Saturday, February 15, 2014

Holiday!

We headed off to the ocean for our (almost) annual Darwin Day adventure.  Last year we missed it, due to the dreaded broken leg.  It would have been just silly to go to the coast and sit in a cottage and do nothing, when we could do the same thing at home for free!

Much different this year, since Michael can get around fairly well.  Not 100%, but much better.  It was really nice to get away for a couple of days.  I'm working through the photos, so it will be a couple of days before I do my full write up, but in the meantime here are a couple of photos from the trip.


Syd on the beach



Syd got to run free on the beach a few times, and he really enjoyed it.  Especially when he discovered the dead crabs, and ate lots of crab legs.  Naughty dog!

I'm happy to report it didn't mess his guts up too much, and I did not have to get up and walk him in the middle of the night as I had feared I might.

Whew!

Things started out a bit rainy and wet.


Through a rainy window


It was what we expected though.  The winds were wild on the first night!

Monday, February 10, 2014

Don't ask...

Sometimes, it's best not to ask why.


IMG_2844-1


Sunday, February 9, 2014

January reading highlights

 When I wrote up my reading highlights of 2013 all crammed together, I decided it would be better to do monthly posts in 2014.  So here I am, ready to talk about what I read in January.




That's a lot of books!  Ignore those two in the upper left - I finished them this month but I couldn't get a screen grab without them.  Still - I've read a lot of books already this year!

January stats

Graphic novels/comics - 7
Adult fiction - 3
Teen fiction - 4
Teen non-ficiton - 1
J audio - 2
Picture books - 1

There's a lot of good stuff here, I'm not even quite sure what to highlight over anything else.  I suppose I should start with the freakiest book of the bunch.



1970's Seattle - teens are contracting an STD that turns them into freaky mutants.  As if that's not bad enough, now there's a killer loose, murdering them off one by one...

Disturbing.  Classic art by Seattle artist Charles Burns.


Slightly less disturbing, but very thought provoking, we have Zone One by Colton Whitehead.  Who ever thought there could be an introspective zombie book?!!  After reading this one, I've decided that should the zombie apocalypse occur, I'd like to be infected soon and get it over with.  The fight is just too grim, and too futile.  Bite me now.




Let's talk about eating now, shall we?!



Some people have the luxury to savor every bite, and every action that goes into the preparation of the food that nourishes their bodies.  Other people find themselves in circumstances that push them to the very edge of acceptable behavior - and beyond - in the name of survival.  History can be personal, and it can also be public, especially if it involves highly publicized events.

Be glad you have food.  Enjoy your meals, and be glad you don't have to eat your sister.

It could be worse though!  You could have lived in England, in 1612!  You could have been accused of witchcraft, and thrown into a pit for months to await trial!



I must be reading bleak books because it's the bleak months of winter.  I haven't even gone into tongues cut out, pandemic diseases, death and grieving, or depression!

All things being what they are, I recommend every book in that montage above.  Not a dud in the bunch.  February is looking pretty good as well, though I'm not reading quite as many books.  Perhaps a bit cheerier!  Come back for the next roundup - it's sure to be interesting!