Are you listening?

GRRRRR.

“Somebody” in this house turned off the computer without saving my draft of today’s post (I compose off-line, then post on-line). He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Blamed is, shall we say, in Big Trouble? I had a thrilling, intriguing post regarding Toys - it was a fascinating insight into how I keep my sweet baby (who would never turn off his Mama's computer) entertained and it even included Controversy. Okay, maybe it wasn’t fascinating, thrilling or even insightful, but STILL, I had something to put out here today and now I Have To Start Over. I love my husband, but maybe a little less today. Wish him better luck tomorrow. He leaves for Virginia, so his prospects are good that I will love him again tomorrow, say around, 7:15 pm. Fortunately, for X and I, the Heart Grows Fonder every time Southwest Airlines hits the sky headed towards Baltimore (and Coming Soon! To An Airport Near You! Dulles! Yippee!!).

Saturday night was Canasta Night and it was wonderful. It was my first Kid Free Canasta since Arun’s arrival and I play a much better game when not concerned with his goings-on - needy little shit. I probably play a much better game when not tippling the wine, either. At Canasta, Goofy Girl, mentioned that she had read The Blind Assassin, which I highly recommended in earlier posts here and here . I got the impression she hadn’t enjoyed it very much. However, I think listening to a book and reading a book are two VERY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES. For example, I have read AND listened to all of the Harry Potter books, except the Half Blood Prince, which I have only read for now. Both listening to them and reading them are equally enjoyable, yet very different experiences, so for Serious Harry Potter Fans, I highly recommend doing BOTH. This said, I think that most books fall into either the Must Listen or Must Read categories, but not both. David Sedaris? I didn’t “get” Sedaris, until I started listening to him. His books are fucking hilarious when listened to, because you fully get the effects of his intonations that only he can express. But reading him? Not nearly as enjoyable. Same goes for the Queer Eye for the Straight Guy book - probably better listened to than actually read. So, I was disappointed that Goofy Girl had listened to Blind Assassin because I just can’t imagine that it would be a good listen. I still stand by the statement that this was one of the best books I have ever read. In fact, after our discussion of it on Saturday, I woke up this morning and laid in bed for awhile thinking about it AGAIN. So, while I am willing to admit that I would rather read a book than listen to it, I will say that my most recent read, Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bordain probably would have been a better listen than a read. Parts of this book were absolutely fascinating - X and I eat out a lot so much of our disposable income is devoted to eating out and trying different restaurants. However, other parts of this book really dragged - Bordain has this “wink-wink” type of style that was irritating. He is trying to pull off the ole "Asshole with a Heart of Gold" schtick and he was marginal at succeeding. Still, if you are a foodie, this book is for you. You will truly have a good understanding of the restaurant business after reading this.

In other news, on Sunday, we completed our sign-up for the Fair Share Farm - the CSA (Community Based Agriculture) group we have joined. We got to meet the farmers, Rebecca and Tom, who seemed very cool. As part of our membership, we need to complete two 4-hour shifts helping to harvest. I am very excited about this. X, the Grumbling Grinch of Gardening, is NOT. I am the first to admit that my ideal of gardening is to plant a bunch of shit, then crack open a beer and watch it grow - I hate weeding, watering, and pruning. By August, most of my stuff is dead, but fortunately, with enough beer, I don't even notice by then. However, I am still very excited about our farm shift and was insistent that X get in on it. I suspect I will have a nice blog entry come July 10th, the Monday after our shift. We have our first veggie pick up in mid-May and I will probably begin a section detailing our pick-ups.

Because, yes, I am THAT fucking desperate for non-baby material that I will start posting about VEGETABLES.


Slapdashed Snap:

Okay - a weird picture, but I just loved the juxtaposition of Arun’s sweet little shoes next to mine (I had sprayed all of them on the porch with the water/stain resistant stuff). I don't think I have bought a new pair of shoes since Average Jane's Wedding Do-Over in December 2004 (AKA the Renewal of 10 year vows in Vegas), so I have been able to bury my usual guilt for making such a purchase. A little. As you can see, I did break down and buy a pair of Skechers. Until now, I have been a victim of Reverse Marketing since I was loathe to buy anything that Britney Spears was hawking. Bleh.