the girls are home

As Warner put it in his email, "The girls are home."

Yesterday we added 4 new members to our family, and no, we definitely are not giving them individual cutesy monikers. I can't bear to name something that I may eat in the future. They will collectively be known as The Ladies.

If I can remember correctly, starting with the yellow one and going clockwise we've got a Buff Orpington, Rhode Island Red, Barred Plymouth Rock, and a Black Australorp.

They seem pretty small at this point and Pink says they'll be about twice this size when they're done growing. Pretty sure sure they're all girls but I guess we'll find out.

Lynn and her Jack were nice enough to hook us up with the chicks and their old coop so we're pretty well set up. And our Jack is learning to say, "chicken," really well now.

In Defense of Food

Author: Michael Pollan
Category: Library

I allowed myself this early library read because the author will be speaking at CDC next Friday, March 20th. He is in town as the keynote speaker for the 12th Annual Georgia Organics Conference next weekend.

This book was nothing short of fascinating. Pollan discusses the Western Diet and how it has contributed to the slew of chronic diseases Americans now face (obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and on, and on, and on). But he also explains why this is the case. Some of it seems so obvious that I wonder why I never put some of these conclusions together myself. I almost feel ashamed.

Nonetheless, it is an extraordinarily enlightening book that makes complete sense on so many levels. I can't recommend this book highly enough, really. This book has the power to not only completely change how you view the food you eat and but how you eat it, too, in the best kind of way. It's a great, easy, quick read.

bloody gross

Marsha's Bloody Mary - its range is amazing. From festively kicking off your Sunday brunch to curing your worst hangover (I'm SO serious), her Bloody is the consummate warrior in the cyclical world of revelry and recovery. I'm convinced it's because of her "secret" ingredient, Clamato juice.

For those who are unfamiliar, it's a tomato juice cocktail with some undefined percentage of reconstituted clam juice. I agree that it doesn't sound appealing but it works, trust me. Nothing could be better.

But this? This is just blasphemy. Who could have thought this was a good idea? What kind of world are we living in?


Edit: Picture courtesy of Pink

FB to the rescue

I've always thought that years 24-26 were among the best of my life and if I could be any age forever it would be one of those. Young and carefree, as they say, with no real responsibility in life.

One of my volleyball players, several years ago, told me, "You're only as old as you act," which may explain why I still think I fall somewhere in that range. In my head I've yet to enter into my third decade. Somehow I still believe I'm relevant.

But as I approach my biological 34th birthday thank goodness I have Facebook to confirm what I always knew to be true anyway - that my real age is 26.

my crazy pink

This is too funny not to post. Sorry, Pink.

Sunday night. Watching the Oscars. Warner asleep on the other couch, as usual. Something startled the man (perhaps my squeal when R-Patz hit the stage) and he started mumbling and pointing at our glasses of water on the coffee table. I assumed he was asking me which one was his so I told him and that's where the conversation got interesting.

Pink: Just drink it!
Gena: Huh?
Pink: If that's what you're going to do then just drink them!
Gena (a little wary now but suppressing laughter): Dude, you need to wake up.
Pink: JUST DRINK IT!

At this point Pink gets up from the couch, grabs his full glass of water and throws it to the floor like Jack having a temper tantrum, and storms off to the bedroom. After cleaning up the water (glass didn't break, amazingly) I went to the back to see if he was awake at this point and all I got was the bathroom door slammed in my face.

Monday morning the man has zero recollection of any of this. Really.

Neuromancer

Author: William Gibson
Category: Acquisitions

I gave this book to my Dad for his birthday last year because I had read something about it being one of the greatest science fiction books ever written. For those who know my Dad, it's almost impossible to find a good science fiction novel that he hasn't already read. I thought I struck the jackpot with this one.

So after he finished he passed it on to me. Here's what I have to say about it.

I don't think I've read a book before where I reached the middle of the story and at that exact point (no sooner) was when I finally thought I might have some small minuscule idea of what the hell was going on. And then five pages later decided I was wrong and was still swimming on the fringe hoping the cool kids would let me in on the joke. What was happening, who were these people, WHERE were these people, and what language were they speaking?

After conferring with a friend of mine who regards this as one of his most favorite books ever, apparently that's how it's SUPPOSED to be. According to him, it's a reflection of the kind of fast-paced dream-like world the characters inhabit where they themselves have little idea about what is going on, who employs them, and what they're supposed to be doing. And oh yeah, I'll probably need to read it two or three more times to fully understand it.

Um, no thanks. Too many other books in the hopper to do that again.

I do have to say that by the end I think I know what the general point of the story was but am not entirely convinced it's one of the best science fiction books ever written. But then again, maybe I'm just stupid.

Reunion

Author: Alan Lightman
Category: Stacks

This was my first completed read for my 19 in 2009 quest. I've read five books of Lightman's published fiction, but definitely none of his published works on physics.

I think one of the reasons I like him so much is because he is first and foremost a scientist. His writings have such a nerdy comfortable feel for me. Reunion was no exception. He is masterful in showing how our memories can play tricks on us, or rather how we choose to remember things as we want, not as how they may have actually happened.

oh yeah

My friend, Connie, has her pic posted on Perez this morning. She's on the left. Craziness!