Memories from childhood include sleeping over at my Grandmothers to and watching movies with my cousins.
Other memories from childhood include charades games with the neighbor families, where sometimes we postponed midnight because we were in the middle of the game. When you have two men in the room named Jay, it is easier to get Roget's Thesaurus.
Senior year of high school, got me grounded for a month, after getting so ill from Mr. Jack Daniels. (granted being grounded when you are in rehearsals and dance classes, doesn't change your life too much).
One NYE, I went to see the movie Chorus Line with my sister and her friend.
One spectacular NYE, Victoria and I went to Vegas - Lottie and Lala had a great time.
This year, my friend Amiee and I are going to Zanzibar to see my favorite d.j. We will nosh a bit first at a local restaurant then to dance to fabulous music. Perhaps there will be stories to relate tomorrow. hmmm...
Thursday, December 31, 2009
New Years Eve
Just getting over another flu. This has been the season for them. This is the last day of the decade, the year, and it is a Blue Moon. What does this portent? What are my goals for the next year? What are my wishes and desires? hmmm.... love is definitely on the list. A larger income, a baby, what else? my G tour (Greece, Geneva, and maybe Germany). Now to make plans. I am feng shui-ing my apartment to create space for someone to enter my life (and for all good things).
Monday, October 19, 2009
life update
Well the diet went out the window when I came down with the flu the next day. All is well now. I am currently eating wee bits of really good chocolate and drinking red wine (my hormones are happy). Life feels very confusing at the moment, and all there is to do is to keep moving forward.
Last week, my friend and neighbor Kellie Jean started helping me feng shui my apartment. I got rid of a lot of stuff and there is more to get rid of. My love corner and my money corner have been transformed. Now if my love life and my financial standing would become transformed, I would be very excited.
Keep moving forward. Little steps. - these seem to be my current mantra.
Last week, my friend and neighbor Kellie Jean started helping me feng shui my apartment. I got rid of a lot of stuff and there is more to get rid of. My love corner and my money corner have been transformed. Now if my love life and my financial standing would become transformed, I would be very excited.
Keep moving forward. Little steps. - these seem to be my current mantra.
quotes
In the current clean out of my home, I have found the following quotes. And since I want to throw away the little cards they are on, I am posting them here.
No bird soars too high if he soars iwth his own wings. - William Blake
You are the one who can stretch your own horizon. - Edgar Magnin
Never fear the space betweenyour dreams and reality. If you can dream it, you can make it so. - Belva Davis (this one is helping right now)
Dram lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become. - James Allen
It may be those who do most, dream most. - Stephen Leacock
Do not pray for dreams equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your dreams. - Phillip Brooks
Have the courage to embrace the greatness for which you were born. - Edge Keynote
No bird soars too high if he soars iwth his own wings. - William Blake
You are the one who can stretch your own horizon. - Edgar Magnin
Never fear the space betweenyour dreams and reality. If you can dream it, you can make it so. - Belva Davis (this one is helping right now)
Dram lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become. - James Allen
It may be those who do most, dream most. - Stephen Leacock
Do not pray for dreams equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your dreams. - Phillip Brooks
Have the courage to embrace the greatness for which you were born. - Edge Keynote
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Kinky at Cal Plaza
Sunday night, after much anticipation, I went to see, one of my favorite bands, Kinky. They were fabulous. I created a goal for myself (and now that I am writing it down, I need to figure out the best way to do it) of translating their Spanish songs into English so that I know what they are singing. I am sure there is some place on line that has this, but I would learn a lot from doing it myself. My friend, Angeles, kept translating bits of songs for my on Sunday and it just made me want to know more.
The crowd was huge. It was hard to find a place to stand and still see the band and not be standing in "fire lanes." But we did it. We found an edge to stand and dance in where we could see and it wasn't over crowded.
I just love watching them move. I like listening to them sing too, but I love to watch them move about the stage. I will have to find a video clip that shows this so I can post it.
The crowd was huge. It was hard to find a place to stand and still see the band and not be standing in "fire lanes." But we did it. We found an edge to stand and dance in where we could see and it wasn't over crowded.
I just love watching them move. I like listening to them sing too, but I love to watch them move about the stage. I will have to find a video clip that shows this so I can post it.
Word of Warning (from a friend)
Yesterday, I was telling a friend of mine about my new diet. Her warning was not to lose weight too quickly as it will show in my face. Which has always seemed a good thing, but now it means my wrinkles will show more, my skin will be a bit loose. All the things to think about.
Monday, September 21, 2009
wait weight
This morning I actually dared weigh myself. Lately (as in this summer), I have been eating and drinking with very little regard for what it is other than pleasure and I have noticed areas of my body becoming larger and my clothes becoming tighter. The weight didnt' wait. So, according to the doctor like scale we have at the clinic, I weigh 148 pounds. I weighed myself for the sole purpose of being able to see how much weight I lose. I have put myself on a very strict diet, which has some leeway given my activity level. (leeway and strict in the same sentence, hmmm.... - but adding a few ounces of veggies or an extra piece or two of fruit is allowable). So far so good (granted it is day 1). I don't know what the goal is other than I feel better in my clothes. I should end up a bit healthier too. I was going to do the Master Cleanse again. But this seemed much healthier both physically and mentally. It is 3.5 oz of veggies 2x a day, 3.5 oz of fish 2x a day and 3.5 oz of fruit 2x a day. And lots of water and tea. I am back on a bit of caffiene, but very rarely. We shall see how this goes. If I need more fruit and/or veggies so I don't bite anyones head off, I think that is completely okay. The hard part is prep and choices, where in the master cleanse there are no choices.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
sisters
Today, I was reminded of the power of sisterhood. I went to visit my great aunt - my grandmother's brother's wife. I hadn't seen her in about 15 years. I am in Chicago for work and I drove out to Oakpark to visit her and her sister (they live together). It turns out my aunt has Alzheimer's. Her sister didn't tell me that until I arrived. She did tell me she was confined to a wheelchair before I drove out. She looked good. Her eyes are bright blue and she had make up on (and not too much). They have help. A day person and a night. But Sunday the day help leaves early. My aunt was excited to have a guest. It was nice to see them both. They are only 2 years apart and my aunt's disease began 2 years ago - a bit of a concern. My aunt's sister takes such good care of her and has so much patience, it is amazing. I only hope my sister is so patient and caring with me; or that I can be with her. My aunt's sister, Jo, made the comment that she thinks all girls should have sisters because in some way they need them and I believe they enhance each other. I wish I had taken a picture of them together as they are beautiful and they both glow in their own way. I am thankful for my sister.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Random Thoughts on 4th of July
This 4th of July is my first day off since Memorial Day. Granted, a lot of the days, I don't work the whole day, and some of the days I only had one client, but having a whole day off is nice.
They are shooting off fireworks over Main Street right now. Makes me glad I didn't try to go to bed early.
The 4th of July and fireworks always reminds me of my mom and the fireworks in Foster City. The fireworks in Foster City shoot off right over head (or so they seem), so you watch them while lying on your back in the grass of the park. That is the best way to watch fireworks. Many feel it is better to view fireworks from up high and see many different firework shows. I would much prefer one show and to be directly under them.
My mom loved fireworks. She would oooh and ahhh, rather to my embarrassment, but now I do the same thing and laugh about it.
I skipped the party I was supposed to go to this evening and had dinner at home - quiet and lazy. I wasn't a complete hermit: I watched the parade this morning with friends; introduced Jane (my 22 month old friend) to Doris; stopped by a friends bbq; and went to the movies with another friend (during which we laughed a lot - Hangover is worth seeing); I even went for a walk down to the ocean and put my feet in the water (granted I did that by myself, so maybe that qualifies as hermity).
They are shooting off fireworks over Main Street right now. Makes me glad I didn't try to go to bed early.
The 4th of July and fireworks always reminds me of my mom and the fireworks in Foster City. The fireworks in Foster City shoot off right over head (or so they seem), so you watch them while lying on your back in the grass of the park. That is the best way to watch fireworks. Many feel it is better to view fireworks from up high and see many different firework shows. I would much prefer one show and to be directly under them.
My mom loved fireworks. She would oooh and ahhh, rather to my embarrassment, but now I do the same thing and laugh about it.
I skipped the party I was supposed to go to this evening and had dinner at home - quiet and lazy. I wasn't a complete hermit: I watched the parade this morning with friends; introduced Jane (my 22 month old friend) to Doris; stopped by a friends bbq; and went to the movies with another friend (during which we laughed a lot - Hangover is worth seeing); I even went for a walk down to the ocean and put my feet in the water (granted I did that by myself, so maybe that qualifies as hermity).
Sunday, June 28, 2009
mmmm....
So, I have had a crush on my ballet teacher for awhile now. Last saturday, he had invited our class to a modern ballet performance that he had had something to do with, and I saw him there. Tonite, one of my classmates from the class I take from him had a "gallery opening" at the panini restaurant down the street from me. Knowing he would be there, I went and hung out. And when he showed up, he hung out with me. He helped the artist too, but he kept coming back. Anyway, he and I went out to grab a bite at the irish pub across the street from the opening and then hung out. I had fun. He is actually older than I thought. He is an odd combination of dorky and cocky that is really intriguing.
Please note that these are the thoughts of a rather inebriated woman (which would be much more apparent if I didn't have some kind eye for typos - I realize that this statement may be completely guffawed at by more sober eyes)
I like him. We'll see how wednesdays class goes...
Please note that these are the thoughts of a rather inebriated woman (which would be much more apparent if I didn't have some kind eye for typos - I realize that this statement may be completely guffawed at by more sober eyes)
I like him. We'll see how wednesdays class goes...
Thursday, June 18, 2009
The Summer of Love
Okay, I am declaring this the Summer of Love. My friend Amy has declared it that for her and her husband, and I am just copying them. I don't know how it will show up, and perhaps it will show up the way I want as me being madly in love at the end of the summer.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Lists
I love lists. I have found 3 lists of music that I want to save and share. Imagine, I clipped these from a magazine before there was Itunes. So much that we take for granted wasn't around 5 -10 years ago. hmmm...
CDs to Quicken the Heartbeat
Starring Fred Astaire (2 cd set)
When I Look In Your Eyes - Diana Krall
Tu, Tu, Amore - the 3 Tenors sing some of opera's most passionate arias
Il Postino
The Brasil Project - Bossa nova with the world's sexiest harmonica
Let's Get It On - Marvin Gaye
Beyond the Missouri Sky - Jazz rhapsodies
Paris After Dark - Cabaret songs
John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman - Sax & voice
Virtuosos on CD
Vivaldi: the 4 Seasons
Bach: Double Concerto for 2 Violins
Itzhak Perlman's Greatest Hits
Barber, Meyer: Violin Concertos
Bach: Sonatas and Partitas
The Kreisler Album
Mozart: Violin Concertos Nos. 3 & 5
Great romantic Concertos (Itzhad Perlmans' essential 3-CD set)
Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky: Violin Concertos
Piano Music
Emil Gilels - Beethoven Sonatas: Pathetique & Moonlight
Wilhelm Kempff - Beethoven: Piano Concertos 4&5
Arthur Rubinstein - the Rubinstein Collection, Vol. 26: Chopin Nocturnes and Scherzos
Krystian Zimerman - Liszt: Sonata in B Minor
Vladimir Horowitz - Great Pianists of the 20th Century, Vol 47
Murray Perahia - Schumann, Grieg Piano Concertos
Van Cliburn - Tchaikovsky Concerto No. 1 & Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 2
Vladimir Horowitz - Horowitz Plays Rachmaninoff
Arcadi Volodos - Live at Caregie Hall
CDs to Quicken the Heartbeat
Starring Fred Astaire (2 cd set)
When I Look In Your Eyes - Diana Krall
Tu, Tu, Amore - the 3 Tenors sing some of opera's most passionate arias
Il Postino
The Brasil Project - Bossa nova with the world's sexiest harmonica
Let's Get It On - Marvin Gaye
Beyond the Missouri Sky - Jazz rhapsodies
Paris After Dark - Cabaret songs
John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman - Sax & voice
Virtuosos on CD
Vivaldi: the 4 Seasons
Bach: Double Concerto for 2 Violins
Itzhak Perlman's Greatest Hits
Barber, Meyer: Violin Concertos
Bach: Sonatas and Partitas
The Kreisler Album
Mozart: Violin Concertos Nos. 3 & 5
Great romantic Concertos (Itzhad Perlmans' essential 3-CD set)
Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky: Violin Concertos
Piano Music
Emil Gilels - Beethoven Sonatas: Pathetique & Moonlight
Wilhelm Kempff - Beethoven: Piano Concertos 4&5
Arthur Rubinstein - the Rubinstein Collection, Vol. 26: Chopin Nocturnes and Scherzos
Krystian Zimerman - Liszt: Sonata in B Minor
Vladimir Horowitz - Great Pianists of the 20th Century, Vol 47
Murray Perahia - Schumann, Grieg Piano Concertos
Van Cliburn - Tchaikovsky Concerto No. 1 & Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 2
Vladimir Horowitz - Horowitz Plays Rachmaninoff
Arcadi Volodos - Live at Caregie Hall
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Beer Review
I found my notes from beers from a place called BJ's - which may be in Portland, but I don't remember.
I believe it is from my dad & my beer and bookstore tour of the northwest.
(note Dad's comments are in quotes)
I believe it is from my dad & my beer and bookstore tour of the northwest.
- Blonde - kinda tastes like a light beer. Dad - "I sorta like this one."
- Heifeweizen - funky; "another one of those clovy ones."
- Pale Ale - has bite at end, "Shirley would love it."
- *Red - good - kinda like a porter; "has a sweet taste"
- *Porter - same as Red but smoother; "the flavor isn't overpowering"
- Stout - like the porter but stronger (I like porter better)
- *Nutty Brewnette - flavorful yet mellow; "not bad"
(note Dad's comments are in quotes)
Friday, April 3, 2009
slighly perverse
Okay, there is part of me that on eharmony, when asked the 3 best traits I have to offer a partner, I really want to just say, I own a pole, I just finished studying massage, and I make a mean 3 berry pie.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Random Thoughts From a Walk On the Beach
- I am amazed at home many colors of blue there are between the sky and the ocean.
- How is it that Enya with music that is reminiscent of fog and Mel Torme with a big band are both perfect for a walk on the beach?
- Mel's song about San Diego makes me laugh.
- Everything seems okay - oddly enough.
- I love it when people say hello to strangers when they are walking (so very un-LA and so very fabulous)
- I love that sometimes when songs come on they fill you with joy before your head has even figured out what it is.
Songs I walked to this morning (and yes it was on shuffle): Uhn Tiss Uhn Tiss Uhn Tiss -the Bloodhound Gang; The Kill (Bury Me)-30 Seconds to Mars; Na Laetha Geal Moige - Enya; Lust for Life - Iggy Pop; You Got Me All Wrong - Dios Malos; They Go To San Diego - Mel Torme; Doll Parts - Hole
Friday, March 20, 2009
25 Random Ass Things
Okay, so I did this for facebook, but I promised myself I would post it here too.
This is just 25 random things about me.
1. My dad and Shirley left for Costa Rica last week.
2. I love chocolate milkshakes that come with the extra in the silver cup.
3. When I say I have eclectic taste in music, I really mean it.
4. I love to travel - but I love coming home too.
5. I love teaching S Factor (I loved teaching ballet too - it is just different).
6. I love helping peoples bodies and figuring out their puzzles.
7. I love the fact my best friends are very opinionated.
8. My nieces fill my heart to over flowing much of the time.
9. I am proud of my dad and love the fact he still plays bball.
10. I am secretly a snob about some things.
11. I am good at keeping secrets IF I know it is a secret.
12. I am a study geek (and my friends at school point this out a lot)
13. I often give my heart too freely and too quickly - I am working on slowing myself down.
14. My sister accuses me of forgiving too easily, which is true, but I do sometimes hold grudges.
15. I miss my Mommy.
16. I love the sound of rain on the roof.
17. I love playing in puddles when I know I can go home and take a hot shower.
18. I love the fact that some of my fb friends have been my friends for years and years (and years).
19. I am starting to expand the things I can cook (and I am actually pretty good).
20. I have gotten hooked on Friday Night Lights - which I started watching due to reading an old friends review of it.
21. My ass is not random, it is fairly fabulous.
22. I prefer my martinis with gin and very dirty.
23. I believe in both peace and maid service - neither of which I have with any consistency.
24. I believe most people are more beautiful than they realize.
25. I am off to the farmer's market - ever hopeful that I will use the fruits and veggies I buy before they go bad.
This is just 25 random things about me.
1. My dad and Shirley left for Costa Rica last week.
2. I love chocolate milkshakes that come with the extra in the silver cup.
3. When I say I have eclectic taste in music, I really mean it.
4. I love to travel - but I love coming home too.
5. I love teaching S Factor (I loved teaching ballet too - it is just different).
6. I love helping peoples bodies and figuring out their puzzles.
7. I love the fact my best friends are very opinionated.
8. My nieces fill my heart to over flowing much of the time.
9. I am proud of my dad and love the fact he still plays bball.
10. I am secretly a snob about some things.
11. I am good at keeping secrets IF I know it is a secret.
12. I am a study geek (and my friends at school point this out a lot)
13. I often give my heart too freely and too quickly - I am working on slowing myself down.
14. My sister accuses me of forgiving too easily, which is true, but I do sometimes hold grudges.
15. I miss my Mommy.
16. I love the sound of rain on the roof.
17. I love playing in puddles when I know I can go home and take a hot shower.
18. I love the fact that some of my fb friends have been my friends for years and years (and years).
19. I am starting to expand the things I can cook (and I am actually pretty good).
20. I have gotten hooked on Friday Night Lights - which I started watching due to reading an old friends review of it.
21. My ass is not random, it is fairly fabulous.
22. I prefer my martinis with gin and very dirty.
23. I believe in both peace and maid service - neither of which I have with any consistency.
24. I believe most people are more beautiful than they realize.
25. I am off to the farmer's market - ever hopeful that I will use the fruits and veggies I buy before they go bad.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Spoke Too Soon
Once again, I spoke too soon.
Got out of yoga today and had a message from the man I like - seemed like a good thing. I was excited. He wanted to let me know (rather than just not calling) that he didn't see our relationship going anywhere. He was taking this eharmony thing very seriously and was looking for a serious relationship and he didn't see us having that.
You can't argue with his feelings, so I didn't. My little heart felt a bit bruised and battered. I wonder what it is I lack or have too much of that he wouldn't want a "serious" relationship with me. But... as a friend of mine pointed out, perhaps I just dodged a bullet.
Thank goodness I was going slowly.
The good thing is I seem to be attracting people that are closer and closer to what it is I want. As Mama Gena would say - he's driftwood. It means I am getting closer to shore. I just wish I could see the damn shoreline.
Got out of yoga today and had a message from the man I like - seemed like a good thing. I was excited. He wanted to let me know (rather than just not calling) that he didn't see our relationship going anywhere. He was taking this eharmony thing very seriously and was looking for a serious relationship and he didn't see us having that.
You can't argue with his feelings, so I didn't. My little heart felt a bit bruised and battered. I wonder what it is I lack or have too much of that he wouldn't want a "serious" relationship with me. But... as a friend of mine pointed out, perhaps I just dodged a bullet.
Thank goodness I was going slowly.
The good thing is I seem to be attracting people that are closer and closer to what it is I want. As Mama Gena would say - he's driftwood. It means I am getting closer to shore. I just wish I could see the damn shoreline.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
My Musings on Dating
1. I actually like someone
2. I am trying not to jump 5 steps ahead of where we are in the moment
3. I am going slowly (so far so good)
4. I seem to be what is getting in the way by over analyzing
5. I need to keep dating other people partially so as not to obsess
6. I woke up the morning of our third date excited that I would get to kiss him that day
7. I need to keep dating other people so as not to obsess
8. I really want to enjoy this process
9. I realize I don't think I really know how to date, I tend to jump in and be "in a relationship" sometimes before I know if I really like them
2. I am trying not to jump 5 steps ahead of where we are in the moment
3. I am going slowly (so far so good)
4. I seem to be what is getting in the way by over analyzing
5. I need to keep dating other people partially so as not to obsess
6. I woke up the morning of our third date excited that I would get to kiss him that day
7. I need to keep dating other people so as not to obsess
8. I really want to enjoy this process
9. I realize I don't think I really know how to date, I tend to jump in and be "in a relationship" sometimes before I know if I really like them
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
More Books - A reading Challenge
I copied this from GoodReads pretty much so I could have it to refer to. It seems great and you have to think about them.
It is a Reading Challenge...
THE RULES
1. Anyone can participate and can join in at anytime from March 1st and through Midnight (EST) May 31st.
2. Each individual can set their own goal as to how many points they think they can earn in that time and if they want to they can reward themselves. The top 3 point earners will get to choose the 25 point tasks for the next challenge. **New to the challenge is a midway winner - the top point earner at the midway point - Noon on APRIL 15th - will get to pick a 50 point task for the Spring Challenge.***
3. Each task counts for points only ONCE and the same book can not be used for two categories.
4. Re-reads count (unless otherwise stated).
5. If you have less than 50% of a book you started prior to the beginning of the current challenge it may be counted towards your point total (if it meets the criteria for one the tasks). I.E. If you are on page 10 of a 200 page book on Feb 28th and it fits one of the Spring Challenge categories it will count.
6. Small adjustments can be made to the categories but try to stick as close to the task as possible...if you aren't sure feel free to ask.
7. In general small books (I'd say 100 pages or less) like children's books should be used sparingly and only for the 5 point tasks.
8. Audiobooks can be used to complete any of the tasks unless otherwise noted.
9. It's fine to change your mind about which books you plan to use for which task at any point...just let me know.
10. Other than that just have fun; post what you are reading (tell us if you liked it); and let me know what your point total is so I can update the leader board.
THE TASKS
5 POINTS
1. Read a Science Fiction OR Fantasy Novel.
2. Read an epistolary novel OR a non-fiction collection of letters/journal etc.
3. Spring Cleaning: Follow these directions to find your book for this task...
- Go to your Goodreads bookshelf.
- Click on the All Books link
- Organize them by the Date Added (going from the earliest to the most recent)
- Go down the list and read the first book you come to that you HAVE NOT yet read.
4. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles Task – Read or listen to a book while you are on a plane, on a train, or in a car (or other mode of transport like a bus/combinations of transportation)
- For this task you can’t, for example, start a book in the airport and finish it on the plane...the book must be read entirely while inside one of those modes of transportation.
- But the plane/train/car etc. does not have to be moving the entire time for it to count – exe. you can start reading the book once you board the plane before it takes off.
- DOES NOT have to be read in one sitting.
5. For Easter/Lent/Passover…
- Read a Christian Fiction novel,
- A book about sacrifice, OR
- A book about something you would or are planning to give up.
6. In Honor Of Women’s History Month…
- Read an autobiography/biography of a woman you admire OR
- A novel with one of the following in the title (woman, women, lady, ladies, female, feminine, girl, girls, maiden, madame).
7. For Arbor Day – Do your part to save some trees by…
- Reading an e-book OR
- Listening to an audiobook OR
- By reading a book and “recycling” it - giving it away to someone else like a friend or through an online book swap/trading site or by donating it to a local library or charity.
8. For April Fools Day…
- Read a humorous novel, a book of jokes, OR
- A biography/autobiography/memoir of a comedian.
9. Read a book with one of the following Spring animals in the title…
- Rabbit or Bunny
- Bird (the word bird or any type of bird)
- Butterfly/Bees
- Lion
- Lamb OR
- A term for a baby animal such as kitten, cub, calf etc.
10. April Showers Bring May Flowers…
- Read one book with a Rain related word (rain, thunder, storm, shower, lightning etc. but not water) in the title OR
- Read a book with the name of A TYPE of tree or flower in the title.
10 POINTS
It is a Reading Challenge...
OFFICIAL SPRING CHALLENGE - 2009
THE RULES
1. Anyone can participate and can join in at anytime from March 1st and through Midnight (EST) May 31st.
2. Each individual can set their own goal as to how many points they think they can earn in that time and if they want to they can reward themselves. The top 3 point earners will get to choose the 25 point tasks for the next challenge. **New to the challenge is a midway winner - the top point earner at the midway point - Noon on APRIL 15th - will get to pick a 50 point task for the Spring Challenge.***
3. Each task counts for points only ONCE and the same book can not be used for two categories.
4. Re-reads count (unless otherwise stated).
5. If you have less than 50% of a book you started prior to the beginning of the current challenge it may be counted towards your point total (if it meets the criteria for one the tasks). I.E. If you are on page 10 of a 200 page book on Feb 28th and it fits one of the Spring Challenge categories it will count.
6. Small adjustments can be made to the categories but try to stick as close to the task as possible...if you aren't sure feel free to ask.
7. In general small books (I'd say 100 pages or less) like children's books should be used sparingly and only for the 5 point tasks.
8. Audiobooks can be used to complete any of the tasks unless otherwise noted.
9. It's fine to change your mind about which books you plan to use for which task at any point...just let me know.
10. Other than that just have fun; post what you are reading (tell us if you liked it); and let me know what your point total is so I can update the leader board.
THE TASKS
5 POINTS
1. Read a Science Fiction OR Fantasy Novel.
2. Read an epistolary novel OR a non-fiction collection of letters/journal etc.
3. Spring Cleaning: Follow these directions to find your book for this task...
- Go to your Goodreads bookshelf.
- Click on the All Books link
- Organize them by the Date Added (going from the earliest to the most recent)
- Go down the list and read the first book you come to that you HAVE NOT yet read.
4. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles Task – Read or listen to a book while you are on a plane, on a train, or in a car (or other mode of transport like a bus/combinations of transportation)
- For this task you can’t, for example, start a book in the airport and finish it on the plane...the book must be read entirely while inside one of those modes of transportation.
- But the plane/train/car etc. does not have to be moving the entire time for it to count – exe. you can start reading the book once you board the plane before it takes off.
- DOES NOT have to be read in one sitting.
5. For Easter/Lent/Passover…
- Read a Christian Fiction novel,
- A book about sacrifice, OR
- A book about something you would or are planning to give up.
6. In Honor Of Women’s History Month…
- Read an autobiography/biography of a woman you admire OR
- A novel with one of the following in the title (woman, women, lady, ladies, female, feminine, girl, girls, maiden, madame).
7. For Arbor Day – Do your part to save some trees by…
- Reading an e-book OR
- Listening to an audiobook OR
- By reading a book and “recycling” it - giving it away to someone else like a friend or through an online book swap/trading site or by donating it to a local library or charity.
8. For April Fools Day…
- Read a humorous novel, a book of jokes, OR
- A biography/autobiography/memoir of a comedian.
9. Read a book with one of the following Spring animals in the title…
- Rabbit or Bunny
- Bird (the word bird or any type of bird)
- Butterfly/Bees
- Lion
- Lamb OR
- A term for a baby animal such as kitten, cub, calf etc.
10. April Showers Bring May Flowers…
- Read one book with a Rain related word (rain, thunder, storm, shower, lightning etc. but not water) in the title OR
- Read a book with the name of A TYPE of tree or flower in the title.
10 POINTS
1. For St. Patrick’s Day – Read a book by an Irish author, set in Ireland, OR about Ireland.
2. For Cinco De Mayo – Read a book by a Mexican author, set in Mexico, OR about Mexico.
3. For ANZAC Day – Read a book by an Australian author, set in Australia, OR about Australia.
4. Read a book by an author who was born in March, April, or May.
- You can find a list that will help with this task at http://www.authdir.net/
5. March 24 is Harry Houdini’s Birthday – Read a book about magic, a magician etc.
6. In honor of Earth Day (April 22) read a book with the word Earth, Moon, Sun, World, Star or one of the other planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) in the title.
- Words such as earthly, sunset, lunar etc. are acceptable.
7. In Honor of Mother’s Day…
- Read a book where the author/main character shares the same FIRST name as your mother OR…
- Read a book recommended by/given to you by your mother.
8. In Honor of Memorial and Armed Forces Day – Read a book about a veteran OR someone serving in the military (fiction or non-fiction).
9. Read a book from the TNBBC Top Books list…
- The book can not be your own contribution
- The number that corresponds to that book must only contain numbers that can be found in the year you were born…i.e. if you were born in 1982 (like me) you could read 1, 28, or 89 but not 93, 15, or 22 (because there is only one 2 in the date) etc.
- The list can be found under the TNBBC Top 10 Lists!! Subheading
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/7573...
10. Members of the TNBBC have great tastes in books - follow these directions to find your book for this task...
- Start by going to the club’s membership list.
- Sort the member list by the Date Joined and Find Yourself on that list. (I chose the date joined sorting option because the page you will find your name on for the other options will change more often)
- Read a book that earned a 5-Star rating by another member who is on the same page as you.
15 POINTS
1. It’s Written In the Stars…read a book that corresponds to your astrological sign… (books can be fiction or non-fiction)...
- ARIES: Made me think of Ares the Greek God of War – Read a book about the Gods, Greek Mythology, Greece etc.
- TAURUS: The Bull – Read a western, a book about a cowboy, the rodeo etc.
- GEMINI: Read a book about twins.
- CANCER: Read a book about a cancer patient, cancer survivor, cancer doctor etc.
- LEO: The king of the jungle – read a book about royalty.
- VIRGO: Read a book about a virgin, virginity or loss of, abstinence etc.
- LIBRA: Read a book about a lawyer, the law, a judge etc.
- SCORPIO: The scorpion – read a book that takes place in the desert, a wasteland etc.
- SAGITARIUS: The archer – read a book about an athlete or sports.
- CAPRICORN: is a cardinal sign which is associated with creativity – read a book about an artist or art.
- AQUARIUS: Read a book that takes place at sea, about ships etc.
- PISCES: Read a book about a fisherman, fishing, sea life, marine biology etc.
2. April is National Poetry Month – Read a book of poetry OR about a famous poet.
3. Read a past OR present TNBBC group read that you haven’t read before
4. Read a novel that takes place in a location you plan to visit during this challenge OR have visited previously during spring break (does not have to be overly specific i.e. if you are visiting Paris this spring (LUCKY YOU) you could read a book that takes place anywhere in France).
5. Read a book written by an author who won a major literary prize (Nobel, Pulitzer etc.) in the year you were born (it does not have to be the book they won the award for).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_lit...
6. Read a book that was has been translated from its original language (i.e. it could be from Swedish to English or English to Italian etc.).
7. In honor of both Dr. Seuss’ birthday (March 2) and Mother Goose Day (May 1) find and read two books with rhyming titles. By this I mean that there is a word in the title of one book that rhymes with a word in the other book’s title.
- Example: You could read The Scent of Sake AND The Red Tent
8. Get To Know The Author - Read a book by an author AND then either attend a reading by that author OR read/listen to an interview with that author.
9. Read a book with a color in the title AND eat a meal that includes at least 2 foods that are that color (you don’t have to cook it yourself).
- I.E. if you read Stephen King’s The Green Mile (you could have a mixed green salad and pasta with pesto sauce; or a kiwi and a bowl of mint ice cream for dessert).
- Feel free to share recipes with the group if you do make something yummy for this task.
10. March, April, and May are the 3rd, 4th, and 5th months of the year
- Read the third, fourth and fifth books of one series OR
- Read 3 books with the numbers 3/4/5- three/four/five - 3rd/4th/5th - third/fourth/fifth in the titles (books do not have to come from the same series in this instance)
- You can't mix and match these though...exe. 3/four/fifth is not acceptable
25 POINT TASKS
1. KAREN’S TASK - As we are all totally completely addicted to GR (Goodreads), let's read…
- A book which title starts with the letter G AND
- A book which title starts with the letter R.
- Books like The Gargoyle or A Raisin In the Sun – that have titles beginning with A OR THE followed by a G or R word are acceptable for this task.
2. EL’s TASK - Read a Non-Fiction book about OR by a noted diarist from This List http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dia... who lived prior to the 1900’s.
3. ANGELA’S TASK - Look for your first post in the Official Spring Challenge. Once you find it, look at the person below you and go to their profile and pick TWO books to read off of their shelves. If their profile is listed as private, go to the person below that person.
4. ROS’ TASK - Read a book that’s on the big reads list. http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/bigread/top100...
5. BONNIE’S TASK - Read a book outside your normal genre(s). Example: Bonnie usually reads YA, fantasy, nonfiction and classics so she'd have to read short stories, plays, mysteries, etc.
6. JON’S TASK - H.M. Queen Elizabeth II is 83 on April 21st, read a Non-Fiction book of at least 400 pages relating in some way to the British Monarchy past or present. Write a short Goodreads review and post a copy on the Spring challenge thread.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kings_of_En...
7. DARLA'S TASK - PENDING
8. CASSIE'S TASK - For her friend Melissa (who told her about goodreads and is a YA Librarian): Read two young adult novels.
9. SARA'S TASK - Read a book that has a title of 12 or more words.
(yes I know I am a geek, but I love this - probably, why I love homework and book lists)
2. For Cinco De Mayo – Read a book by a Mexican author, set in Mexico, OR about Mexico.
3. For ANZAC Day – Read a book by an Australian author, set in Australia, OR about Australia.
4. Read a book by an author who was born in March, April, or May.
- You can find a list that will help with this task at http://www.authdir.net/
5. March 24 is Harry Houdini’s Birthday – Read a book about magic, a magician etc.
6. In honor of Earth Day (April 22) read a book with the word Earth, Moon, Sun, World, Star or one of the other planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) in the title.
- Words such as earthly, sunset, lunar etc. are acceptable.
7. In Honor of Mother’s Day…
- Read a book where the author/main character shares the same FIRST name as your mother OR…
- Read a book recommended by/given to you by your mother.
8. In Honor of Memorial and Armed Forces Day – Read a book about a veteran OR someone serving in the military (fiction or non-fiction).
9. Read a book from the TNBBC Top Books list…
- The book can not be your own contribution
- The number that corresponds to that book must only contain numbers that can be found in the year you were born…i.e. if you were born in 1982 (like me) you could read 1, 28, or 89 but not 93, 15, or 22 (because there is only one 2 in the date) etc.
- The list can be found under the TNBBC Top 10 Lists!! Subheading
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/7573...
10. Members of the TNBBC have great tastes in books - follow these directions to find your book for this task...
- Start by going to the club’s membership list.
- Sort the member list by the Date Joined and Find Yourself on that list. (I chose the date joined sorting option because the page you will find your name on for the other options will change more often)
- Read a book that earned a 5-Star rating by another member who is on the same page as you.
15 POINTS
1. It’s Written In the Stars…read a book that corresponds to your astrological sign… (books can be fiction or non-fiction)...
- ARIES: Made me think of Ares the Greek God of War – Read a book about the Gods, Greek Mythology, Greece etc.
- TAURUS: The Bull – Read a western, a book about a cowboy, the rodeo etc.
- GEMINI: Read a book about twins.
- CANCER: Read a book about a cancer patient, cancer survivor, cancer doctor etc.
- LEO: The king of the jungle – read a book about royalty.
- VIRGO: Read a book about a virgin, virginity or loss of, abstinence etc.
- LIBRA: Read a book about a lawyer, the law, a judge etc.
- SCORPIO: The scorpion – read a book that takes place in the desert, a wasteland etc.
- SAGITARIUS: The archer – read a book about an athlete or sports.
- CAPRICORN: is a cardinal sign which is associated with creativity – read a book about an artist or art.
- AQUARIUS: Read a book that takes place at sea, about ships etc.
- PISCES: Read a book about a fisherman, fishing, sea life, marine biology etc.
2. April is National Poetry Month – Read a book of poetry OR about a famous poet.
3. Read a past OR present TNBBC group read that you haven’t read before
4. Read a novel that takes place in a location you plan to visit during this challenge OR have visited previously during spring break (does not have to be overly specific i.e. if you are visiting Paris this spring (LUCKY YOU) you could read a book that takes place anywhere in France).
5. Read a book written by an author who won a major literary prize (Nobel, Pulitzer etc.) in the year you were born (it does not have to be the book they won the award for).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_lit...
6. Read a book that was has been translated from its original language (i.e. it could be from Swedish to English or English to Italian etc.).
7. In honor of both Dr. Seuss’ birthday (March 2) and Mother Goose Day (May 1) find and read two books with rhyming titles. By this I mean that there is a word in the title of one book that rhymes with a word in the other book’s title.
- Example: You could read The Scent of Sake AND The Red Tent
8. Get To Know The Author - Read a book by an author AND then either attend a reading by that author OR read/listen to an interview with that author.
9. Read a book with a color in the title AND eat a meal that includes at least 2 foods that are that color (you don’t have to cook it yourself).
- I.E. if you read Stephen King’s The Green Mile (you could have a mixed green salad and pasta with pesto sauce; or a kiwi and a bowl of mint ice cream for dessert).
- Feel free to share recipes with the group if you do make something yummy for this task.
10. March, April, and May are the 3rd, 4th, and 5th months of the year
- Read the third, fourth and fifth books of one series OR
- Read 3 books with the numbers 3/4/5- three/four/five - 3rd/4th/5th - third/fourth/fifth in the titles (books do not have to come from the same series in this instance)
- You can't mix and match these though...exe. 3/four/fifth is not acceptable
25 POINT TASKS
1. KAREN’S TASK - As we are all totally completely addicted to GR (Goodreads), let's read…
- A book which title starts with the letter G AND
- A book which title starts with the letter R.
- Books like The Gargoyle or A Raisin In the Sun – that have titles beginning with A OR THE followed by a G or R word are acceptable for this task.
2. EL’s TASK - Read a Non-Fiction book about OR by a noted diarist from This List http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dia... who lived prior to the 1900’s.
3. ANGELA’S TASK - Look for your first post in the Official Spring Challenge. Once you find it, look at the person below you and go to their profile and pick TWO books to read off of their shelves. If their profile is listed as private, go to the person below that person.
4. ROS’ TASK - Read a book that’s on the big reads list. http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/bigread/top100...
5. BONNIE’S TASK - Read a book outside your normal genre(s). Example: Bonnie usually reads YA, fantasy, nonfiction and classics so she'd have to read short stories, plays, mysteries, etc.
6. JON’S TASK - H.M. Queen Elizabeth II is 83 on April 21st, read a Non-Fiction book of at least 400 pages relating in some way to the British Monarchy past or present. Write a short Goodreads review and post a copy on the Spring challenge thread.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kings_of_En...
8. CASSIE'S TASK - For her friend Melissa (who told her about goodreads and is a YA Librarian): Read two young adult novels.
9. SARA'S TASK - Read a book that has a title of 12 or more words.
(yes I know I am a geek, but I love this - probably, why I love homework and book lists)
Monday, March 9, 2009
Drinks
Friday night, after taking my students out to Cheetahs, I went to Seventh and Grand for my friend's beau's birthday. It is a very cool bar that loves to serve whiskey drinks. I followed the beau's advice and had an Old Fashioned - and oh my goodness. It was yummy. Now, the coincidence is that today, looking in the LA Weekly, I stumbled across this article that mentions the bar AND lots of other supposedly cool places to drink here in Lala land.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
List of Books
I love books. I love to read. I love lists of books, because it gives order to what to read - not that I ever follow them in order. I just like them.
A friend posted this list stating that the BBC said most people will have only read 6 of the 100 books here. I wonder who they polled, as I have read 51 (and if you subtract the 2 I haven't read completely I still have read 49). I don't know where the quote from the BBC came from, but, as previously stated, I love lists of books.
Xs mark what I have read
*s mark what I plan to read (granted I plan to read everything on the list I haven't read)
1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen X
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien X
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte X
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling X
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee X
6 The Bible X—wee parts
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte X
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell X
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman X
10 Great Expectations - Charles DickensX
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott X
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy – I don’t remember
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller X
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare X – not the complete works – but a fair amount
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier*
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien X
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk *
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger X
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger X
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot *
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell*
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald X
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens *
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy *
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams X *
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh *
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky *
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck X
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll X – I think I read a few of them as a child
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame X I think so
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy *
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens *
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis X
34 Emma - Jane Austen X
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen X
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis X
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini X
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres * (saw the movie)
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden X
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne X
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell *
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown X
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez X
44 A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving X
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins *
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery *
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy *
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood X
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding X
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan *
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel *
52 Dune - Frank Herbert *
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons X
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen X
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth *
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon *
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens X (I think so)
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley *
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon *
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez X
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck X
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov X
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt *
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold X
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas X++
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac *
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy *
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding X
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie *
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville *
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens *
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker *
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett X
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson *
75 Ulysses - James Joyce *
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath *
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome *
78 Germinal - Emile Zola *
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray *
80 Possession - AS Byatt *
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens X
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell X (currently reading)
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker X
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro *
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert *
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry *
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White X
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom X
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle *
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton *
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad *
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint Exupery X
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks *
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams X
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole *
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute *
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas *
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare x
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl X
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo *
A friend posted this list stating that the BBC said most people will have only read 6 of the 100 books here. I wonder who they polled, as I have read 51 (and if you subtract the 2 I haven't read completely I still have read 49). I don't know where the quote from the BBC came from, but, as previously stated, I love lists of books.
Xs mark what I have read
*s mark what I plan to read (granted I plan to read everything on the list I haven't read)
1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen X
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien X
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte X
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling X
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee X
6 The Bible X—wee parts
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte X
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell X
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman X
10 Great Expectations - Charles DickensX
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott X
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy – I don’t remember
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller X
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare X – not the complete works – but a fair amount
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier*
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien X
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk *
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger X
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger X
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot *
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell*
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald X
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens *
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy *
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams X *
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh *
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky *
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck X
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll X – I think I read a few of them as a child
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame X I think so
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy *
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens *
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis X
34 Emma - Jane Austen X
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen X
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis X
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini X
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres * (saw the movie)
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden X
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne X
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell *
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown X
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez X
44 A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving X
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins *
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery *
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy *
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood X
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding X
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan *
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel *
52 Dune - Frank Herbert *
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons X
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen X
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth *
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon *
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens X (I think so)
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley *
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon *
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez X
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck X
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov X
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt *
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold X
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas X++
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac *
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy *
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding X
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie *
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville *
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens *
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker *
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett X
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson *
75 Ulysses - James Joyce *
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath *
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome *
78 Germinal - Emile Zola *
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray *
80 Possession - AS Byatt *
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens X
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell X (currently reading)
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker X
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro *
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert *
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry *
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White X
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom X
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle *
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton *
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad *
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint Exupery X
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks *
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams X
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole *
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute *
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas *
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare x
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl X
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo *
25 Random Things
So, on Facebook, I have been asked to write 25 random things. I think they are supposed to be things that most people don't know about me. So I am going to write 5 here and see how that goes. I will later post whatever it is I post on fb.
1. I miss my cat and I don't feel quite ready for a new one. Soon.
2. I have trouble getting myself to bed at a reasonable hour. (and not due to anything exciting)
3. I built my own bed.
4. I love my apartment although I wish it had more rooms (mostly so my sister could come and stay with the kids easily).
5. I am slowly expanding my culinary capacities.
6. I really dig TCM (traditional chinese medicine).
Okay, that is 6
1. I miss my cat and I don't feel quite ready for a new one. Soon.
2. I have trouble getting myself to bed at a reasonable hour. (and not due to anything exciting)
3. I built my own bed.
4. I love my apartment although I wish it had more rooms (mostly so my sister could come and stay with the kids easily).
5. I am slowly expanding my culinary capacities.
6. I really dig TCM (traditional chinese medicine).
Okay, that is 6
Monday, February 9, 2009
Disneyland in the rain
I spent today at Disneyland and CA Adventure. It didn't really rain until we got into Disneyland and then... it poured. We did go on the newly reopened It's a Small World. And we rode around on the train (granted it didn't rain while we were on the train) but as soon as we got off to go to Toon Town...it poured again. But both Mickey and Minnie were home. And Pluto and Goofy were at Mickey's too. So we had a lot of fun. The Princessland doesn't have the show or storytime that they used to, which was a bummer for all of us ( especially the 4 yr old) - but we all took it in stride. Then as we were going to grab lunch - it hailed and then ... the sun came out (to cheers). And it didn't rain at all while we napped back at the HoJo. But as we headed back, it started to sprinkle. But thank goodness it stopped. I got to ride the bumper cars at CA Adventure with my niece before I had to drive back home to go to class tonite. It was fun. I think I am the only one that really napped during nap time, but, I will be up late for school and then driving back down to D-land for more tomorrow. It was one of those days when it seemed to pour, whenever we stepped out from under cover.
Last year when we were at Dland and it rained, they had little tents up to stand in while you were in line for rides. This year, they didn't. I don't know if they too are cutting back - it doesn't seem like them. hmmm... The ticket price is still up, so we should have the same amenities.
(pictures coming soon).
Last year when we were at Dland and it rained, they had little tents up to stand in while you were in line for rides. This year, they didn't. I don't know if they too are cutting back - it doesn't seem like them. hmmm... The ticket price is still up, so we should have the same amenities.
(pictures coming soon).
Friday, January 23, 2009
Jon Carroll
This morning I remembered something I had forgotten... Jon Carroll columns are a great way to start the day. I just read the whole weeks worth. All of them good. All of the them thought provoking. The one from Monday talks about comfort music.
I spend a lot of time teaching my students to listen to music differently. I want them to choose music that makes their bodies happy. This is almost always different from music that makes their brains happy, or their favorite song to listen to in the car. And it is probably different from comfort music. But I wonder where the overlap is. There are probably songs that make your body happy or have made your body happy (they do change) that also bring comfort.
As I think about it. What is comfort? Is it a feeling of safety? home? love? the combination of all of them? Okay I looked it up...
1. to soothe, console, or reassure; bring cheer to
2. to make physically comfortable
-noun
3. relief in affliction; consolation; solace
4. a feeling of relief or consolation.
5. a person or thing that gives consolation.
6. a cause or matter of relief or satisfaction.
7. a state of ease and satisfaction of bodily wants, with freedom from pain and anxiety.
8. something that promotes such a state.
There are many songs that bring me comfort in different ways, but two that pop into my mind right away are: Beautiful by Carole King and Big Bad Leroy Brown sung by Frank Sinatra (written by Jim Croce). Both of these go back to childhood. A third, which didn't bring comfort or a feeling of well being until this week, is the song they play for the president.
What music comforts you?
(I wrote this a few weeks ago, don't know why I didn't "publish" it then)
I spend a lot of time teaching my students to listen to music differently. I want them to choose music that makes their bodies happy. This is almost always different from music that makes their brains happy, or their favorite song to listen to in the car. And it is probably different from comfort music. But I wonder where the overlap is. There are probably songs that make your body happy or have made your body happy (they do change) that also bring comfort.
As I think about it. What is comfort? Is it a feeling of safety? home? love? the combination of all of them? Okay I looked it up...
com⋅fort
-verb (used with object)1. to soothe, console, or reassure; bring cheer to
2. to make physically comfortable
-noun
3. relief in affliction; consolation; solace
4. a feeling of relief or consolation.
5. a person or thing that gives consolation.
6. a cause or matter of relief or satisfaction.
7. a state of ease and satisfaction of bodily wants, with freedom from pain and anxiety.
8. something that promotes such a state.
There are many songs that bring me comfort in different ways, but two that pop into my mind right away are: Beautiful by Carole King and Big Bad Leroy Brown sung by Frank Sinatra (written by Jim Croce). Both of these go back to childhood. A third, which didn't bring comfort or a feeling of well being until this week, is the song they play for the president.
What music comforts you?
(I wrote this a few weeks ago, don't know why I didn't "publish" it then)
Monday, January 19, 2009
Tales of an incompetent chef
So... yesterday I was so very proud of myself. I bought myself a hand mixer (the kind you use right in the pot) AND I made broccoli/cauliflower soup. It was pretty good. It needed a little pepper, which is easy enough to add.
Then, today, I went to go get myself some soup for lunch and put the rest in the fridge (I had left it on the stove last night).
Okay, it was not good anymore as I had put a lot of milk in it so it was creamy. Now, I know you don't leave milk out, and yet... this was soup. So due to procrastination, I wasted of a whole pot of soup. I definitely learned my lesson. Immediately put left overs away. Slowly, I am finding more and more reasons not to procrastinate.
Then, today, I went to go get myself some soup for lunch and put the rest in the fridge (I had left it on the stove last night).
Okay, it was not good anymore as I had put a lot of milk in it so it was creamy. Now, I know you don't leave milk out, and yet... this was soup. So due to procrastination, I wasted of a whole pot of soup. I definitely learned my lesson. Immediately put left overs away. Slowly, I am finding more and more reasons not to procrastinate.
Hair and Age
Saturday, I went to get my hair cut and colored. I don't know what it is about hair salons. Now when I go, I hate staring in the mirror. I am so present to the lines in my face and the skin on my neck. I don't look that old in the mirror at home. So, maybe it is the lighting. Maybe it is being surrounded by very young faces at the salon. I guess now I need to worry about my lighting. It may not be a cost effective to walk around with my own lighting crew all the time. I guess it is true, the older you get the more more maintenance is required. Argh...
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Morning Music
Went for a walk this morning and the shuffle on my play list took my brain on a ride...
Are You Experienced - Patti Smith
Falling Slowly - Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova
Amie - Damien Rice
Where Did you Sleep Last Night? (Live) - Nirvana - which during the clapping I was thinking about how much pain one might need to be in to want to end it
Maybe I'm Amazed - Paul McCartney - which in contrast to thinking about death, lifts you up and opens your heart, and I wondered if someone would feel that way about me, and I thought of my trainee that turned me on to the song and that whole class of trainees and how proud I am of them
(then sticking with the beatles theme...)
I Am the Walrus - Bono
5 String Serenade - Mazzy Star
(then making me smile as I approached home)
The Groove is On - Groove Armada
Are You Experienced - Patti Smith
Falling Slowly - Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova
Amie - Damien Rice
Where Did you Sleep Last Night? (Live) - Nirvana - which during the clapping I was thinking about how much pain one might need to be in to want to end it
Maybe I'm Amazed - Paul McCartney - which in contrast to thinking about death, lifts you up and opens your heart, and I wondered if someone would feel that way about me, and I thought of my trainee that turned me on to the song and that whole class of trainees and how proud I am of them
(then sticking with the beatles theme...)
I Am the Walrus - Bono
5 String Serenade - Mazzy Star
(then making me smile as I approached home)
The Groove is On - Groove Armada
Monday, January 5, 2009
Just got home from a date and I wonder...
I wonder... It was a third date. I kissed him after he walked me to the car. and no "ooh!" no socks rolling up and down. When we talked I wondered what he was passionate about (granted I didn't think of asking that straight out until later, I had asked what he enjoys doing for fun). He seems great and caring and intelligent, but not really opinionated or excited. Maybe it is because he still seems a bit nervous around me, but I don't know. If I'd felt something during the kiss it would have helped. But nothin'. arrgh...
Thursday, January 1, 2009
New Year's Day
Welcome 2009. We have been waiting for you. We have great hopes for you. We have a new president being inaugurated this month. And we have all kinds of possibilities available. It may not seem that way with the climate of lack and want. But there are always possibilities. It will be an exciting year.
My friend, Tracy, asked me last night what I wanted in 2009. My first though was to be madly in love and happily pregnant (and I added - in love with some one equally in love with me and excited that I am pregnant with his child).
This "resolution" scares the begeezers out of me in some way. I have said it before and it hasn't happened yet. Having it not happen scares me and having it happen scares me too. But being madly in love and happy sounds like fabulous way to spend my time on earth. It is definitely something to live into.
My friend, Tracy, asked me last night what I wanted in 2009. My first though was to be madly in love and happily pregnant (and I added - in love with some one equally in love with me and excited that I am pregnant with his child).
This "resolution" scares the begeezers out of me in some way. I have said it before and it hasn't happened yet. Having it not happen scares me and having it happen scares me too. But being madly in love and happy sounds like fabulous way to spend my time on earth. It is definitely something to live into.
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