More about audiobooks

I’m hooked, I tell you. I was given a $50 iTunes gift card a few months ago, a thank-you gift from a friend. As I have a truly enormous collection of music and easy access to more, I wasn’t sure what to do with this largess. Then I realized I could buy audiobooks through iTunes. They are rather expensive, though, so I thought very carefully about what to buy. I settled on The Godfather by Mario Puzo and Can’t Wait To Get To Heaven by Fannie Flagg. I have read both these books multiple times; they are long-time favorites. Why did I not spend my gift dollars on something new? I can’t even explain this. I suppose it has something to do with not wanting to spend money on something I might not care for. Guess I’m not much on gambling.

Anyhow. The Godfather is read by a full cast of narrators, and this pleases me immensely. Male narrators attempting female voices nearly always grate on me (the reverse is rarely an issue) so I was delighted to hear genuine female voices reading the words of female characters. I have only one very very minor complaint about this reading: there are two characters whose accents are more Russian than Italian. The good news is, these are two really minor characters. Well, one is a pretty major character in terms of impact, but he only speaks briefly in one chapter.

Can’t Wait To Get To Heaven is one of an informal series of Fannie Flagg books set in the fictional town of Elmwood Springs, Missouri. This one features the character of Aunt Elner, who previously appeared in Standing In The Rainbow and Welcome To The World, Baby Girl. Aunt Elner is one of my favorite fictional characters ever. She’s a simple country woman with a warm, innocent and adorable view of the world. There are other really wonderful characters in the Fannie Flagg books, and they’re all believably nutty. Flagg’s stories always move me to tears. Tip: Do not listen to this book while grocery shopping; bursting out in tears in public makes people look at you funny.

Through another source (do not ask) I acquired a whole bunch of other audiobooks this week, including the complete Stephen King collection. King and I co-exist on uneasy terms. When he’s good, he’s very good, but his bad books FAR outnumber the good ones, in my opinion. I am not a fan of the gross-out, and King goes there too often for my tastes. However, I LOVE The Dead Zone, Carrie, Firestarter, and almost all his non-horror short stories. So. I am looking forward to hearing quite a few of these books.

Right now though, I am listening to One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey. I first read this book when I was in eighth grade; I saw the movie right around the same time. I got the gist of the story even back then, but I admit that just about ALL the subtlety went right over my head. When I re-read it in college, I got SO much more out of it. As I am listening to it now, I am really realizing how skillfully Kesey crafted this story. Now I completely comprehend Chief’s paranoia, McMurphy’s manipulation, and how the power struggle between McMurphy and Nurse Ratchet spirals out of control. The story has gone from interesting to positively CHILLING.

Other stuff in my audiobook queue now: the complete Harry Potter series (both versions – Stephen Fry’s and Jim Dale’s), Tina Fey’s book Bossypants, Chelsea Handler’s books Are You There Vodka, It’s Me Chelsea and My Horizontal Life, Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic, and a couple Robert Heinlein books. With luck, these books will eep me occupied for a while.
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In other news:

The kid is doing well living on her own (well, with the boyfriend, which is not so much “on her own” but still.) She has decided to back-burner her tattooing job for awhile, a decision I am not entirely on board with, but which I am supporting. There’s been a significant conflict between that and her retail management job; she’s getting far more hours at the retail job than she was initially planning on and the steady paycheck and benefits are a priority for her right now. I sincerely hope that she will not permanently shelve the tattooing gig. She put a LOT of effort, time and money into that career and I’d hate to see her abandon it.

The husband and I finally got my mother-in-law to give up driving permanently, something that is long overdue. The downside to this is that I am now responsible for shuttling her everywhere. I had already been driving her to doctor’s appointments and such, but now I am taking her grocery shopping every week… something she is apparently unable to do without first stopping for a leisurely brunch. Then when we get to the grocery store, she toddles off in one of the little golf carts, not to be seen again for at least an hour. Then there is the whole getting her in and out of the car thing and getting her in and out of the condo building she lives in. Thus, it’s taking approximately three to four hours out of my day to get her shopping done… and that’s assuming she doesn’t also want to stop at the bank or the pharmacy or whatever. I am being patient as I can be – after all, her not driving is something I have pushed for for quite awhile now, and I DID volunteer to do this – but, well, this is a bit more than I had bargained for and it’s already getting old. *sigh*

I am continuing to work my butt off in the studio. Which is what I am going to do right this minute, as a matter of fact.

I lost February, and apparently most of March, too.

How is it almost the end of March already? (This is why I stopped making resolutions to update my blogs regularly.)

So. What’s new in Bedlam, you ask?

I have run out of good audiobooks. I tried the first of the Terry Pratchett Discworld books, but I find my attention wanders immediately. I have read/listened to all of the JD Robb (Nora Roberts) Eve Dallas books. I hate the Stephanie Plum reader who is not CJ Critt. I’ve listened to the Outlander series too many times. The readers of the Dragonriders Of Pern series are uneven. I love Joe Mantegna and I love Robert B. Parker’s Spenser books, but in combination, they’re dreadful. Spenser should NOT be read aloud.

The woman who reads the JD Robb books is fantastic (despite the fact that she gives southern accents to a lot of New Yorkers and makes Peabody sound… well, weird.) Her name is Susan Ericksen, and as far as I am concerned, she can narrate the rest of my entire life. I wish I could get her to read and record my favorite fanfic.

Speaking of which, there’s a serious shortage of good fanfic/podfic in my preferred fandom.

In other news, my kid is moving out. She and her boyfriend are moving into a small apartment in a building my husband’s family owns, which is nice because she’s still close and she will have a bit of a safety net. It’s not so much a cutting of the apron strings as it is a stretching. They are having a lot of fun furnishing the place and planning out decor. I am trying not to make squealy “aren’t you two just THE CUTEST?” noises, cuz that’s just embarrassing for all parties. But really, they’re so darn CUTE. Since neither of them can cook, though, it’s going to be interesting to see how long it takes them to get tired of Taco Bell.

I am semi-blocked in the studio. I am making things, but nothing that’s really appealing to ME. The Wonderful Minions are coming over Saturday and I am hoping this results in a kick in my creativity.

Wish me luck.

happy new year

I forgot something in my last post, about my cat, but then Newtown happened and I was…distracted. One of these days, I’ll move the Facebook discussions on gun control over here, but for now, I’m leaving that alone. Not for long – it’s something I am VERY vocal about – but for now.

I’ll get back to the cat soon, too.

Moving on:

I’m 48 now. Which is pushing 50. Which feels IMPOSSIBLE. I still get nervous going into liquor stores, like someone’s going to figure out that I’m not an actual grown-up and call the cops.

Everyone here except me is sick, and I’m giving them and their germs a W I D E berth.

I’ve been organizing my studio, conditioning clay, reading fanfic, marveling over technology and trying to put off going outside as long as possible. I still hate winter.

While conditioning clay, I had to clean out my pasta machine. I have several, because I use them constantly. Of course, since I needed to take this one apart, it turned out to be one of the old, Italian-made, heavy-duty GOOD pasta machines… which means it has about a gabillion more pieces and parts than the newer, lighter models. This is the “you need five hands to reassemble it” model: there are several pieces that need to be held carefully in place while the other pieces are secured. I FINALLY got it apart, cleaned out, and put back together.

This is why you have to clean your pasta machine out periodically:
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Say it with me: “EWWW!”

P’raps we’d like an update?

Been a busy couple of weeks here in Bedlam. I think if I’m going to cover everything I’m going to have to work backwards. Maybe even with bullets!

* Yesterday I had a “procedure” which is a euphemism for “icky girly stuff eww gross.” If you’re interested in my innards, it was an endometrial ablation. If you want gory details, you’re out of luck. All I’m giving you is the fact that afterward, my right butt cheek and right leg were completely numb for about 14 hours. THAT was fun. I indulged in exactly one of my allotted pain pills, which was overkill cuz I wasn’t in pain. I was just a little uncomfortable, but there’s no way in hell I’m letting a legit opportunity for Vicodin slip past me :)

* Speaking of drugs, we (my husband and I) confiscated my mother-in-law’s drugs. The lady doth indulge a bit too much in the Ambien and Xanax departments. We got her one of those ungainly multi-compartment pill boxes and doled out one week’s worth of her medications, then packed up the rest and brought them home with us. We’ll be making weekly visits to replenish her supply.

* I passed my yearly physical. Unless I get run over by a bus, I should be good for another 365. I do have to wait a few days for my labs to come back, but I don’t anticipate anything too weird. I am kinda hoping they find that my thyroid is out of whack, though. I’d like that reason for my weight gain a little better than “shovels cheesecake into her face at every possible opportunity.”

* I taught two workshops at a gallery in Kenosha, and had a nice time. I just did a simple demo of millefiore in polymer clay, then set out beads and wire and let everyone go to town making bracelets. Several members of the gallery staff did a little holiday shopping from my inventory too, which was quite nice. The gallery manager hinted that she’d like to see more of my work, so I’ll be putting a little portfolio together for her.

* Got my own holiday shopping JUST about finished – there’s a thing or two I want to pick up for the husband yet. We bought our daughter a laptop and gave it to her a little early, cuz hers crashed badly, so there will only be a few little things for her under the tree. I also got my own holiday gift a little early – I desperately needed GOOD earbuds with a mic & remote for my iPhone. Husband told me to go ahead and order them, so I did. “Ultimate Ears” is what they’re called. Frankly, I can’t see why on earth iPhone compatible earbuds are so expensive. I mean, these are nice, but I’m still a little wigged out by the fact that they cost nearly what the damn PHONE cost!

* I’ll be spending the rest of this week and most of next cleaning the everlovin’ daylights out of my house. Apparently, I am hosting my husband’s family on Christmas Eve, cuz his Mom is afraid to go anywhere with stairs and/or an unfamiliar bathroom. The good news is, it’ll probably be just us three, his Mom and his Aunt. Possibly his brother also, but he may be spending the day with his fiancee and her kids.

* …. I think that’s it, actually. I’ve got a lot on inventory planning going on in my head, but I want to get through Christmas before I focus in on that again.

Mockingbird Studio TOUCHSTONE PENDANT Sale!

Regular price is $18 each. Special price is only $16 each, and includes shipping!
Offer good only Wednesday November 21 through Sunday November 25, 2012

QUANTITIES ARE LIMITED

Touchstone Beads & Pendants
by Mockingbird Studio Jewelry

are made with organically-grown dried herbs and herbal blends, carefully selected for their beneficial properties. When mixed into the clay and cured, those properties are permanently captured. Based on the Law of Attraction, wearing herbal amulets or charms is said to draw these properties to the wearer.

These pendants are suitable for both men and women. Simple, and bold without being showy. They are strung on dark brown waxed cotton cording with assorted accent beads (accent beads may vary from necklace to necklace.) Pendant colors are selected for their complementary harmonic properties.

Touchstones

Top row, left to right:
Harmony – oregano, rose & bay laurel
Prosperity – comfrey, allspice & orange peel
Protection – bay laurel, juniper & oakmoss
Courage – mullein, yarrow & thyme
Purification – alkanet, turmeric & lemon verbena
Success – sweet flag, ginger & allspice
Blessings – dill, lavender & rosemary
Passion – cardamom, red rose & sesame
Gainful Employment – ginger, cinnamon, vetiver & sage
Gentle Healing – St. John’s wort, thyme & peppermint

Bottom row, left to right:
Renewal – peppermint, thyme & maple leaf
Tranquility – lavender, salvia & magnolia
Powerful Healing – angelica, fennel & rowan
Mental Strength – columbine, mace & celery seed
Sweet Dreams – agrimony, chamomile, lavender & rosemary
Good Luck – vervain, anise & oakmoss
Clairvoyance – bay laurel, mace & coriander
Energy – cinnamon, fennel & peppermint
Fertility – mustard seed, rose petals & poppy seed
Confidence – fennel, thyme, turmeric & mullein

Because Touchstone Beads & Pendants are individually handmade and contain natural elements, some variations in size, color and texture are to be expected and should not be considered flaws.

To order, email juli@mockingbirdstudio.net.
Please specify your selection(s) in the email and include your shipping address.
Order must be paid through Paypal (ID is juli_mccarthy@yahoo.com) before order will be processed.

It has been A DAY

I got to have more Adventures of a Novice Landlady today. Had an appointment with the plumber, but got a call from a tenant telling me the furnace had gone out AGAIN. Ended up at the manse meeting two separate repair crews, on three floors.

The good news:

1. Tenant with nonfunctional tub drain somehow managed to fix it herself. From what I can gather, she just kept plunging it to drain it, and suddenly it was draining properly on its own. I suspect a hair clog. Plumber took a look, but he thinks it’ll be OK.  I was happy to demonstrate the new word I had learned in Spanish (bañera – bathtub).

2. I finally got all the damn door keys sorted. Each unit has two locks on the front door and a lock on the back door – plus, there is an exterior front door with two locks and an exterior back door with one lock. Fifteen locks I need to have to keys to, plus each tenant really should have two of each of the keys to their unit plus the exterior doors.  We need to replace a few not-quite-properly-functioning locks, but when all is said and done, there are going to be a whole lotta keys to keep straight!

3. The plumber was able to turn the claw foot tub in the smallest apartment into a tub with a SHOWER.

The bad news:  The furnace?: She is toast. We’re going to have to buy a new one. They’re coming to install it Monday morning at seven o’bloody clock. I had to equip the two affected units with space heaters to get them through the weekend. (Thank heavens only half the house is affected – the other half is boiler/radiator heated. I have no idea…)

The Guy had to go to downtown Chicago to give a work-related deposition, and one of his employees is having a major health crisis (there’s always ONE…) plus, you know, the costs from the crises at the manse. So HE had a crappy day too. When he got home, all he wanted was a beer, and I didn’t feel like cooking, so we treated ourselves to dinner out.

We’re having an early Thanksgiving with the Guy’s family on Saturday, for which I am making a gigantic lasagne, so I’ll be headed to the grocery store tomorrow. But first, I have a coffee date with my Uncle Mike, during which I can give him back his Elvis 78rpm record, which I matted and framed for him. With burgundy velvet and silver glitter mats :)