Amber's (scaifea) Thread #22

Hey, everybody!

I'm Amber, a one-time Classics professor, turned stay-at-home parent/lady of leisure, turned part-time library assistant, turned once again Classics professor. I spend my free time sewing, writing, knitting, baking, and, of course, reading.

My reading life is happily governed by lists, which means that I read a healthy variety of things across various genres.

I'm 46 going on 12 and live in Ohio with my husband, Tomm; our son, Charlie; Mario, the Golden Retriever; and the newest addition to the family: Agent Fitzsimmons, the Border Collie.

Here I am in all my New Haircut glory, I suppose:



Favorite Books from 2020
The Lumberjanes collected comic volumes
Call Down the Hawk
New Kid
The Wise Man's Fear
The Slow Regard of Silent Things
Pride and Prejudice
Silver in the Wood
A Tale of Two Cities

What I'm Reading Now:
-Better Late Than Never (cozy mysteries)
-The Boy Who Was (Newbery Honor Book)
-One Last Stop (romance list)
-Plain Bad Heroines (audiobook)
-The House in the Cerulean Sea (family bedtime read-aloud)
-Never Let Me Go (books I'm reading with my friend, Rob)
-A Darker Shade of Magic (Read Soon! Shelves)
-Vis and Ramin (Read Soon! Shelves)
-Legendborn (one of my former students recommended this one so highly that I requested it right away)

Books on Deck:
-Henry VI Part 1 (Shakespeare re-read)
-Rabbit Run (Banned Books)
-Lud-in-the-Mist (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy list)
-Wheels within Wheels (Prometheus Award)
-More Fool Me (Fry bibliography)
-Les Miserables (books by year - 1862)
-(an unread book from my shelves)
-(a book from my Read Soon! shelves)
-The World of Tibetan Buddhism (Buddhist reading list)

The five-ish or so books I have going at once and the On Deck books nearly all come from the following categories and lists:

1. A book from the 100 Banned Books book (at least currently. As soon as I finish this list, I'll replace it with another, and oh, I've got tons of lists).

2. A children's book, for Charlie's library. I'm trying to collect books from various award lists, and I like reading them before reading them to Charlie or deciding to add them to Charlie's shelves. For this category, I’m currently working through three lists:
a. 1001 Children’s Books You Must Read Before You Die
b. The Newbery Honor books
c. Cooperative Children's Book Center list

3. A book from the Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy List, in chronological order.

4. A list I'm working through together with my best friend, Rob: The Hugo/Nebula/WFA/Bram Stoker (and other) lists (combined, in chronological order)

5. For this category, I cycle through 9 different stacks:
a. Agatha Christie's bibliography (in chronological order)
b. Stephen Fry's bibliography (in chronological order)
c. John Boyne bibliography (in chronological order, sort of)
d. Neil Gaiman's bibliography (in some order other than chronological (don't
ask)).
e. Christopher Moore's bibliography (in chronological order)
f. Maggie Stiefvater's bibliography (in chronological order)
g. The NEH Timeless Classics list
h. The National Book Award list (in alpha order by title)
i. The Pulitzer list (in alpha order by author)

6. An unread book from my shelves.

7. A book from my Read Soon! shelves.

8. A book on Buddhism or from the Dalai Lama's bibliography.

9. Book-a-year challenge: Three years ago, along with a few others in this group (*cough* Paul *cough*), I made a year-by-year list to see how far I could go back with consecutive reads. I've since been trying to fill in the gap years.

10. A cozy mystery.

11. A full-on re-read through Shakespeare's stuff.

12. A read-aloud-to-Charlie-at-bedtime book (or two).

13. An audio book, which I listen to as I knit/sew/otherwise craft/drive.

14. A romance novel.

15. This slot is reserved for books that just grab me and shout that they need to be read Right Now.

Books Read

JANUARY
1. Spinning Silver (Alex Award) - 10/10 = A+
2. Swamp Thing: Twin Branches (Stiefvater bibliography) - 8/10 = B
3. Manchild in the Promised Land (Banned Books list, AlphaKIT: M) - 9/10 = A-
4. The Wish Giver (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
5. Silas Marner (audiobook) - 8/10 = B-
6. The Story of Tracy Beaker (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B-
7. Thick as Thieves (series reread) - 10/10 = A+
8. Lumberjanes #16: Mind over Mettle (series read) - 10/10 = A+
9. Pilgrimage (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 7/10 = C
10. Each Tiny Spark (Schneider Honor Book) - 7/10 = C
11. The House on the Borderland (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy list) - 6/10 = D
12. Beyond Religion (books on Buddhism) - 9/10 = A
13. Outlander (romance list) - 6/10 = D
14. Commodore Perry in the Land of the Shogun (Newbery Honor Book) - 7/10 = C
15. Far Away Across the Sea (1001 Children's Books) - 10/10 = A+
16. The Daylight Gate (Read Soon! Shelves) - 8/10 = B-
17. The Queen of Attolia (family bedtime read-aloud) - 10/10 = A+
18. Works and Days & Theogony (Myth course readings) - 9/10 = A-
19. The Book Thief (books I'm reading with my friend, Rob) - 10/10 = A+
20. Return of the Thief (series read) - 10/10 = A+

FEBRUARY
21. The Bacchants (myth course reading) - 9/10 = A
22. Camp (romance) - 8/10 = B+
23. Song of a Whale (Schneider Award) - 8/10 = B-
24. Gardens of the Moon (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy list) - 4/10 = F
25. Oedipus Rex (Myth course readings) - 10/10 = A+
26. Antigone (Myth course readings) = 10/10 = A+
27. Agamemnon (Myth course readings) - 10/10 = A+
27. Upon the Head of a Goat (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
27. Volcano (Newbery Honor Book) - 7/10 = C
30. A Promised Land (audiobook) - 8/10 = B+
31. The Stone Book Quartet (1001 Children's Books) - 7/10 = C+
32. The Libation Bearers (Myth course readings) - 9/10 = A
33. Eumenides (Myth course readings) - 10/10 = A+
34. Electra (Myth course readings) - 10/10 = A+
35. The King of Elfland's Daughter (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 7/10 = C
36. The Goalkeeper's Revenge (1001 Children's Books) - 7/10 = C
37. Conrad: The Factory-Made Boy (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B
38. Medea (Myth course readings) - 10/10 = A+
39. The Frogs (Myth course readings) - 9/10 = A
40. Metamorphoses (Myth course readings) - 10/10 = A+
41. Iliad (Myth course readings) - 10/10 = A+
42. Odyssey (Myth course readings) - 10/10 = A+
43. Aeneid (Myth course readings) - 10/10 = A+
44. The Histories (Myth course readings) - 10/10 = A+
45. Till We Have Faces (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 8/10 = B-

MARCH
46. My Sweet Orange Tree (1001 Children's Books) - 9/10 = A
47. Lord Foul's Bane (BSFA) - 2/10 = F
48. Manolito Four Eyes (1001 Children's Books) - 7/10 = C
49. The Early History of Rome, Book 1 (Myth course readings) - 9/10 = A
50. Farmer Boy (family bedtime read-aloud) - 9/10 = A-
51. The Henna Wars (romance list) - 8/10 = B+
52. Cursed (Schneider Award) - 9/10 = A
53. Heroides (Myth course readings) - 9/10 = A
54. The Apocolocyntosis (Myth course readings) - 9/10 = A
55. Sandman: The Kindly Ones (Myth course readings) - 10/10 = A+
56. Tales of the Rue Broca (1001 Children's Books) - 7/10 = C
57. Far Away Across the Sea (family bedtime read-aloud) - 10/10 = A+
58. After the Rain (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B-
59. Ready Player Two (from my Read Soon! shelves) - 9/10 = A
60. The Moonstone (audiobook) - 8/10 = B+
61. Memoirs of a Geisha (books I'm reading with my friend, Rob) - 8/10 = B

APRIL
62. The Club Dumas (unread book from my shelves) - 9/10 = A
63. Good Night, Mr. Tom (1001 Children's Books) - 9/10 = A
64. The Liverpool Cats (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B+
65. The Ugly American (100 Banned Books) - 9/10 = A
66. The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B+
67. The Haunting (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B
68. The Whistle, the Grave, and the Ghost (family bedtime read-aloud) - 9/10 = A
69. Sense and Sensibility (unread book from my shelves) - 8/10 = B+
70. Middlemarch (audiobook) - 2/10 = F
71. Ordinary Hazards (audiobook) - 8/10 = B-
72. Chaotic Good (Read Soon! Shelves) - 9/10 = A

MAY
73. The Beast Player (Printz Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
74. Another Country (100 Banned Books) - 8/10 = B-
75. Lumberjanes Vol. 17: Smitten in the Stars (series read) - 10/10 = A+
76. The Worm Ouroboros (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books list) - 4/10 = F
77. Where the World Ends (audiobook) - 9/10 = A
78. In the Beginning: Creation Stories from around the World (Newbery Honor Book) - 7/10 = C+
79. Max and Sally and the Phenomenal Phone (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B-
80. BUtterfield 8 (unread books from my shelves) - 9/10 = A
81. Nine Princes in Amber (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy list) - 4/10 = F
82. Stories: All-New Tales (books from my Read Soon! shelves) - 8/10 = B-
83. Visitors from London (recommendation from Julia) - 9/10 = A
84. Storm (1001 Children's Books) - 7/10 = C
85. Dig (Printz Award, audiobook) - 9/10 = A
86. The Crossover (reread with Charlie) - 9/10 = A
87. The Rose and the Ring (1001 Children's Books) - 6/10 = D
88. Guard of Honor (Pulitzer list) - 8/10 = B-
89. The Girl on the Train (Read Soon! shelves) - 9/10 = A-
90. Sunday's Child (1001 Children's Books) - 7/10 = C
91. Mrs. Dalloway (books I'm reading with my friend, Rob) - 7/10 = C
92. Captive Prince (romance) - 8/10 = B+
93. High School (audiobook, Alex Award) - 9/10 = A
94. Scorpions (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
95. Children of the Alley (Banned Books) - 8/10 = B-
96. On the Banks of Plum Creek (family bedtime read-aloud) - 9/10 = A-
97. Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me (Printz Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
98. The Swallows (Alex Award) - 9/10 = A

JUNE
99. Steeple (impulse read) - 9/10 = A
100. Journey to Jo'burg (1001 Children's Books) - 7/10 = C
101. Dao de Jing (books I'm reading with my friend, Rob) - 9/10 = A
102. My Friend the Painter (1001 Children's Books) - 7/10 = C
103. Drowned Country (from my Read Soon! shelves) - 9/10 = A
104. The Ruins of Gorlan (audiobook) - 9/10 = A
105. Captain Fracasse (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B-
106. The Dark-Thirty (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B-
107. Cards on the Table (Christie bibliography/audiobook) - 9/10 = A-
108. A Likely Story (cozy mystery series read) - 8/10 = B+
109. Gates of Fire (unread book from my shelves) - 7/10 = C-
110. What Katy Did (1001 Children's Books) - 7/10 = C-
111. Red, White, and Royal Blue (romance) - 9/10 = A
112. Gargling with Jelly (1001 Children's Books) - 4/10 = F
113. Mister Impossible (Stiefvater bibliography) - 10/10 = A+
114. Somewhere in the Darkness (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
115. Crazy Lady! (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
116. Three Men in a Boat (books I'm reading with my friend, Rob) - 7/10 = C-
117. Do You Dream of Terra-Two? (audiobook) - 8/10 = B+
118. A Girl Named Disaster (Newbery Honor Book) - 9/10 = A

JULY
119. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (100 Banned Books) - 4/10 = F
120. Dominicana (Alex Award) - 9/10 = A
121. Getting Near to Baby (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
122. The Duke and I (romance) - 9/10 = A-
123. Uncle Silas (books by year - 1864) - 9/10 = A
124. Black Girl Unlimited (audiobook) - 7/10 = C
125. The House of the Scorpion (Newbery Honor Book) - 9/10 = A
126. The Boy Who Swam with Piranhas (family bedtime read-aloud) - 9/10 = A
127. Heart of a Samurai (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
128. When You Trap a Tiger (Newbery Medal Book) - 8/10 = B
129. The Cat, or How I Lost Eternity (1001 Children's Books) - 6/10 = D
130. Driftless (challenge read) - 9/10 = A
131. The Fifth Form at St. Dominic's (1001 Children's Books) - 9/10 = A
132. Halinka (1001 Children's Books) - 9/10 - A-
133. Tashi (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B+
134. The House in the Cerulean Sea (audiobook) - 9/10 = A
135. The Sound and the Fury (books I'm reading with my friend, Rob) - 7/10 = C-
136. Sick in the Head (Read Soon! Shelves) - 8/10 = B-

AUGUST
137. Three Times Lucky (Newbery Honor Book) - 9/10 = A-
138. All Thirteen (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
139. Black Sun (audiobook) - 8/10 = B
140. The Experience of Insight (audiobook/books on Buddhism) - 8/10 = B
141. Fighting Words (audiobook) - 9/10 = A
142. Seven Little Australians (1001 Children's Books) - 7/10 = C
143. Lumberjanes #18: Horticultural Horizons (series read) - 9/10 = A
144. Box: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
145. You Should See Me in a Crown (audiobook) - 8/10 = B+
146. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (family bedtime read-aloud) - 9/10 = A
147. The Viscount Who Loved Me (romance genre) - 8/10 = B
148. Gender Queer (Alex Award) - 9/10 = A

The Kiddo at Work:



The Mario and her Magical Rainbow Snoot:



And Agent Fitzsimmons:

Next one is yours!

Happy new thread and a Happy sunday, Amber!

Happy new thread, Amber!

>5 scaifea: And again a very cute picture of Simmons, oh, that tongue!
How are the gals doing now?

>7 SirThomas: Thanks, Thomas! Happy Sunday to you, too!

>8 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita!

Simmons frequently sticks her tongue out and it's hilarious. We think she's maybe still growing into it and it's a bit too big for her mouth just yet.

Mario and Simmons are now fast friends and all is pretty well here. We're still keeping Simmons mostly in the kitchen because she's still a little chewy, but she seems solidly house trained, which is great.

142. Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner (1001 Children's Books) - 7/10 = C
A passel of siblings in Australia get up to sundry hijinks. They have a too-severe military father and an uncomfortably young but sweet stepmother. The dad essentially beats them, but haha it's fine, apparently. And there's some borderline predatory views of young girls in there, for good measure. Yoicks. This one hasn't aged well in the slightest. I'd recommend giving it a hard pass.

Happy new one!

Oh Simmons, you haz the face, baby. And that rainbow snoot on Mario, gets me every time!

HI, Amber and Charlie. (Sorry, you're just gonna get billed below the doggos if you insist on posting such adorable pics of them.)

Simmons you are too cute for words! I'm glad she's settled in so well, Amber.

>12 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

>13 laytonwoman3rd: Perfectly understandable, Linda. Mario and Simmons are irresistibly adorable.

>14 lauralkeet: Hi, Laura! Isn't she, though? And thanks - we're relieved, too. Mario clearly loves having a friend now, and Simmons loves running around the backyard with her.

143. Lumberjanes #18: Horticultural Horizons by Shannon Watters (series read) - 9/10 = A
Another excellent and fun entry in the series. Love the Lumberjanes so, so much.

144. Box: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
The story of how Henry Brown Mailed himself north and out of slavery, told in verse and with illustrations by Michele Wood. An interesting choice for a Newbery Honor.

Happy new one! And I love your new do and the rainbow nose. Well, I love all the pics you post! Lumberjanes?!

>20 Berly: Hi, Kim! Thanks!

Lumberjanes is an excellent comic that is regularly grouped into bigger volumes. I highly recommend it.

Happy new thread! My heart wants a dog but my brain (and husband) say "no". Those doggy photos with their beautiful eyes make it very hard for me :(

Happy new thread!

House trained makes so much difference in owning a dog. Good on Simmons. The chews will of course moderate, but a dog's got to get the know the world through the snoot.

Happy new thread Amber!

>22 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba!

Ooof, yeah, those first couple of months with a new puppy *are* rough, but I can't imagine living without a dog.

>23 quondame: Yep. She's honestly pretty much over the chewing on things she shouldn't - she's quite good at learning quickly what she shouldn't do and now chews only on her toys, but Tomm is still hesitant to let her into other rooms just yet. I'm tired of living in the kitchen with her all day, so I may go against Tomm's judgement soon and start taking her with me into other rooms more.

>24 swynn: Thanks, Steve!

>26 scaifea: When our Woody was a little pup, we were living in a house with a very open floor plan so it was nearly impossible to confine him to a smaller area other than his crate. Shortly after he came to live with us, and before he was fully chew-trained, I came down with bronchitis. One day I fell asleep on the sofa and woke up to find he'd gnawed a chunk out of one of our rugs. Oof. Chris wasn't pleased but also: bronchitis. Still, it was a relief when that chew-everything phase passed.

>28 lauralkeet: Our house in Wisconsin was very open-floor too, so Mario as a puppy was a bit of a challenge. I’m not sure how much longer we’ll keep her confined to the kitchen (she does come into the living room with us in the evening now at least) but I’m going to need more time in my office once my classes start, so we’ll see.

When our most recent dog was a puppy she chewed through electric cords (plugged in ones) a bunch of times. I thought the first one would teach her that wasn't a good idea but apparently not. Anyway, I found a product call "bitter apple" that was gel in a tube and I smeared that on the cords she could reach and she never chewed through another one. She was a sweet, beautiful girl. We had a hard time finding a name we liked for her until my son suggested "Halo" while we were at an Angels game :)

Happy new one, Amber.

I'm with Reba in that I would love a dog (personal favourites would be an English Springer Spaniel or a Beagle) but we of course cannot keep one in our condo in Kuala Lumpur. When we eventually get back to the UK perhaps.

Morning, Amber! Happy New Thread. You might just end up lapping me by year's end...Grins. I hope you had a good weekend at the Scaife Manor.

>30 RebaRelishesReading: Yep, the bitter apple stuff works on some dogs but not on others - our Tuppence actually *loved* the taste of it, the big weirdo. We ordered a similar product for Simmons, but super-strength; she doesn't hate the taste, but she's smart enough to know that when we spray something with it, we mean that we don't want her to chew, so she'll lick it a few times she never chews it again. It's worked pretty well.

>31 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul.

Aw, Beagles are *adorable* as puppies, although they're a noisy breed. I do love a Spaniel, too. I had a Cocker Spaniel as a kid.

>32 msf59: Morning, Mark! We had a pretty good weekend here - the last of the summer for us, since Charlie starts school on Wednesday.

Today's Agenda:
Mario has a vet appointment this morning to check her thyroid levels and see if the meds are working. We think they are - she definitely has more energy than she did before. Chef Charlie is in charge of lunch today: Fettuccine Alfredo, which is one of his favorite meals and it's a tradition that we make it for lunch a day or so before school starts. Not sure how that got started, but here we are. Otherwise, I'll do a bit of cleaning, some writing, some reading. I need to send out my Welcome to Latin email to my new group of cherubs today, too, to make sure they have a look at the website before the first day (next Monday) and know how to find the zoom link for class and such. I'd also like to clean my car (vacuum the inside, windex the windows,...), but it's raining this morning pretty steadily, so we'll see if it lets up this afternoon. Oh, and we'll probably pop round to the library to pick up holds today, too. Chicken Sausage with Parsnip Puree for dinner tonight.

On the reading front:
I'm not exactly sure where the day went yesterday, but I didn't get much reading done besides the Lumberjanes volume. Maybe I'll have better luck today. I did start With Clive in India last night, but didn't get very far.

What We're Watching:
Tomm's pick last night - we watched a handful of 30 Rock episodes.

Hi Amber, and happy new thread.

>11 scaifea: Yoicks is right.

>36 scaifea: How many courses are you teaching this semester? I love it that you call them your cherubs…

>37 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen.

Just the one this semester - Beginning Latin. Next semester will be Latin and Myth again, and possibly next year there will be more courses to teach. We'll see how it goes.

>38 scaifea: Happy New Thread, Amber! It's probably a bit of relief to have just that one course to teach this semester? Teaching used to take some serious preparation time for me. I was not a Bill Clinton who could go in and "wing it".

>39 jnwelch: Morning, Joe!

Yeah, I kind of love only teaching one class. At this point I've taught Latin for so many years that I honestly probably *could* just waltz in and wing it, but I don't. I'm constantly tweaking my lecture notes and quizzes, trying to make things better.

Happy new thread, Amber! Adding my admiration for the Simmons pic. Such a cutie.

Making sure you know that new issues of Lumberjanes ended last year and that when volume 20 arrives at the end of this year that will be it? *sob*

School around here doesn't start until September so I have a few more weeks before I have to start slowing down in school zones. :P Hope Charlie is having a great last couple days of summer vacation.

>41 MickyFine: Simmons is a cutie, isn't she? That tongue is so silly.

I didn't know that we're nearing the end of Lumberjanes, but then again I do rely on you, essentially, for my Lumberjanes knowledge. Is Vol 19 out yet?

I miss that about WI: it's a state law up there that school can't start until after the first of September. Charlie seems to be enjoying himself - right now he's DMing for his D&D group (they meet a couple times a week virtually) and tomorrow we're going shopping, nominally for Tomm's birthday presents, but I'm sure we'll hit our own favorite spots, too (the bookstore, the game store, and The Hot Topical).

>42 scaifea: Vol 19 is due out next week on August 24! Crossing my fingers that means I'll get the library copy before I go on vacation in mid-September. :)

>43 MickyFine: Oh, excellent! Thanks!

Hi Amber. I'm always amazed and envious with how much reading you achieve every day while cooking, playing games and watching the telly-box, along with all your academic responsibilities.

Nope, I don't want any hints on managing my reading chops... just saying that I admire your achievements. I think I am one of those slow-absorb-every-word readers. I read out loud in my head, a fact I discovered only recently. Probably why I get next-to-nothing out of scanning anything.

Happy new thread, Amber.

Your Simmons sounds like a really smart dog. And that tongue is really cute.

>45 SandyAMcPherson: I do that as well, read out loud in my head. Can be a real obstacle. But i think that just scanning is more fitted to reading the papers.

>18 scaifea: Happy New thread, Amber. Love the photos of Simmons and Mario

I have this Lumberjanes on order at our local comic book shop. I hope he also orders #19 too! Our library stopped ordering them after number 10 because there are so many and I am not sure how popular they are with the YA crowd there. Bummer - it's a great series!

Happy new thread! That's an adorable little blep from Simmons. I missed a lot of the last thread, so cheers and commiserations for all of the relevant events.

>45 SandyAMcPherson: Hi, Sandy. I wouldn't dream of trying to give you unsolicited advice - I can't stand the stuff myself. Makes me grind my teeth. And anyway, my reading habits are sort of on the crazy side, so I wouldn't want to try to push them on anyone else! I'm honestly not sure how I accomplish anything, having so many pots boiling at once, but somehow it all seems to get done. *shrug*

And oh, I totally read aloud in my head, too! And also pretty much constantly talk to myself in my head in a steady stream of nonsense. It's fun here inside my brain.

>46 EllaTim: Thanks!

Simmons is a Border Collie, and they're extremely smart dogs. It can be a pain sometimes, to be honest, because it's difficult (for me, at least) to outsmart her. Yesterday she figured out how to open one of the gates that keep her in the kitchen. So there's that. Ha!

Somehow I manage to scan while reading aloud in my head, but I'm not sure how, to be honest...

>47 jayde1599: Hi, Jess!

I'm surprised that the YA crowd isn't loving Lumberjanes - I mean, how could they not?! Anyway, I bet the comic shop guy would order it for you if you asked - they tend to be pretty accommodating, I think. I'm sort of hoping that they eventually lump them all together in a big 1-2 volume collection, and then I'll buy 'em.

>48 foggidawn: Thanks!

The funny thing it, it's not really a blep - she just leaves it out there! So weird and hilarious.

Morning, Amber! Happy newish one! Simmons is looking most adorable with her tongue out - made us all laugh. And that photo of Mario never gets old - it's so full of fabulous.

Today's Agenda:
Busy day here at Scaife Manor. This afternoon Charlie and I are going shopping for Tomm's birthday presents and swinging by the vet's office on the way home to pick up a new strength of Mario's thyroid Rx. Then this evening is the middle school open house, where we'll get Charlie's class schedule and be able to find his locker and store his supplies. Before all that this morning I'll try to get through some student emails - I've already gotten some responses from yesterday's Welcome to Latin email - and I'll maybe do some writing. We're off to give Mario her walk here in a few minutes, too.

On the reading front:
I started Legendborn yesterday and although I'm not very far in yet, it's already very good. I also read a bit of With Clive in India and listened to more You Should See Me in a Crown.

What We're Watching:
My pick last night, so I introduced Charlie to Brendan Fraser in Blast from the Past. I'd forgotten just how adorable and fun that movie is (and how both the leads send me to my happy place).

'Morning, Amber!

Yay for middle school open house. I hope Charlie gets a good schedule and is feeling good about school starting up in person.

>54 scaifea: the middle school open house, where we'll get Charlie's class schedule and be able to find his locker and store his supplies.

Oh wow, I really miss those days. I imagine there's more moving around to change classes than in Charlie's previous school. Is this the first time he's had a locker? I bet he's excited.

>55 karenmarie: Morning, Karen!

There's not much wiggle room in the 7th grade schedule here, especially since band will take up one spot in both semesters, but he's excited about several of the choices so I suspect he'll be happy with what he gets.

>56 lauralkeet: Morning, Laura!

He's had lockers in school before, but never one with a lock and combination. There's a little more moving around, but already in 5th grade they were changing rooms several times. The difference will be that it won't be the same group of kids moving from room to room each time. I think he's a mix of excited and slightly nervous, so we're really hoping that the first day goes well.

Oh yeah that makes sense. I remember moving en masse from room to room and feeling much more independent when I had to find my own way to my next class.

Not exactly new anymore, but Happy New Thread!

I hope all goes well tonight and tomorrow for Charlie with school.

>54 scaifea: Blast from the Past is one of only two movies where I'm not petrified by Christopher Walken (Hairspray is the other). It's been ages since I've seen it but I remember really enjoying it.

>61 MickyFine: Oh, I *love* Christopher Walken! Weird but in an adorable way.

I can't disentangle him from his role as the headless horseman and thus he always scares me a little.

>61 MickyFine: >62 scaifea: >63 MickyFine: He's always been a bit edgy adorable even when scary.

>54 scaifea: Legendborn looks interesting.

>63 MickyFine: Aw, childhood traumas are difficult to overcome. I understand.

>64 quondame: I'm only about 30 pages in but it's good so far.

Today's Agenda:
Well, Charlie's off to his first day of school and I'll spend the day fretting that he can't get his locker open or he's late to his classes. *sigh* Seventh grade was my very worst school year, and so I'm naturally nervous for him to have an okay time. He's a different kid than I was in some key ways, which I think will work in his favor, though.

Otherwise, I'll probably prep my lecture notes for the first day of school, do some writing, take Mario for a walk (our first without Charlie in a very long time), bake some brownies before he gets home - the traditional First Day of School After-School Snack, and maybe do some reading. Charlie picked out the fabric for his new pajamas yesterday while we were out shopping, so I'll also get it all pre-washed and ready to go.

On the reading front:
I read a bit of Vis and Ramin, With Clive in India, and listened to more You Should See Me in a Crown.

What We're Watching:
Charlie's pick last night - we watched a couple of Gilmore Girls episodes.

>60 katiekrug: Ope, I missed you up there somehow, Katie - sorry!!

Thanks for the well-wishes for Charlie. He had some trouble getting his locker combination to work last night, which has me fretting for him today, but he seemed zen about it this morning and confident that he'd figure it out. The nice thing is that his locker is right next to the office, so if he has any trouble, he's just right there to ask.

>53 Crazymamie: Me, too.

Morning, Amber! I'm hoping Charlie's first day goes smoothly. Seventh and eight grades were my least favorite, although I did really like that each class had different groupings of students. I also loved having a locker instead of a cloak room.

>69 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie!

I was just talking to Tomm about how every dang day from 7th through senior year I was worried in between each class that I'd forget my locker combination and not have enough time to get to my next class, even though I was never, in all those years, late to a single class. Still, every damn day, 7 times a day. Ah, anxiety. The best. I'm happy that Charlie doesn't seem to have inherited my special brand of anxiety, at least. I hope of the two of us I'm the only one spending the day as a big weird bundle of nerves.

I wrote his schedule down so that I can check the clock periodically and know which class he's in (he's in computer science right now) and that somehow helps a little.

ETA: Oh no! How did I miss you, too! Humblest of apologies. Simmons is a sweet little weirdo, which means she fits right in with Mario.
(I think I know what happened with you at least - I was probably busy typing the next post and when it posted, I just missed seeing that yours had popped up in the meantime.)

Aw! I get that. I loved high school, and for some reason I don't remember ever worrying about being late to class although I must have done so at least at first. And I might have skipped out on history class once or twice or a lot. Heh.

I love that you wrote Charlie's schedule down and are following his day. I don't think my mom even knew what classes I was taking.

>71 Crazymamie: Skipping class, oh you rebel! I skipping one class one time - in my senior year - and I still cringe thinking about it. Ha!

Man, I was a bundle of rebelliousness in 7th grade. I made life difficult for my teachers, and now that I've been on the other side of that, I feel sympathy for them. I hope it goes more smoothly for Charlie.

I hope Charlie's first day is a good one and that your anxiety for him stays on the mild side. *hugs*

>73 jnwelch: *snork!* Charlie doesn't have a rebellious bone in his body and his teachers always adore him, so I don't think he'll have a problem there. I can't imagine you and the trouble-making type, Joe...

>74 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky. I'm hanging in there. (He's in math class right now.)

I went to a fairly large high school, and we had three sections for lunch. My junior year I got the middle lunch section which meant that I went to history class for half an hour, then to lunch, then back to history class for another half hour. Whatever class you had in that period was lengthened to accommodate the lunch schedule, so it was the longest class of the day. I would often attend the first part of the class, go to lunch, and then not return for the second half. *blinks* I actually got called into the guidance counsellor's office for missing so many times. When she asked me why I wasn't returning to class, I said, "Well, he's just so boring, and he speaks in a monotone, and the desks face the walls, which is just weird. (he had them in a huge circle, but they faced out, not in so you had your back to everyone else)" And she laughed. She said that nevertheless if I wanted full credit then I had to attend the full class, not just skim it, which made us both laugh.

Sending good wishes for Charlie's first day! I also didn't love 7th grade. I think there is something about that age...

Our lockers in middle school didn't have locks, which was weird. I mean weird now that I'm thinking about it. At the time, it was just what I knew. And there were no lockers at my high school, which was a boarding school, so you either traipsed around with everything in your bag/backpack or strategically left things in your dorm room and picked them up as needed when your schedule allowed.

>77 Crazymamie: Charlie's schedule is like that, too - his math class will be split in two with lunch in between. Math is his least favorite and he's been placed in the advanced class so he maybe won't be able to coast (maybe)...I'd better make sure he's not skipping that second half. Ha!

>78 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie! There definitely *is* something about that age.

It's interesting that you didn't have locks, but honestly I think I'd like that better. I mean, I'd never keep anything in there worth anything anyway, and it would be so much less stress not to have to worry about the combination. *shrugs*

>80 scaifea: - Right? Like if someone wants to steal my pre-algebra book - please, feel free ;-)

>81 katiekrug: *SNORK!* Exactly.

Good luck to Charlie today! I suspect that his mum may be more anxious than he is.

I don't recall 7th grade being particularly difficult, as I was in the same small Lutheran school that I had been in since 1st grade, with many of the same classmates. Ninth grade was a different story, as we had moved from a nearly all Black neighborhood in Jersey City to a nearly all white suburb just north of Philadelphia the summer before, and all of my classmates and teachers were White. Fortunately the elementary school I attended had a good mix of races, my two best friends were an Irish boy and a German boy, and several of my parents' closest friends were White, so it wasn't as stark or as long lasting an adjustment as it would have been for a more typical Black city kid who moved to a White suburb in the mid 1970s. It also helped that I had made several friends in the neighborhood that preceding summer who attended the same school.

>83 kidzdoc: Oh, there's no question that I'm more anxious than he is. I don't think it's possible for him to be. Ha! No calls from the school so far, so I'm assuming he's making it okay.

Wow, what an adjustment that must have been for 9th grade! I'm so glad that you had some friends going in to help you, Darryl.

Man, I hated seventh grade. I hope Charlie has a much better experience than mine! I remember having a locker, but I don't remember if it had a lock, or what. I don't remember stressing about forgetting my combination, so I suspect that there were no locks.

Happy new thread! (Have I said that already? I've lost track)

Best wishes to Charlie on his first day! I hope he gets the locker figured out. Funny story: as I was homeschooled, I never had a combination lock for a locker, but when I got my current job, I need to use one to get the envelope where we keep money from the cash register and I had absolutely no idea how it worked. After a day or so of getting help, I made a point of learning how to do it and it took me a half hour the first time I tried to finally crack it. Fast forward to the first time I tried it after we reopened in 2021, and I couldn't do it again. I got one of my coworkers to help me, and it turned out I was attempting it backwards, turning to the right when I should've gone to the left and vice versa 😂

>85 foggidawn: Right? 7th grade was the worst. My biggest awful thing was that I was viciously bullied in gym class by a couple of horrible turds in boy form. I cried myself to sleep every night and dreaded going to school the next morning so much that my stomach hurt every day. Just...awful. It has a happy ending, though: I finally told my parents what was going on and my dad was friends with my math teacher, so he called him up and asked for some help. Now, my math teacher was a giant man, like, pro football-sized and extremely stern. He...took care of it.

>86 bell7: Thanks, Mary! OMG, I had to learn a combination for the money safe when I worked at the library, and I had trouble with it, too! I hadn't had a combination lock since high school, I think, so it was a challenge.

>87 scaifea: I'm so sorry you went through that. My bullies were a group of eight-grade boys who barked at me in the halls and just generally made life miserable. I also didn't have any close friends at that school (just a handful of on-again/off-again frenemies who mostly teased and picked on me). I recently reconnected with the teacher who taught the drama elective, which is pretty much the only good thing I remember from that school year. Turns out he was having a pretty rough time of it that year, too, so that was interesting to learn.

>89 foggidawn: Oh no! *hugs* I'm sorry you had a similar bully experience. Ugh.

>87 scaifea: Oh ghastly. There are ever so many different ways middle school can be hell.

In 6th grade for the first time in my small town there was an honors class in which I wasn't included though most of the neighborhood kids were, including my best friend. In 7th grade, due to a messy bit of testing, I was included, but my best friend wasn't. Fortunately over that 6th grade year, my dyslexia waned and the Stanford Reading program got me reading quite quickly. But I sure missed my friend as we never reconnected.

Checking in to see how Charlie's first day went. I assume brownies are being consumed right now, or are already history.

>91 quondame: I'm so sorry you lost a friend in that way. That's so sad.

>92 lauralkeet: Thanks for checking in on Charlie, Laura! His first day went really well and he's pretty excited about school! SUCH a relief! Brownies have most definitely been consumed.

>94 scaifea: Aw....good. I was pretty sure Charlie was going to sail through the first day. Mom...that's another story. But sounds like maybe she's OK too!

>95 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks, Linda.

Today's Agenda:
A dentist appointment for me to get fitted for the crown, and then, if I'm feeling okay after, I'll probably hit the fabric shop and maybe Target. I also need to do my menu planning and get my grocery list sorted for tomorrow. I need to go to the fabric shop to pick out material for some quilted placemats I'd like to make, holiday themed, and the Target run is because my pajamas are so raggedy that they're barely holding together at the seams. I could also use a new pair of treadmill pants, I think. Baked potatoes and cooked carrots for dinner tonight, I think, since I'll probably want to stick with softer foods for a couple of days.

On the reading front:
I spent what little reading time I had yesterday with The Viscount Who Loved Me. It seems like this one is taking me forever to get through and while it's okay, I'm not enjoying it nearly as much as I liked the first book in the series. I'm nearly finished listening to You Should See Me in a Crown - I may in fact finish it in the car today.

What We're Watching:
Tomm's pick last night: a couple of episodes of 30 Rock.

I'm glad to see all is well at Scaife Manor, and that Charlie is excited about the school year ahead. Good luck with the dental appointment.

>98 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura!

Charlie said that a lot of kids were carrying around "cloth-looking organizer/binders" (Trapper Keepers. They're Trapper Keepers.) and he thinks he needs one because they're not allowed to visit their lockers between classes except for before and after lunch but they're also not allowed to carry a backpack around all day (um, what? dumb policies abound in this district, apparently). So we ordered one last night, of course. The funny thing was that he then said, "Other than the binder thing, I feel pretty confident that I've figured most everything else out." Wow. I wish I had been that laid-back and confident at his age! Makes me feel so much better about sending him off this morning, though!

Morning, Amber. Sweet Thursday. I am glad Charlie's first day went well and you have his Trapper Keeper ordered. I had never heard of one of those.

>100 msf59: Morning, Mark! Trapper Keepers were The Thing back when I was in school. Now they're pretty much the same layout but the brands are different. Today he's getting by with an old giant three ring binder of mine - I emptied it of some old lecture notes and we filled it with his notebooks and folders. We took the label off the spine that read "Latin 101-102 Lectures" despite me trying to convince him that it wouldn't seem nerdy *at all* for him to walk around school with a giant Latin binder...

>99 scaifea: I think "no backpacks" was a rule at my daughters' school. IIRC it had to do with the potential for backpacks to be used to carry items that are not permitted (e.g. drugs). Which is sad.

‘Morning, Amber!

>70 scaifea: I wrote his schedule down so that I can check the clock periodically and know which class he's in (he's in computer science right now) and that somehow helps a little. Exactly! Even as recently as last year when Jenna was finishing up her AA degree, I had her schedule printed out and on my cork board so I could look and see exactly where she was.

>94 scaifea: I’m glad to hear that his first day went well and that he’s excited about school. And of course brownies were consumed.

>97 scaifea: the Target run is because my pajamas are so raggedy that they're barely holding together at the seams. I just broke down and bought two new pair of summer jammies and, more important, got rid of all the raggedy, holey ones.

>99 scaifea: and >101 scaifea: I loved my three-ring binders with dividers for each class. I loved writing the subject on the little white perforated label and inserting it into the colored tab. Nerdy. Weird. I still have my plaid binder from 7-8th grade.

>102 lauralkeet: Oh yeah, I'm sure that's why and it *is* sad, but if that's the policy, they should then let them go to their lockers between classes instead of have to carry all their books and notebooks and also a Chromebook (?!) around in their arms all day. I mean, how many of those Chromebooks drop to the floor every year because of that?! Yeesh.

>103 karenmarie: When I was teaching in person and on campus my mom *still* kept my teaching schedule written down so she'd know what I was doing and when. Adorable. And she still brags about me, which I think is hilarious. She just told me the other day that the wife of one of my dad's friends told her that her daughter just married a doctor, and my mom's retort was, "Oh, that's nice - my daughter *is* a doctor." *SNORK!* Burn that lady to the ground, momma!

I loved my trapper keepers and still love being super-organized. Charlie does too, so I think he'll love the new binder. He spent - I kid you not - two hours last night getting his notebooks and folders sorted and labeled and his planner all filled out. So adorkable.

>104 scaifea: Good point about the locker-visiting rule, Amber. Harrumph.

>105 scaifea: *raises hand* I'm one of those moms that knew my kids' schedules even in college. Like your mom, I enjoyed knowing what they were doing each day.

>106 lauralkeet: It's just a nice feeling, isn't it, to be able to think about what they might be doing at that particular moment. Not a checking-up-on-them vibe at all; just a way to feel connected to them while they're away.

I simply love the fact that Charlie took that time to get all the notebooks and folders sorted and labeled. Yes, I would do such things too. Also very confused that he has to carry everything without stopping at his locker. What's it for, then, to keep the backpack that can't be carried? So weird.

My mother definitely did not keep track of my schedule, she's on the opposite end of the organized spectrum and still doesn't know my work schedule even though it hasn't changed for years hahaha.

What's it for, then, to keep the backpack that can't be carried? So weird. *SNORK!* Exactly.

So glad Charlie had a good day and has stuff pretty much figured out! Speaking of dumb rules, I think Trapper Keepers were against the rules at one school I attended. No idea why.

Fun to hear about your mother's pride in you. That is a great one-upper (my daughter is a doctor). i suspect you'll continue to have the same kind of pride in Charlie as he gets older.

The Wayne and I were just talking about Trapper Keepers! Mine was bright blue with a rainbow on it :) Once I got too old and cool for that (ha!), I moved to the blue denim-covered 3-ring binder. Sorting out school supplies and getting organized was very important to me, so yay for Charlie! At work, I periodically take an afternoon to organize/reorganize things. It's both a procrastination thing and necessary for my peace of mind.

And in related news, the custom planner I ordered for my life of leisure is arriving today. Woot!

>110 foggidawn: No trapper keepers?! That's crazy! I'm so curious what the event was the resulted in that rule...

>111 jnwelch: Hi, Joe!

I honestly thought that since Charlie's around for them to brag about, they'd stop openly bragging about me, but nope they have enough pride for both of us, apparently.

>112 katiekrug: Oooh, yay for custom planners!

I had the green TK with the horse on it, but my BF had the rainbow one!

You know, I had a vague memory about trapper keepers being banned as well, but I couldn't remember the details. So I went looking and found this article: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/52726/history-trapper-keeper

"The Trapper Keeper started to show up on some class lists as a ‘do not purchase’ because teachers didn’t like the noise of that Velcro,” Bartlett says. "So we switched from Velcro back to a snap."

Mine had sunflowers on it, just for the record. :-)

She just told me the other day that the wife of one of my dad's friends told her that her daughter just married a doctor, and my mom's retort was, "Oh, that's nice - my daughter *is* a doctor."

Love it! Way to go, mom!!

>107 scaifea: exactly!

>117 kidzdoc: I love that, too.

Hope the dentist appointment goes super smoothly and you're able to BUY ALL THE FABRIC afterwards. :)

>116 rosalita: Julia: Ha! That's kind of hilarious, honestly. And oooh, I loved the sunflowers one!

>117 kidzdoc: She's the best, Darryl. When I was in high school and in the marching band, the other members of the drumline *loved* her. They adopted her as the official drumline mom because she brought Secret Treats to band practice (the parents weren't supposed to bring stuff unless it was approved by the director and there was enough for the whole band, but the guys in the line knew to follow me to my mom's Chevy Blazer after practice for homemade cinnamon rolls and apple cider just for us). And at every competition, at the end of our performance you could hear my mom whooop in the stands. We'd be standing on the field waiting to march off, and the boys would say, "Wait for it...wait...for...it..." and then we'd hear amongst the applause a giant "WOOOOHOOOO!!!" and we all knew it was my mom. The. Best. Mom. Ever.

>118 lauralkeet: Laura: Right?

>119 MickyFine: The dentist appointment was long and the numbing stuff is starting to wear off and I can tell I'm going to be sore, but I DID GET ALL THE FABRIC WOOT!!

>120 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: YAS! I still have an envelope somewhere that we got in the mail in the time between my PhD and Tomm's, which was addressed to Dr. and Mr. Scaife. Love it.

>122 scaifea: That is the best mom story ever!

>122 scaifea: Aww, that's an excellent story.

>124 scaifea: Woot for all the fabric! I've recently added a bunch of yarn and embroidery floss to my crafting stash so I know just how good that new crafting supply high can be. Hopefully enough to help offset the ending of the numbing. *feel better hugs*

>124 scaifea: Yay for getting the fabric and for getting the tooth taken care of (hope the soreness doesn't last too long).

🙄 fabric…

Husband of quilter, so am soooo over that. 😂

>11 scaifea: Seven Little Australians sounds like it is of its time.

>105 scaifea: My mum is over-the-top proud of me too, when I started my post graduate study she bought me a notebook with 'Professor' on the front. Lol. And she likes trying to remember the name of the degree I earned (Master of Applied Science in social science) and keeps a copy of my first published article :) It is so nice.

>126 rosalita: Julia: Right?! She's the coolest.

>127 MickyFine: I try my best not to add random yarn to my stash because I have a harder time figuring out projects for rando yarn than I do for fabric. It's a weird stress, but yarn anxiety exists, for me at least. I *am* excited about the fabric I bought yesterday, but then again, it's for a specific project I already have planned.

>128 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba!

>129 drneutron: Jim: *snork!* Tomm is pretty good at looking the other way, especially this week since yesterday he received a big package full of lighted lego bricks...

Today's Agenda:
Grocery shopping this morning, and then since Tomm has taken the day off, we may get Mexican carry-out for lunch. I need to do my weekly bill sorting and I want to bake some cookies for the first Friday After-School Snack of the year (Peanut Butter Pinwheels). I also have some more student emails to respond to. Frozen Friday for dinner.

My mouth is a little sore this morning and I can tell that my gums are still a bit swollen, but otherwise I'm good, tooth-wise. I love our dentist - while waiting for the numbing agent to kick in he sat and chatted with me instead of just leaving the room (I've never had a dentist do this before); he asked me if I would be heading back to work after the appointment and I told him that my classes don't start until next week, which lead to a conversation about what I teach and languages and how fascinating they are. His first language is Arabic, so we had a great chat about how in Latin grammatical function is indicated not by word order, as in English, but by endings on the words (it's an inflected language) and in Arabic - I didn't know this and I think it's so fascinating - it's not endings or word order that indicate function, but how you pronounce the word! So yeah, I had an in-depth linguistic discussion with my dentist while waiting for my mouth to numb. #nerdlife

On the reading front:
I read a bit of Better Late Than Never, a bit of With Clive in India, finished up listening to You Should See Me in a Crown, and started listening to Plain Bad Heroines.

What We're Watching:
Tomm and I started watching Bridesmaids while Charlie was hanging out with his friends online, then when he joined us we watched the second episode of What If...? Both were disappointing, I'm afraid. Bridesmaids is cringe humor much more than I expected, and I'm not a fan. And What If is just really poorly written so far. Blech.

>130 LovingLit: Oh, it definitely hasn't aged well. Ha!

It's so nice to have parents who are so ridiculously supportive and proud. Once Charlie came around, most of the bragging time shifted to him and of course I'm completely fine with that because they're adorable grandparents, but it's a nice surprise when they briefly shift back to beam at me sometimes, too. I love that your mom keeps a copy of your first article! So sweet.

For a very long time, my mom didn't really understand what my field exactly is and for years of Christmases and birthdays I got tons of Ancient Egyptian-themed stuff, including a little pyramid-shaped cat house for Susie. So funny.

So cool about your linguistics discussion with your dentist! I once talked in some detail with mine about genealogy research, and his mixed feelings about the Mormon church's contributions (he was of Russian Jewish descent).

>137 laytonwoman3rd: Ha! Very cool, Linda.

My dentist only talks about my teeth :( I feel I am getting short-changed...

It cracks me up that you were reading You Should See Me in a Crown while being fitted for one.

>99 scaifea: Trapper Keepers came out originally when I was in middle school!! Too funny. Of course now I am hearing "Let's do the time warp again.." in my head. And that is SO crazy that he doesn't have access to his locker between classes - WHAT?!

Love your mom stories - she sounds like da Bomb.

>134 scaifea: Tomm is pretty good at looking the other way, especially this week since yesterday he received a big package full of lighted lego bricks... This made me laugh out loud! Also the bit about your mom not understanding your field and the resulting gifts. The last few Christmases before my mom retired from holidays (yes, she did), she would just buy six of the same thing and give us each the same gift. It was very hit or miss depending on who she was thinking of when she made the purchase.

>139 katiekrug: Right?!

>139 katiekrug: *snork!* I'm sorry your dentist is a dud.

>140 Crazymamie: Ha! Yep, I love it when my reading life and my real life mesh like that.

It's so nuts that he can't access his locker *nor* can he take his backpack around with him. Just...pick one please.

My mom is the absolute best. Always the coolest and always a friend favorite. All my friends loved coming to my house for the food and the fun mom.

Tomm is beyond geeky about his Legos and honestly I love it, because he works so hard and doesn't let himself make much time for hobbies. But those Legos are not cheap, which means he has no ground to stand on about my fabric purchases.

Ooof to everyone getting the same thing. Tomm's mom does something similar; she favors his brother and so if she decides to get him something he wants, she'll just say to Tomm, "Tim wants a recliner for Christmas so that's what we're getting you, too," nevermind that we don't *want* a recliner. (That actually happened. For real.)

First Friday After-School Treat of the Year:

145. You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson (audiobook) - 8/10 = B+
Liz is a high school senior from a lower-middle class family in a very upper-class suburb of Indianapolis. She was hoping to go to her first-choice college - a fancy private school in Indiana - on a music scholarship and is devastated when she learns that she didn't get it. She's very shy, doesn't really fit in with the popular kids and has no desire to, plus she's gay in a town that likely isn't ready to accept her as such. So when her only option seems to be running for prom queen (there's a nice scholarship attached to the crown), she quickly becomes a fish out of water.
A fairly typical high school YA story, with mean popular girls, a sweet love interest story, and the outsider coming into her own at the end. It's nicely written, though, and I enjoyed the characters despite the predictability of the plot.

146. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin (family bedtime read-aloud) - 9/10 = A
(This one's a re-read for me; first time for Charlie)
Lovely middle grade book about a young girl who senses her mother's unhappiness at their poor living conditions and, inspired by her father's fantastical stories, sets out to find the Man in the Moon to ask if he'll change their fates for the better. Gorgeous writing and an inventive, folktale-style story.

Today's Agenda:
Welp, the in-laws are coming to visit today, so Tomm is already in Cleaning Mode. I'm leaving him to it because I'm okay with the state the house is in already and am not expending more energy on it. I'm not sure what I'll busy myself with until they get here this afternoon. Maybe some reading, maybe some sewing.

On the reading front:
I didn't manage any reading time yesterday, really, except for a little bit of listening to Plain Bad Heroines, which is off to a really interesting start, I have to say.

What We're Watching:
Ant-Man last night, as part of our Marvel Movie Marathon. One of my favorites.

Morning, Amber! Happy Saturday. Good luck with the in-law visit. We will lay low today and continue baby watch.

Morning, Amber! Oof to the in-laws visit. Hoping you survive with your sanity intact. Sending you This Is MY House mojo.

>148 msf59: Thanks, Mark. Sending easy-labor vibes Bree's way today!

>149 Crazymamie: Thanks for that, Mamie. We'll see how it goes...

Morning, Amber! Sorry about the in-law visit. May it be painless. Painless and short :)

Hi Amber!

>124 scaifea: I’m glad the pleasure of fabric acquisition outweighed the awfulness of the dentist appointment.

>135 scaifea: I had an in-depth linguistic discussion with my dentist while waiting for my mouth to numb. #nerdlife LOL

I’m afraid that I’m a rather surly dentist patient. I’m unhappy to be there, hate what they’re going to do to me, even cleanings, and simply hate how cheery they are. I realize it’s me, always thank them, and do a happy dance when I’m done.

>136 scaifea: For a while my mom thought I loved Lord of the Rings. She bought a copy of The Silmarillion for me and bought a pewter set chess with all the characters from LoTR for me. Yikes. I don’t even remember what happened to it.

>143 scaifea: Ooof to everyone getting the same thing. Tomm's mom does something similar; she favors his brother and so if she decides to get him something he wants, she'll just say to Tomm, "Tim wants a recliner for Christmas so that's what we're getting you, too," nevermind that we don't *want* a recliner. (That actually happened. For real.) My mom and dad favored my little sister but only pulled that once – and I benefited by getting a new food processor. Mom sent me a check for the exact amount she spent on Laura, down to the penny. I bought a larger-capacity food processor and everybody won.

>147 scaifea: Oh joy. And what >149 Crazymamie: Mamie said.

>152 katiekrug: *snork!* Yes, please!

>153 karenmarie: I've had some bad experiences with dentists and some really good ones. I have weak enamel and grew up with well water (= no flouride), plus I went several years during undergrad and into grad school without those important cleaning checkups, so I've paid my dues in the dentist's chair since then. I'm pretty sanguine about it, though. There are much worse things in the world, I suppose, but I do sympathize with those who really dread dental visits.

The Silmarillion omg. I tried once and just...couldn't.

Ha! I'm glad you got the food processor out of it, at least!

And thanks for the sympathy. They're due any minute...

They're due any minute...

Ack! Have you considered offering them some brownies - you know, the Colorado kind with enhancements…

>153 karenmarie: I don't think my mother's presents to me ever reflected my siblings wants, but my preferences rarely outweighed what my mother thought mine should be.

>156 drneutron: *SNORK!!* If I had some of those, do you think I'd waste them on the in-laws?!

Today's Agenda:
It's Tomm's birthday, so we're having take-out from the place of his choice for lunch and I'll make some gluten-free brownies for his birthday dessert. Otherwise it should be a pretty low-key day. Honestly, I'm not sure what I'll be doing. Sewing a little, maybe. Reading, too, probably.

On the reading front:
I finally finished up The Viscount Who Loved Me. I'll try to get a review up today.

What We're Watching:
Tomm's pick last night, so more 30 Rock.

>158 scaifea: Right. Good thinking.

Morning, Amber! Are the in-laws gone?

>160 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! Oh good god yes - they don't stay over now that we live within a couple hours of them again. Whew.

So you're feeling like this?



Now, about those brownies...

>162 Crazymamie: ...What were we talking about...? I suddenly can't think... *continues to start at Hiddles*

147. The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn (romance genre) - 8/10 = B
Anthony Bridgerton is determined never to fall in love. He's content to find a suitable wife and, as the first-born son, do his duty to carry on the family line, but love is out of the question. This decision has everything to do with the fact that he's convinced he'll die before he sees 40, since his dad died young. From a bee sting. Then there's Kate, who's the older and less beautiful (half-)sister in a not-wealthy family, and who's convinced she'll never marry because 1) she's not as interesting as her sister and so won't be courted by anyone, and 2) she's just not that interested. These two, of course, fall in love despite best efforts on both sides.

A good-enough romance, but I had a hard time keeping interested, to be honest. It seems a bit derivative after the first in the series. I may abandon reading the series and just try to watch the show at some point.

>164 scaifea: - I'm sorry that one didn't work so well for you, Amber. It's definitely not my favorite in the series. I hope you don't give up on it - #4 and #5 are my favorites (Colin's and Eloise's stories). You could just skip #3... just sayin' :)

>165 katiekrug: Oh, that's good to know! So #3 isn't great?

>166 scaifea: - It's not bad, but if you are wavering on the series, I'd suggest skipping it (for now). Plus, you should really read #4 before watching the show, as the season finale contains a major spoiler for the 4th book.

I wholeheartedly second Katie's recommendation on Bridgerton reading order.

>167 katiekrug: >168 MickyFine: Noted!

148. Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe (Alex Award) - 9/10 = A
An interesting and eye-opening graphic novel memoir about how the author has struggled all eir life with issues of gender and sexuality. I think it's an important read both for cis folk, who can gain insight on how LGBTQ+ people feel and how they struggle with things that may not see obvious as hurdles to us, and for LGBTQ+ youth in particular, who can find in the author someone who has went through much the same things they may be going through. Definitely recommended.

Hi Amber my dear, a very belated Happy New Thread dear friend.

>171 johnsimpson: Morning, John!

Today's Agenda:
First day of classes for me, so I'll be teaching later this morning, then Mario and I will take a walk. I'll probably do a little cleaning, and I need to schedule Charlie's next blood draw for later this week and then call the school to find out the procedure for dropping him off late (it's a fasting draw so has to be in the morning) and also for picking him up early for his afternoon dermatology appointment next week. I may try to squeeze in some sewing and reading this afternoon. For dinner I'm trying a new recipe from my birthday cookbook for Chicken Stew, which involves pomegranate juice and sounds kind of lovely.

On the reading front:
After breezing through Gender Queer: A Memoir yesterday I spend some time with A Darker Shade of Magic. I also listened to more of Plain Bad Heroines.

What We're Watching:
My pick last night, so we rewatched Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2. So weird and funny.

Hope your first day back goes well!

I read "Mario and I will take a walk" as "Mario and I will have a talk" and I was like, Ruh roh, what'd she do? I obviously need more coffee...

>174 katiekrug: *SNORK!* No, Mario is the goodest dog; if I were to have a talk with one of them, it would be Simmons. She can be hell on wheels sometimes. It's good she's so adorable.

And thanks for the first day well-wishes! I'm excited to meet my new cherubs, but also a little nervous for the first day to go well, as always. I'm not banished to the basement for teaching this year since Charlie's off to school outside the house, so I've spent the morning so far on a test-run zoom to make sure the lighting and the positioning of the camera are ready in my office.

Hi Amber.

>164 scaifea: I watched Bridgerton, fell in love with it, then read The Duke and I and realized that the book series wasn’t even close. Go with the show! Reading on down below I realize that I am the outlier voice...

>173 scaifea: I hope the first day of classes goes well. Hope the cherubs are fun and engaged and that the group dynamic goes well, even if it’s Zoom or whatever.

>174 katiekrug: LOL, Katie.

>176 karenmarie: Morning, Karen.

I take Katie's advise on the Bridgerton question pretty seriously and so even without having read anymore I'd suggest taking her advice as well and reading those slightly later entries in the series before giving up on the books completely. I'll probably eventually get round to the show.

Thanks for the good wishes! The dynamic will be different today, of course, being just the first day, but after that things will mellow out. I tend to have very good luck with class vibes, even last year on zoom.

Happy first day of school, Amber! I hope you have yet another excellent group of cherubs this term.

>178 MickyFine: Ha! Thanks, Micky.

>173 scaifea: Ooh, I'm intrigued by the chicken stew! Hope it turns out well, and good luck with the cherubs!

>180 foggidawn: Thanks! I'll report back on the chicken stew.

Today's Agenda:
I don't have anything written in my planner under today's date and I'm very happy about that. Just a day at home (beside a quick trip to the library), no errands. I'll probably work on my mythology syllabus and schedule for next semester a bit - it's very early for that, I know, but I soon have to turn in my request for when I want to teach my next semester courses and I just realized yesterday that I won't be able to teach the myth class two days a week again unless I do it on a Tuesday/Thursday schedule and I only want to teach on MWF (I like having those two days free for appointments and such). So I have to adjust the course from a two-day-a-week to a three-day class. *sigh* I also need to pop into the library to pick up holds, and then I'll probably spend the afternoon sewing, writing, and reading. Chili for dinner tonight, I think.

On the reading front:
I spent some time with Legendborn yesterday, which is really good so far, and I listened to more of Plain Bad Heroines, which alternates between interesting and annoying for me. I'll stick with it for now, though. I think it's the narrator who's causing my irritation, so I'll try to ignore it...

What We're Watching:
Charlie's pick last night: We got caught up on the new Brooklyn 99 season so far and then watched a Gilmore Girls episode.

ETA: Oh! I forgot that I'm going to try to put my quilt sandwich together today! Since it's a king-sized quilt, that will take some doing; I need to clear a *big* floor space (our bedroom has the space for it, barely), lay down the backing fabric (and actually masking tape it to the floor to keep it in place), lay the batting (the fluffy stuff that goes in the middle) on top of that, then lay the pieced top on top of those. Then you work your way out from the middle, pinning all the layers together and keeping any tucks and wrinkles out. Should mean that I'll get some good audiobook time...

Good morning Amber. How was your first day of school yesterday? And did you make yourself a special snack?

>183 lauralkeet: Morning, Laura! Ha! I didn't have a special snack, but the first thing Charlie said when he walked in the door after school was, "How was your first day, Mom?" So sweet. And it was good! Always a lot to try to cram into the first day, and it's too soon to know how the class will mesh, but I suspect it'll be fine. Some of them already had some good questions, when usually no one wants to talk that first day. So, yay!

That's great Amber! And Charlie is the best, of course.

Morning, Amber. We are planning on running over to Bree's to see the baby and this time I can spend more than just a few minutes with him and at his home place too. Gender Queer: A Memoir sounds good. I am always interested in checking out a new GN.

>184 scaifea: Glad the first day went well, Amber.
You are still teaching by video connection?

>185 lauralkeet: Right? Overall, a pretty good day.

>186 msf59: Morning, Mark! Yay for getting some Jackson time in today! And yes, I think you'd really like Gender Queer.

>187 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita! Yep, I'm teaching completely virtually, which was always going to be the case, covid or no, since I live 2+ hours away from campus. It's wonderful, honestly. I can work completely from home!

>190 scaifea: Thanks, Amber, that answers the next question I forgot to ask ;-)
More than two hours away is way to much for a few hours of teaching.

>191 FAMeulstee: It definitely is too far, and the commute would mean driving through both Columbus and Dayton traffic every time, and just...no. I may start making the trip every couple of months, just to have some sort of presence on campus (and my students from last year really want me to come down for a class reunion sometime this year), but not just yet.

Today's Agenda:
Teaching this morning, then a trip to the library again, this time to print some colored photos for a school project for Charlie. I also need to do my menu planning and get my grocery list ready for tomorrow. I think Mario and I won't be taking our mid-day walks for the rest of the week - heat index of 100+ for the next few days. Ew.

On the reading front:
I started The Boy Who Was yesterday and listened to a big chunk of Plain Bad Heroines while pinning the quilt together. Ooof, that was a big job and my back and legs are sore this morning, but it's done now and ready to be quilted.

What We're Watching:
Tomm's pick last night: more 30 Rock.

Morning, Amber! Good thinking about skipping the afternoon walks in that heat. YUCK.

>194 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! I know it's silly to complain about the heat to you, but dang it, it is GROSS out there. I am *so* ready for fall weather. Charlie's first band performance will be at a HS football game in late September, and Tomm and I are already really excited at the idea of sitting in the bleachers in the chilly, fall night air, sipping hot cider, cheering on the kiddo and the rest of the band... *happy sigh*

Nope. Complain away - misery loves company and all that. I am also ready for Fall. Yesterday I said to Craig, when is Fall coming? And he said, in about six months. Which sadly, is true for down here. I would settle for less than 80F and low humidity, but I crave weather that is on the 50s and no humidity.

Oh, lucky Charlie and lucky you! I loved every moment of marching band.

Commiserations on the weather -- it is yucky this week! I shouldn't have to be out in it much, but just walking to my car after work (and then getting in that oven that's been baking in the sun all day, sunshades or no) is miserable. Bring on those crisp fall days!

Hi, Amber. I enjoyed the story of your in-depth linguistic discussion with your dentist. Ours is chatty ( I see him tomorrow) but mainly about family and travel,

You Should See Me in a Crown: I may give that one a go, even with the predictable plot. Do you ever read Patricia Maclachlan? (the Sarah Plain and Tall author). I keep thinking I need to catch up more on her books.

Morning, Amber!

Morning, Amber! Yes, it's been mighty sticky in these parts. Today's rain is cooling it down a wee bit but humid as all get out.
Oh I'm so happy for the Scaifea family! Marching Band, Football and Fall are made for each other. Enjoy these wonderful moments, even when your microwaved seat cushion has cooled down before half time.
5 of Will's best friends from band now share a house with him this year. Lifelong friends for sure.

>196 Crazymamie: Mamie: 6 months?! Yoicks. 50s and no humidity is *perfect*!

YES to marching band! I'm *so* excited for him and so happy that he's excited about it. I loved marching band so, so much, and I'm excited to get to be the parent this time around! My mom was amazing at supporting me and the band, and I can't wait to do the same for Charlie, if he'll let me. I don't even like football, but I *love* fall football games, just for the atmosphere. Plus, I think this HS team is kind of awful, and I do love rooting for an underdog, so I may even watch that actual game some!

>197 foggidawn: Isn't is disgusting outside?! We got a bit of rain here earlier today, but it didn't cool things down at all, just made it muggier. GROSS.

>198 jnwelch: I do love Maclachlan, Joe, but I haven't read all of her stuff, either. I think you might enjoy the Johnson book - it's a lightweight, feel-good one, so who cares if it's predictable?

>199 katiekrug: Afternoon, Katie!

>200 Carmenere: Hi, Lynda! YES! Band is Everything! I'm so happy for Will that he's sharing a college experience with his band buddies! I'm still friends with most of my HS drumline mates, and a heaping handful of other HS band members. It definitely forms strong bonds.

Today's Agenda:
Charlie and I are headed to the lab for his monthly blood work first thing this morning, then I'll drop him off at school and do the grocery shopping. I have a meeting with a student this afternoon, but otherwise I'll probably spend some time reading and sewing. Baked potatoes for dinner tonight.

On the reading front:
I spent time with Vis and Ramin, The Boy Who Was, and Plain Bad Heroines yesterday.

What We're Watching:
Tomm and Charlie had DC night, so I watched an episode of OUAT on my own.

Morning, Amber. Sweet Thursday. I hope you are having a good week and enjoying those books.

Morning, Amber! I really need to go to the grocery, but I don't want to. It's really gross outside. Baked potatoes is also in our menu plan - if I go to the market.

>195 scaifea: Tomm and I are already really excited at the idea of sitting in the bleachers in the chilly, fall night air, sipping hot cider, cheering on the kiddo and the rest of the band... *happy sigh* We did that for 3 years when Jenna was in her high school’s marching band. I have many fond memories of those times. We enjoyed her middle school performances and the Christmas parades, too.

>207 msf59: Morning, Mark! It's been a pretty good week so far, although not nearly enough time for the books. How's that Jackson doing? Such a cutie.

>208 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! *snork!* I thought of you while I was putting my groceries in the car, in fact! The guy whose bagging methods I despise was there today and I had to rearrange things myself while putting my bags in the trunk. At least there were no little old ladies impatiently waiting for my cart!

>209 karenmarie: I'm excited for all the concert band stuff, too, but there's something special about marching band. And I love how excited Charlie is about it all, too. He was so worried this morning that I wouldn't get him to school in time for band class after his lab appointment - ha! (He made it with plenty of time to spare.)

>211 scaifea: I am deeply honored. *grin* And hooray for no little old ladies awaiting.

>213 Crazymamie: Ha! You know, I frequently think about a lot of LTers off and on during my days. It's just what you do, you know, with friends.

>206 scaifea: First week of class and you've got a student meeting already? Keen little cherub.

>215 MickyFine: My cherubs are the best, of course.

>214 scaifea: *fist bump* You'll be so proud - I went to the market even though I really didn't want to.

>217 Crazymamie: WOOT!!

Right?! SO I should get tomorrow off for good behavior.

>219 Crazymamie: Yes you should! And also pie. You deserve pie.

>220 scaifea: I didn't exactly *go* to the market, but I got groceries delivered. Can I have pie, too? Pretty please? Mamie can have the bigger piece since she did more work.

>221 rosalita: *snork!* Of course you can have pie!

Today's Agenda:
Weekly bill sorting, teaching, baking (Peanutty Chocolate Cookies), a bit of cleaning, hopefully some reading. Tomm has some errands to run and he's offered to maybe bring us back some lunch, which I'm already looking forward to. Frozen Friday for dinner tonight.

On the reading front:
I managed a few pages in Better Late Than Never and I listened to a bit of Plain Bad Heroines yesterday, but in general this week has been a poor reading week. Not surprising, really, since it's the first week of classes. Hopefully my reading will pick up next week.

What We're Watching:
While Charlie was playing online with friends last night, Tomm and I rewatched an old favorite: Role Models. So, so funny.

YES to pie!!! Morning, Amber! I am thrilled to have reached Friday - my very favorite day.

>224 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! SAME! I'm so ready for the weekend!

>223 scaifea: Is the first week of classes a little less exhausting virtually as compared to IRL or is it about the same? At any rate, happy Friday!

>226 MickyFine: Honestly, it's the same. It's the physical and mental adjustments to being the performer and circus ring leader in class that is exhausting, and that really doesn't change no matter where you're teaching from.

>227 scaifea: That totally makes sense. Hope the lions/cherubs were well behaved today.

>228 MickyFine: Yeah, I'm not sure I'd call them lions. Maybe penguins?

Today's Agenda:
Charlie and I are going to go check out the Friends of the Library book sale down at the main library in Newark today. We've never been (to the sale) and we're both pretty excited. The sale runs from 9-3, but we're not sure when we'll go yet, because Tomm may need our help at some point during his project today, which is tearing down Charlie's old bed (he's had a raised one with steps on the side and a cubby with bookshelves underneath for years and he's now *way* to big for it - he can't climb the stair without bending over or hitting his head on the ceiling) and bringing in the new bed he's making from the garage. It's not completely finished, but done enough for Charlie to start using it while Tomm spends the next few weekends finishing it up, apparently (I'm not clear on the precise details of the plan). Anyway, he says he may need some help getting the old bed down the stairs and the new one up, so we can't leave until that's done.

I was also planning on baking (Olive Oil Pecan Streusel Bundt Cake), but depending on the timeline of the day I may wait until tomorrow for that. I'd also like to get some sewing room time in (I've started working on the annual Pajama Project for Charlie), but, again, we'll see how the day pans out. Tomm's in charge of dinner - hamburgers on the grill (a turkey burger with aged smoked gouda for me, beef burgers for Tomm and Charlie with Pepper Jack for Tomm and Cheddar for Charlie).

On the reading front:
I started Never Let Me Go yesterday and I am already hooked. And I'm still listening to Plain Bad Heroines, which has finally settled into a really interesting read/listen, too. It's likely no fault of the book that it took so long to get going for me - I frequently have this trouble with audiobooks.

What We're Watching:
Captain America: Civil War for our Friday Night Marvel Movie Marathon. It was also Family Game Night and my pick, so we played one of my very favorites: Quixx.

Very belated Happy new thread, Amber!

>230 scaifea: Gosh, Amber! I remember when Charlie first got that cubbyhole bed and the pictures you posted — it was so charming. And to think now he's too tall for it! Honestly, how can Charlie keep growing up when I myself have not aged a day from then to now? 'Tis a puzzlement.

Hi Amber!

Wow, new bed for Charlie and a visit to a Friends of the Library Sale. I hope you and Charlie finds lots and lots of books.

You'll have to report back on the Friends sale - we just cancelled our September sale but will be making a decision at the end of September about whether to even try to have another one this year.

Happy Saturday, Amber! Hurray for book sales starting up again. In late July, I donated a huge amount of books to our county library. I'm sure many of them will show up at the county fair booth but afterwards I'm hoping the branches will begin sales too.
Enjoy!

>231 connie53: Thanks, Connie!

>232 rosalita: *SNORK!* Yes, that's so strange, isn't it? I haven't aged either. What's wrong with him?!

>233 karenmarie: Hi, Karen!

I'm pretty excited about the book sale - I walked through the ginormous room they have dedicated just to the sale in the main library when I was training there and so I can't wait to putter around in there today. I'm happy that they've started up the book sale again, but yeah, it's rough here. We'll definitely be wearing masks, but I don't expect we'll see many other masks besides our own. Ugh. I'm always the only person with a mask on in our local branch when I go in each week for holds.

I've been following your own FotL saga over on your thread, too. It must be such an undertaking to organize!

>234 Carmenere: Happy Saturday to you, too, Lynda! I have a pile of books to donate, too, and I guess I could probably do so now. For so long the library wasn't accepting donations. I'll have to check the next time I'm in our branch.

Morning, Amber! Have fun at the library sale - hoping you bring home some treasure. Our library actually has a mask mandate, which is shocking down here in the land of denial.

>239 Crazymamie: Wow, good for your library! I know that the library back in WI where we used to live has a mask mandate, too.

The library sale was great and there were *tons* of books! We filled a brown paper grocery bag - $5 a bag - and it was a great deal. I picked up 6 books for my mom (cozy mystery types), and this is my haul:

And the weekend baking report - here's the Olive Oil Pecan Streusel Bundt Cake:



It's from Antoni in the Kitchen, by Antoni Porowski of QE fame. Charlie gave it to me for my birthday - we're both big fans of the show.

Wow! What a deal! Happy reading!
ahhh that bundt cake looks amazing!

>243 Carmenere: Right?! That's only about half the books we got - all for $5!

We haven't cut into the cake yet, but it smells amazing!

>242 scaifea: Perfect!

>245 connie53: Thanks, Connie! It turned out really tasty, too.

Morning, Amber! Nice library sale haul. The bundt cake looks amazing - bundt cake always looks so elegant, and I love that it has a crust all the way around when you slice it as that is my favorite part.

WELP. My temporary crown fell out this morning. Because of course it did. So I'll call first thing in the morning and hopefully they can squeeze me in to pop that back on before Thursday, which is when my appointment is to put the permanent crown on. Yoicks. At least the filling is intact, so I don't expect any pain. Hopefully. Because I'll have to teach tomorrow before I can go, if they can even fit me it. Blerg.

Anyway. The day's off to a fantastic start. I don't really have many plans, at least, besides laundry and maybe some sewing. Beef Roast with Oven-Browned Potatoes and Yorkshire Pudding for dinner tonight. I'll have to pass on the actual roast, I think, but the potatoes and pudding should be fine (and those are my favorite parts of the meal anyway).

On the reading front:
I spent my reading time with The Boy Who Was yesterday and listened to more of Plain Bad Heroines.

What We're Watching:
My pick last night, so I introduced Charlie to Clueless.

>248 scaifea: Boo to recalcitrant crowns! Hope you remain pain-free until you can get it sorted.

And WHY do these things always happen on the weekend?!

Sorry about the temporary crown, Amber. What a hassle. But any excuse to only eat potatoes and Yorkshire pudding is fine by me, as long as there is no pain :)

What did Charlie think of Clueless?

>249 rosalita: Thanks, Julia. I'm mostly annoyed that I'll have to make two trips to the dentist this week instead of one. Gah. And RIGHT?! Always. On. The. Weekend.

>250 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie. I *am* looking forward to potatoes and pudding, though.

I don't think Charlie *loved* it. And honestly, it doesn't hold up too well. And there's the weirdness of step-siblings dating. But...Paul Rudd, so it's all good.

Paul Rudd, The Ageless Man.

Love him.

>253 katiekrug: Ha! Yeah. He did look *very* young in that one, though. He's aged some, at least, but not as much as everyone else, it seems.

I'm always so impressed by people who make Yorkshire pudding because I find the whole process so intimidating. So I'm once again in awe of how cool you are, Amber.

Antoni has another cookbook coming out this fall (I think in October), so you may want to add it to your Christmas list.

So glad you're hooked on Never Let Me Go. It's one of my favourites from Ishiguro.

>255 MickyFine: Pshaw. Yorkshire pudding is one of those things that seems intimidating but once you've made it the first time you realize it's easy-peasy. The hardest part about this meal for me is timing it all correctly so that everything is done at the same time. I usually write out a chart, to be honest.

Ha! Well, if Charlie finds out about the cookbook, I'm sure I'll get it. This cake is amazing and so was the pomegranate chicken recipe, but honestly those are the only two I'm interested in in the whole book. Lots of too-fancy stuff for me.

>248 scaifea: Yikes about the temporary crown, Amber. I hope they can fit you in tomorrow.

Oh no, sorry to read about your temporary crown. I think ice cream is in order.

Hi Amber!

>237 scaifea: Our Friends book sale team is made up of seniors, all vaccinated, yet we're especially cautious about not causing a superspreader event. I think our senior member is 84. The room we have available is not ginormous and we’d require everybody to conform with the CDC recommendations for masking up – possibly causing confrontations. Frankly, we’re just not up for that. I’ve been seeing people out and about without masks, but the Library requires masks. I don’t know if there have been any confrontations. Good for you for masking up!!!

Our book sales require upwards of 120 volunteers over the three-day sale, with meticulous planning starting a month or so before a sale and set up starting Sunday before Thursday, the first day of a sale. I desperately miss the sales.

>241 scaifea: Nice haul. The third day of each of our sales is $5/bag day. Was anybody wearing a mask besides you?

>248 scaifea: Yuck about the crown. I do hope you can get it put back on, just in time to get it off for Thursday’s permanent crown. No pain allowed.

>257 connie53: Thanks, Connie. I hope so, too!

>258 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura. No ice cream, though, as I just took a swig of a cold drink and that tooth is definitely sensitive to temperature right now. Ugh.

>259 karenmarie: Ooof, I don't blame you for not wanting to deal with confronting anti-maskers. Gross. There were a couple of other people there masked, but not very many. Sadly that seems the norm here in my county. And Charlie says very few kiddos are masked in school, so we're not forcing him to wear one while he's there, either. Seems a moot point and he's vaccinated, so, *shrug.* We still wear masks everywhere else we go, though, including Charlie.

And thanks for the crown well-wishes. We'll see how it goes. I've dosed myself with some ibuprofen just in case it thinks about hurting beyond the temp sensitivity. Ugh.

>248 scaifea: Bummer. I hope you can get that fixed quickly.

Hi Amber! Your book sale haul is great. I'm also a big Never Let Me Go fan -- enjoy!

A meme comes to mind:
Falling down
Get up
Straighten crown
Walk on

All the best for your tooth and a good start to the week, Amber

Morning, Amber! I hope you had a nice weekend at the Scaife Manor. I am glad to see you are loving Never Let Me Go but not at all surprised. My SIL is reading Klara and I all ready suggested this one too.

>263 quondame: Thanks. Fingers crossed.

>264 curioussquared: I think I did pretty well at the book sale, yeah? And yes! NLMG is so good so far. I'm glad you liked it, too!

>265 SirThomas: Ha! I love that, Thomas! And thanks for the well-wishes!

>266 msf59: Morning, Mark! This is my second Ishiguro and I don't think it'll be the last, either.

Today's Agenda:
I'm waiting for 8am to roll around so I can call the dentist's office. I'm really hoping they can get me in today, and it would be wonderful if they said that they could just pop the permanent one on today so I don't have to go back on Thursday, but I'm not holding my breath for that to happen. *sigh*

I have quizzes to grade this morning before class and then hopefully I'll be off to the dentist's office after that. Otherwise I'll do a little cleaning, possibly take a walk with The Mario since it's supposed to start cooling off today (although it's also sort of rainy, so we'll see), maybe do some writing and reading. Again, much depends on the outcome of the dentist call.

On the reading front:
I finished The Boy Who Was yesterday (review, along with a new thread, to come soon, hopefully), and I'm nearly finished with Plain Bad Heroines. If I have car time today I'll very likely get it done.

What We're Watching:
Charlie's pick last night: Gilmore Girls, Brooklyn 99, and 30 Rock.

>270 scaifea: I ended up really enjoying The Buried Giant too.

>272 msf59: I remember there being pretty positive buzz about that one around here, which is partly why I picked it up. The other part is because I love the cover - ha!

News, everyone!!

My permanent crown is already there and they can fit me in this afternoon to fit it! WOOT!!

This is really good news!
Best wishes.

>274 scaifea: Excellent news!

Everybody is talking about the books by Kazuo Ishiguro and I have four books of him on my digital shelves. So I put them on my Kobo and try them in the near future.

Morning, Amber! Awesomesauce about the permanent crown!! And on a Monday, too.

>274 scaifea: - Oh, that's a nice way for it all to work out!

>275 SirThomas: Right?! And thanks, Thomas!

>277 connie53: Yes!!

Oh, I can't wait to see what you think of Ishiguro - I bet you'll love him.

>278 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie!

Yes! Good things *can* happen on a Monday, apparently! Who knew?

>279 katiekrug: Katie: Right? I kept daydreaming about it happening this way but really not believing I'd be that lucky.

>281 scaifea:

I now have Klara en de zon, Laat me nooit alleen, Vergeten reus and Versluierde heuvels on my TBR list!

I just checked out The Buried Giant from the library. Now I have to finish my current book a little bit faster....

>284 connie53: >285 SirThomas: Yay!!

Huzzah for the excellent dentist news! So nice to get it over with on a Monday so that the rest of your week is yours, sans tooth woes.

>287 MickyFine: Right?! It's a good news day!

>274 scaifea:

The new thread is up:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/334824

>289 lauralkeet: Ha! YES!