I didn't know I had a leprechaun name

Your Leprechaun Name Is:

Bailey Rainbowchaser

What's Your Leprechaun Name?

the dead and the gone - Susan Beth Pfeffer

Since our cable was out, I had nothing better to do than read! I got this in the mail yesterday, and finished it already. This is the sequel/companion to Life As We Knew It, and I was not disappointed. This recounts the same events as they unfolded in New York City: an asteroid has knocked the moon out of its normal orbit, with disastrous consequences. This one again made me hungry, because of the fixation on food, and it made me want to go out and start stockpiling in case of emergency. The characters were just as interesting, and I thought even more realistic. There's a rumor that a third book is in the works, and I do hope that is true!

Our cable is still out, and they won't send a technician until Sunday, so I'll be scheduling a few posts (I came in early to post from work today.)

Technology

Our cable has been out all day - no TV and no internet has made me very cranky. I've resorted to my old Juno dial up. Now I remember why we spend so much on the cable internet!

More vacation pictures

Pictures

I promised some pictures from the wedding and trip. I went to law school with the groom; he was the first person I talked to at orientation. There were a few others from law school there, as well as his friends from university, high school, and even one from 3rd grade! His bride is Indian, and her whole family was there. He is not Indian, but the celebrant made us all feel very welcome, and explained all of the parts of the elaborate and beautiful ceremony. We had some great Indian food, and danced the night away! Here are some pictures from the wedding:

Home again

I'm home from my whirlwind vacation, and I'm exhausted! It was fun, but not relaxing. The wedding was beautiful, the reception was fun, Disney was fun, and the trip home was uneventful. The trip there was a bit of an ordeal...but all of the stories will have to wait until tomorrow. I'll try to put up some pictures this week, too.

I should be in Disney World when you read this...

Your Inner Child Is Happy

You see life as simple, and simple is a very good thing. You're cheerful and upbeat, taking everything as it comes. And you decide not to worry, even when things look bad. You figure there's just so many great things to look forward to.

How Is Your Inner Child?

Mmmm, pie...

You Are Mud Pie

You're the perfect combo of flavor and depth. You are overpowering and dominant - and that's what people like about you. You bring energy and a new direction to most interactions. People crave you in a serious way. You're that important to them. Those who like you give into their impulses. You don't represent reason. You represent pure temptation. People get addicted to you rather easily. You offer people a dark side that is very hard to resist.

What Kind of Pie Are You?

Friday travelling

Your Travel Personality Is: Easygoing

When you travel, you're looking for a lot of downtime. Vacations are your chance to recoup. All you need is a scenic spot and plenty of time on your hands. You'll figure out the rest. You're not one to make lots of plans when you travel. You just follow whatever path seems right.

What's Your Travel Personality?

BTT: Books vs. Movies

Books and films both tell stories, but what we want from a book can be different from what we want from a movie. Is this true for you? If so, what’s the difference between a book and a movie?

I love movies. I love what can be done in a visual medium in seconds what can take pages of print to do. I want movies to entertain, to transport me to another time or place, and sometimes to be thought-provoking. I do like action movies: I like to see things blow up or crash into each other. I do prefer a plot to go along with it.

I do like seeing movies that have been adapted from books, as long as they have tried to stay faithful to the original. I do like to see "based on the book..." at the beginning of a movie, because it makes it more likely there will be a coherent plot. Books adapted from movies, on the other hand, are generally unreadable. I think "Star Wars" and the first Star Trek movie are the exceptions to this. What works on screen can seem wooden or fake on the page.

Travel blogging

Because I made the mistake of signing up for Blog 365, I'm faced with a dilemma of what to do over my vacation. I'm not taking my laptop with me, and I don't have a blackberry (yet), so I'll be keeping a paper-and-pen travel journal which I'll post when I get back. I'll also try Blogger's new "future post" feature. If I manage to log on at the hotel (they advertise a "cybercafe" then I will post on the fly. I guess I really should pack...

Hammered- Elizabeth Bear

I don't remember where I read about this series (there are two more books following this one, and one can only hope for more after that), but I'm very glad I picked it up. The first book is really a set-up for what will come next, but it was an enjoyable read. The character of Jenny Casey is one of the most interesting I've encountered lately, so I look forward to reading more of her adventures. This is set in the near future Earth, where things have gone pretty wrong. Canada is a superpower, racing with China to build the first starship. Jenny Casey is just a soldier, but one who has already been "enhanced" with implants. This makes her special, and entangles her in the Canadian government plans. There are a few side plots that all converge at the end, and a few other interesting characters. I'm planning to take the next two in the series along on my trip. (They are mass market paperbacks, so fit my traveling criteria!)

It's 100 degrees, and San Diego is looking good right now..

You Should Spend Your Summer at the Beach

You're a free spirit who is always thinking of new ways to have fun. And you don't just love summer... you live for it. So, you really should blow off your responsibilities and head to the beach!

Where Should You Spend Your Summer?

Not-so-lazy Sunday

I had hoped to have some time to sit and read today, but I've spent the day running around getting last-minute stuff for my trip, and cleaning. And trying to decide what reading material to take with me, of course. And debating the merits of various combinations of suitcases and carryons. And which slip to wear with the dress, and whether the shoes are too noisy (they are!), etc. Plus, I think it hit 100 for the first time today. If not today, then tomorrow for sure. That means ice cream!

Saturday Quiz

Your Personality at 35,000 Says...

Deep down, you vastly prefer being with others to being alone. You love to engage people in conversation. You are finding your place in the world, but you still feel overwhelmed. There's a lot of choices out there! Your gift is having a way with words. You know how to express yourself well. You are inspired by freedom. Whenever you are able to do what you want, good things happen. You are happy as long as you are given some personal space. It's important for you to have your own private life.

The Personality Test at 35,000 Feet

This one is not very close to the mark, but I thought it was appropriate because I'm spending this weekend getting ready for my trip next weekend! This time next week I'll be in Orlando!

Friday's Feast

It's Friday again:

Appetizer

What is the nearest big city to your home?

Phoenix, I guess.

Soup

On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how well do you keep secrets?

I think an 8 or 9 - If I tell anyone, it's my sister. I'm pretty good not telling anyone, though.

Salad

Describe your hair (color, texture, length).

I have chin-length, brown-with-highlights, bobbed hair. It's stick straight and very fine, so I spend a lot of time trying to put some volume in it. I like the cut and color I have right now, though.

Main Course

What kind of driver are you? Courteous? Aggressive? Slow?

I'm a cautious driver, although I can get impatient with other drivers. I hate driving in traffic.

Dessert

When was the last time you had a really bad week?

I guess the week before the bar exam. I was so stressed and tired, and it just seemed like it would never end.

BTT: Manual Labor Redux

From Booking through Thursday:

Scenario: You’ve just bought some complicated gadget home . . . do you read the accompanying documentation? Or not?

Do you ever read manuals?

How-to books?

Self-help guides?

Anything at all?

Some things I read the manual first, but usually I only resort to reading the manual if I can't figure it out by trial and error. Or if something stops working. As for how-to books, I don't often read those. I went through a cookbook phase for a while, but that didn't last long. I rarely read self-help books, except for career-improvement ones (another phase a while ago).

I'm surprised this number isn't higher, actually.

You Are 68% Nerdy

You are a pretty big nerd, and you're getting nerdier every day. Don't worry if you don't have friends... there's always robots.

How Nerdy Are You?

Weekly Geeks #3

The theme for this week is fond memories of childhood books. I have said before that I don't remember not being able to read. My childhood was full of books, both at home and from regular trips to the library. My favorites are so numerous that I am sure to omit something important: Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, Cherry Ames, The Boxcar Children, The Five Little Peppers, the Happy Hollisters, Hardy Boys. My sister and I would read these, then would re-enact key scenes, or invent new stories (I guess it was fan fiction!). We often had to invent new characters because there was only one girl character in the book, but we managed. We also loved to play library: we catalogued our books, made library cards, and "checked out" books to each other, with due dates. My dad was a librarian, so we had the old date stamps and sometimes the real catalog cards to work with. Books were our escape from our small town, and a window to the world. They were our entertainment, and also provided our common ground.

Snakes on a Plane?

Well, at work anyway. One of the other bailiffs (a few cubicles from me) found a baby snake under his desk today. At first we thought it was one of these, but it was actually one of these. Naturally, every conversation for the rest of the day started out with "Did you see the snake?" And we are on the lookout for any siblings. And the most common question was, "How did it get upstairs?" (My theory: elevator.)

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day! I baked a cake and made homemade frosting for my mom and sister - with help from my nephew. He tried to help crack the eggs, and ended up with the whole shell in the bowl, and the egg all over the counter. We laughed!

Mom and I went out for lunch, and then shopping at Target - a pretty good day!

Lazy Saturday Quiz

Your Power Level is: 72%

You're a very powerful person, and you know that all of your power comes from within. Keep on doing what you're doing, and you'll reach your goals.

How Powerful Are You?

Fridays Feast

Appetizer

When someone smiles at you, do you smile back?

 

Generally yes, unless I think they are trying to manipulate me with the smile.  I tend to smile a lot anyway, whether or not someone else smiles first.

 

Soup

Describe the flooring in your home.  Do you have carpet, hardwood, vinyl, a mix?

 

We have carpet in the bedrooms and living room, ceramic tile in the bathrooms, but wood laminate everywhere else. 

 

Salad

Write a sentence with only 5 words, but all of the words have to start with the first letter of your first name.

 

Jingling jellybeans just jump joyfully.  (You didn't say it had to make sense!)

 

Main Course

Do you know anyone whose life has been touched by adoption?

 

My high school boyfriend was adopted.  It was never a big deal.

 

Dessert

Name 2 blue things.

 

The sky and cornflowers.

 

 

BTT: Manual Labor

From Booking through Thursday:

Writing guides, grammar books, punctuation how-tos . . . do you read them? Not read them? How many writing books, grammar books, dictionaries–if any–do you have in your library?

I have a couple of dictionaries, and I think I have a thesaurus around here somewhere. I very rarely use those. If I need to look up a word I'm more likely to use dictionary.com or something. I do have a Black's Law Dictionary, which I do use because legal terms do need to be more specific. I have a Bluebook for citations, of course, and two versions of the ALWD citation book (Association of Legal Writing Directors) which is trying to replace the Bluebook. I hate both of them. I had to use the ALWD for my legal writing class, and then had to switch to the Bluebook for Law Review. They are mostly the same, but arranged differently. I also have The Redbook, which is a handbook of legal style. This was also required for my legal writing class, but I hardly opened it. I used to have a Strunk and White, but I can't find it right now. I also have a couple of Spanish/English dictionaries, and I think I have a Latin/English dictionary around here somewhere.

Weekly Geeks Status Update

This week's Weekly Geeks is all about linking our reviews of books to others who have reviewed the same books. I have had one comment from someone who reviewed one of my books. I haven't had much time to look through other blogs to see if I have reviewed any of the same books, and I haven't seen any overlap in the blogs I have looked at. I still think it's a great idea, and I'm still hoping people will post links to their reviews if I review a book they've read.

I still need to add a button, too...

Flat Broke with Children - Sharon Hays

The subtitle is: Women in the Age of Welfare Reform.

I enjoyed this, because I haven't been reading as much non-fiction as I would like. I found this very thought-provoking. Those who advocate welfare reform say they are doing it to promote the family, but the reality is that the work requirements force single mothers to put their children in daycare. One thing the author also points out is that it creates a pool of desperate workers: they must get a job, and the employers know they can get away with paying minimum wage because there are always more workers. And the workers don't dare complain or they'll get fired.

This is definitely a sociology book, which I liked. The author really got to know both the welfare workers and the welfare recipients, to try to understand how the reforms were really working or not. I though it was well-researched, yet quite easy to read.

I guess I do remember some Spanish

You Passed 8th Grade Spanish

Congratulations, you got 7/8 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Spanish?

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Weekly Geeks #2

It's Weekly Geeks time again. This week, the theme is community linking of reviews. So I am adopting Darla's policy: If I review a book that you have reviewed, just put the link to your review in the comments! I'll try to then link it in the post, but I can't promise that will always happen.

Yum, chocolate!

What Your Taste in Chocolate Says About You

You are sophisticated, modern, and high class. Your taste is refined, but you are not picky. You are often the first to try something new. You are energetic and quick to act. You are open minded, and you easily adopt new social causes. While your heart is in the right place, you often can't follow through with your dreams. You love the feeling of accomplishment. You enjoy doing what's important. You feel lost when you have to do frivolous tasks or hang out with shallow people.

The Chocolate Oracle

Friday's Feast 189

Friday's Feast:

Appetizer

What was your favorite cartoon when you were a child?

Superfriends! Except for the Wondertwins. I hated them. But I totally wanted an invisible jet like Wonder Woman's.

Soup

Pretend you are about to get a new pet. Which animal would you pick, and what would you name it?

I would get a cat and name it Marcus Aurelius.

Salad

On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy getting all dressed up for a special occasion?

This depends some on the occasion. I like getting dressed up for weddings, if I can find a dress. I don't like getting dressed up just to go out to dinner or something, though. So I guess that averages out to a 7.

Main Course

What kind of music do you listen to while you drive?

Lately I've been listening to a lot of showtunes: Evita, Chess, Phantom, Little Mermaid. When I listen to the radio it's mostly pop, although my favorite station is no longer on the air. I'd love an 80's station, but we don't have one yet. I do love to sing along, so I probably look a little crazy when I'm driving.


Dessert

When was the last time you bought a clock? And in which room did you put it?

I bought a little desk clock for my desk at work, back in August. I don't trust the computer clock, and there isn't a wall clock I can see from my cubicle. It's just a little digital alarm clock, but very cute.

BTT: Mayday

From Booking Through Thursday:

Quick! It’s an emergency! You just got an urgent call about a family emergency and had to rush to the airport with barely time to grab your wallet and your passport. But now, you’re stuck at the airport with nothing to read. What do you do??

And, no, you did NOT have time to grab your bookbag, or the book next to your bed. You were . . . grocery shopping when you got the call and have nothing with you but your wallet and your passport (which you fortuitously brought with you in case they asked for ID in the ethnic food aisle). This is hypothetical, remember….

When I had my old, unreliable car, I actually kept a book in the car in case of a sudden car repair emergency. I did not transfer the book (Tom Clancy's Clear and Present Danger) when I bought my new car, so I wouldn't have one in the car with me as I headed to the airport. Naturally, I would buy one at the shop in the airport; even our little airport has a shop with a few books. Or I might opt for a newspaper or magazines, because those are my usual choices if I'm under stress. I tend to want only bite-sized morsels to read, but I still want to read!