Saturday, February 20, 2010

2010 Book 6 - The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

I've wrapped up another book. This one, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley, was a whim purchase as I wandered around Borders Bookstore last weekend. It was on the buy one get another 50% off, which I just couldn't pass up. It was a pretty fluff read, but interesting and cute in a weird sort of way. I can see a little of myself as a child in the narrator, Flavia de Luce, although not nearly as bright, annoying, precocious, or British....

Here is the back of the book write up:
In the summer of 1950 - and at the once-grand mansion of Buckshaw, young Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison, is intrigued by a series of inexplicable events: A dead bird is found on the doorstep, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. Then, hours later, Flavia finds a man lying in the cucumber patch and watches his as he takes his dying breath.
For Flavia, who is both appalled and delighted, life begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw. "I wish I could say I was afraid, but I wasn't. Quite the contrary. This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life."
An enthralling mystery, a piercing depiction of class and society, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is a wonderfully told tale of deception - and a rich literary delight.

For light reading, I would recommend it. Maybe for those of you headed to the beach this summer grab it and throw it in your bag, if it gets swept out to sea, not a huge loss, but something to chew on while soaking up some sun.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Flashback Friday


This time last year my folks came out to visit me in San Francisco. This is a table in a little Mexican restaurant that we went to for dinner one evening. My dad's hands are on the right, mine are on the left...we hold our hands in a very similar manner...

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Parade Plans

This is a conversation I had last night with my sister:

ABBA: You knew that I'm not in DC, right?
Sis: Huh?
ABBA: My trip to DC was canceled.
Sis: Oh yeah, Mom told me that. So you aren't going until the Fall?
ABBA: Nope, going over Easter. I'm going to be there during the Cherry Blossom Festival. I'm going to get tickets and sit in the Grand Stand during the parade. I know, I'm a big dork, but hey, how many people do we know can say they saw the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade?
Sis: I have on my bucket list that I want to go see the Rose Bowl Parade.
ABBA: I HAVE CONNECTIONS!! I might be able to just make that work for us!!

FYI...connection out there...

Ash Wednesday

Well, I tried my best to have my own little version of Mardi Gras last night, but it really only consisted of me feeding the puppies a second supper and killing 1/2 a half-gallon container of peppermint ice cream. The Queen and I had planned on spending the evening indulging in a gluttonous evening of American Idol and Creme Brulee, but due to the King's injury, she was a unavailable (which is also why the puppies got fed twice as we weren't certain if the King had fed them before he left).

This morning I woke up all ready to do the Lent thing and declare what I'm going to abstain from for the coming weeks until Easter:
  • Ice cream (hence the need to kill the peppermint)
  • Carbonated drinks (therefore, no Dr Pepper and no Sprite....oh and no beer or champagne...)
  • Chocolate (which kicks my morning Chocolate Milk out the window)
Let's hope I can do this...I feel pretty strongly that I can....