Katiekrug Reads and Reads and Reads Some More - Part 19

CURRENTLY READING
(Kindle) (Audio)

Hi All!

For anyone new to my thread, I'm Katie: reader, wine drinker, food appreciator, shenanigan-ator, and non-sufferer of fools. I live outside New York City with my husband, "The" Wayne, our cat, Leonard, and our dog Nuala/Noodles. I work as a senior governance manager for a non-profit engineering association, which used to be fun because I got to travel and now is just a big pile of meh. I recently left my job after 16 years and am hoping to do some writing and generally live a less stressful life as a Big Tech Trophy Wife ;-)

Here's to a great, or at least an improved, new year!

Books Completed

Books Off My Shelf: 34
Books Off My Kindle: 39
Books from Audible: 14
Library Loans: 30

NOVEMBER
117. Trashlands by Alison Stine (3.75 stars)
116. Comfort & Joy by Kristin Hannah (3 stars)
115. Home for Christmas by Holly Chamberlin (audio) (2.5 stars)
114. The Prophets by Robert Jones, Jr. (4 stars)
113. Enter the Aardvark by Jessica Anthony (audio) (4.5 stars)
112. The Kitchen Boy by Robert Alexander (3.5 stars)
111. The Office: An Oral History by Andy Greene (audio) (4 stars)
110. Faithful Place by Tana French (4.5 stars)
109. The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams (4 stars)
108. A State of Freedom by Neel Mukherjee (3 stars)
107. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (audio) (3.5 stars)
106. A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton (3 stars)
105. Matrix by Lauren Groff (5 stars)

YTD Did Not Finish
1. Waterland by Graham Swift
2. Adequate Yearly Progress by Roxanne Elden
3. The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon
4. Chasing Shakespeares by Sarah Smith
5. Dear Girls by Ali Wong
6. Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
7. The Pink Hotel by Anna Stothard
8. The Middleman by Olen Steinhauer
9. The Removed by Brandon Hobson

October
Favorite:
104. Loud Mouth by Avery Flynn (audio) (3.5 stars)
103. The Round House by Louise Erdrich (4.5 stars)
102. Quartet in Autumn by Barbara Pym (4 stars)
101. The Inimitable Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse (audio) (4 stars)
100. 1984 by George Orwell (2.5 stars)
99. Bookmarked by Wendy Fairey (audio) (3.5 stars)
98. All the Young Men by Ruth Coker Burks (4.25 stars)
97. Not Another Bad Date by Rachel Gibson (3 stars)
96. That Night by Alice McDermott (3.75 stars)
95. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (4.5 stars)

September
Favorite:
94. What is Left the Daughter by Howard Norman (5 stars)
93. No Mark Upon Her by Deborah Crombie (3.75 stars)
92. The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman (4 stars)
91. The Colour of Milk by Nell Leyshon (4 stars)
90. Amethyst by Lauren Royal (3 stars)
89. The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff (audio) (4.5 stars)
88. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (4.25 stars)
87. Animal Farm: The Graphic Novel by Odyr and George Orwell (4 stars)
86. Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare (4.5 stars)
85. Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan (4 stars)
84. West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge (4.25 stars)
83. Home Sweet Anywhere by Lynne Martin (3.5 stars)

August
Favorite:
82. The Black God's Drums by P. Djeli Clark (4 stars)
81. Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller (4.5 stars)
80. Lizzie & Dante by Mary Bly (4.5 stars)
79. Falling by T.J. Newman (4 stars)
78. I'm Not Scared by Niccolo Ammaniti (4.25 stars)
77. A Burning by Megha Majumdar (5 stars)
76. Cashelmara by Susan Howatch (3.5 stars)
75. The Strawberry Hearts Diner by Carolyn Brown (audio) (3 stars)
74. Whiskey and Charlie by Annabel Smith (4 stars)
73. The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy by Sara Angelini (3 stars)
72. You Deserve Nothing by Alexander Maksik (4.25 stars)

July
Favorite:
71. Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa (4.5 stars)
70. The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys (4 stars)
69. Pack Up the Moon by Kristan Higgins (4 stars)
68. The President's Daughter by Ellen Emerson White (3 stars)
67. Becoming by Michelle Obama (audio) (4 stars)
66. All Systems Red by Martha Wells (audio) (3.5 stars)
65. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (3.5 stars)
64. The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths (3.5 stars)
63. The Summer Book by Tove Jansson (4.5 stars)
62. The Bird Tribunal by Agnes Ravatn (4 stars)
61. Born in Death by J.D. Robb (3.5 stars)

June
Favorite:
60. The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris (3.5 stars)
59. The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton (3.5 stars)
58. The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman (4 stars)
57. In the Morning I'll Be Gone by Adrian McKinty (4 stars)
56. The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare (4 stars)
55. Summerwater by Sarah Moss (4 stars)
54. Outlawed by Anna North (3.5 stars)
53. Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell (audio) (3.5 stars)
52. Wish You Were Here by Stewart O'Nan (4 stars)

May
Favorite:
51. Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger (4.5 stars)
50. The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz (4 stars)
49. The Other Americans by Laila Lalami (3.5 stars)
48. Normal People by Sally Rooney (audio) (4 stars)
47. A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught (3 stars)
46. The New Yorkers by Cathleen Schine (4.25 stars)
45. How to Break a Dragon's Heart by Cressida Cowell (audio) (3.5 stars)
44. On the Way to the Wedding by Julia Quinn (3 stars)
43. Darkside by Belinda Bauer (4 stars)
42. Another Kind of Life by Catherine Dunne (3 stars)
41. Eat Cake. Be Brave. by Melissa Radke (audio) (3 stars)
40. Lord the One You Love is Sick by Kasey Thornton (4.5 stars)

April
Favorite:
39. Unleashing Mr. Darcy by Teri Wilson (3.5 stars)
38. Stories from Suffragette City by Various Authors (3.5 stars)
37. The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare (4 stars)
36. Lean on Pete by Willy Vlautin (4.5 stars)
35. The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side by Agatha Christie (3.5 stars)
34. The Crucible by Arthur Miller (audio) (4.5 stars)
33. The Vanishing Point by Mary Sharratt (4 stars)
32. Pride and Promiscuity by Arielle Eckstut and Dennis Ashton (2 stars)
31. Island of the Lost by Joan Druett (4 stars)
30. It's In His Kiss by Julia Quinn (4 stars)
29. The Secret River by Kate Grenville (4 stars)

March
Favorite:
28. Dodgers by Bill Beverly (4.5 stars)
27. The Rogue of Fifth Avenue by Joanna Shupe (3.5 stars)
26. Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton (3 stars)
25. Cannery Row by John Steinbeck (4 stars)
24. Shit, Actually by Lindy West (3.5 stars)
23. Difficult Women by Roxane Gay (4 stars)
22. Anywhere for You by Abbie Greaves (3.5 stars)
21. Fat Chance by Nick Spalding (3.5 stars)
20. Memory in Death by J.D. Robb (3.5 stars)
19. Passing by Nella Larsen (3.5 stars)
18. Love by Toni Morrison (4 stars)

February
Favorite:
17. The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver (4.5 stars)
16. The Blood of Emmett Till by Timothy B. Tyson (4 stars)
15. The Weirdies by Michael Buckley (audio) (4.5 stars)
14. The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey by Walter Mosley (4.25 stars)
13. Heaven, My Home by Attica Locke (4 stars)
12. Paradise by Toni Morrison (4.25 stars)
11. Emperor of the Air by Ethan Canin (3.5 stars)
10. When They Call You a Terrorist by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and Asha Bandele (4 stars)
9. Blessings by Anna Quindlen (4.5 stars)

January
Favorite:
8. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (2.75 stars)
7. Triangle by David Von Drehle (4 stars)
6. New Boy by Tracy Chevalier (3.5 stars)
5. 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl by Mona Awad (audio) (4 stars)
4. Siracusa by Delia Ephron (4.5 stars)
3. Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls (4 stars)
2. One By One by Ruth Ware (3.5 stars)
1. Jazz by Toni Morrison (3.75 stars)

My Ratings (revised, once again, as I continue the fruitless search for the perfect scale...)

2 stars = Whyyyyyy?
3 stars = Eh, ok.
4 stars = Definitely worth the time.
5 stars = Perfect *for me*

(Anything below 2 stars is unlikely to be finished)



WELCOME!

Morning, Katie! Happy new thread!

Faithful Place by Tana French

This was a great read - a compelling main character, fully developed secondary characters, a strong sense of place, and questions of family, loyalty, and justice. Frank Mackey thinks he's left behind his working class roots and dysfunctional family; he's not been home for over 20 years and maintains only a tenuous connection with one of his sisters. But he's pulled home for a cold case involving his old girlfriend who stood him up 22 years ago on the verge of their departure together for England.

There's a lot going on in the book, and I loved how French managed to weave all the strings together and to draw parallels and connections between Frank then and now. The scenes with Frank and his daughter are so well done, and his inner turmoil about how to be a good father when he had no example is heartbreaking in many ways. This is a pretty dark book in its take on one's ability to move beyond one's past only so far. And how as much as we'd like to leave certain things behind, it's impossible because they helped to form us and so stay with us, woven into our very beings.

4.5 stars

They fuck you up, your mum and dad.
They may not mean to, but they do.
They fill you with the faults they had
And add some extra, just for you.

But they were fucked up in their turn
By fools in old-style hats and coats,
Who half the time were soppy-stern
And half at one another’s throats.

Man hands on misery to man.
It deepens like a coastal shelf.
Get out as early as you can,
And don’t have any kids yourself.

- Philip Larkin
"This Be The Verse"

>7 scaifea: - Morning, Amber! Thanks!

>8 katiekrug: I *need* to get to Tana French someday.

>8 katiekrug: I wish I'd Larkin'd my life...I wouldn't be being a great-grandfather in a couple weeks. (Any day now, in fact, since first babies are not calendar-watchers.)

From last thread: YES it's #GBBO and my bloody GAWD!!!!!!

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>10 scaifea: - She's so good!

>11 richardderus: - Now I'm going to be an anxious mess until Friday night!

Happy new one, Katie! Great review of Faithful Place - I'll add my thumb if you posted it. I read and loved In the Woods several years ago, but have failed to get into the second book multiple times. I might just skip it and read the third one - what are your thoughts on that idea?

>13 Crazymamie: - Thanks, Mamie. I've posted it.

You can totally skip The Likeness. I've read it but don't remember much about it, and this one definitely stands on its own. Go for it!

>8 katiekrug: Great to read your review and remember how much I enjoyed that French. She's one of those authors I'll read as soon as a new one is out.

>15 vivians: - Is Faithful Place your favorite of hers, Vivian? I am looking forward to getting to more...

>8 katiekrug: Glad to see you liked it, Katie! I am a big Tana French fan.

Happy new thread and happy Wednesday!

>16 katiekrug: I think Broken Harbor is the most memorable, or maybe the first one In the Woods. I really loved The Searcher too.

>18 vivians: I have a hard time choosing a favorite too, Vivian. Except for The Likeness, which just didn't measure up to the others, for me anyway. Seconding Katie's rec to Mamie to skip it. I know she (Katie) liked it but the series doesn't have a strong character-driven arc across all of the books, so each one can kind of stand alone.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Katie.

Driving by honking the horn and hollering "Happy New Thread"

>17 alcottacre: - Thanks, Stasia! Happy Wednesday to you, too. I've liked all 3 of the Frenches I've read.

>18 vivians: - I really liked In the Woods, too. I know some people didn't like the ambiguity of it, but it worked for me. I have a copy of The Searcher on my shelf, as well as all the rest of the Dublin series.

>19 lauralkeet: - I did like The Likeness but it was pretty ridiculous. It's definitely my least favorite of the 3 I've read so far.

>20 Helenliz: - Thanks, Helen!

>21 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba!

>22 magicians_nephew: - You're gonna wake the neighbors, Jim!

Happy Wednesday, Katie! Happy New Thread. I love your review and quote from Faithful Place. As much as I enjoyed her earlier books, I am starting to find her tiresome. The books seem to be getting longer and longer. I liked The Trespasser but it took awhile before it got going. It may be the last I read by her.

>24 msf59: - It's always disappointing when a favorite author seems to lose some of their magic, isn't it, Mark? I'll keep on with her and see how the later stuff hits me.

>25 katiekrug: My recommendation is to read all six of the Dublin Murder Squad novels, then skip The Wych Elm (aka The Witch Elm in Amurca), which was bloated and meandering. But definitely read her latest, The Searcher. Tana got her mojo back for that one.

>26 lauralkeet: - Thanks, Laura! I have TWE on my Kindle and a hardcover copy of The Searcher. I don't think I've heard anything good about TWE, so I will probably skip it. Luckily, I picked it up cheap in a Kindle sale :)

Happy new one, Katie. You have been doing a lot of reading.

>28 BLBera: - I find myself with more free time on my hands, Beth :)

Happy new thread, Katie!

Hello, Katie. I'm mostly lurking lately, trying to stay out from under foot.

HAppy new one!

>30 bell7: - Thanks, Mary!

>31 weird_O: - Hi Bill!

>32 figsfromthistle: - Thanks, Anita!

We might hit a record high temperature here today - it's supposed to be somewhere int he low 70s, I believe. Gross. It's November! C'mon!

I tried a new recipe last night - meatball and orzo casserole. It was... okay. My favorite part of cooking is debriefing with The Wayne afterwards to figure out how a recipe could be improved. We agreed next time to try this with Italian sausage and red pepper, instead of the meatballs and broccoli rabe. As usual, it also needed way more seasoning than called for. Anyway, not a total fail, and it was pretty easy to make, so I'll try again. After dinner, we read in the living room for an hour. I'm trying to make that a regular thing, but I often forget :-P

Nuala will go to day care today, and then I'll stop by the library - I can't put it off until the weekend like I thought I would because my hold is about to expire... I might treat myself to a chai latte while I'm out. Then I have more laundry to do, and I might start the Great Closet(s) Purge of 2021, because there is a used clothing collection event on Saturday, where I could off-load the stuff and save myself a drive out to the Goodwill.

No cooking tonight because I have virtual happy hour with my former colleagues, so delivery it is. I'm leaving the choice up to TW.

I finished both my books yesterday, so have started Enter the Aardvark on audio and The Prophets on my Kindle (hat tip to Richard).

>34 katiekrug: We'll hit 74º again in Atlanta today, as we did yesterday. That's only 10º above normal, and is similar to the weather we had at this time last week. A cold front is passing through the Eastern US this evening, though; after a rainy night tomorrow morning's low temperature will be 36º, 12º colder than this morning, and we'll only get up to 60º F for a high temperature on Friday. The same cold front will pass through Philadelphia as well, as it will reach 69º today, but only 49º on Friday, and it will be seasonably cool there and here for at least the next week.

Meatball and orzo casserole sounds interesting. I'll make another batch of Cajun butter beans with Andouille sausage and shrimp this afternoon, which will probably be the last thing I cook before I fly to Philadelphia on Monday, as I'm working this weekend.

I'll also have to read The Prophets, but not until early next year.

Happy new one, Katie!

Happy new thread, Katie!

I've drawn a line in the sand and am not attempting to catch up - I hope you and TW have or will have new HVAC soon, and I hope that everything else is going well for you.

Oh gross to 70 degrees! I love that you debrief TW - too funny!

>35 kidzdoc: - Have you considered an alternative career as a weatherman, Darryl? :D

I want to try that butter beans recipe, only I'd have to leave out the shrimp because TW doesn't like shellfish...

>36 drneutron: - Thanks, Jim!

>37 karenmarie: - It's great to see you, Karen, and you are totally right to draw a line. We do have our new HVAC in and it's working great!

>38 scaifea: - His notes are almost always, "It needs more spice." Heh.

I may have gotten a bit carried away at the library this morning...



All That She Carried by Tiya Miles (just won the National Book Award for nonfiction!)
Fault Lines by Emily ITami (my December book group read)
A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins (she's a hit-or-miss author for me, but I figured I'd give it a shot)
That Summer by Jennifer Weiner (I didn't love her last one, but Laura said this one was pretty good)
Trashlands by Alison Stine (random pick - it's set in a dystopian near-future Appalachia)
Invisible Child: Poverty, SUrvival and Hope in an American City by Andrea Elliott (another random pick, but I tend to really enjoy these sorts of sociological/societal books)

They are all new releases, so I only have them for 2 weeks. Oops.

>39 katiekrug: Ha! My work partners would agree with that assessment, as they know that I'll have the most updated information on inclement weather in Atlanta.

Here's my recipe for Cajun butter beans with Andouille sausage and shrimp:



Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 1 large Vidalia onion, diced
- 1 red or green bell pepper, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp fresh thyme
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 lb dried large butter beans (lima beans), preferably
Camellia Butter Beans from New Orleans
- 1 lb Andouille sausage
- 1 lb medium to large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- salt, ground pepper, cayenne pepper, Cajun or Creole seasoning to taste
- sliced green onions or finely chopped parsley

Instructions:
1. Soak beans in water overnight, drain the next day
2. Heat 2 tbsp EVOO in a medium soup pot or Dutch oven under medium heat
3. Add sliced Andouille sausage, sauté for 5 minutes until sausage has browned
4. Remove sausage from pan with a slotted spoon, place on a plate
5. Add onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic to soup pot, sauté for 7-8 minutes, until vegetables are soft
6. While cooking vegetables add 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground pepper, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper and 1/2 tsp Cajun or Creole seasoning (I prefer Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning, but you can make your own from scratch, if you prefer)
7. Add sausage, dried beans, cover with water to 1 inch above mix, add 2 tsp thyme and 3 bay leaves
8. Increase temperature to medium-high heat until pot comes to a boil, then drop to low heat to achieve a gentle simmer
9. Cook uncovered until beans are tender and mixture has become thick and creamy, roughly 1.5 to 2 hours; stir at least every 10-15 minutes
10. Add shrimp, cook for another 15 minutes or so
11. Serve over rice (I highly recommend Uncle Ben's Original Parboiled Rice), top with sliced green onions or diced parsley, add hot sauce to taste.
______________________________

Years ago I asked my great aunt Ella from New Orleans how long beans should be cooked. She said something like, "The beans will tell you when they're done." I didn't understand her reply at that time but I do now, and in this case the beans will be very tender, and the mixture will be thickened and opaque, as a good number of the beans will have broken open and dissolved. Similar to making Creole red beans & rice, you could use the back of a large metal spoon to smush about 1/4 to 1/3 of the beans against the sides of the pot to make a thicker and creamier mixture; it should not be watery!!

>34 katiekrug: I have The Prophets slated to read in December. It will be interesting to see how our opinions line up.

>40 katiekrug: My kind of treasure! I have not read any of those so I will be curious to see what you think of them. Read like the wind! You only have 2 weeks :)

>41 kidzdoc: - Thanks for the recipe, Darryl!

>42 alcottacre: - When I was checking the books out, the librarian said, "You're going to have to read straight through Thanksgiving!" and I responded, "That's the plan. A perfect holiday." And we smiled at each other.

The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s by Andy Greene

I get that The Office is not everyone's cup of tea. It can be cringe-inducing, though it doesn't rely solely on cringe humor, but I love its observational humor. I think many people don't like it because the pilot was so terrible, and the first season made Michael Scott so loathsome. But seasons 2 through about 5 have some of the funniest episodes of any TV show I've ever seen.

Anyway, this was an interesting oral history of the show, with a brief overview of the original UK version and how it came to be adapted for a US audience. The author interviewed scores of people from producers, writers, actors, crew members, and arranges the book season by season. Much like the show, it went on a bit too long... Unsurprisingly, I lost a lot of interest when it moved into the final two seasons. But I do love "how the sausage is made" stuff, especially about something I am very familiar with. Apparently, there is a new oral history out just this week - I will probably put it on my Audible list and get to it sometime, when this one is less fresh in my mind.

4 stars

>29 katiekrug: If you need something to do, I could send you some student essays to grade. ;)

>40 katiekrug: "someone" has a busy 2 weeks' reading ahead of them!

>44 katiekrug: As I loathed the show, UK & US versions, I will be passing on that.

>40 katiekrug: You got a seriously chock-full two weeks there! I am most excited to hear what you think about All That She Carried, which I asked for but was declined by Random House. *miff* But I'm still on the waitlist at the library.

>34 katiekrug: The Prophets was so enfolding, so richly imagined and told...I really hope it leaves a positive memory in you!

Half or more of the fun of cooking is talking about it...dissecting it for what could make it better. Meatballs are seldom as exciting as sausage when made into casseroles, unless one makes them with sausage.

Happy Thursday! So, you want a copy of Chouette for Yule? heh

>40 katiekrug: Oh no ... the pressure!!!

I'm enjoying your culinary adventures, Katie. I find I enjoy cooking much more now that I'm not working, and therefore not rushed to get dinner on the table. I don't necessarily make more complicated or time-consuming dishes, but I do enjoy the process more.

>45 BLBera: - Nah, I'm good, Beth. Thanks :)

>46 Helenliz: - I know! Poor me...

>47 richardderus: - Yes, it's definitely not something for a non-fan.

I know I won't get to them all, but I like having them. And I can always get them another time.

The Prophets is good so far - I'm only about 30 pages in...

TW and I love to talk about food - almost as much as we love to consume it.

Hard pass on the Chouette!

>48 lauralkeet: - That's exactly it, Laura - having the time to do it and not stressing over it. Now I can do some prep work in the afternoon if I want to and just throw things together in the evening. I'm really enjoying it.

>49 katiekrug: You are *so*lucky* that I'm po'folk or I'd send it to you just to be mean....

I was briefly involved with a woman who was utterly bored by food. Just...did not care. She couldn't, I think, taste anything so my rhapsodies about dill and tarragon and how they meld so beautifully in a meyer-lemon/butter sauce over trout were met with silent-but-speaking side-eye action.

Rob OTOH battens on our food discussions. HIM I'll keep.

>50 richardderus: - I can't say we know much (beyond whether we like something or not) or talk at a very high level about it, but it's something we enjoy learning and experiencing together.

You mentioned somewhere that Rob is away "upstate" at CIA. That's awesome - good for him! Has he tried surfing on the Hudson yet?

The Kitchen Boy by Robert Alexander

I should have known I'd end up having a problem with this book from the very beginning, where we have the framing device of contemporary people connected to a historical event. For some reason, this annoys me. Like, just tell the damn historical story! But lesser authors like to do this because then they can throw in a twist meant to be shocking but that most people will see coming from a mile away. And then the book will become a shitty book club darling and everybody will say how clever and surprising it was, except it wasn't.

Okay, sorry for the rant.

ANYWAY, this book about the last days of the Romanovs in 1918 was pretty good, as far as the main story went. Despite knowing the ultimate outcome, Alexander managed to make the narrative interesting and compelling. And then, instead of ending it with a bit of an "aha," he decides to go for broke with a DOUBLE TWIST! Isn't he so clever?!!? It was dumb and unnecessary.

3 stars

>52 katiekrug: Ugh. Hard pass.

>51 katiekrug: I made that joke to stony silence...he **hates** Poughkeepsie, where he's got work. I told him to mellow out, put his head down and run with the job...he can't expect to be happy about moving away from everyone he's ever known until he gets to know the folks he'll be thrown into the pressure cooker with and that ain't until the new year.

His new restaurant, which he calls "Casa de Rat", doesn't meet his Brooklyn standards. We had a Serious Talk about attitude...using my own life, I have the experience to tell him that this ain't gonna fly.

What astounds me is that he actually listens and follows my advice.

...!!!...

>52 katiekrug: Yup, that's not going to be read.
I'm with you on the framing device, it rarely works.

>53 richardderus: - Having grown up near Poughkeepsie (well, near is relative up there - it was the closest major city. It had a MALL!) I can sympathize. The surrounding area with lots of little towns is worth exploring though - Red Hook, Rhinebeck, Millbrook, etc. And just north in Columbia County are lots more. Does he have a car? If not, none of my rhapsodizing matters...

>54 Helenliz: - Oh, good. I love turning people off of a book :D

And what about those dreadful books where there is a story in the present and a story in the past in lockstep parallelism that somehow (Boy didn't see that coming) link up like two trains crashing together in the last chapter.

>56 magicians_nephew: - Ugh. Exactly.

‘Morning, Karie!

Bill and I loved The Office, at least the seasons with Michael Scott. Cringe-worthy, for sure, sometimes emotionally valid, too. I watch clips on YouTube all the time. The UK version was pretty awful, in our opinion.

I had a bit of a sleep-in this morning and didn't get up until almost 8:00. We have to leave for the gym at 8:45, so I quickly gulped some coffee, got dressed, and tried to wake up... It was nice to sleep later than normal, but I sort of wish it had been a day when I didn't have to be out the door less than an hour later :-P

The plan for today is to finish washing sheets (I have a backlog from when it was a pain to do laundry after the flood) and getting those put away (the dreaded folding of the fitted sheet!) and then treating myself to a book sale in a neighboring town organized by a women's club. They hold them twice a year, and I went once a few years ago, and they had a pretty good selection. So that should be fun.

Frozen pizza and salad for dinner, followed by GBBO.

I am getting farther into The Prophets, and it is very good. Some of it is going over my head, I think, but that's okay. And my audio - Enter the Aardvark - is wonderfully weird.

>58 karenmarie: - Morning, Karen! There are definitely lots of cringe-y moments, but as you say, there is real emotion, too. And Michael wasn't the irredeemable prick portrayed in the pilot and early on, but I think maybe some people didn't give it a chance after that. The book talks about the UK version only a bit, but does point out that a straight adaptation wouldn't have been successful for several reasons, including the character of David Brent being so awful that no one would watch it for so long (I believe the UK version had two short-ish seasons and a Christmas special). The pilot of the US version was almost entirely just a remake of the UK one and was terrible. Luckily, they learned the lesson...

cringe-comedy is my worst nightmare. Maybe that's why I didn't enjoy The Office. Never saw the British version.

Morning, Katie!

Sheets. Ugh. That's on my list for this weekend.

Weirdly, even though I generally really dislike cringe humor and don't like the US version of The Office, I kind of loved the British original. Maybe it's so over the top that I becomes more absurd than cringey? Anyway.

Morning, Katie! It's Friday!!

>52 katiekrug: So maybe not, but I loved your rant!

Hiya. I'm likely going to start a new thread a little later, so https://www.librarything.com/topic/336406#7657965 is my GBBO weekly.

Brace yourself.

>59 katiekrug: Once you get more into "I don't have to get up to an alarm" mode, you may find yourself scheduling things no earlier than 10 a.m. Just sayin'...

>60 katiekrug: and I'm reading this while listening to my sheets in the washer on the other side of the wall...think I'm just going to put the same ones back on the bed so I won't have to fold them :)

I watched one episode of The Office a few years ago -- that was more than enough for me. Maybe I didn't give it enough time but I don't do cringe worthy well so maybe not.

Katie, try the first method in this folding a fitted sheet how-to video. It's what I do and it's so painless (unless cats attempt helping).

Happy Friday!

>61 ffortsa: - To each her own!

>62 scaifea: - I'm planning to watch the British version this weekend...

>63 Crazymamie: - Writing (and reading) rants is The Best. Happy Friday to you, Mamie!

>64 richardderus: - I already Favorited it, so I could return to it easily. "Brace yourself," eh? I suppose that means my favorite is going home :(

>65 karenmarie: - Well, TW still has to get up to an alarm, so I try to get up with him in solidarity. But honestly, I'm usually up by 7:00 at the latest anyway. And we do the gym at 9am, because TW has to get to work.

>66 RebaRelishesReading: - Reba, I often just wash, dry, and put them back on. But then I get bored with the colors and same quilt, so like to mix it up occasionally.

>67 MickyFine: - Thanks, Micky! That first way is basically how I do it, it's just bulkier and not quite as neat with a king size sheet. I've pretty much gotten it down to a respectable result - I just find it annoying to do. And it means I have to make the bed, so I have a flat surface...

Yay for Friday!

I came home with a big bag of books from the book sale. Will report back later!

>60 katiekrug: I kind of like the UK version of The Office too, I think like Amber it's because it is so incredibly over the top. It's not uncommon for British comedies to have a more limited run (see Fawlty Towers). The nice thing about that is, they don't jump the shark. That said, I prefer the US version of The Office because Michael Scott was a much more human character and the ensemble cast really works.

>69 katiekrug:

ETA hashed brussels sprouts with lemon...Rob just whizzed through on his way from Pkps to Brooklyn to work the Thanksgiving whingding...these are so very, very, very delicious!!

>71 richardderus: This made me laugh out loud! I look exactly like that right now waiting for my Mexican takeaway.

>70 lauralkeet: - I'm glad I'm not the only one who likes the US version, Laura! I was feeling distinctly outnumbered :)

>71 richardderus: - Patience, my dear...

>72 Crazymamie: - I hope lunch has arrived by now, Mamie!

I just heard that HBO is producing a new series set in Gilded Age New York. I am so here for it!

Here is my book haul from the College Women's Club sale. In addition to those pictured, I got several mass market paperbacks of the In Death series and Grafton's Alphabet series. I'll probably go back tomorrow with The Wayne, because he lost a lot of his technical books in the flood and is trying to re-stock his library...



The hardcovers were $2 each and the trade paperbacks $1. MMPs were $0.50. I spent $26 - such a bargain!

>75 katiekrug: Lovely haul! In the Walled Gardens is a hardcover? I've only ever seen the trade paper edition & thought that's how it was introduced. Hubba-hubba!

>76 richardderus: - Yep, a hardcover. I'd never heard of it, but the pretty spine made me pick it up for a perusal...

I was excited to find a hardcover of In an Antique Land, which is a favorite of mine.

And for a lousy two bucks! That sale is worth the visit for certain.

>78 richardderus: - Absolutely. And it's a short 10 minute drive away, in an area with lots of lovely little shops and cafes, so I think tomorrow I'll make The Wayne treat me to coffee and a pastry afterwards :)

_________________________________

In other good news, I have an appointment for my booster shot on Monday morning!

Yay! Say goodbye to Tuesday, but it's so so worth it.

Coffee and cake sounds like an excellent idea.

Wait'll you see Matt's shirt...me likeee

>80 richardderus: - If I do have any ill effects, I hope they are over by Wednesday, as I have Thanksgiving prep to do!

>81 Helenliz: - Coffee and cake is never a bad idea :)

>82 richardderus: - I saw you posted another set of comments about this episode. I'm almost scared to watch it! We should be tuning in around 8pm...

>43 katiekrug: Yep, readers know other readers :)

>75 katiekrug: Nice haul! I just picked up a copy of This Tender Land myself. Let me know if you would like to do a shared read.

>79 katiekrug: Hooray for the booster shot!

Nice haul, Katie!

Great deal on those books! I need to find out what library book sales there are around here. They're often a great source of bargains and you're demonstrating here.

>84 alcottacre: - Hi Stasia. This Tender Land will probably sit on my shelves for a while, but if I pick it up soonish, I'll let you know!

>85 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth!

>86 RebaRelishesReading: - The last two book sales I've gone to haven't even been library ones - they were fundraisers for organizations. I think there is a website where used book sales are listed by area...

Morning, all! It's bright and sunny here and only going to about 50F. Perfection.

We had a quiet evening last night with our frozen pizza, salad, and GBBO. This morning, we'll be heading out to that book sale so The Wayne can check it out. I left a few areas unexplored because I figured he would want to go. So expect another haul report. After that, I want to try a French bakery nearby - a friend has recommended something called a kouign amann which I am dying to try. From the website: "Laminated dough with salted butter and coated in sugar. Specialty originally from Brittany, France. The name kouign amann translates to butter cake." Yes, please!

Unsure what we'll do the rest of the day, but we'll probably go out somewhere for an early dinner. We'll be gone most of the day tomorrow for a tailgate and football game...

The Prophets continues to be excellent.

>88 katiekrug: Oooh, I look forward to the pastry report.

Hi Katie!

Congrats on the book haul and being scheduled for your booster.

>88 katiekrug: Smart of you to save some areas to explore with TW today. I hope you have another good haul.

I was surprised by the GBBO yesterday. What a hard choice!

I collected Matrix from the library this morning, for which I entirely blame you. >;-)

Looking forward to the book sale and pastry pictures.

>91 BLBera: It absolutely was a hard choice but, after my Young Gentleman Caller stop-actioned the show for me and explained the chef-ing details, it was the (heartbreaking) proper one.

>88 katiekrug: Aaahhh...the glorious series-four pastry technical. GAWD are they good. Please take pictures!

You and The Wayne loose in the same book sale...oh dear...

Hey Katie, this arrived in my Lithub weekly newsletter today: Oral Histories: What is the All-Time Cringiest Episode of The Office?, featuring cast and creators. Enjoy!

>88 katiekrug: kouign amann is to die for.

>93 richardderus: It was an absolutely impossible choice and I would have been sad no matter who they chose. Can you elaborate on the chef-ing details?

My husband, who has both culinary training and a television production background, always shifts into "producer mode" at about this point in the series. He reminds me that we are seeing something recorded and repackaged. That's not to say that the decisions are incorrect, but that we may not see the full story, and we are definitely seeing what the producers want us to see. Especially if, at the time the semifinal episode is edited, they already know how the final will end and are building the tension and the story.

And then I tell him to shut up because I just want to enjoy it anyway LOL.

>89 MickyFine: - Short version: it was delicious!

>90 karenmarie: - Thanks, Karen. See below...

>91 BLBera: - Very hard, Beth!

>92 Helenliz: - You can thank me later :)

>93 richardderus: - I may need to go find that episode...

>94 lauralkeet: - Ha! Love your last line, Laura. I get like that when The Wayne starts analyzing war movies...

And thanks for The Office link. I had totally forgotten about Scott's Tots. The Diner Party is, of course, unforgettable!

At first I was not impressed with my pastry. Then I realized I should take it home and heat it up, which I did, and OMG, it was SO good. I'm glad the shop is a pain to get to in terms of finding parking or I'd be there all the time...

Sorry the pic is so bad!



Several of these are duplicates of books I own but which are not in great shape. I was happy to get some nicer editions for just $1 each.

Yum and, well, yum!! You're weekend is off to a great start!!

>96 katiekrug: The Hazards of Good Fortune! Oh goody good good, finally someone I know will read it! (In 2027, permaybehaps, since it's a real Titanic-sinker.) I've been talking myself out of it for a couple years...can't afford the Kindle edition, can't hold the tree-book, checking all billion pages out of the library?! it is to laugh...so TAG you're it!

An excellent haul indeed all the way around. How did The Wayne fare?

>95 katiekrug: Collection 1, episode 7. The series where Iain was bounced for getting pissy in episode 4. Also the source of "don't they have wings? can't they just fly?"

>96 katiekrug: I completely forgot! Beasts of No Nation is one of 2021's Olive Editions and it's a whopping $10!

>97 Berly: - It's been a good Saturday so far :)

>98 richardderus: - It certainly is a chunkster! I have a hard time resisting Europas, and this one sounded especially interesting.

I thought you'd get excited about Beasts of No Nation :)

The Wayne got osme weirdo books, as usual. Several military field manuals, some electronics books (mostly about circuitry - yawn) for his technical library, and several super random records.

Thanks for pointing me to the appropriate episode! I'll take a look...

>99 richardderus: - Ha! Cross-posted. So my $1 investment was a bargain.

Yay indeed for a buck of Beasts! I was gobsmacked by this book.

I'm glad The Wayne got things he likes and, given what just happened, needs. I'm also pleased and impressed that this book sale had such things!

Really, why would one resist Europas? They're uniformly handsome and usually very interesting. (The Maksik is slow going because hands, I'm on the page where Marie tells Ariel everything in order to stir stuff up...and I think Will's section is next...?)

>102 richardderus: - Your testing my memory of the Maksik. I'm sorry the book isn't playing nice with your hands. Do you have a book pillow thingy that can hold it for you? I have "The Bookseat" which I don't use nearly enough...

>96 katiekrug: Nice book haul up there, Katie. Some fine titles. I had not heard of the Norman novel.

>103 katiekrug: I went and looked...it's p68...and yep, the book pillow thingy is always my partner for heavy books! But it has its frustrations...I just don't care about them near as much as I want the thing's support.

OH!! Pastry and a book haul. Nicely done. The Shipping News is one of my favorites.

>104 msf59: - I'd not heard of that Norman one, either, Mark. Given how much I loved The Bird Artist and What is Left the Daughter, I had to pick it up.

>105 richardderus: - Ah, okay. Was wondering if Santa needed to make an emergency drop-off... :)

>106 Crazymamie: - I love The Shipping News, too, Mamie. This one replaces my kind of old and musty used copy.

Well done madam!!

>108 RebaRelishesReading: - Ha! Thanks, Reba!

I'll be out most of the day - The Wayne and I are going to the Dolphins-Jets (pro football) game, with a tailgate before. The Dolphins NYC-based fan club organizes a big group (hundreds of people) every year. The weather should be decent - mid-50s and mostly sunny.

See y'all later!

Have fun, Katie! I do love a crisp day for watching football outside.

*glances at cloudy gloom*

Have a better day than it's going to be here, and enjoy watching the poor, hapless Jets lose.

>94 lauralkeet: Oh, Laura, I did but not here...over here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/336851#7660141

>113 richardderus: Aha. Excellent comments, thanks for the link!

>111 Crazymamie: - It turned out to be more than a bit crisp, Mamie! I hadn't accounted for the breezes...

>112 richardderus: - The Dolphins have been pretty hapless themselves, but they did win so The Wayne was happy :)

>113 richardderus: and >114 lauralkeet: - I thought RD's (and Rob's) comments were also excellent.

We had fun yesterday, mostly because TW's team won, and we were surrounded by other Miami fans. It got pretty chilly as the sun went down, and we were high up, so it was breezy at times. I was not dressed appropriately (t-shirt over a turtleneck and a fleece jacket with jeans). The good news is that I'll be better prepared for next Sunday, when I am going to the Giants game with Mary :)

Once we got home, we ordered Chinese delivery and then watched a couple of episodes of Taste the Nation: Holiday Edition on Hulu. We really enjoyed the first season of this show and were excited to see a mini season drop. The first episode was about Hannukah and the Jewish American experience, with lots of focus on the Lower East Side of NYC, including visits to Russ and Daughters (Hi Darryl!) and the Tenement Museum (which is excellent - if anyone is planning a visit tot he city, I always highly recommend it). The second episode focused on Martha's Vineyard and the native Wampanoag tribe of Massachusetts who got co-opted into the Thanksgiving myth. Fascinating stuff. Anyway, if you're looking for something interesting to watch about food and American history and culture, Taste the Nation is a good choice.

This morning, I'll be getting my booster shot (hooray!) and then making room in the fridge for the Thanksgiving goodies. After that, TW and I will venture out to the store to pick up a couple of things, including the turkey breast. He managed to get Eggbert, our smoker, cleaned up and rehabbed (it was flooded) so we'll be having smoked turkey on Thursday, which is what we had last year and was delicious. He'll also pick up a couple of turkey legs to roast to get some drippings for gravy... Anyway, hopefully I won't have too much of a reaction to the shot, but I am prepared just in case. Lying on the couch watching crap TV doesn't sound too bad ;-)

I might finish up my audio today, and I'm about halfway through The Prophets, which is very good but not a fast read by any means.

Morning, Katie! Woot for your booster shot! I think we'll be ready for ours next month (should be 6 months after the first round, I think). I should double check our cards for the actual dates...

We're getting our boosters today too! We reached the 6-month milestone on Friday.

>117 scaifea: and >118 lauralkeet: - Sitting in the observation area now and haven't dropped dead, so that's good 🙂

Hi Katie!

Congrats on your booster shot. I hope you have no side effects. Also, congrats to TW on the resuscitation of Eggbert.

Bill and I got our boosters at the end of September, so we're set for a while.

>118 lauralkeet:, >119 katiekrug: Now the countdown begins....

*evil boostered chuckle*

Rob was here briefly this morning because we won't see each other again until 2022. A good, solid smooching was had...and as soon as Old Stuff buggers off to eat, the beard's comin' off. He's run his fingers through it, had his farewell, and now it's my turn! No more hair in my ears!! YAY!!!

>120 karenmarie: - Feeling fine so far, Karen!

>121 richardderus: - Buh-bye, beard!

After my booster shot, I met TW at a diner near our gym (I had dropped him off for the training session) and treated myself to a short stack and side of bacon. Then we went to the grocery store where they had everything we needed (it was a close thing with the brussels sprouts - he couldn't find them and when I looked, I saw three nearly empty baskets that were easy to miss, but between what was left in the three of them, I managed to get enough) and we managed not to get annoyed by our fellow shoppers. It was stupidly busy, of course. Once home, I was rearranging the fridge to make room for the turkey breast, which led to a full scale clearing out and washing of all the shelves and produce bins. So now it's all clean and shiny again.

This afternoon, I plan to unearth the dining table which is covered in stuff saved from the storage room downstairs, so we have somewhere to eat Thanksgiving dinner, as the breakfast bar would be too depressing. I did consider cushions on the floor next to the coffee table, and that will be Plan B...

Then I'm going to tidy up the kitchen and make as much room on the counters as possible for prepping and cooking. Wednesday, I'll be baking the spice cake and prepping the stuffing and TW will be roasting turkey legs and collection drippings. He's making noises about maybe doing the mashed potatoes ahead of time, but this is against Katie's (Arbitrary) Laws of Thanksgiving, so we'll see.

Oh, yay for getting everything you need at the store! Your Thanksgiving dinner plans sound pretty great to me, although I'm with you on making the potatoes beforehand. I mean, what is he thinking?!

Pre-made smashies...oh nay nay nay. The next stop on that train is Potato Buds. *delicate overbred shiver"

I probably agree to no pre-made mashed potatoes but I do always intentionally over-make mashed potatoes so I can make potato cakes (not sure about that name but it's what my mother called them) a day or so later. :)

>124 scaifea:, >125 richardderus:, >126 RebaRelishesReading: - I mean, I like mashed potatoes as leftovers, so it probably wouldn't be the end of the world for him to make them on Wednesday, but it just seems wrong. Part of my Thanksgiving tradition is sneaking forkfuls out of the pot before we sit down to dinner :)

>126 RebaRelishesReading: Oooh, yes to potato cakes! My mom used to make those, too!

Hi again, Katie!

>127 katiekrug: It seems wrong because it is wrong, Katie.

I vote for cushions on the floor. And hooray for getting everything you needed at the grocery store. I braved it again today and got everything except for the chorizo. I need that chorizo, so I'm gonna put Daniel on it.

Congrats on finding everything you need for your feast and fitting it all into the fridge. That last part is always the trickiest.

I hope the COVID booster treats you well. Health Canada just approved the use of boosters for the general adult population recently but no word yet on when we'll actually be able to get them. I've got a couple more months before I'm 6 months out from my second shot so no skin in the game yet for me. Happily my Dad (who is eligible because he works in a long-term care facility) is getting his booster this week.

Booster shot (Moderna) knocked Judy and i on our respective asses for a day or so but we were happy to have the shot and just that much more protection.

Nice book hauls...some of my favorites in there.

I'm with you on the pre-made mashed potatoes, although getting them done just on time is one of the tricky bits of preparing T-dinner for me. I do make my gravy ahead, though, so I'm not fiddling with that at the last minute.

>128 scaifea: - Hi Amber!

>129 Crazymamie: - I wish I could send you some chorizo, Mamie!

No cushions on the floor - we did a bunch of organizing and I have my dining table back!

>130 MickyFine: - I'm going to have to rearrange the fridge again when I prep the stuffing, as that will be in a big baking dish. But it's doable.

Glad your dad is able to get his booster!

>131 magicians_nephew: - So far no ill effects from my Moderna booster, Jim. My arm isn't even all that sore - just a bit tender if I press on the spot.

>132 laytonwoman3rd: - TW is going to try making the gravy ahead of time. Since he's smoking the turkey breast, we won't get any drippings. Hence the turkey legs...

>116 katiekrug: Got my booster shot on Sunday night and had a fever all day Monday. Ugh. But happy to have had it and feeling much better today. Gearing up for round two of Thanksgiving chez moi. Happy cooking! : )

Ha! We call it fridge tetris. That bit where you start rearranging items and working which ones will stack on others in order to fit them in. >:-)

Yay for having a dining room back again.

I would be doing roasties, not mash, but even I'm in the no camp to making mash early. Leftover mash is ace though.

No booster for me yet either. I can book it the end of December for late January.

>134 Berly: - I was prepared for some side effects, Kim, but so far I still have had nothing. One part of me is glad and one part of me is suspicious that I got a bum dose :)

>135 Helenliz: - The Wayne is a great Tetris-er - with the fridge, packing the car for a trip, cramming as much as possible into our storage unit...

I love roasties, too, but mash is Traditional. And it's TW's favorite and since he's making most of the dinner.....

ETA: I don't fully have the dining room back, as it's still holding a lot of stuff that doesn't belong there. But it's better organized now, and the table surface is clear, so I'm counting it as a win!

Well, still no side effects from my booster shot. As I said to Kim up above, I'm half glad and half suspicious. But I didn't really have any with either of the first doses, so maybe it's just me. I should have a fairly normal day today since I won't be languishing on the couch, thinking I'm dying...

I need to do a small load of laundry - dish towels, napkins, placemats, etc. And then I'm cleaning the kitchen - didn't get to that yesterday. The Wayne is planning to work ont he ground level, putting up some insulation in the storage room. We also need to make a run to the wine store for supplies :)

I'll definitely finish my audio today, since I only have about 20 minutes left. And I hope to dedicate some time to The Prophets, which I like but as often happens with books that take me a while to read, I am getting impatient to move on to something else. Bad Katie.

ETA: Pub trivia tonight and I'm hoping there will be fewer teams than normal and we'll actually do okay!

Katie, we got our Moderna boosters yesterday. I'm relatively free of side effects as well: a bit of soreness at the injection site, and stiff/tense neck & shoulders this morning which went away after some Advil. I had mild side effects with the first two doses, mild enough that I couldn't tell you exactly what they were, LOL. I'm very happy to be boosted and relieved that it hasn't knocked me on my butt.

Your T-day prep sounds wonderful, Katie. Congrats on scoring brussels sprouts, cleaning the fridge, and having the dining room table ready.

>138 lauralkeet: - I'm glad you are having a similarly easy time of it, Laura! How is Chris? Other than the sore arm, the only side effect I had from any of the 3 shots was after the second one, when I had several hours of brain fog. And that could have just been to regular tiredness...

>139 karenmarie: - Thanks, Karen!

It's that time again - year-end book lists!

Here is the New York Public Library's: https://www.nypl.org/spotlight/best-books-2021

Their criteria include "literary merit, audience appeal, and whether titles are representative of the diversity of New York City."

>141 katiekrug: Thanks for the link. I like the fact that I can print off a copy - can't find that function for the NY Times Notable list.

>141 katiekrug: What a list! I perused the Adults list, of course; super-comprehensive and, I was quite pleased to note, included 56 Days! I hope that'll rise to the top of your yass-quane list.

Strong disagreement with the choices of a few, which probably means they really do belong there (The Echo Wife, eg, completely squicked me out to the point I couldn't finish or rate it), and a lot more added to my "...and how long is it you think you have?" TBRalaya.

>142 vivians: - The NYT is too cool for printed lists...

>143 richardderus: - I haven't had a chance to dig into the lists yet, but I expect to add several titles to my wish list!

Hi, Katie. I know what you mean about being half-glad and half-suspicious about having no Booster side effects. Itead somewhere that the side effects tell you the vaccine’s really working. We both got the Moderna booster, and had no side effects, other than a little fatigue the next day and a sore arm for Debbi. We both felt a little dissatisfied for not having our butts kicked by it.

>140 katiekrug: Chris is doing pretty well, too. He had vague complaints of not feeling quite right but it was not clear just what he was feeling. It sounded more physical than your brain fog. *shrug* He's fine now!

>142 vivians:, >144 katiekrug: NYT usually publishes the notables in the print edition, although there's a time lag between when the list is available online, and the Sunday when it lands on my doorstep. I can't remember if it's part of the Book Review section or its own thing.

>145 jnwelch: - Hi Joe! Yeah, it's slightly disconcerting, but I have faith all is well. I have a friend who had a fever for 3 days after her booster - no thanks!

>146 lauralkeet: - Glad Chris is also not too affected, Laura. It would be a shame if one or both of you was not feeling great when your girls were home (I think you said they are home for the holiday?).

We were 8th of 18 teams at trivia last night. It was good fun. I had an unsatisfying quesadilla for dinner, but I figure the food over the next few days will make up for it :)

Today's agenda (hat tip to Amber): baking the spice cake (I'm doing this early so if it turns out badly, I have time to go out and buy a dessert...), prepping the stuffing (cooking the sausage, chopping the celery and onion, mixing everything together, and then sticking it in the fridge to be cooked tomorrow; I'm hoping the fridge time will help ensure it doesn't come out too wet), and reading. Nuala is going to day care so she won't be underfoot. The Wayne has decided not to roast the turkey legs for drippings until tomorrow, so he'll be focusing on his reno project downstairs. He also needs to season the grill in Egg-bert.

Dinner tonight is my family's traditional T'giving Eve meal - delivery pizza. And we are planning to watch Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.

I finished up Enter the Aardvark on audio yesterday and started a cheesy holiday romance becase 'Tis the Season for my favorite sub-genre :D And I am planning to finish The Prophets today. My Kindle says I have about an hour and a half left...

Happy Wednesday, Katie. Hooray for trivia night! Boo to lame quesadillas. How is The Prophets? I have that one on my TBR.

>149 msf59: - Hiya, Mark! The Prophets is very good, it's just taking me forever to get through because I have too many distractions. RD wrote a great review of it you might want to check out!

Today's agenda (hat tip to Amber)
Ha! Between you and Micky, I'm turning into a real trendsetter around here!

Good luck with the spice cake - I hope it comes out perfect!

And thanks for the reminder about PT&A - we may watch that tonight, too. I think our pizza will probably be tomorrow night (but it'll be frozen, I suspect), since we're eating at the in-laws at 1:30 and then getting home around dinner time.

As a new member of Team Today's Agenda, you're entitled to the not-at-all-boring mini-TED talk about the origin of the word (one of my favorites):

-ndus/-nda/-ndum words in Latin are future passive participles and generally have the added meaning of obligation. The verb ago in Latin means "to do" (among other things), and so the form agenda, which is the neuter plural form of the participle, means "things that must be done." I love it when Latin words come directly into English like that. Makes me happy.

>151 scaifea: - I haven't seen PT&A in ages, so I'm looking forward to it!

Thanks for the good mojo for my cake. I'm actually more concerned about the drizzle icing, so fingers crossed...

>152 scaifea: - My IQ just went up several points - thanks!

I came here for gossip...I got a Latin lesson that expands my connotative vocabulary.

Truly a full-service thread.

Rob and I watched a certain show. There were results.

I'm really glad you are enjoying The Prophets but it's pretty bad distracted reading! I'm sure it's been rough keeping the calls and responses related. But so worth it in the end...I'm starting The Sweetness of Water this weekend. I really look forward to the read!

>154 richardderus: - I live to serve!

Re: The Prophets - yes, I know I'm missing some things. I'm also thinking it would be a richer read if I knew anything about the Biblical references at the chapter headers. Still, it's an excellent read.

I have The Sweetness of Water on my wish list, so I'll look forward to your thoughts.

>147 katiekrug: Katie, you are right: my daughters are with us for Thanksgiving, returning to Brooklyn on Friday. It’s been nice having them with us.

>152 scaifea: I love this. Sometimes I think about joining Team Today’s Agenda … maybe in the new year?

>148 katiekrug: Crossing my fingers for you on the cake/icing front, Katie!

>152 scaifea: Delightful lesson, Amber. Thanks!

>156 lauralkeet: One of us! One of us!

>156 lauralkeet: - I"m glad you are all together! I am feeling a little sad that it's just The Wayne and me - it didn't bother me last year, but that was pre-vaccines and such so more understandable. I'm thinking about heading down to Texas next year to spend the holiday with my family.

>157 MickyFine: - Welp, the cake is no GBBO show-stopper. A bit of it stuck to the bottom of the bundt pan, so it looks a bit wonky. I guess it has character?

>158 katiekrug: Character is all that's required beyond moistness and a solid crumb structure.

>159 richardderus: - The nice thing about it getting stuck, is that I can see the inside, and it does appear to be nicely moist. I'll take a photo once it's iced. Unless it looks super crappy :)

It smells so good, I want a piece NOW, but it must wait until tomorrow... *heavy sigh*

Question for Richard, Amber, or anyone with expertise:

The instructions I have for the icing say that if I warm it up in a saucepan (whisking constantly) and drizzle it while still warm, it will set better. But I really want to do the plastic bag with a corner cut method for the drizzle - do you think if I let it cool down a bit and then do it, it will still work? Or is there a better way? I don't need it to look professional, but I don't want it to look like a child did it... :)

>152 scaifea: Thank you for that nugget of knowledge.

>154 richardderus: I read the newspaper review. I can't wait to see what you thought. I have watched not a single episode, I've been relying on LT for my updates. >:-)

>161 katiekrug: no idea. I'd have thought that it wouldn't set while still warm, and would still flow while being cool enough to handle. But my icing skills are nil. My mum always used to use using a sheet of baking parchment rolled into a cone. I lack the co-ordination (and the number of arms of an octopus) required to make that work.

>156 lauralkeet: Woot! Yes, JOIN US. And I'm glad you liked the Latin lesson instead of being annoyed by it. Ha! For the same reason, the name Amanda means "she who must be loved," which is also pretty cool, no?

>157 MickyFine: You're welcome, Micky!

>161 katiekrug: I've never heard of the warming method for icing (but that certainly doesn't mean it isn't true!). I've never had trouble with icing not setting nicely, though, so I think you'd be fine doing it the way you want to do it. If you don't want it to pool, do it the GBBS way and set it on a wire rack first to let the extra drip off underneath...

Warming the icing, and it is icing I take it? not buttercream?, and/or putting it on a warm cake makes the liquid uptake faster and lets the crystallization...
...
...not what you're looking for, right, so yeah the piping method will give you more control over where the icing lands and less adhesion to the cake. Your fork will go into the cake and the icing will crack and fall off, just like it does when the icing's too thick.

This isn't necessarily an issue when eating on plates but must be considered for later snacking preparation.

>162 Helenliz: - I probably shouldn't worry about it so much but baking makes me twitchy :)

>163 scaifea: - Good point about using the wire rack. I'm scared to move the cake around too much, as it seems rather light and fragile. But that's what a pizza peel is for maybe...

>164 richardderus: - Not buttercream. Just heavy cream, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla (and I may add a little cinnamon because I meant to add extra to the batter but forgot...).

I guess I wasn't clear. The cake isn't warm, the icing would be. I was just worried about letting it cool off too much so that I could handle it in the piping bag, but since Amber things it will set fine regardless, I'll just go for it.

Oh, the stress!

>165 katiekrug: If the cake's already cool, go for it, nothing else really matters!

>158 katiekrug: Mmm, delicious character.

>166 richardderus: - 'Tis done.

>167 MickyFine: - Hope so!

Ignore the wonky bits at 3 and 11 o'clock...

That looks sooooooo good! I love a spice cake. What recipe do you use?

>170 japaul22: - I got it from my friend, Duncan Hines :-P

>169 katiekrug: I'll eat the wonky bit! Just send it along...I'm sure Uber could be persuaded to get it here tomorrow....

It looks great and sounds delicious. I love pretty much anything with cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. in it.

>172 richardderus: - *grin*

>173 RebaRelishesReading: - Same here, Reba. I'm not a huge pie person (*ducks thrown objects*) and after a giant meal, I don't usually want something super sweet, so this seemed just the ticket...

Okay, off to prep my stuffing now...

That turned out great, Katie!! Well done, you.

Nobody really cares about the wonky bits, but if you really want it not to stick at all, I use baking spray (Pam with flour in it). I've never had anything stick when I do. Also, YES to the pizza peel. I have one made specifically for cakes and such and it's so helpful.

>176 scaifea: - Thanks, Amber! I used Pam and then lightly floured the pan as instructed... *shrug* Guess I should get some of that baking spray for next time...

And as you can see, I decided to just let the icing pool on the plate :)

Stuffing prep is done - I used the recipe on the back of the package of bread cubes, but added sage sausage, some garlic, and Bell's seasoning. It looks "right" and is now safely ensconced in the fridge, ready for the oven tomorrow.

I will reward myself with a large glass of wine, as soon as I get back from picking up Nuala!

Oh yes...wine-thirty on my clock too. Sadly wineless here, though, since it interacts Very Poorly Indeed with my meds.

Happy Thanksgiving, Katie! Sounds like you are well prepared for feasting.

>179 richardderus: - Sad face about the wine. I had some in your honor.

>180 laytonwoman3rd: - Happy Thanksgiving to you, Linda! If all I have is stuffing and cake, I'll be pretty well pleased...

Happy Thanksgiving, Katie! I hope you and The Wayne have a wonderful day.

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all. >:-D

A Thanksgiving to Friends (Lighting the Way)

In difficult times
a friend is there to light the way
to lighten the load,
to show the path,
to smooth the road

At the darkest hour
a friend, with a word of truth
points to light
and the encroaching dawn
is in the plainest sight.

Katie, to a friend in books and more this Thanksgiving

Thank you, Stasia, Helen, and Paul. We are looking forward to a quiet day with some good food!

To all my American LT friends: May you avoid any Thanksgiving disasters!

>185 katiekrug: :) "Friends" had some great Thanksgiving shows, but Rachel's trifle may be one of the best.

>185 katiekrug: *SNORK!!* We recently watched the episode and when I made the Pumpkin Trifle and Charlie kept teasing me about whether I'd put meat in it!

ETA: Happy Thanksgiving! I'm only slightly jealous that you get to have Spice Cake today - that icing looks amazing.

>186 BLBera: - Totally agree! Have a great holiday, Beth.

>187 scaifea: - Charlie and I are kindred spirits. I would have done the same thing.

And thanks! That really means something coming from the best baker I know!

You can just keep that spice cake as long as you let me lick the plate!

Happy Thanksgiving, to Katie and her Wayne

>189 magicians_nephew: - Happy Thanksgiving to you and Judy, Jim!

...I called the desk again just now...still no cake delivery...

>188 katiekrug: Aw, shucks.

Happy Thanksgiving, Katie! Your cake looks most yum - love spice cake as it is not too sweet and one can't go wrong with those flavorings in anything.

>185 katiekrug: That is one of my favorite holiday episodes! So far no disasters here, but there is still time.

>185 katiekrug: "Meat....gooood. Custard.....goood. Jam.....GOOOD!"

If a transformer blows and your power goes out on Thanksgiving, is it acceptable to start drinking at 11:00am? Asking for a friend...

>195 katiekrug: absolutely.
Hoping that fixes itself very very soon.

A friend had a power cut (the whole village went out) on Christmas day. They spent the day very sloshed, as there was very little else to do. And had Christmas dinner the next day.

Hi Katie, and happy Thanksgiving to you and TW.

>169 katiekrug: Yum. Of course I’d have whisked away the bits on the tray with my finger to make sure the icing tasted just right… My bundt pan is nonstick, but I also grease and flour it.

>195 katiekrug: No. Wait. Power out? Of course it’s acceptable to start drinking at … 10:57.

>195 katiekrug: Oh NO!! What a bummer! But of course, what else can you do but start on the wine while you wait for it to be fixed? Enjoy and have a Happy Thanksgiving.

>195 katiekrug: Yes. Oh, yes…

>195 katiekrug: NO!!! Not that!! I'm so so sorry. Your decision to get as blitzed as you'd like:

gets the Seal of Approval!

>195 katiekrug:



Hopefully the day improves shortly. Or that the wine bottles are plentiful. Hugs.

Power's back! I came back from an emergency grocery store run (our potatoes sprouted overnight!) to find all right with the world.

>191 richardderus: - The desk attendants obviously stole it and ate it. You should get them fired.

>192 scaifea: - #truth

>193 Crazymamie: - I am very excited about the cake, Mamie. Must remember to leave some room for it!

I hope you are still disaster-less.

>194 laytonwoman3rd: - Ha! I shudder just thinking about it...

>196 Helenliz: - I was concerned we'd have to do something similar, which, tbh, wouldn't be so terrible :D

>197 karenmarie: - Oh, I did taste test the icing dribbles several times, Karen!

I resisted the urge to start drinking until about 10 minutes ago, when I opened a Magner's cider :)

>198 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba. All is well now, and the wine remains untouched.

>199 drneutron: - Appreciate the validation, Jim!

>200 richardderus: - Love that seal :)

>201 MickyFine: - Thanks, Micky. There is plenty of wine, but I did not have to resort to it...

Hope you get power back soon 🙁

Edited to add - oops, I'm behind the times. I'd been reading your thread and thought I was caught up but a bunch more messages loaded after I posted. Anyway, all that to say, hooray for getting electricity back, and happy Thanksgiving!

Katie, I am so very grateful for you, even if I can't keep up with your threads!! LOL. Glad you got your power back. Enjoy the eats.
I wish you and The Wayne happiness and health on this day of Thanksgiving. And cookies. : )

>205 bell7: - Happy Thanksgiving, Mary! See you sooooooooon!

>206 Berly: - Thanks, Kim! Hope you had a great holiday!

Happy Thanksgiving from The Krugs!

>208 katiekrug: Very nice!

>208 katiekrug: I really want that heart emoji but you''ll have to settle for I Love It!!

>202 katiekrug: Yay! Glad all is now right with your world again.

I wasn't around much yesterday, Katie. I can't believe you had a power outage but am really glad it was restored quickly. I love your pic collage too. Hope you enjoyed your feast.

>209 laytonwoman3rd: - Thanks, Linda!

>210 Berly: - Thanks, Kim :)

>211 alcottacre: - Me too, Stasia!

>212 lauralkeet: - I can't believe you weren't hanging on my every post yesterday, Laura - ha! I am very grateful for the power company workers who got things fixed so quickly on a holiday. We ended up having a very nice dinner - hope you did, too!

Despite a few bits of unexpected excitement yesterday (power outage, sprouted potatoes, etc), we had a very nice time cooking and consuming our dinner. Of course, by the time we sat down, we were both tired and not very hungry, so there are lots of leftovers. I foresee a turkey sandwich in my future...

After dinner, we took Nuala for a walk around the neighborhood which was a nice way to wake up a bit and get some fresh air. Then we made tea and sampled the spice cake, which was delicious! I am looking forward to having some with my second cup of coffee this morning...

We were supposed to go to the gym this morning but unsurprisingly, neither of us is feeling up to that, so it will be a super lazy day here. Other than doing some dishes, I am hoping to read and maybe watch a movie or two. It's grey and drizzly, so perfect weather for doing not much of anything.

I've updated my current reads at the top of my thread. I have two books I need to type up some comments on - maybe today, maybe tomorrow...

Off to get more coffee!

Happy Friday, Katie. I am glad you had a nice, quiet holiday with The Wayne. Enjoy your lazy day and those turkey sandwiches. We have no leftovers. 😞

>215 msf59: - Ah, yes. The pain of no leftovers. It's nice to not have to cook or host, but one does miss out the next day...

Hi Katie!

>208 katiekrug: Very nice pics. Thanks for sharing.

>214 katiekrug: Yay for coffee and spice cake for brekkie.

Morning, Katie! Looks like I missed all the drama yesterday - glad you got your power back. Oof, one should not have to deal with that on top of everything else on a holiday.

>208 katiekrug: This is full of fabulous! Your dinner looks so much healthier than ours, and you and TW are looking mighty fine.

I started Matrix yesterday and already it is so good!

>217 karenmarie: - Morning, Karen! Glad you liked the photos. And the cake and coffee was *chef's kiss*

>218 Crazymamie: - Ha! I don't know about healthy, Mamie. Stuffing, mashed potatoes, cake, lots of wine... And for breakfast that morning we had biscuits and bacon :)

So glad you are liking Matrix!

Okay, well the key words were "than ours".

>220 Crazymamie: - Ha! Fair enough :)

I've typed up my thoughts on the GBBO final: https://www.librarything.com/topic/336851#7663991

I decided to wait until today because it's too tempting to peek for most ordinary humans.

Spend a splendidly sluggish day!

Sounds like a perfect lazy Friday, Katie!

>208 katiekrug: Beautiful table, beautiful background, beautiful plate of food and beautiful couple!! Hope you have a restful, left-over-full, day today.

>222 richardderus: - Such restraint! I'm impressed. We'll watch it tonight.

>223 MickyFine: - It was pretty good, Micky. I took a 2 hour nap :)

>224 RebaRelishesReading: - Thank you, Reba!

I have watched the finale of GBBO. I am going to bed in a huff.

Good night.

*flounces off*

>226 katiekrug: A huff? Oh no! I would have been happy with a win for any of the finalists, but the winner had been one of my favorites from the beginning.

>227 lauralkeet: - I didn't dislike the winner but they didn't deserve that win, IMO.

His carrot cake was a mushy mess, he LOST the technical, and there was something wrong with his show-stopper that I can't recall right now. Plus, it was boring in terms of appearance compared to the other two. Yes, Chigs rolled his Belgian buns out wrong, but he didn't OVERBAKE them and he got 2nd in the technical and did well, if not spectacularly, with the other two challenges. I think Giuseppe won on the basis of the whole season, and if that's the criteria, rather than just the current week, then that should be stated clearly. But every other week is based on that week alone, so I find it annoying.

*returns to huff*

>228 katiekrug: Good points, Katie. I had this same conversation with Kate about a previous season (can't remember which one). She stated with authority that the decisions are "always" based on that week only, even in the final. Where her authority came from, I have no idea. But while her position was correct for whatever season we were discussing, it did not prove true this time. There is no doubt in my mind that Giuseppe was the most consistently excellent baker over the whole season, although those talents were less apparent in the final.

Still, here's a lovely interview with the winner, published in The Guardian.

Now what will we watch on Friday nights?

>229 lauralkeet: - I agree he was the best of the three overall, but he cracked under the pressure, and my husband Chigs just kept learning and improving and had a really good final. He should have won.

Ha! The Wayne and I were talking last night about how empty our Friday evenings are going to be now :)

I read your spoilers even though we haven't watched the final yet because I already know who one - Twitter is a dangerous place sometimes.

I love both Giuseppe and Chigs, and honestly I'm just happy that Crystelle didn't win. She drives me bananas with her fake "Oh my gosh I can't believe they think I'm great!" when she clearly really thinks she's good. Ugh.

Maybe my husband Noel and I should have you and Husband Chigs over for dinner sometime...

>231 scaifea: - Morning, Amber! I pretty much stay off of Twitter from Tuesday through Friday for just that reason. And I stopped following the show's Facebook posts because I had an early episode spoiled...

I didn't mind Chrystelle and thought she was pretty genuine, but yeah, I was glad she didn't win. Of course, the dude who forgot to turn his oven on maybe isn't quite the able baker the judges thought... *eye roll* But I'm not bitter about it! Ha.

Would love to have dinner with you and our respective fantasy spouses!

I just got back from taking Nuala out and DAMN it's cold out - super windy. Neither of us lasted very long... Unsure what's on the agenda today. My tooth (teeth?) is bothering me again, so ugh to that. I'm having one taken out on Thursday, but if the infection has come back, that's a no go, so I'll see how things shape up over the weekend and if I feel like I need to go into the dentist again on Monday. *sigh*

I need to do some laundry and we are both going a little stir crazy, so we might go out later, though I refuse to brave any retail establishments, so maybe just a drive and early dinner or something.

I'm still reading the same books, so nothing to report there.

One thing I just remembered I want to do today is get my holiday cards ordered. I had my design all done (I used minted.com) yesterday and when I hit a button after reviewing it, it went *poof!* So now I have to start over. *sad trombone*

>231 scaifea:, >232 katiekrug:

I felt like Chrystelle was the most ambitious of the bakers, in terms of what participation might mean for her after the show. Her perfect wardrobe, hair, and makeup overshadowed her false modesty.

And Giuseppe didn't forget to turn on the oven. The door was not shut all the way, which caused it to not turn on.. Still a bad situation but not entirely his fault.

Re: Twitter: I don't use it, but Kate maintains a long list of muted words/phrases for her own sanity. She mentioned having muted GBBO-related terms for the duration of the season.

>235 lauralkeet: - That's interesting, Laura. I didn't get that from Chrystelle at all but I wouldn't mind if she was ambitious. Good for her!

Yes, you're right about G's oven but I still don't think he deserved the win.

Kate is a more advanced Twitter user than I am :) I have a quasi-expert in the house - I should make more use of him!

Some how i have this image of Madam Zorka the gypsy women peering into her crystal ball and saying "I see . . . a turkey sandwich . . . a turkey sandwich in your future"

Love there GBBO discussion. I thought the last show was a let-down for all of them. I do think the winner was the one who did the best overall, not just the last show.... I liked Chystelle. Do you think she might have won if she had baked her focaccia?

Raw = lose. Always. >229 lauralkeet: I liked the piece in The Guardian! Thanks for posting it.

Don't forget...three weeks from now, we in Netflixland get the Holiday episodes!

Colder than a female Satanist's mammaries out there.

>239 richardderus: Real witches resent being called Satanists, you know.

>240 laytonwoman3rd: I suppose you could try "Female neo-pagans" but honestly think it just better to move along.

>240 laytonwoman3rd: Hence my use of it...I know real witches! I do not invoke them lightly, or take their names in vain.

>241 magicians_nephew: Isn't Wiccans the preferred designation?
>242 richardderus: I was pretty sure...

>237 magicians_nephew: - Madame Zorka's prophecy proved correct, and I had a delicious sandwich yesterday :)

>238 BLBera: - Getting the focaccia right certainly would have helped! I do wonder what happened to it...

>239 richardderus: - I forgot about the holiday episodes! That's something, at least.

Yes, SO COLD. I have to go out and I keep putting it off, hoping the sun will come out. I think I'd better just bite the bullet and go.

>240 laytonwoman3rd:, >241 magicians_nephew:, >242 richardderus: and >243 laytonwoman3rd: - Y'all made me smile :)

>239 richardderus: "Colder than a female Satanist's mammaries" My dad liked that expression--in its original colloquial version, y'know---but my mother made him say "heart" instead of "t-t", and he always paused and then grinned like an idiot before whispering that last word. Made it sound even naughtier, of course, and he loved it. So did we.

>245 laytonwoman3rd: I had a professor in collage similarly would say the line and pause at the end to say "Colder than a witches - - - MITT - - - in".

always made us giggle.

My Wicca friends most of them anyway manage to have a sense of humor about all this.

>236 katiekrug: Re: Twitter, Kate's muting is super important to her mental health. As a journalist working in digital media, using Twitter is pretty much essential to her career (promoting her work, soliciting input on pieces, etc.). Even more so now because she writes mostly about internet culture. But Twitter's toxicity has been problematic for her (sorry TW), and there are certain subjects that she just doesn't want to see in her feed (covid for example). Hence the muting.

>245 laytonwoman3rd:, >246 magicians_nephew: - Hi again, Linda and Jim!

>247 lauralkeet: - That makes perfect sense, Laura. Good for Kate for having boundaries.

Big day today! I'm meeting Mary (bell7) at 9:30 at her hotel and we are going to the Giants game, with a little tailgating beforehand. It doesn't look to be too cold (despite the dusting of snow we got overnight) - highs in the upper 40s. And I'm sure the warmth of LT companionship will keep us nice and toasty :)

Yesterday was pretty quiet - I futzed around a lot and didn't accomplish much. We played a couple of games of Chickapig and then the Wayne made spaghetti and meatballs and baked bread for dinner. I made cookies because I had an egg to use. The cookies were from a mix, but I added some brown sugar in an effort to make them chewy. I'll have one shortly to test if my experiment worked. After dinner, we tried to get AppleTV because there's a movie TW wants to see ('Greyhound' with Tom Hanks) and I want to watch Ted Lasso, but apparently our Amazon Fire is too old, so we need to upgrade. Grrr. We put on The Guns of Navarone instead, but I fell asleep about 30 minutes in and slept for 2 hours. Oops.

Still reading the same books. Sorry to be so boring on that front!

>249 katiekrug: Oh, sweet! Have a great time with Mary today, Katie. Go Giants!

Hope you and Mary have a great time, Katie!

Ooh a meetup! Have a great time and take photos! Pretty please!

Hi Katie!

>249 katiekrug: I hope you have a wonderful time and your Giants win.

What a great substitute for a sleeping pill – The Guns of Navarone.

Have a wonderful time, y'all!

(But it's a Giants game...boo)

Enjoy your meetup, Katie. And the game.

>253 karenmarie: That's what I was thinking too, Karen. I am totally not surprised that Katie fell asleep!

Hurray for a meetup!! Pictures...

we used to call it 'The Geezers of Navaronne" because all the actors were too old for their parts.

Good David Niven movie though

Love love love The Guns of Navarone. Even having seen it many times I still watch the last bit through my fingers, wondering if the heist is going to come off. Epic thing.

Hope you had a fab day meeting up and that football thing (wot isn't football, seeing the ball rarely is at their feet)

>250 msf59:, >251 MickyFine:, and >252 lauralkeet: - Thanks, Mark, Micky and Laura!

>253 karenmarie: - I was actually looking forward to the movie :)

>254 richardderus: - But they won! Though it was a bit dicey at the end...

>255 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth.

>256 lauralkeet: - I saw The Guns of Navarone ages ago and remember liking it...

>257 Berly: - One will be forthcoming...

>258 magicians_nephew: - I'll have to attempt my re-watch again!

>259 Helenliz: - Ha! Thanks, Helen. And I'm glad someone approves of the film choice.

Morning, all! Mary and I had a great time at the game, especially since the Giants managed to pull out a win against the hated division rival Philadelphia Eagles. Here we are in our seats before the game...


(Mary on the left, me on the right)

It was chilly, but not like Lambeau Field cold or anything :) We chatted a bit about books, especially a certain one which will remain unnamed because it causes Controversy, before the game, but our focus was on football once the game started. It was nice to see the Giants win, even if it was a bit ugly. At halftime, they retired the jersey of Michael Strahan, whom we both liked a lot as a player, so that was nice to see, too.

When I got home from the game, The Wayne made smoked turkey and black bean soup, which was nice and warming and easy on my poor tooth, which was bothering me again.

Today is the gym, The Wayne is getting his booster, and it's his last day of vacation, so I'll let him dictate the rest of the day. Dijon-herb pork chops are on the menu for dinner...

Oooh, yay for meetups! I'm sorry about the tooth, though - when's your next appointment?

Also yay for boosters! Tomm and I get ours on Thursday.

Go Giants! Glad you had a great time with Mary.

>262 scaifea: - I'm having the tooth extracted on Thursday (*shudder*), assuming it's not infected again. Also, I can't really tell if the one bothering me now is the same one or the one behind it. Ugh.

>263 msf59: - Thanks, Mark!

>264 katiekrug: Here's hoping to extraction is fast and easy. I'm sure it will be. Sending you milkshake and mashed potato vibes in the meantime.

>264 katiekrug: What >265 scaifea: said

>261 katiekrug: What a fun way to meet up! I still think y'all're weird for preferring sportsball to books, but whatevs.

Dinner sounds yummo. I hope you're at least getting in a *little* reading.

Morning, Katie! Hooray for a meet-up with Mary and a Giants win! Love the photo! Sorry about the tooth issues - I have been procrastinating doing something about mine. Tooth number 13 - doesn't it just figure? I know it is tooth #13 because it has been an ongoing thing for over a year - the one I had an emergency root canal on just before Daniel's wedding. Anyway, it doesn't hurt, but it does have sensation, which it should not have. All this to say, that I completely understand your situation, and you are being more adult about it than I am, so go you. Hoping they can extract it on Thursday so that you don't have to deal with it getting worse before it gets better.

Mmmmm your dinner sounds most excellent! Hope you're enjoying a relaxing day today and that everything's good with the tooth to get it extracted without a problem on Thursday.

Good luck with the tooth Katie. That doesn't sound fun at all :(

Crossing my fingers for your tooth, Katie.

Glad to see the game was a great outing.

Good luck with the tooth.

Fingers crossed for a pain free visit to the dentist Katie.
Thanks for sharing the meet up picture, looks like you both had fun.

>265 scaifea: - Thanks, Amber!

>266 richardderus: - I don't necessarily *prefer* sports to books, but I do like both. As does Mary!

>267 Crazymamie: - Thanks, Mamie. You should get that tooth dealt with now, young lady. *looks sternly over glasses*

>268 bell7: - Thanks, Mary! The dinner had the advantage of being pretty soft and easy on the teeth :D

>269 RebaRelishesReading: - Eh, it could be worse, but I'll be glad when I don't have to baby it anymore...

>270 MickyFine: - Thanks, Micky!

>271 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth.

>272 charl08: - Pain free might be too much to hope for, but maybe I'll get some good drugs :)

I'm glad for the meetup and the game, sorry for the tooth pain, which is undoubtedly miserable. My hygienist once told me to rub some Sensodyne on the tooth. I'd been using Ambesol, but she says that's strictly for gums. Just a thought.

>274 ffortsa: - Thanks, Judy. I have Ora-jel which helps, but only temporarily. The irritation is around my gum and the O-j is supposed to help both teeth and gums.

Yesterday: I had a good training session at the gym and finished just as The Wayne finished up at the vaccination site, so didn't have to wait around too long for him to pick me up. After getting cleaned up, we went out to lunch which felt like a treat, and then I futzed around much of the afternoon. He took a nap. Neither of us felt like eating dinner after such a big lunch, so I didn't end up cooking the pork chops, which I now need to remember to stick in the freezer... We watched some British quiz shows before heading to bed early. He wasn't feeling great (booster side effects? end of vacation blahs?) but seems fine this morning.

I'll take Nuala to day care in a little bit and then get my desk and To Do list organized. I also need to get some laundry done and tidy up the kitchen. We'll probably go to trivia tonight, assuming TW is up for it and isn't inundated with work.

I did finish both my audio and Kindle reads yesterday, so now I'm 4 reviews behind. Oops. I don't think I'll finish my current print read today, so I should be able to do my monthly round-up and start a new thread. Exciting stuff!

Morning, Katie!

I totally get those end-of-vacation blues. I felt that way Sunday night, too.

>277 scaifea: - Morning, Amber!

The weird thing is I was having some of those end-of-vacation blues, and I don't even work-work anymore. It's like phantom limb pain or something...

Curious what British Quiz Shows? on what channel or service?

>279 magicians_nephew: - Through the YouTube app on our Amazon Fire: Mastermind, Only Connect (my favorite), QI, Countdown....

>280 katiekrug: we’ve recently become hooked on University Challenge.

>280 katiekrug: My new favorite British podcast is "No Such Thing as a Fish" hosted by 4 QI contributors who discuss their favorite facts of the week.

>281 lauralkeet: - Ooh, I'll have to check that out!

>282 vivians: - That sounds like fun, Vivian.

Enter the Aardvark by Jessica Anthony

This was absurd and funny and a great audio to spend time with, though I'm sure it would also be good in print. There are two stories being told - that of a current day closeted gay Republican Congressman and that of a 19th century British taxidermist. A stuffed aardvark is the glue holding the book together. If it sounds a bit offbeat, it certainly is. But it is also very funny, especially the contemporary storyline which is told in the second person with a smug and smarmy narrative voice that the audio narrator hit perfectly. An unexpected gem of a book.

4.5 stars

* Richard - if you're reading this - see if you can get a hold of the book. I'd love to hear your take on it.

The Prophets by Robert Jones, Jr.

This National Book Award finalist is a powerful story of love in a hateful world. It is also a story of legacy and memory and community, but the love between the slaves Samuel and Isaiah on an antebellum plantation is the heart of the book. I didn't love the novel as much as some have - I felt that Jones fell into the trap of so many debut novelists of trying to do too much. I didn't mind the perspective shifts among the characters on the plantation, but there were other voices included that drew me out of the story. I understand what Jones was doing with it, but it didn't quite work for me. Quibbles aside, this was a worthwhile read.

4 stars

"She found herself molded into the shape that best fit what they carved into her. Water done wore away at her stone, and the next thing she knew, she was a damn river when she could have sworn she was a mountain."

NB: I found the Acknowledgments section really annoying. Jones thanks everyone and their mother, living and dead, famous and not, who ever touched his life. By name. It goes on for 10 pages. I found it self-indulgent and off-putting.

>284 katiekrug: That audio sounds good, Katie. I'll look for it.

>286 ffortsa: - It's an odd one, but it hit me just right, Judy.

>284 katiekrug: OK, I'm intrigued enough for that one. Library has a paper copy as well.

>288 Helenliz: - I'll be interested to hear what you think, Helen. For me, the satiric take on US politics was a lot of what I liked about it.

Happy December, friends! I'm excited to get my Advent calendar out - Godiva chocolates... mmmm....

We came in 7th of 14 teams last night at trivia. Ho hum. I had chicken fingers because I am, apparently, 8 years old sometimes. I got some organizing done yesterday, but no laundry so that's the plan today, plus a couple of errands. I should finish up Trashlands today, which has been a pretty good read. I need to do my November reading stats and start a new thread. Dijon pork chops and green beans for dinner.

Exciting news: we finally upgraded our old Amazon Fire so now we can get AppleTV. I am looking forward to watching Ted Lasso. Anything else on AppleTV I should check out?

Oh Godiva - NICE.

I frequently order chicken fingers because I love 'em. I am perpetually 8 years old, apparently. I'm...okay with that.

Tomm watched Ted Lasso and LOVED it. He also says these are great on AppleTV:
See (Jason Momoa is great, he says)
Mythic Quest (Sunny in Philadelphia guys made this one)

>291 scaifea: - Thanks, Amber (and Tomm)! I'll check them out.

Great comments on Enter the Aardvark and The Prophets, Katie. I will for sure look for the first one, the second I'll add to my "someday" list.

>293 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth!

Home for Christmas by Holly Chamberlin

Cozy holiday reads are a favorite sub-genre of mine, and I don't mind a little cheese and schmaltz with them. But I do mind terrible writing and wooden characters, so this one was a miss for me. I just wanted to shake the main character and tell her to get a life.

2.5 stars



Comfort & Joy by Kristin Hannah

This one was marginally better, but by calling it "A Fable," I think Hannah decided she could get away with a bunch of nonsense that didn't make any sense. Still, the writing was serviceable, at least.

3 stars

The "adult" version of chicken fingers is called chicken "tenders", and if you ask for buffalo hot sauce with them, you are very mature. A friend told me this.

>296 laytonwoman3rd: - These were most definitely chicken "fingers" - they looked like fish fingers! And they were delicious. I got both barbecue and honey mustard for dipping...

Advent calendar day 1: dark chocolate ganache heart. I am not a huge fan of dark chocolate, but this was a delightful morsel.

>297 katiekrug: See, I WANT those now, and DQ and KFC are both within range, but I'm tied up in Board business all day!

>299 laytonwoman3rd: - Well, since you are tied up, dinner cannot be cooked, so sounds like you should just go out. Or have someone run out and get them for you :)

>300 katiekrug: But then then they wouldn't be HOT. See. So.

And I'm done meeting and e-mailing and composing newsletters and stuff now, so dinner can be cooked...I really hardly ever mind doing that.

Tomorrow I may treat myself to lunch, though.

>301 laytonwoman3rd: - I think you should.

>301 laytonwoman3rd: I can say with authority that DQ chicken fingers are excellent cold. Just FYI...

Evening, Kate!

>303 scaifea: - Morning, Amber!

I'm up grossly early - my appointment with the oral surgeon is at 8:00am. What was I thinking? I'm sure it will all be fine. I've got some music cued up on my phone and my wireless ear buds in my bag, so hopefully I can tune out a bit.

Last night I made the dijon pork chops and I didn't love them, so I don't think that recipe is a keeper. Afterwards, we watched two episodes of Ted Lasso, which is sweet and funny. And makes me want to go to London again.

I wanted an easy read in case I am laid up today babying my mouth, so I started #24 in the In Death series. It's always reliable.

I may or may not log on for virtual happy hour this evening - it just depends on how I feel. Unsure about meals, but The Wayne has promised to make me mashed potatoes if I can only have soft things, so there's a bonus :)

Hope y'all have a great day!

Best of luck at the oral surgeon and in recovery after. Will you treat yourself to a milk shake after? (I had several trips to the oral surgeon as a kid, and that was what I'd always look forward to after.)

Edited to correct spelling

Good luck with the oral surgery, Katie. Hopefully you'll bounce right out of that chair, but I like that you've kept your schedule open today, just in case.

Thinking about you this morning, Katie, and hoping your appointment is fast and easy.

>306 bell7: No milkshake unless you eat it with a spoon. I'm sure you'll be warned against sucking through a straw for a while.

Well, that was zero fun.

>306 bell7: - Maybe a little later, Mary. I'm not allowed to eat or drink for two hours, which is annoying because I really want to take some pain meds before the numbing wears off...

>307 lauralkeet: - Thanks, Laura. I will be curled up on the couch the rest of the day, feeling sorry for myself. And studying my care instructions...

>308 scaifea: - Thanks, Amber. It was relatively fast, but not too easy. Also, I am a big baby.

>309 laytonwoman3rd: - Yes, I have a long list of Dos and Don'ts but I already assumed no straws.

Well, the left side of my face is all puffy and I have a big ol' hole in my mouth. The oral surgeon (who was very nice, as was his whole team) put in a bone graft to see if it would "take" so I can get an implant, but he didn't seem optimistic. Apparently I have a bad jaw or some such. *shrug*

I made it home but was pretty shaky - I think from the release of tension and now the anxiety of not messing anything up. I had TW drive me to get the prescriptions (pain and antibiotic). I have to take the latter 4 times a day, which is annoying because I like to sleep :) I think I'll try the 11-5 schedule and see how it works. It's only for a week. I have a follow-up appointment on the 9th.

I plan to spend today watching cheesy holiday movies and reading.

No fun, but at least you're already home. I will be curled up on the couch the rest of the day, feeling sorry for myself. Of course!

Ow. Hope the unpleasantness wears off and it not replaced by pain. Were you expecting any degree of fun whatsoever? If so, I feel you might have had unreasonably high expectations.

>310 katiekrug: Oh dang... I did not have that prohibition (maybe I should have? Though I do remember the straw being a bit...challenging at times).

>311 katiekrug: I hope you can get something for the pain soon and that recover goes well. Watching cheesy holiday movies and reading sounds perfect.

>314 bell7: The reason for the straw prohibition is that the sucking action could dislodge the clot that forms as the socket heals. That's not a good thing.

Healing vibes, Katie. The more sleep the better.

I totally approve of your plans for the day, Katie. Take care of yourself!

Wishing you a smooth recovery, Katie. I highly recommend lots of light fluffy viewing while you're curled up on the couch today. When I had my wisdom teeth out I binged a bunch of As Time Goes By. Fluffy holiday movies would probably be a good choice too.

Sending you healing vibes for a swift recovery, Katie. Hope you are feeling better soon.

Thanks, all. My whole face hurts. But just sort of a dull ache, not acute pain, which is good. I expect a good night's sleep will help a lot (assuming I can get it!).

I watched British quiz shows on YouTube this afternoon, along with A Castle for Christmas which would have been better if Brooke Shields could act her way out of a paper bag. But alas... I did enjoy the pretty scenery.

Glad to hear the oral surgery is over with and hope you will have a good sleep tonight and wake up feeling a lot better tomorrow. Take care of yourself.

>320 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba!

I slept okay last night, except The Wayne was up at about 3:00am with a really bad crick in his shoulder. He was tossing turning, so that kept me awake for a while and then I had to wake up at 5:00 to take my antibiotic. Went back to sleep until about 7:30 and feel decent. Decent enough that I won't be lounging on the couch all day again. Pity.

I barely read anything yesterday, so nothing to report there. TW picked up Greek for dinner, so I got a side of lemon potatoes, which are always very soft and pillowy. Managed to eat half and it was a nice change from apple sauce. I did log on to virtual HH for an hour - it was nice to see everyone and to complain about my face hurting :)

Katie, I am crossing my fingers that the bone graft takes so that you can get the implant. Sorry about the four time a day meds - that's slightly painful. Hoping the swelling goes down and you feel better very soon.

>322 katiekrug: "Decent enough that I won't be lounging on the couch all day again." Do you WANT to lounge on the couch all day? 'Cause that's what should determine what you do, not some sense of what's the "right" thing....

>323 Crazymamie: - Thanks, Mamie! The swelling has subsided a lot - at least I don't look like a chipmunk on one side anymore. I feel pretty good - it's just weird having a gap in my mouth, and I'm terrified of dislodging the blood clot thingy.

>324 laytonwoman3rd: - I like the way you think, Linda! But I am going a little bit stir crazy, so I will hit the grocery store to stock up on soft foods, and I need to deposit an insurance check at the bank (it's too much to deposit via the app - though doesn't even cover half of what we've outlaid in flood expenses... grrrr). Other than that, I will take it easy.

>325 katiekrug: I would be unable to stop myself from feeling the gap with my tongue. I am completely nutty that way. If it starts bleeding, then just stick a tea bag in there for a bit - the tannins help a clot to form. Or something like that, anyway, it works.

Sorry about how expensive the flood has been. Spending big bucks just to get back to the status quo is never fun. I am sorry you are having to deal with all of that.

Sending healing thoughts for the bone graft to take.

>325 katiekrug: I hope the grocery store trip yields many soft yummy things.

Good luck with the bone graft and hole in your mouth, Katie. Sympathies.

>326 Crazymamie: - I do stick my tongue in the gap, but try to avoid hitting the gum so as not to disturb anything :) I did the tea bag trick last night when I still had a bit of bleeding. None today so yay for that!

Thanks re: the flood expense. I'm grateful we are able to absorb (See what I did there?) it, but it's not fun. We are hoping to get some more money out of the insurance company, once we have all the documentation on what we've had done.

>327 karenmarie: - Thanks, Karen! My list includes ice cream and pudding :) I'm sad I won't get to have our regular frozen pizza tonight, though...

>328 BLBera: - Thank you, Beth.

The best (only good?) part of the tooth extraction is that I couldn't go to the gym today. Heh. I'll go on Monday but will limit what I do. As it turns out, it's a good thing I didn't go, because the spray foam insulation guys showed up way early to insulate the crawl space under part of the house. So another thing checked off the list!

Glad you're feeling better Katie and definitely HOORAY for insulated crawl space -- especially with winter just around the corner.

>331 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba!

Finally started a new thread. Come say hi!