Nine New Books

Our big train trip is coming up. Do your realize we will be at The Jays game two weeks from tonight?

Since Dean Koontz beat up my Kobo I've been reading paper books - what a drag. I've also had a lot of book fails:

* Dean Koontz - seriously, where was my head?

* I started The Almost Moon, and put it down after 20 pages. A book about a woman who kills her mom? Nope.

* Tell it to the Trees - this was turning out to be really good, but it got caught in the crossfire in the Dean Koontz episode.

* I started another paper book today, but realized I probably won't finish it by the time we leave (next Sunday) so I'm putting it down.

I have to resurrect my Kobo.

I have NINE new books on there.

I haven't read Mary Higgins Clark and thought she might be worth trying on the train. I got this one for $3. If she is anything like Dean Koontz, please tell me.

I don't think I'll want to get into anything too heavy since there will be TONS of time to read. This eliminates The Book of Negroes and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Jonathan Swift is SUPER long so that one is out too. I'm not sure which one to open.

What do you think?

Edamame Toast

We aren't big 'meat and potato' dinner eaters. Sometimes our dinners are crackers, cheese, tomatoes and salami or something. Sometimes baked chicken, peas and rice. That's about as close as we get.

I found an interesting recipe a while ago and we tried it.

Holy. Crap. So Good.

When we were in Italy we bought a bottle of balsamic reduction. It's incredible, you only need a couple drops. If you're going to make this, PILE on the goat cheese. We've had this for dinner twice now.

And it looks pretty too.

Ropes

Tonight we had to move everything away from windows they are replacing. Brad no longer has a nightstand, I have about 8" between the bed and the wall and random furniture is now piled up in the living room. 

Someone else is going to have a much tougher time with all this than us....

(Brad always thought he was snuggling with him in this position. One day I snapped a photo to prove this is not the case.)

Our Bad Room Mate always comes to greet us when we come home - just like a dog. Today? He crawled out of the bathroom, super low to the ground - totally freaked out.

We quickly realized the contractor used the swing stage for the first time today so there are ropes hanging down past the balcony.

There are random things that scare Ziggy - the crack between the cushions on the couch, ripping plastic wrap off the roll and plastic bags to name a few.

But ropes? Ropes outside the windows are off the charts scary. So he put in a rough day underneath the bathroom cabinet.

Tomorrow they are actually coming in here to take blinds off most of our windows. Funny thing is, he will have a great time - enjoying their company, getting in the way the entire time and super curious to see what's going on. 

Unfortunately he will have to get used to the ropes because this is it - it's probably going to be a daily thing for a long time.

Salt Spring Island

My Mom and her friend Rhonda have been visiting this last week. We had the best time.

Yesterday we went to Salt Spring Island. In the summer there is a big outdoor craft/farmers market and it is worth the trip. The weather was also perfect - I love warm days when you can wear a t-shirt and feel completely comfy.

Brad and I went a little crazy - we both bought new t-shirts (his has a rhino on it!) and I couldn't resist the green one with the cat - ten bucks and so ugly it's cool! That cat screen print is gold people.

We bought a pretty container for olive oil and a pottery casserole dish. I'm seeing some kind of roasted marinaded chicken in there - I have to find a recipe.  I also bought a new pair of earrings.

We found real gelato over there and a pub where you can bring your own take-out food and sit on their patio. For real.

The salad (15 kinds of lettuce) and cheese we are eating tonight with a fresh baguette. We are already planning our next trip over there this summer - it's a half hour ferry ride from Victoria - what the hell?!

Drilling

"What drilling" you ask?

 Major construction at our place: replacing all of our exterior windows. Holy crap!

We rent a condo here, so aren't necessarily in the loop about what's happening. Tons of speculation going on over here. Once we saw the scaffolding go up on on the other side of our building we knew what we were in for.

Then one day last week we saw the mesh go up. Nooooo!! I was hoping against all logic that they wouldn't put that stuff up.

Today we got a notice that they are coming in to our place in a week to take the windows out. We think now that they are using a swing stage to get to our windows - which means no scaffolding on our side! (All the sides of the buildings are different.)

Solar Eclipse Fail

I don't know why I bother getting excited to see anything astronomical out here on the west coast.

The 70% solar eclipse started about 20 minutes ago and this is our weather. Oh - and it's been clear and sunny for a week before today.

We have the solar glasses and the best view of it from our balcony and everything!

The Book Sale

We went again.

In the weeks leading up to The Book Sale, I wasn't exactly in the market because I was (am) strongly into reading ebooks. Then my Kobo was beat up by Dean Koontz - one night before the book sale. I wonder if the universe is trying to tell me something.*

Brad had a list and I do love looking through books so I was excited to check it out this year. We didn't panic to get there early - once the drilling started** we quickly headed out.

Here is my stack, one of them (Blindness, thanks Citric!) is shared with Brad's pile. I've read The Thirteenth Tale (LOVED it) and the rest are new to me. I think I did well this year. The ereader really helps hold me back.

I bonded with a woman who also likes Anne-Marie McDonald so the trip was worth it just for that.

*It doesn't help that the day after The Book Sale Kobo announced that you can now buy ebooks on the iPad, something I've been waiting for.

**More on this soon.

Corrupted

Sometimes I need a break from reading novels, I get too emotional. Usually I turn to mysteries. 

This time I decided to try an author I didn't know anything about, had never read but had seen everywhere:

Dean Koontz.

Did you just cringe? Yeah. Anyway, I got one of his books from the library and started reading.

(Coincidentally that's when I started having nightmares.)

I forced myself to read on thinking 'it's experience" and I "just wanted to get through the book". Are you shaking your head at me now?

One night (at 2:30am no less) I was reading away and my Kobo froze. This has never happened. I was seriously alarmed. I rebooted it, plugged it in to the laptop, pushed the reset button on the back - nothing.

Finally I got it to respond but ever since it's sporadic and won't always turn off. I'm super sad because I love this thing to death and don't want to hate Kobo for making a device that dies 13 months after I buy it.

I blame Dean Koontz. He corrupted my Kobo! Now it has a twitchy eye and a broken arm, it's frightened and cowering in the corner. I think I just have to load some good books onto it and soothe it back into reality.

Confession

I have a confession to make.

I like baseball way more than hockey and I'm a Canadian.

I'll let that sink in and pause a moment while Citric removes my blog from her bookmarks.

I grew up watching hockey and baseball with my Grandpa so I have fond memories of both sports. Baseball just suits me better:

1. I love that you can sit in the sun, have a beer and a hot dog and have a good visit with your buddy while watching the game.

2. I like that the players wear belts.

3. There is no fighting.

4. I love how the game can change so quickly. If a team has a 4 point lead, the other team can tie the game in one play.

I'm so excited to go to the Jays game this summer. This time we are sitting on the third base side. Last time, we sat on the first base side. 

I'm already craving that hot dog and beer.

Scarves

I have an addiction.

I have never been able to get through winter without an outdoor scarf. I'm not sure why it took me so long to climb on the current scarf trend bandwagon. I don't go a day without one now. The thought of air on my neck - not happening.

The first one I bought was the plaid one on the far left. It was a bit of a mistake because I couldn't figure out how to tie it.

Then I found this website.

My favourite two are the chalky blue one with black bits and the light pink polka dot one on the far right. Those I bought in Florence. I kick myself daily for not buying at least 10 more of them - they were for sale everywhere and pretty cheap. Also, they are 50% silk which makes them light and airy - and so different from the rest of my scarves.

I have a feeling I might be wearing a few of these over the summer now. Not sure how many times I've mentioned how cold it is here over the summer?

Do you guys have the same addiction? I hope the trend never ends.