My cat always stared our snakes down, and if we got them out she would stalk them, like a leopard in tall grass. We kept an injured speckled king snake for a little while, we had the milk snake, and we had an orange king snake from Florida. We re-released the king snake into the wild, but the other 2 escaped--not just from their terrariums, but from our house as well. I was greatly saddened by McSnakey's death, but after the second escape, I just don't want another one until we have a lot of time to devote to them (and ensuring they can't escape, especially since our interest lies in the climbing snakes). I know someone who breeds exotic ball pythons--the variations are insane! Some are white, some yellow and orange. They're beautiful. I can feed my turtles insects, but I just can't ever bear to feed anything live mice, and our past snakes ate the frozen pinkies that you thaw out. (This guy who breeds them feeds his snakes live rats and removes their teeth with pliers prior to each feeding--that's horrible!) But his snakes sell for $2,000 and up. We are incredibly excited about building our home in 3-10 years. The site is on a mountain, and Andy's going to install an irrigation system, which will attract lots of reptiles and amphibians. We're going to go catch some anoles, salamanders and other local snakes and release them around us--create sort of a little habitat for them. (We'll keep the cat inside--we may have a problem when we get dogs.) I always picture walking outside and spotting various things, which would be awesome. We live in a neighborhood right now, so we don't see much here.Let me know when you're ready to start discussing Wind-up.
I'm seriously thinking about joining. I would love to discuss Juv lit with kids. Work has been hectic. The Frankfurt International Book Fair starts up next Wednesday. Last minute schedule and binder fixes have me going crazy. HH
In2books sounds amazing. Tell me more about it. How long have you been doing it? I went to register and saw that they take credit card information for your background check. That makes me wary - is it worth it? Reading nothing that is making me all that happy. Trying to get through Eragon and Eldest for a second time so I can read Brisingr. Reading Middlesex and I'm not all that fond of it. And my 10 year old cousin suggested Diary of a Wimpy Kids - it's awesome!
The English major in me cringes at how I worded that last entry. Argh, why am I proofreading?!
Don't take too long or I'll lose even more of my memory on those first 8 chapters! (Actually, take your time . . . I gotta finish Anna Karenina!)I have one of those lists. To me, that's what makes reading so fun, knowing you'll never accomplish it all. Because if you did you'd have to sign up for a new hobby, and it probably wouldn't be so enlightening (or traumatic to the eyes).I CAN'T believe you have a pet snake!! I love snakes, reptiles in general, but I feel like snakes are so wrongfully misunderstood. Sure, there are poisonous ones out there--just learn how to differentiate and don't piss those off! But all the others are so harmless, and many are sweet-tempered. I get so angry because of all the people I here of who murder every snake they see, ascribing some kind of evil to them.What kind of snake is yours (or is it Dominic's)? A local or pet store specimen? We had a snake just after we married, an Eastern milk snake, one of the most docile species around here, but being a climbing snake, she pushed off her weighed-down cage and departed from our home. We found her lying dead in our driveway with a wound we believe she sustained from her exit. McSnakey was her name. May she rest in peace.
Just dropping by to say hello, see how you are and what you are reading. HH
I am only through Chapter 8. I'm still trying to knock out Anna Karenina. Let me just tell you--Dostoyevsky is inferior to Tolstoy in my opinion.The kitten is searching for a new home. He has caused my other cat to resort to terrible things, such as anorexia, lack of self-bathing and running away (3 times). His name is Malcolm; my original cat is Mona.My weekend was excellent. Yours?
OMG, the weekend? We just adopted a kitten (he actually adopted us), and he had a serious flea problem, which he passed along to my other cat. We had the shampoo out and everything.But overall, the weekend was great. No ER trips or anything.
Wind-Up is pretty addictive; so far the best Murakami I've read, but I've been neglecting it for Anna Karenina, which is also addictive. I'm holding off of Wind-Up for you.I'm great! And everybody else is great. Jake had a little accident a week or so ago--well, actually it was Daddy's fault. He was holding him in one arm while bending down and checking the bathwater temperature for him when he jerked back and busted his cheek open on the edge of the tub. Fortunately he did not need stitches--they used glue, and it's amazing how much it's healed. There won't be a scar. Yep, that was a fun trip to the Pediatric ER. Good times.How's Dominic and the wife? (I'm not asking about you because I don't care--j/k) And you?
Have you ever read the book or seen the movie of Stephen King's The Langoliers? If so you may be able to imagine what it is like to work in an empty abandoned airport terminal. Spooky! I never knew the escalator made so much noise. Otherwise the silence in my office is deafening! LOL!How are your book pen pals? What a cool project!
So you started Parable of the Talents, eh? What about The Wind-up Bird Chronicle?!
Thanks for joining the Economy Watch group. Glad to see you dive straight to the discussions. See you around there!
I'm actually planning on attending medical school at Johns Hopkins next fall. I love Baltimore, too. My sister and were born there, and my dad still lives there. Though I think he moved out of the city proper. It's a great town.
That's what I do. Someone walked in as I was writing feverishly and gave me the 'you are such a dork' look. I've not read anything but Anna Karenina. I absolutely loved it and I can't wait to read more. I'll be starting W&P '09 with another Shelfarian if you want to jump on. We won't be going fast and are basically reading together so as to form a support group since it is such a long one.
Ok, I'm having major case of book ADD. I have bookmarks in Brother, I'm Dying by Edwidge Danticat, Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, Wildseed by Octavia Butler and The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold. And then I bought 6 books this week, 4 from a used bookstore. lol. I cannot resist a good deal. Marc, you knit?? Awww, bless your lil' heart:) lol. Don't break any bones skateboarding. You know we start gettin' old and fragile once we hit 30 (of which I am less than a month shy. Oh dearie. lol)lmfao! window shopping at the cemetary? lol. Oh no, granny didn't come to the cemetary with us. Good thing she didn't, cus the limo broke down on the highway on the way there. We thought the muffler fell off but we had a blow out cus some other car part punctured one of the tires. It was just a hot mess. Two limos, a bunch of folks and a hearst stranded on the side of the highway in the rain. lol. A bad sitcom is what it was. We got a back up limo, but something was wrong with the the steering wheel so the driver had to practically hug it during the entire trip so it wouldn't vibrate all over the place. A hot mess! lol. And my granny doesn't do well at cemetaries. Ya know she once fell into a grave. Uh uh, I'll keep her as far away as possible till it is absolutely necessary. lol. LOL@ lil' Dominic. I have images of him just sitting there plotting how to ring your bells! At least you'll get a brief reprieve. Wait untiil he gets into the pre-teen "all adults are dumb and get on my nerves" phase. lol.Went to see the inlaws huh? Good thing you guys had a way to escape and weren't stranded in the middle of nowhere. In-laws andrelatives will have you saying hail marys and asking "what would Jesus do?" all day long. I'm currently on the run from my family. lol.
Hi Marc:Congratulations on parenting a 6 year old son! Does that mean he is going into 1st grade or into kindergarten? Six year-olds are a really fun stage of life, albeit somewhat exhausting at times! I'm impressed that you can find time to read, ride and parent . . . you must be very disciplined!I completely agree about bike commuting. I try to ride my bike into work at least once a week when it's not raining (SF doesn't get snow or other such uglies). I belong to the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition which is doing a wonderful job of getting more bike routes established for commuting purposes. I ride a road bike, but have been seriously considering a mountain bike for trail rides, plus an added safety factor when riding in the city during rainy months.With regards to my reading list, I have got into a "2-tiered" rut: some I actively read a few books every day, and others I read only when I get the time, or desire. The latter is probably not preferable, as it sometimes takes months, even years to finish a book! But that's what seems to work for me. Just curious, are you currently reading anything that you could recommend?Best wishes,Scott
Hi Marc:Thanks for your kind note. However you probably wouldn't want to hang out with an old goat like me :) Yes, I'm a native "left-coaster," born & schooled in Berkeley, having lived in San Francisco since the 70's (I really am over 30!). How about you? And I truly am an outdoors addict! Sounds like you are too! What kind of biking do you prefer? Road, mountain, both?Thanks for the Calvino tips, e.g. If On a Winter's Night a Stranger and Marcovaldo. I really enjoyed Baron in the Trees; my favorite Baron quote, "My brother considers . . . that anyone who wants to see the earth properly must keep himself at a necessary distance from it.'" Hurray to those sentiments! I want to go climb a tree!!Best wishes,Scott
Hi Marc: Thank-you for your Shelfari friendship request; I'm honored! I noticed that you like Wislawa Szymborska? I think her poetry is fantastic! I'm also a big fan of Italo Calvino, however I've not read as many novels by Calvino as you have (only Invisible Cities & Baron in the Trees). I'm very much looking forward to hearing about what you're reading, and gaining your opinions about what you've read!Best wishes,Scott
I completely agree with your sentiments regarding Górecki's Symphony No.3! Have you listened to Arvo Pärt's Für Alina? You'll want to weep!!Best wishes,Scott