Monday, January 31, 2005
book five
The Marriage Bed
by Regina McBride
I sat down and read this book all in one evening. I should confess that I chose it based on the illustration on the cover. It's a lovely, haunting story about Dierdre, a woman in Ireland who was orphaned at a young age, then sent to a convent, but married just before she took her nun's vows. Most of the book takes place in Dierdre's memories of her childhood and adolescence, as she considers what to tell her adolescent daughters about her own life. The most interesting relationship in the book is between Dierdre and her husband, Manus. They move together and apart repeatedly during the course of their marriage. While this made for a compelling read, it also made me feel extremely well-adjusted, because I can't imagine my own marriage ever coming apart as badly as theirs!
by Regina McBride
I sat down and read this book all in one evening. I should confess that I chose it based on the illustration on the cover. It's a lovely, haunting story about Dierdre, a woman in Ireland who was orphaned at a young age, then sent to a convent, but married just before she took her nun's vows. Most of the book takes place in Dierdre's memories of her childhood and adolescence, as she considers what to tell her adolescent daughters about her own life. The most interesting relationship in the book is between Dierdre and her husband, Manus. They move together and apart repeatedly during the course of their marriage. While this made for a compelling read, it also made me feel extremely well-adjusted, because I can't imagine my own marriage ever coming apart as badly as theirs!
Labels: book reports, relationships
book four
The Makioka Sisters
by Junichiro Tanizaki
I read this book based on a recommendation from Gael of Pop Culture Junk Mail. At first I wondered what she saw in it, since it seemed kind of slow and mannered, even prissy. But as I read further, I began to see more nuance and got more involved with the characters' lives. I enjoyed getting a sense of how Japanese women lived in the 1930s - in fact, I was kind of surprised by how "modern" and sophisticated the women in the book seemed for the times. They rode in automobiles, got permanent waves, wore Western-style clothes, studied French, had affairs with men, had friends from Russia and Germany... all of these things surprised me, because I had thought that Japan was pretty much a closed society until after World War II.
I found it especially interesting to compare the attitudes of the characters in this book to the characters in "The Inheritance", as they were on opposite sides of the China/Japan conflict in the 1930s.
The one thing I really disliked about this book was the ending. It's as though the author just forgot to complete the book. The last paragraph is about the digestive troubles [yes, Andy, the word DIARRHEA is used <-- inside joke] the third sister is experiencing as she travels to her wedding. But then what? Does the wedding go forward? Does she die of dysentery? What about the youngest sister - is she going to marry her lover? It's frustrating to be left hanging this way.
by Junichiro Tanizaki
I read this book based on a recommendation from Gael of Pop Culture Junk Mail. At first I wondered what she saw in it, since it seemed kind of slow and mannered, even prissy. But as I read further, I began to see more nuance and got more involved with the characters' lives. I enjoyed getting a sense of how Japanese women lived in the 1930s - in fact, I was kind of surprised by how "modern" and sophisticated the women in the book seemed for the times. They rode in automobiles, got permanent waves, wore Western-style clothes, studied French, had affairs with men, had friends from Russia and Germany... all of these things surprised me, because I had thought that Japan was pretty much a closed society until after World War II.
I found it especially interesting to compare the attitudes of the characters in this book to the characters in "The Inheritance", as they were on opposite sides of the China/Japan conflict in the 1930s.
The one thing I really disliked about this book was the ending. It's as though the author just forgot to complete the book. The last paragraph is about the digestive troubles [yes, Andy, the word DIARRHEA is used <-- inside joke] the third sister is experiencing as she travels to her wedding. But then what? Does the wedding go forward? Does she die of dysentery? What about the youngest sister - is she going to marry her lover? It's frustrating to be left hanging this way.
Labels: book reports
Thursday, January 27, 2005
lit nerd
"I dig Hemingway; a lot of people will compare his prose to reading a drunk telegram."
-Sars at Tomato Nation
Hee. Put me in the drunk telegram camp.
-Sars at Tomato Nation
Hee. Put me in the drunk telegram camp.
hurray for stuff
Mighty Goods
This is a neat-o shopping blog that Leslie pointed out. I am instantly charmed that the first thing I saw was a Waleda product.
This is a neat-o shopping blog that Leslie pointed out. I am instantly charmed that the first thing I saw was a Waleda product.
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
this makes me want to subscribe to Vanity Fair
Fair and Balanced Inauguration
This is brilliant television!
If you can't view it - the short version is that FOXnews invited Judy Bacharach from Vanity Fair to discuss the presidential inaugural festivities... but instead of talking about fashion she attacks the Republicans for spending $40 million on the inauguration when our nation is at war. And the FOX anchor is *extremely* rude to her.
This is brilliant television!
If you can't view it - the short version is that FOXnews invited Judy Bacharach from Vanity Fair to discuss the presidential inaugural festivities... but instead of talking about fashion she attacks the Republicans for spending $40 million on the inauguration when our nation is at war. And the FOX anchor is *extremely* rude to her.
I knew it!
You're Not a Hipster!
Take What sort of Hipster are you? today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Personality Test Generator.
You're actually not much of a Hipster. Congratulations! You may have Hipster style, but you're healthy, you eat right, you have a decent job you enjoy, your finances are stable, you plan on buying a house (if you don't already own one) and settling down before you're 35, you have friends you like, your friends like you, and you can honestly say you're pretty damn happy. Perhaps you should adopt a Hipster and draw them into your perfect lair . . .
ooh, my head.
I learned this morning that I am officially too old to go to work and go to class and go home and do some more work and then go to a bar and have some drinks and watch my husband play jazz and then go to Jack in the Box and get home and eat the junk food and go to bed at 3:00 in the morning.
Ugh.
Ugh.
Friday, January 21, 2005
updates, briefly
-How much do I love the Therapy massage bar from Lush? Very, very much.
-I actually honest-to-goodness worked out at the gym three times this week. My workout buddy M* made me go today - I was all ready to skip out on it - and I'm grateful.
-I finally got some prezzies ordered for my friend E* in Indiana. E*, if you're reading this, watch your mailbox! :) She spoils me rotten with gifts at every birthday and Christmas, and I feel like I never adequately return the favor.
-Soups recently have included:
*Italian Green, Red, and White Soup (a mock chicken stock with spinach, tomatoes, and vermicelli)
*Black Bean & Chipotle Soup with Florida Salad & Ginger Dressing
*Chicken Tortilla soup that I'd stashed in the freezer for emergencies, such as coming home late from class
*Wonton Soup with a green salad with homemade miso-ginger dressing
*Wild Rice & Asparagus Soup
-I actually honest-to-goodness worked out at the gym three times this week. My workout buddy M* made me go today - I was all ready to skip out on it - and I'm grateful.
-I finally got some prezzies ordered for my friend E* in Indiana. E*, if you're reading this, watch your mailbox! :) She spoils me rotten with gifts at every birthday and Christmas, and I feel like I never adequately return the favor.
-Soups recently have included:
*Italian Green, Red, and White Soup (a mock chicken stock with spinach, tomatoes, and vermicelli)
*Black Bean & Chipotle Soup with Florida Salad & Ginger Dressing
*Chicken Tortilla soup that I'd stashed in the freezer for emergencies, such as coming home late from class
*Wonton Soup with a green salad with homemade miso-ginger dressing
*Wild Rice & Asparagus Soup
trivia
I am a big giant dork.
I went to my first-ever trivia night at a bar last night with R*, our friends C* and V*, and their friends B* and A*. Our team won, hands down. Either the other denizens of this bar are really... not that bright, or we are big giant eggheads. Or maybe even both! I hope we'll be able to go back every other Thursday - it's nice to get away from school/work/home stuff and have some beer and good food and act goofy.
I went to my first-ever trivia night at a bar last night with R*, our friends C* and V*, and their friends B* and A*. Our team won, hands down. Either the other denizens of this bar are really... not that bright, or we are big giant eggheads. Or maybe even both! I hope we'll be able to go back every other Thursday - it's nice to get away from school/work/home stuff and have some beer and good food and act goofy.
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
scent
After all this buying and trying of perfumes, it turns out I'm a Chanel girl after all. Coco, to be specific. Granny (she of the Chanel No.5) would be so proud.
Monday, January 17, 2005
book three
Inheritance: A Novel by Lan Samantha Chang
This book is about two sisters in China, beginning when they are young girls in the 1930s, and ending in the present. I found it intriguing but sad - the family is dysfunctional over the course of generations and I found that heart-rending, despite the fact that it ended relatively neatly. It's quite well-written, and had the bonus side effect of informing me about the rise of Communism in China. I didn't previously know much about 20th century Chinese history.
This book is about two sisters in China, beginning when they are young girls in the 1930s, and ending in the present. I found it intriguing but sad - the family is dysfunctional over the course of generations and I found that heart-rending, despite the fact that it ended relatively neatly. It's quite well-written, and had the bonus side effect of informing me about the rise of Communism in China. I didn't previously know much about 20th century Chinese history.
Labels: book reports
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
time and balance
Balance in my life is something I struggle with a lot. Before I left town for Christmas, I wrote about finding an old journal that made me think about the issues that still bother me 5+ years later... and then my buddy the Third Degree Nurse wrote about looking at her New Year's resolutions and finding that she is usually happy in parts of her life but not in other parts. That comment pushed a button for me.
I do this self-assessment thing on the bus every morning on my way to work, where I ask my myself, "Are you happy?" (which is probably the wrong way to phrase it!) and then do my best to answer myself honestly. Most mornings the answer is "No, I feel anxious." Or tense, or angry, or sad, or tired. Or sometimes simply uncomfortable because I'm jammed into a seat that isn't quite big enough for me and my neighbor. Being someone who is prone to worrying and depression anyway, I then find myself worrying that I rarely answer myself with "Yes, I'm happy."
I have lots of good things in my life: My husband, my parents, my house, my neighborhood, my stepcats, a decent job (it's dumb, but the pay is decent, I have health insurance, and I love several of my coworkers a lot!), generally good health, two newer cars, good friends all over the world, school, a plan for my future career, the best public library... [totally off the subject: my neighborhood library branch is reopening January 29th!]
But then there are issues that keep bothering me: my weight, my stupid freaky skin (seriously, do I need to have acne, eczema, and wrinkles all at the same time?!), lack of quality time with my husband, ongoing struggle with anxiety/depression, and more recently, anxiety over whether I want to have a child or not. (Obviously, I am discussing this with my husband as well, but I am having a hell of a time figuring out what I want!)
So I do the best I can to find balance between the stressful things and the happy things. Which leads to weirdness like: my bathroom is filthy right now and I really really need to clean it, but if I don't give myself 30 minutes or an hour to read for fun every couple of days, I will go bonkers! (Denise, there's your answer about how I have time to read for fun - I give myself a break to read on nights that I don't have class. Sometimes it's only 15 minutes while I wait for the soup to simmer, but I read fast. My BA is in English literature, so I've been trained for quite some time to require regular infusions of text.)
The hardest thing for me to sort out is exercising. The problem is, I really don't LIKE to exercise. There are things that involve physical activity that I enjoy, like hiking, but I can't exactly do that 3-4 times a week with our crazy schedules. I do have a gym membership (two, actually, but that's another story), but I have trouble making myself go. That's just laziness - there is no reason I couldn't go every day. Speaking of which, coworker M* and I are leaving for the gym in 5 minutes!
I do this self-assessment thing on the bus every morning on my way to work, where I ask my myself, "Are you happy?" (which is probably the wrong way to phrase it!) and then do my best to answer myself honestly. Most mornings the answer is "No, I feel anxious." Or tense, or angry, or sad, or tired. Or sometimes simply uncomfortable because I'm jammed into a seat that isn't quite big enough for me and my neighbor. Being someone who is prone to worrying and depression anyway, I then find myself worrying that I rarely answer myself with "Yes, I'm happy."
I have lots of good things in my life: My husband, my parents, my house, my neighborhood, my stepcats, a decent job (it's dumb, but the pay is decent, I have health insurance, and I love several of my coworkers a lot!), generally good health, two newer cars, good friends all over the world, school, a plan for my future career, the best public library... [totally off the subject: my neighborhood library branch is reopening January 29th!]
But then there are issues that keep bothering me: my weight, my stupid freaky skin (seriously, do I need to have acne, eczema, and wrinkles all at the same time?!), lack of quality time with my husband, ongoing struggle with anxiety/depression, and more recently, anxiety over whether I want to have a child or not. (Obviously, I am discussing this with my husband as well, but I am having a hell of a time figuring out what I want!)
So I do the best I can to find balance between the stressful things and the happy things. Which leads to weirdness like: my bathroom is filthy right now and I really really need to clean it, but if I don't give myself 30 minutes or an hour to read for fun every couple of days, I will go bonkers! (Denise, there's your answer about how I have time to read for fun - I give myself a break to read on nights that I don't have class. Sometimes it's only 15 minutes while I wait for the soup to simmer, but I read fast. My BA is in English literature, so I've been trained for quite some time to require regular infusions of text.)
The hardest thing for me to sort out is exercising. The problem is, I really don't LIKE to exercise. There are things that involve physical activity that I enjoy, like hiking, but I can't exactly do that 3-4 times a week with our crazy schedules. I do have a gym membership (two, actually, but that's another story), but I have trouble making myself go. That's just laziness - there is no reason I couldn't go every day. Speaking of which, coworker M* and I are leaving for the gym in 5 minutes!
Sunday, January 09, 2005
book number two
Chromosome 6 by Robin Cook
My dad mentioned this book to me as something I might like reading for fluff, so I checked it out of the library. What my dad may not have noticed when he read it is that the writing and editing is REALLY BAD. The concept is interesting: an offshore corporation is creating genetically modified apes that are customized for a particular human client to use for organ donation. This approach (allegedly) would remove the problem of incompatibility and rejection from organ transplant. But oh no! The genetically modified apes can talk and make fire and use tools! Imagine getting bludgeoned over the head with the Prometheus myth about 15 times, and you'll get an idea of how heavy-handed the lesson is. For extra "fun", there's a subplot having to do with how the Mafia runs New York City and how doctors can become eeeeeevil when they start worrying about money.
Overall, I'd say this is like the Dan Brown phenomenon - an interesting idea, a not-terrible plot, but dreadful writing and editing. Maybe I am a literary snob, but poor writing/editing really interfers with my enjoyment of reading!
My dad mentioned this book to me as something I might like reading for fluff, so I checked it out of the library. What my dad may not have noticed when he read it is that the writing and editing is REALLY BAD. The concept is interesting: an offshore corporation is creating genetically modified apes that are customized for a particular human client to use for organ donation. This approach (allegedly) would remove the problem of incompatibility and rejection from organ transplant. But oh no! The genetically modified apes can talk and make fire and use tools! Imagine getting bludgeoned over the head with the Prometheus myth about 15 times, and you'll get an idea of how heavy-handed the lesson is. For extra "fun", there's a subplot having to do with how the Mafia runs New York City and how doctors can become eeeeeevil when they start worrying about money.
Overall, I'd say this is like the Dan Brown phenomenon - an interesting idea, a not-terrible plot, but dreadful writing and editing. Maybe I am a literary snob, but poor writing/editing really interfers with my enjoyment of reading!
Labels: book reports, science fiction
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
50 book challenge
I heard about this LiveJournal meme - basically, read 50 books this year and blog about it. I can do that!
#1: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
I was really excited to get this from the library because the holds list was so long, I figured it must be good. I enjoyed it at first, but then it started to drag. And drag. And it's a really long book. Fortunately, I thought it picked up again near the end, and by the time the book was finished, I was fully engaged.
One aspect I liked was the idea that magic is part of the land, and that most people are just too dense to notice it happening. I also liked the incorporation of the ancient idea that fairies are right here with us, just on the other side of an invisible barrier of time and space. And, I was charmed by the concept that magic can be learned through diligent study.
On the other hand, I felt like the characters never really came alive, and that I never really could visualize the characters or the settings very clearly. Maybe I read too fast or was too distracted... or maybe the author just didn't evoke those things as well as she could have.
#1: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
I was really excited to get this from the library because the holds list was so long, I figured it must be good. I enjoyed it at first, but then it started to drag. And drag. And it's a really long book. Fortunately, I thought it picked up again near the end, and by the time the book was finished, I was fully engaged.
One aspect I liked was the idea that magic is part of the land, and that most people are just too dense to notice it happening. I also liked the incorporation of the ancient idea that fairies are right here with us, just on the other side of an invisible barrier of time and space. And, I was charmed by the concept that magic can be learned through diligent study.
On the other hand, I felt like the characters never really came alive, and that I never really could visualize the characters or the settings very clearly. Maybe I read too fast or was too distracted... or maybe the author just didn't evoke those things as well as she could have.
Labels: book reports, science fiction
two thoughts
Thought the first:
Last night's menu was Wild Rice and Asparagus Soup with Fresh Pear and Blue Cheese Salad. The thing that made the soup work was following the serving suggestion of "sprinkle with Parmesan cheese".
Thought the second:
Handmade soap is really so much better. Here are my current favorites:
Running Wild Spirit
Falls Creek Soapworks
Clear Light Soaps
Last night's menu was Wild Rice and Asparagus Soup with Fresh Pear and Blue Cheese Salad. The thing that made the soup work was following the serving suggestion of "sprinkle with Parmesan cheese".
Thought the second:
Handmade soap is really so much better. Here are my current favorites:
Running Wild Spirit
Falls Creek Soapworks
Clear Light Soaps
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
various
I haven't written anything of substance in quite a while - I am so scatterbrained!
SCHOOL:
I started my new class, Physiology, last night. I think it's going to be less stressful than Anatomy was - not because the material is any easier, but because the professor is much more organized. Also, the way the class is structured makes more sense to me. Mondays and Wednesdays there is a lecture from 6:00 to 7:20. Then on Mondays, we have a smaller seminar group from 7:30 to 8:20, where we'll be able to ask questions, get additional lecture info, and basically interact more closely with the professor. Then on Wednesdays there's a lab session from 7:30 to 9:20... although there's no actual wet lab. It's all virtual stuff from a CD-ROM. I think I will rock this class.
SOUP & SALAD:
I've been cooking up a storm since we got back from Oregon. Menus have included:
EXERCISE:
I worked out precisely once during my vacation. I used the Gazelle in the garage, which felt like I was working hard, so I was all proud of myself... but my calves were so sore for 3 days afterwards that I walked like Frankenstein! Now that I'm back at work (which is close to the gym), I intend to hit the gym every day. I went yesterday and did 15 minutes on the treadmill (walking/jogging) and 15 minutes on the stationary bike. I'm planning on going today and doing some weights.
SCHOOL:
I started my new class, Physiology, last night. I think it's going to be less stressful than Anatomy was - not because the material is any easier, but because the professor is much more organized. Also, the way the class is structured makes more sense to me. Mondays and Wednesdays there is a lecture from 6:00 to 7:20. Then on Mondays, we have a smaller seminar group from 7:30 to 8:20, where we'll be able to ask questions, get additional lecture info, and basically interact more closely with the professor. Then on Wednesdays there's a lab session from 7:30 to 9:20... although there's no actual wet lab. It's all virtual stuff from a CD-ROM. I think I will rock this class.
SOUP & SALAD:
I've been cooking up a storm since we got back from Oregon. Menus have included:
- Corn Chowder and Black Eyed Pea Salad (the chowder was blah, the black eyed peas were good, plus that whole New Year's luck thing)
- Clam Chowder and Herb Popovers (the chowder tasted really good, but the veggies in it weren't cooked enough so the texture was off. I'll try this one again sometime but it wasn't very healthy - lots of butter! The popovers were awesome, though - very easy and very impressive. I'm completely sold on the Calphalon bakeware I've acquired recently.)
- East African Groundnut Stew and... um... I can't remember what we ate with it. (The Groundnut Stew is basically a brown rice and tomatoey dish with peanut butter in it - very very yummy!)
- Roasted Red Pepper Coconut Soup and Caribbean Rice Salad (the soup was a smooth creamy curry-tasting concoction, while the salad was citrusy and fresh with sweet potaotes, black beans, brown rice, and assorted chopped veggies)
- Homemade chicken noodle soup and homemade white bread (R* was feeling sick so I whipped up some chicken noodle, and I got a Calphalon loaf pan for Christmas and it makes FANTASTIC bread - crisp outside, soft inside. I've already ordered another one.)
- Chicken Tortilla Soup (this is a standby recipe at our house - simple and yummy. And I made a double batch so half of it is in the freezer for a quick meal.)
EXERCISE:
I worked out precisely once during my vacation. I used the Gazelle in the garage, which felt like I was working hard, so I was all proud of myself... but my calves were so sore for 3 days afterwards that I walked like Frankenstein! Now that I'm back at work (which is close to the gym), I intend to hit the gym every day. I went yesterday and did 15 minutes on the treadmill (walking/jogging) and 15 minutes on the stationary bike. I'm planning on going today and doing some weights.
Monday, January 03, 2005
sad
My friend who had recently learned she was pregnant miscarried on Christmas Day. Sometimes, life is just not fair. I'm on the verge of tears and I wasn't even the one who was pregnant.
Saturday, January 01, 2005
oh no, we can't have bad publicity!
MSNBC - U.S. announces $350 million in tsunami aid
Ha ha. Didn't want to look like Ebeneezer Scrooge on the world stage, eh?
Seriously, though, I'm glad more aid will be sent. I just wish our leaders had done the right thing in the first place.
Ha ha. Didn't want to look like Ebeneezer Scrooge on the world stage, eh?
Seriously, though, I'm glad more aid will be sent. I just wish our leaders had done the right thing in the first place.
