casual dread

Thursday Three: Comics!

2011-12-29T22:11:00.001-05:00

What is Thursday 3? It's a new weekly meme, hosted by Tasha, in which we will be discussing our love/hate relationship with our current read.

Here is how Thursday 3 works:
Take your current read, or book you previously finished, and tell me the following 3 things about it.

Character from the book you LOVE (This can be a character you want as your BFF or someone you want to take home to meet the parents)

Character from the book you HATE (This character does not have to be the villian, just someone you disliked)

Your overall LOVE/HATE of the book. (If you haven't decided your feelings for the book yet, or if you prefer, just provide a snippet from the book containing either the word "LOVE" or "HATE")

I wasn't going to post a Thursday Three today because I'm still reading A Feast for Crows (I read the other ASOIAF books in 2-3 days, if that gives you an idea of my feelings towards this book), but the I realized I could write a post about the comics I picked up today instead! I'm really digging the new DC 52 - today's haul included Aquaman #4, The Flash #4, The Guild: Zaboo, Batman #4, and Voodoo #4.

Character I LOVE: Zaboo! He's played by Sandeep Parikh on the web series The Guild, and the comic was written by Sandeep and Felicia Day, the creator and writer of the show. The character is lovable and exasperating, and I think the comic did a great job of showing how he got that way.

Character I HATE: the law enforcement in Coastal City! Seriously, Aquaman just saved a bunch of people - give the man some respect! At least Aquaman got a dog out of the ordeal.*

My overall LOVE/HATE of the book: I love all the comics I picked up today (why bother reading them otherwise?), but I have to admit that I'm most surprised by my affection for Aquaman. He used to be the biggest punching bag in the DCU, but between his shark-telepathy in last week's issue of Justice League and his sensitivity in this week's issue of Aquaman, he's really growing on me and quickly becoming one of my favorite heroes.

* When I told my boyfriend about Aquaman's new pet, he suggested the name "Run," so that he could be referred to as "sea-dog Run." Ah, puns.

Thursday Three: A Feast for Crows

2011-12-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

What is Thursday 3? It's a new weekly meme, hosted by Tasha, in which we will be discussing our love/hate relationship with our current read.

Here is how Thursday 3 works:
Take your current read, or book you previously finished, and tell me the following 3 things about it.

Character from the book you LOVE (This can be a character you want as your BFF or someone you want to take home to meet the parents)

Character from the book you HATE (This character does not have to be the villian, just someone you disliked)

Your overall LOVE/HATE of the book. (If you haven't decided your feelings for the book yet, or if you prefer, just provide a snippet from the book containing either the word "LOVE" or "HATE")

I'm currently reading A Feast for Crows, the fourth book in George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series.

Character I LOVE: Samwell Tarly! He reminds me a lot of Neville Longbottom (which probably accounts for the affection I feel for him) because he's so bumbling and cowardly. But he's also sweet and stands up for what's right. He's really starting to come into his own, which scares me because Martin tends to kill off awesome characters.

Character I HATE: Robert Arryn. I should probably say Petyr Baelish because he's so despicable, but I find Robert even more odious. And it's really not his fault - he's just so twisted and coddled and poor Sansa has to put up with him. I can't imagine being forced to marry my sickly Oedipal cousin.

My overall LOVE/HATE for the book: I haven't decided yet, but it's leaning more towards hate. The chapters alternate between narrators, which is great if the narrator is a character I like or one who has an interesting story (Cersei, Sansa, Samwell) and really hard to get through if the narrator is unlikable or uninteresting (Brienne). It's definitely not as good as the previous book in the series.

Classic Double Reading Challenge 2012 Intro Post

2011-12-21T13:04:00.002-05:00

Essentially, the Classic Double Challenge will encourage you to read one older book (classic) and a newer book that relates to the older one in some way.

There are levels of participation, so you can choose how much or how little you'd like to commit to:

Small: You read 2 related books.

Medium: You read 4 books (2 sets of related books).

Large: You read 6 books (3 sets of related books).

Super Size: You read 8 books (4 sets of related books).

Sign up on this post any time from now until the end of 2012.

I'm committing to the small level, and plan on reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (which I bought in England over a decade ago and haven't actually read) and Jane by April Lindner.

Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge 2012 Intro Post

2011-12-21T11:39:00.002-05:00

Rules:

Anyone can join.
You don't need a blog to participate.
Audio, ebooks (some libraries allow ebooks to be checked out), bound books are ok.
No re-reads.
Create a sign up post and post the link at this post.
Challenge goes from January 1, 2012 - December 31, 2012

Levels:

Level 1 - Read 12 library books
Level 2 - Read 24 library books
Level 3 - Read 36 library books
Level 4 - Read 37+ library books

Seeing as I'm signing up for a few reading challenges, this one seemed a no-brainer.

Embarrassing story time!

A few weeks ago, I realized I hadn't yet read the book my YA book club was going to be discussing over the weekend. So I got on the local library's website and tried to put the book on hold (it was only getting mediocre reviews from the other members, and I didn't want to buy it if I wasn't going to love it and want to reread it), but the website wouldn't let me. I ended up calling and talking to a very nice man who, through stifled laughter, informed me that my library card had been expired for two years (!) and that he couldn't renew it over the phone because I had over $14 in fines (!!) from three years ago. The books that I checked out that incurred these fines? Three Jane Austen novels (all of which I already own, so I have no idea why I checked them out in the first place, let alone kept them for two months) and two audiobooks. My bff works at a library and regales me with patron horror stories all the time, so I know this is on the low end of bad library behavior. But for an English teacher in a small town, it's still pretty sorry.

Book 2 Movie Reading Challenge 2012 Intro Post

2011-12-21T11:23:00.001-05:00

The goal for this challenge is to read a book/ watch a movie in each of the 12 categories, which are further down, during the year of 2012 (01.01.2012 – 31.12.2012) + 1 bonus category, if someone can’t find a book in one of the 12 categories.

This means: 12 books + movies in 12 months, as a result 1 book/ 1 movie per month. (Book can be read/ movie can already been watched – but just one of each)

You want to join?:
Visit this post to sign up.

Here are my (tentative) books/movies for this challenge:

Read a book/ watch the movie …

1. … where the movie is more famous than the book [ Different Seasons ("The Body") / Stand By Me ]

2. … to a TV- Series [ Storm Front / The Dresden Files ]

3. … which is based on a cartoon/ fairy tale or where the main characters are animals [ Beastly / Beastly ]

4. … where your favorite actor/ actress is playing in the movie [ Wanted / Wanted ]

5. … to a book classic which was made into a movie after 1990 [ The Picture of Dorian Gray / Dorian Gray ]

6. … where the book was written for the movie [ Red Riding Hood / Red Riding Hood ]

7. … from an author of your home country (for English joiners: from an author who is not coming from an English speaking country) [ Q & A / Slumdog Millionaire* ]

8. … where the story is about love and where you’ll probably cry OR where the story is about blood, murder and horrific killers [ The Notebook / The Notebook ]

9. … which is focused on a social critic topic (misogyny, racism, cruelty,…) [ The Color Purple / The Color Purple ]

10. … where the story is playing at least 100 years ago [ Master and Commander / Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World ]

11. … where the story is playing in the future OR where the story is playing in Asia or Africa [ The Children of Men / Children of Men ]

12. … where the movie to the book is coming to the cinemas 2012 [ Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter / Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter ]

(+ 13 bonus category: … where you’ve already watched the movie, but never read the book) – for all who have a problem to find a book/movie in one of this categories.

* - Rereading/rewatching for this challenge.

Gossip Girl Reading Challenge 2012 Intro Post

2011-12-21T11:21:00.000-05:00

1. Gossip Girl
2. You Know You Love Me
3. All I Want Is Everything
4. Because I'm Worth It
5. I Like It Like That
6. You're the One That I Want
7. Nobody Does It Better
8. Nothing Can Keep Us Together
9. Only In Your Dreams
10. Would I Lie to You?
11. Don't You Forget About Me
12. It Had To Be You
13. I Will Always Love You (prequel)

Rules:

Challenge will run January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012. Participants can join at any time throughout the challenge.
Create an intro post, linking back to this post.
Sign up using the Linky. Make sure to add your post about this challenge, not your blog home page.
All forms of books acceptable (audiobooks, eBooks, etc.), rereads are allowed and these books can be used for other challenges.
You don't need a blog to participate.
Reviews, while always appreciated, are not mandatory.

I haven't read the Gossip Girl series in a while (I'm not sure I ever finished it, actually) and I know for a fact I didn't read the prequel, so this sounded like a fun challenge. I love angsty teen drama and stories set in NYC!

We need more UK shows to Americanize, right?

2011-02-01T18:59:00.001-05:00

[ via TDW ]

WANT

2011-01-30T11:44:00.003-05:00

Too small for big kids, unfortunately. :-/

Every Friday afternoon conversation I have with my co-workers

2011-01-21T22:54:00.003-05:00

Co-worker: Got any plans for the weekend?
Me: I'm playing Dungeons & Dragons* with some friends.
Co-worker: [laughs]
Me: Um...I wasn't kidding.

* Replace "playing D&D" with "going to Dragon*Con / the comic book store" or pretty much any other geeky (fun!) thing I do in my free time, and the reaction is the same.

A story and a video

2011-01-15T08:26:00.001-05:00

When I was an RA at Georgia Southern, one of the most repetitive tasks we had to do every summer was checking each and every dorm room to make sure that nothing was missing, damaged, stained, etc. This usually involved teams of two walking through the room, one person calling out various problems while the other wrote them down on a triplicate form that would later be verified by the residents. The majority of the time, I would write either "clean" or "good" down the entire row, unless there was an obvious problem to notate.

Now, I don't know if you've ever written the word "good" literally hundreds (if not thousands) of times in a row, but after a while it starts to look completely nonsensical. Hence, the switching up between the two equally bland adjectives.

You might be wondering what brought up this little tangent (especially after such a long absence from blogging). Well, here it is:

About 30 seconds in, I started thinking to myself, "Is that really how you pronounce 'Michael'? It sounds so weird..." but then after that I didn't care as much because, hey! it's the Coreys!

And now I really want to watch The Lost Boys again. That movie was rad and those vampires did not sparkle.

[ video via TDW ]

Aisha

2010-06-16T21:05:00.003-04:00

Look, y'all, it's an Indian Emma:

I really wish I knew Hindi (other than "I am a big duck"), so I could understand what they were saying. I'm really looking forward to seeing Miss Woodhouse get the Bollywood treatment. Too bad there's no U.S. release date (yet?).

[via Austen Blog]

"When life gives you wheelchair, make lemonade."

2010-06-14T18:17:00.004-04:00

I don't have cable right now (I was only able to keep up with Glee by using the elliptical machine at my gym), so I'm not really up on what's going on in the world of television. But apparently, Oprah's giving away a TV show, and I sincerely hope it goes to this guy:

If you have the time, check out Zach's other YouTube videos - his "acting reel" is comedy gold - and vote for his show here.

In other news, I acquired a kitten yesterday. She's spent the majority of the day hiding under my bed, chewing on my comics, and chasing a laser pointer. She's pretty awesome, and should probably have a real name (other than "Kitten") within the next few days.

Also, I'm leaving for Montreal in nine days. Suggested attractions to visit are welcome and encouraged, s'il vous plait.

What are you doing? What, what, what are you doing?!

2010-06-07T19:39:00.003-04:00

Hello, everyone. Yes, it's a blog post. Shocking, I know. Sorry to have abandoned all my wonderful book blogging friends, but this school year was crazy. Plus, I've been really lazy about keeping up with my reading and reviewing. Right now, I'm sloooooowly making my way through Android Karenina. The steampunk elements (robots! gears! electromagnetic skating ponds!) are awesome. The actual classic-book-part is a little boring. Am I a terrible English major/teacher, or what?

To tide you over until my next (real) post, here's a funny video one of the other (good) English teachers showed me today. We justified looking at YouTube during post planning because a) for some reason, it wasn't blocked, and b) it's semi-Shakespeare, so it counts as "educational." Or something. Enjoy!

Hi, there.

2009-09-26T12:17:00.003-04:00

I'm still around, just really busy with school. Our brand-new building is beautiful, but my air conditioning doesn't work and I'm still getting used to the seven periods a day (as opposed to four 1.5 hr-long blocks). I'm hoping to get caught up with grading this weekend, which would give me more free time for playing on the Internet. I'm still posting (sporadically) on Twitter, but I do have a bunch of books to review and new recipes to post, so those will hopefully go up in the next week or so. Congrats to all the BBAW winners! Hopefully you'll all be hearing from me again soon. :)

Is anyone else reading Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters? I'm loving it! I'm only a few chapters in, but it's so much fun. I loved P&P&Z, too. It was pretty much 75% Austen, 25% zombies. S&S&SM is more like 25% Austen, 75% sea monsters, and it works. Poor Colonel Brandon with his face tentacles...

(Crafty) Nerd Alert

2009-08-24T11:28:00.008-04:00

Here's some crafty/geeky stuff I working on! Some of it is really cute, and I wanted to share it. Let's go in order of completion, shall we?

First up: this is a cross-stitch I'm working on of Audrey Hepburn's Holly Golightly character from Breakfast at Tiffany's. I just started working on it, which is why there's been so little progress. I found the pattern in the Craftster forums (an excellent place to go for ideas and inspiration, I might add). I'm doing the piece in various shades of blue, and if it turns out well it'll be a Christmas gift for a friend of mine. She loves Audrey, and already has a painting of her hanging in her daughter's room. Fingers crossed!

This hat is another project I'm working on for someone else, and I need to get it finished relatively soon. It's going to be a viking beanie (I still need to crochet and stuff the horns on the sides) for my friend Casey. Dragon*Con is coming up, and this year I'm going to be in the parade! A whole group of us are, actually, and we'll be representing the Periodic Table. (There's a Facebook group if anyone else is going and doesn't have a parade costume yet - we still have elements available!) Casey's going as "Thorium," so I talked her into dressing like Thor by offering to crochet her a viking helmet. I found this pattern on etsy, the home of awesome stuff.

Next up is the only thing I'm currently working on for myself. Anyone else a Doctor Who fan? I recently fell in love with the newest incarnation (thank you, Netflix streaming video!) starring David Tennant. I haven't been able to catch up with the older series (yet), but I decided to go ahead and make this anyway. It's a scarf based on the one worn by Tom Baker during the 12th season of the original Who series. The pattern is available online if you'd like to give it a go as well. I've been working on this thing off-and-on for MONTHS. It's an easy stitch, so I usually pick it up and knit a few rows while I'm watching TV. You can't really tell from the picture, but it's already longer than I am tall (5'5") and it's probably one-third to one-half finished. I was hoping to have it done in time for Dragon*Con, but I really doubt that'll happen. Next year, maybe...

This little guy is another Who-inspired creation. He's an adipose baby, which if you watch the show you know is basically an anthropomorphic blob of fat. But isn't he cute? He's a birthday gift for a friend of mine. I bought enough fabric to make 4 or 5 (I think), which is good because I've already started making another one for my BFF and one to keep for myself. I got the pattern for him from the Crafty Tardis livejournal community. I'm pretty sure you have to be a member to see the pattern posts, but it's well worth joining if you're interested in this kind of stuff. Next I might make a sonic screwdriver out of Sculpy! Or just buy one from ThinkGeek when they get some back in stock.

Last, but not least, we have The Nerdiest Thing I Have Ever Made. Srsly. I saw this in an episode of Futurama a few years ago and always thought it was a funny/geeky take on the "Home Sweet Home" sampler. My friend Jay recently bought a house, and seeing as we met in a computer class back in 6th or 7th grade, I thought this was pretty much the best housewarming gift I could make for him.

Your turn! Do you have any craft projects you'd like to share or patterns you think I'd like? Post 'em in the comments.

Review: Fables #12: The Dark Ages

2009-08-21T14:20:00.001-04:00

Title: Fables #12: The Dark Ages
Author: Bill Willingham
Illustrators: Mark Buckingham, Peter Gross, Andrew Pepoy, Michael Allred, David Hahn
Genre: Graphic Novel, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Published: August 2009
Collects Issues: 76 - 82
Pages: 192
Rating: 9 / 10
Challenges: Graphic Novels Challenge, A to Z Reading Challenge
Awards: Fables has won 12 Eisner Awards so far

Synopsis (from the back cover):

The great war between Fabletown and the mighty empire of the Adversary is over, and the victorious free Fables have brought their defeated enemy back from the Homelands to join them in exile. Their celebrations, however, are destined to be short-lived. As it turns out, not even beloved storybook heroes can escape the law of unintended consequences. In the post-war chaos of the Adversary's former realm, a terrible force is about to be unleashed - an evil that threatens not just Fabletown but the entire mundane world.

My review: I was a bit worried about how Willingham et al would keep the Fables story going after ending the big bad war in War and Pieces. My fears turned out to be completely unjustified, as this was an amazing (albeit sad) book and perfectly set up the next great arc in the Fables saga.

Fair warning: SPOILERS to follow. I'll try not to give away the big ones, though.

The book opens with Geppetto being escorted around Fabletown by Pinocchio, who's trying to get him adjusted to life after ruling the Empire. Not everyone is happy with the newest Fabletown resident, but I thought it was interesting to hear Geppetto's side of the story. He believed he was acting for the greater good, so sacrificing a few thousand lives was worth it, because in the long run he saved billions, or so he claims... Now that the Fables have taken him out of power, he believes the other worlds will suffer even more.

Geppetto's warnings seem to have merit, though, as back in a recently-freed-from-the-Emperor-land a pair of marauders unknowingly release a very powerful new enemy. This new adversary wants revenge on the Fables for taking away his magic and using it themselves, and he means business. The Fables are forced to evacuate The Woodland and move upstate to the Farm after the magic spells holding their community together begin to crumble. Baba Yaga comes back, and although she didn't get to do much in this book I'm curious to see what havoc she'll wreck in the next one. Even Frau Totenkinder is scared!

The main purpose of this book seemed to be setting up the new big bad and the next event in the Fables series: The Great Fables Crossover (with Jack of Fables, an offshoot of this series that I also really enjoy)*. The other big part of the story was the death of a character (one of my personal favorites) that brought up questions of what happens to the Fables when they die. We've seen some come back (there are always three little pigs, for example, and Snow White managed to survive a gunshot to the head), so I'm hoping this character will reappear at some point, too. But it was still an emotional arc and really made me question just how great a surgeon Dr. Swineheart is. He seemed like a bit of a pompous jerk, actually, but that could've just been me projecting because of the way he was treating said beloved character.

There was also a smaller mini-story that dealt with Mowgli returning to a jungle world with Bigby's brothers that was a bit more light-hearted and I nice diversion from the darkness in the rest of the book. Oh, and Flycatcher's back! That was one of my grumbles with volume 11, so it was nice to have him back...even if he is still clueless about his relationship with Red Riding Hood.

If you've reviewed this book as well, leave a message in the comments and I'll link to your review.

* I read Fables and Jack of Fables in trade format, so I haven't had a chance to read the crossover stuff yet. My friends who have read it were less than thrilled with the resolution, but I'm still looking forward to it. Unfortunately, it won't be out in trade format until NEXT FEBRUARY. Sigh.

Zombie Chicken Award

2009-08-21T11:16:00.003-04:00

The wonderful Care has bestowed upon me the honor of a Zombie Chicken Award. Thanks, Care!

The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken – excellence, grace and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all.

My five worthy bloggers are: Ali at Worducopia, Veens at Giving Reading a Chance, Laza at Gimme More Books!, Staci at Life in the Thumb, and Andi at Tripping Toward Lucidity. These ladies are amazing and if you're not reading them regularly, you should check them out!

Recipe Tuesday: Hot and Sour Soup

2009-08-18T19:19:00.003-04:00

Today's recipe is a bit late (sorry!) and it has WAY more ingredients than I normally bother with, but it is so delicious. Hot and Sour Soup is one of my mom's Chinese restaurant favorites and she asked me to make this for her a few weeks ago. I divided it up into 1-cup servings and froze the soup in individual plastic bowls (saved from Chinese takeaway) so she could pull them out one-at-a-time and heat them up whenever she wanted some.

Ingredients:
* 8 shiitake mushrooms
* 3 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
* 4 oz white mushrooms, cut into 1-inch matchsticks
* 4 oz extra-firm tofu, cut into 1-inch matchsticks
* 1/2 cup canned bamboo shoots, drained and cut into 1-inch matchsticks
* 1/4 cup carrots, cut into 1-inch matchsticks
* 3 Tbs rice vinegar
* 2 Tbs low-sodium soy sauce
* 2 tsp Splenda
* 1/4 tsp black pepper
* 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
* 2 Tbs cornstarch
* 3 Tbs water
* 1 egg white, lightly beaten
* 1 tsp sesame oil

Cut the stems off of the shiitake mushrooms and cut them into thin slices. Put the broth, shiitakes, white mushrooms, tofu, bamboo shoots, and carrots in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the vinegar, soy sauce, Splenda, black pepper, and red pepper. Cook for another minute. In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch into the water and add this mixture to the soup. Stir constantly until the soup begins to thicken. While stirring, slowly add the egg white to the soup and cook until the egg turns white. Remove the saucepan from heat and add in the sesame oil. Serve and enjoy!

Die, spam bots!

2009-08-11T12:58:00.004-04:00

Sigh. I've dealt with the occasional comment spam every once in a while since I started posting here. But I just got hit again, and I'm sick of going through old posts and deleting them. So I've decided to turn on word verification. Sorry for any annoyance/inconvenience, but this will keep me from going crazy. Hopefully!

Recipe Tuesday: Basil Peach Sangria

2009-08-11T12:00:00.001-04:00

The diet's done - time to celebrate with a drink! This is a recipe modified from Not Martha and Epicurious.

Ingredients:
1 cup basil, plus a few sprigs for garnish
juice of one lemon
1/4 cup sugar
3 cans peach nectar
1 bottle dry white wine
2 peaches, chopped
ginger ale

Put the 1 cup basil, lemon juice, and sugar in a saucepan. Bruise the leaves by pressing on them with a wooden spoon. Add two cans of the peach nectar and simmer until the sugar is dissolved. Strain the mixture into a heat-proof container and discard the leaves. After it cools, add in the remaining can of nectar, wine, chopped peaches, and basil sprigs. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least an hour. Serve over ice. I cut it with ginger ale to help counter the syrupy-ness, but you can drink it by itself as well. Yum!

#gameondiet Challenge Wrap-Up

2009-08-11T07:36:00.003-04:00

Today was the final weigh-in for my Game On! diet, and all I can say is, "Thank God!" I enjoyed playing this game. It was definitely a challenge, and definitely different from every other diet I've tried. I only ended up losing about 5 pounds, but I hope I've made some lifestyle changes that will enable me to lose more.

Things I liked about the challenge:
* Drinking lots of water. This was an easy part of the challenge; I normally drink unsweetened tea or water anyway. I never felt bloated or thirsty (except maybe after exercising) and my skin has really improved over the past month. I don't know if that's because of the water or not, but it certainly didn't hurt.
* Eating smaller meals throughout the day. I wasn't hungry all the time, because I felt like I was constantly eating! But I also ate less at each meal, so I didn't end up feeling full and lazy for a few hours.
* The good habit/bad habit changes. The good habits I decided to pick up were flossing every day and taking my vitamins. I did two, because these were things I really knew I needed to do. I don't eat red meat, so I took an iron supplement in addition to my women's multi-vitamin. Hopefully this has helped with my anemia. And for the bad habit, I stopped going to fast food restaurants. I have no idea how much money this saved me, but I can bet it's a lot!
* Doing the challenge with a friend. Having Brandi around really helped - we walked together in the mornings and commiserated over our wonky food plans daily. I probably didn't need the excuse to talk to her, but it was nice to have someone to talk to about the diet and my frustrations.

Things I didn't like:
* Drinking lots of water. Yeah, it's a double-edged sword. Drinking all the water also meant that I had to, um, get rid of it as well. I can't tell you how many times I woke up in the middle of the night to stumble to the bathroom.
* Eating smaller meals throughout the day. This was another good/bad aspect - I felt like I was constantly eating, which meant that I sometimes had to eat even when I wasn't really hungry. Plus, it was kind of a pain to plan my life around food.
* Eating protein at every meal. I'm a vegetarian, so this meant I was eating a lot of soy, cheese, and fish. Not terrible, but sometimes I just wanted a little variety. I did discover a love for Greek yogurt, though, which counted as a protein and served as a base for many a smoothie. So this wasn't all bad.
* Fresh fruits and vegetables. Let me explain: I have nothing against them, per se. I love fresh fruits and vegetables! But buying them all the time got really expensive (and probably canceled out whatever money I was saving by not eating fast food). Plus, they went bad really fast. I bought a couple of peaches one week and had finished all but one when I went to Atlanta for a few days. I put it in one of those Debbie Meyers Green Bags (which usually work), but when I came home it had molded and I was suffering from an infestation of fruit flies. Gross.* Not entirely the diet's fault, but it's something I associate with it nonetheless.
* The alcohol penalty. Oh, man. This one was huge for me. If you didn't lose 1% of your weight one week, you lost alcohol privileges for the rest of the game. I lost them after the first week, and it really sucked. I'm not an alcoholic or anything, but I do spend a far amount of time socializing in bars with my friends and I enjoy an occasional glass of wine with my dinner. This penalty made me miserable, and I really don't think it helped that much because after that first week with no alcohol I didn't have any significant weight loss. Le sigh.

So, will I be doing this again? Eh, we'll see. I'm definitely going to keep up with the daily exercise (Brandi and I walk three miles almost every morning!) and the good habits. I've learned to read my body a bit better, so I'll probably continue to eat smaller meals throughout the day to keep myself from feeling hungry and deprived. I have a permanent place in my fridge for Greek yogurt (those smoothies make a great quick, easy meal!). I think the biggest thing I learned is moderation. Today, for instance, I know I'm going to be having a big dinner (with beer!), so I'm going to eat less for the rest of the day. Brandi and I talked about recruiting some more teachers into our next challenge, but I'm going to wait and see what our schedules are like when the school year starts.

Oh, and I totally kicked Brandi's ass at this thing. :) We had a lot riding on it - a car wash, morning duty (teachers are assigned an area of the school to patrol every month), balloons, a trophy, flowers, and a haiku written in the winner's honor - so I'm super-psyched. I would've enjoyed a bit more weight loss, but now that I've started I'm pretty sure I can continue losing even without the challenge. :)

* If you ever have to deal with these annoying little pests, here's what you do: roll a piece of paper into a cone shape, tape it together, and snip off the tip so you have a funnel. Put some cider or balsamic vinegar in a glass, and tape the funnel (cone side down) onto the rim. Make sure the tip of the funnel doesn't touch the vinegar, and make sure there are no gaps between the rim of the glass and the paper. The fruit flies will fly down the funnel to get to the vinegar, but they won't be able to fly out again! When I first read this (after Googling "getting rid of fruit flies"), I was like, "Yeah, right! How stupid are fruit flies? Do they not know how to fly back out through the hole in the funnel?" The answers are: "Very, apparently," and "Nope!" You have to make sure you toss the vinegar and paper funnel daily, though, because they will lay eggs and you don't want to have to deal with even more of the little suckers. The good news is, fruit flies only have a ten day lifespan, so you shouldn't have to deal with them for too long. *Cue "The More You Know" music*

A Prayer for #owenmeany Discussion Post

2009-07-31T14:16:00.004-04:00

So, chapter six. How's everyone liking the book so far? I really got into this one. I tried to make notes as I was reading, and I'll attempt to make sense of them now. Some are just thoughts, some are observations, and some are questions I had while I was reading. Feel free to comment below!

First thoughts: when I went searching for images, I found the three covers pictured above. My book has the third cover (with the dressmaker's dummy), but I thought it was really interesting that all three highlight a different theme or motif from the novel. Which cover do you have? Do you have a preference? It seemed like the armadillo and the idea of being armless weren't mentioned in the chapter, but it's possible I missed it. They did talk a lot more about the quarry and Owen's visions of his own grave marker.

One of the biggest themes from this chapter (at least, the one that spoke to me the most as a teacher) was education. Harriet Wheelwright has some very decided views of reading and writing:

She was a passionate reader, and she thought that reading was one of the noblest efforts of all; in contrast, she found writing to be a great waste of time -- a childish self-indulgence, even messier than finger-painting -- but she admired reading, which she believed was an unselfish activity that provided information and inspiration. She must have thought it a pity that some poor fools had to waste their lives writing in order for us to have sufficient reading material. (261)

I find it interesting to read about reading and writing. It's very meta for a character in a book (a narrator, no less!) to be pondering the importance - the worthiness - of reading and writing. It's not a major idea in this chapter, but as a reader it struck me, especially when compared to Harriet's almost-immediate love for television. Any thoughts?

Back to the education theme. Noah and Simon are being "saved" by being shipped off to Gravesend Academy, while poor Hester is sent to public school: "The idea that she was not in need of rescuing would surely have insulted her; and the notion that my aunt and uncle might have considered her beyond saving would have hurt her in another way" (269). Up until now, everything we've heard about Hester has been hearsay (from her brothers) or through Johnny's perspective (which we know is skewed, at least as regards Hester). Is she really that bad? It seems to me that she would have gotten a lot more out of a private school education than her brothers did - look how hard she worked to move up a grade, just to prove herself. And what really happened with that boatman in the Caribbean? For that matter, what really happened with Owen after the dance? Given all the religious symbolism, I'm inclined to view her as a sympathetic Magdalene figure, but I haven't read ahead so that may not be the case.

Other things I found interesting:

* Owen's continued anti-Catholicism: fearing the nuns, finding them "unnatural" and calling them "penguins;" using The Voice to change the school's fish on Fridays policy; his contempt for Catholic iconography and relics (while at the same time collecting "relics" of his own - the dummy, the armadillo claws, etc)

* The search for Johnny's father - any guesses as to who he might be? Will Johnny ever find out?

* The relationship between Owen and Harriet - they bond over LIBERACE (?!) and she takes on Tabby's role by getting him properly attired for the Academy

* Owen as a teacher - he stays back a year to help Johnny with his school work and even helps him learn to enjoy reading. He also calls being an English major "easy" (it is!) and I'm assuming that's what helped Johnny decide to become an English teacher.

* When Johnny talks about teaching, he mentions Thomas Hardy. Owen says that Hardy tells you everything you need to know: Tess is doomed, fate is against her. Johnny also talks about foreshadowing re: Hardy and we've seen it used a few times in the book so far. Owen says, "After I'm gone" (319), and when Johnny thinks about him in Canada, it's in past tense. So, I'm assuming something happens to Owen (he did see his own headstone, after all) and have pretty much resigned myself to bawling my eyes out by the end of this book. Anyone else?

* The idea of Owen as a prophet - he had that vision at the Christmas play, he knows that the new headmaster is going to be making big changes - is Owen just really intuitive, or is it something more?

* Owen as the Big Man on Campus - he's the one getting dates (but he'll only double, so you'd better bring a friend for Johnny!), he's influencing the hiring decisions at the Academy through The Voice, and he's not afraid to bite a big dude's toes off in a fight. Oh, and he'll sell you a fake draft card so you can buy beer. Does anyone else find this Owen strange and intimidating?

Anything I forgot? Mention it below! Let's get this discussion goin'!

Recipe Tuesday: Tomato Peach Salad

2009-07-28T12:05:00.003-04:00

Today's recipe is one of my new favorite things to fix for a quick and easy snack. Plus: it's okay for the Game On! diet. I think...

Ingredients:
2 small Roma tomatoes
1 peach
small chunk of mozzarella (I use a boccancini ball)
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp olive oil
1 Tbsp mint, chopped
salt and pepper

Chop up the tomatoes, peach, and mozzarella and combine in a bowl. Drizzle with the lime juice and olive oil. Top with the chopped mint and salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy! I've also made it with plums, and it works just as well. It sounds strange, but tastes amazing.

Lots o' Links: Comic-Con Wrap-Up Edition

2009-07-26T20:39:00.005-04:00

I had so much fun putting together last week's Blog Post BINGO post that I've decided to do it again! This time, it's a collection of links I've been reading about Comic-Con 2009. I couldn't go, so I'm living through the lucky thousands that did.

* First up, the trailer for the new Alice in Wonderland. It's not coming out 'til next year, but I cannot wait:

Alice in Wonderland (2010) at IGN.com

(via BWE)

* SCI FI Wire has a recap of the Chuck panel. And Jeffster performed!

* Scott Allie discusses the future of Dark Horse Comics. The highlights? More Joss Whedon comics! Including a Dr. Horrible one-shot, a Serenity mini-series focusing on Shepherd Book, a Serenity one-shot written by Patton Oswalt, and a Guild comic written by Felicia Day. Yay!

* I'm not sure how I feel about this movie, but here's three clips from the upcoming The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus:

(via Wired)

* Also from Wired, my girl crush Kristen Bell talks about her role in Astro Boy.

* BoingBoing Gadgets has photos of various toys for sale. There are a bunch in this Flickr pool, too.

* And finally, The Park Bench has a recap of the event from a first-timer: Preview Night, Day One, Day Two, Day Three (make sure you check out the video she links to in that one, especially if you're a Doctor Who/Torchwood fan...rowr), and Day Four

I really want to go next year. Who's coming with me? :)

BIP Blog Post BINGO: The links post

2009-07-22T08:00:00.002-04:00

This week's challenge for the Blog Improvement Project is another blog post BINGO challenge. I'm not going to get to all 12 of them, but I'm certainly trying. Number one is a link post, so here are a bunch of random things I've found recently that are too wonderful not to share.

* Did you know that the Vatican's newspaper does movie reviews? Even better: they actually liked the new Harry Potter!

* Speaking of Harry, here's an adorable video of Japan's #1 HP fan meeting Daniel Radcliffe:

(via Gawker)

* Anyone else excited about Rock Band: The Beatles? Joystiq has the song list and a video to whet your appetite. (via my friend Luke)

* Star Wars: Uncut is Star Wars, broken down into 15 sec. segments, reshot by fans, and put back together again.

* Weezer goes 8-bit! (via BoingBoing)

* From the "Things That Make Me Go, 'Awww!'" file: an article about a Woodstock couple still together after 40 years. (also via BoingBoing)

* The (new) Doctor in costume. I gotta say, I love the bowtie! I wonder how many of these will show up at Dragon*Con this year...?

* For my fellow Game On! dieters: four myths about staying hydrated.

* After this past Peachtree Road Race, I'm thinking about joining the Atlanta Track Club to help me get serious about running. I don't know if I'll ever work my way up to "marathoner," but here's a list of 11 celebrity marathon runners to help me get motivated.

* If I ever have to get married, I only ask three things: play the Pixies' "Where Is My Mind?" as I'm walking down the aisle, let me have a karaoke machine at my reception, and please, for the love of God, would someone help me make a wedding video as awesome as this one?!:

Brian & Eileen's Wedding Music Video. from LOCKDOWN projects on Vimeo.

(via i am bored)

* Any other Firefly fans out there? Check out The Browncoats - "The Hero of Canton" does surprisingly well as a pop/punk song.

* There was a bit of a kerfluffle this week when Kindle owners realized that Amazon had deleted their copies of 1984. Here's how to read it anyway.

* Because mocking the Twilight movie never gets old: "Twilight," in a Nutshell.

* And just to bring this full circle, Jimmy Fallon had some clips of DRad and RPatz's YouTube spat:

Music Munday: Mashups!

2009-07-20T14:05:00.000-04:00

So...I was debating what to write about for today's Music Munday, and this video showed up in my Google Reader:

Yep, that's Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" and Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - two great tastes that taste crazy awesome together! I've been interested in mashups since college, when we all sat around the common room watching Dark Side of Oz (that's The Wizard of Oz on mute and Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon," for the uninitiated - and yes, they do sync up rather well). So for today's Music Munday, I'm presenting a few videos of my favorite mashed-up songs for your listening and viewing pleasure. FYI: these videos are uncensored, just in case you're reading this at work or around small children.

First up, a recent classic: The Beatles' "White Album" + Jay-Z's "Black Album" = DJ Danger Mouse's "Grey Album"

If you're heard of mashups at all, it's probably because of "The Grey Album." DJ Danger Mouse actually had some legal problems (99 of them? Gah, sorry, that was bad...) when he first released it online, but luckily he prevailed and it's still available here. You will need bittorent software to download it. I highly recommend it, especially if you're a Beatles or Jay-Z fan.

Next: Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" + 50 Cent's "Wanksta" = The Silence Xperiment's "Bohemian Wanksta"

I discovered this mashup a few years ago, and I love it! "Q-Unit's Greatest Hits" are available to listen to/download here. My favorite is "We Will Rock You in the Club," but I couldn't find a video for it.

Here's a few from the same DJ:

Rhianna's "Umbrella" + General Public's "Tenderness" = Party Ben's "Tender Umbrella"

Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars" + The Police's "Every Step You Take" = Party Ben's "Every Car You Chase"

Oasis' "Wonderwall" + Green Day's "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" + Kanye West's "Flashing Lights" = Party Ben's "Boulevard of Flashing Lights"

You can get more info and download tracks (seriously, there are dozens, and they're all pretty awesome) at Party Ben's website.

So, what do you think? If you were going to create your own mashup, what songs/artists would you use? Do you have a favorite mashup that you think I'd enjoy? Let me know!

Music Mundays are hosted by Chris. You can learn more about them here.

Mini-Review: Colonel Brandon's Diary

2009-07-17T17:01:00.003-04:00

I wasn't going to buy any new books (packing up two bookcases + random piles that no longer fit onto the shelves will do it to you), but I saw this in a bookstore last weekend and couldn't resist. I loved Amanda Grange's other Austen retells (Mr. Darcy's Diary, Mr. Knightley's Diary, Captain Wentworth's Diary, and - coming soon to my bookshelves, no doubt - Edmund Bertram's Diary), and Colonel Brandon's Diary was no exception. I'm glad she chose to write from Colonel Brandon's point-of-view, rather than Edward's, because 1) I think Brandon's back story is more interesting, and 2) I really, really enjoyed picturing Alan Rickman as Brandon while I was reading it. (Yes, yes, I know: "He's too old to be Brandon!" I don't care. It's ALAN RICKMAN.)

The story begins when Brandon is a student at Oxford; he reveals his feelings for Eliza, their plans to elope, and the tragic end to their affair. It also covers Brandon's time in India and his military (naval?) career, his relationship with Eliza's daughter (also called Eliza), his friendship with Sir John, and his eventual introduction to the Dashwoods, culminating in the requisite happy ending. I liked the first half of the novel more than the second, I think. It's nice to read such a fleshed-out story about a situation that was mentioned briefly in Sense and Sensibility - it's very similar to what Grange was able to do with the Wentworth/Anne backstory in her retelling of Persuasion. It also sets Brandon up as a big ol' romantic, something that helps make his attention to Marianne more realistic. That's the main reason I really enjoyed this book: the idea of impulsive, wild Marianne settling down with prim and proper Brandon always seemed a bit strange to me. Some of their interaction in the back half of the novel seems a bit off (a sure sign it's time for a re-read of S&S), and Grange's characterization of Brandon (a reciter of poetry and part-time matchmaker!) is...maybe not exactly how I pictured him, but it works.

Waiting On Wednesday: Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters

2009-07-15T12:15:00.003-04:00

I've never done a "Waiting On..." post before, but when I checked my Google Reader this morning (okay - afternoon...I saw The Half-Blood Prince at midnight last night and needed to sleep in to get my seven hours) I found a bunch of posts about a sequel to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which I loved.

Are you ready for this?

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters! Heck yes. Although I think Persuasion would've been a better choice for sea monsters (Captain Wentworth, the Lyme Regis trip), I can't wait to read this book.

There's an official book trailer, too:

September 15th can't come fast enough!

Recipe Tuesday: Grilled Asparagus

2009-07-14T10:27:00.003-04:00

I started the Game On! diet this morning, so I've been thinking about foods I should and shouldn't be eating. Luckily, one of my favorites, asparagus, is an unlimited green on the food plan, which means I can eat as much of it as I want (but only during meals; otherwise, it's a snacking penalty!). I've experimented with different ways to cook asparagus, and this is one of my favorites.

Ingredients:
1 lb asparagus
2 - 3 Tbs olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
2 - 3 Tbs chopped fresh dill
salt and pepper (optional)

You will also need a plastic baggie (gallon size, with a zip-top), a vegetable peeler, and a grill pan or tabletop grill.

Preheat the grill or grill pan. Rinse the asparagus, and chop off the bottom 1.5 - 2 inches. I usually do the whole bunch at once, if I can. Next, use the vegetable peeler to scrape off the stringy outer layer, leaving the tufty dark green stuff at the top of each spear. Yes, this is time consuming, but it makes a world of difference when you're not picking asparagus bits out of your teeth at the end of the meal. If your shoots are especially skinny, you could probably skip this part if you want. Next, put the asparagus spears in the plastic baggie and add the oil, chopped dill, and lemon juice (salt and pepper, too, if you want). Shake or roll the asparagus to get them fully covered with the oil mixture. Grill the asparagus spears (not in the baggie!) for about five minutes on each side.

Music Munday: Jack Johnson

2009-07-13T20:54:00.004-04:00

Does anyone else have certain bands or songs that they tend to listen to only during a special part of the year? My big thing is "summer music." I have several bands that I listen to during the cold, rainy months whenever I want to be reminded about the long, hot days of Summer. These also tend to be the bands that fill my iPod during trips to the beach.

I'm about halfway through my summer vacation (yay, teaching!), so for today's Music Munday, I'm going to talk about one of my favorite "summer music" artists, Jack Johnson. I first heard his music when I was in college; I was chilling at Lakeside, having breakfast, when this music video ("Flake") came on:

For me, it was love at first listen. I'm a sucker for acoustic guitars! I went out and bought his first CD, Brushfire Fairytales, which was full of beautiful melodies and oceanic imagery (probably a result of his surfer-boy Hawaiian upbringing).

This video for "Taylor," starring Ben Stiller, always cracks me up:

There's a better quality video here, but I couldn't imbed it.

This next video is my favorite song off that first album, along with a little explanation from Jack at the beginning:

For the record, I love the "la-da-da-da-da-das."

And finally, those of you with small-ish children right remember Jack's music from the soundtrack to the Curious George movie that came out a few years ago:

How cute is that? :) Jack Johnson has five CDs out now: Brushfire Fairytales, On and On, In Between Dreams, Sleep Through the Static, and Sleep Through the Static: Remixed, in addition to the Curious George soundtrack. All are great for chillaxin' by the pool or at the beach...which is exactly where I'll be listening to them in about a week in a half.

Music Mundays are hosted by Chris. You can learn more about them here.

Playing the game #gameondiet

2009-07-13T09:13:00.004-04:00

After following @BethFishReads's, @toofondofbooks's, @myfriendamy's, and @fizzythoughts's progress in The Game On! diet, I decided to take the plunge and start a competition of my own. I bought a copy of the book yesterday and talked my friend/co-worker, Brandi, into doing a one-on-one game. We're going shopping for supplies today and then tomorrow, it's on!

I also picked up a copy of My Weight Loss Coach for my Nintendo DS; between that and my WiiFit, I'll be gamer-girl geeking my way to the top of this competition. I'm not going to review The Game On! Diet book; both Beth F and Dawn (and Amy and softdrink) have done a great job of that already. You can check it out online here if you're interested.

Brandi and I have already decided that if this four weeks goes well, we'll try to recruit some more teachers once school starts back up and get a bigger competition going. Wish us luck!

There and back again, Part One

2009-06-22T10:09:00.001-04:00

I've been home from New York for a few days now, but I'm still trying to adjust. The difference in weather is tremendous - I loved the rainy, cooler weather of NYC and now the heat and humidity of GA is really getting to me. Plus, I have a little over a week to move out of my apartment. The woman who bought it actually harassed my parents while I was away in an attempt to get me out sooner. She also called my roommate (at work!) and told the landlord that she wanted to bring in some contractors to replace the carpet, linoleum, and cabinets, so we needed to get out before the 30th. We finally had to threaten to sic the sheriff on her, and that seems to have done the trick. So it's been an interesting few days...

As far as the trip goes, oh, man, was it amazing!

Day One
I went to NYC with my friend Casey. She had never been to the city before, and had never flown on a plane, so this was a very exciting trip for her! We stayed at my sister's house Wednesday night, and she agreed to drive us to Hartsfield/Jackson in the morning. Our flight was scheduled for 11:40am. Not knowing what the traffic would be like, we left around 8. And then promptly turned around and went back, because I had left our plane ticket/shuttle bus/hotel information at the house. There was little traffic in Atlanta (a shock in and of itself), so we actually made it to the airport in record time. Add in the fact that our flight was delayed due to thunderstorms at Laguardia, and we had roughly three hours to kill before takeoff. Yikes.

The flight went well; it was a little bumpy due to the storms, but nothing too bad. And then, we took a shuttle to the hotel. It was pretty much the scariest ride I've ever been on. Seriously, this guy apparently thought that traffic lights, lanes, and speed limits were just guidelines - we almost hit pedestrians several times, and I was terrified that we would end up in the hospital before we ever saw any sights.

We eventually arrived safe and sound. Casey and I were the last ones dropped off, because we elected to stay in the quieter financial district, rather than in Midtown. Our hotel, Club Quarters Downtown, was just amazing. The people were friendly, the rooms were nice, it was right next to a Subway station (the 2/3, which was really convenient), and there was a refillable water bottle station on almost every floor. We unpacked, and then set off to see the city.

Our first stop was Times Square, because it was really easy to get to on the Subway and we were hungry! The rain had pretty much stopped by then, but it was really foggy:

We ended up eating at Red Lobster, because it was the first restaurant we came to. After walking around for a bit (and buying hoodies emblazoned with "New York," because we were cold and really wanted to look like tourists), we made our way over to Kabin in the East Village to see the anniversary show for Comedy as a Second Language. To be honest, we only went because one of my favorite comedians, Max Silvestri, had e-mailed me to say that he would be there. But it was a great show! We ended up staying for about three hours, drinking $2 PBRs and laughing our asses off. Of course, then we were stuck trying to find our way back to the hotel at 2 am. Drunk and lost in a strange city in the middle of the night - what a way to start a vacation!

Day Two
We didn't set the alarm when we got back to the hotel, so we ended up oversleeping on Friday. Big surprise there, I'm sure. We got up and made our way over to Brooklyn, stopping at a comic book store (natch) before hitting up Mezcal's for brunch. I really don't understand the negative reviews on Yelp!, because they had the most amazing sangria and cerritos. Yum! Next came one of the things I was most looking forward to on this trip:

THE BROOKLYN SUPERHERO SUPPLY COMPANY!

Seriously, this was one of the funnest places we found. They sell "real" superhero supplies - costumes, disguises, anti-gravity devices, invisibility detector goggles, and, of course, capes:

(that's Casey - on the left - and me doing our "fighting for justice" stance)

This place is awesome. And all of the profit goes to 826NYC, an organization dedicated to helping students improve their writing skills. How could I not spend tons of time and money in this place?!

After getting our fill of Brooklyn, we went back to the hotel to change. Dinner was at Sardi's, the one restaurant Casey really wanted to go to. It's a bit expensive, but it's also a landmark, so it was fun to eat there. We made reservations, but didn't really need them as we got there before the big dinner rush. Which gave us plenty of time to eat and then head down to Christopher Street and...

THE CORALINE MUSICAL!

This show was the impetus for this whole trip, so I was really looking forward to it. Our tickets were great: second row, center. Casey hadn't read the book, but she had seen the movie, so I had to explain that it would probably be a little different. No Wybie, for example, which surprised her. The show was excellent! I was a little taken aback at having Jane Houdyshell play Coraline, but she was wonderful in the role. She does "bored tween" very well. Julian Fleisher was amazing as The Cat, and the music was great! I loved the toy pianos and the creepy vibe they helped create. My only complaint: it wasn't scary. It was more funny, or campy. Which is fine, I was just expecting it to be, I dunno, more intense than it was. But overall I really enjoyed it, and I wish I could get the soundtrack.

Aaaaaand I think this has gone on long enough for now. I actually started writing at 8:15, which...yikes. It took me way too long to upload pictures and find links. I'll post more about the trip throughout the week. There are a few more photos on my Flickr page (more coming when I get paid and can upgrade to a Pro account).

New York, New York!

2009-06-09T12:45:00.002-04:00

Sorry, no Recipe Tuesday for today. The blog's going to be a bit quiet for the next week or so. I'm currently packing for my trip! Casey and I are going to Atlanta tomorrow morning; my sister and brother-in-law are letting us stay with them, and my sister's taking us to the airport Thursday morning. I'm taking my camera (of course!), but not my laptop, so I won't be updating. I will, however, be twitting my way through the Big Apple, so if you want to get a condensed version of my trip you can follow me there. I'll even be posting pictures!

A big update and more book reviews when I get back. :)

Music Munday: A Cappella

2009-06-08T18:44:00.004-04:00

Like many other young adults, my first exposure to a cappella came in the form of Rockapella on the TV show "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" The theme song was (and still is) completely addictive, and I admired the music they were able to make just using their voices, but it wasn't enough at the time to really pique my interest in a cappella itself.

Flash-forward several years. When I was in college, I met a fellow RA (who's name I've completely forgotten now) who was always playing a cappella music in her car. I asked her about it one day, and discovered that all the songs I had been hearing were actually the same group, Straight No Chaser. My favorite of their performances is "Africa":

The group Straight No Chaser was formed at Indiana University (the RA who introduced me to them went there for her undergrad; that's how she had heard of them). As it turns out, college a cappella is a big deal. I've found dozens of other groups through sites like last.fm. There's even a group at nearby UGA! I haven't seen them perform (yet), but I'm keeping my ears open. One group I've found and really enjoyed is TakeNote, a female group from Clemson University. Do yourself a favor and listen to their cover of "Hallelujah" on their MySpace page. With apologies to Leonard Cohen, it's one of the most amazing things I've ever heard. (You can also download it here)

And here's one last video, the Tufts Beelzebubs singing "Umbrella":

Just cause I love the arrangement. And that it's an all-male group singing a song popularized by a female singer.

And no, I'm not going to mention Glee. As much as I loved that show (hint: it's a lot), it's not a cappella. But it is awesome, and if you haven't seen the show yet you should really get on over to hulu.

Music Mundays are hosted by Chris. You can learn more about them here.

48 Hour Book Challenge: Update Seven

2009-06-08T03:20:00.002-04:00

Time spent reading: 31 hours
Books read: 8-ish
Under the Tuscan Sun (only had a few chapters to go when I started the challenge)
ttfn
l8r, g8r
V for Vendetta
Thursday Next: First Among Sequels
MAX: A Maximum Ride Novel (My one audiobook - and it turns out I had only downloaded part of it. Oh, well!)
The Sandman: The Doll's House
The Sandman: Dream Country

This, I fear, is the end for me. I'm dead tired (probably didn't help that I've been reading all about Dream, eh?) and I have to get up in the morning to a) organize Girl Scout cookie incentive prizes (which were delivered while I was on vacation) and b) meet with a mortgage lender about financing for my house. It's official: I will be a zombie for a good portion of tomorrow. Thanks to Mother Reader for hosting this challenge - I had a lot of fun, I got a lot of reading done, and I'm way too overjoyed at the four reviews I managed to get posted. I should do this every weekend! Or not...

To those of you still going strong, keep at it! Happy Reading! :)

Review: The Sandman #3: Dream Country

2009-06-08T02:17:00.005-04:00

Title: The Sandman #3: Dream Country
Author: Neil Gaiman
Illustrators: Kelley Jones, Charles Vess, Colleen Doran, Malcolm Jones III
Genre: Graphic Novel, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Published: September 1991
Collects Issues: 17 - 20
Pages: 160
Rating: 8 / 10
Challenges: Graphic Novels Challenge, A to Z Reading Challenge, 48 Hour Book Challenge, Dream King Challenge

Synopsis (from the back cover):

The Sandman is the most acclaimed and award-winning comics series of the 1990s for good reason: a smart and deeply brooding epic, elegantly penned by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by a rotating cast of comics' most sought-after artists, it is a rich blend of modern myth and dark fantasy in which contemporary fiction, historical drama, and legend are seamlessly interwoven. The saga of The Sandman encompasses a series of tales unique in graphic literature and is a story you will never forget.

Four chilling and entertaining episodes make up the tapestry that is Dream Country: the World Fantasy Award-winning tale of the first performance of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream; the story of Calliope, a beautiful muse enslaved by a novelist to feed his need for material; a cat's-eye view of the tyranny of mankind; and the final memoir of an immortal, indestructible woman who only wants to die.

My review: Dream Country is way different from The Doll's House. Rather than picking up where the second book left off (which is what I expected), this book contains four stand alone stories featuring Morpheus. Well, three that feature Morpheus and one that features Death. Not that I'm complaining; Death is my favorite Endless, so I was glad she showed back up again, even if I'm not well-versed enough in superhero comicbookland to know who (SPOILER) Element Girl is. Her vignette, "Facade," was sad even without that previous emotional connection. I actually own the single issue "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and had already read that story. It makes a lot more sense being reread now, especially after reading The Doll's House. The other two stories are equally interesting, and both deal with the evilness of men. "A Dream of a Thousand Cats" is great because it's just so different; how many comic books do you know are told from the point of view of a cat? And as for "Calliope," well...it was twisted and creepy, but still amazing.

My only complaints: the book was way too short (only four issues, although my TP did include the annotated script for "Calliope," which was fun to read) and it took the focus away from the main conflict. So now I have to get a copy of Season of Mists to satisfy my curiosity.

Cross-posted to the Graphic Novels Challenge and The Dream King Challenge blogs.

If you've reviewed this book as well, leave a message in the comments and I'll link to your review.

48 Hour Book Challenge: Update Six

2009-06-08T01:02:00.003-04:00

Time spent reading: 28.5 hours
Books read: 7-ish
Under the Tuscan Sun (only had a few chapters to go when I started the challenge)
ttfn
l8r, g8r
V for Vendetta
Thursday Next: First Among Sequels
MAX: A Maximum Ride Novel (My one audiobook - and it turns out I had only downloaded part of it. Oh, well!)
The Sandman: The Doll's House

Man, I lost almost six hours of reading time going over to my parents'. OF COURSE the Tonys were on. And it's not like you can leave in the middle, you know? I'm glad I watched the whole thing, because it's gotten me really excited about my NYC trip (leaving this Thursday!), and because I got to see that performance by the cast of Hair (which totally cracked me up), and also because those three boys winning best actor for Billy Elliot was freakin' adorable. Oh, and NPH was awesome, as always. His little "btw" cell-phone rant gave me Dr. Horrible nostalgia - fingers crossed for the sequel!

Moving on...my goal for this challenge is now to break the 30 hour mark, which I'm pretty close to doing anyway. I've read quite a few books and even written three reviews, which is really good for me (if the huge stack of books in my to-be-reviewed pile is any indication). I'm probably going to call it a night after reading Dream Country. Hopefully not during, but we'll see.

Happy reading!

Review: The Sandman #2: The Doll's House

2009-06-08T00:12:00.004-04:00

Title: The Sandman #2: The Doll's House
Author: Neil Gaiman
Illustrators: Mike Dringenberg, Malcolm Jones III, Chris Bachalo, Michael Zulli, Steve Parkhouse
Genre: Graphic Novel, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Published: September 1991
Collects Issues: 9 - 16
Pages: 240
Rating: 9 / 10
Challenges: Graphic Novels Challenge, A to Z Reading Challenge, 48 Hour Book Challenge, Dream King Challenge

Synopsis (from the back cover):

The Sandman is the most acclaimed and award-winning comics series of the 1990s for good reason: a smart and deeply brooding epic, elegantly penned by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by a rotating cast of comics' most sought-after artists, it is a rich blend of modern myth and dark fantasy in which contemporary fiction, historical drama, and legend are seamlessly interwoven. The saga of The Sandman encompasses a series of tales unique in graphic literature and is a story you will never forget.

In The Doll's House, Rose Walker finds more than she bargained for - long lost relatives, a serial killers' convention, and, ultimately, her true identity. The Master of Dreams attempts to unravel the mystery, unaware that the hand of another, far closer to home, is pulling the strings.

My review: Once again, I'm kicking myself for not having read this before. I mean, I call myself a Gaiman fan, and yet I've never read The Sandman series? What's wrong with me?!

This book picks up where the first one left off - Morpheus has recently regained control of his kingdom and is still looking to set things aright. Namely, finding some bad guys who disappeared while he was imprisoned. He's joined in this jaunt by his servant/pet raven, Matthew. So how does Rose Walker figure into this? Well, she's trying to find her little brother, who has inadvertently crossed paths with three of the aforementioned baddies. That's not the only reason she's so important to Morpheus, though...but I'm telling you the other reason, because that would just spoil the book for you. And it's way too good for me to do that.

I loved the minor characters in this one - Gilbert, Barbie and Ken (hee), Hal the cross-dressing landlord, the spider sisters...the people Rose meets while searching for her brother are all unique. I also really enjoyed the one-shot story, "Men of Good Fortune," about a man who simply chooses not to die. Instead, he and Morpheus agree to meet every one hundred years, just in case he changes his mind. It's quite an interesting idea: given the choice, would you want to live forever? Robert Gadling, the character in question, never ages, but he has to watch everyone he loves grow old and die. He certainly seems to think it's better than the alternative, but I'm not so sure. Another aspect of that particular issue that I liked was the way Morpheus viewed Robert, eventually thinking of him as a friend. To me, that really helped humanize Morpheus, which was nice.

All in all, an excellent book. Much easier to understand than Preludes & Nocturnes; I found "the story so far" bit at the beginning very helpful. Off to start the third book in a bit...I'm looking forward to this, as the events in The Doll's House seem to indicate that some serious intra-Endless fighting is on the horizon. I just hope Delirium pops up soon.

Cross-posted to the Graphic Novels Challenge and The Dream King Challenge blogs.

If you've reviewed this book as well, leave a message in the comments and I'll link to your review.

48 Hour Book Challenge: Update Five

2009-06-07T16:59:00.002-04:00

Time spent reading: 27 hours
Books read: 6-ish
Under the Tuscan Sun (only had a few chapters to go when I started the challenge)
ttfn
l8r, g8r
V for Vendetta
Thursday Next: First Among Sequels
MAX: A Maximum Ride Novel (My one audiobook - and it turns out I had only downloaded part of it. Oh, well!)
The Sandman: The Doll's House (so close to being finished!)

I only have two chapters left in The Doll's House, but Mom just called to remind that it's Sunday, which is our family dinner night. Also that she needed me to stop by the store and pick up some groceries for her on my way over. We're making Italian, so at least I'll have good food in my belly when I get back to reading.

48 Hour Book Challenge: Update Four

2009-06-07T13:10:00.003-04:00

Time spent reading: 24 hours
Books read: 5
Under the Tuscan Sun (only had a few chapters to go when I started the challenge)
ttfn
l8r, g8r
V for Vendetta
Thursday Next: First Among Sequels

I haven't been reading blogs much, but I have been twittering a lot more than normal. Up next: a shower (while listening to a random James Patterson novel I somehow downloaded onto iTunes), and then another graphic novel, I think.

Mini-Review: Thursday Next: First Among Sequels

2009-06-07T12:46:00.003-04:00

Jasper Fforde's novels are what I like to refer to as "English major porn." First Among Sequels carries on in this tradition, but it also has plenty of meta-humor, time-travel conundrums, and just plan fun. Thursday has a job working as the celebrity spokeswoman/installer for a carpet and flooring company, which is really a cover for the disbanded-but-still-going-strong SpecOps, which is yet another cover for her clandestined Book World jaunts. She's busy dealing with a national Stupidity Surplus (leading to a decline in reading and an increase in crappy reality shows), an apathetic 16-year-old son who SHOULD be rocketing up the career ladder as a ChronoGuard, and two other versions of herself: the fictionalized Thursday1-4 (from the first four sex- and violence-heavy Thursday Next book series) and a hippie-dippy Thursday5 (from the universally panned The Great Samuel Pepys Fiasco). Sound confusing? It is, a bit. It's also quite enjoyable. Fforde clearly has a love of language and literature. He character name-drops quite a bit: Harry Potter is rumored to make an appearance at a Book World meeting, and Tempe Brennan shows up, asking Thursday for advice on a real attempted murder within her own book. Plus there's appearances by the Hades family (Thursday's long-time nemises), the Goliath corporation (ditto), Pickwick, Uncle Mycroft, and others. It's a fun read set in a complex, interesting alternate universe. There are several different story lines, but they all come together in the end. There's even a bit of a cliffhanger, making me eager for the next book in the series.

48 Hour Book Challenge: Update Three

2009-06-07T07:34:00.002-04:00

Time spent reading: 13 hours
Books read: 4
Under the Tuscan Sun (only had a few chapters to go when I started the challenge)
ttfn
l8r, g8r
V for Vendetta
Currently reading: Thursday Next: First Among Sequels

I feel asleep last night around 1 am, book in hand. I'm up now and trying to read while eating a healthy breakfast of sugary cereal. Yum! Later I plan on following Leila's lead by listening to an audiobook as I shower and get dressed. Probably something Austen as well, because that's what I have on iTunes already.

48 Hour Book Challenge: Update Two

2009-06-06T21:53:00.000-04:00

Time spent reading: 9 hours
Books read: 4
Under the Tuscan Sun (only had a few chapters to go when I started the challenge)
ttfn
l8r, g8r
V for Vendetta

After reading V and experiencing (slight) technical difficulties, I've decided to go with a lighter book for my next read: Thursday Next: First Among Sequels. It's been a while since I read the previous Thursday Next books; I hope I haven't forgotten anything too important.

Review: V for Vendetta

2009-06-06T20:40:00.003-04:00

Title: V for Vendetta
Author: Alan Moore
Illustrator: David Lloyd
Genre: Graphic Novel, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Dystopia
Published: 1989
Pages: 288
Rating: 9 / 10
Challenges: Graphic Novels Challenge, A to Z Reading Challenge, 48 Hour Book Challenge

Synopsis (from the back cover):

A frightening and powerful story of the loss of freedom and identity in a totalitarian world. V for Vendetta is everything comics weren't supposed to be.

England Prevails.

My review: That last line is a quote from the book; it's a motto for the government figures. V is amazing book. I've had it sitting on my shelf for ages (I bought it shortly after meeting David Lloyd at Dragon*Con two years ago) and I can't believe I waited so long to actually sit down with it. Thank you, 48 hour book challenge!

The setting of V is an AU late-1990's London, in which the people are constantly monitored and recorded by the "Eyes" and "Ears" of their controlling government. They are also completely dependent on the "Voice" of the government, an hourly broadcast designed to keep the masses ignorant of what's really happening. It's very 1984, but darker. The character known only as "V" is a man with a troubled past who takes it upon himself to establish a new world order - anarchy and chaos, but with an opportunity for the people to think and choose for themselves. He is joined in his quest by Evey Hammond, a 16-year-old prostitute he saves from a police gang-rape her first night on the job. See? Dark.

The story feels incredibly topical (especially given recent events), so much so that's it's a bit scary. It's not all gloom and doom, though. There's a message of hope and independence, mainly due to the great character that is V. My favorite line of his: "Did you think to kill me? There's no flesh or blood within this cloak to kill. There's only an idea. Ideas are bulletproof." And it's very true: the idea of V and what he represents are what endures. He's an anti-hero, but an intriguing one, and his story makes for excellent reading.

Cross-posted to the Graphic Novels Challenge blog.

If you've reviewed this book as well, leave a message in the comments and I'll link to your review.

48 Hour Book Challenge: Update One

2009-06-06T16:53:00.002-04:00

Time spent reading: 5.5 hours
Books read: 3
Under the Tuscan Sun (only had a few chapters to go when I started the challenge)
ttfn
l8r, g8r

Thanks for the encouragement! I'm not getting any blog reading done right now (my G-Reader is full to bursting!), but I may try to review the books I've finished later. Right now I'm about to start some graphic novels.

Happy reading! :)

48 Hour Book Challenge: Hour One?

2009-06-06T09:31:00.003-04:00

Well, I just got home from my fun run ("run" is used loosely - I walked the mile with a friend of mine, and I'm not even going to write our time because it was embarrassing) and I'll have to leave to talk to my Realtor about putting an offer in on a house (hooray!), but I'm finally able to start my 48 hours of reading. Two and a half hours late. Oh, well. Right now, I'm finishing up Under the Tuscan Sun, which is an amazing book. Hopefully I'll have a more informative post later. To the other participants: happy reading!

48 Hour Book Challenge

2009-06-02T10:34:00.003-04:00

Mother Reader is hosting the 4th annual 48 Hour Book Challenge this weekend, June 5-7. I missed out on the 24-Hour Read-a-thon this past time, so I'm looking forward to this one. The rules:

1. The weekend is June 5–7, 2009. Read and blog for any 48-hour period within the Friday-to-Monday-morning window. Start no sooner than 7:00 a.m. on Friday the fifth and end no later than 7:00 a.m. Monday. So, go from 7:00 p.m. Friday to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday... or maybe 7:00 a.m. Saturday to 7:00 a.m. Monday works better for you. But the 48 hours do need to be in a row. Edited to add: But during that 48-hour period you may still have gaps of time in which you can’t read, and that’s fine. In the middle of the three different challenge weekends I’ve had to go to work, attend a ballet recital, and drive for a Girl Scout event. You can certainly work around the other events in your weekend.

2. The books should be about fifth-grade level and up. Adult books are fine, especially if any adult book bloggers want to play. If you are generally a picture book blogger, consider this a good time to get caught up on all those wonderful books you’ve been hearing about. Two graphic novels can be included in the reading. I’m not trying to discriminate, I’m just trying to make sure that the number of books and page counts mean the same thing to everyone.

3. It’s your call as to how much you want to put into it. If you want to skip sleep and showers to do this, go for it. If you want to be a bit more laid back, fine. But you have to put something into it or it’s not a challenge.

4. The length of the reviews are not an issue. You can write a sentence, paragraph, or a full-length review. The time spend reviewing counts in your total time.

5. On your blog, state when you are starting the challenge with a specific entry on that day. This makes it easier to track the participants. Write your final summary on Monday, and for one day, we’ll all be on the same page, so to speak.

6. Your final summary needs to clearly include the number of books read, the approximate hours you spent reading/reviewing, and any other comments you want to make on the experience. It needs to be posted no later than noon on Monday, June 8th.

7. Sign up in today’s comments. You’re more than welcome to post the challenge on your site. Point them to today’s post to sign up. On Friday, June 5, I’ll have a starting-line post where you can sign in to say you’re officially starting the challenge.

I have a huge stack of books to read, and an even bigger stack to review. Maybe next month I should host a 48-hour review-a-thon...

Music Munday: JoCo and Paul and Storm

2009-06-01T17:26:00.004-04:00

Sorry this one's going up a bit late; I'm on vacation and I was out on the beach all day. :P I had planned on writing about my obsession with a Cappella music for this week's Music Munday, but then I went to a Jonathan Coulton and Paul and Storm concert Saturday night. It was one of the best concerts I've been to in years, and since it was a tech-geek-heavy crowd, there's footage of it on YouTube!

Before my BFF Fran invited me to the show, my only exposure to JoCo was the song "Code Monkey" (which my ex-boyfriend loved and played for me a few times) and this Warcraftian video for "First of May" that a friend of a friend made me watch a few months ago (NSFW - the f-word is used liberally and the video features animated creatures...um, acting out said word). I wasn't at all familiar with Paul and Storm, which gives me some measure of shame to admit now that I've seen them. Both musical acts are fairly simple: acoustic guitar + geeky lyrics = success!

To be perfectly honest, I actually preferred Paul and Storm, the opening band, over JoCo. But they were both awesome. P&S were just a bit more upbeat. They also gave away "FABULOUS PRIZES" during their set, usually to people who cracked funny jokes. I have to say, that crowd was one of the quietest I've ever heard; while the songs were being performed, everyone was listening attentively (and laughing appreciatively). But during the silences in between songs, well, there was some pretty funny heckling. Paul and Storm got us a bit riled up: when Jonathan Coulton came on, he jokingly complained about the vivacity of the audience (I blame "The Captain's Wife's Lament" - see below).

Now, on to the videos! Since these were recorded on digital cameras, the quality isn't the best, but I think you get a pretty good idea of what it was like. First up, Paul and Storm's first song, "Opening Band." This video is not actually from the Atlanta show, but it was such a funny song I wanted to include it.

It's pretty similar to what I saw Saturday, except during the lyric "No panties have been thrown," a bunch of people at the front of the stage threw panties of varying colors and sizes (including a pair of Batman Underoos) and one frying pan. We were rechristened "Pant-lanta," but it apparently happens every time. At least I know for the next show...

This is the last Paul and Storm song, "The Captain's Wife's Lament," which got us all pirate-y:

This was Jonathan trying to get us to stop "Arr"-ing:

Following this clip, he requested, "Don't put that $h!t on YouTube." As one audience member so eloquently put it, "Too late!"

This interesting little instrument is called a zendrum. The song, "Mr. Fancypants," was one of my favorites of the night:

That's right, we got Rick Roll'd.

And, last but not least, Jonathan Coulton AND Paul and Storm singing "Creepy Doll":

If you liked these songs, I highly recommend you check out the websites. They also sing about zombies and fighting nuns and stuff, too. Both acts have Twitters, too: @jonathancoulton and @paulandstorm.

Thanks to Chris for hosting Music Mundays. You can learn more about them here.

One step closing to being a "real" adult

2009-05-27T09:00:00.000-04:00

I've been living with my parents or renting an apartment/room in a friend's house for the past ten or so years. Now that I have a real, adult job (aka a "career"), I've decided to take the plunge and buy a house. I have a little money saved up and a mediocre credit score. The one factor in my favor? It's totally a buyer's market. The county I'm living in right now is lousy with foreclosed houses, and the community banks are really eager to sell. Yesterday after work I met with a Realtor and checked out three different homes. Each has its own distinctive charm, but I'm leaning towards the cheaper one with the huge kitchen (!), appliances included (!!), and large, flat backyard just begging for a vegetable garden. One of the other houses is slightly more expensive (it has a fireplace and unfinished basement, which could be a totally boss home theater), but I don't think I could get as good a deal on it. The third house is okay (it has a lovely back porch and a big garden tub in the master bathroom), but it also has a leak in one closet and doesn't have kitchen appliances included.

So, those of you who own houses or are also in the process of buying: any suggestions? Anything you wish you had known before you signed on the dotted line? I'll be talking it over with my parents before making an offer, but my apartment lease is up at the end of June and I'm anxious to get my living situation straightened out pronto.

And, just 'cause I think it's funny and sorta-related, here's a "Cribs"-style video starring Seth Green:

Un-Broke: The Seth Green Cribs Edition - watch more funny videos

Recipe Tuesday: Pesto Risotto

2009-05-26T09:00:00.000-04:00

My little sister graduated from college a few weeks ago. She didn't want to attend the ceremony (it would've been pointless, really, as there were too many students for them to be called individually), so Mom let her pick where she wanted to go for lunch instead. Sis chose The Swan Coach House. Apparently it's an Atlanta landmark, but I had never heard of it before, even though it turned out to be located pretty close to the starting point for the Great Urban Race from last month.

Knowing my sister, I figured it would not be the kind of place I would typically enjoy. For one thing, it's only open for three and a half hours, Monday - Saturday, and there's usually a one-hour wait to be seated. Also, they do not accept reservations for groups smaller than (I think) ten. And this is stuff she knew before we even got in the car to drive down there! When we pulled up to the restaurant, all I could see were groups of women in floral print dresses and high heels (definitely NOT what I was wearing). The inside looked like an Easter basket had exploded - there's a photo gallery on the website to give you an idea. I was feeling pretty uncomfortable and out of my element, and we ended up walking around the gift shop while waiting the hour for our table.

But then we were seated, ordered, and prompt served our food. Oh, the food. It was delicious! Worth every minute we stood around waiting for the hostess to call our name, and definitely worth having to stare at a sea of flowery dresses and Pepto-Bismol-colored walls. Luckily my sister had picked up a copy of the Swan Coach House cookbook (in the aforementioned gift shop) and I was able to flip through it and find some really excellent recipes to make at home. My first attempt was the Pest Risotto, which turned out to be the BEST. RISOTTO. EVER. I made a few adjustments to the original the second time I made it, and it turned out even better. How can something be better than the BEST, you ask? Well, I don't know, but this risotto is it.

Ingredients
1 small zucchini, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 small yellow squash, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
4 cups vegetable broth
2 gloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 Tbs olive oil
1 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup pesto
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
black pepper to taste

Put the zucchini, yellow squash, and broth in a small pot and simmer over medium heat. Saute the garlic and onions in the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until tender. Add the rice and cook for three minutes, stirring continuously. Remove the cooked squash and zucchini from the broth and set aside. Add one cup of the warm broth to the rice and cook until the broth is mostly absorbed, stirring continuously. Add another 1/2 cup of the broth and cook until almost absorbed, stirring continuously. Repeat until almost all of the broth has been absorbed. (This will probably take about 20 - 30 minutes.) Stir in the pesto. Add in the remaining broth, cooking until the mixture is creamy and the rice is al dente. Stir in the cheese, squash, and zucchini and season with black pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy.

Note: This picture is from the first time I made the recipe, before I added in the vegetables. But you get the idea.

Music Munday: Mix CD

2009-05-25T09:23:00.004-04:00

Chris started Music Mundays last week at his blog, Stuff As Dreams Are Made On... and I really wanted to participate, but school was really hectic and I just didn't get a chance to write a post. Good thing I waited, because now I have some excellent music to post about.

Last Thursday was finals day for first and third period. I adore my first period class; seeing them was always a great start to my day. One of my wonderful students showed up on finals day even though he didn't have to take the test (students who don't miss too many days and have a certain GPA can exempt) and he brought me a mix CD! There's some really great songs on here, and I wanted to share them with you guys. There are twenty songs on here, so I won't get to them all, but here are a few of my favorites.

1. "Halo" - Beyoncé
The songs on the CD aren't labeled, so I've had a time trying to figure them out. The first one was relatively easy, though. I realized it was Beyoncé on the second or third play. Full disclosure: I'm not a big fan of hers. I think she's a big ol' diva and I really wish she would give up on her "acting." That said, this song has a way of getting stuck in my head, and I love the beat:

2. "Don't Trust Me" - 3OH!3
This song is completely inappropriate (there's an f-bomb early in the video, so don't watch it at work or near little kids), but I love it. The video's a bit strange, but the song makes me want to get up and dance:

3. "Champion" - Flipsyde
According to the internets, this song was used for all of the US teams during the 2008 Olympics. Very apropos, I think. Another NSFW video - these kids listen to music with such bad language these days!

4. "Gives You Hell" - The All-American Rejects
This was one song I had heard and liked before I got the mix CD - I've been a fan of TAAR since college.

5. "Ain't No Rest For the Wicked" - Cage the Elephant
This is another song I liked previously. I have no idea how I ended up with this song in my iTunes (I tend to download a bunch of random songs from various music blogs and then cull through them later), but it's already gotten quite a few plays. I love the steel guitar.

So there you have it! Does this kid have great taste in music or what? I'll probably end up posting about the rest of the songs at a later date.

Visit Chris's Music Mundays post for more!

Booking Through Thursday: A Second First Time?

2009-05-21T22:38:00.003-04:00

I haven't done a BTT post in a while, but I really liked this week's question, and I'm trying to get back into the blogging habit - graduation is tomorrow night, y'all, and then I have four 10-hour days of post-planning until a summer of blissful freedom! Anyway, this week's question is:

What book would you love to be able to read again for the first time?

Without a doubt, one book I wish I could go back and read again for the first time is Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club. I was spoiled for this one because I actually saw the movie first. My (then-) boyfriend Max read the book first, then convinced me to get a copy, and my love for Chuck was kindled. If you've never read the book or seen the movie, do yourself a favor and pick it up. I would even go so far as to say that the book is a better version, although the movie is amazing. Shirtless Brad Pitt is a big plus. There's a big twist in the end that makes you go, "Whaaaa?" The book's ending is a bit more ambiguous (and creepy) and I would love to discover it anew all over again.

But you don't have to take my word for it. Check out btt for more opinions.

School's (almost) out for summer

2009-05-19T22:32:00.004-04:00

Dear blog,

I am terribly sorry I've been ignoring you for the past few weeks. School has been crazy-busy; thank goodness tomorrow is the last full day before finals. Unfortunately, I still have a week of post-planning and prep for moving to our nice, nearly-completed new high school. But after that, I'll be back to a regular posting schedule, I pinkie-promise. On the plus side, I've been reading tons of books, so I'll have lots of reviews to write*...after I finish grading all these persuasive papers. Who knew so many 10th graders were opposed to school uniforms? Too bad the school board already voted - I'll be rockin' khakis and polo shirts next year!

For now, though, I'm off to bed. Thanks to Glee, I'll have "Don't Stop Believin'" stuck in my head for at least the next three days. Not that I'm complaining - I love me some Journey.

Love,
A frazzled first year teacher

* Including, but not limited to: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (which I finally broke down and ordered online), The Thirteen Clocks, the first three trades of Jack of Fables, Mr. Darcy's Diary, Don't Eat This Book!, Smoke and Mirrors, The Eternals, and The Graveyard Book. Yeah, I went on a Neil Gaiman-themed reading binge recently...

Recipe Tuesday: Margarita Ice Cream

2009-05-05T12:00:00.001-04:00

Feliz cinco de mayo! Did you know that Cinco de Mayo is actually celebrated in the US more than it is in Mexico? Well, it's true, at least according to this website. I may not be chicana, but I am all for any holiday that involves copious amounts of alcohol consumption. (Fun fact: I speak really poor Spanish when I get drunk.) Here's an easy and delicious Cinco de Mayo recipe: Margarita Ice Cream! The recipe comes from Nigella Lawson, and yes, it contains liquor.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup lime juice
2 Tbs tequila
3 Tbs Triple Sec
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
2 cups heavy cream

Pour the lime juice, tequila, and Triple Sec in a bowl. Add in the powdered sugar and stir until dissolved. Add in the cream and whip until thickened but not stiff. Pour into an airtight container, seal, and freeze overnight. Enjoy!

Words cannot describe how yummy this stuff is...it's creamy and sweet, but with a tart little bite to it. Plus: it's the easiest ice cream ever!

Recipe Tuesday: Broccoli Pasta

2009-04-28T12:00:00.000-04:00

Today's recipe comes from real Italians, so you know it's authentic! When I worked as a recipe demonstrator at the local grocery store, this awesome Italian couple would come in every Sunday after church. They were really friendly and I loved talking to them. They actually gave me this recipe last year, but I haven't had a chance to make it til now.

Ingredients
1 lb. pasta (I used whole wheat rotini)
1 lb. broccoli
3 cloves garlic (I used more, but I love garlic)
1/4 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese
1/4 lb. sharp cheddar cheese
olive oil

Cook the pasta as directed and drain, but do not rinse with cold water. Saute the garlic and broccoli in olive oil until broccoli reaches desired tenderness. Cube the cheeses, then mix everything together in a bowl and serve warm.

Yum! I ate off this stuff for days...

Happy Birthday, Will!

2009-04-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

Today is the 445th anniversary of the birth of the Bard! To celebrate, the mayor of Chicago has declared today "Talk Like Shakespeare Day". For more info, visit Talk Like Shakespeare or the Shakesprearean Insult Generator.

How will you be celebrating?

Recipe Tuesday: Easy Chocolate Cheesecake Pie

2009-04-21T12:00:00.000-04:00

Today's recipe comes from my chocolate Cool Whip container label. I've had this recipe for ages, and I finally dug it out last week and decided to test it out. Survey says: not bad!

Ingredients:
1 chocolate pie crust
1 8oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 container chocolate Cool Whip
3/4 cup sugar

Whisk the sugar and the cream cheese in a bowl until well blended. Spoon in the Cool Whip. Mix well and pour into pie crust. Refrigerate until set. Enjoy!

How easy is that?! And it tastes pretty good, for faux-cheesecake.

The Great Urban Race 2009

2009-04-19T15:38:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was such a blast! While the rest of you were reading, blogging, and getting kicked off Twitter (poor Beth F!), I was running around Atlanta with five of my friends. The Great Urban Race is basically a one-day Amazing Race: competing in teams of two (or six, if three teams decide to make like Voltron), you're tasked with solving clues, running around the city, and taking pictures to document the whole thing.

We showed up at East Andrews Cafe between 11 - 12 to sign in, eat free food, and get ready for the day. At noon exactly, all the teams were given their clue sheets. Our strategy was to take time at the beginning to solve all the clues and create a plan of attack so that they weren't criss-crossing the city all day long. Plus, we only had five hours. A few of the clues (go to a hotel for a dance lesson, find these race officials and make a donation to charity, play a game of hoops at ESPN Zone) were easy, while some (find the statue in this picture, translate this clue written in WingDings) were slightly more challenging. We were given the option to skip one clue, but ended up doing all 12, which made me proud. It's not like we were really in it to win it; I just wanted to have fun. And I did! My body is incredibly sore (especially my poor feet - they haven't been this worn out since last year's Peachtree), but I can't wait to do it again next year.

Turns out, urban scavenger hunts are a pretty popular pastime. There's High Trek Adventure, Scaventures (more for corporations than individuals), Urban Hike (in Pittsburgh only, sadly), Urban Challenge (another one just for businesses), Meet Market Adventures (for my fellow singletons), and Urban Assault Ride. If it sounds like your kind of fun, I highly recommend signing up for one.

The rest of my pictures from the event can be seen at my photostream.

Read-a-Thon vs. The Great Urban Race

2009-04-18T08:41:00.002-04:00

The 24-Hour Read-a-Thon is already underway, but I won't be able to participate this year. Why? Because I'll be spending the day in Atlanta, competing in The Great Urban Race. It's a bit like a small-scale The Amazing Race, which is one of the few reality programs I actually enjoy and will go out of my way to watch. Go, Margie and Luke!

Good luck to all the 'Thoners this time around - I hope I'll be able to participate next time.

Review: The Willoughbys

2009-04-16T09:00:00.000-04:00

Title: The Willoughbys
Author: Lois Lowry
Genre: YA / Children's Fiction
Published: 2008
Pages: 174
Rating: 6 / 10
Challenges: YA Reading Challenge, A - Z Reading Challenge

Synopsis: (from the book flap)

"Shouldn't we be orphans?" one of the Willoughby children suggests one day. The four are, after all, part of an old-fashioned kind of family, and their parents - well, their parents are not all that one would hope for. Recalling literary heroes and heroines such as Anne of Green Gables, Pollyanna, and James with his giant peach, the Willoughbys concoct a diabolical plot to turn themselves into worthy and winsome orphans. Little do they know that Mr. and Mrs. Willoughby have already begun to formulate their own thoroughly despicable plan inspired by another favorite bedtime story: the tale of Hansel and Gretel...
Villains, benefactors, no-nonsense nannies, abandoned infants, long-lost heirs, and late-life romance all make their appearance along with the irrepressible Willoughbys as the Newbery Award-winning author Lois Lowry pays playful homage to classic works of literature in this hilarious and decidedly "old-fashioned" parody.

My Review: I won this from Chris last year. I actually read it a few months ago; I've just been really bad about reviewing, especially books that I'm not super-psyched about. And, sadly, this book falls into that category. It's an interesting enough story and a very quick and easy read, but I just didn't love it as much as I thought I would. The children are complete and total brats, and I just couldn't get past that. I understand it's a parody and meant to be making fun of them, but I just didn't like the kids. As they are the protagonists, it makes it difficult to like the book. I did like the adult characters, though, and even found myself sympathizing with the Willoughby parents, which I'm pretty sure wasn't supposed to happen. Maybe I was just in one of my childfree hardcore moods when I read this (I don't actually post on that community, fyi, but some of the stories are amusing), or maybe I just didn't "get it," but I vastly preferred A Series of Unfortunate Events and would recommend that series over The Willoughbys.

Other Reviews:
1 More Chapter

If you have reviewed this book as well, leave me a message in the comments and I'll link to your review.

Mini-Review: Jane Austen in Scarsdale

2009-04-15T09:00:00.001-04:00

Jane Austen in Scarsdale: Or Love, Death, and the SATs, by Paula Marantz Cohen, is one of the best Jane Austen-paralit novels I've found. I picked it up in a used bookstore for a few bucks based on the name alone, and now I really want to read Ms. Cohen's other books. Jane Austen in Scarsdale is an updated Persuasion, but knowledge of the original is not necessarily needed to enjoy it. Anne Erlich is a guidance counselor at a prep school full of students with college-obsessed parents. Her wealthy family talked her out of marrying the love of her life, Ben Cutler, believing him to be beneath her. Now her family's going broke and Ben has become a successful world traveler. He unexpectedly shows up at Anne's school to enroll his nephew, and zany romantic comedy shenanigans ensue. There's a predictably happy ending, of course, but getting there is so much fun! This was a witty modern take on Persuasion. How great is it that Austen's plots and characters are still relevant and fresh?

Other Reviews:
AustenBlog

Recipe Tuesday: Spicy Grilled Eggplant

2009-04-14T12:00:00.000-04:00

Today's recipe comes from my Williams-Sonoma Vegetarian cookbook. I have no idea how I ended up with this cookbook (I've never even been to a Williams-Sonoma store), but it has some really yummy, easy recipes.

Ingredients:
2 small globe eggplants
salt
6 Tbs olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley

You can use either a charcoal grill or my old pal George Foreman. Heat up the grill of your choice and cut the eggplants into 1/4 inch wide slices. Place the slices in a colander and salt them to draw out their moisture. Let them set out for 30 minutes, then rinse with water and pat dry with paper towels. Brush the slices with 4 Tbs of the olive oil and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Place them on the grill, turning occasionally, until they are tender (about 10-12 minutes). If you're using a George Foreman, you don't need to turn them and the grilling time is cut by half.

While the eggplant is grilling, stir the garlic, remaining 2 Tbs of olive oil, and vinegar in a small bowl. Place the grilled eggplant slices in a serving bowl and drizzle the garlic-oil mixture over the top. Sprinkle with the red pepper flakes and parsley.

Mini-Review: Audrey, Wait!

2009-04-13T09:00:00.000-04:00

Audrey, Wait! is a YA novel by Robin Benway. I picked up my copy in a Borders bin for about $4, and it was one of the best deals I've ever gotten. Poor Audrey recently broke up with her rock star-wannabe boyfriend, and he's gone and written a song about it that's quickly becoming the most popular tune of the year. Now she's dealing with paparazzi, jealous groupies, and out-of-control rumors. Audrey, Wait! is Audrey's side of the story, and it's a light, fluffy, and hugely enjoyable read. Audrey is a lovable character, and her relationships (even with her sucky ex) are relateable and real. I loved reading about her dealing with her unexpected fame and the perks and problems that come along with it. Be sure to check out the website - there's even a link to download the book's soundtrack from iTunes!

Other Reviews:
bookshelves of doom
Pop Culture Junkie
Presenting Lenore

Review: Drawers & Booths

2009-04-02T19:26:00.003-04:00

Title: Drawers and Booths
Author: Ara 13
Genre: Meta-Fiction
Published: 2007
Pages: 215
Rating: 8 / 10
Challenges: Dewey's Books Mini-Challenge, My Year of Reading Dangerously, A to Z Reading Challenge

Synopsis: (from the back cover)

Beginning as a modern military civil affairs action, Drawers & Booths spirals into a metafictional journey, testing the boundaries of reader and author, narrative voice, and characterization - the wrapping for Ara 13's satirical analysis of morality in light of evolutionary psychology.

My review: Hoo, boy. This book was something else. I read it as part of Nymeth's "Try Something New" mini-challenge for the Dewey's Books Reading Challenge. Dawn at She is Too Fond of Books, my partner, suggested it. I've read some meta-fiction thanks to a graduate course on Modernism (and it's delightful younger sibling, Post-Modernism), but this was my first time reading a meta-fiction novel (which is way I'm also counting it for the My Year of Reading Dangerously Challenge, too). It was interesting, to say the least. Dawn and I decided to read the book, write separate reviews, and then switch and add our own comments to the other's review. My original review is in black; Dawn's comments are in red.

Drawers & Booths opens on a military base in an unnamed country. To be honest, I found this part pretty boring and can't really remember much about it.

I was frustrated with the outer layer of the story – characters without names, acronyms and abbreviations that looked like alphabet soup to me! I probably would've gotten more out of it if I had more knowledge of the military...oh, well. I don't think it detracted too much from the story - it just made me read through the boring stuff to get to the meat of the novel!

I think there was some sort of problem with the locals, and the narrator (third-person, at this point in the novel) gets a bike from someone. It was all pretty boring...until:

Kick approached the church and stepped over the entryway. It was dark to his immediate sides, and the sunlit sanctuary made it harder for Kick's eyes to adjust to the shadows in his periphery.
'Father Atkinson?' he called.
'No,' I reply, emerging from the dark.

BAM! Instant change. My eyes had been skimming somewhat, but at that point I felt a mental jolt and began paying attention.

Yep, me too! Did you pick up on the switch to present tense before the characters did? It jumped right out at me and I re-read the passage. Same here - I hadn't really been following that closely, so I had to read it a couple of times before I caught on.

And thus we are introduced to Hattie Shore, first-person, present-tense narrator. Hattie screws up the narrative a bit, changing the p.o.v. and confusing poor Kick, but never really revealing his intentions. He also doesn't stick around for too long this first time, but it was enough to keep me interested through the boring military stuff. When he does come back, though, he takes over the novel and completely changes it up.

Hattie definitely handles the reins … or does the author? I kept switching bets as the novel progressed. Interesting...my thought is, does Hattie realize he's a character and (in a way) a part of Ara? I really liked Hattie and wish he had stuck around more.

We go from jungle conflict to chasing a criminal mastermind through history. I'm reluctant to name this particular adversary, because I'd hate to spoil the surprise for anyone else who might want to read it, but it's definitely not someone I had expected. Unfortunately, Hattie disappears from the story after catching his man and helping to bring him to justice; fortunately, the novel itself becomes less a fictionalized account of Ara's own Marine Corps experience and more a meditation on writing, social responsibility, and what it means to be human. One of my favorite passages came towards the end, when Ara becomes a character in the book and gives some insight into his writing process:

'But let's not lose sight of this book's purpose - to entertain. After all, it is fiction. Yes, there can be a moral, but I really don't want this story to be mired down in theology. I am more concerned with character dynamics and the writing process. I enjoy having characters like the Corporal behave one way in the story and another when it is interrupted, as if he were an actor whose body of work we like but personal conduct we deplore. I enjoy having minor characters abruptly demand attention. I like having you all talk with the author and behave as haphazard devil's advocates, challenging my own personal belief system - an exercise everyone should undertake, at least in spirit. I hope to create an enjoyable read that encourages others to think outside the box, shake some trees - not merely for dissident value, but with the mind of a skeptic, ready to embrace the accepted belief system, but only after holding it up to the light at all different angles. I want to evoke thinking for the fun of it.'

This is a great quote! There were several I had marked; my slips of paper danced to the ground like confetti when I shook them out of the book after writing my review. I still have little slips of paper tucked in there; I enjoyed all the quotes about writing that you mentioned, as well.

I love the idea of characters having a personal life (an idea also mentioned in The Jane Austen Book Club) and of creating characters simply to have them disagree with you. It's ambitious and ingenious, and Ara pulls it off.

I have never read anything remotely like this. You’ve got me curious with your reference to Modernism and Post-Modernism; I’ll have to seek out other titles in those broad genres to really understand where this fits in. I'm thinking Drawers & Booths is Post-Modernism. You should check out The Crying of Lot 49. It's not Meta-Fiction, but it's definitely Post-Modern. It's also not for everyone; my friend Ashley threw it across the room after she finished it.

This review probably makes no sense, but for what it's worth, I really enjoyed this book. It's a mind-bender of a read, but it brought up some interesting ideas. I had to plod through the military jargon of the frame narrative, but I'm glad I did because the surrealism of the rest of the book was completely worth it.

Surreal is an apt description!

I'd like to thank Nymeth for hosting this mini-challenge (and for giving us an extra week to get it together!) and Dawn for being such a great partner. When we switched reviews, she observed that this sort of meta-reviewing was a really apt way to discuss this particular book, and she's right! Ara's next book, Fiction, will be released soon. I have to admit, I'm curious and will probably pick up a copy.

Other Reviews:
Dawn at She is Too Fond of Books

Recipe Tuesday: Grilled Veggie Meatball Wrap

2009-03-24T12:00:00.000-04:00

My mom came up with this recipe: she bought a new George Forman grill a few weeks ago, and she's been having fun trying out new sandwiches.

Ingredients:
1 serving vegetarian meatballs (about 6)
1 whole wheat tortilla
1/4 cup tomato/marinara sauce
1 oz string cheese

Heat the marinara sauce in a small pan. Cook the meatballs in the microwave and add to the marinara. Pull apart the string cheese and arrange in the center of the tortilla. Add the meatball on top and cover with the marinara. Roll the tortilla like a burrito and place on a warmed George Forman grill, seam-side up. Close the top and grill for about five minutes.

Use a knife and fork, because it can get messy!

New York and Dewey's Knit-a-long

2009-03-23T22:12:00.004-04:00

Casey came over tonight to plan our upcoming New York trip. We purchased our plane tickets, made reservations at a seemingly-nice hotel, bought tickets to Coraline for almost half off, and got most of the week planned out. Coney Island! Strawberry Fields! Sardi's! We are really excited!

Also, I finished the Coraline-themed octopus/squid/kitty thing and gave it to her. I owe Casey, as the "Gryffindor Lion" I started for her last year is languishing in WIP-Hades. It turned out pretty cute!

I made the button eye out of Sculpey. It was my first time using it, and I loved how easy it was. I'm going to try a mini-version next.

Original post
Pattern

Gaiman on Colbert

2009-03-18T21:06:00.002-04:00

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Neil Gaiman

Colbert Report Full Episodes
Political Humor

Mark Sanford
NASA Name Contest

Recipe Tuesday: Green Pea Cilantro Spread

2009-03-17T12:00:00.000-04:00

Today's recipe is green, in honor of St. Patrick's Day. I found it on Chocolate and Zucchini, an amazing foodie website.

Ingredients:
10.5 oz. shelled green peas, frozen or fresh but not canned
1 drop cilantro essential oil for cooking, or a small bunch fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons whole almond butter
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
1 dash Tabasco sauce
Salt, black pepper

Steam the peas, then mix everything together in a food processor. You can add a bit of water if it's too thick. Store in the fridge, and serve on crackers or wheat crispbread.

My mods: I didn't want to shell out the $11 for a jar of almond butter, so I used peanut butter. It gave the spread a peanutty taste, which I tried to cover up by adding more of the other ingredients. I used a bit more Tabasco (I use the green sauce, which is milder than normal Tabasco) and some lime juice, in addition to more cilantro (which I LOVE, so I always over-use it anyway) and garlic (ditto). It actually made a pretty interesting spread. My roommate loved the bite from the Tabasco.

It's not my favorite thing I've ever made, but it makes a pretty decent appetizer.

Even if it does look like baby food...

Pie update: Mom loved it, but she's borderline diabetic and didn't want to keep the rest of it in the house. I took the leftovers (about 3/4) to work with me, which made my fellow teachers very happy. I did realize, though, that it needs to be refrigerated after it cools. I can't wait to bake another one!

Sunday Salon 15 March 2009: New York, New York!

2009-03-15T13:01:00.000-04:00

Good morning, fellow Saloners! I come to you this morning with a plea for help. My friend Casey and I are planning a trip to NYC in June, and we need suggestions!

One thing that we're definitely seeing is the Coraline Broadway show - it was the whole reason for the trip in the first place. I've been to New York a few times, so I've seen the majorly touristy things. Casey, however, has never been on a plane, let alone to NY, so I want to make sure she doesn't miss anything. We're going for a little over a week, and I want to cram as much in as possible.

Other things we have tentatively planned on:
Shakespeare in the Park - Twelfth Night starring Anne Hathaway
Yankees game - possibly vs. the Mets
Central Park - including the zoo, Strawberry Fields, and Alice in Wonderland
Empire State Building
Times Square
China Town
Greenwich Village
Harlem
Daily Show/Colbert Report taping - if we can get in
92Y Tribeca

My question to y'all is: If you've been to NYC before, what sights would you recommend? Do you know of any hidden gems that could be fun? And, just to make this book-related, what NYC-set books would you recommend reading before the trip?

Registering for the Peachtree

2009-03-15T08:08:00.002-04:00

So, I did the Peachtree Road Race last year and it was amazing. I was really looking forward to doing it again this year, especially after my friend Jen (a veteran of 4 PTRR's!) told me the secret: pick up the Early Edition of the Sunday paper (which is sold on Saturday) and get the application in the mail the same day. Genius!

It would have been, had not the Atlanta Track Club decided to modernize the race with online registration. When the AJC first announced the news, there was a general outcry of displeasure and a lot of naysayers predicting server crashes, disappointed runners, and other sorts of sad things. I decided to withhold judgment until the day of reckoning...which was this morning.

I woke up bright and early at 6:45 to make sure that my computer was on and that my credit card was ready for the 7 am registration opening. There was this neat little countdown on the AJC's Peachtree page, and I eagerly watched the numbers reach 0-hour. Clicked on the registration button, and was rewarded with this:

Like, duh, Atlanta Track Club. OF COURSE you're going to be busy this morning - thousands of people are attempting to register for this race. Like a trooper, I kept reloading the page. After about 5 minutes, I got to the actual registration form. Filled it out, clicked submit, and -

I got a page full of JAVA/server errors. According to the page, the only cure was to register again, which brought me back to the busy page. Reload, reload, reload...another five minutes passed, and I got the registration form again. Filled it out again, clicked submit, and -

Right. Error page.

This went on for about 40 minutes. I kept checking the Peachtree main page at the AJC and the fan page on Facebook to see if I was the only one having problems. I wasn't.

Then, a wonderful person named Chris left a comment on the AJC page, telling us all that when we got the error message, we just needed to hit Refresh/Reload until we got a confirmation number. Dubious, I gave it a try. Actually, about 20 or so.

Lo and behold...

I have FINALLY, successfully, actually registered for this year's Peachtree. Hallelujah!

Now I just need to start training. But first? I'm going back to bed.

Happy 3.14 Day!

2009-03-14T16:41:00.004-04:00

It's Pi Day! Last year, I celebrated by participating in a Pi Run. I would've done it again this year, but the weather's been finicky lately and today was drizzly and rainy. So instead I decided to bake a pie!

The day wasn't my only inspiration: tomorrow is my Mom's birthday and I wanted to make something sweet for her; also, I had a recipe for a pecan and walnut pie that I really wanted to try out. The recipe came from Katie Brown Celebrates, which I won from Bethany a few months ago.

Ingredients:
1 8oz. package cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
4 eggs
1 (10-inch) deep-dish pie crust
1 cup dark corn syrup
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350. Combine cream cheese, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, and salt in a bowl until smooth. Add 1 egg and mix well. Spread this mixture into the pie crust. Combine remaining brown sugar, vanilla, and eggs with the syrup and nuts. Pour this mixture over the cream cheese layer. Bake 40-50 minutes.

This is the completed, but unbaked, pie. It's much prettier than the baked-and-cooled version, which puffed up and oozed over the sides. Good thing I had it on a baking sheet!

More Pi fun:
* a collection of pie recipes from Cake Spy
* pie songs
* Simple As 3.141592 t-shirt

How are you celebrating?

Weekly Geeks: Saturday's Quote

2009-03-14T08:00:00.000-04:00

Humans think they are smarter than dolphins because we build cars and buildings and start wars etc...and all that dolphins do is swim in the water, eat fish and play around. Dolphins believe that they are smarter for exactly the same reasons.
- Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Weekly Geeks: Friday's Quote

2009-03-13T08:00:00.001-04:00

"Some things have to be believed to be seen."
- Madeleine L'Engle, Many Waters

Well, if she can't be Veronica Mars...

2009-03-12T21:42:00.003-04:00

at least Kristen Bell can be A Veronica: she's currently reading the lead in a new musical based on awesome 80's movie Heathers. And Christian Campbell is reading J.D! There's no guarantee that the same actors doing the reading will tour with the musical (if it happens), but it would be so boss if they did. This musical has the potential to be completely amazing. From the article:

The film offered many over-top-moments as well as choice lines, something Fickman is eager to bring out musically.

" 'I love my dead gay son," Fickman quoted. "If you can get that into a song, then that is just perfect."

Indeed. Other quotes from the movie I'd love to hear set to music:
"Well, f*ck me gently with a chainsaw. Do I look like Mother Theresa? "
"Did you have a brain tumor for breakfast?"
"Es-ki-mo..."

Man, now I really want to watch it. Time to go dig through the VHS pile...

Weekly Geeks: Thursday's Quote

2009-03-12T08:00:00.001-04:00

Today's quote comes from my favorite Shakespeare comedy, Much Ado About Nothing:

DON PEDRO: And to be merry best becomes you; for, out of question, you were born in a merry hour.
BEATRICE: No, sure, my lord, my mother cried; but then there was a star danced, and under that was I born.

Weekly Geeks: Wednesday's Quote

2009-03-11T08:00:00.001-04:00

I have never looked to religion for comfort - belief is just not in my genes. But reading Mastering the Art of French Cooking - childishly simple and dauntingly complex, incantatory and comforting - I thought this was what prayer must feel like. Sustenance bound up with anticipation and want. Reading MtAoFC was like reading pornographic Bible verses.
- Julie Powell, Julie and Julia

Recipe Tuesday: Quick Banana Nut Bread

2009-03-10T12:00:00.000-04:00

This recipe comes from Instructables. I've made it several times - whenever I have bananas about to go bad, I stick them in the freezer to save for later.

Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 package Jell-O Instant Banana Cream Pudding & Pie Filling
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 ripe bananas, mashed
4 eggs
1 cup chopped pecans (I used some leftover crushed hazelnuts)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together, then pour into two large greased loaf pans. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a knife/uncooked piece of spaghetti inserted into the center comes out clean. Et voila! Very simple, and very yummy.

Weekly Geeks: Tuesday's Quote

2009-03-10T08:00:00.000-04:00

Today's quote comes from Watchmen, by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons:

Laurie Juspeczyk: Hey, you remember that guy? The one who pretended to be a supervillain so he could get beaten up?
Dan Dreiberg: Oh, You mean Captain Carnage. Ha ha ha! He was one for the books.
Laurie: You're telling me! I remember, I caught him coming out of this jeweller's. I didn't know what his racket was. I start hitting him and I think "Jeez! He's breathing funny! Does he have asthma?
Dan: Ha Ha Ha. He tried that with me, only I'd heard about him, so I just walked away. He follows me down the street - broad daylight, right? He's saying "PUNISH me!" I'm saying "No! Get lost!"
Laurie: Ha Ha Ha. What ever happened to him?
Dan: Well, he pulled it on Rorschach, and Rorschach dropped him down an elevator shaft.
Laurie: PHAAA HA HA HA! Oh, God, I'm sorry, that isn't funny, Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!
Dan: Ha Ha Ha! No, I guess it's not...
Laurie: Ahuh. Ahuhuhuh...Jeez, y'know, that felt Good. There don't seem to be that many laughs around these days.
Dan: Well, what do you expect? The Comedian is Dead.

Movie Reviews

2009-03-09T10:00:00.001-04:00

Like millions of other people this weekend, I attended the opening night of the Watchmen movie. As a fan of the graphic novel, I have been waiting for this for FOREVER, and I was not disappointed. Quick synopsis of the movie, for anyone who's been living under a rock:

Watchmen is set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society, and the "Doomsday Clock" - which charts the USA's tension with the Soviet Union - is permanently set at five minutes to midnight. When one of his former colleagues is murdered, the washed up but no less determined masked vigilante Rorschach sets out to uncover a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects with his former crime-fighting legion - a ragtag group of retired superheroes, only one of whom has true powers - Rorschach glimpses a wide-ranging and disturbing conspiracy with links to their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the future. Their mission is to watch over humanity... but who is watching the Watchmen? - from imdb

There's a lot going on in the graphic novel, and the movie managed to capture almost everything perfectly. There were a few changes (the ending was a big one, but I liked it), but the majority of the story translates really well. I was especially happy with the characters. Rorschach, my personal favorite, is just amazingly deranged, and Dan/Nite Owl is lovably shlubby. Other things I liked: the music (Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A Changin'," Jimi Hendrix's "All Along the Watchtower," and Nena's "99 Luftballons"), the opening title sequence, and Bubastis. The only thing I didn't really like is the fight sequences. One of the most amazing things about these characters is that they don't have superpowers - they just work out a lot and have no fear. In the movie, it seemed like they have speed and super-strength, which confused my movie-going friends who hadn't read the comic yet. But that was a minor quibble, really, when compared with the rest of the movie. It's a bit long (almost 3 hours), but worth every second. I can't wait for the DVD to come out, because I know I missed a bunch of stuff in the background (I caught the graffiti welcoming Vietnam as the 51st state, but I'm sure there was more) and I'm looking forward to watching the movie again.

Another movie that I saw recently and really enjoyed was Coraline. I've been meaning to write this review for forever. I had already planned on seeing the movie just because it looked amazing, but watching and reviewing it is part of my Dream King Challenge. Synopsis from the back of the book:

When Coraline explores her new home, she steps through a door and into another house just like her own...except that it's different. It's a marvelous adventure until Coraline discovers that there's also another mother and another father in the house. They want Coraline to stay with them and be their little girl. They want to keep her forever.

Coraline must use all of her wits and every ounce of courage in order to save herself and return home.

Coraline is a visually stunning movie. It was filmed using stop-motion animation and 3D, and everything (including the tiny, hand-knitted sweaters!) was created by hand. It remains (mostly) faithful to the Gaiman book that it's based on: Coraline is feisty and the Other Mother is appropriately creepy. The biggest change (at least, the one that bothered me the most) is the introduction of Wybie, Coraline's neighbor in her new house. He's an okay guy, and I can't really say why I disliked him without giving away the ending. But that minor detail aside, this is an amazing movie. I loved the 3D, especially when Coraline opens the doorway to the Other house. The other characters (mother, father, cat, and crazy neighbors) are all great. It's a semi-scary movie, but I'm sure even little kids would be delighted by it. I found it completely charming, and highly recommend it.

Weekly Geeks: Monday's Quote

2009-03-09T08:00:00.001-04:00

"The more I know of the world, the more I am convinced that I shall never see a man whom I can really love. I require so much!"
- Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility

Review: Rock Bottom

2009-03-08T12:21:00.003-04:00

Title: Rock Bottom
Author: Michael Shilling
Genre: Fiction
Published: 09 January 2009
Pages: 400
Rating: 8 / 10
Challenges: N/A, but I did receive it through the LIbraryThing ER Program
Awards: none

Synopsis: (from the back cover)

Once upon a time, Blood Orphans were the next big thing. They had a fat recording contract, the swagger of the gods, and cheekbones that could cut glass. They were the darlings of the LA music scene. They were locked and loaded for rock-and-roll greatness.

And then everything...went...wrong. The singer became a born-again Buddhist who preached from the stage. The bass player's raging eczema turned his hands into a pulpy mess. The drummer, a sex addict tormented by the misdeeds of his porn-king father, was losing his grip on reality. And the guitar player - the only talented one - was a doormat cowed by the constant abuse of his bandmates.

Set in Amsterdam on the last day of Blood Orphans' final tour, this novel tells the raucous story of a band - and their heroically coked-out female manager - trying to get in one last shot at fame's elusive bull's-eye. Rock Bottom is a pitch-black comedy, a wild ride on the crazy train of outrageous misfortune, and a bighearted paean to the power of dreams. It heralds the debut of a fierce new voice in American fiction.

My Review: Full disclosure: I almost stopped reading this book in the first chapter. See, the first few pages are narrated by the bassist (the one with eczema) and the first chapter is an obscenity-laden quest for him to find some relief from his itching hands. It's really gross, and I immediately disliked the guy. Luckily for me, the narrative shifts several times in this novel (all the guys in the band get a turn to tell their side of the story, as does Joey, the manager), so I didn't have to deal with him for very long.

The novel takes place over the course of a day in Amsterdam. It's Blood Orphans last show, although not all of them realize it yet. They've been dropped from their label, a major magazine has described them as racist, and they're basically seen as a joke. As each band member takes his turn as narrator, we learn how the band got to where it is today. We also see a lot of fighting (mostly with each other, although there is an assault on a local protester - but he really had it coming), a little romance (true love, for real) and, of course, sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll. It's an interesting story, and I really liked the way that Shilling shifted the narration. It made me - well, not sympathize, exactly, but definitely allowed me to understand and appreciate what the characters had gone through in the past and how that shaped their present actions. None of them are terribly likable, except for maybe Adam, the talented and beaten-down guitarist. He's the one I was really rooting for, but I ended the novel feeling more like Darlo (the sex-crazed drummer with Daddy issues) was the hero.

All in all, it's a pretty good book. By the time I got to the last 100 pages, I was reading into the wee hours of the night just to get finished. I've always been a little fascinated by the music industry, so this was a nice (fictional) peek into that world, and I enjoyed reading about the characters, even if I didn't like them much. Does that make sense? Either way, the characters make this book. Shilling did an excellent job of giving each an individual voice. They were five completely different personalities, and they all came alive for me while I was reading. I wouldn't recommend it for the faint of heart, but I think it's a great book.

Other stuff: There's a Blood Orphans website, where you can read more about the band and the book and hear music based on the lyrics in the novel. It's actually pretty good!

Shilling's next novel is set in Victorian England, and I'm really looking forward to reading it.

Other Reviews:

If you have reviewed this book as well, leave me a message in the comments and I'll link to your review.

Weekly Geeks: A Quote A Day

2009-03-08T11:47:00.003-04:00

This week's Weekly Geeks challenge is:

You may want to come up with a theme, such as favorite passages from books, author quotes, political quotes, quotes about books or reading, humorous quotes, whatever. Or you may not want a theme at all; maybe you just want to gather up seven assorted quotes that appeal to you. You may want to start each of your posts of the week with a quote, or you may want to give quotes posts of their own in addition to your regular posts. It’s all up to you!

Signing Mr Linky this week means you’re committing to posting a quote each day for a full week, starting on the day you sign up. You can postdate your quote posts so they appear automatically if you can’t get to your blog each day.

The last time we did this as a WG challenge, I only managed to post three. This time, thanks to the power of Blogger's auto-post function (which is acting up for me recently; it didn't post this week's Recipe Tuesday, for example), I hope to have 7 days of quotey goodness.

First up, this little gem from Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird:

"Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing."
Some people might say that comparing reading to breathing is a little extreme. I, however, am not one of those people.

Mini-Review: The Taffy Sinclair Series

2009-03-02T12:00:00.000-05:00

Did anyone else read the Taffy Sinclair books when they were in elementary school? I started thinking about them again after reading a few reviews on The Dairi Burger, one of my favorite book blogs. There are eleven books in total:

1. The Against Taffy Sinclair Club
2. Taffy Strikes Again*
3. Taffy Sinclair, Queen of the Soaps*
4. Blackmailed by Taffy Sinclair*
5. Taffy Sinclair and the Romance Machine Disaster*
6. Taffy Sinclair and the Melanie Makeover
7. Taffy Sinclair and the Secret Admirer Epidemic*
8. Taffy Sinclair- Baby Ashley- and Me*
9. The Truth About Taffy Sinclair*
10. Taffy Sinclair Goes to Hollywood
11. Nobody Likes Taffy Sinclair

and I managed to find seven (*) of them at this awesome used book store I discovered a few months ago. Reading them again was like going back in time.

The premise: Jana Morgan, Beth Barry, Christie Winchell, Katie Shannon, and Melanie Edwards are all best friends, and they all hate Taffy Sinclair, the prettiest and snobbiest girl in their fifth grade class. And...that's about all you need to know. The titles pretty much speak for themselves, I think, and you can probably imagine the sorts of shenanigans junior high kids in the 80's can get up to.

I loved this series as a kid, and reading it now, I can't imagine why. Jana, the narrator, is annoying and whiny. Her friends are all one-dimensional: Beth is loud and dramatic, Christie is the goody-two-shoes principal's daughter, Katie is the liberal feminist, and Melanie is the quiet fat girl. Seriously, more time is spent talking about her weight than anything else about her. It was a little depressing. On the other hand, Taffy is just awesome. I felt more sympathy for her than anyone else in these books (even before The Truth About Taffy Sinclair, which is her side of the story), and I thought she was more complex than the other characters.

Overall, it's not the greatest series in the world, but it's a fun, quick read. I read these for the YA Reading Challenge, and I'm tempted to count them all as one book because they're so short. I'm still on the lookout for the other in the series.

Dewey's Knit-A-Long Update

2009-03-02T10:00:00.001-05:00

I finished one of the projects I started in honor of Dewey, and now I'm working on another.

First up, I finished the shawl I was making for my mom. Here's the completed product, modeled by my lovely roommate Tiff:

I really liked the pattern on this one, because it was so unusual. Mom's birthday is March 15th, and this is one of her gifts from me. She asked for a shawl after I made her a scarf for Christmas, so I think she'll like it. If I have the time, I'm going to try to make a pin or broach to go with it.

And for my next project: Did anyone else watching the Coraline movie fall absolutely in love with that little octopus/kitty/squid toy in her "other" bedroom? Because I did, and I immediately began thinking of ways to make one for myself. Luckily, so did another crafty blogger, and she posted her pattern here. This is what I've got so far:

Isn't it cute? I mean, considering it's only 3/4 finished and all...

It's like my dreams came true!

2009-03-01T14:42:00.000-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen, we have SNOW!

Sunday Salon 01 March 2009: Challenge Updates

2009-03-01T12:24:00.000-05:00

For this week's Sunday Salon, I decided to update the various challenges that I'm working on. It seemed like a nice way to wrap up February.

1. The 1% Well-Read Challenge ended yesterday. I read 5 out of 10 books (and 1/2 of The Last Temptation of Christ) and posted 4 reviews. I wanted to do better with this one, but time got away from me. Michelle's hosting (Another) 1% Well-Read Challenge, but I don't think I'm going to sign up, just because I have so many other challenges for the year that I'm already behind on.

2. Book Awards II Challenge ends June 1. So far, I've read 5 out of 10 books and posted 3 reviews.

3. 100 Shots of Short is a perpetual challenge, but I set a personal goal to finish by the end of the year. So far, I've read 8 stories and posted 2 reviews.

4. The Well-Seasoned Reader Challenge ends March 31. So far, I've read 0 out of 3 books. Eep!

5. The YA Book Challenge ends December 31. I've read 14 out of 12 books (yay!) and posted 0 reviews (boo!).

6. The A-Z Reading Challenge ends December 31. I've read a bunch of books, but haven't updated my reading table for this challenge.

7. The Dewey's Books Reading Challenge ends December 31. I haven't read any of the books, but I have been participating in the mini-challenges.

8. The Year of Reading Dangerously Challenge ends December 31. I have read one book for this challenge and posted 0 reviews.

9. The World Citizen Challenge ends December 31. I'm currently reading one book for this challenge.

10. The Graphic Novels Challenge ends December 31. I have read 2 books for this challenge and posted 1 review.

11. The Winter Reading Challenge ends March 20. I've read way more books during this time period than I planned to, but I haven't reviewed them all.

12. The Science Book Challenge ends December 31. I'm currently reading 1 book for this challenge.

13. The Diversity Rocks! Challenge ends whenever I finish my other challenges. So far, none of my books have been very diverse. :(

14. The Dream King Challenge ends December 31. My own challenge, and I've barely done anything for it! I did see a movie (Coraline) but have yet to review it. Sigh...

I'm also working on the Blog Improvement Project, but don't get me started on how far behind I am on it. And as for Carl's Sci-Fi Experience, well, let's just say that these have not been the best of months for me to be doing non-school-related reading. But y'all just wait til this summer, when I'll have no papers to grade or lessons to plan - full-on read-fest, here I come! In about 3 months...

Silliness

2009-02-28T09:33:00.002-05:00

It's storming like whoa outside, so I'm about to shut down the computer and spend the day reading. Before I go, though, here are two fun new memes I found. Please to enjoy!

And what did YOU do today, dear?
I yelled at a phone in your bathroom because the voices told me to!
(visit Florinda to get in on the fun)

Make your own album cover!
Here's mine:

BWE tells you how.

Comment and share yours!

Free Comic Books!

2009-02-28T07:52:00.000-05:00

Tying in with the release of Sword of My Mouth, Jim Monroe is offering his graphic novel Therefore Repent as a free download:

What if the religious right… are actually right?

Without warning, multitudes of Christians float bodily up into the sky.

For the immoral majority, life goes on pretty much as usual.

Except that after the Rapture, magic works — for those willing to risk demonic mutations.

And an angelic army appears to have been deployed to mop up the sinners.

But through it all, outsiders Raven and Mummy face the possibility of a bigger problem than the end of the world: the end of their relationship.

And Marvel has a preview of the first five pages of the new Pride and Prejudice comic book (!!!!) available for your viewing pleasure here.

Wow, that was fast!

2009-02-24T17:51:00.006-05:00

Guess what came in the mail today....

My Coraline prize pack! I got:

* a t-shirt
* the Coraline movie tie-in video game for Wii (which I'll be playing this weekend, AFTER I finish all my grading)
* a pack of the 26 alphabet cards
* a set of 4 buttons (the kind you wear, not the kind you sew on your eyes)
* a copy of the Coraline: The Movie Collector's Edition (my 3rd version of the book)
* a bookmark featuring Coraline and the Other Mother
* a pen featuring the ghost girls
and my personal favorite...

* a key! No, seriously, after I started reading about these keys being found in big cities like Chicago, NYC, and San Fransisco, I became obsessed with finding one myself. Unfortunately, they never showed up in Atlanta. I know. I checked. A lot. And now I have my own!

Thanks to Back Seat Producers for this amazing giveaway!

Recipe Tuesday: Artichoke Dip and Chocolate Cherry Cookies

2009-02-24T12:00:00.001-05:00

Since I missed last week, I'm making it up to you by posting TWO recipes this week. Both were big hits at the Valentine's Day party I co-hosted this year.

Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chiles, drained
1 garlic clove, minced

Preheat your oven to 350. Mix all the ingredients together until well blended. Spoon into a 9-inch pie plate or quiche dish. Bake 20-25 minutes, until brownish on top and bubbling on the sides. Serve with crackers, pretzels, or sliced veggies.

Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 (10 oz.) jar maraschino cherries (about 36)*
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Take the butter out of the fridge about 30 minutes before starting this recipe to bring it to room temperature. DO NOT MICROWAVE IT TO SOFTEN IT. Preheat oven to 350. Combine the flour and cocoa powder in a small bowl and set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter until softened. Add the sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and beat until the mixture is combined. Beat in the egg and vanilla, and gradually beat in the flour/cocoa mixture. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Use your thumb to create a dip in the center of the balls. Drain the cherries, reserving the juice, and place one cherry (minus the stem) in the center of each cookie.

For frosting, combine chocolate and condensed milk in a bowl, then microwave until melted, stirring occasionally. Stir in 4 tsp. of the reversed cherry juice. Spoon about 1 tsp. of frosting over the cherries. Bake for 10 minutes and allow to cool on baking sheet for at least 1 minute.

I wish I had taken pictures of these, but trust me, they're delicious! The cookies are a little messy (that cocoa powder can really fly!), so you might want to use a food processor instead of a mixer. Enjoy!

* According to the recipe book, this recipe supposedly requires 48 cherries and makes 48 cookies, but I couldn't get that many out of the batter.

Besotted by B's

2009-02-23T12:00:00.000-05:00

Care assigned me the letter B in the alphabet meme. Here are ten of my favorite B-words:

Caspian Beach ساحل خزر
Originally uploaded by >TOORAJ
1. The Beach! Any beach, really, but I'm partial to Hilton Head Island, SC (my family vacations there every year) and Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL (where my mom grew up and the majority of her family still lives).

2. B Bands. The Beatles, Boston, bis (RIP), bicycle, Ben Folds (Five), The B-52's...

3. Boston terriers. Generally speaking, I love all dogs. Yes, even the two that bit me on the face when I was little - OUCH! But when I finally have a house and fenced-in back yard of my own, I really want to get one of these. They're so cute! And smart and lively to boot.

4. Baking. I love making cookies, cakes, cupcakes, etc. It's relaxing. And yummy!

5. Backrubs. Speaking of relaxing...who doesn't love a good rub down now and then? One of my friends went through training to become a message therapist a few years ago, and I loved being her guinea pig.

6. Book-related websites. BookCrossing, BookMooch, LibraryThing, GoodReads...I use and love them all.

7. Bernal, Gael Garcia. One of my favorite actors. I loved him Amores perros, Y yu mama tambien, and El Crimen de padre Amaro. I have yet to see The Science of Sleep, but I'm sure it's wonderful, too.

8. Bubble wrap. Is there anything as satisfying as receiving something in the mail and then spending the next ten minutes blissfully popping all the bubble wrap it came in? I think not.

9. Buffy - the movie ("Pike isn't a name; it's a fish.") and the TV series ("Well, I like you. You're nice, and you're funny, and you don't smoke. Yeah, okay, werewolf, but that's not all the time. I mean, three days out of the month I'm not much fun to be around either."). I still listen to the "Once More, With Feeling" soundtrack almost every day. It must be bunnies!

10. B&Bs. When I went to the UK, my tour group stayed in a variety of Bed & Breakfasts. They're cozy, the people who run them are friendly, and you're guaranteed a great breakfast when you wake up. The place we stayed in Monmouthshire (Wales) even had cats that slept in the bed with you!

I realize this meme has probably run its course by now, but if you'd like to play along, leave a comment and I'll give you a letter.

Blog Improvement Project Task 4: Blog Basics

2009-02-22T17:03:00.002-05:00

The 4th task for the Blog Improvement Project is:

Over the next two weeks, take on as many of these tasks as you like. I know they are pretty general, but every blog is different and so what you might want to do with these particular pieces is up to you.

* Write (or update) your “About Me” Page — Make sure you can see your About Me from the main page of your blog because someone just arriving at the site should be able to easily see a little information about you

* Update your contact information

* Add some sort of picture of yourself (if you’re comfortable with that)

* Update your Blogroll — Blogging Startup has a good series on blogrolls starting with “Does My Blog Need A Blogroll?” — check out some of the other entries, they’re pretty short and interesting

* Create a link to your Archives on your front page (there are a lot of widgets for this, or you can find other ways to do it — either way, it’s important to do so people who want your archives can find them to get a sense of what they can expect from your blog)

* Add a link (or make sure a link is there) so readers can subscribe to your blog via RSS

* Get to work on other basic blog maintenance you’ve been meaning to do

I'll be working on these for the next two weeks and linking back to the results here. I definitely need an "About Me" post, and I wouldn't mind putting a picture of myself on here. My blogroll was recently updated, but I might prune it a bit. I already have a link to my archives in the sidebar, and adding an RSS link shouldn't be too hard...

Blog Improvement Project Task 3: Blog Post Bingo

2009-02-22T16:59:00.004-05:00

The 3rd task for the Blog Improvement Project was:

Blog Post Bingo!

* Take a look at the 10 types of blog post below. Over the next two weeks, try to write as many of these different kinds of posts as you can.

1. A Link Post - share a series of links your readers might find interesting
2. A Short Post - less than 200 words
3. A List Post - simple as it sounds, a list of some sort
4. An Opinion Post - take an event, news, or another blog post and share your opinion on it
5. A Poll or Question Post - post a poll or ask your readers a specific question for feedback
6. A How-To Post - You’re an expert in something; big or small, share how to do it
7. A Long Post - more than 700 words
8. A Review Post - self-explanatory, I think :)
9. A Definition Post - show your expertise about a topic related to your blog
10. FREE SPACE - a type of post of your choice (that is not the same as one of the previous posts)

I missed out on this one, but it sounds like fun. I'm going to try to write one of each of these in the next few weeks. I'll post the links to them here.

Coraline goodies

2009-02-22T14:54:00.002-05:00

I just received an e-mail informing me that I won a Coraline prize pack from Back Seat Producers! I entered approximately eleventy-billion of these giveaways, so this v. v. exciting. Hooray! :)

The Sunday Salon - 22 February 2009: Playing catch-up

2009-02-22T10:48:00.007-05:00

Good morning, fellow Saloners! Things I've done over the past two weeks that have kept me from blogging regularly:

* Finished a shawl I was crocheting for my mom's birthday next month.

* Finished reading Rock Bottom, read The Tenth Circle, and started reading Matrimony.

* Received two books in the mail: Cassandra and Jane (thanks to J. Kaye for the giveaway!) and I Put a Spell on You (by my high school friend and amazing YA writer Adam Selzer). I can't wait to read these two.

* Taught my students about poetry. Some of them enjoyed it, some didn't. I had arranged for a rapper to come talk to them about rhythm, assonance, consonance, etc, but we had a few tornadoes coming through the area the night before and he couldn't make it.

* Remember that Austenland giveaway I had several weeks back? Well, I only had two people enter, so I decided to give both of them a book. Congrats to Chayenne and liane66!

* I also had an opportunity to watch the amazing Pierre Bensusan perform Friday night. He was voted the world's greatest guitarist last year, and after watching him, I can understand why:

Now I'm off to do some more reading and writing. Have a great Sunday, everyone!

Recipe Tuesday: Garlic Ginger Scallops and Shrimp

2009-02-10T12:00:00.000-05:00

Today's recipe is another one from my good ol' diet cookbook. This recipe makes one serving, so if you're feeding more than one, make sure you double/triple/quadruple the recipe.

Garlic Ginger Scallops and Shrimp

Ingredients:
1 tsp oil
6 oz scallops
2 oz shrimp
1 clove minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
1 Tbs low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil

Heat a nonstick skillet and add the oil, scallops, and shrimp. Turn once and add the remaining ingredients. It won't take long for the scallops and shrimp to cook - the shrimp will curl and turn pink, and the scallops will become opaque. Don't overcook them, as it will make them rubbery and gross.

Serve with brown rice and steamed zucchini. If you don't have fresh ginger, you can use powdered - it tastes delicious regardless.

Care's been posting weekly recipes, too, so make sure you stop by her blog for more cooking ideas. Happy eating!

Mailbox Monday

2009-02-09T20:05:00.004-05:00

Look what I got this week!
The Rose That Grew From Concrete and the Dive trilogy were actually purchased at my local Waldenbooks (Rose for my poetry unit, and Dive because it was 90% off for all three books). I got Sag Harbor as part of the Barnes and Noble First Look Book Club; it sounds like a great book and I can't wait to get started on it. The 13 Clocks I actually ordered LAST YEAR and it just now arrived. I'm reading it as part of the Dream King Challenge.

Recipe Tuesday: Single-Serving Salmon Burger

2009-02-03T12:00:00.000-05:00

I started a diet about a week and a half ago, and at last weigh-in I've lost 6 pounds. It's not a lot, but it's something. This is one of my favorite new recipes from my diet cookbook. The recipe is for one burger, but I made 6 at the same time and popped the extras in the freezer. I'm not entirely sure how safe that is, but I'm down to my last two burgers and I haven't gotten sick yet. :)

Single-Serving Salmon Burger

Ingredients:
4 oz canned salmon
2 Tbs egg substitute
1 Tbs spicy mustard
1 Tbs fat-free mayo
1 tsp lemon juice
1 saltine cracker, crumbled

Gently mix the ingredients together and shape into a patty. Spray skillet with cooking spray (or use 1 tsp oil) and cook the patty, turning once, until browned on both sides. I had trouble getting mine to hold their shape; the book suggests popping them in the freezer for a few minutes to help them firm up, but that didn't work for me. No worries, though - I'm sure the shapeless amorphous blob has the same flavor as the perfectly round burger patty.

I like mine on whole wheat bread, with spinach. It may not look terribly appetizing, but it's darn tasty!

Weekly Geeks: Passions

2009-02-02T17:39:00.005-05:00

This week's Weekly Geeks challenge is:

#1. What are you passionate about besides reading and blogging? For example, are you crafty (knitting, woodworking, scrapbooking, model building)? Do you cook? Into gaming (computer or board)? Sports (player or spectator)? Photography? Maybe you like geocaching, rock climbing? Or love attending events like renaissance fairs, concerts? Music? Dancing? You get the idea.

Tell us why you're passionate about it. Post photos of what you've made or of yourself doing whatever it is you love doing.

#2. Get us involved. Link to tutorials, recipes, Youtube videos, websites, fan sites, etc, anything that will help us learn more about your interest or how to do your hobby. Maybe you'd like to link to another hobbyist whose work you admire or tell us about a book or magazine related to your interest.

#3. Visit other Weekly Geeks. Link in your post to other Geeks who've peaked your interest in their passion. Or maybe you might find a fellow afincionado among us, link to them.

I have quite a few interests that I'm passionate about, other than reading and blogging. I enjoy a good video game: I have a Wii, DS, GameBoy Color, PS1, PS2, and Sega Genesis. I'm currently playing Final Fantasy XII on the PS1, Okami on the Wii, Kingdom Hearts on the PS2, and bunch of random strategy, puzzle, action-adventure, and RPGs on the other systems.

Some video game sites of interest (to me, and hopefully to you):
GameFaqs - a great place to go for walkthrus and cheat codes. I post (very infrequently) as jessidee on the boards.
Penny Arcade - a hilarious comic series geared to gamers
Kotaku - a blog about games with great reviews

My next big passion is crafts. I scrapbook, cross stitch, knit, and crochet. I post my completed and works-in-progress on Ravelry - my username is jessidee on there, too, if anyone would like to friend me. Which brings me to...

The Dewey's Book Reading Challenge Knit-a-long Mini-Challenge! Whew, that's a long name. Anyway, here are the projects that I've started this year in honor of Dewey:

This is a hat-in-progress. It will eventually have i-cords and kitty ears. :) I'm excited about this one, because it's my first time using double-ended needles and knitting in the round. I had to frog it a few times, but it's coming along nicely now.

This is a shawl I'm crocheting by request for my mom.

And here are a few works-in-progress that are still hanging around from last year:

This is an amiguri (crocheted stuffed animal) lion that I'm making for my friend Casey. She's a big Harry Potter fan, and she wanted a "Gryffindor Lion." I've actually gotten more done since I took this picture, but I still haven't gotten it all put together.

This is a star-shaped baby blanket I started crocheting when I found out that one of my coworkers was pregnant. She's already had the baby, so I decided that who ever is closest to giving birth by the time I actually finish, gets it. I'm usually not this bad about completing projects, but I keep putting this one down in favor of other projects.

My flickr account is exclusively devoted to my knit-and-crochet projects (and my yarn!), because that's the photo organizer that Ravelry uses. Other fun crafty sites:

Cthulhu Crochet and Cousins and Geek Central Station both feature geeky amigurumi projects, usually with patterns or links for purchasing. I especially love the Firefly-related posts.
Modern Cottage - recipes (another one of my passions!) and general craftiness
Not Martha - as in Stewart. But I like their ideas and tips much better.
The Mario Scarf Blog - If you haven't heard of Cassie Smith, you really need to check this out. She's knitting the first world of Mario as one long, continuous scarf. It's pretty much the most amazing thing I've ever seen.

So, what are your passions? I'll be visiting other WGs and posting about what I discover throughout the week

Books Read in January

2009-02-01T21:15:00.003-05:00

To give y'all an idea of how far behind I am in my reading-and-reviewing schedule, here are (in no particular order) the books that I actually read in January:

The Last Days of Dogtown, Anita Diamant (started in December, but finished in January)
Jane Austen in Scarsdale, Paula Marantz Cohen
Audrey, Wait!, Robin Benway
The Second Summer of the Sisterhood, Girls in Pants, and Forever in Blue, Ann Brashares
Aquamarine, Alice Hoffman
Bingo Brown's Guide to Romance, Betsy Byars
Taffy Sinclair Strikes Again, Taffy Sinclair, Queen of the Soaps, Taffy Sinclair and the Romance Machine Disaster, Taffy Sinclair, Baby Ashley, and Me, Taffy Sinclair and the Secret Admirer Epidemic, The Truth About Taffy Sinclair, Betsy Haynes

Here are the short stories I've read and not reviewed:

"Contents of the Dead Man's Pocket," Jack Finney
"Everyday Use," Alice Walker
"The Pedestrian," Ray Bradbury
"The Storyteller," Saki
"Lamb to the Slaughter," Roald Dahl
"The Masque of the Red Death," Edgar Allan Poe

I also re-read one book that I've already reviewed:

Enthusiasm, Polly Shulman (Yep, it was so good, I actually read it again three months later - seriously, if you love Austen, you need to get yourself a copy!)

I'm currently reading:

What Would Audrey Do?, Pamela Keogh
Rock Bottom, Michael Shilling
Song for the Blue Ocean, Carl Safina

So...clearly, I am off to a good start re: the YA Reading Challenge (12!), I just need to get off my duff and actually review 'em.

And would you believe I still have books from last year that I haven't reviewed yet? They are:

An Abundance of Katherines, John Green
The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupery
The Tale of Despereaux, Kate DiCamillo
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Ann Brashares
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: The Graphic Novel, F. Scott Fitzgerald, et al

Sigh. On the plus side, a lot of these are challenge books, so the sooner I get them reviewed, the better I'll feel.