New Years Resolutions

Today, as always on the last day of the year, I find myself making really really detailed lists of New Years Resolutions. Aside from the perpetual ones (lose weight, etc) I decided I needed to branch out a bit. Here goes:

a) Keep a daily journal. I got a 2008-2009 Daily Book from Barnes and Noble at the beginning of this month and it's going pretty well so far--in the last couple weeks I've gotten in the habit of writing down my accomplishments for the day every night. I'm looking forward to this time next year when I'll have a whole years worth of accomplishments to look back on.

b) Be healthier. I want to feel my body happy again, and that doesn't necessarily mean losing 50 pounds and becoming a ballerina...although I'd spend a lot less money on fabric for clothes if I was that skinny. It does mean making myself DO more stuff like Yoga and Dancing and Biking and Hiking.

c) Spend more quality time with Friends and Family. Less time cleaning the house for parties, more time playing games and laughing. More activities, less sitting around eating with friends. More visits and phone calls and emails and letters.

d) Focus on giving, rather than getting. Give away stuff I don't need, recycle more, give my time to others. Actually living up to my politics and personal philosophies.

e) Make more art. Paint, draw, sew, knit, sing, etc, etc, etc. This includes actually, you know, writing in my blog instead of letting it sit idle for months and months just cause I don't feel like sharing.

f) Grad School. Finally. Find a way to get my last prerequisite done, get the paperwork taken care of, and get enrolled. Hopefully start classes next September.

Recently Finished Book Archive

Water for Elephants--Sara Gruen (Sat down to read this over breakfast and didn't stop until reading until I was done. A very well written and quick story. Very personable main character, but what is fabulous about the story is the quick plot and all the circus animals. Definitely not a story to linger over--race through it and enjoy it's plot. 11/16)

Tales of Burning Love--Louise Erdrich (Good book. Strong multi-dimensional characters and an engrossing plot with many tricks and turns. The main setting for the story is a North Dakota blizzard, so I definitely recommend reading this with the lights on the heat up. 11/14)

The Virgin Blue--Tracy Chevalier (Okay book. Not something I would force on anyone, but a quick read and a decent way to pass the time. If the main character had been a bit better, I think I would have enjoyed the book a bit more, because the plot had lots of potential. Oh well, I got this and a small quantitude of other trade paperbacks at the Goodwill for $1.99 each, and it was definitely worth the price. 11/12)

Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade (Good quick read that I picked up so I'd have something to distract me on the flight back from Ireland...the only problem with my plan was that I finished it two nights before we left when I was cold and wet. Still, it was good and lovely. 10/30)

Animal Vegetable Miracle--Barbara Kingsolver (Finally picked up a paperback copy of this so I could finish it on the flight to Dublin. Good Stuff! Even got Retardo to read it too, and while the going was good we ordered kits to make our own cheese. Yay! 10/28)

Recently Finished Book Archive

Take me to the River--Peter Alson (An okay book written about the Poker World Series...Meh. Finished it all the same though...just not sure when.)

The Gathering--Anne Enright (It was okay. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone at all really...but it wasn't a waste of head space or anything. 9/2)

Drown--Junot Diaz (fabulous! I love this author. I normally do not care for short stories, but there was enough common narrative between each individual story that I surprised myself by liking this book so much. 8/31)

Bend the Rules Sewing--Amy Karol (I added this book to my Amazon wishlist cuz I really liked her style. The projects were hit or miss for me, and most of them I could probably have thought up for myself, but I really liked her crafty way of doing things, and I have a feeling I'm going to appreciate her tips the more I learn the 'right way' to sew in my sewing class 8/28)

The Water Devil--Judith Merkle Riley (3rd in her Margaret of Ashbury series, and I liked it just as much as the the other two. Good quick reads. 8/24)

Domiknitrix--Jennifer Stafford (I checked this out from the library for the second time this month because I really thought the title was clever and I've seen some projects from her book that I thought I rather liked. But the second time around, I'm still where I was at the first time. Her stuff is neat, just not for me. At least right now. Maybe I'll go into a punk phase soon and astonish everyone. 8/15)

Oh, Precious Machine!!!

My beautiful new sewing machine arrived yesterday, and I'm still figuring out how to use all the fancy embroidery bits and make things and and and...iz lovely. :-) I haven't taken any of my own pictures yet, cuz well, I haven't really made much yet. Kind of in the gleeful realm of not enough space set up for sewing and um...too many options for what to make! :-)Yay!

The Fall is Coming! The Fall is Coming!

Retardo and I and lots of our friends closed out Summer Vacation this past weekend with a fabulous camping trip. We found a new group site down by Mt. Rainier and the only thing we really wished we had the entire trip was a portable hot tub. I guess we'll have to work on that for next year. ;-)

The weather was sunny and gorgeous, we got a fabulous hike in at Mt. Rainier on Saturday, and everyone danced around the bonfire with me on Saturday night. I am still glowing at the thought of it. My friends are Awesome. We didn't get a lot of pictures--I think both Retardo and I were too busy having fun. :-)

Memorial Pajamas

My Daddy-O has a name thing, and all of our family pets have had interesting names--Allison Wonderland, Sarah Ann Dipity, and the late beloved Abby Cadabra. Abby lived up to her name--we called her The Amazing Disappearing Cat because few of our friends ever actually saw her. She was a very shy and very sweet cat until her old age when she became adventurous enough to go outside a bit.

Abby died very recently, and we all miss her. Mix together impatience, the loss of a sweet kitty, and a potato sack nightie of very cute material, and...Viola! Abby Cadabra Memorial Pajama Shorts and Tank Top.

New Coasters!

I made us some new coasters, and they are C-U-T-E! :-)

Yay! I'm pretty proud of the little box for 'em too--it's on the left, even though you can't see it very well in this picture. I've still got enough of the mostly green fabric to make 4 big dinner napkins, and I think I may need to check the internets to see if I can get any more...soon my house will be filled with paisley snail patterned linen. Cute Police beware!

I registered for a Sewing class at the community college for Fall Quarter, and I am getting really excited. I'm 90% postive I won't actually enroll in the Apparel Design program afterword (which is really what the class is geared towards), but it should force me to actually work on projects and get them done and learn some good skills in the process. And maybe some patience.

I definately lack patience--hence the crazy sewing at midnight going on. But I am getting A Brand New Big Exciting Sewing and Embroidery machine and it is not here yet. I should be patiently waiting instead of starting all the projects I want to do once it arrives, because it is so fancy! It is so nice! I am so excited I have to sew and sew and sew until it actually gets here!

E-F-G, E-F-G, On my Ephiphon-Ey

And for variety, I can play G-F-E too! :-)

Oopps...

Retardo & I went on our first camping trip with the Element this last weekend, and it went pretty swell. We had a Great Deal of Gear for two people and no pets, but all was good...except for our Red-Neck Neighbors and their Really Loud Radio. We disliked them so much we decided to leave the campground at 5p on Saturday instead of staying another night.


Unfortunately, neither of us really questioned the road signs leading us back to Hwy 101....and we ended up on the wrong side of 101...the side right by the Pacific Ocean. Someone in the Dept of Transportation has a mean sense of humor and decided to name two very different highway parts Hwy 101. Jerks. In the end tho we got to have a nice little dinner picnic on the beach just after sunset. And I don't count mistakes that involve staring at the ocean, so we're counting it a successful trip. :-)

Recently Completed Book Archive

The Best Make-Ahead Recipes--Daniel Van Ackere (So I went through a phase where I requested a ton of cookbooks from the library...only to shuttle them home and shuttle them back again without cooking delicious things. So far we haven't actually made a recipe per say, but we've read so many interesting things about ingredients and such that it's being added to that big WishList in the Sky. 8/2)

A Vision of Light--Judith Merkle Riley (So this is the first in her Margaret of Ashbury trilogy--In Pursuit of the Green Lion is the second. Even though I read them out of order and thus spoiled thus suspense of Light's ending, I still liked. The plots in her books are really well written and I'm doing okay at ignoring the dialogue and 'thoughts' of the characters. 8/1)

The Knitters Book of Yarn--Clara Parkes (This is a really cool book-- and way more info than I could absorb before I had to give it back to the library and pay my late fine. She goes into fabulously complete detail about pretty much every kind of fiber anyone has ever knitted with. It's on the list of books I keep in my head that I'd love to get a copy once I have a real job again. 7/25)

The Best of Interweave Knits--Ann Budd (So I've been checking out tons of knitting books from the library and then marking with a post it the patterns in each book that I would really like to scan in and save so I can make them...someday. Well, after the 18th post-it in this book I realized it would be cheaper to get it on the 1/2 off sale knitpicks.com was having then to pay myself to scan in all 150+ pages of it. And I'm glad I bought it, cuz it's got absolutely gorgeous patterns. As soon as I feel I'm up to the intricate lacey bit, I'm making myself the Lotus Tank Top in this gorgeous cottony-silky yarn in 'harbor'. Yum. 7/20)

New Fashion For Fall

A style that is both cute and warm....

Nightswimming!

It got to 97 degrees here in Seattle this weekend, and we were sweltering, cuz we're definitely not used to it. So on Saturday night round midnight we emerged from our air conditioned bedroom and realized that it was a full moon, and that there was a big empty lake two blocks from our place.

YAY! Nightswimming!! The water is kinda icky, and you definitely want to wear water shoes and not swallow, but still. So nice. Just the right temp too--not freezing cold, not icky lukewarm. Good times. :-)

Tango Traveling Trashbag

My work has been really really slow since August started. Too many folks on vacation means not enough for Holly's to do. So I got home today at 12:30p...instead of 3p like normal. So I made this adorawahble reusable trash bag for the Element. It's got a big red car on it! It's got lots of little Artie Monsters on it! :-)

Retardo & Elly Belly's Newest Toy

This weekend Retardo and I went car shopping together and came home with a shiny new Red Tango Honda Element. Iz Purty! And we can sleep in it! :-) The camping accessories are still at the store--we should have them installed this Friday so we can begin our new life as (weekend) gypsys! Yay!

In other news, I just found out that my little Mazda Protege has been declared a total loss by the insurance company, so it looks like Retardo and I have become a 1 car household in less than a week. Good thing I gots my name on the Element insurance policy....cuz if I get rearended again my neck may fall from aches n' pains.

Black Cable Scarf

The picture of this turned out not so great, but I'm pretty proud of all my little cable twists and turns. Made out of Andean Silk yarn to match (sorta) the black cable hat I made earlier this year. It's a very warm yarn, so I'm glad I made it thin and short. I'm hoping to make some fingerless gloves to go with both of them so I'll have a gorgeous matching set of sedate and sophisticated outerwear. :) Once the gloves are completed I'll see if I have enough yarn leftover to make some flippy fringe on this thing so the pom pom on the top of the hat doesn't look so weird.

Recently Completed Book Archive

Green Darkness--Anya Seton (See note on Elemental Magic. Not sure who rec'd this one, but it was good. A bit of time travel/past life stuff and voila! fabulous plot! Would recommend it to at least 50% of my friends. 7/13)

In Pursuit of the Green Lion--Judith Merkle Riley (Pretty good stuff! I think she must be basing much of her historical accuracy on accounts of the life of Margery Kempe, and reading this makes me really glad I took all those classes on Medieval Women's History. Now I can actually appreciate the effort this author went through to make her scenes correct...before she ruins the historical accuracy by making the characters talk like a tv sitcom. Surprisingly good though. 7/8)

A Man In Full--Tom Wolfe (This was a pretty weird book, and even though there were times when I was caught myself wondering why I wanted to finish it, I knew I couldn't let it go until the bitter end. It was a bit...not me...but okay,better than stuff like Louis L'Amour and John Grisham, but not fabulous. The kind of book I'd recommend to my Dad. 7/3)

Elemental Magic-- ( I generally reserve books at the library based on reviews or recommendations from friends or authors whose works I genuinely enjoy reading. Problem is...once I've added a book to my reserve list I rarely remember who (or what) recommended that I read it in the first place. In the case of Elemental Magic, that was fine. In the case of some of the other books I've ended up with lately...Well. ;-) This is a collection of erotic fantasy short stories (four) that I was not expecting to find tucked into my stack of knitting books. One of them was way to porn-y for me and not incredibly well written, but the other three were pretty decent. 6/30)

Kuddlie Kittenz!

Black Hat

I actually finished this cute little knitted hat about two months ago, and since it's summer and I have no need to either gift or wear said hat it's been unphotographed and pretty much undocumented...until now... If you look closely at the bottom picture you can see Artie's tail sticking straight out behind the hat on the desk...And Mz.MaddyRotten is well...Quite Pleased with her new accessory, yes?

Recently Finished Books Archive

Son of a Witch--Gregory McGuire, audiobook (I've read this before, but it was different hearing while I knitted. Sometimes I can't stand books on tape, because the reader is too slow, or too quick, or just not reading it the way it sounded in my head. Whoever read this book--one of my favorites--definately didn't sound like the voices in my head, but he did okay. 6/28)

Miles, Mutants, and Microbes--Lois McMaster Bujold (I've read this before, but when I requested it from the library I wasn't sure. Still fabulous though--three novellas rolled into good book 6/24)

The Oracle Glass--Judith Riley Merkle (I surprised myself by really enjoying this book. It's in the same vein as Gabaldon's Outlander series--lotsa romance and historical intrigue and whatnot--but fairly well written. I've added several more of her books to my library list to pad out the piles of knitting books with some well deserved fluff. 6/23)

Folk Style--Mags Kandis (Sad. I got this book because I was judging it by the picture on the cover...and found that I was really unlikely to make anything in the entire book. And I'm being generous. Oh well, back to the library it goes... 6/23)

Knitting Tool Holders

About two months ago I realized I needed a better knitting case. I had resorted to up-ending my little lunch box every time I needed to find the key to adjust my needles, or the tape measure, or....anything at all really. So I made these. I was originally going to just make the the little packet, but I was having trouble planning out the the pockets to hold the little non-straight bits. So I made two bags, and now everything has it's own little place to be put away. The Circle bag is a much cuter design, but I like the fabrics on the Pocket Fold one better. Yay!

I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my biiiiiike!

Today I officially joined the ranks of the bicycle riding masses! Such a cute bike! Mine, all Mine!

First Pair of Socks!

Hoorray for Cute Little Feet!

Looks Like It's Almost Summer!

So we've been having summer every few weeks here, an apt metaphor for my moods lately. But I think both the weather in the sky and the weather in me is getting better. I woke up this morning to discover that a) I had lost five-ish pounds (yay!) b) that my MaddyCat still loves me--she came to purr on me despite the fact that she is Very Cranky about her home being invaded by kitten and c) that our baby kitten Artie will come to the sound of my voice and wait for me to pick him up. And that's the short list! There's more! We're going camping this weekend and I get to play in the woods and sleep next to my sweetie for the first time in a week (he's been sleeping with the Artie in the little bedroom). And two weeks from now we're (hopefully) going to Montana. Yay!

It has been a stressful month though--my job should be ending before we go to MT and I don't have a new one lined up yet...and I haven't applied to school for the Fall yet. So I'm poor, directionless, and have an uncertain future. But I gots a nice home and sweetboy, and two babycats, and good friends and family. So things will work out, I know, cuz I've got my fingers crossed. :-)

Recently Completed Book Archive

The Year of Living Biblically--A.J. Jacobs (This was an awesome book, and I definately recommend it for almost everyone I know...It's a great exploration of [primarily] the Old Testament by a secular OCD guy who writes for Esquire. Good Stuff, and I will definately be adding his other book [about reading the entire Encylopedia Brittanica] to my library list 6/18)

Dragon Rider--Cornelia Funke, audiobook (This got me through the better part of the blue sweater I'm knitting, three frogged versions of the Smock-A-Ruche scarf, and lots of doodles. Cornelia Funke is definately one of the best 'kids' writers out there, in my opinion, though I wouldn't give most of her stuff to the under age 10 group. I thought this was not -quite- as good as the InkHeart series, but it's still fabulous. 6/14)

The World without Us--Alan Weisman (I really, really, really wish I had started to read this book before it was due back at the library. I started it the day before it was due...and ended up having to pay a couple dollars to even get the first chapter read. But it's an awesome book, so I'm sure I'll come back to it someday to finish it. 6/1)

Welcome Home Artie!

So far we've taken to calling him R2D3 (thanks Dad), AreToo, Arthur, Artemis, Martie, Monster, and BabyCat....Some of these nicknames may not stick, and some (like R2D3) I think he'll be saddled with for life...

He is little and cute and has a fat round belly! His birthday is May 7th, so he is young to be leaving his Mama, but she was Finished with Artie and his 3 brothers and refused to nurse anymore or let them cuddle against her, so we were asked to bring him home early yesterday.

He's bonded very well to Retardo--they sleep together, and he likes the sound of Retardo's voice. Retardo has never been around little kittens, so the photos are getting plentiful. MadelineRotten has not bonded with him yet. We're trying to limit exposure until she gets over needing to hiss at him all the time, but we want her to get used to him and accept him as part of her family. So far nothing too drastic has happened between her and Artie, though I'm glad that we refreshed Rotten's clawcovers on Sunday before he came home.

Recently Completed Book Archive

So I updated my Book Reading Sidebar...and Accidentally deleted the older books notes I'd normally paste Right Here....

Here's what I remember: I really liked Junot Diaz' The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao and (ofcourse) Ray Bradbuy's Dandelion Wine. I finished but didn't really care about The Sun and The Moon by Vonda someone or other....and I know there were at least three others on the list...but...If I can remember them I'll update this later...

Feet Huuuurt!

OowwwwChe!

So I wore heels tonight for the first time in almost six months. BOoooooOooooOooooO! I remember now why I love maryjanes So Much!

But it was for a good reason--my work had a party cuz we did something awesome politically, and even though I didn't know anyone there but for the staff (cuz I'm a temp, duh) it was still great. I made three big cheese platters and organized all the other food and found the place (best chocolate factory in the world! yes! whoo-hoo!) and at one point on of our major donors asked me for a card for "my catering company" hahaha! Oh little old lady, if you only knew. ;-)

It felt good though--to pull something off so well and be recognized for it. More than one staff member and even a couple board members came up to me to ask me what I would need to consider staying on after next month. Answer = 10 more hours a week and benefits. Which would make it pretty much the most perfect job ever. ;-)

So, yeah, it was a good evening, even tho my feet Aaaeche!

Happy Momma's Day!

To Momma's everywhere...but especially
to the one I bought this gift for and
the mommas who will receive the kits.

shimmyshimmyshimmyshake!

hooray for me! attended my first belly dancing class in um...three years? Opps. Still! If I can make it next week I get to reward myself with a new one of these! LAlllllaaaalalla!

How I Spent My Gov'mnt Money

So I got my gov'mnt money today, and I know exactly how I'm going to spend it. Local fruits and veggies, delivered straight to my very own front porch. Alleluia, Halleleulay.

Fat Cat, Small Box

Rotten doesn't really know how big she is...But at least she's pretty stinkin' cute.

Wheeee!

This comic is fabulous!

Recently Completed Book Archive

Tess of the D'Ubervilles--Thomas Hardy (Damn me! I was feeling impatient and just read the Cliff Notes for this. Opps. Oh well, I wasn't dreadfully impressed anyway. And do I remember when I finished it? No.)

The Secret Adversary--Agatha Christie (Hmm...I know I finished this book...But at the moment I couldn't for the life of me tell you what it was about or when I finished it)

The Sweet Far Thing--Libba Bray (This book is terrible. I'm moved it to the finished stack not because I actually finished reading the damn thing but because I'm finished with it in the sense that I refuse to read another horribly written paragraph. Blech! 4/14)

Inkspell--Cornelia Funke (Another fabulous children's fantasy book. Why are fantasy books written for children SO MUCH better than a great deal of fantasy written for adults? Inkworld is fabulously spun--highly recommended reading. 4/11)

The A-Z of essential oils--E. Joy Bowles (This book rocks. Before I relinquish it to the library's waiting hands, I think I will have to make flashcards for some of the better oils. It's more scientific than any aromatherapy book I've ever read, and it takes into consideration the actual chemical makeup of each oil and tells you the known effects of each chemical on humans. Interesting! 4/10)

The Writing Life--Annie Dillard (I doubt I will ever really be a writer. It was a childhood "when I grow up" answer of mine, and I definately enjoy writing journals and poetry and letters and such but I 'm not a fiction writer. At least not the person that I am right now. But Annie Dillard is an amazing writer. I've loved her prose and her stories and the way she can make a book beautiful and terrible and stunning. This book is Not Fiction! It is more or less an essay on how to write, advice on writing, and descriptions of what it is like for her to write. The book is startling and strong and makes me wish to read and reread and reread again ll the books I have ever loved. 4/8)

Evil Under the Sun--Agatha Christie (Uh-oh. I should have written about this one right after I read it. All Hercule Poirot stories have started to blend together in my head! Damn it! I don't even know what day I finished the book! I'm going to have to guess! 3/28)

The Mysterious Affair at Styles--Agatha Christie (I'm definitely still on vacation...the bio in the back of this book says that it was the first of the Hercule Poirot mysteries, and I really liked it. Classy whodunnit with a main character that just bumbles along after Poirot not knowing what to do. 3/26)

Recently Finished Book Archive

Anansi Boys--Neil Gaiman (Picked this one up at Powell's while we were in Portland, and I'm Very Glad I had it. Got home from work at 4:00 and started reading...and didn't stop until 8:30 when I finished. Beguiling story! Interesting Characters! Fast Paced! Action-Packed! :-) 3/25)

Destination Unknown--Agatha Christie (Christie writes espionage! Strong red-headed heroine, the Cold War & the Iron Curtain, a definite love interest = definately not the normal Christie mystery. 3/24)

Postern of Fate--Agatha Christie (I started this one after I got sick, so that may be why I didn't like it as much. It has neither Marple nor Poirot, and the story moves mainly through dialogue between an elderly husband & wife team who consistently allude to their detective/mystery solving past together. I think the dialogue threw me off a bit, because it was just a little too dated for me to really get into it. The coolest part of this book is that Dame Christie based the story in her childhood home. 3/23)

The Mystery of the Blue Train--Agatha Christie (Another Hercule Poirot mystery, also finished while staying in the Agatha Christie room. I especially liked that you thought the mystery was solved with 50 pages to go...and then the real murderers were discovered in the last 5 pages. 3/22)

Murder on the Orient Express--Agatha Christie (This is the first Poirot mystery I've read, and I have to say I'm becoming fond of the little egg-headed mustachioed mystery-solver. :-) 3/21)

Why Are Chickens Inherently Funny?

There is something really funny about chickens, no matter what they are doing....I just stumbled into this webcomic and thought I would have to share my first favorite. The zombie chickens are pretty awesome too... :-)

PotteerrRy!

I started a pottery class last week, and I'm just beginning to remember that I actually like working in clay. Maybe. I don't tend to think in 3-dimensions, at least when I'm making stuff, so sculpture has never been my go-to art method when I have a brilliant idea....The first two pots I tried to make I ended up smooooooshing, and I'm getting close to getting my first project pot done for class. It's fun. I don't think I'll ever become a master potter, but so far so good! :-)

Knitted Catnip Mouse

Well, it may be one of the
smallest knitted objects
I've ever said I've
'completed' but what the
hey, Rotten loves it. ;-)

hee hee hee!

toothpastefordinner.com

Sniffle Snort Hack

Blechk. Still recovering from the results of running around on the cold beach with no shoes on. Got sick on Sunday after spending too long flying my beautiful dragon kite and I'm just now starting to feel like a healthy future is on my horizion. Retardo is laying sick in bed at home. Oops.

Trip Highlights: the Elephants at the Oregon Zoo, Dancing to HillStomp at the Kennedy School, Sunshine on the Beach, Rainstorm at the Beach, Dinner at Table of Contents, Reading in the SaltWater Soaking tub at the Kennedy School, Flying my Dragon, Shopping at Powells, New Red Shoes, New Friends at Sylvia Beach Hotel, and a peaceful drive there and back. Didn't get any knitted objects completed, but I played a lot with my new Harmony Interchangeable Needle Kit that arrrived right before we left. So Pretty! Will post pics and scans of trip soon.

CHHhhhhEEEEEEze!

No trip to the Oregon Coast is complete with a stop at the Cheeze Factory. :-)

Agatha Christie Room at Sylvia Beach

The Amazing Dragon Kite!!!

People flee before him! It's the amazing DRAAAAgONN KITE!

EllyBelly Feeding the Lorikeets

EllyBelly&Retardo at the Oregon Zoo

Yay for Powells!

Best Bookstore Ever! Yay for Books!

Crooked Room at the Kennedy School

Yay for Spring Break!

Best of part of being back in school: Spring Break, hands down.

Neither Retardo nor I took this pic of the Sylvia Beach hotel when we were there a year ago. None of our exterior pictures look anything like this since we went in Fog Season. We're heading there this weekend, and I'm hoping that when we get back I'll be able to post lots of lovely pictures of sunny beaches. Got my fingers crossed anyway.

Yay for vacations!

So I've Been A Little Busy...

So, Pfftt!

As was pointed out to me earlier today, I'm woefully out-of-date on my blog. I'll post some journal scribbles and what not, cuz stuff really did happen in the last month-n-a-few, I've just been too busy doing it to actually log in and scratch out sentances. Stay tuned for loverly scanned stuff!

Recently Finished Book Archive

Call Me By Your Name--Andre Aciman (Well written book about a 17yr old boy falling for a 27yr old man. Pretty language, good verse, strong imagery [heh!] but not something I'd read again because once was enough for the good parts to sink in 3/18)

A Murder is Announced--Agatha Christie ( We're planning on staying at the Agatha Christie room in the Sylvia Beach hotel over Spring Break...and since I've never really read the Grand Dame of Mystery I'm starting to pile through the ones I could get from the library. They're good, honest! I just have to be careful about when I read them since I have a Really Hard Time putting the damn things down until I know whodunnit. 3/17)

Lust--Ellen Forney (Ellen Forney is a fabulous graphic artist. Her art is immediate and intense and I love it. The Stranger asked her to illustrate their 'lustlab' personal ads, and this book is the result of [I think] several years worth. It's a little titillating, and a lot weird, but I think it's amazing...Surprised that I found it at the library, and glad that there were no suspicious stains on it. 3/14)

The Ruby in the Smoke -- Phillip Pullman (This is the first of Pullman's Sally Lockheart trilogy, and I'm definately liking his style more in the mystery genre than I did the the Golden Compass Series. Maybe he was just trying to hard to best C.S. Lewis in those books, but I really like this series a lot better. 3/14)

The Tin Princess--Phillip Pullman (Started this one before I realized that it was the latest book he wrote using the characters from his Sally Lockheart books. Oh well. They're good quick reads, not too bloody or heartrenching, but engrossing enough to keep you turning the pages. 3/10)

The Sparrow--Mary Doria Russell (I first read this in high school, and the story definately stuck with me for all the right reasons since then. So, when I saw a copy for fifty cents on my last scrounge in the Goodwill, into the cart it went. It's a very well written book dealing with the Big Stuff: God, Faith, Aliens, etc. Now, if only I could find a cheap copy of the sequel...I know I've read it, but I can't remember the entire book... 2/26)

RockBandCraftDay!

round thoughts, square heart

boredboredbored

Gainfully Employed Again

Making money again...I'll soon be making money again... ;-)

Recently Finished Book Archive

Re-thinking Thin: The New Science of Weight Loss and the Myths and Realities of Dieting--Gina Kolata (I'm not really into dieting, despite the fact that I am truly overweight. This book was a hard read for me because it did a fabulous job refuting several myths that I was hoping were truths (i.e. if I dieted, I would suddenly be able to maintain thinness (90% or more people can't--no matter how hard they try), that body weight has nothing to do with my genetic makeup (70% of your 'normal' weight can be attributed to genetics), and that formerly fat people are actually healthier than fat people (only true if they are formerly fat exercise gurus). It's a pretty bleak look on obesity, but I'm glad I read it. 2/10)

The God of Animals-- Aryn Kyle (I never really went through the horse phase lots of pre-teen girls seem to have. Maybe I missed out, because if I had read this book back then I think I would have been horse crazy for the rest of my life. It was a pretty safe plot, but I liked it. 2/7)

Winds of Marble Arch and Others-- Connie Willis (Connie Willis is probably my favorite scifi/fantasy writer--her stories rarely fail to disappointment me. She writes humanity-- so stinkin well it blows me away some time. Her prose still is pretty spare, not really illustrastive, but her characters are dense and her plots can be amazing. Good Stuff! 2/5)

The Amber Spyglass -- Philip Pullman (Yup. Purchased and finished the whole series. Didn't really get into the whole 'theology' part of it, but maybe I'll pay more attention to it when/if I decide to read them again. 1/19)

I Know They Are Gross

But somehow they ended up in my belly again...


Darn you Retardo! Darn you for bringing these into our home!

...when i find my twoheaded womAAAn