Cameling's Throwdown with a side of 1010 - Part 7

My categories for the 1010 Challenge are:
Biographies : Perfect Hostage
Travelogues : An Area of Darkness
Crime/Mysteries : White Nights,The Cipher Garden
History : A Forger's Spell
Business Non-Fiction : Drive : The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
Classic literature : Anna Karenina
Historical Fiction
Short Stories : Love Begins in Winter, What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us,Nocturnes,The Elephant Vanishes
Asian fiction : The Palace of Illusions,The Last Chinese Chef
Fantasy : The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers >/b>

January Books Read
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Love Begins in Winter by Simon Van Booy
Double Cross by James David Jordan
Drive : The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink
The Information Officer by Mark Mills
Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim
The Salt Smugglers by Gerard de Nerval
White Nights by Ann Cleeves
The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us by Laura van den Berg
An Area of Darkness by V.S. Naipaul
The Good Good Pig by Sy Montgomery

February Books Read
The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones
Georg Letham : Physician and Murderer by Ernst Weiss
A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif
The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse
Beyond the Blossoming Fields by Junichi Watanabe
Key Lime Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke
Suffer the Little Children by Donna Leon
Not Quite Paradise : An American Sojourn in Sri Lanka by Adele Barker

March Books Read
The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers
Cat's Claw by Amber Benson
The Cipher Garden by Martin Edwards
Sundowner Ubuntu by Anthony Bidulka
Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
Dreaming Water by Gail Tsukiyama
A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny
No Sleep Till Wonderland by Paul Tremblay
Nocturnes : Five Stories of Music and Nightfall by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Girl of His Dreams by Donna Leon
The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Swan for the Money by Donna Andrews
Still Life by Louise Penny
Politically Correct Bedtime Stories by James Finn Garner
Chess Story by Stefan Zweig
The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa
A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny
The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny

April Books Read
A Brutal Telling by Louise Penny
Going, Gone by Laura Crum
The Sleeping and the Dead by Ann Cleeves
Madam Will You Talk by Mary Stewart
Cream Puff Murder by Joanne Fluke
Perfect Hostage by Justin Wintle
Descartes' Bones by Russell Shorto
Logicomix by Apostolos Doxiadis
Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb
Siddhartha by Herman Hesse
The Beautiful Miscellaneous by Dominic Smith
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

May Books Read
White Masks by Elias Khoury
Cassanova by Ian Kelly
Death at Victoria Dock by Kerry Greenwood
The Green Mill Murder by Kerry Greenwood
Sweet Dates in Basra by Jessica Jiji
Women of the Silk by Gail Tsukiyama
A Forger's Spell by Edward Dolnick
Mona Lisa Awakening by Sunny
Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie
Airs Above the Ground by Mary Stewart
Mastered by Love by Stephanie Laurens
Amandine by Marlena De Blasi
The Elephanta Suite by Paul Theroux

June Books Read
Bad Luck and Trouble by Lee Child
Aloha Candy Hearts by Anthony Bidulka
To Mervas by Elizabeth Rynell
Voices by Arnaldur Indridason
Music, Food and Love by Guo Yue & Clare Farrow
The Auschwitz Violin by Maria Angels Anglada
Night Train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier
Dressed for Death by Donna Leon
The Glister by John Burnside
Amagansett by Mark Mills
Laundry by Suzane Adams
Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay

July Books Read
Annette Vallon by James Tipton
The Wayward Muse by Elizabeth Hickey
The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin
All Around Atlantis by Deborah Eisenberg
Wish Her Safe Home by Stephen Benatar
Have Mercy On Us All by Fred Vargas
Valeria's Last Stand by Marc Fitten
The Paper Moon by Andrea Camilleri
The Ivy Tree by Mary Stewart
Red Earth and Pouring Rain by Vikram Chandra
Spanish Recognitions by Mary Lee Settle
The Smell of the Night by Andrea Camilleri
American Cookery by Laura Kalpakian
Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin

August Books Read
Fudge Cupcake Murder by Joanne Fluke
9948792::The Story of Sushi by Trevor Corson
River Angel by A. Manette Ansay
The Alexandria Link by Steve Berry
The Bellini Madonna by Elizabeth Lowry
Watermark by Vanitha Sankaran
Voice of the Violin by Andrea Camilleri
Boy : Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl
Strip Tease by Carl Hiaasen
The Tower, The Zoo and The Tortoise by Julia Stuart
A Thousand Days in Venice by Marlena de Blasi
Fantasy in Death - J.D. Robb
Eline Vere - Louis Couperus
The Patience of the Spider - Andrea Camilleri

September Books Read
Seeking Whom He May Devour - Fred Vargas

My first thread appears here : http://www.librarything.com/topic/78973
My second thread appears here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/83496
My third thread appears here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/85876
My fourth thread appears here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/88333
My fifth thread appears here : http://www.librarything.com/topic/92422
My sixth thread appears here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/94568#2123521

Weighing in on the pizza debate, my favorite still remains thin crust pizza with a tomato base and topped with extra cheese. But I do like cheeseburger pizzas too and pepperoni and mushroom pizza.

Still, you all should try the blue cheese, pear and artichoke pizza... with or without prosciutto ....it's really good.

Didn't get my pizza last night as it turned out .... pizza place had a private party and they weren't making or delivering pizza for anyone else. So of course I've now got a monstrous craving for pizza and am dragging a few friends out for a quick pizza after work. Nice thing is we can order 3 large thin crust pizza and have different kinds, so I should get my craving out of the way. Oddly enough, I don't want my blue cheese pizza today .... I'm only in the mood for tomato based pizza. The place we're going to has an amazing pizza with hamburger, pepperoni, italian sausage, olives and 3 kinds of cheeses. mmm..... it's called the State House and that's the one I'm going to insist we order. I don't care what other 2 the others get as long as it doesn't have broccoli or pineapple on it. I like broccoli and pineapple, but not on pizza.

Still in a reading rut .... sorry Mark, you yelling at me in your NCO voice didn't jolt me out of it yet. *sigh*

Hope the reading rut thing goes away soon! I hate those things.

I am finally out of my reading rut. Summer busy is a killer. Also it seemed to parallel my increase in playing those addictive FaceBook games. More reading = less FaceBook!

I'm glad to finally catch up with you!

Hello! Starred, as usual. I'm glad to know that you prefer normal pizza (thin crust, tomato base, extra cheese) to pear and blue cheese. I think I'd rather chew my arm off than eat pizza with broccoli and/or pineapple.

Starred, of course!

Found you! I am with you ont he thing crust pizza with tomato etc.

You need a good book to pull you out of the rut.. hope one shows up soon :)

Thanks to Stephen for providing the link. Hi there!

Damn Yankees.

Grow up, folks! ;-) I'll take anything else on a pizza, including pears and artichokes (I know where I'm going for lunch tomorrow), but stinky, greasy pepperoni pizza is for kids!

Caroline, do you really only have two books in your house that you haven't read? That would be an LT record I think! You have some great books on your wish list--go out and multiply (your tbr pile, that is).

Grow up, folks! ;-) I'll take anything else on a pizza, including pears and artichokes (I know where I'm going for lunch tomorrow), but stinky, greasy pepperoni pizza is for kids!

No! I want pepperoni on my pizza and smiley faces on my pancakes!!! :)

http://www.wpxi.com/video/24544435/index.html

this is my favorite pizza place.. We're #1

Found you. Considering pizza for dinner.
Dare I say that I like vegetarian pizza? When we were in grad school at Cal, we would go to the farmers market and get whatever fresh veggies (artichokes, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, squash) and put them on top of traditional tomato sauce with fresh mozzarella and cashews. YUM! Who could believe grad students could eat like that?

5>> I play those addictive FB games when I'm listening to a book - ahhh, the joys of multitasking.

Gotcha starred, Caroline, and I'm going to keep up better this time. Yes I AM!

Pizza in just about any shape with just about any topping if fine and dandy with me. I love pizza buffets where I can try new things because apparently I am married to a "child" who only likes pepperoni pizza.

gotcha

I look forward to reading this thread more to check out what Caroline's been eating than what she's been reading lately.
I made pizza for dinner last night - my favourite topping is roasted eggplant. My son has feta, potato and spinach, my husband has chilli beans, and the others like variations including salami or just plain pizza bread with olive oil & garlic.

No pizza for me for the last week, we're miles (by boat) from any pizza parlor. I have, however, considered making a pizza oven out of a Weber grill...I saw instructions for doing it somewhere on the Web. Then I would just have to see if I could make good pizza dough with the ingredients from up here.

Last night we made pork roast with a nice crunchy crust and solyanka, plus fresh corn (not good Jersey corn, but still fresh). MMMMmmmmmm!!!!!

Found your new thread...

Wow ... I think the general consensus is that everyone loves pizza .... in every shape and form. My friends were telling me about a cheeseburger pizza they ate. Thin crust, tomato based, hamburger, cheese, bacon, pickles, lettuce, tomato, onion ........ I might just have to try that.

Had a pretty tiring weekend ... a couple of friends came up to visit and brought along their 2 daughters who may have been Satan's spawns in disguise. We were very very glad that they left yesterday afternoon. Not the kids' fault .....'tis bad parenting on the part of our friends who believe (they've admitted this, nay... they proudly admitted to this) that children (their daughters are 3 and 5) should not be disciplined at this young age because it stunts their mental and emotional development if they are always told what they cannot do or to behave a certain way. They don't even force their kids to thank people when they do things for them or give them things. Drives me nuts!

But thankfully after they left, I had an recuperative impromptu party at my house with some slightly more normal friends. Lobster, steak, short ribs, corn bread, gelato, and cookies. Yummy! Oh and lots of wine... that always helps.

I have business visitors in town for the next 2 weeks .... so my reading might take a toll ..... *Sigh* just when I thought the reading rut was over. I re-read The Picture of Dorian Gray on Friday and Saturday and I'm back to looking forward to reading new books again. Yaaay....

Reading rut over, I finished The Alexandria Link by Steve Berry this morning .... while cooking pasta sauce before I went to work. I love Steve Berry.

Good thriller. This time, Cotton Malone is paid a visit by his hysterical ex-wife who tells him that their son has been kidnapped and that he has something the kidnappers want. What follows is a fast-paced thriller that involves the search for the Library of Alexandria, a hero's quest, plenty of people running around shooting other people or getting shot at themselves, the US government, the Israeli and Saudi governments, a plot to assassinate the US President (but who are the traitors?), a group of international power tycoons who are members of the Order of the Fleece, and an interesting angle on some theories about the Bible and where Abraham's descendants are supposed to have been. Add to the above, lots of political intrigue so that you don't know who to trust from one chapter to another, and you have a boiling page turner.

I'm giving this 3.8 stars

should not be disciplined at this young age because it stunts their mental and emotional development if they are always told what they cannot do or to behave a certain way.

Oh. My. Well, it's harmful to my children to be exposed to such unruly children. So there.

Steve Berry has a new book out that was offered last month in the ER group.
The Emperor's Tomb is the title. I had a hard time deciding which book to request from the ER batch last month - that one or the new Louise Penny book. I decided on Loise Penny and got it.

The Alexandria Link is on my wishlist.. I like Berry too !
Glad your rut is over!

should not be disciplined at this young age because it stunts their mental and emotional development if they are always told what they cannot do or to behave a certain way.

And the kids and the parents are going to pay for that decision for the rest of their lives in all probability.

See, Stasia, that is the point. Schools adhere to that as well. Saying NO is a punitive word. I personally always felt it to be extremely useful.. but..

should not be disciplined at this young age because it stunts their mental and emotional development if they are always told what they cannot do or to behave a certain way.

Whoa, as a school principal can I just say that we have raised an entire generation of greedy, self-absorbed children whose egos have been massaged since birth. The result of this parenting is just what you'd think and all I'll say about it is that retirement can't come soon enough for me. Thank God for the few sensible parents who break through the crowd occasionally.

Personally, I'd rather help my child learn how to properly interact with other people, respect opinions and feelings, and promote the overall well-being of those around them. Not to mention the sense of confidence they gain from being properly independent, and the joy they'll get from playing with friends who actually enjoy their company.

But that's just me.

Hi Caroline- I lost you there for a few days! I'm not sure how that happened but you are once again in my sights! Hope you are doing well and glad you broke free from the dreaded "book slump"!

Yaaay...... validation from rational LTers that normal parents do make sure they teach their children how to be kind, generous, caring, considerate and polite individuals.

#24 : Cheli - tough choice, and I think if I had received either one, I would have been thrilled. I requested both of them, but unfortunately, I didn't get either. :-(

I did receive an ARC of The Tower, The Zoo and The Tortoise by Julia Stuart in the mail today though, and that looks like it might be fun.

children should not be disciplined at this young age because it stunts their mental and emotional development if they are always told what they cannot do or to behave a certain way.

WOW. I'm going to go with *stunts their development if they are not taught how to behave. Discipline is pretty darn hard to teach to yourself later in life. I have a pretty bright 11 yr old, and I KNOW that if we had not given him firm limits from early on, we'd be in dire trouble right now. We kind of are anyway...
We have stopped inviting people over who have this philosophy. Like Luxx said, it's bad for our children to be around kids like that.

In my 31 years of experience in the schools as a school psychologist, children need and want limits in order to feel secure. Our teachers work very hard civilizing children who enter the school environment with no self-regulation skills, and are excellent at teaching the majority the meaning of appropriate limits at least in the school setting. I pity children who have not had the opportunity to develop these skills; it will definitely impact them the rest of their lives. Supernanny is one of my heroes--that lady is wonderful at teaching the appropriate way to use time outs that are effective!

*breathes sigh of relief* good to know that there are rational thinking people still around. Brenzi is right though... I think we are doomed. Sadly we seem to need a super nanny on every block, since parenting skills are not often found these days.

And when the whole philosophy of a school.. well. never mind. IT is indeed good to have you back posting, caro.. I missed you!

I pity children who have not had the opportunity to develop these skills; it will definitely impact them the rest of their lives.

Not only will it affect those children for the rest of their lives, it will also affect everyone they interact with and the society they live in. How will they learn to cooperate with other people and work together towards a goal (or even towards an individual goal) if they think they should get whatever they want when they want it?

#35
I think you just described Congress...

LOL ...good one, Jenn! That is so true ... Congress reminds me of badly behaved kids in a sandbox. It's embarrassing to watch all that silly partisan fighting ... makes me want to go and slap them with a wet fish. They're supposed to be there to help the nation prosper, among other things, and instead they're childishly opposing good ideas just for the sake of opposing them if the idea came from other party. Both parties are guilty of this and I'm disgusted with all of them.

Found yet another colleague at work who proudly proclaims not to have read a book willingly after he graduated from school. He came to my house yesterday evening and was appalled at my lack of gadgets that commonly fill most homes, I guess. We have tvs, DVD and DVR ...but he's shocked we don't have a Wii, PS, XBox and some other 'toy's ....he said without all that stuff, he'd never stay at home. I told him we read most of the time in the evening and watch some tv, but there's really not that much good tv these days .... he spluttered when he noticed all the books we have in every room in the house. So now he thinks hubster and I are weirdos from a different planet.

proudly proclaims not to have read a book willingly after he graduated from school.

It's so disappointing. We live in a place where people are proud of their stupidity. I remember in high school, it was 'cool' to be stupid. Really, if a teacher didn't ask you and you didn't know, everyone laughed and you were 'the coolest.' It's sad.

34-38

All I can think of to say is AMEN AMEN AMEN
to your posts ...

I think this is why there's been the dumbing down of tv and news reporting. All the silly reality shows that keep sprouting are, IMO, the result of audiences who like sophomoric humor or salacious events. There are fewer and fewer people who enjoy well written scripts delivered by people who actually have a talent for acting and becoming their characters.

I see that in my friends' kids ... they think it's not cool to actually like reading outside the school syllabus, and that it is not cool to be able to spell words in full and to be able to construct a grammatically correct sentence. *sigh* ... doesn't take much for them to make me feel like a fuzzy, moldy fuddy-duddy with one bum cheek in a wheelchair.

Sad. Education levels the field.. not only between income levels but among countries. We are fast failing to make the grade. But hey, at least our kids don't have to ever hear the word no, be corrected in any way for any thing, and they positively KNOW that the world revolves around them and their every whim.. and that is what it is all about right?

The hell with learning.. some kids might have to work harder than others.. then how ould they feel???Their self esteem would be nicked for life

BAH!

and GRRRRRRR

37 - I've started telling people I'm a republican with a little r - meaning that I am for my country. I just cannot associate myself with either/any party right now. The tax evasion, adultery, rude behavior to constituents, etc. It's unbelievable. I'll take any regular American whether they agree with me or not over who ever we've sent to Washington lately.

But I'm talking to people who do read and think about what they read. Perhaps a different breed of folk.

Kind of a funny experience, I was telling someone (not a reader) the other day about how the Declaration of Independence was written and about the concept of inalienable rights. In this snide voice, they asked me if I had "heard that on Fox News?" I said that actually I had been reading Cicero who was a philosopher and one of the first to write about this concept of where human rights originate. I pretty much lost them at Cicero. (:

Lucky for me I have LT, I guess.

Caro- "weirdos from a different planet". Well, at least you're not alone, in this context, most of your friends here fall in that category! Aren't we wonderful?
I've heard a couple good reviews on The Tower, The Zoo and The Tortoise. I'm anxious to hear your thoughts
Your pal, a democrat with a big D.

Dangerous conversation here but I will say I'm totally disgusted with Congress, both houses, the White House, and both parties. We don't watch any news shows on Fox, MSNBC, whatever. They all lean one way or the other. We get most of our news from NPR, NYTimes, WSJournal and then form our own opinions. But it's very discouraging to think about how hopeful everyone was inearly 2009 and how disgusted and disillusioned everyone is now. Arrrgh.

So true - and it's like I was saying - we don't have to agree about everything. We just need to be able to have a conversation without it getting mean and personal. Whether we agree on the specifics, don't most of us want what's best for our country? Don't we take care of each other without having to be told by someone to do it? I think so. Here among 75ers, I'm so impressed by the kindness and generosity in just this small group of people, clearly from all walks of life.

Great conversation here...and I'm jealous of all the impromptu parties you have Caro - they sound great!

I'm also getting advice to squirrel away for the future if I have a child one day...:)

Wow, some serious conversation going on here. I agree with Jenn that we all want what is best for our country. Bonnie, I wasn't very hopeful early in 2009 -- but I also don't like being proved right in my pessimism. I don't like the political and class warfare that is escalating in our country either.

Our little backwater may be sending a representative to Washington who is an auctioneer who ran on the "Fed Up" slogan in the recent primary. I didn't vote for him, but I do think we need more "real" people running the country and less professional politicians.

Now, how 'bout them books? Caroline, I'll be interested in reading your opinion on The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise. Can't seem to get a touchstone for this one, but it sounds like one I'll be interested in.

Personally, I think we should elect one of the 75ers as President. We seem to have more common sense than the legislative, judicial and executive branches of the government combined.

I think that we should have a presidential team. One from each party.
each with a VP chosen from the other party. And Madeline Albright, 'cause she is so smart.

I think that ANY mention of god/ religion should be removed from any and all Bills presented to Congress. AND .. none of the crap included. A bill about Public safety should have nothing about a bridge in Alaska .. or anydamthing else.
One Bill / One Topic.

or a group of 75'ers

not me
kthnx

Unfortunately for the country, we're probably all too smart and too sensible to want to be president!

#50: You make a good point, Rebecca!

Kath for President! Kath for President!

How is it possible that here on LT, I have found many members who are kind, caring and carry strong opinions but are always politely open to the sometimes different opinions of others and politicians cannot seem to help but be mean, petty, rude, and adulterous liars? I wonder if it is the environment in which they are in that turn them into a seething vipers? Surely they must have been normal folks like us before they became politicians?

I'm reading The Bellini Madonna by Elizabeth Lowry now and liking it more than I thought I might. I picked the book only because I really liked the cover. :-)

I had planned on reading some other books after this but I'm so enchanted by the cover of The Tower, The Zoo and the Tortoise that I might just have to shunt them aside and get to this first.

*hmmm....the touchstone points to a book by the same author but different title. I think it's the same book though

#52: I think anyone who wants to be a politician can never have been normal :)

I too am often sucked in ( or repelled by) a cover. Shallow is me.
I do not however judge people by their covers, so there is hope for me yet..

Went to a colleague's retirement party yesterday evening and oooh boy, I think I may need to rethink the company I keep.. haha ..... we started out being too early for the party, so 4 of us went to have a few drinks at a bar before moving onto the party venue ... stayed and had a great time with my colleagues but i was getting hungry and as our colleague's vegetarian, they only ordered different salads and bread to nosh on ... so about 10.30, the 4 slightly inebriated munchers went to a neighborhood restaurant but the kitchen was just closing. Still the bartender was nice, and we managed to persuade him to bring the cook out to meet us and we pleaded our case for simple sandwiches and whatever else he could rustle up. So we had a pile of buffalo wings and chicken salad sandwiches. I didn't get home until midnight!

Waking up this morning was truly a feat deserving of a medal. I heard a truck and woke up remembering I had forgotten to take the garbage out last night ... (hubster is away for the week) and raced around the house emptying wastepaper baskets, our kitchen garbage and recyclables and then stumbling outside to place them by my driveway.

And it's my turn tonight to host dinner at a restaurant for my overseas colleagues. Ooooh deear.... the chances of me getting home tonight before midnight are rather slim.

#55: the chances of me getting home tonight before midnight are rather slim.

Sounds like it! I hope you have a good time at the dinner at any rate.

I think that you are just the woman who can manage it tho caro..
I find you, your schedule an your demeanor amazing at all time!

have fun.

#53 : Stas ... that's what I've always thought too but hubster does not agree with me. He says there are some (I say most) politicians who are in it for power and (in some cases) fortunes built from corruption, but there are also some politicians who truly do believe they want and can effect positive actions that benefit the people and nation.

#54 : Join the club, Kath. I'm the same. Anyway, if you're a shallow person, I think you're a lovely shallow person.

awww you are so sweet.. see what I mean?

Loving this conversation:

I think that we should have a presidential team. One from each party.
each with a VP chosen from the other party. Absolutely - and they are required to do group reads, take turns, listen to each other and offer each other sincere compliments.

seething vipers LOL - but I do agree with your (#58) spouse in that there may actually be a very few who really are good people. How long they can survive in a pit of seething vipers is the question right?

I say all of us nice 75ers just continue to go out in our communities, be civil to all, listen to opposing opinions, share ours in a non-confrontational fashion, and perhaps we can effect change. No problem right?

>53 alcottacre: I think anyone who wants to be a politician can never have been normal

Boy truer words were never spoken. Don't you find yourself looking at every candidate with an ever increasing level of cynicism?? When was the last time we found a good one? Is this the ONE who won't try to screw us royally??

#61: Yep, that's me - Stasia the cynic.

60 Absolutely - and they are required to do group reads, take turns, listen to each other and offer each other sincere compliments. exactly!! lol

and all seething vipers should be made to wash windows at busy intersections for periods of 15 days at a stretch...with no access to perks like dining rooms, clubs etc.

and 75'er get to pick the seething vipers.

methinks the intersections are going to get crowded.

LTer for president? Oh oh pick me pick me!

>:)

Sure Stephen, as long as we can all be in your cabinet...

all seething vipers should be made to wash windows at busy intersections for periods of 15 days at a stretch...with no access to perks like dining rooms, clubs etc. PERFECT!

"The Seething Vipers"! I like the sound of it! It would make a cool band name!

Jenn, still reeling over your earlier comment re Cicero -- that you lost them at Cicero makes me simultaneously laugh and groan in horror.

I think before anyone can run for political office, they should be required to undertake a graduate level course on political philosophy, one on international relations, and a third on the history of the last century.

Having had a very politically minded friend in college, who went on to lead a political party (not saying which one or which country), I am prepared to assert that anyone who consciously sets out to have a career in politics is slightly twisted.

And yes, I'm also feeling like a fuddy-duddy. What happened to manners and civility? I was talking to someone today for a story I'm working on, and he apologized for saying something "that is probably too Pollyanna-ish". My instant reaction was -- what kind of world have we ended up in where someone feels a reflexive need to apologize for an honest conviction that ethical behavior is best as being somewhat naive??? Gah.

Is that how we can tell we are getting old(er)? When we feel that ethical behavior is the way to go, that children should say please and thank you, and when we watch Saturday Night Live and the *children* who are playing the music make you go "huh."???

I'm starting to understand what my mom means when she says "who is that old lady in the mirror?" I'm still 25 in my head, and then...

67what kind of world have we ended up in where someone feels a reflexive need to apologize for an honest conviction that ethical behavior is best as being somewhat naive??? Gah. I agree

68 I'm still 25 in my head, and then..., yes.. me too..

Stopping by to say hi! Any interesting travels coming up?

Where's Caroline?? Oh wait; it's Friday night...she probably threw together an impromptu party with live lobster, half a cow, a couple of kegs and a five man band. Caroline??? ;-)

71: That, or she's doing a million things at once while flying halfway across the world...probably in the airplane's restroom doing the jig while she brushes her teeth. :)

Bonnie- That's hysterical! And probably true! lol

What sensible, witty, kind and intelligent people we LTers are. Politicians around the world should beware..... our numbers are growing and we are a vocal (but politely so) group.

hey hey, Lynda. I'm home for the month of August and head out to Japan in September and maybe Hong Kong.

Busy week and busier weekend. Funny Bonnie...funny.... ;-) .... actually Friday was a lot of fun. Hung out with some coworkers after work.
But then dawn came today, and I felt the urge to go for a nice long run in the woods this morning ... and off I went.. only to be attacked by a disgusting toad, causing me to jump, trip and fall into a pile of broken branches and clumps of poison ivy. The blooming purple bruise on my hip is pretty impressive though .... i think it looks like the African continent but at least it's not broken. I also have a slightly swollen wrist and a twitchy ankle. needless to say the run was shortened as I hobbled back to the car... then had to take some overseas colleagues out to the outlet stores for a shopping expedition...ALL DAY! *sigh*

The positive thing is that I think I'm immune to poison ivy because I don't have an itchy spot anywhere.

The Bellini Madonna by Elizabeth Lowry is the worst book I've read this year. It's so bad, I'm not even going to review it. No wait.. I gotta give you a teeny little hint as to how bad it is so y'all don't fall into the trap like I did... don't fall for an interesting looking cover, expecting perhaps an interesting story behind the cover and finding instead, ramblings of a confused mind, continuous time changes and scene changes without any logical or obvious sequencing, and for some really bizarre characters. Oh and the mystery? It's a mystery how this got published at all ... what were the publishers smoking?!!

Bleah!

Did you read the review that said this?

There have been many novels about the search for missing art masterpieces, but none as convoluted as this one.

Phew... thanks for helping me miss that one. I enjoy that kind of plot, and now am relieved I can steer clear. (Love the gif tho...)

Caro, you do have the most bizarre accidents! Are you OK???

Phew... thanks for helping me miss that one. I enjoy that kind of plot, and now am relieved I can steer clear. (Love the gif tho...)

Caro, you do have the most bizarre accidents! Are you OK???

#74: Good gravy, woman. Take care of yourself! I hope the bruise ceases blooming and the poison ivy continues to stay away.

#75: Not touching that one with a 20-foot pole!

Love the not a review! lol and love the gif just as much...

Sorry about the fall.. but I still think your life would make good tv. I have never followed a reality show, but I would make an exception... lol

#75 Thanks for taking one for the group, I wouldn't touch that one if cannoli's were hidden inside.

BTW: Betcha the toad hopped away unscathed, anxious to boast to all his toad friends. Hope you can get a little R&R today!

#74, Caroline, don't assume because you didn't get poison ivy this time that you will be immune forever. I spent a childhood getting into poison ivy and probably never washing it all away, and never getting, but then lo and behold, one day in my 40s, I realized I had it . . . I think it's something that you can get more susceptible to as you get older/get more in your system. Glad you escaped this time, though.

I agree with Kath (I'd watch that show, and I never watch sitcoms or reality shows) and Rebecca (as always).

Poor Caroline! And poor toad! I bet he was a prince that sought you out for the kiss that would break the spell cast upon him. He's probably physically and spiritually broken now.

Prescription for Caroline:

Lortab 10/500 mg tablets (hydrocodone/acetaminophen)
Sig: 1 tablet PO Q4-6 hr PRN toad attacks, toothbrush stabbings, beach mishaps, or other inexplicable accidents
Disp: 50 tablets
Refills: 99 (that should be enough for a year)

Note to pharmacist: Please provide Caroline with enough Ace bandages and Ben-Gay to equip a high school football team.

The Bellini Madonna by Elizabeth Lowry is the worst book I've read this year.

That nearly had me snorting my coffee. Thanks for the laugh! Although I'm sorry such it took such a bad book.

lol@Darryl

Ooo, and I missed the post about your fall. I'm so sorry! I hope you really are immune to poison ivy. The men in my family are allergic, and they always swell up and turn purple. It certainly doesn't look comfortable!

#83 -- What Kath said, to the power of 3.

#83: Love that, Darryl!

Caroline, do try and take care of yourself. You could follow Darryl's advice but I don't think you can print out that post and take it to the pharmacy. Try ice and Tylenol.

I'm starting to see a trend here with these accidents. Let's see: toothbrushes, toads... What's next? Maybe tractors, turtles, trumpets....okay, I'll stop now. I'd keep Darryl's Rx handy. It isn't everyone who has an online doctor. Take care!

Caroline, Are you absolutely sure that you don't want to tell us how you really feel about The Bellini Madonna?

#74 Not another accident?! Hope the injuries heal soon.

Thank you all for the healing thoughts ... the purple African continent is more bluish with a yellow edge now ... quite pretty as far as bruises go. Wrist is back to normal today. The ankle was fine yesterday, which was a blessing because I had to go help hubster at his triathlon yesterday morning and then take some overseas visitors out to Boston for the Fisherman's Feast in the North End, which involved a fair bit of walking and skipping to avoid cars.

Today has been accident-free thus far! :-) No seriously, I'm not really that accident-prone and most of the time they're just little ones, and nothing serious. I haven't broken a bone in at least 6 years, and so far this year, I've badly sprained my ankle only once .. or was it twice? I'm generally in good health, am the bane of pharmaceuticals because I'm not on any meds and don't even have a bottle of Tylenol at home. I do, however, have boxes of band-aids, a big tube of Neoprene and a big bottle of hydrogen peroxide. Oh and sunscreen. But that's all there is in our first aid shelf.

Darryl : What's Ben-Gay? When I first read it, I was thinking of Ben-10, the cartoon that kids love. ;-)

#90 : Shhh.... no hexing me now. ;-)

#91 : Cheli - I don't even want to donate my copy of The Bellini Madonna to an unsuspecting library incase a patron comes back to burn the place down for loaning such a foul book out.

#76 : Jenn .. *sigh* no, I missed that review. Then again, I did pick the book because I liked the cover. So I should just scold the illustrator? Who picks the covers for books anyway? The publisher or the author?

It's true that you really cannot judge a book by it's cover. Either the cover is tantalizing and wonderful and the book may or may not be, or as in the case of many of the classics editions, dark and morose.

Who picks the covers for books anyway? The publisher or the author?

I remember reading once in that Hobnob with Authors group that most publishers pick the covers. :( It probably varies though...

http://www.bengay.com/

lol

Caro -- you haven't broken a bone in six years? Erm -- I've broken three in my life -- my collarbone as a child, my ankle as a child and my nose when my taxi ran a red light and slammed into another car. And the final one doesn't even really count as a break. I'm more into dislocation and sprains... :-D

ETA: Publishers DEFINITELY pick covers. If you have power, you can argue. (If you're Grisham, Stephen King, etc., you might win the argument.)

Jenn - true. Unfortunately, I'm always tempted by covers. I think so far, I've been fortunate in picking more books with interesting covers that have been enjoyable rather than horrible.

LOL... thanks Kath. I don't wander around the aisles at pharmacies much, so I don't recall seeing this. :-) But if I ever need muscle relaxants, I'll know what to look for now.

Suz : Sadly, I am indeed a bit of a clumsy klutz. I've broken toes on both feet, dislocated an ankle and shoulder, broken a collarbone, a rib, a few fingers, a wrist and an arm. Sprains are almost annual affairs for me. Most of the breaks occurred a child, the worst accident when I was 9 and playing with my cousins. We decided to make a game of climbing up one tree to the highest branch, then jumping from that branch to the adjacent tree. I missed.

Did you get to pick your cover, Suz? Because I thought it was a nice cover.

Finished Watermark by Vanitha Sankaran this morning and it was an interesting read.

An albino in medieval France was often thought to carry the Devil's Mark, and in a fit of fear and superstition, a midwife's assistant cuts off newly born Auda's tongue and renders her mute for life. Auda not only survives, but is loved by her father and sister, sheltered and protected against those who may wish her harm, and against the threat of the Inquisition seeking to burn heretics.

Her father, a papermaker and scribe, teaches her to read and write. Her courage and intelligence bring her to the favorable attention of the vicomtesse of Narbonne. Her exposure to lyrics of previous troubadours inspire her to write her own stories.

But fate has other things in store for our damsel, and she falls to into the hands of the Inquisitors and is accused of being a heretic. Will she find a way to survive or will she succumb? Will she find the love she craves and a life without fear?

A good first novel, and in general it carried a nice pace. I thought some of the characters could have done with more development, but on the whole, I liked it.

I'll give this one 3.5 stars.

I'm glad to see your review of Watermark. I've been looking at it, but kind of waiting for someone to read it first. (: I will go ahead and read it now...

It's good you haven't broken a bone in 6 years...you should get one of those union signs *49 DAYS ON THE JOB WITH NO INJURIES*

I think I've broken 2 in my life. Most recently my ankle in a weird place with no idea how I did it. The look on my dr.'s face when I said "oh, it's been hurting for a month or two. I don't know what happened" was priceless.
Once my tailbone when I was about 9 - falling out of a tree while reading a book. I don't know how that happened either.

102- A broken bone caused by reading?? Wow, that's a new one. That's enough to make you famous here on LT...
You know you're a dedicated reader...when you've broken bones while engrossed in a book! :)

Jenn, I think I can safely say you're the first person I know who's broken a bone while reading! LOL.

Watermark was, I thought, a good first novel. I thought some of her characters could have been fleshed out a little but on the whole, I enjoyed it. There was enough going on in the book to keep me turning the pages, and begrudging every interruption.

*edited because I used the wrong touchstone*

Caro, I didn't pick my cover, but I agree with you -- I love it. Some of the financial books out there have v.v. dull covers and this one really stands out as being suitably apocalyptic. The building is actually Goldman's own building on Broad Street.

Jenn, I think I can safely say you're the first person I know who's broken a bone while reading! LOL.

I agree, but I were to suspect that anyone else could do it.. you would be #1 on my list of possibilities, Caro..

:)

Suzanne.. that is interesting trivia :)

Well, I can't claim the broken bone was due to the reading. When I was a child our house had a lovely plum tree where I would go to read/escape from my 5 younger siblings. Maybe my brothers shook me out of the tree. I don't know.

Caroline- How are you, stranger? Hope all is well! I have never broken a bone, just a few shoulder dislocations, although those have been all surgically repaired. The last one, nearly 10 years ago, was from falling down some icy stairs. You would think I would learn?

#102 The look on my dr.'s face when I said "oh, it's been hurting for a month or two. I don't know what happened" was priceless.

I should think so: I managed to walk on a broken metatarsal for half a mile back to the car, and for a couple of hours in the office, but then I caved and got a lift to A&E, and by the time I'd hobbled down various corridors to the X-Ray dept I was in tears from the pain. A couple of months walking about on a broken ankle is almost as impressive as breaking a bone while reading.

Watermark sounds like it might be worth a try. Thanks for that review, Caroline.

ETA And when I went to add it to the wishlist I discovered it was already there. That's the third time this week I've done that. Either I'm cracking up, or my wishlist is out of control. Or both.

Well, it was broken at the top of my ankle in a place he said he only sees broken in someone maybe once a year. It probably began as a stress fracture, but was then neglected.
I decided to go to the Dr. after it had been hurting at night for about a month, and definitely when my 3 yr old ran his truck into my ankle and left me writhing on the floor. Sometimes that's what it takes I guess.
In my opinion, the more typical broken ankle is the more painful. I have heard similar stories to yours from friends, and my pain tolerance isn't that awesome. If it hurt that much to walk I would have gone to the Dr. right away.
I have pretty high pain tolerance, but sock me with the common cold or the stomach flu, and you've never seen such a baby.

And there I thought you must have had superhero-like pain resistance.

(Is there anyone who doesn't feel like they're dying whenever they've got a cold, even if they dose up and get on with things?)

That's me - cape and all. LOL

Mmm, I'm an ailment-ignorer. I don't see a doctor unless it's something debilitating. Who can afford it? I have problems with my left knee. I was kneeling, weighed 250+ pounds a couple years ago, and pushed up on it and heard it pop. Now, it "locks up" or something. If I sit with my knee at the wrong angle it does this. Really really really painful, and I can't move it an inch. But if I grab my foot, force my leg inward and push outward on my knee, it does something to make it 'work' again and then I just have a mild ache for a day or 2. I don't know if it's popping out of place or what (it doesn't 'pop' in or out so, I don't think so...) *shrug* Whatever it is, it's not debilitating, so no big deal.

I'm the same way with illness. I just shrug a lot and mostly ignore it.

Up until two years ago I would have denied ever breaking a bone. However, I slipped while running down the stairs to catch a subway in Brooklyn over the Christmas holidays (which was beyond stupid, as there would have been another train about 2-3 minutes behind it), and tweaked my right Achilles tendon. The pain subsided, but then worsened after I returned to work. I saw an orthopedic surgeon who I knew from residency; he ordered an X-ray of my foot, and he showed me an old fracture of my right talus bone, along with calcific Achilles tendonitis. A chip had separated from the bone, and it never fused back to the talus. I probably did this in the late 1980s, as I suffered a bad ankle "sprain" during a lunch time basketball game at work and my foot swelled up like a balloon. I remember that I went to my evening classes at Rutgers that night, and walking to my Physical Chemistry class was torturous.

or ? You decide.

Oh, I just love the pics and your sense of humor! Thanks for the big laugh!

Karen O.

I walked around on a stress fracture a few years ago -- it was about a month before I could put "real" shoes on that foot, and even wearing socks was problematic.

And yeah, I don't go to the doc unless I know things are serious. Went through about four months of nagging pain in my shoulder, which occasionally radiated around my ribcage. Couldn't get anyone to see me without insurance. Eventually, it went away last summer. Now it's creeping back a bit, a year later. I'm pretty sure it's partly ergonomic.

And yeah, the colds get me every time. I feel like death warmed over and so full of self-pity....

I've walked around on a stress fracture. It wasn't fun, but I did manage.
However, when I fell in the rain and broke my ankle nearly two years ago - there was NO way I was going to walk around on that. I nearly passed out from the pain, and I've always thought of myself as pretty tough about pain.
The ER doctor didn't completely believe my claims that it was broken and didn't give me any pain meds...until she saw my x rays. Then she apologized and brought the drugs. :)

I broke a toe once and couldn't put on shoes for a couple of days (at least they deliver everything in NYC, since my sweetie was out of town). When I went to see my doc, she didn't think it was broken and she said there wasn't anything to do anyway except tape it and wait. So I waited, and after about a month when it was still swollen and sore a friend convinced me I should see the doctor again, so she sent me for an x-ray, for which I had to wait about 10 days. The x-ray doc said, yes it's broken, and no you shouldn't have done anything different. What a waste of money!

And I am NOT telling you the stupid way I broke it!

The x-ray doc said, yes it's broken, and no you shouldn't have done anything different. What a waste of money!

Indeed. I broke a finger when I was a kid. All they do is set it in place, and then charge you thousands of dollars for no reason. The only bonus is the pain medication, but I've broken 2 bones (that I know of) and neither were really that painful. Oh, I'm a big baby when it comes to scrapes, don't get me wrong, but broken bones aren't that bad really. Just a dull ache, nothing too bad.

BROKEN BONES!!

me, i broke my Little Finger...when my brother was a Life Guard at Hinkley Lake...in Ohio

nobody gave a damn until my finger swelled...eventaully, i saw a Doctor...my finger is still crooked..l

i'll give everyone else here their PROPS

;-}

We are an accident-prone bunch here on LT, aren't we! I'm sure between us all, we could build a cracked skeleton from all our broken bones



Had a narrow escape today. I was walking down the stairs at the office, slipped (don't ask...nobody around me could figure out how I managed that on a carpeted stairway) and rolled down the rest of the way. All fine though ... not a bruise, scratch (except a small one on my elbow), sprain or broken bone. One of my colleagues did not escape unscathed from my accident though ... apparently I grabbed him to try (unsuccessfully as it turned out) to stop my fall, and ripped his shirt in the process. He's going to need to explain that one to his wife when he get home. :-)

Voice of the Violin by Andrea Camilleri is another in the Inspector Salvo Montalbano series. Our beleaguered Sicilian inspector and team are a little stumped by the murder of a beautiful woman, found in her home. Just when the suspects start piling up and there are more leads to the murder, Inspector Montalbano finds himself removed from the case by his nemesis, the Commissioner. At the same time, there seems to be trouble afoot with his girlfriend, Livia and the boy they are looking to adopt.

Always a fun read, this rates 3 stars in my book.

Boy: Tales from Childhood by Roald Dahl humorously covers his childhood growing up in Wales, prep school in England and holidays in Norway. Nothing much to say except, it's a quick and giggly read. 3 stars

Given the hectic work week I've had, these were perfect light reads

Caro- Glad you were uninjured! It would not have been a nice way to start the weekend. I need to eventually get to the 1st "Inspector Montalbano". They sound fun!

Hey ho, Marky-Mark ... nope, it would not have been a good way to start the weekend, especially since I'm hoping to go canoeing tomorrow afternoon if the weather stays fine.

I think you'll enjoy the Inspector Montalbano series. The books I've read thus far never fail to make me giggle. And I am always surprised when he unveils the murderer.

#123: Surrrre it was an "accident". So how is your coworker's wife going to feel when he comes home looking like this?



Accident. Ha.

ROTFL!

Just a note to say I just received the first in the Montalbano series...

LOL ....it could have been worse ... there could have been scratch marks accompanying the torn shirt too!

I've actually never understood that lipstick on the collar thing ... who kisses a collar? Even if the woman was shorter than the man, how bad could her aim be that she misses his face and mashes his collar?

#129: Even if the woman was shorter than the man, how bad could her aim be that she misses his face and mashes his collar?

Please note that this comment comes from the woman who stabbed herself with a toothbrush recently. ;-)

Seriously though, I'm glad that you weren't hurt.

Canoeing? With actual paddles and lakes and things? Is that wise, after the toothbrush and the stairs? Should we arrange to have paramedics on standby?

Caroline - you sound as accident prone as me - I'm probably the only person alive who required stitches in their knee from feeding tinned cat food to their cats.
Glad to see that you are enjoying Salvo Montalbano, I'm reading the seventh one - Rounding the Mark.

Canoeing?? Really?? That sounds like a bad idea Caroline.

Good grief caro.. I hope you are okay?!? It is almost possible that you are as or perhaps more clumsy than I am! I am very clumsy. The last time I saw a doctor for the pain in my shoulder ( that he dx as rotator cuff injury).

I was ( and am still ) in considerable pain. He pulled out x-rays of a pelvis,
( not mine) and said all I needed was PT. I explained that he had the wrong x-ray and it was my shoulder. He ( without either looking at me, touching me or looking at a chart he had the wrong one, obviously) said I still need PT.

No further comment. Yes, I know that I need to see someone else, but my medical karma is so so so bad that I .. just.. haven't gotten myself to do it.

Injuries that could happen to Caro while canoeing:

-Jammed finger after being stuck in helmet strap
-Jammed finger after being stuck in life vest
-Twisted arm after being stuck in life vest
-Leg stuck in life vest arm-hole
-Oar-induced black eye
-Oar-induced concussion
-Facial lacerations from a rare fish with serated fins jumping into canoe
-Canoe-on-canoe collision
-Canoe-on-tree collision
-Polar bear attack (!?)

You forgot the Loch Ness monster....

*slaps forehead* Right, I forgot! I know it usually doesn't hang out in rivers, but this is Caro we're talking about...

Sorry for your accident, but I have to confess to laughing right out loud.

I do hope you are ok.

I actually broke a finger when I lost my balance in a rowboat. (I also broke my glasses during that incident.) So add that to the list. I broke my toe crashing into the edge of a wall in the dark at night, and then I was standing around in a dog park and was bowled over by two dogs playing and broke my ankle. You should be able to avoid those in a canoe. Indeed, you might be safer! There are also all sorts of paddle mishap possibilities!

But really, have a good time!

We could probably build a cranial skeleton just with all the bones I have broken throughout my life. Nice to know I am in with a bunch that is just as accident prone as I am - although I must say that Caro takes the cake :)

Caro takes the cake in so many ways~ but ALL good ones.

You moved and didn't tell me...? *sniff* All 140 posts, and me sitting in a corner thinking you don't like me...*sniff*

(Note to Kath, that's how it's done.)

O I C

You guys just slay me ..... and make me laugh so hard my abs ache more than they did the last time I attempted 100 non-stop crunches.

Despite your (I'm assuming kindly) concerns, I did go canoeing for 4 hours this afternoon and had a wonderful time with nary a scratch, break or sprain. It was a glorious day, cloudy with bursts of sunshine and a nice breeze on the Concord River. I didn't even fall into the river once this time too. And rewarded with a grilled cheese sandwich after made it the perfect afternoon out ..... completely helping me unwind from having 2 manic work weeks.

It is nice though, to know that I have accident-prone pals out here on LT ... I'm getting ze warm fuzzies.... and ignoring all the sarcastic jibes at my expense *certain members though have received marks against their names for my Christmas invite list*

Ricardo .. i thought YOU didn't like me anymore since you weren't visiting me!

#134 : Kath ... you DO need to see another doctor and definitely DO NOT allow this one to come anywhere near you with a scalpel or anesthesia. He reminds me of a friend of mine who removed the stitches of a patient who just had the thumb sewn back on the day before instead of removing stitches of another patient who had an appendectomy a couple of weeks before. At least his excuse was that he was groggy from lack of sleep.

Cake would be good ..thanks for the suggestion, Stas *ignoring insult* .... I had a red velvet cupcake last night that was hollowed out and filled with vanilla ice cream. Yummy is an understatement!

Started Strip Tease by Carl Hiaasen last night and finished it this afternoon. Perfect book for my day.

Sometimes all it takes is a simple incident to set the wheels of chaos in motion. A drunken man celebrating his bachelor party, starts to hug and grope a topless dancer, inciting rage in another customer who hits him repeatedly on his head with a champagne bottle, until the bouncer drags him off. A photograph happened to be taken by another patron of this entertainment venue.

The photograph becomes the catalyst for a number of incidents. Political fixers attempt to protect an unraveling Congressman, an ex-husband drug addict stealing wheelchairs while retaining custody of a child, scorpions and roaches being used in scams to extort money from corporations, murders and a dancer and homicide detective looking to set things right.

This is a thriller set on a simmering boil all the way till the end.
3.2 stars

Now that I think about it, I think the made a movie from this book?

Caro- Glad to hear you had a great time on the canoe trip! Sounds perfect! I'm hoping I'm not one of those nasty ones that's off the Christmas list! Fingers crossed!
Striptease was my first Hiaasen and I remember it being a lot of fun and yes they did make an ok film version with a hot Demi Moore (implants on full display) & a feisty Burt Reynolds.

You're as safe as a bunny during Thanksgiving, Marky-Mark. :-)

Yeah, that's right... I think I remember watching this movie years ago ... no wonder the book seemed familiar as I was reading it. I was wondering if maybe I'd read it before and just forgot. That's happened to be before ... in fact, just the other day. I was reading When Gods Die and it just seemed to familiar ... so I went through my inventory of books read and what do you know... I read this 2 years ago! Oh well.. since I was halfway through it, and I still enjoyed it, I went ahead and finished reading it for the 2nd time.

#144: *certain members though have received marks against their names for my Christmas invite list*

Uh oh. Umm...darling? Are we still friends? I'll send you Leonidas chocolates.

bribery eh?

I just chuckled my way through the last 40 posts or so. I couldn't help laughing at the falling downstairs story - since you were OK. I do want to know what your co-worker told his wife though.

Not to brag, but... we went camping at the Great Sand Dunes (http://www.nps.gov/grsa/) this weekend. Of course, I fell going down. Nothing broken but wow! does my tailbone hurt. My three year old is still laughing. He said I made a Whump! sound (I did). Where do they come up with these things?

Glad you had a good day on the water, Caroline.

I didn't even fall into the river once this time

Will I be off next year's Christmas list as well if I ask how many times you fell in last time? ;)

Darryl .. were you an elephant or a crow in a previous life? Your memory is amazing! For that offer, you are slowly inching your way back into my Christmas list .. at least the 'D' is back on.

Kath : I'm shallow, what can I say? ;-)

Jenn : Hope your tailbone is feeling better?

Cat : The last time shouldn't really count because I was trying to change seats, tripped over the oar, fell into the river, got back into the canoe, was about to sit back down again when some giant insect flew into my face making me lose my balance and fall back in again. This time though, I tipped everyone else into the water as well..... a good lesson for anyone going out on the water to put all your valuables in a floatable waterproof bag. Without that, all our car keys, wallets and cellphones would have ended up at the bottom of the river.

A better lesson may be to avoid getting into a boat with Caroline.

Oops. I'd better triple that order of Leonidas chocolates.

Hmmm.....oddly enough... the 'D' seems to have disappeared from my Christmas list .... but here's a button for you, Darryl ...

ROTFL!

Rats. Now I'll have to come up with more bribes gifts for dear Caroline.

Darryl, I don't know how *you* plan to secure a place on the CaroList, but *I* intend to make--from scratch--a devil's food cake with chocolate-pecan icing *just* for Caroline when to savor while she's at my birthday party. She can share or not, as she pleases.

#153 Giant insects definitely mean it doesn't count.

Richard, I don't think there's much hope for me, unless I drop this off at her front door:

>159 kidzdoc: *rescues dog from drowning in avaricious drool at Maserati photo*

Tell ya what...drop it off *here* and I swear on my mother's grave I'll make sure Caro gets it.

*fingers, toes, legs, ears crossed*

Caroline, you're a trip (no pun intended). I'd love to have you as a neighbor, you're just so much fun and I could watch your pets when you're out of town and water your garden too.

That should seal my place on the C-mas list :0)

Hmmm Christmas list? Why am I just hearing about said list?? Could it be I've been on the bad list and not even known it?? All for a little bitty comment about Caroline's ability to throw together an impromptu world class gala with no assistance?? Seems minor;-)

#160: *fingers, toes, legs, ears crossed*

You forgot eyes crossed, Richard!

Hmmmm.... Devil's food cake with chocolate pecan icing? Made from scratch?! Ok, you know you're just signed my stampede warrant, right, Ricardo? Can you imagine anyone at your party actually letting me have more than smidggy piece of that cake? *must remember to wear stilettos to Ricardo's party ...all the better to stomp overly aggressive 'friends' who come too close to the cake before I've had a slice*

Darryl ... does that car come in metallic aquamarine with a driver and mechanic? If my accidents have caused you to roll your eyes, you do NOT want to hear about my car maintenance and driving stories.

#161 : Lynda .. you're on. When are you moving into the house next door? I'd love to have you as my neighbor.

#162 : Might be because I just started putting a new one together, Bonnie. I misplaced my old Christmas list 2 years ago and had a harrowing time last year trying to remember who to send cards and cookies to.... so we left the country in December and just sent New Year cards when we got back, after checking off all the people who had sent us Christmas, Kwanza, Channuka and New Year cards and stuff.

LOL Stas.. good gif.

Leaving the country sounds like a drastic solution!!

Wow, remind me never to go canoeing/kayaking with you!!

My friend from California left this morning. I decided to work from home so I could clean the guest room and found our email server went bonkers. So my day's been pretty uneventful ... spent some time with techsupport, a couple of conference calls and a late lunch with a couple of margaritas, getting back just in time to find the server back up again ..but not without snags .. I can now receive emails but I can't send any out. Calling it a day.

I did manage to finish an ARC, The Tower, The Zoo and The Tortoise by Julia Stuart which I found very lightheartedly delightful.

Balthazar Jones is Beefeater at the Tower of London with an obsessive interest in collecting rain specimens in Egyptian glass bottles. He is now called upon to look after a new royal menagerie. Foreign dignitaries have at times made presents of exotic animals found in their countries to the Queen of England. They're usually kept at the London Zoo, but following the death of one gift, leading to an offended Ambassador, the Queen decided that it might be better to have these specially gifted animals under closer care, and if so, whom better than her Beefeaters.

Balthazar, depressed and distant from his wife Hebe, after the death of their son, Milo finds himself having to supervise the transportation of the animals to their new enclosure, and reading up on their history (as much as possible) in case tourists have questions. Apart from having to ensure that they remain, if not healthy, at least alive in their new residence, Balthazar fights an ongoing feud with the Ravenmaster. The Ravens of the Tower have been harrassing his pet ancient tortoise and he's convinced that they ate her tail. Meanwhile, Hebe, who works at the London Underground's Lost Property department, is busy trying to find the owner of a magician's box, an urn, a locked safe, a Igloo with a kidney and other items carelessly left on the train or platform by passengers.

Apart from the humorous antics surrounding the employees of the Tower of London and the Lost Property department, there actually is quite a bit of details into the history of the Tower of London and the people who were held prisoners there and who died there, whether by their own hands or by royal decree.
I'm going to give this 3.2 stars

Caro- I'm glad you liked The Tower, The Zoo and The Tortoise. I've heard good things about it. It sounds light & fun! Wait a minute, I don't do light & fun! Well, maybe for a change of pace?

I'll have to read The Tower, The Zoo and The Tortoise when it is published. It sounds like something I would really like.

*feels woozy at the mere thought of being in the same county with stilettos*
I seriously think they should be outlawed. :P
And Caro, with all respect.. an accident prone person in shoes like that is just asking for trouble.. Hope Darryl is going to the party..

Hi.
Trying to ignore chocolate cake with choc. pecan icing and just stick to books *drool*.

I'm adding The Tower, The Zoo and The Tortoise to the TBR tower.

#164: Yep. I should have never offered the Maserati, especially now that I'll have to pay for a driver and a personal mechanic (and Lord knows what else). I'll substitute weekly shipments of Leonidas chocolates, instead.

#169: No, I won't be able to go to this party, unfortunately. I had originally planned to go with my parents to Canada on Sep 11, but we've decided to postpone the trip, due to my mother's oldest sister's current illness (she's doing well, but will need rehab for a few weeks, at least). And, I have to be available as the back up doc on Sep 13, so I have to stay in Atlanta until at least Sep 14.

And where, in that schedule, does it become impossible for you to fly up to NY on the 10th and back on the 12th, pray tell???

Adding The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation, Caroline.

I am patiently waiting for Darryl to answer Suz's question :)

172 good question!

#172-174: Ha! Considering that I work until 10 pm (and probably later) on the 10th, that all but eliminates a flight that night. So, I'd probably leave on the 11th, fly back on the 12th, work on the 13th, and fly to Philadelphia on the 14th. Three flights in four days; thanks but no thanks.

However, if someone is willing to work my Friday night shift and my Monday back up shift, I'll definitely be there. :)

#175: I would, Darryl, but they might question my practicing medicine without a license.

I am having to take the days off to go to the party. Luckily, I have a licensed person to take my shifts :)

#175: I would, Darryl, but they might question my practicing medicine without a license.

LOLOL

"I'm not a doctor, but I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night."

Do you think we could get away with it?

Anyway, there's still an early morning Saturday flight, and a Sunday evening return...

Kath : Will you believe that I'm more stable in heels than I am in flat shoes? All the tripping I do and have done have been when I've been in sneakers, flip-flops or bare feet. I don't go for the crazily high heels though because those are hard to run in if I have to chase someone.

Marky-Mark - a change of pace is exactly what you need every once in a while. I think you'll be amused by The Tower, The Zoo and The Tortoise.

#171 : Weekly shipments of Leonidas? Ok, you're back on the CList, Darryl ... but please make them tiny shipments because otherwise I'll need a forklift to get me out of the house.

I could work your Friday shift for you as long as all i have to do is walk around with a clipboard and play with the kids .... although .......... hey, that would mean I'd miss the party. Darryl, you're going to have to cajole one of your colleagues to step in for you instead.

Hubster is flying out of Boston on Sept 12 for 2 months, so that's actually thrown a bit of a wrench in the works for me too. We were planning on spending the weekend on LI and I'd go to the party while hubster visits with his folks, but now he'll be packing all day on Saturday. :-(

Hello! Just skimming through some of what I've missed on your thread, oh accident-prone one . . .

I've just started reading Eline Vere by Louis Couperus. It's a book I received from Archipelago and I'm loving it so far. It's an English translation of the Dutch work and it reads beautifully. I've only just started but the lyrical prose and the characters remind me a little of Anna Karenina and Madame Bovary. It's a tome and it'll take me a while to get through it but if the writing continues in this vein, I will enjoy every moment.

those are hard to run in if I have to chase someone

tell me about episodes of chasing.. please?

Or... maybe not..

do try to stay out of trouble young lady

I just got tripped up in my flip flops myself while trying to avoid stepping on the dog as we came in the door from the garage into the house. I suffered minor bruising and Buddy....not a scrape.

Thanks for the good report on Eline Vere. It is one of the many Archipelago books I have yet to read, and most of them are tomes too.

Angus will not move out of the way, or off the step.. and
he is always wrapping himself around my ankles.. bless him. I do love the beastie monster.

you know your feline wants to kill you when... he/she wraps himself/herself around ankles while going downstairs first thing in the morning when your eyes are barely open.

you know your feline wants to kill you when...it's breathing.

you know your feline wants to kill you when...the glint of Satanic glee is in its eyes. Oh wait...that's whenever it's breathing...scratch (!) that.

182- I was wondering that too...how often does Caro have to chase someone?? ;)

#182 & 188 : When someone tried to steal my cellphone which I had left on the park bench I was sitting on, while I was unwrapping a sandwich. I tossed my sandwich onto the bench, and chased after the boy. Lesson for teenagers out there ... if you're 4'3", weigh about 200lbs and can't run more than 10m without wheezing, it's probably not a good idea to try and snatch someone's cellphone. Needless to say, I caught up with him relatively easily, yanked the back of his collar which pulled him up short (although I think he would have stopped soon anyway since he was heaving), grabbed my phone back and bonked him on the head with my fist.

Another time I had to chase a taxi (yelling like a banshee all the way) because the driver had driven off with my suitcase in his trunk. He had driven me to the station and forgot that my suitcase was in the back so when I got out and closed the door, he drove off. Not sure if it was the sight of me belting after him, or him hearing my shouts, but he did stop in the middle of the street after I'd chased after him for a few minutes.

Chased someone in the office once because he put a fake coyote on my desk when I was out for lunch and scared the bejeesus out of me when I came into the room.

Other than that, I don't think I've had to chase people much. ;-)

#183 : Bonnie - I'm glad both you and Buddy survived without injury. But see my point? flip-flops can be dangerous!

#184 : I'm halfway through and I'm still enjoying it Rebecca. I haven't yet received an Archipelago book that I haven't liked.

#185 : Angus is lucky I don't live with you, Kath ... he'd be flattened by now or at least walk with a limp because I'd be falling on him all the time.

#186/187 : LOL

Hubster surprised me with tickets to Cirque du Soleil's new performance in Boston, OVO, tonight. Whoopee....

Caro- Love the story about chasing down the thief! You are my hero! You can cook, you read great books and you can take very good care of yourself! Sounds perfect!
Have a great time at Cirque du Soleil!!

#189 - You are the best!
Go here: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/whip_it/news/1847633/whip-it-good-our-favorite-r... and scroll down until you see Miss Piggy and click play.

Then the coyote story reminded me of when I used to work at this accounting firm in the bay area. I would change into gym clothes at lunch and go for a walk. I came back one day and my clothes were gone and a gorilla suit was in my desk drawer. One of the partners had switched them.

I've been having a great time here at the computer laughing all by myself...

Hope Cirque du Soleil was wonderful!

Caro, I need to hire you for a bodyguard. You can chase the criminals down for me.

LOLOL Caro.. you are a hoot.

#189: That is absolutely hilarious, Caroline, especially the story about the obese would-be robber. I can easily imagine that scene, especially the coup de grace bonk on the head.

189- Caro, you have a very interesting life! :)

*snicker* That's one less fat criminal in the world, eh what?

Oh, my, that would-be robber got a surprise! I suppose he thought you'd just sit there and stare after him?

#191 : Thanks Marky-Mark .... I did have a good time at Cirque du Soleil.

OVO was a delightful Cirque du Soleil performance about the comedic, graceful and gymnastic life of insects. The choreography is amazing and the acts were breath-taking for their grace and athleticism. This is the 7th Cirque performance I've watched and each time I do, I wonder if I should have worked harder at gymnastics in school. Then again, I also wonder how long these artists can perform and the injuries they must all have incurred during practice or performance.

#192 : Jenn - that is too funny! The only time I did anything remotely similar was I stole a colleague's shoes (he had taken them off during the day and was walking around in his socks) and put them in a cabinet behind reams of paper. Of course he was looking all over for his shoes, but then the joke was on me, when I went to get his shoes, thinking I'd sneak them back under his desk ... the shoes were gone! I hunted everywhere .. and I mean all over the office, looking into every cabinet, closet ..even the office fridges but nada. My colleague was somewhat irritated especially since they were new shoes but luckily he had his gym bag with him, so he went home in his gym shoes. The next morning, I was prepared to go shoe shopping with him and buy him new shoes, but what did I find but his shoes next to my desk. One of my other colleagues had seen what I did when he was round the corner, and hid so I didn't see him. When I went back to my room, he snuck over, removed the shoes and put them in his drawer ... and then WENT HOME! He put the shoes next to my desk when he came in the next morning.

#193 : Err... sure, but how often do you consort with criminals, Stas? And are they armed? Because I draw the line at chasing down armed criminals.

#196 : Angela - not really ... these are just the few unexpected things that happen to me. Mostly my life is quiet..... not that I'm complaining.

#197/198 : I'm usually quite reserved but don't steal my stuff! At least my sandwich was still there when I got back to my bench. :-)

I'm having a lovely lazy day ... really needed this. I helped hubster out at his triathlon yesterday evening and the had a decadent seafood dinner with some very boisterous friends who all proceeded to come back to our house after because apparently they decided our bar and freezer needed raiding. Made brownies at 11.30pm and there is nothing quite like a midnight brownie feast with Bailey's and espresso.

I'm still reading Eline Vere and that is not a book that is to be hurried. But I also picked up A Thousand Days in Venice by Marlena De Blasi and absolutely loved it.

Move aside Eat,Pray,Love ... Marlena de Blassi has given us a truly reflective look at a woman who is unafraid to trust her soul to whatever the Fates may bring. Be it love in the form of a skinny Venetian banker who fell in love with her profile when she first came to Venice, or be it leaving her St Louise home and moving to Venice to be with this stranger, or be it embracing her new home and having that gently elegant lady embrace her.

On the surface, the story is a about a woman who falls in love and moves to Venice to get married. And if you were to skim quickly through this book, you would lose the chance to learn. For yes, there are lessons to learn through our heroine, Marlena's journey to love. She loves the man and in that love, she also trusts her heart, and she opens herself without reserve to experiences that present themselves to her, and truly adapting to the Venetian culture. Where her fiance retreats into his mental man-cave and looks around with "dead-bird eyes", she has the patience and self-confidence to let him weed out his angst on his own, trusting that he will open up to her when he is ready.

Her journey is lovely as it is inspirational as it is sometimes humorous. What it is, most of all, though, is hopeful.

There are some recipes at the back of the book, providing a little bonus.

4 stars

I just realized that this is my 100th book this year.

Hey congratulations Carolyn! 100 books! That's terrific.

Thank you, Bonnie. I was rather surprised myself. I didn't think I'd get here so quickly this year seeing as I'm not a particularly fast reader.

Caro- A Cool Hundred! Makes a man proud! You da best, friend! We need to get the word out about the "Book Retreat" next April! Beat dem drums!

Book retreat? Does this mean we all get to hole up somewhere gorgeous and read all day, then discuss our reading over gourmet meals (cooked by others) in the evenings? With occasional forays to local bookstores?? Count me in...

Thanks Marky-Mark. I need some help beating dem drums ... so I've called upon my favorite muppet for the job ... we need more LTers at the retreat!



Suz : It's the Books on the Nightstand book retreat in Vermont next April. Check out : http://booksonthenightstand.com/botns-retreat
Do come join us? I've never been, so this will be my first time, but it sounds like a lot of fun.

Congratulations on the 100th book!!!

Did someone say book retreat? I can retreat somewhere with books?

Congratulations on hitting 100, Caro!

(#199: As far as my consorting with criminals, it kind of goes with the territory in my line of work.)

100 books? Well done!

Mostly my life is quiet

I would love to go to that retreat..! LOVE to... but it is hard for me to make such plans so far in advance due to ta number of things.. so..

>201 cameling:: Congratulations on 100!

I've got Eline Vere sitting around. I started it but realized quite quickly it wasn't a good time to tackle it, so I've moved to other stuff.

A Thousand Days in Venice sounds interesting...I can't decide if it's exactly my type of book or exactly not my type of book. I guess I'll have to find it and read a page or three.

Congratulations on reaching 100, Caroline!

Kath- Since you don't make plans in advance, I 'll be giving you some gentle reminders as we get closer. Should I swing through and pick you up? Funny, if I had the time I wish I could drive, that way I could stop and see Jude and others, kind of like an LT highlight trip. Maybe I could rent a VW bus, with a big speaker on top! I just had a flash of Ken Kesey!

#207 : Thanks, Jenn. Yup... April next year. See the link above to the BOTNS and read about the retreat .. with trips to local bookstores and discussions by the fireplace. Sign up, sign up and join us!

#208 : Oh yeah, that's true, Stas. Hmm.... I hope you have a good taser and can of mace with you at all times. I just found out (not through personal experience) that you can only shoot a taser once and that after you, you need to get a replacement. I thought they shot out bolts of electricity and then you could sort of reel it back in and it'd get charged again by batteries or something.

#209 : *ignoring the sarcastic giggling*

Don't worry Kath, between Mark and I, you'll be receiving multiple reminders periodically and then more vigorously closer to April so maybe it'll work into your schedule. :-)

#210 : I'm reading other things while I read Eline Vere but it really is an enjoyable book and I think I'm enjoying it more because i'm also taking mini breaks from it. A Thousand Days in Venice gets better as you go along actually ... I only really got into it after about 10 pages.

#211 : Thanks, Cat

Congratulations on finishing your 100th book, Caroline! I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying Eline Vere; I'm planning to read it next month.

Thanks, Darryl. I think you'll like it. It's a book to be read slowly so you savor the imagery and the prose.

good! keep reminding me, please?

100 books! Congratulation! :)

Caro...100...wow, you don't look it! At all!

...wait...

A hundred *books*! Oh! Yay!

Richard! You know she's only 25, right?

*trying very hard to get back on Caroline's Christmas list*

Will do, Kath.

Thanks, Stefano.

Ricardo, if I could feel at 100 the way I feel today, I wouldn't mind being that ancient. As it is, I feel old age where my teeth fall out and I have to eat pureed food and my legs give out so I'm left to veg in front of the tele watching Jerry Springer or Court TV! arrgghh....I hope someone will smother me before that happens.

Nice try, Darryl ... keep working it. ;-)

#213: Two words, Caro: Wasp Spray. It is more effective than mace and can shoot from further away :) It has the added benefit of killing unwanted wasps as well.

206- Animal is my hubby's favorite muppet as well. Mine's Beaker!

Congratulations on 100 books!!

I just remarked that I couldn't even remember which one Beaker was (I know: shocking). Response from my brother: "You mean you haven't seen the YouTube video of him doing the Ode to Joy?"

"No."

"Here: watch!"

Now my stomach aches from laughing.

erm - if one is going to Manchester, VT, which airport would one fly to? Don't know if I can make it happen, but certainly willing to research...

Knee pain from falling on the floor laughing at Beaker.

LOL I am posting that to my blog right now. Made my Monday morning. Beaker is the best.
I used to teach piano and that is one of my most hated beginner piano songs. I refused to teach it... but this version I can handle.

223- LOL! I'd forgotten about that one, thanks for sharing! (although it was hard to contain the peals of laughter while watching at my desk at work - I was on lunchbreak, but even so...)

#223: Beethoven would probably love it too! That was great.

roflmao@ 223s vid....

Thank you so much for that!

Okay, now you've got me looking at other muppet vids on youtube...I may never get another thing done...

:D

Oh, that was priceless!! :-)

ROFL ..... oh that was just a super fantastic vid, Cat. I can't stop watching it and laughing every time. Good thing I'm working from home today.

Had my annual physical and all my readings had 8 in them. Is that weird or what? My blood pressure was 98/58, temp was 98.4, heart rate was 58 and my weight ended with an 8. The only measurement without an 8 in it was my height - I'm 5'5" .. oh but converted to metric, I think that makes me round about 1.68m ... hey!

So I'm pronounced half healthy - half because I need to wait for my blood work results which come in 2 weeks.

I just love J.D. Robb ... I held this one off until I knew I could devote some time to reading it because I hate putting her books down when I get started in on them.

Fantasy in Death is the latest that I've just finished reading last night. Another good murder mystery that Lt Eve Dallas and her team have to solve. This time though I had figured out the method by which the murder victim was killed before I was a third through the book, but what I couldn't figure out was who did it and why.

3.2 stars

I finished my Archipelago book, Eline Vere by Louis Couperus this morning and I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed this.

A wonderful English translation of a Dutch masterpiece. This is not a book to be raced through. It doesn't drag and it's not tedious, but you will want to go along with it's unhurried pace because you'll enjoy it all the more.

Eline Vere lives with her sister, brother-in-law and nephew in The Hague. She's frivolous, she's kind, she's lively and witty, she's melodramatic and given to bouts of temper tantrums, she's a daydreamer and given to flights of fancy, she's eccentric, she's uncertain, she's lovely and she's tragic.

There's just so much in this book that it's difficult to review without giving it all away. Eline Vere is the central character and we are given peeks into her thoughts as she enjoys life as a social butterfly, without a care in the world and her only mission appears to be having a good time. She's charming and knows what she has to do to get all to love her. But she's also given to bouts of depression and she falls into infatuations easily.

But it's not just about her, there is also a great many other characters the author spends time lovingly developing, and the reader gets to know them all, understand them, love or despise them accordingly.

There are elements of Jane Austen's 'Persuasion' and Tolstoy's 'Anna Karenina' in here that make this a very compelling read. You cannot help but fall into the story, share the laughter and the tears, the anger and the love, the celebration and the depression. This has it all, in my opinion.
4.5 stars

Caro- Glad the check-up went well and that you will be around to keep us company for many years to come! You weigh 108? That's not to bad!

#234: Glad to know that at least half of your physical went well! I hope the other half is just as good.

#235: I will have to look for Eline Vere (it goes without saying that I have already read the Robb book, lol). Thanks for the review and recommendation, Caro.

Mark : I'd fly off in a hurricane if I weighed 108! haha.

Stas : You're welcome ... I think you'll like Eline Vere

Waved hubster off with his Igloo full of packed food for the in-laws this morning. I woke early because I fell out of bed (I had a dream that I was rolling around in seaweed ..... must be the clam bake we had last night) and couldn't get back to sleep. So I made a pot of roasted tomato soup. I've never had soup for breakfast before .... I like it. :-) But I packed the rest up and put it in with the other stuff in the Igloo as well.

Finished up The Patience of the Spider by Andrea Camilleri last night. Another in the Inspector Montalbano series. This time though, there's a kidnapping that he has to somehow solve, although in the capacity of helping another Inspector because he was shot in a previous case and is supposed to be off active duty while he recuperates. This was the perfect read for the really humid evening last night.
3 stars

I fell out of bed

*sigh* Of course! She falls even when she is asleep. :P

It doesn't happen often, Stefano! And it's generally because I tend to sleep close to the edge of the bed ... i like a leg to dangle off the edge ...... hence I don't actually need large beds in order to get comfortable sleep ....and everyone likes to share my bed because I don't hog the entire thing. .............. wait, that didn't come out right .....

hmmmm is that so....

you're making me so ready for some JD Robb. And, I think I need to adopt your sleeping stance... 3 cats and one husband doesn't leave a lot of space!

That's how I sleep too - but I think I'm trying to get away from the people in my bed. I have one kid that just can't be trained to stay in his own bed, and often I don't realize he's there. I just keep moving east as I sleep.

The poochie sleeps with puppy-mommy when she's staying here. I long for, dream of, yearn after the nights that I am dogless in my bed! No being kicked in her dreams, no hot fur coat pressed as close as she can get to me, no *sluuuuuurp* at 0'Dark:30 because hey, she's awake, shouldn't we be playing?!

**Never** sleep with your spouse.

#239: Falling out of bed? Unfortunately I wish I could say it has never happened to me :)

I hope you are OK, Caro!

it is 24 minutes after O'dark thirty

Another hot and steamy day although from time to time, there's a hint of a breeze. I don't know what's worse ... still air or a slight short breeze to tease you. Hurricane Earl is on his way, but since I'm not along the coast, I don't have anything to worry about ... hoping for some cooling rain.

Hotel chambermaids loves me because they don't actually have to change the sheets or make the bed everyday since there's just one small section of the bed that's slightly mussed. I also don't move much when I sleep, so all if I fluff the pillow and straighten the duvet, the bed actually looks freshly made.

#246: Thanks Stas .. yes I am fine. I didn't really fall out because as I fell out, my feet hit the floor, so i kinda stood up as I fell.

No LT time for me later this evening. Some of my colleagues have decided to start the long weekend early by coming over to my house after work for an impromptu cookout party. They'll bear alcohol, corn, hotdogs and I don't know what else ... you can never tell with some of them. I've got swordfish and lamb chops marinating and I've just made 2 pitchers of white sangria, and making a dent in one of them already. ;-)

Finished Seeking Whom He May Devour by Fred Vargas, the 2nd in the Inspector Adamsberg series. Oddly enough I can't add this book to my library here ... the touchstone appears to work here, but when I try to add the book, I receive a note saying the book can't be found. Odd.

Sheep are being killed and the wolves from a nearby national park are being blamed. A woman is found brutally slashed by what appear to be a large wolf. And so starts the manhunt for these wolves. Before long, suspicions emerge that it is not a wolf doing the killing but a werewolf, and a man who has been missing is suspected of being the werewolf.

Inspector Adamsberg comes into the picture almost accidentally. Leaving Paris for Avignon and staying under the radar to avoid a woman looking to kill him, he teams up with 3 individuals from Saint Vincent who are on a quest to find this werewolf.

As the killings of more sheep and more people continue, Adamsberg follows his gut feel and particular line of reasoning to help find the killer. Watching his investigation unfold is as mystifying as the reason for the murders and the identity of the killer.

3.6 stars

Caro- Have a great time tonight! I need to read more Fred Vargas. I've only read the one! I had a hard time adding a book to my library too!

have a fun evening caro!

I hope a good time was had by all at the impromptu party!

ok ..before I get nabbed by the thread police, my new thread can be found here

#241: ROTFL!

Congrats, on reaching 100, Caroline! Just catching up and Wow! You have more excitement in your life in just two weeks than I do in a whole year five years! I'm sure you could beat out the Energizer Bunny anytime you wanted to!