Ape's 2011 Challenge (2)

Prequel
Thread #1 (Book 1)

Books Read: 2
Pages Read: 709

January:
1. Wave of Terror by Theodore Odrach
2. Southern Storm by Terri Blackstock

Morning, Stephen

First! Of course she beat me to it. How could she not?

Roll up, roll up, for another 24 hour read-a-thon! Call Ellie a stickler for punishment, but she's liking the way those pages are mounting up, so she's doing it again! And I'm joining her! Monday to Tuesday, kick-off 8pm GMT, come join us at the new thread!

Hi Stasia and Lady Second Place. :)

I am already in for the Readathon, although I am only going to be able to do 16 hours or so Monday-Tuesday.

Good Morning Stephen.

Stasia: I'll probably be doing what I did before with sleeping as usual and joining in on day 2.

Mornin' Cindy!

#8: Frankly, Stephen, I do not care how long anyone joins in for. I just hope they have a good time for however long they can read. I realize people have stuff to deal with in RL - so do I :)

I'm going to attempt sleep tonight so I can *try* to make the whole (or most of the) 24hrs.

Yo ho ho and a carton of rum raisin. (well, swigging rum from a bottle is just *tacky*)

Stasia: Oh, I don't have a RL to speak of, I'm just half-narcoleptic or something.

Katie: Good luck! Hope you have fun.

Richard: Well, when I eat raisens I tend to swig from the carton...so I'm not sure if that's a whole lot better. :)

Checkin' in... you know, like at an airport. ;-)

I'm really truly hoping I can pull off the full 24 hours - I may have felt slightly sick and like I'd got flu for a while in the middle there, but by the end I was wide awake and actually considering CARRYING on reading! I didn't though - I ate food and watching Gilmore Girls, but hey, good intentions... :-)

Mornin'! I wish I had the time to do a readathon at the moment but alas I'm up to my eyeballs in stress with trying to find somewhere to live so I can actually do this job I really want :/
*plonks down star and shuffles away*

Bah-lieve me, Ellie, I know how good intentions go. I swear when I googled 'lesbian librarians' I was just looking for libraries dedicated soley to gay literature! I was just trying to educate myself, but you know...good intentions...

*ahem* Err, well, I hope you do well in the 'thon! Seeing other people's stats is amazing sometimes. Even when I read the full hour some of my best hours only have just over 30 pages. I guess it pays to have so much time to read, that's the only reason I complete so many books! *Slow poke*

Hi Rachel. Hey, a job you want? That's definitely something worth pursuing. Hope you find a place!

I swear when I googled 'lesbian librarians' I was just looking for libraries dedicated soley to gay literature! I was just trying to educate myself, but you know...good intentions...

Sounds perfectly innocent to me! It's a shame that the evil evil internet has to taint such noble pursuits.

Isn't it just? Stephen was a choirboy with an ACTUAL HALO before he discovered the internet!

Oh, hi there sweetie! My full-on stats per hour were only about 35 pages, max - I was quite surprised actually!

Good luck with the househunt Rach! :-)

Luxx/Ellie: I know, I mean I'm was just a curious young boy and my only goal in life was to discover the world, and then the internet comes along and I realize the whole world is just ladies in various states of undress!

What? Ladies in various states of undress doesn't encompass the world? ...oh...

Good morning, Stephen. Now we know why you don't like to leave the house. ;)

Joanne: Haha, except for eager trips to the library? Good point! :P

Hi Stephen, good luck on the readathon. Another one I won't be able to do. My advice to you is to quit googling and stay on LT...it's a much safer world here for impressionable young men.

Are you going to have a new thread for each book you read? Brilliant idea if that's your plan. ;-)

Hello Stephen! *waves*

Oh sure, Donna, LT is much safer. *Glares at all the people who keep posting dirty things on his pristine threads* Yes, I'm looking at you 4! Stephen, Ape, Other Stephen and Original Stephen!

~Crickets chirping in the awkward silence~

*Ahem* Oh, errr, hi Jen. Ummm, welcome...ok, so I swear you just walked in at the perfectly wrong time! My thread isn't normally this crazy. You know when you go to a friend's house and they say "Oh, it's not normally this messy." Like that! Just bad timing is all... ...

*Drive-By Wave*

Good luck on the Readathon.....you're a better man than I

;-p

Hi Jude. Don't be so sure! I know you have guns. I have, ummm... *brandishes sharpie marker*

...*shrugs*

>25 Ape: The Mark(er) of ZORRO???? That's the ticket!

See, you are well armed

;-}

*Draws a Zorro moustache on Jude* There, now YOU are a better man than I! :P

Pfffffftttttt!

;-p

Ah, so, not much reading this weekend. The NFL playoffs are here. *happy sigh* My team has a first-round bye week and get to play at home throughout. Hurray. Too bad the Packers are winning right now, was really hoping to get matched up against the Seahawks. Ah well.

Right, anyway, hopefully I'll remedy the reading speed when Ellie's Readathon (2) starts. Yippee. ;)

I was wondering how you'd manage the readathon with football on this weekend, Stefano.

I'm bummed that the Saints lost yesterday.

Me too. :(

Waves Hi! Good luck in the 2nd readathon.

#30/31: Me three :(

hmmm finally! a new thread. I could never do a 24 hour read.. I need to sleep!

Did you cheat and watch football?

Caro/Jim/Stasia: Ah, well, being a fan of the Falcons, I was not-so-bummed about the Saints losing. :P And having a crappy team advance is all the better! Sorry Mark, but I'll be rooting for the Seahawks again in case Falcons make it to the next round, all the easier in that case!

Hi Kim, thanks!

Kath: Actually, the readathon starts tonight, so I got to watch football AND participate in the readathon. Woohoo. I didn't read a page on Sunday though, and only a few on Saturday, so it still feels like cheating.

Oh, and I need my sleep too! Yeah, aren't I suppose to be youthful and energetic? Bah! No, I'll be in bed nice and early as usual, I'll mostly just be reading during tomorrow's half of the readathon.

Morning sunshine! As long as you're with us somewhere during the 24 hours, it's all good. I'm aiming for 24 hours but given that I've got a cracking headache and I had one of those 'please, please don't make me get up!' mornings, I'll take it one hour at a time...

Sorry to hear that Ellie! :( Maybe we should have a sleep-a-thon instead. I'm pretty certain I could do the full 24-hours in that case. *crashes on desk*

S'ok, I've had some nice strong shiny pills and now I'm halfway to being high as a kite (high as a blackbird?)... Then I'll be half asleep when the drowsy part kicks in, then all should be fine. I've got food coming between 7 and 8 so I should be able to squeeze in a nap straight after work before that too. I have to finish this rather dull ARC I'm reading, that would be good. And maybe another library book? That would be doubly good. Eventually I might even be able to read from my own shelves again! I got so many wonderful non-fiction books from the library but I just don't seem to be reading them fast enough, and they're not from my local library so I can't just find them again! Noooooo! Ok, enough rambling. Go back to sleep sweetie. *hums lullaby softly*

You and I are sharing the headache this morning, Ellie. I cannot wait to get home so I can take something for it!

Ellie: Ohhh, that was almost like a late-night post. Well then, hurray for shiny pills.

ARCs, I've been requesting less of them. I used to be happy just to get one, but after my past couple I realized requesting 'just anything' that looks remotely interesting is not such a great idea. I'm trying to only request the ones I know for sure I'll like now.

And no Ellie, just because you might have to return alot of those nonfiction books doesn't mean you get to go buy them all. Noooo! :P

*Drifts dreamily*

Stasia: Long distance headache? o.o

Yeah, long distance headache :( Worse, I am at work and cannot take anything for it yet.

This ARC was so promising though! It's the new Lauren Kate novel, The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove, sent from Random House. So far it's just like Mean Girls in book form. Lots of bitching and manipulating and 'I want to be Prom Queen' stuff going on. On the plus side, the pages seem to fly by pretty quickly, so I don't mind hanging on to see if it improves...

Stasia - Oh no! *tries to send Stasia headache-pill happy vibes all the way from England*

P.S. Stephen - library books. Returns. Buying. Yes, it DOES mean that... :-)

Thanks, Ellie. I appreciate it!

Ellie: tsk tsk, the library will still have them later. And you get 'mad' at me and Rachel *shakes head in slight confusion
Oh, and try as I might, sleep was not particularly successful last night, so we shall see how far I make it through readathoning before I go loopy and drop :P
I'm almost caught up on my ARCs, just one left. On pile for tonight, along with Lauren Kate's Torment. . . hoping their decent *fingers crossed

Bah, I have a couple of ARCs that looked a lot more interesting when the toddlers were napping than they look sitting on my shelf. I'm being much more selective these days, too. I did receive the latest in a series I enjoy, so that was a nice treat!

So sorry for global headaches, Ellie and Stas. :(

ARCs: Well, I have always requested books that looked interesting to me...the problem is lots of things look interesting to me. "Ohh, a political thriller? REQUEST!" I mean hey, nothing wrong with political thrillers. Now I'm realizing that, yes, political thrillers are all fine and good but I don't want to be forced to read one, so I'm avoiding things like that. Just because it interests me doesn't mean it's a great choice. I'm trying to stick to my preferred genres.

P.S. Stephen - library books. Returns. Buying. Yes, it DOES mean that... :-)

Haha, of course... *slaps forehead*

I had a headache this morning too. Boooooooooo.

Libraries! Yay!

Jen: Hmmm, well one of the side effects of visiting my thread is headaches, so maybe that is everyone's problem! :P

Hour 1
Currently reading: Southern Storm by Terri Blackstock

Pages read this hour: 34
Pages read total: 34

A nice start, I'll be happy to finally get this book finished. I've got a long way to go but hopefully this readathon will help! I'll do the meme in a couple hours when I put the book down for the night.

Go you! *waves read-a-thon scarf merrily*

Thanks Ellie. *smooch*

Hour 2
4pm-5pm

Pages read this hour: 24
Total pages read: 58

I got a bit distracted when I checked in last hour and it took me awhile to get back into the book. I hope that isn't a regular occurrence, considering how unenthusiastic I am to continue going back to this book. I'll be eager to finish it tomorrow!

Hour 3
5pm-6pm

Pages read this hour: 30
Total pages read: 88

That's a bit better. I still found myself setting the book down and taking a breather after every couple of chapters (they are only 2-4 pages each most of the time) but not terrible.

I may still read a bit later tonight. If I do I'll make a note of it tomorrow morning. There's a pretty big football game on though and I think I'll be watching that. Hopefully I don't stay up too late and wake up late tomorrow morning!

You could put the game on mute and continue reading, taking occasional peeks at the game tonight, Stefano.

I read on another thread that you haven't received your SantaThing books yet. It made me relieved that I'm not the only one. I can't find the thread about receiving books which is where I was watching for when I might expect to find a package on my doorstep. Maybe the Postal Service will grace us this week!

Just think how HAPPY you'll be to finish that book. And maybe after some sleep even the non-fiction will be less painful? I need you back in there tomorrow in case I conk out early! *looks around nervously at the very thought of showing weakness*

Caro: Ha, I wish! But I can't, because my 'peeks' would last entire quarters probably. D'oh.

Mamzel: Indeed. It's a whole big mess, I'm afraid. Hopefully they will be arriving soon. I was going to list my SantaThing books here with the books I got for Christmas, but here it is Jan 10 and still no SantaThing books...

Hi Ellie! Yes, I'll definitely be finishing it tomorrow morning, sometime in the first few hours I think. And don't worry, I'll be there tomorrow! I think I'll read the historical fiction...my page count will go way down, I was browsing through it and there is a TON of text on each page, but ah well! My main concern is that I'll be aware of how slow the pages are going and it will be distracting, but I've read another book by the author and it was very absorbing, so maybe it won't be so bad. :)

Don't worry too much about the pages - I'm just seeing it as every page that goes by is another page towards my reading targets and getting some books shifted, so it's all good! Reading that biology book at work today, it really helped... *adopts look of great concentration and intelligence, like when I was reading that really smart biology book at work, like the really smart intelligent person I am occasionally*

#55 : In that case ..... no reading for you tonight then I guess, Stefano. oh wait... that goes for me too. ;-)

Hey everyone! It's 6:50 in Ohio and I'm ready to get started again in 10 minutes. I've been trying to catch up on all the late-night posts but there's just too many of them, so maybe I'll come back to it later.

Well, I'm wide-awake and raring to go! I'll eat a quick breakfast now and then hit the books! :)
(Assuming I can get off LT soon...)

Ellie: Occasionally? Pffft, the only time you aren't a smart intelligent person is when you make crazy late-night posts, and even those probably hide some forbidden mystical wisdom within their depths. :P

Caro: Wah! I wanted the SEC to lose. :(

>58 Ape: - I like to think so. Though probably not. They'll just provide evidence when the men in white coats come to take me away!

Is this a crazy late-night post? It's 1pm but technically it's a late-night post since I've only had a nap, right?

Ellie, I don't think you have to worry. . . my crazy will lure them away. And yes, it is still Monday. It will be Monday until I sleep at least 3hrs straight--even if I fall asleep Wednesday ;P

I'm sure by 'white coats' you man lab coats and that these scientists will be coming to get you so that can study your brain and figure out how someone can be so full of awesomeness. :P

Hour 17(?)
7am-8am
Currently reading: Southern Storm by Terri Blackstock

Pgaes read this hour: 48
Total pages read: 136

Wow! That was one productive hour. I had everything taken care of and out of the way, so I could sit and read the whole time. It helps that the chapters seem to be getting shorter and shorter (lots of blank space on the pages) and this 'mystery' is finally coming to a conclusion (slightly more exciting now...). Another hour like that and I'll finally be through with this book!

Yay Stephen!!

>61 Ape: - Don't push your luck... :-)

Ellie: *smooch* :P

Hour 18
8am-9am

Pages read this hour: 45
Total pages read: 181

Another very productive hour! I actually read faster than the last hour, even though I read less pages, because I spent the first 15 minutes posting. :)

Hour 19
9am-10am

Pages read this hour: 21
Total pages read: 202

That's it! It's over! It's done with! I have completed Southern Storm. Ah, sweet relief! I was so happy to finally get that done I spent the rest of the hour savoring a piece of cheese and garlic Texas toast and browsing LT a bit.

Oh, and it's snowing! I didn't think it was supposed to start so early, and to be honest I'm not even sure when it started actually... sometime in the past 2 hours I suppose. :P

I'm going to take Shyanne out for a bit and take a shower before settling into the final stretch. Next up I'll be starting The Ten Thousand by Michael Curtis Ford. I read The Fall of Rome last year and really liked it so I'm looking forward to it.

Ah, walkies in the snow. Another reason to like cats so much. Cats curl up on your knee by the fire. Much more my style!

>65 elliepotten:: I'm with Ellie on that one! I like my indoor pets, thank you. As much as I love dogs (which I do, quite a bit), I'd rather they come visit with friends or family than have a permanent place in my home. Maybe I'll feel differently once we fence in the yard, mind you.

Stephen, dearest, I have to say that I've read both of your threads over the last half hour and I have laughed out loud so many times that it has made me feel quite a bit better!

I'm off to join up the tail end of the readathon today (just found out about it while reading your thread - that's how far behind I am on LT!), but wanted to tell you that you are most certainly not alone in the picking-up-on-accents thing. Whenever I go somewhere with a different accent, no matter how slight it is, I tend to talk like I'm a native. Once I spent a week traveling through the South and I kept my drawl for over 2 weeks. Drove my friends crazy, but I couldn't help it!

The best one was the combo of my normal Wisconsin accent (kinda like "Fargo") with an Italian accent. Lovely. Well, whaddya expect after being there for a month?!?

Off to Read-a-thon with you!

Well done on getting through to the end of the dreaded tome of Christian Fiction. Hope ancient Greece is more to your liking: it looks interesting.

I quite expected you to pick something hideously ghoulish and crammed with zombies for the next read to compensate - although on further reflection the ancient Greeks could be pretty ghoulish if they put their brains minds to it.

Ellie: Oh, Shyanne tries to curl up in my lap, for sure. She seems to think she is a smaller dog than she really is, so it's quite comical when she tries it. :P

Faith: Oh sure, cats are nice and all, though I'm a sucker for the unconditional love and attention dogs offer.

Laura: Oh good, I'm glad I could help! I didn't know perverted jokes could weaken flu symptoms. So I'm not as useless as I thought. Yippee!

Oh, and did you say Wisconsin? Bring it on, Packers! :P

Caty: Oh, the review for that Christian fiction book should certainly be interesting. And yes, a few Greeks have already been set on fire with burning tar and reveled in at least 1 gruesome decapitation. :D

Hour 20
10am-11am
Currently reading: The Ten Thousand by Michael Curtis Ford

Pages read this hour: 4
Total pages read: 206

Not much reading this hour, by the time I took Shyanne out and got a shower it was 10:30, so I ate another chunk of lasagna and read the 'historical note' bit in the beginning before officially starting the book at 11am.

Hour 21
11am-12pm

Pages read this hour: 13
Total pages read: 219

Oh! Ok, I'm glad I started The Ten Thousand because I'm really liking it! It's a bit of a slow start in terms of page numbers, but I didn't read the whole hour either. This will definitely be slower than the mystery book, but since I'm enjoying it so much I don't think it'll be too much slower. :)

Laura - I do it too! I have to try and hold myself in check sometimes. Working in a busy tourist town, we get so many people from all over the place coming into the shop in the summer, and I have a tendency to slip a little bit on occasion, which is quite innocent but sounds like I'm just taking the piss! Especially Irish accents, for some reason. They're just so irresistable. I see these customers looking at me a bit funny and have to roll hastily back to an exaggerated Derbyshire accent and a lot of stupid small talk to throw them off the scent... :-)

Caty - seconded. The end of the CF nightmare must be quite the relief!

Stephen - before Mum had me her and my dad got a German Shepherd called Belle. Even when we came along and were growing up, she used to try to clamber on Mum's knee on a regular basis - amazing how such a large dog could manage to fold herself up like that... You could barely see Mum's face behind her, and she had to grip on for dear life so the dog didn't just slide off back onto the floor!

But, since Belle went... well, we acquired one cat, then another, now two more, and I love them!

Ellie: Yep, that sounds like Shyanne alright. And she has long, lanky legs so it's quite awkward and funny-looking. :)

Hour 22
(12pm-1pm)

Pages read this hour: 17
Total pages read: 236

I'm trying to keep up with the snow. I like to just sweep the porch and walkways off with a broom instead of letting it build up and then needing to use a shovel. It's coming down FAST though. I've swept it twice now and... *looked outside* Yep, just about covered again. Might as well prepare that snow shovel!

I did get a nice little bit of reading done though. And look, only 2 hours remaining! C'mon people, that's not so much, right!? :)

No snow up north but radar says it's on the way.

Good luck with the readathon, Stephen!

Thanks Lynda. The snow is starting to fizzle here, aw man! :)

Hour 23
(1pm-2pm)

Currently reading: The Ten Thousand by Michael Curtis Ford
Pages read this hour: 29
Total pages read: 265

Ah, I was really able to sink my teeth into the book this hour! I'm really enjoying it. :)

Hour 24
(2pm-3pm)

Pages read this hour: 23
Total pages read: 288

Phew! That's the end of it. 288 pages...well, it's not great, but I'm still quite happy. I've been lucky to get 10-15 pages read per day lately, so this is quite an accomplishment. Esecially since I only read during about 11 of the 24 hours (and that's counting the one in which I only had time to read 4 pages.) Once again, the readathon has helped me get out of my pedestrian winter reading pace. I finished 1 book and am deep into another. Hurray!

Damn! All this Read-a-Thon business is making me crazy!

Me, I'm just stopping by for a Heads-Up

;-}

Hi Jude! Don't worry, that's the last one for me for awhile! :)

Jude - Making you crazy? Have you seen the sleep-deprived ramblings of some of the long-haulers this week?! ;-)

Last one for a bit for me too I think... On that kinda level anyway. I got three books finished though, they're soooooo good for hitting the TBR pile. I'll still join them and/or host them but I'm sleeping the night like a normal person for the next few, I don't mind refereeing and cheering but I've not borne up quite so well this time! *conks out on Stephen's front step and just waits to be covered in snow*

Well, that's good to know..

i could never do a Read-a-Thon...too easily distracted by DVDs...CDs...and LIFE

;-)

>77 elliepotten: Ellie, i haven't kept up with the Read-a-Thon posts....sorry....but..I give you serious Props for instigating The Beast...and for putting your TBR on a "diet"

once more on "conking" Stephen!!

*Opens front door* Ohh! It seems the mailman has left me a package, from ENGLAND!! *Drags Ellie inside and wraps her in Ohio State Buckeyes snuggie* :P

Jude: Life? What's that? :)

Yeah, I think Ellie would love the "Buckeye" snuggle....maybe I'm wrong...but...

LIFE??? it's what I do every day...and I'm still alive

;-p

I feel I have some smart-alack comment to go here. . . . by my brain has sleepy cloud -_-;

Jude: Eek, that Life stuff sounds aweful. Is it like the board game where if you don't know how to use the Spinner correctly you can risk having a child? o.o

Katie: *pat pat* You sleepy time go now.

#79 : *Drags Ellie inside and wraps her in Ohio State Buckeyes snuggie*

Did you tape her into the snuggie as well, Stefano? I've got this visual now of poor Ellie wrapped up in the Snuggie blanket, taped and about to be mailed BACK to England.

Caro: Oh no, the tape is so when she wakes up and realizes where she is she can't run away screaming hysterically as quickly.

Okay....let me get this straight..playing the game LIFE....and you don't spin the Spinner right...you get pregnant??

That's almost as bad as the given thing here.."if you drink enough MOUNTAIN DEW...it will make you sterile"

and I wonder why all these teeny girls end up with big bellies...too much Mountain Dew??

EWWWW!!!
;-}

Hmmm, when I was growing up it was "Mountain Dew will make your penis smaller." And I was raised on the stuff for several years before my dad exited the house. Oh dear. :P

Oh my, I just found this second thread of yours Stephen...So much wonderful frivolity that I'm sorry to be 86 messages behind.

So, *do i dare ask*

Is your penis smaller...compared to Whatever??

*I did not post this thread..it was my Evil Twin*

;-p

Ohhh, I'm so confused... England, packaging, tape... *looks down at self sitting in Derbyshire and wonders if she's learnt the art of astral projecting or something*

Stephen - Do Not Answer These Questions. I'm too sleepy to cope!

I have no life Jude, it makes things like read-a-thons very easy to organise so long as it happens to fall on a day off work! So long as I got recovery time and I don't have to get out of my comfy clothes and go anywhere, I'm good...

>89 elliepotten: You are "Good" with me...any/every time, Ellie
;-}

Linda: Avert your eyes! There is a review for a Christian fiction book on the way...can't be good, nope, not at all.

Jude: *gets defensive* Hey, it's not the size that matters! Oh, umm, errr, I mean, noo...

*sniffle*

Questions? Which questions? These questions? Why would I answer my own questions? Or did you mean some other questions? How long do you think I can keep typing in questions? A long time, I bet. ...crap! :P

Oh, and:

Ohhh, I'm so confused... England, packaging, tape... *looks down at self sitting in Derbyshire and wonders if she's learnt the art of astral projecting or something*

No no, you said in post 77: *conks out on Stephen's front step and just waits to be covered in snow*

So I opened the door and thought you were a package delivered by the mailman, you see... :)

Not reading all the Readathon updates, since I read them on the main thread. Thanks for joining in, Stephen!

ah, two people who haven't sleep in the last days -- Stephen AND Stasia.

You two are amazing. You would not want to be around me when I don't have at least six hours of rest.

Hi Stasia! It was fun, I hope you had a good time. :)

Linda: Oh, don't worry, I slept! I'm a big baby and am lucky to stay awake past 10pm. Yep, I'm a real party animal. Rawr...

2. Southern Storm by Terri Blackstock



Pages: 375
Rating: 2/5

Mystery/Suspense

Cade, resident police chief of Cape Refuge, is on patrol during a roaring storm when he gets a call about some fallen power lines. Obviously it is his job as a police chief to take care of this (?) and naturally it is necessary to throws his lights and sirens on and speed there as quickly as possible. (?) As he navigates the uncoorporating traffic that just won't get out of his way for this urgent business, he accidentally hits a pedestrian. To make matters worse, the pedestrian has a bullet hole in his torso. Oh dear, looks like we have a mystery on our hands.

Despite all evidence to the contrary, the beginning of the book really wasn't so bad. Granted some of it was a teensy bit silly, but Cade's conflicted feelings about his accident are well-told and emotional. A great start, I would say. Then Cade disappears. Obviously the thing to do when someone disappears isn't to take action but to pray (?) and naturally actually trying to search for the person would just be absurd. (?) So his best friend prays, and his best friend's wife, and his best friend's wife's friends. Even Cade prays. Then one lady, a non-believer, says "Hey! What good will praying do? I'm going to go search for him!"

So she does, and she finds him. So what's the moral of the story? That even if you are a Christian maybe sometimes you shouldn't rely on your god to do everything for you and sometimes you should do things yourself? That sounds reasonable! But, no. You see, despite her beliefs, clearly it was God who led her to Cade. Cade's prayers were answered, his best friend's prayers were answered, and so were his best friend's wifes' and her friends' prayers. Everyone's prayers were answered! Even though it was the other lady who found him, despite everyones' insistence that she was being irrational and that she should stay home and pray, somehow the author manages to twist everything around so that it was Oh Holy Sir Lord Master guy that did it all.

Huh. I guess I have a lot to learn in life. Did I really just read a Christian fiction book and expect the plot to be logical? How silly of me.

Well, I think I'll go pray that my next book turns out better than this one.

Did I really just read a Christian fiction book and expect the plot to be logical? How silly of me.

'Twas. Now go practice your begats.

Sorry you didn't enjoy Southern Storm Stefano. I liked your review though ... but I think I'll give this one a miss.

I hope your next read is better.

Stephen, Love your #79 post to Ellie. ;-)

Oh Baby..I loved our review...and I hate Christian Fiction......

Damn, you are good!

;-}

Sigh. I was wondering where you'd gone to. I've moved in to my new digs for good now. Care for a cup of tea?

Richard: *scratches head* You've lost me. I think reading that book lessened my ability to think. :(

Caro: Oh, it is better! I'm very much enjoying the fun, action-oriented historical fiction I'm reading now.

Cindy:

Jude: Thanks. :) I didn't even get to the part about how women are supposed to be submissive to their husbands. *cringe* I'm hoping that was just the 1 character's belief and not a reflection of the author's...

Ilana: Hello! Tea sounds lovely. I've been trying not to drink too many calories, but maybe just this once. *drinks half a gallon*

Morning, Stephen. Recovered from the Readathon yet?

Stasia: Probably, but today is recovery day anyway! I'm spending the whole day eating leftovers so I don't have to 'cook,' playing video games, and goofing around on LT. :)

Ohhh, I see where the mailman thing came from. If I was unconscious at the time that's probably why I was a bit confused... And couldn't you have lifted me manfully into the house instead of dragging me? I'm recovering today too, by sitting in my PJs, er, reading, BUT also eating deliciously hassle-free unhealthy food and watching telly. Aaaaaaah. *stretches blissfully* :-)

Linda: The ridiculous thing is, after pulling the all-nighter AND having worked all day the day before it started, I ended up lying in bed wide awake after it was over, and had to read some more of yet another book before I could sleep! Madness.

I have thumbed your review Stephen, for being one of the most deliciously sarcastic I have ever read. Reminds me a little of those uber-religious folk who were jailed fairly recently when they formed a prayer group around a little girl who was fitting uncontrollably, and clearly in a lot of pain, instead of taking her to hospital. She died on the living room floor after several HOURS in which they refused to call for help. How people can do that and call themselves Christian is beyond me.... :-(

Lol. Just read your review Stephen. As Ellie says, the sarcasm was great. But I have to ask since I obviously missed something along the way: why Christian fiction to begin with other than for the groan factor?

Ellie: Oh, that sounds lovely! Errr, I mean the part about sitting around in your PJs, not the part about that religious cult sacrificing the poor girl. :(

(Am I the only one who pictured that as a ritual sacrifice? Sure sounds like one to me.)

Glad you liked the review! :)

Ilana: ...my grandmother gave them to me to read. I have 2 more of the series. Not reading them. NOT! *refuses*

There's a huge long genealogy of someone in the bible, all full of "Yershwoonsptam begat Schlitterbahnhof, begat Goonsquaddle..." ad nauseam for something like a page. Note well the absence of female participation in this. The begattin' appears to be parthenogenetic.

I joined Ellie in thumbs-upping your snarky, yet informative and nicely made, review.

Stephen, I figured it was more she went into fits, they thought God was giving her visions or some nonsense and wouldn't do anything so she could reveal her newly attained knowledge. . . . I must've seen it in a movie somewhere.

Richard: Ah, well, I can't read the bible. Something about bursting into flames or something like that.

Katie: giving her visions/newly attained knowledge

Yep, sounds cult-like to me! :o

A 2? You gave it a 2? Why on earth? It sound like it ought to merit about a quarter of that score.

#108 *snort*giggle*

Actually, Stephen, some of the names are much odder and harder to pronounce than that.

Caty: Yeah well, I only use whole stars and I gave it +1 for being mildly exciting towards the end. If you want to see what 1-star review looks like, read my review for Lab 257... D'oh!

Hey, I finished another game! Woohoo. Bioshock 2 is done. Ah, but I am such a shmuck. I had to go be Mr. Good-guy, as usual. I saved all the little girls even if by not harvesting them I weakened my character, and never killed a single storyline character despite how annoying they were, and what do I get as a reward? A sad, tear-jerking ending. *pouts*

So next up is Killzone 2, where I will protect humanity against invading aliens. Yeah, I know I know, you can all thank me later. :P

Did I really just read a Christian fiction book and expect the plot to be logical? How silly of me.

No comment :-D

But there is a reason that this little Christian steers well clear of Christian fiction.

Katie - nope, I think that was a movie! Or another case somewhere even crazier, perhaps. This one was just that they were convinced God would miraculously save her, definitely, absolutely, no doubt, 100%, no really, as long as they just prayed hard enough. And she died in agony. Words just don't do it justice, really, do they?

Kathy: Reason? I think I have *scrolls back up to check Southern Storm's page count* 375 reasons not to read another Christian fiction.

Actually, it's not always so bad. 2-3 years ago I read Comes a Horseman by Robert Liparulo and thought it was not-horrible. Although it wasn't very Christian-y... *shrug*

Ellie: =(

Congratulations on your hot review listed on today's home page!

Thank you, Linda. :)

#102 : Stefano, and this action packed fun historical fiction you're enjoying now is.... ?

just jumping in to say hello..
can't begin to catch up tonight..
stay warm!

#115> I wouldn't want to count how many books of that kind I've been given over the years. Now I chuck them as soon as it's polite because I'm not putting myself through another one!

Must . . . resist . . . posting . . . obscene . . . pictures . . . on . . . Stephen's . . . thread!



ARGH! I failed. I blame my lewd behavior on the media. And energy drinks. Definitely energy drinks. ;)

Now--(scrolling to the top of the page)--to actually read what I've just interrupted. Sorry, folks. :)

Wholy Moly! 120 posts already? *Faints*

Re: Ellie's dog and Shyanne. . Java is German Shepherd mix and seems to be a ballerina! All legs I tell you!

#96: You read a Christian book? LMAO! Ah, that's priceless. You really are a masochistic, aren't you, mister?

Caro: The Ten Thousand by Michael Curtis Ford. :)

Hi Kath! *Waves*

Kathy: Yep! *glares at stack of Christian fiction.* Unfortunately I can't just throw those out, I have to return them to my grandmother...unread... *sighs*

Sara: That is so not me. I'm not bald! :P

Tamara: I'm convinced we have twin dogs! Shyanne looks like she's walking on stilts. I thought she'd grow into her legs but it's not looking like it! :)

Sara: I am NOT a masochist. Yes, I did get a blister from eating pizza that was too hot recently, but that's only because it was so yummy I couldn't wait! ...

Ouch... I HATE that moment when the cheese pulls off and the sauce underneath is scalding! I have pain au chocolat for breakfast most mornings and I've learnt to leave it a while now so the chocolate doesn't burn me... :-(

Yes, you'd think I'd learn eventually. "Hey, stop! Don't put that molten cheese and lava-like sauce in your mouth!" ...but no, I haven't learned.

I didn't chew on the left side of my mouth though, so I leanred that lesson! :D

#124: Ha! I never said you were a bald streaker. I was looking for a funnier one, but that's all I could find. (shrugs) I figured none of us girls wanted to see a hot female steaker (er, most of us at least ;), so I opted for the cartoon chubby.

Ok, ok, so you're not a masochist (rolls eyes @ that), but I soooo see you being one years (*ahem* days) from now. See? You're already burning yourself with cheese. Just appalling behavior. :P

Hi Stephen!
Don't ask where I've come from, why I'm here, or where I'm going...
Just wanted to say Hi! :}

The Ten Thousand looks interesting, Stefano. Are you still enjoying it? I'll look out for your review.

I always burn myself when I eat pizza .. i can see it steaming, I can feel the heat coming off the molten cheese and yet I shove a piece of the slice straight into my mouth and burn the roof of my mouth.

Yeah, you all are a bunch of masochists. ;) Don't you know cold pizza is the best? Especially for breakfast.

Love cold pizza for breakfast. IF and WHEN there is any leftover. 8-)

#130/131: I love cold pizza too. My husband thinks I am nuts.

Sara: *Casts vote for female-only streakers in future streakish postings!*

Claudia: Hello! :)

Caro: Yep, sounds familiar alright. I wonder if this power can be harnessed somehow. Maybe the military can build a giant cannon that fires molten-hot pizzas into enemy territory, that will burn the mouths of all those in the vicinity when they try to eat irresistible hot-on-a-crust!

Ok ok, so maybe feeding the enemy isn't the most tactical decision...but hot pizza clearly has potential!

Sara/Cindy/Stasia: Oh, I so disagree. I don't like cold pizza at all, or any kind cold leftovers. I have to reheat it or I find it dull and bland. *shrug*

hmmm nothing has changed here.. :P

Kath: Streakers and pizza, now that's the life.

Mmmm, cold pizza... People think I'm weird, but I actually prefer pizza as it cools than I do when it's hot out the oven. I can taste the actual food instead of just heat!

You're right Ellie. That is weird :)

The Husband is bringing pizza home for dinner tonight. It's not even 8am and I'm already impatiently waiting for it...

#138: See? You should have had the pizza last night and that way you could have leftovers for breakfast this morning!

hehe, I work at a pizza place. Cheap and/or free pizza all the time. I like the cold leftovers. How about cold Spaghetti-O's? So much better than warm ;p

I had pizza last night and it was FANTASTIC. Mmm... *om nom nom*

Leftover pizza, cold, cut up and mixed in with hot scrambled eggs makes me drool.

Yeah, now that's weird... *thinks about it a little longer* Although maybe, just maybe... Hmmm... *brain explodes*

Pizza? did someone say "Pizza"?

I made Pizza Casserole this morning....salami/grnd beef....green peppers/onion/garlic.....corkscrew pasta...cottage cheese (no ricotta)...red sauce.....cheese!!.....it smells divine.....grade school cafeteria food...only better!

I like my pizza a bit cooler, too...when it's super hot and the melted cheese burns your tongue/mouth...you can't taste anything for a while afterwards...cold pizza for breakfast is god's own gift!

Streakers??? In this weather?? Crazy!

;-}

Ohhhh, that pizza casserole sound so GOOD! Wow, Stephen, your thread's almost in danger of becoming some kind of refined cookery zone here - quick, post a zombie or something!

Give me a second, Ellie...I posted the recipe for the casserole on another thread...let me do the copy-and-paste...and Stephen will become a "foodie" by default...through no fault of his own, of course!

Ta Da!!

QUICK PIZZA CASSEROLE

6oz (1 1/2 cups) elbow macaroni
8 oz jar pizza or spaghetti sauce
8 oz carton cottage cheese
4 oz (1 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese
4 oz package sliced pepperoni, cut in half*
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp dried basil*
grated Parmesan for topping

Heat oven to 350. Cook pasta to al dente (i leave it pretty firm for casseroles...it will cook in the sauce); drain. In 2-quart casserole (greased) combine all ingredients except Parmesan; blend well (I do all this in a separate bowl; less sloppy). Sprinkle Parm over top (or wait until near the end of baking time). Cover; bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes, or until heated through.
6 (3/4 cup) servings

* instead of pepperoni you can use 1 lb of wieners cut into slices, 4 oz Canadian bacon cut into 1/2 inch dice, or 1/2 lb of grnd beef, browned....i added some hard salami, too

* i added green pepper to this, because i had one...black olives are good too....also, i added fennel seed, and Italian Seasoning because I was out of plain oregano

Mangia!

;-}

* edited for Recipe* D'oh!!

136: You're right of course. But it's hard to resist. :(

137: Hello! :)

138: I think now I'm impatiently waiting for it!

139: Brilliant. But wait, then she would have been impatiently waiting for it yesterday...

140: NOT better than warm. So not better than warm. Icky!

141: I had chicken alfredo (in a box) om nom nomish...kinda...pizza sounds better though...

142: ...really? ...not so sure about that one...

143: *Cleans up Ellie's brain 'splosion*

144: Sounds like it'd be delicious if you took out the onions. :)

145: How's this?

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm cold pizza. Mmm hot-ish pizza.

Poke: I'm assuming the reason your Mmm-ing was cut short is because you coudln't resist putting the hot pizza in your mouth. See!? It can't be helped.

By the way, does anyone else think the zombie looks like he's eating that pizza a bit too soon? Even zombies burn themselves with pizza!

I like my pizza without the eyeballs...makes the phrase "here's lookin at you" a little too...literal...

What, Stephen......an "onion-a-phobe"??? I can't cook without using *onions and garlic*.....he *gasps* and runs away.....but, i bet you'd like this casserole...my friend Mary's son has been fixing it since he was 12...he's 16 now...and still makes it for their dinner...and he's a country boy...like yourself

;-)

Onions are vile atrocities that should be eliminated from the earth entirely. If I were King of The World my first command would be to have them eradicated, like Smallpox. In fact, if I would have been D. A. Henderson in the 70's I'd have asked "Hey, why are we going through so much trouble killing smallpox when we can rid the planet of onions instead!?"

*shudder cringe*

Awww..."babybabybaby"....waah waah waah!

You scare me sometimes...seriously

;-p

I can't help it, onion are ruinous. Take any dish you can ever think of, add onions, and POOF! Ruined. Nothing worse than biting into a big juicy cheeseburger and getting crunchy, bitter onion in your mouth. Ruinous I tell you! And people insist on putting them in everything. WHY!? :(

#142 Richard: omgomgomg, that sounds soooo good!

>153 Ape: Because they make everything taste better?

I agree that bitter onion is not good but a good, fresh, crunchy, juicy onion is the best part of a hamburger. And let's not even get started about the wonders of French onion soup!!!

Guess what I'm eating just now at this very second. Pizza! 3-meat, with no onions.

Amber: ...ummm...still not sure... *shrug* No matter how it tastes, it will undoubtedly taste worse with onions. It's true!

Terri: You must be thinking of butter. Onions are those little white things that make everything taste like a fungal-infected toenails. Except fungal-infected toenails can't possibly taste as bad as onions. And no matter how they taste, they'd undoubtedly taste worse with onions.

Mamzel: Fresh onions are only bitterer! :(

There is still hope for you, Stephen. The last time my middle son came home to visit, he said, "Oh, Mom, by the way, I like onions now." He used to pick the tiniest particles out of every casserole I made.

Poor fellow, I wonder how his taste buds died. :(

Probably when he became a vegetarian...

That's it! The rancid taste of onions killed his taste buds! How menacing...

o_0
Stephen, I made that same declaration to my friends. . .
"When I rule the world, the first thing I do is exterminate onions"
We have to have them at work--and we cut them fresh--so I'm blinded for half an hour those days >:(

Poor Katie, no free/cheap pizza is worth THAT.

not so bad. I've been there long enough that I can just make other people do it >:}
*sits down with piping hot free pizza

#133: Cold pizza = dull and bland?? Ugh! Just for that, mister, I'm returning the gross-me-out favor with THIS*.

#147: Oh, yum! Now that just ruined any pizza craving I was having. XP

Stephen: I kind of agree with you on the "ew, onions!" thing. I used to hate onions and mushrooms since I was a kid, but I eventually grew to like onions in stirfrys and ground up in veggie burgers and such. Mushrooms on the hand . . . ::shudders:: They taste like what they grow in!

katelism: I used to work in a pizza place, too, eons back, and we got free pizzas every week. Unfortunately, some of the "conditioners" they used in the dough included animal lard. Yummy. XP Needless to say, that was my favorite-smelling job (er, especially since I worked in a kennel at one point), but I never ate the food. I even told some of our customers about the dough conditioners, and they kind of hesitated when ordering. :D Bad for business, I know, but what kind of vegetarian would I be to let other veggers eat animal lard?

*Oops. I think I let a boob or three sneak in three. Drats!

Katie: >:) I wish I could find someone I can make eat onions for me. :P

Sara: Oh thank goodness! I thought THAT was going to link to pictures of onions. Phew! Oh, and mushrooms are DELICIOUS! I can eat mushroom on or in practically anything. Ok, maybe not anything, but I'm a big fan of the mushroom. And broccoli. Is there ANY kind of non-red-sauce soup or pasta that isn't made better with broccoli? Hmmm...

But onions... *blanch*

#166: I wish I could find someone I can make eat onions for me.

Hmm, you might try 'em on your dog. Your vet will probably frown on that, but my little guy used to love them, strange little guy that he was. :)

Darnit. Now you're gonna make me google onions now, aren't you? (grumbles) Btw, you do realize what mushrooms grow in, right?

But definitely! Broccoli rocks. Very delish. I could eat that til my poo turns green (hint, hint, Stephen! That's what mushrooms grow in: Sara's stinky broccoli poo!).

Don't worry Sara, most of your veggies are 'fertilized' in it as well. :)

Wow, my poo really gets around then. (feels all proud)

But look what you made me do, Stephen: google zombie food pyramids! Can you say "wtf was I thinking??"--cause I sure don't know. :D

*Lightbulb* That's it! Sara, you're a genius! Yes, ok, here's the plan. We'll figure out how to mutate a virus so it causes an infectious disease that turns people into zombies, and we'll release it to create a zombie apocalypse. Once this is complete, we'll get the zombies somehow addicted to onions (naturally they would be attracted to grotesque things) and they will rapidly consume every onion on the whole planet. Then the survivors can be left to repopulate the earth, FREE OF ONIONS!.

Granted the plan is just a little bit...errr, extreme. But such measures are necessarry to rid the world of The Bitter Enemy!

ROFL "Zombie Food Pyramid" LMAO Priceless!

Amber from upthread, give it a try! Cut the pizza up first and keep the crusts separate. Think of them as toast. Pile the eggs on top of the cut-up pizza. Trying not to gobble is my biggest challenge.

And a big "oh blah blah blah" to you no-onion fools. I don't even address the no-mushroom morons. You'd think we were talking about Satan's Food here! I mean, y'all'll probably *slurp* down the vile, revolting corn-on-the-cob nastiness that is best used to fatten pigs for the pork that *right-thinking* people batten upon.

Don't anyone say "wheat gluten" or "tofu", or I shall unswallow all over Stephen's thread.

The only 'Onion' I like says:

#170: Sara, you're a genius!

Ok, now that I have that in writing (bwaha!), I'm getting that lamented and notarized, so the next time I say something stupid (which will be in 3 seconds), I can whip that baby out and say, "See, I'm a genius! Stephen the Zombie King Extraordinaire from LibraryThing says so."

And while we're talking Onion Holocaust, I'm still pushing for mushrooms to be included (slaps on her "no-mushroom moron" sticker). Slimy little poo-covered nasties.

(scratches her imaginary goatee) "Repopulating the earth," you say? Why do I have this horrible feeling you'll be the only male survivor? :P

#172: Psst, Richard: WHEATGLUTENANDTOFU!

(throws on her poncho and runs behind Stephen)

#173: Gotta love the Onion. It's the only news you need. :)

*carefully tiptoes behind Sara*

Hello dear.

*unswallows copiously inside the back of her poncho*

Mushrooms and onions RULE!

Richard, you sploshing tease! :P

(frolicks in her secondhand mushroom and onion soup)

Wheee!

You know what makes mushrooms and onions even BETTER? Sauteeing them to perfect, slightly watery, done-ness in bacon grease, then crumbling the bacon over the top to eat alongside your roast! It helps even more if you put a little balsamic vinegar into the pan to flavor the grease a little more.

God, I'm hungry, it's 11:15, and I'm too tired to cook.

Oh, yes, a little pig placenta while you're at it. (stomach growls)

Katie: Zombie nutritionists, how come I never see those on early-morning shows...

"Repopulating the earth," you say? Why do I have this horrible feeling you'll be the only male survivor? :P

SHHHH! You weren't supposed to tell anyone about that part! :)

Richard (177): ...flavor the grease? o.o

Cold pizza = good
Cold Pizza cooked with eggs = nasty
Pizza casserole sounds yum

onions, caramelized in butter on anything = bliss

sploshing = a good word

That's it, Kath, I'm hiring you as my offical LT mathematician. I'll forgive your slight miscalculation in line 4 regarding caramelized onions as being a nervous mistake. :)

Ha, their too cool to be on there. That underground factor just skyrockets their awesome cred :P

Oh, and mushrooms are like the best food ever.

mushrooms are like the best food ever.

Hmmmm... *considers unleashing the power of the Mushroom to battle the uholy ickyness of the Onion*

I finished another game. Killzone 2 was very short, only took me a little over 6 gameplay hours (and 3 days) to finish. I'll most likely be playing it again though, and the multiplayer is a lot of fun! (Even if I'm playing it against the bots...*dork*)

Yep, that's...*counts on fingers* 6 games completed now! I'm getting back to Prototype today (almost finished, 26 of 31 missions complete according to the statistics screen) and then I'll finally get back into Borderlands. Then I'll be out of games, and it's back to reading! Errrr, unless my sister is done with Final Fantasy XIII by then...in which case I'll be borrowing and playing that and you may never see me again (for a couple months, anyway...)

Well, according to Mario, mushrooms do have super powers.
I may need to draw a comic of that if I get time.

I'd google for pictures of mushroom battling onions, but I'm TERRIFIED of googling 'mushrooms.' I know I won't get what I'm looking for. *cringe*

Won't even touch the Zombie kvetching.....but

......the last time i ate in a fairly decent (read:Adult) restaurant they had this Pizza Salad on the menu...it was a lovely salad of Romaine/Scallions(green onions)/red pepper/black olives....and tiny squares of Sausage Pizza.on top...like Croutons....Heaven-on-a-Plate....I make this at home with leftover pizza...thin crust is better for this salad...

now, back to your Brain-eating...you degenerates!

;-}

The pizza salad sounds interesting, Jude. Y'know, except for the onions part...

Ok, I can't resist. Here's the top seller list from the week I was born:

Fiction 1 THE ICARUS AGENDA Robert Ludlum
Fiction 2 ROCK STAR Jackie Collins
Fiction 3 THE BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES Tom Wolfe
Fiction 4 LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Fiction 5 TREASURE Clive Cussler
Fiction 6 INHERITANCE Judith Michael
Fiction 7 THE LAST PRINCESS Cynthia Freeman
Fiction 8 HOT MONEY Dick Francis
Fiction 9 THE SHELL SEEKERS Rosamunde Pilcher
Fiction 10 KING OF THE MURGOS David Eddings
Fiction 11 BELOVED Toni Morrison
Fiction 12 EMPEROR OF THE AIR Ethan Canin
Fiction 13 THE MYSTERIES OF PITTSBURGH Michael Chabon
Fiction 14 THE TOMMYKNOCKERS Stephen King
Fiction 15 S. John Updike

Non-Fiction 1 LOVE Bernie S. Siegel
Non-Fiction 2 A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME Stephen W. Hawking
Non-Fiction 3 TRUMP Donald J. Trump with Tony Schwartz
Non-Fiction 4 WASHINGTON GOES TO WAR David Brinkley
Non-Fiction 5 CITIZEN COHN Nicholas von Hoffman
Non-Fiction 6 THE RISE AND FALL OF THE GREAT POWERS Paul Kennedy
Non-Fiction 7 THRIVING ON CHAOS Tom Peters
Non-Fiction 8 BATTLE CRY OF FREEDOM James M. McPherson
Non-Fiction 9 WINFIELD Dave Winfield with Tom Parker
Non-Fiction 10 CHAOS James Gleick
Non-Fiction 11 THE TRIAL OF SOCRATES I. F. Stone
Non-Fiction 12 THE POWER GAME Hedrick Smith
Non-Fiction 13 UNDER THE EYE OF THE CLOCK Christopher Nolan
Non-Fiction 14 THE PRIZE PULITZER Roxanne Pulitzer with Kathleen Maxa
Non-Fiction 15 SPEAKING OUT Larry Speakes with Robert Pack
Non-Fiction 16 1999 Richard Nixon
Non-Fiction 17 THE CLOSING OF THE AMERICAN MIND Allan Bloom
Non-Fiction 18 OSCAR WILDE Richard Ellmann

#187: What a nice bit of randomness. Where did you find that?

I have some of those! Interesting seeing what sticks around, innit?

P.S. On the mushroom/onion thing, can I just say that although my stomach may disagree with them most of the time, I am a HUGE fan of both. When we were younger and went to fetes and car boot sales and air shows you couldn't beat a hot burger with fried onions and ketchup, and a good spoonful of mixed fried onions and mushrooms is a must-have side dish when we have steak and potato salad in summer. *mmmmmmmm*

Sara: Oh! Whoops, I forgot to post the link. Here it is.

Ellie: Aww, nothing kills a good burger like onions! :(

But yes, oddly I've never read a single one of those! Although I did learn that Love in the Time of Cholera was a best seller in my birthweek. For some reason I thought it was a more recent book.

#190: Gracias, Ape Man. Didn't like my results, though. Oh well. (shrugs)

Too bad, Sara. Mine aren't particularly interesting either, but it's still fun to see what books were popular when you were born. :)

So I beat another game already. Prototype is done, 10 hours of gameplay until it was done. But this is an open-world game and I have TONS to do yet, so I'll being playing it plenty more. Now I can focus on Borderlands again.

Not tonight through. A big game is on tonight...the Falcons will be playing their first playoff game. Oh dear oh dear, hope it turns out well...

Looks like Karma is biting little Ben in the A$$. They are not doing too well in Pittsburgh, No idea why I am watching ... it is muted though..

We must be born around the same time--lots on my list are the same as yours.

Couldn't find any good mushroom vs onion pics. . . but learned that 2 characters from MegaMan are based on them: Tonion and Split Mushroom. Maybe I can find one of those. . .

Kath: They are back in it now. It's been a pretty crazy game...lots of turnovers. :)

Katie: 4/25/88 is my birthdate. As far as Megaman, I've never been a big fan, I'm afraid! :(

3/31 here. . . . na na, I'm older :P

Never actually played Megaman. . . only saw the series from the 90s. Did like that cheesy Saturday morning goodness tho :)

Ah, that just means you'll be a senior citizen before me. :P

Ha! And a motorized scooter that I can 'accidentally' run into people with >:}

Oh, There is that! I mea, I can 'accidentally' run into people now but without that senility excuse in my pocket people seem to think I'm just being childish. *rolls eyes dramatically*

Missing over 30 posts, and I'm not going to pretend I plan on catching up.

Megaman? You lost me.

And, Stephen dear, you're both younger and older than I thought you were. For awhile I assumed you were the same age as my baby brother, and then I thought you were only a year or two behind me. Wrong on both accounts.

But hi. Glad to see zombies still have a home.

156 - AMEN on the French onion soup. I had it in Poland with cheese on toast floating in it. It was divine.

195 - Child! Mine had lots I'd never heard of, and a Garrison Keillor book which just made me sad. If ever an author was beige, he was.

Luxx: Oh, trust me, you don't want to read those 30 posts. ONIONS! *shudders* That's all you have to know.

Jen: Child!? I'll have you know I've been a legal adult for four whole years!. In fact, I'm four and a half! No, actually, four and three-quaters! Ha! I'm a big boy now. *sticks tongue out childishly*

:)

Falcons got hammered pretty hard last night. *pout* I actually went to bed at halftime because the blowout was already in place. Woke up this morning to see the 48-21 score. Ouch!

You're up early! It's Sunday, WHY ARE YOU UP EARLY?!!

I'm always up early. :( I actually slept in until 7:30 last week once, but It's rare I sleep in past 6:30.

Hey, y'know, with the time difference between Ohio and England, I'd be a total night-owl party-animal cool guy over there! 8-)

Sorry Stephen, but I was rooting for Green Bay.

Being from the Midwest me too, Stephen.

*cries*

I suppose I should root for Green Bay as well now. If they go on play in the Super Bowl, I won't feel so bad about them losing I suppose. Like a couple years ago when the Falcons lost to the Cardinals... *grumbles*

Then NEXT year I'll be hoping they lose every game and are the worst team in the NFL. >:P

LOL

Football drives me crazy...

Good thing there are nice things like french onion soup and caramelized onions on bread to make things right.

202 - I win... I've been an adult for six years and 23 twenty-fourths.

>209 mckait: - *widens eyes hungrily* Good thing my chicken and stuffing-in-mayo sandwich has yummy little pieces of onion in it, really... :-)

*cringes as another thud echoes down from the children's section and tries not to look*

Stasia: Hey, it works. Did you see what happened to the Cardinals? They're awful now. Yep, and that's all my doing. 8-) *Roots for Green Bay and prepares to glare menacingly*

Kath: *Gasp* I just thought of the worse food dish ever. Onions covered in cheese! And looking a the color of that Green Bay fan's face, it would appear he just recently ate one of those vomit-inducing atrocities.

Jen: Yep, you and Ellie are both just a couple of old ladies, alright!

*dodges encyclopedia*

Ellie: Hmmmm..."little" pieces are...*gulp* kind of tolerable. It's the thick, crunchy bitter ones that are BLECH.

Morning Stephen- Sorry about your Falcons! Some exciting football going on last night. Go Bears!

Indeed, Mark. I have no reason to want the Seahawks to win now that the Falcons don't have to worry about playing anyone, and I must say a Bears/Packers match up to see who goes to the super bowl would be quite interesting... but then, seeing the Seahawks go further with their awful record would be interesting too! Hmmm, I'll just observe neutrally. :)

Go Jets! :D

haha, the only interest I have in football is to know when my pizza selling rushes will be. And Superbowl commercials, since I'm a Marcomm-er :P

"Go Bears" is one of the phrases I can't resist putting a Minnesotan accent on. Just too much fun XD

I would NOT want to work at a pizza place during football season. Super bowl Sunday must be terrible...

I've thoroughly enjoyed the last *checks clock* 20 minutes I've spent catching up on your always-educational thread, Stephen dear, but really? Onions are gross? I used to think the same thing and now - I think they are wonderfully delicious. You never know, you may just love them some day, you whippersnapper you!

Richard, that cold pizza & hot scrambled egg things sounds AMAzing. Looks like I'll be saving some leftover pizza tonight for just such a thing tomorrow morning!

And, since it's contractually written into my Wisconsin Citizenship...
GO PACKERS, WOO HOO!

Making a whole roasted chicken a la Stephen tonight. LOTS of onions in the roaster, more stuffed inside the chicken, and onion powder mixed with butter slathered on the skin to make it brown, crisp, and deliciously onion-y.

What time shall I pick you up for dinner, Stephen?

That sounds wonderful, Richard. You're already making my mouth water.

*wonders if The Girls will be confused by having both Oniony Roast Chicken a la Richard and bland cheese pizza for dinner tonight*

It really is delicious, Laura, but it *must* be done with a whole chicken not cut-up parts! The onion cooking in the cavity imparts such a delicious aroma to the inside meat. And the crispy buttery skin with the oniony taste...! Normally I give my chicken skin to the dog, but even I will eat this crispness.

I also use 4C of chicken stock as the roasting liquid. Can't find onion stock....

I'm happy you enjoy my thread, Laura! Although I'm concerned that you find it educational... :P

Richard! Now why would you go and ruin a perfectly good chicken? Although I do have and use onion powder and onion salt. It tastes good actually, and isn't cruncy-vile-bitter like real onions.

*finally catches up...and wonders how long zombies are going to keep infiltrating Stephen's threads*

I like onions when they are well cooked. But raw onions? Yuck! :P

#216: Superbowl is our 3rd busiest day of the year. Just horrible. We have to prep for 2-3 days to get enough ready for it. (btw, Valentine's Day is #1, Halloween is #2-- because we have heart-shaped and jack-o-lantern pizzas that parents give kids/babysitters). Yeah, so the beginning of February is pretty miserable working.

Angela: An onion is an onion, cooked or not... *shudders*

Katie: Haha, Halloween I can see but I never would have thought Valentine's day would make for a busy pizza restaurant. Hurray America! Guess we're not known for our romanticism...

Hey Stephen! I saw this at Barnes and Noble and *almost* got it for you:



Its so cute! Its a teensy weensy wittle zombikins needing love and care. It suggests brain as primary source of nutrition. Hmm, not sure why they suggest that. . .

OHHHHH ! Can Zombies be cute? I think Stephen should adopt this one.

Hhmmm, I think I'm going to make french onion soup in the slow cooker tomorrow. Yum! I'll have some good lunches this week.

>225 leperdbunny: - That looks like something from Jhonen Vasquez.

Tamara: Ha, it IS cute! And I'm flattered you thought of me when you saw it. But oh dear, if people have begun associating me with zombies...what else might cause you poor 75ers to be reminded of me? *gulp* Oh deary me, people must think of me at the most strangest of moments...

Cindy: Indeed, cute, who knew? So it's official. Zombies can be cute and zombies can have erections. Fantastic! Wow, my thread has made some great (shambling) strides in gathering knowledge about these magnificent creatures. And it's all thanks to all of you! *smooches*

Oh, Lux deary, if you need a new slow cooker why don't you just go ahead a buy a new one now and donate your old one? No need to go ruining a perfectly good one with that awful stench. It's permanent, you know! :)

#227: I heart Jhonen Vasquez :D
I think he did have a character somewhere that had his brain exposed like that. . . can't quite remember where though.

eta: because I can't make a heart symbol w/o LT wanting html-ness *pout-face

>288 - See, I have taste buds, so I like onions. Mmmm.

>299 - I love Johnny and Zim. ;)

#230-- mmmyes (to JTHM & Zim, not onions, yuck!).
Nny is totally after my psychotically deranged and paranoiattacked heart ;P

Random grossness:

#232: I do not even want to know what that is!

what else might cause you poor 75ers to be reminded of me?

assless pants?

I had to goggle who Jhonen Vasquez was. *clueless as usual*

Sara/Stasia: Ack! It's an onion egg sack! Ready to burst and and fill the world with a fresh supply of soldiers for The Bitter Menace's army! *hits with hammer*

Kath: Dan wears assless pants? :o

misdirection will not work. Everyone who reads your thread also read richards.. so my dear boy, you are toast.

T-O-A-R-S-T... Toarrrrst.

Where is that from again?

ETA: Black Books! Ah, thank heavens for instant brain flashes (I'm reading Blink too, great timing). I would have been so annoyed by that...

232- I love chocolate but I cannot IMAGINE the horrors of a chocolate covered onion...yuck!

Kath: Mmmmm, toast. *spreads peanut butter on self* ...I suppose this isn't helping, is it?

Ellie: *Nods* Ummm, I have no clue what your talking about. :(

Angela: Chocolate!? Is that what that is? But what's the weird green fuzz on top? Is that the onion's putridity seeping through the delicious chocolate.

239- I assumed that's what it is, yes. But I don't know what the green stuff is either. Sara? What IS that in the picture??? (Although perhaps Stephen doesn't want to know! But I do...)

Maybe it's a zombie onion...

>239 Ape: - Never mind, it's a Brit-comedy thing. Black Books? Grumpy Irish bookseller Bernard Black and his hairy hippy assistant Manny? Nothing? I'd find it on YouTube but you wouldn't be able to watch it anyway!

*Nods in agreement with a clueless look on his face* It does sound interesting though.

So, dinner at mom's for the holiday. Mistake! Her current boyfriend is a good guy and all, she seems to be happy with him and they have been together for 2 years now I think, but unfortunately he's also a fool. He demonstrated it well today. Should've just stayed away. *grumbles*

Ah yes, Black Books is great! Don't ask me what happens to me at 88 degrees! :)

Stephen, to further hijack your thread - Ellie, whatever happened to Green Wing? I LOVED that show, but there were only 2 seasons shown on BBC America. As soon as I get my hands on a multi-regional DVD player I'm buying the whole set.

It looks like the onion is sweating (crying) through the chocolate.

Sorry you had a bad holiday dinner, Stefano. On the plus side, even if the guy is a fool, he's good to your mom and she's happy with him.

#240: The green stuff on the chocolate? I haven't a clue, sorry. :) But I'm guessing it's some kind of unholy moss or mushroom. Nasty onions and mushrooms. XP Honestly, it's probably some kind of candy sprinkle or something. Still, blech!

Am I the only one who thought it looked kind of like a midget porn star's amputated boob, dipped in chocolate up to the pasty over her nipple?? :o Er . . . never mind I said that. (shuffles back to her dungeon)

---

ETA: Ok, before everyone runs away screaming, the only reason I said that was because of all the odd-as-hell photos out there of erotic veggies and fruit. Just bizarre stuff. So I'm sure you'll just luuuurve these onions, Stephen (*snorts*):

This thread is like a box of chocolate (-covered onions): you never know what you're gonna get. I'm starting to get a flinching reaction each time I open it, you know.

#239: Putridity is now going on my list of best words ever. Ha!

Cindy: A crying onion, oh the irony!

Caro: Yep, that's how I feel about it. I was never one of those kids-of-a-single-mom who fought with the men she brought in, even as a teenager. No reason to now, for sure. But this guy... *shakes head*

Sara: Nope! Hideous, that! *shudders*

Amber: Don't worry about the flinching, it'll lessen as your morals are stripped away with repeated visits to my decadent little palace here. >:P