seriously.
So here’s my solemn vow: I will from this day forward be the wife my husband deserves. I will deny him nothing (as long as it doesn’t interfere with my Zelda time). And I promise to stay off Ebay, since it could would be hazardous to my marriage.
Update: I have a Wii and you don’t.

So my friend Allen is back in town, and we decided that it was way past time to hang out. Tonight, we made pizza from scratch, we played Zelda, and we basically spent time catching up after a year apart. Now it’s time for beers all around and listening to the music of the 80’s. Hooray for nights like this!

Two things have managed to pierce the armor of my consciousness:
1) The women’s answer to the Miller Light Catfight commercial. It’s hilarious.
2) Eco-Challenge starts tonight. We may never see Kevin again. First Fanblogs, now this. I miss my husband….

It has happened. I have once again been sucked into the vortex of the Gamecube, and I fear I may never return. Please send help.

There’s nothing better than a short work day, especially when you don’t expect it. I got to sleep in, then as an added bonus, I got home by 3:00. It’s such a pretty day that I decided to spend some time outside reading. I’ve got to read the new Nora book so I will be prepared for her big appearance next week! I’m so excited I can hardly breathe. Go ahead and laugh, but I love Nora. I have begged and pleaded to be right next to her for the entire event. See? There’s another perk of being in the book business.
Now if I could just figure out what to fix for dinner, I’d be in really good shape. Hmmm. Maybe a little Zelda will inspire me….

I have now emerged from the land of Zelda, only to find that I think I like it better there. I did, in fact, go to work today, and when I got home, I actually started playing Nintendo before checking my email. When i realized what I had done, I knew I had a serious problem. I have enjoyed a blissful 4 war-free days, though. It’s been kind of nice not having to do anything! Kev grilled steaks tonight, so I didn’t even really have to cook. Now if I can just get through the work week, everything will be fine.
On another note, I have a new favorite food item: Sugar Wafers. I loved these as a kid, and they’re even better now that I’m old enough to appreciate the sugar rush they give me. Tasty!

I had every intention of adding a new skin, launching my new book blog, not to mention cleaning the house, but alas, I have been waylaid by the seductive temptress known as Nintendo. Kevin has only seen me emerge from the office to procure groceries and to cook dinner (hey–at least I did that. I cannot begin to tell you how much I needed a weekend of doing absolutely nothing productive whatsoever, and it looks like I got my wish. Now my only problem is figuring out how I’m going to survive the work week with Zelda on the brain. And yes, I realize that I am an adult who shouldn’t be squandering her time on such minutiae, but if you play it, you’ll understand. It was a staple in my youth, and it continues to serve me well. Plus, I’m fairly certain that 48 straight hours of a relatively non-violent video game is a hell of a lot healthier than having one’s eyeballs glued to CNN. Unfortunately for me, it’s almost bedtime, so saving Hyrule from the evil Ganondorf will have to wait for another day. Damn. I just realized what a dork I am. Oh well.

Zelda. Must play Zelda. Oh, and here’s the html tag for BlogShares:

Help. Am being sucked back in……
Zeeeellllddaaaaaa…………

I have been seduced by the power of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Please send help soon, or I may never blog again.

I know it’s been a while, but I’m still learning this Movable Type thingy. I should be good to go, since I just got a crash course in html 101. Hopefully, I will be so successful with this, that I can create a “What I’m Listening To ” category! Anyway, here are this months offerings. If you read any of these books (and you should), then PLEASE let me know what you think. Many of you know that I have a lot of contact with authors and publishers, and they really appreciate all the feedback they can get, even if it is less than stellar. Now, stop reading this, and go read one of these!


My Random House rep (and, yes, I know that I talk about her a lot) told me to read this. “It’s like Memoirs of a Geisha,” she said. Well, it’s not. It’s different, and thus there really is no basis for comparison. It IS a good book, and worthy of your time, however. A tale of samurai and Westerners, clans and feuds, set in 19th century Japan. The greatest part about any Japanese literature, and this is no exception, is the lyrical quality of the prose. Combine that with a love triangle and LOTS of bloodshed, and it makes for one hell of an entertaining story. Now, go buy it.


Everybody loves a conspriacy, and this book is full of them. From clandestine meetings plotting the overthrow of the modern economic system, to the complete and total abuse of power in the American government (did you know it’s run by a select and elite group of Bonesman? Just ask any member of the Bush family), this book shoots you down some pretty winding roads of innuendo. It is, however, a fun ride, and it’s written by an insider. The first book to expose the ultra-secret Skull and Bones Society of Yale University, it’s an eye-opening look at the legendary fraternity rumored to have stolen Geronimo’s skull. Join me at the clubhouse, and read this book. One caveat: don’t take it TOO seriously. After all, it can’t ALL be true, right? Click here to buy it.


It wouldn’t be a complete reading list without a little Nora Roberts, so here you go. The latest in her truly remarkable series, this one is a little darker. Sure, the humor is still there, but the themes are more sinister, and you get the feeling that something wicked is coming to the NYPSD, and SOON. Go on, you know you want to read this.


Here’s a book for the kids. Think of it as Good Dogs Gone Bad. Really funny, and I haven’t listed a picture book in a long time. Hell, I haven’t listed ANY books in a long time! If you have dogs, love dogs, or even have kids, read this. It’s great out loud, and you have many opportunities to use fun voices! Thanks to Emily for introducing me to yet another hilarious book. To buy it, click here.

Since I really do try to read (or re-read, as the case may be) quality literature from time to time, I thought I would include one of my all time favorite modern classics. Daisy is my favorite character, followed closely by Zelda. If you’ve never read it, shame on you. Debauchery and excess are wonderful things, but they rarely lead to happy endings. Moderation is, after all, the key, as Kevin often says. Too bad they didn’t know it in the Twenties! Buy this NOW!