Katiekrug Reads and Reads and Reads Some More - Part 9

CURRENTLY READING
(Kindle) (Audio)

Hi All!

For anyone new to my thread, I'm Katie: reader, wine drinker, food appreciator, shenanigan-ator, and non-sufferer of fools. I live outside New York City with my husband, "The" Wayne, our cat, Leonard, and our dog Nuala/Noodles. I work as a senior governance manager for a non-profit engineering association, which used to be fun because I got to travel and now is just a big pile of meh.

Here's to a great, or at least an improved, new year!

Books Completed

Books Off My Shelf: 15
Books Off My Kindle: 20
Books from Audible: 4
Library Loans: 9

May
48. Normal People by Sally Rooney (audio) (4 stars)
47. A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught (3 stars)
46. The New Yorkers by Cathleen Schine (4.25 stars)
45. How to Break a Dragon's Heart by Cressida Cowell (audio) (3.5 stars)
44. On the Way to the Wedding by Julia Quinn (3 stars)
43. Darkside by Belinda Bauer (4 stars)
42. Another Kind of Life by Catherine Dunne (3 stars)
41. Eat Cake. Be Brave. by Melissa Radke (audio) (3 stars)
40. Lord the One You Love is Sick by Kasey Thornton

April
Favorite:
39. Unleashing Mr. Darcy by Teri Wilson (3.5 stars)
38. Stories from Suffragette City by Various Authors (3.5 stars)
37. The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare (4 stars)
36. Lean on Pete by Willy Vlautin (4.5 stars)
35. The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side by Agatha Christie (3.5 stars)
34. The Crucible by Arthur Miller (audio) (4.5 stars)
33. The Vanishing Point by Mary Sharratt (4 stars)
32. Pride and Promiscuity by Arielle Eckstut and Dennis Ashton (2 stars)
31. Island of the Lost by Joan Druett (4 stars)
30. It's In His Kiss by Julia Quinn (4 stars)
29. The Secret River by Kate Grenville (4 stars)

March
Favorite:
28. Dodgers by Bill Beverly (4.5 stars)
27. The Rogue of Fifth Avenue by Joanna Shupe (3.5 stars)
26. Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton (3 stars)
25. Cannery Row by John Steinbeck (4 stars)
24. Shit, Actually by Lindy West (3.5 stars)
23. Difficult Women by Roxane Gay (4 stars)
22. Anywhere for You by Abbie Greaves (3.5 stars)
21. Fat Chance by Nick Spalding (3.5 stars)
20. Memory in Death by J.D. Robb (3.5 stars)
19. Passing by Nella Larsen (3.5 stars)
18. Love by Toni Morrison (4 stars)

February
Favorite:
17. The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver (4.5 stars)
16. The Blood of Emmett Till by Timothy B. Tyson (4 stars)
15. The Weirdies by Michael Buckley (audio) (4.5 stars)
14. The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey by Walter Mosley (4.25 stars)
13. Heaven, My Home by Attica Locke (4 stars)
12. Paradise by Toni Morrison (4.25 stars)
11. Emperor of the Air by Ethan Canin (3.5 stars)
10. When They Call You a Terrorist by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and Asha Bandele (4 stars)
9. Blessings by Anna Quindlen (4.5 stars)

January
Favorite:
8. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (2.75 stars)
7. Triangle by David Von Drehle (4 stars)
6. New Boy by Tracy Chevalier (3.5 stars)
5. 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl by Mona Awad (audio) (4 stars)
4. Siracusa by Delia Ephron (4.5 stars)
3. Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls (4 stars)
2. One By One by Ruth Ware (3.5 stars)
1. Jazz by Toni Morrison (3.75 stars)

Did Not Finish
1. Waterland by Graham Swift
2. Adequate Yearly Progress by Roxanne Elden
3. The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon
4. Chasing Shakespeares by Sarah Smith
5. Dear Girls by Ali Wong



My Ratings (revised, once again, as I continue the fruitless search for the perfect scale...)

2 stars = Whyyyyyy?
3 stars = Eh, ok.
4 stars = Definitely worth the time.
5 stars = Perfect *for me*

(Anything below 2 stars is unlikely to be finished)

Welcome!

Happy new thread, Katie!

Thank you, Mary!

Happy new thread, Katie! Can I substitute chocolate for wine for my "tasting"?

>7 MickyFine: - Of course you can, Micky! But only cuz you're one of my favorites :)

>8 katiekrug: Aww thanks. I'll even let you have a piece if you want.

>4 katiekrug: One, six...it's all MYOB as long as it's also BYOB.

Happy new thread, Katie!

>4 katiekrug: And if you add cheese and crackers, it's dinner.

Wow! Another thread. You just keep on truckin'.

>4 katiekrug: :)
Happy new thread, Katie.

Happy New Thread, Katie!

>4 katiekrug: Love it!

Happy new one!

Ooh, short new thread! Jumping on that, I am. So FAR behind. Hi, Katie!

Happy new thread, Katie.

Happy new thread, Katie.
I could do wine tasting, but I do not understand the spitting thing. I will be unsophisticated and drink my wine if that alright with you.

Happy new thread, Katie!

Happy New Thread!

>9 MickyFine: - You are too kind!

>10 richardderus: - Heh.

>11 karenmarie: - Thank you, Karen!

>12 laytonwoman3rd: - My favorite kind of dinner!

>13 weird_O: - Well, I'm no Amber but I do my best...

>14 BLBera: - Thank you, Beth!

>15 msf59: - Thanks, Mark! I assume you'd prefer a flight of beers, which can be arranged :)

>16 drneutron: - Thanks, Jim!

>17 ronincats: - Hi Roni!

>18 figsfromthistle: - Thank you, Anita!

>19 Helenliz: - The spitting is not mandatory. I've done lots of wine tastings and only spit once (a really awful chardonnay).

>20 scaifea: - Thanks, Amber!

>21 SandDune: - Thank you, Rhian!

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood! (Fun fact: I hate Mr. Rogers...)

I finished up my book this morning while drinking my coffee - more on that later.

Last night, we had blackened chicken and penne (HelloFresh) for dinner and then I destroyed The Wayne in MarioKart. I went to bed a little early to finish my book, but didn't manage to stay awake long enough :-P

The work agenda is pretty loosey-goosey. I have nothing super pressing to do, which means I'll probably goof off too much and regret it later. It's how I roll...

Hope you all have a good day!

(Fun fact: I hate Mr. Rogers...) Okay, I need details.

>25 scaifea: I endorse the remarks of the previous poster. I feel a cultural reference has just wafted over my head like a bird in flight.

>25 scaifea: Same! >24 katiekrug: feels like sacrilege somehow.

>25 scaifea:, >26 Helenliz:, and >27 lauralkeet: - Well, it shouldn't be surprising. You all KNOW I'm a Terrible Person. But he was so smarmy and goody-goody and moralizing. As a child, I found it incredibly boring and then as I got older, my contrariness took over and because everybody just luuuuurves him so much, I decided I hated him. See? Terrible Person.

>28 katiekrug: back up a step, who's Mr Rogers? And why do others think that they should like him?
On the limited information so far, I'm with you. Holding contrary opinions is good for you. No sheeple here.

Oh, no! I didn't mean that to be judgey at all! I was just curious how you came to loathe him. I didn't watch it as a kid (we didn't get PBS out in the sticks) and only know him from Charlie watching when *he* was little. I don't get a smarmy moralizing vibe from him (and I'm usually super-sensitive and -resistant to that sort of thing), but if you do, then you do, and I don't blame you for not liking him if you do.

ETA: I needed details because I kind of love the idea of someone having such a strong, negative reaction to Mr. Rogers. It's interesting and cool and kind of funny. Apparently I love Terrible People because they're more interesting than the other kind...

>29 Helenliz: - Helen, he had a kids show for decades where Important Lessons were imparted through puppets and his magic cardigan. Tom Hanks recently starred in a movie about him.

Here is the show opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQS3JGqx46U

>30 scaifea: - I didn't think you were being judgey at all! No worries.

ETA: I love your edit :)

>31 katiekrug: Gulp. You are entirely forgiven. That's really rather freaky.

>32 Helenliz: - Ha!

I get why Mr. Rogers was important for so many people but don't have any attachment to him as we didn't have cable growing up and that was the only way to get PBS in Canada. However if you throw shade at Mr. Dressup then I'll throw down. ;)

>34 MickyFine: - I dunno, Micky. They seem awfully similar....

Darkside by Belinda Bauer

This is my 4th (5th? Too lazy to look it up...) novel by Bauer, who writes smart, compelling crime fiction, and it was another winner. It's set in the same landscape as the first book of hers I read (and still my favorite), Blacklands, and the events from that book are alluded to but Darkside can stand on its own. Jonas Holly is the local policeman, responsible for a few remote villages around Exmoor - he grew up there and has returned to allow him to care for his wife, who has MS. When a local woman is murdered in her bed, Jonas has to play second fiddle to "real" cops who come to investigate. And then another person dies. And this quiet village roils with tension, suspicion, and fear.

It's all very well done and makes for compelling reading. I don't want to say more lest I give too much away, but if you like good crime fiction, I recommend it. I look forward to the follow-up, Finders Keepers which is sitting patiently on my shelf.

4 stars

I read Bauer's Booker nominated Snap and thought it was really good. Thanks, I think, for putting her back on my radar....

>37 vivians: - You're welcome, Vivian *grin* I really liked Snap, too. I still have a few more of hers to read, including her latest.

>36 katiekrug: Kaaatiiieee *grumble*

and it's a series no less

>39 richardderus: - It's a trilogy! So not too bad :)

Oh no. Another crime series. (sob)

>41 ffortsa: - It's not a series! Just a trilogy - very easy commitment :)

>30 scaifea: Apparently I love Terrible People because they're more interesting than the other kind...

I'm grateful every day for this particular "quirk" of yours, Amber. ;-)

>36 katiekrug: STOP READING GOOD BOOKS, KATIE!!!!!

Thank you.

>43 rosalita: - Same!

>44 rosalita: - NO!

>45 katiekrug: HMPH!

>46 rosalita: - You'll thank me later.

Nah, you're not a terrible person Katie. Like Amber, I was just surprised by the strength of your reaction. Fred Rogers' show was aimed at preschoolers/kindergartners but I was already in school when it first aired. So whenI was growing up I knew him best as the subject of parody by Eddie Murphy in the early days of SNL -- hilarious and probably easily found on YouTube.

But then ... my husband worked for the Philadelphia PBS affiliate for several years, and through him I came to appreciate Rogers as a fundamentally decent human being. I haven't seen the Tom Hanks film but highly recommend the documentary, Won't You be my Neighbor.

/dismount Fred Rogers tribute soapbox

>48 lauralkeet: - Yes! I love that Eddie Murphy parody!

I don't deny he was a good, decent person. Doesn't mean I want to spend a lot of time in his company :)

That's because you're not 4, Katie. HA.

True. But I also didn't when I was the target age... But I've always been a bit of an old soul, so...

>51 katiekrug: I was eight when it debuted. Mama asked me to watch one and sat with me for an episode...when it was over, she said not a word, just turned Looney Tunes back on and walked away.

End of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood chez nous. I found it again years later...perfect nappytimes voice, ol' Fred.

>43 rosalita: *snork!!*

>30 scaifea: scaifea: Apparently I love Terrible People because they're more interesting than the other kind...

Come on, Amber. You don't love terrible people. Do you love yer Senator Portman? Yer Rep. Gym Jordan? Mitch McConnell? A certain former president? Do you root for The Empire? Or the Nazis? Is Derek Chauvin your idea of the Ideal Cop? I'm betting you have no love any of them.

Please.

Did we already do the Kindlesale on Poirot Investigates for 99¢?

>54 weird_O: I'm talking about Katie's definition of Terrible People, of course.

Hmmm I'm not sure four year olds are even crazy about Mr. Rogers Katie. At least based on my own two children and my grandchildren, none of whom could tolerate the show 🤷‍♀️

Hi Katie!

>28 katiekrug: and etc. Nah, not Terrible. Just Contrary. I was 15 when MisterRoger’s Neighborhood made its national debut in the US in 1968, don’t remember it then but love watching it occasionally even now. Even if it’s an illusion, I think of him as a gentle soul. Sesame Street was great when I watched it in 1969-1970 but it, like Disney, is now absolutely everywhere and I’m tired of even seeing any of the characters. Jenna wouldn’t watch Sesame Street when she was little AT ALL, but I don't remember if I showed her MisterRogers and she didn't like it or didn't even think of showing it to her. And I must be a Terrible Person Contrary for not wanting to see Tom Hanks play Tom Hanks playing MisterRogers.

>36 katiekrug: This sounded promising, so I did a bit of clicking to look for the first in the series, which turns out to be on my shelves. I have absolutely no memory of buying it 2 years ago. As my MiL used to say, “I miss my mind.”

>58 karenmarie: not wanting to see Tom Hanks play Tom Hanks playing MisterRogers.

Ha! I'm a member of that Contrary Person club too, Karen.

Hi Katie!

>54 weird_O: Thank you for that, Bill. Contary some of us may be, but nobody here deserves "terrible", even from their own mouths.

>52 richardderus: - Better nap time voice than Bob Ross?!?!

>53 scaifea: - :)

>54 weird_O: - We're just kidding around!

>55 richardderus: - Nope - I will go check it out.

>56 scaifea: - I knew what you meant :)

>57 brenzi: - Those are some discerning kids and grandkids, Bonnie *grin*

>58 karenmarie: - Sesame Street was okay, but I wasn't a big fan. I did like The Electric Company and 3-2-1 Contact. And all things Muppets, especially Fozzie the Bear.

I highly recommend Blacklands - excellent crime novel.

>59 lauralkeet: - Hi Laura!

>60 laytonwoman3rd: - Tongue firmly in cheek, Linda!

I got walloped at the gym yesterday with a new routine on the TRX - it's all body weight stuff and straps. I sweated like a pig, which is always good :) We came home and made a tasty black bean soup for dinner and didn't do much of anything else. But I slept like a baby, so that was good.

Work today is more of the same, plus my weekly meeting with my boss, which means I'll be putting on real clothes.

I'm reading On the Way to the Wedding, the last in my re-read of the Bridgerton series. It's okay so far. It is not one of my favorites but still better than a lot of the genre. And I'm still listening to How to Break a Dragon's Heart.

In other news, we have tickets for An Event Saturday night! Woot! There is a winery about an hour away that has live music and food trucks on Saturday nights, so we'll be heading out there. Still deciding if we want to go early for a wine tasting first - I am slightly hesitant about leaving the dog alone for that long, but we're going to have to at some point now that we are comfortable Doing Things again...

Can we start discussing "Barney and His Friends" now?

I actually knew people who worked on the show and I could never stomach it.

I Hate you, You Hate Me
Let's go out and kill Barney
And a shot rang out and Barney hit the floor.
No more purple dinosaur.

>63 magicians_nephew: I was waiting for someone to bring that up!

>63 magicians_nephew: and >64 laytonwoman3rd: - Surely we can all agree that Barney is The Worst!

I'm late to the party, but wishing you a happy new thread anyway. I like you identifying your favorite book of the month in your list of what you've read.

>65 katiekrug: Even though I live with a man who worked for a PBS/NPR outlet for over 20 years, and have given them my support one way or another since I first saw Sesame Street in college, I cannot endorse the purple blob or his inane song.

Fortunately, Barney was after my time.
However, I will admit to enjoying snippets of Hey Duggee.

My kids were prime Barney age. I was pro-whatever they would sit in front of so I could spend half an hour breathing or something.

>66 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba!

>67 laytonwoman3rd: - Barney is a black stain on public broadcasting (which I also support faithfully!).

>68 Helenliz: - I am not familiar with Hey Duggee...

>69 ursula: - That makes perfect sense, Ursula :)

>70 richardderus: - Yes!

>71 katiekrug: allow me to enlighten you. Duggee is a cartoon dog that can best be described as a sort of scout leader for a bunch of assorted creatures, called, collectively, the squirels. Each episode features a thing or subject and you earn a badge for it. They also do specials. Last general election they did an election special and could earn an election badge. This is from the end of last year, a parenting in 2020 badge.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2705551443089503
Part of me wonders wtf the creators are on, part of me thinks that it is inspired.
If you are even in need of a very persistant ear worm, I can recommend the Stick song.

You got me with a BB for Darkside, Katie. Nice that you posted the dates for Mr Rogers. Now I know why that show passed me by. I don’t remember Barney either but from previous posts that seems to be a good thing.

>67 laytonwoman3rd: Same here, Linda. I'll gladly hop on the Fred Rogers bandwagon, but NOT the purple dinosaur.

What about the Teletubbies?!

>72 Helenliz: - I'll take a hard pass on the ear worm, thanks!

>73 Familyhistorian: - I hope you like Darkside, Meg! And yeah, you haven't missed anything with regard to these shows...

>74 lauralkeet: - The Brits have a lot to answer for, Laura ;-)

As we're still talking children's TV, I'm just going to share this Toast article about the imagined pitch meeting for Wishbone, which always cracks me up.

>76 MickyFine: - That's hilarious, Micky! My favorite bit: "Visionary does not drink, he only sees"

Wishbone somehow passed me by, though it would have been my bag because (1) dog and (2) stories. I only found out what the show was as an adult.

>77 katiekrug: I definitely watched some episodes of Wishbone growing up (I remember Romeo & Juliet and Don Quixote for sure) and borrowed a few of the tie-in books from the library. The books were fun as they had one of those flip book animations in the bottom corner with the page number. It would be Wishbone jumping or scratching his ear or something.

>76 MickyFine: I was also too old for Wishbone but I've seen pictures and he's adorable. And this, from the Toast article:

SUIT #2: How does the dog read?

VISIONARY: The same way you do, Dave. With an open heart and ready mind.

... made me snort, cackle and guffaw all at once. Which kind of stings a little, to be honest.

I have never seen Wishbone, but from the pitch I love him!
Heading off to do some serious googling.

>78 MickyFine: - I remember trying to make flip books as a kid, Micky. Haven't thought about that in years...

>79 rosalita: - Careful, Julia! Good thing there were no hot beverages involved!

>81 katiekrug: Yes, hot tea could have been quite painful! :-)

>76 MickyFine: WISHBONE! I LOVE HIM!

I discovered Wishbone through my daughters, who were born in the early/mid-90s. I loved watching Wishbone as much as they did. They came for the dog, I thought the literary angle was brilliant. And the costumes. So. good.

Mickey, thank you so much for posting the Toast article. It's spot on, hilarious, and brought back so many fond memories. I'm sharing it with my family right now!

>82 rosalita: - Glad you dodged that bullet!

>83 lauralkeet: - I love how much you love Wishbone, Laura :)

Just finished my regular weekly meeting with The Boss. Poor man - his 83 year old mother has just been diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Two years ago, his daughter (late 20s) was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to undergo treatment and a mastectomy AND his wife was diagnosed with a very rare form of non-Hogkins lymphoma and was treated at MD Anderson in Houston. His words: "Cancer is becoming the family hobby." I feel so bad for him.

In other - but related - news - my mammogram results were normal.

>83 lauralkeet: Aww. Happy to bring back fond memories.

>85 katiekrug: Glad the boob squeeze news is good. :)

>85 katiekrug: great news Katie!

>85 katiekrug: Glad the scan was clear.
Wishbone is adorable!

>85 katiekrug: Delighted for you, depressed for him. Very, in both cases.

Thank you, Micky, Laura and Helen!

>89 richardderus: - Same.

Congrats on a negative mammogram! Sorry for your boss.

>76 MickyFine: That's amazing. HA! Btw, did you know that Dean Winchester is in Wishbone? (Maybe you're the one who told me, I've lost track.)

Congrats on the negative mammogram, Katie! Sorry your boss and his family have been going through so much :(

I watched Wishbone as a kid (and yeah, they don't always give you the whole book), I loved Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers. I missed Barney (I was too old, and my mom hated it so no), and my youngest sister, much to my chagrin, introduced us to Teletubbies. Did you know they say goodbye 16 times before they finally leave?

Hi Katie!

Congrats from me too on the good results from the mammogram. Your poor boss must be emotionally exhausted.

Dare I mention Blue's Clues? Jenna loved it for a bit when she was young. I loved it, too.

>93 karenmarie: Kate and Julia liked Blues Clues, too. We still sometimes refer to Mr Salt & Mrs Pepper.

Good morning Katie, I hope Thursday is good to you.

>91 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth.

>92 bell7: - 16 times?!?!? That's like death by a thousand cuts, Mary!

>93 karenmarie: - Thanks re: the mammo, Karen. And yes, I can't imagine what he's going through - even without heading an organization going through some major transitions...

I never saw Blue's Clues, though I am vaguely familiar with it...

>94 lauralkeet: - Thanks, Laura! So far, so good - but it's still early :)

Gym was good last night, and then we came home and made sauteed sausage and peppers. I watched some Schitt's Creek while TW played on his laptop and occasionally chuckled. I went in to bed to read and managed about 20 pages :-P

We don't have the gym again until Monday, which feels like a treat. TW has been going on our "off days" (he's there now) and I admire his commitment. I will probably do an at-home workout at least once between now and Monday.

Virtual happy hour tonight, but it should be relatively tame because two of my friends can't make it. And VHH means delivery for dinner, and I've requested a favorite pizza place that makes a really good BLT, so that's what I'll be getting.

Not a ton on the work agenda, but enough to keep me busy.

I should finish up the romance novel I'm reading today, and driving to and from daycare to pick up Nuala this evening will give me some audio book time. I'm not sure how much I have left, but I should be able to finish over the weekend, at the latest.

You remind me I need to get a boob squeeze myself. My usual radiologist (no insurance coverage accepted, tres expensive) isn't doing in-office visits but will read the film from home. I'm thinking this is the time to get a squeeze that's covered.

Morning, Katie!
Oooh, a BLT sounds really good right now...

>97 ffortsa: - Boob squeezes are important! Thankfully, mine are free (well, free not counting insurance premiums :-P )

>98 scaifea: - Doesn't it? I just woke up with a craving. I'll probably splurge and add cheese to it. But I'll get it in a whole wheat wrap so I can feel virtuous. Heh.

BLT!!

Oh how heavenly. But mitigated by the absence of Kindred Spirits at the Schnockerfest, I mean Happy Hour heh of course I do....

My company just announced that anyone who has been or gets vaccinated will get a $100 (or local currency equivalent) one-time bonus. And you don't have to take PTO to go to your appointments or recover from any adverse reaction. I already took PTO when I got my shots, so I think I'll just knock off work early today and tomorrow :) The other nice thing is that you can designate your $100 to go to the Red Cross or Red Crescent, which is probably what I will do, since, as a Terrible Person (kidding, Linda and Bill!) I need to bank some good karma ;-)

>100 richardderus: - Ha! I like "Schnockerfest"!

I don't think I'll see a BLT for a good long while. :)

I mean, you can get bacon but it's rather expensive. (I just googled, it runs about $1/slice.) Good thing I don't have a craving!

Sounds like a good Thursday ahead, Katie. Hope the work day goes by quickly so you can get to the fun stuff.

>103 ursula: - Is it pork bacon or the ghastly beef or not-as-bad poultry bacon? Every Muslim country I've visited only had beef bacon, which I find revolting for some reason.

>104 MickyFine: - Thanks, Micky!

>105 katiekrug: No, that's for pork bacon; you can get the beef stuff much cheaper. I eat beef pepperoni on pizza. It's fine.

I don't know if you've gone to countries with Islam as a state religion; Turkey is Muslim-majority but there is no state religion, so there is no official issue with serving pork. The tricky part is that I believe there are only 1-2 pig farms in the country. I think the majority of pork sold here comes from Greece.

>107 ursula: - Ah, that makes sense. I think I've only been to countries where it was the state religion...

I hadn't heard about this kerfuffle, much less the museum's decision that set it off.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/05/12/jane-austen-museum-regency-sl...

>109 katiekrug: Thanks for sharing, Katie. An excellent read and one I agree with completely.

>110 MickyFine: - Same. And now I feel like I should read Sanditon...

>111 katiekrug: It's a very short fragment so it won't take you long. I had mixed feelings about the recent series adaptation of it (and by adaptation, I mean the first 15 minutes of the first episode are Austen and the rest is Andrew Davies' own creation) and although it was just renewed for another 2 seasons with PBS, I'm not sure I'll watch them.

>109 katiekrug: It’s my opinion that our current government is fanning the flames here to manufacture a culture war which they think will go do well with their core base.

>112 MickyFine: - I knew it was just a fragment, but if it's really short, I might not bother. And I've got enough stuff I want to watch that the PBS adaptation hasn't called to me...

>113 SandDune: - Sounds like something the Republicans would do here. *heavy sigh*

Hi Katie!

>105 katiekrug: My niece and her wife serve turkey bacon and when I visited (last time was 2017) I minded my manners, ate what was on my plate, and didn’t even roll my eyes.

>109 katiekrug: Not only was that an excellent article, but I’ve now boughtA Duke, the Lady, and a Baby: A Multi-Cultural Historical Regency Romance by the author of the article. A ricochet BB!

>111 katiekrug: Yes. Sanditon’s on my shelves.

Good morning, Karen!

I don't mind turkey bacon *in* something, but I can't eat it on its own or on the side with eggs or whatever...

I probably shouldn't say this, but I couldn't get into A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby and DNF'd it. I hope you have better luck with it!

I think I have Sanditon as part of the set of collected works that I inherited from my mother. I should check.

Virtual happy hour was very tame last night (hear that, RD?!?!), but I did enjoy my BLT wrap and wine. I finished up the romance I was reading and have started The New Yorkers by Cathleen Schine which has DOGS, so you know it's going to be good :)

I'm hoping to have a productive day at work, but we'll see. This week has been a bit of a disaster in the productivity department. I think The Wayne and I are taking advantage of not having a gym session tonight and going out for happy hour drinks and snacks at the restaurant we like to walk to. If we don't over-indulge, we'll probably come home and watch a movie or two.

Probably very few here remember comedian Myron Cohen, but he had a hilarious routine about a guy going into a Jewish delicatessan and ordering pastrami on white bread with lettuce and mayonnaise (you have any idea where I'm going here?). I feel pretty strongly that a BLT that isn't composed of piggy bacon, iceberg lettuce and ripe red tomato on toast needs to be called something else. Like illegal, maybe.

>117 katiekrug: I hope you enjoy The New Yorkers, Katie. I started but never finished it a while back, but I think it was just a combination of me not realizing it's not a novel but a series of semi-connected stories and just not being in the mood for it at the time. I've enjoyed every other book by Schine I've read, so I'm sure I'll give this one another try someday.

>118 laytonwoman3rd: - The whole wheat wrap is better for delivery because real bread would get soggy. And I make no apologies for occasionally adding cheese, because cheese.

>119 rosalita: - I'm enjoying it so far, Julia. I think it might be the first Schine I've read, though I have a few others on my shelf...

>120 katiekrug: The other two Schines I've read are The Grammarians (4.5 stars) and They May Not Mean To But They Do (4 stars).

(I don't like tomatoes and I also don't care for lettuce on sandwiches, so my BLTs are actually just bacon and mayo sandwiches.)

>121 rosalita: - Noted! And I don't think those two are among the ones I have. Darn you!

>122 scaifea: - I like raw tomatoes only in very select circumstances. As a kid, when my mom made BLTs in the summer, I refused lettuce and tomato, so just had bacon. And cheese. She's put it in a pita pocket and then in the toaster oven, and it was delightful... I guess that's why I like cheese on mine now...

Bacon and mayo on toast is delicious. I approve.

>123 katiekrug: A rose is a rose is a rose is a BLT, maybe? I approve of your cheese addition, at any rate.

>120 katiekrug: I get that about the wheat wrap....hates me a soggy sammich. And cheese is always good, but in this case, maybe on the side?

>122 scaifea: So that's your basic bacon butty, and I'm all for it!

>125 laytonwoman3rd: Doesn't it need butter to be a butty, though? (I honestly don't know.)

>126 scaifea: I think originally that was why they were called that, but like so many things, the butty has evolved, and butter isn't always necessary.

>124 scaifea: - I think the B,L, and T are the foundation upon which a thousand delicious sandwiches can be built.

>125 laytonwoman3rd: - Like, I should just eat a slice of cheese in between sandwich bites? Mais non! The cheese is melted on the BLT.

>126 scaifea: and >127 laytonwoman3rd: - Isn't this cultural appropriation from the British?

no tomatoes on a sandwich for me ever -- I don't much like them and they make sandwiches soggy. I'm a BaconButty girl all the way (including butter rather than mayo)

>129 RebaRelishesReading: - I am a no tomato on sandwich girl, myself, except for the BLT.

>128 katiekrug: Yup it is. Get your dirty hands off our bacon butties*!!!

* As someone who would only ever call a sandwich a butty when it contains bacon, I'm hardly in a fit place to talk! Butty was certainy not common parlance where I grew up... Softie Southerner reporting for duty.

I've only ever had a bacon butty in the UK - in the Aberdeen train station, I think it was...

Happy Friday, Katie. I LOVE tomatoes. When they are in season, I eat them with everything. This is making me hungry.

>128 katiekrug: Yes...I am shameless that way...my speech is littered with British-isms to the point that I don't even know anymore.

And you eat your cheesy bits however you like. I do not judge you. I'm a pretty big fan myself. Just not on my BLT.

>131 Helenliz: Please forgive me...I wouldn't steal your actual sandwich!

>133 BLBera: Me too! In fact, when the tomatoes are at their peak, and I have a loaf of homemade bread on hand, I will eat tomato sandwiches with a little mayo, salt & pepper, three times a day.

>134 laytonwoman3rd: you are, of course, forgiven. It'd be a brave person to get between me and a bacon bun!

>133 BLBera: - I'm a relatively recent convert to fresh tomatoes, Beth. I never much liked them, but now I do in certain things. Still don't like them in salads, which is sort of weird...

>134 laytonwoman3rd: - Fair enough, Linda!

>135 Helenliz: - Don't get between me and bacon in any form, Helen. By which I mean our kind of bacon, not yours ;-)

ETA: And thanks to an internet rabbit hole, I have just discovered that you have American-style bacon, but it's called "streaky bacon." For anyone wondering, British bacon is from the pork loin, and American bacon is from the pork belly. You're welcome.

On the Way to the Wedding by Julia Quinn

This is the 8th and last installment in the original Bridgerton series, and it is my least favorite. There just isn't much sparkle, the banter is strained, and while I like the heroine, Lucy, Gregory Bridgerton is just kind of boring.

That said, any romance by Quinn is a lot better than much of what gets published in the genre.

3 stars

How to Break a Dragon's Heart by Cressida Cowell

Much of the same as the other books in the series, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The humor isn't quite as fresh, but David Tennant's narration is just perfection, as usual.

3.5 stars

>117 katiekrug: So no neighbors-calling-cops incidents! Good for you, moderation in all things. Maybe now you'll see that you and Nuala shouldn't poop on their lawns together. Anymore.

All (crispy) bacon is good. I myownself like mine with mayo on Wheatberry bread, peanut butter, Bibb lettuce, and a zapotec tomato.

>127 laytonwoman3rd: So I declare that the BLT has also evolved and can therefore be minus tomato and lettuce and/or plus cheese and still be called a BLT. *firm head nod*

I love a good BLT. Also a turkey club, with the bread toasted OF COURSE. If I'm going to have a BLT without the L and the T, I'd probably put a fried egg on it. But in that case, hold the mayo.

I feel like we are perilously close to re-enacting the Jack Nicholson diner scene from Five Easy Pieces ...

>139 richardderus: - You lost me at peanut butter...

>140 scaifea: - *firm head nod*

>141 lauralkeet: - Oh, I love a good fried egg sandwich, Laura. No mayo, just butter. And lots of salt and pepper, please.

Yikes to the movie scene! I've not seen the film, and Nicholson's character seems rather... unpleasant?

>142 katiekrug: But only because you haven't tried it. *drool*

I can actually see the appeal of bacon and peanut butter. And I could maybe get past the lettuce. But the tomato and pb combo is not something I can wrap my head around...

Any old watery, slimy seed-scum-laden tomato, I can definitely feel you. But the zapotecs are meaty, sweet-tart, and have that elusive it's-summer quality. They are, in short, Perfect. Russian Purples are, too, but not for this purpose...the texture's wrong.

>142 katiekrug: Yes his character is unpleasant. It’s just one of those iconic moments, funny because of how he orders the thing he really wants.

>145 richardderus: - Okay, then how do the mayo and pb go together?

>146 lauralkeet: - Oh, absolutely. It made me think of Meg Ryan's pie order in When Harry Met Sally.

Oh yeah that’s a great scene too Katie!

It's such a charming movie, and holds up well, I think.

It's beautiful and sunny out, and The Wayne and I are chomping at the bit for happy hour. I'm sitting here, waiting for my boss to send me something that needs to be proofread and then sent to the Board. I feel like maybe I should remind him that I'm an hour ahead of him and THE DAY IS WASTING!

So I'm just perusing the menu, trying to decide on what to get. Definitely starting with an aperol spritz, though, since it's the perfect day for it!

(Here is the menu - mostly for Amber who shares my love of menus but anyone is welcome to weigh in! https://www.thebrookdale.com/menus/#dinner)

>150 katiekrug: Oooo, I think I'd get the crispy chicken sandwich.

I fancy the Thai Chilli shrimp, but it probably wouldn't go well with the ravioli to follow, so I'm utterly undecided.

Tonight's quiz was true/false. Round 1, 10 cheeses. Round 2, 10 pasta. We clearly know more about pasta than cheese, with 4 and 9 out of 10, respectively.

>151 scaifea: - I haven't had that yet, but The Wayne has and said it was excellent. Also, I love me some homemade chips....

>152 Helenliz: - BUT WERE THERE SAMPLES?!?!?

I might do the Thai chili shrimp and a salad.... I've had the ravioli before and it was just meh.

>153 katiekrug: Nope. Fortunately we eat before we quiz.

Shame about the ravioli. I misread it as risotto to start, but that's just wishful thinking, as I love a good risotto.

Seems like a lot of people are openly bribing people to go out and get the vaccine shot.

$100.00 checks, baseball tickets, Free rides on the subway and i don't know what else has been talked about.

Good grief! Whats next ? a lollypop?

>154 Helenliz: - Funny story: when I first looked at the menu at our first visit, I misread it as "Scallop" not "scallion" and when it arrived and I tasted it, I was like, WTF? Where's the scallop. Luckily I realized my mistake before embarrassing myself to the staff...

>155 magicians_nephew: - In Jersey, several breweries are giving free beers to people who show proof of a new vaccination. Sadly, I don't qualify having already gotten mine.

I say, if it helps, do it. Apparently the rationale behind my company offering the alternative to give to charity was that some people thought it was stupid to pay people to do the right thing. *shrug*

>147 katiekrug: The thing is...good mayo is unobtrusive, umami-providing, and slightly sweetart. That goes with *everything* but most surprisingly well with the thick, hearty chunky peanut butter that I prefer.

If you're looking for a seasonal meal, get the crostini, the zucchini, and the shishitos. TW can appetizer 'em as he pleases and you might get some leftovers, but it's the kind of meal that just *goes* with a day like this one.

>158 richardderus: - So what you're saying is, I need to branch out from Hellman's Light mayo?

I do love me a variety of small plates since I'm incredibly indecisive.....

I shall report back on what you get. Boss-man has sent me the document, I've done my magic, it's been sent. So off I go to tear TW away from work!

>159 katiekrug:

>159 katiekrug: Yay! Now we can start the Mayo wars! Duke’s. Now and forever.

Did someone say Mayo and peanut butter? Really? Or is that a joke? I wouldn't be able to swallow that Katie. I would definitely gag on it.

I was curious what had caused such a large amount of posting in a day or so and discovered you've been discussing BLTs... hmm... I really LOVE raw tomatoes, and love me a BLT in just about any combination. I don't like a ton of lettuce, however, and when I order a BLT at Subway I often ask them to put on spinach instead. Melted cheese on it sounds like an excellent addition.

>128 katiekrug: I would call a sandwich with bacon in a ‘bacon sarnie’ rather than ‘bacon butty’ (sounds too northern). And definitely not BLT if no lettuce or tomato. In South Wales parlance ‘butty’ means a friend or a mate, not a sandwich.

>155 magicians_nephew: I was offered a sticker after my NHS vaccination. I'm afraid to say that I was unable to resist.

I'm still gutted about my lack of sticker.

I don't care if it's a bacon buttie or a bacon sarnie so long as it's coming my way.

>160 richardderus: - :)

>161 drneutron: - I don't think I've ever seen Duke's up here, Jim. I'd totally give it a try.

>162 brenzi: - RD says it's legit. I am not tempted, though...

>163 bell7: - Give the cheese a try next time, Mary!

>164 SandDune: - I've never heard "sarnie" before. Where does that come from?

>165 Helenliz: - Jealous!

>166 charl08: - I didn't get a sticker, either. I did get a little plastic holder for my proof of vaccination card, but I would have preferred a sticker...

And I'm with you on the bacon sandwich!

They had a few new things on the menu last night, so I got two starters as my meal: pickled cucumbers and dilly beans, and mahi mahi tacos. Both were very good, especially washed down with a a couple a few several Aperol spritzes. The service was pretty bad once the restaurant got busy, but like a lot of places, the restaurants here are having a hard time finding enough staff to meet the demand now that more people are eating out. So we just tried to be patient :)

After dinner, we came home and watched The Big Red One (TW's pick) which is about a squad of soldiers in WWII and follows them from the invasion of North Africa to the invasion of Sicily to D-Day to the liberation of the camps. It was pretty good, if a bit heavy-handed. A young Mark Hamill is in it, and every time he came on screen, I couldn't help intoning "Luuuuuuke."

Laundry today, definitely some reading, and we'll leave around 4:00 to go to the winery I mentioned a few days ago for live music, wine tasting, and snacks.

Oh, the tacos sounds pretty good! And excellent point about the slow service - good on you for being understanding. #terribleperson

>167 katiekrug: I've never heard "sarnie" before. Where does that come from? To be honest I’ve no idea! It’s just what I say. And the dictionary just says that it’s British informal for sandwich.

The snackmeal sounds yummers, and your abstemious consumption of a bottle a half-bottle a bit of Aperol is laudable.

I wanted more than I got from The Pornification of America. *sigh*

Have a wonderful outing, Katie.

>169 scaifea: - Ha!

>170 SandDune: - Huh. Now I feel the need to get to the bottom of this!

>171 richardderus: - Sorry about the disappointing book :(

>172 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth! It was great.

Last night was lovely! It was a pretty setting (yes, in New Jersey) and the logistics were great - we were seated on the big stone patio, close enough to hear the band but not so close that we couldn't talk. The wine - at least the two we had - was really good. And pricey. Yeesh. But we ended up buying a bottle of our favorite, so we'll save that for a special occasion. Or a day ending in "y"....

The music was good, too, which is always nice. We definitely want to go again (they do this every Saturday), but next time we'll bring our own food. It was hilarious seeing what people brought - giant coolers, one group showed up with a stack of pizzas... The only problem was that it was an hour or so away, the last 15 minutes on windy country roads, so we ended up leaving after only a couple of hours because we didn't want to drink more and then have to find a way to get home... I'm wondering if I can talk my BFF into coming next time - she doesn't drink so she could be our designated driver :)

All in all, an excellent night out!

Indeed it sounds like a lovely night out!!

>174 katiekrug: Perfect! This moment, riiiight before summer starts sweat-stinkin' up the place, is heavenly isn't it?

>175 RebaRelishesReading: - It definitely was, Reba. And so nice to do something different, somewhere different :)

>176 richardderus: - It's so lovely...

Getting back to the normal side of things, step by step.

It's a beautiful Monday here, and I really don't want to be at my desk. Sigh. The Wayne has his monthly wellness day off (which a year later, I am still so, so jealous of...) and plans to spend most of it in the garden. Lucky bastard. Bitter? Me?

We had a nice day yesterday - I finished the laundry, including the new bed linens I bought for summer, made up the bed and admired my excellent taste, and went to the grocery store. I also read a lot and have finished The New Yorkers, which was delightful. I'm not sure I've mentioned it, but I am listening to Normal People on audio and it is very good - a nice surprise, as I had initially avoided it because I couldn't get through Conversations with Friends.

Last night, we made lemon parmesan chicken bake, a recipe from the Pillsbury website that I got from Amber. It was pretty good, and you could do a whole lot of different things with the basic ingredients and changing up the seasonings. So a useful recipe to have in one's back pocket. It was also super easy, which I appreciate :) After dinner, we watched Top Chef.

Work is much the same. The only interesting thing going on is discussions about next year's Board meetings and when/how to plan for them. I am very leery about planning anything given all the uncertainty, but the Powers That Be have agreed to go forward with one right now - Amsterdam in the spring. Fingers crossed it'll work out, because I love Amsterdam :)

>178 magicians_nephew: - Yuppers. It feels good, even just taking baby steps...

The New Yorkers by Cathleen Schine

If you're not a dog person, this book probably won't hold much interest for you. (Also, what is wrong with you?) It follows about half a dozen residents of a nondescript block on the Upper West Side of Manhattan - human residents and canine ones. The dogs bring people together in unexpected ways and their interactions help forge a community of sorts. The dog characters are wonderful, especially Beatrice, a white pit bull with a big heart and a worrywart of an owner. The humans are wonderfully drawn, too. From the self-described spinster at 40 to the just-dumped 26 year old and her underachieving brother to the newly-divorced man trying to figure out how to be alone in his 50s, Schine treats each of her characters with affection and - often- bemusement. Doris, the "antagonist" of the story, is especially well-done in all her self-righteousness and hypocrisy.

The New Yorkers is a love letter to the city, as well as a paean to the special way dogs have of bringing us out of ourselves and to each other.

4.25 stars

>181 katiekrug: Hmmm..love the city, love dogs, but not a great fan of Schine. I didn't get a long well wiht The Grammarians but your 4.25 stars has me very interested. So I'll put it onthe list!

I'm heavily into making progress on series at the moment, but will need some stand-alone fiction soon.

Fingers crossed for Amsterdam!

I will look for The New Yorkers; I thought I had read that one, but I guess not..

>182 vivians: - I think you'd like it, Vivian. It starts almost as a series of vignettes, and then seems like it will be linked stories, which it sort of is, but not really. The tone is very wry, and it's a fast, light read.

>183 BLBera: - I hope you like it, Beth!

Anywhere sounds like a nice idea, Amsterdam sounds like a particularly good one.

Admitting to being one of *those* people - not a dog fan.

>181 katiekrug: My first thought was "I don't know NY well enough to 'get' this or care" but your description makes me want to read it. The dog characters are especially appealing -- I think I'll look for it in Kindle. Or...would it be good in Audible?

>185 Helenliz: - I may be going to Dubai in September, but I'd much rather go to Amsterdam. Though I have been to both multiple times before and would much rather go somewhere new, that will have to wait.

There is help for people like you, Helen. Don't be afraid to ask for it ;-)

>186 RebaRelishesReading: - I don't think you have to know New York all that well to enjoy it, Reba.

Just added to ask if you think it would be good in Audible but you were so quick you'd answered me before I got back :)

>189 RebaRelishesReading: - I think it could work well on audio, because the tone is pretty light. Of course, it all depends on the narrator...

>181 katiekrug: I thought it was okay, but nothing terribly special...I guess the fact that I read it so soon after Lillian Boxfish gave it less luster. Fleishman is in Trouble seemed to have that same, well, ~meh~ quality of read though it was a later read. I think the comparisons might be unfair, but really can't help making them.

Anyway, happy new week's reads.

>191 richardderus: - Fair enough! I haven't read Lillian Boxfish (yet - I have a copy) and FiT did not interest me at all...

OK, Audible version has been purchased -- next up -- we'll see :)

>193 RebaRelishesReading: - Oh, the pressure!

Amsterdam is on my bucket list but I'm not sure when I'll make it there. Mr. Fine and I have agreed that we'll do somewhere in Europe for our fifth anniversary (still a couple years away) and as he's never been to Europe before, he'll get to choose the first destination (likely somewhere in the UK). My paternal grandfather emigrated from the Netherlands when he was a teenager so I want to visit for that reason among many others.

I'm also not really a dog person but will say that when ordering for work the blurb for London's Number One Dog-Walking Agency sounded so delightful I added it to The List. So as a dog person, it might hold even more appeal for you...

>195 MickyFine: - Amsterdam is lovely and walkable and I like the food. I don't ask for much :)

Thanks for the tip on the new book! It does look delightful and I've put it on my "watch" list to remind myself about it once it comes out.

>195 MickyFine:, >196 katiekrug: Amsterdam is also a short hop from the UK by plane and also by ferry, I think. And you don't need to speak the language to get around Amsterdam. So perhaps you can still do both?

>197 lauralkeet: - IIRC, the flight from Schipol to Heathrow was less than an hour. You can also go via Eurostar, direct from St. Pancras in a little over 4 hours.

Why, yes, I am already planning vacation for after my meetings, why do you ask?

>198 katiekrug: Schipol to Stansted and you barely get up before you're on your way down again. About 45 minutes...

... unless you get stuck at Schipol due to fog at Stansted, then need to be de-iced prior to takeoff and you sit on the taxiway for 2 hours. But that'll just be me. I had several books, I was fine.

>198 katiekrug: Planning trips are at least half the fun of going on them. I'm looking forward to my library trip this week as I've got a guide for day hikes in the Southern Okanagan for this year's anniversary trip. 😁

>199 Helenliz: - "I had several books, I was fine." Yep, I'm never too upset about delays :)

>200 MickyFine: - So true, Micky. Enjoy your planning!

Gym last night, followed by dinner (sesame soy beef bowls courtesy of HelloFresh), and then some jigsawing and audiobook listening.

We are having a Board call this morning for a super-secret project, and it's a nice change from the same-old, same-old that has been work lately.

I'm reading an old-school romance and still enjoying Normal People on audio, though this morning, the Libby app is not wanting to cooperate. Annoying. I hope I can get that figured out...

The weather is lovely here and I hope to enjoy it on the deck after work. Nuala is going to day care, so she'll come home nice and exhausted (kind of like me after the gym :-P ). We have another HF meal on tap for dinner, so no thinking involved.

And that's about it!

Ooooh, super-secret project! So exciting!

The weather is amazing here today too - I've got *all* the windows open and I'm thinking about maybe reading out on the front porch this afternoon.

I imagine you dressing up like a spy for your super-secret project and it gives me much delight.

>204 MickyFine: *snork!* Welp, now so am I.

Well, if spies wear turquiose tees and striped maxi skirts....

Based on the Mission: Impossible franchise, they could. ;)

>207 MickyFine: - I'm not saying I am. But I'm not saying I'm not...

>208 katiekrug:

>210 katiekrug: Oooh have you watched the new Carmen Sandiego on Netflix? I really like it. :)

>211 MickyFine: - I actually haven't. I prefer to keep my memories of the computer game of my youth inviolate...

>202 katiekrug: You can sit there and feel very smug now. Gyms have opened here this week and I've just done my first HIIT class in a very long time. And I'm now the colour of a beetroot. I have become awfully unfit.

>213 Helenliz: - I'm sure you are not alone, Helen! And yay for getting back at it :)

>179 katiekrug: Planning a trip this way, Katie?
Any chance for a meet up?

Hi Katie!

>115 karenmarie: I also abandoned A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby because it was pretty awful. I could take anachronisms if the plot held together and the characters didn’t act like idiots, but combining all three was Too Much.

>137 katiekrug: Most series peter out, so not surprising.

>215 FAMeulstee: - It's early days yet, Anita, but it's a possibility for next spring. I will definitely let you know if it comes together!

>216 karenmarie: - There was something about the writing that annoyed me with that one, Karen. The idea was interesting...

The Bridgerton series really remains pretty strong right until the end, which is impressive, I think. I liked this last one less, but it wasn't terrible.

Good morning/afternoon/whatever, all! A warm day here getting into the upper 80s (F) with lots of sun. I can see it from my desk :-P

Work is work, very same-same, which is to say boring.

We had a nice HelloFresh meal last night - curry-spiced chickpea bowls with roasted vegetables and garlic rice and cucumber raita. Super tasty. Then I wanted to watch junk TV but Discovery+ (my new favorite streaming service for junk TV) was not playing nice with the Amazon Fire and wouldn't connect. So I poked around and saw that Paramount+ (yes, we have too many streaming services) has 'Cheers,' so we watched the first few episodes. I've seen some of it here and there, but I think I was too young to really 'get' a lot of the humor. It was delightful, and The Wayne and I are now committed for the foreseeable future. We like to have a random sitcom to turn to when we need something mindless but fun.

Still plugging away at the same books. Thankfully, my Libby app started behaving again so I could listen to more of Normal People on my way to pick up Nuala from day care. It's so good.

So work today, gym this evening, our typical Wednesday... Hope someone out there is leading a more exciting life than me :)

>218 katiekrug: Ah, Cheers. I had started a rewatch while it was still on Netflix, and got through I think the first 4 or 5 seasons before it got pulled. I was pleased at how well it held up compared to my memories of watching it the first time around. It was always a favorite of my mom and me.

I second Julia's "Ah, CHEERS." So good. Also, yeah, we have *so* many streaming services. I kind of love it.

It's going to get into the 80s here today, too. Charlie and I have already had our morning walk and it was really nice, but I can just tell that it's going to get too warm for me today. Gah.

I can't help but think that you are holding out on us - how can work be boring with all those super-secret project meetings...

I am so jealous of all this summer weather, Katie and Amber! We have been stuck in the rainy 50s-60s for weeks. Blech.

>219 rosalita: - I was surprised by how much we both enjoyed it, Julia. It didn't even feel dated (Except for when a woman lights up a cigarette at the bar...).

>220 scaifea: - We keep collecting streaming services because there will be one show one or the other of us wants to see. Next will likely be Apple because we both really want to watch Ted Lasso...

I am so not ready for hot weather. Hate, hate, HATE it.

Ha! regarding work - the super secret thing is in a holding pattern for the next week or so. And at the moment, I don't really have much to do with it, so after yesterday's meeting, it's back to the regular grind...

>221 rosalita: - I would gladly take your temps, Julia!

>222 katiekrug: Tomm is watching Ted Lasso (apparently we have Apple too? We have so many I've lost track) and LOVES it.

I'm with you on the hot weather. GROSS.

I used to hate hot weather, too, but somehow my internal thermostat got reset during chemo and now I trend cold all the time. I liked it better the other way, to be honest.

>223 scaifea: - Ted Lasso looks to be right in my wheelhouse - sports! Brits! cultural misunderstandings! I'm excited...

>224 rosalita: - Weirdly, I tend to run cold but still prefer cooler weather and TW tends to run warm (I call him the human furnace) but prefers hot weather. He's from Florida, so comes by it naturally - both the love of warm weather and the weirdness :)

>224 rosalita: >225 katiekrug: I also run cold all the time, but like you, Katie, I prefer it that way. I can't stand being hot.

Sweating when not in flagrante delicto is obscene and should be against the Constitution...isn't there a way to make the 14th Amendment cover heat? Violating my personal privacy or something? I've advocated for 5th Amendment coverage (cruel and unusual punishment) without success.

We're nowhere near you temp-wise, thank Poseidon, being near the sea. It won't be as delicious as this morning was but we'll top out under 80°/26.5C.

It's not at all nice here. Been mostly grey with huge drops of rain at one point. Temps in the low teens (C) but feeling colder. Compared to last year the garden is a good month behind - mind you, last spring was extraordinarily nice.

I love heat, it has to get to the low 20s before I even think about shedding a cardigan. I don't own any shorts - as far as I'm concerned it never gets warm enough to wear them.

>226 scaifea: - You can always put on more layers....

>227 richardderus: - I had to get over my aversion to sweat when I started going to the gym regularly. That is the only time I find it acceptable. I don't even like getting sweaty in the context you note :)

I want to live by the ocean...

>228 Helenliz: - Didn't you live in Texas for a year or so? Was that hot enough for you?

>229 katiekrug: Yup, I enjoyed that. >:-D Although I still carried a cardigan everywhere - to put on when I went indoors, I found the aircon impossibly cold!

When I went to Italy with a colleague a couple of years ago, we were stood outside the plant having finished for the day and Mathias snapped a photo of me. I looked at him sideways and his response was that no-one in the office would believe I'd shed my cardi without evidence.

Texas a/c is mighty powerful, for sure!

I love the story of your colleague and the photo.

We had lovely 80ish weather this weekend but we're back to 50-something this week. Supposed to be warmer and sunnier this weekend again though :)

Is 80-ish about as warm as it typically gets there, Reba? I could live with that :)

Today for lunch I had chicken salad on a whole wheat sandwich thin with lettuce, and a cut-up banana with peanut butter and slivered almonds.

I share this because I am in a serious lunch rut and trying to do new things. What do you all do for lunch typically? I'm mostly a salad kit or turkey sandwich person, but it's So Boring.

I made the chicken salad with Marzetti's lite dill veggie dip, and it was delicious.

>233 katiekrug: Every summer I have heard from the daughters here (esp. #2) that it gets well into the 80's for at least a while but we'll see. I'm not good with heat but the 80ish we had last weekend was wonderful, partly because our house is in the middle of a ton of huge trees and our deck is on the north side. I'm hoping it stays pleasant but we have A/C so if it gets hot for a while we'll be OK. My understanding is that the NW is typically cool and rains a lot -- never terribly cold (except in the mountains) and never terribly hot.

>23 katiekrug: I have been craving chicken salad. Maybe I'll make some this weekend...

My weekday lunches are usually either a peanut butter banana smoothie or a romaine salad with shredded red cabbage and carrots (and croutons and caesar dressing, so not all that healthy in the end, but yeah). On the weekend, anything goes at Scaife Manor, which usually means either leftovers or grilled cheese.

>235 RebaRelishesReading: - I am grateful every summer for a/c....

>236 scaifea: - I was fine with my rotation of two things until fairly recently. Now it makes me feel blah. In the winter, I also have soup as a staple but less often in the summer, though it does occasionally make an appearance. I'll probably make a pasta salad this weekend for some variety.

Today's lunch was blintzes! I lurve blintzes with sour cream.

Oh, right, "healthy" foods...lemme see...buffalo chicken on a plain salad with cucumber raita? That's about as "healthy" as I'll tolerate before chucking it out and having bologna and cheese.

>237 katiekrug: Oh, pasta salad sounds pretty great, actually.

In the before times I'd have salad in summer, omlette or soup when colder.

Now we're both at home I've been making sandwiches. This week it's been a really nice local soft cheese that's a bit gooey & only slightly stinky, with just some mayo to stick it to the bread. Couple of bits of fruit, bag of crisps and a yoghurt.
Cheese is a fave, pate feels like an expensive treat, otherwise it tends to rotate round chicken & bacon mayo, tuna & sweetcorn mayo or ham & chutney. I always think I fancy egg mayo, but that requires forward planning, not always my strong suit.

I’m afraid I can’t help you with lunch ideas Katie. We’re in a Turkey sandwich rut here, esp now that soup had kind of faded into the background.

I've been in the lunch doldrums for, idk, years Katie. I don't even want to think about it.

>238 richardderus: - Yes, I think part of the answer may be to up my salad game...

>239 scaifea: - I made a really good Greek orzo salad last summer. Just need to remember what all I put in it...

>240 Helenliz: - In addition to upping my slad game, I could do more between two slices of bread. My stand-bys are turkey and tuna salad. Ho-hum.

>241 lauralkeet: - There is comfort in knowing that I am not the only one! At least your turkey sandwiches are on homemade bread :)

>242 brenzi: - Well, you're no help, Bonnie. LOL

Some of these look pretty good (and some look like more work than I'm willing to put into a weekday lunch, but yeah):

https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/easy-lunches/

The gym was crap last night. I was super tired and crampy thanks to lady things; Joel the Devil was just "Do what you can" which I did but wasn't much. Afterwards, we came home and The Wayne grilled roasted red pepper and asiago chicken sausages and some bell peppers for dinner. That tends to become a staple around here in the summer because it's easy and can be done on the grill outside so the oven/stove can stay off.

I slept like poop, thanks to the aforementioned things, plus the cat started barfing around 3am and then the dog got scared by the neighbors sprinklers coming on around 5am. Ugh. I may try to sneak in a nap this afternoon, because tonight we have Plans With Other People!

We are meeting my boarding school roommate and her husband who live one town over at a local restaurant for a "Chef's Table" - 5 courses with paired wines and spirits. The theme is "red sauce Italian" (menu here: https://bluesteelpizzaco.com/chefstable/520-chefs-table). They usually do these special dinners on Wednesdays when we have the gym, so I jumped all over this one. Conveniently, my book club had rescheduled from tonight to next Thursday, so it was fate :)

I am suddenly snowed under at work - probably because the past week has been not great in the productivity department. So I'll spend a lot of time digging out today.

Still reading the same books, so nothing to report there.

>244 scaifea: - Thanks for the link, Amber! I am feeling a bit more inspired :) Part of my problem is I need to be better about food prep on Sundays, so things don't seem like such an effort in the middle of a work day...

What to have for lunch is always a problem. Hard for me to make a salad for just myself. But sandwiches and such get old real fast.

Judy teases me about my breakfast rotation: sausage on a bagel one day, cold cereal the next and a big cheese and whatever omelette to celebrate Wednesday. Rinse and repeat. Better than all the fried crap i ate when i was going to work every day and eating at the breakfast hot table in the cafeteria

Enjoy the Chef's Table outing, Katie.

>245 katiekrug: That sounds really great! I hope y'all'll have a wonderful time.

About upping the salad game...this is where planting some stuff comes in handy. I love radishes and don't always want the cellowrapped globes...but a 2lb yogurt container filled with dirt and some radish seeds = my favored French Breakfast ones on demand, indoors on the windowsill where the squirrels can only lust after them and the seasons can be nose-thumbèd.

Something different: tennis-ball lettuces work that way too.

We do a couscous salad with cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta and parsley.

>247 magicians_nephew: - Breakfast is another rut, but it doesn't bother me as much for some reason. I tend to alternate yogurt and toast...

>248 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth!

>249 richardderus: - Thank you, RD! The Wayne is growing some radishes because he knows I love them. I will have to try that off-season growing strategy.

What the heck are tennis-ball lettuces? I don't think I've ever seen such a thing...

>250 ursula: - Do you use pearl couscous or the fluffy stuff? I love both, just curious!

>251 katiekrug: Tennis-ball lettuce:

At https://www.seedsavers.org/tennis-ball-organic-lettuce

One head = 1 meal-salad, 2 side-salads. In Days of Yore, they were preferred over looser lettuces because they were more preservable in brines. *shudder* They take about six weeks to grow from seed.

I'll admit that unless there's leftovers my default lunch is turkey and havarti on Canadian rye with an apple and yogurt (and a couple cookies because sweet tooth). Fridays I might make PB&J as a reward for making it through the week or since I'm working from home I'll toast a jalapeno and cheese bagel with herb and garlic cream cheese in place of my usual sandwich.

>253 MickyFine: I confess that this American lush sees someone describing their lunch as "Canadian rye" and immediately assumes they are drinking it, not eating it. Which sounds pretty good right about now, actually... :-)

My favourite lunch (which I had today) is as follows:
Take a pack of smoked salmon, add chopped up cucumber, baby tomatoes cut in half, sliced red onion, and chopped cooked beetroot. Sometimes I also add some shredded lettuce (but not too much) or sliced radishes, or red pepper as well.

>252 richardderus: - Well, today I learned something new. THanks, RD! I have live heads of Boston lettuce in the fridge right now that look a bit like that. The supermarket sells a clam shell of two, and I much prefer it to iceberg or romaine.

>253 MickyFine: and >254 rosalita: - Now I need to see how (if) Canadian rye differs from ours here...

>255 SandDune: - Do you eat it like a salad, Rhian, or put it on bread for a sandwich? I like to put red onion in my tuna salad, and sliced cucumbers on top.

>256 katiekrug: This is the one we get: https://naturalbakery.ca/retail/products/canadian-rye-900g/

>257 MickyFine: - Hmm. It *looks* like "real" rye bread ;-) Maybe it's just rye grown in Canada?

If we can't get it from an actual bakery, our preferred mass-produced version is Levy's.

>258 katiekrug: That is probably it.

>256 katiekrug: Do you eat it like a salad, Rhian, or put it on bread for a sandwich? I make a bowlful as a salad and have it for a couple of days. It’s Jacob’s idea of hell. The two things that he really doesn’t like to eat are salmon (especially smoked salmon) and beetroot.

>259 MickyFine: - I'm glad it hasn't turned into the War of the Ryeses. Heh.

>260 SandDune: - Well, it sounds delicious to me!

>259 MickyFine: I see that page you linked to also has options for Bavarian Rye, European Rye, Hanover Rye, Old World Rye, and Russian Rye, which makes me wonder if the recipes do differ in different countries. As the picture Katie posted in >258 katiekrug: shows, most of the rye bread I see in the stores around here is explicitly called Jewish rye (seeded or unseeded), but I've never been clear on whether it's the recipe or the processing that makes it so.

And now I'm hungry for some ham and Swiss cheese on rye!

>261 katiekrug: Snort. Excellent pun.

>262 rosalita: Fascinating. I don't think I've ever seen a loaf of rye up here labelled as Jewish. My husband recently discovered sourdough rye at Costco and really likes it.

>262 rosalita: Proving methods, additions like seeds and/or herbs, percentages of rye flour to normal wheat flour...yes, the country names actually describe different eating experiences. Like >263 MickyFine: discovered, there's even rye made with sourdough starter! And is it scrummy....

>256 katiekrug: The tennis-ball ones are in the same textural and growth clades as Boston and butter lettuces. The major difference is the size. The tennis-ball ones top out at 6 inches in diameter. About half to a quarter the size of most Bostons, and two-thirds the size of butter lettuce.

We eat a lot of left-overs for lunch around here. But salads are also a favorite. I like to put hard-boiled eggs in them, or some canned salmon, or chick-peas...protein, y'know. I also love egg salad sandwiches, or a quick pasta (angel hair with spinach, garlic and oil can be ready to eat in a jiffy).

>251 katiekrug: We use Israeli/pearl couscous.

The best bread country that we’ve ever visited for consistently good bread was Estonia. No matter where you went, from smallest cafe to nice restaurant, the rye bread was delicious. (To be honest, Estonia had consistently good food full stop). But then we went to Latvia (just next door) and it was a different story. They put caraway seeds on the bread (which I do not like at all) and so it wasn’t anything like as nice.

>262 rosalita: - Ham and swiss on rye is a favorite of mine, too :)

>263 MickyFine: - Oooh, I'd love to try sourdough rye!

>264 richardderus: - Thanks, RD! I'm going to have a look at the local farmer's market tomorrow morning - assuming I can get myself out of the door before 11am :)

>265 laytonwoman3rd: - I should try canned salmon. I use a lot of tuna... And I can't ever figure out how to enjoy eggs in salad, because the yolk always separates from the white, and I hate just eating the white. I'm weird...

>266 ursula: - Good to know - thanks!

>267 SandDune: - That's interesting about the difference in the two countries, Rhian. I don't mind caraway seeds, but when given the option, I prefer unseeded rye.

Our meal last night was A-MA-ZING! I wanted more of everything but was basically stuffed after the 3rd course. Before each course, the chef came out and talked about what we were going to eat, and the sommelier came around to talk about the wine. I think my favorite dish was the pasta with a dry-aged beef bolognese and lots of sage. So rich but so good...

It was great to catch up with our friends, and I got a lead on a designer/contractor for our bathroom reno. Our friends recently had their kitchen re-done and they sang the praises of the company they used, so I am going to look into it and see if I can get things moving on that front. So that's exciting!

Nothing else to report, really. Happy Friday!

Yay for a fun night out and excellent food!!

>270 scaifea: - Thanks, Amber!

And in other Getting Out news, I've just booked a hotel in Boston for a long weekend in August. Got a major deal - 60% off! - and TW and I were just saying we should go up sometime soon. We'll take the train up on a Thursday and come back the following Monday.

Yay for an excellent outing with good grub! Wishing you a fast Friday!

>272 MickyFine: - Thanks, Micky!

A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught

Published in 1989, this historical romance has the typical issues of the genre of the time around coercion/consent. It's not the most egregious example, but it certainly raises some issues, at least for a contemporary reader. I actually first read this ages ago, probably when I was around 14 or so, but very little of it seemed familiar. I did like the setting of 15th c. Scotland and England, though I'm not sure how historically accurate some of the details were. Overall, a mostly meh read for me.

3 stars

Happy contractored Friday! A lead is worth a million bucks...it's an "in" at a time when their schedules are insane. Bumping a cold lead for a hot one, y'all, is a no-brainer.

The Hidden Girl and Other Stories is about to lose a half-star, disappointingly. But that still leaves it four. I loves me some Ken Liu but some tropes will not do.

More tomorrow. After you're back from the farmer's market.

>275 richardderus: - The company seems to be exactly what I want in that it's a one-stop shop - designer, materials, construction. I'm going to see about making an appointment next week.

Sorry about the disappointing book.

Hi Katie!

>234 katiekrug: One of my favorite lunches is a grilled cheese sandwich. Sometimes I have a salad with lettuce, some grated mozzarella, sliced almonds, fried wonton strips, and Italian dressing.

>245 katiekrug: There are few things more startling than to be woken up by a cat barfing. Poor Leonard and poor you.

>269 katiekrug: Yay for an amazing meal with friends AND a contractor’s recommendation.

>274 katiekrug: I have 8 books by her on my shelves, all read at some point before 2007 when I joined LT. Whitney, My Love is the one that still stands out in my memory because of the coercion/consent issues. Probably another 8 books I can deaccesion without feeling too bad about it.

Wow, a contractor for your redo and a weekend in Boston!! Congratulations on both scores.

>277 karenmarie: - I rely on The Wayne for grilled cheese because he makes it the best. We got some yummy-looking bread at the farmers market, but the only cheese to be found was mozzarella, so I'll pick up some smoked gouda and maybe cheddar tomorrow.

The only cheese I like on salad is feta. I don't know why.

Leonard seems to be fine, so who knows what the barfing was about. It has happened again.

I'll probably re-read some of the other McNaughts I've collected on my Kindle, for old times' sake :)

>278 RebaRelishesReading: - Well, I don't have the contractor yet, but it IS nice to feel like I can maybe take a step forward in the process. And thanks re: the weekend away. As a good NYer, I like to make fun of Boston and it wouldn't be my first choice of somewhere to go, but TW really wanted to go and I couldn't not take advantage of the hotel deal *grin*

OOOF. Busy day so far, and it's hot and humid, so I'm exhausted. I see a cool shower and a nap in my future...

We managed to get up and out reasonably early to go to the farmers market the next town over. It wasn't nearly as crowded as I expected, and we had a lovely time walking around and buying way too much. Here is what we got, as far as I can remember: cucumbers, carrots, tomato plants, basil plant, 1 lb. fresh red pepper linguine, pierogies, potato salad, baby potatoes, asparagus, blueberries, strawberries, pears, nectarines, loaf of bread, apple cider donuts, green onions, ground pork, bone-in ribeyes, celery, bell peppers, and zucchini. I'm planning to make a fruit salad and a vegetable soup tomorrow, and stuffed peppers and pasta will cover two dinners this week... I smartly didn't order any HelloFresh meals for this coming week, knowing we'd buy too much at the market and have a lot to use :)

After dropping all that at home, we went over to Lowe's for various things, mostly for the garden, and then we stopped for lunch (grilled chicken on ciabatta with roasted red peppers, mozzarella, and creamy pesto for me) and picked up a bottle of wine to have with dinner tonight (ribeyes, smashed dill potatoes, asparagus). I have laundry and other chores to do, but most of it can wait for tomorrow... And we have finally succumbed and turned the a/c on in the house, because ICK.

In books, I'm still listening to Normal People and have about 2.5 hours left. And I started The Other Americans for book club this week.

>280 katiekrug: I succumbed to the rattle-box, too. Window units are so much fun! But it does its job. Noisily, complainingly, but effectively.

>281 richardderus: - We have a window unit in TW's office, because he has so much computer junk in there, it gets very warm, even with the central a/c on...

Dinner last night was fabulous, but man, those steaks were HUGE. I ate maybe half of mine. But the fresh asparagus tasted so much better than the junk at the grocery store.

Today I'll be doing some stuff in the kitchen - making fruit salad, throwing together a vegetable soup, and possibly baking cookies to use up the bananas rapidly browning on the counter. I also have laundry to do, and I need to pack up all the clothes I've purged, as the VVA is coming on Wednesday to pick up our donation stuff.

It's supposed to get to 92F today, so I am hoping to accomplish as much as possible this morning...

Ha! I'm making vegetable soup today, too! And I made banana bread yesterday to use up the brown ones. /twins

>284 scaifea: - #twinning

My vegetable soup turned out okay, I think. We haven't actually eaten any but the tastes I had were fine. I need to season it more, I think, but parmesan cheese sprinkled on top should help... It was very labor intensive - so much cleaning and chopping! - and between that and doing all the laundry and the heat, and The Wayne laboring in the yard, we just decided to eat dinner out last night.

We had a bit of a rough night, as TW woke me up around 1am saying he had severe eye pain. He also ended up throwing up, so I think he maybe had a migraine? Poor dude was miserable, and I stayed up with him for a couple of hours in solidarity. We both finally got some sleep, and he said his head/eyes are better this morning but not pain-free. Anyway, we are both tired and a little cranky, so yay for separate offices!

Oh, no! I'm sorry TW (and you!) had such a bad night. I hope he keeps feeling better today.

>287 scaifea: - Thanks, Amber. He just said it was getting better, so fingers crossed...

It was kind of scary, as things in the middle of the night always seem so much worse because my mind starts running away with terrible possibilities. I hope this was just a one-off thing.

>288 katiekrug: Ooof, I get that. I can't count how many times I've had a random pain in the middle of the night and thought, "Welp, this is it. This is how I die."

>289 scaifea: - Exactly.

Normal People by Sally Rooney

I don't think this book would have worked for me in print, as much of what I liked about it was the warmth and humanity with which the audiobook narrator (Aoife McMahon) imbued the main characters. I had previously tried to read Rooney's debut, Conversations with Friends, and could not get through it. I am now wondering if I should give it a try on audio...

Normal People is the story of Marianne and Connell who go to school together near Sligo. Connell is a popular kid, while Marianne is a bit of an outcast. They are friends and lovers and friends again and lovers again - the whole book is about their ever-changing relationship and what it means to belong. It's a bit angsty, and in print I think it would have annoyed me. Maybe I'm just a sucker for an Irish accent, of maybe Aoife McMahan is just *that* good, but the confusion, longing, and emotional extremes of Connell and Marianne are rendered beautifully on audio, where the words are laden with more meaning through the choices McMahon makes in the performance.

This won't be a book for everyone, but I am glad I gave Rooney another chance.

4 stars

Note: My best friend, who struggles with often-severe depression, gave me the impetus to pick up the book, because she really wants me to watch the TV adaptation, which she says has some of the best depictions of depression and what it feels like that she's encountered. So I'll be watching that soon.

>291 katiekrug: My experience as well with Rooney. I loved the audio of Normal People but didn't enjoy Conversations in print. I watched the first episode of the show but didn't feel pulled in.

Sometimes audio works so much better for me. I tried The Bass Rock in print and was stymied, and right now I'm loving it on audio - great narrators make such a difference.

>291 katiekrug: Hi Katie! I read Normal People in print for a book group. I really liked it, as did nearly everyone in the group which kind of surprised me because of the angstiness. I thought that would bother all of us, myself included! Anyway, I was quite impressed with it but haven't been tempted to read her earlier books.

>291 katiekrug: Can't think of a better reason to watch/read it than "it's validated by experience" can you?

>286 katiekrug: That is a classic migraine. If it happens again, take him to the ER lying down and with sunglasses on.

>292 vivians: - That's interesting we had such similar experiences, Vivian. And now I need to go look up The Bass Rock...

>293 lauralkeet: - I guess if angst is done well, I don't mind it so much :) It's a real thing, but oftentimes I feel like writers make it the primary emotion or driver in a story, and that's just super boring to me.

>294 richardderus: - The ER?!?! For real? Now I'm freaking out all over again.

Hope TW is feeling better. Migraines are pretty rotten. And they present in such different ways that it can be hard to know what is and what isn't at times.
I've had the nausea, but never actually thrown up. And the sensation of being stabbed through the eye and out the back of the head is fabulous (NOT!). I don't get any kind of aura, so it suddenly hits like a sledgehammer. Fine to full blown migraine in about 30 seconds on a bad day. Went through a phase of 3 or 4 every month, but (fingers so far crossed they've tied in knots) been OK for the last few years.
Dark, quiet, cool and sleep it off was the only route for me. Even then I tended to spend the next day with what I can only describe as a migraine hangover. Feels a lot like a classic hangover, without the pleasure of having acquired it.

IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN!!!

The purpose is to be sure he gets the proper meds *IF* it's a migraine and, since he unswallowed, some pain meds, too.

It's not something one should leave untreated if in fact it's a recurring thing. It will NOT kill or disable him, though, so cálmate, corazón!

Having lived through this with my daughter and my niece, I agree with RD. It's easier to diagnose the problem if a doctor can witness it happening, which is the reasoning behind taking TW to the ER during an attack if it happens again.

>296 Helenliz: - He described the height of it as feeling like his eyeballs were being crushed, with radiating pain across his temples and an ache in the back of the head. And he wasn't exactly nauseous, but the pain made him up-chuck. I felt so bad for him :(

>297 richardderus: - I'm a natural stew-pot, so I will now worry about this forEVER.

>298 laytonwoman3rd: - That makes sense, Linda. The trick would be getting him to agree to go...

>299 katiekrug: One or two sided pain?
If he's not had them before, then I would get to the docs. While it sounds like one, that sort of head pain can have different causes and it's best not to assume that Dr Google has correctly identified the cause.

Keep a diary as to when they come on, what was happening before hand, food/drink, activity etc. Often there are triggers, or cumulative triggers, and that can help identify them.

>301 Helenliz: - Two-sided. I had already suggested he write everything down, so hopefully he will...

So sorry about the rotten night but glad you're getting good advice and hope it never happens again. Migraines are awful!!

>303 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba. I'm so glad he is so improved today. I've never had a migraine, though I do get ocular migraines which affect my vision and leave me tired and shaky for a little bit. But there is rarely pain with them, which is good, because I'm a huge baby.

I had migraines about once a month a while back but they're over now, thank heavens!! Hubby gets the ocular ones from time to time. Fortunately two Excedrin and a bit of rest usually get him past them fairly fast but it's worrisome when he's driving because they tend to come on pretty fast.

>305 RebaRelishesReading: - I get ocular migraines a few times a year. I usually just close my eyes and rub my temples for 15 or 20 minutes and they tend to go away. I did get one while driving once, and it was scary. I was able to pull into a parking lot and wait it out, thankfully.

New thread's up!