Vacation - Day 4

I may have slept for ten hours last night and still had a a nap that was at least an hour long...I feel rested.

But, I did eventually wake up and get out the door. It was a beautiful sunny day and we drove to the southern end of the island to a snorkeling beach. (just as a side note, I don't include the names of any places because if you thought I was bad at spelling English words, I'm even worse with Hawaii words. Seriously, I don't even attempt to say them...I call it the a- beach, or that store after the valley with all the trees. It's like when I go to ethnic restraunts and just point to the menu item instead of trying to pronounce something hard like chipotle.)

Anyway, the snorkeling was good, pretty fish...got a little sun. Then we ate lunch at this sketchy little hole in the wall place that had good pork and cabbage. It started to get a little overcast so we headed to our sunny northern end of the island. Stacey still wanted to boogie board, but I had had my fill od beaches. ( I can only convince myself for so long that sand is not dirt and that I am not totally bugged by being covered in it...it's just icky.)

So, a had my little nap and read some more of Wuthering Bites. ( which is pretty good...the plot and characters of withering heights make so much more sense with vampires mixed in.)

The. Dinner....catch up on a little castle and I just received an invite to church tomorrow from Stacey who is learning to set up an event invitation :)

Well, that's about it. We have also been thinking and praying for little Hannah and are so glad to hear she is doing well and will get to home soon!

Vacation - Day 3

This has been an amazingly beautiful day on Kauai! We rented a movie from red box last night...Iron Man 2 ...and we were both asleep 15 minutes into the thing...that would be at 9 o'clock. Kinda sad but also kinda amazing since I slept until about 6. Eventually we did get up, though and prepared for a day at the beach.

Seriously, it was gorgeous! We drove with the top down all day!

We went boogie boarding for a few hours and met a cute little local girl who would do summersaults over the waves. Then we went to another beach to go snorkeling. It was my first time and it was fantastic! I saw an eel, and a long thin stick fish thingy, and schools of beautiful tropical fish.

Then we went to see the lighthouse and have lunch at a little cafe. I had garlic fries and they were really good...I can still taste them...the garlic was REALLY strong. Obviously, it was then time for a short nap.

Before it started to get dark we went to Ke'e beach...straight out of South Pacific....if I didn't hate that song so much I would have sung it...the closest I got was humming a few bars of 'happy talky-talk'.

I did manage to take a few pictures...I'll post them when i get home. :)

Vacation - Day 2

So, at this point, no pictures. Partly because I'm blogging from my iPad and I haven't figured out how to add pictures on it and partially because we keep forgetting to take our camera with us whenever we leave the house.

Well it rained all night and we had a moment this morning when we were a bit frustrated with the obstacle that might be to our vacation. However, it has actually been a fantastic day...a little damp but we still put the top down on the mustang...just for a few minutes, but still. Anyway we went to walmart and then to a grocery store. Then we took naps. :)

While that may sound like a lame morning, it was fantastic because it's truly beautiful here and it's fantastically warm. I love it!

After my nap, we went for a little walk to the Queen's Bath. It was a short little hike, but the trail was so wet that we probably won't be doing much more hiking at all. We got down to the rocky shore and found a big rock slab with etched tally marks representing all the people who have died on the cliffs we were on (28). But we were there at low tide and it wasn't too dangerous. What it was was beautiful!

Anyway, that's about it. We had dinner and are back home relaxing. Hopefully there will be snorkeling tomorrow!

Vacation Day 1

The big news of the day is that the sale of my home is finally final! Hooray!!! I'm homeless!

Also, I'm in Hawaii! Stacey and I have had a lovely day traveling. In case you were not aware, it's cold in Utah. So, the minute I entered the airport, I removed my inadequate jacket and shoved it into my suitcase. We had decided to just check one bag between the two of us and as we checked in, we were surprised and delighted to find that Stacey had a free checked bag because..well we don't actually know why...but we still embraced the opportunity. That was travel miracle numbero uno.

Then we flew a long ways and I successfully avoided having to use the airplane bathroom....they freak me out. We watched 'life as we knew it' as our in flight movie. It was cute....Josh what's his name is a hottie.

Then we arrived in Hawaii. The car rental place gave us vacation miracle number two when they didn't have our compact car available and I am now driving around the island in a blue mustang convertible. Im feeling pretty sporty!

Now we are in a beautiful little condo watching a movie on a comfy non-wicker couch (our one vacation rental requirement) watching knight and day.

I wish you were here.

Why I'm a Compulsive Reader

I would like to offer this explanation of why I read so much. I can't help it.

Seriously, it's an occupational hazard. What happens is this, I'm at work, minding my own business, just buying new books for the library when I run across book titles like the ones listed below. Now, you tell me if you don't just really want to read a few of them...

How Many Friends Does One Person Need? Dunbar's Number and Other Evolutionary Quirks

by R.I.M. Dunbar

Evidently...you can only have 150 friends. I can't help but want to know why...and then mentally count up who my 150 friends are...(they certainly include anyone who actually reads and comments on my silly little blog)

The Secret Life of Your Cat: Unlock the Mysteries of your Pet's Behavior

by Vicky Hall

I don't actually want to read this...I don't really understand wanting a pet, let alone wanting to understand your pet. But I still think it's a great title for a book.

Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Frontlines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture

by Peggy Orenstein

I MUST read this book. The title is amazing and the whole idea just screams to be investigated.

The Man Whisperer: A Gentle, Results-Oriented Approach to Communication

by Donna Sozio

Does this book remind anyone of a little movie titled "When a Man Answers"? I have no intention to read this book...but, again, it still intrigues a little.

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating

by Elisabeth Tova Balley

I am reading this book right now and it is pretty good. Not as good as it's title, but that is really close to being the best title I've seen in months...ever since "Here's Looking at Euclid".

Science of Kissing: What Our Lips are Telling Us

by Sheril Kirshenbaum

Don't laugh...I am sooo excited to read this book! It "explores the act of kissing from a scientific perspective, from the history of kissing to how it differs in different cultures to the effects of lip gloss..." Good stuff, eh?

The Pot and How to Use It: The Mystery and Romance of the Rice Cooker

by Roger Ebert

I'm totally not making that up!

Creative Paper Jewerly

by Dafna Yarom

I...um...don't know what to say. I didn't know there was paper jewelry...and I don't actually intend to find out about it....but look at that necklace!

Atlas of Remote Islands: Fifty Islands I Have Never Set Foot and Never Will

by Judith Schalansky

Totally sounds like my kind of travel book! Learn all about a beautiful new place without having to deal with all the sand and sunburns.

Moby-Duck: The True Story of 28,800 Bath Toys Lost at Sea and of the Beachcombers, Oceanographers, Environmentalists, and Fools,

Including the Author

by Donovan Hohn

Love it. Totally makes me think of another book I really wanted to read this year and never got around to..."Slow Death by Rubber Duck: The Secret Da

nger of Everyday Things".

We, Robot: Skywalker's Hand, Blade Runner, Iron Man, Slutbots, and How Fiction Became Fact

by Mark Stephen Meadows

Brilliant title...but the reviews didn't actually make it sound all that interesting. The title is a bit misleading.

Well, anyway there are just a few books that caught my eye this past week. I probably won't get around to reading most of them...but I want to, and that is what keeps the pile of books by my bed so tall. And keep in mind, these are just the nonfiction books, fiction titles can be just as good...like say "Dukes to the Left of Me, Princes to the Right."

But I think I've made my point.

Book Reviews...I'm Way Behind!!

So, I haven't kept up on this, so I thought I'd catch up tonight. I haven't LOVED anything recently...but I've read some good stuff and some dumb stuff. More complete reviews at: http://provolibrarystaffreviews.blogspot.com/search/label/CZ

Blind Descent by James Tabor

If you don't have claustrophobia before reading it...you will after.

Defending Angels by Mary Stanton

Silly supernatural mystery book...total waste of my time.

Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman

Not squeaky clean, but I really liked it and would recommend it.

I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman

Seriously fascinating novel about a girl kidnapped by a serial killer.

Roses by Leila Meacham

Not bad but its plot was a little too much like a soap opera for me.

Thin, Rich, and Pretty by Beth Harbison

Kinda annoying and really pointless.

Earth (the book) by Jon Stewart

He's funny...inappropriate, but funny.

Maybe This Time by Jennifer Cruise

I really loved this quick little piece of chick lit.

A Secret Kept by Tatiana De Rosnay

Not nearly as good as her 'Sarah's Key' that I read last year.

Proofiness by Charles Seife

This book convinced me...as if I wasn't convinced already...that statistics presented by politicians, reporters, and corporations are all complete crap.

Women, Food, and God by Geneen Roth

Some parts presented interesting insight into addictive behavior..but the rest was too much like the last yoga class I attended...I have no idea what it means to "center yourself in your core."

Rich Boy by Sharon Pomerantz

I didn't like this book...almost as much as I really didn't like the protagonist. I haven't wanted to reach into a novel and strangle a character so much in a long time.

Naked Heat by Richard Castle

A novel spin-off from the ABCs Castle...not great literature...but it's fun anyway.

Great House by Nicole Krauss

Huge disappointment. I loved "A History of Love" and this was just great writing with a really lame story.

Sisters from Hardscrabble Bay by Beverly Jensen

Just strange...and depressing.

Colorado Kid by Stephen King

Strange story, but a great taste of King's amazing writing without the gore or freakiness.

Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton

This was a great psychological thriller...well not thriller, thriller....but it was still a page-turner.

Oh, No She Didn't by Clinton Kelly

100 fashion faux pas..only a few of which made me start freaking out...he tried to convince me to throw away my hoodies...I still believe they are appropriate sometimes. It's cold and they are comfy!!

I'll Mature When I'm Dead by Dave Barry

He's still funny!

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton

Really not as good as 'The Forgotten Garden', but I liked it.

The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Heidi Durrow

Short book that really stuck in my head. Terribly well written.

The Wave by Susan Casey

Tow surfing sounds like the scariest thing ever....I'll stick to boogie boarding.

The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean

Science is crazy...scientists are crazier!!

At Home by Bill Bryson

Bryson is always brilliant. He's the king of the tangents and I love him for it!

The Hand that First Held Mine by Maggie O'Farrell

A surprisingly tender tribute to motherhood.

Okay...that's it! I'm too tired to add cover art...I doubt anyone will actually read all this anyway :)

Halloween at the Library

I experience scary moments in the library year round. But this Halloween brought a couple of special treats.

First, a story about me and a little old man who likes to hang out at the library all day. He seriously looks like this old man from the Pixar short.

Old Man: Do you dress up for Halloween?
Carla: Not usually.
Old Man: You should dress up as a cat.
Carla: Excuse me?
Old Man: It would be perfect for you. Just draw on a little nose and some whiskers.
Carla: Um...interesting. I'll keep that in mind.

Well, needless to say, I didn't dress up as a cat. And I kinda forgot about the interaction as one of those quirky conversations I so often find myself in. (Right after this one...some guy came up and told me I looked ill. But at least I didn't look tired...right?)

Anyway, yesterday the little old man returned for an encore...

Old Man: Did you dress up as a cat?
Carla: No. I didn't.
Old Man: Why not? You would make a perfect pussy cat.
Carla: Um...I'm not really sure how to take that. I'm not really a cat person.
Old Man: Oh...not a cat. A pussy cat.
Carla: Meaning....?
Old Man: Well a cat that doesn't scratch or bite...just rubs up against your leg purring.
Carla: (speechless)

First of all, if you know me at all...you know my personality is so far from a "pussy cat" this whole story is frankly hysterical. And second, it's creepy...right?

Moving on.

I did actually dress up for Halloween, but only because I pretty much had to for work. We presented our first ever Teen Book Fest and had YA author extraordinaire Scott Westerfeld as a keynote speaker. The event was fantastic and we had over 800 people there.

The only downside was that I did have to dress up. So, for weeks before the event, I spent hours putting together my costume. I had the pith helmet already and just built the steampunk (Westerfeld's latest books are all steampunk) costume around that.

Anyway, it turned out really well. The most impressive part...I sewed the shirt, vest, and pants all by myself (with a little help from my mother on the pants and the button holes...'cause she loves me). Seriously...you're impressed aren't you...I know I am.

I kinda consider myself a 4-H success story since I haven't really sewn clothing since high school...just crafty stuff which I think is totally easier. (And I don't count the Von Trapp costumes as sewing....I didn't even use a pattern on those and they barely held together for the ward party.)