Katie's 2022 Reading Room - Part 3

CURRENTLY READING
(Audio) (Print)

Hello, friends! Glad to have you joining me on another year’s reading (and life) journey.

For anyone new to my thread, I’m Katie: reader, wine drinker, food appreciator, shenanigan-ator, and non-sufferer of fools. I live outside New York City with my husband, "The" Wayne, our cat, Leonard, and our dog, Nuala/Noodles. Last year, I left my job in association management to explore life as a domestic goddess. I hope to do some writing, too, but that requires discipline and motivation, neither of which has ever made a permanent home with me…

My reading varies widely - I love genre fiction (romance and crime), contemporary and historical fiction, and narrative nonfiction. I try to balance my reading in all these areas. I also use my thread as a bit of a life journal, which mostly means I talk about what I’m cooking, eating, drinking, watching, doing, and avoiding doing.

Thanks for being here!

Books Completed

Books Off My Shelf: 2
Books Off My Kindle: 2
Books from Audible/Chirp: 2
Library Loans (print/e-books/audios): 4

January
10. As You Wish by Cary Elwes (audio) (3.5 stars)
9. The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin (audio) (3 stars)
8. Mr. Flood's Last Resort by Jess Kidd (audio) (4 stars)
7. Mindful Drinking by Rosamund Dean (3 stars)
6. Passion on Park Avenue by Lauren Layne (3.75 stars)
5. Aliens of Extraordinary Ability by Maeve Higgins (audio) (4 stars)
4. I Loved You First by Various Authors (audio) (3 stars)
3. Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness by Peter Kuper (4 stars)
2. Gun Street Girl by Adrian McKinty (4 stars)
1. Henrietta's War by Joyce Dennys (3.5 stars)

Did Not Finish (YTD)
1. These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant

COMPLETIONS - Q1

January

February

March

Around the Year in 52 Books:

TITLE
A book with a language or nationality in the title
A book with a time-related word in the title
- A book that uses all five vowels in the title and/or author's name - Passion on Park Avenue by Lauren Layne
2 books with the same word in the title
2 books with the same word in the title
- A book with 22 or more letters in the title - Aliens of Extraordinary Ability by Maeve Higgins

COVER
- A book with an image of a source of light on the cover - Mr. Flood's Last Resort by Jess Kidd
- A book with one of the Monopoly tokens on the cover - Henrietta's War by Joyce Dennys
- A book without a person on the cover - I Loved You First by Various Authors
A book with handwriting on the cover

THEME
A book that features loving LGBTQIA+ relationship
A book related to mythology
A book with a theme of food or drink
A book related to a game
A book related to Earth Day
- A book related to psychology, neuroscience or the mind - Mindful Drinking by Rosamund Dean

SETTING
3 books set on three different continents
3 books set on three different continents
3 books set on three different continents
A book set in a small town or rural area
A fiction or nonfiction book that is set during 1900 -1950
A book set on or near a body of water
A book with an academic setting or with a teacher that plays an important role

CHARACTER
A book where the main character is a female detective or police officer
A book that involves aging, or a character in their golden years
A book with a non-human as one of the main characters
A book about a woman in STEM
A book with a main character whose name starts with A, T, or Y

GENRE
A book that involves alternate reality, alternate worlds, or alternate history
A book with gothic elements
A book from the historical fiction genre

AUTHOR & PUBLISHING
A book published in 2022
A book published at least 10 years ago
A book by a Latin American author
A book by an Asian or Pacific Islander author
A book with a Jewish character or author
A book by an author with two sets of double letters in their name

GOODREADS & RECOMMENDATIONS
A book posted in the 2021 or 2022 ATY Best Book of the Month threads
- A book connected to a book you read in 2021 - Gun Street Girl by Adrian McKinty
- A book that fits your favorite prompt that did not make the list - The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin (Book with a character who loves books)
A book with fewer than 5000 ratings on Goodreads

AWARDS, CHALLENGES and LISTS
A book that won an award from Powell's list of book awards
A book from NPR's Book Concierge
A book from the TIME list of 100 Best YA Books of All Time

OTHER
A book connected to the phrase "Here (There) Be Dragons"
2 books related to flora and fauna
2 books related to flora and fauna
The next book in a series
A book related to one of the 22 Tarot Major Arcana cards
A book related to glass
A book related to inclement weather
- A book less than 220 pages OR more than 440 pages - Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness by Peter Kuper

My Ratings (revised, once again, as I continue the fruitless search for the perfect scale...)

2 stars = Whyyyyyy?
3 stars = Eh, ok.
4 stars = Definitely worth the time.
5 stars = Perfect *for me*

(Anything below 2 stars is unlikely to be finished)



WELCOME!

Poop, I saved one too many. Here, have a funny:

to resume:

are we talking egg salad? or Deviled Eggs?

>6 magicians_nephew: I hope the latter. I need a good deviled egg recipe.

(Hi Katie!)

Eccomi. Auguri!

Can't keep up! But happy new thread anyway!

>6 magicians_nephew: - Egg salad.

>7 ELiz_M: - I make my deviled eggs much the same way as my egg salad - mayo, mustard, and I sprinkle paprika on top. I think my mom used mustard powder in hers...

>8 richardderus: - I do not know what that means?

>9 vivians: - Thanks for visiting, Vivian!

Happy new thread. I like curry in my egg salad.

Happy new thread, Katie!

>5 katiekrug: Hahaha, that's a good one :D

I have not-much to say regarding the food discussion as I don't really like egg salad *ducks*
(I am very picky about how my eggs are cooked)

I really want an egg mayo sandwich now.

Happy new thread Katie.

Happy new thread!

>5 katiekrug: snort.

>2 katiekrug: wot? No books??

I had egg mayo sarnies the end of last week. Chop barely hard boiled eggs (yes, it is a thing) with fork, mayo & pepper.
My aunt used to make egg sandwiches with salad cream. Part of my revolts at it, but a younger me used to adore them - and only she ever made them that way.

>10 katiekrug: "I am here. Congratulations!"

Happy new thread!

Our favorite appetizer at our favorite restaurant is Nashville hot deviled eggs. The egg whites are dipped in potato chip batter and deep fried. Then deviled yolks topped with jalapeño and some sweet-spicy sauce. Yowsers!

Happy New Thread, Katie. Looks like we will have a nice little group for The Memory of Love. Shooting for mid-Feb.

>17 drneutron: Ooh, now that sounds tasty, Jim.

>17 drneutron: ...I think I had a crisis...

Happy new one, Katie! I like my egg salad plain Jane, just Hellmans and egg, but the bread has to be toasted.

>11 BLBera: - Definitely trying that next time, Beth.

>12 bell7: - I get that, Mary. The Wayne can't abide eggs in any form (other than mixed into something like a batter).

>13 charl08: - Thanks, Charlotte. Egg mayo is always my go to sandwich at Pret a Manger :)

>14 figsfromthistle: - Thanks, Anita!

>15 Helenliz: - I've read 7 books so far, but they are listed in the first post. I am still refining my opening posts :-P

I am not sure I know what salad cream is, but I sometimes look back on things I liked as a kid that I would turn my nose up at now, except for that pull of nostalgia... So are your barely hard boiled eggs runny yolked? Or just pretty soft?

>16 richardderus: - Well, okay then :)

>17 drneutron: - Oh, I would definitely order those! Hi Jim!

>18 msf59: - Excellent, Mark. I have it noted on my spreadsheet. #nerdalert

>19 richardderus: - Snort.

>20 Familyhistorian: - Hi Meg. I do like it on toast, too, but I am trying to not have bread around, so my pita pockets have to suffice for now.

I have a feeling this is going to be one of Those Days. We got up early because The Wayne needs to go into the city to retrieve his personal belongings from the office (where he hasn't stepped foot since February 2020!) because they are doing work on it or something, so they've asked everyone to get their crap. Which is fine, because he'd already decided to go full-time WFH so would need to get his stuff anyway. It's not much. Obviously, the most important thing is the framed picture of me ;-) Heh. ANYWAY, neither of us slept well (big dinner, a few drinks...) so it was hard to get up with the alarm. And then he's rushing around trying to get his bag packed and to remember all the stuff he needs (badge, transit card, etc). And then he looks at the information about going into the office and realizes he hadn't uploaded his vaccination card, so he can't go in today. Blerg. Up at the crack of dawn for nothing!

Our dinner last night was very tasty, but the kitchen was sloooooow. It was over an hour between ordering and getting our mains. The menu was slightly different than was advertised, but I still had a hard time choosing. We split an order of bao buns with wagyu beef and pork belly and pickled cucumbers; TW got braised wagyu beef cheeks with white beans, potato, and piquillo peppers; and I got tonkotsu ramen with pork belly, spicy miso, bamboo shoots, and a soy egg. We shared a lovely little Japanese cheesecake for dessert. The food was excellent, so I am looking forward to the restaurant opening.

Here's my bowl of ramen:

I was getting ready to translate but I see Richard already did! So I guess instead I'll just say the same thing in Turkish:

İşte buradayım. Tebrikler!

I read your last thread but I don't think I ever managed to comment with 2 days of being sick, and the rest filled with the endless Turkish classes.

To Do:
- take Nuala to day care
- drop off deposit with electrician
- call radon mediation companies (we need the equipment checked because of the flood)
- laundry
- buy dog food because SOMEONE neglected to tell me we were about to run out
- pick up Nuala from day care

Menu:
- Breakfast: yogurt, if anything but I'm not feeling very hungry
- Lunch: leftover chili
- Dinner: it's Trivia Night, so whatever strikes my fancy at the pub

Books:
- I finished Mindful Drinking yesterday and now TW wants to read it, so I'm handing over my Kindle to him
- I hope to read a chunk of These Silent Woods today
- I did get some puzzle/listening time yesterday. Mr. Flood's Last Resort is bizarre but fun.

Viewing:
- I watched an episode of 'Sex Lives of College Girls' when we got home from dinner. I was planning to watch the rest today while TW was at the office (I feel weird watching TV while he's working at home), so that'll have to wait.

>24 ursula: - Thanks, Ursula! No worries about not commenting but I'm glad to know you're here.

For anyone who needs a(nother) time sink. There is a Wordle archive! You can find it here.

Blerg, I'm sorry you were up early for no reason at all, Katie. Also sorry you had to wait a freakin' hour for your food last night, but I guess this is how the work the kinks out in the kitchen before opening the new place, eh?

Re: dog food, have you considered Chewy.com? We started using them when we lived in the city, because carrying heavy bags of dog food was even less fun there than it was before. I set up an automatic shipment to replenish before we run out. I like not having to think about it.

>28 lauralkeet: - We usually use Chewy, but the way it works here at Casa Krug is that TW tells me we are running low and then I remind him to place an order :-P I'll see about setting up an automatic shipment - that would be perfect.

Morning, Katie! I'm sorry to hear you didn't sleep well either. Ugh.

We use Chewy.com, too, and have a subscription set up. It's so convenient and we love it.

Hi, Katie. I just passed on the idea of using Chewy.com to our daughter who has a Beagle-Yorkie (Borky). Sounds like a good tip.

Did you read or hesr about the romance The Kiss Quotient? I thought it was really good.

>30 scaifea: *high five*

They also send birthday cards to your pets, which I think is adorable. And if you ever need to return something, they just say "oh don't worry about it just donate the item to a local shelter." Great service.

>30 scaifea: - Yeah, I'd like to take a nap later, but I feel really badly about doing that while TW works in the room next door.

Yup, we love Chewy. Not sure why TW never set up the automatic shipment...

>31 jnwelch: - Hi Joe! Chewy is great. They also don't seem to have some of the supply issues that we are seeing with pet food at our local supermarket, which is a bonus, because our cat is very picky about his canned food...

I read and enjoyed The Kiss Quotient a couple of years ago. I keep meaning to read more of Hoang's books. Thanks for the reminder!

>32 lauralkeet: - Yes, we've always had great experiences with Chewy.

I've run all my errands, so now I just need to get the laundry started and then I'll relax for a bit. I realized tomorrow is Phone Call Day, so that's one less thing on my To Do list :)

‘Morning, Katie, and happy new thread.

>1 katiekrug: It rarely happens, but sometimes I hear about a book and immediately Must Have It. I just bought a copy of Mr. Flood’s Last Resort.

>10 katiekrug: Deviled eggs – eggs, half miracle whip and half mayo, teensy amount of mustard, like ¼ t, S&P, and a splash or two of tabasco. Sprinkle a bit of paprika on top.

>23 katiekrug: All that panic for nothing.

>25 katiekrug: Someone, eh? *smile*

>29 katiekrug: We can’t seem to get canned cat food at the grocery store these days and I'm not willing to drive 30 miles one way to the Pet Smart, so I bought 96 cans of Zoe’s favorites from Chewy a while back, 4 packs of 24 cans each. Of course, now she’s gotten picky about what I bought, but I don’t have to worry about cat food for a while.

Tomorrow is Phone Call Day...tonight is Radon Night.

:-P

>36 richardderus: - Nah, the previous owners lived here for about a million years before selling and they never had any radon remediation. We had a test done as part of the inspection and there were slightly elevated levels, so we asked the sellers to take care of that before closing, which they did. The ventilation is fine, it's just the seal around the sump pump is likely damaged, since some of the flood water came in that way...

>35 karenmarie: - Thanks, Karen! I always appreciate how meticulously you keep up and comment. Puts me to shame...

I like the idea of a bit of hot sauce in the deviled egg mixture. I'll try that next time, though we don't have Tabasco. Valentina should work fine :)

>37 katiekrug: Water! That is the bane of the river-dweller's existence, sealing it out where it isn't wanted and in where it is wanted. Such a complicated management process. Always has been.

>39 richardderus: - Indeed.

Passion on Park Avenue by Lauren Layne

This is the first in a trilogy about 3 friends who meet under unusual circumstances. It is Naomi's story, and I really enjoyed it. There was just enough angst and believable chemistry, plus some humor and warmth. I'll be reading the next one.

3.5 stars

Mindful Drinking by Rosamund Dean

The first thing to know about this book is that the author is a journalist, not a medical professional of any sort. She does interview some actual experts, but she's approaching this book from her own experience of changing her relationship to alcohol. This is both a strength and a drawback of the book. On the plus side, it's real world experience talking which is helpful and inspirational. On the negative side, it seems a little too pat, and when she writes, "This worked for me, so I know it can for you, too!" all I could think was, "That's not the way the brain works." But overall, there were more interesting and helpful bits to the book than not. I took lots of notes and plan to put some of the advice into action.

3 stars

I'd never heard of 'Cain's Jawbone'!

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/nov/10/literary-puzzle-solved-for-just-th...

Happy new thread and happy egg salad and happy Chewy subscription and happy radon test and, most importantly, happy reading.

I’ll add to the Chewy.com praise. I’ve been buying from them for years and their customer service is excellent. Their auto subscription service also discounts 5% which adds up. I continue to have intermittent supply issues with Royal Canin dog food (nobody had it for months last summer and Chewy is out of it again now but Petsmart.com has it) but thankfully the RC prescription cat food has been available. Small problems!

Funny story - in my delivery last week, instead of my case of dog food, which was out of stock, the warehouse made an error. I called and they gave me a credit, no problem, as usual. But now I have to figure out where to donate a 20# bag of mouse and rat food. :(

>43 katiekrug: Oh, that is SO COOL.

>43 katiekrug: ...158 digits...!!

>43 katiekrug: Oh that is very cool. Also, I love John Finnemore. If you haven't listened to Cabin Pressure, it's worth the ear time.

>44 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba!

>45 Copperskye: - Sounds like you need to find a local scientific research facility, Joanne... :-o

>46 scaifea: - Isn't it?!?! The Wayne said I should give it a whirl now that I have more free time, but, um, no.

>47 richardderus: - The mind boggles.

>48 MickyFine: - I'd never heard of John Finnemore, Micky. I'll have to check him out :)

>49 katiekrug: He wrote and was one the characters in the radio play series, Cabin Pressure. The cast also included Benedict Cumberbatch *eyebrow waggle*. If you're lucky your library might have it (it is available for purchase in OverDrive).

Hi Katie, I'm just passing through to wish you a good day. Of course, now I am thinking of having an egg salad sandwich for lunch tomorrow. I make mine much the same as you do, but sometimes add curry powder. I also sometimes add curry to my tuna salad sandwiches as well.

>27 katiekrug: I don't think I needed to know about the Wordle archive, Katie, but thanks. (as another hour goes by with nothing accomplished whatsoever).

You sold me on Mindful Drinking by pointing me to the Kindle sale. I'm glad you found it more helpful than not. I think it might help me figure out a better sequel to Dry January than Wet February.

Time to make some egg salad I think.

>50 MickyFine: - I will look for it!

>51 DeltaQueen50: - If there is a shortage of eggs any time soon, I think we are going to need to blame this thread :) I like curry powder in my chicken salad - not sure about adding it to tuna, though. I should give it a try.

>52 AnneDC: - Erm, you're welcome? Heh. I failed to solve the Wordle today so made myself feel better by doing an old one and solving it in 3.

She does mention how people tend to follow Dry January with Wet February, so you are not alone!

But HOW do you make your egg salad, Anne? You must share.

Speaking of HOW good-tasing things are made: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtNgNSBEvlE

ohhh, a Wordle archive will give me a chance to test my starter words and refine them. I reckon therein lies the trick. So far I have got every day I've done (even the badly spelt day).

Good morning Katie. Thought I might find an important appliance-related announcement here. Or even a product review. I'll wait ...

>54 richardderus: - Interesting, though I confess to paying more attention to the lovely array of pots and dishes behind her than to what she was saying... :)

>55 Helenliz: - I failed yesterday, and it was very sad-making, as Mamie would say. But I got it today. And I did several past puzzles to try to hone my skills.

>56 lauralkeet: - That would require me having used it already, which I have not *grin* But it's all put together and very stylish looking, so there is that. The Wayne is going into the office this morning, so I plan to take it for a test drive after I drop him at the train. I will report back!

>57 katiekrug: Excellent!

We had a really good trivia game last night but only came in 4th (of 15). Oh well. I had a bacon-Swiss burger and a beer. Yesterday I got a bit caught up in the new season of 'Cheer' on Netflix, which I enjoy hate-watching. So I didn't get much reading done. Bad Katie. Today is a new day, though, and hopefully I'll be a bit more productive.

To Do:
- drop The Wayne off at the train station
- cardio workout
- vacuum (the new vacuum came and I am hoping it will change my life :) )
- call radon remediation companies
- hair cut at 2pm
- grocery shopping
- pick-up The Wayne

Menu:
- Breakfast: yogurt probably, unless I treat myself to something on the way home from the train station
- Lunch: turkey sandwich
- Dinner: sheet pan sausage, peppers, and potatoes

Books:
- I read a bit in These Silent Woods last night before bed
- Listened to more of Mr. Flood's Last Resort while in the car

Viewing:
- 1 episode of 30 Rock while I ate lunch
- 3 episodes of 'Cheer' which is even more annoying than season 1

>58 lauralkeet: - *thumbs up*

So...two reviews posted...one on the OLD thread which you deffo should procure soonest and one on the NEW thread. Go and look at the NEW one, since I think you'd like her GBH free talk this evening at 7p (tweeted it).

>53 katiekrug: My go-to egg salad is pretty basic, Katie--eggs, mayo, salt, and pepper--sometimes a little bit of chopped celery, if it's around.

Afternoon, Katie! Your dinner for tonight sounds really good...

Good luck on your vacuum changing your life, Katie!

Not even trying to catch up being 60+ posts behind, Katie. Thanks for helping to keep my thread warm while I was under the weather.

Happy Wednesday!

>61 richardderus: - I believe I caught both of those already!

>62 AnneDC: - You're in good company, Anne. That seems to be what most people prefer.

>63 scaifea: - I'll be sure to report how it turns out. We do chicken sausage and sauteed peppers a lot, because it's so easy. It will be nice to try a different preparation.

>64 Familyhistorian: - Thanks, Meg! I'll report below.

>65 alcottacre: - Happy Wednesday, Stasia!

I did give the new vacuum a test run earlier - just on the hallway carpet (which is not long for this world. It's very 1970s. It is turquoise. I kid you not). It's much more maneuverable than my old one, as well as lighter. I think it's a winner... So thanks, Laura!

>67 katiekrug: Woo hoo! I am super happy with my Shark too. I was surprised how maneuverable it is, for an upright. And that when you need to use an accessory to get into nooks and crannies, you just remove the canister part from the floor-brushing part and away you go.

I was also a bit stunned at how much dust I picked up. We've been living in filth, apparently.

Did we know that this Eve Dallas existed? New York to Dallas is on sale for $1.99 today, if not.

Hi, Katie. I lurked on the last thread and got inspired by the soup discussion, so today I am making one of my favorites, spinach soup, which I then ended up adding potatoes to because my husband liked potato soup, and finally added fresh oysters for oyster stew because it reminded me of the oyster stew base my mom made when I was a child. But you can just stick with the spinach soup if you like.

Ingredients:
1 c. water
1-1/2 t. salt, divided
1 # fresh spinach
2 T. oil or shortening
1 large clove garlic
6 c. chicken broth
4 T. flour
2 c. milk
3-4 T. white vinegar
1/4 t. pepper

In small pot over high heat, bring water and 1 t. salt to a boil. Add well-washed spinach and return to boil in covered pan (2 to 4 minutes). I actually just do it in the dutch oven I make the soup in.

Remove pan from heat, strain spinach and discard liquid. Cool spinach, chop coarsely.

In soup pot over high heat, heat oil or shortening. Mash garlic with 1/2 t. salt. Mix with spinach and add to pot. Stir for 2 minutes; add chicken broth and bring to boil.

Mix flour into milk with whisk (or my Tupperware shaker) until smooth. When soup boils, add mixture. Add vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Adjust heat to low and simmer at least 15 minutes.

Recipe suggests croutons or poaching an egg in the soup, which I never do. If adding potato and oysters, I add them right after the milk mixture.

>67 katiekrug: hurrah for super hoovers! Last time we bought a new one we asked our cleaner which one we should get - seeing she uses it far more than we do her opinion seemed important! She seems happy with it. >;-)

>68 lauralkeet: - I hear you about the "living in filth." Yikes. I am going to do some serious vacuuming (with attachments!) this weekend. It's hard to do during the week, with TW trying to work and his endless teleconferences....

>69 richardderus: - Yup, I knew about it and got it in an earlier Kindle sale. But thanks!

>70 ronincats: - Thanks for that recipe, Roni! I don't think one can have too many soup recipes...

>71 Helenliz: - Our cleaners have always brought their own equipment, so it wouldn't occur to me to ask! I am hoping that once our flood-mandated renovations are done and things are more back to normal, I can engage a cleaning team again. We'll see...

Our sheet pan dinner of chicken sausage with peppers, onions, and potatoes was okay but nothing to write home about. The onion came out oddly, and while I love potatoes, they didn't really "go" with the other components. I think I'll just stick to our usual sausage and peppers. I do have a little bit left that I plan to eat with a scrambled egg tomorrow, so that'll be a nice change from yogurt!

>73 katiekrug: That's too bad. Sausage, well...honestly who cares what's with it? :-)

Oh my, Katie, sausage with potatoes and onions baked in the oven was one of my favorite things ever but I haven't made it in ages because well, loaded with fat I guess. You probably do it differently but my mother made it and then I just made her recipe forever. Big favorite with my kids. Thanks for reminding me.

>71 Helenliz:, >72 katiekrug: Okay, well. Here's a rant:
As Katie knows (because she copied me LOL), I just replaced my vacuum cleaner. The one that left my house in today's trash collection was purchased at the request of our former cleaning service. And it was the worst vacuum ever made.

Back in 2019 we had a cleaning service that brought their own equipment, as Katie's did. They went on hiatus during 2020, and as part of their reopening protocols asked clients to provide the cleaning equipment. They sent a list of recommended products, including the vacuum their teams used regularly. So that's the one I bought. But then, when they came to clean they didn't follow any of the covid protocols they said they would, and even brought their own vacuum. I was really peeved and that was the end of their service with us. But then I was stuck with a crap vacuum and every time I used it I'd get annoyed all over again!

>74 richardderus: - The sausage was, of course, the best part 🙂

>75 brenzi: - This was chicken sausage and about 1T of olive oil, so not too much fat...

>76 lauralkeet: - That would totally annoy me, too, Laura. Ugh.

Happy Thursday, Katie!

>76 lauralkeet: oops. Justifiable rant, methinks.

My cleaner doesn't drive, so she walks around town to do her cleaning visits. While she brings cleaning cloths and the like, she doesn't come equipped with vacuum cleaner. That would be expecting a bit much.

When we had our vacuum cleaner serviced (a relatively new Dyson which had stopped working properly) the servicing man recommended that the best replacement we could buy would be a second-hand reconditioned Dyson. Apparently better than the new ones. Something I can believe actually, as we’ve bought Dysons for years and years and the current one certainly isn’t the best.

>79 Helenliz: totally agree with that, Helen.

Good morning Katie!

>78 alcottacre: - Thanks, Stasia! Same to you.

>79 Helenliz: - Well that makes sense, then, Helen.

>80 SandDune: - I bet as they've gotten more popular, they've had to be produced faster and the quality has gone down. That is always so annoying to find a brand you like and then to see it falter a bit.

>81 lauralkeet: - Morning, Laura!

Good morning, friends! It's grey and rainy here. The rain is supposed to change to snow at some point this morning as the temperature drops. I have nowhere I need to go, so I will happily stay inside and admire the snow.

To Do:
- (finally) contact the radon companies
- reach out to a couple of fence companies to see about getting some estimates to enclose at least part of our back yard
- I think that's it? Sweet.

Menu:
- Breakfast: scrambled eggs with leftover sausage and peppers
- Lunch: sandwich of some sort (turkey? tuna? stay tuned for the exciting reveal!)
- Dinner: chicken noodle soup made by moi

Books:
- I spent some time in the evening with These Silent Woods which I am enjoying. There is quite a sense of foreboding, and I'm eager to see where it goes.
- I did manage some listening time while working on my super frustrating jigsaw puzzle. Mr. Flood's Last Resort (the touchstone comes up as 'The Hoarder' - it's the same book) is bizarre and compelling.

Viewing:
- another episode of 30 Rock while eating my lunch
- another episode of Cheer because I'm trash
- one episode of Kim's Convenience (thanks, Micky!) which I enjoyed so will add that to my watch list... because I needed yet another show...

Sweet Thursday, Katie. Ooh, I wish I had sausage and peppers to add to my eggs this morning. Is "Cheer" worth watching? I was reading mostly positive reviews about it.

>84 msf59: - Hiya, Mark! TBH, I'm not sure Cheer would be your cuppa. I basically hate watch it and live for when they fall. Bwahahaha. And I'm a sucker for sports-themed entertainment. I would say there is so much good stuff on TV now that you could skip it.

Have you watched Invasion on AppleTV? We really liked that. It follows different individuals around the world as weird stuff starts to happen...

Sadly, I do not have AppleTV. We are currently watching "This is Us", 1st season. Finally getting to it. Very good family drama and we can watch it together. We are also both watching Station Eleven. This one is a bit more of a challenge but I am liking it. I am also watching "You" solo, since everyone else seems to have watched it all ready. This will probably be a "one and done" for me though. I like it okay, but...

I read a good review of "Archive 81", so I think we will give that one a try next.

We resisted AppleTV for a long time, but it's been great (Ted Lasso! Invasion!). And the new Macbeth adaptation with Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand just started streaming on it, so I'm excited to see that.

'This is Us' didn't appeal to me at all when it premiered. Maybe now that a lot of the hype around it has died down, I should give it a shot. I haven't read Station Eleven yet, so am holding off on the series. 'You' and 'Archive 81' don't seem like my cuppa...

Hi Katie!

>43 katiekrug: Fascinating, but I’m not even remotely inclined to work on something that might make my forehead bleed… *smile*

>54 richardderus: RD - Baker Bettie is great – I’ve just subscribed to her on YouTube and will start catching up on her videos. I love all the bowls in the background and Want Them All.

>57 katiekrug: Exactly – the shelving and all the stuff.

>83 katiekrug: Yay for only two To Do items.

>88 karenmarie:, >57 katiekrug: I myownself find Baker Bettie comfortable. She's skilled but not polished in that TV-ready way. I think of her like Mary Berry: a relatable confident friendly sort.

It's still raining here. Nary a plink of freezing rain and certainly no snow!

>88 karenmarie: - And both To Do items are now done! Much laziness to ensue...

>89 richardderus: - It's still snowing lightly here but looks to be tapering off.

>83 katiekrug: Yay for Kim's! I'm so glad you liked it.

>91 MickyFine: - *grin*

It's 13 F here and I have to brave the cold in a bit to go to the gym. Brrrrrr! But there's not much else that has to get done today, so I'll spend the rest of the day warm and cozy inside.

Last night's chicken soup turned out pretty well for being a "quick" version (it uses store bought stock/broth and a rotisserie chicken). I did add some Penzey's Fox Point seasoning (one of my favorites), as I found the recipe seasoning kind of boring (garlic, oregano, and Italian seasoning).

To Do:
- gym
- reschedule fence estimate so The Wayne is free
- call another fence company to get another estimate
- Put Xmas stuff in the attic so I can clean up the landing and try to get my reading nook sorted

Menu:
- Breakfast: yogurt
- Lunch: leftover soup
- Dinner: the usual Friday night pizza and salad

Viewing:
- I finished up 'Sex Lives of College Girls.' Not sure I'll tune in for season 2, assuming there is one.
- 1 episode of 'Cheer'

Books:
- I finished Mr. Flood's Last Resort on audio and will start The Last Bookshop in London today
- I turned zero pages in my book :(

Good morning Katie! I see you have a day involving phone calls. Me too. Blech. Is the fence work in any way related to your flooding? As I write this, I'm not sure how it would be lol. If you've mentioned the fence before, I missed it.

Happy Friyay, Katie, it sounds jam-packed and honestly? I prefer mine...therapy in a few minutes, then...revise revise revise the review for The Vanished Collection. What a layer-cake of a read. With different frostings between the layers. Which are of different cakes. And the whole thing enrobed in the richest créme au beurre there ever was.

>94 lauralkeet: - No, the fence is unrelated to the flood. We would like to be able to let Nuala out for a quick pee or to run off some energy during the day, and we can't do that presently.

>95 richardderus: - It's not so jam-packed. My goal is to have all the "musts" done by early afternoon so I can get some reading in.

Happy Friday, Katie. I hope you can get more reading in today. I have Jackson duty today but I should get some book time in, as well. I loved Small Things Like These. I just wish it would have been longer.

^Knowing you, you probably have this tagged all ready. It comes out in March. 😀

>97 msf59: - Did you want it to be longer just because it was good or because you felt like there wasn't enough character or story development? I love short, intense works, as long as they are self-contained, if that makes sense.

>98 msf59: - Yes! So excited :D

>96 katiekrug: ah yes, I understand that problem. Fencing our entire property is overkill (not to mention expensive), but Chris is working on putting in fencing around the barn/garden so we have some area where the dogs can move about off-leash. Of course, that work is on hold for a while due to the weather. He enjoys these kind of projects, but there's only so much one person can do at a time. We have some other fence needs where we may call in professionals.

In regard to Small Things Like These, I just loved the writing and the characters but I definitely did not feel short-changed. This could be a perennial read, like A Christmas Memory.

>100 lauralkeet: - Our back yard is relatively large, so we are trying to decide if we want to extend the fence all the way to the tree line/river, or maybe just 2/3 of the way back. It'll be interesting to see what the fence guy says. We think we want a post and rail with wire insert, because my in-laws have that and it looks really nice.

>101 msf59: - You've made me even more excited to get to it, Mark! I plan to pick it up from the library tomorrow.

I know I've mentioned it before, but I'm very excited for the new HBO series, 'The Gilded Age.' It just got a good write-up from Linda Holmes at NPR.

Mr. Flood's Last Resort by Jess Kidd

This book was bonkers, but in the best possible way. At first, I was like, "What the hell is going on?!?!" but once I just let myself listen and stopped trying to figure it all out, I got swept up. Maud is a carer, assigned to help Mr. Flood so he can stay in his house, rather than go into an old person's home. Maud is advised by a cadre of saints that only she can see; Mr. Flood is a hoarder and cat magnet, who has also domesticated a fox. There is also a drag queen, a missing person, an estranged son, and a house that is its own character. Gothic-y and grotesque-ish, this won't be to everyone's taste. I don't think I would have liked it much in print, but the audio narrator made it all come alive and make sense.

4 stars

ETA: The British title is The Hoarder, which is what comes up as the touchstone when I bracket 'Mr. Flood's Last Resort.' They are both terrible titles that don't do the book justice.

Another chilly (12F) start to the day. I was going to go to the farmer's market, but I'm too much of a weanie.

I had a decent day yesterday and got done what needed doing (mostly). After dinner, I managed some reading time while The Wayne watched the newest episode of Boba Fett and something else. I then turned on the first episode of a new HBO series - 'Somebody, Somewhere' - which was very good. Funny but melancholic - just my cuppa. I also got some solid listening time in while working on my jigsaw puzzle, which is coming together a bit better finally. Oh, and I also made snickerdoodles which may be my favorite cookie. Looking forward to having one with my coffee in a few minutes :)

To Do:
- Costco run
- Tidy up living room
- Continue reorganizing attic landing/future reading nook
- Laundry

I have no idea what we're doing for lunch or dinner.

>105 katiekrug: Completely with ya on weeniedome and snickerdoodle luuuv.

It's like someone prescribed "sunshine to the point of nausea, but no warmth" and the Weather Goddess overdelivered.

You got me with "This book was bonkers,"! As long as it is well-crafted, I like these loony rides. You like going to Costco on the weekends? I will go early Sunday mornings but otherwise save it for a week day.

>106 richardderus: - Perfect description of the weather, RD!

And I just had a cookie with my coffee and it was *chef's kiss*.

>107 msf59: - "Like?" No, not really. But The Wayne likes to go (actually, it's his thing - I would never go if I had my druthers), and the poor sap is still working, so the weekends it is! If we get there right when it opens on Saturday morning, it's not terrible...

Mmmm, Snickerdoodles. I haven't made them in forever, but I do love them. It's effing cold here today, too. I had to force the pups into their coats before walking them this morning. Woody in particular strongly resists this, but it was 11F outside so he just had to get over it.

Yum to the snickerdoodles! May today's to-do list go by fast and you have lots of good books for the weekend :)

Morning, Katie!

Snickerdoodles are one of my favorites, too.

>109 lauralkeet: - Aw, poor Woody. I can just see him resisting the affront to his dignity.

I made the snickerdoodles from a mix because I'm lazy. But I really need to stop keeping cookie/brownie/cake mixes in the pantry...

>110 bell7: - Thanks, Mary! The good books aren't a problem - it's making myself sit down and read 'em!

>111 scaifea: - You are a woman of impeccable taste, too. Snickerdoodles were also my mother's favorite. I thought they were just ok when I was a kid but I've grown to appreciate their restrained elegance with time :)

Hi Katie!

>88 karenmarie: Baker Bettie has a video showing off her collection of mixing bowls. Turns out that the Pyrex Color Bowls I have are pre-1950 – no bowl size # on the bottom. They are Bill's Great-Aunt Eloise's, gifted to us by her son John. They make me happy.

>104 katiekrug: I’m glad you liked it – my paper copy is coming January 25 – February 1. I’m too cheap to buy Audible and my Library only had a paper copy.

>105 katiekrug: I’m glad you had a productive day yesterday. Today sounds busy.

>108 katiekrug: Glad you enjoyed your snickerdoodle.

I was gonna make a comment about Costco on a Saturday, but Mark beat me to it. You’re a brave soul…

>113 karenmarie: - I now want to start collecting fun dishes like that. Too bad I have no where to put such things...

I hope you enjoy the Jess Kidd novel, Karen. It's an odd one, for sure, but fun.

Today won't be too busy (fingers crossed). One thing usually drops off the list, so.... *grin*

There may have been an additional snickerdoodle consumed...

>114 drneutron: - Well, Himself doesn't seem in a hurry to go, and they open in 15 minutes so we may miss the window of when it's tolerable on a Saturday. *sugh*

Hope you stay warm, Katie. Meanwhile our weirdly warm January continues today with a forecasted high of 9°C (48°F). Just bananas.

Good luck at Costco!

>116 MickyFine: - 48F in January? In Edmonton? The mind boggles...

We survived Costco, which we got to a few minutes after 10:00 and the parking lots was pretty packed already. Turns out, it opens at 9:30 on Saturdays. Oops. Anyway, I only had the urge to smack people twice, which is pretty good for me. AND I resisted both times, so I deserve a gold star. On the way home, we stopped at the library so I could pick up my hold (Small Things Like These) and then once home, we spent some enjoyable time rearranging the temporary pantry. Have I mentioned the temporary pantry which is a hideously ugly, tall plastic shelving unit now residing in the dining room/library? Until all the work is done on the ground floor (where our usual storage is), it's a hideous addition to our home :)

>118 katiekrug: I only had the urge to smack people twice, which is pretty good for me. AND I resisted both times, so I deserve a gold star.

I'm impressed. I am not a Costco shopper. I shopped at a similar store back when I had infants, because I could buy diapers in mass quantities. Later we had a Costco membership but the store was not conveniently located and I just couldn't deal with the overall experience. I've never been tempted to return. I'm glad you got through it though!

>119 lauralkeet: - I'd be perfectly happy not going, but The Wayne finds value in it. We only go once every 6 weeks or so, and I don't always accompany him, so it's not so bad from my perspective.

>118 katiekrug: Have I mentioned the temporary pantry which is a hideously ugly, tall plastic shelving unit now residing in the dining room/library?

Ugh! I hope it will meet a condign end as soon as the regular pantry comes back online.

>121 richardderus: - Trust me, it will!

My reading nook is coming together! I got a bug up my ass this afternoon and sorted through some things and shifted stuff around so that I could move a chair and ottoman up there. It's a bit snug, but that's okay. I need to get a little table and a good lamp, but even without those items, I can comfortable relax with a book up there now. As long as I don't look up and see the pile of stuff that still needs to find a new home...

ETA: And my new vacuum was put through its paces today and performed beautifully.

And and we are going to a favorite place for Saturday happy hour which will also be dinner. I'm seeing a French onion soup and a chopped salad in my future...

>123 katiekrug: any photos of said nook?
I'm glad the vacuum continues to work wonders. I might actually vacuum more often now. It's not that it's fun, it's just easier and more satisfying.

Enjoy your happy hour!!

Ooh the nook sounds awesome!

Morning, Katie!
Yay for the book nook! We have a space in our house that I'd eventually like to turn into a reading space, but it'll probably be a long while before we get to that. Other projects are more pressing for now.

>124 lauralkeet: - I know what you mean about vacuuming more frequently, Laura. It's a breeze compared to wrestling our old one.

I was going to wait to share a picture until it's put together a bit more.

>125 MickyFine: - I'm excited about it, Micky! I've really struggled to give myself dedicated reading time (the guilt!), so I'm hoping having a dedicated space will help.

>126 scaifea: - Morning, Amber! If this involved more than moving some storage bins around and getting a chair up there, it would have waited :)

Morning, folks! I only got up a little bit ago, as I was awake from 4:30 to 6:00 this morning. Gross. We had a nice time out, capped off with s'mores bread pudding which I really shouldn't have ordered, but really, really wanted. Gym tomorrow! When we got home, we watched Peacemaker, with John Cena. It was reasonably entertaining, and we'll keep watching.

To Do:
- groceries
- laundry
- various small chores around the house

Menu:
- Breakfast: yogurt. And probably a snickerdoodle.
- Lunch: unsure
- Dinner: pasta with The Wayne's vodka sauce

Viewing:
- Peacemaker
- Parts of the Bengals-Titans game; wish I'd turned on the night game to see Aaron "COVID-toe" Rodgers lose. Again.

Books:
- Nothing read or listened to yesterday. WTF?

Morning, Katie!

>118 katiekrug: "I only had the urge to smack people twice, which is pretty good for me. AND I resisted both times, so I deserve a gold star." This is most excellent. A gold star and a treat of some kind, I am thinking. Positively reinforcing good behavior is very important. *blinks* We have Sam's Club instead of a Cosco, but like Laura, I just cannot go there. Craig does that shopping for us, thank goodness.

Sorry about the very ugly temporary pantry. Hoping it can be short lived.

Hooray for the reading nook! Sounds full of fabulous.

I am wanting to know which vacuum you purchased.

>129 Crazymamie: - Morning, Mamie! I like how you think - the dessert I got last night constitutes my treat, I guess *grin*

I got this vacuum but can take no credit for it, as Laura mentioned it (she got one recently, too) and since she's smart, I decided to just take the recommendation and not do any of my own research. So lazy I am.

And thanks re: the pantry (ugh) and the reading nook (yay!).

Also, Mamie, you might check out the book I commented on in >104 katiekrug:. I think it's special brand of odd would work for you - especially on audio. I noticed my DD list looking sad and short :)

" I only had the urge to smack people twice, which is pretty good for me." Great self-control!

" Nothing read or listened to yesterday. WTF?" I have to agree.

Hooray for picking up Small Things Like These.

>132 msf59: - Hiya, Mark!

My self-control is getting a workout lately. So many dumb people in the world...

And, RIGHT?!?!? about the reading. Must do better.

I have plans for reading STLT in a single sitting in my new nook, sometime this week :D

Hi Katie!

>115 katiekrug: The last house we built had shelving above the tops of the cabinets, at this house we decided to NOT have those shelves, as they are serious dust catchers. Sigh. I wish I had them now. They’d still be serious dust catchers, but I’d have some things out that I’ve got boxed away.

Only one additional snickerdoodle? You’re strong!

>118 katiekrug: Temporary pantry. Sorry it’s hideously ugly, glad you spent enjoyable time rearranging it.

>120 katiekrug: We used to go to Costco ~twice a year. The pandemic scared us off, and we found other ways to source the stuff we needed and quickly realized that we were doing a lot of stuff we wanted and didn’t need. If it was closer I might consider going again, but it isn't. 60 miles round trip isn't worth it.

>123 katiekrug: Congrats on the reading nook coming together!

>127 katiekrug: Screw guilt.

>128 katiekrug: wish I'd turned on the night game to see Aaron "COVID-toe" Rodgers lose. Again. I didn’t watch either, but watched the 4th quarter highlights and was inordinately pleased that that jerk lost. Schadenfreude, anybody?

>130 katiekrug: Not lazy - smart. I did the same thing recently with our new fridge (bought the exact same model as Reba), and I absolutely love it.

>131 katiekrug: Thanks for that! Adding it to your DD. I think that 3 books in 23 days is actually an awesome start for this year's list.

>134 karenmarie: - Oh, my. 60 miles for Costco would definitely not be worth it! Ours is around 5 miles or so. We used to go a bit farther (15 miles?) to a Costco Business Warehouse which was geared toward commercial places like convenience stores, delis, etc. so it didn't have all the crappy clothes, books, etc. It was NEVER busy. We'd go on a Saturday morning and the parking lot would only be 1/4 full. But they closed it and we were sad.

I'm not usually affected by guilt, to be honest, but having The Wayne working from home and me not working, I feel weird just plopping down with my book in the middle of the day. He says I'm being silly, which I am, but still. My nook is tucked away on the top(ish) level, with a door, so he won't be able to see me reading. Or napping :)

Totally with you on the schadenfreude!

>135 Crazymamie: - I keep forgetting it's only January, Mamie! I guess 3 books is pretty good.

I forgot about your getting Reba's fridge. Too funny. And yes, very smart :)

Katie. Dear, dear Katie. Ol' buddy ol' pal o'mine Katie.

Cinnamon Sugar mix. For your yogurt...1t = 10cal, it's got such lovely intense flavor and rice starch to keep it from clumping as you stir it up and incidentally would be *su*perb* sprinkled atop the snickerdoodles before baking.

I received some as a gift and used it this morning in my morning plain yogurt (with 1/2t vanilla extract) and, well, Old Stuff is still lookin' at me funny. Apparently I Made Noises.

Thank me later.

Hooray for a book nook!

>130 katiekrug:, >135 Crazymamie: since she's smart
Well that's very nice of you to say, Katie, but remember that I bought the vacuum simply because Wirecutter recommended it and apparently has done so for several years. My "research" ended there. So let's all raise a glass to Wirecutter!

>137 richardderus: - Hmm, I'm not sure about that for my yogurt, which I like as is - Chobani Less Sugar lemon or blueberry - but cinnamon-sugar toast is a favorite menu from childhood, so I might need to take a walk down memory lane... The snickerdoodle mix I used had a cinnamon sugar packet with it.

Your "noises" were probably the most excitement Old Stuff's heard in years. Heh.

>138 BLBera: - Yes!

>139 lauralkeet: - Just take the compliment, Laura! There are few enough people in this world that I'd consider smart :D

Groceries purchased. Terrible time to go to the store, so making a note of that. I should have known... But I came home to the dishwasher emptied, all the dishes out of the sink, and the sink scrubbed, so The Wayne gets ALL the points today.

>140 katiekrug: fair enough. *preens*

Happy Sunday, Katie - your thread moves fast! You got me with Mr. Flood - sounds like a good read.

This past week I HAD to do a Costco run that was really overdue. On Wednesday we had fog and freezing rain that made the roads really bad. Since I have to drive "down the hill" to get home from my mountain school, I decided to risk Costco, hoping with the bad roads no one would be there, and I was pretty much right. We do what we have to do, right?

I'd also love to see a photo of your book nook.

Costco is 4 or 5 miles from here but only 2 blocks from where I play pickle ball. The lot is usually pretty full and sometimes it's pretty busy inside but they are so amazingly efficient with their check-out that I don't mind going even when it's busy. We almost always get gas while we're there because they're 30 to 40 cents cheaper than other stations. Wild people with big carts can be a problem but all by all I'm a very happy Costco customer.

You must be doing cartwheels! This is awesome. Go Rams!

I do think you should watch this critique of food movies by a baker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7aY3uqkhxo

>146 richardderus: Richard, I enjoyed this a lot!

>142 lauralkeet: - LOL.

>143 AMQS: - I'm glad your Costco run was painless, Anne. So rare, that! I promise I'll share a photo when there is something more than just a chair to see.

Oooh, I hope you like Mr. Flood. Do the audio!

>144 RebaRelishesReading: - I refuse to wait in the line to get gas at Costco. It's insane. But we have a hybrid so don't have to fuel up all that often.

My "favorite" people at Costco are the ones who stop in the middle of an aisle with the ginormous carts and just, like, hang out there, not noticing people need to get by....

>145 msf59: - You almost spoke too soon, Mark! I can't believe they only barely hung on.

And how about that Bills-Chiefs game. Amazing. I do wish both teams got more of a chance in OT...

>146 richardderus: - Thanks! I will watch it when I get back from the gym. xx

Monday, Monday...

A bit grey out, and we had a little snow overnight, but I think it's supposed to be in the 30s today. I might take Nuala for a long walk, because she can't go to day care tomorrow as usual, because I have to drop the car off for service at the butt crack of dawn.

Yesterday was a good day - got some things accomplished, watched some really good football, ate some tasty food... I finally organized and hid a bunch of junk that had been on the floor between the kitchen and family room since the flood. I forgot how not cramped that space is - ha! Feels like a new house :)

To Do:
- gym
- laundry
- random chores
- try to make my reading nook photo-worthy :)

Menu:
- Breakfast: yogurt
- Lunch: egg salad
- Dinner: chicken taco salad

Viewing:
- nothing other than football yesterday

Books:
- I listened to some of The Last Bookshop in London which is fine, but the author abviously feels the need to "casually" drop in every piece of information she came across during her research and it's... annoying.

Morning, Katie. You are correct, I nearly spoke too soon on that Rams game but they held on. Their defense might be the best in the league. Great to see both Brady and Rodgers out. And that Bills/Chiefs game was one for the ages. I was rooting for the Bills too but hard to quibble with the result. The coin flip was the deciding factor.

Good morning Katie! Happy to see you're working towards taking photos of your nook. No pressure ...

We've never been big followers of NFL football, so I have paid next to no attention to this round of playoffs. HOWEVER ... my hometown team (Cincinnati Bengals) is doing amazingly well after several years in the cellar. My dad was a huge fan and season ticket-holder. My brother benefited from this more than I did (because he cared, and I didn't), but still, because of the Bengals we've been sharing memories of our dad lately. WHO DEY.

>150 msf59: - As someone said on Twitter, the fact that Josh Allen’s decision to call tails decided this game instead of his arm is insane.

>151 lauralkeet: - No pressure - ha!

That's cool about the Bengals and your dad. It's nice to be able to share those memories with your brother. I was the outlier in my family in loving sports, even as a kid. Every year, I'd have a Super Bowl party for one - my mom would let me have a few "treats" and I'd set them up on the coffee table and watch the game by myself :-P

>152 katiekrug: That's adorable.

Are we going against anyone else these playoffs? I think all the teams I wanted to lose have now hahaha. I was rather too delighted to see Brady lose in the last seconds. I would've liked to see the Bills break through, but wow, what an exciting finish! I kept exclaiming out loud and the sleeping dogs would jump up to figure out what was wrong and then settle down again briefly.

Hope you have an excellent day and get some good reading in.

>153 lauralkeet: - Or kind of pathetic, depending on your perspective!

>154 bell7: - Ha! I don't hate anyone left, so I guess I'll fall back on the old rule of never rooting for a team from California...

Morning, Katie! I might have ordered that vacuum.

>146 richardderus: - Thanks for sharing that, Richard - what fun to watch. I kind of wish she had her own show :) As a fan of Big Night and Chef, I loved hearing that they were well done.

>156 Crazymamie: - Bwahahahahaha! Laura should be getting a commission from Shark....

>157 katiekrug:, >147 AMQS: I'm glad y'all liked it, too. I'm always up for the take-down of a silly, overhyped film. I've always loved Chocolat so it was good to hear that they got it mostly right, too.

Anyway, happy Mmmday and gloating with y'all that the playoffs played out Brady and Rodgers.

>156 Crazymamie:, >157 katiekrug: HELL YEAH.
We should have some kind of house-vacuuming party using our new toys. Maybe over Zoom. Is that weird?!

>158 richardderus: - I haven't seen (or read) Chocolat.... Must get with it!

>159 lauralkeet: - No, not weird at all...

Well, that bowl of ramen up there looks truly delicious. I do miss living in a city where such food could be easily had.

Hi Katie!

I'm with you about the Bills/Chiefs game. Josh Allen is the real deal and he should have had a chance with the ball. On the other hand, I'm so happy that both Rodgers and Brady will be watching the rest of the post-season from their (fancy and expensive, no doubt) Barcaloungers, that I could dance. Well, I could drink an extra glass of wine. Whatever.

I have a Miele vacuum cleaner and I love it.

>149 katiekrug: Nice to have that organized feeling, Katie. Now to keep it that way! Enjoy your long walk with Nuala.

>161 EBT1002: - Hi Ellen! Thanks for stopping by. I think most of the football-watching public feel similarly about Brady and, to a slightly lesser extent, Rodgers. I wish they'd both fall into a black hole.

Miele, eh? You fancy! ;-)

>162 Familyhistorian: - We'll see how long it lasts, Meg...

Nuala is currently napping, so if she wakes up before it gets dark out, we'll go out. Otherwise, there's always tomorrow!

>160 katiekrug: okay, that cracked me up!

...the Zuumers...oh dear...heh

>165 lauralkeet: - It's one of my favorite gifs....

>166 richardderus: - I think Laura might be Zooming by herself (not counting the vacuum)!

I enjoyed reading through Roxane Gay's round-up of her 2021 reading. Added several titles to my list...

https://audacity.substack.com/p/my-2021-in-reading

>168 katiekrug: What a fun list!

I'm currently reading Matrix by Lauren Groff so I'm happy to see her give it a good nod. And I've just added Razorblade Tears to my wish list. I had never heard of it until now.

And I feel totally validated that she described No One is Talking About This as "A Book I Did Not Fully Understand That Everyone Else Loved." I liked it plenty but I never really felt like I saw all the layers that others seemed to see.

I loved all the ways she categorized the books. That was a fun list Katie.

>104 katiekrug: Well, rats. My local library does not have it under any title!

Have a great week, Katie!

I'm willing to bet I hate Tom Brady way more than anyone on LT, Katie. Way more. Way way more. Too many years of having him in our division. And losing to the Patriots. So happy to see him OUT. So now we can just trounce Belichek every year. Whoopeeeee! Lol

>169 EBT1002: and >170 lauralkeet: - Glad you both enjoyed the list, too, Ellen and Laura!

>171 alcottacre: - That's too bad, Stasia. Hope you have a good week, too!

>172 brenzi: - I'm sure you are right, Bonnie! The Wayne is a Dolphins fan so has similar feelings to you :)

>168 katiekrug: A list! Thanks for posting Katie.
I have "An Absolutely Absorbing Novel About Some Medieval Nuns Who Sometimes Had Sex and it Was Wild" in the pile to read soon(ish).
Any joy on making the book nook photo-worthy? (It sounds lovely)

>174 charl08: - I liked her characterization of Matrix, too, Charlotte! And it was one of the few books on her list that I had read...

No progress on the reading nook, but I took a photo this morning. Please ignore the cat-clawed fabric on the chair. And I need to get a nicer blanket. And a better table. And a lamp.



And this is the current view from the chair *sigh*

Nice nook!

Morning, Katie. I don't always agree with Gay, (I see her reviews on Good Reads) but she does come out with some good ones. I really want to read Razorblade Tears. I really liked his last novel. I am glad she loved Matrix.

>176 lauralkeet: - Well, it will be. Eventually.

>177 msf59: - I don't always agree with anybody, Mark, but she does read interesting stuff and has smart things to say, good and bad.

I have Blacktop Wasteland on my Kindle but haven't read it yet.

Oof. Early morning - I had to drop the car off at the dealership at 8am, so I was up at 6:15 so I could indulge in my usual morning routine (coffee, NYT crossword, Wordle, starting the Spelling Bee - it's all about getting my brain in gear!). Dropped off the car and the dealership conveniently organizes and pays for a ride home; I had a delightful Lyft driver named Kent. So a good start to the day.

The chicken taco salad was really good last night. I used this recipe to make the chicken, and the leftover onions and tomatoes were a nice addition to the salad. I love the IP because I just threw in frozen chicken breasts and they came out perfectly shreddable.

To Do:
- laundry because I didn't do it yesterday because I realized Tuesday is laundry day
- make a list of all our flood-related expenses and start scanning invoices and such (I've been procrastinating dealing with this for far too long!)

Menu:
- Breakfast: Kodiak waffle with peanut butter; maybe a hard-boiled egg
- Lunch: unsure; something light because dinner will be heavier
- Dinner: it's trivia night, and our friend who is also the trivia MC offered to drive us so we don't miss it, so dinner will be whatever I feel like off the menu. Fish and chips might win out...

Reading:
- I spent A LOT of time with my jigsaw puzzle yesterday, so listened to a bunch of The Last Bookshop in London which isn't bad enough to stop reading but isn't really very good.
- My print reading has been stalled; I finally decided last night to set aside These Silent Woods - it's not bad but I think I need a re-set. I picked up This is the Story of a Happy Marriage last night and read the introduction. I plan to spend at least an hour in my nook with it this afternoon.

Viewing:
- None yesterday

Good morning Katie! thanks for reminding me I haven't done the Crossword yet. Wordle annoyed me and I got in a snit.

What's a Kodiak waffle?

Any day when Tom Brady gets his tail kicked is a good day. (Have to say that quietly as Marianne - Michigan Trumpet - will hear NOTHIN against her Brady of the Pats).

Any day when Aaron Rogers gets his tail kicked is a good day.

>180 lauralkeet: - LOL re: your snit, Laura. I've been there :)

A Kodiak waffle is a brand of high protein waffle, found in the frozen section. I usually keep a box of Nutrigrain Eggos in the freezer but decided to try these instead. I don't like them as much but I think they are marginally better for me? I try to only have it once a week or so and stick to yogurt most days.

>181 magicians_nephew: - Morning, Jim! I think Marianne's love of Brady has more to do with him being a Michigan alum than any loyalty to the Pats. Plus, he's been with Tampa Bay for a couple of years now...

Agree about Rodgers.

>182 katiekrug: Thanks for the explanation Katie. Crossword is now done, and was much easier than the Wordle. The Spelling Bee must also have been easy bc Chris got to Genius in a snap.

>183 lauralkeet: - I just hit Genius, which is when I allow myself to see how many total words there are :)

ETA: Only 3 words left to find!

I just saw Popolari, a newish restaurant walkable from our house, is offering pasta alla ruota for a limited time starting next month. I'd never heard of this, but the photo was mouth-watering, so I Googled and found this description: "a style of pasta that is made tableside by mixing freshly cooked pasta in a hollowed cheese wheel. A layer of cheese is scraped inside the wheel so it melts when the hot pasta is mixed in. Sometimes, the cheese is lit on fire to induce melting…"

Ummm, yes please!

>185 katiekrug: There's a place near us in the village called "Pasta Eaters" that offers this dish.

>185 katiekrug: Oh. My. God.

(Add that to the Katie and Amber Eat Their Way Through NJ list, pls.)

>186 magicians_nephew: - Have you had it, Jim? I'm almost scared to try it. I think I'd get about 3 bites in and be DONE.

>187 scaifea: - Yes, ma'am!

>185 katiekrug: Oh, dear God, I *need* some of that!

>189 drneutron: - Easy train ride up!

>168 katiekrug: I love Roxane Gay, and what a descriptive list! Love it.

Your book nook will get there -- imagine how satisfying it will be...

Hi Katie!

>137 richardderus: I have a ratty old metal sprinkles tin that I use for my custom cinnamon-sugar mix – sugar and cinnamon, mix cinnamon into sugar until there’s enough cinnamon to make it flavorful and not pure white. Cinnamon toast… yum. Heh. Noises.

>146 richardderus: 17 minutes and 50 seconds of joy. Thanks, RD!

>159 lauralkeet: God knows my house needs vacuuming, although I have a house cleaner coming out Friday (unless he cancels again) to mop all downstairs moppables, vacuum the whole downstairs, and clean 4 bathrooms. Keep your fingers crossed that he shows up!

But I could zoom with my Shark Professional Navigator, too (mine's white) – Bill bought it for me last year and it’s quite marvelous. We could all sing “Whistle While You Work”.

>175 katiekrug: Every piece of furniture in our living room is cat clawed, alas. We bought functional covers last year so we wouldn’t be forever shamed, but until we can figure out how to keep Zoe and Wash from clawing the furniture, there’s no sense in getting new. I have some beautiful furniture in an upstairs room that I don't let the cats into, but that means I rarely go in there, too.

Your nook is coming along, so brava. And, books in the nook!

>179 katiekrug: You must subscribe to the Spelling Bee. I don’t, being cheap, and I think it’s a shame that I subscribe to the Times but don’t get the games and don’t get food stuff…. But I digress. There’s some magical algorithm that cuts me off after one or more words, telling me congratulations.

Oof. Scanning invoices and such. *shudder*

Morning, Katie! Yes, please, to the pasta.

>160 katiekrug: This made me laugh out loud! I love that gif.

>168 katiekrug: Thanks for this! What a fun list - I loved her descriptions.

>175 katiekrug: An excellent start. It's gonna be cozy and relaxing when it's all done.

Pasta alla ruota is deVOON and if they use cacciato plus flame it with grappa *trembles on the brink*

...ahem...

It is so very worth it to go to Popolari and experience this divinity.

I think your nook is perfection in the making. As to the clawed surface, that is the cost of having one of them about. No complaining!

>183 lauralkeet: and >184 katiekrug: I have been playing spelling bee for a couple weeks and I think it's really hard! I rarely get even half the words, though I do usually get the panagram. On the other hand, I'm finding wordle fairly easy. I've played 15 times and most often get it in 3 tries. The NYT crosswords are also difficult for me. I've been playing them a few months, but most days I don't have time to do the whole thing. But I'm having fun with all of them. Just jealous of your spelling bee prowess!

ETA right now I have 12 words and 61 points and have spent quite a bit of time staring at it . . .

>185 katiekrug: that pasta dish sounds amazing. Please report back!

>192 karenmarie: Thank you for validating my vacuum zoom meeting idea, Karen. Especially when *someone else* was being a teeny bit judgmental. 😍

>175 katiekrug: Good bones! I think you're going to have a delightful space when you're done. I like the idea of a reading nook but this house doesn't have any nooks -- I do have a chair by the fireplace in the family room though and that's pretty nice :)

>191 BLBera: - Glad you liked the list, Beth! And yes, the nook will be great when i'm done. Maybe this weekend...

>192 karenmarie: - I had some luck with an anti-scratch spray I could put on furniture, but it seems silly to coat every surface of all the upholstered furniture regularly. I just opt not to spend too much on furniture. Luckily, Leonard has not even attempted to claw the purcle chesterfield or leather couch. just a few relatively cheap arm chairs...

I don't think I have a separate subscription for games on the NYT. I could be wrong...?

>193 Crazymamie: - Thanks, Mamie. I am SHOCKED we agree on so much and like so many of the same things :)

>194 richardderus: - I will definitely be going to try it. The rest of their food is amazing, too.

I'm not too upset about the clawed furniture. As you say, it comes with the territory!

>195 japaul22: - Hi Jennifer! The Spelling Bee takes a lot of practice, I think, because some of the words are rather obscure. Once you start recognizing them, things get easier. And don't forget to shuffle the letters occasionally. That always helps me a ton.

I got Queen Bee today :D

Crosswords also take a ton of practice. The nice thing is, they are still fun even when they prove impossible to finish!

>196 lauralkeet: - I will definitely report back on the pasta. Even if it's from my hospital bed after going into cheese shock.

Judgmental?



>197 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba. A chair by the fire is lovely. We have two fireplaces but they are in the main area of the house, so very open to distraction which is my main problem :)

>199 katiekrug: I understand the distraction problem. The fireplace/chair is in the same space as the kitchen and the table we usually eat at and next to the sliding doors to the deck and open to the study...

>199 katiekrug: shuffle the letters???? I had no idea that was an option . . .
That probably will help a bit!

>201 japaul22: - Yes, ma'am. It's the little arrow icon thingy in the middle below the letters.

ETA: This is a fun little piece about playing it: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/09/crosswords/spellingbee-tips.html

I think there must be some sort of hierarchy of subscriptions to the NYT, though. I get a subscription through UDayton, and it's the same level of access that Karen mentions. So I can get up to a certain number of words right in the Bee game and then it cuts me off. Irritating.

I just read all of your last thread and all of this one. I now know
a) I haven't had egg salad in decades
b) I need to take out my IP and make soups for dinner
c) Any job you would be a good fit for is one I could never do. Your morning planning post is always organized and useful and something I have never, ever been able to follow. Task lists? Sure. They sometimes even get done, eventually. Today my goal is to practice my violin, which I am about to do before I let the time slip away yet again.

eta: I can't housekeep or menu plan worth a darn.

>203 scaifea: - Come to think of it, I know you can get a separate subscription to NYT Cooking and nothing else. So you must be right about different tiers.

>204 ffortsa: - Judy, I'm sorry you wasted all that time on my boring threads! LOL.

Soups in the IP are my favorite use of it (with hard boiling eggs for egg salad a close second!).

I rarely get through my To Do list, and I often end up doing different things are having something else for a meal than what I planned. But doing those morning posts helps me get my head in the right place to start the day.

>203 scaifea: >205 katiekrug: re: NYT subscriptions, besides Cooking-only you can also subscribe to only to Games. If you have home delivery you get digital access to all the things. And then there are mix-and-match options in between: https://www.nytimes.com/subscription

University subscriptions are probably a whole other thing, but I'm not surprised that it wouldn't include games.

>206 lauralkeet: I have an "Education Discount" digital subscription to the NYT, and a separate Games subscription. I don't think any of their digital-only subs include Games, but I think it's kind of chintzy that they won't let you complete the full Spelling Bee puzzle, even if you didn't have access to the rest of the Games options. I feel like the Bee is a gateway drug for a lot of people to eventually subscribe to Games, but if you never get to finish one I wouldn't think it would be nearly as appealing.

>175 katiekrug: At least you have a reading nook! And it can only get better. : )

I am not doing word puzzles right now. Instead I am deep into solitaire, sudoku, word search (kind of a word puzzle), ball sort, get it right, cube block and I am spending tons of time on Noom, relearning French. In fact, I have to go. Noom just told me I dropped into the demotion zone!

>206 lauralkeet: - Why does everything gotta be so complicated?

>207 rosalita: - I agree about the Bee and cutting people off.

>208 Berly: - Hi Kim! Last fall, I went through a phase of playing Free Cell solitaire All. The. Time. I had to quit cold turkey :) I've never been able to get into sudoku.

Wait, are you learning French on Noom? I'm confused...

Morning, folks!

I recently signed up for a writing class through a local adult education organization - not because I feel like some random person will teach me how to write, but because I wanted dedicated time in my week to focus. So my first session is this morning from 10:00 to 12:00. It's over Zoom so I may or may not just stay in my bathrobe for it :-P It's only 3 sessions but I'm hoping it will provide some motivation.

To Do:
- writing class
- insurance paperwork
- follow-up with radon remediation companies

Menu:
- Breakfast: hard-boiled egg and fruit
- Lunch: soup
- Dinner: unsure; today is usually a grocery store day but I'm not sure when we'll get the car back, so it may be a Get Your Own night, in which case I'll probably treat myself to a Stouffer's mac and cheese

Books:
- I finished the audio of The Last Bookshop in London and started As You Wish by Cary Elwes
- Hoping for a chunk of reading time in my nook with This is the Story of a Happy Marriage

Viewing:
- one episode of 'Cheer' while I ate lunch yesterday

Oooh, a writing class! Very cool. I asked Tomm for the Neil Gaiman Masterclass for Christmas - now I just need to make time to do it...

>210 katiekrug: It's a good idea, Katie. It sends the message to your subconscious: "This is a focus now. We are spending time on this now."

So enjoy that!

Wasn't there a trivia night last night? I'm getting lost. Your early retirement but continuing VHH throws me.

*smooch*

'Morning, Katie!

I hope the writing class is worth it, and yay for bathrobes.

>210 katiekrug: I loved that Elwes narration - hope you enjoy it!

>59 katiekrug: Katie, I love the idea of a life-changing vacuum cleaner. Spoken like a true Domestic Goddess. I’m glad you’re embracing your new lifestyle. 🤣 I have 3 Sharks! I got smart and bought one for each level. It was getting problematic to lug a vacuum up the 15-stair winding staircase to our top level!
Yes, our house is way too big for us but so nice to have extra space when the kids come home.

>98 msf59: >99 katiekrug: A new ONan book is something to get excited about!

>118 katiekrug: I live in Walmart Country so we are longtime Sam’s Club customers. A new Costco came to town late last year. Same concept, same craziness. I will stick with what I am used to because it’s closer and I know where everything is.

Your reading nook has a comfy chair and books. Looks good to me!

I agree with you on The Last Bookshop in London. I may have liked it slightly more than you, though, as I listened to it last September when we drove to Denver to visit our oldest son. Once you get past the Flint Hills, there is nothing to see in Kansas and it was a good enough diversion. I thought the best parts of Last Bookshop were the references to The Count of Monte Cristo, one of my all-time favorites.

Whew…all caught up.

>209 katiekrug: I had four years of French but I am much better at reading (I read The Three Musketeers, Count of Monte Cristo, etc) than I am at listening or speaking and I suck at general conversations, so I am relearning and learning French on Noom. Love it. : )

Katie, don't mistake me - I'm terribly admiring of your organizing your thoughts (as I am of Amber). I just don't seem to have that muscle exercised these days.

I hope the writing class is a good one, and gives you the habit of writing. Good for you.

I'll come back to answer individually - my laptop is not playing nice and The Wayne is unavailable to fix it at the moment...

>215 Donna828: Donna: Queen of the Sharks
I bow to her vacuuming prowess!

Looking forward to hearing about the writing class, Katie.

-Sophie Lucido Johnson

^Thinking of you. Loving the Patchett collection?

>211 scaifea: - What a great idea for a gift! I'll have to remember that :)

This class was okay - better than I expected but my expectations were super low. It felt great to actually write, though.

>212 richardderus: - I'm hoping that my subconscious received the message!

Yes, we went to trivia last night. We came in 5th of 18 teams. VHH is now once a month - first Thursday.

>213 karenmarie: - Thanks, Karen! It was okay. And I ended up actually dressing for it :)

>214 vivians: - I'm having a lot of fun listening to it, Vivian. I see a re-watch in my future...

>215 Donna828: - Thanks for catching up with me, Donna!

>216 Berly: - We must be talking about different Nooms. I did a weight loss program on an app called Noom a few years ago. I thought from your comment that maybe they now also do language learning but I don't see anything about that with a quick Google search.

>217 ffortsa: - No worries, Judy! And thanks re: the writing. I'm hoping it becomes more of a habit.

>219 lauralkeet: - Donna shall now be known as Sharky.

I'll post in more detail about the writing class after I finish responding.

>220 msf59: - Ha! Thanks, Mark. I've only read the introduction to the Patchett collection so far, Mark. I know - bad, Katie.

So the writing class:

I, of course, had technical issues to start because I thought I had Zoom downloaded on my computer but apparently not. And then it didn't want to use the webcam I wanted it to use, but eventually I got everything working.

There were about 8 people in the class, plus the "instructor." The instructor follows some sort of approach (I forget the name) that doesn't require participants to read or share, and encourages only positive feedback about the content. Unfortunately, this meant I couldn't tell people how terrible their writing was. Snort. I kid, I kid. But honestly, some of it was cringe-inducing and I had to keep reminding myself that my camera was on.

Anyway, we started with introductions - name, location, a fictional character from a book that has stuck with you, and if there is a particular character you are hoping to "work on" in the sessions (it's a character-writing workshop). Then we were given a writing prompt (describe a character doing something with their hands) and 15 minutes to write. Once finished, people volunteered to read, and the rest were encouraged to provide feedback about what they liked, what they felt was strong in the sample, etc.

I wasn't planning to share what I wrote, but the 2 people who did first were so mediocre, I got a confidence boost. So I read what I had written and got really lovely feedback from several people, including the instructor, who, when I had finished reading, had said "Wow." So that made me feel good :)

We did another writing prompt using a photograph but I didn't share. I tried to provide feedback but I didn't find much of anything very good, so it was hard. I am a terrible person.

The End.

>223 katiekrug: Kudos on being brave enough to share in the first class!

>223 katiekrug: That's really interesting, Katie. The Toni Morrison class I took a couple of years ago had a significant writing component, but no obligation to share. I didn't share, mostly because the prompts were intended to tap into emotions and I didn't want to open up. Some of the writing was good, some wasn't, but even then I admired the writer for sharing something really personal.

>224 MickyFine: - I still blushed and got nervous like I was back in school :-P

>225 lauralkeet: - I ended up writing about my mom, so it was rather personal. I've been thinking more and more about writing some nonfiction about her and our relationship.

No word from the dealership about the car. They've had it for 2 full days! I am going to have to call first thing tomorrow, because I really need to get to the grocery store. The Wayne informed me we are supposed to get 6-12" of snow, starting Friday morning...

Writing workshop sounds like fun, Katie.

As You wish is a fun book if you like "The Princess Bride" movie and i suspect you do :-).

Regarding the NY Times - I have a 3.99 a month subscription to the NYT Crosswords puzzles, which apparently includes Spelling Bee and a few others. (I also pay something for a Kindle subscription to the NY Times for - you know - reading the thing.

Oh, that reminds me of the six-word assignment about hands we did in some class...the 80s?...and I wrote, "So gentle, for a last touch."

>220 msf59: I have never, ever loved anyone that much. I'm not all the way sure I'm capable of it.

Hi Katie! Sounds like the writing class was mostly successful. I'm a little bemused by the positive feedback only method. Hope you're enjoying As You Wish. I'm a huge Princess Bride fan and I got a kick out of it a few years ago.

I *snork*ed at your description of trying to remember that the camera was on! Too funny. I think it wouldn't be good for me to take that class; my (not-so) inner professor would burst out, critical guns blazing. Aaaand I wouldn't want to share my own writing. So, essentially, I'd be the worst kind of student.

>228 magicians_nephew: - I can't imagine someone picking up the book who doesn't like The Princess Bride :)

Ha. I rarely read the Times. If I am out on a Sunday morning and see it, I occasionally buy it because sometimes an afternoon with the paper is pure bliss.

>229 richardderus: - Oh, that's lovely.

>230 bell7: - I think the approach is meant for use by groups of very new writers, maybe so as not to discourage anyone? I don't mind it for this very casual approach I am taking. And the class is only 3 sessions, so it's not like a real, intensive workshop.

As You Wish is great fun.

>231 scaifea: - I had such a hard time when people used words just... wrong. Like, that is not the word you think it is. *eye roll* Also, I am not a great read-outlouder but my God - one woman ended every sentence with an uplift, like she was asking a question? Bizarre. Anyhoo, it got me to write and that was the point so yay!

Sunny and 14F this morning and I can hear birds chirping. I had a lovely sleep, though a little short because I stayed up too late and then had trouble falling asleep. Today is a bit busy, as yesterday I got distracted by some things and didn't get much productive done (though I did finish my jigsaw puzzle!). The Wayne was having a hard time with work stuff, so I also spent some time talking him off the figurative ledge.

I'm currently waiting on a call back from my service advisor to see when I can pick up the car. They've had it for two full days. I need my car!

My Get Your Own dinner last night was apple sauce and some smoked Gouda on Carr's crackers. #gourmet

To Do:
- call radon remediation company
- enter new Kindle books in LT
- grocery run (if I have car back)

Menu:
- Breakfast: yogurt
- Lunch: egg salad in pita
- Dinner: uncertain, maybe takeout; again, depends on if I get the car back

Books:
- no print reading; bad Katie
- listened to more of As You Wish while finishing up a jigsaw

Viewing:
- caught up with the two most recent episodes of Project Runway
- finished season 2 of Cheer

Morning, Katie! Your writing workshop thing sounds interesting - I don't play well with others, so I think I would be bad at that. Hooray for you for sharing.

Crossing my fingers that you get your car back today. Our van has been waiting for repairs at the dealership for months and months. They need some ship that no one has right now, so there it sits.

>234 Crazymamie: - Months?!?! That's crazy.

I hate being carless. So much of life can be delivered now, and of course there is Lyft, but even if I don't go anywhere, I like knowing that I can on the spur of the moment...

I forgot we also have a guy coming this morning to talk to us about a fence for the back yard and provide an estimate. So I guess I need to get dressed. Bummer.

>235 katiekrug: Indeed. The van was the vehicle that Abby drove, and she currently cannot drive, so...But it is also the only vehicle that has a hitch that Craig can hook his trailer to for moving big items, so we have to borrow from one of Dan's friends when we need to say take the mower in to be serviced. The mower has also been at the repair place for almost a month now - completely crazy making.

Sorry you have to get dressed. Is that actually specified in your Lady of Leisure contract, because if not you might have some recourse.

>236 katiekrug: Boo for *having* to get dressed! I'm old and disabled, so I can get away with the most delightful thing ever: Wearing jammies out into the world! And I do. (It helps to be indifferent to people smirking at you.)

>237 Crazymamie: and >238 richardderus: - "Real" clothes are over-rated.

Ah dang, sorry you have to put on "appropriate for other people" clothes. Hopefully it's a short meeting and you can go back to comfy clothes afterwards.

>241 katiekrug: - Still in adulting clothes, unfortunately. I'm waiting for the dealership to call to say I can pick up the car, which they said would be sometime this afternoon....

The fence guy has been and gone. We should get the estimate in a day or so. The Wayne wanted some "extra" stuff, so I have a feeling it's going to be spendy. May have to consider alternate materials or something. Why is nothing ever easy?

Speaking of overly complicated things, I was trying to book an AirBNB* and they now require a photo of a government document with your photo (DL or passport) and then a current photo of you taken right then. It's ridiculous. I had to try 3 separate times to get them to see I was the same person. Absolutely ridiculous. But it is done, so now I'm just waiting to hear if my reservation request has been accepted.

* My 25-Year high school reunion was last year, but they canceled the festivities and rescheduled them for this year (fingers crossed they don't cancel again). The school is in a little town in the Hudson Valley with very few accommodation options. You can opt to stay in the dorms, which The Wayne thought would be, and I quote, "hot" but I explained that I did that for 4 years, and then 4 more in college, and I was an adult now and would not be sleeping in a twin bed or using a communal shower ever again :) So I've booked a cute cottage not too far away, but I expect we'll end up going in with at least one other couple on a bigger (and nicer) place. But my old classmate I've talked about it a bit with (Kate) is a bit flaky and pinning her down is tough, so I wanted to have something booked for us before everything disappeared. Kate's mother lives in the area so she and her husband can always stay with her if they wait too long to book. ANYWAY, it's another thing off my master To Do list :)

Hi Katie!

>223 katiekrug: Interesting. Odd. But I love it that two people were so mediocre that you got a confidence boost, read your stuff, then got good feedback and a Wow from the instructor. I have to remember to not roll my eyes at Friends Board Meetings.

>241 katiekrug: Getting a bit late in the afternoon…

>243 karenmarie: - My face gives me away All. The. Time. My old boss once took me aside at a Board meeting during a break and said, "Look, I agree with you. Most of what they are saying is ridiculous. But you can't keep rolling your eyes and smirking." Oops. We had a nice laugh about it. He's such a good guy - I miss him. Not the job or working, mind you!

Yeah, I think I might be shit out of luck again with the car. They'll probably call 15 minutes before they close, and I'll have to get a Lyft and blah blah blah. I may just plan to go in the morning. I'd miss the gym but we are supposed to get snow this weekend, so shoveling is both a strength AND cardio workout.....

FUUUUUUUUUUUUCK. The Wayne got me tickets to see Billy Joel in concert at MSG on June 10. Reunion weekend starts the 9th...

>223 katiekrug: "wow" from instruction -- congratulations! I can well imagine that felt good.

>246 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba!

To paraphrase Shakespeare, All's Well That Ends Well Even When It Begins as a Comedy of Errors.

Short version: I have been reunited with my car.

Long version: The service department closes at 5pm. When I had not heard from them about picking up the car by 4:15, I texted Julian that we wouldn't be able to make our gym session tomorrow morning. At 4:23, the service advisor texted to say I could pick up the car. I was worried about getting there before they closed because I had to get a Lyft. So I summoned a Lyft, one was two streets away and would arrive in 1 minute. Cue scramble to get purse and put on coat. Lyft comes and deposits me at the car place. As I walk in, I realize I have left my wallet at home. Blerg. While waiting, I called the Wayne to make sure it was, in fact, at home and not on the floor of the Lyft (it was at home - I'd left it on my desk after wrestling with the stupid airBNB requirements and I was in such a hurry to not make the Lyft driver wait, I forgot to do my usual run through of the purse). I ask the desk assistant if they'd take a credit card number over the phone, and they said yes, so I had The Wayne on stand-by. Then I realized I could probably use Google Pay through my phone if I had it set up. So I set that up (interestingly, my credit card bank won't authorize Google Pay or contactless payment or whatever; luckily, my regular bank was fine so I could set up my debit card and my debit card was saved in my Google account to make online shopping stupidly easy because I am a sucker). Then I realize no one ever called to discuss the work on the car and how much it would be, so maybe it was still under warranty? Yes! Yes, it was. Which is good because apparently it was a few thousand dollars worth of work (malfunctioning drivetrain warning) made complicated by the car being an electric hybrid. So then I was waiting for the car to be brought around. And then I thought I saw it sitting at the end of the line of cars in the service area, but I am assured by the service advisor that that is not my car because it's not a hybrid and the key tag number is wrong. I'm pretty sure it's my license plate number, but I am not 100% positive so I keep quiet. 10 minutes later, the service advisor is annoyed I am still waiting for my car so he goes back out to see what the deal is, and is informed that that is my car waiting at the end of the line - except there is no line anymore, because everyone else has claimed their cars. Hahahahaha. Anyway, no harm, no foul, and they are really very nice at the dealership. So I got the car and drove the speed limit all the way home lest I got pulled over while sans drivers license. If you are still reading this, you get a cookie. ~Fin~

Cookie, please.
Great story Katie!

>222 katiekrug: LOL. No, I am also doing Noom and had a brain cramp. Duolingo is the language app. I still don't have my brain fully back after COVID. Sigh.

>248 katiekrug: Cookie please! Maybe the sugar will help by brain function. ; ) And I'm glad you got your car back.

Great job Katie on your interaction with under qualified people who naturally think they can write an effing book. Because of course they do. Can't everybody?

Cookie please. Although at present I have Lebkuchen, which arrived as an unexpected gift from a German supplier. I love them (the Lebkuchen - although I am quite fond of this supplier).

I have one of those expressive faces as well. In my case it's apparently my nose that gives me away.

I'm not very good at positive feedback, especially if something's not very good. Well done on the workshop. Good luck with the next two.

>249 lauralkeet: -

>250 Berly: - Ooooh, okay. That makes more sense :)

Cookie for you:

>251 brenzi: - Well, Bonnie, I'm probably not qualified to write a book, either!

>252 Helenliz: - Thanks re: the workshop, Helen.

And a cookie for you!

Morning, folks! It's snowing (sorry, Amber)! I believe this is just a snow shower - we are getting the real stuff starting this evening. Our totals were increased overnight to 8-13". I'm glad The Wayne finally replaced our snowblower a couple of weeks ago...

This morning, I'm planning to take Nuala to day care because she hasn't been in forever and then go to the grocery store. But first, I need to do a bit of meal planning and a list.

I made zero time for books yesterday which was very poor of me. Hopefully today will be better.

To Do:
- errands
- sort/file paperwork
- call radon remediation company (again)

Menu:
- Breakfast: hard boiled egg and fruit
- Lunch: sandwich of some sort
- Dinner: frozen pizza and salad

Books:
- nothing read or listened to yesterday
- 1 hour in nook will be a priority

Viewing:
- nothing yesterday

Happy Friday, Katie! Sorry to hear about the conflict with the concert and the reunion. What a bummer. It is mind-boggling how often stuff like that happens. How hard are you going to be hit with this snowstorm? Whatever happens- good luck!

Morning, Mark! Yeah, I'm bummed about the conflict. I'm hoping there is some way I can exchange the tickets for another date, because he has a whole series at MSG... We'll see.

We are supposed to get 8-13" of snow tonight and into tomorrow...

Thanks for the cookie! Breakfast of Champions.

We're supposed to get snow this afternoon but not much accumulation I guess, because there are no weather warnings and the temps are going to remain at or around freezing. Stay warm and read!

>258 lauralkeet: - "Stay warm and read!"

That's my plan!

8-13? Ugh!! I heard some parts of New England might get 2 feet. Yikes!

>260 msf59: - Yup! Classic nor'easter. Or someone said it was a bombogenesis. I don't know the difference... *shrug*

>242 katiekrug: I think all fencing is spendy - you should get what you want the first time out if you can afford it because you will have to look at it a lot.

What are you going to do about Billy Joel vs Reunion? Never mind because I see what you posted to Mark. I know what I would choose, but that is because not only do I have BIG love for Billy Joel, but you could not pay me enough to go to any kind of reunion. Crossing my fingers that you can exchange your tickets.

Cookie, please.

Hooray for snow!

Hi Katie!

>244 katiekrug: Eye rolls and smirking… yup. It’s hard to not react to ridiculous.

‘Snow’ might not cover it… aren’t you part of this bomb cyclone system roaring through?

>245 katiekrug: Of all the weekends in the year, he picks reunion weekend. *sad face*

>248 katiekrug: Glad you got your car back. Any snickerdoodles left?

>255 katiekrug: Yay for the new snowblower.

I hope you, TW, Nuala, and Leonard stay safe and sound. That’s a lot of snow coming your way.

>262 Crazymamie: - I have big love for Billy Joel, too, but I also loved my high school experience and always have a good time at the reunions. I'm waiting to do anything until I see the schedule for the weekend, because there's a chance the things I'm most interested in will be on Saturday and we could maybe go to the concert Friday night and then drive up Saturday morning...

I gotta make more cookies!

>263 karenmarie: - Morning, Karen. Poor TW. He feels bad about the event conflict. We put off doing a shared calendar for too long. It's since been put in place, but only in the last couple of weeks...

I owe you and Mamie cookies :)

Thanks for the good wishes re: the snow. All should be well (famous last words!).

Cookies for everyone!

>248 katiekrug: Yes please, I'd love a cookie. (glad all got sorted with the car)

Thanks for the cookie, Katie. You had a great dealer story, very relatable because I have also left home without my wallet.

>266 RebaRelishesReading: - Feel free to grab one from >265 katiekrug: :)

>267 BLBera: - I can't think of another time I've done it, Beth. It's rarely out of my bag, and I'd never leave without that, so...

First time for everything, I guess!

I have been to the store, I have been to the pharmacy, and most importantly, I have been to the wine store. I can now hunker down and await the storm. The five counties down the shore are all under a blizzard warning!

*munches on cookies*

Aw, that stinks about the concert and the reunion - I hope you can make both work somehow!

>265 katiekrug:, >248 katiekrug: I want snickerdoodles. They don't have chocolate.

I'm back online...less than 24hrs, so I got no complaint other than...wait for it...I wrote, and posted to my blog, NOT ONE, NONONO, NOT ONE BUT TWO BOOK REVIEWS ON MY PHONE.

I will graciously accept your obeisance as I am clearly The Greatest of All Time.

>270 scaifea: - I hope so too!

>271 richardderus: - Well done, you!

Hope the storm isn't too bad, Katie. We've had a big week of snow also, but nothing like what's coming your way! Oh I hope things work out with the reunion and the concert. I had no idea AirBnB was making the process so hard, though I suppose it's in reaction to parties and the like?

I started Mr. Flood's Last Resort yesterday. Huh. It is odd. I am trying the audio (and she's very good), but not sure yet if it's for me. I'll keep going for awhile.

Are there still cookies?

>254 katiekrug: I guess I have more confidence in your ability Katie.

*nabs a cookie*

Wishing you all the best with your snowmageddon! We've got a couple more days with highs just above freezing and then we return to real winter temperatures next week. We'll see if snow comes with it. Such a strange January.

>273 AMQS: - Hi Anne! The snow has started in earnest, but I'm hoping it'll move along quickly and we'll be on the low end of the predictions :)

I'm not sure what the new AirBNB policy is about or how long they've been doing it. I used VRBO the last time we needed a rental.

I almost gave up on Mr. Flood in the beginning. It eventually got intriguing and seemed to flow better. I hope you have a similar experience! But if not, just set it aside. Life's too short!

>274 brenzi: - I appreciate it, Bonnie!

>275 MickyFine: - I'm just glad I don't live in SE Massachusetts where they may get 3 or more feet of snow!

I had sort of a weird afternoon. The Wayne wasn't feeling great, so knocked off work around 2pm and took a nap. I started a new jigsaw (a 500 piecer, not my usual 1000) and the next thing I knew, it was after 5pm and I'd finished my audio book and nearly finished the puzzle! I don't know how I managed to sit there for that long working on it. TW woke up feeling better, so that's good. We had a text from his sister earlier that they all (SIL, BIL, nephew, and MIL) tested positive for covid. They are pretty sure Charlie brought it home from school (he only just turned 5 on Monday so hasn't gotten vaxxed yet). Luckily, all the adults are vaxxed and boostered and are only experiencing mild symptoms.

Hi Katie. So much going on here. First I’d like to say that you are a good writer. I could feel your pain during that zoom lesson. Secondly, congrats on getting your car back and having the bill covered by the warranty. A minor miracle! Glad you got stocked up before the bad weather hit. That’s too bad about the Covid bomb on Wayne’s family.

Enjoy your snowy weekend. Maybe you can curl up with a book in front of a fire.

Hi Katie, I seem to be struggling to stay current this year, I am finding as I get older, I seem to get less accomplished! Sorry to hear about your family members contracting Covid, hopefully they will recover quickly. One branch of our family has been hit with Covid as well, but they are all vaxxed so they were able to shake it off quickly.

I noticed up-thread that Stewart O'Nan is putting out a new book so now I am off to Amazon to see if I can pre-order!

>277 katiekrug: Oh crudbuckets! We're starting year three of the Plague and it truly does begin to feel eternal.

Hope they're all as fast as possible in the recovery phase.

Hope the rellies are all back on tip top form pronto.
Hope you've survived the snow and it's not too awful.

Snowyday smooches!

>278 Donna828: - Thanks, Donna!

It is still snowing. I think we have only about 4" so far, so I don't think we'll hit the top end of the predicted amounts for our area. And yes, I plan to do some reading today!

>279 DeltaQueen50: - Hello Judy! I've been lurking on your thread, following your reading. I should say hi more often :)

I am very excited for the new O'Nan!

Thanks re: the family. They seem to be doing okay.

>280 richardderus: - Thanks for that. My main concern would be for my MIL, but she seems to be doing reasonably well with just mild symptoms.

>281 Helenliz: - Thank you on both counts, Helen!

>282 richardderus: - Smooches back.

As noted above, it is still snowing steadily. We are not getting any wind, which is good, so it'll just be a nice, cozy day inside.

To Do:
- nothing!

Menu:
- Breakfast: pumpernickel bagel
- Lunch: turkey sandwich
- Dinner: pot roast and mashed potatoes (very excited for this - here's hoping it turns out well!)

Reading:
- I'm planning to sit down with Small Things Like These and read it through
- I may start a new audio today but I'm not sure what it will be
- I have one issue of The Atlantic to read

Viewing:
- I might watch the first episode of 'The Gilded Age' on HBO, but I can't decide if I want to watch week-to-week or wait for the whole season to be available at one...
- The Wayne and I will probably watch something together tonight but I'm not sure what

>284 katiekrug: re: The Gilded Age, it feels to me like a series not best binged. It's subtle and complex in some obvious ways...Wharton!...but also some not-surface ways. I would suggest anyone do week-by-week, on the theory that if you're going to get bored it'll happen anyway.

Pot roast and mashed potatoes sounds so good!

I'm sorry to hear that TW's family got hit with The Covids, but glad that it seems to be mild. I sort of wonder if my own Charlie hasn't at some point this year brought it home to us and because we're all vaxxed and boosted we haven't really known we've had it.

>285 richardderus: - Thanks for that, RD. I wouldn't binge it, really - just watch an episode every other day or so. I'll give the week-by-week approach a try and see how it goes.

>286 scaifea: - I am stupidly excited about the dinner tonight. I am used to having the potatoes in the pot with all the other veg, but I love the idea of serving it over mashers. Mmmmm.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if your Charlie did bring it home. Some of the cases can be so mild and short-lived, I think it's easy to write them off as colds or allergies or whatever. I had a few days of feeling crappy over Christmas. Maybe I had it? It would be a bit of a miracle that neither The Wayne nor I have gotten it yet, considering we do go out to eat a few times a week...

>288 katiekrug: Right? I feel the same way - with Charlie in school and at a school with such a lax attitude about the whole thing, it seems improbable that we haven't been exposed.

>289 scaifea: - Exactly.

Hi Katie!

>277 katiekrug: I’m glad TW felt better after his nap, so sorry his sister/family all tested positive and have symptoms. It turns out that my niece/wife/6-year-old/2-year-old have all had Covid some time in the last month or two, and my niece apparently has long Covid with fatigue and brain fog. She's only 43, so I hope it will fade soon.

BTW, the Library of Congress is having a 15% off on puzzles through tomorrow midnight. LOC Puzzle Sale

>283 katiekrug: If you only get 4”, yay-ish.

>284 katiekrug: Yay for having nothing to do.

>286 scaifea:, >288 katiekrug: I’m exposed although masked at rehab 3 days a week, with people huffing and puffing. Everything’s always wiped down, there’s social distancing as much as possible, but still. I, too, wouldn’t be surprised if either Bill or I’d been exposed. We ordered our 4 test kits from the government, got acknowledgement, but haven’t received them yet. I won’t waste them on frivolous testing but sure would like to know.

>291 karenmarie: - Sorry to hear more among your family got hit, Karen. I think it's unavoidable at this point.

Thanks for the heads-up about the LOC sale. I just bought 3 puzzles :)

It's still snowing, so we'll definitely be getting more than 4". It's supposed to taper off around 3pm.

I can understand the not knowing you've got it or had it. We both got contacted by someone who let us know that they had tested positive the day after we'd met them. So we tested, and both came up positive. He had no symptoms at all, I had a mild head cold, not enough to consider a day off or anything, just a bit snotty and stuffy.

Having said that, I also know someone who has been suffering from fatigue after having had it.

We're on rib eye & chips for tea. Having said that, pot roast & mash does sound rather good.

>293 Helenliz: - I know not everyone is so lucky, even if fully vaxxed, but...

Oooh, a ribeye and chips fries sounds good!

ETA: This is the pot roast recipe I'm using. I'll report back on how it turned out...

https://allthehealthythings.com/best-dutch-oven-pot-roast/