Katzenjammer

Storm Aftermath

2012-01-22T22:59:00.000-08:00

Can you see the car?

How about now?

Just snow.

See the shiny? That is ice over the snow.

Now can you see the car?

Smooshed Car port.

Can you see the car from my bedroom window?

That was such a pretty tree.

Smooshed car port with tree.

About 20 min after I took these picture we lost power. It was out for just a few days not bad really. I do keep things on hand for power outages. Lights, camp stove, extra blankets, two warm cats, and if the water is lost I have 5 gallon jugs of water that I keep filled. The only thing I missed was a hot shower. There are still places in the county without power, and they think it might be the middle of the week before it is all on.

We did get about 14 inches in abuot 5 hours. That is a lot of snow. These picture were taken the day after the storm.

Ursula, Under and Snow

2012-01-17T03:31:00.000-08:00

Snow, snow, we have gotten a few inches of snow in the past few days. Not bad really, that is usually all we get in a year. It is here for a day or two, then gone. A wonderful thing. I got a few great pictures of a few inches of snow. Having said that, I really really hope that the weather forecasters are wrong. I really hope that they are wrong. It is now Tuesday morning at 3am by Wednesday night we are to have 14 inches. FOURTEEN INCHES, the papers are saying that the roads should be impassable by tonight. I don't know what that means, does that mean at 4pm or sometime toward midnight?

Oh, well will find that out tonight.

This weekend, I finished Ursula, Under by Ingrid Hill. I do not often read fiction that is not fantasy, so the Orange Reading Challenge IS a real challenge for me. What makes it a challenge is that I deal with real life problems at work, and in my free time, I would rather deal with giant bugs eating people, unicorns, dragons, and knights. I did like Ursula, Under.

The book was written in the now, and in the past. Sometime centuries in the past. Each chapter could have been its own short story that led to the outcome of little Ursula. Ursula, running after a deer, falls in a hole and needs to be rescued. Each chapter tells the tale of the ancestors who came before her and the actions that led to her being alive. It is an interesting way to look at what it takes to create a person.

I would recommend this book, to any who are interested in family history, and the possibilities of the past leading to the now.

Quote from page 237..
"It becomes more and more apparent that she is not merely neurotic, eccentric, unpleasantly quirky: it is clear that the queen has gone over the falls in a fragile bark, left the river of sanity, and gone adrift in the open sea."

What Are the Little Things...

2012-01-12T16:33:00.000-08:00

What are the little things that get you excited? Get your mind out of the gutter. For some people it is shoes, and I don't get that one but whatever.

For me it is the first of the new month. It is not that the past month is gone, it is not the changing of time, seasons. It is the library. Each month on the first or soon after the library gets a paper called the Book Page. I love the Book Page. Each month, it reviews new books, adds for books, and questions from readers/writers.

Each month I pick up my copy of the Book Page and I read every page. There are times that I am not interested in anything that they talk about. More often than not there are at least one or two items that I want to read or look into. Sometime there is a book on every page. There are books listed for everyone, audio books, fiction, non-fiction, kids, and young adult.

If your library offers the Book Page check it out.

First one Done

2012-01-10T04:37:00.000-08:00

Duma Key by Steven King. This book is for two reading challenges the TBR and the Whats in a Name 5. For the Whats in a Name challenge a Key is something that is kept in a purse, pocket or backpack.

This is the first King book that I have read in a very long time. When I was a teenager I read him like there was no tomorrow. I read everything he wrote. Then one day I picked up his new and latest release and just could not finish it. I do not know if I had changed, his writing had changed or what. The magic was lost to me.

Last year one of my co-workers gave me Duma Key she wanted to talk to me about the book. Having had lost the magic, I put the book on the shelf and left it there. This is the best Steven King I have read in a long time.

The main character Edgar Freemantle has a accident that almost kills him. To recover he moves to Duam Key. There he meets Wireman, and Elizabeth Eastlake. As he heals he paints, his paintings have the power to heal, kill, and destroy.

I read all 770 pages in about 12 hours. The book had an interesting affect on me. I should explain that when I read the words are not just words. I can see, hear, smell what is on the pages. Each character has a voice, a look, or a little quirk that fits each person. So, when I read a few lines about a picnic basket I could hear the panic in his voice.

This is what I read that freaked me out so much. Italics the authors:
"That basket.
Elizabeth's dammed picnic basket.
It was red."

Wordless Wednesday NOT

2012-01-04T17:03:00.001-08:00

Looking through my pictures I realized that I did not have any that I want to share. Guess that means this weekend I get to go out with my camera. WOOHOO a date!

Reading Challenges

2012-01-01T01:41:00.000-08:00

So this is the reading challenge post. I signed up to do two this year one I posted about here, this one is the TBR challenge. The other is posted about here.

I have thought about signing up for a few more challenges but then realized that there are some that come up on a monthly basis. The one for January is the Orange Challenge it is hosted by The Magic Lasso. For the Orange Challenge I am going to read Ursula, Under by Ingrid Hill.

I am also going to be doing the Support Your Local Library challenge hosted by Eclectic Bookshelf. The rules are linked here. That is a lot of reading. Woohoo. I had better get started on something.

Resolutions

2011-12-31T03:50:00.000-08:00

As today is the last day of the year, I suppose I should post about my resolutions. I do not have any grand scheme to do anything great. There are a few reading challenges that I will start on the first. Those if I have not already posted about, I will post about later.

My goal for the year is to finish all of my crafting projects before I start any more. That does not sound bad, right? Wrong. I have been working on one cross stitch pattern now for two years. The project is a large one but that is not is what taking so long. Every 5 stitches is a color change and that takes time. When I am done with that one I will post a picture. There is another, cross stitch pattern that I am half way finished with that is of a Victorian house in California. As with the larger one when it is done, a picture will come up.

I also have 3 crochet items that I am working on. A scarf, a blanket for a queen size bed, and then a throw for the couch. The throw I need to get a different hook for, the one I have now is two small. Not sure what I am going to do with the blanket, I don't like the colors that I am using for it. I might just use it for winter nights when the power goes out. Pictures of each will come up as they are finished.

So reading, and crafts those are my New Years resolutions. Happy New Year, and if you go out and party be careful driving home.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-28T17:27:00.000-08:00

Wordless Wednesday- View from the Space Needle

2011-12-21T08:38:00.000-08:00

I am going to hell.

2011-12-19T23:11:00.000-08:00

I am going to hell, and I am enjoying every minute of it. It started with Samuel L Jackson reading Go the F*k to Sleep I found that link through someone, and now it is saved to my favorites. Then through Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings I met Patrick Rothfuss's The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle.

I loved both of those books. They made me laugh, think, remember. The book by Mr. Rothfuss I had to read and look at the illustrations a few times to understand what the story was really about. I love that in a book.

Today, I met an author by the name of Simon Max Hill. The man tells the story of a grandpa who won't wake up. Grandpa Won't Wake Up is a sick twisted little tale that still has me laughing. When I read the book in the bookstore I was laughing so hard that people were looking at me strangely. So if you like Go the F*k to Sleep, and The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle, look the Grandpa Won't Wake Up. Just look at the cover art work.

Why I was AWOL

2011-12-18T02:09:00.000-08:00

On Dec 7th, my Honey flew in for a few days. When she was here I did not do much on the Internet. Blogging, the Book, none of it.

She flew in just after one pm. So for a late lunch we went into Seattle and ate at the Crab Pot. Yummy, I had the blackened salmon linguine, and she had a bucket of steamer clams. We, shared as there was a ton of food, and every bit was tasty.

After we ate we walked a short way to the Ye Olde Curiosity Shop there we say a few mummy's, bat and a few mermaids. That place is so neat, I love going in there. Not only is it a shop but it is a museum as well. There were some carvings out of a nut that looks like ivory.

Honey had never been up in the Space Needle so that is where we went next. I am honestly amazed that we both did so well up there. I do not do good with heights, that is why I do not like to fly. Honey does not do well up on the edge of things. So here we are up nearly 500 feet and both of us were just fine up there. Both of us. The night was clear and cold, the views up there were spectacular.

Saturday we drove to Portland had lunch with my aunt. Then went to Cavalia. OMG is all I have to say about that. I got shivers at times watching that show.

Honey flew out Monday, and I did not really want to to much of anything that day. Then Tuesday it was back to work.

Not Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-30T05:46:00.000-08:00

What are the cats finding so intersting?

Discovery of Witches with a rant

2011-11-26T23:06:00.000-08:00

I liked this book. I know a lot of other people have read and reviewed. I love the plot, the set up and I can't wait to read the next installment. That being said there are parts of the book that made me gag, and have to put it down.

It is not as if there is any gratuitous violence or sex in it. I loved the fact that the book was written so that sex was absent. It was great that it was implied, I have an imagination I am an adult I can figure out what two people do in a locked room with a bed. I don't need to read about throbbing manhood or heaving bosoms. I loved that there was no sex. WooHoo one up for the author.

RANT STARTING

No, what made me gag was when they talked about how cool, his flesh felt under her warm hands.Every time the author talks about how cool his flesh felt, how good that was, all I could think about was a steak left on the counter, right before cooking it. EWWWW!! That does not feel good, it is icky.

I get the lust and desire for power. That some people want power at all cost. I just don't get how vampires can be sexually attractive. They have no heart beat. NONE! (Basic anatomy stuff coming up.) If there is no heart beat, there is no blood flow, blood flow is what is needed to have an erection. How can a vampire have an erection to consummate a relationship? Sleeping with the dead is called necrophilia. A vampire is dead, necrophilia. NASTY.

END RANT.

That being said, I loved the way the books main character was raised by her lesbian aunts. I loved that the main plot of the book was not about who you love, but that you love, and that it should not matter to others who you love. When the next book comes out I am definitely going to read it.

Oh The Fates

2011-11-24T06:05:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving all.

I thought that today might be a quiet day. A day of sleeping then work, but the fates had other things in mind. My plans for a Thanksgiving meal is a simple one. A sandwich, or a bowl of chili. Not happening.

I went to work and instead of working the floor, I am working the desk. The first phone call I get is from a nurse that I worked with and still wish I work with. She asked me what my plans are for Thanksgiving, and I told her that I am going to work. So she invited me over to get a plate of food to take to work. YummY!! Not knowing how the night was going to go I told her that if I get up in time I would be over.

The second phone call was from an ICU nurse. She asked to speak to KJ one of the nurses on our floor. KJ then runs over and tells me she needs to speak to the charge nurse. KJ has brought a turkey in for all to share. ICU Nurse has brought something to cook the bird. Who knew that bringing a turkey fryer to the hospital is a fire hazard. Who knew that they would not be able to cook the bird there. I mean its not like deep frying a turkey is dangerous. (Insert Sarcasm Sign Here)

So KJ tried to get Charge Nurse's adult kid to come get the bird and cook it. No go. So then she calls SR a nurse who had been cancelled to come get the bird and cook it. SR had never cooked a turkey before so she said that she would get a few rotisserie chicken and bring those in. WooHoo!! Food!!

Nope.. SR calls after an hour or so and asked me what she should do. There are no rotisserie chicken to be had. The choices are deli meat or chicken wings from a pizza joint. After I stopped laughing I transferred her call to KJ to make the call. KJ told SR to get whatever was easiest. So our early morning Thanksgiving meal had Domino's Pizza chicken wings.

As for the 12 lb turkey that did not get cooked. KJ did not want it she has a larger one at home to cook. So now I am cooking a turkey.

Not bad for being only 6am my time. Can't wait to see what happens tonight when I go into work.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-23T08:09:00.000-08:00

2012 To Be Read Pile Challenge

2011-11-21T00:10:00.000-08:00

I did it. I have my 12 + 2 books picked out. I have been working on the list for about 2 weeks now. Out of curiosity I looked to see what others who have joined the challenge are reading. Wow! Is all I have to say. The challenge is being hosted over at Roof Beam Reader. I could do a copy paste of the rules but, I think going to the original blog is a good thing.

My books are as listed.

#1 Mink River by Brian Doyle (2010)

#2 Duma Key by Steven King (2008) Finnished January 8, 2012

#3 Witches Boy by Michael Gruber (2005)

#4 Rose of No Man's Land by Michelle Tea (2005)

#5 The Man Who Loved Books too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett (2009)

#6 The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova (2005)

#7 Motel of the Mysteries by David Macaulay(1979)

#8 House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo(2008)

#9 Secret Atlas by Michael A. Stackpole (2005)

#10 Kissing the Witch by Emma Donoghue (1997)

#11 Hen's Teeth by Manda Scott (1996)

#12 Onaedo the Blacksmiths Daughter by Ngozi Achebe (2010)

The alternatives are going to be:

The Poisoners Handbook by Deborah Blum (2010)

Inside of a Dog by Alexandra Horowitz (2009)

When I looked at the other lists that readers have compiled I noticed that there are a lot of classics. I read most of the more popular classics in school. I do think that was a benefit of being home schooled.

LIbrary Loot

2011-11-17T17:10:00.000-08:00

So I got Buddha Da by Anne Donovan. I started it at work last night, so far I like it, but it is making me talk funny.

I also got Tell Me Where It Hurts: A Day of Humor, Healing and Hope in My Life as an Animal Surgeon by Nick Trout. This is an audio book. I don't often get them and I am hoping that this one is not read in a way that disappoints me.

Downpour

2011-11-17T08:25:00.000-08:00

I read Downpour by Kat Richerson last week. This is the 6th in the Greywalker series, I started reading them not because of the plot, characters, or because they are paranormal. I read them because they are written by a Seattle author and the setting is in Seattle. I love to read books that are written about an area that I have lived in or do live in. That is why I started the Greywalker books.

I enjoy the story, the plots, and the characters. The protagonist is a woman by the name of Harper Blane. Harper is a PI who was a normal PI until she dies. There are several boyfriends, and one Chaos I mean ferret. Enough background.

Downpour takes place out side of Seattle in the Olympic Peninsula. Aside from the setting this one is a bit different than the others. The mystery was more focused on the supernatural than on the real world. I missed the real world mystery that was in this book. Having said that it was a good quick easy read.

I like the use of the boyfriend, and the ferret in the books. Chaos is a great comic relief from stealing shoes to trying to take on creatures bigger than she is. There is a current boyfriend who is a bit of a mystery him self. Harper and the boyfriend have an interesting relationship. I love the way that the relationship is written out. It is a part of the story, however the romance is not the focus of the books. Harper's dealing with and in the Grey are the focus of the books.

I will read the next one when it comes out.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-16T17:23:00.000-08:00

What's in a Name 2012 reading challenge

2011-11-15T02:05:00.000-08:00

This is the first time I have signed up for this. So, here is how it works...

Between January 1 and December 31, 2012, read one book in each of the following categories:

1.A book with a topographical feature (land formation) in the title: Black Hills, Purgatory Ridge, Emily of Deep Valley

2.A book with something you'd see in the sky in the title: Moon Called, Seeing Stars, Cloud Atlas

3.A book with a creepy crawly in the title: Little Bee, Spider Bones, The Witches of Worm

4.A book with a type of house in the title: The Glass Castle, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Ape House

5.A book with something you'd carry in your pocket, purse, or backpack in the title: Sarah's Key, The Scarlet Letter, Devlin Diary

6.A book with a something you'd find on a calendar in the title: Day of the Jackal, Elegy for April, Freaky Friday, Year of Magical Thinking

The book titles are just suggestions, you can read whatever book you want to fit the category

Other things to know...

•Books may be any form (audio, print, e-book).

•Books may overlap other challenges.

•Books may not overlap categories; you need a different book for each category.

•Creativity for matching the categories is not only allowed but encouraged.

•You do not have to make a list of books before hand.

•You do not have to read through the categories in any particular order

If you are interested in the Beth over at Beth Fish Reads is hosting the challenge again. AND she has a Mr. Linky to link to and see who else is going to do this challenge.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-09T17:10:00.000-08:00

Some Personal Stuff

2011-11-06T19:48:00.000-08:00

I don't often post things about me. I talk about books, movies, the cats, what the weather is doing. Part of the reason I do this is my job. Working in a hospital I have to abide by HIPPA laws, patients rights and all of that. I can when I talk about work say that I had a "good" or a "bad" night. I can say that I had X number of patients, or that I got sent home early. Not very good for a conversation.

I could brag about my kid. Though he is not much more of a kid, he is going to be 20 at the end of the month. I could tell all the stories of his life, and embarrass him to death. That might be lots of fun.

I could talk about cooking, how tonight I made my first ever batch of pastes, and will later work on apple crisp.

I could talk about my Honey. How much I miss her, how I miss the things that we could have. She and I have been in a long distance relationship for about 5 years now. Not a a few hundred miles apart, but states apart. Yes, she is well worth it. On days like today though I miss what we have when we are together, and what we could have if we were closer together. I miss coming home knowing that we have about 30 minutes before she has to leave for work, cooking together, lazy days on the couch, busy days running errands. Touches as we pass in the hall, or coffee on the porch. Is it possible to miss things that you do not have?

Personal stuff, that is what it is. Just some of it not all of it, just some.

Library Loot and A Vote Kind of

2011-11-05T10:55:00.000-07:00

This week I got out two books. The Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness and Yule A Celebration of Light and Warmth by Dorothy Morrison.

So, what I need to do now is put a book on hold at the library for next week. I have a list that is 5 pages long and would like some help picking out my next read. So here are four titles that I am thinking about checking out. I can only read one so the the one with the most votes will get read next.

#1 Tell Me Where it Hurts: A Day of Humor, Healing, and Hope in my Life as an Animal Surgeon by Nick Trout.

#2 Buddha Da by Anne Donovan

#3 Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

#4 Tout Sweet: Hanging Up My High heels for a New Life in France by Karen Wheeler

Now, if the book chosen has a long waiting list or is not yet available at my library I will go on the the next one so not only choose A book, but put them in the order that you would read them.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-02T16:46:00.000-07:00

R.I.P Closes for Another Year

2011-11-01T00:07:00.000-07:00

Tonight, is a perfect or almost perfect night for the R.I.P reading challenge to end. (R.I.P is hosted by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings) There is a crispness in the air, the cats are curled up on the couch helping me to stay warm. The wheel of the year is turning I have two candles lit for the night one a white pillar for remembrance that the sun will again return. The other a black votive for protection. Apples, pomegranates, pears await in the kitchen a taste of summer, left for the winter. The only thing that would make tonight an even better night for the closing of R.I.P is rain.

The kind of rain that bounces off the roof and it is heard twice. The kind of rain that starts off gradually, slowly building in intensity until the sound of if can no longer be ignored. That is all that is missing for the end of R.I.P.

I did Peril the First... read four books. My list was longer than four, I read seven books. That was just about half of what I wanted to read. The books I read are: (Please note that all of these links are to my reviews)
Footsteps in the Dark by Georgette Heyer
The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle by Pat Rothfuss
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
The Secret of Crickley Hall by James Herbert
Graveminder by Melissa Marr
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

I also watched three movies for the R.I.P On the Screen those were:
The Haunting (1963 and 1999). Both reviews for this movie tie into the review for the book that it was based upon.
The Watcher in the Woods

I am sorry to see R.I.P leave. I am looking forward to next years R.I.P with all my geeky little heart. Thanks Carl.

Library Loot, not Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-26T20:02:00.000-07:00

I have not done a library loot in a long time. This is because I have been trying to change my reading habits and I think I now have it. I was getting 6 or more books out at a time, and just having three weeks to read them in was not enough time. So, I have limited myself to one or two books from the library at a time. I am trying to work it so that I have one book half finished or ready to go back when I pick up the next book.This way I will have read something that I want to while not tying up books that others want to read.

So this week I have gotten the book Downpour A Graywalker novel by Kat Richardson. This is the sixth book in the set so far. I have read a few others and like them very much, one reason is that they take place in Seattle or the surrounding area. And as I live in the Northwest I have been to many of the neighborhoods, and touristy places that she talks about.

I also know that today's post should be a Wordless Wednesday one. However, today we had a meeting at work that did not get out until 9am. That may not seem bad to a lot of people but, 9am is my bed time so while the is going up at the end of Wednesday for many people. I have slept and think it is a day a head of where the rest of the world is at. This does happen to be common among the other night nurses I work with as well. So next week there will be a Wordless Wednesday post, and hopefully a Library Loot one too.

The Haunting of Hill House

2011-10-22T06:28:00.000-07:00

I have now tried to write this review three times. Each one I deleted. This time I am not going to, I am going to leave it up and see what happens.

For this R.I.P I did something a little different. I watched The Haunting (1963), The Haunting (1999) and read the book. I liked both the movies, and I think in the 1999 version the cast was wonderful. That being said the book was much much better.

In the book the house had been written as a character. That is very difficult to produce in a film version, unless it is animated. Hill House is described as having everything in its proper place. It is also in the first paragraph described as not sane.

In the 1963 version of the film Theo's home life is alluded at. In the book it states she lives with a "friend" with whom she exchanges gifts that are most special. In the 1999 version Theo, is as a bisexual on the prowl. I liked Catherine Zeta-Jones as Theo, she seemed more in line with what Mrs. Jackson had wanted.

Eleanor Vance, the protagonist is in all media forms a woman who needs to grow a pair. Now, when I was 12 and first read this. I could so relate to not being allowed to have freedom, and a life. Always unwanted, always the doormat. Until she gets to Hill House, there things change. At 12 the ending of the book confused me, it still does. I am not sure if Nell is being haunted, created a poltergeist, or is just crazy.

Quotes:
page 23 " She shivered and thought, the words coming freely to her mind, Hill House is vile, it is diseased; get away from here at once."

page 149 "Now we are going to have a new noise, Eleanor thought, listening to the inside of her head; it is changing."

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-19T17:34:00.000-07:00

2011-10-17T03:55:00.000-07:00

(The Near Past)

On Saturday Honey and I went to Santa Rosa. We were going there to see the Handcar Regatta a steampunk, handcar race. When we got there it was the wrong day. The Regatta was set for Sunday, so we walked around the town and got a cup of coffee. Then on Sunday we went back. We left early to get a good parking place, and it was a good one. Covered just a few blocks away, and people were there in costume. However, we had gotten there almost 45 min early so what to do with nothing open. We walked to the mall and got a coffee.

The first booth we saw in the gated area was the doll booth. My doll was there and she was the most beautiful one there. The man had made day of the dead dolls, vampire, and a few that were dismembered. We left the dolls and wandered about the Regatta. There were food booths, jewelry booths, hat booths, and clothes.

The innovation of the costumes was truly amazing. There was one man there who had taken an old canister vacuum and was using it as a back pack. One woman whose husband designed and built her a mechanical owl who's head turned. The thing about this event that I found the most interesting was the ages of the people. The ones in costume ranged from little kids up to people whom I assume were in their 70's.

The handcars were not just simple handcars. I think one of the events was design, oh and there were some neat ones. A swan, an inch worm, the time machine, and many others. Each team had an outfit that matched their car, or matching tee-shirts. It was such a fun day.

As we were leaving my doll was still on at the booth. I debated and debated about getting here. I was going to get one that was less than half her price. Honey, got the doll for me for my birthday. So now she sits on the table next to my fountain. I am going to have to put her in a glass cabinet soon. I don't want her to get to dusty.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-12T17:33:00.000-07:00

My new doll

National Coming Out Day.

2011-10-11T05:07:00.000-07:00

Today is National Coming Out Day. I had another post planned here for today but that will have to wait until a later date. Laine, HI Laine reminded me of what today happens to be. So for all of you who are in the closet, today is a good day to show who you are. Now, I know that if you have to stay in the closet for whatever reason, hopefully for you there will one day be a coming out day.

I so need to get this made into a t-shirt.

Watcher in the Woods

2011-10-08T20:40:00.000-07:00

Watched for R.I.P on the Screen. When I first saw this it was on TV and it scared the crap out of me. I re watch it every once in a while, when I can get someone to watch it with me.

Mrs. Aylwood (Davis) owns the manor house that Jan's (Johnson) family is renting. Jan who is 17 looks like Karen, Mrs. Aylwood's daughter who disappeared thirty years ago. Through the course of the movie Jan and her sister Ellie try to find out what happened to Karen, and who or what are is in the woods. There are strange camera angles of trees, a strange man who lives in the woods, and odd occurrences that have no reality based meaning.

This movie was made by Walt Disney, and is now out on DVD. This movie still scares me, even all these years later. I do love this movie for that creep factory. In fact, I let a friend of mine borrow it for her children to watch. Her children watch horror movies all the time and are never scared by anything. Watcher in the Woods, had all 4 of them sleeping in the parents room for the next two nights. I am not the only one who is freaked out by this movie, my sister will not watch it at all. I do not know why this movie scares me the way it does but it does.

If you have not seen this and have kids that are about 12, get it and watch it. It is well worth it.

Quotes. "I didn't want you Nerak did."

"Ring around the rosies it was."

Graveminder for R.I.P

2011-10-07T23:22:00.000-07:00

I read this book for the R.I.P challenge. I first saw this book this cover at the bookstore reading the back of it made me want to read more of the story. I went to the library to see if they had a copy and they had several however I would have been number 200 in the hold queue. Wanting to read it more than wait for it I bought a copy for my Nook. Having read the book I wish I would have waited to get it from the library.

I read a lot of other reviews that said the book was wonderful, that it was a great read. It was easy to read, it was easy to follow, and to stick with. I liked the premise of the book, a person to tend the graves to make sure all was taken care of and not forgotten. I liked the roll of the Undertaker as a protector. I liked the idea that if the dead were not cared for, the dead would not be happy.

What I did not like was the focus on the relationship of the Undertaker and the Graveminder. I know that their relationship had to be defined but all of the lovey dovey stuff could have been skipped over. I know this is just me, I do not like to read romance disguised as something else. If I want to read a romance I will pick a romance. I was very disappointed in that aspect of it. If she had kept the book focused on the story of the dead, and their ilk. I would have enjoyed it more.

For this book I have no quotes as nothing seems to have struck a cord with me.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-05T17:34:00.000-07:00

I think this looks like a rabbit.

OMG, Day 2

2011-10-03T22:54:00.000-07:00

On my second day Honey and I went to Anderson Woods. There were huge redwoods there that I did not get pictures of. I like the tow here. One is of up turned roots, the other are a pair of banana slugs. The walk through the woods was peaceful, and much needed after the flight.

We left the woods and had lunch in the car on a cliff over looking the Russian River, and a sand bar with seals basking in the sun. After watching the seals, I have a new appreciation for wildlife photographers. They must shoot hours and hours of footage to get amazing photos. All the seals did when we were there was lift a head, or roll over.

OMG, day 1

2011-09-30T23:50:00.000-07:00

What a week it has been. I was amazed that I was able to post about reading The Secret of Crickly Hall. It was not a bad week at all. It was a wonderful week. I am now just getting the time to relax and write about it. The week passed in a whirlwind.

I left home on a Tuesday and flew to northern CA. I do not like to fly and so I worked the night before so that when I got on the plane I would get some sleep. I did manage to sleep a bit on the flight, but it was not comfortable but then flying never is.

When I got into Oakland, I was tired and a bit queasy. So Honey and I split a sandwich that was very good, ham and turkey on flat bread. We decided that going to her house was not the best idea. So she drove through San Francisco, and I saw some wonderful old buildings. That on another visit, I would like to do a walking tour and get some photos. We stopped off at Golden Gate Park, and when to the Japanese Gardens.

I had not been there before, and it was a beautiful place. I would love to go back there in the spring when every thing is in bloom. I got some pictures of a giant Buddha that I thought was beautiful. There was also a very cheeky squirrel, that was just having a ball running up and down trees. Looking a people like they were the exhibit.

At the end of the day I was so tired, that my eyes felt scratchy, and my skin jumpy. It was a great day.

R.I.P another book

2011-09-24T11:06:00.000-07:00

First off let me say that I am sorry there is no book cover photo to go with this post I am not using my computer, and do not want to bog down Honey's with the picture.

I just finished reading James Herbert's The Secret of Crickley Hall. This book took me longer to read than I thought it would. Not because of the length or the writing, but because of work, and life stuffs. OK, all of that out of the way now on with my thought on the book.

OMG, I loved Crickley Hall. It was dark, spooky, twisted, sad, and very very well written. I read some of it before I fell asleep and it gave me night mares, AWESOME. Just to let you know I am not one who is big on nightmares but it has been a long time sense book as done that to me.

The setup of the book is a family having suffered something in the recent past moves in the Crickley Hall for a change of perspective. Of course Crickley Hall is in a English coastal village, where everyone knows everyone, and there is nothing hidden from anyone. The village does not play a large part in the story, much of what takes place is in that Hall itself. That is a wonderful thing for this book. Mr. Herbert did an excellent job on the whole story. Things were tied up nicely at the end, no plot lines were left straggling, and what most impressed me was his ability to string words together to pant a picture that could not be escaped from. I also liked that the chapters were short, and the heading of each chapter explained the timeline.

If anyone asks yes, read this book. This is one that I would highly recommend. This man is in my opinion a wordsmith.

Quotes:

Pg 3 "Silent tears drenched their cheeks and glacial fingers seemed to squeeze their small hearts."

Pg 443 "Eve closed the door and locked it, even thought she knew it wouldn't stay shut. The key was icy to her touch."

This Weekend

2011-09-18T23:22:00.000-07:00

Usually on the weekend I have a few days where I have time to catch up from the past work week. I read, check blogs, yes farmville, clean the house, and just chill out. Not this weekend. OMG! I am still sore and think I am going to die.

So this is my weekend from when I got up to when I went to bed.

Thursday at 1530 I woke up, just about 30min early but that is OK. Worked a 12hour shift, came home showered, had coffee, got dresses. Went to the Puyallup Fair, saw a bazillion animals. I did not know that there are a few brands of goats that look ear less. Kind of strange. Cows, pigs, horses, sheep, rabbits, and chickens. Then went to the arts and crafts some of the work in there was udderly amazing. I have not been to that fair in a long long time it was fun. Fell asleep in the car for all of 10 minutes. Got home about 1930, passed out on the couch until 0100. Then went to bed. So that was Friday

Saturday, wanted to just go shopping and get all the errands done. NOPE not gonna happen. Ran into a friend at the first store we went to. So we got talking about how good an apple fritter would taste, where to get a good apple fritter Lattin's Farm. I got about a pound or so of Grvenstein apples a few Granny Smith and I am going to make apple sauce yummy.

From there we went to Tumwater Falls to see the salmon run. OMG there were some fish there the length of my couch cushions. I was drooling thinking about steaks, fillets, and jerky. I love salmon. After the park we dropped V off at the store where we picked him up. Then went to the pet store, went out to lunch with another friend. Then we went to Shipwreck Beads. I go some of my shopping done later. Got home around 2100 after leaving at 0830.

Today Sunday, I went to a laundry mat did a few loads. Came home took a nap, read a bit, cleaned the house. Now I have to cook dinner, and make applesauce. I think I need another nap.

2011-09-14T09:01:00.000-07:00

This was taken at Tumwater Falls. I do have pictures of the falls but I love how this one looks.

How do you read?

2011-09-12T23:41:00.000-07:00

My bookends

It may seem like an odd question, but how do you read? I don't mean mouthing the words, following along with a finger type reading. I mean how do you read? In the bathtub, curled up on the couch with a cat on your lap? At a table with a cup of coffee and a cigarette, in bed wearing warm fuzzy socks?

I have a few ways that I read, OK more than a few.

The couch in various spots, curled up, stretched out, laying down. Sometimes covered with a blanket or a cat sometimes not.

The bath, there is nothing like a tub full of water and a good book.

I also read at the gym when I am on the boring elliptical, more often than not this is on my Nook. The nook is wonderful for that, it fits just right in the book holder and I don't have to worry about loosing my spot if the book is thicker than the space provided.

So, how do you read?

Her Fearful Symmetry

2011-09-11T23:11:00.000-07:00

Can you like a book and not like a book at the same time? Is it possible to read about the protagonists and wish that the supporting characters had a bigger roll? In a book can the supporting cast be better than the stars?

My second book for RIP made me ask these questions. I read Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger and honestly have to say that I wish the book had focused more on Martin and Marijke than the twins, either set. I do not know if it is a twin thing that I cannot relate to or that there seemed to be something missing in the characters of Julia, Valentina and Elspeth. I can see where Elspeth, is missing something in her personality, but Valentina and Julia both seem to be incomplete.

I believe that Martin was placed in the book to show that the girls are not as insane as he is, but I found him to be a more believable character then either of the girls. His OCD, and Agoraphobia is debilitating, but it makes him seem more rounded. His wife Marijke, is in just a few pages of the book and I wish that she had been in more.

That being said, I would probably read something else that this author had written but I would not put her on my must read now list.

Quotes:
"Elspeth Noblin was dead and no on could do anything for her now except bury her."

"Marijke suddenly saw the cemetery as an old theater: the same play was still running, but the costumes and hairstyles had been updated.:

A book not on the RIP list

2011-09-10T16:56:00.000-07:00

Long time ago in a place far far way (Once Upon a Time Challenge), this last June I read a book titled Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. Unknown to me he along with the artist Nate Taylor a new book had been written. The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle.

As it says in the book, This is NOT a book for Children. OK, I might let an older child read it one who no longer believed in monsters under the bed. This book reminded me of going to the library, sitting on the floor and waiting for an adult to read a book to me. I wanted that book, the words, the pictures to just be mine. This book as that same feel, the feel that each word must be savored, and that each picture deserves the attention that each word brings out. I am very glad that I read this book, and I do hope that Mr. Rothfuss and Mr. Taylor write a book together again.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-07T17:08:00.000-07:00

Sand in the City 2012

Footsteps in the Dark R.I.P

2011-09-05T21:22:00.000-07:00

Footsteps in the Dark by Georgette Heyer is the first of the books that I am reading for RIP. I read this on my little Nook, it was one of the free downloads.

I tried to find a synopsis that fit the book, but all of the sites that I checked just did not seem to match the story.

First off, while I did like this book, I am not sure if I would read another one of her writings. The book for me was like a cross between a Nancy Drew and an Agatha Christy. I did have a few problems with the book that I think were not the authors fault, but the way that I was reading it. For example, the house The Priory did not have any electricity, or a telephone, but others about them did. There are automobiles as well. So I assumed that the book was set in near modern times at the earliest the 1940’s. However half way through the story one of the male characters talked about the war and what he did in it in 1914. I should have realized from the speech patterns that this was a wee bit older than that.

So not to give the mystery away, I won’t go into who did what but I will say that by the last few chapters I knew who the evil doer was. In that I was disappointed. I did love a few of the characters. Charles and Mrs. Bosanquet are two of my favorites. When I was at the gym reading she had me laughing out loud, so much so that the man on the bike in front of me turned to look at me.

If asked for a recommendation on this story, I would give it with the advice; this is a good read that does not require sleeping with the lights on.

My favorite quotes:

“Not, I trust, like a lot of lunatics,” Mrs Bosanquet said coldly.

“I shall have to have someone to hold my hand soon,” Charles remarked. “Do I understand we’re likely to come out at the chapel?”

“Please don’t do that again!” said Charles. “It unnerves me. Of course we only want a few bats to complete the picture.”

It is Time for RIP

2011-08-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

WOoohoooo! I have been waiting for this for 6th months, I am so excited. Check out the artwork, I love them all. So I could write the rules up here and the book subjects but I think you should go to Carl's site and read them for yourself. I am going to do Peril the First and Peril on the Screen.

This is a my pool for the reading.

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
Downpour by Kat Richardson
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
Summer of Night by Dan Simmons
Haunted Legends by Ellen Datlow
Night Strangers by Christopher A Bohjalian
Secret of Crickley Hall by James Hubert
Graveminder by Melissa Marr
Good House by Tananarive Due
The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (a reread for the uberth time)
Footsteps in the Dark by Georgette Heyer

For Peril the Screen. . .
Watcher in the Woods I saw this when if first came out, and it still scares the crap out of me.
The House on Haunted Hill I know this one is old but for something like this challenge only Vincent Price would do.
The Haunting I know this is just a retelling of Haunting of Hill House but I love the story. If I watch this one I will also watch the 1963 copy.

Can you tell I am excited about this?

Blogger

2011-08-14T18:35:00.000-07:00

I am having great difficulty with blogger, I have wanted to leave replies to people posts on other blogs and for some reason blogger will only let me post on a few blogs. Sometimes it will leave more than one copy of the same comment on a blog site.

Thanks for understanding why I have not been here. I am thinking about moving to another blog site. Any ideas?

2011-07-28T18:37:00.000-07:00

Unlike most days at Rainbow Bridge, this day dawned cold and gray, damp as a swamp and as dismal as could be imagined. All of the recent arrivals had no idea what to think, as they had never experienced a day like this before. But the animals who had been waiting for their beloved people knew exactly what was going on and started to gather at the pathway leading to The Bridge to watch.

It wasn't long before an elderly animal came into view, head hung low and tail dragging. The other animals, the ones who had been there for a while, knew what his story was right away, for they had seen this happen far too often. He approached slowly, obviously in great emotional pain, but with no sign of injury or illness. Unlike all of the other animals waiting at The Bridge, this animal had not been restored to youth and made healthy and vigorous again. As he walked toward The Bridge, he watched all of the other animals watching him. He knew he was out of place here and the sooner he could cross over, the happier he would be.

But, alas, as he approached The Bridge, his way was barred by the appearance of an Angel who apologized, but told him that he would not be able to pass. Only those animals who were with their people could pass over Rainbow Bridge. With no place else to turn to, the elderly animal turned towards the fields before The Bridge and saw a group of other animals like himself, also elderly and infirm. They weren't playing, but rather simply lying on the green grass, forlornly staring out at the pathway leading to The Bridge. And so, he took his place among them, watching the pathway and waiting.

One of the newest arrivals at The Bridge didn't understand what he had just witnessed and asked one of the animals that had been there for a while to explain it to him. "You see, that poor animal was a rescue. He was turned in to rescue just as you see him now, an older animal with his fur graying and his eyes clouding. He never made it out of rescue and passed on with only the love of his rescuer to comfort him as he left his earthly existence. Because he had no family to give his love to, he has no one to escort him across The Bridge. "

The first animal thought about this for a minute and then asked, "So what will happen now?" As he was about to receive his answer, the clouds suddenly parted and the gloom lifted. Approaching The Bridge could be seen a single person and among the older animals, a whole group was suddenly bathed in a golden light and they were all young and healthy again, just as they were in the prime of life. "Watch, and see" said the second animal.

A second group of animals from those waiting came to the pathway and bowed low as the person neared. At each bowed head, the person offered a pat on the head or a scratch behind the ears. The newly restored animals fell into line and followed him towards The Bridge. They all crossed The Bridge together.

"What happened?"

"That was a rescuer. The animals you saw bowing in respect were those who found new homes because of his work. They will cross when their new families arrive. Those you saw restored were those who never found homes. When a rescuer arrives, they are allowed to perform one, final act of rescue. They are allowed to escort those poor animals that they couldn't place on earth, across The Rainbow Bridge. "

"I think I like rescuers", said the first animal.

"So does GOD", was the reply.
-- Author Unknown

Not so wordless Wednesday

2011-07-20T09:38:00.000-07:00

I am trying to put into words the month of June and when I do I will get it up here.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-13T16:42:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-06T18:14:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-22T17:20:00.000-07:00

Once Upon a Time Challenge

2011-06-22T00:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I missed the deadline for the Challenge by 30 minutes. AAGGGG!!!! But that is OK, this was my first one and I think that next time and there will be a next time, I will do better.

For this challenge I read:
Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
Game of Thrones by George R R Martin
One Hundred Words for Hate by Thomas E Sniegoski
Castle of Wizardry by David Eddings

I will be doing the RIP challenge too when it is posted.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-15T00:12:00.000-07:00

Game of Thrones

2011-05-22T09:24:00.000-07:00

I read the Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin for the Once Upon a Time reading challenge. I finished it last week and I am still not sure if I liked it or not. It was not the story, or the writing style, I just could not get involved with most of the characters.

I am being vague on this, as I know there is a TV show being made, and I know some people actually will read the book so I am trying not to give to much ways.

Bran Stark - I don't feel sorry for, I find his Summer a much more likable character.

Catelyn Stark- I am still not sure about her, I don't know if I like her for going forward or hate her for leaving the wee ones.

Daenerys Targaryen- started out as a wimp, her character development is the best so far in the book.

Eddard Stark- I want to say that his character is the catalyst for the book, without him none of the story would move forward.

Jon Snow- I think he could be an interesting character, and he is one of the few I want to know more about. I am going to look at then next book to see if there is more on this character in them.

Arya Stark - She is like Jon one I want to know more about to see grow, and expand her story line.

Tryion Lannister- He is one of the most well written and thought out characters in the book. He has more sides to him than an octagon.

Sansa Stark - Oh dear gods she reminded me of Bella from the Twilight books. Just shoot me when I have to read about her Please.

In this book in the series the above are the main characters. I will read the rest of the books just to find out what happens to Jon, and Arya.

Honey really liked this one and maybe I can talk her into writing her thoughts on the book for here.

Next for the challenge we are reading The Name of the Wind.

The Weekend

2011-05-02T18:37:00.000-07:00

My weekend started on Friday, I went shopping. Wooohooo. OK so that woohoo was sarcastic, unless I am shopping for books or food I hate shopping. It took me a hour to pick out some underwear. I went out to dinner with some great friends and ate way to much.

Saturday after going to the gym, and the store. I had a nap, the nap put me behind so I made a mad dash to pack for the weekend. Then a 2 hour drive to Portland.

This weekend was my cousins 33rd birthday, and his fathers 60th. There was a surprise party for my uncle, so I was told not to go to the house as he would know something was up. That was no big hard ship, I went to Powell's. I did not go to the one downtown, I went to the one in Cedar Hills, I had two boxes of books for them to go though and the parking there is better. Powell's ended up giving me $20 in store credit, and then I spent another $20 on top of that. Not a bad deal for the books.

I got:
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss this is for the Once Upon a Time reading challenge
The Harp of the Gray Rose by Charles De Lint
Dingo by Charles De Lint both this one and the Harp of the Gray Rose were bought to fulfill the need to read and own everything written by De Lint.
The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett
Living Wicca by Scott Cunningham

After that enjoyable few hours, I went to my cousins because I did not know where the restaurant was located. We went to a place called Jopa Northwest Grill . The room was beautiful, the food was wonderful, I loved the cold asparagus, and the bacon wrapped scallops. I met the most interesting people there, I spent a lot of the night talking to an international attorney, he had just gotten back from Africa.

I spent the night and most of the next day with the family we had brunch at Hands On Cafe that is part of the Oregon College of Art and Craft. Ohh that food was yummy too.

In the afternoon, my aunt and I went to NCO where she volunteers. NCO is a great organization that I when I can take them things that they might be able to use. If you are reading this and live in Portland look into them.

When I got home, I was exhausted, but I had also not slept well for a few days. Today I more than made up for that. I slept all night, then went to the chiropractors came back and slept for another 5 hours.

Guess Who Is Who

2011-04-28T07:58:00.000-07:00

Can you guess who is who? Remember Kelevra is the girl, Squeeker the boy.

Kelevra is the smart one. She tries to turn on the water, flush the toilet, and open doors.

Squeeker, he gets lost in the bathroom, the closet, and plays fetch.

So who is who?

I know I have not posted pictures of the kittens in a while. They are getting bigger, and have very distinctive personalities.

SS$$cat

2011-04-22T21:05:00.000-07:00

My cat's love to go behind the TV stand, I think they are looking for monsters. Last weekend they went back there and stepped on my surge protector, now my game console will not connect to anything wireless. As the console is how I watch Ne+flix I had to go out and get wired controllers again. A real bummer. Last night they were back there again. I went out a got a SS$$cat.

Most of the time if I need to get the cats off of something I just use a water bottle. I am not going to squirt water on my power cords, so I did a little research. The S$$cat is a motion sensor compressed air can that when the cats get close to it will hiss and shoot out a blast of air. It works quite well.

The first time it went off Kelevra shot out from behind the stand as if her tail were on fire. Then Squeeker went back there hehe, I watched him bolt behind the couch. Kelevra has not gone back. Squeeker had to try again, I watched as he did the sneak and tried to creep behind the stand. There was a blast. He jumped straight up in the air and three feet back.

The website says that this can be used to keep them off counters, out of rooms that they are not wanted in etc. The price is a bet hefty but when comparing to replacing a game system it is worth the price.

Poetry Month

2011-04-17T23:01:00.000-07:00

This month is poetry month so I thought that I would put up some quotes, little snatches of poetry that I love. I am going to link up one of my favorite poems ever to here as well.

Some light hearted poetry.

I think that I shall never see

A billboard lovely as a tree.

Indeed, unless the billboards fall

I shall never see a tree at all.

Ogden Nash

And today the great Yertle, that Marvelous he

Is King of the Mud. That is all he can see.

Theodor Geisel

Not drunk is he, who from the floor

Can rise alone, and still drink more;

But drunk is he, who prostrate lies,

With out the power to drink or rise.

Thomas Love Peacock

This is one of my favorite poems it is not light in anyway. The subject is dark, but the flow and the story line is amazing. This is from The Goblin Market by Christina Rosetti.

She Cried, "Laura," up the garden,

"Did you miss me?

Come and kiss me.

Never mind my bruises,

Hug me, kiss me, suck my juices

From the Cad Goddeu from the Llyfr Taliesin. I have read this one over and over sill never getting tired of the language or the flow.

I was in many forms

before I was set free

I was a narrow blood-spotted sword

I believed, when I was formed

I was teardrops in the air

I was a star-woven star

I have people tell me that I am strange for reading and enjoying poetry but I think they are missing so much. I hope that this post will get some others to read and explore poetry.

Green Chile Stew

2011-04-16T09:32:00.000-07:00

Over at A Butch In The Kitchen, she had posted a recipe for White Turkey Chili that looks so yummy. I posted in a comment that I had made Green Chili Stew and she wanted my recipe so here it is.

Green Chile Stew

4 pounds chicken

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

1 tablespoon dried basil

4 ounces Hatch green chile peppers,roasted chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

5 carrots, chopped

5 stalks celery, chopped

1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes (optional)

3 potatoes, peeled and cubed

corn starch
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1.Put the chicken in a large pot over medium heat and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer until chicken is done. Remove the chicken from the pot and allow it to cool. Chop the chicken meat into bite-size pieces.

2.Return the chicken to the pot and add the green chile peppers, spices, onion, garlic, carrots, celery, tomatoes and potatoes. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are tender (or pressure cook for 10 minutes). In a separate small bowl, mix the some corn starch with some water and add to the soup, stirring well to thicken stew. Raise heat, bring just to a boil and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

If Hatch green chilies are hard to find where you are Trader Joe's sells them canned in 4oz cans. Also the flavor of the stew changes if another pepper is used. Hatch is a very unique pepper from New Mexico. I was lucky enough that last year a local store had a supply of fresh Hatch come in, I spent about $40 on pepper. Then spent two days roasting and freezing them. I think I need to make green chile hamburgers.

Book One Once Upon a Time Challenge

2011-04-11T17:17:00.000-07:00

For the Once Upon a Time Challenge Honey and I have picked out a book for each of us to read that the other has read before, but will not re-read for the challenge. I picked for her The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper.

For me she picked The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. I tried to read this book when I was a teenager and I could not get past the first few chapters. At that time I did not understand why I could not read the book. Then when the movie came out on DVD I watched it to see what all of the fuss was about. Needless to say I liked the Narnia move better. This time around as Honey so liked the book I thought I would give it a try and finish it.

I picked the book up on Friday from the library and as it has only 351 pages in it I thought I would have it finished by Saturday night. Not so, it took me almost 4 hours to read 75 pages. I kept having to put the book down and walk away. It was not that it was badly written, or that the plot was not moving along. This book just made me uneasy. Reading it was like going to a concert and all but one of the instruments are in accord with each other. It felt as if something were just a bit out of tune or step with the rest of the book.

We are both going to read A Game of Thrones by George R.R Martin. Honey has already started this one so it is next on my list to read.

T.V or not T.V

2011-04-04T22:35:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl the T.V. was always on in the house. My mother watched soaps like it was a religion. I remember coming home from school to a house where if there was a T.V in a room it was on, even if no one was in the room. As the years progressed T.V viewing changed it went from bad soaps to worse talk show T.V. Mom watched them all, the ones that she missed she would ask others if they had watched. With the advent of the VCR that changed. She recorded the shows that she thought she would miss, and then watch them late at night or on the weekends.

At the time I moved out I was so sick of the thing that I did not have one for a few years. Then when I did buy one it was a small 13inch. My son and I would rent movies and watch what we wanted when we wanted. My mother hear about this and started taping shows and sending them to us to watch. Out of an eight hour tape there might have been one show on there that interested one of us.

When mom got sick and moved in with us we got cable, because she whined about how quiet my place was. It was a total waste of money. I paid $60+ a month and if I got to watch something that I might find interesting it was because she was not in the house. If she were not home when I got there I would turn on the radio, she would then turn the T.V on over the radio when she got home.

I do remember we got into an argument about what I watched. With my work I do not want to see "reality" crap. I deal enough with it on the job, give me a movie where giant pigs eat people, or frogs attack, or swarms of grasshoppers eat cars. Dragons, knights, anything not real unless it is a documentary on a historical figure.

When she left, cable went with her. I was never so happy to get rid of something. I now just have Netflix and love it. I watch what I want when I want. My patients ask who I want to win on a particular show, I get some strange looks when I tell them I don't own a T.V. and have no idea what they are talking about. Many of them look at me like I have three heads, they cannot imagine a life without the constant bombardment of noise. I do not miss commercials, who won/did/did not do with who. I love the peace that I have, the ability to work on my cross stitching, reading, or going out. So for me the answer is not T.V

Once Upon a Time V

2011-04-03T09:41:00.000-07:00

My Honey and I have decided that together we are going to do the Once Upon a Time Challenge. This will be my first year doing it and it looks like a ball. The Challenge is by Stainless Steel Droppings. The rules are with the link for those interested. Honey and I have decided to do Quest the First that is to read five books that fit within the Once Upon a Time criteria. That is reading books that fall into on of the four genres folklore, fairy tale, mythology or fantasy or a combination of any of them. We do not have all of out books picked out but what we are going to do is read four books together. The fifth book will be one that the other picks out and has previously read.

So I have picked out for Honey to read The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper. She has never read Susan Cooper and I do love the Dark is Rising books. For our first read together book we are going to be reading A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin. I have heard that someone is making this series of books into a TV show or a bunch of TV movies. I can't wait to get started on this reading.

I do know that I usually post Library Loot on the weekend however, I have not finished all of the books that I currently have checked out, and nothing that I have put on hold has come in yet. So I am going to be starting A Game of Thrones after I get it from the bookstore, and finishing up the Library Loot that I have on my to be read stack.

As we come up with or finish reading books for the Once Upon a Time challenge. I will put the badge art work in that post.

Movie Night

2011-03-27T18:32:00.000-07:00

So Friday night was movie night. We had Asian food the chicken in the peanut sauce was good. Loved the cabbage veggie mix but that is not what I am here to write about.

1932 /33 the movie that won Best Picture was Cavalcade, however that movie is not out on DVD or on the inst que for Netflix. So we ended up watching She Done Him Wrong with the wonderful Mae West. Now I have seen some of her movies before but none of the other girls that come to movie night have. I have converted them. Not only was Mae hot, she was snarkey, sarcastic, flirty all around Mae West. West plays Lady Lou a woman with more men friends than she knows what to do with. Cary Grant plays a young man from the Salvation Army trying to save all of the lost soul at the bar/club that Lady Lou works at. This is a short movie only 66 min long. If it is a good sexy laugh ( and with Mae West it is sexy) this is a wonderful movie to see.

It Happened One Night won for 1934. This movie also is a romantic comedy, staring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. I honestly cannot talk about this movie, it is not that the movie was bad and I love the acting skills of Claudette Colbert, I just cannot stand Clark Gable. There is something about that man that makes me want to slap him in the face. I think that my not liking Clark Gable is because one of the first movies that I watched was Gone With the Wind and I hate that movie.

Next month we will watch 1935 Mutiny on the Bounty, and 1936 The Great Ziegfeld.

Library Loot

2011-03-25T17:09:00.000-07:00

So last week I did not go to the library it was not by my choice. A few weeks ago I sprained my back and my work put me on light duty. Light duty was OK but, it sure messed up my schedule. I usually work 3 days a week but on light duty I had to work 5 days a week. That not being bad enough I also had to work until 1630 the library closes at 1700. So this week I got to go to the library. My loot is:

DVD NCIS season 6

Mercy Thompson Homecoming by Patrica Briggs I love the Mercy Thompson stories and I love graphic novels so WIN!

Chobits Art Book Your Eyes Only by Clamp it is just the art of the Manga

Night Birds Reign by Holly Taylor The High King is dead. The land is in peril. A child has been born to save his people. But a traitor lurks with evil in his mind and murder in his heart, dogging the footsteps of those who protect the babe who would be king. But magic is at work, high magic. Gwydion the Dreamer awakes, screaming, from a prophetic dream of tragedy and loss, a dream peopled by kings of the past. From Powells

Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern Things are changing fast. Jessie needs new friends. And her quest is a hilarious tour through high-school clique-dom, with a surprising stop along the way the Dungeons and Dragons crowd, who out-nerd everyone. D&D how could I not read this one. From Powells

I do still have some from the last week, but I should have all of this done soon.

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted alternatively by Marg and Claire that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky (at Marg's this week) any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries

Library Loot March 12th

2011-03-13T20:37:00.000-07:00

Chobits: Volume 1 by Clamp I have always wanted to read these and was thrilled to find out that the library has them.

Eden It's anEndless World! by HIroki Endo Now the library had Volume 4 so I had to wait to get the first one.

The Hunter's Moon by O.R. Melling I read a review of this book and it sounds like a good one.

Travellers in Magic by Lisa Goldstein I loved her book Walking The Labyrinth so much that I thought that I would look for another one of hers.

Witchblade: Talons by John DeChancie It looked interesting.

I just read the best book ever

2011-03-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

Out of my library loot, I picked up a book called Walking the Labyrinth by Lisa Goldstein. This is a book that I did not want to end nor could I put it down. I sat in the car at Borders and finished reading it.

Molly Travers, meets a P.I who says that he is looking for her Aunt Thorne, it is regarding an inheritance. There begins her adventure in to finding out who she is, who is telling the truth, and who is not. She comes across a family names Allalie. The Allalies are a vaudeville troupe of illusionists or are they. Is their magic more or less then what it seems.

Molly after talking to her Aunt Fentrice, Molly goes to England with the P.I John to a house called Tantilly. There they find a diary written by one Emily Wethers. This diary goes on to explain how she meets and then becomes a member of the Order of the Labyrinth. Emily joins the Order at the height of the Spiritualist movement, however she decided to use her power to get a widow to reenter life. In the basement of Tantilly the Lady Dorothy Westingate builds rooms and rooms to form a labyrinth. Where each room, what you see is not what others see. There is a bit of a Gothic feel to parts of the book, just enough that I liked it.

The Allalie family, is chaos, quirky, and one that I think would be better to get to know. There is one question that everyone in the family asks is "What have you learned?" What I have learned is that I want to read more of Ms. Goldstein's books.

Angelology

2011-03-07T00:35:00.000-08:00

I read Angeloloy by Danielle Trussoni last week. It was not what I thought it was going to be, I was disappointed in the ending, and in several part of the plot. The book was longer where it should have been shorter, and shorter where it should have been longer. Most of the book is looking for a lyre, the first clue set in modern times take quite a while to figure out, and I don't even think it was figured out. After that it was almost as if the author handed the instrument to the ones looking for it.

I also thought that there would have been more Catholic mysticism in the book. I do think that this would have been a good book if I did not have other of this type of treasure hunt to compare it too.

The book was split up into current times and the 1940's. I would have liked to have had more written about the school and what had happened in the 1940's compared to the current times. Evangeline, the protagonist, I thought needed to have been more developed as a character. The fact that she did not question anything that was or had happened to her is not realistic.

This is not one that I would reread, nor would I recommend it to those who have an interest in mythological treasure hunts.

As for my library loot, out of the 10 books I picked up on Saturday, I have 4 left to read. Forced inactivity is good for something.

Library Loot

2011-03-05T22:31:00.000-08:00

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

So, for my loot this week, I went a little over board. This time about I got one graphic novel of short stories, on manga, and a bazillion works of fiction. So here goes:

Antique Bakery by Fumi Yoshinaga. When and old antique shop re-opens as the hottest new bakery in an unsuspecting neighborhood, there's no doubt that a few surprises are cooking.

Trickster Native American Tales. I read a review over at Books & other thoughts.

Emperor of the Air by Ethan Canin. whether his characters are struggling to save trees in their yards, their marriages or themselves. I thought this sounded like a good book of short stories.

Child of Fire by Harry Connolly. Ray Lilly is living on borrowed time. He is a driver for Annalise Powless...... But because Ray betrayed her once, Annalise is looking for and excuse to kill him- or let someone else do the job.

Green Angel by Alice Hoffman. Left on her own when her family is lost in a disaster Green retreats only to destroy herself. With mysterious encounters with a mute boy and a ghostly white dog does Green learn to love and heal.

Walking the Labyrinth by Lisa Goldstein. Molly Travers a young woman living in San Fran finds out that she is the descendant of a family of vaudeville magicians, who in the ninetieth century preformed real magic with a group of occultists called the Order of The Labyrinth......The Labyrinth and the secrets it contains, will bring Molly face-to face with magic, murder, and mystery.

Strange Brew Edited by P.N. Elrod Short stories by Jim Butcher, Patricia Briggs and others.

Book of Shadows by Alexandra Sokoloff. Homicide detective Adam Garrett is a rising star in the Boston PD when he catches a horrifying cast that could make his career; the ritualistic murder of a wealthy college girl that appears to have Satanic elements...... All Garrett's beliefs about the nature of reality will be tested as he is forced to team up with a woman he is fiercely attracted to but cannot trust.

Nun in the Closet by Joanna Michaels (no link at Powell's) Vows of poverty and chastity shattered my murder? Anne Hollis the owner if a woman's bar has been charged with manslaughter in the death of a nun. Anne insists she is innocent- run off the road by another car- and appeals to probation officer Callie Sinclair for help. The case gets interesting when yet another nun is murdered and Callie discovers sex and money are involved. And she and Anne find themselves falling in love, a situation dangerous to them both as they close in on the killer.

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters. This link has a video of the author talking about the book. One post- war summer in rural Warwickshire, Dr. Faraday is called to a patient at lonely Hundreds Hall. Home to the Ayres family for over two centuries, the house, once impressive and handsome, is now in decline. Its owners-mother, son, and daughter- are struggling to keep pace with a changing society, as well as with conflicts of their own. But are the Ayreses haunted by something more sinister than a dying way of life? Little does Dr. Faraday know how closely, and how terrifyingly, their story is about to become intimately entwined with his.

Movie Night

2011-02-27T22:35:00.000-08:00

Friday was movie night. This time we watched 1931 and 1932 Best Picture winners Cimarron, and Grand Hotel.

Cimarron, a novel written in 1929 by Edna Ferber, in 1930 it was made into a movie by RKO. Both the book and movie are about settling in Oklahoma from the land rush up until the 1930's. That said the costumes were in keeping the the times and so was the language, beliefs. Reading the Wiki link it states that the movie is now considered racist. For us today yes it is, however if shown to a pioneer it would have been tame in their views of people.

In Cimarron, the lead male character Yancy Carvat played by Richard Dix. Kept leaving his wife and children to feed his wanderlust. Sabra Carvat played by Irene Dunne, was left to run the business, raise the children and hold down the fort. This would be a good movie for U.S history buffs to see. The opening shot of the land rush for the movies time was amazing.

Grand Hotel, had a list of stars that is longer than my arm. Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Lionel and John Barrymore, and many others. This film was a more contemporary film than Cimarron.

Grand Hotel had a more modern feel as the setting all took place in an art nouveau setting. The shots from the top floor down to the lobby show a beautiful hotel. I would love to see a place like that.

There is not just one plot but several. Business men trying to get a deal across, a stenographer wanting to be an actress, a Baron who is down on his luck, a ballerina looking for love and a career boost. A man who finds out he is going to die, who spends all he has for a last few weeks in the lap of luxury. While each plot is interesting and separate they are all interconnected. This is a good movie just for the interchange of plots.

Next month we are going to watch 1933 Cavalcade and 1934 It Happened One Night.

Library Loot

2011-02-26T18:58:00.000-08:00

This week I just got one book out of the library as I have to work more this week and won't have time for a lots of reading. I got

Angelology by Danielle Trusson

I have heard that it is a good read, I have tried not to read reviews with spoilers. So tonight I start.

Happy Birthday

2011-02-08T11:04:00.000-08:00

Jules Vern, the pioneer of science fiction.

I still love and think Journey to the Center of the Earth is an awesome book, and adventure. When my boy was little that was one of the books that I read to him. Around the World in 80 Days is a close second.

If you have never read any of his books and have just seen the movies, read the books they are much better.

I WANT

2011-02-06T17:05:00.001-08:00

NOW!!!!

I don't care that it will grow up and eat the neighborhood kids. OK, that might be a good thing.

The Broadway Melody/ All Quiet on the Western Front

2011-01-29T23:51:00.000-08:00

Bessie Love and Anita Page star in the 1929 Academy Award Best Picture winner The Broadway Melody. This is about two sisters Hank and Queenie who want to make it into show biz. When they are offered a chance at an audition it does not go well, and the man running the show only wants Queenie. Queenie tells them that she will not work with out her sister there, so Hank is offered a job as well. As the show advances it is made clear to Queenie that if she does not "play the game" her sister will be out. Hank cannot understand why Queenie is hanging out with the stage people, and tries to force her into better choices.

I did think that the best characters in the movie was the unnamed wardrobe maker, and a drunk that they kept calling Unconscious.

The movie was very sweet, funny, and the costumes were amazing. The movie shows how innocent the time was, the sisters show affection to each other in ways that today would be not sisterly. Yes, it was in black and white but I think that made it more real to the time.

All Quiet on the Western Front won the Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 1930. This movie amazed me for the fact that it won. The story follows German WWI solders from home to the front, back home, and ultimately to death. This movie was not about the characters, it was about the harsh conditions of the military, and the physiological affect that war has on the men. It is about pain, hunger, fear, death and the despair that follows the 19 year old who is the one being followed.

This movie was an anti war movie at a time when in nine years the world would again be at war. I know that there are talks of remaking this movie. The talk is that Daniel Radcliffe will be in it and that it will still be a WWI movie.

The book All Quiet on the Western Front and its follow up both written by Erich Marai Remarque were banned in Nazi Germany.

Our next two movies will be 1931 Cimarron staring Irene Dunne and Richard Dix, then 1932 The Grand Hotel staring, Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, John and Lionel Barrymore.

My New Ride

2011-01-24T02:35:00.001-08:00

I got it off of Cragsl!st for $25. It needs a tune up, new seat and new hand grips to start. When I get the money I am going to have it repainted. The picture does not show the color very well, but it looks like someone dropped it in Pept0 B!smo. It is that pink.

I know that the new grips are going to have streamers on them, I will be attaching a basket and getting a bell or horn as well. Yes, the front tire is a white wall. I am just not sure what color I want to go with. There are several in the liking orange, yellow, bright green, and I am sure that there are a few others.

I am reading again, I have missed it. For some reason I have not wanted to pick up a book. Oh I have gone thought the motions but have not enjoyed a book in quite a while. That changed on Saturday night. I read in 3 hours a book called Where Angels Fear to Tread, by Thomas E. Sniegoski. It was a light fun read, and now I want to get back into books.

Wings

2011-01-11T18:31:00.000-08:00

The first movie that we should be watching on the Best Picture list is WINGS with Clara Bow. It looks like it would have been a good movie. However, it is not out on DVD so when it is released if it is released I will watch it.

Reading the link the plot of the movie seems to sound familiar like it has been done and re-done.

We still have not picked the date to watch the first two movies but it is hard trying to get schedules lined up for the first run.

My kittens are fun. I love watching them play and run about the house. I just wish that their claws were not so sharp. They will learn I hope.

I made my first ever gumbo. I made chicken as it has to last me most of the week, I like the way it turned out. Even up here in the NW I managed to find a spice shop that had File Powder. I did want to try to make it close to the recipe that I found. It is spicy, and filling and oh so yummy. The one thing I think I did wrong is my rice. I used sticky rice, but I do like it so I think that is what matters.

A New Year

2011-01-03T06:53:00.000-08:00

I have just been lazy in my writing, and in my reading. To be honest on my days off I have not wanted to do much of anything. I have been going to the gym, but instead of losing weight I have been gaining. I think this is because I do not eat enough, but I do not know how to eat what I need to. I am not going to turn this into a weight loss blog. I know that many people do and find it helpful, I just don't think that will work for me. I have, however come up with a plan to get me writing again.

Some of my friends and I are going to have a movie night once a month. This is something that I have wanted to do for a long time, two years. We are going to watch in order ALMOST every movie that has won Best Picture at the Academy Awards, I say almost because the first movie is not yet out on DVD.

WINGS won in 1928 and it stars Clara Bow. The movie is about WWI and would be an interesting one to see. When it becomes available it will be watched even out of order. The other movie that I will not be watching is one that is one that gets shown on TV a lot and when I was a kid every time it came on my mother made us watch it. I still get tension headaches thinking about that movie, so for that year a runner up will be chosen to watch in its place.

There are some movies that I never heard of, and some that I have never wanted to see but as they are on the list they will be watched. One of the girls want to watch more than one movie a night and this does make some sense as there are more than 80 movies on the list.

If we do that the first two that we are going to see is the 1929 THE BROADWAY MELODY staring Charles King, Anita Page, and Bessie Love. The second one is the 1930 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT staring Lew Ayers and Louis Wolheim.

I do think that this will be fun.

What I Have Been Up To

2010-12-10T19:34:00.000-08:00

The Girl

The Boy

My Honey came up for a very short visit this week. It was so wonderful to see her. We had hand dipped corn dogs, wandered about town. I even got her to drive my car. After the first few jerks she got the hang of a stick shift very well.

I got all but two Christmas items taken care of today. I need to get Honey her gift still but she knows that it is going to be a combo Christmas/Birthday gift. The other thing I need I forgot when I was at the store. Word M*rket is right by the gym and I can pick up the last piece for my friend T there.

One of my best friends got me a new pussy. I don't know yet if she has gotten me the girl or the boy. They are only 31/2 months old, so I have them currently living in the litter box closet. I do take them out to play with, hold and pet. However, they are a bit shy and have only been here 2 hours. I will leave them in there tonight so that they know it is a safe place to go and hid if needed. Also this will give them a chance to get use to the different smells, and sounds of their new environment.

The shelter had named them Ariel and Sebastian. That is not going to do. I will be looking for names for them. The markings are so similar that there is no doubt that they are litter mates.

I hate coming up with titles

2010-11-09T17:13:00.000-08:00

I know I have not written anything in months. It is not that I don't want to it is just when I sit down to write all of my ideas seem to go out the window.

I have had ideas on health care, books, gay marriage, things that have been happening and not happening.

I guess right now I just feel lazy, I am going to try and do better and get into a habit of writing again.

Drunk Drivers

2010-08-23T19:28:00.000-07:00

I have, thankfully never lost a loved one to a drunk driver. I have known a lot of drunk drivers and in knowing them I think that the drunken driving laws of my state need to be changed.

With the advent of cell phones there is no need to drive drunk, buzzed, or high. The laws are too lenient. We have vehicular assault that is when a drunk driver hits someone and injures them. We have vehicular manslaughter that is when a drunk driver hits someone and kills them.
Vehicular assault needs to be changed to attempted murder, and vehicular manslaughter should be premeditated murder. I know that these might sound harsh, but think about it.

With all the ads, news stories, campaigns, and even books there is no reason for a person to go out get drunk and then drive. There is enough information out there to show the potential of what could happen.

Knowing that a person is going to choose to have a few then drive home that is premeditated. Thought out, planed. I have taken care of some drunk drivers who actually think what they did was funny. It is not funny; there is nothing funny about risking the life of someone else. One of my patients had been in jail for vehicular assault, got out, got drunk and hit someone else.

The laws need to be harsher. Cab, bus, or call a buddy for a ride.

Mermaid

2010-06-25T23:15:00.000-07:00

Most of the time being in a long distance relationship is OK. Phone calls, email, video chats help. We play games together, read to each other so that we are sharing things and learning what we like and don't like.

Sometimes, this time being in a long distance relationship is like that picture. Curled up alone, in a safe place with a few treasures for company. The memory of being held, the pearl a moment of laughter. The passions of getting together. Yet, the knowledge that what is wanted needed is just out of reach. So tonight I feel like that mermaid. I know that in the morning it will be better, it always changes like that. From everything is fine, to a feeling of loss so deeply that only crying makes it better.

So tonight I miss Honey so much that it hurts. Tomorrow I will miss Honey, and it might not hurt.

Burnt

2010-06-16T18:42:00.000-07:00

I have been sick enough that the doc put me on an antibiotic and another pill the size of a horse. He also put me on leave from work so what does a girl like me do with the weekend off? I go to pride!

I did not think that I was going to get to go as I was to have worked. I should not have gone. Because of the antibiotic I am just a little sun sensitive. Well, I am anyway being , a night shifter Irish, and from the Pacific Northwest.

Lets just say the first reaction people have when they see me is OUCH! I don't think that my shoulders are that bad but I do know they are the color of fire engine red.

Oh well, I did get to pet a lot of dogs, see kitties on leashes and one guy with a bunny. Gotta love Pride.

Alive

2010-06-14T17:58:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am alive. No, I have not given up on blogging. I have just had a lot of things going on in the past month or so. Much of it has been good fun things.

In early May I flew down to CA. Honey picked me up and we drove to San Jose to see The Eagles play. The concert was wonderful, it was three hours of just The Eagles. There was no opening act just them, they did take a 20 minute break half way through the concert.

On Saturday we got up late drove around lost looking for the Winchester Mystery House. We decided that for all of the size of the house the mystery is that it is imposable to find. I did learn that the T.V. shows do not give the house justice. That place it beautiful. The house is beautiful and Mrs. Winchester did things back when she was living that was unheard of for her employees.

On Sunday we drove into San Francisco and when to the Science Museum. There I saw upside down jellyfish, sea dragons and beautiful butterflies. The best part of those three days was spending them with Honey.

I knew leaving her that time would not be bad as in a few weeks we were both going to go to Tucson for a week. My son graduated from high school with honers and after the ceremony, the three of us spent most of the time we were there doing touristy things. Honey, K and I went to the botanical gardens, San Xavier mission, Tucson Sonora Desert Museum, shopping, and Colossal Cave. Now, we did not do all of this in the same day. When we went to the mission the keys to the rental got locked in the car and we had to wait for AAA to come and pop the lock.
That time leaving was harder. I am still working thought that leaving, I know that part of it is because my whole family lives in Tucson and I am the only one in Oly. I also know that Honey and I have yet to have plans for when we are going to see each other again and that makes the leaving harder.

This month I have also turned 40 and then I got sick so sick that I had to go to the doc and get an antibiotic. So I am still alive, there is a lot of stuff going on, working through, and as I start to work on things I will be here more.

Last Saturday of the Month

2010-04-25T10:00:00.001-07:00

There was a line outside of the bar, not for entry but for the hot dog stand that takes up a small part of the store front. I knew that I should not have worried about the way I looked in my new outfit that I was understated. That alone is and understatement, in line waiting for veggie dogs were two people dresses up as hot dogs. Across the street were walking mushrooms and giant ladybugs. Little girls with butterfly wings, and little boys dressed up as dogs, cats, alligators.

I got downtown at the end of the Procession of the Species. That is not what I went down there for but next year it looks like I might go. The procession looks like it is a lot of fun. No, I went down there to go to Jake's on 4th. The last Saturday of the month is the drag queen show. I have never been to one before and so I meet some friends down there. One of the girls got there at 5pm when the show does not start until 8 at the earliest. If you are not there by 5 you won't get a table and ours was right next to the stage. It was loud and it was fun.

I love going to Jake's, watching the show was great fun. But watching the crowed was even better. There were queers of all kinds there, leather, skinny, not skinny, buff, buxom, straight, and the list goes on.

As well as the Drag Queens there were three Drag Kings, and they were well, wow! Some of those Queens have smoking hot legs, in face one of them had legs almost as good as Tina Turner. What I want to know is how do they get those legs.

The show lasted until 11ish and I left when the floor opened up for dancing. I do love to dance but I told someone that I would drive them to their car as they had to park blocks away and I got one around the corner.

I got home ate some sweet potato fries as I was craving them and was asleep by 1am. The only thing that would have made the night perfect was if Honey could have been with me.

This + That

2010-03-21T10:46:00.000-07:00

So this past week at work was one for the books. It was the usual same old thing, whiny knees, and hips. finding out that a 88 year old who was "OK" when they came in goes into a SNF (skilled nursing facility or nursing home) because they were just holding on at home then the anesthesia pops their dementia into the for front of their lives.

What made the week so worth reporting was what happened to me. I was leaving a PT room when I felt something poke me on the underside of my tata. I went into the bathroom to investigate and found that my under wire had broken and poked through the fabric.

That was not going to work for the next ten hours. So I did what anyone with my training would do. I stole some foam tape and fixed it.

When I got the chance to go downstairs and talk to the nursing supervisor I asked her not to laugh at me. She got the giggles, when I told her that if the foam tape did not work I was going to have to go home and change.

So here for your enjoyment is a pic of the patch job, and yes it did last all night.

Bragging Rights

2010-03-02T17:14:00.000-08:00

Camlin has a great post on music and it gave me the idea to put up some bragging rights.

I don't often post about my son, but her post gave me the idea so if you want to blame someone...

My son is now 18 and going to graduate High School in May. When he was in the third grade he came to me and said he wanted to learn to play the saxophone. Being the mother that I am I said no. I made him play the clarinet. He hated it and me, for years and year. He played that clarinet up until his 3 year of High School.

There were times in band when he was the only clarinet player, because all the cool kids played sax. I did not care. Play the clarinet.

Then when he was a Freshman he wanted to not tell the band leader that he played the clarinet, he wanted to tell him that he played the bagpipes. So me being me looked at the boy and said you can play the bagpipes you just have to get a few thousand dollars and lean how to work the bellows.

He of course said I can't play them. Me being me I went out and bought a chanter. That is what is used to practice the pipes so that a thousand dollar instrument is not ruined. I handed it to him, along with the book of sheet music and told him to play me a song.

Boy: I can't.

Me: I spent $40 on that thing if you don't play me a song I will chase you around the house with it until you do.

He picks it up and what do you know he can play it.

Boy: MOM MOM I can play it!

Me: DUH! I made you play the clarinet because if you learn to it you can play most woodwinds.

Boy: Cool!

Well, the boy went to his new HS and learned 3 years of guitar in 6 months. So he now plays chanter, clarinet, guitar, bass guitar very well. He can play sax, tin whistle, harmonica, and a few others.

Sapphistries

2010-03-01T01:57:00.000-08:00

I am reading a book called Sapphistries by Leila j. Rupp . While it is written some what like a text book with the foot notes and the indexes, it is a fascinating read. I have been taking my time with it, enjoying all of the little bits of information that is there and that is not there.

What is not there is more fascinating than I would have thought. There is just enough history to know that women have a history of loving women. I am up to the chapter 4 it is called In Unlikely Places (500BCE - 1600CE). There is very little on women in this time frame but what is there is an eye opener. One Bavarian nun wrote to her lover and there is just enough of it left to tear my heart.

I feel what this nun wrote hundreds of years ago the longing, the desire, the pain. These are the words that this woman wrote sometime in the 1300-1400: . . .

It is you alone I have chosen for my heart....
I love you above all else,
You alone are my love and desire...
When I recall the kisses you gave me,
And how with tender words you caressed my little breasts,
I want to die
Because I cannot see you.

Mabon

2010-02-27T15:50:00.001-08:00

I need some help from people out there who have had cats before. I am ready to take Mabon back to the pound. I have never had a cat so I don't get what is going on with her and I have had it. She will only use her litter box twice, then if she has to go she will go on the floor. Yes, I do scoop it out every morning, and yes I am using the same litter I have sense I first got her.

If something does not change in a week she will be going back on Saturday. Oh, and she has checked out with the vet. If I catch her going to the bathroom on the carpet she will then again use the litter box.

Oh, and she has checked out with the vet. So, if anyone out there has any ideas at all can you let me know. Maybe, I am just not meant to have a cat.

Monarch Park Pics

2010-02-26T23:47:00.000-08:00

I Love this Dragonfly.
She was one of the last to be seen on the path out of the park.

Can you spot the diver?

This one was hidden in the Monarch Maze.

I just could not pass up getting a picture of this little girl playing with the butterflies.

Hidden behind a giant croquet set I found this path.

Flower bed. Nuff said.

Monarch in the park, at the entrance to the bird houses.

Posting

2010-02-25T22:05:00.000-08:00

I am a sporadic blogger at best and this winter I have been at my lowest in blogging at least I think that I have. That is mostly because I don't have a lot to talk about. I work, I sleep, I sleep, I work, I go to the library and grocery shop. Wooohooo exciting stuff.

That I have decided is going to change and it started last time I had a run of days off. I know that I live in one of the most totally awesome parts of the country if not the world. So I am going to start doing the things that I have wanted to do but have always put off.

Last week I went to Monarch Park. It was a wonderful drive out there. The sun was out and it was just warm enough to have the window down on the car. The fresh air felt good, as did seeing the start of spring.

I got some great pics of the park and some of the country side. Next time I plan on going out to to Mima Mounds.

Friday

2010-02-13T22:52:00.000-08:00

Friday I went to the library. I love going to the library when I have the time to brouse the books and see what I am going to find. I found a book called Celtic Astrology How the Mystical Powers of the Druid Tree Signs Can Transform Your Life by Phyllis Vega. The book looks great, I have flipped through the pages and can't wait to read it.

I did read the tree sign for Honey she is an Birch, and mine is a Hawthorn. However, it makes me gag reading the book. The thing is I work in an almost sent free environment, none of the staff wears perfume, they have to smoke 3 floors down and about 1/2 a block from the hospital. That means that by the time they get back upstairs the smell is almost gone.

This wonderful book that I so long to look at smells like old cigarette smoke. It is so bad that just opening the pages makes me want to gag and my eyes start to water and get itichy. I am going to have to take the book back unread and hope that in a few weeks I can get it back and see if I can read it then.

This is only the second book that I have been unable to read that I have gotten from the library.

The Eagles and other stuff

2010-02-12T23:50:00.000-08:00

I have not been here in a while and I know that as a sporadic poster I can do better. I don't know if I will try or not.

Last week was not a good one. I injured my shoulder at work, and on the 18Th will start physical therapy. The worst thing about this is not the pain or even the worse much worse sudden pain when I sneeze, it that I cannot get any over time. Not to mention that with the pain came good old Auntie Flo, and this time she was in a weepy, self pity mode.

Then to top it off the heater in my car has been sporadic is not working at all unless I get on the freeway. I will one day have to get that looked at. It is really strange the fan works just fine I just don't get any heat unless I am going over 40mph. Whatever...

I am going to be reloading my iportablemusicplayer in a few days so I am loading all of my Cd's onto my laptop. I need a bigger laptop. I am finding a music treasure that I did not know I had.

Also a big thing has happened with Honey and myself, no we have not broken up. We have both come to the conclusion that even if I move down to where she is at we will not be able to be together the way that we want to be. Her mom is well, her mom.

The other big news that I have is that on April 30Th Honey and I are going to see The Eagles in concert. Wooohoooo!!!! I can't wait and all of this excitement is not about seeing The Eagles, most of it is about seeing Honey again. November seems so far in the past.

Time to try and get in a nap.

Ranch House BBQ Yummy

2010-01-29T23:52:00.000-08:00

I love me some good food. I really don't care what kind it is as long as it is fresh, tasty and yummy. So this past week a friend of mine and I went to the Ranch House BBQ. All I have to say about that place is OMG!!

OK, I will say a bit more about it. I will try to get my facts right but I might get some wrong it is not deliberate it is just because it is midnight and I need coffee.

First some history of the place. The Ranch House is run, owned by Amy Anderson and partner Melanie Tapia who has won several awards for their BBQ and has also been on the Food Network. They have competed under the name Mad Momma & the Kids, the awards include national, state, and they have even gone on to the World Championship in Ireland in 2000.

They opened the restaurant in 2004 about 10 miles or so out side of Olympia heading down HW8. Then in December 2007 disaster struck. The restaurant was taken out by a mudslide, still just inside Thurston County the ladies were not on the FEMA list for help, and the sites insurance did not cover "land movement". Many people were ready to say good by to the restaurant.

Just days after the disaster the Governor Hotel in downtown Olympia gave lease free the use of their empty restaurant space, and a fund was set up at a local bank to help with the rebuilding.

Feb, 2009 they were able to reopen on the original location, and the place is going strong. What does this have to do with food?

When I ate there I had the brisket sandwich with a side of coleslaw with vinegar and a side of beans. I could have licked the bean pot clean if they had let me back in the kitchen and beans are not my favorite. Also H and I split a platter of garlic cheese fries my mouth is watering just thinking of them. I was the only one who was not listening to how full I was and ordered a slice of home made BOURBON PECAN PIE. I died and went to BBQ heaven. I will be going back there are a lot more items to try.

If I were a food critic this restaurant would get 200 stars out of a possible 10. So anyone who is heading up this way wants a good place to eat and does not mind a short drive Ranch House BBQ is the way to go.

Some People

2010-01-04T23:12:00.000-08:00

Last week I worked on a floor of the hospital that I get to work on every once in a while. I like working there it is busy, it flows and the nurses have time to help with patient care. So last week Patient A (now going to be referred to as PA) was admitted. PA is 97, has dementia to the point of only being oriented to self, and is jaundice. None of those is a cause to be admitted to the hospital.

I should explain that oriented to self means that the person does not know where they are, what year it is, who anyone is. All they know is that they are there, no one or nothing else exists. This is a very simple definition but it works.

So, back to PA. PA is in for a blood transfusion that is it, the patent is not eating, hardly drinks anything and just hollers for CG. PA yells for CG so loudly that the shouts can be heard over the entire floor. Now, there is a CG (short for caregiver, a personal one) none of the nursing staff has ever seen this CG the entire time that PA has been in the hospital, and it has been over a week.

I am telling you this is that CG is getting the entire staff at the hospital angry with him. Why?

The reason is simple, PA is in the last stages of life, and needs to go on to the Summer land. What we at the hospital are doing is worse than torture. PA does not understand the reason behind turning so not to get bedsores, does not understand taking of blood for labs, or the machines that peep all the time, or why strangers come in and out doing things. PA does know that this is scary and has no control over what is happening.

PA's power of attorney is CG. CG is a paid caregiver not a relative. The longer PA is alive the more money CG will get. The Dr. said that the only reason PA is in the hospital is because CG wants the money, and that CG is tired of dealing with PA. However, if PA goes into long term care then CG gets no cash ola.

OK so this post does not make a lot of sense. I just wanted to rant about how some people need to get their heads out of the money train a$$, and take a look at real life.

I am a Gemini

2010-01-02T09:10:00.000-08:00

I think that my twins in the realm of Gemini are more like sextuplets.

On New Years Eve, a friend (H) and I went to Tugboat Annies for an Irish Hooley, that involves music, food, and drink. The Hooley started at 2pm and was to get over at 4pm midnight in Dublin. On the way there I decided to take the freeway, wrong choice it was dead stopped. So off to the surface streets I go. Now, H and I were to meet up at 12:45 to get to the restaurant by 1:00.

I hate to be late, hate it hate it hate it. So off on the streets I go. I have 10 minutes to get to her house and then ten to get to the restaurant. I will make it. Nope. This is what happened and shows just how crazy this girl can get.

At the first traffic light I come to I am the second car in the line. The light is green and the car in front of me is sitting there with the left turn signal on. We, are in the GO STRAIGHT lane. My phone rings and here is what I can remember of the conversation.

"Hello", I say.

"Hi." Its my brother. "Did you pay something on the ----- bill?"

"SONOFABITCH!!! Yes I did but I did not have the code so that I could not see the full amount."

"That is great, I went to pay it and most of it was taken care of." he says.

"Good how much was left on the bill? MOTHERFOGETTHEHELLOUTOFMYWAY!!" HOOOONK!!!!" Do I have to pay anymore or is it OK for now?"

"No its good. Are you honking your horn?"

"Yes, some DIPSHITFCKWAD is in the lane in front of me and won't go. He wants to turn left from the straight lane." HOOOOONNNNKKKK!!! "MOVEYOURASSYOUBASTARD!!! Shit the light just turned red."

"Oh OK, good to see that drivers are the same everywhere."

"Why the hell can't he pull up and turn around in the store on the corner?"

"I think that would be to easy."

"WOOHOOO! The left turn light just turned and he turned left in front of an SUV came inches from being hit."

"Well, thanks for paying on the bill, I will talk to you later."

"K. Bye."

Yippie!!!

2010-01-01T09:57:00.000-08:00

The holidays are over. Life can get back to normal and I will fell like a human again, able to go and hang out at the bookstores and not get mobbed, get a cup of coffee and not have to rush because everyone else is in a hurry.

I worked the holidays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and I work again tonight. I don't mind I mean it is just me and the animals. So this year I did not even decorate, kill a tree or any of that. It felt wonderful, I do admit that I missed the smell of the tree in the house but then to get that smell all I have to do is open the windows.

Mabon is becoming more relaxed around me. I don't know if her past owners were mean to her or not but she is just now starting to play with other things besides the red bug.

I hung my new calender up today. Honey got it for me for Christmas it is a Nene Thomas I love her art work.

I have been exhausted, the management decided that it would be a good time to trim all of the trees on the property. That is great but they did not give notice that the noise level was going to explode, if they had I would not have picked up extra shits. If I call out on an extra shift the hospital won't let me work over time for a year. Arrrggg!!!! It frustrates me to think about it. Oh well, they are not here today and I am off to bed. Night all.

Why I have not been posting.

2009-12-15T06:07:00.001-08:00

There are sugar cookies, flour less chocolate-walnut cookies, chocolate covered cherries cookies, molasses cookies, peppermint bark, and not pictured dark chocolate peppermint bark, peanut brittle.

Like Most

2009-11-29T01:36:00.001-08:00

Like most people at this time of year I have no desire to write, or not much of one.

Two weeks ago Honey came up for a visit I am so tired of being so far apart but for now I can't afford to move and well she can't. When she was here I realized that when we do get to finally be together that it will work out. I was afraid that it would not because she does not like Brussels Sprouts, but I realized that we can work around that. No, the week went very well. We went out to breakfast at my favorite breakfast restaurant the New Moon Cafe. Then wandered about downtown, going where we both wanted to. I did make her go into the comic book store, I am such a geek.

Then at night we made dinner, read to each other. I bought her a copy of my favorite Christmas book The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. We read that to each other while drinking some really good petite Shara. We watched a movie or two, and just hung out. I loved that week. It seems like forever ago.

Today the 29Th my son turns 18, so I am making me a cake as I am the one who did all of the work. Packing him around for 9+ months (he was 3 weeks late), puking my guts out, pushing out a nine pound kid out of a little tiny hole, and he was just there for the ride. So, I am making me a Red Velvet Cake my most favorite cake in the world. Then later today myself and some friends of ours are going to try and utterly humiliate him, long distance as he is going to school in another state.

Mabon, my cat is getting use to me. She in starting to sleep on the bed and become more playful.

Work is... I hate working during the holidays. Do you know what the major complaint of people coming to the hospital is during this time of year? Nausea and vomiting!!! Big surprise, OD on turkey, pie, other rich foods and drinks. Then what happens, the body revolts. All, we can do unless it is something like pancreatitis or appendicitis is let them puke in a bucket and give I.V fluids until all the food and drink is gone. Sorry, about that rant.

Jude, you have my support and I am pulling for you.

Next week I work 6 days. Whoohoo 6 twelve hour shifts, two on, one off, four on. I think I am going to say something stupid to a patient. I hope not. I will have to remember to write up a post about my work pet peeves sometime.

Well, I need a nap before I start the cake and the rest of my day.

Veterans Day

2009-11-11T16:13:00.000-08:00

Thank you to our Veterans. You make my heart soar, and weep. Thank you for all that you have done, will do and will continue to do.

A Storm

2009-11-06T17:32:00.000-08:00

When I went to bed today I was laying there almost asleep when thunder shook my windows it was so loud that I thought I was going to have to duck and cover. Then I heard what I thought was someone tossing rocks at my window. It was not rocks, all I can say is that I am glad my car was under the carport.

I Think I was Drunk When I did This

2009-11-02T08:14:00.000-08:00

Before

After