We rarely go to the movies together. Al has what I have come to call “bad movie karma.” Inevitably, a small child who is too young to be there sits next to him or the tobacco-chewing good ol’ boy sits in front of him or the so-much-important-than-you person who can’t be bothered to turn off the cell phone sits behind him, and of course, the phone rings at least once.
So, Al doesn’t go to the movies very often. But this weekend, I made a command decision when my friend R called and asked if we wanted to go to the movies with them. They were going to see Hot Fuzz, even though she really didn’t have any idea what it was about or what to expect. I, on the other hand, couldn’t wait for the movie to come out, and since I knew Al wanted to see it, too, I told him we were going.
Actually, I wasn’t nearly as decisive as that. I told her we’d meet them there but would call if we couldn't make it. Then I asked Al if he would like to go. But I knew he’d say yes.
Hot Fuzz is by the same people who made Shaun of the Dead, which is one of our favorite movies. Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright wrote the screenplay and Wright again directs. Pegg and Nick Frost pair up again, leading a long list of talented and famous actors, including Timothy Dalton, Jim Broadbent and Edward Woodward just to name a few.
So, you knew I’d love it, right? Well, I did. It’s hilarious and oh so very clever. I don’t think calling it a parody, which some do, does it justice. Hot Fuzz is an homage to cop movies. They take their adoration very seriously, as they did with zombie movies in Shaun. Even within the movie, there’s Danny (Frost) who loves cop movies and peppers newcomer Angel (Pegg) with questions, wondering if he had ever done the things he’s seen in the movies. And as the movie goes on, he’s able to act out all his favorite movie moments.
Londoner Angel (Pegg) is an outstanding police officer (not policeman, that’s sexist). He’s so good that he’s making everyone else look bad, so he’s transferred to quiet and quaint Sandford. There is no crime in Sandford, but there are an awful lot of accidents. Angel begins to think there’s more to these “accidents” and starts investigating, uncovering the serial killing of townspeople. To tell you any more would ruin the fantastic second half of the film.
Pegg and Frost are brilliant. This is not Shaun of the Dead in police uniforms. No recycling here—new story, new characters, new conflicts.
The jokes are so fast and so many that you may want to see it twice to try to catch them all. And then, unless you know every cop and cop-buddy movie inside and out, I’m sure you’ll still miss something. But in the end, who the hell cares? Just enjoy it because it’s good movie.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Friday, April 20, 2007
Good Eatin'
The Nebraska Food Co-op has been operating for a little over a year, and I’m so glad to have found it. This is my first foray into a food co-op and so far so wonderful.
The Co-op encompasses everything I’ve been wanting: local food produced by local farmers; hormone-, pesticide-, and herbicide-free food; and the opportunity to develop a relationship with the farmers I buy from.
I have gone to local Farmer’s Markets, but I have to get there really early to get the good stuff. Since getting there early means 8:00 on a Saturday morning, I don’t get there very often. Plus, the markets are only from May until August or September. I do like being able to walk around and look at the food, but the largest market, which is downtown, is starting to turn into everything but farm products. Not that I mind the Greek food booth selling baklava or the home-made salsa, but I’d like to fill my basket (yes, I take a basket) with food I can go home and cook.
Once a month, the Co-op posts the Product List for customers. At my leisure, I can read through all the offerings with detailed descriptions about the food and a link to information about the farm. Then the ordering window opens, and I place my order online. Then I pick it up, come home, and cook!
It’s still a little early for the vegetables and there’s not an abundance of those anyway from Nebraska farms, being a beef-centric kind of state, but what I got was great. For my first order, I got some raw unfiltered honey, free-range eggs (which were beautiful, pic below), Chevre cheese (goat’s milk), and skirt steak. So, for dinner, we had a frittata with Chevre and toast, spread with butter and honey. I think I’ll marinate the steak tomorrow then make fajitas. Or maybe I’ll sprinkle it with Italian seasonings, grill it, slice it thinly, and layer it on toasted baguette slices with tomatoes and some more of that creamy cheese. I just don’t know yet.
I can’t wait to see what they’ll have next month!
The Co-op encompasses everything I’ve been wanting: local food produced by local farmers; hormone-, pesticide-, and herbicide-free food; and the opportunity to develop a relationship with the farmers I buy from.
I have gone to local Farmer’s Markets, but I have to get there really early to get the good stuff. Since getting there early means 8:00 on a Saturday morning, I don’t get there very often. Plus, the markets are only from May until August or September. I do like being able to walk around and look at the food, but the largest market, which is downtown, is starting to turn into everything but farm products. Not that I mind the Greek food booth selling baklava or the home-made salsa, but I’d like to fill my basket (yes, I take a basket) with food I can go home and cook.
Once a month, the Co-op posts the Product List for customers. At my leisure, I can read through all the offerings with detailed descriptions about the food and a link to information about the farm. Then the ordering window opens, and I place my order online. Then I pick it up, come home, and cook!
It’s still a little early for the vegetables and there’s not an abundance of those anyway from Nebraska farms, being a beef-centric kind of state, but what I got was great. For my first order, I got some raw unfiltered honey, free-range eggs (which were beautiful, pic below), Chevre cheese (goat’s milk), and skirt steak. So, for dinner, we had a frittata with Chevre and toast, spread with butter and honey. I think I’ll marinate the steak tomorrow then make fajitas. Or maybe I’ll sprinkle it with Italian seasonings, grill it, slice it thinly, and layer it on toasted baguette slices with tomatoes and some more of that creamy cheese. I just don’t know yet.
I can’t wait to see what they’ll have next month!
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Tidbits
As I type this, my eyes are dilated because I had my eyes checked today. They’re in good shape, except that they’re getting older and small print is a little harder to read. But they’re fine, which is good because trouble with the optic nerve is very common with MS.
I have a separate appointment to get new contacts and to be re-trained on putting them in. I hate putting in my contacts. They’re large and they let oxygen in so they are comfortable, but I keep missing my eyeball and it takes me forever to get them in. I mentioned this to the MS nurse and she said it could be the MS, so when I told the lady who handles contacts she offered to sit down with me and help me figure out a way to put them in so that it won’t be so frustrating. I never even thought about that. I’ve taken such a strong attitude of just living my life as usual and living with whatever symptoms pop up, that it never occurred to me that there could be help out there! What a concept. Other people have this disease or work with people with this disease and they know some tricks on how to get around the irritating things.
Ya learn something every day. Thank goodness.
________________________
My friend that I attend a quilt group with said she found the perfect t-shirt for me in the latest Signals catalogue. It says “English Major. You Do The Math.” I wanted to put a picture of it here, but the website cleverly disabled my right click. So, you’ll just have to go there to see it.
There were some other clever t-shirts:
As soon as I finish this chapter (see here)
Lead me not into temptation . . . especially bookstores (see here)
Careful, or you’ll end up in my novel (see here)
The Queen is not amused. (see here)
Silly Boys. Trucks are for girls. (see here)
Am I getting older or is the supermarket playing great music? (see here)
Al got me a t-shirt that said “does anal retentive need a hyphen” But it irritated me because it was a question, but it didn’t start with a capital letter nor end with a question mark.
Telling, ain't it?
I have a separate appointment to get new contacts and to be re-trained on putting them in. I hate putting in my contacts. They’re large and they let oxygen in so they are comfortable, but I keep missing my eyeball and it takes me forever to get them in. I mentioned this to the MS nurse and she said it could be the MS, so when I told the lady who handles contacts she offered to sit down with me and help me figure out a way to put them in so that it won’t be so frustrating. I never even thought about that. I’ve taken such a strong attitude of just living my life as usual and living with whatever symptoms pop up, that it never occurred to me that there could be help out there! What a concept. Other people have this disease or work with people with this disease and they know some tricks on how to get around the irritating things.
Ya learn something every day. Thank goodness.
________________________
My friend that I attend a quilt group with said she found the perfect t-shirt for me in the latest Signals catalogue. It says “English Major. You Do The Math.” I wanted to put a picture of it here, but the website cleverly disabled my right click. So, you’ll just have to go there to see it.
There were some other clever t-shirts:
As soon as I finish this chapter (see here)
Lead me not into temptation . . . especially bookstores (see here)
Careful, or you’ll end up in my novel (see here)
The Queen is not amused. (see here)
Silly Boys. Trucks are for girls. (see here)
Am I getting older or is the supermarket playing great music? (see here)
Al got me a t-shirt that said “does anal retentive need a hyphen” But it irritated me because it was a question, but it didn’t start with a capital letter nor end with a question mark.
Telling, ain't it?
Monday, April 16, 2007
For the Victims
Please pray for the families who lost their loved ones at the terrifying shooting at Virginia Tech. Please keep the injured in your thoughts and hope for their quick recovery.
Let's also hope and pray for healing for the people touched by this tragic event.
Let's also hope and pray for healing for the people touched by this tragic event.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Weekend Warriors
There are a lot of great things about being a stay-at-home wife, and things have been going pretty smoothly around here, so I'm not complaining. But there is one drawback--all the days run together and weekends aren't that big a deal. Because Al works during the week, many of our weekends are spent doing yard work, cleaning cars, fixing things around the house, and if he's the one doing the work outside, I'm usually doing something like laundry or cleaning or knitting while inside. And that's just not much different than what I do during the week.
But this weekend, no work, only fun.
Saturday I went to the ladies' spring luncheon at our church. We learned how to arrange flowers, which I've never been very good at. By the end of our lesson, each of the groups had made a lovely arrangement.
The man who was our teacher was a retired chemistry teacher. For his retirement, he's been growing irises and entering flower arranging competitions. He was really very helpful because he put flower arranging in very concrete, almost mathematical terms. First choose a line (like a tall iris or a cattail) and put that in the center. Then choose your focal flower (peonies today), something bright and big, and put those (for example, two in the front) on either side of the line, forming a triangle. Then add all the fillers around to cover up the foam you've been sticking the flowers in and to balance the other flowers. Oh, and don't forget the long, skinny blades of grass--they look very cool in the arrangement. It helped me to think of analytically--my creative mind tends to lean towards the technical sometimes, so this was a nice way to use both sides of my brain.
But here's the funny thing. At one point he turned around to us and said, "I hope these colors look good together. I'm color blind and it's hard for me to tell." What? A color-blind iris grower and flower arranger? Purple looks blue to him. That's just too wild. No wonder he uses the overall shape to dictate the arrangement.
Anyway, we had a nice lunch of salads and dessert (everyone brought one or the other), and I won one of the flower arrangements. I rarely win door prizes.
The best thing, though, was that while I was at the luncheon, Al went to the open house at the BMW motorcycle shop, so I didn't have to go! They are very nice people, but they like to talk about their near-death experiences on the bikes. It's not something I want to hear as I'm watching Al suit-up to test ride an R-1200. So, it was nice to have an excuse to miss it without hurting his feelings.
We went out to dinner Saturday night to the new brewery in town--Lazlo's. The beer was great, the food was awesome, and we talked all through dinner. This is a pretty momentous thing because Al is really quite, even with me, and we've had many a conversation-less dinner.
Sunday was just as busy and a very fun day. The weather was gorgeous--not a cloud in the sky and mid 60s. We put the top down on the Miata and headed out.
First we went to Mahoney State Park for an Art Show and Rib Fest. Now, these aren't as polar opposites as you would think. Most of the paintings and photographs were wildlife art. So, somehow looking at paintings of pheasants, wolves, and bears fit right in with the cowboy-themed rib dinner outside.
The art show was in the lodge:
And we rode the trolly around the park before heading out.
But we didn't eat here because our next stop was the Czech Folk Festival, and we both were salivating for kolaches.
Who knew there was such a large Czech population in Omaha, NE?!? The place was packed!
There was band
And polka dancing
And there were booths of games for the kids and products from the Czech Republic for sale (mostly Christmas ornaments and crystal).
But *sniff* all the kolaches were gone *sniff*. And we were so looking forward to those. I was going to use up all my extra calories for the day on one of those *sniff*.
Oh well, it was fun anyway. But we didn't stay much longer once we realized there were no more baked goods. Instead we went to Paradise Bakery and split a chicken sandwich and a chocolate chip cookie. It wasn't the same but it was damn good.
So, banner day for Kell. It actually felt like a weekend.
But this weekend, no work, only fun.
Saturday I went to the ladies' spring luncheon at our church. We learned how to arrange flowers, which I've never been very good at. By the end of our lesson, each of the groups had made a lovely arrangement.
The man who was our teacher was a retired chemistry teacher. For his retirement, he's been growing irises and entering flower arranging competitions. He was really very helpful because he put flower arranging in very concrete, almost mathematical terms. First choose a line (like a tall iris or a cattail) and put that in the center. Then choose your focal flower (peonies today), something bright and big, and put those (for example, two in the front) on either side of the line, forming a triangle. Then add all the fillers around to cover up the foam you've been sticking the flowers in and to balance the other flowers. Oh, and don't forget the long, skinny blades of grass--they look very cool in the arrangement. It helped me to think of analytically--my creative mind tends to lean towards the technical sometimes, so this was a nice way to use both sides of my brain.
But here's the funny thing. At one point he turned around to us and said, "I hope these colors look good together. I'm color blind and it's hard for me to tell." What? A color-blind iris grower and flower arranger? Purple looks blue to him. That's just too wild. No wonder he uses the overall shape to dictate the arrangement.
Anyway, we had a nice lunch of salads and dessert (everyone brought one or the other), and I won one of the flower arrangements. I rarely win door prizes.
The best thing, though, was that while I was at the luncheon, Al went to the open house at the BMW motorcycle shop, so I didn't have to go! They are very nice people, but they like to talk about their near-death experiences on the bikes. It's not something I want to hear as I'm watching Al suit-up to test ride an R-1200. So, it was nice to have an excuse to miss it without hurting his feelings.
We went out to dinner Saturday night to the new brewery in town--Lazlo's. The beer was great, the food was awesome, and we talked all through dinner. This is a pretty momentous thing because Al is really quite, even with me, and we've had many a conversation-less dinner.
Sunday was just as busy and a very fun day. The weather was gorgeous--not a cloud in the sky and mid 60s. We put the top down on the Miata and headed out.
First we went to Mahoney State Park for an Art Show and Rib Fest. Now, these aren't as polar opposites as you would think. Most of the paintings and photographs were wildlife art. So, somehow looking at paintings of pheasants, wolves, and bears fit right in with the cowboy-themed rib dinner outside.
The art show was in the lodge:
And we rode the trolly around the park before heading out.
But we didn't eat here because our next stop was the Czech Folk Festival, and we both were salivating for kolaches.
Who knew there was such a large Czech population in Omaha, NE?!? The place was packed!
There was band
And polka dancing
And there were booths of games for the kids and products from the Czech Republic for sale (mostly Christmas ornaments and crystal).
But *sniff* all the kolaches were gone *sniff*. And we were so looking forward to those. I was going to use up all my extra calories for the day on one of those *sniff*.
Oh well, it was fun anyway. But we didn't stay much longer once we realized there were no more baked goods. Instead we went to Paradise Bakery and split a chicken sandwich and a chocolate chip cookie. It wasn't the same but it was damn good.
So, banner day for Kell. It actually felt like a weekend.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Goodies in the Mail
Newt had a contest and I won! I won good. She sent me my prize and look what I got:
Does she know me well, or what? She made the jewelry (check out the cool closing clasp on the bracelet) and post-its with the book! I'm starting the book today. I've been wanting to read it for a long time, so I guess the Harry Potter re-reads will just have wait.
Thanks, Newt. I can't wait for the next contest!
In other news in Kell's world, I’m knitting a shawl for my friend I’m going to Italy with. Not only is her birthday happening while we are there, but also her husband has bought her an expensive dress so that they can get dressed up and go out to dinner while we are there. Al and I are passing on that, BTW. I like getting dressed up, but I don’t want to bring all that stuff with me. And Al’s idea of a special night isn’t defined as wearing a suit and paying a lot of money for a little bit of food with a lot of sauce around it. He likes it more than he used to, and he did say that if I want to go, we’ll go. But nah.
Anyway, her husband bought her a dress, and I said I would make her a soft, pretty shawl to go with it. Me and my big mouth. I forgot about his taste, so it’s been a struggle trying to find a good yarn to go with it and to decide on a pattern. The dress is metallic green and gold and strapless. I was thinking it would be a little black dress with a little bling, but no, it’s a lot of bling. She’ll look lovely in it, and even though it’s not my style, it is pretty.
So, I bought an ivory silk yarn. It has a little shimmer and it feels luxurious. I was going to make a rectangle shawl because I thought it would be more dramatic, but after 4 goes at this thing and not being happy with any of them, I’m making a triangular one with no pattern instead. It’s just easier. I’m also knitting it on larger needles so that it will look kind of lacey and because I have, of course, waited until the last minute and now have to knit in my sleep to get it done in time.
That's all for today. Y'all have a great weekend.
Does she know me well, or what? She made the jewelry (check out the cool closing clasp on the bracelet) and post-its with the book! I'm starting the book today. I've been wanting to read it for a long time, so I guess the Harry Potter re-reads will just have wait.
Thanks, Newt. I can't wait for the next contest!
In other news in Kell's world, I’m knitting a shawl for my friend I’m going to Italy with. Not only is her birthday happening while we are there, but also her husband has bought her an expensive dress so that they can get dressed up and go out to dinner while we are there. Al and I are passing on that, BTW. I like getting dressed up, but I don’t want to bring all that stuff with me. And Al’s idea of a special night isn’t defined as wearing a suit and paying a lot of money for a little bit of food with a lot of sauce around it. He likes it more than he used to, and he did say that if I want to go, we’ll go. But nah.
Anyway, her husband bought her a dress, and I said I would make her a soft, pretty shawl to go with it. Me and my big mouth. I forgot about his taste, so it’s been a struggle trying to find a good yarn to go with it and to decide on a pattern. The dress is metallic green and gold and strapless. I was thinking it would be a little black dress with a little bling, but no, it’s a lot of bling. She’ll look lovely in it, and even though it’s not my style, it is pretty.
So, I bought an ivory silk yarn. It has a little shimmer and it feels luxurious. I was going to make a rectangle shawl because I thought it would be more dramatic, but after 4 goes at this thing and not being happy with any of them, I’m making a triangular one with no pattern instead. It’s just easier. I’m also knitting it on larger needles so that it will look kind of lacey and because I have, of course, waited until the last minute and now have to knit in my sleep to get it done in time.
That's all for today. Y'all have a great weekend.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Withdrawls
Two more weeks of the Winter Weigh Down program at the base hospital. One more weigh-in, then they’re going to cut us lose. They’ve given us the sample menu, the food diary know-how to keep track of what little calories we’re allowed in a day, the pages and pages of what to have instead of that cookie or those chips, and the calorie-counting cards that tell us how many calories and how much fat is in fast food, so as to scare us off forever. All of us in our group have done very well sticking to the plan, writing everything down, making good choices, eating the correct portion size, and it shows in our weight loss.
But I just have one question. How the hell do skinny people eat like this all the time?!? I’m going to turn in to a freakin’ carrot. Healthy schmealthy, I want a hamburger and a sugar cookie with a bunch of gooey icing on it.
You know, I might feel differently if after losing almost 30 pounds in the last year someone would say, “Wow! How much weight have you lost? You look great!” But no. Doesn’t happen. My friend M that I’m doing this with said that the nutritionist that she’s been working with was deliriously happy to tell M that she has lost enough weight that she was no longer morbidly obese and she was now just obese. There’s a compliment in there somewhere.
They had someone from Life Skills come talk to us about the psychological side of weight loss—how to stay focused and on target. So, I asked him “I’ve read that I should reward myself for my short term goals that I achieve. But a reward to me would be food, like cheesecake. So, how do I overcome that first thought being for food?” He said that I could have that cheesecake, just not to overdo it. And another lady turned around to me and said, “You’ll get to where you just don’t want that because you’re changing your lifestyle.” Uh huh. OK. But no one would tell an alcoholic that she could have that beer, just don’t over do it. That’s extreme, but you’ve never seen me at a bakery. He just didn’t want to come out and tell me that it all comes down to me making that decision. I hate all that personal accountability stuff.
But one of the ladies at my table understood me. She said that she just can’t stop herself from eating ice cream. She loves it, it satisfies something in her, and she can’t seem to only have it in moderation. The guy from Life Skills said that she should just look in the mirror and admire how good she’s looking and think about how she wants to look even better and that can be her encouragement.
Him: “What do you say when you look in the mirror?”
Her: “Hi Mom! When did you get here?”
It would probably help if I would stop watching Food Network all the time. It seems that every time I turn it on, they are focusing on sweets or fried foods. Al says I’m the person advertisers live for—I’m so suggestible.
Actually, Food Network is on right now. They’re going to make sweet potato cheesecake. Oh dear. Hey, that would be a healthy choice, right? Sweet potatoes are a better choice, right? Isn’t it a veggie? A starch veggie, but a veggie all the same.
No? OK, OK. I’ll get the carrots.
UPDATE: I've added a post on my travel blog. This one is about arriving in Islay and the Bunnahabhain distillery. And it's only half a day!
But I just have one question. How the hell do skinny people eat like this all the time?!? I’m going to turn in to a freakin’ carrot. Healthy schmealthy, I want a hamburger and a sugar cookie with a bunch of gooey icing on it.
You know, I might feel differently if after losing almost 30 pounds in the last year someone would say, “Wow! How much weight have you lost? You look great!” But no. Doesn’t happen. My friend M that I’m doing this with said that the nutritionist that she’s been working with was deliriously happy to tell M that she has lost enough weight that she was no longer morbidly obese and she was now just obese. There’s a compliment in there somewhere.
They had someone from Life Skills come talk to us about the psychological side of weight loss—how to stay focused and on target. So, I asked him “I’ve read that I should reward myself for my short term goals that I achieve. But a reward to me would be food, like cheesecake. So, how do I overcome that first thought being for food?” He said that I could have that cheesecake, just not to overdo it. And another lady turned around to me and said, “You’ll get to where you just don’t want that because you’re changing your lifestyle.” Uh huh. OK. But no one would tell an alcoholic that she could have that beer, just don’t over do it. That’s extreme, but you’ve never seen me at a bakery. He just didn’t want to come out and tell me that it all comes down to me making that decision. I hate all that personal accountability stuff.
But one of the ladies at my table understood me. She said that she just can’t stop herself from eating ice cream. She loves it, it satisfies something in her, and she can’t seem to only have it in moderation. The guy from Life Skills said that she should just look in the mirror and admire how good she’s looking and think about how she wants to look even better and that can be her encouragement.
Him: “What do you say when you look in the mirror?”
Her: “Hi Mom! When did you get here?”
It would probably help if I would stop watching Food Network all the time. It seems that every time I turn it on, they are focusing on sweets or fried foods. Al says I’m the person advertisers live for—I’m so suggestible.
Actually, Food Network is on right now. They’re going to make sweet potato cheesecake. Oh dear. Hey, that would be a healthy choice, right? Sweet potatoes are a better choice, right? Isn’t it a veggie? A starch veggie, but a veggie all the same.
No? OK, OK. I’ll get the carrots.
UPDATE: I've added a post on my travel blog. This one is about arriving in Islay and the Bunnahabhain distillery. And it's only half a day!
Monday, April 09, 2007
Catching Up on My Reading
I've read a couple of books in the last few week that I haven't talked about. I bought both of them at a used bookstore in Inverness. Some women want to look for jewelry or clothes while on vacation, I like to find the used bookstores. This was a small one that we just stumbled on. I found out later that there was a large used bookstore just a couple of streets over! Oh well, next time.
Anyway. I read Hidden Depths by Joyce Holmes on the plane ride home. I've tried one of Holmes's books in this series before and had a hard time getting into it, but I really enjoyed this one.
Tom Buchanan is a barrister in Edinburgh. Throughout the series, he is drawn into mysteries by Fizz Fitzpatrick, a free spirit who is trying to settle down into a law career. She started as a clerk, but now she has taken over Buchanan's job in the firm he has left. They go to great extremes to ignore the attraction between them. And what was annoying in Fizz earlier in the series (her stubbornness, her lack of compassion) have softened a little and become almost endearing in this book.
Fizz gets a call from her old friend Kerr, telling her that Irene, another old friend and Kerr's wife, has disappeared. They are living on a Scottish estate, and Irene was restoring art work in the home. Unfortunately, the Rubens she was working on has also disappeared, and everyone assumes Irene must have taken it and run off. Everyone except Fizz and Kerr believes that.
The mystery unfolds, and Buchanan and Fizz are once again working together. What I really liked about this book is the way Holmes alternated her point-of-view in chapters featuring each of the two main characters. So, chapter 1 is from Buchanan's point-of-view, chapter 2 is from Fizz's point-of-view, and so on. It works for me because it keeps me interested and I feel like I really understand these characters. And I think a whole book from just one point-of-view would be boring (in the case Buchanan) or annoying (in the case of Fizz).
The second book I read was Tell No One by Harlan Coben. I haven't read any of his books before, but a friend recommended them. I picked out one that is not part of his mystery series featuring Myron Bolitar.
In this book, David Beck has tried to rebuild his life after his wife, Elizabeth, was killed by a serial killer and he was left for dead. But he's loved Elizabeth since the second grade, and he can't let her go. Then one day he gets an email that only Elizabeth could have sent, and an image of her caught on a street camera mouths the words, "I'm sorry."
The case reopens when bodies are unearthed as well as a bat with Beck's blood on it. Now, he's suspected of killing his wife. But the more he investigates, the more horrible facts come to the surface, and Beck doesn't know who he can trust any more.
The story was gripping and exciting, with enough twists to keep me reading. For the most part, it is in first person, narrated by Beck. Other characters have their own chapters and sections of chapters, but they are not in first person. So, there is no confusing who this story is about.
I don't usually like stories where the main character is on the run and having to prove his innocence to the dull-witted and arrogant police. I find them frustrating. But it is only one aspect of this story, and it didn't bother me.
Next, I think I'm going to re-read a couple of the Harry Potter books to get ready for the release of Book 7. I don't remember very much about 5 or 6. I remember not liking 5 very much, so I wonder if I'll feel differently now.
Anyway. I read Hidden Depths by Joyce Holmes on the plane ride home. I've tried one of Holmes's books in this series before and had a hard time getting into it, but I really enjoyed this one.
Tom Buchanan is a barrister in Edinburgh. Throughout the series, he is drawn into mysteries by Fizz Fitzpatrick, a free spirit who is trying to settle down into a law career. She started as a clerk, but now she has taken over Buchanan's job in the firm he has left. They go to great extremes to ignore the attraction between them. And what was annoying in Fizz earlier in the series (her stubbornness, her lack of compassion) have softened a little and become almost endearing in this book.
Fizz gets a call from her old friend Kerr, telling her that Irene, another old friend and Kerr's wife, has disappeared. They are living on a Scottish estate, and Irene was restoring art work in the home. Unfortunately, the Rubens she was working on has also disappeared, and everyone assumes Irene must have taken it and run off. Everyone except Fizz and Kerr believes that.
The mystery unfolds, and Buchanan and Fizz are once again working together. What I really liked about this book is the way Holmes alternated her point-of-view in chapters featuring each of the two main characters. So, chapter 1 is from Buchanan's point-of-view, chapter 2 is from Fizz's point-of-view, and so on. It works for me because it keeps me interested and I feel like I really understand these characters. And I think a whole book from just one point-of-view would be boring (in the case Buchanan) or annoying (in the case of Fizz).
The second book I read was Tell No One by Harlan Coben. I haven't read any of his books before, but a friend recommended them. I picked out one that is not part of his mystery series featuring Myron Bolitar.
In this book, David Beck has tried to rebuild his life after his wife, Elizabeth, was killed by a serial killer and he was left for dead. But he's loved Elizabeth since the second grade, and he can't let her go. Then one day he gets an email that only Elizabeth could have sent, and an image of her caught on a street camera mouths the words, "I'm sorry."
The case reopens when bodies are unearthed as well as a bat with Beck's blood on it. Now, he's suspected of killing his wife. But the more he investigates, the more horrible facts come to the surface, and Beck doesn't know who he can trust any more.
The story was gripping and exciting, with enough twists to keep me reading. For the most part, it is in first person, narrated by Beck. Other characters have their own chapters and sections of chapters, but they are not in first person. So, there is no confusing who this story is about.
I don't usually like stories where the main character is on the run and having to prove his innocence to the dull-witted and arrogant police. I find them frustrating. But it is only one aspect of this story, and it didn't bother me.
Next, I think I'm going to re-read a couple of the Harry Potter books to get ready for the release of Book 7. I don't remember very much about 5 or 6. I remember not liking 5 very much, so I wonder if I'll feel differently now.
Friday, April 06, 2007
Thursday, April 05, 2007
For All the Nerds Out There
I watched Wordplay the other day. This movie is a documentary about the NY Times Crossword Puzzles and the people who play them and the people who create them. I really liked it, especially the part where the guy creates a puzzle using the theme WORD PLAY right there in front of the camera! That was just too cool.
So, how big a nerd am I that I liked a movie about crossword puzzles?
So, how big a nerd am I that I liked a movie about crossword puzzles?
Politics As Usual
Typical.
Bush can't get what he wants, so he waits until everybody's back is turned, then he does it any way.
Bush appointed John Bolton UN ambassador. But with spring break, everyone's gone, so who's to stop him? Bolton is secured the position until a new Congress comes in, which will be January 2007.
The papers like to tout Kerry as the reason Bolton's nomination was refused, but there were plenty of reasons not to appoint him ambassador besides his connection to Swift Boat.
According to the CNN website, "as undersecretary for state for arms control and disarmament, Bolton tried to get intelligence analysts who disagreed with him transferred or fired." And Senate members accused Bolton of providing false information on the questionnaire when he didn't admit that he had been "questioned by the department's inspector general as part of a joint probe by the State Department and CIA into allegations that Iraq attempted to obtain uranium from Niger in Africa." Oh, he's admitted it since. Last week. And in the "business as usual" category, the administration cited "executive privilege" in not releasing documents the Senate called for during the nomination process.
Bush said that he did this because we couldn't wait to fill this position in this time of war, even though his refusal to release information delayed things.
But Bolton is a harsh critic of the UN, as is his party, so where better to send him than the UN. I guess they think he's really going to clean things up there.
Reading this in the morning paper was not a good start to my day.
Oh, also in the news, the LA Times says that "in a direct challenge to Congress and the way it does business, the White House on Wednesday unveiled an online list of all the pet spending projects lawmakers tucked in the federal budget for the 2004-05 fiscal year."
Interesting way to put that. It makes it sounds like this was all Bush's idea. But it was the Democrats who were pushing for this reform, unable to do anything until they were in control. You'll also notice that the information goes only up to 2005. That may be because according to the Congressional Research Service, "under Republican congressional leadership, the amount of federal funds earmarked has nearly tripled since 1994, reaching $67.1 billion in fiscal 2006." (Quote from related article in the LA Times. Go here to read it.)
Oh, and none of the earmarks requested by the administration were included, so it lists fewer earmarks than other resources. However, the LA Times says that some of this will be addressed next year, "when congressionally authorized earmark disclosure data are released." After Bush leaves office?
Politics. I feel like I need another shower.
Bush can't get what he wants, so he waits until everybody's back is turned, then he does it any way.
Bush appointed John Bolton UN ambassador. But with spring break, everyone's gone, so who's to stop him? Bolton is secured the position until a new Congress comes in, which will be January 2007.
The papers like to tout Kerry as the reason Bolton's nomination was refused, but there were plenty of reasons not to appoint him ambassador besides his connection to Swift Boat.
According to the CNN website, "as undersecretary for state for arms control and disarmament, Bolton tried to get intelligence analysts who disagreed with him transferred or fired." And Senate members accused Bolton of providing false information on the questionnaire when he didn't admit that he had been "questioned by the department's inspector general as part of a joint probe by the State Department and CIA into allegations that Iraq attempted to obtain uranium from Niger in Africa." Oh, he's admitted it since. Last week. And in the "business as usual" category, the administration cited "executive privilege" in not releasing documents the Senate called for during the nomination process.
Bush said that he did this because we couldn't wait to fill this position in this time of war, even though his refusal to release information delayed things.
But Bolton is a harsh critic of the UN, as is his party, so where better to send him than the UN. I guess they think he's really going to clean things up there.
Reading this in the morning paper was not a good start to my day.
Oh, also in the news, the LA Times says that "in a direct challenge to Congress and the way it does business, the White House on Wednesday unveiled an online list of all the pet spending projects lawmakers tucked in the federal budget for the 2004-05 fiscal year."
Interesting way to put that. It makes it sounds like this was all Bush's idea. But it was the Democrats who were pushing for this reform, unable to do anything until they were in control. You'll also notice that the information goes only up to 2005. That may be because according to the Congressional Research Service, "under Republican congressional leadership, the amount of federal funds earmarked has nearly tripled since 1994, reaching $67.1 billion in fiscal 2006." (Quote from related article in the LA Times. Go here to read it.)
Oh, and none of the earmarks requested by the administration were included, so it lists fewer earmarks than other resources. However, the LA Times says that some of this will be addressed next year, "when congressionally authorized earmark disclosure data are released." After Bush leaves office?
Politics. I feel like I need another shower.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Lessons Learned
When Fixing Things
Al spent hours--hours!--trying to fix the headlight on his motorcycle on Saturday. He took off plastic stuff, changed the light bulb, and got scratches on his knuckles. Then on Sunday, since nothing else seemed to work, he decided to check the fuse. He came inside and showed it to me and said, "Do you see anything wrong?" I looked, and sure enough, it was cracked and I told him so. He said, "So what have we learned?" I don't know. "Always check the fucking easy stuff first!" It took him, I think, 30 minutes to fix it.
When Completing a Project
Is it all men, or just the ones around me? They never estimate enough time to complete a project. The guy who did our bathroom remodel (pics coming soon), said he should have it done by the time we got back from Scotland. But he ran into some problems, including another job that he didn't finish when he thought he would, and didn't get as far as he thought he would. Then he said he'd have the majority done on Wednesday and finish up on Friday because he was going out of town on Thursday. But he didn't get as far on Wednesday as he hoped. And he got back later on Friday than he planned, so now it was going to be Saturday. But not to worry! It should only take a couple of hours. He got there around 1 (an hour later than he planned) and he left around 9 that night. The same kind of thing happens when Al works on the car. So, when I'm told it'll take so many hours, I just double it in my head and tack on an extra day.
When Eating Out
I have a favorite restaurant here, Wheatfields. It's a great place with a huge menu of comfort foods. They have the best quiche, and when my friend called wanting to go to lunch, we knew just where to go. In addition to the great menu choices, they have a phenomenal bakery, which you see and smell first when you walk in. I quickly scanned all the yummy caloric offerings as I headed to the table where my friend was. The servings are huge, so I was a good girl and only ate half of my meal. But even eating half, I was really full. I had every intention of getting an Easter Egg-shaped sugar cookie with lots of gooey icing as I left, but I was just too full. And it was just after 12, so it was packed with people. So, I *sniff* decided to be good, again, and not get one. Next time, I'm going to eat dessert first. Or at least get one and take it home with me to eat later.
Quickies
If you can complete the crossword puzzle without cheating, you're going to have a great day.
If you ask someone to call you back, he or she will do it while you're in the shower.
If you tell your husband about an upcoming event 3 times, he'll still forget about it because it didn't include power tools, cars, or motorcycles.
If you buy a big-ass snowblower, the military will move you to the deep south on your next assignment (hasn't happened yet, but we're waiting).
If you check the mail but it's not there, it will come as soon as you step back inside your house.
If you put away the winter clothes and turn off the heat, there will be one more cold snap.
Well, that's all I can think of for now. So, what have you learned?
Al spent hours--hours!--trying to fix the headlight on his motorcycle on Saturday. He took off plastic stuff, changed the light bulb, and got scratches on his knuckles. Then on Sunday, since nothing else seemed to work, he decided to check the fuse. He came inside and showed it to me and said, "Do you see anything wrong?" I looked, and sure enough, it was cracked and I told him so. He said, "So what have we learned?" I don't know. "Always check the fucking easy stuff first!" It took him, I think, 30 minutes to fix it.
When Completing a Project
Is it all men, or just the ones around me? They never estimate enough time to complete a project. The guy who did our bathroom remodel (pics coming soon), said he should have it done by the time we got back from Scotland. But he ran into some problems, including another job that he didn't finish when he thought he would, and didn't get as far as he thought he would. Then he said he'd have the majority done on Wednesday and finish up on Friday because he was going out of town on Thursday. But he didn't get as far on Wednesday as he hoped. And he got back later on Friday than he planned, so now it was going to be Saturday. But not to worry! It should only take a couple of hours. He got there around 1 (an hour later than he planned) and he left around 9 that night. The same kind of thing happens when Al works on the car. So, when I'm told it'll take so many hours, I just double it in my head and tack on an extra day.
When Eating Out
I have a favorite restaurant here, Wheatfields. It's a great place with a huge menu of comfort foods. They have the best quiche, and when my friend called wanting to go to lunch, we knew just where to go. In addition to the great menu choices, they have a phenomenal bakery, which you see and smell first when you walk in. I quickly scanned all the yummy caloric offerings as I headed to the table where my friend was. The servings are huge, so I was a good girl and only ate half of my meal. But even eating half, I was really full. I had every intention of getting an Easter Egg-shaped sugar cookie with lots of gooey icing as I left, but I was just too full. And it was just after 12, so it was packed with people. So, I *sniff* decided to be good, again, and not get one. Next time, I'm going to eat dessert first. Or at least get one and take it home with me to eat later.
Quickies
If you can complete the crossword puzzle without cheating, you're going to have a great day.
If you ask someone to call you back, he or she will do it while you're in the shower.
If you tell your husband about an upcoming event 3 times, he'll still forget about it because it didn't include power tools, cars, or motorcycles.
If you buy a big-ass snowblower, the military will move you to the deep south on your next assignment (hasn't happened yet, but we're waiting).
If you check the mail but it's not there, it will come as soon as you step back inside your house.
If you put away the winter clothes and turn off the heat, there will be one more cold snap.
Well, that's all I can think of for now. So, what have you learned?
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Where's That Crystal Ball?
I answered a MEME for a friend of mine the other day. It was pretty much the typical questions you see: What’s your favorite color? Where’s your favorite vacation? Do you have any tattoos? I’ve answered these many times, usually with the same answer. I think one of these days I’ll answer yes to the tattoo question and say I got a ball of yarn and knitting needles on my upper right arm and see if anyone notices.
But there was one questions that threw me off. “Where do you see yourself in 10 years?” I sat staring at the computer. I had no answer. I had no witty retort, no inspiring dream, no extravagant plan, not an inkling of what to put down. So I said, “I don’t know.”
Honesty cuts right to the point.
It’s a little sad and scary to me that I have no goals or plans for what I want to be doing in 10 years. I’ve been so busy taking things a day at a time and just trying to get through the days of the last couple of years, that I’ve forgotten how to look ahead.
I asked Al the same 10-year question, and he talked about being retired in 10 years and how much money he wants us to have in savings and in our retirement accounts. OK, that’s very practical and very necessary. But why? Because we need money to fall back on if he can’t find a job immediately. Find a job where? What kind of job? What do you want to do? He doesn’t know either.
Two people living one-day-at-a-time, hoping for an answer to appear out of the sky. Or maybe on the cover of a magazine: “Where you should be in the next 10 years, Kell.”
This is where I put on layers of black clothing, slather on pale make-up, grab a notebook and start writing pity poetry. And I would, if I had any of that make-up. Where do you get white foundation, any way?
Actually, the Welbutrin works way too well for me to wallow for too long. But it doesn’t completely numb the emotions, so I still have my moments of despair. They are usually triggered by moments like this, when I’m forced to think about my life. It’s a very nice life, I’m very lucky and appreciative of that. So, why is there a nagging little voice whispering, “I want more,” in my ear? Maybe it’s not saying “more.” Maybe it’s saying “something else.”
When I was in college, we had to write an essay about where we want to be in 10 years. I didn’t have any idea then, either, come to think of it. I guess planning ahead has always been an issue with me. But I’ll never forget what one of the girls in class said: In 10 years, I’ll be sitting on the beach, outside of my home, with someone I love, waiting to hear if I have been nominated for an Oscar for best screenplay.
Wow. Is copying someone’s dream the same as plagiarism, because I really like that one. And do you know when I heard that, I didn’t doubt for a minute that she would achieve that dream. Some in the class giggled, some just did sympathetic nodding, and the teacher praised such great ambition. But I admired how she knew so well what she wanted that she was willing to put it in writing and have it read for everyone to hear. Even if I new what I wanted, I wouldn’t have the guts to admit it. What if they laughed? What if they nodded sympathetically, knowing that never in a million years could I make that happen, let alone 10.
So, is it easier to not think big, just in case it doesn’t work out? Is it easier not to make plans, just in case things don’t turn out the way you hope? Maybe you should not express what you hope, just in case it doesn’t turn out, that way no one will be disappointed or worse, say “I told you so.”
Hell no! That’s just the fear talking. I don’t have to be nominated for an Oscar, which would be really difficult to achieve any way since I have never written a screenplay. But I could get an article published in a magazine. Or I could write on a blog and have supportive people chime in (shameless begging here).
So, let’s think about this. What do I want to be doing that’s different in the next 10 years.
I’d like to be going to the UK at least once a year for a month at a time. This 2-weeks stuff isn’t long enough. I just start to feel comfortable and know the coins when it’s time to leave.
I’d like to have a business of my own. That’s as far as I’ve gotten with that particular idea. I’ve thought about owning a craft shop, a coffee/lunch place, a kitchen store with a lunch place, an alpaca farm, a pub. The fact that I would have no idea what I’m doing doesn’t dissuade me too much. Ina Garten had no idea how to run a shop when she bought the Barefoot Contessa, and she did ok. And I don’t have an annoying nervous laugh like she does. What I’d really like is to have a business with my brother because I know he wants to have a business of his own, too, and I think we’d work well together.
I’d like to say I’ve been to Alaska. I’ve wanted to go to Alaska for the last 10 years. I really don’t want to go another 10 years without going.
I’d like to own some land. I haven’t decided what to do with it yet—alpacas, rescue animals, sheep (but I don’t think I want to work that hard), or just one big ol’ garden. Or nothing, just somewhere to spread out and breathe.
It hasn’t escaped my notice that if I’m 10 years older, my mom will also be 10 years older. So, I’d like to have an apartment or a suite for her to move in to with me if she needs to. She’s pretty resilient, but I want us to be there when she needs us.
I want to be outdoors more. I want to spend more time hiking, walking, and camping. We’ve been playing around with the idea of getting a camper, maybe we should think a little more about that.
I don’t know where I’d like to be living in 10 years, besides Scotland, but I don’t think I can get Al to do that. So, I’d like to spend the next few years seeing different areas in this country and make plans for where I want to live. Oh, and Al can live there, too, if he wants.
I think that’s enough for now. Oh, I would also like to be 135 pounds in 10 years. If I’m gonna dream, I might as well dream big.
That wasn’t so scary. Of course, I stayed pretty safe, I think. I just can’t seem to take that extra step and look a little deeper for what my heart really wants me to do in 10 years. But I’ve got plenty to think about in the meantime.
So, where do you want to be in 10 years?
But there was one questions that threw me off. “Where do you see yourself in 10 years?” I sat staring at the computer. I had no answer. I had no witty retort, no inspiring dream, no extravagant plan, not an inkling of what to put down. So I said, “I don’t know.”
Honesty cuts right to the point.
It’s a little sad and scary to me that I have no goals or plans for what I want to be doing in 10 years. I’ve been so busy taking things a day at a time and just trying to get through the days of the last couple of years, that I’ve forgotten how to look ahead.
I asked Al the same 10-year question, and he talked about being retired in 10 years and how much money he wants us to have in savings and in our retirement accounts. OK, that’s very practical and very necessary. But why? Because we need money to fall back on if he can’t find a job immediately. Find a job where? What kind of job? What do you want to do? He doesn’t know either.
Two people living one-day-at-a-time, hoping for an answer to appear out of the sky. Or maybe on the cover of a magazine: “Where you should be in the next 10 years, Kell.”
This is where I put on layers of black clothing, slather on pale make-up, grab a notebook and start writing pity poetry. And I would, if I had any of that make-up. Where do you get white foundation, any way?
Actually, the Welbutrin works way too well for me to wallow for too long. But it doesn’t completely numb the emotions, so I still have my moments of despair. They are usually triggered by moments like this, when I’m forced to think about my life. It’s a very nice life, I’m very lucky and appreciative of that. So, why is there a nagging little voice whispering, “I want more,” in my ear? Maybe it’s not saying “more.” Maybe it’s saying “something else.”
When I was in college, we had to write an essay about where we want to be in 10 years. I didn’t have any idea then, either, come to think of it. I guess planning ahead has always been an issue with me. But I’ll never forget what one of the girls in class said: In 10 years, I’ll be sitting on the beach, outside of my home, with someone I love, waiting to hear if I have been nominated for an Oscar for best screenplay.
Wow. Is copying someone’s dream the same as plagiarism, because I really like that one. And do you know when I heard that, I didn’t doubt for a minute that she would achieve that dream. Some in the class giggled, some just did sympathetic nodding, and the teacher praised such great ambition. But I admired how she knew so well what she wanted that she was willing to put it in writing and have it read for everyone to hear. Even if I new what I wanted, I wouldn’t have the guts to admit it. What if they laughed? What if they nodded sympathetically, knowing that never in a million years could I make that happen, let alone 10.
So, is it easier to not think big, just in case it doesn’t work out? Is it easier not to make plans, just in case things don’t turn out the way you hope? Maybe you should not express what you hope, just in case it doesn’t turn out, that way no one will be disappointed or worse, say “I told you so.”
Hell no! That’s just the fear talking. I don’t have to be nominated for an Oscar, which would be really difficult to achieve any way since I have never written a screenplay. But I could get an article published in a magazine. Or I could write on a blog and have supportive people chime in (shameless begging here).
So, let’s think about this. What do I want to be doing that’s different in the next 10 years.
I’d like to be going to the UK at least once a year for a month at a time. This 2-weeks stuff isn’t long enough. I just start to feel comfortable and know the coins when it’s time to leave.
I’d like to have a business of my own. That’s as far as I’ve gotten with that particular idea. I’ve thought about owning a craft shop, a coffee/lunch place, a kitchen store with a lunch place, an alpaca farm, a pub. The fact that I would have no idea what I’m doing doesn’t dissuade me too much. Ina Garten had no idea how to run a shop when she bought the Barefoot Contessa, and she did ok. And I don’t have an annoying nervous laugh like she does. What I’d really like is to have a business with my brother because I know he wants to have a business of his own, too, and I think we’d work well together.
I’d like to say I’ve been to Alaska. I’ve wanted to go to Alaska for the last 10 years. I really don’t want to go another 10 years without going.
I’d like to own some land. I haven’t decided what to do with it yet—alpacas, rescue animals, sheep (but I don’t think I want to work that hard), or just one big ol’ garden. Or nothing, just somewhere to spread out and breathe.
It hasn’t escaped my notice that if I’m 10 years older, my mom will also be 10 years older. So, I’d like to have an apartment or a suite for her to move in to with me if she needs to. She’s pretty resilient, but I want us to be there when she needs us.
I want to be outdoors more. I want to spend more time hiking, walking, and camping. We’ve been playing around with the idea of getting a camper, maybe we should think a little more about that.
I don’t know where I’d like to be living in 10 years, besides Scotland, but I don’t think I can get Al to do that. So, I’d like to spend the next few years seeing different areas in this country and make plans for where I want to live. Oh, and Al can live there, too, if he wants.
I think that’s enough for now. Oh, I would also like to be 135 pounds in 10 years. If I’m gonna dream, I might as well dream big.
That wasn’t so scary. Of course, I stayed pretty safe, I think. I just can’t seem to take that extra step and look a little deeper for what my heart really wants me to do in 10 years. But I’ve got plenty to think about in the meantime.
So, where do you want to be in 10 years?
Thursday, March 29, 2007
The Travel Blog and the Latest Edition
OK, I finally finished a post for our first day in Scotland. I've decided to create a travel blog on Blogger because I'm too impatient to figure out how to upload pictures and things like that on Wordpress, where I originally put my travel blog.
So, since the posts are so long and there are other things I'd like to talk about in between travel stories, the Scotland trip will be on Wandering and Rambling. I also copied the stories already on the Wordpress site onto this blogger site.
Now I'm totally exhausted from creating links, updating photos, and cutting and pasting posts into the new blog. But Wandering and Rambling is up-to-date.
I'll keep working on more Scotland posts. Next up, Islay and the first 2 distillery tours.
Some of the Islay Landscape
Distilleries
Bruichladdich (Brook-lad-ee)
Bunnahabhain (Boon-ah-ha-behn)
So, since the posts are so long and there are other things I'd like to talk about in between travel stories, the Scotland trip will be on Wandering and Rambling. I also copied the stories already on the Wordpress site onto this blogger site.
Now I'm totally exhausted from creating links, updating photos, and cutting and pasting posts into the new blog. But Wandering and Rambling is up-to-date.
I'll keep working on more Scotland posts. Next up, Islay and the first 2 distillery tours.
Some of the Islay Landscape
Distilleries
Bruichladdich (Brook-lad-ee)
Bunnahabhain (Boon-ah-ha-behn)
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Q &A
OK ladies, here are your questions! I can't wait to read your responses.
Ellie
1. You’ve won a contest to go on your dream vacation. Where do you go?
2. If you could take a potion to change one thing about you, what would you change?
3. What was your favorite Halloween costume?
4. Which reality show would you be on?
5. You have a friend who’s thinking of adopting a rescue dog. What advice would you give her?
Mom
1. You’re on a time machine. Which period in history do you want to go to first, why, and what would you do there?
2. You’ve won a shopping spree at a bookstore. After the mysteries section, where would you go and what would you get?
3. If you could set up your own graduate-level literature seminar, which writer, time period, or genre would you choose and what would you teach?
4. If you could sit in on the taping of any tv show, which one would it be and who would you most want to talk to?
5. You won an apartment makeover. What would you want to see done?
I am working on write ups about the trip but they are taking awhile, obviously. I think when I get one done, I'll probably put it on my travel blog, Wandering and Rambling because they are really long. But I'll let you know when there are new ones there.
I'm having to do a lot of them by memory because I was so worn out every night that I didn't even write in my journal. That's not like me at all. Instead, I have a lot of bulleted lists of things to trigger my memory--or at least I hope they'll trigger it.
But right now, I'm in a food coma from a dinner out with some of Al's co-workers from out of town, so there will be no more writing. But there's always tomorrow.
Ellie
1. You’ve won a contest to go on your dream vacation. Where do you go?
2. If you could take a potion to change one thing about you, what would you change?
3. What was your favorite Halloween costume?
4. Which reality show would you be on?
5. You have a friend who’s thinking of adopting a rescue dog. What advice would you give her?
Mom
1. You’re on a time machine. Which period in history do you want to go to first, why, and what would you do there?
2. You’ve won a shopping spree at a bookstore. After the mysteries section, where would you go and what would you get?
3. If you could set up your own graduate-level literature seminar, which writer, time period, or genre would you choose and what would you teach?
4. If you could sit in on the taping of any tv show, which one would it be and who would you most want to talk to?
5. You won an apartment makeover. What would you want to see done?
I am working on write ups about the trip but they are taking awhile, obviously. I think when I get one done, I'll probably put it on my travel blog, Wandering and Rambling because they are really long. But I'll let you know when there are new ones there.
I'm having to do a lot of them by memory because I was so worn out every night that I didn't even write in my journal. That's not like me at all. Instead, I have a lot of bulleted lists of things to trigger my memory--or at least I hope they'll trigger it.
But right now, I'm in a food coma from a dinner out with some of Al's co-workers from out of town, so there will be no more writing. But there's always tomorrow.
Monday, March 26, 2007
We Interrupt These Posts . . .
Just a quick break from Scotland posts. I volunteered for Newt to interview me, so here are her questions with my answers. If you'd like to be interviewed, just let me know in the comments and I'll post some questions. It's pretty good blog fodder and you get to know your blogging friends even better.
So, here we go!
1. Warrior Lass in Scotland today or 100 years ago? And why?
I think Warrior Lass would like 1907. She would fight for women’s right to vote, causing a ruckus everywhere she went. She’d march into “Men Only” establishments and join women such as Emmeline Pankhurst and other suffragettes around the UK in getting arrested and protesting. She’d battle for human rights by starting her own magazine where she would push the envelope and ask questions and encourage social change. Women would admire her and men would fear her, while still finding her alluring. She would go back and forth between wealth and poverty as she would spend her money on her publications and giving it to good causes. Then, she would probably end her days on a sheep farm up in the Highlands, still not afraid of hard work but longing for the serenity of a pastoral life.
2. Lunch with an author. Who do you pick? Living or dead is ok.
Ya can’t ask an easy question, huh? Hmmmmmm. I could say Shakespeare and know once and for all if he really wrote all those plays. Or I could talk to someone contemporary, such as JK Rowling. But I think, at least today, I’d like to have lunch with Jane Austen. She’s brilliant, with a sharp wit and a discriminating eye.
3. Describe the perfect date night with your hubby.
It would be a gorgeous fall day, when the trees are at their peak. He’d call from work and tell me he’s off early, so let’s go for a walk on one of the trails in the state park. He would’ve already called Paradise bakery or Wheatfield’s and had a picnic basket put together and he would’ve already stopped off at the wine shop to pick up a bottle of red wine or maybe one of those 4-packs of White Star champagne. We’ll ride in the Miata down to the park south of town and work up an appetite by walking one of the trails, stopping periodically to enjoy the silence and the views. Afterwards, we set up at one of the campsites and start a fire. We sit on a blanket in front of the fire, eat the dinner, drink the wine, and then he’ll pull out marshmallows! So, we’ll feed each other s’mores and share chocolate kisses. We’ll sit in front of the fire a little longer, me resting up against him, sometimes talking, sometimes not. We’ll stay until the fire is just a faint, red glow of dying embers, not enough to keep the chill of the fall night away, then we’ll head home.
4. A shopping spree at one place - what store do you pick? What do you get?
That would be a hard choice. Would I choose yarn, shoes and bags, cooking stuff, a bookstore, a music store . . . I think I’d have to go with Pryd’s Old Westport in Kansas City. It’s full of kitchen stuff and I can spend hours in there just playing with all the different utensils. They have everything from tools to kitchen towels to cookware to tea and coffee sets, kind of like a restaurant supply store and William Sonoma all rolled up into one. They even have a pie shop downstairs. Shop, eat a piece of pie, shop some more, could it get any better?
5. Dinner and dancing with Gerard Butler or your trip to Italy. Which do you choose?
Can’t I have dinner and dancing with GB in Italy? No? Have to choose, huh? Well, this is going to surprise you, but I think I have to go to Italy. First of all, I would make a complete ass of myself if I actually met Mr. Butler. I’d ramble and babble and trip over the foot I would inevitably put in my mouth. Plus, what if he’s a real jerk? What if he’s just like any other guy? What if I’m disillusioned? I don’t wanna know any of that. Just let me sigh over the pictures and the movies, that’s enough. But if he just happened to be at some little café overlooking the Tuscany landscape, who am I to fight fate?
So, here we go!
1. Warrior Lass in Scotland today or 100 years ago? And why?
I think Warrior Lass would like 1907. She would fight for women’s right to vote, causing a ruckus everywhere she went. She’d march into “Men Only” establishments and join women such as Emmeline Pankhurst and other suffragettes around the UK in getting arrested and protesting. She’d battle for human rights by starting her own magazine where she would push the envelope and ask questions and encourage social change. Women would admire her and men would fear her, while still finding her alluring. She would go back and forth between wealth and poverty as she would spend her money on her publications and giving it to good causes. Then, she would probably end her days on a sheep farm up in the Highlands, still not afraid of hard work but longing for the serenity of a pastoral life.
2. Lunch with an author. Who do you pick? Living or dead is ok.
Ya can’t ask an easy question, huh? Hmmmmmm. I could say Shakespeare and know once and for all if he really wrote all those plays. Or I could talk to someone contemporary, such as JK Rowling. But I think, at least today, I’d like to have lunch with Jane Austen. She’s brilliant, with a sharp wit and a discriminating eye.
3. Describe the perfect date night with your hubby.
It would be a gorgeous fall day, when the trees are at their peak. He’d call from work and tell me he’s off early, so let’s go for a walk on one of the trails in the state park. He would’ve already called Paradise bakery or Wheatfield’s and had a picnic basket put together and he would’ve already stopped off at the wine shop to pick up a bottle of red wine or maybe one of those 4-packs of White Star champagne. We’ll ride in the Miata down to the park south of town and work up an appetite by walking one of the trails, stopping periodically to enjoy the silence and the views. Afterwards, we set up at one of the campsites and start a fire. We sit on a blanket in front of the fire, eat the dinner, drink the wine, and then he’ll pull out marshmallows! So, we’ll feed each other s’mores and share chocolate kisses. We’ll sit in front of the fire a little longer, me resting up against him, sometimes talking, sometimes not. We’ll stay until the fire is just a faint, red glow of dying embers, not enough to keep the chill of the fall night away, then we’ll head home.
4. A shopping spree at one place - what store do you pick? What do you get?
That would be a hard choice. Would I choose yarn, shoes and bags, cooking stuff, a bookstore, a music store . . . I think I’d have to go with Pryd’s Old Westport in Kansas City. It’s full of kitchen stuff and I can spend hours in there just playing with all the different utensils. They have everything from tools to kitchen towels to cookware to tea and coffee sets, kind of like a restaurant supply store and William Sonoma all rolled up into one. They even have a pie shop downstairs. Shop, eat a piece of pie, shop some more, could it get any better?
5. Dinner and dancing with Gerard Butler or your trip to Italy. Which do you choose?
Can’t I have dinner and dancing with GB in Italy? No? Have to choose, huh? Well, this is going to surprise you, but I think I have to go to Italy. First of all, I would make a complete ass of myself if I actually met Mr. Butler. I’d ramble and babble and trip over the foot I would inevitably put in my mouth. Plus, what if he’s a real jerk? What if he’s just like any other guy? What if I’m disillusioned? I don’t wanna know any of that. Just let me sigh over the pictures and the movies, that’s enough. But if he just happened to be at some little café overlooking the Tuscany landscape, who am I to fight fate?
Sunday, March 25, 2007
What to Expect
Part of the fun of traveling is learning and trying to fit in. I’ve learned the hard way, so I thought I’d spare you the embarrassment by telling you some things that will happen when you visit Scotland.
You will feel like an idiot as you stand with an open hand full of coins and the bartender just takes what you owe out of your hand.
You will have to repeat yourself and ask others to repeat themselves. It’s not English, it’s dialect.
You will almost get run over when you try to cross the street because you didn’t look right first.
You will sit at a table in a pub, waiting for a server who will never come—order at the bar.
You will stare dumbfounded at the bus route sign, not recognizing any of the names of the stops.
You will get on the bus anyway because what the hell, it’s going in the direction you want to go.
You will get car sick at least once while riding in the Highlands.
You will try haggis—oh yes you will.
You will go into a kilt maker shop, then walk right back out again when you see the prices.
You will keep pushing the “start” button on the shower and wonder why it won’t start. Then you will see the “shower” label by the power switch outside the bathroom door.
You will not have a good hair day.
You will eventually stop saying, “Boy, it’s windy/rainy/cold” because it just is.
You will decide a cheese platter for dessert is a brilliant idea after you taste the amazing cheeses.
You will buy a wool, cable knit sweater.
You will start calling soccer, “football.”
You will feel like an idiot if you try to answer questions in a pub quiz.
You will not be sure how to answer when the server asks a) if you want your tea/coffee white, b) if you want white or brown toast, or c) if you want still or tap water. [a) with milk, b) white or wheat bread, c) bottled water without bubbles or water from the tap]
You will get used to ordering your Coke or water “with ice.”
You will wish you spent more time on the treadmill to prepare you for all the walking you will be doing and all the stairs you will be climbing.
You will start referring to things as “wee” and “lovely.”
You will go into every Scotland souvenir shop and look at the same trinket in every store but still not buy it.
You will wonder how soon you can go back to such an amazing place.
You will feel like an idiot as you stand with an open hand full of coins and the bartender just takes what you owe out of your hand.
You will have to repeat yourself and ask others to repeat themselves. It’s not English, it’s dialect.
You will almost get run over when you try to cross the street because you didn’t look right first.
You will sit at a table in a pub, waiting for a server who will never come—order at the bar.
You will stare dumbfounded at the bus route sign, not recognizing any of the names of the stops.
You will get on the bus anyway because what the hell, it’s going in the direction you want to go.
You will get car sick at least once while riding in the Highlands.
You will try haggis—oh yes you will.
You will go into a kilt maker shop, then walk right back out again when you see the prices.
You will keep pushing the “start” button on the shower and wonder why it won’t start. Then you will see the “shower” label by the power switch outside the bathroom door.
You will not have a good hair day.
You will eventually stop saying, “Boy, it’s windy/rainy/cold” because it just is.
You will decide a cheese platter for dessert is a brilliant idea after you taste the amazing cheeses.
You will buy a wool, cable knit sweater.
You will start calling soccer, “football.”
You will feel like an idiot if you try to answer questions in a pub quiz.
You will not be sure how to answer when the server asks a) if you want your tea/coffee white, b) if you want white or brown toast, or c) if you want still or tap water. [a) with milk, b) white or wheat bread, c) bottled water without bubbles or water from the tap]
You will get used to ordering your Coke or water “with ice.”
You will wish you spent more time on the treadmill to prepare you for all the walking you will be doing and all the stairs you will be climbing.
You will start referring to things as “wee” and “lovely.”
You will go into every Scotland souvenir shop and look at the same trinket in every store but still not buy it.
You will wonder how soon you can go back to such an amazing place.
Friday, March 23, 2007
First Things First
Please go over to Mom's blog and wish her a Happy Birthday! And while you're surfing, go over to my brother's blog and read a nice tribute to her. He's such a good son.
More Scotland:
I decided that striving for organization is too stressful and if I wait until I'm organized to talk about my trip, then I never will. I'll give you a quick overview, then I'll post some longer stories later.
It was an exhausting schedule, but we saw and did so much that it was worth it. The tours started as soon as we landed. We packed Willie's van to the brim with people and suitcases. The poor person who sat in the last seat in the back took his life in his hands because around every curve a suitcase would come sliding off the pile and into that person's head. And there are a lot of curves on Scotland roads.
We did 2 distillery tours that first day, which should have been a sign to me of what the days to come would be like. But jet-lagged, excited, and a little car sick, I wasn't in any shape to pay attention.
We saw 14 distilleries in 9 days. Well, I saw 11 because I escaped one day to Inverness with 2 other women. We were teased about our "shopping" day, but we spent most of it just sitting in a cafe by the river, eating lunch and drinking tea. Lunch was a luxury on this trip.
The trip we signed up for had 2 free days--one in Inverness and one in Edinburgh. However, by the time we got there, those days had been cut and filled with more distilleries. It was, after all, a distillery tour, but I've never been good with things being black and white. It's a distillery tour, so you can't do anything else? No historic places? No castles? No time for shopping? Apparently not. But we've been promised that it will be different next time.
It is understandable, though, that we didn't have time for these extra things because Willie arranged some amazing tours. We only had one tour with a pretty 20 year old who knew her script well and had no idea she was talking to people who had been drinking and collecting scotch longer than she had been alive. She did a good job, she just had a tough crowd. The rest of our tours were given by distillery managers and owners and the tour fees were waived, mainly because they knew they would easily make it up on the amount of whisky we would buy. I'm not sure I have the guts to admit how many bottles of whisky we bought. Let's just say that they we contributed greatly to the Scottish economy and that I'm going to have a lot of fun shoe and purse shopping in Italy.
I said this was going to be a quick overview, didn't I? Well, too late for that, so I'll try to do a quick rundown instead:
We went to Glengoyne and Auchentoshan the first day and spent the night at the Anchor Inn in Tarbert. The next morning we took the ferry over to Islay (first trip ever on a ferry!) and went to Bunnahabhain and Bruichladdich and checked into the Lochside Hotel in Bowmore. We went to Bowmore on Saturday, then Ardbeg on Sunday (both nice enough to open on days they are usually closed). Sunday morning we were supposed to go to the Isle of Jura to tour the Jura distillery, but there was no one there to show us around--it's a small island, small place, and in the middle of changing distillery managers, I think. So, with the morning free, we went to services at the Round Church in Bowmore. On the way to Ardbeg, we stopped and took pictures of Laphroaig and Lagavulin, who were closed on the weekend.
Monday was a travel day to Grantown-on-Spey. We stopped in Lochfyne to shop at the whisky shop, then headed up through Glencoe and Fort William, then over towards Inverness. We invaded The Garth Hotel and got ready for the next round of distilleries.
Tuesday we went to Glenfarclas, where the owner George Grant gave us a tour and provided us with a lunch. After that we toured Tomintoul distillery. Wednesday went to Forsyth to see how stills are made, then we toured Speyburn, then we went to the Gordon McPhail shop in Eglin for a megatasting, then we went to Royal Brakla. Tired yet? On Thursday, everyone else went to Balblair, Glenmorangie, and Dalmore. Then, on the way to Edinburgh on Friday, we stopped at Glencadam. Saturday, our flight got cancelled because of snow in New Jersey, and the earliest they could get us back would be Tuesday. We found a hotel that had enough rooms (not an easy task) and got checked into the Airport Hilton. Then we had 3 days to explore Edinburgh and way too many pubs.
Oh my gosh, I have so much more to tell! The food! The cows! The sheep! The ales! The wind and rain! The scenery! The people! The woolen shops! The bottle for the van! But I've rambled enough for one day, so I'll write more later.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Home Again, Home Again
Warrior Lass has been replaced by Worn-out Lass.
Yes, we're back. No, I didn't want to come back. Yes, they dragged me back, kicking and screaming. No, I didn't blow out my liver. Yes, I had a wonderful time.
There will be more to come, but right now I'm decompressing. There's tons of laundry to do and lots of sleep to catch up on. We got in Tuesday night, 3 days later than we had planned. And I almost succeeded in not showing how happy I was about that.
Thanks for all the comments on the last post, especially the good thoughts about dealing with MS. I did really well during the trip. I had one afternoon that I had to bow out to take a nap, but then again, everyone else did that too, or at least wanted to.
The only bummer during the trip was that I didn't get a chance to meet any fellow bloggers. That was my fault because I let myself be dragged into all the group activities instead of peeling off on my own, and I'm sorry about that. But I will be coming back. If we can get tickets for as cheap as we did this trip, we'll be back more often. There was an American bartender at the Scotch Whisky Society, and I thought, "Hmmmmmm. Maybe I should go to bartender school? Could I get a job and move to Scotland that way? Hmmmmmmm."
Anyway, here are a couple of pics of the trip to hold you over until I can organize my thoughts enough to start talking about it. Al took all the photos.
Arriving on Islay from the ferry
There are more sheep than people on Islay
Bruichladdich bottles
Bunnahabhain stills
Edinburgh seen from the Princess Gardens.
Yes, we're back. No, I didn't want to come back. Yes, they dragged me back, kicking and screaming. No, I didn't blow out my liver. Yes, I had a wonderful time.
There will be more to come, but right now I'm decompressing. There's tons of laundry to do and lots of sleep to catch up on. We got in Tuesday night, 3 days later than we had planned. And I almost succeeded in not showing how happy I was about that.
Thanks for all the comments on the last post, especially the good thoughts about dealing with MS. I did really well during the trip. I had one afternoon that I had to bow out to take a nap, but then again, everyone else did that too, or at least wanted to.
The only bummer during the trip was that I didn't get a chance to meet any fellow bloggers. That was my fault because I let myself be dragged into all the group activities instead of peeling off on my own, and I'm sorry about that. But I will be coming back. If we can get tickets for as cheap as we did this trip, we'll be back more often. There was an American bartender at the Scotch Whisky Society, and I thought, "Hmmmmmm. Maybe I should go to bartender school? Could I get a job and move to Scotland that way? Hmmmmmmm."
Anyway, here are a couple of pics of the trip to hold you over until I can organize my thoughts enough to start talking about it. Al took all the photos.
Arriving on Islay from the ferry
There are more sheep than people on Islay
Bruichladdich bottles
Bunnahabhain stills
Edinburgh seen from the Princess Gardens.
Monday, March 05, 2007
Band of Hope
March 5--11 is MS Awareness Week.
I've written several times about living with MS. I was diagnosed a year ago (Feb. 2006) and am still learning how to live with it. I'm one of the lucky ones with a mild case and have been told the chances are real good that I may never have any dibiltating symptoms. "The chances are good." That's the caveat--chances--because there is no predicting this disease. We know that some things, such as extreme heat and cold, will make symptoms worse. But a full relapse that feels like your body is just giving up on you is hard-to-impossible to predict.
A lot of people ask what exactly MS is. There are standards answers, as stated on the MS Society website:
Multiple sclerosis (MS) isn't fully understood, but many believe it's an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system, or CNS. The CNS includes the brain, the spinal cord, and the optic nerves, and it's surrounded by a fatty tissue called myelin that protects the nerve fibers and helps them conduct electrical impulses.
When a person has MS, he or she loses myelin in more than one, or multiple, areas. The resulting scar tissue is called sclerosis. Sometimes the nerve fiber itself is damaged or broken. When myelin is destroyed or damaged, the nerves can't conduct electrical impulses to and from the brain as well. This breakdown is what produces the symptoms of MS.
I like to explain it another way. You know those large, orange extension cords you use outside? When that orange coating (like the myelin) wears away for whatever reason, the wires are exposed. The cord still works, but sometimes it may short and it may not run as well, but it still works. If the cord gets several of those worn away areas, that's just more opportunity for the cord not to work as well. And eventually, that cord may stop working all together because the wires have broken and the connection can't be made. That's when nerve damage occurs--things like the permanent tingle in my left foot, for example.
There is no cure. There have been amazing strides made towards a cure, and there are amazing advances in medication, most of them slowing down the progress of the disease by 40%. The MS Society website does an excellent job of keeping us informed on what research is out there, what advances are being made, and where the government support stands.
Many state chapters will be holding an MS Walk and/or an MS Ride in the spring. I'm planning on joining in, but there is one thing I can do today.
This is the MS Band of Hope. It's another rubber bracelet, which I know seem to be everywhere, but it is a good tool for MS awareness. I've had a few people ask me what my bracelet is for. On a personal note, I like wearing it because it says "Hope" and I like to be reminded that somewhere people I don't even know are working on a cure.
I have 9 child/women and 10 men's bracelets. If you would like one, drop me an email, and I'll send you one through the mail. I won't be able to send them out until after I get back on the 17th, but I will get them out that week of the 19th.
Knowledge is power. So, I like doing my part to keep everyone in the know.
Little Side Note: I may not be posting or reading and/or commenting on everyone's blogs for a while. I leave on Wednesday for Scotland and am busy, busy, busy! I'll try to check things along the way at Internet Cafes, but if I don't talk you before then, have a great couple of weeks. Love, Warrior Lass
I've written several times about living with MS. I was diagnosed a year ago (Feb. 2006) and am still learning how to live with it. I'm one of the lucky ones with a mild case and have been told the chances are real good that I may never have any dibiltating symptoms. "The chances are good." That's the caveat--chances--because there is no predicting this disease. We know that some things, such as extreme heat and cold, will make symptoms worse. But a full relapse that feels like your body is just giving up on you is hard-to-impossible to predict.
A lot of people ask what exactly MS is. There are standards answers, as stated on the MS Society website:
Multiple sclerosis (MS) isn't fully understood, but many believe it's an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system, or CNS. The CNS includes the brain, the spinal cord, and the optic nerves, and it's surrounded by a fatty tissue called myelin that protects the nerve fibers and helps them conduct electrical impulses.
When a person has MS, he or she loses myelin in more than one, or multiple, areas. The resulting scar tissue is called sclerosis. Sometimes the nerve fiber itself is damaged or broken. When myelin is destroyed or damaged, the nerves can't conduct electrical impulses to and from the brain as well. This breakdown is what produces the symptoms of MS.
I like to explain it another way. You know those large, orange extension cords you use outside? When that orange coating (like the myelin) wears away for whatever reason, the wires are exposed. The cord still works, but sometimes it may short and it may not run as well, but it still works. If the cord gets several of those worn away areas, that's just more opportunity for the cord not to work as well. And eventually, that cord may stop working all together because the wires have broken and the connection can't be made. That's when nerve damage occurs--things like the permanent tingle in my left foot, for example.
There is no cure. There have been amazing strides made towards a cure, and there are amazing advances in medication, most of them slowing down the progress of the disease by 40%. The MS Society website does an excellent job of keeping us informed on what research is out there, what advances are being made, and where the government support stands.
Many state chapters will be holding an MS Walk and/or an MS Ride in the spring. I'm planning on joining in, but there is one thing I can do today.
This is the MS Band of Hope. It's another rubber bracelet, which I know seem to be everywhere, but it is a good tool for MS awareness. I've had a few people ask me what my bracelet is for. On a personal note, I like wearing it because it says "Hope" and I like to be reminded that somewhere people I don't even know are working on a cure.
I have 9 child/women and 10 men's bracelets. If you would like one, drop me an email, and I'll send you one through the mail. I won't be able to send them out until after I get back on the 17th, but I will get them out that week of the 19th.
Knowledge is power. So, I like doing my part to keep everyone in the know.
Little Side Note: I may not be posting or reading and/or commenting on everyone's blogs for a while. I leave on Wednesday for Scotland and am busy, busy, busy! I'll try to check things along the way at Internet Cafes, but if I don't talk you before then, have a great couple of weeks. Love, Warrior Lass
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