Berly's Bounty

Spring!!

1. A Book With More Than 500 Pages--The Green Mile by Stephen King
2. A Forgotten Classic
3. A Book that Became a Movie
4. A Book Published This Year--Hollow City by Ransom Riggs
5. A Book With a Number in the Title--Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

6. A Book Written by Someone Under Thirty
7. A Book With Non-Human Characters--Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs
8. A Funny Book--Basket Case by Carl Hiassen
9. A Book by a Female Author--Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver
10. A Book With a Mystery--Paper Towns by John Green

11. A Book With a One Word Title--Orfeo by Richard Powers
12. A Book of Short Stories
13. A Book set on a Different Continent--More Than This by Patrick Ness
14. A Book of Non-Fiction--Marbles by Ellen Forney

15. The First Book by a Favorite Author
16. A Book you Heard About Online
17. A Best-Selling Book
18. A Book Based on a True Story--When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr
19. A Book at the Bottom of Your To-Read Pile

20. A Book Your Friend Loves--Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor
21. A Book That Scares You
22. A Book That is more than 10 Years Old--The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
23. The Second Book in a Series-- Hollow City by Ransom Riggs
24. A Book With a Blue Cover--Dust by Patricia Cornwell

Reading
Willow (329 pages)by Julia Hoban--reading with my daughter
The Goldfinch ( pages) by Donna Tart

May
28. Just One Damned Thing After Another ( pages) by Jodi Taylor 5.0
27. A Symphony of Echoes ( pages) by Jodi Taylor 5.0
26. The Book of Salt (156 pages out of 260) by Monique Truong 3.0

April(1601 pages so far)
25. The Bartender's Tale (432 pages) by Ivan Doig 4.0
24. City of Thieves (258 pages) by David Benioff 4.5
23. River Marked (304 pages) by Patricia Briggs 4.0
22. Thirteen Reasons Why (336 pages--read with my daughter) by Jay Asher 5.0
21. Paper Towns (320 pages) by John Green 4.5
20. The Rosie Project (304 pages) by Gaeme Simsion 5.0
19. Basket Case (317 pages) by Carl Hiaasen 3.5

March(2107 pages)
18. French Women Don't Get Fat (256 pages) by Mieille Guillano 3.0
17. Sisterland (397 pages) by Curtis (a woman!) Sittenfeld 4.0
16. World War Z (342 pages) by Max Brooks 3.5
15. The Green Mile (536 pages) by Stephen King 4.5
14. Shadow Spell (339 pages) by Nora Roberts 3.0
13. Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, & Me (237 pages) by Ellen Forney 4.0

February(1922 pages)
12. Chocolate War (263 pages) by Robert Cormier 4.0
11. Sisters Brothers (325 pages) by Patrick DeWitt 4.5
10. Dark Witch (342 pages) by Nora Roberts 3.0
9. Silver Borne (304 pages) by Patricia Briggs 4.0
8. Dirty Love (304 pages) by Andre Dubus--Pearl Ruled unless my book club can talk me back into it
7. Hollow City (394 pages) by Ransom Riggs 5.0

January(2340 pages)
6. Basket Case (317 pages) by Carl Hiaasen 3.5
5. When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit (246 pages) by Judith Kerr 4.0
4. Orfeo (369 pages) by Richard Powers 3.0
3. Flight Behavior (433 pages) by Barbara Kingsolver 4.0
2. More Than This (480 pages) by Patrick Ness 4.5
1. Dust, a Scarpetta Novel (495 pages) by Patricia Cornwell 3.5

Favorites from 2013

The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald 5.0
Brewster, by Mark Slouka 5.0
The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier--A Banned Book!! 4.0
The Panopticon, by Jenni Fagan 4.5
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs 4.0
The Dog Stars, by Peter Heller 5.0
What Alice Forgot, by Liane Moriarty 5.0
Round House, by Louise Erdrich 4.5
With or Without You, by Domenica Ruta 5.0
The Death of Bees, by Lisa O'Connell 4.5
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot 5.0
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain 5.0
The Fifty Year Sword by Mark Z. Danielewski 4.0
Morgue Drawer Next Door, Jutta Profijt 4.0
Sacre Bleu by Christopher Moore 5.0
A Million Heavens by John Brandon 4.5
When She Woke by Hilary Jordan 5.0

Happy 2014, Berly-boo!

Hi Kim!

What a fascinating opening post!

Hi Kim, glad to see you up and running over here!

The Pillar at Powell's is incredible. Geesh, wish I could think of neat things like that.

Welcome back! Have fun in Portland!!

Good to see you back Kim. Hope you have a great year.

Hi Kim! I'm glad you're here again. And you know that I love that pillar outside Powell's. Maybe we'll have to take our meet-up photos by that in a couple of weeks.

I'm excited about our February meet-up, too!

Fascinating story about the pillar. Definitely a photo op.

OHhhhh, so here you are! Where have you been?!

I heard you were around- thanks to RDs thread- I'll be back there soon to talk to you RD :)- so welcome! And a whole thread too- I see big things in your future, like daily visits and much conversation around that lovely thing: the book.

Kim - Nice to see a tentative toe in the water already. Please jump into the bath completely as it is very pleasant here in the 2014 group but there is always room for the improvements you would bring. xx

Hi, Kim! That's great opening post!

Oh dear. Kimmers has abandoned us to our fates. No longer even pretending to care *sniff* just because most of us can't make it to the PDX Meetup *chinwobble*

Dear Kim

Sending love and light!

First things first...books!



More of the usual--if you like Scarpetta, you will like this one! Basic plot (so I can remember in the future which one this was): a body is found and Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta is called in to investigate. She discovers glittery stuff all over the body and there are similarities to an FBI case husband Benton Wesley is covering. But Wesley's boss doesn't want him on the case...dun, dun, dun!! Designer drugs, corruption, organized crime and drone technology. A good read. 3.5 stars

2. What can I say? Patrick Ness is my new favorite author. There is not one book I have read by him that I have not loved! More Than This follows a boy. In the first four pages, he dies, alone and desperate. But then he awakens in a deserted land, confused, naked and thirsty. It is vaguely familiar. But why? Is this an afterlife and is it a chance for redemption? Or is this his new fate, his private hell? An amazingly inventive story. I read it in one day because I could not put it down. And I would tell you more, but I don't want to give anything away. Beautiful, emotional, suspenseful. A must-read! 4.5 stars

Richard--Thank you for the welcome to 2014 and I love the book bridge! That's what my friends here are, bridges to better books.

Diana/wilkiec--nice to see you here and here's wishing you a great year of reading in 2014.

Cindy/countrylife--Hello to you! It is a pretty cool pillar and the inside of the store is even better!

Katie--Hi there! Thanks for stopping in! How are things in your neck of the woods? I will try to catch up on your thread.

Linda--I know. Maybe if I was less scheduled and had more time to think...or maybe not! LOL

The good DR!! Happy 2014 and here's wishing you fun too! What have you been reading lately? I think you would like More Than This...!

Calm--Yes, I am alive. Thanks for checking. : )

Ellen--I know...perfect photo op, if the construction isn't in the way...I am sure we will find somewhere to take a good photo. Can't wait to meet everyone! (For those who have no idea what we are talking about, Mark is coming out this way on February 1st and a bunch of us are having a meet up!!)

Lisa--You are in too? Oh, this is gonna be fun!

Hi Crazy--I have not been hiding! : ( RL just keeps getting in the way. In fact, the only reason I have time today is because I have a wee injury of the foot and couldn't go up to the mountain boarding today. Pout. BUT! I got the whole day to read and I read cover to cover book #2 up above and it was GREAT! Now that should tell you something: Both that is an awesome book and that it is mid January and I am only on book #2. Yay! Boo.

I'll have to check into it!

Megan--Hi! I would love daily conversations. Especially about books. I will try to be better about carving out some LT time. Promise!

Paul--What a nice thing to say! I have jumped in off the dock and am fully immersed. At least today. But you still might see me climb up on the dock and it may look like I have left, but I am really just getting ready for my next cannonball back into the water.

Terri--Thanks. Glad you like the opening post. I can only take credit for posting it though, not creating it. ; )

Richard--Cannonball!!!!!! Did I get you wet?

Linda--I needed some of that. Thanks. I send the same back to you with a hug.

Dr N--You get points for a quick response. I am hopping over to your thread to see what you are reading....

I don't think a cannonball would suffice to slow RD down, Kim.

I don't want to slow him down....just get him wet!! LOL. Smooches Richard. And one for you too, Paul. : )

Kim, When I hosted a national conference in Portland in 2010, we adopted the theme "Bridges." Folks wanted us to add a colon and some additional verbiage, and my perspective was: "if you can't come up with a way for your presentation to fit the theme of "bridges" (remember, it was a group of psychologists), then stay home." A bit curmudgeonly, perhaps, but it worked.

My point is that we can take photos by bridges if necessary. Or wherever. It's Portland. It needs no introduction.

I'm very excited.

LOL. Gotta love psychologists. I can laugh at them since I was a neuroscience/psych major myself. I am Chair of the board of a school and we just renamed it Bridges last year--a most appropriate name in Portland. And, yes, it would suffice as a backdrop. I love your flexibility!

*GASP*

an

an

an actual Berlying!! *faints* (wetly)

>29 Berly:: It was kind of funny how badly members of the organization wanted more to guide their presentation topics. I held firm. I was feeling my PNW rebelliousness.

A Berlying! Hmmm. I think I like the sound of that. Throws more water on Richard to wake him up from the faint. Hands him a drink.

Ellen--I love your resolve and I think I would love your PNW rebelliousness, too, if only I could figure out what the initials stand for? Aha!! Pacific North West perhaps? Yes, that must be it. In which case, I do truly love your PNW rebelliousness!! You would think I would know the shorthand, having lived here for 18 years. : P

Pacific NorthWest. Yes.

See how quick I was there?! Did you just snort? LOL.

I forgot to give a big shout-out to my secret Santa--S/he gave me More Than This. THANK YOU whoever you are!!

Just started Barbara Kingsolver's Flight Behavior. I have high hopes...

Ooh, I got More Than This as part of my Xmas bounty, too! Such a great cover, and it's wonderful to know the inside is good as well. :)

Love the cannonball into the reading waters, but rather glad I was elsewhere when it happened. :)

Okay..I just stole the Bingo Card (see top) idea from Wookie, who got it from LShelby. Thanks you guys!

The book bingo is fun! I did try it last year, but ran out of time to maintain my card, and I don't know how I ended up in the end! :)

I will give it my best shot. I am not sure about filling up the card, but I hope I get at least one down or one across! Should be fun! As if reading books wasn't fun enough. ; ) Can't wait to hear what you think of More Than This--have you read any other Ness?

Drive by to say Hi. Saw you on drneutron's thread "complaining" about book bullets. I agree. I came to see your thread and what do I do, get hit by another BB. More Than This sounds really interesting. Thx :)

LOL. Hi Mahsdad! It is a dangerous world here on LT. Drive-by shootings everywhere. You're welcome! Come visit again. ; )

I have read the "Chaos Walking" series, thought it was excellent. I've avoided A Monster Calls, as I tend to avoid anything with people dying from cancer. One day, maybe.

Hi, Berly! The Ness book sounds amazing - wishlisted!

Hi Wookie--Well, someday, when you are up for it, you should try A Monster Calls, simply because I love Ness and I have heard great things about it. I haven't read it myself, but I want to!

Hi Amber--Nice to see you here! Thanks for popping in. I am glad you wish listed Ness. Now you just have to move it to the top of the list!! ; )

Oh, I LOVED A Monster Calls!! SO good.

Hello, Kim! Good to see you here! I will not be hosting a thread this year, but I plan to visit others... including yours, of course.

I loved Monster Calls. I will have to add More Than This to my wish list.

Hi Kim, I love the book pillar. Someday I will make it to Powell's! It is now officially on my Bucket List. I am looking forward to reports on the big Portland meet-up. Sounds like a fun time is in store for everyone.

That is a great favorites list from last year. Some titles will be duly checked out by me and some are read and well-loved by me. How are you liking Kingsolver's Flight Behavior? It wasn't my favorite by her but I did enjoy it. Happy Bingo playing. Another reason to read. Lol!

Even I, noted abstainer from the acquiring o' books couldn't resist the allure of the latest Patrick Ness. I might have to buy one or two more now to keep the thing company.

Have a lovely weekend, Kim.

I just recently flicked through my copy of A Monster Calls- it is so beautiful.
I am going to try his latest from the library I think, it looks lovely

Hi Crazy--Okay...everyone seems to like Monster Calls, so I am adding it to my birthday WL (that I send to my family).

Hi Carol--As long as you continue visiting me, I shan't chide you for dropping your thread. : )

Hi Donna--Hi there! Powell's is definitely Bucketlist worthy! And of course, you will have to let me know if you make it out here...! Report on Flight Behoavior to come shortly.

Paul! I love to see other abstainers crumble. Then I don't feel so bad about my own lack of self-will! Thanks.

Megan--I can take a hint. It's on the WL!!

Wishing everyone a great week ahead.

3. Barbara Kingsolver's latest novel explores faith, Global warming, marriage, extinction and happiness. No small task! Dellarobia Turnbow is a dissatisfied housewife. Her husband a farmer. Her simple world is turned upside down by the discovery of Monarch butterflies wintering in the mountains of her backyard. Dellarobia soon becomes a celebrity and her words and intentions are twisted by those around her: the church, the media, and her family. Can she find her own truth? I was slow to warm to this book, but grew to really like Dellarobia and her story and I enjoyed all the science of the Monarch miracle as well. The ending was a bit trite for me, but didn't ruin anything. A solid book by Kingsolver. 3.5

4. OrfeoI thoroughly enjoyed an Indiespensable Books interview with author Richard Powers beforehand and turned down several pages for reference. One quote in particular stands out after reading the book: "There are moments when Els is reflecting on the real crisis in music right now, which is that it's superabundant. When all of us can listen to every piece of music that was ever written, at any time, from anywhere that we want, how can we hear anything? What happens is we cease becoming adventurers and we cease becoming participants and subjects in this grand experiment of art,and we simply become consumers and really good commodity experts. When we have the entire gamut for our consumption, we just go to those things that we like the easiest. And that's the problem. It's hard to listen all the way through a three-minute song when we know that with the flick if a finger, we can pull up something that might be slightly better for our current mood."

I think the same applies to books -- I have, after all, used the Pearl rule more than once. In my defense, I did finish Orfeo, but the fault may still lie with me: I wasn't in the mood. Richard Power's Orfeo was clearly not for me, or at least not for me when I read it. It has an interesting, difficult premise, describing music in words, and I think Powers did a masterful job of it, but it still didn't work. I couldn't hear it. And the ENTIRE book revolves around music. I tried to read it slowly, looking for richness in the words, and I tried to skim it, listening for the overarching melody, but neither method worked for me. The main character is a musician, who has failed in his 70 years to write something new, something earth-shattering. In his retirement he turns to science, his other passion, and begins to tinker with DNA in his home lab. Homeland Security finds out about it and Els is forced into hiding. During his flight, he revisits the past, pivotal moments of his life. I feel there is genius here, but somehow I missed it. Other readers may be more successful.

I liked Flight Behavior, too, although it's not (IMO) her strongest novel. I still think The Bean Trees is fabulous.

I totally agree. Bean Trees is still my favorite by her.

Totally pooped today. I have had a really long stretch of low pain, but last night I had an allergic reaction and then my gut got all unhappy. Let's just say it was a three Benadryl, two Oxycodone night. Close call, but I did avoid the hospital. Yay!

^ Ugh, but I'm glad you were able to avoid the hospital. Feel better soon!

I hope you feel better soon!

The Poisonwood Bible is my favorite Kingsolver. I also remember liking The Bean Trees, but it was so long ago I forget the details. I should re-read it.

I think you liked Flight Behavior better than I did.

Yay on no hospital, boo on allergic reactions, and a general-purpose *smooch*

Thanks Ellen. Finally feeling better today. : )

Hi SCR! Poisonwood was a love/hate one for me.

Lori--Maybe, maybe not. I have in retrospect downgraded to a 3.5. But I will stick with that!

Ricardo--Exactly!

Finished When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr, and am now deep into Basket Caseby Carl Hiaasen. Reviews this weekend, along with LT Meetup Pictures!!

Can't wait for Meet up pics, glad you're feeling better!

Kim, have a lovely weekend and a great meet-up.

Hi Kim--It was lovely to meet you yesterday, and I hope you survived your evening with the prom night teenagers!

Richard Powers has been one of my favorite authors. I haven't cared for his last few books, but have loved his earlier books. I have to agree with you about Orfeo which I just read. I just couldn't get the long descriptive passages of the music. I was a music major in college, and I could understand most of the technical music terms he used, so I cannot imagine someone not familiar with music theory having a chance with this book.

Hi Kim! It was great to see you this weekend. Happy reading!

Hi Tutu! Yes, feeling fine! Trying to get my life back in order after the fun but hectic weekend. Pictures to come!

Thanks Paul. It is always so much fun to actually meet all the wonderful people I have been chatting with here. Couldn't find a nicer bunch.

Hi Deborah--It was great to meet you too and, yes, I survived the teenager takeover!!

As to Powers, I actually studied piano for several years, but Orfeo still did not work for me. And I totally agree that anyone without a musical background would have an even harder time! Perhaps I will try one of his earlier works. Thanks for the tip.

Hi Banjo! So nice to hang out with you last weekend. Powell's is indeed a wonderful place to have in your backyard, although my wallet suffers some.

Here are my guilty pleasures from the LT meet up:
Interpreter of Maladies by Lahiri, City of Thieves by Benioff, Hollow City by Riggs, The Sisters Brothers by DeWitt, Tortilla Curtain by Boyle, Storyteller: The Life of Roald Dahl by Sturrock, The Book of Salt by Truong, The Magician's Assistant by Patchett, Life After Life by Atkinson, and Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, & Me by Forney.

Happy Reading Everyone!!

Hi Kim! Just stopping by to star your thread and say how nice it was to meet you on Saturday. I loved seeing the Powell's pillar of books in your opening post. I must say I am quite jealous that you have such a fantastic bookstore close by to where you live. As much as I love where I live in Idaho, that is one thing it is sadly lacking.

I've read Interpreter of Maladies, The Tortilla Curtain and Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo & Me so I know you have some good reading ahead of you with those books. Happy Reading to you too!

Hi Kim- Love the snappy new thread! And I love that book haul. some fine reading ahead of you!
Once again, it was great finally getting to meet you. You did not disappoint. LOL.

Thanks for popping in! It was great to meet you too and I am so impressed that you travelled out to see us. I love that we have Powell's here as long as I am not a frequent visitor--that gets hard on the wallet and I run out of shelf space!!

I am so glad I have chosen some good reads!

Hiya Mark! I must point out that my mighty-fine book haul is largely your fault, sir!! It was really fun walking the aisles with you in Powell's. I can absolutely say that having met in person I will now enjoy you on LT more then ever. BIG hugs!

I also enjoyed cruising the stacks with you. How far did we get: F or G? LOL.

*smooch* for happy, re-booked Berly-boo.

G. Definitely. ; ) Kisses to both of you!

Okay...rolling out the pictures here. This is half of the Portland Powell's group.
Ellen (Ellen EBT1002), Jan (oregonreader), Mark (msf59), Kim (berly), Carol (CarolO), Karen (maggie1944)

and then Lisa (labf39), Deborah (arubabookwoman), Juli (SuziQoregon) and her husband, and Pat (phebj)

And of course, Mark with his beer!

The whole motley crew outside Powell's--so much fun!

Thanks for sharing those, Kim! I've been waiting patiently. Great photos. Mark and his beer. It's a love story.

I applaud your patience! : )

I found your thread, Kim, and have already been hit by a book bullet (More Than This). :-) It was great meeting you Saturday, I just wish we had had more time to talk. Next time! And thank you for posting more meet up pictures. I'm going to put a link to them on the meet up thread.

Thanks Kim! The photos are great!

I'm so very much enjoying all of the meet-up photos! And you've added a book to my wishlist from your book haul - the Dahl book!

Thanks Kim for putting those pictures up. Mark is a beer hog.

"It's a love story" = LOL

Hi Kim! finally have a chance to read and catch up on my starred threads and not just do a drive by post.

Glad you survived prom night. I'll be curious to hear what you think of Hollow City I just recently read the first one and enjoyed it.

Also looking forward to hearing what you think of Life After Life I had a wide range of feelings about that book as I read it. It was difficult for me to pin down my thoughts about it.

Hi Kim, word was you had meet up pics here and indeed you do. What a great looking and happy bunch of LTers! So nice to see that all went well and everybody had a great time!

Kim, it looks like I missed a fabulous meet up! I couldn't even meet with the Kansas City locals when I was up there last week because my husband didn't go with me and I had three kids to drag around! The weather was terrible too -- cold and a week end ice storm. Thanks for posting those great pictures.

I liked your comments on the Richard Powers book. You gave it your best shot! I haven't read anything by him. I'm already worried that I won't connect with Doctorow's new book, Andrew's Brain. It might just be too cerebral for me. Ha ha. I haven't even picked it up from the library yet but I've read a few comments that have me concerned about it. Oh well, there's a few hundred other books around my house (including a few Doctorows) that I could read instead!

" Mark is a beer hog." Thank you sir, may I have another...

What a great time we had! Great pictures, too!

Usernames, pretty please?

Usernames now listed. : )

Thanks everyone for stopping in. I will get back to you soon, but I am running around like mad! Portland got three inches of snow already (and people here do not know how to drive in it and we have lots of hill!s). Our Chinese exchange student arrived just before the snow really got going. Phew! School is cancelled tomorrow and I have to go finish making the enchiladas. Probably housebound tomorrow, so I'll see you then! Hugs.

Snow! Footprints on our deck.

Three inches is a big deal outside the snow belt. I'll bet your Minnesota-livin' self is snickering quietly at the freakout.

*smooch*

Hi Kim! Hope you are all enjoying the snow--it is very pretty, isn't it?

Portland, like Seattle, needs to freeze in place when it snows. The combination of Inexperienced Drivers + Many, many hills, some of which are steep + snow, melt, freeze, more snow = Deadly Conditions. I love staying at home and stating with no qualifications or apologies that I will not be driving.

And it is the good times for the readers.

I enjoyed Portland and meeting all the Library Thingers on Saturday. Thank goodness it was pre-snow! I'll be back to see Powell's again, soon, I think.

Lovely meet-up pictures! Wish I could've been there.

Enjoy the snow while it lasts!

Wow that snow on your deck looks just like cream cheese. I miss the cool but not the cold.

Great meet-up photos, Kim!

I'm liking those meetup pictures, too, Kim! Looks like you all had a great time.

Hi again...so the snow was great! Until my son managed to land just the wrong way off a jump and lacerate his spleen. I spent five days in the hospital with him, two in ICU. Thank goodness he is doing quite well and we are back home now. Managed to avoid surgery and now just have to make sure a really active 13-year-old boy does nothing to reinjure himself for the next THREE MONTHS!! OMG. Maybe he could take up reading as a sport...

Glad everyone liked the pictures. Way behind at home (as if I wasn't beforehand!) so I will do my best to peek in here when I can.

Hugs!! xoxo

>92 PaulCranswick: I am with you Paul, it looks like a very soft variety of snow dust. Lovely! (sorry if it is inconvenient, but it does look lovely).

Great meetup pics too, looks like you had a fantastic time, which I am not surprised about at all !

Eta: just read your above post. YIKES, a lacerated spleen sounds horrendous. I hope he recovers quickly well and fully!

Oh, Kim, how frightening! I am so glad he is okay. Amazing that he didn't need surgery. Good luck!

Wow, I'm so glad your son is doing well. A lacerated spleen doesn't sound good.

Oh no! Hope your son is better soon--sometimes it would be nice to just wrap them in bubble wrap!

Hi Kim- I am so sorry to hear about your son. What a bummer. I hope he recovers quickly. Hugs to my pal!

Yikes! The spleen is nothing to mess around with. Hope he continues to do well without surgery!

Oh no! That's scary. Hope he's OK

TERRIFYING!! I'm so sorry for the next three months of enforced inactivity's torments. Maybe he *can* discover the joy of reading. Get him some audiobooks! That way he's not tied to a chair or a bed, but distracted enough not to climb onto the roof for entertainment. (Yes, I did that at thirteen.)

Okay. I wanted to say Hi and Thank You to all my recent visitors:labfs39, SuziQ, scaifea, PaulC, Carmenere, Donna, Mark, Karen, Morphy, Richard, banjo, Carol, tymfos, jnwelch, Iread, labfs39, phebj, and Dr N.

It's funny--some of you I have switched to your RL name and others I think of in LT names. No idea why...but I know who you are and love hearing from you!

Thanks for all the sympathy. Did I mention that at the same time I was in the hospital with my son that we were hosting a foreign exchange student from China as well as my son's best friend who was co-hosting with us? And that everyone got socked in with the snow and all the pre-planned events got cancelled? Talk about crazy! But my husband did a great job and a good time was had by all. We are very good at divide and conquer. : )

Thankfully, finally, today is a non-Dr, family-only day. Chilling at home. My little guy is still sleeping at 11am. That's good old fashioned teen sleep I think!

Stuck in the hospital, I managed to fit in a few reads, so reviews to come...

5. When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr 4.0 stars

This is Judith Kerr's YA novel based on her flight from Germany and Hitler at age nine. When she began writing this book, Kerr had only published picture books (Mog series and The Tiger Who Came to Tea) and was feeling unsure of both her rusty German and the exactness of her memories. So rather than using a first person narrative, Kerr tells this story from Anna's point of view. The major events and feelings are hers, with some invented detail. Unlike many Holocaust novels, what emerges is not a tragedy but a beautiful book of adventure, family and warmth. Anna, despite the family's new poverty, enjoys Switzerland and France, the excitement of new people and the challenge of learning new languages. Very much enjoyed.



6. Basket Case by Carl Hiaasen 3.5 stars

The usual amusing, irreverent fare by another favorite author. In this murder mystery, Jack Tagger has been demoted to the obit page of a Florida daily newspaper. He hates the new profit-hungry owner of the paper, has a love/hate thing with his lady boss, and desperately wants to get back on the front page. And then Jimmy Stoma, the front man for the Slut Puppies band dies in a "fishy" scuba accident. Stoma's young wife is not too heart-broken either. A very entertaining, hugely funny novel.

I got my first Bingo!! (see up top)

Yowza on all that happening at once! Hope you had a relaxing day for a change yesterday.

Hiaasen's books are such fun. The Hubster and I have listened to a couple of them for road trip audiobooks.

To one and all...

Hi SuziQ! Thanks for the well wishes. Are the narrators good on the Hiaasen books? They could be great as audiobooks.

*smoochiesmoochsmooch* Happy and relaxing VDay, dearie!

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit: what a great title! This sounds like a book I would like. Anyone who gets excited about learning languages gets my vote. :-)

Yikes! I just read about your son's misadventure. I hope you make it through his 3 months of forced downtime!

Kim - Interesting comments on the use of names/handles etc. I would have used your handle - Berly - but I would have been terrified of executing a typo via Burly and have you never speak to me again. You're Berly, I'm burly.

I am no biologist but I am a concerned parent and "lacerated spleen" sounds pretty awful. Glad that there is no long-lasting issue. Apparently we can live without the spleen but it does seem to do a pretty useful job.

The only spleen I was previous aware of is the invective thrown my way when I get caught red-handed with a stash of new books. xx

Have a good weekend. xx

Oh gosh, I'm just now catching up and I'm sorry to hear about the lacerated spleen! Wow. Glad to hear that he's okay, but 3 months? Yowza.

I read the Kerr book last year and loved it - glad to see that you enjoyed it, too!

Wow, Kim, just catching up and reading about your son's accident. What a scare!

Both of the Hiaasen books we listened to were narrated by George K Wilson. His style fits the books well.

*smooch* just cause

Kim, just now visiting to see the photos from the pub and to read about your son and his spleen! How frightening! I'm glad it appears that he will be alright.....

As a Florida native, I'm a fan of Carl Hiaasen, especially (still) his first one, Tourist Season. Feed 'em to the gators, I say!

Let us bear in mind I am twelve hours in front of you, Kim, so where I am I should say:
Happy Birthday.

Oh, was it your birthday! Did I miss it?

Belated happy birthday, Kim!

Happy Belated Birthday!

Two weeks and no Kim?

Had I not sighted her briefly on FB, I'd be in panic mode by now.

Hi one and all. Yes, still alive here. Nursing my son back to health. He is now able to move around more freely, but still no contact sports for two more months! Despite the injury, he was invited to try out for the Oregon Olympic Development State soccer team. He is psyched!

I chaired the decorations and games for the fundraiser at my daughter's school and we raised over $230,000! Whoohoo!

Then I landed myself in the ER Monday with a GI blockage, probably due to all the scar tissue from my many surgeries. Hurt like heck and I am just starting to feel a bit better today. My doc wants me to do further testing to rule out Krohn's (I have Ulcerative Colitis). I have had this test several times and it has always turned out negative, but it has been a while. Sigh.

I haven't read a book in a month. I think the last one I read was The Rosie Project and I LOVED it! Hoping things calm down. This has been a wild year.

Love you all!!

And now, for your reading enjoyment, courtesy of my Dad...

1. When fish are in schools, they sometimes take debate.

2. A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.

3. When the smog lifts in Los Angeles U.C.L.A.

4. The batteries were given out free of charge.

5. A dentist and a manicurist married. They fought tooth and nail.

6. A will is a dead giveaway.

7. With her marriage, she got a new name and a dress.

8. A boiled egg is hard to beat.

9. When you've seen one shopping Center you've seen a mall.

10. Police were called to a day care Center where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.

11. Did you hear about the fellow whose whole left side was cut off? He's all right now.

12. A bicycle can't stand alone; it is two tired.

13. When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.

14. The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine is now fully recovered.

15. He had a photographic memory which was never developed.

16. When she saw her first strands of gray hair she thought she'd dye.

17. Acupuncture is a jab well done. That's the point of it.

And the cream of the wretched crop:

18. Those who get too big for their pants will be exposed in the end.

Hi Kim! Congrats to your son! good luck on your medical tests and thanks for the laughs.

What a year is right! I hope things take a turn for the less medical soon. Thank you for the update. I was wondering how you were doing.

And thank your dad for the laughs. Very punny!

>124 Berly: Many thanks to your dad for those chuckles!

"All right now" bwaaaaahaaaaaahaaaaaaaa

*smooch* for Krohn's-less-ness.

Kim, sorry about the health problems. I hope you get good test results!

Love the puns!

Hi Kimmers! Glad for the update. I am also glad your son is up and about. Sorry about the ER visit. Hope that has improved.
I have the Rosie Project waiting in the audio wings. Hugs!

>21 Berly: Hi Kim. You have read many great books thus far this year. For now, I've added More Than This. Also, I own a copy of When Hitler Stole the Pink Rabbit. I'll try to find which room and which case holds this book.

All the best to you!

>124 Berly: Kimmers I had almost forgotten why I missed you so much. Still chuckling - and a great boon to me for catching up.

Have a great weekend.

*Happy weekend wave*

Hello everyone! I'm back. Again. I am ashamed at how long I have been gone...ridiculous!! I can only blame it on medical travails and my apparent inability to say NO!! I continue to be overbooked (ha, ha!), but am slowly whittling away the commitments and, yes, refusing to take on anything new. Yay me!!

In an effort to get caught up quickly, I refuse to do reviews for any reading lately, but here is the list of current 2014 winners:

Thirteen Reasons Why (336 pages--read with my daughter) by Jay Asher 5.0
Paper Towns (320 pages) by John Green 4.5
The Rosie Project (304 pages) by Gaeme Simsion 5.0
The Green Mile (536 pages) by Stephen King 4.5
Sisters Brothers (325 pages) by Patrick DeWitt 4.5
Hollow City (394 pages) by Ransom Riggs 5.0
More Than This (480 pages) by Patrick Ness 4.5

Now, for a little trivia...

Guess which author enjoyed "Death in the Afternoon" as their favorite drink? A) James Joyce B) Ernest Hemingway C) Edgar Allen Poe or D) Oscar Wilde
(For those of you not in the know (and I was one of those) Death in the Afternoon is champagne and absinthe.)

Kim?!! Hello there, stranger! So lovely to see you here! We have missed you.

>134 Berly: Was it Hemingway?

Crazy--I can't answer until more people guess...! Thanks for popping in. : )

Miss Oscar Wilde, of course.

Ricardo!! Mayhaps...answer tomorrow. : P "Miss" LOL!

Kim- Great to see you back but sorry to hear about the knee. OUCH! At least we will have you around for awhile. Your current reads have been wonderful. Lots of 4.5's and 5's. I read all but the Riggs book and enjoyed all of them.

Hiya Mark!! Hmmm... I will have to try harder to hit you with a book bullet. LOL

The Green Mile and The Sisters Brothers were my favorites off that list. I am so glad you loved The Rosie Project. I've been trying to spread the word on that one. Now, they are talking a movie and a sequel? Wow.

Hullo ... I thought I'd introduce myself properly ;-)

Mark--I am not usually excited about movies from books, because the casting never quite works for me, but I think I would actually enjoy The Rosie Project and I would love a sequel!

Stephanie--So formal! It is a pleasure to meet you. : ) I took a quick look at your profile page, but now I have to track down your thread.

Police were called to a day care Center where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.
LOL
Oh dear, I am easy to amuse. :)

Hiya Megan! Glad to provide a chuckle. Those always get me. My favorite of the bunch is: "He had a photographic memory which was never developed."

Now back to #134. And the answer is... "Death in the Afternoon" was the favorite drink of Ernest Hemingway!! Way to go Crazy!!

I am reading The Bartender's Tale for book group. It's moving a little slowly for me, but the kid is cute and there is a mystery lurking so I have hope.

...wait...is that really you, Kimberly Ann, for two days in a row?!

Maud Martha, bring the sal volatile and loosen my stays, she's actually here! *fans self*

Hi, Kim! Good to see you.

I'm hearing lots of good things about The Rosie Project.

*Hugs*

*pushes the fainting couch into place for Richard*

WahHOO! I was right!! I'll try not to let it go to my head. Now, What's on tap for today?

Hands Richard a bigger fan as he lies on the fainting couch. Smooch!

Hi Terri! I loved the Rosie Project! And rumor has it a movie is in the works as well as a sequel. I am absolutely sold on the book and actually kinda looking forward to the movie. I don't usually like movies after I have read a book, the characters never seem to quite line up with what I had imagined in my head, but for some reason I think this one would work.

Stephen--Back atcha!

Crazy--It's the winning woman! So, did you like my tie-in with the drinks and the book I am reading? Bartender's Tale? Good one, huh?! ; )

Well, since you asked, here is another drink quiz...match the author with their favorite drink.

1. Truman Capote
2. Charles Dickens
3. James Joyce
4. Dorothy Parker

A. Whiskey Sour
B. Gin Punch
C. Screwdriver
D. White Wine

Okay, I'll bite. Let's see...

Truman Capote - I'm gonna say whiskey sour because he seemed sour in those later years

Charles Dickens - I'm gonna say gin punch because after I read a bit of him, I want to punch someone

James Joyce - I guess he has to have the white wine because I can't imagine Dorothy Parker claiming that as her drink of choice

Dorothy Parker - Screwdriver because I already gave the whiskey sour to Truman

I agree with Mamie except I would switch Capote and Joyce.

Hiya Kim! Good to "see" you back :)

>153 richardderus: ^^^what she said.

Crazy--love to hear the thinking behind the guesses. : )

Katie-- Nice to "see" you, too!

Ricardo--Which "she"?

Drinking answers tomorrow....

And the answer is...

1. Truman Capote / C. Screwdriver
2. Charles Dickens / B. Gin Punch
3. James Joyce / D. White Wine
4. Dorothy Parker / A. Whiskey Sour

And last night I had me own drink because I was in a right bad mood. >: (

MRI showed a complete tear of the ACL and a meniscus tear. That means surgery and probably 6 months of rehab. I am supposed to belt test for second degree black belt in November. Grrrrr!!! I see the orthopedist next week to see about scheduling the surgery. I am wearing this ridiculously long splint to keep my knee from giving way. It runs from mid thigh to mid calf -- getting in and out of the car is now an Olympic event!! I hope I either get the surgery soon or they can fit me with a brace that has a flexible knee joint. Just call me lumpy, grumpy, gimpy or wimpy for right now.

Oh, what a total drag. Your poor knee! You definitely deserved that drink.

I think so too. (Stole this from Ricardo)

Smoochling, I am so sorry! It's a misery to have knee troubles, it impacts every bloody thing you do and all daily tasks become Herculean efforts.

Hoist another one and toast to me!

Thanks Richard. I wish! Normally I would wait until after I was done playing taxi mom. Then I would call out my Mom's favorite expression: "It's four o'clock somewhere!" and imbibe. But tonight my son has volunteered our house to throw a surprise birthday party for his best friend. So, as they say, the show must go on!! Check back with me at midnight. ; )

Oh Berly! Yuck. I'm sorry.

You poor, poor baby! What a bummer - keeping you in my thoughts, Kim.

Good luck tonight, Kimmers! Watch that knee!

I read a dark YA you might like: Dare Me. Have you heard of it?

So sorry about the knee surgery, Kim!

Oh, ding dang to the knee news! Thinking of you - and your knee...

Happy Easter, Kim!

Hi Kim! - finally getting a chance to do some catching up.

Nice to see your reading list up there >134 Berly:
Several of those are on my TBR list.

Sorry about the knee diagnosis. Hope you can get the surgery and rehab on the way sooner rather than later.

I had a knee MRI at the end of the year. No meniscus tears or such--only needs 12-18 months of not using it and tiny exercises. How are you supposed to NOT use your knee?! Sorry you'll need surgery. Here's hoping it goes super well and your recovery is record-breaking quick. How is your son?

*smooch*

Auntie Clio--Yuck Ptooey!! Thanks. ; )

Crazy--Thanks, from your was-Crazy now side-lined friend. : P And thanks for the Easter pic!

Mark--Haven't heard of Dare Me the book, but do you think that is such a wise choice to foist on the woman who should be careful right now? LOL

Terry--Gracias.

Amber--Keep sending good thoughts to me AND my knee!

Suzi--Surgery looks like later rather than sooner... : (

Lisa--12-18 months!!!! That is the worst prognosis I have heard yet! I will never last that long.

Richard-- xoxo

Official knee update after second consult---Complete ACL tear, and not 1, but 2 meniscal tears(!), one medial and one lateral. Oh, and I managed to stretch out the patella ligament which may need fixing too. Sigh. Fortunately, I love the doctor I am seeing and it looks like surgery mid-May. And just to add insult to injury, even though I am very athletic--now that I have crossed that 50-year line--I need an EKG before surgery. Seriously? That hurts in its own way. LOL. I have started PT and I am off crutches.

On a happier note...I am reading both Life After Life and Salt. I don't normally like to read two at once, but I temporarily lost Salt. Oops! I am actually really enjoying both of them, though they are VERY different.

And on the exciting side, my son has the lead in the school musical and opening night is this Wednesday! Yes, this is the son that had the spleen injury. He is doing very well and has clearance to do all the choreography. He is Troy in Disney's "High School Musical."

My son is the crazy one in the middle. : )

Okay boo on the surgery and all that. And yay for the crazy son!

>171 Berly: What a fun picture! I'm glad he is doing so well.

Kim- I am so sorry to hear about the knee issues. What a bummer, my friend. I guess it will be more time for reading, if that is any consolation.

Great news about your musical son! Very nice. Congrats!

What a fun photo...and such a musical! You're bursting, I'm sure. *smooch*

>171 Berly: Wow, that's wonderful!

Very nice about your son in the musical!

Sorry your knee is such a mess. Sounds awful!

Congrats to your son!

>171 Berly: Love that photo, Kim. Didn't love the original too much so I'm sure your son's production knocked spots off of it.

Have a lovely weekend, my dear.

Hi everyone! Thanks for the well wishes and encouragement for my son. The musical was wonderful! It was amazing how much they improved from the first opening night to the final performance. It was so cute--my son had little girls ask to get their picture with him and he even signed a couple of autographs. Tee hee! Proud Mama here. : )

As to the knee. It was doing phenomenally well and then I overdid it. Re-injured. Major pain. It is taking a lot out of me. : ( Surgery is on the 22nd, provided I can get the mobility back up and the swelling back down. Cross your fingers for me!

On a happier note....HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

>171 Berly: cool! You have a crazy fun talented son! I hope for that for my son(s) too :)

>180 Berly: Berly, proud mama indeed. So glad to hear the musical was a success. And sorry to read about your knee. Bah!

I am sure that Proud Mama became proud son today and you were spoiled rotten up there in the American North West. xx

Sorry to hear about the re-injured knee. Best wishes to you on the surgery.

Glad that your son's big day went so well. Yucky about the knee--sending healing vibes your way.

Hi there! Surgery in the morning. Can. Not. Wait!!!! This has been rough. Then hopefully when I am lying around in bed I will finally have time to be here!! If I am not too tripped out on pain meds. Lol. Cross your fingers for me!! Xoxo

Good luck, Kimmers! I hope this gives you the relief you NEED! We miss you! Hugs!

I will be sending healing thoughts.

Hi mark and banjo!! Just a quick note to say everything went really well home now with my leg propped up on two pillows. Ice machine running. (Who knew they had ice machines for your leg?!). Zoning in and out with the pain meds. More later. 😊

>190 Berly: YAY!

Exactly!! 😊

Yaay Kim... glad you are back from surgery and that it went well. Ice machines for legs? Wow.. I don't suppose you'd like to post a photo of it, would you? Sounds like a 'cool' contraption (ha! that's as clever as I can be after a long day at work).

I hope you have a pile of books close at hand to read while your resting.

Hi C!! I will try to get a picture posted of the "Cool
Contraption" ice thing, but not tonight. Pooped! (And yes you get clever points.) BIG pile of books by the bed. Right now I am reading The Goldfinch and loving it. About halfway. Thanks for stopping in. 😀

This is the pump with all the different settings for time, pressure and temp. The right side is where you put all the ice and a little bit of water. I then moves through a tube to my leg.


Sorry. in my drug-induced fog I can't remember how to rotate the picture. In any case,the black tube to the right of my foot is where the cold water comes in and then circulates around the whole leg. Right now I just have the cold water without the pressure--too soon after surgery to start that. Later it will help push accumulated fluid in my body out and reduce swelling.

Pretty cool and really helps the pain!

The Book of Salt by Monique Truong ***

This book is beautifully written, lyrical. It has Paris, Gertrude Stein and Alice Toklas as seen through the eyes of their Vietnamese cook. I should have loved it! Alas, no. Truth be told, I am 150 pages in and 100 to go, but I just can't finish it. Don't know why, but I am not drawn in. Could be that I am on the pain meds, and this is not the right book. It bogged down my reading for two weeks until I chucked it and moved on. I think I will save it and see if it calls to me later.

I think that I read A Book of Salt years ago, and it's no big thrill.

Glad that you are recovering OK--that's some crazy contraption!

Delurking to say that the ice machine for legs has got to be the coolest (no pun intended) and most practical medical treatment device I have seen in some time now.... not that I frequent hospitals or medical supply stores. ;-)

Brilliant!

Glad to see your surgery went well and your are able to relax with some books while recovering.

Take care, Kim!

xoxo

Checking in to see how you are feeling. I hope the pump helps!

Also, wanted to say that I found and finished When Hitler Stole the Pink Rabbit. For me it was ok, not great, but ok.

Happy Saturday to you dear Kim!

Hi Banjo--Well it sounds like Salt was not that great, so perhaps I will just let it go.

Lori--I LOVE my ice machine, but I suggest you just take my word for it. Don't do anything that might mean testing it out personally. ; )

Hi Katie and Richard--So nice to see you guys!

Linda--Happy Saturday to you too! Well, glad WHStPR wasn't a total loss. I had never read an account of the Holocaust quite like it and enjoyed seeing another angle.

I agree Kim. In hindsight, perhaps I was too hard in my assessment. Usual Holocaust fare is heavy and somewhat depressing. This was a simple tale from the perspective of a nine year old girl. Thanks for your comments.

I imagine you are in a great deal of pain. Is there an estimation of when you will be up and about?

Crutches and no weight bearing for at least three weeks. I am feeling better though--I switched pain meds and I am no longer throwing up, which is nice!! Now I just have to get rid of the sore throat and fever. I am lucky enough to have come down with a cold. Timing sucks! Ah well. I am catching up on my Netflix series. Reading is still hard--my eyes won't focus well because of the pain meds. SOOOOO, know that you know WAY more than you wanted to know...! Thanks for checking up on me. Happy Memorial Day!

Glad your surgery went well, but sorry to hear you've caught a cold. Best wishes to you, Kim!

Hi T! Thanks. Fever is going down--I am hoping it is gone tomorrow. I got to take a shower today and that always makes things seem better! Still reading The Goldfinch...

Happy Memorial Day!!

Boy, you can tell who's post-surgical when "not throwing up" is a Good Thing instead of the accepted state of ordinary being. xoxo

R--Sad but true!! I hope things continue to improve and I can raise my expectation bar a little higher.
; )

>206 Berly: Berly, being able to shower is one of the universe's best gifts, right there next to books.

Hope you are doing better today, Kim! Hope you had a nice holiday, my friend! Getting any reading in?

Hi Auntie--Yes, showers are definitely high on my list! Maybe next time I won't have to saran wrap my leg to keep it dry. And maybe I can stand up next time too! But, hey, it was still a shower and I feel clean.

Mark-- I certainly have the time for more reading, but I only make it a page or two and then the narcotics take over and I nod off. I refuse to give up though and soon I will wean myself off the pain meds and then I will play in the books all day long!

Some books you just have to be in the mood for Kim. The Book of Salt appeals but sometimes that story doesn't click with you even though you can appreciate its aesthetic qualities.

Have a great week my dear as you continue to recuperate.

Hi Kim, sorry to hear about your knee surgery. That ice machine looks like a miracle machine! I bet you are up and roaming around on those crutches after your reviving shower. At least you don't have little kids to chase around…the big kids can wait on you! Happy Healing! Read some good books for me.

Thinking of you and wishing you a fast recovery!

Hi Paul! All right...I will stop feeling bad about not liking Salt and turn my attention to getting well!

Donna-Hi there! I wouldn't say I was tearing up the house on my crutches, but I am a little more mobile. And, yes, it is a good thing to have older kids who can serve me! I remember being on crutches when my youngest was a year old and I had to lay down a trial of Cheerios to get him to crawl over to a changing pad because I couldn't lift him. Good thing he was a hungry tyke!

Hey S--Thanks for the good wishes. I will take all that I can.

Don't hold your breath, but I feel a book review coming on...!

: )

Kim, I had to travel to Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia, to realize I'd been missing your thread! and what a dramatic time | missed (in all senses of the word)!

I'm glad the 13 year old athlete/actor is well again and had a good time in his starring role. Sorrier to hear about the multiple stays at the hospital and your knee surgery. Jim and I wish you a speedy and uneventful(!) recovery.

I have been known to say I will catch up on my tv watching and reading when I break a leg, but that is supposed to be a JOKE.

Are you reading Dirty Love? I just picked up a copy, about a week ago. I've heard such good things...

>215 Berly: - Cherrio story is hilarious! Hope you are getting to enjoy the good weather.

>204 Berly: throwing up, ew. It is awful feeling ill like that.

>215 Berly: I had to lay down a trial of Cheerios to get him to crawl over to a changing pad because I couldn't lift him
Now that is lateral thinking.
What a palaver being on crutches with a little kid! You know i know this too :)

Judy--So glad you found me again. What an odd thing that travel to the Republic of Georgia made you realize you hadn't been visiting my thread!? LOL. And next time please nudge me with your elbow or something so I know you are just kidding. Jeez--the things I do to fit in!

Mark--I have Dirty Love, but haven't read it yet. Let me know when you start it.

Rhonda and Megan--Glad you enjoyed my little Cheerio story. And Megan, I know you know all about crutches and kids. And I like the word "palaver." You get points for that!

Well, I had planned on writing a review today, but got sidetracked: my daughter needed help editing her junior paper and that ate up most of today. Sigh. How come all I have to do is lie around in bed and I still can't get to LT the way I want to? LOL. Oh well.

On the recovery news: The doctor visit went well. He said all my aches and pains are normal, which doesn't exactly make them go away but at least now I don't have to worry about them! I have gone from completely straight to a 20% range of motion. Whoohoo! I am also supposed to put just a little bit of weight on it when standing. Bad news: I don't go back in for three weeks...methinks this is going to be a long recovery.

Well, that's it for today. See you tomorrow!

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