cameling's book pile - Part 7

Another new year of exciting new books to read and share with the great bunch of people who gather in this group.

January Reads
The Imprisoned Guest : Samuel Howe and Laura Bridgman, the Original Deaf-Blind Girl - Elisabeth Gitter
Three Seconds - Anders Roslund and Borge Hellstrom
Abandon the Old in Tokyo - Yoshihiro Tatsumi
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore - Robin Sloan
Sixty-Nine - Ryu Murakami
Jasmine and Fire - Salma Abdelnour
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry - Rachel Joyce
They Were Counted - Miklós Bánffy
The Map - T.S. Learner
The Unquiet - J.D.Robb and others
Silent Night : The Story of the World War I Christmas Truce - Stanley Weintraub
The Iron Wyrm Affair - Lilith Saintcrow
The Queue - Vladimir Sorokin
Treasure of Saint-Lazare - John Pearce
My Dog Tulip - J.R. Ackerley

February Reads
Ready Player One - Ernest Cline
Rust :Visitor in the Field - Royden Lepp
The Affair - Lee Child
The Hidden Child - Camilla Lackberg
The Black Echo - Michael Connelly
Catherine the Great : Portrait of a Woman - Robert Massie
Keeper of the Bride - Tess Gerritsen
Light from a Distant Star - Mary McGarry Morris
Heidegger's Glasses - Thaisa Frank
Alias Grace - Margaret Atwood
Crunch Time - Diane Mott Davidson
Quiet : The Power of the Introvert in a World That Can't Stop Talking - Sarah Cain

March Reads
The Language of Flowers - Vanessa Diffenbaugh
The Devil's Picnic - Taras Grescoe
The Damnation Affair - Lilith Saintcrow
The Abundance - Amit Majmudar
Calculated in Death - JD Robb
God's Bit of Wood - Sembene Ousmane
Weep Not, Child - Ngugi wa Tiong'o
How It All Began - Penelope Lively
The Merry Misogynist - Colin Cotterill
The Tenant & The Motive - Javier Cercas
Smokin' Seventeen - Janet Evanovich
Building Stories - Chris Ware
Wild Strawberries - Angela Thirkell
Behind You - Jacqueline Woodson
The Bridge of Sighs - Olen Steinhauer
Dance of the Seagull - Andrea Camilleri

April Reads
The Art Thief - Noah Charney
Firefly - Severo Sarduy
The Blind Assassin - Margaret Atwood
Watchers of Time - Charles Todd
The Great Gatsby - F.Scott Fitzgerald
The Third Son - Julie Wu
Sassafrass, Cypress & Indigo - Ntozake Shange
When Broken Glass Floats - Chanrithy Him
100 Cupboards Book 1 -N.D. Wilson
In the Woods - Tana French
Headhunters - Jo Nesbo
Waking Raphael - Leslie Forbes
All the Paths of Shadow - Frank Tuttle

May Reads
Burma Chronicles - Guy Delisle
Stone Upon Stone - Wieslaw Mysliwski
Chasing Mona Lisa - Tricia Goyer
The Truth About Managing People - Stephen Robbins
Gray Justice - Alan McDermott
Soulless - Gail Carriger
Changeless - Gail Carriger
Blameless - Gail Carriger
Heartless - Gail Carriger
Timeless - Gail Carriger
Legacy of the Dead - Charles Todd
The Real Jane Austen : A Life in Small Things - Paula Byrne
In the Garden of Beasts - Erik Larson
The Summons - Peter Lovesey
Swallows and Ice Cream - Robert Fowler
Chronicler of the Winds - Henning Mankell
Prime of Life - P.D. Bekendam

June Reads
Five by Endo - Shūsaku Endō
A Share in Death -Deborah Crombie
Regeneration - Pat Barker
The Ghosts of Nagasaki - Daniel Clausen
The Keeper of Secrets - Julie Thomas
The Day is a White Tablet - Jill Fletcher Pelaez
The Ernest Mask - Xi Ni Er
Unspoken Abandonment - Bryan Wood
The Magic Barrel - Bernard Malamud
Once Removed - Mako Yoshikawa
The Caller - Karin Fossum
The Milkman in the Night - Andrej Kurkov
Shifu, You'll Do Anything For A Laugh - Mo Yan

July Reads
Steampunk : Extraordinary Tales of Victorian Futurism - Mike Ashley
Leonardo and the Mona Lisa Story - Donald Sassoon
Redshirts - John Scalzi
The Greater Journey - David McCullough
Cocktail Time - P.G. Wodehouse
Twin Cities Noir - Julie Schaper
The Gypsy's Dream - Sara Alexei
Charles Dickens : A Life - Claire Tomalin
Clockwork Angels - Kevin Anderson
Bloodhounds - Peter Lovesey

August Reads
Eye in the Door - Pat Barker
In the Presence of Absence - Mahmoud Darwish
Utagawa Kuniyoshi : The Sixty-Nine Stations of Kisokaido - Sarah Thompson

My 13 Category Challenge thread can be found here

My global reads have been: (to be listed when I've completed each one)
They Were Counted - Miklós Bánffy : Hungary
The Queue - Vladimir Sorokin : Russia
The Ivankiad - Vladimir Voinovich : Russia
When Broken Glass Floats - Cambodia

TIOLI completes :
Three Seconds - January
Crunch Time - February
The Merry Misogynist - March
The Blind Assassin - April
The Third Son - April
Stone Upon Stone - May
Chasing Mona Lisa - May
A Share in Death - June
The Magic Barrel - June
Charles Dickens : A Life - July
Eye in the Door - August

LOL! Love the chipmunk pic. :)

83. The Magic Barrel by Bernard Malamud

Immigrants form the central theme in this book of 12 short stories. A father's desire that his daughter should have the best husband, a man who will grasp at the slimmest possibility for hope and a hermit who becomes the target of malicious rumors, are among some of the stories that offer us insights into loneliness, growing old, desire, frustration, humor and faith.

4 stars

New thread! consider yourself starred!

and Yikes at the thought of interesting food :P

Beautiful day today here in Boston. I went out for a 30 mile bicycle ride and returned home sore but happy. Friends coming over to watch the Bruins/Blackhawks game tonight, so I'm toasting up some crostinis to go with a spread I made of ricotta cheese, lemon & scallions. Dinner will be pine nuts & garlic rice, jumbo shrimp in a chopped tomato and red pepper sauce that I've sprinkled some chili flakes in for a little zing, topped with cubes of feta cheese and then baked. I'm also making a sauce of white wine, fish stock, with peas and chopped onions, garlic & parsley to pour over some cod, which will then be baked, and little neck clams in their shells added a few minutes before the dish is done so the clam juices flow into the sauce. I forgot all about a salad, so I'm steaming some corn on the cob.
I made a cherry pie this morning, so that can be dessert.

I was thinking it would be a beer and pizza night, but one of the hubster's friends who has been traveling for the last 2 months and just came home yesterday asked if I would cook because he's missed home cooked meals, having had to eat out everyday while he was away.

*waves at Kath* ... i had hotdogs for lunch today. Yum!

I had an Adkins shake . That is exciting enough for me :PPP but for dinner I had salad, a burger and an ear of corn. Yummy!

*signals Caro for a napkin to wipe up the drool* Nice new thread here, Caro. And already full of delicious food! Delightful!

Nice new thread, Caroline! I'm glad that you enjoyed The Magic Barrel, as it's been on my TBR list for several years. Have you read anything else by Malamud?

Glitter for the new thread!

Caro - Congratulations on another edition of your wonderful thread. Lip smackingly delightful meander through your last thread and Darryl's and I do hope Darryl is able to fit on public transport to get him safely back to Atlanta.

A lunatic asylum/ Michelin restaurant - where do I get myself committed?

Oh, yum! We went over to neighbors and had sopes at their daughter's birthday party, and cake de tres leches.

A new thread with the same wonderful, very extra special topper.

Your 30-mile bike ride sounds lovely.

#8 : Kath - what's an Adkins shake? The only thing I know about Adkins is that he's the guy who started that odd meat and fat intensive diet, with little fruit or vegetables, which didn't sound particularly healthy to me, although I know a number of people who lost weight dramatically after a few weeks on this diet. But their cholesterol level all shot up.

#9 : Mamie - napkins and paper towels are always in ready supply over here... *holds out a handful of napkins for drool service*
The dinner turned out to be a longer than anticipated event ....longer for me because I was feeling a little tired as the evening wore on, thanks to the long bike ride after a month of non-activity. But the hubster and his friends were having a grand time, so I did some cleaning up in the kitchen while they swapped triathlon stories, discussed politics, and of course the Snowden fiasco.

#10 : Darryl, The Magic Barrel is my first Malamud, but I have The Assistant in my TBR Tower. If it's as good as The Magic Barrel then I think I'll be in for a good read. Have you read any Malamuds, and any that you'd recommend as must-reads?

#11 : Esquiress - there can never be enough glitter - except on the body or in one's hair because they're a devil to remove.

#12 : Paul - Darryl did a fine job restraining himself on portions during his Boston visit .. possibly to ensure he'd have no trouble from the airlines checking his luggage made heavier by his book acquisitions.

The lunatic asylum/Michelin restaurant requires Richard's signature on the commitment papers - and I think in order to warrant one, the basic requirement is to be a fan of the Yankess baseball team. The second is to detest pineapple upside-down cake with a passion. The third is to like Charles Dickens's works. How are you making out on the requirements?

#13 : Roni - I haven't had sopes in a long time. Mmm.... now I want some. :-) A friend makes really tender chicharonnes and anticuchos to go with her sopes. I should remind her when she returns from her vacation that she ought to hold another sopes party.

I made tres leches cake last week for the hubster and since I don't eat it myself, we gave half to a friend.

#14 : Ellen, it felt great to be outdoors and working out again. I really don't like being inactive for too long since my muscles become really lazy. My legs are sore today as are my shoulders, but it's the 'good' soreness I welcome. I was planning to go on a hike today, but the hubster had a late night last night and hasn't yet woken up, so I might shelf the hike and just go for a run instead, not pushing it, but seeing if I can do 3 miles comfortably without a coughing episode.

I have two out of three only I am afraid Caro. Chuckles is fine with me. A Tale of Two Cities or Great Expectations would follow me to my Desert Island even though I agree some of his other stuff is verbose in the extreme. Pineapple Upside Down Cake is food and though I like the juice I don't like the fruit in food so RD can keep the stuff. But I cannot claim affinity to the Yankees - far too damn successful for a long suffering boy from Leeds to like.

Adkins shake is just a meal replacement shake I use sometimes when I'm at work. I have one a week or so, when I have a full day of work. That and some fruit for lunch.. info on them I found online :

Calories: 160
Fat Calories: 90
Total Fat: 10g
Saturated Fat: 3.5g
Trans Fat: 0
Sodium: 240mg
Potassium: 740mg
Total Carbs: 5g
Dietary Fiber: 3g
Sugar: 1g
Protein: 15g

It's better than going hungry, and it stops the shakes I get if I don't eat enough or in a timely fashion. Not on an adkins diet at all, but the shakes come in handy.

#17 : Paul, there could be a dispensation for you given that you don't live here and are at least not a ManU fan. The requirement to be a fan of Dickens carries a lot more weight. I'll put your name down for a garden facing room, shall I?

Chalk another one up on the board for non-lovers of the yucksome pineapple upside-down cake. I have nothing against the fruit itself, and really like grilled pineapple with a touch of cinnamon, but I don't like it in pizza, on meat or in a cake.

#18 : Kath - how does it taste? Do they come in many flavors? Does it keep you from being hungry until your next meal?

84. Once Removed by Mako Yoshikawa

This is a story of 2 step-sisters, Rei and Claudia, who were brought together with Claudia's father left her mother to marry Hana, Rei's mother. It's a story of the effects of the Hiroshima blast on people who weren't even in the city that August in 1943. It's a story of forgiveness and letting go. But most of all, it's a story of love and recognizing it as something to protect and cherish.

Rei and Claudia were once each other's soul sisters, but haven't seen each other in 17 years after Hana left their father. Claudia, who hated Hana for breaking up her original family, now finds herself emulating her stepmother, and having an affair with a married man with 2 children. Rei finally contacts Claudia and arranges to meet her, but she has a secret that she thinks Claudia now needs to know.

It's a story of 3 women, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, coming together at last in the acknowledgement that no matter how it came about, they are family.

3.5 stars

I get Atkins Advantage Cafe Caramel Shake. It;s made with coffee. It gives me about 3 hours of not hungary feeling. For instance yesterday I had a few ounces of shredded chicken breast and salsa at about 8, and two cups of coffee.. then I went to work. At noon I had 2 clementines and an Adkins drink. I was pretty hungry by 4, but it held me pretty well until 3 or 3 30

Hi Caro!
What fun to meet up with Darryl and his friend! The pictures were great. Your lobster dinner and piano concert is truly enviable.

I used to love (and still do) eating lobster in restaurants and at the wharf on a picnic table. Now, I love eating them at home even more - but I buy them already cooked and rush them home while hot:-) My third and last step will someday be to cook them myself - but, well, it seems so cruel. Having a hard time getting over that obstacle in my head... but then, I don't have to. Yet.

Every time I see your camel topper above, I fantasize that it is a picture of you as a little girl with your very own pet camel ;-) Love the little chipmunk.

I don't know how you are able to read so many books with all you do. Congrats on managing 84!!!!! books already.

30 mile bike ride? Holy guacamole, that's impressive, Caro. Sore from exercise but happy is one of life's better feelings. You've been doing lots of good reading, too, I see.

That was quite a hockey series! Sorry about them Bruins, but what a year they had, didn't they? I really like the old-fashioned hockey tradition of the two teams lining up afterward to shake hands like that. You could tell there was a lot of respect on both sides.

I was hoping the 30 miles was a typo.... !

I think it wore her out...

Hope all is well, but knowing you .. you are working 36 hour days and then going out with friends and riding bikes across two states. Just be safe.

#21 : Kath - Guess what? I tried a sip of an Atkins shake today! I saw some in our fridge at work and they were all labelled with one of my coworkers' name, so I went to him if I could have a taste when he opens one .. he popped over a few minutes ago and let me try it. All I can say is ... you're a brave woman! I thought it was too sweet and didn't taste like a milk shake. Maybe it's not supposed to taste like a milk shake but that's what I was expecting. I've tried Ensure and don't like that either.
Have you tried bringing bags of pistachios, almonds or other nuts to work with you so you get to munch on protein in between meals? No sandwich shop near the library where you can pop in for a wrap or sub at lunch time? I feel bad thinking of you having to consume these drinks in lieu of real food.

#22 : Cee - there is nothing like a good hot lobster in my book. Pan roasted, steamed, boiled, grilled ... all good. Especially New England lobster. I've had lobster from different countries and their lobsters do fall far short of the ones we get here, not just in size but more in flavor.
I had dinner with Yvonne on Sunday night before she flew back to LA, at a restaurant she likes and we both ordered the black pepper lobster for our main course. But I do prefer eating lobster at home or in a more casual setting, and not in a restaurant. Lobster eating tends to be a little messy and I do dig into every nook and cranny in a lobster, including the head and legs ... so it's best I do this at home. If you put them in the freezer for a few minutes, they go into a coma, and so when you have to put them in a steamer or stock pot later to cook them, they don't know what's going on and they're cooked before they can come around. ... at least that's what someone told me ages ago..... and it's what I like to continue believing. :-)

I would have loved a camel as a pet ..and equally just as sure that my mother would not ! Haha... Have you seen the new Geiko commercial with the camel walking around the office asking workers what day it is? It cracks me up every time ... because all he wants is for someone to tell him that 'It's Hump Day today'.

I'm making a concerted effort to balance my online time this year, so that I have more time to actually read. And it seems to be working out so far. :-) That, plus I've been doing quite a bit of travel this year thus far, todate, I've clocked 94,000 miles, so that leaves me with quite a bit of time at uninterrupted reading. But I am pleased with the quality of reads so far and I hope it keeps up.

#23 : Joe, yes, that was quite a ride. Early in the morning on a bike path, before the humidity rose. It was wonderful to be outdoors again, so I really did enjoy the ride, although I will admit that about halfway back, I contemplated stopping and taking the bus home, except that they don't allow bicycles on the buses here. I didn't stop though because i was afraid that if I stopped, I wouldn't be able to persuade my legs to work the pedals again.

I went out for a 2 mile run this morning and I'm really happy that while it's shorter than I would have liked, it was longer than I expected since I haven't run in over a month and my lung function isn't yet back to 100%. So I'm just going to keep at it, and hope I can get back to running 3 miles comfortably by the end of next week. I'm not looking to push myself too hard since I'm not training for a race or anything.

The Blackhawks were the better team and they deserved to win. I too like the teams coming out to shake each other's hands at the end of the game. In every sport there has to emerge a winner, and shaking hands after, I think, is a measure of respect for the effort put in by and for the other team. And now all the Bruins players can go shave all their beards off for another year.

#24 : Kath - haha. the bike ride was pretty tiring .. what was I thinking? Not much really .. it's happened before... I'll be enjoying a ride or a run, and forget that the distance I'm riding or running doesn't end when I decide to turn around, and that I will have to go the same distance all the way back.

But work was a killer yesterday and I got caught in a sudden lightning storm with a flat tire, so I had to wait in the car while I called AAA to come fix things for me. And no, I didn't even consider changing the tire myself - it was raining, I was in work clothes, I had a book with me, I pay AAA annual subs .... enuff said. ;-)

I did get home in time for the hockey match though.

85. The Caller by Karin Fossum

What's a teenage boy living with an alcoholic mother who is passed out on the couch most of the time, and who feels neglected and invisible to society to do? Surely a few pranks on strangers to entertain himself didn't matter? Parents shouldn't leave their sleepy baby in a pram under a tree while they're inside having dinner after all. So what if funeral directors drive a hearse to a home expecting to receive a body, and are actually early when they realize the dying man is still alive? It's not a crime, surely, to chase a little girl while wearing a gorilla mask, and then the pin her down and cut her hair off, just because she has been taunting him with insults? And the man who owns 7 possibly illegal dogs should pay better attention to his kennels in case someone accidentally releases the latch and sets the vicious dogs free.

While the newspaper carry stories of these malicious pranks, Inspector Sejer and Skarre are both at a loss as to the identify of the prankster. What they are aware of, though, is the devastating effects these pranks have on their victims, that their victims' lives have all been changed as a result of the shocks they've received at the hands of this cruel person.

It takes one prank gone wrong that allows Inspector Sejer his final clue to the identity of the culprit, but will there be enough evidence to bring him to justice?

This latest in the Inspector Sejer series is just as good as the others, and makes for a riveting read.

4 stars

Sorry to hear that you didn't like the shake :P

You know.. I almost never like the things I eat any more. I stay away from the food I like, because most of it is carbs. I eat what I have to eat. Today I had a banana for breakfast. I had a salad with a slice of cheese and slices of turkey chopped in. Flavorless yogurt dressing of some kind... Dinner I will probably have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I have learned to like peanut butter. At least not dislike it.
I don't like bananas, but they are pretty filling. And they are quick. I eat clementines and apples and melon, usually watermelon, I don't much like the others) and sometimes grapes, less often cherries. I do eat fruit randomly during the day.. but I count those calories too. I frequently eat an egg and slice of low carb bread toasted for breakfast, sometimes peanut butter on toast. I was too busy to think food today.

If you asked me to describe the flavor of an adkins shake, I couldn't do it. For the past year, I have eaten for fuel, not for flavor. When I go out, I eat whatever sounds good and count the calories and cringe. (unless I'm at Applebee's and get one of those under 550 calorie meals..) But, I don't go out often... so it's ok.

The food I like is bad for me. I don't like meat much, but I eat poultry because it is low fat and protein. I sort of look forward to my rare flings where I have pancakes or fries or something.. but otherwise, I eat to stop being hungry. There is no pleasure in my food anymore. Frankly.. the shake is easier, because I just have to drink it and not have to gag down something I hate. It goes down fast. It's either that or going back to weighing too much. so.. whatever..

Wow - I can't imagine what it must be like to have to eat stuff I don't like. I don't like bananas, so I don't eat them. I buy them only for the hubster to go with his cereal or oatmeal .... I don't know how he makes oatmeal on hot muggy days like today! But I like most fruit so we tend to have quite a selection at home. Plus I've recently bought a juicer, so more reason to have certain fruits around to juice up in the morning. I really like strawberries and pear juiced together, and raw beet, orange and lemon juiced together.

I'm definitely in the camp of eating for flavor and texture over fuel .. although I do seem to require regular fueling. But I do mostly just try to keep my portions under control. For most of my life, I've been eating man portions but now that I'm less active than I used to be, and getting older, I am aware that my metabolic rate isn't as wildly aggressive as it used to be.

I'm glad that you & Yvonne got together for dinner on Sunday, although I wish I could have joined the two (or three) of you, of course (did Edd go, too?).

I'm not sure which is the more impressive figure: 85 books read, or 94,000 miles flown. I'm way behind you in both categories!

>13 ronincats:/15 sopes huh. *thinks to self "what the????"*
You guys and your crazy foods :)

>28 mckait: Kath! you have so much self control! I dont need to have that much self control - yet? but I still get the guilts if I eat badly, so try to always have healthy meals even if the snacks are junk.

I would eat chocolate every meal if my body allowed it.

Hi Caro- I finally stumbled my way over here. Sorry, for the long delay. LOVE the photos of the Meet-Up with Darryl! How, very nice. I wish you could have made it here for the ALA conference. Maybe next time. Thanks for the Fossum rec! I have to get back to that series.

#30 : Darryl - we certainly wished that you could have been with us at dinner on Sunday. Yes, Edd did come too and got to meet Yvonne. He was disappointed to learn that you had already left Boston and I told him it was because you didn't think he would welcome your company since he hightailed it off to NY instead of spending the rest of the day in Cambridge with us. :-)

You would have really enjoyed the dinner. We shared appetizers so that we could taste different things. There was foie gras shumai that was served in a bamboo basket along a bowl of thick shitake broth. So to eat it, you lift the dumpling out of the bamboo basket and let it sit in the broth for a spell, and then spoon it up. We also had a plate of hamachi sashimi dressed with a drizzle of ponzu, edible flowers and slivers of fried nori, a tuna poke on a rice cake where the diced tuna so delicate, the cubes almost melted in our mouths, and shitake and leek spring rolls that we wrapped in lettuce and dipped in a piquant tamarind and cilantro dipping sauce. Edd had seared scallops for his main course, while Yvonne and I both had the black pepper lobster on ginger rice. The two of them then had a rich chocolate cake with cardamom ice cream for dessert while I had ..... a pot of green tea. :-)

You may be behind in terms of mileage, but you're certainly chalking up an impressive number of MeetUps this year. Will you be going to the one in DC at the National Book Festival in September? I'm going to try and make that one. I think I may be able to work that around my schedule.

#31 : Megan - check out a good mexican restaurant if you can.. they should have sopes on the menu? If not, glare at them and demand to know how they could possibly not serve sopes to their clientele. They're like open-faced small thicker tortilla patties (not quite, but that's the closest I can think of to describe the base) topped with various meats and vegetables and drizzled with sauce. totally yummy finger foods.

Hear, hear ... I think Kath has iron-cast self-control. I try to eat healthy as much as I can, but I would go nuts if I couldn't eat some junk food as well. Case in point - I'm working from home today because I have a lot to do, and need the peace and quiet I'm not getting at the office this week with a number of kids running around (apparently camp for some of them doesn't start until the week after next) and sitting out on the deck with my laptop... and since I'm home, that means I have time to whip up a little lunch. So I made a blueberry pie this morning, and am sauteeing some onions now, marinated some ground beef to make burgers with later, and I'm going to also make some poutine since a friend from the office brought me a tub of cheese curd from Montreal....and said friend invited himself over for lunch today.

I'm not a big chocolate fan, so I would willingly give you my share of the chocolates, Megan. :-)

#32 : Mark - no worries ... always glad to see you when you have the time to wander over, and I'm glad I managed to ding you with the latest Fossum. You should have no problem catching up with the series... she's only written 9 books so far, with #10 'Eva's Eye' due out in August this year.

I wish I could have made the ALA but I don't think anyone would have appreciated my wheezing and coughing self amongst them. Will you be going to DC in September?

No DC in September. Maybe next year. I hope to go to Booktopia, in Michigan, at the end of September. Cross your fingers for me.

>33 cameling: Ha! Tell Edd that the only reason I returned to Atlanta was that I had to work this past weekend, and I couldn't come up with a good excuse that would have gotten me out of being on call on Saturday (I couldn't find "lobster overdose" in any of my medical textbooks or journals). I'm glad that you & Edd were able to have dinner with Yvonne on Sunday. She sent me a long e-mail this morning, in which she described you and Edd as "such lovely people!". She was very appreciative of your warmth and hospitality, and said that "I had a great time there, despite the fact that I got eliminated in the first round." I can't thank you enough for making a dear friend who is close to my heart feel welcomed and special.

Yum. That meal sounds divine! I'd love to go there the next time I visit Boston, if it isn't too much trouble.

I showed all of my partners and close friends at work that I saw this week the photos I took on Thursday. Everyone was amazed by the size of the lobster and the huge bowl of mussels, and more than a few have added Boston to their future vacation plans.

My August work schedule came out yesterday, and it's extra sweet. I'll be in New Orleans from August 1-4 for the 2013 Pediatric Hospital Medicine conference, along with several of my partners, and I got my vacation request for Aug 17-25, when I'll travel back to SF to see several jazz concerts and hopefully a Harold Pinter play at Berkeley Rep. What I didn't expect is that I'm also off from Aug 5-14. I haven't decided what to do with that time yet, but a trip back to the Northeast seems like a good possibility. I'll see what's on in Philadelphia, NYC and Boston then.

I'm not sure if I'll go to the National Book Festival in DC in September. I promised my parents that I would spend a couple of weeks with them that month, and we're thinking of using that time to take a vacation somewhere (it's late, so I can't remember where we talked about going off the top of my head). Unless I have some spare time toward the end of my vacation I think it's unlikely that I'll go to the NBF this year.

ETA: Can you believe today's news about Aaron Hernandez?

Oh Boston, lobster, Salem..... I keep looking out for info on the Salem Book Festival. I haven't heard anything about one this year. I keep hoping that there will be one, and that I can somehow manage to go ! It would be nice to see the area again...

Caro, at work we keep a basket of Anderson chocolate bars ( assorted, $1 each ) right in front of the circ computer. Anderson is a local chocolate maker, and I love their stuff. Every minute I am standing there, I see them, smell them...sell them. Only 2.5 times have I indulged. the .5 is one I shared with Laura :) the 2, I brought home. It can be literally painful some days!

Wow. This story is becoming more unbelievable by the day.

Aaron Hernandez investigated in 2012 double slaying

#35 : Aww... that's too bad, Mark. I think I'm going to try and make DC this September. The list of authors participating in the festival is too enticing not to try. Atwood's going to be there!!!!! Whoohooooo! I will, however, cross my crossables for you that you make it Booktopia.

#36 : Darryl, I'm so glad that Yvonne managed to have fun despite her disappointment with the competition. I hope she won't allow this to be a setback and that she continues to participate in other competitions - as long as she finds something about them to enjoy. Edd and I certainly enjoyed her company at dinner, and she gave us the perfect excuse to go to that restaurant again. When you come up again, we can definitely go there for dinner one evening.

That is SOME August schedule! So you're working for what? 5 days at the most for the month?! Nice! I'll be in China for the last 2 weeks of July, and then I have business partners from Japan in town the week of July 29 - August 2. So I should be home until at least August 15. I think we may be somewhere up north in NY for a weekend in early August though because Edd's competing in a triathlon up there, but it'll just be for a weekend.

I cannot believe all the stuff about Hernandez that's starting to emerge. I'm glad the Pats let go of him. That guy is some kind of stupid!! And now they're also looking into his possible connection to 2 other murders. And just a few weeks ago, I read some interview with him, where he stated that he loved being a role model, especially to Hispanic kids.

#37 : Kath, it doesn't appear that the Salem Literary Festival is being held this year. This is the website I check out for book festivals around the US and I don't see it listed. http://popcornreads.com/ereaders/summer-and-fall-2013-u-s-book-fairs-festivals/

We have baskets of different chocolate bars during the school year, placed there by parents of various kids on some school fundraising thing or other. Good thing I'm not a big fan of chocolate, or I'd be in those boxes everyday! Usually the bars sell for $1, and our MD, who's a major chocoholic, is the largest contributor to all the boxes. When he's stressed (usually severely so at the end of each quarter) he will buy 2 bars at a time ... sometimes more than 3 times a day!

#38 : Darryl - it's big news here in MA because of the Patriots, so we get updates on local news as well as national news, it's the hot topic discussed on the sports radio station as well. The guy appears to be a thug with a hair-trigger temper. If they find his DNA on the chewing gum, that guy's going down for life. Again... some kind of stupid.

Hmmm...I have here a severely screwed up expense report...apparently instead of "electroconvulsive therapy" there was some sort of "high cream tea" and in place of "ice water plunges" SOMEone had a three-hour massage.

*frowns*

Take two (my first message this morning was erased when Safari for my iPad refreshed my page):

Yvonne was pretty depressed after she failed to make it past the first round, but you and I seem to have encouraged and inspired her to continue to practice and participate in piano competitions.

I'm working as many days this month (17) as I am in July (10) and August (7) combined! I remembered after I typed my last message that I do have to attend a hospital committee meeting on Tuesday Aug 6, so I'll have to return to Atlanta from New Orleans on Aug 4. However, I should be free of clinical and administrative responsibilities from Aug 7-14, so I could spend some time with you & Edd if you're both free. I would probably also want to visit an old friend in NYC who is a research professor at NYU Medical Center, where I worked before I went to medical school, as I haven't seen her in at least 2-3 years, and I'd like to meet up with Jane (janepriceestrada) from Club Read if possible, as she has been absent from LT since January (if I remember correctly you sat directly across from her at the restaurant where we had lunch during the 2011 LT NYC Black Friday meet up). I'll look at this potential trip more closely next week, after I finish my upcoming six day work stretch that begins tomorrow.

I think that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor would be an infinitely better role model for Latino kids than Aaron Hernandez. Has there ever been a professional athlete in recent memory who has been potentially linked to three murders? This doesn't include the impending lawsuit that will likely be filed by one of his former employees, who claims that Hernandez shot him and caused him to lose an eye.

I lightly followed the media coverage about Hernandez when I was in Boston last week, but at that time there was no evidence that he was directly involved in the murder, and nothing was mentioned about his involvement in the double murder in South Boston last year. If all these allegations are true then I suspect he will spend the rest of his life in prison.

Have a lovely weekend, Caro!

Salem Book fest will be in November 2014. I asked Brunonia Barry... Sad not this year. They need funding. eta... have a nice weekend my friend :)

Stopping in to wish you a lovely weekend, Caro!

*smoochings*

#41 : Richard - that 3 hour massage was just what the doctor ordered ... and I submitted myself most willingly. The high tea was delicious, although if I may make a suggestion, perhaps the chef could see fit to include some little crust-less sandwiches along with the little cakes and scones the next time?

#42 : Darryl, I'm glad that Yvonne is not going to give up, although to be honest, I think this is a rather extreme way to force oneself to practice religiously. But hey, whatever works, right?

I think Hernandez may have thought that since he came off so lightly after he shot the guy in the face in Florida, his star status would provide him with a protective bubble against anything, including murder. The Pats organization is now offering to exchange any Hernandez jerseys and shirts that people may have bought with a jersey with a different player's name on it. They're certainly doing as much as they can to distance themselves from the guy.
Sadly, while Sotomayor would be a much better role model for Latino kids, she doesn't have the glitter that comes with high profiled athletes, so it is likely there will be more Latino girls who would look up to her and use her a role model over Latino boys.... I'd be curious to see how many Latino boys even recognize her face or name if presented with a photograph of her.

Let me check with Edd when his NY triathlon is to be held, and get back to you? Who knows... if the dates overlap with when you're planning to be in NYC to visit your friend, we could even meet in the city and drive up to Boston together. :-)

#43 : Thank you, Diana. I'm planning to do nothing but clean the house, watch Wimbledon matches (on Saturday only), read, and maybe spend a little time with a few friends on Sunday.

#44 : Kath - wow, so no Salem book festival this year. :-( I hope they manage to raise the necessary funds to hold it in 2014 though. It would be such a shame if they had to cancel the event. Will you come next year if it's held?

#45 : Hi Mamie - thanks for stopping in for a visit. Take a load of your feet and help yourself to a little chocolate raspberry tart I made this morning, if you like. :-)

#46 : Richard, while out for a run this morning in the woods, I saw a man running with a beautiful dog that looked a lot like Ms Stella. It made me stop for a bit just to watch her zipping about, between running alongside her master, and into the woods to sniff at trees.

86. The Milkman in the Night by Andrej Kurkov

Kurkov writes a wonderful satire of corruption among politicians, priests, militia and security services in the Ukraine.

Dima, a sniffer dog-handler at the airport conspires with 2 bag-handlers to steal a suitcase, but they're not sure what to make of the contents when they finally get the suitcase open. Semyon, a security officer to a politician, realizes that he's been sleepwalking in the night but he can't remember where he goes or what he does during his nocturnal journeys. He's worried he may have murdered someone during one of his wanderings, and asks his friend to follow him if he sees him leaving his house at night. Irina is a wet nurse at a milk kitchen even as her own daughter is raised on formula at home. A woman whose pharmacist husband was murdered one night, is reluctant to let him go, and, together with a friend whose husband had also recently passed away, decide to have their deceased husbands embalmed so they can bring them home and have them sit in their armchairs. But how are the soles of the slippers of her dead husband getting dirty and why are there footprints in the carpet in her living room?

All these seemingly different stories are told in short segments very vividly, allowing the reader to follow along with their individual adventures, sorrows, frustration at life's challenges and also their joyous moments. There's a great deal of gentle humor with which the author sympathetically shares his characters with us, and it is this gentle telling of their stories that kept me riveted to the book.

Oh and by the way, there's also a vigilante seemingly immortal cat on the loose.

4.5 stars

Hey, Caro, do you know your travel schedule yet for August? Jim and I are making our usual pilgrimage to Arlington, and would certainly love to see you and Edd.

Those restaurants sound wonderful. Would you send me the name of the one where you had the lobster?

Hi Caro- Hope your Saturday is going well. I am busy today but I am looking forward to ALA tomorrow. Free books, Yah! Have you read the Given Day? I just started it on audio and it's one I have wanted to read for eons. Some great Boston history, plus a long opening chapter, featuring a young Babe Ruth, getting into shenanigans.
ETA- I am going to start the Endo book!

Caro - The Hernandez case is interesting and sporting figures over in the States do seem to have a strange idea on what is acceptable behaviour if I may under-exaggerate for a while. I wouldn't feel very safe with my line in sarcasm over there as it could prove lethal!

I hope you have a lovely weekend. By the way I would have done exactly the same as you with a flat tyre. Except of course it would be Halim not AAA doing the hard work.

#50 : Judy, we will be away August 4 weekend and I should be traveling in the last week of August, but other than that, I'm planning (for now) to be here in Boston. When are you making your Arlington pilgrimage? We'd love to see you guys again.

The restaurant we had the lobster is was 'Blue Ginger' in Wellesley. Definitely worth the visit and you should make a reservation, because despite how long it's been around, it still is really popular.

#51 : Mark - I'm green with envy that you're at ALA and probably delirious right now loading yourself with all those books. Can't wait to check your thread later to see what your haul included. I have read The Given Day and since you're just starting it, you're in for a treat. I think it's as good as Gone, Baby Gone which had been my favorite of his works until I read The Given Day. It provides, I think, a good picture of Boston's history just after WWI, and the racism that persisted in this city until after Menino honorably stepped up as a Mayor to put an end to it once and for all. Now it's a well integrated city that I have come to love.

Sox fans are still bitter about losing Babe Ruth to the Yankees....even the ones who weren't even around to watch him play in a Sox uniform.

#52 : Paul - there are surely some rabid sports fans everywhere who see jokes or critical comments about their favored sports figures as a bright red flag and an invitation to come charging out like an enraged but visually impaired bull. But on the whole, most sports figures aren't as stupid as Hernandez, and are generally pretty well behaved. I don't know if there are more sports figures here who get into trouble or if it just appears that way because of the huge media coverage. Sensationalism sells! I hope, if Hernandez is given a fair trail (unless the ridiculous circus court of OJ Simpson) and is found guilty, that he is incarcerated for life and given no special privileges. (Does Siberia still need laborers?) When you come over for a visit, us LTers on this side of the pond, will be your personal bodyguards, protecting the unsuspecting rabid fan from your line of sarcastic humor.

At least Halim knows how to change tyres since, given the typical KL traffic, who knows how long it'd take before AAM comes to help you in the event of a flat.

87. Shifu, You'll Do Anything For A Laugh by Mo Yan

I was really disappointed with this book of short stories by Mo Yan. There were 8 stories in all. The first story is the longest and is about an elderly man who, after being laid off when the factory he had been working in had to downsize, becomes a surprising entrepreneur. The second is a rather convoluted story about a man's grandfather who discovers his hatred for his enemy hasn't destroyed the core of his humanity. The third story of a bride in an arranged marriage to an ugly older man is one of a fantastical escape, the ending of which was rather puzzling. The fourth story is the story I most disliked in this book, and is about a boy who turns into a rusty iron demon. The fifth story about filial piety and the desensitization of man after he has been exposed to a surfeit of violence, was, I thought the most powerful in this book. The sixth story is about an unlikely love affair between 2 young people in a re-education camp in the countryside during China's Cultural Revolution. The seventh story, I thought a rather sweet romance with a surprisingly humorous end. The eighth and last story about an abandoned baby girl highlights China's one child policy and the unimaginable number of children who are abandoned or killed.

I thought the author managed to impart his subtle messages only in the first, fifth and eighth stories. I didn't care for the others and am only thankful that it's a compact book which didn't take up a lot of my time.

2 stars

scratchscratchscratch

That's my TBRs updated then.

Hmmm I have Shifu sitting on my iPad. I don't think I'll be reading it anytime soon Caro. The Milkman in the Night, OTOH sounds really good. Onto the WL it goes. The Hernandez case is just crazy. Now they're reporting that his tattoos might be gang tattoos. What next?

48> They didn't have one last year either. I guess funding is an ongoing issue for the Salem Book Festival :(
I would love to come up if they have one, and that is why I keep bothering Brunonia every year about this time. Back when I lived there, Salem had several different festivals during the year, but I don't remember a book festival. I know I would have gone then, since it was about 2 miles from my house! I will keep watching, and keep you posted.

There's got to be some reason to get you to Minneapolis. Somehow.

#55 : You're welcome, Richard ... I don't mind taking one for the team once in a while.

#56 : Bonnie, the only other Mo Yan I've read had been The Garlic Ballads and I did enjoy that one. I also have Red Sorghum in my TBR Tower. I hope that one will be better. I've saw the movie made from the book years back and the movie, I thought, was really good.
I hope you enjoy The Milkman in the Night. It was my first book by this author and I'm now prowling for others by him.

#57 : Kath - I do so hope they manage to drum up funding for the 2014 event. I always think it's such a shame when book festivals suffer because of funding problems. They do so much to help encourage more people to read and us readers a chance to meet some of the authors.

#58 : Morphy, I almost made it to Minneapolis a few years ago when a friend was going to get married and the wedding was to be held in Minneapolis, the groom's home city, but alas, they broke off their engagement.

Odd on and off heavy rains all day. Fortunately no flooding in my area and no downed trees.

I made the mistake of going out for a run this morning before work .... it was way too muggy and then I was fiddling with my iPod and missed the point along the trail when I typically turn back. I didn't realize where I was until I spotted an old house turned museum along the trail and almost cried because I knew then exactly where I was and how far I had gone. Turned around and considered walking part of the way back, but realized then that if I did, I'd be late for work. So no choice but to run all the way back. I ended up running 5 miles instead of my planned 3 miles and also developed 2 blisters on my feet for my error. Boohoooooooo.

BUT I did make it back in time for a shower and my conference call. Whew! Because my feet were sore from the blisters, I decided to work from home. Yaaaaay!

88. Steampunk- Extraordinary Tales of Victorian Futurism by Mike Ashley

This beautifully illustrated anthology of short stories from various steampunk writers from the 19th and early 20th Centuries, including Henry Hering,Ranger Gull, Fred Smale, Jean Jaubert, George Parsons Lathrop, L.T. Meade, Robert Eustace, and Robert Barr. Not only is this a great introduction to different steampunk writers, but prior to each short story is a page of information that provides an introduction to the author and the inventions or theories of that time which inspired the subsequent story.

The stories were all fascinating, and each one focused on a different discovery, invention or principle, such as automatons, traveling through the center of the earth from Pole to Pole, vivification, x-ray machines, underwater tunnels, space travel, alternate worlds and chess-playing robots to name but a few examples.

This is a wonderful collectible.

5 stars

Caro- I read the first 3 stories in Five By Endo. I really like his writing. I am also 6 chapters into The Given Day. I like Lehane but this one might be a bit bloated but of course I have a long way to go. Have you snagged the new Gaiman yet? If not, do so! It's terrific.
I like the way the Steampunk anthology sounds! Thanks for the rec.

Oh Caro.... Glad you were able to work from home. How are the blisters? Why did you get blisters? ouch :(

The Milkman in the Night sounds like a fun one, Caro. Sorry the Mo Yan was a disappointment.

I hear you're a Dogfish Head fan. Maybe this will help with the foot blisters.

#62 : Marky-Mark - the Steampunk anthology is right up your alley. Do look out for it. I'm so glad you are enjoying the Endo. He does have a marvelous way of writing, doesn't he? Wait till you read Silence .. you'll be blown away.

I have the new Gaiman in my obese wish list, but I've been really busy lately and haven't had time to get a copy. Plus I've been suffering from the guilts recently since I've been home for a longer than usual spell and have had ample time to try sorting some of my books out. I hadn't realized how many books I've been adding and are still unread in my TBR Tower. Maybe I should resort them according to the size of the books, and get as many skinny ones read first so the numbers dwindle more rapidly.

I need to catch up on my Dr Siri series .. I've left poor Dr Siri hanging for too long while some new authors (new to me anyway) have enticed me into their lair.

You like Endo, and you appreciated the Steampunk anthology, so permaybehaps you should add a thick book to your TBRs!

Mainspring. Almost five stars. Author is dying of cancer. Wonderful clockwork universe, with a giant brass track that the earth rotates on, and a clockmaker god who sends a young American an Archangel to order him to rewind the mainspring of existence.

#63 : Kath, I had run on a very sandy trail in the woods over the weekend and hadn't cleaned out my running shoes properly before I went for my Monday morning run, so there was still a lot of gravel in the shoes which must have managed to get in between my ankle socks and foot, so I developed blisters on the side of one arch and on the heel of the other foot. They're healing nicely since I popped them. :-)

#64 : Joe, I think you'll like Milkman in the Night so I hope you've added that to your wish list. I've managed to mooch Penguin Lost by the same author.

I do like Dogfish Head and accept your chilled present wholeheartedly ... today is incredibly muggy! Ugh!

#66 : Richard, Mainspring is already on my obese wish list. The reviews have made it just too tempting to ignore. I just hope it doesn't have a sad ending.

Hi Caro! I enjoyed your review of the Steampunk anthology. That one sounds great. Good for you for sticking with your exercise routine on a hot and muggy day, sorry to hear about the blisters though. I haven't had to worry about the heat on my morning walks 'cause our weather has been so cool, but the Mosquitos have been horrendous!

>34 cameling: (a long way back , I know, forgive me?)
YOu were marinating ground beef (what we call mince I suppose) back then. May I ask, how do you marinate mince for the making of beef patties? In my mind marinating something means steeping it in some sort of moisture, which would make forming it into patties rather hard.
It is these things that play on my mind :)

>60 cameling: your run sounds like a bit of a muck up! Bummer, but surely the extra miles made you feel very healthy and super fit!!?? (hopefully the blisters have cleared up now after the big pop- ew- they are a pain)

I finished the Endo! It was excellent. I think this is a perfect sampler, to prepare for his longer works. Thanks again, best buddy! Have you read Stones For Ibarra? If not, it's amazing.

Good morning, Caroline! I checked with my best friends in Wisconsin, and as I suspected they are busy for the entire month of August. So it seems pretty likely that I'll come back to the Northeast for a week or so, probably from Aug 7-14. I'll talk with my family and LT & non-LT NYC, NJ and PA friends to see if they are around. I'd love to meet you & Edd in the city and head back with you to Boston (depending on who's driving, of course).

Darryl, Jim and I are visiting friends in Boston as well this August. Not sure of the dates yet, but we wanted to meet up with Caro and Edd. So you may see us too!

That would be great, Judy! I hope that I can see you and Jim, too.

#69 : Thanks, cobscook. I really enjoyed Steampunk, more because it's a new genre I'm exploring, and I especially liked the way Ashley had a brief introduction to not just the author before each story, but more to the discovery or innovation that was trending during the 19th Century which inspired the story. I now have a lot more new steampunk authors to look out for.

Still hot and muggy today but with a good breeze which makes sitting in the shade almost pleasant. I'm logging in for a few minutes this afternoon in a cool bar, waiting for a couple of friends to show up. We given a half day because of tomorrow's public holiday. Whoohoooo.

#70 : Megan, when I make burgers, I tend to add chopped garlic, chopped onions, finely minced herbs, and egg, salt, pepper, splash of vodka and a splash of cream to the beef, mix it all up together, and then let them all sit and get bond for a few hours in the fridge. Sometimes, I'll also add some crumbled bits of blue cheese, or chopped chorizo in the mixture as well. Then make balls of them to flatten a little before plopping them on the grill. :-)

I use the term 'marinating' loosely whenever I'm infusing additional flavor to something for a few hours before cooking. Sometimes it does involve immersing stuff in liquid and sometimes not, because I'll also use the term if all I'm doing is rubbing chopped garlic, rosemary and lemon juice all over a chicken and under the skin, and then leaving it in the fridge for a few hours before roasting.

Managing to finish the run did make me feel good about myself, (once I got over the pain of lactic acid build up in my legs, stitch in my side, and the fear that my heart was going to explode) if a little tired. It was good to know I can run 5 miles if I have to. I continued to feel good, even though I was pretty sore the day after. Blisters are much better, thank you, but I'm using them as an excuse not to go out for runs this week again since it's so hot. Wouldn't do to aggravate them after all, right? ;-)

#71 : Marky-Mark - I knew you would like the Endo. Are you going to check out his other books? I need to get to other books by Endo I haven't yet read. *sigh* so many books, so little space in my house!

I haven't read Stones for Ibarra ... I take it you're encouraging me to add this to my obese wish list? Maybe I need to build a reading hut in my back yard .......

#72 : Darryl - It would be incredible if the 3 of you managed to find yourselves in Boston at the same time. We are also likely to be down on Long Island on August 10 & 11 for my MIL's birthday.

Aww... how sweet to know you feel so safe with me behind the wheel ... I'd be pleased as punch to drive us all back to Boston, but unfortunately, the hubster's a bit of a control freak when it comes to driving, so you're going to have to suffer through a hair-raising experience.

#73 : Judy, I certainly hope all our dates sync up. It would be wonderful if we all could hang out together here.

89. Leonardo and the Mona Lisa Story by Donald Sassoon

This is not a biography of Leonardo da Vinci, even though there is a brief look at his life as an artist and engineer in Italy and France. The focus, is, of course, as the title might suggest, on the Mona Lisa, one of da Vinci's most famous paintings, the mystery behind the identity of the sitter, the technique behind that beguiling smile and eyes, why it's a masterpiece, it's theft from The Louvre, and modern representations of this iconic painting.

There are more illustrations than there is text, and it make this a wonderful journey through art history from the 1500s through to the 21st Century. There are plenty of samples of da Vinci's sketches of engineering ideas, anatomy and portraits. There are also illustrations from other artists including Warhol, Dali and Masson and their renditions of the famous lady. Photographs, maps, and reproductions of works by other artists through the ages help create a visually enjoyable read.

4 stars

I'm going to be off-line for the next few days. We have a wedding down in NY to attend tomorrow, so we're driving down tonight and coming back only on Saturday morning. I just hope the weather holds up since they're planning an outdoor wedding, although they do have a wet weather contingency plan.

To all who are going to enjoy tomorrow's holiday,

I have major problems with uncontrolled salivation every time I visit your thread, Caro!

>75 cameling: oh thanks goodness you were able to clarify that burger thing. Yours sound great! I make meatballs in a similar way, actually, there is no vodka or cream. But minced onion and garlic, herbs, a tablespoon of smoky bbq sauce and 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (or rolled oats that have been whizzed to make fine). Then I bake them in a hot oven, and drown them in HOT satay sauce over rice. It is one of my favourite dinners.

>77 cameling: interesting book, mainly art? Seems off genre for you, but maybe because I just take note of fiction these days....

Hi Caro, you are to be commended for continuing your running during the hot weather. When it get hot here I find myself totally ignoring my walking machine! Those two extra miles may be given you blisters, but think of all the extra food you can eat without guilt!

Note to self: Try adding a splash of vodka & cream to my next burger mix.

Hope you have a great time in NY!

Caro, your Mil's birthday weekend was one of the choices we had for Boston, so we will pick the later one and hope you're still in town on the 24th. Are you planning to come into NYC at all?

Caro - trust you had a lovely trip to NYC and that the splicing spliced without the weather intervening.

Can't wait to read about all the drool-worthy meals you had on your NY trip!

Thought you might want a nosh on some braised shrimp when you get back, Caro.

#79 : Roni .. I have that problem whenever I visit Joe's thread. I know better now and am either already munching on something when I catch up on his thread, or bring a napkin to wipe the drool.

#80 : Megan - now that's an interesting combination ... bbq sauced meatballs drenched in satay sauce over rice. Hmm... I might need to experiment with that one of these days.

I don't know much about art, except for what I like looking at, and I do like art museums. I am trying to find good books on art history to learn more about some artists I like and their lives. I've also enjoyed some non-fiction books about art theft such as The Gardner Heist, which I thought was a wonderful piece of investigative reporting, and released before the FBI announced early this year that they now know who the thieves who stole the 7 pieces of art from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum here in Boston were, but they weren't going to release their names because they want the current owners of the stolen art to return them. Uh huh.. sure......! Another art history book that centered around Vermeer and forgery I really enjoyed was The Forger's Spell.

I've tried a few historical art fiction but more often then not found them to be a little interesting but not captivating.

Hi Caro!
Wanted to give you a special thanks for (perhaps unknowingly)nudging me to read Ghosts of Nagasaki. It was great. I didn't realize the author, Clausen, is an LT author. Hope more people read his book. Wonder if his other works are also good?

If I made my burgers like you do, I'd be in heaven... but Ron not so much. He is no gourmet eater. Still, I like the idea of a bit of vodka - hehehe. He'll never know ;-)

#81 : Judy - I succumbed to the God of Heat this past weekend and lay prostrate at his feet. It was way too hot and humid to go outside for a run ... so I threw myself into Neptune's playground instead and spent the weekend at the beach and swimming in the ocean instead. I'm now a nice nutty brown and have added a ton more freckles to my arm, knees and face. Good job my mom's not around to wail.... she being in the anti-freckle camp.

Guilt-free eating is something I do very well, sadly. But one thing that has curbed my appetite has been the heat. It's just been too hot to eat anything too dense and anything in large portions. And I've been making pitchers of watermelon juice from icy cold watermelons. Just the thing for a hot summer's afternoon...while watching the hubster mow the grass. :-)

#82 : Hi Chelle! We had a blast at the wedding and ended up staying over longer than planned. I had originally wondered why anyone would get married on July 4, and we were, I admit, a little put out that we'd be missing our usual holiday cookout at home with friends. But we had some other friends at the wedding and it turned out to be tons of fun, partly because our friend's daughter has a great sense of fun, so she added in all sorts of different dances that required more people to get out on the dance floor, e.g couples married more than 2 years dance, new partner of less than 1 year dance, parent & child dance (there were quite a lot of little kids at the wedding), grandparents' dance, grandparent & grandchild dance, non-couple dance, first time meeting at the wedding dinner table dance .... And she choreographed her father/daughter dance so it wasn't the traditional slow dance. It started as a slow dance and then broke into the twist, the jive, tango, salsa and then back to end with a slow dance. It was the best father/daughter dance I've seen.

And as the reception was at a country club by the beach in Port Jefferson on Long Island, we went out on the deck to watch the July 4th fireworks, which appeared almost right above our heads. They were spectacular. I love fireworks!

#83 : Judy, at present, it doesn't look like I'll be away the weekend of August 24, and I'll try to keep it that way. If things change with my work travel schedule, I'll let you know. But I've penciled you guys in for that weekend, so we can arrange details closer to the date. At this point, I have no plans to go down to NYC this month or in August, but that's not to say that may not change. :-)

If things go well, I may not even have to travel all of August! *keeping fingers crossed*

Me too!

#84 : Paul - We were going to come back the morning after the wedding, but a niece and her 14th month son came up from DC and were visiting the grandparents, so we met them for lunch and bumped into another friend we hadn't seen in a long time, which led to an impromptu dinner party on Friday night. So it turned into a nice short trip.

#85 : Tina, drool-worthy meals in NY? Hmm...where to start? Well the wedding reception was great. The church ceremony ended rather early, so we all trooped over to the country club in Port Jefferson where the reception was being held, and they had a 2 hour cocktail session prior to the dinner. Full open bar, and a long buffet which included thick cut heirloom tomatoes snuggly nestled against mozzarella slices, a salad of mixed mushrooms, grilled eggplant slices, a bowl of gleaming olives, slices of roasted red, orange and yellow peppers, a chef making fresh caesar salad in a big parmesan wheel, with the garnishes at the side, pizza slices, arancini in marinara sauce, regular salads, hot bread rolls, sushi, a carving station with stuffed roast pork and gravy, a pasta station with chef tossing your choice of pasta and sauce, and bain-maries of eggplant parmesan, roast beef slices, salmon in cream sauce, and calamari with a spicy pepper sauce.

And that was just for the cocktail period!

Finally we go into the ballroom for dinner and I'm almost too full to eat. But they thankfully stagger the meal out in between the various dances and speeches. We had a beautiful artichoke and pear salad to start, and then a medley plate (for those who didn't ask for special meals) that had 2 grilled spicy jumbo shrimp, a lamb cutlet, a tenderloin medallion, creamy potato galette and 2 baby carrots. Dessert was cake of course, and also chocolate ice cream sundaes (bride's favorite).

Thank goodness for all the dancing .. we all needed to work off all the food we were eating.

Ok, it wasn't in NY, but over the weekend, I had a small hotdog party at our house on Saturday. Our hotdog party included jumbo franks, cheddarwurst, kielbasa and linquica. And sides to add to the hotdogs were cheesesauce, piri piri, mac & cheese with bacon (yes, added on top makes for an out of this world hotdog experience), guacamole, sauteed onions, sauerkraut and baked beans.

Sunday I made chicken & potato curry and roti paratha for breakfast. We skipped lunch and had an early dinner with a friend who was visiting. It was hot, so I just made burgers and grilled swordfish with a ponzu lime sauce, and orange champagne granitas for dessert.

#86 : Joe, those shrimp look good. I love cooked shrimp in all forms, especially when they're cooked with their shell on. Adds to the flavor, even if they're a little messy to eat. An English friend of mine eats his shrimp (regardless of size) with the shell on. He says he's never peeled shrimp and that the shells are edible.

#88 : Cee, I'm so glad you liked Ghosts of Nagasaki. Isn't that an amazing book? I hope he continues to write. I did not know he was an LT author either until I posted it here. I have added his Lexical Funk to my obese wish list. From the reviews I've read, I think I will like these short stories.

Go ahead, add vodka to your burgers .. the alcohol cooks off and Ron may never know. Or you could add some cheetos to his burger for an extra crunch. :-)

I do so like the new LT website ... it looks so much cleaner.

90. Redshirts by John Scalzi

I liked the concept of this science fiction tale. A new group of space travelers are assigned to an exploration spacecraft, and before long, they realize that many away missions with certain officers result in at least one crew member dying. Oddly though, the officers, although suffering terrible injuries or near death diseases, will always recover within a week. There's also a mysterious person hiding in the spacecraft who knows the truth behind the oddities of living and working in this vessel, but will the group believe him? And how will they avoid being killed by harpoons, ice sharks, landworms and swarm bots on the away missions?

It's Mel Brooks meets Star Trek in a Bgrade movie. The plot is interesting and fun, but the writing is rather choppy, and the characters rather wooden.

3 stars -- and only because I liked the concept.

Our CEO retired and we now have a new CEO that started last week. He's visiting our office this week, so all the executives are driving batty with requests for reports on various things we're each working on, system updates, and justifications for certain projects. All this nonsense is taking up so much of my time because for some of my reports, I have to dig back into my archive for certain documents to retrieve specific details, and at the same time, I've got my daily work to do, including conference calls every night this week! Arrgghhhh!

I've been intrigued by that one, Caro. Sounded a bit like the Galaxy Quest kind of fun.

LOL - Cheetos in Ron's burgers! You are too funny. I can never let the two of you get together in a discussion of food. :-D

Hi Caro- Wow, I've missed seeing you around. Hope you had a great long weekend & holiday. Sorry, you weren't crazy about the Scalzi. I have that one saved on audio. Mr. Clausen, the generous soul he is, sent me a copy of Lexical Funk. I can't wait to sample it. Have you read Among Others? I think this would be just your cuppa!

I tried to get my husband to read Redshirts since he's a real Trekkie and he quit halfway through. He found the same problems you did and it found it redundant.

#95 : Joe, Redshirts is kinda fun as long as you're not looking for something well written. It is like Galaxy Quest and Spaceballs, so if you enjoyed those movies, I think you'll like this book. I felt the author may have run out of steam towards the end because the last chapter seemed a little rushed to me, but it was a humorous read.. and I kept seeing Mel Brooks as one of the officers.

#96 : Cee, don't ever let Ron near a Bobby Flay Burger Palace because you can order your burgers 'crunchified' which means they put a pile of potato chips on the burger and then slap on the burger bun and 'smoosh' it down, breaking the chips, and thus adding 'crunch' to the burger. I liked it. :-)

#97 : Marky-Mark, I've missed being on LT for the last few days .. it seemed like I'd been away a whole week. Missing on all the gossip and stories ...but my obese wish list relished the vacation. Now I'm slowly trying to catch up on a few threads each day this week .. not very successfully because this is very gregarious group (in a good way) and I'm really busy at work this week, with meetings during the day, reports to write, other stuff to follow up on, and conference calls every night.

I'm also trying to squeeze in as much time to read The Greater Journey by DAvid McCullough. I'd started it on Sunday evening and it's incredibly fascinating. I'm only halfway through (it's about 500+ pages without the notes). I've even taken to reading just a couple of pages in between conference calls. This is definitely going to be one of my top 10 reads for 2013.

Maybe Redshirts will come across better as an audiobook. I'll be sure to check out your review after you finish listening to it. I think it would make a fun comedic sci-fi movie actually.

I haven't read Among Others but I did just finish catching up on your thread today and read your review. And yes, it did make it to my obese wish list.

#98 : Kath - no guilt during lunch today. I been good all day so far. I had scrambled eggs on toast and raspberry & pear juice for breakfast, and a sushi /sashimi plate for lunch. This salves my conscience since I am going to an Argentinian restaurant for dinner tonight.

#99 : Morphy, I was tempted to quit myself, but because a friend gave it to me (he loved it) and wanted to know what I thought of it, and since it wasn't a large book, I forced myself to finish it. I'm kinda glad I did finish the book. I just wish it was written better and that it ended a little differently, but on the whole, it was entertaining.

I found your comments on Redshirts interesting because I had been contemplating hunting it down. I think with your feedback as well as others here on your thread I will give it a pass.

Sounds like you had a wonderful 4th.

Poor Caro!

Caro's TBRs



Caro's obese wishlist

I love the bottom picture, obese or not! :)

Oh, I get the best ideas here, I've never thought about juicing watermelon before! What a great summer drink idea - and a good base for adding a little vodka, etc.

#102: cobscook - I'm happy to take one for the team. I think it'd make a fun beach read for an afternoon when you want a bit of sci-fi fluff to read, but I wouldn't urge you to rush out to get it.

#103 : Megan, when did you sneak into my office to take that photograph? It's in much better shape today .. only because I've shoved the piles of paper into drawers and behind the door, so if the new CEO does a walkabout around the office, my room will look all neat and tidy. I have to say, my room and desk are usually always tidy and have little on them, but this has been the week of paperwork hell, and I have files upon files piled up on the floor, on my desk, on my 2 guest chairs, and tons of diagrams and scribbles all over my whiteboard. I need to get everything signed, filed away and cleaned up before I leave for China next week.

#104 : Richard - I wish my obese wish list was that organized, but you definitely have my TBR Tower down pat. Darryl's been to my house, so I think he can attest to the terribly untidy teetering piles of books all over the shelves and table.

I'm trying to come up with a better way to organize my obese wish list, so that when I'm at the library or bookstore, it'll be easier for me to search the list for what I want to try and get. At the moment, my OWL is extremely haphazard, to say the least.

#105 : Sara, I agree... although I think she's leaning a little too far and needs a taller ladder.

#106 : Judy, you absolutely need to try juicing watermelons, especially when they're chilled. They're just the thing for a hot summer's day. Watermelon juice or pineapple & oranges juiced together are my favorite in the hot weather.... with or without alcohol. :-)

Our new CEO seems like a nice man, but as with any new executive coming in to manage a large holding company, we're all holding our breaths to see what changes he wants to make and how they may affect us. The board of directors have hired someone from the outside for a change (they have always promoted from within in the past) and it's someone with experience in some parts of our business, but with no experience or knowledge of software, which is the division that I work in. On the other hand, he's lived in 63 countries and has an impressive resume of companies he's developed or managed and grown successfully.

I may need to update my resume ..... just in case.

#94, 109 - Ugh!! I have a new VP starting at the end of this month and, while I liked him a lot when he interviewed, I'm worried about what new demands he might bring.
Hang in there, Caroline! Go for a run or a bike ride!

Caro.. not a pleasant situation that you are facing. It may well shake down into one, but not knowing is dreadful. ( Same with Ellen.. eek!)

Watermelon juice... we used to have a street fair in Ambridge.( and still do actually, but it isn't verynice now ) There was a booth that sold watermelon juice with? Something else in it.. I don't remember what. It was absolutely delicious! So refreshing to drink while walking along on the hot street :) I have thought now and then about trying to do it at home. Instead, I eat the watermelon :)

Maybe he'll give you long lunches again!

#110 : Ellen, it's been so incredibly humid this past week, that I've had to hide in the gym instead of running outdoors. Had a few good swims in this week on alternate days to my running on the treadmill in the gym. I'm definitely on track to getting back to working out more regularly, and starting to feel fitter and more energetic again. Love it!

Good luck with your new VP. It's always a little nerve-wracking when new heads come in and the changes they may want to make. When the impact is positive, that's great, but when a new head includes him/her wanting to shake the tree, get rid of the old fruit in order to bring in his old team, that's the thought that's making us all a little nervous.

#111 : Kath, he seemed nice at the town hall meeting in our office, but .... since he's not from within, nobody knows him and that's what is making us all a little nervous. In the past, whenever we've had a change at the helm, the replacements were always moved up from within the organization, so there's some comfort in already knowing these people a little, even if they were from different divisions since they would by then already have put in time at the corporate office, and we'd all have at least a little exposure to them once in a while. With this new CEO, he's talked about having turned other companies around (we're doing well, so I'm wondering what he's thinking he has to turn us around into....?) and making changes to the companies before he developed direction and strategies for them. The scariest thing he said (in my opinion) was that he admitted he didn't know much about our industry even though he's spent the last 3 months working with our recently retired CEO to learn some of the ropes. He's going to spend the next 3-4 months popping into all our offices around the country and around the world to understand how each operates and then work with the various executives to define what and who we are, agree on where we want to go and build a strategy on how to get there.

I'm just keeping my head down, doing my work and keeping my fingers crossed I don't get hit in any crossfires.

#112 : LOL .. Morphy...thanks for that! I've had a trying morning thus far, and that comment you made just absolutely made me laugh and cheered me up no end. Thank you.

A friend from Guam came over for a visit on Friday. It's been 10 years since I last saw her. It's been wonderful catching up, and spending the last 2 days with her, taking her around and doing a lot of eating and drinking. We went canoeing yesterday down the Concord River and at one point, just put the oars in, lay in and let the canoe drift whereever it wanted to go ... it was great ... until we realized how far we'd drifted and that we were going to be paddling against the current part of the way back. Ugh! Still ... it helped build an appetite and thirst when we finally made it back to the dock.

We're having friends over for a cookout this afternoon. There's a mix of nationalities coming, and it's a potluck cookout, so we're going to have Croatian, Korean, Italian, Spanish, Guatemalan, German, Singaporean, English and Moroccan dishes. Whoohooo... can't wait.

It's the hubster's birthday tomorrow and I've yet to wrap his presents. Drats. I have to remember to do that tonight. One day to celebrate with him, and then I'm off to Shanghai on Tuesday morning.

I've just finished reading The Greater Journey and that definitely is one of my top 10 for 2013. I have to find the time to write a review of this a little later.

Happy Bastille Day!

Hi, Caro. Good Luck with the new CEO. I'm very leery of executives who come bouncing in declaring that they will shake things up and change direction. Do they think it makes the staff feel safe and open and positive? It always sounds like ego to me. It's especially disconcerting if the company is doing well and the former CEO retired or otherwise left on good terms.

>114 cameling: ...Croatian, Korean, Italian, Spanish, Guatemalan, German, Singaporean, English and Moroccan dishes.
wow- that is impressive! Nice work on getting a sure fire great spread there. I'd love a picture of that table of food! Have fun!

So a wonderful weekend, and then off to Singapore? I hope the trip is wonderful, safe and smooth...

Hi, Caroline! I realized that I hadn't answered some of the questions you had asked me in this thread, so I'll do that now.

>15 cameling: I haven't read anything by Bernard Malamud, and The Magic Barrel is the only book of his that I own.

>33 cameling: It seems as though I'll be off from Sep 21-24, so I could make it to the National Book Festival. However I suspect that I won't go, as I'll have just returned from a two week long visit and vacation with my parents from Aug 31-Sep 15.

I haven't made reservations for my proposed August visit to NYC/Boston yet. There will be at least a couple of non-LT friends that I'd like to visit in the city during that time, but my plans are still flexible.

>107 cameling: I wish my obese wish list was that organized, but you definitely have my TBR Tower down pat. Darryl's been to my house, so I think he can attest to the terribly untidy teetering piles of books all over the shelves and table.

I didn't notice any particularly untidy piles of books, although I made sure to stay at least three feet away from the main set of bookcases. I suspect that all but a small handful of us bibliophiles have books piled up in every room.

I hope that your weekend was as lovely and scrumptious as it sounded. Have a safe trip to Singapore tomorrow, and I look forward to hopefully seeing you & Edd (and Jim & Judy) next month!

#116 : Richard - Does it count that we celebrated Bastille Day with a big platter of French cheeses yesterday?

#117 : Judy - that was my take as well when I listened to him during our town hall meeting. Given that our company is doing well, I was curious why he felt the need to tell us that change is in the wind. *sigh* I'm just hoping it's just his need to show he has clout, and that once he settles in, whatever changes he feels necessary to make will be minimal and will indeed be to improve our company's performance. I would also hope it doesn't involve layoffs.

By the way, I received an email from Kate ... so August 24th is on. :-)

#118 : Megan, alas, I didn't think of taking any photos of the foods. :-( The food was incredible though. We had :
Croatian: veal steaks that were stuffed with ham & cheese, coated with breadcrumbs and then grilled
Korean : marinated tender beef short ribs (thank goodness they brought a big platter for the grill .. they were so good we were fighting over them)
Guam : Red rice and spicy chicken stew
Moroccan : Lamb kebabs
Spanish : Seafood paella (they brought the cooking equipment so they could cook it while we chatted and drank)
Italian : Antipasto and burrata (to die for!)
French : Cheese platter
English : Sherry trifle
German : Sausages and more sausages for the grill
Singapore : Shrimp, lamb and chicken satay, banana bud salad
Chinese : Roast duck
American : Hot dogs

Waking up this morning was tough ... battling a hangover at work was tougher! Lesson #200012 - Never party on a Sunday unless Monday is a holiday.

#119 : Thanks Kath - but I'm going to Shanghai, China .. not Singapore. Wish i was going to Singapore though. But it'll be Shanghai for a week, and then from Shanghai I head off to Guangzhou for the following week.

#120 : Darryl - I've now got another Bernard Malamud in my TBR Tower. The Assistant arrived in the mail just before the weekend, and if it's anything like the Magic Barrel, I'm going to have a good time with it.

I would like to attend the National Book Fest in DC in Sept, and keeping my fingers crossed that nothing untoward happens to railroad my plans. I've got to put some serious thought to taking a vacation because I don't want to get caught on December 31 with 20 days left unused.

August is rolling around and our plans are still (sorry) changing in terms of when we're going to be home. I know that we will be in NY for Edd's mother's birthday the weekend of August 11, and there's a chance my brother might come for a visit because he has a few meetings in NY just before that weekend, and if so, then I'll probably take the week of Aug 13 off to spend it with him. He said he will confirm his plans by the end of next week.

Judy and Jim will be here for the weekend of August 24.

Hi Caro- Just checking in! Haven't seem you around much. Hope all is well. I started A Fine Balance today. I have a strong feeling this will be a top read of the year. Hugs!

#123 : Marky-Mark I don't know how RL has become so hectic! Is it just me, or is anyone else also finding their days swamped or time just whizzing by?

>122 cameling: Greetings from Hotlondon! It may hit 32 C (90 F) tomorrow, after two days of 30-31 C weather.

I look forward to your comments about The Assistant.

My group's September work schedule has been finalized. I'm off from Aug 31 to Sep 15, and from Sep 21-24. I'll use the first half of the month to spend with my parents, as promised. Although I will be off during the National Book Festival I don't relish the idea of heading back up that soon, and especially not between what may be two busy weeks at work, so I won't go after all.

Thanks for letting me know about August. I'm starting to get cold feet about this proposed NYC/Boston trip (Aug 7-14), as it also falls between two already planned trips, to New Orleans for this year's Pediatric Hospital Medicine conference (Aug 1-4) and a trip to SF (Aug 17-25). If it stays this hot (or worse) the thought of being in the city isn't exactly a pleasant one, and I normally go to SF in August to escape the heat rather than immerse myself in more of it (I'm pretty wimpy when it comes to hot weather, but I can take the cold just fine). It might be nice to take a "staycation" after this current and upcoming travel, especially since I'll probably return here in October or November to see Much Ado About Nothing, starring James Earl Jones and Vanessa Redgrave, at the Old Vic.

The London meet up is this afternoon; hopefully I'll be feeling chipper enough to go. It's after 2 am here, and I just woke up sweating and coughing, although I feel much better than I have been the past two days, after Richard put another voodoo curse on me.

Safe travels!

#121 HA I love that your American dish was hot dogs!!

Hope you have a safe trip!

>125 kidzdoc: If you wish to avoid bad-breathing whammies and another round of voodoo-dollying, the means is unbelievably simple: Don't go places I want to go but can't.

So next trip, maybe consider Mogadishu. Or Pyongyang. Eritrea's good too, as is East Timor.

>127 richardderus: I can't find good books and friendly LTers in Mogadishu and Pyongyang. And if I was kidnapped and sold for ransom (very cheaply), you would have one less person to invoke your wrath upon. Worse of all, you would never see me again (wait, forget that last point).

oops! have a good trip wherever you are!

>128 kidzdoc: Weeelll...lemme see here...I know, I've already been to Lille and it's the French version of Gary, Indiana. How's that?

>130 richardderus: Let's see...on Eurostar I can get from Lille to Paris in just over an hour, and to London in 1 hr 40 min. You have a deal, sir.

A-heh. Clearly you haven't been there. *awaits news of Darryl's complete nervous collapse*

Is Lille the location of Disneyland Paris? Ick. As long as I could travel against the flow of incoming traffic I think I could handle it. Maybe.

Eurolille Shopping Mall. THE thing to do in Lille. The ONLY thing to do in Lille.

Lille also boasts Europe's only boring cathedral:


It looks like a Barnes & Noble.

Plus it rains. Like, makes Paris look like Marrakesh-level rains.

I'll still take it. From there I can still get to Paris and London within two hours on the train. In Atlanta I can get to Gainesville, Georgia and Anniston, Alabama within two hours on the Southern Crescent. Any questions?

Lesson #200012 - Never party on a Sunday unless Monday is a holiday.

We do learn that one over and over again, don't we?

#125 : Darryl, I don't blame you for getting cold feet over your initial NYC/Boston August trip given the travel you made to N'Orleans, and now London and then to your parents. If this current heatwave continues through August, it will be pretty unbearable in the city and we may be spending all our time in the Boston Aquarium (they do have a nice marine life book section in the store though) where it's perpetually cooler.

They're even having a hotter than ever summer here in Shanghai. In fact, Shanghai is commonly referred to as the 'oven' of China during the summer months but these last 2 weeks have broken heat records. The Chinese government apparently are loath to, and avoid informing the Chinese people what the real temperatures are, because by common practice, if the weather forecasts announce the temperature to hit 40 Celsius, people will not go to work. So the local meteorologists tend to forecast highs no higher than 38 or 39 Celsius. I went out for a meeting this morning, the humid air hitting me like a dank moldy wet towel the minute I stepped out of my hotel, so oppressive as to make me walk slower than I usually do, and before I was halfway to the building a mere 10 minutes walk on a normal day, I resembled a dripping popsicle under a heat lamp.

I trust RD's voodoo curse has lost its strength now that you're across the pond, and that you're feeling much better. The best pickmeup?.... Bacon butty from the Northborough Market. Then a return visit to Foyle's.

New boss but hopefully not the blues. One benefit of being my own boss - the only corporate manoeuvring is in the household.
Happy belated to the hubster.
Greedy eyes running up and down your list of pot-luck cuisines.
I have read The Fixer by Malamud which I really, really liked.

Oh I did love the Boston Aquarium! I imagine it has changed since I was last t here. We used to go once a month :) We had a membership and it was always a place filled with wonder...

Oh dear.. bacon buttys again.... *drool*

Please stay safe and have a great trip!

#126 : Thanks, Chelle. The flight over was uneventful and given the 7am flight leg from Boston. I slept almost all the way to San Francisco, and then slept about 9 out of the 12 hour flight from San Francisco to Shanghai, and arrived really hungry since I missed all the meals.

#127 : You forgot Rwanda and Afghanistan, Richard.

#128 : Darryl... aww... we'd pay your cheap ransom so we could get you back, if only to continue being a thorn in Richard's side.

#129 : Kath - so far, so good... if one ignores the blistering heat

#130 : Richard - I've never been to Lille and I like DisneyWorld.... does that mean, I might possibly like the place? Do they have buttery croissants and ham & cheese crepes? And foie gras? And oodles and oodles of cheese? *checking flights from Shanghai to Boston through Lille*

#136 : Ellen - my memory isn't as good as it used to be - at least that's my excuse for always forgetting not to party on a Sunday. At least I wasn't the only one feeling rough on Monday.

#138 : Paul - I would be lousy running my own company, I'm sure. So I'll have to grit my teeth, just hope the new CEO is preening his fur like the proud mama of new twin panda babies and doesn't sit and squash one to death.

I'm adding The Fixer to my obese wish list then. Thanks for the rec.

Interestingly, one of the options at the breakfast buffet at the JW Marriott in Shanghai this morning was roti canai and lamb curry. I was tempted until I remembered the newspaper article I read the last time I was here about the 7 stores being closed by the government for selling fake lamb. I moved on and put together a plate of dim sum, a bowl of bubur with pickled vegetables and ikan bilis, and a couple of fried eggs and toast instead.

#139 : Kath - I love the Boston Aquarium too, especially the penguins and seahorses. The best aquarium I've been to so far though, has been the Seoul Aquarium. It's incredible and huge! Different experience I'm guessing from SeaWorld in San Diego where I haven't yet visited.

Oooh. Ham and cheese crepes. I've had those once. Now I need to go find someplace to get some.

Lille's food culture is German/Flemish, Caro. Stodge. There are ZERO restaurants of repute in Lille. There is a McDonald's, though.

EuroDisney's in Marne-la-Vallée, east of Paris. The French gummint invented the "town" about 50 years ago.

It makes me sad that there is a McDonalds in Lille.

Caro, at least your breakfast was great even if the heat and humidity are overpowering.

New management / owners have changed our lives more than once. I hope you have better luck.
And I wish I had a yummy breakfast ( or lunch)
*nukes leftover burger *

a plate of dim sum, a bowl of bubur with pickled vegetables and ikan bilis, and a couple of fried eggs and toast
Well, one can't say it's not a hearty breakfast. And it sounds good.
Probably a good decision to forego the lamb....

Hm. I have been to seen Euro Disney, it was a bit blurry though, as I saw it from the super speedy fast train...and I really only saw the Disney Castle spires. I'd like to count it though, as then I can say I've been to 3 Disneylands (there are only 3 aren't there?). Maybe there are 4....

Bacon butty sounds good, and your round-the-world feast the other week sounds like it was a success even if the following day you were wishing you had held back ;)

Oh, I'm glad you liked The Greater Journey so much, Caro. I'm about halfway through it, doing a slow read on my Kindle. Fascinating to read about all the artists and authors in Paris at that time.

>137 cameling: Right, Caroline. I think I'll use that week (Aug 7-14) as a "staycation", as I could use my time productively there. I'll be back up in the area for the first half of September (Aug 31-Sep 14/15); maybe we can meet up then if you're in Boston or NYC.

There are five Disney parks.

Disney World, Orlando, FL, USA
Disneyland, CA, USA
Tokyo Disney
Disneyland Paris
Hong Kong Disneyland

In 2016, Shanghai Disney is expected to open.

Wouldn't that be an item for a bucket list?

I hesitate to ask, Caro, but what was the 'fake lamb' really made out of? Nothing worse than mutton, I hope.

I actually detest sheep when it comes to eating. Love them when it comes to the cozy, winter-time warmth of their lovely fleeces rendered into sweaters, jackets and scarves - the idea of which, this past week, would have made me want to claw all the skin off of myself. You haven't been missing a thing back home, weather-wise.

Malaysia has tremendous problems understanding the difference between the meat of lamb and that of goat. Often the generic term kambing is used for either, but which is technically goat and practically awful. Lamb more properly in malay is biri biri but you would be hard pressed to find a locally written menu which includes biri biri even though lamb is actually the dish. Confused, I am. And generally I won't take lamb, mutton, goat here as they all get muddled up. I suspect the fake lamb in Shanghai was goat.

Caro, For some reason the last post double counted but anyways it allows me to be more polite and wish you a lovely week ahead dear lady.

#142 : Morphy, I absolutely love ham & cheese crepes ..even more than I like nutella & banana crepes. I could eat a ham & cheese crepe for breakfast, lunch and tea. I won't include it in dinner because I need something more substantial for my evening meal. :-) I've tried to make them myself at home, and they're a lot smaller since I don't have a large griddle like they do in Paris, but my batter was thin enough so it came close to the real thing.

#143 : Hmm... German/Flemish huh, Richard? So stews with potato dumplings, charcuterie meat platters? Sounds good to me actually. I can't see why I may have to go to Lille though, so I may have to wait till Darryl heads out there to test their fare and report.

#144 : Cobscook - I'm sad when I see MacDonald's and Starbucks here in China too! And KFC and to my surprise -- Dairy Queen! I did go into a Starbucks the other day because I needed an iced latte, and I was taken aback to find it was different from the latte I sometimes get at home. It was a lot thinner, so I tossed it out before I was halfway through. It reminded me of the time someone bought me a cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee. Yuck!

#145 : Kath - I'm getting to get to the point where I'm starting to want a proper bacon cheeseburger or a loaded pizza. But nothing could induce me to attempt one here in China.

#146 : Ellen, one thing China doesn't get right is bacon, I'm not sure why. The bacon is pork, but it's just not cured the same way and the meat is often tough and tastes a little weird. So having tested out their bacon a few times in the past, I just avoid it. Plus when I travel, I like eating local breakfast foods rather than the staid eggs, pancakes, hashbrowns, sausages and eggs that are ubiquitous in all American chain hotels around the world.

#147 : Megan, I've only been to 4 of the current 5 Disneys - DisneyWorld Orlando in Florida, DisneyLand in Anaheim, California, DisneyWorld Hong Kong and DisneyWorld Tokyo. I love DisneyWorld ! The rides in the U parks are, I think, much more exciting (the ones meant for older kids and adults) than the ones they have in Tokyo and HK, and of course Orlando now has Harry Potter's Hogswort and a fun Quidditch ride that they had repurposed from a previous Dueling Dragons ride which was my favorite at the Universal Studios park.
I'm a ride freak. I don't go to Disney during school holidays and never on weekends, so that the lines to the rides are shorter so I don't have to wait too long if I want to go on them multiple times.

#148 : Joe, I haven't written a review for The Greater Journey yet or for the 3 other books I've read since because of lack of time, but even if I had the time now, I'm not sure I could write a decent review of McCullough's extensive coverage of Paris in the 1800s when the trickle of American visitors grew, especially after the war was over, to a flood of artists, writers, medical students and philosophers. I hadn't realized there were so many Bostonians who spent years in Paris to hone their craft or, as in the case of Sumner, to be exposed to a society that treated people of different skin colors equality, and return to the US, become a politician and push for the emancipation of slavery.

#149 : Darryl, I'm hoping for cooler weather at the end of August. I may have to go to Indonesia then, not sure yet, although I'll know for sure by the start of August if that's a possibility. And if I have to go to Indonesia, then I'll swing up to Kuala Lumpur at the same time to save myself a separate trip out there. Have you thought of maybe heading out to KL as well? Visit Paul? You'll have a grand time!

#150 : Morphy, I can only imagine how mobbed Disney Shanghai will be when it opens in 2016. I'd like to see if, but probably only after it's been operational for a year ... so they can work their kinks out, and hopefully when the novelty of the place has declined a little ... maybe?

#151 : Charlotte, I hate to tell you, but in the article I read, the companies selling fake lamb in their stores had used fox or rat meat instead, and added chemicals to change the texture of the meat to resemble both texture and flavor of lamb. I was floored when I read that. On one hand, I had a level of admiration for their ingenuity (it's too bad the folks convicted of the crime could not have been sentenced to a research lab or something to harness their clearly innovative talents for better and less dangerous purposes). But on the other, I had a deeper revulsion for their blatant disregard for public safety...who knows what chemicals they had used.

#152 : Paul - I like lamb, but am not a fan of mutton. I didn't know that biri-biri was the word for lamb. I just thought that they only sold goat in Malaysia. I have to say I love sup kambing with warm crusty bread. But I have a question : I've been to parties in KL where they've had roast kambing on a spit ... is that lamb or goat? I always thought it was a kid.

That is a question indeed, Caro and I think it depends on who's giving the party.

Having seen most of Shanghai, I thought I'd take a break and leave the city, so I went to Suzhou for the weekend. It was such a change from the bustling crowds in Shanghai and I relished walking in some of their famed classical Chinese gardens, and also spent a day in the town of ZhouZhang, an ancient water town with calm canals on which many oblivious ducks swam (clearly unafraid that they'd be someone's dinner before long). It was the perfect weekend escape and more so because I was just wandering around on my own. I had briefly considered signing up for a tour but I detest tours and being on someone else's schedule, especially in China where all tours will necessitate a visit to some jade/silkworm/porcelain factory where tourists are pressured to buy some of their products and mediocre restaurants for meals. I read a few chapters of Charles Dickens : A Life under the shade of a beautiful weeping willow by one of the ZhouZhang canals, with a box of panfried dumplings, little steamed buns with a sweet egg yolk filling, and a cold bottle of green tea next to me. I had forgotten to charge my phone the night before and was thus carting around a dead phone, otherwise I would have taken some photos to share with my LT peeps.

Nevertheless, I had some amazing meals over the weekend. In Suzhou, I arrived in time to have lunch at a quaint cafe that some locals recommended. They specialized in fresh pulled noodles with piquant spicy sauce of Chinese mushrooms, ground pork, pickled vegetables and tofu. Served with a bowl of little wontons in a rich broth and a side of green vegetables drizzled with oyster sauce and sesame oil, it was a perfect meal after my train ride from Shanghai.

For dinner, I made my way to a private kitchen where I was treated to cold chicken marinated in rice wine, crisp fried shrimp in their shells, slices of braised goose in soy & star anise, so tender and savory I would have asked for more if I didn't know that the chef had more in store for me, sea whelks in a wine and vinegar sauce, tofu 'cakes' with a salted egg yolk sauce, and the piece de resistance (IMO) - noodles that were made from pureed fish, flour and spices. The noodles had a nice bite to it and were served in a little claypot with a fish broth and some vegetables. Accompanying the claypot was a small plate of very thinly sliced fish and the way to eat this is to dip one piece of fish into the hot broth while picking up a few strands of the noodles at the same time. That way the fish is only just about cooked when placed in your mouth. It was amazing! There were 6 other people in this private kitchen eating with me, and we all moaned and swooned with each mouthful. The chef is a lady who used to cook in a Shanghainese restaurant until her mother needed care, so she packed up, came home to Suzhou and decided to turn part of their house into a private kitchen. She doesn't have a menu, and everything served is dependent on whatever fresh produce she finds in the market that morning. So dinner here was a special treat since I didn't know what was coming. I wanted to pass on dessert because I was just so full after the noodles, but she pressed me with a small plate of Chinese toffee apples which just happened to be my favorite dessert. It's chunky apples blanched and then dipped in hot toffee which are then scooped up and dunked into a bowl of iced water and then just as quickly lifted out and placed on plates. So there's each apple chunk is steaming hot on the inside but coated with a hard toffee shell. Yum!

In ZhouZhang, I had a hearty congee breakfast with various condiments, including fried fish with a blackbean sauce, pickled vegetables and Chinese preserved egg.

Lunch was my little picnic under the tree, and I was back in Shanghai by nightfall.

Now I have one last day packed with meetings in Shanghai and I leave for Guangzhou tomorrow where I will spend the rest of the week.

Dear World-Wide Traveler

I'm stopping by and waving hi!

Caro, the one time I was at DisneyWorld was in February, and there were no lines for anything. We were there after the winter holidays and before the school spring breaks started. Otherwise, I don't think I could have put up with it.

Funny about coffee. I think DD has the best coffee, and dislike Starbuck's.

Your weekend meals sound wonderful.

Do do do love preserved eggs; can't be fishy in the morning; would KILL for your Suzhou dinner!!!!

Enjoy Guangzhou. Sending smooches!

If I ever went to China, I would need to have you as a foodie guide! You always find the most amazing places to eat.

Oh my, what a wonderful weekend for you!! Did you take pictures?

>156 cameling: Caroline, if my work group's proposed plan to allow some people to take off for a vacation free month in the summer, in exchange for working more shifts in the late fall to early spring, comes about, then a trip to places like Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur becomes a realistic possibility. If I decide to participate and get a month off I'd probably want to use it to travel to Spain and France in 2014, but a 2015 trip to Singapore, KL etc. could be doable.

>158 cameling: I love the descriptions of your meals and travels! Please keep them coming (provided that you don't spend the rest of your trip traveling by taxi in Guangzhou).

Hi Caro! I hope your cab driver has finally found your hotel... :-)

Fabulous travelogue for your weekend in Suzhou/ZhouZhang! You are probably increasing the tourism numbers in that region every time you write about the incredible food you are eating! Safe travels.

#159 : Hi Linda - thanks for stopping by with that pretty rainbow. I love rainbows. Rainbows and daisies are 2 things that are guaranteed to put a big smile on my face.

#160 : Judy - you actually like DD's coffee over Starbucks?! Do you like it above Peet's as well? I'm not a big coffee drinker but when I do imbibe, I prefer strong coffee, which is, I think one reason why Melbourne, in particular, is the place where I've been known to drink a few cups of coffee a day. Otherwise, I can go days, nay, months without a drop of the bean juice passing my lips.

#161 : Richard - I have more fabulous meals to describe soon. I love the breakfast buffet here at the Marriott in Guangzhou, but lunch and dinner yesterday were out of this world. I can't wait to see what today's lunch with a client is going to be like ... hopefully it will be worth the hour and a half's drive down to Shenzhen.

Smoocheroos back at'cha :-)

#162 : Morphy - it's the one perk of the biz travels that I do, I have to say. I use it as time to decompress and take my mind off work stuff. And like books, I do like being able to steer friends away from a few bad books/restaurants I've come across.

#163 : Kath - I took a few photos and will post them on LT when I get back to Boston next week. For some reason I'm not able to send the photos to my email account through my phone when I'm in China. Puzzling! I was on a riverboat ride last night along the JuJiang River here in Guangzhou and took some photos too which I will also share later.

#164 : Darryl - that sounds like an attractive plan. Do you think you will participate in it? Then again, are there more kids who get sick over from Fall through Spring?

I hope Paul's taken note of your possible 2015 visit and doing a little happy Snoopy dance in his purple tutu.

#165 : Diana - haha.. that was one weird taxi driver. He must be new to Guangzhou, or maybe has generally restricted driving passengers only to the oldest and older part of Guangzhou instead of the newer section, which is where my hotel is located for him not to have heard of the Marriott, or even the street it's on. I've only been to Guangzhou twice so it's a good thing I knew at least the main drag on which the hotel is located and that I spoke enough Cantonese to direct him. He was nice enough though, to call a friend, as we got closer (you'd have thought he'd call when he picked me up at the airport, an hour away!) to ask for help. Yeesh! He didn't trust me? An obviously non-local passenger? haha..

#166 : Cobscook - I've thought over the years that if I had known there could be a career made in traveling and eating for TV travel programs, I would have leaped over tall buildings to apply for the job.

Had too long of a day yesterday and was exhausted and grimy by the time I got back to the hotel late last night. The highlights of my day were my meals at lunch and dinner with my Guangzhou business partners and then a very relaxing (if rather long) boat ride along the JuJiang River at night. It was a wonderful way to learn the history of some of the sections and buildings of Guangzhou.

I'll have to give a proper description tomorrow because I'm off to Shenzhen this morning for the day of meetings. It's an hour and half's drive but the client is very nice and is promising a gastronomically delightful lunch as a reward.

I love reading about your travels! So amazing!
Enjoy the rest of your time away :)

>168 cameling: I'm very tempted to participate, Caroline. I'll have to look at the details, to see how many more shifts per month I'd have to work, for how many months, and which months I could possibly take off.

Hmm. Imagining a greeting from Paul in a purple tutu is, admittedly, not an appealing one. (Sorry, Paul.)

I also enjoy reading Adventures in Caro-Land! Never a dull moment. Hope the trip is going well and I hope you are enjoying the Dickens bio. I thought it was excellent. Go ahead and let Richard make a face!

You have the most fascinating and beautiful sounding experiences.... in among your curious and unusual ones :) I join in with the other fans of your recounting.

Me, too, Caro. Hope you're having a good and safe trip, and I'm looking forward to more tales of your travels.

I've one word for you Caro.... DROOL!

You should be a food critic or writer of some sort with the beautifully descriptive language you use! The images you paint with your words! :)

Safe home mojo >>>>#

Purple tutu was dusted off and saw Darryl's remark and thought better of it. Still doing dance though - it would be great fun to host Darryl over here.

Trust your weekend is going swimmingly my dear.

Hope you have survived your adventures in Chinaland, Caro!

#170 : Chelle - there are always some bright spots in my business travels, sometimes I'm lucky and I get more than my fair share. And sometimes, they're few and far between and trips I would not wish on my worst enemy ... hmmm... ok, maybe I would wish them on my worst enemies, but I'd have to really really not like them at all.

#171 : Darryl - maybe I can persuade Paul to don said purple tutu if I head into KL before you do. Then you'll be more prepared not to flinch when you catch sight of him. Hmm.. perhaps I can get him to put on a pair of toe shoes as well for a more complete look.

By the way, you wouldn't happen to know any good lower back specialists in Boston, would you? A colleague of mine has recurring back issues in his L3,4 & 5 vertebrae and surgery has been recommended but he lives in NC and says the hospital there isn't all that good. He comes up to our Boston office every other month or so, and would prefer to see a specialist up here but doesn't know of any.

#172 : Marky-Mark, I absolutely loved the Dickens autobiography. I ended up leaving it in the library at the Marriott hotel in Guangzhou so someone else can enjoy it. I do hope someone will pick it up and not let it languish on the shelf.

Adventures were had to be sure, especially on the last 2 days of my stay in China, and on my flight back. I'm so glad to be home and I would welcome at least a week or two of nothing more exciting than catching up on my recordings of Foyle's War episodes and Endeavour.

#173 : Kath - I didn't mention the skin rash I developed in Shanghai due to the air pollution. Definitely not a highlight of my trip. But thankfully it went away when I went down to Guangzhou where the rains cleaned things up a little. ;-)

But I have had some incredible meals during this trip, especially in Guangzhou.

#174 : Joe, I thought I'd share my recent melt-in-your-mouth plate of beignets with you. Something to offer at the cafe, perhaps? I could have had another plate all to myself if not for the fact that I was expecting my main of fried chicken, fried egg and crisp bacon between a split biscuit with sausage & grits gravy.

#175 : Tina, thank you... descriptions will have to suffice for meals where I was unable to take photos .... usually during business meetings. I've seen others do it, but I always feel a little silly whipping out my phone during dinner meetings just to take a photograph of the food I'm eating. Now that I'm home, I did manage to download photos from my phone and will thus be posting some soon, along with more descriptions of meals enjoyed last week. So stay tuned.

#176 : Kath - thank you ... it worked... I did make it home yesterday morning, and once I arrived Stateside, there were no more flight fiascos. I did have one really stupid Customs officer to contend with in LA who was held up the line and decided to interrogate everyone in his line. When he saw that I had just come from China, the following is our ridiculous conversation:

AO (annoying officer) : So why were you in China?
Me : I was there on a business trip
AO : What do you do?
Me : I work in a software company
AO : Did you bring anything back with you?
Me : Just my dirty laundry and 2 ceramic plates I bought for $50
AO : What about samples?
Me : Samples of ... ?
AO : Come on, you say you were there for a business trip. Where are your samples?
Me : I work for a software company. We don't do samples
AO : Of course you have samples
Me : Err, no we don't. We don't have factories in China churning out software. All our software is manufactured in the US, mainly because we don't offer consumer software but applications for large companies.
AO : Do you think I was born yesterday? Nobody manufactures in the US anymore. What are you hiding?
Me : I'm trying to be polite here, but you are really annoying and ignorant. Perhaps you'd like to call my CEO and ask him where we cut our software discs, confirm that we do not have any factories in China and that we don't hand out samples of our software. But I would like to request your supervisor's presence and if I miss my connecting flight, I shall hold you personally accountable for all costs incurred.
AO : *glares at me and waves me through*

What an aggravating and very stupid man.

#177 : Paul - so glad you were doing the happy Snoopy dance. Since you've dusted off the purple tutu, it would be a shame not to put it on though. I say fluff out the skirt, roll on the tights and tie up those ribbons on your toe shoes and be the first to greet Darryl as he steps off the plane at KLIA. I'll be right behind you with my camera at the ready to catch the expression on his face.

It was my wedding anniversary on Saturday, but since I was traveling back and only arriving early Sunday morning, we celebrated upon my return ....and after a much needed shower. So my weekend consisted of 1 day and it was wonderfully relaxing, thank you.

#178 : Roni, I saw some very pretty pottery and ceramic plates in Shanghai and thought of you. I wanted to take some photos, but the store manager wouldn't let me. Since they're so great at copying everyone else, I thought his argument that they didn't want anyone copying their designs rather ironic.

Here are some photos I took in Suzhou:

One thing I do love are the sculptured roofs on some ancient buildings in China. This is one of them. The warriors are to protect those under the roof from evil spirits.


Here's another, with warriors near the bottom of the roof and twin dragons at the peak

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
cool roofs!

I chanced upon these beautiful wooden doors leading out into a courtyard after leaving a temple in Suzhou. Sometimes it pays to get lost.



I adored these red ceramic figurines flanking the lacquer box on top of the little cabinet housing a mini-bar and snack drawer in my hotel in Shanghai. And what's in the lacquer box you may ask? The remote control for the tv.

One of the canals in Zhouzhang

>181 cameling: grrrrrr some people! Sorry to hear that happened .. Maybe rd will whammy him?

Nice photos!!!

Glad you're home :)

I saw this roof sculpture in a distance



A close up of the antelop ? gazelle? I think antelop.

I love all the pictures, Caro, and those red figurines were great! Thanks for thinking of me, anyhow.

Sorry you had to deal with such a irritating person Caro! I love all your pictures, they are beautiful!

Lit buildings along the Jujiang River in Guangzhou. My business partners took me on a little riverboat ride on an old Chinese junk boat. Very cool.

Love the China photos Caro - have to make the trip one of these days.

180: I do love beignets!

Welcome home, Caro! Thanks for sharing the China photos! You always do such a great job!

>179 cameling: By the way, you wouldn't happen to know any good lower back specialists in Boston, would you?

No, not offhand. I can try asking a couple of my medical school classmates and Facebook friends who are orthopaedic surgeons (though not in Boston), to see if they know of anyone there they would recommend.

Is it possible for your North Carolina colleague to see a specialist at Duke? It's supposed to have an excellent Orthopaedic Surgery department. Unfortunately I don't know anyone there either.

>180 cameling: Ooh, beignets! I'll get my taste of those later this week, when I and several of my partners at work will travel to New Orleans for a conference. We'll hit Café du Monde in the French Quarter at least once while we're there, for beignets and café au lait.

>181 cameling: I did have one really stupid Customs officer to contend with in LA who was held up the line and decided to interrogate everyone in his line.

Going through Customs in the US on my return flights from the UK is much more painful than clearing Customs at Heathrow or Gatwick airports. I've found the CBP agents at ATL to be often obnoxious and accusatory (Agent from three years ago: "Are you glad to be back in the United States?" Me: "Yes", although I wanted to say "No, not if I have to deal with redneck @$$holes like yourself."), although the CBP agent at ATL who interviewed me on Friday was very pleasant and chatty. I know that Britons generally don't like Heathrow Airport in general, but I prefer it to most major US airports.

However, I was disheartened when I was at the gate for my LHR to ATL flight on Friday. Most of the passengers that were waiting to board the flight were Americans, who true to form were spoilt and whiny,n and complained out loud about the most trivial things.

>182 cameling: I say fluff out the skirt, roll on the tights and tie up those ribbons on your toe shoes and be the first to greet Darryl as he steps off the plane at KLIA.

I suspect I'll be sent back on the first flight out of KL if that happens, and Paul may be deported back to the UK.

Great photos!

Love the pictures of the "remote holder"!

There is a collection of websites that I enjoy.

notalwaysright.com - funny or stupid customer conversations
notalwaysromantic.com - funny couple conversations
notalwaysrelated.com - funny family conversations
notalwayslearning.com - funny school conversations

And there is one called notalwaysworking.com about stupid employees/employers that your annoying officer conversation would be perfect for!

Ohhhh love your photos!! Those roof top photos are wonderful!
Glad that you had a good trip but boooo to the annoying customs officer. What a dolt!

I'm loving those photos, too, Caro. Good for you for finally defeating the obstreperous Customs agent. What a dope.

And congrats on your wedding anniversary. We're coming up on one, too.

We'll get those beignets going in the cafe. Nice idea indeed.

#187 : Kath - from your mouth to RD's ears ... if there's anyone who deserves a solid whammy, it's that idiot CBP officer in LA. I'm extremely glad to be home, especially knowing I'll be home for a few weeks before my next travel, which, is likely to be Indonesia and Malaysia at the end of August.

Glad you liked the photos.

#189 : Roni - have you given any thought to casting figurines to add to your pottery collection?

#190 : Thanks, cobscook. I took a few more, but they didn't come out all that well, especially the food ones. I was tempted to post some of the food ones anyway, but I suspect some may result in a few dry heaves among the LTers. ;-)

#192 : Jim - when you guys make your annual MA pilgrimage, maybe you can find time to head over to Highland Kitchen in Somerville. That's where I had the beignets. Their deviled eggs are also pretty good ..but then I love deviled eggs in all forms. I don't think I've had a bad one ... yet.

Oh sorry, I've been too busy whammying the Yank-mes to take requests...who is it I should smack around?

#193 : Marky-Mark - you're welcome. I'm glad you like them. If you can ignore the air pollution (which generates an odd and pervasive coal-like smell in the air), it's an interesting country to spend a few weeks in. Some things still cause me to cringe - like when I see a guy stop his car/cab at the side of the road/highway, step out and start whizzing against the kerb or a tree. Thankfully, as a result of preparations running up to and during the Beijing Olympics, the government launched a full educational program against public spitting that seems to have taken root .. at least in the major cities I've been to. You still hear the occasional loud gag-inducing hawks, but they are, IMO, fewer and further between compared to what it used to be like in as recent as 6 years ago.

#194 : Darryl - I'll check to see if Nigel has looked into getting recommendations from his primary to a specialist at Duke. It's awful seeing him limp around the office with a cane, and given that he's a pre-sales engineer, I can't imagine what it must be like for him when he has to travel to customer sites by plane.

Lucky you being in the land of the original beignets. *turns green with envy* Oh well, I'll just have to 'eat' vicariously through you.. I hope you share photos ... oh wait, what am I say? Then again, if you can pry the recipe of a good N'awlins beignet out of the hands of Cafe du Monde's chef to share here on LT, you'd make more than a few of us really happy.

I've been, until now, lucky with CBP agents. Because I travel so much, I'm an approved Global Entry traveler, so I just have to use the kiosks at immigration and usually never have to speak with any of the CBP agents. But when they collect the blue Customs form, I don't have one and submit the receipt of entry that I get when I put in my details at the kiosks and with this receipt, the CBP agents know that I'm Global Entry, have passed FBI interviews, and therefore don't usually stop me and ask inane questions. They usually smile, say welcome home and away I go. This was the first bozo I've had to speak with in well over 3 years and he must have been in detention or something when they rolled out the GE program since he stopped and questioned every single person in the GE line.

But I can attest to ill-tempered CBP agents from the days when I used to go through the normal immigration line like most travelers. I experienced some awful ones too who made me feel like a criminal for having traveled out of the country. Sensitivity training .. that's what they all need. Given that they're usually the first people visitors communicate with after they get off their flight, they're not very welcoming at all. I know travelers from certain countries receive even worse experiences when they arrive in the US and are subjected to the Rottweiler-like interrogation personalities of CBP agents minutes after they step off the plane from a long distance flight.

#195 : Morphy - I had to laugh at some of the customer ones. Good sites to save for days when I sorely need a laugh or three. And yes, you are right... that dolt at the LA Customs needs to be on the notalwaysworking site. Hmm... maybe I can recommend an interview with him.

#196 : Chelle, thanks. There are many really interesting rooftops in China ... which can be a hazard when you're walking. I have lost count of the number of times I've bumped into someone or something because I'm busy looking up at the roofs rather than where I'm going. They are only on old buildings so at least when I'm in the middle of the city, I am relatively safe .. I only have to watch out for aggressive drivers and motorbike riders to whom traffic lights are at times mere ornaments.

#197 : Joe - so have the photos inspired a China trip the next time you're planning a long haul holiday like you did in Australia? They even have camels you can ride up north.

When is your wedding anniversary?

#199 : Richard - you can put a stop to your Yankees whammy ... there's no way they're even going to make the playoffs this year with all the injuries and poor bullpen performance ... with the exception of Mariano Rivera of course. So you might as well put your effort towards the glowering nincompoop CBP officer at the LAX airport. Perhaps transfer your gout to him?

Inspired! I shall arrange the whammy-de-luxe.

So very briefly, (only because I actually have work to do and am just taking a short break to log in here for a quick chat), here are the books I've read in the last 2 weeks:

The Greater Journey by David McCullough - having finished it a couple of weeks ago, it's still bouncing around in my head at odd moments. It's extremely well researched, covering American artists, medical students, writers and future politicians who traveled and lived in Paris during the 1800s. Not only did he cover who these travelers were and why they lived in Paris, but he also covered the notable Parisiennes they met and shared their thoughts and experiences through their journals with us.

5 stars

Cocktail Time by P.G. Wodehouse - I read this immediately after The Greater Journey. When I'm in need of rollicking humor and clever plot twists, there is no author finer than Wodehouse, in my opinion.

In this, a chain of events start with a Brazil nut and catapult in the hands of none other than dear Uncle Fred. That this innocent Brazil nut could lead to a chase among con artists, a reluctant author, his oft-broke nephew and a doddering senile publisher is a farce that Wodehouse pulls of triumphantly.

4 stars

Twin Cities Noir by Julie Schaper. This was an ER book I received. I've enjoyed Boston Noir and Los Angeles Noir so I expected this to be as good as the others. This set of short stories set in Minneapolis and St Paul delivered interesting sketches of the people who lived there.

3 stars

The Gypsy's Dream by Sara Alexi is a charming YA novel set in a small Greek village. A 16-year-old girl runs away from home intending to take up a bartending job recommended by a friend of hers. Unfortunately, she finds herself in the wrong village in a different part of Greece. With no money, no Greek language skills and no friends, she meets a woman who owns a small cafe and accepts a job grilling sausages and chicken for the farmers and teenagers who come over for lunch. It's a story of a girl and a woman who learn that life's challenges do not have to be permanent hurdles, that one should not shy away from standing up for oneself and that independence is not dictated by one's age.

3.5 stars

Charles Dickens : A Life by Claire Tomalin. I'm so glad I spied this copy while I was out with Darryl in Cambridge at the Raven bookstore. It turned out to be a much better biography of CD than I expected. I loved that there were excerpts of all his books and short stories, and how some of his stories were based on his own childhood and people he knew. I'm sorry though, to learn that he was quite the arrogant dictator and that he cruelly discarded his wife after she bore him 10 children. 10 ! Heavens!

4.5 stars

This has got to be my ideal bathroom! Anyone on LT a bathroom refitter who could renovate my bathroom?

= amazing! I want that!

The Gypsy's Dream sound good! Interesting bath pic, but I would be too worried about the damp affecting the books to enjoy it..

Glad you will be home for a bit, and not have to worry about self important TSAs and such...

*wanders in distractedly*

Oh hi Caro, say do you have a half-cup of mouse feces I can borrow? Workin' on a hantavirus spell for your TSAhole.

Our anniversary is in a week, Caro. It'll be our 30th! As my MBH says, the amazing thing is she's let me live this long.

#205 : Chelle - *sigh* you and me both. The only thing I would move would be the toilet ... I'm not so sure I want it so close to my books.

#206 : Kath - good point about the damp. But seeing as I tend to take lukewarm or coolish baths, maybe this won't be a problem for me? I'd be more concerned about books falling into the tub because I know they'll not be arranged so tidily if that was my bathroom.

#207 : Half a cup of mouse feces coming up, Richard ... how about a cup of cobwebs and half a squirrel's foot while you're at it?

#208 : Joe - wow, congratulations. Any big celebration planned ... so your MBH is persuaded to let you live another 30 years? ;-)

96. Bloodhounds by Peter Lovesey

#4 in the Inspector Peter Diamond series. This was a fun book because it revolved around members of the Bloodhounds Club, a club of crime fiction fans who met each Monday evening to discuss books of real crime or crime fiction. What made it fun was not only accompanying Diamond as he investigated the murder of 2 Bloodhound members but also the analysis of various known crime fiction authors by these members.

In this book, the police are faced with riddles they need to try and solve but before they can do so, a valuable object is stolen from under their noses, and a man is murdered in what appears to be a locked room. The victim is a member of the Bloodhounds, which brings the rest of the members under careful scrutiny.

Unraveling how a man could be murdered in a locked houseboat was by itself interesting but then another person is murdered and the focus shifts to uncovering who the murderer is and the motive for the attacks.

3.5 stars

97. Clockwork Angels by Kevin Anderson

In a world where order is precisely controlled by the Watchmaker, Owen Hardy, an apple farmer, yearns for adventure and to visit Crown City and to cast his eyes upon the famed Clockwork Angels. But nobody leaves their village. It's not allowed. He takes a chance in sneaking out of his house just before midnight to meet his girlfriend, who doesn't show up and unwittingly embarks on an adventurous journey beyond his wildest dreams when he impetuously leaps aboard a Steamliner.

Life, as he knew it, crumbles as he engages with pirates, encounters and falls in love with a carnival artist named Francesca, knows not what to make of makeshift island, is awed by Chronos City and meets with a host of complex characters. The ever changing landscape, exciting machines and people are described in such colorful detail as seen through Owen's eyes that we share in his awe, his excitement, his fear, his sorrow and his joy.

As the Watchmaker exerts control over most of the population, providing them with a safe and orderly world, so does the Anarchist introduce chaos in an attempt to disrupt order, and Owen experiences the struggle of one against the other, and the importance of balance.

This steampunk book is beautifully illustrated and I chanced upon it, not realizing that it was based on the lyrics of songs by the band Rush. I think the story does well standing on its own for those unfamiliar with the band and their songs. I understand that the experience is enhanced if one listens to the band before, during or after reading the book. I may have to download some of their songs and re-read this.

4.5 stars

I have a business visitor from Japan in town this week. For most of the week, I've managed to delegate her entertainment at lunch everyday and 2 dinners this week to a few of my coworkers, but I'm going to have to pick up my share of hosting duties for dinner tonight, tomorrow and Friday. I've roped in a couple of colleagues to join us tonight in a dinner meeting but will be solo host tomorrow and Friday. I'll probably not have any time to read for the rest of the work week. :-(

I'm so looking forward to the weekend. I hope the hubster doesn't have any plans beyond going for a run in the woods and maybe catching a movie.

Ha! To celebrate our 25th, Caro, we had a great trip to Paris and Rome - a year later. I think this is going to be like that. Probably next year we'll come up with something. This year available days are going to visit our beloved son out in Seattle. Not that he needs us much, even though he's a young fellow, but we miss him. Our daughter came back to Chicago, so that helps.

Intriguing review of Clockwork Angels. I haven't felt the lure of steampunk, but this one sounds interesting.

Caro darling! The squirrel's foot...yes, the cobwebs are for WEALTH and SUCCESS!! Not what we're aiming for! Upgethumbed the reviews as per usual.

*smooch*

Enjoy Mme la Niponaise's stay!

Caro, my friend, I have been sorely awol from your thread. I love the pictures (the gazelle or antelope or whatever is particularly appealing) and you have to be one of the most adventurous eaters I know. I admire you for that.

And along with all your work and travel and eating, you have read almost 100 books! Incredible.

http://meetingboy.com/post/55799010722/note-to-bosses-your-employees-know-you-be...

*Fan of Meeting Boy*

Oh, I hope you get to be a couch potato this weekend! You certainly have earned it.

Hi Caro- Good review of Clockwork Angels. It sounds like my cuppa. I am also glad you enjoyed the Dickens bio. It's one of my favorite author bios and encouraged me to read more of his work. I have a spanking new copy of The Bleak House. Do I sense a Group Read in '14?

#213 : Joe - I looked it up and while a trip may not be necessary for a 30th anniversary, you may want to invest in a gift of pearls to your dear MBH. :-)

I would urge you to give Clockwork Angels a go. It may not motivate you towards diving into steampunk, but the story itself is pure fantasy and IMO, very well written. I've just listened to songs from the Clockwork Angels album by Rush and I think I'm happy just to have read the book without listening to the album at the same time. I'm not big on

#214 : Richard - cobwebs are wealth and success?! Arrrgghhhh...... I've only been vacuuming all the ones I've seen in the house. No wonder I'm neither wealthy nor successful. Now, cobwebs in the office we have, so that must account for why our company's still doing well revenue-wise. *panicked search for cobwebs in the to nurture .... wonders if I can coax an office spider home with me to spin a few webs*

Thank ye for the thumbs.

#215 : Ellen - don't fret .. I've been seriously awol from many threads over the last couple of weeks so I can't be miffed at anyone who's given up on checking in on my thread. Glad you like the photos I posted. As for adventurous eating, I don't know .... I still remember the live drunken prawns in Japan I declined eating. A true gourmand, I think, would not have squirmed from the task. There's a tv series on the Cooking Channel here with a guy named Andrew Zimmern and he's eaten some things I don't think I could have swallowed, including live worms dug out from a trees that grows on beaches somewhere on one of the Caribbean islands. Then again, I've also seen him gag trying to eat some things I've eaten without a flinch, such as stinky tofu in Taiwan and durians in Malaysia. Everyone has a different line in the sand over which one won't cross when it comes to food.

#216 : Kath - so that was a review of Out to Lunch but he doesn't say much about his own Meeting Boy blog. I haven't been able to find it, so is it a blog that journals his daily grind at the office or a blog that disses the people he works with?

#217 : Roni - I was initially planning to make like a couch potato, but since I managed to get out early this morning for a 3 mile run, I'm considering a hike in the Middlesex Fells on Saturday for a few hours.

#218 : Thanks, Marky-Mark. I think it's right up your alley. If I didn't borrow it from the digital library, I'd say it had your name on it and whip out to the PO to have it mailed to you.

Count me in for a Bleak House GR next year. I haven't read Martin Chuzzlewit yet, so I've got that down for as a '14 read as well. In fact now that I think about it, maybe I'll make the Classics one of my must-read categories for 2014.

203: Used to like McCullough - seems he has become a book factory lately, cobbling together facts and stories gathered by his research assistant elves.

Couple of years ago John Lithgow had some time on his hands and he did a little one man show where he read aloud "The Wonderful One Hoss Shay" and a Wodehouse uncle Fred Story. Fluff but in expert hands. We howled.

Meeting Boy sorry, he's on twitter and I think FB verry funny. He is also Top Conservative Cat on Twitter. Much LOL-ing

aha! a link... http://meetingboy.com/

#221 : Jim - Ahh... it makes sense now that he would have research assistants. I was wondering how long he'd need to research all the material he needed to write such an in-depth book. The only other book by David McCullough I've read was 1776, which I also thoroughly enjoyed.

I love Wodehouse's Uncle Fred series. They're a laugh a minute and perfect for book funk moments or when you just need something funny.

#222 : Thank you for the link, Kath.

98. Eye in the Door by Pat Barker

Second in the trilogy, the story of Billy Prior takes centerstage in this book, with a short appearance by Siegfried Sassoon. The story continues with Billy Prior trying to help a past acquaintance, Beattie Roper, convicted of conspiracy to poison Lloyd George. He suspects someone of having framed her and through his position at the Ministry of Munitions, he slowly puts together a report that he hopes will shed light on the matter.

When visiting Beattie in prison, he notices a painted eye in the door. This eye is painted on all cell doors in prisons and leads to many a jailed pacifist or homosexual, targets of the British government and public's wrath, feeling that they're watched at all times.

His nightmares continue and he starts to suffer from an increasing number of fugue states where he has no recollection of what he may have said or done during these episodes. His weekly sessions with Dr Rivers attempt to understand the conditions that may be bringing on these episodes. The sessions are at times soothing,at times full of despair and frustration, and at times sinister, but throughout, these sessions provided men like Prior a safe haven in which they could try to come to honest terms with that which they would prefer to forget.

4 stars

This meets one of my 13 challenges and also my August TIOLI challenge. I love it when I can knock off a couple of challenges at the same time. :-)

I was in a bit of a funk yesterday. I was missing my niece who passed from leukemia 5 years ago at a tender age of 22. I still miss her a lot.

99. In the Presence of Absence by Mahmoud Darwish

A wonderful masterpiece of complex, sensitive and reflective poetry translated from Arabic.

4.5 stars

I am so sorry for the loss of your niece. That is a dreadful way to die.. so young and so needlessly worn away by a dreadful illness. Huge to you .. I'm sure she is nearby watching over you at times... possibly keeping even more unusual incidents from occurring while you are traveling the world :) In fact, if the assignment angel knows anything about you, they would have definitely assigned an angel who is young and agile who knows you to your personal fleet...

hugs

Twenty-two. I'm horrified when someone SIXTY-two dies.

Saddened to know you're hurting, my dear.

Caro- I am so sorry about your niece. How tragic! Big Hugs to my pal!

Hard to lose someone so dear, so young, so vital! Hugs!!

Hi Caro, Just catching up. Sorry about your niece, so young. But, how nice to remember her so fondly and know that she made an impact in your life.

Hope things are going well at work with the new CEO.

Glad you liked Eye in the Door, Caro. I'll be interested to see how you like the third in the trilogy.
I liked it a lot but many thought it was disappointing.

Glad you liked The Eye in the Door as well, Caro. I am casting about for a quickie to read now, and after that I might have to get the 2nd of the trilogy under way.

Your China visit breaks all my ridiculous impressions of what I thought China would be like (I've been to Hong Kong and lived in Taiwan for 6 months, so have sort of but not really, been to China). I assume pollution, corruption and rip-offs to be what its all about. What a fool I am to fall back on those silly stereotypes.

I'm sorry about the anniversary of your nieces death, it's not fair when good people have to go.

Monday... I hope it's a good one and that things are work are going well, and changing little..

Hi, Caro. Sorry to hear about your niece. It's that much harder when people we love go young like that.

Thank you for the hugs and support, Kath, Richard, Mark, Roni, Jenn, Megan and Joe

And Kath - my niece Sarah was almost as accident-prone as I am, so as lovely and kind as she was in person, I would NOT choose her as my accident avoidance angel. It was almost funny how at the age of 4, she sported a sling because she had dislocated her shoulder ... same age I was when I did the same thing, but through a different incident ... and she looked so much like me in that photo that many thought it was a photo of me.

#232 : Jenn - so far, the new CEO is not only not making any negative changes in my division, but has, in fact, given us the green light to go ahead and hire more people that we need. :-)

#233 : Ellen, I'm looking forward to The Ghost Road which I'm planning to read in the Fall. I've read some negative reviews about it in comparison with the first in the trilogy, but I'm keeping my hopes up that I will like it. At least it's not a 500 pager, so even if I don't like it as much, it won't take me too long to get through it.

#234 : Megan, I needed a quickie read as well after The Eye in the Door and started on Guy Noir and the Straight Skinny. Pure fun and when I started reading it, the way it's written placed the voice of Dick Tracey in my head as the narrator.

There is still pollution, corruption and if you're not careful, rip-offs in China. That hasn't disappeared. But there are some pockets that offer a peek at life as it may have been a thousand years ago and in general the people are friendly ... if a little on the loud side. I find myself speaking very softly when I'm there because I've found that when I do, they lower their voices too when responding.

#235 : Kath - it's been non-stop at work today, not helped by an hour and a half totally boring and (IMO) useless meeting this morning. That's an hour and a half of my life I'm never getting back. Grrr....
But I did have a fun lunch with an ex-colleague who's getting married and moving to Austria next month.

Conference calls will be taking up my evenings through Thursday night this week. Oy!

Yeah, but has the CEO given you your long lunches back yet? :D

#239 : Nooooooo! *sobs*

I have a huge presentation to deliver on Thursday to our executive management team, so I'm inhaling Cheetos as I work on fine tuning the 28 slide document tonight and tomorrow morning. I have to submit it by noon tomorrow - why when I don't present until Thursday, I have no idea. I will probably be in need of a very very large drink by this time Thursday evening!

Okole meluna!

So sorry about the anniversary of your loss, Caro. The grief never goes totally away, does it?

"Nobody manufactures in the US" -- What a butt. Glad you gave him the what for!

Hope you're hanging in with the conference calls...sounds awful... having to work after work, at home all week long..

Pink grapefruit buttermilk muffins to keep up your strength in the home stretch.

Pink grapefruit muffins? Where? Yum!!!

Thanks ever so much for sharing your travel experiences! Much appreciated!

>240 cameling: Hey, you inhale Cheetos when working on an anxiety-producing project? Me too!!
And sometimes Swedish Fish.

Good luck tomorrow, Caroline!

#241 : LOL.. thanks, Tina. I had to look that up on wikipedia to find out what Okole Meluna means. I certainly put it into practice a few times last night after work, when I staggered into an Argentinian restaurant with the hubster to meet a few friends. We toasted our sorrow at not being one of the winners of the $400+M Powerball lottery, at my having managed to completed and delivered my presentation, and towards the 12th Dr in the Dr Who series.

#242 : Tina - you're right. The grief doesn't seem to go away, but it does become less sharp with each passing year, except for those moments when I'm see something that was her favorite or when I'm doing something she and I used to enjoy together, then the pain of her absence hits hard once again.

I wish I had the presence of mind to take note of the agent's name so I could have written a short letter of complaint.

#243 : Kath - I have conference calls at night at least once or twice a night every week. It is just a necessary evil of my job, so I don't really mind. But when I have multiple calls every night of the week, then I get a little grumpy about it. It's worse if I hate a late conference call at midnight and then have to get up for a 7am conf call the next morning. Doesn't happen that often, but it does from time to time.

#244 : Richard - I love pink grapefruit, so those muffins look and sound delicious. I wonder if I can try my hand at them this weekend. I've never thought to add grapefruit to muffins. How silly of me.

#245 : Jenn - we need to get Richard to send us the recipe. They do look good, don't they?

#246 : Linda - I'm so sorry to hear you're in pain again. I hope you feel 100% better after your doctor's appointment.

#247 : Ellen - not Swedish Fish, but Gummi Bears do it for me. I demolished 5 big bags of Cheetos over the course of my presentation prep this week and a big jar of Haribos Gummi Bears. And a box of Pocky while I waited to be called into the conference room yesterday afternoon to deliver my presentation.

BUT, I emerged unscathed and without any bleeding wounds. I could have wept when they had only a few questions on what I had presented, and they were questions I had been expecting, so I was prepared to defend my statements in my presentation. One of my colleagues came out agitated and muttering under his breath after his session.

100. Utagawa Kuniyoshi : The Sixty-Nine Stations of Kisokaido by Sarah Thompson

Utagawa Kuniyoshi was a Japanese artist who created woodblock prints during the 1800s. Among his works were these ukiyo-e prints which were placed along the Kiso Road route between Edo (now known as Tokyo) and Kyoto. Each print tells stories of folk lore, classical literature, Kabuki plays and certain historical events in Japan.

This is a beautifully illustrated book with reproduction of the prints and an explanation of each print by the author of the book.

4.8 stars

This is where I first heard of pink grapefruit buttermilk muffins. Go look...their tutorial is beautifully photographed!

Ingredients
½ cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, separated
¾ cup buttermilk
Grated zest of one pink grapefruit (about 1½ tablespoons)
½ cup freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
For the grapefruit sugar topping: (make this ahead at least 1hr)
2 teaspoons pink grapefruit zest
¼ cup sugar
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl for several minutes until light pale and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and beat until combined. Add the grapefruit juice, zest, and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. A bit at a time, carefully fold the flour mixture into the batter using a rubber spatula. Add the buttermilk between flour additions. Some lumps are fine. Be careful not to over-stir.
Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, carefully fold the egg whites into the batter, again being careful not to over-stir. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins about ¾ full.
Using your fingers, combine the grapefruit zest with the sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle the grapefruit sugar on top of the muffins.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Congratulations on finishing your 100th book, Caroline! I hope that you have an enjoyable weekend in store, after your extra busy work week.

As lovely and tempting as those muffins look, that looks like a big project. I would rather spend kitchen time making salsa :)

I know Caro.. your job sounds like a 24/ 7 proposition to me... ugh! But, it also seems like it is almost part of who you are, to go jetting off hither and yon and talk far into the night to folks half a planet away. Hope you have a good day off today :)

#251 : Richard..whooopeeee... now I haz the recipe, I'm going to try this out one of these days. Maybe tomorrow if we decide to just stay in and veg. It's a little more complex than regular muffins, but it sounds divine and I think it should be worth the effort.

I love grapefruit, red and pink grapefruit in all forms, so I'm pretty sure I will love these muffins.

#252 : Thanks, Darryl. Between you and another friend of mine who was also recently in NO, I'm seriously thinking I need to plan a vacation there in 2014.

#253 : Kath - it's not a job I would recommend to anyone who needs a lot of sleep, that's for sure, and who doesn't like juggling multiple different projects. But it's never boring and there are challenges that keep me trying to engage my (very slim) creative side of the brain so I'm thinking for out of the box solutions. I couldn't do this job if I didn't enjoy it. I'm fortunate in that I don't hate this job and that if I did, I have options to explore. I sympathize with some people I know who really hate their job but have no other options for the moment and have to stay in the job. I'd find that incredibly stressful and I don't know if I could do a job I hated well.

101. Loteria by Mario Alberto Zambrano

Lotería are picture cards that are laid out and often played as a sort of Bingo. In this book though the lotería cards are used by an eleven year old girl who's been sent to some sort of institution and who refuses to speak. She has managed to sneak in a deck of lotería cards and writes surreptitiously in her journal about random memories of her sister Estrella, her parents and some of her relatives that live in Reynosa, just across the Mexican border.

Her memories are triggered with each picture card. These memories don't follow any sort sequence, some memories are short or have no seeming relevance to her current state, but her journal entries share her experiences with us and how she felt about her parents' violent relationship, their challenge assimilating in the US, her sister's injury, her sexual abuse and her relationship with her aunt.

This YA book ended with an interesting and unexpected twist.

3 stars

The weekend is starting off on a wonderful note! Woke early, and the hubster and I went out for a really nice run along the Battle Trail in Lincoln, MA. It's been such a long time since I've been able to run outdoors I didn't go as far as I would have liked or as long as I usually run on a treadmill, but it still felt good to be out among the trees and feeling the still damp (we had rain all day yesterday) sand and grass under my feet. As the hubster runs a lot further than I do, I had a nice reading period on a rock until he came back to the car.

My legs are a little sore now because I pushed myself to run at a fair clip today, but it's the good kind of sore feeling. We've decided to eschew cleaning the house and sat out on the deck with Belgian waffles, a pile of crisp bacon, and a bowl of ripe and juicy strawberries instead with the papers. Blisssss.

>254 cameling: Between you and another friend of mine who was also recently in NO, I'm seriously thinking I need to plan a vacation there in 2014.

You'll have to let me know if you and Edd go to NOLA next year; I'd be happy to be an unpaid tour guide! Hopefully Paul C. and his family will travel there when they visit the US, too.

Loteria sounds very interesting! Happy weekend, Caro me lurve. I look forward to a report on your opine of the muffies.

It is indeed good to like your job :) Bacon is also a good thing.. and so are those muffins, Im sure, wo it looks like your weekend is shaping up nicely. I need to start a new book...but what?

Must explore my options.

Glad to see you happily jogging through your weekend after a seemingly successful presentation. Any plans to visit KL in the near future, Caro?

Hi Caro, I am trying to catch up here after some time away. You have been very busy and so it was nice to see you having a peaceful weekend. Hope the rest of the day was as blissful as your breakfast of Belgian Waffles on the deck.