Review in two

This is my first blog post on my new fancy laptop that arrived on Friday afternoon (and Lucy and Vaughn arrived about 5 hours later). After finding out that I needed to charge the pump for the airmatress, Lucy and Vaughn stayed in my room and I slept on the couch. On Saturday, we went to Lehmans (in Kidron) and Lucy was impressed /overwhelmed by the size and selection of the store. Afterward, we have lunch a local Amish restaurant and then returned back to my apartment. Lucy worked on setting up the laptop while I worked on dinner (we had naan and chicken with tandoori marinade). She had some problems getting the internet figured out (included a evening trip to Wal-mart to get a wireless router and a call to my internet provider on Sunday morning) but she got it set up and now I can use my laptop any where in my apartment. During the times we could get Vaughn to actully sleep, we talked or watched season 4 of The Office, episodes of Dead Like Me or Portiot mysteries. Vaughn has been pretty good during the weekend although he has been going to bed much later that he should (he finally fell asleep about 10pm tonight) after waking up three times last night. I was able to get him back to sleep for a little while longer so I could make stuffed french toast for Lucy after their morning nap. Hopefully he sleeps better tonight and Lucy is hoping to time her leaving tomorrow so he is at his maximum goodness. Good Luck! I will be posing a book review tomorrow (I took a personal day at work so I could have some extra time with Lucy and Vaguhn in the morning).

PEGGY: Teach me to walk.
COTTON: You ready to hate me more than you ever hated anyone in your life?
PEGGY: I already do.
COTTON: Then we're halfway there.

Cheesetastic

This week's review (only one day late) will be about Blessed Are the Cheesemakers by Sarah-Kate Lynch. The novel is about two elderly cheesemakers (Corrie and Fee) in Ireland (County Cork) looking for two people to take over their business. And two such people arrive in the form of Kit, an American trying to recovery after the death of his wife, and Abby, Corrie's granddaughter returning to Ireland from the south Pacific after leaving her philandering husband. The plot was relatively simple and slightly predictable (and honestly not enough talk about actul cheesemaking). Despite this, these novel was not without its charms mostly due to the Irish characters (and the fact that Father Ted gets mentioned). I enjoyed the book, I didn't love it, but it was interesting.

Dust off your drug nicknames!

I had drug training yesterday at work and at the end of the training we played Jeopardy with the basic premise of how well do you know your drug lingo. One the my favorite running jokes on King of the Hill is Bobby's excessive knowledge of drug information due to drug prevention lectures at school (and sex ed lectures). And apparently, it's been awhile since my last health class because there were some nicknames that I did know (including that I didn't know what black tar heroin looks like which I think is a good thing).

HANK: Hey there, Bobby. I guess they found a cure for the cooties? Heh, heh, heh.
BOBBY: I don't know. What are cooties?
HANK: Well, when I was a boy, that's what they called the germs you got from girls.
BOBBY: Oh, you mean like chlamydia?
HANK: Huh?

BOBBY: I have to do all the work because Dad's new employee is a drug addict.
HANK: Now Bobby, Leon's a little slow on the draw, but that doesn't mean he's on drugs.
BOBBY: You gotta trust me on this. When you've heard as many former athletes lecture at your school as I have, you get to know all the signs.

HANK: Now, I know we've talked a lot about how you should never do drugs, but from now on you'll be taking medication after every meal.
BOBBY: So, do I smoke it or snort it?
HANK: It's a pill, Bobby.
BOBBY: So I guess I'll just pop it.

Serve the People!

The book for this week's review is "Serve the People" by Yan Lianke. The novel is set in China in 1967 after the Chinese Cultural Revolution. The story recounts an affair between the wife of a Division Commander in the Army and a house servant and ramifications of the affair against the backdrop of repressive Communist China. Due to the nature of the story, the novel has banned in China (and considered unpublishable) but found an audience due to excerpts and discussion posted online (and thus found an American publisher). The novel gives a really interesting inside view of Communist China following the Cultural Revolution. One of my favorite time periods to read about is post World War II, mainly the 50s and the 60s, since the end of the war really created a power vacuum in Eastern Europe (it doesn't hurt that I've had two really good teachers for classes about this period that I took at the Academy and Purdue). And I love reading banned books! Besides the sexual nature of the story, the Chinese government says the novel slanders the Army and Mao Zedong. It especially interesting to read a novel about China during the height of the Communism now in the context of China's increasing involvement in the world economy and politics (not to mention becoming a more capitalist society).

I'm hoping to read all of Richard Price's Lush Life this week, but since the novel it pretty long, I may be reviewing a previously read book, I'm thinking maybe Jane Eyre or Villette or possibly one of my favorite books ever Catherine Called Birdy.

People in Columbus must be losing their S

College football is certainly in full swing this weekend. I got the watch the Oregon/Purdue game (I've live close enough to Penn State that the Penn State game got shown on ABC). I was disappointed that Purdue lost (in the 2nd overtime) but they played a really solid 1st quarter (I was afraid that the game would not even be close). I saw that Michigan was beat by Notre Dame (I'm always torn which team to root for, but in the end I always want a Big Ten team to win, especially since Notre Dame insists on being an Independent for football but not any other sport). Since I live only about an hour from Columbus, lots of people from work are alumni of Ohio State (about 75% but there are 3 other people who went to Purdue). At about 4 yesterday, some people were talking about the Ohio State/USC game tonight. I will admit that I miss going to Purdue games with Lucy (or Bridget and Orrin). Sometimes it was annoying sitting in the student section with drunk people throwing water bottles (or worse). But one year Lucy and I had really good seats on the 30 yard line right behind the Purdue bench. There is just something so cool about thousands of people cheering (and sneaking in water or hot chocolate and not paying $5 for a drink).

HANK: Don't let them tease you too much. Remember, you're the mascot, not the placekicker.

2 for 1

I didn't write a book for last week so this week I am going to review 2 books. First up is Austenland by Shannon Hale. The premise of the book is an Austen addict attempt to overcome her obsession with Mr. Darcy by having one last hurrah at a vacation spot that recreates the Austen universe (including the manor house (a la Mansfield Park), costumes and a ball (a la every Austen novel except Mansfield Park). Now when I first heard about this novel I really wanted to read because I was curious if or how the author would work in some of Austen's themes and plot points. She did but not very well. There are a few subplots and the main plot line that are borrowed from Austen but the introduction of them is so clunky that it doesn't really work. And the are some subplots that are so obviously from Austen that you wonder why the heroine doesn't immediately recognize them (and is puzzled about what is going for several frustrating chapters). The dialogue between the hero and heroine that is supposed to be in the Austen universe doesn't have the same spark.
The second book (and first non-fiction book) is Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond (an evolutionary biologist). In this book, Diamond attempts to explain that dominant ancient civilizations were a product of environmental factors rather that any inherent intellectual or genetic advantage. It was really interesting because Diamond not only discussed topics like better land farming (like the Fertile Crescent) but domestication of local plant and species, geographic barriers (like the Sahara Desert preventing the spread of technologies from the southern part of Africa northward), infectious diseases (leading to decline of certain populations and the greater prevalence of diseases in groups with greater populations), and the willingness to adapt to new technologies (or be conquered). I never really thought in depth about domestication of local plants and animals but Diamond discusses that ancient peoples of Latin America and Australia were at a disadvantage because there were few local animal species that would be worthwhile to domesticate (or even could be domesticated). The book was really thought provoking (and well researched!)

You keep using that word

This scene from the Princess Bride totally describes an experience from work today. I've been working with this study director who keeps wanting to put in sentences/edits that don't make sense, specifically the term in lieu of in sentences. But today I wanted to check with him about an edit so I asked, "Do you mean taking into consideration the body weight losses in these animals?". He said "Isn't that what in lieu of means?" My response: "No."


"Your mother is a Spanish dictionary" - Peggy Hill

Movie Time

I spent time with some of my favorite cousins this past weekend and of course one of the movies that we watched together often was RAD and I have included a remixed trailer for your viewing pleasure.

Sock him one!

The novel for this week's review (slightly late!) is Winnifred Watson's "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day". The novel is about an out-of-work governess named Miss Pettigrew who is mistakenly sent to a singer named Miss LaFosse who is in need of a maid. Intially, Miss LaFosse's lifestyle clashes with Miss Pettigrew's ideals but Miss Pettigrew soon becomes indispensable to Miss LaFosse and her friends and viewed in this new light Miss Pettigrew decides to accept any new adventure that comes her way. It reminded me a little bit of Auntie Mame, it's never to late too start to live! live! live! The novel was first published in 1938 but went out of print at some point. In 2000, the novel was republished by Persephone Books, which is a publishing house that specializing in forgotten novels of the 20th century (mostly woman authors). I think that it is really cool that specialized publishers like this can thrive and introduce today readers to authors that would otherwise be forgotten ( and you can even suggest novels for the company to publish). Another really cool publishing house is Felony and Mayhem, which specializes in long ago murder mysteries usually from the UK, think more of Agatha Cristie than Mary Higgins Clark. I have a few books from Felony and Mayhem including two written by the wife of the former British ambassador to the United States. To read more about the books from Felony and Mayhem (and some from Persephone) you can visit this great bookseller called Bas Bleu (French for blue stocking which is a slang term for a woman who reads), they have really interesting books and gifts (including a useful reading pillow which I use every night when I read in bed).

Men In Film

Here is the really cool short of famous men in film (with beautiful cello music by Bach). I'm not sure if this is sad or not but I know almost all of them (once it got to James Cagney, there was only one that I could not name a film that I had seen the actor in). Although what is up with leaving out Orson Welles? Oh poor Harry Lime.

reboot

This past weekend, I drove home to celebrate Lucy's 27th birthday. But mostly it was an exercise cuteness for Ellis and Vaughn. When he is not spitting up, Vaughn is very smiley and just starting to giggle a little bit (we'll see if he starts giggling like his mother). And Ellis was pretty much obsessed with Vaughn. I would be feeding Vaughn a bottle and Ellis would be running around and every few minutes he would stop by the couch and say "Baby Vaughn" or "That's a baby". He wanted to hold Vaughn as well (which he did, but only when he was sitting) and hold Vaughn when Ellis was walking. Both of my nephews are getting so big! Lucy says that Vaughn is starting to outgrow his 3 month clothes (which means he can wear the awesome onesie I got for Lucy's baby shower!) and Ellis will need some fall/winter clothes in near future (so there is no chance I that will get him shorts that look like baby hot pants).

PEGGY: I was once one of the finest mothers in all of Texas, and now I can't even wipe a baby. And I have to watch those two, Cotton and Stupid, with their beautiful new baby that they don't even want!

Two Companions

The book for this week's review is Eva Moves the Furniture by Margot Livesay. The story centers on Eva, a young Scottish girl who mother dies during Eva's birth and she is raised by her father and his sister. When Eva turns six, she begins to see these two companions, an old woman and a young girl, who profoundly help shape Eva's life adding both positive and negative influences in her life. The companions allow for a novel that mixes the possibility of supernatural/external forces that effects choices the we make and our own internal forces or the question of free will. The prose is beautifully written and the plot is both heartbreaking and life affirming. I can't recommend this book highly enough as it is thought-provoking and memorable.

And I am older than:

I am younger than:

Going for Olympic Glory in Shorty Short Shorts

The 2008 Summer Olympics started on Friday. I love the Olympics probably because I remember staying up late watching the gymnastics all-around in 1992 with Lucy or in 1996 when my cousins and I were obsessed with the gymnastics (for several reasons, including that we like to make fun of John Tesh who had no idea what was going on and we thought that Tim Dagget looked like Pee Wee Herman). So I watched women's volleyball and swimming during the weekend and I stayed up to watch the prime time coverage on Monday including the swimming finals and coverage of the men's gymnastics final. Does anyone else think that the IOC/FIG should just get rid of the men's floor exercise (although Lucy does do a hilarious impression of a male gymnast during a floor routine)? It is totally pointless and the moves that they use to transition between tumbling passes and the least masculine moves ever. Not to mention they men perform the routine in really short shorts that just look ridiculous. The high bar and the pommel horse are way more interesting and the men get to maintain their dignity by being allowed to wear pants ( one of the American gymnast had chicken legs that were super pale, he looked like Hank Hill).

HANK: What's it gonna be, doctor? Whirlpool? Deep-heat massage? Or are you just gonna tell my son to play through the pain, because I'll support that.

Finally...

For anyone who has every seen the episode of The Office in the second season where Michael accidentally grills his foot on a George Foreman grill by attempting to have bacon ready to eat in the morning, you will be pleased to know that there is a prototype for a Wake n Bacon Alarm Clock. Just place a strip of frozen bacon in the clock the night before, the bacon starts cooking about 10 minutes for the alarm goes off and ta-da cooked bacon.

LUANNE (on Ritalin): Welcome home. I cooked you brunch and I tuned your car and I fixed your mower and I ate the brunch.

Twilight is a no go

Let me preface this review by stating that I enjoy the occasionally children's/teen novel. I love the Harry Potter series and enjoy Artemis Fowl series (the first book of which accompanied Lucy and I on our trip to Europe and was read at least four times in total, once aloud to Lucy in hostel in Brussels). So please don't think that my dislike for the book "Twilight" is due to a dislike of all books in this genre. The reason that I read "Twilight" is because there was a lot of comparisons in media between Harry Potter and this novel. The premise of the novel is a romance between a teenage girl and a vampire. And I hated it. The plot was not very interesting or compelling and the characters were rather one-dimensional or at least they did not give the appearance of any depth (or maybe didn't interest me enough to want to think about any hidden depths). The "heroine" was a bit to much damsel in distress for me (I swear there is a reference to her being klutzy) and has some self-confidence issues and the "hero" seemed a bit to prissy and a milquetoast. And occasionally the dialog bordered on teenage melodrama. I rather reread Harry Potter, Artemis Fowl, A Wrinkle in Time or any of the several hundred better written novels for children/teens.

Robert Mitchum Continues to Terrify Me!

In a previous post, I mention that watching Robert Mitchum in The Night of the Hunter freaked me out to no end. Well tonight I watched Cape Fear (the good one with Gregory Peck) and I don't think I have ever be so terrified of a movie villain. He is so creepy because he kind of lumbers along and look a little drunk so you have no idea what he is going to do. I enjoy thrillers, but I hate when the hero has a gun and then hesitates to use it when they are being threatened. I'm just saying if a man is threatening to sexual assault your daughter and you have a gun would you a) run towards him and get into a physical altercation or b) shoot him in a way that will incapacitate him?

HANK: In case I'm incapacitated for any reason, do you know how to revive a man's heart with a downed power line?
BOBBY: No.
HANK: Well, there's really no wrong way to do it.

More Examples of My Nerdiness

A week or two ago, I thought it might be nice to have a set (of at least four) of mugs for visitors. So you may ask what kind of mugs did I get. Jane Austen mugs of course. Each mug has a quote for a Jane Austen novels (one from all six novels and a second quote from Persuasion). I thought about putting a picture up of all the mugs so everyone could guess what mug goes with what novel, but two of the mugs have the source novel listed.

During one of my visits back to the farm when I was living in Iowa City, my aunt, my mom, Lucy, Rachel and I went shopping for a wedding dress for Lucy. My aunt asked me what I liked about Iowa and the first thing I said was I liked that Iowa had a deposit on plastic, glass and aluminum so there was a lot more recycling than in Indiana. There is no deposit in Ohio by there is a conveniently located drop-off for recycling. They accept almost everything that can be recycled except they only accept no. 1 and 2 plastics. So now when I see that something is a no. 5 or 7 I get upset because I can't take it to be recycled!

PEGGY: Bobby, I'll have you know I consider myself one of the great environmentalists of our time.

MR. McKAY: Propane just perpetuates the whole culture of backyard barbecues. Paper plates. Plastic forks. Meat!
HANK: I've sold three grills today using those exact words, but with a more positive attitude.

7 months younger than Fraggle Rock, 1 year older than the Muppet babies!

Today is my birthday, and I turned 25. I can't believe how old I am! Okay, I'm not that old I know. I had a pretty uneventful birthday, I watched some movies, took out my recycling, went to the library and worked on two quilts (I finished piecing the top for yet another baby quilt, but this one is for a friend). My mom and sisters sent me a certificate for a class at the local YMCA and some clothes for a class (it will most likely be a yoga type class). And my mom sent me one of her cast iron pans (already seasoned! And the perfect size for cornbread!) filled with a birthday scotcharoo (thanks to John and Jen for bringing the pan to me). The scotchroo went great with the roasted chicken and potatoes (roasted with sage, garlic and rosemary, so delicious!). Bridget and Silas sent me a birthday card (designed by Silas) all the way from Ireland and Carol sent me a lovely card as well. Thanks everyone for you birthday wishes!

BOBBY (watching a dryer): Let's get this one. It's like watching TV, only the show is about wet clothes.