Larocque and Roll

Not quite pining for the fjords September 9, 2007

As I was writing the previous post, there was a loud noise at my kitchen window. It’s the second time this morning that it’s happened, and the first time there wasn’t anything out there to give me any clues. My best guess is that it was a bird or something trying to get at the sunflowers in a vase on my windowsill.

The second time it happened, I went outside again, and again, there was nothing. I looked all over - behind flower pots, the barbecue, the wheelbarrow - and didn’t see anything. However, as I went to go back into the house, something moved on the railing beside the door. This guy was just sitting there, giving me the stink eye.

I think it was him who was flying into the window. And I think he’s stunned because he just sat there while I was taking the picture.

He’s still there. I hope he’s not just waiting for his buddies to show up and get revenge.

It came to me in a dream, and now I have to use in my NaNoWriMo story

“Hey, Kurt?”
“Yeah?”
“I was just thinking…”
Kurt waited, and then spun his chair around. Chris was already facing him. “What? What were you thinking?”
“Do you ever wonder if, when Ed McMahon is having a bad day, he goes out into his back yard, looks up at the sky and shakes his fist? And then says, ‘Johnny, you bastard! How could you? How could you die and leave me here alone? We were supposed to go together!’” Chris was shaking his fist to demonstrate.
“No, I… can’t say it’s ever crossed my mind,” said Kurt carefully.
“Oh. Okay then.” Chris swung his chair back around to face his desk. Kurt stared at him for another moment or two before doing the same.

Well-read in August September 6, 2007

Damn it. I just lost the post I’d started writing about what I read last month. And I just remembered I was supposed to call my sister tonight. Double damn. Sorry Rachelle!

Anyhoodle… on with the list!

~ J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (7)
The biggest disappointment about this book was that I didn’t try to get a copy the first weekend it came out so that I could participate in the grand shared experience of spending the weekend (or, in my case, the afternoon and evening) reading this book. As to the book, I liked it - it was darker and more intense. I thought the characters matured a lot, and that Ron got in some great one-liners (there was one about how impressing girl witches wasn’t all about “wand work” which had me cracking up). The saddest part was when Harry read Snape’s memories, and finding out where his patronus came from. However, I felt the epilogue was too short and rushed; there were a lot of other characters I would have liked finding out about. On the other hand, it gives me free reign to cling to the belief that Percy Weasley got a job at his brother’s joke shop eventually.

~ Jeffery Eugenidies, Middlesex (8.5)
This was a book club book. At first, I was concerned that I wouldn’t like it as much as I remembered (I stayed up all night reading it); fortunately, it was as good the second time around.

~Olivia Goldsmith, Dumping Billy (5.5)
After all that heavy reading, I needed something light and fluffy.

~ Alan Moore et al, The Watchmen (7.5)
Kind of creepy. The pirate story was seriously disturbing, but it was interesting to see “superheros” made out to be normal humans with flaws and appetites.

~ Neil Gaiman, Stardust (8.5)
It was like reading an olde-fashioned faerie tale written by someone with a sense of humour. It was the first book of his I read lo those many years ago (Neverwhere was the second). The movie, which took several liberties with the book, was also pretty awesome.

~ Ami McKay, The Birth House (8.5)
This is going to be our next book club book. A beautiful story about a midwife in rural Nova Scotia in the early 20th century.

~ Lauren Willig, The Secret History of the Pink Carnation (6.5)
Cheesy and a little over-the-top, all the while winking at the reader and wallowing in its bodice-ripping moments.

~ Stephen Fry, The Liar (8)
Dry, witty, and devious. Andrian Healey reminds me a lot of Nick Twisp, of the book Youth in Revolt. One of the characters is in the habit of recording messages for broadcast on the BBC, and all I could think was, “hey! He’s an early adopter of podcasting!” God, I am such a geek.

Not to labour the point… September 3, 2007

This Labour Day long weekend, I’ve been spending it… well, labouring. Saturday I had to work - I don’t mind working the Saturday of a long weekend because everyone’s already left town or are doing long weekend-y things, and don’t so much come to the library. Sunday I spent it doing laundry and tidying the basement, and doing dishes. On the goofing off front, I did manage to finish the book I was reading, and spend a goodly amount of time watching TV in the evenings. Today I plan on cutting the grass, doing some weeding, and perhaps hitting a matinee. And reorganizing the two bookcases I moved a few weeks back.

Last night I made rice for with my dinner. I always make extra so that I can make rice pudding for dessert. Tonight I tried a different recipe, and used shredded coconut instead of raisins. It is an addition that was most delish - thanks to my sister who made the suggestion.

In other news! My sockapalooza socks arrived last week!

My pal was Lucy, aka Pinkphish, all the way across the ocean in the UK, and I love the colour and the pattern. The socks look really blue in that picture, but there are actually a lot of different, subtle colours. Thank you so much!