February Blogging Adventure

This is the end…

29 February 2008

Here we are at the end of February (the very, very end, since it’s Leap Day…much to the dismay of United) and the end of our pledge to blog daily for an entire month. I’m kinda sad it’s all over, but the thought doing this every day makes my brain convulse. Jerry, I don’t know how you do it, and still find time to make us all a drink.

So even though I won’t continue to do this on a daily basis, I do hope it has given me a kick in the ass to blog a little more regularly and about things other than books. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. In fact, my next post will likely be about the last two books I read. You’ll just have to come back to find out what they were.

By the way, thanks to everyone for all the comments this month…I love, love, love and appreciate every single comment, even if I don’t always reply.

And finally, a very special thank you to Angie, who challenged us all to do this. (This is starting to feel like an Oscar speech.) It was a terrific idea, and I’ve really enjoyed discovering my fellow Slow Traveler’s blogs.

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Heroine

28 February 2008

Who is your favorite female lead character? And why? (And yes, of course, you can name more than one . . . I always have trouble narrowing down these things to one name, why should I force you to?)

First, I’ll go with (almost) everyone’s favorite PEI gal, Anne of Green Gables. Because she’s spunky and smart and I loved all the books. And she’s a redhead and I always wanted red hair.

After that, it gets a little harder. No one is jumping into my head, screaming pick me, pick me. They must all still be asleep, like I wish I was. So I’m going to cheat a little and pick Frances Mayes and Elizabeth Gilbert. Yes, they are authors. But they both have written about their travels and gotten paid for it. And they can be considered the lead characters in their own books (A Year in the World and eat pray love). So, yeah, I’ll go with those two. It’s not so much that they are favorites, it’s more like I want to be them. Either get paid to travel and write a wildly successful book (Gilbert), or write wildly successful books that let you travel more and then write a book about that, too (Mayes). Yup, I could live like that. Well, I could if I had any writing talent.

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my imaginary boyfriend

27 February 2008

This is Hamburger, my imaginary boyfriend. Okay, he’s not really imaginary. It’s just that not many people have met him. I believe Mackenzie gave him the name imaginary boyfriend. Then she finally met him. Now she just calls him Mitch.

This picture is a few years old, but he still looks like that. Red goatee, not much hair under the ball cap, hence the hat that is almost always on his head when he is in the sun. We were at the yearly family reunion, floating down the Deschutes River…in fact, in a few months, we will most likely be right there in that river. The fish may or may not be there. And if you were wondering, Hamburger practices catch and release.

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Cube land

26 February 2008

I work in a cubicle. Before I started working in a cubicle, I failed to see the humor in Dilbert. Now, I think Scott Adams is a genius. Anyways…I thought I would take you on a tour of my cubicle. This is where I keep all my clutter, and a lot of travel mementos, because I would hate my house if it looked like this, but I need all the distraction I can get at work.

Here is my little cubie. Isn’t it both convenient and pathetic that it fits in one picture?

I keep a picture close by of one of my favorite guys. Don’t worry, I have a few pictures of Hamburger, too.

I have a corner with pictures of places I’ve been.

This is my window view.

And these are my favorite Tube posters. The one with the floating people tends to freak people out.
So that’s where I spend most of my 40 hours of work each week. There is work related stuff hidden in there somewhere. But who wants to look at that?

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Earthly Pleasures

25 February 2008

Earthly Pleasures
Karen Neches
2008
311 pages

Skye Sebring is a greeter in Heaven. She’s a new soul, meaning she’s only been around for about a year. So she’s surprised when she finds out she’s been selected to go to Earth. Meanwhile, back on Earth, Ryan Blaine is missing his wife. Oh, she’s there in person. But she doesn’t seem like the same Susan she was before a car accident resulted in a head injury. And finally, there’s Emily. Emily has been in a coma for the last year, but her roommate at the care center suspects she’s starting to come around. There are a few other supporting characters, but those are the main three.

The first couple of chapters entertained me. However, the Heaven scenes are funny, but they soon wear thin. When the book moves to Earth, you can easily see how the story is going to play out. I found the characters to be shallow (shallow as in not well-developed), and by the end, it all felt a bit preachy. And I’m not in to preach.

In short, this was a quick read with a few laughs, but overall, a book I could have skipped.

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James Lipton meme

24 February 2008

I get by with a little help from my friends… Seriously, thanks for all the memes this month. It’s made blogging daily much easier.

So yes, I’ve been tagged again. Thanks Trish! This is the James Lipton meme, and I actually had to think about this one. By the way, I had to look James Lipton up. The name meant nothing to me. Although now that I’ve read about him, I have vague memories of an interview with Johnny Depp.

1. What is your favorite word? I wouldn’t call them favorite words, but I know I use definitely and really quite a bit, especially on this blog. As far as words I like the sound of…lollygag is pretty cool. So is hippity-hop. I think it’s a fun sounding word. And I like onomatopoeias… buzz, shush, ribbit.

2. What is your least favorite word? Separate. We read A Separate Peace in high school. When we wrote the essay, I spelled separate incorrectly (seperate). The teacher wrote some witty/snide comment about it…and I’ve been traumatized ever since.

3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? I’m not very creative. I’m definitely not spiritual. And come to think of it, I’m not all that emotional, although I cry pretty easy at books and movies. So… creatively, I’d have to say thinking outside the box. Spiritually, I’ll go with travel. And emotionally, a creative book. And humor. I love people that make me laugh (and I’m not talking stand-up comedy).

4. What turns you off? Ethnocentrism.

5. What is your favorite curse word? Fuck. Didn’t I just say I’m not creative? And did you know there’s a list of films that most frequently use the word fuck? How do I know this? 8 Mile was on tv last night and I googled it…and wikipedia links to that list.

6. What sound or noise do you love? Rain, especially when I’m inside with a good book, or when I wake up in the middle of the night. Also, lawn mowers on a summer day.

7. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Book store owner.

8. What profession would you not like to do? Mike Rowe, and any of the dirty jobs he investigates.

9. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? “What the hell are you doing here? Oh well, the library is that way.”

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Books (how original)

23 February 2008

Looking for a suggestion on a good travel book? Check out National Geographic’s Ultimate Travel Library. I love the picture with the globe and the books. I’ve even read the book closest to the globe, Tahir Shah’s The Caliph’s House. He has a new book out, too…In Arabian Nights. I’m waiting for the paperback version.

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Non-fiction meme

22 February 2008

I’ve been tagged again, this time for a non-fiction meme, started by Gautami:

a) What issues/topic interests you most–non-fiction, i.e, cooking, knitting, stitching, there are infinite topics that has nothing to do with novels? Travel/living in other countries memoirs. And guide books if I’m planning a trip. Otherwise, I usually avoid non-fiction.

b) Would you like to review books concerning those? I post about them here on my blog, but I wouldn’t really call it a review. It’s more like I jot down a few thoughts so I can remember what I’ve read.

c) Would you like to be paid or do it as interest or hobby? Tell reasons for what ever you choose. Yeah sure, if I could actually write a coherent, well thought out review. Which I can’t, so I’ll just dream. And stick to my all over the place style (and I use that term loosely).

d) Would you recommend those to your friends and how? Yup. Via this here blog, or by passing the book along to the few people I know who also appreciate the genre, like my friend Judith or my uncle Bill. Sometimes Kate.

e) If you have already done something like this, link it to your post. You can go here to see all the books (not just the travel ones) I read in 2007. Or here for 2008.

f) Please don’t forget to link back here or whoever tags you. Hi Melissa!

I’m supposed to tag 10 people, but I’m not the greatest at tagging. So once again, all you Slow Travelers who want to play, go right ahead. Oh yeah, and Lisa…I’m tagging you!

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Format

21 February 2008

All other things (like price and storage space) being equal, given a choice in a perfect world, would you rather have paperbacks in your library? Or hardcovers? And why?

I generally don’t keep my books, so first of all I have to pretend I have a library. I do have shelves of books, but that’s just because I have a book buying problem…someday I’ll manage to read them all. At least I keep telling myself that.

But, to answer the question, I’m an equal opportunity book lover. I’d buy whatever caught my eye. Sometimes I see a hardcover and can’t wait to read it, so I’ll buy it. Other times, I’ll wait for the paperback. I have no problem mixing up formats in my giant to-be-read pile/pretend library.

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I give up

20 February 2008

I tried. Really, I gave it a valiant effort. But I just can’t finish.

ines I give up Sorry Ines, you’re outta here. I made it to page 106. But there are 313 pages in this book, and the thought of having to read those remaining pages just makes me cringe.

Ines of My Soul, by Isabel Allende, is based on Ines Suarez, a real-life female conquistador, who took part in the conquering of Chile. It’s told in the first person, and it is almost entirely pure narrative of Ines’ memories. There is very little dialogue, which is what makes this book so difficult for me to read. You know that feeling when you’re reading a text book, and you really, really hope the next page will have a very large picture or chart on it, so there are less words to read, only to be faced with all text when you turn the page? That’s how I was beginning to feel while reading this book. And since I’m not in school anymore, I don’t have to put myself through that torture.

Adios Ines.