Amber's (scaifea) Thread #12

Hey, everybody!

I'm Amber, a one-time Classics professor, turned stay-at-home parent/lady of leisure, turned part-time library assistant, turned once again Classics professor. I spend my free time sewing, writing, knitting, baking, and, of course, reading.

My reading life is happily governed by lists, which means that I read a healthy variety of things across various genres.

I'm 45 going on 12 and live in Ohio with my husband, Tomm; our son, Charlie, and Mario the Golden Retriever.

Here I am in Dr. Scaife Mode (you can tell that because my hair is, for once, actually combed and not just in a messy bun):



Favorite Books from 2020
The Lumberjanes collected comic volumes
Call Down the Hawk
New Kid
The Wise Man's Fear
The Slow Regard of Silent Things
Pride and Prejudice
Silver in the Wood
A Tale of Two Cities

Ope, double first post.

What I'm Reading Now:
-Guard of Honor (Pulitzer list)
-The Beast Player (Printz Honor Book)
-Chaotic Good (romance list)
-Ordinary Hazards (audiobook)
-On the Banks of Plum Creek (family bedtime read-aloud)
-The Kite Runner (books I'm reading with my friend, Rob)
-Another Country (100 Banned Books list)

Books on Deck:
-Uncle Silas (books by year - 1864)
-(an unread book from my shelves)
-(a book from my Read Soon! shelves)
-The Experience of Insight (Buddhist reading list)
-A Likely Story (cozy mysteries)
-Henry VI Part 1 (Shakespeare re-read)
-The Ugly American (Banned Books)
-The Worm Ouroboros (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy list)
-Wheels within Wheels (Prometheus Award)

The five-ish or so books I have going at once and the On Deck books nearly all come from the following categories and lists:

1. A book from the 100 Banned Books book (at least currently. As soon as I finish this list, I'll replace it with another, and oh, I've got tons of lists).

2. A children's book, for Charlie's library. I'm trying to collect books from various award lists, and I like reading them before reading them to Charlie or deciding to add them to Charlie's shelves. For this category, I’m currently working through three lists:
a. 1001 Children’s Books You Must Read Before You Die
b. The Newbery Honor books
c. Cooperative Children's Book Center list

3. A book from the Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy List, in chronological order.

4. A list I'm working through together with my best friend, Rob: The Hugo/Nebula/WFA/Bram Stoker (and other) lists (combined, in chronological order)

5. For this category, I cycle through 9 different stacks:
a. Agatha Christie's bibliography (in chronological order)
b. Stephen Fry's bibliography (in chronological order)
c. John Boyne bibliography (in chronological order, sort of)
d. Neil Gaiman's bibliography (in some order other than chronological (don't
ask)).
e. Christopher Moore's bibliography (in chronological order)
f. Maggie Stiefvater's bibliography (in chronological order)
g. The NEH Timeless Classics list
h. The National Book Award list (in alpha order by title)
i. The Pulitzer list (in alpha order by author)

6. An unread book from my shelves.

7. A book from my Read Soon! shelves.

8. A book on Buddhism or from the Dalai Lama's bibliography.

9. Book-a-year challenge: Three years ago, along with a few others in this group (*cough* Paul *cough*), I made a year-by-year list to see how far I could go back with consecutive reads. I've since been trying to fill in the gap years.

10. A book from the couple of series that I'm reading together with my mom.

11. A full-on re-read through Shakespeare's stuff.

12. A read-aloud-to-Charlie-at-bedtime book (or two).

13. An audio book, which I listen to as I knit/sew/otherwise craft/drive.

14. A romance novel, using as a guideline an excellent list of authors and works curated by lycomaflower (I know virtually nothing about this genre, but I now work in a library where many, many lovely people come through to check out books of this genre, and I want to know something about it).

15. This slot is reserved for books that just grab me and shout that they need to be read Right Now.

Books Read

JANUARY
1. Spinning Silver (Alex Award) - 10/10 = A+
2. Swamp Thing: Twin Branches (Stiefvater bibliography) - 8/10 = B
3. Manchild in the Promised Land (Banned Books list, AlphaKIT: M) - 9/10 = A-
4. The Wish Giver (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
5. Silas Marner (audiobook) - 8/10 = B-
6. The Story of Tracy Beaker (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B-
7. Thick as Thieves (series reread) - 10/10 = A+
8. Lumberjanes #16: Mind over Mettle (series read) - 10/10 = A+
9. Pilgrimage (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 7/10 = C
10. Each Tiny Spark (Schneider Honor Book) - 7/10 = C
11. The House on the Borderland (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy list) - 6/10 = D
12. Beyond Religion (books on Buddhism) - 9/10 = A
13. Outlander (romance list) - 6/10 = D
14. Commodore Perry in the Land of the Shogun (Newbery Honor Book) - 7/10 = C
15. Far Away Across the Sea (1001 Children's Books) - 10/10 = A+
16. The Daylight Gate (Read Soon! Shelves) - 8/10 = B-
17. The Queen of Attolia (family bedtime read-aloud) - 10/10 = A+
18. Works and Days & Theogony (Myth course readings) - 9/10 = A-
19. The Book Thief (books I'm reading with my friend, Rob) - 10/10 = A+
20. Return of the Thief (series read) - 10/10 = A+

FEBRUARY
21. The Bacchants (myth course reading) - 9/10 = A
22. Camp (romance) - 8/10 = B+
23. Song of a Whale (Schneider Award) - 8/10 = B-
24. Gardens of the Moon (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy list) - 4/10 = F
25. Oedipus Rex (Myth course readings) - 10/10 = A+
26. Antigone (Myth course readings) = 10/10 = A+
27. Agamemnon (Myth course readings) - 10/10 = A+
27. Upon the Head of a Goat (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
27. Volcano (Newbery Honor Book) - 7/10 = C
30. A Promised Land (audiobook) - 8/10 = B+
31. The Stone Book Quartet (1001 Children's Books) - 7/10 = C+
32. The Libation Bearers (Myth course readings) - 9/10 = A
33. Eumenides (Myth course readings) - 10/10 = A+
34. Electra (Myth course readings) - 10/10 = A+
35. The King of Elfland's Daughter (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 7/10 = C
36. The Goalkeeper's Revenge (1001 Children's Books) - 7/10 = C
37. Conrad: The Factory-Made Boy (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B
38. Medea (Myth course readings) - 10/10 = A+
39. The Frogs (Myth course readings) - 9/10 = A
40. Metamorphoses (Myth course readings) - 10/10 = A+
41. Iliad (Myth course readings) - 10/10 = A+
42. Odyssey (Myth course readings) - 10/10 = A+
43. Aeneid (Myth course readings) - 10/10 = A+
44. The Histories (Myth course readings) - 10/10 = A+
45. Till We Have Faces (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 8/10 = B-

MARCH
46. My Sweet Orange Tree (1001 Children's Books) - 9/10 = A
47. Lord Foul's Bane (BSFA) - 2/10 = F
48. Manolito Four Eyes (1001 Children's Books) - 7/10 = C
49. The Early History of Rome, Book 1 (Myth course readings) - 9/10 = A
50. Farmer Boy (family bedtime read-aloud) - 9/10 = A-
51. The Henna Wars (romance list) - 8/10 = B+
52. Cursed (Schneider Award) - 9/10 = A
53. Heroides (Myth course readings) - 9/10 = A
54. The Apocolocyntosis (Myth course readings) - 9/10 = A
55. Sandman: The Kindly Ones (Myth course readings) - 10/10 = A+
56. Tales of the Rue Broca (1001 Children's Books) - 7/10 = C
57. Far Away Across the Sea (family bedtime read-aloud) - 10/10 = A+
58. After the Rain (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B-
59. Ready Player Two (from my Read Soon! shelves) - 9/10 = A
60. The Moonstone (audiobook) - 8/10 = B+
61. Memoirs of a Geisha (books I'm reading with my friend, Rob) - 8/10 = B

APRIL
62. The Club Dumas (unread book from my shelves) - 9/10 = A
63. Good Night, Mr. Tom (1001 Children's Books) - 9/10 = A
64. The Liverpool Cats (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B+
65. The Ugly American (100 Banned Books) - 9/10 = A
66. The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B+
67. The Haunting (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B
68. The Whistle, the Grave, and the Ghost (family bedtime read-aloud) - 9/10 = A
69. Sense and Sensibility (unread book from my shelves) - 8/10 = B+
70. Middlemarch (audiobook) - 2/10 = F

The Kiddo at Work:



The Mario and her Magical Rainbow Snoot:

Next one is yours!

64. The Liverpool Cats by Sylvia Sherry (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B+
Rocky lives on the edge of poverty with his borderline-abusive mother, his nonverbal little sister, and a mostly-absent stepfather. His older brother, whom he worships, has been in prison long enough that their sister has never met him, and Rocky seems to be headed in the same direction as a member of a gang of kids looking to break into more serious "jobs."

The book strikes a good balance between the bitterness of Rocky's world and the glimmer of hope in his character's development from blind acceptance of his lot as a Bad Kid to an awareness that there's more out there that he could accomplish. Rocky is a nicely drawn character (rough but also malleable and fundamentally a kind soul), as is the Liverpool neighborhood in which he lives. As it turns out, I enjoyed this one more that I suspected I would.

Happy new thread, Amber.

Happy new one, Amber!

>9 karenmarie: >10 katiekrug: Thanks, friends!

Happy New Thread, Amber!

>12 connie53: Thanks, Connie!

Time for another Myth-Themed Bonus Question:

All Greek and Roman gods have special areas over which they preside (think: patron saints and the things/kinds of people they protect). If you were a divine being, what would you be the god/goddess of? (Ex: Amber, goddess of those who turn the kettle on, walk away, and completely forget that they were making a cup of tea in the first place)

Happy new thread! I might be goddess of procrastination.

>15 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie! Oh, that's a good one. You'd have lots of people to look after, I suspect.

Happy new one! I'd be the god of looking for lost reader glasses. Can't seem to keep up with any of them, so I'm always looking.

>17 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!
Ha! Then I'll be one of your followers!

Katie, goddess of great ambition and little initiative...

>19 katiekrug: *snork!* I love it!

and a "happy new one" from me too.

>21 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba!

Happy new thread!

Not me, but the only goddess I regularly give thanks to is the goddess of averted disaster - you know, when your attention returns just in time to put on the breaks and not total your car - she's the one who collects the thanks and forgives all the "Oh shits!" No other worship accepted. Very easy to live under.

Happy new thread, Amber.

I think I'd end up being the goddess of misplaced phones and bookmarks and also overwatered plants. :P

You're getting close to the end of season 1 of OUAT. The finale makes me tear up a little every time.

>23 quondame: Ha! Nice one!

>24 MickyFine: Do you also cover people who spend an embarrassing amount of time looking for their phones when they're actually...talking on their phones? Because if so, sign me up.

Ooooh, welp, I'll be sobbing then, likely. If anyone hurts my sweet babboo Mr. Gold I will flip tables. Just FYI.

>26 scaifea: I think you'd probably fall under my domain. Last week while looking for my phone I used Mr. Fine's to call it and discovered I'd put it in my back pants pocket, just not the one I usually use. *faceplam*

The tearing up is all happy tears for me so we'll see how you do. :D

>27 MickyFine: Hahaha! Yep, I've done that, too!

And yeah, okay good. I'll still sob, probably, but maybe the tables will remain upright.

Hi Amber my dear, happy new thread dear friend.

Happy new thread. I was going to say I'm the goddess of lost electronics, but that seems to be claimed. How about goddess of unread New Yorkers? I'd even accept worship from those who have unread Atlantics, Scientific Americans, and Smithsonians.

And of course, TBR towers.

>29 johnsimpson: Thanks, John!

>30 ffortsa: Well you'll definitely have your hands full around here, Judy!

Happy new one, Amber. x

>33 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul!

Today's Agenda:
Class prep, helping Charlie with school stuff if he needs it, office hours, teaching, possibly working on the Classical Lit course proposal.

Yesterday was *such* a nice day that we opened up *all* the windows in the house for the first time this year. I so very much love that first day of blowing the stink out of the house. And since it looks like it's going to get up into the high 70s today, we'll be doing it again! *contented sigh*

On the reading front:
I read a bit of The Ugly American, listened to some Middlemarch, and started The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler. I would have managed more reading yesterday, but I wanted to get started on a new knitting project, and the beginnings of knitting projects need a quiet room and concentration for me, so my normal habit of knitting while we're watching TV in the evening wouldn't quite do. The project is a pair of socks, and I particularly needed the quiet because I'm using a fairly-new-to-me cast on method. And also, there's no way I'm going to let myself be distracted by knitting while watching OUAT...

What We're Watching:
Charlie and I watched another couple of OUAT episodes last night. Hooo, stuff is *happening*! Spoiler, which, essentially means a PM for Micky at this point, I suspect: I'm ready to burn Pinocchio to the GROUND for tricking my sweet Golden Muffin. Plus, watching Mr. Gold cry is akin to watching Willow Rosenberg cry: it's impossible not to sob right along with them. Also? Hard Truth: David/James/Charming is a complete putz.

Morning, Amber! Happy New Thread! It looks like you are about ready to lap me on the threads. You have been on fire.

>36 msf59: Ha! Thanks, Mark.

>35 scaifea: Happy hump day, Amber.

OUAT Yeah, I'm fond of August but he and Gold don't play nice. Of course, Gold doesn't really play nice with anyone but Belle...

David and Mary Margaret give me a lot of feels in season 1 but he is most decidedly a putz for large chunks of the season. Also I want all of Mary Margaret's outfits. And Emma's boots.

You're almost up to the finale. *rubs hands in glee*

>38 MickyFine: YES to Mary's outfits!! She's *so* adorable.

The fact that she and the actor who played David/Charming fell in love and married each other in real life during the run of the show adds an extra adorable factor.

>40 MickyFine: *gasp* I didn't know that! Oh, I love it!!

>30 ffortsa: Around here, it's the Paris Review... may I join your entourage?

>42 laytonwoman3rd: Ha! Worship of Judy will include reverently picking up a magazine, flipping through it half-heartedly, then putting it down someplace else.

Folks, today is one of my favorite teaching days in both classes: In the myth class, we're talking about Dido and Aeneas, the absolute most wonderfully tragic love story in the history of literature, hands down, and in Latin I'm introducing them to the irregular verb eo, ire, the accusative of place where, and the locative, which means that we can watch this clip from Life of Brian:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIAdHEwiAy8

It's going to be a good day.

I had a customer suggestion for a new translation of the Aeneid by Shadi Bartsch yesterday. Any plans to peruse it? I assume your fave is by Stanley Lombardo?

Also love the excuse to use pop culture while teaching. I used to do information services training in a previous job and while teaching Boolean searching I'd show a clip of Pigs in Space from the Muppet Show for context of searching "pigs AND space NOT barns." One of my fave profs in library school used that example and I've used it ever since.

>45 MickyFine: (I'll PM you about Bartsch.)

I shower my powerpoints in myth with memes, as you know, and am constantly making pop culture references and using them as teaching tools. It just...works. And the students love it and join in in really creative and fun ways. Case in point: in one of the myth Reader Responses today, a student mentioned that the descriptions of heroes as having weapons made out of special metals, or that have special abilities is like Captain America and his super-strong shield, and she's exactly right. Those kinds of comparisons are in fact incredibly helpful and instructive, along with being fun.

ETA: Silly me, I forgot to say that I LOVE that use of Pigs in Space! So clever!

>46 scaifea: That's awesome.

Happy new thread, Amber! I look forward to your comments on The Ugly American -- it's one I read and loved in college.

>48 swynn: Thanks, Steve! I'm very surprised at how much I'm enjoying it so far; I assumed I'd kind of hate it. Ha!

Happy new thread, Amber!

I'll go for traffic, it is the goddes I call for when we are on the road to give us a smooth drive.

I love Mario's magical rainbow snout!!! :-D

>35 scaifea: I love that first warm-enough day for opening windows and letting in some fresh air! Yay!!!

Skimming through, trying to figure out what OUAT is....

Happy new thread, Amber!

I could go a couple of ways with your mythology questions, and I'd see myself as goddess of
lost purses (I've been losing mine for decades now)
random facts (I remember those and have to bite my tongue from sharing them)
great discount buys (I have a talent for finding cute clothes on sale and tag sale treasures)

Once Upon A Time. 😀

Happy new thread, Amber!
>14 scaifea: >15 curioussquared: And already the position I wanted to apply for later has been filled elsewhere. And I think I would have been suitable...

>50 FAMeulstee: Hi, Anita!

Oooh, I'll remember this and start praying to you once I start actually driving real distances (beyond here to the grocery store) again!

>51 EBT1002: That Mario photo was so serendipitous! She just happened to sit where the prism in Tomm's office window touched her snoot. It's so fitting because of course she *is* magical, the goof.

Today will mark the third day in a row that we'll open all the windows! *happy sigh*

I see you figure out the code below. I'm really late to the OUAT party but I am so invested - it's so good!

>52 bell7: Hi, Mary!

You can have all three! Most Greek and Roman gods preside over a handful of areas, so it's legit. Also, I know whom to take with my the next time I go garage sailing!

>54 SirThomas: Thanks, Thomas!

Thanks for my first laugh of the day - you're too good at procrastinating and so missed out on claiming procrastination! Hahahaha!! (I'm so easily amused.)

Today's Agenda:
Post-teaching tidying (attendance and such), keeping an eye on Charlie's school work, menu planning and grocery ordering, then more work on the CAP course proposal, I suspect. Reading this afternoon. And I think we'll have Charlie's Quarantine Special: Rando-Rice-O for dinner tonight (it's his homemade version of Rice-a-Roni and it's delicious).

On the reading front:
I read a bit of The Ugly American and some of The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler yesterday. And I'm still very slowly working through Middlemarch on audio.

What We're Watching:
Welp, we finished season 1 of OUAT last night and got about halfway through the first episode of season 2 before bedtime. Woooof. Such a fun show. Pure escapism. I love it.

>59 scaifea: Wishing you a quietly productive day. Enjoy that sunshine and warmth. We've got a chance of showers/flurries this morning and 50 km/h winds in the afternoon so it's going to be a miserable grey spring day here.

Yay for wrapping up season 1! Snow and Charming finding each other after the curse breaks brings a tear to my eye every time. They're not my favourite couple on the show but that brief happy ending is so lovely. I'm also sure you're quite pleased with how things look for Rumple right now?

>60 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! I'm sorry about your grey day, though. Sounds like this evening calls for some HoCho up there.

I cried at Rumple and Belle but not for Snow and Putz Charming. They took too long with that reunion and I lost interest? I do love Snow, though. I am nervous for my Golden Muffin, in fact. Belle's not going to be happy with how he danced around the promise not to kill Regina, the ungrateful aussie/frog.

>61 scaifea: There's likely to be a long line of mugs next to my kitchen sink by the end of the day. :P

I like Belle more than Rumple, partially because Beauty and the Beast is my all-time favourite Disney movie, and partially because my opinion of Rumple is strongly flavoured by things you haven't got to yet. But I think you'll pleased with his arc in season 2.

>62 MickyFine: "strongly flavoured by things you haven't got to yet" I refuse to believe that I will ever have anything but feelings of complete admiration and devotion to my sweet Golden Muffin. How dare you. But yeah, I agree that BatB is one of the best Disney movies, and I love the live-action one (I prefer Hermione as Belle to this gal, really).

>63 scaifea: Your love for him is stronger than the fondness I had from the initial seasons so you might hang on to it. I'll definitely be interested to see. Emilie de Ravin is not my favourite Belle but I love all of her outfits (excluding her hospital gown look) both in the Enchanted Forest and in Storybrooke.

>64 MickyFine: I have a high tolerance for wickedness and general dastardliness in my boyfriends, so I'm sure it'll be fine.

I do love pretty much all the outfits for Belle and Snow. (And the Mad Hatter. I need his wardrobe!)

I have not watched OUAT but perhaps I'll check it out. Pure escapism can be pretty appealing sometimes.... :-)

>66 EBT1002: It is definitely good if you're looking for brain candy, Ellen. I hope you love it if you decide to give it a go!

>53 EBT1002: aaaah! *penny drops*

>53 EBT1002: >68 LovingLit: Me too! Thanks!

Happy New-ish thread Amber :)

>68 LovingLit: >69 BekkaJo: You know, you could have just asked... Sheesh. I am generally unaware of the times when I'm slightly ineffable, so just yell at me when that happens.

Today's Agenda:
Bill sorting, grocery pickup, helping Charlie with school if he needs it, baking (mandelbrot), office hours, hopefully some reading time.

On the reading front:
Still plugging along with The Ugly American and still listening to Middlemarch.

What We're Watching:
An Arrow episode, an episode of Coupling, and the first one of Falcon and Winter Soldier, or whatever it's called. I wasn't really super excited to start this one because I'm not terribly interested in Falcon's storyline, but I do like Bucky and he doesn't disappoint here.

Okay, I'll ask. What is mandelbrot?

>72 katiekrug: I am also curious, as the only Mandelbrot I am even vaguely familiar with was a mathematician back in the Olden Days. We learned about him in high school geometry but don't ask me what we learned, as that has already been erased from the hard drive. :-)

>72 katiekrug: >73 rosalita: They're a lot like biscotti (you bake them twice like you do with biscotti), but they're not nearly as rock-hard when they're finished, so you can eat them without dunking, if you like (although they're also excellent dunkers).

Hi Amber!

>44 scaifea: Such an excellent clip. I hope you had a lovely day.

>59 scaifea: Rando-Rice-O? I make something officially called Skillet Pilaf which we call Church Rice since it uses Mrs. Grass’s Noodle Soup with Chicken Broth, one of the four Church Food Categories – Cream of Anything Soup, Cool Whip, Dried Soup Mixes (French Onion and Noodle, mainly) and Jello.

>75 karenmarie: We *did* have a fun time in class on Wednesday. Or, at least, I did. I think the kiddos did, too.

Charlie named the dish since he created it. Here's what he makes:
Chop up two green peppers and sauté them with 1 cup of rice and 2 tablespoons of butter, then add 1 3/4 cups water, three beef bouillon cubes, and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, pop a lid on the pan, turn the heat to low and simmer for 18 minutes, then take off the heat but don't remove the lid for another 5 minutes. Done. Simple but tasty. We combo it with a side salad and some sort of fruit and an easy meal.

I *love* the church food groups! So accurate.

>75 karenmarie: Ah, church food groups! I remember being at a funeral luncheon in recent years in the church basement in my home town. My husband was very impressed with the meatballs simmering in gravy in a slow cooker---went back for seconds. So naturally I had to find out if I could get the recipe. I asked one of the church ladies who had prepared the food, and she said "Simple. Buy a bag of frozen meatballs at Sam's Club and heat them up in a couple jars of Heinz Savory Beef Gravy"!

>71 scaifea: End of term must be nearing, yes? Are your office hours busier?

Mr. Fine likes TF&TWS more than I do. I don't hate it but I don't love it like I did WandaVision. But have you seen the trailer for Loki??? *fans self*

>77 laytonwoman3rd: *takes pencil from behind ear, scribbles down notes*

>78 MickyFine: Three more weeks of classes, Micky. But no, generally there are crickets in my office hours. I choose to believe it's because I'm an amazing prof. Yep, that's why. Just...not need for office hours.

Honestly, though, they tend just to stay after class if they have questions, which suits me fine because then I use office hours to work on other things.

Yeah, I suspect I'll end up liking WandaVision more, too. Too much actual fight scenes in Falcon/Winter Soldier and I lose interest in that sort of thing so quickly. But Bucky is very easy on the eyes, so there's that.

>14 scaifea: I'm good at putting my mobile phone somewhere and then having the cordless landline handset ringing in my ear while I hunt for the mobile... Apparently (of late) I'm at fault for putting the handset down wherever I last carried out that procedure.

So I'd say I'm an Absent Goddess of nothing.

Just finished Book 16 of the Sebastian St. Cyr series, What the Devil Knows. I might even remember enough of it to review! Eventually. I think I'll call it a 4-star read with some 3-star flat-lining and confusion in the middle third.

>81 SandyAMcPherson: Ha! Good answer, Sandy!

I haven't read any of that series - do you recommend it, in general?

>80 scaifea: Ah yes that makes sense. I always forget your fall term starts much later there, which obviously affects your end of year. Winter term starts wrapping up around now at the university I attended, with finals done by end of April, so my Facebook memories are full of whining or exclaiming about papers and exam countdowns right now. Don't miss that part of school, I have to say.

>83 MickyFine: Ha! Yeah, I don't really enjoy the grading part, either, to be honest.

This week's Friday After School Treat, Chocolate Chip Mandelbrot:

I’d like a set of those Mandelbrots, please. 😀

(Tomm’ll get the joke...)

>86 drneutron: *snork!* (I get it, too.)

Howdy, Amber! I just saw a news article that Pfizer has applied to the FDA for emergency-use authorization for their vaccine to be administered to ages 12-15. I know you've been hoping Charlie could get his jab soon.

>88 rosalita: Oh YAY! That is *such* good news! And how much do I love that you thought to let me know - thank you, friend!!

>89 scaifea: Friends look out for each other! I just scheduled my first jab for next Wednesday, so I am also feeling pretty chuffed right now.

>90 rosalita: Yay!! I kind of love how we're all cheering each other on as we get our shots. It's such a comforting, community feeling.

>91 scaifea: We're all in this together! And someday (knock on wood) we'll all be OUT of this together. And then watch out, because a road trip to Ohio may be in order!

>14 scaifea: I think I'd be the deity of comings and goings. For those folks who have to keep going back for one more thing they forgot, or who arrive in the nick of time, or who just missed the bus, or show up at the right time on the wrong day, or...

>35 scaifea: I read The Ugly American when I was in Peace Corps, which gave it an extra dollop of irony? Relevance? I enjoyed the story. I read Catch-22 around the same time too.

>85 scaifea: Yum!!

>82 scaifea: I haven't read any of that series - do you recommend it, in general?

Yuppers. Lots of us 75-ers enjoy CS Harris's work. I had a number of four-star reads. I just posted the review on Talk. It was one of the best in the later sagas.

As I said in my review, I admire how well the author combines fact and fiction. She's a very authoritative historian from what I've read (her real name is IIRC, Candice Proctor). A little blurb about her scholarly work mentions these facts:
(quoting a book browse website),
A former academic with a PhD in European history, Candice also worked as an archaeologist on a variety of sites including a Hudson's Bay Company fort in San Juan Island, a Cherokee village in Tennessee, a prehistoric kill site in Victoria, Australia, and a Roman cemetery and medieval manor house in Winchester, England.

I'm hoping to read something of her archaeological work in her mysteries! I'd love to see one set in the San Juans. Those are not far off the coast of southern Vancouver Island (BC), where I grew up. We used to take a ferry over to camp on the Islands. Back in the late 1950's / early'60s, it was idyllic.

>78 MickyFine: Somehow I forgot to respond to your mention of the Loki trailer and how that happened I don't know because I've been obsessively watching it over and over for a week now. I. Am. SO. Excited!!

>92 rosalita: OHmygosh Yes!!

>93 justchris: Good answer for the bonus question, Chris. I suspect you'll also have a healthy group of followers.

I'm really surprised at how enjoyable The Ugly American is so far.

>94 SandyAMcPherson: Thanks for the, Sandy - I will add the series to my Someday List!

On the agenda for today:
A bit of baking (Fairy Cakes - a recipe from a Mary Berry book, so they should be good, yeah?), a bit of sewing, laundry (of course because always), and hopefully a fair amount of reading. Tomm's in charge of dinner and he's getting the grill out for the first time this spring to cook bbq chicken breasts.

On the reading front:
I think I should be able to finish up The Ugly American today, and possibly also The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler.

What We're Watching:
Family Game Night last night: Charlie picked the D&D game he's DMing for Tomm and I, and we always have a hilarious time with it. Last night Jimby (Tomm's character) and Rowan (mine) decided to explore a goblin-infested cave. We tried to use the element of surprise by playing the Get Help trick from Thor: Ragnarok. It...didn't work (we are stupidly bad at rolling any numbers higher than, say, 3). So then the head goblin held a human captive over a precipice and demanded that we surrender or he'd kill the guy. Tomm and I decided to upset expectations by just arrow-shooting the guy ourselves as our insulted response to being forced to choose, aaaaand we rolled badly and missed him...3 times. By this time all three of us are crying real tears because we're laughing so hard. Good times.

Anyway, after our ridiculously unsuccessful cave adventure, we settled down for an episode of Graham Norton and two of Friends, which Charlie is absolutely loving - Chandler and Phoebe are his favorites, as I predicted they would be.

Jimby? Really? 😂😂

>100 drneutron: Right?! I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks he picked a ridiculous name! I tend to 'accidentally' call him Jimbly Jamba most of the time.

>98 scaifea: Sounds like your campaign is delightful. Mr. Fine uses a dice tower because he tends to roll like you if he rolls by hand.

>102 MickyFine: Honestly, I'm not sure that I *want* to be better at rolling. It's pretty fun this way.

65. The Ugly American (100 Banned Books) - 9/10 = A
A connected collection of vignettes, all centered around the fictional Southeast Asian country of Sarkhan and the Americans stationed there by the US government. I honestly didn't think I'd enjoy this one at all, because war and politics are very much not my reading jam, generally. But these stories are so well told, the characters so well drawn, and the point of the authors so well made that, in fact, I loved it. I never would have picked it up had the book not been on the list of banned books I've been working through for ages. It was banned for political reasons, and it's not difficult to see why: Lederer and Burdick wrote the thing to draw attention to the ridiculous attitudes Americans had toward the people in SE Asia, their self-isolation once stationed there (all-US cocktail parties and only shopping at the commissaries and such), and the buffoonery of the official decisions and (in)actions that resulted. Very readable and still relevant.

66. The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler by Gene Kemp (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B+
Follows the ups and downs of a school year for Tyke Tiler, including taking care of a friend, Danny, who has much more trouble at school than Tyke, both mean and kind teachers, a hectic but loving home, and adventures in an abandoned mill.

Above-average entry in the genre of first-person school narratives. The story was fun and the characters believable; I was particularly impressed with how I was completely fooled until the very end into thinking Tyke was a boy. (I assume this was the point and not that I was just weirdly dense about it, because it *did* seem to be a purpose-filled reveal, with no indication of her gender previous to the last couple of pages).

Sharing this Mcsweeney's article as the review of Pandora is likely a perfect gem for your mythology class.

>99 scaifea: Sounds like you had a fun games night!

Have a great weekend

>104 scaifea: Glad to hear that one made an impression. It certainly did on me way back when -- it kept me angry for days. (Though war and politics was very much my jam.)

>106 MickyFine: Where did this Mcsweeney's article get lost? Sounds intriguing to see reinterpretations, but not sure about the clicky.

>109 SandyAMcPherson: Fixed it.

>106 MickyFine: That is a hoot.

>106 MickyFine: HAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Oh, I am *so* sharing this with the Myth class! Alll of those are amazing! McSweeney's always hits it out of the park.

>107 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita! I am grateful every day that we have a 12yo who still thinks hanging out with his parents is fun. Will that change the second he turns 13? I guess we'll find out...

>108 swynn: Steve: Somehow I knew already that this was How Things Were/Likely Still Are in Some Places, but yes, it's an anger-inducing read, but in a very good way. And you know, I say that war and politics aren't my thing, but I can think of more books on the subjects that I've like than ones I haven't, so...*shrug?*

Today's Agenda:
House cleaning (How is it Sunday again already?! GROSS. and RUDE.), some baking (another Mary Berry recipe, called Flap Jacks, but it's essentially homemade granola bars and they'll be for our breakfasts this week), some more time in the sewing room, and then some reading this afternoon.

On the reading front:
After finishing two books yesterday I read more of Chaotic Good and started The Haunting. I'm not sure which current read I'll spend my time with today...I may start Sense and Sensibility...

What We're Watching:
It was my pick last night, so we rewatched Chicken Run (the stop-motion Nick Park film - so funny) and then another episode of Falcon and Winter Soldier. I *love* these two together - they do the buddy cop/odd couple thing so well.

Hi Amber!

>76 scaifea: Sad – I can’t eat cooked green peppers. Except for the green peppers it sounds similar to my MiL’s Brown Rice. I got excited when she asked me if I liked brown rice during an early-in-my-marriage visit. I was thrilled – brown rice, after all, in the heart of North Carolina in 1992 – but it turns out to have been Dried Soup Mix Church Food, Rice Category – rice cooked with Lipton French Onion Soup Mix.

>85 scaifea: Most recipes I see are for twice-baked Mandelbrot – like biscotti – but these don’t look like they’re twice baked. Right or wrong?

>113 scaifea: Oh yes, take every day you can get. My 27-year-old daughter and I have had our ups and downs and she’s fiercely independent, but she likes to call me every day. I’ll take it as long as I can get it.

>116 karenmarie: Morning, Karen!

Aha! More church food group food! Too funny. The beauty of this recipe is that you could substitute something else for the peppers - what would sound good to you?

And yep, they're twice-baked. I'm not sure they'd be mandelbrot if they weren't, although I'm certainly no expert.

I take comfort in the fact that Charlie is *so* much like my brother, Steve, who was very close to our mom all his life (he died at 46), so here's hoping Charlie and I can hold onto our close relationship, too. I called my mom every day for years up until this last one; she's had some pretty serious medical issues and her recovery process has meant a lot of sleeping during the day. I don't want to wake her, so we talk now once a week, generally, with the idea that she can call me whenever she wants to talk more.

>110 MickyFine: Thanks.
Utterly hilarious and really cheered me up in the midst of seeing it snowing like crazy outside...

>115 scaifea: Other than the cleaning sounds like a great plan for the day, Amber.

>118 SandyAMcPherson: Yeah I heard that the storm that blew through Alberta yesterday was supposed to meet up with a front blowing up from Texas that was going to result in some crazy spring snowfall in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Hang in there, Sandy.

>119 MickyFine: Thanks Micky. It is fairly traditional that we have snow/rain/snow through to early May. Frustratingly, the winter weeds are flourishing despite the weather!

Hi Amber, back again to visit your thread and wondering how many threads you will have before 2022 starts!

>119 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! Cleaning is all done - woot!

>121 connie53: Ha! Well, it does seem like things are slowing down at bit now, at least.

Today's Agenda:
I spent the better part of yesterday not feeling great and I'm the same this morning; I can't tell if it's allergies or a bit of a bug of some kind. So I've taken some DayQuil with fingers crossed that it actually helps and doesn't just put me into a brain fog. We'll see how it goes.

Otherwise, a typical Monday: Quiz grading, Reader Response grading, class prep, office hours, helping Charlie with his school work if he needs it, teaching. It's a DC Night, so I'm already looking forward to crawling into my PJs and into bed with a stack of books immediately after I finish teaching this evening. (Don't you just love the days when your first morning thought is that you can't wait to get back in bed again that night?)

On the reading front:
I started Sense and Sensibility yesterday and so far so good, of course. I saw the movie with Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman yonks ago and I remember I loved it but don't really remember much about the plot. So I'm looking forward to this one. I also read a bit of The Haunting, and I'm still plodding along with Middlemarch on audio.

What We're Watching:
Charlie's pick and we watched another Falcon and Winter Soldier episode, plus a rewatch of Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse, which is so, so good.

>124 scaifea: Ooh, S&S. Good choice! And I can watch that movie again and again. You definitely need to watch it again after you finish the book.

There's also a pretty decent TV adaptation of Middlemarch. I liked the novel well enough, but appreciated it more after watching the program. I can't remember who plays Dorothea, but Rufus Sewell and Robert Hardy are both in it.

>125 lauralkeet: Morning, Laura!

Oh, yes, I do want to watch the movie again once I've finished reading the book. And you had me at Rufus Sewell - I'm sold on the Middlemarch adaptation, too! I'll have to try to track it down somewhere...

>126 scaifea: you had me at Rufus Sewell
Oh yeah! Absolutely. Have you seen him in "Zen"? He's the lead detective (Aurelio Zen) in a mystery/crime series set in Italy, just 3 episodes sadly.

>127 lauralkeet: No, I haven't! *furiously scribbles notes*

I know him mostly from Dark City and A Knight's Tale (and I think he was Fortinbras in Branagh's Hamlet?), but I love him tons.

I'll just add that as Zen, Sewell presents a formidable challenge to Hiddleston as sexiest man alive. 😀

>129 lauralkeet: Ooof, that's a pretty tall order, Laura. I mean, Sewell *is* easy on the eyes, but let's not go crazy...

LOL! You'll have to report back after watching Zen.

>131 lauralkeet: (I've just been off googling Zen for images and...yes, I think I may just need to watch that...)

This week's Latin Bonus Question:

Best villain ever (from movies, tv, literature,...) and why?

'Morning, Amber!

>124 scaifea: Alan Rickman was so romantic and dashing in Sense and Sensibility.

>133 scaifea: It may be because I'm reading/re-reading all the Nero Wolfe novels by Rex Stout, but I'd have to say Arnold Zeck, a criminal mastermind we meet in 3 of the novels. The sheer menace of his voice on the phone even makes Wolfe, normally fearless, tiptoe around offending Zeck. The three novels are And Be a Villain, The Second Confession, In the Best Families. The viciousness, amorality, ruthlessness, and soft-spoken power are enough to spook me. Of course, modern-day drug cartels have taken the business model to higher levels, but the way Stout writes about Arnold Zeck is more than vivid enough for me.

>132 scaifea: Excellent. My work is done. 😀

>134 karenmarie: Hi, Karen!

I think you can full stop at "Alan Rickman was so romantic and dashing," no?

Oooh, I haven't read any Stout, but your description of Zeck is enough to make me want to!

>135 lauralkeet: *snork!*

>134 karenmarie: Excellent choice, Karen! The description of Zeck's eyes as being misplaced from a shark (or some such wording) makes me shudder every time.

>138 rosalita: Oh, whoa, that *is* creepy!

Still morning here so, Morning Amber!

S&S has so much (melo)drama in it and I love it. I also adore the film version with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet. Have you seen Emma Thompson's Golden Globe speech from when she won for best screenplay? Sheer delight.

I will also mention that the 2008 version of Sense & Sensibility involves a scene of Dan Stevens in the role of Edward Ferrars chopping wood in the rain while wearing a white shirt. *fans self* Worth the price of admission just for that scene. ;)

ETA: And my favourite villain is Andrew Scott's Moriarty from the Benedict Cumberbatch Sherlock. So terrifying and so charming all at the same time.

>140 MickyFine: You have excellent taste in villians, Micky - he's definitely one of my favorites, too. (I've heard he makes a decent priest, too. *ahem*)

I *do* remember that Thompson speech! She's a treasure.

*licks pencil, makes note about Stevens*

>123 scaifea:. Hi Amber, I hope all is well and I did notice the speed going down a little. I like that a lot. It gives me a better change of keeping up with things.

>142 connie53: If it means seeing you round the threads more, then I agree that it's a very good thing!

Today's Agenda:
I woke up feeling slightly better in general, but I still have a nasty headache, so...woot. It's the usual on the To Do list today (keeping an eye on Charlie's work, after-class tidying,...), plus a pop to the library for holds. Charlie Chili for dinner tonight.

On the reading front:
I spent some of my In Bed Early in My PJs and with My Books time yesterday evening with Sense and Sensibility, part of it with The Haunting, and...most of it asleep with the books scattered around me. Tomm and Charlie had to wake me for bedtime storytime. Yoicks.

>144 scaifea: Drag her, Amber! Signed, Agent of Chaos

>145 rosalita: *SNORK!* Helpful, Julia. I'm sure my department chair will appreciate your cheerleading of my obstinance.

>145 rosalita: - HA!

Hope that headache (the literal and the figurative) abate soon...

>144 scaifea: The son's getting his PhD this spring (in Machine Learning, not Classics, but nevertheless...) and has always been interested in continuing on in academia. Except he's been getting a lot of buttheadedness from a committee member (that will work out, but nevertheless...) and has really started rethinking whether he wants to spend the rest of his life like that. 😀

>147 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie! Neither are showing signs of moving out at present, although in the case of the latter, I at least have the support of the Dean...

>148 drneutron: Jim: *snork!* Poor Son. I hope that buttheadedness works out soon for him. Honestly, though, it's a real concern - the insanity of academia - and he really should leave a big space in the Cons column for it...

>148 drneutron:, >145 rosalita: I'm with the Agent of Chos.

After 40+ years in 3 different Universities + a post-doc at WSU, I can attest to the fact that Academia is one of the suckiest environments going for small-minded politics.


I now caution anyone who thinks a Ph.D. and *continuing* in "academia" is A Good Idea to carefully think through such a decision. "Be careful what you wish for" is a wise proverb. Of course it can work out differently/the same in all sorts of workplaces but imho, universities can be one of the most difficult environments going.

Morning, Amber. Sorry to hear about the literal and figurative headaches. My sympathies on dealing with difficult personalities at work. I totally know what it's like to have that going on and tainting the otherwise great enjoyment you get from your job. Hopefully this passes quickly and you can get back to the stuff you actually like. :)

>151 SandyAMcPherson: Yeah. There *are* good people in the field, too, though, of course. And there are awful work environments elsewhere. But that, coupled with how difficult it is to get a job in academia means that people should think long and hard about getting a PhD in certain fields these days, I agree.

>152 MickyFine: Oh, it'll pass. It's just a stupid committee thing and won't be a permanent part of my job at all, really. I feel bad for my department chair, who has to deal with this stuff on a regular basis, though. The glory of being an adjunct is that I can pull my Just an Adjunct Card when I need to and say that this BS is not in my pay grade.

>154 scaifea: Yay for being an adjunct then!

>155 MickyFine: Exactly so.

>153 scaifea: When I wasn't sure what I wanted to do in my life during college, I casually threw out the idea of an English PhD to my favorite English professor and she basically immediately squashed any ideas I had about that. I liked the idea of more school but definitely hadn't thought about what I would even do with it and how tough the job market is. I'm glad you have found a position that works for you and allows you to exit the room when the BS starts!

>157 curioussquared: I don't like the idea of crushing people's dreams of grad school, but the reality is rough. I had a professor tell me a similar story when I talked to him about going to grad school, but I'm stubborn and didn't listen, then I got ridiculously lucky and landed a tenure-track position at a fairly prestigious school. And then I chose to leave that position for another kind of life, and people still think I'm nuts for doing so. *shrug* I don't regret it one bit, and I think it's pretty funny that the assumption is, among academics at least, that an adjunct has, at best, an MA and not much experience - watching them backpedal when they discover the truth is...entertaining. It's the best possibly position for me right now: part time, not a lot of commitment, and very little of the bureaucracy and politics. Perfection.

>158 scaifea: You sound like me, Amber.
I was pigheaded about grad school, largely because I was being passed over all too frequently for better positions ~ because *I only had a B.Sc.* There I was supervising post-docs and running prof's research programs as the lab manager. Sheesh.
So in my early 40's I did go to school again, got the Piled-Higher-and-Deeper (more BS) and carried on. I was grateful to never be appointed to faculty though. It was very poisonous-seeming and in my field, dominated by jealousy and I-don't-what, fear? of hiring a woman.
Retirement was bliss and I took it as soon as our kids had their University careers completed (cause tuition is a killer, even more so when one kiddo went to the USA for grad school).

I'm thrilled you have such flexibility in your position. I would have loved to play that this BS is not in my pay grade card.

>158 scaifea: I don't think it was so much crushing my dreams so much as she recognized that I wasn't THAT committed to the idea and it wasn't, like, a dream job for me, just something I had casually thought of, so she just wanted to make sure I knew what I would be getting into if I did decide to go down that path.

>159 SandyAMcPherson: Ooof, yeah. My field, which I started grad school at least, was pretty much an Old White Guy's field, and women were still fighting for recognition, so I've fought the good fight, too, in a sense. It's exhausting.

>160 curioussquared: Oh, good!

>151 SandyAMcPherson: When my brother left the Harvard faculty to head the biotech company he co-founded one of his (new) wife's friends expressed surprise that an ivory tower person could deal with the realities of real world business. I was chortling, and pointed out that no one gets on the Harvard faculty just because of family connections, the politics is vicious, and my brother more vicious than most.

>163 quondame: Ah, Harvard. The poster school for Old White Guy Academia. (NB: I'm not saying your brother is necessarily one of the OWGs.) My dissertation adviser told me once that if he ever got a job offer from Harvard he'd immediately retire because it would mean he'd not had an original or clever thought in at least 10 years. I miss his snark sometimes.

Many, many years ago I finished the doctorate, intending to teach, but then went to work in government instead. Academic committees are not the only place to find difficult people I can assure you! At least you have tenure there and generally don't have to take carp from random members of the public. I watched my PhD husband happily teach at a university for 35 years and wondered if I'd made the best decision.

But hey! Now I'm retired, have a defined benefits pension and a very, very happy life!! I don't think there is any totally smooth path in life.

>164 scaifea: Well, my brother insists he is an OWG, since has eschewed all religion afaik I can't deny that he isn't really Jewish. He was awarded tenure with the understanding that he was leaving to make money, which he did. Still your advisor can't be 100% accurate (cynical me is sniffing sour grapes) as the place still has some non-shabby research findings from time to time. Of course I can't speak to the humanities side of thing, being a techie 3 generations deep. But snark is entertaining and good for keeping us sane.

>165 RebaRelishesReading: Academia certainly isn't for everyone, but some people make it work just fine. Honestly, I think I was pretty darling at being a Lady of Leisure, but this will work, too, I suppose.

>166 quondame: *grins*

>164 scaifea: My dissertation adviser told me once that if he ever got a job offer from Harvard he'd immediately retire because it would mean he'd not had an original or clever thought in at least 10 years.

I'm loving that. I want to repeat it to *my* brother! His PhD supervisor bailed out of U of Chicago to accept a position at Harvard. My bro was royally narked, saying there was no way he would follow the supervisor. His diss was already through the first draft and I think he worried about how would everything play out since points of view would change. He'll appreciate your supervisor's comment, Amber.

>169 SandyAMcPherson: *SNORK!* Guess where my adviser did his PhD work...

Today's Agenda:
Welp, head still hurts. My relationship with this headache has now officially lasted longer than some of my old boyfriends. Woot. I should get a cake. Or paper products.

Anyway.

The good news is that I don't teach today: today is the second of two mini-breaks the uni is giving students (and faculty), I guess to make up for not giving us a spring break this year. I'll take it!

So, I'll spend the day hanging out at my desk in case Charlie needs help, probably puttering around with the *next* course proposal, and reading.

On the reading front:
More progress on Sense and Sensibility and The Haunting; I may finish the latter today.

What We're Watching:
Tomm has another week of working late, so Charlie and I are watching more OUAT. *happy sigh*

>171 scaifea: Glad to read the issue with the trouble maker was resolved, Amber. Even more that it was satisfying for you :-)

>171 scaifea: I don't love people making assumptions about someone's abilities based on their job title, so I'm glad your Committee Butt got her comeuppance. My official title is Secretary III even though I do database management and other supposedly "higher level" tasks, and it really ticks me off when someone says to me, "Oh, I would never have taken you for a secretary!" The last time, I said "That's not the compliment you think it is," and heaven help me but I enjoyed immensely her stammering and backpedaling..

>171 scaifea: I didn't realize the committee issue was so *personal*, I thought it was more about the course syllabus or schedule or something. "Being a butt" indeed. I'm glad it was resolved in such a satisfying way.

>172 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita!

>173 rosalita: Oh, yeah, that sort of thing is so infuriating, isn't it? I LOVE that you came back with that response! You are the coolest, Julia.

>174 lauralkeet: Well, it didn't start out as a personal thing, and I suspect she still doesn't think of it that way - I think she saw that she wasn't getting her way as easily as she thought she would, so she resorted to other means.

Morning, Amber! Happy Wednesday. I hope your week is going along smoothly.

>178 msf59: Morning, Mark!

>171 scaifea: - "It was...satisfying."

It was satisfying to read about it! Go Amber!

Hi Amber.

I deliberately didn’t choose to take a B.A. in History because I knew you needed an advanced degree and I didn’t want to teach anyway. I always joked that the only teaching job I ever would have taken was as a tenured professor in the Midwest somewhere, but instead I got a B.S. in Business Administration and was lucky enough to become a computer programmer/analyst/manager. I had quite a nice career doing that even with the occasional asshole manager.

>171 scaifea: I’m very sorry that you still have the headache, glad that at least you don’t teach today. Yay for an impressive CV and the butt having to backpedal.

>180 katiekrug: Ha! Thanks, Katie!

>181 karenmarie: I do so love the teaching business, Karen, and as much as grad school was a specific kind of hell, I loved the actual knowledge-gaining part of it. Learning for learning's sake is one big fat heckin' privilege, admittedly.

And thanks for the headache sympathies. My Latin students and I were talking about second shot symptoms (the uni had a massive J&J shot clinic last weekend and my class numbers were down on Monday because of students out with side effects), and several of them said that they had headaches from the shot as if headaches are a rarish thing for them. I marveled at that and they marveled right back at me when I told them that I spend probably 90% of my days with a headache of some variety. Have done so since I was about 6 years old. Most days it's just background annoyance, really. Not so much these past few, though.

Morning Amber. Sorry to hear the headache is still not ignorable today. But I'm with Katie, the tale of you dealing with the butt on the committee was satisfying.

Have some sassy Mr. Gold to make your day better.

>184 MickyFine: *swoons* Oh, Mr. Gold, how I love you.

And thanks!

(Just FYI in case it's confusing to anyone: I'm editing a couple of the above posts to delete certain comments about certain people (non-LT people, of course!) being butt-like. I've been feeling guilty about it and even though that's probably a little crazy, well, *shrug*. I mean, maybe said person is just having a bad week? Anyway. I just feel bad for venting about her. So.)

>186 scaifea:

>187 laytonwoman3rd: *snork!* Ain't it the truth, though.

Today's Agenda:
Menu planning and grocery ordering, helping Charlie if he needs it, puttering around with next year's courses, reading. Baked potato bar for dinner tonight, I think.

On the reading front:
I had meant to finish up The Haunting yesterday but instead spent most of my reading time with Sense and Sensibility. I'll keep at it with both of those today, likely.

What We're Watching:
More OUAT for Charlie and me. Spoiler meant mostly for Micky: Okay, so Hook is now on the scene and yes, he's gorgeous and he can rock the eyeliner (although I would argue that Bucky the Mad Hatter wears it better), but he hurt my Sweet Golden Muffin and I cannot let that stand. (NB: We've watched up through the Hook/Rumple backstory being explained, but Hook isn't in Storybrooke yet, just fyi. Also, Belle and the library: I totally called it beforehand and I'm extremely pleased with myself for that. Also, Snow had a ONS with Dr. Frankenstein omg I LOVE THIS SHOW.)

>186 scaifea: Nothing to feel bad about IMO.

We (the verbally abused) need to call out such deplorable behaviour.
While I can see that if the offender were to identify herself here, it would be awkward, but this is a fairly constricted "audience", no?
I also thought you were sufficiently coy about the whole situation.

Besides which I was personally rather gleeful to read about your tussle. It was satisfying to know you stood up for yourself and that the rest of your committee moved forward on the proposals. One wonders why no one called out this person on your behalf, though.

>190 SandyAMcPherson: My guilt didn't involve worry that she would discover the discussion here - I just felt bad for airing my irritation about a specific (even if unnamed) person and for forgetting to keep in mind that everyone has their own private struggles and she may be going through something I don't know anything about, which is causing her to lash out in this way. I'm just trying to be mindful and empathetic.

And other's *did* call her out - the Dean and the chair of the overall committee send out emails checking her on her objections. So I certainly don't feel left on my own about it and that's good. But I do appreciate your solidarity glee!

>189 scaifea: Mmm baked potato bar sounds scrumptious

OUAT Umm, may I point out that Rumple wasn't exactly kind to Hook either? Crushing your girlfriend's heart in front you is pretty harsh. There's a lot of blame to go around in that relationship. :P There's some good Hook stuff coming up so while I won't be surprised that Gold is always your favourite, Hook might creep up your like meter. And yes, there's at least one more joke about Snow and Whale that crops up later that cracks me up every time.

>192 MickyFine: "your girlfriend's" Um, you misspelled Rumple's pathetic horrible cheating excuse for a WIFE, but fine. We'll see about Hook, but I can make no promises that I won't hate him until the day I die, easy on the eyes as he is. And I can't make out why he's called Whale in this world - am I just being a dummy?

67. The Haunting by Margaret Mahy (1001 Children's Books) = 8/10 = B
Barney is being haunted by his possibly-dead Great Uncle Cole, but he doesn't want to tell anyone because it would just upset them.
A neat premise with a couple of fun twists and a flash of lovely writing here and there, but it felt like more of a quick sketch than a fully fleshed-out story. That's a shame; if the characters had been given more depth and the story more time and detail, this could have been a real corker.

>191 scaifea: You're a Good Woman, Charlie's Mom.

>193 scaifea: Watch all of season 2 and then get back to me on Mila. She's a complicated woman. And I don't think there's any tip of the cap in Whale being named Whale. Or if there is, I'm also a dummy.

>195 rosalita: *snork!* Thanks for that, Julia. You're just the coolest and the cleverest and I love it!

>196 MickyFine: *grumble grumble* Okay fine. But still.

The Whale thing annoys me because if it *is* purposeful, then I'm annoyed at myself for not getting it, but if it *isn't* then I'm annoyed at the show for picking such an unusual name for no good reason.

ETA: AHA! I just googled and Whale is the name of the director for the movies Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein! I KNEW there had to be a reason!

>198 scaifea: See you ARE a smarty!

>199 MickyFine: *SNORK!* Well, I know how to google, at least, and sometimes I'm just not-lazy enough to do it...

>197 scaifea: I knew you'd catch the reference. :-)

>201 rosalita: *big goofy grin*

>200 scaifea: See you're beating me there. I only google if I'm getting paid. (I kid).

>203 MickyFine: HAhahaha!!

We own the DVD of the Sense and Sensibility with Emma Thomson and Alan Rickman but haven't watched it as many times as we have watched the DVDs of Pride and Prejudice with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth. :-)

>205 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen! If S&S isn't available on Prime to stream, I suspect I'll be purchasing a DVD. I remember loving it, and I'm very much enjoying the book, plus RICKMAN. In. Period. Costume.

I've...still...never watched the Firth P&P. Someday, maybe. I'm just such a fan of the Knightley/MacFadyen one that I just keep rewatching it instead.

Today's Agenda:
Grocery pickup, bill sorting, baking (pumpkin spice bars), and hopefully lots of reading.

On the reading front:
I did manage to finish up the one book yesterday, but I'm still working on Sense & Sensibility. Maybe I'll get it finished today? We'll see. I am really enjoying it, though.

What We're Watching:
We polished off all available GBBS things a couple of weeks ago, so now Thursday nights are for episodes of Arrow, plus we've started a rewatch of one of our all-time favorite shows, Coupling. Then, when Charlie joined us after his D&D meeting ended, we watched the latest Falcon and Winter Soldier. Zemo is a MOOD and I love it. Plus, it will never get old watching those Wakanda warriors handing New Cap his own ass. I would rewatch that scene on a loop, yes please.

>206 scaifea: But… but… isn’t there a scene with a hog roaming the house in the Knightley/MacFadyen version? Beyond unauthentic? A gentleman’s home would NOT have a hog roaming the house. I’m definitely Team Ehle/Firth.

>208 karenmarie: I'm sorry, I'm too busy oogling both the leads while watching to have any attention or concern for the authenticity of pigs. I'll let you hold onto your Ehle/Firth - I'll take the Bridget Jones/Love Actually/slightly more aged Firth for myself.

>206 scaifea: But... but... the wet shirt...

>207 scaifea: Heartily agreed on your spoiler comments on TF&TWS.

Happy Friday!

>210 MickyFine: Yeah, but his out-of-control sideburns tip the scales the other way for me, to be honest.

And yay for F&WS agreement! I'm enjoying that show *way* more than I thought I would.

I wouldn't call those out of control. They're nowhere near mutton chops. But I also like a man with a beard so longer sideburns bother me not at all.

>212 MickyFine: You are welcome to Fuzzy Face Firth, then, with all my blessings. Along with Hook. I'll just be over here with MacFadyen and Mr. Gold...

>213 scaifea: Snort.

68. The Whistle, the Grave, and the Ghost by Brad Strickland (family bedtime read-aloud) - 9/10 = A
Lewis Barnavelt is at it again, and this time, during a camping trip, he finds a magic whistle that summons a lamia (an ancient vampire-type creature). As usual, he and his friend Rose Rita decide that it's best not to tell the adults about it because that always works out so well for them (yoicks). But, of course, it all works out in the end, with a nice little surprise twist along the way.
I've said it before but clearly that's not stopping me: I love this series because it's perfect for middle grade kiddos who like their stories just a little bit creepy but not actually scary. The characters are old friends and it's always fun to meet up with them again. Charlie continues to love the series, too.

Today's Agenda:
Some baking, laundry, and some sewing, and some reading. Over a year into the quarantine business and I'm sorry but I *still* love a weekend with no plans. I'm currently sipping my first cup of coffee and will putter around LT in my PJs for a bit before I really get started with things. Heaven.

On the reading front:
Nope, didn't manage to finish Sense and Sensibility yesterday, but today's looking good. The Beast Player seems like it may be a good one, even though I'm not very far into it yet, and I'm still chugging along, little by little, with Middlemarch on audio. I may make better progress with it today while I'm in the sewing room, unless I decide I'm more in the mood for music. We'll see.

What We're Watching:
Family Game Night was a few round of Jenga (Tomm's pick) then an episode of Graham Norton and the lasted one of Falcon and Winter Soldier.

And then there's this: Agatha Christie's house is up for sale - what say you all we pool our money and make it into an LT Getaway House?

>209 scaifea: I do love Colin Firth in every single thing I’ve ever seen him in.

>210 MickyFine: Oh yes, the wet shirt, and the bath scene…

>216 scaifea: What a gorgeous home! Only £2.75m, a mere $3.807M.

decide that it's best not to tell the adults about it because that always works out so well for them Haaaahahahahahaha

>217 karenmarie: Oh, I love Mr. Firth very much, too. I think I'm suffering from I Saw This One First and Thus Am Loyal syndrome. I'll watch the Firth one eventually and probably love it, too.

Isn't that house amazing? I'm telling you, if we all pitch in...

>218 lycomayflower: Well, I mean we go through this with these characters in Every. Single. Book. of the series. Charlie, Tomm, and I were making fun of them in this one for it:

Me: *reading the bit at the beginning where Lewis finds the clearly-enchanted-and-probably-evil whistle*
Charlie: Come on, dude, TELL YOUR UNCLE. NOW.
Tomm: Never gonna happen. The kid is a ridiculously slow learner.
Charlie: Honestly.

>216 scaifea: Enjoy your plan-free day, Amber!

>221 MickyFine: Thanks!

>218 lycomayflower: You beat me to that one!

Hey look, I finished a knitting project! I made this scarf using leftover yarn scraps:

Lovely scarf, Amber.

I'm still working away at weaving in ends on my crochet blanket. I don't work on it as much as I should because I don't like the process but I won't let myself start a new project until it's done as then the blanket would never be finished.

>225 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! And oh, ew, yeah. Those finishing steps are the worst, aren't they? I knitted this scarf in the round so I wouldn't have to deal with weaving in all those ends.

Hi There. I came over to check out your thread since you posted on mine.

>14 scaifea: I'd have to be the deity of cranky oldsters, who angrily fail to appreciate the latest improvements from hip youngsters, and cheekily point out that the new new thing is unusable with aging hands/eyesight/hearing etc., whereas the outmoded predecessor worked just fine.

>23 quondame: Oh! I like this one!

>164 scaifea: ROFLMAO. Howling, in fact.

>227 ArlieS: Hi, Arlie! Good to see you.

Excellent answer - I know my dad would be a devoted follower, and I'm not all that far behind, really. Tomm and Charlie like to tease me about how much trouble I have figuring out how to work our TV with all the new streaming services. *sigh*

>227 ArlieS: I'm a lover of new things but I totally get not usable with aging hand/eyesight! In my 40s all the new programmers were young men using complicated visual editors in many colors and tiny fonts. I stuck with vi. It gave me an advantage when I had to work at a sight that had no fancy editors. I was able to recreate most of my macro package and get to work in my native environment.

>224 scaifea: Love the colours! Looks nice and warm :)

As soon as you are away for a while, you completely lose the overview...
But thanks for the Club Dumas - I enjoyed reading very much!

>230 figsfromthistle: Thanks! Because I decided to knit it in the round it's double layered, so yeah, it should be really warm.

>231 SirThomas: Aw, yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed that one!

Today's Agenda:
House cleaning. Again. Every dang week. And laundry. Then some sewing and reading.

On the reading front:
I did finish Sense and Sensibility yesterday, so I'll post a mini-review later on.

What We're Watching:
Tomm chose Thunder Force last night - a Netflix movie with Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spenser about a couple of friends in their 40s who figure out how to gain superpowers and then fight off the resident super villains. It was pretty hilarious, especially with Jason Bateman in a ridiculously funny role. Recommended if you like mindless, silly movies.

Congrats on finishing Sense and Sensibility.

House cleaning sucks, doesn't it? At least you will be able to do some reading today.

>235 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen. Tomm is off to pick up Panera for lunch, which I think is a pretty good celebration of having the house cleaning done.

69. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (unread book from my shelves) - 8/10 = B+
Young sisters of marriageable age but of little yearly allowance living in a cottage and taking long walks and meeting young men of marriageable age and falling in love but not communicating all that well about it and then being heartbroken when said men turn out to be actual walking turds but then forgiving same turds when they turn out to be not quite as awful as originally thought (but still pretty terrible, honestly).

So. Not nearly as good as Pride and Prejudice, but not terrible, either. Sort of. If I let myself think too hard about it, though, I could probably get pretty angry. I mean, the only actual decent man in the novel gets sidelined as a consolation prize?! Yoicks. Both sisters (as much as I do love Elinor) need a good sense-shaking-into and possibly a healthy smack upside the head. The wicked women in the plot were deliciously so, though, so there's that, I guess.

70. Middlemarch by George Eliot (audiobook) - 2/10 = F
Ugh, I couldn't justify finishing this one. Eliot is hit-or-miss for me (Adam Bede was awful with raisins but I enjoyed Silas Marner just fine), and this one is a giant miss. I can't manage to care about any of the characters and the plot is clearly going someplace that will absolutely annoy me and it's taking its sweet-ass time getting there. I tried hanging in there, but just no. So I'm out. I'm done. And I'm also counting it toward my total reads for the year because I've done my suffering (6 hours of it! In Azkaban!) and I've earned the tick mark.

>238 scaifea: Yeah, I'm not sure I would have made it through Middlemarch if I hadn't been reading it for class.

>239 curioussquared: Ha! I was just thinking, "I'm *so* glad I never had to read that one for a course!"

>237 scaifea: Well, that's good.
>238 scaifea: And too bad about that one.

I far prefer Austen to Eliot myself.

>240 scaifea: Lol, it was an excellent course called The English Novel, with a fantastic professor, and Middlemarch was honestly great after reading Pamela and Tom Jones first. But definitely not my favorite!

>234 scaifea: Sounds like your cleaning is already done - huzzah! Glad to see you liked Thunder Force as we'll probably be watching that one eventually.

>237 scaifea: S&S is a first novel and you can tell but I still love it. Although that cover art seems to be not so subtly slamming the content - tempest in a teacup, really? Book designers *grumble*

103 new posts! I'm in awe!

I hope you had a nice weekend and have a lovely week ahead.

>241 lauralkeet: Laura: Oh, yeah, Austen is way better in my estimation.

>242 curioussquared: Aw, yay for great professors! That does a lot toward making one love the texts.

>243 MickyFine: Ha! I love the cover, honestly. Those Penguin Deluxe editions are a favorite for me.

I bet you'll enjoy Thunder Force - I'll look forward to your thoughts once you've watched it!

>244 connie53: Hi, Connie! I hope you have a great weekend, too!

>238 scaifea: Hate to say this but I’ve read Middlemarch twice. Love it!

>249 SandDune: No need to hate to say it, Rhian - you're welcome to love it!

Today's Agenda:
Grumblegrumblemondaygrumble. I have quizzes and reader responses to grade, then I'll prep for teaching, help Charlie if he needs it, hold office hours, and teach.

On the reading front:
I came back to Guard of Honor yesterday after what seemed like a long time. I definitely wouldn't pick this one up on my own if it weren't on a List, but I'm not hating it so far. I also read a bit of The Beast Player (still too soon to tell if it's good or not, but, again, it's not terrible yet), and I started Ordinary Hazards on audio (I'm not wowed by this one so far, but I"ll keep going with it).

What We're Watching:
My pick last night, and I decided it was time we got back to our Psych rewatch, so we watched a couple of episodes.

Morning, Amber! I hope you had a nice weekend with the Boys! Sorry, that Middlemarch failed so miserably for you. The good news is, there is SO MANY others waiting in the wings. Still waiting for a warm-up. April has stalled out so far.

>252 msf59: Morning, Mark! I know that you really enjoyed Middlemarch and I'm very happy that it has its fans. You're so right that there are lots of excellent reads just out there waiting. It's a comforting thought, really.

April really is the cruelest, isn't it?

‘Morning, Amber!

Sorry about your Grumblegrumblemondaygrumble agenda.

>237 scaifea: I like the cover of your copy, a tempest in a teapot, although disagree with the cover designers that the lives portrayed were blown out of proportion. I liked the book more than you did. Edward is a turd for sure for leading Elinor on, Willoughby a double turd, but Alan Rickman – oops – I mean Colonel Brandon - is always a gentleman, always knows what he wants, and eventually Marianne comes to love him. You could argue that she never would have been happy with Willoughby because he would have either cheated on her or gotten upset when she had to stay home with children or something.

>238 scaifea: awful with raisins. *smile* Hard pass based on your comments. I do have Silas Marner on my shelves and plan on reading it one day, if for no more reason than it was mentioned in Up the Down Staircase with the high schoolers calling it Silly-Ass Marner.

Morning, Amber!

Glad to hear 'Thunder Force' is worth a watch. I'll put it on The List.

S&S and Emma are at the bottom of my Austen list. I've never attempted Middlemarch, and I'm not sure I ever will.

I hope Monday is less grumble-some than expected...

>254 karenmarie: Oh, I agree about Colonel Rickman, Karen - he's the best of them all by a very wide margin, which is why I think it's ridiculous that he gets painted as the Oh Well, I Guess choice (by the characters if not by the author, of course).

Do give Silas Marner a go at some point - it's not ever going to be my favorite novel, but I did enjoy it quite a bit.

>255 katiekrug: Morning, Katie!

The plan is to work through all the Austens at some point - I've never read Emma, so we'll see how that one goes.

>251 scaifea: I hear you on the Monday grumbles. Forgot I had two meetings today. Le sigh.

>258 MickyFine: Oh, gross. I hope they go fast and smoothly for you.

Today's Agenda:
Post-teaching tidying, helping Charlie if he needs it, maybe a bit of work on another course proposal, hopefully some reading. I'll try to remember to start a new thread in there somewhere, too. Corn, Smoked Sausage, and Potato Soup for dinner.

On the reading front:
Absolutely nothing to report. Busy teaching day yesterday.

What We're Watching:
It was DC Night last night, so while Charlie and Tomm did their own thing, I watched Iron Man with a friend. It was even better than I remembered it - a pretty good start to the whole franchise, really.

>260 scaifea: So funny that you watched Iron Man. Mr. Fine has decided he wants to rewatch the whole MCU so we'll be starting with that one the next time it's his turn to pick for movie night. Every time I watch it I fall more in love with the gorgeous shoes Pepper is wearing in the final act, even if they are ridiculous to be wearing in all that broken glass.

>261 MickyFine: Woot! Friend and I are planning on watching through the MCU, too (I've seen them all but she has not)!
Pepper is not my favorite (I think I'm letting my opinion of the actor leak through there, though), but I do love the adorable vibe between her and Tony.

The new thread is up:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/331558