Katiekrug Reads and Reads and Reads Some More - Part 7

CURRENTLY READING
(Kindle) (Print) (Audio)

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!

Books Completed

Books Off My Shelf: 13
Books Off My Kindle: 12
Books from Audible: 3
Library Loans: 6

April
34. The Crucible by Arthur Miller (audio) (4.5 stars)
33. The Vanishing Point by Mary Sharratt (4 stars)
32. Pride and Promiscuity by Arielle Eckstut and Dennis Ashton (2 stars)
31. Island of the Lost by Joan Druett (4 stars)
30. It's In His Kiss by Julia Quinn (4 stars)
29. The Secret River by Kate Grenville (4 stars)

March
Favorite:
28. Dodgers by Bill Beverly (4.5 stars)
27. The Rogue of Fifth Avenue by Joanna Shupe (3.5 stars)
26. Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton (3 stars)
25. Cannery Row by John Steinbeck (4 stars)
24. Shit, Actually by Lindy West (3.5 stars)
23. Difficult Women by Roxane Gay (4 stars)
22. Anywhere for You by Abbie Greaves (3.5 stars)
21. Fat Chance by Nick Spalding (3.5 stars)
20. Memory in Death by J.D. Robb (3.5 stars)
19. Passing by Nella Larsen (3.5 stars)
18. Love by Toni Morrison (4 stars)

February
Favorite:
17. The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver (4.5 stars)
16. The Blood of Emmett Till by Timothy B. Tyson (4 stars)
15. The Weirdies by Michael Buckley (audio) (4.5 stars)
14. The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey by Walter Mosley (4.25 stars)
13. Heaven, My Home by Attica Locke (4 stars)
12. Paradise by Toni Morrison (4.25 stars)
11. Emperor of the Air by Ethan Canin (3.5 stars)
10. When They Call You a Terrorist by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and Asha Bandele (4 stars)
9. Blessings by Anna Quindlen (4.5 stars)

January
Favorite:
8. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (2.75 stars)
7. Triangle by David Von Drehle (4 stars)
6. New Boy by Tracy Chevalier (3.5 stars)
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
3. The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon
4. Chasing Shakespeares by Sarah Smith
5. Dear Girls by Ali Wong



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 thread, Katie! Based on your gif, it looks like your Tuesday is going well. ;)

>6 katiekrug: - I was just getting the party started :) Tuesday's not been too bad!

Happy new thread!
>4 katiekrug: I'm thinking I'll leave that party trick until the weekend... >;-)

>7 Helenliz: - Not me! If it's a day ending in "y"....

Happy new thread!

>8 katiekrug: ...wait...there aren't any days ending in "y" in any other language....

Just to note (harking back to previous thread) that if you want to read my favorite Edith Wharton book about The Gilded Age it's The Custom of the Country

It's not as well know as some of her books but it really has a lot to say about the people and the time. Just to say the name Undine Sprague is worth the price of admission.

But Google what an "undine" is before you charge in

>11 magicians_nephew: I am reading that one right now! The New York Times book club had it as their January selection, so I started it then but I keep getting distracted by other books. I'm enjoying it, though.

So consider that my further endorsement, Katie, although really you should just do what Jim says, always.

Happy new thread, Katie.

>4 katiekrug:
I'm feeling this gif

Happy new thread, Katie! It's acceptably wine o'clock here, so I'm going to pout myself a glass. Join me?

>9 drneutron: - Thanks, Jim!

>10 richardderus: - Yes, and....? :-)

>11 magicians_nephew: - I have a copy on my shelf! Maybe I'll make that my selection...

>12 rosalita: - Duly noted, Julia!

>13 BLBera: - Thank you, Beth.

>14 Deedledee: - I pretty much feel it most days :)

>15 AMQS: - I'd love to join you, Anne. What are we drinking? I have my "everyday" wine at hand- Josh cabernet. Once it gets warm, I'll switch to Kim Crawford sauvignon blanc :)

Happy new thread, Katie!

Morning, Katie! Happy new thread!

Happy New Thread, Katie! I am glad you are enjoying Dodgers, although I am not really surprised.

Happy new thread!

Good morning, and thanks, Meg, Amber, Mark, and Anita!

Happy new thread, Katie.

I just polished off the last of my banana bread for breakfast (sad face) and am finishing up my second cup of my coffee. I love when I make the perfect cup. I doctor my coffee and don't always get the right balance, but when I do, it's bliss. Anyhoo....

Not much going on here. Work is work, the weather has turned a bit gloomy, I am still really enjoying Dodgers, though it just took an even darker turn... I can't wait to see where it goes.

Last night, we made a Hello Fresh meal of pork schnitzel with mustard sauce, roasted carrots, and potato wedges. It was really good. Then I kicked The Wayne's butt at MarioKart. All my practicing is paying off :)

>22 karenmarie: - Thank you, Karen!

Ooof, that pork schnitzel meal sounds good.

So, what makes a perfect cup of coffee for you?

>25 scaifea: - I'm a sucker for schnitzel :)

Medium roast coffee, 1 packet of Splenda, cinnamon, and vanilla creamer. I put the Splenda and cinnamon in the cup and then pour the coffee, and then add a dash of cream (it's actually a protein shake), and sprinkle more cinnamon on top. I used to use more sweetener, but I've started liking it a tad less sweet these days. Maybe I am finally growing up?

>26 katiekrug: Oh whoa, that sounds really good! I'm a medium roast gal, myself, and I love cinnamon in my hot drinks.

Me too, especially hot cocoa...

I was with you at the medium roast coffee, but then it all went awry - I take my morning coffee black. Unless I'm treating when out, when I have a thing for a hazelnut latte.

>28 katiekrug: And I also love treated myself to a heaping spoonful of HoCho mix in my coffee sometimes, too...

>29 Helenliz: - The Wayne takes his coffee black, which makes it nice and easy to be all thoughtful and bring him a cup occasionally :) My "treat" hot drink when out is a chai latte...

>30 scaifea: - I'll have to try that sometime. Basically a mocha, yes?

>31 katiekrug: Essentially, yes. The addition of cinnamon is excellent, too.

Interesting chat about coffee preferences.

>12 rosalita: thank you for the endorsement, Julia! -) Still have pleasant memories of meeting you that time.

Some Buried Caesar is one of my favorite Nero Wolfe books, too. Enjoy! I'm currently re-reading The Silent Speaker

Yes i never used to like pork as a kid but some of the pork dishes from Hello Fresh have been wonderful - not greasy lean and tasty wiht one of those simple but tasty Hello Fresh pan sauces

>32 scaifea: - Noted!

>33 weird_O: - We aim to entertain and inform ;-)

>34 magicians_nephew: - I've always rather liked pork, Jim. The HF pork dishes are usually very good, and I agree the pan sauces are great! The Wayne has been encouraged to try some of his own, with good success.

It's just after 11:00am here, and I have finished my work to-do list... I have a meeting at 2:00pm with my boss, otherwise I'd be tempted to just take the rest of the day off. Sigh.

>36 katiekrug: Ooh - want to come here and tackle my work to-do list next? ;)

>37 vivians: - No. It probably involves numbers!

Okay, I went and looked at my master to-do list and added some items to my daily. I hate being responsible.

Hi Katie, I’m just poking my head in to say that I adored The Custom of the Country. 5 stars from me!

Happy new one, Katie! Bonus points for being responsible.

>4 katiekrug: Yes, please.

I also like a medium roast. For morning I add steamed almond milk, and if the coffee is hazelnut coffee, then I add a spoonful of cocoa mix to the bottom of the cup before pouring in the coffee. Then steamed almond milk and the froth on top. Lovely.

Happy new(wish) one Katie. You keep making me want to try Hello Fresh. Hope your day (and meeting) go well.

>40 lauralkeet: - Okay, I have put The Age of Innocence back on my shelf and moved The Custom of the Country to my Read Soon book cart :)

>41 Crazymamie: - Hi Mamie! Oooh, you fancy with the steamed milk! I'll have to stop by the next time I'm in SW Georgia...

>42 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba! I have a discount code I can give you if you want to test out HF. Just sayin'!

Oh, well, The Custom of the Country is my favorite Wharton too. Hi Katie.

>43 katiekrug: ooh, this power is going to go to my head! Have you read any other Wharton, Katie? Besides Ethan Frome in high school, which seems to be de rigeur but is lost on teenagers.

>44 brenzi: of course it is! Bonnie, we are bookish carbon copies.

Hi Katie, I am old school when it comes to coffee - just a mug, 3/4 full of plain coffee and topped with a splash of milk. I repeat this tried and true recipe several times throughout the day.

I also enjoyed The Custom of the Country and Undine, much like Scarlet O'Hara, is one of those characters you remember!

Inspired by you, Katie, this morning I have added HoCho mix, cinnamon, and milk to my French Vanilla coffee. Ha! It's...not bad...

>44 brenzi: - Hi Bonnie! So much love for that Wharton... I'm eager to get to it!

>45 lauralkeet: - I read Ethan Frome and Summer several years ago, Laura. I think that's it. I never did read EF in school...

>46 DeltaQueen50: - I wish I had an easier coffee routine, Judy :) But I usually only have two cups in the morning, so the routine isn't too onerous.

Another Custom fan!

>47 scaifea: - Ooh, that sounds a treat, Amber!

Rainy and grey this morning - it was hard to get out of bed...

I finished the excellent Dodgers last night, and started The Secret River this morning. It should be another quiet day at work, which will end with virtual bingo with colleagues, and then it's happy hour night. Dinner delivery TBD.

Last night was the gym, followed by a HF dinner of spicy szechuan beef noodles that was very good. Then I settled down to finish my book and went to bed.

I brought a bit of spring inside last night...

Hi Katie!

>26 katiekrug: Medium roast fans in our house, too. I drink mine black, no sugar, but Bill puts Splenda in his. I like mine much stronger than he does, so have two coffee pots on different counters in the kitchen, always have. I also heat up a thermos and keep the thermos of hot coffee in the Sunroom, where I hang out, so I don't have to trundle to the kitchen all the time. It also allows me to pour half a cup at a time, so I don't have to deal with cold coffee. I went through a phase of adding ground cinnamon or nutmeg to the grounds prior to brewing, but haven’t done that in decades.

>50 katiekrug: Forsythia? If so, lovely, if not, what are they?

Envious of those spring blooms. We might see some this month but not until the latter half. Right now everything's still a pretty drab brown.

>51 karenmarie: - The Wayne likes his coffee much stronger than I do, but we muddle along with one pot :) I did suggest the thermos idea to him because he drinks a lot more coffee than I do over the course of the morning, and our coffee maker doesn't keep the carafe warm for long enough...

Yep, those are forsythia! Technically, they are our neighbors' but part of the giant bush extends onto our property so I felt justified in trimming a few branches...

>52 MickyFine: - We have some daffodils at the back of the yard, near the river, and the cheery yellow always makes me happy when I am out walking Noodles.

Pretty forsythia! The color of those blooms against the grey skies is always so satisfying, isn't it?

>50 katiekrug: The forsythia is blooming like crazy here and making me want to plant one in our yard -- maybe in the fall. I love your little vignette.

>54 richardderus: - Most definitely!

>55 RebaRelishesReading: - The Wayne has offered to plant some forsythia for me so I don't have to "steal" from the neighbors :)

>53 katiekrug: The Wayne needs one of these...



Heated coffee mug with smart phone control over Bluetooth. I use mine every single day!

>50 katiekrug: How pretty!

All this coffee talk is reminding me that I stopped my coffee subscription (saving money*) and went back to the supermarket basic one. It is proving a bit of a jolt to the tastebuds. Grump.
*for more books

>57 drneutron: Jim's right, Katie (I seem to keep saying that on your thread, although about different Jims). I love my Ember mug — perfect for hot tea as well as coffee. I like being able to set the target temperature and have it hold there. I've got the black 14 oz. version, myself.

Hi Katie!

>57 drneutron: Oh my - that looks fancy! And probably better than my multiple trips to warm my savored cup in the microwave. I do better on school days because I don't have time to linger. I drink my first cup while I'm getting ready and take my next cup in a thermal coffee mug that does keep it quite hot.

>59 charl08: Seems like a reasonable economy when books are on the line, Charlotte, though your taste buds may not agree:)

Summer is my OTHER Favorite Wharton Novel. She wrote two books about upstate rural New England, Ethan Frome for winter and Summer for, well you know, Summer.

Summer was written in a fever pitch while Wharton was in Europe raising money for war relief during the Great War - it's a hothouse of sex and longing and destruction, just as "Frome" is an ice storm of sex and longing and destruction. Always worth a read.

>57 drneutron: - Jim, does it warm up coffee or just keep it warm? I will investigate...

>58 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth.

>59 charl08: - I would definitely scrimp on the coffee for a bigger book budget. As it is, we buy boring coffee at the supermarket...

>60 rosalita: - I am very intrigued by this option...

>61 AMQS: - Hi Anne!

>62 magicians_nephew: - I thought they were set in New England? Regardless, I loved them both.

Still waking up here. Virtual happy hour went a bit late and then The Wayne had a work dilemma he wanted to talk over, so I didn't get to bed until around midnight.

Dinner was Thai takeaway, and it was delicious. Second time ordering from this place, and it is now our go-to for Thai.

VHH was fun as always...

I've got some work to get done today, and then we have a training session at the gym, after which we'll pop a frozen pizza in the oven, and sit down to the new Godzilla vs Kong movie. Living the life, I tell you!

And because one can never have too many flowers in one's life or LT thread, here is the arrangement I treated myself to, which arrived yesterday from a local specialty florist. The hyacinth smell lovely!

>63 katiekrug: It will warm up liquids, but uses the battery pretty fast if you start from room temp. On the other hand, that would work just fine if you leave it on the charger while warming.

Happy Friday, Katie!

>65 katiekrug: Beautiful arrangement. Good for you.

"The Calia lilies are in bloom again"

>66 drneutron: - Good to know, Jim, thanks! I'll see about getting one for him.

>67 karenmarie: - "Treat yoself" is my life's motto :)

>68 magicians_nephew: - Spring flowers almost make spring my favorite season, but autumn still wins out...

Happy Friday, Katie. Those blooms look like a lovely way to celebrate the weekend.

>65 katiekrug: Oh, pretty peonies as well. Hyacinths do smell divine. It's a lovely little "hey, I'm here!" when one's out walking and they're planted behind a hedge or something.

One of the folks near here has a huge patch of lilies of the valley...not a smell I myownself relish. I'd like it if they replaced them with hyacinths.

>70 MickyFine: - They make me happy every time I pass them, Micky :)

>71 richardderus: - Oh, I do love lily-of-the-valley myself... The Wayne planted some bulbs last fall of various things, and they are starting to peak up. I'm eager to see what we get!

Just got a breaking news alert that the CDC has given the green light for fully vaccinated people to travel. Woot! I'm planning on a July trip to Dallas for work (their dime) so I can see my family :D

>65 katiekrug: Wow! Really beautiful!

Flowers in the house always make me happy, Katie.

Happy Friday!

Good news about travel.

>74 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba. I love this florist. I ordered a "bold" bouquet and set the cost I wanted to pay, and I love the result!

>75 BLBera: - You know it's been dire when I am looking forward to going to Texas ;-)

The Breaking alert I got is for the Capitol shooting. I like yours better.

>77 richardderus: - :( Me too.

Nice forsythia! Mine is a few weeks away before it will begin to flower.

Have a great weekend.

>73 katiekrug: That's excellent news! I know how much you miss traveling.

So. Here we are, it's Saturday, and it must be some massively ritually important one because the Big Two both end their miseryfests tomorrow. And yet I can't come up with a name for it! My admittedly strange religious upbringing has failed me in three religions! (Protestant ≠ Catholic, after all.)

Any memories surfacing for you?

>79 figsfromthistle: - Hope you're having a good weekend, too, Anita!

>80 scaifea: - Yup!

>81 richardderus: - And now it's Sunday. Just any old Sunday, as far as I'm concerned :)

I was mostly absent from LT yesterday, as we moved my part of the office into the guest room, which involved running network cable, clearing bookshelves, and moving furniture. It's not done yet, but my laptop and monitors are set up so I can work. There's piles of stuff everywhere so today I will spend a bit of time trying to straighten things up.

Let's see... Friday evening we had a gym session, and then made some frozen flatbread and watched Godzilla vs. Kong, which was absolutely ridiculous but kind of fun.

Yesterday, in addition to the office rearranging, I did laundry, cleaned up the kitchen a bit, and made some progress in The Secret River, which is pretty good. We ordered in pizza for dinner because The Wayne didn't feel like cooking what he had planned, and we watched The Devil in a Blue Dress, and -- say it with me -- the book was better. Heh. Then we watched an episode of Black Sails, which is about 18th c. pirates and was kind of fun.

Nuala let us sleep in, and now I'm drinking my coffee and getting caught up a bit around LT. Soon, I'll get into gear and try to get some stuff done, but not just yet...

Network cables and not wi-fi?

>83 katiekrug: Black Sails is a lot of fun. We watched all of it over the course of the last year. And Morgan was really patient with me yelling “now make out!” at various pairings of male characters.

>85 ursula: Ha! My YGC and I did that. And, while I haven't watched it, a Twitter friend (cishet African male) regularly reports shouting "NOW KISS" at Bucky and Sam on that Falcon superhero show.

Sunday? It's Sunday? Something special happened/s on this particular Sunday? *smooch*

>84 magicians_nephew: - We have wifi, of course, but I use a wired connection for work.

>85 ursula: - Ha! We only watched the first episode, but it sounds like I have a lot of fun to look forward to!

>86 richardderus: - Well, the Jeebus Rabbit brought me a little bag of Cadbury mini eggs, so that was nice :)

Oh my I loved The Secret River Katie but it's been some time. She also wrote The Idea of Perfection which is one of my favorite books...ever. Love Kate Grenville. But that's me.

>88 brenzi: - I'm enjoying TSR, Bonnie. It's my first Grenville, but I know I own a copy of The Idea of Perfection, so I guess I have more great reading ahead of me!

>86 richardderus: I haven't seen that one either. But some shows/actors definitely lend themselves to it. I remember way back when Morgan and I were first dating and I used to watch Heroes with him and we always commented how Milo Ventimiglia had really inappropriate sexual chemistry with literally everyone he shared a scene with.

>87 katiekrug: Yeah, it's an entertaining show. I had only seen Tom Hopper in Umbrella Academy so it was interesting to see something completely different.

No Jeebus Rabbit here, or Cadbury eggs. That might be the first thing I've missed (the eggs, not the rabbit).

>89 katiekrug: Katie, the other day I noticed you were reading The Secret River, which was my introduction to Kate Grenville as well. I thought about recommending The Idea of Perfection but must have gotten sidetracked.

So now here I am to say, READ The Idea of Perfection. DO NOT PASS GO. I read both books back in 2008, and enjoyed both, but *Perfection* was just that -- a 5-star read. The writing was amazing, with Grenville leaving a trail of breadcrumbs that develops the characters and their back stories in the best "show, don't tell" sort of way. Here's a little teaser from my review:

This book had a surprisingly strong impact on me. I loved the slow reveal of the characters, and their ultimate depth. And while the book moved quickly, Grenville suggests plot in the same way she does her characters. There were many times in this novel where she made a subtle point that connected several other events in a way that literally left me wide-eyed, astonished, and saying "OH ... !!" out loud.

So, yeah. Read it, okay?

Morning, Katie! It sounds like you had a nice weekend with The Wayne & Nuala. Good luck with the work week.

Hi Katie!

Congrats on the move to two home offices (and two dog beds, I seem to remember reading above.) I hope your week is a good'un.

>90 laytonwoman3rd: - Linda, I thought for a second the link might go to the scene from Airplane! where the teenage girl tells the boy how she takes her coffee... "Black, like my men." But I do love me some Emmylou!

>91 ursula: - I'd never heard of Tom Hopper, so you're way ahead of me. Perhaps you should just buy yourself some chocolate, no Jeebus Rabbit necessary!

>92 lauralkeet: - Laura, how can I NOT read it now with your and Bonnie's strong recommendation?!?! I have taken it off the shelf and put it on my Read Soon cart. Thanks for chiming in!

>93 msf59: - Hiya, Mark! It was a good weekend. Rather productive for us, which is good, though it makes it go by too fast...

>94 karenmarie: - Morning, Karen! I'm here in my new office, and it's still a bit of a mess, but I can work, so that's good. The only bad thing, so far, is that the guest bed is very close by and I feel like by the afternoon, the siren call of a nap will be overwhelming.

Morning, Katie!

>92 lauralkeet: Laura was aiming for you, but she managed to hit me, too.

Yesterday was busy - trying to get the new office organized, deciding if we should leave the bed intact or just set it up as needed (it's a pretty basic platform with a Casper mattress...), helping The Wayne set up some additional compost bins, cooking (turkey chili mac and cheese; quasi-dan dan noodle bowls), finishing the laundry, etc. I much prefer weekends that are lazy and where I spend Sunday evening bemoaning my lack of productivity - ha!

So now it's Monday again, and I have 4 hours of Board meetings every morning Thursday through Sunday. Blech. Expect much complaining from me later in the week!

I made good progress on The Secret River despite the busy Sunday. It's good, but I am not totally loving it, as it's a bit repetitive in a way. I am just over halfway through it, so we'll see how it goes.

>96 Crazymamie: - Morning, Mamie! Laura really sold that one, didn't she?!?

Yep.

Kate Grenville has a new one on the 2021 Walter Scott longlist called A Room Made of Leaves. It's not out in the US yet but it's on my list. I hadn't heard of The Idea of Perfection but I wouldn't want to cross Laura and so I've added it to my list!

Yo ho ho! (I watched The Lost Pirate Kingdom w/Rob this weekend.)

I wasn't much of a TV watcher until streaming hit, so I wasn't sure who Milo Ventimiglia was, and having looked him up, realize I don't know.

Oh well. "Striver Twentymile" is a cool name.

>101 richardderus: MILO!

>99 Crazymamie: - :)

>100 vivians: - I just looked up that Grenville out of curiosity. It sounds good! The Kindle edition is available now; print looks to be available in June.

>101 richardderus: - I'm not super familiar with Milo V. I know the name, but that's about it...

>102 laytonwoman3rd: - Sounds like you are much more familiar with him than I!

I only know him from Gilmore Girls. Haven't kept up with what he's done since then.

>104 laytonwoman3rd: - Ah, another series I haven't gotten around to...

Dodgers by Bill Beverly

I really loved this gritty crime novel about a 15 year old boy caught up in activities that have stolen his innocence but not his humanity. East is charged by his uncle and gang leader to head out from Los Angeles to Wisconsin with a few others to kill a man. It's an interesting twist on the classic road trip/coming of age novel, and despite everything, the reader is rooting for East. My only quibble, and what kept this from being a 5-star read for me, is that East's little brother's speech, thoughts, and actions seemed totally out of character for one so young.

4.5 stars

So with working the weekend for board meetings are you taking a day or two off this week or next week in lieu? Or stacking time for later?

>107 MickyFine: - Pardon me while I laugh my head off! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Short answer: no. We only get comp time if we work 7 (full) days in a row, and since the two weekend days are only half, they don't count.

That said, I do tend, around Board meetings, to not be super vigilant about the 8-hour work day... ;-)

>96 Crazymamie:, >98 katiekrug:, >100 vivians: I hope all this power doesn't go to my head!

Katie, what brand of dog bed(s) did you get for Nuala? We've thought about getting one for Woody, our old man lab, especially as he is getting a little more ... um ... sedentary these days.

>106 katiekrug: Luckily, already on my list. Almost 5 stars! Yowza.

>109 lauralkeet: - I haven't gotten her a new one yet, but I was looking at LL Bean, before Amber mentioned Orvis, which is now what I'm looking at.

The one she has was just from Petco or PetSmart. It has not held up....

>110 richardderus: - It's a good 'un!

Month in Review: March
(#s in parentheses are YTD)

Books Read: 11 (28)
Mine vs Library: 9 vs 2 (23 vs 5)

Non-US/UK Authors: 0 (2 - 1 Mexico, 1 Canada)
Own Voices: 3 (9)
New-to-me Authors: 4 (13)

Best of the month: Dodgers
Worst of the month: Pirate Latitudes

DNFs: 1 (4)

I remember the feeling of being totally sandbagged when they explained to me at my last job that we were expected to work "A Professional Day" and that no overtime pay or comp time would ever cloud our childlike brows or burden our pay packets

>111 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie. Orvis products are not cheap, but they're nice and hold up well (unless your dog is a chewer but that's not Orvis' fault). We have some dog blankets to protect furniture, and I like them a lot. I'm just trying to wrap my head around the cost of high-quality dog beds, size Lab.

We recently bought Mario a new bed from Orvis (all our old ones are actually Tuppence-sized and Mario is a *lot* more dog than that sweet girl ever was), and yes, it's expensive, but very worth it. I like their stuff much better than LLBean's.

>114 magicians_nephew: - They tried to standardize some of our work time/leave policies across the international offices and it did not go well - the US policies got a little better but those in the UK, UAE, and Malaysia got more stricter, which pissed people off.

>115 lauralkeet: - Can you really put a price on your dog's comfort, though? Ha! Just kidding. I haven't pulled the trigger yet because I'm balking at the price, but Amber's endorsement does help...

>116 scaifea: - I should Just Do It, I know.

Good Tuesday morning, folks--

It should be a quiet day here. I'm pretty well set for the upcoming meetings with just a few little things to get done today. After I take Noodles to day care, I will probably stop at Dunkin and get a chocolate stout cold brew, which is my new obsession, and then spend an hour on the deck reading in the sunlight (see comment somewhere above about my not being super strict with my working hours in advance of working on the weekend *grin*). I should be able to finish The Secret River today, and then I plan to start my re-read of It's In His Kiss, the penultimate Bridgerton book.

Last night was the gym and then we had a healthy dinner of hot dogs - ha! - and played a round of MarioKart before doing our own things.

Hi Katie!

>113 katiekrug: Excellent stats, good reading month.

>108 katiekrug:, >114 magicians_nephew: I only had one job that paid me for overtime even though I was salaried, but it only started in at the 46th hour of work in a week. I rarely claimed it. I’ve never officially been given comp time, but many bosses winked and gave me days off here and there. And then there were the passive-aggressive times when I’d deliberately NOT work at work, doing personal stuff or even taking a book upstairs to the computer room, setting something tedious to go on one of the HP 3000 minicomputers that could have been done at my desk downstairs, and reading. Having said all that, I still did piles more work than some of the folks I worked with.

>119 karenmarie: - Thanks re: the stats, Karen. I keep more, but right now, those are the ones I care most about...

And I get it about work. I also feel like I probably do more than a lot of people I work with, so I don't feel bad at all about occasionally giving myself a break. It also helps that I've been there a long time and my boss (the CEO) trusts me to do my job and get my shit done!

Part of my prep for our meetings was setting up a networking space in a platform called Spatial Chat. It's very cool - it looks like a big room with different seating areas, and you can move in and out of conversations by moving your personal icon around. As you move away from a group of other people, their conversation fades and as you move closer to another, you can start hearing that conversation. Sort of like being at an actual reception or other social gathering. Our Board members really miss the face-to-face socializing they usually have at Board meetings, so I'm hoping this gives them a decent outlet. Anyway, I was thinking it could be fun to try a virtual LT meet-up on the platform. The advantage over something like Zoom is that you can have multiple conversations going on in the same space and move easily between them. Would anyone be interested? If so, I could set up a personal account for it. It's only $50/month with easy cancellation.

>113 katiekrug: How satisfying to get in a good month before reality klonks us in May. Pandemical peace will be over by then, predicts I.

>121 katiekrug: that sounds fun, Katie. I'm game.

>121 katiekrug: Ooh, sounds good! (Although don't worry if the times don't work with the UK.) I had fun looking at lots of different conference package options for work a couple of months ago. Some of the options were pretty funny: like a version of chat roulette with other delegates.

I'd be interested in an LT meetup, too. That platform sounds really cool!

>122 richardderus: - How so, do you think?

>123 lauralkeet:, >124 charl08:, and >125 scaifea: - Cool! I'm making a list... :)

Well, add me to the list!

That sounds fun, but my time zone is hard to accommodate.

>127 drneutron: - Ain't no party like a drneutron party!

>128 ursula: - Well, if we can all be a little flexible, we can make it work! You are now on The List.

We'd love to join in. Even before I retired my company was exploring other conferencing software - ZOOM and Skype are not the last word in these matters, believe me

>130 magicians_nephew: - Great! Yeah, this one is very different and geared more towards socializing than an actual work environment...

>126 katiekrug: Social anxiety will have metastasized! Ppl not subject to it will find themselves suffering now because a YEAR has gone by since random run-ins were a thing. Rob and I spend literally hours on various videoconferencing platforms almost always naked since we both sleep that way...but his first fleshly visit we were *shy* about, um, disrobing!

Luckily we can laugh about it, and more luckily are mutually motivated to overcome it, but it was very, very weird and completely unexpected.

Stuff's gonna be weird all around, and many will long for the isolation who wouldn't ever have sought it out before.

>121 katiekrug: I would be interested, Katie. It sounds cool.

>121 katiekrug: sounds like fun

Hope you enjoy It's in His Kiss more this time around.

The group chat software sounds cool but I have a feeling I'd probably chicken out on attending because meeting people (even all these lovely LTers) is SCARY.

>135 MickyFine: I hear ya. I'm rubbish at walking into a party and making any kind of small talk. Katie - is there a virtual kitchen and can I find some virtual washing up to do?

>136 Helenliz: Oh yes. Sign me up for tea towel duty.

Add me to the list, too, please!

>132 richardderus: - OIC! That makes sense.

>133 BLBera: - Excellent!

>134 RebaRelishesReading: - You're on the list!

>135 MickyFine: - I'll put you down as tentative. No pressure, but it will be fun :)

>136 Helenliz: and >137 charl08: - Well, someone's going to have to represent the UK, so you'll have to draw straws or something ;-)

>138 karenmarie: - Done!

Yesterday was good. I got a bit of organizing done in my new office, and shifted another bookshelf downstairs to the living room, which made this space feel less crowded.

Dinner was beef flautas and was super yummy.

Then I finished off my book and went to bed!

>137 charl08: I'll wash, you can dry. >:-)

>141 Helenliz: the nearest to the stove, the warmer the conversation

The cloudy skies and the benadryl are conspiring to keep me dull-witted and sluggish. I read "beef flautas" as "bulgogi" and was all set to be jealous about your Korean take-out.

Afraid to sleep in case I forget to wake up!

>121 katiekrug: Count me in!

>140 katiekrug: Yay for making your new work from home space more cozy! Hope the visit with Joel today isn't too painful. ;)

Is it too late to say happy new thread, Katie? :D

I'd be interested in joining in an LT virtual meetup if I can make it work around dog walks.

>141 Helenliz:, >142 magicians_nephew: - *grin*

>143 richardderus: - Ooh, that Benadryl can be the devil! But it works. I hope today is better!

>144 vivians: - Yes!

>145 MickyFine: - Thanks, Micky! Joel wasn't too bad last night. We are due for our routines to change (gotta keep those muscles on their toes!) and he keeps threatening me with everything I hate. Big jerk.

>146 bell7: - Never too late, Mary!

When my Board meetings are over, I'll figure out a couple of times to propose.

I was up bright and early for my first Board meeting. I'm now "in" an Audit Committee meeting, so am checking LT to keep myself awake :)

Gym last night and frozen pizza for dinner. TW didn't feel like cooking the HF meal we had planned, so that'll wait. We are planning to walk down to a nearby restaurant for dinner tonight. The weather is lovely, and we are both now two weeks past our second vaccination, so much less nervous about the prospect. We'll still mask up, of course, and given the weather, we'll likely sit outside. I am looking forward to a tasty cocktail.

I'm currently reading It's In His Kiss by Julia Quinn. It's a re-read, but I remember very little of it, and am enjoying it. Still no audiobook time...

Yay for being fully vaccinated!

Someday I'll get round to the Quinn books...

>149 scaifea: - Thanks, Amber!

And I think you'll like the Bridgerton series... Someday....

Now sitting in a Finance Committee meeting. YAWN.

>151 katiekrug: I have one of those next week...sympathies. (I sincerely hope yours is over by now!)

>121 katiekrug: What a great idea! And so nice of you to volunteer to host it. I would definitely be interested.

Oooh enjoy your patio date night! Sounds like an excellent reward for all those boring meetings.

Hooray for 2-weeks-past. I found it a most liberating feeling (definitely still masking and choosing outside when possible too). Enjoy that cocktail :)

>152 laytonwoman3rd: - I can easily feign interest in a lot of things, Linda, but anything financial puts me right to sleep...

Happy to host and see how it works out. I have added you to the list!

>153 MickyFine: - Thanks, Micky! I'm really looking forward to it :)

>154 RebaRelishesReading: - Thank you, Reba! I plan to mask and social distance as much as possible for as long as there are variants floating around out there, but having an extra layer of protection does feel comforting.

>147 katiekrug: If you're going to propose, I suggest sunset. Preferably while looking out over a body of water. But be sure to have a very romantic (indoor) dinner planned in case of bad weather. And don't hide the ring in food items; that's just gross.

BTW, who is the lucky proposee?

;)

Good luck with the board meetings. At least on Zoom, you can openly yawn, right?

>156 ELiz_M: - Ha! The Wayne could have used your advice back in the day, Liz. I never really got a proposal. We just agreed one night - at pub trivia in a dive bar - that we should get married :-P

>157 BLBera: - As long as I remember to turn my video feed off!

Sounds like an interesting meet up option, Katie. I'll be the one hiding in the corner with a book but count me in. If I can get up at 5:00 am to attend the Locked In Festival I guess I'm flexible with hours.

>159 Familyhistorian: - I don't think it will be too hard to find a time that works reasonably well from the West Coast to the UK... I've put you on the list!

Ooof, rough morning. May have celebrated going out a bit too much last night... :)

We ended up eating inside, as the patio was full. It was fine - capacity is still limited and there was good distance between tables. To start, I had a blood orange margarita and we split an Italian sausage and broccoli rabe egg roll (SO good), and then I had the scallop and sweet corn ravioli which was a bit disappointing, as it was quite bland. Oh well. I had a bite of TW's burger, and it was really good, so all is not lost. There was wine after the margarita...

I'm listening in on two meetings this morning - switching back and forth between them, which can be a bit disorienting, especially in my, um, delicate condition. Heh.

I should finish up my current read today. Not sure what's next...

Too bad your main was bland. The picture looked good.

Hope you're feeling more the thing by now and that the meetings have wrapped up for the day.

>162 MickyFine: - I am feeling better, thanks, and the meetings just ended :) I think a nap this afternoon might be in order...

#jealous

#sorrynotsorry

The Secret River by Kate Grenville

This novel, the first in a trilogy, tells part of the tale of Australia's colonization by the British, so it's both uniquely Australian but universal in many ways. Change a few details, and the story of the clash of colonizers with indigenous inhabitants could take place in many parts of the world. Grenville doesn't shy away from brutality, and it can be a tough read. What really impressed me was the complexity of her main character - an English convict sent to Sydney with his family in lieu of hanging, who sees this opportunity as the start of a new life. And it is, but at what - and whose - expense? The reader starts with a lot of sympathy for William Thornhill, and that sympathy remains but is eventually tempered by the reality of what he does to build a good life for himself, his wife, and his children. Grenville handles his characterization and evolution deftly, creating neither a hero nor a total villain.

4 stars

>161 katiekrug: Skimming along, passed this post, saw "in my, um, delicate condition" and got whiplash from backing up so fast.

Hangover. Whew.

>166 katiekrug: It's a gorgeous read. I'm so glad it hit you in the proper register!

Happy weekend's reads.

>167 richardderus: - You'd probably be able to hear the screams of despair across the water if it were the delicate condition of THAT kind!

>166 katiekrug: LT says I have that in my "to read" collection. Your comments along with those of Richard make me want to see if I can find it on my shelf. I fear it maybe didn't make the trip across the state of Washington back in 2018.

>168 katiekrug: LOL

On zoom I find myself turning off my video feed to sneeze. Weird, huh?

Have a great weekend, Katie!

>169 EBT1002: - Hi Ellen! I bet you could find a copy at the library :)

Sneezing privacy is important!

Hope you have a good weekend, too!

Up at 6am this morning for Day 3 of Board meetings. Ick. Today I just have to be present - no real responsibilities, which is nice. I plan to organize my office while these committees blather on.

Gym last night, Frozen Friday Dinner (mac and cheese), and mindless TV until I went in to read at 9pm. Exciting stuff.

I started two books yesterday - Island of the Lost, a nonfiction about a 19th c. shipwreck and Pride and Promiscuity which is labeled "humor" and purports to be the lost sex scenes from Austen's novels. It's pretty lame so far, but it's super short so I will continue with it.

The Playmaker by Thomas Keneally is my favorite book (humorous too) about the early Australian colonial experience.

>171 katiekrug: Gross. Hopefully the meetings wrap up relatively early so you can enjoy the afternoon however you want, Katie.

Pride and Promiscuity. Oh dear.

Happy bored meetings, and make sure to do some serious self-care after the end. Y'know, tequila shots, a strippergram, the whole usual Happy-Hour experience.

>172 magicians_nephew: - I'll have to look for that one, Jim.

>173 MickyFine: - Meetings ended about noon and then I had to "socialize" for 30 minutes or so and THEN I had to send some emails. Had lunch about 2pm :-P

>175 katiekrug: Bored meetings indeed. What a snooze-fest. The good news is I could just listen in through my laptop speakers while I emptied boxes, straightened up my desk, swept the floor... Multi-tasking!

Happy Weekend, Katie!

>171 katiekrug: Ha! Now that is the perfect way to deal with boring meetings. Your office must be nicely organized now;)

I can imagine how boring three days of board meetings must be! So glad you were able to work on your office while you listened. Are you all finished in there now?

Completely forgot to mention an annoying truth: The Masterclass collections of GBBO are leaving Netflix in ten days! *grumble* No more whole-orange spice cake! No frangipane galette! Worst of all no more rosace à l'orange!!

Truly sucky. But watch soon if you're going to mind as much as I will. (And in spite of how gagsome it sounds, the blackcurrant and licorice swiss roll is good. Rob made it, came out so great we each ate half.)

>176 figsfromthistle: - Hi Anita! Still a bit to do in the new office space, but it's much better than it was!

>177 RebaRelishesReading: - It was FOUR days, Reba. FOUR. But I survived :)

>178 richardderus: - I can't remember if I've watched those... Will have to check tout de suite!

I made it through the fourth and last day of meetings yesterday. What a grind...

I guess I haven't updated since Saturday afternoon. That night, we had Thai for dinner and maybe watched something on TV but I don't recall what. So sad when the mind goes... Sunday, after the meeting, I just chilled for the most part, though I did finish up the laundry. The Wayne made pork schnitzel with paprika cream sauce, asparagus, and roasted potato wedges and then we watched 'Irresistable,' a political satire with Steve Carrell, Chris Cooper, and Rose Byrne. It was pretty decent.

I got 9 hours of sleep last night, and am now ready to face the day.

Books: I'm just over halfway through Island of the Lost, which is pretty good. Still reading Pride and Promiscuity which is mostly dumb and boring, so good for just-before-sleep reading. I should be able to start something new tomorrow, I think.

Hi Katie!

Glad the bored meetings are over. I hope you and TW have a great week.

>166 katiekrug: Debbi, Joe & I saw the play based on The Secret River at the National Theatre in London in 2018 or 2019, which was superb. I haven't yet read the book, though.

Happy Monday, Katie. Does TW have a recipe for that pork schnitzel & sauce? Or was it a HelloFresh item? It sounds tasty.

>182 kidzdoc: - Now that you mention it, Darryl, I remember you all seeing that. The book is worth a read.

>183 lauralkeet: - Hi Laura - he sort of made it up, but based on experience he had with a somewhat similar HF meal. He pounded some pork chops, coated them with sour cream and then dredged them in a bread crumb mixture and fried them in a cast iron skillet with oil. The sauce needs a bit of work - it was mostly sour cream thinned a bit with water, garlic powder, and Spanish (smoked) and Hungarian paprika. We agreed it needed more depth of flavor, maybe by finishing it with some butter or something.

>184 katiekrug: Thanks Katie! The sour cream & breadcrumbs are very similar to a method I've used with chicken (NYTimes recipe). I'm no expert on sauces but your theory makes sense.

>185 lauralkeet: - I find sauce intimidating, but one of the benefits of HF has been getting some practice doing basic pan sauces and seeing how to go about it...

>184 katiekrug: I think that sauce needed a touch of Dijon mustard, which is wonderful with pork dishes. Maybe some chopped shallots.

>187 laytonwoman3rd: - I shall mention that to The Chef, Linda! I love both dijon mustard and shallots :) He was trying to recreate a sauce I love from an Austrian restaurant we used to go to in Texas, but I think maybe next time, he should just do his own thing...

>187 laytonwoman3rd: Oh yes Linda, like this: Pork Chops with Dijon Sauce. This recipe is in our regular rotation. The pork chops aren't breaded like a schnitzel, but it's just a good basic recipe. And you could certainly use the same sauce on breaded chops.

Hi Katie. Too bad Pride and Promiscuity is dumb and boring. Any book that claims to be about "lost sex scenes" ought to be able to deliver.

I was just perusing around, trying to find the sauce book we recently acquired (oh jeez, it was pre-pandemic so I don't know how "recent" that was). In any case, it has been a wonderful addition to our cookbook collection! I'll look at it when I get home, remind myself of the author, and post/share.

Another day another 89¢, eh what?

>189 lauralkeet: - Thanks for that link, Laura!

>190 EBT1002: - I thought it would be funny, Ellen, and it's just... not.

>191 richardderus: - Yep, pretty much!

The rain has finally moved on, and it's a beautiful morning. What a difference it makes in my mood!

Gym last night, jambalaya for dinner, and a few episodes of 'Good Eats' before book and bed.

I have one more chapter left in Island of the Lost, so it's Book Turnover Day! The library loan on my current audio (Dear Girls) is about to expire, and that's fine. I wasn't that into it, so that'll go down as a DNF. Not sure what to try next. Audios just aren't doing it for me lately. I may just take a break.

>193 katiekrug: Have you tried audio plays, Katie?

>194 MickyFine: - I haven't, but knowing your love of the LA Theater Works productions, I searched the NYPL Overdrive catalogue and found some, so I will be giving The Crucible a whirl. I loved it when I read it in high school. And it stars Richard Dreyfus, so..... Fingers crossed!

It's In His Kiss by Julia Quinn

I am not sure why I remembered not liking this when I first read it. Maybe I was on romance novel overload at the time? Truthfully, very little of the story felt familiar, so it was a fresh (re)reading experience and one I thoroughly enjoyed. There was lots of great banter, lots of Lady Danbury, and Gareth St. Clair is now among my favorite heroes of the series. The central plot was rather silly and full of holes (Why would the grandmother leave clues to the hidden jewels? Why would she hide them in the London townhouse when it's mentioned that she spent most of her time in the country? How could Gareth's "father" not suspect his brother in his cuckolding?) but does one really read a romance novel for the plot beyond the love story? Not really. And Hyacinth and Gareth's story is a fun one.

4 stars

Aw, Good Eats! I forgot all about that show! I used to love it so much.

>197 scaifea: - It's The Wayne's favorite cooking show. He's an Alton devotee - seen his live show twice, once in TX and once here.

>198 katiekrug: Oh, neat!

Count me in as another big fan of Good Eats. It was one of the things I missed most when I cut the cord.

>195 katiekrug: Oh nice! LATW does a great job. Of course, the BBC is also great at the medium. I've currently got a couple Shakespeare plays waiting on my phone - hazard of doing my biannual check we've got all the plays in all formats is that a few end up checked out on my card afterward. But who wouldn't want to listen to David Tennant play Benedick in Much Ado?

>196 katiekrug: Yay! I'm glad you enjoyed it more this time around. All of the plot holes you pointed out are fair but I have to admit I did not think that hard about this one. :P

>199 scaifea: - I went to the one up here and it was good fun.

>200 rosalita: - I'm in such good company! I'm not as obsessed as TW, but I do enjoy the show.

Julia - he's been doing a YouTube series - Quarantine Quitchen. I haven't watched any, and am not sure if it's just free or what, but you might take a look - could scratch that Alton itch :)

>201 MickyFine: - I'm hoping the shorter length will help with my seeming audio ADHD lately, though I worry about keeping track of who's speaking... I'll report back on how it goes :)

I didn't think all that hard about the plot - it was just the occasional niggle at my consciousness!

>203 katiekrug: I hope the play fits the bill!

>202 katiekrug: Yes, I've watched an episode or two, but it's not the same. At the risk of sounding like the jerk I am, there's something about his wife that rubs me the wrong way so I don't enjoy watching their interactions. Jerk, jerk, jerk.

>204 MickyFine: - I will hold you personally responsible if it doesn't... ;-)

>215 katiekrug: - You. Are. Not. A. Jerk.

I haven't seen any of their interactions, or even heard her speak, but I've seen pictures of her on IG, and she kind of creeps me out. So who's the jerk now?

Agatha Christie’s Poirot: The Greatest Detective in the World by Mark Aldridge might interest you, as it came out today.

Spend your day splendidly.

>206 katiekrug: Listen, if I'm not a jerk (and frankly I think the jury is still out on that one) then you are not a jerk, either. That's how things work, OK? (Full disclosure: I also find her somewhat creepy looking.)

>207 richardderus: - I'm working! The exact opposite of spending my day splendidly :(

>208 rosalita: - *jerky fistbump*

>206 katiekrug: That's ok. I've got a specially issued librarian cardigan that helps deflect all rage when recommendations don't live up to someone's expectations. ;)

The sauce book we like is from Cook's Illustrated, or officially America's Test Kitchen, available from Amazon, of course.

>210 MickyFine: - LOL! Well, the good news is, I started the audio on my way to pick up Nuala from day care this afternoon (they were closing early), and once I realized my usual 1.25x speed wouldn't work and changed it to 1.0, I got very much into the groove.

>211 EBT1002: - Thanks for circling back with the title, Ellen! I might get it as a belated birthday gift for TW - but I think I'll ask my local indie to order it, since it's not time sensitive :)

Hi Katie!

>196 katiekrug: I guess I’ll eventually wait for the series. I loved Bridgerton but didn’t particularly like The Duke and I. I’m devastated that Regé-Jean Page isn’t coming back, but since the focus won’t be on his story I’m reconciled.

>213 karenmarie: - Hi Karen! Only 6 years or so to wait for Hyacinth's turn in the series! Heh. I saw yesterday that Netflix has renewed it through a 4th season, so that's good news, assuming they can maintain the quality of the show.

I'll miss RJP, but there really wasn't much reason for him to return. Simon barely appears in any of the subsequent books, and RJP has great things ahead of him, I think.

Blood orange margarita

The gorgeous day yesterday inspired me to finagle dinner out on a patio at a local restaurant :) I had the cocktail above to start, and we shared some blistered shishito peppers. Then I switched to wine to go with my Greek salad topped with salmon. And I couldn't resist trying the Basque cheesecake with cherry compote for dessert. We walked to and from the restaurant, so maybe I worked off a few calories?

Today is a regular Wednesday - work, then the gym, then dinner.

In books, I've started The Vanishing Point, which is historical fiction set in 17th c. England and America. So far, so good.

>214 katiekrug: I was pretty excited about the announcement of 4 seasons. I'm curious to see how they'll do it as books 4-6 basically all take place simultaneously in the timeline, which would make interesting TV, I think. I'm sad but not surprised by the RJP news. Also have you seen who they cast as Kate? Dayum.

>215 katiekrug: Yum.

>215 katiekrug: I've always wanted to make a blood-orange rosace à l'orange. Wouldn't that look purty?

>216 MickyFine: - I'm excited to see how they adapt the timeline - and everything else! And yes! Kate Sharma! Gorgeous.

>217 BLBera: - It was so good, Beth.

>218 richardderus: - Mmm, yes please!

Island of the Lost by Joan Druett

I'm a sucker for survival stories, and this is one I knew nothing about. A ship founders just off the Auckland Islands (south of New Zealand) and 5 men make it to shore. How they survived for 20 months makes for good reading, though I could have done with a bit less zoology and botany, but that's probably just me. The men's remarkable ingenuity and perseverance was highlighted even more by the inclusion of the story of another shipwreck not far from them around the same time. The parallel narratives were really well done.

4 stars

>220 katiekrug: They LIVED?! In the Auckland Islands?! That is barely short of miraculous. Must possess this. *scuttles off to Ammy*

>220 katiekrug:, >221 richardderus: Joan Druett has written a series of 19th century maritime mysteries that were highly recommended to me by our late LT friend, rebeccanyc and have been well-reviewed by Lori and Carrie. I have two of them on hand, but haven't tried 'em yet myself.

>220 katiekrug: As evidenced by my recent read of The Martian I find survival stories too stressful but I'm happy to see you enjoyed this one.

Hi Katie, I am a lover of survival stories as well and I immediately went to Amazon to get a copy of Island of the Lost but it turns out I already have it! So now I just have to find some time to fit it in.

>221 richardderus: - My BB aim is true!

>222 laytonwoman3rd: - I'm going to look for that series, Linda. Thanks! I know she has written other maritime nonfiction, especially about women...

>223 MickyFine: - Totally understand, Micky.

>224 DeltaQueen50: - It's pretty short, Judy - under 300 pages. I think you'll like it.

Not much to report - just a whole lot of the same. The gym was good. Dinner was a HF meal of pork katsu with roasted carrots and ginger rice. It was pretty tasty. The Wayne has been watching some weird anime show, so I did some reading. I am enjoying The Vanishing Point.

Tonight is delivery dinner and virtual happy hour, but before that - work. Work is tiresome. I wish the paycheck was tiresome....

>220 katiekrug: there was a story on "Sixty Minutes" not long ago about a bunch of teen agers in the South Pacific who swiped a boat and then got blown off course and wound up spending fifteen months on a deserted island out of the shipping lanes. (Soon to be a major motion picture)

Always have to think - would I have survived? would I have contributed to the group's survival.

You never know

>226 katiekrug: could you share what anime show TW is watching? i enjoy them. Have you watched "Bojack Horseman"?

>227 magicians_nephew: - I'm pretty sure I would be entirely useless in such a situation, Jim!

TW is watching 'Attack on Titan.' I haven't seen more than some clips of 'Bojack Horseman.' My favorite animated series for adults is 'Archer.'

>220 katiekrug: Got me with that one...

>220 katiekrug: ohhh that sounds like a good one Katie. Adding it to my list

>212 katiekrug: "...I think I'll ask my local indie to order it..." Good call. I know we got it from a local indie bookstore but it's always easy to find the image on ammie.

>220 katiekrug: Another BB....

>220 katiekrug: that looks right up my alley but the library doesn’t have it. A shame!

>229 drneutron: - Go me!

>230 brenzi: - Go me again!

>231 EBT1002: - Three in a row!

>232 ursula: - And a fourth! But poop to the library. I can see if my Kindle version is loanable if you'd like...

Virtual happy hour was fun last night. 4.5 hours worth of fun, so I went to bed late. The Wayne let me sleep in which was lovely.

Today is work, gym, movie night. I'm not sure what we'll be watching...

I am going into the city tomorrow for the first time in 13 months! My best friend and I are going to a Rangers (hockey) game. She's a big fan - I'm just happy to have something different to do. They are limiting capacity and everyone has to show proof of full immunization (as in 2 weeks past last shot) or a negative test in the last two days. I am curious to see how I feel among a lot of people... I know it will be weird.

>234 katiekrug: Based on the kind of dreams I have lately, being among a lot of people will probably feel very weird indeed, Katie. Good for you for "breaking the ice", so to speak. Hope you have fun.

Sounds like an exciting outing, Katie. I hope it's a good game!

Meanwhile they've just announced the shipping of doses of Moderna from Europe to Canada are being delayed again. Odds of everyone who wants the vaccine getting a first shot by the end of June (the current promise in my province) dwindles. Sigh.

Just being out among people you don't know will feel weird enough...but hockey fans...!

Have a lovely time, and enjoy the weekend, too.

>233 katiekrug: That would be very cool, I've never done that before. (I use my kindle for the library and that's it so I'm a total noob.)

Enjoy the Rangers game! I can't imagine going out like that. I guess it will be a while before that feels normal.

>235 laytonwoman3rd: - Thanks, Linda.

>236 MickyFine: - Boo to the vaccine supply issues! And thanks re: the game. The crowd - such as it will be - should make it fun, as the Rangers are playing a team from just across the river in New Jersey...

>237 richardderus: - Thanks, RD. We'll see how it goes!

>238 ursula: - I checked and it's not loanable :( Sorry. I should have checked before mentioning it.

I figure I'll have to dip my toes into the public pool at some point, beyond the local restaurants...

Interesting about the hockey game. Not that you're going, but about how they're handling admission. I will be interested to hear how it felt though.

Enjoy the Rangers game, Katie! (I can say 'cause they're *not* playing the Bruins :D )

Wow - MSG sounds like you're plunging in rather than just dipping your toes! But I guess it will be very different with limited capacity. Still...all those people...shudder. Have fun and go Rangers! (One rabid fan in our household.)

Happy Friday, Katie. I hope you had a good week. Have a great time at the Ranger's game.

>234 katiekrug: Wow, a hockey game! I'm sure you will have fun once you get used to being in a crowd(ish) again. I got my first Pfizer jab on Wednesday and I came home in the afternoon and slept hard for two hours, which I think was not a reaction to the vaccine (I actually had zero side effects) but to the overstimulation of interacting in person with multiple strangers all in one place after a year of being entirely isolated other than drive-thru businesses. As usual, you are the trendsetter!

>234 katiekrug: Good luck and have fun! What a nice change of pace.

>239 katiekrug: No worries, I didn’t lose anything in the deal! :)

Hockey game at the Garden is a big step forward! Congrats!

They should make everyone in the stands wear a goalie's mask

Island of the Lost sounds like a good one, Katie.

I'll be interested to see how it goes with the hockey game. I have wondered how it would seem to be in big groups...

got me with a BB, Katie, for Island of the Lost. Hope the hockey is good.

Have fun at the hockey. After a year of not seeing anyone, I do wonder how it will feel to be gathered together.

Hi All! Since most of you were commenting on the hockey, rather than individual responses, I'll just summarize the experience below. Hope that's okay :)

It was a bit of a clusterf*ck to get into the Garden, because first you had to find the line to show the QR code you got after completing their health survey, and OF COURSE a bunch of morons ignored the several emails about it, and didn't do it in advance, so they stood around punching at their phones and blocking us responsible people. Then there was the line to show your vaccination card and ID. And then there was the line to show your ticket. All the lines were social distanced, so that was fine. And I knew they were limiting capacity, but I didn't realize it was limited at 10%, so once inside, it was not crowded at all. Every other row was empty, and the row we were in had about 20 seats, of which only 6 were occupied. You could take your mask off to eat or drink, but if you left it off too long, the ushers came over and asked you to put it back on. Long story short, I felt okay being there, and didn't ever feel like I was "in a crowd" because the space is so big and there were, relatively speaking, so few people there.

The train ride was my biggest issue. It was much less crowded than when I've gone into the city on a Saturday in the past, but I think I just didn't like the enclosed space very much. I was glad to get off of it; luckily, the ride is only about 12 minutes...

As for the game itself (if anyone cares), it was a good one! Rangers went up 4-0 and then the Devils came back and got it to 4-3. In an attempt to send it to OT, they left an empty net, and the Rangers managed to score twice more. One of the Rangers players had his first professional hat trick, and on his birthday no less, so that was fun. Lots of people threw their hats onto the rink, but I didn't :)

I was out of the house, including driving to and from the train station for about 5 hours, and it was completely exhausting, which I think was due to the total unfamiliarity of going places and seeing people. Glad I hadn't planned for a longer day out!

The rest of the weekend was good - got lots done around the house yesterday but also managed a good bit of reading. I finished up 3 books yesterday - I love it when the stars align like that. Heh. I've now started a Miss Marple mystery and a collection of essays on audio.

The Wayne picked Saturday's movie - The Final Countdown - which was cheesy and fun military sci-fi. We had burgers for dinner Saturday, and last night he made chicken cutlets with penne in a lemon butter sauce with asparagus and capers. Not bad for something he threw together...

I have found being out for long stretches is stressful and tiring.

Glad you got a good game.

VERY glad the Garden is taking this whole thing seriously still It aint over yet

Ooof to the being exhausted after the outing. I felt that way after going for our first shots - an hour drive each way and a handful of people/strangers at the place. Mentally and physically draining. It will be a long time, for me at least, before I feel completely at ease back in public again, I think. I'm...okay with that, to be honest.

>253 magicians_nephew: - I'm hoping the stress and exhaustion will abate with more experience, but I'm not yet ready to go out and about in full force yet...

I was glad to see that *most* of the people I saw on the train, in Penn Station, at the game seemed to also take the precautions seriously. I can't say everyone, but I'd say 90%, which is pretty good, I think.

>254 scaifea: - I totally get that. It will be a long time for me to feel totally at ease, too. But for me - and everyone is different and that's cool - it'll never happen unless I start testing and finding out what my boundaries are. I was fully prepared - and had told my friend - that if I wasn't comfortable, I was just going to leave and go home. But my greatest discomfort was on the train, and jumping off wasn't an option, so... :D

Morning, Katie! Your outing sounds like it went as well as could be expected. I totally get the part about it being exhausting. Things here in Georgia are weird - a lot of people have just stopped wearing the masks even if the stores have huge signs outside saying that you must wear one. I don't understand why they are not enforcing the policy. SO going to the Publix is an experience - I just give them a very wide berth and get in and out as quickly as possible. Sad making. Also angry making. In better news, the girls and I are scheduled for our first vaccine dose on April 27th, so hooray for that. Craig, Daniel, and Kaitlyn have already completed theirs, so I am thankful for that.

>256 Crazymamie: - HI MAMIE!!!

I am glad to say that up here, mask compliance is very much a thing, thank goodness.

I am so glad all of you will be vaccinated soon. I think it provides a needed mental lift.

Back to add that you got me with Island of the Lost: Shipwrecked at the Edge of the World. Onto the Dirty Dozen list it goes.

HELLO!! The mask compliance is crazy here - there was actually an older man in the waiting room of the pain management clinic that I take Abby to that was "wearing" a mask but it was just below his chin, so not covering his mouth or his nose. What?!! I was very thankful that Craig, Daniel, and Kaitlyn got their vaccines early since they are working in public spaces every day. I have been nervous about Rae, but she must have some incredible immune system because she had not gotten Covid even though both doctors in the office and several of the staff have had it. Such a blessing for us. I will be very happy to have all of us vaccinated.

Perfect first outing, because it hit your comfort barrier so now you know where it is. I too am glad that you weren't stressed because the Garden took stuff seriously. All those dudebros who didn't do what they needed to do before they got there assumed *they* wouldn't have to because *they* don't want to.

Heh.

Spend a beautiful sunny breezy warm spring Monday inside at your desk talking to overeducated ninnies and spoiled PhD-bearing brats! I'll be outside gulping lungsful of clean sea breeze for you.

Glad to hear that your first major outing was (mostly) within your comfort zone and that it was a good game to boot! I'm preparing for being pretty exhausted once I'm vaccinated and out and about a little more, especially since I already had that pre-COVID with my introvert self. Hope you've recovered now and are enjoying your unshared work from home space.

It's interesting to read about your reaction to being out and about in public. I know it will feel really different, but I hadn't thought about it being exhausting. I share your need/desire to try things out and test the boundaries and limits, but it does sound wise to think about starting small and building from there.

>258 Crazymamie: - Bwahahahaha!

>259 Crazymamie: - Does Rae's work require regular testing? She could have gotten it but been asymptomatic. Regardless, I'm glad she never got sick!

>260 richardderus: - I think the dudebros figured they'd be let in so as not to hold everything up, but the staff was very firm, which I was glad to see.

I hope you choke on Enjoy the sea breeze!

>261 MickyFine: - I can find a lot of human interaction tiring on a good (non-pandemic) day, too, Micky, though since moving here, I've built up some immunity by necessity :)

>262 lauralkeet: - Yeah, I didn't go from never leaving the house to partying at MSG in one hop! Grocery store, restaurants, etc. I have a hair appointment for Friday, after which I'll probably get a pedicure. I guess part of my thinking is that all along, I've been on the side of "trust the science" and the science says the risks are incredibly low for fully vaccinated, masked-up, socially distanced, etc. people (and also low for them to transmit...). Why would I not trust the science now? But I'll still be guided by comfort and stress levels for a long time to come.

>251 katiekrug: Thanks for sharing your hockey experience, Katie. It sounds like the organizers did a good job of making a safe environment -- too bad there are always some who can't/don't pay attention and bollux the system up for everyone. I wonder how different the experience was from just watching at home.

>256 Crazymamie: I hear you Mamie. We've spent the last week crossing the country in our car and the difference between mask compliance in the middle of the country (including Georgia, which isn't middle but still...) and what I'm used to on the west coast is very angry making, worry making and sad making indeed. We're both completely vaccinated so I don't worry about our safety all that much but I still try to keep distance and I definitely wear my mask in public. It really isn't hard and it will help us get over this.

>263 katiekrug: Good point concerning Rae - they do not. She did get the test for the antibodies, though, and she had not developed those. So if she did get it, she didn't develop the antibodies for it. Either way, you are so right that it is very happy making that she never got sick. She tends to get REALLY sick when she does come down with something, so I worry even though I try not to. I am not usually a worrier since it doesn't really help things, but...

>264 RebaRelishesReading: It's nonsensical, Reba. Wearing a mask in public is such a little thing to do to make such a very big difference.

>263 katiekrug: *khhaaakkhh*khaaakkhh*

mbust bih bmy alurjees

>264 RebaRelishesReading: - "I wonder how different the experience was from just watching at home." Umm, very different? That was sort of the point :)

>265 Crazymamie: - Yay for Super Rae!

>266 richardderus: - *grin*

The Wayne is enjoying his monthly Wellness Day off from work today *grumblegrumble* (I sounds like Amber!) He's supposed to go run some errands, but shows no sign of doing so. To nag or not to nag.....

Also, I have a question for parents: do kids just not do thank you notes anymore? I was raised to write a thank you note for gifts, especially if the giver was not present when I received it. I get that actual written communications are basically kaput these days, so how about a quick email or text? And if the kids are young, as a parent, would you acknowledge someone's gift to your child? I dunno - I guess in this I am old-fashioned, but I'm getting tired of sending Christmas and birthday gifts to kids and not even knowing if they've arrived.... *put upon sigh*

Thanking for gifts is an absolute must. Phone call ok if it's a close relative but otherwise written. One of those non-negotiable items on my parenting list!

It's Monday, so I say nag. I mean, you could do the errands, but you're working. Ahem.

Yes to thank you notes. I think texting is fine as long as the person receiving the text is also fine with it. We always did the thanking for the kids when they were too little to do it for themselves. If they can write, they can do it themselves but might need help getting it where it needs to go.

Glad the hockey match experience went well. I'm afraid that I find those that do not follow rules to be massively baffling, the assumption that rules don't apply to them just passes me by.

I think you're right about moving back into social interaction slowly, rather than suddenly being in the middle of a mosh pit and freaking out. Baby steps for all of us, I think.

"I'm getting tired of sending Christmas and birthday gifts to kids and not even knowing if they've arrived" OMG...this is one of my biggest gripes. I sent sacks o' presents to my brother, my niece and her family, my nephew and HIS family at Christmas. The only response I got from 9 people was "Chris loves his shirt, but it's too small". I arranged to return it for a larger size. No acknowledgement of anything else I sent. My niece used to be very good about that, but she hasn't trained her own kids, and apparently she's given it up too.

It was interesting to hear about your outing, Katie. I think it will be a while before I feel comfortable in close spaces with other people.

>269 vivians: - It was non-negotiable for my mom, too, Vivian! The Wayne is slightly baffled by it, having grown up differently. When we were dating, I spent several days at his parents' house just after Christmas, and when I got home, I wrote them a thank you note, which they apparently thought was odd. *shrug*

>270 Crazymamie: - He still hasn't left to do them, but he is working in his garden, so at least that's something :-P

I don't love texting a thank you, but if the alternative is no acknowledgment, I'll take the text. When my older niece and nephew were little, we'd get a note written by their mom that they'd sign or scribble on. And that's what we get from our nephew on TW's side. At Christmas, we got a thank you card that the older niece and nephew had each written a note on. But nothing for their birthday gifts in February and March. And we've never gotten anything from the other set/their parents.

I don't give gifts to get gratitude, but I find the whole thing annoying.

>271 Helenliz: - Baby steps for sure, Helen. And to each their own comfort level.

>272 laytonwoman3rd: - Linda, I'm thinking of scrapping gifts going forward, to be honest. It's not like they are in need of anything from me, so I'm thinking at the start of each year of just making a donation to St. Jude's or something in their name. I bet I'd get a thank you from the hospital! ;-)

>273 BLBera: - I guess it depends on one's definition of close and how one figures that out. I could very easily stay home and never have to go out (I can work, shop, entertain myself quite nicely from here!) but I figure the longer I wait, the more atrophied that "muscle" will get, so I'd better start exercising it!

Thank you notes: I was also raised to write thank you notes. I've loosened up a little for my kids. My policy for my boys (who are now 11 and 8) is that they have to acknowledge gifts in some way. So if they receive a gift in person and say thank you - done. If they receive a gift through the mail, they need to write (mail or email), call, or maybe text (depending on who it is). They don't have email accounts besides their school accounts and they don't have cell phones, so they have to do that from my account if that's the method they choose, a little inconvenient. But my older son really hates writing (and has horrible handwriting!) so I get that he'd rather call or text. My younger son loves to write and often chooses that method.

I don't think it's too much to ask for a gift to be acknowledged! It's also not just a younger generation thing to not write them. I've had several wedding or baby shower gifts that I've sent over the past decade to people born in the 1980s who did not acknowledge the gift. ????

>275 japaul22: - That sounds very sensible. If I'm there when they receive a gift and they say thank you, I don't expect anything else. The Wayne's sister is great about using Facetime and Zoom to include us in special moments with our nephew, so we opened Christmas presents with him and watched him open our birthday gift to him (he's 4). In those cases, I don't expect anything else. My older niece and nephew (16 and 12) - they both have phones so could text and neither did for their birthday gifts. The younger set (7 and 4), I am more annoyed at their parents than them... Heh.

>251 katiekrug: Very interesting. Thanks for sharing. As everyone has been saying, our first time(s) in large groups -- or on subway trains! -- will just be weird. I just booked a flight to NC to visit my sister (SIL is not doing well and I just need to see them) and I'm totally curious how the flights will be for me. I splurged for seats in front (not first class, but right behind that) where Alaska Airlines is holding the middle seat vacant through May 31. I'd say I did it for the free booze but of course the $50 for the little upgrade far outweighs the cost of an airline cocktail or two! I plan to be totally masked up except when I take a sip or a bite. I assume that is the requirement but even if it isn't, it's what I'll do. I have a colleague, a physician, who says she'll wear a mask whenever she flies even when covid is truly full and well behind us. Because who hasn't gotten to their destination and come down with a cold? Given our culture's rejection of facemasks for the good of the order, it will be interesting to see if she really follows through and what kind of reaction she will get from other travelers.

>277 EBT1002: - There's a Federal mandate regarding masks on airplanes, Ellen, so everyone should be masked up! I would have sprung for that seat, too :)

It will be interesting to see what happens with masking when the pandemic ends. I don't mind the masks, except my glasses fog up easily...

Hooray for getting out, Katie! I know what you mean about it being exhausting - when I went to get my vaccine I was out of the house for about 3.5 hours (I went grocery shopping on the way home and didn't hurry) and I felt like I'd been gone for days. There have been a few events here recently to test how things go with crowds - not huge crowds but they're researching what happens to people afterwards, I think - i.e. how many catch the virus after an event.

The thank-you issue drives me mad, too. I don't really expect it from children any more, but it annoys me when the parents can't even be bothered. My former office roomie with the two little kids always used to send an email with a picture attached of the kids opening their gifts and a thank you message from him and his wife, and I thought that was perfect.

>279 susanj67: - Hi Susan!

Do they require vaccination proof or negative tests from the event-goers? I imagine so? Everything here varies by state, so while the thing I went to had very limited capacity, I know that the baseball team in Dallas is filling their stadium It's open-air, but still.... I certainly wouldn't go!

I love when parents send a pic of the kids opening or playing or reading with whatever I sent. It's so thoughtful :)

Gym last night and then TW didn't feel like making our planned dinner, so I had diced pears, a granola bar, and some beef jerky. Super gourmet!

I got very little done at work yesterday, shame on me, so I will try to buckle down today. I am taking Friday and next Monday and Tuesday off, and don't want to have a lot hanging over my head...

I'm reading The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side and listening to Eat Cake. Be Brave. I will probably start a new thread today and write up some comments on the books I finished on Sunday.

>268 katiekrug: I agree with you completely. It's not just kids, unfortunately. A few years ago we ordered a wedding gift from a registry and still have never heard a peep from the couple. I finally asked the groom's dad (groom's parents are our connection) if it had arrived and he assured me it had but with no suggestion that he was surprised we had never received a "thank you" or "it arrived". If I'm there and they say "thank you" when they open it, I'm OK with leaving it at that but if the giver can't be sure it's arrived the receiver should let them know -- phone call, text, email, note all fine with me.

>278 katiekrug: I don't mind the masks, except my glasses fog up easily...

The struggle is real. Walking everywhere makes that a real pain. I don't wear mine until I need them when I'm out and about. Which means that inevitably about 3 minutes after I leave the house, Morgan texts me and I have to rifle through my bag to find them. Men!

Hi Katie!

I’m glad that you enjoyed your hockey night out. I can understand it being exhausting because of not using those social muscles recently.

>268 katiekrug: I made my daughter write thank you notes before she could even write them – I wrote them, held her on my lap, and let her scribble on them. We worked up to her name on a mommy-written note, then copying notes that I’d written, then writing her own. She still writes them at Christmas if I give her the thank you cards and notes. She’s 27 and I figure I at least gave her a good role model.

I am really irritated that my niece and her wife do not write thank yous and even more so that they do not make their 5-year old son write a thank you to me. They seem to think that sending me a blurry video of him opening a present from me is adequate. They come by it (dis)honestly, though – my sister didn’t make my niece write thank yous and regrets it now. She doesn’t write them, either… And one family from Bill's side never sends Christmas thank yous either. Grrrr.

>282 RebaRelishesReading: and >284 karenmarie: - Thanks for chiming in, Reba and Karen! I feel validated in my annoyance :)

>283 ursula: - Ha! I wear mine all the time, and the fogging was especially annoying over the winter, with the mask, plus the change in temps going outside to in...

I also wear my glasses all the time, and the fogging makes me slightly crazy.

>280 katiekrug: Katie, people need to have a negative Covid test and sign into the NHS track and trace app. The vaccine programme has only reached the 45+ age group so vaccination isn't required. Here's an article explaining it: https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/56791655 . It sounds pretty well thought through, but essentially everyone is a guinea pig. Still, it's all part of the anti-Covid effort...

>286 Crazymamie: - Solidarity, sister.

>287 susanj67: - That's interesting, Susan, thanks for the extra info.