Monday, July 30, 2007

#34--Bad Dog, by R.D. Rosen, et al

I found this at a garage sale last month, and hadn’t really planned to read it anytime soon, but last night, I had an itch that couldn’t be relieved with anything that I should be reading.

“278 outspoken, indecent, and overdressed dogs” grace these pages, and several of them made me laugh out loud. Some are in store-bought/ready-made costumes, others in adapted human-wear, and others are simply “in” whatever they got into (like toothpaste). Each dog’s hobby is also included; none of them seem to match their costume, and include:

admiring rock gardens
barking in tongues
designing rubber toys
Motown historian
belly dancing
scrimshaw

From the back cover:
“Mans best friend? Think again. Behind those loving eyes and wagging tail lurks a very different dog. A dog with a dark side. A bad dog.
Here, in all their glory, are hundreds of bad dogs, with bad tempers and bad breath.
Smart-asses, stoners, thugs, cranks, lechers, hellions… makes you wonder what your pet’s really burying in the backyard.”

Saturday, July 28, 2007

I am SO doing this next year:

Blogathon

But for now, two of my very dear friends (both of whom just happen to be biker-chick/authors) continue to blog through the night until 8 AM Central time.

Linda's primary theme at Raven's Roads consists of places she's been, or wants to visit. To fill in the gaps, she's written some pretty interesting "7 Things..." blurbs. Aside from the blogathon, she's currently focusing on travel and history, but she's also written a fantasy novel. Her charity is Christian Children's Fund.

ETA: Linda's having a contest on her blog...
the prizes:
A Matchbox HeroCity playset–a garage with a little dump truck.
A Fisher-Price bathtime book. It is vinyl and made for little kids to take into the tub.
Here’s what you have to to win them.

Blog about this site one more time (or for the first time.)
Tell people about the contest.
Come back here and post the link to the plug.
Say why you think one of these two prizes would be great and, if you want, who’s getting the prize.

Phelan at Homesteading Neophyte is focusing on food and blogging for Farm Aid. In her efforts to be published, she's written horror, dark fantasy, and poetry.

Both of them have some pretty cool contests going; some are for sponsorships, others for contest entries. Linda has a copy of her book "A Little Twist of Texas" and Phelan has Willie shwag (yes, THAT Willie).

You don't need to tell them I sent you (there's no contest for referrals, as far as I know), but do introduce yourself. They're exceptionally cool women.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Thursday Thirteen #2--13 books I need to read next


Thirteen Things about Marina


1. Stone Work (audio)--in progress. Renting this from Recorded Books because I want to build something in stone on our property.
2. You On a Diet--in progress. Something's got to give, this weight needs to come off, and I need to learn how.
3. Punk Rock Dad--Review copy from Harper Collins, must post to BlogHer when finally done.
4. Gifts of the Wild--Found in the Green Muse coffee shop, registered on BookCrossing, reading for the Non-Fiction Challenge.
5. Sanity Savers--Review copy from Harper Collins, must post to BlogHer when finally done.
6. How the Irish Saved Civilization--Long time on wish list, reading for Non-Fiction Challenge
7. How Elizabeth Barrett Browning Saved My Life--Review copy from Harper Collins, must post to BlogHer when finally done.
8. Way of Zen--a BookCrossing trade, finally reading for the Non-Fiction Challenge.
9. The Black Swan--Lackey Victorian/Fairy Tale series, borrowed from friend, really need to return.
10. Molly Ivins Can't say That, Can She?--an extra for the NF Challenge.
11. I Sleep at Red Lights--an extra for the NF Challenge.
12. Seeking Enlightenment Hat by Hat--an extra for the NF Challenge.
13. The Land Remembers--an extra for the NF Challenge.

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. Informal Matriarch
2. Rae's World
3. Year of Reading Seriously
4. Lair of the Bookwyrm
5. Will Write For Food
6. Sanctum Sanctorum
7. Saturn C
8. Journey of Writer Danica Favorite
9. Buck Naked Politics



Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!



Sunday, July 22, 2007

The Deathly Hallows Experience (non-spoiler, I promise)

I'd been eagerly awaiting the release of Rowling's newest and last offering in the Potter saga, but I wasn't caught up in the frenzy of pre-ordering the book nor any of the release parties held Friday night. I knew that there would plenty for everyone, and it would be folly for any of the major stores to be caught without a copy by the following afternoon. I did curtail my usual online browsing, focusing on comics and blogs of those who I knew would respect the several-day spoiler moratorium for which many others had begged.

Since I'd been unsuccessful in buying the stuffed salmon for Sunday's dinner earlier in the week, I figured that I should be able to also pick up a copy of HPDH at either Costco or HEB on Saturday afternoon. Since Costco was the nearer of the two, and I was on a tight schedule (I had a small music event and after-party to attend that evening), I drove there with my son (who fell asleep before we got into the city limits of our town), and had to wait out a particularly hard rainshower before we could dash in to the store. The shopping carts were, of course, all wet, and I was faced with the dilemma of how to get out of the store with an undamaged copy. While I was waiting for the solution to present itself, I carried my one copy (could've had 5--this is a buy-in-bulk store after all) in hand and managed to keep from hitting anyone as we made our way to the meat department in back. Scored a nice package of salmon, and noticed (for the first time--honestly) a roll of plastic bags at the end of the bin. Thanking the book-fairies, I wrapped my book and slowly made my way upstream toward the checkout counters. Apparently, on Saturdays, Austinites use American and British sides of the road.

At the checkout counter, one of the employees tried to get me to upgrade my account, and was about to launch into how much money I'd save, blah blah yada yada. I met her gaze square on, gave her my best Italian-style HairyEyeball, held up my book and said
"See this?"
"Yes ma'am?"
"You're. In. My. Way."
Smart girl got out of said way.

I hadn't eaten anything yet that day, so I had a small lunch at Sonic with what I could scrape together from two pockets of loose change in my wallet. I also had to drop off our car payment paperwork at the post office; by the time I got home, I was seriously pressed for time. My outfit for the evening was a little more involved than usual--my lace-up Pendragon bodice and my leather pants from eBay--so I recruited my husband, and I was out the door 1/2 hour later than I'd planned. No, it's not what you're thinking, you naughty-minded people.

I drove to Things Celtic, scored the last spot in the parking lot, and did a little shoppping while Diane Linn (a regular on the RenFest circuit with 3 albums under her belt) sang trad songs, Janice Joplin, and some of the own work. I picked up a cd, a celtic mood ring, a cat gargoyle for Kimmy's grave, and a butterfly magnet for Anthony to look at during mealtimes. I left a little early in order to pick up a bottle of wine (Twisted Lot merlot seemed a fitting one to bring this hostess), and still managed to be the first one there, as the second set ran late. It was nice to have a chance to talk to my friend S before she had to perform the HostessDance for everyone else. My friend K and I talked about our reading plans for Sunday, and she said that she wasn't really going to be as anti-social as she'd warned in her blog (something to the effect of "don't interrupt me unless your head is on fire"). I told her that I'd have to fit reading in between taking care of my son, which really was my plan.

I finally rolled onto the farmstead at about 2 in the morning. DH hadn't had luck corraling any of the cats, and they weren't cooperating for me, either, so it was about 2:30 before I could think seriously about going to sleep.

But the book beckoned.

I could just read a few chapters, right? I'd get tired enough to put it down and fall asleep quickly, right?

Right. Color me crackheaded.

So, from about 2:30 am until 11 am, with an hour break for feeding and diapering A, I was enthralled by Harry's journey to the last battle. I kept up with the twists, was impressed by Rowling's ability to move the plot along while honoring the age-appropriateness of the school-aged characters, and even giggled a few times. There were a few parts where I raised my eyebrows and thought "she got away with saying that? Wow!" I also availed myself of the kleenex box when necessary.

Thank you, J.K. Rowling, for a wonderful, frustrating, magical ride. Even though you are rich enough to never again have to write another word for pay, I hope this is not the last we see of your work in print.

[#33 for this year]

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Thursday Thirteen #1--Favorite Female Authors

(in no order whatsoever)

1. Sue Grafton
2. Marion Zimmer Bradley
3. Anne McCaffrey
4. Mercedes Lackey
5. J.K. Rowling
6. Janet Evanovich
7. Susan Wittig Albert
8. Laurell K. Hamilton
9. Earlene Fowler
10. Barbara Kingsolver
11. Madeline L'Engle
12. Alice Hoffman
13. Nevada Barr

[if I had the time at the moment, I'd hyperlink to their websites and figure out my ratios of read/available books, but I gotta go get the babyitter so I can do the grocery shopping in peace. I wonder how many of these women wrote and published while their kids (if applicable) were toddlers? If so , how did they do it?]

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. Terra Satirize
2. Year of Reading Seriously

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!



Thursday, July 5, 2007

Writer Fred Saberhagen passes

Here's the obituary:

http://www.lcsun-news.com/latest/ci_6297837

I came late to the party with this author--I've read from only one of his series (Books of the Gods)--but I plan to catch up when I can. I'll make an effort to find a book from his Dracula series for Carl's Readers in Peril Challenge this fall.