Wednesday, March 30, 2005
book fifteen
The Tennis Partner
by Abraham Verghese
Last year I read Dr. Verghese's My Own Countryabout his practice with rural AIDS patients in the 1980s. I found it tremendously powerful and thought Dr. Verghese was a terrific writer, in addition to a terrific doctor. So when I discovered that he'd written another book, I was excited to read it.
The Tennis Partner is about Dr. Verghese's friendship with an Australian medical student named David Smith. He discovers that Smith had played tennis professionally, and as a lifelong amateur devotee of the game, invites Smith to play with him. They develop a rapport on and off the tennis court, leading to Smith's confession that he is a cocaine addict in recovery. Verghese, who is himself going through a rough time as he separates from his wife, becomes Smith's confidante but is shocked and horrified when Smith begins using cocaine again. You can guess more or less what happens next from the subtitle of the book: "A Doctor's Story of Friendship and Loss."
Once again, Dr. Verghese has written a powerful book. I'm sure some of the tennis metaphor was lost on me, as I'm not a tennis player, but even so I could see that it was used to tie the whole book together. I eagerly await his next book.
by Abraham Verghese
Last year I read Dr. Verghese's My Own Countryabout his practice with rural AIDS patients in the 1980s. I found it tremendously powerful and thought Dr. Verghese was a terrific writer, in addition to a terrific doctor. So when I discovered that he'd written another book, I was excited to read it.
The Tennis Partner is about Dr. Verghese's friendship with an Australian medical student named David Smith. He discovers that Smith had played tennis professionally, and as a lifelong amateur devotee of the game, invites Smith to play with him. They develop a rapport on and off the tennis court, leading to Smith's confession that he is a cocaine addict in recovery. Verghese, who is himself going through a rough time as he separates from his wife, becomes Smith's confidante but is shocked and horrified when Smith begins using cocaine again. You can guess more or less what happens next from the subtitle of the book: "A Doctor's Story of Friendship and Loss."
Once again, Dr. Verghese has written a powerful book. I'm sure some of the tennis metaphor was lost on me, as I'm not a tennis player, but even so I could see that it was used to tie the whole book together. I eagerly await his next book.
Labels: book reports, medical
book fourteen
Can You Keep a Secret?
by Sophie Kinsella
Coworker L* is feeding me her stash of fluff books as she finishes them. I use them as motivation at the gym. This one was quite entertaining!
The main character is a young woman working in advertising. She has a boyfriend and a roommate and a slightly hysterical internal dialog. Or should that be "dialogue" since she is British? Anyway, she ends up on a plane seated next to a handsome stranger, and when they encounter severe turbulence, she panics and pours out all her secrets to the stranger in fear that she will die and no one will ever know her innermost thoughts.
After she returns to work, it is revealed that the handsome stranger is none other than the American founder of her company. Hilarity ensues. No, really, it's pretty hilarious. This isn't a deep book by any stretch of the imagination, but it was a fun read and kept me distracted from the treadmill.
by Sophie Kinsella
Coworker L* is feeding me her stash of fluff books as she finishes them. I use them as motivation at the gym. This one was quite entertaining!
The main character is a young woman working in advertising. She has a boyfriend and a roommate and a slightly hysterical internal dialog. Or should that be "dialogue" since she is British? Anyway, she ends up on a plane seated next to a handsome stranger, and when they encounter severe turbulence, she panics and pours out all her secrets to the stranger in fear that she will die and no one will ever know her innermost thoughts.
After she returns to work, it is revealed that the handsome stranger is none other than the American founder of her company. Hilarity ensues. No, really, it's pretty hilarious. This isn't a deep book by any stretch of the imagination, but it was a fun read and kept me distracted from the treadmill.
Labels: book reports, chicklit
SDEWLP week three
Now that you're caught up about week two, here's what we'll be doing for week three.
Eliminate 1 shake per day (that means down to 3 for me and down to 4 for R*). Replace it with 1 serving of Cascade Fresh nonfat or lowfat yogurt, any flavor. Also, I can now cook with plain nonfat yogurt, which means I can make tandoori chicken! (Aside from that pesky thing about not actually owning a tandoor.)
Continue to eat vegetables, 4 servings a day.
And continue to work out a hell of a lot. R* works with a personal trainer three times a week - his current description of his workouts is like this:
45 minutes of cardio, with 40 minutes of that with his heart rate over 150. (He wears a heart rate monitor under his clothes - I got one too and have used it a couple of times.) He usually does 25 minutes on the elliptical, 10 minutes on the stair-stepper, and 10 minutes on a stationary bike. Then he does about 20-30 minutes of stretching and abdominal exercises - I believe he's up to 5 sets of 25 on the abs. Then they do a circuit of 8 weight machines, 4 for arms, 4 for legs. He said he's doing 20 reps but only 1 set - each set is supposed to totally exhaust the muscle group.
Two days a week, R* is doing 40+ minutes of cardio on his own without the trainer. We've been going to the gym together on Saturdays. We're hoping to start yoga classes this Sunday, too.
I'm trying to keep up with this workout schedule, but it is hard. I'm back in class this week - Microbiology on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I typically go to the gym 5 days a week, but I don't have time to do 90 minutes of exercise. I'm lucky if I can get to the gym, change, get in an hour of exercise and still change, shower and get back to work in less than two hours. So I've been doing 40 minutes of cardio, 15-20 minutes of weights (I switch between machines and free weights each day), and a few minutes of stretching. I don't know if it's enough. I can tell I'm getting stronger, though!
Eliminate 1 shake per day (that means down to 3 for me and down to 4 for R*). Replace it with 1 serving of Cascade Fresh nonfat or lowfat yogurt, any flavor. Also, I can now cook with plain nonfat yogurt, which means I can make tandoori chicken! (Aside from that pesky thing about not actually owning a tandoor.)
Continue to eat vegetables, 4 servings a day.
And continue to work out a hell of a lot. R* works with a personal trainer three times a week - his current description of his workouts is like this:
45 minutes of cardio, with 40 minutes of that with his heart rate over 150. (He wears a heart rate monitor under his clothes - I got one too and have used it a couple of times.) He usually does 25 minutes on the elliptical, 10 minutes on the stair-stepper, and 10 minutes on a stationary bike. Then he does about 20-30 minutes of stretching and abdominal exercises - I believe he's up to 5 sets of 25 on the abs. Then they do a circuit of 8 weight machines, 4 for arms, 4 for legs. He said he's doing 20 reps but only 1 set - each set is supposed to totally exhaust the muscle group.
Two days a week, R* is doing 40+ minutes of cardio on his own without the trainer. We've been going to the gym together on Saturdays. We're hoping to start yoga classes this Sunday, too.
I'm trying to keep up with this workout schedule, but it is hard. I'm back in class this week - Microbiology on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I typically go to the gym 5 days a week, but I don't have time to do 90 minutes of exercise. I'm lucky if I can get to the gym, change, get in an hour of exercise and still change, shower and get back to work in less than two hours. So I've been doing 40 minutes of cardio, 15-20 minutes of weights (I switch between machines and free weights each day), and a few minutes of stretching. I don't know if it's enough. I can tell I'm getting stronger, though!
super duper extreme weight loss plan week 2
Okay, I just realized that I didn't write about week 2 at all. Now that it's finished, I'll summarize.
Remember week one? Week two was just like that except with 4 servings of vegetables spread over lunch and dinner. The veggies that are not allowed are: vegetable juice, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and winter squash, due to their high glycemic index. A serving size is HALF A CUP. That is not a lot of, say, asparagus. It does seem like kind of a lot of peas, though. And, if you're a salad green, your serving size is one cup. Of course, I don't have enough calories to spare to actually eat salad dressing, but my goodness I missed salad.
During week one I lost 3 1/2 pounds. During week two I lost 2 1/2 pounds. This does seem to be working.
Remember week one? Week two was just like that except with 4 servings of vegetables spread over lunch and dinner. The veggies that are not allowed are: vegetable juice, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and winter squash, due to their high glycemic index. A serving size is HALF A CUP. That is not a lot of, say, asparagus. It does seem like kind of a lot of peas, though. And, if you're a salad green, your serving size is one cup. Of course, I don't have enough calories to spare to actually eat salad dressing, but my goodness I missed salad.
During week one I lost 3 1/2 pounds. During week two I lost 2 1/2 pounds. This does seem to be working.
Monday, March 28, 2005
book thirteen
The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression
by Andrew Solomon
I checked this out of the library after one of my imaginary friends in the computer recommended it. She said that she read it in an attempt to better understand her partner, who suffers from serious depression. I thought it sounded interesting, especially if it brought understanding to my friend, so I picked it up. It actually took me two tries to read the whole book.
I was first taken aback by the tone of the book - the author, himself a sufferer of depression, wrote in first person. While some of the book is personal in nature, dealing with his own breakdowns and recoveries, a lot of the material is factual in nature. For example, there's an entire chapter on the history of depression - it's fascinating, by the way, especially if you were forced to read a whole lot of 18th-century British romantic literature. (Little English major joke there.) Almost every chapter has several stories from people Solomon interviewed for the book about their own experiences with depression.
I'm glad I read the book - it was certainly informative and told me a great deal about the nature of severe depression. Mostly, though, I felt relieved that I am not that sick. I do struggle with depression, but for me, it manifests itself as anxiety and sadness - not abject fear or inability to get out of bed or suicidal ideation or self-mutilation. It may be a little perverse, but I took some joy out of being able to say, "Hey, I'm not very sick at all!"
by Andrew Solomon
I checked this out of the library after one of my imaginary friends in the computer recommended it. She said that she read it in an attempt to better understand her partner, who suffers from serious depression. I thought it sounded interesting, especially if it brought understanding to my friend, so I picked it up. It actually took me two tries to read the whole book.
I was first taken aback by the tone of the book - the author, himself a sufferer of depression, wrote in first person. While some of the book is personal in nature, dealing with his own breakdowns and recoveries, a lot of the material is factual in nature. For example, there's an entire chapter on the history of depression - it's fascinating, by the way, especially if you were forced to read a whole lot of 18th-century British romantic literature. (Little English major joke there.) Almost every chapter has several stories from people Solomon interviewed for the book about their own experiences with depression.
I'm glad I read the book - it was certainly informative and told me a great deal about the nature of severe depression. Mostly, though, I felt relieved that I am not that sick. I do struggle with depression, but for me, it manifests itself as anxiety and sadness - not abject fear or inability to get out of bed or suicidal ideation or self-mutilation. It may be a little perverse, but I took some joy out of being able to say, "Hey, I'm not very sick at all!"
Labels: book reports, depression, medical
fed up
I know it's not politic to gripe about work on one's blog, so I won't. But just so you can get a glimpse inside my head, know that I have HAD IT UP TO HERE with some of my coworkers. The day when I can announce that I've been accepted to nursing school and give my notice will be a glad day indeed.
As for school, my grade for Physiology was reported as a 3.8. I was crushed when I first read it, then I got mad, because I was sure I didn't do that badly on the final! I had a solid 4.0 going into the final exam. So I did a bunch of math, determined that unless I completely bombed the final, something was wrong, and fired off an email to my professor. Turns out I was right, she's missing two of my papers in her records, and I got 102% on my final exam. So there! I'm dropping my papers in the mail to her tomorrow and she will adjust my grade.
As for school, my grade for Physiology was reported as a 3.8. I was crushed when I first read it, then I got mad, because I was sure I didn't do that badly on the final! I had a solid 4.0 going into the final exam. So I did a bunch of math, determined that unless I completely bombed the final, something was wrong, and fired off an email to my professor. Turns out I was right, she's missing two of my papers in her records, and I got 102% on my final exam. So there! I'm dropping my papers in the mail to her tomorrow and she will adjust my grade.
Thursday, March 24, 2005
banksy
Smuggling Art In
This is hilarious! If you're even mildly interested, go to this website and have a look at the actual artworks - in my opinion, the bug is the best one.
Wooster Collective
This is hilarious! If you're even mildly interested, go to this website and have a look at the actual artworks - in my opinion, the bug is the best one.
Wooster Collective
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
book twelve
The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce
by Judith Wallerstein, Julia Lewis, and Sandra Blakeslee
I read this book at the urging of my husband, who is a child of divorce. It was really fascinating and insightful, but I feel like I can't talk to anyone about it. My parents are still happily married after recently celebrating their 30th anniversary, so what the heck do I know about divorce or being the child of it?
The book was written after the researcher, Dr. Wallerstein, corresponded with a previous study subject who was herself a child of divorce. She had been a subject in a previous study about the effects of divorce on children. Speaking with her fired Dr. Wallerstein's curiousity about how the other child subjects turned out, and how their lives compared to children of intact families. So she contacted the children of her old studies and asked them to participate in this new study, and also asked them for recommendations of peers who were from intact families.
She was surprised to find that the effects of parental divorce on children continued into their adult lives. While there were exceptions, an awful lot of the adult children of divorce were still having trouble with relationships, trust, family communications, and so on. Women especially seemed to struggle with issues of self-esteem and troubled relationships. The cases I found most upsetting were of women who rushed impulsively into bad relationships when they were very young, had children of their own, and then left their boyfriends/husbands, perpetrating the cycle. The thing that upset me about their behavior is that they KNEW and acknowledged they were inflicting the same pain on their own children that their parents had inflicted on them.
There was way too much information in the book for me to summarize here. I will say that if you are a child of divorce, or if you are considering divorce, it may be a worthwhile read to get some insight into the long-term effects on families.
by Judith Wallerstein, Julia Lewis, and Sandra Blakeslee
I read this book at the urging of my husband, who is a child of divorce. It was really fascinating and insightful, but I feel like I can't talk to anyone about it. My parents are still happily married after recently celebrating their 30th anniversary, so what the heck do I know about divorce or being the child of it?
The book was written after the researcher, Dr. Wallerstein, corresponded with a previous study subject who was herself a child of divorce. She had been a subject in a previous study about the effects of divorce on children. Speaking with her fired Dr. Wallerstein's curiousity about how the other child subjects turned out, and how their lives compared to children of intact families. So she contacted the children of her old studies and asked them to participate in this new study, and also asked them for recommendations of peers who were from intact families.
She was surprised to find that the effects of parental divorce on children continued into their adult lives. While there were exceptions, an awful lot of the adult children of divorce were still having trouble with relationships, trust, family communications, and so on. Women especially seemed to struggle with issues of self-esteem and troubled relationships. The cases I found most upsetting were of women who rushed impulsively into bad relationships when they were very young, had children of their own, and then left their boyfriends/husbands, perpetrating the cycle. The thing that upset me about their behavior is that they KNEW and acknowledged they were inflicting the same pain on their own children that their parents had inflicted on them.
There was way too much information in the book for me to summarize here. I will say that if you are a child of divorce, or if you are considering divorce, it may be a worthwhile read to get some insight into the long-term effects on families.
Labels: book reports, relationships
1 week check in
We've been doing the new diet/exercise thing for one week tomorrow. We've stuck to it fairly well, except for over the weekend when we went out with the visiting in-laws. It's hard, although oddly enough, I don't feel exceptionally hungry. I feel less hungry doing this than I did when I was doing Weight Watchers, for example. I'm assuming that is due to a combination of fiber and protein.
So, to review, each day I am supposed to have:
-4 protein shakes, with berries (and fiber & peanut butter at breakfast)
-10 oz. lean protein, with 1 serving fat if very lean
-4 fish oil capsules, 2 calcium tablets, 2 multivitamin tablets
I've worked out 5 days in the last 7. I'm thinking about getting a heart monitor to see if I'm really working as hard as I should be. R* has one that broadcasts to a watch - I'm hoping to borrow the watch part and just buy the monitor part. At the gym where R* works out, he can just wear the monitor and the cardio machines pick up his signal!
So, to review, each day I am supposed to have:
-4 protein shakes, with berries (and fiber & peanut butter at breakfast)
-10 oz. lean protein, with 1 serving fat if very lean
-4 fish oil capsules, 2 calcium tablets, 2 multivitamin tablets
I've worked out 5 days in the last 7. I'm thinking about getting a heart monitor to see if I'm really working as hard as I should be. R* has one that broadcasts to a watch - I'm hoping to borrow the watch part and just buy the monitor part. At the gym where R* works out, he can just wear the monitor and the cardio machines pick up his signal!
Friday, March 18, 2005
new blender is love
I just went to Target and got this blender to assist in the whole shake making enterprise. Holy crap, it is so cool. It whizzed up ice cubes with no complaints and produced a perfectly smooth shake. I'm thrilled.
me too
Things That Are Freaking Cecily Out Today
Go read this entry and consider yourself informed about what is freaking ME out, as well.
And then add "Robert Blake Is Acquitted" to the list, because, dude, seriously!
Go read this entry and consider yourself informed about what is freaking ME out, as well.
And then add "Robert Blake Is Acquitted" to the list, because, dude, seriously!
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Super Duper Extreme Dietician Appointment.
Today was our first meeting with the dietician at the gym for the Super Duper Extreme Weight Loss Program. R* is enrolled in the full program, with doctors, trainers, counselors, the whole nine yards. I'm trying to play along from home. It was really hard to get up at 5:30 this morning and go to Redmond, and then work out while R* had his trainer appointment... but I guess I need to get used to it. At least I'll only be going to Redmond once a week.
Happily, the dietician is more than happy to accomodate advising me as well. She said that patients who have the support of their spouse do much better in the program than patients who are trying to do it on their own. So she whipped out an instruction sheet for the Week One diet for women as well. Here's what it looks like:
Breakfast: Super Duper shake powder with water, ice, 1/2 cup frozen or fresh berries, 1 Tbsp. peanut butter
Snack 1: (oh, the horror! men get a mid-morning snack and women don't. I'm thinking about splitting my lunch into two pieces so I can get one!) Shake with ice & water, or a protein muffin from the bistro at the club, or a pre-packaged EAS shake.
Lunch: 4-6 oz. very lean protein, 1 tsp olive oil or other fat serving, another breakfast-style shake. (Men get 12 oz protein per day over lunch & dinner, women get 10 oz)
Snack 2: same as snack 1.
Dinner: another 4-6 oz. protein, fat serving, and a third berryriffic peanutty shake.
The best part is, all seasonings and many condiments (mustard, soy sauce, etc) are acceptable, so I can make marinated chicken! or dijon halibut! or grilled tofu! We just have to measure to make sure we're eating the right amounts.
The dietician also helped us think through our plans after we told her that I'm in school two nights a week and don't get home until late. She suggested that on days when I get up really early, I have the shake from my lunch for a mid-morning snack. And on days when I'm going to get home really late, she suggested that I have my dinner snack before class, and have the protein part when I get home.
As for exercise, the trainer is having R* do about 40 minutes of intense cardio, switching machines every 10 minutes or so, about 15 minutes of streching, and about 30 minutes of weights. That will be three times a week, and he's supposed to start out with 30-40 minutes of cardio two times a week. That isn't too horribly different from what I've been doing on my own... so I think I'll just keep doing it. I could probably stand to get more cardio, but I don't want to kill myself!
And finally, coffee is not completely verboten. She recommend that we cut down to one cup per day, or switch to tea. So when I got into the office, I had a cup of coffee, yay!
This all seems really doable. I'm excited.
Happily, the dietician is more than happy to accomodate advising me as well. She said that patients who have the support of their spouse do much better in the program than patients who are trying to do it on their own. So she whipped out an instruction sheet for the Week One diet for women as well. Here's what it looks like:
Breakfast: Super Duper shake powder with water, ice, 1/2 cup frozen or fresh berries, 1 Tbsp. peanut butter
Snack 1: (oh, the horror! men get a mid-morning snack and women don't. I'm thinking about splitting my lunch into two pieces so I can get one!) Shake with ice & water, or a protein muffin from the bistro at the club, or a pre-packaged EAS shake.
Lunch: 4-6 oz. very lean protein, 1 tsp olive oil or other fat serving, another breakfast-style shake. (Men get 12 oz protein per day over lunch & dinner, women get 10 oz)
Snack 2: same as snack 1.
Dinner: another 4-6 oz. protein, fat serving, and a third berryriffic peanutty shake.
The best part is, all seasonings and many condiments (mustard, soy sauce, etc) are acceptable, so I can make marinated chicken! or dijon halibut! or grilled tofu! We just have to measure to make sure we're eating the right amounts.
The dietician also helped us think through our plans after we told her that I'm in school two nights a week and don't get home until late. She suggested that on days when I get up really early, I have the shake from my lunch for a mid-morning snack. And on days when I'm going to get home really late, she suggested that I have my dinner snack before class, and have the protein part when I get home.
As for exercise, the trainer is having R* do about 40 minutes of intense cardio, switching machines every 10 minutes or so, about 15 minutes of streching, and about 30 minutes of weights. That will be three times a week, and he's supposed to start out with 30-40 minutes of cardio two times a week. That isn't too horribly different from what I've been doing on my own... so I think I'll just keep doing it. I could probably stand to get more cardio, but I don't want to kill myself!
And finally, coffee is not completely verboten. She recommend that we cut down to one cup per day, or switch to tea. So when I got into the office, I had a cup of coffee, yay!
This all seems really doable. I'm excited.
book eleven
A Wizard of Earthsea
by Ursula K. Le Guin
I was inspired to pick up this book after watching the SciFi miniseries and then reading an article by Ms. Le Guin about her problems with the series. One of the things that I'd totally missed when I read these books as a kid was the aspect of race - the main characters are mostly people of color. Either I didn't notice or didn't care about that when I read the books. In the miniseries, the characters are almost all white. Ms. Le Guin is terribly put off by this major change to her characters, because she had carefully developed the multiethnicity of their world. So, I re-read the first book in the series. And my response is, yeah, okay, the characters are described as being from a variety of ethnic background in terms of their color and language. But I didn't find it to be an integral part of the book. Now I wonder if I am too white or too dense to get Le Guin's message!
I did enjoy the story and I do intend to re-read the rest of the books in the series.
by Ursula K. Le Guin
I was inspired to pick up this book after watching the SciFi miniseries and then reading an article by Ms. Le Guin about her problems with the series. One of the things that I'd totally missed when I read these books as a kid was the aspect of race - the main characters are mostly people of color. Either I didn't notice or didn't care about that when I read the books. In the miniseries, the characters are almost all white. Ms. Le Guin is terribly put off by this major change to her characters, because she had carefully developed the multiethnicity of their world. So, I re-read the first book in the series. And my response is, yeah, okay, the characters are described as being from a variety of ethnic background in terms of their color and language. But I didn't find it to be an integral part of the book. Now I wonder if I am too white or too dense to get Le Guin's message!
I did enjoy the story and I do intend to re-read the rest of the books in the series.
Labels: book reports, science fiction
Monday, March 14, 2005
study
I did nothing but study for my Physiology class this weekend. I wrote my last case study paper, did a lab report, completed a take-home quiz, and made a batch of flashcards to study for Wednesday's final exam. I still need to make another batch of flashcards tonight, so I can go flipflipflip for the next two days.
We weren't supposed to start the Super Duper Extreme Weight Loss Program until Wednesday, but R* decided it would be a good idea to get a jump start on it starting today. So for the next couple days, we're having Slimfast blended with blueberries for breakfast, another Slimfast for a snack, salad for lunch, another snack, and one more shake with berries for dinner along with a half a chicken breast each. No coffee. The no-coffee part might kill me!
We weren't supposed to start the Super Duper Extreme Weight Loss Program until Wednesday, but R* decided it would be a good idea to get a jump start on it starting today. So for the next couple days, we're having Slimfast blended with blueberries for breakfast, another Slimfast for a snack, salad for lunch, another snack, and one more shake with berries for dinner along with a half a chicken breast each. No coffee. The no-coffee part might kill me!
Thursday, March 10, 2005
delicious
Here is a site called Del.icio.us that allows you to link up all your bookmarks and tag them with any keywords you desire. Then, you can search your own bookmarks or other people's bookmarks by keyword. Nifty, eh?
Here are mine:
http://del.icio.us/mles
At first it seems really off-putting because it's not pretty and it doesn't seem organized. But put in a keyword or two, and you'll dig up all kinds of stuff you didn't even know was there. The more people who play along, the richer it will become. I'm not even half done adding all the crap in my various hordes of links.
Here are mine:
http://del.icio.us/mles
At first it seems really off-putting because it's not pretty and it doesn't seem organized. But put in a keyword or two, and you'll dig up all kinds of stuff you didn't even know was there. The more people who play along, the richer it will become. I'm not even half done adding all the crap in my various hordes of links.
book ten
How To Be Good
by Nick Hornby
Coworker L* loaned this to me as a fluff read for the gym. And it was good for that. While I do like Hornby's writing pretty well, I really didn't like the narrator of the book very much. I did think the story was interesting, and the characters were lifelike and tangible, which I appreciated. For some reason, I found the whole thing much more entertaining when I remembered that the characters should be speaking in English accents.
The basic plotline is that the narrator, Katie, is a doctor married to an angry newspaper columnist - a sarcastic, funny man. They have two school-aged children. Katie has been having an affair for no apparent reason, but constantly catalogs in her head all the reasons she is a good person anyway: she's a doctor who helps needy people, she raises her children right, and so on. Her life changes abruptly when she confesses her affair to her husband, and he leaves for a couple days and comes back a changed man. Does Katie even like this new man? Read and find out.
by Nick Hornby
Coworker L* loaned this to me as a fluff read for the gym. And it was good for that. While I do like Hornby's writing pretty well, I really didn't like the narrator of the book very much. I did think the story was interesting, and the characters were lifelike and tangible, which I appreciated. For some reason, I found the whole thing much more entertaining when I remembered that the characters should be speaking in English accents.
The basic plotline is that the narrator, Katie, is a doctor married to an angry newspaper columnist - a sarcastic, funny man. They have two school-aged children. Katie has been having an affair for no apparent reason, but constantly catalogs in her head all the reasons she is a good person anyway: she's a doctor who helps needy people, she raises her children right, and so on. Her life changes abruptly when she confesses her affair to her husband, and he leaves for a couple days and comes back a changed man. Does Katie even like this new man? Read and find out.
Labels: book reports
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
maybe I'll just get a kitten.
Daily thoughts about whether I want to have a child or not seem to have permeated my dreams. Last night I dreamed that I got pregnant and gave birth, but then forgot to take care of the baby. It turned out that I'd given the baby away to my mom, so she could raise it. I felt horribly guilty when I realized that I'd just given my baby away, so I went to Mom's house and retrieved it. But it had turned into a kitten.
Perhaps my subconscious is trying to tell me something. This is not the first time I've had the baby-turns-into-a-kitten dream.
Perhaps my subconscious is trying to tell me something. This is not the first time I've had the baby-turns-into-a-kitten dream.
Monday, March 07, 2005
goodbye cheese plate
I had a really nice weekend. In preparation for starting the Super Duper Extreme Weight Loss Program next week, R* and I have been indulging in all our favorite foods. Friday night we ordered a pizza. Goodbye, pizza! Saturday morning we went out to brunch with our friends J* and J* at Wild Mountain Cafe. Goodbye, garlic potato cakes! Goodbye, cinnamon rolls!
Saturday evening, we met our friends J* and A* at Dandelion. It was GOOD! We had wine and little cute appetizers and salad and seafood and cheese plate and coffee. Goodbye, cheese plate! Goodbye, creamy polenta! Goodbye, yummy little puff pastry filled with shrimp and pesto!
Sunday morning, I made R* go with me to the Library Cafe down the street so I could bid farewell to their homemade corned beef hash. Goodbye, corned beef hash!
I did cook dinner Sunday night - Tomato Egg Drop Soup and Sichuan Noodles from the Moosewood Daily Specials book. So I did, in fact, consume some vegetables. :)
I weighed myself this morning after this weekend of indulgence and I am officially the heaviest I've ever been. I guess this is a really good time to start the Super Duper Extreme Weight Loss Program. Although I would like to point out that last week, for the first time ever, I went to the gym and worked out every weekday.
Yesterday I didn't work out officially, but I did lug around several bags of compost and mulch. I weeded, amended, and mulched the flowerbeds in the front yard. Then I did some cleanup work on the big flowerbed in the back yard; added compost to the square foot veggie garden boxes; planted three kinds of peas, three kinds of lettuce mixes, spinach, dill, and basil; planted about 8 million flower seeds in lots of different places; and filled two big pots with soil and planted peppermint and spearmint in them. And yet, I still have three big beds to amend and mulch, a bunch of pots on the front porch that need to be cleaned out and prettied up, the area around the patio needs to be weeded desparately... I do love gardening, but jeez. I need a clone to do my job while I work in the garden!
Saturday evening, we met our friends J* and A* at Dandelion. It was GOOD! We had wine and little cute appetizers and salad and seafood and cheese plate and coffee. Goodbye, cheese plate! Goodbye, creamy polenta! Goodbye, yummy little puff pastry filled with shrimp and pesto!
Sunday morning, I made R* go with me to the Library Cafe down the street so I could bid farewell to their homemade corned beef hash. Goodbye, corned beef hash!
I did cook dinner Sunday night - Tomato Egg Drop Soup and Sichuan Noodles from the Moosewood Daily Specials book. So I did, in fact, consume some vegetables. :)
I weighed myself this morning after this weekend of indulgence and I am officially the heaviest I've ever been. I guess this is a really good time to start the Super Duper Extreme Weight Loss Program. Although I would like to point out that last week, for the first time ever, I went to the gym and worked out every weekday.
Yesterday I didn't work out officially, but I did lug around several bags of compost and mulch. I weeded, amended, and mulched the flowerbeds in the front yard. Then I did some cleanup work on the big flowerbed in the back yard; added compost to the square foot veggie garden boxes; planted three kinds of peas, three kinds of lettuce mixes, spinach, dill, and basil; planted about 8 million flower seeds in lots of different places; and filled two big pots with soil and planted peppermint and spearmint in them. And yet, I still have three big beds to amend and mulch, a bunch of pots on the front porch that need to be cleaned out and prettied up, the area around the patio needs to be weeded desparately... I do love gardening, but jeez. I need a clone to do my job while I work in the garden!
Friday, March 04, 2005
book nine
The Gate to Women's Country
by Sheri S. Tepper
First off, I want to thank Classmate M* for recommending this author, and reader Jodie for recommending this specific book.
I picked it up at the library yesterday, read the first 1/3 on the treadmill at the gym, read the next 1/3 at home on the couch, and finished it this morning on the bus. Soooooo good.
The book is set 300 years after a great "convulsion" (probably nuclear war) that killed most humans. Following the convulsion, part of society reorganized into "Women's Country," a matriarchal society where most of the men live in a military compound outside the village, ostensibly to protect the women. Boy children are taken to the men's compound at age 5 and raised to be warriors. At age 15, they are allowed to make a choice to stay in the garrison, or return through the titular gate to be part of the women's society.
The main character of the novel is a women named Stavia. The story follows her from age 10 to age 37, and slowly reveals the inner workings of Women's Country. I won't give away the secrets, but suffice to say that it is compelling and fascinating, and I don't think I'll be able to get it out of my head for months.
by Sheri S. Tepper
First off, I want to thank Classmate M* for recommending this author, and reader Jodie for recommending this specific book.
I picked it up at the library yesterday, read the first 1/3 on the treadmill at the gym, read the next 1/3 at home on the couch, and finished it this morning on the bus. Soooooo good.
The book is set 300 years after a great "convulsion" (probably nuclear war) that killed most humans. Following the convulsion, part of society reorganized into "Women's Country," a matriarchal society where most of the men live in a military compound outside the village, ostensibly to protect the women. Boy children are taken to the men's compound at age 5 and raised to be warriors. At age 15, they are allowed to make a choice to stay in the garrison, or return through the titular gate to be part of the women's society.
The main character of the novel is a women named Stavia. The story follows her from age 10 to age 37, and slowly reveals the inner workings of Women's Country. I won't give away the secrets, but suffice to say that it is compelling and fascinating, and I don't think I'll be able to get it out of my head for months.
Labels: book reports, science fiction
Thursday, March 03, 2005
well, duh.
Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence |
 You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well. An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly. You are also good at remembering information and convicing someone of your point of view. A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary. You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator. |
book eight
How I Became Stupid
by Martin Page
I can't remember where I saw this book and got inspired to put it on my reading list. I thought it was going to be much fluffier than it actually was. I read it on the treadmill at the gym, but I kept having to take breaks and read some trashy women's magazines to keep my spirits up.
The premise of the book is that the main characters, Antoine, is so very intelligent that it's a detriment to his happiness. He goes on a quest to become stupid, thinking that it will make him happier. After various madcap adventures, his (smart) friends kidnap him and perform an exorcism to bring him back to his intelligent senses. At the end of the book, he meets a quirky girl with whom he feels happiness, even while he feels intelligent.
I understand the point the author was trying to make - thinking too hard about everything can make you unhappy, but the solution is to relax and enjoy life rather than making yourself stupid. But reading the book wasn't very enjoyable for me - I felt like I was reading "The Little Prince" for grownups. Maybe it was better in the original French - or maybe it is better if the reader is an actual French person. I personally found it too pedagogic.
by Martin Page
I can't remember where I saw this book and got inspired to put it on my reading list. I thought it was going to be much fluffier than it actually was. I read it on the treadmill at the gym, but I kept having to take breaks and read some trashy women's magazines to keep my spirits up.
The premise of the book is that the main characters, Antoine, is so very intelligent that it's a detriment to his happiness. He goes on a quest to become stupid, thinking that it will make him happier. After various madcap adventures, his (smart) friends kidnap him and perform an exorcism to bring him back to his intelligent senses. At the end of the book, he meets a quirky girl with whom he feels happiness, even while he feels intelligent.
I understand the point the author was trying to make - thinking too hard about everything can make you unhappy, but the solution is to relax and enjoy life rather than making yourself stupid. But reading the book wasn't very enjoyable for me - I felt like I was reading "The Little Prince" for grownups. Maybe it was better in the original French - or maybe it is better if the reader is an actual French person. I personally found it too pedagogic.
Labels: book reports
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
pants on fire
Bush to bomb Iran in June
Jeez louise. This article is about a speech given by Scott Ritter, a former UNSCOM weapons inspector, in which he claims the Bush administration has already approved plans to attack Iran in June. It wouldn't surprise me if this was true. Even if it is, though, I feel totally hopeless... as though the actions of this administration are inevitable. There's not a damn thing I could do to change the outcome - I already voted, and you can see how well that turned out.
Jeez louise. This article is about a speech given by Scott Ritter, a former UNSCOM weapons inspector, in which he claims the Bush administration has already approved plans to attack Iran in June. It wouldn't surprise me if this was true. Even if it is, though, I feel totally hopeless... as though the actions of this administration are inevitable. There's not a damn thing I could do to change the outcome - I already voted, and you can see how well that turned out.
school update
I got a whole bunch of graded quizzes, exams, lab reports, and papers back in class last night. After doing a whole bunch of math, I came to the conclusion that I've currently got a 96% in the class! All that's left is 3 lab reports (total gimmes, as long as I fill it out completely I get all the points), 2 case study papers (I rule at writing papers), and 1 last exam. I'm definitely getting a 4.0 in this class.
I also registered for spring quarter today. I'm taking Microbiology. I'm actually scared to death about it because I've heard the instructor is really hard... but his class is the only time that I could take it due to my dumb job. I've also enrolled in a one-day CPR for Health Care Professionals course - should be interesting! (And it counts on my application for nursing school.)
The application deadline is April 11th. I guess as soon as I finish winter quarter, I should go ahead and send it in. I have a bad feeling that I won't be accepeted because I won't have finished Microbiology yet... but I'm working through the prereqs as fast as I can, so this will just have to do. If I don't get in this fall, I think I'm a shoo-in for winter!
I also registered for spring quarter today. I'm taking Microbiology. I'm actually scared to death about it because I've heard the instructor is really hard... but his class is the only time that I could take it due to my dumb job. I've also enrolled in a one-day CPR for Health Care Professionals course - should be interesting! (And it counts on my application for nursing school.)
The application deadline is April 11th. I guess as soon as I finish winter quarter, I should go ahead and send it in. I have a bad feeling that I won't be accepeted because I won't have finished Microbiology yet... but I'm working through the prereqs as fast as I can, so this will just have to do. If I don't get in this fall, I think I'm a shoo-in for winter!
