Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
garden + plants
My backyard is overrun with weeds. At least it's green.
Here's my statue peeking out over the clovers.
My basil plants are growing, and they got a new shelf on the window to accommodate their bigger pots.
And one of my orchids finally bloomed!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Book Review: Island of Lost Girls
A mystery that's a quick read.
In the first couple of pages, a little girl gets abducted from the car by someone wearing an Easter bunny costume. Creepy!
This is witnessed by Rhonda, who is paralyzed with shock. As she tries to help in the investigation of the kidnapping, she is drawn back to her past, and to the mystery of her own best friend disappearing. Is there a connection? The book alternates between the past and present, and keeps you guessing until the end.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Book Review: South of the Border, West of the Sun
Cool title, depressing book.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I need a break from Murakami.
The latest novel that I read is about two star-crossed lovers, who meet as children, drift apart, and then meet again as adults.
When I finished this book I felt heavy, and was left wondering--what's the point? It's amazing that a book can carry that much emotion.
I felt the need to turn on TV and watch cheeseball Bret Michaels on reruns of Rock of Love.
Suddenly life is good again.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Book Review: What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
This is Murakami's most recent book, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I whipped through it and was disappointed. It's basically a book about running. Not a novel, but a self-reflection. One would think that getting into Murakami's thoughts would be fascinating. Not so. He compares running to the art of writing, and writes about how running has impacted his life. Maybe I have to be a runner to appreciate it? Murakami does offer some glimpses into his personality and personal life. It was fun to read that he used to own a jazz bar, as I just finished his book South of the Border, West of the Sun, in which the main character owns a jazz bar. Although it's interesting to see how some of his characters may be shaped in his novels, there is a lot missing to this book--the quirkiness, the surrealism, the humor.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
run lobster, run
Happy days. George the 140 year old lobster was released from a restaurant, where he was on the menu.
Freedom!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
moon
Moon landing: A bird drops onto a tree as the full moon rises in Schwerte, Germany
The moon has been huge the past few nights. Supposedly the brightest and biggest moon we will have in 2009.
Monday, January 12, 2009
tongue diagnosis
A quick and fun tongue diagnosis exercise, as per traditional Chinese medicine.
http://beyondwellbeing.com/herbs/tongue-diagnosis.shtml
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
kangeroo mama
From www.sfgate.com, Day in Pictures.
The caption reads:
Maternity jumpsuit: It takes a special kind of person to put on a pouch and pretend to be a nursing kangaroo for weeks on end. Michele Mauldin of Las Cruces, N.M., plans to raise Sydney, an 8 1/2-month-old orphan, until she becomes healthy enough to live on her own at a zoo in Dallas.
