Angelology

I read Angeloloy by Danielle Trussoni last week. It was not what I thought it was going to be, I was disappointed in the ending, and in several part of the plot. The book was longer where it should have been shorter, and shorter where it should have been longer. Most of the book is looking for a lyre, the first clue set in modern times take quite a while to figure out, and I don't even think it was figured out. After that it was almost as if the author handed the instrument to the ones looking for it.

I also thought that there would have been more Catholic mysticism in the book. I do think that this would have been a good book if I did not have other of this type of treasure hunt to compare it too.

The book was split up into current times and the 1940's. I would have liked to have had more written about the school and what had happened in the 1940's compared to the current times. Evangeline, the protagonist, I thought needed to have been more developed as a character. The fact that she did not question anything that was or had happened to her is not realistic.

This is not one that I would reread, nor would I recommend it to those who have an interest in mythological treasure hunts.

As for my library loot, out of the 10 books I picked up on Saturday, I have 4 left to read. Forced inactivity is good for something.

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!


So, for my loot this week, I went a little over board. This time about I got one graphic novel of short stories, on manga, and a bazillion works of fiction. So here goes:
 
Antique Bakery by Fumi Yoshinaga. When and old antique shop re-opens as the hottest new bakery in an unsuspecting neighborhood, there's no doubt that a few surprises are cooking.
 
Trickster Native American Tales. I read a review over at Books & other thoughts.
 
Emperor of the Air by Ethan Canin. whether his characters are struggling to save trees in their yards, their marriages or themselves.  I thought this sounded like a good book of short stories.
 
Child of Fire by Harry Connolly. Ray Lilly is living on borrowed time. He is a driver for Annalise Powless...... But because Ray betrayed her once, Annalise is looking for and excuse to kill him- or let someone else do the job.
 
Green Angel by Alice Hoffman. Left on her own when her family is lost in a disaster Green retreats only to destroy herself. With mysterious encounters with a mute boy and a ghostly white dog does Green learn to love and heal.
 
Walking the Labyrinth by Lisa Goldstein. Molly Travers a young woman living in San Fran finds out that she is the descendant of a family of vaudeville magicians, who in the ninetieth century preformed real magic with a group of occultists called the Order of The Labyrinth......The Labyrinth and the secrets it contains, will bring Molly face-to face with magic, murder, and mystery.
 
Strange Brew Edited by P.N. Elrod Short stories by Jim Butcher, Patricia Briggs and others.
 
Book of Shadows by Alexandra Sokoloff. Homicide detective Adam Garrett is a rising star in the Boston PD when he catches a horrifying cast that could make his career; the ritualistic murder of a wealthy college girl that appears to have Satanic elements...... All Garrett's beliefs about the nature of reality will be tested as he is forced to team up with a woman he is fiercely attracted to but cannot trust.
 
Nun in the Closet by Joanna Michaels (no link at Powell's) Vows of poverty and chastity shattered my murder? Anne Hollis the owner if a woman's bar has been charged with manslaughter in the death of a nun. Anne insists she is innocent- run off the road by another car- and appeals to probation officer Callie Sinclair for help. The case gets interesting when yet another nun is murdered and Callie discovers sex and money are involved. And she and Anne find themselves falling in love, a situation dangerous to them both as they close in on the killer.
 
The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters. This link has a video of the author talking about the book. One post- war summer in rural Warwickshire, Dr. Faraday is called to a patient at lonely Hundreds Hall. Home to the Ayres family for over two centuries, the house, once impressive and handsome, is now in decline. Its owners-mother, son, and daughter- are struggling to keep pace with a changing society, as well as with conflicts of their own. But are the Ayreses haunted by something more sinister than a dying way of life? Little does Dr. Faraday know how closely, and how terrifyingly, their story is about to become intimately entwined with his.

Movie Night

Friday was movie night. This time we watched 1931 and 1932 Best Picture winners Cimarron, and Grand Hotel.

Cimarron, a novel written in 1929 by Edna Ferber, in 1930 it was made into a movie by RKO. Both the book and movie are about settling in Oklahoma from the land rush up until the 1930's. That said the costumes were in keeping the the times and so was the language, beliefs. Reading the Wiki link it states that the movie is now considered racist. For us today yes it is, however if shown to a pioneer it would have been tame in their views of people.

In Cimarron, the lead male character Yancy Carvat played by Richard Dix. Kept leaving his wife and children to feed his wanderlust. Sabra Carvat played by Irene Dunne, was left to run the business, raise the children and hold down the fort. This would be a good movie for U.S history buffs to see. The opening shot of the land rush for the movies time was amazing.

Grand Hotel, had a list of stars that is longer than my arm. Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Lionel and John Barrymore, and many others. This film was a more contemporary film than Cimarron.

Grand Hotel had a more modern feel as the setting all took place in an art nouveau setting. The shots from the top floor down to the lobby show a beautiful hotel. I would love to see a place like that.

There is not just one plot but several. Business men trying to get a deal across, a stenographer wanting to be an actress, a Baron who is down on his luck, a ballerina looking for love and a career boost. A man who finds out he is going to die, who spends all he has for a last few weeks in the lap of luxury. While each plot is interesting and separate they are all interconnected. This is a good movie just for the interchange of plots.

Next month we are going to watch 1933 Cavalcade and 1934 It Happened One Night.

Library Loot

This week I just got one book out of the library as I have to work more this week and won't have time for a lots of reading. I got

Angelology by Danielle Trusson

I have heard that it is a good read, I have tried not to read reviews with spoilers. So tonight I start.

Happy Birthday

Jules Vern, the pioneer of science fiction.

I still love and think Journey to the Center of the Earth is an awesome book, and adventure. When my boy was little that was one of the books that I read to him. Around the World in 80 Days is a close second.

If you have never read any of his books and have just seen the movies, read the books they are much better.

I WANT

NOW!!!!

I don't care that it will grow up and eat the neighborhood kids. OK, that might be a good thing.

The Broadway Melody/ All Quiet on the Western Front

Bessie Love and Anita Page star in the 1929 Academy Award Best Picture winner The Broadway Melody. This is about two sisters Hank and Queenie who want to make it into show biz. When they are offered a chance at an audition it does not go well, and the man running the show only wants Queenie. Queenie tells them that she will not work with out her sister there, so Hank is offered a job as well. As the show advances it is made clear to Queenie that if she does not "play the game" her sister will be out. Hank cannot understand why Queenie is hanging out with the stage people, and tries to force her into better choices.

I did think that the best characters in the movie was the unnamed wardrobe maker, and a drunk that they kept calling Unconscious.

The movie was very sweet, funny, and the costumes were amazing. The movie shows how innocent the time was, the sisters show affection to each other in ways that today would be not sisterly. Yes, it was in black and white but I think that made it more real to the time.

All Quiet on the Western Front won the Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 1930. This movie amazed me for the fact that it won. The story follows German WWI solders from home to the front, back home, and ultimately to death. This movie was not about the characters, it was about the harsh conditions of the military, and the physiological affect that war has on the men. It is about pain, hunger, fear, death and the despair that follows the 19 year old who is the one being followed.

This movie was an anti war movie at a time when in nine years the world would again be at war. I know that there are talks of remaking this movie. The talk is that Daniel Radcliffe will be in it and that it will still be a WWI movie.

The book All Quiet on the Western Front and its follow up both written by Erich Marai Remarque were banned in Nazi Germany.

Our next two movies will be 1931 Cimarron staring Irene Dunne and Richard Dix, then 1932 The Grand Hotel staring, Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, John and Lionel Barrymore.

My New Ride

I got it off of Cragsl!st for $25. It needs a tune up, new seat and new hand grips to start. When I get the money I am going to have it repainted. The picture does not show the color very well, but it looks like someone dropped it in Pept0 B!smo. It is that pink.

I know that the new grips are going to have streamers on them, I will be attaching a basket and getting a bell or horn as well. Yes, the front tire is a white wall. I am just not sure what color I want to go with. There are several in the liking orange, yellow, bright green, and I am sure that there are a few others.

I am reading again, I have missed it. For some reason I have not wanted to pick up a book. Oh I have gone thought the motions but have not enjoyed a book in quite a while. That changed on Saturday night. I read in 3 hours a book called Where Angels Fear to Tread, by Thomas E. Sniegoski. It was a light fun read, and now I want to get back into books.

Wings

The first movie that we should be watching on the Best Picture list is WINGS with Clara Bow. It looks like it would have been a good movie. However, it is not out on DVD so when it is released if it is released I will watch it.

Reading the link the plot of the movie seems to sound familiar like it has been done and re-done.

We still have not picked the date to watch the first two movies but it is hard trying to get schedules lined up for the first run.

My kittens are fun. I love watching them play and run about the house. I just wish that their claws were not so sharp. They will learn I hope.

I made my first ever gumbo. I made chicken as it has to last me most of the week, I like the way it turned out. Even up here in the NW I managed to find a spice shop that had File Powder. I did want to try to make it close to the recipe that I found. It is spicy, and filling and oh so yummy. The one thing I think I did wrong is my rice. I used sticky rice, but I do like it so I think that is what matters.

A New Year

I have just been lazy in my writing, and in my reading. To be honest on my days off I have not wanted to do much of anything. I have been going to the gym, but instead of losing weight I have been gaining. I think this is because I do not eat enough, but I do not know how to eat what I need to. I am not going to turn this into a weight loss blog. I know that many people do and find it helpful, I just don't think that will work for me. I have, however come up with a plan to get me writing again.

Some of my friends and I are going to have a movie night once a month. This is something that I have wanted to do for a long time, two years. We are going to watch in order ALMOST every movie that has won Best Picture at the Academy Awards, I say almost because the first movie is not yet out on DVD.

WINGS won in 1928 and it stars Clara Bow. The movie is about WWI and would be an interesting one to see. When it becomes available it will be watched even out of order. The other movie that I will not be watching is one that is one that gets shown on TV a lot and when I was a kid every time it came on my mother made us watch it. I still get tension headaches thinking about that movie, so for that year a runner up will be chosen to watch in its place.

There are some movies that I never heard of, and some that I have never wanted to see but as they are on the list they will be watched. One of the girls want to watch more than one movie a night and this does make some sense as there are more than 80 movies on the list.

If we do that the first two that we are going to see is the 1929 THE BROADWAY MELODY staring Charles King, Anita Page, and Bessie Love. The second one is the 1930 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT staring Lew Ayers and Louis Wolheim.

I do think that this will be fun.

What I Have Been Up To

The Girl

The Boy

My Honey came up for a very short visit this week. It was so wonderful to see her. We had hand dipped corn dogs, wandered about town. I even got her to drive my car. After the first few jerks she got the hang of a stick shift very well.

I got all but two Christmas items taken care of today. I need to get Honey her gift still but she knows that it is going to be a combo Christmas/Birthday gift. The other thing I need I forgot when I was at the store. Word M*rket is right by the gym and I can pick up the last piece for my friend T there.

One of my best friends got me a new pussy. I don't know yet if she has gotten me the girl or the boy. They are only 31/2 months old, so I have them currently living in the litter box closet. I do take them out to play with, hold and pet. However, they are a bit shy and have only been here 2 hours. I will leave them in there tonight so that they know it is a safe place to go and hid if needed. Also this will give them a chance to get use to the different smells, and sounds of their new environment.

The shelter had named them Ariel and Sebastian. That is not going to do. I will be looking for names for them. The markings are so similar that there is no doubt that they are litter mates.

I hate coming up with titles

I know I have not written anything in months. It is not that I don't want to it is just when I sit down to write all of my ideas seem to go out the window.

I have had ideas on health care, books, gay marriage, things that have been happening and not happening.

I guess right now I just feel lazy, I am going to try and do better and get into a habit of writing again.

Drunk Drivers

I have, thankfully never lost a loved one to a drunk driver. I have known a lot of drunk drivers and in knowing them I think that the drunken driving laws of my state need to be changed.

With the advent of cell phones there is no need to drive drunk, buzzed, or high. The laws are too lenient. We have vehicular assault that is when a drunk driver hits someone and injures them. We have vehicular manslaughter that is when a drunk driver hits someone and kills them.
Vehicular assault needs to be changed to attempted murder, and vehicular manslaughter should be premeditated murder. I know that these might sound harsh, but think about it.

With all the ads, news stories, campaigns, and even books there is no reason for a person to go out get drunk and then drive. There is enough information out there to show the potential of what could happen.

Knowing that a person is going to choose to have a few then drive home that is premeditated. Thought out, planed. I have taken care of some drunk drivers who actually think what they did was funny. It is not funny; there is nothing funny about risking the life of someone else. One of my patients had been in jail for vehicular assault, got out, got drunk and hit someone else.

The laws need to be harsher. Cab, bus, or call a buddy for a ride.

Mermaid

Most of the time being in a long distance relationship is OK. Phone calls, email, video chats help. We play games together, read to each other so that we are sharing things and learning what we like and don't like.

Sometimes, this time being in a long distance relationship is like that picture. Curled up alone, in a safe place with a few treasures for company. The memory of being held, the pearl a moment of laughter. The passions of getting together. Yet, the knowledge that what is wanted needed is just out of reach. So tonight I feel like that mermaid. I know that in the morning it will be better, it always changes like that. From everything is fine, to a feeling of loss so deeply that only crying makes it better.

So tonight I miss Honey so much that it hurts. Tomorrow I will miss Honey, and it might not hurt.

Burnt

I have been sick enough that the doc put me on an antibiotic and another pill the size of a horse. He also put me on leave from work so what does a girl like me do with the weekend off? I go to pride!

I did not think that I was going to get to go as I was to have worked. I should not have gone. Because of the antibiotic I am just a little sun sensitive. Well, I am anyway being , a night shifter Irish, and from the Pacific Northwest.

Lets just say the first reaction people have when they see me is OUCH! I don't think that my shoulders are that bad but I do know they are the color of fire engine red.

Oh well, I did get to pet a lot of dogs, see kitties on leashes and one guy with a bunny. Gotta love Pride.

Alive

Yes, I am alive. No, I have not given up on blogging. I have just had a lot of things going on in the past month or so. Much of it has been good fun things.

In early May I flew down to CA. Honey picked me up and we drove to San Jose to see The Eagles play. The concert was wonderful, it was three hours of just The Eagles. There was no opening act just them, they did take a 20 minute break half way through the concert.

On Saturday we got up late drove around lost looking for the Winchester Mystery House. We decided that for all of the size of the house the mystery is that it is imposable to find. I did learn that the T.V. shows do not give the house justice. That place it beautiful. The house is beautiful and Mrs. Winchester did things back when she was living that was unheard of for her employees.

On Sunday we drove into San Francisco and when to the Science Museum. There I saw upside down jellyfish, sea dragons and beautiful butterflies. The best part of those three days was spending them with Honey.

I knew leaving her that time would not be bad as in a few weeks we were both going to go to Tucson for a week. My son graduated from high school with honers and after the ceremony, the three of us spent most of the time we were there doing touristy things. Honey, K and I went to the botanical gardens, San Xavier mission, Tucson Sonora Desert Museum, shopping, and Colossal Cave. Now, we did not do all of this in the same day. When we went to the mission the keys to the rental got locked in the car and we had to wait for AAA to come and pop the lock.
That time leaving was harder. I am still working thought that leaving, I know that part of it is because my whole family lives in Tucson and I am the only one in Oly. I also know that Honey and I have yet to have plans for when we are going to see each other again and that makes the leaving harder.

This month I have also turned 40 and then I got sick so sick that I had to go to the doc and get an antibiotic. So I am still alive, there is a lot of stuff going on, working through, and as I start to work on things I will be here more.

Last Saturday of the Month

There was a line outside of the bar, not for entry but for the hot dog stand that takes up a small part of the store front. I knew that I should not have worried about the way I looked in my new outfit that I was understated. That alone is and understatement, in line waiting for veggie dogs were two people dresses up as hot dogs. Across the street were walking mushrooms and giant ladybugs. Little girls with butterfly wings, and little boys dressed up as dogs, cats, alligators.

I got downtown at the end of the Procession of the Species. That is not what I went down there for but next year it looks like I might go. The procession looks like it is a lot of fun. No, I went down there to go to Jake's on 4th. The last Saturday of the month is the drag queen show. I have never been to one before and so I meet some friends down there. One of the girls got there at 5pm when the show does not start until 8 at the earliest. If you are not there by 5 you won't get a table and ours was right next to the stage. It was loud and it was fun.

I love going to Jake's, watching the show was great fun. But watching the crowed was even better. There were queers of all kinds there, leather, skinny, not skinny, buff, buxom, straight, and the list goes on.

As well as the Drag Queens there were three Drag Kings, and they were well, wow! Some of those Queens have smoking hot legs, in face one of them had legs almost as good as Tina Turner. What I want to know is how do they get those legs.

The show lasted until 11ish and I left when the floor opened up for dancing. I do love to dance but I told someone that I would drive them to their car as they had to park blocks away and I got one around the corner.

I got home ate some sweet potato fries as I was craving them and was asleep by 1am. The only thing that would have made the night perfect was if Honey could have been with me.

This + That

So this past week at work was one for the books. It was the usual same old thing, whiny knees, and hips. finding out that a 88 year old who was "OK" when they came in goes into a SNF (skilled nursing facility or nursing home) because they were just holding on at home then the anesthesia pops their dementia into the for front of their lives.

What made the week so worth reporting was what happened to me. I was leaving a PT room when I felt something poke me on the underside of my tata. I went into the bathroom to investigate and found that my under wire had broken and poked through the fabric.

That was not going to work for the next ten hours. So I did what anyone with my training would do. I stole some foam tape and fixed it.

When I got the chance to go downstairs and talk to the nursing supervisor I asked her not to laugh at me. She got the giggles, when I told her that if the foam tape did not work I was going to have to go home and change.

So here for your enjoyment is a pic of the patch job, and yes it did last all night.

Bragging Rights

Camlin has a great post on music and it gave me the idea to put up some bragging rights.

I don't often post about my son, but her post gave me the idea so if you want to blame someone...

My son is now 18 and going to graduate High School in May. When he was in the third grade he came to me and said he wanted to learn to play the saxophone. Being the mother that I am I said no. I made him play the clarinet. He hated it and me, for years and year. He played that clarinet up until his 3 year of High School.

There were times in band when he was the only clarinet player, because all the cool kids played sax. I did not care. Play the clarinet.

Then when he was a Freshman he wanted to not tell the band leader that he played the clarinet, he wanted to tell him that he played the bagpipes. So me being me looked at the boy and said you can play the bagpipes you just have to get a few thousand dollars and lean how to work the bellows.

He of course said I can't play them. Me being me I went out and bought a chanter. That is what is used to practice the pipes so that a thousand dollar instrument is not ruined. I handed it to him, along with the book of sheet music and told him to play me a song.

Boy: I can't.

Me: I spent $40 on that thing if you don't play me a song I will chase you around the house with it until you do.

He picks it up and what do you know he can play it.

Boy: MOM MOM I can play it!

Me: DUH! I made you play the clarinet because if you learn to it you can play most woodwinds.

Boy: Cool!

Well, the boy went to his new HS and learned 3 years of guitar in 6 months. So he now plays chanter, clarinet, guitar, bass guitar very well. He can play sax, tin whistle, harmonica, and a few others.

Sapphistries

I am reading a book called Sapphistries by Leila j. Rupp . While it is written some what like a text book with the foot notes and the indexes, it is a fascinating read. I have been taking my time with it, enjoying all of the little bits of information that is there and that is not there.

What is not there is more fascinating than I would have thought. There is just enough history to know that women have a history of loving women. I am up to the chapter 4 it is called In Unlikely Places (500BCE - 1600CE). There is very little on women in this time frame but what is there is an eye opener. One Bavarian nun wrote to her lover and there is just enough of it left to tear my heart.

I feel what this nun wrote hundreds of years ago the longing, the desire, the pain. These are the words that this woman wrote sometime in the 1300-1400: . . .

It is you alone I have chosen for my heart....
I love you above all else,
You alone are my love and desire...
When I recall the kisses you gave me,
And how with tender words you caressed my little breasts,
I want to die
Because I cannot see you.