Reconnecting with Old Friends: Raisin, Cheerio, Peanut Butter Delight

The other night I was flopping around the kitchen complaining that there was nothing to eat.
"Why is there nothing to eaaattttt?" I bellowed, looking at Kristin accusingly.
"I have to do the dishes. And clean the kitchen. And take out the trash. I do the best I can!" she whined right back at me.
"Do you? DO YOU?" I screamed. Then I relaxed and decided to eat peanut butter crackers.
"We don't have any crackers."
"What!? God dammit. Fine, peanut butter oyster crackers."
She looked at me with disgust. "Oyster crackers? That's weird. What about cheerios?"
"Peanut butter cheerios? That's weirder." But then memories started trickling back. It wasn't weird, it was perfect.

I took off a semester in college and spent a lot of time at Kristin's in Atlanta. For weeks at a time, I holed up in her haunted room watching Passions, reading and eating copious amounts of my special concoction of peanut butter, cheerios and raisins. I was too poor to afford anything else and I never got tired of it. I know the concoction followed me to my dorm in Tampa, but can't recall it making its way over the bridge with me to St. Pete. Somewhere along the way this great joy that was once in my life got lost.

And now it's back. I've eaten four bowls of it since last night. I'm looking forward to tomorrow when I'll eat at least two more! Happiness here I come!

- Megan Leigh

One New Thing: New York Transit Museum

Cat decided she wanted to go to the Transit Museum. I said "Let's do this thing. But first we must fill our bellies." We walked towards the tall buildings into downtown Brooklyn. (I'd only been there once when I had to get off at an unpredicted stop before I had my iPhone. I was so lost and confused, but I  eventually made my way to my destination despite the tears clouding my vision.) We walked to a building with a sign that said "Dental" above it. We opened the doors and entered a Shake Shack. A large, marvelous Shake Shack with available seating! Cat received her order quickly, while I had to wait... and wait... and wait. She smacked her lips and said "This is the most delicious food I've ever had. Too bad you can't enjoy it with me." Then she rubbed her belly with her hand in a circular motion and said, "Mmmmm." Or she said, "Sorry, but I'm not going to wait for you." Either way, she exposed herself as a bad friend that day. All was forgiven when my order was finally up. It was delicious. Imaginary Cat was right.

Then on to the transit museum. Cat tried to enter through a locked gate. She was angry because she had been eyeing this entrance for years, just waiting for the day she'd get to go in. We had to walk to the end of the block and down stairs as if entering a subway. Fun, but not as fun as entering through a mysterious barred gate.
Buying tickets Cat said, "This is kind of embarrassing."
Having been embarrassed so many times in my life, I've become a bit inured to it, so had to ask, "But why?"
"Because this is a place you take your kids."
"Hogwash," I said. But I realized she was right when I angrily waited for these dumb kids to get off the vintage bus so I could take a picture driving it too. They never got off the bus. I never got my picture. I feel no shame for the hate in my heart when recalling this memory.

I read a lot about electricity. I still don't understand how they built tunnels underwater. 'Human Geyser' has been added to my 'Things To Do Before I Die' list. But the real fun came when we got to take vintage subway car pictures aplenty. The old subway signs were also fun. There were tons of signs on how to avoid fires. I assume with all those smokers back then things were set ablaze all of the time. I believe Smokey the Bear jokingly referred to cigarettes as "Job Security". My favorite was Etti-Cat. I think of him as a bit of a superhero and if you can hear me out there Etti-Cat, please come back. We need you now more than ever.

- Megan Leigh

Read More: Thunderstruck

I am a sucker for Eric Larson books. On the one hand, they are true crime stories. So you get the voyeuristic pleasure you get from, say, an Ann Rule book. On the other hand, they are full of history you probably didn't know, so you finish a book feeling satisfied that you have bettered yourself. Which means that you don't have to feel so guilty about reading a true crime book! Yes, Eric Larson, I love you.

Thunderstruck follows "the crime of the century." That is, it was one of the biggest crimes of the 20th century when the 20th century was only a few years old. The elements of a great story are all there: a kind-hearted, soft spoken doctor; his brazen and slatternly show-business wife; a great inventor; a Scotland Yard detective who cut his teeth on the Jack the Ripper case. Good stuff! As usual, I learned a lot about a period of history that I don't know much about. For you Downton Abbey fans, this book will be right up your alley, period-wise! And the crime Larson writes about is compelling, as always. I really think that if they taught history classes by having kids read books like this, nobody would think history was boring. Out with the textbooks, and in with the Larson books!

The hard thing about this book is that you end it feeling very sympathetic toward the villain. The poor killer was so put upon that you don't feel very bad about what happened. And the killer came so close to escaping justice and living out his or her days happily! It's always sad when you don't get to finish a book with a happy ending, especially when you know the story is true. Perhaps I should write an alternate ending.

-Kristin

One Hour Runner: 45 minutes!

Yes, it's a record. On Tuesday, I ran for 45 minutes. On the treadmill. It was actually not so bad, the running. I listened to a This American Life, which is the only thing that enabled me to stay on the treadmill that long! It was a whole episode about Penn State being a party school. The poor townies talked about the drunk kids that ruin their lives by being loud and wounded and dumb all the time. I could relate! Only a few more weeks before I am done with One Hour Runner. But to be honest, right now I am happy with just running 45 minutes at a time. I might take a break and stay here for a while. It's a nice length for a workout.

-Kristin

Kristin got props for running a full 45 minutes by the sign-in guy. I never get a 'good going' for walking at a moderate pace on the treadmill!

- Megan Leigh 

Read More: Dinner with a Cannibal

I pretty much love all things horrifying, including humans eating humans, so I figured Dinner with a Cannibal by Carole A. Travis-Henikoff would be a wonderful and interesting read. Unfortunately there just wasn't a whole lot of information on cannibalism in this book.

It started with gross things that people eat. It is important that you note now, before you get yourself in an awkward situation, that rocky mountain oysters are not oysters. And if you order sweetbreads you will not get raisin cinnamon toast.

Then it tried to get to cannibalism, but was so disorganized and unfocused, that it only touched on it here and there. For example, one chapter starts by talking about Aborigines, then jumps to Neanderthal cannibalism, and then back to Aboriginal scarification and finally gets to Aborigine cannibalism. A very roundabout way, but it finally made it, for about one page of the chapter. In another she talks about cannibalistic infanticide and then wanders off to the topic of child brides, which is unsettling for sure, but has nothing to do with cannibalism. I would say, all in all, about 5% of this book had anything to do with people eating people.

And when she does get to the topic promised by the title, I have to wonder about her sources and the credibility of her claims. For instance she says there is irrefutable evidence that Neanderthals were cannibals because of the cut marks found on bones. There certainly may well have been cannibalism going on... or they may have defleshed bodies for ritualistic burial purposes. There could be many explanations for this. So suspected cannibalism, fine, but definitive evidence, nay. Also, in recounting her evidence that Aborigines were cannibals, she says that there are too many accounts to be ignored. Too many accounts by invading peoples who treated the Aborigines atrociously and continue to treat them as second class citizens today? A quote from an article concerning another book about aborigines and cannibalism sums up my thoughts nicely:

" 'I don't think there is any credible evidence in the historical-anthropological literature to sustain it,' said James Cook University historian Henry Reynolds, regarded as Australia's pre-eminent historian on Aborigines. 

'Certainly there were writers in the 19th century who wrote sensational material along these lines, but to think that anyone in the late 20th century can take it seriously and put it forward without any evidence is pretty disturbing,' he said."

I concur! But what do you expect from a lady who evidently links Aborigines and Neanderthals together in her mind?

All in all, this was a pretty lame read. If you want to read a book on cannibalism, do not go here. However, if you want to read a bunch of loosely (and I use this term loosely) related crap, written dully, then I dare say this book is for you.

- Megan Leigh

Read More: Methland

I picked up Methland by Nick Reding on a whim, when I was sent to the library by Megan on a bitterly cold day to drop off videos so I wouldn't get a late fee. She had checked out the videos on my card, you see. It's funny how that works. Anyhow, I had remembered reading reviews of this book when it came out a few years ago, and I'd thought it sounded interesting then. So I figured, why not? I stuck it in my bag with the myriad other random books I had somehow accumulated somewhere between walking in the front door and taking my place in line at the front desk, five feet away.

Have you ever driven through the Midwest or the South, passing through tiny little town after tiny little town, and wondering what people do there? Often, especially in the south, the houses are gorgeous and the setting is beautiful. But no industry, no universities... what do people do for a living? How can these places support all the inhabitants? If I were to pick up and move to a place like that one day, what would I do? Do these people all telecommute? Are they writers or editors that can work from anywhere? Artists? Ebay millionaires? I've always wondered these things.

According to Nick Reding, the answer is that there really are no jobs in these places. Not anymore. Farming has more or less died as an occupation, since it has been taken over by a few huge conglomerates. Factory after factory has shut down, and the few that remain open usually pay minimum wage and offer no benefits for backbreaking work... so those jobs are mostly done by illegal immigrants. That means after the few jobs that every town has (mayor, police chief, teachers, etc.) there really isn't much left to do, save for some minimum wage jobs at places like motels and Walmart. And apparently it is this situation, the misery of too many people and not enough real jobs, that set the scene for the meth epidemic that exploded in small town America starting in the 90s.

It felt like this book was longer than it needed to be, and there was a lot of repetition. I definitely learned some things though! Like how pharma lobbyists gutted the legislation aimed at curbing meth production, year after year. Although, to be honest, I'm not sure that trying to legislate drugs away has ever worked--I mean, cocaine is pretty darn illegal and it doesn't seem like it's going away any time soon. I also learned that wages at many midwestern feedlots/slaughterhouses fell by 3/4 overnight, at the same time as benefits disappeared, when they were bought out by big companies like Cargill, and over time most of the jobs disappeared anyway. That must have been devastating! The stories of the people affected were pretty interesting too. For example, here's a fun fact: did you know that Tom Arnold's sister was a drug queenpin that helped meth originally get a foothold in the midwest? All in all, I'd say this was an interesting read, but I'm not sure I would recommend that everyone go out and read it.

-Kristin

Read More: Bluebeard

One day I was at Cat's, preparing for the arduous journey home, when I remembered I needed a book to read on the subway, so I asked to borrow one. She handed me a book named after a child rapist and murderer and with a sparkle in her eye told me, "It's one of my favorites." Did Cat have a secret side of her that she was just now ready to reveal after all of these years? I didn't want to get on the wrong side of this new Cat, so I took Bluebeard and in my most genuine fake voice thanked her profusely.

Once the book was in my hands I saw that it was by Kurt Vonnegut, which made the selection a little less troubling. I hadn't read anything by him since high school, so it was definitely time for a re-visit. I remember liking him a lot, but can only vaguely remember one short story, maybe about Einstein's dog? Or maybe it was Edison. I think the dog told him how to invent the light bulb. (I choose to look at this story as a historical account.)

A few pages into the book I sighed with relief, realizing this was not a book about Bluebeard the horrid. Cat was transformed from a sadistic psychopath back to the girl next door. I feel a little guilty about jumping to conclusions about the blackness of her soul so quickly, but they always say about serial killers, "They seemed so harmless!", so you can never be too wary of your best friends and family members.

Instead, this book is about an old, crotchety, lonely, reclusive, cyclopean ex-artist who suddenly finds his life again when two house guests come to stay. One convinces him to write his memoirs, resulting in Bluebeard. It's an intermingling of his past and his present, so we see how he came to be who he is today and how he's changing with his two housemates around to pester him back into existence. And like every good book, there is a mystery. The mystery of what he has locked in the old potato barn out back. Everyone is just dying to know.

Although perhaps not a masterpiece, this was a nice, light and entertaining read. It went by quickly and I wasn't bored for a moment! And yes, I do know what's in the potato barn, but I'm not telling.

- Megan Leigh

Read More: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

I remember that I read this book in high school and thought it was very good. But if you had asked me about the plot last week, I would have said a lonely little girl and a lonely deaf-mute make friends in a small Southern town. That is ALL I remembered.

It turns out that there were lots of other characters, all of their stories intertwined. There IS Mick, the lonely little girl with a love for music, and Mr. Singer, the kindly deaf-mute who boards in her house. But then there are Blount, who is determined to preach a fiery brand of socialism in what is possibly the least receptive time and place ever, Dr. Copeland, the town's erudite black physician who works tirelessly both to heal his people and try to raise them up, and Biff Brannon, the soft-hearted café owner. All of these characters (with the exception of Biff) are compulsively searching their town for one kindred spirit, one person on whom they can unload all of the passion in their hearts. And they find that in Mr. Singer. Because he is mute and can't talk back, they can project onto his silence a total understanding, and for the first time they find an oasis of comraderie. But who does Mr. Singer have to confide in? And what happens if Mr. Singer, the delicate center holding together the fragile web of their lives, disappears?

In rereading this book as an adult, I found it both beautiful and very cynical. Carson McCullers seems to believe that we all walk through life as lonely hunters, and that to find someone who truly understands us is just an illusion, though maybe a necessary one. She really brings to life this little Southern town in the 1930's, and it seems as though this book (written in the 1940s) was very modern for its time... the lack of a real plot in lieu of a series of intertwining character studies would be at home with all sorts of novels that came out this year. A must read!

-Kristin

Read More: Weekends at Bellevue

I learned about Weekends at Bellevue by Julie Holland on NPR. I was excited to finally have the chance to read it because I love psychology and thought it would be fun to hear about all the wacky cases that passed through their doors. However, from the get go I hated the author. Maybe hate is not a fair word. Detest?

She starts off by saying, "I am smart -- more than that, a smart ass". First of all when you're writing a book, the story is supposed to tell who you are. Second, who describes themselves that way?? Most likely a person who is neither smart nor a smart ass. And the book goes on to show that this is true. It is, indeed, the truly smart who use phrases like 'verbal diarrhea'. And only the smartest of people who take it a step further and use it in print.

What I really found awful was that she thought it was appropriate to use sex as a way of making it in a man's world. She lists all the co-workers that she's had sex with, bragging that one was married, which is incredibly skeazy and was not pertinent to the story at all. She encourages flirtations and sexual banter, but runs to the head of the department to tattle on her boss for inappropriate sexual comments because he is not interested in her. Gross, gross, gross. I have nothing against a person who is comfortable with their sexuality, but to use it in this way just perpetuates the idea that women can't be equals in a medical setting and makes it that much harder for the girls that follow.

Through the whole book she keeps going on and on about how her dad was the cause for all of her mental anguish as an adult. She compares the trauma in her upbringing to the problems of the homeless schizophrenic. Dear god, what did her father do to her you may ask? Well, one of her worst memories was when she was small and driving in the car with her parents, smacking her lips together really loud because she was thirsty. And her dad turned around and beat the shit out of her? Nope, he told her to quit making that noise. What cruelty! I had a very similar episode in my life. I was making  one of the most beautiful noises in the backseat of the car, which my dad was not able to appreciate because of some brain deficit and he yelled at me to stop. I think about it to this day. And laugh. And plot when I will regale him with the lovely noise again.

I could go on and on about the shortcomings of this lady. How she treats her patients with disrespect. How she's a whiner.  But, perhaps it isn't right to criticize the author's character? So instead, I'll criticize her writing.

If someone were to hand you a book titled Metaphors and Similes For Everyday Use and dared you to work every single one into your book, this is what you would get. Let me give you just one example:

"He and I are going to go spelunking inside his dark cave to see if we can't figure out what is making him tick like a time bomb. I'm excited, as if staring across the Grand Canyon, about to do an Evel Knievel on my motorcycle."  

Now imagine a whole book full of these! 

To make matters worse, I cannot tell you how many times she used the world 'macho' to describe herself. Upwards of 200 I'm sure. The word popped up on just about every page, which was always a surprise to me because I couldn't see it. Rather I saw a woman that embodied just about every horrible girl stereotype that I could imagine.

Then she feels the need to define and explain everything. She says she calls the fifth pocket in jeans the 'drug pocket' and then goes on for a few more sentences explaining why. No need. Drug pocket says it all. She also defines what a rave is. I'm pretty sure even my grandma wouldn't have needed a definition for this. You really get the sense that she thinks you're an idiot. But I guess that's okay because the feeling is mutual.

But did I learn anything??

Well I did. I learned that the medical ER is a place only for people who are suicidal or a threat to others. Anyone else who needs help gets turned away. Where do they go?? It's so sad to think about people seeking mental help, but who aren't able to get it.

I also learned never to go to Dr. Julie Holland.

- Megan Leigh

One New Thing: Phantom of the Opera

Tonight I went to see my first Broadway show with Cat. We saw the Phantom of the Opera at the Majestic Theatre. When it first started I was ready to be disappointed. The stage was tiny and the set was really simple. Then magic happened. A chandelier rose from the stage to the ceiling. The stage opened up. Curtains and backdrops were revealed. Actors in fun costumes filled the stage. A little elephant rolled out (not real of course). What a relief!

I saw this at The Fox when I was little. I remember the best scene being when the Phantom rows out in the boat through the mist. This version (I think) was even better. There was mist and glowing lights and the boat swam smoothly through the fog. How did they do that?? My only theory was that there was a giant magnet under the stage pulling it around.

There were even pyrotechnics! At one point big flames shot up and I could feel the warmth on my face all the way up in the balcony.

One big let down was when the chandelier fell. It wasn't very dramatic (the chandelier going up was more so!) and there was no glass shattering sound effect. Also, the music was not what I was expecting - I thought it would all be like the awesome Phantom of the Opera theme song - kinda 80's and just awesome. (I know I said it twice, but that's what it is. Awesome.) But that song only lasted a minute! The rest of the songs, not so catchy. Something should be done about that.

I thought I knew the story, but I must have been getting The Phantom and the TV version of Beauty and the Beast confused. I thought Christine went to visit the Phantom often and they fell in love. But this Phantom was just a baddy! A murderer! 

note: thick burger and too brown fries

After the show, since we were conveniently in the neighborhood, we stopped into the brand new Steak n' Shake. Ohhh, what a let down. I specifically ordered an 'orignal steakburger' rather than a 'steakburger' so there would be absolutely no confusion. But I got the goddamn 'signature' burger with cheese. Horrible. (But would it really be a Steak n' Shake experience if your order wasn't messed up?) The fries were way too salty. Even the burger was super salty. It was no taste of home. They are still very new, so I'm hoping if I go back they have things straightened out. To make matters worse, the girls had to wear these weird, sad outfits. They were in short black skirts that were incredibly unflattering (and these were skinny girls!). They were too tight and made from a horribly cheap material. And on top of that, they also had to wear knee-high pleather boots. I have no idea whose call that was, but I'm pretty sure it had to be a man's idea. A man who spends too much time with prostitutes.

- Megan Leigh

Read More: The Metamorphosis and Other Stories

Browsing around at the Goddard Book Fair, I stumbled upon The Metamorphosis and Other Stories. As much as I love Herr Kafka, for some reason I don't own any of his books or stories. At the moment my goal is to collect my favorite books with pretty covers so that when I have my library there is a bit of surprise and joy every time a book is pulled from the shelf. This version fit the bill. Nice, simple, but interesting cover on the outside, my favorite stories on the inside.

Or so I thought...

Unfortunately this version left out some of my favorite stories like 'The Hunger Artist' and 'A Country Doctor'. In their place it put these long rambling, more-essay-than-stories that I couldn't concentrate on for more than a few seconds at a time. So if you were to ask me now what they were about I could merely say a rambling dog and a rambling mole, which sounds interesting, but I assure you they were not.

So in the end I am happy to have 'The Metamorphosis' at my finger tips whenever I want it, but am going to keep my eyes out for a replacement book with everything I want and nothing I don't. Compromises are for suckers and moms.

- Megan Leigh

One New Thing: Joined a Gym!

So far, my exercise routine since this summer has been running plus yoga. I try to do one or the other every day. But with the cold weather, my running has really taken a hit. A lot of times it's either below thirty, and I can't stomach running along the windy Hudson, or it's above thirty and raining, which also isn't very appealing. This is no good!

So today, another rainy, cold day, I decided to bite the bullet and join the gym by our house. It's actually probably the cheapest gym in Manhattan, and it seems undiscovered. Compared to the gyms where I work, or pretty much any gym I've ever seen here, it's empty... no fighting over elliptical machines or treadmills. You can even stay on a machine for longer than thirty minutes! It's heaven! Megan had joined the gym already, so I tagged along with her this afternoon and signed up myself.

I was lucky she was there to show me the ropes. Because I've never really used a treadmill before. Once, when I went to pick out my running shoes, they made me get on a treadmill. But it was a little bit terrifying, and I had to hold onto the sides of the machine so I wouldn't fall off. If you've seen Encino man, and you remember the first parts of the movie where Link enters the modern age... you get the idea. But I caught on pretty fast after she showed me what to do, and I jogged along fine.

One thing that was a little depressing is the fact that Megan WALKS at 3 miles per hour, and I can jog along at a nice pace at the same speed. This was so humiliating, I had to keep upping my speed to show her who was boss. So probably I ended up running too fast! But I didn't fly off the machine, and I made it until the end of my workout. One other thing that is hard about the treadmill is that it is SO boring. I was listening to music, but it wasn't enough. I think because your time is flashing before you in big, huge numbers, it's hard to get your mind off how many minutes you have left to go. Usually when I run outside, my mind wanders and I stop paying attention to the time. I just couldn't do that today. I think next time I use the treadmill, I'll hang a towel over the time panel. And maybe I'll get some new music or try podcasts to keep me more interested, since there is no scenery to help keep things fun.

You may wondering who is in this picture. It's me. Running and yoga has really been a great combination, and my happiness made my hair turn ten shades lighter. Success!

-Kristin

I was really worried about Kristin on the treadmill. She told me she almost fell the only time she's ever tried to use one so I figured she'd abide by mom's motto "slow and steady wins the race'. But then I see her in my peripheral vision continually upping her speed. I had to think of an emergency plan in case she did fall. I had brought along a towel, so that could help keep the blood from gushing from her nose and showering all of us treadmill runners!

There was a girl next to her running even slower. It made me think, hmm... maybe I should give running another go, but on my own terms this time.

It's so nice to have a gym partner. Maybe this will make me get up and go more often!

- Megan Leigh

Must See: Sherlock

After hearing rumors that PBS is trying to capture the young audience with shows like Downton Abbey, I stumbled upon an article that said yes, indeed, that is the goal. The article informed me that the other program they were using to bait the young was Sherlock. Still refusing to believe that I'm an old fogey, I thought this will be a perfect show for this young, hip gal! Although I don't see how Downton Abbey is different than other Masterpiece Classics, except that it is a series, I do see why Sherlock is a different type of TV show. Now, Sherlock is no stranger to PBS it is true. But a YOUNG, creepy eyed Sherlock definitely puts a new spin on it. I've never been drawn into the other series when sitting around, but this one got me instantly. I like the actors (Watson will be a familiar face to most), and I like that there is a good amount of humor as well. One thing that you should be warned about beforehand: There are only three episodes. Sucks to your mother, BBC.

- Megan Leigh

Good Food: Outrageous Brownies

This time I tried the recipe for Barefoot Contessa's Outrageous Brownies.

Now some of you may know that recently I had my yearly physical, and I got a high blood sugar reading. I learned this in a letter from my doctor. A letter that appeared to have been written by a fourth grader whose favorite subject was not English. Pretty much all it said was to cut all sweets out of my diet for the next year. So I have been trying to eat less sugar until I figure out what is going on! Megan spent all day bullying me, though. Telling me to think about my public. Telling me I had to make something sweet so we would have something to blog about today. Finally she wore me down! So the new theme of this blog may be watching a diabetic slowly die from eating brownies. We shall see!

Anyway, the recipe turned out very well. I halved the recipe so it would fit in a standard cake pan. I also left out the instant coffee powder, because of my picky audience. The brownies turned out very rich and fudgy. Yum! Two thumbs up.

-Kristin

Read More: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the last book, quite a while back, but didn't want to blog about it until I had seen the movie to do a book-to-movie comparison. Unfortunately I missed seeing the movie in the theater by one measly week and had to wait months for it to finally come out on DVD. By the time I finally put the movie in the DVD player, my Harry Potter memories had been shoved to some dark crevice in my grey, wrinkly brain and no good comparisons could be made, but I'll try.

Let's talk about what I can remember of the book first. Again, it was a total surprise how it ended. I was definitely shocked and horribly dismayed in parts. "It can't be, it just can't be!" I remember myself sobbing from 7 feet in the air. No, I was not reading balanced on my floating quidditch stick, but from my well-lofted bed. (If you're wondering, yes the weather is different at that altitude!)

Now to the movie. There was just too much to be crammed into the movie to do the book justice. You didn't get the emotion and suspense. The surprising back stories were glossed over or removed entirely. I guess it was okay, but it was not nearly the same caliber as the book.

Who would have thought that these children's stories would be so darned good?? I encouraged you all to read for yourselves months ago. Who of you have taken my earnest urgings seriously? Witch of your rumps need a visit from my trusty Puma boots to give you a kick in the right direction?

What's next, you may ask? I've read the books. I've seen the movies. Next on the agenda is Pottermore, the online Potter community! The journey isn't over yet!

- Megan Leigh

Read More: The Emperor of All Maladies

Some of you might know that recently I switched fields at work--from studying infectious diseases to working on cancer. Since I am a newcomer to this area, I have so much to learn. So when I saw this book at Goddard's Bookfair, I scooped it up! It is a biography of cancer that came out a couple years ago, and it got pretty amazing reviews. I figured it would be a fun way to learn about the history of cancer research. And it was! It was like a whole class in cancer etiology and therapy, crammed into a riveting book. A Cliff's Note version of cancer's history, if Cliff's Notes were well written and engaging. I don't know how the author did it, but he made centuries of cancer lore fun to read about. I think that even people who aren't particularly interested in cancer would enjoy this book. There are so many insights into how we view diseases, how scientific discoveries are made, how medical policy is made...  And when so many of us will end up battling cancer ourselves, or seeing our loved ones struggle with it, I guess it is good to learn something about it.  Two thumbs up.

-Kristin

Read More: Rancid Pansies

Eleven days into the new year, and I'm already letting myself down in all my goals. I have just now, finally, finished my first book of the year: Rancid Pansies by James Hamilton-Paterson. This is the third (and final?) in a series about Gerald Samper, a ghostwriter and cook of disgusting food (think mice pie). The first book, Cooking with Fernet Branca, I absolutely loved. It had me cracking up all the way through, if I remember correctly. The second and this final book were still both good, but not as laugh out loud funny. I only laughed aloud twice, at the very beginning and at the very end. A nice way to start and a nice way to finish!

This time the book starts after Gerry's Italy house has collapsed down the side of a mountain and he accidentally starts a rumor that the ghost of Princess Di led him and his friends to safety that night. He eventually gets the idea to forget ghostwriting and write a satirical opera about the princess with many a hijinks along the way.

Although I don't give it a 'super' rating, it does merit a 'good', and I say that's a pretty good way to start off the new year!

- Megan Leigh

Must See: Downton Abbey

New to me, anyway! I read somewhere about how PBS had this new show called Downton Abbey that was supposed to be really good... and when I mentioned it to Megan, it turned out she had not only heard of it, she had watched the whole first season. Luckily, all the episodes from Season 1 were on Netflix, so we watched them in one marathon week. Even Ben was a fan! Then last night we got to see the first episode of Season 2. Which was also very good... but we had to watch online, and the people moved really jerkily, and that was distracting.

Is everybody else watching? I am so jealous of their clothes.

-Kristin

One New Thing: East 79th Street Library

On Mondays and Wednesdays I take Elliot to therapy after school. On warm days I take him to a nearby playground, but now that it's freezing there's no way. My butt would probably get frozen to the bench, which would be a little on the embarrassing side. I had been taking him to Nancy's straight after school so we would be somewhere warm(ish), but she likes to comment that we got there 'very early', which I assume means, "Please stay away". So then I was stopping for pizza beforehand, but I no longer have money for such delicacies as slices of grease laden pies. So I racked my brain and realized libraries are free and welcoming to all.

There was one on the way at 96th street, but for whatever reason this is closed on Mondays. So yesterday I decided to take him down to one on East 79th street. The bus ride took longer than I had imagined it would, but I got to see a neighborhood I've never been to. I passed the Guggenheim, which was a very fun building, and I finally saw the Met. Our walk down 79th street also took much longer than I expected, but there were tons of pretty buildings lining the way. About halfway through the walk Elliot finally asks, "Are you sure this is the way to Nancy's..." I didn't tell him where we were going because I thought it would be fun to see a kid confused. When I told him where we were going and that it had taken longer than expected, he said something along the lines of "We traveled all this way for a library? Why, Megan, why?"

Finally we made it to the library and had about 10 minutes to read. We're starting the Wizard of Oz series. I found a set of nice editions through Books of Wonder and bought him the first one for Christmas. When we finish this one, I'll get the next. It was really hard to find a matching set out there! Most publishers haven't gone beyond the first installment, and those that have have failed to think about the importance of illustrations.

So then back onto the bus, which was also a new thing. First, it was a new line. Second, it was one of the long buses with the accordion middle that I've never been on. I didn't realize this at first, because when it arrived I was already standing at the front door. I got on and thought, that bus driver is sure seated high up. And then as I walked to the back of the bus I thought, this sure is a long walk. The stop buttons were inconveniently located along where the ceiling met the walls -- high up. Luckily someone else pressed the button at our stop, otherwise I don't think I would have been able to reach!

And that was our whirlwind adventure for the day!

- Megan Leigh

Recipe in Progress: Texas Sheet Cake

The new issue of Cooking Light had an article called "Our Best Chocolate Recipe Ever." Pretty promising! There were two winners, and one of them was a recipe for Texas Sheet Cake. They described it as a staff and reader favorite for the past 12 years. This had to be pretty spectacular, right???

I don't know about that. I made it, and the recipe wasn't terribly hard. So that was good. And the cake did turn out to be light and moist, with a nice texture. But the chocolate flavor wasn't very rich. More sweet than chocolatey, since the only chocolate flavor came from cocoa powder. And the cake tasted strongly of cinnamon. Elliot compared it to pumpkin bread, and I think he was right on!

As far as having a decent texture and feel, this is my best cake so far. My cakes have tended to end up dry and overdone at the edges. But I thought the flavor of this cake was lame. I don't think I would make it again, but it did turn out OK.

Question: Does anybody know how to get your cake to come out flattish? Mine was way fatter in the middle, so it was hard to ice. All the icing pooled along the edges!

-Kristin

Recipe in Progress: Chicken with Almonds and Honey

For Christmas, I was lucky to get The New Book of Middle Eastern Food from Scotti. So I set to work to try some of the recipes! I was particularly excited about the recipe for chicken with almonds and honey, which was supposed to melt in your mouth. Megan, the vegetarian, complained that she would have nothing to eat, so I paired it with couscous with roasted pine nuts (from the box), and Spinach with Raisins and Pine Nuts (another recipe from the box).

So, the chicken recipe was pretty involved. First you boil it in a big vat of spices on the stove, then you braise it in the oven. It turned out pretty good, but the recipe confused me. I'm not sure I did it right. You are supposed to pour all of the cooking liquid into the braising pan... but if you do that, you have way too much to even fit! Then you are supposed to coat the chicken in this almond/honey/rosewater paste that will crust up in the oven. Don't even ask how long it took me to find rosewater. The problem is, the crust comes right off in the cooking liquid! So only the tops of the tallest chicken pieces ended up with a crust (you can kind of see it in this picture), which was good and all. But then the crust disappears as the chicken pieces move around in the pan when you are serving them. This is the kind of thing that makes you wish you had a cooking teacher in the room with you! Any ideas?

The spinach with raisins and pine nuts turned out very well, in my opinion. And the couscous too! Even though it did come from a box.

-Kristin

Read More: Free Kindle Books!

So I knew that there are a lot of free kindle books out there, but I hadn't done a very good job at finding them. When I first got the Kindle, I'd downloaded the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, but it was such a pain to read. There were so many footnotes on each page, and they were so poorly marked, the layout was just impossible. Over break, I decided to give free books another try, and I found a whole bunch of free ones on Amazon. Luckily, the free books fit in with my goal of rereading a lot of the classics! Here is what I have so far:

-Wuthering Heights (a reread)
-The Three Musketeers
-Les Misérables
-Jane Eyre (a reread)
-David Copperfied
-War and Peace (a reread)
-Mansfield Park
-Emma
-The Red Badge of Courage
-Great Expectations
-Uncle Tom's Cabin
-The Portrait of Dorian Gray

Does anybody have any other suggestions about things to download? I think many of the classics are free!

-Kristin

New Goals for 2012

 Fitness Goals

1. Keep up the exercise. Right now I try to run three times a week and doing yoga two or three times a week. I want to keep doing this.


2. Finish a 10K race. I am working on building up my run times, slowly but surely! I would like to run a 10K this year. I had so much fun running my 5K, and it was such a confidence builder to see that I could run in a big bunch of people without getting left behind, crying.


3. Relearn how to swim. Because my swimming is pathetic. Maybe this is a good summer goal.

Hobby Goals

4. Knit something cute. It doesn't have to be a baby sweater (which is a recycled goal from 2011). Just get back into the world of knitting!

5. Learn something about gardening. I've adopted the two little sidewalk plots in front of my building. Hopefully I will be a good mom to them. And if all goes well, I'd like to get a plot in the community garden at Riverbank State Park too.


6. Finish my young adult novel. That's right, I am writing a young adult novel. For fun. And it wouldn't be terrible if I could turn it into a fabulous series that made me a millionaire. I mean, c'mon. If Magic Treehouse lady can do it, why not me?


7. Keep trying new stuff. Since I did fairly well at this goal last year, I'm going to push myself by specifying that I want to do more new stuff in different parts of New York. I need to explore.

8. Reread the classics. All the stuff I read when I was too young to appreciate it. Or maybe I didn't get around to reading it in the first place.  Adult books, kid books, anything is fair game.

These are my goals! What are yours for 2012?

-Kristin

Reflections on 2011

How did I do on the goals I was supposed to be working on in 2011? I thought this would be a good time to take stock and reflect on how things have gone.

1. Become healthier. I think I did fairly well on this one! I started running, and I didn't give up. In fact, I went running today! I also signed up for a race and ran it last year. And I started doing yoga a few times a week. Ben tells me I seem "healthier" and "less hunched over." I guess I will take that as a compliment.

2. Relearn how to swim. Fail, a miserable fail! I haven't even been in a pool since I wrote these words. This one definitely needs some work.

3. Knit a baby sweater. Again, a big fat fail. I actually tried to start on this one, kind of half-heartedly I admit. I ran into trouble and gave up. I think I will switch to an easier pattern and give it another try.

4. Make time for friends. Hmmm, I don't think I have done very well on this one either. Poop.

5. Get organized. Argggh. No progress on this front.

6. Do one new thing a week. Hmmm. I don't think I've nailed it every week, but at least this isn't the miserable failure that most of my goals were. I will try to ratchet it up, but I'm fairly happy with my record for trying new things.

Wow, now that I look back, I realize that I didn't do all that well on my goals! I don't even remember writing some of these. Get organized? Did I really say that? Oh well, I will concentrate on the ones that worked out. They eat up a lot of my time! And I do think they have made my life better. To an even better life in 2012!

-Kristin