the work crew has redoubled–no, make that re-quadrupled–their efforts to finish renovating the house. i say re-quadrupled because days and days have passed during which the lot has remained quiet. that’s also why i haven’t written about it.
they’re redoing the roof over the older part of the house, including the enclosed front porch, over which they’ve added a dormer window. because the addition in the rear is so large, i thought the owner planned to divide the house into apartments, but according to Pete the Mailman, that isn’t true.
inexplicably, the weather here has been in the 60s during the day, and it’s a good thing they crew is taking advantage of the warmth.
The Thursday Bookworm
I’m currently taking a children’s literature course, and it got me thinking about the books we read as children. Those years shape us and influence who we become later in life. So this week, we’ll discuss the books that entertained us and shaped us in our formative years.
1. What were some of your favorite books as a child (pre-kindergarten)? Did you prefer picture books, or books that you could read? What were your favorites in elementary school?
i learned to read at a very young age, but the only book i remember reading pre-kindergarten was one about a gingerbread man running away from his village. the only reason i know this is because there’s a picture of me reading it.
ok. i just checked Amazon and found several versions of this story, which is actually an old folk tale. unfortunately, i couldn’t find the one i owned, which had to be published before 1973–the year my picture was taken.
2. Were there any books that you just did not like? Why?
i don’t remember disliking any specific titles because i was a voracious reader.
3. Who was/were your favorite children’s author(s)? Who were your least favorite?
my all-time favorite children’s book is Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. i even have one of the Wild Things tattooed on my arm, though it’s old and faded.
4. Did you read any of the “popular” series, like Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Sweet Valley, Babysitters’ Club, etc.? Which ones? Why did you like or dislike them?
i read the Encyclopedia Brown and Trixie Belden series. Encyclopedia Brown solved mysteries, and Trixie Belden was like Nancy Drew except that the series takes place 1 or 2 decades later. hmm. well, obviously i must have really liked mysteries.
5. Do you feel that any of the books you read as a child have influenced who you have become as an adult? Which ones, and why?
i enjoyed reading Dr. Seuss books over and over and over. those stories, along with nursery rhymes, are basic examples of rhyme, rhythm, and meter in poetry. these early lessons in poetics must have influenced my writing, though i no longer write formal poetry.
another book that served as an influence was a collection of nursery rhymes published by Parents magazine, i think. i’ve since lost the book and haven’t been able to find a copy. it contained the traditional nursery rhymes like “Old Mother Hubbard,” etc. however, the illustrations, which were simple line drawings in black ink, were eerie, sinister, bizarre. they presented the rhymes in a different light: creep-o-la. at the time, i didn’t know what bothered me about the drawings, but to this day i remain haunted by them.
Bonus: If you have children now, do you read to them? What do you read? And if you don’t have children, what would you recommend that all parents should read to their children?
i don’t have children, but i’d recommend the following:
- Good Night, Moon
- Where the Wild Things Are
- The Hungry Caterpillar
The Thursday Threesome
In honor of Thanksgiving in the U.S. next week: No one diets on Thanksgiving –Erma Bombeck
Onesome: No one-…to talk to? Nah, who is it you look forward to seeing at one of the holidays just to be able to sit around and chat with? Sure, even someone you see during the rest of the year!
friends of the family who don’t normally see otherwise.
Twosome: diets- Have you ever tried one of the "fad" diets out there? Yes, I include Atkins in this category! How did it work for you? Would you do it again or try another one?
i’ve never tried fad diets–just the do-it-yourself kind.
Threesome: on Thanksgiving- What’s your favorite dish? Would you be happy just pigging out on turkey, or do you need all the fixings? Does the pumpkin pie make the meal or do you prefer Mom’s green bean casserole?
actually, i prefer ham to turkey. ham and some rolls would be fine with me.
On this week’s version of the meme, The Thursday Bookworm, one of the questions was about any children’s series you might have read as a child. As an adult, I’ve read the Jedi Apprentice series begun by Dave Wolverton and completed by Jude Watson; and currently, i’m reading both the Jedi Quest (by Jude Watson) and Boba Fett series (volumes 1 and 2 of which were written by Terry Bisson and 3 through 5 by Elizabeth Hand). Although the writing can be tiresome to read–they’re written for 9- to 12-year-olds after all–i’m a total Star Wars fangirl, a huge Obi-Wan fan, and a big fan of characters’ backstories.
Jedi Apprentice begins just as Obi-Wan is about to turn 13, by which age he must be accepted as a Padawan or be sent to the Agricultural Corps for less-than-talented Jedi students. Obi-Wan desperately wants to continue his Jedi education, but Qui-Gon doesn’t immediately accept him as an apprentice. The way in which their relationship evolves is interesting to see.
Like Jedi Apprentice, Jedi Quest follows 14-year-old Anakin Skywalker’s and Obi-Wan’s adventures. (I don’t like this one as much, but it’s because Anakin is so obnoxious.) Obi-Wan’s interior monologues concerning his ability to train Anakin anticipates Luke Skywalker’s “do or do not” lesson, taught to him by Yoda as well as Obi-Wan’s spirit decades later.
The Boba Fett series is still ongoing and begins during Episode II, as seen from Boba’s point of view. It’ll be interesting to see the direction in which the author takes this series, because young Boba is a very likable character.
Wednesday Weird Ones
1. Where are we going and why are we in this handbasket?
we’re in this handbasket because we’re going to hell.
2. Whom do you serve? How do you serve? Why and when do you serve?
i serve the light side of the Force by keeping peace in the galaxy. it is my calling and as such, i am a Jedi at all times.
3. Does Santa really need all those reindeer or is he just trying to show off?
horses don’t fly; therefore, Santa’s sled lacks the necessary horsepower to propel itself. reindeer, on the other hand, are adequate to the task because unlike horses, they have the ability to fly, albeit once a year from December 24-25.
the amount of reindeerpower utilized by the sled increases each year, but since Santa is trying to cut corners (the Elfin Union is threatening to hold a lockdown this season), he’s making do with what he currently has. Santa is hardly showing off.
4. Why aren’t cars made out of wood? What would be the pluses and minuses of having cars made out of any of the following: denim, rubber, leather, scotch tape, aluminum, glass, velcro, sponges, and oysters?
if cars were made of wood, they would burn up before making it out of the dealer’s lot. the disadvantage of velcro cars is the same. however, because they pull apart, if it did make it out of the lot, its owner would never have problems searching for parking.
5. Why are they called square roots?
for the same reason they’re called square pegs.
6. Why are pizzas generally round? What would be a good name for the shape of a slice of pizza?
when pizza was first developed, only round pans existed, which accounts for the traditional circular shape.
slices of pizza were once referred to as wedgies, which explains the low sales of pizza-by-the-wedgie available at most pizzerias: the other definition of a wedgie overshadowed the word’s association with pizza, especially when restaurant owners misspelled "pepperoni" as "pooperoni." after many years, a marketing genius launched a campaign to rename the pizza wedge to the pizza slice. the rest is history.
Weezer Fight
this you have to see. it’s a game called Weezer Fight, which is for both fans and non-fans of the band, Weezer, as well as for gamers and non-gamers. if you’re a non-gamer, it’s worth it just to have a look.
i’ve never been good at fight games such as Mortal Kombat, mainly because i can never figure out the controls. however, with Weezer Fight, no joystick is required. use the arrow buttons and space bar to execute moves such as punching, kicking, and blocking. believe me, you’ll need them. just wait ’til you see your opponent.
and, you even get to choose your fighter from among the 4 members of Weezer. how cool is that?
yesterday, during my twice weekly venture to the Gold Coast, i parked at a meter and plugged it with 5 quarters, which bought me 75 minutes. i thought it would be plenty, so imagine my horror when i returned to my car and saw the flashing red "meter expired" signal.
fortunately, i didn’t get a ticket. as i walked to my destination earlier, i noticed that several cars already had tickets, and i saw a policeman–a policeman, not a meter maid–issuing parking tickets. thank God he must have already cruised the block on which i was parked.
i had good parking karma yesterday, to say the least. when i drove to Graham Crackers Comics in Lincoln Park, there was a spot right in front of the store and it still had time on the meter. too bad, because i just ran in and out.
it’s still crazy on that section of Clark Street. one day it’s OK to part at the meters on the west side of the street, and then 2 days later, it isn’t.
avoid at all costs, if possible.
this is for the ladies, but guys, please pass it on: if you drive with your windows rolled down, make sure you loop your seatbelt through your purse handle. that way if some carjacker reaches in to grab it, they’ll be shit outta luck. seriously, this is a good thing to know.
for someone who was a stray, even though it wasn’t for long, Angelo is a picky eater. he prefers dry food to wet, but will eat the latter.
we here at Chez cat-o-bloggo offer a variety of canned flavors, most of which he likes. but then, one day, from out of nowhere he decides that he either no longer likes a flavor, and for a short time, wet food at all. it’s especially strange that he’s the one who behaves this way because he will eat anything, including paper. what could be going through his head?
beginning last night he’s refused his diet of IVD Dissolution, which was prescribed for his (fortunately) not too serious peepee problem. the downside is that they only offer this formula in canned, and it doesn’t even describe a flavor. when i announce his entree for the morning or evening, like a good server would, i just call it cubes in juice.
in the past, when he’s turned his nose up at a particular flavor of canned food–flavors you wouldn’t expect a cat to reject, such as salmon something–we take the bowls away as usual after the morning meal, and at dinnertime, offer him the bowl again. he eats it then, but probably out of hunger rather than choice.
this time i’m more concerned because he has to be on this diet. a few months ago, under the doctor’s supervision, we tried switching him back to his normal diet but it wasn’t too long before he had problems again.
i’ll call the vet tomorrow for suggestions.
Unconscious Mutterings
I say … and you think … ?
- Childhood:: sucked
- Ransom:: random
- Melissa:: Etheridge
- Trust me:: never
- Report:: card
- Give up:: smoking
- Nightgown:: cocktail dress
- Smokes:: expensive
- Cookies & cream:: fattening
- Gameshow:: a brand new car!
