Book Review: The Awakening (Chopin)
Have I read this before: I thought I had when I started it, but the story ended up not being at all familiar, haha, so maybe not.
Review: I really liked the characters in this book. You really get an impression of Edna’s conflicting thoughts about conforming and not conforming to societal standards (though it’s clear what she really wants to do), and it’s very realistic how her thoughts change depending on who she’s around. I also like how Leonce (her husband) is basically non-existent in the novel. He’s there and he’s mentioned, but that’s about it. He’s like the least developed character, haha.
Favorite Part: The ending. I loved the peaceful release of it.
Rating: 5/10
Puff Daddy
Pepper very readily puffs her tail if she’s startled, more so than any other cat I’ve seen. Sometimes she puffs at us when she’s in play mode and sometimes she puffs at us if we’re down the hall and she doesn’t know who we are.
Example: here she is after seeing Nate at the end of the hallway and not knowing who he was immediately.
Look at how fat that tail is! She’s such a sweetie.
My FREAKING FINGERS HURT SO MUCH
I think I’ve somehow permanently damaged the nerves in my fingers from exposing them to too much cold over the past several years.
Like…it wasn’t that cold today and I had my big gloves, but by the time I got home my fingers hurt so, so badly from being cold.
Like…to the point where I couldn’t even really move them because they hurt so much.
It used to be the case that they didn’t feel like that unless I spent five hours in SUPER cold weather, but I guess it doesn’t take that much anymore.
I’ve actually wondered if I have primary Raynaud’s, but I don’t have the characteristic skin color changes. So who knows.
Super fun.
Tweetball 2021
I’ve done this the past few years, so let’s call it a tradition now: posting my favorite baseball-related tweets of the year!
GO!
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(Talking about the Mets, of course)
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TOOOOOOOOOOOOOLS OUT! FOR! PLUMBERS!
I’m sorry, but this is one of the funniest things I’ve seen all year.
“That’s a dirty-ass baby, GO!”
Some Pepp
Have some more pictures of Pepper, because she’s always either a) in a gorgeous pose or b) in a weird pose and both are equally great.
That thing on the left is her tail, not her other leg.
Where’s Pepper??
Aww.
She’s so pretty.
She’s so weird.
Up on the fridge.
More posing.
Poly
Interesting. This quiz attempts to determine your stance on eight political values. Here are my results:
Give it a try!
Book Review: The War of the Worlds (Wells)
Have I read this before: Yes! I think I read this in junior high.
Review: I don’t remember this being as absolutely creepy as it was, haha. I don’t know if “creepy” is even the right word. Ominous? Menacing? Wells does a great job in making the reader feel as if they’re being stalked (or at least watched) by the Martians alongside the narrator, which is wonderfully unnerving.
Favorite Part: When the narrator gets trapped under the house with that other guy, the curate. The narrator’s description of the Martians is – again – unnerving, and the increasing tension between the narrator and the curate is pretty suspenseful.
Rating: 5/10
Book Review: To the Lighthouse (Woolf)
Have I read this before: Nope. Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf? Me.
Review: This took a little getting used to because of the shifting perspective/focal points, but it was more enjoyable once I got the swing of it. I don’t know what I was expecting from Woolf, but it wasn’t this. It’s not my favorite style, but it works.
Favorite Part: I really liked the second part (Part II), which was told from a bit more of an omniscient viewpoint and was a bit more removed.
Rating: 4/10
BRAAAAAVES!
YEAH BRAVES!
I really liked their team this year. They totally deserved to win. It’s just too bad they weren’t at home when it happened.
YAY!
Busy Bee?
So as you may suspect given how much I’ve bitched about this semester, I’m way too busy to do NaNoWriMo this year. Which is disappointing because I’ve done NaNo every year since 2017 (and several years before that). However, I may not have done NaNo ANYWAY, since I’m still working on last year’s NaNo and I honestly don’t think there’s enough of a story left to be able to do 1,667 words of it for 30 days.
So…yay?
Happy Malloween!
I’m obscenely busy (as usual), so enjoy some nostalgia.
“Sorry…must’ve got a toenail caught in my throat!”
“WHAT MORE DO THEY WANT??”
Tee
Salt & vinegar, barbecue, sour cream & onion, or cheddar? Salt and vinegar.
Bow ties on guys, dorky or adorable? I don’t really care for them, but I guess they’re okay in a super formal setting. Ties are better.
What are your thoughts on mini-skirts or mini-dresses? I don’t think I’d ever wear them, but I don’t have much of an opinion otherwise.
Have you ever died in one of your dreams? Ha, dying would be a cop-out. My dreams focus on the horrific stuff before the dying happens.
Which is tastier: fruity gum or minty gum? Fruity I guess?
Quick! The first professional sports player you can think of: Max Scherzer!
Be honest, have you ever bullied anybody? Who was it? I don’t think I ever did.
What colors look best with navy blue in your opinion? Yellow.
What is the cutest Halloween costume for a baby to wear? No idea. I try not to think of babies.
Is it a turn-off if somebody’s teeth are stained yellow? Bah. I don’t really care.
Which of your friends is the tallest? Which of them is the shortest? I don’t have any friends.
Plaid, polka-dots, stripes, or stars: pick three. Stars, polka-dots, and stripes, in that order.
Do you know any quotes from Forrest Gump? I can probably recite like 70% of that movie because that’s the kind of stuff my brain holds on to.
Do you believe in demonic possession? How about ghosts? Angels? Not really.
What appliance in your kitchen do you use the most often? Fridge.
What cabinet or closet in your house do you rarely open? The one with all the boxes in it. Too many boxes.
What was the mascot at your elementary school? I think we were the St. Mary’s Lions, but I don’t think we really had a mascot.
What is the most expensive restaurant you’ve ever been to? Was it good? Probably NOtaBLE, which we went to during my interview for the University of Calgary. Fancy shmancy.
Have you ever fallen down in public? Did anybody see you? I remember one spring I was walking with Nate along the river path. It was still cold enough that there were a few VERY SMALL icy patches on the path, but they were all easily avoidable. There was a tiny one on the edge of the path and for whatever reason I was like “I’mma stomp on this ice!” and I did and I completely bit it right in front of this lady walking the other way. Smooth.
Do you scream when you go on rollercoasters? Do you close your eyes? It has been a LONG time since I’ve been on a rollercoaster. I scream because that’s part of the experience.
Do you think home-made cards are better than store bought ones? Doesn’t matter to me.
What is one romantic movie that you enjoy enough to watch more than once? “Titanic,” I guess, though I’ve always liked it because of the soundtrack and the sinking. I remember when it first came out all my friends were like “JACK + ROSE 4EVER!” and I was like “moar ship destruction, plz.”
Name three countries you want to visit: Why those three? Antarctica (I’ve always wanted to go there), Germany (LEIBNIZ MUSEUM BITCHES), Sweden (I’ve been there before and I really liked it)
Is it time for more Pepper pictures?
Yes.
Yes it is.
Enjoy.
Big yawn!
Snooze time.
Sneaking in my laundry pile, haha.
Hiding.
Pretty girl!
A Small Survey for a Small Day
Blah.
1. Think back to the last time (or a time) when you were in a fight with someone and just blurted out exactly what was on your mind. Did you somewhat regret saying what you said? What happened?
It’s been a long time since I’ve had a fight that serious with someone. I can’t even remember.
2. Towards the end of your last relationship, how did you know it was over? How did you and your significant other change towards each other? (ex. not calling each other babe, baby, etc.)
Hmm. My last relationship ended 100% mutually (I was moving to Canada and we didn’t see a reason to go long distance with things), so we both sort of just fell out of all the romantic “relationship” stuff slowly as our breakup day approached. Everything about the whole thing was amicable, though, which is way more than what can be said about my other two relationships.
3. Have you ever had a significant other NOT believe you when you said “i love you” to them? Why was that? How did you react?
I don’t think so.
4. When was the last time you had a hard time telling someone exactly how you felt? Did they understand where you were coming from?
I had trouble with Rob, but I don’t think the trouble was on my end. Though I guess I could have been more assertive from the start in telling him that it was over. I tried the “let him down easy” approach and that just resulted in – surprise! – another round of getting stalked. So I was finally like “bro go away I don’t like you” and that didn’t really work either.
Le sigh.
5. Do opposites really attract? Have you ever experienced this? Explain:
I’ve never really gone out with an “opposite,” so I can’t say.
6. Has anyone close to you ever drifted away because they started hanging out with a new crowd? Did you try talking to them about it? What eventually happened?
WELCOME TO MY CHILDHOOD
8. When did you last not feel accepted? Why did you feel that way?
I don’t feel like I really fit in with the other people at work, but that’s probably (?) just my imagination. Hopefully.
9. When did you last turn to drinking to ‘escape’ from your problems? What caused you to do that?
I don’t drink. I have plenty of other self-destructive habits instead, thank you very much.
10. Has anyone had to take your drink from you because you drank too much? How did you react?
See above.
12. Have you ever felt like it was just pointless to cry? Did you hold yourself back from crying or did you let it out?
I cry all the time. It’s never pointless to me because it’s the only way I know how to emote half the time.
14. Do you prefer the city or country more? Why?
City. I like being near…things. Like, I don’t think I could live in a small town again.
15. Have you ever felt like something was so horrible that you just wanted it to be a dream? What was it?
MY LIFE
16. Have you ever had a love/hate relationship with someone? Tell me about it:
Hey, it’s Rob again! If you’ve known me long enough, you know all about this; if not, too bad, ‘cause I’m not going to go through it again.
17. When did you last turn to God with a problem? What was it? Did it help talking to him?
Not religious.
I AM BORED AND SAD AND WHAT ELSE IS NEW
I don’t know if I’ve ever posted this on here before, but oh my god I needed some cheering up and this certainly helped tonight.
The “is this ASS-BESS-TOSS???” is great.
Book Review: Rabbit, Run (Updike)
Have I read this before: Nope.
Review: So this isn’t really a review of the book, but I was just looking up more info on it on Wiki and it says that Updike wrote the book as a response to Kerouac’s On the Road. I didn’t catch that explicitly when I read it, but now that I know that, I can really tell some of the same sorts of themes and even the same sort of style. Before I was going to write this blog I was thinking of comparing the book’s overall vibe to On the Road. So that’s cool.
Favorite Part: I really liked the opening of this book. I didn’t know what to expect from the book ‘cause I knew nothing about it, and was excited after reading the first several pages. That enthusiasm kind of wore off for me, haha, but that beginning was a great hook.
Rating: 4/10
World
GUYS THE BRAVES ARE IN THE WORLD SERIES!
That’s super exciting. The Mets couldn’t pull it off (again), so I’m definitely rooting for the Braves. They were always the team my mom watched when I was a kid, so I have a soft spot for them.
I also really like Freeman, Swanson, and Pederson.
Go Braves!
Coldplay!
So Coldplay streamed their concert on YouTube tonight and my wonderful husband put up with my “ZOMG COLDPLAY!!!!!!!1!” insanity and we watched it live.
So.
Good.
I love everything about Chris Martin’s voice and I love how much enthusiasm they all have.
Going to a Coldplay concert would be a dream, yo. I would lose my mind and probably cry the whole way through.
Old Tech, New Tech, But No Blue Tech
This is so freaking cool. I love how technology changes and progresses.
Ah, What The Hell.
Let’s classify Eigenblogger.
Is the writer of Eigenblogger “happy” or “upset?”
Huh, that’s surprising. I guess most of my posts are frivolous drivel, anyway, and probably by default seem happier than upset.
Which of 21 classics authors’ styles does Eigenblogger resemble? Here are just the top few:
Yeah, I could see it.
Age of author?
Hahaha, I apparently write like an old fogey or a youth.
Myers-Briggs?
Yup.
Funners.
Castaways!
So remember a few weeks ago when I mentioned I was obsessed with The Backyardigans?
I’m still obsessed with The Backyardigans.
BUT I’ve also found a video discussing the “Castaways” song and how much effort was put into making it a bossa nova groove. It is SUPER interesting.
Now I’m going to have that song stuck in my head for days, haha.
Nenshi No More
So for the first time since I moved up here, the mayor of Calgary is not Naheed Nenshi.
The mayor is now Jyoti Gondek.
I don’t really no too much about her (I’m not allowed to vote up here as a Permanent Resident), but hopefully she’ll be good.
It’d be great if Nenshi ran for Premier, but I don’t know if non-city areas in Alberta would ever vote for him.
Eigenblogger 