A Goblin in My Mailbox

So this year’s theme is “mysteries” in honor of Agatha Christie’s novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles turning 100 years old. To really have this theme be present I decided to review a mystery every month…somehow.

Mystery, you say?

So I had wanted to start the year off posting my review of the next Mr. & Mrs. Darcy mystery/ Jane Austen mystery, but didn’t get time to edit it.

My life motto right there…

I wasn’t sure what to do-when the problem was solved for me…with a mysterious package.

Ready for any case

I went to my mailbox and had a large envelope from a company I hadn’t heard of. I thought it was odd, but realized it might be a gift from a friend and they sent it from the company they purchased it from.

I opened the package and was freaked out!!!!!!!!!!! What the heck?????!!!!!!!!!

G is for goblin who lives in the mirror, when I am quiet it sneaks even nearer

I then screamed internally for like five minutes.

I then continued to open the package and relaxed. It is a mysterious package from The Mysterious Package Company. 

I received a “notice” from a bank that they have been cleaning records and discovered a safe deposit box from a client that wants to remain anonymous. If they did not collect their items in a certain amount of time it was to be forwarded to me.

The items from 27 East Heath Road included:

• 1 Set of Personal Notes
• 1 Set of Letters
• 1 Mourning Card
• 1 Child’s Drawing and Poem
• 1 Page from an Orphanage’s Records
• 1 Notice of Foreclosure Upon a London House
• 1 Photograph

The note also has a warning:

“When I was growing up in London, the property at 27 East Heath Road was known as ‘The House of Death’. No one was ever sure of exactly what happened there, but it was infamous as  dark and dangerous place.”

That house sounds like this one:

The story is set in 1873 where amazing architect Henry Griggs happily designs his dream house for him, his wife, and his family. But all did not go well…

Griggs starts building his dream home, but things are…strange. Unexplained things happen, items moved, a spooky feeling is over all the workers, his foreman leaves frightened, and even his wife is saying there is a evil spirit.

Laura Griggs passes away and Griggs starts to go off the deep end-his notes/memorandum gets crazier and harder to read.

Something is going wrong. The plans change from what Griggs wrote to someone else modifying them, but if not him-then who?

Hmm…

The house is almost complete, but Griggs has descended into some kind of madness.

“The madness in the walls must not escape…I fear I shall be gone altogether…I fear harm may come to her [Lizzy]  if she is not sent to safety.”

You’re crazy!
Crazy, am I? We’ll see whether I’m crazy or not.

So he fires Coldfield, and sets up his daughter in an orphanage with a trust when she is of age. Coldfield is against this as he would like to take Lizzy if Griggs is unable, but alas he does not and Lizzy goes into the orphanage, (as shown on the list). Griggs disappears, presumed dead.

Or is it?!

There are also some marks, like some kind of cipher. But I need more clues to figure it out.

I’m on the case!

Here is everything together.

For more wonderful mail, go to Northanger Soapworks Review

For more mysteries, go to The Last Puzzle: The Last Christmas, Shadow Island Mysteries (2010)

Sadness Is…

So when Michael and I started dating, he would play this band Avenged Sevenfold like all the time. He was obsessed with the band. He gave me one CD to listen to, but not the others; having promised to make “the perfect” playlist, burn CDs, and would mail me care packages. Of course he never did, in fact he never sent me anything but I sent him stuff. Rude, huh.

Anyways, when we broke up I was sad that I decided that I was going to check out a bunch of Avenged Sevenfold CDs and listen to their music.

So I did and I became OBSESSED with them. Like a part of me is mad that Michael didn’t give me the CDs sooner so that I could fangirl over the band with him. Instead I was stuck trying to find someone to discuss their music with. 😦

A fangirl needs other fangirls/boys.

This is me right now

So now that they have become one of my favorite bands (Soon to be coming posts about my fav songs) This is how I feel:

Sad face to the 10th power. 😦 😥 😦

What makes me really sad/mad is that they won’t be coming back to my area for a long, long time. When Michael and I first got together, I remember him telling me how excited he was that Avenged Sevenfold was coming to the area because they hadn’t been there in forever, and were not coming for a long, long, long time. If only Michael had given me all the A7x CDs I would have listened to them, fangirled like crazy, and seen them perform. That jerk. So now I’m just sadly waiting until they return here.

But when they do come, who can I get to go with me? That is the question. Hmmm…

I’ll Be Alright Without You

So since Michael and I broke up I’ve been looking for a song to listen to to kind of help me through this, as music is always a great solace in any time of trouble. (It’s funny it has only been a week but it seems so much longer) I mean I instantly thought of Breaking Up is Hard to Do, I Will Survive or Missing You; but those just didn’t really seem to be able to capture how I was feeling. So I was thinking I should check out this playlist I made for my friend and see what spoke to me. About seven months ago my friend Jane broke up with her boyfriend, and I made her a care package full of food, games, some lotion/toiletry stuff, etc.; but I also made her a CD full of songs to help her through her breakup that I titled “Heartbreak”. Its actually kind of ironic because after I made it I was going to delete it, but thought hey I should save that in case I need to play it for someone else later (little did I know that was going to be me). So the music ranges from all kinds of songs starting out sad but moving on to things getting better and ending of course in I Will Survive. Maybe I will do that for another post, my recommended playlist for heartbreak, always a possibility. Anyways, so I was listening to it and found the perfect song that really captures how I’m feeling. I’ll Be Alright Without You by Journey.

I’ve actually been playing it like nonstop (with headphones as not to annoy my roommate). It’s such an amazing song with really great lyrics.

So unlike my other musical posts I couldn’t find a whole lot of background info on the song. It was released in 1986 on their Raised On Radio album. The song was #7 on the Adult Contemporary chart, #26 on the Mainstream Rock chart and  #14 in the Billboard Hot 100. It was written by Jonathan Cain, Steve Perry, and Neal Schon. It is one of their most known songs, because of course not only is it amazing but because of the content.

So like I said before the lyrics are really beautiful and truly express trying to get over someone.

I’ve been thinking ’bout the times
You walked out on me
There were moments I’d believe, you were there
Do I miss you, or am I lying to my self again

I do these things…
(It’s all because of you)
I keep holding on, but I’ll try
(try not to think of you)
Love don’t leave me lonely
I’ll be alright without you

There’ll be someone else…I keep tellin’ myself
I’ll be alright without you
Oh…love’s an empty face, I can’t replace
(you don’t need it)

People wonderin’ why we broke apart
The great pretender here I go again
These things I do
(It’s all because of you)

I’ll keep holdin’ but I’ll try
(try not to think of you)
All I wanted was to hold you
I’ll be alright without you
There’ll be someone else, I keep tellin’ myself

I’ll be alright without you
Love’s an empty face…Oh I’ve got to replace
I’ll be alright without you
There’ll be someone else, I keep tellin’ myself

I’ll be alright without you
Oh…love’s an empty place, I can still see your face
I’ll be alright

Breaking up is just hard to do (if it wasn’t there wouldn’t be a song titled that), and this just expresses exactly what I keep telling myself. Its going to be okay, I was fine before June, and I will be fine now in Dec. It’s just hard because all I wanted was to hold him and be with him. And people wonder why we broke apart, I do as well, and I just don’t know. I don’t know what happened. I’m just trying to move on and not think of him, but of course that is always easier said then done. (I don’t remember ever speaking in so many song titles. It reminds me of the Archie comic when Betty does that). It’s weird because it comes in waves. Sometimes I feel just fine and like I used to, getting back into the old routine and everything. But other times I don’t know what sparks it, but I just hurt so much and want the pain to stop.

And I know that I’ll be okay, and that later I’ll find someone else, the only problem is that I don’t want someone else, I want him. Things were easier when I was the Ice Queen. Well I know the only thing that can end this is time. Time, chocolate, ice-cream, and Clint Eastwood (Hey he’s single, it could happen).

I changed the wallpaper on my computer to a young, shirtless, Clint Eastwood. That always makes me feel better. 😀

I mean look at this man! Can you blame me for being crazy about him?

Anyways here is the song, happy listening.

To check out my last musical post go to Jump (For My Love)