Paul's Race to 75 Part 7

This is where it all started for me in Malaysia - across the causeway from Singapore is the city of Johor Bahru. The tall grey building third from left is Menara Landmark which I was Project Manager of. The yellowish building in front of it is the Pan Pacific Hotel which is where I had the pleasure to make the acquaintance of a certain young lady who became SWMBO!

Books read so far:
1 North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
2 The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff
3 The Guards by Ken Bruen
4 Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
5 Lyrics Alley by Leila Aboulela
6 Shadow by Karin Alvtegen
7 The Road Home by Rose Tremain
8 One Pair of Hands by Monica Dickens
9 Pure by Andrew Miller
10 The Appointment by Herta Muller
11 The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
12 The Battle of Pollocks Crossing by J.L. Carr
13 No Glossing Over It by Gary Edwards
14 Unkown by Mari Jungstedt
15 The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Currently reading
The Years of Renewal by Henry Kissinger, Zoo Station by David Downing, Jack Sheppard by William Ainsworth, Troubles by J.G. Farrell, Offshore by Penelope Fitzgerald

RESERVED

I feel like I am being tricked ... 30 mins and no one here yet?
*Scurries off to find a double post?!

Hey! Wow! #2 again?

Hi Paul! Gotcha! ;-)

ETA: Oh, yikes! Forget the skateboard - don't want YOU inadvertantly flying! Eeeek

Hi Paul--nice brand new thread!

Chelle, I can feel myself slowing down measurably - feeling as if I'm coming down with a flu bug so I better get to bed as I have a meeting at 8 am and it is after 2 already!

Cee - thanks for removing the skateboard from my path.

Anne - nice to see you! Not been around the threads much these last few days as work intervenes but I do still have my eye on you!

Hi Paul, love your picture. I feel like I'm reliving my travelling days with your thread pictures.
*off to catch up on old thread while staking claim on 4th visitor here*

Looking forward to your thoughts on Zoo Station Paul - I have heard only positive things about that series. Sending flu-go-away vibes.

I am anxious to read Zoo Station, Paul, and will look forward to your review. Our library system actually seems to have the whole series, which is definitely a plus!

Hope you feel better quickly. If it is really the flu, I think you better forget that 8 am meeting.

I am good for March 22 to meet up, if that's good for you ... but if you want to prep for your anniversary, no worries, Paul ... I'll be back in KL again later on in the year.

Oh no! I hope you're not getting the flu, Paul. Tomm has a touch of something that he's been fighting off for the last couple of days - I just hope come the weekend here that he doesn't succumb, both because I care about him, of course, but also because I have a girls-day-out-shopping planned with a friend of mine tomorrow! Sigh.

Paul, I'm loving your top-of-thread Malay photos! Hope you're feeling better.

Beautiful photo.

*Back to lurking*

Hope the flu thing is just a scare Paul and that you wake up feeling all better. Also hope you enjoy Zoo Station which, as you might remember I read toward the end of 2011. Look forward to your comment on it. I've got the audiobooks of book 3 in the series, Stettin Station standing by.

Hi Paul- I hope this is a quick flu and you are feeling better. Number 7, huh? You are rolling sir!

Megan - Photos of Johor Bahru (JB) definitely bring back a lot of memories for me too. Most of them precious ones.

Linda / Heather - thanks for the anti-flu wishes. About to set off for my meeting so a little sleep has helped head it off at the pass so to speak. I can't remember a single negative report on Zoo Station.

Caro - I am good for 22 March 2012. Don't need to prep for my 16th anniversary!

Amber - Hope Tomm is fine - I know how seriously ladies take their shopping expeditions!

Nancy - thanks and nice to see you.

Gail - thanks for de-lurking and for liking the shot.

Ilana - Reading very slowly this year with too many things going on. Way behind schedule so I hope to catch upa little in March. I do of course remember your review of Downing's book.

Mark - it is a quick flu by the looks of it thankfully although my bones still feel somewhat weighted down. Have a great weekend.

Hope you aren't getting sick!
Here is a hot toddy to help you feel better

Hi Paul, I'm here to shamelessly promote the Mystery March thread. Hope you and your readers come and join in.

Chelle - thanks for that I can almost taste it and its making me feel better already.

Judy - I will certainly go along and have a good look.

Zoo Station is fab; if you dislike it, I may end up questioning your judgment, sanity or both!

Hope you feel better...

Suz, hahaha - I think my sanity is still ok just about. Let's see when my review is up.

Adding my hopes that it's not the flu, Paul! Hope the weekend treats you well.

I hope you feel better soon, Paul. Whether it's flu, or a lesser cousin, it's not a good way to spend your weekend.

Laura, Tania - thanks very much, I think I have run it off so to speak. Fighting fit.

hmmm it is also a sign your running yourself down - let the women of your life think you are sick for a couple of days ... if nothing else you may get a good book read.

Hi Paul. I'm back from vacay and have skimmed through (mostly looking for Bambi updates, I must confess). Love the picture of "where it all started" for you. Hope you are well.
I'll now be able to follow along more closely, since I'm not busy gazing at the ocean in hopes of seeing a whale breach. ;-)

Hope you're feeling better.

Alex -thanks for the tips; it is true that I have been trying to do too much and it has caught up with me a bit - slept like the proverbial log Saturday.

Ellen - I am A-OK now thanks. Bambi is day on day hour by hour a little better. One of his rear legs seems to be the biggest problem. SWMBO will see what can be done about this coming soon. Enjoyed your vacation trips and I can still taste the G&T and smell the ocean!

Ren - nice to see you - I'm pretty fine now thanks.

Good!

Ren - I see it is your birthday (time zones permitting) so many happy returns.

Birthday parties by the score here. Belle went off with the Franco-Malay family next door to an indoor theme park - don't like the neighbours much if I can state it quietly but the kids get along fine setting a better example for their parents!
Yasmyne and Kyran went off to the Kelab Taman Tasik Perdana (formed in the 19th century and better known as Lake Club) for a party to celebrate one of their ex school friends parties (the girl has moved schools recently).
As I was despatched by SWMBO to pick them up with their friends and send them home with four of their friends (taxi service unmetered by the way!) I realised that my son already dwarfs his father and my daughter is 15 (tomorrow by the way) but looks 20 at least. Sleepless nights are coming for sure.

Oh, boy!

Photos to eventually follow but part of growing older faster is daughters coming to maturity!

Sounds like a busy time, for sure!

As usual it is Roni - hope you have a restful weekend though.

I feel your pain. My son dwarfs me, and is catching his father. Fortunately too young to drive or go out without someone's parent taking him, but it's coming. Hoping he keeps tripping over his feet and looking gawky for awhile. No girls! No Girls! Good luck with the pretty 15 year old daughter. :)

Jenn - hahaha as a guy there is an element of "that's my boy" when I see Kyran's obvious attraction both to and from the other sex but this is tempered by the very fact of my two girls and especially Yasmyne who attracts looks from "gentlemen" when strolling in public places that make me blush and make me fear for the coming few years!

Sleepless nights are coming for sure.

One less problem I need fear from my furry kids! :-)

Hope you're all better Paul. I love your visits as always. xx

Sigh, I'm the short one in my family. My nephews are going to hit 6', for sure, and be tallest of all, thanks to my sis-in-law's genes.

32> Sleepless nights are coming for sure. Yes, life will do that, won't it. I prefer the "that's my boy" approach and hope it staves off the insomnia.....

G'night from all 5'1" of me.

Ilana - I think these two will definitely give me sleepless nights:

Hi Paul- Good luck, my friend, good luck. I went through this myself. Sleepless nights is only the beginning. What a beautiful photo!

Suz - as I have probably said before I have a twin brother 6ft tall whilst I am 6 inches shorter. Before it ever gets mentioned I always tell everyone that there is Schwarzenegger and I'm the other one (Devito)

Ellen - you are right of course and it doesn't matter what advice we dish out finding boy/girl friends is part and parcel of the fun and sometimes pain of growing up. In my alternative universe ladies are not allowed to be over 5ft 5.5 ins tall as I would always have to find an elevated platform to kiss them from. My policy of not dating ladies who physically looked down on me severely restricted my options until I moved east!

Thanks Mark - I saw your SD photos and can understand why you had a beat a path to your door with a lovely daughter such as yours! The photo is in the Yorkshire Dales last spring - deep in the heart of Detective Chief Inspector Banks country if truth be known.

You seem to live a life that most people only dream of. Beautiful place, beautiful girls..
:)

Whoa, yes, I don't envy you the next few years with those beauties. Perhaps SWMBO can turn some stern stares in the direction of potential suitors...?

You are right, your girls are lovely. When you made your "that's my boy" comment, I realized that this is how it is. The father cringes over his daughters, the mother over her sons. When girls look at my son and giggle, I want to claw their eyes out. It doesn't help that he's man-size and a swimmer, so not bad looking, if I do say so myself. He attracts the attention of girls too old for him. Fortunately, he is 13, and his natural goofiness eventually clues them in on his true age. My husband has fits over our daughter, who even at 7 knows exactly how to use her stuff. The thought of her teenage self already keeps him up nights.

What a great photo, Paul. Sleepless nights to come? You mean they haven't already? Are the boys slow in Malaysia?

Lovely photo of your upcoming sleepless nights, Paul!

Kath...thanks, they aren't too shabby looking are they?

Amber - I'm sure that SWMBO will spare a couple of stares from the ones usually reserved for yours truly!

Jenn - Belle is 8 and thinks boys are useless fellows. It's funny girls get to an age thinking boys are not up to much, then go through a phase thinking that they amount to everything only to realise eventually that they were right in the first place! We better make sure Jenn if our children meet that they are closely supervised!

Caro - Yasmyne's latest beau was amongst the kids we ferried home last night. Tried to act all stern and severe and failed miserably at it if truth be known.
Some confessions coming up later.....I've been shopping and our challenge shot to pieces!!

Nancy thanks. That was taken during a lovely spring day in the Yorkshire Dales spent with my best friend from school and his wife. We see each other so infrequently and yet it is like we had never been apart.

My dau is nearly sixteen and I'm actually relieved that she has a steady boyfriend her own age whom we adore.....in fact, we hope it lasts awhile as it's much more peaceful around here. He likes to cook and they do the dishes when he comes over. Neither drives yet, so we have total control over it for the time being...... Dau is quite attractive, intelligent and mature and was attracting attention from college age young men..... THAT was giving us the heebie-jeebies.

Our strategy, Paul, is to be 'the house' where they all want to be. That way you know what's going on. My sister, w/ three beautiful daughters had that approach and it worked well, so we've made ourselves welcoming. It's funny because our house is probably one of the furthest away from anybody's and yet, it really is where they all like to be. I get the biggest kick out of them, I have to admit. Dinner table when a bunch are there is just so lively and funny and often terrifically smart stuff out of these teens. Very thoughtful they are. They either watch "My Little Pony" or zombie movies........ they all seem to think My Little Pony is high art!

Lucy your daughter and her boyfriend seem very well grounded. It is nice to see kids who actually like to stay home and be sensible.

Beautiful photo, Paul.

Thanks Joe - the cafe is buzzing as usual this weekend.

Update on the leagues for anybody interested

Posting league - Richard extends back his league; for a while I was catching up but Bambi's return to health has cost me a few sympathy posts!

Now there are 98 posters with over 100 posts
57 posters have more than 200 posts
37 posters have more than 300 posts
26 posters have more than 400 posts
17 posters have more than 500 posts
15 posters have more than 600 posts
13 posters have more than 700 posts
8 posters have more than 800 posts
7 posters have more than 1000 posts
4 posters have more than 1250 posts
2 posters have more than 1500 posts

Top 20

Richard 1767
Paul 1592
Kath 1379
Joe 1297
Mark 1248
Stephen 1226
Ilana 1011
Cee 857
Caro 759
Donna 749
Amber 738
Darryl 709
Chelle 706
Stasia 646
Lucy 621
Suz 578
Jude 568
Megan 490
Sara 480
Micky 476

Books read league - complicated as it depends on all keeping up to date:

Susan 66
Suz 66
Luci 45 obviously not updated
Morphy 44 obviously not updated
Dejah 43
Foggi 36
Lori 35
Brenda 34
Cyrel 32
Jenn 32
Heather 31
Ilana 31
Judy 31

Interesting to note the preponderance of guys at the top of the posting list (I thought it was ladies who were supposed to be the biggest gossips) and the almost complete absence of the guys in the book reading list.

Only Ilana is in the top 15 of each list.

Interesting tallies. :)

Beautiful children.

Ren - Your 85th in the posters league (124 posts last entry) and 36th in books read (21). if you are interested. I have 120 in my list.

Gail - thanks they are a joy to me as well as a worry from time to time.

Lovely daughters, Paul. I figure one thing you can do is make sure they know they can come to you no matter what --- that no matter how mad you might be at them, you will never turn your back on them. Sounds easier than it is, I know......

Ilana rocks.

Confession time - spent a fair while going through the threads yesterday and saw with envy all the books being purchased. Then went to Pavilion mall with SWMBO and Yasmyne and their respecive friends (my Dutch friend Josh is in Argentina doing his dredging of the RIver Plate and his wife, Hart, has got no vehicle after her car broke down outside our place on Saturday so I took her and her daughter, Yassie's pal, to the mall for the day). Escaped to the book shop and:
The Leopard's Wife by Paul Pickering
The Sealed Letter by Emma Donoghue
Spartan by Matthew Dunn
Capitalism 4.0 by Anatole Kaletsky
The Gendarme by Mark Mustian
The Sweetness of Life by Paulus Hochgatterer
Tell No One by Harlen Coben
Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday
Is God Still an Englishman? by Cole Moreton
Losing my Virginity by Richard Branson
I Shall Not Hate by Izzeldin Abuelaish
Mice by Gordon Reece
Ancient Worlds by Richard Miles
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
No Glossing Over It - How Football Cheated Leeds United by Gary Edwards
What You See Is What You Get by Alan Sugar
Island of Wings by Karin Altenberg
The Sea by John Banville
Revelation Space by Alistair Reynolds
Sharpe's Eagle by Bernard Cornwell

21 books and utter failure - I need to read over 40 books now before buying another one. Of course everybody knew I would never keep it up but still makes me feel guilty. Given my challenge with Caro - this is going to cost me a pretty penny but it sure felt good whilst I was in the shop!

Ellen - You are right the girls know that they have a good cop/bad cop set of parents which I play to shamelessly at times! Can't imagine a scenario that would cause me not to put up with them.

You are right also - Ilana does rock! You don't do badly yourself!

As at yesterday joint 42nd on books read and 24th in the posters league - all this despite promotions and Hawaii.

Bravo, Paul!

Katie - I notice you have reduced a little from last years 1100 books - how many have you bought this year so far?

Oh, God. Don't make me tell!

Hahaha - now I feel a heck of a lot better already!

You're welcome.

Way to go, Paul! I love Cornwell's Sharpe series.

Katie - if I had the data to make a league of book acquirers I guess we would be in the running.

Joe- I enjoyed his series on Uhtred about Anglo Saxon England so I am pretty sure this series will be to my taste. This one is the first in publication order but I will try to get them in chronological order first before starting them.

There are a bunch of them if you like it, Paul, and I just wish there were more.

Hi Paul!
Feel like I have been away from here almost forever! It's only been 2 days. Sorry... been busy having some fun for a change.

Glad you did not get knocked out by illness - your quick recovery deserves a star!
Your daughters are indeed beautiful - but what's the surprise there? They take after their Mom! - well, there might be a little of you in there too ;-)

Your lists are intriguing - incl the purchase of books! Looks great. The few that I have read on that list were quite good.

I am yawning and you are starting a new week - have a good one!

Paul, I must say you and Ellen made me blush. The only reason I made those two lists is because I have so much time on my hands... but thanks all the same.

Love the picture of your two lovely girls.

Am glad you went on a bender with the book-buying. I was missing those lists of books acquired. Many unfamiliar titles there. I have The Gendarme and Revelation Space waiting to be read and listened to respectively. Wasn't overly fond of The Sea when I read it, but may want to revisit it eventually. Don't waste your time feeling guilty, just enjoy! You'll be paying for that right anyway. Twice! xox

catching up (and I have read every post, honest) - can't wait to see your review of Zoo Station!

Paul, wasn't your bet that you'd give to charity every time you bought books this year? No guilt required then - think of the great charity work you are doing while you are buying!

Oh my, Paul, what a wonderful haul! You must be feeling better.....
I have but have not yet read The Sea. I loved The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.
I enjoyed both Pigeon English and Tell No One (as different as two books can be, but both winners). I love the title of Losing my Virginity but have never heard of most of the rest of them. Enjoy!

When I went on my first date, my dad and 3 of my brothers made sure to be cleaning their guns at the kitchen table. I'm not kidding. My Dad told my date to get me home on time, and he said he'd be happy to just leave me home.

It was all just a big show. In reality, my parents were pretty relaxed. My dates were always stunned to find that they had brought me home to a dark and locked up house. No one was waiting up for me at all. One time I had to go bang on my parent's window to wake them up because I forgot my keys.

I am not that kind of parent. Well, maybe the gun cleaning, but not the asleep while kids are out.

21 books in one book buying slippage - now that is impressive !!!! puts my book buying to shame,

Joe - With you and Judy and others on this - I love a great series and I am sure that Sharpe is one of those series as is the Uhtred series.

Cee- thank you so much...I think?! The girls have a little of me and a lot of their mother much to their betterment I am sure. It is Yasmyne's 15th birthday today and I am sure that she has plans involving serious expenditure so I have myself braced.
Hope you have been able catch up on your beauty sleep whilst I have been slaving away exhorting incapable contractors to perform their obligations.

Ilana - of course I didn't set out with any pre-conceived ideas as to who would have the most posts (I am surprised by the way at the most "popular" and the fact that the guys generally are well represented near the top of the league. I believe that Joe and Mark's are amongst the more entertaining threads but - hey that is only me!) For my own part I checked which threads I posted on the most other than my own since joining up and I came up with 4 ladies and a guy;

Hahaha Cushla I believe you. Zoo Station coming soon. Have a few books almost completed.

Nancy - You are correct I have to go to the thread and calculate the present damage! Not only am I not reading fast enough this year - my abstemiousness is off the rails also. The four charities will benefit and that will have to compensate for a failing of willpower.

Ellen - SWMBO seemed a bit concerned that Losing My Virginity was some kind of self help book that I was going to go through with the children. Not sure whether feeding my habit is a good way of treating it - bear in mind Caro is going to be here soon and she is hardly renowned for avoiding a book purchase or 20.

Jenn - I'm sure you must have been a great local catch when you were a couple of years younger. A sure fire test of whether or not your suitor has sufficient cojones to stay the course would be his reaction to the cleaning of guns! Your family sounds a gas...three of your brothers...how many brothers do you have?!

Alex - I will try to get back to my recovery programme especially as today is salary day and I will need help to avoid spending it all!

I've finally better after two weeks of illness so once I catch up on my thread in the next day or do, I should stay caught up.

Hi there, Paul! You're girls are gorgeous! The years to come will surely be very interesting.

I like the strategy Sibyx uses, "the house where they all want to be". That's excellent advice and something I will strive to achieve. Will cookies still draw them in when they're 16?

Great book haul. I need to read over 40 books now before buying another one.
Is this your strategy? For every one you buy you must have read two?
I need some sort of strategy because I just seem to buy, buy, buy!

Happy birthday to Yasmyne!

I have 4 brothers and 1 sister. I am the eldest and just under 8 years older than my sister, who is the youngest. We were kind of like a pack of puppies, I think.

#83 - Food is definitely a key to having the kids want to be at your house. Apparently, in my son's case, or in the case of his friends, a computer or two or three is also key.

Buying books is so very therapeutic. Every so often, it just has to be done.

Paul, there was no way you could sneak your book purchases into the house. At least you had people along to help you carry them! How's your shelf space holding up?

Morphy, nice to see you back; look forward to seeing you close the gap on the books read leaders.

Lucy's strategy is indeed an excellent one Lynda - with the overcrowding inherent in being the paymaster of chez nous I don't think we'll realistically see the back of my offspring for the forseeable future!
Because of the penalty clause I inserted into my challenge with Caro I have to pay double for all excess books overand above the 2 read 1 bought ratio - yikes I need to start saving.....don't have much of a strategy actually but how to resist the lure of the bookshops and their gaudy displays for fully eight weeks and still stay strong with two hours in a mall to kill with SWMBO and her buddy looking the other way!

Jenn - thanks on behalf of Yassie - poor kid is settling her homework in lieu of celebrating her birthday - she must have a cunning plan in mind otherwise she would have vocalised something already.
Would have loved a bigger family - I have a twin whom I still speak to virtually every day and although we are very different animals we would back each other come what may. Food is domestic magnetism certainly and SWMBO sealed the deal for me when she showed me her prowess in a cooks apron.
Book buying is therapeutic but the absence of good libraries here is detrimental to my solvency.

Donna - funny you should recall my normal tactic because the last six listed in #63 were bought whilst the pious were at prayers on Friday and not Sunday. Yasmyne has maths tuition at home on Fridays with three classmates and the mothers take advantage for a get together of gossip, snacks and caffeine until late evening. Arriving home with Azmi behind the wheel (for newer visitors he is my long-suffering driver for whom words are normally at a premium). I had my Kinokuniya bag with my six purchases in the car. I told him in flawless Malay to secrete the books upstairs care of Erni (my equally long-suffering maid) whilst I made a full frontal assault on the house to play mein host with the gaggle of ladies. Well the chump left the bag in full view in the kitchen and my designs were exposed utterly and an ear bashing ensued.
I think that Donna, Ellen and others have missed the catastrophic intruiges I go to to hide my spending and the fact that SWMBO comes out on top invariably. Well cheerful news then cause I don't see me holding out two full months again!

BTW, I agree with you, Paul, about Cornwell's Uhtred series. I'm getting the latest from the library. I liked his Agincourt, too.

13.

No Glossing Over It - How Football Cheated Leeds United by Gary Edwards

I am a person with a number of passions in my life...my family obviously, my work, my staff, I am firecely loyal to my few close friends, my music (Paul McCartney's new CD playing presently), my books, LT (Of course), history, cycling (I was semi-professional a generation and 30 kilos ago) and last but certainly not least Leeds United Football Club. - Soccer for you North Americans who remain confused as to what real football is all about.
I have loved my club since 1970 when I am just about old enough to remember us competing for 3 trophies and finishing up empty handed. The football league of England made us play an unprecedented 16 games in a month and we ran out of steam. Leeds fans have long felt a strong sense of solidarity arising largely from a feeling that we have been on the receiving end of some amazing injustices which I won't list here. This book plays to all of our paranoid tendencies in excellent manner. My club has fallen on hard times but we still have the 4th most registered fans in England. Certainly not read in a single sitting for its literary merit but as a die-hard Leeds fan all my other books had to wait for it to be completed first.
For Leeds fans only.

8/10

Joe - good writer Cornwell - his research and plotting are irresistable - he has written one on the decisive moments of the American War of Independence, The Fort which I will read in hope of a better ending!

Hi Paul -
Happy Birthday to Yasmyne - hope she had a good day cleaning out her Dad's wallet! lol
Not a fan of any sport here (maybe skiing for the snow)- but glad you liked your Leeds book.

Note to Jenn: No wonder your parents were asleep when you got home from dates - they were exhausted!

>89 PaulCranswick: Hah! Ah, it's more interesting the way it came out the first time, isn't it?

Cee - she has plans for the dosh I'm sure. Soccer books are a weakness!

Joe that would clearly be the view on the wrong side of the pond.

Just passing through to say hello.

Me too! And Happy Birthday to Yasmyne (beautiful name and beautiful girl).

Hi Paul! Just trying to get caught up again
Lovely pictures of your girls! Such beauties, you better keep your eye on them ;)

Happy Birthday to Yasmyne. Hope you spoiled her!

Paul- Your descriptions of getting your new books in the house, sounds like a classic heist film. Just need the cool jazzy music.
Fantastic book haul and once again, I'm not familiar with many of the titles but I was crazy about Henrietta Lacks. I like Coben but have not read Tell No One but they made an excellent French thriller based on it.

Judy - nice to see you passing through

Pat - Don't know why SWMBO likes names with Y in them - the three children respectively have Yasmyne, Yusof and Ysabelle to contend with.

Chelle - Think I was trying to hard as I got a small infection in my left eye yesterday and it swelled up and was a nuisance for the entire day. Yasmyne would not notice much difference on her birthday as she is pretty spoiled the rest of the year too.

Mark - hahaha I'll have George Clooney play me in the leading male role - SWMBO has to be the nurse from One Flew Over th Cuckoo's Nest!

Hi Paul, knackered this evening, but thought I'd drop by all the same.

Ilana I am exactly the same this Tuesday morning with my eye slowly reverting to its normal size I no longer look like the creature from the pit. I have a tender interview this morning for the completion of a condominium project - one owner is my friend (a korean who was a colleague in Ssangyong years ago) whilst the other is the spoiled son of a Tan Sri (A Malaysian honorary title something above a Sir) - so I expect it to be fun. Will stumble blearily over to yours next.

Paul- I was listening to a book podcast today! (Can't get enough of those books!) and one of the hosts was raving about her current read, Gods Without Men, which sounded fantastic and then I noticed you had the book marked here on LT. Are you a fan on this author? I am not.

Hi Paul - Nice haul of books! I hope to get to The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and The Sea some day.

Please note: I am "glossing over" your North American football yada yada comment : )

Caro is going to be here soon and she is hardly renowned for avoiding a book purchase or 20
Yes, well, that's true of all my favorite people. Is Caro really coming to visit you?

I think that Donna, Ellen and others have missed the catastrophic intruiges I go to to hide my spending and the fact that SWMBO comes out on top invariably.
You're right, this is a new side of you. I like it! I'm sorry she comes out on top every time, though. I admit to bringing home book purchases in my messenger bag and waiting until P has gone to bed to take them out and put hide them on the shelf. She sees them eventually ("is that a new book? and that one?") but it eases the direct confrontation regarding how much of my take-home pay I'm donating to the local indie bookseller......

Mark - Haven't read the Kunzru yet mate. It was released last year and it is not that high up my pile at the moment but perhaps I should review it.

Kerri - thanks for glossing over the football jibes! Must admit that if SWMBO had not arrived at the bookshop and not looked askance at the basket I was holding I would have inflicted further damage on my bank balance.

Ellen - Caro will be here in KL from 22 to 24 th of March - yippee!
The memory game is a good one to play - you secrete the books and if one recent purchase is discovered you announce that you have had it for ages and that her memory loss is starting to give cause for concern! I remember she bought a teak cabinet for the express intention of having it hold some of her special linens. She didn't act upon it quickly enough and was perturbed in the extreme when she opened it subsequently and found it full to the brim with books.

You've made it to #2 on the league table! I hope that if you ever get to #1 it is not because of a terrible pet-accident, but simply your friendly and kind self.

I can't imagine having a 15 year old daughter, I would worry too Paul! I look forward to my niece growing up as I know her dad will be freaking out, based on his performance as a teen, he will be concerned I'd imagine........I hope it provides him with food for thought anyway. I hope like hell I'm raising boys that will treat women with respect (it's a responsibility I take seriously).

So your fluey feelings bit the dust? Hope you're back to being a box of birds now!

Megan - hahaha I don't think I will ever bridge the gap to Richard he has been out front since before January even started. Would sooner keep my pets and a lower rung on the podium than otherwise!

I oftentimes worry that it might well turn out to be that my poor girls get repaid for some of my naughty goings on as a younger chap! Hopefully not.

I dont think it works like that!
Even if you cant teach young men to be good to women, you can teach young women to be careful, to use their instincts and to not believe everything a young man says (and to phone their dad if they ever need a ride home, anytime of day or night!)

ahhh the lifelong torture of a leeds football fan .........

Megan - very responsible indeed my dear - if only Wilbur and Lenny were a bit older - my daughters would be in safe hands!

Alex - sounds like sympathetic sighs? We must be the only club to have it proven that a European Final was fixed, your opponents banned from Europe, the referee given a life ban and yet you still get listed for ever as runners-up!!

Oh, you caved and bought books! Nice to know you're human after all... ;)

I think a teak cabinet full of books sounds lovely!

Faith - hahaha I would have been posting this from Mars if SWMBO had her way!

Ellen - Pity SWMBO didn't quite agree....btw the books are still in the cabinet so I don't lose always.

14.

Unknown by Mari Jungstedt

What is it that is the essence of typical Scandi crime writing? Sense of place is obviously paramount and Scandanavia needs to be the locale obviously but there is a mood and tone that pervades the genre that sets it apart from both its neighbours on the continent, in Britain and North America. Another is the penchant for banal personal introspection of the Inspector and the fact that he or she are not to be the run-of-the-mill action hero. We have this with Wallander, Erlendur, Sejer to name three of the leading "stars" and we have this too with Inspector Knutas who frowns and fumbles his way through to the end of this case in the third installment of an ok series set interestingly on the island of Gotland off the Swedish coast.
This one concerns an archaelogical dig, ancient religious rites and the seemingly senseless slaying of horses. Competently done but this book alone would not convert the unconverted to Scandi. Thankfully I am already converted!

I am in the Singapore Airlines lounge in KL international airport this morning as I need to pay a visit to the city state to discuss matters with a client who is doing a casino project and hotel down there (the mechanical and electrical services part of it anyway).

Will try to go through some of the threads while waiting to board.

Have a good trip Paul!

Good grief. Too far behind...sorry

That was quite a book splurge, my friend!!

Since you are off to S'pore, I shall tell you that I just found a newish looking novel by Meira Chand sent in Singapore from the 1920s through 40s. (go to my books, you'll see I've just added it.) I read a couple of her books set in Japan waaay back when I was living there (mid 80s) but have not seen anything in a v. long time.

That pic with daughters was certainly not taken in Malaysia -- I don't think even the Cameron Highlands offers such flowers, does it?

> Alex - sounds like sympathetic sighs? - Well I was born in Oldham, I will let you guess my football allegiances

I think following the Blackcaps ( NZ cricket team) is more painful though !!!!

Pat - thanks and trip more than half-way already. I'm now in the Singapore Airlines Lounge in Terminal 2 Changi Ariport with a couple of hours to kill before flying back to Kuala Lumpur.

Kath - no need to apologise as I am in exactly the same position as you are!

Suz - I will certainly look up Meira Chand although I don't recall seeing any of her books in the shops in this part of the world.
Well spotted on the photo - it was taken near Skipton in the Yorkshire Dales.

Alex - I have a few friends from Oldham and they were afflicted with an affection for a team from the nearby metropolis wearing red and looking askance at all their neighbours!
Does the "round ball" happen to signify the one that get hit by willow (in the Black Caps case of course not so frequently!). All time NZXI (My lifetime anyway)
Glenn Turner, John Wright, Stephen Fleming, Martin Crowe, Brendon McCullum, Bev Congden, Richard Hadlee, Chris Cairns, Daniel Vettori, Shane Bond, Ewan Chatfield.

15.

The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

I enjoyed the discussion on short story writing and writers over at Mark's place and that I was reading this collection at the time was therefore prescient.

Adichie really is a very good writer. Half of a Yellow Sun was my favourite novel amongst my 2011 reading and I was looking forward to this one immensely. To be fair it only in parts delivered but I guess that is one of the strengths as well as the weaknesses of the genre.
I thought three of the tales (of 12) were exceptional and she ordered the stories well in that I thought the first and two of the last three were the strongest.
She writes well and her characters are unfailingly believable - she moves confidently amongst the dislocated and bereft - often someone facing life in a new environment or a very altered one. Definitely a writer to watch and her next releases will be a required purchase.

8/10

>120 PaulCranswick:: sigh. this is one of several short story collections on the shelves, awaiting my attention. when? no clue.

Laughing over your efforts to hide your book buying from Swmbo - but she must see the new stacks????? When we travel my spousal unit gets very stern and says, "OK where have you stashed all yr. books? How many are there?" I have developed incredibly sneaky methods but, the giveaway, is how heavy my bags are........

#120 - I'll probably skip that and try one of her novels instead. I believe you've recommended her to me before, unless I'm thinking of someone else.

Regarding book buying, my new purchases have mostly been ebooks and that's much harder to hide, with shared spouse accounts and all (Amazon, Amazon, Amazon all over the bank statements). Eek! That's ok though, because I don't complain about all of his beer-making supplies, so he doesn't really have a case against my book-buying, bless his heart.

Well when you fall off the wagon you fall hard. Great selection of books ... and it's for charity:)

Beautiful daughters.

Hope your trip goes smoothly with plenty of reading time:)

I really must get around to reading Half a Yellow Sun - it has been sitting on my "shelves of shame" for way too long. But ... as they say ... Too many books, too little time:)

Laura, you could dip into various collections over time and see which ones were able to capture your attention most. I have done that myself lots of times and it has helped me either confirm or reverse my prejudices quite often too.

Lucy - I am pretty useless in my faltering strategems for sure. Got good news on getting back to KL in that one of the book shops which I don't use that much has given me a RM160 rebate (about $53) and I was keen to make clear that I had this in hand. Basically it is almost 5 free books so great news actually.

Kerri - I probably have babbled on about Adichie loads of times. Novels are more wholly satisfying aren't they? This is especially the case with someone who writes as fluently as she does.
I don't have shared accounts with SWMBO (she pretty much makes me pay for everything) so amazon and book depository work great for me but e-books and audio books are not for a traditionalist such as I! Beer is another of my pet likes so your spouse and I would no doubt get along like a house on fire.

Have a good trip, Paul. Enjoy that rebate - let us know what you pick up.

Calm - nice to see you. Managed to make a dent in Jack Sheppard flying to and from Singapore and I must say I am enjoying it especially the Jacobite intrigues (it is set in the early Georgian period).

Must have a grumble though about the complete absence of manners of most people travelling in business these days. On the way back I got saddled with a Chinese Malaysian "business" man who had to be told three times to switch off his handphone (once fairly forcefully by yours truly) and who failed to acknowledge or utter the smallest of "thank yous" for any services given him throughout the trip. My dear old mum always says "manners maketh man" and this fellow was not much of a man if truth be told! Why is it so difficult to be courteous these days?

Joe, I have to change my Friday destination to accommodate the rebate. There are numerous MPH bookstores in town but I want to catch one I haven't been to for a while and that has a good selection. Will be over to the cafe later.

A couple of nicely written reviews, Paul. I hope your travels are safe.

Thanks Ellen....not as exciting or romantic as Hawaii but had a quite productive day nonetheless. Love flying actually as I get get wedged in the lounge with a nice drink or two, a few delicacies to munch and a book or two to absorb my waiting hours.

Yep, waiting at the airport with a drink and a good book. Not too shabby.

Only problem these days Ellen is that the lounges are becoming overcrowded. I was in Dubai last September and there were more people in the Emirates lounge than in the rest of the terminal!

#120 I pretty much agree with you about The Thing around Your Neck. I thought several of the stories were really compelling (although I don't remember which). Sometimes I felt she was writing the same story from a different perspective. But I really loved both Half of a Yellow Sun (some people here on LT still remember how I incessantly promoted it) and Purple Hibiscus, which I thought was excellent for a first novel. I think there is more room for Adichie's talent in novels.

Rebecca - I know what you mean about the same story but from different perspectives - the recurrent theme of trying to escape the regime in Nigeria and disatisfaction with the non-traditional world replacing it, especially in the relocations to America did seem to re-occur in different guises in several of the stories.

>119 PaulCranswick: I love that you even know a top NZ first XI! I'd have to add Chris Harris to it even if he isn't a star performer, he's solid :) And Dipak Patel, my fave when I was a kid.

>132 PaulCranswick: there were more people in the Emirates lounge than in the rest of the terminal
Everyone want to be exclusive! Funny.

I like flying too, in the terminal its people watching, coffee, and reading, and in flight its reading, food and free booze! What's not to like?
(In response to my own question, rude fellow-travellers are what's not to like, bad luck on your next door passenger)

Paul, thoroughly enjoyed your reviews of Unknown and The Thing Around Your Neck. As you know, I am also already a convert of Scandi crime - you and Deb helped mountains with that!

Megan - Dipak Patel?! I remember him as a youngster at Worcester as a batsman who could bowl (spin) a bit. He migrated to New Zealand as he thought he had a great chance to get established in your test side. Never quite good enough as either a bowler or a batsman but good solid player though.
Travel on my lonesome is my favourite actually - if SWMBO and the kids are with me I am loaded down with luggage and not allowed to read as much as I would like.

Nancy - nice to see you my dear. One of the quirkiest things last year was our conversion of Carsten to Scandi....and he's from Denmark!

Hi Paul- The touchstone for "Unknown" is incorrect. Is this Scandi book part of a series? The author's name looks familiar.
The Thing Around Your Neck sounds good to me. I'll have to give it a try.

>137 PaulCranswick: I was a kid when he immigrated here in 1985 or 1986 (I think). Our family TV was always taken up with summer cricket matches. And as a kid it is a hard thing to bear, having the TV taken over all day for a one dayer and for 5 days in a row for a test. So, as mum was always watching, I saw lots too. And I remember Patel jumping up and catching in one hand what would have been a 6, right on the boundary. I thought he was super cool for that (and told him so when I met him drunk in a bar when I was in my early 20s *shame*).

Mark - you are right the touchstone is not actually available in English that I can see. Apparently it is Den inre kretsen.

Megan - I used to love the cricket when I was a boy as can probably be seen from the recent posts. I am from Yorkshire and went to the same school as Geoffrey Boycott, albeit 25 years later and captained as he did Hemsworth Grammar School for two summers. Not as obdurate as the great Boycs and no where near as successful as school captain! I used to love Sundays when they used to play a 40 over game televised weekly - there used to be 17 first class counties in England (now 18) and they would compete throughout the summer in this league and it was great fun. Now no longer contested the county game in England is suffering greatly.
Was he drunk in the bar or you?

For those interested in the Books Read listing just a reminder only a few hours left to get your records updated

I'm ahead of you, Paul! Got mine done early.

>141 PaulCranswick: I was the drunk one Paul, and I cringe at how I must have sounded, hence the *shame*

Cricket is suffering a lot here too, and IMO, here's why:
- it is no longer shown on free to air television
- games cost too much to attend live
- if you do go to a game you are barred from taking any food/alcohol of your own in
- if you do go to a game you will be searched for food/alcohol (including potentially being patted down!)
- if you do go to a game you will be charged ridiculous amounts of money for very low rate food (pies/chips/deep fried crap)
- if you do go to a game and want to buy alcohol you have to buy it in a plastic cup and cant buy more than 2 cups at a time, and your seated area may be cut off completely if someone deems it too rowdy.
There are heaps of kids now who couldn't name one person in the Black Caps, is is quite off the radar for a lot of people.

>119 PaulCranswick: I think I should stay silent on the status of my football affliction ..... it may cause pain & anxiety

Nice cricket team there - I have to strongly disagree with Megan, Chris Harris a very overrated player but don't tell any Kiwi that ..... I do think Big Jacob Oram should be in that team.

the roundball signifies all my sporting passions - Hockey, cricket, football, now if only the blackcaps could lear to hit it again ....

> a crying shame .........

>145 roundballnz: he may be overrated, but he's so niiiiice! lol

Roni - noted. 25 books already is quite impressive!

Megan - hahaha; Agree with you about the issues afflicting cricket - pay for view TV is the death of all sports other than soccer and it has made that sport and the clubs involved prostitutes to their money.

Alex - on the soccer team nuff said. Did consider Oram but Ewan Chatfield was such a fine foil for Hadlee and able to tie down one end that I was tipped in his favour. Also one of the most comically poor batsmen that I can remember. Must admit I don't know of that many field hockey fans although I do recall enjoying it when it is in the Olympics.

Megan - now it is revealed that you have a slightly different selection criteria. If teams were selected on the basis of looks Zola, Rooney, Peter Beardsley etc would have no caps whatsoever!

Today is World Book day.
Saw this in the Daily Telegraph about expensive books which I wanted to share http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/investing/9113056/World-Book-...

By the way and continuing the preponderance of such things this year so far Davy Jones of The Monkees passed away today at just 66 years old. The Monkees were promoted as Beatles lite in the States but to be fair some of their music was extremely catchy. He will be sadly missed and had a spell as an actor in the longest running UK TV soap Coronation Street.

Hi Paul!
Happy World Book Day! Audubon's book/folio must be awesome! But I wouldn't give you 50 cents for Don Quixote! :P
lol

Cee - 50 cents would be grossly over priced!

End of February Posting League for those interested (Top 50)

1 Richard 1834
2 Paul 1689
3 Kathleen 1450
4 Joe 1351
5 Mark 1303
6 Stephen 1249
7 Ilana 1078
8 Claudia 886
9 Donna 778
10 Caro 769
11 Amber 760
12 Chelle 734
13 Darryl 718
14 Stasia 653
15 Lucy 647
16 Suzanne 607
17 Jude 584
18 Megan 524
19 Sara 499
20 Bonnie 493
21 Micky 491
22 Linda 479
23 Roni 476
24 Peggy 467
25 Ellen 459
26 Deb 425
27 LUXX 423
28 Terri 402
29 Judy 390
30 Joanne 379
31 Pat 378
32 Calm 374
33 Nora 364
34 Lynda 355
35 Faith 338
36 Morphy 322
37 Katie 314
38 Heather 312
39 Linda 308
40 Gail 301
41 Brit 297
42 Kara 292
43 Cushla 284
44 Jim 283
45 Kim 278
46 Madeline 277
47 Kerry 269
48 Dee 260
49 Lori 258
50 Leonie 250

Books read list - Not complete only those starred by me (124 posters)
Books in excess of 20

1 Susan 73
2 Suzanne 72
3 Morphy 64
4 Luci 63
5 Dejah 48
6 Rachel 41
7 Foggy 38
8 Brenda 37
Lori 37
10 Cyrel 34
Jenn 34
12 Judy 33
13 Ilana 32
14 Heather 31
15 Anne 30
Deseree 30
17 SusanJ 29
18 James 28
19 Laura 27
Lucy 27
Mary 27
Roni 27
23 Calm 26
Carrie 26
Ren 26
26 Amy 25
Kerry 25
Nathalie 25
29 Faith 24
Joe 24
Kelly 24
Kriti 24
Linda 24
LUXX 24
Tui 24
36 Amber 23
Caro 23
Jim 23
Kathleen 23
Linda 23
Liz 23
42 Beth 22
Carrie 22
Chelle 22
Darryl 22
Leonie 22
Mark 22
Tina 22
49 Anita 21
Dee 21
Ellen 21
Karenm 21
Micky 21
Terri 21
55 Cindy 20
Paul 20 (paulstalder)



Edited to update Luci's score but no positional change

Oh how I enjoy your stats! I'm in about the same place on both lists, whatever that might portend, reveal or otherwise indicate!

Lucy - very few are in the top twenty of both lists. Richard and myself obviously spend far too much time gossiping rather than reading as we are well down the charts in books read. I am equal 72nd and Richard equal 91st.
How much better are the gals in the reading stakes?

World Book Day? And I almost missed it. So am I allowed to buy a book today??

Trying to read your thread daily, though mostly in lurking-mode, but it's moving so fast, and now I'll be away for three days! *panic*

I loved Half of a Yellow Sun and really need to read Purple Hibiscus soon, thanks for the reminder. The Thing Around Your Neck - maybe later if I like "Hibiscus", I am not a short story person.

Thanks for the World Book Day link, Paul. I agree re not paying much for Don Quixote, but I'd sure love to have that Alice in Wonderland.

Just trying to catch up :) World Book Day? Interesting, thanks for the link..
I am looking forward to World Book Night .. when I get to give away 20 brand new books!
yay! what fun :)

If only there were a way to count how many posts you read, I might have a chance of being in one of the top ten lists!

I love these statistics too Paul but I have no idea how you find the time to do everything you do (but then you're a youngster).

It still boggles my mind that there are some amazing readers than have read more books than days have passed this year! What are we, 60/61 days into the year and some people have already 70+ books. Amazing!

Thanks for making the lists long enough to include so many of us, Paul! I'm surprised that I made the top 25 for posts. Now maybe I can start working my way up the books-read list (ha, not likely with this crowd!).

159> LOL!!!

Love the stats! Now I've got to go over to my thread and post the next book, which I've just finished. It's a Nebula nominee, Firebird, and I think if you want to try some current science fiction, you could do worse than read the first in this series, A Talent for War.

They's some stats Paul, nice compiling work there.
(ps: my top XI criteria isnt based on looks really, by niiiiice, I meant, niiiiice, not niiiiice looking)

Nathalie, no book buying restrictions over here.
I like the characters that Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie creates as I think they appear very real.

Joe, World Book day wasn't so well promoted was it? I am something of a completist freak and there are a couple of early Graham Greene works that he disassociated himself from that I would gladly pay serious money for.

Kath - World Book Night? This is a new one for me - I ought to give some of my books away to be honest as I'm starting to worry about the structural integrity of our building with the dead load they bring.

Pat - hahaha just think how many posts Susan, Suz, Luci etc can read!

Sigh! I did think about that afterwards but it was nice to think I might have a shot for a little while.

Chelle - I know what you mean. I cannot conceive of finishing more than a book a day everyday - simply amazing.

Ellen - your stats (book wise of course) are impressively consistent. Top 25 on posts / Top 50 on books read. If you check the lists there are not that many on both.

Roni - You sure had a great reading month in February. I will look up A Talent for War thanks for the rec.

Megan - thanks....your selection criteria noted but still considered dubious!

Pat - hahaha, btw I don't sleep that much! It took me around 3 hours to update the stats last night.

We are simply more focused! *grin*

Hi Paul- I am so jealous that people have already read 40 plus books and a couple near 70? WOW! You know, even if I was retired and spent much more time reading, I don't think I could hit those numbers.
Hey, it looks like you have RD in your sights up there. You should adopt an ailing pet and that would most likely do it.

Suz - It would seem that to get to 70 in two months a version of the name Susan/Suzanne is a pre-requisite. Not sure how many Luci finally managed as she has not updated her thread for a while and I guess she and Morphy are vying for a podium place.
That would put the four of you on more than a book a day on average which in my view is phenomenal - call it focused if you will!

Mark - Yeah Wow! There is obviously some tenuous correlation between those busy posting and those busy reading as almost half the top 20 posters are not in the top 50 readers and 13 of the top 20 readers are not in the top 50 posters. Only Suz, Lucy, Roni and Ilana are in the top 25 of each list.
Personally I think Richard is toying with me...Bambi helped me close the gap a little but everytime I get close to a hundred or so behind he gets a second or third or fourth wind!

Richard doesn't post all his book in the 75 Challenge thread--he has a couple of other threads where he posts books in other groups. So he has read more than show up here.

Being retired, I suspect, gives Lucy and me the stamina to do both reading and posting--I certainly could not do it if I were working like most of you all.

Roni - I'm sure the book reading list is not 100% as it is dependent upon what is declared on the 75er thread of the individual. Richard lists 13 books read towards his 75 but I'm sure you are right such a complicated fellow will have something up his sleeve somewhere!

Interestingly the top 15 in the posting league has not changed in the month of February although there was some jostling for position.
Details as follows

RICHARD 1st (Feb) 1st (Jan) 739 (Feb Posts) 1834 (Total Posts)
PAUL 2nd 2nd 803 1689
KATH 3rd 4th 636 1450
JOE 4th 6th 648 1351
MARK 5th 5th 543 1303
STEPHEN 6th 3rd 374 1249
ILANA 7th 7th 510 1078
CLAUDIA 8th 9th 363 886
DONNA 9th 10th 265 778
CARO 10th 14th 326 769
AMBER 11th 8th 236 760
CHELLE 12th 12th 260 734
DARRYL 13th 11th 243 718
STASIA 14th 13th 191 653
LUCY 15th 15th 279 647

One remarkable fact to note is that Stasia held onto a place in the top 15 despite not posting herself for the best part of the month. Shows what a loyal and avid following she has!

That's amazing about Stasia but not surprising.

Pat - would also note the strong month by Joe and his acolytes at the cafe (myself of course included) and by Kath who was my start of year tip for the top and is now on the podium. Caro would also be higher if she could just quit travelling for a while!

>148 PaulCranswick: Yes Oram/Chatfield is a hard choice, though there are other comical bunnies - currently Chris Martin takes the bunny chalice :). I have played (& watched) hockey most of my life, only stopped playing in last couple of years because I sprained disk/tendon in my lower back ( yes it was & does sound painful).

dear dear Megan - if we picked the 'nice boys' Rooney would not be playing nor would many 'nice girls' get married & have ......

Get Caro to stop travelling? Hmmm, might as well ask her to stop reading!!

Time to read some more Monica Dickens?? Since you're reading the memoir-ish books, Mariana is a natural sequel...

Alex - Our Monte Panesar is also pretty desperate isn't he? I am wincing just reading about spraining backs.
As to Megan I will repeat that her selection criteria is flawed.

Suz - hahaha, yeah I guess Caro is probably the most jet-setting amongst us (although Katie does well enough too on the quiet).
Your Mariana touchstone links to an historical novel written by a canadian writer (looks interesting in point of fact) but I know what you mean. Was thinking to read The Winds of Heaven soon and noticed you have just beat me to it.

I'll never figure out how people can read so fast!
I'm so slow :P and, my eyes tire easily :P
Oh well... at least I am not blind. Yet.

I don't mind taking my time reading - it's just that there are so many books I want to get to! *heavy sigh*

Managed to sneak away to a mall rarely visited this lunch time and spend the RM160 book voucher given to me by MPH bookstore for spending thousands there last year! Guilt free as I was able to get six books without paying anything for em:
Rebellion by James McGee
A Man of Parts by David Lodge
Past Imperfect by Julian Fellowes (creator of Downton Abbey)
The Octopus by Frank Norris
Gabriel's Gift by Hanif Kureishi
Edward Heath by Philip Ziegler

Free books? That's awesome, Paul. I'm a little scared of Frank Norris since having to read McTeague for my American Realism class last year.

I hadn't heard of World Book Day, but it seems like everyday is a WBD on LT. I love the fact that I'm sharing the love of reading with people around the world!

Donna - I had a quick skim through The Octopus and it does look a dense read I must say. The idea of a trilogy of books along the lines he set out interested me and especially the fact that he didn't realise the final part. Apparently died in his thirties - reading the blurb on the book he didn't die laughing.

Good morning, Paul. I love it when bookstores reward us for our loyalty/compulsive book-buying! One of my favorite bookstores is sort of a co-op (though less so than it was decades ago, I guess) and at the end of the year, they credit you with 9% of your expenditures - to spend on more books, of course!

#181-182 - I want to get to the Frank Norris stuff soon, probably McTeague. I think I also have The Pit: A Story of Chicago and The Octopus. Good times. I do love some dismal, heavy-handed American realism. That's for sure.

Ellen - it was a double whammy in my favour as they already had a members 15% discount so I got that on top of my voucher enabling 1 book more than I would have go otherwise.

Kerri - First time I've seen his books in the shops here which is why I "bought" it. Not sure I do heavy handed that well although the kids seem to think that my "lame" sense of humour (their opinion not mine) is about as light as Mount Kinabalu.

I'm intrigued by the Julian Fellowes book in your guilt-free book grab, Paul. I've never read him but I'm a fan of Gosford Park and Downton Abbey. Please report back on what you think of it.

I've got that Julian Fellowes book sitting here; also Snobs; got both before Downton Abbey took off!

I think you might actually like some of the Susanna Kearsley novels, Paul. Try The Winter Sea; I may actually try to re-read that. A past-present combo, with the past being set around the first Jacobite revolt rather than the Bonnie Prince Charlie era. Reminiscent of Barbara Erskine, but without quite as much reincarnation, crystals and other such silliness.

Paul- You are a book buying maniac, my friend! Where do you put your books and how do you sort them? It must be a mighty task.

>179 PaulCranswick: yeah, well, I dont actually know that much about sport, and I have to base my picks on something :) I think being a nice person is important in professional sport! lol

> 181 go the book voucher, and more importantly the guilt free book purchases! Did they just give you the gift out of the blue or is it part of a rewards scheme?

(hi Paul, don't mind me, I'm just lurking, but I'm mostly zonked out so yeah, don't mind me as I slide down the wall...)

>190 LovingLit: well I just hope you don't pick your doctors,dentists, plumbers the same way ........

*lurking with Ilana*

Just got back from Singapore - we set off for Johor Bahru after midnight (Saturday), arrived at the MIL's, slept a couple of hours, drove to Singapore, attended the wedding of my SIL's girlfriends sister (if you can follow me), dropped off some of SWMBO's relatives on the other side of the island and then drove back to Kuala Lumpur by 7.00 p.m. (I need to work tomorrow as my poor staff are a little behind and we have a busy week coming up). All in all 500 miles of driving in 18 hours with a wedding and some family socialising - I feel like one of Mark's oft read zombies.

Poignant a little today as my SIL Yabo's (real name Irlia) girlfriend was the elder sister and had to face the family while the second sister got married. I have long been a shoulder for the two girls to cry on and an occasional shelter for them too as they both struggled due to the difficulties in an islamic society of dealing with a sexuality that doesn't correspond with the perception of acceptable. The two girls have always been angels to my kids and I felt for both of them today looking on with a dignity that became them.

Joe - I will get to Snobs first and I must be one of the only chaps in our group that has not yet had the pleasure of sitting through an episode of Downton Abbey.

Suz - Will certainly follow up that misplaced touchstone - those are the quirks of fate that always lead us on to great reading. Love all those Jacobite plotting stories. Am enjoying reading Jack Sheppard at the moment which is set at the end of Queen Anne and beginning of George I and is fascinating.

Mark - thanks mate (I think!), I am running out of space actually and have piles on the top of counter, bedside cabinets, shelves sometimes triple stacked, an office overflowing....I will always find space for more though without doubt!

Megan - Selection criteria is entirely up to the person choosing the team my dear. You seem to be getting hammered by South Africa anyways so your policy can't do any worse than the so-called experts are doing.
The voucher is a six-monthly rebate - 10% on expenditure - seems I spent RM1,600 in that period at MPH and I can't even remember going there much (my 4th favourite book chain in town)

Smiler - if you note the post above I am entirely in sympathy with you. SWMBO is grumpy because I had to come back and I now have to take her a barbeque at friends' house to compensate. So glad to see you almost up and at em after your procedure.

Alex - hahaha perhaps you should get a plumber and a doctor and a dentist to pick your cricket team!

Ellen - Hi - I was away for 18 hours and you've moved house already!

Hello Paul!! I was finally able to catch up with this this thread! I'm so sorry I've been MIA. This term really kicked my butt as far as having any free time.

I noticed that you bought the book I Shall Not Hate which I have wanted to read for some time. Please let me know how you like it.

Hope you have/had a good weekend!

Brit - nice to see you! Kids do take up so much time don't they? - not sure that it is not the chocolate stouts that so fascinate me over at your thread that is using up your time! Glad to see that Will is back at school and not so under the weather. Thought of you actually today and the prejudices you have had to face bringing up will during my Sister-in-law's girlfriends sister's marriage. In asian culture the eldest daughter is expected to get married first but obviously same sex relationships are very much frowned upon here. The two girls are very close to me and I felt for both of them, especially Faizah my SIL's partner and rode the blows with them of every prejudiced stare the two of them suffered from relatives.

>195 PaulCranswick: your policy can't do any worse than the so-called experts are doing
My sentiments exactly :)

Paul I wasn't sure if you meant girlfriend as is friend or as in life-partner. So the one who got married's older sister was supposed to be the first one to marry, but she wont as she has a partner who is also a female? If so, the relatives stares sound pretty harrowing and difficult. Not fair!

Megan - unfortunately Malay society is fairly conservative so my SIL and her partner and their obvious relationship go completely unremarked upon for the most part. Yesterday's wedding of the second sister indirectly brought it into the limelight somewhat - Not fair is about right!

Very sad today as I spoke to Peter (my twin) and he told me that he has had to let go his two Newfoundland dogs (to a good home, a breeder apparently) as he simply cannot afford to keep them. For those who don't know he was played out of his business by our father after ten years of building it up into a company to be proud of. By all accounts our "lovely" father in his seeming haste to destroy my brother is close to taking the business down. It is my niece's birthday Sunday and it seems she is suffering too as the school she went to she will have to leave as Peter cannot now afford the fees.
A very tearful conversation with Mother in the evening who asked me to come home to try to resolve the situation in Peter's favour - not much I can do actually except advise his lawyers and help him start again - so far I've been helping him with his lawyer's bills but I will need to send him some dosh as my mum told me that his boiler is broken and he can't afford to fix it....I'm very very sad for him as he is a charismatic and larger than life character with an extremely soft centre and that centre has been vilely exposed by our greedy father.
Have tried to call him to plead with him to call off his own metaphorical dogs but he has changed his numbers....my lawyers have already written to what is now "his company" regarding allegations made about me and which my lawyers have asked me to take action upon....what a mess, what a joy to live and work and love and enjoy Malaysia several thousand miles from it all.

Paul- I'm so sorry to hear about your brother! How sad. And he has to give up one of his beloved Newfoundlands? They are one of my favorite breeds. Gorgeous animals. I hope things get better for him.

Oh, Paul, terrible news all around. Families can be such nightmares, but also bring one such joy - as you well know. I have my own challenges with my father though nothing quite as awful as yours, but my husband helps keep everything in perspective. If only we could choose ALL the members of our family ;) Hang in there!

Echoing Katie's comments. That is unspeakably unpleasant and vile behavior. I'm hoping that your father reaps what he sows, and ends up recognizing that his own behavior has driven away people that he needs and that he is on his own as a result of that. 'nuff said. Sorry, in your boots, I would sue for defamation if your lawyers say you have a case. It does sound as if that's the only language he knows.

Sorry, I know better than to opine on the family woes of others, but really... Even my dysfunctional father knows when he has crossed a line too far (even though he doesn't recognize that his oldest friends now prefer to socialize with his ex-wife and are reluctant to spend time with him...) But that's just pathetic, whereas in your case, there's some active nastiness and malevolence going on.

I do hope this is resolved. At least you and your brother have learned first-hand how to create a good family dynamic with your kids, and aren't repeating the pattern.

Oh no...Paul... family troubles are no fun.. I wish you and yours well..

Finally caught up with your threads Paul. Sounds like work continues to be busy - which can be a good thing when manageable - SHMBO and your kids are doing well but sorry to learn about the family problems you are dealing with! Here is hoping that things can be sorted out soon.

Paul, I think times like this the distance makes the troubles more bearable ...... head up & hope the fog clears soon.

Paul, I'm sorry to hear about the family troubles. I can relate to the problem of being long-distance -- you feel so helpless.

Catching up... again.

I was moderately disappointed in The Thing Around Your Neck and you said it very well in your review.

Best luck with the family issues. I hope things work out in your brother's favor.

I hope your brother and his family will be well, too, Paul. Thoughts to you.

That sucks Paul! Your poor brother and his kids, they must be so sad to give up their pups. Your dad sounds like an interesting character. Don't you just hate family drama!
I had a "discussion" with my parents last week about the wedding that made me walk out of their home in tears. That night I was so happy to be moving 2200 kilometers away. We've made up now and everything is fine, but sometimes families can be too much.

Bit overwhelmed by all the supportive messages I received in the few hours I was sleeping! I won't do my normal trick of answering each post in too much detail as it would be a repetition of thanks to a wonderful, wise and supportive group who never fail to brighten my day.
Mark, Katie, Suz, Kath, Lori, Alex, Laura, Jenn, Nancy and Chelle thank you all so much and I'm sure that there are other friends who browsed/lurked and nodded supportively so thanks to you too.

Mark - Newfoundlands are big and loveable, a bit like Peter I guess.

Katie - SWMBO is my rock actually and her point of view was simply one of "sod him Paul go out and earn even more money and help Peter and his family with it" she has an innate faith in my ability to provide just as I have great faith in hers to spend it!

Suz - I have instructed lawyers in Malaysia on the breach of an agency agreement we had agreed and I have instructed a firm in the UK about recovery of a debt for our professional services and re the defamation. Not really expecting the recover the money but if it could force him to desist against Peter it would be worthwhile.

Kath - I am trying to learn a thing or two about magnanimity from you and I am always impressed by the resilience and good humour you invariably display in facing family torments.

Lori - work is busy and rewarding I am going in for a couple of hours this morning/afternoon (Sunday) as my team need to catch up a little for next weeks challenges. I have a wonderful and dedicated bunch who actually requested to come in today as they want to do the firm justice next week.

Alex / Laura - distance both helps and hinders - hurry on scientists and invent a star trek like transport device so I could beam myself backwards and forwards at will. Until then I will take the positives out the situation.

Jenn - Loved her novel Half of a Yellow Sun to bits but agree that of 12 short stories only three really pressed my buttons, 6 were ok and the remainder crud. I guess that is what you often get with the genre though isn't it and it is part and parcel of its attraction/unattractiveness.

Thanks Nancy.

Chelle - "interesting" is not the adjective Peter is using presently! Family motivations are weird Chelle. In your case it is a matter for you and Nate to decide while keeping in mind their reasonable feelings. It is your relationship and life and families are there to support you, pick you up and celebrate with you. They should get the message - stick to your guns and do what is right for both of you.

Paul, so sorry to hear about your family troubles. I do believe you made the best choice for yourself when you moved halfway round the world and established such a great life away from the drama. I just can't understand how a father would take any pleasure in removing his own son from a family run business.

Paul, I'm really sorry to hear about the trouble between your brother and father. It sounds heartbreaking and I hope things start to look up for your brother soon.

I also often wish for a "star trek like transport device". They're lots of places I'd like to go but the length of the time it takes to get to them often prevents me from even considering it.

Judy - thanks for your kind wishes and I don't regret for a moment my move to Malaysia from an ageing England in 1994. My father and his motivations never cease to amaze me.

Pat - we should get Jim working on the device tout-de-suite!

I'm so sorry to hear about your brother's situation, Paul. I hope that with your help and support that he can come around--sounds like he's a good fellow.

He is a good fellow Roni and it is his only daughter's birthday today - she is 12 the same age as Kyran, but whereas Kyran acts his age, Lydia is a grown-up little girl who is not bearing up too well under the family strains according to Peter. I pray for a lovely day for her as she is a bright and talented kid.

Paul, sorry I wasn't here to offer support sooner. I nodded vigorously as I read Suzanne's response. I can imagine how sad the whole situation must make you. Your dad certainly deserves an award as creep of the decade (and we're only just getting started with it too!). He must have had some pretty terrible experiences in life to make him such a monster of selfishness. Either that or he was born that way, in which case, he's got some seriously bad Karma which will just keep perpetuating itself. He makes my father seem like the best dad ever. Seriously. Mine is full of faults and often drops the ball, but at least he has a good heart and tries to look after me as best he can.

I know you've put lots of physical distance between yourself and your father, but no distance can keep these kinds of situation from breaking our hearts. Again, I'm really sorry and I hope the situation gets resolved in your brother's favour. Sounds like he and his family are forced to make really difficult sacrifices. Your father is a heartless bastard. Sorry. /end of rant.

Lydia has my sympathies -- family and financial issues can be so difficult for kids cope with, since they're so completely beyond their control. I hope she and the rest her family have an easier time of it soon. It's great that you're able to be so supportive of them.

Ack to your family drama Paul, even though you are far away you are still tied to it all and really, there's no escaping. You must have an aching heart for your brother.
Is there no talking to/contacting your dad at all? Would he listen to you?

Ilana / Megan - I spoke to him on the day following which he ousted my brother, had security guards at the family office to prevent him from entering and started this whole charade - I am already fleshing out the story for publication but it may stretch credibility too far!
Well when I spoke to him - he tried to justify his actions that it was to save the company - I pointed out that this was nonsense as Peter had obtained funding to tied the company over until increased sales began to take effect in April - I knew this because I had drafted much of the business plan and had vetted the Bank's offer (which Peter had personally guaranteed in the absence of my father) he verbally shrugged. I told him that lawyers were not the way to solve a family dispute. He verbally shrugged. I told him that even if he couldn't get along with Peter what about the impact of all this on his wife and his two grandchildren. He verbally shrugged. He accused Peter of beating him up in November and is pusuing the police to charge Peter. The police have not done so simply because it never happened but was part of a scheme he had concocted with his lawyer to destroy Peter's reputation, get sympathy and use it as a ruse to justify Peter's directorial removal on gross misconduct. He knows the Chief Constable and Peter is constantly harrassed with having to answer questions on a matter that is a figment of his overripe and devious imagination.
On December 21 my father and a minority shareholder GN signed an agreement with a scottish gentleman to sell their shares in the company (without Peter's knowledge) for in excess of GBP1 Million. The following day they removed Peter as Director and installed the scottish gentleman in his stead. Third parties informed that GN was given a bribe of GBP5,000 to sign Peter out of the company. They had previously been fast friends but GN needs money for his family as he is terminally ill and my father has preyed upon that fact. In October I advised Peter to safeguard himself by buying GN's shares as I didn't trust my father - he told me that his primary concern was getting the company moving forward and that he would speak to GN later! The Shareholder's Agreement precludes them from selling the company without first offering the shares to Peter (the price is inflated and the real offer is GBP400,000 with a lot of strings attached). Peter cannot buy the shares. The argument against Peter is concocted so as to find a way of reducing or avoiding giving Peter his rightful share in any sale proceeds. Now the Scottish gentleman realises his offer is overvalued even at GBP400,000 but they are all caught in the web they have spun themselves. My father is extremely vindictive and seems to an extent to believe some of his own lies and to speak to him further Megan would be to appeal to a better nature that I am afraid does not probably subsist.

Dejah - A bit of a strain to be honest but, after all, he is my twin and I know he would move heaven and earth for me if roles were reversed.

Ilana - missed your post earlier. I think you can see now why I am not so dismissive of your Dad despite the obvious issues you have together! His heart is, as you say, in the right place, he just has a habit of getting under your skin in his attempts to misguidedly but surely sincerely help. Mine on the other hand has always put himself and his passions first. An absentee Dad growing, violent, serial womaniser, bigot to my wife, her family and my kids and he left our poor mother penniless he has been forgiven time without number...but I think this time has a number and he has gone far too far.

Horrors, Paul. Take care of yourself in all this nastiness, and bless you for taking as much care of your brother as you can.

Thanks Peggy. I think I better get SWMBO to scare them all into submission - she does a good job of it with me normally!

Paul, apparently Joe knows a guy, being from Chicago and all... might solve everyone's problem and put your dad where he belongs.

EEeek!

Ilana - hahaha Joe's problem solving may be useful but I want my brother to prevail but not to that extent!

It does sound as if you might have some legal and even some PR leverage. It sounds as if your father's main concerns are (a) his personal bottom line and (b) his reputation. You could probably use the issue with your business that you mention above as leverage re (a) and I can see a nice little story in a national daily about the perils of a family business and a man who is utterly callous about his son and grandchildren... You're obviously going to have to write him off as a human being, given the magnitude of this -- and I suppose it could be worse, he could have been a Nazi mass murderer; imagine how Heydrich's children have to rationalize stuff?? -- so the focus has to be on how to contain both the financial damage and the emotional turmoil down the road, and use that leverage to get your brother as good a deal as possible. I can't imagine how hard this will be for Lydia today at the age of 12, but surrounded by loving parents and relatives, I would imagine that by the time she's 25, while the memories may be painful, she'll have learned important life lessons about integrity and trust that too many people don't learn by the age of 50. It's sad; it's ugly -- but it's not something you or your brother or mother did anything to cause. Your father may never feel guilty for this nonsense, but you will all know that any one in possession of the facts will know to whom the moral high ground belongs.

It's funny Suz your comments somewhat echo SWMBOs. I was saying yesterday that Lydia would struggle to cope but she felt that she would come through it stronger for the experience.

I was in my 30's before I "divorced" my father. I realized the only reason I continued to have a relationship with a physically and verbally abusive person was because he was my father. It wasn't enough anymore. And he wasn't near as bad as your father seems to be. What slime of the earth.

My mom and I get along great as along as we are 1800 miles apart. When we visit, it is best it not be more than 5 days as we get on each other's nerves. But that is just a personality clash, she's a wonderful person and loves me a lot.

It's great that SWMBO is so supportive of you. Lucky man!

Oh Paul, just reading about the business makes my head spin and really hurt, so I can imagine what a drain this is on you and Peter. I hope the family business situation calms down soon and rights itself.

I was going to offer the "I know a guy who knows a guy" solution, but Ilana beat me to it! :)

So sorry to hear about the family situation. I wish I had some good advice, but the business situation is beyond me...

was not able to read all unread messages, more than 200 is too much!

some short comments:
- love your statistics!
- sad for your brother, not to be able to take care of your dogs... that must be awfull!!!
- don't know anything about business... but think it must be hard to have a father like that

Yesterday I drove across town to take SWMBO and the tribe to the last surviving 'COCA' restaurant - it is a Thai steamboat. After braving the traffic on the federal highway (it's not a toll road so very busy) we arrived only to find that the restaurant had closed!
Had a decent meal nevertheless to celebrate SWMBO's birthday which is today. Claypot Beancurd with Seafood, Sambal Petai (bitter beans in a spicy sauce with prawns), Beef rendang (slow cooked beef), Ayam Masam Manis (sweet and sour chicken), Kangkong Belacan (green vegetables in a spicy prawn paste), Lotus Root with cashews.
Will try to get home quite early today to take her somewhere else just the two of us.

Morphy- sorry to read about your earlier travails with your father and that you have been able to move on with your life despite or without his "help".

Lynda - I've got to the stage that when I don't get an early morning call from Peter I am worried already.

Jim - I didn't realise I had such stong armed pals here! I am supposed to be a whizz in business and this mess makes my head spin too!

Anita - nice to see you and you have made a good job of summarising most of the issues here anyways! No mention of books unfortunately!

I want to say a big thank you again to all of you who have taken the time to send me your advice and best wishes through these difficult few days. Without simply issuing platitudes they have been most welcome and helpful and I am immensely grateful. What a wonderful group this is!

Paul - just skimming through and shaking my head at the family discord - and the very sad news that your brother is facing this loss! And as a result of ruthless actions by your father. Grrrrr. I'm not even going to pretend to understand or have advice re the business end of it, but like Ilana and Jim, I might know a guy who knows a guy...... Okay, no, not a good solution. We know that. But the fantasy can sometimes bring a brief respite from anger and grief.

Your tribe dinner for SWMBO's birthday sounds enjoyable and delicious. I'm sure you'll have another nice dinner just the two of you.

Happy Birthday to SWMBO!

Ellen - Not sure that getting even in such a way is so unattractive but it unfortunately wouldn't solve anything either.

Ellen/Pat - thanks so much.

Oh Paul, so sorry to learn about your family troubles. It's hard to understand your father, very much so. I'm glad that your brother has you in his corner, and that you have moved many miles away from the whole mess. It has to be very stressful for you and everyone involved.

222 posts since I last visited. You are indeed a very popular man...with good reason...

It is a joy to have you as part of the 75 challenge group!

What an incredible photo of your two lovely ladies. They are stunningly pretty.

And, what a great haul of books you aquired!

I'm so sorry that the family saga continues. Like many, I can relate.

Hugs to you!

Deb - thanks for stopping by and I am glad you have recovered from being under the weather. I also cannot understand him except that he struggled from very humble beginnings as a pipe-fitter and welder and made something of sorts of himself and now that finally he sees money he wants to sail off into the sunset and possibly believes that Peter has it in him to start over. Utterly selfish I know but I think he has convinced himself that he deserves it for all the hard work over the years!

Linda - As usual your kind words have me blushing almost to as deep a red as the shirt I am wearing today. Hugs back to you dear lady as you have set a very good example of how to cope with life's problems and still remain as positive, cheerful and resoundingly humane as you are.

Hi Paul. Sounds like you had a lovely meal with your family. Wish I could have been there, it all sounds so delicious! I'm about to sign off for the night, but just visiting a few threads as don't want to seem anti-social, and want to be supportive of others too as much as I can.

I think the guy who knows a guy who knows a guy thing WOULD solve a lot of issues. But that's me. And I don't know anything about business, so I could be totally wrong.

Ilana it sure is tempting sometimes but it probably wouldn't help Peter other than giving him some grim satisfaction. Noting with interest your convalesence from your procedure and I'm sure Coco and his assorted friends are helping loads. Sweet dreams. x

OK, just had to wipe the drool off my computer. Between your fabulous meals, and Cushla's posting about peach and pear crumble, I'm amazed this device is holding up the way it is...

Suz, thanks for the heads up - just going to rush over to Cushla's places and enjoy some of that drooling over the crumble! Amber also has been making delicious upside down cherry cake.

Paul, I am only just reading up and I don't know what to say. What a mess! I am so sorry for your brother and his family, what a horrible situation - and to be brought there by his own father! I hope you and Peter will find a way to make him at least carry some of the damage he has already caused.

I hope SWMBO had a nice birthday despite the problems, your family dinner sounds delicious.( I so miss decent Asian food! )

Happy Belated Birthday wishes to SWMBO!

Will not address your family situation as others have already done so and much better than I could. Am so sorry about your brother's puppies. You are such a good brother - plainly Peter is not the only one to have been gifted with a soft-center.

One thing I can't understand is how the two of you could possibly be related to such a heinous creature as your father. Must be that decency trumps rotten-ness genetically speaking.

I'm so very late to this discussion (I spent the weekend mostly sewing and didn't get too near the computer!), but I'll add my sympathies at your familial woes. It's hard having a mean family member - one struggles between a sense of obligation to love and one of revulsion, plus pity, too. Sending kind thoughts brother-ward and Paul-ward too.

Nathalie - As you know businesses are stressful, family businesses sometimes doubly so - but nevertheless it is almost inconceivable that our father would not want the next generation to carry the torch onwards. It is not as if he is struggling for money - he has a holiday home in Canada and about half a million sterling in the bank - all so unnecessary!
Time differences muddle us all up but SWMBO is still celebrating - brought a cake home from work (Happy birthday Mummy) and am taking her for supper at our friends restaurant.

Charlotte - SWMBO says thanks! We have our mum to thank for our soft natures - I guess that's why she also got dumped on!

Amber - I did notice you forgot to add the cherry upside down cake from your weekend, I'm still salivating! "Paul-Ward", like it!

Cherry upside down cake? Oh my. I have some cherries in my freezer...

Hooray for the good moms!

So are there any birthday traditions special in your area or is it the usual dinner/cake thing?

Jenn - Even reading about home cooked cakes is satisfying. As a Dad I will second that hooray for all you super mums!

Morphy - Yeah bit dull but dinner and cake is pretty much it. Tonight however we were in luck as we were asked to our close friends restaurant for dinner and her extremely generous husband insisted on paying for everything - am typing this after two extremely loaded Long Island Teas which would have put Joe's cafe to shame (well equalled it anyways). After that we went to drive out of the expensive car park only to find the barrier system in freefall and we were told that "never mind no need to pay tonight".
Our tradition on the night of each others birthdays modesty (in the propriety sense) forbids me from describing in detail but needless to say the oysters imbibed earlier will be put to good use!