cameling in the oasis of books - bubbling brook 9

January Reads
The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern
1Q84 - Haruki Murakami
The Wanderer : The Last American Slave Ship and the Conspiracy that Set Its Sails - Eric Calonius
Lady Susan - Jane Austen
The Glass Devil - Helene Tursten
The Hare with Amber Eyes - Edmund de Waal
Charlotte Figg Takes Over Paradise- Joyce Magnin
Pistols for Two Breakfast For One - Matthew J. Dick
Man in the Empty Boat - Mark Salzman
Blackberries, Blackberries - Crystal Wilkinson

February Reads
A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories - Will Eisner
Emperor of All Maladies : A Biography of Cancer - Siddhartha Mukherjee
Forgotten Country - Catherine Chung
Zenzele - J. Nozipo Maraire
Nelson - Rob Davis
Unseen - Mari Jungstedt
The Waitress Was New - Dominique Fabre
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk - David Sedaris
The Potter's Field - Andrea Camilleri
Audition Ryu Murakami
Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey - The Countess of Carnarvon
Devil's Food Cake Murder - Joanne Fluke
Operation Mincemeat : How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured and Allied Victory - Ben Macintyre
The Whipping Club - Deborah Henry
I am the Messenger - Markus Zusak

March Reads
Gifts and Consequences - Daniel Coleman
Shadows of the Soul - Angelique Armae
Broken - Karin Fossum
1222 - Anne Holt
The Buddha in the Attic - Julie Otsuka
A Small Hotel - Robert Olen Butler
New York to Dallas - J.D. Robb
Stradivari's Genius - Toby Faber
Man Walks into a Room - Nicole Krauss
The Coroner's Lunch - Colin Cotterill
Man in Beijing - Henning Mankell
Absolution - Patrick Flanery
The Finkler Question - Howard Jacobson

April Reads
An Uncertain Place - Fred Vargas
Hark! A Vagrant - Kate Beaton
Seven Moments in Time - Todd Tystad
Mumbai Noir -Altaf Tyrewala
Sleeping with Paris - Juliette Sobanet
Kissing Adrien - Siri. L. Mitchell
Wild Mustang Man - Carol Grace
The Guinea Pigs - Ludvik Vaculik
The Flower Mat - Shugoro Yamamoto
The Rabbi's Cat - Joann Sfar
Below Stairs - Margaret Powell
A Bitter Veil - Libby Fischer Hellmann
An Attempt at Exhausting a Place in Paris - Georges Perec
Foul Matter - Martha Grimes

May Reads
Thirty Three Teeth - Colin Cotterill
Pomfret Towers - Angela Thirkell
The Redeemer - Jo Nesbo
Part of the Furniture - Mary Wesley
A Lonely Death - Charles Todd
A Trick of the Light - Louise Penny
Husband Hunting 101 - Rita Herron
The Hangman (Good Reads) - Louise Penny
Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday
The Last Good Man - Kathleen Eagle
The Cat Manual - Michael Ray Taylor
Divine Intervention - Cheryl Kaye Tardif
I Have a Secret - Cheryl Bradshaw
When Pigs Fly - Bob Sanchez
Sleeping Love - Sara Curran-Ross
Match Day - Brian Eule

June Reads
Long Island Noir - Kaylie Jones
Picket Line - Breena Wiederhoeft
Arthur & George - Julian Barnes
Dandelion Wine - Ray Bradbury
Our Man in Havana - Graham Greene
Age of Doubt - Andrea Camilleri
The Halo Effect - M.J. Rose
Hypothermia - Arnaldur Indridason
Disgrace - J.M Coetzee
Treasure Island!!! - Sara Levine
The Man in the Wooden Hat - Jane Gardam
The Child Thief - Brom

July Reads
The China Governess - Margery Allingham
Yes Chef - Marcus Samuelsson
Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter - Mario Vargas Llosa
Something Wicked This Way Comes - Ray Bradbury
Opal Fire - Barbra Annino
An Artist of the Floating World - Kazuo Ishiguro
Drawing Conclusions - Donna Leon
The Fall - Albert Camus
Sleeping Roses - RaShell Workman
Deadly Affair - Lucinda Brant
Forged in Fire - Trish McCallan
A Handbook of American Prayer - Lucius Shepard
Land of Green Plums - Herta Muller
Don't Let Me Go - Catherine Ryan Hyde
Anarchy and Old Dogs - Colin Cotterrill

August Reads
Bad Intentions - Karin Fossum
The Delilah Complex - MJ Rose
The Island at the Center of the World - Russell Shorto
Willow Pond - Carol Tibaldi
The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul - Deborah Rodriguez
Persuader - Lee Child
The Venus Fix - M.J. Rose

Answering some of the posts in my last thread:

Valerie : I go in streaks. Sometimes it seems accidents just tumble into my lap like M&Ms out of a ripped bag and then I'll have go through months where nothing happens at all. I can't wait for the nothing months, to be honest.

And yes, the hubster keeps in touch with a few of his ex-girlfriends, and some of the ones he still keeps in touch with who live in MA, we see every once in a while and I like them. Apart from 2 weirdo guys, I've kept in touch with my ex-boyfriends and have remained good friends with them. Not every single one of course, but the more serious guys. Same goes for the hubster.

Richard : Thanks for the thumb on A Handbook of American Prayer. Does that mean you're going to leap over barrels to get yourself a copy asap?

Darryl : What is your opinion of the Knicks trading Jeremy Lin? I wish they had kept him. So what are they going to do now? Just have everyone keep passing the ball to Carmelo? I thought it was a shortsighted trade.

Jenn : Fitzgerald is hit and miss for me. I didn't like Benjamin Button at all and disliked it so much I didn't want to watch the movie version either. And I agree with you about The Time Traveler's Wife ... that was a train wreck for me too, so much so I didn't finish the book but threw it into the 'donate' tote before I was halfway through. It wasn't so much the story but the writing that really bothered me though in that case. I should have learned my lesson but nooo, I went on to read Her Fearful Symmetry and didn't like that either.
But I did like Anna Karennina.

Kath : I'm sure I'm due an accident-free period now, right? Can someone else take over my magnet for spell, please?

The problem I have about downloading all these free Kindle books is by the time I get to the Kindle, I've forgotten what kind of books they're supposed to be.

Jim : I haven't read The Basil and Josephine Stories .. are they heaps better than Tales of the Jazz Age?

Caro- I like bubbling brook 9!! Cozy over here. And thanks again for everything.

I am behind on your last thread, but will still reserve my spot over here. At least I can be caught up on this thread for one small moment! Congrats on thread number nine!

Caro signing in for another of the camel's journeys.

Hi Caro! I can't seem to keep up on your threads but I see you posted a new one so I thought I'd say hello before you had a billion-and-three-quarters posts. :)

#3 : Marky-Mark - you're so very welcome. Giving your idea of passing Concord Free Press books around LT more thought, perhaps we ought to start a thread specifically for LTers who'd like to participate in this program. We could list the books that are currently available for passing forward, and start a list of LTers who'd like to have the book and send it to the first on the list, then that person would send it to the 2nd on the list and so on. I wonder if this is manageable ... we'd probably have to have separate thread for each book though come to think of it or all the books would get lost int he thread. Maybe do it in the wiki like the TIOLI challenge read list.

#4 : Mamie- no worries... so am I on yours and quite a few other people's.

#5 : Selamat pagi to you Paul, always good to see you along for the journey. I received Early One Morning by Robert Ryan in the mail today .. have you read this one yet?

#6 : Hi there Stefano ... ha! you should talk... your thread zooms along like a zombie on speed, and I can only lurk at the best of times there because every time I'm about ready to comment, the conversation's moved on to 5 new topics.

You can do what I do. Disregard the topics being discussed and just post utter nonsense. :)

Yeah Caro read it. Parts of it are pretty good too as I recall - I remember racing drivers and imminent war. Haven't got to Signal Red yet but will try to this year.

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank">

I'm here! And yes, I can see why you look forward to accident free months. Take care of yourself. :)

Caro- I prefer whatever is easiest! Starting new threads might be ungainly. Maybe a single Concord Free Press Thread? I sent my copy of round Mountain to Lucy. Did you request that one?

Hi Caro,
Are all these camels from your own collection?
I always look forward to what form the camel will appear in on your thread-heads.
And, wow, you have done some great reading this year! So many books.

>7, 13 Caroline & Mark, Please let me know if you do a Concord Free Press Thread! I've loved that program, and I have several books I need to pass along!

Hi Caro! Just marking my place on your fast moving thread :)

Just a quick post to let you know I'll respond individually tomorrow. A friend's father passed away last night so we're going to drive down to NY later and hopefully make it to the wake. The funeral will be held tomorrow morning and we'll spend some time with the family before driving back to MA on Wed night or early Thurs morning since I have a meeting in the office in the afternoon.

The Land of Green Plums - Herta Muller. This won the Nobel Prize for literature.

In Romania during Ceaucescu's reign of terror, young people from the impoverished country fled to the cities,thinking they'd find better prospects for themselves there. Instead, they find continued oppression under the totalitarian dictator's regime. The atmosphere is rife with fear, tension, misery and paranoia.

It took me a while to get into the writing, and I'm not sure if it's because of the translations or if the original wasn't written as smoothly either. Some phrases were repeated, and I'm sure there must have been some symbolism behind the oft repeated mention of the green plums which lend themselves to the title, but apart from signifying greed, I couldn't see what else they could have been referring to.

If you're into stark and depressing dystopian stories, this will be right up your alley.
3.5 stars

#9 : Haha.. is this how you create chaos while you sit back and giggle, Stefano? It's a great idea though. ;-)

#10 : Paul : I wonder if I will ever get to read everything that's in my TBR Tower. I've still got Night Crossing and Empire of the Sand now nestled next to the newly acquired Early One Morning. It's a good job they don't need to be read in any particular order.

#11 : Kath, my angelic star, greetings to you! So far, no accidents today. :-) How 'bout you?

#12 : Hi Valerie, you found me! It's always a nice change not to have bruises and cuts, sprains and bandages. I sometimes wake up in the morning with bruises I can't explain ....but I glare at the hubster anyway because it's 'possible' that he could have kicked or flailed about in his sleep and hit me.

#13 : Marky-Mark... yes, I agree. multiple threads could be somewhat hard to manage. I like the idea of a single thread for Concord Free Press but I think it would have to be set up as a wiki page. That way everyone can list books they've received which are now up for passing forward, and folks could post their request under each title. Is this how you see it working?

#14 : Hi Megan. Some of the camels were my own but I've also recently become the proud adopted mom of Roni's camel collection when I met her in San Diego a couple of months ago. The one gracing this thread is one of Roni's, and he is currently on one of my bedside tables.

I've not done too badly with some pretty fantastic books this year. Thanks to my peeps on LT, I've been warned away from some total dogs so my average of good reads have shot up compared with previous years. I don't count the dumpster-worthy books I download for free on my Kindle because I usually delete those before I'm even 20 pages in, and since they're free and I mostly had never heard of the author or the title, I figure since I didn't spend too much time on them, I don't need to count them.

#15 : Terri - yay, another Concord Free Press fan. What do you think about how we should post on a CFP thread? what do you think of my idea of setting it up as a wiki page, and keeping the CFP thread in this group as one for people to post comments on the books they've read, or to announce their listing another book on the wiki page?

#16 : Chelle - mark away and come back when you've a moment to spare. There's always a cosy seat under a tree for you here.

So ... one hour later and we still haven't left the house. Don't any of you guys out there moan again that women are always taking forever to get ready. I've been ready for more than 2 hours and the hubster is still futzing around upstairs trying on various jackets, pants, shirts and I don't know what else. You'd think he was packing to attend the Royal Wedding!

Caro - hahaha there is always one in a couple apparently that takes an age to get ready. We have eight wardrobes in the bedroom and SWMBO has requisitioned 6 of em. Every time we want to go anywhere she is adamant that she has no clothes!

Hah! Fun to see the roles reversed. We're getting ready to head out for dinner, but we've got to leave on time, as we have a reservation, so there'll be no futzing around.

Sick him with the threat of polyandry! ;)

I don't know if I'm more concerned that you wake up with mysterious bruises or that your husband can hit you hard enough in your sleep to give you bruises and yet you manage to stay asleep! :)

Somewhat of a busy day for me.. but mostly good.
Spaghetti for dinner helps :) Hope all is well. Watch out for ..well everyone and everything!
Maybe you should start laying out his clothes. or hanging outfits together.. lol

Just checking in so that I don't fall so far behind again.

If you're into stark and depressing dystopian stories, this will be right up your alley.
Sign me up!

Caro, I have this wonderful image of you perusing the web into the wee hours whenever it's time to start a new thread, looking for a good camel image.....
And I love the images you find/choose.

Sorry to hear about your friend's father!

That is kind of funny about your hubby! Nate always says I take forever but I wonder if he spent some time with my friends or my sister while they get ready if he would start to appreciate how quick I actually am at primping!

Caro- Sorry to hear about your friend's father. And have a safe trip down to NY. I think a single thread for CFP, posted on Wiki is perfect.

My thing about those free Kindle books (most of the time) is that they turn out to be complete crap!

All of this talk about Concord Free Press has me itching to go and request a copy and start a chain of reading and donating here in Wisconsin. Okay, off I go!!!!

Hi Caro--I am trying to check out the free Kindle books now. Every now and then there is something that looks enticing. Sorry about your friend's father. : ( Safe trip.

>20 It sounds like a great idea, Caroline! Keep me posted!

Miss you Caro...

I'm going to jump in here while there is a brief lull, though I am sorry for the reason causing your absence, Caro. Love the camel up top. Roni must get a big kick out of seeing her old buddies here...and the camels are sure to be delighted to break free from that box in the attic!

#22 : Paul ...you have the total opposite to my situation. The hubster has the bigger walk-in closet for his clothes and 4 chests of drawers. Moi makes do with 1 closet and 2 chests. And he has clear tote boxes in the basement for his 'skinny clothes for when he loses weight'. I will, however, admit to having racks of shoe boxes down in the basement which house all my footwear.

#23 : Joe ... we rarely get to leave on time for anything and it's never because of me! Case in point, we ended up not leaving for NY until about 7pm the other day ... 4 hours later than his original plan. So we missed the wake because we didn't get into NY until 10.45pm Having a book on hand is always handy with the hubster and his family because I invariably am the first to be ready and end up reading while I wait.

#24 : Valerie - unless it's a really hard kick or a whack across the head, I usually sleep through his movements as he is a bit of a thrasher in bed. I usually fall into a deep sleep and don't move. I've slept through loud thunderstorms and even a burglar alarm going off. My brother's convinced if there's a fire, I'll be burnt to a crisp in my sleep unless someone comes to get me. And it doesn't even have to be in my own bed at home. I'm a dead sleeper in any bed I sleep in. it does have to be a bed though. I'm not that deep a sleeper on planes, trains or cars.

#25 : Kath - No sense putting outfits together for him because he'll still need to try on other options, because he'll think his stomach looks bigger/smaller on any given day in certain shirts, his pants may have shrunk in the wash (?!) or the jackets suddenly don't fall right. He needs to put the entire ensemble together before he'll pack them into a bag ...and if he's going away for a few days .. he'll try on ensembles for the entire trip first. *looking around for the medals for forebearance that surely must be winging their way towards me*. I no longer try to help him dress ..and no longer comment if he also leaves the house looking like a colorblind and homeless person.

#26 : You're doing good, Mamie. Wish i could say the same for myself! Yikes. 2 days away from LT and my eyes spun looking at all the threads that exploded.

#27 : Ellen - I'm looking for a good camel video I can put up on my thread one of these days. ;-) And by the way, check your PM.

#28 : Chelle - one of the things the hubster says by rout is 'So is anyone ready?'....even as he walks around looking for his keys, his wallet, his book, his phone, his.... and I'm sitting by the front door, all put together, reading. I've perfected my baleful glare by now when he throws this question at me, usually at least 3 - 4 times before HE's putting his shoes on.

#29 : Drive was uneventful going down and coming back up, save for a few traffic snarl ups in CT because of road works on the interstate.

Ok. Let me try and figure out how to set up a wiki page once I get the CFP thread up and I'll post the link(s). I may reach out for suggestions/advice if I fail miserably over the weekend.

#30 : Charlotte, I think I've managed 1 out of 7 decent reads from the free Kindle downloads. I find they tend to be light reads .. at least the ones I've downloaded and read so far. I'm not into the chicklit, horror and vampire genres, so I don't download those and can't comment if they're any good.

Just checking in over here, Caro. Making sure that I don't fall behind again. We are looking forward to watching the opening ceremonies tonight for the Olympics. And we need to pick out some new recipes to try over the weekend - I think I might have to try that bacon cookie recipe that you posted a while back.

#31 : Laura - please do check out Concord Free Press. I think most of us here on LT tend to pass some of our books forward or donate them anyway, so the only requirement CFP makes on requests for their free books is that we make a $$ donation to a charity of our choice when we receive a book from them. I've been going looking at the books they've given away in the past or are now offering as e-books and they all seem to be books that will resonate long after a person has read them. I'm a huge fan of CFP now, even though I'm a newbie.

#32 : Hi Kim - thanks. Have you found any good ones to download recently?

#33 : Terri - I will most definitely do so. Once I have the page set up, I'll post the link on your thread too.

#34 : Kath... I'm baaack!

#35 : Hi Donna, the camels miss Roni too, so I figured this is one way she'll get to see her old pals every once in a while. :-)

#38 : Mamie, I can't wait to watch the Opening Ceremony too. I was hoping they'd be televising it live, but I guess the network decided to delay telecast so more people can watch it after work. Bacon cookies would be just the thing, together with pigs in a blanket to munch on while watching the events this weekend.

I'm baaack! It was good getting to see and speak with my friend's family members after the funeral during the luncheon, even though it was a sad occasion. But they're pretty spread out across the country so the sad event gave me a chance to catch up with some of the ones I don't get to see that often any more.

We spent some time with the hubster's parents as well and then on the way back, stopped in at a kids' art exhibition where our nieces had some of their pieces displayed because it was the last day of their art camp. Totally surprised them and they were so happy we came over. All went out for a celebratory ice cream after.

It's my wedding anniversary today. I'd tell you how many years, but I'm not sure if we've been married 12 or 13 years since I can't remember what year we got married.

Don't Let Me Go - Catherine Ryan Hyde

As an agoraphobic, Billy Shine looks out at the world from within his small apartment. He sees his neighbors come in and leave the apartment building but doesn't interact with them. But all that changes the day he notices 9 year old Grace sitting out on the steps all by herself. He inches his patio door open and when he asks her why she's sitting out there, she answers; “If I sit inside, then nobody will know I’m in trouble. And then nobody will help me.”

In this apartment building of lonely tenants who usually hide behind their doors and make no effort to socialize, things start to change after Grace decides to take matters into her own hands ... with the help of those who live around her. Grace lives with her mother, a drug addict more in love with her pills and powders than with her own daughter.

It's an incredible story of how a little girl manages to bring out the secret stories her neighbors hide behind their doors, face their fears and make attempts to address them, some more successfully than others, but more importantly, all gradually opening their own doors, stepping out and helping one another, even with problems they had thought to be insurmountable.

4 stars

OMG. You are a saint. The whole putting outfits together would make me crazy. What happens if he
gets to where he is going and suddenly the shirt feels funny? LOL. I tend to take all white shirts
( and maybe a pink or green one. ) I wear jeans, pack khakis or black pants and flats. Carry a jacket or sweater. But I never have to worry about anything more formal than a nice top to go with the pants :)

I have a cooking day going on here. I am finally to the point where I can cook for Duncan...
There is enough space on the counter and the stove. I have the peppers simmering slowly.
You're right though.. this would be a great weekend to just have munchies on hand. Dan was actually getting tired of sandwiches and that sort of thing and sort of requested real food.. so..

Anyway.. I am happy to see you back.

Happy Anniversary - whichever one it is!!

Nice review - I hadn't heard of that one before; I might check to see if the library has it, though I am doubtful that they will. Doesn't hurt to try!

I'm not that deep a sleeper on planes, trains or cars.

Is this coming from the same person whose seat mate thought she had expired?

Happy Anniversary, Caro! You can just start a CFS thread on our 75 and ask Jim to post it to the Wiki. I haven't posted anything to the Wiki either.

#43 : I'm a quick packer, Kath and throw outfits that I know I can mix and match and a LBD. When we travel, I'm the one with less luggage... and it's so annoying when we arrive at hotels and the bellhops assume all the bags but the backpack are mine. Sheesh!

No cooking today for me and we were going to go out but decided to order in Chinese so we can watch the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics. Since we don't remember how many years it's been, we've decided it's ok to celebrate with a nice dinner out tomorrow night instead.

NBC has an app that you can download on an iPad or Android tablet that will allow you to stream the various sporting events during the Olympics. the app works on the iPad, but I've heard some people say it's not all that stable for Androids.

#44 : Thanks, Mamie. I thought I wouldn't cook today, but I did make some miso soup at the request of the hubster.

I hope you manage to get a copy of the book because it really is a wonderful read. I borrowed it from the Kindle library on a whim and boy am I glad I did. If you like Pay It Foward, you'll like this one too.

#45 : Darryl .. *ppppbbbft* that wasn't because I didn't wake up when someone poked me, it's because he didn't even whisper in my ear! I would have shot up like a rocket ... ok, maybe not at a whisper, but if he'd hummed or sang a little ditty in my ear, I'm sure I would have woke up. Or if he'd tapped me on my arm.

#45 : Thanks Marky-Mark. Is that how it's done?! Ahh..thanks for the suggestion. I'll do it tomorrow morning.

Roni makes some cool camels!
The men in my life seriously slow me down too Caro. I get myself and two kids ready in 10 minutes, and the other one......sheesh. He's all like "oh hang on, I need to go to the loo", and "What shall I wear?". hehe, he'd hate me saying that.

Caro - good to hear that you borrowed it from the Kindle library because that means I can, too. Good to know! And I am cracking up that neither of you knows how long you have been married!! Craig had our wedding date engraved inside of his wedding band so that then he would never forget our anniversary - of course, he lost his wedding band...You know what they say about the best laid plans!!

We kept ours easy. We married in 1990. With it being the start of a decade, it's easy to remember.

Oh my goodness, you have the patience of a saint, Caro. Those kind of delays would drive me bonkers. Debbi's the opposite - we always leave early for the airport or places we haven't been before because she's afraid of being late. So having a book along is good for those, for a different reason.

Hi There.

Happy Anniversary.

Thumbs up from me for Don't Let Me Go. It is now on the tbr list.

Happy Saturday dear one!

So you ordered chinese.. What did you get? I used to order the same old thing.. but my son recently broadened my horizons a bit... or did you just have the miso soup?

I liked the ceremony last night. A lot. I hope to find it on again, as there were bits that I missed, including the ending..

#49 : Megan - that's what I go through too! Haha... whenever I think we're ready to go someplace I get the 'I just need to go to the bathroom' from the hubster. My nephew's the same. I think it's a guy thing. *ducks to avoid spitballs from the male LTers*

Case in point, now that we've watched Federer win his 1st round match against Falla, we're supposed to be leaving to go work out a little - my first in a week so I hope my knee holds up.... I've got my bag packed, and I'm still here on LT because ........... the hubster can't find his swimmers because he wants a swim after the gym.

#50 : Mamie - engraving in a wedding band is a great idea. Wouldn't work for us though because we neither of us wear wedding rings. It was a deliberate decision because we both don't like wearing rings all the time. I bought him his class ring when he got his graduate degree, and he bought me an engagement ring, but we don't wear them on a regular basis. I will wear my engagement ring when I travel only because it does help me avoid awkward situations when I travel alone, not always, but at least most of the time. But I'm always conscious of it on my finger and I've woken up a few mornings and had to hunt for it in the bed because some time in the night I must have unconsciously taken it off and thrown it among the bedding. I always take it off and put it back in my ring case the moment I arrive home ...and feel my finger give a long loud sigh of relief. The hubster wears his class ring only if he's going out for special occasions or at Harvard alumni meetings and dinners.

I wish they'd change the Kindle library to allowing us to borrow books more than once a month. not asking for much but I'd be happy with twice a month.

#51 : Morphy - you'd have thought we'd remember if we got married just before the Millennium or at start of the new Century but ........ *sigh* I'm always heaving a sigh of relief when I remember the date of our anniversary in time to buy cards and a little gift. I'm just hopeless with dates. My American Card greeting reminder service is my best friend because it's set to send me email reminders of people's birthdays and my anniversary 2 weeks and then 1 week before the relevant dates. And even then, I sometimes miss some of them.

#52 : Still waiting for my saintly medals, Joe. Initially it used to drive me crazy, but I've learned that there are some things I'm never going to be able to change and so since I now know to expect these delays, I've developed my own coping mechanisms. Generally I don't expect to leave when he says we're going to leave, I set time buffers if we're going somewhere where being on time is important (to me) and tell him we need to leave about 20 mins before we actually do(without him realizing, of course), and I do a lot of deep calming breathing, and just sit and read, or log into LT. :-)

#53 : Hi Linda, it's a beautiful Saturday so far. Little wispy clouds in the sky and cool sunshine. And the Olympics is on tv.. what more could I ask for? Well, actually I can think of a few things, but I managed to watch the cycling, some swimming and tennis so far today. All is good. I need to go workout for a bit though because the rest of the day is going to be spent on the couch watching the games.

I'm sure you're going to enjoy Don't Let Me Go so I'm glad you've added it to your tbr list.

#54 : Kath - I did make some miso soup, just a small bowl for each of us. I bring back good miso and seaweed from Japan so I always have them available in my pantry. Didn't have tofu in the fridge, so I added some little clam and scallions. We've a pretty good Chinese restaurant in town and have gone there enough times for them to recognize us. Last night we ordered some shrimp dumplings with a light spicy dipping sauce, minced chicken and pine nuts in lettuce wraps, braised tofu stuffed with shrimp paste, green beans with spicy minced pork, and flat rice noodles with beef. I had made some champagne jellied grapes earlier in the day, so we had that for dessert.
Perfect meal to watch the opening ceremony with.

I watched the opening ceremony on tv, but I had also streamed it live from the BBC. It was annoying that Matt Lauer and Billy Costas kept talking so much during the event ... at times I wished they'd just shut up because they were drowning out the music. I was also really surprised that NBC chose to switch to commercials instead of showing the tribute to the victims of the July terrorist attack in London. I thought that very insensitive and a disgrace to NBC.

I'm just glad I can stream the sports from the London Olympics website because I know NBC won't be televising some of the events where there are no US athletes competing, such as badminton, table tennis and hockey, or at least no chance of medaling.

Hi Caro, sorry I fell so much behind again. I already feel so much out of the loop with the Olympics, and they've just begun! I told myself I'd watch them as much as possible, but I can't be bothered to switch on the tv it seems. I think Canadian coverage is a little more unbiased in the selection of events they show, though of course, what do I know? That's just been my impression in the past.

Caro - interesting on the travel time planning issues. I hate to be late for anything but SWMBO has a typically laid back Malay attitude to time which does not rest easy or is not conducive to pleasant travelling between us. I like travelling on my own - getting early to the airport, ensconcing myself in a lounge somewhere and reading to my hearts content. If SWMBO is along for the ride I become a packhorse for her shopping expedition and I have to suffer her looks of disapproval if I want a beer or a glass of wine.

Hi, Caro! We're the opposite of you and your hubby re rings. I've never taken mine off, except when I got it re-sized (even my fingers aren't quite as skinny these days). We're up to 29 years married in a week.

I'm with you Joe, I haven't taken my wedding ring off in so long, I'm not sure I could.

#57 : Hi Ilana, no apologies are ever necessary. There are so many interesting and exciting threads in LT, let alone within this group, that I don't know how some people appear to be able to keep up. I often suffer a numb butt at home when I'm engrossed in LT threads and have to put my laptop on a thick magazine on the couch/bed and lie down on my front to type.

I become a couch potato when major sporting events are on. At least at the gym during my workout, I got to watch some swimming while I was running on the threadmill. After our workout, I raced the hubster through the grocery store so we could come back in time to watch the swimming finals and beach volleyball.

The road race was great this morning. A surprising win by Kazakhstan for taking the gold and so well deserved too.

#58 : Paul - I don't have to be the hubster's beast of burden when we travel together since I'd very early on in our relationship convinced him that I'm a pippy little thing with the arm strength of a flea so he carries the shopping, but I'm the bored looking trudger as he wanders around the airport stores. When I travel on my own, I adopt the same MO that you do. Blissss......

Makes us the three stooges then Joe and Mark as my ring is a permanent fixture too. SWMBO has a habit of removing hers though and then panicking the whole house into helping her hunt the thing down, very Caroesque in fact!

#59 : Joe - I think you're either a ring person or you're not. Fortunately both the hubster and I don't like wearing rings. It can be an issue in a marriage if one is a ring person and the other isn't. One of my friends doesn't like rings either and when he got married he and his wife didn't get marriage rings. But 3 years into the marriage his wife started to nag him about getting rings as a public statement of their marital status. He's offered to buy her one since she wants to wear one, but she wants him to wear one too. I'm wondering how long he's going to be able to hold out before he gives in, if only to stop the nagging.

Happy 29th anniversary in advance.

#60 : Mark - how many years have you been married? Are you aware of the ring on your finger, or have you gotten used to it being there, it's like second skin? Because I don't wear a ring whenever I do wear one, I'm very aware of it. I'm the same with bracelets - I can't stand to have things around my wrist, so I don't wear them. I can just about tolerate wearing a watch.

#62 : Paul - funny. When I'm home, I always know where my ring is ... back in it's little box on my dresser. The hubster, on the other hand, often forgets where he put his and often spends ages turning the house upside down to look for it.

How do you type a strikethru on a word?

We sold our Wedding rings in 1985... When the mills shut down. That's when Dan sold my grandmothers hunting rifle. It was some sort of special type of thing. He didn't hunt with it.. it was just something she gave him... but.. desperation :( As much as I am anti gun.. ( we didn't have any bullets) it was something my grandmother treasured.

A few years later, Dan bought me a Claddagh from an import shop in Boston... I do wear that, now. I didn't wear it for any of the years I worked because if constantly washing hands and pulling off gloves. I was afraid of losing it ...

Caro you type the same brackets and style you use for italics and bold. Using the word strike instead of b or i. Just noticed my original explanation didn't post up properly for some reason.

""test""

didn't work, Paul

Paul- Let's make it the Three Amigos! That sounds better.

Caro- We celebrated our 23rd in May. Honestly have to say I do not notice my ring. It's a permanent fixture, although I never forget what it represents, if that's what you mean.
And it's the only jewelry I wear, unless you count the occasional wristwatch. I don't like anything confining either.
So you don't do handcuffs?

you type the word STRIKE within the same do dads you use for bold

BOLD

#65 : Kath - I'm sorry you had to sell your wedding rings and your grandmother's rifle. It's sad when life dishes you some hard knocks and you're forced to relinquish items that carry sentimental value.

After I'd been dating the hubster for a few months, he gave me a present but before putting it in my hands, he said that he thought it might be something I'd like, but that he wanted my honest reaction and if it's something I don't like, that he'd rather I was honest with him and he wouldn't be offended or hurt if I didn't like it or didn't want it. With that, he placed the box in my hand and I opened it to find a pretty Claddagh ring. Pretty ..but so not me, so I was quiet for a bit, and then said I was very touched by what it signified and for his thoughts in getting it for me, but that I didn't like wearing rings much. And you know what? He really didn't mind that I didn't want it. He took it back and returned it to the store and got his money back. And that's really set the tone for the 2 of us. We give each other gifts all the time, and while it's always nice when the gift is received with excited glee, we're both of us never upset if the other person thanks us for the gift and follows that up with a 'But...' We both would rather know the truth and take the gift back to be returned and exchange it for something else or get money back, than to have the other person accept it but not eat, use or wear the gift, or worse, use it without pleasure.

The only gift the hubster wouldn't exchange for something different was my engagement ring. When he gave it to me - a funny story in itself - first I didn't like the design (he was ok with that and said we can go get it changed for a design I'd prefer) and then I didn't want a ring at all but a bicycle (he was not ok with that).

test

whoopeee... did it. thanks Kath

It's okay Caro.. At the time we sold the rings.. I would have sold him, just as easily. The gun.. wel, Gram way my unfaulty door.. that was tougher.. but I got over it. It was just a thing... and I have memories and had the real thing :) Good that you and hubby have such good communication and honesty. Dan takes anything I say that he doesn't like as an attack. And he is never responsible for anything. It is what it is.

Woot! glad it worked!

#68 : Marky-Mark - Three Amigos is lots better than Three Stooges or Three Idiots (title of a really good Indian movie starring Amir Khan .. it's in Hindi with English subtitles, and the title is tongue in cheek because there's nothing idiotic about the 3 friends in the movie).

Congratulations on your recent anniversary too. There are so many relationships these days that don't seem to be able to withstand the test of time and patience, that I'm always cheered and inspired by anniversary announcements. It gives me hope.... especially on days when I'd quite cheerfully strangle the hubster or at least toss a rotten tomato at him. :-)

I have rings I wear as accessories when I have to attend certain events (weddings, holiday dinners, charity dinners, etc) but am always glad to take them off when I get home.

I wonder .... you're clearly happily married, as are your other 2 amigos, and perhaps that's why you're comfortable with the ring on, and don't really notice it. A friend of mine who's somewhat unhappily married but stays in the marriage for the sake of his 2 children, says he's always aware of the ring on his finger, that it feels weighty and uncomfortable, but it doesn't cross his mind to remove his ring and not wear it.

Handcuffs aren't rings ...and if you get the furry ones, they're quite comfortable, wouldn't you say? ;-)

Ooh, I haven't tried the furry ones!

#74 : Kath - hmm.... where's a good husband exchange mart when you need one? ;-) I wonder how much you could have sold him for? *smack! bad Caro*

We hit a number of communication hiccups along the way too, but I try to remember that he's not a naturally malicious person and that he probably doesn't mean what I thinks he means ... something that has proved out more often than not because when I repeat what he said and append what I think he means, he'll back peddle and say that's not what he meant. So I sort of force him to more accurately articulate what he means...... (on days when patience is my buddy) and eventually it usually surfaces that he meant something completely different. Why he couldn't just say so from the beginning is often beyond me :-)

I used to date someone who grunted as a form of communication. I got pretty good at disciphering the grunts though ... I could tell a happy grunt, a sad grunt, a sulky grunt, a mad grunt, and a bored grunt. I knew the relationship was at the finishing line when I found myself starting to respond with my own grunts too. Oy!

For anyone interested in the Concord Free Press, I've started a thread for comments, book announcements and requests. The thread can be found here

#74 : Would you like me to send you a pair, Marky-Mark? .. you could surprise your wife and tell her you were inspired by her reading Fifty Shades. haha

Happy Belated Anniversary!!!!, however many years it's been. :-|

Your story of the ring up in post #70 suggests that you and the hubster have a great relationship --- one in which you care about pleasing the other but you recognize that, as two separate and distinct individuals, you're not always going to feel the same way about something, react the same way, like the same thing..... and that means nothing about how much you love one another. It just means you are two distinct beings. Bravo, Caroline, because that healthy individuation is hard to find/create in intimate relationships. Enjoy.

Caro - I have edited my message on strike as I noticed it didn't post up properly but glad to see that Kath helped out anyway.

Had to smile about your comment about Joe, Mark and I not needing to remove our rings - mine has been worn so long that it leaves a clear imprint anyway which I would struggle to explain away.
Not sure of where you are going with the handcuffs but I suppose if they are necessary furry would be preferred.
Did you get the bicycle?

#78 : Thanks, Ellen. Individuals we definitely be, especially when you add in a few cultural differences that cause us to react differently to certain situations.

I also think relationships evolve over time as we too change as individuals. What I've long admired about my parents' marriage and that of some other older couples I know, has been the respect that each spouse/partner shows the other at all times, even when they have disagreements. I've never seen or heard my parents have a drag out fight where they shout mean things at each other, or raise a hand against each other. Even when they clearly were annoyed with each other, they'd find a way to sort things out by talking it out and compromise.... maybe a short sulk now and then. ;-) It's a good lesson, I think, to grow up with, because they also treated my brother and I the same way .... with the exception that we'd be the ones sulking, not them. :-)

The hubster comes from a similar background. His mom is in her late 80s and his dad turns 91 this year, and they still sit and snuggle on the couch at night (well, he falls asleep more quickly these days) and still go out on 'date nights' to the movies and restaurants.

So I think we are both lucky because as far as relationships go, we had and have great role models. We just have to try and live up to the standards they set for us. It's not always easy of course, but not impossible if we try.

#79 : Paul - nice edit and thanks for the instructions.

I brought up the ring subject last night with the hubster and he said he's never been a fan of rings ever since one of his friends as a teenager used to wear one, and one day when they were scaling a wire fence, his ring caught on
one of the wires just as he was jumping down, broke and ripped his finger. He sports a crooked and stiff ringer to this day. He has the same paranoia about scarves and won't wear one in the winter... one his friends was grabbed from the back and almost accidentally strangled.

As to the handcuffs comment - that was brought up by your Amigo, Mark. I have never had to don steel ones courtesy of the police in any country, in case you were wondering. Furry ones... well ..... ;-) what can I say? Young, curious, a little wild for fun and experimenting with life is my excuse. Don't ask me what Mark's excuse is. ;-)

I wonder why team handball isn't played in the US. I'd never seen this until I happened to catch the match between Norway and France yesterday. It looks like a great sport. I'd love to play it if I have the opportunity. It's a little reminiscent of a tag and grab game we used to play as kids in the school yard during recess.

Catching up Caro, mighty feat that it is. We've been married almost 41 years and seldom fight, per se. We may disagree about small truly unimportant stuff but are usually in complete harmony about most things. It makes living together so, IDK, easy I guess.

Your hubster has a point about rings - in the San Juan Islands I was jumping and grabbing a rope with the kids to swing out over a river and drop in, and I noticed it was getting harder and harder to hold onto the rope. Turns out my ring was causing everything above to swell and turn black (!) Oops. I got it re-sized when we got home - that was too tight!

My folks were married 63 years before my ma passed away, so they have been great role models, too.

Message #80 is as good a reason for having a "Like" option on LT as any message I've ever read. God's blessings and my wishes for a long and happy life together to you and Edd. Smooches to you both.

*smooch* just 'cause

#82 : Kim - you're one of the lucky ones to have found your soulmate. What a treasure chest of memories you must have built in your years together. Thumbs up to the no fights. I hate being in contentious situations. I used to date someone who seemed to find fighting energizing ... I just found it exhausting and stressful.

One of my best friends has 3 sons with a woman he has a great relationship with. They're not married because they don't see the need to do so, and also because she's sort of still married .... she was separated from her husband for 3 years when she met my friend 12 years ago, and now nobody seems to know where he's disappeared to and if he's even still alive. Their marital status doesn't bother them and their kids are too young to even ask about it.

#83 : Joe - gosh, did you not feel your ring cutting off your circulation before then! No tingling of the ring finger days before it swelled during the rope swings?

I think I can blame my distaste for anything confining to my parents keeping me in an almost constant state of nudity as a baby and toddler. My mom claims it's because I seemed to attract dirt like a magnet and no matter what she put on me, I'd find a way to get a tear in it, lots of dirt on it, or wriggle out of it. In almost every single photo of me up to the age of 7, I'm barefoot, having shucked off my shoes and socks, leaving them wherever I had toed them off. Odd how nowadays I love shoes.

Hooray to great role models, whatever their age and gender. 63 years! Wow .. is all I can say. I'm sure you're also proving to be wonderful role models to your children and everyone who knows the 2 of you.

#84 : Aww shucks.. thanks, Darryl. I really didn't mean to get on a soap box there about relationships. After all, I've had my share of bad ones and meh ones as well. *sheepishly climbs down*

#85 : *smooch* back at'cha, Rdear. I'm loving the pictures you post on FB ... especially the one with the sign that tells people to help themselves outside business hours. I want a bookstore like that too.

I went for another work out together and am definitely well on the way to recovery. No pain today! Whoohooo....

Anarchy and Old Dogs - Colin Cotterrill

This may be one of the most interesting in the Dr Siri series thus far. There's less of the spiritual mysticism that dogged him in the first 3 books, and instead, there's more self-reflection by both Dr Siri and his best friend, Civilai and reminisces of the old days when they were idealistic youths. The history behind the Laotian overthrow of French rule was nicely woven into the story as the 2 friends head south to try and uncover how a dead blind dentist managed to get caught up in a conspiracy to overthrow the current Laotian government.

As Dr Siri and Civilai both go through moments of self-doubt, their own history of how they became part of the Laotian liberation movement emerges, both separate and yet sharing the same ideal.

In the meantime, Dtui and Inspector Phosy work undercover to infiltrate a refugee camp over the Thai border in an attempt to identify some of the individuals who may be part of the conspiracy, not realizing the danger they may be putting themselves in.

The little history lesson was the definite clincher for me. True, there was the usual dry humor from the 4 main characters that continues to entertain, and this time, there is a fortune telling transvestite and an old revolutionary colleague bringing additional color, and of course a number of suspicious deaths to investigate, but the history and the reflection of one's actions by a couple of the characters made this a stand out book.

4 stars

I got to be your first thumbs-up on that one!

Dislike shoes.. dislike confining clothing..
I was fortunate to wear scrubs for so many years, but that just made it worse. I doubt I have a single article of clothing that actually "fits" much to my daughter's dismay. Nudity, however, is out of the question :)
No one needs to see this...

I like thumbs. :-) Thanks, Rdear. One of my neighbors up the street has a new Jingo! He's an adorable 3 month old puppy.

Oh, are *they* in for some sleepless nights...and tell them to be SURE to get lots and lots and lots of toys!

I will do so, when I see them again. They've been trotting after the puppy twice so far today.

I bought some new chew toys and dental chews for my mom's dogs today.

My hiatus is over. I start traveling again as of tomorrow morning. Off to Singapore for a week. Need to start putting aside a couple of paper books to take with me for that portion of the flight when they insist you switch off electronics .... though how an iPod and a Kindle could affect the navigational and other electronic systems on the plane continues to mystify me. We don't have any pilots on LT to ask, do we?

Just a week? Well,your mom will be glad to see you. WE will miss you though..
Ask Jim! He's better than a pilot, he's a genius.. and he's a sweetie, too.

I won't be away for a week, Kath .... my schedule's not too terrible this time, so I should have time to log in perhaps every other day onto LT. Hoping to log in everyday is, I've realized, unrealistic when I'm on the road.

Oh that's right.. I should ask Jim, our friendly rocket scientist. Good nudge, Kath. *off to Jim's thread*

Like Darryl, I want a "like" button for post #80. Nice, Caro, very nice. My parental modeling was much less healthy and I just love hearing (reading) about how it's translated for you & hubster. 👍

Whew! All caught up here - what great discussions you have going on over here! I also hit the "like" button for post #80. Well said!

Loved your review of Anarchy and Old Dogs - thumb for you! That has been my favorite one so far, too.

Wishing you safe travels on your trip.

>86 Yeah, I know, Caro, I've always been like that. You get me going in some sport or the like and it's only later that I find out how much I've banged myself up. This one freaked Debbi and the kids out. I wasn't too thrilled either.

Nice review of Anarchy and Old Dogs - spot on for me. The little history lesson and the glimpses into how their friendship formed made it a special one in the series.

Another Dr. Siri to look forward to... I'll be reading that one AFTER Disco for the Departed, which is I guess is the one you'll be reading next, correct? ;-)

I'd like to know about electronics like e-readers and iPods on planes too. I've always wondered about that.

Safe travels Caro!

Doing my happy Snoopy dance at Library Thing for giving me the chance to get to know people like La Cameling

Caro- You gotta another Thumb, my friend for Anarchy and Old Dogs. I hope to get to that one for the September Series & Sequels Group. I really enjoyed the 1st 3 books and good to know this is right up there with them.
"Don't ask me what Mark's excuse is." You know I'm not telling!

Have a safe trip to Singapore! Check in when you can!

I SO want to see Jim doing the happy Snoopy dance!!!

*still chuckling about the handcuff scenarios being bandied about up there*
I told my husband person that if we were to ever get married Id want him to wear a ring, he: "doesnt like jewellery". Um, it's not "jewellery", its a symbol of everlasting love and fidelity! Hmph. In any case, we arent getting married so no matter ;)

Liking #80 as well. My parents just celebrated their 44th anniversary. My mother likes nothing better than just being with my dad. We kids have always been a little jealous of that.

On the subject of iPods and such during takeoff/landing: they make you turn all that stuff off so that if there's an emergency and they have to get passengers off the plane fast, folks are listening and paying attention. Seems an over-reaction to me, but thems the rules...

That's it? They make you turn off your stuff just in case? Like you won't notice 200 other passengers runing for the doors? Bull caca, says me. We have to fix that..

See... I knew you would know..Thank you Jim dear!

#96 : Ellen, i think there's an element of luck involved in the people we meet and develop relationships with. Some work really well because the people involved have personalities that gel and because they're willing to put the work into cementing that bond like superglue. There are some relationships where individuals are not bad people, they just don't gel right, or perhaps they aren't able to bring out the best in their partner or enable their weakest traits, or one person is damaged and unable to participate in a health relationship. I'm no therapist or analyst, and I think I have sometimes, a too simplistic view of things. People are all different. That's what makes us all interesting specimens to observe and learn from.

For a while there, I seemed to only attract stray dogs and damaged guys ... bad for my emotional health, and my best friends took pains to point out that I should work in an animal shelter and perhaps intern with a psychiatrist to get the need to care for all stray animals and stray guys out of my system. :-)

I have a good friend in a very bad relationship and while I feel bad for him, I would still not advise him to seek a divorce, because it's just not my place to do so. But I have learned through their relationship behavior I should consciously avoid in my own. I sometimes take the hubster for granted, which is not what I want to be doing, and I'll try to remedy that as soon as possible with some overboard pampering. haha.

#97 : Hi Mamie - thanks for the thumb. I'm so enjoying this series. At least my trip is forcing me to put some time between Anarchy and Old Dogs and another Dr Siri book. But I know I'll be itching to get to another when I get back if I have time. My August schedule looks to be manic and full with a family reunion almost immediately after I get home, and then friends' from out of state visiting before I take of for another trip before the end of August. I may end up just having time to read short stories this month.. Hmm.... I do now have a copy of Flannery O'Connor's short stories, thanks to Mark, that could be perfect.

#98 : Thanks, Joe. I didn't have time or the mental capacity yesterday to take photos of some interesting food bits to add to your thread, but I'll make up for it in the coming days. :-)

Looking forward to seeing you at the cafe, Caro! I know I look back at a number of the relationships I had before meeting my much better half and just shake my head. I guess the floundering about helps us appreciate it when we find a gem.

#99 : Ilana, you know me so well. :-) Absolutely... I'll be working backwards just a little with Disco for the Departed before I leap ahead to the 5th book. I'm also curious to try Cotterill's Jimm Juree series to see if it's as captivating as Dr Siri. I wonder if he'd be open to a visit the next time I'm in Thailand. haha...

#100 : Aww..Jim....thank you ..... err.... is there a video of you doing the said happy Snoopy dance you would care to share with us? *gathers up lots of big throw cushions and loungers for LT peeps to get comfy for Jim's vid*

#101 : Marky-Mark .. thanks for the thumb. I had to re-read your post because for a moment there I thought you said you enjoyed the first 13 books! This is what comes of reading quickly at 5.15am before I've had my wake-up glass of cold milk.

*ponders means of torture Paul and I can inflict on Mark to make him spill his handcuff stories*

#102 : Damn skippy, Terri! I think if we chant his name loud and long enough, he'll shoot the vid and share it with us. We can all even hum the Peanuts theme to help him along. :-)

#103 : Megan - oh boy...another case of the sleepy eye ... I thought you said the ring would symbolize everlasting love and fertility!!! I so need to get out of this room and make my way downstairs to grab a glass of milk before I continue catching up on LT. Who knows what else I'll think I'm reading!

I know someone who doesn't wear a ring around his finger but on a chain around his neck. It's been on there for such a long time, he even has a white circle around his tanned skin. Hmmm.. I wonder if I should also mention that this is the ring he wore when he was married to his second wife. His current girlfriend doesn't seem unduly bothered by it.

#104 : Jenn, that's so sweet. I know what you mean... my parents would leave us with our grandparents or various relatives every Friday so they could go on their own date night. No amount of cajoling or tantrums on our part would get them to let us come along too. My brother even tried the 'if you really loved us you'd take us with you' guilt trip on them and it just made them laugh, and drop us off at my aunt's for the night.

#105 : Jim : Seriously? That's the real reason? If there is an emergency and those folks are still playing or listening to their gadgets when everyone else is rampaging off the plane, I say let them stay and go down with it. We don't need more of that gene pool adding to the world's population.

It's like their safety announcement, where they end with telling everyone that in the case of an emergency, please leave all your belongings and leave the plane. uh huh... like I'm going to leave a plane without my passport, wallet and phone. this is why I travel wearing cargo pants. My most important documents and phone, will always be on my person.... and it prevents them being stolen mid flight too while I'm asleep. No, I'm not paranoid ... I've heard stories about people whose wallets were stolen inflight when they went to the bathroom or were sleeping.

#106 : Kath .. un huh, right?! I put my iPod on whenever I'm on a plane and unless I'm sleeping, I'll notice if people around me are getting up and charging for the exit.

#108 : Joe - that's why I'm in awe of people who are married to their first relationships. How did they know ... and weren't they curious to know what else was out there? Even during high school, I knew the guy I was dating was not going to the guy I'd want to be married to. I was such a different person back then. I wonder though, if I had met the hubster when I was in college, if we'd have dated and married young?

Thanks for the good winging vibes for safe travels, peeps. I am 'finally' in Singapore. The flights were all safe ... but as with most travel I'm finding these days, fraught with delays and missed connections. I was supposed to have arrived at midnight on August 1 but ended up arriving, on a different airline, at 6am on August 1 instead. My flight from Chicago to Hong Kong was delayed by more than 4 hours because they had a mechanically unsound plane and were looking for another to replace it. Ok, I appreciate them not wanting to fly us on an unsound plane, but surely being a hub, they would have more planes hanging around as substitutes in the event that something like this occurs?

So of course by the time I got to Hong Kong, my connecting flight to Singapore had already left. Initially they said they'll put me up in a hotel and put me out the first morning flight out to Singapore, so before I left Chicago, I managed to reschedule my morning meetings and I modified my rental car arrangements. When I arrived in HK, the gate agents hollered for all transit passengers to Singapore to shake a leg and hoof it down to the service desk to get our new boarding passes... we were going to be put on a 1.30am flight on Cathay Pacific instead. Ok, no biggie .... except I didn't have time to change my rental car reservation again. The new flight turns out to have technical problems and the flight was delayed as well anyway by an hour. Oh well....

This is why I travel with a change of clothes, a fully charged Kindle and fruits and crackers in my carry on luggage. As long as my meetings are not drastically affected, I'm good. I felt a bit sorry for the poor gate agents who had some rather nasty passengers screaming at them. I don't know what they thought the agents could do .... run out and pull a plane over for them? It is what it is. One man was demanding to speak with the CEO of United. uh huh.. crazy.

Bad Intentions by Karin Fossum

When an institutionalized young man, suffering from a nervous condition, is found at the bottom of Dead Water lake after a night camping out with 2 of his friends, a verdict of suicide, is released. However, Inspector Sejer is not convinced that foul play didn't have a hand in his death, despite evidence to the contrary. There's just something about the way he died, and the statements made by the man's therapist and girlfriend, which didn't seem to indicate he was in the frame of mind to do away with his own life. But when the body of a Vietnamese man surfaces, a very tenuous link emerges and the pressure Inspector Sejer puts on 2 individuals brings out cracks in stories and accelerating panic which culminates in a surprising end.

This is a much leaner book in the Inspector Sejer series, but no less complex and enjoyable. In this, the author focuses on 3 main characters, and identifies the culprits from the start. But what she keeps from us, is the mystery behind the roles they play in each others' lives and the secret they share which needs to be kept at all costs. The psychological anguish a heavy guilt lays on a couple of the characters and the escapism they adopt to cope is well analyzed in this story.

4 stars

Armed and Fabulous by Camilla Chafer

This seemed to be a take off Janet Evanovitch's Stephanie Plum series. We have Lexi Graves, a smart, sassy and sexy woman who just happens to find the CEO of the company she temps at dead. She has a sexy looking boss who turns out to be an undercover detective and being somewhat inquisitive in nature but in a fun and entertaining way, she starts investigating the murder together with her friend and neighbor, Lily. Like Stephanie Plum, she finds herself attracted to and attracting 2 smoldering hunks on the right side of the law.

If you like Stephanie Plum, you'll enjoy this mad cap entertaining whodunit.

3 stars

Caro - thoroughly enjoyed your comments on relationships which are dosed with your usual mix of intelligence and humour. The hubster is a lucky guy that you didn't take on that role in the animal shelter!
Your friend with the ring around the neck made me smile - it is usually said that a ring on your finger automatically puts a chain around your neck!
I also agree with you on first relationships. When I was 18 and very much in love I went off to college convinced that E my girlfriend and I were destined to spend eternity in rapture. For over two years we saw each other fortnightly and wrote two letters a week but it fizzled out on her part. I was convinced at the time that I would never love again and disproved it to myself more times than I really ought to admit to.
Glad you eventually made it safe and sound to "home base Asia". I am one of the few that enjoys delays in air travel as it is a perfect interruption free opportunity to read. Of course the disruption when you have planned logistics (which I rarely do anyway) is a bummer).
Great minds and all that but I am also just finishing Bad Intentions.

Wow it's hard to keep up with some of you guys here on LT after just a couple of days away... :)

Anyways, always good conversations happening here, Caro! I take it no more serious bodily injuries lately unless my skimming was too quick and I missed something in those 80+ messages!

Finally caught up with you, Caro... And now I find you are on the other side of the planet!
Gee. It seems like you are right next door. Hooray for LT :)

Sorry your flights were kinda messed up. Isn't the first and won't be the last time, right? At least you arrived safely and are a savvy traveler.

Hope you have a fun and successful trip. Be careful!

Catching up with your comments about relationships - so spot on, imo! I agree that there's some luck and some "right person at the right time" chemistry happening. I can look back on some prior relationships and think "well, that one might have worked out if we had both been a bit more grown up" - or whatever. But as I plan to celebrate 17 years next month with P, I think it's amazing that I have been in a successful relationship for so long. Prior to this one, my "record" was about 15 months. Then it just fell into place. I was ready. Thankful for that.

I hope your time in Singapore is successful. Take care ---

Hi Caro, just catching up and speeding through. Two flans in the oven, mum's about to turn up, and Lenny has just woken. Off I go!

Glad you made it there safe and sound if not smoothly. Looking forward to seeing what antics you can regale us with from this particular journey.

Well, you never know why people are uber frustrated. Maybe they are meant to be going to
an event, or worse a funeral.. I have some stories from my own family. And frankly, the airlines lie.
At least Air Tran lies. I have caught them out 2-3 times. USAir did too, likely still does. This form an ex employee.... before he was ex. ( Dan) And not everyone is as nice as you. I don't think I would be freaking out on an agent, but I would have been pretty p.o.'d . You are absolutely right, that it is what it is.... but if you saved all of your adult life and managed to get enough money for 7 glorious days in Singapore, and the airline eats one or two ... I am always on the side of the poor passenger who has no power to do anything for themselves.

Glad you are there safe though.. hope the trip home is just as safe, but much smoother.

#113 : Paul, I tried the long distance relationship a couple of time too years ago. My boyfriend at the time went off to Austin, Texas while I went off to London. Lots of long loving and at times agonized letters (days before the approach of the Internet) criss-crossing the Atlantic for about 6 or 7 months and then it fizzled into more gossipy friendy letters as we both became more immersed in building a new and separate set of friends in our new environments. We've remained close friends to this day, and hang out occasionally if we're both in the same city. After the 2nd long distance relationship attempt with a boyfriend who went back to Greece, I swore off inter-country relationships. :-) When I started dating the hubster, we had a 'rock, paper, scissors' game to see who would move to whose city...haha.... because both of us weren't particularly tied to the city in which we were living in at the time, me in KLand he in Boston, and both were open to a change in location to be together. I lost.....and I still suspect the hubster cheated a little ... only because he hates to lose in any competition. ;-)

#114 : Valerie, I remain *looks for wood to knock* injury-free during this trip thus far .... unless you count an extremely well-stretched stomach as a result of all the eating I've been doing in between meetings here an injury. It's also been difficult finding enough time to get decent chunks of time to read a so-far fascinating book on the history of Dutch New York I started on the flights coming over, and it's a book that requires concentration. So I've been nibbling on a couple of extremely light free Kindle reads.

#115 : Hey there, Cee. So glad to see you've come back from your vacation in great spirits. I was skimming through your thread but will stop in for a proper visit and chat when I get back to Boston next Tuesday.

#116 : Ellen, isn't it amazing how time flies without you noticing when you're with certain people. Apart from a 'partner' relationship, I think this applies to the relationships we form with some friends too. Some friends I work at to keep in my life and have known and loved for more years that I've known the hubster....and I'm lucky these people make an effort to stay in my life too, like a few friends I've known since elementary school, junior high and college.

Hooray for falling into place. Happy 17 years. :-)

#117 : Hi Megan, thanks for stopping by when you've so much going on. What's your mother's favorite Lenny & grandma story? I love flan. What kind did you make? I usually made the regular ones until someone gave me a South American dessert cookbook and I discovered dulce de leche, coconut and pineapple ones that were amazingly tasty.

#118 : Mamie - no antics as yet during this trip ....*crossing all crossables*

#119 : Kath - that's a good point that there are reasons why some travelers could be frustrated, pushing them beyond their normally placid and pleasant selves. If I had been traveling for my grandmother's or niece's and my flight was delayed causing me to miss the funeral, I would have been extremely upset too. A friend recently was going to London with her 3 kids, nanny and husband when their flight was delayed, causing them to lose a day and a half of their vacation, and a penalty at their hotel for a last minute modification to their reservation (which I thought was incredibly insensitive on the part of the hotel since it was a situation beyond the control of my friend's family) and the airline offered them 600Euros per person in their party as a compensation for potentially ruining their trip. I think if there's a way to try and remain as calm as possible, some airlines will reward passengers who aren't screaming abuse at their agents and do what they can to make sure they retain your business and goodwill. The ones I feel the most sorry for when there are travel hiccups are travelers with small children. That would be my version of hell on earth.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a smooth trip back too. :-) I received a customer survey email from the airline yesterday and I completed it and commented on the disruption to my schedule following the delayed flights and costs I'd incurred as a result, along with (and only because they asked for additional feedback) with my observation that my last 3 flights involved delays resulting in certain inconveniences to me and my considering other airline options in the future. Let's see what their response is and also if they make improvements in the near and distant future. I just looked at my frequent flyer account with United and realized I've flown 166,000 miles with them so far this year!

I ill say, that I might be one who would be angry. I don't think that I would
make a scene, but I would be sitting there seething. Especially if One of my kids had taken a day off to spend with me, and I was sitting in an airport. ( fortunately my incident .. where I checked in at the airport and when I got to the gate with my pass, I had vanished from the system, along with another woman. )
happened at the end of my visit. It was an overnight as well, to get another flight. There was no offer of hotels or meals or anything else. Pretty much too bad for you.

Oh well.. hopefully the trip home will be smooth and safe and there will be only good seat companions.
:)

Hi Caro- Wow, a 166,000 miles! Have a safe & smooth return my friend!

Wow, I find that amazing that you have flown 166,000 miles this year!! Are you ever home? ;)

all-purpose *smooch*

166,000 miles and the year's a little more than half over! Good Lord! That is amazing Caro, and at the same time frightening (to me);-)

Hi, Caro!

Hey, Caro, finally catching up around the threads after my 3 weeks away. It was fun to see the camel at the top of this thread. Donna's right that I get a kick out of that. Sounds like you're safely in Singapore at the moment. I also find your flying miles rather amazing.

>121 Cant think of my mum's fave Lenny story, but her fave Wilbur one is when he drew a picture of her, a-la 3 year old. One head, 2 sticks for arms and 2 for legs, and one scribbly bit added as an afterthought with a relieved sigh that it wasn't forgotten- "and that's where nana's wee comes out".
Oooo kay Wilbur, veeeery interesting.

#122 : Kath - Perhaps it's just resignation on my part because I've just come to expect delays, cancellations and botched reservations given the amount of travel that I do. I will say that there isn't just one airline guilty of poor service or repeat delays .. it appears to be creeping into most airlines these days. *sigh*

I just checked in online for my flights home tomorrow. Fingers crossed that things go well and I actually get home on Tuesday night.

#123 : Hey Marky-Mark. Yeah.. travel this year has been a little on the manic side. Plus I'll have to travel again at the end of August and in the first couple of weeks in September.

#124 : Chelle - yes, I'm home to do my laundry. Haha Actually the mileage sounds high, but that's because of the distance I travel each time. I'd say on average I travel about a week and a half out of each month.

#125 : *smoocheroos* back at'cha, Richard.

#126 : Bonnie - it's frightening to me too sometimes when I think about it .... frightening that I'm upping my odds of more delays and flight disruptions compared with other people who travel maybe once or twice a year. :-)

#127 : Hi Joe. Look what I ate for you yesterday.


#128 : Roni .. just wanted to make sure you don't miss your old pals too much. :-)

#129 : Megan, that's a great Wilbur story! You had me snorting tea out my nose. LOL

Managed to read a number of mediocre free Kindle books that I'll write short reviews on later ... probably after I get home.

This visit has been great because I've had a blast visiting with some friends and of course my family, but work was productive as well. So productive that it looks like I'll have to squeeze in another trip here in the early part of September, probably before I head north to Kuala Lumpur.

I'm looking forward to going home tomorrow, even if my flight from Singapore is at an appallingly ungodly hour of 5.15am ! I'll probably not bother sleeping tonight since I'll have to be at the airport at about 3.30am. So I'll have to see if I can convince a few friends to stay out with me till about 1am and then head back to pack before I drag myself to the airport.

The Delilah Complex - MJ Rose

Book 2 in the Butterfield Institution series, a group of women belonging to a secret society appeals to Dr Morgan Snow for therapy sessions when one of their members is apparently killed. But can she help them when there appears to be dissension within the group itself and where the members only share first names with each other? At the same time, someone appears to be kidnapping some of the members of this society and mailing photographs of their dead bodies to a reporter at a newspaper. But without the bodies actually being found, the police are stumped for clues as the body count rises.

What makes this novel more than passably interesting is the amount of psychological analysis and process that is described. It's a pretty sexually graphic book, but the sex is not gratuitous. The author does a wonderful job of keeping the suspense taut throughout

3.5 stars

Caro- Have a safe return, my friend! " but the sex is not gratuitous." What?

MJ Rose. I have issues with her. I read 2/3 of her first series. I have the third.
That's the one that came with a great big add on the dust cover and ticked me off...
The nerve! You pay for a hardcover book and get an ad for a TV show? I have never read it..
And Those are about a secret society of men, if I recall correctly ( which I may not. )

I may have actually downloaded that one as a freebee.. since it was free.. I liked the
first two books that I read pretty well.. but I can't get past the ad thing. ( I know.. it's
a little crazy ) but the show is probably long gone and I am stuck with a book on my
shelves that ten years from now will still be blaring about it. ( I have a thing about stickers
and price tags on books too, btw.. LOL)

okay.. done with the crazy rant.. Safe home my friend.

#132: I think I have one of her books (don't ask me which one or where it is!) I have never read anything of hers. I really need to give her a try from the sound of it.

Thinking of you today :)

If the sex is not gratuitous, then I just don't know...is there gratuitous violence because I like to have at least one of those?

You will like this. Yesterday we're on the way to the library and Abby, my 16 year old, mentions that a friend of theirs is trying to organize a porn marathon, and if he can get it together, can they (my kids) go? What?! Um.. could you repeat that because think maybe I misheard you? Turns out I did - she said Bourne marathon, as in Jason Bourne!!

As Emily Latella would say:

"Never Mind"

>137 Hah! Great moments in parenting, Mamie! "Yes, we're liberal, darling, but not that liberal." On the other hand, I love the Bourne movies, so let me know if they're inviting oldsters.

>130 I'm honored that you ate for me, Caro! It looks delicious. What the heck is it?

LOL Mamie :) Love it !

Right, Joe.. parenting does have some"special" moments... Growing kids up is the best of things
one can do, I think? Or, in any case.. it was for me.. despite, and because of those moments,
among other things. Never a dull moment...

Are you safe home? Did you work today?
Everything ok? How is the new phone?

Hi Caro!
Hope you had a safe trip home and happy to be back.

Oh! I meant to ask.... are you the one who rec The Good Good Pig to me several months ago? I seem to recall it was you. Anyway - great book. I'm reading it now :-)

#133 : Marky-Mark... safely home, thank you and already had a busy night 2 hours after I landed in Boston. No rest for the wicked as they say, I guess.

the sex is not gratuitous
you know how some books just throw in sex on every page whether or not it adds to the story .. unless it is the sole purpose of the book, like Fifty Shades. Well there's sex in this, but it's not thrown around like confetti. That's what I mean. :-)

#134 : Kath - would the add sticker on her book have been her publisher's doing though rather than her decision? I don't know enough about how covers and jackets are decided to offer any knowledgeable response to this. The price stickers and ad stickers on books don't bother me, I just peel them off. But having said that, I couldn't use the Kindles that are sold at a lower price because they allow for advertising banners at the bottom of the screen. That would bother me.

#135 : Stas, I've only read some in her Butterfield Institute series so fa, and I have liked them. She has a Reincarnationist series and some standalone books, but I've not read any of them yet.

#137 : Mamie - I don't know if I've read a book with gratuitous violence but I know I've seen a few movies where there was, IMO, way more violence than necessary to the storyline. Every other person gets their head slashed, eyes gorged, nails ripped off, or appendages lopped off every 5 minutes .. that, to me would be gratuitous violence.

i LOVED your story. LOL ... how relieved were you when you realized what it was that they said? Haha. So was it ok for them to go watch the Bourne marathon? Speaking of Bourne, I can't wait to watch the latest Bourne movie even if Bourne himself isn't going to be in it.

#138 : Jim - it made me think of Emma Bombeck. ;-) I loved her funny stories.

#139 : Joe - dem's profiteroles. Little choux pastry filled with cream or ice cream, drizzled (a lot) with chocolate sauce. They are awesomely delicious!

#140/141 : Kath - it's too bad video cams aren't always available when kids deliver some of these 'special moments'. I like looking at photo albums of kids growing up, if there was a collection of short vids of them through the years (but only when they do something laugh or tear worthy) that would be something I can see parents/grandparents and other relatives wanting a collection of.

yup, safe home and getting used to my new phone. It's bigger than I'm used to and that's the main thing I don't like about it. With my Blackberry Torch, I had both the keyboard and touchscreen option, and the phone was much smaller, perfect for my small hand, and I could text with just one hand. With this Samsung Galaxy III, I need both hands to text, and with just the touchscreen, I am typing more slowly in comparison. There are some features I haven't yet tried out ... I'm still in the process of joining some duplicate contacts because when AT&T transferred my contacts over, they grabbed all contact information, from my email contact lists as well as my personal contact list, so I ended up with some people listed multiple times with slightly different information.

I do like that it's incredibly light. The ringtones that come with the phone are rather annoying though ... full of bells, chimes, bird chirps and gushing water. I feel like they were developed by Tinkerbell. I will probably download some ringtones for specific people, like the Theme from the Pink Panther, Baby Elephant's Walk, Al Joplin's The Entertainer, Croatian Rhapsody, Air on a G String and Tiny Dancer.

But i don't hate the phone. I know I'll get used to it before the end of the week. :-)

#142 : Hi Cee. Yes, I'm home, safe and sound and well rested, thanks. and now that the A/C is on ... wonderfully comfortable. It was so muggy today. ugh!

Yes, I recommended The Good Good Pig to you, so I'm pleased (and more than a little relieved) that you are enjoying it. It's a book I haven't been able to pass forward to anyone else because I know I'm going to want to read it again some time later.

So after a horrendous outbound trip last week filled with delays and missed connections, I had one of the smoothest trips back in a long long while. No delays, all flights left on time, all my connections were smooth, my luggage arrived safely with me. So of course you know something must happen, right? I dropped my phone one time too many and broke the glass. :-( I loved my Blackberry Torch, but I had to replace it because there was no way i could hold the phone up to my ear without risk of cutting my ear or depositing glass chips in it. *sigh*

So arrived home at 5.30pm, showered, unpacked, and off to the mall I went to get a new phone. I need more time to figure out some of the features on the phone because they're so different from what I was used to before, but I'm getting there. I guess I could just read the instruction manual ... but then where's the fun in that? ;-)

Instruction manuals, pssht. Wheres the fun in that.
And, you dont really want scratched up ears, or lacerated lobes, so yea, stick with the new phone :)

Oh yea, and Porn Marathon/Bourne Marathon.....excellent!

>143 This was embossed on the cover.. and I realized after I so ticked that all of her book covers on Amazon had changed to have the sticker... which was not there when I pre-ordered the book. I actually emailed her to ask about it. Her "day job" is or was.. marketing. She thought it was a super idea.

I'm glad you don't hate the phone. I desperately hate Marty's ...

Megan.. I feel the same about the instruction manuals.. lol

Welcome back, Caroline! I'm very eager to read your comments about the Samsung Galaxy S III, as I'm seriously considering exchanging my BlackBerry for it later this month.

Glad it was a smooth trip back, Caro, except for the overdropped phone. (That new Samsung does look good, darn it. I may be dropping my phone repeatedly soon). We'll definitely be serving profiteroles at the cafe, if only so the proprietor can try them. I'm with you on the new Bourne movie. It's going to be hard not to have Matt Damon in the part, but I liked the new guy as the archer in Avengers.

#146 : Megan... well, even if I wanted to read the instruction manual, I can't ..... because I realized this morning that I had left it behind at the store. When I bought the phone, I didn't want the box and all the packaging that came with it, so I asked if I could just take the phone, charger and earbuds ... the sales guy put the instruction manual at the side, but I think I must have swept it aside with the packaging for my screen protector into their garbage bag. Oh well ... I've pretty much figured out most of the features that I need anyway ...and get little surprises the more I use it. It's only a phone ... how difficult can it be?

#148 : Kath - haha... sorry, I had to laugh when you said she replied to your email and confessed her day job to be in marketing and that she thought embossing stickers of ads would be a good idea. I wonder if that will make her reconsider doing the same thing on future releases. I didn't have that problem because I only have Kindle versions of her Butterfield Institute series.

what's wrong with Marty's phone that you don't like? I'm getting used to my phone ... I still don't love it yet, but it's a phone. I will probably underutilize it because I don't like using my phones for music, videos, books and games. These apps chew up the battery. I was underutilizing my Blackberry as it is, and that didn't have half as many apps available as the android and iPhone.

#149 : Darryl, the one thing I love about the Galaxy III is the weight. It's so light! But I don't like the length of the phone. I'ts a little longer than the iPhone (but lighter and slimmer) and I have relatively small hands, so i can't hold it and text with just one hand. I need to use both hands to text. not a huge deal because I used to type on my BB with both thumbs on the kb. I do miss not having a proper kb though. The touchscreen takes some getting used to, as does the autocorrect on this thing. I find I have to actually look up and read what I've texted because there will invariably be some bizarre words I don't remember skimming my fingers across. Bringing the 'cursor' back to the exact spot where you want to delete a letter or word is also less convenient compared with the BB. Oh, and the ringtones that come with it, as I mentioned before, are rather annoying. I'd feel I need to be dressed in a tutu, sporting a vacant expression in my eyes and bounce on fluffy slippers answering one of the provided ringtones.

It's quite an easy phone to use ..although it's very different from the BB. So one thing you're going to need to get used to, is to keep swiping stuff. It took me a while to realize that when I get little icons appearing right at the top edge of the phone, it means I've received some new emails, app update notice, message alert, or text message and I could page over until I find the page with the right app icon, or I can simply press my finger against the top edge and swipe my finger down, and there'll be the list of the latest updated mail/notice etc on the page. It only took me a day to figure this out, so I'm sure someone more intuitive to touchscreen phones will ace everything on this in no time.

I do love the screen though. The picture quality is fantastic and with 4G, it's wonderfully fast. I had a media card in my BB, and I moved that easily over to this one so I have all the photos I had stored on it now on this phone. AT&T were great and helped move all my contact information over from the BB to the Galaxy III. So minimum effort on my part, except in deduplicating some contacts.

You can change the font size (good because the default is, to me, really large) but not the numbers for the phone... so if you need reading glasses, this is a great phone because the numbers on the number pad are large. If you don't keep your bluetooth and wi-fi setting on all day, the battery has a decent life to it. I tried the talk feature (Android version of Siri) and it was pretty neat, but it doesn't work with all apps. I haven't yet figured how to speak into an email ..but I did get it to start an email to a specific person by speaking simple instructions. I can't see myself speaking email content though .. it's faster just to type the content.. for me anyway.

Oh, one of the apps it comes with, is an app called 'play books' ..where you can download audio books, for a surprisingly low price ... well low IMO because I had assumed audio books were generally over $10.

#150 : Joe, you definitely need to include profiteroles on your menu at the cafe. They're absolutely delicious. My mom used to make them regularly when I was growing up, and I could make choux pastry when I was 12 ....helped me build my swimming muscles. haha

I've already dropped this phone today so my immediate to-do for this evening is to look for and get a case. Thank goodness I had the sales guy put the screen protector on when I bought the phone. Now where's my Amazon gift card?

Oh and Hawkeye in the Avengers (the arcer guy) is Jeremy Renner, an absolute hottie in my book.

Welcome home, Caro - glad to have you back safe and sound from your travels. Um...you know I was being totally tongue in cheek about the gratuitous sex and violence, right? And yes, the Bourne marathon was green-lighted by me!

I don't know.. maybe I am not smart enough for an android..
She has the same phone as you. I set her up.. had to put her contacts in one at a time.
( gak) and every 2 days she is showing up because she has it in airplane mode, or silenced it or
has turned the backlight down to nothing. And since I have never had an android, it is a bit of a challenge to find the issues and fix them. Also, I have very dry skin. It does not recognize that I am swiping or tapping even. So.. I hate it .. from the big ugly S on it's face to the ugly purple flowered case she picked.

Caroline, a belated welcome back. I'm cracking up at your leaving the instruction manual at the store (and fully agreeing with the sentiment of "who needs one anyway?"). When I learn how to do something new on my iPhone, it's because someone shows it to me or I accidentally discover it. I know instruction manuals have their place in the world, but I generally eschew them.

Glad your return travel trip was less, um, exciting, than the trip the other direction!

#156 : Ellen, I'm enjoying finding some new funky features on my phone and I'm not missing the instruction manual at all. Of course the hubster thinks I'm a sheer genius ...haha.... he's a slave to manuals, even if he does then complain that they're poorly written ... especially when it comes to assembly manuals. I've taken to quietly putting bookshelves and CD racks together on my own (when the hubster is busy in another part of the house) because I get them done more quickly and with fewer extra screws, bolts, and at times, a whole shelf leftover at the end of the project.

I have an upcoming trip in a week's time .. I hope it will be as boringly uneventful as my recent return.

Just hosted a dinner party for some friends and business associates of the hubster. Fortunately it's an early one so they've all left, leaving me to relax with my poor tired feet up. I did come home after lunch today to start cooking for the evening's dinner and thankfully, everything went well without a hitch. Have a blueberry pie in the oven now to bring down to Long Island with us tomorrow for our annual reunion with some friends.

The Island at the Center of the World by Russell Shorto

Manhattan, or New Amsterdam as it was known in the 1620s had a short colonization under the Dutch who founded New Netherlands before it was seized by the English in 1664. Under the directorship of Peter Minuit, famous not only for establishing this new colony for the Dutch but for purchasing it from the Indians for $24, this colony was a vigorous and cosmopolitan trading post.

Filled with details about the lives and trials of famous historical figures such as Henry Hudson, after whom the Hudson River is named, Peter Minuit and Peter Stuyvesant, the one-legged governor who lost Manhattan to the English in 1664, this book also covers lesser known individuals such as Adriaen van der Donck, who proposed and fought for more representative government, free speech and tolerance.

This reads more like an adventurous novel than it does a history book, and I credit Shorto's wonderfully descriptive style for bringing to life the people, sights, smells, thrills and tragedies to the reader.

4 stars

It was a little like reading one of Nathanial Philbrick's wonderful historical books.

Glad you're getting a chance to rest with the feet up, Caro.

I'm getting very sleepy, thinking it's time to brush the teeth and climb into bed with one of my two books.....

#158: Another book I have hanging around my house somewhere waiting for me to read it :)

All caught up but pretty pooped. Have a lovely weekend Caro and cast off any jet lag that remains just in time for your next trip anyways. x

>158 oh maaaan
Now Im going to have to read that one too.
Thanks for the heads up ;)

#159 : Ellen, feet are well and truly rested .. yaay! Went out for a 2 mile run this morning .. just to test my knee and ankle ... and I think *sssshhh...don't want to speak too loudly in case I jinx myself* I'm finally back to 100%. Finally! I'm looking forward to a beach run tomorrow morning because our friends live out in Southold on Long Island and are close to a beach. They all tend to sleep in, so I'll have a peaceful run and know I'm not holding anyone up for breakfast.

#160 : Stas, that's my goal .. to remind you of some of the books pining away for your attention. :-)

#161 : Pooped from my thread, Paul? Surely not .. my thread's a little ant hill compared with the Everest-like
mountain that often face me when I miss visiting your thread for a few days.

So I'm all packed, and have put the blueberry pie I made last night in a nice pastry box to bring with us to Long Island and ................... the hubster has chosen to vacuum upstairs before taking his shower. uh huh...... We have a ferry to catch in Connecticut that will take us to New Orient Point on Long Island at 1.30pm so we need to leave in an hour and half if we are to get there with enough time to pick up our tickets.

#162 : Megan ... *mwwahahahahaha ....evil grin*

Thick moist French Toast with a fried egg on top and apple & sage chicken sausage ......breakfast of champions! I toyed with the idea of making hot chocolate as well, but decided that might be a little over the top.

I've made some roast chicken, avocado and pesto sandwiches to bring with us to eat on the ferry ... just something to light because our friends always put together a massive spread at the annual cookout. They're ex-track mates of the hubster from high school and their significant others. I'm sure there will be a lot of analysis of the track races that have been run in the Olympics thus far and today.

hmmm I had a tbl of peanut butter, and 2 cups of coffee, one black.
I do have ribs in the crockpot so there will be real food eventually.

IT sounds like you have a good day planned ( as usual) so have fun and I hope the weather is perfect!

#163: You can remind me about them, but are you willing to help me actually locate them??

#164 That all sounded good except for the fried egg on top. Reminds me of my Dad's love of pancakes with a fried egg in the middle of the stack. It's not that there's anythng wrong with fried eggs - I just love pure, unadulterated pancakes, French toast and waffles. Except for maybe a bit of fruit/berries.

Sandwiches sound yummy! Safe travels and fun weekend ;-)

I'd definitely go for the egg in the middle. Prevents sugar coma. :)

Per airline talk: My husband got bumped from his flight the other night and they gave him a $460 coupon toward future flights. Not a bad deal.

The words "chicken" and "sausage" cannot be used to refer to the same thing. One can make sausage and serve chicken with it, and then "chicken sausage {dish name}" might work. But sign me up for the french toast with an egg on it! Sounds divine.

Trying to catch up with you Caro! And I guess I made it just in time before you jet set on another trip. :)

Mamie and her Bourne/Porn misunderstanding had me snorting my V8 through my nose this morning. Boy would I be glad I misheard that one. Although, I guess I can admire a kid's honesty if he was willing to be that bold about that!
Where are you heading off to this time?

I thought the whole thing sounded delicious! Now my mouth is watering...

Caro- Have a great trip to L.I.! Hope you can squeeze some reading in.

Oh dear. Love blueberry pie. Love love love French Toast!

Run on beach in sand? How did it go? Take it slow, even though you feel (shhh) 100% healed.....

#165 : Kath .. I love making ribs in a crockpot too. They fall off the bone so beautifully! What's cooking today?

#166 : Stas, I'd be tempted to help you locate the books in your TBR pile but I fear my willpower would not be strong enough to refrain from just sitting down after 5 minutes and pulling out books from your pile to start reading, skimming through or enticing to come home with me

#167 : Cee ... ok, I'll put your fried egg on the side. But then again.. have you had Texas toast? I love this, although I'm careful to eat this only occasionally for fear my arteries might just wave the white flag and cry uncle.

#168 : Jenn .. it's so nice when that happens. So if your husband gets bumped from another flight, you guys could get a couples' trip somewhere for free. :-)

I love fried egg on burgers, pancakes, salad, steak, pasta...

#169 : Richard, it's not my favorite, but I'm trying to inject more healthy eating into our diet...... but you're right, chicken and sausage are not meant to be joined in the same item. It wasn't as aromatic and it was drier than regular pork ones. I've got lamb sausages in the fridge to try next.

#170 : Valerie - I hope your V8 snort wasn't copied by your little monkey. :-)

I'm off to Japan on Monday.

#171 : Mamie ... so what did you do? cook up anything yummy?

#172 : Hi Marky-Mark - I did get to read on the ferry going over and then coming back. So a nice hour and a half each way, with my iPod in my ear so I could block out all the chattering and giggling around me. The LI trip was great, thanks. We had a great time with our friends, the cookout was delicious, brunch was fun (because I dropped the croissants into the egg mixture and we ended up frying egg soaked croissants) and we had a wonderful walk down to the beach and a swim in the warm ocean. *sigh* Perfect energy charge for this week.

#173 : Ellen, the beach was pebbly rather than sandy, so I didn't bother running. But we did go for a long powerwalk and then jumped into the water for a swim. Felt great!! Only one small knee twinge since.

Bah, not so interesting read ..but it was a free Kindle book, so I shouldn't complain too much.

Willow Pond by Carol Tibaldi
There's drawn out heart-pounding suspense and then there's just dragged out please-someone-slit-my-wrist suspense... and unfortunately this is the latter.

The son of a famous actor and his ex-wife is kidnapped. Laura, his mother, is beside herself with grief and worry while Peter, his father, is basks in the media's attention. The police are involved with an allegedly incompetent Detective Wilson at the helm of the investigation. However, nowhere in the process of the investigation does he actually display incompetence and we have only the scathing contempt of Laura's bootlegging aunt's word that he couldn't solve his way out of a paperbag.

There are too many inconsequential characters and unexplained incidents in this book to make this a worthwhile read.

It had potential, but I feel the author tried to make it complex without understanding how to do so effectively. It ended up somewhat disorganized, and I thought I thought the chapters were slapped together like haphazard bandaids.

2 stars

Back from Long Island and my in-laws are in town and visiting, so we have a full house for the next couple of days. The hubster's spending quality family time with his parents and his sister's family in Boston today while I wade through a teetering stack of work at the office. MIL's birthday today, so I'll leave the office soon and head out to meet them at a restaurant. Thought I'd be able to get home early and make a nice dinner for them all, but no chance of that today. I didn't even have time to go out for lunch....bbooooohoooo....for me, that's really a sign that I'm swamped. But I'm waiting for some reports from my staff now, so have about 5 mins to peek into LT before the evil work slavemaster snaps his whip again.

>164 oh maaaan now I am going to have to have your breakfast of champions too.
*got to stop visiting this thread*
;)

Well I fell very badly behind, but you've hit me with a couple of book bullets for my efforts, so all is well. Now I can't stop thinking of profiteroles... they're one of my all-time favourites!

I'm curious Caro, have you ever read a really good free Kindle book? I continue to avoid them like the plague because, well, there are so many other books out there that I know will be good reads. So why take a chance on a book that a publisher wasn't willing to take a chance on.

Profiteroles sound decadently good.

Caro, I would love for him to get bumped again. Our 20th is coming and we need to go somewhere lovely. I'd like to go to England for a couple of weeks.
Of course, I may just end up using it to fly out and help my mother move her mother from Boise to Portland to live with my parents. My mother is 70 and her mother is 96? Something like that. Anyway, she can't live on her own anymore so my mother is considering moving her in with them. I think it's going to be pretty hard on my mother, physically and emotionally.

I have had some good reads from kindle freebies, Bonnie. Some I just chuck.... as they aren't to my taste, or are just not good, imo. But, I have found a jewel or two.

So, did MIL have a good birthday? How are you feeling? Haven't broken anything in the last few days?
Are you home for a while? Nothing too much going on here.. just .. life.

#178 : LOL .. come back, Megan, come back ...... no breakfast of champions this morning to be sure. All I've managed to have time for this morning was a glass of milk and a handful of vitamins. I came into face a very sad-looking shriveled clementine in my office. I think he'd been there for over 2 weeks and really wasn't anywhere near edible anymore.

#179 : Ilana, no worries ... lots of people get behind on threads, including me, quite often. It's impossible for me to check in and comment on all the threads I star everyday ... that's one thing my nephew does that amazes me. He not only writes on his blog everyday but also checks into about 50 other ones too. He is in college and doing well, so he's somehow also managing to squeeze study, sports and social time into his day.

Funny thing about profiteroles is I always consider them a warmer season dessert. I don't eat them during the winter, but only in the late spring, summer and early fall. No idea why but they somehow don't appeal to me as much when it's colder outside.

#180 : Bonnie, actually I have read a few pretty good free Kindle books, the ones that come to my mind are The Cat Manual (ok, this was a fun quick book, but I really liked it), Seven Moments in Time and Gifts and Consequences. Oh and the Halo Effect which got me started on the series. Most that I've downloaded have been quick beach reads, and a few I've deleted after a couple of chapters. But one never knows and I'm optimistic when I download the ones I think might be worth a shot. The quick reads are good for when I'm traveling and only have a little time each night to read. Also, not all of them remain free for an extended period of time. I believe the ones I've downloaded are also sold as dead tree books, so perhaps it's just Amazon wanting to help drum up more interest/sales of a few less popular authors?

#181 : Jenn - Firstly, congratulations in advance on your 20th anniversary! That's wonderful. It would be great if you could go celebrate it with an overseas trip. Now that the Olympics are over and the Para-Olympics will be over soon, flights and hotels will be a little cheaper before the end of year holidays. I do hope you get to go.

My MIL had her mother come live with them when she couldn't live on her own anymore and she lived with them until she was 100. But she was mobile and apart from poor eyesight, she was still pretty much able to participate in everything with the family. They had to, however, put her in a home just before she turned 101 because she was at my SIL's house and opened the wrong door ... instead of going into the bathroom, she took a step into and rolled down stairs into the basement and broke her hip. From that point, they couldn't give her the physical care that she needed around the clock. So they managed to find a very nice home not too far from where they lived so MIL could go visit 3 times a week and take her out for short holidays with the family. The staff at the home were great and she got along well with them and with some of the other residents, so that certainly helped reduce the guilt my MIL felt at not being able to continue caring for her at home. She was 105 when she passed away.

Has your mother considered the option of hiring a caregiver to live in with her mother? That's something one of my friends ended up doing because she wasn't able to have her mother come live with her when her mental and physical health started to decline and her mother refused to go to a home. It worked out really well and the person they ended up hiring became so much part of the family, after a while, we all forgot she wasn't actually related.

#182 : Kath - MIL said she had a very nice day out in Boston, enjoyed the duck tour thing and shopping. We all went out for dinner at a little Italian restaurant and then back to the house for cake and ice cream. Unfortunately, a blueberry pie I made for her ended up on the kitchen floor because one of the kids ran around the corner, right into me just as I was carrying it out. *sigh* The kids were press-ganged into a clean up crew and I saw some suspicious blueberry stained mouths at the end .... so I just hope none of them fall ill since I don't know how much they ate and how much they actually scooped up to throw out. oy!

In-laws having fun canoeing down the Concord River this late morning and I'm leaving work early to go say good bye. They all leave this afternoon. The 'rents want to get back to Long Island before it's dark.

I'll have just about enough time after they leave to clean up the guest room, wash sheets, make bed and tidy downstairs ... before our friend from California arrives this evening to stay for the rest of the week. :-)

2nd day in the row with no lunch..... NOT a happy camper!

Oh ick! Lunchless weekdays mean work stuff. So sorry.

Speaking of free Kindle books (or almost free, and not available solely for Kindle), there's a Harper Perennial 99¢ sale on right now. I picked up a couple of titles there today from the iBookstore to read on my iPhone: http://www.facebook.com/HarperPerennial/app_208195102528120

No lunch is bad news. Mind you, I often have breakfast so late that I typically skip lunch, but if you're not happy, I'm not happy about it either. Hope you get a breather soon!

Yeah, I'd be cranky too if I didn't get lunch 2 days in a row. Hope things ease up for you soon so at least you at time to feed yourself. Maybe eat a really big lunch just in case. :)

Glad to hear you're feeling back to 100% and are comfortable running, Caro.

My free Kindle book read is the dreaded Moby Dick. I'd thought I'd gotten through the worst of it, in which in excruciating detail he tells us about all things whale, down through history, but now I've come upon another section in which he wants to explain the history of eating whale. Can we get back to the chase and some salty dialogue, please?

Joe, I am also one who didn't care for Moby Dick so you are in good company. All the different types of boats, hooks, and whatnot really dragged the story for me.

I was saying to my much better half that he's given English majors plenty to chew on down through the years, but he could have created a beloved (if that's the right word) book if he'd not gone the overly detailed whatnot route.

Caro - I sympathise on the no-lunch situation but only a little having had almost a month already of no lunch!

Looks like your review of Willow Pond got the author's, ahem, attention on Goodreads. LOL It looks like she also criticized another reader for giving her 4 stars on Goodreads and only 3 on Amazon. Sensitive.

What an idiotic response to a review that was! I will now delete the book from my Kindle.

#187 : Richaroo ... all the tedious work stuff has finally been dealt with, as well as a grumpy boss. Whoohooo..... enjoyed a very leisurely one and a half hour sushi lunch today with a few colleagues. *happy clam once more*

#188 : Valerie .. great minds, great minds. I took your advice to heart and we went to an all-you-can-eat sushi place today and boy did we eat! i was considering taking a photo of the 2 large plates of sushi we demolished but I was afraid someone would call Weight Watchers and send them to my house for an intervention.

#189 : Joe - you're a brave, brave man. Moby Dick was the most tedious book I ever read. I couldn't even Pearl Rule it because it was one of the required readings in school. But I've not been able to bring myself to trying to read it again now that I'm older and *ahem* slightly more patient. Still, it could be useful should I start suffering from insomnia.

#190 / 191 : You said it, Valerie and Joe. I thought there were passages that could have been slashed from the book that wouldn't have affected the story in the least.

Thankfully, the book has not put me off going whale watching and my delight when I manage to catch a glimpse of these magnificent creatures....ok, they're smaller than the one Ahab was after, but still, the ones I've seen were, IMO, huge.

#192 : One more week to go, Paul... then paaaartay! Hmm... I take it apart from the fasting during the day, alcohol would be a complete no-no in the evenings during Ramadan?

#193 : Yeesh, Jenn. Sensitive is right. But what I thought was interesting about her irate criticism of my review was not so much that she thought it was a hatchet job, but that her only criticism was that I misnamed one of the characters. She didn't attempt to dissuade me on any of the points I made about her book. Besides, Phillip, Peter ... at least I still had his name starting with the right letter. Doesn't that earn me some points? ;-)

#194 : Richard, she must not have read the book on how to gain fans and keep them. ;-) Guess who's not going to be interested in anything else she writes?

The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul by Deborah Rodriguez is an ER book I received, and one which I truly did enjoy.

If you've not read 'The Kabul Beauty School' by the same author, 'The Bookseller of Kabul', or indeed any book about people living in Afghanistan before or after the war, this would be a good introduction to the different cultures that coexist in this fragile country.

Sunny, an American woman, has established a little coffee shop in Kabul, leasing the property from Halajan, an elderly Afghani woman with an over-protective son who adamantly believes in keeping their traditional ways even as his mother harbors a dangerous secret. Candace is a rich American who finally finds a cause worth fighting for after a tragic incident.Yazmina, a pregnant widow, finds shelter and love to replace the fear she'd lived with since she was taken from her uncle and sister. And then there is Isabel, an exotic and courageous journalist, who, despite having endured a personal nightmare, tries to save others at the cost of her own life.

The coffee shop provides a brief respite from the tension that exists beyond the property walls. Throughout the book, you get the sense that everyone in Kabul lives on a knife's edge, that the various tribes struggle to find a balance that would allow them to coexist without losing their own identities.

While the reach of the Taliban and their brand of terrorism gradually stretches once again over Kabul, our women have to come to terms with what lies in their hearts, what they're willing to fight for, and to conquer some of their innermost fears. Throughout the book, you get a sense that everyone in Kabul

It's an interesting and light read, and I'd be interested in reading this author's next novel.

3.5 stars

Okay, I'll bite - "Throughout the book, you get the sense that everyone in Kabul..." what? Everyone in Kabul...what?

Was this a test to see if we were actually reading your review?

And Hooray for lunch!!

yikes, the author... I am sorry that happened :(


I'm glad to see that you enjoyed the latest book :) I read nothing today... too busy :P

Caro - You are right, I don't partake at all during the fasting month mainly due to the propensity to dehydrate. The first couple of days at the in laws and then.......

#198 : Hahaha...Mamie ... good catch ... that was apparently partially copied over from the middle part of the review. *off to edit*

hooray for lunch...double whoopeeee for dinner. Made grilled teriyaki salmon and garden heirloom tomatoes (compliments of a friend with a huge vegetable garden that hasn't yet been decimated by the savage squirrels and chipmunks) salad for dinner. enjoyed a delicious bottle of Morgan Pinot Noir with dinner and ..... since our friend is visiting, we have opened a bottle of Buehler cabernet sauvignon.

#200 : Kath ... that's ok. I can't expect authors to appreciate less than glowing reviews, although I do think they should be open to them to improve. I don't think I was mean in my review ....at least I wasn't intending to be mean. So I'm sorry if she took offense, but to pick on the fact that I managed to get the name of the guy wrong ... well, heck, she doesn't me, so she wouldn't know that I get even people I know personally, wrong from time to time. I usually get the first letter of their name right now. :-) Case in point, I keep calling my friend Frank, Fred .... don't ask ... not sure why. I also know a Fred and I sometimes call him Frank.

I just started Lee Childs' Persuader now and although just early in the book, am already enjoying it.

#201 : Paul -are your inlaws in KL? I begin ketupat, bergedil and sambal making on Friday.

Caro, I hope you got to eat lunch today!

I haven't read a Lee Child in a while, but given my mood of late, that may be just the ticket. Needing a truly engrossing and not too intellectually challenging read.....

Hi Caro!

An extended lunch over large plates of sushi sounds right up my alley, Caro--wait, that WAS my supper last night!

#202 : Ellen- yes, ate a huge albeit late lunch and feel back to normal. it also helped that my major meetings are now all over for the week, and that I am taking Friday off to play! wheeeeeee

I just finished a re-read of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. It's so much better than the movie. I had watched the movie and despite loving Colin Firth, really, if I hadn't already read the book, I'm not sure I could have understood what was going on in the movie.

I love Lee Childs, but I can't read the Reacher series one after the other. I need to space them out.

#203 : Cee..... smooochies! love the balloons ... many thanks. I'm in a fantastic mood, and no, it has nothing to do with the 2 bottles of wine we drank tonight.... not really. ;-) I'm just glad Hump Day is about over.. so that means the weekend's around the corner... and the huge Sunday party we're planning on hosting at the house.

#204 : haha..Roni... you are a woman after my own heart. What could be better than a huge sushi meal? Plus it's healthy for you.

>201 I know exactly how that feels, Carlotta. Don't you, too, Kristine?

Thumbs-upped your Kabul review, too.

You are a super sweet gal, Caro! I didn't think your review was mean at all. I just think as a writer, you know that people critiquing your work kinda comes with the territory. Some people are going to love while it may not be other people's cup of tea. If you can't hand negative feedback, don't look at people's reviews.
Hopefully you get your lunch break tm! :)

>194 & 196 I want a link! I love to read author meltdowns!

I agree with Valerie. Your review was not mean. It was honest and constructive, and I think that it could have been helpful to her if she were open to help. I don't think she's open to help...
and the profile picture on Goodreads? Not good.

>208 Morphy, here is Carmen's review, below which is Tibaldi's snippy, stupid response.

RD - what think you of her profile pic?

She should put the drink down before she posts on Goodreads, is what I think.

Thank you. That's exactly what I was thinking. LOL

Caro - bagadil are my favourite accompaniment to much malay-indon food. I will normally have five or so with my mee soto. SWMBO asked me to ask you what sambal you are making - sambal kacang? sambal tumis?

205:

Recently Judy and I sat down to watch (1) the original six part "Tinker Tailor" and (2) the new two hour version with Gary Oldman

Stick with the BBC. Though the new one did dramatize a few scenes that I wished they had included in the Alec Guiness version.

Now we're enjoying "Smiley's People" - yum!

Caro- Glad this is your last day of work for the week. Yah! Enjoy! Get lost in a few good books.

I tried Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy many, many moons ago and didn't get into it at the time. It's revival (based on the movie which I did not see despite being a huge Colin Firth fan) has me wanting to give it another try. Onto the list it goes. And maybe I'll see if I can get the BBC production from netflix....

#206 : Absolutely Rupert. I don't know what the fuss is about! ;-) And thanks for the thumb.

#207 : Valerie - thank you so much. I didn't think it could have been construed as being mean because I wasn't intending it to be mean, but then I know I can be very blunt and some people find me very tactless. But I do agree with what you said though... that authors who decide to publish should be realistic enough to know that there will be people who may not be bowled over by their work while others will love it. And if they don't like critical reviews, then don't read reviews at all, or ignore the ones that aren't gushing with praise.

#208 : haha... Morphy.. it wasn't too bad of a meltdown. Maybe she didn't have her coffee that morning ... or her pint of beer.

#209 : Jenn, thanks for the support. Seriously, you lot are wonderful. Perhaps she thought her profile pic reflected her fun, social side? At least I know now what she looks like and if I ever see her anywhere in my travels, I will be sure to cross the street or leave the premise. Or .. *snigger* go up to her and ask her if she's got any new books planned for 'Peter'.

#210 : Rupert, you are a sweetikins. *smooochies*

#214 : Paul, mmmm....mee soto. My favorite. I must make some when I come back from Japan. I'm going to be making sambal kacang with ikan bilis. I brought back some cleaned ones from Singapore. I also managed to bring back some uncooked buah keluak ... not sure if you're familiar with this Indon nut, used in a peranakan curry.

#215 : Jim, thanks for the tip. I have to go look for the BBC version. Sad to say I fell asleep three quarters of the way through the movie.

So... I spoke to Judy... there's a chance we can MeetUp while you're visiting MA this weekend! Whoopeeee.

#216 : Marky-Mark ... relaxed with a large breakfast before a relatively easy morning at work. Off to the beach now!

#217 : Ellen -- it was the fact that Colin Firth was in this one that made me want to watch it. Alas, even his delicious self was not enough to make me like the movie.

>205 , really, if I hadn't already read the book, I'm not sure I could have understood what was going on in the movie

Well I now know why we thought it was a terrible movie and we had no idea what was going on. It's good to get validation Caro.

(Laughing at the author response...)

Caro - buah keluak turns the sauce slightly black right? I love udang sambal petai and I am probably in a very small minority of expariates that do.
Have a deliciously wonderful weekend. Anything ikan bilis is a great fave of mine.

Just catching up on the snippety author response of earlier. Wow, who would post stuff like that and think that people will Ok it? Odd.

Another meet up in the works? I am betting that you will hold the record for the most
different individuals from LT met with across the world :) Paul may be a contender whenhe makes his trip, but I am betting you win in the end.

#220 : Bonnie - I wish producers, writers and directors would stay true to books that they intend to take to the screen. I'm remembering Cider House Rule which I loved reading ... and then absolutely hated when I watched the movie because of the many changes that were made in the script. Horror of horrors, someone later told me that Irving himself had a hand in the script writing. I'm still finding that hard to believe unless he decided he wanted to write a slightly different story?

Glad you thought the author was a nut too.

#221 : Paul, yes it does, the Indonesians use it to darken their version of rendang. The Peranakans actually eat in inside of the nut, either when cooked in a sambal or in an assam curry with chicken or pork. It's an acquired taste to be sure and the Penang version is very different from the Malacca/Singapore version. Then again, the Penang Peranakans also dress differently. You're in good company ... the hubster also loves udang sambal petai, even if he's not a fan of how his pee smells after. But I tell him it's a positive sign that his kidneys are in good health.

Count down to Eid!

#222 : Megan,I wonder if she's aware of how she comes across when she responds to reviews this way. Just seems so petty, childish and sooooo not helping her if she intends anyone to take her seriously.

#223 : Kath, while I can, I'm going to take advantage of being able to meet as many LT members (whom I like online) in person before I am no longer able to travel, although in this case, Jim and Judy made the trip up to Boston, and I just happened to be here during the weekend. Good timing really because I leave for Tokyo on Monday morning.

I suspect Paul will hold the record eventually because he's friends with more LTers than anyone else I know.

Persuader by Lee Child is another Jack Reacher novel. Once again, our drifting ex-military hero stops what appears to be a kidnapping, or is it something else? As other Reacher novels, this one is fast paced and the thrills don't stop until the end of the book.

3.8 stars

I'm such a sucker for the Reacher books, Caro. Can't wait for the new one. I wish it wasn't Tom Cruise in the upcoming movie, but unless it gets totally panned, I'm sure I'll go.

Nooooo...really,Joe? I hadn't heard that Tom Cruise is to be in the movie? Why did I think it was going to be Ben Affleck? I can't see Tom as Reacher. :-(

I can't either, Caro. I've seen it compared to the mis-cast Katherine Heigl in the Stephanie Plum movie. (They should've done it years ago with a younger Sandra Bullock).

For Reacher, here are some I've seen that would be better (American accent could be an issue): Sean Bean (my fave), Hugh Jackman, Daniel Craig, and Viggo Mortenson. A major problem with Cruise is Reacher is 6'5" and physically intimidating. Cruise - isn't.

Have a great weekend, Caroline!

*smooch*

Viggo Mortensen could *totally* do Reacher.

Caro agree Mr. Cruise is totally inappropriate as Reacher. Maybe Cruise is slightly dyslexic and misread the height of Jack - Tom he is 6 foot 5 not 5 foot 6 you jerk!
My old mate Sean Bean would be an ideal Reacher if he could carry off the accent - after all Lee Child is an englishman in the States.

Oh dear, I can see that I will have to get to Reacher sooner rather than later just so that I can join in on trashing the choice of Tom Cruise for the part. I know I have the first one around here somewhere, even though Paul did warn me that those books had undesirable side effects...something about chewing on my purse...

#228 : Joe, I can't see Hugh Jackman as Reacher actually ... he was a great Wolverine, but .... this is going to sound funny, but .... his legs are too long. I would like Daniel Craig or Sean Bean as Reacher but I'm not sure if Sean would be able to carry the accent. Daniel, I believe, could pull it off. I've seen him in movies where he's had to adopt different accents and he did them credibly.

#229 : Heya Darryl ...*smoochies* ...hope you have a good weekend too.

#230 : Richard, I'm not sure if Viggo could do the American accent. He has the look of Reacher though.

#231 : LOL...good one Paul. It's one thing for Cruise to want to play Reacher and to throw his hat in to be considered for the part, but who was the nut job who actually cast him for the part of Reacher? What was he thinking?!

#232 : Mamie .. that's an interesting side effect...haha...but better than chewing on your toenails.

MeetUp with Judy and Jim ... another success ... as if I had any doubt. Judy and Jim met the hubster and John, our visiting friend from California, and we met their friends Katie and Rich. 'tis a chatty bunch we be, covering a gamut of topics from books to software, to aviation stories to teaching methods ... and all with lots of laughs.

Hi, Cameling. I LOVE your ticker! It is so cute and perfect for you. I wish that I could have one on my thread, but I'm technologically challenged. It's lucky that I can even manage to post.

Hi Velma, the ticker is really easy to create from tickerfactory.com You pick the ticker tape you want, then click 'next' , and pick the counter, and then set the unit counts, and you'll have the HTML tag you can add to your thread. then each time you add a book, just click on the ticker tape on your thread, it'll take you to the tickerfactory website, enter your password and you can increase the unit number, and it will automatically update the ticker on your thread.

What a lovely photo of you Jim and Judy. I met them at Richard's party a few years ago. They are both delightful, wonderful people.

Thanks for your kind wishes re. my impending surgery. You are such a kind, considerate soul! I appreciate you very much!

>224 I wonder if she's aware of how she comes across when she responds to reviews this way. Just seems so petty, childish and sooooo not helping her if she intends anyone to take her seriously.

I know! Imagine if she had addressed your concerns and tried to provide her point of view, or offered something along the line of "I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it as much as others have". That would have been a great response.

Yay on the meetup pic! sounds like a success.

What a great Meet-Up photo! You are our very own LT Ambassador, that's for sure!

Nice photo, Caroline!

#237 : Linda, yes they're both lovely and very interesting people, both online and in RL. It's such a thrill for me when I get the opportunity to meet with LTers. So far, the ones I've met have all been exactly as they are online and so much fun to be with. I hope to meet up with you one of these days too! ;-)

#238 : Megan, exactly what you said. That, I would have thought, would have been a more mature response. I don't mind her pointing out that I mistyped the name of one of the characters in her book, but for that to be her only snit was ridiculous.

Oh well, I know people who aren't authors who also hate having their work criticized, even if it's constructive criticism.

#239 : Heya Marky-Mark. I'm determined to make it out to Chicago one of these days for a MeetUp. Now that a friend who has moved out there has managed to find a place to stay, I have a place to bunk over should I come over for the weekend. :-)

#240 : Darryl, soft lighting always works well for me. :-) We need another NYC MeetUp this year ... perhaps after Thanksgiving?

Life is way better with butter!

No more guests in the house! Our friend John left this morning. The guest room has been cleaned, sheets and towels in the wash, kitchen tidied up, and we breakfasted on toasted bagels, soft boiled eggs, bacon, fresh squeezed orange juice and the New York Times Sunday papers out on the deck. Blisss.......

We just need to run a few errands this afternoon and I'll make meatloaf, salmon with terriyaki onions, creamed polenta and ratatouille.That should do the hubster for meals for the week.

Charge my iPod and Kindle, pick out a couple of books and then I just have to pack tonight for my trip to Tokyo tomorrow morning.

All the food for today's open house (the door is left open for anyone to walk in, usually invited but occasionally friends of friends) party celebrating Eid is ready and laid out on the table in the dining table. The grill's heating up and I'm about to throw some chicken, burgers and hot dogs on it for those who don't have the palate for the spicy food that's on the dining table. I hate ketupat (steamed pandanus leaf wrapped rice bundles), rendang (spicy beef), sambal kacang ikan bilis (a spicy chili paste with peanuts and crispy dried anchovies), chicken curry, chilled slices cucumbers, hard boiled eggs in a spiced sauce, grilled squid in tamarind.

The husbter has the large tubs filled with ice out on the deck with beers, soda and water submerged to stay cool, and another tub with wine bottles.

We are ....ready!

Great picture! I LOVE Jim & Judy!

Great pic, Caro. You look so pretty. Have a good trip and when you get back if you have the recipe for that salmon with teriyaki onions moi would really like to try it.

Love the meet up photo, Caro!

Our resident LT ambassador does it again. :) Jealous that you get to meet so many of the LT folks, but then again I'm jealous of all the jet setting you get to do as well!! Speaking of which, have a safe trip to Tokyo, my friend!

Oh dear.. off again? Just for a week? Nice meetup pic, LTers are all such a lovely lookin' bunch.
Please be careful of yourself. Take an umbrella. Safe travels. hugs

#244 : Terri - we almost forgot to take a photo. :-)

#245 : That's so sweet of you, Velma. thank you ... soft lighting ... I'm telling you, the older I get, the more soft lighting is my friend. Salmon with teriyaki onions is simple.. I just marinate salmon steaks with sesame oil, a little salt & pepper for about an hour, then grill them. While they're grilling, I saute sliced sweet vidalia onions in olive oil, add a little white wine, add a cup of teriyaki sauce and let the sauce thicken a little. I pour the sauce over the grilled salmon when I'm ready to serve.

#246 : Joe - as I told Mark, I hope to make it out to Chitown one of these days for one of your meet ups.

#247 : Valerie - it's too bad I don't know an LTer in Tokyo, or I could arrange a MeetUp while I was in the city. It's certainly fun meeting folks I chat with on LT. The jet-setting always sounds more exciting than it actually is when I'm doing it for work and not leisure. The best part of traveling for work is if I have friends in the city, I can take some time in the evening to hang out with them.

#248 : Kath - that's a new one.... take an umbrella? It's forecasted to be really hot next week in Tokyo with no chance of rain.

The Venus Fix by MJ Rose
In this third Butterfield Institute psychological thriller, a serial killer is killing women who broadcast online sex shows through the use of poison in tools they use during their online shows. The killer's victims suffer a gruesome death while broadcasting their shows, and their deaths are watched by hundreds of horrified online viewers.

Dr Morgan Snow is hired to help a group of troubled teenagers at a high school with what the adults deem to be an unhealthy fascination with sex. There are secrets held by the teenagers she needs to uncover if she is to help them.

In the meantime, Dr Snow faces her own troubles at home. Her talented daughter is doing well in her first onstage performance and has been offered a part in a tv series but Dr Snow is plagued with memories of her own mother's rise and fall in the acting business. Her troubles are compounded when her ex-husband suggests they get back together again, just as she's starting to open herself to Detective Noah Jordain. Their relationship is strained when he arrests one of her patients for the web pornography murders, despite her conviction that he cannot be the serial killer.

I like the way the author brings out the seedier elements of society and then blends the multiple layers together into a solid thriller.
3.5 stars

Hi! All caught on your thread again. What a mix! Rings and furry handcuffs, travel, food, new phone, and best of all...friends. : )

Good review of Rose's book, Cora.
--Rupprecht

Great meet-up photo! I love to see faces to put to names. Glad you did not forget to take a picture!

Safe travels :-)

Nice photo! Wishing you safe travels.

Thanks for the recipe. I plan to try it on my next day off. Will let you know how it turns out. Good review, too.

Oooh Caro - as someone who eats salmon 3 times a week, I love the recipe you shared. Will definitely try it!

Nice to see pictures of Judy and Jim with your goodself of course.
Shame that I am missing the delights of your open house - the beers on the deck are a homely non-traditional touch to the thing that I would enjoy far more than my in-laws.

So what are Jim and Judy's usernames?

NIce picture!

258:

Jim = Magician's Nephew
Judy = Ffortsa

Ah, whaddya know! Good to see a photo of you both!

Wonderful picture, Caro! Another successful LT meetup, making the world smaller one book-lover at a time......

Your open house sounded wonderful! I hope it was a great celebration.

Oh, and I'm in the Cruise-ain't-Reacher camp.