True Blue Media Gal

2012: The Year of the Spinster Adventuress

2012-01-11T11:29:00.006-05:00

If it's not my favorite character entrance of all time, it's dang close:

"My bunkmate, Lorraine Root. A 37-year old home economics teacher from Muncie, Indiana. Almost 6 feet tall, with horn-rimmed glasses. Chain-smokes Lucky Strikes. Lorraine introduces herself this way: 'I'm a spinster adventuress.'"

This comes from the utterly enjoyable The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt: A Novel in Pictures by Caroline Preston, with full-color vintage memorabilia on every page (see below). Frankie is a plucky young Vassar grad / aspiring writer, coming of age in the 1920s and dressing the part. Her travels take her across the pond to Paris; en route she meets Ms. Lorraine Root, the aforementioned spinster adventuress.

This book was a lot of fun, and it got me thinking about my Year 2012 Resolution. My Year 2011 Resolution -- trying new things -- was a great success. Line dancing, Atlantic City, waterproofing my basement walls, swimming two miles, and Muir Woods were just a few of the highlights. How to follow up such an eventful year? Why, by becoming a spinster adventuress!

The Watch That Ends the Night = The Book That Stole My Heart

2012-01-09T10:16:00.004-05:00

From the spine-chilling cover art to the unforgettable voice of the Iceberg (and with every curl of saltwater in between), Allan Wolf's The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic simply stole my heart. This novel re-imagines Titanic's voyage from the shipyard to the ocean floor, a voyage that 2,000-some-odd souls took along with her. It's a story that's been told and re-told, but the beauty of Wolf's writing breathes new life into the soon-to-be-100 year old tragedy. The still-almost-incomprehensible event unfolds through the voices of about twenty passengers and crew members (and one ship rat) aboard the luxury liner, as well as the Iceberg itself. There are many unforgettable passages that beg to be re-read; here's my favorite:

"I am the ice; I am of water made.
That's why it's now of water that I speak:
Watch how the water licks Titanic's hull.
Hear how the water makes her rivets creak.
See how, before her trip even begins,
the water is obsessed with getting in."

And one more favorite passage, for good measure (also in the voice of the Iceberg):

"The sun moves low to the west of my mass.
A shadow, cast by my prodigious bulk,
becomes a phantom finger stretching out
to mark the route Titanic's bow needs trace
across the sea's gray-rippled endless face."

Hubris, humanity, and the progeny of "Greenland's glacial womb" literally collide in this amazing piece of art.

I declare, it's Do Yourself a Favor and Read ROOM Day!

2011-04-02T08:27:00.004-04:00

It's not too often that I read a book so outstanding that I recommend taking a day off just to read it in one sitting. I read a lot of books, and I like a lot of them just fine (some get the special honor of being hurled against the wall -- The Shack, this still means you!), but only the great ones really linger in my mind. Some True Blue Media Gal greats include:

Jesus Land by Julia Scheeres
Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
Unwind by Neal Shusterman

And I will now add Room by Emma Donoghue as the coveted fifth bullet point! Room is narrated by Jack, who begins, "Today I'm five. I was four last night going to sleep in Wardrobe, but when I wake up in Bed in the dark I'm changed to five, abracadabra." But Jack is not a typical five year old. His mother, who is now twenty-six, was abducted by Old Nick when she was nineteen and has been held captive for seven years. She and Jack live in Room, the 11' x 11' universe, where Ma cares for him, feeds him, teaches him, and plays with him. Old Nick stops by to disappear the garbage, creak the bed, and bring the occasional Sundaytreat. Jack has never been outside of Room, but now that he's five, Ma starts to think that maybe Room won't be big enough forever. Now she has to convince Jack that Outside is actually real. This book has suspense, incredible use of language, and a central mother/son relationship that is equal parts moving, inspiring, and disturbing. So please, do yourself a favor and read Room today!

How do you solve a problem like Human.4?

2011-03-26T17:23:00.007-04:00

Long time, no blog! But it's 2011, my year for trying new things. And I think that returning to an old favorite thing can and should qualify as a new thing. But before I get off track, here are some of the new things that I've tried so far:

Roller skating at Millenium Skate World in Camden, NJ (oh hey, a two-fer!)
Branching out from my usual selection at the Fellini Cafe in Media, PA, or trading Gnocchi Fellini (Gulf shrimp, artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomato in fresh basil pesto) for the Linguini al Polpo di Granghio (crabmeat in fresh tomato sauce with basil)
Going to Atlantic City for a friend's birthday party; the agenda included the Continental at Caesars for dinner and then time to dance dance dance at Mur.Mur
Roller skating in Downingtown, PA with the Girlfriends Club of Chester/Delaware Counties -- participating in a group activity is the new thing under this bullet point, since I've already covered roller skating
A West Coast Swing dance lesson (actually this will occur later this evening, 8 p.m. to be precise, so please think of me)

And it's only March, so heck if I haven't gotten serious about my resolution this year and then some. HOLLA! for 2011. But trying new things doesn't mean forgetting about my favorite things, so of course I've also been reading lots of great books in and amongst all these other new pursuits. Well, some great and some not so great. And that brings me to Human.4 by Mike A. Lancaster.
Kyle Straker, the main character, volunteers to be hypnotized at his village's annual talent show. When he and the other volunteers recover from the hypnosis, they realize that something has gone terribly wrong. Everyone looks the same, but nothing is quite as it should be. Oh, and one of the other volunteers is Kyle's ex-girlfriend. Natch. A lot of running for their lives and raging against the machine ensues. And some other stuff.

There was a great premise lurking about in this short (231 page) debut novel. An eerie, disquieting message about how continual technological upgrades can leave some people feeling irrelevant or downright invisible. And maybe the homeless person that you've heard mumbling to himself has just missed the most recent upgrade, and now he simply exists outside the Matrix. Unfortunately, the premise is stronger than the execution. I did appreciate the fact that, unlike so many other books I've read of late, Human.4 has a real ending and not merely a set-up for the inevitable sequel. 'Cause I just ain't buyin' that.

Evolvement - REALLY?!?!

2010-06-13T18:14:00.008-04:00

I heard Katy Perry on American Top Forty with Ryan Seacrest this morning and she said that her fans are looking forward to the "evolvement" of her music. I can't decide if I'm endeared or irritated. Team Endeared: She made fun of Garth Brooks' Chris Gaines phase. Chris Gaines is always ripe for ridicule, and I welcome every swipe at him. Team Irritated: She compared herself to Priscilla Presley. I'm willing to forgive a lot since Katy's given us the best summer song line yet:

"California Girls, we're undeniable / Fine, fresh, fierce, we got it on lock."

So catchy! But even California Girls might want to unlock a dictionary, I'm just sayin'.

What's in my bookbag?

2010-03-29T18:50:00.008-04:00

My trip to Texas is fast approaching, so needless to say I've spent the past few days agonizing over which books to take with me. It's an especially big decision this time out because I'm committed to carry-on items only. That means I had to scale back my typical "book per day of trip" equation to a "books that fit in tote bag" scenario.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett was a shoo-in because it's been so highly recommended by many of my work friends. I'm currently on page 46 and will withhold commentary until I really get farther into its 440+ pages. No surprises here: I'm also taking Eclipse by Stephenie "About Three Things I Was Absolutely Positive" Meyer because (a) Debi and I will be watching Twilight and New Moon on DVD, (b) it's a plum opportunity to read the book in the presence of Pocket Edward, and (c) Eclipse will hit theaters in June! Gotta be ready for every sparkling moment. A dark horse in the running edged out A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick, my book group's latest selection. My Leftist sensibilities and fondness for graphic adaptations of books I'll never read led to a surprise pick: A People's History of American Empire by Howard Zinn. Plus, I like books with covers that are red.
I am looking forward to paging through this depiction of "trouble in the soul of an imperial nation" with newfound respect for comics as civil disobedience. Oh, and I can't wait to hit up Chuy's, the H.E.B., and Taco Cabana!

P.S. Entertainment Weekly had somethin' to say about A.N.T.M.'s upcoming vampire-themed photo shoot. And that somethin' was, "[It's] either a commentary on how the modeling industry can suck the life out of you or a pathetic attempt to get Twilight fans to watch." Um, if they would just replace pathetic with mind-bogglingly effective, and every known synonym for mind-bogglingly effective, I could get on board.

Dear Tyra: Now I KNOW that you've been reading my letters!

2010-03-25T18:54:00.006-04:00

Next Wednesday, March will go out like a mega-fierce lamb when two of my very favorite-est thing will come together for one hour of TV magic. The photo challenge on America's Next Top Model will be a VAMPIRE-themed shoot complete with faux neck wounds, tank tops with suspenders (?), and some ca-razy white contact lenses! So fierce it will curdle your blood. It really won't suck. And as yours truly will be deep in the heart of Texas visiting BFFF Debi D., I am thinking that all of Wednesday's activities will definitely be planned around vampires and A.N.T.M. So overall, a pretty typical Wednesday!

Note to Tyra: Dear Tyra, what is dreckitude? And why the sudden commitment to catsuits featuring MC Hammer pants? I'm just sayin'.

In other news, I removed one of my own stitches today. I am seriously questioning the wisdom of doing this even while thinking to myself, "one down, three to go."

"And approximately what time did you lacerate your thumb?"

2010-03-24T09:24:00.005-04:00

I disobeyed all known rules of logic and kitchen safety on Sunday night when I placed a can lid in the bottom of a bowl in my sink. As I placed it there I thought to myself, "You are going to forget that it's there and you are going to cut yourself on that can lid." But I chose to ignore my own voice of reason and go about my business. Part of my business included forgetting that there was a can lid at the bottom of a certain bowl, because when I went to wash the dishes I managed to gash my thumb on said can lid. And it was a gash of epic (for me) proportions. A bleeder! One trip to the emergency room, four stitches and a tetanus shot later, I'm more or less recovered except for some lasting bruises on my pride. Who knew that to anesthetize the area to be stitched, the doctor has to inject the novocaine directly into the gash itself. Sweet mother. Only five more days until the stitches can be removed. I'm thinking this isn't the time to get in touch with my inner DIY-er.

A feast for all the senses!

2010-02-20T15:06:00.010-05:00

A cookbook would have to be pretty special for me to spend the better part of a Saturday reading recipes for Spicy Pulled Pork, Rib-Eye Steak with Whiskey Cream Sauce, and Comfort Meatballs. That's because I'm a devoted vegetarian happily counting down to my 20-year anniversary with a meat-free plate. But I also have a li'l bit of the cattle ranch in my blood, so I was immediately taken with Ree Drummond's The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes From an Accidental Country Girl.
It's part cookbook, part memoir, part photo-diary of her life on an Oklahoma cattle ranch. Each recipe features step-by-step instructions and gorgeous accompanying photos, shot in the natural light of Ree's kitchen. The photos of wheat-fed (YES!) cows, ranch landscapes, and mud-splattered cowboys (swoon!) set the backdrop for recipes that will probably tell you to "cut the bar of cream cheese in half and add both halves to the skillet" or "scrape out the skillet to get every last drop." Ree's bubbly writing adds to the fun: "All I am saying: give cheese grits a chance." Done! Because really, every vegetarian knows that the trick to being a good dinner guest is to politely pass along the platter of Chicken Spaghetti and double up on Creamy Rosemary Potatoes, Macaroni and Cheese (my own personal brand of heroin), or Beans with Skillet Cornbread. Or all three: triple carb delight!

Everything about this book makes me long for an elk ivory engagement ring. And if you know what I'm talking about, you know what I'm talking about. Swoon (again)! Speaking of swooning, Monthly Edward will return soon. Really!

Snow Day Coffee Table

2010-02-17T13:00:00.010-05:00

This snapshot of my coffee table gives you a pretty good idea of how I weathered the recent snowstorms that brought the East Coast to a grinding, sliding, salt-encrusted halt. My ever-present water bottle is one of the few plastic items that I still have, and once it goes I'll be down to strictly stainless steel and polycarbonate water bottles. My ever-present to do list is also on display. As is the remote control triad. The DVD remote control came in handy when I watched Dear Zachary, one of the very best and most shocking documentaries I have ever seen. I have thought about it so much since viewing it, but I don't want to give too much away so I will only recommend that everyone watch Dear Zachary with a box of tissues, a pen, and a stamped envelope nearby. Reasons for the latter items will be evident after viewing some of the disc's special features.

The books on the coffee table are all arranged according to reading priority, a little phrase that I cooked up to explain the, um, priority of my reading material. Flash Burnout, Soul Enchilada, and We Are the Weather Makers are all review books with a deadline. Ditto Because I Am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas, a young adult novel in verse that I just loved. And hey, is that Kristen Stewart on the cover of Vanity Fair? Why yes, it's the 2010 Hollywood issue featuring ten whiter-shade-of-pale actresses (it's a fold-out cover) and spotlighting Kristen's bedhead. Vanity Fair gets a thumbs down on both counts. These offenses are glaring and inexcusable. I'm sure Kristen isn't responsible for her own styling in this instance, but – to paraphrase my *Pineapple Express reference* BFFF Debi D. – Hey Kristen Stewart! You are dating the hottest guy on the planet! Run a comb through it and represent!

"Werewolves are a disease!"

2010-02-13T15:38:00.008-05:00

So I made good use of my third consecutive Snow Day yesterday, and saw The Wolfman on opening day. I really was prepared to love everything about The Wolfman, but here's the sad truth: if you like long shots of Benicio Del Toro traipsing around the misty moors in a top hat and fur-lined cloak (and I do), then there is something for you in this movie. However, when moors-traipsing is the best thing about a movie, there is a problem afoot. The fact that no two characters have even remotely similar accents reinforced my impression that I would soon be wanting my $8.50 back. I think Anthony Hopkins knows it, too, because he raced through his lines with zero inflection / commitment to character, and the subliminal message seems to be this: "Rent was due, get off my back."

And when is someone going to realize that when the monster lurks just outside our range of vision (or the gypsy camp, whatever) the monster is actually frightening. When the monster looks like Anthony Hopkins in a werewolf costume: not frightening. Not frightening!

My primary gripe re: The Wolfman concerns a missed opportunity for a Hugo Weaving in-joke. It is pretty awesome when Agent Smith (Weaving's character in The Matrix) intones, "Humans are a disease." I kept waiting for someone involved with The Wolfman to capitalize on the fact that, HEY, Hugo Weaving's on the set! It would be so fantastic if at some point his detective character casually mentions that "Werewolves are a disease!" You know, casually but with an exclamation point.

It is also curious that every character saves up all of their nighttime errands and pub-goings for the full moon. They collectively stay huddled up indoors during the safe times, and then head out en masse once they hear some howling on the moors. Oh, those moors again! And I'm not even going to get into Emily Blunt's character except to say: How did "Lawrence Talbot" (come on, I know it's you, Benicio!) know where your antiques store was located? Hmmm?

He's got that Boom Boom Pow

2010-01-23T19:38:00.008-05:00

When my friend Debi D. visited in December, we decided to document our week together with a photo-diary of all the places we went, and all the things we did, featuring Debi's Edward action figure. You know, Edward Cullen, the vampire from Twilight? With the unforgettably awkward "anaphase, prophase, your hands are so cold, did you get contacts?" getting-to-know-you scenes between Edward and Bella? Exactly, that Edward!

Here he is surveying the lay of the land in Media and getting ready for an exciting night on the town.
We also gave in to some good old-fashioned Rob-session. The segment of the photo-diary that documents this aspect of the visit will obviously include this photo:
The world just isn't ready to see the whole photo gallery all at one time because of its dangerously high awesome factor, so the photos will be rolled out little by little. It will be like a Daily Edward (more likely a Biweekly Edward, which just doesn't have the same ring), interspersed with Twilight quotes that bring the happy. So let the Daily Edward commence!

Adventures in Plastics

2010-01-23T15:38:00.006-05:00

For the past couple of days, I'd noticed a strong smell of melting plastic emanating from my beloved Honda Accord. The smell would get more noticeable as the car warmed up, and on the rare occasion that I ran the heater (I tend toward hot myself) it would become overpowering. I'm convinced that I even stunk up the entire parking lot at the local public library – well not me, but my car. And after driving for more than a few minutes, I would feel a strong headache coming on. It would also take an hour or two after getting out of the car to shake a general feeling of queasiness.

So I zipped over to see my favorite mechanic on Friday afternoon, not sure if they were still open. He said they're always open for a pretty girl (oh my stars!) and after I collected myself he took a look under the car with the benefit of a flashlight. Not a moment later he pulled a half-melted scrap of plastic out from under the car. At this point the smell was almost enough to make a person pass out, and I was already lightheaded from getting such a sweet compliment. And my point is thus:

Ego boost notwithstanding, all of this mayhem was caused by one plastic bag. And not even a trashcan-sized one, either. Just a garden variety grocery bag. Think of the chemicals that go into the creation of this one bag, and the side effects those chemicals caused when they came in contact with my li'l Accord's catalytic converter! And the chain reaction set off by putting a plastic bag, one of trillions and more, back into the trash or recycling. Yes, even the recycling plant has to do something with all those chemicals when the plastic bags are made into other kinds of stuff.

As a result, I am revising my stance on plastics. No more! No more plastic shopping bags, no more plastic water bottles, no more plastic lids on my to-go coffee from Wawa. For a while now I've been fairly diligent about using my cloth grocery bags, and I only need to expand this one good habit out to all of my on-the-run practices. I'm not sure yet how to proceed on the trashcan-liner front. I will keep you posted!

A Literary Smorgasbord; Or, I like books with covers that are red!

2010-01-17T18:41:00.009-05:00

Over this holiday weekend, I've enjoyed catching up on a number of literary odds and ends that have been weighing down my bookshelf for a while now. First up, The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory. Oh, Philippa ... your The Other Queen took a few hits on True Blue Media Gal back in May, but all is now well between us. The tale of Catherine of Aragon and the lie that changed the course of English history kept me going through many a treadmill mile! Luscious historical fiction at its best.
I then had something of a 1980s moment with a viewing of Adventureland and a reading of Huge by James W. Fuerst. (Next stop: stirrup pants?) Twelve-year old Eugene "Huge" Smalls fancies himself a hard-boiled detective in training. When someone vandalizes the sign outside his grandmother's nursing home to read "Oakshade Retarted Home," Huge is so on the case – 1980s New Jersey petty vandals better duck, cover, and wear protective gear. Huge has a custom-built Cruiser (on display on the book cover), an anger management problem, a plush sidekick named Thrash, and a pair of homemade ninja shorts. What could possibly go wrong?
And finally, I indulged my Tudors obsession a little further with The Raucous Royals by Carlyn Beccia. Yes, that would be Mary, Queen of Scots, bogarting Queen Elizabeth I's crown there on the cover. It's written for a middle-school audience, and it just makes me happy. Plus, I learned that William Shakespeare invented the word "gossip." I just know that li'l tidbit will come in handy one day.
Finally, I caught up on reading the latest issues of Entertainment Weekly, Vegetarian Times, and Vanity (yawn) Fair. Oh, and it's possible that all of this took slightly longer than one holiday weekend. Like maybe all the time since my last post (and that would be an – ack! – a month!).

Action Shot

2009-12-18T12:56:00.007-05:00

Here is a moment in my career if ever I saw one! Please note that my desk is not typically this messy - this must have been a crazy day, as also indicated by the pinched facial expression. Many of the tools of my librarian's trade are in evidence here: coffee cup, date due cards, stack of books waiting to be read, and several boxes in the background waiting to be dealt with. The "First Lines" bulletin board in the background is, indeed, the same tired-out display that I bragged about back in August. Clearly it just hasn't made it to the top of my to-do list yet, plus I'm waiting for all of the youth book awards to be announced in January so those books can be the focus ... Eh, forget it. I'll just buy the Twilight and New Moon READ posters, grab the staple gun, and call it a day.

Now I know what's going on my Christmas list!

2009-12-16T14:45:00.003-05:00

This is the stuff that Christmas dreams are made of! Jessica Bendinger, the screenwriter who brought it with the cheer-tastic Bring It On, has just published her debut novel! Here is the cover of the sure-to-be-glorious The Seven Rays:
And here are three things I already love about this book:

The cover proudly proclaims that it's by the writer of Bring It On and Stick It.
It received a rating of "a perfect ten" from American Cheerleader Magazine (they review books? I can almost hear Sue Sylvester's commentary).
Both Deepak Chopra and Greg "He's Just Not That Into You" Behrendt have nice things to say about it: "a journey of mystery, magic, and adventure," and "teen-tastic and freaky" respectively. Current TV likes it, too, and if Al Gore is on board that's good enough for me.

Now you know what will be in MY letter to Santa this year!

A Daily Coyote Shout-Out!

2009-12-11T14:27:00.011-05:00

One of my very favorite books of 2009 was The Daily Coyote, by Shreve Stockton. Adapted from her blog of the same name, this book chronicles a year spent with Charlie, an orphaned coyote pup, in a tiny Wyoming town called Ten Sleep. The book is a standout in every way, but my hands-down favorite bits are the captivating, full-color photos of Charlie. After reading the book, I became a regular visitor to Shreve's blog, where she posts daily photos of Charlie and a weekly caption contest (every Monday, for those interested). Inspiration doesn't always strike, but when it does I enter a caption or two to accompany the picture. I've never had the winning caption, nor the accompanying prize (Charlie calendars, petrified squid and other Wyoming goodies, paperback copy of The Daily Coyote, etc.). But today I scored something just as good: a spot on the list of runners-up! I couldn't compete with "Yawn of Uncivilization," the winning entry for this photo of Charlie's epic yawn, but Shreve recognized both my entry and the reasoning behind it:

“Show me whatcha got / Show me your teeth!” — “Teeth” by Lady Gaga
(somehow I think Charlie would appreciate Lady Gaga!)

I am positively giddy! So in the spirit of all things Lady Gaga, here are some photos of yours truly along with my friends Cas Q. and Kristine C. at the Lady Gaga concert last Thursday. Do spend some time checking out the motley crew behind us in the second picture!
Well, I suppose the Christmas cards aren't going to write themselves. Must dash.

Here's one from my brag book

2009-11-23T09:30:00.004-05:00

Incommunicado

2009-11-19T10:47:00.011-05:00

I've been a little bit incommunicado recently, and it's time for some true confessions. First, I've given in to the hype. I am reading New Moon, and I am loving it. Although the first 200 pages do make you revisit a traumatic break-up or two. "I don't want to break up with you, I just want a hiatus for ski season" is one zinger that pops into my mind (and that person knows exactly who he is although he is most likely not reading this blog...his loss all around).

Second, I've been busy perfecting what I like to call The Best Recipe Ever, pictured here:
This recipe hearkens back to another recipe that was featured on True Blue Media Gal last May. I spruced it up a little and now it's even better, so simple and tasty:

Sautee a chopped onion in butter and olive oil
Add a jar of prepared pesto
Crumble in a log of goat cheese and stir until it starts to melt
Stir in any leftover marinara sauce (at this point the recipe will briefly look quite gross but persevere!)
Stir in as much chopped spinach as you can fit into the cooking vessel, and cover so that the spinach wilts from the heat of the sauce
Stir in some cooked, peeled, de-veined shrimp (it's not really a vein, you know, so the removal of said "vein" is key)
Heat through, invite the neighbors, and enjoy!

Third, I've been trying to figure out when My Beloved James Franco will start appearing on General Hospital. And thanks to the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly, I have a date: Monday, November 23, 2009. He's going to portray a mysterious artist named ... (my beloved) Franco. Let's show him some love!

How does she stay so youthful?

2009-11-19T10:30:00.006-05:00

On November 14 Mattie LaMew celebrated her "1st birthday"! Actually, it was her 5th birthday but her 1st anniversary as my cat. Can't you just see the joy in that little kitty expression? I picked up a cupcake so that we could celebrate in style, but Mattie wasn't particularly interested in it. I actually had to lure her near the cupcake with her squeaky catnip mouse, also pictured here:
This photo captures the most exciting moment of her birthday celebration; it was followed by yours truly enjoying the cupcake, which was just delicious. The whole day included extra spoiling for her: fresh catnip on her scratching box, extra playtime with her string, and of course no shortage of kibble.

Before and After; Or, a shout-out to Mama Gladys

2009-11-19T10:15:00.006-05:00

My mom recently picked up this 9-pound cabbage at a grocery store in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and I whipped it up into a big bowl of Cabbage a La Gladys. This involves quartering the cabbage, slicing the wedges into ribbons, and cooking it in butter and olive oil over high heat until it turns golden brown but still has a good crunch to it. The before and after pictures:

It's hard to judge the scale of these photos, but that is a pretty big cutting board and the cabbage took up the entire thing! Also, the after picture shows half of the cabbage post-cooking. I had to cook it in four batches! This is my mom's very favorite recipe, and it's all thanks go Mama Gladys and her culinary expertise.

Quotable Evan

2009-11-01T09:04:00.017-05:00

I recently heard from my brother, Evan, who called from California to give me an update on Palo Alto's weather forecast: "It's sunny, 70°, blue sky with no clouds, about 50% humidity. 50% humidity is a little high for me, but I can take it." As I sit here, ensconced in the land of 98% humidity (a.k.a. Pennsylvania), my heart really breaks for Evan as he suffers with 50% humidity. But it's cool, because November has also broken with many exciting plans in the works. The new month got off on the right foot with a Halloween eve' game night, where I put in an appearance as Sue Sylvester, the cheerleading coach from Glee. I appear on the left with my hand weight and iron supplements, and below with my pal Loren as a "tavern lady." Next up is reading New Moon in preparation for seeing the movie. I was a bona fide Twilight hater until I saw the movie – low budget heaven! Now I'm just hoping I can get to the sequel before the movie opens. After all, time is tight what with watching Season 3 of Buffy on DVD, juggling Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill and Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler, and squeezing in Singles Night at Trader Joe's. I knew I'd been meaning to get business cards made for a reason! And that's how this gal "C's" it!

Can you stand the sweetness?

2009-10-30T13:05:00.004-04:00

Sick Day

2009-10-20T08:57:00.006-04:00

I'm home sick today. Not the kind of "sick day" that involves a yoga class, an oil change, and some outlet shopping. Rather, the kind of sick day that involves a vague, total-body ache and staring at the clock, willing it to be time for my next dose of Pseudo-Quil. Also the kind of sick day when I think I'll get a jump on all my holiday correspondence, but instead wind up racked out on the futon watching seven consecutive episodes of Flight of the Conchords, Season 2. Hilarious show, by the way, though in my current state any laughter leads to a crackling coughing fit. On the upside, I also get to spend several hours observing the birds on a wire outside my window as they puff themselves up and generally torment Mattie the cat. If only I'd been more organized about my Netflix delivery schedule, I would have Twilight on hand to watch! I just recently read the book and will withhold commentary until I see how Edward the Sparkly Vampire, he of changing eye color and cold skin, is portrayed in the movie. The book absolutely slayed me, and not in a fabulous Buffy-esque way at all. Oops, does that count as commentary?

I laughed, I cried, I listened to the podcast: It's a Rosanne Cash lovefest!

2009-10-05T19:16:00.009-04:00

I left work a little late on Monday, so I only caught the last few minutes of Terry Gross' interview with Rosanne Cash on Fresh Air. Oh, but what a wonderful few minutes they were! I don't usually advertise my profound affection for country music; I prefer to save it for awkward moments at parties and/or lulls in any conversation. I then fill these lulls with comments such as: "Hey, have we talked about how much I love Dwight Yoakam?" So anyway, Rosanne Cash has a fabulous new album called The List. This album includes twelve songs from a list of one hundred essential country songs that her father, Johnny Cash, created for her when she was eighteen. The newest of these songs, Bob Dylan's "Girl from the North Country," is from the early 1960s. In other words, Carrie Underwood won't be keying anyone's Ford Dually in these songs. It's a collection of classic American songs that tiptoe over the border between country, folk, protest music, blues, and mountain music. Plus, I love Rosanne's style on the album cover: And when I listened to the whole interview via podcast, I came away with even more respect for Rosanne as a singer and a person. The List is not to be missed!

E-F-R-O-N, Z-A-C

2009-09-30T17:48:00.004-04:00

I recently found myself at a county-wide librarian's training day. We covered all the exciting updates to our inter-library loan system and some of the bells and whistles added to particular databases. An example of these "bells and whistles" is the biographies that were added to SIRS Discoverer (trust me, it's awesome), biographies of luminaries such as Miley Cyrus and Zac Efron. I worked up the courage to raise my hand and ask if these new biographies had been cross-referenced with the database's Biographies feature (again, trust me -- it was an awesome question). Since we were on the topic of Zac Efron, I suggested that we use him as an example. The presenter proceeded to type in "Zach Ephram." I found myself in the awkward situation of knowing exactly how to spell Zac's name, but not necessarily wanting to admit this to the librarian community at large. Oh heck, you know I went for it. The next thing you heard was my thin voice piping up, "E-F-R-O-N, Z-A-C!" That's what she said!

Oh, Snap! Comeback of the Week...

2009-09-30T07:58:00.009-04:00

House: I quit.
Dr. Foreman: You can't quit.
House: I think you're confusing me with Jake Gyllenhaal.

I love a good Brokeback Mountain in-joke! Monday's episode of House featured several other zingers. For example, when a patient attempted to diagnose himself with mercury poisoning, Thirteen quipped (*paraphrase alert*), "And you're currently getting mixed reviews in Speed-the-Plow on Broadway?" Oh, snap! Although I am a little embarrassed that I got this vague reference to Jeremy Piven's untimely departure from Speed-the-Plow because of sushi-induced mercury poisoning. And now I'm blogging about it. Time to move on. To another embarrassing incident ... to follow in my next post!

Mattie meets her scratching box ...

2009-09-28T14:07:00.007-04:00

Sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words, but I tend to be wordy (true!). So I couldn't resist leaving a caption for this series of three typically adorable photos ...

Here, Mattie meets her scratching box for the first time.

Mattie in the midst of a catnip-induced scratching box frenzy:

"It's mine, mine all mine. As evidenced by the drool stain. Mine!"

Steampunk

2009-09-09T14:12:00.007-04:00

I learned a new word recently, and then didn't the word start popping up all over the place? "Steampunk" is a sub-genre of fantasy fiction that depicts an alternate world where everything runs on steam power. It's like the 1980s mashed up with a Jules Verne novel. But, you know, awesome. In these alternate worlds, we all get around in airships not unlike the Hindenburg (but safer), do our work on analog computers, and wear cool Queen Victoria-meets-Cyndi Lauper fashions. Well, I think they're cool. Now what kind of librarian would I be if I got you hooked on the idea of steampunk novels and left you hanging with nary a recommendation? Meet The Affinity Bridge by George Mann.
In this novel, it's 1901 and Queen Victoria is being kept alive by means of a complex, mechanical life-support system (steam-powered, I'm guessing?). Which means that it's still Victorian England and everyone had better dress the part. Meanwhile, Detective Maurice Newbury and his assistant, Veronica Hobbes, investigate a crashed airship, search for a glowing police officer suspected of serial stranglings, and deal with the plague of zombies infesting London's slums. Oh yeah, and the airships, also known as dirigibles or Zeppelins (now I'm just showing off) are piloted by automatons. Affinity Bridge is so going on the Amazon.com wish list!

Rumored News / I heart James Franco

2009-09-09T08:58:00.008-04:00

According to a highly reliable source (the Internet Movie Database) my beloved James Franco is "rumored" to be co-starring in the big screen version of Eat Pray Love. This rumor is backed up by a recent People Magazine photo of my beloved James Franco arm in arm with Julia Roberts, who is portraying author Elizabeth Gilbert. I did not, nor will I ever, read Eat Pray Love because Elizabeth Gilbert is profoundly irritating. I will, however, definitely see the movie because I will watch anything starring my "Hollywood husband." Pineapple Express was the best movie of 2008 and even though I'm sure Eat Pray Love won't hold a candle to that masterpiece, my calendar is now marked for its 2011 release!

Mattie "La León" LaMew

2009-08-27T17:23:00.005-04:00

A month or so back, Mattie LaMew (a.k.a. Miss Snugglypants) was suffering from some nasty fur knots. I wasn't too sure about her method of ridding herself of them by ripping them off with her teeth, then strolling about with scraps of fur dangling from her lips. So she received a summer makeover in the form of a "lion cut" that revealed her surprisingly svelte form. Her fur has started to grow back, revealing the indescribably precious stripes that go nicely with her indescribably precious freckles. She now answers to "La León" as well as Mattie. And by "answer" I mean hops onto her beggin' table and stairs pointedly at her container of kibble.She now answers to "La León" as well as Mattie. And by "answer" I mean hops onto her beggin' table and stairs pointedly at her container of kibble.

That's one good-lookin' bulletin board!

2009-08-26T16:02:00.009-04:00

So I waited all summer for inspiration to strike, and when this librarian's lightning bolt strikes, it strikes in a big way. I put together this bulletin board that is now ready for ogling on the first day of school. I must admit, I am totally one to stand around and admire my own bulletin boards after creating them. But why should I have all the fun? Now you, too, can enjoy this beauty! In case it's a little hard to make out all the text, the center panel exclaims: FIRST LINES THAT SAY 'READ ME!' Colorful, eye-catching book covers are accompanied by each book's intriguing first line(s). The smaller pieces of flair are bookmarks, placed amongst the book covers. I think my favorite is this ringer from Monster by A. Lee Martinez: "The thing was big and white and hairy, and it was eating all the ice cream in the walk-in freezer." I also enjoy this opener from Artichoke's Heart by Suzanne Supplee: "Mother spent $700 on a treadmill 'from Santa' that I will never use." These books are bound to be popular this year, given the tremendous influence of my bulletin boards on the reading habits of local youths. FYI, if you click on the picture you will see the bulletin board in all of its glorious detail. The smaller picture is a little grainy for my taste.

Is it too much to say I'm "savor"-ing every word? Yes, it's too much. But it's true.

2009-08-18T12:02:00.008-04:00

I recently picked up a copy of Julia Powell's Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen: How One Girl Risked Her Marriage, Her Job, and Her Sanity to Master the Art of Living. How's that for the overachiever of all subtitles? Anyway, I was hoping to read the book before seeing the movie, because that's just how I roll. And what a fabulous surprise: the book is a treat on every level. I was a little apprehensive, given the many hostile reviews this book has received on Amazon. One person even intimated that she was tossing her copy in the recycling bin. Ouch! Okay, so Julie Powell makes no secret of the fact that she dislikes Republicans, and maybe that puts some people off. But to call her narcissistic is a little misguided. Um, her name is part of the title, so I'm thinking most readers will see this one coming ... it's a book about Julie Powell! Yes, she's the star of her own life story, so you can hardly cast this one as a bait-and-switch. But don't take my word for it; try this appetizing sample of Powell's writing to decide if this book is to your taste (all puns fully intended):

"I'd never been to the Pathmark, and let me tell you, I'm never going again. There's nothing I need that much. The sliding doors at the Pathmark open into a wide, white, empty hallway, totally devoid of any sign of life or foodstuffs. At any moment I expected to see a chiseled Aryan commandant come around the corner to usher me along: 'Ja, please, right this way, take a cart, the food is just through here.' But I was at last funneled into not a gas chamber but a glaring white supermarket the size of a stadium, where for the price of the existential horror felt upon witnessing families buying two carts full of RC cola and generic cheese doodles [...] I could procure sugar cubes" (100).

Side note: my brother Evan tells me that in order to make Meryl Streep look more like the physically imposing, 6'2" Julia Child, they used a slightly miniaturized set so that she would loom over her surrounds. They also peopled the film with unusually small actors. Also known as actors.

Will I give Nick Hornby another chance?

2009-08-10T09:02:00.009-04:00

It's so thrilling when Booklist arrives in my mailbox every month. Booklist, which is published by the American Library Association, features hundreds of book reviews, a monthly spotlight topic (e.g., "Fall Reference Roundup", "Audiobook Showcase," etc. – are you dozing off yet??), and some of the most boring articles known to mankind. I love Booklist because it keeps me up to date on all the new books out there on the literary horizon. But it's so stodgy! Side note: Some synonyms for stodgy, which I looked it up to make sure I was using the word properly: lacking flair or imagination, laughably formal, pompous, or stuffy. Turns out I really had a handle on the definition of stodgy. But I digress.

This month's issue featured two surprises: a joke that actually made me laugh out loud and a starred review of the latest novel by Nick Hornby. First the joke:

–How many catalogers does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
–None. Catalogers don't screw in lightbulbs, they screw in "Illumination—Sources of."

Get it? It's hilarious! I'm so surprised that librarians aren't totally known for their humor. Anyway, starred reviews are bestowed on books that are exceptionally great examples of their genre. Nick Hornby's latest offering, Juliet, Naked, received a starred review. And it has a cute, creative cover. What's a gal to do? I ranted about how much I disliked A Long Way Down, but Hornby's latest promises to be more High Fidelity and less something I would repeatedly fling across the room (The Shack, this means you, again). Nick Hornby should consider himself a fortunate man. With the helpful testimony of Booklist, he's been granted a librarian's pardon.

A celebratory bean burrito. Okay, two bean burritos. And Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes.

2009-08-07T15:41:00.008-04:00

I just completed the final day of the final class of my Master's program in English. It's been a long road. I haven't enjoyed all of it, but this last class (Google for Teachers) was interesting AND practical. It was a good choice that has actually eased the extreme bitterness and dislike I've harbored for my graduate program. My next goal is to become a Google Certified Teacher, which would involve an application, an acceptance, and a trip to the Google campus in California. But that's at least a year away. Today I'm just feeling rather reflective, thinking back to when I began this program three and a half years ago. My little Baby Fats was with me then; today I'm enjoying the company of Mattie LaMew, a.k.a. Miss Snugglypants.

So I wanted to treat myself to a special lunch in celebration of completing my last class, but I "settled" for Taco Bell. Who am I kidding, I love Taco Bell! And I'm carrying on a long-standing tradition of celebratory bean burritos. On today's menu: two Fresco bean burritos (low fat, sort of) and some Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes (low fat? ha!). I'm really regretting that second burrito ... a most powerful lethargy overtakes me! Anyway, the Taco Bell web site was rather stingy about sharing a picture of the Fresco menu items, so I had to diversify a little. Thank you, Taco Bell Iceland!!

Ms. Pickett's Google Search Tip

2009-08-05T13:57:00.011-04:00

I'm so proud to report that I just uploaded my very first video to YouTube.com. How appropriate that it's a video on a Google search strategy! I don't want to ruin the surprise, so just press play to see the results of my first go at iMovie, Garage Band, and YouTube. Nifty!

Complexity in my coffee cup, Or, What I'm totally into this week!

2009-07-28T09:48:00.000-04:00

I love coffee. A lot. I am not one of those tea-drinking librarians. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But I'm all coffee, all the time. Except when I'm Cherry Coke Zero. So anyway, I decided to give a tip of the virtual hat to some of the great coffee I've discovered. Lately I'm crazy about Mahogany from Caribou Coffee, which includes some highly tempting descriptions on their labels. For example, they describe their Fireside blend as a "fragrant brew that starts with a silky, syrupy taste and ends with smoky berry notes." Are you kidding me? Where do they find these copywriters? The descriptions on most bottles of wine aren't even half that tempting. Their site notes that Mahogany "will become a staple in the cupboard for those who appreciate complexity in a cup." Me!! Pick me! I appreciate complexity in my coffee mug!!
Side note: in the future, I'll continue to subtitle this segment, "What I'm totally into this week!" Stay tuned!

Great Writing

2009-07-27T13:05:00.001-04:00

A few posts ago, I mentioned that I recently read Crazy for the Storm by Norman Ollestad. The whole book is stellar, and some lines stand out as being especially fine examples of Ollestad's writing style. I wanted to share an example (partly so I wouldn't forget all about it over time) but I had to get my hands on a copy of the book to find my very favorite passage (p. 67-68):

When I looked over the ridge a gust swept dry powder off the long white humps of snow like a swarm of diamonds. A silver cloud tumbled out of the sky and unraveled into tendrils like a ballroom of dancing ghosts.
I can't see shit, I said.

A cloud like a ballroom of dancing ghosts ... this beautiful image gives me a chill! I love great writing. And Norman Ollestad is QUITE easy on the eyes. I'm just sayin'. If you like rugged, athletic, articulate, brilliant surfers-turned-bestselling authors. If you go in for that sort of thing.

What's on my bookshelf?

2009-07-21T17:52:00.002-04:00

It must be summer, because I've taken my book selection process to a whole new level: color coordination! This actually wasn't intentional, but I noticed that the books circulating across my coffee table had blended into a rather attractive assortment of red-themed covers. I'm currently reading Mudbound by Hillary Jordan, which was a 2009 Alex Award winner. The Alex Award is given annually to ten books written for adults that have special appeal for young adult readers. Another Alex Award winner, Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow, has a place of honor on my coffee table. It's a novel in verse about down-and-out werewolves in Los Angeles that, according to the dust jacket, blends "dark humor and epic themes with card-playing dogs, crystal meth labs, surfing, and carne asada tacos." Mmm, tacos ... Who could pass up a book with that description? Cory Doctorow's Little Brother and Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why are two young adult novels that caught my eye. I always like to keep a few young adult titles in the mix - it's just how I roll. And last but not least, The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory fits in nicely with my summertime screenings of The Tudors. If only Henry and Anne Boleyn could just get along and not lose their heads!

Bald Head Island Pictures

2009-07-17T07:14:00.000-04:00

Here are some additional pictures from my recent trip to Bald Head Island, North Carolina:

Here I am with the "depressing bean burrito" I opted to eat one night while Joy and Paul were enjoying homemade chicken tenders. I'm rarely (actually never) tempted by poultry, but for once the vegetarian option didn't strike me as the tastiest item in the kitchen ... Hence the long face.
This is the fitness center that I frequented during my week on the island. It's also the home of my nemesis, the elliptical machine. A pox on the dastardly hill program!

This is my favorite house on Bald Head Island. Look closely and you will see the woman doing yoga on the porch, as well as the man looking up from his book to watch her after observing me photographing their home. D'oh! I scurried away after snapping this picture.

Here I am with Paul on the morning of my departure. What a sweet boy! And check out my bling, courtesy of Joy by way of the hardware store in Kotzebue, Alaska!

High Road or Low Road? Or both?

2009-07-16T12:25:00.000-04:00

I just enjoyed a delicious vegan lunch of seasoned baked tofu (courtesy of Trader Joe's), a banana, and some pineapple. After years of talking about it, I'm finally trying to incorporate one vegan meal per day into my diet. On one hand, I'm taking the low road because it allows me to avoid both cooking and doing dishes. On the other hand, I feel good about enjoying a cruelty-free and surprisingly satisfying meal that has a minimal impact on the environment. I'm going with the high road on this one!

Home from Bald Head Island!

2009-07-16T12:00:00.000-04:00

I'm back from my week on Bald Head Island, North Carolina! I had a wonderful, relaxing vacation with my friend Joy and her son Paul. And no one got sunburned! Here are Paul and Joy in their trusty golf cart:In other news, I read a most fabulous book on my trip: Crazy for the Storm by Norman Ollestad. At age eleven, Ollestad survived a plane crash that took the lives of his father, his father's girlfriend, and the pilot. In alternating chapters, Ollestad relates his descent to safety in unbelievably harsh conditions, and the year leading up to the plane crash. The elder Ollestad pushed his "Boy Wonder" to ski and surf in unimaginably intimidating terrain and conditions, which both terrified young Norman and prepared him for the test that awaited him. This book is not to be missed!

Oh, and Mattie LaMew returned from kitty foster care (a.k.a. Grandma's) with an inordinate number of mats, so she'll be getting a fur trimming from the groomer this afternoon! Pictures will follow ...

"Storm's A-Comin', Momma!"

2009-06-22T14:54:00.001-04:00

"You close the windows, I'll hide under the bed!"

Beggin' Table

2009-06-22T14:45:00.001-04:00

What I Did For Love

2009-06-22T14:06:00.000-04:00

What I Did for Love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips is the ultimate beach read. It's sweet, romantic, funny, and chock full of wink-wink moments for pop culture / celebrity gossip devotees like my friend G.O.

I'll try to tempt you into reading it for yourself: Georgie York is an erstwhile sitcom sweetheart who, after accepting a suspicious drink from a stranger in Las Vegas, wakes up married to her former co-star and arch-nemesis, Bramwell Shephard. Georgie and Bram decide to fool the public into believing in their sham marriage by making a series of carefully staged appearances all around Hollywood. Meanwhile, Georgie's ex-husband Lance Marks is making headlines and, um, babies with his screen-siren-turned-international-do-gooder wife, Jade Gentry. Gee, who might that couple represent?? My favorite passage in the book involves a description of Lance as a block of tofu that takes on the flavor of whichever woman he happens to be dating. It took me back to Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow's his-and-hers choppy haircuts. Good memories there. Anyway, Georgie and Bram are so wrapped up in maintaining their images that they don't realize the marriage is turning into the real thing. This book is excellent summertime fun!

Future Cookbook Cover Photo?

2009-06-22T13:52:00.001-04:00

I recently prowled my pantry for any malingerers, and came across a bag of egg noodles that never fulfilled its original purpose: a tuna noodle casserole. So I decided to adapt Doug's recipe for creamy pesto sauce (my devoted readers may recall that it involves a jar of pesto blended with a crumbled log of goat cheese ... and that's about it!). I added a bag of baby spinach and a couple links of vegetarian sausage, and topped it with a parmesan cloud (how pretentious is that expression?). Luckily it was delicious, because it made about eight portions and I am loathe to waste even a bite of food. I hope you get a chance to try this one out - it is so easy and reheats really well. Side note: I Y parenthetical comments!

Congratulations to Evan...

2009-06-15T07:19:00.000-04:00

... for being named Stanford University's Club Sports Athlete of the Year! An awards luncheon was held last Thursday, and by all accounts (okay, the one account I heard was his but I'm sure it's true) Evan's speech was well-received. This is an older picture of Evan on the road to glory:
Click here for more information about the other student athletes and most importantly for more information about Evan's achievements. I am really proud of you, bro!

Nick Hornby has let me down!

2009-06-14T15:01:00.001-04:00

In an effort to read some less depressing books, my book group chose Nick Hornby's A Long Way Down for our latest selection. I've always considered myself a Nick Hornby fan. High Fidelity, great book. About a Boy, great movie, I assume the book is even better. Aren't they always? So A Long Way Down seemed like a sure thing. Not even the plot summary deterred us. It's about four profoundly unlikeable people who meet at the top of a 15-story building on New Year's Eve. Guess why they're on top of a tall building? Why, so they can jump off! But guess what - not only do they not jump, they all go out for breakfast, form a little club, make up a story about seeing an Angel (not David Boreanaz, the only thing that might have redeemed the storyline), get a little press exposure, then take a group vacation on the Canary Islands. Puh-leeze.

The book got a great review from the New York Times Book Review. Maybe the reviewer just didn't want to be blacklisted from the next Hornby movie premiere. Time Magazine describes the novel as "The Breakfast Club rewritten by Beckett," which is actually quite accurate but in no way sounds like a good book. The real question: will I read the last 100 pages?? And will I ever pick up another Nick Hornby book? Here's hoping that we pick a great book next, because we've had our share of duds. My money's on Holly's Inbox!

Note: All book cover images are from Follett Titlewave. Thank you, Follett!

Signature Pose, Part 2

2009-06-12T07:42:00.000-04:00

Top models are versatile, too, so here's the other look that Mattie's famous for:
This pose coincides with the arrival of Pennsylvania's famous heat and humidity. Baby Fats spent a lot of time in this pose during her years in Texas. This photo captures a mid-yawn moment, but it only makes her look extra fierce! Look closely and you can see the indescribably precious freckles on her nose and kitty gums.

Signature Pose, Part 1

2009-06-08T09:47:00.000-04:00

I know from watching many, many episodes of America's Next Top Model that all the fiercest models have a signature pose. So it's no surprise that Mattie LaMew, a potential top cat model, also has a signature pose, as seen here.This is the pose that Mattie usually adopts in between activities. I wonder if she picked it up from different dogs in her foster home? Oh, and by the way, these pictures surely were taken with the new digital camera, which is now operational but sadly not compatible with my home computer.

Is it just me or have I morphed into ...

2009-06-05T19:03:00.001-04:00

Joyce Summers (played by fabulous actress Kristine Sutherland), mother of Buffy Summers on Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Some photographic evidence follows: a photo of my BFF Rae and I back in September, and a photo of Joyce. And another photo of me. I'll now open the floor for debate.

Week 9, Thing 21: Podcasts

2009-06-02T11:52:00.000-04:00

My always-supportive brother Evan recommends that, if I have figured out podcasts, I must check out the April 20 episode of ESPN's "The B.S. Report." Apparently Bill Simmons (who?) and Adam Carolla (who?) break down Fast and Furious, the best movie of 2009 to date. In fact its only real competition is X-Men Origins. So it seemed like an opportune time to figure out podcasts, and it turned out to be really easy. I have actually listened to a few "Fresh Air" podcasts in the past, specifically interviews with Glen Campbell and the creative team behind Step Brothers. Before I reveal too much more embarrassing information, I'll mention that I went where few librarians have gone before (ESPN.com) and located the aforementioned "The B.S. Report." To have a listen click here and scroll down to April 20.

Week 8, Thing 19

2009-06-01T10:59:00.000-04:00

Of all the Library 2.0 tools I've explored so far, LibraryThing is my hands down favorite. Rollyo and Technorati left me with a feeling of confusion mixed with "why would I need this?" But LibraryThing left me with a feeling of "I wish it was summer so I could explore this site all day." I especially love the widget feature - I think it really spruces up my blog! I want to add a similar widget to my school library's web page so I can showcase newly arrived titles ... definitely a summer project. I'm sort of obsessed with organizing items on my bookshelf (surprising, right?) and this gives me a whole new way to catalog my own stuff!

Digital Camera update: I picked up my digital camera on Sunday, but unfortunately it does not appear to be compatible with my home computer, which is getting a tad long in the tooth. The summer projects are really piling up ...

By the way, I'm really loving The Daily Coyote. I recommend it for anyone who enjoys nature writing, animals, and all things Wyoming.

The Other Book

2009-05-29T15:50:00.001-04:00

I know that what the world really needs is an update on my progress through The Other Queen, so here goes: I have 10 pages left! Good read, Philippa Gregory, but not your best, although reading it has sparked my interest in watching The Tudors on DVD.

Evan hooked me up with beaucoup birthday books from my Amazon Wish List so I'm a bit overwhelmed with reading options for my next book. One of the contenders (not an Evan book but one he'd probably like and read ridiculously fast, reminding me of how happy I was not to have to follow him through school) is The Daily Coyote: A Story of Love, Survival, and Trust in the wilds of Wyoming by Shreve Stockton. The author also maintains a blog at www.DailyCoyote.net. I love reading nonfiction, especially nature writing, and this book looks delightful.
On Monday my beloved fellow C-lunchers and I are going to have a potluck to celebrate the beginning of June, and although I'm thrilled to finally live the potluck fantasy I really can't decide what to take. I never thought I'd say this but I'm getting tired of eating pasta after having it twice daily for two weeks. What's a carbivore to do? I'm thinking polenta tacos might be a nice change, but I'm not sure how well they'll reheat in the staff microwave.

Brush with celebrity!

2009-05-25T12:27:00.000-04:00

I just made a quick run to Trader Joe's, and didn't I see WANDA SYKES out walking her dog with a couple of friends. She seems like a cool lady, her little dog is adorable (possibly a Jack Russell mix?), and she co-starred with Jane Fonda (love her) and Jennifer Lopez (love her) in Monster-in-Law. I feel a commemorative viewing coming on! If only I had a digital camera to document this brush with celebrity ...

In other news, I got a good recipe idea from my brother Doug yesterday. He made a fabulous pesto cream sauce by heating pesto, goat cheese, and a little milk over low heat. This is good on everything from tortellini to grilled salmon. Admittedly, I have only tried it on tortellini and grilled salmon. Some fresh grape tomatoes and wilted greens never hurt, either.

Some other edge-of-your-seat updates: I just started watching Season Two of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on DVD. I'm continuing to make progress through The Other Queen. And thanks to my brother Evan hooking me up with several birthday items from my Amazon.com Wish List, I have added some new books to my bookshelf:

Greasy Rider: Two Dudes, One Fry-Oil-Powered Car, and a Cross-Country Search for a Greener Future by Greg Melville
What I Did for Love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (a romance that seems to be based on the Jennifer Aniston/Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie love triangle)

Actually Evan openly admits that he only buys books for me that he himself would not be embarrassed to be seen reading, so you can guess which one is from him and which one was guiltily checked out from the public library while I hoped I didn't run into anyone I know.

Chard of many colors

2009-05-22T10:30:00.001-04:00

All winter I anxiously awaited the return of Trader Joe's "Chard of Many Colors." The chard is chopped, triple-washed, and ready to be used straight out of the bag. The Trader Joe's sample counter featured a fabulous vegetarian recipe that I've been hoping to recreate. It includes fava beans, which they sell seasoned in vacuum sealed packages, but canned cannellini beans (rinsed and drained) work just as well, if not better. This is the recipe, as closely as I can remember it:

Sauté 2 cloves of minced garlic and some chopped green onions in olive oil for a couple of minutes. Add the bag of chard and about 1/4 cup of veggie stock. The stock will wilt the chard as it cooks down. Stir in the beans, sprinkle with red pepper flakes, and top with fresh parmesan shavings just before serving.

This recipe is fresh, light, and delicious.

What's in my DVD player?

2009-05-22T08:50:00.000-04:00

On April 20, 2009 (the ten-year anniversary of the shootings at Columbine High School) I added Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine to my Netflix queue. It arrived in the mail, and now that all of my top shelf TV shows have season finale'd I will actually get around to watching it. (Side note: House had the best season finale ever. All of the others have faded from my memory already but I will always remember that image of Dr. House walking up the steps of the psychiatric hospital.) I love watching documentaries and Michael Moore's movies are one of the reasons why I got into watching them. He's especially good at combining toe-tapping music with horrifying footage to get his point across. As part of an anti-bullying initiative for the school district we're all going to read Jodi Picoult's Nineteen Minutes this summer. Hope I don't go into school shooting overdrive ...

I just started The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory. Love the cover, but so far it's not as good as The Other Boleyn Girl. It doesn't have enough background information on Mary, Queen of Scots, the titular other queen (or is the other queen really Queen Elizabeth? I went through a similar mental debate whilst reading The Other Boleyn Girl. And now my New Year's Resolution to use the word "whilst" in a sentence can be scratched.) Anyway I spent the first 75 pages trying to figure out what was up and why Mary was in exile in the first place. And who the heck is Bothwell? A pox on historical fiction that provides insufficient background information!

The return of New Recipe Night!

2009-05-18T13:34:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite things about being between semesters is having time to cook meals from scratch instead of falling into the old "boxed dinner with a sauce packet" trap. I'm revisiting some old cookbooks, photocopied recipes, and Vegetarian Times in hopes of reviving new recipe night. And by reviving I mean beginning ... it was always more of a good idea than a reality. Anyway, on a recent visit to the library I discovered Giada's Kitchen, the new cookbook by Giada de Laurentiis. Giada was never a particular favorite of mine when I had access to the Food Network, but the recipes in this new cookbook look phenomenal. Particularly tempting items include Garlic and Sun-Dried Tomato Corn Muffins, Butternut Squash and Vanilla Risotto, and Baked Orzo with Fontina and Peas. Almost all of the recipes are also on www.FoodNetwork.com. It looks like the Baked Orzo will be the first item on the New Recipe Night Menu next Sunday ... at long last I have a use for that container of Panko breadcrumbs languishing in my cupboard. And peas are chock full of F-I-B-E-R!

What's on my bookshelf?

2009-05-18T08:58:00.000-04:00

My book group just finished up with Little Bee by Chris Cleave. This book should come with a prescription for antidepressants or, at the very least, a hotline to call and get counseled out of the funk the book will surely put you into. A reviewer with the Amazon Vine program said it better than I could: "This is one of those books that's likely to be deeply divisive -- either you're going to be swept up by and find it a gripping story of human connection, or you're going to find it to be a rather mawkish clunkily written expression of first-world angst." I found it to be a rather mawkish clunkily written expression of first-world angst. Side note: love the use of "clunky" as an adverb. Little Bee was not quite in the "will be hurled across the room repeatedly" category (The Shack, this means you) but it was firmly in the "oh puh-leeze" category.

Next I decided to read something a little lighter, keeping in mind that wet cement is lighter than Little Bee. So I returned to one of my favorite young adult series that began with Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty and continued with Triple Shot Bettys in Love. These books are hilarious, sweet, and mocha-jones-inducing! Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty was based on Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, and Triple Shot Bettys in Love borrows from Cyrano de Bergerac. A highlight of the second book is an eyebrow-plucking-gone-awry scene that actually had me crying with laughter. Highly recommended!

Week 5, Thing 10: Mattie LaMew is Pop Art!

2009-05-08T13:33:00.000-04:00

I have been exploring all the fun online image generators available through fd's Flickr Toys and my favorite is the Warholizer. I'm always looking for alternatives to the dreaded "Title Slide" on PowerPoint. A creative image can communicate a concept much more clearly than a long list of bullets. Image Chef is also quite cool, especially the Word Mosaic feature.

I've been waiting for the perfect moment to debut Mattie LaMew on True Blue Media Gal, and that moment is here! This photo showcases her adorable overbite. The indescribably precious freckle on her nose is not visible in this shot.

Quote of the Day

2009-05-08T09:38:00.000-04:00

"Government publications emanate from many sources and so present special problems in bibliographic citation." -- MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th ed.

I am updating the Ridley Research Guide to reflect all of the changes in the latest edition of the MLA Handbook. It's quotes like the one above that make me enjoy the process just a little bit more! I Y librarianship.

New Apparel

2009-05-08T08:25:00.001-04:00

I have been watching Season One of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on DVD, and coveting the red Sunnydale T-shirts worn by various cast members. So as an early birthday present to myself I have purchased the awesome T-shirt pictured below.
I like the other colors that are available, but I'm all about authenticity so I wanted the same color that was featured on the show. I'm also all about doing my part to support the economy which has relieved all guilt associated with spending lots of money on myself.

What's on my bookshelf?

2009-05-05T14:07:00.001-04:00

I'm happy to report that I recently finished my third-to-last course in my graduate program at West Chester University. I wrote my Capstone Research Project on the Printz Award for excellence in young adult literature. The project involved reading all the latest Printz award winners, surveying fifty high school sophomores about their reading habits, and creating some eye-popping graphs in Excel (I do enjoy the Insert Chart feature). I concluded that the key to getting teens to read award winners is endless promotion, especially because some of the books are so teen-unfriendly.

Anyway, now that I'm finished with assigned readings I can turn my attention to the teetering tower of books that have been gathering dust on my bookshelf. Okay, who am I kidding, the meticulously dusted and alphabetized row of books currently occupying "Amy's Top Shelf," the high-priority location on my bookshelf. Five books in the highest priority position are:

Apples and Oranges: My Brother and Me, Lost and Found by Marie Brenner
Triple Shot Bettys in Love by Jody Gehrman
The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory
American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork

I just finished Free for All: Oddballs, Geeks, and Gangstas in the Public Library by Don Borchert. Hilarious book! And my book group is reading Little Bee by Chris Cleave. All this, and a new episode of Fringe ... time to break out the French Roast!

Week 4, Thing 8: RSS Feeds

2009-05-05T13:15:00.000-04:00

So at long last I know the meaning of the little orange icon that peppers many of my favorite sites (an example appears on the left). Until now I have studiously avoided clicking on this little feller. And I must admit I will probably continue to studiously avoid clicking this and the host of other icons that represent a content feed subscription. Why? Because I only read a handful of blogs and news sources, and I don't really mind visiting each site to see what's new. Don't be shocked by what I consider a "news source." I have a reputation to maintain and that includes knowing all the latest celebrity gossip so I don't get scooped!

Week 3, Thing 7: Flickr

2009-04-27T12:41:00.000-04:00

I just took a look around Flickr, using the Flickr Magical Feature Tour to get acclimated. I don't even own a camera, so my chances of using Flickr to upload, organize, and share photos are slim to none. It would be fun to have a camera someday, though, and I do have a birthday coming up ... Anyway, I really like the idea of using the Commons and the Creative Commons to teach students about public photography collections, attribution, and whether permission is required to make a derivative version of someone else's photo. It's the kind of thing that causes school librarians many a sleepless night!

So I browsed Flickr looking for photos of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, one of my favorite places. I found this beautiful photo of Phelps Lake and Death Canyon by Jose P. Isern Comas. This photo is "Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs" which means that Flickr users can share this work as long as it is attributed to the artist, is not used for commercial purposes, and is not altered in any way. Not that I would ever opt to alter such a perfectly gorgeous shot!

Week 2, Thing 2: Lifelong Learning

2009-04-24T17:12:00.000-04:00

I just watched the 7-1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners tutorial. The next time I try a new recipe, pick up a new book, or watch a documentary on an unfamiliar topic, I will remind myself that I am a lifelong learner! My favorite of the 7-1/2 habits is Habit 5: Create your own learning toolbox. It reminds me of a quote that I've always loved:

"I can do anything if I've got the right tools! -- Bobbie Gentry

Habit 3: View problems as challenges is more, well, challenging. Thinking of crises and obstacles as learning opportunities will definitely require a shift in my outlook.