52 in 52: Book 3 - Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Gone Girl.  It grabbed my attention and kept me on the edge of my seat.  I loved it.  Although I haven't seen the movie yet, I am excited that it was released on DVD last week and plan to grab a bottle of wine, a bowl of popcorn and revel in watching the words that Gillian Flynn wrote come to life on screen.

I must say that I read Gone Girl a long time ago, so it's a bit of a head-scratcher as to why I didn't try other Flynn novels sooner.  I mean, she was  a fellow inhabitant of the flyover states, growing up in Kansas City.  She attended Kansas University (as a KSU Wildcat fan that's the only strike against her) and sets her novels in midwest towns.   She's relevant, interesting and her female character development is nothing short of brilliant.  Take this quote from Sharp Objects:

“Sometimes I think illness sits inside every woman, waiting for the right moment to bloom. I have known so many sick women all my life. Women with chronic pain, with ever-gestating diseases. Women with conditions. Men, sure, they have bone snaps, they have backaches, they have a surgery or two, yank out a tonsil, insert a shiny plastic hip. Women get consumed.” 


Wow, right?  If you want to know more about her, here's a video from CBS Sunday Morning.

Now for Sharp Objects...honestly it had quite a bit to live up to, but after the first few pages I realized that would not be an issue.  The novel find Camille Preaker reluctantly heading back to her hometown to cover the grisly murders of two young girls.  While that is enough to make your average crime reporter cringe, add to that the fact that Camille was just released from a stint in a psychiatric hospital.  Her addiction?   Cutting.  This was a bit shocking to me because not only does she cut, but she carves words into her skin when she can't handle what's happening in her life, largely due to her upbringing.  From Sharp Objects:
          
“I am a cutter, you see. Also a snipper, a slicer, a carver, a jabber. I am a very special case. I  have a purpose. My skin, you see, screams. It's covered with words - cook, cupcake, kitty, curls- as if a knife-wielding first-grader learned to write on my flesh. I sometimes, but only sometimes, laugh. Getting out of the bath and seeing, out of the corner of my eye, down the side of a leg: babydoll. Pull on a sweater and, in a flash of my wrist: harmful. Why these words? Thousands of hours of therapy have yielded a few ideas from the good doctors. They are often  feminine, in a Dick and Jane, pink vs. puppy dog tails sort of way. Or they're flat-out negative.  Number of synonyms for anxious carved in my skin: eleven. The one thing I know for sure is that at the time, it was crucial to see these letters on me, and not just see them, but feel them.

Sharp Objects is a tale of  how twisted the human psyche can be and takes the reader on a journey as Camille relives her childhood and reconnects with those who helped make her what she is.  Her discoveries regarding her personal demons as well as the murders made me want to avoid reading what was coming next but unable to stop myself.  To say it's creepy is an understatement.  The twists and turns in this novel that are both compelling and mind-boggling.  Give it a read; it's worth your time!

Mango - My New Obsession

The kids and I went on our first cruise this past summer.  To get out of town and relax for five days was fabulous...the drink I discovered while on our cruise was life changing.  I know that sounds dramatic, but really...it was that good.

Relaxing on the Serenity Deck.
My favorite spot in the world. 

It's called a Kiss on the Lips.  (yes, ordering it can be both a fun adventure and embarrassing - depends on your server)
Server:  What can I get you?
Me:  A Kiss on the Lips
Server:  Um, seriously, what can I get you....
Me:  (mortified because bartender was hot and now he thinks I hit on him!)
See, it seems that one can only get this drink (in public) on a Carnival Cruise ship.  That's ok, though. Pinterest to the rescue once again.  Here is the recipe:

     

Sensing a theme?

Kiss on the Lips

Ingredients:

•        1 1/2 oz Peach Schnapps
•        4-6 oz Mango Mix 
•        1 tbsp Grenadine

Directions:

• Mix schnapps and mango mix in a blender, then swirl in grenadine. Garnish with a pineapple slice and cherry.

Ahhhhh....

My first thought when I found the recipe was; "what the heck is mango mix?".  Unable to abandon my quest, I looked further and found that people use mango juice, ready-made mango smoothies or what I chose, frozen mango from my local Kroger store (approximately 1 cup).  I throw the mango in a blender with the Schnapps and a little mango juice or water and blend.  Then continue the recipe you see above.  It. Is. So. Good.  Really.

It's so good, in fact, that I wanted a healthy way to enjoy this drink so back to Pinterest I went.  This time I found a recipe for mango smoothies. They are also wonderful and can be a great breakfast or snack.

Here's the recipe:
Mango Smoothie
Ingredients
1/2 c frozen mango
1  container Vanilla Yoplait Light
2 tsp honey
water (use enough for your desired thickness)
Directions:  Put all ingredients in a blender.  Turn it on.  Watch it spin.  Get a straw...enjoy.  :-)

Now I want one.  Yum.  I had shied away from this delectable fruit in the past because a) they seemed expensive and b) I'd never tried one.  Shame on me.  In addition to a treat for my pallet, I've found I love the smell as well.  Mango candles, body wash, yep - sign me up.  The only thing I've had to throw out is a drink mix (like Crystal Light but Walmart brand).  It was quite disgusting.

Finally, until six months ago, THIS was the only Mango I knew about.  Remember him?

Hahahahahahahahaha....he was a goofy character on SNL, but he did make me laugh.

52 in 52: Book 2 - "The Martian" by Andy Weir

I read The Martian as book two in my "52 in 52" attempt this past week.  It came highly recommended by a friend whose reading list, other than a bit heavy on anything British, is quite interesting.  She and her husband had finished it recently, the latter remarking "the only bad thing about finishing the book is that now it's over".  To say I went into this novel with high hopes is quite accurate...those hopes, for me, dimmed a tad the further I read.

Was it well written?  Sure.  It grabbed my attention from the first lines: "

I'm pretty much fucked.  That's my considered opinion.  

Fucked.  Six days into what should be the greatest two months

 of my life, and its turned into a nightmare.

See, it sparks your interest, too.  Don't lie.   Did I want to continue reading to find out what happend to this poor guy?  Absolutely.  This novel is a compelling tale about what happens to Mark Watney when he's left, after being one of the first six people to walk on Mars, for dead due to a sand storm and a terrible mishap with his equipment.  It's a story of survival, isolation, and Murphy's Law, because what can go wrong for him, usually does.  I was rooting for him.  I wanted him to figure out a way to stave off starvation.  I wanted him to remain safe despite the myriad of problems he encountered  I was amazed and laughed out loud at his sarcastic outlook and ability to remain calm, all noted in this journal entries.

 That said, the endless technical details of this book began to wear on me after a while.  I've never been a fan of space nor engineering, so I found myself skimming the explicityly laid out details revolving how to grow potatoes or what happens when hydrogen, oxygen...blah, blah, blah.  While it added to the realism of the novel, I found it a bit too much.  Again, space and THAT MUCH science just aren't my thing.

All in all, I am glad I read the book.  It's a fresh take on movies like Castaway , novels like Hatchet, and stories like To Build A Fire.  The fact that it's set on the red planet, a place where survival is pretty much impossible, adds a new twist to a cool genre.  What's fun is it has been made into a movie starring Matt Damon.  This might be one of the few times that I, personally, might like the movie better than the book.

Making YouTube Videos on the Fly

I am in a tech integration workshop, my monthly therapy, and learned that by going to YouTube, clicking on UPLOAD once you've logged in to your account, you can make a video on the fly.  Once there, you can choose RECORD VIDEO and boom - you're recording!  *Note:  it starts recording RIGHT AWAY (no countdown) so be prepared.  This is super cool and has a ton of possibilities.  Try making one today and share in the comments below.

Google Classroom Tutorial

In an effort to reach more staff for professional learning, this month's Tech Wednesday went digital with a webinar introducing Google Classroom to those who have yet to use it.

AirScanner: A Handy Tool

AirScanner is a handy tool that, quite honestly, I didn't even remember downloading.  I tend to hit places like  Appsgonefree to download apps that look promising.  I'm glad I chose this one.

AirScanner turns your cell phone into a document camera.  Why is this great?  Well, typically the document cameras in teachers' rooms are wired and must be plugged in to the computer.  This is a wireless version.  This is a fantastic tool to use when you want to show hard copies of documents, newspapers, magazines and more.  In addition, it's a great way to showcase student work.  Since you're no longer tied to your wired document camera, you can show images, manipulatives and other student produced items as they are working.  Pretty neat, right?

How To
After downloading the app:

1. Start Air Scanner
2. See the numbered IP address at the bottom of your camera display (looks something like this - 192.168.0.5:8283)
3. Open your browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox) on your computer and type in the IP address EXACTLY as it's shown.

You're on your way!

It can be a tad laggy (taking about 2 seconds to show the image), but it's definitely worth a look.  At .99 cents, it's very reasonable or you can haunt AppsGoneFree until it comes around again.  Download it here for iOS.

52 in 52: Book 1

So one of the goals I wanted to complete this year was "52 in 52:  Fifty-two books in fifty-two weeks".  I know it sounds lofty, but I'm hoping I can do it.  I might have to have a few guest bloggers to help me, but I think it's a worthy goal.

That said, the first title for this new endeavor should be something spectacular like Unbroken by Laura Hildenbrand or Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, right?  Um, well...it's not.  My daughter and I chose books right before Christmas break with the intention of reading/trading.  We've been through all the John Green books (Looking for Alaska is my very favorite), some Rainbow Rowell, Lauren Oliver and Kiera Cass to name a few.  It helps that  she discovers new authors all the time thanks to the gals over at Epic Reads (they are hysterical and interesting, too...give them a look) and other sites.  Anyway, I perused the YA shelves at my local bookstore and quite honestly ended up grabbing something from the "Must Read" display and called it a day.  How bad could it be?

The cover of the book read: Lux: Beginnings by Jennifer L. Armentrout.  I should have looked at it more closely.  It ended up being the first two books in a FIVE BOOK SERIES.  Oh dear.  The title of Book 1 was "Obsidian".   I started reading it and I have to say, I loved it.  Now remember, I am in no way a YA.  In fact I am a lot closer to OA. :-)  But as somebody who loved Twilight (the books, NOT the movies) I found this to be a lot of fun.  It was a quick read with an interesting plot line.  Here's a peek:

Obsidian

There’s an alien next door. And with his looming height and eerie green eyes, he’s hot…until he opens his mouth. He’s infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, he marks me. Turns out he has a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal his abilities and the only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to him until my alien mojo fades. If I don’t kill him first, that is.

Ok, aliens, romance and teen angst?  Sure, why not.  I actually like YA reads quite a bit.  I think it's a hold over from my 20 years as a middle school ELA teacher.  I enjoyed reading them so I could talk with the kids about what they were reading.  I'm glad I did, because there is a wide array of interesting, compelling books out there that I could have missed if  I had turned my nose up at the YA label.

I must admit, I'm a sucker for a series. I like the fact that I get to know characters and can follow them and watch them grow.   I have now read through book three in the Lux Series.  While it is reminiscent of Twilight, I found it quite a bit more charming and even funny in spots.  It's pretty tame so far too, so if you have a YA interested in reading it, no worries.

So that's #1 of 52 for 2015.  I have a rather eclectic taste in books, so no judgements.  Please.  ;-)

Pinterest Fail #1: Zucchini Chips

The title of this post is a bit deceiving.  There have been a myriad of Pinterest FAILS in my life; this just happens to be the first of 2015.

In an effort to avoid junk food, B and I decided to attack our "Healthy Eating" Pinterest boards.  One of the easiest snacks we found was Zucchini Chips.  I thought this was fantastic!  Not only would it be HEALTHY, but we were still getting CHIPS!!  That's the best of both worlds, right?

We found this recipe and followed explicitly, or so we thought.  We sliced, we used our sea salt and olive oil.  We were right on track; then we pulled them out of the oven.  Those things were sad, shrunken, little rounds of "disgustingness".  First, hey shrank...like they were the size of a half dollar when we put them in the oven and the size of a nickle when we pulled them out.  What?  Next, they were in the oven (and repeatedly checked) for the full amount of time.  Some were a nice brown and others needed more time.  Last but certainly not least, they tasted awful.  We obviously did something wrong but it will be awhile before we give it another go - the taste lingers and it's not good. Lol.   If you've got any tips or ideas about what we did wrong, let me know!
.

New Year/New Blog

I’ll admit it - I’ve dabbled in blogging before.  Well, on the work front I have more than dabbled (see my technology blog here), but on a personal, life level, I’ve started numerous times only to crash and burn after the first few posts.  This time, who knows...maybe it will stick.  Even if nobody reads this but me, it’s a fun and interesting way to chronicle projects I’m working on, books I’m reading and other things that catch my fancy.  Perhaps one day my future grandchildren will read this and think their Grams was a rather interesting lady - or, with my luck, an old coot.  Ha!  

It’s hard to believe it is January 1, 2015.  I keep seeing resolution posts all over social media and on TV and it makes me twitchy.  I know I should have resolutions (that last 10 pounds isn’t going away unless I hit the gym harder), but in past years, I’ve always felt like a complete and total loser when January 3rd rolled around and I’d  already quit.  I did see somebody post on Pinterest that the world’s resolution this year should be to love themselves more.  Hmmm...seems to me that in this day and age of “me, me, me” people with inflated egos could use a tad of self-flagellation (kidding) or at least perspective so they’ll stop thinking only of themselves and start thinking about others...but who am I to judge, right?

So what does 2015 hold for me?  I have no earthly idea.  I’d like to work on several projects I’ve pinned to my overstuffed Pinterst boards. (Side note:  can you imagine what your life would look like if you successfully completed and cooked all things you pinned to Pinterest?)  I’d like to read “52 in 52” - fifty two books in fifty two weeks and blog about them - that’d be neat.  I’d also like to keep my house organized, see my adult children happy, figure out how to keep my car clean for longer than a week, pray more, eat less, listen harder, hold my tongue, keep my pets clean and well behaved, my work life productive and my digital life safe.  Whew.  I’m exhausted just picturing all of it.    I think I’ll take it a day at a time and see where the journey leads.  Right now it’s leading me to a “Blue Bloods” binge on Netflix and a glass of wine.  Cheers!  Happy New Year!