Katiekrug Reads and Reads and Reads Some More - Part 2

CURRENTLY READING

(Print) (Audio) (Kindle)

Hi All!

For anyone new to my thread, I'm Katie: reader, wine drinker, food appreciator, shenanigan-ator, and non-sufferer of fools. I live outside New York City with my husband, "The" Wayne, our cat, Leonard, and our dog Nuala/Noodles. I work as a senior governance manager for a non-profit engineering association, which used to be fun because I got to travel and now is just a big pile of meh.

Here's to a great, or at least an improved, new year!

Recent Books Completed

Books Off My Shelf: 1
Books Off My Kindle: 2
Books from Audible:
Library Loans: 2

5. 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl by Mona Awad (audio) (4 stars)
4. Siracusa by Delia Ephron (4.5 stars)
3. Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls (4 stars)
2. One By One by Ruth Ware (3.5 stars)
1. Jazz by Toni Morrison (3.75 stars)

Did Not Finish
1. Waterland by Graham Swift
2. Adequate Yearly Progress by Roxanne Elden



My Ratings (revised, once again, as I continue the fruitless search for the perfect scale...)

2 stars = Whyyyyyy?
3 stars = Eh, ok.
4 stars = Definitely worth the time.
5 stars = Perfect *for me*

(Anything below 2 stars is unlikely to be finished)

WELCOME!

Happy new one, Katie! Starred! I hope we don't have to add 2021 to that list of omissions in >3 katiekrug:...

>4 jessibud2: - Hi Shelley! I sure hope not, too....

Happy new thread. Starred you again.

>6 Helenliz: - Thanks, Helen!

Happy New Thread, Katie!

>3 katiekrug: LIKE!!

Followed you and will now go and star this thread. I liked it when you could drop the star right on the thread you were looking at. Some unfortunate changes made in this last round.

>9 RebaRelishesReading: You can, can't you? I have a button at the top of the right had column bar on this page to star (or unstar) the topic. It's with the "ignore" button, something Katie's threads would never need.
But then, I am on a PC, maybe the mobile app is different.

>10 Helenliz: Well silly, blind me!! They moved it and I didn't look hard enough. Thanks for pointing that out.

>11 RebaRelishesReading: Happy to help. >:-)
I'll consider that my good deed of the day.

Happy new one!

Morning, Katie! Happy new thread - sorry it was such a pain. The nasty was completely uncalled for. Hoping your Wednesday is full of kindness.

>8 msf59: - Thanks, Mark!

>9 RebaRelishesReading: - Hi Reba!

>10 Helenliz: - Appreciate the assist, Helen :)

>13 figsfromthistle: - Thanks, figs!

>14 Crazymamie: - Hi, Mamie, and thanks!

After the gym this morning, we went over to city hall in the town where The Wayne had his accident and got the vehicle release to take to the towing company so they will give up our car to the insurance company. Luckily, the at-fault driver has non-sucky insurance, and they've accepted responsibility and also will cover the cost of our rental! Woot! So things are moving along. Now we'll just wait to see if the car can be repaired.

I've always loved our insurance company (Geico - never had an issue dealing with them and when I've had to talk to someone, they are super pleasant and helpful) but if I were going to switch, I'd go to Liberty Mutual which is who we are dealing with. The claims specialist on our case was also very pleasant and helpful on the phone yesterday. So nice that this is as hassle-free as possible... I was expecting a bit of a nightmare.

In book news, I am setting aside Waterland. I've been reading it for 5 days and am not even halfway through it. It alternates between amazing and soooo boring. It's making me itchy not to make better progress, so I am going to let it go for now and hope I can get back to it sometime. Life is too short!

still reeling from your last thread about some guy who is going around castrating hippos. Hippos are not nice animals but still.

Like "Tiger Milk" I don't want to drink it but i want to MEET the guy who goes around milking tigers.

Woot for a smooth insurance process! That's really wonderful.

Also sorry that you have experienced a lorax encounter. Just...wow.

>18 magicians_nephew: - Hippos are misunderstood creatures. They just need some love ;-)

>19 scaifea: - Thanks, Amber. A nice surprise after a not-nice one. The universe is in balance, I guess.

Glad to hear all the insurance stuff is going smoothly. Since you've set aside your most recent read, what did you pick up instead?

>21 MickyFine: - I was also reading Triangle: The Fire That Changed America, so I'm going to focus on that for a day or so while I decide on something else.

This made me laugh (from Twitter):

2020: I’m the weirdest year ever!

2021: Can I interest you in three presidents by the end of January?

>23 katiekrug: ohh, quiz question in the making, has the US ever had 3 presidents in 1 year?
It will have had 2 any number of times, but 3??

>24 Helenliz: - I don't think so, Helen.

>16 katiekrug: Whew!!

>17 katiekrug: Whew, dodged that bullet. Speaking of books...did you know Carys Davies has a new book out on the 21st of February? The Mission House, it's called. Prepare your cone for the incoming.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread!

>26 richardderus: - Oh, that's great about a new Carys Davies book! I'll put it on my Not Yet Released List. I luuurved West!

>27 drneutron: - Thanks, Jim!

>20 katiekrug: Hippos are misunderstood creatures. They just need some love

Um, I think the problem with the hippos in Colombia is that they are getting a little *too much* love, ifyouknowwhatimean

:-p

>24 Helenliz: How about four presidents in one year?

The man that always comes up is good old Zachery Taylor.

James Polk's term as President ended at noon on March 4th. BUT March 4th was Sunday and Taylor (A Godly man) refused to be sworn in on the Sabbath.

So either we had no President from March 4th until noon on March 5th or David Rice Achinson the President Pro Tem of the Senate was "sort of" president for that period. (That was the line of succession then.)

Want more? Taylor died in office after only a few months and his Vice President Millard Fillmore took his place. Fillmore was the last Whig President.

So Three (or four?) presidents in 1849.

And then there's 1841 when Van Buren transitioned to William Henry Harrison, who died 31 days later, giving the office to John Tyler.

>31 drneutron: yes of course Harrison. I always forget about him.

>30 magicians_nephew:, >31 drneutron: - I hate being wrong!

But thanks, gents :) I should have thought of the WHH instance at least...

>32 magicians_nephew: When I did the US Presidents Biography Challenge a few years ago, the only President I couldn't find a biography of was WH Harrison. So you're not alone... 😀

I'm glad the insurance thing has been hassle-free so far, Katie. We have auto and home insurance through Liberty Mutual and while we haven't had an auto claim with them, we had a homeowners claim (hot water heater spewed water all over our basement), and we were pleased with how they handled it.

>29 rosalita: - Snork. Poor hippos. I really wanted to make a hippo - rhino horny joke, but nothing came together...

>30 magicians_nephew:, >31 drneutron: well thank you! That's fascinating.
Quiz question duly being written...

Happy new thread! Glad your insurance stuff turned out to be easier than anticipated.

In case you don't see it on Twitter:


Ain't it the truth.

>38 ChelleBearss: - Thanks, Chelle! It's nice to not have to stress over yet another thing!

>39 richardderus: - Accurate.

Happy new thread, Katie.

>41 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth!

Thanks to Karen and Richard, I've started reading Mrs. Caliban, which has hooked me immediately.

>29 rosalita:
I was thinking the same thing :)

>45 Deedledee: - Hi Dee!

I've got a 3-hour budget meeting with the Board this morning, so that will be, um, super fun?

Dinner last night was salad with grilled chicken. I resisted the urge to order a pizza to go with it :-P Tonight is takeout/delivery night, so we'll see what we feel like having...

Mrs. Caliban is really good - about a woman who falls in love with a sea monster. Karen read it recently and it sounded intriguing and was cheap on Kindle. I decided to read it now because it's short, and I wanted to finish something after wasting so much time on my previous read.

Morning, Katie! Sorry about the lengthy budget meeting - ouch. At least it's Pre-Friday. Have you finished with the Hello Fresh that you didn't select?

I thought Mrs. Caliban sounded good, too.

A 3 hour meeting sounds horrible!!

>44 katiekrug: That book does sound interesting!

>47 katiekrug: I am SO GLAD you're deep in Mrs Caliban! I really like that book more and more the longer I think about it. I found her almost catatonic response to the smarmy best friend and the clueless husband...I felt he was more or less adrift after their losses & the bestie swooped in...so deeply relatable! Ingalls was unjustly underknown in her lifetime, and remains undervalued to my mind.

I hope you're recovering from the epic awfulness of Budget.

>48 Crazymamie: - Morning, Mamie! Yep, all done with this week's HF and managed to remember to choose next week's :)

I think you will like Mrs. Caliban.

>49 ChelleBearss: - It went to 3 hours 40 minutes. Awful. Three more days of it :(

I'm enjoying the book so far. It's a fast read and very short, too, so I feel like I am making progress.

>50 richardderus: - I'm not super far into it yet, but the characterizations are excellent.

Just got off the call, so am working on recovery :)

>51 katiekrug: Of course I didn't type that right...I meant "into" not "in" since you were perfectly clear where in the book you were reading!

The characters are the absolute stars of this show. Plot just happens, they glow and sparkle.

ouch, that's a lot of time to spend glued to a teleconference. They are, in some ways, a lot harder than being in the room for the same meeting for the same length of time.

>52 richardderus: - Perfect description.

>53 Helenliz: - At that length, they are much harder than being in the room, though at least I don't have the added stress of on-site meeting coordination. My Facebook memories threw up a picture this morning of this same meeting last year in Saudi Arabia. How times have changed!

I followed you over here. Nothing to say except that I'm present and accounted for.

>55 EBT1002: - I have checked you off the list, Ellen ;-)

Belated happy new thread, Katie, not much else to add...

>16 katiekrug: Interesting. We've had Geico for years too and always been happy but the last time we renewed with them they actually gave us Liberty Mutual insurance for the car and only directly insured the house. I wonder what their relationship actually is. Glad things are going well for the follow-up on the accident.

Heh, happy that I've had Liberty Mutual for the last four years and although I've never needed them yet for any claims it's just good to know I picked a good one for once in my life. I'm usually horrible at that sort of thin Katie. Glad you got a good result.

Hooray for non-sucky insurance. Happy almost Friday!

Do you ever feel like a book just puts you in your place?
After our conversation on FB about romance novels the book I'm reading threw this quote at me last night about romance novels "A well-written book is a well-written book, regardless of the label a publisher slaps on it..."

>61 ChelleBearss: ouch, that's the Universe telling you straight!

Hoping friday goes well, katie.

>51 katiekrug: It went to 3 hours 40 minutes Oh, GROSS. Here's hoping today's meetings feel like they fly by.

>57 FAMeulstee: - Hi Anita! Thanks for stopping in.

>58 RebaRelishesReading: - Huh, that is interesting Reba. They farmed out our flood insurance (required as we live in a flood zone) to some random company in Florida, but they've never done it for our auto or home.

>59 brenzi: - Thanks, Bonnie :)

>60 BLBera: - Happy Friday, Beth!

>61 ChelleBearss: - LOL, Chelle! So timely ;-)

>62 Helenliz: - Thanks, Helen. Meetings have started. Hopefully, they finish on time...

>63 scaifea: - They are scheduled for 8:00 to 11:30AM. Luckily for these, I just have to be around. No presenting, notes, etc. so it's a little more chill for me.

I finished Mrs. Caliban last night - an excellent novella I heard about on Karen's thread and which Richard warbled mightily about. It was a great, weird read. More later...

We had delivery last night from the same place as last week, because it's The Wayne's favorite :) I got chicken tenders and fries because I am, apparently, about 8 years old... Really, I just wanted some comfort food. Also got the pasta fagioli soup, so that's either lunch or dinner today.

We watched an episode of That Leftovers Show and an episode of The Stand. I went to bed early and read for a while. I've now picked up Siracusa by Delia Ephron for this month's AAC theme, and I can tell it's going to be good. I'm also still reading the nonfiction book about the Triangle shirtwaist factory fire, which is very interesting. And I'm still working on the audio of 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl by Mona Awad. I hope to make real progress on that this weekend.

Hi Katie and happy new thread!

>2 katiekrug: I’m glad to see that you gave Mrs. Caliban 4 stars. I thought it was a wonderful book.

>3 katiekrug: Yes.

>4 jessibud2: I was just thinking the same thing, Shelley. Trying to be a realist not a pessimist.

>66 karenmarie: - Hi Karen! I'm so glad you read Mrs. Caliban and brought it to my attention!

Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls

A good novella tells a full story in an economy of space. Well-developed characters, a strong story arc, and writing that will immediately pull the reader in. Ingalls has achieved all three in her odd little work about an unhappy woman who falls in love with a sea monster escaped from a research institute. Yeah, I know. But it works! From the first pages, I was completely engaged in the story and eager to see where it would go.

4 stars

>68 katiekrug: Great comments, Katie. I'll add it to my "read soon" pile. AND, I have a copy on my shelves.

I think you'll like it, Beth!

>68 katiekrug: Yay!

>71 richardderus: - An accurate, infuriating summary.

>72 katiekrug: Ditto.

>68 katiekrug: Oh yeah, you got me with that one. Into the shopping cart it goes!

>71 richardderus: Spot on.

>61 ChelleBearss: I love that quote. I am so thoroughly enjoying Bridgerton that I plan to give the first book in the series a try. I am also eyeing The Reluctant Widow, the sole Georgette Heyer I have on my shelves.

ETA: They had Mrs. Caliban available at the library, so I just went ahead and checked it out!

>73 Crazymamie: - :-/

>74 EBT1002: - Hi Ellen! I hope you like Mrs. Caliban as much as I did! You could easily knock it out on Saturday or Sunday - with time leftover :)

Okay, having brought the tone down with my unpleasant realism, let me bring forth this nugget of goodness: Hugh Ryan saw my review of When Brooklyn Was Queer, "like"d it, followed me, and sent me a thank-you note.

Because Katie, that's why.

*smoochity smoochsmooch*

>76 richardderus: - Oh, how nice! Go you!

For fans of The Repair Shop, I offer this cartoon from one of today's newspapers.

>78 Helenliz: - Ohmigod, that's awesome! Thanks for sharing, Helen.

>78 Helenliz: Perfection!!

>77 katiekrug: *preens* It's always a thrill when an author says "that means EVERYTHING to me" about one of my reviews.

>78 Helenliz: That is great.

>80 richardderus: - High praise indeed!

>81 BLBera: - The Wayne chortled, too.

>78 Helenliz: LOVE this!

>76 richardderus: That is so cool!

>83 Crazymamie: - Hi Mamie!

Hello!

>78 Helenliz: Brilliant!

>85 Crazymamie: - :)

>86 lauralkeet: - Hi Laura!

Why thank you all, I am happy to share to such an appreciative audience. >:-)

>78 Helenliz: >88 Helenliz: Ha!

Hi Katie, happy "new" thread. Sorry Waterland didn't do it for you. Will you give up on Swift, do you think? (Or is this just the odd one of his that hasn't worked?)

Sorry about the three hour meeting. I'd be calling for repeated coffee breaks...

>76 richardderus: Nice!

(Hi Katie)

>64 katiekrug: On the Geico farming out topic -- Hubby called today to report that we have a home security system now and they told him our home insurance is now with "Homesite" so I'm not sure we are actually insured by them for anything now.

>78 Helenliz: Love it! Hope it's a good repair shop.

>88 Helenliz: - :)

>89 charl08: - Hi Charlotte! No, I won't give up on Swift. I have a few others by him on my shelf, so I'll give one of them a try. His writing is excellent, I just couldn't get into the whole meaning of history philosophizing stuff... Which probably says more about me than about the book!

>90 EBT1002: - Hi Ellen!

>91 RebaRelishesReading: - That's so weird, Reba.

Welp, here I am, up bright (not really - it's rainy and gloomy) and early on Saturday for another 4 hours of Board meetings. Jeez....

Once they're done, I'm hoping to do some stuff around the house, but I might just veg. I managed to pull a muscle in my shoulder this morning while stretching, so that's fun.

Last night we had pasta fagioli soup and garlic bread. Watched an episode of the leftovers show, an episode of The Stand (which is very good, btw), and an episode of Schitt's Creek (love it so much).

I am very much enjoying the loathsome people in Siracusa - it's told from 4 alternating POVs and each voice is so distinct and well-done.

Just came across this recipe and have sent it to The Wayne for consideration. Sounds so good and warming and comforting...

https://www.nigella.com/recipes/chicken-in-a-pot-with-lemon-and-orzo

>93 katiekrug: Ugh, board meetings on a Saturday? Yuck

And Sunday! Woot.

Hi Katie!

>94 katiekrug: I lived in Connecticut from 1977 through 1980 and waitressed at Greek-owned diners in Groton, Bridgeport, and Fairfield. Orzo and lamb shanks, avgolemono soup, moussaka, pastitso, etc., all became favorites. Chicken with lemon and orzo sounds fabulous.

Weekend meetings = ew. I hope you have some good rewards in place for when you've finished!

>98 karenmarie: - I love anything with orzo, Karen. And YES to almost any Greek food.

>99 scaifea: - I need to do chores around the house, but really, it'll wait until next weekend. So some reading, football, and maybe Chinese delivery for dinner?

Yes to Chinese delivery. No thanks to the Greek. And working on the weekend? That sucks.

Sino-Greco-yummo yes.

Board meetings ew, but dig we must.

Cleaning NO.

Siracusa hmmmm

Here, have a *smooch*

>101 Crazymamie: - No Greek at all?!?!!? Can I have yours?

>102 richardderus: - Smooch gratefully accepted. As is validation re: cleaning :)

I like some Greek, it's just not a favorite of mine. There was an excellent Greek restaurant near Craig when we were dating, and he always wanted to eat there, so I am kind of over the Greek.

>104 Crazymamie: - That makes sense. At least enough so that I don't have to question your taste :)

I love gyros, if that helps.

Those are my favorite, so yes, it does help. You are no longer on probation.

Spanakopita, anyone?

Ok, so, yeah, that is too much spinach in one space for me. I don't hate spinach, but I get quickly overwhelmed by it so best in small doses. Half that amount, made up for with cheese, and I'll gobble it right down :)

...but that crust...so flaky, so crispy, so gorgeously golden...

Still, permaybehaps this?

>110 richardderus: - Oh, now we're talking! Load up my plate!

There were several Modern Greek students in my grad school department, who brought *amazing* Greek dishes to our frequent department potlucks. I love the stuff.

And yay to Chinese takeout! Sounds amazing.

>112 scaifea:- Now I want Greek. Again.

We found an amazing Chinese place where the food is good (I found even bad Chinese yummy, tbh) and includes lots of fresh veggies and not-scary meat. It's more pricey than what we usually do, but it's worth it, IMO.

ETA: Thinking veggie lo mein and crispy chicken in spicy garlic sauce.... *drool*

>113 katiekrug: I also want Greek *and* Chinese now. So thanks for that.

I LOVE lo mein.

We really need to get together when the Bad Times are over and stuff our faces.

Yes to the lo mein and to the crispy chicken. YUM. We actually get our soup and egg rolls from one place and meals from another. Because we are crazy like that.

>60 BLBera:

>116 Crazymamie: - That's genius, Mamie!

>117 scaifea: - I'm trying to figure out how you managed to type 60 instead of 115, which is what I assume you meant to do ;-)

>117 scaifea: OKay, you gave me a giggle because your post thingy goes to Beth's post about insurance.

>119 Crazymamie: - I didn't even check to see what Beth's comment was. That's hilarious.

>120 katiekrug: Right?!

I mean, who doesn't get all orgasmic about good insurance? It's very important.

So true.

*SNORK!!!* I have *no* idea how that typo happened, but I'm leaving it because it's too funny not to.

ET fix a typo in the Funny Typo post. Oy with the poodles already.

>123 Crazymamie: - *grin*

>124 scaifea: - Sure, blame the poor poodles...

Meetings done! Think I'll take a shower now :)

>117 scaifea: :)

Now I'm hungry.

>108 richardderus: >110 richardderus: That first one looks most uninviting but if there's enough to go around I'd love some >110 richardderus:.

Thank you Katie for the perfect idea for this week -- pasta fagioli is one of my favorite soups and I love soup in winter! I've never made it though so will have find a recipe.

I hope your board meetings go well. Two straight days of them, especially "virtual" ones, sounds awful. I hope you get some nice treats in the evening to help you recover and maybe next year get a trip to some place interesting to help make up for now.

>128 RebaRelishesReading: Ask our hostess, Reba, she's the one whose self-control is responsible for leftovers...although, come to think of it, the foot-traffic in here *does* require reinforcements!


Katie, is Total really leaving API?! Wow....

It's a good thing I have casserole in the oven, because otherwise I'd be raiding the cupboards for anything edible after reading the last few posts! I love chinese, himself doesn't, so a takeaway is usually a treat for me if he's out. Which he hasn't been in quite a long time...

>87 katiekrug: subtle snark duly noted.

Bless me Katie, for I was rude and didn't say hi to you in >86 lauralkeet:.

So ...

HI KATIE!

>127 BLBera: - Beth, I've been hungry ALL DAY!

>128 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba. It's been FOUR days of meetings - not all day - "only" the mornings, but yeah, it's not fun at all.

I hope you find a good pasta fagioli recipe! If you do, please share it :)

>129 richardderus: - I guess I can share...

I hadn't heard about Total, so just looked it up. Good for them (she whispered). The split between European energy companies and most of the rest of the world is really interesting, and my own organization often feels/hears the repercussions as we try to please all our members - addressing climate issues in our programming as demanded by European members (and others, but I'm speaking in broad strokes here) and then getting annoyed responses from, for instance, members in Africa who still see the industry as a net positive and such programming as reducing the prestige of their work and taking time away from the technical content they want. There are some fascinating dynamics at play. /pointless rambling

>130 Helenliz: - I don't understand how someone doesn't like Chinese. Like, not even fried rice? Or wonton soup? There's such variety!

>131 lauralkeet: - As dog is my witness, Laura, I was NOT being snarky. I just like to acknowledge people when they visit, even if they don't address me directly. I did use to make jokes about not speaking to the thread host, but I'm totally fine with it!!!

But HI LAURA just the same :D

>100 katiekrug: Hi Katie! Coincidentally, I just watched an episode of My Greek Table on PBS and my mouth is still watering. I don't think I've ever had really good Greek food, just the Americanized stuff, but I liked what I had.

Oh, and to your Chinese food comment further on (I'm too lazy to scroll down to look for the post number, sorry) — I don't like a lot of Chinese food, mostly because of textures but also those baby corn thingies are evil on a plate. I do love various types of fried rice, and crab rangoons are delightful.

>132 katiekrug: whew, good to know, Katie! I try to pay attention to whose thread I'm on when I'm posting, but sometimes I forget.

If your thread is looking a little soggy, Katie, it's because I've been drooling all over it. Greek, Chinese, lemon chicken with orzo.....I'll take 4 orders of everything, and extra galaktoboureko please.

THREE HOURS AND FORTY MINUTES OF BUDGET MEETING???
AND MORE ON SATURDAY???? If you're not getting combat pay for that...

>133 rosalita: - Julia, I can't swear that I've had authentic Greek food, though the restaurants I go to are run by Greek families, but who knows if they are making things more pleasing to an American palette. The only answer, I guess, is to go to Greece!

I can totally understand the texture thing, especially when so much Chinese food is kind of sauce heavy and noodle-y (read: slimy). And I am not a fan of the little corn thingies, either, though I will take those over water chestnuts, which I loathe (for texture reasons)!

>132 katiekrug: I've given up pushing it. He is allergic to both fish and eggs, so life gets a bit tricky at times.

>134 lauralkeet: - As do we all, Laura! No worries.

>135 laytonwoman3rd: - As long as my thread isn't moist (shudder at that word), it's all good, Linda :)

I had to look up galaktoboureko, but, um, yes please! I'm going to have to check if our within-walking-distance Greek place has that. They recently opened up a little market next door (called, of course, Agora *eye roll*) where they have a selection of baked goods, among other things.

Yes, 3+ hours of budget meeting (it's a big budget!). And then more meetings Friday and today but I just have to sort of be present for those and don't have a role. Then tomorrow morning is the full Board meeting, where I have to take minutes, which is the bane of my very existence... So, yes, please feel sorry for me....

>137 Helenliz: - Oh, well, yes, that makes sense, Helen. Allergies are tough. I know Amber can't make anything with garlic or onions because her husband can't have them. TW and I don't have any allergies, but he is picky about somethings (no mayo, no eggs, no shellfish, hardly any fish at all...) Though I should give credit where credit is due, and say he is much more flexible than when I first met him.

>136 katiekrug: Well, the recipes that made my mouth water today from that PBS show were Poulenta (a Greek polenta) and Kefalonitiki Kreatopita, which is a phyllo-wrapped beef, pork and lamb pie. So if you have either of those on your local Greek place's menu, try them and let me know if they are as good as they look. :-)

>140 rosalita: - Oh, they both sound awesome!

>78 Helenliz: Oh, I love it! AND I have stolen it. We've only recently started watching The Repair Shop, and of course we're both hooked.

>109 katiekrug: also feel with you that a little spinach goes a long way. Don't often eat spankopita for that reason.

And not mad about lamb and lamb is is a lot of Greek food. Still their spicy seafood dishes are a rare treat
There's a good Greek place near us when things return to normal you have to come in for a dinner.

>113 katiekrug: used to be the one reliable thing in New York was good neighbourhood take out Chinese food. Lately all the little places seem to be dissapearing - the younger set prefer Indian or Korean or something more outre. (or less like what Mommy and Daddy ate)

>129 richardderus: Joes's thread is usuaully the one that makes me drool. Please talk about a Book -- Stat!

>138 katiekrug: I do feel sorry for you, Katie. Good luck with the minutes.

>140 rosalita: Phyllo dough wrapped beef, pork, and lamb pie. That's. Just amazing. 😳

>145 drneutron: Maybe your local PBS station airs the show, Jim — My Greek Table. Seeing it being made was even more drool-worthy than my poor description!

Oh, I found the show's website — here's the recipe: https://www.dianekochilas.com/kefalonitiki-kreatopita-cephalonia-three-meat-pie/

>142 laytonwoman3rd: - Isn't that great, Linda? TW and I are sad to have finished the available episodes of the show on Netflix :(

>143 magicians_nephew: - I don't like lamb as a rule, Jim - no leg of lamb, no lamb chops, etc. But I like it ground and mixed with other things. I would LOVE to come try your Greek place when The Bad Times are over!

I like Korean and Indian (and Thai and Vietnamese and.....), too, but there is something comforting to me about Chinese :)

>144 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth!

>145 drneutron: - RIght, Jim?!?!?!

>146 rosalita: - Thanks for the link, Julia!

My Chinese delivery was delicious, in case anyone was wondering :) And we have enough leftovers for at least two more meals each...

We live far enough out in the country that there's no real options for delivery. We also have just one close Chinese place that's pretty awful. *Sigh*

Hi Katie!

>136 katiekrug: I forgot to mention that I was in Greece for 4 months in the summer of 1979, on the island of Andros with my Greek boyfriend. We stayed at his mother’s house… I didn’t speak much Greek and she didn’t speak any English. The food was marvelous. Fresh fish and vegetables, the sweetest cantaloupe-type melons, pastitso by the tubful. I did learn one painful lesson – do not name the animals and feed them fig leaves and make friends with them. Sometimes they become dinner.

>149 drneutron: Ditto. Nobody will deliver this far out.

>147 katiekrug: Lamb is pretty much my favourite meat, but then it’s much more standard here than it is there I think. We have half a lamb in the freezer that we’re working our way through, so we have roast leg of lamb for dinner. Mr SandDune is cooking - I don’t really do roast dinners.

Happy Sunday, Katie! You worked yesterday, right? I hope you can have a perfectly lazy day with the books today.

>152 msf59: - Hiya Mark! Nope, 4 more hours of meetings this morning... :-/

Back later to respond to everyone!

>149 drneutron: - This makes me sad, Jim.

>150 karenmarie: - I would love to go to Greece, Karen. I'll be sure not to befriend any animals ;-)

I'm not sure I could ever go back to living in the country. My first 18 years were enough, I think!

>151 SandDune: - Rhian, I should probably give lamb another try. My introduction to it (not ground) was a leg of lamb my step-grandmother cooked for Easter one year. It was inedible and made me gag...

My meeting this morning was only 2.5 hours. Yippee!

Had some Chinese leftover for lunch, and then The Wayne and I (FINALLY) put away the Christmas stuff. Well, most of it. There is a bare tree still sitting in the living room :)

>155 katiekrug: Modern art. A trenchant, tendentious commentary on consumer culture.

Seriously, it works!

>156 richardderus: - Snort. No. TW suggested leaving it up and decorating it "seasonally" but I think he was just feeling lazy...

>154 katiekrug: Well, our leg of lamb was delicious!

>158 SandDune: - Very glad to hear it!

>154 katiekrug: how long ago was that leg of lamb experience, Katie? Was your step-grandmother a good cook? I'm just wondering if you need to experience lamb done properly and well. Grilled lamb chops are delicious, esp marinated in oil, garlic & rosemary. And boneless lamb cut into cubes can make mighty fine grilled kebabs (with similar marinade), or prepared in a stew. Mmmmm.

>160 lauralkeet: - Oh, it was forever ago, and she was a terrible cook (and a terrible person, tbh)! That's why I think I probably should give it a try again, but first impressions are hard to kill off :D I'll work up the nerve at some point!

>161 katiekrug: I thought that might have been the case, Katie. Childhood food traumas are tough to get over but I’m confident you’ll do so one of these days.

>155 katiekrug: I hope you get a day off in lieu of a weekend of board meetings!!

Morning, Katie! It's Monday so be careful.

>157 katiekrug: well you could have an Easter Tree, I suppose.

and Arbor day what about Arbor Day Charlie Brown? You have to have a tree for Arbor Day!

and then a midsummer festival tree of course

and then a Halloween Tree.

and right around to Christmas again. Easy peasy

>162 lauralkeet: - I appreciate your faith in me, Laura!

>163 ChelleBearss: - Well, I'm taking Wednesday off to celebrate the Inauguration. But using PTO for that. No comp day because we have a crap policy....

>164 Crazymamie: - Keeping my eyes wide open for any surprises, Mamie (but not looking anything in the eye - promise)!

>165 magicians_nephew: - You're not helping, Jim! I will not be sharing your message with The Wayne :-P

>166 katiekrug: what >165 magicians_nephew: said

I guess I *could* if forced by circumstances make a social-media stink to get the message to The Wayne...but would so prefer not to.

You know what to do.

I finished Siracusa last night - highly recommend! I'll type up some comments later.

I didn't watch last night's football game because I hate Tom Brady. I'm glad I didn't waste time watching him win (again)....

We had green chicken coconut curry for dinner last night - delicious! It was a Kevin's Natural Foods brand from Costco. Good stuff.

Let's see.... what else, what else? Nothing! My life is a bore :)

>167 richardderus: - Are you..... are you.... threatening me?!?!?!

Honestly, I think he's ready to have the house back to normal, too. But it damages his Christmas Lover cred to say so too loudly ;-)

>169 katiekrug: Clever lassie! No flies on your perceptions of the world.

*smooch*

>169 katiekrug: clearly you have an advanced degree in Wayneology

I will say we recently added lamb into our regular meal rotation to help Mr. Fine cut back on red meat consumption and I'm really enjoying having lamb chops occasionally. We haven't attempted a roast or leg of lamb yet though.

I'm going to chime in here in defense of lamb, too. It's been our Easter roast for years and years. Garlic and rosemary are essential, don't fall for that "boneless leg of lamb" thing, and it must not be overcooked. The bonus is that after dinner, there's usually enough left over for a proper shepherd's pie, and then the bone goes in the pot for a batch of Scotch broth soup. SO much deliciousness. We are also very fond of braised lamb shanks.

>170 richardderus: - Smooch back!

>171 magicians_nephew: - Well, I had better by now!

>172 MickyFine: - I will probably start with a lamb chop when I feel brave enough :)

>173 laytonwoman3rd: - Soooo, what if one doesn't really like rosemary? Asking for a friend... Is there an alternative herb that also pairs well?

Hi there, Katie! Loving the Greek food conversations. I love Greek food, which is a good thing since I married a Greek Cypriot. We used to have this huge open house for Greek Easter and one year we had nearly 70 people show up (no one says no to Greek food I found out). The older the girls got the busier we got so we haven't done it in awhile and I would like to again... whenever it might be safe to host lots of people again. You're all invited, of course!

>174 katiekrug: Mint. Tarragon. Dill. One of the most interesting is a combo of fresh marjoram and mint made into a pesto with EVOO and pecans, served alongside the chops.

>174 katiekrug: Well, rosemary is essential for ME....doesn't mean you'd have to use it. Greek recipes often call for using oregano and/or fennel. Mint goes well with lamb too, but after cooking, not during.

>175 AMQS: - OH, that Greek Easter gathering sounds like such fun, Anne! I hope you can get back into having it.

>176 richardderus: and >177 laytonwoman3rd: - Thank you, my friends!

we need to start a Hello Fresh Thread

>179 magicians_nephew: - Not sure there's enough of us to keep a thread going!

I just could not resist:

>181 richardderus: - Oh, you bad!

Siracusa by Delia Ephron

The lesson here is to never go on vacation with your ex-lover, his wife, and their daughter. And you're assh*le of a husband. That's my takeaway.

Ephron gives us two couples, four people so well-drawn with faults, weaknesses, quirks, and strengths that you quickly feel like you know them. You may not *want* to, because they are kind of loathsome, but they are very, very real. Each chapter is told in an alternating voice - all 4 adults get to tell the story, or a piece of it (maybe a perception of it?). The central character, though, is Snow, one couple's ten year old daughter, and she has no voice. At least not at first.

We follow these people for a few days in Rome and a few days in Siracusa, and we know almost right from the start that something goes wrong. We're just waiting for the train wreck, anticipating it, hoping and dreading it. The book was, for me, a compulsive read. Multiple narrator/POV books often are, but this one was especially good. I just loved the characterizations and interactions, and I appreciated Ephron's talent in giving each character a very strong and unique voice that made them equally compelling.

4.5 stars

CURRENTLY READING

(Kindle) (Audio) (Kindle)

>183 katiekrug: Excellent review, Katie. The set up reminds me a bit of Private Lives but obviously without the comic element.

Happy Monday!

You made it through your weekend chalk full of meetings!

>172 MickyFine: Mmmm! Lamb chops with rosemary sounds good.

>173 laytonwoman3rd: don't fall for that "boneless leg of lamb" thing
*whispers* except maybe if you're grilling it either whole or as kebabs ...

Hi Katie!

>182 katiekrug: Heh. Yeah.

>183 katiekrug: That's as glowing as any you've written! It sounds excellent. Kinda like What Maisie Knew only not prudish.

>187 lauralkeet: Oh, well....sure. I meant only to refer to roasting a leg of lamb. My MIL bought a boneless one for Easter once, and she's still moaning about how stupid she was.

Wow lamb...will not eat....under any circumstances. When I was a college student Katie, the dining hall regularly served lamb and I have to say it was absolutely disgusting. So I'm afraid it ruined me for life.

I see you're reading Triangle and I'll be looking for your comments because that one has been sitting on my shelf for eons and I'd love to think I could read it this year.

>185 MickyFine: - Thanks, Micky! I haven't read Private Lives so can't comment. There was some humor in Siracusa but it was pretty dark :)

>186 figsfromthistle: - Thanks, figs! Yep, made it through and am enjoying a slightly slower pace this week...

>187 lauralkeet: - Hi Laura!

>188 richardderus: - I haven't read WMK (ooh, funny, those are The Wayne's initials!). Should I?

>189 laytonwoman3rd: - Hi Linda!

>190 brenzi: - Ah, so I'm not the only one traumatized by a bad lamb experience! Yay!

I'm hoping to finish up Triangle by the weekend maybe. I'm reading a chapter in between other books, but now only have two chapters left, so I'll probably power through those. It's been very good.

We saw a bobcat in our back yard this morning! Very cool. That's what passes for big excitement around here...

We had Italian chicken hot sandwiches for dinner last night, with roasted potatoes. Very yum.

The Wayne watched some sci-fi-y thing or other and I read. My current primary read is Adequate Yearly Progress which was billed as 'The Office' but set in a high school. It's not bad so far.

>181 richardderus: I LOVE IT!

A bobcat? Get out! How cool is that? I wanna see one.

27 hours and counting...

Morning, Katie! You hit me with Siracusa, so that will be the first entry on this years Dirty Dozen. And I'll add my thumb if you posted that.

Last night's dinner sounds most yum. We did baked potato bar, which I had meant to do on Sunday but um...didn't. Too lazy. I have no idea what's for dinner tonight - how about you?

>193 msf59: - Hiya, Mark!

We sometimes get interesting wildlife around here - there is a small river at the back of our property and the animals come up from there. Nothing all that exciting but deer, fox, tons of geese of course, and now a bobcat. Apparently there are coyote, too, but I haven't seen one.

I'm taking tomorrow off to celebrate the Inauguration!

>194 Crazymamie: - The review is posted, Mamie. I had the wrong touchstone in the review but it's fixed now. Yay for a DD entry!

Tonight's dinner will either be bulgogi meatballs or cajun pork sausage stuffed peppers...

>195 katiekrug: I'm taking tomorrow off to celebrate the Inauguration!

Oh that's a great idea, Katie. Go you! On Obama's inauguration day I was out of town for a conference. I arrived in wherever-it-was was the night before, but the conference didn't start until mid-afternoon. So I was able to spend the morning in my hotel room working remotely* with the TV on. It's one of those "I remember where I was when ..." kind of things.

---
* Or, more accurately, chatting with FB and LT friends LOL.

‘Morning, Katie!

>177 laytonwoman3rd: Mint jelly was served with lamb chops at the diners I worked at in Connecticut, but I always did what the Greeks who owned the diners did and used fresh lemon on medium-rare lamb chops.

>179 magicians_nephew: and >180 katiekrug: I’m getting closer and closer to trying Hello Fresh out and when I do I'll remember to ask you for a coupon code.

>192 katiekrug: Yikes. A bobcat. As an indoor-outdoor kitty owner, I wouldn’t want to see one around here. I can hear a pack of coyotes yipping off to the north some nights, but fortunately haven’t ever seen one.

>183 katiekrug: Gah, you got me again! Bullets everywhere these days

>192 katiekrug: That's pretty cool! I've never seen one before

>196 lauralkeet: - I figured I'd be watching it on the internet and constantly refreshing Twitter tomorrow anyway, Laura, so I might as well be honest about it and take PTO :)

>197 karenmarie: - Leonard is strictly an indoor cat, so no worries there.

>198 ChelleBearss: - It was a really good, fast read, Chelle.

I tried to get a picture of the bobcat, but it disappeared pretty quickly.

Chiming in as someone else with lamb trauma in her past. I can't get myself to try it again now. *sigh*

>200 scaifea: - Maybe we should start a support group?

>201 katiekrug: *snork!* YES.

Have you seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding? My favorite scene is when the outsider fiance gets outed as a vegetarian and the aunt shouts, "He don't eat no meat?!" And then the room falls completely silence for a beat, until she says, "That's okay - I'll fix lamb."

Stupidly excited about this:

All seasons of The Muppet Show are coming to Disney+ in February! Man, I love that show...

>202 scaifea: - Such a great movie, and that may be the best line!

>203 katiekrug: WOOT!!

>204 katiekrug: Right?! I think it may be time for a rewatch soon...

>205 scaifea: - The Wayne had never seen it, so I made him watch a year or so ago. He enjoyed it - smart man.

Listen Up!

The oh-so-excellent Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward is on sale for Kindle today for a measly $3.99. It's an amazing memoir.

>206 katiekrug: Tomm has watched it with me and loved it - it's time to introduce Charlie to it, though.

>203 katiekrug: Muppetational!

Back to What Maisie Knew...it's a good read, if a bit depressing for me as my own parents were a lot like hers. I'm hesitant to push too hard because the wheels come off the entire cart with a truly awful ending. So, if you stop reading at the time-jump (which is made obvious), it will be a superior reading experience.

>208 scaifea: - I'm sure Charlie will love it, too. So warm and funny and big-hearted.

>209 richardderus: - I'll keep that in mind if I ever cross paths with it. I'm not sure I will seek it out...

We got Disney+ to watch "Hamilton" and we keep thinking we willful the plug and stop paying for it but then they pull a stunt like that.

It's time to get things started on the Muppet Show Tonight!

>203 katiekrug: Oh my. The world just suddenly got brighter!

>211 magicians_nephew: - We got it so TW could watch The Mandalorian, but it has a lot of good stuff, so it's staying.

I love me some Fozzie Bear and Waldorf and Staler!

>212 drneutron: - Right, Jim? Happy-making, as Mamie would say.

I just shared that Muppet news with a bunch of friends. So excited!

>214 MickyFine: - Woot!

I love the Swedish Chef!

Hiya, Katie.

My sister recommended a romance novel to me called Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis. (This sister is an inactive LTer who reads an eclectic ton). Ring any bells? It was pretty good, with the wit and humor we've talked about.

>215 katiekrug: He's one of my favourites too.

>216 jnwelch: - Hi Joe! I haven't heard of that one, so I went and looked it up. Sounds cute. I think contemporary rom-coms - at least good ones - are strong on the wit (the 'com' part!). I find it's harder to get in historical romances, and so always a pleasant surprise. I did think of another you might take a look at - The Governess Game by Tessa Dare. It's the 2nd in a series, but don't worry about that - I still haven't read the first...

>217 MickyFine: - My other favorite is Animal :)

My sister called me Fozzie.

I called her Miss Piggy.

Even now, when she's got 70 up against the wall hard, we still say "PIIIIIIGS IIIIIIIN SPAAAAAAAAACE" at least once every call.

My favorite stuffed animal as a kid was my Fozzie Bear, with his little hat and big floppy tie. Fozzie is my spirit animal!

Fozzie is, I suspect, most readers' spirit animal, he's so goofy!

I think I remember that you like Derry Girls...if so I recommend the debut Big Girl, Small Town, about a young woman working in a chip shop in a small Irish village. It's narrated by one of the Derry actresses!

>220 katiekrug: I may, as a kid, have played Fozzie in a dance studio production...

I quote Rizzo the most.

>224 MickyFine: "Light the lamp not the rat LIGHT THE LAMP NOT THE RAT!!"

Rizzo is fantastic.

>225 scaifea: YES! And the jellybeans! Rizzo is probably my spirit animal. Heh.

>225 scaifea: I send this quote to my brother every year when I watch Muppet Christmas Carol because we both love it.

>209 richardderus:, >210 katiekrug: imho don't bother reading What Maisie Knew. Even though it might be James at his most readable, it's not readable. (I might be a slightly biased, I-loathe-Henry-James-Camp-Leader though).

Wishing my friends across the pond a happy 20th January. May it bring the change you want.

>221 richardderus: - Adorably goofy :)

>222 vivians: - That one's already on my list, Vivian! But I will look for the audio... I do love Derry Girls.

>223 scaifea: - Oh, my. Pics or it didn't happen!

>224 MickyFine: - Rizzo is also a delight.

>225 scaifea:, >226 Crazymamie:, >227 MickyFine: - He's great, but he's no Fozzie.

>228 ELiz_M: - Ha, Liz! I've read three by James and actually enjoyed them all to varying degrees... But he's not an author I feel I need to read all of.

>229 Helenliz: - Thank you, Helen! I am looking forward to the events today.

Woke up to snow this morning (sorry, Mamie)! It has now stopped, but it's very pretty.

I've taken today off from work (except for one meeting this morning) and will camp out in front of the TV. Even in normal times, I'm a sucker for pomp and circumstance, but today is even more special.

Last night, we had an excellent HelloFresh meal - Cajun sausage stuffed peppers. They did leave out two ingredients, though, which is annoying. Luckily, we had substitutions so all was not lost. Then we watched, um... I forget. Oh dear. It was a cooking show, though, I know that... I went to bed early to read, but ended up scrolling through Twitter for a good 30 minutes before turning my light out. Oops.

I *knew* you'd ask for pictures! Although they *do* exist, they're at my parents' house and it'll likely be, what, another 6 months before I get there? *sigh*

Happy inauguration day, Katie! There is *so much* pomp and circumstance! It's sort of funny that the US broke away from Britain and the monarchy but put even more ceremony into its new arrangements. The most we get here is an election winner (or new party leader) setting off for Windsor to see the Queen, a photo of the meeting and a statement saying "Today Her Majesty invited me to form a government..." and that's pretty much it. Then there are cabinet appointments, or a reshuffle, and that tends to get more attention as people come and go from Downing Street.

Sky News has multiple reporters in Washington, but they can't seem to agree on the pronunciation of "Mall". In the UK, it's "mal" (like the nickname for Malcolm). So "Pall Mall" is pal mal. But is the Mall in Washington a "mal" or a "maul"?

In other news, Nigella Lawson's dish of the day is Bitter Orange Tart, which is going down quite well on the Twitter.

>233 susanj67: Mostly, we say "maul", although there are some regional inflections that make it come out more like "mahl". Never "mal".

Morning, Katie!

>230 katiekrug: "He's great, but he's no Fozzie." Well, no. On account of he's Rizzo
.
>231 katiekrug: No need for apologies - I am thrilled someone gets to enjoy it. We are also camped out in front of the tv (Birdy, Abby, and I).

>233 susanj67: Bitter Orange Tart made me snort my coffee!

I am kvelling over what transpires in the next 80 minutes.

>233 susanj67: Susan, to put the relative pomp in perspective, I think the inauguration ceremony is the closest we come to a coronation.

Such a joyous day.

*** Hi Katie! ***

>237 lauralkeet: But you do that every 4 years. We've not had one in 67 years. That is now only ~ 15% of the population who can remember the last one.

>232 scaifea: - You should ask your mom to mail them to you ;-)

>233 susanj67: - Definitely "maul."

I love all the ceremony and seeing people mill about and chat before the program starts. And all the lovely coats! I'm swooning over Dr. Biden's. And Kamala wore purple because she and I are best friends.

I saw Nigella's tweet. I LOL'd.

>234 laytonwoman3rd: - Agreed. Never, ever 'mal'.

>235 Crazymamie: - Fozzie > Rizzo. Just sayin' :)

>236 richardderus: - Yup. Same.

>237 lauralkeet: - Hi Laura!!

>238 Helenliz: - Don't hate the player, hate the game ;-)

We do love us some pomp and circumstance over here.

Lady Gaga is just finishing up the National Anthem. I think Biden should have taken a knee.

Also, Gaga's dress was ridiculous.

Madame Vice President!

Loved Lady Gaga! And totally choked up during Kamala's oath.

>242 lauralkeet: - I liked JLo better but they were both good.

I can't believe Sotomayor mispronounced the VP's name.... *smh*

I enjoyed all the pre-ceremony arrivals too. I switched over to NBC News on the Fire stick so I saw the US commentary. But still, no-one said the name of the girl with the sequins on her coat shoulders. And yet she seemed to have a good seat so perhaps she was important. I loved the VP's oath and she looked lovely, not that that's supposed to count, but I'm sure she put effort in to her outfit so I'm not going to ignore it. And she and the new President do seem to get on well. I wonder whether someone will restart the meme that used to run with President Obama and VP Biden.

I posted this also on Marks thread, maybe someone here knows?

A question, as I can't find it: does anyone know what the black flag (with a white picture?) means, that was under the American flag at the Capitol?

>244 susanj67: - Susan, the young woman in the coat with the sequins on the shoulders and the big white collar, is Ella Emhoff, Kamala Harris' step-daughter. I loved that coat!

>245 FAMeulstee: - Anita, It's a POW-MIA flag.

https://www.pow-miafamilies.org/history-of-the-powmia-flag.html

If anyone missed it, be sure to go online and look up Amanda Gorman's recitation of her poem during the Inauguration. It was beautifully moving and powerful.

>246 katiekrug: Thank you, Katie.

>248 FAMeulstee: - You're welcome!

In other news, we got word this morning that the insurance company is totaling our car. So now we have to shop for a car - everyone's least favorite activity.... :-P

Lady Gaga definitely rocked the anthem. I had to watch on YouTube because I was in class. :( I should have let them go early...Students never complain about stuff like that, at least as long as it doesn't happen often.

Such an uplifting morning! I loved the whole thing, especially the COVID no-nos of Obama embraces. It really feels as if we're turning a corner. And that poem - wow.

>239 katiekrug: You have "confused the maths", as Birdy used to say.. Actually, Fozzi ≤ Rizzo.

"Also, Gaga's dress was ridiculous." Ya think?! I also liked JLo's performance better.

Astounded at Sotomayer's gaff. It's her name, people! It's not open to interpretation. I can't believe how many people are still pronouncing it wrong.

I loved Amanda Gorman's poem and her performance of it. Her use of language was both intellectual and visceral. Really amazing.

It's refreshing to know that integrity once again has a seat at the head of the American table.

>250 katiekrug: Sorry about the car. May the search for a new one be as painless as possible.

>251 BLBera: - Thank goodness for YouTube, Beth!

>252 vivians: - I agree, Vivian - very uplifting.

>253 Crazymamie: - I agree with everything you wrote, Mamie, except about Fozzie :D

>254 Crazymamie: - Thank you!

>255 msf59: - Perfect, Mark!

Oof. Ceremonies at Arlington always get me. If you ever travel to DC when the Bad Times are over, do make time to go there and witness the changing of the guard ceremony. It's a remarkable tradition.

#traveltipsfromkatie

>240 katiekrug: - LOL! Glad I'm not the only one. I love her voice but someone needs to dress her. I thought she was wearing a table!

But other than that, it was wonderful tv-watching this morning! :-)

>246 katiekrug: Aha! That makes sense :-) Everyone looked very cold, and I wondered why, when a date was chosen for the inauguration back in the olden days, they picked the middle of winter.

>258 jessibud2: - I enjoyed watching it, too :)

>259 susanj67: - Fun fact: Inaugurations used to take place in March.

https://www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/january-20/

Having a shorter transition period makes sense, but maybe they should have moved Election Day to the summer and had the Inauguration in the fall :)

ETA: Election Day was designated in November to be in harmony with the agrarian nature of society way back when. Didn't want to do it during planting or harvesting season...

>260 katiekrug: This just made me think about the episode of West Wing where they negotiate with Russians about winter wear for their presidents.

“He must wear coat. He must wear gloves. Scarves and ear muffs permissible but optional.”

>261 MickyFine: - Weather dictates so much in life, eh, my Canadian friend? ;-)

>258 jessibud2: I loved the peace dove on Lady Gaga's shirt.

>263 FAMeulstee: - Ohhhhh, I just thought it was a bird. A peace dove makes way more sense!

If anyone's still watching TV coverage, the VP and her husband are entering the building where I used to work. I still think it's one of the most beautiful buildings in the world....

*hums "Memories"*

>250 katiekrug: I will volunteer my husband to do the preliminary research for you....he loves that shit kind of thing. He did it for me last time, came up with 3 prospects, and I picked one to go check out in person. Easy peasy, and I'm very happy with the result. Fees negotiable, of course.

>262 katiekrug: You bet. We've had crazy wind here for the last 24ish hours with 90 km/h (56 mph) gusts and we're supposed to drop down to -20C (-4F) by the weekend. Trying to get all the things done before I don't feel like going out this weekend. :P

I spent my day waiting for docs, so saw none of the stuff...but that's why the goddesses invented YouTube, right?

No need to think about a car. Buy a Tesla Model S.

>266 laytonwoman3rd: - Well, part of the problem, Linda, is that The Wayne prides himself on his research, but he's so slooooow with it. Drives me bonkers. He really wants a hybrid electric which at least narrows the choices.... I will be in touch if I need to call in reinforcements!

>267 MickyFine: - Definitely sounds like it's going to be a weekend to hunker down!

>268 richardderus: - Thank gawd for YouTube! TW wouldn't mind a Tesla, but I loathe Elon Musk with the power of a thousand suns, so I would have to veto that. He's currently looking into the hybrid electric BMW X5. He wants to try one of those online services like Carvana because he hates traditional dealerships, so we'll see....

>269 katiekrug: Ah! Totally understand. I still won't trade w/Mauschwitz based on what they have done to Florida's environment, the country's copyright laws, and *numerous* creatives' livelihoods.

>240 katiekrug: From someone nearly as old as our wonderful new president, let me tell you that if he had taken a knee he probably wouldn't have been able to get up :)

I love it that V. P. Harris' step-children call her Kamama.

What a lovely day!

>271 richardderus: - We all have our bugaboos!

>272 RebaRelishesReading: - LOL, Reba! I have faith in you and the President :)

I think they call her Momala, which, yes, is adorable.

Back to work today! I am hoping I'll be more productive than usual and less tempted to social media scroll now that we have some competent people in place at The White House...

I also need to get to the UPS store to mail our nephew's birthday present, and at some point we have to get a form notarized to send to the insurance company to get our payout on the car.

Virtual happy hour tonight, so takeout and wine for me!

Last night, we have bulgogi-style meatballs with roasted carrots from HelloFresh. Pretty good. And then The Wayne wanted to watch Aliens for some reason, so that's what we did. I don't think I'd ever seen it, so it was silly fun.

I think I'm going to DNF Adequate Yearly Progress. It's not bad, but it's not holding my attention and I am determined not to wallow in sub-par reading this year...

It's not bad, but it's not holding my attention and I am determined not to wallow in sub-par reading this year...

AWOMEN Sister Lady.

*smooch*

>275 richardderus: - Life's too short, ain't it?

*smooch back*

>269 katiekrug: I can commiserate about slowness of car research....it takes Gary forever (which is one reason we keep our cars so long). He finally settled on a Subaru Crosstrek hybrid last year to replace my Forester and I love it.

I have to admit that I've just had the same car twice. Easy that way. Same model, model & colour. just some very slight styling differences due to age. In fact when we'd put my personal plate on the second one you'd have to been very up on car models to have seen any difference.

>277 vivians: - My sIL and BIL had a Crosstrek and loved it. I am interested in the Outback myself...

>278 Helenliz: - The car that got totaled was a Honda Pilot which is a big SUV, and we really only got a car that big when we were moving up here from Texas. The two of us don't really need seating for 8!

Netflix officially announced there will be a Season 2 of 'Bridgerton'! Woot!

>280 katiekrug: Huzzah! Not that I didn't expect it. The holds list for the series has EXPLODED at my work library. Happy I did the reading in advance. :)

>279 katiekrug: Tomm has long loved the idea of having and Outback and I wouldn't be surprised if that's what he goes for next time. I love my Honda to bits, though, and don't think I'll ever stray. I've had two Accords and a Civic and loved them all. I'm excited to see what you two pick!

>279 katiekrug: I've had two Outbacks (as well as two of its long-ago predecessors) and loved them.

>281 MickyFine: -I had no doubt there'd be another season, but it's nice to have the confirmation! I think I read somewhere they are hoping to start filming in March, but who knows with covid?

>282 scaifea: - I do like Hondas, too, Amber. The first car I bought as an adult was a Civic, bare bones because I was a poor public servant - no power windows or locks even! Heh. I got it new in 2004, sold it to my BFF in 2009, and she's still driving it! Can't kill a Honda (unless an idiot rear-ends you on the highway....).

I'm excited to see what we end up with, too. I just wish something would magically appear in the driveway so I didn't have to go through the whole process...

>283 laytonwoman3rd: - Good to know, Linda! I think it would be a good compromise, because TW says he doesn't want a "big" car, but I like something a bit bigger than a typical sedan or whatever. We'll see....

>277 vivians:, >279 katiekrug: and I wouldn't trade my Forrester for any other car...except maybe a newer Forrester :) I've had a Datsun (remember that one), a Honda, a Toyota, a Buick, a Plymouth, a Fiat, a BMW, a Chevy (not in that order and there were probably more) but I've only ever had two cars that I loved, a Volvo years ago and this Subaru.

Chiming in to say I love my Toyota Prius (named Trillian because dang I'm nerdy) and if she ever bites the dust I'd have no hesitation getting another.

>286 RebaRelishesReading: - My very first car was a Subaru - it was 11 years old when I got it, a silver wagon with a bad muffler and rust spots in the floorboard so bad you could see the road below. I called her "Rusty Buckets" and sometimes "War Wagon" given the amount of noise she made. I loved that car....

>287 MickyFine: - The Wayne and Priuses don't get along. He's 6'4" and finds them cramped. I had one as a rental once, and it was so dang quiet, I kept thinking it had died at stoplights :-P

Afternoon, Katie! I have a Toyota Highlander, and I LOVE it.

>276 katiekrug: YES! Yes, it is.

>280 katiekrug: Whoop!

>287 MickyFine: Craig had a Prius that was one of the original models - he had to get on a waiting list for it and everything. He has loved that car, but I hated it because I am very short and I feel like I can't see out of it very well. Also I have arthritis in my knee and it is very hard for me to get into something that low to the ground. Can't complain about the great mileage it gets, though.

>288 katiekrug: Ah yes, being a giant does make things trickier. At 5'3" I have the opposite problem of finding a car that will let me reach the pedals and won't kill me if the airbag goes off because I'm so close to the steering wheel. :P

>289 Crazymamie: My Prius has the height adjustable seat so I can move it up to improve my sightlines. Biggest pain is adjusting my seat back to where I need it after it goes for service/tire change because the garage staff are ALWAYS taller than me.

>289 Crazymamie: - My sister-in-law has a Highlander, and I really liked it when I rode in it. But we are Honda people, not Toyota people. Did you know the population can be divided along those lines? ;-)

I had issues with the sight-lines in my rental Prius, but I probably should have tried adjusting the seat more.

>290 MickyFine: - Not being killed by the airbags is Very Important!

Well, I love both. My first car that I bought for myself was a Honda CRX, which was so much fun to drive. Then I owned a Honda Accord, then a Honda Odyssey. But the Honda Pilot is too tall for me - I mean, I would need a ladder to get into it. The Toyota Highlander is basically the same thing but on a slightly smaller scale. Daniel owns a Toyota Rav4, and Craig has the Prius. I have loved all of them except for the Prius.

The blind spot in the Prius is in the worst possible spot for me. Also, I feel like it slides easily in the rain or on wet leaves. I just don't like it, but Craig has loved it.

>292 Crazymamie: - I honestly wouldn't mind a Highlander - it's exactly the size I want - but I think TW will feel weird if he has the same car as his sister. Don't ask me why... Boys are weird.

>293 katiekrug: Oh, yeah, I totally get that.

>293 katiekrug:, >294 Crazymamie: Yup, we're weird. I'd have the same reaction.

I've had my Outback since 2013 and highly recommend them. Gets decent gas mileage, has a ton of room in the cargo area, and does just fine for hauling kayaks.

My daughter just got an Outback and loves it. Before that she had an Escape, and I think she liked that, too.

I agree, the blind spot in the Prius is terrible. Maybe one gets used to it?

Wasn't going to mention it but everyone started talking about cars. I bought a Honda CRV hybrid last weekend. Smaller than your former Pilot but it sounds like you don't need anything that big anymore. I am pretty happy with it (though only had it for five days).

>290 MickyFine: ahh yes, I have the same problem, 5 ft 2 if I'm feeling tall. There are some cars I find really uncomfortable to drive simply because of where I end up sitting. But I married a man just shy of 6 ft, so us buying cars is always interesting. He's probably vetoed as many as I have, usually for the opposite reason!

We did one test drive, where the sales man sat behind Hubby while he drove first, then we swopped over. As I moved the seat almost as far foward as it would go, the salesman in the seat behind me suddenly felt like we'd magically transferred into a Limo!

>291 katiekrug: But we are Honda people, not Toyota people. Did you know the population can be divided along those lines? ;-) Oh yes, it's the Duran Duran/Spandeau Ballet battle of my youth. (Yes, I have just aged myself right there!)

It's a good thing Jim and I live in nyc, because I'm not quite 5 feet and Jim is 6 foot 4", so we have to make sure when we rent a car that I can see out and reach the pedals and he, the passenger, has enough head and leg room. Some of those compact cars won't do. I think if I were buying a car I'd look into pedal extenders of some sort. Remake the world to my specifications.

>294 Crazymamie: - :)

>295 drneutron: - His little sister, no less!

I really like the Outback. But he's really obsessed with a plug-in hybrid now. He's an electric engineer, and I worry if I get one, he'll feel the need to "tinker." Heh.

>296 BLBera: - I think Ellen used to have an Outback, too, and really liked it.

>297 Oberon: - I like the look of the CRV, Erik. I've never ridden in one, and they seem a bit small for Himself. Of course, it's hard to tell from the outside!

>298 Helenliz: - LOL at dating yourself, Helen. I think there is also a way to divide people between the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, isn't there?

>299 ffortsa: - I'm average height - maybe a little tall for a woman - but because it is harder for TW with his height to find something comfortable, I will probably defer to him when the time comes. I don't drive much anymore, since I have no commute and when we run errands, he likes to drive usually. And when we road trip, he always does the bulk of the driving, so really, I should probably just let him get what he wants!

>300 katiekrug: Um, yeah, also engineer. I've already gotten that in my head should I go electric for my next car.

>301 drneutron: Yep. Craig wants electric next time around, too.

>301 drneutron: and >302 Crazymamie: - I am putting my foot down on baby steps and getting the gas-electric hybrid. I'm scared of getting stranded somewhere with an all electric. I'm a weenie.

Our Toyota was a Prius and I liked it just fine until I found out what it was going to cost to replace the batteries and what issues there are with disposing of them. I don't know if the environmental problems still are there but, if so, I don't want another hybrid or electric car. We also do a lot of road trips and a pure electric car seems like a big pain on a road trip.

>304 RebaRelishesReading: - Yeah, the road trip is a hang-up for me, Reba, which is why I prefer the hybrid version.

mrsdrneutron will have the Audi SUV for us to use for long road trips, so we'll be covered there. I'm actually looking at trucks that have extended range (>300 katiekrug: miles) though I know that the reported range for vehicles is usually best possible and actual experience is significantly less. Almost all of my driving is local so I should be able to manage it ok. But I'm not looking to buy for another 3-4 years, so hopefully the picture will be a little clearer then on the plusses and minuses.

>306 drneutron: - That makes sense, Jim. When we moved up here and I started working from home, we got rid of our second car so just have the one, so we need to cover all the bases.... I like saving the money having just one car, but sometimes it's a PITA :)

>306 drneutron: made me wonder, what do you think is good mileage over in the US? Both range and fuel economy (miles per gallon).

>303 katiekrug: This is the exact same conversation I had with Craig. However, since I have my own car I guess he can suit himself - but if we go somewhere together then we will be taking my car. *grin*

Morning, Katie! We made it to Friday!

>308 Helenliz: For daily use, I need about 50 miles of range to get back and forth to work. Pretty much any EV can do that. But we do take longer trips on occasion with the bikes or kayaks that I’d like to have the truck for. So I think I could get by with 150 or 200 miles of real range as opposed to the EPA estimated range - which assumes 55 mph speed on cruise control, so not very realistic driving conditions. This means I’m looking for at least 300 mile EPA range.

Back in the early 2000s, I had a big Ram pickup that got about 15 mpg. My next vehicle was the Outback I have now, which is getting about 30 mpg. Whichever way I go next, I’m trying to get even better mileage or equivalent mileage.

The world is going to EV’s though and I’m game to jump in if the tech is there. There are some battery breakthroughs happening now that will increase range and decrease recharge time. I’m interested to see where things are in a few years when I get ready to buy.

>308 Helenliz: - Hi Helen!

>309 Crazymamie: - Yay for Friday!

>310 drneutron: - Thanks for sharing that, Jim.

Oof. I *may* have over-indulged during virtual happy hour last night. Feeling a bit rough around the edges this morning :)

Good news: I woke up to an email from the Great State of New Jersey informing me that I was eligible for the vaccine! I have an appointment for February 23 - that was the soonest I could get one at my designated location. Hopefully, there will still be some supply by then.

Not much going on here. Work. Procrastinate. Repeat.

Unsure what dinner will be tonight - there is leftover pizza from last night, but we'll see. I'm planning to watch The Philadelphia Story tonight - it's a favorite of mine and I read an article yesterday about it that put me in the mood for a re-watch...

>312 katiekrug:
*shhhhh* Katie's not on top form.
*drops saucepans on the floor*
oops. Sorry.

That's one of my husband's favourite films. No accounting for taste.

>313 Helenliz: - You don't like The Philadelphia Story, Helen!?!?! Whyever not? It's so funny and charming, IMO. And smart.

But I still like you, so no harm done!

OH! I love The Philadelphia Story!! What was the article you read?

We are doing Mexican takeaway for lupper - our usual Friday routine. Last night was beef stew.

>315 Crazymamie: - I'll try to find it. Actually, it should be easy enough to find as I put it on FB, I think. Hold on....

ETA: Here it is: https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20210120-the-philadelphia-story-how-an-80-ye...

What's your go-to Mexican order?

Morning, Katie!

I love, love, love The Philadelphia Story! So good.

Also, you know, as you're in the market for a car, this one is pretty cool:



(Just part of my 5036-part plan to get you to start watching.)

>317 scaifea: - Morning, Amber!

My resistance to your, er, charms, remains intact ;-)

>316 katiekrug: Thanks so much for that!

I'm so boring that I love the chicken chimichanga, with rice and beans. We also get chorizo dip. We are regular customers, so they always load us up on chips and salsa. I like to use the leftover salsa to make the Skinnytaste salsa chicken slow cooker recipe that is oh so delicious - but I always add extra spices because I like more kick than she does.

>318 katiekrug:

>312 katiekrug: Congratulations on your "good news"! We jumped on it immediately this week when Washington opened to people over 70. We were declared "eligible" then when straight to the County site to request a shot but haven't heard a peep since then. My son got his this week with the National Guard as he was on his way to Washington DC. BFF got hers in San Diego because she's over 75. She called and got an appointment for two days later. I can't wait for our turn (and indeed hope the supplies don't run out before we have both shots).

Hope your edges have smoothed out some by now :)

>319 Crazymamie: - Oh, I love me a chimichanga! My go-to order is beef enchiladas with chili con carne on top. Only up here, they don't seem to do the chili con carne - I can get red or green sauce. Sigh. So the enchiladas are for when I'm in Texas. Up here, I often get a chimichanga or tacos.

>320 scaifea: -

>321 RebaRelishesReading: - The process here was very smooth. We had pre-registered, were given our Phase number, and then today were told we could make an appointment. To do that, we went to the county site and filled in some basic info and then it gave us a list of ten dates, but only the very last one had any availability. I say "we" but I did it for myself; luckily, TW also got the same email I did, so he was able to make an appointment, too. We won't get an exact time or anything until 5 days out.

I wish our process was that smooth. We were asked where we usually got our medical services so I don't know whether our provider will decide when it's our turn or whether the County will send another message. I can't find anything that outlines the process completely so I just hope we don't miss a step along the way! :(

Update: -- just went to the website again and they've updated with a clear process now. Next step is that we'll contacted by our provider -- bit of a problem there because CalPERS dropped the ball on transferring our coverage to We discovered that about a week ago and sorted it out (a very time-consuming irritating process) but now we aren't covered in WA until Feb. 1. I hope that doesn't push us down to wait list too far .

>324 RebaRelishesReading: - That sounds frustrating, Reba. I'm sorry. My family in Texas is having similar issues, but that's stupid Texas for you. I would have thought WA would have had an excellent process. Hang in there!

>322 katiekrug:

>326 scaifea: - Okay, that made me snort, so I might have to watch just for that line!

>327 katiekrug: Oh, Katie. The lines in this show. So. Many. Good. Lines.

>328 scaifea: - Okay, what streaming service is it on?

#imsoweak

>312 katiekrug: I am delighted on your behalf that you are eligible for the vaccine, Katie. Here in Iowa, we are just moving to Phase 1B, which has five tiers, none of which I qualify for, and at the current pace of vaccination in the state they won't complete Phase 1B until mid-July. So I'll be holed up here at home for quite some time, I think.

>330 rosalita: you & me both. We have 9 tiers, and the rest of us are in Tier 10. Himself is higher up the list, being older and even more unfit than I am. Never thought I'd be described as "young" again. I'm taking it as a backhanded compliment.

Well you have to find a silver lining somewhere.

>314 katiekrug: Sorry, my mistake he adores High Society. Nothing wrong with it, it just doesn't strike me as something he would obviously enjoy. But then he also reads trashy romances. And I married him, so who am I to judge?

>329 katiekrug: Netflix

Also, YAY!!

>330 rosalita: - I am pretty shocked at the speed, Julia, to be honest. I am also disheartened that every state seems to have been left on its own to figure things out. Maybe that will change with the new Administration, and things will start moving faster...? Fingers crossed.

>331 Helenliz: - I think I saw High Society when I was a teenager, but I don't remember much about it. Your husband sounds like the kind of person I would get along with!

>332 scaifea: - Amber's weekend: made.

Gracious! The happy-hour hangover's already over, I see, and we've Acklesed up the place. And you're 1/3 of the way to 400 posts!

You overachiever, you.

Yay for vaccination, boo for Helen not liking The Philadelphia Story (good thing she's not applying for citizenship, we'd have to use the double-secret need-to-know blackball on her), and *smooch* for a stressless car buying experience.

>334 richardderus: - Oh no, the hangover is lingering.... unfortunately.

I'll probably set up a new thread tomorrow. Maybe.

Ugh, car buying. I'm thinking of just handing off all responsibility to Himself to save myself the annoyance :)

I love both Philadelphia Story and High Society. But I regularly quote this line:

>336 MickyFine: - Love it!

So this made me laugh: https://www.theonion.com/state-by-state-covid-19-restrictions-1845906521

Poor Nebraska...

>336 MickyFine:, >337 katiekrug: I still want to write a smutty book and title it Hearthfires and Holocausts, but I would get in so.much.trouble.

Tracy's so, so stinging dismissal of George...that was a glorious moment of pomposity puncturing!

>338 katiekrug:

"NYC tourists asked extra emphatically to get the @#!% out the way."

Bwahahaha!

>339 richardderus: - I love Tracy/Katherine...

>340 ELiz_M: - TW and I cackled out loud at that one, too.

I may have to take back my Honda vs Toyota people comment. I am obsessed with the plug-in hybrid RAV4 and have managed to get TW interested, too. Plus, $7500 tax credit*!

*pending confirmation after TW does research because my "I read it on the internet" didn't pass muster with him.

>291 katiekrug: But we are Honda people, not Toyota people. We are Skoda people - I wonder where they fit in? It’s mainly because I don’t like driving large cars and the Skoda (Octavia) that we have had very large boot (trunk) space for a car its size. I currently debating whether we should sell our second car which is a small Skoda Citigo. It’s hardly been driven for months since I’m not commuting, and now that I’m retired (first day today) I’m not convinced we’ll have a need for it. I think the next time we change our main car I want to go for a fully electric version. We probably won’t need to do this for 3-4 years, and I’m thinking by that stage the range will have gone up and there will be a much improved network of recharging stations.

>323 katiekrug: Here, people are being called up according to priority groups, so you don’t need to proactively do anything. Initially they are doing over 80s, medical and care home staff and care home residents, and then they are moving on to over 70s and younger people who are classed as extremely vulnerable. My mother has been done and all the staff and residents at my (ex) employer, and I’m hoping to have mine pretty shortly.

>343 SandDune: Happy retirement! That's an exciting new adventure. Or would be in any other circumstances.

>343 SandDune: Here, people are being called up according to priority groups, so you don’t need to proactively do anything.

Imagine that. A consistent, country-wide approach that takes care of everyone. Well, at least we now have a government that intends to do something. That's a start I suppose.

Good morning Katie!

Morning, Katie! Happy Weekend. I hope this one is meeting free and filled with R & R.

>343 SandDune: - Hi Rhian - happy retirement!

I can't speak to Skoda, as we don't have those over here :)

They are doing priority groups here, too, though I think each state determines their own, though the CDC has guidelines for it? I'm not sure. But since we don't have anything like the NHS, they wouldn't be able to determine who is higher risk without input from the individuals, hence I did the pre-registration thingy in case being overweight would move me up. And it did. (I console myself by saying at least I'm less overweight than when the pandemic started....)

>344 Helenliz: - *waves at Helen*

>345 lauralkeet: - I would think Pennsylvania would have a pretty good approach, Laura. But then, I thought Washington would to and Reba's comments don't seem to support that....

>346 msf59: - Hiya, Mark! No meetings this weekend, so definitely more R&R in between house stuff :)

Morning, Katie! Sadly, our part of Georgia has more vaccine available because a lot of people are saying no thanks. The hospital had a lot of workers decline the vaccine, so other health care workers were offered it, which is how Craig got it so quickly. Craig's partner was another who said no. It boggles the mind, Truly.

Happy Saturday, Katie!
Nate wants an electric car but I have my reservations. He is determined to get a Tesla at some point.
Enjoy your meeting free weekend!

Congrats on your retirement, Rhian. Do you have any plans, besides eventually moving?

>348 Crazymamie: - That's crazy about health care workers declining the vaccine, Mamie. I've heard similar stories from up here and in Texas. *smh*

>349 ChelleBearss: - I really hate Teslas, Chelle. They're so expensive and ugly and Elon Musk is a turd. Perhaps Nate will eventually reconsider, especially as more EVs become available...

>350 BLBera: - *waves to Beth*

Going to start a new thread now....

And here it is: https://www.librarything.com/topic/329003

>347 katiekrug: Katie, I'm not sure about the state as a whole but the City of Philadelphia is not moving very quickly for a variety of reasons. I haven't been following it closely because we are nowhere close to the front of the queue. I know of a few people in qualifying age groups who have vacation homes elsewhere and arranged to get the vaccine in those states.

>353 lauralkeet: - Hi Laura! I think you posted, just as I put in the link to my new thread, and so I never saw an "Unread" message on this thread. I'm sorry for not responding.

I read something a day or two ago about Philly having issues, at least in part, because they farmed some of it out to some college students at a start-up non-profit or something. It sounded very odd. I hope things are getting straightened out now.