Berly, Happily Buried in Books-2

I am letting reading take me where it will.


Photo by Ursula from LT! I saw it on Ursula's FB and now it is here. The artwork is from a wall in Venice, Italy. More of her photos are here: http://zazzle.com/UrsulaRodgersArt and here: http://redbubble.com/people/ursularodgers/portfolio.

Welcome old friends and new!! That applies to people and books, LOL.

Currently Reading
Morgue Drawer: Do Not Enter! (N) by Jutta Profit
Maximum Muscle, Minimum Fat (N) (133 pages) by Ori Hofmekler (For TKD!)
City on Fire, (944 pages) (IR) by Garth Risk Hallberg
And Again (Audio) by Jessica Chiarella
A History of the World In 100 Objects (657 pages) (OS) by Neil MacGregor




Read in February
11. In Cold Blood (N) by Truman Capote
10. The Mermaid's Sister (Audio, 236 pages) by Carrie Ann Noble
9. I Am Malala (352 pages) by Malala Yousafzai
8. Secret Star by N. Roberts

Read in January
7. Black Man in a White Coat (N) (304 pages) by Damon Tweedy
6. Hell is Empty (audio) (N) (352 pages) by Craig Johnson
5. As I Lay Dying (178 pages) (L) by Faulkner 5.0
4. Dying to be Me (186 pages) (N) by Anita Moorjani 4.0
3. Skinwalkers (282 pages) (L) by Tony Hillerman 3.75
2. The Silkworm (Audio, 464 pages) (OS) by Robert Galbraith 4.0
1. Cross Justice (420 pages) (OS) by James Patterson 4.0

L--Library
OS--Off My Shelves
N--New
G--Gift
IR--Indiespensable Readers

I am really trying to read off the shelf more, but I am weak!! Also, my first few purchases don't count because I never celebrated my Thingaversary in December, so I HAVE to celebrate that. I am on the 7th Anniversary, which means one for each year, and then one for good luck, of course. So no guilt until after #8. And then still probably not much guilt. : ) Here's the list for 2016...

Thingaversary Treats
1) Dying To Be Me, by Anita Morrjani ✔ ✔
2) Start Where You Are, by Pema Chodron
3) Stars of Mithra, book 3 ✔ ✔
4) The Science of Discworld: The Globe, by Terry Pratchett
5) Black Man in a White Coat, by Damon Tweedy ✔ ✔
6) Library of Souls, by Ransom Riggs
7) The Psychopath Whisperer, The Science of Those Without Conscience, by Kent A Kiehl.
8) The Silver Star, by Jeannette Walls ✔ ✔

Now anything below this line, guilt might set it in. Notice I used "might"!!! LOL

9) The Bullet-Catcher's Daughter by Ron Duncan (Richard's Fault, with a second from Crazy, and a final push from Kidzdoc for the $1.99 Kindle pricing)
10) Unseemly Science, the sequel by Ron Duncan (ronincats's fault for the push and the $1.99 Kindle pricing alert)
11) The Last Girl by Joe Hart -- Free!
12) Christopher and Columbus, by Elizabeth von Arnim.
13) Morgue Drawer: Do Not Enter! by Jutta Profit
14) Maximum Muscle, Minimum Fat by Ori Hofmekler (For TKD Test!)

Uh-Oh! I have purchased more than I have read. ; )

Plans for Reading


RL Book Club #1

February--Black Man in a White Coat, by Damon Tweedy ✔ ✔
April--The Museum of Extraordinary Things, by Alice Hoffman
June--H is for Hawk, by Helen McDonald
August--A Man Called Ove, by Frederick Backman
October--Mrs. Poe, by Lynn Cullen
December--choose new books!

And RL Book Club #2

February--I am Malala, by Malala Yousafzai ✔ ✔
March--Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl: A Memoir, by Carrie Brownstein

The rest of the year TBD later...

Navajo Mystery(Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee)/Walt Longmire Project

January - Skinwalkers ✔ ✔
February - Hell is Empty ✔ ✔
March - A Thief of Time
April - As the Crow Flies
May - Talking God
June - A Serpent's Tooth
July - Coyote Waits
August - Any Other Name
September - Sacred Clowns
October - Dry Bones
November - The Fallen Man
December - Wait For Signs: Twelve Longmire Stories

And over time, some of the Booker Prize Winners

And some of David Bowie's top 100
1) As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner -- January ✔ ✔
2) In Cold Blood by Truman Capote -- February ✔ ✔
3) ????

Favorites from last year:

The Uninvited (340 pages) by Cat Winters 4.5
The Boy Who Went Away(230 pages) by Eli Gottlieb 4.5
Finders Keepers (audio) (448 pages) by Stephen King 4.5
Wonder (404 pages) by RJ Palacio 5.0
Leaving Time (audio/496 pages) by Jodi Piccoult 4.5
All the Light We Cannot See (530 pages) by Anthony Doerr 4.0
Fables: Legends In Exile My first GN Series!! by Bill Willingham

New last year were Graphic Novels and listening to books on audio--I enjoyed them both!

I am going to start entering those series I still want to follow. This list will evolve over time...

Cormoran Strike--Next is Career of Evil (3)
Alex Cross--I have read 17 and 23
Alpha and Omega--Next is Dead Heat (4)
Author Terry Pratchett, Discworld, Wyrd Sisters Souloftherose's fault ; )
Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children: The Library of Souls (3)
Longmire Series: Read 7, now on 8
The Gaslit Empire Series: own (1) The Bullet-Catcher's Daughter and (2) The Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire
Morgue Drawer by Jutta Profit on book 4

Happy new thread, Kim! Love your topper! And I should have known that you totally got my parenthetical d. Duh.

Hi Crazy! Thanks for opening up my thread. I got us some T-shirts. ; )

Ha! Too funny! And absolutely perfect.

>7 Berly: LOL!

Happy new thread, Kim! Glad to see (from last thread) you did get to see a doctor; sorry it's a mystery ailment; glad you're starting to feel better.

Happy New Thread, Kimmers! I really like that topper!

Hope you are feeling better today.

>8 Crazymamie: : )

>9 tymfos: Thanks Terri. Just feeling wiped out at this point. But not sick!

>10 msf59: Hiya Mark. Glad you like my topper. Just one more day for you until Funday! (You know, Sunday where you don't have to work.) And I am on the mend. Thanks.

Yep, hooray for Funday! Books, football and beer. Sweet!

Football, beer and books!!! Well, two out of three. Good luck finding them all in one picture...I'll keep trying! You knows what this means? You are a well rounded man!!!

Wait! I think I have it...

Happy new thread, Kim. I hope you're feeling better.

Back to tennis - Murray is looking good, too. I haven't seen Wawrinka play so far, but he's been hot lately. I guess since Rafa's out, I have no real preference for the men. But I'm behind Serena.

Hi Beth--I just posted on your thread. LOL. Back to tennis....I like Murray a lot, too, and I am right there with you on Wawrinka. I plan to watch a lot of TV this weekend... And go, Serena, go!!

Rosolita--To continue your conversation from the previous thread about the cheating/betting scandal in tennis. I am not surprised that betting continues well into play. Usually there is some sort of arbitrary cutoff and it depends from sport to sport and also on who the bookie is. I have no idea how the authorities are going to track down the scum who are throwing matches except to investigate the losers and see if they mysteriously have extra money in their bank accounts. That or check the bookies books. But the whole thing makes me mad.

>1 Berly: Oh hey, that's my photo! Thanks for using it as your topper! :)

And yes, in reply to the question from your previous thread, I'm a transplant. My husband is a mathematician and he has a job here at the university for the time being.

>18 ursula: I hope that is ok and I didn't know that was YOUR actual photo so I update my topper to give you full credit. I love it!!

How long have you been there and do you speak Italian? ; )

Happy New Thread, Kim and happy weekend. Stay safe and warm.

>19 Berly: Thanks so much! I found out that the artist is Florentine, although I first saw his little artworks in Venice. I found some more last week in Florence, which was exciting.

I've been living here for 9 months. I speak some Italian. It's a work in progress. I am able to understand people and make myself understood in a reasonable way, but I am very slow at putting together sentences and I have trouble with the grammar. Everyone just nods and shrugs, "yes, the grammar is hard."

>20 DianaNL: Diana--That puppy is so cute!! Thank you very much. On the agenda today is an EASY TKD class, since I am still not up to snuff and then I am dropping off my youngest with his date for Winter Formal to look at dresses for her. What boy willingly does that? Maybe he should go into fashion or something?! I, on the other hand, hate shopping. While he does that, I am stuck going to make a few returns. We found a terrific deal for him at the Men's Wearhouse last week and got he a new suit, had his first fitting and is super excited. Did I mention I hate shopping? LOL Then maybe a movie....Have a great weekend yourself!!

>21 Ameise1: Hi Barbara--Safe and warm by that fire would be nice indeed! Thank you so much. Same to you!

>22 ursula: Ursula--I know I have seen the balloon one before. What is the artist's name? I would love to look him/her up. Good luck with the Italian. LOL. Grammar is always hard. I take it your daughter is not living with you. Is she stateside? Do you have other kids or is she the lucky one?

>23 Berly: Good for him! I think it's wonderful that he's going. I hope you also enjoy your weekend not shopping.

Happy new thread, Kim! I am not too excited about shopping, usually, but have to admit that I like shopping with my daughter and seeing how cute she looks in various new items. Luckily for our pocketbook, she does NOT like to clothes shop, so it only happens occasionally. I bet your son looks so good in his new suit.

>24 London_StJ: Hi Luxx! Not shopping with lots of book reading. Perfect! I spent about a half hour over in the LT lists last night thanks to your thread (and a little help from Stephano). It was kinda fun! I signed up for the Bowie's 100 list and then discovered that I hadn't entered about half the books I know I have read from his list into my library so down that rabbit hole I went! Dangerous, Haunted thread you have. LOL

>25 banjo123: Hi Rhonda! I am glad you like to shop with your daughter and find cute things with her. My son is a clothes maniac. I would die of boredom if I went with him everytime he goes to the mall. Granted he doesn't buy stuff everytime; it is also a meet-your-friend outing. Btu he does always knows the latest fads and wants to be in them. LOL. I must admit he does look quite handsome in his new suit. It is very tight fitting, which is the current rage amongst the young, fit crowd, or so he says, because I know squat about men's suits!! Long and short, it was on sale (so I am happy) and he is happy with how it looks. : )

So, I had an asthma attack and broke out into hives during TKD which leads me to believe that I am indeed having a systemic allergic reaction. On the prowl to get me some Prednisone, which BTW was what I wanted when I originally went in to the Doctor on Wednesday. My healthcare won't do phone conversations with doctors on weekends and advice nurses can't prescribe meds so I am trying to see if the Doc on Call at my GI can help me out. I don't want to pay for another Urgent Care visit. Wish me luck! Grrrrr.

Prednisone, which BTW was what I wanted when I originally went in to the doctor...

Grrrr is right. Good luck! Why don't they listen when a patient with a documented history of allergic reactions expresses concern that she's having one?

Hi Kim, happy new thread my dear, hope you are having a good weekend.

Wishing you good luck, Kim! How scary.

Thanks Terri, John and Crazy.

Let me start off by saying that I normally have excellent medical care; just not this week. LOL. So after two hours of not hearing back, I call the doctor's office again. The woman at the answering service said she would page again and then said, "Oh! There's a message here that says you should go to the ER." And I am thinkng to myself, "Do you think you should have called me right away to tell me that? I could have been dead!!" Geez. Luckily, I am not in an acute way right now. The asthma has diminished and the hives went away. The point is I need help to make sure the NEXT reaction isn't a doozy!!! And Prednisone helps reset.

There is more to the story, but in the end I managed to get some medicine. Goodness gracious.

Happily watching tennis...

>14 Berly: ha! Love it!

>27 Berly: just out of interest, how much would an urgent care visit cost? I feel so lucky we have free/relatively cheap healthcare here.
A normal GP visit costs $45 (or $7 for me at student health) and 0-5 year olds are free to see a GP, with that being extended to 6-12 year olds from this year. Perfect timing for me and my lot. After hours visits are $50 or $60. And emergency care free.

Glad you are out of the woods so to speak, I hope you don't have a flare up!

>1 Berly: Letting reading take us where it will is essential isn't it just?

Congratulations on a quick fire second thread, Kimmers, and wishing you a wonderful weekend.

Goodness, Kim, what a crazy healthcare experience. I'm with you in thinking that if "go to the ER" is the recommendation, that's a message that shouldn't be waiting for your return call! Sheesh.

I'm glad you're okay. And I hope you don't have another episode any time soon.

I must be missing something. What's "TKD"?

And yes, go Serena!

>23 Berly: The artist signs his work usually as ".K", but it looks like he may also go as "Exit/Enter," at least one of which I've seen on a number of his works. I found an article about him in Italian, which I realize is not super useful, but it has a good number of images and is easily linkable. There's also an article in English which is about several artists and has a mention of him if you scroll down a little.

My daughter is in her last year at Hofstra University on Long Island. I also have a son, who is in his third year at CU Boulder in Colorado. He came to visit last June.

I'm sorry to hear about you getting the runaround from the doctor. I'm glad you finally managed to get the meds you needed, but wow, I would have been ready to kill the woman who "discovered" the message to go to the ER on the second call.

Oops - posted on your previous thread, and then discovered this.

>31 Berly: OMG!!! I hope you're well on the road to recovery now, Kim.

>32 LovingLit: Megan--An urgent care visit in my provider system is $45. At a hospital ER out of the system, I think it is $70. Same rate applies for kids. But the real expense was my share of all the extras, the x-ray and bloodwork, etc.

Amen to no flare ups--thanks! I have to admit, not much reading last two days. I have been avidly watching tennis and laying low. Where are you in As I Lay Dying? I am still at about 95 pages. They have crossed the river.

>33 PaulCranswick: Paul. I know! Look at me...second thread before January is even over. On the fast track, LOL. Thanks again for taking the time to research and post all the fun statistics over on your thread. Hoping this will be an easier year for you and me. : )

>34 EBT1002: Ellen--I know--that was a real miss on the "Go to the ER" message. I am going to let my doctor know about that. Serena is playing well so far...Sharipova next! TKD is Tae Kwon Do, a martial arts practice, and I love it. I am testing for my second degree black belt in April. I need to be healthy again so I can make sure I am in shape and up for the challenge. It is typically a 5 hour test!!

>35 ursula: Thanks for artwork links. I checked out those sites as well as a few others last night. Very fun. Are people mad that he is "defacing" the walls of buildings? I like the reason he goes by "Exit /Enter" as well: "the concept of exit and enter because ‘life is a continuous change and an endless succession of situations, depending on your point of view, can be experienced as an exit or an entrance to new possibilities.'"

And I certainly did chew out the receptionist lady for not relaying the message promptly.

>36 humouress: Hi Nina! Glad you found the latest thread. I just need to take it easy for a few days and all will be well. Thanks. : )

Back to tennis--I am watching my recording of the top 16 now. the Djokovic/Simon match--not what I would describe as exciting tennis. Long, somewhat plodding points. Not that I can play at that level!!

Glad you finally got the medication you needed, but -- sheesh! I'd think that a message to go to the ER would be rather high priority.

>37 Berly: I stayed up to watch the whole Djokovic/Simon match, and was sorry to see Novak win. I thought the Frenchman Simon played him very well, and I always love to see an upset. But I guess if you can win a match despite making 100 unforced errors, you might be pretty good at tennis.

>37 Berly: they have crossed the river
Are you sure about that? I am up to page 150 and they still haven't, really, crossed it. To my knowledge. I wonder if I know what is going on now!? There was certainly a lot of umming and ahing regarding the crossing of the durn river ;)

Also, a 5 hour TKD test? Woah!

Happy new thread! I hope you start feeling better soon. Sounds like you've been having a bad time of it lately.

Have a good new week!

>39 rosalita: So true about Djokovic. I had to give him grudging credit for that. Simon was playing great, but he really got nervous in those big moments and made mistakes. It's all about which points you win.

>38 tymfos: I know. Amazing and oh so wrong.

>39 rosalita: I wanted Simon to win, too. For the upset and also because I am not a huge Djokovic fan. Although I must say D was less arrogant than usual when they kidded him on his awful stats on the backhand drop shot. And I liked him on the ad they ran where he was wearing different wigs and he imitated McEnroe--it was pretty funny! And he's not bad at tennis after all.

>40 LovingLit: Dang! You are way ahead of me. I am going to have to go back and read that last chapter about the durn river crossing I may have now imagined and then I have to book it to catch up to you!!

And yup. It is one heck of a test! The whole first hour is fitness: jumping jacks, pushups, crunches, squats, etc. Then they test on the TKD forms, kicking, punching, self-defense, board breaking.

>41 The_Hibernator: Thanks! I am already feeling better. More sleep will help. : )

>42 ursula: Ursala--Simon did kinda clutch up on some of those. Dang it.

>40 LovingLit: Megan--So they attempted to cross the ford in As I Lay Dying and Cash who can't swim is lying on the side of the bank throwing up and he lost all his carpenter tools and everyone is trying to find them. I think the mules died and that they made it across, but I am not sure which side of the bank they are on, if they came back or made it over.. In Cora's chapter, do I detect a little foreshadowing? One of the few times Addie speaks in this book, she is being chastised by saintly Cora about accepting God, when she says, "He is my cross and he will be my salvation. He will save me from the water and from the fire. Even though I have laid down my life, he will save me." "He" is Jewel ( and not God, much to Cora's dismay) I think and he has just saved her coffin from the water. This poor family...is there a fire next? I am at about page 115. Reading a little more before I go to work. : )

>37 Berly: Djokovic knows how to dig deep to be fair to him. Hoping for Murray of course in the mens but Raonic may have something to say in all this for Canada - was impressed he beat Federer convincingly in the last warm up tournament.

In the ladies I was chuffed that Konta held out to win and hope she passes the slightly fortunate Chinese girl into the semis. Felt sorry for Madison Keyes today whose body let her down when she had the game in her hands. Azarenka looks great at the moment.

Megan, questions again with our favorite book. So, when Addie says, on page 118 in my edition of As I Lay Dying, "While I waited for him in the woods, waiting for him before he was me, I would think of him as dressed in sin. I would think of him as thinking of me as dressed also in sin...Then I would lay with Anse again--I did not lie to him...I hid nothing. I tried to deceive no one. I would not have cared...Then it was over. Over in the sense that he was gone and I knew that, see him again though I would, I would never again see him coming swift and secret to me in the woods dressed in sin..." Was our poor dead Addie an adulterous? And is Jewel not Anse's, and hence the favorite child by another man? Who is the mystery man I wonder? Don't tell me though! I hope it will come out later.

>45 PaulCranswick: I don't know. I think Federer looks pretty good! But totally agree with you assessment of the women. I was so bummed that Keyes fell apart in the end. And I very much enjoyed watching Australian Gavrilova until about the last 4 or 5 games when her lack of maturity was evident--such a teenager!! If she can get that under control she may have a big future.

>46 Berly: That was a quick answer! Next chapter. LOL. Now off to work I go, hi ho, hi ho...

Hello friend, I see that you're reading Tony Hillerman. I've never read him so that's one mystery series I'd like to start.

After spending 3 hours each of the past two days in the warm and humid, large seating capacity pool for my niece's swim meet, I'm feeling much less wintry. That felt good, though chilly during the long walk to the car afterwards.

>37 Berly: I had the nagging feeling I hadn't answered someone, somewhere, and I finally figured out it was here. I don't really know how people feel about buildings being "defaced." The thing is, there is a lot of graffiti in Italy. Lots. And the majority of it is just tagging, so I think people pretty much feel the same about that everywhere. But then there are some really terrific, noted artists in the various cities. Padova has a couple, and their work seems to be generally approved of. The gallery near my apartment sells the work of one of them, actually. (This is him. I have some photos of his work in various places and I'm always on the lookout for it.) Anyway, more to the point, there doesn't seem to be any sort of effort put into powerwashing graffiti off like there is in the US, it will just be covered up by something else soon enough anyway.

Edited to add a link to a photo I took in Naples, which admittedly has more graffiti than most cities, but still, it gives an idea of what the walls can be like. (Also, on either side of the door you can see a small work by our friend Exit/Enter.)

Kim, I'm glad to hear that you feel much better.

Our Stan lost his game. I feel sad.

Getting caught up and love all the tennis talk on both your last thread and this one! Glad to see that you have finally received the medication you needed What a hassle you had to go through.

... I also got a good giggle over the 'letters' between you and Mamie!

I'm glad that you're feeling better, Kim!

>44 Berly: >46 Berly: maybe our editions are different. Which would account for same story, different page numbers. I get the same gist as you in the first of these posts. I thought that they were over the river, and that they had a lost the mule(s) but not the horse.

And what the heck?! Addie, who is DEAD, is she not!?, is talking past page 100?. Clearly I need to revisit that section :)
Thanks for your thoughts on that, it has cleared up some of my plot issues.

>49 lindapanzo: Hello Linda! You know, I actually miss the warm,humid, chlorine-filled air of the indoor pool! Kinda Jealous there. ; ) As to Hillerman, I am enjoying the series more and more. I read the first few and now I am listening to it on audio and the narrator (George Guidall) is AMAZING!

>50 ursula: Ursala, I am glad you remembered me! LOL. Wow, I really love that artist--VERY talented. And the graffiti photo you took and, yes, I can pick out Exit/Enters work. Thanks for sharing. Almost, but not quite, as much fun as being there myself. ; ) My daughter is into photography. Her sunflower shot is the photo on my home page. She is studying at the Art Institute of Portland right now.

>51 Ameise1: Thanks, Baraba. I am very happy to feel better! But I am sorry that Stan lost. Sad with you. : (

>52 lkernagh: Hi Lori--Not much tennis watching today, but I have them recorded and I will do my best to get to them. SO much fun! And I am glad my correspondence with Crazy tickled you--it certainly did us!!

>53 kidzdoc: Thanks Darryl--when it is needed, Prednisone really does the trick! Much better. : ) Just hope I can sleep tonight.... ; )

>54 LovingLit: Megan--You know how the book skips around in time, well part of that revelation occurs during a flashback. I haven't read any more today, but I will tomorrow. Glad I am reading this with you!!

Go, Serena, go!!

And Federer!

I got no sleep last night. The Prednisone kicked in and I only got four hours of sleep, not nearly enough by my standards! We shall see how productive I am at work today....

Okay...two cute ethnic jokes from my Dad. Hope you get a laugh!

A Jewish grandmother is giving directions to her grown grandson who is coming to visit with his wife.

"You come to the front door of the apartments. I am in apartment 301. There is a big panel at the front door. With your elbow, push button 301. I buzz you in. Come inside and elevator is on the right. Get in, and with your elbow, push 3rd Floor. When you get out, I'm on the left. With your elbow, hit my doorbell. OK?"

"Grandma, that sounds easy, but, why am I hitting all these buttons with my elbow? .........

"What ... You're coming empty handed?"
__________________________________________

Wise Italian Grandfather

An old Italian man in Brooklyn is dying. He calls his grandson to his bedside, "Guido, I wan' you lissina me. I wan' you to take-a my chrome plated ... 38 revolver, so you will always remember me."

"But grandpa, I really don't like guns ... How about you leave me your Rolex watch instead?"

"You lissina me, boy! Somma day you gonna be runna DA business, you gonna have a beautiful wife, lotsa money, a big-a home and maybe a couple of bambinos. "

"Somma day you gonna come-a home and maybe finda you wife inna bed with another man. "Whatta you gonna do then? Pointa to you watch and say, 'Times up!' "?

Ha! In completely unrelated news, where are you in the giant book you talked me into reading?

>59 Crazymamie: Crazy--I am having a great time talking about As I Lay Dying with Megan, so let me know when you get started on City of Fire and I'll try to keep pace with you. : ) Haven't it touched in days. I am on Chapter 33 page 338. I like it very much, but not feeling well and tennis have gotten in the way. Also reading two other books. I don't know how Amber reads 10 books at the same time!!

Morning Kimmers! Love the joke. And I love Mr. Guidall...

I am not quite as crazy as Amber, but I do like to have several going at the same time. But not ten. I have just barely dipped into City on Fire, so I was just checking how quickly I needed to go to catch up with you.

>61 msf59: Morning Mark!! Hope your daily checklist is still proceeding as planned. ; )

>62 Crazymamie: As son as I finish AILD, I have to jump on my two RL book club reads, so no worries if you take it slow. Happy Tuesday!! Downhill all the way!

No worries. Slow is fine with me.

But maybe not this slow...! ; )

>65 Berly: - That's about my pace today....

SO more like:

Go Serena!

>67 Crazymamie: lol!
I usually have at least 4 books on the go at once, but am really only actually reading 1 at a time. Just to finish it and move to the next...

>66 katiekrug: I put in a good day at work, but now I am just exhausted!!! Maybe we can pick it up a little bit more tomorrow, huh?! : )

>67 Crazymamie: EXACTLY!! LOL

>68 BLBera: Nishikori didn't show. : (

>69 LovingLit: 3 is about my max and I am doing 4 right now. Tad overloaded. I am enjoying audio on the drive to work though--that's a big add!

>70 Berly: Nishikori didn't show. Ain't that the truth? I had turned it off by the middle of the second set. I couldn't stand to watch.

I usually have 4-6 books going. It depends how different they are, and the range of ease/difficulty. I used to pretty much always have 3 (a 1001 book, something else, and an audio book), but it's expanded a bit because I've started doing these year-long projects, plus reading in Italian. It gives me a variety of amounts of brain power required to be expended.

>71 ursula: Ursala, I watched from halfway through the second set 'till the end on fast forward and slowed to just watch a few nice points. Bummer.

I am thinking at this point, today, I need a GN! That's how much brain power I have. But that might might not allow me to truly appreciate the artwork either, so... : P

I have thought about trying to read again in French, but I think I will have to wait for an empty nest before I have the time and patience to attempt that again. Ma si va ragazza! (Hope that translated right.) : )

>72 Berly: I actually just added a graphic novel to the mix now that I see I can read them in my browser through Overdrive. I have an old Kindle that wouldn't be good for them, and I don't like to read real books in a browser, but for a graphic novel it's fine.

When I was taking Spanish in school I had hopes of being able to read in that language, but my skill just didn't get to the point of literature and I didn't keep up with the studies. It would be hard to go back and start over after a lapse. And the translation is close - you'd say "Ma vai ragazza!" :)

I woke up at 5 AM today to watch Ferrer-Murray. I could complain, but it's so much nicer than being in the western US for the Aussie Open. I watched that epic Djokovic-Nadal final until the sun came up.

Ok. I have figured out what the &*# is wrong with me and As I Lay Dying. Our books are out of sync with page numbers. I have only just got to the sections you quoted in >44 Berly:, and I am up to page 175+. Phew! I thought I was going mad there for a sec :)

And yes, I can see now that there are sections that are looking back in time (clearly). Lol. With Addies section...I like it that her experience of motherhood is controversial- to say the least. I reckon so many stories just ignore parenthood and /or parents who parent badly. Clearly she is not into the whole thing at all, but I like that this is a story about the darkness of that. And....she has had various affairs, right? And some of the kids are Anse's ad some aren't?.

Ok, onwards!

Um, I am *not* crazy. Just, well, special. Yep, that's it - I'm SPECIAL.

Ahem. And just what is the matter with crazy?!

Had another allergic reaction and wound up in the ER for four hours last night. Totally wiped. Going back to sleep.

Send me good mojo so I can wakeup anew woman!!! ; )

Oh, no! I'm sorry to hear about your second allergic reaction, Kim. I hope that you feel better when you wake up.

>77 Berly: yikes! Rest up Kim...and we'll see you back when you are that new woman. Hopefully we can talk AILD as I finished it last night in a reading frenzy. Wow, that was some hot mess that family got into!

>77 Berly: How dreadful, Kim! I hope you are feeling a thousand times better after a good long sleep. And I hope they can figure out what's causing the reactions so you can try to avoid whatever it is.

Kim, I am so very sorry that you had another reaction and had to go to the ER. You poor, poor baby! Keeping you in my thoughts and sending you healing mojo.

Hi Kim, so sorry to hear you have had another allergic reaction and ended up in ER, hope things are getting better for you my dear and send love and hugs from both of us to you and your family.

Kim, I'm sorry to hear you're under the weather. Best wishes for a speedy recovery, and hoping you kick that particular habit. ;0)

Well, dingdang, Kim! Here's hoping you're already feeling much better!

Hope you are doing much better, Kimmers! Sending, warm, healing vibes from the Midwest!!

Hugs to you, Kim! Feel better, my friend.

Yikes, Kim! I hope you're feeling better. Take care.

Thinking of you and wishing you well.

>73 ursula: Yeah, West Coast of US is not the ideal place to try and watch the Australian Open...I just record them, avoid the news and watch the next day! I am in the middle of Djocovich and Federer and I am not sure I can bear to watch the rest.... : (

>74 LovingLit: Megan--Wow, that is wildly different pagination! I hope I didn't ruin anything for you? Well, we are both done now so we can talk freely. : ) Here is a list of quotes that I thought were representative of some of the characters, along with an occasional editorial comment from me. Favorite lines:

Cash: “I can last it.” “I feel fine. I am obliged to you.” “It durn’t hurt none.”
Vardaman: “Jewel’s mother is a horse. My mother is a fish.”
Moseley, the shopkeeper to DD: “The Lord gave you what you have, even if He did use the Devil to do it; you let Him take it away from you if is it His will to do so.”
Jewel: “Hell.” “Goddamn you.”
Peabody, the doctor: “God Almighty, why didn’t Anse carry you to the nearest sawmill and stick your leg in the saw? That would have cured it. Then you all could have his head into the saw and that would have cured a whole family….”
Darl: “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.” (He was my favorite character until he lost it and I am not sure why he did.)
Whitfield, the minister: “It was He in His infinite wisdom that restrained the tale from her dying lips…God’s grace upon this house.” Pathetic lover.
Dewey Dell: “I got ten dollars.”
Anse: “I wouldn’t be beholden. God knows.” “We never aimed to bother nobody.” “God’s will be done. Now I can get some teeth.” And 10 days after his wife died, “Meet Mrs. Brunden.” Sack of shit.

Such a strange story and weirdly enthralling. I know it will stick with me.

>75 scaifea: Amber, you ARE special!!! Duh! : )

>76 Crazymamie: And Crazy is good, too!! That's why I call you that. ; )

>78 kidzdoc: Thanks Darryl. Finally feeling okay today. Back to work tomorrow and then the weekend for more R&R. These allergic reactions are getting harder to bounce back from as I *ahem* get older. Dang it! No TKD until maybe Saturday. I don't want to set off any other reactions.

>79 LovingLit: Megan--A hot mess indeed! That family got in more trouble in the course of a week than any one should!

>80 rosalita: Julie--Thanks. I need to be more careful about my junk foods. They keep changing the oils they use and I am now allergic to sunflower oil. But it is such a pain in the butt to read the tiny, tiny ingredient list in the grocery store every time. Sigh. In the long run, and thinking positively, maybe less of that kind of stuff will be good for me!

>81 Crazymamie: Crazy--Soaking up the healing mojo--thanks!

>82 johnsimpson: Hi John--Thanks for the over-the-seas family love. Most appreciated! I am on the mend. : )

>83 humouress: Nina--Definitely not a habit I recommend! LOL. I keep trying to kick it...really I do! But mostly it just kicks my ass, about once or twice a year. Oh well.

>84 scaifea: Amber--I could use stronger words than Ding Dang (lol), but I am winning the war.

>85 msf59: More healing vibes! Thanks, Mark. I will take all that I can get. And I am partial to the Midwest kind. : )

>86 katiekrug: Katie--Loving the hugs! Thank you so much.

>87 BLBera: Beth--I was taking care, but apparently not good enough. Have to up my game!

>88 Crazymamie: Crazy-Awww! So cute!! Thanks. I feel better already.

Thanks you guys!! You are the best!!

>89 Berly: sack of shit (Anse). Indeed.

Yes, on those quotes! And Cash with is "it don't hurt none"!!!!!!! Cripes, I was wincing for him. Did you read my short recview of it? I should out it on the book page...

So sunflower oil is the main culprit? Tricky to eliminate that, I guess you are right and have to check the fine print or eliminate processed foods!

>79 LovingLit: My answer to you got mixed up with my answer to Darryl--fixed now. : ) Loved your review and I will try to get mine done this weekend. So much fun reading with you! I think we should definitely do another Bowie book in February. Still up for In Cold Blood? Should we do a legit thread this time or just keep commenting in our threads?

Fine print in the grocery store means I have to get our my cheaters. What a pain!! But better than going to the ER I guess. Suck it up, Kim.

Okay, Megan and I are reading In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote (one of David Bowie's top 100) for February. Anyone interested, join us! The thread is here.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/218310

Have a wonderful weekend!

Hi Kim: I remember In Cold Blood creeping me out so badly, I jumped at my shadow for weeks. I think I'll pass on another go. Have fun with it, though. ;)

>95 DianaNL: Thanks Diana! Now that is a gleeful face! Same to you. : )

>96 BLBera: No worries. Shall we try for a less creepy one in March?! ; )

Morning, Kim! So lovely to see you back!! We missed you.

Thanks Crazy. It is nice to be almost back to normal. : ) Looking forward to more tennis this weekend and then looking forward to no tennis again so I can get caught up on everything I have been neglecting while I was glued to the TV!!

Kim - In a way it's good that tennis is on during such odd times -- I don't tape them, so I don't watch as much.

>94 Berly: I've already read it a couple of times, but I'll follow along and see what you two make of it.

>89 Berly:, 100 When I was living in Denver, I remember going to bed at 9 or 10 pm and setting an alarm for 1 am to watch the semis and finals of the Aussie. Here, it's much nicer since a 7:30 pm start time means 9:30 am. On the other hand, I didn't actually get started doing anything today until the end of the Murray-Raonic match. But either way, the tourneys always cut into my reading time, too.

Kim, I just LOVE your thread topper, photo by Ursula. My second bedroom has a sofa bed that is just that rusty colour. Orange, browns, greens, golds ... these are my palette : ).

Love the photo at the top! So cool.
Just catching up - and delurking to say hello. :)

>100 BLBera: All caught up--only the finals left. I wish Federer had had a better match. : (

>101 rosalita: Feel free to chime in! I have two books for RL bookclub I have to squeeze in first, but then it's on!

>102 ursula: Oh you have much better timing for tennis viewing. And we are all losing out on productivity. Oh well. ; )

>103 lit_chick: I love those colors too. Glad you like the topper. Me too!

>104 nittnut: I love when you delurk...Hi!!

Happy weekend everyone. I made it through the day at work. Plan to lay low tomorrow and get over this thing. Big plans include writing some overdue reviews and READING!! And the Australian Open Women's Finals.

Kimmers I will be backing the probable losers this weekend! Wishing and hoping for Kerber and Murray expecting Serena and Novak.

Have a great weekend. xx

Have a relaxing weekend. I do hope you manage to get rid of whatever bug has been bothering you. I'll watch for the reviews.

>106 PaulCranswick: Looks like you picked the winner!! What a great game. I was pulling for Serena, but I am happy to have watched Kerber's first title win.

>107 BLBera: Thanks Beth. Tonight is Winter Formal and we are hosting the after party, so I am busy picking up and getting snacks, etc. The good news is I get a date with Hubby out of the whole thing. We are driving four of the kids to dinner and it is too far to walk to the dance afterwards, so we have to stay downtown with them. We are going to Trader Vic's, which should be yummy. My son made the reservations and asked for our table to be on the other side of the restaurant, far, far away from the kids. LOL!

Finished my audio of Hell Is Empty today on my walk. Got caught up on lots of other chores, but haven't made it to the reviews...yet! So, even more incentive to get writing. ; )

Hi Kim, hope you have a great weekend my dear, sending love and hugs.

That's a sneaky way to get a date night with DH, but it does sound like fun. And I'm sure you didn't spy on the kids. No, not one little peek, right?

So sorry you had two allergic reactions in such a short time period. You say Prednisone helps. So why can't the doctor(s) give you at least a small sample of the stuff to keep on hand to get you back on track more easily. Our health system is nuts!

Have a great date, Kim. Will there be pictures?

Yes, I was sad about Serena but not surprised. I had a feeling Kerber was going to surprise her. Are you cheering for one of the men?

Morning, Kim. Happy Sunday!

Happy Sunday Kim, sending love and hugs.

Looks like you've really enjoyed As I Lay Dying. I was originally going to read that one next month for my modernist binge, but then I decided to go for The Reivers, since it won the Pulitzer, and I can use it for Bill's Pulitzer challenge. All these challenges are like puzzle pieces to be the most efficient. (:

"I am testing for my second degree black belt in April." Awesome. I am cheering you on.

AND I'm sending you all kinds of positive mojo so you can be a new woman (in your words). I am so sorry to hear you had another reaction and ended up in the ER. Dang. I have this impulse to ask if there is anything I can do.... I do hope you find a solution that makes this stop and lets you get on with training for the 5-hour test! xo

I listened to Hell is Empty on audio this month, too. I loved the narrator.

Just sending you healthy energy, my friend.

Hope you are feeling better after a restful weekend, Kim!

Morning, Kim!

The second set was amazing, but Djokovic definitely dominated. Sad/glad it is over. Life can now resume. : )

Winter Formal--my son is in the grey on the left. : )

>110 johnsimpson: Hi John! Very buys weekend, but so much fun. ON Sunday, my daughter and I went to a friend's shop (she specializes in flavored butters, wine and cheese) to make bath salts. Sarah made one for herself and I made one for Jess. Got two nice red wines, too! : )

>111 Donna828: Donna-- Of course I peeked! Or tried to anyways. LOL. They were around the corner from us, behind a screen, so they were pretty hidden. But our waiter had both tables and gave us a running update. The hit of the evening was the manager sent them a whole pineapple with four huge straws and they got to drink the juice.

As to medical adventures, I normally do have an Rx for prednisone on standby, but it had expired and since it was the weekend no one would renew without seeing me. It has since been updated.

>112 BLBera: Beth--Same. I wanted Serena to win, but I was worried the nerves might get the best of her. I was really impressed with how consistent Kerber was. I didn't really have a favorite amongst the men. Djokovic used to be a really arrogant jerk, but I think marriage and fatherhood have actually turned him into a pretty good guy now. He totally deserved the win. And I like Murray, but could he please just shave? LOL

>113 humouress: Nina--LOL! That made my day. :)

>114 Crazymamie: Crazy--I owe you two good mornings!! In your honor and knowing your fondness of Mondays...

Great photo! Handsome son! And I thank you for that snark - my sentiments exactly!

>115 johnsimpson: Good morning, John. Wishing you a most loverly week. ; )

>116 The_Hibernator: Rachel--I really did enjoy As I Lay Dying, and it is one that I will never forget, so it gets points for that, too. You should read ti some time, but I understand knocking off those challenges.

>117 EBT1002: Ellen! Thanks for all the good mojo. I am not quite a new woman yet, but soon, I think. Weaning off the prednisone and hopefully by the end of the week feeling like myself again. Yeah, this did not help with getting tip top for my TKD test, but I still have two and a half months, so no worries yet.

The narrator of Hell is Empty totally made the book for me. In fact, I think I want to "read" all the rest on audio now!!

>118 ronincats: Hi Roni--I am feeling better, thank you! But it was not a restful weekend; fun, but not restful!!! I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Off to work now...I'll come play on all your threads this evening!! In the meantime...Happy Monday!!

>121 Berly: Handsome. *sigh* How fast they grow up.

>122 Berly: I heard the men's result but suspected you might not have, yet.

So much going on! I'm glad you're recovered from your latest reaction, hope it's the last for a long while. Your son looks handsome - it's always kind of strange to see them all dressed up like that, isn't it? And tennis, well, it was another final I didn't watch. I just can't bring myself to watch a Djokovic-Murray match because there's no "they both lose" option.

Nice photo of your son and his date, Kim!

Great photo Kim and your son is a good looking lad.

Great photo, Kim. Handsome kids. I loved to see mine dressed up.

Yes, back to life after tennis. I just hope Rafa can get his mojo back for the clay court season.

I hope you're feeling better. You just need a good book.

Woo Hoo! Snow day tomorrow! That never happens, so I am excited. My daughter tried to rain on my parade mentioning all the shoveling that I will be doing, but woo hoo, SNOW DAY!

>124 Crazymamie: Crazy--You are most welcome. : )

>126 humouress: Nina--I know--the crying child was perfect! I didn't know who you were rooting for, so it gave nothing away, but it was just so darn funny! Well played. And kids grow up way just too fast. Good thing I am aging at a slower rate than they are growing! LOL.

>127 ursula: Ursala--Thanks for the well wishes. It is funny, but I think when my son gets all dressed up in a suit that he looks younger to me, not older. Maybe it is because he is a little nervous, but he loses that suave, "I'm cool" air that he normally tries to project. LOL. In any case, he had a blast: the restaurant was fun, the dance was a success, and his date was super happy! Jack went shopping with her to find the dress and then on the way home on the bus, they either lost track of it or it was stolen. It never showed up again. She used her own money to buy it and was too embarrassed to tell her parents right away. So Jack asked us if he could help pitch in some of his money with us and order her the same dress and have it sent in time for the dance. We said yes. Needless to say, he got major points from his girl friend and her parents (she did finally tell them)!!

>128 kidzdoc: Thanks Darryl. : ) The restaurant staff gave us a very favorable review and said they were very polite and gracious and were having a great time. A good time was had by all! I loved the calamari and pulled pork appetizers. Yum!

>129 johnsimpson: Thanks John--I'd like to take credit for his good looks, but he looks nothing like me!! ; )

>130 BLBera: Beth--I love seeing my kids get all dressed up, and it is so rare in Portland! Such a casual town.

Rafa BETTER get his clay mojo back on--just saying!

Feeling better and better. Tomorrow is that last day of Prednisone--can you say Hallelujah?! Not that I don't want it when I need it--it is a life saver. And I read a total junk book. The third in a romantic mystery set. Now I am all ready to dive into I am Malala for my RL Book Club next week. ; )

Snow day, huh? Have they already closed schools and such? I should call my sister and see if her kids have the day off. She is in Woodbury. Unfortunately, she could probably walk to her work place if she had to. Not sure she'll get the day off. But you should definitely enjoy it!! Whoohoo!!!

Chiming in to agree that that son of yours cleans up very nicely! Thanks for sharing the photo!

And yep, Charlie has a snow day today - and it hasn't even started snowing yet...

I'm not sure about cancellations in the Twin Cities; I think the southern part is supposed to get the most snow. And the wind is the big problem. I will enjoy it - until the shoveling part. But, it's good exercise, right?

>131 Berly: That's quite a story. I'm glad it worked out in the end, and that your son tried to take care of it without the girl having to fess up to her parents.

>131 Berly: ADORE the story about the dress. What a great son you have!

YEs, the dress story is great, Kim. What a nice son.

>131 Berly: I'm glad the crying baby cheered you up ;0)

How sweet of Jack! And what a horrible thing to have happened to his girlfriend in the first place. It reminds me of the time I lost my needlework on the bus.

You have to understand I got about 4 or 5 detentions in my first year (secondary) for constantly forgetting to take my needlework in on the day we had the class. Apparently 9 detentions meant expulsion. The punishment was to spend lunchtime catching up on what I'd missed. Then I discovered that it was quite pleasant spending lunchtimes indoors, so I started going in voluntarily by the end of the year or in the second year (and presumably remembering my stuff on normal class days). So when the project was to make a summer dress, my mum bought me some really nice material and I was ahead of the class, the dress was turning out beautifully and - then I went and lost it on the bus. Though we called the bus terminal lost and found, I never got it back, and had to start the dress all over again, with not quite so gorgeous material :0(

Morning, Kim! Your Jack is a keeper what a lovely story!

>137 humouress: Oh, Nina! What a bummer!

Thanks Mamie. I'm glad Jack's story had a happy ending.

ETA but at least I didn't get expelled for forgetting my sewing ;0)

Morning, Kimmers! Happy Mid-Week! Nice photo of your son. Good-looking kid.

Lovely photo of the son all dressed up! And I totally agree that I want to "read" all the Walt Longmires on audio. :-)

Love (after hate) the story about the dress. Way to go, Jack!

>132 scaifea: Amber, I hope Charlie had a great time in the snow!!!

>133 BLBera: Beth, How are the shovel arms today? Looks like you got dumped on!

>134 ursula: Ursala--He is a good kid. : )

>135 michigantrumpet: Marianne--It is always fun when I get to brag on my kid. Thanks!

>136 BLBera: Hi again. I think I will keep him. ; )

>137 humouress: I am so sorry you lost that dress!! After all the work, too. : ( I am sure the second turned out quite nicely, too, but it just didn't live up to the first one, did it? What a bummer!

>138 Crazymamie: Hi Crazy--He has his moments. : )

>139 humouress: Nina--Not getting expelled is a good thing, LOL! Way to look on the bright side.

>140 msf59: Mark--Happy Hump Day!!

>141 EBT1002: Hi Ellen!

Hi Kim, I'm so far behind. I just try to catch up on threads. I wish you a lovely day.

It wasn't too bad, Kim. My son-in-law, a keeper, came over with his snow blower and cleared my driveway and sidewalk. I had very little to do. There was just an inch or two to clean up; I'll go out and do that tonight when I get home.

Hell is Empty by Craig Johnson, a Walt Longmire Mystery 4.5

Basic plot from the back of the book:

Well-read and world-weary, Sheriff Wade Longmire has been maintaining order in Wyoming's Absaroka County for more than thirty years, but in this riviting seventh outing, he is pushed to his limits.

Raynaud Shade, an adopted Crow Indian rumored to be one of the country's most dangerous sociopaths, has just confessed to murdering a boy ten years ago and burying him deep within the Bighorn Mountains. Walt is asked to transport Shade through a blizzard to the site, but what begins as a typical criminal transport turns personal when the veteran lawman learns that he knows the dead boy's family.

Guided only by Indian mysticism and a battered paperback of Dante's Inferno, Walt braves the icy hell of the Cloud Peak Wilderness Area to ensure justice - both civil and spiritual - is served.

My Take:

Although many of the regular cast of characters do not play a large role in this episode, it is still one of my favorites in the series. It has a large mystic component and I thoroughly enjoyed Walt's sidekick, the enormous Indian, Virgil. True, Walt is an idiot for pursuing the killer by his lonesome, but the book has great humor, grit, adventure and mystery, all of it made even better, by listening to it on audio with George Guidall narrating--absolutely fantastic! I plan on "reading" all of them on audio from this point forward.

BTW--I just watched this same episode on the TV version. It is Season 2, episode 1. The TV show is okay, but this episode was nothing like the book--most disappointing.

>143 Ameise1: Hi Barb--I am behind, too. Peas in a pod we are!! Wishing you a lovely day, and then the one after that and the one after that...!

>144 BLBera: Beth--That doesn't sound too bad. Yay for SILs. : )

Hooray for Longmire. Hell is Empty was also the last one I read.

Morning, Kim! I did not read your Longmire review because you are ahead of me in that series - the last one I read was Junk Yard Dogs. I NEED to get back to it, but that's not gonna happen this month. Hoping that Thursday is sweet to you!

So...I am on day three of dizziness and nausea. Something new to deal with. I don't like to whine, but this SUCKS!! Spent the day at the doctors (again) yesterday and there is only one thing off on the bloodwork, which seems unrelated to my symptoms. Have to go in tomorrow to test again and see which way it is going. TKD? What is that? Haven't been in weeks. Grrrrr.

On the reading front -- I read a lot whilst in the waiting rooms -- I am really enjoying I Am Malala. There is so much to learn about Pakistan and the surrounding region and I had no idea there were so many subgroups of the Sunnis and Shias. Occasionally, some big political event pops up that I remember, but most of it is unknown to me. And it is interesting to read about America from another point of view. I continue to be incensed that the Taliban goes around destroying ancient artwork. Mostly, I am feeling lucky to have grown up where I did.

Hi Mark! Hi Crazy! : )

>145 Berly: I agree that the character of Virgil was wonderful.

>149 Berly: I am SO sorry you're having those horrid symptoms! YUCK. I hope they can figure out what is going on.
And yes, the only good thing about doctor appointments is getting to read in the waiting room. I also take a book and my glasses in and have them at the ready when I'm in the examination room, in case I'm sitting in there alone for a while....

Thinking of you and sending you positive health mojo. xo

Sorry you're still not feeling well. I think we can allow a little whining. Hard to train if you're not feeling well. I'm new to martial arts. My kids started karate last year and then one of the other mums talked me into trying the adult class. I like it quite a lot, which surprised me. It was also surprising how much harder the adult class is than the kids one Lol. I earned my yellow belt, which felt pretty awesome. 2nd degree black in TKD is really impressive.

>149 Berly: Oh no, I'm sorry about that. Especially the TKD because I know how much you love it. I hope it gets sorted out soon, one way or another. And in plenty of time for you to practice for your exam.

Black belt I admire, though I don't understand. But I did say I'd try TKD out. I just haven't got around to it yet *slinks off guiltily*

Kim, I hope you'll feel beter as soon as possible.

Sorry, to hear you are not feeling well, Kimmers! I hope things improve quickly. Sending healing vibes from the Midwest.

>149 Berly: So sorry to hear you're not feeling well Kim :-( I hope they can figure out what's wrong soon and get you feeling better.

Kim, so sorry to hear that you are not feeling well. So frustrating for you to be dealing with being under the weather again so soon. Keeping you in my thoughts and sending you healing mojo.

Hope you are feeling better soon.

Hi Kim, sorry to hear that you are still suffering my dear, hopefully you will start to pick up over the next few days. Sending love and hugs to speed the recovery up.

Oh, Kim. I'm also sending healthy vibes your way. Feel better soon. I hope it's just a flu, or something that goes away.

Sending healing whammies to zap the ouchies! (Sorry for all the technical medical jargon!)

Kim, so sorry to hear you aren't feeling well. When it rains, it pours... Take care of yourself, my friend!

Sorry, to hear that you are under the weather. Get well soon.

>150 EBT1002: Ellen--The TV episode completely left Virgil out. : ( Thank you for the well wishes. Always appreciated.

>151 nittnut: Hi Jenn--Nice job on the yellow belt! Our classes are together with the kids, which means they are fairly easy at first, but by the upper levels you are wishing it wasn't with the kids because they just don't get tired out as fast!! LOL. I hope you have as much fun with Karate as I do with TKD. : )

>152 humouress: Nina--All the reasons why I love TKD: it's fun; I like being in shape; I have friends in my classes; it's good for the mind; I can do the splits now; it's fun; it makes me feel younger; you don't want to mess with me in a back alley; always something new to learn; my kid's friends think I am cool; black belt bragging rights and it's fun. : ) You should totally try it out!!

>153 DianaNL: Diana--You and me both!

>154 msf59: Mark--keep those healing vibes coming!!

>155 souloftherose: Heather--Thanks. Small improvements. : )

>156 Crazymamie: Crazy--The perfect get-well package this morning. Thank you. My Dad's remedy for everything is a glass of red wine, but I think I will save that for a little later in the day. Are you gearing up for the Super Bowl? Is the party at your house or are you heading out?

>157 thornton37814: Lori--Sooner would be better! ; )

>158 johnsimpson: John--Thanks for the love! Hugs back to you.

>159 BLBera: Beth--Right now we are hoping the dizziness is from some sort of virus and not something long term. Crossing my fingers!

>160 michigantrumpet: Marianne--"zap the ouchies" Your medicaleese is so sophisticated!! LOL. Thanks.

>161 katiekrug: Katie--"When it rains it pours." That is so Portland. LOL. Luckily the forecast is good, so I am just going to align myself with the weather here, and by tomorrow and all through next week I should be warm and sunny!!

>162 Ameise1: Barb--Yum! Thank you so much.

Ha! Glad you liked the gift basket. No party, unless you count the gathering of the usual Pecan Paradisians. I like to watch the game, and I am a bit of a nut about my football, so there will be awesome snacks, but everyone will have to not talk to me during the game unless it's about the game.

Wishing you healthy, my friend.

Dying to Be Me by Anita Moorjani

This was an amazing book about a young woman's Near Death Experience. It was interesting from not only a a spiritual and medical perspective, but culturally as well. Anita is a Hindu raised in China living amongst British people -- Anita never felt like she fit in and had difficulty with the subservient female role expected of her. She blames her cancer on her many fears. After her visit to the other side, Anita was able to return to complete health in a matter of weeks (astounding!) and she has a whole new outlook on life. Well written and thought-provoking, I really enjoyed this journey.

"I used to suppress my upsetting emotions a lot, because I used to believe that they would attract negativity in my life. In addition, I didn't want to concern others, so I tried to control my thoughts and force myself to be positive. But I now understand that the key is to always honor who you truly are and allow yourself to be in your own truth." (p. 158)

"Every segment of time is totally unique, and as each moment has passed, it can't be replicated in this physical plane. I've learned to be comfortable with that and to live in the moment." (p. 158)

"When I step in to the realm of ambiguity I'm really at my most powerful. Letting go of all previous beliefs, disbeliefs, dogma, and doctrines puts the infinite universe at my disposal and works to give me the best possible outcome for my life. This is where I receive the most internal clarity. It's where magic happens." (p. 166)

Dying to Be Me hit home for me in several areas (see the first quote). I was brought up to not complain, even though I had a ton of medical issues as a kid (and still do!). The fact that I am sharing a little of what I am going through here is a big deal for me. Thank you to everyone for your support. : )

Here's my medical update: In addition to the dizziness, which we are hoping is a virus or something and will go away presently, my innards have been upset for weeks. That has improved, but is not quite right yet. EKG, chest x-ray, upper GI scan and CT scan all look good and, luckily, the blood work has returned to normal. Did I mention I have spent a lot of time in the waiting rooms recently? So much fun! LOL. So, I remain a mystery and am just hoping things continue to improve. Going to see my acupuncturist on Monday. Still no TKD! I am going to walk around the track during Jack's soccer game today.

>165 Crazymamie: Morning Crazy! I will remember to only talk Football with you tomorrow. ; )

Ha! Just during the game, Kim - the rest of the day I am available for any kind of conversation.

So frustrating about the medical testing all turning up normal - hoping that they figure it out very soonish.

>121 Berly: - Kim..trying to catch up - I'm over 100 posts behind in just 10 days! Handsome son you have there. I thinkk the idea of a winter formal is a cool idea.

>121 Berly: Wow, he's cute. And so is his date.

So sorry the lousy symptoms continue, Kim. Here's hoping for positive resolution soon.

Off to watch the Handsome Son play football (soccer to us Americans) and then watch football. : )

>168 Crazymamie: Congratulations to Crazy, Peyton and the Cowboys Broncos!!! And my son!! Go football!

>169 tututhefirst: Thank you. I think I will keep him. Not because he is cute, but because he is a nice kid. : )

>170 The_Hibernator: Thank you! He cleans up pretty well, huh?! And his date is a really nice girl. They had a great time.

>171 ronincats: No resolution on the dizziness yet. Calling the Dr again today. Tummy seems happy again though, so that is good news.

Finished The Mermaid's Sister and I Am Malala. Tonight I have bookclub and we are discussing Black Man in a White Coat. More on all of these later....wishing it was still Sunday and not Monday. : P

*ppst* It's the Broncos, Kim. But you were very close. Um...no...Actually you weren't, but I love your enthusiasm. And I thank you for thinking of me!

ROFLMAO. You know what I meant. I plead not feeling well. I mean, I watched the game and everything. : )

...even know who won the Super Bowl ;)

I have started with In Cold Blood! 50 pages in and I reckon you are about to start??! C'mon Kim, let's get this (dark, macabre) party started ;)

Picking up my book tomorrow and I am ready to start!!!

Yay! That would be today already then. :)

>174 Crazymamie: and >175 Berly: This gave me my first out-loud chortle of the day! Thanks!!

>178 LovingLit: "They" just arrived at the ranch....

If anyone is interested, Megan, Donna and I are reading Truman Capote's In Cold Blood (one of David Bowie's top 100) and we are going to be talking about it over here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/218310#5466008.

>179 michigantrumpet: Anytime, Marianne!! LOL

Excellent review of Dying to Be Me, Kim.

Oh boy that book is exciting. And sad. And harrowing, and tender. And awesome.
I finished it just before, I think I'll rate it 4.5 stars. Only little quibbles that stopped it getting the full 5.

>181 lit_chick: Thanks Nancy! I really did enjoy that one.

>182 LovingLit: Dang it, Megan!! I didn't have any reading time today. I am so glad you loved it, but now I am dying to get back to In Cold Blood! I did, however, have a wonderful time with my RL book club talking about I Am Malala--more on that when it is not so late at night.

ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzz..........

Did I mention I don't like being dizzy?

>184 Berly: Yikes. I can't even look at that. Lol

My RL Book club had a great discussion on I Am Malala, some of which I will try to relay this weekend, and then I saw this: "He Named Me Malala" February 29th on the National Geographic Channel. Timing is everything!

>186 Berly: Argh, that's behind a pay wall for me. Guess I'll just have to go read the book (!). Glad to hear there was a good discussion. Could imagine it would be a great one for a book group. She is such an impressive young woman.

Have a happy weekend.

Morning, Kim! Happy Friday!

Hi Kim, just passing by to wish you a very lovely and enjoyable weekend my dear, sending love and hugs.

Hi Kim - I hope you're feeling better.

>186 Berly: I greatly anticipate both your comments and the TV program!

I am dizzy to be back in Malaysia, Kimmers and dropping by to wish you a lovely weekend.

>186 Berly: she has such a composed and tranquil face. I hope that image isn't photoshopped like i suspect it is...

I hope you are not feeling woozy today, Kim! Do we need to send the medics around!?

How are you faring for In Cold Blood? I am still thinking about it and will check the library catalogue for either Capote or Infamous.

>185 nittnut: Jen--It works even better if you move the page up and down!! LOL. Still have Vertigo. Taking anti-nausea meds which help. I see the PT in a week to see if they can help. In the meantime, I am doing home exercises to try and fix the problem and readjust my brain to the faulty info coming from my inner ear. I went to TKD class (it was all explanations and talking and no exercise) today where they handed out the official book listing all the requirements to qualify for my 2nd Degree belt test in....10 weeks! Argh! This better clear up quickly so I can practice again. : )

>187 charl08: Hi Charlotte--We all agreed that not only is Malala an impressive young woman, but that her father is exceptional, too. In a country that cries when a girl is born, and no one celebrates, he was filled with joy and throughout her life encouraged and honored her, establishing his own school to ensure that all children would receive education. I think the book is as much about him as her.

>188 DianaNL: Diana--That is one happy puppy! And exactly how I feel! Thank you and good wishes for a great weekend right back atcha.

>189 Crazymamie: Thanks Crazy. Hope your weekend is off to a great start...!

>190 johnsimpson: John--Love and hugs to you and yours. You always make me smile.

>191 BLBera: Beth--I am still completely dizzy, but hanging on to my good cheer. I am confident it will go away...just hoping it leaves sooner rather than later! ; )

>192 michigantrumpet: Hi marianne--Glad to see you here. Thanks for popping in.

>193 PaulCranswick: Paul--LOL. I hope you have found your balance again. Welcome back to Malaysia.

>194 LovingLit: Hi Megan--Medics would be good! Or, my Dad's favorite fix to everything...red wine. LOL. I think I should wait until after I have lunch though, right? Hoping to spend this afternoon with Capote, so I can pop on our other thread and TALK about it more with you. Malala seems very happy in most of the photos I have seen. In some she seems to have more after-effects from the shooting than others, but those photos may simply be from shortly after the attack. It will be interesting to see her "live" on the TV show. Happy Saturday!

So, part of my requirement for the TKD test is to read two books off a suggested list. The list is two pages long filled with titles falling into four categories: Leadership, Philosophy, Personal Growth and Business/Finance. I chose Benjamin Franklin's The Art of Virtue and Maximum Muscle, Minimum Fat by Ori Hofmekler. Very well rounded reading, if I do say so myself!

Kim, I hope you get over your vertigo attack soon. I've had it a few times and know how disorienting and just plain yucky it is. I had to lay on the floor because it felt like I was about to fall out of bed or the sofa. Definitely no fun. Mine went away without medication and didn't last nearly as long as yours has.

We are reading the same books it seems…Hell Is Empty and In Cold Blood. I was also a big fan of Malala and her story. What a courageous young woman!

No touchstones??

Hi Donna! Well, maybe I should ask you what we are reading next then?! LOL I don't know why your touchstones aren't working. It seems to be a problem lately.

Sorry you have been through the vertigo thing, too. I haven't had to lie down on the floor though...wow! Just hugging the walls occasionally and really slow to stand up from the bed. No looking down and some days I have avoided driving.

Kim, hope you are feeling much better. Love this!: ... Dad's favorite fix to everything...red wine. LOL. I think I should wait until after I have lunch though, right? You don't have to wait until lunch if you're using wine as medication. Start anytime!

>199 lit_chick: Well, it should help the vertigo! ;0)

>199 lit_chick: >200 humouress: Hiccup. Yup! Feeling much better. ; )

You hit me with two book bullets The Psychopath Whisperer, The Science of Those Without Conscience, by Kent A Kiehl. And Dying To Be Me

Happy Valentine's Day to you my dear friend!!!

>195 Berly: Sorry to hear you're still suffering from vertigo Kim :-( I hope they can find something that helps soon.

Happy Sunday, Kimmers! Hope the weekend is going well. Sorry to hear about the vertigo issues. It isn't keeping you from the books, is it?

Happy Valentine's Day, Kim!

>202 Whisper1: Linda, sorry-not-sorry to hit you with the book bullets. But you are my friend and that's what friends are for. ; )

>203 souloftherose: Thanks Heather. I am sure it will resolve...someday.

>204 msf59: Hi Mark. I try to not let anything get in the way of my books!! (But it is, a little.)

>205 Crazymamie: That is very funny! To Crazy and all my LT friends...

Wow, A lot to get caught up on here! Sorry to hear you have suffered another allergic reaction, involving an ER visit, continuing to not feel well and suffering vertigo. Here is hoping that all returns to normal soon on the health front!

>121 Berly: - The kids look great in their winter formal wear!

Hi Lori! It is tough to keep up around here, isn't it? Glad you came to catch up. : )

OOO. Psychopath Whisperer. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. It was pretty interesting.

Happy Valentine's Day Kim!

Hi Rachel--That's a cool Valentine. Thank you. : ) I think I got the idea for the Psychopath Whisperer from you!! LOL

http://www.librarything.com/topic/218310#
*Ahem*
Conversation please ;)

No pressure...of course not!

Wishing you a great start into the new week, Kim.

>211 LovingLit: I can't talk now!! I have to go to work! Feeling the pressure... ;)

>212 Ameise1: Thank you Barbara--I hope you have a great week, too!

Some easy questions to stimulate those neurons...courtesy my Dad. : )

1. Johnny's mother had three children. The first child was named April. The second child was named May. What was the third child's name?

2. There is a clerk at the butcher shop, he is five feet ten inches tall and he wears size 13 sneakers. What does he weigh?

3. Before Mt. Everest was discovered, what was the highest mountain in the world?

4. How much dirt is there in a hole... that measures two feet by three feet by four feet?

5. What word in the English Language... is always spelled incorrectly?

6. Billy was born on December 28th, yet his birthday is always in the summer. How is this possible?

7. In California, you cannot take a picture of a man with a wooden leg. Why not?

8. What was the President’s Name in 1975?

9. If you were running a race, and you passed the person in 2nd place, what place would you be in now?

10. Which is correct to say, "The yolk of the egg are white" or "The yolk of the egg is white"?

11. If a farmer has 5 haystacks in one field and 4 haystacks in the other field, how many haystacks would he have if he combined them all in another field?




Here are the Answers: (No peeking!)

1. Johnny’s mother had three children. The first child was named April. The second child was named May. What was the third child's name?

Answer: Johnny, of course.

2. There is a clerk at the butcher shop, he is five feet ten inches tall, and he wears size 13 sneakers. What does he weigh?

Answer: Meat.

3. Before Mt. Everest was discovered, what was the highest mountain in the world?

Answer: Mt. Everest; it just wasn't discovered yet. You’re not very good at this are you?

4. How much dirt is there in a hole that measures two feet by three feet by four feet?

Answer: There is no dirt in a hole.

5. What word in the English Language is always spelled incorrectly?

Answer: Incorrectly

6. Billy was born on December 28th, yet his birthday is always in the summer. How is this possible?

Answer: Billy lives in the Southern Hemisphere.

7. In California, you cannot take a picture of a man with a wooden leg. Why not?

Answer: You can't take pictures with a wooden leg. You need a camera to take pictures.

8. What was the President's Name in 1975?

Answer: Same as is it now - Barack Obama Oh, come on ...

9. If you were running a race, and you passed the person in 2nd place, what place would you be in now?

Answer: You would be in 2nd. Well, you passed the person in second place, not first.

10. Which is correct to say, "The yolk of the egg are white" or "The yolk of the egg is white"?

Answer: Neither, the yolk of the egg is yellow Duh

11. If a farmer has 5 haystacks in one field and 4 haystacks in the other field, how many haystacks would he have if he combined them all in another field?

Answer: One. If he combines all of his haystacks, they all become one big one.



Keep that brain working; try to figure this one out....

See if you can figure out what these seven words all have in common?
1. Banana
2. Dresser
3. Grammar
4. Potato
5. Revive
6. Uneven
7. Assess


Give it another try....
Look at each word carefully. You'll kick yourself when you discover the Answer. This is so cool.....

REMEMBER I ONLY SENT THIS TO MY SMART FRIENDS

NOW DON'T LET ME DOWN

No, it is not that they all have at least 2 double letters....
Answer is below!


Answer:

In all of the words listed, if you take the first letter, place it at the end of the word, and then spell the word backwards, it will be the same word.

Did you figure it out?

No? Then send this to more people and stump them as well.

Then, you'll feel better too.....!

Have a great day everyone!!!!

Love, Berly

Thanks Kim: I did really well with the questions -- only missed one. The wooden leg one got me.

I didn't get the list of words.

Now, I'M dizzy.

Happy Monday.

>215 BLBera: That's the same one I missed, Beth! And I didn't get the list of words, either.

Hello, Kim! Thanks for the entertainment!

Fun brain teasers, Kim. I got them all, but the list of words stymied me.

I hope the vertigo goes soon. That can be so hard.

Hi guys! So, I missed the wooden leg and the President question, but I figured out the words. : ) Glad you guys had some fun with it. : )

Monday is over! Phew--it was an 11-hour work day. Pooped. Gonna veg. See you all tomorrow!

Sorry the vertigo continues. 10 weeks is not very long, especially if you can't train. Yikes! Sending you a steady inner ear and good balance and all that stuff.

We had some fun with the questions, and the move the first letter to the end and read it backwards one is weird. :)

Morning, Kim!

Morning, Crazy!!

>121 Berly: A charmer!

I've missed your entire thread, essentially, but I wanted to pop in and say hello. I missed my thingaversary, so I think I'll buy myself In Cold Blood as a belated gift! ;)

Kim, I'm so sorry that you are going through such a rough patch. Big hugs to you my friend. Visits to the ER tend to be needed, but frustrating.

Luckily, a nearby hospital has a 20 minute rule of seeing patients in the ER. And, when Will takes me there, we usually don't have to wait for 20 minutes. The staff is incredible, and the doctors kind.

Thinking of you and wishing you all the best!

Great brain stretchers! I did pretty well but not perfectly.

Morning, Kim! I'm thinking of you today. That is all.

>222 London_StJ: Hi Luxx! I hope you enjoy In Cold Blood and Happy Thingaversary...whenever it was! And come check out the new thread. : )

>223 Whisper1: Linda--Thank you so much for checking up on me. I appreciate it very much, and I know you understand. : ) I LOVE the 20-minute rule at your hospital. Excellent idea.

>224 ronincats: Roni--The important thing is you stretched your brain! Good job.

>225 Crazymamie: Evening, Crazy!!

Come play on my new thread....

I'm taking your brain teasers over here : http://www.librarything.com/topic/210946#5472477

I am honored. And I starred the thread!! Very funny!