Friday, August 24, 2007

I'm so freaking slow . . . taggings and thank yous

I don't know if I'd have ever recovered from the heat and frustration, this week, if not for the spouse who very kindly took over my chauffeuring duties for two days in a row. So, I want to publicly say:

Thank you, oh delightful and handsome husband.

You can't see me, but I'm the one handing him a rabbit. What did the husband have to say about my afternoon routine, in the midst of all that driving, on the first day? "This is crazy. This is miserable. I don't know how you do it. All that back-and-forth, back-and-forth driving. There's no time to do anything, even if you come home." Bless you for saying that, Hubby.

And, onward to the awards for which I have been tagged and which I've delayed posting about.

This is always happening to me because I'm really poky . . . three people tagged me for a "Thoughtful Blogger Award": Bonnie, Chris, and Wendy . Each one said really, really nice things about me. I wouldn't be surprised if they'd all forgotten they tagged me or decided I'm not so thoughtful after all, I'm so slow. I meant well, really. Many thanks to all three of you.


And, Robin tagged me for a "Nice Matters Award". Thank you, Robin. I'm a little quicker on the uptake, on this one, but not by much.


Both these awards seem to have been around the block and back, since I dragged my feet. I hope I don't offend anyone by saying I think that every blog I read is written with thought and care and all my blogger friends are nice, nice people!!! So, I'm mass-tagging. If you haven't received either of these awards, consider yourself tagged. I love you all.

And, I will try very hard to keep on top of other taggings, in the future. Is there such a word? Taggings?

Next up are the latest challenges. It will take me a day or two to pile up the RIP II books and make a list of the Cozy Mystery Challenge books (already on my shelves - I may just set a goal and skip the titles), but I had to post quickly about this one . . . I am just ridiculously excited about Dana's Justforthehelluvit Challenge:

It's sort of an anti-challenge, really, to read some books you really want to read, in between all those challenge books. What a nice way to convince yourself, "It's okay to read something other than a challenge book, just because I feel like it." And, here I was, trying to un-challenge myself completely. Now, I'm signing up for three more challenges. Sick, sick book-addicted, challenge-weak woman.

I do, however, plan to continue to just list books to choose from and read only what grabs me from those stacks, during challenges. If I decide I'm not in a cozy or spooky reading mood, so be it. I'll photograph the spooky books for the post, since I know you all love looking at photos of stacks as much as I do.

Just finished: Blizzard by George Stone. Since it's unlikely anyone else will even find a copy of this 1977 disaster novel, much less read it, I'll probably post spoilers when I get around to reviewing. But, I'll be sure to add red spoiler warnings, just in case.

Now reading: Fever, 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson (YA fiction about a real-life yellow fever epidemic).

I'm also reading the second chapter of my son's history book, which is tiresome, yet fascinating. He's supposed to be outlining this chapter and I think he's more than a little terrified.

Here's my favorite nifty book gadget, the "Book Chair" that allows me to continue reading while I stuff my fat face (photographed on the new breakfast nook table - please try really hard to ignore the windowsill, which lost a coat of paint when we removed the cat perch):

Also, I'm very pleased to note that my orchid is still alive, 4 1/2 months after I brought it home, and it even has a brand new leaf!! How cool is that? Just FYI, the key is apparently to spray the leaves with water daily and only occasionally give the plant a good drink, in imitation of morning dew and the occasional heavy rain that makes it through the rain-forest canopy.

Hope everyone has had a fabulous weekend.


23 comments:

  1. I want a book chair! How brilliant is that!

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  2. Anonymous7:26 PM

    What's the book in the book thingy? I biggified the picture and read the two pages - looks interesting.

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  3. Anonymous7:33 PM

    It's nice that he realizes how your day gets eaten up.

    Yeah, I wasn't going to do any more challenges either but I HAVE to do Carl's RIP and I'd like to do the Never Read Author one. I just need a list (that I will proceed to completely ignore and then shoehorn in my actual readings where they work.) (Isn't that allowed?)

    So I should definitely sign up for the justforthehelluvit challenge too.

    You know, I think I read Blizzard eons ago.

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  4. I just saw that Laurie Halse Anderson book yesterday. I was tempted to buy it, but I knew I'd be going to my favorite indie bookstore today. So much for cutting back my buying!

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  5. I love that book chair! I'm glad your husband appreciates the hard work you do.

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  6. a.book,

    It's totally cool, isn't it? I got mine at the local bookstore and then thought, "I'll go back and get another one to give away!" But, they were gone. I have a feeling the bookstore got them for Christmas and shipped back the stock they didn't sell - there were tons of them, when I bought mine, and the boxes were dusty; but once they disappeared, they were all gone.

    Lynne,

    The book is Shopaholic & Baby by Sophie Kinsella. I took the photo about a week ago and then the heat got to me and I didn't get around to posting it. It's a fun book. :)

    Carrie,

    It's nice that he can relate to what I do in an afternoon; but, I know from experience that he'll forget within a week. I once left him alone with two kids. You should have heard the husband whine when I got home! But, he'd seriously forgotten by the next week. Amazing.

    Carl's RIP is just perfect for the season. Same here. I have to join in. There are at least two or three other challenges I'm interested in (Never Read Author, Book to Movie, etc.) but I have to stop somewhere. I pretty much tend to ignore my lists. I make these huge piles and then I read whatever I really want to, although I do look wistfully at my challenge piles and sometimes I'll whip through several in a row.

    Really? You read Blizzard? I was just thinking about Black Sunday - remember that one? I think I may even still have my copy of that classic 70's disaster novel. I've got a copy of The Poseidon Adventure, too. Woot! That may go in the RIP stack. ;)

    Andi,

    Fever is good; I definitely recommend it. I read Speak, last year, and waited for a while to read another by Halse Anderson because I tend to start disliking an author if I don't space his or her books out, but she's really an excellent writer. She's done a fantastic job of throwing the characters into a corner and then getting them back out without making it too predictable.

    Awww, why hold back? You'll read them. :)

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  7. Tara,

    It's really cool. Perfect for when you don't have a cereal box or a newspaper, so you have to read that book while you eat. LOL

    Hubby will forget, soon enough, but I really appreciated his help. I can only take so much heat and it just wiped me out, after two weeks.

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  8. Love that book chair!! Might have to ask Santa for one. :)

    Nice that your hubby got to take over the driving duties for a change. Always good for them to see what we do all day so they can appreciate us even more, right?

    I think I've signed up for just enough challenges to keep me busy for the remainder of the year. They are all so tempting though, aren't they?

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  9. Oh! And I meant to say congrats on the orchid success!! I may have to try one. They've always intimidated me.

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  10. I couldn't see a single thing wrong with the window sill -- you're good to go. :)

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  11. Les,

    You'd love it. Definitely, ask Santa.

    Oh, yes, it was really nice to have hubby experience the routine. It's really been brutal, this year, partly because the heat is so intense but also because there's an extra hour between school and swimming - so if I drive the kids straight to the pool, it means they're out in the heat for an extra hour. I haven't figured a good way around that.

    I'll have to see which challenges you're doing. Almost all of them tempt me - there have been just a few that didn't interest me in any way - like, I'm not interested in mystery challenges. The only reason I'm planning to do the cozy challenge is because I have a bunch I got on sale, cheap - but I'm really iffy about that one.

    Thank you, yes, give an orchid a try! I just did a little research and it's been an amazing success. I think this means I've graduated from the Black Thumb Club. Except, my entire yard is dead. LOL

    Tristi,

    Well, I'm glad the wall doesn't look bad enough to horrify you. LOL It's a mess, really. I painted the kitchen when we moved into this house, 16 years ago. The cats both threw up on the windowsill numerous times (yeesh - need some slightly more scrubbable paint) and then the velcro ripped some of the paint right off. We've got some unfinished fix-it work to wrap up before we get to the kitchen, but it's on the agenda.

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  12. I have always wanted a book perch, but I have never actually seen one before. Maybe I will browse the bookstore more closely next time I am there, they have aisles of random things that I never look at because I am there for books... It would be very useful, that's for sure!

    I am only doing the RIP challenge, but there are so many challenges out there. Everytime I go through my blog lists I find at least one new one. It's quite extensive, that's for sure! Maybe next year I will join in more, but I find I ignore my lists anyways...

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  13. Kailana,

    I just happened across my Book Chair. You're lucky if you have a bookstore with lots of interesting trinkets. Ours is kind of pitiful. That was just a Christmas thing, I think. They all disappeared after the Christmas season ended and I haven't seen any book chairs, since.

    I may have to rethink doing three challenges. Just writing the thought down makes me feel panicky. But, I really enjoyed the RIP, last year, so that's a must-repeat.

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  14. Anonymous10:04 PM

    I do! (Remember Black Sunday) I did have to double check to make sure it was the same book I was thinking of - I did NOT realize he was the guy that wrote Silence of the Lambs! Huh.

    We just saw The Bourne Ultimatum Friday night where I spent the last half of the movie saying things like "oh no, that's not what happend." "What?? He wasn't tortured into .....?" "They were after an assassin! Deep cover!" Gah. Never read the book first. Even years ago.

    Although I blame Robert Ludlum for my over use of exclamation points.

    (Babbling on comments is my own though....)

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  15. A book chair! How cool!

    You're definitely deserving of both of your awards. You're one of the nicest and most thoughtful bloggers out there. And it sounds like your husband is ready to give you an award too after taking over the duties ;)

    Challenges, challenges, challenges. I have another one that I'm about to commit to, but I haven't officially announced it yet, lol! It's the themed challenge, but luckily that one doesn't start until January! So I'll have most of these other challenges cleared off of the sidebar. At least these challenges are good for cleaning off the TBR bookshelf. Now if only I'd stop buying so many books to replace the ones I clear off!

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  16. That's great that D got a chance to experience your crazy to-ing and fro-ing!
    I've joined the Justforthehelluvit challenge too! I just love it!
    And congrats on the orchid! I had one a few years ago that I killed. Someday I'll try again.

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  17. Anonymous9:21 AM

    Very cool! Good luck with the orchid, and I love the book thingie!

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  18. bookfool, you know how much I love sticking my head through those wooden things...I must see the rest of that picture! Hee.

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  19. Carrie,

    Yep, it was written by Thomas Harris. I didn't realize that, either, till I looked him up when a friend said Harris grew up in Mississippi (a few years ago). I've avoided the Hannibal Lecter books.

    Oops, I haven't read the Bourne books (I got partway into the first, once - don't know what stopped me). I hate it when they change things dramatically. Thanks for the warning; I won't look to find the movie plot in the books.

    I loved your babbling. It made me laugh. :)

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  20. Chris,

    It's very cool. Everyone needs a book chair; I've just declared it a basic necessity. ;)

    Well, thank you. I don't feel very thoughtful, but it's been a busy few weeks, so I guess I should give myself a break. Yes, hubby deserves a medal. Usually, he can't even get away from work, but he'd planned to take off to put down flooring so his schedule was clear, thank goodness. I've never handled heat well and it just caught up with me.

    I think I've got all my RIP books gathered. I'm just shooting for whatever - 4 as a minimum, I guess - but I've got one heck of a stack. Thinking about reading the cozy mysteries makes me queasy, so I might drop that one. I just hate mysteries. Maybe I'll get rid of most of them.

    I know what you mean - I replace books faster than I read them. Not good. I don't have a big enough house to do that!!!

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  21. Nat,

    I really appreciate his help and it was nice to hear D. say what I've been thinking - the whole routine is ridiculous and exhausting, especially in 100+ heat.

    I think that's my second attempt at an orchid. The first, though, was one I tried to grow from a root (?) and it never even came up. I'm glad I got a blooming plant, this time. :)

    Heather,

    Thanks. I'm having fun with that orchid. If they ever bring those book chairs back, I'll get one and have a contest. But, I have a feeling I may never see them in this town, again!

    Kookie,

    I actually tried to send you that one and I think it bounced back - not sure what the deal was. I'll try again, later. Remind me, if I forget. :)

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  22. OH NO! A Cozy Mystery challenge? I already signed up for the RIP2 challenge, and I'm trying to stay away from any others....but I do so love a good cozy!

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  23. Stephanie,

    I wish I liked mysteries. I just want to get mine out the door! You should definitely join in if it's something you love. :)

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