Rolling with the lunches

Went to a friend's house last night for dinner. I had volunteered to bring cheese, because my grocery store has a huge cheese section in the deli, and they wrap up smaller chunks of fancy cheese, which is really smart. I've been waiting for a chance to try use that information.

The cheese was a hit, partially because I brought so many kinds. As I was giggling with Tracy about, I understand the cheese to be sorted into one of the following three groups: hard, squishy, and orange. Tracy understands them as stinky and less stinky. I did Google the actual categories, but it didn't help me much. It didn't matter much, and the leftovers found quick homes.

We ate a delicious dinner and played a rough game of Scrabble. Then I came home and finished my puzzle. Today I was supposed to meet a friend, but she did not show up. That sucks, but I did eat a lovely meal and tried a black lager and chimichurri, which I also had to Google.

I did (plain) yoga yesterday and today and I'm looking forward to February, when I start tracking exercise. I'm gonna fill that damn calendar! 

Olympic ice skating effort

I went ice skating with Sarah and her daughter yesterday. It was the last day, and the ice was a little soft, especially near the entrance. I haven't been on ice skates since probably 1995, and it was difficult to wobble to the rink. I watched 3 girls around 10 years old RUN in their skates on the foam, which seemed to defy physics. Sarah and I got out on the ice and clomped and wobbled our way around the circuit and said hello to my tennis coach, who has been working there this winter, as he is from New York and loves hockey. He zips and spins and dances around while keeping an eye out for people struggling.

Sarah's daughter was using one of the seals at first to stay upright, but she eventually felt stable enough to skate on her own. Sarah did two laps and I did three before our feet were screaming. We anticipated ankle problems, but it was our feet that hurt so bad that it felt like they were trying to grip the blade itself.

Sitting down gave our feet the opportunity to cramp fully, and we both spent a few minutes rolling our eyes in agony. Then we rested a few more minutes and went back out on the ice. It started to feel like my roller skating adventure a couple years ago. I clomped less as I went, and even felt like I stood upright, though pictures indicate otherwise.

My favorite Sarah comment was "I'm just trying to figure out why people do this." As has become our custom, though, we gave it a good effort, laughed, took some pictures, then went to find some guacamole and margaritas.

Merry birthday

I have so many draft posts, I swear...

But guess who turned 18 in December! Aaarrrgghhhh!!!!

I finally got to see Ant and celebrate his birthday and Christmas. Poor kid always has to celebrate them together. This huge delay was half due to his holiday and work schedule, and half due to him trying to get an ID card so he can cash his paycheck and get me a present. I told him several times that all I want from him is his company and a high school equivalency, but he still insists he's going to get me something. I'm just going to put him to work during his visit next week.

I told him to decide on dinner and he asked if I was sure, because I might not like what he wanted, like Kung Fu Panda. "Isn't that a movie?" I asked. "Yes," he admitted, and cracked up. We picked out mini bundtlet cakes and went shopping for pants and shoes. We did much better on the shoe search this time, finding exactly what he wanted and for less money.

Tonight was kind of a whirlwind, because we had a lot to accomplish on a weeknight, but we got some good conversation in, and it was nice to catch up. We came back here for cake and I lit a candle and sang happy birthday. This kid I met at age 3, who came to live with me at 7, who has called me mom but mostly Jenny, just turned 18 years old. He's got some hurdles ahead, to be sure, but he's got a good head on his shoulders, a sensible inner voice, and a true heart. He stood there tonight looking through Dickies pants- liking the look and functionality of work pants just like his dad, but he is not his dad. They share some striking similarities, but Ant has a different view, and he doesn't want the chaos.

I had lots of warm fuzzies but also anxieties, considering the shaky support system he's trying to launch from. I made sure (again) that he knows I'm here and he knows. He's planning to do it on his own and he'll do it. He is careful about what he'll take from me, and I feel like he is being thoughtful about it, and appreciates that I am that stability just in case.

After we got the cake, we were trying to decide if we should eat or shop first. Ant asked me if I needed to eat first, thinking of my blood sugar. That was my favorite moment until later, when he said when it's warmer and I go play tennis, he'd come with me and skate at the park. Now that, I can do.

Happy, happy birthday, Ant.

Much appreciated but most unwelcome acceptance

Crazy winds took away my last bird feeder, and it was a couple weeks before I found a replacement. The birds wouldn't use it and I was confused, as it seemed like the same one I just had. I finally decided I would just have to replace that one, since it was doing them no good, and as soon as I picked up another feeder, I realized what the problem was. The one on the left allows them to perch and face the food. They would have to be skinny contortionists to eat from the one on the right. They are back now and happily pecking food and each other around my balcony.

Yes, I do go scrub off the bird shit. Usually not in winter, though.

Last night I went to a friend's housewarming party. Sarah and I brought alcohol, a houseplant, a giant take and bake cookie, and a few toys for Carlos, his cat. We were entertained by all the silly options at the store, but were both enthralled by this little bunny slipper.

THE MOST ADORABLE cat toy ever.

Carlos was freaked out when we first got there, but seemed to be settled by the catnip that was inside the slipper. I introduced myself and he warmed right up to me. In fact, he liked me so much that he snuggled across my lap and returned to my side again and again. I kept petting him and he even answered me when I cooed. We were deep in a game of Cards Against Humanity when my friends were alarmed by me yelling WHAT THE FUCK at the top of my lungs and scrambling to get away from Carlos, who was peeing on me and the couch. There was a scramble of cards and wet towels and dish soap as we cleaned up and the host apologized for his pet, but joked that he hoped I truly felt part of family now. I do take it as a compliment that Carlos decided I was his, although another theory was that he was so comfortable between the catnip and the cuddles that he'd rather pee where he sat. In addition to feeling so loved as to be claimed, two new white cards were added to the deck in honor of my misfortune:

A cat pissing on your leg
and
Randomly yelling WHAT THE FUCK

Carlos the Urinator about an hour before marking his territory

Finally

I love listening to organizational podcasts because they motivate me. I'm off today and I slept in, ate a small, reasonable breakfast at home, then puttered around, cleaning the kitchen. I came across an episode about organizing your kitchen drawers that was only 16 minutes long. Now, the idea is not to complete the task during the podcast- it's supposed to be a week long task, but I only have four drawers total, so I thought I'd be able to do all four or at least the trick drawer in that time.
I put a label on the trick drawer, because it has many victims, including me, and after the last time everything fell out, I didn't care enough to sort it. This may have been in July. Of course, things were going to hell this summer with Miss Riley, so looking back, it makes sense that I didn't care to fix it.
Yes, it feels amazing to finally have this fixed. Yes, it only took maybe 5 or 10 minutes. Yes, it has been a source of negative energy for months. But instead of feeling bad about myself, I'm thinking about how nice that will feel (until it dumps again) and that whatever the source of bad feelings, I can trust that it will be fixed in time. It's easy to say just fix it, Jenny, but sometimes there are other things at play that don't seem that relevant at the time- perfectly valid reasons that make a messy drawer seem inconsequential in comparison.

2016 Books

I finished my Goodreads challenge! I read 30 books in 2016!

The last time I completed one was 2013, so I had not reached 30 books in any challenge, so go me!

Of course, this is largely due to audiobooks. I find my mind wanders sometimes when my hands are bored, so I like to sit at my table and work on a puzzle while listening to a book. In fact, I associate some books with certain puzzles, and sometimes it is a satisfying combination.

I wanted to share my list with you and keep it handy for me as well, to process some of what I read or listened to, and share a few thoughts and where the idea came from to read it. 

Marine One, James W. Huston
Straight from an Audible sale, this sounded like an easy government bad guy thriller, and it was. Pure candy, but fun.

The Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R. Tolkien
The Two Towers, J.R.R. Tolkien
The Return of the King, J.R.R. Tolkien
I have to lump these together because I listened to them that way and have no reference for what happens where if the movies were wrong. I still prefer to watch those, because they are beautiful and full of lots of sweaty men, but it was nice to hear how the story actually goes, though that (never)end(ing) section about the customs of Hobbits just about killed me.

My Planet: Finding Humor in the Oddest Places, Mary Roach
I felt bad not liking this, but humor is like that for me. I'm either cracking up or not having any of it. Sometimes it's the reader- they can have a patronizing or annoying voice, and it can ruin the whole thing.

The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss
I wanted to read this again. Tracy and I are part of the population growing agitated while waiting for the next book in the series, and we send the first two back and forth so that we're primed and ready when that damn book comes out.

Just What Kind of Mother Are You?, Paula Daly
Another Audible sale, and this one was entertaining enough to finish quickly, but I haven't retained much.

The Night of the Gun, David Carr
This is horrible, and not nearly as fascinating as the blurb made it sound. I have since heard someone reference this book as if it's some kind of touchstone, but I found it indulgent, uninsightful, and anticlimactic.

The Alchemist, Paolo Coelho
This was recommended to me by one of my SAW students. I liked it a lot, but not as much as I wanted to. I thought this would be the touchstone- some old story with a wealth of meaning. I did find a lot of value, but in parts rather than the whole.

Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town, Jon Krakauer
I didn't enjoy this at all, and not just because of the subject. Into Thin Air is one of my very favorite books, and I found the breakdown of that story helpful and extremely compelling. Here, I didn't feel that same pull- it just felt like a heavily researched paper.

The Art of War, Sun Tzu
I always wondered if I should read this despite wanting to distance myself from anything related to war, and the answer was yes. I want to listen to this a few more times, because I found surprising relevance. I believe that's a cliché with this book, but one that is rightfully earned.

The Day of the Jackal, Frederick Forsyth
It was suggested to me by a fellow Audible addict to listen to anything read by Simon Prebble or Wil Wheaton. Simon read this one, and it seemed like a well known story, so I bought it in a sale. This was also entertaining enough, and yes, he is a great reader.

The Postman Always Rings Twice, James M. Cain
This was a print copy I found in a thrift store and was living on one of my many To Read shelves. It seemed like a quick read, but it took me forever. There was a callousness that made me wonder how I would like The Catcher in the Rye now. Ugh. I'd rather read a Walter Mosley to capture the feeling of finding trouble on a summer night.

Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Incident, Donnie Eichar
Books like these make me consider only reading ones Shannon gives me, because I know they'll be good. I heard about this story somewhere, went looking for what happened, and came across this book. Spoiler alert: nobody actually knows what happened to these highly experienced campers. It felt like punishment to get through the entire book and the process of disproving all the crazy theories, but they FINALLY offered a seriously plausible explanation for what happened, which was completely fascinating. Then I realized why they needed to explain why the other theories were stupid, but I still think it was unnecessary to tie in his own experiences. Go look up the Dyatlov Incident- it's one of those real mysteries that's truly stranger than fiction.

Ready Player One, Ernest Cline
Wil Wheaton reads this one, and I was promised the best book ever, but by some fandom reviewer. It's complete geek culture, which is a name I think is unfair, but seems to be embraced. I did not love this book, wherein a geek goes on a geek culture scavenger hunt. Early on, I noticed a serious shortage of love for female authors, musicians, directors, etc., and it started to make me mad to see women largely excluded, like classic rock does. Maybe you would argue reasons for that, and maybe some would have merit, but it's hard to preach equality while a white male leads a small assortment of obligatory diverse followers in a circle jerk of love for accomplishments made by white men. It's OLD. And if that's how it is, at least acknowledge it.

The Princess Bride, William Goldman
Shannon told me I needed to read this, and of course, she was right. It was funny and silly and had all the heart and swashbuckly adventures we know and love, but different enough from the movie to make you glad you know both. And don't point to that debacle above. This one is timeless because it acknowledges the beauty in tropes while not allowing them to be taken seriously.

The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue, Michael Tougias
I definitely wanted to read this before seeing the movie, because this is my kind of story- true and dangerous and dramatic! The story really is impressive, and the book did a good if dogged job of explaining the situation. I was hoping the movie would help illustrate the story for me like Everest did, but instead it felt kind of cartoony. That's too bad, because this is one hell of a rescue.

The Dawn Patrol, Don Winslow
This thriller is a little bit gross old guy, but it has so many references to legitimate Southern California surfing history that I think Dad would enjoy it. I liked it a lot, silly as it was.

A Man Called Ove, Fredrik Backman
I heard this is getting a movie, and I hope they get the feeling right. Shannon sent me this, and it was lovely. It's no literary feat, but it made me smile and cry and feel like a human. This was this year's Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.

The Prince of Tides, Pat Conroy
I haven't read this since high school, and wanted to remember the story. It is so layered, and these are characters that I believe, which I rarely find in fiction. I knew these people, and loved them fiercely. This book was famous for very good reasons.

Whistling Past the Graveyard, Susan Crandall
This was a Shannon suggestion, but I did not love it. It felt like a bad luck version of Forrest Gump.

Find the Good: Unexpected Life Lessons from a Small-Town Obituary Writer, Heather Lende
I wanted to like this.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky
This might be the same deal as The Catcher in the Rye, that you have to read it in high school. It was fine, I just didn't find it as profound as a lot of people seem to. Does that make me sound like I'm acting superior? I hope not, but it is 4am, and I may have no patience left for a more cautious review.

The Earth Moved: On the Remarkable Achievements of Earthworms, Amy Stewart
Once again, the reading matters. I almost quit several times, even though I was waiting to hear why worms come up in the rain. This book referred to Darwin's book on worms so often that I wished I'd just bought his instead. 

Freak the Mighty, Rodman Philbrik
This was a recommendation from a friend, and while it was a little fantastical, it was still moving and reminded me a bit of Sherman Alexie. If I had known about it when Ant was younger, I would have given him this book.

A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire, George R.R. Martin
I'm trying to convince Tracy to read this, even though it's bloody. It's very bloody, but so good! It's nice not to know what's coming.

Farenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
Here is one I should have read in high school, but no one assigned it.

Gilgamesh: A New English Version, Stephen Mitchell
Now, here is the story I thought The Alchemist would be. I had never read this, and as much as I enjoyed the story, the essay about the story was interesting. I love that the oldest story we've ever found is actually the antithesis of the hero's journey, as the writer of this version points out. There are so many beautiful and insightful parts to this story that I intend to listen again and again and again.

Tricky Business, Dave Barry
This one is my favorite for the year. I was so excited to find another Dave Barry fiction book, because I enjoyed another one so much. There was lots of silliness, but a fun story as well, and the best ending out of all of them. Nice work.

On Fire, Larry Brown
This is another I read in high school, and missed a lot. Upon rereading, I found that this is the style I've been after, probably since then. It's clean, honest, and detailed. He writes a lot of fiction, but this is memoirs of his time working for the fire department. There are a lot of hard things to read- so much that I wondered how I'd loved it that much as a teenager. I read it all again and saw the same matter of fact perspective that conveys truth and experience and thought if those things have to be present, I'd prefer to hear them in that way.

I finished this last book tonight- I was late to the New Year's Eve party because I was so close, but how could I stop at 29.5?

Happy, happy new year, friends.

Christmas

I just ate the most delicious lunch. Amanda sent me home with some roast beef last night and I stopped in at Sarah's on the way home and she gave me some homemade mac and cheese and good grief those two items were delicious. I had to counter it with some salad, but daaaaaaang that was yummy.

I started reading this book again:

I haven't read it in many, many years, and it is in my all time top 5. As soon as I started reading, I wondered if it isn't my #1, but I guess I'd have to reread all my favorites to figure that out. I ordered this a while ago in hard copy, which is odd for me lately, because I've been doing most of my reading by listening. I feel too busy to sit and read, though I can do it if the book sucks me in. It's hard to figure out what books are going to do that, and I am trying to meet my Goodreads goal- only two left. Something interesting I realized as I started reading this was that this book is the writing style I love best and one I think I try to emulate. It's honest and clean, with neat details and observations. I know I found this when I was younger, but I can't remember if it was while in high school or the military.

I have all these things in mind that I want to do, and I keep thinking I've got the time to do it eventually, but when the hell did I get to be 38? So I sat down and wrote several pages of my book. I have this ridiculous expectation that I will write 3-4 pages a day in this new year, because I've done the math, and Stephen King says the first draft of any novel should take no more than three months. Of course, that's what works for him, and I think that excludes research or revision, but it is a handy guideline to try to get the thoughts down, at least. More will come up during that research and revision process, but to get it down is the main obstacle for me. I tried to take the spirit of his advice and not reread what I've written already or try to spend time editing as I wrote. Just capture all directions as much as possible so that later, I'll know what the hell I was talking about and can clean it up then.

Christmas was lovely, and I got all kinds of wonderful and thoughtful gifts. I ate a delicious breakfast cooked in my new cast iron frying pan, and talked with family while opening gifts. Around 1, I made a mad dash to clean up and get things ready. I dropped off a little gift for a friend at the far south end of town, then stopped in at a Sarah's house to exchange gifts, then up to another A & N's for dinner. It was a really nice day and now I'm struggling to find motivation to clean and maybe even leave the house.