Mini Book Review #3

In my continuing quest to keep track of all the books I've read this year (#1, #2), here is my third installment. Since I've been lazy posting my reading, I have four books to cover.

Something Blue by Emily Giffin is the sequel to Something Borrowed only told from the viewpoint of the villianess. Clever literary perspective. To be honest, I found the central character, Darcy, to be hard to like. For about the half the book I wasn't sure if I would get through it. Darcy eventually has to live up to her ways and the book takes a warmer turn. If you plan to read the two, start with Something Borrowed.

Spinster Sisters by Stacey Ballis tells the story of two sisters from Chicago who have a successful business. I want to live in the world these sisters live in! They're smart and have a wonderful group of women to work and live with.

I took a break from chick lit and read The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell. Vowell has made a career of taking American history and giving it an ironic and humorous, 21st century twist. Plus I learn a lot from reading Vowell's books. Did you know that the Puritans and Pilgrims were two different groups with different objectives for coming to the New World?

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows was given to me by a friend. I was sad when I finished it. These characters were so alive and real. And once again I learned something historical. The novel takes place just after WWII on Guernsey Island in the English Channel which had been occupied by the Germans for five years.

I would also like to give a shout out to the Madison (WI) Public Library for their great online order system. Yes, I waited four months for Sarah Vowell's book, but I can search and find other books to entertain me in the meantime. And they are delivered to whichever library branch is most convenient for me.

More to come....

One Cat's Holy Grail

Look at this cup. It was acquired by Hubby in 1984 at an establishment called Penrods on Fort Lauderdale Beach. Why would anyone hang on to this for all those years?

I don't know either. Except this is my water cup and it is always with me when I am at home. You never know when a thirst may come on. I don't want to be, say, 25 feet away from a source of water and have to actually get up.

So the Penrods cup and I are an inseparable pair.

Except there is someone that wants to make this pair a threesome. That someone is MJ the Cat. You see MJ lives to drink out of this cup. His whole existence revolves around sticking his schnoz into the cup and lapping up water. Never mind we have numerous bowls for his slurping pleasure. This is the only source of water that matters.

His feline ears can determine the moment water hits the inside of this particular cup. He'll come running over to survey the cup and assess:

1. -the water level in the cup
2. -the diameter of his head
3. -how far into the cup his head will go

"When will you learn?" Hubby clucks. "How many years have you two been battling over that thing? Which one of you is smarter anyway?"

I could part with my Penrods cup. But it would be like cutting off my own arm. We've been through so much together: the Reagan years, MC Hammer, Melrose Place. I've thought about replacing the cup with a water bottle. But where's the sport in that?

MJ and I will continue to maneuver over this precious water vessel; like a couple of weathered generals plotting their next move. Until Hubby grows tired of whole spectacle and throws the cup away.

Which, while logical, would be a sad day.

Do These People Make You Sleepy?

Are you drowsy? A little tired? Maybe just exhausted after a long day?

For Hubby these people are like Ambien. A few weeks ago we discovered CSI Miami reruns on A&E while desperately looking for something warm to look at on TV. After a long, dreary, snowy winter we will take our sun where ever we can find it. Even TV reruns.

Now here's the thing. In the first five minutes the mystery is set up. Someone dies. Someone looks guilty. The CSI Miami team arrives on the scene. Cue cool intro with The Who music. Cut to commercial.

Next to me is Hubby who has already dozed off. Mouth agape; hot chocolate recently quaffed; remote still in hand. Apparently he saw all the warmth he needed. However I am hooked and will need to spend the next 55 minutes with Team CSI Miami to see how it all evolves.

Night after night the same gig plays out. We tune in CSI Miami. He slips into unconsciousness.

Since one of us is actually watching the show I have some observations:

• See David Caruso in the pic above? That's the only time I've ever seen him smile. Plus, what is a pasty white guy like that doing in Miami? That being said, I love his character, Horatio Crane, and his one emotion.
• The science stuff is cool but a bit far fetched. I took enough chemistry to know that some of those things can't be done that quickly. But, strangely, I don't care. If I had a lab that cool I would have stayed in science.
• The stories get all twisty. You think you know who is guilty and then new evidence shows it might be someone else.
• It's not too touchy, feely. If I want warm and fuzzy I'll watch Grey's Anatomy.

Don't tell Hubby what CSI Miami is about. At this point he thinks it's a travelogue about South Florida.

Zzzzzzzzzz.......

My Slice of Pineapple Express

I spent the past week in a drug-induced haze…by legal means. Don’t ask me what happened in the world or how work went. I have no idea.

Bet you’re wondering how you can get your hands on this stuff. It’s pretty easy. Just go to your doc and tell him/her that you need seasonal allergy meds. Then sit back and watch the pink elephants fly.

It started last weekend when I began my preparations for the onslaught of spring pollen. Prescription nasal spray. Check. Prescription antihistamines. Check. No sense of time or space. Check-a-rooney.

Monday was a little hazy but I chalked it up to the Monday blahs. By Tuesday I was still fuzzy but didn’t care much about anything. That intensified on Wednesday but I thought it was me just being tired of winter. However, on Thursday I knew something was wrong because…uhm…like….I couldn’t…well… string two coherent thoughts together. I also couldn’t complete any task no matter how mundane.

Task required: Print spreadsheet, go to the printer and retrieve.

Task completed: Wander to the drinking fountain. Grab some Cheetos from the vending machine. Look at the shiny insides of the vending machine for awhile. Marvel at how the vending machine can hold all that food and drop it at precisely the right time. Find my way back to my desk. Play with paper clips on desk. Wonder what happened to my bag of Cheetos.

This is why it took two days to complete a project.

“There’s something wrong with me,” I whispered on the phone to TJ. “It’s like I can’t complete a thoug…. Hey, are you guys going out tonite?”

What I felt like was the dude from Pineapple Express whose name I couldn't remember for two days.

Later that night I lay in bed while Hubby snored peacefully at my side.

Maybe I have a brain tumor.

Or early onset dementia.

Or a brain aneurysm like that woman on Grey's Anatomy who died while the baby lived even though her husband told Dr. McDreamy to save his wife if he had to choose between the two and McDreamy wouldn't put his scalpel down and got into a fight with Addison that the Chief had to come to the ER and resolve.

Staring at the dark ceiling I used all my skills of concentration. Perhaps...just maybe...the problem is the pill I started taking at the exact same time these symptoms started.

Hmmm. Could be the issue, I suppose.

So I stopped the seemingly cannabis-infused meds and, just like that, started to regain my super powers of focus and concentration.

And that, kids, is why you just say no to drugs. At least until the doc prescribes something new next week.