The other day, I think it was last Thursday I was in the crew room and overheard a flight attendant talking on his cell phone to one of his friends. Now, I admit, I was eavesdropping, mostly because I was completely devoid of entertainment and he was chatting loudly and it was nearly impossible not to hear him. This man was not much older than me, feet propped up on the table. His eyes were weirdly close together, and a hooked nose. Here is a reconstructed version of what I heard:
"Yeah, man, I tell my five year old to tell his teacher that all this homework is stupid. He comes home and has two hours of crap to do and then it's dinner and then it's his bedtime and he don't have any time to play. I tell him to say to his teacher that it don't make any sense to come home from school and then do more work........
......Yeah, he brings home this bullsh*t that he's never seen before in class. I ask him 'Have you even done this before?' and he says 'No.' So this b*tch is sending him home with crap that he hasn't ever seen before and expects us to teach it to him! WE have to do HER job! I am pissed! He don't need to be spending all his time doing homework, and I don't need to be spending all my time doing her job......"
Now, this one sided conversation made me shudder, not only because I might have to work with this asshole one day, but that his offspring - he already has two (one apparently is in pre-kindergarten) - is our next generation. That is so scary. I was lucky enough to have parents that stressed the importance of a good education; my mother has an AA in Computer Science and my father has a Master's Degree in Education, actually almost a Doctorate. I have a BA in English. I eventually want to further that to a post-graduate degree. I hold teachers in the highest esteem. My dad was a high school teacher and is now a part-time college professor, my mother a teacher's aide.
That being said, homework is something that needs to be done. It is to be expected, and it is a parent's responsibility to help their own children if they need it. And also, this may be a surprise to the idiot on the cell phone, but school is not a daycare and/or prison! It is a place to learn! Sometimes the school day isn't long enough, or the child needs some extra attention to grasp certain concepts, and that's where YOU as a PARENT comes in! You are responsible to teach your child, just as much as a teacher is! It is your responsibility since you brought this child into the world to educate him as well as you possibly can, and that doesn't mean just dropping him off at the nearest public school district and thinking that you are finished. You need to read to him, tutor him, check his homework, take him to the library, be chaperones on field trips, pack healthy lunches, join the PTA, and vote yes to bonds that fund museums, libraries, public education. If you think that is unattainable, idiot on the cell phone, then I think you were an unprepared father, and perhaps you should rethink bringing more children into this world.
Oh, and I am not going to say ANYTHING about your grammar, idiot on the cell phone, "he don't" and "it don't"! Lord!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Pandora
A few months ago Todd shared with me a great website called Pandora.com. It is basically a better version of the online radio, and is customizable to include and exclude any song, artist or genre that you especially like or dislike. This could have come in handy last year when I was helping him remodel his bathroom and we were listening to AOL Radio's Sailing Away channel for hours on end and forced to listen to such atrocities as "Undercover Angel" by Alan O'Day. That has since become an inside joke between us, as it was sooooo completely awful. But, dear Blog Readers, I thought that you might benefit from this amazing so-called Music Genome Project that can predict what song you will like by typing in a song you already like. I have found that the thumbs up and thumbs down feature is especially satisfying.
My profile, no surprise, is http://www.pandora.com/people/secreteeyore and you are welcome to browse, but no making fun! I like my Native American music to chill out to!
My profile, no surprise, is http://www.pandora.com/people/secreteeyore and you are welcome to browse, but no making fun! I like my Native American music to chill out to!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Craft Project
I bought a craft kit at Half-Price Books a few months ago, mostly because it was $3.98. It is entitled "Fun With Rock Painting: Dragon & Castle". So, being rather bored tonight, I took this kit off my shelf where it had been gathering dust and decided to be productive. I chose to do the dragon - the cute cover model.
This kit comes complete with everything that I need, save a Sharpie (but every flight attendant has a plethora of those anyhow), even a smooth river rock to paint. So, I get started, and quickly realize that the paint isn't really the greatest, but I stick with it. 
This is how it is supposed to look:
This is how mine turned out, after a few breaks to let the coats of paint dry. I can't get the cheap glue they included to get the wings to stick, so maybe it'll just be a fire-breathing lizard or something. I have come to the conclusion that the cover model is deceptive. In order to get that level of detail and quality, the rock had to be roughly the size of a cantaloupe, not the size of a sand dollar (like the one they provided me).
Just wanted to show you that I can actually paint (I seem to have a thing for reptilian creatures...) I made this at Art Attack! (a paint your own pottery place) in Albuquerque last Christmas when I was visiting my parents.
This kit comes complete with everything that I need, save a Sharpie (but every flight attendant has a plethora of those anyhow), even a smooth river rock to paint. So, I get started, and quickly realize that the paint isn't really the greatest, but I stick with it. This is how it is supposed to look:This is how mine turned out, after a few breaks to let the coats of paint dry. I can't get the cheap glue they included to get the wings to stick, so maybe it'll just be a fire-breathing lizard or something. I have come to the conclusion that the cover model is deceptive. In order to get that level of detail and quality, the rock had to be roughly the size of a cantaloupe, not the size of a sand dollar (like the one they provided me).
Just wanted to show you that I can actually paint (I seem to have a thing for reptilian creatures...) I made this at Art Attack! (a paint your own pottery place) in Albuquerque last Christmas when I was visiting my parents.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
FaceBook Drama
Okay. I am fairly conservative in my political views. I was raised in a strict, Catholic and Navy household. Nowadays, expressing my beliefs (being young and Republican) elicits a puzzled look and a whole lot of judgement. So I have learned to shut my mouth and not talk politics.
Yesterday was an historic day. I wish Barack Obama the best, and pray that his decisions are wise ones.
That being said, yesterday I got into some huge FaceBook drama concerning our new President, unintentionally. So, I have this "friend" Amber who I used to live on the same block in high school, and who I probably haven't spoken to (or seen) in 10 years. During the inauguration she posts this update saying [please keep in mind all this is paraphrasing because my memory might be a tad faulty because I was angry]:
-Amber is watcing history! and is proud 2 b american for the first time ever!
This statement made me huffy, and not just because she cannot capitalize 'American' or spell out 'to be'. I hate it when people say stuff like this. A person should be proud to be American every day of their natural lives, should fall on their knees every night and thank the Good Lord Above that he or she had the ultimate good fortune to be blessed enough to be here. I could go on. So, naturally, I commented.
-This is insanity! First time ever? Have you ever lived in another country or spent any significant time in the developing world? I can't believe people say stuff like this.
Please note, dear Blog Readers that I said nothing about the President or partisan politics. Her response?
-Be careful what you say. I didn't complain about YOUR president, you don't complain about MINE.
To which I said, very calmly:
-I wasn't referring to the President. I was referring to your not being proud of being an American.
During this time I also discovered that she had written on my Wall a post that contained these statements strung together "I have traveled and seen things and that's how I know", and "You seem like a very mean spirited person" among others. So I deleted her friendship. No big loss for me. And obviously, I deleted all her Wall posts.
So the next time I log in I have a new mail message from guess who? Amber. It contains the following message:
"You are a horrible, horrible person, and I cannot believe how mean and cruel you have been to me today."
Okay. I don't really see how I am a horrible, horrible person. In fact, I think that she is not so nice of a person herself. She was obviously a name-caller in this situation. I was just calling her out for not being patriotic.
Yesterday was an historic day. I wish Barack Obama the best, and pray that his decisions are wise ones.
That being said, yesterday I got into some huge FaceBook drama concerning our new President, unintentionally. So, I have this "friend" Amber who I used to live on the same block in high school, and who I probably haven't spoken to (or seen) in 10 years. During the inauguration she posts this update saying [please keep in mind all this is paraphrasing because my memory might be a tad faulty because I was angry]:
-Amber is watcing history! and is proud 2 b american for the first time ever!
This statement made me huffy, and not just because she cannot capitalize 'American' or spell out 'to be'. I hate it when people say stuff like this. A person should be proud to be American every day of their natural lives, should fall on their knees every night and thank the Good Lord Above that he or she had the ultimate good fortune to be blessed enough to be here. I could go on. So, naturally, I commented.
-This is insanity! First time ever? Have you ever lived in another country or spent any significant time in the developing world? I can't believe people say stuff like this.
Please note, dear Blog Readers that I said nothing about the President or partisan politics. Her response?
-Be careful what you say. I didn't complain about YOUR president, you don't complain about MINE.
To which I said, very calmly:
-I wasn't referring to the President. I was referring to your not being proud of being an American.
During this time I also discovered that she had written on my Wall a post that contained these statements strung together "I have traveled and seen things and that's how I know", and "You seem like a very mean spirited person" among others. So I deleted her friendship. No big loss for me. And obviously, I deleted all her Wall posts.
So the next time I log in I have a new mail message from guess who? Amber. It contains the following message:
"You are a horrible, horrible person, and I cannot believe how mean and cruel you have been to me today."
Okay. I don't really see how I am a horrible, horrible person. In fact, I think that she is not so nice of a person herself. She was obviously a name-caller in this situation. I was just calling her out for not being patriotic.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Dad in Town
On Thursday morning my dad came into town from Albuquerque for something like a 60 hour visit to his youngest (and dare I spoiled?) daughter. Here is a general itinerary of the visit:
Day One:
(Remain awake all night because sleep cycle is screwed up because of flying all night back from Rio the other night, and having an absurdly early neurology appointment this morning).
Pick Dad up at airport.
Eat at La Madeleine for brunch.
Go get gas in car.
Go get groceries.
Go to my apartment where Dad takes inventory of all my broken stuff.
Dad starts to take apart my vacuum.
Dad starts to take apart my lamp.
Dad starts to set up my Digital transition boxes, but realizes I need another antennae for my bedroom television.
We go to Target to buy batteries, bathmat & bath rugs (both of these were ruined in ceiling collapse during Hurricane Ike), light bulbs galore, picture frames, belt for my vacuum, antennae for my television in the bedroom.
Go to Chuy's for dinner where I introduce him to green chili margaritas and Elvis' picture hanging on the wall (my Chihuahua, who actually lives in Albuquerque with my parents, see other blog).
By the time we get home it is only 7pm, but I have been up almost 29hours straight and can't keep my eyes open, so I stuff in my earplugs and kiss Daddy goodnight and pass out. Between the time I am sleeping and he is awake, Dad changes all the batteries in my clocks (and sets them to the correct time!???! that's new) and smoke detectors, sets up my non-working VCR to make it actually work, finishes fixing vacuum, unclogs my bathroom sink, and frames a few photos.
Day Two:
I wake up at 5am because I went to bed so early, and find Dad (rightly) snoring on my Aerobed. I decide to read until he wakes up, he's an early bird (former military and all), so I figure he'd be up soon. He was up within the hour. We eat breakfast at home, watch tv for a few hours. Obviously way more relaxed this day.
We set out on the road again.
Go to Batteries Plus for new car battery. Oops this one doesn't have my size. Go to different one. Get lost along the way. Finally get there after several U-turns.
Go to Target one more time because we need more lightbulbs.
Go to hardware store for a lamp part.
We head to Crescent City Beignets for beignets and cafe au laits, a must whenever Dad is in town.
We decide to go to Ikea for lunch (even though we've had dessert first) and to take advantage of final days of Blue Moon sale. Miss turn off of Memorial onto Antoine and go several blocks further than necessary. Driving is not my strong suit. But I realize my mistake, eventually.
Race home to make the 3pm reserve flight attendant pick up window (there are 3 positions open on the 4-day Honolulu).
Get home with 25 minutes to spare, I become CCS zombie, until my DSL goes down at 2:59pm, when I become a curse-spewing sailor on shore leave.
Well after that drama, we decide to go see "Valkyrie". I am a fan of this movie, and not just because Kenneth Branaugh is in it (if you haven't seen his version of Hamlet - then you haven't lived). Very well written, the sheer audacity of the imagery is spellbinding. Inspiring.
We then go to SouperSalad for dinner. A guilty pleasure for me (I'm vegetarian).
Upon our return home Dad procedes to fix the lamp.
Day 3:
Today begins with a trip to CVS to drop off my Rx from the neurologist.
Then off to BestBuy to get my good laptop fixed (currently using spare because good one has been broken for about a month can't hold a charge because charger is broken amung other things).
Then Chik-Fil-A. Now, I don't eat chicken, but this place has the best side-salads for future reference, because they actually put cheese on them. And sunflower seeds. And they have soft-serve ice cream.
We go back home because I have to get ready for (AH!) airport alert, and Dad is leaving on a flight later this night.
I dropped him off at the gate, and was walking back to the crew room to check in for work, and was overcome. People were staring at the misty eyed flight attendant. I hate saying goodbye!
Basically, Dad came down to check up on the baby of the family and make sure that I am doing alright, here on my own in Houston. And I love him for it!
Thanks Daddy!
Day One:
(Remain awake all night because sleep cycle is screwed up because of flying all night back from Rio the other night, and having an absurdly early neurology appointment this morning).
Pick Dad up at airport.
Eat at La Madeleine for brunch.
Go get gas in car.
Go get groceries.
Go to my apartment where Dad takes inventory of all my broken stuff.
Dad starts to take apart my vacuum.
Dad starts to take apart my lamp.
Dad starts to set up my Digital transition boxes, but realizes I need another antennae for my bedroom television.
We go to Target to buy batteries, bathmat & bath rugs (both of these were ruined in ceiling collapse during Hurricane Ike), light bulbs galore, picture frames, belt for my vacuum, antennae for my television in the bedroom.
Go to Chuy's for dinner where I introduce him to green chili margaritas and Elvis' picture hanging on the wall (my Chihuahua, who actually lives in Albuquerque with my parents, see other blog).
By the time we get home it is only 7pm, but I have been up almost 29hours straight and can't keep my eyes open, so I stuff in my earplugs and kiss Daddy goodnight and pass out. Between the time I am sleeping and he is awake, Dad changes all the batteries in my clocks (and sets them to the correct time!???! that's new) and smoke detectors, sets up my non-working VCR to make it actually work, finishes fixing vacuum, unclogs my bathroom sink, and frames a few photos.
Day Two:
I wake up at 5am because I went to bed so early, and find Dad (rightly) snoring on my Aerobed. I decide to read until he wakes up, he's an early bird (former military and all), so I figure he'd be up soon. He was up within the hour. We eat breakfast at home, watch tv for a few hours. Obviously way more relaxed this day.
We set out on the road again.
Go to Batteries Plus for new car battery. Oops this one doesn't have my size. Go to different one. Get lost along the way. Finally get there after several U-turns.
Go to Target one more time because we need more lightbulbs.
Go to hardware store for a lamp part.
We head to Crescent City Beignets for beignets and cafe au laits, a must whenever Dad is in town.
We decide to go to Ikea for lunch (even though we've had dessert first) and to take advantage of final days of Blue Moon sale. Miss turn off of Memorial onto Antoine and go several blocks further than necessary. Driving is not my strong suit. But I realize my mistake, eventually.
Race home to make the 3pm reserve flight attendant pick up window (there are 3 positions open on the 4-day Honolulu).
Get home with 25 minutes to spare, I become CCS zombie, until my DSL goes down at 2:59pm, when I become a curse-spewing sailor on shore leave.
Well after that drama, we decide to go see "Valkyrie". I am a fan of this movie, and not just because Kenneth Branaugh is in it (if you haven't seen his version of Hamlet - then you haven't lived). Very well written, the sheer audacity of the imagery is spellbinding. Inspiring.
We then go to SouperSalad for dinner. A guilty pleasure for me (I'm vegetarian).
Upon our return home Dad procedes to fix the lamp.
Day 3:
Today begins with a trip to CVS to drop off my Rx from the neurologist.
Then off to BestBuy to get my good laptop fixed (currently using spare because good one has been broken for about a month can't hold a charge because charger is broken amung other things).
Then Chik-Fil-A. Now, I don't eat chicken, but this place has the best side-salads for future reference, because they actually put cheese on them. And sunflower seeds. And they have soft-serve ice cream.
We go back home because I have to get ready for (AH!) airport alert, and Dad is leaving on a flight later this night.
I dropped him off at the gate, and was walking back to the crew room to check in for work, and was overcome. People were staring at the misty eyed flight attendant. I hate saying goodbye!
Basically, Dad came down to check up on the baby of the family and make sure that I am doing alright, here on my own in Houston. And I love him for it!
Thanks Daddy!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Books for the New Year *updated*
I just wanted to let everyone know that I am a failure in my 2008 New Year's Resolution. It was to read 50 books in a year - all the way through. Yes, I read a lot, but I did not make this seemingly easy goal. I always have a stack of books by my bed, couch, in my suitcase, purse; and a list of books in my head that I need to purchase at Half Price Books (if they are old or out of print) or Barnes & Noble (if they are new or I just want that little thrill of a fresh smelling book). I go to the bookstore to relax. It is a place where I am myself. I am a complete nerd. I'll admit it. I love books. And all these gadgetry things like eBooks and Kindles and such are blasphemous to me. But that's another issue entirely. The problem I seem to have is that I start a book and I read about 75% of it before I decide it sucks and I shouldn't waste my time on it and then I realize that I could have been using that valuable reading time with a great book. So although I have easily started probably 80 books in 2008, I only actually finished 37. Here's the list.
1) The Sharper Your Knife the Less You Cry by Kathleen Flinn 304p
2) Bella Tuscany by Frances Mayes 304p
3) Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck 288p
4) The Reading Group by Elizabeth Noble 429p
5) Year in the World by Frances Mayes 420p
6) Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden 448p
7) A Year Without Made in China by Sara Bondgiorni 256p
8) Bad Dogs Have More Fun by John Grogan 247p
9) Silk by Alessandro Baricco 132p
10) Swan by Frances Mayes 323p
11) Me & Mr. Darcy by Alexandra Potter 356p
12) Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield 224p
13) The Red Pony by John Steinbeck 112p
14) Catholicism for Dummies by John Triglio et al 414p
15) Helping Me Help Myself by Beth Lisick 265p
16) How to be Lovely: The Audrey Hepburn Way of Life by Melissa Hellstern 195p
17) Now That You Are a Catholic by John J. Kenny C.S.P. 119p
18) 100 Words to Make You Sound Smart by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionary 118p
19) Bringing Tuscany Home by Frances Mayes 228p
20) Sex Begins in the Kitchen by Dr. Kevin Leman 272p
21) The Seven Levels of Intimacy: The Art of Loving and the Joy of Being Loved by Matthew Kelly 272p
22) The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands by Dr. Laura Schlessinger 180p
23) Alphabet Weekends by Elizabeth Noble 425p
24) The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice 349p
25) It's All Greek to Me! by John Mole 342p
26) Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote 111p
27) Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella 310p
28) Weddings from the Heart by Daphne Rose Kingma 188p
29) The 100 Simple Secrets of Great Relationships by David Niven 223p
30) Nickle and Dimed; On (Not) Getting by in America by Barbara Ehrenreich 230p
31) The Friendship Test by Elizabeth Noble 437p
32) Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding 271p
33) Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Hanry Dana, Jr. 405p
34) Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler 291p
35) A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity by Bill O'Reilly 256p
36) People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks 372p
37) Audrey Style by Pamela Clarke Keogh 240p
------------------------------------------------------------
Total 10,356 pages read.
The literary year of 2008 made me realize a few things. First, always stick with your favorite authors. Mine happen to include Frances Mayes. I read Under the Tuscan Sun a few years ago and it was such an inspirational work (unlike the movie - so unlike the movie), and that stuck in my head as one of the authors that I would aspire to be like, if I were to write - which I intend to later on in life. In fact, I want her life - part-time English professor during the school year, living in Tuscany enjoying La Bella Vita and writing on her time off! So in 2008 I read almost everything else she has ever written. And it has deepened my admiration for her style. Swan is her first piece of fiction to be published, and I must say that I am in awe.
Also, don't just read books for their length (or lack thereof). I thought I would throw in a few 100 paged classics in there because they were easy to read and I should have read them anyhow (The Red Pony by Steinbeck is especially in my brain at this point). Yeah, that is a f*cked up piece of literature, and I do not see how 100 pages can illicit such emotional and psychological damage in myself, and be required 5th grade reading in a lot of schools. I do not recommend, unless you want to alternatively cry yourself to sleep and lie awake for a few nights.
Also, learn what you like to read, and do not rely on others for suggestions. I should have really trusted my gut on this one: Confessions of a Shopaholic. This title was thrown out as a suggestion for me to read because apparently people know of my obsession with Tiffany's, and therefore think they know me. When I located it at Barnes & Noble my instinct told me "lowest-common-denominator drivel," and to go peruse the British history section; but I didn't, and guess what? I was right, and am currently kicking myself for not reading Georgiana the Duchess of Devonshire all the while. Confessions of a Shopaholic sucked, but I felt obliged to read it, so I trudged through. I hate chick-lit. Any book that one can buy at a CVS or Walgreen's probably isn't good literature and probably won't expand your mind. I work with a lot of misinformed people out there who believe that Nicholas Sparks is a novelist on par with Dickens. Uh, if there are any - ANY - Nicholas Sparks books on your bookshelves at this moment, I encourage you to rethink that decision. Please. (As a side note, the book about Tiffany, My Summer at Tiffany, was a great memoir of a girl in the 60s who interned there. Wonderful read! And completely on a different level then Confessions of a Shopaholic).
I must admit that I have a Jane Austen addiction. It began vaguely my sophomore year of college when I read Mansfield Park in depth and watched Patricia Rozema's film. Since then I have taken college courses about her works, seen every movie, and basically read everything there is to read about Jane Austen and her wonderful works of fiction, which explains the preponderance of Jane Austen-type titles appearing on the list (Me and Mr. Darcy, Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, and Bridget Jones's Diary). I can't help myself. Okay, and post script here, I am totally aware of the fact that Jones's is grammatically wrong. But it is the title. You would think that the bigwigs at Penguin Publishing would catch something as obvious as that...
I have discovered in 2008 one of the most moving, lyrical and beautiful books ever written. One of my now all time favorites. Silk. I read it in one sitting. God! It is poetry. It is love. It is music for the soul. I love it. The best part is, it was originally written in Italian! This book is a translation! I can only imagine how exquisite it is in its original tongue, like Neruda's poetry. And the film, though, not up to par with the book, is amazing in it's cinematography and ambitious in it's tone as well. Silk. Silk. Silk. Rapturous Silk!
I also in 2008 have revisited my Catholic roots. Several books have helped me rediscover faith in God, and although it probably makes me seem dense, I really rather enjoyed Catholicism for Dummies. One of my lifetime goals is to eventually get through the Bible. I know, I know. I have tried so many times. The Old Testament always gets me though, with all the histories and lists of names. I try. I have several bibles in fact, and the most interesting one I have found, and have been reading throughout 2008, though not completed to make THE LIST is my Catholic Women's Devotional NRSV. Very nice, and divided into a daily reading and brings out the women's roles in the bible. Highly recommended.
I had the absolute pleasure of reading It's All Greek to Me! on my week and a half long journey through Greece this past summer. I must tell you that this was probably the funniest book I have read, and my mom kept looking at me weird on the plane when I would laugh my loud laugh. She finally just said, "read it to me!" one night, so I started over from the beginning and read aloud to her and it was a great bonding experience. This is a hysterical book, and I tell you that it added so much to my travels. Highly recommended.
I discovered by accident another author that I had to read everything by this year, and that is Elizabeth Noble. She is a Brit, and her works are so good, it's embarrassing that I chose her first book, The Reading Group, because I liked that there was a dog on the cover.
Two Years Before the Mast is a work that I would not ordinarily pick up, but it was on a subject that I knew nothing of, and wanted to learn about- sailing. This is sailing in its most antiquated terms; with spars, masts, rigs, mizzens, forecastles and jibs, on a ship that sets sail around Cape Horn for California in the 1830s. It is a memoir of a man quite famous in his day, and very much a man's book. My dad, a 27 year veteran of the Navy, was quite proud of his daughter when he learned of my reading this book.
Memoirs of a Geisha I decided to read because Todd told me he was reading it, and I wanted to start a sort of long-distance book club. That didn't really work out, because I finished it like 3 weeks sooner than he did, but this book is amazing, nonetheless. The movie didn't do it justice. I was born in Japan, and moved away when I was 2 and a half, so I always feel like there is a part of my subconscious that is influenced in some way by their culture, that I just don't see yet. I love learning the little details of the geisha's life. But there was something that really bothered me about this book - in the end Sayuri is at this tropical island and she says she sees pineapples growing on trees. That really brought me out of the book, I had to reread that sentence about four times to make sure I read it right. I think that's like a general science question in Trivial Pursuit. Pineapples do not grow on trees!
Anyhow, my New Year's Resolution for 2009 is the same as it was for 2008. I have already read Phillipa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl (and tremendously enjoyed it.....I seem to have a thing for historical fiction). Right now I am reading Passion by Jude Morgan which is about the Romantic poets i.e. Byron, Shelley, and Keats, and the love affairs that inspired them. And let me tell you the title lives up to the story! I still have a long list of books to read, and I'll keep you all posted.
1) The Sharper Your Knife the Less You Cry by Kathleen Flinn 304p
2) Bella Tuscany by Frances Mayes 304p
3) Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck 288p
4) The Reading Group by Elizabeth Noble 429p
5) Year in the World by Frances Mayes 420p
6) Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden 448p
7) A Year Without Made in China by Sara Bondgiorni 256p
8) Bad Dogs Have More Fun by John Grogan 247p
9) Silk by Alessandro Baricco 132p
10) Swan by Frances Mayes 323p
11) Me & Mr. Darcy by Alexandra Potter 356p
12) Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield 224p
13) The Red Pony by John Steinbeck 112p
14) Catholicism for Dummies by John Triglio et al 414p
15) Helping Me Help Myself by Beth Lisick 265p
16) How to be Lovely: The Audrey Hepburn Way of Life by Melissa Hellstern 195p
17) Now That You Are a Catholic by John J. Kenny C.S.P. 119p
18) 100 Words to Make You Sound Smart by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionary 118p
19) Bringing Tuscany Home by Frances Mayes 228p
20) Sex Begins in the Kitchen by Dr. Kevin Leman 272p
21) The Seven Levels of Intimacy: The Art of Loving and the Joy of Being Loved by Matthew Kelly 272p
22) The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands by Dr. Laura Schlessinger 180p
23) Alphabet Weekends by Elizabeth Noble 425p
24) The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice 349p
25) It's All Greek to Me! by John Mole 342p
26) Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote 111p
27) Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella 310p
28) Weddings from the Heart by Daphne Rose Kingma 188p
29) The 100 Simple Secrets of Great Relationships by David Niven 223p
30) Nickle and Dimed; On (Not) Getting by in America by Barbara Ehrenreich 230p
31) The Friendship Test by Elizabeth Noble 437p
32) Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding 271p
33) Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Hanry Dana, Jr. 405p
34) Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler 291p
35) A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity by Bill O'Reilly 256p
36) People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks 372p
37) Audrey Style by Pamela Clarke Keogh 240p
------------------------------------------------------------
Total 10,356 pages read.
The literary year of 2008 made me realize a few things. First, always stick with your favorite authors. Mine happen to include Frances Mayes. I read Under the Tuscan Sun a few years ago and it was such an inspirational work (unlike the movie - so unlike the movie), and that stuck in my head as one of the authors that I would aspire to be like, if I were to write - which I intend to later on in life. In fact, I want her life - part-time English professor during the school year, living in Tuscany enjoying La Bella Vita and writing on her time off! So in 2008 I read almost everything else she has ever written. And it has deepened my admiration for her style. Swan is her first piece of fiction to be published, and I must say that I am in awe.
Also, don't just read books for their length (or lack thereof). I thought I would throw in a few 100 paged classics in there because they were easy to read and I should have read them anyhow (The Red Pony by Steinbeck is especially in my brain at this point). Yeah, that is a f*cked up piece of literature, and I do not see how 100 pages can illicit such emotional and psychological damage in myself, and be required 5th grade reading in a lot of schools. I do not recommend, unless you want to alternatively cry yourself to sleep and lie awake for a few nights.
Also, learn what you like to read, and do not rely on others for suggestions. I should have really trusted my gut on this one: Confessions of a Shopaholic. This title was thrown out as a suggestion for me to read because apparently people know of my obsession with Tiffany's, and therefore think they know me. When I located it at Barnes & Noble my instinct told me "lowest-common-denominator drivel," and to go peruse the British history section; but I didn't, and guess what? I was right, and am currently kicking myself for not reading Georgiana the Duchess of Devonshire all the while. Confessions of a Shopaholic sucked, but I felt obliged to read it, so I trudged through. I hate chick-lit. Any book that one can buy at a CVS or Walgreen's probably isn't good literature and probably won't expand your mind. I work with a lot of misinformed people out there who believe that Nicholas Sparks is a novelist on par with Dickens. Uh, if there are any - ANY - Nicholas Sparks books on your bookshelves at this moment, I encourage you to rethink that decision. Please. (As a side note, the book about Tiffany, My Summer at Tiffany, was a great memoir of a girl in the 60s who interned there. Wonderful read! And completely on a different level then Confessions of a Shopaholic).
I must admit that I have a Jane Austen addiction. It began vaguely my sophomore year of college when I read Mansfield Park in depth and watched Patricia Rozema's film. Since then I have taken college courses about her works, seen every movie, and basically read everything there is to read about Jane Austen and her wonderful works of fiction, which explains the preponderance of Jane Austen-type titles appearing on the list (Me and Mr. Darcy, Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, and Bridget Jones's Diary). I can't help myself. Okay, and post script here, I am totally aware of the fact that Jones's is grammatically wrong. But it is the title. You would think that the bigwigs at Penguin Publishing would catch something as obvious as that...
I have discovered in 2008 one of the most moving, lyrical and beautiful books ever written. One of my now all time favorites. Silk. I read it in one sitting. God! It is poetry. It is love. It is music for the soul. I love it. The best part is, it was originally written in Italian! This book is a translation! I can only imagine how exquisite it is in its original tongue, like Neruda's poetry. And the film, though, not up to par with the book, is amazing in it's cinematography and ambitious in it's tone as well. Silk. Silk. Silk. Rapturous Silk!
I also in 2008 have revisited my Catholic roots. Several books have helped me rediscover faith in God, and although it probably makes me seem dense, I really rather enjoyed Catholicism for Dummies. One of my lifetime goals is to eventually get through the Bible. I know, I know. I have tried so many times. The Old Testament always gets me though, with all the histories and lists of names. I try. I have several bibles in fact, and the most interesting one I have found, and have been reading throughout 2008, though not completed to make THE LIST is my Catholic Women's Devotional NRSV. Very nice, and divided into a daily reading and brings out the women's roles in the bible. Highly recommended.
I had the absolute pleasure of reading It's All Greek to Me! on my week and a half long journey through Greece this past summer. I must tell you that this was probably the funniest book I have read, and my mom kept looking at me weird on the plane when I would laugh my loud laugh. She finally just said, "read it to me!" one night, so I started over from the beginning and read aloud to her and it was a great bonding experience. This is a hysterical book, and I tell you that it added so much to my travels. Highly recommended.
I discovered by accident another author that I had to read everything by this year, and that is Elizabeth Noble. She is a Brit, and her works are so good, it's embarrassing that I chose her first book, The Reading Group, because I liked that there was a dog on the cover.
Two Years Before the Mast is a work that I would not ordinarily pick up, but it was on a subject that I knew nothing of, and wanted to learn about- sailing. This is sailing in its most antiquated terms; with spars, masts, rigs, mizzens, forecastles and jibs, on a ship that sets sail around Cape Horn for California in the 1830s. It is a memoir of a man quite famous in his day, and very much a man's book. My dad, a 27 year veteran of the Navy, was quite proud of his daughter when he learned of my reading this book.
Memoirs of a Geisha I decided to read because Todd told me he was reading it, and I wanted to start a sort of long-distance book club. That didn't really work out, because I finished it like 3 weeks sooner than he did, but this book is amazing, nonetheless. The movie didn't do it justice. I was born in Japan, and moved away when I was 2 and a half, so I always feel like there is a part of my subconscious that is influenced in some way by their culture, that I just don't see yet. I love learning the little details of the geisha's life. But there was something that really bothered me about this book - in the end Sayuri is at this tropical island and she says she sees pineapples growing on trees. That really brought me out of the book, I had to reread that sentence about four times to make sure I read it right. I think that's like a general science question in Trivial Pursuit. Pineapples do not grow on trees!
Anyhow, my New Year's Resolution for 2009 is the same as it was for 2008. I have already read Phillipa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl (and tremendously enjoyed it.....I seem to have a thing for historical fiction). Right now I am reading Passion by Jude Morgan which is about the Romantic poets i.e. Byron, Shelley, and Keats, and the love affairs that inspired them. And let me tell you the title lives up to the story! I still have a long list of books to read, and I'll keep you all posted.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Elvis' PetSmart Christmas Photos
I am a Chihuahua kind of girl. I tend to like Chihuahuas, and actually any dog in general, better than people. My dream is to be a housewife and rescue them and have a whole brood of them. That being said, my current profession being the way it is, the love of my life, my almost 6 year old miniature Chihuahua, Elvis, is forced to be foster parented by my parents in Albuquerque, whilst I live alone in Houston. I miss him very much. He does visit me often, he has his own little airplane carrier and my mom brings him along when she visits me. Often times, I find myself getting a little bit more excited that he's coming rather than she is. (Is that bad??). Anyways, I am a good Chihuahua momma. Some might say a tad bit obsessive. Every year I take him to PetSmart to get his photo taken with Santa. And now, a trip down memory lane....
This was 2003. He was about 9 months old, and was so nervous to be held by anyone else that I had to kind of sidle on in next to Santa. So I overlook his cute little neuroses, he's a Chihuahua! You can kind of tell that he was trying his best to escape.
This is obviously the Easter Bunny, in spring of 2004, and an anomoly at PetSmart, because this is the only time that I know of that he was available for pictures. Elvis doesn't look too happy about a man in a rabbit trying to squeeze him. This one makes me giggle.
This is me at my best. Spoiling my baby. He is in a Coach jacket. And he still looks petrified of Santa.
Christmas 2005 he seems to have calmed down a bit. This is actually my favorite Christmas photo of him. He is in his little red and green ski sweater and is actually making eye contact with the camera, and he is at his full grown weight. I'm gushing! Such a proud momma! He's smiling in this one!
He is scared again in this one, and looks like he about to leap down and bite some ankles. At least the red ribbon looks good!
Last year's photo was another good one, this time a close up and the first time that it wasn't a Polaroid (I think because the Polaroid company was circling the drain at the time...). It's a larger photo and looks like Elvis is wearing a bow tie. So sweet and dorky!
2008's photo is a tribute to Elvis' Blue Hawaii. Elvis is in his little Hawaiian shirt and kukuii nut lei that I bought him in Honolulu. He again looks scared and about to do a kamikaze jump. Odd thing about this one too, is that "Santa" is a woman. Could they really not find a guy?
Elvis' Christmas present to his mama this year - an ornament from Hallmark with his photo in it. I collect Hallmark ornaments, and this one is extremely special in that it has a little button that you push to hear his actual barking. Yep. My parents actually recorded his barking for me. That's how obsessed they are for him too! Haha!
This was 2003. He was about 9 months old, and was so nervous to be held by anyone else that I had to kind of sidle on in next to Santa. So I overlook his cute little neuroses, he's a Chihuahua! You can kind of tell that he was trying his best to escape.This is obviously the Easter Bunny, in spring of 2004, and an anomoly at PetSmart, because this is the only time that I know of that he was available for pictures. Elvis doesn't look too happy about a man in a rabbit trying to squeeze him. This one makes me giggle.
This is me at my best. Spoiling my baby. He is in a Coach jacket. And he still looks petrified of Santa.Christmas 2005 he seems to have calmed down a bit. This is actually my favorite Christmas photo of him. He is in his little red and green ski sweater and is actually making eye contact with the camera, and he is at his full grown weight. I'm gushing! Such a proud momma! He's smiling in this one!
He is scared again in this one, and looks like he about to leap down and bite some ankles. At least the red ribbon looks good!
Last year's photo was another good one, this time a close up and the first time that it wasn't a Polaroid (I think because the Polaroid company was circling the drain at the time...). It's a larger photo and looks like Elvis is wearing a bow tie. So sweet and dorky!
2008's photo is a tribute to Elvis' Blue Hawaii. Elvis is in his little Hawaiian shirt and kukuii nut lei that I bought him in Honolulu. He again looks scared and about to do a kamikaze jump. Odd thing about this one too, is that "Santa" is a woman. Could they really not find a guy?
Elvis' Christmas present to his mama this year - an ornament from Hallmark with his photo in it. I collect Hallmark ornaments, and this one is extremely special in that it has a little button that you push to hear his actual barking. Yep. My parents actually recorded his barking for me. That's how obsessed they are for him too! Haha!
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