Ellen seeks balance in 2019 - Thread 2

Photograph by NITIN VAYAS, 2017 National Geographic

Greetings all! I'm Ellen, a university administrator living in Washington state with my partner Prudence (aka P) and my beloved elderly cat, Abby. I've spent the last 25 years or so in the Pacific Northwest (U.S.). I'm a handful of years away from retirement and looking forward to it more than I had expected. I love wine, milk chocolate, and ginger snaps. And popcorn. And salad (really!).

I'm a runner and walker (around town or in the woods), collector of bookmarks, and lover of books. 2019 will be my 9th year as a member of the 75ers (this month is my 8th Thingaversary!) and it is my most beloved on-line community. I try to read widely but my go-to genres are literary fiction and mysteries. LT has expanded my reading horizons more than I could ever have imagined. And, as Jim says in his description of this group, "...we care less about the numbers than we do about the exchange of book info and the community of readers." Yes.

I'm participating in a few challenges this year:
BingoDOG
RandomCAT
SeriesCAT
I''ll dip into the American Authors Challenge now and then as well as the Nonfiction Challenge.

I'm also participating in Kim's group read of These Truths: A History of the United States by Jill Lepore over the first four months of the year.

I love nothing so much as a LibraryThing meet-up and I hope to manage at least a couple of them in 2019.

My Rating Scale:

= Breathtaking. Maybe a masterpiece.
= Excellent! Among my favorites of the year.
= A great read; truly enjoyable.
= So good. I'm glad I read this.
= A solid read. Generally recommended.
= This was an okay read.
= Meh. Pretty much a waste of time.
= Nearly no redeeming qualities. Really rather bad.
= Among the worst books I've ever read.

Honestly, I'm rarely going to complete any book earning fewer than two stars but I reserve the right to rate them based on my experience.

COMPLETED IN JANUARY

1. Death in a Darkening Mist by Iona Whishaw
2. Blessed are Those Who Thirst by Anne Holt
3. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
4. Well-Read Black Girl by Glory Edim
5. Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin
6. Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay
7. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
8. The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
9. The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens
10. Hotel Brasil by Frei Betto

COMPLETED IN FEBRUARY

11. The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall
12. Last Friends by Jane Gardam
13. The Proof of the Honey by Salwa Al Neimi

1. Author uses middle name or middle initial
2. Debut novel
3. Book about/featuring siblings
4. Read a book bullet (meaning another LT member inspired you to read it)
5. Book mentioned in another book you have read
6. Topic or character related to medicine/health
7. Animal on cover/in title/plays a significant role ~ The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
8. Book with an artistic character
9. Eastern European author or setting
10. Children’s/YA book ~ The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy
11. Alliterative title
12. Part of a series ~ Death in a Darkening Mist by Iona Whishaw
13. Read a CAT ~ The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin (January RandomCAT)
14. Prize-winning book ~ The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens ~ 1970 Booker Prize winner
15. Weather (title contains a weather word, or book involves/centers around a weather event)
16. Short stories or essays ~ Well-Read Black Girl by Glory Edim
17. Book made into a movie ~ Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin
18. Fairy tale (classic or reworked)
19. Graphic novel
20. Main title has 6 or more words ~ A Visit From The Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
21. Cover has at least two human figures ~ Last Friends by Jane Gardam
22. Book in translation ~ Blessed are Those Who Thirst by Anne Holt
23. Food-related title or topic ~ The Proof of the Honey by Salwa Al Neimi
24. Book has an LT rating of 4.0 or more ~ Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay
25. Title contains a homophone word ~ Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

RandomCAT

January: Your name in print ~ The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
February: We need a break! ~ Hotel Brasil by Frei Betto
March =
April =
May =
June =
July =
August =
September =
October =
November =
December =

SeriesCAT ~ Hoping to whittle away on my TBR shelves

January: Series in translation ~ Blessed Are Those Who Thirst by Anne Holt, Anne Bruce (Translator)
February: YA/Children's ~ The Penderwicks
March: Series by a favorite author
April: Series You've Been Meaning to Get Back To
May: Newest book in a favorite series
June: Series that are definitely complete
July: Genre: fantasy
August: Series set in a country/region where you do not live (hosted by me!)
September: Genre: Mystery
October: Historical Series
November: Series with a female protagonist
December: Series that's new to you

Ellen's top (5-star) reads of 2018:

The Carrying: Poems by Ada Limón
Florida by Lauren Groff
The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne
Heartbeat by Sharon Creech
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass
The Overstory by Richard Powers

My 4.5-star (Honorable Mention) reads:

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay
Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
Go, Went, Gone by Jenny Erpenbeck
Happiness by Aminatta Forna
Everything Under by Daisy Johnson
Halsey Street by Naima Coster
Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates
What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky: Stories by Lesley Nneka Arimah
Winter: A Novel by Ali Smith

Personal Reading Challenge: Every winner of the Booker Prize since its inception in 1969

1969: P. H. Newby, Something to Answer For
1970: Bernice Rubens, The Elected Member
1970: J. G. Farrell, Troubles (awarded in 2010 as the Lost Man Booker Prize)
1971: V. S. Naipaul, In a Free State
1972: John Berger, G.
1973: J. G. Farrell, The Siege of Krishnapur
1974: Nadine Gordimer, The Conservationist and Stanley Middleton, Holiday
1975: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Heat and Dust
1976: David Storey, Saville
1977: Paul Scott, Staying On
1978: Iris Murdoch, The Sea, The Sea
1979: Penelope Fitzgerald, Offshore
1980: William Golding, Rites of Passage
1981: Salman Rushdie, Midnight's Children
1982: Thomas Keneally, Schindler's Ark
1983: J. M. Coetzee, Life & Times of Michael K
1984: Anita Brookner, Hotel du Lac
1985: Keri Hulme, The Bone People
1986: Kingsley Amis, The Old Devils
1987: Penelope Lively, Moon Tiger
1988: Peter Carey, Oscar and Lucinda
1989: Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day
1990: A. S. Byatt, Possession: A Romance
1991: Ben Okri, The Famished Road
1992: Michael Ondaatje, The English Patient ... and Barry Unsworth, Sacred Hunger
1993: Roddy Doyle, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha
1994: James Kelman, How late it was, how late
1995: Pat Barker, The Ghost Road
1996: Graham Swift, Last Orders
1997: Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things
1998: Ian McEwan, Amsterdam
1999: J. M. Coetzee, Disgrace
2000: Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin
2001: Peter Carey, True History of the Kelly Gang ~ currently reading
2002: Yann Martel, Life of Pi
2003: DBC Pierre, Vernon God Little
2004: Alan Hollinghurst, The Line of Beauty
2005: John Banville, The Sea
2006: Kiran Desai, The Inheritance of Loss
2007: Anne Enright, The Gathering
2008: Aravind Adiga, The White Tiger
2009: Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall
2010: Howard Jacobson, The Finkler Question
2011: Julian Barnes, The Sense of an Ending
2012: Hilary Mantel, Bring Up the Bodies
2013: Eleanor Catton, The Luminaries
2014: Richard Flanagan, The Narrow Road to the Deep North
2015: Marlon James, A Brief History of Seven Killings
2016: Paul Beatty, The Sellout
2017: George Saunders, Lincoln in the Bardo
2018: Anna Burns, Milkman

Happy new thread!

Plans for 2019

January - April
These Truths: A History of the United States by Jill Lepore with Kim and others.

January
Last Friends with Karen (karenmarie), Bill, and others?

Year-long
RandomCAT
SeriesCAT
BingoDOG

Other
I'm not sure what else I will do but I'll be hoping to break the century mark (100 books completed).

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

>11 figsfromthistle: Thank you, figsfromthistle! Im glad to have you stop by my thread.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Ellen. I hope you are enjoying your mini break.

I'm glad you got Frankenstein in Baghdad - maybe in the spring? I'm not in a hurry.

Thread two orisons, Ellen, and a sweetly relaxing time for you and P to be out from under home stresses.

>15 thornton37814: Thanks Lori!

>16 BLBera: Sometime in the spring sounds good, Beth. If the mood strikes you, give me a shout. I’m feeling capable of reading more than one thing at a time tases days.

I was going to post a picture of the view from our balcony here in the foothills of Tucson but I need to do a bit of research on how to copy the link for a photo on my iPad.

In any case, my first thread of the year was surprisingly — and necessarily — dedicated to work craziness and my autocratic, mercurial boss. This one is going to be dedicated to cacti, sunshine, wine, fun adventures, and books! 😀

But first let me say this: you all are the best. Thank you for all your support!!

Happy new thread, Ellen! And yay for mini-vacations!! :-)

Breathe, read, hike, drink wine!

If you go to member photos, select junk drawer, add photo, it will offer you your iPad photos, select one, upload. Then pressing your finger lightly on photo you will get the option to copy. You paste that into the usual 'img src=' between the arrows.

Hope that makes sense Ellen.

Happy New Thread, Ellen! Tell P that thinking about Abby is not all that relaxing when you are away from her for a while at her age. And in addition to the other things you are doing, making a habit of positive visualization daily to counter the daily erosion resulting from the internalization of the conflict--no matter how well your rational mind is dealing with it, the old id just reacts to the tension!

Tucson is a lovely spot to relax!

>6 EBT1002: I keep thinking I'm supposed to see a number in this mosaic, as in a test for kinds of color blindness. Yes? No? Anyway, it's not happening.

Enjoy your little vacation!

The view from our balcony. I have another photo that is lovely, includes the moon, but I took it portrait-style rather than landscape and it’s on its side. I’m really rather smart but I was born in the 1960s; tech stuff too often befuddles me.

ETA: rats.

Ellen, even though I don't merit so much as a hello *chinwobble*, I'll share Mamie's code that worked posting a photo that my code string simply wouldn't: left pointy bracketimage width="600" src="image address"right pointy bracket

Worked perfectly!

An upbeat new thread with 2 handsome cats! Very nice, Ellen!
Hmmm. My cousin lived in Tucson for years and I never visited, but then, I never go anywhere at all. Anyway, I'll look forward to the balcony view. You will conquer.
"born in the 60s" for some reason reminds me of a conversation with the professor for whom I worked (in the 60s as a matter of fact) who had asked me to staple some tests or something. She said, "I'm afraid the stapler's a bit temperamental. It's a war model." I said,' 'That's O.K. We should get along fine. I'm a war model too." (I hope for another chuckle.)

>23 ffortsa: I also looked for the number.

Enjoy!!

Look at you starting a new thread on your I-pad, although I can't see the photo of the view from your balcony. I hope you are having a great vacation. Good luck with your job situation.

Happy New Thread, Ellen!

>21 Caroline_McElwee: On my iPad, I have to press lightly and then "Open Image." Then I copy the URL in the address bar, and paste it into the HTML on my post.

>24 EBT1002: you might want to try that here, because I can't see the photo.

Good Friday, Ellen. I can see the view from your balcony but I can imagine it is stunning. You two always have a knack for finding extraordinary locales.
Enjoy the weekend!

Happy New Thread, Ellen!

I can't see the view from your balcony either, darn it. I sympathize with the tech issues.

Checking in on the new thread, Ellen! Have a great weekend!

Thanks to those trying to help me post the photo from my member gallery. I can’t see it either. Here’s what happens:
In my member gallery, I hold my finger lightly on the image and two choices pop up “save image” or “copy” — I have selected copy and put it into the html formula (same one you use, Richard, except I do less-than img height=300 src=“url code” greater-than and it has always worked before). It doesn’t work.

I tried holding my finger on the image when it was smaller in the gallery, and open is an option, open in new tab, etc... I think the issue is that I’m not seeing the url to copy.

>34 EBT1002: Ellen, selecting "Open" or "Open in new tab" will load just the image in your browser window. Then you copy the URL from the address bar at the top of your screen and put it into the HTML formula. You *should* be able to do this either the smaller gallery view or the larger photo view, but either way you can use the HTML code (height=300) to size the photo.

>35 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura. I’m not seeing the url in the address bar so I’ll keep messing with that. I will conquer this!!! 😀

Today we’re going to the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum. Oh boy. I slept long and hard last night, just what I needed. Picture me releasing all the stress from my body and soul. 🙂

So glad to hear about the good sleep Ellen, it s the best cure all. Enjoy your trip to the desert museum.

I skipped over to your profile to look at the pictures. Lovely view from the balcony.

You have to bring the individual picture up in your browser. Then the url is all that is in the address bar. It should be doable from your iPad. Then you copy the url - it will stay in your copy cache until you get back to your thread, where you can copy it into the quotes within the img address. Hope this isn't too techy for you. I often don't know how to do things on my thread, but I've figured this one out, finally.

Is this it, Ellen?

Happy new one! Can you hear all of us here at the pecan Paradisio cheering you on? Hoping that your time away is full of fabulous.

happy new thread!

Happy new thread!

>36 EBT1002: it's there. If you look at the top of the screen it might be abbreviated (for example right now I only see "librarything.com"), but tap on it and the entire URL will be revealed.

Enjoy your time in Tucson.

Happy new thread Ellen my dear.

...there's a reason that I don't "i" and this discussion is a big part of it!

>40 Crazymamie: that’s it, Mamie! Thank you for posting.

This one is sideways but I think the tip in >43 lauralkeet: is the one I needed.

>48 EBT1002: apparently not....

Well who needs photos. Hmph.

Today we went to the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum and it was fabulous!!!

The cacti were lovely but the animals stole the show:
Sonoran Raven
Great Horned Owl
Elf Owl
Screech Owl
Burrowing Owl
Red-tailed Hawk
Javelina
Cougar
Bobcats
Gray Fox
Prairie Dogs
Four varieties of hummingbird
Black Bear
Bighorn Sheep
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
Spiketail Iguana
Deer
and some things I’m forgetting.

If you’re ever in Tucson, I recommend this place.

>17 richardderus: I missed you up there, Richard. *wobbles chin* xo

>20 jessibud2: Hi Shelley. Your Rx is spot on. And I’m doing it!

>21 Caroline_McElwee: it makes sense, Caroline, but I’m clearly missing some minute but critical detail. Oh well.

>22 ronincats: so far I’m mostly overriding that id, Roni. I’m doing a great job of relaxing. The Museum was SO engaging and distracting!!

>51 EBT1002: Ellen, I'm not sure what's happening with your image URLs. The address for the "image" in >51 EBT1002: is:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/%E2%80%9Chttp://www.librarything.com/pic/6733...

It looks like there are actually 2 URLs there (see how "http" appears twice?) and neither of them end in ".jpg" which is standard for image files.

Ellen, I tried posting the photo from my iPad, and I got the empty square just like you did those last two times. I think it might be the quotation marks. Are they slanted. Mine are, and I remember Jim saying something about how you need them to be straight. You can change them under settings somehow, but I don’t know how to do it. Something with the keyboard - Jim would know.

Got it! Under settings, click on General, then turn off smart punctuation.

>54 Crazymamie: ah ... you might be on to something there.
Settings - General - Keyboard - Smart Punctuation
(Tap to turn it off)

>50 EBT1002:

A perfect place!

And Tucson's Barnes and Noble is very comfortable.

Happy New Thread, Ellen. I hope you are having a wonderful time in Arizona.

>50 EBT1002: The museum sounds awesome but are these stuffed animals or real animals?

Okay, I've turned off the smart punctuation, tried editing >51 EBT1002: with no luck. I added dot jpg at the end of the url and that didn't work either.

>53 lauralkeet: the url I see doesn't have http twice (in fact, it doesn't have it at all when I copy -- I had to add it.

Going to try ONE MORE TIME and then I'm done until I can sit with someone to figure it out with me. I'm SO appreciative of everyone trying to help me!

By the way, there's a lunar eclipse Sunday night and I think we're in a great location to see it. 😀

Happy relatively new one Ellen.

Enjoy your time in Arizona. xx

Oh well.

>23 ffortsa: I don't think you're supposed to see anything, Judy. It's an image I found by googling "random" images.

>25 richardderus: As you can see, Richard, I'm still struggling failing miserably at posting photos with my iPad.

>26 LizzieD: Hi Peggy! I'm chuckling at my plan to dedicate this thread to fun adventures, wine, and books. Tech problem-solving has taken over! I'm also chuckling at your "war model" story.

>27 Berly: Thanks Kim!

>28 Familyhistorian: and >29 vancouverdeb: Thanks Meg and Deb!

>30 lauralkeet: I appreciate your attempts to help, Laura.

>31 Carmenere: The Catalina foothills here in Tucson are breathtaking, Lynda. Every time I visit a desert area I understand why photographers and painters fall in love with the light.

>32 jnwelch: Hi Joe. Thanks to Mamie, you can see the photo. Of course, it doesn't do it justice (after all that).

>33 alcottacre: Thanks Stasia!

>35 lauralkeet: another sheepish thank you, Laura.

>38 Caroline_McElwee: I agree, Caroline. The long deep sleep was so rejuvenating. And today's excursion to the Desert Museum was spectacularly diverting!

>39 ffortsa: Thanks for trying to help me, Judy. I've managed to befuddle a pretty smart group of people here -- LOL

>40 Crazymamie: Thanks again for posting the pic, Mamie! And for the cheers for our Desert vacation.

>41 The_Hibernator: and >42 drneutron: Thank you, Rachel and Jim!

>43 lauralkeet: *nods head*

>44 DeltaQueen50: So far so good, Judy!

>45 johnsimpson: Thank you, John.

>46 richardderus: I'm still loving my iPad Richard, but this is admittedly frustrating.

>53 lauralkeet: 😘

>54 Crazymamie: and >55 Crazymamie: Tried that, still defeated. Thanks so much for trying to help, Mamie. I just need you here in person! 😘

>56 lauralkeet: sigh

>57 m.belljackson: Oh, maybe I'll seek out the Tucson Barnes n Noble!

>58 msf59: Real live animals, Mark. The raven, GHO, and two hawks were part of a flying show. The birds are "trained," but have so very much freedom. There are several trainers out in the Desert during the show and the birds fly over the small crowd. The Red-tailed Hawk flew way up over a nearby mountain and caught a thermal. She came down after about ten minutes but the guy says she is on her own timeline. The longest she's ever kept them out waiting fo4 her to return is 25 hours. I got a few good photos on my iPhone. When I'm back home I'll post them. 😐

The other animals were in really nice enclosures. It was sort of like a well-done zoo, I suppose. The Elf Owl was so cute, just sleeping on a tree branch. Most people walked by the various enclosures, too impatient or disinterested to take the time to really look for the animals. Not me. When it comes to something like that, I'm SO patient.

>60 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul!

Technology! Love it when it works.

The desert museum sounds great. Last summer we went to a high desert museum close to Bend, and it was a lot of fun.

Forget technology, Ellen! Live in the moment!!!!
I love the description of the desert museum and applaud the soaring of the RT-Hawk. Hoard those images in your own brain that will repay your patience.
I'm beaming that your break is such a rewarding one!

I've been to the desert museum and agree, it's amazing. I'm glad you're having such a nice vacation. Set the tech woes aside and enjoy the rest of your time there.

Hi Ellen! I've been away on a work trip so just getting aught up here. I'm glad Tucson is treating you well and giving you a needed break from work crap. I am VERY anti-work crap :)

Hi Ellen and happy new thread.

I got way behind – from last thread I am so sorry your boss is what she is and agree with everybody about documenting, taking good notes at meetings, etc. I think you should snapshot your comments here and make a Word or other document of them too. You know it’s her and not you and you have confirmation from colleagues, too.

>2 EBT1002: Awww. Kitty, book, sunshine.

>12 EBT1002: Looks like mid-February or perhaps March 1 for Last Friends – he who inspired me to read Old Filth (@weird_o) just got The Man in the Wooden Hat, which he says he’ll finish by the end of January. Allowing for RL, I’m thinking a tad later than Feb 1.

Your vacation sounds wonderful. The photo from your balcony is wonderful. I adore saguaros. My aunt and uncle lived in Tucson for decades - he worked for IBM and retired back to their house in Aptos but loved Tucson. They had two saguaros at their house - legally acquired either by them or by whoever owned the property before - and they named them after their mothers. My grandmother, bless her heart, was furious and thought it disrespectful, my uncle's mother apparently thought it delightful and was honored.

Your visit to the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum sounds fantastic, and your patience was amply rewarded.

Hi Ellen, I know this is an hour east of Tucson but a well remembered and wonderful visit by us when we were there. If you have a chance......
http://www.amerind.org.

Hope that you are having a wonderful time!

Ellen--Glad you finally got a good night's sleep. And I know you will conquer the image problem soon. In the meantime, enjoy!!! Love the list of animals you've seen. I haven't been there in so long. You are making me want to visit again. : )

Looking forward to the Blood Wolf Moon!!

Have a great trip! The Desert Museum sounds wonderful

>73 karenmarie: What a great story about the mother-in-laws and the saguaros! I, too, love them - resonate with them- so I would be honored.

>50 EBT1002: You had me at owls! I will definitely have to check out that museum. I think we are going to be heading to Arizona either this year or next, depending on what happens with Beth.

I am loving this conversation!!!
I have tried several times to put photos into posts on LT and non of them work. I keep telling myself I am not stupid. I work with technology all the time and thousands of other people do this. You can too. Somehow I fail.

I have resolved that at the Seattle ALA conference I am going to have Tim show me how to get photos into posts, and how to get thumbnail book covers into posts as well.

I am so happy I am not the only one with this problem. I am NOT alone! Yeah!!!

Help! Your thread lost its star!
But I found you again.....

Image issues? That's a pain, I hope you get them sorted.

I am thinking of doing the bingo card too, how do you place the green dot?

Yay for Tuscon - you needed this getaway. Glad you talked to your former boss. Sorry things are so difficult for you at work

When you get home you need to immediately schedule another getaway. I know with The Hubster and his less that ideal current job situation having that next long weekend to look forward to helps get him through a lot of work related BS.

>69 BLBera: We loved the Sonoran Desert Museum so much we're thinking of going back again Monday morning before our flight. If we get there right when they open, maybe the Gray Fox and the Bobcats will be active (we saw them sleeping yesterday -- still cute but we'd love to see them moving around).

>70 LizzieD: Perfect advice, Peggy. I embraced your sentiment and today was another wonderful day of being in the moment. More about that in a moment.

>71 lauralkeet: I'm so glad you've seen this "museum," Laura. And yes, I've set technology aside and just enjoyed my Saturday.

>72 katiekrug: I'm anti-work crap too, Katie! This trip is being SO good for me and giving me a chance to remember who I am and how I WILL be in the world, and at work. RAWR!!!

>73 karenmarie: Hi Karen. I'm happy to read Last Friends in February or March. I read the first two in the series a few years ago.

I would love to have a saguaro named after me! Today we hiked up into Ventana Canyon through what I think is essentially an old-growth saguaro forest. Beautiful!!

>74 mdoris: Ooh, thanks for that link, Mary. I'll show it to P. We're thinking about another short hike tomorrow morning, and then a drive up Mt. Lemmon.

>75 Berly: Thanks, Kim. I've had two good nights of sleep, so needed. I told P today that Thursday night's sleep felt like when I came home from the hospital three years ago: long, deep, and wonderful.

I'm having such a great mini-vacation! I love it here.

>76 streamsong: I'm with you, Janet. Anyone who wants to name a saguaro after me is welcome to do so! 😀🌵

>77 alcottacre: Stasia, we loved the Sonoran Desert Museum so much we're thinking of going back on Monday before we fly out!

>78 benitastrnad: I hope Tim is able to help you, Benita!

>79 LovingLit: Hi Megan. I'm glad you found me again!

I copy the BingoDOG card from the thread and they have instructions. You can choose what color you want the cover dots to be and you code by the number of the square. I'll post the link to the instructions in a moment here....

>80 SuziQoregon: I think that is excellent advice, Juli. I just read it aloud to P and we agreed we're going to do it. Thank you for that.

Megan: Here is the link to the thread/post with the BingoDOG images and instructions. This link

I forgot to share part of the story of our visit to the Sonoran Desert Museum! I wore my LibraryThing t-shirt and several people commented on it. Mostly they were asking me if I'm a librarian (no) but one guy really asked about the website. We had a nice conversation next to the coyotes (I forgot to mention them in my list of animals). He described himself as a bibliophile and I told him about the website and the 75ers. Spreading the word about our wonderful community!

Today was another great day. I awoke at sunrise, got up and watched it from our balcony. Then we hiked up the Ventana Canyon Trail through old Saguaro forest. The trail follows a creek up the canyon and we crossed it several times. It was truly beautiful.

Back at the hotel, we went for a swim in the pool. Oh my. I love swimming out of doors. P came back up to the room after our swim and I sat in the sun reading Tales of the City. I finished it, my 5th book of the year. Four stars. It hasn't quite held up over time but the story, characters, and satire are still delightful.

Tonight we dined at a nice restaurant in the area. I had excellent wild salmon over butternut risotto. Yum.

Now we're propped up in bed watching the Australian Open. Sharapova is falling apart. I'm not heartbroken.

Sounds like you are having a wonderful time, Ellen. Just what you need. Enjoy!

>89 EBT1002: Sounds like a perfect day Ellen, was there dessert at dinner?

I'm so glad this vacation is going well. And who could resist wild salmon over butternut risotto?

I haven't watched much of the Open, but I'm with you on Sharapova. If she lost I'm not heartbroken.

Your getaway sounds wonderful and certainly well-earned. I was only in Tucson once, when I was 14 years old. I had spent the summer in California with my grandparents and my grandmother took me to Tucson to visit family there (her brother and his family). I loved it but I am quite sure it has changed a lot since then. I do have a friend who lives there but I haven't visited her there (yet).

Enjoy the remaining time there. I hope the photo-posting issues will get sorted out once you get home.

Your vacation sounds perfect, Ellen. I find Sharapova irritating, so I'm glad she's done. Did you watch Fed and Tsitsipas? I like that young man. His game has good variety, and he seems nice. I also like Tiafoe, but I think Rafa is going to beat him. Still, there are some good youngsters coming up, which is a good thing.

Happy new thread! I missed the creation of it when I got behind :(

>89 EBT1002:

If you are ever in Death Valley, there is a beautiful outdoor, maybe spring-fed, pool where,
if you get up early, you can be the only person floating in the blue above and below.

It sounds like your time in Tucson is just the thing you needed at this time, Ellen. We were there years ago and I fell in love with the desert country and the mountains. It's good to get away and spend time relaxing until everything gets put into perspective. I hope you and your boss start communicating better.

Ellen, glad you are having a relaxing vacation. Great time of year for some sun.

Happy Sunday, Ellen. It sounds like you are having a wonderful weekend. I loved walking in the canyons of the Tucson area. Any wild horses?

>90 Familyhistorian: Thank you, Meg. It has been a wonderful mini-vacation. Today was another memorable one. And I've gotten my steps every day!

>91 Caroline_McElwee: We brought some dessert back to the room from the Whole Foods near the restaurant, Caroline. P had a mini cream puff and I had a mini cannoli. Yum.

>92 karenmarie: Today's late lunch/early dinner was also excellent, Karen. We thought we should eat Mexican once while here, went to a place recommended on TripAdvisor, and it was the best Mexican food I've had in a long time, including an excellent Margarita.

>93 jessibud2: Hi Shelley. I do imagine that Tucson has changed since you were here. We're having a terrific time but it has the feel of a place in which humans have really impacted the environment. Too many people. The area is beautiful so I understand why people have moved here by the hundreds of thousands.

Thanks for your well wishes. Today was another special one. Tomorrow we fly back home. Sigh.

>94 BLBera: Hi Beth. We didn't stay up after the Sharapova match. We've been having such wonderful adventures that we've been wiped out at night!

I sat up reading in These Truths for quite a while.

>95 ChelleBearss: Hi Chelle! I need to come catch up on your thread, too.

Yay for continued great vacation time!! And Mexican food. Especially the margarita.

>96 m.belljackson: That sounds amazing!!

>97 Donna828: Thanks so much, Donna. Yes, this trip has been JUST what I needed. I'm frankly skeptical of my boss and me communicating better but I have gotten some perspective on a few things. I feel more centered, less anxious, and clearer about how to bring my best self to my work. Well see how it goes.

>98 banjo123: Thanks Rhonda. It's been a terrific mini-vacation. We're thinking we might come back again in future winters.

>99 msf59: Hi Mark. No wild horses but some amazing views and landscapes. We're thinking about future trips here and lots more hiking!

>102 Berly: Yes, Kim, today was another memorable one. More car-time -- we went up Mt. Lemmon and the landscape and views were amazing!! We got up above 7000 feet. Saguaros only grow up to about 3500 or 4000 feet, then we drove through Desert grasslands and into lovely aromatic pine forests. We stopped the car frequently and walked around. We saw ravens and hawks and my new favorite, a Cactus Wren.

>104 EBT1002: Sounds absolutely beautiful. And a more than welcome break from work. Glad you feel more centered again and now you will always have these beautiful memories.

^ (((Kim)))

Now we're watching the lunar eclipse. So cool.

I LOVE your vacation, Ellen! Thank you for letting us have a peek at it from time to time.
Enjoy!
(Off to see what the earth and moon are doing from our back yard!)

I started reading A Visit From the Goon Squad today. I've had it on my shelves for years, finally getting around to reading it.

Tomorrow on the plane I'll finish listening to Roxane Gay's Hunger.

Last night I sat up pretty late reading in These Truths.

>107 LizzieD: Thanks Peggy.

I hope you got a good view of the lunar eclipse. It's still happening and I've never seen anything like it! We have a perfect view from our balcony and we are far enough out of the city for a clear view. The moon usually looks like a disc to my eyes (although I know better, of course). As it fell fully into the shadow of the earth, it Looked spherical. At one point it looked to me like a shiny ping pong ball hanging in the sky.

I LOVE A Visit from the Goon Squad - can't wait to see what you think of it.

>100 EBT1002: I love cannoli Ellen.

>104 EBT1002: Another wonderful day.

Glad you've had such a wonderful vacation!

Oh gosh, you were in a perfect location for the lunar eclipse, Ellen. We had gray snow skies blocking it here. Your view of it sounds wonderful.

What a great vacation you've had! You got me curious with the Cactus Wren, so here's a photo.

Just catching up here

>37 EBT1002: The desert museum is quite nice. I went last year. So much to do in Tucson! Glad you had a relaxing trip :)

Today's online (free) BIRDS AND BLOOMS has a nice quick feature on Colorful Winter Gardens, all in the Southwest.

(Re: toxic boss > Does she have a boss you can consult with?
And, can you let her know that, for your own memory (or?),
you want to tape future meetings with her...?)

Buena Suerte!

Happy new thread, Ellen! Your vacation sounds like the perfect getaway. Enjoy your down time!

I'm quite enjoying A Visit From the Goon Squad.

Back to work tomorrow. Sigh. Focusing on all that is good.

I finished listening to Roxane Gay narrate her book, Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body. Wow. Four stars. A must-read. (Or listen)

Ellen--So jealous you go to see the moon! It was kinda obscured by clouds for me. : (

Loved Hunger and I just finished Part 1 of These Truths. Taking a little break from it until February and I think I'll post the Part 2 thread next weekend.

Hope Monday goes well for you. : )

Good luck with your re-entry to the workplace. Channel those vacation vibes for as long as you can!

>119 lauralkeet: What she said. Keeping you in my thoughts, Ellen.

>117 EBT1002: adding to the good vibes for work tomorrow Ellen.

And hoping a few photos of your hols might trickle in here now you are home, pretty please.

Another one glad you had a wonderful trip. Adding Tucson to the bucket list!

Hi Ellen! So thrilled that your Tucson trip was such a pleasure, and benisons upon you for spreading the LT word. The pine forests of Arizona are one of the astonishing facts of its existence...so many horrible deserty parts balanced by the Grand Canyon and the high forest.

I also thought Tales of the City didn't really hold up that well, but the truth is it was totally about the 1970s in SFO, so it did its job. The later books were very good, and the characters had satisfying arcs, so I completely let go of my grumbles. I sobbed my way through The Days of Anna Madrigal. I loved her so very much.

I'm recovering from several awful days of pain. Today's positively toasty at 30°!

Hope your first day back was okay, Ellen!

Hope your first day back was a great one, Ellen.

The meetup in Seattle is settled. We are meeting on Saturday, January 26, 2019 at the Tap House Grill at 6:45 p.m. I made reservations for 8. This beer joint says it has 160 kinds of beer. Guess we will see. The address for the place is, 1506 6th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101. Phone number is (206) 816-3314.

Be there or be square!

Stopping by to say hi, Ellen, and hoping that your week has started off okay.

>126 benitastrnad: I wish I could be there, Benita, but Seattle is now a long drive away.... *sad face*

While we were in Tucson, P reread Sense and Sensibility so she really wanted to watch the version we have on DVD with Emma Thompson as Elinor. So that is how we spent last evening. Tonight there is a big event on campus for which I am on point. The upshot is that I'm spending less time reading this week than I would like!

>110 BLBera: I admit that after the first chapter/story, I was a bit skeptical about A Visit from the Goon Squad, Beth, but it turns out that I am also loving it!

>111 Caroline_McElwee: I love cannoli, too, Caroline. The best I've ever had was from a very old bakery in the North End in Boston. We were there a few years ago and we made two trips in three days to that bakery for their cannoli.

>112 The_Hibernator: Thank you, Rachel. I'm trying to hold on tight to the benefits of such a wonderful few days away!

>113 jnwelch: Joe! I love that photo. The Cactus Wren is the largest of wrens but he has a lovely song (which I think of as one of the finest qualities of wrens everywhere).

>114 figsfromthistle: Hi figsfromthistle! The museum was delightful. The second visit was earlier in the morning and the animals were much more active. We saw the two bobcats playing with one another and I have a video of the Gray Fox chasing his tail! It was absolutely wonderful.

>115 m.belljackson: I'll check out the BIRDS AND BLOOMS online. It's new to me.

Excellent suggestions. Her boss is the ultimate boss (university president) so I won't go to him unless I'm truly at the end of my rope. Politics and all. It doesn't mean I won't get there, but...

>116 lkernagh: Thank you, Lori! It was a pretty special mini-vacation. :-)

>118 Berly: The moon was pretty awesome, Kim. I'm so glad we were in a place to see it. I didn't happen to be watching when the meteor hit it though.

I am not quite finished with Part I of These Truths but will get there by the end of January. I'm going to stick with the plan you laid out and read one Part per month. I will keep an eye out for the thread for Part II, though. I'm so glad you decided to host this reading group!

>119 lauralkeet: I'm channeling, channeling, channeling, Laura!

>120 Crazymamie: Thank you, Mamie.

>121 Caroline_McElwee: I'll work on the pics from the Tucson vacay this weekend, Caroline. I may need to bring my iPad to work and enlist the help of one of my colleagues -- on our lunch break, of course.

>122 charl08: I'm glad I could hit you with a vacation bullet as well as the occasional book bullet, Charlotte! :-D

>123 richardderus: I was so pleased to be spreading the LT word around the Sonoran Desert, Richard! The next day I wore my New York Public Library t-shirt but the LT one got much more attention.

I'm glad your pain is easing a bit with the "warm" weather. We got four inches of snow last night but today it's about 40F so it's melting quickly.

Once upon a time I read all the books in the Tales of the City series. I don't know whether I'll do the full reread but your comments tempt me. I do believe he did an excellent job of allowing the characters to grow and change. And yes to loving Anna Madrigal! I want her as my own land-owner (what is the gender neutral term for that???).

>124 katiekrug: and >125 BLBera: Thank you Katie and Beth. My first day was not bad at all and today (2nd day) is going well so far. We have a speaker on campus and I'm introducing him three times to different audiences and listening to his presentation. He is wonderful so that is good. And I'm actually taking a lunch break to catch up on my thread!

>126 benitastrnad: See above. I do hope you all have a wonderful time in my favorite city!

>127 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deb. So far this week is better. (whew)

I thought Emma Thompson did a great job on that Sense and Sensibility movie. P might be interested in a book ET did on it, Sense and Sensibility: Screenplay and Diaries. It added to my enjoyment of it, and is a charming look behind the scenes.

>130 EBT1002: I knew it! :)

Overall, I liked the movie; I just thought Emma Thompson was a bit old for the part, and that bothered me.

Agreeing with Joe >136 jnwelch:.

Hi, Ellen. It sounds like you had a great time in Arizona. I was lucky enough to see a cactus wren too, on my last trip there. Nice looking bird. I am into Part 3 of These Truths. It is hard for me to spread it out over many weeks. I am not designed that way. LOL.

Hooray for the Goon Squad! What an amazing book!

>134 EBT1002: I'm not sure I'd set myself such a goal...nine books!...but you do you. If you haven't read some of them, well, I'd say it's a worthwhile effort because the series is so interconnected.

Now I'm delving into David Helwig's ouevre a bit deeper with his short, very weird novel The King's Evil. It's about Charles I not being beheaded but dying in Canada. *snort*

>136 jnwelch: Ooh, thanks for that tip, Joe. I'll investigate (it might be a good birthday present). P is a huge Jane Austen fan; she has read most of the lady's books more than once. Her go-to for insomnia is Pride and Prejudice but she chose S&S instead this time. The other day she said she thinks it's a better novel, with more acerbic observations of human behavior, than P&P. And I agree about Emma Thompson in the movie. Her Golden Globe acceptance speech was wonderful, as well. (And, honestly, I think Emma Thompson is one of our finest actors.)

Hi Ellen, sounds like your Tucson trip was a success. I haven't been there in years but my hubby and I had a memorable time when we were there and we too loved the Sonoran Desert Museum. We are looking for a get-away place so maybe I will add Tucson to the list.

>141 EBT1002: Oh Ellen I am in agreement. I think Emma Thompson is amazing.

>141 EBT1002: that was a great speech Ellen, thanks for the link. Loved that she won against such a strong year of fine films, less surprising, that she was the only female nominee.

We love the S&S adaptation with Emma Thompson. It seems to pop up on cable fairly often, and we always get sucked into it.

One can debate the merits of Austen's novels until the cows come home. Have you or P read Persuasion? That's my personal fave.

>85 EBT1002: thanks for the BINGO instructions. I have had a bumper reading year so far, as usually happens in January, before all the commitments set in.

I am reading Wuthering Heights at present, a departure from my usual genre! But I have to say, I love the way she throws her words together. An example from p.49: "I vociferated curses enough to annihilate any fiend in christendom." I wonder if I could work that one into casual conversation!!!

Ellen, how are you doing administering fluids to your kitty? Our little Midnight is now on fluids (every other day) and B12 (weekly). Today I picked up the supplies from the vet and received a little tutorial on the protocol. I had to do this for our cat Pumpkin also, but it's been a couple years. Midnight has been on hyperthyroid meds for a few years, but there's an interdepency between the thyroid hormones and kidneys so now we need to treat that, too. Egads.

I have a head cold.

That is all.

>148 EBT1002: Nooooooo!

>147 lauralkeet: It's going really well, Laura, but the first week or two were challenging. I was nervous doing it and I know Abby picked up on that. She knew she just had to act like I was torturing her and I would pull the needle out. Now she knows it's going to hurt for a second (when the poke comes) but after that she just lies there and purrs while I pet her, talk soothingly to her, and let the fluid drain into her. The vet was here for almost three hours today and she gave me a tip she had not mentioned before: when you lift the scruff of loose fur and skin, instead of sticking the needle into the skin, she said to "lift" the skin onto the needle. This is difficult to describe -- she showed me with physical gestures. I haven't tried it yet but honestly, the process has been going well. We have gotten into a routine. P gives her 25mg gabapentin around 4pm and an hour or two later I do the fluids. I do the needle, soothe the cat, P staffs the line and the wheel, letting the fluid go when I say "we're in" and cutting it off when we reach the next mark on the bag.

I'm now going to be giving her a shot twice a week. Still subcutaneous and using an eensy needle (U 100) compared to the 18-guage that the fluids go through. We'll see how that goes.... The vet did it today and I watched. I love how sanguine the vet is about these things -- because the needle is so thin, it will be a piece o' cake. Right.

>147 lauralkeet: Oh, and one more note, Laura. One of the best things the vet said to us when we were first starting down this road was "sometimes, the cat gets wet." That really helped the time or two when, in fact, the cat got wet. It just took the pressure off. Getting wet does her no harm.

>137 BLBera: Yes, I ended up giving A Visit from the Goon Squad 4.5 stars, Beth. I really loved it although the last two chapters fell off a bit for me.

>138 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks for the echo, Caroline. I'm going to seek out that documentary book.

>139 msf59: Hi Mark. I believe you are listening to These Truths, yes? I think that would make it harder to "put down" and read in small chunks. Since I'm reading it on my kindle, I'm moving through it very slowly. I haven't yet finished part one!

I am glad I finally got around to reading Goon Squad. I think it was an early LT book bullet after I joined in 2011.

>140 richardderus: I may just try to pick up some of the later installments in the Maupin series, Richard. I know I read at least the first five or so.

Charles I dying in Canada. Now there's an alternative history. *grin*

>142 DeltaQueen50: I do encourage adding Tucson to your getaway possibility list, Judy! And I can recommend the Harvest Restaurant on River Road.

>143 mdoris: She's one of my faves, Mary.

>144 Caroline_McElwee: I'm glad you enjoyed it, Caroline. I love the bit when she has Jane Austen referring to her (Emma Thompson) as a "nefarious creature."

>145 lauralkeet: We own the DVD of S&S, Laura, along with the long but wonderful A&E version of Pride and Prejudice with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth.

I'm sure P has read Persuasion but I have not done so. I think Pride and Prejudice and Emma may be the only two I've read.

Note: I just checked with P and she says she has read every Jane Austen novel but it has been a very long time since she read Persuasion. She asked if that was the one about the sea captain and I looked at her blankly. Heh.

>152 EBT1002: I wasn't right about Canada as his place of death. It was Virginia. It wasn't anything like the read I was expecting, either! Good, but not what I thought it would be. My review's up.

>146 LovingLit: Hi Megan. I love that sentence from Wuthering Heights! I'm wondering if I've read that.... I skipped the Brontë sisters, Jane Austen, etc. when I was of the age that most women were reading them. I read Jane Eyre a couple of times now and perhaps I need to fill out my classics from that era. At the very least, I think I should read something by Emily (that would be Wuthering Heights) and Anne. Perhaps The Tenant of Wildfeld Hall.

>149 Berly: It's sad but true, Kim. Abby, at least, is happy about it as I spent a couple of hours in bed this afternoon finishing The Fire Next Time and napping.

>154 richardderus: Well. I can see how you might have confused Canada and Virginia, Richard. It's an easy mistake to make. xo

Hi Ellen, once again I'm trying to get caught up on your thread. Your vacation sounded absolutely wonderful. I hope it gave you the boost you needed to face your supervisor woes.

I have had very little luck transferring pictures from my iPad to my thread. Most of the time I delete them because they're upside down or sideways🤷‍♀️ And since I use my iPad almost all the time I don't post as many pictures as I'd like.

Sorry to hear that you are suffering with a cold, Ellen. But I am glad that you had a nice holiday. I don't envy you giving subcutaneous fluids to your cat. It's hard enough to our dog, Poppy to cooperate with taking a pill. She can sniff a pill out a mile away it seems, and can find them in any wrapped goodies. We finally purchased some crunchy peanut butter and that way she would take the pill and not realize that the pill was one of " crunchy " parts of the peanut butter. And the peanut butter seemed to get stuck in her mouth, so no chance for her to spit it out.

Get well soon, Ellen. Go Rafa! That is all.

Persuasion is the one about the sea captain.

>157 brenzi: Hey Bonnie. Thanks for catching up with me. I haven't yet asked someone to help with copying the photos from my member gallery to my thread. I'll get around to it eventually but for now I'm just waiting. I still use my MacBook Air for some of my LT activity. I do plan to eventually get a detachable keyboard for my iPad so we'll see if that opens up the photo world a bit.

>158 vancouverdeb: Hiya Deb. I love your solution of using crunchy peanut butter to fool Poppy into taking her pill! Honestly, the subcutaneous fluids administration has turned into just a part of our routine with - usually - very little stress. We'll see how I do with a "shot!" I find pilling cats to be very difficult. My former cat, Casey, held a pill in her mouth for five full minutes once, after which I was sure she had swallowed it. She spit it out and walked away with her nose in the air.

>159 BLBera: I'm not even paying attention to the men's final match, Beth. I am watching the replay of the women's match right now. It's a good one. I like both Osaka and Kvitova.

>161 EBT1002: I just finished watching the women's final. I won't say anything about who won in case you are still enjoying it. I am happy though!

>162 Berly: Thanks Kim. I knew in advance who had won. Also, P watched it this afternoon while I napped with Miss Abby so this was our second time through (I could hear bits of it, including P's reactions, from the other room).

I finished A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan on Thursday. I gave it 4.5 stars. I loved it but the last two chapters/stories dropped off a bit for me, especially the last one. I loved the way she interwove the stories of the various characters, some of which were closely interconnected and some of which were pretty tangential. Although the rock music production scene was hard for me to relate to, these stories were (of course) not really about that. These are tales of love, loss, ambition, greed, desperation, longing, redemption..... It was a remarkable collection.

Today I finished my reread of The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin, also 4.5 stars (I gave it that rating when I read it in 2014 and I saw no reason to change it). The letter to his nephew is short, poignant, and powerful. The longer essay is a compelling and personal examination of Baldwin's feelings about the Black Muslim movement of the mid-20th century, racial "progress" in the US a century after official emancipation, and the possible futures our country faced (and, I would argue, still faces). I can't even begin to do this essay justice. What struck me most is how relevant it still feels over 50 years after its publication. Yes, of course, we have come so far. But, honestly, how little progress we have truly made.

I can't decide what to read next. Perhaps I'll dig back into These Truths since I'd like to finish Part One by the end of January.

By the way, I'm traveling to Columbus, Ohio, next Wednesday, returning on Friday - for work. Yay for airplane reading time! But it's supposed to be in single digits and below zero F in Columbus while we are there. Yikes! I haven't faced temps like that since I moved away from Wisconsin in 1995.

>153 EBT1002: yes Ellen, Persuasion is the one about the sea captain. It was Austen's, final novel published posthumously. I think it is her most mature novel. Part of it is set in Lyme Regis, where I holiday every May, and it is still recognisable in the book.

Hope the cold passes soon.

Rereading Baldwin is never a disappointment IMO. He is such a fine writer.

>150 EBT1002:, >151 EBT1002: Ellen, thanks for the comments and tips on administering fluids to a kitty. I love the vet's comment that sometimes the cat gets wet, that made me laugh. The tech who showed me the ropes the other day noted that I might see fluid on Midnight's fur afterwards, but if the fluids were streaming out while the needle was in, then the needle wasn't inserted correctly. Our vet also uses the term "burrito" as a verb, i.e.; "you might want to burrito her in a towel first."

I had my first session with Midnight yesterday. She was pretty compliant and seemed to like being a burrito. I didn't have too much trouble inserting the needle (but I've done this before with another cat); however, in the end I didn't get as much fluid into her as I thought. I need to work on how I manage the bag.

I also need to give her a shot with an eensy needle. Ours is vitamin B12, once a week. They recommended I do it right after the fluids, inserting the needle into the little sac created by the fluids.

This is probably TMI for most folks on this thread, sorry everyone!

Happy Sunday, Ellen. Hooray for the Goon Squad. I NEED to get to The Fire Next Time. It has been on my list for awhile. I am really enjoying Winter, (the book, of course). I think she is one of the smartest writers out there.

Have a safe trip to OH this week.

>158 vancouverdeb: When we had to administer a pill to our dog, way back when, we found the best thing to do was to insert the pill deep in a piece of frankfurter, which our dog tended to swallow more or less whole.

Ellen, I hope that head cold is letting up. It's a misery any time, but I find especially in the winter. Your holiday sounded very relaxing.

>157 brenzi: I don't have an I-pad but I transfer pictures from my I-phone. Often they are sideways or upside down when I put them in my member gallery or junk drawer. When that happens I crop them a bit with the editing software on my computer and put the cropped photos back on LT and they are the right way up.

Your trip sounded like just the get away you needed, Ellen. I hope you are feeling better.

>166 Caroline_McElwee: I'm thinking about adding Persuasion to my reading list for this year, Caroline. I have not been as ardent a fan of Jane Austen as some but I'm intrigued by what I'm learning about that novel.

The good news about being sick is that I've had lots of time in bed with Abby and a book. It's where I spent my entire Sunday. I'm home from work today. Other than an appointment with a financial adviser this afternoon, which I suppose we'll keep, I have no plans other than LT, rest, and reading.

>167 lauralkeet: Our vet uses the word "burrito" as a verb, too! Abby has a little bed that is heated 24/7 so I find her there, get down on the floor next to her, and administer the fluids there. I'm glad the comment "sometimes the cat gets wet" cracked you up. I had the same reaction and it has been freeing. Last night, poor bean, I think I inserted the needle awkwardly and it hurt more than usual. And yes, sometimes the fluid seems to leak back out a bit; as long as the "lump" develops, I figure it's okay.

My vet didn't say anything about inserting the actual shot into the lump.... Tomorrow will be my first attempt at the shot and I admit that I'm quite nervous about it. Do you jab quickly? I'm nervous about the needle bending or breaking.

>150 EBT1002: >151 EBT1002: >167 lauralkeet: I recently saw a vet show on TV where they referred to the 'cat burrito' as a 'purrito'. :)

I'm back from seeing The Lion King in Spokane and you were absolutely correct - the costumes and puppets were breathtaking. I've been enjoying various videos on their creation since I've returned from my trip.

I'm sorry you are sick; hope you feel better soon! There are some truly nasty bugs, including influenza, making the rounds.

Have you read any of the Bitch in a Bonnet commentaries on Jane Austen? I thought they were very funny and snarky and unlike many such books, they didn't ruin my appreciation of Austen at all.

>168 msf59: Hi Mark. I do recommend The Fire Next Time. It's a relatively quick read and so very worthwhile and so very relevant to our current situation (sad, that). I am planning to reread Winter, as well as Autumn, after the entire series (what is a series of four called? Quad-something...) is completed. I agree that she is one of our smartest current writers. I love her use of language.

>169 ffortsa: Hi Judy. This has been a miserable cold. I went through an entire box of Puffs Plus yesterday! I can tell I'm over the hump but still pretty crummy feeling. Home today, propped up in bed with my laptop, a new box of Puffs, and a book.

>170 Familyhistorian: I usually transfer photos from my iPhone to my MacBook and put them on LT from there, Meg. I have figured out mostly how to do it, but from the iPad direct I just couldn't make it work.

I'm sorry you're still sick, Ellen :(

Persuasion is my favorite Austen, and the film with Ciaran Hinds and Amanda Root is excellent, too!

>173 streamsong: purrito..... awww.

Janet, I'm so glad you got to see The Lion King!!! I loved the giraffes, and the swaying grass savannah -- that it was people who created that motion, who were costumed as the savannah. Beautiful.

I'll check out the Bitch in a Bonnet commentaries. I've not really been much of a reader of Austen although I love various films that have been made from her novels.

>175 katiekrug: Thanks Katie. I'm trying to frame the being sick as an opportunity to spend a Monday in bed with LT and a book. Heh.

Okay, I'm definitely adding Persuasion to my 2019 reading plans. I'll check out the film, too. Thanks for that tip!

While I've been sick I've been reading The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens. It won the Man-Booker Prize in 1970. I knew nothing about it but I have been quite enjoying it. And the cover seems apropos to be reading while sick in bed:

Very far behind and trying to catch up!

Glad that your trip was such a good one! Count me in as a fan of both Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, although I hated Wuthering Heights, which I read pre-LT and refuse to return to ever.

I really need to get to Goon Squad one of these centuries. I have owned it several years now.

Sorry to hear about the cold. I hope it goes away soon.

So sorry about your bad cold, Ellen. But--what heating bed do you have for Abby? I've been thinking of getting one for Zoe. At 16, she about lives on the furnace grate!

>178 EBT1002: I'm glad to see you're enjoying The Elected Member. I would never have heard of it, had I not been on a "read all Booker winners" quest. I was surprised to like it as much as I did; I think the cartoonish cover made me wary of what I'd find inside.

Hiya, Ellen.

Sorry you have this lousy cold, but I like the silver lining of lots of time in bed with Abby and a book. Those cat ministrations sound like tough duty, but kudos to you for taking it in stride.

I'm glad you've decided to read Persuasion; it's my second favorite JA after P & P. And I second Janet's love for Bitch in a Bonnet; the funny snark is surprisingly sophisticated and knowledgeable.

9. The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens


Winner of the 1970 Man Booker Prize for Literature, this is a novel of trauma, drug addiction, and the impact of both on a family. Norton Zweck is 41 years old, a failed barrister living with his parents and younger sister in the East End of London. He is addicted to white pills -- amphetamines -- and hallucinating to the point where he is hospitalized against his will. The novel unwraps his past, as well as that of his father, his sister, and the rest of the family, exploring the destruction wrought by trauma and secrets.

>174 EBT1002: I don't have an I-pad so I'm afraid I can't be of any help there, Ellen. The only I-gear I have is the phone, for travel I use a net book. Enjoy your sick day!

>179 alcottacre: I had Goon Squad on my shelves for about nine years before I got around to reading it, Stacia. I definitely recommend it!!

>180 ronincats: Hi Roni. You know, I don't know the brand of the heated bed we have for Abby. We used to put a heating pad under her little bed but it would automatically turn off after an hour. That was probably for the best because I think heating pads get warmer than this little thing. Our former neighbor back in Seattle gave this to us as her cat wasn't the least bit interested (I doubt that cat's feline credibility). It's a little round bed with a heating pad-like insert, about 5" square, that slips into a sort of envelope in the bottom of the bed. We put an extra piece of fleece on the bed so that is also in between her and the heating source. It doesn't get super warm but when she lies on it, of course, it really warms to her body. When I pick her up out of it, she is usually just so limp and warm and cuddly.

Sorry to hear that you’re not well Ellen. Get better soon.

>181 lauralkeet: I have had a similar reaction to The Elected Member, Laura. I was skeptical. I would have sought it out eventually for my Read-All-Booker-Winners personal challenge but I wasn't in any hurry. Thanks to you for sending it my way!

>182 jnwelch: Hi Joe. Yes, this cold has got me feeling pretty crummy. Sometimes when work is hectic I almost wish I would come down with a cold so I could stay in bed all day. Then it happens and I remember how awful it feels to be sick! Ha.

I told Prudence about our Persuasion conversation here and we're going to check the local library for the DVD of the film with Ciaran Hinds and Amanda Root. The local public library has a respectable film collection. Of course, this opens the debate about watching the film before or only after reading the novel.

>184 Familyhistorian: Thanks Meg!

Up next:



Hotel Brasil by Frei Betto

In my next life, I want to be an elf owl. Just saying.

>185 EBT1002: So does it plug in, the insert?

>183 EBT1002: This sounds good. I've only read one by Rubens, but I really liked it.

Always read the book first, but the film is a pretty good version.

Ellen--I just talked to my sister in MN and it is FREEZING there! 25 below with out windchill. She said tomorrow was supposed to -31F tomorrow. All the schools are cancelled. Stay warm in OH!! I hope you are feeling better soon.

Hi Ellen!

Catch up time for me - sorry you've been sick. Interesting about the heated kitty bed - we have LLBean fleece beds - one for each kitty - and one is in front of the propane heater in the living room and the other is in front of the propane heater in my home office. If either heater is on, you can almost guarantee that there's a kitty in the bed.

Is this intravenous fluids thing for Abby temporary or permanent? I seem to have lost the thread of it in your threads...

I love the Jennifer Ehle/Colin Firth P&P and the Emma Thompson/et. al. S&S. The only book I haven't read is Emma. I started it and didn't finish it for some reason eons ago.

Brrr to Ohio right now. Stay safe and warm.

Greetings Ellen! Your trip to Arizona sounds fabulous! I'd move to the Southwest in a heartbeat if I didn't have so many ties to Cleveland.

I've wanted to read The Goon Squad for quite sometime. I just ought to buy it and let it remind my face everyday that I've got to read it.

Hope you feel better soon!!!

I'm crawling around the threads to say I'm not dead but woefully unread, both books and threads. Happy polar vortex.

>189 Chatterbox: Suzanne. It is the perfect reincarnation plan.



I was so pleased to spot the Elf Owl at the Sonoran Desert Museum -- s/he was sleeping on a branch, quiet and tiny as could be, blending in to the environment of her/his very lovely area.... and just as we were starting to walk away, I spotted her! It made me so happy.

>190 ronincats: Yes. It stays plugged in 24/7 but, as I said, it's not as warm as a typical heating pad. I'll take a picture of her lying in it when I get back home and -- I promise -- I'll actually post the photo!

>191 BLBera: Hi Beth. Yeah, I'm usually a pretty strict read-the-book-first kind of woman, so I'll probably try to stick to that.

>192 Berly: Hi Kim. Yep, it's cold here. We landed this afternoon; it was MINUS TWO. My colleague Dan and I got a Lyft to our hotel and then, hungry and intrepid souls that we are, we trekked about 250 yards to a nearby pub for salads and beers. Walking back, especially, facing into the wind, my eyes were watering and My. Face. Hurt. It's kind of too bad because I really don't want to go exploring at all. I'm tucked up in my hotel room (which is perfectly lovely) with a west-facing window, watching a very nice sunset and staying warm.

The coldest weather I've ever experienced was when I lived in Oshkosh in the early 1990s. It was -40F with a -80F windchill. They shut down the college at which I was working. :-|

>193 karenmarie: Hi Karen! Yes, the kitties are heat-seeking creatures. I have a friend who lost her 22-year-old cat recently. They heated their house almost solely with a wood stove in the living room and that very aged cat would crawl under that stove and rest there. How he didn't spontaneously combust is beyond me.

Abby has three places she likes to be: in bed with one of us (if one of us is there), on the couch next to one of us, or in her little heated kitty bed. She has always been a lap-cat but in her old age she has become even more desirous of close contact. It's rather sweet.

The subcutaneous fluids is for the rest of her life, however long that shall be. Her kidneys are gradually failing and the fluids both hydrate her and flush out her kidneys to reduce toxins and acidity in her system. She also has arthritis so she is taking gabapentin and I can't remember what I'm supposed to start giving her via a shot - an anti-inflammatory, I think. We won't do "heroic" measures for this cat but as long as she's happy and comfortable and interacting with us the way she does, I'm willing to do whatever to help sustain that.

I'm going to put Persuasion on my reading list for this spring. Then I can watch the movie. I admit that I have watched the Emma Thompson S&S many times (we own it!) but have never read the novel.

>194 Carmenere: Hi Lynda. I do recommend A Visit from the Goon Squad. It was nothing like I expected but ended up being a very worthwhile read.

>195 richardderus: Hi Richard, dear. I'm glad to see that you are still kicking. I'm finding the polar vortex to be a bit of an impediment to my exploration of Columbus (aka "CBus"). As in, no exploration at all so far. But the sunset is lovely from my room!

>188 EBT1002: Not at all familiar with Hotel Brasil. I will be watching for your thoughts.

>196 EBT1002: Hooray for the Elf Owl! What a cutie.

Hi, Ellen. Hope you are feeling better. It has been bone-crushing COLD here and mail delivery has been suspended, possibly until Friday. First time in my 32 years at the P.O. Rough stuff.

>200 msf59: Hi Mark! I am liking Hotel Brasil. It's translated from the Portuguese and the noir pace and rhythm are different than I am used to but the characters are interesting and I've no clue who the murderer is.

You would love the Elf Owl, Mark. It's the smallest owl species on earth and just so darn cute while still exuding the dignity of all owls.

I am indeed feeling better, probably at about 80% now. On the flight today I found myself wanting to tell people around me that I'm at the tail end of the cold so I'm sure I'm not contagious.... On the second leg of the flight, from Denver to Columbus, the plane was only about two thirds full (if that) and I had a whole row to myself! I spread out and enjoyed it!

I can't imagine delivering mail in this cold, my friend. Here in Columbus, my colleague and I walked about 250 yards and my eyes were watering and my face hurt from the cold. We were walking into the wind but still. I'm actually glad they have you staying indoors. And I know you know how to use that time. :-)

I just looked back at my review of A Visit From the Goon Squad and see that I included this quote:

"Rebecca was an academic star. Her new book was on the phenomenon of word casings, a term she’d invented for words that no longer had meaning outside quotation marks. English was full of these empty words---“friend” and “real” and “story” and “change”---words that had been shucked of their meanings and reduced to husks. Some, like “identity,” “search,” and “cloud,” had clearly been drained of life by their Web usage. With others, the reasons were more complex; how had “American” become an ironic term? How had “democracy” come to be used in an arch, mocking way?” (Page262)

The book was published in 2010 which was when I read it. Did Egan predict Trump? Look at those last two lines Ellen. I think she did.

>202 brenzi: I remember noticing that very quote, Bonnie, and feeling like she had been prescient.

I keep saying "oh, I want to read that this month" or "this spring."
So I'm going to make some notes about February. These are just notes.

Last Friends by Jane Gardam - group read with karenmarie et al.
These Truths Part II - group read with Kim et al.
The Penderwicks - for SeriesCAT (YA/Children's)
The Power of the Dog by Don Winslow - I brought it with me on this trip so I'll probably start it
Becoming by Michelle Obama - I own it. I love her. I want to read it.
Dog Songs by Mary Oliver - because

Other things floating around:
Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson - on hold at library, likely to come up
If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin - on hold at library, likely to come up

I'm sure there will be other things that pop up.

Is there anything better than sitting up in a hotel room reading with a glass of red wine?

10. Hotel Brasil by Frei Betto




This novel is a romance disguised as a murder mystery, all encased in a vivid, amusing, and compassionate drama of the streets of Rio de Janeiro. Subtitled "The mystery of the severed heads," the story begins with a decapitated resident in a fleabag hotel. The delegado inspector Del Bosco interviews the residents of the hotel and the characters inhabiting that hotel are the real substance of the novel. Cândido, a journalist who spends his free time working with the homeless children of the streets, is a central character whom we get to know not only through his work and his participation in the investigation, but through his charming internal dialogue. It took me a while to settle into the rhythm of the translation, but this is a gritty, humane, and intriguing tale. Once settled in, I was captivated.

Ten books completed in January. I feel good about that.

>205 EBT1002: Probably not.

>207 EBT1002: Ten books! Go Ellen. I've also managed to complete more than I expected. I might finish one more. Off to read and then bed.

>206 EBT1002: Sold! I like the sound of that.

You glass of wine and a book sounds marvellous. Hope you are staying warm on your trip if/when you do have to venture outdoors.

>185 EBT1002: I am glad to know that I am not the only one with books languishing on my shelves for years before I get them read!

>196 EBT1002: Aren't owls just lovely?

Happy Thursday, Ellen!

>208 BLBera: Sadly, the evening with book and wine was followed by several hours of sleeplessness. Ugh. Time change plus usual Ellen-insomnia. Oh well.

None of the ten books I've completed in January was super long -- no "chunksters" yet -- but I'm still pleased.

>209 charl08: Hi Charlotte. I know Hotel Brasil is not well-known but I hope it gets some attention.

So far I've mostly been indoors. Of course, for the meeting today we're at the Ohio State union building in a room with no windows. I may try to check in now and then, depending on how the discussion and presentations are going.

>210 alcottacre: I think you have lots of company in that category, Stacia. Given how quickly some of us acquire books, some of them simply have to languish for a while. Law of averages and all that. Still, I love looking at the shelves and seeing books that I've been wanting to read for a long time, just sitting there waiting for me.

I'm a fan of owls!

I started reading Don Winslow's The Power of the Dog last night.
I haven't yet decided how enthusiastic I am about it. It's long, the print is small.
Has anyone read it?

‘Morning, Ellen!

>198 EBT1002: It’s strange you mention the 22-year old kitty crawling under the stove – Inara crawls under the propane stove in the living room, comes out when she gets too warm, then crawls back under. Self-regulating. *smile* We also wonder how she doesn’t spontaneously combust.

Abby sounds so very sweet. The vet has both of our kitties on an anti-inflammatory called meloxicam. Each gets .1 ml every 3rd of 4th day. It really helps them both a lot. I’d run out before Inara’s most recent vet visit and could see them both stiffening up. Now they jump up on things again and go down stairs again without locking their hips.

I understand not doing “heroic” measures.

>204 EBT1002: Becoming by Michelle Obama - I own it. I love her. I want to read it. Exactly!!

>205 EBT1002: That’s one of the reasons I loved traveling on business. Just me and the hotel room and a book. Sometimes wine, too.

Congrats on ten books for January.

I'll look for Hotel Brasil

Sorry about the insomnia. I've been going to bed too late, but I have been sleeping, so there's that.

I am unfamiliar with The Power of the Dog. I did get a message from the library that Where the Crawdads Sing is waiting for me.

Hi, Ellen. Hotel Brasil looks good. I added it to the WL.

>206 EBT1002: *owowow*

*trudges off to beg library for just ONE more book*

Ellen, you should be proud of reading ten books in January with your high-pressure career and a much-needed trip to Tucson. Like you, I am lagging behind the group reading These Truths. I am trying to read it slowly and for at least 30 minutes at a time so it can sink in. My knowledge of history consists mainly of facts so the in-depth information is fascinating to me.

I'm so glad I didn't have to give our dog shots in his last months, although I would have done anything to prolong his life. I miss having a pet, although I don't miss the dog hair and bodily functions that malfunctioned!

I hope February is a good month for you and P.

I'm 3/4 of the way through the audio of Becoming and am absolutely loving it. She is such an admirable woman, so passionate and so strong. It's a definite mood lifter to listen to her and feel some hope in the midst of this horror show.
I'm sure you're going to love it too. Hope the conference is worthwhile and your recovery stays on track. I've never read Don Winslow - hope it's a good read for you.

I also finished listening to Becoming yesterday. Also really loved it. I bought the book because I wanted to own it and there are pages of photos, but I borrowed the audio from the library because there is just something extra special about it in her own voice. She is a remarkable woman and role model. Not to mention, a symbol of hope.

>214 karenmarie: We're in agreement on several things, Karen. Including (and possibly especially) how sweet Abby is. 😸
The vet is talking about meloxicam (it's what P was on before her hip replacement!). I should know the name of the medicine we're supposed to start giving her via shot, but I can't recall it at present. Sometimes we laugh because all three of us are on various medications: Abby is on fluids and gabapentin and whatever the anti-inflammatory is, I'm on atorvastatin and 81mg aspirin, and P is on blood pressure med and tummy med (I don't remember the name of either of them). Aging is so fun!

>215 BLBera: Where the Crawdads Sing is waiting for you! Yay! Enjoy, Beth.

>216 jnwelch: I hope you can pick up a copy, Joe.

>217 richardderus: Sorry (not), Richard.

>218 Donna828: Hi Donna. "...for at least 30 minutes at a time so it can sink in." Yes, I think that is a good approach. I am quite enjoying These Truths and I think I do better when I can read it in larger chunks.

I am happy to be doing the subcutaneous fluids with Abby. I got a call from the vet yesterday and, while kidney disease is progressive and non-reversible, her numbers are MUCH better than they were in June or September! We've been doing the fluids since about September or October so I'm really pleased. I can tell she is feeling better, she looks better, her coat is healthier, she is less constantly thirsty -- and the labs bear out that this is all spot on! It really has just become part of our routine and both Abby and I are fine with it. We'll see how the more shot-like shot goes, of course....

Thanks for the kind February wishes!

>219 vivians: Thanks for the nudge, Vivian. I bought the hardcover book but part of me wishes I had purchased it in audio. Hopefully I will be able to "hear" Michelle's voice in my head.

I'm going to persist with The Power of the Dog but I admit that I'm ambivalent about dedicating the number of hours I know it's going to consume.

>220 jessibud2: Well, what good perspective, Shelley. I don't have to be either-or in my thinking about this. In fact, I have five credits with Audible and while it seems kind of wasteful to purchase the book twice, I'm tempted to just do it.

Today's meeting/conference was worthwhile. In the middle of the afternoon there was a fire alarm. We were in the Ohio State University union -- it took quite a while to fully evacuate that building! I think that was made more challenging by everyone's insistence on going back to the coat rack to get coats on before heading outdoors. It was 10F at that point. Not as frigid as yesterday but hardly shirtsleeves weather.

Tonight I'm going out for dinner with a few colleagues. I imagine one of them, in particular, and I will languish into the later evening at the bar. He is a dear friend and colleague from UW and I want to talk with him about my current job situation. He will be a kind and caring ear.

Tomorrow, weather depending, Amber and I are planning a meet up! They are predicting snow so we'll see how it goes. We're planning breakfast and maybe a visit to Half Price Books. Then it's fly-back-to-Pullman time which just means more reading! :-)

Hi Ellen, I have The Power of the Dog on my Kindle but haven't got to it yet, so I guess you are my guinea pig for that. My husband read The Force by Don Winslow last last year and really enjoyed it, so there is that, bearing in mind that he loves police proceeurals.

>225 DeltaQueen50: Judy, thank you for posting. I have been looking for your thread and not finding it. I'm thinking you're in Club Read or the Challenge Group, or.....?

My sister also read The Force and loved it, which is what prompted me to buy The Power of the Dog (I like to go in order, although they are not a series, per se). My reading start last night was good, it felt engaging, but I'm just feeling cantankerous about how long it is. And how small the print is! The kindle would be good for addressing that issue, at least.

>226 EBT1002: Ellen, I am at the 2019 Category Challenge, and here's the link to my thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/298887

>223 EBT1002: - Well, Ellen, to be honest, I had not planned on buying the hard copy of the book. For one thing, I am trying not to buy more, but rather, read off my shelves (except for library loans). And this is one that I knew I wanted to listen to on audio. Plus, I definitely do NOT want to be bringing more hardcovers into the house. But when I saw the book at Costco for half the cover price (and, after skimming, noticed the pages of photos that you don't get on the audio!), that clinched the deal for me.

So much for resolve....And we are still in January.....

>227 DeltaQueen50: Check.

>228 jessibud2: "So much for resolve...." LOL, Shelley. We are all of the same ilk when it comes to that.
But, for me, this is one of those instances when I'm tempted to purchase (or double purchase, as the case may be) partly to support the author. I think her book has gone pretty viral so she hardly needs little EBT to support her, but still. Also, I'm chuckling -- I have had the hardcover book on my bedside table for about a month now and I haven't even flipped through the pages to see the photos. When I get home (tomorrow night or early Saturday) I will do that.

Whew. This was a good night. I dined with two colleagues at The Pearl in the High North neighborhood of Columbus. The hors d'oeuvre were excellent, the main course good. The Manhattan and Pinot Noir were both quite good. Afterwards, one colleague and I shared one more drink at the bar here in the Blackwood Hotel. Now I'm tucked up in bed. I get to sleep in a bit. Yay!

I'm going to call P and then read until I can't keep my eyes open. I'm thinking it may not be long since I only got about two hours of sleep last night.

Happy Friday (soon) everyone!

It's supposed to warm into the 20s here in Columbus on Friday but not until we have 2-4" of snow starting late tonight and ending midmorning to mid-day. It's a good thing my flight out isn't until 5:55pm.

My dear friend/colleague from Seattle/UW is so anxious for me to read The Great Believers so we can talk about it. If I make it to a bookstore tomorrow, I'm going to see if I can get a copy. Hardback be damned.

Glad you had a productive trip, some good social time and a tete-a-tete with an old friend, not to mention some reading time, Ellen.

The Great Believers is near the top of one of the piles for me too.

Enjoy your meet-up and book shopping.

>233 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks Caroline. I love being at home, of course, but I also enjoy the occasional solo getaway for work.

It snowed overnight -- about 3" where I am and more like 5"+ out where Amber lives so the meet-up is not going to happen. The weather has just been a centerpiece to this trip! My flight isn't until this evening so I have the day to do whatever. Right now I'm still tucked up in bed in my hotel room, reading The Penderwicks and drinking coffee. Not a bad way to start the day. :-)

After shower, etc., I plan to walk to a nearby Target (Dear Target: Please come to Pullman) and then I plan to teach myself how to use my Uber app. I think I will see if I can get to the bookstore Amber mentioned to me, called The Book Loft. Then back here where the colleague with whom I'm traveling and I will meet and then catch a ride to the airport together. He is also a Mac user and quite knowledgeable about technology generally, so I plan to ask him a couple of how-to questions about my MacBook. I don't have my iPad with me but I think he is my resource for figuring out the photo-posting issue I was having when I was in Tucson.

Next week I go to work Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday I'm off again, this time to New Orleans. Then I fly to Seattle next Saturday where I'll meet up with P. We'll see family, etc., and drive back to Pullman on Monday. I'm just jet-setting all around the country this month!

After that, my next trip is to Los Angeles for the same conference that took me to Philly last March.

In books, I read some more in The Power of the Dog last night and I just don't care. I may leave it here (perhaps someone will find it in the room and it will be just what they wanted!). I have my kindle so I'll read The Penderwicks for my SeriesCAT challenge and I'll read in Part II of These Truths. Of course, if I get to the bookstore today I'll have another book (at least) to read if I want to, as well. :-)

Happy Friday everyone!

LA in March! Loverly. Lots of flitting about for you, and time away from the home-office tempests. Pity that P can't travel with you more...though in her shoes I'd be by the fire, sipping something old, reading something new, and keeping up a steady stream of "...really? she's shocking...oh no!...not your luggage..." while wriggling my toes in my own carpet.

Happy Targeting! (Caution: I think it may be a bit of a trek from where you are, and I'm not sure how swiftly they'll get to those sidewalks off campus. Just something to think about.) Oh, I do hope you get to The Book Loft - you'll absolutely love it. There's a coffee shop just next door that's pretty nice, too, if I recall.

Hi Ellen. Sorry to see that you've been sick. Looks like you had a great reading month though with 10 books finished.

Hi Ellen!

>232 EBT1002: I saw @brenzi’s heartbreaking review of this book, added it to my wishlist, then discovered that my library had a copy. I put myself on the reserve list, not expecting it right away, and it showed up, of course when I’m going to be starting Last Friends and am reading The Essex Serpent for my RL book club. Sigh. I haven’t started it yet, but want to spend time with all the books I’m reading today.

>234 EBT1002: My, my. Lots of travel. Therefore, lots of reading time. *smile*

Here’s the Group Read thread for Last Friends by Jane Gardam.

Group Read: Last Friends by Jane Gardam.

Happy Friday, Ellen!

Sorry the weather screwed up the meetup with Amber. Good luck book-hunting today, and safe travels home.

A solo day off sounds lovely, although I'm sure you'll be ready to get home. Hope the bookstore adventure worked out. Like Bonnie, I loved The Great Believers and hope you get to it.

It's still brutal in NY this am but improving quickly. Enjoy the weekend!

Safe travels - it does sound like you'll be jetting around some in the next little while. I hope you got some good advice from your friend about your job situation.

>231 EBT1002: Good luck with that. It's up to 23F here! ETA: That is, that will be the high. It's currently 6F.

NOLA should be warmer than Columbus was for you! Enjoy the beignets!

Please say hello to the Big Easy for me! Will you get to the French Quarter?

You jet setter you! Safe travels and happy reading! Hoping to start These Truths Part Two tomorrow...!

Hugs

I've got the Where the Crawdad's Sing home from the library, but I'm afraid it will have to return unread as I am still meandering through Once Upon a River. I'm really enjoying it, but clearly I'm taking my time.

You are a busy woman, and I'm glad that you're feeling better! I'm also greatly impressed with your January reading stats.
You got me with Hotel Brasil, and I thank you.
Cheers to you and P and Abby! At this point our Elle is getting pain killer for her mouth cancer and lapping down well-watered canned food. She's purring and playful and doing much better than I would have hoped for last month. Here's to quality aging for all of us, whatever it may take!
Be safe on your travels and enjoy!

I read The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy on the plane last night. The I listened to music. I have to say that I don't generally like giving over my precious reading time to children's books but I read this one for the SeriesCAT challenge and I was pleasantly surprised. 3.5 stars!

Today I started Last Friends by Jane Gardam. I read Old Filth and The Man in the Wooden Hat perhaps 5 or 6 years ago and I recall liking them both. Reading this one, I'm struck again by what a wonderful writer Jane Gardam is. I may have to do some rereading and/or read something outside this odd and delightful trilogy.

>235 richardderus: P is rather picky about which trips she accompanies me for, Richard. Tucson in January was a no-brainer (and how lucky that it turned into pure pleasure rather than work for me and pleasure for her!). Columbus in January - easy pass. NOLA in February - she is going to meet me in Seattle, instead, since it will present an opportunity for her to see her brother from Palau who will be visiting. I will get a day with him; she will get several. I'm not sure why she is not going to LA with me except that, honestly, when I am so busy, she gets a bit bored and, as you say, wants to be at home warming her toesies by the fire. :-)

>236 scaifea: Amber, I walked and walked and walked around Columbus and has an absolutely wonderful time! The sidewalks weren't bad -- only a couple of slippery spots -- and the snow was so darn beautiful. I walked about four miles, ended up in Old Columbus North, went off the main drag and found a snowy wooded ravine. I stood there -- it was SILENT except for the cardinals, downy woodpeckers, nuthatches, and other birds. I LOVED it!! I stood there for about 20 minutes just soaking it all in. Ended up back at Panera for lunch, then met my colleague Dan at the OSU bookstore. I didn't buy The Great Believers, after all, but did purchase a hard cover copy of The Travelling Cat Chronicles. I'm so sorry we couldn't meet up and I'm sorry not to have found The Book Loft (the Uber ride was going to be $23 so I opted for the walking instead), but I had a delightful day.

>237 ChelleBearss: Thanks Chelle. January was a pretty good reading month for me.

>238 karenmarie: Hi Karen. I'm in line at the library for an e-copy of The Great Believers, also persuaded by Bonnie's review as well as other praise. I almost bought a copy in Columbus but opted for a smaller, lighter copy of The Travelling Cat Chronicles instead. And some colorful pens. :-)

I'll go star the group read thread for Last Friends. Thank you for creating that. I started it this morning and I'm remembering what a terrific writer she is.

>239 jnwelch: Thanks Joe. You'll see from my comment just up there ^ that, while I was very disappointed to miss a meet up with Amber, I made the most of it and enjoyed walking around Columbus in the 5" of fresh beautiful snow. It was cold but, you know, upper teens, so that is tolerable (compared to 4 below!).

>240 vivians: I did enjoy my solo day, Vivian -- those happen so rarely that I tend to relish them and the 5" of fresh snow was truly lovely. I'm sorry it's still so cold in NY. I came home to wet but warm weather. I went for a run today for the first time in a couple of weeks. It was 44F and cloudy. No complaints from me!

>241 BLBera: Not so much advice as empathy and love, Beth, but it was good to share a Manhattan with him.

>242 The_Hibernator: As you can see from my comments above, Rachel, I ended up having a wonderful and memorable Friday, walking all over Columbus (well, the area near campus) all by myself with 5" of fresh snow on the ground. It was about 20F so walking was not bad. I found a wonderful wooded ravine and it was 20 minutes of pure heaven. I love that kind of solo adventure. I hope you are experiencing warmer temps this weekend and into the week!

>243 thornton37814: "Enjoy the beignets!" Oh, I shall, Lori, I shall. I am sure that NOLA will be warmer than Columbus and I'm looking forward to more solo adventures. I will also get to have dinner on Friday night with a beloved nephew and his wife.

>244 laytonwoman3rd: I'll be staying in the French Quarter, Linda. I think it's a pretty swanky hotel that the American Council on Education selected for this 2-day meeting on "the college mental health crisis." I am looking forward to the discussion and the digs!

>245 Berly: Hey Kimmers. I planned to start Part II of These Truths on the plane but ended up listening to Shawn Colvin, Hilary Hahn, Everything But the Girl.....

>246 vancouverdeb: Well, Deb, all I can say is -- put Where the Crawdads Sing back on hold once you return it! Hopefully, next time your name comes up you won't be so engrossed in another book (which I totally understand!).

>247 LizzieD: Hi Peggy. I do feel a bit busy these days. This is more travel than usual but you know I love the time on the plane. It's total "me" time.

"Here's to quality aging for all of us..." Amen to that! I'm glad your Elle has some spunk and seems to be enjoying her dotage. I think Abby is doing remarkably well and I'm just savoring the time we have with her.

I shouldn't even put this out there but I'm thinking about throwing my hat in the ring for, yes, another job. I don't know but this one is, well, it's a dream job in a dream location.... I know I'm only 7 months into this one, but I don't know if I can pass up this opportunity. Especially given how challenging my current boss is.....

Still just thinking about it but will probably send an email to the search firm tomorrow, at least have a conversation to see what they have to say about it. (And I am well aware that their job is to advance as strong and diverse a pool of candidates as possible -- it's the same firm that managed the search that landed me in my current position so they can't contact me for a full year, but I can contact them -- and I'm sure they love me but their job is not to ensure my happiness, it's to develop a strong pool of applicants....).

Life. It's so complicated.

So Eat More Pulses.

>253 EBT1002: Oh what a tease you are!!! I wish you lots of clarity as you sort through things. And I guess I wish you lots of legumes, too. Hugs. : )

>249 EBT1002: that sounds such a lovely walk.

>253 EBT1002: when the dream job presents itself then throw all your hats in the ring I'd say Ellen. If it's not to be, it's not to be, but you'll be glad you tried, that's assuming it is still your dream job after your initial inquiries. Will cross everything.

>255 EBT1002: I do love my legumes.

Wow. Seconding what Caroline just said. I think if you are good at anything, it's recognizing what is in front of you and exploring your options. You are a brave, but very thoughtful risk-taker. Go you!

I just put Where the Crawdads Sing on hold at my library, the audiobook version. It's still on order, no copies in the system yet but I am only the second request so I imagine that, assuming that the system orders more than a single copy, I won't have to wait long.

And not that I actually have done anything constructive with it yet but I signed up for a newsletter from this website for Pulses recipes. I should really dive into it more:

https://pulses.org/

I also agree wholeheartedly with Caroline's comments about the new job possibility. Go for it. You never know where it will lead you.

I'm so happy to hear that you had a lovely time walking around! I think I know the ravine area you're talking about - you were likely very near to the Park of Roses, a *huge* public park north of campus, in which Tomm and I were married!

Also adding my Go For It! to the pile in reference to the job. I'll be cheering you on, whichever decision you make.

Adding another "go for it!" vote, Ellen. Fingers crossed. And, as Twin says, I'm VERY curious.

I loved The Penderwicks. It reminded me of my childhood books, with that same sense of innocence and wonder. I can't wait to read them with Scout.

>254 EBT1002: So pretty...but could we change out that upper left corner with something else? I am not a fan of kidney beans, for some reason. Good luck with the potential dream job decision-making.

>257 Caroline_McElwee: ^^^What she said about >253 EBT1002:

As to pulses, permaybehaps my InstantPot can get me past the intense irritation I've always felt at the sort/rinse/soak/rinse/soak/rinse/add something to deflate aftereffects/rinse 4x then cook for HOURS at house-heating temperatures to achieve, in the end...
...
...exactly what would've come out of the can.

Currently reading:

>265 EBT1002: I'm beginning to think the issue on these images may be https vs. http. That one doesn't show up. I get a "privacy error" when I try to open the image in a new tab, but when I remove the "s", it displays fine.

Life is complicated, I agree, Ellen. Go for it, throw your hat into the ring. You are very brave! I got an instant pot for Christmas, but so far I've only used it to cook a packaged soup mix full of beans and pulses. Ah oh, I can't tell what you are currently reading as you cover image is not working.

>212 EBT1002: I love looking at the shelves and seeing books that I've been wanting to read for a long time, just sitting there waiting for me. Yep, I agree!

Adding Hotel Brasil to the BlackHole!

Good luck with interviewing for the new job. I am under the assumption that you are going to do so :)

Good luck with the job decision/search, Ellen!

How much I loved The African Queen, and its stars, and its astounding ability to convince my air-conditioned Texan body that I was in fact in World War I Equatorial Africa sweating and...

...TMI, sorry, I was reading The Making of The African Queen by Katharine Hepburn and decided to write a review of it.

>266 thornton37814: I added the "s" but it doesn't seem to have helped.
Rats.

>266 thornton37814:, >271 EBT1002: Regarding the image display issue, I read in the Bug Collectors LT group that if the image uses http not https, try changing the URL of the page you are viewing, to be http not https. Ellen, try changing the image URL back to http. Then go to the address bar at the top of your screen, and change the URL you see there to http.

Unfortunately, it's not a permanent fix and I'm not sure what the LT team is doing about the underlying issues.

>271 EBT1002: It needs the "s" removed. I thought I made it clear that when I removed the "s", it displayed fine.

The peculiar thing is that I have been able to see your image all along. ????

Look at you! Living your motto Be Brave Early! Best wishes all around!

Hey Ellen! Sorry your meet up with Amber was cancelled due to weather. Ha! That is the story of our lives here in
O H I O! We plan our lives around it.
My son is a sophomore at OSU and loves it. The campus and surrounding area have really blossomed over the last few years.
Have fun in NOLA! I highly recommend the char-broiled oysters! Yum!

>272 lauralkeet: yep, that works. I can see a small image of the cover when I do that.

Ellen, I think you're sufficiently unhappy with the management you have to investigate other options with impunity. If you get the new job, you'll probably have the opportunity in an exit interview to describe the problems with your current boss, which would be some kind of satisfaction as well as a cogent reason the school lost you. Good luck!

>253 EBT1002:

Not sure if I missed this, but is the new job opening in the area where you now live?

Getting away from a toxic boss may be a more comfortable cure than any sleeping pill.

>272 lauralkeet: It seems to have worked. We'll see how long it lasts. I do hope they sort it out soon.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I know I'm way behind but these two days are busy, busy, busy as I cram five days of work into the two days. I travel again on Wednesday (New Orleans, here I come!) and I shall have time in the hotel room there to catch up (and start a new thread!). I also plan to walk and walk and walk since it will be in the 50s or 60s or 70s. :-)

I did finish Old Filth, my twelfth book of the year. I gave it four stars although it was probably really 3.75 stars for me. Her writing is wonderful and her stories full of poignancy, wry humor, and humanity. Perhaps the threads would have been easier to follow if I had read the first two books of the trilogy more recently. Still, it was a four-star read, which means it was great. I want to read something by Jane Gardam that is not part of the trilogy.

New Orleans recommendations?

Lynda has recommended char-broiled oysters. I know to get beignet.
Does anyone have other recommendations? I've been there before so I'm not interested in walking Bourbon Street (the smell!) and other trite tourist activities. Bookstores to recommend, anyone? :-)

I will be in the French Quarter.

>280 EBT1002: The ones I can think of are Faulkner House Books which is close to the St. Louis Cathedral, Octavia Books which is near University of New Orleans, and Garden District Book Shop which, of course, is in the Garden District (and not too far off the streetcar route). There's a slightly dated (since it was published in 2015) list of the 9 best bookstores in New Orleans at the Marriott Traveler site which includes a few more in the French Quarter itself - https://traveler.marriott.com/new-orleans/still-read-books-here-are-the-10-coole....

>280 EBT1002: - I second Lori's recommendation of Faulkner House Books. And I love Crescent City Books which is in the FQ.

My favorite restaurants are GW Fin's (FQ) and Peche (Warehouse District). Also, the cocktails at French 75 are lovely - it's the bar next to Arnaud's. If you end up at Arnaud's, my favorite thing is the Café Brûlot to end the meal. It's prepared tableside with orange and cinnamon and is *so good.*

>282 katiekrug: Faulkner House Books is a jewel, isn't it?

I also try to make it to one of Emeril's restaurants each time I'm in NOLA. I like Emeril's and Nola better than Delmonico. They are pricier than other options, but the food is good.

Jim once was in New Orleans with a friend who knew the South, and they went to a restaurant on the street behind Paul Prudhomme's that actually shares the kitchen with the more famous one. If Jim remembers the name, I'll pass it on to you, because the food was the same, but the crowd and the prices were much better.

Yeah, I couldn't remember the restaurant we went to for char-broiled oysters but it is Felix's on Iberville. Also, Mr. Ed's was good too but we kept returning to Felix's.
Muriel's is a lovely restaurant across from the cathedral on Jackson Square. Said to be haunted.
Don't forget shrimp and grits
Of course, you've got to have a Po-Boy - shrimp, fried green tomatoes or whatever, they are all good.
We had a hard time finding Faulker's book shop but it's on a little side street (Pirate Alley) across from the cathedral.
We stayed on Chartres Street and there's a funky little restaurant next door,Daisy Dukes, great breakfasts and po-boys.

Have fun!

It's been too long for me to recommend any particular restaurants; too much will have changed since the '70's. But---oysters....just eat all the oysters, all ways. And do visit Pirate's Alley. The Faulkner book shop wasn't there when we lived there, but there were other nifty shops to explore. I hope that's still true.

Oh crumbs, I want to go to New Orleans.

Hope the new job decision becomes straightforward when you have more info, Ellen.

I was in New Orleans on a business trip in 1987. I can't remember the name of the restaurant, but it was a converted church. That's where I had a blackened red fish appetizer with horseradish and pecans. The food was to die for. And of course beignets and café au lait, and drinkies in jazz clubs...

>285 Carmenere: >286 laytonwoman3rd: etc

My mouth is watering. I think I will seek out oysters later today!

Good luck, Ellen

Hi Ellen! Catching up slowly, as usual. Over on your first thread, I was reading about how you start to avoid LT if you feel like you're getting behind and, with 100+ messages for me to read on that one as well as all of this thread, I kinda thought "?!" ;0) I usually start with the threads with fewer messages, so I'll check, say, everything with 10 or less if it's been a while. Of course, that means that the big threads like yours go racing away and ... so here we are with you about to start thread 3.

Did you manage to sort out posting an image with your iPad? I skimmed through in the end, but I think I saw people tell you that you have to click on the image in your gallery to open it in a new tab and copy the address from there. Re the quote marks, even with the smart punctuation on, change the on-screen keyboard to punctuation, press the " until you see the options and then choose the straight quotes (the middle one if I remember correctly). Of course, LT has been having issues with all kinds of images recently, so I'm just waiting it out. Anita and I had a conversation about it on, I think, the 'How to do cool things' thread.

ETA: my husband took me to Commander's Palace (in the Garden District) when we went to New Orleans.

I haven't been to NOLA since the late '90s but I do remember absolutely loving Tujague’s:

https://tujaguesrestaurant.com/

The last time I was in New Orleans was 30+ years ago. I got to see Pete Fountain play :)

Happy Wednesday, Ellen!

My absolute favorite's in New Orleans are the old New Orlean's resturants of Ralph's On the Park, and Clancy's. Both will be a cab ride from the French Quarter of about $20-25. But they are both worth the trip. If you want authentic New Orleans food and a great wine list either of those restaurants will fit the bill. A meal at either one of them is going to be pricey. As in $50.00 but will be worth it. Clancy's is out on Annunciation Street just behind the Garden District. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but the inside is where the food and wine are located. Ralph's On the Park is out by Audubon Park. Some of the tables have a nice view of the park, but I prefer the tables where I can see the murals and paintings. I was in Ralph's last summer and as always - it was a pleasure.

I recommend John Besh's restaurant Luc. It is one block off of Canal and easy walk from most places in the French Quarter. It is a traditional French and German Brassiere with excellent cocktails. The Sidecar and the Bloody Mary's are highly recommended (I have had both.) of course it is hard to get a bad Bloody Mary in NOLA.

Emeril's in the Warehouse district is also good. Pricey, new, and good.

For breakfast I recommend Le Madeline's out on St. Charles Ave in the River Bend area. It is a long trolley car ride from the French Quarter, but worth it. You can take a great sight seeing trip on the trolley and make either Le Madeleine's or Camilla Grill your excuse for taking the trolley trip. Don't go to Camilla Grill or Saturday or Sunday or you will stand in line.

>256 Berly: Thank you for the clarity wishes, my friend.

>257 Caroline_McElwee: The walk was indeed lovely, Caroline -- and so memorable!

I am talking with the search firm tomorrow. Things have been better at my current job over the past couple of weeks but this is still - on paper - my "dream job" so I want to at least make those initial inquiries. I will see what she has to say about the situation at present.

>258 jessibud2: Hi Shelley. Thank you for that vote of confidence. I have a dear friend who says I tend to underestimate my qualifications and readiness for a job like this, so it's at least worth exploring. It is certainly sooner than I would have expected, and sooner than is ideal in the bigger picture, but I have to consider it.

I saw at least two people in the Seattle airport today with copies of Where the Crawdads Sing in their hands. It's a hot book right now!

We live in a heavy pulse-growing region, so we're eating them a lot more than we used to. Honestly, both P and I have always been appreciators of pulses but we're more intentionally adding them into our staple diet. They seem to be quite good for a person. :-)

>259 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura. I'm talking with the search firm rep tomorrow (she can't contact me within one year of placing me in a position, but I can reach out to her -- so I did!). I will be interested to hear what she has to say about the position and the place.

>260 scaifea: That ravine was so beautiful, Amber. I had walked north of campus along High Street, I think, all the way through "Old Columbus North" and then I turned left and went a couple of blocks, then turned left again (onto Neill, I think) to head back, and ended up in this charming little (I'm sure rental heavy) neighborhood. The ravine was down one of the side streets.

Thanks for the extra nudge to explore and "go for it." I so appreciate how supportive you all are!!

>261 BLBera: Thanks Beth. I know I'm being a bit cagey about it. I'll say this: it is not in Portland but it would make Portland meet-ups easier for me to attend. ;-)

>262 BLBera: I had never heard of The Penderwicks before but I quite enjoyed the first installment. I could even imagine reading the rest of the series! I wish I had a little 6- or 8-year old in my life to read them to....

>263 laytonwoman3rd: Hi Linda. I like kidney beans in chili and with rice (and spice). P and I are eating lots of lentils and garbanzo beans these days.

>264 richardderus: I'll be sure to give an update after my conversation with the search firm rep, Richard. We'll see where this leads, if anywhere.

Yes, try the InstantPot with the beans. P (who is the only cook in our house, except that I make spaghetti sauce, tuna salad, and cocktails) uses her pressure cooker to jump-start the soaking process. I don't know the particulars but she did some reading, you know, on the internet. Or maybe in the booklet that came with the pressure cooker. But I have heard people talk about their InstantPot or OnePot (are they the same thing?) as good for cooking pulses.

>266 thornton37814: I did as you and Laura suggested and added the "s" to the url and it worked for one image, Lori. I may hold off on posting images for a while. Which is too bad because I do like posting the image of the book cover when I'm sharing what I'm reading or what I've finished reading. :-)

>267 vancouverdeb: We don't have an Instant Pot but P makes bean and veggie soup using a multi-bean mix that is probably like the one you used, Deb. She leaves out the flavor packet (aka sodium bomb) and adds veggies and herbs and spices. YUM.

I was reading Old Filth by Jane Gardam. And then I was reading The Proof of the Honey by Salwa Al Neimi (maybe it's good that I can't post the cover image for that one). More about both before I go to bed tonight.

>268 alcottacre: Perusing my bookshelves is one of life's greatest pleasures, Stacia! Tomorrow morning I plan to venture out into New Orleans in search of a bookstore or two. I just have to be somewhere at noon where I can take the call from the search firm rep and take some notes. Maybe at a table with a cup of coffee and a beignet. Heh.

>269 banjo123: Thanks Rhonda! At this point it truly is just exploration. As I said above, the past couple of weeks have been better at my current job and, honestly, if that could just settle down, I would love to spend my last 5-7 years working where I currently am. BUT this other one deserves my consideration.

>270 richardderus: I LOVE that film, Richard! Now you've got me wanting to watch it again. If fact, a Katherine Hepburn marathon might be just the ticket for an upcoming weekend....

>272 lauralkeet: I did that and it seemed to work, Laura. Thanks for the tip. Honestly, I find myself going into lazy learned helplessness mode and thinking I just won't post book cover images for a while.

>273 thornton37814: Hmmmm....

>274 streamsong: Well, go figure, Janet! I did go back and change the "s" situation but that can't have been until after you posted this post!

>275 Carmenere: Hi Lynda. The OSU campus is beautiful. It was so fun to walk around with 5" of fresh and very dry snow on the ground. The Quad (do they call it that?) is HUGE!!!!!!

I happened to have a char-broiled oyster this evening! I was sitting at a bar, I had ordered a bowl of gumbo, and a guy sitting near me asked if I'd like one of his oysters. It was yummy. The butter and parmesan helped. ;-)

>276 ffortsa: Thanks Judy. I have to admit that I have at times fantasized about what I would say in an exit interview -- with my boss' boss. I would ask for time with him to provide him with feedback. Of the constructive variety. I would prefer it didn't come to that and this past couple of weeks have been better. Still, this particular job possibility is one I have to explore.

>277 m.belljackson: The new job would be in the Pacific Northwest region of the US, but not in the same part of Washington in which I currently live. It would be, well, it would be in a place where I could spend the rest of my life. So we will see. And you are absolutely right about getting away from a toxic boss and its impact on my insomnia! Things have been better over the past couple of weeks but part of that has been that both she and I have been traveling a lot. And I'm mentally shrugging some things off. And sometimes she is just better than others. What's weird is that I honestly like her. She can be smart and funny and warm and charming. But then there is that other side.....

Ellen--"It is not in Portland but it would make Portland meet-ups easier for me to attend."

Okay. I approve. ; )

Hope your talk with the search firm rep goes well tomorrow. Have fun in New Orleans!! And the bookstore.

>281 thornton37814: Thanks Lori. It helps to hear from someone who has been to some of the bookshops. I also found that piece in the Marriott Traveller along with a couple other lists of great bookstores. My hotel is right in the heart of the French Quarter - near the corner of Bourbon and Canal - so I may hop on the trolley tomorrow to find the Garden District. I think it would be fun to go to the Faulkner bookstore, too.

>282 katiekrug: Thanks Katie. I have all morning tomorrow (and most of the afternoon since my noon phone call should only last a half hour at the most) to explore. I need to look at google maps and see if I can map out a plan of attack. *smile*

>283 thornton37814: Okay, the Faulkner House Books seems like a must-see.

I found a little place and got a bowl of gumbo and a cocktail for dinner this evening (I was so freaking exhausted when I got in that I didn't want anything that required energy or focus). Tomorrow I will see if they are feeding us at the conference. If not, I will see if I can get to one of Emeril's restaurants. I think I ate at one many years ago and I still remember the glass of Frog's Leap Rutherford Vineyard Zinfandel I had. It was magnificent!

>284 ffortsa: Sounds wonderful, Judy.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I texted with my nephew who lives in NOLA this evening and he's having me out to his house for dinner on Friday. He said he'd probably pick up a piece of gulf fish to grill. Works for me! He lives in the Algiers neighborhood.

>285 Carmenere: I ate at Mr. Ed's tonight, Lynda. It was close by and I was so tired. The concierge recommended it when I said "I don't want anything fancy, I just want a good bowl of gumbo." I sat at the bar. The cocktail was mediocre but the gumbo was quite good!

Goodness, those are so many great recommendations! I may try to find Daisy Dukes for breakfast on Saturday. I love the idea of Muriel's because who wouldn't want to eat in a haunted restaurant? :-) I have had po' boys before and they honestly don't do much for me. Part of the challenge, of course, is that I am vaguely trying to manage my cholesterol and New Orleans is not conducive for that!! LOL.

But regardless of the particulars I end up exploring during my free time, I will have fun! Oh, and I hope the conference is interesting, too. :-)

>286 laytonwoman3rd: Okay, Pirate's Alley and look for the Faulkner Bookstore there. That is a must-do, methinks.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

By the way, my young, urban, and just-more-hip-than-me friends, I did my first-ever Uber ride today! I've ridden in Ubers and Lyfts with friends and colleagues before but this was the first time I ordered a car and took the ride all on my own. It was so freaking easy! The guy was a talker but he got me to my hotel and avoided some of the traffic jams we could see along the way. I was so proud of myself.

>287 charl08: Have you ever been to NOLA, Charlotte? I have been here a few times, the first of which was in 1974 when my dad and I were driving from Florida to Santa Fe in his little yellow VW Beetle (the why of that is another story for another time). We got our photo taken on the corner of Bourbon street. There I was, age 13, with my dad on Bourbon street. It was a bit uncomfortable.....

>288 karenmarie: "...blackened red fish appetizer with horseradish and pecans..." Well, that sounds amazing!!

I was here when I was 13 (see above) and again in about 1993 for a conference. I think that is when I ate in a really upscale restaurant with colleagues. I don't remember the food (I do remember that it was delicious) but I remember that glass of Zinfandel. I have been here a couple more times more recently for work but haven't ever had much time to really explore.

>289 PaulCranswick: My thread has become a foodie thread! Ha. I love that.

>290 humouress: Hi Nina. Yes, my thread has been active since I hinted that I might apply for another job, had trouble with posting pictures, and asked for recommendations while visiting New Orleans. Nothing like talking about a foodie town to get this party going! :-D

I never did figure out the posting with my iPad issue. I have a colleague who is a whiz at all things Mac and he has promised to help. I just have to take my iPad to work and find a bit of time with him. And yes, LT has been having image issues a lot lately (I hope it's not indicative of any greater threat to our beloved website here) so I may just hang tight and see what shakes out.

>291 scaifea: That restaurant looks wonderful, Amber. The menu and wine list are really interesting. As one example, on the appetizers list: Fried Green Tomato Ravigote Topped with crab-boiled Gulf shrimp ---- just YUM.

>292 alcottacre: Thanks so much for the recommendations, Benita! Both the restaurants sound terrific. I am interested to see if they feed us at the conference tomorrow night. If they do, I'm realizing that tonight was my only dinner "out" in town and I was too tired for much! But I have tomorrow breakfast and lunch, and Saturday breakfast and lunch, then I'm off to the airport and my flight back to my beloved Seattle. Regardless of whether they feed us tomorrow, I think I can do the walk to Luc. I love a good Sidecar. And tomorrow I will definitely be taking the trolley ride -- to see the sights and to get to another neighborhood.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Thank you all for the wonderful recommendations! I have most of tomorrow --- with the inconvenience of a noon phone call with the search firm, but I didn't want to delay that and I just have to be in a coffee shop or something where I can talk -- mostly listen -- and take some notes. Friday I'm having dinner at the home of my nephew and his wife, then I have much of the day on Saturday as my flight is at 4:15PM.

I think I'm going to prioritize walking and bookstore finding over eating. I mean, the food is so wonderful but my schedule is less conducive to that. I want to get my steps every day and I want to find at least two indie bookshops. There. I have goals. :-)

>299 Berly: Ha. Almost snuck in there, Kim. I see you! And I think you would totally approve of this possibility should it come to fruition. We'll see....

: )

Woman, you need a new thread!!!

We look forward to hearing about your bookstore hauls!

13. The Proof of the Honey by Salwa Al Neimi


Imagine an erotic book cover image here.

This short novel, translated from the Arabic by Carol Perkins, is an exploration of the power of women's sexuality, especially in the context of Arabic culture. It is a meditation on sensuality, self-determination, and unabashed desire. And it barely moved me. There were moments of brilliance, but as a self-proclaimed aficionado of the erotic, the narrator fell so far short of, well, of being erotic. I admit that there are also layers: even as she claims to live for pleasure and to eschew notions of loyalty or faithfulness, even as she proclaims that women are by nature polyamorous, she also describes a passion for one of her lovers, known as The Thinker, a desire so fraught with devotion and ardor that the end of the relationship leaves her feeling empty and lost. Surely the lady doth protest too much. And I would be fine with that; in fact, a thoughtful exploration of the tension between intense attachment to a love object and the inevitable desire for others along the way -- or even an exploration of the perhaps deceptive appeal of a life of unfettered and unashamed sex with a variety of lovely others -- any of that would have been a worthy endeavor. But I'm just saying that this wasn't erotica. It was what I describe here, with one or two not-very-affecting sex scenes along the way.

Goodness, I feel like I'm being terribly harsh.

>305 Berly: I know!

>306 thornton37814: :-)