kath (mckait) 75 challenge for 2010 makin' it #8

And so to begin:
1.Once in a Lifetime by Cathy Kelly
2.Still Life by Louise Penny
3.Through a Glass Darkly by Jostein Gaarder
4.4639300::Code Blue: A Katrina Physician's Memoir by Richard E. Deichmann M.D.
5. A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny
6. The Cruelest Monthby Louise Penny
7. Flight of Aquavit: A Russell Quant Mystery
8. Tapas on the Ramblas:
9. Stain of the Berry:
10.Sundowner Ubuntu:
11. Raven Black by Ann Cleeves
12. White Nights by Ann Cleeves
13. Red Bones by Ann Cleeves
14. The Girl Who Chased the Moon: A Novel by Sarah Addison Allen
15. The Five-Minute Miracle: Discover the Personal Healing Symbols that Will Solve Your Problems by Tara Springett
16. 8549224::Secrets of Eden: A Novel by Chris Bohjalian
17. Little Face by Sophie Hannah
18. Bloodroot by Amy Greene
19. Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show by Frank Delaney
20. Muse and Reverie by Charles de Lint
21. The Secret History by Donna Tarrt
22. The Long Song by Andrea Levy
23. When Michael Calls
24. Solar by Ian McEwan
25. Daughters of the Witching Hill by Mary Sharratt
26. Spook by Mary Roach
27. A Dab of Dickens and a Touch of Twain by Elliot Engel
28. The Accomplice by Kathryn Heyman
29. Cemetery if Angels by Noel Hynd
30. 6004::The Light of the Falling Stars by J. Robert Lennon (1998)
31. The Reincarnationist by MJ Rose
32. The Map of True Places by Brunonia Barry
33. Dream Angus by Alexander McCall Smith
34. What is Left the Daughter by Howard Norman
35. Angelology by Danielle Trussoni
36. Ghost: A Firsthand Account Into the World of Paranormal Activity by Katherine Ramsland
37. Islands of Genius by Darold A Treffert
38 .Before I Say Good-Bye by Mary Higgens Clark
39. Perfect Reader by Maggie Pouncey
40. 6788033:: Let The Great World Spin by Colum McCann
41. Twelve by Twelve: A one Room Cabin Off the Grid & Beyond the American Dream by William Powers
42. The Sign by Raymond Khoury
43. The Map :The Way of All Great Men by David Murrow
44. The Clearing by Heather Davis
45. Jane-Emily and The Witches' Children
46. The Book of Kehlsby Christine Kehl O'Hagan
47.Winging It: A Memoir of Caring for a Vengeful Parrot Who's Determined to Kill Me… by Jenny Gardiner
48. Working The Sea by Wendell Seavey
49. Historic Haunted America by Michael Norman
50. The Beautiful Miscellaneous: A Novel by Dominic Smith
51. The Traveler by John Twelve Hawks
52. The Memorist by M.J. Rose
53. When the Mississippi Ran Backwards by Jay Feldman
54. The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan
55. What Nurses Know...PCOS by Karen Roush
56. The Little Giant of Aberdeen by Tiffany Baker
57. Breathless by Dean Koontz
58. The City & The City by China Mieville
59. Montana 1948 by Larry Watson
60. Fatal Forcast by Michael J Tougias
61. The Children's Hospital by Chris Adrian
62. Aloha Candy Hearts by Anthony Bidulka
63. Zeitoun by Dave Eggers
64. Blasphemy by Douglas Preston
65. The Lies We Told by Diane Chamberlain
66. Siblings: The Autism Spectrum Through Our Eyes by Jane Johnson
67. edit delete
67. The Bucolic Plague: How Two Manhattanites Became Gentlemen Farmers: An Unconventional Memoir by Josh Kilmer-Purcell
68. The Passage by Justin Cronin
69. 188708::Amagansett
70. 3273229::Up High In The Trees by Kiara Brinkman

I'm #2 ... I'm #2 ... I'm #2 ... Yaaaayyyyy ..... *off to go lie down after all that happy jumping on a full stomach*

"Full" is quite an understatement, Caro darling...I read the description of that bacchanal that your company threw! Yikes! Yum!

LOL Caroline, careful with that :)
welcome!

rd, we posted @ the same time...
:)

Delurks to say *found you" /relurks

found ya... sneaky, sneaky :)

Hi Kath- Hope you had a better day today! Wow 8 threads! You are cooking!

Found you! Yikes about the copperhead (last thread)! Glad daughter & poochy are OK.

Other than snakes, wondering why you don't like Charlotte, having just returned from there . . .

Kath,

You are hot! (In more ways than one???) Hope I can hold on ... Keeping up with you all is like being on the end of a whip! Fun!

we always leave a trail of pixels to our next thread, Claudia :)
otherwise, we lose each other :)

terri.. I am generally not a fan of cities, I also dislike Pittsburgh, Atlanta,
St. Louis, Albuquerque..like Boston , Cardiff..

Hey, Kath! *waving on my way through*

11 Ah, following a trail of pixel dust . . . ;)

You don't like cities? Did you say she was moving to Washington, DC? In the city? My brother lived in DC for a while . . .

No... she will live in Virginia... thank goodness. I love Virginia!

Yes, I love Virginia, too! What a lovely state. (Actually, a Commonwealth, like Pennsylvania!)

I have said for years that I would move there in a heartbeat~~~

Morning Kath- I was stationed at Ft Eustis Virginia, for 2 years. It's in Newport News. I love the fact that everything was so close and there was so much to do.

It just feels like home to me ... and the Blue Ridge Mountains especially

hope you can stay cool mark!

I just drove through a big chunk of the Commonwealth of Virginia yesterday on my way back from Charlotte, and I was thinking (even from the highways), "Man, this is so lovely, I'd love to live here! No wonder so many people have spoken and written so fondly about ol' Virginia!"

Found...and STARRED you

spent yesterday and this morning cutting up a large tree limb that fell across my driveway...thankfully, none of the branches were very thick..no chainsaw required..just a lot of chopping and hauling-away

I'm glad your daughter/pup are okay. I haven't seen a Copperhead here, in years...garter snakes and black snakes, yes..but they're not poisonous

;-}

where can I buy a pair of mongoose?

Oh..uh...Mongooses(?) kill snakes??!!

no idea where in our Mid-West

sorry, but great idea!!

a lot of chopping and hauling-away

Chopping...as in...with an axe!?

*pictures Jude with an axe*

Oh, dear...

No, Stephen...i do Loppers...ChainSaw is my boyfriend's bailiwick (did i actually type that word??)..but he had to work..i just chopped/lopped and hauled to our nearest Burn Pile

capiche?

*sorry i stole your thread, Kath*

Ah, Loppers, those are much less menacing...most of the time. :)

Jude dear, you are welcome to trot off with my thread any day of the week :)

Whats a lopper?

Kath: HERE.

ETA: I had to use google to find the image, and while browsing I found these. Scary.

Thanks Stephen :)

I love mine, but I just call them clippers. The longer the handles the better for many jobs....

Come on over, dear and I will show you how to use them :)

Just found out that Dan is not going to be available to be here for the electrician AGAIN this wednesday, and I can't be. Two weeks in a row. I am not happy. In fact ROYALLY pissed sort of covers it.

almost

Come on over, dear and I will show you how to use them :)

Oh no no no, if I've learned anything from this group, it's never trust an LT lady with a potential weapon in her hand...

Of course, that is mostly because I'm a pest, but I can't help it! :)

http://www.hulu.com/watch/96558/warehouse-13-nevermore-enhanced#x-4,vclip,1,0

look at 3:11..... just, wow

'Wow' about covers it!

That moment had me thinking for some time, let me tell you..
talk about being taken in by a book.. or, taken over by a book.. or
I don't know. I found that show while just poking around the internet the other day...

I ran out of episodes to watch so went looking for something more.. and found that.. at first, I just couldn't believe my eyes.... then I wanted to see more... lol. What happens when all the words are gone.. :P

My husband watched Warehouse 13. I have no idea if he still does or not since I do not know if the show is still televised.

Hiatus until july 6

OK, I will be sure and let Kerry know. Thanks, Kath!

#64 Blasphemy

This was a fun novel, at least for me. I like Dan Brown too...
but since I am here to read and have fun, and not impress anyone with my intellectual pursuits.. I am not embarrassed to say that I found this enjoyable.

A supercollider is built in the Arizona desert. The purpose is to recreate the moment of the big bang.. but wait! Something is wrong.. this can't be.. it has been hacked!!!!!!! or something... ???

Weird and frustrating things begin to happen when Isabelle ( the supercollider) goes online at full power. Despite some of the most brilliant minds in the country working on the project, something is just not right. Or is it that something is very right? The project is government funded so of course it could be anything.

There is of course, intrigue, betrayal, and death by... this and that. Members of the nearby Navajo community are not happy with the whole project and they have, as usual, been lied to by the government.

Loved it. Good ending. 4 stars

65 is a vine review read chic lit-ish sort of book called The Lies We Told.
I started it last night, and we will see where it goes.

#37: since I am here to read and have fun, and not impress anyone with my intellectual pursuits

I feel the same way, Kath!

*high five* stasia

Morning all...back to the laundry. Auntie's home on Thursday. *sigh* It was a lovely vacation.

ETA it's 81F and 9:15a. I **left** Texas, no fair shipping it up to me!

Morning Kath! Good review! Sounds like a fun summer read! Hope you have a nice Sunday!

Same here rd... HHH today..

Spent time grooming the Dunc.. Scissored him all over, and then bath.. including conditioner of course.. a bit more scissoring.. and clippers later.. to finish off his Dunkers baby puppy look.. Clipped hobbity toes... he has a lot of fringe there..
and he looks grand! And smells a bit like green apple shampoo

oops, you too mark!

How do you get him to sit still for the green apple mess? Stella HATES being shampooed, but has only growled at me once...I was tring to use a floral shampoo and she Was Not Having It. (Privately, I applaud her good taste....)

ETA it's now 11a and 84F...grrr....

He doesn't mind the bath.. and besides.. lifting him into the washtubs in the basement leaves him with nowhere to go... it is the pre and post brushing he doesn't like.. he has very bushy and fuzzy hair around his backside.. and I try to keep it short to avoid havint to brush it. but still, a brush or two is required and he hates it.

he is okay with me doing anything but brushing him on his bum and tail.. and believe me I am careful.. I bought him a great oster brush .. i tried it, it doesnt hurt..

his tail is all trimmed up too.. he had his shot yesterday, so the stress won't hurt him ... and he needed it. I also use a leave in detangler.conditioner ..
I usually use coconut shampoo .. didn't have any

Lucky Duncan...i wish somebody would give me the Works like that...minus the nail clipping and bum-brushing, of course....... ;-)

it's too effing hot today. I had a bout of Intestinal flu yesterday that left me dehydrated and very cranky..got up early this morning...made a curried lentil/rice pilaf and cucumbers/tomatoes/onions in sour cream...but it's too hot to eat. will probably wait until way late tonight and have a midnight feast!!

Blasphemy sounds rather XFiles-ish.....maybe a perfect book for this lousy weather...it's on THE LIST and I might know someone who has a copy...at least, she has a lot of Preston's books..

hope your day is going well.....try to stay cool..i see there's a good chance of rain here tonight

;-}

dunno jude.. have you ever had your bum brushed? you might like it..

sorry that you were not feeling well..

I would send you Blasphemy if I could.. it isn't mine. My FIL gave it to me :)

lets hope it rains for us both.. and I agree about too hot to eat..

LOL ... "have you ever had your bum brushed? you might like it.. i just had to burst out laughing at that one, Kath!

It's actually pretty nice here in MA now that the rain's stopped ... the evening's cooled down (which will make it more pleasant sleeping tonight), my feet are up on the couch and I've got the Food Network on while I catch up on LT and munch on cherries. I refuse to think about the fact that I'm going to be in a boring workshop at work tomorrow for the first half of the day.

have you ever had your bum brushed? you might like it

i tried it, it doesnt hurt

Do these go together? Ha! My sheltie does not like his bum brushed either... but ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

Have had a very busy weekend and will be diving into another very busy week. When do I get to finish my book????? Oh, bother. I really don't like summer. Too busy. Too hot. Give me a nice chilly, snowy day in winter to curl up under the afghan and read. *trudging up to bed early...yawn*

(practicing my italics)

#40:

*lol @ stasia's high five*

ahh caro... so nice seeing you here :)

Give me a nice chilly, snowy day in winter to curl up under the afghan and read AMEN SISTER!!!!!

-------------------------------------------

Well, after a long day of duncan pampering/torturing
I was more than ready for bed at 10:30
I snagged the end of his run from inside the kitchen door...
and then stepped out with him for his nightime pee/sniff/pee
and i felt him stiffen...I had the lights on.. but there is a whole portion
of my yard that I can't see.. ( more work for my electrician)

By the time I made it to the bottom step I saw a dark streak heading for Dunkers..

he went right for his face/throat area...and duncan yelped.
guess who? remember the lab from the other night.. ?

Dunkers is fine...( aside from the appallingly bad grooming job)
The police came and this time the owner will be cited. I found out who owns
the dog..

I was so upset... I was awake til nearly one.. and am still tired :(
I really have an issue with owners who let their dogs ( and cats ) run.
If anyone hits that dog... the driver will no doubt be vilified and sued by the dogs owner..

And make no mistake, my sympathies are with the dog.. I loathe lousy owners who have no sense of responsibility or common sense.



Review for The Lies We Told coming soon.
It is total chic lit, not too bad a read... lighter than Picoult , not as good imo..but not bad

Have a great day, Kath!

Morning Kath- Yikes, more dog adventures, huh? Have a good one, my friend. It's going to be beautiful in the Midwest! YAH!

Good morning, Kath! I don't blame you for being upset with the owners of that lab. Glad Duncan is OK.

>52 mckait: Good! A citation is the minimum thing that should happen. I wish no ill on the dog, but the loss of their animal should be the next step.

*fumes off*

I don't want the dog to suffer for being a dog..
he just doesn't know any better. If I turn them in again, after this first citation... they will put the dog in a dreadful "dog jail" and it will cost the owners a bunch to
retrieve him. I would rather they put the owners in jail.. so they have to pay to get themselves out...

Yes. Exactly.

Why are you online at 9:15a?

I don't work today... tues/wed/thurs/ during summer :)

...wait...I thought you were off on FRIDAY and that was it! You mean I've been lazing about, reading and eating spice-drop cookies, sipping cafe au lait, and playing with my dog while gloating over all you worker bees...and you're HOME?!

That takes *all* the fun out of it.

I'm home too, Richard. Most Mondays. *Neener neener neener*

And my Sheltie also hates to have her "britches" brushed. I guess it's understandable. The fur back there is really dense and curly, so it's tough to get a brush or comb through it. And she's such a little drama queen about it...hefty sighs to begin, pathetic little yelps while in progress, and then the therapeutic licking-licking-licking of parts that weren't even involved in the outrage.

>61 laytonwoman3rd: *broken sigh*

60. yep
61. yep, exactly!

65. The Lies We Told by Diane Chamberlain

I think that if I were titling this book, it would be called The Lies We Never Told. The story is very much based on things left unsaid, rather than lies told.

Two sisters, Rebecca and Maya Ward suffered a family tragedy early in their lives. Rebecca was eighteen and Maya just fourteen when their parents were murdered. Each of the sisters felt that she was to blame for the murders. Each of them was right, each wrong.

Despite what happened to their family, these two grew into apparently happy and successful individuals. They both excelled in school and became doctors. They both lost themselves in education to avoid facing their losses and themselves. Also, despite having similar experiences and education, these two women seemed to be very different.

Rebecca, being the elder of the sisters took on a protective role. She put her own schooling n hold in order to raise her sister after the deaths of their parents. No one could deny her selflessness and generosity. Maya fell into the role of the protected sister, always feeling the need to lean on someone. She was clearly the less storn of the two, or so it seemed.

Rebecca worked with a disaster relief organization that took her to all corners of the world, always in the very worst of circumstances. Maya had an amiable and loving husband, himself a doctor, and was interested in starting a family. This did not stop the sisters from being close and loving. Nor did the secrets and "lies" that lay between them.

It was appropriately enough a hurricane that stepped up and blew through life as these women knew it, and the aftereffects that would whirl them towards a much different life than the one which they had been living. A question through much of the book was how to go on when someone you love is ripped from your life, just gone. This is the story about how these three doctors, this family wound up after the storm.

Good ending.. one full star added for that! It made enduring the slow and frustrating spots worth the effort.

66. Siblings: The Autism Spectrum Through Our Eyes by Jane Johnson

Youngsters on the autism spectrum take a lot of energy, and a lot of time.
I have often thought it must be difficult to live with someone who had the behaviors and challenges that some of our students have. This little book provides a window into the lives of the siblings of the child with special needs. The youngest of those included in this book seem to have a maturity beyond their years. They are also very open and honest about their feelings, for which they deserve a great deal of credit. I admit to suspecting that some have had rather a lot of adult help with the writing of their chapters, it is
obvious that the feelings are genuine.

I think this is a great idea, There are chapters here by siblings ranging in age from about ten to over forty. This gives a wonderful perspective to those who are dealing with issues in their own childhood, and promises hope for their futures.

My biggest disappointment is that the book is so short. I would have liked to see
many more stories, and many more families. This is one case in which moderation is perhaps not the best.

four stars

I don't typically include books that I have read that are under 150 pages. This one comes in at under 100, but thought it was worth a brief mention. Very quick read, good idea.. I like that the kids essentially write their own stories.

By all means, count books under 150 pages! It all balances out with the bigger-than-average books! (My own technique is the short ones -- under 125 -- count as a half book.)

And that one certainly was worth a mention.

By all means, count books under 150 pages! It all balances out with the bigger-than-average books!

That's my philosophy. Unless you count 550 pagers as "2 books," then it all balances out.

That's one good reason of keeping track of page numbers. I can figure out the average size of the book whenver I want. I've read a couple books that were only just over or around 100 pages...but my average pages per book is still over 300 because I've also read a couple 700 pagers, so I'm fine with counting the small ones. :)

Oh Kath ... poor Dunkers .... I'm sorry he got attacked in the dark when all he was looking forward to was a little pee. I hope he's ok and that he's not developed a fear of going out in the dark to empty his bladder. My neighbors are lousy pet owners too, and they have a giant orange poodle thing that used to run around the street, barking at everyone, running into our yard to bark at us until we yelled at it and stamped our feet to get him to go away ... but he nipped at the little kids in the neighborhood until a few parents complained. The owners have since been fined and have had to fence in their property. Their dogs are not allowed out of the property unless they are leashed and even within their fenced property, the dog cannot be allowed to roam the backyard unsupervised .... if they are, and someone else complains, the owners will have to put the dog down.

Kath
I'm glad Dunkers is unharmed...
Yikes, I thought summer was supposed to be easier for you.

Hugs

Well... latest update ...
he was not cited. He claims the lab is 16 years old...
and that he wasn't aware of the ordinances, and he has only let him
out a few times... ( so untrue, he has been lurking around the edges of my yard many times)

but
the officer asked if it would be okay to let him off the hook this time. That he just be warned..
blah blah..

No way I believe that lab is 16... I saw him.
But.. I will give it another chance .. having been promised a citation will be issued if there is one more problem..

Dunkers is fine and peed just fine and seems pretty much unscathed. He has been.. gone after / attacked before.. too often.

sigh.. I don't know.. but anyway, today we sat on the front porch unscathed for some time.. and I have hope that it will be better now..

Thanks for caring about my badly groomed pooch :)
he sends snurfles your way..

I wish I had a fence.. but the shape of my yard is not conducive.. :(

Glad to hear that the news on Duncan is good at least!

Good grief, I've missed two whole threads? I'll quietly sweep them under the rug and start here... Hi Kath!

I hope that inconsiderate goon appreciates how vry kind you're being. I myownself think you should've gone against your kinder nature and just shot the guy.

I'd agree with Richard on the Firepower Option...but, is the shooting of such a....jerk....worth Jail Time??? Because, surely, the shooter is the one who pays..which is why I'm careful to not wave my gun around at the least little kerfuffle..most people aren't worth jail time or a fine...IMHO

hope you're all doing well, Kath....and thanks again for the call

;-}

hi ellie.. I have missed you :)

i myownself think you are right..
but being a pacifist and all.. and i am firearm free..
good thing.. I might forget about being a pacifist for a minute.

good thinking jude....

I feel like crud today...annoying and ridiculous, as it is a totally gorgeous day.. 70's not humid..

it has to do with the crap they sprayed in our classroom today.. bastiches

#76: I am sorry to hear that you are feeling like crud. I know how I react to the crap that gets sprayed by exterminators. I hope you feel better now that you are out of there!

ty stasia, I am sure I will

I'm all for you not shooting the jerk since your pets would pine away while you're chewing toothpicks and playing gin rummy in prison ... so maybe you could get a catapult and shoot little pebbles at him whenever he walks past your house in the near future.

they sprayed in the classroom? why didn't they spray over the weekend when nobody would be around to inhale all that noxious stuff? Poor Kath ... hope you feel better this evening.

ants

masses of ants, because of the sort of chair and the eating abilities if one child.
I asked that the take the chair out of the room. I expected them to use what I would have..( silly I know) which would have been soapy or vinegar water.. and just wipe them up... It never crossed my mind that they would spray bug spray.
I am fine this morning..
:)

caro, can I use big pebbles?

I expected them to use what I would have..( silly I know)

Definitely silly. C'mon, Kath, don't you know these people by now?

Did they spray it with the kids present? That stuff is toxic to anyone, but kids are especially vulnerable. And those kids have enough problems without being poisoned with insecticides at school. I hope they at least washed it off when they were done -- at least areas that a child is likely to touch with his/her hands -- especially if this chair is where they sit to eat. Kid touches the chair then touches his food, and the results could be tragic.

popping in to say hi :)

going away for a long weekend stay at St Pete beach :) will send calm thoughts while i sip some kind of tropical drink and listen to the ocean....

what about one of those invisible fences? i know they work for your own dog but does it work for others trying to creep onto your territory? plus i don't know what the cost of those things are, but if your lay of the land is "not conducive" to a regular fence maybe this kind of fence might work. just a thought ;) ( or maybe an air horn LOL, but that might scare the dunkers)

the smell of insecticides- yuck. yesterday i was stuck in my office while the maintenance department decided in their infinite wisdom to strip and wax our buildings floors! if i had asthma i am sure i would have had an attack.. had to open my window and put a fan on. i swear the three stoogies run that department.

oh well, have a wonderful rest of the week and a quiet undisturbed weekend while your trying to enjoy your space :)

*hugs* kara

I don't think invisible fences work to keep dogs out. How would it? You have to put a special colar on the dog so the invisible fence recognizes it, so I'm pretty sure they only work to keep your dogs in. =/

I'm stickin' to the handgun-and-alibi solution. How could she have shot the goof, officer, she was on Long Island with me and my auntie having dinner?

Did they spray it with the kids present? That stuff is toxic to anyone, but kids are especially vulnerable. And those kids have enough problems without being poisoned with insecticides at school. I hope they at least washed it off when they were done -- at least areas that a child is likely to touch with his/her hands -- especially if this chair is where they sit to eat. Kid touches the chair then touches his food, and the results could be tragic.

kids .. yes
and agreed.. but they hve sprayed it in the past just before they come in.
No.. they did not wash it off.
I left the room to weigh one of the kids and came back to kids being put around the snack table. Not .. not wiped off, I asked.

I requested the chair be removed and sprayed.. no.. what would she sit in??
well.. we have other chairs.

she was absent today. Unrelated, I hope........ =(

invisible fences only keep dogs in and only when they are not in chase of a squirrel, truck other dog.. etc. And I don't like them anyway :P nasty collars.

I love you to bits rdear :) thanks for the alibi :)

And if the alibi does not work, you know a bailbondsman who can help out :)

I'm still workin' on the powderburns explanation...I'm considering asking The Divine Miss for a backyard shooting range....

aww stasia !!!! thank you..

And rd... that could just do it... !!!

This may work out after all :)

Definitely use big pebbles, Kath. On the ants issue .. instead of spraying ... couldn't they have used those sticky ant traps and put them all around the edge of the classrooms? They're pretty effective for the weekdays and then they can spray over the weekend when teachers and kids are not around.

I figure I can do both!

no ant traps caro
our kids are ...
well they put any and everything into their mouths

The place just makes me weary

Our school is out in the "country"
we have deer grazing on the lawns..
it is beautiful.. and like anywhere else,
looks better from the outside than from inside.

good to know stasia.. we can both bring books..

Morning Kath- I hope you have a good day! It's going to another beautiful one here! We are having a wonderful stretch!

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee

off for four days.........

Have a Happy Weekend, Kath! Xtra time to read????

Big Wave from Maine! Claudia

Hey there Kath ... just checking in on you on this nice cool MA evening.

Congrats on having the next 4 days off, Kath!

Certainly more time to read, but not last night. I was trimming up some ragged spots on dunkers coat.. and my neighbor called. She wanted me to go out for ice cream with "the girls" . of course I said no thank you.. but Margie badgers. And one of the girls was a dog named Sarah.. so I went.

It was one of those long drawn out things.. but Sarah was nice and I shared my cone with her. Today, most of my cleaning is done :) yay! so..

I see Jude called.. * waves at jude* I will call back...
sorry...

I went to bed very soon after the excursion.. I was pretty tired..
Today is pretty much a blank slate :)

love that

What will you all do for the weekend???

67. The Bucolic Plague: How Two Manhattanites Became Gentlemen Farmers: An Unconventional Memoir by Josh Kilmer-Purcell non-fiction

This is the story of Josh and Brent and how Martha Stewart and Oprah taught them a few things. I won't be the one to tell you about them though, you really need to read this book.

I began the book laughing, because Josh has quite a way with words.
I found myself crying, because things happened that made me sad.
I also found myself beginning to wonder if this whole book had been cooked up to be a giant advertisement for what has become a business. I then stopped caring about that, because it is a business, as well as a way of life for not only Josh and Brent who are both endearing and annoying but so very real and vulnerable.

These two were both very gainfully employed in New York city, when fate carried them to Sharon Springs, New York. Sharon Springs was a small town filled with the most wonderful, and colorful group of hard working folks one could imagine. Luckily, they didn't have to as they found themselves face to face with most of them only minutes after arriving.

From the townsfolk to Bubby the cat, Farmer John and the goats, there is not one of them that I would not like to meet and pass the time of day with. Here is part of their story.

I rate it 3.7 here and trying to decide whether to 3 or 4 it for amazon.. no half stars there. I will probably go with four. I will also seek out other books written by this author.

Geesh. A girl goes on vacation and then has to go on a hunt to find you when she gets back. BUT HAH! I tracked ya down, good buddy. You can run... :)

Hey Pam.. I was thinking of you.. Don't you have The Passage?
Have you read it?

#98: I am going to have to give The Bucolic Plague a try! Thanks for the recommendation, Kath.

Morning Kath- I hope you enjoy The Passage. I plan on starting it early next month!
Have a great holiday weekend!

How do! A hot, scorching hot, day on tap. I ain't a-budgin' from my air conditioned splendor. Anyone here wants hot food, there's the microwave, there's plenty of leftovers in the fridge.

Check out the web sites Stasia.. I have been enjoying them ...

Mark.. so far so good.. but I haven't read much. I love my porch, but the hazard
( and joy) of sitting out there to read is that it attracts passers by, lol. So last night I had company again.

richardear, I am with ya 100% !!! Saturday food is in order...
leftovers and / or hot dogs on the grill!

*shares bowl of garlic cheese grits and hot biscuits with Kath*

offers sliced tomatoes to go with~

*Yoo Hoo*

No problem about the call..I am (half-way) expecting company this weekend..a Girlfriend from Zanesville..but Angie tends to be rude vis-a-vis arrival time!!! so, i wait with Southwest Chicken Salad in the fridge...french bread.....and potables of all sorts! Hope you have a grand weekend

Oh..The Bucolic Plague???? aptly named, as Bucolic & Plague are equal..in my book. And I live "in the country"...but I am not a farmer..just a city girl who got seriously lost...many years ago

bestest,
J

hmmmm...garlic cheese grits....now there's a thought!

hmmm...the only leftovers I have is pulled pork. I'm giving hot dogs a wide berth today since I kinda ODed on them yesterday and because I know there'll be more at the cook out tomorrow along. Maybe we'll go out for some canoeing later and grab some lobster rolls after.

Hi, Kath!

Enjoy your four days off!

I'm not sure whether I want to read The Bucolic Plague or not. But I enjoyed your comments about it.

We are planning to grill some bratwurst sometime this weekend. There was going to be marinated, grilled chicken -- but I mis-read the store sale ad . . .

I've got snausages all cued up in the fridge, but The Divine Miss is giving me a huge treat: She's making her inimitable, superb FRIED CHICKEN! It's the best I've ever had, bar none, and she makes it once a year at most, so this is a thrill.

Yo, Richard

I could never make good FRIED chicken...settle for oven-fried

;-)

Yo, Richard

I could never make good FRIED chicken...settle for oven-fried

;-)

Kath enjoy your weekend, hope Duncan is hassle free and cooler for his haircut;)

Too much food talk - must think about eating soon!

I know... too much food talk for sure :)

congrats rd.. on the fried chicken! I love friend chicken :P
I am just hanging our and reading. Dan is doing.. fan stuff or something.

As for Duncan, I have kept him away from mirrors so he is fine..

#100,

I do have it, Kath!... but I'm only 1/2 the way thru.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading it but guess my ADD is acting up. (Also 1/2 through two other books...)

I LOVE fried chicken ..especially the ones with extra crispy batter on them. I've got 50 chicken wings marinating in spiced buttermilk right now, and will be frying them tomorrow at a friend's house for our July 4th party.

nice semi lazy day today for me too, Kath ... isn't it bliss to just sit and read with no pressing chores every once in a while?

Oh my, I miss a lot.

Boo hiss about spraying the classroom. That just flies in the face of common sense.

By all means, count books under 150 pages! It all balances out with the bigger-than-average books! (My own technique is the short ones -- under 125 -- count as a half book.)

When I was in grad school I started counting any read over forty pages, just because I was spending so much of my time reading long articles.

I keep thinking that I am in the Kitchen instead of Kath's thread with all the food talk going on in here!

I keep thinking that I am in the Kitchen instead of Kath's thread with all the food talk going on in here!

Yeah, I've done that a couple times too!

food is nice comfy talk though and welcome here anytime!

I am reading The Passage and enjoying it. It is well written and ...while sometimes a bit gunky, it is a good read so far. The thing is so heavy, I am struggling with it a bit..lol

So what are your plans for the day? I plan to stay home and maybe a little visit to Margie's picnic at the end. I have to keep Dunkers company on these explosive days :).

Reading, ribs on the grill and maybe a movie??

I know Caro is getting back from her run and getting ready for a July 4 celebration... but the rest?

eta

regarding not counting reads under 150 pages.. it is just a personal choice. I read a lot of kids books during the week.. and short books now and then. They take so little time, I just don't think of them as a true read.. but that is me.
The book on siblings however, was ..so touching and sweet..parents everywhere should have a window like that into how their kids are feeling.. it would be very helpful!

Sleeping - it has been a busy night here at work :)

Stasia, you know you will only sleep for 45 minutes...

why so busy? lots of crime this week?

#122: Holiday weekend. Enough said.

It's going to be a scorcher here today. I will be in front of my AC reading, until it's time to watch the Macy's fireworks on TV; then back in front of my AC for sleepytime.

With interruptions, of course, auntie still needs to be got up, dressed, etc etc, and I am needed to help.

Morning Kath- Hope you a nice 4th! Glad you are enjoying The Passage, will be starting it in a few weeks. Very warm & muggy here. Plan on attending a musical festival later today. It's both inside & outside and shaded.

oic, stasia :)

yeah... hot here too... summer muggy

It's gonna be hot here in Maine too! No a/c but thank God for the seabreeze. Beautiful weekend for those who love summer. I am no fan of HHH... ick. Looking forward to the first frost of autumn!

I just started Plainsong but have not gotten far enough to have an opinion. Also reading Crisis in Bethlehem which soooo reminds me of my days in the '60s and '70s at a big insurance company. Excessive corporate greed. There goes my blood pressure again!

All your food goodies sound wonderful! Happy 4th to everyone!

#126: It did not help that the jail's computer system is down as well. Made for a very long night for me and the system was still not back up when I left at 8.

The run was not as much fun as I had wished for ... too many bugs out there... I ate about 3 before I decided to cut my run short ...... i didn't want to spoil my appetite. ;-)

ick sorry to hear that caro

claudia .. I kept nodding my head and agreeing as I read your post..

stasia.. hope its fixed soon... yikes..recalcitrant computers make life..difficult, indeed.

back up to message 107...
I believe I pass through Zanesville en route to Dayton/Beavercreek Ohio.

How far are you from Beavercreek?

Message 127, Claudia...Crisis in Bethlehem is sure to raise the blood pressure. I knew the author, John Stroymeyer, his book is very well researched and he knows what he writes.

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/bethlehem/index.ssf/2010/03/former_bethlehem_glo...

107/131: I live pretty close to Zanesville, I had to drive there for my drivers education course.

Crisis in Bethlehem is on my list now. I'm not too far from Johnstown, PA, which was also hit hard by the decline of the steel industry.

>131 Whisper1: Linda, I don't doubt for a moment that Stroymeyer has it right. So very right! He wrote this book with much wisdom and unmistakable clarity. I recognize everything he wrote. I lived it. Uncanny!

I lived this whole experience in a somewhat smaller company (40,000 ees at its peak). I keep thinking I could substitute the name of my employer for "Bethlehem". I spoke out about it. I was pushed aside. How dare I, a woman, have an opinion or any kind of insight? Uh oh, there goes my blood pressure again....

Good book. It helps me see a bigger picture of the hell we went through. I think even my husband (a non-reader) will scoop this one up.

According to your link, the author died in Crystal River, FL. Before she came to live with us, my Mom lived in that vicinity. I know that hospital intimately. Small world, as they say...

John Strohmeyer was a visiting professor in the Department of Journalism at Lehigh, where I am employed. I knew him in that role. He was a larger than life man. I remember him as exceedingly intelligent, kind ...and opinionated.

Actually, I grew to respect him after he and I mildly locked horns on an issue. He later apologized to me and that was the beginning of our respectful relationship.

I can close my eyes and still see his smile and hear his booming voice.

The book really is a must read for anyone interested in American History.

That was the beginning. In my opinion, something happened in 1980 ( ish) that had a rolling affect on all business since. And beyond that, it seems that greed took a much strong hold in the world. Nothing has been the same since. We are from steel country, and were affected by all of this as well...and continue to be.

ewwwwwwwwwwwww I hate double posts!

Hey, Kath...posted the link to my thread on your profile page!

>131 Whisper1:

I live in SE Ohio, now...but went to college in Yellow Springs....right there in the Dayton/Springfield/Xenia triangle...for 4 years, back in the early 70s, I knew the area well. and my boyfriend is, actually, from Beavercreek....How we both ended up here, in Woodsfield, is one of Life's Mysteries...

Crisis in Bethlehem just might go oh THE LIST. I grew up in Akron and watched the Rubber Industry go to hell in a handbasket (my dad worked for Firestone).....and I believe that the Steelworkers were hit much harder...but Greed is greed..be it urban or rural...still stinks..still hurts.

;-}

well, lookie here:

http://www.booksonboard.com/index.php?F=Hard_Copy_Books_Fall2009

I don't really get it. But then I'm sitting here waiting for the home health aide (who's late) and the cable guy (who's early), so I think I'm not processing right.

I'm not sure I get it, either...Baker & Taylor is a wholesaler, no? Where do we Regular Citizens fit, here?

68. The Passage by Justin Cronin

finished

wow

more later

I checked out the link(#139) and love it,....but they only accept Credit Cards..and i do PayPal...but I'll pass on the link.. to my friends

I really want to know your take on The Passage ....since I couldn't score an ARC to save my life...

;-}

?? The link? They take paypal?

I found it on facebook.. the author of Winging It "liked" it, and she is on my friends list. Interesting e-books, audio books etc. I use neither, but it said it is an independent.. I would have to find that out for sure, but I thought others might like it. I think I saw that they have paperbacks too, but I might be dreaming..

Make sure that you are on the US version of the site maybe? I am not sure what the default is, US or UK.

Hi Kath ... check my thread for what you requested... ;-)

68. The Passage by Justin Cronin

I have to admit that when I picked this book up to read, I was pretty sure that I wouldn't like it. I read only the short blurb offered by Vine, and it convinced me to request this book. It was only later, that I realized that it was being referred to as a "vampire" story. Since recent vampire books have sent me running swiftly in the other direction, I thought I had made a mistake.

Then it arrived! The size of the thing would once have made my heart go pitty pat with pleasure. So many times in the past I picked up a thick book over another that might have interested me, because it had more pages. In recent years I have more often gone for shorter books and more of them. Then there was the hype. Often, I have found books that were hyped as much as this one has been to be a disappointment. NOT so this one.

It all begins ordinarily enough. A story about a little girl living with just her mother, and an absentee dad. That is a situation you find all too often these days. We then go directly to some emails sent from Jonas Lear, a Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular biology, Harvard to a friend back home. Where was Lear? That is where the story really begins. Lear was in the jungles of Bolivia. He and his colleagues were conducting research that ended up changing not only his own life, but the lives of everyone in the country..or could it be the world?

This is where things begin to get interesting. We find the FBI involved in having death row prisoners released from prisons, and sent to a compound where they have an important role is research. At least this is what they were told.

This is a post apocalyptic novel, so you know things are going to go bad, very bad, before too long, and of course they do . One things begin to spiral out of control, they go quickly. It isn't too long before life as we know it is no more.

This is where we meet the most important group of characters. This is one of several places where I felt this writer excelled. Not only is his story rich, compelling and just a little too close to possibility for comfort, but the characters are fully developed, likable and very real. None of that oh so earnest stuff, no one is too good or bad to be believed. The characters are like you and me. They are like our uncle, our neighbor and our friend. Even now, when for me the story has been told, and I know where it went and what happened to them all, they linger. This has not happened for me for a very long time. I will miss them.

oh, and I recommend this to anyone who likes a well told and imaginative tale. Never mind the genre, ignore the hype. Pay no attention to the reviews, good or bad... just go and pick it up and start to read. You will not be sorry.

Kath- Great review! I was waiting for your opinion with bated breath! So glad you came down on the positive side. Will be reading it soon!

lolol Mark... I know that you call me a tough reviewer.... maybe I am! This was good 4.5 here and 5 on Amazon, because they have no half stars...

Well worth reading!

Your first two paragraphs are so remarkably similar to my own experience with the book it's eerie. Those were all EXACTLY my thoughts, in the very same order. Except I requested it from Early Reviewers, realized it was a "vampire" book and grew wary, which intensified by the size of the book, and was then surprised about all the hype (I had no idea it was such a "big deal" book), only to end up loving the thing. ...eeeeerie.

Anyway, I liked your review Kath! :)

What an incredible review! Thumbs up from me!

aw, thanks Linda :)

and now.. nighty night all~

Kath

I also posted this message on my thread and the thread of those with hot reviews:

Quick...go to the hot reviews and you will see that of the ten reviews, our group is 10/10. Every hot review this morning is from a member of our 75 challenge group. I'm not sure, but I think this is a first for us.

The hot reviews are

lindsacl
Mrstreme
Mckait
sjmccreary
elliepotten
donna828
msf59
blackdogbooks
brenzi
and me

What a hoot!

thumbs up and congrats on your HOT review :)

glad you liked it, it has been on my TBR pile can't wait to read it.....

Linda, that is so very very cool!
We are one hot bunch of folks ! :)

Thank you so much for posting it here :)

kara.. it is a much quicker read than you might think.. it flows so well and is fairly unputdownable. 'and thanks btw :)to all who were kind enough to thumb me :)

Tired and headachy :P
no a/c at work. chasing toddlers in 85 F heat. No a/c last week.. none for the next 8 + weeks, as to condensers or something blew. JUST in the wing where I work, I might add.

I need to pick a new read....

>155 mckait: Here it is, dearest. Perfect for you right now.

You are an evil man richard..... purely evil....

...evil...? All's I was doin' was callin' your attention to a potentially helpful resource. And look. You call me *evil*!

I'm gonna go eat butter pecan ice cream with hot fudge sauce.

Sorry you're not feeling well, Kath. I popped in to read your thread and am tipping my hat at your wonderful review of The Passage. By the way, it was covered on Charlie Rose last night .. he had someone one to talk about recommended books for the summer.

We had a good quarter last week, and today our MD brought in 10 gallons of ice cream from Coldstone Creamery, complete with side toppings like sprinkles, crushed oreos, fudge, pb sauce, cherries and chopped nuts ... well he didn't really bring it all in, he had Coldstone deliver the whole thing and make sundaes for us. Sweet! I had a dark chocolate ice cream with lashings of peanut butter topped with chopped nuts.

No fans in your wing either? They should at least provide each classroom with a few standing fans before the kids and teachers collapse from heatstroke.

Thanks Caro :) .. Really? I have to watch that show sometime :)
I hear good tings..

No fans.. maybe tomorrow?
Some of our kids have body heat regulations issues ..
breathing and heart issues..

but I guess until someone does more than just upchuck..
it is ok..

*ignores rd sitting in his a/c room with ice cream. *

can't imagine working where they treat you with appreciation... must be nice:P

i have no a/c at home if that makes you feel any better? It's a really really old house and we just didn't want to deal with all the renovation that would have to take place to put in central a/c. And I don't like window units because they're usually kinda noisy. But we do have ceiling fans and oddly enough my house manages to be quite cool even in 90+ weather. It's just when we go upstairs that it can be somewhat stifling, until the fans are switched on

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/24159837/detail.html

JC Penney destroys unsold clothing..

nothing new, local groceries ( ALDI) throws food out rather than donate

Linda- Thanks for sharing the list! Kath is right, we are One Hot Bunch!

Richard (#156)- Very funny, sir!... Sorry Kath!

BTW- I do not have a/c where I work either, or fans! It was miserable out there today. We must have got all of Caro's humidity, cause it was mucky!

Whereas I am freezing here in San Diego, where the high was 63. Had to take off my sandals and put on sneakers with socks, and change to a warmer long-sleeve top to get comfortable. And the sun just now finally peeked out at 4 in the afternoon! Brrrr! Too bad we can't average it out.

sigh.....

Just popping in to say hi. Hope things cool down a bit at work, Kath.

#161 Caroline, that sounds a lot like our home situation. Old house, no a/c, but ceiling fans everywhere. So far, we've kept it liveable by having windows open only at night when its cool, closing them when the sun comes up. The money we've spent on "energy efficiency" is paying off in that the house is more or less keeping its cool, at least downstairs. Upstairs tends to be another story . . . I'm trying to decide whether to swelter in bed, or sleep down on the sofa where it's halfway comfortable. . . .

Thanks terri..it won't happen, but thanks :)
We have a child with heart problems and one who cannot regulate body temps..
I am worried about them... and not looking forward to trying to keep the sweat from running into my eyes while I chase them all around during the day.
Even if we get a fan.. we have to leave it in the hallway....outside the door......
then there is a hallway and coat area
then the main classroom
and the table where we work is not going to be anywhere in the area where the fan air will reach. No she won't move the table, no windows open..

We have 2 a/c units in my house...
one in the LR one in my bedroom. they help... but I agree about the noise. I run them both during the day, and turn off mine at night in favor of the ceiling fan. I wanted the unit that is in the living room to be put into the DR this time.. because of noise. Didn't happen. I have opted for fans instead of whole house.. but days like this make me wonder

I am leaving work as early as possible, using my personal time.

John is coming to day to do more electrical work, the last for a while. Final fans...upstairs

hot already

I hope they get the a/c fixed for you guys today, Kath!

Morning Kath- Good luck! Fingers crossed for you!

At 10:45EDT, it's NINETY here. This *has* to stop. Kath, tell the Weather Goddess that you didn't mean it, you take it back, it shouldn't be summer all year long like it is in Texas. I'll wait before I whammy you back into the Dark Ages...but not for long....

Great review for The Passage!!! That one is definitely on THE LIST!

Dreadful, however, about the A/C situation at work..I know . last year, when the A/C went out at the Sheltered Workshop/School here in town.....they closed the school for however long it took to get a new condenser and install it....didn't want to deal with insurance hassles if the kids/adults got seriously ill...since quite a few were asthmatic and some had body temp issues. Families whined a lot..but some people are born to whine.....I'm sending you positive waves.....through the humidity, even

;-}

No a/c for at least 8 weeks.. did I forget to mention that part? 79F when I left
( early) after the kids left. One more day of this heat should do it.. by law temps have to be between 65/82 . It won't matter though. We let the parents know today by writing a note in their communication books. I don't see it making a difference. Kids are flushed and miserable. At least they are drinking... usually, it is hard to get some of them to drink.

I am using up my personal time......

rdear.. I took it back yesterday.. no luck with a brief snow shower for the entire eastern US .. which is what I asked for.

ceiling fan #8 going up now.. a new and bigger one for the kitchen...
this one is the caboose...for now. An attic fan coming .... autumn maybe???

happy is m. Hungry is me too, hope they finish soon~

We had an historic high of 102F yesterday. The last time we apparently hit 100F in Boston was 1911 ! Still muggy today but slightly cooler at 96F ... we might actually resort to getting an a/c window unit for the bedroom so that we can at least sleep more comfortably, although I have to wonder though .. how many more of these muggy hot nights are we realistically going to get anyway? My husband thinks we should tough it out ... then again, he's the crazy guy who goes running at noon sometimes and doesn't mind dripping with sweat.

>172 mckait: Okaaay...one more day....

>174 cameling: And you're still married to him??? Loon!

I've always attracted loons .................. and the odd stray.

Lots of loons in Minnesota--they're our state bird!

I'm adding The Passage to my list. Thanks for the recommendation!

Karen O.

Loons can be entertaining... I myself attract strays, more so in the past than in recent days. I think my grumpy demeanor keeps them away... ( doesn't work for mosquitoes tho..)

See, Caro.. that is my reasoning too. I hate being hot. I hate window a/c units. I love ceiling fans. I do like whole house a/c ~ except, I also like open windows.

I may yet take the plunge and get it, but for now..
I do have a unit in my BR. I put it on now.. for a while.. early evening..
then when I go to bed, I turn it off in favor of the fan..

Hope you like it karen,! :)

My thoughts exactly, Kath! If I did put one in, that's what I would do too ... just on to cool the room down enough and then when I go to bed, turn it off and leave the fan on. The evening's actually cooled down quite a bit today ... and with the dip in the temp, thus does my eagerness to get a window unit take an equal fall. ;-)

A dip in temps anywhere is worthy of celebration!!

Fan plus a/c boy here...it's still 84F at 8p EDT. I really, really, really hate this.

me too rd... no porching makes me sad
I desperately need some quiet.. this window units sound like trains to me.
They are going off, fans on.. and I am off to read.. nighty night dearies all...

See? Even the ones that are marketed as 'quiet' are still noisy. The last one we had sounded like a turbine and we had to get rid of it .... to the slightly deaf in-laws. ;-)

I think it was about 91 or 92 here today, with a heavy dose of humidity. I would sit in my hot vehicle, in between loops, in a shaded spot, sit very still and hope to catch the slightest breeze. I even turned the pages of my book very carefully.

I'm in Vermont and even here it was in the mid-90's yesterday and today as well as insanely humid; our house was impossibly stuffy last night -- so we put up our tent next to the house and then pumped up the ole air mattress thanks to extension cord and woila! I had the best night of sleep in months out there, to my surprise! We didn't have to put the 'fly' on and so there was the night sky..... it's so rare up here to have several nights in a row with little threat of rain.

I understand completely, Caro. I also need to breathe, so I do put up with it for bits of time here and there. I don't think I could be without one completely~
also, my dog gets very lethargic in the heat and I often run it all day when I am at work, just for him and the kitties..it is too loud for him too, he never stays in the same room with it..

Has the heat wave passed yet, Mark? I do not envy you your job at all. Not at all.

sibyx, when I was a child, I often stayed with my gram on her farm. We would often sleep just on a blanket under a tree...if it was cool.. we would have had a fire to cook our potatoes for dinner... and our apples would roast in the ashes for breakfast. I often remember those days and think about how wonderful it was to sleep outdoors with the beautiful sky up above. Your outdoor bed sounds blissful to me.

Bless the Lord! Fog rolled in yesterday afternoon and things cooled down here on the coast. I wish you all fog!

Kath, your childhood memories sound awesome! Think I was born in the wong century... wish I was a farmer - not here in Maine though, too rocky! When I worked in the scorching tobacco fields we sometimes got hot baked potatoes delivered to us. Sounds strange, but they were YUM!

Reading Plainsong by Haruf and was beginning to wonder where this book was going. Characters all seemed dysfunctional and I was searchng for a plot. I get a sense it's starting to come together now. Could prove interesting.

CLOUDS!! CLOUDS AND (maybe) RAIN!!

It's already 80F at 11:45am, but that's better than yesterday. May the heat go back to South Carolina downwards, and west to California.

It's already South richard, 96F with a heat index of 101.... oh and no signs of rain or clouds :(

hope everyone is staying as cool as they can, and your kids at school kath

Yesterday amy said black was coming off of her steering wheel onto her hands..
like it was melting
it was 106 F by her car thermometer

Today she has a showing at 6:30 so please everyone send good energy for them to like and buy the house..?please?

80 F in our room at school.. left after the kids left, and came home
dan had not turned on the a/c
80F in my house

:(

why, one wonders? he said he is fine, the heat doesn't bother him, so I reckon it doesn't matter about anyone else?

one child stayed home today, after telling the moms about no a/c
glad he did.. it was hot..but, I knew he would, his mom is very vigilant and careful with him.

I went to wash some dirt off my hands with the garden hose, and I didn't think to let it run for a few seconds...the water in the hose was scalding hot and actually burnt my hand pretty good!

good that you weren't thirsty.... ouch!!

#190 Today she has a showing at 6:30 so please everyone send good energy for them to like and buy the house..?please?

Good energy sent, Kath! ("Buy, buy, buy!" so Amy can say bye-bye to the house!)

#191 Ouch! An unpleasant demonstration of solar water heating!

popping in to wish you a cooler evening, Kath!

:) Thanks Terri.....and Caro too...

okay I just tossed a book in the trash. Witch by Barbara Michaels.

Animal cruelty discussed ( at dinner ) and not crazy about the way she treats her cat. Just sayin'

I have enjoyed some of her books in the past. Not this one.
Not sure what I will pick up instead.

Amagansett ? or Brimstone?

dunno.

Amgansett ! ................ sorry about Witch ............... Amagansett

hmm...suddenly touchstones not working?

LOLOL Oh Caro.. You did make me LOL..
Thank you and Amagansett it is
*still chuckling*

I had trouble with the √√√√
Amagansett t-stone, too..
hey! I accidently option V and got checkmarks√√√√√√√√

#198 How did you do that?

macbook

option V

I was trying to past which is command V but hit option instead..
:)

I have to look for more surprises
å∫ç∂´ƒ©˙ˆ∆˚¬µ˜øπœ®ß†¨√∑≈¥Ω

Å ı Ç Î ´ Ï ˝ Ó ˆ Ô ÒÒ˜Ø∏Œ‰Íˇ¨◊„˛Á¸

#200 Ah, you Mac people have all the fun!

I don't think I even have an option . . .

¡™£∞§§¶•ªº–¡™£¢∞§¶•ªº–⁄€‹›fifl‡°·‚—‚·°‡flfi›‹€⁄
eta
I love my mac!

Re: Witch...that's when I fell for Michaels, when that cat...well, you know. *sighs happily at memories*

Still stifling here, humidity and temp the same...76. This weather belongs in August. Preferably in the South. It should stop at the southern edge of Pennsylvania, and no farther east than Pittsburgh, and not afflict us here in the Northeast.

#200 Ah, you Mac people have all the fun!

You can do it on a PC too. What you do is, hold ALT and then press and hold 3 numbers on your number pad. Do this:

Hold ALT
press and hold 7
press and hold 8
press and hold 9
release ALT

You get: §

║O├σ├;ǩΘ§⌠£&⌠Θ/1ϘΘ

Just be careful and don't accidentally press ALT+CTRL and then mess with the number pad, you can accidentally do some screwy things. Like, ALT+CTRL+2 (down arrow) will turn your screen upside down (push alt+control+8(up arrow) to get it back to normal.) It's a fun trick if you want to mess with people. :)

>205 Ape: Too hard! I can't make those keystrokes with my stiff hands. I'd probably buy a Mac just to get those cool things, except I'd have to listen to Kath gloat.

rd, I thought of you when I tossed it on top of the coffee grounds...

Stephen, you are very clever!

kath? gloat? ME?!?!?!?!?

yeah, I would

>209 mckait: Loud and long, with a side order of crowing.

you know me to well my friend..

but it would be worth it.. trust me.

No gloating required ..... there is no right mouse button on a MAC .... very irritating

No right mouse button? Well, that settles that! I couldn't live without exercising my inalienable right to right click!

you don't need one.. there is a control button that does the same thing..

Morning, Kath!

Good morning stasia!!!

how are things way down there in hotter than H every day land?

Morning Kath- Still warm today but the humidity is backing off! Will only drink 2 gallons today! Not bad!

I could not do your job, mark.. could not. stay cool as you can :-/

#216: Actually, it has been cooler here than up north because of the effects of Hurricane Alex. We are getting a lot of rain, which is lowering the temperatures.

206: Richard...if you can type you can hold ALT and press 789! :(

I have a correction to make. It's alt+ctrl+2 to flip and alt+ctrl+8 to flip the screen back. >:)

ETA: ...♀╠·{AÄ╚§█Ä╖ƒeï§♫/:↓ƒ#»/♫♥░¡.§ Sorry! It's just fun. :)

Yeesh, I hate it when kids show off their command of foreign languages.

Richard, I'm not going to be happy until you press ALT 789 and make a §. :(

I am very envious stasia..... I am so tired of this headache!!
Showers and cooler predicted thank the goddess!

#223: I have to enjoy it while I can because I know the temperatures will be skyrocketing back to the 100+ plateau shortly!

It's "Only" going to be 85 today here, but 40% chance of rain! Rapture, compared to 100-plus.

>222 Ape: I'm not kidding, Stephen, I can't bend my fingers much and *certainly* couldn't hold down four keys at the same time without having to go to bed for a half-hour aferwards. Wish I could.

see? you do need a mac *grin*

>226 mckait: Oh ha ha. Like I'm gona fall into that one.

ya know ya wanna

In a Heartbeat: Sharing the Power of Cheerful Giving - Leigh Anne Tuohy

I just pre-ordered it.. I love that story.. I wish there were more stories out there..
I am sure that there are .. stories with no stars.. but, I think I will like this one.

quit laughing, rd

>212 cameling: Caroline, there is too a right mouse click on the Mac. It's not a button but a location, and you may need to check the settings in the control panel if it's not automatically working, but I right click all the time with my mac!

I find the button easier... right-click by two-finger tap or Ctrl-click always works. So does two-finger-hold-click

>229 mckait: I dunno, Kath, that might be a bit upbeat for your grimly unsmilingly mean self. Send it to me, the Cheerful Curmudgeon!

>230 ronincats: Roni! Not you too! I am surrounded by Mac-kerels!

that is you in a nutshell, dear.....the Cheerful Curmudgeon!

I'm not kidding, Stephen, I can't bend my fingers much and *certainly* couldn't hold down four keys at the same time without having to go to bed for a half-hour aferwards. Wish I could.

Aww, well, who needs fingers anyway?

This is so great -- I didn't know about option V. I knew all that stuff had to be somewhere. Why option V though? This hints that option has a vast and unplumbed potential in my life.... well, there is a lot of that in my life....

Way late to the par-tay..and all this computerese is making my head swim

rained here this morning, early..then the sun came out...Sauna City! (no smiles here)..I haven't slept in three nights, my right ear hurts from breathing all this humid air..I am not happy!! Am actually thinking of putting my little A/C in the living room window..but then my electric bill would probably jump to $90 ...I must reconsider

I never like Barbara Michaels..so don't consider your rejection of Witch a great faux-pas.....all reading, for me, is on hold for now...

be cool, jewel!!

Amagansett by Mark Mills

like√

#237 Kath, that's one I'm thinking of reading sometime soon. Do you think I might like it??

I haven't read much.. yesterday got away from me.. but so far, yes.
I like the characters already, and the setting pulls me right in. The story hasn't developed much, where I have landed.. but I do think you will like it, despite its current lack of specters . I do :)

#237: I have had that one in the BlackHole for a while now. I cannot wait to see what you think of it once you are done, Kath.

Hopefully that will be tonight.

OK, looking forward to your review. Have a great Saturday!

Dead cats never add to any story, imo.

Okay... finished Amagansett by Mark Mills

more later.

Morning Kath (a big gun!)- Anxious to hear your thoughts on the Mills book. I've not read him yet.

Good morning, dear, I'm off to have some coffee, but I popped in to say that a dead cat is an ornament to *any* book!

I love that graphic!

Kath
ditto.

I *always* have the dumb, so that's no excuse.

Oh, I love that in #248....I have THE DUMB today, too. Also had grass up to my shins from not cutting...so did a few turns with the riding mower and things look "civilized" for now. Made Mac&Cheese w/ Hot dogs.....truly gross looking but surprisingly tasty!..Wrote a book review the other night but can't find the notebook...probably under a bookcase here...the cat was "playing" and tends to bat objects about..like hockey pucks!

have a g'day, lady
J

Jude.. i LOVE mac&cheese hotdogs! Who cares about gross ... it's super tasty! ok, so it might be a heart attack in a bun, but it's worth it.

Kath, I was about to say that I'm glad you took in my *ahem* gentle persuasion to read Amagansett . hope you're having a fun time with the book.

I don't have the dumb today but I do have the lazy. I know I have to clean the house because the dust, dirt and general untidiness from the week's driving me nuts, but hmmm... I'm still upstairs in my study with the fan blowing straight at me, and a tall glass of iced tea at my fingertips .... well at least it will be my fingertips when I move my fingers off this keyboard.

Yeah.. just not feelin' it today...but I will try..
rd + dumb? talk about suspension of reality!

jude... wow, you write them in a notebook first? kudos, my friend..
I just dash things off here...

Amagansett.. finished it. Not sure I will actually review it.. but I will give a half hazard opinion.

69. Amagansett

Good story, good location, and good characters. The ones you were meant to like were likable, the meanies felt mean. I liked it, with reservation. I honestly did not see a reason for the cat thing... it did not add to the story to have a dead cat hanging on the door I think it was?

It was pretty convoluted, and it had too many characters for me. Maybe it was my state of mind, but.. I think fewer folks to follow and more attention to the situation at hand. Not enough of my favorite character.. too much flotsam .. 3 stars

eta

Currently reading #70 Up High In The Trees

I have the dumb too, today.

After reading your review, I probably wouldn't buy Amagansett, but since I can get hold of a copy free from the County Library, I still may give it a try.

I believe I am less bothered by fictional cat violence than you.

I believe I am less bothered by fictional cat violence than you

Having spent 7 years working for a vet....may color my views, I admit.
Much of what I see as fiction I have seen or at least heard of in the veterinary community as reality. You see, people can be very cruel to the kindest and most vulnerable of creatures, believe me.

Yes, Kath..I'm old school..like to see my words on paper..even if they're nonsensical..before I commit to CyberSpace

If you would like my copy of Sumner Island I am finished with it...and owe you one for the book you sent me...I still have your address...PM me if you'd like the book, okay?

I still have to check out Amagansett, though

;-}

Much of what I see as fiction I have seen or at least heard of in the veterinary community as reality

I imagine -- no, I'm sure -- that much of the human violence I read about in murder mysteries and such also mimics what exists in reality. (I've read enough true crime books that I think I can be sure, anyway.)

It's a nasty world out there -- for people and critters -- and books often reflect that.

>257 tymfos:

Hi, Terri

I think if one stacked Human Violence (people killing/harming each other) against Natural Violence ( the true life of flora & fauna)..it might come out even..??
I live "in the country" and see the results of Nature's violence quite often, especially in summer..I hear animals fighting/dying most nights when my bedroom windows are open.. I think the Natural Beasts have it all over us "humans" in efficiency-of-the-kill. We the People have the "sense" to kill without necessity...for the-hell-of-it, if you will...we have the luxury of killing "for pleasure'....ain't we grand?

on the flip side...I am a serious CSI addict....love all the cop shows...even love OZ (prison drama not-for-the-squeamish)..so, I'm guilty of Cruelty, i suppose

;-}

258: I'm not so sure we're the only ones who kill for pleasure. Cats kill all the time for no reason. Anyone who has outdoor cats has found the dead mice and birds around the lawn, and they aren't killing them to eat. My grandmother has had dogs that would kill cats whenever they could get out of the fence. Maybe it's just for the thrill of the hunt, or maybe violence is just hardwired in every living things brain, but I don't believe it's a trait found in just humans. =/

Even torture and cruelty can be found in animals. Hasn't anyone seen the cat that holds the mouse under its claws, intentionally causing suffering and pain, the epitome of merciless cruelty? You can argue that humans should know better, with their "higher" brain, but I don't really believe we are much better than animals, and human violence just goes to prove it.

As for the discussion of violence in media, well, I think I go against the grain if you think people who like violence are violent. I'm the most docile guy you could think of. I'm shy, quiet, and I've never been in a physical fight in my life. I've never laid my hands in a violent way on anyone, I don't own weapons, and I will to whatever I can to avoid confrontation. Despite all that, I love violence in my books/movies/video games. The more the better. I like dark imagery and gritty atmosphere, and I'm one of those guys that will scream 'AWESOME!' when the hot chick in the horror movie gets decapitated.

While I enjoy watching such things, and obviously it's a facet of my personality, but it doesn't effect the way I behave.

I don't really believe we are much better than animals

nor do I.. Animal are much better creatures than we are, by far. imo.

It is the nature of animals to kill.. they were built that way so they can eat.
Totally different from people killing animals for fun and entertainment...or each other for that matter.

Oh and btw, knowing something exists and experiencing it in person are different things.
I CHOOSE to read animal friendly.. and I get to choose.

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.
-M Gandhi

It is the nature of animals to kill.. they were built that way so they can eat.

And weren't we built that way to eat too?

Totally different from people killing animals for fun

But, like I said, a cat kills a bird for fun. If a cat kills a bird for fun it's ok, but if a man kills a dog for fun it's cruel?

I'm definitely not making an argument animal cruelty, as I am an animal lover if there ever was one. But, if you look at humans and animals as equals, then it makes sense that they would be behave the same.

I agree with the assessment that people who are cruel to animals are capable of violent acts against people. These people view animals as weak and helpless, and I think they get on a power trip to "dominate" an animal in such a way, so there is no doubt in my mind theywould do the same to a weaker human if they had the chance. :(

http://www.librarything.com/topic/94727

new thread.