Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

Happy spring (at least in Southern California)! Link up, link back, say hi!

1. There are three books-as-movies that I hope to see this month: Wild, Room, and Macbeth. I've had Wild for a few weeks and it hasn't happened yet, but I really want to. For what it's worth. 

2. I sat down to look at my calendar for this month and I am busy every single weekend day with at least one thing until the second week of April. Whoa. It's all fun stuff (weddings, friend time, family time, hair appointments, etc...), but that's a lot. I genuinely enjoy being busy and social, and tend to get a little down when I am not. But, on the flip side, I'm already behind at life, so we'll see where I'm at come April. This weekend I'm chaperoning a group of students from our school to a class they're taking a UC Santa Barbara (which means that I get to hang out around campus for a few hours, possibly in the rain, but that's okay!) and Sunday I'm meeting up with a friend for awhile in the morning so that we can walk and discuss very important matters. 

3. I went to dinner at a semi-nice place with a few friends last week and brought Sawyer along to see the girls. He was so well-behaved that the couple behind us complimented him on the way out, saying that they didn't even know there was a toddler right by them until they were about to leave. Kids are so unpredictable, but I am lucky that he generally behaves well when we are in restaurants, between the people-watching, eating, and coloring. There were a few bites of my chocolate cake in it for him (local folks, try Brio in Victoria Gardens! It was my first time there and we will be back). 

4. I am in an Audiobook slump. I finished Stephen King's On Writing and have another credit available, but can't decide what to listen to. So many things I'd rather read. I'm also caught up on Serial right now, too, so I need to figure something out (I don't care what anyone says, I'm still enjoying this season). Suggestions are welcome! I prefer nonfiction for listening. 

5. I downloaded the first episode of the Podcast The Worst Idea of All Time after my husband told me about it. Basically, these guys from New Zealand watch Sex and the City 2 once a week for a year and talk about it, each week drinking more and more (or something like that). I loved the show, but the movies were horrid, especially the second one (I'd see a third one, though, admittedly). I listened to the first one today and, even though they were totally sober, it was still entertaining. 

6. Fuller House is basically a disaster. Aaaaaand it's being renewed for a second season. Aaaaaaaaaand I will watch that too (I don't ever turn the TV on when I'm home in the afternoons, but I made an exception, since this isn't really a show that requires full attention).

7. I just started Monsters of Templeton by Laura Groff, since I loved her other two novels. I have high hopes.

8. I am looking for a dress to wear to a wedding and parent teacher conferences (I always buy a new dress, it makes it easier to go and smile and feel put together) and I saw one at Nordstrom that was cute. But then I noticed it was from Ivanka Trump's line and looked away in disgust. It became hideous. No way am I helping that family! Ugh.

9. I've always wanted to make my own granola bars (because buying them is way too easy, apparently) and I think I found the recipe to go with.

10. The state of my kitchen as a I type: a very tired Sawyer (we walked, colored, played kitchen, and blew bubbles in the last three hours) eating dinner, the ingredients for a cilantro rice, chicken, cheese dish for Scott and I in various stages of prep all over the counters, the sink piled with dirty dishes, the dishwasher half unloaded, and two dogs praying someone drops something. So, basically, any typical week night at 6:30. I better go. 

Have a great rest of the week, folks! 

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

Link up, link back, say hi! 

1. I got my 2015 photo book in the mail yesterday and was so pleased with how well it turned out. Worth every penny! And it was a good reminder to start this year's now, instead of waiting until next January.

[made through mixbook]

2. Almost all the soreness from last weekend's half marathon is gone, but unfortunately my normal motivation to be active hasn't quite returned yet. Between the running and Sawyer not sleeping great this week (please let this be the last tooth for awhile...) I'm really tired. I finally got the energy to walk this afternoon and maybe I'll squeeze in a little yoga or time on the trainer later tonight. Tomorrow will be spent walking around the zoo, so at least I'll get in some steps there. Speaking of the race, Matt Damon ran it! I don't really get star struck, but I think the idea of watching a celebrity hoof it around like the rest of us peons is amusing. 

3. Sawyer and I have gotten to spend some time with two of my friends and their kids this week and it's so funny to see him interact with other kids. Both friends have babies and he talks in the high-pitched voice he uses with animals to them, and makes a big deal out of being super hesitant to touch them. It's a crack up (I'm very thankful he isn't aggressive or unkind to them... you never know with toddlers).

4. Oh, NEW HAMPSHIRE. Sigh.

5. I know a lot of people aren't in love with this new season of Serial, but I am actually really enjoying it. It's something different from my normal interests, and I think Sarah, per the norm, is fascinating. I hadn't followed the case at all before this, so it's all new to me (is it just me or are there some similarities with the first season of Homeland?). I am enjoying her updates regarding last season, too.

6. I have a confession: I've ordered four new books lately. I grabbed Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian because I saw a student reading it and have always meant to. I got Lauren Groff's The Monsters of Templeton because I loved her other two novels, and then I've seen such great things about Anthony Marra's The Tsar of Love and Techno, so I grabbed that too. I had preordered Jhumpa Lahiri's In Other Words awhile ago so I didn't forget, and that arrived a few days ago. I should feel bad, but I don't. I can't even promise that I'll stop (I'm burning through Christmas gift cards). 

7. A few years ago Scott and I went to a place called The Pie Hole in LA and I got this delicious maple custard pie and have always wanted to replicate it. I found a recipe for a similar tart, which is just as good. Making it asap.

8. The week before we get our taxes get done I historically get greedy. While 90% of what we get will go into savings or will go towards home improvement-type expenditures, I think I will splurge on this bag and this chaise lounge for reading by the pool. Or, if we're being truly accurate, I'll say I will and then end up feeling bad and putting my fun money towards a student loan. 

9. Fuller House is going to be terrible. I CANNOT WAIT TO WATCH IT.

10. My kid is blowing bubbles in the dog water, so I better go. 

This Sunday

I sort of hate Sundays. They always feel rushed, and the anticipation of my early (five AM!) Monday morning alarm is downright depressing. My lengthy to-do list is always weighing on me, meaning there's cleaning, laundry, work-related tasks, and everything else that I opted to not do on Saturday. The later it gets, the sadder the situation.

But this Sunday is different. I have the next eight days off, my mom is in town, there's lemon cookie dough chilling in the fridge, a kitchen stocked with groceries, and a sleeping baby is breathing heavily next to me (for the last ninety minutes). I'm well-caffeinated after the coffee shop screwed up my order and gave me a large iced mocha, and I've hit my step goal for the last seven days. I got eight hours of slightly-broken sleep last night and my house is fairly clean. There's BBQ chicken in the crock pot and a big loaf of fresh French bread on the counter.

I've been reading, too. I just spent some time with the The New York Times, namely this article on the Harper Lee news and some archived Bookends columns. I really don't know what to think about Go Set a Watchman- part of me is excited but part of me is very suspicious. The idea of taking advantage of the elderly is infuriating and I swear that if something shady is proven I'm canceling my preorder.

I've also spent some time reading up on Adnan Syed's appeal news and am hoping and praying Sarah does an updated Serial podcast. I must confess that whenever I see that I've got a new podcast on my phone I check immediately, just in case she's there waiting for me.

I've also just started Ian McEwan's The Children Act, and I'm not quite sure if I like it yet. Perhaps because I'm only twenty pages in and possibly because I've been reading in very small snippets. Time will tell. 

I've also been studying up on some of the measles outbreak stats, since California is getting hit hard, compared to other states, that is. Sawyer can't receive his MMR for another three months, so technically, he is "at risk." I'm not really that worried, though. I refuse to put him in a bubble, but I am keeping myself informed as to the locations of outbreaks (there are a few cases in our county) and symptoms. I think on rational level it's important to remember that there are 38 million people living here and barely 100 cases of measles. Knock on wood, rub rabbit foot, find four-leaf clover, etc...

I'm looking at my calendar at the upcoming week, noting as always, that I've over-extended myself, although that carries a completely different meaning now that I have a baby. There will be plenty of friends, appointments, walks, park-visits, cups of iced coffee, naps (for him), chores, and papers to grade this week. It'll go by fast, as always.

And the weather. Oh, the weather. The highs this week range from 75-84. I love it, I do, since I have this strong need to live in a house with open windows. But I also love my sweaters, cozy blankets, and not feeling, well, hot. But there is a sort of optimism that sunshine brings, so I'll take it.

Have a wonderful Sunday, friends.

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

Happy holidays! Link up below (if you have time to play)!

1. A teething monster has moved into my house. He only comes out at night, so I guess I'm thankful for that? I also decided that last night, since he's sleeping poorly anyway, that we'd move him from our bedroom to his crib. That was interesting...

2. I got this email from Loft and the cat's name cracked me up!

[hello, Potato]

 

3. I've been off for less than a week and have already seen so many friends and family members. We've been very busy, so it will be nice to have a few days at home. I enjoy taking the teething monster Sawyer out to visit, since I know he's approaching the stage where a lot of babies become wary of strangers. Maybe he's like a dog- meet 100 people in the first however many months and you're good to go?

4. I know that I've mentioned it before, but now that I'm done with Serial, are there any other good podcasts I should be listening to? Refresh my memory.

5. I still am listening to The Nerdist, though, and am in the process of listening to the Paul McCartney episode. He's so humble and interesting. I highly recommend a listen.

6. It seems that a few  people misconstrued/took personally my post on kids on the internet. And here I thought I went overboard on the disclaimers! It was about no one, and it was about everyone. It was an editorial, an opinion piece, a societal observation. That's what I get for linking on Facebook, I guess. On the other hand, I received a lot of thoughtful comments as well, which I appreciated. I really don't care if people disagree with me, but I do want them to understand me.

7. I'm currently reading an ARC of Nick Hornby's upcoming novel, Funny Girl. I was a little nervous going into it, since I thought his last few novels weren't as good as his previous ones. So far, though, at about half way in, I'm enjoy it. I think it's out in February.

8. The (very innapropriate) possibilities are endless:

[don't be an elitist douche waffle, okay? source]

9. I'm seriously considering another tattoo, but I can't really articulate why, which makes me wonder if I shouldn't do it. Interestingly, this is exactly how I felt about having a baby. I like the baby just fine, so I guess permanently marking my body again would work out too? 

10. Tomorrow it's just the three of us for Christmas and I wouldn't have it any other way (well, my brother may come over for dinner). My husband and I used to travel every year in order to avoid the "what side of the family do we see?" conundrum, but last year and this year a trip hasn't really been possible. Our solution? Stay in and celebrate alone. It's so nice to relax, not leave the house, not worry about cleaning for people coming over, and not feel rushed. We do see our respective families, just not on the actual day.  

Reading: Rebecca Skloot

Christmas has come early: I actually went to a reading/lecture this past Thursday. She could have been terrible and I still would have been happy- I was at a big university, on a weeknight, with old students, knowing that my baby was in good hands (with his dad). Plus there was traffic, so I got to listen to Serial. 

Early last week an old student/friend told me that Rebecca Skloot, author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, was going to be giving a talk at UCR. After further investigation I found out that it was totally free (even parking), and the fact that it was local added to the appeal. 

So I went, and it was great. 

The two people I was going with lined up early, so we had pretty decent seats (they should have done it in a lecture hall, though not a huge conference room). Skloot talked for about forty-five minutes, first describing Henrietta's story (if you haven't read it, read it) and then about the process that led her to writing it. She had heard about Lacks when she was a high school student taking community college classes (she had failed out of the traditional system) and was instantly intrigued. Lacks stayed with her as she entered her veterinarian studies in college, and after she was convinced to pursue science writing instead of animals, she started investigating Lack and the HeLa sells even more. Originally she planned to use this as her thesis, but the process took over a decade (she ended up turning it in a getting a degree eventually).

She spoke mainly for the students in the room, encouraging them to not get "tunnel vision," the condition that plagues so many students, forcing them to think they "have to study law" or "they must be a doctor." Her lecture was very polished- she's obviously done this a time or two (I must say that I do prefer readings  that seem a bit more organic, or natural, but I understand that she's been on the circuit for two or so years). She took several questions afterward, two of which came from little girls that appeared to be in elementary school. They were more articulate that many of my students... and peers. It was pretty adorable.

If you can ever hear her speak I highly recommend it. For someone like me who enjoys both the literary and scientific arenas it was perfect. 

Did I mention I got out of the house, alone, on a week night? 

 

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts

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1. Why do people ruin things with raisins?

2. I'm currently reading The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion and while it's a quick read, and mildly entertaining, I think it's a bit silly and lackluster so far.

3. I've been listening to Serial, the Podcast by This American Life (NPR) and am completely hooked. For those unfamiliar with it, it's a true-life murder mystery from over a decade ago being investigated. The host, Sarah Koenig is perfect and the pacing so far impeccable. I actually don't mind being stuck in moderate traffic on the way home, since it means I get to listen longer (as long as Sawyer is quiet/happy/asleep).

4. I think I'm taking a stance against those little pouches of baby food that are all the rage. I've read a few articles that they're really bad for kids' teeth, plus are crazy expensive. Not to mention that I have a massive aversion to Gogurt, and these seem a lot like that. The one thing that is a bummer is that they have some really great, healthy flavors (like kale quinoa). Time to bring out the Baby Bullet!

5. Speaking the offspring, we've been reading Skippy John Jones Snow What and the Curious George Thanksgiving book. I am such a sucker for cute holiday books.

6. My husband and I made a small splurge on our financial diet. We shelled out the $16 to sign up for Cards Against Humanity's Ten Days or Whatever of Kwanzaa. Basically, they send you presents for ten days, and in the past they've been pretty cool. I love getting mail, so this should be pretty great. Sometimes you just need some comic relief.

7. I made this cake for my grandpa's 83rd birthday last week. I made the template for the numbers out of wax paper and everything. Alert the Pinterest.

[octogenarians love sprinkles]

8. I've started reading the Best American Short Stories of 2014, edited by Jennifer Egan and have really enjoyed some of the ones I've read so far, including those by TC Boyle, Joyce Carol Oates, and Lauren Groff. I give so much credit to short story writers- it's so difficult to write a good one.

9. My husband and I watched the first episode of Jane the Virgin on Hulu the other day and it's pretty safe to say we'll be watching the rest. I can't believe something that witty and satirical is on the CW. Also, in TV news, what the heck Parenthood? WHAT THE HECK? You leave me hanging about Julia and Joel and then the next episode they're not even mentioned? What a bunch of ratings-grabbing crap.

10. I save the best for last: I think I'm going to a reading tomorrow night! The first since the little bambino was born. Rebecca Skloot, the author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, is going to be at the University of California, Riverside campus tomorrow giving a free lecture, so I'm going to attempt to go. Fingers crossed the baby cooperates and I can leave him with my husband for a few hours.