Berly's Books and Stuff - 3

Yay! Summer!!

Here is 2012!!

My Rating System:
***** excellent, go get it!
**** very good
*** still enjoyable
** disappointing
* not worth finishing

January

1. Me, Myself and Bob, by Phil Vescher ****1/2
2. Still Life, by Louise Penny ****
3. Chess Story, by Stefan Zweig *****
4. Cannery Row, by John Steinbeck ***1/2
5. Shadow Tag, by Louise Erdrich ****
6. Year of Wonders, by Geraldine Brooks ***
7. A Fatal Grace, by Louise Penny ****1/2

February

8. 77 Shadow Street, by Dean Koontz ***1/2
9. Inheritance, by Christopher Paolini ***1/2
10. Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins *****
11. Behemoth, by Scott Westerfield ****
12. Shadow Spinner, Suzanne ***1/2

March
13. Dead Man's Folly, by Agatha Christie ***1/2
14. Lone Wolf, by Jodi Piccoult ****1/2
15. The 9th Judgement, by James Patterson ***
16. Mr. Churchill's Secretary, by Susan Elia MacNeal ****
17. Mennonite in a Little Black Dress, by Rhoda Janzen ****
18. The Cruelest Month, by Louise Penny ****
19. Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead, by Christiana Miller ****1/2
20. Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins ****

April
21. Executive Privilege, by Phillip Margolin ***
22. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese ***/didn't finish

May
23. 1Q84, by Haruki Murakami 5.0
24. Remarkable Creatures, Tracy Chevalier 3.5

June
25. Habibi, by Craig Thompson 4.0
26. The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson 3.5
27. Sarah's Key, by Tatiana de Rosnay 4.0
28. Off Balance, by Dominique Moceanu 4.0
29. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green 5.0
30. Through a Window; My Thirty Years with the Chimpanzees of Gombe, by Jane Goodall 3.5

July
31. Fifty Shades of Grey, by EL James 3.5
32. Between the Lines, by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer 3.0
33. Fifty Shades Darker, by EL James 3.5
34. Fifty Shades Freed, EL James 3.5
35. Shadow of the Night, Deborah harkness reading

Favorites from 2011...

Charlie Bone Series, by Jenny Nimmo (YA)
The Ask and the Answer, by Patrick Ness
Cloud Atlas, by David Mitchell
The Tiger's Wife, by Tea Obreht
A Discovery of Witches, by Deborah Harkness
Little Bee, by Chris Cleave
Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern
Spooner, by Pete Dexter
The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick
The Vanishers, by Heidi Julavits
Life Itself, by Roger Ebert

And 2010...

Shades of Gray, by Jasper Fforde
The Widow Clicquot, by Tilar J, Mazzeo
The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein
The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barberry
The Lonely Polygamist, by Brady Udall
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake, by Aimee Bender
The Help, by Kathryn Stockett
Author Patricia Briggs

So, clearly, going on the board for my daughter's old middle school has cut into my reading time! Sigh. I started three months ago and look what happened! Oh well, we are interviewing Exec Dir candidates this week and next and hopefully one of them will fit the bill and then by August or September the number of hours should drop down to a more reasonable level. : )

In the meantime, I think I am going to have to switch to much lighter reading fare. You know...fluff! Maybe some romance. Sci Fi or YA. Mystery...

Off to check my bookshelves for a TBR that fits the bill!

Hugs!

Congrats on the new thread! Nice summer picture. That might feel good about now. Hugs!

Hi Mark! Pretty quick on the draw there. ; ) Yup. I am hoping for fun in the sun tomorrow. Today was three candidate interviews at the school and my kids and I are a wee bit antsy for SUMMER stuff. I think a visit to the pool tomorrow would be good.

Hi Kim! The picture so reminds me of all the years I spent tormenting my sister throughout our childhood. :P

Stephen--Why does this not surprise me?! : )

So, I am reading Through a Window: My Thirty Years with the Chimpanzees of Gombe by Jane Goodall. I think it is absolutely fascinating!

Wow, Kimmers! We get to have you 2 days running! Yahoo! Now, don't spoil us and then up and leave again, okay?

Mark, doing my best here! Thanks for being a loyal friend and popping over here when I do show up. It's so appreciated!

Hi Berly (I had a babysitter as a kid whom I called "Berly" because I couldn't say her last name, which was Berlison).

Nice new summer thread.

Hi Ellen! My Berly comes from Kim(berly) since Kim was already taken on LT and I am glad you like my new summer thread. Now if it would just be warm enough to enjoy the hose spraying in the picture!!

Trying to get caught up around the house today. We have a visitor coming from France to stay with us in the beginning of July and I want the place to look half decent, you know? He was an exchange student that visited three summers back. He didn't live with us but was always over to see our exchange student. He and my oldest are the same age. Great guy! No clue how we are going to entertain him for two weeks...
: )

Love the summer pic! Just what we needed here a few days ago in Hell's Half Acre.

Nice new thread! Love the picture up top. Nice to see you back on the threads more!

Hi Kim, well RL is keeping you too busy to read?? God I hate when that happens. Although it doesn't happen much to me anymore;-)

Great summer picture!

Just here to say hi on the new thread and keep an eye on what you're up to. I hope you find something to read that suits you soon.

Just checking into the new thread. Hope you have a great summer of reading:)

Yay! I haven't lost everybody. I do love the continuation arrow. : ) And you all need to thank my husband for falling asleep on the couch last night because he crawled in to bed at 6:30 this morning and I never could get back to sleep so here I am!

Tina--You have a nice shiny new thread going too! Course, I am a little jealous that you are on your SECOND 75 challenge, but I still like you! Sorry about the heat where you are.

Hi Mamie--Well, I love seeing you here and I have finally managed to find the time to visit your thread. WOW! How did I miss out on the whole house thing? Yikes! That was scary. I am glad everyone is fine and the house is looking good. Birdy is adorable! Oh, and my daughter had the same tooth-stuck-up-in-the-roof-of-her-mouth-thing but they couldn't pull it down with the chian thing becuase it was also sideways and it would have wrecked the nerved of the teeth next to it if it was straightened out. She just finished having an implant last summer and loves how her smile looks now! I love the pictures of the deers, too.

Bonnie! Yes. RL has kept me from LT, from reading, from exercising, from housework...you get the idea. Things are a little calmer now and I am taking advantage of it to come say HI to all my friends here.

Hi Megan--I am jealous of your beautiful walk with your friend! No time for one today, but maybe tomorrow. Cheerio! (I know you get the double entendre!)

Calm-Thanks for popping in! Honestly, another one starting her SECOND 75 challenge!! I either need to jettison my family, take a speed reading course, or sleep less. How do you do it?! : )

Morning Kim- Hope you have a nice weekend and your books are treating you well.

Thanks so much Mark! And I hope your bike ride goes well. That Bloody Mary boot picture was AMAZING! I would need a posse of friends to help drink that monster. Enjoy your VK. : )

Spent the day in the garden. We have had a ton of rain and everything was SOOOO overgrown. Including the weeds. Still reading Goodall and enjoying chimp antics.

Yesterday was more garden stuff. Today, I squeezed my books together to make more room to add some shelves in. Now I am unpacking books that we found tucked away in a hidden corner. Some good friends, a few paperbacks I can part with. And a few I haven't read yet!! Went through lots of piles downstairs and sorted into trash, keep and Goodwill piles. I love divesting...when I am done with it; I just don't like the process. xoxo

Off to three hours of interviews for the new Exec Dir at the school. Cross your fingers for us!! Hopefully after today we can schedule a final round and then hire someone!

Three hours of interviews?! I do not envy you - fingers crossed that you can schedule a final round after today.

So we have narrowed it down from six candidates to three and we will interview for round two next week.

This week, my youngest went to his first overnight camp and we have a French student visiting us. My middle child has her 16th birthday today!

I unpacked another box of books (my last?) and I still have room in the shelves, but not much!

26. The Psychopath Test An interesting look into the world of psychology and particularly psychopaths. Ronson posits that some of our business and world leaders may have reached their pinnacles because of the character traits inherent in being a psychopath. Cool stuff if you like psychology! 3.5

27. Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay was a bookclub read. It is a beautiful story about family, brothers and sisters and the tragedy of the Holocaust. A French reporter is assigned to do an historical piece for her magazine which leads her to the story of a young girl and her little brother. 4.0

Hi Berly

I'm sorry to be out of touch. I hope July and August will afford more time for me to visit and be more active in LT. Your commends regarding Sarah's Key remind me that I have this book and need to read it ASAP.

I note you read The Fault in Our Stars. This is one of my top reads for 2012.

I'm adding The Psychopath Test to the tbr pile. It looks fascinating.

Oops! I forgot a few, so I am going back...



23. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami. Loved this book! I took a 6-week class discussing this book, which made it all the more fun. I can't wait for Mark's group discussion this fall so I can think about it a second time! A mamoth book set in 1984 in Tokyo. We follow the lives of Aomame and Tengo under the backdrop of two moons as Murakami explores the notions of time, truth, fate, cults, justice, and ideas of self. The little people add an interesting twist. Wow! A must read. 5.0

24. Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier. This was an historical fiction set in England. An unlikely friendship springs between an uneducated poor girl, Mary Annings, and a middle-class spinster, Elizabeth Philpot, both fossil hunters (and both real people). They discover some of the most unusual specimens ever, exciting the male-dominated scientific world and upsetting the religiously conservative set. I would have enjoyed this book even more if I wasn't so frustrated by the social conventions limiting women back then. Argh! A very interesting read. 4.0

Linda! Thanks for stopping by. No need to apologize...especially to me since I have been hit and miss on LT for months! I am making a concerted effort to be here at least once or twice a week, but can't quite seem to be here every day, at least not right now. Hope to see more of you and glad you liked a few books here.
: )

25. Habibi by Craig Thompson. I think I can thank Mark for recommending this one! It is only my third graphic novel and I so appreciated the art in this one. It was an amazing love story, a fascinating exploration of the symmetries between Christianity and Islam and a juxtaposition of brash modern industrial noise and the seemingly timeless harem world. I probably should give it a straight up 5, but the sexual violence bothered me. Then again, this story wouldn't exist without it. Highly recommended. 4.5

Kim- You are on a nice little book roll! Yah! And "Wow! A must read. 5.0" all for 1Q84. Yesssssssss! I'm looking forward to this baby in October.
I ended up giving Habibi 4 stars, so you liked it a little more than I. Thompson is talented no question.

Hi Mark. Well, if you only gave it four stars, maybe I'll downgrade it...! Since I gave up using actual stars, I could give it 4.25, but then what about all the poor books I reviewed using the whole/half point system? No, I better just stick with 4.5. I think I was just so loving the graphic novel concept, which you are now jaded by. :p

Uh-oh....I got in trouble at Costco! Fifty Shades of Grey; the new Picoult book she wrote with her daughter, Between the Lines, and LuAnne Rice's little night.

Kim - Nice reviews and no book bullets because except for the first one which does not call to me, I have either read the book or already have it in my TBR! So YEAH. Also, thank you so much for posting your book purchases - as you know I cannot purchase any more books until I read ten from my shelves, so I am living vicariously to take the edge off of my withdrawal.

Hi Crazie! I am so glad to help you through your withdrawal. I am not sure if I could even make it through a month without buying. I love the browsing, checking out the covers, reading the backs and inside flaps, the thrill of the actual purchase and then, of course, my new friend comes home to sit atop the lovely little stack by my bedside, just waiting for me...Wait. Sorry! This is so not helping! ; ) Just remember I admire you. And there were no book bullets here.

Not jaded here, my friend, not by a long shot! LOL. Now, you are causing me to picture you in a burka. Your fault!!

LOL!! I think I just need a little more kohl around the eyes....

Can you find some?

Whoop whoop, Kim. I'm glad you loved 1Q84 .. isn't it an amazing book? I forgave him for The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles after I read 1Q84 ... the former was just a little too bizarre for me.

I haven't yet read Remarkable Creatures which is in my TBR Tower ...and you giving it a 4 makes me think I should move it up a rung or two.

"the thrill of the actual purchase and then, of course, my new friend comes home to sit atop the lovely little stack by my bedside, just waiting for me..."

*starts shaking*

Now I'm really wanting to read 1Q84 and yet I haven't read any other Murakamis (although I have two on my shelf.) Should I hurry up and read those two (The Wind Up Bird Chronicle and Norwegian Wood) so that I can read the other one Kim?

Mark--Found some kohl. Now imagine that!!

Caro--Hey there! My sentiments exactly on the Murikami!!

Mamie--Ummmm....sorry? Keep your wallet closed and be a good girl! That's an order. (But new books smell so good....)

Bonnie--It's a stand alone and I enjoyed it more than The Wind Up Bird Chronicle and I have heard that Norwegian Wood is not exactly uplifting...but I loved 1Q84! Don't wait unless you plan to read it with Mark's group. Or you could read it now and chime in later, which is obviously my plan. : )

You hit me with a book bullet with Habibi.

Have you read Girl with a Pearl Earring by Chevalier? Is Remarkable Creatures comparable?

If you didn't like the sexual violence in Habibi, I'm not sure how you are going to feel about Fifty Shades of Grey.

Hi Morphy! I enjoyed RC just as much as Girl, for some of the same reasons but not others. Clearly the relationship between two women is different than that of Vermeer and Griet (and yes I had to look up her name!), but I still love Chevalier's ability to tell an engaging story based on historical facts. Again, she explores the details of an art, although this time it is artifact hunting and restoration instead of painting. I like how her books feel true to the period and the country. I think you will enjoy it!

As to Fifty Shades...you are right. I am turning fifty shades of red!!! LOL. Although so far, this one feels naughty instead of violating. We'll see. I don't think I have read a book so titillating (yup, that word has a whole new meaning now) since I read a book a little advanced for my years in fourth grade (unbeknownst to my Mom, whose book it was): Looking for Mr. Goodbar. That was an eye opener and so is Fifty!

So I am laughing at myself. I wound up buying Fifty Shades of Grey when what I had been reading about on Mark's thread was Between Shades of Gray, a YA novel. Oops! I really should pay more attention. : )

LOL, whoops?

Ha! Hi Morphy. I just left you a message on your thread about Fifty!! I am stealing your description and putting it here because it made me laugh so hard.

"...it was like a bag of potato chips. You get started and you just can't stop even if you know they aren't good for you. Cliches abound and if she bit her lip one more time I felt like I wanted to smack her. But I kept wanting to know what happened next."

Still reading it...

I wound up buying Fifty Shades of Grey when what I had been reading about on Mark's thread was Between Shades of Gray, a YA novel.

ROFL! Okay, you just made my day!

I wound up buying Fifty Shades of Grey when what I had been reading about on Mark's thread was Between Shades of Gray, a YA novel.

LOL! A bit different, huh?

Good luck with the next round of executive director interviews. What a daunting task! I think I'd need some fluff or naughtiness in my reading if I had that on my plate! (Heck, most of my reading is pretty lightweight anyway . . . )

haha that's funny that you bought the wrong one but are still reading it!

Well, Berly, from what I hear, you might as well settle in and enjoy the one you bought..... heh.

I read Blankets by Craig Thompson just last weekend and based on your comments and Darryl's, I think I'll put Habibi on hold. I didn't love Blankets but I agree with Darryl that Thompson is clearly talented.

Now don't blame me that you "accidentally" picked up fifty shades of grey (I can't even put it in caps!)! Don't even try to pull a fast one like that!

Glad you found the kohl! Any pictures yet?

Crazy--Glad to make your day. Anytime you need a laugh, just let me know. :p

Terri--Oh good! You are laughing too. Sigh. Clears throat and moves on to another subject...As to the Exec Director search. Check back next week. Second round with the final three. : )

Chelle--Yes. I am still reading it. Blushes. In fact, I am almost finished. It sucked me right in...

Ellen--Heh, heh. I did. Read it most of the day! Why didn't you like Blankets? I know nothing about it.

Mark--It isn't YOUR fault I picked up the wrong book! Yours was a nice little YA novel. No, I picked up an erotic romance. All by myself. And then I've been reading it...and reading it...Imagine that!

Ah! Here is the kohl, Mark.

Ooooooh, looks good! I sound like Homer Simpson. So are you planning to finish fifty shades? Red-faced and all?
My wife read all 3 in a little over a week. And no, I saw no benefits.

Finished. Red-faced and all! I'm all a-twitter, so you will just have to wait with baited breath until I can compose myself enough to write a review. ♥

Happy Fourth of July!!

Happy 4th of July, Kim! Big plans for the day - something fun and relaxing, I hope.

#56 Mark, LOL. You must have added that last sentence later! Sorry the books didn't have any side benefits for you. Oh, you seem so sad. Now I am ROFL! Okay. I have recovered. And I shall endeavor to take this matter seriously and do right by my other half. Course I don't have any of the appropriate toys...just kohl.
; )

Hi Crazy! Thanks for being a constant companion on my thread. Love hearing from you! We are off to see some waterfalls today. There are about 7 of them, although I don't know if we will make the entire loop today. Very cool. One of them you can walk behind and another has a pool at the bottom. It is supposed to be 77 and sunny. Perfect!! Then tonight fireworks downtown by the Blues Festival. Last night we stayed up late playing Farkle and card games with out French student. I haven't laughed that hard in forever. Well, until I read Mark's message.

77 - so jealous. It will be 98 here, so you can think of me when you are out exploring those falls. No fireworks here as it has been so dry for the past month - we did finally get some rain when those storms came through, but not enough for them to do fireworks safely. Have fun!

98 is just way to hot for me. Sorry! And no fireworks either. Do you get company or at least some libations?

98 ewwww

I hate when I lose threads! I lost this thread for two whole weeks! Of course, I Pearl Ruled Habibi and 1Q84, so perhaps it's all for the best....

xoxoxo

Kim- Glad you got a nice chuckle out of my misery. LOL. I don't remember if I added that last line or not, I was kind of chatty on LT last night. And yes, take care of your better half. He would appreciate it.

Ricardo! I am glad you finally found me again. Makes my day! Well, it did until you disparaged the books I am reading. : P and then xoxo

Mark, well at least someone got something out of your wife's reading the Fifty books! Chuckle indeed. Sends smooch to make up.

Sounds like you have a great day planned! The waterfalls sound great!
Have a great 4th!

Waterfalls sound mmmaaarrrvelous on a hot day like today! And, point of clarification, I didn't disparage those books, I detested them and abominated them.

Disparage? Perish forbid!

Definitely libations!!

Hi Kim, love your opening pic. Yay, Summer, indeed! Hmm, I see you didn't finish Cutting for Stone either. That one fell completely flat on me, despite its popularity and rave reviews. Chuckling over your getting into trouble at Costco with Fifty Shades of Grey, LOL ... I'm another who fell into the same trouble.

Hi Kim, that is too funny about the Gray/Grey books! I guess it doesn't hurt to see what the masses are reading!

You make 1Q84 sound like a must-read. Maybe I can get some of my chunksters out of the way before October and join in with the group. It will be good to have an expert give us some insights!

Thanks for the anniversary fireworks on my thread. Your waterfalls sound like a great way to spend the day. It's stinking hot here. A quiet air conditioned restaurant is the only sane way to mark the day for us.

Here are a few pictures from the trip to Silver Falls...loved it!

See the little people walking behind the fall?

Going behind the falls...

Behind the water!!

There are 10 waterfalls and I think we saw 7 of them--about a 4 mile loop. It was beautifully green and the occasional splash of water was heaven! Then we had company over for dinner: blue cheese burgers, salmon and chicken kebobs. Then all the in-laws went home and all the kids had plans so hubby and I had a date night (!) and went downtown by the river to watch the fireworks. I think it was the best display I have ever seen. It felt like a solid half hour of finales--they kept coming so fast there wasn't even time to clap for individual ones. Just lots of clapping and boat horns at the end. Topped off with a glass of Baileys at one of the outside restaurants. Greatest Fourth of July!

Ohhh that's what you were talking about on my thread. Hahahaha, you are hysterical Kim. The falls looks mighty and cool. Sounds like you had a great time.

wow great photos! Looks like an awesome place to hike!

Me!

And way back to #68, Hi Chelle! And Richard, picky reader that you are. Libations for Crazy, yay! And Nancy! Hi there. Nope, Cutting for Stone did not make it for me, despite the rave reviews elsewhere. And Donna--glad my Gray/Grey dilemma has amused you and Bonnie too! And back to Chelle again. : )

Thanks for visiting one and all!

Oh those falls...93 today 97 on Saturday oioioioioi

I'm movin' to Portland.

KIM!! You were at one of my all-time favorite places! I love that whole area, really. I confess I'd very much like to be an Oregonian again.... Great pics -- thanks for sharing!

Richard and Ellen, I have a guest room...come visit! And Ellen, you are only up in Seattle. Maybe we should have a NW meetup. : )

Cool!

Kim- I've been to Silverton Falls several times. It's a beautiful place and we've hiked that loop a couple times too! My daughter should have met you there, she loves that place.
Thanks for posting the pics!

Kim, I would love to plan a meet-up. Schedule allowing, and once I'm allowed to buy books again, I would very happily make my way down to Portland for a Powell's visit. Or, of course, I'd love to meet you on Capitol Hill here in Seattle and we could visit Elliott Bay Books (and perhaps Molly Moon ice cream.....).

Your Fifty Shades of Grey story cracked me up!

Powell's *drool*

POWELL'S *slobber*

plane ride oh nooooooo I can't sit for that long! Boo!! Hiss!!

Silver Creek Falls = wonderful. :-)

Great pictures - looks like a fabulous time! So glad you had a great fourth!

I love waterfalls and those are some amazing photos, Kim. They looked so inviting ...especially today when it's hot and muggy out here. Cute pic of you crouching under the rock ... looks like a good place to shelter from the rain and read.

Hi Stephen. Did you mean "cool" pictures or that looks like a nice "cool" place in all this heat? Say both!

Mark, I'd love to meet your daughter. Darn, I didn't know! And you better let me know next time you are out here, too!

Ellen. Okay, we should make this happen. Who else is in our neck of the woods? I think Rainpebble is...

Hi Carly! Nice to see you here and glad I could provide some comic relief. : )

Hands Richard and a napkin and some Vicodin and says Buck Up! Get on a plane!

Carol--Hi there. Are you enjoying this sunshine or what?

Hey Crazy--Thanks. It was a most marvelous Fourth.

Caro! Yes, it was a cute little alcove, but too much back spray from the waterfall. My book would get all wet. : (

It's Friday, Friday, Friday!!

31. Shades of Grey (or shades of red in my case), by EL James

Okay. I am done blushing. I actually enjoyed this twisted book and learned some about the kinkier side of sex. However, I am not sure it actually rings true for the real thing (BDSM); in other words, it is a fluffy romance at heart. How do I know this? I read comments on the Erotica discussion of this book! The writing wasn't great and Anastasia has annoying habits, but dang, Christian Grey is hot. Warped mind you, but hot! And he is rich, which doesn't hurt. Personally, I am more on the vanilla side of things, LOL, but here is the real teller...I am going to read the other two books in the series. It is perfect, light summer reading. All you high brows are just going to have to get your mind in the gutter if you want to enjoy this romance! 3.5

Off Balance by Dominique Moceanu

A memoir by the author detailing her time as a gymnast and her rise to gold in the Olympics. Not an easy feat, but a road that seemed particularly difficult for Moceanu. Lots of surprises along the way, including the discovery of a sister she never knew. I love watching the Olympics and remember watching Moceau compete, so this book was fascinating for me. I'd definitely recommend it! 4.0

Kim, thanks for that very honest review of Fifty Shades of Grey! I haven't read it but have gotten a little tired of people being condescending and patronizing about it, so I may just read it to spite them (sure- that'll show 'em!) ;-)

Hi Katie! Yeah, that'll show 'em!! And you'll have a good time while you are doing it. ; )

#94, 96 Agreed! I read inhaled all three of the Grey books. Great summer reading! As you point out, Kim, the writing was well, um ... let's just say it spoke for itself; but that's not why I read them! I was also surprised to read some condescending and patronizing reviews ... I mean, surely if one was looking for fine literature or literary pedigree, one would know to look elsewhere? LOL.

Inhaled!! LOL. That seems to be the modus operandi for those who read this series. Thanks Katie and Nancy. :) I am charging up my Kindle so I can get the next one, Fifty Shades Darker and I am also looking for Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury for a group read this weekend.

So I was alphabetically filing Fifty in my bookcase and guess what it is snuggled up against? Portrait of a Lady by Henry James! Too funny!!

LOL! Portrait of a Lady, indeed!

Hey there Kim. I downloaded Fifty Shades onto my Kindle but then forgot about it, so thanks for the nudge. I want to read it if only to see what all the hype's about and why it appears to be the next best thing to sliced bread.

I'll have to get to it after this weekend's Ray Bradbury group read.

One doesn't expect literary greatness out of that 50 thing. Competence would've been nice.

Kim- Bree is living in Salem/Keizer right now but she is moving back here at the end of August. We are happy as hell! It's been nearly 2 years.

Well Kim, highbrow and literary snob that I am, I will be skipping Fifty Shades but I will defend to the death your right to read any trashy novel you want;-)

Nancy...indeed! LOL

Caro...my plan exactly! Except I didn't like the editions I saw on my Kindle so I am off to get the paper version.

Richard--I see. SO you DID read it!

Mark--Well I can see why you'd be happy about that! So are you coming out here to help her move? I am hoping I have another chance to see you...

Bonnie--You are one of my favorite highbrows and thanks for condoning my wayward reads. : )

Kim- A friend of Bree is flying out and driving back with her, so we are happy about that. My sister and her family still live there, so you never know. Hugs!

I can't afford to buy books so I get them from the library. Unfortunately, this means I'm number gazillion on the list for the next Fifty Shades book. Fortunately, the library is large and they order a lot of copies of popular books.

93: I meant Cool! as in Neat! I want a waterfall that big in my house. Not sure how it'll fit but I'll figure that out later.

See what happens when you start reading THOSE kinds of book? This thread is booming!

The waterfalls look so refreshing. My cousin took Jim and me up the Columbia gorge to see some of them when we were in Portland. What a wonderful thing to have so close.

>106 Sweetienubbins and I took turns reading it to each other. It was his sister's copy, and she was all verklempt over it.

We agreed that straight people are weird.

Mark--Okay, safe travels for Bree and her friends and I will just have to hold out for the sister visit. : )

Morphy--Well, don't hold your breath, although they do say that heightens certain experiences...

Stephen--Hmmm. Waterfall inside the house....you need a much taller house!

Judy--I know, right? The heck with being erudite. And it probably has nothing to do with the fact that I am actually on LT and writing on my own thread. No, kinky is definitely the ticket! LOL. And what you saw were a completely different set of waterfalls north of Portland called Multnomah Falls. Also gorgeous.

Richard- ROFL. I KNEW you had read it! And not all straight people are weird. Just most. ; )

If straight people are weird that makes me 'normal,' right? :D

Yes, Stephen. You are normal. Just one of the crowd. Now, seriously, how disappointing is that?! :p

So, dinner tonight: grilled salmon, BBQ chicken, mint and buttered corn, mustard asparagus and scalloped parmesan potato and zucchini. And libations of course! Mark, I got two beers to try, in your honor....

Well, I'm okay with being normal so long as there is a crowd to hide in...

Dinner sounds delicious. I'm hurt that I wasn't invited. :_(

Hurry up! Just started the BBQ...

YUM! I have never thought of adding mint to corn--will have to try that.

How were the libations? Inquiring minds...

Kim, those waterfall pics are awesome. I would like to camp behind a waterfall someday. Oh, and when I do, could you drop by with some of the leftovers from one of your salmon fests?

Kim - I love the shot taken behind the water and the subsequent one of you amazingly dry.

What a terrible thing to do to perfectly good mint!! Putting it on that, that, silage. Yick.

Carly--
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh mint
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
Corn--YUM!

Oh, Kim, that mint butter is now in my recipe file! Yum!

Mark--We didn't get around to drinking them because a) by husband had a bad headache and didn't drink anything and b) the other couple are recovered alcoholics so they didn't drink (I didn't know!) and c) everyone else was underage. So, they are in the fridge still calling to me and you will have to await my verdict. But they were Oakshire Brewing Overcast Espresso Stout from Eugene Oregon (got that one for Hubby) and Heater Allen by Dunkel in Portland (that one is mine!). Stay tuned...

Ooh, sounds like a roadblock to libations. Glad you survived. I'm not big on the stouts and porters but the Heater Allen sounds promising.

The heat finally broke here! T.G.! Enjoying a lovely day.

Donna- I have not camped behind a waterfall, but I have camped at the top of one: Ramona Falls in Oregon by Zig Zag (yes that is the name of a real town here and so is Boring!). And I would be delighted to cater your next outing. I just need a few days notice... I will have to make a new batch--there aren't many leftovers! : )

Hi Paul! Nice to see you here. I WAS amazingly dry after going behind the falls. Just a very fine cooling mist on a hot day. Perfect!

Richard-- I refer you to comment # 124 -- thanks and enjoy Nancy!!

#126 Which is why the stout is for hubby! Yay! The heat is back to regular summer fare!! Enjoy. BTW I am not very far in to Something This Way Wicked Comes, but hope to make a dent today. I may have to add my two cents on the Group Thread a little later in the week, but I am sure I will enjoy everyone's comments.

Cheers to the silage fans here assembled!

Thank you sir. : )

Wimbledon Tennis Update Spoiler alert Yay! Federer won and that means next week when he is upgraded to #1 he will have tied Pete Sampras' record for most weeks in the top spot! And congrats to Serena Williams. She has had a rough time lately and she deserves this. And did you see how many aces she had? Over 100!! A new Wimbledon record. Wow.

Now, I'm known as #126? Ouch, that hurts!

That sure has been happening to you a lot lately, hasn't it #131? :(

Thanks for the corn recipe! I like cilantro, too. The beer choices also sound good :)

>131, >132 Ah, grow up, boys. Act your number, not your age.

You said it #134! A perfect response, in keeping with the movie I just watched with my girls: "I Am Number Four." LOL

You're welcome Carly! (Yeesh, guys are SOOOO sensitive sometimes...)

Mark, Stephen and Richard, you are all near and dear to my heart. xoxo

OK, all caught up here! This thread has been very busy lately! I filed away the mint butter recipe - sounds good. I didn't get finished with Something Wicked... this weekend although I am more than 1/2 way in and really liking it. Did you get it finished up?

Stephen- You remember that Bob Seger song "Feel Like a Number"? Your probably to young but it sure fits.

Kim- Have a fantastic week.

Afraid not, Mark. Heck, I'm most unfamiliar with pop music from all decades, including 'mine.'

Richard: But it's so much fun whenever I act my age...

Men are so not sensitive. We're hurt that you would even say such a thing. *Group cries with Mark and Richard*

Snort.

Kimmers darling, hustle your svelte bustle out to procure yourself The Lifeboat. Quick sticks, possum, do it now! Dame Edna's heiress Dame Agnes Fagness insists!

Such a gripping story! Such a wonderful voice! Such familiar characters deployed in familiar ways with no smallest diminishment of exciting tension!

I am quite enjoying the male immaturity on this thread ;)

HI Kim! :)

Me too, Chelle, LOL. And I'm old enough to remember "Feel Like a Number" - and it does fit, hehe! Gotta love Seger.

You said it, Kim!

I was glued to the tv yesterday morning ... what an exciting match huh? My heart felt for Andy, but boy was I glad Federer won! Andy's young, he has time to earn a major.

Hi Crazy--No, I barely made a dent. : ( But I am enjoying Something Wicked and shall persevere and read the comments on the thread afterwards.

Hi Marky Mark! Hope you have a great week too! Thanks.

And I am with Stephen, although I am not as young as he is. I can't recall the song "Feel Like a Number"...will have to look it up.

Richard--Gah! You got me! Sir, it is bad enough when I visit YOUR thread and try to dodge the book bullets, but now you are firing off rounds here? : ) The Lifeboat may be exactly what I need as I flee my own thread!! LOL

Chelle-I know, right? ; )

Hi Nancy. It's a Seger song, huh? Well, then I probably know it.

Hi Caro--I know! It was awesome. And we have to root for Federer anyhow, because he is the spitting image of my BIL. I grew up with tennis as my Mom is a fanatic, both watching and playing. She is 72 and just now dropped down to 4.0 level play. My role model for successful aging.

Wow, Kim, your mom is da bomb! I'd love to be as active when I'm older too. My friend's dad stopped playing tennis when he was 88 .. and only because his best friend and partner with whom he used to play twice a year died, and he just didn't want to play with anyone else.

I hope Federer manages to medal during the Olympics. That's the only one he hasn't got, I think.

Hi Kim,
a quick scan reveled a fantastic looking walk to waterfalls, a snap of you! (Have i ever seen you before?) Great to finally know what you look like, you look fun :)
And....Fifty Shades of......nope- I cant even type it! You can guess I wont be picking that one up any time soon. hehe, I have heard enough about it though, and I dont begrudge you your fun :)

Off Balance might be one I need to get for my sister, she was a NZ representative in gymnastics, back in the day. So needless to say the whole family is interested by association.

142: I really love that pic!

Although I can't stop analyzing the two people's skulls for cool physiological differences...

Hi Caro--I hope Federer can get his Olympic medal, too. Did you see his twin girls? SO cute!

Hi Megan!! Nice to see you again here. : ) I don't know if you've seen me before, but I am ever so glad that you think I look like fun, 'cuz I am ya know!

That is so cool that your sister was a gymnast at that level. Definitely you guys should read it and then let me know what she thinks of Off Balance. Personally, I could never have been a gymnast: the balance beam scares the heck out of me! And I have good balance!!

Hi Stephen--glad you like the picture. : )

Speaking of gymnastics...I took the guys to Sky High yesterday. It is a trampoline place. Everything is on trampolines...they even havea dodgeball game played on trampolines! My son had a blast and mastered doing flips from one square to another. I think he got five in a row. WOW! Then we were off to the pool. I had a bunch of tired but happy kids last night.

Everyone is coming and going around here. My youngest got back from camp on Sunday (he big thrill was he learned how to wake board, but said he wasn't up for very long), our French guy leaves tomorrow, and then my middle one leaves this weekend for camp. And I am taxi mom. Whew!

>142 Oh my heck. How lovely.

HA on the book bullet!!!

Just stopping in to make sure I'm keeping up over here. Love post 142.

Glad you liked the "photo" and : P to the book bullet, Richard.

Hey, Crazy! Isn't it nice to be caught up somewhere? 'Cept now that i have responded, you are behind again. LOL.

So Fifty news. The author is making about $200K a day. Her three books are 1,2 and 3 on the NYT best seller list. AND they are going to make the books into a movie--not sure I am up for that!

A movie?!! $200K a day?! We should start writing right now, Kim. I am very good with adjectives and gerunds. Do we need an actual storyline? Or plot?

>153 ::speechless::

>154 It would seem not, Mamie, so hop to and get some o' that filthy lucre!

Crazy--I am sure we can come up with something. How hard can it be? Boy meets girl, they get down and dirty, her inner goddess does backflips. Okay, that's the plot. Now we have to make sure that you use lots of adjectives since they have to be beautiful people. The guy has to know it, but doesn't care. The girl is blind to her beauty and the effect she has on men. Throw in some money and cool toys. Bingo! We are rich!!

Richard--Do you think they can keep it to an "R" rating and capture the true essence of the book? I am thinking it is "X" material but that doesn't usually do well in the theatres, LOL.

At the *minimum* NC-17.

It horrifies me to think some actor will play any of these roles.

I know!! Eeewwwww.

Butt now, to lighten the mood. Startling new scientific proof of global warming...

Richard - This is such great news, and I am sure I can spend dirty money as well as the next person...

Kim - See, you already have it all outlined. Maybe we should mix things up and write about a love triangle - that hasn't been done in so long!

Love the positive proof of global warming!!

That's wonderful graphic, Kimmers!

^a

Okay, a love triangle it is, but the third person has to turn out to be the surprise brother or sister who was given up for adoption at birth and no one knew about. Yeah. That sounds good!

Richard, what does #161 mean? The meaning escapes me...

162: No, make it a transsexual instead, that way the other two can discover the other's infidelity but neither will know they slept with the same person. He will flee to the arms of his wonderful new female fling (who strangely won't have sex with him in the light but makes up for it with strong and firm hands) and she will go to throw herself into the arms of her new man (who shaves his legs and always smell faintly of strawberries) and they will both find each other knocking on the door of the same person, only to discover they've been sleeping with the same person. Both will initially be repulsed as, sadly, many people would but they would eventually come to terms with their emotions and decide the 3 of them will spend a scandalous night together, where the couple will fall in love all over again while simultaneously discovering they are both homosexuals, putting them all in a rather strange and awkward position.

...or you could just do the brother/sister thing.

OK, Stephen, you're in! Kim, there's going to be three writers instead of two...

Oh good! That means less work for me if we split it three ways. Nicely done Stephen. I see romance writing in your future for sure!

>163 i LEFT OUT THE WORD "A"

200K a day!@??#@%!@

*flabbergasted*

I know, its old news now,but I only just heard :)

Megan could perhaps be our agent, as she is clearly passionate about money.

Moved and seconded. Stephen, you OK with that?

Hey Kim! I'm not sure what the conversation is about over here, so I'm ducking in for a quick hi & a hug! Glad you are enjoying something Wicked.

Hi Kim! I'm just checking out the threads and came across yours. Yours caught my attention because it was the first one I've seen that where someone has read Fifty Shades of Grey and your story behind how you bought it was hilarious!
Anyways, you are definitely reading some great books, books that I have on my TBR mountain so I'll will have to check out what other books you will be reading this year. :)

Mark, we are just amazed at how much the author El James of Fifty is making and Crazy, Stephen and I have decided to launch a new lucrative career in kinky romance writing. We are sure to be smash!!

Hi Valerie--I've seen you around lots of threads. How nice to find you here! Thanks for visiting. My Grey/Gray mistake is the gift that keeps on giving, LOL. Now I am off to check out YOUR books. ; )

170: I've always wanted an agent. Does this mean she gets to wear cool sunglasses and put machine guns in her shoes, is that that a different kind of agent...?

Sunglasses, yes. But the machine guns don't fit into high heels. Focus Man!!! She is our LITERARY agent and she has to use her considerable communications skills and vocabulary (See Megan's #168 again as opposed to Richard's weak communication skills in #167) to get the publishing houses to give us lots of moola and fame.

Oh, well, heels, those are deadly enough without the machine guns.

Wait, fame? Did you say fame? As in, lots of people will know who we are? ...no one told me about that part...

Stephen--You can be a closet contributor if you want. I refuse to lose my third partner in our mad scheme to proliferate smut!!

And in further Fifty Shades of Grey Trivia. The book is set in Portland (my home town) and there is now a Dinner Package available at the Heathman Hotel (featured in the book and actually pretty awesome). For only $2,700.00 you and 5 of your friends can take part in a recreation of the Birthday Dinner Party complete with roses for the women, fine dining (the food is pretty great!) and a helicopter tour of our fine city.

Or you can go to San Francisco where three separate hotels are offering the "Shades of Women" deal for $369 (nice end on that number, huh?) which includes accommodations and a "special" package. (Wonder what's inside that?!)

Trivia thanks to the Erin Burnett news hour. And me. : )

Kim, just trying to catch up after being away in hot, humid Tennessee.... it's so good to be back in this part of the world...

Your thread has been having some fun in my absence....

Just a few chuckles. Glad you are back and that you came to say Hi!

Okay, but I want a different title than 'closet contributer.'

Ghost writer?

Soooo..because I don't plan on reading the books and most of my friends (non-readers) have and they ALL pretty much gush about Christian, can you tell me what's so great about him? Based on the reviews I've read, he doesn't seem like such a nice guy?

Valerie, classic bad boy with bad attitude but a heart of gold and a cock of rock.

*snore*

Hahaha...thanks for the succinct analysis Richard. :)

>174 Ill be any kind of agent you want, so long as I get a share of the 200K. Part of my duties, Stephen, could be sheltering you from the hoards of screaming (female) fans.....

eta: >183 figured as much *yawn*

Wait wait wait, fame means I get a hoard of screaming female fans? Ahhh, this is so confusing!

Richard--well put. I like the rhyme at the end. All cleared up Val? ; )

Megan--(Shhh! Don't mention the screaming female fans...we'll lose him for sure!)

Oh, Hi Stephen!! Just talking salary with our agent here...And Crazy says you can be a ghost writer. That should help keep you anonymous. What d'ya think?

I don't know, screaming female fans could be nice. I mean, those rarely actually want to talk to you, right? Hmmmm...okay, I change my mind, I want my name on the cover. :P

Kim, I finally read the first Fifty Shades yesterday and I think I'm going to skip the other 2. It wasn't as bad as I had expected actually, although the writing is rather pedestrian. But the timeline in which all these things happen was somewhat ludicrous. I guess because of the hype, I was expecting a more explicit book, but it was all pretty light on the BDSM. I'm not sure why or how the hype has exploded over this book though. It didn't do a thing for me ... or the hubster for that matter since I fell asleep after. haha..

I'm curious why this captured such a mass of hysterical women when it's just another simple erotic romance story.

Stephen--You are a fickle partner. Okay, on your back you go. Oops. I mean under the covers you go. Wait! NO!! I mean back on the cover you go. Phew! Glad I got that straightened out.

Caro--I know. I don't get all the hype either. However, I did read book two... because I can and it is summer! It didn't make me blush or giggle as much as book one. My how quickly we get bored. Although I am obviously enjoying "discussing" it here on my thread! LOL.

"Pedestrian" is a kind assessment, Caro, I found the writing tedious and awkward.

Now what the Gleesome Threesome here cooks up in the pervy realms will be worth reading. At least once.

Gleesome Threesome - I like the sounds of that!

*waving* at Kim

Gleesome Threesome works for me! Thanks for the vote of confidence, Richard.

Hi partner!

Hi Stasia! How great to see you out and about. I hope your second test went as well as the first. : )

Not much reading lately. The Frenchman left and I have been catching up on all things household. (Read laundry, dishes, etc. -- Ugh!) Also a few projects. Hung two pictures, fixed a cabinet drawer that had fallen off the hinge, buffed out a scratch on my car, put new felt pads under kitchen furniture to preserve the wood floor. You get the idea. Today, I am dropping off daughter #2 for camp, and then I have a Reiki group and Mah Jong. Yay!!

And I owe a few reviews...The Fault in Our Stars and Jodi Piccoult's latest (with her daughter) Between the Lines.

Bye for now!

You play Mah Jong??? That's awesome! :D

Hi Kimmers! I hope you are having a great weekend. Can't wait to hear your thoughts on The Fault in Our Stars. You know I was a big fan.

Waiting for your review of Between the Lines! I usually buy Jodi's books the instant they come out, but with this one being YA, I'm waiting for a few trusted reviews.

Hi Val! Yup. I love Mah Jong, but I don't get to play very often. This is a new group my friend has thrown together. I probably should get some new cards though...I am still using cards from 1994. Oops! Someone brought the 2012s and I was so lost!! Course I am kinda sick of mine. LOL

Hi Mark! Yes, you get full credit for getting me to read The Fault in Our Stars!!

Hi Carol--So, I should get my butt in gear and tell you what I think, huh?! : )

29. The Fault in Our Stars

I thought this was a magnificent book, which brought me to tears and made me laugh out loud. The characters were endearing and tugged at my heartstrings. The basic plot? Two teens battling cancer meet and each brings out the best in the other as they strive to live with death over their shoulder. Despite the sad premise, this book brims with love and life and left me inspired and uplifted. A must read! 5.0

32. Between the Lines by Jodi Piccoult and Samantha Van Leer

First, let me say that I love Piccoult. I usually get her books in hardback because I just can't wait. This book is a collaboration with her daughter and it's bent is very different from the usual moral issue exploration. In fact, it's a fairy tale. What would happen if you could actually talk to one of the characters in your book? What if they had lives beyond the written words on the page? This is a charming YA book and I read it in nothing flat, but it is definitely not Piccoult's usual fare. Not bad, but not as great. I'd recommend it, but only in paperback. 3.0

Me, a fan of Piccoult as well. :)

Which is your favourite one?

The Fault in our Stars is already on the library to loan list!

I loved The Fault in Our Stars, too. Nice review. Haven't read any Picccoult. Too bad the collaboration with her daughter wasn't better because that is such a great premise for a book.

...*tap tap tap...

So has Stephen written that bestseller yet?
*waiting for my cut*

Just de-lurking (giggling) to say hello, Kim! This must be one of the liveliest threads I've seen today . . .

Kim- I'm so glad you loved The Fault in Our Stars. I'm looking forward to reading more of Green's work. I have Paper Towns saved on audio and Looking For Alaska on the shelf.

Val- My favorite Picoult? That's a hard one. I rank almost all of them 4 stars and above. I'd have to go with Handle with Care, Nineteen Minutes, and Lone Wolf. You?

Crazy--Mind you, I am not saying Between the Lines is bad. It was good! And I sense it won't be their last collaboration, so we'll see where they go. I did love the black and white silhouettes in the book. Very cool. One of them showed the boy/prince using the words to climb up the page. Kudos to the artist Scott M Fisher.

Megan--I know! What's he doing all day? Put the pen to the paper Stephen!!

Hi Terri--Delurk as often as you like! It's always a pleasure to see you. : ) And I am glad we provided you with some amusement. ; )

Markster! Yes, I am definitely going to have to find more of Mr. Green's works to read. I wish I had the time/place to listen to audio like you do. Maybe next year when I am driving to and from school again, I can get in the habit.

*smooch*

*smooch*

I am so sad...my favorite little store in Multnomah Village closed. It always had the perfect card, the greatest little birthday gift (some of them on the slightly naughty side), all of them funny and cute. And it's gone, gone! She retired I guess. I wish there had been a buyer for it. I hear it's going to be a yogurt shop now...not quite the same. : (

Oh, I hate it when a favorite business closes!

Thanks for the review of Between the Lines! I know I'll read it eventually, but maybe I don't need to get it immediately. :-)

Hi there Kim. I enjoyed The Fault in Our Stars earlier this year too. My daughter just returned from Portland and brought us doughnuts from Voodoo Donuts. The one with the bacon was especially good. Have you been there?

All the ones, I've read, I've liked so yeah it is hard to rank them. I haven't read Handle with Care although it is on my bookshelf. And I have yet to purchase Lone Wolf. My Sister's Keeper and Plain Truth were definitely top of my list and very memorable reads for me. I really like how she can weave a story about a current issues that are often very controversial but I think the highlight of her books are her characters!

Thanks for the sympathy Terri. Sniff.

Hi Carol!

Bonnie--Voodoo Donuts is ridiculously fun! There is one right next door to the soccer field my son practices on, so we go every now and then. The donut names are quite catchy! Voodoo Doll, Cock and Bull, Grape Ape, The Gay Bar, etc. You probably had the Bacon Maple Bar. For a complete list and pictures (!) go here: http://voodoodoughnut.com/menu.php. Yum!

Hi Val! Oh yes. I loved My Sister's Keeper too. Did you ever see the movie? I didn't. I am always kinda afraid to see a movie adaptation of a book. They usually don't live up to my expectations.

Voodoo Doll from Voodoo Donuts

Yeah, I've seen Voodoo Donuts on the Travel channel a couple times. Looks interesting. :)

Well, not much activity on the donuts. Guess no one was hungry...

On to book news! I just got the lineup for next season's Literary Arts series and they include: Jeffrey Toobin (of CNN fame), Barbara Kingsolver, Jonathan Franzen, Stephen Greenblatt (Pulitzer Prize for the The Swerve) and poet Nikky Finney. I know Jeff, have read the next two and have no clue on the last two. I think that's just about a perfect mix! I like to broaden my horizons a little.

I finished the Grey Trilogy. There was more plot and character development and less, well, you know, as the books went along. Which is good or bad news, depending on your perspective. ; ) The thing that really amuses me is there is, wait for it....a fourth one!! It's written from the playboy's perspective and it starts off at the beginning of the 1st book, but I think I am satiated at this point.

I am now reading the second book in the All Souls Trilogy, Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness. I loved the first one, A Discovery of Witches, so I have high hopes. They travel back in time to Elizabethan London.

I did see the movie and the ending kinda threw me off. It wasn't a horrible movie, but definitely a renter for sure. :)
I have a hard time eating anything with a face on it....always makes me think they are staring me down..haha!
I have a copy of A Discovery of Witches on my shelf but it shares the same fate as all my hundred other books so it will just have to wait its turn!

Hi Val--But the voodoo donut is dead. See? He has a pretzel sticking out of him! LOL, I know what you mean. When my daughter was about 8 she saw a whole pig carried out on the tray for the pig roast and that was the last time she ate pork.

As to D of W, well, at least move it to the top of the pile, okay?

Valerie: That's why you eat the head first. :P

Stephen, thanks for the tip.

Today is dedicated to nits and nats around the house. I seem to have a lot of them! A button on a pillow that needs to be sewn back on, gardening, de-mossing the outside of the planters, etc. Had the gutters cleaned yesterday ( I won't do them in this house because it is three stories in the back and I am rightly chicken!) and now I need to blow the deck and clean off the furniture. You get the idea.

And I am missing my daughter. She gets back from camp on Saturday.

Just checking in over here, Kim. I think the donut looks delicious! Sorry you are missing your daughter, but the good news is it's Thursday already, so you almost made it!

Thanks, I know. And her absence was good because I got to go in her room and CLEAN it!! What is it with teenagers and the whole messy thing? She posted this on Facebook and it is sooooo true! The top picture is how she sees her room and below is reality. LOL

I don't think we have a true appreciate for a neat, tidy, and orderly universe until we have a place of our own. I think my room was always messy growing up, but then voila becoming a home owner myself now, I've suddenly morphed into fake Martha Stewart. My husband doesn't seem to have gone through the same transition. You can definitely tell which side of the room is his!

haha the bottom picture is what my room looked like from a young age until, well now! (I'm working on it ...)

Love the voodoo donut. Do they at least taste better than they look?

I never had one of those super messy rooms, though I was a bit of a clutter bug, and still am, but it never got to the point where things were strewn across the floor.

Val--Yes, there is hope. I mean, I became neater and my oldest has. One can only hope. In the meantime, I sneak in there remove all the yogurt containers and spoons, not to mention the occasional candy bar wrappers! And my husband must know your husband...he has all these piles of stuff around his dresser.

Chelle--LOL. It is never too late. But one has to be motivated and I am not sure where the clean-gene comes from nor when it is programmed to kick in. And the donuts taste great! But I think each one is about 10,000 calories!! (Seriously, a lot!)

Stephen--You are more grown-up than I thought. : P

I never had a messy room...

... because everything was stuffed under my bed, in my drawers, or into my closet.

I don't know what you are talking about... ; )

Hmmm I actually had those two rooms in my home. Interestingly, my son had the neat room and my daughter had, well, the other one. Doesn't it seem like it should be the other way around??

I thought it was! I was going to say the neat gene was activated later in XY creatures, but perhaps not!! To be perfectly fair, my FIL is extremely neat (as in clean and also a cool guy). I shall try not to be so sexist. ; )

"Neat and tidy" *shudder* what is it with uteruses? Do they secrete some horrible toxin that insists on "neat and tidy" or there will be no sex, no peace, and no hope for either until the hormone is appeased?

I live in a tornado zone to repel gynergy. "Neat and tidy" are cuss words chez moi.

Ha! I have seen pictures of your library and it was mighty pretty and NEAT!! And I would never deprive myself of sex. That would just be silly! : P

Hi Kim - hope all is well. The neat gene has completely escaped me - but I can usually find everything in the house. But it reminds me that I better have a bit of a blitz soon as I have someone coming to stay:(

My sister's room was always a mess. She tended to leave things around in the living room too, used plates and empty pop cans and all that, and I was usually the one going around picking it up. I thought perhaps it was just because I was a few years older, but not much has changed now that we are both adults. :P

*gasp* The horrors of "neat and tidy" are NOT sex-linked?!? ONOZ

I wouldn't say I'm neat and tidy, and I'm still a clutterbug and things do begin to pile up after awhile, but I am so not okay with dirty dishes and the like sitting around. I'll spend several minutes at a time scrubbing smudges no one else can see off a table top though...

I have a certain level of tolerance for messiness. My husband calls it organized chaos. I say it's just clutter. When I hit that threshold and mind you, it's quite generous in my opinion, I morph into turbo cleaner where EVERYTHING gets cleaned up. If I happen to throw out something that was important, oh well, he will have to deal with it, or put away his stuff next time. Saves me a lot of time spent on nagging. Plus I usually give a little warning before I turn into psycho cleaner on him. :)

My mom was like that too. I don't know how many times she threw away homework for school because she decided it was 'cluttering her kitchen table.'

LOVE Voodoo donuts!

Just keeping up. Hi Kim!

I want to go to Voodoo Donuts just because I love the name.

Nate and I are both slob like creatures so I don't think "Neat and tidy" are gender related. We both prefer the house tidy but are too lazy to find the proper places for things. It's odd really because both our sets of parents have immaculate houses. I wonder why neither of us got the clean gene?

HI Kim!

#235 Calm--Hi there! Being able to find things is also very important. Good luck with the purge and hide before company comes!!

#236 Hi Stephen--More mature than your sister...still!!

#237 Richard Your udder, I mean utter, lack of genetic awareness has reduced me to this... : P

#238 No,no. The scrubbing should be on the dishes!

#239 Val--Psycho cleaner..I like that! If I get to that stage, I usually put everything in a pile and give everyone a chance to claim their stuff before I visit Goodwill and the garbage can.

#240 Okay Stephen. Throwing away homework is just mean! Ouch. Better not mess with your Mom.

#241 Ellen--Hello there. Yes, donuts are delicious and Voodoo Donuts are delicious AND amusing!

#242 Hi Crazy--Glad you are keeping up to date on my thread. Love when you are here!

#243 Richard, see I have a room for you AND Voodoo Donuts. Get your pain fixed and come visit. xoxo

#244 Chelle--I think you both probably have the clean-gene and suppressed it during the whole oppositional/defiant teen years battling your neat-inclined parents. You may need therapy to get over this debilitating condition. : )

This just seemed appropriate.

So, actually, I didn't clean a thing yesterday. My son and I went bowling. I actually got three strikes in a row which has to be some sort of fluky record for me. Course then it all went downhill, otherwise known as spares, then one pin standing, splits and then a forest of pins still standing. Oh well. It was fun! And I still beat him. : )

My daughter gets back tonight and I am so excited to see her!!

Here, we call three strikes in a row, a turkey. Don't ask me what a turkey has to do with bowling.... :)
I haven't gone bowling since I was pregnant...wow its been like 2 years!

*smooch* Careful...I know two people in Portland and might be able to split the visit so as not to stay longer than 3 days any one home...*eyes wardrobe for Portlandy clothes*

Valerie: Yeah, I was rather confused when the popped up on Wii Bowling when I first got 3 strikes in a row, I have no idea where that comes from, would love to know though!

I've only been bowling a few times but it is a lot of fun. I'm generally happy if I can just hit the pins... :)

Here's a possible explanation:

The term dates back to before the turn of the 20th century. In those years, scoring was much more difficult and to get three strikes in a row was quite an achievement. During Thanksgiving or Christmas week, the proprietor would present a live turkey to the first person on each team who scored three consecutive strikes.

Val--so you are not calling me a turkey...I just achieved it!! That is so bizarre but now I am not offended! ; )

Richard--Awesome plan! Now put it into action. The best months here are now through October. : )

Stephen--I hear you. I was impressed with myself because it was the first time I have played without bumpers since having kids and I mostly avoided the gutter!! Yay!

Mophy--Aha! So that's the explanation of the Bowling Turkey. I love finding out the origins of expressions. Big thank you!

So, I am trying to get in shape for my Tae Kwon Do black belt test this November, which means trying to do more back-to-back classes to build up my endurance. Today I did three classes with one break in the middle. I am not sure that was a wise move...because now I CAN'T move!! LOL. The test will be 5 hours long and I just don't want to embarrass myself, so if you hear me complaining here in my quest to get in shape, please humor me and send a cheer or two every now and then. Whew. Got to go drink some more water. : P (That's my dehydrated look...)

Good luck preparing for the black belt test!

I enjoyed the discussion of neat/messy. I am somewhere in the middle of the two extremes. Things tend to get out of hand, and then I try to neaten up, at least in the main part of the house . . . just don't ever look in the cellar or attic -- they are always totally hopeless!

I am trying to weed out some of my excess belongings before my house becomes, well, like my parents' garage was . . . Dad added on a second garage to fit their vehicles in, and then he filled it up with other stuff . . . I am proud to say that my husband and I have room for our cars in our garage!

Call you a turkey?? I would not dare, especially now I know you can kick my butt with some black belt skills! ;)
Good luck with the training. If it hurts, that means you are working hard..haha!

Hi Kim, catching up with you has been fun. Maybe you could work some martial art action into your soon-to-be-a-bestseller book. I think you definitely need a paranormal angle as well. I look forward to seeing my name on the acknowledgements page for my contribution!

No fair that you have both Powell's and Voodoo Donuts. I'm putting Portland on my Places to Visit Again List. I just remember the rose gardens from my visit in the early 90s.

I really must get to The Fault in Our Stars. I have enjoyed all of Green's other books.

Kim- Sounds like you are having an active weekend (What's new, right?). Hopefully you are finding some precious reading time.

Hi Donna--So great to see you! Excellent suggestion for our bestseller! I will make sure you name is listed in at least 12 font. ; ) And I am so glad Portland is on your Places to Visit Again List. I am sure the whole water situation will be cleared up soon and I do have a guest room ya know!

Hi Stasia!! Thanks for stopping by. I love seeing you around these parts again. No guilt attached, just know that you are sooooo appreciated! I haven't read any other Green books, and I really must. I loved The Fault in Our Stars.

Markster--Finally read a little this morning. Mostly because I don't feel up to much else.

The afternoon yesterday was rough. Portland issued a boil water alert, which means that the uncovered reservoir supplying the water to our part of town as well as several surrounding areas is contaminated with E-coli. Course they knew about it since Thursday and waited for more tests to confirm it. I can personally tell them it is not potable! I spent all day yesterday--after TKD and drinking gobs more water--feeling nauseous, with cramps and the runs. The nurse on call says the symptoms can last for a week. Gahh!! I hope no else in the family gets this. Miserable in Portland. : (

Oh no! I hope you feel better soon, Kim, You would think they would issue the boil advisory alert while they are doing all the testing to cover their butts instead of waiting till they know for sure that yes, indeed people are getting sick drinking this right now. Seems like common sense to me.

E. coli, neato! Errr, I mean, sorry to hear that...

I lost a post somehow...

Terri-I won't look in your attic if you don't look in mine! And you are one up on me. My cars are not in the garage. My husband coaches lots of soccer teams and we have gobs of soccer paraphernalia, enough for our own tournament: pop-up goals, pinnies, shoes, balls, and corner flags. Oh, that and a ping pong table. : )

Val-Yes, I had a good workout as evidence by all the muscles I didn't know I had but can now feel, a lot! And thanks for the well wishes. And I don't know why they took so long to notify people this time. (?) Grrrrr from my point of view...which is frequently at the commode!

Stephen- Neat?! Good thing you covered that with a weak expression of sympathy. : )

Commode!! You said 'commode.' My mom calls it that, and it took me a few minutes to figure out what the heck she was talking about the first time she said it.

My expression of sympathy was true, just, and intended whole-heartedly. I'm just, ummm, y'know, errrr, naturually hesitant and unsure of myself. No doubt about it...

*there there, pat pat* Have some chicken bouillon, dearie.

S--Commode has a more pleasant and sophisticated ring to it than toilet. And thank you for the heartfelt well wishes. May I just point out that you say you are hesitant in one breath and then say "No doubt about it" which would imply certainty in the next? Perhaps you are insanely contradictory. And I love you for it.

R--Good idea. (Moans quietly.) Thanks.

I'm always right, so it's impossible for me to contradict myself. The ephemeral aspects of reality and the effect I have upon it may indeed make it appear as though what I say conflicts with what I have said in the past sometimes, but this is a mere illusion caused by blips in the space-time continuum. I try to prevent that but it's like trying to hold in a sneeze.

Errrrr, ummmm, I think...sort of... *ahem*

Kim, I'll be sure to bring a plentiful supply of bottled water when I visit your fair city. Sorry about your troubles. This too shall pass.

Awww that sucks that you got sick! Hopefully it doesn't last that long!

Black belt eh? I guess I won't pick a fight with you ;) Good luck with your training!

I am so sorry that you got sick from drinking your own water Kim. Has this happened before?